Ubiquitous Sensor Network Research Articles

Optimized Hexagon-Based Deployment for Large-Scale Ubiquitous Sensor Networks

Ubiquitous Sensor Network describes an application platform comprised of intelligently networked sensors deployed over a large area, supporting multiple application scenarios. On one hand, at the user-end, storing and managing the large amount of heterogeneous data generated by the network is a daunting task. On the other hand, at the network-end, ensuring network connectivity and longevity in a dynamically changing network environment, while trying to provide context-aware application data to the end-users are very challenging for the resource constrained sensor network. While cloud computing offers a cost-effective solution for storage of the large volume of data generated by the underlying heterogeneous network, an equally elegant solution does not exist on the network interface to provide application-aware data. In this paper, we propose the use of cognitive nodes (CNs) in the underlying sensor network to provide intelligent information processing and knowledge-based services to the end-users. We identify tools and techniques to implement the cognitive functionality and formulate a strategy for the deployment of CNs in the underlying sensor network to ensure a high probability of successful data reception among communicating nodes. From Matlab simulations, we were able to verify that in a network with randomly deployed sensor nodes, CNs can be strategically deployed at pre-determined positions, to deliver application-aware data that satisfies the end-user’s quality of information requirements, even at high application payloads.

A Review of the state-of-the-art Ubiquitous Multimedia Sensor Networks

The recent rise in the demand to incorporate multimedia contents such as audio/video and still images over Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) has led to the development of Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks (WMSNs). Thus several new applications have arisen such as e-Health, environmental monitoring, video surveillance, automated transport systems, traffic control, smart cities and smart grids, home automation etc. The International Telecommunications Unit (ITU) recommendation Section for Ubiquitous Sensor Network (USN) presents the requirements for a platform to numerous number of life services and applications. This envisions a system that will connect all devices on the network ubiquitously with collaborative efforts of many small wireless multimedia and scalar sensors to heterogeneously provide a smart web. This requirement has thrown several new challenges to wireless sensor networks. In this paper, we have given a comprehensive discussion of the Wireless Multimedia Sensor Network (WMSNs) and Ubiquitous Sensor Networks (USNs) architectures and outlined their design challenges. The paper will give the reader a clear view of the researches that are ongoing in multimedia systems ubiquitous sensor networks, and shed the light on the current challenges and future trends. We also hope it will foster discussions and new research ideas among its researchers

Internet of Things and the economics of smart sustainable cities

The major objective of this article is to analyze the potentials of information and communications technology (ICT) for the evolution of smart cities, with a particular focus on the challenges faced by traditional public utilities in the areas of public transportation, energy, water supply, and wastewater management due to the entry of new players originating from ICT organizations and industries. The character of virtual networks for smart cities is demonstrated based on three pillars: (1) All-IP–based real-time and adaptive broadband communication networks, (2) global navigation satellite systems and their overlay position correction networks, and (3) the interoperability of ubiquitous sensor network applications, as they form the ICT basis for a multitude of applications that are important in smart cities. The heterogeneity of virtual networks for different smart city physical network services is based on these pillars, taking into account the different requirements for the quality of service (QoS) of data packet transmission, geopositioning, and sensor networks. It can be expected that prosumer activities and resultant networked commons become increasingly relevant for the smart city of the future. However, the increasing role of prosumer activities cannot replace the role of markets in solving scarcity problems within ICT networks as well as physical networks. The role of congestion pricing and QoS differentiation for network capacities in transportation and electricity markets as well as ICT is indicated. If, due to non-rivalry in usage, efficient congestion prices are pointless, the future role of subsidies from the state is considered.

A Study on Ubiquitous Environments Based on the Animal and Plant Management System in Green House

In this paper, we develop ubiquitous sensor network system that send alarm massage to users having portable devices such as mobile smart phone and its messages to detect the growth of such plants in the state farms in green house. As well, we develop the windows environment programs that can directly control the configuration environment through computer themselves from the farmers.

Investigating Security for Ubiquitous Sensor Networks

Abstract: The availability of powerful and sensor-enabled mobile and Internet-connected devices have enabled the advent of the ubiquitous sensor network paradigm which is providing various types of solutions to the community and the individual user in various sectors including environmental monitoring, entertainment, transportation, security, and healthcare. We explore and compare the features of wireless sensor networks and ubiquitous sensor networks and based on the differences between these two types of systems, we classify the security-related challenges of ubiquitous sensor networks. We identify and discuss solutions available to address these challenges. Finally, we briefly discuss open challenges that need to be addressed to design more secure ubiquitous sensor networks in the future.

