pwc-archive/papers-with-abstracts huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Net Metering for Energy Communities
Authors: Ahmed S. Alahmed, Lang Tong
Date: 2023-06-21 00:00:00

We propose a social welfare maximizing market mechanism for an energy community that aggregates individual and community-shared energy resources under a general net energy metering (NEM) policy. Referred to as Dynamic NEM (D-NEM), the proposed mechanism dynamically sets the community NEM prices based on aggregated community resources, including flexible consumption, storage, and renewable generation. D-NEM guarantees a higher benefit to each community member than possible outside the community, and no sub-communities would be better off departing from its parent community. D-NEM aligns each member's incentive with that of the community such that each member maximizing individual surplus under D-NEM results in maximum community social welfare. Empirical studies compare the proposed mechanism with existing benchmarks, demonstrating its welfare benefits, operational characteristics, and responsiveness to NEM rates.
Subjective assessment of the impact of a content adaptive optimiser for compressing 4K HDR content with AV1
Authors: Vibhoothi, Angeliki Katsenou, François Pitié, Katarina Domijan, Anil Kokaram
Date: 2023-06-26 00:00:00
Tasks: 4k

Since 2015 video dimensionality has expanded to higher spatial and temporal resolutions and a wider colour gamut. This High Dynamic Range (HDR) content has gained traction in the consumer space as it delivers an enhanced quality of experience. At the same time, the complexity of codecs is growing. This has driven the development of tools for content-adaptive optimisation that achieve optimal rate-distortion performance for HDR video at 4K resolution. While improvements of just a few percentage points in BD-Rate (1-5\%) are significant for the streaming media industry, the impact on subjective quality has been less studied especially for HDR/AV1. In this paper, we conduct a subjective quality assessment (42 subjects) of 4K HDR content with a per-clip optimisation strategy. We correlate these subjective scores with existing popular objective metrics used in standard development and show that some perceptual metrics correlate surprisingly well even though they are not tuned for HDR. We find that the DSQCS protocol is too insensitive to categorically compare the methods but the data allows us to make recommendations about the use of experts vs non-experts in HDR studies, and explain the subjective impact of film grain in HDR content under compression.
Network Optimization -- Using Relays as Neurons
Authors: Itsik Bergel
Date: 2023-06-25 00:00:00
Tasks: Deep Learning

We consider the optimization of a network with amplify-and-forward relays. Observing that each relay has a power limit, and hence a non-linear transfer function, we focus on the similarity between relay networks and neural networks. This similarity allows us to treat relays as neurons, and use deep learning tools to achieve better optimization of the network. Deep learning optimization allows relays to work in their non-linear regime (and hence increase their transmission power) while still avoiding harmful distortion. Moreover, like neural networks, which can implement almost any functionality, we can take advantage of the non-linearities and implement parts of the received functionalities over the relay network. By treating each relay element as a node in a deep neural network, our optimization results in huge gains over traditional relay optimization, and also allows the use of simpler receivers.
Statistical relational learning and neuro-symbolic AI: what does first-order logic offer?
Authors: Vaishak Belle
Date: 2023-06-08 00:00:00
Tasks: Relational Reasoning

In this paper, our aim is to briefly survey and articulate the logical and philosophical foundations of using (first-order) logic to represent (probabilistic) knowledge in a non-technical fashion. Our motivation is three fold. First, for machine learning researchers unaware of why the research community cares about relational representations, this article can serve as a gentle introduction. Second, for logical experts who are newcomers to the learning area, such an article can help in navigating the differences between finite vs infinite, and subjective probabilities vs random-world semantics. Finally, for researchers from statistical relational learning and neuro-symbolic AI, who are usually embedded in finite worlds with subjective probabilities, appreciating what infinite domains and random-world semantics brings to the table is of utmost theoretical import.
Toward A Logical Theory Of Fairness and Bias
Authors: Vaishak Belle
Date: 2023-06-08 00:00:00
Tasks: counterfactual, Fairness

Fairness in machine learning is of considerable interest in recent years owing to the propensity of algorithms trained on historical data to amplify and perpetuate historical biases. In this paper, we argue for a formal reconstruction of fairness definitions, not so much to replace existing definitions but to ground their application in an epistemic setting and allow for rich environmental modelling. Consequently we look into three notions: fairness through unawareness, demographic parity and counterfactual fairness, and formalise these in the epistemic situation calculus.
Cost-Effective Task Offloading Scheduling for Hybrid Mobile Edge-Quantum Computing
Authors: Ziqiang Ye, Yulan Gao, Yue Xiao, Minrui Xu, Han Yu, Dusit Niyato
Date: 2023-06-26 00:00:00
Tasks: Decision Making, Deep Reinforcement Learning, Scheduling

