Nonlinear control of multibody flexible mechanisms: A model-free approach

In this paper a novel nonlinear controller for position and vibration control of flexible-link mechanisms is introduced. The proposed control strategy is model-free and does not require the measurement of the elastic deformation of the mechanism, since the control relies only on the knowledge of the angular position of the actuator and on its time derivative, which can be measured simply with a quadrature encoder. The conditions for the closed-loop stability are evaluated using Lyapunov theory. The performance of the proposed technique is evaluated on a four-bar flexible-link mechanism. Superior vibration damping and more accurate trajectory tracking is obtained in comparison with a PD controller and a fractional order controller, which relies on the same set of measurement as the proposed nonlinear controller

Risk management in solitary agricultural work: new technologies for handling emergency and falls from great heights (SHADE)

Solitary work and agricultural activities are the scenarios of a large number of severe injuries and deaths, also because first aid may be difficult to achieve in isolated locations. This work proposes a technology available on smartphones that allows triggering an emergency call when a fall from height or an unconsciousness state is detected. The results of several tests, which include different detection algorithms and scenarios, are reported in this work. Tests performed with the aid of a dummy have allowed developing a reliable algorithm for the detection of dangerous situations. This system is available as an Android application

Fault-tolerant formation driving mechanism designed for heterogeneous MAVs-UGVs groups

A fault-tolerant method for stabilization and navigation of 3D heterogeneous formations is proposed in this paper. The presented Model Predictive Control (MPC) based approach enables to deploy compact formations of closely cooperating autonomous aerial and ground robots in surveillance scenarios without the necessity of a precise external localization. Instead, the proposed method relies on a top-view visual relative localization provided by the micro aerial vehicles flying above the ground robots and on a simple yet stable visual based navigation using images from an onboard monocular camera. The MPC based schema together with a fault detection and recovery mechanism provide a robust solution applicable in complex environments with static and dynamic obstacles. The core of the proposed leader-follower based formation driving method consists in a representation of the entire 3D formation as a convex hull projected along a desired path that has to be followed by the group. Such an approach provides non-collision solution and respects requirements of the direct visibility between the team members. The uninterrupted visibility is crucial for the employed top-view localization and therefore for the stabilization of the group. The proposed formation driving method and the fault recovery mechanisms are verified by simulations and hardware experiments presented in the paper

CRISPR technology towards genome editing of the perennial and semi-perennial crops citrus, coffee and sugarcane.

Gene editing technologies have opened up the possibility of manipulating the genome of any organism in a predicted way. CRISPR technology is the most used genome editing tool and, in agriculture, it has allowed the expansion of possibilities in plant biotechnology, such as gene knockout or knock-in, transcriptional regulation, epigenetic modification, base editing, RNA editing, prime editing, and nucleic acid probing or detection. This technology mostly depends on in vitro tissue culture and genetic transformation/transfection protocols, which sometimes become the major challenges for its application in different crops. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, biolistics, plasmid or RNP (ribonucleoprotein) transfection of protoplasts are some of the commonly used CRISPR delivery methods, but they depend on the genotype and target gene for efficient editing. The choice of the CRISPR system (Cas9, Cas12), CRISPR mechanism (plasmid or RNP) and transfection technique (Agrobacterium spp., PEG solution, lipofection) directly impacts the transformation efficiency and/or editing rate. Besides, CRISPR/Cas technology has made countries rethink regulatory frameworks concerning genetically modified organisms and flexibilize regulatory obstacles for edited plants. Here we present an overview of the state-of-the-art of CRISPR technology applied to three important crops worldwide (citrus, coffee and sugarcane), considering the biological, methodological, and regulatory aspects of its application. In addition, we provide perspectives on recently developed CRISPR tools and promising applications for each of these crops, thus highlighting the usefulness of gene editing to develop novel cultivars

Microarray analysis and scale-free gene networks identify candidate regulators in drought-stressed roots of loblolly pine (P. taeda L.)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Global transcriptional analysis of loblolly pine (<it>Pinus taeda </it>L.) is challenging due to limited molecular tools. PtGen2, a 26,496 feature cDNA microarray, was fabricated and used to assess drought-induced gene expression in loblolly pine propagule roots. Statistical analysis of differential expression and weighted gene correlation network analysis were used to identify drought-responsive genes and further characterize the molecular basis of drought tolerance in loblolly pine.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Microarrays were used to interrogate root cDNA populations obtained from 12 genotype × treatment combinations (four genotypes, three watering regimes). Comparison of drought-stressed roots with roots from the control treatment identified 2445 genes displaying at least a 1.5-fold expression difference (false discovery rate = 0.01). Genes commonly associated with drought response in pine and other plant species, as well as a number of abiotic and biotic stress-related genes, were up-regulated in drought-stressed roots. Only 76 genes were identified as differentially expressed in drought-recovered roots, indicating that the transcript population can return to the pre-drought state within 48 hours. Gene correlation analysis predicts a scale-free network topology and identifies eleven co-expression modules that ranged in size from 34 to 938 members. Network topological parameters identified a number of central nodes (hubs) including those with significant homology (E-values ≤ 2 × 10^-30) to 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase, zeatin O-glucosyltransferase, and ABA-responsive protein. Identified hubs also include genes that have been associated previously with osmotic stress, phytohormones, enzymes that detoxify reactive oxygen species, and several genes of unknown function.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>PtGen2 was used to evaluate transcriptome responses in loblolly pine and was leveraged to identify 2445 differentially expressed genes responding to severe drought stress in roots. Many of the genes identified are known to be up-regulated in response to osmotic stress in pine and other plant species and encode proteins involved in both signal transduction and stress tolerance. Gene expression levels returned to control values within a 48-hour recovery period in all but 76 transcripts. Correlation network analysis indicates a scale-free network topology for the pine root transcriptome and identifies central nodes that may serve as drivers of drought-responsive transcriptome dynamics in the roots of loblolly pine.</p

Energy optimal design of servo-actuated systems: A concurrent approach based on scaling rules

This paper addresses the issue of reducing the energy consumption of servo-actuated systems by means of the optimal selection of the electric motor and of the gearbox from catalogs of commercially available components. This idea overcomes a lack of literature: on the one hand, the energy efficiency of these systems is usually tackled through the improvement of the efficiency of each individual component rather than on focusing on a global efficiency goal; on the other one, the methods to select these components neglect the specific issue of energy consumption, being usually focused on cost reduction or minimum motor sizing. The aim of this paper is to propose a model-based design approach for the energy-optimal concurrent selection of motor, coupling and gearbox in servo-actuated systems. The method is based on the use of scaling rules, which are developed to condensate all the relevant characteristics of the system into just two parameters: the gearbox transmission ratio and the motor continuous torque at stall. Scaling rules summarize and reveal the complex relations between the system parameters and energy consumption, and hence are incorporated into the analytic formulation of the overall energy consumption. The use of these metamodels, that can be easily obtained from data provided in datasheets, allows casting the design problem as a constrained optimization problem with just two design variables. The outlined procedure is completely automatic and does not require any design iteration. The results, evaluated for two application examples, demonstrate the relevant energy savings provided by the proposed method