Research Challenges in Distributed Cyber-Physical Systems

Moore's law, automation considerations, and the pervasive need for timely information lead to a next generation of distributed systems that are open, highly interconnected, and deeply embedded in the physical world. Such systems, called cyber-physical, were recently named the first research priority in networking and information technology in the US by the nation's presidential council of advisors on science and technology. They offer new research challenges that stem from openness, scale, and tight coupling between computation, communication, and distributed interaction with both physical and social contexts. Growing challenges span a large spectrum ranging from new models of computation for systems that live in physical and social spaces, to the enforcement of reliable, predictable, and timely end-to-end behavior in the face of high interactive complexity, increased uncertainly and imperfect implementation. This talk discusses the top challenges in cyber-physical systems and conjectures on research directions of increasing interest in this realm.