Neural Network Local Navigation of Mobile Robots in a Moving Obstacles Environment

IF AC Intelligent Components and Instruments for Control Applications, Budapest, Hungary, 1994This paper presents a local navigation method based on generalized predictive control. A modified cost function to avoid moving and static obstacles is presented. An Extended Kaiman Filter is proposed to predict the motions of the obstacles. A Neural Network implementation of this method is analysed. Simulation results are shown.Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología TAP93-0408Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología TAP93-058

Fuzzy Predictive Controller for Mobile Robot Path Tracking

IFAC Intelligent Components and Instruments for Control Applications, Annecy, France 1997This paper presents a way of implementing a Model Based Predictive Controller (MBPC) for mobile robot path-tracking. The method uses a non-linear model of mobile robot dynamics and thus allows an accurate prediction of the future trajectories. Constraints on the maximum attainable angular velocity is also considered by the algorithm. A fuzzy approach is used to implement the MBPC. The fuzzy controller has been trained using a lookup-table scheme, where the database of fuzzy-rules has been obtained automatically from a set of input-output training patterns, computed with the predictive controller. Experimental results obtained when applying the fuzzy controller to a TRC labmate mobile platform are given in the paper.Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología TAP95-0307Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología TAP96-884C

It´s a lonely existence

El proyecto posee un marcado posicionamiento político que no ha sido buscado intencionadamente sino que ha sido una emergencia como consecuencia directa de sus particularidades. Para trazar un mapa de los puntos conceptuales clave que han articulado el desarrollo del mismo creo conveniente, primero, hablar sobre la construcción alteritaria en los grupos sociales, los prejuicios y su relación con la discriminación, la objetivación y naturalización de distintas verdades sociales, las consecuencias del actual establecimiento de la ética como moral hegemónica y, por último, los mecanismos críticos en el ámbito artístico y sus particularidades

MoLinux, un sistema operativo libre para Castilla La Mancha

Este artículo introduce al lector tanto al software de libre distribución y a sus orígenes, dando a conocer al usuario de las NTIC el sistema operativo que ha lanzado la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla La Mancha, MoLinux, así como algunas características básicas de un sistema operativo Linux

Studies of intensified liquid-liquid extractions in small-channel contactors and their scale-up

This thesis presents a series of investigations focused on scaling-up intensified liquid-liquid flow processes from single-channel to commercial-scale. The process investigated consists of liquid-liquid extractions of U(VI) from nitric acid to an organic phase. These extractions are relevant to the safety and sustainability of the nuclear fuel cycle. The intensified contactor consists of a tee-junction feeding to a channel with small internal diameter (1 to 4 mm) operating under segmented flow pattern. Segmented flow contactors intensify liquid-liquid extractions in uranium recovery processes because they provide intense mixing, short diffusion distances, and large interfacial area at low energy input. Using high-speed imaging, UV-Vis spectroscopy, pressure gradient measurements, and dimensional analysis, the operation and design trade-offs are quantitatively identified with focus on scale-up. A finite-element model is used to corroborate the experimental mass transfer results. The scale-up is achieved via numbering-up, which increases the number of process units instead of making one larger unit. Economic parallelisation requires effective flow distribution. Multiphase flow distribution has been a persistent problem in the path towards commercialisation. This problem is addressed by modelling a double manifold with a resistance network model and a novel method to quantify maldistribution, derived from multivariate statistical analysis. The relationships between the hydraulic resistances with maldistribution, pumping power, and the number of channels are quantified. Finally, the single-channel results and the flow distributor model are used to design, build, and test a modular multichannel segmented flow contactor prototype. The design and commissioning steps are described along with the experimental maldistribution results, including flow distribution and mass transfer results. The multichannel contactor can be operated with different number of channels at any time, thus changing a long-standing paradigm in reactor design. This promises to accelerate process development by facilitating the transition from bench to pilot and commercial scales

Application of a Natural Language Interface to the Teleoperation of a Mobile Robot

IFAC Intelligent Components for Vehicles, Seville, Spain, 1998This paper describes the application of a natural language interface to the teleoperation of a mobile robot. Natural language communication with robots is a major goal, since it allows for non expert people to communicate with robots in his or her own language. This communication has to be flexible enough to allow the user to control the robot with a minimum knowledge about its details. In order to do this, the user must be able to perform simple operations as well as high level tasks which involve multiple elements of the system. For this ones, an adequate representation of the knowledge about the robot and its environment will allow the creation of a plan of simple actions whose execution will result in the accomplishment of the requested tas