Real-time robotic tasks for cyber-physical avatars

Although modern robots can perform complex tasks using sophisticated algorithms that are specialized to a particular task and environment, creating robots capable of completing tasks in unstructured environments without human guidance (e.g., through teleoperation) remains a challenge. In this research, we present a framework to meet this challenge for a "cyberphysical avatar," which is defined to be a semi-autonomous robotic system that adjusts to an unstructured environment and performs physical tasks subject to critical timing constraints while under human supervision. This thesis first realizes a cyberphysical avatar that integrates three key technologies: (1) whole body-compliant control, (2) skill acquisition from machine learning (neuroevolution methods and deep learning), and (3) vision-based control through visual servoing. Body-compliant control is essential for operator safety because avatars perform cooperative tasks in close proximity to humans; machine learning enables "programming" avatars such that they can be used by non-experts for a large array of tasks, some unforeseen, in an unstructured environment; the visual servoing technique is indispensable for facilitating feedback control in human avatar interaction. This thesis proposes and demonstrates a systematically incremental approach to automating robotic tasks by decomposing a non-trivial task into stages, each of which may be automated by integrating the aforementioned techniques. We design and implement the controllers for two semi-autonomous robots that integrate three key techniques for grasping and pick-and-place tasks. While a general theory is beyond reach, we present a study on the tradeoffs between three design metrics for robotic task systems: (1) the amount of training effort for the robots to perform the task, (2) the time available to complete the task when the command is given, and (3) the quality of the result of the performed task. The tradeoff study in this design space uses the imprecise computation model as a framework to evaluate specific types of tasks: (1) grasping an unknown object and (2) placing the object in a target position. We demonstrate the generality of our integration methodology by applying it to two different robots, Dreamer and Hoppy. Our approach is evaluated by the performance of the robots in trading off between task completion time, training time and task completion success rate, in an environment similar to those in the recent Amazon Picking Challenge.Computer Science

