KRATOS: An Open Source Hardware-Software Platform for Rapid Research in LPWANs

Long-range (LoRa) radio technologies have recently gained momentum in the IoT landscape, allowing low-power communications over distances up to several kilometers. As a result, more and more LoRa networks are being deployed. However, commercially available LoRa devices are expensive and propriety, creating a barrier to entry and possibly slowing down developments and deployments of novel applications. Using open-source hardware and software platforms would allow more developers to test and build intelligent devices resulting in a better overall development ecosystem, lower barriers to entry, and rapid growth in the number of IoT applications. Toward this goal, this paper presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of KRATOS, a low-cost LoRa platform running ContikiOS. Both, our hardware and software designs are released as an open- source to the research community.Comment: Accepted at WiMob 201

The design and implementation of a smart-parking system for Helsinki Area

The strain on the parking infrastructure for the general public has significantly grown as a result of the ever rising number of vehicles geared by the rapid population growth in urban areas. Consequently, finding a vacant parking space has become quite a challenging task, especially at peak hours. Drivers have to cycle back and forth a number of times before they finally find where to park. This leads to increased fuel consumption, air pollution, and increased likelihood of causing accidents, to mention but a few. Paying for the parking is not straight forward either, as the ticket machines, on top of being located at a distance, in many times, they have several payment methods drivers must prepare for. A system therefore, that would allow drivers to check for the vacant parking places before driving to a busy city, takes care of the parking fee for exact time they have used, manages electronic parking permit, is the right direction towards toppling these difficulties. The main objective of this project was to design and implement a system that would provide parking occupancy estimation, parking fee payment method, parking permit management and parking analytics for the city authorities. The project had three phases. The first and the second phases used qualitative approaches to validate our hypotheses about parking shortcoming in Helsinki area and the recruitment of participants to the pilot of the project, respectively. The third phase involved the design, implementation and installation of the system. The other objective was to study the challenges a smart parking system would face at different stages of its life cycle. The objectives of the project were achieved and the considered assumption about the challenges associated with parking in a busy city were validated. A smart parking system will allow drivers to check for available parking spaces beforehand, they are able to pay for the parking fee, they can get electronic parking permits, and the city authority can get parking analytics for the city plannin

Synchronous LoRa mesh network to monitor processes in underground infrastructure

Collecting precise real-time information on urban drainage system performance is essential to identify, predict, and manage critical loading situations, such as urban flash floods and sewer overflows. Although emerging low-power wireless communication techniques allow efficient data transfers with great above-ground performance, for underground or indoor applications in a large coverage range are difficult to achieve due to physical and topological limitations, particularly in dense urban areas. In this paper, we first discuss the range limitations of the LoRaWAN standard based on a systematic evaluation of a long-term operation of a sensor network monitoring in-sewer process dynamics. Analyses reveal an-on average-five-fold higher data packet loss for sub-surface nodes, which steadily grows with increasing distance to the gateway. Second, we present a novel LPWAN concept based on the LoRa technology that enhances transmission reliability, efficiency, and flexibility in range-critical situations through meshed multi-hop routing and ensures a precise time-synchronization through optional GPS or DCF77 long-wave time signaling. Third, we illustrate the usefulness of the newly developed concept by evaluating the radio transmission performance for two independent full-scale field tests. Test results show that the synchronous LoRa mesh network approach clearly outperforms the standard LoRaWAN technique with regard to the reliability of packet delivery when transmitting from range-critical locations. Hence, the approach is expected to generally ease data collection from difficult-to-access locations such as underground areas

Cross-layer framework and optimization for efficient use of the energy budget of IoT Nodes

Both physical and MAC-layer need to be jointly optimized to maximize the autonomy of IoT devices. Therefore, a cross-layer design is imperative to effectively realize Low Power Wide Area networks (LPWANs). In the present paper, a cross-layer assessment framework including power modeling is proposed. Through this simulation framework, the energy consumption of IoT devices, currently deployed in LoRaWAN networks, is evaluated. We demonstrate that a cross-layer approach significantly improves energy efficiency and overall throughput. Two major contributions are made. First, an open-source LPWAN assessment framework has been conceived. It allows testing and evaluating hypotheses and schemes. Secondly, as a representative case, the LoRaWAN protocol is assessed. The findings indicate how a cross-layer approach can optimize LPWANs in terms of energy efficiency and throughput. For instance, it is shown that the use of larger payloads can reduce up to three times the energy consumption on quasi-static channels yet may bring an energy penalty under adverse dynamic conditions

