Applied System Innovation — Open Access Journal

This article proposes an adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) model for accurate estimation of signal propagation using LoRaWAN. By using ANFIS, the basic knowledge of propagation is embedded into the proposed model. This reduces the training complexity of artificial neural network (ANN)-based models. Therefore, the size of the training dataset is reduced by 70% compared to an ANN model. The proposed model consists of an efficient clustering method to identify the optimum number of the fuzzy nodes to avoid overfitting, and a hybrid training algorithm to train and optimize the ANFIS parameters. Finally, the proposed model is benchmarked with extensive practical data, where superior accuracy is achieved compared to deterministic models, and better generalization is attained compared to ANN models. The proposed model outperforms the nondeterministic models in terms of accuracy, has the flexibility to account for new modeling parameters, is easier to use as it does not require a model for propagation environment, is resistant to data collection inaccuracies and uncertain environmental information, has excellent generalization capability, and features a knowledge-based implementation that alleviates the training process. This work will facilitate network planning and propagation prediction in complex scenarios. Full article

The main purpose of this paper is to construct an autopilot system for unmanned railcars based on computer vision technology in a fixed luminous environment. Four graphic predefined signs of different colors and shapes serve as motion commands of acceleration, deceleration, reverse and stop for the motion control system of railcars based on image recognition. The predefined signs’ strong classifiers were trained based on Haar-like feature training and AdaBoosting from Open Source Computer Vision Library (OpenCV). Comprehensive system integrations such as hardware, device drives, protocols, an application program in Python and man machine interface have been properly done. The objectives of this research include: (1) Verifying the feasibility of graphic predefined signs serving as commands of a motion control system of railcars with computer vision through experiments; (2) Providing reliable solutions for motion control of unmanned railcars, based on image recognition at affordable cost. The experiment results successfully verify the proposed methodology and integrated system. In the main program, every predefined sign must be detected at least three times in consecutive images within 0.2 s before the system confirms the detection. This digital filter like feature can filter out false detections and make the correct rate of detections close to 100%. After detecting a predefined sign, it was observed that the system could generate new motion commands to drive the railcars within 0.3 s. Therefore, both real time performance and the precision of the system are good. Since the sensing and control devices of the proposed system consist of computer, camera and predefined signs only, both the implementation and maintenance costs are very low. In addition, the proposed system is immune to electromagnetic interference, so it is ideal to merge into popular radio Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) systems in railways to improve the safety of operations. Full article

The possibility to test a radio frequency transceiver through the use of appropriate channel emulators allows evaluating their performance under various operating conditions. Many systems are able to operate with a relatively limited instantaneous bandwidth by applying known statistical models. Sometimes, it is necessary to evaluate the performance of a RF transceiver installed on high or very high speed platforms over predictable trajectories using optionally DEM (Digital Elevation Model) data of the terrain to estimate the number of stimulated paths and their contributions during the flight. When the instantaneous bandwidth of the signal becomes high (over several hundreds of MHz), one of the most important phenomena to consider is the Doppler spread induced by the channel and traditional narrowband models become useless. This paper presents some results when a time expansion is adopted to emulate the transceiver dynamic and the consequent Doppler spread with the aim of controlling the spectral purity of the emulated propagation channel. Full article

Egocentric video analysis is an important tool in healthcare that serves a variety of purposes, such as memory aid systems and physical rehabilitation, and feature extraction is an indispensable process for such analysis. Local feature descriptors have been widely applied due to their simple implementation and reasonable efficiency and performance in applications. This paper proposes an enhanced spatial and temporal local feature descriptor extraction method to boost the performance of action classification. The approach allows local feature descriptors to take advantage of saliency maps, which provide insights into visual attention. The effectiveness of the proposed method was validated and evaluated by a comparative study, whose results demonstrated an improved accuracy of around 2%. Full article

The shift to Cloud computing has brought with it its specific security challenges concerning the loss of control, trust and multi-tenancy especially in Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) Cloud model. This article focuses on the design and development of an intrusion detection system (IDS) that can handle security challenges in IaaS Cloud model using an open source IDS. We have implemented a proof-of-concept prototype on the most deployed hypervisor—VMware ESXi—and performed various real-world cyber-attacks, such as port scanning and denial of service (DoS) attacks to validate the practicality and effectiveness of our proposed IDS architecture. Based on our experimental results we found that our Security Onion-based IDS can provide the required protection in a reasonable and effective manner. Full article

