Embedded Robot Development Tunneling for Secure Remote Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Developers face challenges in remotely configuring and programming robotic devices over the public Internet, leading to conflicts and security issues when multiple developers try to access the same device simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
A managed tunneling system establishes secure, private connections between remote clients and robotic devices, managing access through reservation periods and enforcing access controls to prevent simultaneous access and ensure security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If developers connect to robotic devices via public Internet, then remote access capability is improved, but security risks and access conflicts increase
Solution Approach 1:
A tunnel server acts as an intermediary between remote clients and robotic devices. The server establishes secure tunnel connections that mediate all communication, preventing direct exposure of devices to the public Internet while enabling remote access. This resolves the contradiction by allowing developers to connect remotely through the tunnel server without compromising device security.
2Productivity
If multiple developers access the same robotic device simultaneously, then development productivity is improved, but access conflicts and device instability increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements reservation mechanisms where developers can pre-book time slots for device access. This preliminary action schedules access in advance, preventing simultaneous access conflicts while maintaining high productivity through efficient time utilization. The tunnel server enforces these reservations by controlling connection timing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically manages device access by transitioning between different access states (reserved, active, idle). The tunnel server dynamically establishes and terminates tunnel connections based on reservation status and current device availability, optimizing both productivity and device stability through adaptive access control.
3Reliability
If direct hardware connections are used for programming, then connection reliability is improved, but physical proximity requirements reduce accessibility
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces direct mechanical hardware connections with network-based tunnel connections. The tunnel server establishes virtual communication channels that substitute for physical cable connections, enabling reliable programming over the public Internet without requiring physical proximity between developers and robotic devices.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for remote development of a robotic device is described. The robotic device comprising an embedded computing system and one or more subsystems, wherein the embedded computing system is programmable to control performance of respective operations of the one or more subsystems. The system includes a network tunneling system to receive, via an interface, one or more requests to specify an access configuration for the robotic device. The network tunneling system also receives a request to start a development session on the robotic device for a remote client. The network tunneling system evaluates the access configuration to determine that the request for the development session is permitted. The network tunneling system establishes a managed connection between the remote client and the embedded computing system of the robotic device to start the development session.