15,920 research outputs found
Towards Odor-Sensitive Mobile Robots
J. Monroy, J. Gonzalez-Jimenez, "Towards Odor-Sensitive Mobile Robots", Electronic Nose Technologies and Advances in Machine Olfaction, IGI Global, pp. 244--263, 2018, doi:10.4018/978-1-5225-3862-2.ch012
Versión preprint, con permiso del editorOut of all the components of a mobile robot, its sensorial system is undoubtedly among the most critical
ones when operating in real environments. Until now, these sensorial systems mostly relied on range
sensors (laser scanner, sonar, active triangulation) and cameras. While electronic noses have barely
been employed, they can provide a complementary sensory information, vital for some applications, as
with humans. This chapter analyzes the motivation of providing a robot with gas-sensing capabilities
and also reviews some of the hurdles that are preventing smell from achieving the importance of other
sensing modalities in robotics. The achievements made so far are reviewed to illustrate the current status
on the three main fields within robotics olfaction: the classification of volatile substances, the spatial
estimation of the gas dispersion from sparse measurements, and the localization of the gas source within
a known environment
Proof of concept of a workflow methodology for the creation of basic canine head anatomy veterinary education tool using augmented reality
Neuroanatomy can be challenging to both teach and learn within the undergraduate veterinary medicine and surgery curriculum. Traditional techniques have been used for many years, but there has now been a progression to move towards alternative digital models and interactive 3D models to engage the learner. However, digital innovations in the curriculum have typically involved the medical curriculum rather than the veterinary curriculum. Therefore, we aimed to create a simple workflow methodology to highlight the simplicity there is in creating a mobile augmented reality application of basic canine head anatomy. Using canine CT and MRI scans and widely available software programs, we demonstrate how to create an interactive model of head anatomy. This was applied to augmented reality for a popular Android mobile device to demonstrate the user-friendly interface. Here we present the processes, challenges and resolutions for the creation of a highly accurate, data based anatomical model that could potentially be used in the veterinary curriculum. This proof of concept study provides an excellent framework for the creation of augmented reality training products for veterinary education. The lack of similar resources within this field provides the ideal platform to extend this into other areas of veterinary education and beyond
Energy-Efficient UAV Communications in the Presence of Wind: 3D Modeling and Trajectory Design
The rapid development of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology provides
flexible communication services to terrestrial nodes. Energy efficiency is
crucial to the deployment of UAVs, especially rotary-wing UAVs whose propulsion
power is sensitive to the wind effect. In this paper, we first derive a
three-dimensional (3D) generalised propulsion energy consumption model (GPECM)
for rotary-wing UAVs under the consideration of stochastic wind modeling and 3D
force analysis. Based on the GPECM, we study a UAV-enabled downlink
communication system, where a rotary-wing UAV flies subject to stochastic wind
disturbance and provides communication services for ground users (GUs). We aim
to maximize the energy efficiency (EE) of the UAV by jointly optimizing the 3D
trajectory and user scheduling among the GUs based on the GPECM. We formulate
the problem as stochastic optimization, which is difficult to solve due to the
lack of real-time wind information. To address this issue, we propose an
offline-based online adaptive (OBOA) design with two phases, namely, an offline
phase and an online phase. In the offline phase, we average the wind effect on
the UAV by leveraging stochastic programming (SP) based on wind statistics;
then, in the online phase, we further optimize the instantaneous velocity to
adapt the real-time wind. Simulation results show that the optimized
trajectories of the UAV in both two phases can better adapt to the wind in
changing speed and direction, and achieves a higher EE compared with the
windless scheme. In particular, our proposed OBOA design can be applied in the
scenario with dramatic wind changes, and makes the UAV adjust its velocity
dynamically to achieve a better performance in terms of EE.Comment: 31 pages, 13 figure
An Octree-Based Approach towards Efficient Variational Range Data Fusion
Volume-based reconstruction is usually expensive both in terms of memory
consumption and runtime. Especially for sparse geometric structures, volumetric
representations produce a huge computational overhead. We present an efficient
way to fuse range data via a variational Octree-based minimization approach by
taking the actual range data geometry into account. We transform the data into
Octree-based truncated signed distance fields and show how the optimization can
be conducted on the newly created structures. The main challenge is to uphold
speed and a low memory footprint without sacrificing the solutions' accuracy
during optimization. We explain how to dynamically adjust the optimizer's
geometric structure via joining/splitting of Octree nodes and how to define the
operators. We evaluate on various datasets and outline the suitability in terms
of performance and geometric accuracy.Comment: BMVC 201
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Densely distributed and real-time scour hole monitoring using piezoelectric rod sensors
This study aims to validate a piezoelectric driven-rod scour monitoring system that can sense changes in scour depth along the entire rod at its instrumented location. The proposed sensor is a polymeric slender rod with a thin strip of polyvinylidene fluoride that runs through its midline. Extraction of the fundamental frequency allows the direct calculation of the exposed length (or scour depth) of the slender rod undergoing fluid flow excitation. First, laboratory validation in dry conditions is presented. Second, hydrodynamic testing of the sensor system in a soil-bed flume is discussed. Each rod was installed using a three-dimensional-printed footing designed for ease of installation and stabilization during testing. The sensors were installed in a layout designed to capture symmetric scour conditions around a scaled pier. In order to analyze the system out of steady-state conditions, water velocity was increased in stages during testing to induce different degrees of scour. As ambient water flow excited the portion of the exposed rods, the embedded piezoelectric element outputted a time-varying voltage signal. Different methods were then employed to extract the fundamental frequency of each rod, and the results were compared. Further testing was also performed to characterize the relationship between frequency outputs and flow velocity, which were previously thought to be independent. In general, the proposed driven-rod scour monitoring system successfully captured changing frequencies under varied flow conditions
Optimisation of Mobile Communication Networks - OMCO NET
The mini conference “Optimisation of Mobile Communication Networks” focuses on advanced methods for search and optimisation applied to wireless communication networks. It is sponsored by Research & Enterprise Fund Southampton Solent University.
The conference strives to widen knowledge on advanced search methods capable of optimisation of wireless communications networks. The aim is to provide a forum for exchange of recent knowledge, new ideas and trends in this progressive and challenging area. The conference will popularise new successful approaches on resolving hard tasks such as minimisation of transmit power, cooperative and optimal routing
Challenges in imaging and predictive modeling of rhizosphere processes
Background Plant-soil interaction is central to human food production and ecosystem function. Thus, it is essential to not only understand, but also to develop predictive mathematical models which can be used to assess how climate and soil management practices will affect these interactions. Scope In this paper we review the current developments in structural and chemical imaging of rhizosphere processes within the context of multiscale mathematical image based modeling. We outline areas that need more research and areas which would benefit from more detailed understanding. Conclusions We conclude that the combination of structural and chemical imaging with modeling is an incredibly powerful tool which is fundamental for understanding how plant roots interact with soil. We emphasize the need for more researchers to be attracted to this area that is so fertile for future discoveries. Finally, model building must go hand in hand with experiments. In particular, there is a real need to integrate rhizosphere structural and chemical imaging with modeling for better understanding of the rhizosphere processes leading to models which explicitly account for pore scale processes
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