Synthesis and final recommendations on the development of a European Information System for Organic Markets. = Deliverable D6 of the European Project EISfOM QLK5-2002-02400

Executive summary European markets for organic products are growing rapidly, but the market information available in most European countries is woefully inadequate. Often only very basic data such as certified organic holdings and land area are reported, and sometimes not even individual crop areas or livestock numbers. Important market data, such as the amount of production, consumption, international trade or producer and consumer prices, do not exist in most European countries. In some European countries there are only rough estimates of the levels of production and consumption. There is no standardisation and data are seldom comparable. Furthermore, detailed information on specific commodities is missing. Hence, investment decisions are taken under conditions of great uncertainty. Policy evaluation, including periodic monitoring of the European Action Plan for Organic Food and Farming and RDP 2007-2013, will require many other data in addition to those regarding production structures and financial data that are already available, but obtaining this information would require a new EU-wide data collection and processing system (DCPS) to be put in place. The European Information System for Organic Markets (EISfOM) project is an EUfunded Concerted Action which has analysed and documented the current situation and proposed ways in which organic data collection and processing systems (DCPS) can be improved by means of: • improvement in the current situation of data collecting and processing systems for the organic sector • innovation in data collection and processing systems for the organic sector • integration of conventional and organic data collection and processing systems This report summarises the most relevant findings of the EISfOM project, which are analysed in the main project reports: Wolfert, S., Kramer, K. J., Richter, T., Hempfling, G., Lux. S. and Recke, G. (eds.) (2004). Review of data collection and processing systems for organic and conventional markets. EISfOM (QLK5-2002-02400) project deliverable submitted to European Commission. www.eisfom.org/publications. Recke, G., Hamm, U., Lampkin, N., Zanoli, R., Vitulano, S. and Olmos, S. (eds.) (2004a) Report on proposals for the development, harmonisation and quality assurance of organic data collection and processing systems (DCPS). EISfOM (QLK5-2002-02400) project deliverable submitted to European Commission. www.eisfom.org/publications. Recke, G., Willer, H., Lampkin, N. and Vaughan, A. (eds.) (2004b). Development of a European Information System for Organic Markets – Improving the Scope and Quality of Statistical Data. Proceedings of the 1st EISfOM European Seminar, Berlin, Germany, 26-27 April, 2004. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland. www.eisfom.org/publications. Gleirscher, N., Schermer, M., Wroblewska, M. and Zakowska-Biemans, S. (2005) Report on the evaluation of the pilot case studies. EISfOM (QLK5-2002-02400) project deliverable submitted to European Commission. www.eisfom.org/publications. QLK5-2002-02400 European Information System for Organic Markets (EISfOM) D6 final report Rippin, M. and Lampkin, N. (eds.) (2005) Framework for a European Information System for Organic Markets. Unpublished report of the project European Information System for Organic Markets (EISfOM) (QLK5-2002-02400). Rippin, M., Willer, H., Lampkin, N., and Vaughan A. (2006). Towards a European Framework for Organic Market information, Proceedings of the 2nd EISfOM European Seminar, Brussels, November 10 and 11, 2005. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland. www.eisfom.org/publications

