Embedded velocity measurement using a sensor based on a fly eye

This paper describes a new algorithm for velocity detection using the principle of a fly-eye. Called the Distance of Travel algorithm, it is optimized for low cost commercially available cameras

Security and Safety Aspects of AI in Industry Applications

In this relatively informal discussion-paper we summarise issues in the domains of safety and security in machine learning that will affect industry sectors in the next five to ten years. Various products using neural network classification, most often in vision related applications but also in predictive maintenance, have been researched and applied in real-world applications in recent years. Nevertheless, reports of underlying problems in both safety and security related domains, for instance adversarial attacks have unsettled early adopters and are threatening to hinder wider scale adoption of this technology. The problem for real-world applicability lies in being able to assess the risk of applying these technologies. In this discussion-paper we describe the process of arriving at a machine-learnt neural network classifier pointing out safety and security vulnerabilities in that workflow, citing relevant research where appropriate.Comment: As presented at the Embedded World Conference, Nuremberg, 202

Protecting PROFINET cyclic real-time traffic : a performance evaluation and verification platform

PROFINET is a widely adopted, real-time capable Industrial Ethernet standard, that as other automation system technologies, is subject to an increasing level of vertical integration into company’s existing IT infrastructure. This integration exposes automation systems to well-known cyber attacks, which leads to a growing need for suitable security solutions. The challenge in protecting PROFINET automation systems is ensuring the suitability of solutions for use with minimal PROFINET cycle times of 250 μs needed to fulfill high-speed motion control market expectations. We develop a prototype of a transparent security switch, designed to apply protection mechanisms on-the-fly. We use this platform to test an initial implementation of a protection system, present preliminary results and further work

PROFINET Real-time protection layer : performance analysis of cryptographic and protocol processing overhead

Recent times have seen an increasing demand for access to process-data from the field level through to the Internet. This vertical integration of industrial control systems into the IT infrastructure exhibits major drawbacks in the context of security. Such systems now suffer exposure to cyber security attacks well-known from the IT environment. Successful attacks on industrial control systems can lead to downtimes, malfunction of production machinery, cause financial damage and may present a hazard for human life and health. Current automation communication systems generally lack a comprehensive security concept. PROFINET is a widespread Industrial Ethernet standard, fulfilling general communication requirements on automation systems as well as explicit real-time requirements. We elaborate the challenges of protecting the realtime component of PROFINET. We specify the requirements and a concept for ensuring integrity and authenticity using a keyed-hash message authentication code (HMAC) in combination with the cryptographic hash algorithm SHA-3. With a proof of concept implementation of a PROFINET RT protection layer, the performance overhead for generation and transmission of this HMAC and other required data fields, e.g. to prevent replay attacks, could be analyzed. Based on these data the limitations of security technology on real-time systems were explored as was the optimization potential of hardware acceleration

Security and safety aspects of AI in industry applications

In this relatively informal discussion-paper we summarise issues in the domains of safety and security in machine learning that will affect industry sectors in the next five to ten years. Various products using neural network classification, most often in vision related applications but also in predictive maintenance, have been researched and applied in real-world applications in recent years. Nevertheless, reports of underlying problems in both safety and security related domains, for instance adversarial attacks have unsettled early adopters and are threatening to hinder wider scale adoption of this technology. The problem for real-world applicability lies in being able to assess the risk of applying these technologies. In this discussion-paper we describe the process of arriving at a machine-learnt neural network classifier pointing out safety and security vulnerabilities in that workflow, citing relevant research where appropriate

Mapping perceptions of energy transition pathways: Ascribed motives and effectiveness

