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Location based services are becoming abundant and more reliable in today’s world thanks to the technological advancements achieved in the fields of positioning, navigation, and timing. Indoor asset tracking is an essential element of smart automation, warehousing, and manufacturing in industrial environments. Accurate indoor positioning systems (IPSs) exist with heavy financial costs depending on the degree of integrity required, consequently, numerous wireless based systems can be regarded as economical solutions. However, wireless positioning technologies suffer deep channel impairments especially in dense indoor venues that comprise various metallic and concrete structures. In this article, we showcase our work-in-progress research that studies a dense industrial environment in the context of indoor asset tracking. We experiment three potential wireless technologies: Ultra wideband (UWB), Bluetooth low energy (BLE) and Wi-Fi, to render a comparative assessment. Using a Multi-sensor fusion approach, we tend to complement the flaws in one technology with the merits of another, aided by physical quantity sensors like inertial motion units (IMUs). Moreover, we developed a machine learning optimization model to improve the results of the fusion based positioning scheme. The results are to be verified against millimeter-accurate reference measurements, then a seamless positioning scheme for indoor asset tracking can be achieved.

Drones may be more advantageous than fixed cameras for quality control applications in industrial facilities, since they can be redeployed dynamically and adjusted to production planning. The practical scenario that has motivated this paper, image acquisition with drones in a car manufacturing plant, requires drone positioning accuracy in the order of 5 cm. During repetitive manufacturing processes, it is assumed that quality control imaging drones will follow highly deterministic periodic paths, stop at predefined points to take images and send them to image recognition servers. Therefore, by relying on prior knowledge about production chain schedules, it is possible to optimize the positioning technologies for the drones to stay at all times within the boundaries of their flight plans, which will be composed of stopping points and the paths in between. This involves mitigating issues such as temporary blocking of line-of-sight between the drone and any existing radio beacons; sensor data noise; and the loss of visual references. We present a self-corrective solution for this purpose. It corrects visual odometer readings based on filtered and clustered Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) data, as an alternative to direct Kalman fusion. The approach combines the advantages of these technologies when at least one of them works properly at any measurement spot. It has three method components: independent Kalman filtering, data association by means of stream clustering and mutual correction of sensor readings based on the generation of cumulative correction vectors. The approach is inspired by the observation that UWB positioning works reasonably well at static spots whereas visual odometer measurements reflect straight displacements correctly but can underestimate their length. Our experimental results demonstrate the advantages of the approach in the application scenario over Kalman fusion, in terms of stopping point detection and trajectory estimation error. Xunta de Galicia | Ref. GRC2018/053 Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad | Ref. TEC2016-76465-C2-2-R

This paper illustrates the main problematic issues of minimizing technological risks in the construction of an integrated architecture for the protection of a “smart habitat” (SH). We analyze the use of the IoT to identify both object hazards and the categorization of switching detection in information collection and processing centers. The article proposes wired and wireless data-transmission systems for the required level of efficiency as well as SH protection. Particular attention is paid to the organization of multi-level protection of promising 5G/6G cellular networks based on the analysis of the security threat landscape.

This article is concerned with reflecting on the digital technologies importance by analyzing their use during the coronavirus spread. The digitalization role in all areas of public life - from medicine to education - is demonstrated. The pandemic, turning into a major worldwide crisis, required states, organizations, institutions, and individuals to develop strategies to combat it. The results indicate that digitalization has contributed to global economic survival by providing industry automation, ecommerce, and support for high risk occupations. While this paper focuses on the digitalization role in the virus era, these discussions can to a high extent be applied in other timeframes. Even though digitization alone is incapable of ending the virus, the study delves deeper into the search for its true potential. The true opportunity potential also represents the ubiquity of connectivity to audio and video applications such as Google, Zoom and Skype, linking people together and facilitating elearning.