Human detection and tracking is an important task in artificial intelligent robotic systems, which usually require a robust target detector to work in a variety of circumstances. In complex environments where a camera is installed on a wheeled mobile robot, this task becomes much more difficult. In this paper, we present a real-time remote-control system for human detection, tracking, security, and verification in such challenging environments. Such a system is useful for security monitoring, data collection, and experimental purpose. In the proposed system, a Kinect RGB-D camera from Microsoft is used as a visual sensing device for the design of human detection and tracking. We also implemented a remote-control system on a four-wheel mobile platform with a Robot Operating System (ROS). By combining these two designs, a wireless controlled mobile platform having the feature of real-time human monitoring can be realized to handle this task efficiently. Experimental results validate the performance of the proposed system for wirelessly controlling the mobile robot to track humans in a real-world environment. Full article

There has been a rapid increase in the number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in the last few years, providing a wide range of services such as camera feeds, light controls, and door locks for remote access. Access to IoT devices, whether within the same environment or remotely via the Internet, requires proper security mechanisms in order to avoid disclosing any secure information or access privileges. Authentication, on which other security classes are built, is the most important part of IoT security. Without ensuring that the authorized party is who it claims to be, other security factors would be useless. Additionally, with the increased mobility of IoT devices, traditional authentication mechanisms, such as a username and password, are less effective. Numerous security challenges in the IoT domain have resulted in the proposal of many different approaches to authentication. Many of these methods require either carrying an authentication token, such as a smartcard, or restricting access to a particular physical location. Considering that most IoT devices contain a wide array of sensors, a large amount of contextual information can be provided. Thus, real-time security mechanisms can protect user access by, for example, utilizing contextual information to validate requests. A variety of contextual information can be retrieved to strengthen the authentication process, both at the time of access request and throughout the entire access session, without requiring user interaction, which avoids the risk of being discovered by attackers of these features. In this paper, we introduce a continuous authentication framework that integrates contextual information for user authentication in smart homes. The implementation and evaluation show that the framework can protect smart devices against unauthorized access from both anonymous and known users, either, locally or remotely, in a flexible manner and without requiring additional user intervention. Full article

The transverse arch of the foot receives and transfers loads during gait. We aim to identify the difference in its structure between normal feet and hallux valgus (HV) feet and the effects of loading. Two groups, Without-HV and With-HV (HV ≥ 20°), were assessed using a weight-bearing plantar ultrasound imaging device to view the structure of the transverse arch. Measurements were recorded in sitting, quiet standing, and 90% weight-shift (90% W.S.) loading positions on the tested foot. Images were then processed using ImageJ software to analyze the transverse arch length (TAL), the length between the metatarsal heads (MTHs), transverse arch height (TAH), and the height of each MTH. TAL significantly increased in all positions in the With-HV group compared to that in the Without-HV group. It also increased in both groups under loading. TAH was not significantly higher in the With-HV group than in the Without-HV group in sitting and standing positions, except in the 90% W.S position, where both groups showed similar results. TAH decreased in both groups under loading. In summary, the structure of the transverse arch changes in HV feet and under loading conditions. This finding will help understand the structural differences between normal and HV feet and help resolve shoe fit problems in individuals with HV deformity. Full article

The method of earned value management is traditionally applied to the progress assessment of actual software projects in many IT companies. Also, Open Source Software (OSS) are used under the various situations because of cost reduction, standardization, and quick delivery. In particular, many OSS are developed and managed by using fault big data recorded on the bug tracking systems. Several research papers in terms of OSS reliability assessment have been published in the past. The fault is caused by the poor handling of effort control. Therefore, we can make a stable and safety operation for OSS system if the OSS project is appropriately managed by using the software effort. The OSS effort estimation model by using a conventional stochastic differential equation model is discussed in this paper. Then, we propose the optimal maintenance problem based on the earned value requirement. In particular, we develop the OSS project stability support tool. Furthermore, several performance illustrations of the developed software tool are shown by using the effort data under actual OSS project. Full article

