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Selected Papers from the 5th International Electronic Conference on Sensors and Applications

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2019) | Viewed by 96986

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Special Issue Editors

Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Ambientale, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza L. da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
Interests: MEMS; smart materials; micromechanics; machine learning-driven materials modeling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
ISIS Sensorial Materials Scientific Centre, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
Interests: porous and cellular metals; metal foams; syntactic foams; metal matrix syntactic foams; metal matrix composites; powder metallurgy; powder technology; finite element analysis; integrated computational materials engineering (ICME); smart structures; sensor integration; sensorial materials; structural health monitoring (SHM)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
1. Department of Electrical, Electronic and Communication Engineering & Institute for Smart Cities (ISC), Public University of Navarre, 31006 Pamplona, Spain
2. School of Engineering and Science, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Mexico
Interests: wireless networks; performance evaluation; distributed systems; context-aware environments; IoT; next-generation wireless systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue comprises selected papers from the proceedings of the 5th International Electronic Conference on Sensors and Applications, held 15–30 November, 2018, on sciforum.net, an online platform for hosting scholarly e-conferences and discussion groups. In this 5th edition of the electronic conference, contributors were invited to provide papers and presentations from the field of sensors and applications at large, resulting in a wide variety of excellent submissions and topic areas. Selected papers which attracted the most interest on the web, or that provided a particularly innovative contribution, have been gathered for publication. These papers have been subjected to peer review and are published with the aim of rapid and wide dissemination of research results, developments and applications. We hope this conference series will grow rapidly in the future and become recognized as a new way and venue by which to (electronically) present new developments related to the field of sensors and their applications.

This Special Issue will be open for submission from 1 Decemeber 2018 to 31 March 2019.

Dr. Stefano Mariani
Dr. Francesco Ciucci
Dr. Dirk Lehmhus
Dr. Thomas B. Messervey
Dr. Alberto Vallan
Dr. Stefan Bosse
Dr. Francisco Falcone
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sensors is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biosensors
  • chemical sensors
  • physical sensors
  • sensor networks
  • applications
  • smart cities
  • smart sensing systems
  • structural health monitoring technologies and sensor networks
  • wearable sensors

Published Papers (18 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 2555 KiB  
Article
A Sensor for Spirometric Feedback in Ventilation Maneuvers during Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training
by Rodolfo Rocha Vieira Leocádio, Alan Kardek Rêgo Segundo and Cibelle Ferreira Louzada
Sensors 2019, 19(23), 5095; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19235095 - 21 Nov 2019
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4274
Abstract
This work proposes adapting an existing sensor and embedding it on mannequins used in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training to accurately measure the amount of air supplied to the lungs during ventilation. Mathematical modeling, calibration, and validation of the sensor along with metrology, statistical [...] Read more.
This work proposes adapting an existing sensor and embedding it on mannequins used in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training to accurately measure the amount of air supplied to the lungs during ventilation. Mathematical modeling, calibration, and validation of the sensor along with metrology, statistical inference, and spirometry techniques were used as a base for aquiring scientific knowledge of the system. The system directly measures the variable of interest (air volume) and refers to spirometric techniques in the elaboration of its model. This improves the realism of the dummies during the CPR training, because it estimates, in real-time, not only the volume of air entering in the lungs but also the Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Forced Expiratory Volume (FEVt) and Medium Forced Expiratory Flow (FEF20–75%). The validation of the sensor achieved results that address the requirements for this application, that is, the error below 3.4% of full scale. During the spirometric tests, the system presented the measurement results of (305 ± 22, 450 ± 23, 603 ± 24, 751 ± 26, 922 ± 27, 1021 ± 30, 1182 ± 33, 1326 ± 36, 1476 ± 37, 1618 ± 45 and 1786 ± 56) × 10−6 m3 for reference values of (300, 450, 600, 750, 900, 1050, 1200, 1350, 1500, 1650 and 1800) × 10−6 m3, respectively. Therefore, considering the spirometry and pressure boundary conditions of the manikin lungs, the system achieves the objective of simulating valid spirometric data for debriefings, that is, there is an agreement between the measurement results when compared to the signal generated by a commercial spirometer (Koko brand). The main advantages that this work presents in relation to the sensors commonly used for this purpose are: (i) the reduced cost, which makes it possible, for the first time, to use a respiratory volume sensor in medical simulators or training dummies; (ii) the direct measurement of air entering the lung using a noninvasive method, which makes it possible to use spirometry parameters to characterize simulated human respiration during the CPR training; and (iii) the measurement of spirometric parameters (FVC, FEVt, and FEF20–75%), in real-time, during the CPR training, to achieve optimal ventilation performance. Therefore, the system developed in this work addresses the minimum requirements for the practice of ventilation in the CPR maneuvers and has great potential in several future applications. Full article
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14 pages, 8437 KiB  
Article
Underwater Acoustic Impulsive Noise Monitoring in Port Facilities: Case Study of the Port of Cartagena
by Ivan Felis Enguix, Marta Sánchez Egea, Antonio Guerrero González and David Arenas Serrano
Sensors 2019, 19(21), 4672; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19214672 - 28 Oct 2019
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3454
Abstract
Recording underwater impulsive noise data is an important aspect of mitigating its environmental impact and improving maritime environmental management systems. This paper describes the method used and results of the spatial monitoring of both the baseline noise level and the impulsive noise sources [...] Read more.
