Adoption of vehicular ad hoc networking protocols by networked robots

This paper focuses on the utilization of wireless networking in the robotics domain. Many researchers have already equipped their robots with wireless communication capabilities, stimulated by the observation that multi-robot systems tend to have several advantages over their single-robot counterparts. Typically, this integration of wireless communication is tackled in a quite pragmatic manner, only a few authors presented novel Robotic Ad Hoc Network (RANET) protocols that were designed specifically with robotic use cases in mind. This is in sharp contrast with the domain of vehicular ad hoc networks (VANET). This observation is the starting point of this paper. If the results of previous efforts focusing on VANET protocols could be reused in the RANET domain, this could lead to rapid progress in the field of networked robots. To investigate this possibility, this paper provides a thorough overview of the related work in the domain of robotic and vehicular ad hoc networks. Based on this information, an exhaustive list of requirements is defined for both types. It is concluded that the most significant difference lies in the fact that VANET protocols are oriented towards low throughput messaging, while RANET protocols have to support high throughput media streaming as well. Although not always with equal importance, all other defined requirements are valid for both protocols. This leads to the conclusion that cross-fertilization between them is an appealing approach for future RANET research. To support such developments, this paper concludes with the definition of an appropriate working plan

Routing and video streaming in drone networks

PhDDrones can be used for several civil applications including search and rescue, coverage, and aerial imaging. Newer applications like construction and delivery of goods are also emerging. Performing tasks as a team of drones is often beneficial but requires coordination through communication. In this thesis, the communication requirements of video streaming drone applications based on existing works are studied. The existing communication technologies are then analyzed to understand if the communication requirements posed by these drone applications can be met by the available technologies. The shortcomings of existing technologies with respect to drone applications are identified and potential requirements for future technologies are suggested. The existing communication and routing protocols including ad-hoc on-demand distance vector (AODV), location-aided routing (LAR), and greedy perimeter stateless routing (GPSR) protocols are studied to identify their limitations in context to the drone networks. An application scenario where a team of drones covers multiple areas of interest is considered, where the drones follow known trajectories and transmit continuous streams of sensed traffic (images or video) to a ground station. A route switching (RS) algorithm is proposed that utilizes both the location and the trajectory information of the drones to schedule and update routes to overcome route discovery and route error overhead. Simulation results show that the RS scheme outperforms LAR and AODV by achieving higher network performance in terms of throughput and delay. Video streaming drone applications such as search and rescue, surveillance, and disaster management, benefit from multicast wireless video streaming to transmit identical data to multiple users. Video multicast streaming using IEEE 802.11 poses challenges of reliability, performance, and fairness under tight delay bounds. Because of the mobility of the video sources and the high data-rate of the videos, the transmission rate should be adapted based on receivers' link conditions. Rate-adaptive video multicast streaming in IEEE 802.11 requires wireless link estimation as well as frequent feedback from multiple receivers. A contribution to this thesis is an application-layer rate-adaptive video multicast streaming framework using an 802.11 ad-hoc network that is applicable when both the sender and the receiver nodes are mobile. The receiver nodes of a multicast group are assigned with roles dynamically based on their link conditions. An application layer video multicast gateway (ALVM-GW) adapts the transmission rate and the video encoding rate based on the received feedback. Role switching between multiple receiver nodes (designated nodes) cater for mobility and rate adaptation addresses the challenges of performance and fairness. The reliability challenge is addressed through re-transmission of lost packets while delays under given bounds are achieved through video encoding rate adaptation. Emulation and experimental results show that the proposed approach outperforms legacy multicast in terms of packet loss and video quality