Nonlinear Model Predictive Control for Motion Generation of Humanoids

Das Ziel dieser Arbeit ist die Untersuchung und Entwicklung numerischer Methoden zur Bewegungserzeugung von humanoiden Robotern basierend auf nichtlinearer modell-prädiktiver Regelung. Ausgehend von der Modellierung der Humanoiden als komplexe Mehrkörpermodelle, die sowohl durch unilaterale Kontaktbedingungen beschränkt als auch durch die Formulierung unteraktuiert sind, wird die Bewegungserzeugung als Optimalsteuerungsproblem formuliert. In dieser Arbeit werden numerische Erweiterungen basierend auf den Prinzipien der Automatischen Differentiation für rekursive Algorithmen, die eine effiziente Auswertung der dynamischen Größen der oben genannten Mehrkörperformulierung erlauben, hergeleitet, sodass sowohl die nominellen Größen als auch deren ersten Ableitungen effizient ausgewertet werden können. Basierend auf diesen Ideen werden Erweiterungen für die Auswertung der Kontaktdynamik und der Berechnung des Kontaktimpulses vorgeschlagen. Die Echtzeitfähigkeit der Berechnung von Regelantworten hängt stark von der Komplexität der für die Bewegungerzeugung gewählten Mehrkörperformulierung und der zur Verfügung stehenden Rechenleistung ab. Um einen optimalen Trade-Off zu ermöglichen, untersucht diese Arbeit einerseits die mögliche Reduktion der Mehrkörperdynamik und andererseits werden maßgeschneiderte numerische Methoden entwickelt, um die Echtzeitfähigkeit der Regelung zu realisieren. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit werden hierfür zwei reduzierte Modelle hergeleitet: eine nichtlineare Erweiterung des linearen inversen Pendelmodells sowie eine reduzierte Modellvariante basierend auf der centroidalen Mehrkörperdynamik. Ferner wird ein Regelaufbau zur GanzkörperBewegungserzeugung vorgestellt, deren Hauptbestandteil jeweils aus einem speziell diskretisierten Problem der nichtlinearen modell-prädiktiven Regelung sowie einer maßgeschneiderter Optimierungsmethode besteht. Die Echtzeitfähigkeit des Ansatzes wird durch Experimente mit den Robotern HRP-2 und HeiCub verifiziert. Diese Arbeit schlägt eine Methode der nichtlinear modell-prädiktiven Regelung vor, die trotz der Komplexität der vollen Mehrkörperformulierung eine Berechnung der Regelungsantwort in Echtzeit ermöglicht. Dies wird durch die geschickte Kombination von linearer und nichtlinearer modell-prädiktiver Regelung auf der aktuellen beziehungsweise der letzten Linearisierung des Problems in einer parallelen Regelstrategie realisiert. Experimente mit dem humanoiden Roboter Leo zeigen, dass, im Vergleich zur nominellen Strategie, erst durch den Einsatz dieser Methode eine Bewegungserzeugung auf dem Roboter möglich ist. Neben Methoden der modell-basierten Optimalsteuerung werden auch modell-freie Methoden des verstärkenden Lernens (Reinforcement Learning) für die Bewegungserzeugung untersucht, mit dem Fokus auf den schwierig zu modellierenden Modellunsicherheiten der Roboter. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit werden eine allgemeine vergleichende Studie sowie Leistungskennzahlen entwickelt, die es erlauben, modell-basierte und -freie Methoden quantitativ bezüglich ihres Lösungsverhaltens zu vergleichen. Die Anwendung der Studie auf ein akademisches Beispiel zeigt Unterschiede und Kompromisse sowie Break-Even-Punkte zwischen den Problemformulierungen. Diese Arbeit schlägt basierend auf dieser Grundlage zwei mögliche Kombinationen vor, deren Eigenschaften bewiesen und in Simulation untersucht werden. Außerdem wird die besser abschneidende Variante auf dem humanoiden Roboter Leo implementiert und mit einem nominellen modell-basierten Regler verglichen

Towards a European Framework for Organic Market Information. Proceedings of the Second EISfOM European Seminar, Brussels, November 10 & 11, 2005

