786 research outputs found
Simple robust control laws for robot manipulators. Part 2: Adaptive case
A new class of asymptotically stable adaptive control laws is introduced for application to the robotic manipulator. Unlike most applications of adaptive control theory to robotic manipulators, this analysis addresses the nonlinear dynamics directly without approximation, linearization, or ad hoc assumptions, and utilizes a parameterization based on physical (time-invariant) quantities. This approach is made possible by using energy-like Lyapunov functions which retain the nonlinear character and structure of the dynamics, rather than simple quadratic forms which are ubiquitous to the adaptive control literature, and which have bound the theory tightly to linear systems with unknown parameters. It is a unique feature of these results that the adaptive forms arise by straightforward certainty equivalence adaptation of their nonadaptive counterparts found in the companion to this paper (i.e., by replacing unknown quantities by their estimates) and that this simple approach leads to asymptotically stable closed-loop adaptive systems. Furthermore, it is emphasized that this approach does not require convergence of the parameter estimates (i.e., via persistent excitation), invertibility of the mass matrix estimate, or measurement of the joint accelerations
Simple robust control laws for robot manipulators. Part 1: Non-adaptive case
A new class of exponentially stabilizing control laws for joint level control of robot arms is introduced. It has been recently recognized that the nonlinear dynamics associated with robotic manipulators have certain inherent passivity properties. More specifically, the derivation of the robotic dynamic equations from the Hamilton's principle gives rise to natural Lyapunov functions for control design based on total energy considerations. Through a slight modification of the energy Lyapunov function and the use of a convenient lemma to handle third order terms in the Lyapunov function derivatives, closed loop exponential stability for both the set point and tracking control problem is demonstrated. The exponential convergence property also leads to robustness with respect to frictions, bounded modeling errors and instrument noise. In one new design, the nonlinear terms are decoupled from real-time measurements which completely removes the requirement for on-line computation of nonlinear terms in the controller implementation. In general, the new class of control laws offers alternatives to the more conventional computed torque method, providing tradeoffs between robustness, computation and convergence properties. Furthermore, these control laws have the unique feature that they can be adapted in a very simple fashion to achieve asymptotically stable adaptive control
Exploring the Outcomes and Perceptions of Traditional and Post-baccalaureate ASLS Students
An increase in the number of post-baccalaureate students returning to college for additional education provides a need to better understand this growing population. Studies on program outcomes for traditional and post-baccalaureate students have focused primarily in the medical and nursing fields. These studies lack detailed insight into the student’s experiences and perceptions. Within the Audiology and Speech-Language Sciences fields there is also limited research on traditional and post-baccalaureate student outcomes and experiences. This mixed methods study examined the outcomes and explored the experiences and perceptions of traditional and post-baccalaureate students in the Audiology and Speech-Language Sciences program at the University of Northern Colorado. During the first stage, student outcomes were examined from a previously administered exit survey to determine differences between traditional and post-baccalaureate students. During stage two, participants from each student group were interviewed to develop a greater understanding of each student’s experiences and perceptions. Research suggests that traditional and post-baccalaureate students have different qualities such as learning preferences. Findings indicated common trends in the perception of competition among students and overall experiences that each student encounters as a traditional or post-baccalaureate student. The results may be significant in determining unique advising and building awareness of unique group needs. This may lead to increased understanding of each academic path and the advising that is given to each student
Autonomous frequency domain identification: Theory and experiment
The analysis, design, and on-orbit tuning of robust controllers require more information about the plant than simply a nominal estimate of the plant transfer function. Information is also required concerning the uncertainty in the nominal estimate, or more generally, the identification of a model set within which the true plant is known to lie. The identification methodology that was developed and experimentally demonstrated makes use of a simple but useful characterization of the model uncertainty based on the output error. This is a characterization of the additive uncertainty in the plant model, which has found considerable use in many robust control analysis and synthesis techniques. The identification process is initiated by a stochastic input u which is applied to the plant p giving rise to the output. Spectral estimation (h = P sub uy/P sub uu) is used as an estimate of p and the model order is estimated using the produce moment matrix (PMM) method. A parametric model unit direction vector p is then determined by curve fitting the spectral estimate to a rational transfer function. The additive uncertainty delta sub m = p - unit direction vector p is then estimated by the cross spectral estimate delta = P sub ue/P sub uu where e = y - unit direction vectory y is the output error, and unit direction vector y = unit direction vector pu is the computed output of the parametric model subjected to the actual input u. The experimental results demonstrate the curve fitting algorithm produces the reduced-order plant model which minimizes the additive uncertainty. The nominal transfer function estimate unit direction vector p and the estimate delta of the additive uncertainty delta sub m are subsequently available to be used for optimization of robust controller performance and stability
Isolated effective coherence (iCoh): causal information flow excluding indirect paths
A problem of great interest in real world systems, where multiple time series
measurements are available, is the estimation of the intra-system causal
relations. For instance, electric cortical signals are used for studying
functional connectivity between brain areas, their directionality, the direct
or indirect nature of the connections, and the spectral characteristics (e.g.
