Adaptronic structures and systems are engineered to adjust automatically to variable operating and environmental conditions, through the use of feedback control. The authors of this book have taken on the task of comprehensively describing the current state of the art in this highly modern and broadly interdisciplinary field. The book presents selected examples of applications, and goes on to demonstrate current development trends.
The Okavango Delta, a globally renowned wetland, is characterised by a mosaic of meandering watercourses, floodplains and islands, and is home to a variety of wildlife and vegetation species. It is a major source of livelihoods for the local communities and also an important attraction for tourism, the second most important economic activity in Botswana after diamonds, contributing 5% to the gross domestic product (GDP). As a globally renowned Ramsar Site and major tourist attraction, the Okavango Delta is a resource of national, regional and international importance. This book examines the results of empirical micro-level studies undertaken in the Okavango Delta and contributes to the formulation of relevant policies for sustainable development in the Okavango Delta.
This set compiles more than 240 chapters from the world's leading experts to provide a foundational body of research to drive further evolution and innovation of these next-generation technologies and their applications, of which scientific, technological, and commercial communities have only begun to scratch the surface.
This book is organized around the various sensing techniques used to achieve structural health monitoring. Its main focus is on sensors, signal and data reduction methods and inverse techniques, which enable the identification of the physical parameters, affected by the presence of the damage, on which a diagnostic is established. Structural Health Monitoring is not oriented by the type of applications or linked to special classes of problems, but rather presents broader families of techniques: vibration and modal analysis; optical fibre sensing; acousto-ultrasonics, using piezoelectric transducers; and electric and electromagnetic techniques. Each chapter has been written by specialists in the subject area who possess a broad range of practical experience. The book will be accessible to students and those new to the field, but the exhaustive overview of present research and development, as well as the numerous references provided, also make it required reading for experienced researchers and engineers.
This book presents an in-depth study on the recent advances in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). The authors describe the existing WSN applications and discuss the research efforts being undertaken in this field. Theoretical analysis and factors influencing protocol design are also highlighted. The authors explore state-of-the-art protocols for WSN protocol stack in transport, routing, data link, and physical layers. Moreover, the synchronization and localization problems in WSNs are investigated along with existing solutions. Furthermore, cross-layer solutions are described. Finally, developing areas of WSNs including sensor-actor networks, multimedia sensor networks, and WSN applications in underwater and underground environments are explored. The book is written in an accessible, textbook style, and includes problems and solutions to assist learning. Key Features: The ultimate guide to recent advances and research into WSNs Discusses the most important problems and issues that arise when programming and designing WSN systems Shows why the unique features of WSNs – self-organization, cooperation, correlation -- will enable new applications that will provide the end user with intelligence and a better understanding of the environment Provides an overview of the existing evaluation approaches for WSNs including physical testbeds and software simulation environments Includes examples and learning exercises with a solutions manual; supplemented by an accompanying website containing PPT-slides. Wireless Sensor Networks is an essential textbook for advanced students on courses in wireless communications, networking and computer science. It will also be of interest to researchers, system and chip designers, network planners, technical mangers and other professionals in these fields.
It is a general trend in computing that computers are becoming ever smaller and ever more interconnected. Sensor networks – large networks of small, simple devices – are a logical extreme of this trend. Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are attracting an increasing degree of research interest, with a growing number of industrial applications starting to emerge. Two of these applications, personal health monitoring and emergency/disaster recovery, are the focus of the European Commission project ProSense: Promote, Mobilize, Reinforce and Integrate Wireless Sensor Networking Research and Researchers. This hands-on introduction to WSN systems development presents a broad coverage of topics in the field, contributed by researchers involved in the ProSense project. An emphasis is placed on the practical knowledge required for the successful implementation of WSNs. Divided into four parts, the first part covers basic issues of sensors, software, and position-based routing protocols. Part two focuses on multidisciplinary issues, including sensor network integration, mobility aspects, georouting, medical applications, and vehicular sensor networks. The remaining two parts present case studies and further applications. Topics and features: presents a broad overview of WSN technology, including an introduction to sensor and sensing technologies; contains an extensive section on case studies, providing details of the development of a number of WSN applications; discusses frameworks for WSN systems integration, through which WSN technology will become fundamental to the Future Internet concept; investigates real-world applications of WSN systems in medical and vehicular sensor networks; with a Foreword by the Nobel Laurate Professor Martin Perl of Stanford University. Providing holistic coverage of WSN technology, this text/reference will enable graduate students of computer science, electrical engineering and telecommunications to master the specific domains of this emerging area. The book will also be a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners interested in entering the field.
Using MATLAB examples wherever possible, Multi-Sensor Data Fusion with MATLAB explores the three levels of multi-sensor data fusion (MSDF): kinematic-level fusion, including the theory of DF; fuzzy logic and decision fusion; and pixel- and feature-level image fusion. The authors elucidate DF strategies, algorithms, and performance evaluation mainly
This handbook brings together a variety of approaches to the uses of big data in multiple fields, primarily science, medicine, and business. This single resource features contributions from researchers around the world from a variety of fields, where they share their findings and experience. This book is intended to help spur further innovation in big data. The research is presented in a way that allows readers, regardless of their field of study, to learn from how applications have proven successful and how similar applications could be used in their own field. Contributions stem from researchers in fields such as physics, biology, energy, healthcare, and business. The contributors also discuss important topics such as fraud detection, privacy implications, legal perspectives, and ethical handling of big data.
