Open Access
Design and experimental validation of an augmented reality system with wireless integration for context aware enhanced show experience in auditoriums
(IEEE, 2021) Picallo Guembe, Imanol; Vidal Balea, A.; Blanco Novoa, Óscar; López Iturri, Peio; Fraga Lamas, Paula; Azpilicueta Fernández de las Heras, Leyre; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Fernández Caramés, Tiago M.; Klaina, Hicham; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación
The development of multiple cultural and social related activities, such as shows related with the performing arts, conferences or presentations rely on facilities such as auditoriums, theatres and conference sites, which are progressively including multiple technological features in order to enhance user experience. There are still however situations in which user experience is limited owing to lack of environment adaption, such as people with disabilities. In this sense, the adoption of Context Aware paradigms within auditoriums can provide adequate functionalities in order to comply with specific needs. This work is aimed at demonstrating the feasibility in enhancing user experience (e.g., improving the autonomy of disabled people) within auditorium and theatre environments, by means of an Augmented Reality (AR) device (HoloLens smart glasses) with wireless system integration. To carry out the demonstration, different elements to build AR applications are described and tested. First, an intensive measurement campaign was performed in a real auditorium in the city of Pamplona (Baluarte Congress Center) in order to evaluate the feasibility of using Wi-Fi enabled AR devices in a complex wireless propagation scenario. The results show that these environments exhibit high levels of interference, owing to the co-existence and non-coordinated operation of multiple wireless communication systems, such as on site and temporary Wi-Fi access points, wireless microphones or communications systems used by performers, staff and users. Deterministic wireless channel estimation based in volumetric 3D Ray Launching have been obtained for the complete scenario volume, in order to assess quality of service metrics. For illustration purposes, a user-friendly application to help hearing impaired people was developed and its main features were tested in the auditorium. Such an application provides users with a 3D virtual space to visualize useful multimedia content like subtitles or additional information about the show, as well as an integrated call button. © 2013 IEEE.
Open Access
Performance analysis of IEEE 802.15.4 compliant wireless devices for heterogeneous indoor home automation environments
(Hindawi, 2012) Nazábal Urriza, Juan Antonio; López Iturri, Peio; Azpilicueta Fernández de las Heras, Leyre; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Fernández Valdivielso, Carlos; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua
The influence of topology as well as morphology of complex indoor scenarios in the deployment of wireless sensor networks and wireless systems applied to home and building automation systems is analyzed. The existence of loss mechanisms such as material absorption (walls, furniture, etc.) and strong multipath components as well as the increase in the number of wireless sensors within indoor scenarios increases the relevance in the configuration of the heterogeneous wireless systems. Simulation results by means of empirical-based models are compared with an in-house 3D ray launching code as well as measurement results from wireless sensor networks illustrate the strong influence of the indoor scenario in the overall performance. The use of adequate radioplanning strategies lead to optimal wireless network deployments in terms of capacity, quality of service, and reduced power consumption.
Open Access
Analysis and implementation of wireless communications systems and IoT with human body interference in inhomogeneous environments
(2021) Picallo Guembe, Imanol; Klaina, Hicham; Azpilicueta Fernández de las Heras, Leyre; López Iturri, Peio; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren
The Integration of wireless communication systems is one of the main drivers of the development of the future connected society. However, this will cause challenges due to the non-static channel effect and interference impact. For this reason, a research work is proposed that enables to obtain optimal node location in relation to radio planning tasks (coverage/capacity analysis, number of lost packets, devices’ consumption...), as well as to characterize the environments considering obstacles and human body being, in terms of the received power level in the complete simulation volume and at the time domain level. This will help derive wireless channel models taking into account real channel variations to deploy a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) and reduce the impact on wireless systems performance.
