Sistema di navigazione aumentata per Smart Glasses

Questa tesi si pone come obiettivo di arricchire l’applicazione per dispositivi Android creata da OpenTripPlanner, aggiungendo funzionalità di navigazione aumentata, rendendola utilizzabile da Smart Glasses. L’utente sarà guidato a passo a passo nel percorso grazie a informazioni visive e uditive sulle direzioni da prendere. L’applicazione può essere personalizzata per l’utente che la sta utilizzando grazie alla possibilità di inserire le proprie generalità e informazioni, utili per calcolare le calorie bruciate dall’utente durante il tragitto. All’applicazione l’utente può anche connettere, tramite Bluetooth, un mi band. In questo modo, una volta raggiunta la destinazione prescelta l’utente può avere informazioni sul numero di passi effettuati durante il tragitto e le calorie bruciate.

Development and Verification of Control and Protection Strategies in Hybrid AC/DC Power Systems for Smart Grid Applications

Modern power networks incorporate communications and information technology infrastructure into the electrical power system to create a smart grid in terms of control and operation. The smart grid enables real-time communication and control between consumers and utility companies allowing suppliers to optimize energy usage based on price preference and system technical issues. The smart grid design aims to provide overall power system monitoring, create protection and control strategies to maintain system performance, stability and security. This dissertation contributed to the development of a unique and novel smart grid test-bed laboratory with integrated monitoring, protection and control systems. This test-bed was used as a platform to test the smart grid operational ideas developed here. The implementation of this system in the real-time software creates an environment for studying, implementing and verifying novel control and protection schemes developed in this dissertation. Phasor measurement techniques were developed using the available Data Acquisition (DAQ) devices in order to monitor all points in the power system in real time. This provides a practical view of system parameter changes, system abnormal conditions and its stability and security information system. These developments provide valuable measurements for technical power system operators in the energy control centers. Phasor Measurement technology is an excellent solution for improving system planning, operation and energy trading in addition to enabling advanced applications in Wide Area Monitoring, Protection and Control (WAMPAC). Moreover, a virtual protection system was developed and implemented in the smart grid laboratory with integrated functionality for wide area applications. Experiments and procedures were developed in the system in order to detect the system abnormal conditions and apply proper remedies to heal the system. A design for DC microgrid was developed to integrate it to the AC system with appropriate control capability. This system represents realistic hybrid AC/DC microgrids connectivity to the AC side to study the use of such architecture in system operation to help remedy system abnormal conditions. In addition, this dissertation explored the challenges and feasibility of the implementation of real-time system analysis features in order to monitor the system security and stability measures. These indices are measured experimentally during the operation of the developed hybrid AC/DC microgrids. Furthermore, a real-time optimal power flow system was implemented to optimally manage the power sharing between AC generators and DC side resources. A study relating to real-time energy management algorithm in hybrid microgrids was performed to evaluate the effects of using energy storage resources and their use in mitigating heavy load impacts on system stability and operational security.

Designing intrinsically photostable low band gap polymers:a smart tool combining EPR spectroscopy and DFT calculations

A rapid and efficient method to identify the weak points of the complex chemical structure of low band gap (LBG) polymers, designed for efficient solar cells, when submitted to light exposure is reported. This tool combines Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) using the 'spin trapping method' coupled with density functional theory modelling (DFT). First, the nature of the short life-time radicals formed during the early-stages of photo-degradation processes are determined by a spin-trapping technique. Two kinds of short life-time radical (R and R′O) are formed after 'short-duration' illumination in an inert atmosphere and in ambient air, respectively. Second, simulation allows the identification of the chemical structures of these radicals revealing the most probable photochemical process, namely homolytical scission between the Si atom of the conjugated skeleton and its pendent side-chains. Finally, DFT calculations confirm the homolytical cleavage observed by EPR, as well as the presence of a group that is highly susceptible to photooxidative attack. Therefore, the synergetic coupling of a spin trapping method with DFT calculations is shown to be a rapid and efficient method for providing unprecedented information on photochemical mechanisms. This approach will allow the design of LBG polymers without the need to trial the material within actual solar cell devices, an often long and costly screening procedure.

