Saeed Hamood Alsamhi

Fares Fourati, Saeed Hamood Alsamhi, Mohamed-Slim Alouini

Connectivity in rural areas is one of the main challenges of communication networks. To overcome this challenge, a variety of solutions for different situations are required. Optimizing the current networking paradigms is therefore mandatory. The high costs of infrastructure and the low revenue of cell sites in rural areas compared with urban areas are especially unattractive for telecommunication operators. Therefore, space, air, and ground networks should all be optimized for achieving connectivity in rural areas. We highlight the latest works on rural connectivity, discuss the solutions for terrestrial networks, and study the potential benefits of nonterrestrial networks. Furthermore, we present an overview of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques for improving space, air, and ground networks, hence improving connectivity in rural areas. AI enables intelligent communications and can integrate space, air, and ground networks for rural connectivity. We discuss the rural connectivity challenges and highlight the latest projects and research and the empowerment of networks using AI. Finally, we discuss the potential positive impacts of providing connectivity to rural communities.

Iram Arshad, Saeed Hamood Alsamhi, Wasif Afzal

Big Data is reforming many industrial domains by providing decision support through analyzing large data volumes. Big Data testing aims to ensure that Big Data systems run smoothly and error-free while maintaining the performance and quality of data. However, because of the diversity and complexity of data, testing Big Data is challenging. Though numerous research efforts deal with Big Data testing, a comprehensive review to address testing techniques and challenges of Big Data is not available as yet. Therefore, we have systematically reviewed the Big Data testing techniques evidence occurring in the period 2010-2021. This paper discusses testing data processing by highlighting the techniques used in every processing phase. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges and future directions. Our findings show that diverse functional, non-functional and combined (functional and non-functional) testing techniques have been used to solve specific problems related to Big Data. At the same time, most of the testing challenges have been faced during the MapReduce validation phase. In addition, the combinatorial testing technique is one of the most applied techniques in combination with other techniques (i.e., random testing, mutation testing, input space partitioning and equivalence testing) to find various functional faults through Big Data testing.

S. H. Alsamhi, Brian Lee

This conceptual paper overviews how blockchain technology is involving the operation of multi-robot collaboration for combating COVID-19 and future pandemics. Robots are a promising technology for providing many tasks such as spraying, disinfection, cleaning, treating, detecting high body temperature/mask absence, and delivering goods and medical supplies experiencing an epidemic COVID-19. For combating COVID-19, many heterogeneous and homogenous robots are required to perform different tasks for supporting different purposes in the quarantine area. Controlling and decentralizing multi-robot play a vital role in combating COVID-19 by reducing human interaction, monitoring, delivering goods. Blockchain technology can manage multi-robot collaboration in a decentralized fashion, improve the interaction among them to exchange information, share representation, share goals, and trust. We highlight the challenges and provide the tactical solutions enabled by integrating blockchain and multi-robot collaboration to combat COVID-19 pandemic. The framework of our conceptual proposed can increase the intelligence, decentralization, and autonomous operations of connected multi-robot collaboration in the blockchain network. We overview blockchain potential benefits to defining a framework of multi-robot collaboration applications to combat COVID-19 epidemics such as monitoring and outdoor and hospital End to End (E2E) delivery systems. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges and opportunities of integrated blockchain, multi-robot collaboration, and the Internet of Things (IoT) for combating COVID-19 and future pandemics.