Matthew Hosking’s research while affiliated with Rochester Institute of Technology and other places

A system of systems (SoS) simulation framework using discrete event system specification (DEVS) and data encoded with Extensible Markup Language (XML) tags is presented to support agent-in-the-loop (AIL) simulations for large, complex, and distributed systems. AIL simulations provide a necessary step in maintaining model continuity methods to achieve a greater degree of accuracy in systems analysis. A system of systems approach enables the simulation and analysis of these independent and cooperative systems by concentrating on the data transferred among systems instead of determining global state spaces. A mobile robot is deployed as a real agent working cooperatively with virtual agents to form a robotic swarm in an example threat detection scenario. The swarm robot's performance is tracked and the emergent swarm behavior is also evaluated.

This paper extends an XML based system of systems simulation framework using DEVS to support hardware-in-the-loop simulations for SoS. A system of systems approach enables the simulation and analysis of multiple complex, independent, and cooperative systems by concentrating on the data transferred among systems. This paper wraps information exchanged among heterogeneous systems in XML to enable receiving systems to correctly parse and interpret the information. A Groundscout robot is deployed as a real agent working cooperatively with virtual agents in a robotic swarm. The DEVS activity concept facilitates communication between the real system and virtual systems in the SoS. A robust threat detection example is provided. Initial performance metrics of the SoS are briefly discussed.

In a system of systems (SoS) consisting of heterogeneous independently operable systems, successfully sending, receiving, and understanding data is necessary to achieve interoperation among the systems. Extensible Markup Language (XML) is applied to wrap the data in a way that is commonly understood in the SoS while the asynchronous nature of the interactions among systems is viewed as an event driven system. Discrete event specification (DEVS) formalism is used to describe the models composing the SoS. Simulation provides a means to examine and analyze systems and their interactions as well as how a new system effects the SoS but can hide issues that arise during final implementation. Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation provides a bridge between simulation and implementation in order to reduce build cost and more readily verify a system's desired performance. A Groundscout robot is used as a real system in the simulation of a robust threat detection scenario.

Simulations play an important role in complex systems development. In a System of Systems (SoS) consisting of heterogeneous independent systems (as is the case with cooperative robotics, for example), effective communication among the systems is essential. This paper extends the application of Extensible Markup Language (XML) as a method of wrapping data without imposing other restrictions on the systems in an SoS. The effort to model and implement XML communication among members of an SoS is based on Discrete Event Specification (DEVS) and uses DEVSJAVA software as the simulator. An XML based SoS simulation framework is presented by a robust threat detection scenario involving multiple heterogeneous systems working cooperatively to accomplish the goal. This framework will also support agent-in-the-loop simulations using real time DEVS modeling in future work.