The Cyber-Physical Marketplace: A Framework for Large-Scale Horizontal Integration in Distributed Cyber-Physical Systems

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) represent the technical foundation to solve some of the most important societal and environmental problems. Traditionally, CPS have been considered tightly integrated solutions that are aimed at specific application domains. More recently, a broader view of distributed cyber-physical systems (DCPS) has emerged, where interacting components are more loosely coupled and real-time constraints and safety concerns are less dominating. To develop a common infrastructure for a large-scale DCPS, it is critical to develop a framework that allows for horizontal integration of CPS components. In this paper, we discuss the vision, requirements, and design of such a framework. We present several specific technical challenges that need to be addressed in this context as well as potential solution approaches. We also provide examples to illustrate how our framework can lead to innovative new uses that can have meaningful impact on practical problems.