**Environmental Monitoring Supported by the Regional Network Infrastructures**

Elisa Benetti, Chiara Taddia and Gianluca Mazzini *Lepida SpA, Viale A. Moro 64, 40127 Bologna Italy*

#### **1. Introduction**

388 Environmental Monitoring

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The aim of this chapter is the presentation of studies and research results concerning environmental monitoring techniques promoted by Lepida SpA across a wide area, the Italian Emilia-Romagna Region.

Lepida SpA *Lepida SpA* (2011) is an in house providing company established by a Regional Law (11/2004, "Regional Development of the Information Society") of Emilia-Romagna region, which consolidates a common vision and a collaborative approach with the local Public Administrations.

Lepida SpA was created in the end of 2007 by the Emilia-Romagna Regional Government, as unique shareholder and founder. Currently has 395 Public Administrations and Public Entities as shareholders. Lepida SpA is involved in the governance of the Regional ICT Plan which defines the regional ICT strategies and policies within the regional territory, acting as innovation facilitator among its partners.

The core business of Lepida SpA is represented by the regional ICT infrastructure but its operations range between telecommunication networks, digital divide and broadband networks strategies and ICT applications and services. Among the main activities and experiences pursued by Lepida SpA we can mention: the planning, development, management and monitoring of the telecommunications networks (fixed and mobile) of the P.A., including the deployment of new broadband networks (wired and wireless) within the region; the definition and implementation of suitable solutions for the Digital Divide topics and for the Next Generation Access Networks in order to ensure high speed internet for the citizens and businesses; the realization of ICT platforms and services for the Public Adminitrations (federation of authentication, payments, ..) that enable a large number of on-line services in favor of citizens and Enterprises; the realization of on-line services for e-Governement purposes and interaction between the P.A. and the Enterprises and citizens.

The infrastructure provided by Lepida and owned by the Public Administrations partners of Lepida spA, is an heterogeneous interconnected network covering the whole regional territory (more than twentytwo thousand square kilometers of area). It includes a regional area network (Optical Fiber) called *Lepida*, wireless networks (Hyperlan) that are extensions of *Lepida* which allow to solve Digital Divide in some mountain territories, and a regional emergency digital radio network (TETRA) called *ERretre*. A map of the Optical Fiber and Hiperlan link is illustrated in Figure 1.

past as independent and autonomous systems, each one by using its own communication network to transport the collected data, each one by using its own sink to elaborate the data

Environmental Monitoring Supported by the Regional Network Infrastructures 391

This scenario often brings the local Public Administrations to inefficient and expensive managements and maintenance of the data transmission, collection and elaboration. In such a scenario, the two working directions followed by Lepida SpA and mentioned above, can represent an effective way for the Public Administrations to pursue environmental monitoring activities while saving as much as possible resources and while following economies of scale. In particular Lepida SpA has defined a centralized architecture Taddia et al. (2009) based on a centre of collection, elaboration, management and diffusion of the sensor data that, by exploiting the hybrid access regional network, beside solving the inefficiencies can also provide further benefits that would be impossible to realize with independent and separate management systems. Let us mention just a few of the possible benefits enabled by the architecture promoted by Lepida SpA: data sharing among different Public Administration by saving the data property thanks to authentication and profilation solutions; correlation of data belonging to different Administrations. Lepida SpA has tested this architecture with

This chapter starts with a description of the adopted research method, by giving a comprehensive description of the first step of this research, the census of the resources available inside the Emilia-Romagna region. The rest of the chapter will describe more in detail how the aforementioned research method has been applied to three scenarios, by presenting three test bed actived by Lepida SpA in collaboration with three Public corporations: River Basin Consortium of the River Po affluents, Drainage Consortium of the western Romagna, River Monitoring for the Civil Protection of the Emilia Romagna Region. The three cases all exploit different network technologies among the ones offered by the the hybrid regional infrastructure, depending on factors such as the geographical position of the monitoring systems and the amount of data exchanged during the monitoring process.

