HTW Berlin & MIT Unveil Revolutionary Framework for Designing Complex Systems
Researchers at the Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft (HTW) Berlin, in collaboration with MIT, have developed a groundbreaking framework for designing complex systems. This innovative approach explicitly considers uncertainties in component performance, providing a more robust and reliable outcome.
The framework, named co-design, is based on category theory and incorporates uncertainty. It was used to select perception systems and batteries for a drone, maximizing its payload while minimizing lifetime cost and weight. This approach allows engineers to model the performance tradeoffs of a device with many interconnected parts, each of which could behave unpredictably.
The framework reveals distinct advantages of different battery technologies and provides more detailed information than other approaches. It considers the likelihood of design feasibility under various payload conditions. This could significantly benefit the development of complex systems like autonomous vehicles, commercial aircraft, or regional transportation networks.
The research team, led by the Zardini Group, aims to improve the computational efficiency of their problem-solving algorithms. They plan to extend this approach to collaborative and competitive multi-party system design. By explicitly accounting for uncertainty, this framework could revolutionize the way complex electronic devices are designed, making them more robust and reliable in the face of real-world unpredictability.
