Hydrologic models for emergency decision support using Bayesian networks

In the presence of a river flood, operators in charge of control must take decisions based on imperfect and incomplete sources of information (e.g., data provided by a limited number sensors) and partial knowledge about the structure and behavior of the river basin. This is a case of reasoning about a complex dynamic system with uncertainty and real-time constraints where bayesian networks can be used to provide an effective support. In this paper we describe a solution with spatio-temporal bayesian networks to be used in a context of emergencies produced by river floods. In the paper we describe first a set of types of causal relations for hydrologic processes with spatial and temporal references to represent the dynamics of the river basin. Then we describe how this was included in a computer system called SAIDA to provide assistance to operators in charge of control in a river basin. Finally the paper shows experimental results about the performance of the model.

Distributed Web Interface for Real-Time Spatial Audio Reproduction System

SSR es el acrónimo de SoundScape Renderer (tool for real-time spatial audio reproduction providing a variety of rendering algorithms), es un programa escrito en su mayoría en C++. El programa permite al usuario escuchar tanto sonidos grabados con anterioridad como sonidos en directo. El sonido o los sonidos se oirán, desde el punto de vista del oyente, como si el sonido se produjese en el punto que el programa decida, lo interesante de este proyecto es que el sonido podrá cambiar de lugar, moverse, etc. Todo en tiempo real. Esto se consigue sin modificar el sonido al grabarlo pero sí al emitirlo, el programa calcula las variaciones necesarias para que al emitir el sonido al oyente le llegue como si el sonido realmente se generase en un punto del espacio o lo más parecido posible. La sensación de movimiento no deja de ser el punto anterior cambiando de lugar. La idea era crear una aplicación web basada en Canvas de HTML5 que se comunicará con esta interfaz de usuario remota. Así se solucionarían todos los problemas de compatibilidad ya que cualquier dispositivo con posibilidad de visualizar páginas web podría correr una aplicación basada en estándares web, por ejemplo un sistema con Windows o un móvil con navegador. El protocolo debía de ser WebSocket porque es un protocolo HTML5 y ofrece las “garantías” de latencia que una aplicación con necesidades de información en tiempo real requiere. Nos permite una comunicación full-dúplex asíncrona sin mucho payload que es justo lo que se venía a evitar al no usar polling normal de HTML. El problema que surgió fue que la interfaz de usuario de red que tenía el programa no era compatible con WebSocket debido a un handshacking inicial y obligatorio que realiza el protocolo, por lo que se necesitaba otra interfaz de red. Se decidió entonces cambiar a JSON como formato para el intercambio de mensajes. Al final el proyecto comprende no sólo la aplicación web basada en Canvas sino también un servidor funcional y la definición de una nueva interfaz de usuario de red con su protocolo añadido. ABSTRACT. This project aims to become a part of the SSR tool to extend its capabilities in the field of the access. SSR is an acronym for SoundScape Renderer, is a program mostly written in C++ that allows you to hear already recorded or live sound with a variety of sound equipment as if the sound came from a desired place in the space. Like the web-page of the SSR says surely better explained: “The SoundScape Renderer (SSR) is a tool for real-time spatial audio reproduction providing a variety of rendering algorithms.” The application can be used with a graphical interface written in Qt but has also a network interface for external applications to use it. This network interface communicates using XML messages. A good example of it is the Android client. This Android client is already working. In order to use the application should be run it by loading an audio source and the wanted environment so that the renderer knows what to do. In that moment the server binds and anyone can use the network interface. Since the network interface is documented everyone can make an application to interact with this network interface. So the application can have as many user interfaces as wanted. The part that is developed in this project has nothing to do neither with audio rendering nor even with the reproduction of the spatial audio. The part that is developed here is about the interface used in the SSR application. As it can be deduced from the title: “Distributed Web Interface for Real-Time Spatial Audio Reproduction System”, this work aims only to offer the interface via web for the SSR (“Real-Time Spatial Audio Reproduction System”). The idea is not to make a new graphical interface for SSR but to allow more types of interfaces and communication. To accomplish the objective of allowing more graphical interfaces this project is going to use a new network interface. By now the SSR application is using only XML for data interchange but this new network interface support JSON. This project comprehends the server that launch the application, the user interface and the new network interface. It is done with these modules in order to allow creating new user interfaces that can communicate with the server or new servers that can communicate with the user interface by defining a complete network interface for data interchange.

