1,698 research outputs found
Smart Computing and Sensing Technologies for Animal Welfare: A Systematic Review
Animals play a profoundly important and intricate role in our lives today.
Dogs have been human companions for thousands of years, but they now work
closely with us to assist the disabled, and in combat and search and rescue
situations. Farm animals are a critical part of the global food supply chain,
and there is increasing consumer interest in organically fed and humanely
raised livestock, and how it impacts our health and environmental footprint.
Wild animals are threatened with extinction by human induced factors, and
shrinking and compromised habitat. This review sets the goal to systematically
survey the existing literature in smart computing and sensing technologies for
domestic, farm and wild animal welfare. We use the notion of \emph{animal
welfare} in broad terms, to review the technologies for assessing whether
animals are healthy, free of pain and suffering, and also positively stimulated
in their environment. Also the notion of \emph{smart computing and sensing} is
used in broad terms, to refer to computing and sensing systems that are not
isolated but interconnected with communication networks, and capable of remote
data collection, processing, exchange and analysis. We review smart
technologies for domestic animals, indoor and outdoor animal farming, as well
as animals in the wild and zoos. The findings of this review are expected to
motivate future research and contribute to data, information and communication
management as well as policy for animal welfare
Pet sense: sistema de monitorização de animais em hospitalização
The observation and treatment of animals in veterinary hospitals is still very dependent on manual procedures, including the collection of vital signs (temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure). These manual procedures are time-consuming and invasive, affecting the animal’s well-being.
In this work, we purpose the use of IoT technologies to monitor animals in hospitalization, wearing sensors to collect vitals, and low-cost hardware to forward them into a cloud backend that analyses and stores data. The history of observed vitals and alarms can be accessed in the web, included in the Pet Universal software suite.
The overall architecture follows a stream processing approach, using telemetry protocols to transport data, and Apache Kafka Streams to analyse streams and trigger alarms on potential hazard conditions.
The system was fully implemented, although with laboratory sensors to emulate the smart devices to be worn by the animals. We were able to implement a data gathering and processing pipeline and integrate with the existing clinical management information system.
The proposed solution can offer a practical way for long-term monitoring and detect abnormal values of temperature and heart rate in hospitalized animals, taking into consideration the characteristics of the monitored individual (species and state).A observação e tratamento de animais hospitalizados continua muito dependente de procedimentos manuais, especialmente no que diz respeito à colheita de sinais vitais (temperatura, frequência cardíaca, frequência respiratória e pressão arterial). Estes procedimentos manuais são dispendiosos em termos de tempo e afetam o bem-estar do animal.
Neste projeto, propomos o recurso a tecnologias IoT para monitorizar animais hospitalizados equipados com sensores que medem sinais vitais, com hardware acessível, e envio dos dados para um serviço na cloud que os analisa e armazena. O histórico dos valores e alarmes podem ser acedidos na web e incluídos na plataforma comercial da Pet Universal.
A arquitetura geral segue uma abordagem de processamento funcional, usando protocolos de telemetria para transportar dados e Apache Kafka Streams, analisando e lançando alarmes sobre potenciais condições de risco de acordo com a temperatura e pulsação.
O sistema foi totalmente implementado, embora com sensores de laboratório para simular os dispositivos a serem usados pelos animais. Conseguimos implementar um circuito de colheita e processamento de dados e integrar com o sistema de gestão clínica já existente.
A solução proposta oferece uma forma prática de monitorização continuada e de deteção de valores anormais de temperatura e frequência cardíaca em animais hospitalizados, tomando em conta as características do indivíduo monitorado (espécie e estado).Mestrado em Engenharia Informátic
The Penetration of Internet of Things in Robotics: Towards a Web of Robotic Things
As the Internet of Things (IoT) penetrates different domains and application
areas, it has recently entered also the world of robotics. Robotics constitutes
a modern and fast-evolving technology, increasingly being used in industrial,
commercial and domestic settings. IoT, together with the Web of Things (WoT)
could provide many benefits to robotic systems. Some of the benefits of IoT in
robotics have been discussed in related work. This paper moves one step
further, studying the actual current use of IoT in robotics, through various
real-world examples encountered through a bibliographic research. The paper
also examines the potential ofWoT, together with robotic systems, investigating
which concepts, characteristics, architectures, hardware, software and
communication methods of IoT are used in existing robotic systems, which
sensors and actions are incorporated in IoT-based robots, as well as in which
application areas. Finally, the current application of WoT in robotics is
examined and discussed
Internet of Things-aided Smart Grid: Technologies, Architectures, Applications, Prototypes, and Future Research Directions
Traditional power grids are being transformed into Smart Grids (SGs) to
address the issues in existing power system due to uni-directional information
flow, energy wastage, growing energy demand, reliability and security. SGs
offer bi-directional energy flow between service providers and consumers,
involving power generation, transmission, distribution and utilization systems.
