Arid Zone Journal of Engineering, Technology and Environment, September, 2018; Vol.

14(3):411-419
Copyright © Faculty of Engineering, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria.
Print ISSN: 1596-2490, Electronic ISSN: 2545-5818, www.azojete.com.ng

AN UBIQUITOUS SYSTEM FOR MONITORING OF MOTOR BIKE BASE PATROL

TROOPS IN INSURGENCY PRONE AREA
I. Agaji1, H. Mikailu2 and S. A. Kile3
1
Department of Mathematics/Statistics/Computer Science, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue
State Nigeria
2
Department of Computer Sciences, Adamawa State University Mubi, Adamawa State, Nigeria
3
Departtment of Computer Engineering, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria
Corresponding author’s e-mail address: ior.agaji@uam.edu.ng, sasemiks@gmail.com

Abstract
The world has come under increased terrorists attack in recent times. In Nigeria the fight against Boko
Haram terrorists has taken toll on both the armed forces and insurgents in terms of casualties. Traditional
methods of gathering and processing information have yielded little success. In this work we propose a
ubiquitous security system that monitors mobile troops on bikes and transmits reports to a control centre
for immediate action if required. The system was implemented using Java, MySQL, JBOSS 4.2.2.GA
Server, and macromedia Dreamweaver 8.0. Four experiments were carried out with the system and the
results indicated a great measure of passing information between the mobile bike based agents and the
central control command. The system is recommended for use because it serves as a good replacement or
can complement the use of traditional methods of monitoring troops in an insurgent prone area. The
physical implementation of the system will require sensory network devices that will detect the presence
of metals, high noise level and a camera monitoring subsystem to detect the presence of insurgents.

Keywords: Ubiquitous Agent, Miniaturization, Control Centre, Command Agent, Sensor Network,
Surveillance and Protocol

1. Introduction
Ubiquitous system is a system that uses computer-like devices to capture data or record events.
This system is fuelled by the miniaturization of electronic devices brought about by recent
technological development notably nanotechnology. The communication between such devices
is enabled by such technologies like WLAN or Bluetooth. Roshan and Ravi (2004) argued that
efforts required to build models, protocols and architectures to support security in pervasive
computing would have to go beyond traditional system-centric approached in analysing and
designing security.

Ubiquitous System reflects an information technology that blends the physical and electronic
spaces based on the networks among existing objects in the physical world (Kang 2000). It
involves connecting electronic devices, as well as embedding microprocessors to communicate
information. Devices that use ubiquitous system have constant availability and are completely
connected. The main aim of ubiquitous system is the creation of smart products that are
connected, making exchange of information easier. An era of Ubiquitous Computing, developed
network devices, and embedded technology is almost here. There are many benefits of this
technology. The benefits include; monitoring, continuous and wide collection of meaningful
amounts of information about users (Moran, 2011).

Weiser (1993) asserted that the research in Ubiquitous computing has already had a worldwide
impact on all areas of computer science, from hardware component, network protocols,
interaction substrates, applications, privacy and computational methods.

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Weiser and Brown (1996) reported that the third wave of computing is the ubiquitous computing
(UC). They further asserted that the UC era will enable us have access to many computers and
some of these computers will be the hundredth we may access in the course of a few minutes of
internet browsing. Other computers, they asserted will be embedded in walls, chairs, clothing,
light switches, cars - in everything.

The dreaded Boko Haram sect who operates mostly in North Eastern region of Nigeria has been
difficult to curb over the years. The traditional military tactics have been used in the fight against
this group. Such traditional tactics included the continuous deployment of troops, creation of
new military units around the area where Boko Haram is dominant, and the use of traditional
information gathering methods. The government strategy has achieved some measure of success
as security forces have demolished numerous bases of the terrorists and their facilities for
manufacturing bombs.

