Self-Calibration Methods for Uncontrolled Environments in Sensor Networks: A Reference Survey

Growing progress in sensor technology has constantly expanded the number and range of low-cost, small, and portable sensors on the market, increasing the number and type of physical phenomena that can be measured with wirelessly connected sensors. Large-scale deployments of wireless sensor networks (WSN) involving hundreds or thousands of devices and limited budgets often constrain the choice of sensing hardware, which generally has reduced accuracy, precision, and reliability. Therefore, it is challenging to achieve good data quality and maintain error-free measurements during the whole system lifetime. Self-calibration or recalibration in ad hoc sensor networks to preserve data quality is essential, yet challenging, for several reasons, such as the existence of random noise and the absence of suitable general models. Calibration performed in the field, without accurate and controlled instrumentation, is said to be in an uncontrolled environment. This paper provides current and fundamental self-calibration approaches and models for wireless sensor networks in uncontrolled environments

Supporting Cyber-Physical Systems with Wireless Sensor Networks: An Outlook of Software and Services

Sensing, communication, computation and control technologies are the essential building blocks of a cyber-physical system (CPS). Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are a way to support CPS as they provide fine-grained spatial-temporal sensing, communication and computation at a low premium of cost and power. In this article, we explore the fundamental concepts guiding the design and implementation of WSNs. We report the latest developments in WSN software and services for meeting existing requirements and newer demands; particularly in the areas of: operating system, simulator and emulator, programming abstraction, virtualization, IP-based communication and security, time and location, and network monitoring and management. We also reflect on the ongoing efforts in providing dependable assurances for WSN-driven CPS. Finally, we report on its applicability with a case-study on smart buildings

Variance-constrained state estimation for networked multi-rate systems with measurement quantization and probabilistic sensor failures

This paper is concerned with the variance-constrained state estimation problem for a class of networked multi-rate systems (NMSs) with network-induced probabilistic sensor failures and measurement quantization. The stochastic characteristics of the sensor failures are governed by mutually independent random variables over the interval [0,1]. By applying the lifting technique, an augmented system model is established to facilitate the state estimation of the underlying NMSs. With the aid of the stochastic analysis approach, sufficient conditions are derived under which the exponential mean-square stability of the augmented system is guaranteed, the prescribed H∞ performance constraint is achieved, and the individual variance constraint on the steady-state estimation error is satisfied. Based on the derived conditions, the addressed variance-constrained state estimation problem of NMSs is recast as a convex optimization one that can be solved via the semi-definite program method. Furthermore, the explicit expression of the desired estimator gains is obtained by means of the feasibility of certain matrix inequalities. Two additional optimization problems are considered with respect to the H∞ performance index and the weighted error variances. Finally, a simulation example is utilized to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed state estimation method

Rapid Recovery for Systems with Scarce Faults

Our goal is to achieve a high degree of fault tolerance through the control of a safety critical systems. This reduces to solving a game between a malicious environment that injects failures and a controller who tries to establish a correct behavior. We suggest a new control objective for such systems that offers a better balance between complexity and precision: we seek systems that are k-resilient. In order to be k-resilient, a system needs to be able to rapidly recover from a small number, up to k, of local faults infinitely many times, provided that blocks of up to k faults are separated by short recovery periods in which no fault occurs. k-resilience is a simple but powerful abstraction from the precise distribution of local faults, but much more refined than the traditional objective to maximize the number of local faults. We argue why we believe this to be the right level of abstraction for safety critical systems when local faults are few and far between. We show that the computational complexity of constructing optimal control with respect to resilience is low and demonstrate the feasibility through an implementation and experimental results.Comment: In Proceedings GandALF 2012, arXiv:1210.202

Weight Try-Once-Discard Protocol-Based L_2 L_infinity State Estimation for Markovian Jumping Neural Networks with Partially Known Transition Probabilities

It was the L_2 L_infinity performance index that for the first time is initiated into the discussion on state estimation of delayed MJNNs with with partially known transition probabilities, which provides a more general promotion for the estimation error.The WTOD protocol is adopted to dispatch the sensor nodes so as to effectively alleviate the updating frequency of output signals. The hybrid effects of the time delays, Markov chain, and protocol parameters are apparently reflected in the co-designed estimator which can be solved by a combination of comprehensive matrix inequalities

