Kevin I-Kai Wang

Fast track article: Ambient intelligence platform using multi-agent system and mobile ubiquitous hardware

In this paper, a novel ambient intelligence (AmI) platform is proposed to facilitate fast integration of different control algorithms, device networks and user interfaces. This platform defines the overall hardware/software architecture and communication standards. It consists of four layers, namely the ubiquitous environment, middleware, multi-agent system and application layer. The multi-agent system is implemented using Java Agent DEvelopment (JADE) framework and allows users to incorporate multiple control algorithms as agents for managing different tasks. The Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) device discovery protocol is used as a middleware, which isolates the multi-agent system and physical ubiquitous environment while providing a standard communication channel between the two. An XML content language has been designed to provide standard communication between various user interfaces and the multi-agent system. A mobile ubiquitous setup box is designed to allow fast construction of ubiquitous environments in any physical space. The real time performance analysis shows the potential of the proposed AmI platform to be used in real-life AmI applications. A case study has also been carried out to demonstrate the possibility of integrating multiple control algorithms in the multi-agent system and achieving a significant improvement on the overall offline learning performance.

System-level approach to the design of ambient intelligence systems based on wireless sensor and actuator networks

Wireless sensor and actuator networks (WSANs) have become pervasive and are used in many embedded and intelligent systems. However, the complexity of applications based on these networks is limited due to lack of tools for designing distributed systems on top of WSANs. In this paper, we present how a system-level programming language, SystemJ, is used to develop a middleware-free Ambient Intelligence (AmI) system. The system consists of a combination of Internet-enabled stationary and mobile WSAN nodes, which resembles an Internet of Things scenario. A distributed warehouse monitoring and control scenario with collaborating stationary and mobile WSAN nodes is used as a motivating example designed and implemented in SystemJ. This example demonstrates the capabilities of SystemJ for designing distributed AmI systems with inherent support for reactivity and composition of concurrent behaviors based on a formal model of computation, without the need for any additional middleware. The approach is compared with existing software agent, robotic and WSAN middleware approaches in designing the same type of systems.

Automated Bio Cybernetic System: A Lab-on-Chip case study

This paper presents a high level systematic design approach for a distinctive type of application, automated Bio Cybernetic Systems (BCS), which enable experiments to be performed autonomously on live organisms in a Lab-on-Chip platform. The system integrates micro-electro-mechanical, microfluidics and embedded computing technologies into a fully Automated Biochemical Laboratory (ABL) with real-time sensing and actuating capabilities and control of multiple parallel experiments on large number of live organisms to achieve high throughput screening process. The system comprises of multiple concurrent control subsystems, imaging subsystem, higher-level data acquisition and storage system. A system level design language SystemJ is used to model the ABL as a Globally Asynchronous, Locally Synchronous (GALS) system in software and a hardware prototype is successfully built based on the software model.

A 6LoWPAN implementation for memory constrained and power efficient wireless sensor nodes

The availability of low-power wireless sensor nodes has brought forward the scenarios of the Internet of Things, in which ubiquitous things need to be aware of their context, and at the same time be power efficient and IP-addressable. 6LoWPAN is one of the first protocols to standardise Internet connectivity for wireless sensor networks. The various 6LoWPAN implementations that are currently available are either dependent on the operating systems used on the sensor nodes or only commercially available. The dependency on using operating systems is suitable for larger nodes with more processing power and memory capacity, but is not practical, if not impossible, for power efficient nodes with systems on chip (SoC) solutions such as TI CC430. In this work, a successful implementation of 6LoWPAN/CD (6LoWPAN protocol for constrained devices) on bare metal CC430-based sensor nodes has been designed and implemented. It is based on open source software including the Contiki operating system and TI SimpliciTI protocol stack. The IP connectivity is demonstrated on a CC430-based power efficient wireless sensor node, AWSAM.

An enhanced pedestrian dead reckoning approach for pedestrian tracking using smartphones

This paper proposes an approach for pedestrian tracking using dead reckoning on a standard smartphone. Previous studies report tracking pedestrians when the mobile device is carried in a defined way within the tracking period. This paper presents a new approach which extends and enhances previous methods by identifying three typical modes of carrying the device during walking and using that fact to enhance tracking accuracy. Based on the real-time identification of modes, a light-weight step based tracking algorithm is developed with a novel step length estimation model. The tracking system is implemented on a commercial off-the-shelf smartphone equipped with a built-in Inertial Measurement Unit. It achieves real-time tracking and localization performance with typically sub-meter error.

