An Investigation of the Policies and Crucial Sectors of Smart Cities Based on IoT Application

As smart cities (SCs) emerge, the Internet of Things (IoT) is able to simplify more sophisticated and ubiquitous applications employed within these cities. In this regard, we investigate seven predominant sectors including the environment, public transport, utilities, street lighting, waste management, public safety, and smart parking that have a great effect on SC development. Our findings show that for the environment sector, cleaner air and water systems connected to IoT-driven sensors are used to detect the amount of CO2, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen to monitor air quality and to detect water leakage and pH levels. For public transport, IoT systems help traffic management and prevent train delays, for the utilities sector IoT systems are used for reducing overall bills and related costs as well as electricity consumption management. For the street-lighting sector, IoT systems are used for better control of streetlamps and saving energy associated with urban street lighting. For waste management, IoT systems for waste collection and gathering of data regarding the level of waste in the container are effective. In addition, for public safety these systems are important in order to prevent vehicle theft and smartphone loss and to enhance public safety. Finally, IoT systems are effective in reducing congestion in cities and helping drivers to find vacant parking spots using intelligent smart parking

A Conceptual Framework to Support Digital Transformation in Manufacturing Using an Integrated Business Process Management Approach

Digital transformation is no longer a future trend, as it has become a necessity for businesses to grow and remain competitive in the market. The fourth industrial revolution, called Industry 4.0, is at the heart of this transformation, and is supporting organizations in achieving benefits that were unthinkable a few years ago. The impact of Industry 4.0 enabling technologies in the manufacturing sector is undeniable, and their correct use offers benefits such as improved productivity and asset performance, reduced inefficiencies, lower production and maintenance costs, while enhancing system agility and flexibility. However, organizations have found the move towards digital transformation extremely challenging for several reasons, including a lack of standardized implementation protocols, emphasis on the introduction of new technologies without assessing their role within the business, the compartmentalization of digital initiatives from the rest of the business, and the large-scale implementation of digitalization without a realistic view of return on investment. To instill confidence and reduce the anxiety surrounding Industry 4.0 implementation in the manufacturing sector, this paper presents a conceptual framework based on business process management (BPM). The framework is informed by a content-centric literature review of Industry 4.0 technologies, its design principles, and BPM method. This integrated framework incorporates the factors that are often overlooked during digital transformation and presents a structured methodology that can be employed by manufacturing organizations to facilitate their transition towards Industry 4.0

A Design Approach to IoT Endpoint Security for Production Machinery Monitoring

The Internet of Things (IoT) has significant potential in upgrading legacy production machinery with monitoring capabilities to unlock new capabilities and bring economic benefits. However, the introduction of IoT at the shop floor layer exposes it to additional security risks with potentially significant adverse operational impact. This article addresses such fundamental new risks at their root by introducing a novel endpoint security-by-design approach. The approach is implemented on a widely applicable production-machinery-monitoring application by introducing real-time adaptation features for IoT device security through subsystem isolation and a dedicated lightweight authentication protocol. This paper establishes a novel viewpoint for the understanding of IoT endpoint security risks and relevant mitigation strategies and opens a new space of risk-averse designs that enable IoT benefits, while shielding operational integrity in industrial environments

Performance and Challenges of Service-Oriented Architecture for Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have become essential components for a variety of environmental, surveillance, military, traffic control, and healthcare applications. These applications face critical challenges such as communication, security, power consumption, data aggregation, heterogeneities of sensor hardware, and Quality of Service (QoS) issues. Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a software architecture that can be integrated with WSN applications to address those challenges. The SOA middleware bridges the gap between the high-level requirements of different applications and the hardware constraints of WSNs. This survey explores state-of-the-art approaches based on SOA and Service-Oriented Middleware (SOM) architecture that provide solutions for WSN challenges. The categories of this paper are based on approaches of SOA with and without middleware for WSNs. Additionally, features of SOA and middleware architectures for WSNs are compared to achieve more robust and efficient network performance. Design issues of SOA middleware for WSNs and its characteristics are also highlighted. The paper concludes with future research directions in SOM architecture to meet all requirements of emerging application of WSNs.https://doi.org/10.3390/s1703053

