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RETIS – Real-Time Sensitive Wireless Communication Solution for Industrial Control Applications
(2020)
Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC) has been always a vital component of many industrial applications. The paper proposes a new wireless URLLC solution called RETIS, which is suitable for factory automation and fast process control applications, where low latency, low jitter, and high data exchange rates are mandatory. In the paper, we describe the communication protocol as well as the hardware structure of the network nodes for implementing the required functionality. Many techniques enabling fast, reliable wireless transmissions are used – short Transmission Time Interval (TTI), Time-Division Multiple Access (TDMA), MIMO, optional duplicated data transfer, Forward Error Correction (FEC), ACK mechanism. Preliminary tests show that reliable end-to-end latency down to 350 μs and packet exchange rate up to 4 kHz can be reached (using quadruple MIMO and standard IEEE 802.15.4 PHY at 250 kbit/s).
Unterschiedliche Stimulationszeitpunkte bei bimodaler Versorgung mit Hörgerät und Cochleaimplantat
(2023)
Die bimodale Versorgung von Patienten mit Hörgerät (HG) ipsilateral und Cochleaimplantat (CI) kontralateral bei asymmetrischem Hörverlust ist aufgrund vieler inhärenter Variablen die komplizierteste Versorgungsart im Kontext der Versorgung mit CI. Im vorliegenden Übersichtsartikel werden alle systematischen interauralen Unterschiede zwischen elektrischer und akustischer Stimulation dargestellt, die bei dieser Versorgungsart auftreten können. Darüber hinaus werden Methoden zur Quantifizierung des interauralen Latenzoffsets, also des Zeitunterschieds zwischen der akustischen und elektrischen Stimulation des Hörnervs, mittels Registrierung auditorisch evozierter Potenziale – erzeugt durch akustische bzw. elektrische Stimulation – und Messungen an den Sprachprozessoren und Hörgeräten vorgestellt. Die technische Kompensation des interauralen Latenzoffsets und ihre positive Auswirkung auf die Schalllokalisationsfähigkeit bimodal mit CI und HG versorgter Patienten wird ebenfalls beschrieben. Zuletzt werden neueste Erkenntnisse diskutiert, die Gründe dafür aufzeigen, warum die Kompensation des interauralen Latenzoffsets das Sprachverstehen im Störgeräusch bei bimodal versorgten CI-/HG-Trägern nicht verbessert.
In bimodal cochlear implant (CI) / hearing aid (HA) users a constant interaural time delay in the order of several milliseconds occurs due to differences in signal processing of the devices. For MED-EL CI systems in combination with different HA types, we have quantified the respective device delay mismatch (Zirn et al. 2015). In the current study, we investigate the effect of the device delay mismatch in simulated and actual bimodal listeners on sound localization accuracy.
To deal with the device delay mismatch in actual bimodal listeners we delayed the CI stimulation according to the measured HA processing delay and two other values. With all delay values highly significant improvements of the rms error in the localization task were observed compared to the test without the delay. The results help to narrow down the optimal patient-specific delay value.
Zeitliche Anpassung führt zu verbesserter Schalllokalisation bei bimodal versorgten CI-/HG-Trägern
(2021)
Bei bimodal versorgten Cochlea-Implantaten (CI) / Hörgerät (HG)-Trägern entsteht durch die unterschiedliche Signalverarbeitung der Geräte eine konstante interaurale Zeitverzögerung in der Größenordnung von mehreren Millisekunden. Für MED-EL CI-Systeme in Kombination mit verschiedenen HG-Typen haben wir den jeweiligen Device-Delay-Mismatch quantifiziert. In der aktuellen Studie untersuchen wir den Einfluss der Device-Delay-Mismatch bei simulierten und tatsächlichen bimodalen Hörern auf die Genauigkeit der Schalllokalisation.
Um den Device-Delay-Mismatch bei bimodal versorgten Patienten zu verringern, haben wir die CI-Stimulation um die gemessene HG-Signallaufzeit und zwei weitere Werte verzögert. Nach einer Angewöhnungsphase war der effektive Winkelfehler bei Verzögerung um die HG-Signallaufzeit hochsignifikant reduziert im Vergleich zu der Testkondition ohne CI-Verzögerung (mittlere Verbesserung: 11 % ; p < .01, Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test). Aber auch mit den beiden weiteren Verzögerungswerten wurden Verbesserungen erreicht. Anhand der Ergebnisse lässt sich der optimale patientenspezifische Verzögerungswert näher eingrenzen.
In users of a cochlear implant (CI) together with a contralateral hearing aid (HA), so-called bimodal listeners, differences in processing latencies between digital HA and CI up to 9 ms constantly superimpose interaural time differences. In the present study, the effect of this device delay mismatch on sound localization accuracy was investigated. For this purpose, localization accuracy in the frontal horizontal plane was measured with the original and minimized device delay mismatch. The reduction was achieved by delaying the CI stimulation according to the delay of the individually worn HA. For this, a portable, programmable, battery-powered delay line based on a ring buffer running on a microcontroller was designed and assembled. After an acclimatization period to the delayed CI stimulation of 1 hr, the nine bimodal study participants showed a highly significant improvement in localization accuracy of 11.6% compared with the everyday situation without the delay line (p < .01). Concluding, delaying CI stimulation to minimize the device delay mismatch seems to be a promising method to increase sound localization accuracy in bimodal listeners.
In dieser Arbeit wird der Bildbearbeitungsprozess von Dokumenten mithilfe von einem schlicht gehaltenem Neuronalen Netzwerk und Bearbeitungsoperationen optimiert. Ziel ist es, abfotografierte Dokumente zum Drucken aufzubereiten, sodass die Schrift gut lesbar, gerade und nicht verzerrt ist und Störfaktoren herausgefiltert werden. Als API zur Verfügung gestellt, können Bilder von Dokumenten beliebiger Größe und Schriftgröße bearbeitet werden. Während ein unter schlechten Bedingungen schräg aufgenommenes Bild nach Tesseract keine Buchstaben enthält, wird mit dem bearbeiteten Bild davon eine Buchstabenfehlerrate von 0,9% erreicht.
Novel manufacturing technologies, such as printed electronics, may enable future applications for the Internet of Everything like large-area sensor devices, disposable security, and identification tags. Printed physically unclonable functions (PUFs) are promising candidates to be embedded as hardware security keys into lightweight identification devices. We investigate hybrid PUFs based on a printed PUF core. The statistics on the intra- and inter-hamming distance distributions indicate a performance suitable for identification purposes. Our evaluations are based on statistical simulations of the PUF core circuit and the thereof generated challenge-response pairs. The analysis shows that hardware-intrinsic security features can be realized with printed lightweight devices.
A physical unclonable function (PUF) is a hardware circuit that produces a random sequence based on its manufacturing-induced intrinsic characteristics. In the past decade, silicon-based PUFs have been extensively studied as a security primitive for identification and authentication. The emerging field of printed electronics (PE) enables novel application fields in the scope of the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart sensors. In this paper, we design and evaluate a printed differential circuit PUF (DiffC-PUF). The simulation data are verified by Monte Carlo analysis. Our design is highly scalable while consisting of a low number of printed transistors. Furthermore, we investigate the best operating point by varying the PUF challenge configuration and analyzing the PUF security metrics in order to achieve high robustness. At the best operating point, the results show areliability of 98.37% and a uniqueness of 50.02%, respectively. This analysis also provides useful and comprehensive insights into the design of hybrid or fully printed PUF circuits. In addition, the proposed printed DiffC-PUF core has been fabricated with electrolyte-gated field-effect transistor technology to verify our design in hardware.
Modern society is more than ever striving for digital connectivity -- everywhere and at any time, giving rise to megatrends such as the Internet of Things (IoT). Already today, 'things' communicate and interact autonomously with each other and are managed in networks. In the future, people, data, and things will be interlinked, which is also referred to as the Internet of Everything (IoE). Billions of devices will be ubiquitously present in our everyday environment and are being connected over the Internet.
As an emerging technology, printed electronics (PE) is a key enabler for the IoE offering novel device types with free form factors, new materials, and a wide range of substrates that can be flexible, transparent, as well as biodegradable. Furthermore, PE enables new degrees of freedom in circuit customizability, cost-efficiency as well as large-area fabrication at the point of use.
These unique features of PE complement conventional silicon-based technologies. Additive manufacturing processes enable the realization of many envisioned applications such as smart objects, flexible displays, wearables in health care, green electronics, to name but a few.
From the perspective of the IoE, interconnecting billions of heterogeneous devices and systems is one of the major challenges to be solved. Complex high-performance devices interact with highly specialized lightweight electronic devices, such as e.g. smartphones and smart sensors. Data is often measured, stored, and shared continuously with neighboring devices or in the cloud. Thereby, the abundance of data being collected and processed raises privacy and security concerns.
Conventional cryptographic operations are typically based on deterministic algorithms requiring high circuit and system complexity, which makes them unsuitable for lightweight devices.
Many applications do exist, where strong cryptographic operations are not required, such as e.g. in device identification and authentication. Thereby, the security level mainly depends on the quality of the entropy source and the trustworthiness of the derived keys. Statistical properties such as the uniqueness of the keys are of great importance to precisely distinguish between single entities.
In the past decades, hardware-intrinsic security, particularly physically unclonable functions (PUFs), gained a lot of attraction to provide security features for IoT devices. PUFs use their inherent variations to derive device-specific unique identifiers, comparable to fingerprints in biometry.
The potentials of this technology include the use of a true source of randomness, on demand key derivation, as well as inherent key storage.
Combining these potentials with the unique features of PE technology opens up new opportunities to bring security to lightweight electronic devices and systems. Although PE is still far from being matured and from being as reliable as silicon technology, in this thesis we show that PE-based PUFs are promising candidates to provide key derivation suitable for device identification in the IoE.
Thereby, this thesis is primarily concerned with the development, investigation, and assessment of PE-based PUFs to provide security functionalities to resource constrained printed devices and systems.
As a first contribution of this thesis, we introduce the scalable PE-based Differential Circuit PUF (DiffC-PUF) design to provide secure keys to be used in security applications for resource constrained printed devices. The DiffC-PUF is designed as a hybrid system architecture incorporating silicon-based and inkjet-printed components. We develop an embedded PUF platform to enable large-scale characterization of silicon and printed PUF cores.
In the second contribution of this thesis, we fabricate silicon PUF cores based on discrete components and perform statistical tests under realistic operating conditions. A comprehensive experimental analysis on the PUF security metrics is carried out. The results show that the silicon-based DiffC-PUF exhibits nearly ideal values for the uniqueness and reliability metrics. Furthermore, the identification capabilities of the DiffC-PUF are investigated and it is shown that additional post-processing can further improve the quality of the identification system.
In the third contribution of this thesis, we firstly introduce an evaluation workflow to simulate PE-based DiffC-PUFs, also called hybrid PUFs. Hereof, we introduce a Python-based simulation environment to investigate the characteristics and variations of printed PUF cores based on Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. The simulation results show, that the security metrics to be expected from the fabricated devices are close to ideal at the best operating point.
Secondly, we employ fabricated printed PUF cores for statistical tests under varying operating conditions including variations in ambient temperature, relative humidity, and supply voltage. The evaluations of the uniqueness, bit aliasing, and uniformity metrics are in good agreement with the simulation results. The experimentally determined mean reliability value is relatively low, which can be explained by the missing passivation and encapsulation of the printed transistors. The investigation of the identification capabilities based on the raw PUF responses shows that the pure hybrid PUF is not suitable for cryptographic applications, but qualifies for device identification tasks.
