Time-Optimized Contextual Information Flow on Unmanned Vehicles

Nowadays, the domain of robotics experiences a significant growth. We focus on Unmanned Vehicles intended for the air, sea and ground (UxV). Such devices are typically equipped with numerous sensors that detect contextual parameters from the broader environment, e.g., obstacles, temperature. Sensors report their findings (telemetry) to other systems, e.g., back-end systems, that further process the captured information while the UxV receives control inputs, such as navigation commands from other systems, e.g., commanding stations. We investigate a framework that monitors network condition parameters including signal strength and prioritizes the transmission of control messages and telemetry. This framework relies on the Theory of Optimal Stopping to assess in real-time the trade-off between the delivery of the messages and the network quality statistics and optimally schedules critical information delivery to back-end systems

Improvements in wind speed forecasts for wind power prediction purposes using Kalman filtering

International audienceThis paper studies the application of Kalman filtering as a post-processing method in numerical predictions of wind speed. Two limited-area atmospheric models have been employed, with different options/capabilities of horizontal resolution, to provide wind speed forecasts. The application of Kalman filter to these data leads to the elimination of any possible systematic errors, even in the lower resolution cases, contributing further to the significant reduction of the required CPU time. The potential of this method in wind power applications is also exploited. In particular, in the case of wind power prediction, the results obtained showed a remarkable improvement in the model forecasting skill

Nonequilibrium steady states in a vibrated-rod monolayer: tetratic, nematic and smectic correlations

We study experimentally the nonequilibrium phase behaviour of a horizontal monolayer of macroscopic rods. The motion of the rods in two dimensions is driven by vibrations in the vertical direction. Aside from the control variables of packing fraction and aspect ratio that are typically explored in molecular liquid crystalline systems, due to the macroscopic size of the particles we are also able to investigate the effect of the precise shape of the particle on the steady states of this driven system. We find that the shape plays an important role in determining the nature of the orientational ordering at high packing fraction. Cylindrical particles show substantial tetratic correlations over a range of aspect ratios where spherocylinders have previously been shown by Bates et al (JCP 112, 10034 (2000)) to undergo transitions between isotropic and nematic phases. Particles that are thinner at the ends (rolling pins or bails) show nematic ordering over the same range of aspect ratios, with a well-established nematic phase at large aspect ratio and a defect-ridden nematic state with large-scale swirling motion at small aspect ratios. Finally, long-grain, basmati rice, whose geometry is intermediate between the two shapes above, shows phases with strong indications of smectic order.Comment: 18 pages and 13 eps figures, references adde

Novel characterization techniques for cultural heritage using a TEM orientation imaging in combination with 3D precession diffraction tomography: a case study of green and white ancient Roman glass tesserae

We present new transmission electron microscopy (TEM) based electron diffraction characterization techniques (orientation imaging combined with 3D precession electron diffraction tomography-ADT) applied on cultural heritage materials. We have determined precisely unit cell parameters, crystal symmetry, atomic structure, and orientation/phase mapping of various pigment/opacifier crystallites at nm scale which are present in green and white Roman glass tesserae. Such TEM techniques can be an alternative to Synchrotron based techniques, and allow to distinguish accurately at nm scale between different crystal structures even in cases of same/very close chemical composition, where is also possible to visualize between different crystal orientations and amorphous/crystalline phases. This study additionally demonstrates that although opacifiers in green and white tesserae are found to have average Pb2Sb2O7 cubic and CaSb2O6 trigonal structures, their pyrochlore related framework can host many other elements like Cu, Ca, Fe through ionic exchanges at high firing temperatures which in turn may also contribute to the tesserae colour appearance

Using the European Language Grid as a consumer

This chapter describes the European Language Grid cloud platform from the point of view of a consumer who wishes to access language resources or make use of language technology tools and services. Three aspects are discussed: 1. the webbased user interface (UI) for casual and non-technical users, 2. the underlying REST APIs that drive the UI but can also be called directly by third parties to integrate ELG functionality in their own tools, and 3. the Python Software Development Kit (SDK) that we have developed to simplify access to these APIs from Python code. The chapter concludes with a preview of the upcoming payment module that will enable the sale of commercial LT services and resources through ELG, and a discussion of how ELG compares and relates to other similar platforms and initiatives

Marine-Derived Surface Active Agents: Health-Promoting Properties and Blue Biotechnology-Based Applications

Surface active agents are characterized for their capacity to adsorb to fluid and solid-water interfaces. They can be classified as surfactants and emulsifiers based on their molecular weight (MW) and properties. Over the years, the chemical surfactant industry has been rapidly increasing to meet consumer demands. Consequently, such a boost has led to the search for more sustainable and biodegradable alternatives, as chemical surfactants are non-biodegradable, thus causing an adverse effect on the environment. To these ends, many microbial and/or marine-derived molecules have been shown to possess various biological properties that could allow manufacturers to make additional health-promoting claims for their products. Our aim, in this review article, is to provide up to date information of critical health-promoting properties of these molecules and their use in blue-based biotechnology (i.e., biotechnology using aquatic organisms) with a focus on food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical/biomedical applications

Contributing to the European Language Grid as a provider

The ELG platform enables producers of language resources and language technology tools and services to upload, describe, share, and distribute their services and products as well as to describe their companies, academic organisations and projects. This chapter presents the functionalities offered through web-based user interfaces for describing LT resources or related entities with metadata and for managing their publication. It gives a detailed description of the options that providers of LT tools can exploit to integrate them into ELG as ready-to-deploy services and the tools that ELG offers in their support during the preparation, upload and integration phases. The tools and packaging recommendations for resources to be uploaded in ELG are also presented. The chapter concludes with a discussion of functionalities offered to providers by ELG and other related platforms