Design and Estimation of an AUV Portable Intelligent Rescue System Based on Attitude Recognition Algorithm

This research is based on the attitude sensing algorithm to design a portable intelligent rescue system for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). To lower the possibility of losing the underwater vehicle and reduce the difficulty of rescuing, when an AUV intelligent rescue system (AIRS) detects the fault of AUVs and they could not be reclaimed, AIRS can pump carbon dioxide into the airbag immediately to make the vehicle resurface. AIRS consists of attitude sensing module, double-trigger inflator mechanism, and activity recognition algorithm. The sensing module is an eleven-DOF sensor that is made up of a six-axis inertial sensor, a three-axis magnetometer, a barometer, and a thermometer. Furthermore, the signal calibration and extended Kalman filter (SC-EKF) is proposed to be used subsequently to calibrate and fuse the data from the sensing module. Then, the attitude data are classified with the principle of feature extraction (FE) and backpropagation network (BPN) classifier. Finally, the designed double-trigger inflator can be triggered not only by electricity but also by water damage when the waterproof cabin is severely broken. With the AIRS technology, the safety of detecting and investigating the use AUVs can be increased since there is no need to send divers to engage in the rescue mission under water

Applying safe flooring in housing environments related to the independent elderly : evaluating suitability flooring technology to absorb impact in the event of a fall

Aplicat embargament des de la data de defensa fins el dia 3/6/2022This research has been developed with the intention of investigating a different generation of pavements. Most of the current pavements have the same basic standard characteristics and this ensures that living conditions are comfortable, safe, and pleasant for the majority of citizens. But a small group of pavements is designed with a specific purpose: to reduce injuries related to people's falls to the ground; They are called CF (compliant flooring in English). A detailed study of CF flooring systems is warranted to assess their usability for vulnerable groups such as the elderly. This study is structured in six chapters. The first chapter has dealt mainly with bibliographic studies and statistical data consulted on official and international websites. This section evaluates the importance of the increase in the elderly population, life expectancy, and threats to the safety and health of the elderly, especially, and their secondary effects. The scope of the research has been carried out internationally, in Europe and within Spain, and finally, specifically for Catalonia. The second chapter presents a brief overview of the interior flooring, specifically considering its comfort and safety during use. The importance and direct relationship between the sole of the foot and the gait mechanism with respect to the type of pavement have been verified. Many factors that influence this have been investigated, such as the physics and biomechanics of the body when walking, the kinematics of falls, and the dynamics of impact. In addition, a general description of the behavior of materials for use in pavements has been made to better understand the behavior of CF systems. In addition, the most suitable strategies to cope with falls and reduce injuries are discussed. Examining other products with appreciable energy-absorbing and shock-reducing capabilities has been helpful in the proposed pre-designs, all of which have been made based on numerical analysis and related standards. The third chapter is already dedicated to the study of technology and research on the most suitable CF systems; studies from academic, commercial, and architecture departments, in general, are included. In this section, some standard tests related to the various selected materials are developed and several examples of similar products are studied. The fourth chapter includes field research (on-site) and analysis of case studies. Several notable flooring companies around the world were contacted by mail, specifically examining those products whose manufacturers claimed to be shock absorbers. This part of the investigation was slowed down by the delay in shipments. Once they arrived, a real environment was sought where they could obtain the opinion of the elderly and the personnel assigned to their care. All the practice tests were carried out in a residence for the elderly in Barcelona for about two months, focusing on the study of the current pavements of the center and the current derived problems related to users.This entire process was completed by interviewing users and