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Hybrid intelligent decision support system for distributed detection based on ad hoc integrated WSN & RFID
This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonThe real time monitoring of environment context aware activities, based on distributed detection, is becoming a standard in public safety and service delivery in a wide range of domains (child and elderly care and supervision, logistics, circulation, and other). The safety of people, goods and premises depends on the prompt immediate reaction to potential hazards identified in real time, at an early stage to engage appropriate control actions. Effective emergency response can be supported only by available and acquired expertise or elaborate collaborative knowledge in the domain of distributed detection that include indoor sensing, tracking and localizing. This research proposes a hybrid conceptual multi-agent framework for the acquisition of collaborative knowledge in dynamic complex context aware environments for distributed detection. This framework has been applied for the design and development of a hybrid intelligent multi-agent decision system (HIDSS) that supports a decentralized active sensing, tracking and localizing strategy, and the deployment and configuration of smart detection devices associated to active sensor nodes wirelessly connected in a network topology to configure, deploy and control ad hoc wireless sensor networks (WSNs). This system, which is based on the interactive use of data, models and knowledge base, has been implemented to support fire detection and control access fusion functions aimed at elaborating: An integrated data model, grouping the building information data and WSN-RFID database, composed of the network configuration and captured data, A virtual layout configuration of the controlled premises, based on using a building information model, A knowledge-based support for the design of generic detection devices, A multi-criteria decision making model for generic detection devices distribution, ad hoc WSNs configuration, clustering and deployment, and Predictive data models for evacuation planning, and fire and evacuation simulation. An evaluation of the system prototype has been carried out to enrich information and knowledge fusion requirements and show the scope of the concepts used in data and process modelling. It has shown the practicability of hybrid solutions grouping generic homogeneous smart detection devices enhanced by heterogeneous support devices in their deployment, forming ad hoc networks that integrate WSNs and radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. The novelty in this work is the web-based support system architecture proposed in this framework that is based on the use of intelligent agent modelling and multi-agent systems, and the decoupling of the processes supporting the multi-sensor data fusion from those supporting different context applications. Although this decoupling is essential to appropriately distribute the different fusion functions, the integration of several dimensions of policy settings for the modelling of knowledge processes, and intelligent and pro-active decision making activities, requires the organisation of interactive fusion functions deployed upstream to a safety and emergency response.Saudi government, represented by the Ministry of Interior and General Directorate of Civil Defenc
Energy efficiency and interference management in long term evolution-advanced networks.
Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Cellular networks are continuously undergoing fast extraordinary evolution to overcome
technological challenges. The fourth generation (4G) or Long Term Evolution-Advanced
(LTE-Advanced) networks offer improvements in performance through increase in network density,
while allowing self-organisation and self-healing. The LTE-Advanced architecture is heterogeneous,
consisting of different radio access technologies (RATs), such as macrocell, smallcells, cooperative
relay nodes (RNs), having various capabilities, and coexisting in the same geographical coverage
area. These network improvements come with different challenges that affect usersâ quality of
service (QoS) and network performance. These challenges include; interference management, high
energy consumption and poor coverage of marginal users. Hence, developing mitigation schemes for
these identified challenges is the focus of this thesis.
The exponential growth of mobile broadband data usage and poor networksâ performance along
the cell edges, result in a large increase of the energy consumption for both base stations (BSs) and
users. This due to improper RN placement or deployment that creates severe inter-cell and intracell
interferences in the networks. It is therefore, necessary to investigate appropriate RN placement
techniques which offer efficient coverage extension while reducing energy consumption and mitigating
interference in LTE-Advanced femtocell networks. This work proposes energy efficient and optimal
RN placement (EEORNP) algorithm based on greedy algorithm to assure improved and effective
coverage extension. The performance of the proposed algorithm is investigated in terms of coverage
percentage and number of RN needed to cover marginalised users and found to outperform other RN
placement schemes.
Transceiver design has gained importance as one of the effective tools of interference
management. Centralised transceiver design techniques have been used to improve network
performance for LTE-Advanced networks in terms of mean square error (MSE), bit error rate (BER)
and sum-rate. The centralised transceiver design techniques are not effective and computationally
feasible for distributed cooperative heterogeneous networks, the systems considered in this thesis.
