Summary

CPS: Large: Science of Integration for Cyber-Physical Systems

Submitted by Janos.Sztipanovits on Thu, 04/07/2011 - 6:24pm

Project Details

Lead PI:	Janos Sztipanovits
Co-PI(s):	John Baras Panos Antsaklis Xenofon Koutsoukos Shige Wang
Performance Period:	10/01/10 - 09/30/16
Institution(s):	Vanderbilt University
Sponsor(s):	National Science Foundation
Project URL:	http://cps-vo.org/group/soi
Award Number:	1035655

Abstract: The objective of this research is to develop new foundations of composition in heterogeneous systems, to apply these foundations in a new generation of tools for system integration, and to validate the results in experiments using automotive and avionics System-of-Systems experimental platforms. The approach exploits simplification strategies: develop theories, methods, and tools to assist in inter-layer decoupling. The research program has three focus areas: (1) theory of compositionality in heterogeneous systems, (2) tools and tool architectures for system integration, and (3) systems/experimental research. The project develops and deploys theories and methods for inter-layer decoupling that prevent or decrease the formation of intractable system-wide interdependences and maintain compositionality at each layer for carefully selected, essential system properties. Compositionality in tools is sought by exploring semantic foundations for model-based design. Systems/experimental research is conducted in collaboration with General Motors Global R&D (GM) and focuses on electric car platforms. The project is contributing to the cost effective development and deployment of many safety and security-critical cyber-physical systems, ranging from medical devices to transportation, to defense and avionics. The participating institutions seek to complement the conventional curriculum in systems science with one that admits computation as a primary concept. The curriculum changes will be aggressively promoted through a process of workshops and textbook preparation.

System integration today relies on ad-hoc methods: After all the components have been designed and manufactured, existing integration methods simply aim at 'making it work somehow'. As the complexity of engineered systems continues to increase, our lack of a systematic theory for systems integration creates more and more problems. Finding a solution is difficult because system integration is the phase where essential design concerns - usually separated into physical systems, software and platform engineering - come together and the hidden, poorly understood interactions and conflicts suddenly surface. This makes system integration particularly challenging in CPS where fundamentally different physical and computational design concerns intersect.

In this project, the Institute of Software Integrated Systems (ISIS) of Vanderbilt University, the Institute for Systems Research (ISR) of University of Notre Dame, University of Maryland and General Motors Research teamed up to create a new scientific foundation for system integration.