which oscillations are preferentially transmitted). The earliest spectral
measure of causality was Akaike's (1968) seminal work on the noise contribution
ratio, reflecting direct and indirect connections. Later, a major breakthrough
was the partial directed coherence of Baccala and Sameshima (2001) for direct
connections. The simple aim of this study consists of two parts: (1) To expose
a major problem with the partial directed coherence, where it is shown that it
is affected by irrelevant connections to such an extent that it can
misrepresent the frequency response, thus defeating the main purpose for which
the measure was developed, and (2) To provide a solution to this problem,
namely the "isolated effective coherence", which consists of estimating the
partial coherence under a multivariate auto-regressive model, followed by
setting all irrelevant associations to zero, other than the particular
directional association of interest. Simple, realistic, toy examples illustrate
the severity of the problem with the partial directed coherence, and the
solution achieved by the isolated effective coherence. For the sake of
reproducible research, the software code implementing the methods discussed
here (using lazarus free-pascal "www.lazarus.freepascal.org"), including the
test data as text files, are freely available at:
https://sites.google.com/site/pascualmarqui/home/icoh-isolated-effective-coherenceComment: 2014-02-21 pre-print, technical report, KEY Institute for Brain-Mind
Research, University of Zurich, et a
Development of integrated continuous bioprocessing using Continuous Countercurrent Tangential Chromatography (CCTC) platform for capture and polishing of monoclonal antibodies
Several recent studies have demonstrated the potential of using continuous countercurrent tangential chromatography (CCTC) for the purification of monoclonal antibody products. CCTC operates with a flowing resin slurry, exploiting traditional approaches of countercurrent staging to achieve \u3e 10-fold increases in productivity compared to traditional batch columns in a truly steady-state low pressure (\u3c15 psi) unit operation that can be directly integrated into a fully continuous biomanufacturing process. The featured data shows productivity and product quality outcomes from Protein A capture, as well as Anion exchange and Cation exchange polishing steps for purification of a commercial mAb. Another unique aspect of CCTC is the ability to use small particle size resins with improved binding kinetics and better system productivity but without any increase in pressure. The data also features our strategy for integrating the unit operations into a single process train incorporating an integrated in-line sampling strategy. In addition we discuss the potential of this platform to enable efficient processing of sensitive biologics because of significantly reduced residence time (\u3c10 min from binding to elution), as well as rapid in-line buffer adjustments of eluted product
Innovations orthogonalization: a solution to the major pitfalls of EEG/MEG "leakage correction"
The problem of interest here is the study of brain functional and effective
connectivity based on non-invasive EEG-MEG inverse solution time series. These
signals generally have low spatial resolution, such that an estimated signal at
any one site is an instantaneous linear mixture of the true, actual, unobserved
signals across all cortical sites. False connectivity can result from analysis
of these low-resolution signals. Recent efforts toward "unmixing" have been
developed, under the name of "leakage correction". One recent noteworthy
approach is that by Colclough et al (2015 NeuroImage, 117:439-448), which
forces the inverse solution signals to have zero cross-correlation at lag zero.