The final contribution is to switch to the perspective of an attacker. To judge on the security capabilities of the hybrid PUF, a comprehensive security analysis in the manner of a cryptanalysis is performed. The analysis of the entropy of the hybrid PUF shows that its vulnerability against model-based attacks mainly depends on the selected challenge building method. Furthermore, an attack methodology is introduced to assess the performances of different mathematical cloning attacks on the basis of eavesdropped challenge-response pairs (CRPs). To clone the hybrid PUF, a sorting algorithm is introduced and compared with commonly used supervised machine learning (ML) classifiers including logistic regression (LR), random forest (RF), as well as multi-layer perceptron (MLP).
The results show that the hybrid PUF is vulnerable against model-based attacks. The sorting algorithm benefits from shorter training times compared to the ML algorithms. If the eavesdropped CRPs are erroneous, the ML algorithms outperform the sorting algorithm.
Für die Prognose von Zeitreihen sind bezüglich der Qualität der Vorhersagen heutzutage neuronale Netze und Deep Learning das Mittel der Wahl. LSTM-Netzwerke etablierten sich dazu als eine gut funktionierende Herangehensweise. 2017 wurde der auf Attention basierende Transformer für die Übersetzung von Sprache vorgestellt. Aufgrund seiner Fähigkeit mit sequenziellen Daten zu arbeiten, ist er auch für Zeitreihenprobleme interessant. Diese wissenschaftliche Arbeit befasst sich mit der Vorhersage von Zeitreihen mit einem Transformer. Es wird analysiert, inwiefern sich ein Transformer für Zeitreihenvorhersagen von einem Transformer für Sprachübersetzungen unterscheidet und wie gut die Vorhersagen im Vergleich zu denen eines LSTM-Netzwerkes abschneiden. Dazu werden ein LSTM- und ein Transformer-Netzwerk auf Luftqualitäts- und Wetterdaten in Berlin trainiert, um den Feinstaubgehalt (PM25) in der Luft vorherzusagen. Die Ergebnisse werden mit einem Benchmark-Modell anhand von Evaluationsmetriken verglichen. Anschließend wird evaluiert, wie die Fehler des Transformers reduziert werden können und wie gut der Transformer generalisiert.
Narrowband Internet-of-Things (NB-IoT) is a 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) standardized cellular technology, adopted for 5G and optimized for massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC). Applications are anticipated around infrastructure monitoring, asset management, smart city and smart energy applications. In this paper, we evaluate the suitability of NB-IoT for private (campus) networks in industrial environments, including complex cloud-based applications around process automation. An end-to-end system has been developed, comprising of a sensor unit connected to a NB-IoT modem, a base station (gNodeB) equipped with a beamforming array and a local (private) network architecture comprising a sensor management system in the edge cloud. The experimental study includes field tests in realistic industrial environments with latency, reliability and coverage measurements. The results show a good suitability of NB-IoT for process automation with high scalability, low-power requirements and moderate latency requirements.
The development of Internet of Things (IoT) embedded devices is proliferating, especially in the smart home automation system. However, the devices unfortunately are imposing overhead on the IoT network. Thus, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) have introduced the IPv6 Low-Power Wireless Personal Area Network (6LoWPAN) to provide a solution to this constraint. 6LoWPAN is an Internet Protocol (IP) based communication where it allows each device to connect to the Internet directly. As a result, the power consumption is reduced. However, the limitation of data transmission frame size of the IPv6 Routing Protocol for Low-power and Lossy Network’s (RPL’s) had made it to be the running overhead, and thus consequently degrades the performance of the network in terms of Quality of Service (QoS), especially in a large network. Therefore, HRPL was developed to enhance the RPL protocol to minimize redundant retransmission that causes the routing overhead. We introduced the T-Cut Off Delay to set the limit of the delay and the H field to respond to actions taken within the T-Cut Off Delay. Thus, this paper presents the comparison performance assessment of HRPL between simulation and real-world scenarios (6LoWPAN Smart Home System (6LoSH) testbed) in validating the HRPL functionalities. Our results show that HRPL had successfully reduced the routing overhead when implemented in 6LoSH. The observed Control Traffic Overhead (CTO) packet difference between each experiment is 7.1%, and the convergence time is 9.3%. Further research is recommended to be conducted for these metrics: latency, Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR), and throughput.
The Internet of Things (IoT) application has becoming progressively in-demand, most notably for the embedded devices (ED). However, each device has its own difference in computational capabilities, memory usage, and energy resources in connecting to the Internet by using Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). In order for this to be achievable, the WSNs that form the bulk of the IoT implementation requires a new set of technologies and protocol that would have a defined area, in which it addresses. Thus, IPv6 Low Power Area Network (6LoWPAN) was designed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) as a standard network for ED. Nevertheless, the communication between ED and 6LoWPAN requires appropriate routing protocols for it to achieve the efficient Quality of Service (QoS). Among the protocols of 6LoWPAN network, RPL is considered to be the best protocol, however its Energy Consumption (EC) and Routing Overhead (RO) is considerably high when it is implemented in a large network. Therefore, this paper would propose the HRPL to enchance the RPL protocol in reducing the EC and RO. In this study, the researchers would present the performance of RPL and HRPL in terms of EC, Control traffic Overhead (CTO) and latency based on the simulation of the 6LoWPAN network in fixed environment using COOJA simulator. The results show HRPL protocol achieves better performance in all the tested topology in terms of EC and CTO. However, the latency of HRPL only improves in chain topology compared with RPL. We found that further research is required to study the relationship between the latency and the load of packet transmission in order to optimize the EC usage.
Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) bietet eine flexible Möglichkeit zur Authentifizierung von Endgeräten und kann in Kombination mit TLS für eine zertifikatsbasierte Authentifizierung verwendet werden. Motiviert wird diese Arbeit von einer potenziellen Erweiterung für PROFINET, die diese Protokolle einsetzen soll.
Dabei soll eine sicherer EAP-TLS-Protokollstacks für eingebettete Systeme in der Programmiersprache Rust entwickelt werden. Durch das Ownership-System von Rust können Speicherfehler eliminiert werden, ohne dabei auf die positiven Eigenschaften von nativen Sprachen zu verzichten. Es wird ein besonderes Augenmerk auf wie die Verwendung klassischer Rust-Bibliotheken im Umfeld von eingebetteten Systemen, den Einfluss des Speichermodells auf das Design, sowie die Integration von C-Bibliotheken für automatisierte Interoperabilitätstests gelegt.
Das Messstellenbetriebsgesetz sieht bis 2032 einen Pflichteinbau von modernen Messeinrichtungen bzw. intelligenten Messsystemen bei allen Verbrauchern und Erzeugern vor. Des Weiteren ist die Anbindung von regenerativen Erzeugungsanlagen und steuerbaren Verbrauchern sowie die netzdienliche Steuerung dieser Einrichtungen über das Smart Meter Gateway durch das Messstellenbetriebsgesetz vorgeschrieben. Diese netzdienliche Steuerung wird unter dem Begriff CLS-Management zusammengefasst und muss von allen Netzbetreibern und Messstellenbetreibern künftig umgesetzt werden. Im Rahmen der Bachelorarbeit wurde ein Testaufbau mit einem intelligenten Messsystem inklusive entsprechender Steuereinrichtung aufgebaut, um das CLS-Management an einfachen Schalthandlungen zu erproben. Die daraus gewonnenen Erfahrungen sollen dem Messstellenbetreiber dabei helfen, das Thema in der Wirkumgebung platzieren zu können. Ziel dieses Aufbaus ist es, über die Kommunikationsart LTE eine Schalthandlung an einer Steuerbox in der Rolle des externen Marktteilnehmers vornehmen zu können. Für die Umsetzung wird eine entsprechende Software des Gateway Herstellers zur Verfügung gestellt, um die Versuche außerhalb des zertifizierten Bereiches durch-führen zu können.
Als konkreten Anwendungsfall wird im Rahmen der Thesis die Ablösung der Funkrundsteuertechnik durch das CLS-Management betrachtet. Mit dem Rollout der intelligenten Messsystemen müssen künftig die steuerbaren Verbrauchseinrichtungen und regenerativen Erzeugungsanlagen über das Smart Meter Gateway gesteuert werden können. Dies hat gegenüber der Funkrundsteuertechnik den entscheidenden Vorteil, dass die Informationen über eine gesicherte TLS-Verbindungen übertragen werden und durch einen Rückkanal auch Informationen über das korrekte Ausführung der Schalthandlung beim externen Marktteilnehmer ankommen.
Als weiteren Anwendungsfall wird untersucht, wie über ein Smart Meter Gateway außer Steuersignale auch Energiedaten und Sollwerte von externen Marktteilnehmer an Smart Grid Infrastrukturen übertragen werden können, um diese optimal betreiben zu können. Als Grundlage dient hierfür das Micro Grid am INES der Hochschule Offenburg
Neuromorphic computing systems have demonstrated many advantages for popular classification problems with significantly less computational resources. We present in this paper the design, fabrication and training of a programmable neuromorphic circuit, which is based on printed electrolytegated field-effect transistor (EGFET). Based on printable neuron architecture involving several resistors and one transistor, the proposed circuit can realize multiply-add and activation functions. The functionality of the circuit, i.e. the weights of the neural network, can be set during a post-fabrication step in form of printing resistors to the crossbar. Besides the fabrication of a programmable neuron, we also provide a learning algorithm, tailored to the requirements of the technology and the proposed programmable neuron design, which is verified through simulations. The proposed neuromorphic circuit operates at 5V and occupies 385mm 2 of area.
In many application domains, in particular automotives, guaranteeing a very low failure rate is crucial to meet functional and safety standards. Especially, reliable operation of memory components such as SRAM cells is of essential importance. Due to aggressive technology downscaling, process and runtime variations significantly impact manufacturing yield as well as functionality. For this reason, a thorough memory failure rate assessment is imperative for correct circuit operation and yield improvement. In this regard, Monte Carlo simulations have been used as the conventional method to estimate the variability induced failure rate of memory components. However, Monte Carlo methods become infeasible when estimating rare events such as high-sigma failure rates. To this end, Importance Sampling methods have been proposed which reduce the number of required simulations substantially. However, existing methods still suffer from inaccuracies and high computational efforts, in particular for high-sigma problems. In this paper, we fill this gap by presenting an efficient mixture Importance Sampling approach based on Bayesian optimization, which deploys a surface model of the objective function to find the most probable failure points. Its advantages include constant complexity independent of the dimensions of design space, the potential to find the global extrema, and higher trustworthiness of the estimated failure rate by accurately exploring the design space. The approach is evaluated on a 6T-SRAM cell as well as a master-slave latch based on a 28nm FDSOI process. The results show an improvement in accuracy, resulting in up to 63× better accuracy in estimating failure rates compared to the best state-of-the-art solutions on a 28nm technology node.