FIN-DM: finantsteenuste andmekaeve protsessi mudel

Andmekaeve hõlmab reeglite kogumit, protsesse ja algoritme, mis võimaldavad ettevõtetel iga päev kogutud andmetest rakendatavaid teadmisi ammutades suurendada tulusid, vähendada kulusid, optimeerida tooteid ja kliendisuhteid ning saavutada teisi eesmärke. Andmekaeves ja -analüütikas on vaja hästi määratletud metoodikat ja protsesse. Saadaval on mitu andmekaeve ja -analüütika standardset protsessimudelit. Kõige märkimisväärsem ja laialdaselt kasutusele võetud standardmudel on CRISP-DM. Tegu on tegevusalast sõltumatu protsessimudeliga, mida kohandatakse sageli sektorite erinõuetega. CRISP-DMi tegevusalast lähtuvaid kohandusi on pakutud mitmes valdkonnas, kaasa arvatud meditsiini-, haridus-, tööstus-, tarkvaraarendus- ja logistikavaldkonnas. Seni pole aga mudelit kohandatud finantsteenuste sektoris, millel on omad valdkonnapõhised erinõuded. Doktoritöös käsitletakse seda lünka finantsteenuste sektoripõhise andmekaeveprotsessi (FIN-DM) kavandamise, arendamise ja hindamise kaudu. Samuti uuritakse, kuidas kasutatakse andmekaeve standardprotsesse eri tegevussektorites ja finantsteenustes. Uurimise käigus tuvastati mitu tavapärase raamistiku kohandamise stsenaariumit. Lisaks ilmnes, et need meetodid ei keskendu piisavalt sellele, kuidas muuta andmekaevemudelid tarkvaratoodeteks, mida saab integreerida organisatsioonide IT-arhitektuuri ja äriprotsessi. Peamised finantsteenuste valdkonnas tuvastatud kohandamisstsenaariumid olid seotud andmekaeve tehnoloogiakesksete (skaleeritavus), ärikesksete (tegutsemisvõime) ja inimkesksete (diskrimineeriva mõju leevendus) aspektidega. Seejärel korraldati tegelikus finantsteenuste organisatsioonis juhtumiuuring, mis paljastas 18 tajutavat puudujääki CRISP- DMi protsessis. Uuringu andmete ja tulemuste abil esitatakse doktoritöös finantsvaldkonnale kohandatud CRISP-DM nimega FIN-DM ehk finantssektori andmekaeve protsess (Financial Industry Process for Data Mining). FIN-DM laiendab CRISP-DMi nii, et see toetab privaatsust säilitavat andmekaevet, ohjab tehisintellekti eetilisi ohte, täidab riskijuhtimisnõudeid ja hõlmab kvaliteedi tagamist kui osa andmekaeve elutsüklisData mining is a set of rules, processes, and algorithms that allow companies to increase revenues, reduce costs, optimize products and customer relationships, and achieve other business goals, by extracting actionable insights from the data they collect on a day-to-day basis. Data mining and analytics projects require well-defined methodology and processes. Several standard process models for conducting data mining and analytics projects are available. Among them, the most notable and widely adopted standard model is CRISP-DM. It is industry-agnostic and often is adapted to meet sector-specific requirements. Industry- specific adaptations of CRISP-DM have been proposed across several domains, including healthcare, education, industrial and software engineering, logistics, etc. However, until now, there is no existing adaptation of CRISP-DM for the financial services industry, which has its own set of domain-specific requirements. This PhD Thesis addresses this gap by designing, developing, and evaluating a sector-specific data mining process for financial services (FIN-DM). The PhD thesis investigates how standard data mining processes are used across various industry sectors and in financial services. The examination identified number of adaptations scenarios of traditional frameworks. It also suggested that these approaches do not pay sufficient attention to turning data mining models into software products integrated into the organizations' IT architectures and business processes. In the financial services domain, the main discovered adaptation scenarios concerned technology-centric aspects (scalability), business-centric aspects (actionability), and human-centric aspects (mitigating discriminatory effects) of data mining. Next, an examination by means of a case study in the actual financial services organization revealed 18 perceived gaps in the CRISP-DM process. Using the data and results from these studies, the PhD thesis outlines an adaptation of CRISP-DM for the financial sector, named the Financial Industry Process for Data Mining (FIN-DM). FIN-DM extends CRISP-DM to support privacy-compliant data mining, to tackle AI ethics risks, to fulfill risk management requirements, and to embed quality assurance as part of the data mining life-cyclehttps://www.ester.ee/record=b547227

