Infrastructure cyberphysical systems and their users

Abstract

All control systems have users, even those we deem “autonomous.” But when the span of control goes from a system to a system of systems, as is the case with critical infrastructures, the role and even the concept of the user are dramatically altered. Thus in designing and operating cyberphysical systems (CPS) for infrastructures, we need to explicate their human footprint. This presentation will review selected CPS infrastructures with a focus on the complexities introduced by their multifarious users. Examples that will be discussed include smart buildings and intelligent transportation systems. The broader challenge, though, is to abstract from the specifics to a general framework and ultimately theory. Questions to this end will be posed that the control systems research community is best-equipped to address.