Emerging applications in soft robotics, wearables, smart consumer products or IoT-devices benefit from soft materials, flexible substrates in conjunction with electronic functionality. Due to high production costs and conformity restrictions, rigid silicon technologies do not meet application requirements in these new domains. However, whenever signal processing becomes too comprehensive, silicon technology must be used for the high-performance computing unit. At the same time, designing everything in flexible or printed electronics using conventional digital logic is not feasible yet due to the limitations of printed technologies in terms of performance, power and integration density. We propose to rather use the strengths of neuromorphic computing architectures consisting in their homogeneous topologies, few building blocks and analog signal processing to be mapped to an inkjet-printed hardware architecture. It has remained a challenge to demonstrate non-linear elements besides weighted aggregation. We demonstrate in this work printed hardware building blocks such as inverter-based comprehensive weight representation and resistive crossbars as well as printed transistor-based activation functions. In addition, we present a learning algorithm developed to train the proposed printed NCS architecture based on specific requirements and constraints of the technology.
Printed electronics (PE) offers flexible, extremely low-cost, and on-demand hardware due to its additive manufacturing process, enabling emerging ultra-low-cost applications, including machine learning applications. However, large feature sizes in PE limit the complexity of a machine learning classifier (e.g., a neural network (NN)) in PE. Stochastic computing Neural Networks (SC-NNs) can reduce area in silicon technologies, but still require complex designs due to unique implementation tradeoffs in PE. In this paper, we propose a printed mixed-signal system, which substitutes complex and power-hungry conventional stochastic computing (SC) components by printed analog designs. The printed mixed-signal SC consumes only 35% of power consumption and requires only 25% of area compared to a conventional 4-bit NN implementation. We also show that the proposed mixed-signal SC-NN provides good accuracy for popular neural network classification problems. We consider this work as an important step towards the realization of printed SC-NN hardware for near-sensor-processing.
The visualization of heart rhythm disturbance and atrial fibrillation therapy allow the optimization of new cardiac catheter ablations. With the simulation software CST (Computer Simulation Technology, Darmstadt) electromagnetic and thermal simulations can be carried out to analyze and optimize different heart rhythm disturbance and cardiac catheters for pulmonary vein isolation. Another form of visualization is provided by haptic, three-dimensional print models. These models can be produced using an additive manufacturing method, such as a 3D printer. The aim of the study was to produce a 3D print of the Offenburg heart rhythm model with a representation of an atrial fibrillation ablation procedure to improve the visualization of simulation of cardiac catheter ablation.
The basis of 3D printing was the Offenburg heart rhythm model and the associated simulation of cryoablation of the pulmonary vein. The thermal simulation shows the pulmonary vein isolation of the left inferior pulmonary vein with the cryoballoon catheter Arctic Front AdvanceTM from Medtronic. After running through the simulation, the thermal propagation during the procedure was shown in the form of different colors. The three-dimensional print models were constructed on the base of the described simulation in a CAD program. Four different 3D printers are available for this purpose in a rapid prototyping laboratory at the University of Applied Science Offenburg. Two different printing processes were used: 1. a binder jetting printer with polymer gypsum and 2. a multi-material printer with photopolymer. A final print model with additional representation of the esophagus and internal esophagus catheter was also prepared for printing.
With the help of the thermal simulation results and the subsequent evaluation, it was possible to make a conclusion about the propagation of the cold emanating from the catheter in the myocardium and the surrounding tissue. It could be measured that already 3 mm from the balloon surface into the myocardium the temperature drops to 25 °C. The simulation model was printed using two 3D printing methods. Both methods as well as the different printing materials offer different advantages and disadvantages. While the first model made of polymer gypsum can be produced quickly and cheaply, the second model made of photopolymer takes five times longer and was twice as expensive. On the other hand, the second model offers significantly better properties and was more durable overall. All relevant parts, especially the balloon catheter and the conduction, are realistically represented. Only the thermal propagation in the form of different colors is not shown on this model.
Three-dimensional heart rhythm models as well as virtual simulations allow a very good visualization of complex cardiac rhythm therapy and atrial fibrillation treatment methods. The printed models can be used for optimization and demonstration of cryoballoon catheter ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation.
Um medizinische Behandlungsverfahren in der Praxis besser verstehen und anwenden zu können, gewinnt die Visualisierung der Prozesse an immer größerer Bedeutung. Durch Anwendung der Computer-Simulationssoftware CST können elektromagnetische und thermische Simulationen zur Analyse verschiedener Herzrhythmusstörungen durchgeführt werden. Eine weitere Form der Visualisierung erfolgt durch haptische, dreidimensionale Druckmodelle. Diese Modelle können mit einem generativen Herstellungsverfahren, wie z. B. einem 3D-Drucker, in kürzester Zeit hergestellt werden.
The visualization of heart rhythm disturbance and atrial fibrillation therapy allows the optimization of new cardiac catheter ablations. With the simulation software CST (Computer Simulation Technology, Darmstadt) electromagnetic and thermal simulations can be carried out to analyze and optimize different heart rhythm disturbance and cardiac catheters for pulmonary vein isolation. Another form of visualization is provided by haptic, three-dimensional print models. These models can be produced using an additive manufacturing method, such as a 3d printer. The aim of the study was to produce a 3d print of the Offenburg heart rhythm model with a representation of an atrial fibrillation ablation procedure to improve the visualization of simulation of cardiac catheter ablation. The basis of 3d printing was the Offenburg heart rhythm model and the associated simulation of cryoablation of the pulmonary vein. The thermal simulation shows the pulmonary vein isolation of the left inferior pulmonary vein with the cryoballoon catheter Arctic Front Advance™ from Medtronic. After running through the simulation, the thermal propagation during the procedure was shown in the form of different colors. The three-dimensional print models were constructed on the base of the described simulation in a CAD program. Four different 3d printers are available for this purpose in a rapid prototyping laboratory at the University of Applied Science Offenburg. Two different printing processes were used and a final print model with additional representation of the esophagus and internal esophagus catheter was also prepared for printing. With the help of the thermal simulation results and the subsequent evaluation, it was possible to draw a conclusion about the propagation of the cold emanating from the catheter in the myocardium and the surrounding tissue. It was measured that just 3 mm from the balloon surface into the myocardium the temperature dropped to 25 °C. The simulation model was printed using two 3d printing methods. Both methods, as well as the different printing materials offer different advantages and disadvantages. All relevant parts, especially the balloon catheter and the conduction, are realistically represented. Only the thermal propagation in the form of different colors is not shown on this model. Three-dimensional heart rhythm models as well as virtual simulations allow very clear visualization of complex cardiac rhythm therapy and atrial fibrillation treatment methods. The printed models can be used for optimization and demonstration of cryoballoon catheter ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation.
Ensuring that software applications present their users the most recent version of data is not trivial. Self-adjusting computations are a technique for automatically and efficiently recomputing output data whenever some input changes.
This article describes the software architecture of a large, commercial software system built around a framework for coarse-grained self-adjusting computations in Haskell. It discusses advantages and disadvantages based on longtime experience. The article also presents a demo of the system and explains the API of the framework.
Morphological transition of a rod-shaped phase into a string of spherical particles is commonly observed in the microstructures of alloys during solidification (Ratke and Mueller, 2006). This transition phenomenon can be explained by the classic Plateau-Rayleigh theory which was derived for fluid jets based on the surface area minimization principle. The quintessential work of Plateau-Rayleigh considers tiny perturbations (amplitude much less than the radius) to the continuous phase and for large amplitude perturbations, the breakup condition for the rod-shaped phase is still a knotty issue. Here, we present a concise thermodynamic model based on the surface area minimization principle as well as a non-linear stability analysis to generalize Plateau-Rayleigh’s criterion for finite amplitude perturbations. Our results demonstrate a breakup transition from a continuous phase via dispersed particles towards a uniform-radius cylinder, which has not been found previously, but is observed in our phase-field simulations. This new observation is attributed to a geometric constraint, which was overlooked in former studies. We anticipate that our results can provide further insights on microstructures with spherical particles and cylinder-shaped phases.
Die vorliegende Bachelorarbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Evaluation einer Simulationssoftware anhand unterschiedlichen Roboterkinematiken sowie einer virtuellen Inbetriebnahme einer speicherprogrammierbaren Steuerung (SPS) mittels OPC-UA-Kommunikation.
Für die Evaluation der Simulationssoftware wurden drei Roboter verschiedener Hersteller, die die gleiche Aufgabe erfüllen, mit der Simulationssoftware Visual Components simuliert und anschließend in einer realen Umgebung getestet. Für die virtuelle Inbetriebnahme einer SPS mittels OPC-UA-Kommunikation wurde eine virtuelle SPS-gesteuerte Roboter-Fertigungslinie implementiert.
Ergebnis dieser Arbeit sind detaillierte Einarbeitung in die Simulationssoftware Visual Components, strukturierte Offline und Online Roboterprogrammierung und somit Auswertung der Simulationssoftware anhand unterschiedlicher Roboterkinematiken. Bewertung des Datenaustauschs (via OPC-UA) zwischen einer SPS und der Simulationssoftware Visual Components.
PROFINET Security: A Look on Selected Concepts for Secure Communication in the Automation Domain
(2023)
We provide a brief overview of the cryptographic security extensions for PROFINET, as defined and specified by PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI). These come in three hierarchically defined Security Classes, called Security Class 1,2 and 3. Security Class 1 provides basic security improvements with moderate implementation impact on PROFINET components. Security Classes 2 and 3, in contrast, introduce an integrated cryptographic protection of PROFINET communication. We first highlight and discuss the security features that the PROFINET specification offers for future PROFINET products. Then, as our main focus, we take a closer look at some of the technical challenges that were faced during the conceptualization and design of Security Class 2 and 3 features. In particular, we elaborate on how secure application relations between PROFINET components are established and how a disruption-free availability of a secure communication channel is guaranteed despite the need to refresh cryptographic keys regularly. The authors are members of the PI Working Group CB/PG10 Security.
Complex tourism products with intangible service components are difficult to explain to potential customers. This research elaborates the use of virtual reality (VR) in the field of shore excursions. A theoretical research model based on the technology acceptance model was developed, and hypotheses were proposed. Cruise passengers were invited to test 360° excursion images on a landing page. Data was collected using an online questionnaire. Finally, data was analyzed using the PLS-SEM method. The results provide theoretical implications on technology acceptance model (TAM) research in the field of cruise tourism. Furthermore, the results and implications indicate the potential of virtual 360° shore excursion presentations for the cruise industry.
One of the challenges for autonomous driving in general is to detect objects in the car's camera images. In the Audi Autonomous Driving Cup (AADC), among those objects are other cars, adult and child pedestrians and emergency vehicle lighting. We show that with recent deep learning networks we are able to detect these objects reliably on the limited Hardware of the model cars. Also, the same deep network is used to detect road features like mid lines, stop lines and even complete crossings. Best results are achieved using Faster R-CNN with Inception v2 showing an overall accuracy of 0.84 at 7 Hz.
When designing and installing Indoor Positioning Systems, several interrelated tasks have to be solved to find an optimum placement of the Access Points. For this purpose, a mathematical model for a predefined number of access points indoors is presented. Two iterative algorithms for the minimization of localization error of a mobile object are described. Both algorithms use local search technique and signal level probabilities. Previously registered signal strengths maps were used in computer simulation.
The conversion of space heating for private households to climate-neutral energy sources is an essential component of the energy transition, as this sector as of 2018 was responsible for 9.4 % of Germany’s carbon dioxide emissions. In addition to reducing demand through better insulation, the use of heat pumps fed with electricity from renewable energy sources, such as on-site photovoltaics (PV) systems, is an important solution approach.
Advanced energy management and control can help to make optimal use of such heating systems. Optimal here can e.g. refer to maximizing self-consumption of self-generated PV power, extended component lifetime or a grid-friendly behavior that avoids load peaks. A powerful method for this is model predictive control (MPC), which calculates optimal schedules for the controllable influence variables based on models of the system dynamics, current measurements of system states and predictions of future external influence parameters.
