unisi-logo.jpg

Goal
A multitude of physical systems around us (cars, airplanes, home appliances, power and chemical plants, manufacturing systems, etc.) embed computer systems or devices that automatically decide actions based on information received from local sensors or other data channels. Such embedded systems are therefore characterized by the interaction of continuous dynamics (the physical system) and discrete/logical components (the computing device). Hybrid systems compactly capture such a heterogeneous nature and provide a theoretical and algorithmic framework for modeling, analyzing, and optimizing embedded control systems.

The COHES (Control and Optimization of Hybrid and Embedded Systems) Group at the University of Siena is devoted to the investigation of theoretical and algorithmic aspects of:

  • hybrid systems modeling
  • controller synthesis based on combinatorial optimization algorithms
    (optimal control and model predictive control, MPC)
  • synthesis of piecewise linear optimal controllers (explicit MPC)
  • identification of hybrid models from data
  • safety analysis (verification), state estimation and fault detection
  • system theoretical properties of hybrid systems (stability, observability, model equivalences, etc.)
  • automotive applications of hybrid systems (in collaboration with industrial research centers)
  • wireless sensor networks
  • rapid prototyping of embedded control systems

The Control and Optimization of Hybrid and Embedded Systems Group is part of the Automatic Control Laboratory at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Siena

(C) 2002-2007 by Alberto Bemporad, Nicolo' Giorgetti