Internet-Based Supervisory Teleoperation of a Virtual Humanoid Robot

This paper describes the approach used by the Sarbot-Team for controlling the Atlas humanoid robot during the DARPA Virtual Robotics Challenge that took place in June 2013. Herein we present a proposal for overcoming the restrictions on performance caused by limited bandwidth, high latency and the effects of signal degradation induced by beyond line of sight (BLOS) conditions, RF interference, and other related circumstances. Experimental evaluation confirmed the effectiveness of our approach and present an alternative for coping with constrained communication conditions during the control of humanoid robot deployed at unattended areas.

An iPhone-based application for promoting type 2 diabetic patients self- management towards healthy lifestyle habits

— In 2000, according to the World Health Organization, at least 171 million people, 2.8% of the population worldwide, suffered from diabetes. The Centres for Disease Control has defined it as an epidemic disease. Its incidence is increasing rapidly, and it is estimated that by 2030 this number will almost double. Diabetes mellitus occurs throughout the world, but is more common (especially type 2) in the more developed countries. Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when pancreas does not assure enough insulin secretion or when the body does not consume the insulin produced. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar. The effect of uncontrolled diabetes is the hyperglycaemia (blood sugar), which eventually seriously damage many organs and systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels. Diabetes type 2 (most common type of diabetes) is highly correlated with elderly people, obesity or overweight. Promoting a healthy lifestyle helps patients to improve their quality of life and in many cases to avoid complications related to the disease. This paper is intended to describe an iPhone-based application for self-management of type 2 diabetic patients, which allow them improving their lifestyle through healthy diet, physical activity and education

A knowledge based application for industrialization design

After being designed, a product has to be manufactured, which means converting concepts and information into a real, physical object. This requires a big amount of resources and a careful planning. The product manufacturing must be designed too, and that is called Industrialization Design. An accepted methodology for this activity is starting defining simple structures and then progressively increasing the detail degree of the manufacturing solution. The impact of decisions taken at first stages of Industrialization Design is remarkable, and software tools to assist designers are required. In this paper a Knowledge Based Application prototype for the Industrialization Design is presented. The application is implemented within the environment CATIA V5/DELMIA. A case study with a simple Product from aerospace sector illustrates the prototype development.

A knowledge based application for industrialization design

After being designed, a product has to be manufactured, which means converting concepts and information into a real, physical object. This requires a big amount of resources and a careful planning. The product manufacturing must be designed too, and that is called Industrialization Design. An accepted methodology for this activity is starting defining simple structures and then progressively increasing the detail degree of the manufacturing solution. The impact of decisions taken at first stages of Industrialization Design is remarkable, and software tools to assist designers are required. In this paper a Knowledge Based Application prototype for the Industrialization Design is presented. The application is implemented within the environment CATIA V5/DELMIA. A case study with a simple Product from aerospace sector illustrates the prototype development.

Hammer: an Android based application for end-user industrial robot programming

This paper presents a novel tablet based end-user interface for industrial robot programming (called Hammer). This application makes easier to program tasks for industrial robots like polishing, milling or grinding. It is based on the Scratch programming language, but specifically design and created for Android OS. It is a visual programming concept that allows non-skilled programmer operators to create programs. The application also allows to monitor the tasks while it is being executed by overlapping real time information through augmented reality. The application includes a teach pendant screen that can be customized according to the operator needs at every moment.

A web-based application for the management and evaluation of tutoring requests in PBL-based massive laboratories

One important steps in a successful project-based-learning methodology (PBL) is the process of providing the students with a convenient feedback that allows them to keep on developing their projects or to improve them. However, this task is more difficult in massive courses, especially when the project deadline is close. Besides, the continuous evaluation methodology makes necessary to find ways to objectively and continuously measure students' performance without increasing excessively instructors' work load. In order to alleviate these problems, we have developed a web service that allows students to request personal tutoring assistance during the laboratory sessions by specifying the kind of problem they have and the person who could help them to solve it. This service provides tools for the staff to manage the laboratory, for performing continuous evaluation for all students and for the student collaborators, and to prioritize tutoring according to the progress of the student's project. Additionally, the application provides objective metrics which can be used at the end of the subject during the evaluation process in order to support some students' final scores. Different usability statistics and the results of a subjective evaluation with more than 330 students confirm the success of the proposed application.