The use of a network of wearable sensors placed on the athlete or installed into sport equipment is able to offer, in a real sport environment rather than in the unspecific spaces of a laboratory, a valuable real-time feedback to the coach during practice. This is made possible today by the coordinate use of a wide range of kinematic, dynamic, and physiological sensors. Using sensors makes training more effective, improves performance assessment, and can help in preventing injuries. In this paper, a new wireless sensor network (WSN) system for elite sport applications is presented. The network is made up of a master node and up to eight peripheral nodes (slave nodes), each one containing one or more sensors. The number of nodes can be increased with second level slave nodes; the nature of sensors varies depending on the application. Communication between nodes is made via a high performance 2.4 GHz transceiver; the network has a real-life range in excess of 100 m. The system can therefore be used in applications where the distance between nodes is long, for instance, in such sports as kayaking, sailing, and rowing. Communication with user and data download are made via a Wi-Fi link. The user communication interface is a webpage and is therefore completely platform (computer, tablet, smartphone) and operating system (Windows, iOS, Android, etc.) independent. A subset of acquired data can be visualized in real time on multiple terminals, for instance, by athlete and coach. Data from kayaking, karting, and swimming applications are presented. Full article

Real-time transferring of the haptic sense over the Internet is quite a challenging task. This paper outlines the proposed protocols for transferring haptic streams over the Internet. Moreover, it describes the Quality of Service requirements that a network has to fulfill in order to successfully use haptic interfaces with high update rates over the Internet. Extensive simulations and experiments for the performance evaluation of transport protocols for real-time transferring haptic data are carried out. Complements between simulation and real world experiments are discussed. The metrics that are measured for the performance evaluation are delay, jitter, throughput, efficiency, packet loss and one proposed by the authors, packet arrival deviation. The simulation tests reveal which protocols could be used for the transfer of real-time haptic data over the Internet. Full article

In this paper, we study IR spectroscopy system design by optimizing the radiation energy in the plane of the surface temperature and wavelength. We provide infrared system designing criteria towards the formation of the optimized image of an arbitrary radiating body. As per this formulation, we find that an optimal image arises via an intrinsic statistical measure as late time thermal effects. We also outline the qualitative characteristics of the thermal radiation energy and associated quantities undermining its stability. This classifies (un)stable radiation zone detection towards cutting edge IR based information theory research & development in designing of thermal detectors. Finally, we discuss perspective applications of the IR technology, ensemble averaging, digital coding, and formation of an optimal thermal image. Full article

LoRa (Long Range) is a proprietary radio communication technology exploiting license-free frequency bands, allowing low-rate information exchange over long distances with very low power consumption. Conventional environmental monitoring sensors have the disadvantage of being in fixed positions and distributed over wide areas, thus providing measurements with a spatially insufficient level of detail. Since public transport vehicles travel continuously within cities, they are ideal to house portable monitoring systems for environmental pollution and meteorological parameters. The paper presents a feasibility analysis of a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) to collect this information from the vehicles conveying it to a central node for processing. The communication system is realized by deploying a layer-structured, fault-resistant, multi-hop Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) based on the LoRa technology. Both a theoretical study about electromagnetic propagation and network architecture are addressed with consideration of potential practical network realization. Full article

This paper presents a novel method of restoring the electron beam (EB) measurements that are degraded by linear motion blur. This is based on a fuzzy inference system (FIS) and Wiener inverse filter, together providing autonomy, reliability, flexibility, and real-time execution. This system is capable of restoring highly degraded signals without requiring the exact knowledge of EB probe size. The FIS is formed of three inputs, eight fuzzy rules, and one output. The FIS is responsible for monitoring the restoration results, grading their validity, and choosing the one that yields to a better grade. These grades are produced autonomously by analyzing results of a Wiener inverse filter. To benchmark the performance of the system, ground truth signals obtained using an 18 μm wire probe were compared with the restorations. Main aims are therefore: (a) Provide unsupervised deblurring for device independent EB measurement; (b) improve the reliability of the process; and (c) apply deblurring without knowing the probe size. These further facilitate the deployment and manufacturing of EB probes as well as facilitate accurate and probe-independent EB characterization. This paper’s findings also makes restoration of previously collected EB measurements easier where the probe sizes are not known nor recorded. Full article

