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A pesar de su relevancia social creciente, la ciencia ecológica y ambiental está pasando por momentos muy bajos en los programas educativos de secundaria y bachillerato en nuestro país. En muchos centros escolares, la oferta de esta materia es inexistente en bachillerato y los métodos didácticos utilizados fomentan poco la motivación y el aprendizaje del alumnado. En consecuencia, el escaso valor que está recibiendo esta ciencia en la educación reglada acaba afectando a las opciones elegidas por los estudiantes para sus estudios de grado superior y universitarios. Este artículo describe una experiencia educativa llevada a cabo por el grupo de investigación en Ecología y Medio Ambiente de la Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA) y financiada por el Departamento de Educación del Gobierno de Navarra con el fin de introducir el trabajo de una científica ambiental a 12 niñas de 4 centros escolares. Se buscaba despertar su interés por este campo científico, vehiculizar a través de ellas esta ciencia a sus compañeros de colegio, y finalmente profundizar con los docentes implicados en esta problemática educativa. Despite its growing social relevance, ecological and environmental science is declining in highschool educational programs in Spain. In many schools, this matter does not exist in the highest courses and, in elementary courses, the teaching methods used do not promote student motivation for learning. Due to the limited value that this science is receiving in the formal education, a low number of students is opting for a career related to the natural sciences. This article describes an educational experience carried out by the Ecology and Environment research group of the Public University of Navarra (UPNA) and funded by the Department of Education of the Government of Navarra, in which the work of an environmental scientist was introduced to 12 girls from four schools. The aim was to raise their interest in this scientific field, to convey through them this science to their classmates, and finally to deepen with the school teachers in this educational problem. Agradecimientos al Departamento de Educación del Gobierno de Navarra, por la ayuda económica concedida para llevar a cabo este proyecto.

With the growing demand of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) for safer and more efficient transportation, the research and development of such vehicular communication systems have increased considerably in the last years. The use of wireless networks has been extended in an exponential growing in vehicular environments. However, it is highly important to conduct previous radio propagation analysis when deploying a wireless sensor network in such complex scenarios. In this work, the radio wave characterization for ISM 2.4GHz Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) for a traffic light control system has been assessed. By means of an in-house developed 3D Ray Launching algorithm, the impact of topology as well as morphology of the environment has been analyzed, emulating the realistic operation in the framework of the scenario. The complexity of the scenario, which is an intersection city area with traffic lights, vehicles, people, buildings, vegetation and urban environment, makes necessary the channel characterization with accurate models before the deployment of wireless networks. A measurements campaign has been conducted by deploying a ZigBee Wireless Sensor Network in such specific environment emulating the traffic light control system. Experimental measurements and simulations results are analyzed and compared in this paper. Results show that the use of deterministic tools in WSN deployment can aid in providing optimal layouts in terms of coverage, capacity and energy efficiency of the network, making the use of these systems essential before the deployment of WSN for traffic light control applications in urban areas.

In this work, the performance of ISM 2.4GHz Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) deployed in Judo training venues is analyzed. Judo is a very popular martial art worldwide, which is practiced by thousands of people not only at competition level, but also as part of physical education programs at different school levels. There is a great variety of Judo training venues, as each one has specific morphological aspects, making them unique complex indoor scenarios in terms of radiopropagation due to the presence of furniture, columns and equipment, and the presence of human beings, which is a major issue as the person density within this kind of scenarios could be high. Another key aspect is the electromagnetic interference created by other wireless devices, such as personal portable devices and other wireless systems such as WiFi or other WSNs, which make the radioplaning a complex task in terms of coexistence. In order to analyze the impact of these features on the radiopropagation and the performance of WSNs, an in-house developed 3D Ray Launching algorithm has been used. The obtained simulation results have been validated with a measurement campaign carried out in the sport facilities of the Public University of Navarre, by means of ZigBee-compliant XBee-Pro modules. The analysis is completed with the inclusion of an in-house human body computational model. The presented analysis can aid in obtaining the optimal network configuration and performance in terms of energy efficiency and capacity, making the use of WSNs attractive for multiple applications in Judo training venues.

The electromagnetic field leakage levels of nonionizing radiation from a microwave oven have been estimated within a complex indoor scenario. By employing a hybrid simulation technique, based on coupling full wave simulation with an in-house developed deterministic 3D ray launching code, estimations of the observed electric field values can be obtained for the complete indoor scenario. The microwave oven can be modeled as a time- and frequency-dependent radiating source, in which leakage, basically from the microwave oven door, is propagated along the complete indoor scenario interacting with all of the elements present in it. Thismethod can be of aid in order to assess the impact of such devices on expected exposure levels, allowing adequate minimization strategies such as optimal location to be applied.

