Autonomous service composition in symbiotic networks

Part 2: PhD Workshop: Autonomic Network and Service ManagementInternational audienceTo cope with the ever-growing number of wired and wireless networks, we introduce the notion of so-called symbiotic networks. These networks seamlessly operate across layers and over network boundaries, resulting in improved scalability, dependability, and energy efficiency. This particular Ph.D. research focuses on software services operating in such symbiotic networks. When two or more networks merge, the services provided on them may be combined into a service composition that is much more than the sum of its parts. Driven by two distinct use cases, we aim to enable fully autonomous service composition and resource provisioning. For the first use case, an in-building over-the-top service platform, we describe a software architecture and a set of generic resource provisioning algorithms. The second use case, which focuses on wireless body area networks, will allow us to expand our research domain into highly dynamic symbiotic network environments, where services appear and disappear more frequently

Design of an autonomous software platform for future symbiotic service management

Nowadays, public as well as private communication infrastructures are all contending for the same limited amount of bandwidth. To optimally share network resources, symbiotic networks have been proposed, which cross logical and physical boundaries to improve the reliability, scalability, and energy efficiency of the network as a whole as well as its constituents. This paper focuses on software services in such symbiotic networks. We propose a platform for the intelligent composition of services provided by symbiotically connected parties, resulting in novel cooperation opportunities. The platform harvests Semantic Web technology to describe services in a highly expressive manner, and constructs service compositions using SeCoA, our tunable best-first search algorithm. The resulting compositions are then enacted via CaPI, a reconfigurable middleware infrastructure. By means of an illustrative scenario, we provide further insight into the platform's functioning

Symbiotic service composition in distributed sensor networks

To cope with the evergrowing number of colocated networks and the density they exhibit, we introduce symbiotic networks-networks that intelligently share resources and autonomously adapt to the dynamicity thereof. By allowing the software services provided in such networks to operate in an equally symbiotic manner, new opportunities for the so-called service compositions arise, which take advantage of the multitude of services and combine them to achieve goals set out by the individual networks. To accommodate services in large-scale symbiotic networks, including wireless sensor networks, we propose a software platform which autonomously constructs and orchestrates such compositions. Furthermore, upon changes in the infrastructure, the platform responds by adapting compositions to reflect the changed context. To enable the interaction between services offered by arbitrary partners, the platform deploys ontologies to achieve a common vocabulary and semantic rules to express the policies imposed by the networks involved. By applying the platform to typical scenarios from the field of sensor-augmented cargo transportation and logistics, we illustrate its applicability and, through performance evaluation, show a significant increase in process efficiency. Additionally, by means of a generic problem generator, we quantify the scalability of our platform and show the importance of an appropriate priority function, one of the core constituents of our service composition approach

The effect of wind turbines alongside motorways on drivers’ behaviour

This paper presents the results of a first study aimed at investigating whether the presence of wind turbines in close proximity to motorways leads to behavioural adaptations among passing drivers. Empirical data from loop detectors and temporary video cameras were analysed in a study employing a before-and-after design at a site near Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Analyses of driving speed and standard deviation of speed (corrected for trend effects through the use of control sites) were performed as well as analyses of the lateral position and standard deviation of the lateral position and an observation of serious traffic conflicts. The results showed that constructing wind turbines alongside a motorway led to some clearly observable effects on drivers’ behaviour. The analyses of the speed data showed that the mean speed was lowered by 2.24km/h (corrected for trend effects) after the construction of the wind turbines while the standard deviation of the speed significantly increased. After the construction of the wind turbines, drivers took a lateral position somewhat more to the left-hand side in their driving lane. There was an indication close to the 0.05 significance level (p=0.057) that the standard deviation of the lateral position slightly increased when the rotor blades were in transversal position. In the before period as well as in the after period, no serious traffic conflicts were registered. The increase in standard deviation of speed and in lateral position are two factors that intrinsically can have an unfavourable effect on road safety. However, the observed order of magnitude of the change was shown to be quite limited. Earlier research suggests that negative effects on road safety are only expected for changes substantially greater than the ones that were observed in this study. On the other hand, there was a significant reduction in driving speed, which might have a favourable effect on the expected number and severity of crashes, although it could also be a compensatory mechanism that indirectly indicates a reduced driving performance. From these findings, it can be concluded that, based on the observed variables, no substantial negative effects for road safety were found in the present study. The authors recommend continuous monitoring and further research on the topic

A novel hybrid 3D endoscope zooming and repositioning system : design and feasibility study

Background: Manipulation of the endoscope during minimally invasive surgery is a major source of inconvenience and discomfort. This report elucidates the architecture of a novel one-hand controlled endoscope positioning device and presents a practicability evaluation. Methods and materials: Setup time and total surgery time, number and duration of the manipulations, side effects of three-dimensional (3D) imaging, and ergonomic complaints were assessed by three surgeons during cadaveric and in vivo porcine trials. Results: Setup was accomplished in an average (SD) of 230 (120) seconds. The manipulation time was 3.87 (1.77) seconds for angular movements and 0.83 (0.24) seconds for zooming, with an average (SD) of 30.5 (16.3) manipulations per procedure. No side effects of 3D imaging or ergonomic complaints were reported. Conclusions: The integration of an active zoom into a passive endoscope holder delivers a convenient synergy between a human and a machine-controlled holding device. It is shown to be safe, simple, and intuitive to use and allows unrestrained autonomic control of the endoscope by the surgeon