Complex Reactive Systems

Group Led by Dr. S. D. Dewasurendra

This laboratory supports the specification, verification, validation and fault diagnosis of complex reactive systems. This laboratory also serves as the laboratory for model-based design and testing of Cyber-Physical systems. Rationale

Automated high integrity reactive systems required in the control of defence (e.g., target-tracking system), automotive (e.g., traction-control system), rapid mass transport (e.g., collision avoidance system) and manufacturing (exception handling system) need formal specification and design tools. For these complex reactive systems, which continuously react to external stimuli (called events), we need methods and tools that permit specifying them in a precise, easy and safe way, maintaining traceability along the different phases of the design that facilitate analysis and verification of behaviour. Modularity, re-configurability and the notion of a formal specification are crucial considerations.

• The main thrust is on model-based, modular, reconfigurable system design and (formal) verification of asynchronous systems and model-based fault diagnosis/testing in such systems
• Synchronous models and languages: modelling, testing, verification and distributed code generation; Tools and methods for the validation of asynchronous and complex systems: modelling and formal verification of complex and timed component based systems; Tools and methods for timed and hybrid systems: scheduling in real-time systems and in manufacturing, delay analysis in circuits and composition of timed systems
• Supervisory Control of Learning Multi-agent Systems, manufacturing information system (MIS) architectures based on distributed intelligent agents.
• Testing reactive Hardware/software at the levels: design :Model-in-the-Loop (MiL), Software-in-the-Loop ( SiL), Processor-in-the-Loop (PiL), Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) and Real system

Current Themes

• Feasibility requirements for complex dynamic systems are difficult to formulate, understand, and meet without extensive prototyping. Modelling and simulation holds the key to the rapid construction and evaluation of prototypes early in the development process.
• The inclusion of safety requirements in design specifications help highlight what the system must not do, which if overlooked, will lead to unsafe operation of the software.
• Compositional verification and model-based-testing of CRS.
• The reconfigurability of the overall system: correct and predictable operation of a designed reconfigurable system.
• Design for Diagnosability of Cyber-physical Systems.

Current research students

• A.C. Vidanapathirana (PhD student)
• R.M.T.C.B. Ekanayake (PhD student)
• P.A. Abeyratne (PhD student)