Papers by Gabriel-Miro Muntean
Short paper: On the potential of V2X communications in helping electric bicycles saving energy
2013 IEEE Vehicular Networking Conference, 2013
ABSTRACT Smart transportation, an important dimension of smart cities, includes not only intellig... more ABSTRACT Smart transportation, an important dimension of smart cities, includes not only intelligent transportation solutions, but also “green” transportation solutions. Cycling, as one of the most sustainable form of transportation, occupies an important place in the context of smart cities. Electric bicycles, the most popular electric vehicles, subscribe to this type of transportation. They have several advantages when compared to traditional bicycles, but also issues that relate to battery limited capacity and long periods of charging. Consequently energy-efficient solutions for electric bicycles are of very high research interest. Energy-efficient solutions based on V2X communications that are dedicated to electric vehicles are still in early research stages. So far, very few works have been proposed and their performance evaluation has been done analytically only. Among electric vehicles, electric bicycles distinguish themselves as a special class as they have different characteristics and road-related requirements. This paper presents our study of the potential of V2X communications to be used by electric bicycles for energy saving. For this purpose, a test-bed was built in order to facilitate a more realistic study compared to the analytical studies conducted so far. The results obtained show that the employment of V2X communications in the context of electric bicycles can lead to significant energy savings.
IEEE transactions on vehicular technology, 2024
Vehicular Edge Computing (VEC) has emerged as a promising paradigm to enable low-latency Vehicle-... more Vehicular Edge Computing (VEC) has emerged as a promising paradigm to enable low-latency Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) services by bringing computing resources closer to vehicles. However, the high dynamicity of vehicular networks poses significant challenges in designing an optimal policy for delivering V2X services while ensuring security and timely service delivery. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a Blockchain-Enabled Vehicular Edge Computing (BEVEC) framework that employs a dual-layer verification process empowered with a permissioned blockchain to ensure data accuracy and integrity. A novel system utility function is designed to measure the performance of the BEVEC, which also serves as the basis for a consensus mechanism of the permissioned blockchain. To optimize this utility, a Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) algorithm is proposed to enable timely service delivery in BEVEC. Simulation-based results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm when compared to existing approaches. On average, it obtained an 18% reduction in latency, a 38% improvement in successful service delivery, and a 65% decrease in energy consumption.
IEEE transactions on broadcasting, 2024
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most arts and cultural activities have moved online. This has contr... more Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most arts and cultural activities have moved online. This has contributed to the surge in development of artistic tools that enable professional artists to produce engaging and immersive shows remotely. This article introduces TRACTION Co-Creation Stage (TCS), a novel Web-based solution, designed and developed in the context of the EU Horizon 2020 TRACTION project, which allows for remote creation and delivery of artistic shows. TCS supports multiple artists performing simultaneously, either live or pre-recorded, on multiple stages at different geographical locations. It employs a client-server approach. The client has two major components: Control and Display. The former is used by the production teams to create shows by specifying layouts, scenes, and media sources to be included. The latter is used by viewers to watch the various shows. To ensure viewers' good quality of experience (QoE) levels, TCS employs adaptive streaming based on a novel Prioritised Adaptation solution based on the DASH standard for pre-recorded content delivery (PADA), which is introduced in this paper. User tests and experiments are carried out to evaluate the performance of TCS' Control and Display applications and that of PADA algorithm when creating and distributing opera shows.
IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing, Dec 31, 2023
Mobile edge computing (MEC) has emerged as a solution to address the demands of computation-inten... more Mobile edge computing (MEC) has emerged as a solution to address the demands of computation-intensive network services by providing computational capabilities at the network edge, thus reducing service delay. Due to the flexible deployment, wide coverage and reliable wireless communication, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been employed to assist MEC. This paper investigates the task offloading problem in a UAV-assisted MEC system with collaboration of multiple UAVs, highlighting task priorities and binary offloading mode. We defined the system gain based on energy consumption and task delay. The joint optimization of UAVs' trajectory design, binary offloading decision, computation resources allocation, and communication resources management is formulated as a mixed integer programming problem with the goal of maximizing the long-term average system gain. Considering the discretecontinuous hybrid action space of this problem, we propose a novel deep reinforcement learning (DRL) algorithm based on the latent space to solve it. The evaluation results demonstrate that our proposed algorithm outperforms four state-of-the-art alternative solutions in terms of task delay and system gain.
