When Mining Electric Locomotives Meet Reinforcement Learning

As the most important auxiliary transportation equipment in coal mines, mining electric locomotives are mostly operated manually at present. However, due to the complex and ever-changing coal mine environment, electric locomotive safety accidents occur frequently these years. A mining electric locomotive control method that can adapt to different complex mining environments is needed. Reinforcement Learning (RL) is concerned with how artificial agents ought to take actions in an environment so as to maximize reward, which can help achieve automatic control of mining electric locomotive. In this paper, we present how to apply RL to the autonomous control of mining electric locomotives. To achieve more precise control, we further propose an improved epsilon-greedy (IEG) algorithm which can better balance the exploration and exploitation. To verify the effectiveness of this method, a co-simulation platform for autonomous control of mining electric locomotives is built which can complete closed-loop simulation of the vehicles. The simulation results show that this method ensures the locomotives following the front vehicle safely and responding promptly in the event of sudden obstacles on the road when the vehicle in complex and uncertain coal mine environments

Safety check in critical safety scenario for self-driving vehicles

En un Mercado emergente como es el de los coches autonómos una de las funciones esenciales es asegurar la seguridad del funcionamiento de dichos sistemas. La mayoría de los comportamientos del estado del arte son capaces de manejarse en un escenario sin anomalías. Sin embargo, las dinámicas del entorno, tales como las condiciones metereológicas o las oclusiones de los sensores, pueden comprometer el funcionamiento de estos. Para ampliar los escenarios en los cuales estos sistemas son capaces de funcionar, es necesario incluir nuevas funciones de seguirdad para una conducción segura en cualquier entorno. Esta contribución demuestra una validación para vehículos autónomos basada en las condiciones del entorno. Se propone una comprobación de los obstaculos y limitaciones de los sensores. Para ellos se define una Region de Interes (RoI). Combinando ambos conceptos se obtiene un valor cuantitativo del conocimiento de los entornos del sistema. La idea propuesta se basa en modificar el plan de actuación según dicho valor, mejorando el tiempo de reacción ante situaciones imprevistas. Los resultados de la simulación e implementación física en el coche autónomo muestran una mejora en los tiempos de reacción ante situaciones fuera del dominio operacional designado. Se considera que este proyecto resuelve una de las condiciones obligatorias para conseguir un coche autónomo con un nivel de automatización de nivel cuatro.Fully autonomous vehicles must guarantee safety. Most of state of the art behaviors can drive safely on scenarios with no anomalies. However, Dynamics, such as weather conditions or occlusions, on the operational design domain might comprise the security. For further automation we need to enlarge the workbench for the technology allowing to work safely even on those situations. We contribute with a safety validation for AV based on the conditions of the scenario. We propose a check for sensor visibility and limitations. Additionally we create a definition of a Region of Interest (RoI). Merging both data we obtain a quantitative value for environment awareness. The proposed idea is to, based on that value, modify the acting plan, improving reaction time for unforeseen. The results from simulation shows that using the proposed idea, dangerous situations can be avoided. Henceforth, the fulfillment of the derived safety assessment validation can guarantee safety of the AV. The proposed idea is to, based on that validation, modify the acting plan, improving reaction time for unforeseen and endowing the autonomous vehicle of a safety check. This update is mandatory for self driving vehicles that long to achieve a level 4 automation, as the human is no longer the responsible for safety check in unpredictable situations.Universidad de Sevilla. Máster en Ingeniería Electrónica, Robótica y Automátic

Software in Loop Simulation based Waypoint Navigation for Fixed Wing UAV

Software in loop simulation (SILS) based waypoint navigation test platform being presented in this paper for fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicle. The proposed platform helps to test waypoint navigation algorithm before implementing into real time environment. Matlab/Simulink and X-plane flight simulator are chosen for the proposed platform. The interface between these two platforms are done by using user datagram protocol (UDP). The waypoint navigation which is to be tested is run in Matlab/Simulink environment where as fixed wing model runs in X-plane simulator. Inverted T tail fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicle configuration is chosen for this research work to verify both its inner loop (attitude control) and outer loop (navigation control). Navigation algorithm executed in Matlab/Simulink compares difference between current and desired latitude longitude position to command flight simulator to reach its desired waypoint. Navigation towards a desired waypoint will be achieved by varying inner loop attitude command of an unmanned aerial vehicle. Finally results are observed and performances are verified in X-plane simulator

