In this concise yet comprehensive Open Access textbook, future inventors are introduced to the key concepts of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). Using modeling as a way to develop deeper understanding of the computational and physical components of these systems, one can express new designs in a way that facilitates their simulation, visualization, and analysis. Concepts are introduced in a cross-disciplinary way. Leveraging hybrid (continuous/discrete) systems as a unifying framework and Acumen as a modeling environment, the book bridges the conceptual gap in modeling skills needed for physical systems on the one hand and computational systems on the other. In doing so, the book gives the reader the modeling and design skills they need to build smart, IT-enabled products.
Starting with a look at various examples and characteristics of Cyber-Physical Systems, the book progresses to explain how the area brings together several previously distinct ones such as Embedded Systems, Control Theory, and Mechatronics.
Featuring a simulation-based project that focuses on a robotics problem (how to design a robot that can play ping-pong) as a useful example of a CPS domain, Cyber-Physical Systems: A Model-Based Approach demonstrates the intimate coupling between cyber and physical components, and how designing robots reveals several non-trivial control problems, significant embedded and real-time computation requirements, and a need to consider issues of communication and preconceptions.
Walid Taha is a Professor of Computer Science at Halmstad University. He has lead the development of several programming language design and implementation efforts, including MetaOCaml, Java Mint, the Verilog Preprocessor, Event-based and Priority-based FRP, and Acumen. Walid's recognitions include the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award and Halmstad University's Teacher of the Year Award (2016).
Abd-Elhamid M. Taha is an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering At Alfaisal University. His research spans radio resource management, Internet of Things (IoT) services, and modeling in networked cyber-physical systems. Abd-Elhamid is a senior member of the IEEE, and a recipient of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Early Career Researcher Award as well as several awards at Alfaisal University for distinction in teaching and
research.
Johan Thunberg is an Assistant professor at the School of Information Technology, Halmstad University. His research interests include pattern recognition, control theory and nonlinear systems. He received the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in 2008 and 2014, respectively. Between 2007 and 2008 he held a position as research assistant at the Swedish Defense Research agency (FOI). Between 2014 and 2018 he held a position as research associate at the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg.
