ASU VIPLE in Computing and Engineering Curricula

This website is authored by Dr. Yinong Chen and Dr. Gennaro De Luca and is operational since 2015.
ASU VIPLE is a Visual IoT/Robotics Programming Language Environment developed at Arizona State University, in the IoT and Robotics Education Laboratory. VIPLE is initially based on the functional definition of Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio (MRDS) and (Visual Programming Language (VPL), and it extends their functionalities to include many more educational functions. Microsoft discontinued the development and support to its MRDS and VPL in 2012. ASU VIPLE is developed to support MRDS and VPL community, so that they can continue to program their robots in the same way. ASU VIPLE has open APIs and interface. It supports a variety of IoT and robotics platforms, including EV3 and open platform IoT systems and robots, such as robots based on Intel and ARM architecture. ASU VIPLE works in the same way as MRDS and VPL. The VIPLE program runs on a backend PC, and receives sensor and motor feedback, and sends commands to the robot motors. ASU VIPLE supports both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections between the PC and the robots. The data transferred between the PC and the IoT/robot are packed into JSON objects.

The basic functions of ASU VIPLE can be taught to high school students and college freshman students in their computational thinking and first introduction to engineering course. The advanced features, such as service-oriented computing, parallel computing, machine-learning and AI programming, autonomous driving experiments, and Pi Calculus expressions, can be used in advanced computing classes. This site includes documents, downloads, sample code, video, lecture slides, and other resources. For more information, please contact Dr. Yinong Chen at yinong@asu.edu

• ASU VIPLE Tutorials and Documents
  • VIPLE Introduction: ASU VIPLE Tutorial
  • VIPLE Traffic Simulator: VIPLE Traffic Simulator Related Materials
  • Textbook: Service-Oriented Computing and System Integration
  • Repository: ASU Repository of Web Services and Web Applications
  • Repository: VIPLE Programming Lessions and Plan for Middle School teachers and students
• ASU VIPLE Software and Edison Middleware Free Downloads
  
  • ASU VIPLE Standard Edition Installer the latest version for Windows 10. This is the standard edition of VIPLE, and is the version you should download if you are not sure which one you need.
  • ASU VIPLE Downloadable Version for Windows 10. This edition contains a version of VIPLE that does not require installation. Unzip the file and start the application from file: VIPLE, which is the largest executable in the folder.
  • ASU VIPLE Downloadable Version for Windows 7. This edition contains a version of VIPLE that does not require installation. Unzip the file and start the application from file: VIPLE, which is the largest executable in the folder. This version does not contain new features of VIPLE.
  • Microsoft .Net Framework Download. To run VIPLE, .Net Framework 4.6.1 or newer version is required.
  • Intel Edison Board Installer : A link to Intel Website. The site will instruct you to install Linux OS and the required drivers on your Edison board, which will allow ASU VIPLE Middleware to run. ASU VIPLE middleware will communicate with ASU VIPLE on the backend PC. The middleware is open source. You can modify the files if you use different sensors and motors for your robot.
  • ASU VIPLE Middleware on Edison: JavaScript Implemention, Unzip the file and copy all the folders and files into Edison Board that runs Linux OS.
  • ASU VIPLE Middleware on Edison: C++ Implementation, Unzip the file and copy all the folders and files into Edison Board that runs Linux OS.
  • Simple TORCS Controller Written in ASU VIPLE
  • Basic Sample Programs Written in ASU VIPLE
  • Full Sample Programs Written in ASU VIPLE for Instructors only. Please contact Dr. Chen at yinong@asu.edu
• ASU VIPLE Videos
  
  • Dynamic Dijkstra Algorithm Traffic Simulation: Link to Video at ASU, 2022
  • EV3 Wall-Following, with self-adjustment: Link to Video at ASU and Video file download and on YouTube
  • EV3 Line Follower: Link to Video and Video file download
  • Edison Robot Maze Navigation by measure right and left distances and Video file download and on YouTube - FSE100 Spring 2016: Robotics Competition on YouTube Student uploaded video.
  • VIPLE Web Simulator running two-distance local best algorithm: Link to YouTube Video
  • VIPLE Web Simulator running wall-following algorithm: Link to YouTube Video
  • VIPLE Web Simulator Student Presentation: Link to YouTube Video
  • Humanoid Videos: CBS News on VIPLE-based Guide Dog Project - Backup Link to the news -
    VIPLE Programmer Humanoid with Sensor -
    VIPLE Controled Humanoid -
    Alexa Controled Humanoid -
    Dog Action 1 -
    Dog Action 2
  
