Case Study: Installing RFID Systems in Supermarkets

Radio frequency identification technology (RFID) is considered as the reference technology for wireless identification and item traceability. Supermarkets are one of those scenarios where the RFID potential can be harnessed. In theory, RFID in supermarkets shows several advantages compared with traditional barcode systems, offering real‐time inventory, stock control, cash queues, among others. In practice, its massive and global implementation is still being delayed due to the high quantity of factors that degrade the RFID system performance in these scenarios, causing uncontrolled items and identification losses and, at the end, economical losses. Some works in the scientific literature studied a single or a set of problems related to RFID performance, mostly focused on a specific communication layer: antennas and hardware design, interferences at physical layer, medium access control (MAC) protocols, security issues, or middleware challenges. However, there are no works describing in depth the set of factors affecting RFID performance in a specific scenario and contemplating the entire communication layer stack. The first challenge of this chapter is to provide a complete analysis of those physical and environmental factors, hardware and software limitations, and standard and regulation restrictions that have a direct impact on the RFID system performance in supermarkets. This analysis is addressed by communication layers, paying attention to the point of view of providers, supermarket companies, and final customers. Some of the most feasible and influential research works that address individual problems are also enumerated. Finally, taking the results extracted from this study, this chapter provides a Guide of Good Practices (GGPs), giving a global vision for addressing a successful RFID implementation project, useful for researchers, developers, and installers

Software application for real-time ET (o) /ET (c) calculation through mobile devices

In the southeast of Spain, farmers usually resort to the Agricultural Information Service of Murcia (SIAM) to get the data needed for an estimation of their water use and needs. Through 48 automatic stations, the SIAM provides data about temperature, wind speed, solar radiation or humidity, on a not very user-friendly web page which is not adapted to mobile devices and shows some shortcomings in downloading data. In addition, the key reference parameter in irrigation, the daily reference evapotranspiration (ET (o) ), is not provided on the current day and the hourly ET (o) and the crop evapotranspiration (ET (c) ) are not offered either. This paper presents a new software application for mobile devices capable of providing the required data by an easy-to-use and friendly app. This tool employs the GPS co-ordinates of a place under study to get the data required from the closest SIAM stations and interpolates station data to increase accuracy. The hourly and daily ET (o) are automatically calculated using the Penman-Monteith equation, declared by the FAO in 1990 as the only valid method for calculating evapotranspiration. The ET (o) computation entails the calculation of the net solar radiation, the heat soil flux or the psychometric constant. A new extension of the tool also allows calculation of the ET (c) for a set of typical crops of the southeast of Spain. All the computed data can be stored and edited, as well as those geographical positions of interest. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first application of this kind available.This work was supported by the research Projects 3639/13TIC and 3703/13TIC. Thanks to Telenatura S.L. for its technical support

Designing a Technological Pathway to Empower Vocational Education and Training in the Circular Wood and Furniture Sector through Extended Reality

Extended Reality (XR) is a term that refers to virtual, augmented, and, more recently, mixed reality (VR/AR//MR), which are key enabling technologies of the Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and the simulated digital environment of the metaverse. XR enables the simulation of workplace scenarios, providing workers with training in a risk-free environment, resulting in cost savings, improved occupational risk prevention, and enhanced decision-making processes. XR is ideal for supporting digital transformation for organisations in fields such as production, occupational risk prevention, maintenance, and marketing. XR is also a key driver for training initiatives aimed at promoting good practices in the circular economy in specific sectors such as woodworking and furniture (W&F). The European Commission has recognised the potential of XR for the W&F sector, funding initiatives such as the European project, Allview, which seeks to identify the most appropriate and beneficial technologies of I4.0 with a green and digital transition focus from the perspective of vocational education and training (VET). This paper presents the work carried out within the framework of Allview, including the research and comparison of current software and hardware of XR tools suitable for VET in the W&F field, a review of successful examples of XR applied to W&F training actions, and an analysis of the opinions gathered from European students, teachers, and training organisations regarding the use of XR in education. As a result, the authors present a training pathway aimed at the development and implementation of a XR training scenario/lab/environment focused on VR, 360° videos, and MR, as a guideline for developing immersive XR training contents, contributing to the digital and green transformation of VET in the W&F sector

Falta de habilidades, conocimiento y competencias en la Educación Superior sobre la Industria 4.0 en el sector manufacturero

