What are Cyber-Physical Systems?

As a result of rapid advances in smart sensors and actuators as part of physical systems and computing and networking as part of cyber systems, a new family of intelligent engineering systems has developed, formed from the tight integration of cyber and physical systems.

 

Cyber Physical Systems is a relatively unknown concept, yet it is becoming increasingly important for all essential participants in I.T and technology in general. In what follows, we shall define CPS and outline what development may be predicted for the systems defined by this idea.

 

What is Cyber- Physical Systems?

 

In its most basic form, a Cyber Physical System (CPS) is a platform consisting of a mechanical system managed by computer algorithms and tightly connected with the Internet and its networked users. 

 

The platform's physical-mechanical components, represented by smart sensors and actuators, and software components, represented by computer and networking devices, are inextricably linked. In other words, CPS refers to a collection of physical devices ('hardware') that are controlled by computer-based algorithms, most of which are software.

 

According to that definition, personal computers are CPS devices, and any physical device controlled by an algorithm might be considered a computer. In this situation, CPS would represent all digital computers in the world, not just 'standard' PCs, but everything that comes with an electronic system that employs digital algorithms – or can be an extension of such systems.

 

Physical (or 'hardware') and software components are inextricably connected in Cyber-Physical Systems, with the potential to function in a variety of spatial and temporal modes. They can exhibit a variety of behaviors that alter dynamically with the setting.

 

Cyber- Physical Systems (CPSs) are based on the seamless integration of computer algorithms and physical components. These systems connect digital and analog devices, interfaces, sensors, networks, actuators, and computers to the natural environment as well as to man-made objects and buildings. 

 

Just as the Internet changed the way people interacted with information, cyber-physical systems are changing how people engage with the real environment. Simultaneously, the size and intrinsic variety of these systems provide enormous technical hurdles. 

 

To formalize their design, manage and regulate them in a scalable, efficient, and secure manner, and assure their use, new technical techniques are required.

 

Also Read | Edge Computing vs Fog Computing

 

Design of Cyber- Physical Systems

 

Concept designing is a complicated problem since there is no standard approach in design practice that incorporates all sorts of engineering and creative disciplines in CPS. Recently, disciplines have taken use of co-simulation to collaborate without imposing new design methodologies.

 

The 5C architecture — connection, conversion, cyber, cognition, and configuration – may be used to design and deploy a cyber- physical production system. 

 

1. Connection- Devices can be built to self-connect and self-sense their activity.

 

2. Conversion- Data from self-connected devices and sensors are evaluating the characteristics of important concerns with self-aware capabilities, and machines may utilize the self-aware information to self-predict possible difficulties.

 

3. Cyber - Each machine creates its own "clone" by using these instrumented features and some methods to better describe the machine health pattern. For further synthesis, the established "clone" can do self-compare for peer-to-peer performance.

 

4. Cognition – The results of self-assessment and self-evaluation will be displayed to users in the form of a "infographic," illustrating the content and context of potential concerns.

 

5. Configuration - To ensure robust performance, the machine or production system can be adjusted based on the priority and risk criteria. 

 

Challenges of Cyber- Physical Systems

 

Some of the challenges of Cyber- Physical Systems are as follows :- 

 

1. Abstraction of Real-Time Systems

 

Due to the huge number of sensors and actuators, as well as computers that exchange various types of data, it is critical to design a new framework that allows us to abstract the salient characteristics of systems in real time. The topology of a CPS network, for example, might change dynamically as a function of physical factors. 

 

As a result, there is a need for research into novel distributed real-time computing and communication mechanisms capable of accurately reflecting the important interactions among CPS elements and, as a result, providing the required level of performance, such as safety, security, resilience, and dependability.

 

2. Durability, Safety, and Security

 

Interactions with the physical world, unlike logical computing in cyber systems, are inherently laden with uncertainty due to factors such as unpredictability in the environment, errors in physical equipment, and possible security risks. 

 

As a result, in CPS, overall system resilience, security, and safety are critical. The intrinsic nature of CPS may be used to achieve this goal by utilizing physical information about the system's position and time.

 

3. Modeling and control of Hybrid Systems

 

The main difference between physical and cyberspace is that the former changes in real time, whilst the latter changes in response to discrete logic. As a result, a rigorous hybrid system modeling and control mechanism that includes both the physical and cyber elements is necessary for CPS design. 

 

To close the feedback control loop, for example, a new theoretical framework that can link continuous-time systems with event-triggered logical systems is necessary. 

 

In this paradigm, both temporal scales (from microseconds to months or years) and dimensional orders (from on-chip to perhaps planetary size) should be carefully examined.

 

Also Read | Hybrid Cloud Computing

 

4. Control over Networks

 

Time-based and event-based computing, time-varying delays, transmission failures, and system reconfiguration are all barriers to the design and implementation of networked control in CPS.

