When Internet of Things meet Internet of Humans on the same network

This occurred to me during an invited talk presented by Dr.Filippo Malandra in EE701: Internet of Things course in University at Buffalo taught by Dr.Zhangyu Guan.

Among many things presented by Dr.Filippo Malandra, there was this point that the IoT devices meet the normal LTE network for access to Internet. IoT devices do not have their own networks. This can easily add more load to an existing base station (eNodeB). Problem with the eNodeB not able to withstand this kind of incoming data communication and resource request can in turn demand a higher resources capable base station upgrade. This is a possibility.

IoT Devices can be predicted to infiltrate the urban landscape more than a rural area, because the wireless ecosystem is pre-exisitng for these devices to thrive. Also, according to United Nations 68% of world population will be in urban areas.

North America is less urban than other places in the planet

Hence, it may be easier to deploy and control IoT devices that are expected to be in urban areas. For example the San Francisco Bus Signs, which are LTE enabled but due to its display eats more power for working that an IoT expected to. The wonder of having all the data in place is the tech-enablement achieved, for example with some effort it is a do-able thing to have the bus stop sign board at home. But the growing urban areas in the world are not tech-enabled? And who owns the right data in all these upcoming and existing non-tech enabled highly urban areas. If the taxpayer does not have access to public utility then innovations for a smart city may be limited.

It is also seen that the area of urban areas keep increasing. In an urban environment we can expect anything from bus stops, traffic lights, street lights, smart meters for water, gas, electricity etc (may be electrical vehicle charging stations also) which are stationary and GPS trackers and other vehicular accessories like Electronic Logging Devices, Vehicle Gateways and so on which are mobile. A traffic passing through the city can be expected to have atleast an UE ( User Equipment, a.k.a cell phone with LTE internet access , in common parlance) to navigate and / or communicate. There are mobile and stationary users at any given point in a network with IoT and UEs. IoTs are mostly, low power communication devices that periodically / at a set schedule / at an alert trigger communicate with the base stations (a.k.a cell towers). If a planned roll out of IoT to enable smart cities, that can be expected in most smart city projects, is performed then the data traffic is mostly predictable with current urban cell usage patterns. To give an example, Smart cities M2M (Traffic Characterization and Performance Analysis) was demonstrated by Dr Malandra for the city of Montreal, Canada. If this is for a city Dr. Amarjeet Singh is working at a building scale for building utility monitoring. 

However, lack of co-ordination brings headless chicken phenomenon, as elucidated in this article “Your Navigation App Is Making Traffic Unmanageable“. The workaround is possibly a collaboration with urban decision makers and technology provider. Here, IoT vs IoH (Internet of Humans) pose a management challenge. Technologically it is feasible to have different networks for IoT and separate it from IoH (Internet of Humans). Like other technologies that were initially restricted to specific groups, the glory of the stupid wars, that propelled technology race and gave everyone access to cell phone and internet, an open to public use network is preferable. Money will follow. Services will improve. But unlike, posing a direct challenge to the current traffic management system like the article mentions above, IoT and IoH can co-exist for a symbiotic relationship, with a feedback loop to enhance and enrich each other. IoT enables services for the IoH and IoH can provide data to be mined for patterns. These patterns of traffic, can then be studied for predictive modeling. Event alerts of scheduled programs such as AT&T Park Baseball event still needs to gather the incoming traffic patterns to cater to the imminent users of the local network. Where more traffic is expected to congest network, network congestion mitigation programs are already available in terms of mobile eNodeBs to cater to the increased need.

Machine learning and AI predictions on data mined help some prediction as to what would be the ideal time to start operating the base station towers. It is economically important due to the energy usage of these stations. Based on subscribers quality of service experience base stations may be added or removed. User needs may be directly related to the population density and assuming market penetration data availability and existing number of registered user nodes in an area. Data-driven approach helps in putting up towers. Assuming all of this is taken into account. What is the best data on urban population? Is it census survey, count number of registered subscribers and then predict the variance in subscribers and requirement? That task seem to ask for in-depth  analysis and optimization. Alright, then that is Internet of Human Things. Ever dynamic and moving. Machines are used to do repeated tasks without boredom, so machines must be predictable in data usage patterns. It must be fairly certain to predict M2M traffic data.

