State-Based Conceptual Design in Mechatronics via Petri Nets: A Case Study for an Educational Robot

Use of state-based models to represent artifact behaviors at conceptual design is a challenging area for design research. Conceptual design of mechatronic systems needs a multi-domain approach in which the "logical behavior" of a mechatronic design artifact is described without any physical realization. This paper presents a case study on state-based representation for the intended behavior of a non-existent robot at early conceptual level. The behavior is defined through a demonstrative scenario and represented as states and state transitions independent of any physical embodiment. Discrete Event System Specification (DEVS) and Petri Net formalism are used for the model. This representational model is first step towards the development of a virtual prototype for the logical behavior of robot design.