Analyzing the Influence of Stale Data on Autonomous Intelligent Transportation Systems

Intelligent transportation has been at the forefront of recent technological advancement. Individuals have developed a number of algorithms intended to automate and improve essential intelligent transportation functions. New developments include the incorporation of vehicle platooning and path planning algorithms within a number of use cases. Data perturbation can affect both algorithms significantly. We define data perturbation as any natural or unnatural phenomenon that causes the data to be skewed in any way. Perturbations within either system can cause its respective algorithm to operate with stale or incorrect data. This can significantly affect performance. This paper conducts a fault injection campaign to analyze the impact of data perturbations in platooning and path planning models. This campaign enters perturbed data into each model to simulate the several unknown occurrences that may arise. Our analysis provides an understanding of model parameter sensitivity for causing system failures. By understanding which parameters are most influential to the fidelity of the model, we gain the ability to make intelligent transportation algorithms safer

Prevention of electrical accidents with safe personal protective bonding and earthing

Working on powerlines is an inherently dangerous occupation. Powerline construction and maintenance can be performed whilst the power line is energised or de-energized. Although working with the powerline switched off is logically safer, a lineworker may still be exposed to lethal electrical hazards with causes such as lightning, induction or accidental energisation. Sadly, there are numerous examples where line workers have been electrocuted working on de-energised powerlines. The title of this project is 'Prevention of electrical accidents with safe personal protective bonding and earthing'. Personal Protective Bonding and Earthing (PPBE) is a safety technique employed by line workers to protect themselves against the the risk of an electric shock. The technique aims to ensure the worksite is maintained at equipotential conditions at all times. This is attempted by the installation of bonding cables at or near the work area to ensure all conductive surfaces are electrically connected together. The project aim is to identify unsafe conditions that may exist for the application of PPBE. If unsafe conditions are identified it may be possible to determine solutions which will make working on powerlines safer. The electrical principles which underpin the use of PPBE can be applied to all forms of electrical work. However, the focus of this project is on high voltage distribution powerlines

ASSESSMENT OF A SAFE DRIVING PROGRAM FOR NOVICE DRIVERS AND SMART JERSEY BARRIER DESIGN TO MINIMIZE ANIMAL-TO-VEHICLE COLLISIONS

Each year, the total number of vehicles, motorists, highway infrastructures, and distance traveled by drivers increases on a global basis. This rise in personal and commercial ground vehicle usage brings with it the advantages of the modern age, but it is not without societal cost. Vehicular incidents result in tens of thousands of deaths each year in the United States alone. For this reason, research has been performed to advance driver safety while simultaneously providing wildlife with means to avoid animal-to-vehicle collisions (AVC). In this thesis, two solutions are proposed: a driver education program with classroom experiences, in-vehicle resources, and innovative assessment tools; and a redesigned Jersey highway barrier which offers driver notification and animal egress when wildlife cross roadways. Vehicular crashes accounted annually for 41,338 and 37,648 fatalities between 1994 to 2009 in the United States and European Union, respectively (ECRS, 2012), (FARS, 2012). In general, the skills and experiences of novice drivers do not favorably compare to motorists with significantly greater driving time and life experiences. A safe driving program tailored to young drivers and their at risk behaviors has been collaboratively developed by Clemson University and the Richard Petty Driving Experience. This program educates novice motorists using both in-vehicle and classroom modules based on critical vehicular scenarios identified from accident databases. Appropriate attitudinal behaviors when operating a motor vehicle, general information for car maintenance, and vehicular control strategies are introduced during the classroom and in-vehicle roadway events. During the safe driving program, students participate in four modules: braking to realize proper stopping technique, obstacle avoidance curriculum to facilitate proper lane selection and collision avoidance, tailgating to learn about following distance, and loss of control to react when a vehicle is about to become laterally unstable. Students are evaluated using both in-vehicle instructor metrics and the objective based questionnaires which assess critical driving skills and attitudinal knowledge, respectively. The assessment results from twenty-six driving classes consisting of 662 drivers, whose ages primarily ranged from 15-20 years old, were analyzed. Overall, the participants demonstrated a nearly proficient safe driving skill level at the completion of their respective programs as evidenced by 71.3%, 79.1%, 81.4%, and 80.6% scores during the braking, obstacle avoidance, tailgating, and loss of control modules, respectively. Further, the students displayed while an average 16.4% increase between the pre-and post-test scores on general automotive safety knowledge. Barriers are commonly used on roadways to separate vehicles traveling in opposing directions and to protect against possible head-on collisions. However, these barriers may interfere with wildlife passage such that animals become trapped on the road. Typically, small animals cannot find safe passage across all traffic lanes due to the presence of solid barriers and eventually die if struck by a vehicle. The occurrence of animal-to-vehicle collisions also presents a dangerous scenario for motorists as a driver may intuitively swerve to avoid hitting the animal. In this study, a redesigned Jersey style barrier, named the Clemson smart portal, will be presented and discussed. This roadway barrier features a portal for small animal travel, along with a mechatronic-based warning system to notify drivers of animal passage. The smart barrier concept empowers the animals to cross the roadway through the portal, while a sensor detects their presence and activates a strobe light to alert motorists. Laboratory tests have successfully demonstrated this new barrier\u27s capability to detect animal presence for various scenarios

