TaSSAreCt
Towards Sustainable Software Architectures for Cyber-physical Systems of Systems

Overview

TaSSAreCt project (image generated with Google Gemini)

TaSSAreCt investigates how software architectures can better support the sustainability, quality, and long-term evolution of cyber-physical systems (CPS) and cyber-physical systems of systems (CPSoS). The project recognizes software architecture as a crucial factor for integrating heterogeneous CPS, managing non-functional requirements (NFRs) and architecturally significant decisions, and enabling sustainable operation across the edge-cloud continuum.

Overview of topics of the TaSSAreCt project (image generated with ChatGPT)

Scientific Goals

1) Modeling Architecture & NFRs for CPSoS

• Investigate how CPS influence traditional and new non-functional properties.
• Develop a formal model linking non-functional requirements with architectural decisions (ReDeMo).
• Create a knowledge base of architectural decisions and requirements in CPS through literature, experiments and expert interviews.
• Integrate sustainability as a key category of NFRs, especially for resource-constrained CPS.
• Implement the model in a SysML v2-based toolchain to support architects.

2) Automating Development & Sustainable Operation

• Generate software components that encapsulate existing CPS applications.
• Orchestrate components across the edge-cloud continuum with self-aware placement.
• Configure and deploy CPS components considering sustainability-related NFRs.

Application Domain

Smart manufacturing scenario with robots and human–machine collaboration (image generated with Google Gemini)

The project focuses on smart manufacturing, including distributed production scenarios, smart factories, robotics, and human–machine collaboration. Findings are expected to generalize to other CPS domains.

Project Structure

• WP1: Modeling CPSoS architectures, NFRs and decisions (HSG)
• WP2: Model-driven generation of software components (HSG)
• WP3: Software component orchestration (ZHAW)
• WP4: Configuration and deployment with sustainability constraints (ZHAW)

Keywords

Project Team

Principal Investigator (HSG):
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ronny Seiger, University of St.Gallen (HSG), Switzerland

Principal Investigator (ZHAW):
Dr.-Ing. habil. Josef Spillner, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Winterthur, Switzerland

Funding

This project is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).
Grant number: 10002384
View grant in the SNSF database