Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CAR (Context-Active Resilience in Cyber Physical Systems)
Reporting period: 2016-11-01 to 2018-10-31
Context-active resilience is a novel concept of CPS resilience proposed in this action, which emphasises active and proactive response to the dynamic state of CPS and its users in real-time. The project aims to develop a novel approach to context-active resilience in CPS. The project aim has been fully met via the successful delivery of the all its measurable objectives. We have systematically analysed the very diverse contexts and the circumstances of resilience in CPS and extracted practicable patterns (CAR patterns) to support the context-active resilience in CPS applications. Meta-intelligence (MI) has been developed as a key drive for the specification of the CPS context and its associated adaptation services for resilience within the CAR patterns. A MI-driven infrastructure for the specification, selection and application of the CAR patterns has been developed. The CAR patterns have been semantically specified and populated into a MI-based pattern repository. A MI based selection mechanism has been developed to choose the appropriate CAR patterns for a specific circumstance in resilient CPS.
Due to the wide and critical roles of CPS in industry and society and the novelty of context-active resilience, the project is both timely and significant. Acting as a bridge, the project has simultaneously advanced the theoretic approach and art of practice of this emerging topic, improved the competency and career of the fellow, enhanced and complemented the host’s research profile and infrastructure, and benefited the society, living, economy and related research communities significantly.
A large spectrum of activities have been done to disseminate and exploit the research results. Public engagement has been a key part. Consider the scale of the project, it has been creating quite a large awareness of CAR results to influence the interest and attitude of public and to promote the application of the context-active resilient CPS in many societal services. E.g.: General Chair of the 11th and 12th IEEE International Workshop of Quality Oriented Reuse of Software (QUORS'17 Italy and QUORS’18 Japan); Keynote speeches at the 7th International Conference on Computer Engineering and Networks (CENet), Shanghai, July 2017 and at the 6th International Conference on Geo-Spatial Knowledge and Intelligence (GSKI), Wuhan, China, Dec 2018; Demonstrations at Explorathon for public engagement of the CAR results, in Whale Arts, Edinburgh, 2017 and in Cafe Science, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, 2018; Disseminating & networking at EuroScience Open Forum, Toulouse, July 2018; Seminar & networking at Institute of CPS, Vienna University of Technology, Nov 2018.
Guided by the supervisor the fellow has published 18 papers during the project in established international journals and conferences. All of them have been made Open Access via either Gold Route or Green Route (OA Repository of Edinburgh Napier University).
The fellow has attended a number of distinctive training activities to enhance his skills and competence. E.g.: Knowledge Transfer Partnership application workshop, Feb 2017; Examining Research Degrees, March 2017; Project Management for Research, June 2017; Winning research funding, 2018.
I. Progress and the produced results beyond the state of the art
The project has created a novel concept of resilience, namely Context-Active Resilience to correct the weakness of the existing resilience approaches in CPS. Context-activeness has been developed as one effective approach to achieve better resilience in dynamic environments such as CPS.
The project successfully set up the concept of Meta-intelligence (MI) as an innovative advance to traditional meta-data. In CAR, MI has been developed as a key drive for the specification of the CPS context and its associated adaptation services for resilience.
The project has set up a new concept of computing pattern, namely Context-Active Resilience Pattern, to capture and categorise the knowledge and solutions for CPS resilience.
II. Skill Training, Knowledge Transfer, Professional Competencies and Career Development
The completion of the CAR project has met the aims of the development and enhancement of the fellow's capacity, skills and professional maturity as an international leading researcher in CPS area.
The fellow has gained the skills and professional competencies in leading research and academic careers at international excellence level. He has completed: 10 training sessions by the host; 4 public engagement events worldwide; PC chair for 1 international conference (CENet 2018) and 1 international workshop in SmartWorld 2019, PC member and session chair for 5 other international conferences; 2 invited speeches; presented at 6 scientific and innovative forums worldwide; 9 visits for dissemination and partnership building worldwide.
For the long-term career development, he has gained a full professorship in an established university in China. He has been building a collection of esteems around himself and his group at the international leading level in CPS area, e.g. chair of international conferences, editorship of international journals, awards and public recognition such as IEEE senior membership (awarded in 2018), and HEA Fellowship (awarded in 2018).
III. Contribution to European Excellence and Competitiveness
CAR has been producing an impact on science, technology, society and the innovation agenda. It has been given the fellow and the host unique strength to impact on and contribute to European excellence and competitiveness via their activities. The new CAR approach is a key enabling technology that underpins innovation and competitiveness across a wide range of market sectors such as societal services, power and manufacture. It is not only an engine for growth in the economy, but also contributes to solving many societal challenges such as elder care, emergency services and smart power.
The CAR approach is expected to be widely accepted and contribute to the global standards and EU IPRs via their effective dissemination and exploitation activities.
The project has been impacting on career and knowledge development in the economic, personal, societal and organisational spheres. It serves as a catalyst that fosters the position of European resilient CPS services developers, vendors and providers.
At the societal and living respects, the fellow and host engage CAR outcomes to create a better Europe/World, which has more socially aware, resilient and reliable services.