스마트 센서 기술 융합을 통한 망 생존성 강화에 관한 연구

재난망용 LTE(Long Term Evolution)는 자가망을 기본으로 구축하고 일부 상용망 시설을 활용함으로써 비용을 절감하는 방향으로 구축되고 있다. 하지만, LTE 망은 기지국, 교환기 등 정보통신 기반시설 붕괴 시 망 생존성과, 폐쇄된 건물 내부 또는 지하구간 등 음영지역에서의 통신 커버리지가 취약하다는 한계가 있다. 본 연구에서는 기존에 활용하고 있는 검증된 기술들의 융합을 통해 망 생존성 기술을 제공하는 방안을 도출하였다. IoT시대의 도래에 따라, 사물과 환경 속에 내재된 스마트 센서는 컴퓨팅 파워와 네트워킹 모듈을 포함하여 망 생존성 구현을 위해 매우 유용한 기반을 제공한다. 본 연구에서는, 이러한 스마트센서의 특성을 기반으로 스몰셀 기술과 무선 네트워크 커버리지 확장기술을 융합함으로써 망 생존성을 효과적으로 구현하기 위한 USN(Ubiquitous Sensor Network) 싱크노드 아키텍처를 기획하였다. 사물과 환경 속에 내재된 컴퓨팅 파워는 재난재해 발생 시 유용한 자원으로 활용될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다. Public Safty-LTE(Long Term Evolution) is being deployed in the direction of reducing cost by using both of municipal network and commercial network. However, LTE Network is difficult to ensure the survivability during the information communication infrastructure failures. In addition, it is vulnerable in communication coverage of inside buildings and underground. In this study, we propose to implement effectively the network survivability technique through the convergence to the proven technology. As the advent of the IoT Age, smart sensors which are embedded in the environment and the things will be able to provide a useful infrastructure for ensuring the network survivability. Based on the feature of the smart sensor, we designed the sink node architecture to guarantee the network survivability in disaster situation through the convergence of the small cell technology and extension of wireless network coverage technology. The computing power inherent in the environment is a valuable resource that can be utilized in the disaster situation.

Developing Ubiquitous Sensor Network Platform Using Internet of Things: Application in Precision Agriculture.

The application of Information Technologies into Precision Agriculture methods has clear benefits. Precision Agriculture optimises production efficiency, increases quality, minimises environmental impact and reduces the use of resources (energy, water); however, there are different barriers that have delayed its wide development. Some of these main barriers are expensive equipment, the difficulty to operate and maintain and the standard for sensor networks are still under development. Nowadays, new technological development in embedded devices (hardware and communication protocols), the evolution of Internet technologies (Internet of Things) and ubiquitous computing (Ubiquitous Sensor Networks) allow developing less expensive systems, easier to control, install and maintain, using standard protocols with low-power consumption. This work develops and test a low-cost sensor/actuator network platform, based in Internet of Things, integrating machine-to-machine and human-machine-interface protocols. Edge computing uses this multi-protocol approach to develop control processes on Precision Agriculture scenarios. A greenhouse with hydroponic crop production was developed and tested using Ubiquitous Sensor Network monitoring and edge control on Internet of Things paradigm. The experimental results showed that the Internet technologies and Smart Object Communication Patterns can be combined to encourage development of Precision Agriculture. They demonstrated added benefits (cost, energy, smart developing, acceptance by agricultural specialists) when a project is launched.

XMDR-DAI-based USN multimedia MetaData management agent for sensor networks

In a ubiquitous sensor network (USN) environment, it is necessary to define and manage a single metadata between the multimedia sensor and multimedia sensor node for interoperability purposes. One method to resolve this issue is the SensorML (Sensor Model Language), which is standard language that can be applied to sensor modeling. SensorML describes the model for data processing between multimedia sensors and provides a framework that can describe the information of each sensor. In this paper, an XMDR-DAI-based USN multimedia metadata is defined to describe the application of sensor devices, sensor nodes and sensor network information. And then an agent technology is used for effective storing and search of XMDR-DAI-based USN multimedia metadata. Sensor multimedia metadata can maintain interoperability in a USN multimedia environment based on SensorML, and the metadata management system can be directly used for metadata management in USN multimedia middleware or applications.

