Slide-Down Prevention for Wheeled Mobile Robots on Slopes

Wheeled mobile robots on inclined terrain can slide down due to loss of traction and gravity. This type of instability, which is different from tip-over, can provoke uncontrolled motion or get the vehicle stuck. This paper proposes slide-down prevention by real-time computation of a straightforward stability margin for a given ground-wheel friction coefficient. This margin is applied to the case study of Lazaro, a hybrid skid-steer mobile robot with caster-leg mechanism that allows tests with four or five wheel contact points. Experimental results for both ADAMS simulations and the actual vehicle demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Construction and Calibration of a Low-Cost 3D Laser Scanner with 360◦ Field of View for Mobile Robots

Navigation of many mobile robots relies on environmental information obtained from three-dimensional (3D) laser scanners. This paper presents a new 360◦ field-of-view 3D laser scanner for mobile robots that avoids the high cost of commercial devices. The 3D scanner is based on spinning a Hokuyo UTM- 30LX-EX two-dimensional (2D) rangefinder around its optical center. The proposed design profits from lessons learned with the development of a previous 3D scanner with pitching motion. Intrinsic calibration of the new device has been performed to obtain both temporal and geometric parameters. The paper also shows the integration of the 3D device in the outdoor mobile robot Andabata.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Sistemas de documentación y elaboración de textos científicos: Una asignatura para aprender a publicar en ingeniería

Hoy en día, la elaboración y presentación de informes de investigación resulta indispensable para muchos profesionales de la ingeniería. En este artículo se describe una asignatura de máster universitario cuyo principal objetivo es proporcionar los conocimientos necesarios para poder escribir y exponer resultados de investigación en ingeniería mecatrónica. De esta manera, se complementa la formación de los ingenieros para que puedan desenvolverse con éxito en el complejo mundo de la investigación.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Project-Based Learning of Scientific Writing and Communication Skills for Postgraduate Students

Mandow, A; Martínez, J. L.; García-Cerezo, A.; , "Project-Based Learning of Scientific Writing and Communication Skills for Postgraduate Students," IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), pp.210-213, Oct. 2014 doi: 10.1109/FIE.2014.7044022This paper addresses education on scientific publication skills for post-graduate engineering students. In particular, a project-based learning strategy is proposed to lead students through the preparation a research paper. Expected learning outcomes are related to finding and evaluating the quality of references, editing and formatting text in \LaTeX, writing scientific papers with appropriate style and structure, peer reviewing, and making technical presentations. This approach has been developed to increase the internationalization and visibility of young researchers by improving the quality standards of their published works. The purpose of this innovative practice is that students confront the major challenges of the publication process in the classroom, which is in contrast with the traditional self-taught approach experienced by the authors and many senior researchers. The proposed strategy is being applied as a required course in the Master in Mechatronics Engineering of the University of Malaga. This paper offers preliminary results from this experience.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. This work has been partially supported by projects DPI 2011-22443 (Spanish CICYT) and PIE 13-155 (Universidad de Málaga, proyecto de innovación educativa `Aprendizaje basado en proyectos para mejorar la excelencia de publicaciones científicas y transferencia del conocimiento en ingeniería")

Evidence for mechanisms underlying the functional benefits of a myocardial matrix hydrogel for post-MI treatment

Background There is increasing need for better therapies to prevent the development of heart failure after myocardial infarction (MI). An injectable hydrogel derived from decellularized porcine ventricular myocardium has been shown to halt the post-infarction progression of negative left ventricular remodeling and decline in cardiac function in both small and large animal models. Objectives This study sought to elucidate the tissue-level mechanisms underlying the therapeutic benefits of myocardial matrix injection. Methods Myocardial matrix or saline was injected into infarcted myocardium 1 week after ischemia-reperfusion in Sprague-Dawley rats. Cardiac function was evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging and hemodynamic measurements at 5 weeks after injection. Whole transcriptome microarrays were performed on RNA isolated from the infarct at 3 days and 1 week after injection. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and histologic quantification confirmed expression of key genes and their activation in altered pathways. Results Principal component analysis of the transcriptomes showed that samples collected from myocardial matrix-injected infarcts are distinct and cluster separately from saline-injected control subjects. Pathway analysis indicated that these differences are due to changes in several tissue processes that may contribute to improved cardiac healing after MI. Matrix-injected infarcted myocardium exhibits an altered inflammatory response, reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis, enhanced infarct neovascularization, diminished cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, altered metabolic enzyme expression, increased cardiac transcription factor expression, and progenitor cell recruitment, along with improvements in global cardiac function and hemodynamics. Conclusions These results indicate that the myocardial matrix alters several key pathways after MI creating a pro-regenerative environment, further demonstrating its promise as a potential post-MI therapy

