Sistemas y Telemática [SyT] (ISSN 1692-5238) is a scientific periodical publication quarterly edited by the Engineering Faculty of Universidad Icesi. SyT publishes full text in both, English and Spanish. Its mission is to contribute to the diffusion of innovation and knowledge through the publication of high-quality unpublished articles related to research activities in systems engineering –in its widest sense–, informatics, telematics, computing and other related sciences. Its target audience includes current and future engineers dedicated to researching, teaching or working for the "real" sector. S y T is part of the Open Access Initiative [OAI], its content can be used under CC BY license.
Facultad de Ingeniería - Universidad Icesi
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Multispectral aerial image processing system for precision agriculture
Cuban agriculture has the growing need to increase its productivity. To achieve this, precision agriculture can play a fundamental role. It is necessary to develop an image processing system able to process all the crops information and calculate vegetation indexes in a satisfactory way. This will entail in accurate measurements of the nitrogen lack, the hydric stress, and the vegetal strength, among other aspects, seeking to improve the accuracy in the care of these aspects. This document reports the results of an investigation pointed to develop a procedure for capturing and processing multispectral aerial images obtained from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles [UAV]. This procedure searched to measure the vegetation indexes of sugarcane crops that may be correlated with the level of vegetal strength, the number of stems, and the foliar mass per lot. We used a USENSE-X8 UAV together with a Sequoia multispectral sensor and the QGIS processing software. The procedure was experimentally validated.
Near infrared; precision agriculture; Sequoia: unmanned aerial vehicle; vegetation index.
Towards an automatic detection system of sports talents: an approach to Tae Kwon Do
Tae Kwon Do is a Korean martial art included as an Olympic sport, where several tools have been developed from the engineering point of view,mainly focused on improving the capacity of the athletes. Nevertheless, there is a breach in the selection process of high performance athletes. For this reason, this research was focused on developing a system based on the information of the classification for the athletes in the Tae Kwon Do Ecuadorian Federation by using the wrapper and embedded modes and the Decision Tree and Support Vector Machines machine learning algorithms. These algorithms and modes were used to assess the different factors considered in this classification. The main contribution of this work is to provide a support system for the selection of these athletes.
Tae Kwon Do; machine learning; wrapper; embedded; decision tree; support vector machine.
Token-Based Authentication Techniques on Open Source Cloud Platforms
Cloud computing is a service-oriented computational platform that allows on-demand resource provisioning for low-cost application deployment. However, security and privacy of the users is a major concern for the cloud service provider, particularly for applications handling users personal information (health record, GPS location) or performing financial transactions. Authentication is an important security measure for establishing accountability and authorization of the users, is often a prerequisite for accessing cloud-based services. In this paper, we mainly focus on the token-based authentication techniques, supported by popular open source cloud platforms [OSCPs], like Cloudstack, OpenStack, Eucalyptus and OpenNebula. In general, most OSCPs support the basic text-based user authentication. Other techniques, such as biometrics, gesture and image, can also be implemented on OSCPs. However, in this paper, we choose to discuss the token-based authentication, as it allows users to gain access to multiple cloud services with a single sign-on (SSO). Moreover, token’s can be shared among multiple users for accessing cloud-based services.
Mobile cloud computing; open source cloud; authentication; accountability; confidentiality; integrity
Web Client and SCADA Applications for Monitoring the “Cayo Santa María” Isolated Electric System
In modern society, monitoring and control every industrial process are essentials requirements to achieve an adequate efficiency. This work is focused on the implementation of a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition [SCADA] system integrating the generating groups and the electric substation of the “Cayo Santa María” isolated electrics y stem located in Cuba. For its design, we employed the Eros development platform on its version 5.9 and we collected the field variables via the Modbus protocol and the OPC standard. We also defined the communicatons network between the technological targets at the physical level by configuring a report system with the most relevant measurements and we coded a web client to monitor the SCADA parameters from the cooperative network. The obtained solution entails to considerable economical savings by complaining the pre-established functional and operational requirements; furthermore, it provides a considerable flexibility towards future modifications.
Monitoring and treatment of chronic patients through uHealth: Keys to sustainability (efficiency) and quality of care
This paper proposes an integrated model of social-health resources management. The authors present the actual challenges for health care, in an environment characterized by longer life expectancy and an increase in the number of patients with chronic pathologies, in a scenario of both, economic and financial crises. Their presentation includes management and financial issues, and the technological trends –such as the development of personalized and regenerative medicine– which will lead to an increase in health spending. The task of facing these challenges, they explain, cannot be postponed, the goals should be to improve: the efficiency in the use of health resources, the quality of health care and the level of patient satisfaction. Finally, they present some concepts about the application of information and communications technologies in health, show its relationship with the chronic patient care and present both, the current management models for this type of patient and the new proposed model.
