Autonomous Decentralized Systems and their Applications in Transport and Infrastructure

In a large and complex system, such as a railway network, it is often not an option to stop operation at any time. Even if a part of the system fails, is being repaired or modified, the system has to keep functioning. This leads to many requirements for on-line expansion, on-line maintenance, and fault-tolerance. Dynamic changes demand next-generation control, information and service systems to be based on adaptive, reliable and reusable technologies and applications. Such systems are expected to have the characteristics of living systems composed of largely autonomous and decentralized components. Hence they are called Autonomous Decentralized Systems (ADS).