Computer scientists promoted advances in the design and analysis of safety critical systems at the 6th international ABZ conference in Southampton.

Dozens of experts from academia and industry have gathered at Southampton’s Grand Harbour Hotel to cross-fertilise methods for systems such as cars, trains and planes, where software failures would lead to loss of life or significant damage to businesses.

The event, which was hosted by researchers in Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) at the University of Southampton, covered six related state-based and machine-based formal methods of software engineering.

The conference continued a tradition of defining an industrial case study that researchers could apply to their methods in order to compare the international approaches. The 2018 case study detailed a new European rail signalling system that aims to increase the volume of trains operating on lines while continuing to mitigate dangers such as collisions.

A joint keynote was delivered by Altran senior software engineers Janet Barnes and Angela Wallenburg, offering insights into the successes and challenges of deploying formal methods into industry.

Professor Michael Butler, Programme Committee Chair from ECS at Southampton, says: “Our society’s increased reliance on software for control in systems such as transport means that methods for ensuring trustworthiness of software is essential. ECS is at the forefront of research and applications in this field and we are proud to have welcomed experts from across the globe to this international conference. The quality of papers and presentations has been very high and it’s been great to see the strong level of engagement between attendees.â€?

Michael’s research at Southampton encompasses applications, tools and methodology for formal methods, in particular one model-based method called Event-B. His key theoretical and methodological contributions have enabled the method to scale to large complex systems.

The six formal methods discussed at the conference included Abstract State Machines (ASM), the B-Method and the Z notation – which form ABZ – along with Alloy, Temporal Logic of Actions (TLA) and the Vienna Development Method (VDM).

The ABZ conference ran from Tuesday 5th to Friday 8th of June.

Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) student Matt Price has been awarded an Engineering Leaders Scholarship from the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng).

The programme helps ambitious and inspiring undergraduates accelerate their personal development and become role models for the next generation of engineers. Southampton Civil Engineering student Thomas Edwards was also a successful in the latest scholarship cohort.

Second year MEng Electronic Engineering student Matt has demonstrated much leadership potential in his youth, including having become the youngest ever team manager in the international World Solar Challenge in 2015, been Head Boy and recently elected Vice President of the University Football Club.

He plans to use the RAEng funding to undertake leadership training and gain global technological experience over the next three years and take a sample of his solar challenge technology back into schools.

“I hope this scholarship will help me develop the qualities of a good leader while inspiring others to get into engineering,â€? Matt says. “In particular, I want to develop the emotional intelligence and strong communication skills that are important for getting the best out of brilliant minds in a team. I’m thankful to the RAEng for selecting me from a very competitive process.â€?

Matt was awarded an Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) scholarship in his first year and serves in the committee for a Southampton IET on Campus group.

In 2015, he competed with Ardingly College in the World Solar Challenge, a 3,000km journey from Darwin to Adelaide in Australia using a self-constructed solar-powered vehicle. Matt led a team of 40 students in his final year and piloted the car to sixth place in the Cruiser Class race, finishing ahead of universities from Singapore and Iran.

“I have been interested in engineering for some time and was drawn to the University of Southampton because of the amount of practical work there is during the course here,â€? he adds. “I’m also really interested in the University’s reputation in the field of photonics and that’s something I want to take advantage of more moving forward.â€?

As part of his MEng Electronic Engineering course, Matt has taken part in a group design module developing problem-solving and team-working skills. “We were challenged to create a connected device for Internet-of-Things and smart homes,â€? he explains. “We came up with the idea for a smart plant pot and garden assistant called BioBloom that would measure the temperature, humidity and soil moisture of indoors plants.

“Users could remotely view the data and there was a connected water reservoir that would automatically water the plants as needed, alongside other environment control features. This was a fun and interesting project to design and build something which could potentially be a real product. I am always fascinated and inspired by innovation, within the ever-evolving field of electronic engineering.â€?