Privacy-Preserving by Design: Indoor Positioning System Using Wi-Fi Passive TDOA

Indoor localization systems have become increasingly important in a wide range of applications, including industry, security, logistics, and emergency services. However, the growing demand for accurate localization has heightened concerns over privacy, as many localization systems rely on active signals that can be misused by an adversary to track users' movements or manipulate their measurements. This paper presents PassiFi, a novel passive Wi-Fi time-based indoor localization system that effectively balances accuracy and privacy. PassiFi uses a passive WiFi Time Difference of Arrival (TDoA) approach that ensures users' privacy and safeguards the integrity of their measurement data while still achieving high accuracy. The system adopts a fingerprinting approach to address multi-path and non-line-of-sight problems and utilizes deep neural networks to learn the complex relationship between TDoA and location. Evaluation in a real-world testbed demonstrates PassiFi's exceptional performance, surpassing traditional multilateration by 128%, achieving sub-meter accuracy on par with state-of-the-art active measurement systems, all while preserving privacy

USE OF BIOMIMICRY DESIGN APPROACH IN CONSTRUCTING SUSTAINABLE RESILIENT STRUCTURES (CASE STUDY: PORT OF BEIRUT)

Resiliency is not the same as sustainability, nor its substitute, but definitely the two concepts complement each other’s. Sustainability is the avoidance of depletion of natural resources to maintain ecological balance whereas resiliency is to recover, adapt and keep going in the face of setbacks. While designing with green approach is important but what will happen to leed points if the building becomes uninhabitable due to disasters, that’s where resiliency comes into play. The 2019 statistics showed that natural disasters accounted for 133 billion dollars losses and manmade ones accounted for other 7 billion in addition to 11,755 people worldwide were passed way or disappeared, all as results of failures experienced in cities structures and infrastructures when facing such contingencies, these numbers draw a concern on the current buildings industry resiliency on the global level. Currently there are two theories of resiliency; engineering which is based on technology and ecological which is based on biology. While technology exploits energy to solve problems, biology focuses on information and structure which is usually ignored by technology, therefore this research aims to propose a new approach for designing resilient structures through the use of biomimicry in order for cities to be capable of withstanding disasters. To achieve this aim, the research used a scientific approach based on tracing literature review about building’s structures, in addition to disasters and how they shaped the architecture of our cities, and investigating ideas about resiliency achievement, then analyzing the “Port Of Beirut” as a case study to identify a new design approach through the use of biomimicry to improve the quality of life and strengthen the feeling of safety in the city. As a conclusion, after 3.8 billion years of nature’s research and development, failures are fossils, and what surrounds us is the secret to our survival, hence biomimicry approach to be applied in order to learn from nature as a model to create sustainable designs for achieving more resilient cities

THE ROLE OF SMART ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS IN REDUCING THE PANDEMIC EFFECT IN RESIDENTIAL COMPOUNDS

Pandemic is an episode of an illness that happens over a wide geographic zone, (for example, different nations or countries) and regularly influences a huge extent of the population, which is in our case a virus called COVID-19. The problem or the gap lies in the houses and type of residents we have now, that aren’t adaptable and flexible enough to survive a pandemic while focusing on social distancing, safe living, and many other decisions, all the while keeping the human interaction alive. Therefore, the main aim of this research is to propose guidelines on how new smart architectural elements can help reduce the effect of the pandemic in residential compounds and create a quasi-utopian living. The research therefore will depend on a scientific methodology through analyzing different literature reviews to create a theoretical base. Then, the derived parameters will be used to inspect a case study on a site in Achrafieh, a part of the residential area of the city which is an affected area from Beirut’s Port explosion. Data will be collected from site visits, photographs, and interviews. This site will be visualized to be an experimental location for a residential compound controlled by smart architectural elements such as Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Automation, the use of sensors, during a pandemic. As a conclusion, it is important to go smart on the level of architectural elements, especially through such a pandemic, which should be considered as a design potential and a good risk to take, and not a threat

