scholarly journals A research port test bed based on distributed optical sensors and sensor fusion framework for ad hoc situational awareness

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Rüssmeier ◽  
Axel Hahn ◽  
Daniela Nicklas ◽  
Oliver Zielinski
Keyword(s):  
Optical Sensors ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Situational Awareness ◽  
Sensor Data ◽  
Test Bed ◽  
Remote Communication ◽  
Efficient Test ◽  
In Situ Experiments ◽  
Assistant Systems

Abstract. Maritime study sites utilized as a physical experimental test bed for sensor data fusion, communication technology and data stream analysis tools can provide substantial frameworks for design and development of e-navigation technologies. Increasing safety by observation and monitoring of the maritime environment by new technologies meets forward-looking needs to facilitate situational awareness. Further, such test beds offer a solid basis for standardizing new technologies to advance growth by reducing time to market of up-to-date industrial products and technologies. Especially optical sensor technologies are well suited to provide a situational and marine environmental assessment of waterways for (i) online detection of relevant situations, (ii) collection of data for further analysis and (iii) reuse of data, e.g. for training or testing of assistant systems. The test bed set-up has to consider maintainability, flexibility and extensibility for efficient test set-ups. This means that new use cases and applications within the test bed infrastructure, here presented by a research port, can be easily developed and extended by installing new sensors, actuators and software components. Furthermore, the system supports reliable remote communication between onshore and offshore participants. A series of in situ experiments at the research port of Bremerhaven and in other maritime environments were performed, representing applications and scenarios to demonstrate the capability for the proposed system framework and design.

scholarly journals Trialing Innovative Technologies in Crisis Management—“Airborne and Terrestrial Situational Awareness” as Support Tool in Flood Response

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 3743 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisa Schröter ◽  
Ralph Kiefl ◽  
Eric Neidhardt ◽  
Gaby Gurczik ◽  
Carsten Dalaff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crisis Management ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Situational Awareness ◽  
Route Planning ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Aerial Image ◽  
Specific Response ◽  
Test Bed

Flooding represents the most-occurring and deadliest threats worldwide among natural disasters. Consequently, new technologies are constantly developed to improve response capacities in crisis management. The remaining challenge for practitioner organizations is not only to identify the best solution to their individual demands, but also to test and evaluate its benefit in a realistic environment before the disaster strikes. To bridge the gap between theoretic potential and actual integration into practice, the EU-funded project DRIVER+ has designed a methodical and technical environment to assess innovation in a realistic but non-operational setup through trials. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) interdisciplinary merged mature technical developments into the “Airborne and terrestrial situational awareness” system and applied it in a DRIVER+ Trial to promote a sustainable and demand-oriented R&D. Experienced practitioners assessed the added value of its modules “KeepOperational” and “ZKI” in the context of large-scale flooding in urban areas. The solution aimed at providing contextual route planning in police operations and extending situational awareness based on information derived through aerial image processing. The user feedback and systematically collected data through the DRIVER + Test-bed approved that DLR’s system could improve transport planning and situational awareness across organizations. However, the results show a special need to consider, for example, cross-domain data-fusion techniques to provide essential 3D geo-information to effectively support specific response tasks during flooding.

scholarly journals Save Maritime Systems Testbed

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-34
Author(s):  
André Bolles ◽  
Axel Hahn
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
Physical World ◽  
Maritime Transportation ◽  
System Specification ◽  
Test Bed ◽  
Physical Test ◽  
Sociotechnical System ◽  
Modelling Framework ◽  
In Situ Experiments ◽  
Simulation Based

