Edge analytics in the internet of things

High-data-rate sensors are becoming ubiquitous in the Internet of Things. GigaSight is an Internet-scale repository of crowd-sourced video content that enforces privacy preferences and access controls. The architecture is a federated system of VM-based cloudlets that perform video analytics at the edge of the Internet

Chemical interactions between metal ions and polymer surfaces

Fluoropolymers may be treated with sodium naphthalenide (Na/naphth) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) or laminated with copper sheet so as to increase their ability to form adhesive bonds with other polymers or metals. First, qualitative and quantitative analysis of the chemical modification which results from Na/naphth treatment were done using a range of derivatizations coupled with infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV), and X-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopic techniques. The etched layer thickness increased with treatment time, to over 300 nm after 4 hrs Na/naphth treatment. After 60 minutes treatment of a perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) film, the surface was defluorinated to a depth of 115 nm, with almost all the carbons in that region being functionalized in some fashion. Na/naphth treatment introduces C-H, C=O, C-OH, $C{\equiv}C$, and C=C functionalities in the surface of PFA. Carbonyl groups were present at 3.3 $\times$ 10\sp{-9} equivalents/cm\sp2 of film surface, which, averaged over the 115 nm affected depth, is equivalent to about 0.25 carbonyls per 100 carbons. The carbonyl content increased with increasing storage time in air. The other major functionalities were alkene (26 per 100 carbons), with a conjugation length of 10, alkyne (18 per 100 C), aliphatic CH (3.5 per 100 C), hydroxyl (0.30 per 100 C), and carboxylic acid ($\u3c$0.02 per 100 C). A comparison of the IR and XPS data shows that the unsaturation was distributed relatively uniformly through the 115 nm, while the carbonyl and hydroxyl species were concentrated in the top few nm. It was also found that the etching rate depended more strongly on the surface area of the fluoropolymer rather than on the fluoropolymer type or surface crystallinity. Of the materials studied, the etching rate increased with increasing surface roughness, but showed no correlation to amorphous and crystalline morphology.^ Also the modification of the fluoropolymer surface by contact with a copper sheet was evaluated using XPS, IR-IRS and DRIFT techniques. An increase of the oxygen content and the carbon-carbon double bond group absorption were identified, but the depth of modification was much less than that of the Na/naphth treatment.^ The interaction of the acid form sulfonated polystyrene (SPS) with metal oxides (iron oxide and copper oxide) was identified using IR-RAS and DRIFT. The interaction was identified as salt formation between SO\sbsp{3}{-} of SPS and the metal oxide. By heating above T\sb{g}, the interaction between SPS and a steel shim was increased.^ The above results can be used to optimize the adhesion of fluoropolymers and SPS to other polymers or metals.

System Infrastructure for Mobile-Cloud Convergence

<p>The convergence of mobile computing and cloud computing enables new mobile applications that are both resource-intensive and interactive. For these applications, end-to-end network bandwidth and latency matter greatly when cloud resources are used to augment the computational power and battery life of a mobile device. This dissertation designs and implements a new architectural element called a cloudlet, that arises from the convergence of mobile computing and cloud computing. Cloudlets represent the middle tier of a 3-tier hierarchy, mobile device — cloudlet—cloud, to achieve the right balance between cloud consolidation and network responsiveness. We first present quantitative evidence that shows cloud location can affect the performance of mobile applications and cloud consolidation. We then describe an architectural solution using cloudlets that are a seamless extension of todays cloud computing infrastructure. Finally, we define minimal functionalities that cloudlets must offer above/beyond standard cloud computing, and address corresponding technical challenges.</p

Temperature-induced phase separation of side-chain LCP/LMWLC blends

A blend of side-chain liquid crystal polymer (SCLCP) and low molecular weight liquid crystal (LMWLC) was used to investigate a phase separation behavior induced by temperature. Phase separation at room temperature was observed only for the compositions higher than 60 wt% LMWLC because of good miscibility between two components. An interesting phenomenon was observed when the film transmittance for a phase-separated sample as a function of temperature was measured under cross-polarizer. That is, transmittance below T(NI) of LMWLC was observed lower than that below T(SI) of SCLCP, which was not expected initially. The fact was considered as a micro-phase separation induced by an interfacial effect between SCLCP and LMWLC phaseopen8

Lowering the Barriers to Large-Scale Mobile Crowdsensing

Mobile crowdsensing is becoming a vital technique for environment monitoring, infrastructure management, and social computing. However, deploying mobile crowdsensing applications in large-scale environments is not a trivial task. It creates a tremendous burden on application developers as well as mobile users. In this paper we try to reveal the barriers hampering the scale-up of mobile crowdsensing applications, and to offer our initial thoughts on the potential solutions to lowering the barriers. 1

Towards Wearable Cognitive Assistance

We describe the architecture and prototype implementation of an assistive system based on Google Glass devices for users in cognitive decline. It combines the first-person image capture and sensing capabilities of Glass with cloud processing to perform real-time scene interpretation. The system architecture is multi-tiered. It offers tight end-to-end latency bounds on compute-intensive operations, while addressing concerns such as limited battery capacity and limited processing capability of wearable devices. The system gracefully degrades services in the face of network failures and unavailability of distant architectural tiers