The Network is The Sensor

网络就是传感器

• 批准号: RGPIN-2021-03423
• 负责人: Nikolaidis, Ioanis
• 金额: $ 1.75万
• 依托单位: University of Alberta
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=750514
• 关键词: Network; Sensor

The title "The Network is The Sensor" paraphrases the well-known "The Network is The Computer" that launched a paradigm shift to networked workstations as the basis for affordable computing. We pronounce that networking has now also become an integral part of the sensing infrastructure. Apart from transferring data, networking devices can report observations about the network itself to enrich end-user applications. The observations (which we will call "network sensing") can be collected from various layers of the protocol stack. As an example, network layer information, such as IP addresses, are already used for user location inference and targeted advertising. In other applications, overhearing nearby Bluetooth Low Energy transmissions/beacons is used for indoor localization based on collected physical layer Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) information. Recently developed contact-tracing applications exploit precisely this type of information. We will exploit this tremendous opportunity by finding novel ways to fuse network sensing with ordinary sensor data. For example, we have reported on one such novel application by fusing visual information and device addresses, such that each tracked individual's image is annotated with the device address(es) they have in their possession at any point in time. The application showcases not just the fusion of network and visual sensing, but also how learning and prediction algorithms can reap benefits from such data fusion. The proposed research program broadens sensing to include a systematic way of fusing network sensing with ordinary data sensing. We will start with a systematic survey of Internet-of-Things literature mapping it to the Joint Directors Lab (JDL) fusion model. We will then address issues of where network sensing provides the most benefit in the data-processing chain, and how we can support it on devices with limited resources. We accept that the limited resources, as well as other extrinsic factors, will result in varying quality and intermittent network sensing. We will develop new algorithms and techniques to address these issues as a combination of compression and data imputation. We will handle heterogeneity via a virtualization layer such that various network sensing sources are combined (possibly together with ordinary sensors as well) into "virtual sensors". We will combine the virtual sensor concept with metrics that allow us to identify when it is beneficial to combine multiple sensors into one virtual and when not. We will recognize the dynamics, e.g. movement, that could require the re-organization of the virtual sensors. Our overall evaluation strategy will be based on large-scale co-simulations, where existing domain-specific discrete event simulators cooperate via a synchronization of their main event loops. Finally, we will release the resulting (co-)simulation infrastructure as an open source project.

标题“网络是传感器”解释了众所周知的“网络是计算机”，启动了一个范式转移到网络工作站作为负担得起的计算的基础。我们宣布，网络现在也已成为传感基础设施的一个组成部分。除了传输数据外，网络设备还可以报告有关网络本身的观察结果，以丰富最终用户的应用程序。 这些观察（我们称之为“网络感知”）可以从协议栈的各个层收集。例如，网络层信息（如IP地址）已经用于用户位置推断和定向广告。在其他应用中，基于收集的物理层接收信号强度指示（RSSI）信息，偷听附近的蓝牙低能量传输/信标被用于室内定位。最近开发的联系人追踪应用程序正是利用了这类信息。我们将利用这一巨大的机会，找到新的方法来融合网络传感与普通传感器数据。例如，我们已经报道了一个这样的新颖应用，通过融合视觉信息和设备地址，使得每个被跟踪的个人的图像被注释有他们在任何时间点拥有的设备地址。该应用程序不仅展示了网络和视觉传感的融合，还展示了学习和预测算法如何从这种数据融合中获益。拟议的研究计划扩大了传感，包括融合网络传感与普通数据传感的系统方法。我们将从物联网文献的系统调查开始，将其映射到联合董事实验室（JDL）融合模型。然后，我们将解决网络传感在数据处理链中提供最大好处的问题，以及我们如何在资源有限的设备上支持它。我们接受有限的资源，以及其他外在因素，将导致不同的质量和间歇性的网络感测。我们将开发新的算法和技术来解决这些问题，作为压缩和数据填补的组合。我们将通过虚拟化层来处理异构性，从而将各种网络传感源（也可能与普通传感器一起）组合成“虚拟传感器”。我们将结合联合收割机的虚拟传感器的概念与指标，使我们能够确定何时是有益的联合收割机多个传感器合并成一个虚拟的，什么时候不是。我们将认识到动态，例如运动，这可能需要重新组织虚拟传感器。我们的整体评估策略将基于大规模的协同模拟，现有的特定领域的离散事件模拟器通过同步其主事件循环进行合作。最后，我们将作为开源项目发布生成的（协同）仿真基础设施。