Recently, the Nigerian Army announced the creation of motor bike based patrol brigade to be
based in the operational areas of the insurgent group, Boko Haram, in the North Eastern part of
Nigeria. The aim is to track down the Boko Haram members by continuous patrol on motor bikes
by Nigerian Army.
Sharing of information by patrolmen in this new brigade was not reported but assumed to be on
such means like walkie-talkie. Such traditional means of sharing/capturing information may not
work well in the war on insurgents where patrol men can come under fire at any time. There will
be great need for devices that can automatically record and transmit information among patrol
men as well as central unit controlled by the command hierarchy of the military.

2. Literature Review
Otto et al. (2006) presented a hardware and software sensor network system for ambulatory
health status monitoring. The architecture of their system includes top medical server which is at
the top tier. The personal server is at the second tier which interfaces the wireless body area
networks (WBAN) sensor nodes which provides an interface that enables communication with
services at the top tier. Their operational prototype included two activity sensors (Actis), an
integrated ECG and a tilt sensor (eActis) as well as a personal server. All the server nodes
include a custom application specific board and uses Tmotesky platform for processing and
ZigBee wireless communication.
Masayuki et al. (2011) described wireless wearable and ambient sensors that synchronize to
monitor patient’s vital sign such as heart rate and blood pressure. They used crossbow moles,
MICAzs with a 10-bit A/D converter sensor networks. The wearable sensor nodes were equipped
with Bluetooth modules used in transmitting sensor data. Results of their experiment showed that
the system simultaneously provided information about user’s location and vital signs and the
vital signs were measured by their system with a 1ms resolution.
Zheng et al. (2016) designed a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) for high precision signal
acquisition. Their design was based on low power consumption 802.15.4 MAC/Zigbee and WSN
was built through mesh topology.
Piyare (2013) presented a low cost and home control and monitoring system using an embedded
Android Ethernet based micro-web server with IP connectivity for controlling devices and
appliances remotely using Android based smart phone app.

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Greenhill et al.(2002) report a vigilant multi-camera surveillance system that understands the
scene with query driven search algorithm and can generate retrospective video report from
previous events. The system is utilized to monitor the pedestrians walking in a parking lot. The
system tracks people across multi-cameras using software agents. An agent is made for each
camera for each detected person and those agents from each camera communicates to obtain a
combine decision to analyze that each agent is tracking the same person or not by using
trajectory geometry.

Gabriel et al. (2006) report the deployment of Ubiquitous computing in Radio-Frequency

Identification (RFID) systems in logistics. In practical sense, all logistical systems today from
the in-plant flow of components to the transport of consumer goods by air, water, road, or rail
between the manufacturer and the market are controlled and monitored by Information
Technology (IT) systems. These IT systems are based on identification systems in which a data
carrier is affixed to an object which can then be recognized by a reader. Such systems allow
physical streams of goods to be tracked throughout the logistics supply chain and generate
tracking data for the IT systems. Unlike barcode-driven tracking systems that involves manual
scanning and susceptible to defacing, RFID systems uses a transponder with a microchip as its
data carrier and communicates with the reader by means of an electromagnetic field. RFID
already has a long history of use in chip cards for accessing systems, in car keys, and in other
applications

Again Gabriel et al. (2006) report car driver assistance systems that are intended to support the
driver and guide the vehicle without calling attention to themselves, as a rule. The car itself thus
becomes a smart object, reacting flexibly to the driving situation as well as the condition of the
vehicle and the driver.
Electronic Stability Program (ESP) prevents skidding by intervening in the car’s braking system
and power train, or the Pre-Safe System, which reacts to full braking by automatically tightening
the seatbelt or adjusting seats and headrests to their safety positions. More ambitious approaches
to driver assistance systems depend primarily on powerfully integrating information on the car’s
surroundings into the system (sensor fusion). Collision warning and avoidance systems use
image recognition, radar, or other sensors to capture data on the car’s immediate surroundings
and interpret the situation. The system then transmits a warning to the driver or even initiate
braking or an evasive manoeuvre. Co-operative assistance systems exchange data between
vehicles in order to give drivers information on the traffic situation in their vicinity. Any
disturbance is forwarded from one vehicle system to the next within a fraction of second.
Depending on the device-specific communication, processing and visualization possibilities,
communication is established with the nearest swarm object and the driver or a subordinate
system is informed

