Trustworthy Ambient Systems (TRAMS)
Lead Research Organisation:
Newcastle University
Department Name: Computing Sciences
Abstract
Advances in communications and networking technology are making it possible to devise 'ambient' systems in which mobile computing devices and software agents form ad hoc groupings, sharing data and services. The Dependability Research Group at Newcastle University has an outstanding international profile and a history of significant contributions to the trustworthiness of computer-based systems. The proposed platform grant would enable the group to continue its extremely successful research on formal methods for developing fault-tolerant computing systems and to extend this to cover ambient systems. It would do so by providing continuity of research staff, supporting preliminary investigation of new research directions, and supporting travel and visitors to maintain and develop existing and new collaborations. Our focus is on the trustworthiness of ambient systems. We refer to 'trustworthiness' because we wish to encompass both dependability and the evidence that a system is dependable. We are therefore interested in the technology of fault-tolerance, but also highly rigorous techniques for developing and analysing fault-tolerant systems, and the human dimension of the acceptability of ambient systems. Ambient systems pose huge new dependability challenges partly because they cannot be designed as a coherent whole. Mobility means they will be open to new malicious interference and accidental failure modes that are difficult to predict at design time. Their decentralised character means that recovery is potentially difficult. Separate ownership of components means that we can not design for central control over evolution and upgrades. Together, these factors mean that traditional approaches to the engineering of fault-tolerant, dependable systems, which rely on firm design-time knowledge of run-time structure, will be challenged. The very acceptance of ambient systems will depend on socio-technical factors such as how users view the risks and benefits.The project sets out to address a number of specific technical challenges in the five domains:- Formal Foundation, Calculi and Logic- Integrated Verification Tools- Design of Trustworthy Ambient Systems- Fault Tolerance Technologies for Ambient Systems- Socio-technical issues This grant will allow us to conduct investigatory work in these technical areas, to retain key staff and expand the group expertise in these areas, to identify the promising topics which need further researching and to prepare new proposals.
Organisations
Publications
Jones C
(2020)
Deriving Specifications of Control Programs for Cyber Physical Systems
in The Computer Journal
Jones C
(2008)
Abstract State Machines, B and Z
Jones C
(2010)
Reflections on the Work of C.A.R. Hoare
Jones C
(2022)
The Development and Deployment of Formal Methods in the UK
in Formal Aspects of Computing
Jones C
(2014)
Revising basic theorem proving algorithms to cope with the logic of partial functions
in Science of Computer Programming
Jones C
(2016)
Possible values: Exploring a concept for concurrency
in Journal of Logical and Algebraic Methods in Programming
Jones C.
(2018)
Preface
in Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Jones, C B
(2017)
Turing's 1949 paper in context
Woodcock J
(2009)
Formal methods Practice and experience
in ACM Computing Surveys
Description | This was a Platform Grant and helped us keep key staff together and prepare new research proposals (especially those to the EU). The key findings are all visible in the publications but do not form a single coherent body of knowledge because they touch on a range of areas. |
Exploitation Route | The research was taken forward in, for example, the EU IP DEPLOY. |
Sectors | Aerospace Defence and Marine Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) Electronics Security and Diplomacy Transport |
URL | http://www.ncl.ac.uk/computing/research/project/4116 |
Description | In the EU DELPOY project - see http://www.ncl.ac.uk/computing/research/project/3625 |
First Year Of Impact | 2009 |
Sector | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Transport |
Impact Types | Economic |
Description | ARC Discovery Project |
Amount | £5,500 (GBP) |
Funding ID | DP0987452 |
Organisation | Australian Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | Australia |
Start | 01/2009 |
End | 12/2011 |
Description | BAE Systems |
Amount | £188,475 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 297002293 |
Organisation | BAE Systems |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start |
Description | BAE Systems |
Amount | £83,805 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 97001239 |
Organisation | BAE Systems |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start |
Description | EPSRC - Programme Grant |
Amount | £350,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/I01344X/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 02/2011 |
End | 01/2016 |
Description | EPSRC - Railway Capacity call |
Amount | £369,319 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/I010807/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 02/2011 |
End | 08/2013 |
Description | EPSRC - Standard mode |
Amount | £467,296 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/H024050/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2010 |
End | 09/2014 |
Description | European Union Framework 7 |
Amount | £1,675,428 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 287829 |
Organisation | European Commission |
Department | Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) |
Sector | Public |
Country | European Union (EU) |
Start |
Description | European Union Framework 7 |
Amount | £1,984,916 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 214158 |
Organisation | European Commission |
Department | Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) |
Sector | Public |
Country | European Union (EU) |
Start |
Description | European Union Framework 7 |
Amount | £285,940 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 28134 |
Organisation | European Commission |
Department | Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) |
Sector | Public |
Country | European Union (EU) |
Start |
Description | European Union Framework 7 |
Amount | £1,984,916 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 214158 |
Organisation | European Commission |
Department | Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) |
Sector | Public |
Country | European Union (EU) |
Start |
Description | European Union Framework 7 |
Amount | £285,940 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 28134 |
Organisation | European Commission |
Department | Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) |
Sector | Public |
Country | European Union (EU) |
Start |
Description | European Union Framework 7 |
Amount | £1,675,428 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 287829 |
Organisation | European Commission |
Department | Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) |
Sector | Public |
Country | European Union (EU) |
Start |
Description | MBDA UK Ltd |
Amount | £29,750 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 9000408 |
Organisation | MBDA Missile Systems |
Department | MBDA UK Ltd |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start |
Description | 2015 AI4FM Annual Workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | This workshop brought together researchers from formal methods and AI; it addressed the issue of how AI can be used to support the formal software development process, including modelling and proof. As previous AI4FM workshops itincluded a mix of industrial and academic participants. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
URL | http://www.ai4fm.org/ai4fm-2015/programme/ |