Our lab, led by Prof. Dr. Bassam Alrifaee, specializes in intelligent control of autonomous systems, with a particular focus on multi-agent systems. Our research spans distributed predictive control, service-oriented software architectures, localization systems, and applications to connected and automated vehicles (CAVs). We strive to contribute not only to the safety and performance of these systems but also to their environmental impact. Funded by public organizations and industrial partners, we engage in various projects in this dynamic research area. Embracing diversity, equity, and Inclusion, we recognize that multiple, different perspectives and backgrounds are important for advancing our research goals. Additionally, our commitment extends to education, and we actively value and contribute to teaching. Through this multifaceted approach, we aim to foster a holistic environment that integrates cutting-edge research, diversity, and educational excellence.
Projects
Cyber-Physical Mobility Lab
Our Cyber-Physical Mobility Lab (CPM Lab) is an open-source, remotely accessible platform for Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) focusing on multi-agent decision-making. It provides a deterministic computation model that allows for reproducible experiments. Using its digital twin, the CPM Lab can seamlessly extend its 20 small-scale vehicles (µCars) with virtual µCars. We created a research and teaching stack around the CPM Lab: undergraduate students study programming in the CPM Academy, graduate students study coordination and control of CAVs, and researchers compete in the CPM Olympics. The CPM Lab is one of the pioneering testbeds for CAVs and has been rebuilt at other universities, establishing its influence in academic settings.
Service-Oriented Model-based Control (SOMC) (funded by the German Research Foundation)
The Chair of Computer Science 11 - Embedded Software (i11) collaborates with the Institute of Automatic Control (IRT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering) on the new project Service-Oriented Model-based Control (SOMC) funded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG). By tightly coupling software engineering and control theory, a service-oriented architecture (SOA) should improve the flexibility and maintainability of control systems. This architecture enables the control system to adapt to situations not foreseen at design time by exchanging control components dynamically at runtime. The i11 explores an SOA fit for the requirements of real-time, embedded control systems while enabling the necessary flexibility. The IRT develops the required models and investigates stability conditions for switching between control components. The proposal was submitted by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bassam Alrifaee and Dr.-Ing. Lorenz Dörschel (IRT at RWTH Aachen University). The research associates Julius Beerwerth, M. Sc. and Markus Zimmer, M. Sc. (IRT at RWTH Aachen University) are working on the project.
Overview of the defined interface and service types, e.g., the filter service type has a requirement of measured values type τ_y and model type τ_model while offering a guarantee of system state type τ_x.
Professor Dr. Bassam Alrifaee from the Universität der Bundeswehr Munich serves as the Principal Investigator for a project within the Collaborative Research Center / Transregio (SFB/TRR) 339, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The project, however, remains based at TU Dresden and RWTH Aachen University. It focuses on the "Digital Twin of the Road System," aiming to create a digital representation of future road infrastructure.
The interdisciplinary research combines civil engineering, computer science, and mechanical engineering to analyze and optimize road systems. The primary goal is the sustainable, intelligent use of road infrastructure. One key task of the Chair of Embedded Software is sensor data fusion, which integrates data from various sources, particularly from a sensitive road surface layer. This data fusion enhances positioning accuracy for traffic systems and extends the detection range of the road surface. The research significantly contributes not only to the digital twin but also to cooperative localization technologies.
Professor Dr. Bassam Alrifaee from the Universität der Bundeswehr Munich is the Principal Investigator in the HarMobi (Harmonizing Mobility) project, coordinated by RWTH Aachen University. In collaboration with two industrial partners, the project aims to develop a new framework for evaluating conflicts between different road users, such as cyclists, e-scooter riders, and car drivers.
HarMobi seeks to analyze the behavior of these road users and the influence of infrastructure using sensor and traffic flow data. This data will be integrated into a learning system to assess the safety impacts of future traffic developments and planning more effectively.
Our research group focuses on designing algorithms for data acquisition, assessing critical situations, and map matching. Additionally, we investigate the causes of conflicts and create a forecasting model. The project is being implemented in the Aachen region, where we will analyze safety-critical events and examine the broader applicability of the findings.