In this paper, we will discuss three different use cases that show how artificial intelligence can contribute to the realization of such an MPC-based energy management and control system. This will be done using the example of a real inhabited single family home that has provided the necessary data for this purpose and where the methods are implemented and tested. The heating system consists of an air-water heat pump with direct condensation, a thermal stratified storage tank, a pellet burner and a heating rod and provides both heating and hot water. The house generates a significant portion of its electricity needs through a rooftop PV system.
Predictive control has great potential in the home energy management domain. However, such controls need reliable predictions of the system dynamics as well as energy consumption and generation, and the actual implementation in the real system is associated with many challenges. This paper presents the implementation of predictive controls for a heat pump with thermal storage in a real single-family house with a photovoltaic rooftop system. The predictive controls make use of a novel cloud camera-based short-term solar energy prediction and an intraday prediction system that includes additional data sources. In addition, machine learning methods were used to model the dynamics of the heating system and predict loads using extensive measured data. The results of the real and simulated operation will be presented.
Eine neue Programmiersprache zu erlernen kann für Anfänger:innen manchmal schwer sein, selbst für Programmiersprachen wie Python, die bekannt dafür sind Einsteigerfreundlich zu sein. Denn selbst wenn die Syntax eines Python Programms schnell verstanden wird, ist oft nicht direkt erkenntlich wie der Code hinter dem Programm funktioniert. Anfänger:innen können dabei auch auf ihre Grenzen stoßen, den Ablauf eines Programmes nur alleine durch den Programmcode zu verstehen. Denn der Text der den Code ausmacht, kann auch nur bis zu einem gewissen Grad vermitteln wie oder was genau abläuft. Um den Ablauf eines Programms besser vermitteln zu können, wird der Code oft z.B. mit Diagrammen visualisiert. Visuelle Elemente können ebenfalls zusätzlich zum Code mehr Unterstützung leisten. Das Thema dieser Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Visualisierung von Python Programmen in der Entwicklungsumgebung Visual Studio Code, um Programmieranfänger:innen und Student:innen beim Erlernen der Programmiersprache Python zu unterstützen. Die Entwicklung der Visualisierung beinhaltet, das Erstellen einer Erweiterung in Visual Studio Code, die unter anderem das Debug Adapter Protocol einsetzt um mit dem Python Debugger zu kommunizieren.
Dementia is a clinical diagnosis reflecting many possible underlying pathologies, for example, vascular dementia and neurodegenerative disorders such as frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body-type disorder or Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The breakthrough of 99mtechnetium-labelled perfusion tracers in the 1990s resulted in many SPECT studies of flow changes in AD. In the first decade of 2000, the role of perfusion SPECT was shifted from diagnosis towards differential diagnosis, parallel to the growing attention for diagnosing early stages of dementia. Previously a diagnosis based largely on a process of exclusion, new guidelines have emerged increasingly employing positive criteria to establish the diagnosis, including neuroimaging biomarkers. Nowadays, FDG PET has largely limited the role of perfusion SPECT, although it is still considered a valuable and cost-effective alternative when PET is not available.
In modernen Industrieautomatisierungssysteme kann die IT-Sicherheit nicht mehr ignoriert werden. Um dem Datenverkehr Schutz zu bieten, sind kryptografische Schutzmaßnahmen notwendig. Eine gängige Schutzmaßnahme ist die Verwendung von digitalen Zertifikaten zur Autorisierung und Authentifizierung. Um Zertifikate sicher und geregelt auf Endgeräte zu bringen, ist jedoch eine Public-Key-Infrastructure notwendig. Solche PKIs sind bisher wenig im Umfeld der Industrieautomatisierung untersucht. Das Institut für verlässliche Embedded-Systems der Hochschule Offenburg bietet hierfür eine mögliche Lösung, welche auf einer zentralen Einheit, genannt Credentialing Entity, basiert. Ein Demonstrator dieses Konzepts wurde bereits in den weit verbreiteten Systemprogrammier-sprachen C und C++ implementiert.
Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wird die Verwendung der modernen speichersicheren Programmiersprache Rust in der Systemprogrammierung als Alternative zu den Domänenführern C/C++ am Beispiel der Implementierung der Credentialing-Entity untersucht. Hierbei werden Aspekte wie die Vorzüge Rusts, dessen Ökosystem und Interoperabilität mit den Marktführern C/C++ untersucht.
Amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O (IGZO) is a high-mobility semiconductor employed in modern thin-film transistors for displays and it is considered as a promising material for Schottky diode-based rectifiers. Properties of the electronic components based on IGZO strongly depend on the manufacturing parameters such as the oxygen partial pressure during IGZO sputtering and post-deposition thermal annealing. In this study, we investigate the combined effect of sputtering conditions of amorphous IGZO (In:Ga:Zn=1:1:1) and post-deposition thermal annealing on the properties of vertical thin-film Pt-IGZO-Cu Schottky diodes, and evaluated the applicability of the fabricated Schottky diodes for low-frequency half-wave rectifier circuits. The change of the oxygen content in the gas mixture from 1.64% to 6.25%, and post-deposition annealing is shown to increase the current rectification ratio from 10 5 to 10 7 at ±1 V, Schottky barrier height from 0.64 eV to 0.75 eV, and the ideality factor from 1.11 to 1.39. Half-wave rectifier circuits based on the fabricated Schottky diodes were simulated using parameters extracted from measured current-voltage and capacitance-voltage characteristics. The half-wave rectifier circuits were realized at 100 kHz and 300 kHz on as-fabricated Schottky diodes with active area of 200 μm × 200 μm, which is relevant for the near-field communication (125 kHz - 134 kHz), and provided the output voltage amplitude of 0.87 V for 2 V supply voltage. The simulation results matched with the measurement data, verifying the model accuracy for circuit level simulation.
Skin cancer detection proves to be complicated and highly dependent on the examiner’s skills. Millimeter-wave technologies seem to be a promising aid for the detection of skin cancer. The different water content of the skin area affected by cancer compared to healthy skin changes its reflective property. Due to limited available resources on the dielectric properties of skin cancer, especially in comparison to surrounding healthy skin, accurate simulations and evaluations are quite challenging. Therefore, comparing different results for different approaches and starting points can be difficult. In this paper, the Effective Medium Theory is applied to model skin cancer, which provides permittivity values dependent on the water content.
A method for evaluating skin cancer detection based on millimeter-wave technologies is presented. For this purpose, the relative permittivities are calculated using the effective medium theory for the benign and cancerous lesion, considering the change in water content between them. These calculated relative permittivities are further used for the simulation and evaluation of skin cancer detection using a substrate-integrated waveguide probe. A difference in the simulated scattering parameters S 11 of up to 13dB between healthy and cancerous skin can be determined in the best-case.
In diesem Beitrag werden grundlegende Aspekte und Methoden der Data Science erläutert. Nach dem Vorgehensmodell CRISP-DM sind in den Phasen Data Unterstanding und Data Preparation vor allem Verfahren der Datenselektion, Datenvorverarbeitung und der explorativen Datenanalyse anzuwenden. Beim Modeling, der Hauptaufgabe der Data Science, kann man überwachte und unüberwachte Methoden sowie Reinforcement Learning unterscheiden. Auf die Evaluation der Güte eines Modells anhand von Qualitätsmaßen wird anschließend eingegangen. Der Beitrag schließt mit einem Ausblick auf weitere Themen wie Cognitive Computing.
Machine Learning als Schlüsseltechnologie für Digitalisierung: Wie funktioniert maschinelles Lernen?
(2019)
Titanium and stainless steel are commonly known as osteosynthesis materials with high strength and good biocompatibility. However, they have the big disadvantage that a second operation for hardware removal is necessary. Although resorbable systems made of polymers or magnesium are increasingly used, they show some severe adverse foreign body reactions or unsatisfying degradation behavior. Therefore, we started to investigate molybdenum as a potential new biodegradable material for osteosynthesis in craniomaxillofacial surgery. To characterize molybdenum as a biocompatible material, we performed in vitro assays in accordance with ISO Norm 10993-5. In four different experimental setups, we showed that pure molybdenum and molybdenum rhenium alloys do not lead to cytotoxicity in human and mouse fibroblasts. We also examined the degradation behavior of molybdenum by carrying out long-term immersion tests (up to 6 months) with molybdenum sheet metal. We showed that molybdenum has sufficient mechanical stability over at least 6 months for implants on the one hand and is subject to very uniform degradation on the other. The results of our experiments are very promising for the development of new resorbable osteosynthesis materials for craniomaxillofacial surgery based on molybdenum.
Diese Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Entwicklung einer E-Learning Anwendung zum Peer-to-Peer Algorithmus Content Addressable Network (CAN). Ein CAN ist eine verteilte Hashtabelle zur dezentralen Verwaltung von Daten in Form von Schlüssel-Wert Paaren. Zweck der Anwendung ist eine didaktisch sinnvolle Aufbereitung und Darstellung der grundlegenden Abläufe im CAN. Die Anwendung simuliert ein CAN und bietet ein grafisches Interface zur Interaktion. Die Anwendung soll unterstützend im Rahmen des Moduls Advanced Networking im Informatik Master an der Hochschule Offenburg eingesetzt werden.
Featherweight Generic Go (FGG) is a minimal core calculus modeling the essential features of the programming language Go. It includes support for overloaded methods, interface types, structural subtyping, and generics. The most straightforward semantic description of the dynamic behavior of FGG programs is to resolve method calls based on runtime type information of the receiver. This article shows a different approach by defining a type-directed translation from FGG− to an untyped lambda-calculus. FGG− includes all features of FGG but type assertions. The translation of an FGG− program provides evidence for the availability of methods as additional dictionary parameters, similar to the dictionary-passing approach known from Haskell type classes. Then, method calls can be resolved by a simple lookup of the method definition in the dictionary. Every program in the image of the translation has the same dynamic semantics as its source FGG− program. The proof of this result is based on a syntactic, step-indexed logical relation. The step index ensures a well-founded definition of the relation in the presence of recursive interface types and recursive methods. Although being non-deterministic, the translation is coherent.
The Go programming language is an increasingly popular language but some of its features lack a formal investigation. This article explains Go's resolution mechanism for overloaded methods and its support for structural subtyping by means of translation from Featherweight Go to a simple target language. The translation employs a form of dictionary passing known from type classes in Haskell and preserves the dynamic behavior of Featherweight Go programs.
Featherweight Go (FG) is a minimal core calculus that includes essential Go features such as overloaded methods and interface types. The most straightforward semantic description of the dynamic behavior of FG programs is to resolve method calls based on run-time type information. A more efficient approach is to apply a type-directed translation scheme where interface-values are replaced by dictionaries that contain concrete method definitions. Thus, method calls can be resolved by a simple lookup of the method definition in the dictionary. Establishing that the target program obtained via the type-directed translation scheme preserves the semantics of the original FG program is an important task.
To establish this property we employ logical relations that are indexed by types to relate source and target programs. We provide rigorous proofs and give a detailed discussion of the many subtle corners that we have encountered including the need for a step index due to recursive inter- faces and method definitions.
Featherweight Generic Go (FGG) is a minimal core calculus modeling the essential features of the programming language Go. It includes support for overloaded methods, interface types, structural subtyping and generics. The most straightforward semantic description of the dynamic behavior of FGG programs is to resolve method calls based on runtime type information of the receiver.