Recording underwater impulsive noise data is an important aspect of mitigating its environmental impact and improving maritime environmental management systems. This paper describes the method used and results of the spatial monitoring of both the baseline noise level and the impulsive noise sources in the Port of Cartagena. An autonomous vessel was equipped with a smart digital hydrophone with a working frequency range between 10 and 200 kHz and a received voltage response (RVR) of, approximately, −170 dB re 1V/µPa. A GIS map was drawn up with the spatiotemporal distribution of the basal sound pressure levels by coupling the acoustic data with the vessel’s GPS positions to identify the sources of the impulsive noise of interest and their temporal characteristics. The loading of cargo containers was identified as the main source of impulse noise. This study is the first of a series designed to obtain accurate information on underwater noise pollution and its potential impact on biodiversity in the Port of Cartagena. Full article
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20 pages, 13727 KiB  
Article
A Radio Channel Model for D2D Communications Blocked by Single Trees in Forest Environments
by Imanol Picallo, Hicham Klaina, Peio Lopez-Iturri, Erik Aguirre, Mikel Celaya-Echarri, Leyre Azpilicueta, Alejandro Eguizábal, Francisco Falcone and Ana Alejos
Sensors 2019, 19(21), 4606; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19214606 - 23 Oct 2019
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3607
Abstract
In this paper we consider the D2D (Device-to-Device) communication taking place between Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) elements operating in vegetation environments in order to achieve the radio channel characterization at 2.4 GHz, focusing on the radio links blocked by oak and pine trees [...] Read more.
In this paper we consider the D2D (Device-to-Device) communication taking place between Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) elements operating in vegetation environments in order to achieve the radio channel characterization at 2.4 GHz, focusing on the radio links blocked by oak and pine trees modelled from specimens found in a real recreation area located within forest environments. In order to fit and validate a radio channel model for this type of scenarios, both measurements and simulations by means of an in-house developed 3D Ray Launching algorithm have been performed, offering as outcomes the path loss and multipath information of the scenarios under study for forest immersed isolated trees and non-isolated trees. The specific forests, composed of thick in-leaf trees, are called Orgi Forest and Chandebrito, located respectively in Navarre and Galicia, Spain. A geometrical and dielectric model of the trees were created and introduced in the simulation software. We concluded that the scattering produced by the tree can be divided into two zones with different dominant propagation mechanisms: an obstructed line of sight (OLoS) zone far from the tree fitting a log-distance model, and a diffraction zone around the edge of the tree. 2D planes of delay spread value are also presented which similarly reflects the proposed two-zone model. Full article
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38 pages, 13006 KiB  
Article
Real-Time Human-In-The-Loop Simulation with Mobile Agents, Chat Bots, and Crowd Sensing for Smart Cities
by Stefan Bosse and Uwe Engel
Sensors 2019, 19(20), 4356; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19204356 - 09 Oct 2019
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4728
Abstract
Modelling and simulation of social interaction and networks are of high interest in multiple disciplines and fields of application ranging from fundamental social sciences to smart city management. Future smart city infrastructures and management are characterised by adaptive and self-organising control using real-world [...] Read more.