Do intelligent heating controls out-smart ordinary users?

Nearly a third of UK gas and electricity is used in homes, of which 80% is for space heating and hot water provision. Rising consumer bills, concerns about climate change and the surge in personal digital technology use has provoked the development of intelligent domestic heating controls. Whilst the need for having suitable control of the home heating system is essential for reducing domestic energy use, these heating controls rely on appropriate user interaction to achieve a saving and it is unclear whether these ‘smart’ heating controls enhance the use of domestic heating or reduce energy demand. This paper describes qualitative research undertaken with a small sample of UK householders to understand how people use new heating controls installed in their homes and what the requirements are for improved smart heating control design. The paper identifies, against Nielsen’s usability heuristics, the divergence between the householder’s use, understanding and expectations of the heating system and the actual design of the system. Digital and smart heating control systems should be designed to maximise usability so that they can be effectively used for efficient heating control by all users. The research highlights the need for development of new systems to readdress the needs of users and redefine the system requirements.

Matching theory based travel plan aware charging algorithms in V2G smart grid networks

The frequency, time and places of charging have large impact on the Quality of Experience (QoE) of EV drivers. It is critical to design effective EV charging scheduling system to improve the QoE of EV drivers. In order to improve EV charging QoE and utilization of CSs, we develop an innovative travel plan aware charging scheduling scheme for moving EVs to be charged at Charging Stations (CS). In the design of the proposed charging scheduling scheme for moving EVs, the travel routes of EVs and the utility of CSs are taken into consideration. The assignment of EVs to CSs is modeled as a two-sided many-to-one matching game with the objective of maximizing the system utility which reflects the satisfactory degrees of EVs and the profits of CSs. A Stable Matching Algorithm (SMA) is proposed to seek stable matching between charging EVs and CSs. Furthermore, an improved Learning based On-LiNe scheduling Algorithm (LONA) is proposed to be executed by each CS in a distributed manner. The performance gain of the average system utility by the SMA is up to 38.2% comparing to the Random Charging Scheduling (RCS) algorithm, and 4.67% comparing to Only utility of Electric Vehicle Concerned (OEVC) scheme. The effectiveness of the proposed SMA and LONA is also demonstrated by simulations in terms of the satisfactory ratio of charging EVs and the the convergence speed of iteration.

Effectively positioning water loss event in smart water networks

With the eye-catching advances in sensing technologies, smart water networks have been attracting immense research interest in recent years. One of the most overarching tasks in smart water network management is the reduction of water loss (such as leaks and bursts in a pipe network). In this paper, we propose an efficient scheme to position water loss event based on water network topology. The state-of-the-art approach to this problem, however, utilizes the limited topology information of the water network, that is, only one single shortest path between two sensor locations. Consequently, the accuracy of positioning water loss events is still less desirable. To resolve this problem, our scheme consists of two key ingredients: First, we design a novel graph topology-based measure, which can recursively quantify the "average distances" for all pairs of senor locations simultaneously in a water network. This measure will substantially improve the accuracy of our positioning strategy, by capturing the entire water network topology information between every two sensor locations, yet without any sacrifice of computational efficiency. Then, we devise an efficient search algorithm that combines the "average distances" with the difference in the arrival times of the pressure variations detected at sensor locations. The viable experimental evaluations on real-world test bed (WaterWiSe@SG) demonstrate that our proposed positioning scheme can identify water loss event more accurately than the best-known competitor.

The Impact of Regulation on a Firm's Incentives to Invest in Emergent Smart Grid Technologies

This paper analyzes the implementation of new technologies in network industries through the development of a suitable regulatory scheme. The analysis focuses on Smart Grid (SG) technologies which, among others benefits, could save operational costs and reduce the need for further conventional investments in the grid. In spite of the benefits that may result from their implementation, the adoption of SGs by network operators can be hampered by the uncertainties surrounding actual performances. A decision model has been developed to assess the firms' incentives to invest in "smart" technologies under different regulatory schemes. The model also enables testing the impact of uncertainties on the reduction of operational costs, and of conventional investments. Under certain circumstances, it may be justified to support the development and early deployment of emerging innovations that have a high potential to ameliorate the efficiency of the electricity system, but whose adoption faces many uncertainties.

