YABS: a domain-specific language for pervasive computing based on stigmergy

Abstract

This paper presents YABS, a novel domain-specific language for defining entity behavior in pervasive computing environments. The programming model of YABS is inspired by nature and, in particular, the observations made by the French biologist Grassé on how social insects coordinate their actions using indirect communication via the environment, a phenomenon that has become known as stigmergy. Following this approach yields a simple yet expressive language that abstracts the complexities of dealing with the variety of underlying technologies typical of pervasive computing environments and that facilitates the incremental construction and improvement of solutions while providing high-level constructs for defining the behavior of entities and their coordination. We show how YABS has been used to program a number of pervasive computing applications both deployed and simulated.