Road-based routing in vehicular ad hoc networks

Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) can provide scalable and cost-effective solutions for applications such as traffic safety, dynamic route planning, and context-aware advertisement using short-range wireless communication. To function properly, these applications require efficient routing protocols. However, existing mobile ad hoc network routing and forwarding approaches have limited performance in VANETs. This dissertation shows that routing protocols which account for VANET-specific characteristics in their designs, such as high density and constrained mobility, can provide good performance for a large spectrum of applications. This work proposes a novel class of routing protocols as well as three forwarding optimizations for VANETs. The Road-Based using Vehicular Traffic (RBVT) routing is a novel class of routing protocols for VANETs. RBVT protocols leverage real-time vehicular traffic information to create stable road-based paths consisting of successions of road intersections that have, with high probability, network connectivity among them. Evaluations of RBVT protocols working in conjunction with geographical forwarding show delivery rate increases as much as 40% and delay decreases as much as 85% when compared with existing protocols. Three optimizations are proposed to increase forwarding performance. First, one- hop geographical forwarding is improved using a distributed receiver-based election of next hops, which leads to as much as 3 times higher delivery rates in highly congested networks. Second, theoretical analysis and simulation results demonstrate that the delay in highly congested networks can be reduced by half by switching from traditional FIFO with Taildrop queuing to LIFO with Frontdrop queuing. Third, nodes can determine suitable times to transmit data across RBVT paths or proactively replace routes before they break using analytical models that accurately predict the expected road-based path durations in VANETs

Cyber vulnerabilities in the aviation ecosystem: reducing the attack surface through an international aviation trust framework

Now, at the beginning of the 21st century, the aviation system is well developed, however, the community is at similar juncture as the beginning of the 2oth century, only this time the civil aviation system itself is being rapidly transformed by a wave of digital technologies that hold great promise but could also expose the aviation system to new threats. Certain aspects of the digital transformation of the aviation system, based on network connectivity, must be guided to ensure that it generates ever higher-levels of global interoperability and safety. To address this challenge, it is necessary to go back to fundamental principles. It is necessary to establish a system of identity and trust that integrates the wisdom of the Chicago Convention into the digital world that is already overtaking the aviation industry. Service providers, aircraft manufactures, and avionic producers, are all putting in place their own systems of identity and trust as a matter of necessity. That means, in the near future, an aircraft may need different digital certificates to connect with its satellite communications service provider, retrieve data from the airline operations centre, update its avionics software, download engines monitoring data and other functions. The potential number of proprietary secure links is nearly endless. This patchwork of disparate efforts to reduce the attack surface to air and ground operations will add complexity to the system that will be costly to maintain and will offer a myriad of gaps for adversaries to exploit. In the absence of global direction, different manufactures and different States will take different approaches. However, if a globally acceptable system for identity and trust that can be used by manned and unmanned aircraft indistinctively as well as by different service providers and users is available it would likely be embraced by many or all. As such, based on the new vulnerabilities brought by the evolution of the air navigation system through the intense use of digital and connected technologies, the object of this research relates to the vulnerabilities of the aviation system to a cyber-attack and the objective of this thesis is to propose a concept of operations that allows the implementation of a framework able to provide positive digital identification of all members of the aviation community through specific processes and procedures and a virtual network able to preserve the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the data and information being exchanged at the same time it increases the resilience of operations.Atualmente, no início do século vinte e um, a aviação está em uma situação similar ao início do século vinte, entretanto, desta vez, o sistema de aviação civil está bem consolidado, mas se transformando rapidamente motivado por uma onda de novas tecnologias que apresentam grandes promessas, mas que ao mesmo tempo podem expor a aviação a novas ameaças. Certos aspectos da transformação digital do sistema de aviação civil, baseado em redes que permitem ampla conectividade, devem ser corretamente orientados para garantir níveis globais de segurança e interoperabilidade ainda mais elevados. Para enfrentar esse desafio, necessário se faz o estabelecimento de um sistema de identidades digitais e confiança que integre a sabedoria da Convenção de Chicago ao mundo digital que está invadindo a indústria da aviação. Provedores de serviços, fabricantes de aeronaves e aviônicos estão todos colocando em prática seus próprios sistemas de identificação e confiança por necessidade. Isso significa que em um futuro próximo, uma aeronave poderá precisar de diferentes certificados para conectar-se com seus provedores de comunicações por satélite, receber dados de um centro de coordenação de uma compania aérea, atualizar programas em seus aviônicos, baixar dados para monitoramento do funcionamento de seus motores e outras funções. Esse conjunto de iniciativas isoladas para se reduzir a superfície de ataque cibernético para operações no solo e no ar adicionam complexidade ao sistema considerando que essas iniciativas isoladas tornam o sistema como um todo custoso para se manter e também oferecem uma série de vulnerabilidades a serem exploradas por atores mal intencionados. Na ausência de uma direção global, diferentes fabricantes, provedores de serviços e Estados tomarão direções distintas. Entretanto, se um sistema global de identificação digital e confiança que possa ser usado indistintamente pela aviação tripulada e não tripulada, por provedores de serviços, fabricantes e usuários for posto em prática, é muito provável que o mesmo seja adotado por todos dentro do sistema de aviação civil. Portanto, baseado nas novas vulnerabilidades que a evolução dos sistemas de navegação aérea estão trazendo com o uso intenso de tecnologias digitais e conectadas, o objeto desta tese está relacionado às vulnerabilidades do sistema de aviação civil a um ataque cibernético e o objetivo foi o de propor um conceito operacional que permitisse a implementação de uma estrutura capaz de identificar todos os atores da comunidade de aviação civil através de procedimentos e processos específicos e uma rede virtual para preservar a confidencialidade, a integridade e a disponibilidade das informações e dados sendo intercambiados ao mesmo tempo em que a resiliência do sistema é melhorada através de uma arquitetura específica