One goal is to show that Colclough's method produces false human connectomes
under very broad conditions. The second major goal is to develop a new
solution, that appropriately "unmixes" the inverse solution signals, based on
innovations orthogonalization. The new method first fits a multivariate
autoregression to the inverse solution signals, giving the mixed innovations.
Second, the mixed innovations are orthogonalized. Third, the mixed and
orthogonalized innovations allow the estimation of the "unmixing" matrix, which
is then finally used to "unmix" the inverse solution signals. It is shown that
under very broad conditions, the new method produces proper human connectomes,
even when the signals are not generated by an autoregressive model.Comment: preprint, technical report, under license
"Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND
4.0)", https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Zero-dispersion Wavelength Mapping in Short Single-Mode Optical Fibers Using Parametric Amplification
We demonstrate a novel convenient nondestructive method based on optical
parametric amplification that allows retrieval of the zero-dispersion
wavelength map along a short optical fiber span with a high-spatial resolution.
The improved resolution relies on the high sensitivity to the local
longitudinal dispersion fluctuations of the parametric high-gain spectrum.Comment: 3 page
Firms' Main Market, Human Capital and Wages
Recent international trade literature emphasizes two features in characterizing the current patterns of trade: efficiency heterogeneity at the firm level and quality differentiation. This paper explores human capital and wage differences across firms in that context. We build a partial equilibrium model predicting that firms selling in more-remote markets employ higher human capital and pay higher wages to employees within each education group. The channel linking these variables is firms’ endogenous choice of quality. Predictions are tested using Spanish employer-employee matched data that classify firms according to four main destination markets: local, national, European Union, and rest of the World. Employees’ average education is increasing in the remoteness of firm’s main output market. Market–destination wage premia are large, increasing in the remoteness of the market, and increasing in individual education. These results suggest that increasing globalization may play a significant role in raising wage inequality within and across education groups
Unterschiedliche Abheilungsdauer und Häufigkeit der Hospitalisation bei Ulcus cruris verschiedener Ursachen
Zusammenfassung: Hintergrund: Das Ulcus cruris ist ein häufiges Symptom einer heterogenen Krankheitsgruppe, das stark belastend ist und aufgrund der langen Abheilungsdauer und aufwendigen Wundversorgung erhebliche Kosten verursacht. Es gibt wenig Information zur Abheilungsdauer und der Notwendigkeit einer Spitalbehandlung bei Ulzera verschiedener Ätiologien. Material und Methoden: In einer retrospektiven Studie wurden die Abheilungsdauer und die Häufigkeit der Hospitalisation von 355Patienten mit Ulcus cruris in der Wundsprechstunde einer universitären Klinik untersucht. Ergebnisse: Bei einer durchschnittlichen Behandlungsdauer von 6,1Monaten für alle Ulzera waren nach 3Monaten 32,0 % und nach 6Monaten 54,2 % abgeheilt. Für die venösen Ulzera waren die Abheilungsraten mit 45,5 und 63,0 % nach 3 respektive 6Monaten höher, während nach 6Monaten lediglich 30,0 % der Patienten mit gemischt arteriell-venösen Ulzera und 35,0 % mit Ulcus hypertonicum Martorell eine Abheilung zeigten. Zudem wurden 71 % der Patienten der letzteren Gruppen mindestens 1-mal hospitalisiert im Vergleich zu 47 % der Patienten mit venösem Ulkus, und die durchschnittliche Hospitalisationsdauer war mit 30 vs. 23Tagen länger. Schlussfolgerungen: Diese Daten zeigen, dass sich die Abheilungsdauer von Ulzera je nach Ätiologie erheblich unterscheidet und insbesondere Ulzera, die durch eine Arteriosklerose mitverursacht sind, eine längere Behandlungsdauer benötigen. Da Letztere auch häufiger und länger hospitalisiert werden, ergeben sich erhebliche soziale und ökonomische Konsequenze
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