In this paper, the authors present a complete analysis carried out for reporting the lack, needs and requested competences and skills on the Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) of the Industry 4.0 (I4.0) in both Higher Education (HE) as well as in the wood, furniture and manufacturing sector all over Europe. Moreover, this analysis evaluates the level of implementation in this specific sector considering latest technological trends. The analysis was performed within the framework of the European project MAKING 4.0, where a complete set of surveys were launched to agents who were directly involved in the wood, furniture and manufacturing sector to find out what their impressions are about the current knowledge and the one demanded by the I4.0, obtaining results where the low level of competences and qualifications in this industrial sector is demonstrated, both in education and in industry, as well as the poor training offered in I4.0 and its KETs. It is concluded that there is an evident technological skills gap between those acquired by workers and by Vocational Education Training (VET) and HE students regards the demands of the I4.0, which must be covered within the next years, through training initiatives, enabling and acquisition of needed competences such as, for example, MAKING 4.0.En este trabajo, los autores presentan el análisis llevado a cabo para evaluar la falta, las necesidades y las competencias y habilidades requeridas sobre las tecnologías habilitadoras clave (KETs) de la Industria 4.0 (I4.0), tanto en la educación superior como en la industria del mueble, la madera y la manufacturación en Europa. El análisis también evalúa el nivel de implementación de las últimas tendencias tecnológicas en este mismo sector. El análisis se realizó en el marco del proyecto europeo MAKING 4.0, donde un completo set de encuestas se lanzaron a agentes directamente involucrados en el sector del mueble y la madera para conocer, de primera mano, cuáles son sus impresiones acerca del conocimiento actual y el demandado por la I4.0, obteniendo resultados donde se demuestra el bajo nivel de competencias y cualificación en este sector industrial, tanto a nivel educativo como en la industria, además de la falta y necesidad de adaptación de la oferta formativa actual sobre la I4.0 y sus KETs. Se concluye que existe una disparidad evidente entre las competencias actuales de los trabajadores y aquellas que adquieren los estudiantes de ciclos formativos (VET) y educación superior (HE) con respecto a lo demandado por la I4.0, debiéndose cubrir y solventar en los próximos años a través de nuevas iniciativas de formación, capacitación y adquisición de competencias necesarias, como por ejemplo, el proyecto MAKING4.0

On the Optimal Identification of Tag Sets in Time-Constrained RFID Configurations

In Radio Frequency Identification facilities the identification delay of a set of tags is mainly caused by the random access nature of the reading protocol, yielding a random identification time of the set of tags. In this paper, the cumulative distribution function of the identification time is evaluated using a discrete time Markov chain for single-set time-constrained passive RFID systems, namely those ones where a single group of tags is assumed to be in the reading area and only for a bounded time (sojourn time) before leaving. In these scenarios some tags in a set may leave the reader coverage area unidentified. The probability of this event is obtained from the cumulative distribution function of the identification time as a function of the sojourn time. This result provides a suitable criterion to minimize the probability of losing tags. Besides, an identification strategy based on splitting the set of tags in smaller subsets is also considered. Results demonstrate that there are optimal splitting configurations that reduce the overall identification time while keeping the same probability of losing tags

Lack of skills, knowledge and competences in Higher Education about Industry 4.0 in the manufacturing sector [Falta de habilidades, conocimiento y competencias en la Educación Superior sobre la Industria 4.0 en el sector manufacturero]

En este trabajo, los autores presentan el análisis llevado a cabo para evaluar la falta, las necesidades y las competencias y habilidades requeridas sobre las tecnologías habilitadoras clave (KETs) de la Industria 4.0 (I4.0), tanto en la educación superior como en la industria del mueble, la madera y la manufacturación en Europa. El análisis también evalúa el nivel de implementación de las últimas tendencias tecnológicas en este mismo sector. El análisis se realizó en el marco del proyecto europeo MAKING 4.0, donde un completo set de encuestas se lanzaron a agentes directamente involucrados en el sector del mueble y la madera para conocer, de primera mano, cuáles son sus impresiones acerca del conocimiento actual y el demandado por la I4.0, obteniendo resultados donde se demuestra el bajo nivel de competencias y cualificación en este sector industrial, tanto a nivel educativo como en la industria, además de la falta y necesidad de adaptación de la oferta formativa actual sobre la I4.0 y sus KETs. Se concluye que existe una disparidad evidente entre las competencias actuales de los trabajadores y aquellas que adquieren los estudiantes de ciclos formativos (VET) y educación superior (HE) con respecto a lo demandado por la I4.0, debiéndose cubrir y solventar en los próximos años a través de nuevas iniciativas de formación, capacitación y adquisición de competencias necesarias, como por ejemplo, el proyecto MAKING4.0