Modelling and Design of Resilient Networks under Challenges

Communication networks, in particular the Internet, face a variety of challenges that can disrupt our daily lives resulting in the loss of human lives and significant financial costs in the worst cases. We define challenges as external events that trigger faults that eventually result in service failures. Understanding these challenges accordingly is essential for improvement of the current networks and for designing Future Internet architectures. This dissertation presents a taxonomy of challenges that can help evaluate design choices for the current and Future Internet. Graph models to analyse critical infrastructures are examined and a multilevel graph model is developed to study interdependencies between different networks. Furthermore, graph-theoretic heuristic optimisation algorithms are developed. These heuristic algorithms add links to increase the resilience of networks in the least costly manner and they are computationally less expensive than an exhaustive search algorithm. The performance of networks under random failures, targeted attacks, and correlated area-based challenges are evaluated by the challenge simulation module that we developed. The GpENI Future Internet testbed is used to conduct experiments to evaluate the performance of the heuristic algorithms developed

Satellite integration in 5G : contribution on network architectures and traffic engineering solutions for hybrid satellite-terrestrial mobile backhauling

The recent technological advances in the satellite domain such as the use of High Throughput Satellites (HTS) with throughput rates that are magnitudes higher than with previous ones, or the use of large non- Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites constellations, etc, are reducing the price per bit and enhancing the Quality of Service (QoS) metrics such as latency, etc., changing the way that the capacity is being brought to the market and making it more attractive for other services such as satellite broadband communications. These new capabilities coupled with the advantages offered by satellite communications such as the unique wide-scale geographical coverage, inherent broadcast/multicast capabilities and highly reliable connectivity, anticipate new opportunities for the integration of the satellite component into the 5G ecosystem. One of the most compelling scenarios is mobile backhauling, where satellite capacity can be used to complement the terrestrial backhauling infrastructure, not only in hard to reach areas, but also for more efficient traffic delivery to Radio Access Network (RAN) nodes, increased resiliency and better support for fast, temporary cell deployments and moving cells. In this context, this thesis work focuses on achieving better satellite-terrestrial backhaul network integration through the development of Traffic Engineering (TE) strategies to manage in a better way the dynamically steerable satellite provisioned capacity. To do this, this thesis work first takes the steps in the definition of an architectural framework that enables a better satellite-terrestrial mobile backhaul network integration, managing the satellite capacity as a constituent part of a Software Defined Networking (SDN) -based TE for mobile backhaul network. Under this basis, this thesis work first proposes and assesses a model for the analysis of capacity and traffic management strategies for hybrid satellite-terrestrial mobile backhauling networks that rely on SDN for fine-grained traffic steering. The performance analysis is carried out in terms of capacity gains that can be achieved when the satellite backhaul capacity is used for traffic overflow, taking into account the placement of the satellite capacity at different traffic aggregation levels and considering a spatial correlation of the traffic demand. Later, the thesis work presents the development of SDN-based TE strategies and algorithms that exploits the dynamically steerable satellite capacity provisioned for resilience purposes to better utilize the satellite capacity by maximizing the network utility under both failure and non-failure conditions in some terrestrial links, under the consideration of elastic, inelastic and unicast and multicast traffic. The performance analysis is carried out in terms of global network utility, fairness and connexion