The project European Information System for Organic Markets (EISfOM) is a concerted action funded by the European Commission under key action 5 (Quality of Life) of the 5th Framework Research and Technological Development Programme (QLK5 2002-02400). The main aim of the project is to develop a framework for the collection and processing of data on organic production and markets. At the second EISfOM seminar, which took place in November 2005 in Brussels, a draft framework for a European Information System for Organic Markets was discussed and defined. The proceedings of the seminar provide the papers presented, covering farm production, farm financial data, prices, consumers/consumption and supply balances/international trade. Detailed project information is available at www.eisfom.org Table of Contents Foreword Towards a European Framework for Organic Market Information - Welcome and Opening Speech Nikiforos Sivenas European Action Plan for Organic Food and Farming - DG Agriculture Initiatives under Action Point 3 Eric Willems Eurostat Initiatives on Organic Food and Farming Statistics Lourdes LLorens Abando European Case Studies on Information Systems for Organic Markets – Results and Recommendations Norbert Gleirscher Towards a Framework for European Organic Market Information - the EISfOM Vision and Summary of Recommendations Nicolas Lampkin and Markus Rippin The EISFOM Proposals Klaas Jan Kramer, Markus Rippin, Helga Willer The EISfOM Proposal for Production: Ministry User Response Nathalie Rison Alabert Comment on the EISfOM Proposal Farm Production: Certifyer Response Michaela Coli Administrative and Statistical Data Collection System for Organic Farming in Poland – Recommendations for Improvement Marta Wróblewska and Sylwia Zakowska-Biemans The EISfOM Framework for Harmonising Organic Farm Production Data – Do the Proposals Work for us? Phil Stocker Eurostat and ZMP Codes and Classification systems– Different Approaches and Ways to Harmonisation Markus Rippin and Diana Schaack 55 Estimating Supply and Demand in Scotland’s Organic Sector: The SAC Organic Market Link Project Caroline Bayliss From Agricultural Census Data towards Harmonised Organic Production Data Arthur I.M. Denneman Information System for Organic Markets in Lithuania V. Rutkovienė, G. Abraitytė, A. Savilionis, E. Čijauska Characteristics of the organic data flow in Flanders: AMS: a key actor in Flanders for monitoring, reporting and analysis of organic data Vincent Samborski, Koen Carels, Dirk Van Gijseghem The Organic Market in Croatia Sonja Karoglan Todorovic and Darko Znaor Farm Level Production Data in Latvia’s Organic Farms Livija Zarina EISfOM Recommendations Concerning Farm Financial Data Nicolas Lampkin ‘Organic’ Sampling and Weighting in Farm Accountancy Data Networks – A Discussion Note on Standard Gross Margins and Calibration Beat Meier Sampling of Organic Farms in the Dutch FADN: Lessons Learned Hans C.J. Vrolijk The Ministry Perspective of FADN Rainer Meyer The FADN and the Analysis of Organic Farming: the Italian Perspective Paola Doria and Alfonso Scardera, Berater-Praxis-Netzwerk (BPN) – the Consultant-Producer-Network Rainer Löser The Use of a Benchmark Tool Based on FADN for the Management of Organic Dairy Farms Alfons Beldman, Wil Hennen and Gerben Doornewaard Organic Farming in FADNs – Comparison Issues and Analysis Frank Offermann and Nicolas Lampkin Data Requirements for the Modelling of the Economic Potential for Conversion to Organic Farming Eva Kerselaers, Lieve De Cock and Ludwig Lauwers Osservatorio Prezzi Bio: A Model of Analysis of Price Trends on the Organic Food Markets Francesco Giardina and Benedetta Torani Defining an EU-Reference System for Price Collection and Processing for Organic Products Markus Rippin Experiences of organic consumer-producer cooperatives in Andalusia (Spain): composition of the prices Itziar Aguirre Experiences of Collecting Direct Sales Data in the UK Natalie Geen and Chris Firth Experiences of a Price Exchange Group for UK Organic Vegetable Growers 134 Natalie Geen and Chris Firth Approaches to Improving the Availability of European Organic Consumption and Retail Data – Methodological and Economic Issues Toralf Richter Results of an International Workshop on European Consumer and Retailer Panel Data for Organic Products in Bonn Paul Michels Biological Agriculture in the Netherlands: Working Towards Five Percent Organic Johan Bakker Consumption of Organic Food in Spain Carmen Fuentes Bol Consumer and Retail Panel Data for Organic Foods: the German ‘Puzzle Approach’ 156 Barbara Bien European Consumer Panel Reporting of Organics Elizabeth May Information on Trade in Organic Products – The International Agency Point of View Alexander Kasterine The Need for Data from the Viewpoint of Policy Makers Peter Crofts Need for Data from the Viewpoint of Policy Makers: A Third Country Perspective 168 Juan Carlos Ramírez and Nora Liliana Puppi Organic Trade Association Perspective A Questionnaire for Scientists and Statisticians Conrad Thimm Stakeholder Perspectives on Organic Food Supply Balances and International Trade Data Alexander Gerber Market Supply Balances and International Trade Data for Organic Goods: the viewpoint of the stakeholders Victor Gonzálvez Data for Supply Balances and International Trade – Possibilities to Build up Data Collecting and Processing Systems Guido Recke and Ulrich Hamm Compiling Supply Balance Sheets Francis Weiler International Trade in Organic Products from the Perspective of a National Statistical Office Poul Henning Larsen Institutional structures for EISfOM Markus Rippin, Nicolas Lampkin and Raffaele Zanoli Building European Knowledge: Towards the Seventh Framework Programme 2007-2013 Danielle Tissot Conclusions of the 2nd EISfOM European Seminar Nicolas Lampki

