In the construction context, integrating 5G networks presents numerous challenges. The NIST Industrial Wireless Team has published an article in the online magazine Automation.com, the flagship publication of the International Society of Automation (ISA), that identifies and addresses the challenges of integrating 5G networks including network performance and wireless communication complexities in the construction industry. The authors explore deploying wireless communication networks within such projects and introduce a comparison approach to assess deployment difficulty at each project phase. A strategic blueprint is provided for a specialized testbed to evaluate 5G network performance in real-world construction conditions. This controlled environment mimics actual construction scenarios. NIST aims to offer valuable insights into the unique challenges of implementing 5G in construction, emphasizing untapped research opportunities. The discussed structured approach evaluates network performance, addressing wireless communication complexities in the industry. The article is available on the NIST publications website and at Automation.com at https://www.automation.com/en-us/assets/white-papers/white-paper-wireless-deployment-challenges-in-cons.
In May 2024, the NIST Industrial Wireless Team led by Rick Candell organized and chaired a special session on Performance Assurance of Industrial Wireless Systems at the 7th IEEE International Conference on Industrial Cyber-physical Systems (ICPS) in St. Louis, MO. Topics included sources of interference, AI, and statistical metrics for wireless link quality assessment, time-critical wireless networks, and scheduling for Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC). Wireless communications is a key enabling technology for facilitating massive industrial communications and mobility by providing a high degree of flexibility and lower installation costs. Industrial wireless technologies include IEEE 802.15.4, IEEE 802.11, 3GPP 4G/5G, and many others. However, there are concerns about reliability and latency in industrial wireless networks, and deployments of wireless networks in industrial environments have experienced varying degrees of success. The industrial wireless environments can be harsh and demanding and quite different from home and office environments. Moreover, mission-critical industrial applications are exceptionally challenging, where loss and retransmissions cannot be tolerated. To make wireless a reality in factory and industrial environments and to benefit society as a whole, performance expectations must be managed, quantified, and measured, and solutions must address these expectations. This special conference session was organized to encourage the adoption of wireless technology where appropriate by designing, deploying, and evaluating such systems for industrial and other mission-critical applications.
In May 2024, NIST researchers were invited to provide several presentations at the 7th IEEE International Conference on Industrial Cyber-Physical Systems (ICPS) in St. Louis, MO. The ICPS is held annually, and brings together industry experts, researchers, and academics to present and discuss innovative solutions, research results, and initiatives related to cyber-physical systems and their applications. Dr. David Wollman, Deputy Division Chief of NIST’s Smart Connected Systems Division, gave one of ICPS’s Industry Forum keynote presentations, providing an overview titled “Cyber-Physical Systems and Industrial Internet of Things Program Initiatives at NIST.” His talk covered NIST efforts across a broad range of CPS/IoT areas from devices and systems to operational technology (OT) infrastructures to at-scale integrated smart cities and communities, and he provided insight into CPS and IoT terminology and future directions. Dr. Mohamed Kashef (Hany) presented two papers, “On the Impact of TIG Welding Interference on Industrial Wi-Fi Networks: Modeling of Empirical Data and Analytical Studying of Coexistence” and “An Analytical Evaluation for Software-based TSN in Industrial Wi-Fi Networks.” In the first paper, he described measurements of a Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding station in a NIST machine shop, with significant interference power in the 2.4 GHz band commonly used by the IEEE 802.11 networks. He also presented a modeling procedure for non-communications industrial wireless interference to recreate the signal in a lab environment and analytically study its impact on operational industrial wireless Wi-Fi communications systems. In the second paper, Dr. Kashef (Hany) presented NIST work on wireless time-sensitive networking (WTSN), including time-critical traffic streams’ scheduling to coexist with the best-effort traffic over the same Wi-Fi network. In addition, Kang Lee presented a paper titled “Hardware-In-The-Loop (HIL) Simulation-based Interoperability Testing Method of Smart Sensors in Smart Grids” including the testing method and evaluation of smart sensors and IEC 61850-0-2 merging units for monitoring, protection, and control applications in the electric power grid.
