Overview



Overview

The objective of the NoE HYCON is establishing a durable community of leading researchers and practitioners who develop and apply the hybrid systems approach to the design of networked embedded control systems as found, e.g., in industrial production, transportation systems, generation and distribution of energy, communication systems. Hybrid systems provide a scientific paradigm to systematically address the analysis, modelling, simulation, synthesis, and optimisation of digital controllers for physical plants that communicate directly or via networks with other computerized systems and with human users and supervisors.

Malfunction of the control system can lead to drastic performance degradation, severe damage to humans and the environment and cause significant economic losses. The interaction of digital controllers, communication systems and physical plants originates complex dynamic behaviours that cannot be understood intuitively. At present, the development of such systems is based on extensive testing and frequent iterations without guarantee of performance or even safety. HYCON aims at a major advancement of the methodology for the design of such systems and their application in power management, industrial controls, automotive control and communication networks.

The long-lasting result will be a European Institute of Hybrid Systems (EIHS), designed to become a worldwide focal point for hybrid systems research. The partners of the network span a broad range of expertise, from applied mathematics and computer science to advanced control applications. They share an integrating approach based on the concept of a dynamical system, which provides the basis for understanding and mastering the complexity and heterogeneity issues arising in the design of large distributed networked embedded control systems. The network will contribute significantly to bridge the gap between traditional control engineering and embedded system design.


Starting date: 15 September 2004 Duration: 4 years
Contract Number 511368

HYCON Description of Work , DoW_M13-M30.pdf , DoW_M25-M42.pdf

HYCON leaflet , HYCON factsheet