Análisis de los factores determinantes de la repetición del proceso de compra en el comercio electrónico entre empresas y consumidores finales. Aplicación al mercado español

Las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación en general e Internet en particular han supuesto una revolución en nuestra forma de comunicarnos, relacionarnos, producir, comprar y vender acortando tiempo y distancias entre proveedores y consumidores. A la paulatina penetración del ordenador, los teléfonos inteligentes y la banda ancha fija y/o móvil ha seguido un mayor uso de estas tecnologías entre ciudadanos y empresas. El comercio electrónico empresa–consumidor (B2C) alcanzó en 2010 en España un volumen de 9.114 millones de euros, con un incremento del 17,4% respecto al dato registrado en 2009. Este crecimiento se ha producido por distintos hechos: un incremento en el porcentaje de internautas hasta el 65,1% en 2010 de los cuales han adquirido productos o servicios a través de la Red un 43,1% –1,6 puntos porcentuales más respecto a 2010–. Por otra parte, el gasto medio por comprador ha ascendido a 831€ en 2010, lo que supone un incremento del 10,9% respecto al año anterior. Si segmentamos a los compradores según por su experiencia anterior de compra podemos encontrar dos categorías: el comprador novel –que adquirió por primera vez productos o servicios en 2010– y el comprador constante –aquel que había adquirido productos o servicios en 2010 y al menos una vez en años anteriores–. El 85,8% de los compradores se pueden considerar como compradores constantes: habían comprado en la Red en 2010, pero también lo habían hecho anteriormente. El comprador novel tiene un perfil sociodemográfico de persona joven de entre 15–24 años, con estudios secundarios, de clase social media y media–baja, estudiante no universitario, residente en poblaciones pequeñas y sigue utilizando fórmulas de pago como el contra–reembolso (23,9%). Su gasto medio anual ascendió en 2010 a 449€. El comprador constante, o comprador que ya había comprado en Internet anteriormente, tiene un perfil demográfico distinto: estudios superiores, clase alta, trabajador y residente en grandes ciudades, con un comportamiento maduro en la compra electrónica dada su mayor experiencia –utiliza con mayor intensidad canales exclusivos en Internet que no disponen de tienda presencial–. Su gasto medio duplica al observado en compradores noveles (con una media de 930€ anuales). Por tanto, los compradores constantes suponen una mayoría de los compradores con un gasto medio que dobla al comprador que ha adoptado el medio recientemente. Por consiguiente es de interés estudiar los factores que predicen que un internauta vuelva a adquirir un producto o servicio en la Red. La respuesta a esta pregunta no se ha revelado sencilla. En España, la mayoría de productos y servicios aún se adquieren de manera presencial, con una baja incidencia de las ventas a distancia como la teletienda, la venta por catálogo o la venta a través de Internet. Para dar respuesta a las preguntas planteadas se ha investigado desde distintos puntos de vista: se comenzará con un estudio descriptivo desde el punto de vista de la demanda que trata de caracterizar la situación del comercio electrónico B2C en España, poniendo el foco en las diferencias entre los compradores constantes y los nuevos compradores. Posteriormente, la investigación de modelos de adopción y continuidad en el uso de las tecnologías y de los factores que inciden en dicha continuidad –con especial interés en el comercio electrónico B2C–, permiten afrontar el problema desde la perspectiva de las ecuaciones estructurales pudiendo también extraer conclusiones de tipo práctico. Este trabajo sigue una estructura clásica de investigación científica: en el capítulo 1 se introduce el tema de investigación, continuando con una descripción del estado de situación del comercio electrónico B2C en España utilizando fuentes oficiales (capítulo 2). Posteriormente se desarrolla el marco teórico y el estado del arte de modelos de adopción y de utilización de las tecnologías (capítulo 3) y de los factores principales que inciden en la adopción y continuidad en el uso de las tecnologías (capítulo 4). El capítulo 5 desarrolla las hipótesis de la investigación y plantea los modelos teóricos. Las técnicas estadísticas a utilizar se describen en el capítulo 6, donde también se analizan los resultados empíricos sobre los modelos desarrollados en el capítulo 5. El capítulo 7 expone las principales conclusiones de la investigación, sus limitaciones y propone nuevas líneas de investigación. La primera parte corresponde al capítulo 1, que introduce la investigación justificándola desde un punto de vista teórico y práctico. También se realiza una breve introducción a la teoría del comportamiento del consumidor desde una perspectiva clásica. Se presentan los principales modelos de adopción y se introducen los modelos de continuidad de utilización que se estudiarán más detalladamente en el capítulo 3. En este capítulo se desarrollan los objetivos principales y los objetivos secundarios, se propone el mapa mental de la investigación y se planifican en un cronograma los principales hitos del trabajo. La segunda parte corresponde a los capítulos dos, tres y cuatro. En el capítulo 2 se describe el comercio electrónico B2C en España utilizando fuentes secundarias. Se aborda un diagnóstico del sector de comercio electrónico y su estado de madurez en España. Posteriormente, se analizan las diferencias entre los compradores constantes, principal interés de este trabajo, frente a los compradores noveles, destacando las diferencias de perfiles y usos. Para los dos segmentos se estudian aspectos como el lugar de acceso a la compra, la frecuencia de compra, los medios de pago utilizados o las actitudes hacia la compra. El capítulo 3 comienza desarrollando los principales conceptos sobre la teoría del comportamiento del consumidor, para continuar estudiando los principales modelos de adopción de tecnología existentes, analizando con especial atención su aplicación en comercio electrónico. Posteriormente se analizan los modelos de continuidad en el uso de tecnologías (Teoría de la Confirmación de