Sensor data-based decision making

Increasing globalization and growing industrial system complexity has amplified the interest in the use of information provided by sensors as a means of improving overall manufacturing system performance and maintainability. However, utilization of sensors can only be effective if the real-time data can be integrated into the necessary business processes, such as production planning, scheduling and execution systems. This integration requires the development of intelligent decision making models that can effectively process the sensor data into information and suggest appropriate actions. To be able to improve the performance of a system, the health of the system also needs to be maintained. In many cases a single sensor type cannot provide sufficient information for complex decision making including diagnostics and prognostics of a system. Therefore, a combination of sensors should be used in an integrated manner in order to achieve desired performance levels. Sensor generated data need to be processed into information through the use of appropriate decision making models in order to improve overall performance. In this dissertation, which is presented as a collection of five journal papers, several reactive and proactive decision making models that utilize data from single and multi-sensor environments are developed. The first paper presents a testbed architecture for Auto-ID systems. An adaptive inventory management model which utilizes real-time RFID data is developed in the second paper. In the third paper, a complete hardware and inventory management solution, which involves the integration of RFID sensors into an extremely low temperature industrial freezer, is presented. The last two papers in the dissertation deal with diagnostic and prognostic decision making models in order to assure the healthy operation of a manufacturing system and its components. In the fourth paper a Mahalanobis-Taguchi System (MTS) based prognostics tool is developed and it is used to estimate the remaining useful life of rolling element bearings using data acquired from vibration sensors. In the final paper, an MTS based prognostics tool is developed for a centrifugal water pump, which fuses information from multiple types of sensors in order to take diagnostic and prognostics decisions for the pump and its components --Abstract, page iv

Integrated ZigBee RFID sensor networks for resource tracking and monitoring in logistics management

The Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), which includes passive and active systems and is the hottest Auto-ID technology nowadays, and the wireless sensor network (WSN), which is one of the focusing topics on monitoring and control, are two fast-growing technologies that have shown great potential in future logistics management applications. However, an information system for logistics applications is always expected to answer four questions: Who, What, When and Where (4Ws), and neither of the two technologies is able to provide complete information for all of them. WSN aims to provide environment monitoring and control regarded as When and What , while RFID focuses on automatic identification of various objects and provides Who (ID). Most people usually think RFID can provide Where at all the time. But what normal passive RFID does is to tell us where an object was the last time it went through a reader, and normal active RFID only tells whether an object is presenting on site. This could sometimes be insufficient for certain applications that require more accurate location awareness, for which a system with real-time localization (RTLS), which is an extended concept of RFID, will be necessary to answer Where constantly. As WSN and various RFID technologies provide information for different but complementary parts of the 4Ws, a hybrid system that gives a complete answer by combining all of them could be promising in future logistics management applications. Unfortunately, in the last decade those technologies have been emerging and developing independently, with little research been done in how they could be integrated. This thesis aims to develop a framework for the network level architecture design of such hybrid system for on-site resource management applications in logistics centres. The various architectures proposed in this thesis are designed to address different levels of requirements in the hierarchy of needs, from single integration to hybrid system with real-time localization. The contribution of this thesis consists of six parts. Firstly, two new concepts, Reader as a sensor and Tag as a sensor , which lead to RAS and TAS architectures respectively, for single integrations of RFID and WSN in various scenarios with existing systems; Secondly, a integrated ZigBee RFID Sensor Network Architecture for hybrid integration; Thirdly, a connectionless inventory tracking architecture (CITA) and its battery consumption model adding location awareness for inventory tracking in Hybrid ZigBee RFID Sensor Networks; Fourthly, a connectionless stochastic reference beacon architecture (COSBA) adding location awareness for high mobility target tracking in Hybrid ZigBee RFID Sensor Networks; Fifthly, improving connectionless stochastic beacon transmission performance with two proposed beacon transmission models, the Fully Stochastic Reference Beacon (FSRB) model and the Time Slot Based Stochastic Reference Beacon (TSSRB) model; Sixthly, case study of the proposed frameworks in Humanitarian Logistics Centres (HLCs). The research in this thesis is based on ZigBee/IEEE802.15.4, which is currently the most widely used WSN technology. The proposed architectures are demonstrated through hardware implementation and lab tests, as well as mathematic derivation and Matlab simulations for their corresponding performance models. All the tests and simulations of my designs have verified feasibility and features of our designs compared with the traditional systems

