16,300 research outputs found
Unmanned Aerial Systems for Wildland and Forest Fires
Wildfires represent an important natural risk causing economic losses, human
death and important environmental damage. In recent years, we witness an
increase in fire intensity and frequency. Research has been conducted towards
the development of dedicated solutions for wildland and forest fire assistance
and fighting. Systems were proposed for the remote detection and tracking of
fires. These systems have shown improvements in the area of efficient data
collection and fire characterization within small scale environments. However,
wildfires cover large areas making some of the proposed ground-based systems
unsuitable for optimal coverage. To tackle this limitation, Unmanned Aerial
Systems (UAS) were proposed. UAS have proven to be useful due to their
maneuverability, allowing for the implementation of remote sensing, allocation
strategies and task planning. They can provide a low-cost alternative for the
prevention, detection and real-time support of firefighting. In this paper we
review previous work related to the use of UAS in wildfires. Onboard sensor
instruments, fire perception algorithms and coordination strategies are
considered. In addition, we present some of the recent frameworks proposing the
use of both aerial vehicles and Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UV) for a more
efficient wildland firefighting strategy at a larger scale.Comment: A recent published version of this paper is available at:
https://doi.org/10.3390/drones501001
Security of GPS/INS based On-road Location Tracking Systems
Location information is critical to a wide-variety of navigation and tracking
applications. Today, GPS is the de-facto outdoor localization system but has
been shown to be vulnerable to signal spoofing attacks. Inertial Navigation
Systems (INS) are emerging as a popular complementary system, especially in
road transportation systems as they enable improved navigation and tracking as
well as offer resilience to wireless signals spoofing, and jamming attacks. In
this paper, we evaluate the security guarantees of INS-aided GPS tracking and
navigation for road transportation systems. We consider an adversary required
to travel from a source location to a destination, and monitored by a INS-aided
GPS system. The goal of the adversary is to travel to alternate locations
without being detected. We developed and evaluated algorithms that achieve such
goal, providing the adversary significant latitude. Our algorithms build a
graph model for a given road network and enable us to derive potential
destinations an attacker can reach without raising alarms even with the
INS-aided GPS tracking and navigation system. The algorithms render the
gyroscope and accelerometer sensors useless as they generate road trajectories
indistinguishable from plausible paths (both in terms of turn angles and roads
curvature). We also designed, built, and demonstrated that the magnetometer can
be actively spoofed using a combination of carefully controlled coils. We
implemented and evaluated the impact of the attack using both real-world and
simulated driving traces in more than 10 cities located around the world. Our
evaluations show that it is possible for an attacker to reach destinations that
are as far as 30 km away from the true destination without being detected. We
also show that it is possible for the adversary to reach almost 60-80% of
possible points within the target region in some cities
Satellite Navigation for the Age of Autonomy
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) brought navigation to the masses.
Coupled with smartphones, the blue dot in the palm of our hands has forever
changed the way we interact with the world. Looking forward, cyber-physical
systems such as self-driving cars and aerial mobility are pushing the limits of
what localization technologies including GNSS can provide. This autonomous
revolution requires a solution that supports safety-critical operation,
centimeter positioning, and cyber-security for millions of users. To meet these
demands, we propose a navigation service from Low Earth Orbiting (LEO)
satellites which deliver precision in-part through faster motion, higher power
signals for added robustness to interference, constellation autonomous
integrity monitoring for integrity, and encryption / authentication for
resistance to spoofing attacks. This paradigm is enabled by the 'New Space'
movement, where highly capable satellites and components are now built on
assembly lines and launch costs have decreased by more than tenfold. Such a
ubiquitous positioning service enables a consistent and secure standard where
trustworthy information can be validated and shared, extending the electronic
horizon from sensor line of sight to an entire city. This enables the
situational awareness needed for true safe operation to support autonomy at
scale.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, 2020 IEEE/ION Position, Location and Navigation
Symposium (PLANS
Implementation and Development of Vehicle Tracking and Immobilization Technologies
Since the mid-1980s, limited use has been made of vehicle tracking using satellite communications to mitigate the security and safety risks created by the highway transportation of certain types of hazardous materials. However, vehicle-tracking technology applied to safety and security is increasingly being researched and piloted, and it has been the subject of several government reports and legislative mandates.
At the same time, the motor carrier industry has been investing in and implementing vehicle tracking, for a number of reasons, particularly the increase in efficiency achieved through better management of both personnel (drivers) and assets (trucks or, as they are known, tractors; cargo loads; and trailers).
While vehicle tracking and immobilization technologies can play a significant role in preventing truck-borne hazardous materials from being used as weapons against key targets, they are not a & âsilver bullet.â However, the experience of DTTS and the FMCSA and TSA pilot projects indicates that when these technologies are combined with other security measures, and when the information they provide is used in conjunction with information supplied outside of the tracking system, they can provide defensive value to any effort to protect assets from attacks using hazmat as a weapon.