Conversión de un Robot Móvil de Cadenas en Vehículo Híbrido Eléctrico

Este trabajo ha sido publicado en: Actas de las XXXV Jornadas de Automática. Valencia,Comité Español de Automática CEA-IFAC , 2014. ISBN-13:78-84-697-0589-6En la remodelación del robot móvil Auriga-a, desarrollado en el año 2000, solo se ha conservado su sistema de locomoción. Además de la actualización de los sistemas informáticos y equipos de control, el principal objetivo ha sido la conversión del robot en un vehículo híbrido eléctrico. Para ello, se han incorporado baterías LiFePO4 con su correspondiente cargador y un generador monofásico. En el diseño, se han tenido en cuenta el posicionado del centro de gravedad y la ventilación de los equipos. En conjunto, la remodelación consigue reducir la masa del vehículo y mejorar su eficiencia y autonomía energética. En la actualidad, el diseño está siendo implantado en el robot real.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. CICYT DPI 2011-22443

Collapsible Cubes: Removing Overhangs from 3D Point Clouds to Build Local Navigable Elevation Maps

Elevation maps offer a compact 2 1/2 dimensional model of terrain surface for navigation in field mobile robotics. However, building these maps from 3D raw point clouds con- taining overhangs, such as tree canopy or tunnels, can produce useless results. This paper proposes a simple processing of a ground-based point cloud that identifies and removes overhang points that do not constitute an obstacle for navigation while keeping vertical structures such as walls or tree trunks. The procedure uses efficient data structures to collapse unsupported 3D cubes down to the ground. This method has been successfully applied to 3D laser scans taken from a mobile robot in outdoor environments in order to build local elevation maps for navigation. Computation times show an improvement with respect to a previous point-based solution to this problem.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Multiple Sclerosis Outcomes after Cancer Immunotherapy

INTRODUCTION: Neurological immune-related adverse events are a rare but potentially deadly complication after immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment. As multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease, it is unknown how ICI treatment may affect outcomes. METHODS: We analyzed the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database for pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, nivolumab, ipilimumab, avelumab, and durvalumab 2 years prior their FDA approval until December 31, 2017, to include all cases with confirmed diagnosis/relapse of MS. We also included cases reported in the literature and a patient from our institution. RESULTS: We identified 14 cases of MS with median age of presentation of 52 years. Indications for ICI included melanoma in 7 (36.36%) cases, non-small cell lung carcinoma in 2 (18.18%) cases, 1 case (9.09%) each of pleural mesothelioma, renal cell carcinoma, and colorectal cancer, and unreported in 2 (18.18%) cases. History of MS was confirmed in 8 (57.1%) cases. Median time to beginning of symptoms was 29 days with rapid disease progression; two patients died due to their relapse. Median time for symptom resolution was 8 weeks. Outcomes did not vary by comparing CTLA-4 and PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: Reported MS relapses after ICI are rare, but the adverse events described include rapid neurologic progression and death. Larger and prospective studies are warranted to assess disability and long-term outcomes and outweigh the risks of starting immunotherapy in patients with MS

Development and Dissemination of a New Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Curriculum in Digital Forensics

The Information Trust Institute (ITI) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is developing an entirely new multidisciplinary undergraduate curriculum on the topic of digital forensics, and this paper presents the findings of the development process, including initial results and evaluation of a pilot offering of the coursework to students. The curriculum consists of a four-course sequence, including introductory and advanced lecture courses with parallel laboratory courses, followed by an advanced course. The content has been designed to reflect both the emerging national standards and the strong multidisciplinary character of the profession of digital forensics, and includes modules developed collaboratively by faculty experts in multiple fields of computer science, law, psychology, social sciences, and accountancy. A preliminary plan for the introductory course was presented to a workshop of digital forensics experts in May 2013 and received their strong approval. Pilot versions of the introductory and introductory lab courses were taught to a mixture of computer science and law students at the University of Illinois in the fall of 2013, and were very positively received by the students, who made it clear that they appreciated the multidisciplinary approach. The curriculum, which is designed to obviate the need for expensive labs or team-teaching by specialized faculty, will be made available to other colleges and universities in order to improve the content and quality of existing digital forensics programs, to inspire and greatly facilitate the creation of new programs, and, ultimately, to increase the number of educated practitioners. The developed resources can be used as the basis for future academic programs, distance learning, and multidisciplinary, multi-institutional programs that meet evolving digital forensics educational standards. Much of the material, including a virtual laboratory, will be provided on-line. Introductory course materials will be distributed to other institutions beginning in the summer of 2014; advanced course materials should be available for distribution in 2015. Related outreach activities have been undertaken and will be continued. Keywords: Digital forensics, Computer forensics, Curriculum development, Curriculum standards, Education standards, Training standards, Undergraduate education, Interdisciplinary studie