The internet of things, part of the cyber-physical systems revolution, is, among other things, making our buildings, cities and grids more efficient. The array of connected objects that make up these systems are in constant communication with one another, and with central processing units, to create a data-rich picture of the world around them. “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it,” William Thomson, Lord Kelvin Once these systems have created this digital, or cyber, version of the their environment, they can enact physical changes to bring about greater efficiency. Occupancy data, for example, tracks the movement of people within a smart building, turning off unnecessary systems behind them. As we race into this future, however, who or what is making sure that the cyber-physical systems themselves are as streamlined as they can be? The somewhat surprising reality is that the cyber-physical systems technologies were developed within manufacturing systems that were not designed to […]