Expectativas; Teoría de la Justicia), con especial atención de nuevo a su aplicación en el comercio electrónico. Una vez estudiados los principales modelos de adopción y continuidad en el uso de tecnologías, el capítulo 4 analiza los principales factores que se utilizan en los modelos: calidad, valor, factores basados en la confirmación de expectativas –satisfacción, utilidad percibida– y factores específicos en situaciones especiales –por ejemplo, tras una queja– como pueden ser la justicia, las emociones o la confianza. La tercera parte –que corresponde al capítulo 5– desarrolla el diseño de la investigación y la selección muestral de los modelos. En la primera parte del capítulo se enuncian las hipótesis –que van desde lo general a lo particular, utilizando los factores específicos analizados en el capítulo 4– para su posterior estudio y validación en el capítulo 6 utilizando las técnicas estadísticas apropiadas. A partir de las hipótesis, y de los modelos y factores estudiados en los capítulos 3 y 4, se definen y vertebran dos modelos teóricos originales que den respuesta a los retos de investigación planteados en el capítulo 1. En la segunda parte del capítulo se diseña el trabajo empírico de investigación definiendo los siguientes aspectos: alcance geográfico–temporal, tipología de la investigación, carácter y ambiente de la investigación, fuentes primarias y secundarias utilizadas, técnicas de recolección de datos, instrumentos de medida utilizados y características de la muestra utilizada. Los resultados del trabajo de investigación constituyen la cuarta parte de la investigación y se desarrollan en el capítulo 6, que comienza analizando las técnicas estadísticas basadas en Modelos de Ecuaciones Estructurales. Se plantean dos alternativas, modelos confirmatorios correspondientes a Métodos Basados en Covarianzas (MBC) y modelos predictivos. De forma razonada se eligen las técnicas predictivas dada la naturaleza exploratoria de la investigación planteada. La segunda parte del capítulo 6 desarrolla el análisis de los resultados de los modelos de medida y modelos estructurales construidos con indicadores formativos y reflectivos y definidos en el capítulo 4. Para ello se validan, sucesivamente, los modelos de medida y los modelos estructurales teniendo en cuenta los valores umbrales de los parámetros estadísticos necesarios para la validación. La quinta parte corresponde al capítulo 7, que desarrolla las conclusiones basándose en los resultados del capítulo 6, analizando los resultados desde el punto de vista de las aportaciones teóricas y prácticas, obteniendo conclusiones para la gestión de las empresas. A continuación, se describen las limitaciones de la investigación y se proponen nuevas líneas de estudio sobre distintos temas que han ido surgiendo a lo largo del trabajo. Finalmente, la bibliografía recoge todas las referencias utilizadas a lo largo de este trabajo. Palabras clave: comprador constante, modelos de continuidad de uso, continuidad en el uso de tecnologías, comercio electrónico, B2C, adopción de tecnologías, modelos de adopción tecnológica, TAM, TPB, IDT, UTAUT, ECT, intención de continuidad, satisfacción, confianza percibida, justicia, emociones, confirmación de expectativas, calidad, valor, PLS. ABSTRACT Information and Communication Technologies in general, but more specifically those related to the Internet in particular, have changed the way in which we communicate, relate to one another, produce, and buy and sell products, reducing the time and shortening the distance between suppliers and consumers. The steady breakthrough of computers, Smartphones and landline and/or wireless broadband has been greatly reflected in its large scale use by both individuals and businesses. Business–to–consumer (B2C) e–commerce reached a volume of 9,114 million Euros in Spain in 2010, representing a 17.4% increase with respect to the figure in 2009. This growth is due in part to two different facts: an increase in the percentage of web users to 65.1% en 2010, 43.1% of whom have acquired products or services through the Internet– which constitutes 1.6 percentage points higher than 2010. On the other hand, the average spending by individual buyers rose to 831€ en 2010, constituting a 10.9% increase with respect to the previous year. If we select buyers according to whether or not they have previously made some type of purchase, we can divide them into two categories: the novice buyer–who first made online purchases in 2010– and the experienced buyer: who also made purchases in 2010, but had done so previously as well. The socio–demographic profile of the novice buyer is that of a young person between 15–24 years of age, with secondary studies, middle to lower–middle class, and a non–university educated student who resides in smaller towns and continues to use payment methods such as cash on delivery (23.9%). In 2010, their average purchase grew to 449€. The more experienced buyer, or someone who has previously made purchases online, has a different demographic profile: highly educated, upper class, resident and worker in larger cities, who exercises a mature behavior when making online purchases due to their experience– this type of buyer frequently uses exclusive channels on the Internet that don’t have an actual store. His or her average purchase doubles that of the novice buyer (with an average purchase of 930€ annually.) That said, the experienced buyers constitute the majority of buyers with an average purchase that doubles that of novice buyers. It is therefore of interest to study the factors that help to predict whether or not a web user will buy another product or use another service on the Internet. The answer to this question has proven not to be so simple. In Spain, the majority of goods and services are still bought in person, with a low amount of purchases being made through means such as the Home Shopping Network, through catalogues or Internet sales. To answer the questions that have been posed here, an investigation has been conducted which takes into consideration various viewpoints: it will begin with a descriptive study from the perspective of the supply and demand that characterizes the B2C e–commerce