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
Integration of autonomous wireless sensor networks in academic school gardens
(MDPI, 2018) López Iturri, Peio; Celaya Echarri, Mikel; Azpilicueta Fernández de las Heras, Leyre; Aguirre Gallego, Erik; Astrain Escola, José Javier; Villadangos Alonso, Jesús; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
In this work, the combination of capabilities provided by Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) with parameter observation in a school garden is employed in order to provide an environment for school garden integration as a complementary educational activity in primary schools. Wireless transceivers with energy harvesting capabilities are employed in order to provide autonomous system operation, combined with an ad-hoc implemented application called MySchoolGardenApp, based on a modular software architecture. The system enables direct parameter observation, data analysis and processing capabilities, which can be employed by students in a cloud based platform. Providing remote data access allows the adaptation of content to specific classroom/homework needs. The proposed monitoring WSN has been deployed in an orchard located in the schoolyard of a primary school, which has been built with EnOcean's energy harvesting modules, providing an optimized node device as well network layout. For the assessment of the wireless link quality and the deployment of the modules, especially the central module which needs to receive directly the signals of all the sensor modules, simulation results obtained by an in-house developed 3D Ray Launching deterministic method have been used, providing coverage/capacity estimations applicable to the specific school environment case. Preliminary trials with MySchoolGardenApp have been performed, showing the feasibility of the proposed platform as an educational resource in schools, with application in specific natural science course content, development of technological skills and the extension of monitoring capabilities to new context-aware applications.
Open Access
A radio channel model for D2D communications blocked by single trees in forest environments
(MDPI, 2019) Picallo Guembe, Imanol; Klaina, Hicham; López Iturri, Peio; Aguirre Gallego, Erik; Celaya Echarri, Mikel; Azpilicueta Fernández de las Heras, Leyre; Eguizábal Garrido, Alejandro; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Alejos, Ana V.; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación
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.
Open Access
Performance evaluation and interference characterization of wireless sensor networks for complex high-node density scenarios
(MDPI, 2019) Celaya Echarri, Mikel; Azpilicueta Fernández de las Heras, Leyre; López Iturri, Peio; Aguirre Gallego, Erik; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación
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.
Open Access
Radio wave propagation and WSN deployment in complex utility tunnel environments
(MDPI, 2020) Celaya Echarri, Mikel; Azpilicueta Fernández de las Heras, Leyre; López Iturri, Peio; Picallo Guembe, Imanol; Aguirre Gallego, Erik; Astrain Escola, José Javier; Villadangos Alonso, Jesús; Falcone Lanas, Francisco; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Matematika eta Informatika Ingeniaritza; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Ingeniería Matemática e Informática
The significant growth of wireless communications systems in the last years has led to the adoption of a wide range of applications not only for the general public but, also, including utilities and administrative authorities. In this context, the notable expansion of new services for smart cities requires, in some specific cases, the construction of underground tunnels in order to enable the maintenance and operation works of utilities, as well as to reduce the visual impact within the city center. One of the main challenges is that, inherently, underground service tunnels lack coverage from exterior wireless communication systems, which can be potentially dangerous for maintenance personnel working within the tunnels. Accordingly, wireless coverage should be deployed within the underground installation in order to guarantee real-time connectivity for safety maintenance, remote surveillance or monitoring operations. In this work, wireless channel characterization for complex urban tunnel environments was analyzed based on the assessment of LoRaWAN and ZigBee technologies operating at 868 MHz. For that purpose, a real urban utility tunnel was modeled and simulated by means of an in-house three-dimensional ray-launching (3D-RL) code. The utility tunnel scenario is a complex and singular environment in terms of radio wave propagation due to the limited dimensions and metallic elements within it, such as service trays, user pathways or handrails, which were considered in the simulations. The simulated 3D-RL algorithm was calibrated and verified with experimental measurements, after which, the simulation and measurement results showed good agreement. Besides, a complete wireless sensor network (WSN) deployment within the tunnels was presented, providing remote cloud data access applications and services, allowing infrastructure security and safety work conditions. The obtained results provided an adequate radio planning approach for the deployment of wireless systems in complex urban utility scenarios, with optimal coverage and enhanced quality of service.