Tarek Abdelzaher

Ph.D. University of Michigan, 1999

Research Statement

An expanding frontier for computer scientists lies at the intersection of the logical and physical realms. As computing elements become embedded more pervasively in our environment, a new cyber-physical fabric arises in which logical processing is very deeply intertwined with the distributed physical environment in which it occurs. Computing becomes less obtrusive and a more natural part of the external world. Physical objects acquire new logical properties due to embedded computation, sensing, and actuation. In this new realm, computer science must be redefined. New models and paradigms are needed for computation. New underlying theoretical foundations are needed to support such paradigms. New programming languages and distributed middleware tools must be developed around the emerging abstractions. Networking must be redesigned to integrate myriads of physical data sources, actuators, and computing elements. New operating systems are needed that are optimized for the new computing realm. Data mining and machine learning techniques are needed to identify data patterns, learn context, and act autonomously without human assistance. Privacy concerns must be met. Security must be assured. The Cyber-Physical Computing Group is a multidisciplinary team that investigates the aforementioned aspects of tomorrow's computing systems.