An Introduction to Cyber-Physical Systems

Introduction

Put in simple terms, a cyber-physical system (CPS), as the name suggests, is a dynamical system that exhibits both discrete (cyber) and continuous (physical) dynamic behavior. Due to their distinct mixed discrete-continuous dynamics, they are also known as hybrid systems.

We model such systems using mathematical structures aptly named hybrid automata. Let us now look into these structures to get a deeper understanding of what a CPS is.

What exactly is a hybrid automaton?

Consider as...