Elderly care; chronic patients management; ICT; uHealth; efficiency; health and social care.
Effects of blind channel equalization using the regressive accelerator algorithm version ɣ
We present a blind channel equalization scheme, applied to ɣ version regressive acceleration algorithm, which uses self-taught equalization techniques to study the characteristics of both, the second and the higher order moments for the transmitted signal, used to calculate the signal of error and thus, to make an optimal estimation of the transmitted symbols. This way, simulations of the obtained results are done in comparison with the algorithms based on the stochastic gradient and with the Bussgang algorithms. The results of that simulations show how, using the regressive acceleration algorithm version ɣ, a better detection of transmitted bits and higher convergence speeds are obtained, with a minimum mean square error.
Blind equalization; adaptive algorithms; convergence speed; data estimation.
Handover Algorithms in LTE Networks for Massive Means of Transport
Handover in LTE occurs when a device moves from the cell coverage serving it towards another; a process where the user established session must not be interrupted due to this cell change. Handovers in LTE are classified as hard ones, since the link with the serving cell is interrupted before establishing the new link with the target cell. This entails a larger failure risk and, consequently, a potential deterioration in the quality of service. This article presents a review of the handover algorithms in LTE, focusing on the ones oriented to massive means of transport. We show how the new algorithms offer a larger success in handovers, increasing the networkdata rate. This indicates that factors such as speed, position, and direction should be included in the algorithms to improve the handover in means of transport. We also present the algorithms focused on mobile relays such as an important study field for future research works.
Handover in LTE; massive means of transport; mobile femtocells; mobile relays.
Machine learning algorithms for inter-cell interference coordination
The current LTE and LTE-A deployments require larger efforts to achieve the radio resource management. This, due to the increase of users and the constantly growing demand of services. For this reason, the automatic optimization is a key point to avoid issues such as the inter-cell interference. This paper presents several proposals of machine-learning algorithms focused on this automatic optimization problem. The research works seek that the cellular systems achieve their self-optimization, a key concept within the self-organized networks, where the main objective is to achieve that the networks to be capable to automatically respond to the particular needs in the dynamic network traffic scenarios.
Machine learning; self-organization; ICIC; LTE.
Guidance scheme for paths without temporary restrictions using the Krick Felix model boat under the influence of sea currents
The autonomous surface vehicles are composed of a guidance, navigation, and control systems where the first one plays an important role in missions without human intervention. This article presents the design of a guidance system made of an I-LOS controller, where its purpose is to achieve the convergence and the precise following of straight paths, regardless of the sea currents presence. The controller gains adjustment is performed according to the vehicle features and the geometry of the path to follow. The proposed guidance algorithm is assessed through simulation, obtaining favorable results.
Autonomous surface vehicles; guiding; I-LOS controller.
LIES: Learning Immersive Experiences Significative
Virtual education is progressively replacing the classrooms, then having a face-to-face class is becoming a luxury. This paper proposes a way to take advantage of this opportunity for direct human exchange with technological support, but focusing the pedagogical activity on a living experience where the apprentice is the protagonist. Although pedagogical mediation requires a lot of preparatory work, has advantages: make simple its implementation and facilitate its replica by almost any individual who had received enough training. High-level educational experiences in many scenarios are enabled, joining the virtues of both: tangible and intangible worlds. A particular case, where a methodological structure based on the breathing –with its expansions and its contractions– as pedagogical process is proposed, and its educational components are explained
Copyright (c) 2018 Sistemas y Telemática
Presentation S&T Vol. 16 Ed. 46
Presentation of S&T V.14 I.45
Help button for elderly people on the Arduino platform
The design and implementation of a system capable of providing elderly people with a fast track to ask for help, remotely, to the person in charge of their care, using the cellular network is reported t. The main functionality is a help button, through which the person in charge of the elderly care will receive a text message when the elder presses the button. Recognizing the little connection between the people of this age group with cellular technology, defining the number to which the messages will be sent (and writing them) is not their task. The system has other features of great value, as a group of automatic alarms, also operating via SMS, generated by a group of sensors included in the system, which facilitates remote decision making from caregivers.