Fair bandwidth allocation algorithm for PONS based on network utility maximization

Network utility maximization (NUM) models have been successfully applied to address multiple resource- allocation problems in communication networks. This paper explores, for the first time to our knowledge, their application to modeling the bandwidth-allocation problem in passive optical networks (PONs) and long-reach PONs. Using the NUM model, we propose the FEx-DBA (fair excess-dynamic bandwidth allocation) algorithm, a new DBA scheme to allow a fair and efficient allocation of the upstream channel capacity. The NUM framework provides the mathematical support to formally define the fairness concept in the resource allocation and the guidelines to devise FEx-DBA. A simulation study is conducted, whereby FEx-DBA is compared to a state-of-the-art proposal. We show that FEx-DBA (i) provides bandwidth guarantees to the users according to the service level agreement (SLA) contracted and fairly distributes the excess bandwidths among them; (ii) has a stable response and fast convergence when traffic or SLAs change, avoiding the oscillations appearing in other proposals; (iii) improves average delay and jitter measures; and (iv) only depends on a reduced set of parameters, which can be easily tuned.This work has been funded by Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (TEC2014-53071-C3-2-P and TEC2015-71932-REDT)

Programa Intergeneracional de coaprendizaje: transmisión de valores en la etapa infantil a través de varias generaciones

Memoria ID12-0210. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2012-2013

Analysing the Malaysian Higher Education Training Offer for Furniture Design and Woodworking Industry 4.0 as an Input Towards Joint Curriculum Validation Protocol

An education programme at the master’s level normally aims to facilitate graduates’ acquisition, mastery and application of advanced knowledge in specialised areas of education. However, there is no learning pathway that aims to improve the level of specific and transversal competencies and skills, with particular regard to those relevant for the labour market in the furniture sector, such as management, entrepreneurship, language competences and leadership toward wood and furniture industry 4.0. The methodology for this research inquiry was based upon a survey questionnaire of 54 respondents during the MAKING4.0 Seminar at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. The results were analysed from the Work Package 1 (WP1) “Analysis and comparison of the current Higher Education training offer and furniture and woodworking industry”, before the learning outcomes were defined for each of the identified topics. The definition of learning outcomes was made considering the Recommendations of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), and subsequently harmonised with the Programme Learning Outcomes defined in the Malaysian Qualification Framework 2nd edition (MQF2.0) for a Master´s Degree Level 7. The identified learning outcomes have been grouped into four modules: (1) Processes and Production of Furniture, (2) Intelligent and Sustainable Design, (3) Wood and New Materials, and (4) Innovation Management. Results of the study indicated that MAKING4.0 is in line with the actions highlighted in the Malaysian Education Blueprint (2015–2025) and the objectives of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in developing the National Industry 4.0 policy framework. MAKING4.0 aims to ensure an adequate supply of human capital and skills, as well as develop an innovative master’s degree to modernise the current training offer in wood and furniture technology processes and design around Industry 4.0 in Malaysia

IT and Multi-layer Online Resource Allocation and Offline Planning in Metropolitan Networks

Metropolitan networks are undergoing a major technological breakthrough leveraging the capabilities of software-defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV). NFV permits the deployment of virtualized network functions (VNFs) on commodity hardware appliances which can be combined with SDN flexibility and programmability of the network infrastructure. SDN/NFV-enabled networks require decision-making in two time scales: short-term online resource allocation and mid-to-long term offline planning. In this paper, we first tackle the dimensioning of SDN/NFV-enabled metropolitan networks paying special attention to the role that latency plays in the capacity planning. We focus on a specific use-case: the metropolitan network that covers the Murcia - Alicante Spanish regions. Then, we propose a latency-aware multilayer service-chain allocation (LA-ML-SCA) algorithm to explore a range of maximum latency requirements and their impact on the resources for dimensioning the metropolitan network. We observe that design costs increase for low latency requirements as more data center facilities need to be spread to get closer to the network edge, reducing the economies of scale on the IT infrastructure. Subsequently, we review our recent joint computation of multi-site VNF placement and multilayer resource allocation in the deployment of a network service in a metro network. Specifically, a set of subroutines contained in LA-ML-SCA are experimentally validated in a network optimization-as-a-service architecture that assists an Open-Source MANO instance, virtual infrastructure managers and WAN controllers in a metro network test-bed.Grant numbers : Go2Edge - Engineering Future Edge Computing Networks, Systems and Services.@ 2020 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works