CS News:
Cyber-Physical Systems
Tiny wireless sensors and actuators — some costing under a dollar a piece — are driving the next revolution in computing. Networked to computers, connected to the Internet, and embedded in objects in our surroundings, these increasingly sophisticated devices provide the foundation for cyberphysical systems that have the potential to dramatically increase our ability to respond — automatically and in real time — to the world around us. If you drive a car, work in a factory, or own a smartphone, you already understand the power of cyber-physical systems.
Our department was present at the birth of this new technology, thanks to the pioneering work of Jack Stankovic, the BP America Professor of Computer Science. We now have one of the most influential research programs in the field.
As Stankovic points out, the potential of cyber-physical systems is vast. They will, for instance, allow us to realize significant savings in residential energy use, enable seniors to age in place and extend the working life of critical infrastructure. They also promise to usher in a new age of scientific discovery, while dramatically increasing manufacturing quality, output, and efficiency.
The research challenges are equally significant. In our department we are investigating many of the fundamental obstacles that must be addressed for cyber-physical systems to be widely deployed. Our faculty members are focusing on such issues as safety and security, network protocols, activity recognition, data mining, signal processing and programming and debugging. They are also developing prototype systems that they are testing in homes. Many undergraduates as well as graduate students are involved in this research.
Cyber-physical systems are inherently interdisciplinary. As a result, our work quite often takes us across Grounds and to other universities. We have collaborated with doctors, nurses, environmental scientists, control theory and signal processing experts, embedded systems designers, and hardware engineers, to name just a few. Together, we are moving toward a time when ubiquitous wireless sensors and actuators will shape the way we interact with our surroundings.
Read more here.