This article shows a different approach by defining a type-directed translation from FGG to an untyped lambda-calculus. The translation of an FGG program provides evidence for the availability of methods as additional dictionary parameters, similar to the dictionary-passing approach known from Haskell type classes. Then, method calls can be resolved by a simple lookup of the method definition in the dictionary.
Every program in the image of the translation has the same dynamic semantics as its source FGG program. The proof of this result is based on a syntactic, step-indexed logical relation. The step-index ensures a well-founded definition of the relation in the presence of recursive interface types and recursive methods.
Implementierung und Automatisierung von Performance-Tests aus den Erkenntnissen von Last-Tests
(2021)
Die Website des bayerischen Fußball-Verbandes hatte anfangs Performance Probleme, weshalb es zu Abstürzen der Seite kam. Um das Problem zu lösen wurden Last-Tests eingeführt. Diese können allerdings nicht immer ausgeführt werden, weshalb ein Performance-Test erstellt werden soll. In dieser Arbeit wird das Verhalten von Webservern unter Last analysiert, um einen Performance-Test zu entwickeln.
Um das Verhalten beurteilen zu können, wurden auf einem lokalen Computer Last-Tests ausgeführt und analysiert. Dabei fiel auf, dass die Steigung der Response Time nicht linear ansteigt im Vergleich zu den virtuellen Usern. Die Funktion steigt ab einem gewissen Punkt stark und nähert sich einer Asymptote an. Dieser Punkt ist durch eine Formel berechenbar.
Aus diesen Ergebnissen wurde eine Berechnungsformel entwickelt, die anhand von Messungen die Performance einer Website berechnen kann. Die Formel wurde in ein Testskript integriert, das die Website Ressourcen automatisch scannt und die Messungen ausführt. Der erstellte Test wird zum Schluss ausgeführt und teilweise automatisiert.
Komplexe E-Commerce-Systeme müssen heutzutage immer schneller am Markt sein und sich an diesen anpassen. Dies wird durch SaaS-Services möglich, wodurch sich die Best-of-Breed-Lösungen einsetzen lassen. Der monolithische Ansatz der meisten E-Commerce-Systeme ist für diese Anwendungen nicht mehr geeignet. Abhilfe soll der Composable-Commerce-Ansatz schaffen. Für den Ansatz wird eine Integrationslösung benötigt. Ziel dieser Thesis ist es, Integrationslösungen zu evaluieren und mithilfe von Integration-Layer-Prototypen gegenüberzustellen. Es werden zwei Integrationslösungen ausgewählt, die als Prototyp implementiert werden. Für den ersten Prototypen wird Apache Camel in einem Spring-Boot-Server verwendet. Der zweite Prototyp setzt die AWS-eigenen Services für die Integration ein. Zum Schluss werden diese durch einen Last-Test auf ihre Performance geprüft.
Das hier vorgestellte System verbindet das neue Konzept der Peer-to-Peer-Navigation mit dem Einsatz von Augmented Reality zur Unterstützung von bettseitig durchgeführten externen Ventrikeldrainagen. Das sehr kompakte und genaue Gesamtsystem beinhaltet einen Patiententracker mit integrierter Kamera, eine Augmented-Reality-Brille mit Kamera und eine Punktionsnadel bzw. einen Pointer mit zwei Trackern, mit dessen Hilfe die Anatomie des Patienten aufgenommen wird. Die exakte Position und Richtung der Punktionsnadel wird unter Zuhilfenahme der aufgenommenen Landmarken berechnet und über die Augmented-Reality-Brille für den Chirurgen sichtbar auf dem Patienten dargestellt. Die Methode zur Kalibrierung der statischen Transformationen zwischen Patiententracker und daran befestigter Kamera beziehungsweise zwischen den Trackern der Punktionsnadel sind für die Genauigkeit sehr wichtig und werden hier vorgestellt. Das Gesamtsystem konnte in vitro erfolgreich getestet werden und bestätigt den Nutzen eines Peer-to-Peer-Navigationssystems.
Purpose
This work presents a new monocular peer-to-peer tracking concept overcoming the distinction between tracking tools and tracked tools for optical navigation systems. A marker model concept based on marker triplets combined with a fast and robust algorithm for assigning image feature points to the corresponding markers of the tracker is introduced. Also included is a new and fast algorithm for pose estimation.
Methods
A peer-to-peer tracker consists of seven markers, which can be tracked by other peers, and one camera which is used to track the position and orientation of other peers. The special marker layout enables a fast and robust algorithm for assigning image feature points to the correct markers. The iterative pose estimation algorithm is based on point-to-line matching with Lagrange–Newton optimization and does not rely on initial guesses. Uniformly distributed quaternions in 4D (the vertices of a hexacosichora) are used as starting points and always provide the global minimum.
Results
Experiments have shown that the marker assignment algorithm robustly assigns image feature points to the correct markers even under challenging conditions. The pose estimation algorithm works fast, robustly and always finds the correct pose of the trackers. Image processing, marker assignment, and pose estimation for two trackers are handled in less than 18 ms on an Intel i7-6700 desktop computer at 3.4 GHz.
Conclusion
The new peer-to-peer tracking concept is a valuable approach to a decentralized navigation system that offers more freedom in the operating room while providing accurate, fast, and robust results.
Gas Analysis and Optimization of Debinding and Sintering Processes for Metallic Binder-Based AM*
(2022)
Binder-based additive manufacturing processes for metallic
AM components in a wide range of applications usually use
organic binders and process-related additives that must be
thermally removed before sintering. Debinding processes are
typically parameterized empirically and thus far from the optimum.
Since debinding based on thermal decomposition processes
of organic components and the subsequent thermochemical
reactions between process atmosphere and metal
powder materials make uncomplicated parameterization difficult,
in-situ instrumentation was introduced at Fraunhofer
IFAM. This measurement method relies on infrared spectroscopy
and mass spectrometry in various furnace concepts to
understand the gas processes of decomposition of organic
components and the subsequent thermochemical reactions
between the carrier gas atmosphere and the metal part, as well
as their kinetics. This method enables an efficient optimization
of the temperature-time profiles and the required atmosphere
composition to realize dense AM components with low contamination.
In the paper, the optimization strategy is presented,
and the achievable properties are illustrated using a fused
filament fabrication (FFF) component example made of 316L
stainless steel.
In recent years, both the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain technologies have been highly influential and revolutionary. IoT enables companies to embrace Industry 4.0, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which benefits from communication and connectivity to reduce cost and to increase productivity through sensor-based autonomy. These automated systems can be further refined with smart contracts that are executed within a blockchain, thereby increasing transparency through continuous and indisputable logging. Ideally, the level of security for these IoT devices shall be very high, as they are specifically designed for this autonomous and networked environment. This paper discusses a use case of a company with legacy devices that wants to benefit from the features and functionality of blockchain technology. In particular, the implications of retrofit solutions are analyzed. The use of the BISS:4.0 platform is proposed as the underlying infrastructure. BISS:4.0 is
intended to integrate the blockchain technologies into existing enterprise environments. Furthermore, a security analysis of IoT and blockchain present attacks and countermeasures are presented that are identified and applied to the mentioned use case.
Formal Description of Use Cases for Industry 4.0 Maintenance Processes Using Blockchain Technology
(2019)
Maintenance processes in Industry 4.0 applications try to achieve a high degree of quality to reduce the downtime of machinery. The monitoring of executed maintenance activities is challenging as in complex production setups, multiple stakeholders are involved. So, full transparency of the different activities and of the state of the machine can only be supported, if these stakeholders trust each other. Therefore, distributed ledger technologies, like Blockchain, can be promising candidates for supporting such applications. The goal of this paper is a formal description of business and technical interactions between non-trustful stakeholders in the context of Industry 4.0 maintenance processes using distributed ledger technologies. It also covers the integration of smart contracts for automated triggering of activities.
As industrial networks continue to expand and connect more devices and users, they face growing security challenges such as unauthorized access and data breaches. This paper delves into the crucial role of security and trust in industrial networks and how trust management systems (TMS) can mitigate malicious access to these networks.The TMS presented in this paper leverages distributed ledger technology (blockchain) to evaluate the trustworthiness of blockchain nodes, including devices and users, and make access decisions accordingly. While this approach is applicable to blockchain, it can also be extended to other areas. This approach can help prevent malicious actors from penetrating industrial networks and causing harm. The paper also presents the results of a simulation to demonstrate the behavior of the TMS and provide insights into its effectiveness.
Ziel der vorliegenden Bachelorarbeit ist es, eine automatisierte Bildausschnittkontrolle für die Low Code Plattform Intrexx zu implementieren. Diese soll mit Hilfe eines geeigneten Künstliche Intelligenz Frameworks Gesichter in Bildern erkennen und diese anschließend ausschneiden. Die Benutzer*innen sollen die Ausschnitte außerdem noch manuell anpassen können. Die Implementierung erfolgt mittels Typescript innerhalb einer Webkomponente, um eine Verwendung innerhalb von Intrexx zu ermöglichen. Nach einem Vergleich verschiedener technologischer Ansätze hat sich Tensorflow als geeignetes KI-Framework herausgestellt. Im Rahmen einer Performance-Analyse wurden außerdem verschiedene Tensorflow-Modelle miteinander verglichen.
This paper describes a thorough analysis of using PPO to learn kick behaviors with simulated NAO robots in the simspark environment. The analysis includes an investigation of the influence of PPO hyperparameters, network size, training setups and performance in real games. We believe to improve the state of the art mainly in four points: first, the kicks are learned with a toed version of the NAO robot, second, we improve the reliability with respect to kickable area and avoidance of falls, third, the kick can be parameterized with desired distance and direction as input to the deep network and fourth, the approach allows to integrate the learned behavior seamlessly into soccer games. The result is a significant improvement of the general level of play.
Seit 2009 nimmt das Team ”magmaOffenburg” an der 3D-Simulationsliga des RoboCups teil. Für das erfolgreiche Abschneiden in Turnieren ist die Qualität der erlernten Bewegungsabläufe ein zentraler Faktor. Bisher wurden genetische Algorithmen verwendet, um verschiedenste Aktionen zu erlernen sowie zu optimieren. In dieser Arbeit wird der Deep Reinforcement Learning Algorithmus Proximal Policy Optimization für das Erlernen bestimmter Bewegungen verwendet. Um ein Verständnis für dessen einflussreichen Parameter zu erhalten, werden Größen wie paralleles Lernen, Hyperparameter, Netzwerktopologie, Größe des Observationspace sowie asynchronem Lernen anhand dem Kicken aus dem Stand evaluiert. Durch die Ergebnisse der Evaluierung konnte der erlernte Kick signifikant verbessert werden und sein genetisch erlerntes Gegenstück im Spiel ablösen. Drüber hinaus wurden die Erkenntnisse anhand dem Laufen lernen evaluiert und Zusammenhänge bzw. Unterschiede der zwei Lernprobleme festgestellt.
It seems to be a widespread impression that the use of strong cryptography inevitably imposes a prohibitive burden on industrial communication systems, at least inasmuch as real-time requirements in cyclic fieldbus communications are concerned. AES-GCM is a leading cryptographic algorithm for authenticated encryption, which protects data against disclosure and manipulations. We study the use of both hardware and software-based implementations of AES-GCM. By simulations as well as measurements on an FPGA-based prototype setup we gain and substantiate an important insight: for devices with a 100 Mbps full-duplex link, a single low-footprint AES-GCM hardware engine can deterministically cope with the worst-case computational load, i.e., even if the device maintains a maximum number of cyclic communication relations with individual cryptographic keys. Our results show that hardware support for AES-GCM in industrial fieldbus components may actually be very lightweight.
