A sustainable-development approach for self-adaptive cyber–physical system’s life cycle: A systematic mapping study

Abstract

Cyber–Physical Systems (CPS) refer to a new generation of systems where the cyber and physical layers are –strongly– interconnected. The development of these systems requires two fundamental parts. First, the design of sustainable architectures –centered on adaptation, throughout a System-Development Life-Cycle (SDLC)– to develop robust and economically profitable products. Second, the use of self-adaptive techniques to adjust CPSs to the evolving circumstances of their operation context. This work presents a systematic mapping study (SMS) that discusses different approaches used to develop self-adaptive CPSs (SA-CPSs) at each stage of the SDLC, focused on sustainability. The results show trends such as (i) Designs are not limited to particular application domains, (ii) Performance was the most commonly used attribute, and (iii) Monitor–Analyze–Plan–Execute over a shared Knowledge (MAPE-K) is the predominant feedback loop applied in the cyber layer. The results also raise challenges such as (i) How to design and evaluate sustainable SA-CPSs, (ii) How to apply unit and integration testing in the development of SA-CPSs, and (iii) How to develop feedback loops on SA-CPSs with the integration of machine-learning techniques.