The method adopted by Lepida has performed, as a first step, an exhaustive census of all the automatic sensor networks deployed in the regional territory, not already integrated with regional sensor networks (sensor networks owned and managed by a regional Entity called ARPA *ARPA* (2011), Regional Agency Prevention and Environment for the Emilia-Romagna region). The Public Administrations in fact, may acquire and use their own networks in order to meet local needs that are within their competence. In order to carry out the census, all municipalities, provinces, the River Basin Consortium of all the provinces and the civil protection have been contacted. For each network, the following items have been surveyed: type of measured data, number of sensors used, number of data loggers used, transmission media and the Administration involved. Offices for environment and mobility, farming, civil protection and provincial police, have been consulted in main cities of each province. Received responses have been inserted in a database containing the following information: the owner Administration, the service manager, the operator, type of monitoring, number of stations installed, number and type of sensor used and the transmission media. Subsequently an analysis of these responses has highlighted different trends and consolidated needs, depending on the responsible Administration and its skills and jurisdiction. Various types of networks, used by different Administrations, that have been found thanks to the census,

and each one belonging to a specific local Public Administration.

some Public Administrations Taddia et al. (2010).

**2. Research methods**

are shown in Figure 2.

The availability of this powerful infrastructure offers many opportunities for the P.A. to deploy and provide useful and interesting services to the citizens. Furthermore it represents a unique great regional test bed for the development and testing of new applications and services exploiting the potential of the ICT infrastructures.

Fig. 1. Optical Fiber and Hiperlan link

In particular, this chapter will present efficient sensor network applications promoted by Lepida SpA and based on the regional hybrid access network, with the aim to realize environmental monitoring through an efficient usage of the territorial assets, by reaching therefore the important goal of public resources savings. The effort of Lepida SpA has been directed towards two primary directions: the first one is the exploitation of the Lepida SpA networks as a communication infrastructure that enables the messages exchanged by the softwares of data management that the Public Administrations already owns and uses for their environmental monitoring activities; the second one, besides the exploitation of the Lepida SpA networks like described in the first model, also proposes the usage by the Public Administrations partners of a proper software and/or hardware platform of data management, planned, tested and promoted by Lepida SpA.

In order to achieve this aim Lepida SpA has adopted a research method based on the following steps: 1) census of the sensor networks and communication networks used for environmental monitoring purpose, existent and operating across the whole regional territory 2) proposal of architectural, infrastructural and application service solutions 3) realization of experimental test-beds 4) adaptation and tuning of the solutions proposed during the second step in view of the results obtained during the third step 5) realization of a full service.

The census activity has been performed all over the Emilia-Romagna territory, by taking into consideration all the Public Organizations. This investigation has highlighted the presence of a huge amount of small sensor networks deployed all over the regional territory, consisting of spatially distributed devices for the monitoring of environmental conditions, such as temperature, sounds, pollutant, traffic, river and basin and also a lot of cameras for the video surveillance and video environmental monitoring. Typically they have been realized in the past as independent and autonomous systems, each one by using its own communication network to transport the collected data, each one by using its own sink to elaborate the data and each one belonging to a specific local Public Administration.

This scenario often brings the local Public Administrations to inefficient and expensive managements and maintenance of the data transmission, collection and elaboration. In such a scenario, the two working directions followed by Lepida SpA and mentioned above, can represent an effective way for the Public Administrations to pursue environmental monitoring activities while saving as much as possible resources and while following economies of scale. In particular Lepida SpA has defined a centralized architecture Taddia et al. (2009) based on a centre of collection, elaboration, management and diffusion of the sensor data that, by exploiting the hybrid access regional network, beside solving the inefficiencies can also provide further benefits that would be impossible to realize with independent and separate management systems. Let us mention just a few of the possible benefits enabled by the architecture promoted by Lepida SpA: data sharing among different Public Administration by saving the data property thanks to authentication and profilation solutions; correlation of data belonging to different Administrations. Lepida SpA has tested this architecture with some Public Administrations Taddia et al. (2010).

This chapter starts with a description of the adopted research method, by giving a comprehensive description of the first step of this research, the census of the resources available inside the Emilia-Romagna region. The rest of the chapter will describe more in detail how the aforementioned research method has been applied to three scenarios, by presenting three test bed actived by Lepida SpA in collaboration with three Public corporations: River Basin Consortium of the River Po affluents, Drainage Consortium of the western Romagna, River Monitoring for the Civil Protection of the Emilia Romagna Region.

