Abstract
All Higher Education Institutions play a decisive role in adapting the new courses to the needs of society and the world of work. ICTs widen the possibilities of uses, at a relatively low cost; therefore, additional measures need to be taken in terms of methodologies to implement flexible learning processes, at their own special pace. The possibility of performing real life experiments is essential to consolidate concepts taught in theoretical classes of scientific and technical curricular units. Real labs are seldom available, posing restrictions to learning and experimentation. New internet-based technologies can be used to improve the access to these experiences using laboratories with simulated experiments. This paper aims at presenting the development of a prototype using tools to create virtual learning environments. It uses virtual experimentation to perform laboratory practices and as an alternative tool to meet the needs of access to a Measurement and Instrumentation laboratory. The basis of the project was the creation of a 3D laboratory where all the equipment and its components may be observed and manipulated and virtual experimentation was chosen to facilitate all laboratory practices. A creative tool or authoring tool was used for the development of the program called VEMA -Virtual Electric MAnual. The use of WireFusion 5.0 ® authoring tool and an educational license explain the low cost of construction of the virtual reality (VR) program. This project was developed to demonstrate how a VR desktop prototype may be applied to an engineering curricular unit and also to increase safety and resourcefulness in the use of electrical equipment. From the educational point of view, VEMA should not be seen as a substitute of traditional teaching methods, but only as a complementary resource that can meaningfully improve students' understanding and motivation. The main objective of VEMA was to develop a prototype of a VR simulator to demonstrate the potential benefits of combining virtual reality to improve learning and measurement of electrical circuits in a specific controlled environment. No browser plug-in is required to show the presentations. © 2017 IEEE.

Abstract
The reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions is a priority all around the globe. The investment on renewable energy sources is contributing for new opportunities in the context of the smart grids and microgrids. Recent advances are transforming the consumer into a prosumer, being able to adapt the consumption depending on its own generated power, and selling the surplus or buying the missing power. In this context, home management systems are emerging as an effective means to support the management of energy resources in the context of communication between functions/devices of a smart home. This paper presents a new agent-based home energy management approach, using ontologies to enable semantic communications between heterogeneous multi-agent entities. The main goal is to support an efficient energy management of end consumers in the context of microgrids, obtaining a scheduling for both real and virtual resources. A case study is presented, which simulates a 25-bus microgrid that includes a laboratorial controlled house (with real and simulated resources), which is managed by the proposed energy management system.

Abstract
Crowd-sourcing the resources of mobile devices is a hot topic of research given the game-changing applications it may enable. In this paper we study the feasibility of using edge-clouds of mobile devices to reduce the load in traditional WiFi infrastructures for video dissemination applications. For this purpose, we designed and implemented a mobile application for video dissemination in sport venues that retrieves replays from a central server, through the access points in the WiFi infrastructure, into a smartphone. The fan's smartphones organize themselves into WiFi-Direct groups and exchange video replays whenever possible, bypassing the central server and access points. We performed a real-world experiment using the live TV feed for the Champions League game Benfica-Besiktas with the help of a group of volunteers using the application at the student's union lounge. The analysis of the logs strongly suggests that edge-clouds can significantly reduce the load in the access points at such large venues and improve quality of experience. Indeed, the edge-clouds formed were able to serve up to 80% of connected users and provide 56% of all downloads requested from within.

Abstract
Cyber Physical Production Systems (CPSS) built on the concept of “Plug-and-Produce” aim at delivering truly agile production systems. These systems are modular by nature and can be adapted based on changing requirements. One of the challenges in this domain is how to store and propagate information within CPPS. In this paper, a Redundant and Decentralised Directory Facilitator will be introduced to provide the capability to store and broadcast the existing system assembly capabilities. Additionally, this solution will provide redundancy and delocalization of the assembly capabilities information. The model used is described, as well as interactions, behaviours and deployment strategies. Finally a validation scenario is presented and conclusions are discussed. © Springer International Publishing AG 2017.

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