caregivers with predefined questionnaires. It should be noted that this allowed us to contrast the quantitative characteristics of the study in combination with the elements of qualitative research. Chapter Five deals with the results, discussions, suggestions for installation and improvement of pavement safety in risk areas. Simulations were also carried out on a possible base structure of the pavements with the finite element method (FEM). Chapter six presents guidelines for future developments. The author further investigated the materials and their structure and is presented them as a basis for future technical developments.The author considers that, with more detailed studies, it would be possible to use as CF system other materials, either natural or recycled based on agricultural products, which would increase the diversity of the CF system offer and promote more sustainable architectureEsta investigación se ha desarrollado con la intención de investigar una generación diferente de pavimentos. La mayoría de los actuales pavimentos tienen las mismas características básicas estándar y ello garantiza que las condiciones de vida sean cómodas, seguras y agradables para la mayoría de los ciudadanos. Pero un grupo reducido de pavimentos está diseñado con un propósito específico: reducir las lesiones relacionadas con las caídas al suelo de las personas; son los denominados CF (compliant flooring en inglés). Un estudio detallado de los sistemas de pavimentos CF está justificado para evaluar su posibilidad de uso para grupos vulnerables como los ancianos. Este estudio se estructura en seis capítulos. En el primer capítulo se han abordado principalmente los estudios bibliográficos y datos estadísticos consultados en sitios web oficiales e internacionales. En esta sección se evalúa la importancia del aumento de la población anciana. El ámbito de la investigación se ha realizado a nivel internacional, en Europa y dentro de España, y finalmente, específicamente para Cataluña. El segundo capítulo se presenta una breve panorámica del pavimento interior. Se ha constatado la importancia y relación directa entre la planta del pie y el mecanismo de andar con respecto al tipo de pavimento. Se han investigado muchos factores que influyen en ello. Además, se ha realizado una descripción general del comportamiento de los materiales al uso en pavimentos para comprender mejor el comportamiento de los sistemas de CF. Además, se discuten las estrategias más idóneas para hacer frente a las caídas y reducir las lesiones. Examinar otros productos con apreciables capacidades de amortiguación de energía y reducción de impactos ha sido de gran ayuda en los prediseños propuestos, todos los cuales se han realizado sobre la base de análisis numérico y los estándares relacionados. El tercer capítulo está dedicado ya al estudio de la tecnología y la investigación sobre los sistemas de C más idóneos; se incluyen estudios procedentes de departamentos académicos, comerciales y de arquitectura en general. En esta sección se desarrollan algunas pruebas estándar relacionadas con los diversos materiales seleccionados y se estudian varios ejemplos de productos similares. El cuarto capítulo incluye investigación de campo (in situ) y análisis de estudios de casos. Se contactó por correo con varias empresas notables de pavimentos en todo el mundo, y se examinaron específicamente aquellos productos cuyos fabricantes afirmaban ser amortiguadores. Esta parte de la investigación se vio ralentizada por la demora en los envíos. Una vez llegados se buscó un ámbito real donde poder recabar la opinión de las personas mayores y del personal adscrito a su cuidado. Todas las pruebas prácticas se realizaron en una residencia de ancianos de Barcelona durante unos dos meses, centrándose en el estudio de los actuales pavimentos del centro y los problemas actuales derivados relacionados con los usuarios. Todo este proceso se completó mediante entrevistas a usuarios y cuidadores con cuestionarios predefinidos. El Capítulo Cinco se refiere a los resultados, discusiones, sugerencias para la instalación y mejora de la seguridad del pavimento en áreas de riesgo. También se realizaron simulaciones sobre una posible estructura base de los pavimentos con el método elemento finito (FEM). El capítulo seis presenta directrices para desarrollos futuros. El autor investigó más a fondo sobre los materiales y su estructura, y se presenta como una base para desarrollos técnicos futuros. El autor considera que, con estudios más detallados, sería posible utilizar como CF otros materiales, bien naturales o reciclados a base de productos agrícolas, lo cual aumentaría la diversidad de la oferta de CF y fomentaría la arquitectura más sostenible.Postprint (published version

