Researchers at the University of Southampton in the UK are developing new tools to improve the design of embedded software systems in automated railway signalling as part of a multi-million Euro project.

The university is coordinating the Advanced Design and Verification Environment for Cyber-Physical System Engineering (ADVANCE) project.

The EU-funded project involves Alstom, Critical Software Technologies, Systerel and two universities, Southampton and Düsseldorf. It aims to deliver methods and tools for formal modelling, verification and validation, and reduce the associated costs while increasing the benefits obtained.

The ADVANCE project will produce models for embedded systems and help to eliminate design errors before projects reach the manufacturing stage. It will run for 30 months.