Consider the case where an incoming fan-car having 4 users connected to same network looking forward to watch their team’s match.  When they start from their social media data, it can be predicted that they will be going to the stadium. Their start and endpoints are known. Number of users entering the new base station is known. From their drive speed and distance, time of entering the new base station is predictable. Their resource requirement (4 user equipment) is predictable, because 4 UEs traveling together at same speed must be in same vehicle. Location is also predictable by cell signal and received signal strength indicator (RSSI values).

With multiple data sources channeled and used for training and testing on-demand base stations can be optimally brought in started. From multiple datasets such as current traffic data, previous data, IoT network data, and on demand LTE data, data-driven optimization can be arrived at. Optimization problems can fall under optimizing each or all of the following – (1) Time of travel (2) Distance to travel (3) Optimize maximum permissible number of users on a road , just like rooms in university have Fire Marshal‘s code. (4) Decide who will be routed normally and who will be re-routed. This provides an interesting service in terms of (5) priority routing for Government heads, VIPs or possibly commercialize the priority routing through E-ZPass kind of system. This will also enable transportation managers to look at improving and expanding routes and roads based on data and have better road-routes and better traffic usage. Thanks to all the network connected devices feedback information on usage patterns and effectiveness of implementation will be an API function call away.

Multi modal transportation scheme was explored in Smart Columbus project. But the fun of being human is to be unpredictable. There may be group think. What if everyone decided to use bikes and congest the bike traffic lanes instead of cars? Internet of Human Things can disrupt traffic and cause confusions in machine predictions. As mentioned in this article Your Navigation App Is Making Traffic Unmanageable. Human dependence of traffic apps will cause problems when it does not take into account number of users of the app and physical road traffic bandwidth, on top of which the city was never planned to have much traffic in residential areas. So, how do we know which is better human learning or machine learning.

Machine learning is only as good as the the quality of data fed in and the amount of training it can undergo. It is a good argument when a self driving AI car can claim that it has undergone training with more number of hours of driving than humanly possible. A robotic traffic pattern enabled by self driving cars will definitely add safety to the roads. There is no random acceleration or breaking. There is no random decisions to visit places in yet another random  fashion like humans do. Good urban infrastructure solves the problem that it created in first place, by bringing people in without planning. In planned cities if resident population is controlled then IoT traffic and IoH traffic may look very similar due to its limited mobility.  It will not be like a random platoon of motorbikes passing through the city to celebrate “motorbike day”. Model predictions will fail miserably if it tries to follow traffic patterns of college student’s motorbikes in India. Just like a new born, machine learning needs a cradle to learn and what is better than letting it run on less dense cities in North America. It will no doubt grow better everyday in predictions and be adopted elsewhere as other urban areas start to adopt this “humanly-challenged” machine learning algorithms and associated platforms. When Internet of Things meet Internet of Humans on the same network challenges are interesting and solutions give rise to new services.

 

Congrats Chennai ! on receving record rainfall in 24 hours

Chennai is notorious for its pitiless heat and dust. It is said that there are two seasons in Chennai, hot season and very hot season. There is no doubt  a newcomer to this city would suffer and dislike it before his tenth step on this land.  However, Chennai has many to offer. Opportunities galore in almost all fields.

With increasing cost of rentals and land pushing up the prices of all other commodities, I had a doubt whether this city is sustainable. The good news is that , this has been a trend in Chennai; where land value force the general price rise.With an unforgiving climate, water management issues, congested dwellings, and heavy burden on the limited savings, whatever one earns in Chennai is spent in Chennai. The only thing you can carry out is the dust filled in your lungs, headache and bad health. With that much said, it may sound ridiculous that some people analyse the sustainability of Chennai. Could it be that I am, the only one ,thinking possibly everything diabolic about Chennai. This may be reflected in my other posts as well. I may not regret, for I have enough reasons. Why Chennai receives less rain is answered here. Why people hate rain in Chennai is partially explained below.