In this paper, we aim to address the challenge of hybrid mobile edge-quantum computing (MEQC) for sustainable task offloading scheduling in mobile networks. We develop cost-effective designs for both task offloading mode selection and resource allocation, subject to the individual link latency constraint guarantees for mobile devices, while satisfying the required success ratio for their computation tasks. Specifically, this is a time-coupled offloading scheduling optimization problem in need of a computationally affordable and effective solution. To this end, we propose a deep reinforcement learning (DRL)-based Lyapunov approach. More precisely, we reformulate the original time-coupled challenge into a mixed-integer optimization problem by introducing a penalty part in terms of virtual queues constructed by time-coupled constraints to the objective function. Subsequently, a Deep Q-Network (DQN) is adopted for task offloading mode selection. In addition, we design the Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG)-based algorithm for partial-task offloading decision-making. Finally, tested in a realistic network setting, extensive experiment results demonstrate that our proposed approach is significantly more cost-effective and sustainable compared to existing methods.
A Tutorial on Modeling and Control of Slippage in Wheeled Mobile Robots
Authors: Khuram Naveed
Date: 2023-06-24 00:00:00

This tutorial intends to present a deep insight of the slip and skid problem in WMRs. Specifically, we present a brief introduction to slippage and the limitations it imposes on WMR's applications. In addition, we shed some light on state of the art review on modeling methodologies and controlling mechanisms for slip and skid in WMRs. This paper also discusses the future trends in the use of WMRs and possibility of new domains in their use in modern world.
Best Practices for Machine Learning Systems: An Industrial Framework for Analysis and Optimization
Authors: Georgios Christos Chouliaras, Kornel Kiełczewski, Amit Beka, David Konopnicki, Lucas Bernardi
Date: 2023-06-09 00:00:00

In the last few years, the Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence community has developed an increasing interest in Software Engineering (SE) for ML Systems leading to a proliferation of best practices, rules, and guidelines aiming at improving the quality of the software of ML Systems. However, understanding their impact on the overall quality has received less attention. Practices are usually presented in a prescriptive manner, without an explicit connection to their overall contribution to software quality. Based on the observation that different practices influence different aspects of software-quality and that one single quality aspect might be addressed by several practices we propose a framework to analyse sets of best practices with focus on quality impact and prioritization of their implementation. We first introduce a hierarchical Software Quality Model (SQM) specifically tailored for ML Systems. Relying on expert knowledge, the connection between individual practices and software quality aspects is explicitly elicited for a large set of well-established practices. Applying set-function optimization techniques we can answer questions such as what is the set of practices that maximizes SQM coverage, what are the most important ones, which practices should be implemented in order to improve specific quality aspects, among others. We illustrate the usage of our framework by analyzing well-known sets of practices.
An Exploration-Exploitation Approach to Anti-lock Brake Systems
Authors: Benjamin Sullivan, Jingjing Jiang, Georgios Mavros, Wen-Hua Chen
Date: 2023-06-26 00:00:00
Tasks: Friction

Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) is a mandatory active safety feature on road vehicles with analogous systems for aircraft and locomotives. This feature aims to prevent locking of the wheels when braking and to improve the handling performance, as well as reduce stopping distance of the vehicle. Estimation uncertainties in the vehicle state and environment (road surface) are often neglected or handled separately from the ABS controller, leading to sub-optimal braking. In this paper, a Dual Control for Exploration-Exploitation (DCEE) approach is taken toward the ABS problem which achieves both accurate state (and environment) estimation and superior braking performance. Compared with popular Extremum Seeking methods, improvements of up to $15\%$ and $8.5\%$ are shown in stopping time and stopping distance, respectively. A Regularized Particle Filter with Markov Chain Monte Carlo step is used to estimate vehicle states and parameters of the Magic Formula tyre model that includes the peak friction coefficient for the environment. The effectiveness of the DCEE approach is demonstrated across a range of driving scenarios such as low and high speeds; snow, wet and dry roads and changing road surfaces.
A Survey of Software-Defined Smart Grid Networks: Security Threats and Defense Techniques
Authors: Dennis Agnew, Sharon Boamah, Janise McNair
Date: 2023-06-26 00:00:00
Tasks: Security Studies