Vulnerability assessment in the use of biometrics in unsupervised environments

Mención Internacional en el título de doctorIn the last few decades, we have witnessed a large-scale deployment of biometric systems in different life applications replacing the traditional recognition methods such as passwords and tokens. We approached a time where we use biometric systems in our daily life. On a personal scale, the authentication to our electronic devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc.) utilizes biometric characteristics to provide access permission. Moreover, we access our bank accounts, perform various types of payments and transactions using the biometric sensors integrated into our devices. On the other hand, different organizations, companies, and institutions use biometric-based solutions for access control. On the national scale, police authorities and border control measures use biometric recognition devices for individual identification and verification purposes. Therefore, biometric systems are relied upon to provide a secured recognition where only the genuine user can be recognized as being himself. Moreover, the biometric system should ensure that an individual cannot be identified as someone else. In the literature, there are a surprising number of experiments that show the possibility of stealing someone’s biometric characteristics and use it to create an artificial biometric trait that can be used by an attacker to claim the identity of the genuine user. There were also real cases of people who successfully fooled the biometric recognition system in airports and smartphones [1]–[3]. That urges the necessity to investigate the potential threats and propose countermeasures that ensure high levels of security and user convenience. Consequently, performing security evaluations is vital to identify: (1) the security flaws in biometric systems, (2) the possible threats that may target the defined flaws, and (3) measurements that describe the technical competence of the biometric system security. Identifying the system vulnerabilities leads to proposing adequate security solutions that assist in achieving higher integrity. This thesis aims to investigate the vulnerability of fingerprint modality to presentation attacks in unsupervised environments, then implement mechanisms to detect those attacks and avoid the misuse of the system. To achieve these objectives, the thesis is carried out in the following three phases. In the first phase, the generic biometric system scheme is studied by analyzing the vulnerable points with special attention to the vulnerability to presentation attacks. The study reviews the literature in presentation attack and the corresponding solutions, i.e. presentation attack detection mechanisms, for six biometric modalities: fingerprint, face, iris, vascular, handwritten signature, and voice. Moreover, it provides a new taxonomy for presentation attack detection mechanisms. The proposed taxonomy helps to comprehend the issue of presentation attacks and how the literature tried to address it. The taxonomy represents a starting point to initialize new investigations that propose novel presentation attack detection mechanisms. In the second phase, an evaluation methodology is developed from two sources: (1) the ISO/IEC 30107 standard, and (2) the Common Evaluation Methodology by the Common Criteria. The developed methodology characterizes two main aspects of the presentation attack detection mechanism: (1) the resistance of the mechanism to presentation attacks, and (2) the corresponding threat of the studied attack. The first part is conducted by showing the mechanism's technical capabilities and how it influences the security and ease-of-use of the biometric system. The second part is done by performing a vulnerability assessment considering all the factors that affect the attack potential. Finally, a data collection is carried out, including 7128 fingerprint videos of bona fide and attack presentation. The data is collected using two sensing technologies, two presentation scenarios, and considering seven attack species. The database is used to develop dynamic presentation attack detection mechanisms that exploit the fingerprint spatio-temporal features. In the final phase, a set of novel presentation attack detection mechanisms is developed exploiting the dynamic features caused by the natural fingerprint phenomena such as perspiration and elasticity. The evaluation results show an efficient capability to detect attacks where, in some configurations, the mechanisms are capable of eliminating some attack species and mitigating the rest of the species while keeping the user convenience at a high level.En las últimas décadas, hemos asistido a un despliegue a gran escala de los sistemas biométricos en diferentes aplicaciones de la vida cotidiana, sustituyendo a los métodos de reconocimiento tradicionales, como las contraseñas y los tokens. Actualmente los sistemas biométricos ya forman parte de nuestra vida cotidiana: es habitual emplear estos sistemas para que nos proporcionen acceso a nuestros dispositivos electrónicos (teléfonos inteligentes, tabletas, ordenadores portátiles, etc.) usando nuestras características biométricas. Además, accedemos a nuestras cuentas bancarias, realizamos diversos tipos de pagos y transacciones utilizando los sensores biométricos integrados en nuestros dispositivos. Por otra parte, diferentes organizaciones, empresas e instituciones utilizan soluciones basadas en la biometría para el control de acceso. A escala nacional, las autoridades policiales y de control fronterizo utilizan dispositivos de reconocimiento biométrico con fines de identificación y verificación individual. Por lo tanto, en todas estas aplicaciones se confía en que los sistemas biométricos proporcionen un reconocimiento seguro en el que solo el usuario genuino pueda ser reconocido como tal. Además, el sistema biométrico debe garantizar que un individuo no pueda ser identificado como otra persona. En el estado del arte, hay un número sorprendente de experimentos que muestran la posibilidad de robar las características biométricas de alguien, y utilizarlas para crear un rasgo biométrico artificial que puede ser utilizado por un atacante con el fin de reclamar la identidad del usuario genuino. También se han dado casos reales de personas que lograron engañar al sistema de reconocimiento biométrico en aeropuertos y teléfonos inteligentes [1]–[3]. Esto hace que sea necesario investigar estas posibles amenazas y proponer contramedidas que garanticen altos niveles de seguridad y comodidad para el usuario. En consecuencia, es vital la realización de evaluaciones de seguridad para identificar (1) los fallos de seguridad de los sistemas biométricos, (2) las posibles amenazas que pueden explotar estos fallos, y (3) las medidas que aumentan la seguridad del sistema biométrico reduciendo estas amenazas. La identificación de las vulnerabilidades del sistema lleva a proponer soluciones de seguridad adecuadas que ayuden a conseguir una mayor integridad. Esta tesis tiene como objetivo investigar la vulnerabilidad en los sistemas de modalidad de huella dactilar a los ataques de presentación en entornos no supervisados, para luego implementar mecanismos que permitan detectar dichos ataques y evitar el mal uso del sistema. Para lograr estos objetivos, la tesis se desarrolla en las siguientes tres fases. En la primera fase, se estudia el esquema del sistema biométrico genérico analizando sus puntos vulnerables con especial atención a los ataques de presentación. El estudio revisa la literatura sobre ataques de presentación y las soluciones correspondientes, es decir, los mecanismos de detección de ataques de presentación, para seis modalidades biométricas: huella dactilar, rostro, iris, vascular, firma manuscrita y voz. Además, se proporciona una nueva taxonomía para los mecanismos de detección de ataques de presentación. La taxonomía propuesta ayuda a comprender el problema de los ataques de presentación y la forma en que la literatura ha tratado de abordarlo. Esta taxonomía presenta un punto de partida para iniciar nuevas investigaciones que propongan novedosos mecanismos de detección de ataques de presentación. En la segunda fase, se desarrolla una metodología de evaluación a partir de dos fuentes: (1) la norma ISO/IEC 30107, y (2) Common Evaluation Methodology por el Common Criteria. La metodología desarrollada considera dos aspectos importantes del mecanismo de detección de ataques de presentación (1) la resistencia del mecanismo a los ataques de presentación, y (2) la correspondiente amenaza del ataque estudiado. Para el primer punto, se han de señalar las capacidades técnicas del mecanismo y cómo influyen en la seguridad y la facilidad de uso del sistema biométrico. Para el segundo aspecto se debe llevar a cabo una evaluación de la vulnerabilidad, teniendo en cuenta todos los factores que afectan al potencial de ataque. Por último, siguiendo esta metodología, se lleva a cabo una recogida de datos que incluye 7128 vídeos de huellas dactilares genuinas y de presentación de ataques. Los datos se recogen utilizando dos tecnologías de sensor, dos escenarios de presentación y considerando siete tipos de instrumentos de ataque. La base de datos se utiliza para desarrollar y evaluar mecanismos dinámicos de detección de ataques de presentación que explotan las características espacio-temporales de las huellas dactilares. En la fase final, se desarrolla un conjunto de mecanismos novedosos de detección de ataques de presentación que explotan las características dinámicas causadas por los fenómenos naturales de las huellas dactilares, como la transpiración y la elasticidad. Los resultados de la evaluación muestran una capacidad eficiente de detección de ataques en la que, en algunas configuraciones, los mecanismos son capaces de eliminar completamente algunos tipos de instrumentos de ataque y mitigar el resto de los tipos manteniendo la comodidad del usuario en un nivel alto.Programa de Doctorado en Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y Automática por la Universidad Carlos III de MadridPresidente: Cristina Conde Vila.- Secretario: Mariano López García.- Vocal: Farzin Derav