rejection rates compared to non SDN-based TE applications. Finally, sustained in the defined architectural framework designs, the thesis work presents an experimental Proof of Concept (PoC) and validation of a satellite-terrestrial backhaul links integration solution that builts upon SDN technologies for the realization of End-to-End (E2E) TE applications in mobile backhauling networks with a satellite component, assessing the feasibility of the proposed SDN-based integration solution under a practical laboratory setting that combines the use of commercial, experimentation-oriented and emulation equipment and software.Los recientes avances tecnológicos en el dominio de los satélites, como el uso de satélites de alto rendimiento (HTS) con tasas de rendimiento que son magnitudes más altas que los anteriores, o el uso de grandes constelaciones de satélites de órbita no geoestacionaria (GEO), etc. están reduciendo el precio por bit y mejorando las métricas de Calidad de Servicio (QoS) como la latencia, etc., cambiando la forma en que la capacidad se está llevando al mercado, y haciéndola más atractiva para otros servicios como las comunicaciones de banda ancha por satélite. Estas nuevas capacidades, junto con las ventajas ofrecidas por las comunicaciones por satélite, como la cobertura geográfica a gran escala, las inherentes capacidades de difusión / multidifusión y la conectividad altamente confiable, anticipan nuevas oportunidades para la integración de la componente satelital al ecosistema 5G. Uno de los escenarios más atractivos es el backhauling móvil, donde la capacidad del satélite se puede usar para complementar la infraestructura de backhauling terrestre, no solo en áreas de difícil acceso, sino también para la entrega de tráfico de manera más eficiente a los nodos de la Red de Acceso (RAN), una mayor resiliencia y mejor soporte para implementaciones rápidas y temporales de células, así como células en movimiento. En este contexto, este trabajo de tesis se centra en lograr una mejor integración de la red híbrida de backhaul satélital-terrestre, a través del desarrollo de estrategias de ingeniería de tráfico (TE) para gestionar de una mejor manera la capacidad dinámicamente orientable del satélite. Para hacer esto, este trabajo de tesis primero toma los pasos en la definición de un marco de arquitectura que permite una mejor integración de una red híbrida satelital-terrestre de backhaul móvil, gestionando la capacidad del satélite como parte constitutiva de un TE basado en Software Defined Networking (SDN). Bajo esta base, este trabajo de tesis primero propone y evalúa un modelo para el análisis de la capacidad y las estrategias de gestión del tráfico para redes híbridas satelital-terrestre de backhaul móvil basadas en SDN para la dirección de tráfico. El análisis de rendimiento se lleva a cabo en términos de aumento de capacidad que se puede lograr cuando la capacidad de la red de backhaul por satélite se utiliza para el desborde de tráfico, teniendo en cuenta la ubicación de la capacidad del satélite en diferentes niveles de agregación de tráfico y considerando una correlación espacial de la demanda de tráfico. Posteriormente, el trabajo de tesis presenta el desarrollo de estrategias y algoritmos de TE basados en SDN que explotan la capacidad dinámicamente orientable del satelite, provista con fines de resiliencia para utilizar de mejor manera la capacidad satelital al maximizar la utilidad de red en condiciones de falla y no falla en algunos enlaces terrestres, y bajo la consideración de tráfico elástico, inelástico y de unidifusión y multidifusión. El análisis de rendimiento se lleva a cabo en términos de tasas de rechazo, de utilidad, y equidad en comparación con las aplicaciones de TE no basadas en SDN. Finalmente, basado en la definición del diseño de marco de arquitectura, el trabajo de tesis presenta una Prueba de concepto (PoC) experimental y la validación de una solución de integración de enlaces de backhaul satelital-terrestre que se basa en las tecnologías SDN para la realización de aplicaciones de TE de extremo a extremo (E2E) en redes de backhaul móviles, evaluando la viabilidad de la solución propuesta de integración basada en SDN en un entorno práctico de laboratorio que combina el uso de equipos y software comerciales, orientados a la experimentación y emulación.Postprint (published version