situation in Spain, focusing on the differences between experienced buyers and novice buyers. Subsequently, there will be an investigation concerning the technology acceptance and continuity of use of models as well as the factors that have an effect on their continuity of use –with a special focus on B2C electronic commerce–, which allows for a theoretic approach to the problem from the perspective of the structural equations being able to reach practical conclusions. This investigation follows the classic structure for a scientific investigation: the subject of the investigation is introduced (Chapter 1), then the state of the B2C e–commerce in Spain is described citing official sources of information (Chapter 2), the theoretical framework and state of the art of technology acceptance and continuity models are developed further (Chapter 3) and the main factors that affect their acceptance and continuity (Chapter 4). Chapter 5 explains the hypothesis behind the investigation and poses the theoretical models that will be confirmed or rejected partially or completely. In Chapter 6, the technical statistics that will be used are described briefly as well as an analysis of the empirical results of the models put forth in Chapter 5. Chapter 7 explains the main conclusions of the investigation, its limitations and proposes new projects. First part of the project, chapter 1, introduces the investigation, justifying it from a theoretical and practical point of view. It is also a brief introduction to the theory of consumer behavior from a standard perspective. Technology acceptance models are presented and then continuity and repurchase models are introduced, which are studied more in depth in Chapter 3. In this chapter, both the main and the secondary objectives are developed through a mind map and a timetable which highlights the milestones of the project. The second part of the project corresponds to Chapters Two, Three and Four. Chapter 2 describes the B2C e–commerce in Spain from the perspective of its demand, citing secondary official sources. A diagnosis concerning the e–commerce sector and the status of its maturity in Spain is taken on, as well as the barriers and alternative methods of e–commerce. Subsequently, the differences between experienced buyers, which are of particular interest to this project, and novice buyers are analyzed, highlighting the differences between their profiles and their main transactions. In order to study both groups, aspects such as the place of purchase, frequency with which online purchases are made, payment methods used and the attitudes of the purchasers concerning making online purchases are taken into consideration. Chapter 3 begins by developing the main concepts concerning consumer behavior theory in order to continue the study of the main existing acceptance models (among others, TPB, TAM, IDT, UTAUT and other models derived from them) – paying special attention to their application in e–commerce–. Subsequently, the models of technology reuse are analyzed (CDT, ECT; Theory of Justice), focusing again specifically on their application in e–commerce. Once the main technology acceptance and reuse models have been studied, Chapter 4 analyzes the main factors that are used in these models: quality, value, factors based on the contradiction of expectations/failure to meet expectations– satisfaction, perceived usefulness– and specific factors pertaining to special situations– for example, after receiving a complaint justice, emotions or confidence. The third part– which appears in Chapter 5– develops the plan for the investigation and the sample selection for the models that have been designed. In the first section of the Chapter, the hypothesis is presented– beginning with general ideas and then becoming more specific, using the detailed factors that were analyzed in Chapter 4– for its later study and validation in Chapter 6– as well as the corresponding statistical factors. Based on the hypothesis and the models and factors that were studied in Chapters 3 and 4, two original theoretical models are defined and organized in order to answer the questions posed in Chapter 1. In the second part of the Chapter, the empirical investigation is designed, defining the following aspects: geographic–temporal scope, type of investigation, nature and setting of the investigation, primary and secondary sources used, data gathering methods, instruments according to the extent of their use and characteristics of the sample used. The results of the project constitute the fourth part of the investigation and are developed in Chapter 6, which begins analyzing the statistical techniques that are based on the Models of Structural Equations. Two alternatives are put forth: confirmatory models which correspond to Methods Based on Covariance (MBC) and predictive models– Methods Based on Components–. In a well–reasoned manner, the predictive techniques are chosen given the explorative nature of the investigation. The second part of Chapter 6 explains the results of the analysis of the measurement models and structural models built by the formative and reflective indicators defined in Chapter 4. In order to do so, the measurement models and the structural models are validated one by one, while keeping in mind the threshold values of the necessary statistic parameters for their validation. The fifth part corresponds to Chapter 7 which explains the conclusions of the study, basing them on the results found in Chapter 6 and analyzing them from the perspective of the theoretical and practical contributions, and consequently obtaining conclusions for business management. The limitations of the investigation are then described and new research lines about various topics that came up during the project are proposed. Lastly, all of the references that were used during the project are listed in a final bibliography. Key Words: constant buyer, repurchase models, continuity of use of technology, e–commerce, B2C, technology acceptance, technology acceptance models, TAM, TPB, IDT, UTAUT, ECT, intention of repurchase, satisfaction, perceived trust/confidence, justice, feelings, the contradiction of expectations, quality, value, PLS.

