Carlos Manuel Rodrigues Machado Autonomic Ubiquitous Computing

esult in extra action processed by the brain. These processes are explained in more details by
Purves [Purves, 2004].
The Reflex Arc presents the characteristics needed as it senses the environment, transmits
the information, makes local and simple data processing, executes actions and finally allows the
remote or upper-layer control.
5.2 Hardware capabilities to imitate the ANS
The hardware needs to have capabilities that allow imitation of the ANS reflex arc process.
The reflex arc process has; the sensing; the communication of the captured information; the local
processing and the subsequent execution; and it reports and receives information from an upper-
layer controller. The Table 5 presents the capabilities that need to be emulated by the hardware,
and are explained as follows.
Table 5 – Hardware capabilities to emulate ANS Reflex Arc
Hardware capabilities
• Sensing and Actuation (using events)
• Broadcasting Information
• Configurable Binding between Events
• Monitoring internal variables
5.2.1 Sensing and Actuating (using events)
Sensing information needs to be sent in bursts of data reflecting the changes in the
environment parameter monitored or caused by an external stimulus, similar to the ANS Reflex Arc,
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