AmI Systems Research Articles

Ultra‐Low BER Encrypted Communication Based on Self‐Powered Bipolar Photoresponse Ultraviolet Photodetector

AbstractUnderwater visible light communication often faces risks such as susceptibility to external light source interference, signal distortion, and information leakage. The cuprous oxide modified gallium oxide nanorod arrays detector prepared in this study can generate bipolar photocurrents under dual‐wavelength ultraviolet light without external bias voltage. Based on it, the constructed self‐powered ultraviolet ASCII code communication system not only reduce power consumption but also significantly enhance anti‐interference capability. Furthermore, the developed solar‐blind ultraviolet AMI and HDB3 ternary code communication systems can realize non‐visible light secure communication and automatic error correction. Notably, the encrypted communication system assembled using the additive property of bipolar photocurrents can also significantly improve communication security and reliability, whose bit error rate is only 0.26‰. This achievement contributes to technical advancements in underwater channel encryption and provides valuable insights for the further application of encrypted communication coding techniques.

Using Advanced Metering Infrastructure Data from MV/LV Substations to Minimize Reactive Energy Supply Cost to Final Consumers

This article presents an original methodology to determine the optimal level of reactive energy transmission to low-voltage consumers supplied from MV/LV substations that guarantees the lowest total costs of reactive energy transmission through the DSO network and its generation in receiving installations within the reactive power compensation process. The average value of the optimal factor tgφ to be maintained by customers depends on the efficiency of the network, the characteristics of the load, and the market costs of energy losses due to the transmission of reactive energy through the network that are covered by the DSO and the costs of reactive energy generation in receiving installations. The results presented for real MV/LV substations operating in the Polish distribution network demonstrate the application of annual measurements of active and reactive energy consumed and generated registered by AMI systems to calculate the optimal reactive power compensation level. They can be applied to verify the permissible levels of reactive energy compensation applied by the DSOs until now within the yearly tariffs for customers.

A Method for the Characterization of the Energy Demand Aggregate Based on Electricity Data Provided by AMI Systems and Metering in Substations

This paper presents a methodology developed to perform the processing, analysis, and characterization of AMI measurement data from the substations of three network operators of the Colombian electrical grid. This methodology includes the analysis of the data, which presents the sources of information used by the model, along with the preprocessing and exploratory analysis of the substations data. It also includes the formulation of the data reconstruction method, which uses a constrained optimization model to characterize the substations, based on the different behaviors of the end users of the Colombian electrical grid. In addition to the proposed methodology, the results of its application to the data provided by the operators are provided. These results show the capacity of the proposed methodology to adequately identify the most common behaviors of the users in a given area and characterize most of the energy demand profiles of each substation.

Comparison of AMI and SCADA Systems for Leak Detection and Localization in Water Distribution Networks

Comparison of AMI and SCADA Systems for Leak Detection and Localization in Water Distribution Networks

Experiences from Pilot Implementation of AMI Systems in Poland

For ten years Polish distribution companies have implemented several AMR and AMI pilot projects. In Poland, the Distribution System Operator (DSO) equips households with smart energy meters (e.g. in the United Kingdom – the energy supplier, which can be changed by the customer). Over these years the operators collected a lot of experience with these pilot projects. The author of this publication describes his personal experience in the research projects in which he was involved, directly or indirectly, as well ones of which he has received information about from the DSOs. This article does not present the experiences from all major AMI system projects in Poland, but only from few projects in which the author of this article participated. The author participated in projects in which the smart meters utilize a variety of different technologies: PLC, GPRS, HSCSD, RS-232, etc. In this article, however, he focuses only on his experience in working with PLC technology. This paper presents the requirements, considerations and experience gained in the development and pilot implementation of AMI systems in Poland.

Detection and Mitigation of Known and Unknown DDoS Attacks on Advanced Metering Infrastructure Systems in the Nigeria Using Hybrid Machine Learning (Ai) Techniques

The enormous rise of network traffic and its diversity on the Internet have posed new and serious obstacles for detecting network attack activity. Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack is designed to restrict genuine users from accessing a service for an extended period of time. In this attack, the attacker attempts to compromise a large number of hosts to transmit a large volume of traffic to genuine users. Detecting DDoS attacks is difficult and complicated, primarily different DDoS attacks do not common characteristics through which they can be detected. DDoS attacks are very difficult to fight or trace due to their distributed nature, and automated software tools for conducting DDoS attacks are freely available. This paper proposed a DDoS detection model based on hybrid machine learning technique on AMI systems in the Nigeria Utility Business. It has been discovered that detecting unknown DDoS attacks is difficult to analyze as sometimes the IP packets and header are encrypted. This study proposed a combination of Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to detect unknown attacks. The AES 256 algorithm has been employed to decrypt the encrypted IP header. Keywords: ANN, SVM, DDoS attack, AES algorithm, AMI DOI: 10.7176/NCS/13-04 Publication date: May 31 st 2022