An intelligent hybrid communication system for a distributed renewable energy management

The ever increasing demand for energy has led towards distributed renewable energy generation systems. Such systems depend on a well integrated information and communication infrastructure for interconnection and integration of various energy sources, loads, and environmental sensors to achieve intelligent distributed control and management. This paper describes the design and implementation of an intelligent hybrid communication system for a micro distributed energy generation application. The industrial standard controller area network (CAN) bus was selected to connect various energy sources and loads, due to its resistance to noisy conditions. An application specific communication protocol was designed, based on the CAN protocol, to allow data exchange and control. The proposed communication system was verified using a prototype micro wind generation system with multiple power converters and a central energy management unit. Combined with intelligent control algorithms, which could in future be incorporated in the energy management unit, the system has the ability to perform optimised load balancing and energy usage planning.

Miniaturized wireless sensor node for earthquake monitoring applications

Miniaturized wireless sensor nodes have demonstrated promising use in many application fields. This paper presents a new wireless sensor node designed for earthquake simulation and structural health monitoring applications. The sensor node is based on an ultra-low power System-on-Chip (SoC) microcontroller with an integrated sub-1GHz radio core. The node is also equipped with a temperature sensor and a 3-axis accelerometer to monitor its ambient environment and geotechnical movements. The sensor is designed targeting minimum physical size and power consumption. The shake table earthquake-like simulation showed that the node can correctly measure typical seismic acceleration and work autonomously for up to 17 days with continuous acceleration measurement and 30 minutes of effective radio transmission every day.

Distributed embedded intelligence room with multi-agent cooperative learning

In this paper, a novel Multi-agent control system with fuzzy inference learning and its physical testbed are presented. In the Multi-agent system, distributed controlling, monitoring and cooperative learning are achieved through ubiquitous computing paradigm. The physical testbed named Distributed Embedded Intelligence Room (DEIR) is equipped with a fair amount of embedded devices interconnected in three types of physical networks, namely LonWorks network, RS-485 network and IP network. The changes of environment states and user actions are recorded by software agents and are processed by fuzzy inference learning algorithm to form fuzzy rules that capture user behaviour. With these rules, fuzzy logic controllers can perform user preferred control actions. Comparative analysis shows our control system has achieved noticeable improvement in control accuracy compared to the other offline control system.

Perspectives on Cyber Science and Technology for Cyberization and Cyber-Enabled Worlds

Cyberization, as a new big trend following computerization and informatization, is the process of forming a new cyberworld and transforming our current physical, social and mental worlds into novel cyber-combined worlds. Cyber science, responding to the cyberization trend, aims to create a new collection of knowledge about these cyber-enabled worlds, and provide a way of discovering what is in the cyber-enabled worlds and how they work. Cyber science is concerned with the study of phenomena caused or generated by the cyberworld and cyber-physical, cyber-social and cyber-mental worlds, as well as the complex intertwined integration of cyber physical, social and mental worlds. It fuels advances in cyber technology, beyond the existing cyber related technologies. In this paper, after discussing the cyberization background and process, and explaining cyber science and technology, we present our visions and perspectives on new opportunities, essential issues and major challenges for cyber science and technology. We further describe cyber related technologies and closely related existing research areas, and envision future research directions, in terms of cyber physical, cyber social, cyber life, cyber intelligence and cyber security, which are five basic dimensions of cyber science and technology.

Towards industrial Internet of Things: An efficient and interoperable communication framework

Interoperability between shop floor devices and upper layer systems is a key challenge for enabling Internet of Things in industrial applications. Standardized protocols such as IPv6, CoAP, and XML can be used to address this issue. Widely used XML-based technologies such as SenML, EEML, OPC-UA as well as others rely on XML to be able to support a wide range of sensor and actuator applications. However, this approach results in high communication overhead due to the verbose nature of plain text messages encoded in XML. When devices are communicating using 6LoWPAN over IEEE 802.15.4, it is important to keep the messages small enough to fit into one MAC-layer frame to avoid fragmentation and hence conserving bandwidth and transmission energy. One possible solution is to integrate differential binary delta-encoding with a service-based framework based on CoAP, SenML and EXI. The proposed efficient communication approach for service-based architecture can compress a series of events up to 90-95%. The proposed framework is a holistic approach for enabling distributed monitoring and control applications and a move towards realizing the vision of Services of Things.