© The Author(s) 2022.This study examines how people perceive possible pathways of a societal transition towards less carbon intensive means of energy production and use. Data were collected with questionnaires among samples of university students in Norway (N = 106) and Germany (N = 142). Participants selected from a set of 15 motives those which they considered to be strongly associated with each of 25 pathways, including examples such as public transportation and nuclear power. Participants also rated the effectiveness of each single pathway, that is, their perceived impact on climate change. Results indicate that the various pathways were associated with specific motives; for example, individual actions such as taking public transportation were closely associated with a self-restraint motive, pathways such as nuclear power and market strategies such as carbon offsets were closely associated with motives supporting free market and progress, and technological solutions such as solar panels and hydro power were associated with the motive for sufficient energy supply. The German and the Norwegian sample did not differ markedly in which pathways were associated with which motives; nor did effectiveness ratings for pathways differ between samples. Solar panels, wind farms, and hydropower were on average regarded as having a mitigating impact on climate change, whereas nuclear power was on average considered to have no mitigating impact. The findings are discussed in the context of public engagement with several of the suggested pathways, noting differences in perceptual patterns across samples.publishedVersio

Expected climate change consequences and their role in explaining individual risk judgments

This study examines what individuals expect will be the most important impacts of climate change on their respective countries, and how these expectations relate to individual risk judgments. Open-ended responses from representative samples in four European countries (each n > 1000), were sorted into six categories: expectations of climate change leading to changes in attitudes and goals, human activities, emissions and pollution, environmental changes, impacts on humans, or few or no impacts. The results showed that the most frequently mentioned climate change impacts were related to environmental changes. Although most results were consistent across the UK, Norway, Germany, and France, some differences were identified. For example, respondents in the UK and Norway more frequently mentioned changes in human actions and activities among the most important climate change impacts. We also found differences between demographic groups; men, those in the oldest age groups, and those placing themselves further right on the political spectrum were more likely to expect few or no consequences of climate change on their country. Additional analyses examined relationships between the six impact categories and two different measures of individual risk judgments. Those expecting climate change to lead to changes in attitudes and goals, environmental changes, or impacts on humans reported higher levels of worry about climate change and expected more negative effects on their country. Climate change worry, but not the evaluation of how positive or negative effects will be on one’s country, was further related to the number of consequences mentioned in response to the open-ended question and the specificity conveyed.publishedVersio

Quo vadis real time ethernet

Real time Ethernet (RTE) protocol suites are commonly operated within an exclusively allocated Ethernet based network that is used to exchange data for a distributed real time application. In practice, RTE protocol stack implementations interlace the maintenance of their data objects on the (standardised and loosely coupled) application layer with the task of traffic fitting. The latter includes the egress and ingress of application data over the underlying layers but also the coordination (scheduling) of the same. The set of time sensitive networking (TSN) IEEE standards is an addendum to common Ethernet (IEEE 802.3*). It has the aim to provide technologies to implement deterministic Ethernet networks. In factory automation RTE, an ongoing establishment of such technologies is observed. They lay the ground for various possibilities to shift the mechanisms for scheduling data transmissions towards networking juncture elements, e.g. Ethernet switch. This work intends to fabricate a stronger separation between the application layer and the tasks concerning traffic fitting. A demonstration setup is developed. It consists of an Ethernet switch (partly TSN capable), two programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and one input/output (I/O) device. Simultaneous operation of two unsimilar RTE protocol suites within the same network is shown. Possible optimisations applied to RTE application components, which target a higher level of determinism, are presented. Measurements underpin the chosen optimisations

Generating research aims for legged robots : a market and dependability approach

We content that real-world widespread adoption of multi-legged robots is not due to some magic missing engineering ingredient but due, by and large, to two related factors. The first is that the market must be educated as to the potential benefits of such technology and secondly any missing engineering ingredients need to be market derived and not research specified. After discussing the issue of educating the market we proceed with an example of generating market-oriented technical requirements which specifically result in new controller architectures. We continue this example with two examples of requirements generated by technical analysis, including Systems Theoretic Process Analysis, and so show that whilst the continuation of fundamental research is necessary if multi-legged robots are to find a sustainable set of real-world applications research resources need to be guided into market research and market orientated industrialisation