  
• ASU VIPLE in Computing and Engineering Classes
  ASU VIPLE is used as the lab environment in ASU FSE100 Introduction to Engineering: A freshman engineering class. FSE100 Syllabus and Course Information
  ASU VIPLE is also used in ASU Summer Robotics Camp for high school students. ASU Summer Robotics Camp
  A set of PPTs can be downloaded here They can be used together with the VIPLE tutorial, which is a lab manual for writing IoT and Robotics programs.
  • L01 - About the Course and Syllabus
  • L02 - CS Related Disciplines
  • L03 - VIPLE - Visual IoT/Robotics Programming Language Environment
  • L04 - ALU Simulation in VIPLE
  • L05 - Number systems
  • L06 - Finite State Machine and Programmig
  • L07 - Algorithms
  • L08 - Event Driven Programming
  • L09 - Programming Langauges
  • L10 - Operating System
  • L11 - Unix and Edison
  • L12 - IoT and RaaS
  • L13 - IoT and Augmented Reality
  • L14 - from OOC to SOC
  • L15 - SOC and Web Software
  • L16 - Presentation Techniques
  • L17 - Big Data
  • L18 - Cloud Computing
  • L19 - Amdahls Law
  • L20 - Ethics Theories
• Related Publications
  • Yinong Chen; Gennaro De Luca: "Technologies Supporting Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Application Development", Open Access https://doi.org/10.37965/jait.2020.0065, Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Technology January 2021.
  • Gennaro De Luca; Yinong Chen: "Explainable Artificial Intelligence for Workflow Verification in Visual IoT/Robotics Programming Language Environment", Open Access https://doi.org/10.37965/jait.2020.0023, Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Technology January 2021.
  • Gennaro De Luca and Yinong Chen, Semantic Analysis of Concurrent Computing in Decentralized IoT and Robotics Applications", in Proceedings of IEEE 14th International Symposium on Autonomous Decentralized Systems, Utrecht, the Netherlands, April 2019, pp. 95 - 102. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ISADS45777.2019.9155627, Download Link: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-13-7542-2_23
  • Matthew De La Rosa and Yinong Chen, "A Machine Learning Platform for Multirotor Activity Training and Recognition", in Proceedings of IEEE 14th International Symposium on Autonomous Decentralized Systems, Utrecht, the Netherlands, April 2019, pp. 15 – 22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ISADS45777.2019.9155812 - Download: http://www.public.asu.edu/~ychen10/conference/isads2019/DeLaRosa_ChenISADS2019.pdf
  • Gennaro De Luca, Zhongtao Li, Sami Mian, Yinong Chen: " Internet of things and intelligent devices and services ", CAAI Transactions on Intelligence Technology, Volume 3, Issue 2, June 2018, p. 119 – 130.
  • Yinong Chen, Gennaro De Luca: "VIPLE: Visual IoT/Robotics Programming Language Environment for Computer Science Education" , IPDPS Workshops 2016: 963-971 PDF and Presentation PPT
  • Yinong Chen: "Analyzing and visual programming internet of things and autonomous decentralized systems" , Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory, Volume 65, June 2016, pp. 1-10
  • Gennaro De Luca, Yinong Chen: "Visual IoT/Robtics Programming Language in p-Calculus" , The 13th International Symposium on Autonomous Decentralized Systems, Thailand, March 2017.
  • Gennaro De Luca, Sami Mian: "Improving Multithreaded Performance Algorithmically in VIPLE" , The 13th International Symposium on Autonomous Decentralized Systems, Thailand, March 2017.
• Microsoft VPL Downloads. Microsoft VPL is still usable for NXT Robots and for simulation. However, as it is not updated and supported, it does not support the newer robots, such as EV3.
  • Microsoft VPL Installation File
  • ASU Simulated Maze with Laser Range Sensor: This is an additional component created at ASU. Copy the downloaded files into Robotics Developer Studioe's Samples folder.
  • ASU Keyboard Drive Service For Robotics Studio R4: This is an additional component created at ASU. Copy the downloaded files into Robotics Developer Studioe's bin folder.