Abstract‘Safe voyage from berth to berth’ — this is the goal of all e-navigation strains, driven by new technologies, new infrastructures and new organizational structures on bridge, on shore as well as in the cloud. To facilitate these efforts suitable engineering and safety/risk assessment methods have to be applied. Understanding maritime transportation as a sociotechnical system allows system engineering methods to be applied. Formal and simulation based verification and validation of e-navigation technologies are important methods to obtain system safety and reliability. The modelling and simulation toolset HAGGIS provides methods for system specification and formal risk analysis. It provides a modelling framework for processes, fault trees and generic hazard specification and a physical world and maritime traffic simulation system. HAGGIS is accompanied by the physical test bed LABSKAUS which implements a reference port and waterway. Additionally, it contains an experimental Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) implementation and a mobile integrated bridge enabling in situ experiments for technology evaluation, testing, ground research and demonstration. This paper describes an integrated seamless approach for developing new e-navigation technologies starting with virtual simulation based assessment and ending in physical real world demonstrations.

scholarly journals Nurses and the acceptance of innovations in technology-intensive contexts: the need for tailored management strategies

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Barchielli ◽  
Cristina Marullo ◽  
Manila Bonciani ◽  
Milena Vainieri
Keyword(s):  
Social Influence ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Technological Innovations ◽  
Utaut Model ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
The Social ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Facilitating Conditions

Abstract Background Several technological innovations have been introduced in healthcare over the years, and their implementation proved crucial in addressing challenges of modern health. Healthcare workers have frequently been called upon to become familiar with technological innovations that pervade every aspect of their profession, changing their working schedule, habits, and daily actions. Purpose An in-depth analysis of the paths towards the acceptance and use of technology may facilitate the crafting and adoption of specific personnel policies taking into consideration definite levers, which appear to be different in relation to the age of nurses. Approach The strength of this study is the application of UTAUT model to analyse the acceptance of innovations by nurses in technology-intensive healthcare contexts. Multidimensional Item Response Theory is applied to identify the main dimensions characterizing the UTAUT model. Paths are tested through two stage regression models and validated using a SEM covariance analysis. Results The age is a moderator for the social influence: social influence, or peer opinion, matters more for young nurse. Conclusion The use of MIRT to identify the most important items for each construct of UTAUT model and an in-depth path analysis helps to identify which factors should be considered a leverage to foster nurses’ acceptance and intention to use new technologies (o technology-intensive devices). Practical implications Young nurses may benefit from the structuring of shifts with the most passionate colleagues (thus exploiting the social influence), the participation in ad hoc training courses (thus exploiting the facilitating conditions), while other nurses could benefit from policies that rely on the stressing of the perception of their expectations or the downsizing of their expectancy of the effort in using new technologies.

scholarly journals Continuous Automotive Software Updates through Container Image Layers

Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 739
Author(s):  
Nicholas Ayres ◽  
Lipika Deka ◽  
Daniel Paluszczyszyn
Keyword(s):  
Embedded System ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Electronic Control Unit ◽  
Control Unit ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Automotive Software ◽  
Software Updating ◽  
Software Updates ◽  
Functional Software

The vehicle-embedded system also known as the electronic control unit (ECU) has transformed the humble motorcar, making it more efficient, environmentally friendly, and safer, but has led to a system which is highly dependent on software. As new technologies and features are included with each new vehicle model, the increased reliance on software will no doubt continue. It is an undeniable fact that all software contains bugs, errors, and potential vulnerabilities, which when discovered must be addressed in a timely manner, primarily through patching and updates, to preserve vehicle and occupant safety and integrity. However, current automotive software updating practices are ad hoc at best and often follow the same inefficient fix mechanisms associated with a physical component failure of return or recall. Increasing vehicle connectivity heralds the potential for over the air (OtA) software updates, but rigid ECU hardware design does not often facilitate or enable OtA updating. To address the associated issues regarding automotive ECU-based software updates, a new approach in how automotive software is deployed to the ECU is required. This paper presents how lightweight virtualisation technologies known as containers can promote efficient automotive ECU software updates. ECU functional software can be deployed to a container built from an associated image. Container images promote efficiency in download size and times through layer sharing, similar to ECU difference or delta flashing. Through containers, connectivity and OtA future software updates can be completed without inconveniences to the consumer or incurring expense to the manufacturer.

