Published in Proceedings of the 29th EG-ICE International Workshop on Intelligent Computing in Engineering
This review focuses on methods for trajectory prediction of moving entities (i.e., pedestrian workers and heavy construction equipment)...in construction.
To the authors’ knowledge it is the first review on trajectory prediction devoted to construction safety. Through a bibliometric analysis
of the relevant literature, it examines the input data and prediction models used for trajectory prediction in dynamic and complex construction
environments. Several techniques are available to perform prediction and their performance varies widely. Various types of data is
being used, however, so far vision-based data is the major input to the models. Hence, computer-vision techniques are deployed for object
tracking to infer the locations of the construction resources in almost entirely outdoor environments. This review concludes with an overview
of the gaps, challenges, and future research steps for trajectory prediction relevant for researchers as well as practitioners working on
reducing occupational health and safety hazards on construction sites.
Recommended citation:
Chronopoulos, C., Teizer, J., & Esterle, L. (2022). Trajectory Prediction: A Review of Methods and Challenges in Construction Safety. 29th EG-ICE International Workshop on Intelligent Computing in Engineering. https://doi.org/10.7146/aul.455.c233
Published in ASCE Construction Research Congress 2022
This paper describes the design of a learning factory for construction that addresses the growing demand for future skills of production engineers...and staff. Existing learning factories often focus on the technical skills whereas the presented learning factory also trains decision making, group work,
and project performance monitoring skills. This paper refers to the existing categories of learning factories and unveils its numerous features relevant
for construction. The design of our learning factory includes theoretical and practical parts, which prove to be successful when realized by the authors.
The layout consists of multiple stages of a production system, from manual to automatized off-site manufacturing, in-time delivery, and robotic assembly.
The practical tasks cover the introduction of smart devices, connection of information flows as well as monitoring of performance and control. The didactical
design of the training program provides a sustainable approach that includes preparation utilizing lean construction principles, mid-term coaching, and
success monitoring after the training. Here, the emphasis of the presented work focuses on closing the feedback loop of lean construction planning, progress
tracking, and status control using cloud-based information modeling as well as Internet-of-Things (IoT) technology for reporting actual progress in the production
system. As such, learning factories are envisioned to become part of a research and teaching environment where one of the underlying goals is to enable production
engineers and staff for change management, decision making, and innovation in construction. Future work on learning factories in construction include a detailed
study of the learning outcomes.
Recommended citation:
Teizer, J., & Chronopoulos, C. (2022). Learning factory for construction to provide future engineering skills beyond technical education and training. Construction Research Congress 2022. https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784483985.023
Published in 2021 IEEE International Conference on Autonomic Computing and Self-Organizing Systems Companion (ACSOS-C)
In this short vision paper we outline a framework incorporating multi-modal sensory information into so-called digital twins in
construction sites.... Starting from a first-order principle model (i.e., the construction plan), we enrich the digital twin during
runtime with additional information such as work plans, identified and mitigated hazard zones, and current location of workers,
resources, and mobile equipment. Utilising this information in the digital twin allows executing simulations to predict potentially
dangerous situations for workers. Feedback mechanisms allow us to inform workers accordingly but also improve the construction site
and the corresponding digital twin during the building process in an autonomous and self-organised fashion.
Recommended citation:
Chronopoulos, C., Johansen, K. W., Teizer, J., Schultz, C., & Esterle, L. (2021). Towards a holistic, self-organised safety framework for construction. 2021 IEEE International Conference on Autonomic Computing and Self-Organizing Systems Companion (ACSOS-C). https://doi.org/10.1109/ACSOS-C52956.2021.00060
The next-generation systems are expected to be largely cyber–physical systems (CPSs) that autonomously control physical processes,
through sensors and actuators typically in real-time feedback... and cooperative control loops distributed among physical and cyber
environments. The rapid technological advancements enhance the smartness of these CPSs, pushing their boundaries of performance and
efficiency by embedding new information and communication technologies. However, to what extent CPSs should be smarter so that they
do not compromise safety and security of safety critical systems? is an open research question. Towards this goal, the purpose of
this study is to establish a grounded theory to analyse what makes these systems smart? and eventually, how to find a balance between
smartness and safety risks? In this precinct, this article aims to develop a conceptual framework, define the dimensions and derive
the characteristics that make CPSs smart. The proposed approach combines an automated informetric and systematic analysis of literature
pertinent to the topic of smartness across anthropology, science, engineering and technology. The analysis of a case study building
and the discussions presented herein support the connection between the existing understanding of CPSs and smartness offered by the
building design approach in urban environment.
