Bachelor and Master Theses

Background

The concept of Systems of Systems (SoS) has gained value across various domains, such as construction and healthcare, among others [1]. In SoS, independent constituent systems work collaboratively to achieve desired systemic effects (or goals) that individual systems would not reach [2]. However, the interconnected nature of an SoS introduces safety and security concerns due to its complexity, emergent behavior, unpredictability, and heterogeneity [3]. 

In our previous work [4], we have proposed an initial Safety-Security Ontology for Systems of Systems (SSO-SoS) to provide a foundation for addressing the safety and security issues in SoS. However, SSO-SoS lacks specific structural aspects that could be used to represent, for example, the duality of risks, i.e., how security measures can negatively impact safety (or vice versa). There is also a need for stronger validation mechanisms to ensure it performs well in realistic scenarios. Thus, this master thesis focuses on making the SSO-SoS ontology more robust and usable by stakeholders across SoS domains.

Research Objectives

This thesis aims to enhance the structural aspects of SSO-SoS by:

1. Revise Class Hierarchies and Relationships: Evaluate and reorganize the existing class structure, including the additional classes and relationships required to represent requirements tradeoffs, to improve clarity and usability.

2. Develop a Visualization Strategy: Use ontology platforms to allow users to interact with and validate the ontology in real-world scenarios.

3. Validate Ontology: The extended ontology shall be validated through a case study (e.g., systems for construction), demonstrating its practical application.

Methodology

The research will proceed in the following stages:

1. Literature Review: A comprehensive review of existing ontologies related to safety, security, and integration in SoS environments shall be performed. 

2. Ontology Design and Extension: The existing SSO-SoS will be modified and/or extended based on gaps identified in the literature.

3. Implementation and Testing: The extended ontology will be implemented using a suitable ontology development platform (e.g., Protégé). Validation will be done using a case study in construction sites where the SoS framework is highly applicable.

4. Evaluation: The ontology's performance will be evaluated based on its accuracy in modeling safety-security concerns in SoS, as well as its usability and comprehensiveness when applied in practical case studies.

Expected Contributions

1. A revised SSO-SoS with improved structural integrity and clarity.

2. A validated framework for use in practical industrial SoS settings.

3. A report summarizing findings from the literature review, ontology redesign process, and stakeholder feedback.

References

[1] J. Axelsson, “A systematic mapping of the research literature on systems of-system engineering,” in 2015 10th System of Systems Engineering Conference (SoSE). IEEE, 2015, pp. 18–23.

[2] M. W. Maier, “Architecting principles for systems-of-systems,” Systems Engineering: The Journal of the International Council on Systems Engineering, vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 267–284, 1998.

[3] C. Harvey and N. A. Stanton, “Safety in system-of-systems: Ten key challenges,” Safety science, vol. 70, pp. 358–366, 2014.

[4] N. Ali, Castellanos-Ardila, J.P, and Punnekkat, “Towards an Integrated Safety-Security Ontology for System of Systems,” in IEEE International Symposium on Systems Engineering,” IEEE, 2024, pp. 1-8.

Academic Background

1. A solid understanding of systems engineering principles, especially the architecture and management of SoS.

2. Basic knowledge of safety and security principles, risk management, and standards.

3. Prior coursework or exposure to ontology design, semantic web technologies, or knowledge representation.

4. Proficiency in English

Technical Skills

1. Familiarity with tools such as Protégé or other ontology editors is essential, as the project involves restructuring and visualizing the ontology.

2. Knowledge of OWL (Web Ontology Language) and other formal languages used for building ontologies will be necessary for ontology development and validation.

3. Programming skills (e.g., Python, Java) might be required, especially if customization or tool development is needed for ontology visualization and validation.

Number of students: 2