9,892 research outputs found
Automation and robotics technology for intelligent mining systems
The U.S. Bureau of Mines is approaching the problems of accidents and efficiency in the mining industry through the application of automation and robotics to mining systems. This technology can increase safety by removing workers from hazardous areas of the mines or from performing hazardous tasks. The short-term goal of the Automation and Robotics program is to develop technology that can be implemented in the form of an autonomous mining machine using current continuous mining machine equipment. In the longer term, the goal is to conduct research that will lead to new intelligent mining systems that capitalize on the capabilities of robotics. The Bureau of Mines Automation and Robotics program has been structured to produce the technology required for the short- and long-term goals. The short-term goal of application of automation and robotics to an existing mining machine, resulting in autonomous operation, is expected to be accomplished within five years. Key technology elements required for an autonomous continuous mining machine are well underway and include machine navigation systems, coal-rock interface detectors, machine condition monitoring, and intelligent computer systems. The Bureau of Mines program is described, including status of key technology elements for an autonomous continuous mining machine, the program schedule, and future work. Although the program is directed toward underground mining, much of the technology being developed may have applications for space systems or mining on the Moon or other planets
An Empirical Evaluation of Deep Learning on Highway Driving
Numerous groups have applied a variety of deep learning techniques to
computer vision problems in highway perception scenarios. In this paper, we
presented a number of empirical evaluations of recent deep learning advances.
Computer vision, combined with deep learning, has the potential to bring about
a relatively inexpensive, robust solution to autonomous driving. To prepare
deep learning for industry uptake and practical applications, neural networks
will require large data sets that represent all possible driving environments
and scenarios. We collect a large data set of highway data and apply deep
learning and computer vision algorithms to problems such as car and lane
detection. We show how existing convolutional neural networks (CNNs) can be
used to perform lane and vehicle detection while running at frame rates
required for a real-time system. Our results lend credence to the hypothesis
that deep learning holds promise for autonomous driving.Comment: Added a video for lane detectio
Bioinspired engineering of exploration systems for NASA and DoD
A new approach called bioinspired engineering of exploration systems (BEES) and its value for solving pressing NASA and DoD needs are described. Insects (for example honeybees and dragonflies) cope remarkably well with their world, despite possessing a brain containing less than 0.01% as many neurons as the human brain. Although most insects have immobile eyes with fixed focus optics and lack stereo vision, they use a number of ingenious, computationally simple strategies for perceiving their world in three dimensions and navigating successfully within it. We are distilling selected insect-inspired strategies to obtain novel solutions for navigation, hazard avoidance, altitude hold, stable flight, terrain following, and gentle deployment of payload. Such functionality provides potential solutions for future autonomous robotic space and planetary explorers. A BEES approach to developing lightweight low-power autonomous flight systems should be useful for flight control of such biomorphic flyers for both NASA and DoD needs. Recent biological studies of mammalian retinas confirm that representations of multiple features of the visual world are systematically parsed and processed in parallel. Features are mapped to a stack of cellular strata within the retina. Each of these representations can be efficiently modeled in semiconductor cellular nonlinear network (CNN) chips. We describe recent breakthroughs in exploring the feasibility of the unique blending of insect strategies of navigation with mammalian visual search, pattern recognition, and image understanding into hybrid biomorphic flyers for future planetary and terrestrial applications. We describe a few future mission scenarios for Mars exploration, uniquely enabled by these newly developed biomorphic flyers
Distant Vehicle Detection Using Radar and Vision
For autonomous vehicles to be able to operate successfully they need to be
aware of other vehicles with sufficient time to make safe, stable plans. Given
the possible closing speeds between two vehicles, this necessitates the ability
to accurately detect distant vehicles. Many current image-based object
detectors using convolutional neural networks exhibit excellent performance on
existing datasets such as KITTI. However, the performance of these networks
falls when detecting small (distant) objects. We demonstrate that incorporating
radar data can boost performance in these difficult situations. We also
introduce an efficient automated method for training data generation using
cameras of different focal lengths
Bayesian approach to SETI
The search for technosignatures from hypothetical galactic civilizations is
going through a new phase of intense activity. For the first time, a
significant fraction of the vast search space is expected to be sampled in the
foreseeable future, potentially bringing informative data about the abundance
of detectable extraterrestrial civilizations, or the lack thereof. Starting
from the current state of ignorance about the galactic population of
non-natural electromagnetic signals, we formulate a Bayesian statistical model
to infer the mean number of radio signals crossing Earth, assuming either
non-detection or the detection of signals in future surveys of the Galaxy.
Under fairly noninformative priors, we find that not detecting signals within
about kly from Earth, while suggesting the lack of galactic emitters or at
best the scarcity thereof, is nonetheless still consistent with a probability
exceeding \% that typically over signals could be crossing
Earth, with radiated power analogous to that of the Arecibo radar, but coming
from farther in the Milky Way. The existence in the Galaxy of potentially
detectable Arecibo-like emitters can be reasonably ruled out only if all-sky
surveys detect no such signals up to a radius of about kly, an endeavor
requiring detector sensitivities thousands times higher than those of current
telescopes. Conversely, finding even one Arecibo-like signal within
light years, a possibility within reach of current detectors, implies almost
certainly that typically more than signals of comparable radiated
power cross the Earth, yet to be discovered.Comment: Published in PNAS ahead of print October 1, 2018. Preprint has 13
pages, 7 figures + 7 pages of Supplementary Information with 5 figure
The Fundamentals of Radar with Applications to Autonomous Vehicles
Radar systems can be extremely useful for applications in autonomous vehicles. This paper seeks to show how radar systems function and how they can apply to improve autonomous vehicles. First, the basics of radar systems are presented to introduce the basic terminology involved with radar. Then, the topic of phased arrays is presented because of their application to autonomous vehicles. The topic of digital signal processing is also discussed because of its importance for all modern radar systems. Finally, examples of radar systems based on the presented knowledge are discussed to illustrate the effectiveness of radar systems in autonomous vehicles
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