Title: Enabling cyber-physical systems with machine-to-machine technologies

Authors: Jiafu Wan; Hehua Yan; Qiang Liu; Keliang Zhou; Rongshuang Lu; Di Li

Addresses: College of Information Engineering, Guangdong Jidian Polytechnic, Ganzhou 510515, China ' College of Information Engineering, Guangdong Jidian Polytechnic, Ganzhou 510515, China ' School of Electromechanical Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China ' College of Electrical Engineering and Automation, JiangXi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, China ' College of Electrical Engineering and Automation, JiangXi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, China ' School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China

Abstract: In recent years, Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) has emerged as a promising direction to enrich the interactions between physical and virtual worlds. While Machine-to-Machine (M2M), Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) and CPS are quite similar in many networking aspects, there are still some major differences. In this paper, we first review several concepts and terms, including M2M, WSNs, CPS and Internet of Things (IoT). Then, we conduct a case study exemplified by home M2M networks, and outline the further research proposals of M2M communications. On this basis, a case of CPS, Human-Cyber-Physical System (HCPS) to achieve system safety and efficiency for connected vehicles, is proposed, and the research proposals and challenges for HCPS are summarised. Finally, we carry out a comparison of M2M and CPS to demonstrate how M2M systems with the capabilities of decision-making and real-time control can be upgraded to CPS.

Keywords: machine-to-machine communications; M2M; Internet of Things; IoT; wireless sensor networks; WSNs; wireless networks; cyber-physical systems; system safety; efficiency; connected vehicles; vehicular networking; vehicle communication; decision making; real-time control.

DOI: 10.1504/IJAHUC.2013.055454

International Journal of Ad Hoc and Ubiquitous Computing, 2013 Vol.13 No.3/4, pp.187 - 196

Received: 09 May 2012
Accepted: 23 Dec 2012
Published online: 29 Jul 2013 *

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