Instrumentation and validation of a robotic cane for transportation and fall prevention in patients with affected mobility

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia Física, (especialização em Dispositivos, Microssistemas e Nanotecnologias)O ato de andar é conhecido por ser a forma primitiva de locomoção do ser humano, sendo que este traz muitos benefícios que motivam um estilo de vida saudável e ativo. No entanto, há condições de saúde que dificultam a realização da marcha, o que por consequência pode resultar num agravamento da saúde, e adicionalmente, levar a um maior risco de quedas. Nesse sentido, o desenvolvimento de um sistema de deteção e prevenção de quedas, integrado num dispositivo auxiliar de marcha, seria essencial para reduzir estes eventos de quedas e melhorar a qualidade de vida das pessoas. Para ultrapassar estas necessidades e limitações, esta dissertação tem como objetivo validar e instrumentar uma bengala robótica, denominada Anti-fall Robotic Cane (ARCane), concebida para incorporar um sistema de deteção de quedas e um mecanismo de atuação que possibilite a prevenção de quedas, ao mesmo tempo que assiste a marcha. Para esse fim, foi realizada uma revisão do estado da arte em bengalas robóticas para adquirir um conhecimento amplo e aprofundado dos componentes, mecanismos e estratégias utilizadas, bem como os protocolos experimentais, principais resultados, limitações e desafios em dispositivos existentes. Numa primeira fase, foi estipulado o objetivo de: (i) adaptar a missão do produto; (ii) estudar as necessidades do consumidor; e (iii) atualizar as especificações alvo da ARCane, continuação do trabalho de equipa, para obter um produto com design e engenharia compatível com o mercado. Foi depois estabelecida a arquitetura de hardware e discutidos os componentes a ser instrumentados na ARCane. Em seguida foram realizados testes de interoperabilidade a fim de validar o funcionamento singular e coletivo dos componentes. Relativamente ao controlo de movimento, foi desenvolvido um sistema inovador, de baixo custo e intuitivo, capaz de detetar a intenção do movimento e de reconhecer as fases da marcha do utilizador. Esta implementação foi validada com seis voluntários saudáveis que realizaram testes de marcha com a ARCane para testar sua operabilidade num ambiente de contexto real. Obteve-se uma precisão de 97% e de 90% em relação à deteção da intenção de movimento e ao reconhecimento da fase da marcha do utilizador. Por fim, foi projetado um método de deteção de quedas e mecanismo de prevenção de quedas para futura implementação na ARCane. Foi ainda proposta uma melhoria do método de deteção de quedas, de modo a superar as limitações associadas, bem como a proposta de dispositivos de deteção a serem implementados na ARCane para obter um sistema completo de deteção de quedas.The act of walking is known to be the primitive form of the human being, and it brings many benefits that motivate a healthy and active lifestyle. However, there are health conditions that make walking difficult, which, consequently, can result in worse health and, in addition, lead to a greater risk of falls. Thus, the development of a fall detection and prevention system integrated with a walking aid would be essential to reduce these fall events and improve people quality of life. To overcome these needs and limitations, this dissertation aims to validate and instrument a cane-type robot, called Anti-fall Robotic Cane (ARCane), designed to incorporate a fall detection system and an actuation mechanism that allow the prevention of falls, while assisting the gait. Therefore, a State-of-the-Art review concerning robotic canes was carried out to acquire a broad and in-depth knowledge of the used components, mechanisms and strategies, as well as the experimental protocols, main results, limitations and challenges on existing devices. On a first stage, it was set an objective to (i) enhance the product's mission statement; (ii) study the consumer needs; and (iii) update the target specifications of the ARCane, extending teamwork, to obtain a product with a market-compatible design and engineering that meets the needs and desires of the ARCane users. It was then established the hardware architecture of the ARCane and discussed the electronic components that will instrument the control, sensory, actuator and power units, being afterwards subjected to interoperability tests to validate the singular and collective functioning of cane components altogether. Regarding the motion control of robotic canes, an innovative, cost-effective and intuitive motion control system was developed, providing user movement intention recognition, and identification of the user's gait phases. This implementation was validated with six healthy volunteers who carried out gait trials with the ARCane, in order to test its operability in a real context environment. An accuracy of 97% was achieved for user motion intention recognition and 90% for user gait phase recognition, using the proposed motion control system. Finally, it was idealized a fall detection method and fall prevention mechanism for a future implementation in the ARCane, based on methods applied to robotic canes in the literature. It was also proposed an improvement of the fall detection method in order to overcome its associated limitations, as well as detection devices to be implemented into the ARCane to achieve a complete fall detection system

Systems Engineering

The book "Systems Engineering: Practice and Theory" is a collection of articles written by developers and researches from all around the globe. Mostly they present methodologies for separate Systems Engineering processes; others consider issues of adjacent knowledge areas and sub-areas that significantly contribute to systems development, operation, and maintenance. Case studies include aircraft, spacecrafts, and space systems development, post-analysis of data collected during operation of large systems etc. Important issues related to "bottlenecks" of Systems Engineering, such as complexity, reliability, and safety of different kinds of systems, creation, operation and maintenance of services, system-human communication, and management tasks done during system projects are addressed in the collection. This book is for people who are interested in the modern state of the Systems Engineering knowledge area and for systems engineers involved in different activities of the area. Some articles may be a valuable source for university lecturers and students; most of case studies can be directly used in Systems Engineering courses as illustrative materials