With the Coronavirus pandemic showing no signs of abating, companies and governments around the world are spending millions of dollars to develop contactless sensor technologies that minimize the need for physical interactions between the patient and healthcare providers. As a result, healthcare research studies are rapidly progressing towards discovering innovative contactless technologies, especially for infants and elderly people who are suffering from chronic diseases that require continuous, real-time control, and monitoring. The fusion between sensing technology and wireless communication has emerged as a strong research candidate choice because wearing sensor devices is not desirable by patients as they cause anxiety and discomfort. Furthermore, physical contact exacerbates the spread of contagious diseases which may lead to catastrophic consequences. For this reason, research has gone towards sensor-less or contactless technology, through sending wireless signals, then analyzing and processing the reflected signals using special techniques such as frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) or channel state information (CSI). Therefore, it becomes easy to monitor and measure the subject’s vital signs remotely without physical contact or asking them to wear sensor devices. In this paper, we overview and explore state-of-the-art research in the field of contactless sensor technology in medicine, where we explain, summarize, and classify a plethora of contactless sensor technologies and techniques with the highest impact on contactless healthcare. Moreover, we overview the enabling hardware technologies as well as discuss the main challenges faced by these systems. This work is funded by the scientific and technological research council of Turkey (TÜBITAK) under grand 119E392

The aim of this work is to show a preliminary investigation of possible noncontact techniques for displacement measurement of radioactive waste in a geological disposal. Since a nuclear waste repository can be considered as a harsh environment, the possibility to study alternative methods for measurement, for example, not using cables or buses for detecting relevant data, should be considered as a priority. A straightforward approach could be the substitution of cables with wireless sensors. But if cables cannot be used and the use of wireless techniques is required, new sensors must assure a reliable transmission without affecting the engineered barriers performance and the reliable use of energy supply for the measuring equipment over long periods. This work shows the results of a study of feasibility on using an electromagnetic (EM) approach for the contactless displacement measurement of a canister immersed and suspended in bentonite, a material with a high degree of water retention.

Spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste from fuel reprocessing are the most hazardous and long-lived radioactive wastes produced by the nuclear fuel cycle, and they must be contained and isolated for thousands of years at an acceptable safety level for human health and the environment. Recently, the authors have proposed a preliminary numerical investigation of possible non-contact techniques for displacement measurement in a geological nuclear waste disposal. In fact, cables used for the detection of measurement signals might be effectively substituted with wireless sensors, thus avoiding all the side effects produced in such a harsh environment (e.g. degradation due to temperature, humidity and radiation conditions). Previous works showed the feasibility of using an electromagnetic approach for the contactless displacement measurement of a canister immersed and suspended in bentonite, a material with a high degree of water retention. The results demonstrated that such an approach is possible provided that some strong requirements are imposed on the sensor design. Sure enough, new sensors must assure reliable transmission through the isolated areas of a repository without affecting the engineered barriers performance and reliable use of energy supply for the measuring equipment in the long term. This work proposes a possible experimental setup where the numerical models developed in previous works can be tested, so to arrive to a prototype sensor to be used in a demonstrator repository.

The aim of this work is to present a preliminary investigation on the propagation of electromagnetic fields generated by wireless technologies inside a nuclear facility or power plant. First, a survey of currently proposed wireless technologies for nuclear facilities and plants has been carried out. Then, for selected scenarios, the electromagnetic field propagation has been studied by means of electromagnetic simulation tools, and the presence of the nuclear environment has been simulated by properly modeling environmental parameters and engineered barriers. The choice of the proper simulation techniques and tools is mandatory in order to simulate the effect of the realistic environment on the propagation. Accordingly, the feasibility of wireless technologies application at nuclear facilities can be assessed on the basis of results achieved from simulated scenarios. The goal is to analyze, for selected scenarios, possible issues due to the propagation of an electromagnetic field in the presence of simplified barriers mimicking the real nuclear environment. This approach can provide indications on how to deploy potential benefits of wireless technologies in a nuclear environment, evaluating pros and cons of the investigated technologies.