NFPA Fluid Powered Vehicle Challenge 2023

This report includes the design process undergone by Team Shifty in designing a vehicle for the NFPA’s Fluid Powered Vehicle challenge. The report covers the background of the competition, research done by the team, engineering specifications for the design, preliminary and final designs, the manufacturing plan and process, project management details, and several recommendations for future teams participating in the challenge. The National Fluid Power Association, NFPA, is a trade association with the goal of connecting fluid power companies and advancing fluid power. With the goal of advancement in mind, NFPA hosts an annual Fluid Powered Vehicle Challenge (FPVC). Since before the NFPA took over this challenge, Cal Poly has produced a team to compete. Team Shifty completed research into past Cal Poly teams as well as other competing university teams to define the engineering specifications for the new vehicle and decide the design directions. The final design includes a new frame to address issues with the last teams frame, a new hydraulic circuit design and selection of new components to improve the circuits performance in the FPVC events and reduce losses, and the addition of gear shifting to the vehicle. With respect to hydraulics, a new manifold was sourced to accommodate the simplified fluid circuit, along with a larger motor to allow the vehicle to operate at higher torque. The prior team’s pneumatic system was completely replaced by a pneumatic front gear shifting system. The electronics implemented was the same system as the previous year, including an STM microcontroller, Nextion touch screen display, and Hydraforce valve operator with only two solenoid valves. Working together, these components allowed the rider to toggle between three unique drive modes, including: direct, regen, and sprint. To produce a functional vehicle, research and planning was put into manufacturing and assembly processes as detailed in the manufacturing plan. The final product failed to perform as proposed in Team Shifty’s Scope of Work, as the vehicle’s rear chain consistently fell off during operation at the competition. This resulted in the vehicle not placing during a few of the challenges, including the Sprint and Endurance races. The cause of this failure was a function of the frame flexing under dynamic loading due to insufficient torsional stiffness, as well as the rear chain being too small to handle the large output torque of the upsized rear motor

Loaf slicer machine

Haji Makpol Bin Saimon is a founder of Kacang Pool Haji, the famous food in Johor Bahru. This food was inspired from Arabic dishes. The menu is prepared to meet the taste of Malaysian citizen especially Malays [1]. The delicious menu makes it famous among the people included VIPs and Singaporean. The ingredient used very simple and easy to dishes [2]. It is only uses “kacang parang” cooked with minced meat and mixed spices that is produced by Haji Makpol and after, prepared with Key Lime (limau purut), egg halved cooks and homemade bread. The bread that has been produced in a day is about 2400 pieces. This machine is gravity fed by the inclined delivery of bread through its blades into the receiving tray for bagging. Moreover, this machine is able to cut loaves bread into 8 pieces with thickness 3.75 cm per bread. There are no machines yet invented to meet the requirement of these breads. These breads are homemade especially for Kacang Pool Haji for his menus

