Next-generation IoT devices: sustainable eco-friendly manufacturing, energy harvesting, and wireless connectivity

This invited paper presents potential solutions for tackling some of the main underlying challenges toward developing sustainable Internet-of-things (IoT) devices with a focus on eco-friendly manufacturing, sustainable powering, and wireless connectivity for next-generation IoT devices. The diverse applications of IoT systems, such as smart cities, wearable devices, self-driving cars, and industrial automation, are driving up the number of IoT systems at an unprecedented rate. In recent years, the rapidly-increasing number of IoT devices and the diverse application-specific system requirements have resulted in a paradigm shift in manufacturing processes, powering methods, and wireless connectivity solutions. The traditional cloud-centering IoT systems are moving toward distributed intelligence schemes that impose strict requirements on IoT devices, e.g., operating range, latency, and reliability. In this article, we provide an overview of hardware-related research trends and application use cases of emerging IoT systems and highlight the enabling technologies of next-generation IoT. We review eco-friendly manufacturing for next-generation IoT devices, present alternative biodegradable and eco-friendly options to replace existing materials, and discuss sustainable powering IoT devices by exploiting energy harvesting and wireless power transfer. Finally, we present (ultra-)low-power wireless connectivity solutions that meet the stringent energy efficiency and data rate requirements of future IoT systems that are compatible with a batteryless operation

Investigation of polarization modulation in optical free space communications through the atmosphere