Elderly care; help button; Arduino; sensors.
Implementation of an OBD-II diagnostics tool over CAN-BUS with Arduino
Since its beginnings, the goal of On Board Diagnostics [OBD] standard has been to take control over gasses emission in automotives and its effects in the environment. This project implements a system based on OBD-II diagnostic protocol over a CAN bus, which allows both, displaying real time variables and diagnostic the vehicle status to get codes about its functioning, failures and energy efficiency. On board diagnostic systems allow to obtain failure codes stored and several relevant variables as: speed, gas level and CO2 emission levels, in real time. An OBD-II system centered at the end of the bus, corresponding to the scanner or diagnostic unit, was implemented on an Arduino Mega 2560 board connected to a CAN transceiver-controller composite module. The scanner has a USB connection that makes it easy to view the data recovered in a versatile way on a PC through a graphical interface created in LabVIEW ™.
Towards smarter cities taking advantage of the Fog Computing paradigm
The fog computing term has achieved importance in the last years due to its effect in the latency reduction that the Internet of Things [IoT] applications have. These applications demand real-time (or nearly real-time) responses and they are characterized by low bandwidth consumption; hence, the fog computing is relevant in achieving these requests because part of the processing is done near the end user devices. For this reason, the cloud computing paradigm is not enough for some applications, since nowadays, the instant need of data and the decision-making process leverage –or somehow discover– a new horizon that demands a complementary variable. This article consists on an approach to the fog computing term, together with the requirements analysis for engineering solutions in the IoT field. Also, its impact in the smart cities and other fields plus its main challenges are addressed. We also present a guideline to implement a recommendation system for sightseeing places for tourists based in fog computing embraced in a large smart city project located in Havana.
Fog computing; cloud computing; smartcities.
Pulse oximeter with Internet data visualization
In this work, we describe the design and construction of a pulse oximeter for remote patient monitoring. The proposed device uses the ESP8266 microcontroller as the core component to establish the wireless connection and send information to a node.js server. Then, a web service shows the saturation of oxygen and the heart rate through a WebSocket connection. This paper describes the hardware and software designs, justifying the decision to select each component of the proposed device. Finally, some experimental results are shown to illustrate the performance of the developed prototype.
Pulse; oximeter; WebSoket; node.js; microcontroller; ESP8266.
Free software for digitalization and management of electronic documents at official entities
Taking into account the current regulations in Colombia about document management and best practices, a technological solution for digitization and document management in public sector entities was designed, following the Research Applied method. The solution includes the integration of two Web systems focused on free software. The first one, called FuidXel, is a development in PHP language, original of the present project, that includes a tool next to the client for digitization, and a Web application, next to the server, for the conformation of the document, that consists on libraries of tools for the treatment of images and PDF files. The second system is an enterprise content manager for managing electronic documents, called Alfresco. FuidXel integrates with Alfresco through CMIS protocol for the sending of PDF documents, made up of the product images of the digitization and management, information and traceability metadata.
Platform for processing medical ultrasound obstetric images enabled in the cloud
Fetal monitoring using noninvasive imaging has been developing over the last thirty years. These studies enable future problems to be detected and prevented. This paper presents a software that uses ultrasound imaging to detect the nuchal translucency area. This area is important for the detection of trisomy 21 or Down syndrome. For this, the software implements techniques of morphological operations and the Watershed transformation. Additionally, a web platform that allows remote access to the software was developed. Finally, the detection of the area is demonstrated using the Watershed transformation.
Pervasive NFC-based solution for the analysis of tourism data in an environment of smart cities
Detailed recording and analysis of visitor paths and individual mouse movements in real time of tens-of-thousands of visitors is one of the most important areas of tourism research, and to observe tourist movements a variety of techniques are available. New tracking techniques are explored and due to the advance of technology we can have information at any time and from anywhere (pervasive computing). This has been used to record movement information of tourists with high resolution. In these environments (tags environments) where the user interacts with the environment, an emerging technology called NFC (Near Field Communication) is providing a natural means of interaction between the users and their environment. This paper shows the implementation of an NFC-based pervasive solution that allows tourist tracking data to be obtained in real time; it is simplified and analyzed with the Markov chains method by experimental and statistical testing. It is also demonstrated that the movement of a tourist is influenced by the state or tourist site where he or she is to move to another, corroborating the hypothesis "that if you can capture the information left by tourists through technological tools, thanks to the processing of such information you can obtain a trace that is a sample of the activity which, through its display, allows decisions that promote tourism as part of the regional and national economy".
