(English) Introduction to Deep Learning on Social Networks: “How to learn even more about your personal life using Neural Networks Technology”

One of the last inspiration about Social Networks is the human brain.

The new idea is to develop a new “neural networking” technique that collects data and uses that data towards other processes, much like the neurons in the human brain do when learning something.

Scientifically speaking neural networks are not a news for scientific application. Personally i used such techniques to forecast pollution data from measured data series with very low margin error.

I also used such neural networks for advanced speech recognition technology, especially applied to mobile phone.

The new challenge is to take a new approach to the task of digitizing our personalities and spinning them into nicely saleable little packages. After all, posting and updating an exhaustive list of your favorite bands tends to lose its appeal around the end of adolescence; if a social network wants to understand what our material wants and needs, it will have to look into our much more personal, much less intelligible and hidden communications. So the future of social networks is to adopt a Chief Technology Scientist Officer in order to manage a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) team with the focus to building a new neural networks technology in order to learn about your personality in a new and remarkably human way.

What is a Neural Networks? How it works?

An Artificial Neural Networks is a simplified mathematical model of the biological ones. Similarly it use nodes rather than neurons but building the same sorts of complex interconnections between them (synapses). Rather than storing all data in a huge pool to be analyzed as a whole, neural networks are able to memorize and so  remember associations between concepts, streamlining the process of retrieval and analysis.

This techniques allow computer scientists to make algorithms for something called “deep learning,” which arranges ideas as layers of definitions. Small concepts collectively define larger ones, which define larger ones, and so on. With enough input information, a sufficiently detailed neural network can learn quite deeply indeed.

The powerful deep learning algorithms have the potential to change most of how we interact with social media. Try to imagine that your favorable Social Network could recommend you a slight rewording to your latest update, or that if an algorithm could tell you which image will get your attention only analyzing your face expressions ?

Try to imagine your brain functions like the Internet or a network of friends, the human brain can be visualized as a complex interacting network that relies on nodes to efficiently convey information from place to place. Very few jumps are necessary to connect any two nodes,  “This so-called ‘small world’ property allows for the most efficient connectivity “.  In other words other networks ( social and biochemical) rely on the same principle.

This is briefly the new Social Networks challenge!

(English) THE MOST IMPORTANT ADVANTAGES TO CHOOSING FIBER OVER COPPER CABLE

It is well known that Fiber optic cable is one of the most popular mediums for both new cabling installations and upgrades, including backbone, horizontal, and even desktop applications. Fiber offers countless advantages over copper.

Reported below I will try to classify this vantages in only few points that are the most representative:

1. Greater bandwidth

Fiber provides more bandwidth than copper and has standardized performance up to 10 Gbps and beyond (experimentally car reach to 100 GB). More bandwidth means fiber can carry more information with greater fidelity than copper wire. Keep always in mind that fiber speeds are dependent on the type of cable used. Single-mode fiber offers the greatest bandwidth and no bandwidth requirements compared to the multi-mode one.

1. Speed and distance

Due to the fiber optic signal nature made of light, very little signal loss occurs during transmission, and data can move at higher speeds and greater distances (theoretically at the light speed). Fiber does not have the copper’s 100-meter (328-ft.) distance limitation of unshielded twisted pair copper (without a booster). Fiber distances depend of the cable quality, wavelength and network. Distances can range from 550 meters (984.2 ft.) for 10-Gbps multi-mode and up to 40 kilometers (24.8 mi.) for single-mode cable. The majority of backbones in large companies are fiber.

1. Security

The data transmitted over the fiber are always safe. It doesn’t radiate signals and is extremely difficult to tap. If the cable is tapped, it’s very easy to monitor because the cable leaks light, causing the entire system to fail. If an attempt is made to break the physical security of your fiber system, you’ll know it. Take in account that there are many different application that use the fiber as intrusion detection system exploiting the just mentioned properties.

Fiber networks also enable you to put all your electronics and hardware in one central location, instead of having wiring closets with equipment throughout the plant.