Experimental analysis of the conservation conditions and development of a traceability device for fruit products

Fruit and vegetables are often subject to conditions during storage and transport which in no way promote the maintenance of their biological properties. As a result of this loss of quality, there is a decrease in product appreciation. But more important than the loss of economic value is safety and food waste. This dissertation involved an experimental study characterized by the evaluation of the conservation conditions inside the conservation chambers of fruit, namely peach and cherry producers in the Beira Interior region, Portugal. This study consisted of monitoring during two campaigns, 2018 and 2019, the temperature and relative humidity of the conservation air using several “LASCAR ELECTRONICS” dataloggers, arranged in different boxes located at different positions and heights on a pallet. With the results, it was made the characterization of the conservation environment to which the fruit products were subjected, as well as the dimensioning of a monitoring system. However, the monitoring system used does not allow real-time traceability of parameters influencing product quality. Remote monitoring systems, whose fundamental requirements relate to range and autonomy, make use of communications technologies to map characteristic crop parameters to reduce the unnecessary application of resources or materials. A prototype was developed with the function of monitoring the boxes of fruit products during transport between the producer and the distribution center. This device is composed of an ARDUINO UNO Rev3 microcontroller that acquires every 5 minutes of temperature and relative humidity through a DHT 11 sensor. It has a SIM800L module which gives it the ability to communicate in real-time via GSM. It also incorporates a 3.7 V - 2600mAh battery which gives you an approximately 60-hour power range. By acquiring temperature and relative humidity values, the system allows the producer to remotely control their product during the most critical stages of the cold chain, transportation, and storage at the distribution center. Although temperature and humidity data can be used by the producer to ensure the quality of their product upon delivery to the distribution center, location history allows for the optimization of transportation routes to extend product life., which, in turn, is reflected in the increased economic revenue of SMEs and the reduction of food waste.Os produtos hortofrutícolas encontram-se muitas das vezes sujeitos a condições durante a conservação e o transporte que em nada promovem a manutenção das suas propriedades biológicas. Como resultado desta perda de qualidade, ocorre um decréscimo da valorização do produto. Mas mais importante que a perda do valor económico, é a segurança e o desperdicio alimentar. Esta dissertação envolveu um estudo experimental caracterizado pela avaliação das condições de conservação no interior de câmaras de conservação de produtores de frutícolas, nomeadamente de pêssego e de cereja da região da Beira Interior, Portugal. Este estudo consistiu na monitorização durante duas campanhas, a de 2018 e a 2019, da temperature e humidade relativa do ar de conservaçao fazendo uso de vários dataloggers da “LASCAR ELETRONICS”, dispostos em diferentes caixas localizadas a diferentes posições e alturas numa palete. Com os resultados, foi feita a caracterização do ambiente de conservação a que os produtos frutícolas estiveram sujeitos, bem como ao dimensionamento de um sistema de monitorização. Todavia, o sistema de monitorização utilizado não permite realizar uma rastreabilidade em tempo real dos parâmetros influentes na qualidade dos produtos. Os sistemas de monitorização remota, cujos requisitos fundamentais se prendem com a autonomia e alcance, fazem uso de tecnologias de comunicações para formar mapas dos parâmetros característicos de culturas com o intuito de reduzir a aplicação desnecessária de recursos ou materiais. Foi assim desenvolvido um protótipo com a função acompanhar as caixas de produtos frutícolas durante o transporte entre o produtor e o centro de distribuição. Este dispositivo é composto por um microcontrolador ARDUINO UNO Rev3 que faz a aquisição a cada 5 minutos da temperatura e humidade relativa do ar por intermédio de um sensor DHT 11, dispõe de um módulo SIM800L que o dota da capacidade de comunicação em tempo real via GSM. Incorpora ainda uma bateria de 3.7 V - 2600mAh que lhe proporciona uma autonomia energética aproximada de 60 horas. O sistema, ao proceder à aquisição, permite ao produtor um controlo remoto do seu produto durante as etapas mais críticas da cadeia de frio, o transporte e o armazenamento no centro de distribuição. Enquanto que os dados de temperatura e humidade podem ser utilizados pelo produtor para assegurar a qualidade do seu produto no momento de entrega no centro de distribuição, o histórico de localizações permite a otimização das rotas de transporte, visando a extensão do tempo de vida do produto, que por sua vez, se reflete num aumento da receita económica das PMEs e numa redução do alimento desperdiçado

