Lazar Berbakov

Situation Awareness and Decision Support Tools for Response Phase of Emergency Management: A Short Survey

Natural and man-made disasters increasingly menace global population, often bringing immense material loss and destruction, taking huge tolls in human lives, and impose involuntary migrations. In the imminent crisis aftermath, emergency managers and decision makers require a real-time holistic situation overview to guide and generate rapid decision action plan. Traditional emergency management tools simply are unable to deliver [4], instead they incur large delays and gaps in knowledge. Modern technological solutions are needed to generate a quick feedback loop from the in-situ filed situation. In this paper we provide a short overview of current state of the art commercial, open-source, and research emergency management tools aiming for recovery phase: situation assessment and decision support tools. We briefly introduce general end-user requirements that such emergency management tools should fulfil.

Cooperative localization in wireless sensor networks using combined measurements

This paper addresses node localization problem in a cooperative 3-D wireless sensor network (WSN), for both cases of known and unknown node transmit power, PT. We employ a hybrid system that combines distance and angle measurements, extracted from the received signal strength (RSS) and angle-of-arrival (AoA) information, respectively. Based on RSS measurement model and simple geometry, we derive a novel non-convex estimator based on the least squares (LS) criterion, which tightly approximates the maximum likelihood (ML) estimator for small noise. It is shown that the developed estimator can be transformed into a convex one by applying appropriate semidefinite programming (SDP) relaxation technique. Moreover, we show that the generalization of the proposed estimator for known PT is straightforward to the case where PT is not known. Our simulation results show that the new estimator has excellent performance in a great variety of considered scenarios, and is robust to not knowing PT.

One bit of feedback power allocation algorithm for collaborative beamforming in wireless sensor networks

Collaborative beamforming is a technique that provides transmission ranges beyond those achievable with single transmitter by combining signals from multiple transmitters. In this paper, we propose an algorithm that distributively selects sensor nodes whose signals combine in a quasi-coherent manner at the base station and computes the corresponding power allocation. In particular, we consider a decentralized antenna array where sensors are not allowed to change their carrier phase and instead only change the transmit power. We evaluate the system performance by using numerical simulations and look more into the impact of the number of sensors on the algorithms performance.

Smart Indoor Positioning System for Situation Awareness in Emergency Situations

In this paper, we propose an indoor positioning system for situation awareness in emergency situations. We consider a system that uses inertial sensors to provide positioning information in environments without GNSS coverage. We present the overall system architecture with the special emphasis on a smartphone application for indoor positioning and a mapping web portal where authorized personnel is given access to the positioning data.

Architecture and partial implementation of the remote monitoring platform for patients with movement disorders

In the coming years, the Internet of Things offers great promises for healhcare. The possibility to remotely monitor patients vital parameters offers a number of benefits: doctors can be aware of patients condition in real time and timely react in the case of emergency. Besides, patients are much more comfortable to stay at homes while avoiding expensive hospitalization costs. In this paper, we propose an architecture of a remote monitoring system for patients with movement disorders. We have developed one of building blocks — wireless inertial sensors platform that can be used in evaluation of therapy effectiveness for patients with spasmodic torticollis. Finally, we have demonstrated the effectiveness of our prototype TremorSense application: by analysing measurements acquired from patients with head dystonic tremor we have numerically confirmed effectiveness of the botulinum toxin injection treatment., In the coming years, the Internet of Things offers great promises for healhcare. The possibility to remotely monitor patients vital parameters offers a number of benefits: doctors can be aware of patients condition in real time and timely react in the case of emergency. Besides, patients are much more comfortable to stay at homes while avoiding expensive hospitalization costs. In this paper, we propose an architecture of a remote monitoring system for patients with movement disorders. We have developed one of building blocks — wireless inertial sensors platform that can be used in evaluation of therapy effectiveness for patients with spasmodic torticollis. Finally, we have demonstrated the effectiveness of our prototype TremorSense application: by analysing measurements acquired from patients with head dystonic tremor we have numerically confirmed effectiveness of the botulinum toxin injection treatment.

Positioning Units for Critical Asset Tracking and Emergency Management

Motivated by the opportunity to develop industry pull applications and services for the European EGNOS and GALILEO satellite systems, within SPARTACUS project are being tested satellite based positioning units aided by small inertial navigation platforms. In particular, three different types of tracking units were designed and realized for: (i) freight trains tracing, (ii) relief goods distribution, and (iii) coordination of first responders. In order to improve the positioning accuracy in presence of several units installed on the same convoy, were developed software solutions based on two steps (low and high level) in order to allow the integration of information collected by the individual tracking unit and by the whole array of sensors.

Smart-phone application for autonomous indoor positioning

In this paper, we propose an architecture for autonomous indoor positioning system. In particular, we consider a system where motion sensors along with magnetometer and barometer are used to provide accurate positioning information even in environments without GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) coverage. We look more into implementation details of one particular block (step detection) on a smart-phone platform. Finally, we evaluate step detection performance in experimental setup.

Evaluation of different AAC codec realizations for arm architectures

The paper presents objective and subjective evaluation of AAC audio codec realizations in relation to bit rate and resolution. Chosen audio material was coded and decoded using implementation provided by four different vendors and compared to the original audio clips by using EAQUAL software. Two realizations with highest scores were then compared using subjective A/B/X listening test. The different bitrates of the best evaluated codec were compared using A/B/X listening test as well. Finally, the optimal choices of codec and of bitrate were made both on subjective quality of the codecs and on other important objective parameters such as processor time and memory occupation of ARM architecture realizations.

Simultaneous distributed carrier synchronization and data transmission in wireless sensor networks

Collaborative beamforming is a promising technique for improving energy efficiency of uplink communications in wireless sensor networks. It is based on the fact that, if carrier phases of individual sensor nodes are synchronized precisely enough, sensor nodes can jointly form a beampattern with stable mainlobe. In this paper, we analyze the bit error rate performance of such collaborative transmission. In particular, we consider a decentralized antenna array where sensors are allowed to perform distributed carrier synchronization and collaborative data transmission simultaneously. We evaluate the system performance by using numerical simulations and provide a semianalytical solution for the overall bit error rate as a function of the algorithms iteration index.