The three cases all exploit different network technologies among the ones offered by the the hybrid regional infrastructure, depending on factors such as the geographical position of the monitoring systems and the amount of data exchanged during the monitoring process.

#### **2. Research methods**

2 Will-be-set-by-IN-TECH

The availability of this powerful infrastructure offers many opportunities for the P.A. to deploy and provide useful and interesting services to the citizens. Furthermore it represents a unique great regional test bed for the development and testing of new applications and

In particular, this chapter will present efficient sensor network applications promoted by Lepida SpA and based on the regional hybrid access network, with the aim to realize environmental monitoring through an efficient usage of the territorial assets, by reaching therefore the important goal of public resources savings. The effort of Lepida SpA has been directed towards two primary directions: the first one is the exploitation of the Lepida SpA networks as a communication infrastructure that enables the messages exchanged by the softwares of data management that the Public Administrations already owns and uses for their environmental monitoring activities; the second one, besides the exploitation of the Lepida SpA networks like described in the first model, also proposes the usage by the Public Administrations partners of a proper software and/or hardware platform of data

In order to achieve this aim Lepida SpA has adopted a research method based on the following steps: 1) census of the sensor networks and communication networks used for environmental monitoring purpose, existent and operating across the whole regional territory 2) proposal of architectural, infrastructural and application service solutions 3) realization of experimental test-beds 4) adaptation and tuning of the solutions proposed during the second step in view

The census activity has been performed all over the Emilia-Romagna territory, by taking into consideration all the Public Organizations. This investigation has highlighted the presence of a huge amount of small sensor networks deployed all over the regional territory, consisting of spatially distributed devices for the monitoring of environmental conditions, such as temperature, sounds, pollutant, traffic, river and basin and also a lot of cameras for the video surveillance and video environmental monitoring. Typically they have been realized in the

services exploiting the potential of the ICT infrastructures.

Fig. 1. Optical Fiber and Hiperlan link

management, planned, tested and promoted by Lepida SpA.

of the results obtained during the third step 5) realization of a full service.

The method adopted by Lepida has performed, as a first step, an exhaustive census of all the automatic sensor networks deployed in the regional territory, not already integrated with regional sensor networks (sensor networks owned and managed by a regional Entity called ARPA *ARPA* (2011), Regional Agency Prevention and Environment for the Emilia-Romagna region). The Public Administrations in fact, may acquire and use their own networks in order to meet local needs that are within their competence. In order to carry out the census, all municipalities, provinces, the River Basin Consortium of all the provinces and the civil protection have been contacted. For each network, the following items have been surveyed: type of measured data, number of sensors used, number of data loggers used, transmission media and the Administration involved. Offices for environment and mobility, farming, civil protection and provincial police, have been consulted in main cities of each province. Received responses have been inserted in a database containing the following information: the owner Administration, the service manager, the operator, type of monitoring, number of stations installed, number and type of sensor used and the transmission media. Subsequently an analysis of these responses has highlighted different trends and consolidated needs, depending on the responsible Administration and its skills and jurisdiction. Various types of networks, used by different Administrations, that have been found thanks to the census, are shown in Figure 2.

A further analysis about possible efficient architectures that could be proposed to shareholders Administrations, pointed out that is desirable to integrate all existing networks, both for surveillance systems, which are increasingly spreading throughout the territory, and for landslides monitoring, currently managed in a summary way. The presence of a unique wide regional network on the territory, composed by Lepida and *ERretre*, makes this integration possible and it represents also the opportunity to have a uniform and guaranteed transmission of data gathered by all sensor networks. Three different models of integration with Lepida network have been proposed, as shown in Figure 3. Two of them exploit a small hardware and software module programmed by Lepida SpA and called BlackBox, which is mainly devoted

Environmental Monitoring Supported by the Regional Network Infrastructures 393

(a) IP and TETRA driver: a monitoring station, provided by third-parties, on one hand interfaces to sensors and on the other hand to the most suitable telematic infrastructure,

(b) Gateway: a control board interfaces to the monitoring station provided by third-parties through a proprietary protocol or through the standard protocol Modbus. The BlackBox, on the transport network side, provides the most suitable driver depending on the

(c) Direct interface: the BlackBox could directly interface to sensors and at the network side

The results obtained by the census activities have given the room of defining a suitable architecture able to face the problematic arisen, both in terms of data management system and in terms of communication technologies and infrastructures. Starting from this architectural solutions, some test-beds have been activated nad they will be described in detail on the

