Now showing 1 - 10 of 40
  • Publication
    Intelligent agile agents: active enablers for ambient intellgence
    This paper advocates the use of mobile intentional agents as a key enabler in the delivery of ambient intelligence. Ambient computing as an ideal demands levels of functional attainment that have hithertofar not been realised. Ambient applications demand that the computing application be subsumed into the everyday context in an unobtrusive manner with interaction modalities such that they are natural, simple and appropriate to both the individual user and their associated context.
      148
  • Publication
    Diversity & interoperability : wireless technologies in ambient assisted living
    Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) demands the seamless integration of a range of technologies such that the particular needs of the elderly may be met. Given the heterogeneity of the elderly population, in their needs and circumstances amongst others, this is a significant challenge. In essence, it demands that a disparate suite of technologies be deployed, integrated, managed and interacted with in a seamless and intuitive fashion. In this paper, how this heterogeneity may be managed is discussed. In particular, the use of ontologies and middleware are proposed as potential solutions to this heterogeneity problem.
      645
  • Publication
    MERLIN: A synergetic integration of MAC and Routing Protocol for Distributed Sensor Networks
    Notoriously, energy-efficient MAC protocols cause high latency of packets. Such delays may well increase when a routing protocol is applied. Therefore, quantifying the endto- end delay and energy consumption when low duty cycle MAC and routing protocols are jointly used, is of particular interest. In this paper, we present a comprehensive evaluation of the MERLIN (MAC and Efficient Routing integrated with support for localization) protocol. MERLIN integrates MAC and routing features into a single architecture. In contrast to many sensor network protocols, it employs a multicast upstream and multicast downstream approach to relaying packets to and from the gateway. Simultaneous reception and transmission errors are notified by using asynchronous burst ACK and negative burst ACK. A division of the network into timezones, together with an appropriate scheduling policy, enables the routing of packets to the closest gateway. An evaluation of MERLIN has been conducted through simulation, against both the SMAC and the ESR routing protocols,which is an improved version of the DSR algorithm. The results illustrate how both SMAC and ESR, jointly used in low duty cycle scenarios, can cause an impractical and very high end-to-end delays. MERLIN, as an integrated approach, notably reduces the latency, resulting in nodes that can operate in a very low duty cycle. Consequently, an extension of the operative lifetime of the sensor network is achieved.
    Scopus© Citations 12  492
  • Publication
    The cyber sensor network
    Access to information has never been easier thanks to the WWW; though not as well developed, sensor web technologies are, nonetheless, increasingly making data concerning a wide range of physical phenomena available to all. Potential opportunities for research in many application domains abound. Translating this potential into meaningful research is problematic as information sources, including but not limited to those on the WWW, are characterized by diversity and heterogeneity in a multiplicity of dimensions, resulting in an unwieldy and complex data capture process. To address this problem, the concept of a Cyber Sensor Network is proposed as a construct for providing a domain-Agnostic interface to diverse cyber and physical information sources. A methodology to implement such a network is described.
    Scopus© Citations 1  364
  • Publication
    OutCare : supporting dementia patients in outdoor scenarios.
    Ambient Intelligence (AmI) is a profound vision of computing power that is invisibly embedded into the fabric of everyday life. It is accessible through intelligent interfaces which are so natural that they can be used unconsciously. The increasing maturity, performance and miniaturization of processors, networking technologies and wireless sensor networks enable a move towards pervasive computing, ubiquitous connectivity and adaptive software. The Intelligent Agent paradigm has proven itself to be a promising branch of Artificial Intelligence (AI), complementing the pervasive trend of network engineering. One of the possible usages of AmI is Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) which attempts to utilize appropriate technologies to support citizens in living in their preferred environment independently, for a longer period of time than may otherwise be the case. This paper proposes an AAL solution for Alzheimer’s patients based on the intelligent agent platform, exploring the practical delivery of intelligent environments that are sensitive and responsive to the patients, supporting them in performing daily activities and tasks in a natural, unobtrusive way.
    Scopus© Citations 15  1780
  • Publication
    PI : perceiver and interpreter of smart home datasets
    Pervasive healthcare systems facilitate various aspects of research including sensor technology, software technology, artificial intelligence and human-computer interaction. Researchers can often benefit from access to real-world data sets against which to evaluate new approaches and algorithms. Whilst more than a dozen data sets are currently publicly available, their use of heterogeneous mark-up impedes easy and widespread use. We describe PI – the Perceiver and semantic Interpreter – which offers a workbench API for the querying, re-structuring and re-purposing of a range of diverse data formats currently in use. The use of a single API reduces cognitive overload, improves access, and supports integration of generic and domain-specific information within a common framework.
      748
  • Publication
    Timing and radius considerations for maintaining connectivity QoS
    Given the potential scale on which a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) can be deployed, multi-hop communication will be a pivotal component of the system. When redundant nodes are deployed, which are hibernated opportunistically to conserve energy, it is crucial that sub-graphs of the network are not disconnected by the hibernation of a node. In order to ensure connectivity is preserved for all nodes in the area, a protocol is required that oversees routing integrity is maintained. Since this routing topology must be present at all times, this set represents the minimum number of nodes that must be active at any given time for a functioning network. In this paper, the performance of such a protocol is evaluated, in terms of message delivery and node lifetime for various timing and radius parameters. The selection of these, control the potential energy conserved by the nodes through the hibernation process, which can increase operational longevity. In addition, the radius governs the networks resilience to expired nodes, while timing parameters manage the responsiveness of the topology to failed and exhausted sensors. In this paper, we demonstrate the trade-offs that exist when selecting specific values for these variables as well as the impact these have on a number of Quality of Service (QoS) metrics for WSN performance, namely longevity and message delivery.
      525
  • Publication
    Realising an Agent-oriented middleware for Heterogeneous Sensor Networks
    Classic computing systems are characterised by heterogeneity, with its inherent advantages and disadvantages. This raises a number of difficulties for software engineers. The vision offered by a mix-and-match approach is an attractive one, though its practical realisation comes at a cost, as the process of integration is rarely smooth. This scenario will be repeated as Wireless Sensor Networks are increasingly incorporated into mainstream computing. One potential paradigm for managing this heterogeneity is that of intelligent agents. This paper considers the viability and potential of lightweight agents as a paradigm for harnessing the potential of heterogeneous wireless sensor networks.
    Scopus© Citations 3  1132
  • Publication
    Agent-based coordination for the sensor web
    The approach described advocates the use of a multi-agent system, and specifically the use of multi-agent distributed constraint optimisation algorithms. Developing software for low powered sensing devices introduces several problems to be addressed; the most obvious being the limited computational resources available. In this paper we discuss an implementation of ADOPT, a pre-existing algorithm for distributed constraint optimisation, and describe how it has been integrated with a reflective agent platform developed for resource constrained devices, namely Agent Factory Micro Edition (AFME). The usefulness of this work is illustrated through the canonical multi-agent coordination problem, namely graph colouring.
      16038Scopus© Citations 2
  • Publication
    FreeGaming : mobile, collaborative, adaptive and augmented ExerGaming
    Addressing the obesity epidemic that plagues many societies remains an outstanding public health issue. One innovative approach to addressing this problem is Exergaming. A combination of "Exercise" and "Gaming", the objective is to motivate people participate in exercise regimes, usually in their home environment. In this paper a more holistic interpretation of this exercise paradigm is proposed. Freegaming augments Exergaming in a number of key dimensions but especially through the promotion of games in outdoor mobile contexts and within a social environment. The design and implementation of a platform for Freegaming is described and illustrated through the description of a sample game.
      1669Scopus© Citations 15