This report is a sister publication to MTI Report 09-03, Potential Terrorist Uses of Highway-Borne Hazardous Materials. That publication was created in response to the Department of Homeland SecurityÂŽs request that the Mineta Transportation InstituteÂŽs National Transportation Security Center of Excellence provide research and insights regarding the security risks created by the highway transportation of hazardous materials
'Sense and respond' and 'autonomic' logistics: a review of US and UK developments
Until recently, platform-based, logistics applications required data to be physically downloaded and transferred between systems so that analysis could estimate the status of key components. In both the Sense and Respond Logistics (S&RL) and Autonomic Logistics (AL) systems, prognostics have been added to monitoring functions, effectively extending the reach of Combat Service Support (CSS). The scope the supply chain has also been expanded with the potential inclusion of some classes of supply within the AL approach. The real time and predictive aspects are relatively new logistics developments facilitated by the real-time communication of data while platforms are in operation.
While the (Australian) Military Integrated Logistics Information System (MILIS) proposes to extend the reach of supply chain information to sub-unit level, it falls short of crossing the gap to link Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS), platform-based, data into the logistics continuum to provide end-to-end visibility, a foxhole-to-factory-to-foxhole perspective, of the supply chain.
This paper will review developments in recent military applications of Autonomic Logistics and Sense & Respond Logistics in the United States Defense Forces and the military in the UK while also considering a selection of Australian Defence Force programs. It will state the case for application of Autonomic Logistics and Sense & Respond Logistics to the ASLAV and Bushmaster platforms, in a similar fashion to those employed in the US and the UK, as a source of accurate and up-to-date CSS information for the various levels of command
Cargo launch vehicles to low earth orbit
There are two primary space transportation capabilities required to support both base programs and expanded mission requirements: earth-to-orbit (ETO) transportation systems and space transfer vehicle systems. Existing and new ETO vehicles required to support mission requirements, and planned robotic missions, along with currently planned ETO vehicles are provided. Lunar outposts, Mars' outposts, base and expanded model, ETO vehicles, advanced avionics technologies, expert systems, network architecture and operations systems, and technology transfer are discussed
Big Data and the Internet of Things
Advances in sensing and computing capabilities are making it possible to
embed increasing computing power in small devices. This has enabled the sensing
devices not just to passively capture data at very high resolution but also to
take sophisticated actions in response. Combined with advances in
communication, this is resulting in an ecosystem of highly interconnected
devices referred to as the Internet of Things - IoT. In conjunction, the
advances in machine learning have allowed building models on this ever
increasing amounts of data. Consequently, devices all the way from heavy assets
such as aircraft engines to wearables such as health monitors can all now not
only generate massive amounts of data but can draw back on aggregate analytics
to "improve" their performance over time. Big data analytics has been
identified as a key enabler for the IoT. In this chapter, we discuss various
avenues of the IoT where big data analytics either is already making a
significant impact or is on the cusp of doing so. We also discuss social
implications and areas of concern.Comment: 33 pages. draft of upcoming book chapter in Japkowicz and Stefanowski
(eds.) Big Data Analysis: New algorithms for a new society, Springer Series
on Studies in Big Data, to appea
Wireless communication, identification and sensing technologies enabling integrated logistics: a study in the harbor environment
In the last decade, integrated logistics has become an important challenge in
the development of wireless communication, identification and sensing
technology, due to the growing complexity of logistics processes and the
increasing demand for adapting systems to new requirements. The advancement of
wireless technology provides a wide range of options for the maritime container
terminals. Electronic devices employed in container terminals reduce the manual
effort, facilitating timely information flow and enhancing control and quality
of service and decision made. In this paper, we examine the technology that can
be used to support integration in harbor's logistics. In the literature, most
systems have been developed to address specific needs of particular harbors,
but a systematic study is missing. The purpose is to provide an overview to the
reader about which technology of integrated logistics can be implemented and
what remains to be addressed in the future
The Evaluation of Route Guidance Systems
BACKGROUND
We were commissioned by the Transport and Road Research Laboratory to:
"collaborate with the German government and their representatives who are responsible for conducting the LISB trial in Berlin in order to produce an agreed methodology, which is acceptable in both Germany and the UK, for assessing the automatic route guidance systems which will be provided in Berlin and London." The brief suggested a number of aspects to be included, and required detailed proposals, timescales and costs for implementation in London.
1.1.2 The background to the brief lies in decisions to introduce pilot automatic route guidance systems in the two cities. The principles of the systems are similar, and have been described in detail elsewhere (Jeffery, 1987). In brief, they involve :
(i) a central computer which retains information on a specified road network, which is updated using real time information from the equipment users;
(ii) infra red beacons at selected junctions which transmit information to equipped vehicles and receive information from those vehicles;
(iii) in-vehicle equipment which includes a dead-reckoning system for position finding, a device for requesting guidance and specifying the destination, a micro-computer which selects the optimal route, and a display which indicates when a turn is required on the main network, and the compass direction and distance to the final destination;
iv) transmission from the equipped vehicles of origin, requested destination, links used since passing the last beacon and, for each link, the time of entry and departure and time spent delayed.
It is this travel time information which is used to update the central computer's knowledge of the best routes.
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