MULTI-SENSOR LOCALIZATION AND TRACKING IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT AND INDOOR WAYFINDING FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED USERS

This dissertation proposes a series of multi-sensor localization and tracking algorithms particularly developed for two important application domains, which are disaster management and indoor wayfinding for blind and visually impaired (BVI) users. For disaster management, we developed two different localization algorithms, one each for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, which enable the disaster management system to track patients in real-time. Both algorithms work in the absence of any pre-deployed infrastructure along with smartphones and wearable devices. Regarding indoor wayfinding for BVI users, we have explored several types of indoor positioning techniques including BLE-based, inertial, visual and hybrid approaches to offer accurate and reliable location and orientation in complex navigation spaces. In this dissertation, significant contributions have been made in the design and implementation of various localization and tracking algorithms under different requirements of certain applications

Envisioning the future of aquatic animal tracking: Technology, science, and application

Electronic tags are significantly improving our understanding of aquatic animal behavior and are emerging as key sources of information for conservation and management practices. Future aquatic integrative biology and ecology studies will increasingly rely on data from electronic tagging. Continued advances in tracking hardware and software are needed to provide the knowledge required by managers and policymakers to address the challenges posed by the world's changing aquatic ecosystems. We foresee multiplatform tracking systems for simultaneously monitoring the position, activity, and physiology of animals and the environment through which they are moving. Improved data collection will be accompanied by greater data accessibility and analytical tools for processing data, enabled by new infrastructure and cyberinfrastructure. To operationalize advances and facilitate integration into policy, there must be parallel developments in the accessibility of education and training, as well as solutions to key governance and legal issues

Shaping the future of cold chain 4.0 through the lenses of digital transition and sustainability

The digitisation of supply chain management lies at the crux of modern industry and similar trends are noticeable in the cold chain (CC) under the cold chain 4.0 (CC 4.0) concept. However, the extant research lacks a systematic summary of existing findings on CC 4.0. Therefore, this study provides a bibliometric and network analysis of 618 high-quality CC 4.0 publications extracted from the Web of Science (WoS). The study uses performance assessment and science mapping to investigate the impact of digital and sustainable technologies in the CC domain. Four main research streams and 19 research propositions are identified to provide an informative overview of the most recent developments in the emerging and growing domain of CC 4.0 and the interface between information systems and operations management. The study further identifies the critical role and impacts of digital-sustainable transformation and presents an agenda for future research focusing on critical theoretical and managerial areas that remain understudied

Reducing edible food waste in the UK food manufacturing supply chain through collaboration