Resource Allocation in Communication and Social Networks

abstract: As networks are playing an increasingly prominent role in different aspects of our lives, there is a growing awareness that improving their performance is of significant importance. In order to enhance performance of networks, it is essential that scarce networking resources be allocated smartly to match the continuously changing network environment. This dissertation focuses on two different kinds of networks - communication and social, and studies resource allocation problems in these networks. The study on communication networks is further divided into different networking technologies - wired and wireless, optical and mobile, airborne and terrestrial. Since nodes in an airborne network (AN) are heterogeneous and mobile, the design of a reliable and robust AN is highly complex. The dissertation studies connectivity and fault-tolerance issues in ANs and proposes algorithms to compute the critical transmission range in fault free, faulty and delay tolerant scenarios. Just as in the case of ANs, power optimization and fault tolerance are important issues in wireless sensor networks (WSN). In a WSN, a tree structure is often used to deliver sensor data to a sink node. In a tree, failure of a node may disconnect the tree. The dissertation investigates the problem of enhancing the fault tolerance capability of data gathering trees in WSN. The advent of OFDM technology provides an opportunity for efficient resource utilization in optical networks and also introduces a set of novel problems, such as routing and spectrum allocation (RSA) problem. This dissertation proves that RSA problem is NP-complete even when the network topology is a chain, and proposes approximation algorithms. In the domain of social networks, the focus of this dissertation is study of influence propagation in presence of active adversaries. In a social network multiple vendors may attempt to influence the nodes in a competitive fashion. This dissertation investigates the scenario where the first vendor has already chosen a set of nodes and the second vendor, with the knowledge of the choice of the first, attempts to identify a smallest set of nodes so that after the influence propagation, the second vendor's market share is larger than the first.Dissertation/ThesisPh.D. Computer Science 201

A survey on interactive games over mobile networks

open4noThe mobile revolution has brought us the possibility to enjoy our favorite applications anywhere and anytime. In this context, interactive games over mobile networks embody a fascinating case study both for their commercial success and for their technical challenges, thus, sparking interest and development. The current state of the art of interactive games over mobile networks is captured in this article. We discuss main requirements and analyze possible combinations of existing solutions to provide better support for highly interactive game sessions with mobile players.This work has been partially supported by the UniPD Web Squared and MIUR/PRIN ALTER_NET projects.openGerla, M.; Maggiorini, D.; Palazzi, C.E.; Bujari, A.Gerla, M.; Maggiorini, D.; Palazzi, C.E.; Bujari, A

Remote Control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Through the Internet and IEEE 802.11

This dissertation focuses on real-time control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) through TCP/IP/IEEE 802.11. Using the MAVLink protocol - an open-source protocol for micro air vehicles - a solution that allows the exchange, in real-time, of control messages between a UAV and a remote Control Station was implemented. In order to allow the UAV control by a remote user, the vehicle streams a real-time video feed captured by a video-camera on board. The main challenge of this dissertation is related about the designing and implementation of a fast handover solution that allows an uninterruptible communication