Open Access
Analysis of radio wave propagation for ISM 2.4 GHz wireless sensor networks in inhomogeneous vegetation environments
(MDPI, 2014) Azpilicueta Fernández de las Heras, Leyre; López Iturri, Peio; Aguirre Gallego, Erik; Mateo Zozaya, Ignacio; Astrain Escola, José Javier; Villadangos Alonso, Jesús; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa; Ingeniería Matemática e Informática; Matematika eta Informatika Ingeniaritza
The use of wireless networks has experienced exponential growth due to the improvements in terms of battery life and low consumption of the devices. However, it is compulsory to conduct previous radio propagation analysis when deploying a wireless sensor network. These studies are necessary to perform an estimation of the range coverage, in order to optimize the distance between devices in an actual network deployment. In this work, the radio channel characterization for ISM 2.4 GHz Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) in an inhomogeneous vegetation environment has been analyzed. This analysis allows designing environment monitoring tools based on ZigBee and WiFi where WSN and smartphones cooperate, providing rich and customized monitoring information to users in a friendly manner. The impact of topology as well as morphology of the environment is assessed by means of an in-house developed 3D Ray Launching code, to emulate the realistic operation in the framework of the scenario. Experimental results gathered from a measurement campaign conducted by deploying a ZigBee Wireless Sensor Network, are analyzed and compared with simulations in this paper. The scenario where this network is intended to operate is a combination of buildings and diverse vegetation species. To gain insight in the effects of radio propagation, a simplified vegetation model has been developed, considering the material parameters and simplified geometry embedded in the simulation scenario. An initial location-based application has been implemented in a real scenario, to test the functionality within a context aware scenario. The use of deterministic tools can aid to know the impact of the topological influence in the deployment of the optimal Wireless Sensor Network in terms of capacity, coverage and energy consumption, making the use of these systems attractive for multiple applications in inhomogeneous vegetation environments.
Open Access
A hybrid ray launching-diffusion equation approach for propagation prediction in complex indoor environments
(IEEE, 2017) Azpilicueta Fernández de las Heras, Leyre; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Janaswamy, Ramakrishna; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa
A novel and efficient deterministic approach to model radio wave propagation channels in complex indoor environments improving prediction accuracy is proposed. This technique combines a 3-D Ray Launching algorithm based on Geometrical Optics with a Diffusion Equation method based on the equation of transfer. A comparison between the Geometrical Optics only approach and the new method considering the Diffusion Equation has been presented for studying indoor radio wave propagation. The Geometrical Optics-Diffusion Equation method achieves better agreement with measurements, while resulting in high computational efficiency, with approximately 40% savings in simulation time.
Open Access
Building decentralized fog computing-based smart parking systems: from deterministic propagation modeling to practical deployment
(IEEE, 2020) Celaya Echarri, Mikel; Froiz Míguez, Iván; Azpilicueta Fernández de las Heras, Leyre; López Iturri, Peio; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación
The traditional process of finding a vacant parking slot is often inefficient: it increases driving time, traffic congestion, fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. To address such problems, smart parking systems have been proposed to help drivers to find available parking slots faster using latest sensing and communications technologies. However, the deployment of the communications infrastructure of a smart parking is not straightforward due to multiple factors that may affect wireless propagation. Moreover, a smart parking system needs to provide not only accurate information on available spots, but also fast responses while guaranteeing the system availability even in the case of lacking connectivity. This article describes the development of a decentralized low-latency smart parking system: from its conception, design and theoretical simulation, to its empirical validation. Thus, this work first characterizes a real-world scenario and proposes a fog computing and Internet of Things (IoT) based communications architecture to provide smart parking services. Next, a thorough analysis on the wireless channel properties is carried out by means of an in-house developed deterministic 3D-Ray Launching (3D-RL) tool. The obtained results are validated through a real-world measurement campaign and then the communications architecture is implemented by using ZigBee sensor nodes. The implemented architecture also makes use of Bluetooth Low Energy beacons, an Android app, a decentralized database and fog computing gateways, whose performance is evaluated in terms of response latency and processing rate. Results show that the proposed system is able to deliver information to the drivers fast, with no need for relying on remote servers. As a consequence, the presented development methodology and communications evaluation tool can be useful for future smart parking developers, which can determine the optimal locations of the wireless transceivers during the simulation stage and then deploy a system that can provide fast responses and decentralized services.
Open Access
Enhanced wireless channel estimation through parametric optimization of hybrid ray launching-collaborative filtering technique
(IEEE, 2020) Casino, Fran; López Iturri, Peio; Aguirre Gallego, Erik; Azpilicueta Fernández de las Heras, Leyre; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Solanas, Agustí; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación
In this paper, an enhancement of a hybrid simulation technique based on combining collaborative filtering with deterministic 3D ray launching algorithm is proposed. Our approach implements a new methodology of data depuration from low definition simulations to reduce noisy simulation cells. This is achieved by processing the maximum number of permitted reflections, applying memory based collaborative filtering, using a nearest neighbors' approach. The depuration of the low definition ray launching simulation results consists on discarding the estimated values of the cells reached by a number of rays lower than a set value. Discarded cell values are considered noise due to the high error that they provide comparing them to high definition ray launching simulation results. Thus, applying the collaborative filtering technique both to empty and noisy cells, the overall accuracy of the proposed methodology is improved. Specifically, the size of the data collected from the scenarios was reduced by more than 40% after identifying and extracting noisy/erroneous values. In addition, despite the reduced amount of training samples, the new methodology provides an accuracy gain above 8% when applied to the real-world scenario under test, compared with the original approach. Therefore, the proposed methodology provides more precise results from a low definition dataset, increasing accuracy while exhibiting lower complexity in terms of computation and data storage. The enhanced hybrid method enables the analysis of larger complex scenarios with high transceiver density, providing coverage/capacity estimations in the design of heterogeneous IoT network applications.