В период цифровизации экономики, бурного развития Интернета, информационно-коммуникационных технологий (ИКТ), устойчивых каналов связи, облачных технологий и цифровых платформ появились открытые информационные системы и глобальные промышленные сети, выходящие за пределы отдельного предприятия, которые взаимодействуют между собой. В статье рассмотрены современные цифровые технологии, внедренные в настоящее время в агропромышленный комплекс России. Авторы отмечают, что для повышения энергоэффективности цифровых систем продолжается работа по разработке моделей отдельных элементов сети и протоколов маршрутизации беспроводной сенсорной сети для оптимизации потребления энергии сенсором

espanollas Redes Digitales Comunitarias (RDC) se entienden como aquellas redes tipo LAN que permiten el libre acceso inalambrico (utilizando tecnologia Wifi definida por la familia de estandares para inalambricas 802.11 del IEEE) a diferentes tipos de recursos y servicios (disponibles en internet o en una red local) caracterizadas por ser disenadas e implementadas por grupos u organizaciones sin animo de lucro, y que contribuyen efectivamente al mejoramiento de la calidad de vida de las comunidades donde funcionan cuya brecha digital, en general, es significativa. El presente articulo revisa algunas experiencias de RDC en Europa, Asia y Suramerica, en el periodo 2008-2016; y como caso de estudio se puntualiza en la red Buenos Aires Libre, constituida en la provincia de Buenos Aires (Argentina). La investigacion tiene un perfil prospectivo y plantea una via expedita para superar la marginalidad tecnologica que aqueja comunidades vulnerables latinoamericanas, con Colombia a la cabeza, a traves del acceso abierto, libre y gratuito a la informacion por medios electronicos. EnglishCommunity Digital Networks (CDN) are understood as those networks type LAN that allow free wireless (using wireless technology defined by the family of standards for wireless IEEE 802.11) to different types of resources and services (available online or in a local network) characterized by being designed and implemented by groups or non profit organization, and effectively contribute to improving the quality of life of the communities where they work whose digital divide, in general, it is meaningful. This article reviews some experiences of CDN in Europe, Asia and South America, in the period 2008-2016; as a case study it is specified in the Buenos Aires Libre network, established in the province of Buenos Aires (Argentina). The research has a prospective profile and set out the shortest way to overcome the technological marginalization that afflicts vulnerable communities in Latin America, with Colombia in the head, through free access to the information by electronic media

Logistics and transport have become an increasingly important topic in recent years. In this kind of scenario, being able to offer added value to users means an important improvement in the services offered by the different companies. Different actors take part in the process of sending, transportation and collection of the different products through roads, ports and airports. During this process different aspects of security must be taken into account, since an error in one of them can cause major problems for public health, nature or even the economy of a country. With all this in mind, this work proposes a new system that allows us, through the use of wireless technologies such as Radio Frequency Identification, Global Positioning System, Wi-Fi Direct and mobile communication technologies, to automate the process of authentication and tracking of different products and goods. The proposed scheme allows through the use of the cloud the creation of a ubiquitous communications system for monitoring, control and even automation of repositioning orders automatically. In addition, the use of a system based on blockchain allows to carry out the whole process in an optimal way that guarantees the privacy and immutability of the data referring to the transports and merchandise. This work allows to reduce costs and improve the quality of the processes of sending, transport and reception of products for the different companies involved in the supply chain.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is associated with a wide range of disturbances of the autonomic nervous system. The aim of the present study was to monitor the heart rate (HR) and the heart rate variability (HRV) during light physical activity in a group of adolescent girls with AN and in age-matched controls using a wearable, minimally obtrusive device. For the study, we enrolled a sample of 23 adolescents with AN and 17 controls. After performing a 12-lead electrocardiogram and echocardiography, we used a wearable device to record a one-lead electrocardiogram for 5 min at baseline for 5 min during light physical exercise (Task) and for 5 min during recovery. From the recording, we extracted HR and HRV indices. Among subjects with AN, the HR increased at task and decreased at recovery, whereas among controls it did not change between the test phases. HRV features showed a different trend between the two groups, with an increased low-to-high frequency ratio (LF/HF) in the AN group due to increased LF and decreased HF, differently from controls that, otherwise, slightly increased their standard deviation of NN intervals (SDNN) and the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD). The response in the AN group during the task as compared to that of healthy adolescents suggests a possible sympathetic activation or parasympathetic withdrawal, differently from controls. This result could be related to the low energy availability associated to the excessive loss of fat and lean mass in subjects with AN, that could drive to autonomic imbalance even during light physical activity.

