Interactive Robot for Playing Russian Checkers

Human\u2013robot interaction in board games is a rapidly developing field of robotics. This paper presents a robot capable of playing Russian checkers designed for entertaining, training, and research purposes. Its control program is based on a novel unsupervised self-learning algorithm inspired by AlphaZero and represents the first successful attempt of using this approach in the checkers game. The main engineering challenge in mechanics is to develop a board state acquisition system non-sensitive to lighting conditions, which is achieved by rejecting computer vision and utilizing magnetic sensors instead. An original robot face is designed to endow the robot an ability to express its attributed emotional state. Testing the robot at open-air multiday exhibitions shows the robustness of the design to difficult exploitation conditions and the high interest of visitors to the robot

Titania nanotubes (TNTs) prepared through the complex compound of gallic acid with titanium; examining photocatalytic degradation of the obtained TNTs

It was for the first time that the complex compound of gallic acid with titanium (IV) salt was used as a precursor to synthesize titania nanotubes. The study was separated into four main sections; (I) synthesizing the complex of titanium with gallic acid, (II) synthesizing anatase and rutile phases through thermal decomposing of the complex, (III) investigating the possibility to synthesize titania nanotubes from the rutile and anatase phases, and (IV) photocatalytic ability of all the nanoparticles. Different methods were applied to analysis, including X-ray diffraction, 1H NMR, FT-IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, quantum-chemical modeling, Raman spectroscopy, thermal analysis, photoluminescence, BET analysis (to investigate the specific surface activity, total pore volume), EDX, electron microscopy (SEM), acceleration voltages, electrical conductivity, BJH method (to determine average pore diameter), and UV–Vis spectroscopy. We illustrated the possibility of the synthesis of the titania nanotubes from the anatase phase, while rutile phase was not turned to a tube shape. The photocatalytic ability of the obtained nanoparticles was tested by degrading bromophenol blue, as an organic pollutant, under weak light. TiO2 in the form of nanotubes could reduce the concentration of bromophenol blue to 82%, as well as the rutile phase - to 70%, and finally anatase as nan-spheres to 36%. © 202

Study of two-memcapacitor circuit model with semi-explicit ODE solver

This article discusses software tools for studying non-linear dynamical systems. For a detailed analysis of the behavior of chaotic systems stepsize-parameter diagrams are introduced. A new self-adjoint semi-explicit algorithm for the numerical integration of differential equations is described. Two modifications of the proposed method are represented. A two-memcapacitor circuit is selected as a test dynamical system. Symmetry, accuracy and performance analysis of semi-explicit extrapolation ODE solver are considered in a series of computational experiments. Phase space of the two-memcapacitor circuit model, stepsize-parameter diagrams and dynamical maps are given as experimental findings

New Spectral Markers for Broken Bars Diagnostics in Induction Motors

The paper discusses the spectral markers of fault rotor bars in induction motor current signature analysis (MCSA). The results of the simulation of the deterioration process for a single rotor bar, as well as the results of research for various mutual bracing of two broken bars, are reported. We proposed a simple empiric technique allowing one to obtain frequencies for spectrum markers of damaged rotor bars based on simulation analysis. The set of frequencies obtained in the experimental part of the study was compared with simulation results and the results of real-life measurements. The theoretical results were verified through the experiment with the real induction motor under load. Analysis of experimental results proved that the given algorithm for spectrum analysis is suitable for early detection of fault rotor bars in induction motors

Comparing the Finite-Difference Schemes in the Simulation of Shunted Josephson Junctions

The paper provides investigation of the numerical effects in finite-difference models of RLC-shunted circuit simulating Josephson junction. We study digital models of the circuit obtained by explicit, implicit and semi-explicit Euler methods. The Dormand-Prince 8 ODE solver is used for verification as a reference method. Two aspects of the RLC- shunted Josephson junction model are considered: the dynamical maps (two-dimensional bifurcation diagrams) and chaotic transients existing in the system within a certain parameter range. We show that both explicit and implicit Euler methods distort the dynamical properties, including stretching or compressing the dynamical maps and changing chaotic transient lifetime decay curve. Experiments demonstrate high reliability of the first-order Euler-Cromer method in simulation of the shunted Josephson junction model which yields data close to the reference data. Obtained results bring new accurate chaotic transient lifetime decay equation for the RLC-shunted Josephson junction model

Investigation an environmentally friendly method under magnetic field as a green solvent for the synthesis of brookite phase nanoparticles at room temperature

TiO2 nanoparticles in the brookite phase were synthesized within an environmentally friendly method by magnetized water obtained by the US-patent magnetizing device (US10507450B2), which changes the properties of all types of the solvents with no limitation (protic or aprotic). Furthermore, this study is the first report on the synthesis of brookite TiO2 nanoparticle through magnetized water at room temperature. The procedure was tested by five different water; ordinary, 15, 30, 45, and 60 min-magnetized water. The products were analyzed by various techniques including XRD, FESEM, ICP, BJH-plot, t-plot, Langmuir plot, BET, TEM, and FTIR. The result showed that the products obtained from 30 min-magnetized water were the most properly indexed TiO2 brookite phase with high surface activity. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Removing organic harmful compounds from the polluted water by a novel synthesized cobalt(II) and titanium(IV) containing photocatalyst under visible light

A facile approach for the synthesis of nanoporous cobalt oxide, anatase, rutile, and mix of rutile-anatase phase through thermal decomposition of organometallic complex compounds of phloroglucinol carboxylic acid were used for the first time in order to remove the organic-harmful compounds from water. The complex compounds and nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis (metal, organic atoms), Field-Emission Scanning Electron microscopy (SEM), NMR spectroscopy, quantum chemical modeling, photoluminescence, and thermal analysis techniques. The results illustrated that TiO2 nanoparticles in three different structures/ phases (Anatase, Anatase-Rutile mixture, and Rutile) and nanoporous cobalt oxide were isolated. In order to examine the possibility of modification of the structures based on TiO2, a new method was also applied, including grinding and thermal decomposition of titanium and cobalt complexes in the different ratio (10 %-to-90 %). Titanium and cobalt complexes were mixed, and ground well and then heated to 500 °C for 2 h. Nanoparticles of titanium and cobalt oxides mixtures were studied by SEM, EDX, XRD, and photoluminescence methods. The ability of the obtained product in the environmental field was tested. The results showed it led to the formation of cobalt (II) titanate of perovskite-like structures and Ti80 %Co20 % ratio was the most proper ratio to absorb visible light. Finally, this sample was used as a photocatalyst to degrade bromophenol blue (BPB), as a harmful organic target, under visible light and it could reduce the concentration of BPB to 82 % after 120 min, which showed it to be a powerful photocatalyst to treat water. © 2020 Elsevier B.V

DE-IDENTIFICATION TECHNIQUE FOR IOT WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK PRIVACY PROTECTION

[[abstract]]As the IoT ecosystem becoming more and more mature, hardware and software vendors are trying create new value by connecting all kinds of devices together via IoT. IoT devices are usually equipped with sensors to collect data, and the data collected are transmitted over the air via different kinds of wireless connection. To extract the value of the data collected, the data owner may choose to seek for third-party help on data analysis, or even of the data to the public for more insight. In this scenario it is important to protect the released data from privacy leakage. Here we propose that differential privacy, as a de-identification technique, can be a useful approach to add privacy protection to the data released, as well as to prevent the collected from intercepted and decoded during over-the-air transmission. A way to increase the accuracy of the count queries performed on the edge cases in a synthetic database is also presented in this research.[[notice]]補正完