SGs employ various devices for the monitoring, analysis and control of the
grid, deployed at power plants, distribution centers and in consumers' premises
in a very large number. Hence, an SG requires connectivity, automation and the
tracking of such devices. This is achieved with the help of Internet of Things
(IoT). IoT helps SG systems to support various network functions throughout the
generation, transmission, distribution and consumption of energy by
incorporating IoT devices (such as sensors, actuators and smart meters), as
well as by providing the connectivity, automation and tracking for such
devices. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive survey on IoT-aided SG
systems, which includes the existing architectures, applications and prototypes
of IoT-aided SG systems. This survey also highlights the open issues,
challenges and future research directions for IoT-aided SG systems
A COGNITIVE ARCHITECTURE FOR AMBIENT INTELLIGENCE
L’Ambient Intelligence (AmI) è caratterizzata dall’uso di sistemi pervasivi per
monitorare l’ambiente e modificarlo secondo le esigenze degli utenti e rispettando
vincoli definiti globalmente. Questi sistemi non possono prescindere da requisiti
come la scalabilità e la trasparenza per l’utente. Una tecnologia che consente di
raggiungere questi obiettivi è rappresentata dalle reti di sensori wireless (WSN),
caratterizzate da bassi costi e bassa intrusività. Tuttavia, sebbene in grado di
effettuare elaborazioni a bordo dei singoli nodi, le WSN non hanno da sole le capacità
di elaborazione necessarie a supportare un sistema intelligente; d’altra parte
senza questa attività di pre-elaborazione la mole di dati sensoriali può facilmente
sopraffare un sistema centralizzato con un’eccessiva quantità di dettagli superflui.
Questo lavoro presenta un’architettura cognitiva in grado di percepire e controllare
l’ambiente di cui fa parte, basata su un nuovo approccio per l’estrazione
di conoscenza a partire dai dati grezzi, attraverso livelli crescenti di astrazione.
Le WSN sono utilizzate come strumento sensoriale pervasivo, le cui capacità computazionali
vengono utilizzate per pre-elaborare i dati rilevati, in modo da consentire
ad un sistema centralizzato intelligente di effettuare ragionamenti di alto
livello.
L’architettura proposta è stata utilizzata per sviluppare un testbed dotato degli
strumenti hardware e software necessari allo sviluppo e alla gestione di applicazioni
di AmI basate su WSN, il cui obiettivo principale sia il risparmio energetico. Per
fare in modo che le applicazioni di AmI siano in grado di comunicare con il mondo
esterno in maniera affidabile, per richiedere servizi ad agenti esterni, l’architettura
è stata arricchita con un protocollo di gestione distribuita della reputazione.
È stata inoltre sviluppata un’applicazione di esempio che sfrutta le caratteristiche
del testbed, con l’obiettivo di controllare la temperatura in un ambiente
lavorativo. Quest’applicazione rileva la presenza dell’utente attraverso un modulo
per la fusione di dati multi-sensoriali basato su reti bayesiane, e sfrutta questa
informazione in un controllore fuzzy multi-obiettivo che controlla gli attuatori sulla
base delle preferenze dell’utente e del risparmio energetico.Ambient Intelligence (AmI) systems are characterized by the use of pervasive
equipments for monitoring and modifying the environment according to users’
needs, and to globally defined constraints. Furthermore, such systems cannot ignore
requirements about ubiquity, scalability, and transparency to the user. An
enabling technology capable of accomplishing these goals is represented by Wireless
Sensor Networks (WSNs), characterized by low-costs and unintrusiveness. However,
although provided of in-network processing capabilities, WSNs do not exhibit
processing features able to support comprehensive intelligent systems; on the other
hand, without this pre-processing activities the wealth of sensory data may easily
overwhelm a centralized AmI system, clogging it with superfluous details.
This work proposes a cognitive architecture able to perceive, decide upon, and
control the environment of which the system is part, based on a new approach to
knowledge extraction from raw data, that addresses this issue at different abstraction
levels. WSNs are used as the pervasive sensory tool, and their computational
capabilities are exploited to remotely perform preliminary data processing. A central
intelligent unit subsequently extracts higher-level concepts in order to carry on
symbolic reasoning. The aim of the reasoning is to plan a sequence of actions that
will lead the environment to a state as close as possible to the users’ desires, taking
into account both implicit and explicit feedbacks from the users, while considering
global system-driven goals, such as energy saving. The proposed conceptual architecture
was exploited to develop a testbed providing the hardware and software
tools for the development and management of AmI applications based on WSNs,
whose main goal is energy saving for global sustainability. In order to make the
AmI system able to communicate with the external world in a reliable way, when
some services are required to external agents, the architecture was enriched with
a distributed reputation management protocol.
