Correct-by-Construction Approach for Self-Evolvable Robots

The paper presents a new formal way of modeling and designing reconfigurable robots, in which case the robots are allowed to reconfigure not only structurally but also functionally. We call such kind of robots "self-evolvable", which have the potential to be more flexible to be used in a wider range of tasks, in a wider range of environments, and with a wider range of users. To accommodate such a concept, i.e., allowing a self-evovable robot to be configured and reconfigured, we present a series of formal constructs, e.g., structural reconfigurable grammar and functional reconfigurable grammar. Furthermore, we present a correct-by-construction strategy, which, given the description of a workspace, the formula specifying a task, and a set of available modules, is capable of constructing during the design phase a robot that is guaranteed to perform the task satisfactorily. We use a planar multi-link manipulator as an example throughout the paper to demonstrate the proposed modeling and designing procedures.Comment: The paper has 17 pages and 4 figure

Supervisory System For Monitoring, Control And Estimating Thermal Comfort For Broiler and Laying Hens Production Sheds

This research aims to promote the project for the construction of software, firmware, and micro-controlled hardware, which together allow the automatic control of the temperature and humidity index (THI) in real-time the intensive production environment in poultry and laying hens production houses, thus avoiding productive losses due to the stress to which the birds are subjected. This system aims, from the information from a set of sensors, connected to a microcontroller acquisition and control board, to infer the temperature and humidity index from the measured climatic variables, to enable the corresponding activation of electronic interfaces with electric actuators, for the automatic activation of ventilation devices, humidification and curtain actuation and the lighting of production houses, keeping the environmental conditions of the house within a convenient range of temperature and relative humidity to ensure thermal comfort and thus avoiding bird stress. Thus, helping to mitigate production losses and facilitating managers real-time monitoring of the shed to achieve greater productivity and competitiveness

The NASA SBIR product catalog

The purpose of this catalog is to assist small business firms in making the community aware of products emerging from their efforts in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. It contains descriptions of some products that have advanced into Phase 3 and others that are identified as prospective products. Both lists of products in this catalog are based on information supplied by NASA SBIR contractors in responding to an invitation to be represented in this document. Generally, all products suggested by the small firms were included in order to meet the goals of information exchange for SBIR results. Of the 444 SBIR contractors NASA queried, 137 provided information on 219 products. The catalog presents the product information in the technology areas listed in the table of contents. Within each area, the products are listed in alphabetical order by product name and are given identifying numbers. Also included is an alphabetical listing of the companies that have products described. This listing cross-references the product list and provides information on the business activity of each firm. In addition, there are three indexes: one a list of firms by states, one that lists the products according to NASA Centers that managed the SBIR projects, and one that lists the products by the relevant Technical Topics utilized in NASA's annual program solicitation under which each SBIR project was selected