A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy.The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between food manufacturing supply chain (FMSC) collaboration, collaborative effectiveness and edible food waste (EF) waste reduction; and also identify the key dimensions of collaboration and collaborative effectiveness in the context of the FMSC. A conceptual framework was built based on thorough relevant literature review and theory. Then all items of the conceptual framework were revised by academics and practitioners. The model was empirically tested with survey data using 122 responses from food manufacturing firms, using PLS-SEM. The findings indicated that the structural paths support hypotheses that FMSC collaboration has a positive effect related to collaborative effectiveness, and collaborative effectiveness has a strong contribution in EF waste (over-production of EF waste, processing of EF waste and storage of EF waste) reduction. However, the direct impact of FMSC collaboration on EF waste (over-production of EF waste, processing of EF waste and storage of EF waste) reduction is insignificant. A mediation analysis showed that the relationship between FMSC collaboration and EF waste is fully mediated by collaborative effectiveness. This research brought relational view theory for the concept of FMSC collaboration and collaborative effectiveness into the FMSC context, which has not previously been done, and developed and validated those constructs and relationships. The UK FMSC members would benefit from applying all dimensions of FMSC collaboration in this study to their supply chain operation to achieve greater collaborative effectiveness, and that will lead to reducing EF waste

A fog computing framework for scalable RFID systems in global supply chain management

With the rapid proliferation of RFID systems in global supply chain management, tracking every object at the individual item level has led to the generation of enormous amount of data that will have to be stored and accessed quickly to make real time decisions. This is especially critical for perishable goods supply chain such as fruits and pharmaceuticals which have enormous value tied up in assets and may become worthless if they are not kept in precisely controlled and cool environments. While Cloud-based RFID solutions are deployed to monitor and track the products from manufacturer to retailer, we argue that Fog Computing is needed to bring efficiency and reduce the wastage experienced in the perishable produce supply chain. This paper investigates in-depth: (i) the application of Fog Computing in perishable produce supply chain management using blackberry fruit as a case study; (ii) the data, computations and storage requirements for the fog nodes at each stage of the supply chain; (iii) the adaptation of the architecture to the general perishable goods supply chain; and (iv) the benefits of the proposed fog nodes with respect to monitoring and actuation in the blackberry supply chain

Passive low frequency RFID for non-destructive evaluation and monitoring

Ph. D ThesisDespite of immense research over the years, defect monitoring in harsh environmental conditions still presents notable challenges for Non-Destructive Testing and Evaluation (NDT&E) and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). One of the substantial challenges is the inaccessibility to the metal surface due to the large stand-off distance caused by the insulation layer. The hidden nature of corrosion and defect under thick insulation in harsh environmental conditions may result in it being not noticed and ultimately leading to failures. Generally electromagnetic NDT&E techniques which are used in pipeline industries require the removal of the insulation layer or high powered expensive equipment. Along with these, other limitations in the existing techniques create opportunities for novel systems to solve the challenges caused by Corrosion under Insulation (CUI). Extending from Pulsed Eddy Current (PEC), this research proposes the development and use of passive Low Frequency (LF) RFID hardware system for the detection and monitoring of corrosion and cracks on both ferrous and non-ferrous materials at varying high temperature conditions. The passive, low cost essence of RFID makes it an enchanting technique for long term condition monitoring. The contribution of the research work can be summarised as follows: (1) implementation of novel LF RFID sensor systems and the rig platform, experimental studies validating the detection capabilities of corrosion progression samples using transient feature analysis with respect to permeability and electrical conductivity changes along with enhanced sensitivity demonstration using ferrite sheet attached to the tag; (2) defect detection using swept frequency method to study the multiple frequency behaviour and further temperature suppression using feature fusion technique; (3) inhomogeneity study on ferrous materials at varying temperature and demonstration of the potential of the RFID system; (4) use of RFID tag with ceramic filled Poly-tetra-fluoro-ethyulene (PTFE) substrate for larger applicability of the sensing system in the industry; (5) lift-off independent defect monitoring using passive sweep frequency RFID sensors and feature extraction and fusion for robustness improvement. This research concludes that passive LF RFID system can be used to detect corrosion and crack on both ferrous and non-ferrous materials and then the system can be used to compensate for temperature variation making it useful for a wider range of applications. However, significant challenges such as permanent deployment of the tags for long term monitoring at higher temperatures and much higher standoff distance, still require improvement for real-world applicability.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) CASE, National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL)