703 research outputs found

    A robotic platform for precision agriculture and applications

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    Agricultural techniques have been improved over the centuries to match with the growing demand of an increase in global population. Farming applications are facing new challenges to satisfy global needs and the recent technology advancements in terms of robotic platforms can be exploited. As the orchard management is one of the most challenging applications because of its tree structure and the required interaction with the environment, it was targeted also by the University of Bologna research group to provide a customized solution addressing new concept for agricultural vehicles. The result of this research has blossomed into a new lightweight tracked vehicle capable of performing autonomous navigation both in the open-filed scenario and while travelling inside orchards for what has been called in-row navigation. The mechanical design concept, together with customized software implementation has been detailed to highlight the strengths of the platform and some further improvements envisioned to improve the overall performances. Static stability testing has proved that the vehicle can withstand steep slopes scenarios. Some improvements have also been investigated to refine the estimation of the slippage that occurs during turning maneuvers and that is typical of skid-steering tracked vehicles. The software architecture has been implemented using the Robot Operating System (ROS) framework, so to exploit community available packages related to common and basic functions, such as sensor interfaces, while allowing dedicated custom implementation of the navigation algorithm developed. Real-world testing inside the university’s experimental orchards have proven the robustness and stability of the solution with more than 800 hours of fieldwork. The vehicle has also enabled a wide range of autonomous tasks such as spraying, mowing, and on-the-field data collection capabilities. The latter can be exploited to automatically estimate relevant orchard properties such as fruit counting and sizing, canopy properties estimation, and autonomous fruit harvesting with post-harvesting estimations.Le tecniche agricole sono state migliorate nel corso dei secoli per soddisfare la crescente domanda di aumento della popolazione mondiale. I recenti progressi tecnologici in termini di piattaforme robotiche possono essere sfruttati in questo contesto. Poiché la gestione del frutteto è una delle applicazioni più impegnative, a causa della sua struttura arborea e della necessaria interazione con l'ambiente, è stata oggetto di ricerca per fornire una soluzione personalizzata che sviluppi un nuovo concetto di veicolo agricolo. Il risultato si è concretizzato in un veicolo cingolato leggero, capace di effettuare una navigazione autonoma sia nello scenario di pieno campo che all'interno dei frutteti (navigazione interfilare). La progettazione meccanica, insieme all'implementazione del software, sono stati dettagliati per evidenziarne i punti di forza, accanto ad alcuni ulteriori miglioramenti previsti per incrementarne le prestazioni complessive. I test di stabilità statica hanno dimostrato che il veicolo può resistere a ripidi pendii. Sono stati inoltre studiati miglioramenti per affinare la stima dello slittamento che si verifica durante le manovre di svolta, tipico dei veicoli cingolati. L'architettura software è stata implementata utilizzando il framework Robot Operating System (ROS), in modo da sfruttare i pacchetti disponibili relativi a componenti base, come le interfacce dei sensori, e consentendo al contempo un'implementazione personalizzata degli algoritmi di navigazione sviluppati. I test in condizioni reali all'interno dei frutteti sperimentali dell'università hanno dimostrato la robustezza e la stabilità della soluzione con oltre 800 ore di lavoro sul campo. Il veicolo ha permesso di attivare e svolgere un'ampia gamma di attività agricole in maniera autonoma, come l'irrorazione, la falciatura e la raccolta di dati sul campo. Questi ultimi possono essere sfruttati per stimare automaticamente le proprietà più rilevanti del frutteto, come il conteggio e la calibratura dei frutti, la stima delle proprietà della chioma e la raccolta autonoma dei frutti con stime post-raccolta

    Modern meat: the next generation of meat from cells

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    Modern Meat is the first textbook on cultivated meat, with contributions from over 100 experts within the cultivated meat community. The Sections of Modern Meat comprise 5 broad categories of cultivated meat: Context, Impact, Science, Society, and World. The 19 chapters of Modern Meat, spread across these 5 sections, provide detailed entries on cultivated meat. They extensively tour a range of topics including the impact of cultivated meat on humans and animals, the bioprocess of cultivated meat production, how cultivated meat may become a food option in Space and on Mars, and how cultivated meat may impact the economy, culture, and tradition of Asia

    The global problem of image-based sexual abuse considered in the Irish context: An evaluation of existing legal responses with a focus on effective enforcement in the online environment

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    The recording and/or sharing of intimate images without consent – known as image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) – has received significant legislative attention in recent years. Various approaches to addressing the harm of IBSA have been adopted internationally and this thesis identifies a need to consider the Irish response to IBSA. Adopting a victim-centred approach, this thesis derives lessons from the Australian experience where an innovative system of redress and enforcement has been developed through the establishment of a regulatory structure supported by a statutory body, the Office of the eSafety Commissioner (OESC). The immediate importance of this research is clear. Remediating harm in the world of the internet where both identities and jurisdictional boundaries are blurred is challenging. This thesis investigates the effectiveness of the OESC in practice in order to better assess the Irish approach and the potential of the Irish Online Safety Commissioner to provide adequate redress for victims of IBSA in Ireland. Through the use of doctrinal and comparative analysis and the conducting of interviews with key stakeholders in the area of online regulation, this thesis identifies the key needs of victims of IBSA and identifies numerous mechanisms designed to address those needs, at least in part. This victim-centred approach underlies the in-depth analysis of the Australian system and is used to inform the policy recommendations made in this thesis. Particular attention is afforded to whether the Irish approach should include an individual complaints mechanism. By drawing inferences between the Irish and Australian situations, a clearer picture is drawn as to the optimum remit, structure, functions, and powers of the Irish OSC in order to effectively address the harms of IBSA

    Towards a Peaceful Development of Cyberspace - Challenges and Technical Measures for the De-escalation of State-led Cyberconflicts and Arms Control of Cyberweapons

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    Cyberspace, already a few decades old, has become a matter of course for most of us, part of our everyday life. At the same time, this space and the global infrastructure behind it are essential for our civilizations, the economy and administration, and thus an essential expression and lifeline of a globalized world. However, these developments also create vulnerabilities and thus, cyberspace is increasingly developing into an intelligence and military operational area – for the defense and security of states but also as a component of offensive military planning, visible in the creation of military cyber-departments and the integration of cyberspace into states' security and defense strategies. In order to contain and regulate the conflict and escalation potential of technology used by military forces, over the last decades, a complex tool set of transparency, de-escalation and arms control measures has been developed and proof-tested. Unfortunately, many of these established measures do not work for cyberspace due to its specific technical characteristics. Even more, the concept of what constitutes a weapon – an essential requirement for regulation – starts to blur for this domain. Against this background, this thesis aims to answer how measures for the de-escalation of state-led conflicts in cyberspace and arms control of cyberweapons can be developed. In order to answer this question, the dissertation takes a specifically technical perspective on these problems and the underlying political challenges of state behavior and international humanitarian law in cyberspace to identify starting points for technical measures of transparency, arms control and verification. Based on this approach of adopting already existing technical measures from other fields of computer science, the thesis will provide proof of concepts approaches for some mentioned challenges like a classification system for cyberweapons that is based on technical measurable features, an approach for the mutual reduction of vulnerability stockpiles and an approach to plausibly assure the non-involvement in a cyberconflict as a measure for de-escalation. All these initial approaches and the questions of how and by which measures arms control and conflict reduction can work for cyberspace are still quite new and subject to not too many debates. Indeed, the approach of deliberately self-restricting the capabilities of technology in order to serve a bigger goal, like the reduction of its destructive usage, is yet not very common for the engineering thinking of computer science. Therefore, this dissertation also aims to provide some impulses regarding the responsibility and creative options of computer science with a view to the peaceful development and use of cyberspace