A low-cost, easy-to-use, real-time power system simulator

We present the design rationale and basic workings of a low-cost, easy-to-use power system simulator developed to support investigations into human interface design for a hydropower plant. The power system simulator is based on three important components: models of power system components, a data repository, and human interface elements. Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) allows simulator components to communicate with each other within the simulator. To construct the modules of the simulator we have combined the advantages of commercial software such as Matlab/Simulink, ActiveX Control, Visual Basic and Excel and integrated them in the simulator. An important advantage of our approach is that further components of the simulator now can be developed independently. An initial assessment of the simulator indicates it is fit for intended purpose.

Mobile case-based decision support for intelligent patient knowledge management

Hospitals everywhere are integrating health data using electronic health record (EHR) systems, and disparate and multimedia patient data can be input by different caregivers at different locations as encapsulated patient profiles. Healthcare institutions are also using the flexibility and speed of wireless computing to improve quality and reduce costs. We are developing a mobile application that allows doctors to efficiently record and access complete and accurate real-time patient information. The system integrates medical imagery with textual patient profiles as well as expert interactions by healthcare personnel using knowledge management and case-based reasoning techniques. The application can assist other caregivers in searching large repositories of previous patient cases. Patients' symptoms can be input to a portable device and the application can quickly retrieve similar profiles which can be used to support effective diagnoses and prognoses by comparing symptoms, treatments, diagnosis, test results and other patient information. © 2007 Sage Publications.

Collection and real-time analysis of images from aircraft to support civil protection operational activities

This report describes the realization of a system, in which an object detection model will be implemented, whose aim is to detect the presence of people in images. This system could be used for several applications: for example, it could be carried on board an aircraft or a drone. In this case, the system is designed in such a way that it can be mounted on light/medium weight helicopters, helping the operator to find people in emergency situations. In the first chapter the use of helicopters for civil protection is analysed and applications similar to this case study are listed. The second chapter describes the choice of the hardware devices that have been used to implement a prototype of a system to collect, analyse and display images. At first, the PC necessary to process the images was chosen, based on the characteristics of the algorithms that are necessary to run the analysis. In the further, a camera that could be compatible with the PC was selected. Finally, the battery pack was chosen taking into account the electrical consumption of the devices. The third chapter illustrates the algorithms used for image analysis. In the fourth, some of the requirements listed in the regulations that must be taken into account for carrying on board all the devices have been briefly analysed. In the fifth chapter the activity of design and modelling, with the CAD Solidworks, the devices and a prototype of a case that will house them is described. The sixth chapter discusses the additive manufacturing, since the case was printed exploiting this technology. In the seventh chapter, part of the tests that must be carried out on the equipment to certificate it have been analysed, and some simulations have been carried out. In the eighth chapter the results obtained once loaded the object detection model on a hardware for image analyses were showed. In the ninth chapter, conclusions and future applications were discussed.

Towards a Smart Campus Digital Twin: Promoting Awareness and Sustainability Through Wayfinding and Real-Time Environmental Data