Decision factors for remote work adoption: Advantages, disadvantages, driving forces and challenges

Facing one of the most challenging pandemics for organizational modus operandi (COVID-19), organizations are struggling for operational and strategic support. The adoption of remote work (RW) is increasing. For economic reasons, competitive advantage, or even as a pandemic response (business continuity plan), RW is a domain worth further investigation. However, the literature lacks insight regarding RW adoption. A design science research methodology was adopted, including a systematic literature review to elicit RW advantages, disadvantages, challenges and driving forces, as well as their relation. To evaluate and demonstrate findings, 129 qualitative interviews were performed with RW professionals. In the end, 57 decision factors were elicited, and 16 relations were validated. The authors concluded that cost-reduction and flexibility to promote work–life balance is the most positive outputs, while communication and technical problems, as well as management issues, are what most concerns professionals. Moreover, positive relations are more recognized among professionals over negative ones.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Oberflächenemittierende Laser mit vertikaler Kavität (VCSELs) und VCSEL-Arrays für Kommunikation und Sensorik

Future generations of optical wireless communication and sensing systems require compact, low-cost, reliable, and highly efficient light sources capable of transmitting modulated beams across free space at gigabit per second (Gbps) data rates and pulsed beams with sub-nanosecond rise and fall times. The infrared vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) is exactly one such light source. Fifth generation (5G) systems promise to connect billions of people and trillions of Internet of Things gadgets and sensors at 1 to beyond 20 Gbps via newly auctioned millimeter wave (30 GHz to 300 GHz) spectral bands. By circa 2030 sixth generation (6G) systems envision vast broadband capacity with zero latency – enabling real-time virtual and mixed realities, human-machine interfaces, autonomous vehicles, and much more. The 6G technology adds terahertz wave emitters including infrared VCSELs and VCSEL arrays to vastly increase data rates, boost energy and spectral efficiency, and take advantage of available and unregulated spectral bands. I design, fabricate, and test new experimental VCSEL diodes and novel two-dimensional (2D) VCSEL diode arrays. I study the physics and performance trade-offs of VCSEL light emitters aimed at 5G and 6G optical wireless communication and sensing applications. Via in-house computer modeling and simulation programs, I design VCSEL epitaxial structures – composed of nanometer-thick aluminum-gallium-arsenide, indium-gallium arsenide, and gallium-arsenide-phosphide layers – with peak target emission wavelengths of 940 and 980 nanometers. A commercial foundry grows my experimental VCSEL epitaxial wafers by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy on 3-inch diameter gallium-arsenide substrates. In my university cleanroom, I fabricate my VCSELs as quarter wafer test pieces using a new VCSEL Array 2018 mask set which contains single VCSELs, and several variations of novel 2D electrically parallel triple (3-element), septuple (7-element), and novemdecuple (19-element) geometric device designs. My fabricated devices feature high frequency, coplanar ground-signal-ground metal contact pads, and top-epitaxial-surface emission. I perform all device tests in my university laser diode laboratory via direct, on-wafer electrical probing under computer control, starting with continuous wave light output power-current-voltage sweeps via a calibrated photodiode-integrating sphere and variable current source. For emission spectra and small-signal frequency response measurements, I collect the emitted VCSEL light with a standard OM1 multiple mode optical fiber (MMF) – connected to either an optical spectrum analyzer or a photoreceiver. For on-wafer data transmission tests across OM1 MMF patch cords, I modulate my VCSELs with nonreturn to zero, pseudorandom bit patterns in the form of 2-level pulse amplitude modulation. I achieve record combinations of optical output power, bandwidth, and efficiency for my large oxide aperture diameter (larger than 20 micrometers) VCSELs and for my VCSEL arrays. For example, I demonstrate 200 milliwatts of optical output power, a bandwidth of 18 GHz, and a wall plug efficiency of 35 percent with a 19-element VCSEL array. I set several records for error free data transmission, for example, 40 Gbps for my triple and septuple VCSEL arrays and 