This work proposes decentralised transceivers design based on the least-square (LS) and minimum MSE (MMSE) pilot-aided channel estimations for interference management in uplink
LTE-Advanced femtocell networks. The decentralised transceiver algorithms are designed for the
femtocells, the macrocell user equipments (MUEs), RNs and the cell edge macrocell UEs (CUEs) in
the half-duplex cooperative relaying systems. The BER performances of the proposed algorithms
with the effect of channel estimation are investigated.
Finally, the EE optimisation is investigated in half-duplex multi-user multiple-input
multiple-output (MU-MIMO) relay systems. The EE optimisation is divided into sub-optimal EE
problems due to the distributed architecture of the MU-MIMO relay systems. The decentralised
approach is employed to design the transceivers such as MUEs, CUEs, RN and femtocells for the
different sub-optimal EE problems. The EE objective functions are formulated as convex
optimisation problems subject to the QoS and transmit powers constraints in case of perfect channel
state information (CSI). The non-convexity of the formulated EE optimisation problems is
surmounted by introducing the EE parameter substractive function into each proposed algorithms.
These EE parameters are updated using the Dinkelbachâs algorithm. The EE optimisation of the
proposed algorithms is achieved after finding the optimal transceivers where the unknown
interference terms in the transmit signals are designed with the zero-forcing (ZF) assumption and
estimation errors are added to improve the EE performances. With the aid of simulation results, the
performance of the proposed decentralised schemes are derived in terms of average EE evaluation
and found to be better than existing algorithms
An Energy Efficient Simultaneous-Node Repositioning Algorithm for Mobile Sensor Networks
Recently, wireless sensor network (WSN) applications have seen an increase in interest. In search and rescue, battlefield reconnaissance, and some other such applications, so that a survey of the area of interest can be made collectively, a set of mobile nodes is deployed. Keeping the network nodes connected is vital for WSNs to be effective. The provision of connectivity can be made at the time of startup and can be maintained by carefully coordinating the nodes when they move. However, if a node suddenly fails, the network could be partitioned to cause communication problems. Recently, several methods that use the relocation of nodes for connectivity restoration have been proposed. However, these methods have the tendency to not consider the potential coverage loss in some locations. This paper addresses the concerns of both connectivity and coverage in an integrated way so that this gap can be filled. A novel algorithm for simultaneous-node repositioning is introduced. In this approach, each neighbour of the failed node, one by one, moves in for a certain amount of time to take the place of the failed node, after which it returns to its original location in the network. The effectiveness of this algorithm has been verified by the simulation results
Engineering Self-Adaptive Collective Processes for Cyber-Physical Ecosystems
The pervasiveness of computing and networking is creating significant opportunities for building valuable socio-technical systems. However, the scale, density, heterogeneity, interdependence, and QoS constraints of many target systems pose severe operational and engineering challenges. Beyond individual smart devices, cyber-physical collectives can provide services or solve complex problems by leveraging a âsystem effectâ while coordinating and adapting to context or environment change. Understanding and building systems exhibiting collective intelligence and autonomic capabilities represent a prominent research goal, partly covered, e.g., by the field of collective adaptive systems. Therefore, drawing inspiration from and building on the long-time research activity on coordination, multi-agent systems, autonomic/self-* systems, spatial computing, and especially on the recent aggregate computing paradigm, this thesis investigates concepts, methods, and tools for the engineering of possibly large-scale, heterogeneous ensembles of situated components that should be able to operate, adapt and self-organise in a decentralised fashion. The primary contribution of this thesis consists of four main parts. First, we define and implement an aggregate programming language (ScaFi), internal to the mainstream Scala programming language, for describing collective adaptive behaviour, based on field