Towards Configurable Real-Time Hybrid Structural Testing: A Cyber-Physical System Approach

Abstract

Real-time hybrid testing of civil structures represents a grand challenge in the emerging area of cyber-physical systems. Hybrid testing improves significantly on either purely numerical or purely empirical approaches by integrating physical structural components and computational models. Actuator dynamics, complex interactions among computers and physical components, and computation and communication delays all hamper the ability to conduct accurate tests. To address these challenges, this paper presents initial work towards a Cyber-physical Instrument for Real-time hybrid Structural Testing (CIRST). CIRST aims to provide two salient features: a highly configurable architecture for integrating computers and physical components; and system support for real-time operations in distributed hybrid testing. This paper presents the motivation of the CIRST architecture and preliminary test results from a proof-of-concept implementation that integrates a simple structural element and simulation model. CIRST will have broad impacts on the fields of both civil engineering and real-time computing. It will enable high-fidelity real-time hybrid testing of a wide range of civil infrastructures, and will also provide a high-impact cyber-physical application for the study and evaluation of real-time middleware.

A Survey on Testing for Cyber Physical System

“…There are a few studies on Hardware and Network testing. Further, we see that only Real-time hybrid structural testing [10,25] performs all six levels of CPS testing.…”

“…Real-time hybrid structural testing [10,25] is identified as a grand challenge for CPS and includes all six levels of testing. The physical test specimen in Realtime hybrid structural testing of Huang et al 's experimental setup is composed of a small steel compression spring, which is used to represent the bending stiffness of an actual column in a portal frame structure, thus performing hardware tests [10].…”

“…Tidwell et al present an initial work on a Cyber-physical Instrument for Real-time hybrid Structural Testing (CIRST). It targets to provide a highly configurable architecture for integrating computers and physical components, thus performing hardware tests [25].…”

“…Structural testing is an integral part to test real-time hybrid structural testing [10,25]. Huang et al perform structural testing using a case study of several fundamental interlocking challenges in developing and evaluating CPS [10].…”

“…Thus, EFP testing is covered in real-time hybrid structural testing [10,25]. To examine the source of the deadline misses, Huang et al measure the time for reading sensor data, writing actuator commands and other numerical computations [10].…”