Cloud-assisted body area networks: state-of-the-art and future challenges

Body area networks (BANs) are emerging as enabling technology for many human-centered application domains such as health-care, sport, fitness, wellness, ergonomics, emergency, safety, security, and sociality. A BAN, which basically consists of wireless wearable sensor nodes usually coordinated by a static or mobile device, is mainly exploited to monitor single assisted livings. Data generated by a BAN can be processed in real-time by the BAN coordinator and/or transmitted to a server-side for online/offline processing and long-term storing. A network of BANs worn by a community of people produces large amount of contextual data that require a scalable and efficient approach for elaboration and storage. Cloud computing can provide a flexible storage and processing infrastructure to perform both online and offline analysis of body sensor data streams. In this paper, we motivate the introduction of Cloud-assisted BANs along with the main challenges that need to be addressed for their development and management. The current state-of-the-art is overviewed and framed according to the main requirements for effective Cloud-assisted BAN architectures. Finally, relevant open research issues in terms of efficiency, scalability, security, interoperability, prototyping, dynamic deployment and management, are discussed

Solving Complex Data-Streaming Problems by Applying Economic-Based Principles to Mobile and Wireless Resource Constraint Networks

The applications that employ mobile networks depend on the continuous input of reliable data collected by sensing devices. A common application is in military systems, where as an example, drones that are sent on a mission can communicate with each other, exchange sensed data, and autonomously make decisions. Although the mobility of nodes enhances the network coverage, connectivity, and scalability, it introduces pressing issues in data reliability compounded by restrictions in sensor energy resources, as well as limitations in available memory, and computational capacity. This dissertation investigates the issues that mobile networks encounter in providing reliable data. Our research goal is to develop a diverse set of novel data handling solutions for mobile sensor systems providing reliable data by considering the dynamic trajectory behavior relationships among nodes, and the constraints inherent to mobile nodes. We study the applicability of economic models, which are simplified versions of real-world situations that let us observe and make predictions about economic behavior, to our domain. First, we develop a data cleaning method by introducing the notion of “beta,” a measure that quantifies the risk associated with trusting the accuracy of the data provided by a node based on trajectory behavior similarity. Next, we study the reconstruction of highly incomplete data streams. Our method determines the level of trust in data accuracy by assigning variable “weights” considering the quality and the origin of data. Thirdly, we design a behavior-based data reduction and trend prediction technique using Japanese candlesticks. This method reduces the dataset to 5% of its original size while preserving the behavioral patterns. Finally, we develop a data cleaning distribution method for energy-harvesting networks. Based on the Leontief Input-Output model, this method increases the data that is run through cleaning and the network uptime

A Generic Framework for Constraint-Driven Data Selection in Mobile Crowd Photographing

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Mobile crowd photographing (MCP) is an emerging area of interest for researchers as the built-in cameras of mobile devices are becoming one of the commonly used visual logging approaches in our daily lives. In order to meet diverse MCP application requirements and constraints of sensing targets, a multifacet task model should be defined for a generic MCP data collection framework. Furthermore, MCP collects pictures in a distributed way in which a large number of contributors upload pictures whenever and wherever it is suitable. This inevitably leads to evolving picture streams. This paper investigates the multiconstraint-driven data selection problem in MCP picture aggregation and proposes a pyramid-tree (PTree) model which can efficiently select an optimal subset from the evolving picture streams based on varied coverage needs of MCP tasks. By utilizing the PTree model in a generic MCP data collection framework, which is called CrowdPic, we test and evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, and flexibility of the proposed framework through crowdsourcing-based and simulation-based experiments. Both the theoretical analysis and simulation results indicate that the PTree-based framework can effectively select a subset with high utility coverage and low redundancy ratio from the streaming data. The overall framework is also proved flexible and applicable to a wide range of MCP task scenarios

Lightweight edge-based networking architecture for low-power IoT devices

Abstract. The involvement of low power Internet of Things (IoT) devices in the Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) allow enhanced autonomous monitoring capability in many application areas. Recently, the principles of edge computing paradigm have been used to cater onsite processing and managing actions in WSNs. However, WSNs deployed in remote sites require human involvement in data collection process since internet accessibility is still limited to population dense areas. Nowadays, researchers propose UAVs for monitoring applications where human involvement is required frequently. In this thesis work, we introduce an edge-based architecture which create end-to-end secure communication between IoT sensors in a remote WSN and central cloud via UAV, which assist the data collection, processing and managing procedures of the remote WSN. Since power is a limited resource, we propose Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) as the communication media between UAV and sensors in the WSN, where BLE is considered as an ultra-low power radio access technology. To examine the performance of the system model, we have presented a simulation analysis considering three sensor nodes array types that can realize in the practical environment. The impact of BLE data rate, impact of speed of the UAV, impact of distance between adjacent sensors and impact of data generation rate of the sensor node have been analysed to examine the performance of system. Moreover, to observe the practical functionality of the proposed architecture, prototype implementation is presented using commercially available off-the-shelf devices. The prototype of the system is implemented assuming ideal environment

The Need of Multidisciplinary Approaches and Engineering Tools for the Development and Implementation of the Smart City Paradigm

This paper is motivated by the concept that the successful, effective, and sustainable implementation of the smart city paradigm requires a close cooperation among researchers with different, complementary interests and, in most cases, a multidisciplinary approach. It first briefly discusses how such a multidisciplinary methodology, transversal to various disciplines such as architecture, computer science, civil engineering, electrical, electronic and telecommunication engineering, social science and behavioral science, etc., can be successfully employed for the development of suitable modeling tools and real solutions of such sociotechnical systems. Then, the paper presents some pilot projects accomplished by the authors within the framework of some major European Union (EU) and national research programs, also involving the Bologna municipality and some of the key players of the smart city industry. Each project, characterized by different and complementary approaches/modeling tools, is illustrated along with the relevant contextualization and the advancements with respect to the state of the art

Revisiting the Internet of Things: New Trends, Opportunities and Grand Challenges

The Internet of Things (IoT) has brought the dream of ubiquitous data access from physical environments into reality. IoT embeds sensors and actuators in physical objects so that they can communicate and exchange data between themselves to improve efficiency along with enabling real-time intelligent services and offering better quality of life to people. The number of deployed IoT devices has rapidly grown in the past five years in a way that makes IoT the most disruptive technology in recent history. In this paper, we reevaluate the position of IoT in our life and provide deep insights on its enabling technologies, applications, rising trends and grand challenges. The paper also highlights the role of artificial intelligence to make IoT the top transformative technology that has been ever developed in human history

Launching the Grand Challenges for Ocean Conservation

The ten most pressing Grand Challenges in Oceans Conservation were identified at the Oceans Big Think and described in a detailed working document:A Blue Revolution for Oceans: Reengineering Aquaculture for SustainabilityEnding and Recovering from Marine DebrisTransparency and Traceability from Sea to Shore:  Ending OverfishingProtecting Critical Ocean Habitats: New Tools for Marine ProtectionEngineering Ecological Resilience in Near Shore and Coastal AreasReducing the Ecological Footprint of Fishing through Smarter GearArresting the Alien Invasion: Combating Invasive SpeciesCombatting the Effects of Ocean AcidificationEnding Marine Wildlife TraffickingReviving Dead Zones: Combating Ocean Deoxygenation and Nutrient Runof