    Ensuring consensus on trust issues in capability-limited node networks with Blockchain technology

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    Σε αυτή τη διπλωματική εργασία, εξετάζουμε πώς θα μπορούσε να εφαρμοστεί το πρωτόκολλο blockchain, ώστε να διασφαλιστεί η συναίνεση των κόμβων του δικτύου σε θέματα εμπιστοσύνης, λαμβάνοντας παράλληλα υπόψη τους περιορισμένους πόρους των κόμβων. Αρχικά, θα παρουσιάσουμε το σύστημα στο οποίο θα εργαστούμε, ένα Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) το οποίο χρησιμοποιεί ένα σχήμα ομαδοποίησης, βασισμένο στην έννοια του κόστους ανάλυσης/επεξεργασίας, μαζί με έναν μηχανισμό εμπιστοσύνης που από κοινού έχουν ως αποτέλεσμα τη διαρκή και γρήγορη ανακάλυψη κακόβουλων κόμβων. Στη συνέχεια, θα παρουσιάσουμε το πρωτόκολλο blockchain και τις κύριες έννοιές του. Μια ανασκόπηση της σχετικής εργασίας θα διεξαχθεί για να αξιολογηθούν οι διάφορες προσεγγίσεις που χρησιμοποιούνται από άλλους για την ενσωμάτωση του πρωτοκόλλου blockchain στα αντίστοιχα συστήματά τους. Στη συνέχεια, θα παρουσιαστεί αναλυτικά το Hyperledger Fabric framework, το οποίο θα βοηθήσει στην εφαρμογή του προτεινόμενου συστήματος. Τέλος, θα παρουσιαστεί το προτεινόμενο σύστημα, το οποίο συγχωνεύει τη δεδομένη προσομοίωση MANET με την τεχνολογία blockchain μέσα από το Hyperledger Fabric και θα συζητηθούν τα αποτελέσματά του. Η ανάλυσή μας θα περιλαμβάνει, επίσης, αξιολόγηση της αποτελεσματικότητάς του στην διασφάλιση της συναίνεσης των κόμβων σε θέματα εμπιστοσύνης και πιθανές μελλοντικές βελτιώσεις.In this thesis, we review how the blockchain protocol could be applied so as to ensure the consensus of the network nodes on matters of trust, while taking into account the limited resources of the nodes. First, we will present the system we will be working on, a Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) which uses a clustering scheme, based on the cost of analysis/processing concept, along with a trust mechanism that together result in cluster persistence and quick discovery of malicious nodes. Then, we will introduce the blockchain protocol and its main concepts. A review of related work will be conducted to assess the various approaches utilized by others in incorporating the blockchain protocol into their respective systems. Subsequently, the Hyperledger Fabric framework, which shall aid in the implementation of the proposed system, shall be presented in detail. Finally, the proposed system, which merges the given MANET simulation with the blockchain technology enabled by Hyperledger Fabric, will be presented, and its results discussed. Our analysis will also include an evaluation of its effectiveness in addressing consensus on trust issues, and possible avenues for future enhancements

