105,516 research outputs found
BlockChain: A distributed solution to automotive security and privacy
Interconnected smart vehicles offer a range of sophisticated services that
benefit the vehicle owners, transport authorities, car manufacturers and other
service providers. This potentially exposes smart vehicles to a range of
security and privacy threats such as location tracking or remote hijacking of
the vehicle. In this article, we argue that BlockChain (BC), a disruptive
technology that has found many applications from cryptocurrencies to smart
contracts, is a potential solution to these challenges. We propose a BC-based
architecture to protect the privacy of the users and to increase the security
of the vehicular ecosystem. Wireless remote software updates and other emerging
services such as dynamic vehicle insurance fees, are used to illustrate the
efficacy of the proposed security architecture. We also qualitatively argue the
resilience of the architecture against common security attacks
AutoDRIVE: A Comprehensive, Flexible and Integrated Cyber-Physical Ecosystem for Enhancing Autonomous Driving Research and Education
Prototyping and validating hardware-software components, sub-systems and
systems within the intelligent transportation system-of-systems framework
requires a modular yet flexible and open-access ecosystem. This work presents
our attempt towards developing such a comprehensive research and education
ecosystem, called AutoDRIVE, for synergistically prototyping, simulating and
deploying cyber-physical solutions pertaining to autonomous driving as well as
smart city management. AutoDRIVE features both software as well as
hardware-in-the-loop testing interfaces with openly accessible scaled vehicle
and infrastructure components. The ecosystem is compatible with a variety of
development frameworks, and supports both single and multi-agent paradigms
through local as well as distributed computing. Most critically, AutoDRIVE is
intended to be modularly expandable to explore emergent technologies, and this
work highlights various complementary features and capabilities of the proposed
ecosystem by demonstrating four such deployment use-cases: (i) autonomous
parking using probabilistic robotics approach for mapping, localization, path
planning and control; (ii) behavioral cloning using computer vision and deep
imitation learning; (iii) intersection traversal using vehicle-to-vehicle
communication and deep reinforcement learning; and (iv) smart city management
using vehicle-to-infrastructure communication and internet-of-things
Piggybacking on an Autonomous Hauler: Business Models Enabling a System-of-Systems Approach to Mapping an Underground Mine
With ever-increasing productivity targets in mining operations, there is a
growing interest in mining automation. In future mines, remote-controlled and
autonomous haulers will operate underground guided by LiDAR sensors. We
envision reusing LiDAR measurements to maintain accurate mine maps that would
contribute to both safety and productivity. Extrapolating from a pilot project
on reliable wireless communication in Boliden's Kankberg mine, we propose
establishing a system-of-systems (SoS) with LIDAR-equipped haulers and existing
mapping solutions as constituent systems. SoS requirements engineering
inevitably adds a political layer, as independent actors are stakeholders both
on the system and SoS levels. We present four SoS scenarios representing
different business models, discussing how development and operations could be
distributed among Boliden and external stakeholders, e.g., the vehicle
suppliers, the hauling company, and the developers of the mapping software.
Based on eight key variation points, we compare the four scenarios from both
technical and business perspectives. Finally, we validate our findings in a
seminar with participants from the relevant stakeholders. We conclude that to
determine which scenario is the most promising for Boliden, trade-offs
regarding control, costs, risks, and innovation must be carefully evaluated.Comment: Preprint of industry track paper accepted for the 25th IEEE
International Conference on Requirements Engineering (RE'17
Ecosystem Competition and the Antitrust Laws
I. Introduction
II. Three Examples of Ecosystem Competition ... A. Middleware and Operating Systems ... B. E-Books and Tablets … C. Connected and Automated Vehicles
III. How Ecosystem Competition Enhances Consumer Welfare
IV. Implications for Antitrust Law and Polic
Chapter 13 - Sharing strategies: carsharing, shared micromobility (bikesharing and scooter sharing), transportation network companies, microtransit, and other innovative mobility modes
Shared mobility—the shared use of a vehicle, bicycle, or other mode—is an innovative transportation strategy that enables users to gain short-term access to transportation modes on an “as-needed” basis. It includes various forms of carsharing, bikesharing, scooter sharing, ridesharing (carpooling and vanpooling), transportation network companies (TNCs), and microtransit. Included in this ecosystem are smartphone “apps” that aggregate and optimize these mobility options, as well as “courier network services” that provide last mile package and food delivery. This chapter describes different models that have emerged in shared mobility and reviews research that has quantified the environmental, social, and transportation-related impacts of these services
Planning for Density in a Driverless World
