(In conjunction with CPS Week)
Sensor and actuator swarms, which can be wirelessly interconnected and combined
with cloud-based services and applications on handheld devices, offer an
unprecedented ability to monitor and act on a range of evolving physical
quantities. Sensor and actuator-based systems have been proposed and deployed
for a broad range of applications, but the potential goes far beyond what has
been accomplished so far. When realized in full, these technologies can
integrate the cyber world (centered today in the cloud) with our physical/
biological world. This can enable humans, machines and infrastructure that are
far more aware and adaptive to their environment. Just as today much of our
data resides “in the cloud,” tomorrow much of our physical world will have a
presence “in the swarm.” From the perspective of the information world, this
revolution gives the information network eyes, ears, hands, and feet to
interact with the physical world. From the perspective of the physical and
biological world, this revolution enables coordination, intelligence, and
efficient use of resources. This workshop will bring together world-class
experts on the enabling technology, potential applications, and risks of swarm
technologies.