Mechatronics Design of Ball and Beam System: Education and Research

The key element in mechatronics design is the concurrent synergetic integration, modeling, simulation, analysis and optimization of multidisciplinary knowledge through the design process from the very start of the design process. Mechatronics engineer is expected to design engineering systems with synergy and integration toward constrains like higher performance, speed, precision, efficiency, lower costs and functionality. This paper proposes the conception and development of ball and beam system based on mechatronics design approach. A complete overall system and subsystems selection, modeling, simulation, analysis, and integration are presented. The proposed mechatronics design and models were created and verified using MATLAB /Simulink software and are intended for research purposes, as well as, application in educational process. Keywords- Mechatronics, Mechatronics design approach, Ball and beam, modeling/simulation

Variable Selection and Model Choice in Structured Survival Models

In many situations, medical applications ask for flexible survival models that allow to extend the classical Cox-model via the inclusion of time-varying and nonparametric effects. These structured survival models are very flexible but additional difficulties arise when model choice and variable selection is desired. In particular, it has to be decided which covariates should be assigned time-varying effects or whether parametric modeling is sufficient for a given covariate. Component-wise boosting provides a means of likelihood-based model fitting that enables simultaneous variable selection and model choice. We introduce a component-wise likelihood-based boosting algorithm for survival data that permits the inclusion of both parametric and nonparametric time-varying effects as well as nonparametric effects of continuous covariates utilizing penalized splines as the main modeling technique. Its properties and performance are investigated in simulation studies. The new modeling approach is used to build a flexible survival model for intensive care patients suffering from severe sepsis. A software implementation is available to the interested reader

Software network analyzer for computer network performance measurement planning over heterogeneous services in higher educational institutes

In 21st century, convergences of technologies and services in heterogeneous environment have contributed multi-traffic. This scenario will affect computer network on learning system in higher educational Institutes. Implementation of various services can produce different types of content and quality. Higher educational institutes should have a good computer network infrastructure to support usage of various services. The ability of computer network should consist of i) higher bandwidth; ii) proper network design; and iii) higher performance of communication devices/servers. Thus, presently there is no software to plan and help network administrator in determine ability of network services during introduce a new service. Current approach using by network administrators are planning computer network performance via prediction and measure ability of real network performance using hardware/software network analyzer. This approach can influence several problems such as prediction without software always inaccurate and most of the software/hardware network analyzer in real network is limited by network interfaces. Therefore, to encounter these problems, network administrators need software that can plan and measure additional network resources. Thus, this study presents a novel approach for measurement and planning network performance management in heterogeneous environment. The main objectives of this research is to i) identify which approach and problem occurs in Malaysia higher educational institutes; ii) create simulation model that able to plan and measure network performance for various services; iii) software network analyzer development based on simulation model design; and iv) conduct an evaluation of simulation model and software development with real network. These objectives can achieve as follows: i) conduct a survey; ii) select appropriate mathematical formula to create simulation model; iii) select appropriate modeling application for software development; and iv) conduct verification and validation technique for simulation modeling and evaluation of software network analyzer . The results from survey show that most of the network administrators are using hardware/software network analyzer to measure network performance during operational phase. The minimum size of bandwidth capacity has contributed higher network utilization usage. It can generate network congestion and network service failure in higher educational institutes. We create suitable models to evaluate the network performance using Little Law and Queuing theory that can represent similar to hardware/software network analyzer. In order to get accuracy results on the performance of simulation model, we measure (verify and validate) data from lab experiment and real network environment. Development of software network analyzer is based on simulation model architecture. This software will undergo evaluation process using qualitative technique. As a result, this software prototyping can provide a good approximation of real functionality observed in the real network environment. In addition the software is capable of approximating the performance within a minimum error rate. This software network analyzer can significantly enhance to analyze and propose solution on computer network performance. Future work is to develop software network analyzer for planning, suggestion and analyzing computer network performance on wireless transmission (WLAN, WWAN and WiMax) and Ipv6 protocol. We investigate how preparation and planning phases can be applied to heterogeneous environment in order to better utilize network resources. Our software network analyzer prototyping development is based on Fluke Optiview Network Analyzer. Before we develop any software prototype, it should define the following criteria: i) establish prototype objectives; ii) define prototype functionality; iii) develop prototype; and iv) evaluate prototype. Software network analyzer prototype consists of two phases: analyzing computer network performance under optimum condition and without optimum condition. Software network analyzer prototype was developed to measure and predict network activities based on offline condition. We use qualitative technique to measure our software network analyzer prototype to identify this software is able to plan, propose and analyze computer network performance. Evaluation of software network analyzer prototype is based on focus groups in University of Kuala Lumpur (UniKL). Six evaluators are experienced in education and industrial sector will select to complete the survey and interview task. Three evaluators will select who are experienced in industrial sector only, while, another three evaluators experienced in academic and industrial sector. All evaluators have experienced more than 6 to 13 years in network management field. All evaluators need to complete the following task such as: acceptance test, performance test, loading test, network responsive test and repetition test. A common strategy is to design, test, evaluate and then modify the design based on analysis of the prototype.Facultad de Informátic

A Cognitive Agent Computing-Based Model For The Primary School Student Migration Problem Using A Descriptive Agent-Based Approach

