21 research outputs found
MRS Drone: A Modular Platform for Real-World Deployment of Aerial Multi-Robot Systems
This paper presents a modular autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)
platform called the Multi-robot Systems (MRS) Drone that can be used in a large
range of indoor and outdoor applications. The MRS Drone features unique
modularity with respect to changes in actuators, frames, and sensory
configuration. As the name suggests, the platform is specially tailored for
deployment within a MRS group. The MRS Drone contributes to the
state-of-the-art of UAV platforms by allowing smooth real-world deployment of
multiple aerial robots, as well as by outperforming other platforms with its
modularity. For real-world multi-robot deployment in various applications, the
platform is easy to both assemble and modify. Moreover, it is accompanied by a
realistic simulator to enable safe pre-flight testing and a smooth transition
to complex real-world experiments. In this manuscript, we present mechanical
and electrical designs, software architecture, and technical specifications to
build a fully autonomous multi UAV system. Finally, we demonstrate the full
capabilities and the unique modularity of the MRS Drone in various real-world
applications that required a diverse range of platform configurations.Comment: 49 pages, 39 figures, accepted for publication to the Journal of
Intelligent & Robotic System
3D-in-2D Displays for ATC.
This paper reports on the efforts and accomplishments
of the 3D-in-2D Displays for ATC project at the end of Year 1.
We describe the invention of 10 novel 3D/2D visualisations that
were mostly implemented in the Augmented Reality ARToolkit.
These prototype implementations of visualisation and interaction
elements can be viewed on the accompanying video. We have
identified six candidate design concepts which we will further
research and develop. These designs correspond with the early
feasibility studies stage of maturity as defined by the NASA
Technology Readiness Level framework. We developed the
Combination Display Framework from a review of the literature,
and used it for analysing display designs in terms of display
technique used and how they are combined. The insights we
gained from this framework then guided our inventions and the
human-centered innovation process we use to iteratively invent.
Our designs are based on an understanding of user work
practices. We also developed a simple ATC simulator that we
used for rapid experimentation and evaluation of design ideas.
We expect that if this project continues, the effort in Year 2 and 3
will be focus on maturing the concepts and employment in a
operational laboratory settings
Enabling technologies and cyber-physical systems for mission-critical scenarios
Programa Oficial de Doutoramento en TecnoloxÃas da Información e Comunicacións en Redes Móbiles . 5029P01[Abstract]
Reliable transport systems, defense, public safety and quality assurance in the Industry 4.0 are essential in a modern society. In a mission-critical scenario, a mission failure would jeopardize human lives and put at risk some other assets whose impairment or loss would significantly harm society or business results. Even small degradations of the communications supporting the mission could have large and possibly dire consequences.
On the one hand, mission-critical organizations wish to utilize the most modern, disruptive and innovative communication systems and technologies, and yet, on the other hand, need to comply with strict requirements, which are very different to those of non critical scenarios. The aim of this thesis is to assess the feasibility of applying emerging technologies like Internet of Things (IoT), Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) and 4G broadband communications in mission-critical scenarios along three key critical infrastructure sectors: transportation, defense and public safety, and shipbuilding.
Regarding the transport sector, this thesis provides an understanding of the progress of communications technologies used for railways since the implantation of Global System for Mobile communications-Railways (GSM-R). The aim of this work is to envision the potential contribution of Long Term Evolution (LTE) to provide additional features that GSM-R would never support. Furthermore, the ability of Industrial IoT for revolutionizing the railway industry and confront today's challenges is presented. Moreover, a detailed review of the most common flaws found in Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) based IoT systems is presented, including the latest attacks described in the literature. As a result, a novel methodology for auditing security and reverse engineering RFID communications in transport applications is introduced.
The second sector selected is driven by new operational needs and the challenges that arise from modern military deployments. The strategic advantages of 4G broadband technologies massively deployed in civil scenarios are examined. Furthermore, this thesis analyzes the great potential for applying IoT technologies to revolutionize modern warfare and provide benefits similar to those in industry. It identifies scenarios where defense and public safety could leverage better commercial IoT capabilities to deliver greater survivability to the warfighter or first responders, while reducing costs and increasing operation efficiency and effectiveness.
The last part is devoted to the shipbuilding industry. After defining the novel concept of Shipyard 4.0, how a shipyard pipe workshop works and what are the requirements for building a smart pipe system are described in detail. Furthermore, the foundations for enabling an affordable CPS for Shipyards 4.0 are presented. The CPS proposed consists of a network of beacons that continuously collect information about the location of the pipes. Its design allows shipyards to obtain more information on the pipes and to make better use of it. Moreover, it is indicated how to build a positioning system from scratch in an environment as harsh in terms of communications as a shipyard, showing an example of its architecture and implementation.[Resumen]
En la sociedad moderna, los sistemas de transporte fiables, la defensa, la seguridad pública y el control de la calidad en la Industria 4.0 son esenciales. En un escenario de misión crÃtica, el fracaso de una misión pone en peligro vidas humanas y en riesgo otros activos cuyo deterioro o pérdida perjudicarÃa significativamente a la sociedad o a los resultados de una empresa. Incluso pequeñas degradaciones en las comunicaciones que apoyan la misión podrÃan tener importantes y posiblemente terribles consecuencias.