The subject involved in this testing is the River Basin Consortium of the "Po" River, an agency that deals with the emergency activities related to the water channels and seismic events of

The current sensor network that the River Basin Consortium owns and uses presents a lot of problematic aspects: these are particularly correlated to the communication networks currently used, and to the management and storage of data. The data management and storage are fully delegated to private companies that do not offer a system able to ensure the necessary levels of availability and persistence of data. Furthermore, data are distributed on different servers that differ in technology and data representation: there is not a single centralized system that could gather all available information in a standardized format. Lepida SpA in this case has proposed to the River Basin Consortium of the "Po" River a test-bed activity based both on an interface to the communication infrastructure provided by the *ERretre* network, and on a prototype of a data management center that could satisfy all the

The BlackBox prototype has been realized through a control board based on ARM Linux. As shown in the second model of Figure 2 it could be connected transparently to all proprietary tracking stations which export the Modbus interface. This is an open serial communication protocol, master-slave or master-multislave, developed to transmit

to the integration between the communication infrastructure and the sensors.

performs the gateway functionalities as described in step (b).

"Piacenza", "Parma", "Reggio-Emilia" and "Modena" territories.

transmission media that will be chosen;

needs requested by a full monitoring system.

following Sections.

**3.1 BlackBox**

**3. River basin consortium**

chosen between *Lepida* and *ERretre*, through suitable management drivers;


Fig. 2. Types of monitoring systems related to different entities

Fig. 3. Models of integration.

Afterwards, for each type of monitoring system, the type and number of sensors used have been mapped, so that their spread could be better understood. As a result was noted that the most common sensors are: the inductive coil (its low cost and its simplicity of use have made it the leader in sensor networks for traffic monitoring); the camera (used by local Public Administrations in response to a need of an improved security for citizens, furthermore the wealth of information intrinsic in its data detected, that is a stream of images, makes this sensor suitable also for other applications such as traffic monitoring or rivers flow control); the inclinometer (its purpose is related to applications for landslides monitoring).

A further analysis about possible efficient architectures that could be proposed to shareholders Administrations, pointed out that is desirable to integrate all existing networks, both for surveillance systems, which are increasingly spreading throughout the territory, and for landslides monitoring, currently managed in a summary way. The presence of a unique wide regional network on the territory, composed by Lepida and *ERretre*, makes this integration possible and it represents also the opportunity to have a uniform and guaranteed transmission of data gathered by all sensor networks. Three different models of integration with Lepida network have been proposed, as shown in Figure 3. Two of them exploit a small hardware and software module programmed by Lepida SpA and called BlackBox, which is mainly devoted to the integration between the communication infrastructure and the sensors.


The results obtained by the census activities have given the room of defining a suitable architecture able to face the problematic arisen, both in terms of data management system and in terms of communication technologies and infrastructures. Starting from this architectural solutions, some test-beds have been activated nad they will be described in detail on the following Sections.

#### **3. River basin consortium**

4 Will-be-set-by-IN-TECH

Afterwards, for each type of monitoring system, the type and number of sensors used have been mapped, so that their spread could be better understood. As a result was noted that the most common sensors are: the inductive coil (its low cost and its simplicity of use have made it the leader in sensor networks for traffic monitoring); the camera (used by local Public Administrations in response to a need of an improved security for citizens, furthermore the wealth of information intrinsic in its data detected, that is a stream of images, makes this sensor suitable also for other applications such as traffic monitoring or rivers flow control);

the inclinometer (its purpose is related to applications for landslides monitoring).

Fig. 2. Types of monitoring systems related to different entities

Fig. 3. Models of integration.

The subject involved in this testing is the River Basin Consortium of the "Po" River, an agency that deals with the emergency activities related to the water channels and seismic events of "Piacenza", "Parma", "Reggio-Emilia" and "Modena" territories.

The current sensor network that the River Basin Consortium owns and uses presents a lot of problematic aspects: these are particularly correlated to the communication networks currently used, and to the management and storage of data. The data management and storage are fully delegated to private companies that do not offer a system able to ensure the necessary levels of availability and persistence of data. Furthermore, data are distributed on different servers that differ in technology and data representation: there is not a single centralized system that could gather all available information in a standardized format.