But suddenly as the end is near for the year, I saw that there was rain. I experienced it. It is cold, the breeze is cool and refreshing. I am not sweating. The sweltering heat of the past fades into memories best left forgotten. It was raining in Chennai. Then Chennai turns it’s another devilish face. Muddy waters, no place to walk other than the murky water that carries the poison accumulated over the sultry summer. One dares not to walk on the road. The traffic is more crazy. Bike riders excuse others battling the rain without protection, at the same time carry themselves with their imperviousness to the wetness, and splash the waters wherever possible. The zigzag drive would harass a decent car driver, who nevertheless goes without a stop, and continues the trend of wetting the pedestrians, without regret, or empathy. A fortunate tree-hugger with a cycle to commute can escape wading through the water, this spoils the hopes of Dettol company. The cyclist has then to evade the  trumpeting horns of other motorists and let a motorcycle overtaking from one’s left.  All this and more Chennai has to offer. The road to office is a like a decathlon. Cycling, wading, swearing, singing, getting wet, crossing the road, not coughing or sneezing at the crucial junction when your turn to drive comes and then a final run get splashed in water, curse the city again, harass the security, and the riders of the night shift coming out of the cocoon who block one’s way. Find a parking spot, walk and punch and let the security have a cursory glance at contents of the bag, as if it is a fad. Play the rugby, push the people, knock some down, to get to the lift, command someone to press the button, arrive royally, wet and dirty , at the office, and write this all up on net.

This sequence of events are sponsored by the Chennai rain. And I wish Chennai a happy new year, and congrats for receiving the record maximum rainfall in 24 hours at this end of the year. Though it is not upto the mark to make up for the total average rainfall in the city this year.

Thoughts on Un-civilisation through points by Shantha Sheela Nair on AIR on sanitation

Today morning , as usual , I was cycling to office. There was a  junction at which a Renault Duster , a massive fuel guzzler and quite huge vehicle stopped on its lane to let a lady cross the road. from opposite to where I was waiting. I found the time good enough for my cycle to cross. But some bikers were not ready to wait. They just whizzed past even before the lady had crossed. The generosity of the big vehicle was dwarfed by the uncouth attitude of the road-mates (People who share the road).

This brought about the thoughts on yesterday’s program on All India Radio (AIR) Chennai which broadcasted Shantha Sheela Nair talk on sanitation.  It was said that there was need of toilets. People sometimes build toilets also. But they do not use it for they have to clean it in case land-fill is used up. The amount of care extended for the enhancement of the outward appearance is not given to explain and educate in detail the working of a toilet. What more, the sanitation campaigns by India Govt. target toilet for woman, news also say that women refuses to get married to toilet-less household. But Shantha Sheela Nair said that the majority of non-users of toilet are men, that too in Tamil Nadu. Such a shame. Education has no bearing on these basic things. Films  and politics, money and power, culture and language have not propagated the message of sanitation. Madam quotes that toilet is not a new phenomenon. From Indus valley onward there are ancient remnants of toilets found everywhere. Wherever civilisation had thrived remains of toilets were discovered.  Why people who build toilets do not use it is a mystery. Also, open defecation contaminates the ground water quality and increases the cost to purify it.  It is clear from these statement that there are uncivilised  cultures existing.

Further proof for the same came when we notice that people rush into MRTS trains when actually there are seats for many. No need to push, there is enough time to get in. Honking behind every vehicle and overtaking a cycle from left side are biggest indicators of un-civilisation.

Leave Kindness, politeness, education, GDP etc into improved human level of lifestyle. Basic, the very basic block of existence to be considerate to the surroundings we are in is in bad light.  I was sitting near a person in office. I could know how many milk packets she had in home, what is cooking for dinner and what her children are not eating that day. The way people talk such private things could be kept to themselves. Why to shout out loud and let others know. Even if the content does not reveal any potential threat such behaviour is clearly a sign of un-civilisation.

Simple live solutions in traffic and septage management

Dear world ,

When Government of Kerala was unable to provide adequate land for a four lane road between Edappalli & Talappadi in NH 17 the NHAI went out of the project itself. The NHAI & GoK blame each other. Just let us look what the Kenyans, strapped for money did in their two lane highways for easing traffic congestion. See the attachment. They provide an extra lane on the left side wherever there is a steep climb for the slow moving large vehicles to use. Isn’t there a lesson to learn from them in this matter. Although not a transportation expert, I was impressed by what they did here. Later I found out that in all their two lane highways, they do it!!!!!

Cut back to septage-When I was in the fourth largest town in Kenya, Nakuru, during a meeting with Local Self Government officials, I asked them what they do with their septage. They immediately replied that the septage removal is done by the municipality and the same is transferred to the Municipal Sewage Treatment Plant for further processing.
Now, please tell me, how many in the KWA or equivalent bodies in India could be responding like them?

