User-interface technologies for the industrial environment: towards the cyber-factory

In the past few years the so-called gadgets like cellular phones, personal data assistants and digital cameras are more widespread even with less technological aware users. However, for several reasons, the factory-floor itself seems to be hermetic to this changes ... After the fieldbus revolution, the factory-floor has seen an increased use of more and more powerful programmable logic controllers and user interfaces but the way they are used remains almost the same. We believe that new user-computer interaction techniques including multimedia and augmented rcaliry combined with now affordable technologies like wearable computers and wireless networks can change the way the factory personal works together with the roachines and the information system on the factory-floor. This new age is already starting with innovative uses of communication networks on the factory-floor either using "standard" networks or enhancing industrial networks with multimedia and wireless capabilities

Application of Vehicle to Vehicle Communications in Encounters with Priority Vehicles

愛知県立大学2019年

Energy efficient in cluster head and relay node selection for wireless sensor networks

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are defined as networks of nodes that work in a cooperative way to sense and control the surrounding environment. However, nodes contain limited energy which is the key limiting factor of the sensor network operation. In WSN architecture, the nodes are typically grouped into clusters where one node from each cluster is selected as the Cluster Head (CH) and relays utilisation to minimise energy consumption. Currently, the selection of CH based on a different combination of input variables. Example of these variables includes residual energy, communication cost, node density, mobility, cluster size and many others. Improper selection of sensor node (i.e. weak signal strength) as CH can cause an increase in energy consumption. Additionally, a direct transmission in dual-hop communication between sensor nodes (e.g. CH) with the base station (BS) uses high energy consumption. A proper selection of the relay node can assist in communication while minimising energy consumption. Therefore, the research aim is to prolong the network lifetime (i.e. reduce energy consumption) by improving the selection of CHs and relay nodes through a new combination of input variables and distance threshold approach. In CH selection, the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) scheme, residual energy, and centrality variable were proposed. Fuzzy logic was utilized in selecting the appropriate CHs based on these variables in the MATLAB. In relay node selection, the selection is based on the distance threshold according to the nearest distance with the BS. The selection of the optimal number of relay nodes is performed using K-Optimal and K-Means techniques. This ensures that all CHs are connected to at least one corresponding relay node (i.e. a 2-tier network) to execute the routing process and send the data to BS. To evaluate the proposal, the performance of Multi-Tier Protocol (MAP) and Stable Election Protocol (SEP) was compared based on 100, 200, and 800 nodes with 1 J and random energy. The simulation results showed that our proposed approach, refer to as Energy Efficient Cluster Heads and Relay Nodes (EECR) selection approach, extended the network lifetime of the wireless sensor network by 43% and 33% longer than SEP and MAP, respectively. This thesis concluded that with effective combinations of variables for CHs and relay nodes selection in static environment for data routing, EECR can effectively improve the energy efficiency of WSNs