Deriving Topics for Safety of Folk Villages Following Scope and Content of ICT-Based DPD

This paper presents a novel concept of Disaster Prevention Design (DPD) and its derived subjects and topics for the safety of folk villages in both Korea and Japan. Nowadays, design concepts are focused on ‘human-oriented nature’ as a whole and this tendency fits to be appropriate for disaster prevention against real dangers of a future society, which is expected to have far more complicated features. On the other hand, convergences have performed with other areas in the field of Information Communication Technology (ICT) so that we can easily find examples like ‘the strategy of ICT-based convergence’ of the Korean Government in 2014. Modern content designs including UI (user interface) and USN (ubiquitous sensor network) have been developed as one of the representative areas of ICT & UD (universal design) convergences. These days this novel concept of convergence is overcoming the existing limitations of the conventional design concept focused on product and/or service. First of all, from that point our deduced topic or subject would naturally be a monitoring system design of constructional structures in folk villages for safety. We offer an integrated model of maintenance and a management-monitoring scheme. Another important point of view in the research is a safety sign or sign system installed in folk villages or traditional towns and their standardization. We would draw up and submit a plan that aims to upgrade signs and sign systems applied to folk villages in Korea and Japan. According to our investigations, floods in Korea and earthquakes in Japan are the most harmful disasters of folk villages. Therefore, focusing on floods in the area of traditional towns in Korea would be natural. We present a water-level expectation model using deep learning simulation. We also apply this method to the area of ‘Andong Hahoe’ village which has been registered with the World Cultural Heritage of UNESCO. Folk village sites include ‘Asan Oeam’, ‘Andong Hahoe’ and ‘Chonju Hanok’ villages in Korea and ‘Beppu Onsen’ village in Japan. Traditional Streets and Markets and Safe Schools and Parks are also chosen as nearby test-beds for DPD based on ICT. Our final goal of the research is to propose and realize an integrated disaster prevention and/or safety system based on big data for both Korea and Japan.

System Management of Human Object on the Industrial Safety

In dangerous industry fields such as construction, shipbuilding, the mining industry, and other field, many employees have lost their life due to risky environment. As result, the costing of social and industry have been increased. To solve this problem, wireless body area network technology can implement by converging ubiquitous sensor network and wireless data communications. The wireless body area network technology has been issued recently and studied by standard institutes (e.g. IEEE TG 802.15.6), universities, and research labs. This paper studies management issues in wireless body area network for industry safety. We design human object as wireless body area network on the employee’s body and propose management method for industry safety.

Chemical-sensitive graphene modulator with a memory effect for internet-of-things applications.

Modern internet of things (IoTs) and ubiquitous sensor networks could potentially take advantage of chemically sensitive nanomaterials and nanostructures. However, their heterogeneous integration with other electronic modules on a networked sensor node, such as silicon-based modulators and memories, is inherently challenging because of compatibility and integration issues. Here we report a novel paradigm for sensing modulators: a graphene field-effect transistor device that directly modulates a radio frequency (RF) electrical carrier signal when exposed to chemical agents, with a memory effect in its electrochemical history. We demonstrated the concept and implementation of this graphene-based sensing modulator through a frequency-modulation (FM) experiment conducted in a modulation cycle consisting of alternating phases of air exposure and ethanol or water treatment. In addition, we observed an analog memory effect in terms of the charge neutrality point of the graphene, V cnp, which strongly influences the FM results, and developed a calibration method using electrochemical gate-voltage pulse sequences. This graphene-based multifunctional device shows great potential for use in a simple, low-cost, and ultracompact nanomaterial-based nodal architecture to enable continuous, real-time event-based monitoring in pervasive healthcare IoTs, ubiquitous security systems, and other chemical/molecular/gas monitoring applications.

Modeling interactive real-time applications in VANETs with performance evaluation

Vehicular Ad-Hoc Network (VANET) is an emerging technology, which provides intelligent communication between mobile vehicles. Integrating VANET with Ubiquitous Sensor Networks (USN) has a great potential to improve road safety and traffic efficiency. Most VANET applications are applied in real time and they are sensitive to delay, especially those related to safety and health. Therefore, checking the applicability of any proposed application is very important. One way to achieve that is by calculating the Round Trip Time (RTT), which is the time taken by a VANET application starting from the initiator node (source vehicle) sending a message until receiving a response from the core network. In this paper, we present a new complete analytical model to calculate the RTT of VANET applications. Moreover, we introduce a novel detailed network architecture for VANET applications using the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) as a service controller in the USN environment. To the best of our knowledge, there is no previous published work that either studied the RTT of VANET applications or developed a complete architecture to implement them by integrating VANETs with USNs and IMS. The RTT is calculated by combining two analytical models. Firstly, we developed an analytical model to calculate the time needed for the communication between two nodes on a road. Secondly, we developed a queuing model using Baskett Chandy Muntz Palacios (BCMP) queuing network for the IMS servers to calculate the application's execution time in the core network. These models are general enough to be applied to any VANET application. Finally, to assess the validity and the accuracy of the proposed architecture and models, we used three different tools: C++, MATLAB, and OPNET. The analytical results were compared to the simulation results to evaluate their consistency.

