The Enigmatic Curvature of Central Iberia and its Puzzling Kinematics

The collision between Gondwana and Laurussia that formed the latest supercontinent, Pangea, occurred during Devonian to early Permian times and resulted in a largescale orogeny that today transects Europe, northwest Africa, and eastern North America. This orogen is characterized by an S shaped corrugated geometry in Iberia. The northern curve of the corrugation is the well-known and studied Cantabrian (or Ibero-Armorican) Orocline and is convex to the east and towards the hinterland. Largely ignored for decades, the geometry and kinematics of the southern curvature, known as the Central Iberian curve, are still ambiguous and hotly debated. Despite the paucity of data, the enigmatic Central Iberian curvature has inspired a variety of kinematic models that attempt to explain its formation but with little consensus. This paper presents the advances and milestones in our understanding of the geometry and kinematics of the Central Iberian curve from the last decade with particular attention to structural and paleomagnetic studies. When combined, the currently available datasets suggest that the Central Iberian curve did not undergo regional differential vertical-axis rotations during or after the latest stages of the Variscan orogeny and did not form as the consequence of a single process. Instead, its core is likely a primary curve (i.e., inherited from previous physiographic features of the Iberian crust), whereas the curvature in areas outside the core is dominated by folding interference from the Variscan orogeny or more recent Cenozoic (Alpine) tectonic events

The Enigmatic Curvature of Central Iberia and its Puzzling Kinematics

The collision between Gondwana and Laurussia that formed the latest supercontinent, Pangea, occurred during Devonian to early Permian times and resulted in a largescale orogeny that today transects Europe, northwest Africa, and eastern North America. This orogen is characterized by an S shaped corrugated geometry in Iberia. The northern curve of the corrugation is the well-known and studied Cantabrian (or Ibero-Armorican) Orocline and is convex to the east and towards the hinterland. Largely ignored for decades, the geometry and kinematics of the southern curvature, known as the Central Iberian curve, are still ambiguous and hotly debated. Despite the paucity of data, the enigmatic Central Iberian curvature has inspired a variety of kinematic models that attempt to explain its formation but with little consensus. This paper presents the advances and milestones in our understanding of the geometry and kinematics of the Central Iberian curve from the last decade with particular attention to structural and paleomagnetic studies. When combined, the currently available datasets suggest that the Central Iberian curve did not undergo regional differential vertical-axis rotations during or after the latest stages of the Variscan orogeny and did not form as the consequence of a single process. Instead, its core is likely a primary curve (i.e., inherited from previous physiographic features of the Iberian crust), whereas the curvature in areas outside the core is dominated by folding interference from the Variscan orogeny or more recent Cenozoic (Alpine) tectonic events

Práctica de diseño hardware/software de un robot móvil con interfaces inalámbricas