A Study on Local Marine Traffic Management to promote Marine Traffic Safety in the Istanbul Strait

peak time in the research area. d) Results of marine traffic fast time simulation studies are also shown that recommended local marine traffic routes by Istanbul Harbor Master Local marine Traffic Guideline (RLMTR) promotes navigation safety in the research area. However, it is not effective as proposed LTSS or one way traffic implementations. e) Results of marine traffic fast time simulation studies are shown that proposed LTSS’s improve marine traffic safety in the research area. According to results, proposed LTSS 1 is most effective measure to improve navigation safety in Sector A1 and proposed LTSS 3 is most effective measure to improve navigation safety in Sector A2 and Sector A3 among proposed LTSS. Finally, local traffic separation scheme implementation is strongly recommended for the improvement of marine traffic safety in the southern entrance of Istanbul Strait. f) Results of marine traffic fast time simulation studies are shown that one way traffic implementation is highly effective to reduce stresses in the research area which is in compliance with result of expert survey. Therefore, continuity of one way traffic implementation is also strongly recommended.a) When compared collision probability of the Istanbul Strait with various Korean waterways, it is found almost two times higher than Korean waterways. b) According to result of the real time simulation study, most risky area for maritime traffic in the research area is the region between Sarayburnu and Kadikoy. The results indicate that there is strong necessity for improvement of navigation safety in the research area. c) Results of marine traffic fast time simulation studies according to current traffic situation are shown that 29% unacceptable stress occurs during peak and 22% during off&#8208way traffic implementations in order to improve marine traffic safety in the Istanbul Strait. Last but not least findings of the study are listed briefly belowand various traffic separation schemes for local marine traffic (LTSS) are proposed in order to lower scaled stress due to ship handling difficulty in the research area. Chapter 5 summarizes the findings and recommends LTSS and one&#8208peak times are simulated by marine traffic fast time simulation studies. The studies were then analyzed by the Latent ES Model which was introduced to exclude influence of the individual skill differences and navigator personality and to guarantee the universality of the results in evaluating shiphandling difficulty (Inoue et al 1999) in Chapter 4. Afterwards, marine traffic parameters such as changing the vessel size, traffic flow, and traffic direction are investigatedO), skippers of local traffic vessels and master marines who had experience passing through the Istanbul Strait were surveyed. Based on the expert survey study, the most dangerous vessel type and ship length, the effect of external factors (i.e. current, wind, visibility) and the effectiveness level of the potential counter measures are determined. Section 3 of chapter 3 investigates the navigational stress that local traffic imposes on transit vessels passing through the Istanbul Strait. For this purpose, the research area is created digitally and simulation studies are carried out using a ship handling simulator which can imitate the effects of topographic features, vessel traffic and meteorological conditions. Furthermore, the results of the simulation studies are analyzed using Environmental Stress Model of Inoue (2000) which provides an opportunity to measure the stress level of a mariner quantitatively due to ship handling difficulty. Thus, the danger that is imposed by the local traffic on transit ships is demonstrated and the most dangerous spots in the research area are revealed. Safety is a human perceived quality that determines to what extent the management, engineering and operation of a system is free of danger to life, property and the environment (Chengi, 2007). The ultimate aim of this dissertation is the improvement of navigation safety in the Istanbul Strait. In the chapter 3, dangers in the research area are presented by collision probability, expert survey and real time ship handling simulator studies and outcomes of those studies show the necessity of risk reduction. Risk reduction is the term used to describe the moving of a hazard from one location higher on the risk scale to a lower location (Chengi, 2007). Based on this concept, current marine traffic situations during peak and off&#8208risk zones are identified in the research area. On the basis of information collected in section 1 of chapter 