Ambient Intelligence

Ambient intelligence is electronic environment which are sensitive to the presence of people. It is the light of future technologies. All AMI subsystems are interact with each other to accomplish their goal. AMI applications which are directly interact to define the environment. It shows that human environment which are not produced this process. The AMI systems should identify the various emotions of human experience. The AMI systems can also highlight the communication of the user. The AMI systems which is consists of robots and sensors.

On-field evaluation of the performance of IP-based data transmission over narrowband PLC for smart grid applications

One of the current efforts for the grid modernization is the deployment of Advanced Metering Infrastructure systems. Regarding AMI technologies, NarrowBand PLC is one of the most spread technologies worldwide. While current AMI deployments based on NB-PLC focus on metering applications, this work addresses the operation of IP over NB-PLC for Smart Grid applications. IP is a well-established standard that might become the key enabler for the interoperability amongst numerous applications for the Smart Grid. In this scenario, on-field measurements become essential to test the coexistence of AMI systems and data transmission beyond metering applications. This paper analyses the configurations and parameters that affect the performance of IP over PRIME such as the number of nodes in the subnetwork, switching levels and transport layer protocols, among others. Results show that the topology of the subnetwork plays a key role for the resulting data rates and provide a meaningful contribution towards the implementation of new applications over NB-PLC based on IP data transmission.

Agent-based simulation with NetLogo to evaluate ambient intelligence scenarios

In this paper, an agent-based simulation is developed in order to evaluate an Ambient Intelligence scenario based on agents. Many AmI applications are implemented through agents but they are not compared with any other existing alternative in order to evaluate the relative benefits of using them. The proposed simulation environment analyses such benefits using two evaluation criteria: First, measuring agent satisfaction of different types of desires along the execution. Second, measuring time savings obtained through a correct use of context information. In this paper, an existing agent architecture, an ontology and a 12-steps protocol to provide AmI services in airports, is evaluated using the NetLogo simulation environment. In our NetLogo model, we are considering scalability issues of this application domain but using FIPA and BDI extensions to be coherent with our previous works and our previous JADE implementation of them. The NetLogo model simulates an airport with agent “passengers” passing through several zones located in a specific order in a map: passport controls, check-in counters of airline companies, boarding gates, and different types of shopping. Although the initial data in each simulation are generated randomly, and the model is just an approximation of real-world airports, the definition of this case of use of AmI through NetLogo agents opens an interesting way to evaluate the benefits of using AmI, which is a significant contribution to the final development of AmI systems.

Una propuesta de modelos de datos y protocolos de intercambio de información estandarizados aplicables a sistemas de medida centralizada

The non-technical energy losses reduction strategies have stimulated the development of centralized metering systems (cms) in Latin America. Furthermore to include ami systems basic functions, the cms embed the measurement of multiple users in a cabinet. To avoid the utility customers getting access to the energy meter, each cabinet is mounted on top of an electrical pole. Currently, the major commercially available cms equipment is setting up with several technologies, which involves owner interfaces and data models. This issue generates an interoperability problem since international standards are based on measurement architectures for the use of individual meters. This paper proposes a set of both information exchange protocols and standardized data models that could be implemented in cms equipments.

GIS and AMI Systems as Sources of Data to Improve Grid Operation Efficiency, the Results of a Pilot Study

GIS and AMI Systems as Sources of Data to Improve Grid Operation Efficiency, the Results of a Pilot Study

Resolving conflicts in knowledge for ambient intelligence

AbstractAmbient intelligence (AmI) proposes pervasive information systems composed of autonomous agents embedded within the environment who, in orchestration, complement human activity in an intelligent manner. As such, it is an interesting and challenging application area for many computer science fields and approaches. A critical issue in such application scenarios is that the agents must be able to acquire, exchange, and evaluate knowledge about the environment, its users, and their activities. Knowledge populated between the agents in such systems may be contextually dependent, ambiguous, and incomplete. Conflicts may thus naturally arise, that need to be dealt with by the agents in an autonomous way. In this survey, we relate AmI to the area of knowledge representation and reasoning (KR), where conflict resolution has been studied for a long time. We take a look at a number of KR approaches that may be applied: context modelling, multi-context systems, belief revision, ontology evolution and debugging, argumentation, preferences, and paraconsistent reasoning. Our main goal is to describe the state of the art in these fields, and to draw attention of researchers to important theoretical issues and practical challenges that still need to be resolved, in order to reuse the results from KR in AmI systems or similar complex and demanding applications.