 

CPS researchers encounter the following issues while creating network protocols: assuring mission-critical quality-of-service via wireless networks, balancing control law design and real-time computing restrictions, bridging the gap between continuous and discrete time systems, and ensuring large-scale system dependability and robustness

 

5. Sensor-actuator Systems

 

Wireless sensor networks have been extensively explored for more than a decade. Nonetheless, wireless sensor-actuator networks (WSAN) are a new subject that has gotten little attention, especially from the standpoint of CPS. 

 

The interplay between sensors, actuators, physical systems, and computational elements should be carefully examined when designing sensor-actuator networks. Physical features, in particular the influence of actuators on the whole system, have not been sufficiently explored in system design thus far.

 

6. Validation and verification

 

Hardware and software components, operating systems, and middleware must all go through extensive compositional verification and testing to guarantee that the overall CPS criteria are satisfied. In terms of dependability, CPS must go above and beyond existing cyber infrastructure. 

 

For example, the aviation sector is well aware that the certification process takes more than half of the resources necessary to design new systems. In this area, the most well-known approach for generating safe system certification is overdesign. 

 

However, with today's large-scale complex systems, just employing the overdesign method has become intractable. As a result, new models, methods, and tools are required to integrate compositional verification and validation of software and other components throughout the design cycle.

 

Also Read | Network Security: Types, Advantages and Disadvantages 

 

Real Life Applications of Cyber- Physical Systems

 

Let's look at some real-world applications of Cyber-Physical Systems, although it's worth noting that many CPS-based systems employ wireless network sensors to monitor the environment and communicate data to a central node. 

 

Other CPS technologies include autonomous automobile systems (AAS), distributed robotics, smart grids, and automated pilot avionics.

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Real Life Applications of Cyber Physical System

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1. Robotics Distributed

 

CPS is used in distributed robotics, as demonstrated by MIT using a distributed robot gardening system. A group of robots tends a tomato garden utilizing a combination of distributed sensing, manipulation, navigation, and wireless networking.

 

2. Manufacturing

 

Cyber-Physical Systems are mostly used in the industrial industry to self-monitor production processes and operations. The information shared between machines, business systems, supply chains, suppliers, and customers greatly improves the production process. 

 

This is known as intelligent manufacturing. This improves visibility and control of the supply chain, resulting in improved product security and traceability.

 

3. Distribution of Water

 

The use of automation in water distribution systems has grown in recent years. Because of systems like the CPS. Water distribution systems, which provide water to our houses, are made up of pipelines, wells, pumps, tanks, and reservoirs. 

 

Devices are used in the systems to monitor various operations of the water distribution system. A sensor, for example, can be used to measure the level of water overflow from a pressure pipe or tank. The systems also have programmable control circuitry to automatically open valves.

 

Although this method improves water distribution efficiency, it has a disadvantage: hackers can get remote access to information and wreak significant harm. The approach is to employ two tools: a "Attack Model" and a "Toolbox." 

 

The Attack Model describes the many methods an attacker may compromise the system, while the toolbox uses MATLAB – a popular software in the engineering and computer sectors – to extract information from the attack model and runs on Epanet. 

 

An Epanet is standardized software that aids in the description of the flow of water through systems. The Epanet collaborates with the toolbox to monitor both the physical and cyber state of the system. This aids in the detection of any external alterations made by an attacker.

 

4. Smart Greenhouses

 

When it comes to agriculture, Cyber-Physical Systems play a significant role in increasing production and eliminating hunger. The system focuses on adaptable aspects like temperature, light intensity, watering, and humidity. These settings are intended to respond to certain computer programs in order to promote growth.
 

The technology also provides constant input to the user, allowing them to know the status of the greenhouse at all times. Using network services, feedback may be controlled remotely. Furthermore, sensors for temperature, soil moisture, light sensor, and humidity are mounted to the designs as station sensors. 

 

In addition, sensors for humidity and temperature control are installed, allowing the sprinklers and fans to be adjusted to either boost or reduce the temperature.

 

The advantages of the Cyber-Physical system to agriculture via smart greenhouses are considerable. One such advantage is the financial savings, as well as the time and work saved by the farmer. It also creates a more conducive environment for higher productivity.

 

5. Health Care

 

Cyber-Physical Systems are frequently employed in the medical field for real-time patient monitoring and sensor control. This contributes to better treatment for the aged and disabled, reducing patient hospitalization. This system is further enhanced by merging a network closed loop with a human loop to increase workflow and system security.

 

6. Transportation

 

Cars may interact with one another using Cyber-Physical Systems to share information such as traffic, location, and road concerns in order to prevent accidents and increase safety. Another example of transportation is the employment of an ABS or anti-skid braking system to avert a collision and bring the vehicle to a halt.

 

Also Read | Supply Chain Management

 

Finally, Cyber-Physical Systems are a "system of systems" that are sophisticated enough to mix software and hardware via networked connections. 

 

In other words, it combines the physical and cyber worlds to improve productivity in a variety of industries such as engineering, healthcare, transportation, smart buildings, smart greenhouses, and many more.