combined activation of braking and steering for automated driving systems adaptive intervention by injury risk based criteria

Abstract Increase in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) performances is a crucial step towards autonomous driving, allowing the design of increasingly reliable automated driving systems (ADS); ADAS devices play a key role in the enhancement of vehicle safety, which primarily results from the ability to avoid possible impacts. Nevertheless, inevitable collision states (ICS) can be triggered by obstacles as buildings and stationary vehicles interposing between the opponent and the working field of ADAS sensors, compromising their functions; therefore, the performance increase of ADAS devices on the market necessarily passes from the optimal handling of an ICS, which is not currently subject to evaluations. The work introduces ADAS intervention criteria which are based on the occupants' injury risk (IR): in a specific road scenario, the ADAS must primarily avoid the collision with maximum margin and minimize IR in the case of an ICS. Specifically, the ADAS must monitor the environment and intervene on braking and steering adapting to the scenario evolution, following an "adaptive" logic. The most critical aspect of the approach lies in reconstructing, for the specific intervention, the eventual impact: while being a time-consuming process, reconstruction of the impact phase is necessary to compute impact-related parameters (e.g., velocity change of the vehicle ∆V) which directly affect IR. To highlight the benefits offered by an adaptive ADAS compared to traditional ADASs, a special testing software has been developed: the best adaptive intervention to be applied at each instant is chosen in real-time through the criteria proposed, retrieving the required information from a pre-calculated database which collects the results of each braking and steering manoeuvre for a large variety of critical scenarios. Analyzing three ICS conditions, it is shown that the adaptive logic, differing from an autonomous emergency braking, aims at creating eccentrical impacts with minimum ∆V: the IR values associated with the ADAS adaptive intervention are consequently an order of magnitude lower than those obtained through traditional ADAS interventions

Optimal Rayleigh waves generation by continuous wave modulated laser

Laser-ultrasound technology is typically employed in case of non-destructive, non-contact inspection of mechanical components. In particular, low power laser sources (diodes) allow to contain implementation costs; on the other hand, identification of the ultrasonic peak is complex due to the low Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), requiring the use of specific signal processing techniques. Features of the ultrasounds generated by the laser excitation, both in terms of frequencies and SNR, cannot be foreseen in advance, depending from the type of material and its thermo-elastic characteristics: it is thus fundamental to dispose of criteria to set in an optimal way the signal acquisition parameters to effectively apply a correct processing procedure and retrieve the useful information. In the work, surface R (Rayleigh) waves generated by a Continuous Wave (CW) low power laser are characterized, using a particular processing technique in the time domain. To identify the most influential input parameters on SNR, a Design Of Experiments (DOE) and a specific analysis are introduced: overall, the distance between source and receiver and the number of ensemble average applied before acquisition strongly affect SNR; the pulse duration results on the other hand influential at the same time on SNR and on the generated ultrasound frequency. Finally, analogies with longitudinal (L) waves generated by the same source are highlighted, allowing also for information on how to set up the investigation based on the type of wave and acquisition instruments employed

Thermal Performance Investigation of Phase Change Materials in Concrete Blocks Masonry

Mortars containing phase change materials (PCMs) were tested to determine their applicability to the thermal control of buildings. One mini-wall prototype was coated with mortar without PCM, whereas the three other prototypes were coated with mortar added with 5%, 10%, and 15% PCM. All specimens were subjected to visual analysis, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. Thermal analysis was conducted using K-type thermocouples under irradiation by 1000 W halogen lamps. Compared with the other samples, the sample containing 15% PCM required more water in the mixture to achieve a good consistency. Compared with the reference mortar containing 0% PCM, specimens containing 5%, 10%, and 15% PCM showed greater thermal delay. The results of this study reveal that the use of PCM in buildings might lead to significant energy savings

adas assisted driver behaviour in near missing car pedestrian accidents

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Quando la scienza brancola nel buio: accordo di collaborazione tra l’Istituto dei Ciechi “Opere riunite I. Florio – F. ed A. Salamone” di Palermo e il CNR IAS di Capo Granitola