Mechanic simulator fluids for clean-up operations and phases separation in vertical and horizontal wells with coiled tubing technology
This Project look for the processes simulation that take place in the oil Wells that operate the coiled tubing technique, so its workers, Company personal and anyone that wants to look these processes, can prove that consist in their cleaning methods and phase separation in these Wells, and at the same time, in what way the substances that in and out of well are controlled, show their physical features and allow that a person, without previous knowledge about the topic, may understand easily what is it injection fluid purpose by means of the C. T. in oil Wells.
Android mobile application for monitoring and recording human nutritional status implemented in a free hardware platform
This work consists of the real-time measurement of anthropometric variables, such as weight, by means of a digital scale, and height, by means of an ultrasonic sensor HC-SR04; these data are read by an Arduino Nano card and sent through an HC-05 Bluetooth module to the Android mobile operating system, which has an application where the values are processed. The mobile application uses the received variables and other data that the user enters, calculates the BMI (body mass index), the ideal weight, and, according to the result, creates a personal record of weight and nutritional status to be stored in a database each time the user chooses a new control. In addition, the data accumulated over time can be viewed in a web page that contains dynamic graphs of the evolution of the user’s body weight and baseline nutritional status. This project helps to create awareness among the population about the risks to health of being overweight, obese or lean.
Support tool for verifying the compliance of standards and regulations in implementations of strategies for information security
Organizations are increasingly concerned about ensuring the security of their information. In addition, government regulations and the market itself are demanding compliance with appropriate levels to remain in operation. This article presents a support tool to the process of gap analysis on the current state of the company and the specifications of the most recognized referents in the Colombian scope in the subject of information security. The tool allows for the evaluation of an organization’s level of compliance with regard to the ISO 27001 and ISO 27002 standards in their 2013 versions and Notices 038 and 042 of the financial regulatory authority of Colombia (Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia). The tool conceives a data model that incorporates the results of a comparative analysis between the ISO 27001:2013 and ISO 27002:2013 standards and the Notices 038 and 042, and allows the inclusion of new referents and relates them to the existing ones. Several evaluation scenarios were created to validate the functional completeness and precision of the implemented prototype.
Water quality warnings based on cluster analysis in Colombian river basins
Fresh water is considered one of the most important renewable natural resources in the world. Among all the countries, Colombia is one of the places with the highest water supply, and has five watersheds: the Caribbean, Orinoco, Amazon, Pacific and Catatumbo. It is therefore vital to study and evaluate the water quality of the rivers and/or lotic systems. In recent studies, some scientists made use of biological indices to calculate water quality, while others detected water quality through machine learning techniques. However, these studies do not allow users to easily interpret the results. These investigations motivated us to propose a dataset for generating water quality alerts in Piedras river basin based on the analysis of the K-Means clustering algorithm and C.4.5 classification technique.
Development of a multispectral system for precision agriculture applications using embedded devices
This document shows advances in the development of prototypes to acquire remote sensing information in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for applications in precision agriculture. We present the development of two prototypes consisting of multispectral cameras for the blue, green, red, and near infrared bands using Tiva® C Series LaunchPad and Raspberry Pi development boards, which presented substantial differences in processing time and images storage. In this document, we describe the design and development of a multispectral information acquisition system to analyze vegetal coverage, initially in an African oil palm plantation. This system couples with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, allowing latitude and longitude maneuverability. This improves the data gathering efficiency in small plots, increasing the spatial and temporal resolution from a system controlled on the ground.
A review of the impact on XP methodology of business model inclusion in requirements elicitation
XP (eXtreme Programming) agile methodology uses the User Stories as a requirements elicitation strategy. The user stories are based on natural language, which may cause some misunderstanding and miscomprehension problems between software development team and stakeholders. The paper proposes the inclusion of Business Process Models (BPN) in the XP methodology as an alternative to user stories, seeking to improve the quality and quantity of the information collected. The proposal was evaluated using user stories vs. BPN in 11 projects during all phases proposed by XP. Both strategies –and their effectiveness– were analyzed through software metrics, in order to demonstrate the improvement in the development process. By applying software metrics, it was shown that the use of BPN: improves communication between analysts and others involved, increase approval rate of customer requirements, shortens delivery requirement, fewer changes are made in each iteration and a lower percentage of defects are found by the stakeholder, regarding the use of user stories.