Securing CAN-Based Cyber-Physical Systems

With the exponential growth of cyber-physical systems (CPSs), new security challenges have emerged. Various vulnerabilities, threats, attacks, and controls have been introduced for the new generation of CPS. However, there lacks a systematic review of the CPS security literature. In particular, the heterogeneity of CPS components and the diversity of CPS systems have made it difficult to study the problem with one generalized model. As the first component of this dissertation, existing research on CPS security is studied and systematized under a unified framework. Smart cars, as a CPS application, were further explored under the proposed framework and new attacks are identified and addressed. The Control Area Network (CAN bus) is a prevalent serial communication protocol adopted in industrial CPS, especially in small and large vehicles, ships, planes, and even in drones, radar systems, and submarines. Unfortunately, the CAN bus was designed without any security considerations. We then propose and demonstrate a stealthy targeted Denial of Service (DoS) attack against CAN. Experimentation shows that the attack is effective and superior to attacks of the same category due to its stealthiness and ability to avoid detection from current countermeasures. Two controls are proposed to defend against various spoofing and DoS attacks on CAN. The first one aims to minimize the attack using a mechanism called ID-Hopping so that CAN arbitration IDs are randomized so an attacker would not be able to target them. ID-Hopping raises the bar for attackers by randomizing the expected patterns in a CAN network. Such randomization hinders an attacker’s ability to launch targeted DoS attacks. Based on the evaluation on the testbed, the randomization mechanism, ID-Hopping, holds a promising solution for targeted DoS, and reverse engineering CAN IDs, and which CAN networks are most vulnerable. The second countermeasure is a novel CAN firewall that aims to prevent an attacker from launching a plethora of nontraditional attacks on CAN that existing solutions do not adequately address. The firewall is placed between a potential attacker’s node and the rest of the CAN bus. Traffic is controlled bi-directionally between the main bus and the attacker’s side so that only benign traffic can pass to the main bus. This ensures that an attacker cannot arbitrarily inject malicious traffic into the main bus. Demonstration and evaluation of the attack and firewall were conducted by a bit-level analysis, i.e., “Bit banging”, of CAN’s traffic. Results show that the firewall successfully prevents the stealthy targeted DoS attack, as well as, other recent attacks. To evaluate the proposed attack and firewall, a testbed was built that consisted of BeagleBone Black and STM32 Nucleo- 144 microcontrollers to simulate real CAN traffic. Finally, a design of an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) was proposed to complement the firewall. It utilized the proposed firewall to add situational awareness capabilities to the bus’s security posture and detect and react to attacks that might bypass the firewall based on certain rules

Fall Prediction and Controlled Fall for Humanoid Robots

Humanoids which resemble humans in their body structure and degrees of freedom are anticipated to work like them within infrastructures and environments constructed for humans. In such scenarios, even humans who have exceptional manipulation, balancing, and locomotion skills are vulnerable to fall, humanoids being their approximate imitators are no exception to this. Furthermore, their high center of gravity position in relation to their small support polygon makes them more prone to fall, unlike other robots such as quadrupeds. The consequences of these falls are so devastating that it can instantly annihilate both the robot and its surroundings. This has become one of the major stumbling blocks which humanoids have to overcome to operate in real environments. As a result, in this thesis, we have strived to address the imminent fall over of humanoids by developing different control techniques. The fall over problem as such can be divided into three subissues: fall prediction, controlled fall, and its recovery. In the presented work, the first two issues have been addressed, and they are presented in three parts. First, we define what is fall over for humanoids, different sources for it to happen, the effect fall over has both on the robot and to its surroundings, and how to deal with them. Following which, we give a brief introduction to the overall system which includes both the hardware and software components which have been used throughout the work for varied purposes. Second, the first sub-issue is addressed by proposing a generic method to predict the falling over of humanoid robots in a reliable, robust, and agile manner across various terrains, and also amidst arbitrary disturbances. The aforementioned characteristics are strived to attain by proposing a prediction principle inspired by the human balance sensory systems. Accordingly, the fusion of multiple sensors such as inertial measurement unit and gyroscope (IMU), foot pressure sensor (FPS), joint encoders, and stereo vision sensor, which are equivalent to the human\u2019s vestibular, proprioception, and vision systems are considered. We first define a set of feature-based fall indicator variables (FIVs) from the different sensors, and the thresholds for those FIVs are extracted analytically for four major disturbance scenarios. Further, an online threshold interpolation technique and an impulse adaptive counter limit are proposed to manage more generic disturbances. For the generalized prediction process, both the instantaneous and cumulative sum of each FIVs are normalized, and a suitable value is set as the critical limit to predict the fall over. To determine the best combination and the usefulness of multiple sensors, the prediction performance is evaluated on four different types of terrains, in three unique combinations: first, each feature individually with their respective FIVs; second, an intuitive performance based (PF); and finally, Kalman filter based (KF) techniques, which involve the usage of multiple features. For PF and KF techniques, prediction performance evaluations are carried out with and without adding noise. Overall, it is reported that KF performs better than PF and individual sensor features under different conditions. Also, the method\u2019s ability to predict fall overs during the robot\u2019s simple dynamic motion is also tested and verified through simulations. Experimental verification of the proposed prediction method on flat and uneven terrains was carried out with the WALK-MAN humanoid robot. Finally, in reference to the second sub-issue, i.e., the controlled fall, we propose two novel fall control techniques based on energy concepts, which can be applied online to mitigate the impact forces incurred during the falling over of humanoids. Both the techniques are inspired by the break-fall motions, in particular, Ukemi motion practiced by martial arts people. The first technique reduces the total energy using a nonlinear control tool, called energy shaping (ES) and further distributes the reduced energy over multiple contacts by means of energy distribution polygons (EDP). We also include an effective orientation control to safeguard the end-effectors in the event of ground impacts. The performance of the proposed method is numerically evaluated by dynamic simulations under the sudden falling over scenario of the humanoid robot for both lateral and sagittal falls. The effectiveness of the proposed ES and EDP concepts are verified by diverse comparative simulations regarding total energy, distribution, and impact forces. Following the first technique, we proposed another controller to generate an online rolling over motion based on the hypothesis that multi-contact motions can reduce the impact forces even further. To generate efficient rolling motion, critical parameters are defined by the insights drawn from a study on rolling, which are contact positions and attack angles. In addition, energy-injection velocity is proposed as an auxiliary rolling parameter to ensure sequential multiple contacts in rolling. An online rolling controller is synthesized to compute the optimal values of the rolling parameters. The first two parameters are to construct a polyhedron, by selecting suitable contacts around the humanoid\u2019s body. This polyhedron distributes the energy gradually across multiple contacts, thus called energy distribution polyhedron. The last parameter is to inject some additional energy into the system during the fall, to overcome energy drought and tip over successive contacts. The proposed controller, incorporated with energy injection, minimization, and distribution techniques result in a rolling like motion and significantly reduces the impact forces, and it is verified in numerical experiments with a segmented planar robot and a full humanoid model