The development of wearable sensors is aimed at enabling continuous real-time health monitoring, which leads to timely and precise diagnosis anytime and anywhere. Unlike conventional wearable sensors that are somewhat bulky, rigid, and planar, research for next-generation wearable sensors has been focused on establishing fully-wearable systems. To attain such excellent wearability while providing accurate and reliable measurements, fabrication strategies should include (1) proper choices of materials and structural designs, (2) constructing efficient wireless power and data transmission systems, and (3) developing highly-integrated sensing systems. Herein, we discuss recent advances in wearable devices for non-invasive sensing, with focuses on materials design, nano/microfabrication, sensors, wireless technologies, and the integration of those.

The aim of this work is to show a preliminary investigation on the propagation of electromagnetic fields generated by wireless technologies inside a nuclear facility or power plant. First, a survey of currently proposed wireless technologies for nuclear facilities and plants has been carried out. Then, for selected scenarios, the electromagnetic field propagation has been studied by means of electromagnetic simulation tools, and the presence of the nuclear environment has been simulated by properly modeling environmental parameters and engineered barriers. The choice of the proper simulation techniques and tools is mandatory in order to simulate the effect of the realistic environment on the propagation. Accordingly, the feasibility of wireless technologies application at nuclear facilities can be assessed on the basis of results achieved from simulated scenarios. The goal is to analyze, for selected scenarios, possible issues due to the propagation of an electromagnetic field in presence of simplified barriers mimicking the real nuclear environment. This approach can provide indications on how to deploy potential benefits of wireless technologies in a nuclear environment, evaluating pros and cons of the investigated technologies. Copyright İ 2018 ASME

With the exponential proliferation of mobile devices, smart phones and apps in the consumer market, mobile payment is emerging as a key area to revolutionise the everyday financial life of both consumers and merchants. The past few years have witnessed an increase in the adoption of digital payments and online billing methods that leverage on wireless technologies and the Internet. However, the success or failure of mobile payments in businesses is a hot topic today due to the multi-faceted factors such as, type of wireless technologies used, security and privacy, the players involved and their influencing business models, including consumer factors relating to interoperability, flexibility, ease-of-use and social marketing. This paper examines mobile payments in all perspectives: technical, social as well as business viewpoints and provides a strategic framework for a successful mobile payment adoption.

Skin is the largest organ of the human body, and it offers a diagnostic interface rich with vital biological signals from the inner organs, blood vessels, muscles, and dermis/epidermis. Soft, flexible, and stretchable electronic devices provide a novel platform to interface with soft tissues for robotic feedback and control, regenerative medicine, and continuous health monitoring. Here, we introduce the term "lab-on-skin" to describe a set of electronic devices that have physical properties, such as thickness, thermal mass, elastic modulus, and water-vapor permeability, which resemble those of the skin. These devices can conformally laminate on the epidermis to mitigate motion artifacts and mismatches in mechanical properties created by conventional, rigid electronics while simultaneously providing accurate, non-invasive, long-term, and continuous health monitoring. Recent progress in the design and fabrication of soft sensors with more advanced capabilities and enhanced reliability suggest an impending translation of these devices from the research lab to clinical environments. Regarding these advances, the first part of this manuscript reviews materials, design strategies, and powering systems used in soft electronics. Next, the paper provides an overview of applications of these devices in cardiology, dermatology, electrophysiology, and sweat diagnostics, with an emphasis on how these systems may replace conventional clinical tools. The review concludes with an outlook on current challenges and opportunities for future research directions in wearable health monitoring.

