Physically Informed Assertions for CPS Development and Debugging

Abstract:

This project's overall objective is to enable assertion-driven development and debugging of cyberphysical systems (CPS).   As opposed to traditional uses of assertions in software engineering, CPS demand a tight coupling of the cyber with the physical, especially to aid system validation.  This project will show how physical system models can be used to create and apply assertions to help produce methods and tools that will facilitate verification and validation of cyberphysical systems.In the first year of this project, an empirical study of verification and validation was conducted through survey of CPS developers and researchers, with a qualitative analysis of state of the art in research related to CPS testing, confirming that traditional and state of the art verification and validation methodologies are not sufficient.  The PIs have also focused on identifying and developing specific application test-beds that will be used to guide how assertion usage can be broadened beyond the program environment to include a mapping of information that captures key physical aspects of a CPS. This work is being motivated by studying university laboratory platforms and by partnering with industry collaborators and other end users engaged in CPS development in the areas of medical device design and manufacturing/production systems. Graduate student researchers are advancing the concept of a physical model-based assertion framework, as well laying groundwork for modeling key elements in test-beds at various levels of fidelity. Initial work in run-time verification using model-based assertions  is underway. Finally, in the past year a new course was offered in Mechanical Engineering by transforming a traditional vehicle dynamics and controls course into Cyber Vehicle Systems. This course involved a balance between theory and simulation of ground vehicle dynamics and controls with application to laboratory mobile robot platforms.  The initial offering attracted 25 undergraduate and graduate mechanical engineering students.