Evaluation of presentation attack detection under the context of common criteria

Mención Internacional en el título de doctorTHE USE OF Biometrics keeps growing. Every day, we use biometric recognition to unlock our phones or to have access to places such as the gym or the office, so we rely on what security manufacturers offer when protecting our privileges and private life. Moreover, an error in a biometric system can mean that a person can have access to an unintended property, critical infrastructure or cross a border. Thus, there is a growing interest on ensuring that biometric systems work correctly on two fronts: our personal information (smartphones, personal computers) and national security (borders, critical infrastructures). Given that nowadays we store increasing sensitive data on our mobile devices (documents, photos, bank accounts, etc.), it is crucial to know how secure the protection of the phone really is. Most new smartphones include an embedded fingerprint sensor due to its improved comfort, speed and, as manufacturers claim, security. In the last decades, many studies and tests have shown that it is possible to steal a person’s fingerprint and reproduce it, with the intention of impersonating them. This has become a bigger problem as the adoption of fingerprint sensor cell phones have become mainstream. For the case of border control and critical infrastructures, biometric recognition eases the task of person identification and black-list checking. Although the performance rates for verification and identification have dropped in the last decades, protection against vulnerabilities is still under heavy development. There have been cases in the past where fake fingers have been used to surpass the security of such entities. The first necessary step for overcoming these issues is to have a common ground for performing security evaluations. This way, different systems’ abilities to detect and reject fake fingerprints can be measured and compared against each other. This is achieved by standardization and the corresponding certification of biometric systems. The new software and hardware presentation attack detection techniques shall undergo tests that follow such standards. The aim of this Thesis is two-fold: evaluating commercial fingerprint biometric systems against presentation attacks (fake fingers) and developing a new presentation attack detection method for overcoming these attacks. Moreover, through this process, several contributions were proposed and accepted in international ISO standards. On the first matter, a few questions are meant to be answered: it is well known that it is possible to hack a smartphone using fake fingers made of Play-Doh and other easy-to-obtain materials but, to what extent? Is this true for all users or only for specialists with deep knowledge on Biometrics? Does it matter who the person doing the attack is, or are all attackers the same when they have the same base knowledge? Are smartphone fingerprint sensors as reliable as desktop sensors? What is the easiest way of stealing a fingerprint from someone? To answer these, five experiments were performed on several desktop and smartphone fingerprint readers, including many different attackers and fingerprint readers. As a general result, all smartphone capture devices could be successfully hacked by inexperienced people with no background in Biometrics. All of the evaluations followed the pertinent standards, ISO/IEC 30107 Parts 3 and 4 and Common Criteria and an analysis of the attack potential was carried out. Moreover, the knowledge gathered during this process served to make methodological contributions to the above-mentioned standards. Once some expertise had been gathered on attacking fingerprint sensors, it was decided to develop a new method to detect fake fingerprints. The aim was to find a low-cost and efficient system to solve this issue. As a result, a new optical system was used to capture fingerprints and classify them into real or fake samples. The system was tested by performing an evaluation using 5 different fake finger materials, obtaining much lower error rates than those reported in the state of the art at the moment this Thesis was written. The contributions of this Thesis include: • • Improvements on the presentation attack detection evaluation methodology. • • Contributions to ISO/IEC 30107 - Biometric presentation attack detection - Part 3: Testing and reporting and Part 4: Profile for evaluation of mobile devices. • • Presentation attack detection evaluations on commercial desktop and smartphone fingerprint sensors following ISO/IEC 30107-3 and 4. • • A new low-cost and efficient optical presentation attack detection mechanism and an evaluation on the said system.EL USO DE la Biometría está en constante crecimiento. Cada día, utilizamos reconocimiento biométrico para desbloquear nuestros teléfonos o para tener acceso a lugares como el gimnasio o la oficina, por lo que confiamos en lo que los fabricantes ofrecen para proteger nuestros privilegios y nuestra vida privada. Además, un error en un sistema biométrico puede significar que una persona pueda tener acceso a