Machine-to-machine communication (M2M) technology enables large-scale device communication and networking, including home devices and appliances. A critical issue for home M2M networks is how to efficiently integrate existing home consumer devices and appliances into an IP-based wireless M2M network with least modifications. Due to its popularity and widespread use in closed spaces, Wi-Fi is a good alternative as a wireless technology to enable M2M networking for home devices. This paper addresses the energy-efficient integration of home appliances into a Wi-Fi- and IP-based home M2M network. Toward this goal, we first propose an integration architecture that requires least modifications to existing components. Then, we propose a novel long-term sleep scheduling algorithm to be applied with the existing 802.11 power save mode. The proposed scheme utilizes the multicast DNS protocol to maintain device and service availability when devices go into deep sleep mode. We prototyped our proposed architecture and algorithm to build a M2M network testbed of home appliances. We performed various experiments on this testbed to evaluate the operation and energy savings of our proposal. We also did simulation experiments for larger scale scenarios. As a result of our test-bed and simulation experiments, we observed significant energy savings compared to alternatives while also ensuring device and service availability. © The British Computer Society 2017. All rights reserved.

En el marco del Escenario 5 (poblaciones de menos de 1000 habitantes) del Plan director de banda ancha del Gobierno de Navarra (2016-2021), el trabajo tiene el objetivo de diseño de una red que dé una solución para dar servicio de banda ancha a varias poblaciones y sedes corporativas de Gobierno de Navarra de la zona 4, Tierra Estella. Tras realizar un estudio de las posibles soluciones tecnológicas, basado en la orografía y demografía de la zona se ha decidido adoptar una solución de banda ancha basada totalmente en tecnologías radio, tanto la red de transporte coma la red de distribución. Para la red de transporte se emplearan radioenlaces de alta capacidad, que interconecten los centros de telecomunicaciones, de donde partirá la red de distribución, realizada con transmisiones punto a multipunto. Además se ha decidido este tipo de solución ya que es la opción que resulta más viable económicamente. Pero que al mismo tiempo debe cumplir con los objetivos de cobertura y servicios establecidos para este tipo de poblaciones. In the framework of Scenario 5 (populations of less than 1000 inhabitants) of the Broadband Master Plan of the Government of Navarre (2016-2021), the work has the objective of designing a network that provides a solution to provide broadband service to several towns and corporate headquarters of the Government of Navarre in zone 4, Tierra Estella. After conducting a study of possible technological solutions, based on the terrain and demography of the area has decided to adopt a broadband solution based entirely on radio technologies, both the transport network and the distribution network. For the transport network, high-capacity radio links will be used, interconnecting the telecommunications centers, from where the distribution network will start, with point-to-multipoint transmissions. In addition, this type of solution has been decided since it is the option that is more economically viable. But at the same time it must meet the objectives of coverage and services established for this type of population. Graduado o Graduada en Ingeniería en Tecnologías de Telecomunicación por la Universidad Pública de Navarra Telekomunikazio Teknologien Ingeniaritzako Graduatua Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoan

This research work presents a novel methodology of assessing wireless interferences on Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) by the aid of an in-house developed 3D Ray Launching method, which is a novel deterministic approach for radio propagation prediction in complex environments. Firstly, the 3D Ray Launching simulation procedure has been validated by means of comparing the simulation results with radio propagation measurements within different complex scenarios. Afterwards, a novel point of view regarding the traditional use of radio propagation models is presented: its use for assessing wireless interferences between different deployed wireless networks and WSNs, instead of only predicting the radio propagation of the transceivers belonging to a wireless communication system. The obtained results show that the assessment of potential wireless interferences will be a major issue in order to deploy optimally WSNs, even more taking into account that in a future framed by the Smart City concept and the so called Internet of Things (IoT) along the appearance of 5G systems, the quantity of wireless transceivers is expected to be huge. Once the methodology for the assessment of the interferences between wireless communication systems has been performed, a further step has been taken in order to analyze the interferences created by electrical devices which do not belong to wireless communication systems. For that purpose, a novel hybrid simulation method based on the 3D Ray Launching algorithm and Equivalent Sources has been developed in order to obtain computational models for the estimation of radiated emissions of potential wireless interference sources. Specifically, a common domestic microwave oven has been chosen as the interference source under analysis.