The Role of Patents in the Advent of Web 2.0

Given the significant impact of Web 2.0-related innovations on new Internet-based initiatives, this paper seeks to identify to what extent the main developments are protected by patents and whether patents have had a leading role in the advent of Web 2.0. The article shows that the number of patent applications filed is not that important for many of the Web 2.0 technologies in frequent use and that, of those filed, those granted are even less. The conclusion is that patents do not seem to be a relevant factor in the development of the Web 2.0 (and more generally in dynamic markets) where there is a high degree of innovation and low entry barriers for newcomers.

A New Multidisciplinary Home Care Telemedicine System to Monitor Stable Chronic Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Patients: A Randomized Study

BACKGROUND: Antiretroviral therapy has changed the natural history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in developed countries, where it has become a chronic disease. This clinical scenario requires a new approach to simplify follow-up appointments and facilitate access to healthcare professionals. METHODOLOGY: We developed a new internet-based home care model covering the entire management of chronic HIV-infected patients. This was called Virtual Hospital. We report the results of a prospective randomised study performed over two years, comparing standard care received by HIV-infected patients with Virtual Hospital care. HIV-infected patients with access to a computer and broadband were randomised to be monitored either through Virtual Hospital (Arm I) or through standard care at the day hospital (Arm II). After one year of follow up, patients switched their care to the other arm. Virtual Hospital offered four main services: Virtual Consultations, Telepharmacy, Virtual Library and Virtual Community. A technical and clinical evaluation of Virtual Hospital was carried out. FINDINGS: Of the 83 randomised patients, 42 were monitored during the first year through Virtual Hospital (Arm I) and 41 through standard care (Arm II). Baseline characteristics of patients were similar in the two arms. The level of technical satisfaction with the virtual system was high: 85% of patients considered that Virtual Hospital improved their access to clinical data and they felt comfortable with the videoconference system. Neither clinical parameters [level of CD4+ T lymphocytes, proportion of patients with an undetectable level of viral load (p = 0.21) and compliance levels >90% (p = 0.58)] nor the evaluation of quality of life or psychological questionnaires changed significantly between the two types of care. CONCLUSIONS: Virtual Hospital is a feasible and safe tool for the multidisciplinary home care of chronic HIV patients. Telemedicine should be considered as an appropriate support service for the management of chronic HIV infection. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical-Trials.gov: NCT01117675.

Solución para la delegación de identidad en Sistemas de Gestión de Identidad paneuropeos basada en infraestructuras de certificación y lenguajes formales de asertos de seguridad