Modelling and simulation of social interaction and networks are of high interest in multiple disciplines and fields of application ranging from fundamental social sciences to smart city management. Future smart city infrastructures and management are characterised by adaptive and self-organising control using real-world sensor data. In this work, humans are considered as sensors. Virtual worlds, e.g., simulations and games, are commonly closed and rely on artificial social behaviour and synthetic sensor information generated by the simulator program or using data collected off-line by surveys. In contrast, real worlds have a higher diversity. Agent-based modelling relies on parameterised models. The selection of suitable parameter sets is crucial to match real-world behaviour. In this work, a framework combining agent-based simulation with crowd sensing and social data mining using mobile agents is introduced. The crowd sensing via chat bots creates augmented virtuality and reality by augmenting the simulated worlds with real-world interaction and vice versa. The simulated world interacts with real-world environments, humans, machines, and other virtual worlds in real-time. Among the mining of physical sensors (e.g., temperature, motion, position, and light) of mobile devices like smartphones, mobile agents can perform crowd sensing by participating in question–answer dialogues via a chat blog (provided by smartphone Apps or integrated into WEB pages and social media). Additionally, mobile agents can act as virtual sensors (offering data exchanged with other agents) and create a bridge between virtual and real worlds. The ubiquitous usage of digital social media has relevant impact on social interaction, mobility, and opinion-making, which has to be considered. Three different use-cases demonstrate the suitability of augmented agent-based simulation for social network analysis using parameterised behavioural models and mobile agent-based crowd sensing. This paper gives a rigorous overview and introduction of the challenges and methodologies used to study and control large-scale and complex socio-technical systems using agent-based methods. Full article
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14 pages, 6121 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Influence of Different Settings of Scan Sequence Parameters on Vibration and Noise Generated in the Open-Air MRI Scanning Area
by Jiří Přibil, Anna Přibilová and Ivan Frollo
Sensors 2019, 19(19), 4198; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19194198 - 27 Sep 2019
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2859
Abstract
A system of gradient coils of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device produces significant vibration and noise. Energetic relations of these phenomena are analyzed depending on MRI scan parameters (sequence type, repetition time (TR), echo time (TE), slice orientation, body weight). This issue [...] Read more.
A system of gradient coils of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device produces significant vibration and noise. Energetic relations of these phenomena are analyzed depending on MRI scan parameters (sequence type, repetition time (TR), echo time (TE), slice orientation, body weight). This issue should be investigated because of negative physiological and psychological effects on a person exposed to vibration and acoustic noise. We also measured the sound pressure level in the MRI scanning area and its vicinity in order to minimize these negative impacts, depending on intensity and time duration of exposition. From the recorded vibration and noise signals, the energy parameters were determined and statistically analyzed, and the obtained results were visually and numerically compared. Finally, subjective evaluation by a listening test method was used to analyze the influence of the generated MRI noise on the human psyche. Full article
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24 pages, 6237 KiB  
Article
A Novel Ultrasound Technique Based on Piezoelectric Diaphragms Applied to Material Removal Monitoring in the Grinding Process
by Felipe A. Alexandre, Paulo R. Aguiar, Reinaldo Götz, Martin Antonio Aulestia Viera, Thiago Glissoi Lopes and Eduardo Carlos Bianchi
Sensors 2019, 19(18), 3932; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19183932 - 12 Sep 2019
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4234
Abstract
The interest of the scientific community for ultrasound techniques has increased in recent years due to its wide range of applications. A continuous effort of researchers and industries has been made in order to improve and increase the applicability of non-destructive evaluations (NDE). [...] Read more.
The interest of the scientific community for ultrasound techniques has increased in recent years due to its wide range of applications. A continuous effort of researchers and industries has been made in order to improve and increase the applicability of non-destructive evaluations (NDE). In this context, the monitoring of manufacturing processes, such as the grinding process, arises. This work proposes a novel technique of ultrasound monitoring (chirp-through-transmission) through low-cost piezoelectric diaphragms and digital signal processing. The proposed technique was applied to the monitoring of material removal during the grinding process. The technique is based on changes in ultrasonic waves when propagated through the material under study, with the difference that this technique does not use traditional parameters of ultrasonic techniques but digital signal processing (RMS and Counts). Furthermore, the novelty of the proposed technique is also the use of low-cost piezoelectric diaphragms in the emission and reception of ultrasonic waves, enabling the implementation of a low-cost monitoring system. The results show that the monitoring technique proposed in this work, when used in conjunction with the frequency band selection, is sensitive to the material removal in the grinding process and therefore presents an advance for monitoring the grinding processes. Full article
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19 pages, 18204 KiB  
Article
A Time–Frequency Acoustic Emission-Based Technique to Assess Workpiece Surface Quality in Ceramic Grinding with PZT Transducer
by Martin A. Aulestia Viera, Paulo R. Aguiar, Pedro Oliveira Junior, Felipe A. Alexandre, Wenderson N. Lopes, Eduardo C. Bianchi, Rosemar Batista da Silva, Doriana D’addona and Andre Andreoli
Sensors 2019, 19(18), 3913; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19183913 - 11 Sep 2019
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4251
Abstract
Innovative monitoring systems based on sensor signals have emerged in recent years in view of their potential for diagnosing machining process conditions. In this context, preliminary applications of fast-response and low-cost piezoelectric diaphragms (PZT) have recently emerged in the grinding monitoring field. However, [...] Read more.