© 2017 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes,creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works. This article presents a converged 5G network infrastructure and an overarching architecture to jointly support operational network and end-user services, proposed by the EU 5G PPP project 5G-XHaul. The 5G-XHaul infrastructure adopts a common fronthaul/backhaul network solution, deploying a wealth of wireless technologies and a hybrid active/passive optical transport, supporting flexible fronthaul split options. This infrastructure is evaluated through a novel modeling. Numerical results indicate significant energy savings at the expense of increased end-user service delay.

In recent years, FANET-related research and development has doubled, due to the increased demands of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in both military and civilian operations. Equipped with more capabilities and unique characteristics, FANET is able to play a vital role in mission-critical applications. However, these distinctive features enforce a series of guidelines to be considered for its efficient deployment. Particularly, the use of FANET for on-time data communication services presents demanding challenges in terms of energy efficiency and quality of service (QoS). Proper use of communication architecture and wireless technology will assist to solve these challenges. Therefore, in this paper, we review different communication architectures, including the existing wireless technologies, in order to provide seamless wireless connectivity. Based on the discussions, we conclude that a multi-layer UAV ad-hoc network is the most suitable architecture for networking a group of heterogeneous UAVs, while Bluetooth 5 (802.15.1) is the most favored option because of its low-cost, low power consumption, and longer transmission range for FANET. However, 802.15.1 has the limitation of a lower data rate as compared to Wi-Fi (802.11). Therefore, we propose a hybrid wireless communication scheme so as to utilize the features of the high data transmission rate of 802.11 and the low-power consumption of 802.15.1. The proposed scheme significantly reduces communication cost and improves the network performance in terms of throughput and delay. Further, simulation results using the Optimized Network Engineering Tool (OPNET) further support the effectiveness of our proposed scheme.

This paper presents an overview of the ECSEL project entitled 'Safe Cooperating Cyber-Physical Systems using Wireless Communication' (SafeCOP), which runs during the period 2016 - 2019. SafeCOP targets safety-related Cooperating Cyber-Physical Systems (CO-CPS) characterised by use of wireless communication, multiple stakeholders, dynamic system definitions (openness), and unpredictable operating environments. SafeCOP will provide an approach to the safety assurance of CO-CPS, enabling thus their certification and development. The project will define a runtime manager architecture for runtime detection of abnormal behaviour, triggering if needed a safe degraded mode. SafeCOP will also develop methods and tools, which will be used to produce safety assurance evidence needed to certify cooperative functions. SafeCOP will extend current wireless technologies to ensure safe and secure cooperation. SafeCOP will also contribute to new standards and regulations, by providing certification authorities and standardization committees with the scientifically validated solutions needed to craft effective standards extended to also address cooperation and system-of-systems issues. The project has 28 partners from 6 European countries, and a budget of about 11 million Euros corresponding to about 1,300 person-months. SafeCOP - Safe Cooperating Cyber-Physical Systems using Wireless Communication

Personal mobile devices are increasingly being used as platforms for interactive services. Ease of use is important, but the services should also provide clear value to the user and they should be trustworthy and easy to adopt. These user acceptance factors form the core of the Technology Acceptance Model for Mobile Services introduced in this article. The model has been set up based on field trials of several mobile services with altogether more than 200 test users. This article presents the technology acceptance model and introduces two case studies of implementing the model as a design and evaluation framework in practice.

This article describes the functional and technical side of Railways Ltd. mobile terminals project. The advantage of mobile terminals lies in the greater efficiency of railway tickets vending, the control and real-time supervision of complete process of vending tickets in the country. Mobile terminals allow railway conductors to automatically vend and verify tickets. Also, information about each sold ticket is transmitted wirelessly via GSM/GRPS in real time or near real time. The information about sold tickets is received by the central server and stored in the main database. The data are available for analysis and report making.

The first-generation mobile computing enabled analogue voice and no data, the second-generation enabled digital voice and some data the third-generation will enable digital voice and high-speed data, the fourth-generation should enable IP based voice and multimedia data. Then fifth-generation will involve all of the above, but the devices (as we know them) will begin to disappear and computing and communications should start making a leap to invisible or ubiquitous computing. The core issue for market players now is determined by the evolving nature of the wireless market in terms of users, focusing in particular on the re-thinking of market segmentation, according to new parameters and to the interpretation of users’ needs.

