Qinghua Xu defended his thesis

The defence took place in the Hans Petter Langtangen Lecture Hall at Simula KA23.

Main research findings

In the age of smart cities and self-driving cars, ensuring the safety and reliability of integrated computer systems is crucial. My research has found a way to make these systems, known as Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), more dependable without disturbing their regular operations. I used a concept called Digital Twins (DT) which are like virtual replicas of these systems. They allow us to test and improve the real systems by working on their virtual copies. This is especially useful when there's limited data from new systems. My studies used various data types, from highly specific to more generic, to train these virtual models. We observed improved dependability for real-world applications like elevators, autonomous driving, and even health registry systems. This research not only enhances the safety of everyday technologies but also hints at a future where systems learn and adapt without causing disruptions. In essence, it's a step towards smarter, safer, and more efficient future cities and technologies

Prior to the defense, at 11:15 on the same day, Qinghua presented his trial lecture also in the HPL lecture hall.

Adjudication committee

• Associate Professor Javier Cámara Moreno, Department of Computer Science, University of Málaga, Spain
• Professor Fiona Polack, School of computer science, University of Hull, UK
• Professor Einar Broch Johnsen, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway

Supervisors

• Chief Research Scientist Shaukat Ali, Simula Research Laboratory, Norway 
• Dr. Tao Yue, Simula Research Laboratory, Norway
• Professor Sabita Maharjan, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway

Read more at the UiO Department of Informatics web pages.

Associated contacts

Shaukat Ali

Chief Research Scientist/Research ProfessorHead of Department

Email Shaukat