Money and Power is of no use, if one does have the sense to use it properly.

****

Happy rain, travel woes and the useless buffalo

People should be taken out of the road. The road is for those who pay road tax and apparently obey traffic rules. The traffic policemen, the security at the gate of office all give due respect to the motorists. Salutes are crisp and clear for those who travel by car. Anyone with an SUV or luxury car can expect a free hand wave to get it through the traffic. They must be the rich, the elite, the powerful, they cannot be stopped.

I had this odd incident , I had a 12 hour journey in train. I had learned enough football to give shoulder pushes on the people around. To push them from blocking my way. My way is right and my way is always free. No one can stop me. I am invincible. I could happily push through the people and get out of the unreserved compartment. I could push all on my way from the platform to the road. I could push people around in the bus and make space to stand. It is my right and my way, that is always right. I get down at the destination. The moment I get down it rains. A gentle reminder that there is someone above, who can always play with the tap with ceaseless source of water. It flowed heavily , swept the dirty roads, cleaned the sideroads and whatever was left of footpath.

There was water everywhere, I was not thirsty. So, I left it where it is, that is, on the road. It started filling the roads. I was happy to get wet in the rain, since anyway I had not taken bath. I had the head dry, that was the most important aspect. Head was safe with a plastic cover. And then Whoosh! Splash! I was drenched in that dirty muddy water, it was done by Some Qualis with Taxi permit. May be he is busy, may be he did not see me. May be he is in an emergency. With lot of effort I tried to place him in a position to receive my forgiveness. But the ego of a man is not thwarted that easily. I was searching for some stone to throw at his window. But he was lucky , there was not even a small piece in vicinity. I dropped the plan and got myself on the middle of the road. This time no one should splash muddy water at me without hitting me. And then the motorists seem to understand my feelings. Sometimes, there were a few unmindful, who honked at the nuisance created by me. I was all the more happy. I am getting a natural bath that will will clean up the dirt.

I reached the room, threw my clothes for washing and showered myself to cent percent cleanliness. I was sensing the neatness about me. I was feeling slightly spiritual. Cleanliness is next to godliness. I decided to visit the temple nearby. And then proceed to my office. I started again onto the road and forward. I had the end of my pants folded up so that no water can directly make me wet. I had discarded shoes for normal footwear. I was prepared with a cap and an umbrella. I could see bikes struggling through the potholes of the road. I was happy that I was not being inconvenienced by being in possession of bike and facing the hardship of driving through the rain. I did not have to buy an expensive raincoat, and I could help myself with a low cost umbrella. I could be happy with so much less. I could enjoy the wet wind on my face and slight dampness of the surroundings. I thoroughly enjoy this, while a raincoat would have marred this entertainment.

I waded through the clean waters this time. And faced the most ugliest portion of the path. It was a 100 metres of dirty flood. A forgotten footpath were the garden plants and trees shook with pleasure at the sudden rain. The gates of a few compounds opened to the footpath blocking it. I pushed it back and try to regain the invasion of the householders on the footpath. I could manage with what was left of footpath, a clear 1 feet width was only occasionally touched by the waves of the muddy pool. I worked through the pre-determined path. I could foresee a vehicle in opposite direction and went behind a parked car to safeguard myself. I stayed on and a vehicle went past me. I walked peacefully thinking about the waves of sea. The rain that I had experience near the seashore. With the tides hitting violently at the rocks that block the high tides. The waves in the muddy pool on the road were mere minor reflections of the same from a different angle. And a Toyota Innova went past me splashing all the dirt on me. I was soaked. Drenched. Inundated!.

On a normal day I would expect such rowdy behaviour from a Ford car owner but never a Toyota. That too an Innova. That too when I was feeling happy and lost. So much for the reality. I decided to protest with my misfortune. I did not return back to change clothes. I went to the bus. Pushed the conductor and people around. I felt slightly happy that an otherwise silent self was joyfully pushing against others. This was revenge for the forces that had pushed me into this situation.

no footpath, no respect for fellow beings. This is a merciless, pitiless world for real.

To take a pro-active, progressive and positive steps with forgiveness may prove fatal.

To be an useless buffalo which accepts anything that come the way, be a block , unmindful of the consequences, was more easily done and said.

PS:

Congratulations! You have read 2 pages, totalling 969 words.