Automobile-centered, low-density development was the defining feature of population growth in the United States for decades. This development pattern displaced wildlife, destroyed habitat, and contributed to a national loss of biodiversity. It also meant, eventually, that commutes and air quality worsened, a sense of local character was lost in many places, and the negative consequences of sprawl impacted an increasing percentage of the population. Those impacts led to something of a shift in the national attitude toward sprawl. More people than ever are fluent in concepts of “smart growth,” “new urbanism,” and “green building,” and with these tools and others, municipalities across the country are working to redevelop a central core, rethink failing transit systems, and promote pockets of density. Changing technology may disrupt this trend. Self-driving vehicles are expected to be widespread within the next several decades. Those vehicles will likely reduce congestion, air pollution, and deaths, and free up huge amounts of productive time in the car. These benefits may also eliminate much of the conventional motivation and rationale behind sprawl reduction. As the time-cost of driving falls, driverless cars have the potential to incentivize human development of land that, by virtue of its distance from settled metropolitan areas, had been previously untouched. From the broader ecological perspective, each human surge into undeveloped land results in habitat destruction and fragmentation, and additional loss of biological diversity. New automobile technology may therefore usher in better air quality, increased safety, and a significant threat to ecosystem health. Our urban and suburban environments have been molded for centuries to the needs of various forms of transportation. The same result appears likely to occur in response to autonomous vehicles, if proactive steps are not taken to address their likely impacts. Currently, little planning is being done to prepare for driverless technology. Actors at multiple levels, however, have tools at their disposal to help ensure that new technology does not come at the expense of the nation’s remaining natural habitats. This Article advocates for a shift in paradigm from policies that are merely anti-car to those that are pro-density, and provides suggestions for both cities and suburban areas for how harness the positive aspects of driverless cars while trying to stem the negative. Planning for density regardless of technology will help to ensure that, for the world of the future, there is actually a world
THE INFLUENCE OF MERCURY POLLUTION ON THE GROWTH OF BIO-INDICATOR PLANTS
Heavy metals are found naturally in the earth, and become concentrated as a result of human
caused activities. Common sources are from mining and industrial wastes, vehicle emissions, lead-
acid batteries, fertilisers, paints, treated woods, aging water supply infrastructure, and microplastics
floating in the world's oceans. Heavy metals enter plant, animal and human tissues via air
inhalation, diet and manual handling. Most of these chemicals including mercury, lead, cadmium
and their compounds are among the most common and highly toxic substances capable of
accumulation in living organisms. Heavy metals with excessive exposure to environmental objects
behave like ecotoxicants that negatively affect not only individual organisms, but also the
ecosystem as a whole
Assessment of fish populations and habitat on Oculina Bank, a deep-sea coral marine protected area off eastern Florida
A portion of the Oculina Bank located off eastern Florida is
a marine protected area (MPA) preserved for its dense populations of the ivory tree coral (Oculina varicosa),
which provides important habitat for fish. Surveys of fish assemblages and benthic habitat were conducted inside and outside the MPA in 2003 and 2005 by using remotely operated
vehicle video transects and digital still imagery. Fish species composition, biodiversity, and grouper densities
were used to determine whether O. varicosa forms an essential habitat compared to other structure-forming
habitats and to examine the effectiveness of the MPA. Multivariate analyses indicated no differences in fish
assemblages or biodiversity among hardbottom habitat types and grouper densities were highest among the most complex habitats; however the higher densities were not exclusive to
coral habitat. Therefore, we conclude that O. varicosa was functionally equivalent to other hardbottom habitats. Even though fish assemblages were not different among management
areas, biodiversity and grouper densities were higher inside the MPA compared to outside. The percentage of intact coral was also higher inside the MPA. These results provide initial evidence demonstrating effectiveness of the MPA for restoring reef fish and their habitat. This is the first study to compare reef fish populations on O. varicosa with other structure-forming reef habitats and also the first to examine the effectiveness of the MPA for restoring fish populations and live reef cover
Business Ecosystem and Stakeholders’ Role Transformation: Evidence from China’s Emerging Electric Vehicle Industry
Nurturing an emerging industry’s business ecosystem always requires stakeholders’ efforts and role transformation. By systematically reviewing and studying the evolution of the Chinese electric vehicle industry, this paper constructs a three-dimensional theoretical framework including stages of business ecosystem lifecycle, stakeholder classification and functional roles, to analyse the transformation both of different stakeholders and their functional roles. The findings show that business ecosystem stakeholders have experienced role transformation following a mechanism defined as the ‘Triple Oscillation’ Model during the evolution of the emerging industry. These findings also help develop a conceptual model of agent-based system for business ecosystem evolution, which could be a starting point for further emerging industry study
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