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Simulation is strongly related to the Military Sector, indeed Computer Simulation has been effectively applied to Defense and Aerospace since the end of the World War II and John McLeod, founder of the Society for Computer Simulation International (SCS), applied it to Rocket Science and Aeronautics in early ’50, quite a while before the advent of digital computers (McLeod in Simulation: the dynamic modeling of ideas and systems with computers. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1968). Today, after half a century, military users still represent the major stream for MS in addition, it is an area where competition (not necessarily commercial) pushes the innovative solutions to the edge, so all these aspects promote simulation as leading science to achieve successful results. This chapter is focused on New Challenges and Opportunities in this domain.

This paper presents a modelling approach for mapping cyber defence issues with respect to heterogeneous networks; the research is devoted to develop an agent-driven simulation environment able to analyse this problem considering different layers including CIS capabilities, operational issues, system architecture, management processes and human factors. The paper analyses a specific case study to validate and verify the proposed modelling approach; the scenario is focused on a heterogeneous network applied to an extended maritime environment including autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), sensors, platforms, vessels, satellites and relevant military assets and threats. The present document uses this case study as example of system of systems to be simulated including cyber warfare issues to evaluate their impact on operations.

The requirements for autonomous systems of systems have started to include the cooperation between heterogeneous assets in order to accomplish complex missions. Therefore, interoperability --- both at the conceptual and technical level --- between different types of systems and domains is essential. In the M&S community HLA is the reference standard to design, develop and test interoperable systems of systems. In this article, a HLA-based link between simulation and an autonomous system using the ROS middleware is presented. The integration of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle AUV, more specifically the SPARUS II, in a HLA federation using the proposed link has been tested for a harbour protection mission. For this scenario, the hardware and software of the AUV has been included in a federation together with a virtual simulator. The link allows easy inclusion of ROS-based assets in HLA federations, thereby enriching both the M&S and robotic communities which will benefit from this approach which allows the development of more complex and realistic simulated scenarios with hardware- and software-in-the-loop.

This paper proposes an advanced decision system, called Virtual Dynamic Store (VDS), for supporting retail store management. The VDS architecture supports the decision processes within retail stores by providing users with three main functionalities: store layout analysis, item and shelf management, and store monitoring and control by real-time simulation (or remote control by on-line simulation). As additional functionality, not related to the decision process within a retail store, the VDS architecture could also be used as a virtual web shop for e-commerce. To provide evidence on the relevance of the VDS, the architecture is tested within a real store by proposing four different application examples that show the potential of the VDS as an advanced decision support system.

The human factor is becoming a main topic in modelling and simulation; this paper proposes an approach for evaluating quantitatively the potential benefits for introducing these aspects versus the different possible modelling alternatives in order to support the simulation experts. In particular, this research is focused on micro-logistics in order to emphasise the impact of human behaviour in industrial and business processes, providing also real cases as support for validation of the proposed approach.

Goal of the present paper is providing support to operations planning and management in complex scenarios. The authors are mainly focused on South Asia region, which is subject of experimental analysis by running an Intelligent Agents—driven HLA Federation. Simulation of investments and operations over an asymmetric mission environment with several parties, insurgents, terrorists and dynamic social framework is the aim. The scenario has various degrees of freedom and M&S enables evaluation of human behavior evolution and socio-psychological aspects. The presented models include Computer Generated Forces (CGF) driven by Intelligent Agents (IAs) that represents not only units on the battlefield, but also people and interest groups (i.e. Middle Class, Nomads, Clans). The study is focused on Civil Military Co-operations (CIMIC) and Psychological Operations (PSYOPs). The simulation is based on specific architecture that involves various federates playing different roles. Verification, Validation and Accreditation (VV&A) has been applied along the whole life cycle of the research, in order to determine the correctness and effectiveness of the results. The paper proposes experimental results obtained during the dynamic test of the federations.

In this paper the authors are presenting their work prepared for the Simulation Exploration Experience (SEE) 2014 event. This initiative has been organized by the Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization (SISO) and other leading companies involved in Modeling and Simulation field, and under NASA coordination. SEE, whose previous name was Smackdown, is a project for Federating Interoperable Simulations of Moon Base Operations by using the latest Technologies (i.e. HLA Evolved). The project shown in the following pages is called IPHITOS and simulates a defensive system provided with long range radars and light interceptors to detect, recognize and defeat incoming threats from outer space.

This paper proposes a model aimed at investigating safety and security issues in fresh good supply chain. Particular attention is paid on fresh goods contamination since the increasing complexity of supply chains makes these events more likely to happen. To this end, a discrete event simulator (DES) underpinned by an analytical model has been developed as a support tool for prevention and mitigation. Indeed, the simulation model is able to recreate the disruption wave propagation along the supply chain due to a contamination event as well as the effects on the dynamic evolution of contaminated products demand taking into account complex phenomena like media campaigns. In addition, even the economic impacts in terms of costs (i.e. transportation costs, inventory costs, and lost sales) can be assessed. The potentials of the proposed simulation framework have been investigated in a real case study of a fresh food supply chain located in the north of Italy.