Cost-effective monitoring algorithm for cyber-physical system platform using combined spatio-temporal model

Cost-effective schemes are essential in cyber-physical system to gather a huge amount of data from physical system in real time. In general, sensor networks monitor the physical system and transfer the data to cyber system which analyzes the data and provides many kinds of useful services for users and controls physical system. Sensors, as elements of ubiquitous sensor networks, have very limited resources (power capacity, processing power, and networking capability). Therefore, in the absence of energy-efficient mechanisms for ubiquitous sensor networks, the network life time will be reduced. In this paper, we present a cost effective monitoring scheme for cyber-physical system platform using spatio-temporal model. Our proposed model combines space and time domains. Sensor data are sent only when data are changed in both space and time domains. If the data are not changed in any domain then the previous data (time domain) or neighboring data (space domain) are used without additional communication cost. We also analyze and compare cost between periodic and aperiodic monitoring model. Using the analysis, we can choose the proper model (periodic or aperiodic) according to cyber-physical system parameters.

Energy Efficient Genetic Inspired Scheduling for Data Aggregation

Energy efficient Data Aggregation Scheduling is essential in Ubiquitous sensor networks. Optimal communication distances between the nodes and the base station improves the network lifetime. Clustering improves the efficiency of the data aggregation problem. Many clustering techniques exist to find the optimal number of clusters in the network. The computation complexity of the methods to obtain optimal number of clusters is fair when genetic approaches are employed instead of the classical approaches. Since nodes in USN are dynamic, finding data aggregation schedules is difficult in a USN. Concurrent transmissions improve the throughput of the network, but the SINR perceived at the receiver should be greater than or equal to a certain threshold value for a successful transmission. Also the cluster heads and the member nodes dissipate energy. This power dissipation is more when there are more number of cluster heads. The noise and the power dissipation play a major role in decreasing the network life time. Hence in this paper we designed an efficient energy dissipation algorithm for data aggregation scheduling using the principles of Genetic algorithm and SINR. Since the battery power and bandwidth are the limited resources for the nodes in the USN our data aggregation scheduling algorithm gives equal priority for all of the following while electing a node as a cluster head. They are (a) Total power dissipation from all cluster heads in the USN, (b) The total power dissipation from the nodes at each cluster heads, (c) The SINR perceived at the cluster head should be more than a threshold value at each cluster head for the transmission to be successful, (d) The optimal schedule for the nodes in the USN so that all the nodes transmits their data finally to the base station quickly. With the application of the genetic methods our algorithm proved to be efficient when compared with the existing algorithms in obtaining maximum network life time with minimum number of clusters.

The Design of mBodyCloud System for Sensor Information Monitoring in the Mobile Cloud Environment

Recently, introduced a cloud computing technology to the IT industry, smart phones, it has become possible connection between mobility terminal such as a tablet PC. For dissemination and popularization of movable wireless terminal, the same operation have focused on a viable mobile cloud in various terminal. Also, it evolved Wireless Sensor Network(WSN) technology, utilizing a Body Sensor Network(BSN), which research is underway to build large Ubiquitous Sensor Network(USN). BSN is based on large-scale sensor networks, it integrates the state information of the patient's body, it has been the need to build a managed system. Also, by transferring the acquired sensor information to HIS(Hospital Information System), there is a need to frequently monitor the condition of the patient. Therefore, In this paper, possible sensor information exchange between terminals in a mobile cloud environment, by integrating the data obtained by the body sensor HIS and interoperable data DBaaS (DataBase as a Service) it will provide a base of mBodyCloud System. Therefore, to provide an integrated protocol to include the sensor data to a standard HL7(Health Level7) medical information data.