Zsfassung in dt. SpracheUm den ständig steigenden Bandbreitebedarf abzudecken, der mit der Entstehung immer neuerer Kommunikationsanwendungen verbunden ist, werden innovative Technologien benötigt. Optische Freistrahlkommunikation mit Hilfe von Lasern ist eine viel versprechende Kandidatin für diese Anwendungen, sie erlaubt das Übertragen von Informationen bei hohen Datenraten mittels eines kollimierten Laserstrahls. Dabei werden kompakte und leichte Endgeräte verwendet. Im Vergleich zu Mikrowellensystemen treten weniger Interferenzprobleme mit anderen Systemen auf, außerdem liegen die optischen Frequenzen außerhalb der regulierten Frequenzbänder. Während optische Kommunikationsverbindungen zwischen Satelliten bereits Standard sind, kommt es bei Laserkommunikation durch die Atmosphäre zu Leistungseinbußen aufgrund von Bewölkung, schlechten Wetterverhältnissen und atmosphärischen Turbulenzen. Wissenschaftliche Arbeiten zu diesem Thema beschäftigten sich bisher hauptsächlich mit intensitätsmodulierten Systemen. Ob Systeme basierend auf Polarisationsmodulation intensitätsmodulierte Systeme übertreffen, soll in dieser Arbeit untersucht werden, da die Polarisation eines der stabilsten Eigenschaften des Laserstrahls bei Durchgang durch die Atmosphäre zu sein scheint. Ein genauer und detaillierter Vergleich der beiden Modulationsarten ist daher von großem Interesse.In meiner Diplomarbeit habe ich ein digitales Polarisationsmodulationssystem (PolSK) mit direktem Empfänger entworfen.Dazu habe ich eine kommerziell erhältliche Software verwendet, die die Simulation von optischen Nachrichtentechniksystemen erlaubt. Zwei Empfängerstrukturen wurden realisiert, eine mit und eine ohne optischen Vorverstärker. Ein Vergleich mit einem intensitätsmodulierten System (OOK) hat gezeigt, dass PolSK in spitzenleistungsbegrenzten Systemen um 3 dB besser ist als OOK. Besonderes Augenmerk ist auf optisch vorverstärkte Empfänger und deren Nichtidealitäten gelegt worden.Nichtidealitäten sind zum Beispiel eine nicht ideale Polarisationsweiche, eine nicht ideale PIN Photodiode mit Transimepedanzverstärker oder nicht ideale optische und elektrische Leitungen. Diese Simulationen haben auch bei der Abschätzung des Einflusses der Atmosphäre im Bezug auf die Empfängersensitivität geholfen.Ein Einfluss der Atmosphäre auf die Polarisation eines Laserstrahls wird mit Hilfe von polarimetrischen Messungen abgeschätzt. Die Polarimetrie ist ein Forschungsgebiet in der Astronomie. Ein Vergleich von Messungen von teilweise polarisiertem Sternenlicht auf der Erde und im Weltall (Hubble Space Telescope) gibt Aufschluss über einen solchen Einfluss.Basierend auf diesen Daten habe ich einen geringen und vernachlässigbaren atmosphärischen Einfluss auf die Polarisation festgestellt.Für eine praktische Realisierung von PolSK-Systemen mit optischen Vorverstärkern habe ich eine Marktstudie gemacht, um die geeigneten Komponenten dafür zu finden. Zwei Realisierungsarten für hochempfindliche Empfänger mit PIN Photodioden werden präsentiert. Obwohl die Komplexität eines PolSK-Systems größer ist als bei einem OOK-System überwiegen die Vorteile in spitzenleistungsbegrenzten Systemen, wie zum Beispiel die konstante Einhüllende des Sendesignals und der 3 dB Gewinn in der Empfängersensitivität. Daher ist Polarisationsmodulation eine viel versprechende Kandidatin um Systeme mit Intensitätsmodulation in der optischen Freistrahlkommunikation durch die Atmosphäre abzulösen.Innovative technologies are required to satisfy the ever increasing bandwidth demand associated with new communication services.Optical free space laser communications - with its ability to transmit information via a collimated laser beam at high data rates using compact, low-mass terminals, while avoiding interference problems and without exhausting the radio-frequency bandwidths - is a promising candidate in the field. While optical intersatellite links are state-of-the-art technology, laser communications from ground suffers from cloud coverage, harsh weather conditions, and atmospheric turbulence. Most of the previous work on optical free space laser communications through the atmosphere was concentrated on intensity modulated systems. However, polarization modulated systems may be more appropriate for such communication links, because the polarization seems to be the most stable characteristic of a laser beam while propagating through the atmosphere. Thus, a detailed comparison between intensity and polarization modulated systems is of big interest.In my thesis I have implemented a direct detection digital polarization shift keying (PolSK) system with the aid of a commercially available software to simulate the behavior of optical transmission systems. Two receiver structures are realized, for the absence and for the presence of optical amplification in the receiver. A comparison with intensity modulated systems shows that PolSK outperforms on-off keying (OOK) systems in terms of peak optical power by about 3 dB.Special attention is given to the PolSK receiver with optical preamplification and the non-idealities which arise in such systems, e.g., a non-ideal polarization beam splitter, a non-ideal PIN photodiode with transimpedance amplifier, or non-ideal optical and electrical wires. The simulations also help to assess penalties in the receiver's sensitivity when investigating the influence of the atmosphere.The influence of the atmosphere on the polarization of a laser beam is assessed in terms of polarimetry, a field of research in astronomy. A comparison between ground based and space based (Hubble Space Telescope) polarimetric measurements of partially polarized stars gives further information about such an influence. Based on these measurements I showed that the atmospheric influence on the polarization in rather small and thus negligible.For a practical implementation of an PolSK system with optical amplifier a market study is done to list appropriate devices. Two realizations of high sensitivity receivers, which use PIN photodiodes as detectors, are presented. Although the complexity of an PolSK system is higher than that of an OOK system, the advantages of PolSK in peak power limited systems such as the constant envelope of the transmit signal and the 3 dB sensitivity gain predominate the disadvantages. Thus, PolSK is a promising candidate to replace OOK as modulation system in optical free space communications through the atmosphere.7

On Making Robots Proactive

The question addressed in this thesis is: Can we make robots proactive? Proactivity is understood as self-initiated, anticipatory action. This entails the ability to generate own goals and pursue them. Our work is based on the assumption that proactivity makes robots more acceptable in human-inhabited environments. Proactive behavior is opposed to reactive behavior which is merely responding to external events and explicit requests (by the user). We approach the question of how to make robots proactive by first identifying the necessary cognitive capabilities, how they relate and interact. We find that to enable proactive behavior one needs to bridge the gap between context, planning, acting and goal reasoning. We then propose a model of opportunity which formalizes and relates these cognitive capabilities in order to create proactivity. In order to make the model of opportunity computational we introduce a framework called equilibrium maintenance. We show formally and empirically that the framework can make robots act in a proactive way. We can make guarantees about the behavior of a robot acting based on equilibrium maintenance: we prove that given certain assumptions a system employing our framework is kept within desirable states. Equilibrium maintenance is instantiated in different scenarios, both theoretically and in practice by deploying it in a number of systems including both robots and humans. More specifically, we conduct experimental runs in simulation in the domain of robotic disaster management and we implement the framework on a real robot in a domestic environment. The latter is done by integration in different levels, from conceptual examples to closing the loop with a full robotic system. Empirical results confirm that equilibrium maintenance creates proactive behavior and leads to preferable outcomes