3, an expert survey is discussed in order to assess danger perceptions of experts, determine risks in the research area and then propose a basis for further studies in section 2 of chapter 3. Stakeholders such as pilots, Vessel Traffic Services Operators (VTS&#8208y and the Istanbul Strait Bridge, where the local marine traffic is more congested and poses a threat to navigation safety. In order to devise these counter measures, local marine traffic parameters such as local traffic volume, traffic flow and probability of collision are analyzed by utilizing various statistics. Then, previously conducted expert surveys, real time simulation studies and marine traffic fast time simulation studies are used to examine the various changes of marine traffic parameters. At the end of the dissertation, a few local traffic separation schemes are proposed to promote navigation safety in the Istanbul Strait. Chapter 1 of the dissertation describes its scope, gives a review of the literature and presents the research layout. Chapter 2 gives a general introduction to marine traffic and environment in the Istanbul Strait. Chapter 3 reviews and investigates marine traffic risks in the Istanbul Strait in 3 sections. In the first section of chapter 3, marine traffic safety assessment parameters, which are local traffic volume, traffic flow, potential number of local traffic vessel encounters and possibility of collision, are investigated in order to determine the degree of danger at the southern entrance of the Istanbul Strait. Finally, by utilizing these parameters, the high&#8208Istanbul, with its natural, cultural and historical wealth, is not only one of Turkey’s most beautiful cities, but it is also one of the most exciting cities in the world. In fact, while linking the two continents geographically, Istanbul has been the original and striking meeting point of Europe with Asia and the East with the West. Istanbul Strait is what makes Istanbul such a special city. However, there are enormous challenges for navigation in the Istanbul Strait due to its geographical, geopolitical and oceanographic structure. One of the challenges is the local marine traffic which crosses from one side to other of the strait. Daily, more than 2,100 scheduled and unscheduled crossings take place by passenger and car ferries, passenger boats and sea buses in the southern entrance of the Istanbul Strait where local traffic mostly effects navigation safety. In this dissertation, the aim is to improve navigation safety by investigating and proposing counter measures for local marine traffic in the southern entrance of the Istanbul Strait which is the chosen geographical area of research. More specifically, the research area is the zone between the line connecting the Moda Cape and Bakirk&#337Chapter 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Scope of Research 1 1.2 Literature Review 5 1.3 Research Review 8 1.4 Research Layout 11 Chapter 2 Marine Traffic and Environment in the Istanbul Strait 12 2.1 General Introduction of the Istanbul Strait and Dangers 12 2.2 Natural structure 16 2.2.1 Current 19 2.2.2 Visibility 21 2.3 Marine Traffic Environment in the Research area 22 2.4 Marine Traffic in the Research area 24 2.4.1 Transit Ships vs Stop？]over Ships 25 2.4.2 Density of Local Marine Traffic 29 2.5 Marine Traffic Management 34 2.5.1 Examination of Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) 34 2.5.2 The Istanbul Strait Vessel Traffic Service 36 Chapter 3 Marine Traffic Risk in the Istanbul Strait 42 3.1 Analysis of Marine Traffic Statistics 42 3.1.1 Survey of previous studies and statistics 42 3.1.2 Method 47 3.1.3 Results and Discussion 48 3.2 Analysis of Risk Perception by Expert Survey 57 3.2.1 Design of Questionnaire Survey 58 3.2.2 Method 60 3.2.3 Results and Discussion 64 3.3 Analysis of Environmental Stress (ES) by Real Time Traffic Simulation 76 3.3.1 Design of Simulation Scenarios 77 3.3.2 Methodology 81 3.3.3 Results and Discussion 95 Chapter 4 Investigation of Potential Countermeasures to improve Marine the Traffic Safety Situation 98 4.1 Background 98 4.2 Methodology: Latent？]ES 98 4.3 State of Present Marine Traffic in the Research Area 103 4.4 Recommended Local Marine Traffic Routes 105 4.5 Change of Vessel Size 106 4.6 Change of Traffic Flow 107 4.6.1 Change of Number of Transit Ship 107 4.6.2 Change of Number of Local Traffic Frequency 108 4.7 Improvements by Control of Traffic Direction 110 4.8 Improvements by Use of Traffic Separation Scheme for Local Traffic 112 4.9 Results and Discussion 119 Chapter 5 Conclusion and Recommendation 126 REFERENCES 134 List of Published Papers during Doctoral Course 141 ANNEX 142 Acknowledgements 15

