In a new research project Mid Sweden University and the University of Pretoria, South Africa, started a joint research collaboration with the goal to strengthening the research in WSNs for industrial automation. As a part to the project PhD-student Bruno Silva from the research group Advanced Sensor Networks – ASN, visited Mid Sweden University in Sundsvall and held a guest lecture to researchers at STC.
Bruno has been a member of the group since 2012. The group has a long history in working with mining industry in South Africa where Bruno mainly is involved in research on wireless underground sensor networks and ultra wideband based localization.
Wireless localization has recently received significant attention for a wide range of applications. For industrial applications specifically, localization can be beneficial in many scenarios, such as locating personnel during emergencies, or tracking goods in warehouses. Due to the impact of harsh industrial environments on wireless communication, accurate ranging and localization is very challenging, especially in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios. Bruno presented in his guest lecture an overview of the state-of-the art of wireless localization in industrial environments, with focus on the unique challenges these environments pose.
The research project is called “Co-op in Enabling Improved Prod. & Safety in Underground Mines between Sweden and South Africa” and is a collaboration between Mid Sweden University and University of Pretoria. At both universities researchers are investigating and developing robust wireless communication systems that can handle real-time traffic and enabling application like localization of assets in terms of people and machinery in underground mines.
Read more about the project: http://www.miun.se/en/research/centers-and-institutes/stc/research-projects/coliseum
The project is in progress during 2014-2015 and it is funded by STINT – Stiftelsen för Internationalisering av högre utbildning och forskning.
