208,326 research outputs found
Bioans: bio-inspired ambient intelligence protocol for wireless sensor networks
This paper describes the BioANS (Bio-inspired Autonomic Networked Services) protocol that uses a novel utility-based service selection mechanism to drive autonomicity in sensor networks. Due to the increase in complexity of sensor network applications, self-configuration abilities, in terms of service discovery and automatic negotiation, have become core requirements. Further, as such systems are highly dynamic due to mobility and/or unreliability; runtime self-optimisation and self-healing is required. However the mechanism to implement this must be lightweight due to the sensor nodes being low in resources, and scalable as some applications can require thousands of nodes. BioANS incorporates some characteristics of natural emergent systems and these contribute to its overall stability whilst it remains simple and efficient. We show that not only does the BioANS protocol implement autonomicity in allowing a dynamic network of sensors to continue to function under demanding circumstances, but that the overheads incurred are reasonable. Moreover, state-flapping between requester and provider, message loss and randomness are not only tolerated but utilised to advantage in the new protocol
Random Numbers Certified by Bell's Theorem
Randomness is a fundamental feature in nature and a valuable resource for
applications ranging from cryptography and gambling to numerical simulation of
physical and biological systems. Random numbers, however, are difficult to
characterize mathematically, and their generation must rely on an unpredictable
physical process. Inaccuracies in the theoretical modelling of such processes
or failures of the devices, possibly due to adversarial attacks, limit the
reliability of random number generators in ways that are difficult to control
and detect. Here, inspired by earlier work on nonlocality based and device
independent quantum information processing, we show that the nonlocal
correlations of entangled quantum particles can be used to certify the presence
of genuine randomness. It is thereby possible to design of a new type of
cryptographically secure random number generator which does not require any
assumption on the internal working of the devices. This strong form of
randomness generation is impossible classically and possible in quantum systems
only if certified by a Bell inequality violation. We carry out a
proof-of-concept demonstration of this proposal in a system of two entangled
atoms separated by approximately 1 meter. The observed Bell inequality
violation, featuring near-perfect detection efficiency, guarantees that 42 new
random numbers are generated with 99% confidence. Our results lay the
groundwork for future device-independent quantum information experiments and
for addressing fundamental issues raised by the intrinsic randomness of quantum
theory.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, 16 page appendix. Version as close as possible
to the published version following the terms of the journa
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Lessons Learned and Next Steps in Energy Efficiency Measurement and Attribution: Energy Savings, Net to Gross, Non-Energy Benefits, and Persistence of Energy Efficiency Behavior
This white paper examines four topics addressing evaluation, measurement, and attribution of direct and indirect effects to energy efficiency and behavioral programs: Estimates of program savings (gross); Net savings derivation through free ridership / net to gross analyses; Indirect non-energy benefits / impacts (e.g., comfort, convenience, emissions, jobs); and, Persistence of savings
Distributing Secret Keys with Quantum Continuous Variables: Principle, Security and Implementations
The ability to distribute secret keys between two parties with
information-theoretic security, that is, regardless of the capacities of a
malevolent eavesdropper, is one of the most celebrated results in the field of
quantum information processing and communication. Indeed, quantum key
distribution illustrates the power of encoding information on the quantum
properties of light and has far reaching implications in high-security
applications. Today, quantum key distribution systems operate in real-world
conditions and are commercially available. As with most quantum information
protocols, quantum key distribution was first designed for qubits, the
individual quanta of information. However, the use of quantum continuous
variables for this task presents important advantages with respect to qubit
based protocols, in particular from a practical point of view, since it allows
for simple implementations that require only standard telecommunication
technology. In this review article, we describe the principle of
continuous-variable quantum key distribution, focusing in particular on
protocols based on coherent states. We discuss the security of these protocols
and report on the state-of-the-art in experimental implementations, including
the issue of side-channel attacks. We conclude with promising perspectives in
this research field.Comment: 21 pages, 2 figures, 1 tabl
H2B: Heartbeat-based Secret Key Generation Using Piezo Vibration Sensors
We present Heartbeats-2-Bits (H2B), which is a system for securely pairing
wearable devices by generating a shared secret key from the skin vibrations
caused by heartbeat. This work is motivated by potential power saving
opportunity arising from the fact that heartbeat intervals can be detected
energy-efficiently using inexpensive and power-efficient piezo sensors, which
obviates the need to employ complex heartbeat monitors such as
Electrocardiogram or Photoplethysmogram. Indeed, our experiments show that
piezo sensors can measure heartbeat intervals on many different body locations
including chest, wrist, waist, neck and ankle. Unfortunately, we also discover
that the heartbeat interval signal captured by piezo vibration sensors has low
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) because they are not designed as precision
heartbeat monitors, which becomes the key challenge for H2B. To overcome this
problem, we first apply a quantile function-based quantization method to fully
extract the useful entropy from the noisy piezo measurements. We then propose a
novel Compressive Sensing-based reconciliation method to correct the high bit
mismatch rates between the two independently generated keys caused by low SNR.
We prototype H2B using off-the-shelf piezo sensors and evaluate its performance
on a dataset collected from different body positions of 23 participants. Our
results show that H2B has an overwhelming pairing success rate of 95.6%. We
also analyze and demonstrate H2B's robustness against three types of attacks.
Finally, our power measurements show that H2B is very power-efficient
Energy-efficient wireless communication
In this chapter we present an energy-efficient highly adaptive network interface architecture and a novel data link layer protocol for wireless networks that provides Quality of Service (QoS) support for diverse traffic types. Due to the dynamic nature of wireless networks, adaptations in bandwidth scheduling and error control are necessary to achieve energy efficiency and an acceptable quality of service. In our approach we apply adaptability through all layers of the protocol stack, and provide feedback to the applications. In this way the applications can adapt the data streams, and the network protocols can adapt the communication parameters
Optimisation of Mobile Communication Networks - OMCO NET
The mini conference “Optimisation of Mobile Communication Networks” focuses on advanced methods for search and optimisation applied to wireless communication networks. It is sponsored by Research & Enterprise Fund Southampton Solent University.
The conference strives to widen knowledge on advanced search methods capable of optimisation of wireless communications networks. The aim is to provide a forum for exchange of recent knowledge, new ideas and trends in this progressive and challenging area. The conference will popularise new successful approaches on resolving hard tasks such as minimisation of transmit power, cooperative and optimal routing
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