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- Technological modernization and innovation of traditional agri‐food companies based on ICT solutionsPublication . Gaspar, Pedro Dinis; Soares, Vasco N. G. J.; Caldeira, João; Andrade, Luís P.; Soares, Cláudia D.This paper assesses the potential for technological modernization and innovation based on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in traditional agri‐food companies located in the central region of Portugal. A survey was applied to 50 agri‐food companies of cereals, cheese, olive oil, dry sausages, honey, wine, and horticultural sectors. Results analysis show that companies use computers, have internet service, and use social networks for business purposes. However, most of it have no webpage, do not use internet for advertising/selling/buying products, and have not promoted collaborators’ ICT training. Companies expect webpages to improve their productivity and/or marketing products/services. Recommendations were provided to promote the use of ICT for business purposes. Webpages, Facebook pages, and CRM systems were developed to a limited set of companies. The results of the satisfaction survey of the ICT solution confirm the company sales increase due to the web visibility gained by the company products.
- iSensA - A System for Collecting and Integrating Sensor DataPublication . Caldeira, João; Soares, Vasco N. G. J.; Gaspar, Pedro Dinis; Rodrigues, Joel P. C.; Fontes, Ricardo; Silva, José Luís LopesThe idea of monitoring several types of parameters in various environments has been motivating significant research works in Internet of Things (IoT). This paper presents the design and construction of iSensA, a system for integrating and collecting information from sensors. The solution implements a multi-sensor monitoring system and then expands the monitoring concept to an IoT solution, by employing multi-network access, Web services, database and web and mobile applications for user interaction. iSensA system is highly configurable, enabling several monitoring solutions with different types of sensors. Experiments have been performed on real application scenarios to validate and evaluate our proposition.
- Communication tools with intra-body sensorsPublication . Caldeira, João Manuel Leitão Pires; Rodrigues, Joel José Puga CoelhoOver the years some medical studies have tried to better understand the internal behavior of human beings. Many researchers in this domain have been striving to find relationships between intra-vaginal temperature and certain female health conditions, such as ovulation and fertile period since woman’s intra-vaginal temperature is one of the body parameters most preferred in such studies. However, due to the lack of an appropriate technology, medical research devoted to studying correlations of such body parameters with certain woman’s body phenomena could not obtain improve on better results. The objective of this work falls in the creation of communication tools with intra-body sensors. These sensors must be able to collect intra-body parameters such as human core temperature. To reach this main objective the construction of a new intra-body sensor for acquisition and monitoring the intra-vaginal temperature is proposed. This novel intra-body sensor provides data collection that is used to studying the relation between temperature variations and female health conditions, such as anticipation and monitoring of the ovulation period, detection of pregnancy contractions, preterm labor prevention, etc. The novel sensor and his communication tools was tested and validated on hospitalized women as well as normal healthy women. Finally a medical team has attested to the accuracy, usability and performance of this novel intrabody sensor.
- An Eco-Energetic Performance Comparison of Dehumidification Systems in High-Moisture Indoor EnvironmentsPublication . Santos, Alexandre Fernandes; Gaspar, Pedro Dinis; Souza, Heraldo; Caldeira, João M. L. P.; Soares, Vasco N. G. J.This study discusses the choice of dehumidification systems for high-moisture indoor environments, such as indoor swimming pools, supported by an eco-energetic performance comparison. Initially, the causes of the high relative humidity and condensation in these spaces are reported, as well as the available dehumidification technologies. Two different solutions are described: desiccant wheel dehumidification and re-cooling. The energy demand required by a refrigeration system is lower than the desiccant wheel; however, the former system requires less maintenance and does not require refrigerant fluid. An eco-energetic comparison is performed between the two systems in two countries with different energy matrices (Brazil and USA). In Brazil, the desiccant wheel is the best choice for the past 10 years, with a predicted 351,520 kgCO2 of CO2 emissions, which is 38% lower than the refrigeration system. In the USA, the best option is the refrigeration system (1,463,350 kgCO2), a 12% more efficient option than desiccant wheels. This model can be considered for energy and CO2 emissions assessment, predicting which system has better energy efficiency and lower environmental impact, depending on the refrigerant type, location and environmental conditions.
- Bird Deterrent Solutions for Crop Protection: Approaches, Challenges, and OpportunitiesPublication . Micaelo, Eduardo; Lourenço, Leonardo G. P. S; Gaspar, Pedro Dinis; Caldeira, João M. L. P.; Soares, Vasco N. G. J.Weeds, pathogens, and animal pests are among the pests that pose a threat to the productivity of crops meant for human consumption. Bird-caused crop losses pose a serious and costly challenge for farmers. This work presents a survey on bird deterrent solutions for crop protection. It first introduces the related concepts. Then, it provides an extensive review and categorization of existing methods, techniques, and related studies. Further, their strengths and limitations are discussed. Based on this review, current gaps are identified, and strategies for future research are proposed.
