Computer Aided Engineering of Cyber-Physical Information Gathering and Utilizing Systems

• Main Authors: Alfred P. Defonzo, Anthony P. Hopf
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: International Institute of Informatics and Cybernetics 2012-08-01
• Series: Journal of Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics
• Subjects: Optimization; Information Gathering And Utilizing Systems; Multi-Objective Problem; Cyberphysical; Network Sensors
• Online Access: http://www.iiisci.org/Journal/CV$/sci/pdfs/HCT562CE.pdf

Engineering Cyber-physical information gathering and utilizing systems(CIGUS) presents the systems engineer with a difficult, multi-criterion, multi-objective decision problem. Research, development and design is done over many disciplines, across many domains, each with their specific models. Systems engineers are expected to provide a common level of communication amongst the domains to promote convergence to a design. We present novel information measures that enable combination of the underlying domain specific subsystems parameters in a way that makes the information yield of the system intelligible to decision makers and domain experts. These measures enable, for the first time, the application of multi-objective evolutionary algorithms and end-to-end computer aided engineering of CIGUS. Our novel approach is validated and verified through the application and direct comparison of simulated and experimental results of state-ofthe- art weather radar network test bed designs. The approach resulted in Pareto optimal point within an average of 10% of the actual case study design parameters and within 25% of the Pareto ideal point. No additional parameters beyond the underlying domain parameters were introduced. This demonstrates that the computationally aided engineering approach presented in this work facilitates engineering feasibility decisions and the subsequent evolution of the engineered systems in way that reduces cost and effort.