Innovative monitoring systems based on sensor signals have emerged in recent years in view of their potential for diagnosing machining process conditions. In this context, preliminary applications of fast-response and low-cost piezoelectric diaphragms (PZT) have recently emerged in the grinding monitoring field. However, there is a lack of application regarding the grinding of ceramic materials. Thus, this work presents an analysis of the feasibility of using the acoustic emission signals obtained through the PZT diaphragm, together with digital signal processing in the time–frequency domain, in the monitoring of the surface quality of ceramic components during the surface grinding process. For comparative purpose, an acoustic emission (AE) sensor, commonly used in industry, was used as a baseline. The results obtained by the PZT diaphragm were similar to the results obtained using the AE sensor. The time–frequency analysis allowed to identify irregularities throughout the monitored process. Full article
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24 pages, 9627 KiB  
Article
Performance Evaluation and Interference Characterization of Wireless Sensor Networks for Complex High-Node Density Scenarios
by Mikel Celaya-Echarri, Leyre Azpilicueta, Peio López-Iturri, Erik Aguirre and Francisco Falcone
Sensors 2019, 19(16), 3516; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19163516 - 11 Aug 2019
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2831
Abstract
The uncontainable future development of smart regions, as a set of smart cities’ networks assembled, is directly associated with a growing demand of full interactive and connected ubiquitous smart environments. To achieve this global connection goal, large numbers of transceivers and multiple wireless [...] Read more.
The uncontainable future development of smart regions, as a set of smart cities’ networks assembled, is directly associated with a growing demand of full interactive and connected ubiquitous smart environments. To achieve this global connection goal, large numbers of transceivers and multiple wireless systems will be involved to provide user services and applications anytime and anyplace, regardless the devices, networks, or systems they use. Adequate, efficient and effective radio wave propagation tools, methodologies, and analyses in complex indoor and outdoor environments are crucially required to prevent communication limitations such as coverage, capacity, speed, or channel interferences due to high-node density or channel restrictions. In this work, radio wave propagation characterization in an urban indoor and outdoor wireless sensor network environment has been assessed, at ISM 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands. The selected scenario is an auditorium placed in an open free city area surrounded by inhomogeneous vegetation. User density within the scenario, in terms of inherent transceivers density, poses challenges in overall system operation, given by multiple node operation which increases overall interference levels. By means of an in-house developed 3D ray launching (3D-RL) algorithm with hybrid code operation, the impact of variable density wireless sensor network operation is presented, providing coverage/capacity estimations, interference estimation, device level performance and precise characterization of multipath propagation components in terms of received power levels and time domain characteristics. This analysis and the proposed simulation methodology, can lead in an adequate interference characterization extensible to a wide range of scenarios, considering conventional transceivers as well as wearables, which provide suitable information for the overall network performance in crowded indoor and outdoor complex heterogeneous environments. Full article
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24 pages, 8824 KiB  
Article
Enabling the Internet of Mobile Crowdsourcing Health Things: A Mobile Fog Computing, Blockchain and IoT Based Continuous Glucose Monitoring System for Diabetes Mellitus Research and Care
by Tiago M. Fernández-Caramés, Iván Froiz-Míguez, Oscar Blanco-Novoa and Paula Fraga-Lamas
Sensors 2019, 19(15), 3319; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19153319 - 28 Jul 2019
Cited by 91 | Viewed by 10571
Abstract
Diabetes patients suffer from abnormal blood glucose levels, which can cause diverse health disorders that affect their kidneys, heart and vision. Due to these conditions, diabetes patients have traditionally checked blood glucose levels through Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose (SMBG) techniques, like pricking their [...] Read more.