En el presente artículo se describe una práctica de laboratorio multitarea en el ámbito de las asignaturas de sistemas empotrados en los grados de Ingeniería Informática, mediante una metodología de gestión de proyectos basada en Kanban. La práctica abarca diferentes familias de microcontroladores de distintos niveles de dificultad de programación, lectura de diferentes tipos de sensores con distintas interfaces, comunicación inalámbrica y control de motores. Esta práctica se enfoca como la elaboración de un proyecto en el que los alumnos han de ir realizando mediante tareas que inicialmente se planifican utilizando la metodología Kanban. En concreto, el desarrollo de la práctica se basa en la elaboración de un robot móvil controlado remotamente y de forma inalámbrica. El sistema de divide en tres partes: el dispositivo de control que cuenta con un microcontrolador tipo Arduino y dos joysticks analógicos como interfaz de usuario, el robot móvil que utiliza un microcontrolador STM32 con un RTOS (Real Time Operating System) con el que se realiza la lectura de los diferentes sensores que irán embarcados en el robot además de manejar el controlador de motores para un motor DC para la velocidad y un servo para el control de la dirección. Para la comunicación inalámbrica se utilizan módulos de radio de 2.4GHz de la familia XBee Pro Serie Z2B. Por último, se diseñará una aplicación software de escritorio bajo un sistema operativo Windows escrita en lenguaje C# utilizando .NET Framework y WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation), que mostrará la información que el robot envía de cada uno de sus sensores. El PC donde está alojada la aplicación tiene conectado un módulo XBee, anteriormente mencionado, con el que se comunica mediante una conexión serie virtual (VCP). Para implementar la metodología Kanban se hará uso de una herramienta online y gratuita llamada Trello que permite la creación de diferentes tableros en el que ir añadiendo tareas (mediante tarjetas) e irlas moviendo entre las diferentes columnas según el estado de ésta. A cada tarea se le puede añadir uno o más participantes además de ponerle una fecha de vencimiento entre otras opciones. En el desarrollo de este tipo de prácticas se añade la dificultad del manejo de diferentes entornos de desarrollo, uno por cada tipo de microcontrolador y el de la aplicación software. Esta práctica se ha dividido en varias sesiones y ha presentado un gran atractivo para el alumnado ya que se consigue un sistema funcional y muy ampliable al final de estas.This paper presents a laboratory session of embedded systems imparted in the Computer Science degree using Kanban, a project management methodology. In the laboratory session different microcontroller families are used for reading several sensor types, wireless communications and motor control. This session is focused like a project in which the students have to complete the task previously described using Kanban. The project consist on implementing a mobile robot that is handled using a wireless controller. The system is divided in three parts: the controller device that is designed using an Arduino microcontroller to read two analogical joysticks used by the user, the mobile robot that uses a STM32 microcontroller with a RTOS (Real Time Operating System) to read the sensors attached to the robot and to handle the motor controller for a DC motor to control the velocity and, finally, a servo motor to change the robot direction. Some 2.4GHz radio modules of the XBee Pro Serie Z2B are used to implement the wireless communication. Finally a C# WPF Windows application is implemented using .NET framework, which collects the information from on-board sensors. An XBee module is plugged in the computer where the application runs using a virtual communication port (VCP). To plan the project under the Kanban methodology, an online free tool called Trello is used. Trello lets the user create different panels in which cards can be added and moved between different columns that denote the state of each card. Cards allow to add several participants and a due date. In this laboratory session the students have to learn several development environments which presents an extra difficulty. The laboratory session has been divided in several practical sessions and the students have been very motivated during every of them because at the end they obtain a functional robot which can be extended with new sensors

Closed-loop sound source localization in neuromorphic systems

Sound source localization (SSL) is used in various applications such as industrial noise-control, speech detection in mobile phones, speech enhancement in hearing aids and many more. Newest video conferencing setups use SSL. The position of a speaker is detected from the difference in the audio waves received by a microphone array. After detection the camera focuses onto the location of the speaker. The human brain is also able to detect the location of a speaker from auditory signals. It uses, among other cues, the difference in amplitude and arrival time of the sound wave at the two ears, called interaural level and time difference. However, the substrate and computational primitives of our brain are different from classical digital computing. Due to its low power consumption of around 20 W and its performance in real time the human brain has become a great source of inspiration for emerging technologies. One of these technologies is neuromorphic hardware which implements the fundamental principles of brain computing identified until today using complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor technologies and new devices. In this work we propose the first neuromorphic closed-loop robotic system that uses the interaural time difference for SSL in real time. Our system can successfully locate sound sources such as human speech. In a closed-loop experiment, the robotic platform turned immediately into the direction of the sound source with a turning velocity linearly proportional to the angle difference between sound source and binaural microphones. After this initial turn, the robotic platform remains at the direction of the sound source. Even though the system only uses very few resources of the available hardware, consumes around 1 W, and was only tuned by hand, meaning it does not contain any learning at all, it already reaches performances comparable to other neuromorphic approaches. The SSL system presented in this article brings us one step closer towards neuromorphic event-based systems for robotics and embodied computing

