CPS-Ed 2013 - 1st Workshop on Cyber-Physical Systems Education (CPS-Ed)

Cyber-physical systems (CPS) are engineered systems that are built from and depend upon the synergy of computational and physical components. CPS continue to grow in prevalence and complexity, and their designers face the challenge of managing constraints across multiple knowledge domains such as software, transducers, signal processing, communication and networking, computer architecture, controls, simulation, and modeling of physical processes. The CPS of tomorrow will need to far exceed the systems of today in capability, adaptability, resiliency, safety, security, and usability. We do not yet have a mature science to support systems engineering of high confidence CPS, and the consequences are profound. Domain experts may contribute individual components of a design, but they often lack cross-disciplinary knowledge of how these components interact in composition with others. As the prevalence and sophistication of cyber-physical systems increases, so does the need for developers with sufficient cross-disciplinary education.
The First Workshop on Cyber-Physical Systems Education (CPS-Ed 2013) is a full-day workshop co-located with CPSWeek 2013[i], to be held on Monday, April 8th, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Attendees from academia, government, and industry who participate in research, development, or education related to cyber-physical systems are encouraged to attend. The workshop will consist of distinguished keynotes, panels, and author presentations. Authors may submit position papers and case studies. Accepted papers will be published as part of the CPSWeek conference proceedings, and authors of selected papers will have the opportunity to present their paper at the workshop.
Goal of the CPS-Ed Workshop
CPS-Ed seeks to build a systematic approach to cyber-physical systems education with specific emphasis on outcomes of a good CPS education. As a launching point we propose such outcomes in a framework inspired by ABET Engineering Criteria Program Educational Outcomes[ii], though we do not mean to imply CPS education should necessarily be part of an accreditation process. These example outcomes are as follows:
A. An ability to apply mathematical models of physical systems, cyber systems, and their composition.
B. An ability to design and conduct simulations and tests of a cyber-physical system and to analyze the results.
C. An ability to apply good engineering practices in the design of a system that mixes cyber and physical components subject to constraints including safety, security, cost, and dependability.
D. An ability to function effectively on multi-disciplinary teams spanning cyber and physical domains.
E. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems that have both cyber and physical aspects.
F. An understanding of the professional and ethical responsibilities of the design of life- and safety-critical systems.
G. An ability to communicate effectively across cyber and physical domains.
H. An understanding of how design decisions in the cyber domain may affect the physical domain and visa-versa.
I. A recognition of the need for, and ability to engage in life-long learning.
J. A knowledge of contemporary issues with cyber-physical systems.
K. An ability to select and use appropriate techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools that span the cyber and physical domains.
Registration to the workshop will be handled in connection with registration to the conference part of CPSWeek.