La estrategia i2010 de la UE tiene como objetivo garantizar el liderazgo europeo en materia de TIC y poner los beneficios de la Sociedad de la Información al servicio de la economía, la sociedad y la calidad de vida personal, teniendo presente que los éxitos de Europa hasta la fecha se han basado en favorecer la competencia leal en los mercados de las telecomunicaciones y crear un mercado sin fronteras para contenidos y medios de comunicación digitales. En esta línea, la Comisión Europea ha establecido que los distintos estados miembros deben contribuir activamente al desarrollo y uso seguro de los servicios telemáticos entre sus ciudadanos. Más concretamente, atribuye a las Administraciones Públicas, tanto a nivel nacional, regional como local, un papel dinamizador de la Sociedad de la Información que les obliga a ofrecer paulatinamente todos los actos administrativos a los ciudadanos a través de Internet. Como primer paso para el uso seguro de los servicios telemáticos que ofrecen las instituciones públicas se hace preciso dotar a los ciudadanos de una identidad digital que les permita identificarse ante un Proveedor de Servicio o ante otros ciudadanos de manera inequívoca. Por esta razón, la mayoría de países europeos – y otros en el resto del mundo – están promoviendo, sistemas fiables de gestión de identidad electrónica (eIDM), de tal manera que los ciudadanos, las empresas y departamentos gubernamentales (incluso en Estados miembros diferentes) pueden identificar y certificar sus operaciones con precisión, rapidez y sencillez. Sin embargo, la gestión de esta identidad por las Administraciones Públicas supone un importante desafío, acentuado cuando se hace necesaria la interoperabilidad entre Administraciones de diferentes países, puesto que personas y entidades tienen credenciales de identificación diferentes en función de su propio marco jurídico nacional. Consciente del problema, en la Unión Europea se han puesto en marcha una serie de proyectos con el objetivo de conseguir la interoperabilidad de los eIDMs entre las instituciones públicas de diferentes Estados miembros. A pesar de ello, las soluciones adoptadas hasta la fecha son insuficientes porque no prevén todos los posibles casos de interacción del usuario con las instituciones. En concreto, no tienen en cuenta un aspecto muy importante que se ofrece en los distintos sistemas jurídicos nacionales, a saber, la delegación de la identidad, mediante la cual un ciudadano puede autorizar a otro para que actúe en su nombre para acceder a determinados servicios prestados por las instituciones públicas. En esta tesis se realizan un conjunto de aportaciones que dan solución a distintos aspectos de los problemas planteados y que, de forma conjunta, permiten la interoperabilidad y la delegación de identidad en determinados Sistemas de Gestión de Identidad aplicados al entorno de las Administraciones Públicas. En el caso de la delegación, se ha definido un sistema de delegación dinámica de identidad entre dos entidades genéricas que permite solucionar el problema del acceso delegado a los servicios telemáticos ofrecidos por las Administraciones Públicas. La solución propuesta se basa en la generación de un token de delegación, constituido a partir de un Certificado Proxy, que permite a la entidad que delega establecer la delegación de identidad en otra entidad en base a un subconjunto de sus atributos como delegador, estableciendo además, en el propio token de delegación, restricciones en el conjunto de servicios accesibles a la entidad delegada y el tiempo de validez de la delegación. Adicionalmente, se presentan los mecanismos necesarios tanto para poder revocar un token de delegación como para comprobar sin un token de delegación ha sido o no revocado. Para ello se propone una solución para la identificación unívoca de tokens de delegación y la creación de una nueva entidad denominada Autoridad de Revocación de Tokens de Delegación. Entre las características del sistema de delegación propuesto destaca el que es lo suficientemente seguro como para ser utilizado en el entorno de la Administración Pública, que no requiere el uso de mecanismos off‐line para la generación de la delegación y que se puede realizar la delegación de forma instantánea y sin la necesidad de trámites complejos o la participación de un elevado número de entidades. Adicionalmente, el token de delegación propuesto es perfectamente integrable en las infraestructura de clave pública actual lo que hace que, dado que gran parte de las Administraciones Públicas europeas basan sus sistemas de identidad digital en el uso de la PKI y certificados de identidad X.509, la solución pueda ser puesta en marcha en un entorno real sin necesidad de grandes cambios o modificaciones de comportamiento. En lo referente a la interoperabilidad, se realiza un análisis exhaustivo y la correspondiente evaluación de las principales propuestas de Sistemas de Gestión de Identidad orientados a conseguir la interoperabilidad realizadas hasta la fecha en el marco de la Unión Europea y se propone, a alto nivel, una arquitectura de interoperabilidad para la gestión de identidad en las Administraciones Públicas. Dicha arquitectura es lo suficientemente genérica como para poder ser aplicada tanto en el entorno pan‐Europeo como en los entornos nacionales, autonómicos y locales, de tal forma que la interoperabilidad en la gestión de la identidad esté garantizada en todos los niveles de la Administración Pública. Por último, mediante la integración de la solución de delegación dinámica de identidad y la