Realización de un proyecto en grupo con carácter multidisciplinar para alumnos de Ingeniería de la Salud usando la metodología ABP

La sociedad avanza, y este avance favorece la aparición de nuevas necesidades, las cuales son cubiertas por profesionales especializados en campos específicos, como médicos, ingenieros, profesores, etc. Pero cada vez más, estos nuevos “problemas” requieren soluciones complejas y multidisciplinares, haciendo uso de varios campos de conocimiento. Es por esto que, en los últimos años, se hayan creado nuevas titulaciones en el ámbito universitario para formar a profesionales que posean los conocimientos necesarios para afrontar estos nuevos retos. Este es el caso del grado en Ingeniería de la Salud, el cual tiene un carácter multidisciplinar, combinando conocimientos biomédicos aplicados a la ingeniería informática e ingeniería en general. Los alumnos que eligen esta titulación se pueden catalogar en dos perfiles diferenciados: los procedentes de la rama científica-tecnológica y los de ciencias de la salud del bachillerato. Dado que las asignaturas de la titulación en los primeros años son de formación básica y se dividen prácticamente en 50% de una rama y 50% de la otra, según la procedencia del alumno puede que encuentre mayor dificultad en las asignaturas que no son de la suya en concreto. En el curso académico 14/15, propusimos la realización de un proyecto en grupo cuyos integrantes estaban combinados entre alumnos de la rama científica-tecnológica y de la salud, y cuyo tema requería conocimientos de ambos campos, de forma que hubiera una colaboración entre ambas partes. La finalidad de este proyecto era que los alumnos asimilaran los conceptos teóricos que eran nuevos para ellos aplicándolos a una situación real apoyándose en el resto de los miembros del grupo. El proyecto se desarrolló siguiendo la metodología de aprendizaje ABP aplicada en las sesiones prácticas de la asignatura, marcándose en cada una de estas sesiones una serie de hitos que los alumnos deberán ir completando. Se midió el grado de satisfacción de los alumnos mediante un cuestionario, obteniendo como resultado un alto grado de satisfacción.Society progresses very quickly, and that progress favors the emergence of new needs. These needs are provided, mostly, by experts in specific fields, such as doctors, engineers, teachers, etc. But increasingly, these new "problems" require complex and multidisciplinary solutions, involving different fields of knowledge. This is the main reason why, in recent years, new degrees have appeared, educating future experts in these fields to be able to face these new challenges. This is the case of Health Engineering Degree, which has multidisciplinary contents, combining biomedical knowledge applied to computer science and engineering. The students in this degree can be differentiated into two different categories, depending the high school studies selection: those from the scientifictechnological area and those from the health science area. Since the subjects of the first course of this degree are divided almost 50% from one area and 50% of the other, according to previous studies, the student may find more difficulty in subjects that are not in the their knowledge field. In the academic year 14/15, the development of a project in working groups whose members were combined between students of scientifictechnological education and students of health science was proposed. This work required knowledge of both fields, so they had to collaborate. The purpose of this project was that the students assimilated the theoretical concepts that were new to them applying the new concepts to a real situation supporting on the rest of the group. The project was development following the learning methodology PBL (Problembased learning) applied in practical sessions with milestones that students must complete. Both the satisfaction and motivation of the students were measured by a questionnaire, obtaining very good results, meaning that the students enjoyed collaborating with other teammates to face a multidisciplinary project

Semipresencialidad en tiempos de COVID-19: adaptación de la docencia en el ámbito de Fundamentos de Informática

