by Patrizia Scandurra
Modelling Functional Requirements of Cyber-Physical Systems Using ASMETA
Abstract:
Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) integrate the dynamics of the physical 
processes with those of the computation and networking.
Recent advances in science and engineering improve the integration link between computational and physical elements by means of intelligent mechanisms aimed at increasing the usability, dependability, adaptability, and autonomy of CPSs. A typical example of CPS is a modern vehicular system with autonomous/adaptive features that provide safety and comfort
to the driver by continuously monitoring and responding to the environmental changes. These intelligent mechanisms are mostly software-intensive and demand software engineering approaches based on multi-paradigm modelling and on formal analysis techniques able to guarantee correct operation, possibly at runtime when real usage scenarios of the running system are definitely clear.
This talk discusses some of these modelling challenges and how they are addressed by the ASMETA (ASM mETAmodeling), a modelling and analysis framework based on the formal method Abstract State Machines (ASMs). The framework is useful for the behavioral modelling and analysis of state-based control modules of cyber-physical systems. ASMETA adopts a set of modeling languages and tools for not only specifying the executable behavior of a system, but also for checking properties of interest using well-known model checkers, specifying and executing validation scenarios, generating prototype code, etc. Model refinement and transformations ensure that the initial and resulting models/code are consistent with each other. To illustrate the ASMETA framework and its modeling approach, an example of software-intensive control system that equip modern cars, namely an Adaptive Exterior Light system, is used as running example. Moreover, some insights on a runtime simulation mechanism recently added to the ASMETA framework for the runtime enforcement of safety assertions are also provided.
Bio:
Patrizia Scandurra is Associate Professor at the Department of Management, Information and Production Engineering of the University of Bergamo (Italy). She teaches courses of software design/programming and operating systems. Her research field of interest is Software Engineering and, in particular, the areas of formal methods for the design and analysis of software systems, software architecture, and model-driven engineering. Her research interests include: definition and integration of theories, languages and techniques specific to the above research areas, and their application to distributed self-adaptive software systems, service-oriented and IoT Cloud-based applications, and embedded systems. She has published over 80 research articles in international journals and conferences.
She is an active member of the Abstract State Machines (ASM) formal method community. She regularly serves in international program committees and as a referee for top-ranked journals. She has been involved in national and European projects on themes such as model-driven development for embedded and robotic systems, and adaptive software architectures for pervasive systems. She collaborated with Italian R&I (research and innovation) groups of industries like STMicroelectronics and Atego and with the ENEA Smart Cities & Communities lab.