Digital Ecosystems: Ecosystem-Oriented Architectures

We view Digital Ecosystems to be the digital counterparts of biological ecosystems. Here, we are concerned with the creation of these Digital Ecosystems, exploiting the self-organising properties of biological ecosystems to evolve high-level software applications. Therefore, we created the Digital Ecosystem, a novel optimisation technique inspired by biological ecosystems, where the optimisation works at two levels: a first optimisation, migration of agents which are distributed in a decentralised peer-to-peer network, operating continuously in time; this process feeds a second optimisation based on evolutionary computing that operates locally on single peers and is aimed at finding solutions to satisfy locally relevant constraints. The Digital Ecosystem was then measured experimentally through simulations, with measures originating from theoretical ecology, evaluating its likeness to biological ecosystems. This included its responsiveness to requests for applications from the user base, as a measure of the ecological succession (ecosystem maturity). Overall, we have advanced the understanding of Digital Ecosystems, creating Ecosystem-Oriented Architectures where the word ecosystem is more than just a metaphor.Comment: 39 pages, 26 figures, journa

Estimating commitment in a digital market place environment

The future generation of mobile communication shall be a convergence of mobile telephony and information systems which promises to change people's lives by enabling them to access information when, where and how they want. It presents opportunities to offer multimedia applications and services that meet end-toend service requirements. The Digital Marketplace framework will enable users to have separate contracts for different services on a per call basis. In order for such a framework to function appropriately, there has to be some means for the network operator to know in advance if its network will be able to support the user requirements. This paper discusses the methods by which the network operator will be able to determine if the system will be able to support another user of a certain service class and therefore negotiate parameters like commitment, QoS and the associated cost for providing the service, thus making the Digital Marketplace wor

The Hierarchic treatment of marine ecological information from spatial networks of benthic platforms

Measuring biodiversity simultaneously in different locations, at different temporal scales, and over wide spatial scales is of strategic importance for the improvement of our understanding of the functioning of marine ecosystems and for the conservation of their biodiversity. Monitoring networks of cabled observatories, along with other docked autonomous systems (e.g., Remotely Operated Vehicles [ROVs], Autonomous Underwater Vehicles [AUVs], and crawlers), are being conceived and established at a spatial scale capable of tracking energy fluxes across benthic and pelagic compartments, as well as across geographic ecotones. At the same time, optoacoustic imaging is sustaining an unprecedented expansion in marine ecological monitoring, enabling the acquisition of new biological and environmental data at an appropriate spatiotemporal scale. At this stage, one of the main problems for an effective application of these technologies is the processing, storage, and treatment of the acquired complex ecological information. Here, we provide a conceptual overview on the technological developments in the multiparametric generation, storage, and automated hierarchic treatment of biological and environmental information required to capture the spatiotemporal complexity of a marine ecosystem. In doing so, we present a pipeline of ecological data acquisition and processing in different steps and prone to automation. We also give an example of population biomass, community richness and biodiversity data computation (as indicators for ecosystem functionality) with an Internet Operated Vehicle (a mobile crawler). Finally, we discuss the software requirements for that automated data processing at the level of cyber-infrastructures with sensor calibration and control, data banking, and ingestion into large data portals.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Galileo and EGNOS as an asset for UTM safety and security

GAUSS (Galileo-EGNOS as an Asset for UTM Safety and Security) is a H2020 project1 that aims at designing and developing high performance positioning systems for drones within the U-Space framework focusing on UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) VLL (Very Low Level) operations. The key element within GAUSS is the integration and exploitation of Galileo and EGNOS exceptional features in terms of accuracy, integrity and security, which will be key assets for the safety of current and future drone operations. More concretely, high accuracy, authentication, precise timing (among others) are key GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) enablers of future integrated drone operations under UTM (UAS Traffic Management) operations, which in Europe will be deployed under U-Space [1]. The U-Space concept helps control, manage and integrate all UAS in the VLL airspace to ensure the security and efficiency of UAS operations. GAUSS will enable not only safe, timely and efficient operations but also coordination among a higher number of RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System) in the air with the appropriate levels of security, as it will improve anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities through a multi-frequency and multi-constellation approach and Galileo authentication operations. The GAUSS system will be validated with two field trials in two different UTM real scenarios (in-land and sea) with the operation of a minimum of four UTM coordinated UAS from different types (fixed and rotary wing), manoeuvrability and EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) operational categories. The outcome of the project will consist of Galileo-EGNOS based technological solutions to enhance safety and security levels in both, current UAS and future UTM operations. Increased levels of efficiency, reliability, safety, and security in UAS operations are key enabling features to foster the EU UAS regulation, market development and full acceptance by the society.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Privacy, security, and trust issues in smart environments

Recent advances in networking, handheld computing and sensor technologies have driven forward research towards the realisation of Mark Weiser's dream of calm and ubiquitous computing (variously called pervasive computing, ambient computing, active spaces, the disappearing computer or context-aware computing). In turn, this has led to the emergence of smart environments as one significant facet of research in this domain. A smart environment, or space, is a region of the real world that is extensively equipped with sensors, actuators and computing components [1]. In effect the smart space becomes a part of a larger information system: with all actions within the space potentially affecting the underlying computer applications, which may themselves affect the space through the actuators. Such smart environments have tremendous potential within many application areas to improve the utility of a space. Consider the potential offered by a smart environment that prolongs the time an elderly or infirm person can live an independent life or the potential offered by a smart environment that supports vicarious learning

Separating Agent-Functioning and Inter-Agent Coordination by Activated Modules: The DECOMAS Architecture

The embedding of self-organizing inter-agent processes in distributed software applications enables the decentralized coordination system elements, solely based on concerted, localized interactions. The separation and encapsulation of the activities that are conceptually related to the coordination, is a crucial concern for systematic development practices in order to prepare the reuse and systematic integration of coordination processes in software systems. Here, we discuss a programming model that is based on the externalization of processes prescriptions and their embedding in Multi-Agent Systems (MAS). One fundamental design concern for a corresponding execution middleware is the minimal-invasive augmentation of the activities that affect coordination. This design challenge is approached by the activation of agent modules. Modules are converted to software elements that reason about and modify their host agent. We discuss and formalize this extension within the context of a generic coordination architecture and exemplify the proposed programming model with the decentralized management of (web) service infrastructures