El mundo ha cambiado desde la aparición del nuevo virus de la familia de los coronavirus (COVID-19), el cual fue declarado pandemia en tan sólo unos pocos meses. El COVID-19 ha tenido un alto impacto en todos los ámbitos conocidos, incluida la docencia. Las medidas de seguridad impartidas por las autoridades sanitarias implicaron una necesaria adaptación de la docencia en general, y más en concreto la universitaria. Este artículo se centra en cómo ha afectado la pandemia a la asignatura de Informática en el ámbito del Grado de Ingeniería Química Industrial. En dicha asignatura se introducen a los alumnos los conceptos básicos de la informática, incluyendo sistemas operativos, bases de datos y redes de computadores, además de un bloque de sesiones de laboratorio dedicado a la programación en lenguaje C. La situación actual ha dado lugar a la semipresencialidad en la docencia de la asignatura durante el curso 2020/2021, repercutiendo tanto a las metodologías de enseñanza como a los contenidos teórico-prácticos. En el presente trabajo se describen los cambios realizados de cara a adaptar el contenido de la asignatura a la semipresencialidad, reportando resultados tanto a nivel de evaluación como a nivel de seguimiento y motivación del alumnado.The world has changed due to the emergence of the new virus from the coronavirus family (COVID-19), which was declared as a pandemic a few months after its appearance. COVID-19 has had a high impact in every single field, including education and teaching. The safety measures and prevention protocol against COVID-19 has involved an adaptation process in the education, particularly in the university. This article is focused on how the pandemic has affected the Computer Science subject in the field of the Industrial Chemical Engineering Degree at the University of Seville. In this subject, students are introduced to the basic concepts of computer science, including operating systems, databases and computer networks, as well as a set of laboratory sessions dedicated to programming in C language. The current situation has led to a blended learning in the subject during the 2020/2021 academic year, affecting both the methodology and theoretical-practical contents. The present paper describes the changes performed as a consequence to adapt the subject content to blendedness, reporting results in terms of evaluation marks and also at students’ motivation level

Aprendizaje basado en proyectos en el ámbito de la Ingeniería de la Salud: desarrollo de sistemas para la rehabilitación y la ayuda a la discapacidad

El reciente Grado en Ingeniería de la Salud se originó con el planteamiento de cubrir la carencia de conocimiento sobre la rama sanitaria de un Ingeniero Informático. Es en dicho grado donde, de forma optativa, el alumno cursa la asignatura Sistemas de Rehabilitación y Ayuda a la Discapacidad, que tiene un papel fundamental para el diseño de sistemas enfocados tanto a la rehabilitación como a proveer facilidades a pacientes con ciertas dificultades. En este artículo se describe la metodología de las prácticas de laboratorio para la docencia en dicha asignatura, la cual se basa en el concepto de aprendizaje basado en proyectos. Las distintas sesiones de laboratorio se reparten en dos bloques, diferenciando entre sesiones de introducción a ciertos contenidos y dispositivos hardware, y un gran bloque donde los alumnos desarrollan un proyecto de rehabilitación o ayuda a la discapacidad con los conocimientos adquiridos, que posteriormente documentan en formato artículo. Esta dinámica ha conseguido una gran acogida y ha incrementado la motivación de los alumnos, llevando a muchos a desarrollar un Trabajo Fin de Grado relacionado con la asignatura. La dinámica propuesta tiene un papel fundamental en futuros Ingenieros de la Salud tanto a nivel de aprendizaje como a nivel laboral.The recently created Degree in Health Engineering was originated from the idea of covering the need of knowledge related to Computer Engineering within the healthcare industry. In this degree, last-year students can take an optional subject titled Rehabilitation and Disabity aid systems, which has a fundamental role for the design of systems focused on both rehabilitation and providing support and aiding patients with certain difficulties. This paper describes the methodology of this subject’s lab classes, which are based on the concept of project-based learning methodology. The different laboratory sessions are divided into two blocks, differentiating between introductory sessions to fundamental contents and hardware devices, and a block where students develop a group project related to rehabilitation or disability aid with the concepts and knowledge acquired in the introductory session plus other literature research conducted by them, which is later documented using an IEEE manuscript template. This teaching approach has been very well received and has increased the motivation of the students, leading many of them to continue working in the same topic for their Final Degree Project. The proposed approach plays a key role in future Health Engineers both in terms of education and as a future field of employment