A Radio Link Quality Model and Simulation Framework for Improving the Design of Embedded Wireless Systems

Despite the increasing application of embedded wireless systems, developers face numerous challenges during the design phase of the application life cycle. One of the critical challenges is ensuring performance reliability with respect to radio link quality. Specifically, embedded links experience exaggerated link quality variation, which results in undesirable wireless performance characteristics. Unfortunately, the resulting post-deployment behaviors often necessitate network redeployment. Another challenge is recovering from faults that commonly occur in embedded wireless systems, including node failure and state corruption. Self-stabilizing algorithms can provide recovery in the presence of such faults. These algorithms guarantee the eventual satisfaction of a given state legitimacy predicate regardless of the initial state of the network. Their practical behavior is often different from theoretical analyses. Unfortunately, there is little tool support for facilitating the experimental analysis of self-stabilizing systems. We present two contributions to support the design phase of embedded wireless system development. First, we provide two empirical models that predict radio-link quality within specific deployment environments. These models predict link performance as a function of inter-node distance and radio power level. The models are culled from extensive experimentation in open grass field and dense forest environments using all radio power levels and covering up to the maximum distances reachable by the radio. Second, we provide a simulation framework for simulating self-stabilizing algorithms. The framework provides three feature extensions: (i) fault injection to study algorithm behavior under various fault scenarios, (ii) automated detection of non-stabilizing behavior; and (iii) integration of the link quality models described above. Our contributions aim at avoiding problems that could result in the need for network redeployment

Distributed Fault Diagnosis of Interconnected Nonlinear Uncertain Systems

Fault diagnosis is crucial in achieving safe and reliable operations of interconnected control systems. This dissertation presents a distributed fault detection and isolation (FDI) method for interconnected nonlinear uncertain systems. The contributions of this dissertation include the following: First, the detection and isolation problem of process faults in a class of interconnected input-output nonlinear uncertain systems is investigated. A novel fault detection and isolation scheme is devised, and the fault detectability and isolability conditions are rigorously investigated, characterizing the class of faults in each subsystem that are detectable and isolable by the proposed distributed FDI method. Second, a distributed sensor fault FDI scheme is developed in a class of interconnected input-output nonlinear systems where only the measurable part of state variables are directly affected by the interconnections between subsystems. A class of multimachine power systems is used as an application example to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Third, the previous results are extended to a class of interconnected input-output nonlinear systems where both the unknown and the measurable part of system states of each subsystem are directly affected by the interconnections between subsystems. In this case, the fault propagation effect among subsystems directly affects the unknown part of state variables of each subsystem. Thus, the problem considered is more challenging than what is described above. Finally, a fault detection scheme is presented for a more general distributed nonlinear systems. With a removal of a restrictive limitation on the system model structure, the results described above are extended to a class of interconnected nonlinear uncertain systems with a more general structure. In addition, the effectiveness of the above fault diagnosis schemes is illustrated by using simulations of interconnected inverted pendulums mounted on carts and multi-machine power systems. Different fault scenarios are considered to verify the diagnosis performances, and the satisfactory performances of the proposed diagnosis scheme are validated by the good simulation results. Some interesting future research work is also discussed

Challenges for MapReduce in Big Data

In the Big Data community, MapReduce has been seen as one of the key enabling approaches for meeting continuously increasing demands on computing resources imposed by massive data sets. The reason for this is the high scalability of the MapReduce paradigm which allows for massively parallel and distributed execution over a large number of computing nodes. This paper identifies MapReduce issues and challenges in handling Big Data with the objective of providing an overview of the field, facilitating better planning and management of Big Data projects, and identifying opportunities for future research in this field. The identified challenges are grouped into four main categories corresponding to Big Data tasks types: data storage (relational databases and NoSQL stores), Big Data analytics (machine learning and interactive analytics), online processing, and security and privacy. Moreover, current efforts aimed at improving and extending MapReduce to address identified challenges are presented. Consequently, by identifying issues and challenges MapReduce faces when handling Big Data, this study encourages future Big Data research