1. Immunity and reliability

Fiber provides extremely reliable data transmission. It’s completely immune to many environmental factors that affect copper cable typically caused electromagnetic interference. The fiber’s core is made of glass, which is an insulator, so no electric current can flow through. It’s immune to electrometric interference and radio-frequency interference (EMI/RFI), crosstalk, impedance problems, and more. You can run fiber cable next to Oil&Gas industrial equipment without worry. Fiber is also less susceptible to temperature fluctuations than copper and can be submerged in water. Fiber is the ideal choice for Oil&Gas application both inshore and offshore.

1. Design

Fiber is lightweight, thin, and more durable than copper cable. To get higher speeds using copper cable, you need to use a higher grade of cable, which typically have larger outside diameters, weight more, and take up more space in cable trays. With fiber cable, there is very little different in diameter or weight. Plus, fiber optic cable has pulling specifications that are up to 10 times greater than copper cable (depending on the specific cable). Its small size makes it easier to handle, and it takes up much less space in cabling ducts. And, fiber is easier to test than copper cable.

1. Migration

The proliferation and lower costs of media converters are making copper to fiber migration much easier. The converters provide seamless links and enable the use of existing hardware. Fiber can be incorporated into network in planned upgrades by simply using the adequate copper to fiber converters.

1. Field termination.

Although fiber is still more difficult to terminate than copper, advancements in technology have made terminating and using fiber in the field easier. Terminating fiber optic cable is not as simple as copper. While manufacturers have developed crimp-on connectors, they are expensive, high loss and have not been very reliable. Fiber optic connectors need adhesives for reliability and low cost. And most installation involves stripping fibers, injecting adhesives and polishing the ends. No IDC (insulation displacement connectors) here. Any good installer can learn how to terminate fiber in less than 2 hours.

1. Cost

The cost for fiber cable, components, and hardware has steadily decreased. Overall, fiber cable is more expensive than copper cable in the short run, but it may be less expensive in the long run. Fiber typically costs less to maintain, has less downtime, and requires less networking hardware. In addition, advances in field termination technology has reduced the cost of fiber installation as well.

Flare Stacks Eye: an Innovative Solution for Flare Stacks Monitoring in Oil & Gas

Thanks to the last thermal imaging vision systems technology Intellisystem Technologies, has developed an innovative tool for the automated monitoring of industrial flare stacks typically used in the Oil & Gas industry. The proposed system is designed and made to allow the continuous monitoring of industrial flare stacks with reference to the flame presence. By using special infrared cameras it is possible to get a realtime thermal flame map. On this way we are constantly assured by the visual inspection of the presence of a flame even in special conditions such as strong backlighting, light inconspicuous, poor visibility due to fog etc. The proposed system is called ESF (Flare Stacks Eye) and it is easily interfaces with automation systems and DCS systems installed on the industrial plant. With this solution it is possible to improve the workplace safety as well as the optimization of the product combustion in favor of a lower environmental impact.

This paper was published on the Automazione Oggi  N. 383 – July/August 2015 Magazine.

To download the published article, please follow the link below http://www.intellisystem.it/portfolio/ao-luglio-agosto-2015-1/

(English) Industrial and Oil&Gas CCTV Security Videosuirveillance

Intellisystem Technologies formed in March 2003 as an independent research team and designed to generate innovative proposals, cost-effective, sustainable and avant-garde is a multidisciplinary team of professionals specialized in research and development (R & D) of products, platforms, systems, high safety technology, measurements and computer and electronic countermeasures, with the common goal to become the first technology-based company dedicated to security, intelligence, and advanced services to new risks and challenges posed by Industrial and Oil&Gas High Technology requirements.

The design and installation of reliable, safe and robust equipment is paramount in the oil and gas industry which requires specialist systems to operate in marine, hazardous and explosion risk areas.

Whether it’s security or access control for refineries, gas plants, pipelines, depots or bottling plants; Intellisystem Technologies can design, supply and install security systems to meet the demanding requirements.

In these years as Head of the R&D department of Intellisystem Technologies I maturate a strong experience of providing integrated security systems for Oil & Gas with clients including ERG and Lukoil. My R&D team engineers have specific experience and expertise of this demanding market and will design any integrated security systems with the inclusion of any or all of the following:

Perimeter security fencing with military grade
CCTV Surveillance
Access Control
Gates & Barriers
Intercoms Systems
Perimeter Intruder Detection
Public Address Systems
Service & Maintenance Support

Our accredited and qualified hardware and software technicians have nearly 13 years of specialist experience and expertise.