calculi. Second, we conceive of a âdynamic collective computationâ abstraction, also called aggregate process, formalised by an extension to the field calculus, and implemented in ScaFi. Third, we characterise and provide a proof-of-concept implementation of a middleware for aggregate computing that enables the development of aggregate systems according to multiple architectural styles. Fourth, we apply and evaluate aggregate computing techniques to edge computing scenarios, and characterise a design pattern, called Self-organising Coordination Regions (SCR), that supports adjustable, decentralised decision-making and activity in dynamic environments.Con lo sviluppo di informatica e intelligenza artificiale, la diffusione pervasiva di device computazionali e la crescente interconnessione tra elementi fisici e digitali, emergono innumerevoli opportunitĂ per la costruzione di sistemi socio-tecnici di nuova generazione. Tuttavia, l'ingegneria di tali sistemi presenta notevoli sfide, data la loro complessitĂ âsi pensi ai livelli, scale, eterogeneitĂ , e interdipendenze coinvolti. Oltre a dispositivi smart individuali, collettivi cyber-fisici possono fornire servizi o risolvere problemi complessi con un âeffetto sistemaâ che emerge dalla coordinazione e l'adattamento di componenti fra loro, l'ambiente e il contesto. Comprendere e costruire sistemi in grado di esibire intelligenza collettiva e capacitĂ autonomiche Ăš un importante problema di ricerca studiato, ad esempio, nel campo dei sistemi collettivi adattativi. PerciĂČ, traendo ispirazione e partendo dall'attivitĂ di ricerca su coordinazione, sistemi multiagente e self-*, modelli di computazione spazio-temporali e, specialmente, sul recente paradigma di programmazione aggregata, questa tesi tratta concetti, metodi, e strumenti per l'ingegneria di
ensemble di elementi situati eterogenei che devono essere in grado di lavorare, adattarsi, e auto-organizzarsi in modo decentralizzato. Il contributo di questa tesi consiste in quattro parti principali. In primo luogo, viene definito e implementato un linguaggio di programmazione aggregata (ScaFi), interno al linguaggio Scala, per descrivere comportamenti collettivi e adattativi secondo l'approccio dei campi computazionali. In secondo luogo, si propone e caratterizza l'astrazione di processo aggregato per rappresentare computazioni collettive dinamiche concorrenti, formalizzata come estensione al field calculus e implementata in ScaFi. Inoltre, si analizza e implementa un prototipo di middleware per sistemi aggregati, in grado di supportare piĂč stili architetturali. Infine, si applicano e valutano tecniche di programmazione aggregata in scenari di edge computing, e si propone un pattern, Self-Organising Coordination Regions, per supportare, in modo decentralizzato, attivitĂ decisionali e di regolazione in ambienti dinamici
Swarm intelligence and its applications to wireless ad hoc and sensor networks.
Swarm intelligence, as inspired by natural biological swarms, has numerous powerful
properties for distributed problem solving in complex real world applications such
as optimisation and control. Swarm intelligence properties can be found in natural
systems such as ants, bees and birds, whereby the collective behaviour of unsophisticated
agents interact locally with their environment to explore collective problem solving
without centralised control. Recent advances in wireless communication and digital
electronics have instigated important changes in distributed computing. Pervasive
computing environments have emerged, such as large scale communication networks
and wireless ad hoc and sensor networks that are extremely dynamic and unreliable.
The network management and control must be based on distributed principles where
centralised approaches may not be suitable for exploiting the enormous potential of
these environments. In this thesis, we focus on applying swarm intelligence to the
wireless ad hoc and sensor networks optimisation and control problems.
Firstly, an analysis of the recently proposed particle swarm optimisation, which is
based on the swarm intelligence techniques, is presented. Previous stability analysis
of the particle swarm optimisation was restricted to the assumption that all of the
parameters are non random since the theoretical analysis with the random parameters
is difficult. We analyse the stability of the particle dynamics without these restrictive
assumptions using Lyapunov stability and passive systems concepts. The particle
swarm optimisation is then used to solve the sink node placement problem in sensor
networks.
