Model-based Methodologies for Pervasive and Embedded Software 

Abstract: This paper addresses variability in the domain of software-based control systems. When designing product lines of such systems, varying sensors and actuators have to be used and parameterized, which in turn requires adaptations in the behavior of the microcontroller. For efficient engineering these adaptations should be performed in an systematic and straightforward manner. We tackle these challenges by using a Rapid Control Prototyping (RCP) system in combination with model-based development techniques. In particular, we modularize the parametrization of components into a separate configuration, which is isolated from the model that defines the controller behavior. Hence, during adaptations the model can often remain unchanged, which significantly reduces the turnaround time during design iterations. The approach is illustrated and evaluated with a parking assistant application, which is tested on our experimental vehicle, where it performs automatic parking maneuvers.

Abstract: The first version of the XIS profile addressed the development of interactive systems by defining models oriented only towards how the system should perform tasks. However, issues such as user-interface layouts, or the capture of interaction patterns, were not addressed by the profile, but only by the source-code generation process. This originated systems that, although functional, were considered by end-users as "difficult to use". In this paper we present the second version of the XIS UML profile, which is now a crucial component of the ProjectIT research project. This profile follows the "separation of concerns" principle by proposing an integrated set of views that address the various issues detected with the previous version of XIS. In addition, this profile also promotes the usage of extreme modeling, by relying on the extensive use of model-to-model transformation templates that are defined to accelerate the model development tasks

Abstract: Integration projects are typically faced with a proliferation of standards, technologies, platforms and tools Bespoke solutions are frequently used for what are often generic problems generating work with no discernable business value Business requirements naturally evolve during the development process Because of the complexity of code centric be-spoke solutions, the reactivity to these changes is costly in terms of effort and time Though model driven development (MDD) promises to have a positive response to these problems, there is little practical evidence of the impact of its infusion This paper presents a case study conducted in a systems integration company investigating the impact of MDD infusion We take a practical approach focused on better and more productively meeting customers' requirements Besides this commercial perspective, our approach takes into account the practical aspects of project activities One of these aspects is the influence of the motivation and beliefs of actors in the success of a technological change, which we analyse using ActorO Network technological change, which we analyse using actor network theory (ANT) For systems integration companies, the ability to learn is a critical asset and differentiation factor Knowledge management (KM), as a process through which organizations generate value from their intellectual assets, is another practical aspect we look at We present preliminary findings of the work completed so far We look for industrial representativeness of the results, defined here as being "close to real life" experience that industrial actors (project managers, developers, etc) can relate to, draw conclusions from and translate into action

Abstract: This work presents the PervML Generative Tool (PervGT) that supports a model driven method for the development of pervasive services in ubiquitous environments. The tool, which is based on the Eclipse platform, provides facilities for the graphical description of pervasive systems using PervML, a UML-like modeling language. Once the pervasive system is specified, the PervML model is used as input to a transformation engine that generates source code and other implementation assets. This generated code extends an OSGi-based framework in order to build the final pervasive applications