Recommended citation:
Kalluri, B., Chronopoulos, C., & Kozine, I. (2021). The concept of smartness in cyber–physical systems and connection to urban environment. Annual Reviews in Control, 51, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arcontrol.2020.10.009
Published in Proceedings of the 30th European Safety and Reliability Conference and the 15th Probabilistic Safety Assessment and Management Conference
New technologies have become a significant part of peoples' everyday lives. Smart systems that integrate information and communication
technologies (ICTs) and ubiquitous computing..., interact with humansand the physical environment, providing in return some utility. Many
of those systems can be classified as cyber-physical systems (CPSs), from smart objects and autonomous vehicles to smart cities and
industrial applications, transportation systems and healthcare. These new technologies come with new vulnerabilities and risks that are
not fully studied yet, exposing the safety and security of smart systems. Moreover, the increasing complexity that comes together with
smartness hinders the identification of the crucial features that characterize smartness and how they affect the systems' attributes
relevant for risk. Therefore, we propose a framework of smartness in CPSs with four dimensions, namely i) degree of integration, ii)
real-time feedback control, iii) level of automation and iv) degree of cooperative control. Moreover, this paper illustrates a case
study of the recent aviation accidents of Boeing 737 MAX, related to the erroneous operation of an autonomous flight control system.
We analyze the accidents' reported root causes with regard to our framework of smartness and, subsequently, we identify the interactions
within the smart system that remained undetected during the risk analyses.
Recommended citation:
Chronopoulos, C., & Carreras Guzman, N. H. (2020). Is Smartness Risky? A Framework to Evaluate Smartness in Cyber-Physical Systems. In P. Baraldi, F. Di Maio, & E. Zio (Eds.), Proceedings of the 30th European Safety and Reliability Conference and the 15th Probabilistic Safety Assessment and Management Conference (pp. 1358-1365). Research Publishing Services.
2019
Conceptualizing smartness of CPSs
Published in the 5th SRA Nordic Conference
The rapid technological advancement that enhances the smartness of cyber-physical systems (CPSs) creates the need to assure their robustness against unintended and deliberate disturbances.... However,
balancing smartness and robustness of CPSs is neither intuitive nor simple, but requires the definition of each concept to be formulated and established, along with the dimensions and features that
make CPSs smart and robust. The goal of the study is to identify a representative set of definitions and characteristics that compose and describe a smart system in various contexts supported by a
literature review in the two major digital libraries (Scopus and Web of Science). We selected the ones that are not only relevant but also crucial for characterizing a CPS as smart. This creates a
foundation for our efforts towards finding a balance between smartness and robustness of CPSs, to a comprehensive safety and security risk analysis of such systems. The focus of scientific research
on smartness has increased significantly over the last decade starting from almost no publications in 2010 to 185 and 122 in 2018 in Scopus and WoS respectively. The main subject areas are Computer
Science, including various specific sub-areas, such as Information Systems and Artificial Intelligence, and Engineering. Similarly, all the articles selected, based on the specific criteria, through
the literature review, have been published over the last 6 years, with their vast majority to be from 2016 onwards. Smartness of modern cities including all their structural elements, such as
infrastructure, transportation, education and governance, is the main concept assessed in the literature. The assessment approaches can be grouped in three categories, namely a systemic, anthropocentric
and a technological one, all mentioning the importance of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to the enhancement of smartness. Several definitions of smartness and its key characteristics
identified in the literature review with the most important input to be from publications assessing the term from a systemic and technological perspective, as opposed to the human-centered ones,
characterizing interconnected computer-based systems that are sensing and interact with the physical environment. Motivated by the similarities between these systems and what Carreras Guzman et al.,
define as CPS, and inspired by the recent work of Alter, we define the smartness dimensions of CPSs as: (1) degree of integration, (2) real-time feedback control, (3) degree of cooperative
control and (4) level of automation, describing also the smartness characteristics of each dimension. This study supplements the research efforts of our group and forms a foundation towards finding
a balance between smartness and robustness of CPSs, by providing the conceptual framework to support a comprehensive safety and security risk analysis.
In Depth Hazards and Security Analysis for an Industrial Test Enclave for Methods Testing and Validation
Published in the 5th SRA Nordic Conference
One of the challenges facing safety and security assessments is that when incident and accident investigations are made and the incident scenario described in detail, the scenario seldom matches
those identified in risk analyses.... There are several reasons for this. The main ones are that the hazards identified by risk analysis are usually prevented; and that the methods used for hazard
identification do not sufficiently cover the range of problems which can arise in complex systems. The OECD Halden Reactor Project has developed and constructed an industrial automation enclave
intended for detailed investigation of safety and security analysis methods. The installations is described as an enclave because it is isolated from possible outside influences, and more
importantly, cannot affect/infect external systems when investigating security attacks. The part of the project described here covers in depth risk analyses using methods intended for in depth
safety analysis at the level where system weaknesses can exist. The methods so far tested are in deep FMEA, deep HAZID, HAZOP with lessons learned support, sneak path analysis, action error analysis
of start-up and maintenance procedures, and system simulation with fault insertion for emergent hazards. Several techniques for security assessment have also been applied, including security sneak
path analysis. The studies show the extent to which completeness depends on the use of combinations of methods, and the degree of coverage which can be achieved.