Mobility Sequence Extraction and Labeling Using Sparse Cell Phone Data

Human mobility modeling for either transportation system development or individual location based services has a tangible impact on people's everyday experience. In recent years cell phone data has received a lot of attention as a promising data source because of the wide coverage, long observation period, and low cost. The challenge in utilizing such data is how to robustly extract people's trip sequences from sparse and noisy cell phone data and endow the extracted trips with semantic meaning, i.e., trip purposes.In this study we reconstruct trip sequences from sparse cell phone records. Next we propose a Bayesian trip purpose classification method and compare it to a Markov random field based trip purpose clustering method, representing scenarios with and without labeled training data respectively. This procedure shows how the cell phone data, despite their coarse granularity and sparsity, can be turned into a low cost, long term, and ubiquitous sensor network for mobility related services.

USN 기반의 대형 사회 기반 시설물 계측 시스템 개발

With due to the recent development of USN (Ubiquitous Sensor Network) technology, a monitoring system has been developing for assuring the structural integrity of infrastructure through normal or long term measurements during their lifetime. An accident such as a collapse of infrastructure may cause not only loss of life but also damage to the economy of the nation. In order to enhance the availability of infrastructure and to be able to maintain their lifetime, it is necessary to monitor and to evaluate continuously the structural integrity throughout their entire lifetime. The purpose of this paper is to develop a monitoring system integrated with evaluation function based on the ubiquitous technology. The most essential part of this study is focusing more on developing a specific module convertible to A/D, which is to enhance the applicability of sensors that had not been applied to existing monitoring systems. Conclusively it has been successfully enhanced to make more diverse the number of sensors and measuring techniques for the monitoring system.

Atmospheric pattern recognition of human activities on ubiquitous sensor network using data stream mining algorithms

Ubiquitous sensor networks gain tremendous popularity nowadays with practical applications such as detection of natural disasters. These applications collect real-time data about the atmospheric measurements from sensors that are installed in the field. In this paper we argue that traditional data mining methods run short of accurately analysing the activity patterns from the sensor data stream. We evaluate the successor of these algorithms which is known as data stream mining by using an example of an indoor ubiquitous sensor network. They measure various atmospheric values that are supposedly prone to the influences of different human activities. Superior result is shown in the experiment that runs on this empirical data stream. The contribution of this paper is on a comparative study between using traditional and data stream mining algorithms, in a scenario where different atmospheric patterns are to be recognised from streaming sensor data.

A Smart Gateway Architecture for Improving Efficiency of Home Network Applications

A smart home gateway plays an important role in the Internet of Things (IoT) system that takes responsibility for the connection between the network layer and the ubiquitous sensor network (USN) layer. Even though the home network application is developing rapidly, researches on the home gateway based open development architecture are less. This makes it difficult to extend the home network to support new applications, share service, and interoperate with other home network systems. An integrated access gateway (IAGW) is proposed in this paper which upward connects with the operator machine-to-machine platform (M2M P/F). In this home network scheme, the gateway provides standard interfaces for supporting various applications in home environments, ranging from on-site configuration to node and service access. In addition, communication management ability is also provided by M2M P/F. A testbed of a simple home network application system that includes the IAGW prototype is created to test its user interaction capabilities. Experimental results show that the proposed gateway provides significant flexibility for users to configure and deploy a home automation network; it can be applied to other monitoring areas and simultaneously supports a multi-ubiquitous sensor network.

Integration of CFD-Based Virtual Sensors to A Ubiquitous Sensor Network to Support Micro-Scale Air Quality Management

As a city is urbanized, its landscape becomes more complex owing to the construction of high-rise buildings. The small scale wind-field in an urban district may change frequently owing to the complex terrain, the diverse land use, and high-rise buildings. It also leads to dynamic changes in the air pollution in that area. Conventional urban-scale air quality management systems, however, are unable to effectively manage detailed aspects of such changes. In this study, we set up a micro-scale air quality management system (MAMS) testbed over Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea. A wireless sensor network and a CFD modeling data management system were combined to support the MAMS sensor service. The sensor-based monitoring system showed reasonably good performance for temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide from inter-comparison studies against conventional large format analyzers. However, the real-world application of a sensor network for air quality monitoring has many limitations, such as limited installation points for 3-dimentional monitoring, limited power availability for continuous monitoring, and limited sensitivity to ambient concentrations. We therefore developed the concept of a “virtual sensor” to provide micro-scale personal air pollution information services, using a CFD-based air quality modeling system. Based on the information provided by the virtual sensors, we developed a futuristic air quality service of the MAMS application for the mobile platform. We found that the combination of CFD-based modeling data with a fast large volume data management system and a mobile visualization system will be a successful intermediate solution for a user-based air quality service before an actual ubiquitous sensor-based system is available to produce micro-scale environmental information for entire urban areas.