Our security services provision includes installation, maintenance and support, remote security monitoring, system design, test and repair and video processing and enhancement.

‘Green and profitable’: come aumentare i profitti riducendo i consumi

L’IMPIEGO DI RETI STANDARD, ALCUNE DOTATE DI APPOSITI PROFILI E SPECIFICHE CHE CONSENTONO UN PIÙ EFFICIENTE USO DELL’ENERGIA, PUÒ AIUTARE LE AZIENDE AD AUMENTARE I PROFITTI, RIDUCENDO I CONSUMI E FAVORENDO LA SOSTENIBILITÀ 

Con Cristian Randieri, Ph.D., presidente e CEO di Intellisystem Technologies; Vittorio Agostinelli, product manager Factory Automation di Panasonic Electric Works Italia; Peter Lutz, managing director di Sercos International; Paolo Laganà, responsabile tecnico di Inlon Engineering; Martin Rostan, direttore esecutivo di ETG – Ethercat Technology Group; John Browett, general manager di Clpa.

Ormai da anni si parla di ‘sostenibilità’: di fronte a una crisi economica globale che drena risorse e frena gli investimenti, non si possono più rimandare i ‘bilanci’, non si possono più tollerare gli ‘sprechi’. La produzione deve essere efficiente, l’energia deve essere utilizzata al meglio, quando serve e dove serve, gli scarti devono essere ridotti al minimo, i lotti devono essere prodotti ‘just in time’ seguendo flessibilmente le richieste del mercato. Tutto questo richiede innovazione tecnologica, un’innovazione in sistemi e apparati, hardware e soprattutto software, anche e soprattutto a livello di rete e comunicazione dati. Solo così l’azienda può sfruttare soluzioni, dall’IoT al cloud, che possono renderla più efficiente e competitiva in un mondo, quello del business, fattosi sempre più globale e agguerrito sul fronte sia dei prezzi, sia della qualità. Ecco dunque che essere ‘sostenibili’, essere ‘green’, non può rappresentare solo un’operazione di facciata, ma deve essere parte di un progetto di più ampio respiro che coinvolge l’intera azienda e tutti i suoi dipendenti, cambiando il modo di produrre e di intendere la produzione stessa, affinché l’investimento possa ripagarsi e in tempi brevi. Ma vediamo cosa pensano riguardo a questo tema alcuni protagonisti del settore.

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Di seguito riportiamo l’estratto dell’articolo riguardante le risposte date da parte del nostro Presidente e CEO Cristian Randieri

1)      Un investimento in tecnologie ‘green’ può dare ritorni economici concreti o solo di immagine?

In generale, quello delle tecnologie ‘green’ è un mercato in crescita un po’ dappertutto: come riportato da più fonti il settore “clean tech” continua a registrare nuovi investimenti nei Paesi sviluppati e in via di sviluppo, basti pensare che tra il 2007 e il 2010, la crescita in media è stata del 11,8% all’anno. Se a livello mondiale il fenomeno è quanto mai significativo, lo è particolarmente nei Paesi in via di sviluppo ciò si traduce in nuove possibilità di esportazione di prodotti hi-Tech made in Italy, un’occasione sicuramente da non perdere per le aziende Italiane che investono nella ricerca ed innovazione. Penso che il discorso inerente l’immagine sia secondario a quello concreto di produrre nuove tecnologie a basso costo eco-compatibili poiché tra qualche decennio dovremmo fare i conti con gli effetti delle varie politiche non eco-sostenibili attuate sino ad ora soprattutto nei paesi emergenti. Dal fronte lavoro le tecnologie green appaiono una scommessa ragionevole per le nuove imprese che offriranno i cosiddetti “green jobs” ossia occupati che applicheranno le competenze tecnologiche “green”.

2)      Come le tecnologie di rete possono aiutare ad abbinare sostenibilità e redditività dell’industria?

