The control software for robotics applications is usually written in a low-level imperative style, intertwining the program sequence and commands for motors and sensors. To describe the program’s behavior, it is typically divided into different states, each representing a specific system condition. This way of programming complicates the comprehension of the code, making changes to the program flow a tedious task. Functional Reactive Programming (FRP) offers a composable, modular approach for developing reactive applications. To examine the strengths and limitations of FRP compared to the conventional imperative style, the control software for a robotic artwork was implemented using a form of FRP in the Haskell programming language. The resulting design separates the control of the hardware from the implementation of its behavior. In addition, state transitions are presented more clearly, resulting in code that is more understandable, especially for people with little programming experience.

This talk will also feature the accompanying DEMO: The Fun of Robotic Artwork