PROPOSING GUIDELINES TO UPGRADE THE OPEN PUBLIC SPACES IN THE INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS

Informal Settlements have expanded rapidly in the last fifty years and have kept rising. With rapid population expansion has come an increase in haphazard urbanisation and informal settlements, frequently referred as slums. Defined as a settlement that was formed in an unplanned and uncontrolled way, which means they are mostly unrecognized. Unfortunately, focusing on the problem of current challenges in informal settlements, on the socio-cultural and environmental levels, which are facing a massive shift in the quality of life in these sites, this is reflected in urban fragmentations, social and infrastructures are lacking, service systems that have become progressively inefficient over time, a shortage of open public spaces, and inequality. Which all influence the urban environment. This paper, therefore, aims to provide guidelines to upgrade the open public spaces in the informal settlements to evolve these sites. To achieve this aim, the paper will follow a scientific methodology, starting by presenting a literature review highlighting the definition of an informal settlement, recognizing its causes, types, and its relation to the city. As a focused case study, the research will tackle Taamir district in Saida applying the field method, which are primarily inhabited by refugees, abandoned peoples, and fragmented families, as a scoped case study. This methodology investigated the challenges of its residents and proceeded with recommendations to improve their quality of life. These guidelines may be used to all those communities while considering the conditions of each region. As a conclusion, improving the quality of life in informal settlements includes ensuring that resident’s academic, economic, environmental, and socio-cultural issues are addressed

ROLE OF 3D PRINTED GREEN WALLS IN HEALING ARCHITECTURE

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has become a fundamental issue in modern global technology, touching practically every element of modern human life.Three-dimensional (3D) printing (also known as additive manufacturing) is an advanced manufacturing technology that can autonomously manufacture complicated shape geometries from a 3D computer-aided design model without the use of equipment or fixtures.However, there is a friction between traditional designs and the rise of 3D printed technology when it comes to architectural healing approaches, and this adaptability is hurting human healing tactics that are dependent on the relationship between space and environment.Due to its capacity to create products in a wide range of materials rapidly and at a lower cost, additive manufacturing is having a significant impact on production in a variety of areas. Even though it encompasses a wide range of techniques and applications, additive manufacturing (AM) may be described as a system for converting solid model data from a computer-based model into a physical prototype by the incremental addition of material via layer superposition. Therefore, this research aims to examine the 3d printed green walls as new proposed design elements that can upgrade the natural healing architecture. To achieve this goal, the study begins with a literature review that includes scientific methodology based on principles that assist architects dealing with advanced tools in transforming their intentions from digital to analogue means as part of a controlled system intended to innovate design and construction principles of the use of 3D printed green walls. It will also assist in the quest for a concept design that confronts the regeneration of a new spatial delineation ideology

EXTENDING THE ROLE OF ARCHITECTURE INTERVENTION ACROSS THE DISASTER LIFE CYCLE

Disasters have been a common occurrence since the beginning of time, yet they are increasing phenomenally worldwide and especially in developing countries. Factors that led to the cause of destructive disasters are often complex and interrelated; researchers detect human influence and rapid development is intensifying the damage and scale of disaster-prone areas through urban sprawl and human interference. Observing the disaster life cycle, it is made up of four stages: preparedness stage, resilience and mitigation stage, response and relief stage, and finally reconstruction and recovery stage. The main focus usually lies in the response and relief stage which comes immediately after the disaster has struck. The aim of this research is to extend the architectural intervention across all stages of the disaster; using a dynamic disaster response system made up of three components, primarily a disaster educational centre that can reliably respond to any disaster occurrence using a network of prebuilt structures spread across the perimeters of disaster-prone areas. The structures help with strategic preparedness, promote resilience, mitigating damage and spread, provide recovery and relief, and aid in eventual reforestations and reconstructions. As well as, designed to host an adaptable module of prefabricated units that can be easily mobilized and transported to plug-in to the host structures; the hosting structures will also provide a mechanical response across all stages of the disaster life cycle with a minimum disruptive footprint. Utilizing primarily the inductive method, this research will analyse the effectiveness of this unconventional architectural design approach in how it functions both reactively and strategically across all stages of any disaster life cycle. The paper also relies on analytical and deductive methods to help portray the effectiveness of the unconventional architectural design approach in how it functions both reactively and strategically across all stages of any disaster life cycle

