Designing Networked Adaptive Interactive Hybrid Systems

Advances in network technologies enable distributed systems, operating in complex physical environments, to coordinate their activities over larger areas within shorter time intervals. In these systems humans and intelligent machines will, in close interaction, be able to reach their goals under changing situations. To moderate the design of such systems a model for networked adaptive interactive hybrid systems (NAIHS) was proposed. In this paper we analyse the advantages and disadvantages of this model from the perspective of different research areas like sensor networks, sensor fusion, command and control, artificial intelligence, robotics, cognitive science and distributed cognition. From this analysis several revisions to the original NAIHS model are made. Also several possible improvements are proposed. Finally a number of applications of the NAIHS model are presented. The NAIHS model covers a broad range of design issues, has proven its value in the design of distributed systems. It may therefore be concluded that the revised NAIHS model offers a good framework for the design of such systems.