In a June 2024 presentation, NIST Networked Control Systems Group Leader, Keith Stouffer, presented at the Control System Cyber Security Association International Symposium on Navigating the Labyrinth: Your Guide to ICS/OT Cybersecurity Standards and Regulations. Over 400 attendees participated in the Symposium. Control System Cyber Security Association International, with over 35,000 members worldwide, is a not-for-profit workforce development organization supporting professionals of all levels charged with securing control systems.
Mr. Stouffer summarized key NIST Industrial Control Systems (ICS)/Operational Technology (OT) cybersecurity publications, as described below.
NIST SP 800-82 Guide to Operational Technology (OT) Security Revision 3: This NIST Special Publication provides guidance on how to improve the security of OT systems while addressing their unique performance, reliability, and safety requirements. Its previous version has had over three million downloads and 2,200 citations. NIST’s new version includes updates on:
Threats and vulnerabilities
OT risk management
OT security
Security capabilities for OT
Alignment with OT security standards, guidelines, and NIST’s Cybersecurity Framework Version 1.1
Security control baselines for low-, moderate-, and high-impact OT systems
Cybersecurity Framework Version 1.1 Manufacturing Profile: NISTIR 8183 Revision 1: This profile adapts the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to manufacturing. It offers cybersecurity practices which best fit manufacturers’ needs, while minimizing negative impacts to system performance. NIST’s cybersecurity for OT testbed evaluated the profile, measuring the impacts of cybersecurity practices, including those for 42 technical capabilities. The profile can be implemented using the following guides:
Mr. Stouffer also discussed future updates including revising both NIST SP 800-82 and the Cybersecurity Framework Manufacturing Profile to align with the recently released NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 published in February 2024.
NIST Internet of Things (IoT) Research Lead Dr. Edward Griffor co-organized, with the Dean of the Medical University of Gdansk, the technical program of the first annual Workshop on “Advancing Healthcare Through Innovative Technologies” held on 24-28 May 2024 at the Gdansk University School of Medicine in Gdansk, Poland. This workshop brought together experts from multiple fields to explore the potential contributions of their domains to healthcare innovation. The purpose of this event was to create an international forum to foster collaboration between these disciplines to stimulate and accelerate trustworthy, high-impact healthcare innovation. Highlights included the use of IoT technologies to support “3D Printing and Scaffolding” for Tissue Reconstruction and AI Analytics for Remote Chronic Patient Monitoring. Dr. Griffor also contributed two presentations at this event, “Introduction to Cyber-Physical Systems and the Internet of Things” and “Some Challenges of 3D Printing Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices.”
Attendees included experts in Healthcare Practice, Medical Science, Biochemistry and Bioengineering, Mathematical and Quantum Science, AI and Data Analytics, Additive Manufacturing, and Business and Finance. Topics included Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), Clinical Data Processing and Privacy, Bioprinting, AI Trustworthiness and Cancer Research, IoT Wearables for Non-invasive Patient Monitoring, Local Data and Global Public Health, Cardiology and Heart Disease, EMS, and Integration of AI into Surgical Practices and Quantum Computing in Biomedical Sciences. Attendees participated in lab tours on the last day of the meeting, including a review of Mass Spectroscopy practices in Biochemistry and Medicine.
NIST held a virtual workshop in September 2023 on Standards and Performance Metrics for On-Road Automated Vehicles, attracting over 600 attendees from industry, academia, and government. NIST has now published the workshop report, NIST Internal Report 8527, which provides a short summary of the information presented and stakeholder inputs received. The workshop featured numerous keynote presentations by industry and government leaders on the topic areas of AV perception, AV communications, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and cross-cutting interactions between the areas (systems interactions). Each topic area included an update on relevant NIST research activities followed by a breakout session to gather information from stakeholders on challenges and future research needs. In addition, on the final day of the workshop, a fireside chat, keynote presentations, and interactive discussion session was held on the topic of digital infrastructure needed to support automated vehicle deployments and safety, including representatives of state Departments of Transportation. This workshop is a key stakeholder engagement component of the multi-laboratory NIST Automated Vehicles Program, which has been supported with internal NIST Strategic and Emerging Research Initiatives (SERI) funding.