arquitectura de interoperabilidad propuestas se presenta una solución al problema de la delegación en un escenario pan‐Europeo de gestión de identidad, dando lugar a una arquitectura global de interoperabilidad pan‐Europea con soporte a la delegación de identidad. SUMMARY The i2010 European Union Plan aims to ensure European leadership in ICT and to promote the positive contribution that information and communication technologies can make to the economic, social and personal quality of life, bearing in mind that, to date, success in Europe has been based on promoting fair competition in telecommunications markets and on creating a borderless market for contents and digital media. In this line, the European Commission has established that the different member states should contribute actively to the development and secure use of telematic services among their citizens. More specifically, it is attributed to national, regional and local Public Administrations to have a supportive role of the Information Society, requiring them to gradually provide the citizens with Internet‐based access to all administrative procedures acts. As a first step for the secure use of telematic services offered by public institutions, it is necessary to provide the citizens with a digital identity to enable them to identify themselves unequivocally to a Service Provider or to other citizens. For this reason, most European countries ‐ and others in the rest of the world ‐ are promoting reliable systems for managing electronic identity (eIDM), so that citizens, businesses and government departments (even in different Member States) can identify and certify their operations with precision, speed and simplicity. However, the identity management by Public Administrations is a major challenge that becomes more difficult when interoperability between administrations of different countries is needed, due to the fact that individuals and entities have different identification credentials according to their own national legal framework. Aware of the problem, the European Union has launched a series of projects with the aim of achieving interoperability of eIDMs between public institutions of different Member States. However, the solutions adopted to date are insufficient because they do not foresee all possible cases of user interaction with the institutions. In particular, solutions do not take into account a very important aspect that is offered in different national legal systems, namely, the delegation of identity, by which a citizen can authorize another to act on his/her behalf to access certain services provided by public institutions. In this thesis a collection of contributions that provide solution to different aspects of the aforementioned problems are carried out. The solutions, in global, enable interoperability and identity delegation in some of the Identity Management Systems applied to Public Administration environment. In the case of delegation, a dynamic identity delegation system between generic entities is defined. This system makes it possible to solve the problem of delegated access to telematic services offered by Public Administrations. The proposed solution is based on the generation of a piece of information called delegation token. This delegation token, derived from a Proxy Certificate, allows the establishment of identity delegation by an entity that delegates (delegator) in other entity (delegatee) making use of a subset of delegator attributes. It also establishes restrictions on services that can be used by the delegated entity and the expiry date of delegation. In addition to this, the mechanisms necessary to revoke and check the revocation status of a delegation token are presented. To do this, a solution to univocally identify delegation tokens and the creation of a completely new entity, called Token Delegation Revocation Authority, are proposed. The most remarkable characteristics of the proposed delegation system are its security, enough for it to be used in the Public Administration environment, the fact that it does not require off‐line processes in order to generate the delegation, and the possibility of performing the delegation instantaneously and without neither complex processes nor the intervention of a large number of entities. The proposed delegation token can be completely incorporated into current Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). Thus, since most of the European Public Administrations base their digital identity systems on PKI and X.509 identity certificates, the solution can be adopted in a real environment without great changes or performance modifications. Regarding interoperability, an exhaustive analysis and evaluation of most significant proposals on Identity Management Systems that aim to achieve interoperability carried out in the European Union framework until now are performed. A high level identity management interoperability architecture for Public Administrations is also proposed. This architecture is sufficiently generic to be applied to both pan‐European environment and national, regional or local environments, thus interoperability in identity management at all Public Administration levels is guaranteed. Finally, through the integration of the proposed dynamic identity delegation solution and the high level interoperability architecture, a solution to the problem of identity delegation in a pan‐European identity management environment is suggested, leading to a pan‐European global interoperability architecture with identity delegation support.

