Transform safety-critical cyber-physical systems into distributed solutions for end-users and partners

Project Information

TRANSACT

Grant agreement ID: 101007260

DOI

10.3030/101007260

Project closed

EC signature date 12 May 2021

Start date 1 June 2021

End date 31 May 2024

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

Total cost

€ 26 542 594,29

EU contribution

€ 6 903 977,32

Coordinated by

PHILIPS MEDICAL SYSTEMS NEDERLAND BV
Netherlands

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - TRANSACT (Transform safety-critical cyber-physical systems into distributed solutions for end-users and partners)

Reporting period: 2023-06-01 to 2024-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) play a crucial role in a variety of key sectors. However, we are not exploiting their full potential yet. Especially safety-critical systems are still deployed as standalone systems because it is currently the only way to ensure the system’s safety, security and performance simultaneously. At the same time market trends show the need for safety-critical CPS to be equipped with novel services based on smart data analytics able to improve their functionality and safety over time, while enabling access to crucial (off-device) information.
The TRANSACT European research project has developed a universally applicable distributed architecture enabling safety-critical CPS to leverage cloud and edge computing capabilities without compromising their critical requirements. Paving the way for faster, cheaper and more flexible solutions tailored to customers’ needs. These architectures enable seamless mixing of on-device, edge and cloud services and software. Furthermore, new applications are able to be flexibly, yet always securely be deployed, and independently released. A key element in the transformation is that performance, safety, security and privacy of data are guaranteed. The safeguarding of these properties has been one of the key elements in the project.
The impact of the transformation of standalone safety-critical systems into distributed safety-critical solutions will be a much faster innovation with value-based services and new business models enabled by edge and cloud services, leading to faster market introduction in the various multi-billion euro markets addressed by TRANSACT.
Companies will transform to solution providers, lowering the BoM of their products, and enabling their customers to provide cost-effective value-based services. TRANSACT will be a crucial enabler for Europe to shift towards a solution-oriented market “so as to still matter in the Embedded & Cyber-Physical Systems field of tomorrow’s world”.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The following progress has been made up to now in respect to the defined project objectives:
- OBJ1: Leverage edge and cloud technologies for safety critical CPS. The Use Cases have identified the most suitable workflows that will benefit from edge/cloud technologies and are in the process of incorporating edge and cloud technologies into the distributed applications realizing safety-critical operations. The performed work allows mission-critical services to be deployed on different tiers.
- OBJ2: Enable continuous development and updates of applications and services in the device-edge-cloud continuum. We completed an inventory of the current challenges with respect to continuous development and independent releasing for the project domains, deriving the main communalities between the domains (WP4). The work of the contributing partners was organized around six domains: Compatibility of distributed safety-critical CPS; Verification and validation related; Roll-out and deployment strategies; Roll-back strategies; Retraining and releasing AI models and Regulatory aspects. The involved partners have worked on the design and implementation of the specific solutions to tackle these challenges.
- OBJ3: Ensure safety and timing performance from a user perspective. We translated the most relevant requirements and concepts for end-to-end safety and performance into 17 specific solutions, categorized into: Application-related solutions targeting end-user functionalities; Cross-cutting solutions targeting system level methods and techniques); and Platform-related solutions targeting the environment in which the application is executed. For each solution, a state-of-the-art or state-of-practice analysis is provided as well as the innovation step made in TRANSACT, and their application to the use cases is explained.
- OBJ4: Guarantee security and privacy in the device-edge-cloud continuum. We translated the most relevant requirements and concepts for end-to-end security and privacy assurance into 22 specific solutions categorized in: Secure communication-based solutions; Identity access and services; Safety, security, and performance monitoring services; Cloud security; Data communication security; AI/ML based solutions; Risk analysis; Hardware based security and Security solutions for new services. For each solution, a state-of-the-art or state-of-practice analysis is provided as well as the innovation step made in TRANSACT, and their application to the use cases is explained.
- OBJ5: Fast innovation with novel services. We continued the integration of AI-based components and services in the planned project domains. Four main research items have been defined and will be further investigated: Combining on-device intelligence or autonomy with edge or cloud-based AI services to ensure safe handling of safety-critical situations; Defining the level of safety-criticality to which AI services can be used, and the type of safeguards or degraded modes of operation that are needed; Defining what novel services can be created by the combination of data from various local systems that can exploit global insights beyond the local CPS only viewpoint; and Updating AI services incorporating new or updated functionality (gradually) availably to ensure early field feedback yet maintain safe operation.

Routes toward exploitation by industry and SME partners have been documented. In addition, partners have been able to contribute to the standardization of relevant areas in e.g. the maritime domain.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

TRANSACT has realized a number of overarching technical ambitions to support the transition towards distributed safety-critical CPS solutions.

These achievements are the following:
- Edge and cloud computing platforms and infrastructure supporting distributed safety-critical CPS solutions.
- Transition strategies to transform local CPS into distributed safety-critical CPS solutions, including an open source reference implementation.
- Model-based Design / Exploration for distributed safety-critical CPS solutions.
- Run-time performance and safety management for distributed safety-critical CPS solutions.
- End-to-end security and privacy assurance for distributed safety-critical CPS solutions.
- Integration, release & deployment of distributed safety-critical CPS solutions.
- New business models enabled by distributed safety-critical CPS solutions.

The transition towards distributed solutions and the shift to value-based services will allow us to achieve major impact along three distinct lines:
- Business impact. The transformation into distributed safety-critical CPS solutions will lead to much faster innovation in the different markets targeted by TRANSACT (Automotive, Electric Vehicles, Maritime, Medical systems and Water Treatment).
- Innovation and knowledge impact. A key element is the creation of a TRANSACT transition methodology document containing guidelines that distil the lessons learned and offer consolidated best practices to help and guide industries to make the transition from local stand-alone CPS to distributed safety-critical CPS solutions.
- Societal and environmental impact. The project is a major enabler for many aspects of the European societal and environmental challenges such as safer shipping, driving and public transport; secure, clean and efficient energy; value-based care with greater efficiency; climate action, environment and resource efficiency and cyber-secure operations in the cloud.

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