Wireless communications systems are growing rapidly during the last two decades and they are gaining a significant role for multiple communication tasks within public transportation buses. In this work, the impact of topology and morphology of different types of urban buses is analyzed with the aid of an in-house developed 3D Ray Launching code and compared with on-board measurements of a deployed Wireless Sensor Network. The presence of human beings has been taken into account, showing a significant influence in the signal attenuation in the case of considering persons. In addition, the statistical analysis of simulation results considering both large and small-scale fading has been performed, providing good agreement with statistics for typical indoor environments. In addition, a Wireless Sensor Network has been programmed and deployed within the buses in order to analyze topological impact with overall system performance, with the aim of minimizing the energy consumption as well as non-desired interference levels. The use of deterministic techniques destined to consider the inherent complexity of the buses can aid in wireless system planning in order to minimize power consumption and increase overall system capacity. This work was supported by Projects TEC2013-45585-C2-1-R and TIN2011-28347-CO1-02.

In the last decade the number of wireless devices operating at the frequency band of 2.4 GHz has increased in several settings, such as healthcare, occupational, and household. In this work, the emissions from Wi-Fi transceivers applicable to context aware scenarios are analyzed in terms of potential interference and assessment on exposure guideline compliance. Near field measurement results as well as deterministic simulation results on realistic indoor environments are presented, providing insight on the interaction between the Wi-Fi transceiver and implantable/body area network devices as well as other transceivers operating within an indoor environment, exhibiting topological and morphological complexity. By following approaches (near field estimation/deterministic estimation), colocated body situations as well as large indoor emissions can be determined. The results show in general compliance with exposure levels and the impact of overall network deployment, which can be optimized in order to reduce overall interference levels while maximizing system performance. This work has been realized thanks to the valuable cooperation of Javier Fernández and Oscar J. Suárez, belonging to the staff of the Radio Frequency Laboratory “El Casar” of the General Direction of Telecommunications and Information (Spanish Ministry of Industry, Energy, and Tourism). This work has been funded by the contract CA12/00038 of Technical Support Research of the Health Strategic Action, under the National Plan R&D&I 2008–2011 References. Sí

Ultra-wideband (UWB) is a very attractive technology for innovative in-car wireless communications requiring high data rates. A designated antenna, which presents a reflection coefficient (S11) matched band comparable to the band-pass filter (BPF) normally required at the transducers, plays a positive contribution in this in-car application and was validated for the scenario. The inherited BPF-like response of the antenna relaxes the specification of the front-end BPF components of the transceivers. The in-car propagation channel was modelled and used to validate the BPF-like antenna. For the modelling, a comprehensive set of well-defined measurements (using a standard antenna) were used to set-up the in-car channel simulator and simulated results were used to validate the BPF-like antenna. In addition, the performance of the UWB radio system is studied and the probability of errors over the communication channel compared using the standard and the BPF-like antenna by predictions. This work has been part-funded by the European Union.

One of the main challenges in the implementation and design of context-aware scenarios is the adequate deployment strategy for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), mainly due to the strong dependence of the radiofrequency physical layer with the surrounding media, which can lead to non-optimal network designs. In this work, radioplanning analysis for WSN deployment is proposed by employing a deterministic 3D ray launching technique in order to provide insight into complex wireless channel behavior in context-aware indoor scenarios. The proposed radioplanning procedure is validated with a testbed implemented with a Mobile Ad Hoc Network WSN following a chain configuration, enabling the analysis and assessment of a rich variety of parameters, such as received signal level, signal quality and estimation of power consumption. The adoption of deterministic radio channel techniques allows the design and further deployment of WSNs in heterogeneous wireless scenarios with optimized behavior in terms of coverage, capacity, quality of service and energy consumption. The authors wish to thank the support given under project TEC2013-45585-C2-1-R, funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain.

In this work, the characterization of the radio channel for ISM 2.4GHz Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) for Judo applications is presented. Judo is an Olympic sport, in which the International Judo Federation (IJF) gives assistance and guidelines for the organizers of international competitions. Following IJF rules, the environments where Judo competitions are held are complex indoor scenarios in terms of radiopropagation, as some competition venues have large spectator capacity, multiple competition areas, furniture, and other facilities. The electromagnetic interference within the scenario is also an important issue, as personal portable devices, wireless microphones and other wireless communication systems used by the media are present. For the assessment of the impact that the topology and the morphology of these environments have on electromagnetic propagation, an in-house developed 3D ray-launching software has been used. Time domain results as well as estimations of received power level have been obtained for the complete volume of the scenario, which have been compared with measurements. The measurement campaign has been carried out deploying ZigBee-compliant XBee-Pro modules at a local Judo club's facilities, emulating a competition/training venue with a contest area with the dimensions specified by the IJF for international competitions, and using approved Judogis (jacket, trousers and belt). The analysis is completed with the inclusion of in-house human body computational model. The presented analysis can aid in the optimal network deployment, making the use of WSNs attractive for multiple applications in this kind of environments, as helping referees, monitoring vital signs, anti-doping control or Judoka identification.