A sample application exploiting the testbed features was implemented for addressing
temperature control in a work environment. Knowledge about the user’s
presence is obtained through a multi-sensor data fusion module based on Bayesian
networks, and this information is exploited by a multi-objective fuzzy controller
that operates on actuators taking into account users’ preference and energy consumption
constraints
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ReSCon '12, Research Student Conference: Book of Abstracts
The fifth SED Research Student Conference (ReSCon2012) was hosted over three days, 18-20 June 2012, in the Hamilton Centre at Brunel University. The conference consisted of 130 oral and 70 poster presentations, based on the high quality and diverse research being conducted within the School of Engineering and Design by postgraduate research students. The conference is held annually, and ReSCon plays a key role in contributing to research and innovations within the School
Tecnologias IoT para pastoreio e controlo de postura animal
The unwanted and adverse weeds that are constantly growing in vineyards,
force wine producers to repeatedly remove them through the use of mechanical
and chemical methods. These methods include machinery such
as plows and brushcutters, and chemicals as herbicides to remove and
prevent the growth of weeds both in the inter-row and under-vine areas.
Nonetheless, such methods are considered very aggressive for vines, and, in
the second case, harmful for the public health, since chemicals may remain
in the environment and hence contaminate water lines. Moreover, such
processes have to be repeated over the year, making it extremely expensive
and toilsome. Using animals, usually ovines, is an ancient practice used
around the world. Animals, grazing in vineyards, feed from the unwanted
weeds and fertilize the soil, in an inexpensive, ecological and sustainable
way. However, sheep may be dangerous to vines since they tend to feed
on grapes and on the lower branches of the vines, which causes enormous
production losses. To overcome that issue, sheep were traditionally used to
weed vineyards only before the beginning of the growth cycle of grapevines,
thus still requiring the use of mechanical and/or chemical methods during the
remainder of the production cycle.
To mitigate the problems above, a new technological solution was investigated
under the scope of the SheepIT project and developed in the
scope of this thesis. The system monitors sheep during grazing periods on
vineyards and implements a posture control mechanism to instruct them to
feed only from the undesired weeds. This mechanism is based on an IoT
architecture, being designed to be compact and energy efficient, allowing it to
be carried by sheep while attaining an autonomy of weeks.
In this context, the thesis herein sustained states that it is possible to
design an IoT-based system capable of monitoring and conditioning sheep’s
posture, enabling a safe weeding process in vineyards. Moreover, we support
such thesis in three main pillars that match the main contributions of this
work and that are duly explored and validated, namely: the IoT architecture
design and required communications, a posture control mechanism and
the support for a low-cost and low-power localization mechanism. The
system architecture is validated mainly in simulation context while the posture
control mechanism is validated both in simulations and field experiments.
Furthermore, we demonstrate the feasibility of the system and the contribution
of this work towards the first commercial version of the system.O constante crescimento de ervas infestantes obriga os produtores a manter
um processo contínuo de remoção das mesmas com recurso a mecanismos
mecânicos e/ou químicos. Entre os mais populares, destacam-se o uso de
arados e roçadores no primeiro grupo, e o uso de herbicidas no segundo
grupo. No entanto, estes mecanismos são considerados agressivos para as
videiras, assim como no segundo caso perigosos para a saúde pública, visto
que os químicos podem permanecer no ambiente, contaminando frutos e
linhas de água. Adicionalmente, estes processos são caros e exigem mão de
obra que escasseia nos dias de hoje, agravado pela necessidade destes processos
necessitarem de serem repetidos mais do que uma vez ao longo do
ano. O uso de animais, particularmente ovelhas, para controlar o crescimento
de infestantes é uma prática ancestral usada em todo o mundo. As ovelhas,
enquanto pastam, controlam o crescimento das ervas infestantes, ao mesmo
tempo que fertilizam o solo de forma gratuita, ecológica e sustentável. Não
obstante, este método foi sendo abandonado visto que os animais também
se alimentam da rama, rebentos e frutos da videira, provocando naturais
estragos e prejuízos produtivos.
Para mitigar este problema, uma nova solução baseada em tecnologias
de Internet das Coisas é proposta no âmbito do projeto SheepIT, cuja espinha
dorsal foi construída no âmbito desta tese. O sistema monitoriza as ovelhas
enquanto estas pastoreiam nas vinhas, e implementam um mecanismo de
controlo de postura que condiciona o seu comportamento de forma a que se
alimentem apenas das ervas infestantes. O sistema foi incorporado numa
infraestrutura de Internet das Coisas com comunicações sem fios de baixo
consumo para recolha de dados e que permite semanas de autonomia,
mantendo os dispositivos com um tamanho adequado aos animais.
Neste contexto, a tese suportada neste trabalho defende que é possível
projetar uma sistema baseado em tecnologias de Internet das Coisas,
capaz de monitorizar e condicionar a postura de ovelhas, permitindo que
estas pastem em vinhas sem comprometer as videiras e as uvas. A tese
é suportada em três pilares fundamentais que se refletem nos principais
contributos do trabalho, particularmente: a arquitetura do sistema e respetivo
sistema de comunicações; o mecanismo de controlo de postura; e o suporte
para implementação de um sistema de localização de baixo custo e baixo
consumo energético. A arquitetura é validada em contexto de simulação,
e o mecanismo de controlo de postura em contexto de simulação e de
experiências em campo. É também demonstrado o funcionamento do
sistema e o contributo deste trabalho para a conceção da primeira versão
comercial do sistema.Programa Doutoral em Informátic
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