Reference Architecture for Self-aware and Self-expressive Computing Systems

This chapter covers a reference architecture for describing and engineering computational self-awareness and self-expression in computing systems. The architecture provides a common language with which to engineer the capabilities exercised by a “self” at a fine resolution inspired by concepts from psychology. The “self” demarked by the reference architecture is conceptual in nature, and therefore not limited to describing single agents. Consequently, the architecture allows the engineering exercise to scale freely across systems composed of arbitrary agent collectives. Being a common language, it paves a way for identifying architectural patterns influencing the engineering of computational self-awareness and self-expression capabilities across a range of applications. The psychological basis of the architecture brings clarity to the notion of self-awareness and self-expression in computing. These foundations also serve as a rich source of ideas which can now be channelled into the computing domain and inspire the engineering of computationally self-aware and self-expressive systems of the future.