A case for a mobile architecture and built environment laboratory

Deakin University and other research and industry partners have recently won a grant for the establishment of a Mobile Architecture and Built Environment Laboratory (MABEL). MABEL provides the first means of integrated, on-site measurement of the key aspects of the built environment (power, sound, light and comfort) using the latest instrument technology. There exists an ongoing need to establish a versatile and comprehensive in-situ testing facility for built internal environments, for the provision of research, education, training and technology diffusion. The ability to make on-site measurements across the environmental spectrum is unique and important. Individual measurements might demonstrate improved lighting performance, reduced power consumption, and improved ventilation or better building acoustics. More importantly, an integrated perspective will address an interaction in terms of energy efficiency and overall occupant comfort. H is recognised that many of the parameters we can measure with existing instrumentation remain unresolved regarding their diagnostic significance on occupant health, comfort and productivity. Also, developed standards for in-situ measurement are at an emerging state, in the delivery of reliable and useful assessment methods. This paper discusses the inception and role of the MABEL facility for building research, learning and teaching.

Mobile payments (mPayments)- an exploratory study of emerging issues and future trends

With the growing momentum of wireless revolution and mCommerce explosion, it is evident that mobile devices are becoming a critical component of the new digital economy. As mobile markets continue to mature, being able to pay using the mobile handset will be key to the development of next generation services. The current market penetration of mobile phones in conjunction with the expected growth of mCommerce, offers high potential for mPayment growth over the next few years. When mobile phones are equipped with a device to protect personal information, the security level of an entire service, including the network, improves considerably. However, the mobile payments market today is typical of an emergent one, encumbered with an abundance of approaches and concepts that may not interoperate. In this paper, we have explored the broad range of available mPayment methods, emerging issues in standardization, security and some proposed/ existing solutions.

Mobility modelling and trajectory prediction for cellular networks with mobile base stations

This paper provides mobility estimation and prediction for a variant of GSM network which resembles an adhoc wireless mobile network where base stations and users are both mobile. We propose using Robust Extended Kalman Filter (REKF)as a location heading altitude estimator of mobile user for next node (mobile-base station)in order to improve the connection reliability and bandwidth efficiency of the underlying system. Through analysis we demonstrate that our algorithm can successfully track the mobile users with less system complexity as it requires either one or two closest mobile-basestation measurements. Further, the technique is robust against system uncertainties due to inherent deterministic nature in the mobility model. Through simulation, we show the accuracy and simplicity in implementation of our prediction algorithm.

Mobility prediction based routing for minimizing control overhead in mobile ad hoc networks

Routing in ad hoc networks faces significant challenges due to node mobility and dynamic network topology. In this work we propose the use of mobility prediction to reduce the search space required for route discovery. A method of mobility prediction making use of a sectorized cluster structure is described with the proposal of the Prediction based Location Aided routing (P-LAR) protocol. Simulation study and analytical results of the of P-LAR find it to offer considerable saving in the amount of routing traffic generated during the route discovery phase.

Mobile phone etiquette: a cross-national comparison

As a social medium, mobile telephony permits ubiquitous communication. This has led to concerns about the intrusiveness of the medium, which in turn has seen the development of a social etiquette governing mobile phone use. This study of Australian and US tertiary students showed that there was widespread but not universal agreement that usage was inappropriate in places of worship, classrooms and libraries or while driving a car. Australians were more tolerant of mobile usage than Americans in most situations, apart from driving. SMS was more broadly tolerated, including in class and in cinemas.

Filtering mobile spam by support vector machine

Currently mobile spam has been a major menace to the development of wireless networks. In this paper, the mobile spam problem and its countermeasures are analysed. In particular, we propose a Support Vector Machine to filter mobile spam. This mobile spam filtering system can be deployed in current wireless networks and achieve good performance in protecting end users and operators from mobile spam. Legislation issues and challenges to defend mobile spam are also discussed in the latter part of this paper.

An autonomous trimming system of large glass fiber reinforced plastics parts using an omni-directional mobile robot and its control

This paper describes an automated trimming system of large glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) using an omni-directional wheeled mobile robot (WMR) and its path control method. In trimming GFRP parts, much glass fiber and plastic powder dust occur and it becomes bad visible in environment. It is necessary to correct dead-reckoning errors of the WMR in order to control its moving path. We have discussed an external correction method of the dead-reckoning errors for the WMR using ultrasonic sensor.