IEEE Transactions on Broadcasting, 2023
Adaptive streaming based on DASH offers personalized video experience and smooth playback by allo... more Adaptive streaming based on DASH offers personalized video experience and smooth playback by allowing dynamical adjustments of the video bitrate to the variations of network conditions. This is especially important for current and future Internet video streaming applications, including emerging ones such as virtual reality-based, as adaptive streaming plays a key role in providing high quality viewing experience, especially in limited bandwidth delivery environments. To enable this promising avenue in a 5G context, efforts are made to consider it alongside multicast and edge caching, as part of the next generation communication technology. In this paper, we model the adaptive streaming transmission problem in a mobile scenario as a multi-source multicast multi-rate problem (MMMP) whose linear relaxation is concave. We decompose the problem in terms of clients and propose the distributed delivery algorithm (DDA). The computation complexity, convergence and time-varying adaptation of DDA are theoretically analyzed. Additionally, to further reduce the computation complexity of the solution, a heuristic approximation method (H-DDA) based on the physical meaning of the problem is proposed and it is also shown how H-DDA converges to the optimal value by numerical means. Finally, we conduct a series of simulation tests to demonstrate the superiority of the proposed HDDA in comparison with other state-of-art solutions.
ICC 2022 - IEEE International Conference on Communications
Achieving high Quality of Service (QoS) is one of the important goals in the latest 5G Heterogene... more Achieving high Quality of Service (QoS) is one of the important goals in the latest 5G Heterogeneous Networks (HetNets) environments. However, ensuring fairness among users with Reduced Power Consumption (RPC) is a major challenge. Although several studies have examined the joint issue of User Association (UA), Resource Allocation (RA), and Power Allocation (PA), there is still no optimal solution that achieves QoS fairness and RPC with low complexity and processing time. This paper proposes the Power-Performance Efficient Adaptive Genetic Algorithm (P 2 EAGA) for solving the UA-RA-PA problem in HetNets. Simulation results show that P 2 EAGA outperforms existing schemes in terms of variability, fairness, RPC, and QoS, including throughput, packet loss ratio, delay, and jitter. Simulation results also show that P 2 EAGA generates solutions that are very close to the optimal global solution compared to the Default Genetic Algorithm. 1 The TBS specifies the number of bits sent from the MAC layer to the Physical layer every TTI (Transmission Time Interval, defined as 1ms).
E-ARMANS: Energy-aware device-oriented video delivery in heterogeneous wireless networks
2017 IEEE International Symposium on Broadband Multimedia Systems and Broadcasting (BMSB), 2017
The latest technological development of smartphones and tablets has supported an exponential incr... more The latest technological development of smartphones and tablets has supported an exponential increase in demand for multimedia content from their users. At the same time, the battery-related technologies for these devices have not advanced at the same pace and are an important limitation factor for future developments. Therefore there is a need for energy-aware solutions for multimedia delivery to such mobile devices and this paper focuses on energy saving in the context of multimedia distribution at high quality levels over loaded heterogeneous wireless networks. The paper proposes an energy-aware device-oriented video delivery algorithm (E-ARMANS) as a solution to a twofold problem: traffic load balancing over wireless networks and energy consumption optimization. E-ARMANS evaluates both network conditions and device characteristics and provides the user the best connectivity in given conditions. Testing in comparison with a performance-oriented approach shows how E-ARMANS increases average battery life with 40%, 47%, and 32%, while delivering video content to devices with 1080p, 720p, and 576p resolutions, respectively.