The newly inaugurated Navile District of the University of Bologna is a complex created along the Navile canal, that now houses various teaching and research activities for the disciplines of Chemistry, Industrial Chemistry, Pharmacy, Biotechnology and Astronomy. A Building Information Modeling system (BIM) gives staff of the Navile campus several ways to monitor buildings in the complex throughout their life cycle, one of which is the ability to access real-time environmental data such as room temperature, humidity, air composition, and more, thereby simplifying operations like finding faults and optimizing environmental resource usage. But smart features at Navile are not only available to the staff: AlmaMap Navile is a web application, whose development is documented in this thesis, that powers the public touch kiosks available throughout the campus, offering maps of the district and indications on how to reach buildings and spaces. Even if these two systems, BIM and AlmaMap, don't seem to have many similarities, they share the common intent of promoting awareness for informed decision making in the campus, and they do it while relying on web standards for communication. This opens up interesting possibilities, and is the idea behind AlmaMap Navile 2.0, an app that interfaces with the BIM system and combines real-time sensor data with a comfort calculation algorithm, giving users the ability not just to ask for directions to a space, but also to see its comfort level in advance and, should they want to, check environmental measurements coming from each sensor in a granular manner. The end result is a first step towards building a smart campus Digital Twin, that can support all the people who are part of the campus life in their daily activities, improving their efficiency and satisfaction, giving them the ability to make informed decisions, and promoting awareness and sustainability.

Real-Time Voltage Regulation in Power Distribution System Using Fuzzy Control

Two different fuzzy approaches to voltage control in electric power distribution systems are introduced in this paper. The real-time controller in each case would act on power transformers equipped with under-load tap changers. Learning systems are employed to turn the voltage-control relays into adaptive devices. The scope of this study has been limited to the power distribution substation, and the voltage measurements and control actions are carried out on the secondary bus. The capacity of fuzzy systems to handle approximate data, together with their unique ability to interpret qualitative information, make it possible to design voltage-control strategies that satisfy the requirements of the Brazilian regulatory bodies and the real concerns of the electric power distribution companies. Fuzzy control systems based on these two strategies have been implemented and the test results were highly satisfactory.

Reasoning about real-time repetitions: terminating and nonterminating

It is common for a real-time system to contain a nonterminating process monitoring an input and controlling an output. Hence, a real-time program development method needs to support nonterminating repetitions. In this paper we develop a general proof rule for reasoning about possibly nonterminating repetitions. The rule makes use of a Floyd-Hoare-style loop invariant that is maintained by each iteration of the repetition, a Jones-style relation between the pre- and post-states on each iteration, and a deadline specifying an upper bound on the starting time of each iteration. The general rule is proved correct with respect to a predicative semantics. In the case of a terminating repetition the rule reduces to the standard rule extended to handle real time. Other special cases include repetitions whose bodies are guaranteed to terminate, nonterminating repetitions with the constant true as a guard, and repetitions whose termination is guaranteed by the inclusion of a fixed deadline. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Preliminary clinical trial in percutaneous nephrolithotomy using a real-time navigation system for percutaneous kidney access

Background: Precise needle puncture of renal calyces is a challenging and essential step for successful percutaneous nephrolithotomy. This work tests and evaluates, through a clinical trial, a real-time navigation system to plan and guide percutaneous kidney puncture. Methods: A novel system, entitled i3DPuncture, was developed to aid surgeons in establishing the desired puncture site and the best virtual puncture trajectory, by gathering and processing data from a tracked needle with optical passive markers. In order to navigate and superimpose the needle to a preoperative volume, the patient, 3D image data and tracker system were previously registered intraoperatively using seven points that were strategically chosen based on rigid bone structures and nearby kidney area. In addition, relevant anatomical structures for surgical navigation were automatically segmented using a multi-organ segmentation algorithm that clusters volumes based on statistical properties and minimum description length criterion. For each cluster, a rendering transfer function enhanced the visualization of different organs and surrounding tissues. Results: One puncture attempt was sufficient to achieve a successful kidney puncture. The puncture took 265 seconds, and 32 seconds were necessary to plan the puncture trajectory. The virtual puncture path was followed correctively until the needle tip reached the desired kidney calyceal. Conclusions: This new solution provided spatial information regarding the needle inside the body and the possibility to visualize surrounding organs. It may offer a promising and innovative solution for percutaneous punctures.