Smart grids are replacing conventional power grids due to rising electricity use, failing infrastructure, and reliability problems. Two-way communication, demand-side administration, and real-time pricing make smart grids (SGs) dependent on its communication system. Manual network administration slows down SG communication. SG networks additionally utilize hardware and software from several vendors, allowing devices to communicate. Software-defined SGs (SD-SG) use software-defined networking (SDN) to monitor and regulate SG global communication networks to address these concerns. SDN separates the data plane (routers and switches) from the control plane (routing logic) and centralizes control into the SDN controller. This helps network operators manage visibility, control, and security. These benefits have made SDN popular in SG architectural and security studies. But because SD-SGs are vulnerable to cyberattacks, there are concerns about the security of these SD-SG networks. Cybercriminals can attack software-defined communication networks, affecting the power grid. Unauthorized access can be used to intercept messages and introduce false data into system measurements, flood communication channels with fraudulent data packets, or target controllers, a potential single point of failure, to cripple SDN networks. Current research reflects this paradigm as defense and security against such attacks have developed and evolved. There is a need for a current study that provides a more detailed analysis and description of SD-SG network security dangers and countermeasures, as well as future research needs and developing threats for the sector. To fill this void, this survey is presented.
Cooperative Decision-Making in Shared Spaces: Making Urban Traffic Safer through Human-Machine Cooperation
Authors: Balint Varga, Dongxu Yang, Sören Hohmann
Date: 2023-06-26 00:00:00
Tasks: Autonomous Vehicles, Decision Making

In this paper, a cooperative decision-making is presented, which is suitable for intention-aware automated vehicle functions. With an increasing number of highly automated and autonomous vehicles on public roads, trust is a very important issue regarding their acceptance in our society. The most challenging scenarios arise at low driving speeds of these highly automated and autonomous vehicles, where interactions with vulnerable road users likely occur. Such interactions must be addressed by the automation of the vehicle. The novelties of this paper are the adaptation of a general cooperative and shared control framework to this novel use case and the application of an explicit prediction model of the pedestrian. An extensive comparison with state-of-the-art algorithms is provided in a simplified test environment. The results show the superiority of the proposed model-based algorithm compared to state-of-the-art solutions and its suitability for real-world applications due to its real-time capability.
Providing Curative Distribution Grid Flexibility Using Online Feedback Optimization
Authors: Florian Klein-Helmkamp, Fabian Böhm, Lukas Ortmann, Alexander Winkens, Florian Schmidtke, Saverio Bolognani, Florian Dörfler, Andreas Ulbig
Date: 2023-06-26 00:00:00

Distribution grid flexibility is discussed as a possible measure in curative system operation, yielding a need for an efficient and robust coordination mechanism for the joint flexibility provision by individual units to the transmission grid. This paper introduces a method to coordinate distribution grid level flexibility as a fast-responding curative measure based on Online Feedback Optimization. We utilize an optimization algorithm in a closed loop with the distribution grid to dispatch set points for active and reactive power to flexibility providing units. The approach is evaluated in an experimental setup, utilizing assets connected to an exemplary low voltage grid. Online Feedback Optimization is found to be both a viable as well as a highly effective approach to coordinate distributed energy resources in real-time curative system operation.
On the Guarantees of Minimizing Regret in Receding Horizon
Authors: Andrea Martin, Luca Furieri, Florian Dörfler, John Lygeros, Giancarlo Ferrari-Trecate
Date: 2023-06-26 00:00:00

Towards bridging classical optimal control and online learning, regret minimization has recently been proposed as a control design criterion. This competitive paradigm penalizes the loss relative to the optimal control actions chosen by a clairvoyant policy, and allows tracking the optimal performance in hindsight no matter how disturbances are generated. In this paper, we propose the first receding horizon scheme based on the repeated computation of finite horizon regret-optimal policies, and we establish stability and safety guarantees for the resulting closed-loop system. Our derivations combine novel monotonicity properties of clairvoyant policies with suitable terminal ingredients. We prove that our scheme is recursively feasible, stabilizing, and that it achieves bounded regret relative to the infinite horizon clairvoyant policy. Last, we show that the policy optimization problem can be solved efficiently through convex-concave programming. Our numerical experiments show that minimizing regret can outperform standard receding horizon approaches when the disturbances poorly fit classical design assumptions - even when the finite horizon planning is recomputed less frequently.
Computationally Enhanced Approach for Chance-Constrained OPF Considering Voltage Stability
Authors: Yuanxi Wu, Zhi Wu, Yijun Xu, Huan Long, Wei Gu, Shu Zheng, Jingtao Zhao
Date: 2023-06-26 00:00:00
Tasks: Management