One of the current and biggest problems in the system of emergency care for the drug overdose epidemic is the failure of information delivery on nearby treatment facilities. Even though some initiatives have tried to solve this issue, they either failed in delivering the information or in providing good usability. This paper presents the design and development of a web application that we refer to as DrugHelp.Care. This application delivers highly accurate, easy-to-understand, and targeted information in a timely manner for substance users and their well-wishers. It also provides an ecosystem for the treatment facilities with an easy-to-use interface to constantly update their complex information along with automatic email reminders and data completion progress indicators. Based on the requirements we have collected from substance users and treatment facilities, the application is designed and developed using the LAMP stack. A search engine for the substance users and their well-wishers preserves complete anonymity, which is very important to ensure the confidentiality of substance users. Full article

The development of compact wearable antennas and transceivers for communication, IoT (Internet of Things), and biomedical systems will be presented in this paper. Development of Compact efficient wearable antennas is one of the major challenges in development of wearable communication, IoT, and medical systems. The main goal of wireless body area networks (BANs), WBANs, is to provide continuously medical data to the physician. Body area network (BAN) antennas should be flexible, lightweight, compact, and have low production cost. However, low efficiency is the major disadvantage of small printed antennas. Microstrip antennas resonant frequency is altered, due to environment conditions, different antenna locations, and different system operation modes. These disadvantages may be solved by using compact active and tunable antennas. A new class of wideband active wearable antennas for medical applications is presented in this paper. Amplifiers may be connected to the wearable antenna feed line to increase the system dynamic range. Small lightweight batteries supply the bias voltage to the active components. An active dual polarized antenna is presented in this paper. The active dual polarized antenna gain is 14 ± 3 dB for frequencies ranging from 380 to 600 MHz. The active transmitting dual polarized antenna output power is around 18 dBm. A voltage-controlled diode, varactor, may be used to control the antenna electrical performance at different environments. For example, an antenna located in patient stomach area has VSWR (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio) better than 2:1 at 434 MHz. However, if the antenna will be placed on the patient back, it may resonate at 420 MHz. By varying the varactor bias voltage, the antenna resonant frequency may be shifted from 420 to 434 MHz. An ultra-wideband passive and active printed slot antenna may be employed in wideband wearable communication systems. The active slot antenna gain is 13 ± 2 dB for frequencies from 800 MHz to 3 GHz. Full article

Visible Light Communication (VLC) uses light-emitting diodes to provide wireless connectivity in public environments. Transmission security in this emerging channel is not trivial. Chaotic modulation techniques can provide encryption directly in the physical layer based on the random-alike evolution and strong synchronization prospect given by deterministic chaos. In secure chaotic inclusion or embedding methods, continuous-time chaos oscillator models need to be synchronized via a coupling carrier. Here we present a first numerical simulation study for the impact of the variable delays induced by line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight multipath fading in complete chaotic synchronization. More precisely, we analyze a chaotic Colpitts oscillator that is simultaneously transmitting the carrier to several mobile receivers via nine spotlights. Such induced delays depend on both the receiver position and the carrier frequency, influencing the complete synchronization required in modulation via chaotic inclusion. Correlation values for several receiver positions and carrier frequencies are presented, examining the progressive emergence of the multipath effect and its impact on chaotic synchronization. We show that, for the chaotic oscillator and coupling applied in the defined room settings, complete chaotic synchronization can be achieved and that it is robust up to the tens of MHz region. Full article

In this work, an advanced drone battery charging system is developed. The system is composed of a drone charging station with multiple power transmitters and a receiver to charge the battery of a drone. A resonance inductive coupling-based wireless power transmission technique is used. With limits of wireless power transmission in inductive coupling, it is necessary that the coupling between a transmitter and receiver be strong for efficient power transmission; however, for a drone, it is normally hard to land it properly on a charging station or a charging device to get maximum coupling for efficient wireless power transmission. Normally, some physical sensors such as ultrasonic sensors and infrared sensors are used to align the transmitter and receiver for proper coupling and wireless power transmission; however, in this system, a novel method based on the hill climbing algorithm is proposed to control the coupling between the transmitter and a receiver without using any physical sensor. The feasibility of the proposed algorithm was checked using MATLAB. A practical test bench was developed for the system and several experiments were conducted under different scenarios. The system is fully automatic and gives 98.8% accuracy (achieved under different test scenarios) for mitigating the poor landing effect. Also, the efficiency η of 85% is achieved for wireless power transmission. The test results show that the proposed drone battery charging system is efficient enough to mitigate the coupling effect caused by the poor landing of the drone, with the possibility to land freely on the charging station without the worry of power transmission loss. Full article