Overview

Goal

The goal of the center is to collaborate closely with researchers and developers in all CPS application domain areas. Although PRECISE was founded jointly by two SEAS departments (CIS and ESE), it will closely collaborate with other SEAS departments as well as with industry.

Cyber-Physical Systems

Cyber-physical systems (CPS) are physical and engineered systems whose operations are monitored, coordinated, controlled, and integrated by computing and communication cores. As computers and communication bandwidth become faster and cheaper, computing and communication capabilities are increasingly embedded in objects and structures in our physical environment. In most application domains, from home appliances -- to medical devices -- to advanced unmanned air vehicle (UAV) systems, modern engineered products rely increasingly on software for sensing, actuation, and decision-making. The scientific foundations of CPS must include a means for understanding the design, development, implementation, verification, certification, and evolution of such systems. To be realized, these foundations will need to integrate the existing theories of computing and communication systems, sensing and control of physical systems, and interaction between humans and CPS.

Activities

PRECISE will facilitate the development of the following activities for its members:

  • Large-scale projects and proposals
  • Joint R&D activities with industry groups
  • Education programs at the undergraduate or M.Sc. levels in the form of a new concentration, major, or degree(s) offered in relevant areas
  • Working relations with R&D organizations in the application domain, including those working in the automotive, avionics, embedded system integration, medical devices, mobile devices and services, process control, smart buildings, and wireless sensor network fields

Any interested parties should contact the director of the center, Insup Lee, at lee@cis.upenn.edu.