Robots at the edge of the cloud

Abstract

Computers have come a long way from their roots as fast calculating devices. We live in a world in which computers collect, store, and analyze huge volumes of data. We are seeing the beginnings of a new revolution in the use of computers. In addition to collecting and analyzing data, computers are influencing the physical world and interacting autonomously, and in complex ways, with large groups of humans. These cyber-physical-social systems have the potential to dramatically alter the way we lead our lives. However, designing these systems in a reliable way is a difficult problem. In this paper, we enumerate a set of research challenges that have to be overcome in order to realize the potential of cyber-physical-social systems.