Posicionamento estratégico nas jogadas de bola parada para a CAMBADA

Mestrado em Engenharia de Computadores e TelemáticaRobotics studies the design, construction and use of machines and or agents designated by robots, to perform tasks with some level of complexity. Within this scienti c domain, the coordination in multi-robot systems has been receiving a special attention, deserving a prominent role in the robot soccer issues. The way that each team coordinates its robots individually and together in order to perform cooperative tasks is the base of its strategy and in large part dictates the success of the team in the game environment. CAMBADA (Cooperative Autonomous Mobile roBots with Advanced Distributed Architecture) is the robot soccer team of the University of Aveiro, which participates in the RoboCup Middle Size League. This team was created and developed by students and teachers belonging to the IEETA research unit and the DETI. The aim of this work is the improvement of the strategic positioning in the set pieces situations, thus making it more dynamic and easily adaptable to the di erent strategies used by the opponent teams. The various changes made to existing algorithms, as well as new conditions included and their applicability are described throughout this dissertation. The work developed has been tested in the laboratory and used in robots in the Robótica 2014 competition. Although the development had not yet been fully completed by the date of the competition, it is important to emphasize the increased e cacy observed in team strategy in situations of set pieces, making the team more competitive and able to defend and attack better.A robótica estuda o design, construção e uso de máquinas e ou agentes, designados por robôs, para executar tarefas com algum nível de complexidade. Dentro desta vasta área de conhecimento cientí co, a coordena ção em sistemas multi-robô tem sido alvo de especial atenção, merecendo um papel de destaque no domínio do futebol robótico. A maneira como cada equipa coordena os seus robôs para o desempenho de acções cooperativas de ne a base da sua estratégia e em grande parte o sucesso das suas jogadas. CAMBADA (Cooperative Autonomous Mobile roBots with Advanced Distributed Architecture) é a equipa de futebol robótico da Universidade de Aveiro que participa na RoboCup Middle Size League. Esta equipa foi criada e é desenvolvida por alunos e docentes pertencentes à unidade de investigação IEETA e ao DETI. Este trabalho tem como principal objectivo melhorar o posicionamento dos robôs nas jogadas de bola parada, tornando-as assim mais dinâmicas e facilmente adaptáveis às diferentes estratégias usadas pelas outras equipas em ambiente de jogo. As diversas alterações efectuadas aos algoritmos já existentes, assim como as novas condições incluídas e a sua aplicabilidade, são descritas ao longo desta dissertação. O trabalho desenvolvido foi testado em laboratório e utilizado nos robôs na competição Robótica 2014. Embora o desenvolvimento não estivesse ainda completamente concluído à data da competição, é de salientar a maior e cácia veri cada na estratégia da equipa nas situa ções de jogadas de bola parada, tornando a equipa mais competitiva e capaz de defender e atacar melhor

NASA Tech Briefs, November 2000

Topics covered include: Computer-Aided Design and Engineering; Electronic Components and Circuits; Electronic Systems; Test and Measurement; Physical Sciences; Materials; Computer Programs; Mechanics; Machinery/Automation; Manufacturing/Fabrication; Mathematics and Information Sciences; Data Acquisition

Novel Models and Algorithms Paving the Road towards RF Convergence

After decades of rapid evolution in electronics and signal processing, the technologies in communications, positioning, and sensing have achieved considerable progress. Our daily lives are fundamentally changed and substantially defined by the advancement in these technologies. However, the trend is challenged by a well-established fact that the spectrum resources, like other natural resources, are gradually becoming scarce. This thesis carries out research in the field of RF convergence, which is regarded as a mean to intelligently exploit spectrum resources, e.g., by finding novel methods of optimising and sharing tasks between communication, positioning, and sensing. The work has been done to closely explore opportunities for supporting the RF convergence. As a supplement for the electromagnetic waves propagation near the ground, ground-to-air channel models are first proposed and analysed, by incorporating the atmospheric effects when the altitude of aerial users is higher than 300 m. The status quos of techniques in communications, positioning, and sensing are separately reviewed, and our newly developments in each field are briefly introduced. For instance, we study the MIMO techniques for interference mitigation on aerial users; we construct the reflected echoes, i.e., the radar receiving, for the joint sensing and communications system. The availability of GNSS signals is of vital importance to the GNSS-enabled services, particularly the life-critical applications. To enhance the resilience of GNSS receivers, the RF fingerprinting based anti-spoofing techniques are also proposed and discussed. Such a guarantee on GNSS and ubiquitous GNSS services drive the utilisation of location information, also needed for communications, hence the proposal of a location-based beamforming algorithm. The superposition coding scheme, as an attempt of the waveform design, is also brought up for the joint sensing and communications. The RF convergence will come with many facets: the joint sensing and communications promotes an efficient use of frequency spectrum; the positioning-aided communications encourage the cooperation between systems; the availability of robust global positioning systems benefits the applications relying on the GNSS service

NASA Tech Briefs, January 1999

Topics include: special coverage sections on sensors and data acquisition and sections on electronic components and circuits, electronic software, materials, mechanics, bio-medical physical sciences, book and reports, and a special section of Photonics Tech Briefs