Embedded systems are becoming one of the major driving forces in computer science. Furthermore, it is the impact of embedded information technology that dictates the pace in most engineering domains. Nearly all technical products above a certain level of complexity are not only controlled but increasingly even dominated by their embedded computer systems.
Traditionally, such embedded control systems have been implemented in a monolithic, centralized way. Recently, distributed solutions are gaining increasing importance. In this approach, the control task is carried out by a number of...

"Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better." advised Albert Einstein. In recent years, the research communities in Computer Science, Engineering, and other disciplines have taken this message to heart, and a relatively new field of "biologically-inspired computing" has been born. Inspiration is being drawn from nature, from the behaviors of colonies of ants, of swarms of bees and even the human body. This new paradigm in computing takes many simple autonomous objects or agents and lets them jointly perform a complex task, without having the need for centralized control....

As almost no other technology, embedded systems is an essential element of many innovations in automotive engineering. New functions and improvements of already existing functions, as well as the compliance with traffic regulations and customer requirements, have only become possible by the increasing use of electronic systems, especially in the fields of driving, safety, reliability, and functionality. Along with the functionalities that increase in number and have to cooperate, the complexity of the entire system will increase.

Synergy effects resulting from distributed...

In the world of information technology, it is no longer the computer in the classical sense where the majority of IT applications is executed; computing is everywhere. More than 20 billion processors have already been fabricated and the majority of them can be assumed to still be operational. At the same time, virtually every PC worldwide is connected via the Internet. This combination of traditional and embedded computing creates an artifact of a complexity, heterogeneity, and volatility unmanageable by classical means. Each of our technical artifacts with a built-in processor can be seen as...