Vasilis N. Tsoulkas

An Intelligent Fault Monitoring and Risk Management Tool for Complex Critical Infrastructures: The SERSCIS Approach in Air-Traffic Surface Control

We provide novel results on the development of an intelligent risk management and threat monitoring visualization tool realized within the EU funded project SERSCIS (Semantically Enhanced, Resilient and Secure Critical Infrastructure Services). After a brief overview of existing risk management methods for Critical Infrastructures (CIs), the SERSCIS objectives, motivation and components we proceed in describing the highly complex task of aircraft management process and the adopted risk assessment and evaluation methodology for the implementation of the threat analysis - monitoring solution in the aircraft surface operations sector. In particular our case study and proof - of - concept prototype concentrates on the technical support and information presentation capacity to decision makers and human - in the loop - operators for optimizing the dynamic and adaptive behavior of the interconnected ICT systems in an Airport Collaborative Decision making (A-CDM) test case scenario of the European Air Traffic System.

The Embedding of System's and Control's Terminology and Conceptualization to Model-Based Tele-medicine-Assisted Home Support (TAHoS)

In this paper, we aim at two objectives. Firstly, to construct the model of a powerful tele-medicine centre, that can be initiated by private and national health sector synergies. Secondly, to present our results from the systems and control science point of view, since several constructive methods and powerful tools of these two mature fields of engineering and mathematics can be applied. The whole project is based primarily on satellite facilities, see Galileo/ESA initiatives. The initial substantial costs and funding of such an investment can be properly covered in a mixed fashion by the country’s National Health System and the private entities that will be providing tele-medicine services to larger target groups of end-users.Thus, in this research work, an intelligent engineering-model structure is described that can be easily adapted to serve multiple and diverse needs. This model demonstrates the promise of IC technologies in the delivery of patient-centred healthcare. Moreover, it provides a stepping-stone for distant continuing education between academic health sciences’ centres, i.e. the Nursing Departments of Universities, the Medical Centres, the Hospitals, the Health Care Laboratories etc. Thus, several types of teleconference equipment and hardware can be employed to provide teaching assistantship for different kinds of e-health services.

An Educational Approach to Design and Evaluate Descriptor Systems

The validity of the fundamental principles and methods of control and system theory with an abundance of applications not only remains unaffected but on the contrary, it is enriched with new tools and perspectives. Thus, in this paper, our main goal is to fill in the gap in teaching young mathematicians difficult and fundamental, mathematical concepts of control and system theory (descriptor systems). It is noted that our personal experience in various educational and research aspects is the starting point of motivation in the subsequent analysis. The proposed educational approach aims to address and overcome the difficulties that students are facing during the learning process of basic mathematical ideas using computational tools (Scilab). It is valid that Scilab seems to be a reasonable starting point to motivate students to become familiar with basic descriptor analysis concepts.

Robust Performance Issues in Tracking Control over Networks

This paper is concerned with the investigation of robust performance of linear tracking controllers affected by unmodelled delays acting in the loop. The incentive comes from the area of Networked Control System (NCS) where the inevitable network-induced (transmission) delays are either time-varying or constant. The main contribution (based on extensive simulation work rather than strict mathematical proof) is that the tracking performance of (typical or more sophisticated) linear tracking control laws is drastically reduced when applied to NCS. The provided simulation results (i) demonstrate the impact of the network-induced delays on the tracking performance of single-input single-output NCS, (ii) provide initial guidelines for the tuning of the controllers and (iii) pave the road for further work to be done.

Hybrid Satellite-Terrestrial Architecture for Control Systems Education

In this paper, the modules for the conceptual design of an innovative e-learning platform using satellite communications for teaching control systems theory courses are presented. All necessary tools and mechanisms are provided enabling real time text, and audio/video based communication between tutors and learners. The end-user driven services include: virtual classroom, offline operation, sharing of applications, private/ public chatting, audio/video streaming. A concise description of the pilot architecture which depends on the DVB-RCS standard is presented justifying further the choice of the proposed platform. Simulation results concerning the teaching of fundamental issues in Networked Control Theory within the proposed architecture are provided. Connections with hybrid configurations such as wireless terrestrial broad-band technologies (DVB-RCS/WiMAX, DVB-RCS/Wi-Fi) are further justified.

Integrated fire detection systems for the mediterranean region

It is the purpose of this paper to introduce novel design issues of an early warning detection system. At first the basic subsystems and technical components architecture are described. Hardware and software issues as well as satellite data handling are introduced within the integrated system architecture. Furthermore using the proposed set-up and within the same framework of distributed networks state of the art detection strategies are introduced and explored.

Advances in Medical Education on Surgical Techniques Using Satellite Communications

In this article, we propose briefly the implementation of an integrated platform for the provision of advanced tele-medicine services over satellite, specifically tailored to the continuing medical education and training of health professionals on new surgical techniques. The system will enable the transmission of live - high quality - surgical video from operating rooms, including both panoramic and endoscopic view, in order to facilitate a) training of surgeons and/or students on advanced surgical techniques through the observation of live procedures using the da Vinci system and b) mentoring/proctoring of novice surgeons during their initial laparoscopic procedures. The system also provides interaction between trainees and local surgical tutors via videoconference. It is aimed at implementing an end-to-end solution, which will offer horizontal integration of the proposed tele-medicine service, with the offer of equipment and broadband satcom/telecom services, in a scalable and adaptable manner that can be easily replicated on a wider scale.

Real Time Threat Prediction, Identification and Mitigation for Critical Infrastructure Protection Using Semantics, Event Processing and Sequential Analysis

Seamless and faultless operational conditions of multi stakeholder Critical Infrastructures (CIs) are of high importance for today’s societies on a global scale. Due to their population impact, attacks against their interconnected components can create serious damages and performance degradation which eventually can result in a societal crisis. Therefore it is crucial to effectively and timely protect these high performance - critical systems against any type of malicious cyber-physical intrusions. This can be realized by protecting CIs against threat consequences or by blocking threats to take place at an early stage and preventing further escalation or predicting threat occurrences and have the ability to rapidly react by eliminating its roots. In this paper a novel architecture is proposed in which these three ways of confronting with cyber – physical threats are combined using a novel semantics based risk methodology that relies on real time behavioral analysis. The final prototype provides the CI operator with a decision tool (DST) that imprints the proposed approach and which is capable of alerting on new unknown threats, generate suggestions of the required counter-actions and alert of probable threat existence. The implemented architecture has been tested and validated in a proof of concept scenario of an airport CI with simulated monitoring data.

Assessment of Linear Set-Point Controllers for a Direct Drive Nonlinear Pendulum

This paper is concerned with the design of linearset -- point controllers for a specific nonlinear system: a motor driven pendulum. It is shown that when input constraints and delays are present, the synthesis procedure is non trivial. Even if the design is based on mature theoretical basis, extensive nonlinear simulations are the only practical way to ensure that the linear design offers acceptable tracking performance in a large operation range while respecting the requirements of input constraints and robustness.

Design Issues of an Operational Fire Detection System Integrated with Observation Sensors

George Halikias1, George Leventakis2, Charalambos Kontoes3, Vasilis Tsoulkas2, Leonidas Dritsas4 and Athanasios Pantelous5 1School of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, City University, London 2Center of Security Studies (KEMEA)/Ministry of Citizen Protection, Athens 3Institute for Space Applications and Remote Sensing, National Observatory of Athens 4Hellenic Air Force Academy, Division of Automatic Control, Athens 5University of Liverpool, Department of Mathematical Sciences 1, 5UK 2, 3, 4Greece