Low Cost Swarm Based Diligent Cargo Transit System

The goal of this paper is to present the design and development of a low cost cargo transit system which can be adapted in developing countries like India where there is abundant and cheap human labour which makes the process of automation in any industry a challenge to innovators. The need of the hour is an automation system that can diligently transfer cargo from one place to another and minimize human intervention in the cargo transit industry. Therefore, a solution is being proposed which could effectively bring down human labour and the resources needed to implement them. The reduction in human labour and resources is achieved by the use of low cost components and very limited modification of the surroundings and the existing vehicles themselves. The operation of the cargo transit system has been verified and the relevant results are presented. An economical and robust cargo transit system is designed and implemented.Comment: 6 pages, 9 figures, 1 block diagra

Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships: New Possibilities—and Challenges—in Ocean Law and Policy

Landmark developments in autonomous vessel technology have the potential to deliver economic, environmental, and security benefits on the world’s oceans. Tempering the promise of that future is the stark reality that maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS) challenge the existing international order of the seas. This article examines the promise and perils of MASS in three areas of enduring significance to commercial vessels, naval forces, and industry regulators: search and rescue (SAR), maritime counterdrug operations, and navigational safety. This article concludes that autonomous vessel technology will lead to a superior global regime for maritime SAR operations, enhanced detection and interdiction of maritime drug traffickers, and greater navigational safety. At the same time, it argues that embedded within each of these benefits are formidable challenges. Specifically, the duty to render assistance at sea has yet to be defined in the context of MASS operations, especially with regard to fully autonomous vessels. In the context of maritime drug trafficking, autonomous vessels will inure to the benefit of both law enforcement entities and the criminal enterprises they seek to interdict. Finally, while autonomous technologies may one day render ocean navigation a safer enterprise by reducing human error, it is not yet clear if and how existing instruments—which presuppose human crews—can be applied to MASS. These challenges are not insurmountable. However, their adequate resolution will require the same ingenuity and resolve that has brought us to the threshold of an autonomous future at sea

Considerations for Cross Domain / Mission Resource Allocation and Replanning

NPS NRP Technical ReportNaval platforms are inherently multi-mission - they execute a variety of missions simultaneously. Ships, submarines, and aircraft support multiple missions across domains, such as integrated air and missile defense, ballistic missile defense, anti-submarine warfare, strike operations, naval fires in support of ground operations, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Scheduling and position of these multi-mission platforms is problematic since one warfare area commander desires one position and schedule, while another may have a completely different approach. Commanders struggle to decide and adjudicate these conflicts, because there is plenty of uncertainty about the enemy and the environment. This project will explore emerging innovative data analytic technologies to optimize naval resource allocation and replanning across mission domains. NPS proposes a study that will evaluate the following three solution concepts for this application: (1) game theory, (2) machine learning, and (3) wargaming. The study will first identify a set of operational scenarios that involve distributed and diverse naval platforms and resources and a threat situation that requires multiple concurrent missions in multiple domains. The NPS team will use these scenarios to evaluate the three solution concepts and their applicability to supporting resource allocation and replanning. This project will provide valuable insights into innovative data analytic solution concepts to tackle the Navy's challenge of conducing multiple missions with cross-domain resources.N2/N6 - Information WarfareThis research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrpChief of Naval Operations (CNO)Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

DRONE DELIVERY OF CBNRECy – DEW WEAPONS Emerging Threats of Mini-Weapons of Mass Destruction and Disruption (WMDD)

Drone Delivery of CBNRECy – DEW Weapons: Emerging Threats of Mini-Weapons of Mass Destruction and Disruption (WMDD) is our sixth textbook in a series covering the world of UASs and UUVs. Our textbook takes on a whole new purview for UAS / CUAS/ UUV (drones) – how they can be used to deploy Weapons of Mass Destruction and Deception against CBRNE and civilian targets of opportunity. We are concerned with the future use of these inexpensive devices and their availability to maleficent actors. Our work suggests that UASs in air and underwater UUVs will be the future of military and civilian terrorist operations. UAS / UUVs can deliver a huge punch for a low investment and minimize human casualties.https://newprairiepress.org/ebooks/1046/thumbnail.jp

