DevOps for Cyber-Physical Systems
About this course
Course Description Modern Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) such as autonomous robots, drones, and smart vehicles—require a new generation of software development and deployment methodologies. DevOps, which streamlines development and operations through continuous integration, testing, and deployment, must be adapted to the unique challenges posed by CPSs: physical deployment constraints, runtime uncertainty, sensor-actuator feedback loops, and simulation-based validation.
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to DevOps in the context of CPSs, combining foundational principles with hands-on development for intelligent robotic platforms using ROS, Gazebo, Docker & Kubernetes, etc.. Students will learn to build, test, and deploy CPS applications using modern DevOps pipelines and simulation environments. Among several relevant references, the course will consider the book “Roadmap for DevOps in Cyber-physical Systems: Challenges and Future Directions” [1].
[1] Roadmap for DevOps in Cyber-physical Systems: Challenges and Future Directions. Editor Names: Sebastiano Panichella (University of Bern, Switzerland) Paolo Arcaini (National Institute of Informatics, Japan) Myra B. Cohen (Iowa State University, USA) Aitor Arrieta (Mondragon University, Spain)
Organisation
- Lecturer: Sebastiano Panichella
- Instructors (Exercises): Christian Birchler, Grégory Loubet-Bonino, Erdem Ramazan, Aryan Prakash, Ali Javadi
- Material: ILIAS
- Podcast: ILIAS
- Registration (for Bachelor’s Students): KSL
- Registration (for Master’s Students): Academia
- Language: English
Prerequisites
A medium- or high-level experience with Python (or C++) is required.
Learning outcomes
You will learn:
- Mastery of DevOps principles and tools applied to CPSs
- Proficiency in robotic software development using ROS, Gazebo, and CI/CD pipelines
- Ability to design, test, and deploy CPS applications using simulation environments
- Understanding of real-world constraints in deploying CPS software, including uncertainty, safety, and runtime monitoring
Schedule
- Lectures: Thursdays 14:15 - 16:00, Hörraum 101, Hauptgebäude H4,
- Exercises: Thursdays 16:15 - 17:00, Hörraum 101, Hauptgebäude H4
| Date | Topic |
|---|---|
| 19-02-26 | Introduction to the Course “DevOps for Cyber-Physical Systems” |
| 26-02-26 | DevOps Challenges and Needs in Lifecycle Stages for Cyber-Physical Sys |
| 05-03-26 | Project Idea Presentations |
| 12-03-26 | Continuous Integration and Delivery with GitHub Actions |
| 19-03-26 | Docker & Kubernetes for Scalable Deployment |
| 26-03-26 | Introduction to ROS 2 Concepts & Building Software Packages |
| 02-04-26 | Visualization, Simulation, SLAM |
| 09-04-26 | – No class – |
| 16-04-26 | Perception - Making Robots See |
| 23-04-26 | Path Planning & Autonomous Navigation |
| 30-04-26 | Part I: AI-based DevOps testing |
| 07-05-26 | Part II: Automated Software Testing for UAVs and Self-Driving Cars |
| 14-05-26 | – No class – |
| 21-05-26 | Uncertainty and Runtime Monitoring for CPS & Responsible DevOps for CP |
| 28-05-26 | Project Presentations |
Exam
- Date: Thursday, 11 June 2026, 2026, 14:00 – 16:30
- Location: Hörsaal 1 001, Engehalde, E8
- Type: Written, closed-book, 110 minutes
- Registration (for Bachelor’s Students): KSL
- Registration (for Master’s Students): Academia