Flight controller synthesis via deep reinforcement learning

Traditional control methods are inadequate in many deployment settings involving autonomous control of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). In such settings, CPS controllers must operate and respond to unpredictable interactions, conditions, or failure modes. Dealing with such unpredictability requires the use of executive and cognitive control functions that allow for planning and reasoning. Motivated by the sport of drone racing, this dissertation addresses these concerns for state-of-the-art flight control by investigating the use of deep artificial neural networks to bring essential elements of higher-level cognition to bear on the design, implementation, deployment, and evaluation of low level (attitude) flight controllers. First, this thesis presents a feasibility analyses and results which confirm that neural networks, trained via reinforcement learning, are more accurate than traditional control methods used by commercial uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) for attitude control. Second, armed with these results, this thesis reports on the development and release of an open source, full solution stack for building neuro-flight controllers. This stack consists of a tuning framework for implementing training environments (GymFC) and firmware for the world’s first neural network supported flight controller (Neuroflight). GymFC’s novel approach fuses together the digital twinning paradigm with flight control training to provide seamless transfer to hardware. Third, to transfer models synthesized by GymFC to hardware, this thesis reports on the toolchain that has been released for compiling neural networks into Neuroflight, which can be flashed to off-the-shelf microcontrollers. This toolchain includes detailed procedures for constructing a multicopter digital twin to allow the research and development community to synthesize flight controllers unique to their own aircraft. Finally, this thesis examines alternative reward system functions as well as changes to the software environment to bridge the gap between simulation and real world deployment environments. The design, evaluation, and experimental work summarized in this thesis demonstrates that deep reinforcement learning is able to be leveraged for the design and implementation of neural network controllers capable not only of maintaining stable flight, but also precision aerobatic maneuvers in real world settings. As such, this work provides a foundation for developing the next generation of flight control systems

High level modeling of Partially Dynamically Reconfigurable FPGAs based on MDE and MARTE

International audienceSystem-on-Chip (SoC) architectures are becoming the preferred solution for implementing modern embedded systems. However their design complexity continues to augment due to the increase in integrated hardware resources requiring new design methodologies and tools. In this paper we present a novel SoC co-design methodology based on aModel Driven Engineering framework while utilizing the MARTE (Modeling and Analysis of Real-time and Embedded Systems) standard. This methodology permits us to model fine grain reconfigurable architectures such as FPGAs and allows to extend the standard for integrating new features such as Partial Dynamic Reconfiguration supported by modern FPGAs. The overall objective is to carry out modeling at a high abstraction level expressed in a graphical language like UML (Unified Modeling Language) and afterwards transformations of these models, automatically generate the necessary specifications required for FPGA implementation

From MARTE to Reconfigurable NoCs: A model driven design methodology

Due to the continuous exponential rise in SoC's design complexity, there is a critical need to find new seamless methodologies and tools to handle the SoC co-design aspects. We address this issue and propose a novel SoC co-design methodology based on Model Driven Engineering and the MARTE (Modeling and Analysis of Real-Time and Embedded Systems) standard proposed by Object Management Group, to raise the design abstraction levels. Extensions of this standard have enabled us to move from high level specifications to execution platforms such as reconfigurable FPGAs. In this paper, we present a high level modeling approach that targets modern Network on Chips systems. The overall objective: to perform system modeling at a high abstraction level expressed in Unified Modeling Language (UML); and afterwards, transform these high level models into detailed enriched lower level models in order to automatically generate the necessary code for final FPGA synthesis

From Map to Dist: the Evolution of a Large-Scale Wlan Monitoring System

The edge of the Internet is increasingly becoming wireless. Therefore, monitoring the wireless edge is important to understanding the security and performance aspects of the Internet experience. We have designed and implemented a large-scale WLAN monitoring system, the Distributed Internet Security Testbed (DIST), at Dartmouth College. It is equipped with distributed arrays of “sniffers” that cover 210 diverse campus locations and more than 5,000 users. In this paper, we describe our approach, designs and solutions for addressing the technical challenges that have resulted from efficiency, scalability, security, and management perspectives. We also present extensive evaluation results on a production network, and summarize the lessons learned

Current Trends in Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Implications for U.S. Special Operations Forces

This paper assesses current trends in small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) technology and its applications to the Special Operations Forces (SOF) community. Of critical concern to SOF is that commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) sUAS technologies are relatively inexpensive, improving at a dramatic rate, and widely available throughout the world. Insurgents, terrorists, violent extremist organizations (VEOs) and other nefarious actors have used COTS sUAS to conduct offensive attacks as well as to develop battlefield situation awareness; these technological improvements combined with their widespread availability will require enhanced and rapidly adaptive counter-sUAS measures in the future. To understand the most current trends in the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) technology and their applicability to SOF, this paper analyzes the definition and classification of sUAS, their major applications, and characteristics. In the military context, UAS are principally used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), border security, counterinsurgency, attack and strike, target identification and designation, communications relay, electronic attack, remote sensing, and aerial mapping. As technology improves, smaller versions of sUAS will be used by both friendly operators and maligned actors (insurgents, terrorists, VEOs, nation states) as force multipliers for military operations. As armed forces around the world continue to invest in research and development of sUAS technologies, there will be tremendous potential to revolutionize warfare, particularly in context of special operations. Consequently, the use of sUAS technology by SOF is likely to escalate over the next decade, as is the likelihood of sUAS countermeasures due to the availability of the technology within nefarious organizations