Kumar (2014) presented a flexible standalone, low cost smart home system, which was based on
the Android app communicating with the micro-web server providing more than the switching
functionalities. The Arduino Ethernet is used to eliminate the use of a personal computer (PC)
keeping the cost of the overall system to a minimum while voice activation is incorporated for
switching functionalities. Devices such as light switches, power plugs, temperature sensors,
humidity sensors, current sensors, intrusion detection sensors, smoke/gas sensors and sirens have
been integrated in the system to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed

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AZOJETE, 14(3):411-419. ISSN 1596-2490; e-ISSN 2545-5818, www.azojete.com.ng

smart home system. The smart home app was tested and it is able to successfully perform the
smart home operations such as switching functionalities, automatic environmental control and
intrusion detection, in the latter case where an email is generated and the siren goes on.
Ekuobase and Enyaorah (2014) stated that security threat posed by the Boko Haram in Nigeria
has remained unabated with no hope in sight. They examined the concept and applications of
ubiquitous technology and taking advantage of its potentials, proposed an architectural
framework called N-tier Ubiquitous Architectural Framework (NUAF) for curbing the Boko
Haram menace in Nigeria. They observed NUAF to be a hierarchical and segregational
distributed architectural framework which in its simplest form consists of the base-tier, inner-tier
and top-tier. The real life implementation of NUAF is however dependent on some anticipated
research successes in nanotechnology and wireless network security.
This work proposes an ubiquitous security system that monitors mobile troops on motor bikes and
transmits reports to a control centre for immediate action if required. Actions could be to assist a patrol
man or reinforcement and the area of the coverage of the work is the three Nigerian North eastern states
of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe where there is prevalence of the insurgent group, Boko Haram.

3. Materials and Methods

3.1 Proposed Architecture for Ubiquitous System Security
The proposed system is made up of interacting field agents (also called ubiquitous agents),
command centre and communication channels that enable message passing among field agents
and between field agents and command centre. The field agents represent troops on motor bikes
with sensor devices. The command centre represents the command structure of the Nigerian
Army. The command centre houses the data analysis centre that analyses the messages received
from various field agents and directs the appropriate actions to be taken. The architecture of the
proposed system is as shown in figure 1.

Communication Route

Data Analysis & Command

Control Centre

UBiquitous

Ubiquitous Agent

Figure 1: The Architecture of the proposed System

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To visualize the different types of roles in a system and how actors interact with the system the
use case diagram was used. The primary purpose of use case diagram is to identify functions and
how actors interact with them, it highlights the actors that interact with the system and the
functionality provided by the system without going deep into inner workings of the system. The
Use case diagram for the system is depicted in Figure 2.

Connect
Ubiquitous Agent

Coordinate
Ubiquitous Agent

Send Info. to
Ubiquitous
Agent
Monitor
Ubiquitous Command
Agent Control Agent
Support
Ubiquitous Agent

Process Data

Patrol

Receive Data

Send Data
Data Analyst
Ubiquitous Agent Receive
Information

Deactivate Bomb

Arrest/bring down
Terrorist

Takes Decision

View Results SYSTEM

Figure 2: Model of Ubiquitous Monitoring System for Bike-Based Mobile Troops

The key players (actors) of this system are Command Control Agent, Data Analysis centre and
Field Agent. The Command Control Agent, whose duty is at the Command Control Centre,
performs roles such as connecting a Ubiquitous Agents to a network, monitors Ubiquitous
Agents and their activities, Receives Data, send information, Coordinates and send support to the
Ubiquitous Agents when a need arises. The Data Analysis Centre which is a sub-unit of the
Command Control Centre receives data from field Agents, processes the received data, make
decision on the data processed, and display the results of decision made in order to be carried out
by the field agents. While the field agent carries out area patrols, send data to the centre, receives

