Software-Defined Radio Direct Correlation GNSS Reflectometry by Means of GLONASS

Ground-based GNSS reflectometry (GNSS-R) systems can be realized by different means. The concept of correlation between direct and reflected GNSS signals is basically possible with all GNSS systems. However, using signals from the Russian GLONASS system simplifies the signal processing so that software-defined radio (SDR) components can be used at replace expensive hardware solutions. This paper discusses how such a solution, called GLONASS-R, can be realized using entirely off-the-shelf components. Field tests with such a system demonstrate the capability to monitor sea surface heights with a precision of 3 cm or better even with a sampling rate of 1.5 Hz. The flexibility of a SDR and the simple concept of GLONASS-R allow build such a system with low costs and adapt it to the needs of any ground-based GNSS-R problem

Directional Estimation for Robotic Beating Heart Surgery

In robotic beating heart surgery, a remote-controlled robot can be used to carry out the operation while automatically canceling out the heart motion. The surgeon controlling the robot is shown a stabilized view of the heart. First, we consider the use of directional statistics for estimation of the phase of the heartbeat. Second, we deal with reconstruction of a moving and deformable surface. Third, we address the question of obtaining a stabilized image of the heart