On the automatic integration of hardware accelerators into FPGA-based embedded systems

This paper proposes an automatic framework for the seamless integration of hardware accelerators, starting from an OpenMP-based application and an XML file describing the HW/SW partitioning. It extends a fully software architecture by generating and integrating the cores, along with the proper interfaces, and the code for scheduling and synchronization. Experimental results show that it is possible to validate different solutions only by varying the input code.

Transductive neurofuzzy-based torque control of a milling process: results of a case study

This paper presents the design and implementation of an intelligent control system based on local neurofuzzy models of the milling process relayed through an Ehternet-based application. Its purpose is to control the spindle torque of a milling process by using an internal model control paradigm to modify the feed rate in real time. The stabilization of cutting cutting torque is especially necessary in milling processes such as high-spedd roughing of steel moulds and dies tha present minor geometric uncertainties. Thus, maintenance of the curring torque increaes the material removal rate and reduces the risk of damage due to excessive spindle vibration, a very sensitive and expensive component in all high-speed milling machines. Torque control is therefore an interesting challenge from an industrial point of view.

Estudio de redes WSN y su aplicación a la ingeniería civil

Las redes inalámbricas están experimentando un gran crecimiento en el campo de la instrumentación electrónica. En concreto las redes de sensores inalámbricas (WSN de Wireless Sensor Network) suponen la opción más ventajosa para su empleo en la instrumentación electrónica ya que sus principales características se acoplan perfectamente a las necesidades. Las WSN permiten la utilización de un número relativamente alto de nodos, están orientadas a sistemas de bajo consumo y funcionamiento con baterías y poseen un ancho de banda adecuado para las necesidades de la instrumentación electrónica. En este proyecto fin de carrera se ha realizado un estudio de las tecnologías inalámbricas disponibles, se han comparado y se ha elegido la tecnología ZigBeeTM por considerarse la más adecuada y la que más se ajusta a las necesidades descritas. En el desarrollo de mi vida profesional se han conectado dos campos teóricamente distantes como son la instrumentación electrónica y la ingeniería civil. En este proyecto se hace una descripción de la instrumentación que se utiliza para controlar estructuras como presas, túneles y puentes y se proponen casos prácticos en los que las redes WSN aportan valor añadido a instrumentación actual y a los sistemas de comunicaciones utilizados. Se definen tanto los sistemas de comunicaciones utilizados actualmente como una serie de sensores utilizados para medir los principales parámetros a controlar en una obra civil. Por último se ha desarrollado una aplicación de prueba de una red ZigBeeTM basada en equipos comerciales del fabricante Digi. consiste en una aplicación desarrollada en entorno web que maneja de forma remota, a través de Internet, las entradas y salidas digitales y analógicas de los nodos que forman la red. Se forma una red ZigBeeTM con un coordinador, un router y un dispositivo final. El Coordinador está integrado en un Gateway que permite acceder a la red ZigBeeTM a través de internet y conocer el estado de los nodos que forman la red. Con los comandos adecuados se puede leer el estado de las entradas y salidas analógicas y digitales y cambiar el estado de una salida digital. ABSTRACT. Wireless networks are experiencing tremendous growth in the field of electronic instrumentation. In particular wireless sensor networks represent the most advantageous for use in electronic instrumentation since its main characteristics fit perfectly to the needs. The WSN allow the use of a relatively large number of nodes, are aimed at low-power systems and battery operation and have an adequate bandwidth for the needs of electronic instrumentation. In this project has made a study of available wireless technologies have been compared and chosen ZigBeeTM technology was considered the most appropriate to the needs described. In the course of my professional life have connected two fields are theoretically distant as electronic instrumentation and civil engineering. In this project, there is a description of the instrumentation used to control structures such as dams, tunnels and bridges and proposes practical cases in which WSN networks add value to current instrumentation and communications systems used. There are defined as communications systems now being used as a set of sensors used to measure the main parameters to be controlled in a civil structure. Finally, I have developed a test application based ZigBeeTM networking equipment maker Digi trading. It consists of a Web-based application developed to manage remotely, via the Internet, the digital and analog inputs and outputs nodes forming the network. ZigBeeTM It forms a network with a coordinator, router and end device. The Coordinator is built into a gateway that allows access to the ZigBeeTM network through internet and know the status of the nodes forming the network. With the appropriate command can read the status of the digital inputs and outputs and change the state of a digital output.

Demo paper: tablet-based visualization of transportation data in Madrid using SPARQLStream

In this demo paper we describe an iOS-based application that allows visualizing live bus transport data in Madrid from static and streaming RDF endpoints, reusing the Web services provided by the bus transport authority in the city and wrapping them using SPARQLStream

Impacto de las redes sociales digitales en la innovación y la ventaja competitiva : un estudio de casos

Internet y las Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones han transformado de manera notable la forma de relacionarse de las personas. Actualmente, la presencia de estas nuevas tecnologías está totalmente asumida e impacta en el día a día de millones de personas en todo el mundo. Dentro de este contexto se presentan las Redes Sociales Digitales como plataformas que han dado lugar a un cambio de mentalidad, creando una nueva forma de comprender y utilizar internet. En este proyecto se ha llevado a cabo un estudio del fenómeno de las redes sociales dentro del mundo empresarial con el fin especificar su viabilidad como herramienta profesional dentro del sector de las TIC en términos de innovación, ventaja competitiva, y riesgo. El desarrollo de este trabajo se ha abarcado en dos partes principales: en primer lugar, un análisis teórico a cerca de las ventajas competitivas que puede ofrecer esta tecnología y cómo se puede traducir en valor real para una empresa. Y en segundo lugar un estudio de casos práctico donde se ha estudiado la experiencia de distintas empresas en el uso del Social Media. Previo a la implementación de estos puntos, este estudio se ha enmarcado dentro del mundo de las TIC, presentando conceptos como la web 2.0, los tipos herramientas que pueden ser aplicadas por la empresa y modelos de negocio que se presentan en Internet. La finalidad de este trabajo consiste en presentar qué factores de los expuestos de manera teórica generan ventaja competitiva y beneficio o por el contrario, desventaja y riesgo a la empresa, apoyándose en las conclusiones obtenidas a través del estudio de casos. ABSTRACT Internet and Information and Communication Technologies have remarkably transformed the personal relationship. Thus, these technologies are completely assumed and affect to the daily life of millions of people. Under this context, is presented the Digital Social Media as platforms which have changed the global mindset triggering a new way of understanding and using the Internet. In this project, has been carried out a study of the Social Media within the professional TIC world, aimed to specify its viability as working tool in terms of innovation, competitive advantage and risk. The implementation has been covered in two main parts: First, a theoretical analysis about the competitive advantage which this technology could offer and how it can become into real value for a company. And secondly, a Case Study in order to analyze different company’s experiences in the use of Social Media and providing empirical support to the obtained conclusions in the theoretical part. In addition, before develop these two points, the project has been integrated in the TIC´s field, meeting concepts as Web 2.0, different kinds of internet-based tools which can be used by a company and business models based on the information technologies.