Optimal Resource Management in Wireless Control Systems

Abstract:

Modern cyber-physical applications appearing in, e.g., industrial and building automation, often utilize wireless communication to transfer information between sensors, controllers, and actuators. The wireless devices used to carry out the communication, however, are characterized by resource constraints, e.g., limited battery power resources for transmission. To achieve a desirable balance between control application performance and resource utilization, efficient resource management mechanisms are necessary. The efficiency of these mechanisms is further impacted by the inherent uncertainties of the communication, the stochastic nature of the wireless medium, as well as the dynamical nature of the control tasks. This work addresses the problem of designing control-aware and power-aware resource allocation mechanisms, opportunistically adapting to the control performance requirements and wireless channel conditions. The proposed approach is illustrated in optimal power management for single sensor-actuator systems, as well as in scheduling and power management for control systems implemented over shared wireless mediums.