Development of Intelligent Prefabs Using IoT Technology to Improve the Performance of Prefabricated Construction Projects

Prefabrication (PC) projects have many advantages, such as cost and energy savings and waste reduction. However, some problems still exist that hamper the development of prefabrication projects. To improve PC project performance and advance innovation in construction, this study introduces an innovative method that incorporates Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Long Range (LoRa) technologies, sensor networks, the BIM model and cloud computing to automatically collect, analyze and display real-time information about PC components. It can locate PC components on a construction site and monitor their structural performance during the installation process. RFID technology and strain sensors were used to collect the required data on a construction site. All the data was transmitted to a server using LoRa technology. Then, the cloud-based Building Information Modelling (BIM) model of the project was developed to store and vividly present project information and real-time onsite data. Moreover, the cloud-based BIM model enables project team members to access the project information from anywhere by using mobile devices. The proposed system was tested on a real PC project to validate its effectiveness. The results indicate that the sensor network can provide reliable data via LoRa technology, and a PC component can be accurately located on site. Also, the monitoring data of structural performance for the PC component during the installation process is acceptable. The proposed method using innovative technologies can improve PC project performance and help industry professionals by providing sufficient required information

LPWAN Protocol Security Analysis Leveraging SDR Technology

Tato práce představuje framework LoRAttack určený k testování bezpečnosti prostředí s LoRaWAN za využití technologie softwarově definovaného rádia (SDR). Začíná analýzou protokolů LPWAN se zaměřením na LoRaWAN s důrazem na jeho bezpečnostní vlastnosti a zranitelnosti. LoRAttack nabízí funkce, jako je vícekanálové odposlouchávání pro zachycení provozu LoRaWAN s implementovaným channel-hoppingem a odposlech v jednotlivých relacích pro strukturovanou analýzu dat. Nabízí také odvození kryptografických klíčů z dat handshaku pro dešifrování a kompatibilitu s programem Wireshark pro snadnou analýzu provozu. Replay modul navíc umožňuje testování zranitelností pomocí simulace konkrétních útoků, které je podpořeno podrobným návodem.This thesis introduces a framework LoRAttack designed to assess the security of LoRaWAN environment using Software Defined Radio (SDR) technology. It begins with a review of LPWAN protocols, focusing on LoRaWAN and highlighting its security features and vulnerabilities. LoRAttack includes features such as multi-channel sniffing for capturing LoRaWAN traffic with enabled channel hopping and session-based capture for structured data analysis. It also offers key derivation from handshake data for decryption and compatibility with Wireshark for seamless traffic analysis. Additionally, its replay module allows vulnerability testing by simulating specific attacks, supported by detailed attack guidance

Rapid IoT Prototyping: A Visual Programming Tool and Hardware Solutions for LoRa-Based Devices

LoRa technology has gained popularity as one of the most widely used standards for device interconnection due to its ability to cover long distances and energy efficiency, making it a suitable choice for various Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring and control applications. In this sense, this work presents the development of a visual support tool for creating IoT devices with LoRa and LoRaWAN connectivity. This work significantly advances the state of the art in LoRa technology by introducing a novel visual support tool tailored for creating IoT devices with LoRa and LoRaWAN connectivity. By simplifying the development process and offering compatibility with multiple hardware solutions, this research not only facilitates the integration of LoRaWAN technology within educational settings but also paves the way for rapid prototyping of IoT nodes. The incorporation of block programming for LoRa and LoRaWAN using the Arduinoblocks framework as a graphical environment enhances the capabilities of the tool, positioning it as a comprehensive solution for efficient firmware generation. In addition to the visual tool for firmware generation, multiple compatible hardware solutions enable easy, economical, and stable development, offering a comprehensive hardware and software solution. The hardware proposal is based on an ESP32 microcontroller, known for its power and low cost, in conjunction with an RFM9x module that is based on SX127x LoRa transceivers. Finally, three successfully tested use cases and a discussion are presented