EDULEARN Proceedings, 2018
In this paper, we describe an ongoing educational program, called NEWTON Fab Lab STEM, developed ... more In this paper, we describe an ongoing educational program, called NEWTON Fab Lab STEM, developed by the EU Horizon 2020 NEWTON project team. It aims at evaluating the impact of using digital fabrication as a support tool to raise students' interest in STEM subjects. We also present a case study of a small-scale pilot test that was deployed at Saint Patrick's Boys National School in Drumcondra, Dublin, Ireland. Results show that 83% of students who took part in the pilot test would like to integrate digital fabrication technologies in science classes.
IEEE Transactions on Education, 2020
Contribution: This study presents the NEWTON Fab Lab Education Initiative which aims at assessing... more Contribution: This study presents the NEWTON Fab Lab Education Initiative which aims at assessing the effectiveness of Fab Lab-based learning on K-12 students' attitude toward learning STEAM considering two aspects: 1) students' motivation and affective state; and 2) students' observations and perception of Fab Lab-based learning. Background: Fabrication laboratories (Fab Labs) are described as small workshops equipped with a set of computercontrolled tools (e.g., 3D printers) that offer personalized digital fabrication. They have been shown to have a positive impact on learners' academic and personal progress when used in extracurricular activities. Yet, there is little research that examines whether integrating Fab Labs into schools' curricula can help raise students' interest in STEAM education. Research Question: Can Fab Lab-based learning foster students' interest in STEM in primary and secondary schools? Would students be keen to use Fab Labs in their science classes? Methodology: Two case studies were carried out in two different schools as part of the European Horizon 2020 NEWTON project. 39 participants took part in the study and three different surveys were used to assess different constructs. Findings: Results show that after using the Fab Lab-based learning: 1) students felt more interested in science classes as well as more engaged and less bored; and 2) while some students struggled at first when manipulating Fab Lab tools, they adapted quickly and reported that they would like to use Fab Labs as part of their science classes.
Information-centric cost-efficient optimization for multimedia content delivery in mobile vehicular networks
Computer Communications, 2017
EcoMD makes use of ICN's inherent multi-path, multi-source and multi-caching features in vehi... more EcoMD makes use of ICN's inherent multi-path, multi-source and multi-caching features in vehicular network environments.EcoMD is based on modeling the multimedia delivery process, considering two essential factors: content mobility and provider supply-demand balance. A mixed integer programming (MIP) optimization is formulated to minimize the economic cost associated to guaranteed quality levels for the multimedia services. The proposed MIP optimal problem is proven as NP-hard.EcoMD includes three newly designed heuristic solutions for the NP-hard problem focusing on finding sub-optimal solutions by considering (i) prioritybased path selection, (ii) maintaining the least number of sources and (iii) ondemand in-path caching enhancement, respectively.EcoMD evaluation is based on extensive comparative simulation-based testing. The results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed heuristic solutions and show how the proposed method outperforms other state-of-the-art solutions in terms of both quality-related and cost-efficiency-related metrics. Providing high-quality multimedia services is a challenging and high-cost task in mobile vehicular networks due to intermittent connectivity, highly dynamic capacity, mostly associated to heterogeneous hosts distribution and their high mobility. Information-centric networking (ICN), which adopts novel content-based dissemination instead of the traditional host-based one, has great potential to accomplish cost-efficient quality-oriented multimedia delivery. This paper proposes a novel cost-Efficient Multimedia content Delivery approach (EcoMD) in vehicular networks leveraging the ICN features. In EcoMD, two essential factors are first analyzed and modeled: content mobility and supply-demand balance, and then, a mixed integer programming (MIP) optimization is formulated to minimize the economic cost associated to guaranteed the quality level of multimedia services. To resolve this NP-hard problem, heuristic mechanisms are proposed covering three aspects: priority-based path selection, least-required source maintaining and on-demand caching enhancement. By comparison with existing state-of-the-art solutions, simulation results demonstrate how EcoMD provides an improved performance in terms of start-up delay, jitter, playback continuity, and Quality of Experience (QoE) while particularly reduces the economic cost.
IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, 2016
The limited battery life has become a critical issue especially when mobile devices run multimedi... more The limited battery life has become a critical issue especially when mobile devices run multimedia applications, for which users have high quality expectations. In this paper, we propose a cross-layer quality-oriented energy-efficient multimedia delivery scheme (Q-PASTE), which balances the need for: 1) increased energy efficiency/battery lifetime and 2) high user quality of experience. The contribution of this work is twofold. First, the Packet/ApplicaTion manager (PAT) is employed as a novel traffic shaping scheme at the application layer of both the gateway and the client host. At the service gateway, PAT utilizes first a fast start approach to support smooth multimedia playback, then shapes traffic from the server into bursts to reduce the wireless transceivers duty cycle for energy efficiency. At client side, PAT performs traffic monitoring and provides the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer with session-specific traffic-related information. Second, a MAC-located Slow sTart Exponential and Linear Algorithm (STELA) is proposed, which adjusts the sleep/wakeup schedule of the Wireless Network Interface Card (WNIC) in order to increase the energy efficiency. An additional parameter tuning procedure working with the information provided by PAT ensures data arrives at the client without serious delays. It is demonstrated both analytical and via simulations that the proposed scheme improves the energy efficiency significantly in comparison with other solutions, while maintaining high quality levels.
Network Architectures
Computer Communications and Networks, 2013
A Machine Learning-based xAPP for 5G O-RAN to Mitigate Co-tier Interference and Improve QoE for Various Services in a HetNet Environment
2023 IEEE International Symposium on Broadband Multimedia Systems and Broadcasting (BMSB)
User Profile-Based Viewport Prediction Using Federated Learning in Real-Time 360-Degree Video Streaming
2023 IEEE International Symposium on Broadband Multimedia Systems and Broadcasting (BMSB)
A Low Complexity ML-Assisted Multi-knapsack-based Approach for User Association and Resource Allocation in 5G HetNets
2023 IEEE International Symposium on Broadband Multimedia Systems and Broadcasting (BMSB)
RMS: Real-time Motion Segmentation over the Internet of Vehicles
2023 IEEE International Symposium on Broadband Multimedia Systems and Broadcasting (BMSB)
FEBBR: A Fairness-Enhanced Approach for BBR Congestion Control
2023 IEEE International Symposium on Broadband Multimedia Systems and Broadcasting (BMSB)
A Genetic Algorithm-based Image Enhancement Approach for Autonomous Driving at Night
2023 IEEE International Symposium on Broadband Multimedia Systems and Broadcasting (BMSB)
IEEE Communications Magazine
Many innovative applications are projected to be supported by 5G networks across three verticals:... more Many innovative applications are projected to be supported by 5G networks across three verticals: enhanced mobile broadband, ultra-reliable low latency communication, and massive machine-type communication. Given the constraints of the current Radio Access Networks (RANs), accommodating all these applications, considering their Quality of Service and Quality of Experience (QoE) requirements, is not practical. Open-RAN is a new architecture touted as the most viable nextgeneration RAN solution. It promotes a software-defined component, labelled RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC), that governs and supplies intelligence to optimize radio resource allocation, implement handovers, manage interference, and balance load between cells. RIC has two parts: Non-Real-Time (RT) and Near-RT. This article introduces a novel QoE Enhancement Function (QoE 2 F ) xApp to enhance the functionality of Near-RT RIC through providing efficient resource provisioning to users requesting high-resolution video services. It deploys an innovative Adaptive Genetic Algorithm to perform optimal user association along with resource and power allocation in HetNets. Simulation results demonstrate superior QoE 2 F xApp performance in terms of VMAF and MoS for two different resolution videos and diverse numbers of users.
Uploads
Papers by Gabriel-Miro Muntean