The paper proposes the development of an integrated interactive environment for risk analysis applied to harbor and maritime environments. This approach is very effective for properly designing the harbor and maritime infrastructure in terms of resources, structures and services for facing possible emergencies. The authors describe the general architecture of this tool and the integration with a specific simulation module devoted to an oil spill study and analysis, including experimental results and statistical validation.

This paper proposes the development of conceptual models for supporting operational planning in complex scenarios characterised by critical issues such as natural disasters, crisis, asymmetric warfare, etc. In this context, it is fundamental to take into consideration social and psychological aspects; so the author developed a special kind of intelligent agents (IAs) driving computer generated forces (CGF), specific for normalisation and stabilisation phase with particular focus on CIMIC and PSYOPs operations, in order to consider the human aspects as well as the impact of social networks on this context as further development of their IA-CGF. The research provides an overview about conceptual models to be implemented in a simulator for supporting CIMIC and PSYOPs operations planning during stabilisation and normalisation phases in country reconstruction. The author proposes the general architecture of the simulator, focusing on objects attributes and features and verification, validation and accreditation (VV&A) process.

Modeling & Simulation (M&S) provides one of the best solutions for personnel and managers training in complex environments. In this article, the authors present an advanced High Level Architecture (HLA) federation of simulators (TRAINPORTS, TRAINing in marine PORTs by using Simulation ), that recreates in a three-dimensional virtual environment the most important transshipment terminal of the South Mediterranean area, the Gioia Tauro container terminal. The TRAINPORTS federation includes four different federates (Straddle Carrier, Quay Crane, Forklift and Truck) and offers an advanced tool for marine port operators’ training providing the sensation of being in a real container terminal environment. The TRAINPORTS federation is part of an innovative family of simulators (called ST_VP, Simulation Team Virtual Port ). This article presents the TRAINPORTS architecture, describes the federates/federation development process and discusses the simulators operation modes and verification and validation issues.

Over the last decade the authors have been working on several researches concerning the use of intelligent agents for managing simulation of critical situations in security, such as managing civil disorders, riots or terrorist actions. The adoption of intelligent agents to reproduce human behaviour is a key factor to implement realistic models for security and civil protection. Human behaviour is very complex to be simulated and it is important to early test final results to get consistent models. In this paper is described the use of early testing procedures to anticipate results before the VV&A phase. It is, in fact, useful to adopt this kind of early testing activities in application of intelligent agents with human behavioural models.

This paper proposes an innovative initiative in the EU aim is to develop an interoperable simulation federation for analyzing security issues in Ports and Logistics Nodes. The goal of this initiative — GLOWS (Securing GLobal FLOWS of Goods and People) — is the development of a modeling and simulation (M&S) framework for resolving security issues in physical and ICT data infrastructures for managing people & goods flows, especially in Ports. GLOWS interdisciplinary models are designed to provide strong support for ports with the design and reorganization of people transportation and logistics. Indeed, the aim of GLOWS is to develop a simulation framework for assessing the impact of policies, data communication systems, innovative technologies, investments and reorganizations for increasing security and efficiency in global flows of people & goods in an international context. GLOWS integrates advanced research on policy, bioinformatics, Cyber Attacks on Transportation, Data Fusion Architecture, and M&S in Port Logistics. At the core of GLOWS is a new innovative simulation federation based on up-to-date technology (High Level Architecture), which has benefited from the input of Europe’s top experts. The GLOWS simulator is dedicated to the review, testing and certification of Ports Security Plans, Risk Assessments and Gaps Identification. The GLOWS federation supports the design and re-engineering of logistics procedures/infrastructures, and a definition of Standing Operation Planning for the preventive design of containment measures and partial or full recovery and continuity of operation in critical scenarios. GLOWS ideally provides very promising support for the design and evaluation of innovative data fusion architectures aimed at improving the security of logistics processes within ports. The GLOWS synthetic environment is expected to support training as per new security regulations (with dynamic links to real equipment and exercises). The GLOWS simulator is extensively tested in real Port case studies provided by partners (i.e. APV, IFF). The GLOWS initiative benefits from the support of a similar initiative, I-GERT [1], a USA NSF project involving several GLOWS partners that has established a research network on security for policy analysis, port operation M&S, data communication standards, and sensor & IT technologies.

This paper propose an innovative simulation model based on web technologies devoted to analyze environmental impact of the whole supply chain. The authors developed a whole framework for collecting data from different users including good producers, logistics operators and retailers by a web questionnaire; this service is automatically integrated with a simulator that evaluate the green aspects of each case by self generating a model for this specific case and providing synthetic results; in addition the green log model developed allows to create interactively very complex supply chain. The paper propose the general architecture of the green log model and an example for supporting its validation and verification.

