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Publications

2024

Matter Protocol Integration Using Espressif's Solutions to Achieve Smart Home Interoperability

Authors
Mota, A; Serôdio, C; Valente, A;

Publication
ELECTRONICS

Abstract
Smart home devices are becoming more popular over the years. A diverse range of appliances is being created, and Ambient Intelligence is growing in homes. However, there are various producers of these gadgets, different kinds of protocols, and diverse environments. The lack of interoperability reduces comfort of the user and turns into a barrier to smart home adoption. Matter is growing by constructing an open-source application layer protocol that can be compatible with all smart home ecosystems. In this article, a Matter overview is provided (namely, of the Commissioning stage), and a Matter Accessory using ESP32-S3 is developed referring to the manufacturer's SDKs and is inserted into an existent household ecosystem. Its behavior on the network is briefly analyzed, and interactions with the device are carried out. The simplicity of these tasks demonstrates accessibility for developers to create products, especially when it comes to firmware. Additionally, device commissioning and control are straightforward for the consumer. This capacity of gadget incorporation into diverse ecosystems using Matter is already on the market and might result in higher device production and enhanced smart home adoption.

2024

Line Fitting-Based Corner-Like Detector for 2D Laser Scanners Data

Authors
Sousa, RB; Placido Sobreira, HM; Silva, MF; Moreira, AP;

Publication
ICARA

Abstract
The extraction of geometric information from the environment may be of interest to localisation and mapping algorithms. Existent literature on extracting geometric features from 2D laser data focuses mainly on detecting lines. Regarding corners, most methodologies use the intersection of line segment features. This paper presents a feature extraction algorithm for corner-like points in the 2D laser scan. The proposed methodol-ogy defines arrival and departure neighbourhoods around each scan point and performs local line fitting evaluated in multiple distance-based scales. Then, a set of indicators based on line fitting error, the angle between arrival and departure lines, and consecutive observation of the same keypoint across different scales determine the existence of a corner-like feature. The experiments evaluated the corner-like features regarding their relative position and observability, achieving standard deviations on the relative position lower than the sensor noise and visibility ratios higher than 75% with very low false positives rates.

2024

Marketing innovation strategies and consumer behavior

Authors
Barbosa B.;

Publication
Marketing Innovation Strategies and Consumer Behavior

Abstract
In today's fast-paced global marketplace, businesses grapple with the relentless demand for innovation in marketing strategies. The landscape is ever-evolving, driven by digital advancements and shifting consumer behaviors, leaving companies scrambling to stay relevant. Academic scholars, educators, and managers face a formidable challenge: deciphering the complex web of trends and technologies shaping modern marketing while equipping themselves with actionable strategies to thrive in this dynamic environment. Marketing Innovation Strategies and Consumer Behavior is a comprehensive resource that serves as a beacon of clarity amidst the chaos, offering a structured roadmap for understanding and harnessing the power of innovation in marketing. Through meticulous analysis of current trends and in-depth exploration of cutting-edge strategies, this book provides a holistic understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing businesses today. By delving into topics ranging from digital marketing and sustainability initiatives to data analytics and emerging technologies, Marketing Innovation Strategies and Consumer Behavior equips readers with the tools they need to survive and thrive in the modern marketplace. Its emphasis on real-world case studies ensures practical relevance, while its theoretical underpinnings offer a solid foundation for academic inquiry. This book is an indispensable resource for scholars seeking to deepen their understanding of marketing innovation, providing actionable insights and strategic frameworks to navigate the complexities of the digital age with confidence and agility.

2024

A matheuristic for the resource-constrained project scheduling problem

Authors
Vanhoucke, M; Coelho, J;

Publication
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF OPERATIONAL RESEARCH

Abstract
This paper presents a matheuristic solution algorithm to solve the well-known resource-constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP). The problem makes use of a restricted neighbourhood method using an activity selection and a search space restriction module and implements them as two alternative search algorithms. The first algorithm makes use of the best-performing components of the branch-and-bound procedures from the literature, and embeds them into a greedy neighbourhood search. The second matheuristic implements the exact branch-and-bound procedures into a known and well-performing meta-heuristic search algorithm. Computational experiments have been carried out on seven different datasets consisting of 10,000+ project instances. Experiments reveal that the choice of exact algorithm is key in finding high-quality solutions, and illustrate that the trade-off between selecting an activity set size and search space restriction depends on the specific implementation. The computational tests demonstrate that the matheuristic discovered 24 new best known solutions that could not be found by either a meta-heuristic or an exact method individually. Moreover, a new benchmark dataset has been proposed that can be used to develop new matheuristic search procedures to solve the problem consisting of 461 instances from the literature.

2024

Immigrant groups in Luxembourg's labour market: A symbolic data analysis approach

Authors
Silva, CC; Brito, P; Campos, P;

Publication
STATISTICAL JOURNAL OF THE IAOS

Abstract
Luxembourg, known for its immigration history, attracts immigrants to work. This study analyses different immigrant groups in the labour market from 2014 to 2022 by using Labor Force Survey (LFS) data, Symbolic Data Analysis (SDA), and the Monitoring the Evolution of Clusters (MEC) framework.Based on the birthplace and length of residence in Luxembourg, in each year, microdata were aggregated into 21 symbolic objects. They were primarily described by 16 modal variables which are multi-valued variables with a frequency attached to each category. Moreover, clustering using complete linkage and the Chernoff's distance was applied. The Heuristic Identification of Noisy Variables (HINoV) suggested that with just six variables, objects may be grouped homogeneously. The MEC framework traced temporal relations and transitions between the clusters, revealing some movements across the different years.Results indicate that people from the European Union (EU) and Neighbouring countries have similar profiles while the Portuguese have opposite characteristics. The Luxembourgers are somewhere in between. Profiling people from non-EU countries was challenging.The data and methodology used make it easy to replicate the work in other nations, enabling comparison of results and monitoring to continue in the future.

2024

Reconfiguring Teacher Professionality in Higher Education in Portugal: A Case Study on Pedagogical Innovation and Hybrid Learning

Authors
Cruz, M; Mascarenhas, D; Pinto, CMA; Queirós, R;

Publication
VIII IEEE WORLD ENGINEERING EDUCATION CONFERENCE, EDUNINE 2024

Abstract
The teaching and learning process in higher education needs continuous cultivation of pedagogical expertise, encompassing subject mastery and pedagogical methodologies. This article explores the transformation of higher education institutions (HEIs) into hybrid campuses and the importance of pedagogical innovation, highlighting the need for training in hybrid/e-learning environments, and emphasizing the potential of mobile technologies. Furthermore, it presents a case study on two professional development courses offered to faculty members, working in the field of Engineering in Portugal, aiming to reconfigure their professionality. The research adopts an ethnographic methodology, integrating quantitative methods and utilizing a variety of data collection tools, including field notes and self-reflection sheets, to analyze the teachers' reconfiguration of their professional practices. The main findings of the study reveal that the majority of faculty members reported significant gains in transforming traditional courses to digital formats, mastering various online platforms and tools, and developing skills in online communication.

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