Da sempre il possesso delle tecnologie inerenti le Telecomunicazioni, e quindi le tecnologie di rete, sono state vincenti, basti pensare agli innumerevoli conflitti vinti da chi ha posseduto le soluzioni tecnologiche più avanzate. Oggi alle varie sfide tecnologiche di aggiunge la sfida “green-networking” che dal punto di vista industriale significa enfatizzare i concetti di: maggiore integrazione, riduzione delle distanze, più automazione, compatibilmente con la riduzione dei costi di esercizio; il che si traduce in maggiore sostenibilità e redditività per chi ne fa uso. Gli sprechi in questo settore sono innumerevoli basti pensare a titolo d’ esempio:

• Ai lunghi periodi di inattività dei vari dispositivi di networking durante le ore in cui le aziende non lavorano;
• Allo spreco di energia inerente le lunghezze dei cavi. Ad esempio qualsiasi switch è progettato per supportare sino a 100m di cavo quando in media nelle aziende i segmenti medi sono di 5-10 metri. Sarebbe opportuno che lo switch sia in grado di rilevare la lunghezza del cavo e quindi regolare di conseguenza i consumi energetici.

3)      Esiste o sarebbe utile uno standard o un marchio di riferimento anche per le tecnologie di comunicazione per certificarne l’efficienza energetica e/o la sostenibilità ambientale? (tipo Energy Star nell’informatica o l’etichetta energetica degli elettrodomestici)

Sicuramente sarebbe molto utile poiché così come già accade in altri settori, il consumatore avrebbe uno strumento in più per orientarsi meglio nella scelta degli apparati di rete, magari ponendosi dei quesiti alle problematiche inerenti i loro consumi. Sembra banale ma la maggior parte delle PMI in Italia non si è mai posto il problema di adottare delle soluzioni per la riduzione dei costi di consumo energetico dei propri apparati di rete. Dalle parole non sarà facile passare ai fatti poiché come per ogni standard che si rispetti occorreranno anni per la definizione dei protocolli di valutazione ed attuazione.

4)      Quali innovazioni tecnologiche possono aiutare la diffusione delle reti di comunicazione in progetti ‘green’

Sicuramente le tecnologie di “smart sensing” ovvero le applicazioni di sensori e reti di sensori possono contribuire in modo significativo ad un uso più efficiente delle risorse, affrontare le sfide ambientali e ridurre gli effetti del cambiamento climatico. Negli “Smart Buildings” l’accoppiamento degli standard minimi di efficienza energetica con l’uso della tecnologia dei sensori può essere un fattore importante nel ridurre l’uso di energia elettrica e le emissioni di gas a effetto serra. Tuttavia, effetti di tipo “rimbalzo” devono essere presi in considerazione, in particolare nei trasporti. Una maggiore efficienza dovuta all’utilizzo della tecnologia dei sensori deve essere accompagnata da una gestione della domanda di internalizzare i costi ambientali, ad esempio incoraggiando il cambiamento sistemico nel comportamento dei consumatori e degli utenti educandoli ad un consapevole risparmio energetico. Le politiche e le iniziative del governo, a mio avviso, sono cruciali per favorire gli effetti ambientali positivi scaturiti dell’uso di sensori e reti di sensori. Una soluzione potrebbe essere un’intensa attività programmatica che abbia come obiettivo quello di dimostrare e promuovere l’uso della tecnologia dei sensori mediante progetti pilota mirati ad offrire un valido supporto per lo sviluppo di standard aperti.

5)      Avete dei risultati quantitativi da condividere ottenuti in alcuni vostri progetti o dai vostri clienti?

La nostra azienda da sempre si è occupata di queste tematiche ed è stata una delle prime a progettare e costruire dei sistemi embedded per il telecontrollo remoto di apparati con l’obiettivo duale di automatizzare quest’ultimi compatibilmente con il risparmio energetico. Siamo stati tra i primi in Italia ad introdurre nel mercato un sistema capace di controllare i carichi di apparati permettendone l’attivazione e disattivazione in funzione di politiche di risparmio energetico.  Oggi le maggiori esigenze dei nostri clienti sono focalizzate verso il monitoraggio dei consumi delle macchine per la produzione. Stiamo mettendo a punto un sistema basato su tecnologie smart sensing che stimiamo permetterà un abbattimento dei consumi stimato tra 10 ed il 30 % in funzione delle tipologie di applicazione.

