Abstract
This book provides techniques to tackle the design challenges raised by the increasing diversity and complexity of emerging, heterogeneous architectures for embedded systems. It describes an approach based on techniques from software engineering called aspect-oriented programming, which allow designers to control today's sophisticated design tool chains, while maintaining a single application source code. Readers are introduced to the basic concepts of an aspect-oriented, domain specific language that enables control of a wide range of compilation and synthesis tools in the partitioning and mapping of an application to a heterogeneous (and possibly multi-core) target architecture. Several examples are presented that illustrate the benefits of the approach developed for applications from avionics and digital signal processing. Using the aspect-oriented programming techniques presented in this book, developers can reuse extensive sections of their designs, while preserving the original application source-code, thus promoting developer productivity as well as architecture and performance portability. Describes an aspect-oriented approach for the compilation and synthesis of applications targeting heterogeneous embedded computing architectures. Includes examples using an integrated tool chain for compilation and synthesis. Provides validation and evaluation for targeted reconfigurable heterogeneous architectures. Enables design portability, given changing target devices. Allows developers to maintain a single application source code when targeting multiple architectures. © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013. All rights are reserved.

Abstract
This book presents research and development achievements regarding a design-flow approach where specifications for design decisions, monitorization, compilation, synthesis, mapping, and design patterns are first class entities that complement the application source code. The contents of this book reflects 3 years of structural improvements regarding a high-level design-flow and a domain-specific language - LAnguage for Reconfigurable Architectures (LARA) - designed to facilitate the mapping of applications to multi-core and heterogeneous embedded computing systems. © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013. All rights are reserved.

Abstract
Monitor, control and process data on top of distributed networks has been a trending topic in the past few years, with ubiquity being adjective to computing and, gradually, the Internet of Things becoming a reality in home and factory automation or Ambient Assisted Living (aal). Still, there is a general lack of knowledge and best practices on how to build systems that integrate devices and services from third-parties which connect dynamically with each other. Recurring problems such as security, clustering, message passing, deployment and other orchestration details also lack a standardized solution. The authors describe a platform that simplifies the bootstrap and maintenance of such complex systems, presenting its application in an aal scenario. Such platform could orchestrate most distributed systems, possibly setting a pattern for distributed ubiquitous computing. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Abstract
Proliferation of the Internet is enabling the use of sensors and actuators to capture data and control devices remotely in a multitude of domains. Still, there is a general lack of best practices while designing such large scale real-time systems. This paper describes a generic architecture used on the implementation of a framework for deploying such systems in the cloud, enabling run-time evolution of the system with new sensors, actuators or services possibly developed by third-parties being integrated dynamically. Such architecture orchestrates the flow of information in the ecosystem and scales transparently to external components when needed, requiring no change in them. Adoption in the Portuguese nation-wide AAL project AAL4ALL is then described. Copyright © 2013 by the Association for Computing Machinery, Inc. (ACM).

Abstract
A good representation of a simple polygon, with a desired degree of approximation and complexity, is critical in many applications. This paper presents a method to achieve a complete Circle Covering Representation of a simple polygon, through a topological skeleton, the Medial Axis. The aim is to produce an efficient circle representation of irregular pieces, while considering the approximation error and the resulting complexity, i.e. the number of circles. This will help to address limitations of current approaches to some problems, such as Irregular Placement problems, which will, in turn, provide a positive economic and environmental impact where similar problems arise. © 2013 IFAC.

Abstract
Despite the rising number of emotional state detection methods motivated by the popularity increase in affective computing techniques in recent years, they are yet faced with subject and domain transferability issues. In this paper, we present an improved methodology for modelling individuals' emotional states in multimedia interactive environments. Our method relies on a two-layer classification process to classify Arousal and Valence based on four distinct physiological sensor inputs. The first classification layer uses several regression models to normalize each of the sensor inputs across participants and experimental conditions, while also correlating each input to either Arousal or Valence - effectively addressing the aforementioned transferability issues. The second classification layer then employs a residual sum of squares-based weighting scheme to merge the various regression outputs into one optimal Arousal/Valence classification in real-time, while maintaining a smooth prediction output. The presented method exhibited convincing accuracy ratings - 85% for Arousal and 78% for Valence -, which are only marginally worse than our previous non-real-time approach.