Por un lado, las organizaciones de misión crÃtica desean utilizar los sistemas y tecnologÃas de comunicación más modernos, disruptivos e innovadores y, sin embargo, deben cumplir requisitos estrictos que son muy diferentes a los relativos a escenarios no crÃticos. El objetivo principal de esta tesis es evaluar la viabilidad de aplicar tecnologÃas emergentes como Internet of Things (IoT), Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) y comunicaciones de banda ancha 4G en escenarios de misión crÃtica en tres sectores clave de infraestructura crÃtica: transporte, defensa y seguridad pública, y construcción naval.
Respecto al sector del transporte, esta tesis permite comprender el progreso de las tecnologÃas de comunicación en el ámbito ferroviario desde la implantación de Global System for Mobile communications-Railway (GSM-R). El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la contribución potencial de Long Term Evolution (LTE) para proporcionar caracterÃsticas adicionales que GSM-R nunca podrÃa soportar. Además, se presenta la capacidad de la IoT industrial para revolucionar la industria ferroviaria y afrontar los retos actuales. Asimismo, se estudian con detalle las vulnerabilidades más comunes de los sistemas IoT basados en Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID), incluyendo los últimos ataques descritos en la literatura. Como resultado, se presenta una metodologÃa innovadora para realizar auditorÃas de seguridad e ingenierÃa inversa de las comunicaciones RFID en aplicaciones de transporte.
El segundo sector elegido viene impulsado por las nuevas necesidades operacionales y los desafÃos que surgen de los despliegues militares modernos. Para afrontarlos, se analizan las ventajas estratégicas de las tecnologÃas de banda ancha 4G masivamente desplegadas en escenarios civiles. Asimismo, esta tesis analiza el gran potencial de aplicación de las tecnologÃas IoT para revolucionar la guerra moderna y proporcionar beneficios similares a los alcanzados por la industria. Se identifican escenarios en los que la defensa y la seguridad pública podrÃan aprovechar mejor las capacidades comerciales de IoT para ofrecer una mayor capacidad de supervivencia al combatiente o a los servicios de emergencias, a la vez que reduce los costes y aumenta la eficiencia y efectividad de las operaciones.
La última parte se dedica a la industria de construcción naval. Después de definir el novedoso concepto de Astillero 4.0, se describe en detalle cómo funciona el taller de tuberÃa de astillero y cuáles son los requisitos para construir un sistema de tuberÃas inteligentes. Además, se presentan los fundamentos para posibilitar un CPS asequible para Astilleros 4.0. El CPS propuesto consiste en una red de balizas que continuamente recogen información sobre la ubicación de las tuberÃas. Su diseño permite a los astilleros obtener más información sobre las tuberÃas y hacer un mejor uso de las mismas. Asimismo, se indica cómo construir un sistema de posicionamiento desde cero en un entorno tan hostil en términos de comunicaciones, mostrando un ejemplo de su arquitectura e implementación
Cinematographic approaches towards the eco-sublime landscape – A practice-led enquiry
This thesis investigates visual representations of the evolving nature of sublime landscapes through the practice of digital cinematography. The enquiry is contextualised through discussion of philosophical understandings of the sublime – Longinus, Edmund Burke, Immanuel Kant – and analysis of historical visual representations of sublime landscapes, from painting (J.M.W. Turner, Caspar David Friedrich), photography (Edward Burtynsky, Chris Burkard) and cinematography (Andrei Tarkovsky, Werner Herzog, Emmanuel Lubezki). The thesis is specifically concerned with the temporal and physical dimensions that cinematography brings to the study of sublime landscapes.The enquiry is based on detailed autoethnographic field-notes made during filming in various locations, principally Dartmoor and the Arctic. They make explicit the tacit or embodied knowledge drawn from my cinematographic practice by exploring the technological and practical aspects concerning how sublime landscapes might be captured (including the use of drones and camera stabilization) and my own emotional experiences of these landscapes, drawing on a turn towards affect. The understanding gained from my cinematographic practice is explored through the construction of two essay films, whose blend of words and images offer the most appropriate way to represent the insights gained, and in the thesis artefact, the film-poem A Short Film About Ice. These practice elements contain the central argument of the thesis and its contribution to knowledge: that the global threat posed by anthropogenic climate change is now so pervasive that the contemporary sublime landscape must be reconceptualised as an eco-sublime landscape, representable most affectively through cinematography. Moreover, there is no affective distance, temporally or physically, between the eco-sublime moment and the representation of that moment.The enquiry concludes that humans can no longer afford to think of ourselves as separate from landscapes and the nature they represent. This recognition, the thesis argues, must be reflected in how the eco-sublime is now visualised, which needs to encompass our interconnectivity with the natural world and a heightened sense of responsibility towards it