This section aims to introduce each beneficiary, explain their sector, and describe their work within the project’s framework. Today it is the turn of Rahim Kacimi, from the Institut de Recherche en Informatique de Toulouse (IRIT).
What is the IRIT?
The Institut de Recherche en Informatique de Toulouse (IRIT) is one of the largest joint research units in France and a key player in research in the Occitanie region. Thanks to its multi-sectoral base (CNRS, Toulouse universities), IRIT plays a structuring role in computer science and digital technology, with a recognised impact at regional and national level.
The IRIT’s research focuses on five main areas: design of reliable and communicating systems, modelling of the real world, cognition and interaction, autonomous adaptive systems, and transformation of data into intelligible information. This work is applied to strategic areas such as health, smart city, transport, cybersecurity and e-education, with cross-cutting action in computing, data and artificial intelligence.
How long have you been working at the IRIT and what is your background and role in the institution?
I have been a member of IRIT since 2006, when I started a PhD at INP Toulouse (2006-2009) before becoming a lecturer at the University of Toulouse [SOLLAGUA coordinator partner]. My research is part of a team specialising in real-time networks and systems (T2RS).
I specialise in wireless networks, with a particular interest in the design and optimisation of protocols and architectures in this field. My work covers sensor networks, the Internet of Things (IoT) and vehicular networks, with specific applications in several areas: environment and biodiversity, smart cities, intelligent transport systems (ITS), etc. Thanks to this knowledge, I contribute to the development of innovative solutions to improve connectivity, resilience, and efficiency in digital infrastructure in various contexts.
What do you like about your work?
What I like most about my job is transmitting knowledge, whether through teaching or research. Educating new generations and contributing to the advancement of scientific knowledge is a real source of motivation.I am also passionate about being able to use information and communication technologies (ICT) to address real problems. In particular, as I mentioned, my research on wireless networks has applications in key areas such as environmental monitoring and smart cities.
These topics address important societal challenges, especially in terms of sustainability and resource management. Finally, the multidisciplinary nature of these projects is particularly rewarding, as working with experts from different disciplines allows us to exchange approaches and find innovative solutions adapted to today’s challenges.
Is this your first EU project?
This is not the first time I have been involved in a European initiative. I have already had the opportunity to contribute to projects involving several cross-border academic and industrial partners. I particularly like transnational collaborative projects because they allow me to bring together a wide range of expertise, to approach challenges from different angles and to work in a multidisciplinary and multicultural environment. These collaborations offer a wealth of exchanges and innovations, while allowing for a broader impact through the pooling of resources and competences.
What is the appeal of SOLLAGUA to the IRIT?
IRIT joined SOLLAGUA because water reuse and water management are crucial issues, as are all of today’s environmental challenges. As a laboratory committed to digital transformation and system optimisation, we see this project as an opportunity to bring our expertise in digitisation and design of frugal solutions.
Equally, SOLLAGUA provides us with a unique experimentation ground to test and validate our solutions in a real-world setting. It is an ideal environment to green our technologies and evaluate their effectiveness in real conditions, while ensuring that they meet the specific challenges of water management and can be deployed on a larger scale.
Through these digital solutions, we aim to improve data collection and analysis, optimise natural filtration processes and support the transition to more sustainable and easier-to-deploy practices.
What is the IRIT’s mission in the SOLLAGUA project?
The IRIT’s goal in the SOLLAGUA project is to create new ways to monitor and control plant filters, which are natural systems that clean wastewater using plants and microorganisms, by using advanced IoT technologies. We are designing smart systems that enable real-time monitoring, ensuring optimal tracking of the performance of natural filters.
In addition, we are working on creating digital twins of the wetland filtration model installed, which will allow us to better understand how they work and optimise their efficiency. This approach is also helping us to facilitate the replication of these natural filtration solutions on a large scale, thus contributing to sustainable water management. Our contribution aims to make these filtration systems more efficient, accessible, and easier to install.
Currently, what are you engaged in?
In this stage, our work on the SOLLAGUA project centres on two main things: tracking the University of Toulouse filters in real-time with IoT technologies and creating a method for its digital twin. We have deployed a network of low-power sensors to monitor key parameters, such as water flow, soil moisture, and soil scans. An edge computing architecture integrates these sensors, enabling local data processing before transmission to the neOCampus cloud platform. At the same time, we are making progress in characterising the electrical energy consumption of the water pumping system and all components of the IoT system, with a view to assessing the frugality of this natural filtration solution.
What are the main challenges you are currently facing?
Our main challenges are optimising the energy consumption of sensors, integrating data for the digital twin and adapting sensors to specific research needs. It is essential to reduce energy consumption while ensuring reliable data transmission, which entails autonomous solutions like solar power and optimised protocols. Data harmonisation and calibration are crucial to accurately modelling the plant filters. In addition, as commercial sensors do not always meet experimental requirements, we sometimes have to modify their use, which poses integration challenges.
What are the key findings to date?
Our work has shown that IoT sensors can monitor and control the plant filters in real time. Integration with edge computing reduces latency and optimises energy consumption. We can size the energy and photovoltaic production systems needed to deploy the filters in remote or poorly connected areas with the energy profiling system. Such an approach ensures optimal energy autonomy while guaranteeing real-time monitoring and increased system efficiency. These developments reinforce the viability of plant filters as a sustainable solution for water management.
What do you think SOLLAGUA’s contribution will be after the end of the project in scientific, social and economic terms?
Once completed, the SOLLAGUA project will make an important scientific, social, and economic contribution. From the scientific point of view, it will advance knowledge in the field of sustainable water management, especially regarding the use of IoT technologies and digital twins to monitor and optimise natural filtration systems. In this way, the project could open up new avenues of research on the integration of these technologies into low-cost, environmentally friendly solutions for sensitive areas..
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