Fully Printed Inverters using Metal‐Oxide Semiconductor and Graphene Passives on Flexible Substrates
(2020)
Printed and flexible metal‐oxide transistor technology has recently demonstrated great promise due to its high performance and robust mechanical stability. Herein, fully printed inverter structures using electrolyte‐gated oxide transistors on a flexible polyimide (PI) substrate are discussed in detail. Conductive graphene ink is printed as the passive structures and interconnects. The additive printed transistors on PI substrates show an on/off ratio of 106 and show mobilities similar to the state‐of‐the‐art printed transistors on rigid substrates. Printed meander structures of graphene are used as pull‐up resistances in a transistor–resistor logic to create fully printed inverters. The printed and flexible inverters show a signal gain of 3.5 and a propagation delay of 30 ms. These printed inverters are able to withstand a tensile strain of 1.5% following more than 200 cycles of mechanical bending. The stability of the electrical direct current (DC) properties has been observed over a period of 5 weeks. These oxide transistor‐based fully printed inverters are relevant for digital printing methods which could be implemented into roll‐to‐roll processes.
Development of Fully Printed Oxide Field-Effect Transistors using Graphene Passive Structures
(2019)
During the past decade to the present time, the topic of printed electronics has gained a lot of attention for their potential use in a number of practical applications, including biosensors, photovoltaic devices, RFIDs, flexible displays, large-area circuits, and so on. To fully realize printed electronic components and devices, effective techniques for the printing of passive structures and electrically and chemically compatible materials in the printed devices need to be developed first. The opportunity of using electrically conducting graphene inks will enable the integration of passive structures into active devices, as for example, printed electrolyte-gated transistors (EGTs). Accordingly, in this study, we present the parametric results obtained on fully printed electrolyte-gated transistors having graphene as the passive electrodes, an inorganic oxide semiconductor as the active channel, and a composite solid polymer electrolyte (CSPE) as the gate insulating material. This configuration offers high chemical and electrical stability while at the same time allowing EGT operation at low potentials, implying the distinct advantage of operation at low input voltages. The printed in-plane EGTs we developed exhibit excellent performance with device mobility up to 16 cm2 V–1 s–1, an ION/IOFF ratio of 105, and a subthreshold slope of 120 mV dec–1.
In dieser Arbeit soll ein digitaler Zwilling für ein Transportband und Anlagenteil der im Labor für Automatisierungssysteme eingesetzten Fischertechnik-Fabrik mit der Industrie 4.0 Software von Siemens NX Mechatronics Component Designer entwickelt und die Anlage virtuell und daraufhin in der Realität in Betrieb genommen werden.
Die industrielle Kommunikation war früher von relativ eingeschränkten, geschlossenen Feldbussystemen geprägt. Mit der zunehmenden Öffnung von Automatisierungsnetzen durch die horizontale und vertikale Integration in Produktionsanlagen entstehen gefährliche Angriffsflächen, die zum Diebstahl von Produktionsgeheimnissen, der Manipulation oder dem kompletten Lahmlegen der Produktionsprozesse führen können. Hieraus ergeben sich grundlegend neue Anforderung an die Datensicherheit, denen mit innovativen Lösungsansätzen begegnet werden muss.
Ziel des Forschungsvorhabens „SecureField“ war es, die Umsetzbarkeit und Anwendbarkeit des Ansatzes „(D)TLS-over-Anything“ zu untersuchen und nachzuweisen, sowie einen Werkzeugkasten zur Definition und Implementierung entsprechender Sicherheitslösungen vorzubereiten. Als langjährig etablierter Standard im IT-Umfeld stellte sich das (Datagram) Transport Layer Security ((D)TLS) Protokoll in Kombination mit einer industrie- bzw. automatisierungskompatiblen Public-Key-Infrastruktur (PKI) als äußerst vielversprechende Möglichkeit dar, Datensicherheit auch im OT-Umfeld zu erzielen. Hierbei sollten insbesondere KMU adressiert werden, für welche eigene Entwicklungsarbeiten in diesem Umfeld häufig zu aufwändig und technisch sowie wirtschaftlich zu riskant sind.
Mit „SecureField“ konnten Ergebnisse auf mehreren Ebenen erzielt werden. Zunächst konnte im Projektverlauf ein umfassendes und generisches Konzept zur Ende-zu-Ende-Absicherung von Kommunikationspfaden und -protokollen im industriellen Umfeld erarbeitet werden. Dieses Konzept besteht aus einem generischen Kommunikationsmodell sowie aus einem generischen Authentifikationsmodell.
With the increasing degree of interconnectivity in industrial factories, security becomes more and more the most important stepping-stone towards wide adoption of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). This paper summarizes the most important aspects of one keynote of DESSERT2020 conference. It highlights the ongoing and open research activities on the different levels, from novel cryptographic algorithms over security protocol integration and testing to security architectures for the full lifetime of devices and systems. It includes an overview of the research activities at the authors' institute.
This paper presents an overview of EREMI, a two-year project funded under ERASMUS+ KA203, and its results. The project team’s main objective was to develop and validate an advanced interdisciplinary higher education curriculum, which includes lifelong learning components. The curriculum focuses on enhancing resource efficiency in the manufacturing industry and optimising poorly or non-digitised industrial physical infrastructure systems. The paper also discusses the results of the project, highlighting the successful achievement of its goals. EREMI effectively supports the transition to Industry 5.0 by preparing a common European pool of future experts. Through comprehensive research and collaboration, the project team has designed a curriculum that equips students with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in the evolving manufacturing landscape. Furthermore, the paper explores the significance of EREMI’s contributions to the field, emphasising the importance of resource efficiency and system optimisation in industrial settings. By addressing the challenges posed by under-digitised infrastructure, the project aims to drive sustainable and innovative practices in manufacturing. All five project partner organisations have been actively engaged in offering relevant educational content and framework for decentralised sustainable economic development in regional and national contexts through capacity building at a local level. A crucial element of the added value is the new channel for obtaining feedback from students. The survey results, which are outlined in the paper, offer valuable insights gathered from students, contributing to the continuous improvement of the project.
Wireless communication networks are crucial for enabling megatrends like the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0. However, testing these networks can be challenging due to the complex network topology and RF characteristics, requiring a multitude of scenarios to be tested. To address this challenge, the authors developed and extended an automated testbed called Automated Physical TestBed (APTB). This testbed provides the means to conduct controlled tests, analyze coexistence, emulate multiple propagation paths, and model dependable channel conditions. Additionally, the platform supports test automation to facilitate efficient and systematic experimentation. This paper describes the extended architecture, implementation, and performance evaluation of the APTB testbed. The APTB testbed provides a reliable and efficient solution for testing wireless communication networks under various scenarios. The implementation and performance verification of the testbed demonstrate its effectiveness and usefulness for researchers and industry practitioners.
Wireless sensor networks have found their way into a wide range of applications, among which environmental monitoring systems have attracted increasing interests of researchers. Main challenges for these applications are scalability of the network size and energy efficiency of the spatially distributed nodes. Nodes are mostly battery-powered and spend most of their energy budget on the radio transceiver module. In normal operation modes most energy is spent waiting for incoming frames. A so-called Wake-On-Radio (WOR) technology helps to optimize trade-offs between energy consumption, communication range, complexity of the implementation and response time. We already proposed a new protocol called SmartMAC that makes use of such WOR technology. Furthermore, it gives the possibility to balance the energy consumption between sender and receiver nodes depending on the use case. Based on several calculations and simulations, it was predicted that the SmartMAC protocol was significantly more efficient than other schemes being proposed in recent publications, while preserving a certain backward compatibility with standard IEEE802.15.4 transceivers. To verify this prediction, we implemented the SmartMAC protocol for a given hardware platform. This paper compares the realtime performance of the SmartMAC protocol against simulation results, and proves the measured values are very close to the estimated values. Thus we believe that the proposed MAC algorithms outperforms all other Wake-on-Radio MACs.
Das Monitoring von Industrieanlagen stellt in der Wirtschaft sicher, dass hoch-automatisierte Prozesse reibungslos ablaufen können. Meistens steht hier das Monitoring der Anlagen selbst im Mittelpunkt, die Kommunikationsleitungen für den Datenaustausch auf Ethernet-Basis (z.B. Profinet) sind gegenwärtig noch nicht Teil einer kontinuierlichen Überwachung. Zwar werden auch hier die physischen Verbindungen überprüft, jedoch geschieht häufig dies nur zum Zeitpunkt der Inbetriebnahme, wenn die Anlage noch nicht in das Gesamtsystem integriert ist oder während eines Wartungszyklus, wenn die Maschine für die Dauer der Wartung aus dem Betriebsablauf genommen wird. Dies führt dazu, dass insbesondere heute, wo vor allem Ethernet zunehmend als Basis für die industrielle Kommunikation herangezogen wird, Maschinenausfälle aufgrund fehlender Kabelüberwachung immer wahrscheinlicher werden. Um dem entgegenwirken zu können, wurde im Projekt Ko2SiBus ein neues Messverfahren konzipiert, implementiert und validiert, das kostengünstig in neue oder bestehende Systeme integriert werden kann. Um die Tauglichkeit zu zeigen, wurden die Projektergebnisse in Prototypen und Demonstratoren implementiert, die sowohl als Stand-Alone aber auch als Integrationslösungen dienen können.
The authentication method of electronic devices, based on individual forms of correlograms of their internal electric noises, is well-known. Specific physical differences in the components – for example, caused by variations in production quality – cause specific electrical signals, i.e. electric noise, in the electronic device. It is possible to obtain this information and to identify the specific differences of the individual devices using an embedded analog-to-digital converter (ADC). These investigations confirm the possibility to identify and authenticate electronic devices using bit templates, calculated from the sequence of values of the normalized autocorrelation function of noise. Experiments have been performed using personal computers. The probability of correct identification and authentication increases with increasing noise recording duration. As a result of these experiments, an accuracy of 98.1% was achieved for a 1 second-long registration of EM for a set of investigated computers.
Sequenzielle Schaltungen
(2022)
In recent times, 5G has found applications in several public as well as private networks. There is a growing need to make it compatible with diverse services without compromising security. Current security options for authenticating devices into a home network are 5G Authentication and Key Agreement (5G-AKA) and Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)-AKA'. However, for specific use cases such as private networks, more customizable and convenient authentication mechanisms are required. The current mobile networks use authentication based only on SIM cards, but as 5G is being applied in fields like IIoT and automation, even in Non-Public-Networks (NPNs), there is a need for a simpler method of authentication. Certificate-based authentication is one such mechanism that is passwordless and works solely on the information present in the digital certificate that the user holds. The paper suggests an authentication mechanism that performs certificate-based mutual authentication between the UE and the Home network. The proposed concept identifies both the user and network with digital certificates and intends to carry out primary authentication with the help of it. In this work we conduct a study on presently available authentication protocols for 5G networks, both theoretically and experimentally in hardware as well as virtual environments. On the basis of the analysis a series of proposed steps for certificate primary authentication are presented.