This paper is focused on the development of supermarket models for managing store resources; the proposed approach is based on combining simulation, time series analysis and data fusion for creating forecasts able to support personnel organization. The model operates receiving data provided by the supermarket network; the time series data related to sales, working hour, customers and material flows are processed and then the forecasts are subjected to data fusion and combined with simulation expectation of workloads. The model provides forecasts of the total operative workload for planning activities in supermarkets; in addition the proposed approach allows to estimate future values for target functions such as sales and productivity and to compare historical data in order to adopt predictive resource and policy management. The proposed model is based on a special architecture developed ad hoc by the authors for managing retail networks.This architecture has been implemented using Web technologies providing an easy access for final users to all the predictive models and algorithms. An important added value of this research is related to the identification and definition of new KPI (Key Performance Index) devoted to validate and tune up the model as well as to support management in supermarket. This system was applied to a real case study involving one of the biggest retail company in Italy.

This paper proposes an innovative approach for using Modelling and Simulation (M&S) jointly with web technologies for designing logistics nodes. The proposed model takes into consideration one of the most critical supply chain nodes: a container terminal. The approach proposed by authors, to a web virtual environment (that acts as distribute framework), is devoted to support high education, training and recruitment in life cycle management of container terminal resources (design of logistics nodes). The authors propose an application example on cranes and forklifts life cycle designed for showing the potentials of the proposed approach. The aim of the analysis (conducted by using Box-Behnken Design of Experiments and Response Surface Analysis) is the identification of the optimal time for performing the life extension inspection, the optimal cluster for cranes and for forklifts. The same approach can also be used in industrial plants or in any kind of complex facility.

The authors outline a new modeling methodology designed to simulate a complex logistics network and to ensure interoperability through application of Intelligent Agent High-Level Architecture for distributed supply chain management.

The research proposes an interoperable simulation framework intended to analyse and investigate security issues in complex maritime scenarios affected by asymmetric threats (i.e., terrorist attacks). To this end, particular attention is paid on security issues related to people and goods flows within seaports. Moreover, the proposed simulation framework is addressed to decision makers and trainers and allows them to assess security procedures and policies as well as to detect the most critical factors that affect the overall system security levels. As a matter of fact, it aims at supporting training, risk analysis, review, test and certification of ports security plans. In terms of methodology, the proposed simulation framework combines different interoperable simulators, intelligent agents and data fusion techniques by using the IEEE 1516 high level architecture (HLA) standard for distributed simulation. Thus, several simulation models can be integrated in order to recreate the multiplicity of actors involved in port safety and security operational processes (able to cooperate with each other in the same scenario) and to support decision making and training processes.

The paper introduces a new project devoted to develop a simulation-based solution for improving emergency planning and crisis management in critical infrastructures such as seaports and related terminal. The research aims to investigate the use of Artificial Intelligence and Simulation jointly with Extended Reality in this framework.

Recently, the allure of the cloud is also affecting the SCADA systems. Cloud-based commercial solutions to manage small private SCADA systems are spreading, while the utilities are still evaluating the cloud adoption. For electric utility companies, reasons for moving in the cloud can be traced to the need of storing, accessing and analyzing a huge amount of records collected from their new smart meters, and managing grid-connected small-scale decentralized energy generation from renewable sources. Moreover, the cloud allows an easy and affordable deploy of monitor dashboards, populated with accurate consumption data, accessible at anytime from anywhere, directly to the customers’ smartphones. On the other hand, cloud poses fears on security, privacy and system downtime. In this work, we focus on the latter aspect analyzing the availability of the SCADA system managing the Italian power transmission network for different possible adoptions of the cloud. © 2017, Springer International Publishing AG.

Public utilities, such as electricity, telecommunication, natural gas, water or sewage, constitute services whose proper functioning is of paramount importance for the whole society. Among these critical infrastructures, power grid and telecommunication network are, probably, the most critical ones. Their interdependency could exacerbate the consequence of a failure since the telecommunication network devices are powered by the mains, while the nationwide power grid is managed through a SCADA system that relies on the public telecommunication network. Cloud technology could reduce costs and improve performance but its adoption should be cautiously evaluated relatively to a critical infrastructure. We qualitatively discuss the cloud adoption in such a kind of infrastructure. Then, a topological analysis, concerning network reliability and robustness, is performed focusing on the SCADA system of the Italian power transmission network. Results show that a certain cloud configuration could be beneficial for the power transmission network. © 2016 IEEE.

In linguistic studies, the academic level of the vocabulary in a text can be described in terms of statistical physics by using a ''temperature'' concept related to the text's word-frequency distribution. We propose a ''comparative thermo-linguistic'' technique to analyze the vocabulary of a text to determine its academic level and its target readership in any given language. We apply this technique to a large number of books by several authors and examine how the vocabulary of a text changes when it is translated from one language to another. Unlike the uniform results produced using the Zipf law, using our ''word energy'' distribution technique we find variations in the power-law behavior. We also examine some common features that span across languages and identify some intriguing questions concerning how to determine when a text is suitable for its intended readership. Copyright