Control Architectures Theory (CAT) Workshop - CDC 2024

Organizers

Aaron Ames (Caltech), Nikolai Matni (UPenn), Gioele Zardini (MIT)
Contact: gzardini@mit.edu

Relevant Links

Motivation and Objectives

The design and control of complex systems stands out as one of the paramount challenges of this century. Such systems are labeled as complex not only due to the intricacies of their individual components, but also because their functioning hinges on complex interactions among these components, across domains and scales. To give a sense of the kind of systems we are interested in, think about the complex circuit governing a sensor employed in autonomous driving context, and autonomous vehicle which leverages the sensor, as well as a number of other complex hardware and software components within the autonomy stack, a fleet of autonomous vehicles of this kind, deployed and controlled following certain objectives, and interacting via a complex patterns, and a mobility system leveraging Autonomous Mobility-on-Demand (i.e., the fleet) systems as well as standard transit options. Each of these subsystems is complex to design and control per se, and is influenced and influences other ones at different scales. In this workshop we are driven by the need for a robust theory concerning layered control architectures (LCAs) across various complex systems, ranging from power systems and communication networks to autonomous robotics, bacteria, and human sensorimotor control. Such systems exhibit exceptional capabilities, yet lack a cohesive, compositional theory for analysis and design, primarily due to their diverse domains. Conversely, there exists a fundamental set of control concepts and theories which are universally applicable and can accommodate domain-specific adaptations. In this context, however, control methods are often limited to work for individual components of larger systems, lacking comprehensive theoretical foundations.

Although fragments of a control architecture theory have emerged across disparate disciplines and domains, a unified theory and community are lacking. Against this backdrop, the objective of this workshop is to cultivate a new interdisciplinary community which considers control architectures and systems theory as a central focus of study. In particular, we will bring together experts from a wide range of disciplines, spanning robotics, control, applied mathematics, systems biology, aerospace, etc., with the goal of establishing a common language and core set of challenge problems and techniques. A key outcome of the workshop will be a white paper laying out a research program in this area.

Tentative Program

The workshop (full day) will consist of a morning and afternoon session with talks from diverse speakers (both from academia and industry), and will conclude with a panel. Speakers/panelists include Aaron Ames (Caltech), Domitilla Del Vecchio (MIT), John Doyle (Caltech), Florian Doerfler (ETHZ), Nadia Figueroa (UPenn), Nikolai Matni (UPenn), Lisa Li (Michigan), Manfred Morari (UPenn), Alberto Sangiovanni-Vincentelli (UC Berkeley), Alberto Speranzon (Lockheed Martin), Paulo Tabuada (UCLA), and Gioele Zardini (MIT). The correct order of the talks (30 minutes each) is being determined, and will appear on the webpage.