scholarly journals Design, Validation and Implementation of a Questionnaire to Assess Teenagers’ Digital Competence in the Area of Communication in Digital Environments

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6733
Author(s):  
Ana Iglesias-Rodríguez ◽  
Azucena Hernández-Martín ◽  
Yolanda Martín-González ◽  
Patricia Herráez-Corredera
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Identity Management ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Compulsory Education ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Psychometric Validation ◽  
Digital Competence ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Design Validation

This article describes the process of design, validation, and implementation (N = 609) of a questionnaire drawn up ad hoc to assess the digital competence of compulsory education students (ages 11 to 13) in the area of communication. The test measures students’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes in the six competences that make up the area of communication, as established in the Framework for the Development and Knowledge of Digital Competence in Europe (DigComp): interacting through new technologies, sharing of information and content, online citizen participation, collaboration through digital technologies, netiquette, and digital identity management. The purposes of the study are to design and validate an instrument to assess compulsory education students’ digital competences in the area of communication based on their knowledge, skills, and attitudes and to analyse such instrument’s psychometric characteristics with special emphasis on its reliability and validity. The method used consisted of the implementation of various psychometric validation techniques and the analysis of the results based on statistical descriptions. Items show adequate discrimination and difficulty indices. Validity was guaranteed through expert judgement and factorial analysis of the test. The conclusion stresses the pressing need for education centres to provide students with adequate educational-communicative training.

Towards a Data Calibrated, Simulation-Based Campus Energy Analysis Environment for Situational Awareness and Future Energy System Planning

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Duncan ◽  
Michael Balchanos ◽  
Woongje Sung ◽  
Juhyun Kim ◽  
Yongchang Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Modeling And Simulation ◽  
Visual Analytics ◽  
Distribution Systems ◽  
Situational Awareness ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Integrated Analysis ◽  
Test Bed ◽  
Energy Metering ◽  
Campus Energy ◽  
Analysis Environment

Researchers at Georgia Tech (GT) have recently begun the GT Smart Energy Campus initiative, which combines campus energy metering data with physics-based modeling and simulation to create an integrated analysis environment for campus energy. The environment consists of a digital representation of campus, which supports situational awareness, as well as a virtual test bed for analyzing emerging energy technologies and future scenarios. The first year of the initiative has focused on evaluating campus energy metering data using visual analytics and statistical analysis techniques. Data analysis is presented as having value for two main uses: (1) as attention-directing information to help system operators diagnose anomalies and (2) as a precursor to modeling and simulation (M&S) in future phases of the Smart Energy Campus initiative. The environment is explained using the initial study scoping of the campus thermal energy generation and distribution systems. Furthermore, a modeling and simulation approach leveraging the Modelica M&S language is described, and preliminary results in using it to represent the campus chilled water system are presented.

scholarly journals Time-selective data fusion for in-network processing in ad hoc wireless sensor networks

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 155014771881130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaanus Kaugerand ◽  
Johannes Ehala ◽  
Leo Mõtus ◽  
Jürgo-Sören Preden
Keyword(s):  
Wireless Sensor Networks ◽  
Sensor Networks ◽  
Data Fusion ◽  
Data Streams ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Sensor Nodes ◽  
Sensor Data ◽  
Wireless Sensor ◽  
Temporal Consistency ◽  
Variable Delays

This article introduces a time-selective strategy for enhancing temporal consistency of input data for multi-sensor data fusion for in-network data processing in ad hoc wireless sensor networks. Detecting and handling complex time-variable (real-time) situations require methodical consideration of temporal aspects, especially in ad hoc wireless sensor network with distributed asynchronous and autonomous nodes. For example, assigning processing intervals of network nodes, defining validity and simultaneity requirements for data items, determining the size of memory required for buffering the data streams produced by ad hoc nodes and other relevant aspects. The data streams produced periodically and sometimes intermittently by sensor nodes arrive to the fusion nodes with variable delays, which results in sporadic temporal order of inputs. Using data from individual nodes in the order of arrival (i.e. freshest data first) does not, in all cases, yield the optimal results in terms of data temporal consistency and fusion accuracy. We propose time-selective data fusion strategy, which combines temporal alignment, temporal constraints and a method for computing delay of sensor readings, to allow fusion node to select the temporally compatible data from received streams. A real-world experiment (moving vehicles in urban environment) for validation of the strategy demonstrates significant improvement of the accuracy of fusion results.

