On Dependability Issues in Ambient Intelligence Systems

Ambient Intelligence (AmI) is the emerging computing paradigm used to build next-generation smart environments. It provides services in a flexible, transparent, and anticipative manner, requiring minimal skills for human-computer interaction. Recently, AmI is being adapted to build smart systems to guide human activities in critical domains, such as, healthcare, ambient assisted living, and disaster recovery. However, the practical application to such domains generally calls for stringent dependability requirements, since the failure of even a single component may cause dangerous loss or hazard to people and machineries. Despite these concerns, there is still little understanding on dependability issues in Ambient Intelligent systems and on possible solutions. This paper provides an analysis of the AmI literature dealing with dependability issues and to propose an innovative architectural solution to such issues, based on the use of runtime verification techniques.