Using MapReduce Streaming for Distributed Life Simulation on the Cloud

Distributed software simulations are indispensable in the study of large-scale life models but often require the use of technically complex lower-level distributed computing frameworks, such as MPI. We propose to overcome the complexity challenge by applying the emerging MapReduce (MR) model to distributed life simulations and by running such simulations on the cloud. Technically, we design optimized MR streaming algorithms for discrete and continuous versions of Conway’s life according to a general MR streaming pattern. We chose life because it is simple enough as a testbed for MR’s applicability to a-life simulations and general enough to make our results applicable to various lattice-based a-life models. We implement and empirically evaluate our algorithms’ performance on Amazon’s Elastic MR cloud. Our experiments demonstrate that a single MR optimization technique called strip partitioning can reduce the execution time of continuous life simulations by 64%. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to propose and evaluate MR streaming algorithms for lattice-based simulations. Our algorithms can serve as prototypes in the development of novel MR simulation algorithms for large-scale lattice-based a-life models.https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/scs_books/1014/thumbnail.jp

Standardization Roadmap for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Version 2.0

This Standardization Roadmap for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Version 2.0 (“roadmap”) is an update to version 1.0 of this document published in December 2018. It identifies existing standards and standards in development, assesses gaps, and makes recommendations for priority areas where there is a perceived need for additional standardization and/or pre-standardization R&D. The roadmap has examined 78 issue areas, identified a total of 71 open gaps and corresponding recommendations across the topical areas of airworthiness; flight operations (both general concerns and application-specific ones including critical infrastructure inspections, commercial services, and public safety operations); and personnel training, qualifications, and certification. Of that total, 47 gaps/recommendations have been identified as high priority, 21 as medium priority, and 3 as low priority. A “gap” means no published standard or specification exists that covers the particular issue in question. In 53 cases, additional R&D is needed. As with the earlier version of this document, the hope is that the roadmap will be broadly adopted by the standards community and that it will facilitate a more coherent and coordinated approach to the future development of standards for UAS. To that end, it is envisioned that the roadmap will continue to be promoted in the coming year. It is also envisioned that a mechanism may be established to assess progress on its implementation

Sustainable Mobility and Transport

This Special Issue is dedicated to sustainable mobility and transport, with a special focus on technological advancements. Global transport systems are significant sources of air, land, and water emissions. A key motivator for this Special Issue was the diversity and complexity of mitigating transport emissions and industry adaptions towards increasingly stricter regulation. Originally, the Special Issue called for papers devoted to all forms of mobility and transports. The papers published in this Special Issue cover a wide range of topics, aiming to increase understanding of the impacts and effects of mobility and transport in working towards sustainability, where most studies place technological innovations at the heart of the matter. The goal of the Special Issue is to present research that focuses, on the one hand, on the challenges and obstacles on a system-level decision making of clean mobility, and on the other, on indirect effects caused by these changes

ICWIM8 - 8th Conference on Weigh-in-Motion - Book of proceedings

ICWIM8, 8th International Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, PRAGUE, TCHÈQUE, RÉPUBLIQUE, 20-/05/2019 - 24/05/2019The conference addresses the broad range of topics related to on-road and in-vehicle WIM technology, its research, installation and operation and use of mass data across variable end-uses. Innovative technologies and experiences of WIM system implementation are presented. Application of WIM data to infrastructure, mainly bridges and pavements, is among the main topics. However, the most demanding application is now WIM for enforcement, and the greatest challenge is WIM for direct enforcement. Most of the countries and road authorities should ensure a full compliance of heavy vehicle weights and dimensions with the current regulations. Another challenging objective is to extend the lifetimes of existing road assets, despite of increasing heavy vehicle loads and flow, and without compromising with the structural safety. Fair competition and road charging also require accurately monitoring commercial vehicle weights by WIM. WIM contributes to a global ITS (Intelligent Transport System) providing useful data on heavy good vehicles to implement Performance Based Standards (PBS) and Intelligent Access Programme (IAP, Australia) or Smart Infrastructure Access Programme (SIAP). The conference reports the latest research and developments since the last conference in 2016, from all around the World. More than 150 delegates from 33 countries and all continents are attending ICWIM8, mixing academics, end users, decision makers and WIM vendors. An industrial exhibition is organized jointly with the conference

Electron Thermal Runaway in Atmospheric Electrified Gases: a microscopic approach

Thesis elaborated from 2018 to 2023 at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía under the supervision of Alejandro Luque (Granada, Spain) and Nikolai Lehtinen (Bergen, Norway). This thesis presents a new database of atmospheric electron-molecule collision cross sections which was published separately under the DOI : With this new database and a new super-electron management algorithm which significantly enhances high-energy electron statistics at previously unresolved ratios, the thesis explores general facets of the electron thermal runaway process relevant to atmospheric discharges under various conditions of the temperature and gas composition as can be encountered in the wake and formation of discharge channels