A successful cyber-physical system, a complex interweaving of hardware
and software with some part of the physical environment, depends on
proper identification of the, often pre-existing, physical element. A
bespoke "cyber" part of the system may then be designed from scratch.
Optimal Mobile Sensing and Actuation Strategies in Cyber-physical
Systems focuses on distributed-parameter systems the dynamics of which
can be modelled with partial differential equations. These are very
challenging to observe, their states and inputs being distributed
throughout a spatial domain. Consequently, systematic approaches to the
optimization of sensor location have to be devised for parameter
estimation. The text begins by reviewing the field of cyber-physical
systems and introducing background notions of distributed parameter
systems and optimal observation theory. New research problems are then
defined within this framework. Two important problems considered are
optimal mobile sensor trajectory planning and the accuracy effects and
allocation of remote sensors. These are followed up with a solution to
the problem of optimal robust estimation. Actuation policies are then
introduced into the framework with the purpose of improving estimation
and optimizing the trajectories of both sensors and actuators
simultaneously. The large number of illustrations within the text will
assist the reader to visualize the application of the methods proposed.
A group of similar examples are used throughout the book to help the
reader assimilate the material more easily. The monograph concentrates
on the use of methods for which a cyber-physical-systems infrastructure
is required. The methods are computationally heavy and require mobile
sensors and actuators with communications abilities. Application
examples cover fields from environmental science to national security so
that readers are encouraged to link the ideas of cyber-physical systems
with their own research.