25 Gbps for my novemdecuple VCSEL arrays, well beyond the previous record of 10 Gbps. My work is the first to investigate trade-offs in the highly nontrivial physics of VCSEL arrays aimed at high power and high bandwidth arrays for free space data transmission – producing new guiding principles for further device optimization and product development.Zukünftige Generationen optischer drahtloser Kommunikations- und Sensorsysteme erfordern kompakte, kostengünstige, zuverlässige und hocheffiziente Lichtquellen, die modulierte Strahlen mit Datenraten von Gigabit pro Sekunde (Gbps) und gepulste Strahlen mit Anstieg- und Abfallzeiten im Sub-Nanosekundenbereich über den freien Raum übertragen können. Infrarote, oberflächenemittierende Laser mit vertikaler Kavität (VCSEL) sind genau eine solche Lichtquelle. Systeme der fünften Generation (5G) versprechen, Milliarden von Menschen und Billionen von Geräten und Sensoren für das Internet der Dinge mit 1 bis über 20 Gbps über neu versteigerte Millimeterwellen-Spektralbänder (30 GHz bis 300 GHz) zu verbinden. Bis etwa 2030 sehen Systeme der sechsten Generation (6G) eine enorme Breitbandkapazität ohne Latenzzeit vor – sie ermöglichen virtuelle und gemischte Realitäten in Echtzeit, Mensch-Maschine-Schnittstellen, autonome Fahrzeuge und vieles mehr. Die 6G-Technologie fügt Terahertz-Wellensender hinzu, einschließlich Infrarot-VCSELs und VCSEL-Arrays, um die Datenraten signifikant zu erhöhen, die Energie- und Spektraleffizienz zu steigern und die verfügbaren und noch unregulierten Spektralbänder zu nutzen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden neue experimentelle VCSEL-Dioden und neuartige zweidimensionale (2D) VCSEL-Diodenarrays entworfen, hergestellt und getestet. Die Physik der VCSEL-Lichtemittern, welche auf 5G- und 6G-optische drahtlose Kommunikations- und Sensoranwendungen ausgerichtet sind, wird untersucht und Performance-Tradeoffs für die angedachten Anwendungen werden identifiziert und analysiert. Über hauseigene Computermodellierungs- und Simulationsprogramme wurden epitaktische VCSEL-Strukturen – bestehend aus nanometerdicken Aluminium-Gallium-Arsenid-, Indium-Gallium-Arsenid- und Gallium-Arsenid-Phosphid-Schichten – mit Peak-Zielemissionswellenlängen von 940 und 980 Nanometern entworfen. Ein kommerzieller Hersteller hat die experimentellen VCSEL-Epitaxiewafer durch metallorganische Gasphasenepitaxie auf Gallium-Arsenid-Substraten mit einem Durchmesser von 3 Zoll gewachsen. In einem Reinraum an der Universität wurden die VCSELs als Viertelwafer-Teststücke mit einem neuen VCSEL Array 2018-Maskensatz gefertigt, der einzelne VCSELs und mehrere Variationen von neuartigen elektrisch parallelen 2D-Tripel- (3-Element), Septuple- (7-Element) und Novemdecuple- (19-Elemente) Strukturdesigns enthält. Bei den prozessierten Strukturen handelt es sich um Top-Emitter mit hochfrequenzkompatiblen koplanare Masse-Signal-Masse-Metallkontaktpads. Alle Device-Tests wurden computergesteuert in einem universitären Laserdiodenlabor durch direktes elektrisches On-Wafer Probing durchgeführt, beginnend mit Dauerstrich-Lichtausgangsleistung-Strom-Spannungs-Sweeps über eine kalibrierte Photodioden-Integrationskugel und eine variable Stromquelle. Für Emissionsspektren und Kleinsignal-Frequenzgangmessungen wurde das emittierte VCSEL-Licht mit einer standardmäßigen OM1-Multimode-Glasfaser (MMF) eingesammelt – verbunden mit einem optischen Spektrumanalysator oder einem Fotoempfänger. Für On-Wafer-Datenübertragungstests über OM1-MMF-Patchkabel wurden die VCSELs mit pseudozufälligen Bitmustern im Non-Return-To-Zero Format mit 2-Level-Pulsamplitudenmodulation moduliert. In dieser Arbeit werden bisher unerreichte Kombinationen von optischer Ausgangsleistung, Bandbreite und Effizienz für VCSEL und VCSEL-Arrays mit großer Oxid-Apertur (größer als 20 Mikrometer) demonstriert. Beispielsweise werden 200 Milliwatt optische Ausgangsleistung, eine Bandbreite von 18 GHz und eine Konversionseffizienz elektrischer zu optischer Leistung von 35 Prozent mit einem 19-Element-VCSEL-Array erreicht. Zudem werden mehrere Rekorde für fehlerfreie Datenübertragung aufgestellt, zum Beispiel 40 Gbps für Triple- und Septuple-VCSEL-Arrays und 25 Gbps für Novemdecuple-VCSEL-Arrays, weit über den bisherigen Stand der Technik von 10 Gbps hinaus. Diese Arbeit ist die erste, die Trade-Offs in der hochgradig nichttrivialen Physik von VCSEL-Arrays untersucht, die auf Arrays mit hoher Leistung und hoher Bandbreite für die Datenübertragung im freien Raum abzielen – und damit neue Leitprinzipien für die weitere Bauelementoptimierung und Produktentwicklung schafft.DFG, 43659573, SFB 787: Halbleiter - Nanophotonik: Materialien, Modelle, Bauelement