una propiedad no debida, a una infraestructura crítica o a cruzar una frontera. Por lo tanto, existe un interés creciente en asegurar que los sistemas biométricos funcionen correctamente en dos frentes: nuestra información personal (teléfonos inteligentes, ordenadores personales) y la seguridad nacional (fronteras, infraestructuras críticas). Dado que hoy en día almacenamos cada vez más datos sensibles en nuestros dispositivos móviles (documentos, fotos, cuentas bancarias, etc.), es crucial saber cómo de segura es realmente la protección del teléfono. La mayoría de los nuevos teléfonos inteligentes incluyen un sensor de huellas dactilares integrado debido a su mayor comodidad, velocidad y, como afirman los fabricantes, seguridad. En las últimas décadas, muchos estudios y pruebas han demostrado que es posible robar la huella dactilar de una persona y reproducirla, con la intención de hacerse pasar por ella. Esto se ha convertido en un problema mayor a medida que la adopción de los teléfonos celulares con sensor de huellas dactilares se ha ido generalizando. En el caso del control fronterizo y de las infraestructuras críticas, el reconocimiento biométrico facilita la tarea de identificación de las personas y la comprobación de listas negras. Aunque las tasas de rendimiento en materia de verificación e identificación han disminuido en las últimas décadas, la protección antifraude todavía está bajo intenso desarrollo. Existen casos en los que se han utilizado dedos falsos para vulnerar la seguridad de dichas entidades. El primer paso necesario para superar estos problemas es contar con una base común desde la que realizar evaluaciones de seguridad. De esta manera, se pueden medir y comparar las capacidades de los diferentes sistemas para detectar y rechazar huellas dactilares falsas. Esto se consigue mediante la estandarización y la correspondiente certificación de los sistemas biométricos. Las nuevas técnicas de detección de ataques de presentación de software y hardware deben someterse a pruebas que se ajusten a dichas normas. Esta Tesis tiene dos objetivos: evaluar los sistemas biométricos de huellas dactilares comerciales contra ataques de presentación (dedos falsos) y desarrollar un nuevo método de detección de ataques de presentación para disminuir la eficacia de estos ataques. Además, a través de este proceso, se propusieron y aceptaron varias contribuciones en las normas internacionales ISO. Sobre el primer asunto, hay que responder algunas preguntas: es bien sabido que es posible hackear un teléfono inteligente con dedos falsos hechos de Play-Doh y otros materiales fáciles de obtener, pero ¿hasta qué punto? ¿Es esto cierto para todos los usuarios o sólo para los especialistas con un profundo conocimiento de la Biometría? ¿Importa quién es la persona que realiza el ataque, o todos los atacantes son iguales cuando parte de la misma base de conocimiento? ¿Son los sensores de huellas dactilares de los teléfonos inteligentes tan fiables como los de sobremesa? ¿Cuál es la manera más fácil de robar una huella digital a alguien? Para responder estas preguntas, se realizaron cinco experimentos en varios lectores de huellas dactilares de escritorio y de teléfonos inteligentes, incluyendo muchos atacantes y lectores de huellas dactilares diferentes. Como resultado general, todos los dispositivos de captura pudieron ser hackeados con éxito por personas sin experiencia en Biometría. Todas las evaluaciones siguieron las normas pertinentes, ISO/IEC 30107 Partes 3 y 4 y Common Criteria y se llevó a cabo un análisis del potencial de ataque. Además, los conocimientos adquiridos durante este proceso sirvieron para aportar una contribución metodológica a las normas mencionadas. Una vez adquiridos algunos conocimientos sobre ataques a sensores de huellas dactilares, se decidió desarrollar un nuevo método para detectar huellas falsas. El objetivo era encontrar un sistema de bajo coste y eficiente para resolver este problema. Como resultado, se utilizó un nuevo sistema óptico para capturar las huellas dactilares y clasificarlas en muestras reales o falsas. El sistema se probó mediante la realización de una evaluación utilizando 5 materiales de dedos falsos diferentes, obteniendo tasas de error mucho más bajas que las reportadas en el estado del arte en el momento de redactar esta Tesis. Las contribuciones de esta Tesis incluyen: • • Mejoras en la metodología de evaluación de detección de ataques de presentación. • • Contribuciones a “ISO/IEC 30107 - Biometric presentation attack detection - Part 3: Testing and reporting” y “Part 4: Profile for evaluation of mobile devices”. • • Evaluaciones de detección de ataques de presentación en sensores de huellas dactilares comerciales de escritorio y de teléfonos inteligentes siguiendo la norma ISO/IEC 30107-3 y 4. • • Un nuevo y eficiente mecanismo óptico de detección de ataques de presentación, de bajo coste, y una evaluación de dicho sistema.Programa de Doctorado en Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y Automática por la Universidad Carlos III de MadridPresidente: Enrique Cabello Pardos.- Secretario: Almudena Lindoso Muñoz.- Vocal: Patrizio Campis