Diabetes patients suffer from abnormal blood glucose levels, which can cause diverse health disorders that affect their kidneys, heart and vision. Due to these conditions, diabetes patients have traditionally checked blood glucose levels through Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose (SMBG) techniques, like pricking their fingers multiple times per day. Such techniques involve a number of drawbacks that can be solved by using a device called Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM), which can measure blood glucose levels continuously throughout the day without having to prick the patient when carrying out every measurement. This article details the design and implementation of a system that enhances commercial CGMs by adding Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities to them that allow for monitoring patients remotely and, thus, warning them about potentially dangerous situations. The proposed system makes use of smartphones to collect blood glucose values from CGMs and then sends them either to a remote cloud or to distributed fog computing nodes. Moreover, in order to exchange reliable, trustworthy and cybersecure data with medical scientists, doctors and caretakers, the system includes the deployment of a decentralized storage system that receives, processes and stores the collected data. Furthermore, in order to motivate users to add new data to the system, an incentive system based on a digital cryptocurrency named GlucoCoin was devised. Such a system makes use of a blockchain that is able to execute smart contracts in order to automate CGM sensor purchases or to reward the users that contribute to the system by providing their own data. Thanks to all the previously mentioned technologies, the proposed system enables patient data crowdsourcing and the development of novel mobile health (mHealth) applications for diagnosing, monitoring, studying and taking public health actions that can help to advance in the control of the disease and raise global awareness on the increasing prevalence of diabetes. Full article
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30 pages, 28273 KiB  
Article
Design and Experimental Validation of a LoRaWAN Fog Computing Based Architecture for IoT Enabled Smart Campus Applications
by Paula Fraga-Lamas, Mikel Celaya-Echarri, Peio Lopez-Iturri, Luis Castedo, Leyre Azpilicueta, Erik Aguirre, Manuel Suárez-Albela, Francisco Falcone and Tiago M. Fernández-Caramés
Sensors 2019, 19(15), 3287; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19153287 - 26 Jul 2019
Cited by 54 | Viewed by 7202
Abstract
A smart campus is an intelligent infrastructure where smart sensors and actuators collaborate to collect information and interact with the machines, tools, and users of a university campus. As in a smart city, a smart campus represents a challenging scenario for Internet of [...] Read more.
A smart campus is an intelligent infrastructure where smart sensors and actuators collaborate to collect information and interact with the machines, tools, and users of a university campus. As in a smart city, a smart campus represents a challenging scenario for Internet of Things (IoT) networks, especially in terms of cost, coverage, availability, latency, power consumption, and scalability. The technologies employed so far to cope with such a scenario are not yet able to manage simultaneously all the previously mentioned demanding requirements. Nevertheless, recent paradigms such as fog computing, which extends cloud computing to the edge of a network, make possible low-latency and location-aware IoT applications. Moreover, technologies such as Low-Power Wide-Area Networks (LPWANs) have emerged as a promising solution to provide low-cost and low-power consumption connectivity to nodes spread throughout a wide area. Specifically, the Long-Range Wide-Area Network (LoRaWAN) standard is one of the most recent developments, receiving attention both from industry and academia. In this article, the use of a LoRaWAN fog computing-based architecture is proposed for providing connectivity to IoT nodes deployed in a campus of the University of A Coruña (UDC), Spain. To validate the proposed system, the smart campus has been recreated realistically through an in-house developed 3D Ray-Launching radio-planning simulator that is able to take into consideration even small details, such as traffic lights, vehicles, people, buildings, urban furniture, or vegetation. The developed tool can provide accurate radio propagation estimations within the smart campus scenario in terms of coverage, capacity, and energy efficiency of the network. The results obtained with the planning simulator can then be compared with empirical measurements to assess the operating conditions and the system accuracy. Specifically, this article presents experiments that show the accurate results obtained by the planning simulator in the largest scenario ever built for it (a campus that covers an area of 26,000 m 2 ), which are corroborated with empirical measurements. Then, how the tool can be used to design the deployment of LoRaWAN infrastructure for three smart campus outdoor applications is explained: a mobility pattern detection system, a smart irrigation solution, and a smart traffic-monitoring deployment. Consequently, the presented results provide guidelines to smart campus designers and developers, and for easing LoRaWAN network deployment and research in other smart campuses and large environments such as smart cities. Full article
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20 pages, 639 KiB  
Article
Effect of Imperfections Due to Material Heterogeneity on the Offset of Polysilicon MEMS Structures
by Aldo Ghisi and Stefano Mariani
Sensors 2019, 19(15), 3256; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19153256 - 24 Jul 2019
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2745
Abstract
Monte Carlo analyses on statistical volume elements allow quantifying the effect of polycrystalline morphology, in terms of grain topology and orientation, on the scattering of the elastic properties of polysilicon springs. The results are synthesized through statistical (lognormal) distributions depending on grain size [...] Read more.