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information from the centre, deactivate detected bomb if any, arrest or bring down a terrorist if
spotted and renders support to other agents on field when necessary.
3.2 Model Simulation and Experiments
The system is implemented as a message passing system. Random number generator was used to
carry out the trigger mechanism. Tools used in the simulation were NetBeans IDE 7.2.1, MySQL
Query Browser Development; JBOSS 4.2.2.GA Server, and a macromedia Dreamweaver 8.0 was
used.
A database was created with the help of MYSQL and housed at the command centre agent and
roles given to each ubiquitous agent. Random numbers were generated using Java random
number generator and used as triggers. The triggers were sent to the central control command for
interpretation and an order directing the various agents on what action to take was sent from the
command centre.
Four experiments were conducted, and in each experiment the system runs continuously,
checking for an input trigger represented by random numbers generated by the various field
agents’ gadgets. The numbers generated represented seven triggers plus one null trigger state.
Random number one represented explosives detected at Agent’s location, number two
represented presence of gunmen at Agent’s location, number three represented stocked weapons
at Agent’s location, number four represented gun shot at agent’s location, number five
represented agent’s gadget seized, number six represented Agents wounded and bleeding,
number seven represented agents shot to death and number eight represented agent detected
nothing. Depending on the outcome of the trigger an appropriate action was taken. Actions
include: recovering gadgets seized from agents, detonation of explosives detected and arrest of
insurgents. To ensure continuous execution, a non-terminating loop was used.
4. Results and Discussion
Results obtained from the four experiments conducted were as discussed in this section:
Experiment One:
In experiment one, the field agent two detected number four in her random number generated,
which stands for agent two’s gadget seized by the insurgents. This message was passed to the
central control command as well as other agents, as depicted in Figure 3(a). The command
control centre instantaneously issued an order compelling agents one and three to go the location
of agent twoto recover the seized gadget. The order is depicted in Figure 3(b).

Figure 3(a): Mobile agent two’s gadget seized Figure 3(b): Mobile agents one and three ordered
to recover gadgets seized

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Experiment Two
In this experiment, the field agent one detected number one in its random number generated,
which stands for explosives detected at its own location. This message was passed to the central
control command as well as other agents, as shown in Figure 4(a). The command control centre
instantaneously issued an order compelling agent two to assist agent1 to carefully detonate the
explosives. The order is shown in Figure 4(b).

Figure 4(a): Explosives detected at agent one location Figure 4(b): Central command order to agent
two
Experiment three:
The result of experiment three indicates the field Agent two detected number two in its random
number generator, which represents gun men present at agent two’s location. This message was
transmitted to the central control command and to other agents as well, as shown in Figure 5(a).
The command control centre in respect to the security report immediately ordered agents one and
two to carry out arrest at the stated location. This is as depicted in Figure 5(b).

Figure 5 (a): Gunmen detected at Agent two’s location Figure 5(b): Central command order to Agents one
and three

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Experiment Four:
The result of experiment four indicates the field agent one detected number four in her random
number generated, which stands for gun shots at agent one’s location. This message was send to
the central control command and to other agents as well for action, as depicted in figure 6(a).
The command control centre in respect to the security report insistently instructed agent1 to take
cover and fire the enemies back. This is also depicted in figure 6(b).

Figure 6(a): Gunshots at agent one location Figure 6(b): Central command order to all agents

5. Conclusion
An ubiquitous system for the monitoring of bike based troops in insurgents prone area was
proposed in this study. The system was simulated using NetBeans IDE 7.2.1, MySQL Query
Browser Development, JBOSS 4.2.2.GA Server, and a macromedia Dreamweaver 8.0. Results
from the experiments conducted indicated that the system was able to coordinate and monitor
troops in their remote areas. The system is recommended for use to compliment or outright
replacement of traditional methods of monitoring troops.
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