FROM WASTE TO ENERGY: REUSE OF LANDFILLS TO CREATE ECO-FRIENDLY SPACES

Waste to Energy (W to E) minimize the amount of waste sent to landfill, which also reduces negative impacts on the environment. This problem has been a common occurrence since the beginning of time. Waste to Energy will assist in the creation of a low-carbon society. Currently, the challenge behind reaching Eco-friendly space is a result of the continuity of incineration and landfill uncontrolled Municipal Solid waste on slopes and seashore. This environmental disaster as worldwide landfill is oversaturated and can collapse at any moment and cause dangerous damage to the environment. The average trash production increased phenomenally worldwide, resulting in numerous environmental and health concerns. The landfill\u27s greatest height point reached 30 meters, which is much above the minimum-engineered height. Renewable Energy refers to a variety of treatment technologies that convert waste into sustainable development like electricity, heat, fuel or other usable material, as well as a variety of waste. Renewable Energy is divided into four categories: thermal, mechanical, thermochemical and biochemical. Therefore, this research aims to establish guidelines to Reuse the Landfills and create Eco-Friendly Spaces, explore the potential of landfills in reused as new recreational Eco-friendly spaces and to establish Renewable energy. To achieve this aim, the paper will follow a scientific methodology, starting with a literature review highlighting the definition of Waste to Energy, understanding its causes and types, then focus on different methods applying for this disaster and its relation to the city. As focused case study, this paper summarizes the methodology for applying Renewable Energy and transforming the mountain of garbage into entertainment and amusement park. As a conclusion, this research will analyze the effectiveness of Waste to Energy and how it functions strategically in order to improve the quality of life

An Autonomous Wearable Sensor Node for Long-Term Healthcare Monitoring Powered by a Photovoltaic Energy Harvesting System

oai:ojs.ijet.ise.pw.edu.pl:article/2503In this paper, an autonomous wearable sensor node is developed for long-term continuous healthcare monitoring. This node is used to monitor the body temperature and heart rate of a human through a mobile application. Thus, it includes a temperature sensor, a heart pulse sensor, a low-power microcontroller, and a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) module. The power supply of the node is a lithium-ion rechargeable battery, but this battery has a limited lifetime. Therefore, a photovoltaic (PV) energy harvesting system is proposed to prolong the battery lifetime of the sensor node. The PV energy harvesting system consists of a flexible photovoltaic panel, and a charging controller. This PV energy harvesting system is practically tested outdoor under lighting intensity of 1000 W/m2. Experimentally, the overall power consumption of the node is 4.97 mW and its lifetime about 246 hours in active-sleep mode. Finally, the experimental results demonstrate long-term and sustainable operation for the wearable sensor node

EXPLORING POTENTIALS OF LEFTOVER SPACES USING URBAN METAMORPHOSIS

In a dynamic world, the challenge behind reaching utopia is a result of the continuity of change and the metamorphosis. Metamorphosis, from the Greek meta signifying the change and morphe referring to the form, is a change and adaptation of the form or nature of something into a different one through time. However, when it comes to urban metamorphosis, it is a tension between the traditional living and the raise of technology through history, and this adaptation is affecting cities, buildings, identity, and environment. Urban metamorphosis of undeveloped non-organized cities had created urban and social fragmentation; unorganized cities are broken urban fabrics disconnected by bare lands. Therefore, this research aims to establish guidelines to metamorphic the leftover lands to create utopian spaces in the cities. To achieve this aim the study starts with a literature review including previous opinion in the field of study, and the case study analysis of the neighborhood of Bachoura in Beirut city; a disconnected neighborhood from Beirut central city. The urban fabric of this neighborhood needs to reconsider preserving the identity which goes back to 1960s, and to reconsidering the use of the urban leftover spaces in revitalizing the district. A holistic approach of urban integration among built and natural environment, changes the way people occupy a place and get attached to it

APPLYING METAMORPHOSIS PHILOSOPHY TO REVIVE THE ABANDONED BUILDINGS

The metamorphosis philosophy is related to architecture, for instance this translation is showcased in the transformation of spaces in buildings that is either done by the destruction or modification of the architectural product. Unfortunately, many buildings, structures and spaces are left abandoned because of changing situations, war, or natural causes. These abandoned buildings can increase the crime rate and leave lands covered in leftover spaces which can have drastic consequences on the environment. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to propose a set of design approaches that can apply the philosophy of metamorphosis in the revival of abandoned buildings with the goal of discovering adaptive solutions for abandoned buildings through their transformation. Hence, to accomplish this aim, this paper will cover accordingly a literature review, desk research case studies and previous readings about the relation of metamorphosis to abandoned buildings. Through the analysis, the research will detect ways of applying space transformation to abandoned buildings and will test the role of metamorphosis in reviving a place. That being the case, the paper will highlight on the reuse of abandoned buildings in Mar Mikhael, Lebanon as a case study