Path planning for sensor data collecting mobile robot

A mobile robot employed for data collection is faced with the problem of travelling from an initial location to a final location while maintaining as close a distance as possible to all the sensors at a given time in the journey. Here we employ optimal control ideas in forming the necessary control commands for such a robot resulting not only the necessary acceleration commands for the underlying robot, but also the resulting trajectory. This approach can also be easily extended for the case of producing the optimal trajectory for an ariel vehicle used for data collection from indiscriminately scattered ad-hoc sensors located on the ground. We demonstrate the implementation of our algorithm using a Pioneer 3-AT robot.

Speed control and policing in a cellular mobile network: SpeedNet

In this paper, we describe SpeedNet, a GSM network variant which resembles an ad hoc wireless mobile network where base stations (possibly other vehicles in the network) keep track of the velocities of mobile users (cars). SpeedNet is intended to track mobile users and their speed passively for both speed policing and control of traffic. The speed of the vehicle is controlled in a speed critical zone by means of an electro-mechanical control system, suitably referred to as VVLS (vehicular velocity limiting system). VVLS is mounted in the vehicle and responds to the command signals generated by the base station. It also determines the next basestation to handoff, in order to improve the connection reliability and bandwidth efficiency of the underlying network. Robust extended Kalman filter (REKF) is used as a passive velocity estimator of the mobile user with the widely used proportional and integral controller speed control. We demonstrate through simulation and analysis that our prediction algorithm can successfully estimate the mobile users velocity with low system complexity as it requires two closet mobile-base station measurement and also it is robust against system uncertainties due to the inherent deterministic nature in the mobility model.

Sensor fusion based localization of a mobile user in a wireless network

This paper applies sensor fusion to the localization problem of a mobile user. We propose that the use of direction of arrival (DOA) estimations along with received signal strength measurements can increase the accuracy and robustness of location estimations. The DOA estimations are incapable of providing multi-dimensional positioning alone, while signal strength methods are prone to high uncertainties. A Robust Extended Kalman Filter (REKF) is used to derive the state estimate of the mobile user's position, and successfully track the mobile users with less system complexity, as it requires measurements from only one base station. Therefore, localization of mobile users can be performed at the single base station. Furthermore, the technique is robust against system uncertainties caused by the inherent deterministic nature of the mobility model. Through simulation, we show the accuracy of our prediction algorithm and the simplicity of its implementation.

Location based power control for mobile devices in a cellular network

This paper provides location estimation based power control strategy for cellular radio systems via a location based interference management scheme. Our approach considers the carrier-to-interference as dependent on the transmitter and receiver separation distance and therefore an accurate estimation of the precise locations can provide the power critical mobile user to control the transition power accordingly. In this fully
distributed algorithms, we propose using a Robust Extended Kalman Filter (REKF) to derive an estimate of the mobile user’s closest mobile base station from the user’s location, heading and altitude. Our analysis demonstrates that this algorithm can successfully track the mobile users with less system complexity, as it requires measurements from only one or two closest mobile base stations and hence enable the user to transmit at the rate that is sufficient for the interference management. Our power control
algorithms based on this estimation converges to the desired power trajectory. Further, the technique is robust against system uncertainties caused by the inherent deterministic nature of the mobility model. Through simulation, we show the accuracy of our prediction algorithm and the simplicity of its implementation.

Mobile healthcare information systems : thru' the ant lens

Deployment of mobile technologies and applications in health care are becoming prevalent worldwide. As mobile innovation and standards in wireless continue to evolve, so does the mobile health care information systems framework. In this paper, we explore this evolving framework by synthesising current technologies, applications, issues and examining this through the actor-network theory (ANT) which seeks to understand socio-technical change by adopting a symmetric treatment of people and technologies.

Inhibitors and facilitators for mobile payment adoption in Australia: a preliminary study

With the seamless diffusion and acceptance of mobile phones into people's everyday life as trusted communication devices, businesses have begun exploring their potential as payment devices. In this paper, we report on the findings from a pioneering study conducted in Australia, which explored inhibitors and facilitators in the adoption of mobile phones as payment devices.