Requirement analysis abstractions for AmI system design

Current trends in the AI's evolution are going towards enriching environments with intelligence in order to support humans in their everyday life. AmI systems are plunged in the real world and humans expect to interact with them in a way that is similar to the one they have with other humans. In this kind of systems, where eliciting requirements involves several documents and stakeholders (mainly users that will be the first consumers of the system), the requirement analysis phase can be affected by incomplete, ambiguous and imprecise information. Hence, the need to find a fruitful way for knowledge management and its representation at design time. In this paper we propose a set of abstractions to be used during the early requirements analysis of AmI systems development. The result is a simple and at the same time powerful set of concepts and guidelines for providing environment knowledge representation for AmI systems.

An Intrusion Detection Algorithm for AMI Systems Based on SVM and PCA

Nowadays, using the smart metering devices for energy users to manage a wide variety of subscribers, reading devices for measuring, billing, disconnection and connection of subscribers’ connection management is an important issue. The performance of these intelligent systems is based on information transfer in the context of information technology, so reported data from network should be managed to avoid the malicious activities that including the issues that could affect the quality of service the system. In this paper for control of the reported data and to ensure the veracity of the obtained information, using intrusion detection system is proposed based on the support vector machine and principle component analysis (PCA) to recognize and identify the intrusions and attacks in the smart grid. Here, the operation of intrusion detection systems for different kernel of SVM when using support vector machine (SVM) and PCA simultaneously is studied. To evaluate the algorithm, based on data KDD99, numerical simulation is done on five different kernels for an intrusion detection system using support vector machine with PCA simultaneously. Also comparison analysis is investigated for presented intrusion detection algorithm in terms of time - response, rate of increase network efficiency and increase system error and differences in the use or lack of use PCA. The results indicate that correct detection rate and the rate of attack error detection have best value when PCA is used, and when the core of algorithm is radial type, in SVM algorithm reduces the time for data analysis and enhances performance of intrusion detection.

Securing Ambient Agents Groups by Using Verification, Judgment and Surveillance

Ubiquitous computing and ambient intelligence (or AmI) models raise the need for secured systems, due to increased heterogeneity, intelligence and dynamism. Information in such environments is managed by systems formed mostly of devices with limited capabilities. Indeed, AmI characteristics, difficult to handle by traditional computing concepts, are making the agent paradigm to gain impetus and increasing the interest of researchers and industry in this concept. However, the inherent complexity of information security is bigger in agent-based AmI systems built by gathering distributed information and services that are not under the control of a single entity, and introduce new security and privacy concerns. In fact, securing these systems requires protecting any element from every other. This paper proposes a mechanism for enhancing security and privacy while using agents in AmI environments, based on three main building blocks: verification, judgment and surveillance. Furthermore, the key idea is based on cooperation and collective decision.

Applying model-driven engineering to a method for systematic treatment of NFRs in AmI systems

The satisfaction of Non-Functional Requirements NFRs has a clear impact in the success of Ambient Intelligence AmI Systems. However, existing methods and techniques to engineer these systems lack support in their specific and systematic treatment. In this paper, a Model-Driven Engineering MDE method for the design of AmI systems is introduced to deal with NFRs paying special attention to those particularly related to the features of these kind of systems, namely, unobtrusiveness, context-awareness, and self-adaptativeness. The aim is to enable the semi-automatic derivation of quality software design models from an NFRs specification of the system, with special focus on agent-oriented architectures. To this end, Computation Independent Models CIM and transformation techniques between them are defined, as well as an evaluation procedure to be applied, which can help developers to make successful solution decisions satisficing the overall quality properties required for AmI systems, and also specific ones for each particular system. The proposal is illustrated by means of a case study of an Ambient Assisted Living AAL system for elderly people.