As cyber-attacks and functional safety requirements increase in Operational Technology (OT), implementing security measures becomes crucial. The IEC/IEEE 60802 draft standard addresses the security convergence in Time-Sensitive Networks (TSN) for industrial automation.We present the standard’s security architecture and its goals to establish end-to-end security with resource access authorization in OT systems. We compare the standard to our abstract technology-independent model for the management of cryptographic credentials during the lifecycles of OT systems. Additionally, we implemented the processes, mechanisms, and protocols needed for IEC/IEEE 60802 and extended the architecture with public key infrastructure (PKI) functionalities to support complete security management processes.
To demonstrate how deep learning can be applied to industrial applications with limited training data, deep learning methodologies are used in three different applications. In this paper, we perform unsupervised deep learning utilizing variational autoencoders and demonstrate that federated learning is a communication efficient concept for machine learning that protects data privacy. As an example, variational autoencoders are utilized to cluster and visualize data from a microelectromechanical systems foundry. Federated learning is used in a predictive maintenance scenario using the C-MAPSS dataset.
Der Südwestrundfunk ersetzt das bisher verwendete Ticketing-System Assyst
durch OTRS. Daten zu Kostenstellen, Räumen und Personen werden nicht in
diesen Systemen gepflegt und müssen deshalb regelmäßig aus den jeweiligen
Quellen synchronisiert werden. Die Datensynchronisation dieser und einiger
weiterer Systeme soll über eine neu entwickelte Schnittstelle erfolgen. Sie umfasst
das Auslesen der angebunden Systeme, die Aktualisierungslogik und das
Schreiben der veränderten Daten. Sie wird als eigenständig ausführbares Java-
Programm entwickelt.
Digital transformation strengthens the interconnection of companies in order to develop optimized and better customized, cross-company business models. These models require secure, reliable, and traceable evidence and monitoring of contractually agreed information to gain trust between stakeholders. Blockchain technology using smart contracts allows the industry to establish trust and automate cross-company business processes without the risk of losing data control. A typical cross-company industry use case is equipment maintenance. Machine manufacturers and service providers offer maintenance for their machines and tools in order to achieve high availability at low costs. The aim of this chapter is to demonstrate how maintenance use cases are attempted by utilizing hyperledger fabric for building a chain of trust by hardened evidence logging of the maintenance process to achieve legal certainty. Contracts are digitized into smart contracts automating business that increase the security and mitigate the error-proneness of the business processes.
Das Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, eine Schnittstelle zu erstellen, die es erlaubt, dem vom Unternehmen produzierten modulbasierten ERP-System Module zu integrieren, die
mit der aktuellen Version der Programmiersprache Delphi erstellt wurden.
Die Schwierigkeit hierbei ist, dass die momentane Implementation des Systems auf
einer Jahrzehnte alten Version der Sprache basiert, die in mehreren Bereichen keine
Kompatibilität mit der neuen Version besitzt.
Um dieses Ziel zu erreichen wurden zunächst die konkreten Anforderungen an die
Lösung formuliert und daraufhin verschiedene Lösungsansätze für eine Schnittstelle
konzipiert.
Durch Testen an einer prototypisch vereinfachten Version des ERP-Systems konnte
festgestellt werden, dass eine Lösung über eine auf Datenbanktransaktionen basierende Schnittstelle für das Projekt am ehesten geeignet war.
Nach weiterer Planung des exakten Aufbaus wurden die nötigen Funktionalitäten dann
umgesetzt, wobei zuerst in groben Zügen die essentiellen Aspekte realisiert wurden,
welche dann in weiteren Durchläufen auf die exakten Spezifikationen verfeinert und
auf Fehler geprüft wurden.
Nachdem dieser Lösungsansatz einen ausreichenden Vervollständigungsgrad erreicht
hatte, wurde das Projekt zu Testzwecken in firmeninternem Umfeld in Betrieb genommen.
Durch anschließendes weiteres Beheben von noch ausstehenden Fehlern wurde das
Projekt dann in einen Zustand gebracht, in dem es allgemein in Verwendung genommen werden kann und somit die gewünschten Vorgaben erfüllt.
Deep learning approaches are becoming increasingly important for the estimation of the Remaining Useful Life (RUL) of mechanical elements such as bearings. This paper proposes and evaluates a novel transfer learning-based approach for RUL estimations of different bearing types with small datasets and low sampling rates. The approach is based on an intermediate domain that abstracts features of the bearings based on their fault frequencies. The features are processed by convolutional layers. Finally, the RUL estimation is performed using a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network. The transfer learning relies on a fixed-feature extraction. This novel deep learning approach successfully uses data of a low-frequency range, which is a precondition to use low-cost sensors. It is validated against the IEEE PHM 2012 Data Challenge, where it outperforms the winning approach. The results show its suitability for low-frequency sensor data and for efficient and effective transfer learning between different bearing types.
In recent years, predictive maintenance tasks, especially for bearings, have become increasingly important. Solutions for these use cases concentrate on the classification of faults and the estimation of the Remaining Useful Life (RUL). As of today, these solutions suffer from a lack of training samples. In addition, these solutions often require high-frequency accelerometers, incurring significant costs. To overcome these challenges, this research proposes a combined classification and RUL estimation solution based on a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network. This solution relies on a hybrid feature extraction approach, making it especially appropriate for low-cost accelerometers with low sampling frequencies. In addition, it uses transfer learning to be suitable for applications with only a few training samples.
The often-occurring short-term orders of manufactured products require a high machine availability. This requirement increases the importance of predictive maintenance solutions for bearings used in machines. There are, among others, hybrid solutions that rely on a physical model. For their usage, knowing the different degradation stages of bearings is essential. This research analyzes the underlying failure mechanisms of these stages theoretically and in a practical example of the well-known FEMTO dataset used for the IEEE PHM 2012 Data Challenge to provide this knowledge. In addition, it shows for which use cases the usage of low-frequency accelerometers is sufficient. The analysis provides that the degradation stages toward the end of the bearing life can also be detected with low-frequency accelerometers. Further, the importance of high-frequency accelerometers to detect bearing faults in early degradation stages is pointed out. These aspects have not been paid attention to by industry and research until now, despite providing a considerable cost-saving potential.
In the last decade, deep learning models for condition monitoring of mechanical systems increasingly gained importance. Most of the previous works use data of the same domain (e.g., bearing type) or of a large amount of (labeled) samples. This approach is not valid for many real-world scenarios from industrial use-cases where only a small amount of data, often unlabeled, is available.
In this paper, we propose, evaluate, and compare a novel technique based on an intermediate domain, which creates a new representation of the features in the data and abstracts the defects of rotating elements such as bearings. The results based on an intermediate domain related to characteristic frequencies show an improved accuracy of up to 32 % on small labeled datasets compared to the current state-of-the-art in the time-frequency domain.
Furthermore, a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architecture is proposed for transfer learning. We also propose and evaluate a new approach for transfer learning, which we call Layered Maximum Mean Discrepancy (LMMD). This approach is based on the Maximum Mean Discrepancy (MMD) but extends it by considering the special characteristics of the proposed intermediate domain. The presented approach outperforms the traditional combination of Hilbert–Huang Transform (HHT) and S-Transform with MMD on all datasets for unsupervised as well as for semi-supervised learning. In most of our test cases, it also outperforms other state-of-the-art techniques.
This approach is capable of using different types of bearings in the source and target domain under a wide variation of the rotation speed.
It is important to minimize the unscheduled downtime of machines caused by outages of machine components in highly automated production lines. Considering machine tools such as, grinding machines, the bearing inside of spindles is one of the most critical components. In the last decade, research has increasingly focused on fault detection of bearings. In addition, the rise of machine learning concepts has also intensified interest in this area. However, up to date, there is no single one-fits-all solution for predictive maintenance of bearings. Most research so far has only looked at individual bearing types at a time.
This paper gives an overview of the most important approaches for bearing-fault analysis in grinding machines. There are two main parts of the analysis presented in this paper. The first part presents the classification of bearing faults, which includes the detection of unhealthy conditions, the position of the error (e.g. at the inner or at the outer ring of the bearing) and the severity, which detects the size of the fault. The second part presents the prediction of remaining useful life, which is important for estimating the productive use of a component before a potential failure, optimizing the replacement costs and minimizing downtime.
In this contribution, we propose an system setup for the detection andclassification of objects in autonomous driving applications. The recognition algo-rithm is based upon deep neural networks, operating in the 2D image domain. Theresults are combined with data of a stereo camera system to finally incorporatethe 3D object information into our mapping framework. The detection systemis locally running upon the onboard CPU of the vehicle. Several network archi-tectures are implemented and evaluated with respect to accuracy and run-timedemands for the given camera and hardware setup.
Diese Arbeit befasst sich mit agilen Methodiken zur Konzeption einer Softwarearchitektur. Es wurden Vorgehensweisen der Anforderungserhebung basierend auf themenspezifischer Literatur recherchiert und angewandt. Passend zu den Anforderungen wurden Architektur- und Dokumentationsmittel gewählt, welche die Konzeption der Architektur sowie die Implementierung der geforderten Software zum Erstellen und Ausführen von Lasttests auf softwarebasierten Langzeitarchivsystemen erleichtern sollen. Ein bestehendes Softwaresystem, welches bisher diese Aufgabe übernommen hat, wurde als Grundlage einer Neuentwicklung in Betracht gezogen. Es wurde dahingehend analysiert, aber begründet verworfen. In der Konzeptionsphase wurde eine Lösungsstrategie ermittelt sowie die Struktur der Architektur geplant und dokumentiert. Anhand eines beispielhaften Datenflusses wurde die Realisierbarkeit des Modells nachgewiesen. Auf Basis einer frei zugänglichen Architekturdokumentationsvorlage wurde eine Dokumentation des Konzeptes erstellt, welche einen schnellen Start in die agile Entwicklungsphase ermöglichen soll.
Thema der Bachelorarbeit ist die OTA-Technologie, welche es ermöglicht, die Firmware eines Embedded Systems zu aktualisieren. Es wird die Funktionsweise eines OTA-Updates an einer reellen Implementierung gezeigt. Anschließend wird eine Komplettlösung für OTA-Updates, die Amazon IoT Core Platform, aufgezeigt. Die Nachteile dieser Komplettlösung sollen in die Konzeption und Implementierung einer Alternative mittels eines Mesh-Netzwerks einfließen.
Embedded Analog Physical Unclonable Function System to Extract Reliable and Unique Security Keys
(2020)
Internet of Things (IoT) enabled devices have become more and more pervasive in our everyday lives. Examples include wearables transmitting and processing personal data and smart labels interacting with customers. Due to the sensitive data involved, these devices need to be protected against attackers. In this context, hardware-based security primitives such as Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) provide a powerful solution to secure interconnected devices. The main benefit of PUFs, in combination with traditional cryptographic methods, is that security keys are derived from the random intrinsic variations of the underlying core circuit. In this work, we present a holistic analog-based PUF evaluation platform, enabling direct access to a scalable design that can be customized to fit the application requirements in terms of the number of required keys and bit width. The proposed platform covers the full software and hardware implementations and allows for tracing the PUF response generation from the digital level back to the internal analog voltages that are directly involved in the response generation procedure. Our analysis is based on 30 fabricated PUF cores that we evaluated in terms of PUF security metrics and bit errors for various temperatures and biases. With an average reliability of 99.20% and a uniqueness of 48.84%, the proposed system shows values close to ideal.