A mobile tour guide app for sustainable tourism

Portugal has had a flourishing tourism sector for the past few years. In fact, Portugal’s tourism boom has made the industry one of the biggest contributors to the national economy and the largest employer. In the year 2019, Portugal had a total of 27 million tourists, surpassing once again the record established in the previous year. However, tourism also brings a series of unintended negative side effects, such as overcrowding. The Santa Maria Maior historic district in Lisbon is being particularly affected by this problem. The work undertaken in this dissertation is part of the Sustainable Tourism Crowding project, that aims to mitigate the overcrowding phenomenon in this district, by fostering a balanced distribution of visitors while promoting the visitation of sustainable points of interest. This dissertation focuses on developing a mobile app prototype targeted at tourists, through which these sustainable walking tour recommendations can be delivered. To validate the functional requirements of the prototype, more specifically the trip creation process, a series of unit tests, integration tests, and manual tests were developed. To evaluate the usability of the prototype, a user-centered approach was adopted during the design stage, in which two usability techniques were conducted with members of ISCTE’s research center ISTAR and partners from the Junta de Freguesia de Santa Maria Maior, that guided and validated the decisions made. The achieved prototype contains mechanisms for measuring tourists’ adherence to the recommended tours using the Dynamic Time Warping algorithm, which raises new research opportunities on tourists’ behaviour.O desenvolvimento próspero do setor turístico em Portugal nos últimos anos fez da indústria um dos maiores contribuintes para a economia nacional e o maior empregador do país. No ano de 2019, Portugal recebeu um total de 27 milhões de turistas, ultrapassando uma vez mais uma vez o recorde estabelecido no ano anterior. No entanto, o turismo traz também uma série de efeitos secundários negativos não intencionais, tais como overcrowding. A freguesia histórica de Santa Maria Maior em Lisboa está a ser particularmente afetada por este problema. O trabalho desenvolvido nesta dissertação faz parte do projeto de pesquisa Sustainable Tourism Crowding, que visa mitigar o fenómeno de overcrowding nesta freguesia, promovendo uma distribuição equilibrada dos visitantes e incentivando a visita de pontos de interesse sustentáveis. Esta dissertação foca-se no desenvolvimento de uma aplicação móvel protótipo destinada a turistas, através do qual recebem recomendações de visitas sustentáveis. Para validar os requisitos funcionais do protótipo, mais especificamente o processo de criação de visitas, foram desenvolvidos testes unitários, testes de integração, e testes manuais. Para avaliar a usabilidade do protótipo, foi adotada uma abordagem centrada no utilizador durante a fase de conceção, em que foram utilizadas duas técnicas de usabilidade em parceria com o ISTAR (centro de investigação do ISCTE) e com a Junta de Freguesia de Santa Maria Maior, cujos resultados guiaram e validaram as decisões tomadas. O protótipo desenvolvido contém mecanismos para medir a aderência dos turistas às recomendações sugeridas através do algoritmo Dynamic Time Warping, proporcionando novas oportunidades de pesquisa nesta área

HopScotch - a low-power renewable energy base station network for rural broadband access

The provision of adequate broadband access to communities in sparsely populated rural areas has in the past been severely restricted. In this paper, we present a wireless broadband access test bed running in the Scottish Highlands and Islands which is based on a relay network of low-power base stations. Base stations are powered by a combination of renewable sources creating a low cost and scalable solution suitable for community ownership. The use of the 5~GHz bands allows the network to offer large data rates and the testing of ultra high frequency ``white space'' bands allow expansive coverage whilst reducing the number of base stations or required transmission power. We argue that the reliance on renewable power and the intelligent use of frequency bands makes this approach an economic green radio technology which can address the problem of rural broadband access

An SDN-based firewall shunt for data-intensive science applications

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering, 2016Data-intensive research computing requires the capability to transfer les over long distances at high throughput. Stateful rewalls introduce su cient packet loss to prevent researchers from fully exploiting high bandwidth-delay network links [25]. To work around this challenge, the science DMZ design [19] trades o stateful packet ltering capability for loss-free forwarding via an ordinary Ethernet switch. We propose a novel extension to the science DMZ design, which uses an SDN-based rewall. This report introduces NFShunt, a rewall based on Linux's Net lter combined with OpenFlow switching. Implemented as an OpenFlow 1.0 controller coupled to Net lter's connection tracking, NFShunt allows the bypass-switching policy to be expressed as part of an iptables rewall rule-set. Our implementation is described in detail, and latency of the control-plane mechanism is reported. TCP throughput and packet loss is shown at various round-trip latencies, with comparisons to pure switching, as well as to a high-end Cisco rewall. Cost, as well as operations and maintenance aspects, are compared and analysed. The results support reported observations regarding rewall introduced packet-loss, and indicate that the SDN design of NFShunt is a technically viable and cost-e ective approach to enhancing a traditional rewall to meet the performance needs of data-intensive researchersGS201

ACCESS CONTROL USING WIRELESS FOR DATA COMMUNICATATION TO DATA TERMINAL

The main objective of this project is to develop wireless access control that can be accessed via HTML website using Microchip development board. TCP/IP protocol is used for its wireless technology, using ZeroG module that provides 802.11 standards. Application of wireless access control starts with initialization of hardware and computer through IP address assigned by access point

Multiplatform marketplace for activities and communication

There has been a rapid change in user access requirements for people to be on the internet. And most of the population has been successfully adapted to this situation with more or less comfortability. Except the elderlies, as one of the side effects of being old age is the inability to learn and adapt to changes quickly as of humans of other ages. This woudln't be any problem except for the new requirement of people to be connected thgrough Internet. Which requires lot of effort and has a steep learning curve. This added with the fact of non human contact for the elderlies have given in a rise in psychological issues which has given rise to trauma and health consequences. As a solution to this problem, The Terrassa Health Consortium had proposed a solution to tackle all of the issues aforementioned. The proposed solution is a Single application Multiplatform Marketplace with communication, news, videos and a personal identity which might resolve the need to not change to various different tools(applications) resulting in distraction and confusion free place with easier curve of the connected Internet World