Introduction: Cyber-Collaborative Protocols

Just as a good concert cannot be performed without a conductor, and a computer cannot work without an operating system, every collaborative system must be guided and administered to accomplish its goals. Task Administration Protocols (TAPs) have been developed to administer and manage complex, automated workflows in collaborative work of agents: humans, robots, and software. When cyber- physical systems emerge, new requirements and capabilities also emerge. Cyber-Collaborative Protocol (CCP) is a special type of TAPs that also administer and manage collaborative work, but are designed to do so for cyber-physical systems. For effective, automated and optimized cyber-physical operations, TAP and CCP are required to handle real-time complexities that are beyond communication, workflow, and coordination. TAP and CCP are introduced and defined in this chapter, along with examples of their design and application. Furthermore, current research in various production tasks utilizing TAP and CCP is summarized. In addition, the comparison of TAP and CCP with communication protocols and algorithms is explained and clarified. And just as better conductors will lead to better quality concerts, and superior operating systems will result in better computing, so do better designed TAPs and CCPs. This chapter aims to present the fundamental knowledge of TAP and CCP, which are the critical tools whose better design and effective utilization are the subject of this book.