Physically Unclonable Functions (PUFs) are hardware-based security primitives, which allow for inherent device fingerprinting. Therefore, intrinsic variation of imperfect manufactured systems is exploited to generate device-specific, unique identifiers. With printed electronics (PE) joining the internet of things (IoT), hardware-based security for novel PE-based systems is of increasing importance. Furthermore, PE offers the possibility for split-manufacturing, which mitigates the risk of PUF response readout by third parties, before commissioning. In this paper, we investigate a printed PUF core as intrinsic variation source for the generation of unique identifiers from a crossbar architecture. The printed crossbar PUF is verified by simulation of a 8×8-cells crossbar, which can be utilized to generate 32-bit wide identifiers. Further focus is on limiting factors regarding printed devices, such as increased parasitics, due to novel materials and required control logic specifications. The simulation results highlight, that the printed crossbar PUF is capable to generate close-to-ideal unique identifiers at the investigated feature size. As proof of concept a 2×2-cells printed crossbar PUF core is fabricated and electrically characterized.
Hybrid low-voltage physical unclonable function based on inkjet-printed metal-oxide transistors
(2020)
Modern society is striving for digital connectivity that demands information security. As an emerging technology, printed electronics is a key enabler for novel device types with free form factors, customizability, and the potential for large-area fabrication while being seamlessly integrated into our everyday environment. At present, information security is mainly based on software algorithms that use pseudo random numbers. In this regard, hardware-intrinsic security primitives, such as physical unclonable functions, are very promising to provide inherent security features comparable to biometrical data. Device-specific, random intrinsic variations are exploited to generate unique secure identifiers. Here, we introduce a hybrid physical unclonable function, combining silicon and printed electronics technologies, based on metal oxide thin film devices. Our system exploits the inherent randomness of printed materials due to surface roughness, film morphology and the resulting electrical characteristics. The security primitive provides high intrinsic variation, is non-volatile, scalable and exhibits nearly ideal uniqueness.
Printed electronics can add value to existing products by providing new smart functionalities, such as sensing elements over large-areas on flexible or non-conformal surfaces. Here we present a hardware concept and prototype for a thinned ASIC integrated with an inkjet-printed temperature sensor alongside in-built additional security and unique identification features. The hybrid system exploits the advantages of inkjet-printable platinum-based sensors, physically unclonable function circuits and a fluorescent particle-based coating as a tamper protection layer.
A Hybrid Optoelectronic Sensor Platform with an Integrated Solution‐Processed Organic Photodiode
(2021)
Hybrid systems, unifying printed electronics with silicon‐based technology, can be seen as a driving force for future sensor development. Especially interesting are sensing elements based on printed devices in combination with silicon‐based high‐performance electronics for data acquisition and communication. In this work, a hybrid system integrating a solution‐processed organic photodiode in a silicon‐based system environment, which enables flexible device measurement and application‐driven development, is presented. For performance evaluation of the integrated organic photodiode, the measurements are compared to a silicon‐based counterpart. Therefore, the steady state response of the hybrid system is presented. Promising application scenarios are described, where a solution‐processed organic photodiode is fully integrated in a silicon system.
Printed electronics, due to its manufacturability using printing technology, allows for fabrication on large areas and the usage of flexible substrates and thus enables novel applications. Non-impact printing technology, such as inkjet-printing, permits for flexible, decentralized manufacturing of electronic devices and systems. This further facilitates split-manufacturing in security-critical electrical components, as well as a maximum in design flexibility in terms of free form factors and non-standardized structures with different geometrical sizes, reaching from a few micrometers up to several millimeters.
Based on the technological benefits printed electronics offers, it provides an interesting counterpart to classical silicon-based electronics, which is usually densely integrated on miniaturized, rigid areas. By utilizing both technologies in a complementary manner, novel systems in the form of hybrid systems can be enabled. Whilst hybrid systems, incorporating passive printed components and electrically conductive wiring concepts, are already commercialized, complex printed systems, which also utilize active components remain rare. To enable more complex (hybrid) systems, various building blocks are required. This includes possibilities for lightweight, printed data storage, the capability to provide sustainable, self-powered printed components and especially circuits for secure, unique identification for holistic printed systems, deployed in the internet of things.
The presented thesis focuses on inkjet-printed electronic devices, circuits and hybrid systems. It investigates solutions for current scientific questions in the area of efficient data storage, sustainable electronics and hardware-based security in printed electronics.
For data storage, an inkjet-printed memristor is developed. The device is fully electrically evaluated with a focus on its data storage capabilities. Furthermore, the printed device is of special interest due to its easy manufacturability and integration capabilities. The experimental analysis reveals that the developed memristor is highly suitable as lightweight non-volatile memory device.
In order to enable sustainable electronic systems, an inkjet-printed full-wave rectifier based on near-zero threshold voltage electrolyte-gated transistors is developed and fully electrically characterized. The circuit is capable for small alternating voltage rectification of low-frequency vibration energy harvesters in the sub-volt region. This provides an important building block in enabling sustainable, self-powered electronic systems. The inkjet-printed full-wave rectifier is evaluated by electrical simulation and experimentally.
To tackle hardware-based security for printed electronics, two implementations for inkjet-printed physically unclonable functions are developed and presented. For unique identification, intrinsic variation in active printed devices are exploited. One implementation is based on a crossbar architecture, incorporating integrable electrolyte-gated transistor cells. The second implementation, the so-called differential circuit physically unclonable function, is based on inverter structures, which provide the basis for unique response generation. Both physically unclonable functions are evaluated using an electrical simulation-based approach and experimentally. The differential circuit approach is furthermore fully integrated within a silicon-based electronic platform environment and serves as intrinsic variation source in a hybrid system. The hybrid system physically unclonable function is fully verified regarding performance metrics and is capable to generate highly unique responses for secure identification.
Die Impedanzkardiografie ist ein nicht-invasives Verfahren zur Messung der Funktion des Herzens, welche wiederum auf der Erfassung von elektrischen Impedanzänderungen im Thorax basiert. Die Verbindung der Impedanzkardiografie mit der biomechanischen Stimulation der Beinmuskulatur hat das Potenzial, die kardiale Ausgangsleistung zu verbessern und somit die körperliche Leistungsfähigkeit zu steigern. In dieser Bachelorarbeit wurden die Auswirkungen der biomechanischen Stimulation der Beinmuskulatur und der Stimulationsfrequenz auf die Impedanzkardiografie untersucht. Zu diesem Zweck wurden Messungen an überwiegend gesunden Probanden durchgeführt, bei denen die Impedanzkardiografie in Ruhe vor und in Ruhe nach der biomechanischen Stimulation der Wade, der Fußsohlen, der Taille und des Gesäßes durchgeführt wurde. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die biomechanische Stimulation der Beinmuskulatur vor allem die Arbeitsparameter und somit die Leistungsfähigkeit verbessert hat. Der mittlere arterielle Blutdruck zeigt einen signifikanten Unterschied, mit Werten von 94,53 ± 6,52 mmHg vor der Stimulation bis 86,46 ± 6,98mmHg nach der Stimulation. Die mittlere linksventrikuläre Arbeitszeit zeigt ebenfalls einen großen Unterschied von 7,95 ± 1,06 kg*m vor der Stimulation zu 7,17 ± 1,04 kg*m nach der Stimulation. Diese Ergebnisse können in der zukünftigen Forschung zur Entwicklung von Trainingsprogrammen zur Leistungssteigerung genutzt werden. Darüber hinaus könnten diese Ergebnisse bei der Schmerzbehandlung eingesetzt werden, da es Hinweise darauf gibt, dass die biomechanische Stimulation die Mikrozirkulation fördert.
Mit dem Klimaschutzgesetz 2021 wurden von der Bundesregierung die Klimaschutzvorgaben verschärft und die Treibhausgasneutralität bis 2045 als Ziel verankert. Zur Erreichung dieses ambitionierten Ziels ist es notwendig, im Bereich der Mobilität weitgehend von Verbrennungsmotoren mit fossilen Kraftstoffen auf Elektromobilität mit regenerativ erzeugtem Strom umzusteigen. Dabei ist die zügige Bereitstellung einer ausreichenden Ladeinfrastruktur für die Elektrofahrzeuge eine große Herausforderung. Neben der Installation einer ausreichend großen Zahl von Ladepunkten selbst besteht die Herausforderung darin, diese in das bestehende Verteilungsnetz zu integrieren bzw. das Verteilungsnetz so auszubauen, dass weiter ein sicherer Netzbetrieb gewährleistet werden kann. Dabei sind insbesondere Lösungen gefragt, bei denen der Ausbau der Ladeinfrastruktur und der Netzbetriebsmittel durch intelligentes Management des Ladens so gering wie möglich gehalten wird, indem vorhandene oder neu zu installierender Hardware möglichst effizient genutzt wird.
Hier setzte das Projekt „Intelligente Ladeinfrastruktur für Elektrofahrzeuge auf dem Parkplatz der Hochschule Offenburg (INTLOG)“ (Projektlaufzeit 15.11.2020 – 30.09.2022) an. Inhalt des Projekts war es, einen Ladepark für den Parkplatz der Hochschule Offenburg mit 20 Ladepunkten à 11 kW und somit einer Gesamtladeleistung von 220 kW an einen vorhandenen Ortsnetztransformator mit 200 kW Nennleistung anzuschließen, der aber bereits von anderen Verbrauchern genutzt wurde. Das übergeordnete Ziel war es also, eine Ladeinfrastruktur von maßgeblichem Umfang in die bestehende Netzinfrastruktur ohne zusätzlichen Ausbau zu integrieren.
Dabei wurden zukunftsweisende Technologien genutzt und weiterentwickelt sowie teilweise in Praxis, im Labor und in der Computersimulation demonstriert.
Die Corona-Semester erforderten die Übertragung der Brückenkurse Mathematik in ein digitales Lehr-format. Gerade beim Studieneinstieg spielen persönliche Unterstützung und soziale Eingebundenheit für Studierende eine besonders wichtige Rolle. Deshalb lag die besondere Herausforderung bei der Übertragung in ein digitales Format darin, die wegfallenden üblichen Kennenlern- und Kommunika-tionsmöglichkeiten, die sich in Präsenzformaten beispielsweise in den Pausen oder im Gespräch mit den Sitznachbarn ergeben, zu kompensieren. Vorliegender Beitrag stellt vor, inwieweit der Transfer in ein digitales Format gelungen ist. Das digitale Brückenkurskonzept wurde in ein didaktisches Entwurfsmuster übertragen, um durch die strukturierte und nachvollziehbare Darstellung den Transfer und die Vergleichbarkeit der Ergebnisse zu erleichtern.
Die transösophageale Neurostimulation ist eine neue Therapieform und könnte unter anderem zur Schmerzlinderung während einer transösophagealen Linksherzstimulation angewendet werden. Sie ist in die Kategorie der Rückenmarksstimulation (SCS) einzuordnen, die die meist verwendete Technik der Neurostimulation ist. Die derzeit auf dem Markt vorhandenen Ösophaguskatheter werden bei einer elektrophysiologischen Untersuchung mit Ablation und transösophagealer Echokardiographie zur Temperaturüberwachung eingesetzt. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit war, das vorhandene Offenburger Herzrhythmusmodell, um die Wirbelsäule zu erweitern, einen neuen Ösophagus-Elektroden- Katheter für die transösophageale elektrische Stimulation des Rückenmarks zu modellieren und mittels 3D-Computer-Simulationen auf Ihre Wirksamkeit zu untersuchen.