Wireless network standardisation, a key challenge for crisis management

Port of Koper, Slovenia: “A container has fallen! Is it dangerous? Is there a risk of a leak? Before the emergency services are sent out, the situation must be assessed so as not to put them in danger,” explains Carol Habib, a researcher in the FUN project team (University of Lille Inria Centre). This scenario was imagined as part of the NEPHELE European project. The aim is to demonstrate that it is possible to implement a network of sensors, robots and drones, to map the risk zone and facilitate the work of first responders in real time. To make the use case as realistic as possible, the security personnel at the Port of Koper tested the technologies developed by the NEPHELE partners.

“Our role was key, given that the FUN research focuses on how to organise wireless communication in hostile conditions, using different protocols,” says Nathalie Mittom, team leader. “We worked on dynamic and flexible network deployment in places where the internet connection is non-existent or unreliable.”

From the cloud to smart objects

Launched in September 2022 as part of the Horizon Europe programme, NEPHELE was coordinated by National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). It brings together 17 academic and industrial partners. The goal is to create an efficient, reliable and secure architecture for a platform of “hyperdistributed” applications, functioning at all levels, from the cloud to smart objects, including local platforms – known as “edge computing”.

FUN was involved at multiple levels. First of all, the team helped coordinate the architecture of the platform. Then, it set up one of the project’s four use cases: a demonstration in the Port of Koper aiming to deploy a communications network following a major incident to assist the emergency services. This mission was carried out in collaboration with Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW).

Maintaining the network at any cost

What were the takeaways of the Port of Koper crisis scenario? It highlighted multiple technological challenges. The first was “developing interoperable software solutions adapted to all sorts of smart objects (robots, drones and wireless sensor networks),” says Carol Habib. “These objects are all different, but they have to speak with the same voice, using a shared standard.” 

The second challenge was just as complex and consisted in maintaining communication within the network, even when infrastructure was unstable in the imagined context. The third challenge was to create a system that is easy to deploy, in just a few clicks, where everything can interoperate.

In concrete terms, this required multiple steps. It all started by developing small sensors to measure temperature, humidity and movement. These sensors communicate between one another and transmit their information. Once again, the team tackled multiple challenges: data collection and transfer to a nearby central router, processing and finally transmission to the first responders.

“The second phase was carried out by ZHAW,” says Alexandre Veremme, research engineer. “Our Swiss colleagues worked on the possibility of 3D mapping.” They designed an aerial drone to fly over the accident zone, carry out 3D reconnaissance and process the images. Using this map, a 100 kg mobile robot fitted with a mechanical arm explored the port to position the sensors developed by the Inria team intelligently. 

Lastly, FUN developed web applications so that emergency services can launch the drone, control the robot, place the sensors and recover the measurements in real time, all while visualising the map of the zone.

Network standardisation using virtual objects

At the centre of this demonstration, the question of interoperability proved to be crucial. How can you make small sensors, a complex robot and web applications that all use different protocols communicate between one another? How can you make them collaborate without a constant internet connection? The answer lies in a unique technological framework and standardisation. It was necessary to respect a strict set of specifications, while remaining open through a library of open-source software called VOStack. This technological building block uses the W3C Web of Things (WoT) standard.

FUN’s innovation mainly lies in uniformising the behaviour of the sensors, drone and robot by creating digital twins of the physical objects. The aim was for data to be manipulated in the same way, whether for the 100 kg robot or a sensor that fits into the palm of your hand. The system also needed to be dynamic.

The system even works offline: the robots and drones are able to be used without internet and the data is stored locally on a physical bridge. As soon as connection is restored, the system synchronises the information and rebuilds a full timeline to inform the emergency services.

A desire to share and continue

The desire to share is also one of the foundations of the NEPHELE project. Therefore, the developed code has been made open source, hosted by the Eclipse Foundation. Another benefit is that the project fostered the dissemination of knowledge through open calls for tender financed by the European Union, making it possible for small companies to obtain funds while using technologies developed through NEPHELE.

For Nathalie Mitton, FUN’s contribution to this European project proved to be particularly fruitful: “it gave us new, enriching scientific collaborations and allowed us to explore a use case in a crisis situation. Now, the adventure continues, further developing certain results from NEPHELE, through the European Unimaas project, in which Carol Habib is participating. Here, the challenge will be to be attentive to the environment impact of networks.”