International Electronic Conference on Sensors and Applications, 1-16 de junio de 2014 The use of wireless networks has been extended in an exponential growing due to the improvement in terms of battery life and low consumption of the devices. However, it is highly important to conduct previous radio propagation analysis when deploying a wireless sensor network. These studies are necessary to perform an estimation of the range coverage, in order to optimize the distance between devices in an actual network deployment. In this work, the radio channel characterization for ISM 2.4GHz Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) in an inhomogeneous vegetation environment has been analyzed. The impact of topology as well as morphology of the environment is assessed by means of an in-house developed 3D Ray Launching code, to emulate the realistic operation in the framework of the scenario. Experimental results gathered from a measurements campaign conducted by deploying a ZigBee Wireless Sensor Network, are analyzed and compared with simulations in this paper. The scenario where this network is intended to operate is a combination of buildings and diverse vegetation species. To gain insight in the effects of radio propagation, a simplified vegetation model has been developed, considering the material parameters and simplified geometry embedded in the simulation scenario. The use of deterministic tools can aid to know the impact of the topological influence in the deployment of the optimal Wireless Sensor Network in terms of capacity, coverage and energy consumption, making the use of these systems attractive for multiple applications in inhomogeneous vegetation environments.

Trabajo presentado al UCAmI & IWAAL 2013 - the 7th International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing and Ambient Intelligence & the 5th International Workshop on Ambient Assisted Living (UCAmI & IWAAL 2013: Pervasive Sensing Solutions). During the last years, the application of different wireless technologies has been explored in order to enable Internet connectivity from vehicles. In addition, the widespread adoption of smartphones by citizens represents a great opportunity to integrate such nomadic devices inside vehicles in order to provide new and personalized on trip services for passengers. In this paper, a proposal of communication architecture to provide the ubiquitous connectivity needed to enhance the smart train concept is presented and preliminarily tested. It combines an intra-wagon communication system based on nomadic devices connected through a Bluetooth Piconet Network with a highly innovative train-to-ground communication system. In order to validate this communication solution, several tests and simulations have been performed and their results are described in this paper. This work has been funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain under INNPACTO funding program (RailTrace project, IPT-370000-2010-036) and to project TIN2011-28347-CO2-02. Special thanks to Eusko Trenbideak - Ferrocarriles Vascos S.A. for their support.

In the last few years there has been a growing interest in smart solutions capable of dealing with the traceability of products and materials to improve logistical processes. Most of the existing solutions have been designed without considering the difficulties of deploying traceability systems in the storehouses currently working, not dealing with specific needs, such as environment characteristics or time required to be handled by workers. In this paper, in order to test the viability of its application, a first prototype of a traceability system capable of checking the content of pallets loaded with electronic devices is presented. It is based on ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) technology using passive tags. A holistic approach has been adopted to design the system: it begins with a radioelectrical characterization of the environment where the check points will be implemented, continues with the integration of a set of data acquisition and wireless communication devices, and ends with a logistics information system able to provide final user services.The combination of physical layer analysis with a top layer system view can aid the planning as well as operational phase of this type of RFID system within a logistic chain.

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)

The influence of topology as well as morphology of complex indoor scenarios in the deployment of wireless sensor networks and wireless systems applied to home and building automation systems is analyzed. The existence of loss mechanisms such as material absorption (walls, furniture, etc.) and strong multipath components as well as the increase in the number of wireless sensors within indoor scenarios increases the relevance in the configuration of the heterogeneous wireless systems. Simulation results by means of empirical-based models are compared with an in-house 3D ray launching code as well as measurement results from wireless sensor networks illustrate the strong influence of the indoor scenario in the overall performance. The use of adequate radioplanning strategies lead to optimal wireless network deployments in terms of capacity, quality of service, and reduced power consumption. This work has been supported by the following Projects ref. IIM010566 and RI1 from the Government of Navarre, Industry Department and by the Spanish “Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia” through Project TEC2007-67987-C02-02.

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).

In this work, the influence of human body within the estimation of dosimetric values is analyzed. A simplified human body model, including the dispersive nature of material parameters of internal organs, skin, muscle, bones and other elements has been implemented. Such a model has been included within an indoor scenario in which an in-house 3D ray launching code has been applied to estimate received power levels within the complete scenario. The results enhance previous dosimetric estimations, while giving insight on influence of human body model in power level distribution and enabling to analyze the impact in the complete volume of the scenario. The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support of project FASTER, funded by the Consejería de Industria, Gobierno de Navarra. Sí