Markov Decision Processes with Applications in Wireless Sensor Networks: A Survey

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) consist of autonomous and resource-limited devices. The devices cooperate to monitor one or more physical phenomena within an area of interest. WSNs operate as stochastic systems because of randomness in the monitored environments. For long service time and low maintenance cost, WSNs require adaptive and robust methods to address data exchange, topology formulation, resource and power optimization, sensing coverage and object detection, and security challenges. In these problems, sensor nodes are to make optimized decisions from a set of accessible strategies to achieve design goals. This survey reviews numerous applications of the Markov decision process (MDP) framework, a powerful decision-making tool to develop adaptive algorithms and protocols for WSNs. Furthermore, various solution methods are discussed and compared to serve as a guide for using MDPs in WSNs

Software Defined Networks based Smart Grid Communication: A Comprehensive Survey

The current power grid is no longer a feasible solution due to ever-increasing user demand of electricity, old infrastructure, and reliability issues and thus require transformation to a better grid a.k.a., smart grid (SG). The key features that distinguish SG from the conventional electrical power grid are its capability to perform two-way communication, demand side management, and real time pricing. Despite all these advantages that SG will bring, there are certain issues which are specific to SG communication system. For instance, network management of current SG systems is complex, time consuming, and done manually. Moreover, SG communication (SGC) system is built on different vendor specific devices and protocols. Therefore, the current SG systems are not protocol independent, thus leading to interoperability issue. Software defined network (SDN) has been proposed to monitor and manage the communication networks globally. This article serves as a comprehensive survey on SDN-based SGC. In this article, we first discuss taxonomy of advantages of SDNbased SGC.We then discuss SDN-based SGC architectures, along with case studies. Our article provides an in-depth discussion on routing schemes for SDN-based SGC. We also provide detailed survey of security and privacy schemes applied to SDN-based SGC. We furthermore present challenges, open issues, and future research directions related to SDN-based SGC.Comment: Accepte

Managing Shared Access to a Spectrum Commons

The open access, unlicensed or spectrum commons approach to managing shared access to RF spectrum offers many attractive benefits, especially when implemented in conjunction with and as a complement to a regime of marketbased, flexible use, tradable licensed spectrum ([Benkler02], [Lehr04], [Werbach03]). However, as a number of critics have pointed out, implementing the unlicensed model poses difficult challenges that have not been well-addressed yet by commons advocates ([Benjam03], [Faulhab05], [Goodman04], [Hazlett01]). A successful spectrum commons will not be unregulated, but it also need not be command & control by another name. This paper seeks to address some of the implementation challenges associated with managing a spectrum commons. We focus on the minimal set of features that we believe a suitable management protocol, etiquette, or framework for a spectrum commons will need to incorporate. This includes: (1) No transmit only devices; (2) Power restrictions; (3) Common channel signaling; (4) Mechanism for handling congestion and allocating resources among users/uses in times of congestion; (5) Mechanism to support enforcement (e.g., established procedures to verify protocol is in conformance); (6) Mechanism to support reversibility of policy; and (7) Protection for privacy and security. We explain why each is necessary, examine their implications for current policy, and suggest ways in which they might be implemented. We present a framework that suggests a set of design principles for the protocols that will govern a successful commons management regime. Our design rules lead us to conclude that the appropriate Protocols for a Commons will need to be more liquid ([Reed05]) than in the past: (1) Marketbased instead of C&C; (2) Decentralized/distributed; and, (3) Adaptive and flexible (Anonymous, distributed, decentralized, and locally responsive)

Planning and control of autonomous mobile robots for intralogistics: Literature review and research agenda

Autonomous mobile robots (AMR) are currently being introduced in many intralogistics operations, like manufacturing, warehousing, cross-docks, terminals, and hospitals. Their advanced hardware and control software allow autonomous operations in dynamic environments. Compared to an automated guided vehicle (AGV) system in which a central unit takes control of scheduling, routing, and dispatching decisions for all AGVs, AMRs can communicate and negotiate independently with other resources like machines and systems and thus decentralize the decision-making process. Decentralized decision-making allows the system to react dynamically to changes in the system state and environment. These developments have influenced the traditional methods and decision-making processes for planning and control. This study identifies and classifies research related to the planning and control of AMRs in intralogistics. We provide an extended literature review that highlights how AMR technological advances affect planning and control decisions. We contribute to the literature by introducing an AMR planning and control framework t

Wireless Sensor Networks

The aim of this book is to present few important issues of WSNs, from the application, design and technology points of view. The book highlights power efficient design issues related to wireless sensor networks, the existing WSN applications, and discusses the research efforts being undertaken in this field which put the reader in good pace to be able to understand more advanced research and make a contribution in this field for themselves. It is believed that this book serves as a comprehensive reference for graduate and undergraduate senior students who seek to learn latest development in wireless sensor networks

Integrated Multimodal Transportation Dashboard

Na área dos sistemas de transportes atualmente existem vários sistemas inteligentes que permitem a monitorização, controlo e outras funções relevantes para um dado tipo de transportes. Entretanto, o tratamento individualizado dos diferentes modos, não favorece a geração de políticas e mecanismos integrados de gestão de transporte multimodal; são pouquíssimas as soluções que juntam diferentes tipos de transportes numa só aplicação. Surgiu, portanto, a necessidade dum painel de monitorização multimodal, que permitirá unir vários tipos de sistemas de transportes e fornecerá a visão geral para a observação se todos os sistemas estão funcionais e operantes a um nível de serviço aceitável. Uma vez que tais sistemas fornecem serviços e dados de alcance diferente e com os níveis de qualidade e detalhes variáveis, a detecção de funcionamento abnormal dum sistema é um desafio que requer a identificação, aplicação, adaptação ou criação de métricas de funcionamento normal para cada sistema de transportes, tendo como base os dados fornecidos por protocolos utilizados por ITSs integrados na solução. Este problema é abordado por projeto "Integrated Multimodal Transportation Dashboard" ou Painel Integrado de Monitorização de Transportes Multimodais em Portugues que tem como objetivo a elaboração dum protótipo funcional de uma ferramenta para a monitorização de transportes multimodais.At present time there exist various intelligent systems in Transportation area that permit monitoring, control and other relevant functionalities for a given transport means. However, individual solutions for different transport means don't favor multimodal transport management; there are a very few solutions that combine different transport types in one application. Therefore, a need for a multimodal supervision dashboard arouse - a dashboard that would permit to combine transportation systems of different types and that would provide a comprehensive view in order to observe whether all the systems are functional and operating at an acceptable Level of Service (LOS). Since these systems supply services and data of different scope and varied detail and quality levels, the detection of an abnormal functioning of a certain transportation system is a challenge. It requires identification, application, adaptation or creation of metrics for each transportation system functioning. The metrics should be based on the data supplied by the protocols used by the ITSs integrated in the solution. This problem is addressed by the project "Integrated Multimodal Transportation Dashboard" and has as an aim the elaboration of a functional prototype of a tool for the monitoring of multimodal transports