scholarly journals SYNTHETIC VISION SYSTEM CALIBRATION FOR CONFORM PROJECTION ON THE PILOT’S HEAD-UP DISPLAY

2020 ◽  
Vol XLIII-B2-2020 ◽  
pp. 575-581
Author(s):  
S. Danilov ◽  
M. Kozyrev ◽  
M. Grechanichenko ◽  
L. Grodzitskiy ◽  
V. Mizginov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Situational Awareness ◽  
Vision System ◽  
Digital Terrain Model ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Sensor Data ◽  
Training Dataset ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Terrain Model ◽  
Front Window ◽  
Calibration Algorithm

Abstract. Situational awareness of the crew is critical for the safety of the air flight. Head-up display allows providing all required flight information in front of the pilot over the cockpit view visible through the cockpit’s front window. This device has been created for solving the problem of informational overload during piloting of an aircraft. While computer graphics such as scales and digital terrain model can be easily presented on the such display, errors in the Head-up display alignment for correct presenting of sensor data pose challenges. The main problem arises from the parallax between the pilot’s eyes and the position of the camera. This paper is focused on the development of an online calibration algorithm for conform projection of the 3D terrain and runway models on the pilot’s head-up display. The aim of our algorithm is to align the objects visible through the cockpit glass with their projections on the Head-up display. To improve the projection accuracy, we use an additional optical sensor installed on the aircraft. We combine classical photogrammetric techniques with modern deep learning approaches. Specifically, we use an object detection neural network model to find the runway area and align runway projection with its actual location. Secondly, we re-project the sensor’s image onto the 3D model of the terrain to eliminate errors caused by the parallax. We developed an environment simulator to evaluate our algorithm. Using the simulator we prepared a large training dataset. The dataset includes 2000 images of video sequences representing aircraft’s motion during takeoff, landing and taxi. The results of the evaluation are encouraging and demonstrate both qualitatively and quantitatively that the proposed algorithm is capable of precise alignment of the 3D models projected on a Head-up display.

scholarly journals Monitoring System-Based Flying IoT in Public Health and Sports Using Ant-Enabled Energy-Aware Routing

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Inam Ullah Khan ◽  
Muhammad Abul Hassan ◽  
Mohammad Dahman Alshehri ◽  
Mohammed Abdulaziz Ikram ◽  
Hasan J. Alyamani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Residual Energy ◽  
Base Station ◽  
Rapid Decline ◽  
Energy Aware ◽  
Remote Communication ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Hoc Networks ◽  
High Level

In recent decades, the Internet of flying networks has made significant progress. Several aerial vehicles communicate with one another to form flying ad hoc networks. Unmanned aerial vehicles perform a wide range of tasks that make life easier for humans. However, due to the high frequency of mobile flying vehicles, network problems such as packet loss, latency, and perhaps disrupted channel links arise, affecting data delivery. The use of UAV-enabled IoT in sports has changed the dynamics of tracking and working on player safety. WBAN can be merged with aerial vehicles to collect data regarding health and transfer it to a base station. Furthermore, the unbalanced energy usage of flying things will result in earlier mission failure and a rapid decline in network lifespan. This study describes the use of each UAV’s residual energy level to ensure a high level of safety using an ant-based routing technique called AntHocNet. In health care, the use of IoT-assisted aerial vehicles would increase operational performance, surveillance, and automation optimization to provide a smart application of flying IoT. Apart from that, aerial vehicles can be used in remote communication for treatment, medical equipment distribution, and telementoring. While comparing routing algorithms, simulation findings indicate that the proposed ant-based routing protocol is optimal.

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