Autonomous Decentralized Systems and Their Applications in Transport and Infrastructure

In a large and complex system, such as a railway network, it is often not an option to stop operation at any time. Even if a part of the system fails, is being repaired or modified, the system has to keep functioning. This leads to many requirements for on-line expansion, on-line maintenance, and fault-tolerance. Dynamic changes demand next-generation control, information and service systems to be based on adaptive, reliable and reusable technologies and applications. Such systems are expected to have the characteristics of living systems composed of largely autonomous and decentralized components. Hence they are called Autonomous Decentralized Systems (ADS).

This book describes the concept, architecture and technologies of ADS and their applications in intelligent control, information and service systems, with a focus on transport. ADS is explained first using the example of the Japanese railway transport system; applications in other fields and countries follow. The goal is to describe the ADS concept and the technologies, applications and businesses on the basis of a consistent concept for achieving intelligent systems such as for manufacturing, transportation service, air traffic, robotic and distributed services.

Kinji Mori is a Distinguished Researcher at the Green Computing Systems Research Organization, Waseda University, Japan. Dr. Mori has made fundamental contributions to the field of reliable and maintainable distributed computer systems. In 1977, he proposed a completely new system concept named Autonomous Decentralized Systems (ADS). Dr. Mori contributes to ADS architecture construction, technologies invention, product designing, business planning, implementation, de-facto standardization and foundation of international conferences and his achievements also include the patents of their technologies registered and applied in the world; foundation of several IEEE sponsored international conferences e.g., International Symposium on Autonomous Decentralized Systems (ISADS); and papers in archived journals, books, and international conferences.

Takashi Kunifuji is Principal Chief Researcher of the Research and Development Centre of JR East Group at East Japan Railway Company, Japan. He has been engaged in research and development of railway signal control systems since 1998, and worked in the maintenance, design, and construction of signalling systems from 1992 to 1998. He received his Ph.D. degree in Engineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan in 2011.