- Performance assessment of mobility solutions for IPv6-based healthcare wireless sensor networksPublication . Caldeira, João Manuel Leitão Pires; Rodrigues, Joel José Puga Coelho; Lorenz, PascalThis thesis focuses on the study of mobile wireless sensor networks applied to healthcare scenarios. The promotion of better quality-of-life for hospitalized patients is addressed in this research work with a solution that can help these patients to keep their mobility (if possible). The solution proposed allows remote monitoring and control of patients’ health in real-time and without interruptions. Small sensor nodes able to collect and send wirelessly the health parameters allow for the control of the patients' health condition. A network infrastructure, composed by several access points, allows the connection of the sensor nodes (carried by the patients) to remote healthcare providers. To ensure continuous access to sensor nodes special attention should be dedicated to manage the transition of these sensor nodes between different access points’ coverage areas. The process of changing an access point attachment of a sensor node is called handover. In that context, this thesis proposes a new handover mechanism that can ensure continuous connection to mobile sensor nodes in a healthcare wireless sensor network. Due to the limitations of sensor nodes’ resources, namely available energy (these sensor nodes are typically powered by small batteries), the proposed mechanism pays a special attention in the optimization of energy consumption. To achieve this optimization, part of this work is dedicated to the construction of a small sensor node. The handover mechanism proposed in this work is called Hand4MAC (handover mechanism for MAC layer). This mechanism is compared with other mechanisms commonly used in handover management. The Hand4MAC mechanism is deployed and validated through by simulation and in a real testbed. The scenarios used for the validation reproduces a hospital ward. The performance evaluation is focused in the percentage of time that senor nodes are accessible to the network while traveling across several access points’ coverage areas and the energy expenditures in handover processes. The experiments performed take into account various parameters that are the following: number of sent messages, number of received messages, multicast message usage, energy consumption, number of sensor nodes present in the scenario, velocity of sensor nodes, and time-to-live value. In both simulation and real testbed, the Hand4MAC mechanism is shown to perform better than all the other handover mechanisms tested. In this comparison it was only considered the most promising handover mechanisms proposed in the literature.
- Wireless Sensor Networks for Building Robotic Paths - A Survey of Problems and RestrictionsPublication . Amaro, José P. A.; Caldeira, João; Soares, Vasco N. G. J.; Gaspar, Pedro DinisThe conjugation of small nodes with sensing, communication and processing capabilities allows for the creation of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). These networks can be deployed to measure a very wide range of environmental phenomena and send data from remote locations back to users. They offer new and exciting possibilities for applications and research. This paper presents the background of WSNs by firstly exploring the different fields applications, with examples for each of these fields, then the challenges faced by these networks in areas such as energy-efficiency, node localization, node deployment, limited storage and routing. It aims at explaining each issue and giving solutions that have been proposed in the research literature. Finally, the paper proposes a practical scenario of deploying a WSN by autonomous robot path construction. The requirements for such a scenario and the open issues that can be tackled by it are exposed, namely the issues of associated with measuring RSSI, the degree of autonomy of the robot and connectivity restoration.
- MobiSensA: Desenvolvimento de uma Aplicação Móvel para a Plataforma iSensAPublication . Silva, José; Fontes, Ricardo; Caldeira, João; Soares, Vasco N. G. J.; Gaspar, Pedro DinisiSensA é um sistema de aquisição de dados inteligentes e plataforma Web para a monitorização e análise de dados, em tempo real, de ambientes e dispositivos numa ampla gama de áreas. A plataforma Web permite a gestão centralizada de instalações, bem como a visualização dos dados em tempo real, análise de histórico e configuração de alarmes e relatórios periódicos. Contudo, para facilitar a monitorização das instalações e a notificação de eventos (anomalias e alertas), surgiu a necessidade de desenvolver uma aplicação móvel para Android, cujo processo de desenvolvimento se apresenta neste artigo.
- Radio-Frequency Identification Traceability System Implementation in the Packaging Section of an Industrial CompanyPublication . Gomes, Hermenegildo; Navio, Francisco; Gaspar, Pedro Dinis; Soares, Vasco N. G. J.; Caldeira, João M. L. P.In recent years, radio-frequency identification (RFID) has aroused significant interest from industry and academia. This demand comes from the technology’s evolution, marked by a reduction in size, cost, and enhanced efficiency, making it increasingly accessible for diverse applications. This manuscript presents a case study of the implementation of an RFID traceability system in the packaging section of an industrial company that produces test equipment for the automotive wiring industries. The study presents the proposal and execution of a prototype asset-tracking system utilising RFID technology, designed to be adaptable and beneficial for various industrial settings. The experiments were carried out within the company’s shop-floor environment, alongside the existing barcode system, with the primary objective of evaluating and comparing the proposed solution. The test results demonstrate a significant enhancement in production efficiency, with substantial optimization achieved. The time required for asset identification and tracking was significantly reduced, resulting in an average time of approximately 43.62 s and an approximate 3.627% improvement in the time required to read the test sample of assets when compared to the barcode system. This successful implementation highlights the potential of RFID technology in improving operations, reducing working time, and enhancing traceability within industrial production processes.
- Potential for technological modernisation and innovation based on ICT in agri-food companies of central region of PortugalPublication . Gaspar, Pedro Dinis; Soares, Vasco N. G. J.; Caldeira, João; Andrade, Luís P.; Domingues, CláudiaThis paper assesses the potential for technological modernisation and innovation based on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in agri-food companies located in the central region of Portugal. The survey was applied to 50 agri-food companies of Cereals, Cheese, Olive oil, Dry sausages, Honey, Wine, and Horticultural sectors. Survey results can be summarised as: The large majority of companies use computers and have Internet service. Most of companies don't have a webpage and neither use Internet for advertising campaigns, selling or buying products. Half of companies use social networks for business purposes. Most companies haven't promoted collaborators training in ICT in the last year. Companies claim that possessing a webpage and attending ICT training will be the technological solutions that will improve their productivity and/or marketing products and services. For each sector, recommendations and suggestions were provided in order to promote the use of ICT for business purposes.