Secondly, swarm intelligence based routing methods for mobile ad hoc networks
are investigated. Two protocols have been proposed based on the foraging behaviour
of biological ants and implemented in the NS2 network simulator. The first protocol
allows each node in the network to choose the next node for packets to be
forwarded on the basis of mobility influenced routing table. Since mobility is one of
the most important factors for route changes in mobile ad hoc networks, the mobility
of the neighbour node using HELLO packets is predicted and then translated into a
pheromone decay as found in natural biological systems. The second protocol uses
the same mechanism as the first, but instead of mobility the neighbour node remaining
energy level and its drain rate are used. The thesis clearly shows that swarm
intelligence methods have a very useful role to play in the management and control
iv
problems associated with wireless ad hoc and sensor networks. This thesis has given
a number of example applications and has demonstrated its usefulness in improving
performance over other existing methods
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A pattern-based framework for the design of secure and dependable SDN/NFV-enabled networks
As the world becomes an interconnected network where objects and humans interact, cyber and physical networks appear to play an important role in smart ecosystems due to their increasing use on critical infrastructure and smart cities. Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualisation (NFV) are a promising combination for programmable connectivity, rapid service provisioning and service chaining as they offer the necessary end-to-end optimisations. However, with the actual exponential growth of connected devices, future networks, such as SDN and NFV, require open architectures, facilitated by standards and a strong ecosystem.In this thesis, a model-based approach is proposed to support the design and verification of secure and dependable SDN/NFV-enabled networks. The model is based on the development of a pattern-based approach to design executable patterns as solutions for reusable designs and interactions of objects, encoded in a rule based reasoning system, able to guarantee security and dependability (S&D) properties in SDN/NFV enabled networks. To execute S&D patterns, a pattern based framework is implemented for the insertion of patterns at design and at runtime level. The developed pattern framework highlights also the benefit of leveraging the flexibility of SDN/NFV-enabled networks to deploy enhanced reactive security mechanisms for the protection of the industrial network via the use of service function chaining (SFC). To prove the importance of this approach and the functionality of the pattern framework, different pattern instances are implemented to guarantee S&D in network infrastructures. The developed design patterns are able to design network topologies, guarantee network properties and offer security service provisioning and chaining. Finally, in order to evaluate the developed patterns in the pattern framework, three different use cases are described, where a number of usage scenarios are deployed and evaluated experimentally
The selection and evaluation of a sensory technology for interaction in a warehouse environment
In recent years, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) has become a significant part of modern life as it has improved human performance in the completion of daily tasks in using computerised systems. The increase in the variety of bio-sensing and wearable technologies on the market has propelled designers towards designing more efficient, effective and fully natural User-Interfaces (UI), such as the Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) and the Muscle-Computer Interface (MCI). BCI and MCI have been used for various purposes, such as controlling wheelchairs, piloting drones, providing alphanumeric inputs into a system and improving sports performance. Various challenges are experienced by workers in a warehouse environment. Because they often have to carry objects (referred to as hands-full) it is difficult to interact with traditional devices. Noise undeniably exists in some industrial environments and it is known as a major factor that causes communication problems. This has reduced the popularity of using verbal interfaces with computer applications, such as Warehouse Management Systems. Another factor that effects the performance of workers are action slips caused by a lack of concentration during, for example, routine picking activities. This can have a negative impact on job performance and allow a worker to incorrectly execute a task in a warehouse environment. This research project investigated the current challenges workers experience in a warehouse environment and the technologies utilised in this environment. The latest automation and identification systems and technologies are identified and discussed, specifically the technologies which have addressed known problems. Sensory technologies were identified that enable interaction between a human and a computerised warehouse environment. Biological and natural behaviours of humans which are applicable in the interaction with a computerised environment were described and discussed. The interactive behaviours included the visionary, auditory, speech production and physiological movement where other natural human behaviours such paying attention, action slips and the action of counting items were investigated. A number of modern sensory technologies, devices and techniques for HCI were identified with the aim of selecting and evaluating an appropriate sensory technology for MCI. iii MCI technologies enable a computer system to recognise hand and other gestures of a user, creating means of direct interaction between a user and a computer as they are able to detect specific features extracted from a specific biological or physiological activity. Thereafter, Machine Learning (ML) is applied in order to train a computer system to detect these features and convert them to a computer interface. An application of biomedical signals (bio-signals) in HCI using a MYO Armband for MCI is presented. An MCI prototype (MCIp) was developed and implemented to allow a user to provide input to an HCI, in a hands-free and hands-full situation. The MCIp was designed and developed to recognise the hand-finger gestures of a person when both hands are free or when holding an object, such a cardboard box. The MCIp applies an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to classify features extracted from the surface Electromyography signals acquired by the MYO Armband around the forearm muscle. The MCIp provided the results of data classification for gesture recognition to an accuracy level of 34.87% with a hands-free situation. This was done by employing the ANN. The MCIp, furthermore, enabled users to provide numeric inputs to the MCIp system hands-full with an accuracy of 59.7% after a training session for each gesture of only 10 seconds. The results were obtained using eight participants. Similar experimentation with the MYO Armband has not been found to be reported in any literature at submission of this document. Based on this novel experimentation, the main contribution of this research study is a suggestion that the application of a MYO Armband, as a commercially available muscle-sensing device on the market, has the potential as an MCI to recognise the finger gestures hands-free and hands-full. An accurate MCI can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of an HCI tool when it is applied to different applications in a warehouse where noise and hands-full activities pose a challenge. Future work to improve its accuracy is proposed
Ecosystemic Evolution Feeded by Smart Systems
Information Society is advancing along a route of ecosystemic evolution. ICT and Internet advancements, together with the progression of the systemic approach for enhancement and application of Smart Systems, are grounding such an evolution. The needed approach is therefore expected to evolve by increasingly fitting into the basic requirements of a significant general enhancement of human and social well-being, within all spheres of life (public, private, professional). This implies enhancing and exploiting the net-living virtual space, to make it a virtuous beneficial integration of the real-life space. Meanwhile, contextual evolution of smart cities is aiming at strongly empowering that ecosystemic approach by enhancing and diffusing net-living benefits over our own lived territory, while also incisively targeting a new stable socio-economic local development, according to social, ecological, and economic sustainability requirements. This territorial focus matches with a new glocal vision, which enables a more effective diffusion of benefits in terms of well-being, thus moderating the current global vision primarily fed by a global-scale market development view. Basic technological advancements have thus to be pursued at the system-level. They include system architecting for virtualization of functions, data integration and sharing, flexible basic service composition, and end-service personalization viability, for the operation and interoperation of smart systems, supporting effective net-living advancements in all application fields. Increasing and basically mandatory importance must also be increasingly reserved for humanâtechnical and socialâtechnical factors, as well as to the associated need of empowering the cross-disciplinary approach for related research and innovation. The prospected eco-systemic impact also implies a social pro-active participation, as well as coping with possible negative effects of net-living in terms of social exclusion and isolation, which require incisive actions for a conformal socio-cultural development. In this concern, speed, continuity, and expected long-term duration of innovation processes, pushed by basic technological advancements, make ecosystemic requirements stricter. This evolution requires also a new approach, targeting development of the needed basic and vocational education for net-living, which is to be considered as an engine for the development of the related ânew living know-howâ, as well as of the conformal ânew making know-howâ
From distributed coordination to field calculus and aggregate computing
open6siThis work has been partially supported by: EU Horizon 2020 project HyVar (www.hyvar-project .eu), GA No. 644298; ICT COST Action IC1402 ARVI
(www.cost -arvi .eu); Ateneo/CSP D16D15000360005 project RunVar (runvar-project.di.unito.it).Aggregate computing is an emerging approach to the engineering of complex coordination for distributed systems, based on viewing system interactions in terms of information propagating through collectives of devices, rather than in terms of individual devices and their interaction with their peers and environment. The foundation of this approach is the distillation of a number of prior approaches, both formal and pragmatic, proposed under the umbrella of field-based coordination, and culminating into the field calculus, a universal functional programming model for the specification and composition of collective behaviours with equivalent local and aggregate semantics. This foundation has been elaborated into a layered approach to engineering coordination of complex distributed systems, building up to pragmatic applications through intermediate layers encompassing reusable libraries of program components. Furthermore, some of these components are formally shown to satisfy formal properties like self-stabilisation, which transfer to whole application services by functional composition. In this survey, we trace the development and antecedents of field calculus, review the field calculus itself and the current state of aggregate computing theory and practice, and discuss a roadmap of current research directions with implications for the development of a broad range of distributed systems.embargoed_20210910Viroli, Mirko; Beal, Jacob; Damiani, Ferruccio; Audrito, Giorgio; Casadei, Roberto; Pianini, DaniloViroli, Mirko; Beal, Jacob; Damiani, Ferruccio; Audrito, Giorgio; Casadei, Roberto; Pianini, Danil
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