Some questions about hybrid systems

The exciting research concerning the description, analysis, simulation, controller design, and deployment of hybrid systems is reviewed, and perspectives for future developments are discussed. The review attempts to relate precursors to this research, practical motivations, and actual developments. The discussion follows a similar pattern in an attempt to identify topics for future research. Practical motivations arise from new concepts for engineering design, such as networked vehicle systems. The unique aspects of the operation of networked vehicle systems motivated several research questions: multiple forms of interactions, control of configurations, semantics and control, and control over networks. The conclusion is that the analysis, controller design, and implementation of those systems entails a fundamental shift of the focus of research from single to distributed interacting systems - distributed hybrid systems. Topics of value for this research are discussed.