The effective management of stochastic characteristics of renewable power generations is vital for ensuring the stable and secure operation of power systems. This paper addresses the task of optimizing the chance-constrained voltage-stability-constrained optimal power flow (CC-VSC-OPF) problem, which is hindered by the implicit voltage stability index and intractable chance constraints Leveraging a neural network (NN)-based surrogate model, the stability constraint is explicitly formulated and directly integrated into the model. To perform uncertainty propagation without relying on presumptions or complicated transformations, an advanced data-driven method known as adaptive polynomial chaos expansion (APCE) is developed. To extend the scalability of the proposed algorithm, a partial least squares (PLS)-NN framework is designed, which enables the establishment of a parsimonious surrogate model and efficient computation of large-scale Hessian matrices. In addition, a dimensionally decomposed APCE (DD-APCE) is proposed to alleviate the "curse of dimensionality" by restricting the interaction order among random variables. Finally, the above techniques are merged into an iterative scheme to update the operation point. Simulation results reveal the cost-effective performances of the proposed method in several test systems.
Sensor Selection for Remote State Estimation with QoS Requirement Constraints
Authors: Huiwen Yang, Lingying Huang, Chao Yang, Yilin Mo, Ling Shi
Date: 2023-06-26 00:00:00
Tasks: State Estimation

In this paper, we study the sensor selection problem for remote state estimation under the Quality-of-Service (QoS) requirement constraints. Multiple sensors are employed to observe a linear time-invariant system, and their measurements should be transmitted to a remote estimator for state estimation. However, due to the limited communication resources and the QoS requirement constraints, only some of the sensors can be allowed to transmit their measurements. To estimate the system state as accurately as possible, it is essential to select sensors for transmission appropriately. We formulate the sensor selection problem as a non-convex optimization problem. It is difficult to solve such a problem and even to find a feasible solution. To obtain a solution which can achieve good estimation performance, we first reformulate and relax the formulated problem. Then, we propose an algorithm based on successive convex approximation (SCA) to solve the relaxed problem. By utilizing the solution of the relaxed problem, we propose a heuristic sensor selection algorithm which can provide a good suboptimal solution. Simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed heuristic.
On Adaptive-Gain Control of Replicator Dynamics in Population Games
Authors: Lorenzo Zino, Mengbin Ye, Alessandro Rizzo, Giuseppe Carlo Calafiore
Date: 2023-06-26 00:00:00

Controlling evolutionary game-theoretic dynamics is a problem of paramount importance for the systems and control community, with several applications spanning from social science to engineering. Here, we study a population of individuals who play a generic 2-action matrix game, and whose actions evolve according to a replicator equation -- a nonlinear ordinary differential equation that captures salient features of the collective behavior of the population. Our objective is to steer such a population to a specified equilibrium that represents a desired collective behavior -- e.g., to promote cooperation in the prisoner's dilemma. To this aim, we devise an adaptive-gain controller, which regulates the system dynamics by adaptively changing the entries of the payoff matrix of the game. The adaptive-gain controller is tailored according to distinctive features of the game, and conditions to guarantee global convergence to the desired equilibrium are established.
Task-Oriented Semantics-Aware Communication for Wireless UAV Control and Command Transmission
Authors: Yujie Xu, Zhou Hui, Yansha Deng
Date: 2023-06-25 00:00:00
Tasks: Deep Reinforcement Learning

To guarantee the safety and smooth control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operation, the new control and command (C&C) data type imposes stringent quality of service (QoS) requirements on the cellular network. However, the existing bit-oriented communication framework is already approaching the Shannon capacity limit, which can hardly guarantee the ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) service for C&C transmission. To solve the problem, task-oriented semantics-aware (TOSA) communication has been proposed recently by jointly exploiting the context of data and its importance to the UAV control task. However, to the best of our knowledge, an explicit and systematic TOSA communication framework for emerging C&C data type remains unknown. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a TOSA communication framework for C&C transmission and define its value of information based on both the similarity and age of information (AoI) of C&C signals. We also propose a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) algorithm to maximize the TOSA information. Last but not least, we present the simulation results to validate the effectiveness of our proposed TOSA communication framework.
Non-Invasive Experimental Identification of a Single Particle Model for LiFePO4 Cells
Authors: Andrea Trivella, Matteo Corno, Stefano Radrizzani, Sergio M. Savaresi
Date: 2023-06-25 00:00:00
Tasks: Management

The rapid spread of Lithium-ions batteries (LiBs) for electric vehicles calls for the development of accurate physical models for Battery Management Systems (BMSs). In this work, the electrochemical Single Particle Model (SPM) for a high-power LiFePO4 cell is experimentally identified through a set of non-invasive tests (based on voltage-current measurements only). The SPM is identified through a two-step procedure in which the equilibrium potentials and the kinetics parameters are characterized sequentially. The proposed identification procedure is specifically tuned for LiFePO4 chemistry, which is particularly challenging to model due to the non-linearity of its open circuit voltage (OCV) characteristic. The identified SPM is compared with a second-order Equivalent Circuit Model (ECM) with State of Charge dependency. Models performance is compared on dynamic current profiles. They exhibit similar performance when discharge currents peak up to 1C (RMSE between simulation and measures smaller than 20 mV) while, increasing the discharge peaks up to 3C, ECM's performance significantly deteriorates while SPM maintains acceptable RMSE (< 50 mV).