Project description
Developing a contract theory for modular control system design
Advancements in engineered systems have traditionally relied on increased automation. However, existing control techniques can no longer scale with the increased size and complexity of smart manufacturing systems, autonomous vehicles, and energy systems, compromising safety and efficiency. The ERC-funded COCOS project aims to develop a theory for control systems design that is inherently modular, enabling system components to verify their requirements independently while guaranteeing system-level behaviour. Contracts serve as specifications on component behaviour and will be automatically generated to optimise system performance. The project will introduce a scalable approach for the efficient, safe, and reliable operation of engineering systems, with practical applications tested in high-tech manufacturing and autonomous vehicle case studies.
Objective
The expansion and performance improvement of our engineered systems have traditionally been achieved by increasing the level of automation, driven by advances in control system design. However, due to the increasing complexity and ever-tighter performance requirements on systems such as smart manufacturing systems, autonomous vehicles, and smart energy systems, we are reaching the limits of what can be achieved by existing control techniques. Namely, existing techniques (i) do not naturally guarantee relevant requirements such as safety, resource-efficiency, or transient performance, and (ii) do not scale with the increasing size and heterogeneity resulting from integrating more and more components in our engineering systems.
I propose a new approach for control system design based on contracts, inspired by ideas from software design in computer science. A contract is a detailed quantitative specification on the dynamic behavior of a component and/or the overall system, capable of expressing relevant requirements. Crucially, contracts enable modularity as the design of a component only needs to guarantee satisfaction of its component contract, i.e. without requiring knowledge of other components in the system. For correctly designed contracts, this then guarantees desired system-level behavior. My initial results show the feasibility of using contracts for control system design.
I will develop a contract theory for control system design that includes techniques for the automatic design of component contracts aimed at optimizing system-level performance, and control design for contract satisfaction. Consequently, this project will present (control) system engineers with a scalable approach to guarantee the efficient, safe, and reliable operation of future engineering systems. The practical relevance of the theory will be tested by case studies in high-tech manufacturing systems and autonomous vehicles, and supported by efficient computational tools.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering control systems
- natural sciences mathematics applied mathematics dynamical systems
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
9712CP Groningen
Netherlands
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