Design of a Wearable Balance Control Indicator

Each year, one in three elderly fall. Studies show that many factors contribute to an elderly person\u27s risk of falling, but if the factors causing imbalance are improved, a person\u27s risk of falling may be reduced. A device that detects and alerts the user of an off-balance situation before the fall occurs could identify a specific need for improved balance control. This MQP describes the design, testing, and verification of a prototype wearable device that is worn on the right hip during the sit-to-stand activity (STS) to detect and notify the user of an unbalanced STS. By signaling an off-balance situation during STS, our device notifies the user of poor balance control and identifies the need for balance control improvement

Vehicle and Traffic Safety

The book is devoted to contemporary issues regarding the safety of motor vehicles and road traffic. It presents the achievements of scientists, specialists, and industry representatives in the following selected areas of road transport safety and automotive engineering: active and passive vehicle safety, vehicle dynamics and stability, testing of vehicles (and their assemblies), including electric cars as well as autonomous vehicles. Selected issues from the area of accident analysis and reconstruction are discussed. The impact on road safety of aspects such as traffic control systems, road infrastructure, and human factors is also considered

A review of abnormal behavior detection in activities of daily living

Abnormal behavior detection (ABD) systems are built to automatically identify and recognize abnormal behavior from various input data types, such as sensor-based and vision-based input. As much as the attention received for ABD systems, the number of studies on ABD in activities of daily living (ADL) is limited. Owing to the increasing rate of elderly accidents in the home compound, ABD in ADL research should be given as much attention to preventing accidents by sending out signals when abnormal behavior such as falling is detected. In this study, we compare and contrast the formation of the ABD system in ADL from input data types (sensor-based input and vision-based input) to modeling techniques (conventional and deep learning approaches). We scrutinize the public datasets available and provide solutions for one of the significant issues: the lack of datasets in ABD in ADL. This work aims to guide new research to understand the field of ABD in ADL better and serve as a reference for future study of better Ambient Assisted Living with the growing smart home trend

Autonomous Vehicles

This edited volume, Autonomous Vehicles, is a collection of reviewed and relevant research chapters, offering a comprehensive overview of recent developments in the field of vehicle autonomy. The book comprises nine chapters authored by various researchers and edited by an expert active in the field of study. All chapters are complete in itself but united under a common research study topic. This publication aims to provide a thorough overview of the latest research efforts by international authors, open new possible research paths for further novel developments, and to inspire the younger generations into pursuing relevant academic studies and professional careers within the autonomous vehicle field