Integration of 6D object localization and obstacle detection for collision free robotic manipulation

Abstract — The major goal of research regarding mobile service robotics is to enable a robot to assist human beings in their everyday life. This implies that the robot will have to deal with everyday life environments. One of the most important steps towards able service robots is to enhance the ability to operate well in unstructured living environments. In this paper we focus on the integration of object recognition, obstacle detection and collision free manipulation to increase the service robots manipulation abilities in the context of highly unstructured environments

What Predicts Financial (In)Stability? A Bayesian Approach

This paper contributes to the literature on early warning indicators by applying a Bayesian model averaging approach. Our analysis, based on Austrian data, is carried out in two steps: First, we construct a quarterly financial stress index (AFSI) quantifying the level of stress in the Austrian financial system. Second, we examine the predictive power of various indicators, as measured by their ability to forecast the AFSI. Our approach allows us to investigate a large number of indicators. The results show that banks' share price growth and cross-border lending are among the best early warning indicators

Structural characterization of phase separation in Fe-Cr: a current comparison of experimental methods

Self-assembly due to phase separation within a miscibility gap is important in numerous material systems and applications. A system of particular interest is the binary alloy system Fe-Cr, since it is both a suitable model material and the base system for the stainless steel alloy category, suffering from low-temperature embrittlement due to phase separation. Structural characterization of the minute nano-scale concentration fluctuations during early phase separation has for a long time been considered a major challenge within material characterization. However, recent developments present new opportunities in this field. Here, we present an overview of the current capabilities and limitations of different techniques. A set of Fe-Cr alloys were investigated using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), atom probe tomography, and analytical transmission electron microscopy. The complementarity of the characterization techniques is clear, and combinatorial studies can provide complete quantitative structure information during phase separation in Fe-Cr alloys. Furthermore, we argue that SANS provides a unique in-situ access to the nanostructure, and that direct comparisons between SANS and phase-field modeling, solving the non-linear Cahn Hilliard equation with proper physical input, should be pursued