Project Pele: Humanoid Robotic Programming - A Study in Artificial Intelligence

In the ever changing world of technology, the humanoid robot has been a constant member of science fiction culture. Our project goal was to develop a humanoid robot capable of independently displaying effective soccer skills. We divided the tasks into two teams; one designed a ball kicking robot program while the other designed a path tracking robot program. After each group completed their four major objectives, we had created a superior program than its predecessors. Using our optimized code as a foundation, another group can further develop these robot programs to demonstrate even more humanlike soccer skills

A Robot Operating System (ROS) based humanoid robot control

This thesis presents adapting techniques required to enhance the capability of a commercially available robot, namely, Robotis Bioloid Premium Humanoid Robot (BPHR). BeagleBone Black (BBB), the decision-making and implementing (intelligence providing) component, with multifunctional capabilities is used in this research. Robot operating System (ROS) and its libraries, as well as Python Script and its libraries have been developed and incorporated into the BBB. This fortified BBB intelligence providing component is then transplanted into the structure of the Robotis Bioloid humanoid robot, after removing the latter’s original decision-making and implementing component (controller). Thus, this study revitalizes the Bioloid humanoid robot by converting it into a humanoid robot with multiple features that can be inherited using ROS. This is a first of its kind approach wherein ROS is used as the development framework in conjunction with the main BBB controller and the software impregnated with Python libraries is used to integrate robotic functions. A full ROS computation is developed and a high level Application Programming Interface (API) usable by software utilizing ROS services is also developed. In this revised two-legged-humanoid robot, USB2Dynamixel connector is used to operate the Dynamixel AX-12A actuators through the Wi-Fi interface of the fortified BBB. An accelerometer sensor supports balancing of the robot, and updates data to the BBB periodically. An Infrared (IR) sensor is used to detect obstacles. This dynamic model is used to actuate the motors mounted on the robot leg thereby resulting in a swing-stance period of the legs for a stable forward movement of the robot. The maximum walking speed of the robot is 0.5 feet/second, beyond this limit the robot becomes unstable. The angle at which the robot leans is governed by the feedback from the accelerometer sensor, which is 20 degrees. If the robot tilts beyond a specific degree, then it would come back to its standstill position and stop further movement. When the robot moves forward, the IR sensors sense obstacles in front of the robot. If an obstacle is detected within 35 cm, then the robot stops moving further. Implementation of ROS on top of the BBB (by replacing CM530 controller with the BBB) and using feedback controls from the accelerometer and IR sensor to control the two-legged robotic movement are the novelties of this work

Project Pele: Humanoid Robotic Programming A Study in Artificial Intelligence

In the ever changing world of technology, the humanoid robot has been a constant member of science fiction culture. Our project goal was to develop a humanoid robot capable of independently displaying effective soccer skills. We divided the tasks into two teams; one designed a ball kicking robot program while the other designed a path tracking robot program. After each group completed their four major objectives, we had created a superior program than its predecessors. Using our optimized code as a foundation, another group can further develop these robot programs to demonstrate even more humanlike soccer skills