Shankar S. Sastry
University of California, Berkeley
Algorithms for the design of hybrid systems
In addition to the search for design and algorithmic methodologies for
autonomous intelligent systems (robots), we have embarked on a project
of ``intelligence augmentation for human centered systems''. While
this has connections with teleoperation, problems here are
characterized by their complexity: multiple semi-autonomous
agents, interaction between discrete decision making and continuous
control (this is what gives the name ``hybrid systems''),
sensor aggregation, and control compilation to name a few.
Hierarchical organization results in a logarithmic decrease in
complexity associated with the design of such systems. Using as
examples three classes of systems:
Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems (IVHS)
Air Traffic Management Systems (ATMS)
Biological Motor Control
we will develop a generic set of design approaches which are aimed at
designing control schemes which are live, deadlock free, and
``safe''. Our design methodology is to be considered an alternative
to the verification based approaches to hybrid control systems
design, and is an interesting blend of game theoretic ideas and
planning ideas from robotics.
The work is joint with Datta Godbole, John Lygeros, Claire
Tomlin, George Pappas, and Lara Crawford.