Impact of Lean production on workers\u27 exposure to risk in modular home building manufacturing

The construction industry records the highest number of work-related injuries and fatalities in the United States according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Workers’ exposure to risk may be affected by implementing Lean concepts. This study describes the effects on worker’s safety environment after a Kaizen event, a Lean tool, conducted in three workstations within a modular home manufacturer: base-framing, sheet-rock hanging, and painting. The effects of Lean on safety hazards at each of the three workstations were determined by conducting a Job Safety Analysis (JSA) before and after each Kaizen. Based on the JSAs a risk assessment tool (questionnaire) was developed to determine the workers’ exposure to risk before and after each Kaizen. This study also focused on determining the reliability of the risk assessment tool. Twelve students with prior knowledge of safety and four certified safety experts completed the questionnaire by rating probability and severity of a list of hazards potentially present in each workstation. According to students there was a significant reduction in risk values for base-framing station and sheet-rock hanging station. Whereas, according to safety experts significant reduction in risk values was confined to base-framing station. Based on the reliability analysis the risk assessment tool was reliable in measuring risk at each of the three work station as per safety experts, and as per students the reliability was confined to only sheet-rock hanging station. As per the reliability analysis the finding of safety experts should be supported. The safety experts supported the finding that Lean showed significant reduction in risk values in base-framing station. Thus, it could be concluded from the study that Kaizen could occasionally reduce or eliminate specific safety hazards