Monte Carlo analyses on statistical volume elements allow quantifying the effect of polycrystalline morphology, in terms of grain topology and orientation, on the scattering of the elastic properties of polysilicon springs. The results are synthesized through statistical (lognormal) distributions depending on grain size and morphology: such statistical distributions are an accurate and manageable alternative to numerically-burdensome analyses. Together with this quantification of material property uncertainties, the effect of the scattering of the over-etch on the stiffness of the supporting springs can also be accounted for, by subdividing them into domains wherein statistical fluctuations are assumed not to exist. The effectiveness of the proposed stochastic approach is checked with the problem of the quantification of the offset from the designed configuration, due to the residual stresses, for a statically-indeterminate MEMS structure made of heterogeneous (polycrystalline) material. Full article
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25 pages, 11857 KiB  
Article
An Approach to Frequency Selectivity in an Urban Environment by Means of Multi-Path Acoustic Channel Analysis
by Pau Bergadà and Rosa Ma Alsina-Pagès
Sensors 2019, 19(12), 2793; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19122793 - 21 Jun 2019
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2918
Abstract
The improvement of quality of life in the framework of the smart city paradigm cannot be limited to a set of objective measures carried out over several critical parameters (e.g., noise or air pollution). Noise disturbances depend not only on the equivalent level [...] Read more.
The improvement of quality of life in the framework of the smart city paradigm cannot be limited to a set of objective measures carried out over several critical parameters (e.g., noise or air pollution). Noise disturbances depend not only on the equivalent level LAeq measured, but also on the spectral distribution of the sounds perceived by people. Propagation modelling to conduct auralization can be done either with geometrical acoustics or with wave-based methods, given the fact that urban environments are acoustically complex scenarios. In this work, we present a first analysis of the acoustic spectral distribution of street noise, based on the frequency selectivity of the urban outdoor channel and its corresponding coherence bandwidth. The analysis was conducted in the framework of the data collected in the Milan pilotWASN of the DYNAMAP LIFE project, with the use of three simulated acoustic impulse responses. The results show the clear influence of the evaluated coherence bandwidth of each of the simulated channels over real-life acoustic samples, which leads us to the conclusion that all raw acoustic samples have to be considered as wide-band. The results also depict a dependence of accumulated energy at the receiver with the coherence bandwidth of the channel. We conclude that, the higher the delay spread of the channel, the narrower the coherence bandwidth and the higher the distortion suffered by acoustic signals. Moreover, the accumulated energy of the received signal along the frequency axis tends to differ from the accumulated energy of the transmitted signal when facing narrow coherence bandwidth channels; whereas the accumulated energy along the time axis diverges from the accumulated transmitted energy when facing wide coherence bandwidth channels. Full article
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15 pages, 10497 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Machine Learning Algorithms for Surface Water Extraction in a Landsat 8 Scene of Nepal
by Tri Dev Acharya, Anoj Subedi and Dong Ha Lee
Sensors 2019, 19(12), 2769; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19122769 - 20 Jun 2019
Cited by 57 | Viewed by 6565
Abstract
With over 6000 rivers and 5358 lakes, surface water is one of the most important resources in Nepal. However, the quantity and quality of Nepal’s rivers and lakes are decreasing due to human activities and climate change. Despite the advancement of remote sensing [...] Read more.
With over 6000 rivers and 5358 lakes, surface water is one of the most important resources in Nepal. However, the quantity and quality of Nepal’s rivers and lakes are decreasing due to human activities and climate change. Despite the advancement of remote sensing technology and the availability of open access data and tools, the monitoring and surface water extraction works has not been carried out in Nepal. Single or multiple water index methods have been applied in the extraction of surface water with satisfactory results. Extending our previous study, the authors evaluated six different machine learning algorithms: Naive Bayes (NB), recursive partitioning and regression trees (RPART), neural networks (NNET), support vector machines (SVM), random forest (RF), and gradient boosted machines (GBM) to extract surface water in Nepal. With three secondary bands, slope, NDVI and NDWI, the algorithms were evaluated for performance with the addition of extra information. As a result, all the applied machine learning algorithms, except NB and RPART, showed good performance. RF showed overall accuracy (OA) and kappa coefficient (Kappa) of 1 for the all the multiband data with the reference dataset, followed by GBM, NNET, and SVM in metrics. The performances were better in the hilly regions and flat lands, but not well in the Himalayas with ice, snow and shadows, and the addition of slope and NDWI showed improvement in the results. Adding single secondary bands is better than adding multiple in most algorithms except NNET. From current and previous studies, it is recommended to separate any study area with and without snow or low and high elevation, then apply machine learning algorithms in original Landsat data or with the addition of slopes or NDWI for better performance. Full article
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21 pages, 4218 KiB  
Article
A WASN-Based Suburban Dataset for Anomalous Noise Event Detection on Dynamic Road-Traffic Noise Mapping
by Rosa Ma Alsina-Pagès, Ferran Orga, Francesc Alías and Joan Claudi Socoró
Sensors 2019, 19(11), 2480; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19112480 - 30 May 2019
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3849
Abstract
Traffic noise is presently considered one of the main pollutants in urban and suburban areas. Several recent technological advances have allowed a step forward in the dynamic computation of road-traffic noise levels by means of a Wireless Acoustic Sensor Network (WASN) through the [...] Read more.