Trabajo presentado al UCAmI & IWAAL 2012 - the 6th International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing and Ambient Intelligence & 4th International Workshop on Ambient Assisted Living (UCAmI & IWAAL 2012). This paper presents an intelligent streetlight management system based on LED lamps, designed to facilitate its deployment in existing facilities. The proposed approach, which is based on wireless communication technologies, will minimize the cost of investment of traditional wired systems, which always need civil engineering for burying of cable underground and consequently are more expensive than if the connection of the different nodes is made over the air. The deployed solution will be aware of their surrounding’s environmental conditions, a fact that will be approached for the system intelligence in order to learn, and later, apply dynamic rules. The knowledge of real time illumination needs, in terms of instant use of the street in which it is installed, will also feed our system, with the objective of providing tangible solutions to reduce energy consumption according to the contextual needs, an exact calculation of energy consumption and reliable mechanisms for preventive maintenance of facilities. This work has been partially funded by the Basque Government under GAITEK funding program (Grants IG-2011/00264 and IG-2012/00261)

In this paper, a detailed study of a new proposed rectangular dielectric u-shaped tri-band antenna is presented. A meticulous study considering the high permittivity material effect is introduced and discussed. All the design procedures are performed by using CST MS software. Moreover, the modified shaped patch antenna by introducing a slot on the rectangular radiated patch, offers improved bandwidth and allows an important miniaturization in size. Note that the proposed antenna can be used for several wireless technologies, especially for the GSM, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WLAN, WiMAX, all bands GPS frequencies, ISM band and ultra wide band applications. Detailed design steps, parametric studies and the simulation results for the proposed antenna are investigated under specific scenarios. Finally some concluding remarks will be drawn.

This paper describes a telematic system based on an intelligent van which is capable of tracing pharmaceutical drugs over delivery routes from a warehouse to pharmacies, without altering carriers' daily conventional tasks. The intelligent van understands its environment, taking into account its location, the assets and the predefined delivery route; with the capability of reporting incidences to carriers in case of failure according to the established distribution plan. It is a non-intrusive solution which represents a successful experience of using smart environments and an optimized Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) embedded system in a viable way to resolve a real industrial need in the pharmaceutical industry. The combination of deterministic modeling of the indoor vehicle, the implementation of an ad-hoc radiating element and an agile software platform within an overall system architecture leads to a competitive, flexible and scalable solution. This work has been funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain under INNPACTO funding program (RailTrace project, IPT-370000-2010-036).

Wireless technologies are increasingly acquiring a considerable relevance in the field of Ambient Assisted Living. This contributes to independent living and quality of life for many elderly people by reducing the need of caretakers and personal nursing. In this chapter we provide a classification of existing wireless technologies for Ambient Assisted Living based on the role they can have in the assistance to elderly people. Then, we provide an overview of several intelligent wireless systems applied in the Ambient Assisted Living on considering the different wireless technologies used in each of them.

Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology is now becoming mature enough to play a crucial role in a large variety of pervasive wireless sensor network applications. One of these applications is represented by land seismic exploration for oil and gas reservior. Seismic exploration requires a large number (2000 nodes/sqkm) of sensors to be deployed in outdoor over large areas (typ. 30 sqkm) to measure backscattered wave fields. A storage/processing unit (sink node) collects the measurements from all the sensors to obtain an image of the sub-surface in real-time. The UWB technology is proposed in this paper for replacing the cable connections between the sensors and the sink. UWB is the most suitable wireless technology for this application as it guarantees high data rate over short range links and self-localization with sub-meter accuracy. An UWB sensor network based on Multi-Band OFDM is designed for the specific problem. Amendmends to ECMA 368 specifications are also identified to allow for energy aware beaconing and self-localization.

Hybrid fiber-wireless (FiWi) access networks aim at combining the huge amount of available bandwidth of optical networks and the ubiquity and mobility of wireless access networks with the objective to reduce their cost and complexity. This article highlights key enabling optical as well as wireless technologies and explains their role in emerging FiWi networks. After briefly reviewing previous art, important challenges and imperatives for the design of future FiWi network architectures, protocols, and algorithms are identified and discussed in detail. © 2011 IEEE.