Proactivity through equilibrium maintenance with fuzzy desirability

Proactive cognitive agents need to be capable ofboth generating their own goals and enacting them. In thispaper, we cast this problem as that ofmaintaining equilibrium,that is, seeking opportunities to act that keep the system indesirable states while avoiding undesirable ones. We characterizedesirability of states as graded preferences, using mechanismsfrom the field of fuzzy logic. As a result, opportunities for anagent to act can also be graded, and their relative preferencecan be used to infer when and how to act. This paper providesa formal description of our computational framework, andillustrates how the use of degrees of desirability leads to well-informed choices of action.Funding Agencies:Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI)  Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR)  Swedish Research Council (VR Project WearAmI)  PGR00193 Semantic Robots Research Profile (Swedish Knowledge Foundation) </p

Find Out Why Reading This Paper is an Opportunity of Type Opp0

Under what conditions should a cognitive robot act? How do we define “opportunities” for robot action? How can we characterize their properties? This paper offers an apparatus to frame thediscussion. Starting from a simple introductory example, we specifyan initial version of a formal framework of opportunity which relates current and future states and beneficial courses of action in a certain time horizon. An opportunity reasoning algorithm is presented,which opens up various new questions about the different types of opportunity and how to interleave opportunity reasoning and action execution. An implementation of this algorithm is tested in a simple experiment including a real mobile robot in a smart home environment and a user.Robot-Er

Two ways to make your robot proactive: Reasoning about human intentions or reasoning about possible futures

International audienceRobots sharing their space with humans need to be proactive to be helpful. Proactive robots can act on their own initiatives in an anticipatory way to benefit humans. In this work, we investigate two ways to make robots proactive. One way is to recognize human intentions and to act to fulfill them, like opening the door that you are about to cross. The other way is to reason about possible future threats or opportunities and to act to prevent or to foster them, like recommending you to take an umbrella since rain has been forecast. In this article, we present approaches to realize these two types of proactive behavior. We then present an integrated system that can generate proactive robot behavior by reasoning on both factors: intentions and predictions. We illustrate our system on a sample use case including a domestic robot and a human. We first run this use case with the two separate proactive systems, intention-based and prediction-based, and then run it with our integrated system. The results show that the integrated system is able to consider a broader variety of aspects that are required for proactivity

Two ways to make your robot proactive: reasoning about human intentions, or reasoning about possible futures

Robots sharing their space with humans need to be proactive in order to be helpful. Proactive robots are able to act on their own initiative in an anticipatory way to benefit humans. In this work, we investigate two ways to make robots proactive. One way is to recognize humans' intentions and to act to fulfill them, like opening the door that you are about to cross. The other way is to reason about possible future threats or opportunities and to act to prevent or to foster them, like recommending you to take an umbrella since rain has been forecasted. In this paper, we present approaches to realize these two types of proactive behavior. We then present an integrated system that can generate proactive robot behavior by reasoning on both factors: intentions and predictions. We illustrate our system on a sample use case including a domestic robot and a human. We first run this use case with the two separate proactive systems, intention-based and prediction-based, and then run it with our integrated system. The results show that the integrated system is able to take into account a broader variety of aspects that are needed for proactivity.Comment: 20 pages, 1-column, 4 figure

Space mapping design method for an antenna transducer of a bend sensor RFID tag

This work presents a fast design method for an RFID antenna, used as a transducer, to realize an RFID bent sensor tag. The method exploits a space mapping technique, using a coarse circuit model (CM) and a fine electromagnetic model (EM). The CM represents, in a time efficient way, the antenna transducer states to fast evaluate the sensor tag efficiency. The EM model is then used to verify the sensing states and to rapidly prototype the antenna. To demonstrate the procedure, the corresponding EM-based and CM input impedances of a T-matched dipole are compared for several sensing states; the maximum relative error between the CM model and the EM simulation is lower than 15% and 1%, for the antenna impedance real and imaginary parts, respectively. This is observed over a frequency band of 840 12 890 MHz. Finally the bending sensor tag efficiency is computed and design rules for its optimization using the CM model are discusse