People 4.0 — A model for Human-in-the-Loop CPS-based systems

Technology has become ubiquitous, and humans are increasingly dependent on it. Concepts like Smart and Cyber–Physical Systems (CPS), and the Internet of Things (IoT), are frequently used to describe applications and systems that surround us. These concepts commonly encompass applications that are able to sense their environment, collect and process data, make inferences, and communicate with other applications. However, most of the systems that currently exist do not account for human actions and intents, treating humans as mere sources of data. Furthermore, even the few systems that consider the human factor only do so to a very limited extent. On the premise that technology is made by people for people, new human-centric paradigms are needed, in which emotions, human states, and actions can be conveyed into the system. In this paper, we delve into the concept of Human-in-the-Loop Cyber–Physical Systems (HiTLCPS) and the challenges it presents. Building upon this foundation, we propose a novel approach that integrates humans into all phases of the cyber–physical loop. This comprehensive integration entails influencing human emotions and states, and incorporating human actions into the system architecture and functionalities. Finally, to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of our proposed model, we provide concrete implementation examples in this paper. These examples, along with associated case studies, offer insights into how our human-centric paradigm enhances system performance, user experience, and overall effectiveness.