The first-generation mobile computing enabled analogue voice and no data, the second-generation enabled digital voice and some data the third-generation will enable digital voice and high-speed data, the fourth-generation should enable IP based voice and multimedia data. Then fifth-generation will involve all of the above, but the devices (as we know them) will begin to disappear and computing and communications should start making a leap to invisible or ubiquitous computing. The core issue for market players now is determined by the evolving nature of the wireless market in terms of users, focusing in particular on the re-thinking of market segmentation, according to new parameters and to the interpretation of users' needs.

The three papers in this special section focus on wireless technologies in factory and industrial automation. The papers which appear in this second part cover everything from protocol design and evaluation to the design and assessment of system-level solutions for wireless sensor networks in industrial automation. Copyright © 2007 IEEE. Reprinted from the IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics. This material is posted here with permission of the IEEE. Such permission of the IEEE does not in any way imply IEEE endorsement of any of the University of Halmstads's products or services. Internal or personal use of this material is permitted. However, permission to reprint/republish this material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution must be obtained from the IEEE by writing to pubs-permissions@ieee.org. By choosing to view this document, you agree to all provisions of the copyright laws protecting it.

Over the next 10 years, we anticipate that personal, portable, wirelessly-networked technologies will become ubiquitous in the lives of learners - indeed, in many countries, this is already a reality. We see that ready-to-hand access creates the potential for a new phase in the evolution of technology-enhanced learning (TEL), characterized by "seamless learning spaces" and marked by continuity of the learning experience across different scenarios (or environments), and emerging from the availability of one device or more per student ("one-to-one"). One-to-one TEL has the potential to "cross the chasm" from early adopters conducting isolated design studies to adoption-based research and widespread implementation, with the help of research and evaluation that gives attention to the digital divide and other potentially negative consequences of pervasive computing. We describe technology-enhanced learning and the affordances of one-to-one computing and outline a research agenda, including the risks and challenges of reaching scale. We reflect upon how this compares with prior patterns of technology innovation and diffusion. We also introduce a community, called "G1:1," that brings together leaders of major research laboratories and one-to-one TEL projects. We share a vision of global research, inviting other research groups to collaborate in ongoing activities.

Code It! fosters mathematics learning environments where pre-algebra students use handheld technologies to confidently and enjoyably explore and learn about functions. The resources we developed-server-based and handheld software and paper-based student and teacher texts-were packaged as a 20-session unit on code making and breaking and designed to boost students' understanding of mathematical functions and their facility with the multiple representations of tables, graphs and symbols. We field tested the wireless system with two teachers and 120 middle school students during a five week summer school, and conducted studies on the features and function of the technology as a learning and teaching resource. We report on project development and research, focusing on what we learned about the strengths and difficulties of wireless handheld technology in the mathematic classroom, and the emerging social engineering that helped students overcome the technological constraints.

We propose a novel object discovery framework integrating the application layer of Bluetooth and RFID standards. The approach is motivated and illustrated in an innovative u-commerce setting. Given a request, it allows an advanced discovery process, exploiting semantically annotated descriptions of goods available in the u-marketplace. The RFID data exchange protocol and the Bluetooth service discovery protocol have been modified and enhanced to enable support for such semantic annotation of products. Modifications to the standards have been conceived to be backward compatible, thus allowing the smooth coexistence of the legacy discovery and/or identification features. Also noteworthy is the introduction of a dedicated compression tool to reduce storage/transmission problems due to the verbosity of XML-based semantic languages.

Future autonomous vehicle will require a high level of computation, communication, sensing and fast response actuation. Communication among vehicles, and vehicles to infrastructure, accessing to remote systems and services will help to reduce other requirements in computation and sensing. This paper revise current state of the art of wireless technologies as: LTE, LTE-A Pro, IEEE802.11p and 5G, as well as optical fiber access technologies as: TDM, WDM, D-WDM and uD-WDM, for the different communications requirements in diverse scenarios as: Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I), Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) and Vehicle-to-Network (V2N).