Mobile Laboratory Model for Next-Generation Heterogeneous Wireless Systems

Mobile Laboratory Model for Next-Generation Heterogeneous Wireless Systems

Ibrahima Ngom (École Supérieure Polytechnique/UCAD, Sénégal), Hamadou Saliah-Hassane (Télé-université/UQAM, Canada) and Claude Lishou (École Supérieure Polytechnique/UCAD, Sénégal)
Copyright: © 2012 |Pages: 18
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61350-186-3.ch026

Abstract

Failure to integrate heterogeneous wireless systems generally makes it difficult, if not impossible, for the continuation of remote working or remote experiments when human operators and equipment coexist through networks in a collaborative environment. Mobile laboratories using ubiquitous mobile communication for next-generation heterogeneous wireless systems have prospects for increasing the operation of distributed communication and mobile ubiquitous systems. All “technology assessors” concur that tomorrow’s society will have access to smart objects (mobile devices or apparatuses, mobile equipment, e.g. robots) that contain “programs” that will assist with communication in everyday life. However one of the tomorrow’s challenges will consist of programming those objects to cooperate with and control telecommunications technologies. For a Mobile Laboratory to ensure consistent mobility in an environment, it must combine various wireless networks as a single integrated system. In this chapter we propose a Mobile Laboratory Model with mobile devices that take advantage of multiple mobile gateways by using Internet Protocol (IP) as the interconnection protocol to achieve the objective stated above.
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Overview Of Mobile Laboratory Model

The Mobile Laboratory Model environment is wireless. The MLM center point comprises one or more wireless nodes that will facilitate connection to the other mobile components of the MLM. The nodes may have one of three of the following roles in the MLM:

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    A node can operate as a simple connecting (or broadcasting) node to link the other mobile components;

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    A node can be a mobile gateway able to provide a shared Internet connection;

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    A node can also play both above roles in the MLM.

In the first case, the node will operate as an Access Point. In the second case, the node interconnects the mobile laboratory to the Internet by using IP as interconnection protocol. It has another interface wireless Local Area Network (LAN) and forms a shared Internet connection to link the other mobile components in the mobile laboratory. Where this node plays both roles, it will be a connecting node and will have an interface connected to the Internet or a Mesh Network, in general a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN). Thus once the MLM is deployed, components can remotely access tools, laboratory applications, etc. via the Internet. They can also communicate with other mobile or fixed devices through other channels such as a Mesh Network and other mobile environments with MLM interconnection features.

Multiple wireless links can be considered for the Mobile Laboratory (ML) communication to a given node depending on available connections. As a result, there will be multiple opportunities for transmission channels. Therefore, it is necessary to choose the best channel or channels according to both the availability and Quality of Service (QoS), as a result of a selection criteria for the transmission channel(s).

However, adapted web services and applications to the laboratory setting may be proposed, in which case the MLM mobility will be based on the ability to manage its wider combined or mixed mobile gateways. A mobile gateway is not necessarily a conventional router.

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