Department of Electrical and Information Engineering
About Smart Covenant Research Cluster
The long-term research and educational agenda for SmartCovenant research cluster is to grow an international, interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary, multi-sector community for the benefit of mankind, through the instrumentality of current and emerging Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).
Aim
This research cluster aims to create a smart community through an integration of relevant emerging technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, ICT networks, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), artificial intelligence, and Big Data analytics.
Objectives
The objectives of this research cluster include, but not limited to:
- Provision of advanced services to the citizens enabled through relevant ICT technologies;
- Driving competitiveness and sustainability.
- Enhancing the quality of life of the residents of Covenant University community and its environs in terms of health and living conditions;
- Improving the level of productivity of faculty, staff, and students at Covenant;
- Boosting the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) base of the University as more tourists and visitors will be drawn to the interesting sites on campus and local government area by extension;
- Curbing waste in the area of energy consumption and help to keep the community free of illegal activities;
- Provisions of innovative solutions and processes that will be translate into Intellectual Property (IP) revenues for researchers and the University.
Strategic Research Agenda
*NB: The SmartCU in the above diagram should be SmartCovenant
- C1 – Embedded Systems/Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Communications
- C2 – Internet Technologies
- C3 – Communication Networks
- C4 – Big Data Analytics
- C5 – Sensor–Actuator Networks
- C6 – Algorithm Development and Software Design & Services
- C7 – Socioeconomics Analysis
- C8 – Security, Privacy and Trust
- C9 – Identification of People & Objects
- SCC – Smart and Connected Communities
- SDG – Sustainable Development Goals
Areas of Applied Research - SMART CITIES
- Smart Packing – Monitoring of parking spaces availability in the city.
- Structural Health – Monitoring of vibrations and material conditions in buildings, bridges and historical monuments.
- Smart Phones Detection – Detect iPhone and Android devices and in general any device which works with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth interfaces.
- Electromagnetic Field Levels – Measurement of the energy radiated by cell stations and Wi-Fi routers.
- Traffic Congestion – Monitoring of vehicles and pedestrian levels to optimize driving and walking routes.
- Smart Lighting – Intelligent and weather adaptive lighting in street lights.
- Waste Management – Detection of rubbish levels in containers to optimize the trash collection routes.
- Smart Roads – Intelligent Highways with warning messages and diversions according to climate conditions and unexpected events like accidents or traffic jams.
Areas of Applied Research - SMART ENVIRONMENT
- Forest Fire Detection – Monitoring of combustion gases and preemptive fire conditions to define alert zones.
- Air Pollution – Control of carbon emissions of factories, pollution emitted by cars and toxic gases generated in farms.
- Snow Level Monitoring – Snow level measurement to know in real time the quality of ski tracks and allow security corps avalanche prevention.
- Earthquake Early Detection – Distributed control in specific places of tremors.
- Landslide and Avalanche Prevention – Monitoring of soil moisture, vibrations and earth density to detect dangerous patterns in land conditions.
Areas of Applied Research - SMART WATER
- Portable Water Monitoring – Monitor the quality of tap water in cities.
- Chemical Leakage Detection in Rivers – Detect leakages and wastes of factories in rivers.
- Swimming Pool Remote Measurement – Control remotely the swimming pool conditions.
- Pollution Levels in the Seas – Pollution levels in the sea.
- Water Leakages – Detection of liquid presence outside tanks and pressure variations along pipes.
- River Floods – Monitoring of water level variations in rivers, dams and reservoirs.
Areas of Applied Research - SMART METERING
- Smart Grid – Energy consumption monitoring and management.
- Photovoltaic Installation – Monitoring and optimization of performance in solar energy plants.
- Tank Level – Monitoring of water, oil and gas levels in storage tanks and cisterns.
- Water Flow – Measurement of water pressure in water transportation systems.
- Silo Stock Calculation – Measurement of emptiness level and weight of the goods.
Areas of Applied Research - SECURITIES & EMERGENCIES
- Perimeter Access Control – Access control to restricted areas and detection of people in non-authorised areas.
- Liquid Presence – Liquid detection in data centres, warehouses and sensitive building grounds to prevent break downs and corrosion.
- Radiation Levels – Distributed measurement of radiation levels in nuclear power stations surroundings to generate leakage alerts.
- Explosives and Hazardous Gases – Detection of gas levels and leakages in industrial environments, surroundings of chemical factories and inside mines.
Areas of Applied Research - RETAIL
- Supply Chain Control – Monitoring of storage conditions along the supply chain and product tracking for traceability purposes.
- NFC Payment – Payment processing based in location or activity duration for public transport, gyms, theme parks, etc.
- Intelligent Shopping Applications – Getting advices in the point of sale according to customer habits, preferences, presence of allergic components for them or expiring dates.
- Smart Product Management – Control of rotation of products in shelves and warehouses to automate restocking processes.
Areas of Applied Research - SMART AGRICULTURE
- Wine Quality Enhancing – Monitoring soil moisture and trunk diameter in vineyards to control the amount of sugar in grapes and grapevine health.
- Green Houses – control micro-climate conditions to maximise the production of fruits and vegetables and its quality.
- Meteorological Station Network – Study of weather conditions in fields to forecast ice formation, rain, drought, and snow or wind changes.
- Compost – Control of humidity and temperature levels in alfalfa, hay, straw, etc. to prevent fungus and other microbial contaminants.
Areas of Applied Research - DOMOTIC & HOME AUTOMATION
- Energy and Water Use – Energy and water supply consumption monitoring to obtain advice on how to save cost and resources.
- Remote Control Appliances – Switching on and off remotely appliances to avoid accidents and save energy.
- Intrusion Detection Systems – Detection of windows and doors openings and violations to prevent intruders.
Areas of Applied Research - SMART HEALTH
- Fall Detection – Assistance for elderly or disabled people living independent.
- Medical Fridges – Control of conditions inside freezers storing vaccines, medicines and organic elements.
- Sportsmen Care – Vital signs monitoring in high performance centers and fields.
- Patient Surveillance – Monitoring of conditions of patients inside hospitals and in old people’s home.