In this paper, we focus on the use of linear sensor networks (LSNs) to monitor underwater pipelines. We propose the use of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to move along the pipeline and collect data from the sensor nodes (SNs). It then delivers the collected data to the surface sink at the end of the LSN or LSN segment. In turn, the surface sink transmits the collected data to the network control center (NCC) using any of the communication technologies that are available in the area such as WiMAX, cellular, and satellite. The use of the AUV for data collection allows for considerable advantages including flexibility in SN placement, considerable energy savings, and reduced interference, hidden terminal problems, and collisions. We also provide, different AUV movement strategies and analyze the effect of various network design parameters on network performance metrics such as packet delivery ratio and end-to-end delay.

Smart cities are becoming a reality. Various aspects of modern cities are being automated and integrated with information and communication technologies to achieve higher functionality, optimized resources utilization, and management, and improved quality of life for the residents. Smart cities rely heavily on utilizing various software, hardware, and communication technologies to improve the operations in areas, such as healthcare, transportation, energy, education, logistics, and many others, while reducing costs and resources consumption. One of the promising technologies to support such efforts is the Cloud of Things (CoT). CoT provides a platform for linking the cyber parts of a smart city that are executed on the cloud with the physical parts of the smart city, including residents, vehicles, power grids, buildings, water networks, hospitals, and other resources. Another useful technology is Fog Computing, which extends the traditional Cloud Computing paradigm to the edge of the network to enable localized and real-time support for operating-enhanced smart city services. However, proper integration and efficient utilization of CoT and Fog Computing is not an easy task. This paper discusses how the service-oriented middleware (SOM) approach can help resolve some of the challenges of developing and operating smart city services using CoT and Fog Computing. We propose an SOM called SmartCityWare for effective integration and utilization of CoT and Fog Computing. SmartCityWare abstracts services and components involved in smart city applications as services accessible through the service-oriented model. This enhances integration and allows for flexible inclusion and utilization of the various services needed in a smart city application. In addition, we discuss the implementation and experimental issues of SmartCityWare and demonstrate its use through examples of smart city applications.

Healthcare systems are complex systems that need effective and efficient operations, optimizations, management, and control to offer reliable, high-quality, and cost-effective healthcare services. There are different approaches to improve the management of healthcare systems including utilizing the healthcare systems engineering principles. Healthcare systems engineering views a healthcare organization as a system and applies the engineering analysis and design principles to improve different aspects of healthcare services provided in that system. While this approach can provide many advantages for healthcare organizations, there are also many challenges hindering the ability of healthcare systems engineers from effectively accomplishing their mission. The initiation of the digital twin technology formed several potential methods for various industrial sectors to enhance their operations. Accordingly, they can help improve productivity, cost-effectiveness, reliability, quality, and flexibility. This paper studies how digital twins can be utilized for improving healthcare systems engineering processes and outcomes to enhance different aspects of healthcare systems. The paper discusses some of the challenges of healthcare systems engineering and how these challenges can be relaxed by utilizing digital twins. The paper also develops a conceptual framework to utilize digital twins for improving healthcare systems engineering processes and outcomes and discusses the prospects of such utilization on achieving the goals of healthcare systems engineering. In addition, the paper provides some discussions on the impact of this utilization and the future research and development projections of the employment of digital twins for healthcare systems engineering.

Several cities have recently moved towards becoming smart cities for better services and quality of life for residents and visitors, with: optimized resource utilization; increased environmental protection; enhanced infrastructure operations and maintenance; and strong safety and security measures. Smart cities depend on deploying current and new technologies and different optimization methods to enhance services and performance in their different sectors. Some of the technologies assisting smart city applications are the Internet of Things (IoT), fog computing, and cloud computing. Integrating these three to serve one system (we will refer to it as integrated IoT-fog-cloud system (iIFC)) creates an advanced platform to develop and operate various types of smart city applications. This platform will allow applications to use the best features from the IoT devices, fog nodes, and cloud services to deliver best capabilities and performance. Utilizing this powerful platform will provide many opportunities for enhancing and optimizing applications in energy, transportation, healthcare, and other areas. In this paper we survey various applications of iIFCs for smart cities. We identify different common issues associated with utilizing iIFCs for smart city applications. These issues arise due to the characteristics of iIFCs on the one side and the requirements of different smart city applications on the other. In addition, we outline the main requirements to effectively utilize iIFCs for smart city applications. These requirements are related to optimization, networking, and security.

A large number of advancements have taken place in microprocessor-based systems leading to significantly more processing, memory, storage, sensing, actuating, recognition, controlling and communication capabilities. Robotics is one of the areas that have benefited a lot from these advancements. Many important and useful applications for single-robot and multi-robot systems (MRS) have emerged. Such applications include search and rescue, detection of forest fires, mining, construction, disaster management, and many more. MRS systems greatly enhance the capabilities and effectiveness of today’s robots. They extend the robotic system capabilities by increasing the ability to perform more complex tasks and allow performance of inherently distributed ones. In addition, they increase parallelism, enhance robustness, and improve system reliability. However, to perform their tasks in an effective manner, communication between the individual robots becomes an essential component. In this paper, we discuss the various types and architectures of MRS systems and focus on the networking issues, and services that are required to enable MRS systems to be more efficient in performing their roles in their respective applications. We also identify the similarities and differences between mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) and MRS systems, analyze robot-to-robot (R2R) and robot-to-infrastructure (R2I) communication links, and identify the protocols that can be used at the various levels in the MRS hierarchy.

Cyber–Physical Systems (CPS) connect the physical world (systems, environments, and humans) with the cyber world (software, data, etc.) to intelligently enhance the operational environment they serve. CPS are distributed software and hardware components embedded in the physical world and possibly attached to humans. They offer smart features, such as enhancing and optimizing the reliability, quality, safety, health, security, efficiency, operational costs, sustainability, and maintainability of physical systems. CPS are also very vulnerable to security attacks and criminal activities. In addition, they are very complex and have a direct impact on their environment. Therefore, it is hard to detect and investigate security attacks, while such attacks may have a catastrophic impact on the physical world. As a result, CPS must incorporate security measures in addition to suitable and effective forensics capabilities. When the security measures fail and an attack occurs, it becomes imperative to perform thorough forensics analysis. Adding effective forensics tools and capabilities will support the investigations of incidents. This paper defines the field of CPS forensics and its dimensions: Technical, Organizational, and Legal. Then, it reviews examples of current research efforts in the field and the types of tools and methods they propose for CPS forensics. In addition, it discusses the issues and challenges in the field that need to be addressed by researchers and developers of CPS. The paper then uses the review outcomes to discuss future research directions to address challenges and create a more effective, efficient, and safe forensics tools and for CPS. This discussion aims to create a starting point for researchers where they can identify the gaps and challenges and create suitable solutions through their research in CPS forensics.