La convenzione oggetto del presente rapporto nasce nel contesto delle complesse attività di EduLab, gruppo di divulgazione scientifica che,seppur già attivo dal2008, nasce ufficialmente nel 2015e mette insieme ricercatori di varie discipline che condividono la passione di divulgare la scienza e i risultati da essa prodotti nei propri ambiti di competenza.La comunicazione scientifica, molto sentita e ben strutturata all’interno dell’IAS (ex. IAMC), ha portato a numerosi risultati e ad un numero ragguardevole di progetti e programmi, ed è un’attività ormai talmente ben consolidata da diventare organica all’istituto e alle sue strategie. I prodotti sviluppati sono tanti e anche i successi ottenuti, quali premi sulle attività di divulgazione, la partecipazione ad Expo 2015 ed a numerose edizioni in ambito di manifestazioni nazionali quali: Festival della Scienza, Esperienza insegna, Notte della scienza e Notte dei ricercatori, Illuminiamo la scienza. Grazie ad un curriculum unico e complesso, il gruppo è stato il driver della nascita dell’Osservatorio della Biodiversità della Regione Sicilia, oggi riferimento regionale per la didattica e la divulgazione scientifica sul tema della biodiversità, visitato ad oggi da più di 500 classi di studenti siciliani. Le ricadute culturali, di visibilità, nonché di immagine per l’istituto sono tantissime

“How a good video can remove ‘barriers’ for a more inclusive science communication”

There is a burgeoning body of evidence suggesting that technology can enhance learning, and multiple studies have shown that videos represent a very effective tool in science engagement and education. In fact, video media can transform the complexities of science and nature into something more tangible and tractable (Dabylchuk et al., 2018). Documentaries can hence be powerful tools for learning, to raise awareness for important topics, and adding a scientific approach makes it possible to deepen knowledge about the world. According to Dale’s cone of experience (Fig. 1), people memorize 10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear, 30% of what they see and 50% of what they hear and see (Wiman and Mierhenry, 1969). These statistics seems to convey a very clear message: blind or visually impaired people are penalised in the learning compared to sighted ones. However, our experience in the area of inclusive science communication has led us to wonder: are we sure that sight is a fundamental means for learning? Or is it possible that sight is a predominant sense over others, and therefore it can even mislead or limit learning? To answer this question, we held an ad-hoc educational laboratory with the users of the “IstitutodeiCiechiOpereRiunite I. Florio – F. ed A. Salamone” of Palermo, with which we have established a convention on 29/01/2019. Specifically, we involved 20 users with different degrees of visual impairment, in the projection of three science videos, selected from those realised by the EDUlab divulgation group over the years. At the end of the video projection, users were asked to express their opinions and their personal interpretations of scientific issues, allowing us to understand what e how many information have been received and, above all, if sighted usersare really advantaged compared to the visually impaired ones

“Beaks and berries”: zoological laboratory (II) of the formative proposal of inclusive scientific divulgation

Searching a topic that help us about the implementation of an inclusive divulgation, aimed also at sensory disabilitiesusers, we have chosen birds as a key to connect different scientific issues (pollution, environmental changes, exploitation of resources) and create new knowledge in a heterogeneous auditorium, through the suggestions that the workshop lessons can infuse on the users, whether they are disabled or not. All this to bring them closer to thescientific contents to which they do not have easy access. In particular, the project aims to develop, deepen and consolidate, through communication and information, issues concerning the concept of biodiversity, in order to sensitize users to safeguard the species and habitats of our territory and make them as the main actors of scientific dissemination.Indeed, weestabilisheda convention between the “Istituto dei Ciechi Opere riunite I. Florio – F. ed A. Salamone” of Palermo and the “Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Istituto per lo studio degli impatti Antropici e Sostenibilità in ambiente marino” of Capo Granitola (TP). The main role of this convention is to bring disable people closer to these scientific subjects and make the contents of our laboratories as inclusive as possible.The project "The world of birds", developed from January to April 2019 is divided into three main themes, the second of which is the focus of this report: The bird alimentation