CPS refers to the integration of computational and physical resources to realize engineered systems that far exceed today's systems in autonomy, functionality, efficiency, usability, safety, and reliability. Examples of such systems and applications include smart homes, intelligent transport and energy systems, nano-scale precision manufacturing systems. An important component of CPS are robots that can interact intelligently with its environment based on embedded computation and communication, real-time control, and perception of the world around them. Examples of CPS robotic systems are robots for assisted living in smart-homes, telemedicine, telesurgery, robot swarms for exploration and emergency response.
In the U.S. NSF's Directorates for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) and Engineering (ENG) are funding the Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) program with $5M because of its scientific and technological importance as well as its potential impact on grand challenges in a number of sectors critical to U.S. security and competitiveness, including aerospace, automotive, chemical production, civil infrastructure, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, materials and transportation.