Students' migration from public to private schools, due to lack of school performance of public schools, is one of the major issues faced by the Government of Punjab to provide compulsory and quality education at low cost. Due to complex adaptive nature of educational system, interdependencies with society, constant feedback loops conventional linear regression methods, for evaluation of effective performance, are ineffective or costly to solve the issue. Linear regression techniques present the static view of the system, which are not enough to understand the complex dynamic nature of educational paradigm. We have presented a Cognitive Agent Computing-Based Model for the School Student Migration Problem Using a Descriptive Agent-Based Modeling approach to understand the causes-effects relationship of student migration. We have presented the primary school students' migration model using descriptive modeling approach along with exploratory modeling. Our research, in the context of Software Engineering of Simulation & Modeling, and exploring the Complex Adaptive nature of school system, is two folds. Firstly, the cause-effect relationship of students' migration is being investigated using Cognitive Descriptive Agent-Based Modeling. Secondly, the formalization extent of Cognitive Agent-Based Computing framework is analyzed by performing its comparative analysis with exploratory modeling protocol 'Overview, Design, and Detail'.Comment: 117 pages, MS thesi

Performance assessment of innovative framing systems through building information modeling based energy simulation

While many residential contractors, architects, and home-buyers today are concerned about the environment and interested in sustainable construction technologies, the perceived higher initial costs of innovative materials and methodologies and a lack of life-cycle cost and performance data present significant barriers in the implementation of such techniques. Research regarding an integrated design process has suggested that performance based decision making is key to the successful implementation of sustainable building practices. Therefore, a need exists for the development of whole building design and evaluation models to allow decision making in all phases of a building project. This research seeks information regarding residential framing systems and the corresponding expected energy performance, as well as to present a case-study utilizing the integration of building information modeling and energy simulation. The primary goals of this research are 1) assess the ability of BIM integrated energy simulation modeling to accurately predict the energy performance of a building and 2) compare the predicted energy performance for four different residential framing systems through the integration of BIM, energy simulation and performance monitoring. These research goals will be accomplished through a case-study approach utilizing the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center’s showcase home, known as the LaHouse, which serves as a display of sustainable construction materials and technologies. This research focuses on the integration of design software Autodesk® Revit Architecture with energy simulation modeling. Models based on the LaHouse were created in Autodesk® Revit Architecture and will be used to simulate the energy utilization of four different framing systems: insulated concrete forms, structural insulated panels, advanced framing and standard framing, all of which were used in the construction of LaHouse. The energy utilization obtained by the performance monitoring systems installed in the LaHouse Garage will be compared with simulation results

Modelling and Control of SCARA Manipulator

AbstractNowadays manipulators are getting more complex due to the development of the motor drives and the nonlinearities of the manipulator dynamics. Due to complexity of this system, the modeling process will become more complicated especially if modeled by using mathematical representation or white box approach. Therefore Computed Aided Design (CAD) modeling approach is more suitable to be applied in this system. In this paper presents the development of the CAD model of robot arm by using SolidWorks software. Then a controller based on Proportional-integral-derivative (PID) has been designed in simulation environment by using Matlab/Simulink platform. This paper shows the advantages of the combination of MATLAB and SolidWorks. SolidWorks is able to ease the modeling process. The performance of PID controller for 4 Degree of Freedom (DOF) of SCARA (Selective Compliance Articulated Robot Arm) manipulator has been assessed for first 2 DOF and shown good results

On Designing Multicore-Aware Simulators for Systems Biology Endowed with OnLine Statistics

The paper arguments are on enabling methodologies for the design of a fully parallel, online, interactive tool aiming to support the bioinformatics scientists .In particular, the features of these methodologies, supported by the FastFlow parallel programming framework, are shown on a simulation tool to perform the modeling, the tuning, and the sensitivity analysis of stochastic biological models. A stochastic simulation needs thousands of independent simulation trajectories turning into big data that should be analysed by statistic and data mining tools. In the considered approach the two stages are pipelined in such a way that the simulation stage streams out the partial results of all simulation trajectories to the analysis stage that immediately produces a partial result. The simulation-analysis workflow is validated for performance and effectiveness of the online analysis in capturing biological systems behavior on a multicore platform and representative proof-of-concept biological systems. The exploited methodologies include pattern-based parallel programming and data streaming that provide key features to the software designers such as performance portability and efficient in-memory (big) data management and movement. Two paradigmatic classes of biological systems exhibiting multistable and oscillatory behavior are used as a testbed

Modeling and Simulating a Software Architecture Design Space

Frequently, a similar type of software system is used in the implementation of many different software applications. Databases are an example. Two software development approaches are common to Þll the need for instances from a class of similar systems: (1) repeated custom development of similar instances, one for each different application, or (2) development of one or more general purpose off-the-shelf systems that are used many times in the different applications. Each approach has advantages and disadvantages. Custom development can closely match the requirements of an application, but has an associated high development cost. General purpose systems may have a lower cost when amortized across multiple applications, but may not closely match the requirements of all the different applications. It can be difÞcult for application developers to determine which approach is best for their application. Do any of the existing off-the-shelf systems sufÞciently satisfy the application requirements? If so, which ones provide the best match? Would a custom implementation be sufÞciently better to justify the cost difference between an off-the-shelf solution? These difÞcult buy-versus-build decisions are extremely important in todayÕs fastpaced, competitive, unforgiving software application market. In this thesis we propose and study a software engineering approach for evaluating how well off-the-shelf and custom software architectures within the design space of a class of OODB systems satisfy the requirements for different applications. The approach is based on the ability to explicitly enumerate and represent the key dimensions of commonality and variability in the space of OODB designs. We demonstrate that modeling and simulation of OODB software architectures can be used to help software developers rapidly converge on OODB requirements for an application and identify OODB software architectures that satisfy those requirements. The technical focus of this work is on the circular relationships between requirements, software architectures, and system properties such as OODB functionality, size, and performance. We capture these relationships in a parametrized OODB architectural model, together with an OODB simulation and modeling tool that allows software developers to reÞne application requirements on an OODB, identify corresponding custom and offthe- shelf OODB software architectures, evaluate how well the software architecture properties satisfy the application requirements, and identify potential reÞnements to requirements