1 Executive Summary

1.1 The Problem

1.2 Definition

1.3 Project Goals

1.4 Research Objectives

2 Scenarios

3 Research Areas

4 Research Plan  

5 Summary  

Acronyms  

Information technology has transformed the way we live and work. Initially through the use of mainframe computers, and more recently through use of personal computers connected to networks such as the Internet, we have become dependent on the capability to process information. In the next century, our general purpose computer systems will be supplemented with ubiquitous, networked, information processing appliances, and the capability to do sophisticated processing and to access global and local networks will be available in even the most inexpensive appliances. One can imagine equipping the components of any conventional system with computational and communications capability, thus enabling the components of the system to form a spontaneous network. Such a system could be monitored, reconfigured, modeled, or debugged via the network of "smart" components that make it up. We propose to develop enabling technology for systems composed of reconfigurable smart components. Near-term applications may include intelligent and flexible manufacturing lines consisting of communicating tools and parts, advanced transportation systems consisting of vehicles communicating with each other and with stationary components such as roadways, classrooms and laboratories in which student laptops are communicating with each other and the instructor, and self-configuring laboratory instrumentation systems.

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As the number of components in any engineered system increases, so do the costs of development, maintenance, operation, reliability, and security for that system. This is true for systems as disparate as bridges, manufacturing lines, vehicles, and weapon systems. A substantial portion of these costs is associated with reconfiguration. Reconfigurable smart component technology can provide the foundation for addressing these problems on a wide-scale basis. New methods for developing and integrating processing and communications capability into systems must be investigated with a focus on reducing development, maintenance, and operational costs while establishing levels of reliability and security commensurate with task requirements. Dealing with the volume and complexity of the acquired information as well as making informed decisions based upon the information content also represents an important component of the problem

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A reconfigurable smart component is an augmented version of a standard component (what constitutes a "component" will depend on the system in question). The augmentation, consisting of both hardware and software, provides a way for the component to participate in an ad-hoc network of other similar components and a way for the system as a whole to connect to larger, more permanent networks. The hardware may be a complete system on a chip including processors, memory, I/O drivers, and signal processors. The chip may be mixed-signal, containing transducers, radio receivers, transmitters, and analog-to-digital converters. The software consists of a systems layer, which includes an operating system and protocol stack for managing the network, and an applications layer that provides the actual information processing.

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The two primary goals of this research project are complementary in nature. The first is focused on the actual research, while the second is more programmatic.

Reconfigurable smart components will become the building blocks of complex systems for both modeling and implementation. This research will involve faculty from the departments of Chemical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. Cross-disciplinary efforts are proposed to leverage existing research achievements and, where appropriate, existing commercial off-the-shelf technology, along with the research proposed here, to permit design, simulation, and prototyping of three distinct reconfigurable smart component systems during the initial five year period of proposed research. The research efforts are based on the College of Engineering's existing strengths as well as the commitments of additional resources by the University and the College as seed money that is expected to lead ultimately to increased levels of extramural funding.

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Ten research areas are important to the success of the project's research goal. The faculty associated with each area will be responsible for meeting the general objectives below. These objectives are reflected in the Tasks/Deliverables outlined in the Research Plan in Section 4, and will be measured with respect to the completion of the Tasks/Deliverables.