    The assessment and development of methods in (spatial) sound ecology

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    As vital ecosystems across the globe enter unchartered pressure from climate change industrial land use, understanding the processes driving ecosystem viability has never been more critical. Nuanced ecosystem understanding comes from well-collected field data and a wealth of associated interpretations. In recent years the most popular methods of ecosystem monitoring have revolutionised from often damaging and labour-intensive manual data collection to automated methods of data collection and analysis. Sound ecology describes the school of research that uses information transmitted through sound to infer properties about an area's species, biodiversity, and health. In this thesis, we explore and develop state-of-the-art automated monitoring with sound, specifically relating to data storage practice and spatial acoustic recording and data analysis. In the first chapter, we explore the necessity and methods of ecosystem monitoring, focusing on acoustic monitoring, later exploring how and why sound is recorded and the current state-of-the-art in acoustic monitoring. Chapter one concludes with us setting out the aims and overall content of the following chapters. We begin the second chapter by exploring methods used to mitigate data storage expense, a widespread issue as automated methods quickly amass vast amounts of data which can be expensive and impractical to manage. Importantly I explain how these data management practices are often used without known consequence, something I then address. Specifically, I present evidence that the most used data reduction methods (namely compression and temporal subsetting) have a surprisingly small impact on the information content of recorded sound compared to the method of analysis. This work also adds to the increasing evidence that deep learning-based methods of environmental sound quantification are more powerful and robust to experimental variation than more traditional acoustic indices. In the latter chapters, I focus on using multichannel acoustic recording for sound-source localisation. Knowing where a sound originated has a range of ecological uses, including counting individuals, locating threats, and monitoring habitat use. While an exciting application of acoustic technology, spatial acoustics has had minimal uptake owing to the expense, impracticality and inaccessibility of equipment. In my third chapter, I introduce MAARU (Multichannel Acoustic Autonomous Recording Unit), a low-cost, easy-to-use and accessible solution to this problem. I explain the software and hardware necessary for spatial recording and show how MAARU can be used to localise the direction of a sound to within ±10˚ accurately. In the fourth chapter, I explore how MAARU devices deployed in the field can be used for enhanced ecosystem monitoring by spatially clustering individuals by calling directions for more accurate abundance approximations and crude species-specific habitat usage monitoring. Most literature on spatial acoustics cites the need for many accurately synced recording devices over an area. This chapter provides the first evidence of advances made with just one recorder. Finally, I conclude this thesis by restating my aims and discussing my success in achieving them. Specifically, in the thesis’ conclusion, I reiterate the contributions made to the field as a direct result of this work and outline some possible development avenues.Open Acces

    Themelio: a new blockchain paradigm

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    Public blockchains hold great promise in building protocols that uphold security properties like transparency and consistency based on internal, incentivized cryptoeconomic mechanisms rather than preexisting trust in participants. Yet user-facing blockchain applications beyond "internal" immediate derivatives of blockchain incentive models, like cryptocurrency and decentralized finance, have not achieved widespread development or adoption. We propose that this is not primarily due to "engineering" problems in aspects such as scaling, but due to an overall lack of transferable endogenous trust—the twofold ability to uphold strong, internally-generated security guarantees and to translate them into application-level security. Yet we argue that blockchains, due to their foundation on game-theoretic incentive models rather than trusted authorities, are uniquely suited for building transferable endogenous trust, despite their current deficiencies. We then engage in a survey of existing public blockchains and the difficulties and crises that they have faced, noting that in almost every case, problems such as governance disputes and ecosystem inflexibility stem from a lack of transferable endogenous trust. Next, we introduce Themelio, a decentralized, public blockchain designed to support a new blockchain paradigm focused on transferable endogenous trust. Here, the blockchain is used as a low-level, stable, and simple root of trust, capable of sharing this trust with applications through scalable light clients. This contrasts with current blockchains, which are either applications or application execution platforms. We present evidence that this new paradigm is crucial to achieving flexible deployment of blockchain-based trust. We then describe the Themelio blockchain in detail, focusing on three areas key to its overall theme of transferable, strong endogenous trust: a traditional yet enhanced UTXO model with features that allow powerful programmability and light-client composability, a novel proof-of-stake system with unique cryptoeconomic guarantees against collusion, and Themelio's unique cryptocurrency "mel", which achieves stablecoin-like low volatility without sacrificing decentralization and security. Finally, we explore the wide variety of novel, partly off-chain applications enabled by Themelio's decoupled blockchain paradigm. This includes Astrape, a privacy-protecting off-chain micropayment network, Bitforest, a blockchain-based PKI that combines blockchain-backed security guarantees with the performance and administration benefits of traditional systems, as well as sketches of further applications
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