A study of low force fabric characteristics and vibrational behaviour for automated garment handling

One of the fundamental concepts in automated garment assembly is that the orientation of a fabric panel should never be lost. However, if a panel does become distorted, several techniques, such as vision, air flotation tables, and vibratory conveyors are available to restore the orientation. This thesis has investigated the behaviour of a fabric panel on a vibratory table. Several table parameters such as amplitude of vibration, frequency and angle of inclination, together with some important fabric properties as friction and compressibility are required to understand the behaviour. However, most work on friction in textiles considers fibre-fibre or fabric-fabric friction, which is not appropriate to this and so low force frictional properties between unloaded fabric and engineering surfaces (i.e., aluminium, Formica and rubber) have been studied. The influence of several experimental variables on friction is demonstrated, in particular, the effect of humidity and velocity. Further, an in depth study is made on the stick-slip of fabric panels wherein a novel measuring technique is introduced. An estimate of the damping, which is required to model the fabric, has been obtained from an in-plane vibration test.The second significant fabric property to be studied is the compression both static and impact. Again, only low-force compression tests are carried out since these are the typical forces experienced by fabrics on a vibrating table. The static compressibility of knitted and woven materials is verified with van Wvk's equation. which gives a near indistinguishable fit with the experimental data

Model-based versus model-free control designs for improving microalgae growth in a closed photobioreactor: Some preliminary comparisons

Controlling microalgae cultivation, i.e., a crucial industrial topic today, is a challenging task since the corresponding modeling is complex, highly uncertain and time-varying. A model-free control setting is therefore introduced in order to ensure a high growth of microalgae in a continuous closed photobioreactor. Computer simulations are displayed in order to compare this design to an input-output feedback linearizing control strategy, which is widely used in the academic literature on photobioreactors. They assess the superiority of the model-free standpoint both in terms of performances and implementation simplicity.Comment: The 24th Mediterranean Conference on Control and Automation (MED'16), Athens, Greece (June 21-24, 2016

Editorial - L'interpénétration des jeux mafieux et politiques

Témoignages de victimes, révélations spectaculaires sur l'implication de hautes personnalités, stigmatisation de certains pays producteurs, campagnes de publicité pour les programmes de lutte anti-drogue se succèdent à un rythme accéléré. Pourtant, au-delà de cette agitation et de ces révélations ponctuelles, qui posent immédiatement la question des liens avec le politique, peu de travaux universitaires ont abordé le sujet (...)

Editorial - L'interpénétration des jeux mafieux et politiques

Témoignages de victimes, révélations spectaculaires sur l'implication de hautes personnalités, stigmatisation de certains pays producteurs, campagnes de publicité pour les programmes de lutte anti-drogue se succèdent à un rythme accéléré. Pourtant, au-delà de cette agitation et de ces révélations ponctuelles, qui posent immédiatement la question des liens avec le politique, peu de travaux universitaires ont abordé le sujet (...)