Analysis and Observations from the First Amazon Picking Challenge

This paper presents a overview of the inaugural Amazon Picking Challenge along with a summary of a survey conducted among the 26 participating teams. The challenge goal was to design an autonomous robot to pick items from a warehouse shelf. This task is currently performed by human workers, and there is hope that robots can someday help increase efficiency and throughput while lowering cost. We report on a 28-question survey posed to the teams to learn about each team's background, mechanism design, perception apparatus, planning and control approach. We identify trends in this data, correlate it with each team's success in the competition, and discuss observations and lessons learned based on survey results and the authors' personal experiences during the challenge

Control and communication in developing countries: A cybernetic analysis and a proposed solution, exemplified by a distributed database system for the implementation of a national plan

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.This thesis proposes some enhancements of the control and communication aspects of the implementation of a National Plan in any developing country. A cybernetic model for the viable system is used following the approach developed by Beer. Weaknesses of typical current practice are identified and a hierarchical organization, based on the model, is suggested as an alternative, in which all the systems implementing and monitoring the N. P. are considered as one single system, making its functions easier to recognize. Deficiencies, which are characteristic of the situation of developing countries, are identified and remedies are suggested to increase effectiveness. The model provides for the cybernetic principle of freedom, allowing the creation of autonomous subsystems with their own computational needs. A distributed system using micros, databases, and national communication networks, is described, which provides the requirements for realizing the suggested organization, together with packaged software to compensate for missing experience and know-how. The proposals are made in the form of a comprehensive package whose built-in complexity (sophistication) is very high. It is still effective even with inexperienced users but can take full advantage of their developing knowledge. This thesis includes listings and sample runs of some portions of the package which, for purposes of demonstration, have been implemented in dBASE II and an 8080 assembly program on an Intertec Superbrain QD microcomputer.Iraqi Governmen

Design and Build a System to Minimize the Impact of Toluene Exposure on IoT-Based Workshop Workers

Toluene is one type of organic solvent that is widely used in industry. Organic solvents can have a negative impact on health when exposed to the human body through inhalation (breathing), digestion (swallowing) and adsorption (skin contact). This compound is widely used as a basic material for solvents, dyes, paints, resins, perfumes, nail polish, gasoline, glue, solvent thinner, immersion ink, and printing. The impact on each human will vary depending on the concentration, duration and toxicity of the solvent. The effects of exposure are generally long-term and short-term. Short-term effects include respiratory complaints and eye irritation in exposed humans. An ESP32 microcontroller, HCHO sensor, and DHT11 sensor were used in this study to construct a system to lessen the effects of toluene exposure on workshop personnel. Temperature and humidity sensors picked up by DHT11 have an average value for each node. Each node's average value for the temperature and humidity sensors detected by DHT11 is available. The average error value is categorized as accurate and good for nodes A and B, which are separated by 2 meters and 4 meters, respectively. Due to the DHT11's error rates, the temperature range is 20C and the humidity range is 5% RH

The Launch Pad Gallery : The Design and Implementation of Classroom Experiments for Grade School Teachers

The London Museum of Science is taking innovative strides to integrate inquiry-based, interactive learning methods into classrooms in an attempt to improve elementary education. Our project aimed to assist the Museum by researching, designing, building, and testing prototypes that could be incorporated into programs currently managed by the Museum. These activities, realized through our work, can ultimately be used in future museum demonstrations, shows, or Outreach visits as a way to inspire, teach, and instill a lasting interest in science amongst students

Development of an inventory for consumer products containing nanomaterials : Final report

No RIVM report number ( 000201006 ) in publicationWhile various databases include consumer products containing nanomaterials, there is no consistent and reliable overview of these products. This study commissioned by DG Environment developed a methodology to identify consumer products containing nanomaterials, and tested it in populating a searchable database with a sample of 200 such products. In designing the database, attention was given to identifying and establishing the purpose and key stakeholders. A data model was developed for a structured record of data on individual products. The data model is directed to meeting user requirements in a searchable database. In addition, a methodology has been developed to address the validity of nano claims given the large degree of uncertainty about claim validity with respect to nanomaterials in consumer products. Using the data model, a sample database was populated with 200 products, which is searchable in various ways, and an output is made available in static HTML pages. This methodology and sample database could form the basis for further development of a database on nanomaterials in consumer products at the EU market. Recommendations for further action are included in the reportRIV