Framework for selecting manufacturing simulation software in industry 4.0 environment

Even though the use of simulation software packages is widespread in industrial and manufacturing companies, the criteria and methods proposed in the scientific literature to evaluate them do not adequately help companies in identifying a package able to enhance the efficiency of their production system. Hence, the main objective of this paper is to develop a framework to guide companies in choosing the most suitable manufacturing simulation software package. The evaluation framework developed in this study is based on two different multi-criteria methods: analytic hierarchy process (AHP) integrated with benefits, opportunities, costs, risks (BOCR) analysis and the best-worst method (BWM). The framework was developed on the basis of the suggestions from the literature and from a panel of experts, both from academia and industry, trying to capture all the facets of the software selection problem. For testing purposes, the proposed approach was applied to a mid-sized enterprise located in the south of Italy, which was facing the problem of buying an effective simulation software for Participatory Design. From a practical perspective, the application showed that the framework is effective in identifying the most suitable simulation software package according to the needs of the company. From a theoretical point of view, the multi-criteria methods suggested in the framework have never been applied to the problem of selecting simulation software; their usage in this context could bring some advantages compared to other decision-making tools

Real-Time Sensor Networks and Systems for the Industrial IoT

The Industrial Internet of Things (Industrial IoT—IIoT) has emerged as the core construct behind the various cyber-physical systems constituting a principal dimension of the fourth Industrial Revolution. While initially born as the concept behind specific industrial applications of generic IoT technologies, for the optimization of operational efficiency in automation and control, it quickly enabled the achievement of the total convergence of Operational (OT) and Information Technologies (IT). The IIoT has now surpassed the traditional borders of automation and control functions in the process and manufacturing industry, shifting towards a wider domain of functions and industries, embraced under the dominant global initiatives and architectural frameworks of Industry 4.0 (or Industrie 4.0) in Germany, Industrial Internet in the US, Society 5.0 in Japan, and Made-in-China 2025 in China. As real-time embedded systems are quickly achieving ubiquity in everyday life and in industrial environments, and many processes already depend on real-time cyber-physical systems and embedded sensors, the integration of IoT with cognitive computing and real-time data exchange is essential for real-time analytics and realization of digital twins in smart environments and services under the various frameworks’ provisions. In this context, real-time sensor networks and systems for the Industrial IoT encompass multiple technologies and raise significant design, optimization, integration and exploitation challenges. The ten articles in this Special Issue describe advances in real-time sensor networks and systems that are significant enablers of the Industrial IoT paradigm. In the relevant landscape, the domain of wireless networking technologies is centrally positioned, as expected