A-scan ultrasound system for real-time puncture safety assessment during percutaneous nephrolithotomy

Background: Kidney stone is a major universal health problem, affecting 10% of the population worldwide. Percutaneous nephrolithotomy is a first-line and established procedure for disintegration and removal of renal stones. Its surgical success depends on the precise needle puncture of renal calyces, which remains the most challenging task for surgeons. This work describes and tests a new ultrasound based system to alert the surgeon when undesirable anatomical structures are in between the puncture path defined through a tracked needle. Methods: Two circular ultrasound transducers were built with a single 3.3-MHz piezoelectric ceramic PZT SN8, 25.4 mm of radius and resin-epoxy matching and backing layers. One matching layer was designed with a concave curvature to work as an acoustic lens with long focusing. The A-scan signals were filtered and processed to automatically detect reflected echoes. Results: The transducers were mapped in water tank and tested in a study involving 45 phantoms. Each phantom mimics different needle insertion trajectories with a percutaneous path length between 80 and 150 mm. Results showed that the beam cross-sectional area oscillates around the ceramics radius and it was possible to automatically detect echo signals in phantoms with length higher than 80 mm. Conclusions: This new solution may alert the surgeon about anatomical tissues changes during needle insertion, which may decrease the need of X-Ray radiation exposure and ultrasound image evaluation during percutaneous puncture.

LMP triggered real time demand response events

Recent changes in power systems mainly due to the substantial increase of distributed generation and to the operation in competitive environments has created new challenges to operation and planning. In this context, Virtual Power Players (VPP) can aggregate a diversity of players, namely generators and consumers, and a diversity of energy resources, including electricity generation based on several technologies, storage and demand response. Demand response market implementation has been done in recent years. Several implementation models have been considered. An important characteristic of a demand response program is the trigger criterion. A program for which the event trigger depends on the Locational Marginal Price (LMP) used by the New England Independent System operator (ISO-NE) inspired the present paper. This paper proposes a methodology to support VPP demand response programs management. The proposed method has been computationally implemented and its application is illustrated using a 32 bus network with intensive use of distributed generation. Results concerning the evaluation of the impact of using demand response events are also presented.

An integrated system to support electricity tariff contract definition

This paper presents an integrated system that helps both retail companies and electricity consumers on the definition of the best retail contracts and tariffs. This integrated system is composed by a Decision Support System (DSS) based on a Consumer Characterization Framework (CCF). The CCF is based on data mining techniques, applied to obtain useful knowledge about electricity consumers from large amounts of consumption data. This knowledge is acquired following an innovative and systematic approach able to identify different consumers’ classes, represented by a load profile, and its characterization using decision trees. The framework generates inputs to use in the knowledge base and in the database of the DSS. The rule sets derived from the decision trees are integrated in the knowledge base of the DSS. The load profiles together with the information about contracts and electricity prices form the database of the DSS. This DSS is able to perform the classification of different consumers, present its load profile and test different electricity tariffs and contracts. The final outputs of the DSS are a comparative economic analysis between different contracts and advice about the most economic contract to each consumer class. The presentation of the DSS is completed with an application example using a real data base of consumers from the Portuguese distribution company.

Engineering real-time applications with WorldFIP: tools and analysis

WorldFIP is standardised as European Norm EN 50170 - General Purpose Field Communication System. Field communication systems (fieldbuses) started to be widely used as the communication support for distributed computer-controlled systems (DCCS), and are being used in all sorts of process control and manufacturing applications within different types of industries. There are several advantages in using fieldbuses as a replacement of for the traditional point-to-point links between sensors/actuators and computer-based control systems. Indeed they concern economical ones (cable savings) but, importantly, fieldbuses allow an increased decentralisation and distribution of the processing power over the field. Typically DCCS have real-time requirements that must be fulfilled. By this, we mean that process data must be transferred between network computing nodes within a maximum admissible time span. WorldFIP has very interesting mechanisms to schedule data transfers. It explicit distinguishes to types of traffic: periodic and aperiodic. In this paper we describe how WorldFIP handles these two types of traffic, and more importantly, we provide a comprehensive analysis for guaranteeing the real-time requirements of both types of traffic. A major contribution is made in the analysis of worst-case response time of aperiodic transfer requests.