Distributing Intelligence among Cloud, Fog and Edge in Industrial Cyber-physical Systems

The 4th industrial revolution advent promotes the reorganization of the traditional hierarchical automation systems towards decentralized Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). In this context, Artificial Intelligence (AI) can address the new requirements through the use of data-driven and distributed problem solving approaches, such those based on Machine-Learning and Multi-agent Systems. Although their promising perspectives to enable and manage intelligent Internet of Things environments, the traditional Cloud-based AI approaches are not suitable to handle many industrial scenarios, constrained by responsiveness and data sensitive. The solution lies in taking advantage of Edge and Fog computing to create a decentralized multi-level data analysis computing infrastructure that supports the development of industrial CPS. However, this is not a straightforward task, posing several challenges and demanding new approaches and technologies. In this context, this work discusses the distribution of intelligence along Cloud, Fog and Edge computing layers in industrial CPS, leveraging some research challenges and future directions.