Lepida SpA in this case has proposed to the River Basin Consortium of the "Po" River a test-bed activity based both on an interface to the communication infrastructure provided by the *ERretre* network, and on a prototype of a data management center that could satisfy all the needs requested by a full monitoring system.

#### **3.1 BlackBox**

The BlackBox prototype has been realized through a control board based on ARM Linux. As shown in the second model of Figure 2 it could be connected transparently to all proprietary tracking stations which export the Modbus interface. This is an open serial communication protocol, master-slave or master-multislave, developed to transmit

Fig. 4. Cabinet and installation site

current absorption and having a lower price.

**3.3 LabICT and Data Management Center**

retrieval, remote change of the frequency sampling.

20 bytes for each transmission. However the test-bed is highly significant because it is related to a real installation site characterized by particularly hostile conditions, located in an isolated area without any continuous electrical power available. The activation of the whole system has been made possible thanks to a survey about Tetra modems on the market and the identification of which one of them are compatible with the regional network. These could be, unlike ordinary terminals, turned on and off through a simple contact, providing less

Environmental Monitoring Supported by the Regional Network Infrastructures 395

As a consequence of the good results achieved, the River Basin Consortium and Lepida Spa has arranged a second experimentation phase that should include three new installations connected to multiple sensors and an extension of the BlackBox features, such as remote log

In a previous research phase, a prototype of a unified Data Management Center (DMC) was internally carried out at Lepida SpA R&D Laboratory, in order to receive data, normalize and validate them depending on operation thresholds according to their type and brand. A further analysis of data also allowed a cross-checking of different sensors to trigger alarms for values exceeding from defined thresholds, or for failures. An initial authentication foresaw a base profiling that determined primarily two types of users: basic and operator. for the basic one, thanks to a web interface, a real-time graph with the last samples gathered could be visualized, an historic archive including all measurement done could be consulted and these values could be sent, in a graphic format or through a pdf table, to an e-mail address. Moreover a map showed the location of the stations and the BlackBoxes installed all over the regional territory; for the operator one, in addition to the basic features, this type of user could

information between several PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) through a network connection and has become, over the years, a de facto standard communication protocol for the industry. Otherwise, in the third model schematized in Figure 2, the BlackBox provides the management of three different types of sensors: digital sensors, that could also be connected in a multiple modality through a multi-master and multi-slave communication bus; a single generic alarm button; a single serial sensor.

In order to properly handle these three types of sensors, for each one of them a dedicated parallel task has been implemented in the BlackBox: this ensures the management of any kind of warning, even asynchronous, from sensors. Furthermore, the BlackBox interfaces to the network both to transmit data and receive commands, through two different ways: either using the Ethernet connection for communication via IP or the serial connection for communication via Tetra terminal, in this case by SDS. The software is based on a task that periodically requests a measure to all the sensors connected and sends them to the data collection center, also managing the reception of any command configuration parameter, such as changing the sampling rate or actuating connected devices, for example an acoustic or light signal. A software unit receives as input the messages sent by the BlackBox, interpreting and storing them properly. The server where this unit resides, is interfaced both to the IP network and ERretre through a modem connected to a ttyUSB port. In particular, when a message is received the unit, according to the opcode message and to the sender sensor typology, properly extracts the information and stores them in a table or in another textual file available in the system and used by the entity, considering them as a single sensor in a unique instant of sampling. A single message, in fact, could also contain several measures of a unique sensor but related to subsequent sampling instants, or measures sent by different sensors but related to the same sampling instant.

The experimentation with the River Basin Consortium is based on the second model of integration and, due to the isolated location of the test-bed site which does not allow an ethernet connection to the Lepida Network, the communication is done via SDS.