Traffic noise is presently considered one of the main pollutants in urban and suburban areas. Several recent technological advances have allowed a step forward in the dynamic computation of road-traffic noise levels by means of a Wireless Acoustic Sensor Network (WASN) through the collection of measurements in real-operation environments. In the framework of the LIFE DYNAMAP project, two WASNs have been deployed in two pilot areas: one in the city of Milan, as an urban environment, and another around the city of Rome in a suburban location. For a correct evaluation of the noise level generated by road infrastructures, all Anomalous Noise Events (ANE) unrelated to regular road-traffic noise (e.g., sirens, horns, speech, etc.) should be removed before updating corresponding noise maps. This work presents the production and analysis of a real-operation environmental audio database collected through the 19-node WASN of a suburban area. A total of 156 h and 20 min of labeled audio data has been obtained differentiating among road-traffic noise and ANEs (classified in 16 subcategories). After delimiting their boundaries manually, the acoustic salience of the ANE samples is automatically computed as a contextual Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) together with its impact on the A-weighted equivalent level ( Δ L A e q ). The analysis of the real-operation WASN-based environmental database is evaluated with these metrics, and we conclude that the 19 locations of the network present substantial differences in the occurrences of the subcategories of ANE, with a clear predominance of the noise of sirens, trains, and thunder. Full article
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31 pages, 22092 KiB  
Article
Towards an Autonomous Industry 4.0 Warehouse: A UAV and Blockchain-Based System for Inventory and Traceability Applications in Big Data-Driven Supply Chain Management
by Tiago M. Fernández-Caramés, Oscar Blanco-Novoa, Iván Froiz-Míguez and Paula Fraga-Lamas
Sensors 2019, 19(10), 2394; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19102394 - 25 May 2019
Cited by 199 | Viewed by 21262
Abstract
Industry 4.0 has paved the way for a world where smart factories will automate and upgrade many processes through the use of some of the latest emerging technologies. One of such technologies is Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), which have evolved a great deal [...] Read more.
Industry 4.0 has paved the way for a world where smart factories will automate and upgrade many processes through the use of some of the latest emerging technologies. One of such technologies is Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), which have evolved a great deal in the last years in terms of technology (e.g., control units, sensors, UAV frames) and have significantly reduced their cost. UAVs can help industry in automatable and tedious tasks, like the ones performed on a regular basis for determining the inventory and for preserving item traceability. In such tasks, especially when it comes from untrusted third parties, it is essential to determine whether the collected information is valid or true. Likewise, ensuring data trustworthiness is a key issue in order to leverage Big Data analytics to supply chain efficiency and effectiveness. In such a case, blockchain, another Industry 4.0 technology that has become very popular in other fields like finance, has the potential to provide a higher level of transparency, security, trust and efficiency in the supply chain and enable the use of smart contracts. Thus, in this paper, we present the design and evaluation of a UAV-based system aimed at automating inventory tasks and keeping the traceability of industrial items attached to Radio-Frequency IDentification (RFID) tags. To confront current shortcomings, such a system is developed under a versatile, modular and scalable architecture aimed to reinforce cyber security and decentralization while fostering external audits and big data analytics. Therefore, the system uses a blockchain and a distributed ledger to store certain inventory data collected by UAVs, validate them, ensure their trustworthiness and make them available to the interested parties. In order to show the performance of the proposed system, different tests were performed in a real industrial warehouse, concluding that the system is able to obtain the inventory data really fast in comparison to traditional manual tasks, while being also able to estimate the position of the items when hovering over them thanks to their tag’s signal strength. In addition, the performance of the proposed blockchain-based architecture was evaluated in different scenarios. Full article
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13 pages, 5208 KiB  
Article
Acoustic Localization of Bragg Peak Proton Beams for Hadrontherapy Monitoring
by Jorge Otero, Ivan Felis, Miguel Ardid and Alicia Herrero
Sensors 2019, 19(9), 1971; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19091971 - 26 Apr 2019
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3477
Abstract
Hadrontherapy makes it possible to deliver high doses of energy to cancerous tumors by using the large energy deposition in the Bragg-peak. However, uncertainties in the patient positioning and/or in the anatomical parameters can cause distortions in the calculation of the dose distribution. [...] Read more.
