The dark side of DEMMON: what is behind the scene in engineering large-scale wireless sensor networks

Most research work on WSNs has focused on protocols or on specific applications. There is a clear lack of easy/ready-to-use WSN technologies and tools for planning, implementing, testing and commissioning WSN systems in an integrated fashion. While there exists a plethora of papers about network planning and deployment methodologies, to the best of our knowledge none of them helps the designer to match coverage requirements with network performance evaluation. In this paper we aim at filling this gap by presenting an unified toolset, i.e., a framework able to provide a global picture of the system, from the network deployment planning to system test and validation. This toolset has been designed to back up the EMMON WSN system architecture for large-scale, dense, real-time embedded monitoring. It includes network deployment planning, worst-case analysis and dimensioning, protocol simulation and automatic remote programming and hardware testing tools. This toolset has been paramount to validate the system architecture through DEMMON1, the first EMMON demonstrator, i.e., a 300+ node test-bed, which is, to the best of our knowledge, the largest single-site WSN test-bed in Europe to date.

Engineering a search and rescue application with a wireless sensor network - based localization mechanism

The advent of Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) technologies is paving the way for a panoply of new ubiquitous computing applications, some of them with critical requirements. In the ART-WiSe framework, we are designing a two-tiered communication architecture for supporting real-time and reliable communications in WSNs. Within this context, we have been developing a test-bed application, for testing, validating and demonstrating our theoretical findings - a search&rescue/pursuit-evasion application. Basically, a WSN deployment is used to detect, localize and track a target robot and a station controls a rescuer/pursuer robot until it gets close enough to the target robot. This paper describes how this application was engineered, particularly focusing on the implementation of the localization mechanism.

Engineering PROFIBUS networks with heterogeneous transmission media

A significant number of process control and factory automation systems use PROFIBUS as the underlying fieldbus communication network. The process of properly setting up a PROFIBUS network is not a straightforward task. In fact, a number of network parameters must be set for guaranteeing the required levels of timeliness and dependability. Engineering PROFIBUS networks is even more subtle when the network includes various physical segments exhibiting heterogeneous specifications, such as bus speed or frame formats, just to mention a few. In this paper we provide underlying theory and a methodology to guarantee the proper operation of such type of heterogeneous PROFIBUS networks. We additionally show how the methodology can be applied to the practical case of PROFIBUS networks containing simultaneously DP (Decentralised Periphery) and PA (Process Automation) segments, two of the most used commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) PROFIBUS solutions. The importance of the findings is however not limited to this case. The proposed methodology can be generalised to cover other heterogeneous infrastructures. Hybrid wired/wireless solutions are just an example for which an enormous eagerness exists.

Fractional order calculus: basic concepts and engineering applications

The fractional order calculus (FOC) is as old as the integer one although up to recently its application was exclusively in mathematics. Many real systems are better described with FOC differential equations as it is a well-suited tool to analyze problems of fractal dimension, with long-term “memory” and chaotic behavior. Those characteristics have attracted the engineers' interest in the latter years, and now it is a tool used in almost every area of science. This paper introduces the fundamentals of the FOC and some applications in systems' identification, control, mechatronics, and robotics, where it is a promissory research field.

Fractional dynamics in financial indexes

The goal of this study is the analysis of the dynamical properties of financial data series from 32 worldwide stock market indices during the period 2000–2009 at a daily time horizon. Stock market indices are examples of complex interacting systems for which a huge amount of data exists. The methods and algorithms that have been explored for the description of physical phenomena become an effective background in the analysis of economical data. In this perspective are applied the classical concepts of signal analysis, Fourier transform and methods of fractional calculus. The results reveal classification patterns typical of fractional dynamical systems.

Analysis of financial data series using fractional Fourier transform and multidimensional scaling

The goal of this study is the analysis of the dynamical properties of financial data series from worldwide stock market indexes during the period 2000–2009. We analyze, under a regional criterium, ten main indexes at a daily time horizon. The methods and algorithms that have been explored for the description of dynamical phenomena become an effective background in the analysis of economical data. We start by applying the classical concepts of signal analysis, fractional Fourier transform, and methods of fractional calculus. In a second phase we adopt the multidimensional scaling approach. Stock market indexes are examples of complex interacting systems for which a huge amount of data exists. Therefore, these indexes, viewed from a different perspectives, lead to new classification patterns.

Multidimensional scaling analysis of electricity market prices

This paper studies the impact of energy and stock markets upon electricity markets using Multidimensional Scaling (MDS). Historical values from major energy, stock and electricity markets are adopted. To analyze the data several graphs produced by MDS are presented and discussed. This method is useful to have a deeper insight into the behavior and the correlation of the markets. The results may also guide the construction models, helping electricity markets agents hedging against Market Clearing Price (MCP) volatility and, simultaneously, to achieve better financial results.

Application of fractional calculus in engineering

Fractional Calculus (FC) goes back to the beginning of the theory of differential calculus. Nevertheless, the application of FC just emerged in the last two decades. It has been recognized the advantageous use of this mathematical tool in the modelling and control of many dynamical systems. Having these ideas in mind, this paper discusses a FC perspective in the study of the dynamics and control of several systems. The paper investigates the use of FC in the fields of controller tuning, legged robots, electrical systems and digital circuit synthesis.