Autonomous Control and Automotive Simulator Based Driver Training Methodologies for Vehicle Run-Off-Road and Recovery Events

Traffic fatalities and injuries continue to demand the attention of researchers and governments across the world as they remain significant factors in public health and safety. Enhanced legislature along with vehicle and roadway technology has helped to reduce the impact of traffic crashes in many scenarios. However, one specifically troublesome area of traffic safety, which persists, is run-off-road (ROR) where a vehicle\u27s wheels leave the paved portion of the roadway and begin traveling on the shoulder or side of the road. Large percentages of fatal and injury traffic crashes are attributable to ROR. One of the most critical reasons why ROR scenarios quickly evolve into serious crashes is poor driver performance. Drivers are unprepared to safely handle the situation and often execute dangerous maneuvers, such as overcorrection or sudden braking, which can lead to devastating results. Currently implemented ROR countermeasures such as roadway infrastructure modifications and vehicle safety systems have helped to mitigate some ROR events but remain limited in their approach. A complete solution must directly address the primary factor contributing to ROR crashes which is driver performance errors. Four vehicle safety control systems, based on sliding control, linear quadratic, state flow, and classical theories, were developed to autonomously recover a vehicle from ROR without driver intervention. The vehicle response was simulated for each controller under a variety of common road departure and return scenarios. The results showed that the linear quadratic and sliding control methodologies outperformed the other controllers in terms of overall stability. However, the linear quadratic controller was the only design to safely recover the vehicle in all of the simulation conditions examined. On average, it performed the recovery almost 50 percent faster and with 40 percent less lateral error than the sliding controller at the expense of higher yaw rates. The performance of the linear quadratic and sliding algorithms was investigated further to include more complex vehicle modeling, state estimation techniques, and sensor measurement noise. The two controllers were simulated amongst a variety of ROR conditions where typical driver performance was inadequate to safely operate the vehicle. The sliding controller recovered the fastest within the nominal conditions but exhibited large variability in performance amongst the more extreme ROR scenarios. Despite some small sacrifice in lateral error and yaw rate, the linear quadratic controller demonstrated a higher level of consistency and stability amongst the various conditions examined. Overall, the linear quadratic controller recovered the vehicle 25 percent faster than the sliding controller while using 70 percent less steering, which combined with its robust performance, indicates its high potential as an autonomous ROR countermeasure. The present status of autonomous vehicle control research for ROR remains premature for commercial implementation; in the meantime, another countermeasure which directly addresses driver performance is driver education and training. An automotive simulator based ROR training program was developed to instruct drivers on how to perform a safe and effective recovery from ROR. A pilot study, involving seventeen human subject participants, was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the training program and whether the participants\u27 ROR recovery skills increased following the training. Based on specific evaluation criteria and a developed scoring system, it was shown that drivers did learn from the training program and were able to better utilize proper recovery methods. The pilot study also revealed that drivers improved their recovery scores by an average of 78 percent. Building on the success observed in the pilot study, a second human subject study was used to validate the simulator as an effective tool for replicating the ROR experience with the additional benefit of receiving insight into driver reactions to ROR. Analysis of variance results of subjective questionnaire data and objective performance evaluation parameters showed strong correlations to ROR crash data and previous ROR study conclusions. In particular, higher vehicle velocities, curved roads, and higher friction coefficient differences between the road and shoulder all negatively impacted drivers\u27 recoveries from ROR. The only non-significant impact found was that of the roadway edge, indicating a possible limitation of the simulator system with respect to that particular environment variable. The validation study provides a foundation for further evaluation and development of a simulator based ROR recovery training program to help equip drivers with the skills to safely recognize and recover from this dangerous and often deadly scenario. Finally, building on the findings of the pilot study and validation study, a total of 75 individuals participated in a pre-post experiment to examine the effect of a training video on improving driver performance during a set of simulated ROR scenarios (e.g., on a high speed highway, a horizontal curve, and a residential rural road). In each scenario, the vehicle was unexpectedly forced into an ROR scenario for which the drivers were instructed to recover as safely as possible. The treatment group then watched a custom ROR training video while the control group viewed a placebo video. The participants then drove the same simulated ROR scenarios. The results suggest that the training video had a significant positive effect on drivers\u27 steering response on all three roadway conditions as well as improvements in vehicle stability, subjectively rated demand on the driver, and self-evaluated performance in the highway scenario. Under the highway conditions, 84 percent of the treatment group and 52 percent of the control group recovered from the ROR events. In total, the treatment group recovered from the ROR events 58 percent of the time while the control group recovered 45 percent of the time. The results of this study suggest that even a short video about recovering from ROR events can significantly influence a driver\u27s ability to recover. It is possible that additional training may have further benefits in recovering from ROR events