Cyber-physical systems

This research area aims at achieving the 3C convergence, i.e., the deep integration of computing, control and communication for the design of modern complex systems, which include cyberphysical, real-time, embedded, hardware and software subsystems, with applications ranging from robotics to automotive, avionics, energy, biology. The core research on computing aspects is related to modeling, verification and optimization of intelligent cyberphsical systems, with particular emphasis on models of computation, manipulation of description languages, semi-formal and formal verification, hardware and software automated synthesis and compilation, correct-by-construction refinement and optimization, fundamental CAD algorithms. System theory concepts are used to model dynamic systems, and to interface dynamic systems to computation elements and communication networks. They are mainly investigated from the point of view of the design of robotic tele-operated systems, virtual environments for surgical applications, mobile robots and multi-robot systems, and optimal co-design of communication and control strategies for networked and embedded control systems. Finally, research in communication is focused on the design, analysis and evaluation of network protocols and architectures, considering all layers, from data link, to routing, to congestion control, to overlay; moreover, with the so-called network synthesis, computation, communication and control aspects are addressed in a holistic way to face the complexity of large pervasive applications.