The Smart Paradox : Stimulate the deployment of Smart grids with effective regulatory instruments

The concept of SG (Smart Grids) encompasses a set of technologies that raise the intelligence of the electrical networks, such as smart meters or instruments of communication, sensing and auto-correction of networks. Nevertheless, the cost is still an important obstacle for the transformation of the current electricity system into a smarter one. Regulation can have an important role in setting up a favorable framework that fosters investments. However, the novelty with SG is the disembodied character of the technology, which may change the incentives of the regulated network companies to invest, affecting the effectiveness of the regulatory instruments (“cost plus” or “price cap”). This paper demonstrates that the solution to this “Smart” paradox requires strong incentive regulation mechanisms able to stimulate the adoption of SG technologies. Moreover, the regulation should not jeopardize conventional investments that are unable to be substituted by SG. Thus, a combination of performance regulation and efficiency obligations may be necessary.

Big data, smart homes and ambient assisted living

Objectives: To discuss how current research in the area of smart homes and ambient assisted living will be influenced by the use of big data. Methods: A scoping review of literature published in scientific journals and conference proceedings was performed, focusing on smart homes, ambient assisted living and big data over the years 2011-2014. Results: The health and social care market has lagged behind other markets when it comes to the introduction of innovative IT solutions and the market faces a number of challenges as the use of big data will increase. First, there is a need for a sustainable and trustful information chain where the needed information can be transferred from all producers to all consumers in a structured way. Second, there is a need for big data strategies and policies to manage the new situation where information is handled and transferred independently of the place of the expertise. Finally, there is a possibility to develop new and innovative business models for a market that supports cloud computing, social media, crowdsourcing etc. Conclusions: The interdisciplinary area of big data, smart homes and ambient assisted living is no longer only of interest for IT developers, it is also of interest for decision makers as customers make more informed choices among today's services. In the future it will be of importance to make information usable for managers and improve decision making, tailor smart home services based on big data, develop new business models, increase competition and identify policies to ensure privacy, security and liability.

Gesture based IoT light control for smart clothing

In this paper, a smart wireless wristband is proposed. The potential of innovative gesture based interactivity with connected lighting solutions is reviewed. The solution is intended to offer numerous benefits, in terms of ease of use, and enhanced dynamic interactive functionality. A comparative analysis will be carried out between this work and existing solutions. The evolution of lighting and gesture controls will be discussed and an overview of alternative applications will be provided, as part of the critical analysis.

Towards a smart semi-active prosthetic leg: preliminary assessment and testing

This paper presents a development of a semi-active prosthetic knee, which can work in both active and passive modes based on the energy required during the gait cycle of various activities of daily livings (ADLs). The prosthetic limb is equipped with various sensors to measure the kinematic and kinetic parameters of both prosthetic limbs. This prosthetic knee is designed to be back-drivable in passive mode to provide a potential use in energy regeneration when there negative energy across the knee joint. Preliminary test has been performed on transfemoral amputee in passive mode to provide some insight to the amputee/prosthesis interaction and performance with the designed prosthetic knee.

Fully smart cities: Analysis of the city to Smart City transformation process

Ever since the birth of the Smart City paradigm, a wide variety of initiatives have sprung up involving this phenomenon: best practices, projects, pilot projects, transformation plans, models, standards, indicators, measuring systems, etc. The question to ask, applicable to any government official, city planner or researcher, is whether this effect is being felt in how cities are transforming, or whether, in contrast, it is not very realistic to speak of cities imbued with this level of intelligence. Many cities are eager to define themselves as smart, but the variety, complexity and scope of the projects needed for this transformation indicate that the change process is longer than it seems. If our goal is to carry out a comparative analysis of this progress among cities by using the number of projects executed and their scope as a reference for the transformation, we could find such a task inconsequential due to the huge differences and characteristics that define a city. We believe that the subject needs simplification (simpler, more practical models) and a new approach. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the smart city transformation process in Spain and provides a support model that helps us understand the changes and the speed at which they are being implemented. To this end we define a set of elements of change called "transformation factors" that group a city's smartness into one of three levels (Low/Medium/Fully) and more homogeneously identify the level of advancement of this process. © 2016 IEEE.