Hadrontherapy makes it possible to deliver high doses of energy to cancerous tumors by using the large energy deposition in the Bragg-peak. However, uncertainties in the patient positioning and/or in the anatomical parameters can cause distortions in the calculation of the dose distribution. In order to maximize the effectiveness of heavy particle treatments, an accurate monitoring system of the deposited dose depending on the energy, beam time, and spot size is necessary. The localized deposition of this energy leads to the generation of a thermoacoustic pulse that can be detected using acoustic technologies. This article presents different experimental and simulation studies of the acoustic localization of thermoacoustic pulses captured with a set of sensors around the sample. In addition, numerical simulations have been done where thermo-acoustic pulses are emitted for the specific case of a proton beam of 100 MeV. Full article
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13 pages, 4529 KiB  
Article
An Application of Deep Learning to Tactile Data for Object Recognition under Visual Guidance
by Ghazal Rouhafzay and Ana-Maria Cretu
Sensors 2019, 19(7), 1534; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19071534 - 29 Mar 2019
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3434
Abstract
Drawing inspiration from haptic exploration of objects by humans, the current work proposes a novel framework for robotic tactile object recognition, where visual information in the form of a set of visually interesting points is employed to guide the process of tactile data [...] Read more.
Drawing inspiration from haptic exploration of objects by humans, the current work proposes a novel framework for robotic tactile object recognition, where visual information in the form of a set of visually interesting points is employed to guide the process of tactile data acquisition. Neuroscience research confirms the integration of cutaneous data as a response to surface changes sensed by humans with data from joints, muscles, and bones (kinesthetic cues) for object recognition. On the other hand, psychological studies demonstrate that humans tend to follow object contours to perceive their global shape, which leads to object recognition. In compliance with these findings, a series of contours are determined around a set of 24 virtual objects from which bimodal tactile data (kinesthetic and cutaneous) are obtained sequentially and by adaptively changing the size of the sensor surface according to the object geometry for each object. A virtual Force Sensing Resistor array (FSR) is employed to capture cutaneous cues. Two different methods for sequential data classification are then implemented using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and conventional classifiers, including support vector machines and k-nearest neighbors. In the case of conventional classifiers, we exploit contourlet transformation to extract features from tactile images. In the case of CNN, two networks are trained for cutaneous and kinesthetic data and a novel hybrid decision-making strategy is proposed for object recognition. The proposed framework is tested both for contours determined blindly (randomly determined contours of objects) and contours determined using a model of visual attention. Trained classifiers are tested on 4560 new sequential tactile data and the CNN trained over tactile data from object contours selected by the model of visual attention yields an accuracy of 98.97% which is the highest accuracy among other implemented approaches. Full article
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9 pages, 290 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Human Tear Fluid by Means of Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
by Carlo Camerlingo, Mikhail Lisitskiy, Maria Lepore, Marianna Portaccio, Daniela Montorio, Salvatore Del Prete and Gilda Cennamo
Sensors 2019, 19(5), 1177; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19051177 - 07 Mar 2019
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3256
Abstract
Tears are exceptionally rich sources of information on the health status of the eyes, as well as of whole body functionality, due to the presence of a large variety of salts and organic components whose concentration can be altered by pathologies, eye diseases [...] Read more.
Tears are exceptionally rich sources of information on the health status of the eyes, as well as of whole body functionality, due to the presence of a large variety of salts and organic components whose concentration can be altered by pathologies, eye diseases and/or inflammatory processes. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) provides a unique method for analyzing low concentrations of organic fluids such as tears. In this work, a home-made colloid of gold nanoparticles has been used for preparing glass substrates able to efficiently induce an SERS effect in fluid samples excited by a He–Ne laser ( λ = 633 nm). The method has been preliminary tested on Rhodamine 6G aqueous solutions at different concentrations, proving the possibility to sense substance concentrations as low as few μ M, i.e., of the order of the main tear organic components. A clear SERS response has been obtained for human tear samples, allowing an interesting insight into tear composition. In particular, aspartic acid and glutamic acid have been shown to be possible markers for two important human tear components, i.e., lactoferrin and lysozyme. Full article
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