Tavola Rotonda – Fieldbus & Networks N. 82 (Febbraio 2015), pubblicata da Stefano Cazzani e Ilaria De Poli

Per scaricare l’articolo pubblicato sulla rivista seguire il link riportato di seguito http://www.intellisystem.it/portfolio/fn-febbraio-2015/

IT SAT “La prima telecamera con connessione satellitare per applicazioni industriali”

ItSAT è la nuovissima e rivoluzionaria linea di prodotti Hi-Tech sviluppata da Intellisystem Technologies nata da una costante collaborazione tecnico commerciale con i più noti provider satellitari mondiali che consiste in un sistema di video controllo remoto, capace di riprendere e rendere fruibili immagini a colori, anche in termografia, utilizzando una connessione dati via satellite di tipo geostazionario.

I sistemi proposti integrano la tecnologia web Embedded server basata sul sistema operativo Linux garantendone affidabilità, scalabilità e robustezza. Grazie al sistema di trasmissione dati implementato in Itsat è possibile svincolarsi da qualsiasi infrastruttura di rete terrestre sia essa cablata che wireless (ad esempio rete Adsl, Hdsl e cellulare). Il sistema proposto è ideale per tutte quelle applicazioni di video controllo industriale installate in luoghi remoti tipiche del comparto oil&gas.

Articolo pubblicato sulla rivista Automazione Oggi N. 381 (Maggio 2015).

(English) How to optimize your Information Technology Infrastructure?

Interview to Cristian Randieri PhD, President & CEO. As an IT Engineer many times I asked me this question “How to optimize your Information Technology Infrastructure?”
Doing different research on Internet I found and liked the report “Optimize IT Infrastructure to Maximize Workload Performance” edited by Aberdeen.com. It finds that many organizations today are struggling to understand, manage and optimize their infrastructure to meet the complex and demanding workloads of this new business era. However, this report also reveals the strategies of companies that are leaders in high performing IT infrastructures. By understanding the success factors and the strategies in the full report, it is possible to learn how to achieve the full benefit of an optimized IT infrastructure.

Briefly the key success factors can be summarize in:

1- Take advantage of automated processes by understanding your application delivery infrastructure from end to end.
With visibility across your infrastructure (from storage to servers to networks), it is possible to monitor the overall performance of applications and services. With real-time and automated capabilities, IT organizations can realize the value of their aDDtication and infrastructure investments faster.

2- Adopt and deploy new technologies and trends. 
It is crucial that your IT organizations stay continuously updated (through leading publications and the web) to the last technology trends that are helping to improve the quality of IT infrastructures, such as the last technology about cloud, big data and mobile. With this new technologies transforming it is crucial that organizations take advantage of trends like cloud and big data in order to optimize their service delivery.

3- Improve server and management platforms to boost the entire company. 
Improved uptime, performance and workload management need not end with critical enterprise applications and IT services. All IT services are critical in their own way and Best-in-Class IT shops can ensure that their IT hardware brings benefits across the company.

4- Make IT a full business partner with an IT service centric approach. 
Imitate the leading organizations that ensure for the IT a seat at the management table by converging systems and breaking down the walls between operations, networking, development and the business side. With added focus on performance, reliability and efficiency, leaders gain optimized IT infrastructures that meet end-user needs and boost productivity.

5 – Update your IT infrastructure. 
Today more that on the past no one IT infrastructure can succeed by relying on old and out of date hardware. By taking advantage of the best of modern hardware and management platforms you must optimize your entire business for success.

(English) Thermography for Oil & Gas application

Thermography plays an important role within the petrochemical, chemical, and power generation industries. With the current global energy crisis, these energy-based industries must continue to meet high volume demands while reducing operational costs and preventing failures. Such failures can lead to losses in production that may result in a domino effect all the way down to the consumer. With our coast guard thermography applications used within the petrochemical and energy sectors we want to show how it is possible to have a continuous monitoring even on the dark or with fog…….

Video demonstration