ICARUS Testbed

The ICARUS Lab is a cutting-edge cyber-physical research facility dedicated to exploring the control, protection, and cybersecurity of modern energy systems. Central to the lab’s testbed is the Opal-RT real-time digital simulator, a high-performance platform for replicating complex power system dynamics with precision and enabling hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) experimentation. Complementing this capability is a comprehensive cyber-physical co-simulation environment that integrates external hardware devices, e.g., programmable loads, inverters, protection relays, etc. with advanced network simulation tools, forming a holistic testbed for analyzing cyber threats and resilient control strategies in energy networks.

In more detail, the ICARUS testbed supports real-time, high-fidelity simulations of large-scale power systems, accommodating thousands of nodes and small time steps to capture transient behavior accurately. The tesbed enables researchers to emulate a wide variety of operational conditions, including varying levels of renewable energy integration and distributed energy resources (DERs). This allows the investigation of system vulnerabilities, intrusion detection methods, secure communication protocols, and coordinated response mechanisms, all within a scalable and realistic test environment. Through the fusion of physical and cyber domains, ICARUS contributes to the development of next-generation secure and resilient energy infrastructures.

Real‑Time Power System and Hardware-in-the-loop Simulation

Network Cosimulation and Communication Infrastructure Screening

Vulnerability Analysis and Cyberattack Impact Assessment

Cybersecurity Mitigations and Layered Defense Strategies

Cyber-Physical Energy Systems Resilience and Restoration

Training and Education