Smart specialisering inom kunskapsområdet energieffektivt samhällsbyggande

Syftet med rapporten är att utgöra underlag för Dalarnas strategi för smart specialisering inom energiområdet, vilken görs enligt den europeiska modellen framarbetad av Sevilla-plattformen; Regional Forsknings- och Innovationsstrategi (RIS3). Rapporten motsvarar enligt denna modell steg 5 i processen. Rapporten ger svar på om kunskapsområdet Energieffektivt samhällsbyggande kan kvalificera sig för att vara ett prioriterat område för smart specialisering i Dalarna och lämnar förslag på hur en öppen innovationsarena inom kunskapsområdet kan organiseras. Förslag lämnas på roller och funktioner för respektive organisation inom innovationssystemet, däribland Högskolan.  EUs strategi för tillväxt och jobb ”EU 2020 – Smart och hållbar tillväxt för alla” kopplar samman tillväxt och lösningen av samhällsutmaningar. I strategin ingår att styra alla befintliga verktyg i strategins riktning, vilket innebär skärpta krav på att jobba enligt strategin om man vill komma åt stöd från olika finansiella program. EUs flaggskepp ”Innovationsunionen” framhåller att konkurrenskraft och tillväxt är beroende av innovation inom produkter, tjänster, handel och samhällsmässiga processer och modeller. För att lyckas med detta behöver varje europeisk region analysera och fokusera på sina starkaste områden. EUs program för forskning och innovation Horizon 2020 ställer krav på nyttiggörande av forskning och samverkan med omgivande samhälle, varför ökad företagssamverkan behövs. Dalarnas satsning på smart specialisering inom området Energieffektivt samhällsbyggande stöds av såväl nationella som regionala innovationsstrategin, Dalarnas regionala utvecklingsstrategi, Norra Mellansveriges strukturfondsprogram, m fl programskrivningar. Kunskapsområdet energieffektivt samhällsbyggande spänner över ett brett område där allt från energiproduktion och energiöverföring till energins användning ingår. Ordet samhälle i namnet för kunskapsområdet markerar att det omfattar mer än byggande av hus. Det är energieffektiviteten som är den samlande faktorn. En vision för kunskapsområdet finns redan beslutad i Dalarnas energi- och klimatstrategi.  Analysen av spetskompetens visar att det finns förutsättningar att hävda eller utveckla excellens och nå tillväxt inom flera områden inom energieffektivt samhällsbyggande, däribland elöverföring, smarta elnät, energisystem, solenergi, energieffektivt byggande och IT-transportlösningar. Dock saknas i flera fall dokumentation av hur olika verksamheter och spetskompetenser befinner sig i jämförelse med andra. Baserat på analysen konstateras att Energieffektivt samhällsbyggande kvalificerar sig för att vara ett prioriterat område för smart specialisering i Dalarna. I rapporten kartläggs och beskrivs alla aktörer inom kunskapsområdet. Tillsammans täcker de in de flesta delar av energiomställningen och innovationssystemet, uppbackat av ett starkt regionalt ledarskap och Dalarna som Pilotlän för grön utveckling. En ingående funktionsanalys av innovationssystemet inom kunskapsområdet identifierar några brister som föreslås lösas.  Förslag lämnas på alla berörda aktörers roller och funktioner i innovationssystemet, där klustren förväntas ta en nyckelroll i att generera idéflöden och implementera innovationer. Högskolan Dalarna ges en central roll i specialiseringen inom energiområdet och föreslås inneha både ett energikompetenscentrum och ett innovationscenter. En öppen innovationsarena kan skapas av de tre FoI-miljöerna byggande, smarta elnät och IT i transportsektorn. Rapporten föreslår innovationsarenans arbetssätt och verksamhet.