#### **3.2 Landslides monitoring**

The test-bed organized by Lepida SpA was installed on the 16th of July, 2010, at the landslide by Fosso Moranda, in the Polinago municipality, province of Modena. It consists of a proprietary survey station (Datalogger) with two biaxial inclinometers at different depths, which perform accurate measures related to millimetric movements of the ground, and a piezometer, which measures the hydrostatic pressure, attached to it. The BlackBox is connected to a Tetra modem for the transmission of data, according to the configuration where the detection station acts as a slave and the BlackBox is both the master and the gateway towards the Tetra transmission network, as shown in Figure 4. The system is powered by a photovoltaic panel and is normally turned off. At a scheduled sampling rate, typically every hour, the monitoring station will "wake up" and control the power supply of the entire system: both Tetra modem and Blackbox. The BlackBox requests to the station data from sensors, then sends the response message to the data management center and commands the proprietary station, that supervises the power control, to shut down the system. The communications between the proprietary station and the BlackBox physically occur through a serial connection and logically exporting at both sides the standard interface Modbus, as previously explained. In addiction to specific parameters the system also includes the monitoring of the backup battery level, which is useful in checking the functioning of the whole automated measurement system. All processed data have a low weight, that is about

Fig. 4. Cabinet and installation site

6 Will-be-set-by-IN-TECH

information between several PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) through a network connection and has become, over the years, a de facto standard communication protocol for the industry. Otherwise, in the third model schematized in Figure 2, the BlackBox provides the management of three different types of sensors: digital sensors, that could also be connected in a multiple modality through a multi-master and multi-slave communication bus; a single

In order to properly handle these three types of sensors, for each one of them a dedicated parallel task has been implemented in the BlackBox: this ensures the management of any kind of warning, even asynchronous, from sensors. Furthermore, the BlackBox interfaces to the network both to transmit data and receive commands, through two different ways: either using the Ethernet connection for communication via IP or the serial connection for communication via Tetra terminal, in this case by SDS. The software is based on a task that periodically requests a measure to all the sensors connected and sends them to the data collection center, also managing the reception of any command configuration parameter, such as changing the sampling rate or actuating connected devices, for example an acoustic or light signal. A software unit receives as input the messages sent by the BlackBox, interpreting and storing them properly. The server where this unit resides, is interfaced both to the IP network and ERretre through a modem connected to a ttyUSB port. In particular, when a message is received the unit, according to the opcode message and to the sender sensor typology, properly extracts the information and stores them in a table or in another textual file available in the system and used by the entity, considering them as a single sensor in a unique instant of sampling. A single message, in fact, could also contain several measures of a unique sensor but related to subsequent sampling instants, or measures sent by different sensors but related

The experimentation with the River Basin Consortium is based on the second model of integration and, due to the isolated location of the test-bed site which does not allow an

The test-bed organized by Lepida SpA was installed on the 16th of July, 2010, at the landslide by Fosso Moranda, in the Polinago municipality, province of Modena. It consists of a proprietary survey station (Datalogger) with two biaxial inclinometers at different depths, which perform accurate measures related to millimetric movements of the ground, and a piezometer, which measures the hydrostatic pressure, attached to it. The BlackBox is connected to a Tetra modem for the transmission of data, according to the configuration where the detection station acts as a slave and the BlackBox is both the master and the gateway towards the Tetra transmission network, as shown in Figure 4. The system is powered by a photovoltaic panel and is normally turned off. At a scheduled sampling rate, typically every hour, the monitoring station will "wake up" and control the power supply of the entire system: both Tetra modem and Blackbox. The BlackBox requests to the station data from sensors, then sends the response message to the data management center and commands the proprietary station, that supervises the power control, to shut down the system. The communications between the proprietary station and the BlackBox physically occur through a serial connection and logically exporting at both sides the standard interface Modbus, as previously explained. In addiction to specific parameters the system also includes the monitoring of the backup battery level, which is useful in checking the functioning of the whole automated measurement system. All processed data have a low weight, that is about

ethernet connection to the Lepida Network, the communication is done via SDS.

generic alarm button; a single serial sensor.

to the same sampling instant.

**3.2 Landslides monitoring**

20 bytes for each transmission. However the test-bed is highly significant because it is related to a real installation site characterized by particularly hostile conditions, located in an isolated area without any continuous electrical power available. The activation of the whole system has been made possible thanks to a survey about Tetra modems on the market and the identification of which one of them are compatible with the regional network. These could be, unlike ordinary terminals, turned on and off through a simple contact, providing less current absorption and having a lower price.

As a consequence of the good results achieved, the River Basin Consortium and Lepida Spa has arranged a second experimentation phase that should include three new installations connected to multiple sensors and an extension of the BlackBox features, such as remote log retrieval, remote change of the frequency sampling.