Open Access
Basketball player on-body biophysical and environmental parameter monitoring based on wireless sensor network integration
(IEEE, 2021) Picallo Guembe, Imanol; López Iturri, Peio; Astrain Escola, José Javier; Aguirre Gallego, Erik; Azpilicueta Fernández de las Heras, Leyre; Celaya Echarri, Mikel; Villadangos Alonso, Jesús; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Matematika eta Informatika Ingeniaritza; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Matemática e Informática; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación
Sport activities have benefited in recent years from the progressive adoption of different technological assets in order to improve individual as well as group training, collect different statistics or enhance the spectator experiences. The progressive adoption of Internet of Things paradigms can also be considered within the scope of sport activities, providing high levels of user interactivity as well as enabling cloud-based data storage and processing. In this work, a system for monitoring biophysical, kinematic and environmental parameters within the development of basketball training is presented. A set of on-body nodes with multiple sensors and wireless body area network capabilities have been designed, implemented and tested under real training conditions during a match. Wireless channel analysis results have been obtained with the aid of in house implemented deterministic 3D ray launching algorithm, providing accurate coverage/capacity estimations in relation with human body consideration in the field as well as in the stadium. Measurement results give relevant information in relation with individual player characteristics as well as with team characteristics, providing a flexible tool to improve training development of basketball.
Open Access
Implementation and operational analysis of an interactive intensive care unit within a smart health context
(MDPI, 2018) López Iturri, Peio; Aguirre Gallego, Erik; Trigo Vilaseca, Jesús Daniel; Astrain Escola, José Javier; Azpilicueta Fernández de las Heras, Leyre; Serrano Arriezu, Luis Javier; Villadangos Alonso, Jesús; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa; Matematika eta Informatika Ingeniaritza; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniería Matemática e Informática
In the context of hospital management and operation, Intensive Care Units (ICU) are one of the most challenging in terms of time responsiveness and criticality, in which adequate resource management and signal processing play a key role in overall system performance. In this work, a context aware Intensive Care Unit is implemented and analyzed to provide scalable signal acquisition capabilities, as well as to provide tracking and access control. Wireless channel analysis is performed by means of hybrid optimized 3D Ray Launching deterministic simulation to assess potential interference impact as well as to provide required coverage/capacity thresholds for employed transceivers. Wireless system operation within the ICU scenario, considering conventional transceiver operation, is feasible in terms of quality of service for the complete scenario. Extensive measurements of overall interference levels have also been carried out, enabling subsequent adequate coverage/capacity estimations, for a set of Zigbee based nodes. Real system operation has been tested, with ad-hoc designed Zigbee wireless motes, employing lightweight communication protocols to minimize energy and bandwidth usage. An ICU information gathering application and software architecture for Visitor Access Control has been implemented, providing monitoring of the Boxes external doors and the identification of visitors via a RFID system. The results enable a solution to provide ICU access control and tracking capabilities previously not exploited, providing a step forward in the implementation of a Smart Health framework.
Open Access
Analysis of wireless sensor network topology and estimation of optimal network deployment by deterministic radio channel characterization
(MDPI, 2015) Aguirre Gallego, Erik; López Iturri, Peio; Azpilicueta Fernández de las Heras, Leyre; Astrain Escola, José Javier; Villadangos Alonso, Jesús; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniería Matemática e Informática; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa; Matematika eta Informatika Ingeniaritza
One of the main challenges in the implementation and design of context-aware scenarios is the adequate deployment strategy for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), mainly due to the strong dependence of the radiofrequency physical layer with the surrounding media, which can lead to non-optimal network designs. In this work, radioplanning analysis for WSN deployment is proposed by employing a deterministic 3D ray launching technique in order to provide insight into complex wireless channel behavior in context-aware indoor scenarios. The proposed radioplanning procedure is validated with a testbed implemented with a Mobile Ad Hoc Network WSN following a chain configuration, enabling the analysis and assessment of a rich variety of parameters, such as received signal level, signal quality and estimation of power consumption. The adoption of deterministic radio channel techniques allows the design and further deployment of WSNs in heterogeneous wireless scenarios with optimized behavior in terms of coverage, capacity, quality of service and energy consumption.