Rise of Cyber Physical Human Systems

The Emerging Technologies Consortium hosted a successful hybrid event with global technology leaders, HP and AMD, to discuss the rise of cyber physical human systems and the future of cyber physical human interfaces. The interaction between humans and computer systems, also known as the cyber physical age, continues to evolve at a frantic pace. Cyber physical human systems involve interconnected systems such as computers, physical devices, and people communicating and interacting over small or vast distances. Some examples include self-driving cars or home assistant robots. Cyber physical human systems can share data streams to improve functionality, perform maintenance or send an alert when an emergency is in progress.

HP Senior Fellow and Chief Engineer, Dr. Chandrakant Patel, asserts cyber physical human systems will drive the 21st century cyber physical era to address the challenges stemming from global social, economic, and ecological trends. These so-called megatrends include resource constraints, human capital constraints, the needs of the aging demographic, and externalities such as pandemics and environmental pollution. The lack of domain-specialized human capital has underscored the need for cyber physical human systems such as robotic surgery systems and VR-based training. 

The solution to the cyber physical human era is the systemic integration of operating technologies (OT) and information technologies (IT) that function at the intersection of data sciences (AI), data management, and domain knowledge (physical sciences). The often held belief that data and AI (artificial intelligence) alone will result in a smart digital factory ignores the contribution of domain knowledge fundamentals in physical sciences. For example, a 3D printer in a digital manufacturing factory cannot be treated as a black box with the assumption that large amounts of data and AI alone will create the digital twin. 

The 21st century cyber physical contributors must have depth in engineering fundamentals of the machine age and breadth in information sciences of the cyber age (multidisciplinary perspective). This can be achieved through various learning paths such as an interdisciplinary curriculum in higher education, dual degrees, continuing education, and learning by doing projects focused on building cyber physical OT-IT integrated systems.

Compute technology leaders from AMD, Chris Stoecker, a Field Application Engineer, and Olivier Suinat, a Corporate Vice President, discussed high performance computing and advancing Pervasive AI from digital homes, cloud data centers, to commercial and enterprise spaces and more. Advances in AI are giving rise to many smart devices with improved recognition of sights, sounds, and other patterns without a need for constant connection to the cloud. The age of pervasive intelligence will be marked by a proliferation of AI-powered intelligent inventions such as self-driving cars or home assistant robots that are able to predict outcomes and quickly adapt to changing situations.

Agenda Highlights Included:

• Introduction from Columbia University Emerging Technologies, Senior Director, Parixit Davé.
• Presentation by Dr. Chandrakant Patel, HP Chief Engineer and Senior Fellow, on the rise of cyber physical human systems and the future of cyber physical human interfaces.
• Presentation by Chris Stoecker, AMD Field Application Engineer, with opening remarks from Olivier Suinat, AMD Corporate Vice President, on Together We Advance: high performance computing and pervasive AI.
• Closing remarks from Parixit Davé.

Columbia University Emerging Technologies Consortium facilitates multidisciplinary collaboration with faculty and researchers. The group aims to utilize next-generation technologies to broaden knowledge, increase interactivity in teaching methods, and improve student learning experiences. The event highlights successful partnerships between higher educational institutions and industry, bringing converging technologies to research labs and use cases across disciplines advancing pedagogy with the use of new technologies.

Sources: HP Development Company, L.P., Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.