The role of the RPL routing protocol for smart grid communications

Advanced communication/networking technologies should be integrated in next-generation power systems (a.k.a. smart grids) to improve their resilience, efficiency, adaptability, and sustainability. Many believe that the smart grid communication infrastructure will emerge from the interconnection of a large number of small-scale networks organized into a hierarchical architecture covering larger geographic areas. In this article, first we carry out a thorough analysis of the key components of the smart grid communication architecture, discussing the different network topologies and communication technologies that could be employed. Special emphasis is given to the advanced metering infrastructure, which will be used to interconnect the smart meters deployed at customers' premises with data aggregators and control centers. The design of scalable, reliable, and efficient networking solutions for AMI systems is an important research problem because these networks are composed of thousands of resource-constrained embedded devices usually interconnected with communication technologies that can provide only low-bandwidth and unreliable links. The IPv6 Routing Protocol for Low Power and Lossy Networks was recently standardized by the IETF to specifically meet the requirements of typical AMI applications. In this article we present a thorough overview of the protocol, and we critically analyze its advantages and potential limits in AMI applications. We also conduct a performance evaluation of RPL using a Contiki-based prototype of the RPL standard and a network emulator. Our results indicate that although average performance may appear reasonable for AMI networks, a few RPL nodes may suffer from severe unreliability issues and experience high packet loss rates due to the selection of suboptimal paths with highly unreliable links.

A survey of service composition in ambient intelligence environments

This article presents a comparative review of systems performing service composition in Ambient Intelligence Environments. Such environments should comply to ubiquitous or pervasive computing guidelines by sensing the user needs or wishes and offering intuitive human-computer interaction and a comfortable non-intrusive experience. To achieve this goal service orientation is widely used and tightly linked with AmI systems. Some of these employ the Web Service technology, which involves well-defined web technologies and standards that facilitate interoperable machine to machine interaction. Other systems regard services of different technologies (e.g. UPnP, OSGi etc) or generally as abstractions of various actions. Service operations are sometimes implemented as software based functions or actions over hardware equipment (e.g. UPnP players). However, a single service satisfies an atomic only user need, so services need to be composed (i.e. combined), in order to provide the usually requested complex tasks. Since manual service composition is obviously a hassle for the user, ambient systems struggle to automate this process by applying various methods. The approaches that have been adopted during the last years vary widely in many aspects, like domain of application, modeling of services, composition method, knowledge representation and interfaces. This work presents a comparative view of these approaches revealing similarities and differences, while providing additional information.

Privacy, Data Protection, and the Unprecedented Challenges of Ambient Intelligence

This paper identifies the unprecedented challenges that the prospects of an `ambient intelligence' era (involving the development of the `internet of things', with wide dissemination of RFID’s, ubiquitous computing, `smart' objects and surveillance devices) raise from the points of view of `privacy' and data protection. Privacy and data protection are identified, in line with Agre's conceptualization, as complementary and interdependent legal instruments aimed at preserving the individual freedom to build one's own personality without excessive constrains and influences, and to control some aspects of one's identity that one projects on the world. The `performativity' and the distribution of agency that characterize AmI systems are exposed as transversal concerns that threaten the fundamental value grounding both privacy and data protection laws: respect for individual autonomy. The relevance, applicability and adequacy of the European privacy and data protection legal frameworks to deal with those unprecedented challenges are then assessed. That assessment required the rethinking of the scope and the normative grounds of what is meant by the `right to privacy.' Privacy, it is argued, is an instrument for fostering the specific yet changing autonomic capabilities of individuals that are, in a given society at a given time, necessary for sustaining a vivid democracy. What those needed capabilities are is obviously contingent both on the characteristics of the constituency considered, and on the state of the technological, economic and social forces that must be weighed against each other through the operation of legislative balancing. Capacity for both reflexive autonomy allowing one to resist social pressures to conform with dominant drifts, and for deliberative abilities allowing one to participate in deliberative processes are arguably among the skills that a vivid democracy needs citizens to have in the circumstances of our times. The value of privacy today, it will be argued, resides in the support it provides for individuals to develop those aptitudes. Acknowledging both the `intermediate' value of privacy, and its `social-structural' value, the paper aims at clarifying the conceptual intricacies characterizing privacy and data protection, in view of the emerging challenges raised by the exponential development of information and communication technologies on the threshold of an `ambient intelligence era.' Finally the applicability of the European data protection scheme to the types of data processing involved in Ambient Intelligence, and the compatibility of the technical visions embedded in those systems with the fundamental data protection principles, are critically explored.