AERO-beam: An open-architecture test-bed for research and education in cyber-physical systems

As cyber-physical systems (CPS) become increasingly a part of our daily life, the need for a well-prepared workforce also becomes evident, calling for new approaches and test-beds to introduce CPS concepts into classrooms at all levels. The literature has many examples of CPS relevant platforms, which are used successfully in research; however, especially the commercial ones are mostly closed-architecture and do not provide an in-depth engagement for the students in all aspects of the hardware and software. This paper introduces a novel platform, known as the AERO-Beam, which conveys many basics of CPS, while also introducing the dynamics and control fundamentals of quadcopters. Quadcopters are widely used in CPS projects, and yet they are either closed-architecture or too complex for use in CPS education. The AERO-Beam addresses the need in many ways, as demonstrated through the multi-level classroom implementation.