Central importance for the CRC is attached to the activities of the group labeled „Interest Group Self-Optimization“. This group has evolved from the workgroup 4 – Demonstrator during the first funding period with the purpose to discuss not only application-oriented work but also fundamental, theoretical problems. Among other things, the task consisted in developing and extending a common terminology for the subject-matter self-optimization. Furthermore, several approaches differing in methodology were coordinated and communication between the groups involved was enhanced.

 An important part in the realization of self-optimizing systems is software implementation. It is absolutely essential for realizing the extended functionality of self-optimization. As the workgroup 3 – Software Engineering has its focus on quality assurance and coordination of the CRC 614 software to be developed, additional meetings of the workgroups 3 and 4 were held in the context of the IG SO. The results were jointly published in the volume „Selbstoptimierende Systeme des Maschinenbaus – Definitionen, Anwendungen, Konzepte“.

In the future this work is to be continued in close cooperation with the workgroups 3 and 4. As especially the interconnection of individual self-optimizing demonstrators to make up a self-optimizing overall system poses a challenge, great importance will be attached to coordinating the different testbeds and methods with special regard to the interaction between the OCMs that have a hierarchical or an equal-level structure. Thus problems regarding communication between the function modules, propagation of objectives for hierarchically networked systems or the mechanical coupling of function modules will have to be solved. Moreover, emphasis will be laid on a possible unwanted negative feedback caused by the behavior of several function modules being adjusted and on its prevention.

Coordinator:

 Dipl.-Ing. Christoph Romaus