Paolo F. Sciammarella

Setting-up of PPG scaling factors for SpO2% evaluation by smartphone

The recent literature proposes the smartphones camera to evaluate the arterial blood oxygenation (SpO2%) with the characteristic of friendly and ubiquitous measurement instrument. Some issues remain open, making difficult the compensation of artefacts causing error in the estimation of the photoplethysmogram signal (PPG) and not guarantying that the measurement of SpO2% is correctly executed. In the research, a method is proposed for setting-up the parameters to compensate the effects of the environmental light sources. Initially, the method evaluates the quality of the PPG signals by analysing the light intensity in the red and green colour channels of the video frames of the patient fingertip. Successively, a proper digital procedure sets the scale factor of the PPG to compensate the effects of external light for improving the accurate evaluation of the SpO2%. In order to assess the effectiveness of the proposed method, the experimental results are compared with the gas chromatography analysis.

Agents+Control: A Methodology for CPSs

The development of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) is challenging because the cyber part (software) has to control, through sensors/actuators accessed by means of a suitable network infrastructure, a physical plant which can require the fulfillment of timing constraints. This paper proposes a methodology based on a control-centric agent framework, for the development of CPSs. The approach is original and enables model continuity, i.e., the same model can be exploited along all the development stages of a system, from analysis based on simulation down to real-time implementation and execution. For demonstration purposes, a case study concerned with optimizing power management in an electric power grid is reported.

Model Checking Knowledge And Commitments In Multi-Agent Systems Using Actors And UPPAAL.

This paper proposes a method for modelling and analysis of knowledge and commitments in multi-agent systems. The approach is based on an actors model and its reduction onto UPPAAL. A key factor of the approach is the possibility of exploiting the same UPPAAL model for exhaustive verification or, when state explosion problems forbid model checking, for quantitative evaluation of system properties through statistical model checking. The article describes the method, shows its application to modelling the NetBill protocol, proposes a translation into the terms of the timed automata language of UPPAAL and demonstrates the analysis of the NetBill protocol together with some experimental results.

Statistical model checking of distributed real-time actor systems

This paper proposes an approach to modelling and analysis of distributed real-time actor systems, which is based on the Uppaal statistical model checker (SMC). SMC was chosen because it automatizes simulations, offers a temporal logic language to formalize specifications and exploits statistical techniques to infer quantitative measures about a model. The approach is integrated in a system life-cycle where a same model can be transitioned without distortions from analysis down to design and implementation, currently based on Java. The paper describes the adopted actor modelling language and its architectural framework, illustrates the Uppaal SMC approach and demonstrates its practical usefulness through a running example.

Exploiting Model Continuity in Agent-Based Cyber-Physical Systems

This work develops an agent and control based approach for modeling, analysis and implementation of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs). Novel in this software engineering approach is a support to model continuity, that is the possibility of transitioning a same model from property analysis based on simulation, down to design, implementation and real-time execution. The paper introduces the basic concepts of the methodology, illustrates some implementation issues and presents a case study concerned with power management in a smart micro-grid.

Statistical Model Checking Of Multi-Agent Systems.

This paper proposes an original approach to modelling and simulation of multi-agent systems which is based on statistical model checking (SMC). The approach is prototyped in the context of the popular UPPAAL SMC toolbox. Usefulness and validation of the approach are checked by applying it to a known complex and adaptive model of the Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma (IPD) game, by studying the emergence of cooperation in the presence of different social interaction structures.

Model Checking Mutual Exclusion Algorithms Using Uppaal

This paper proposes an approach to modelling and exhaustive verification of mutual exclusion algorithms which is based on Timed Automata in the context of the popular Uppaal toolbox. The approach makes it possible to study the properties of a mutual exclusion algorithm also in the presence of the time dimension. For demonstration purposes some historical algorithms are modelled and thoroughly analyzed, going beyond some informal reasoning reported in the literature. The paper also proposes a mutual exclusion algorithm for \( N \ge 2 \) processes whose model checking confirms it satisfies all the required properties.

Agent-Based Model Continuity Of Stochastic Time Petri Nets.

Stochastic Time Petri Nets (sTPN) are a useful formalism for modelling and quantitative analysis of concurrent systems with timing constraints. This paper describes an implemented tool supporting sTPN, which was achieved on top of a control-centric agent-based framework which fosters model continuity. Model continuity means the same model can be used for property checking through simulation and for real-time execution. The paper demonstrates the effectiveness of the approach through a modelling example.

Qualitative and quantitative model checking of distributed probabilistic timed actors

Abstract This article proposes an approach to modelling and analysis of distributed probabilistic timed actors. The approach rests on a lightweight infrastructure of actors - Theatre - whose design aims to favoring the development of predictable time-dependent applications. Adopted actors are thread-less and their evolution is transparently regulated by a customizable control layer which has a reflective link with the application. A Theatre system consists of a collection of interacting computing nodes (theatres) each one hosting a sub system of local actors. The control layers of the various theatre components coordinate each other so as to enforce a common global time notion (real or simulated time). The abstract Theatre modelling language can be reduced in a case to Uppaal , which opens to the analysis of the functional/non-functional aspects of a distributed system. A key factor of the reduction process concerns the possibility of making both a non-deterministic analysis of an actor model (checking that something, e.g., an event, can occur), and a quantitative evaluation of system behavior by statistical model checking of the same model (e.g., estimating the probability for an event to occur). The paper describes the Theatre architecture and introduces a real-time case study which is used as a running example throughout the paper. The operational semantics of Theatre is provided and the proposed reduction of Theatre actors on top of Uppaal detailed through the chosen example. Some experimental results are reported about qualitative and quantitative analysis of the case study. Finally, conclusions are presented with an indication of further work.

Towards a unified approach for Distributed Measurement System technologies

Many applications Internet-of-things (loT) based exploit Distributed Measurement System (DMS) to acquire data from sensors equipping objects or measurement instruments constituting the DMS nodes. The heterogeneity of the smart objects used to develop IoT applications has become a challenge in the design of the DMS, and very strong is the need to move towards new paradigm for programming and managing such systems. In fact, a current major limitation in the DMS development is the requirement of a deep knowledge about the different programming language and communication protocols. Aim of this paper is to provide an overview on DMS, focusing on the issues and the different technologies used, highlighting the software and architectural limits to the large diffusion for home automation, with a proposal to overcome them.