Application of computational intelligence to engineering

Computational Intelligence (CI) includes four main areas: Evolutionary Computation (genetic algorithms and genetic programming), Swarm Intelligence, Fuzzy Systems and Neural Networks. This article shows how CI techniques overpass the strict limits of Artificial Intelligence field and can help solving real problems from distinct engineering areas: Mechanical, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.

Remote lab experiments: opening possibilities for distance learning in engineering fields

Remote experimentation laboratories are systems based on real equipment, allowing students to perform practical work through a computer connected to the internet. In engineering fields lab activities play a fundamental role. Distance learning has not demonstrated good results in engineering fields because traditional lab activities cannot be covered by this paradigm. These activities can be set for one or for a group of students who work from different locations. All these configurations lead to considering a flexible model that covers all possibilities (for an individual or a group). An inter-continental network of remote laboratories supported by both European and Latin American institutions of higher education has been formed. In this network context, a learning collaborative model for students working from different locations has been defined. The first considerations are presented.

A remote engineering solution for automating a roller hearth kiln

Remote engineering (also known as online engineering) may be defined as a combination of control engineering and telematics. In this area, specific activities require computacional skills in order to develop projects where electrical devives are monitored and / or controlled, in an intercative way, through a distributed network (e.g. Intranet or Internet). In our specific case, we will be dealing with an industrial plant. Within the last few years, there has been an increase in the number of activities related to remote engineering, which may be connected to the phenomenon of the large extension experienced by the Internet (e.g. bandwith, number of users, development tools, etc.). This increase opens new and future possibilities to the implementation of advance teleworking (or e-working) positions. In this paper we present the architecture for a remote application, accessible through the Internet, able to monitor and control a roller hearth kiln, used in a ceramics industry for firing materials. The proposed architecture is based on a micro web server, whose main function is to monitor and control the firing process, by reading the data from a series of temperature sensors and by controlling a series of electronic valves and servo motors. This solution is also intended to be a low-cost alternative to other potential solutions. The temperature readings are obtained through K-type thermopairs and the gas flow is controlled through electrovalves. As the firing process should not be stopped before its complete end, the system is equipped with a safety device for that specific purpose. For better understanding the system to be automated and its operation we decided to develop a scale model (100:1) and experiment on it the devised solution, based on a Micro Web Server.

IX International conference on Remote Engineering and Virtual instrumentation REV 2012

THE ninth edition of the International Conference on Remote Engineering and Virtual Instrumentation (REV) [1] was held at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Deusto, Bilbao (Spain), from the 4th to the 6th of July, 2012. A world-class research community in the subject of remote and virtual laboratories joined the event.

Managing informal learning in engineering contexts: the learners' perspective

According to recent studies, informal learning accounts for more than 75% of our continuous learning through life. However, the awareness of this learning, its benefits and its potential is still not very clear. In engineering contexts, informal learning could play an invaluable role helping students or employees to engage with peers and also with more experience colleagues, exchanging ideas and discussing problems. This work presents an initial set of results of the piloting phase of a project (TRAILER) where an innovative service based on Information & Communication Technologies was developed in order to aid the collection and visibility of informal learning. This set of results concerns engineering contexts (academic and business), from the learners' perspective. The major idea that emerged from these piloting trials was that it represented a good way of collecting, recording and sharing informal learning that otherwise could easily be forgotten. Several benefits were reported between the two communities such as being helpful in managing competences and human resources within an institution.

Some applications of fractional calculus in engineering

Fractional Calculus FC goes back to the beginning of the theory of differential calculus. Nevertheless, the application of FC just emerged in the last two decades, due to the progress in the area of chaos that revealed subtle relationships with the FC concepts. In the field of dynamical systems theory some work has been carried out but the proposed models and algorithms are still in a preliminary stage of establishment. Having these ideas in mind, the paper discusses FC in the study of system dynamics and control. In this perspective, this paper investigates the use of FC in the fields of controller tuning, legged robots, redundant robots, heat diffusion, and digital circuit synthesis.

Persistence characteristics in financial prices: evidence from the portuguese stock market returns

The objective of this article is to provide additional knowledge to the discussion of long-term memory, leaning over the behavior of the main Portuguese stock index. The first four moments are calculated using time windows of increasing size and sliding time windows of fixed size equal to 50 days and suggest that daily returns are non-ergodic and non-stationary. Seeming that the series is best described by a fractional Brownian motion approach, we use the rescaled-range analysis (R/S) and the detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA). The findings indicate evidence of long term memory in the form of persistence. This evidence of fractal structure suggests that the market is subject to greater predictability and contradicts the efficient market hypothesis in its weak form. This raises issues regarding theoretical modeling of asset pricing. In addition, we carried out a more localized (in time) study to identify the evolution of the degree of long-term dependency over time using windows 200-days and 400-days. The results show a switching feature in the index, from persistent to anti-persistent, quite evident from 2010.