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Towards a Security, Privacy, Dependability, Interoperability Framework for the Internet of Things
A popular application of ambient intelligence systems constitutes of assisting living services on smart buildings. As intelligence is imported in embedded equipment, the system becomes able to provide smart services (e.g. control lights, airconditioning, provide energy management services etc.). IoT is the main enabler of such environments. However, the interconnection of these cyber-physical systems and the processing of personal data raise serious security and privacy issues. In this paper we present a framework that can guarantee Security, Privacy, Dependability and Interoperability (SPDI) in IoT. Taking advantage of the underlying IoT deployment, the proposed framework not only implements the requested smart functionality but also provide modelling and administration that can guarantee those SPDI properties. Moreover, we provide an application example of the framework in a smart building scenario
Self-Organization at the Nanoscale Scale in Far-From-Equilibrium Surface Reactions and Copolymerizations
An overview is given of theoretical progress on self-organization at the
nanoscale in reactive systems of heterogeneous catalysis observed by field
emission microscopy techniques and at the molecular scale in copolymerization
processes. The results are presented in the perspective of recent advances in
nonequilibrium thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, allowing us to
understand how nanosystems driven away from equilibrium can manifest
directionality and dynamical order.Comment: A. S. Mikhailov and G. Ertl, Editors, Proceedings of the
International Conference "Engineering of Chemical Complexity", Berlin Center
for Studies of Complex Chemical Systems, 4-8 July 201
Embodied Artificial Intelligence through Distributed Adaptive Control: An Integrated Framework
In this paper, we argue that the future of Artificial Intelligence research
resides in two keywords: integration and embodiment. We support this claim by
analyzing the recent advances of the field. Regarding integration, we note that
the most impactful recent contributions have been made possible through the
integration of recent Machine Learning methods (based in particular on Deep
Learning and Recurrent Neural Networks) with more traditional ones (e.g.
Monte-Carlo tree search, goal babbling exploration or addressable memory
systems). Regarding embodiment, we note that the traditional benchmark tasks
(e.g. visual classification or board games) are becoming obsolete as
state-of-the-art learning algorithms approach or even surpass human performance
in most of them, having recently encouraged the development of first-person 3D
game platforms embedding realistic physics. Building upon this analysis, we
first propose an embodied cognitive architecture integrating heterogenous
sub-fields of Artificial Intelligence into a unified framework. We demonstrate
the utility of our approach by showing how major contributions of the field can
be expressed within the proposed framework. We then claim that benchmarking
environments need to reproduce ecologically-valid conditions for bootstrapping
the acquisition of increasingly complex cognitive skills through the concept of
a cognitive arms race between embodied agents.Comment: Updated version of the paper accepted to the ICDL-Epirob 2017
conference (Lisbon, Portugal
Multiscale thermo-mechanical analysis of multi-layered coatings in solar thermal applications
Solar selective coatings can be multi-layered materials that optimize the solar absorption while reducing thermal radiation losses, granting the material long-term stability. These layers are deposited on structural materials (e.g., stainless steel, Inconel) in order to enhance the optical and thermal properties of the heat transfer system. However, interesting questions regarding their mechanical stability arise when operating at high temperatures. In this work, a full thermo-mechanical multiscale methodology is presented, covering the nano-, micro-, and macroscopic scales. In such methodology, fundamental material properties are determined by means of molecular dynamics simulations that are consequently implemented at the microstructural level by means of finite element analyses. On the other hand, the macroscale problem is solved while taking into account the effect of the microstructure via thermo-mechanical homogenization on a representative volume element (RVE). The methodology presented herein has been successfully implemented in a reference problem in concentrating solar power plants, namely the characterization of a carbon-based nanocomposite and the obtained results are in agreement with the expected theoretical values, demonstrating that it is now possible to apply successfully the concepts behind Integrated Computational Materials Engineering to design new coatings for complex realistic thermo-mechanical applications.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft
Software Engineering Challenges for Investigating Cyber-Physical Incidents
Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) are characterized by the interplay between digital and physical spaces. This characteristic has extended the attack surface that could be exploited by an offender to cause harm. An increasing number of cyber-physical incidents may occur depending on the configuration of the physical and digital spaces and their interplay. Traditional investigation processes are not adequate to investigate these incidents, as they may overlook the extended attack surface resulting from such interplay, leading to relevant evidence being missed and testing flawed hypotheses explaining the incidents. The software engineering research community can contribute to addressing this problem, by deploying existing formalisms to model digital and physical spaces, and using analysis techniques to reason about their interplay and evolution. In this paper, supported by a motivating example, we describe some emerging software engineering challenges to support investigations of cyber-physical incidents. We review and critique existing research proposed to address these challenges, and sketch an initial solution based on a meta-model to represent cyber-physical incidents and a representation of the topology of digital and physical spaces that supports reasoning about their interplay
A unified radio control architecture for prototyping adaptive wireless protocols
Experimental optimization of wireless protocols and validation of novel solutions is often problematic, due to limited configuration space present in commercial wireless interfaces as well as complexity of monolithic driver implementation on SDR-based experimentation platforms. To overcome these limitations a novel software architecture is proposed, called WiSHFUL, devised to allow: i) maximal exploitation of radio functionalities available in current radio chips, and ii) clean separation between the logic for optimizing the radio protocols (i.e. radio control) and the definition of these protocols
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