Engineering Morphological Development in a Robotic Bipedal Walking Problem: An Empirical Study

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade da Coruña/CISUG[Abstract]: In living beings, the natural development of the body has been shown to facilitate learning. The application of these natural developmental principles in robotics have been considered in different robotic morphologies and scenarios, leading to mixed results. Development was found to be beneficial for learning in some instances, but also irrelevant or detrimental in others. This mix of results and scenarios has allowed researchers to extract some notions about the conditions that must be fulfilled or set to apply morphological development successfully. Notions that we have organized to set a series of design conditions to successfully apply morphological development. Thus, in this article, we are going to focus on the study of one of them that has been frequently addressed by researchers in their studies in very general terms. It can be described as the need to achieve a suitable synergy among the different components involved in the development and learning process: morphological development strategy, controller, task, and learning algorithm. In particular, we have concentrated on empirically determining the influence of five developmental strategies, implemented in different ways, applied at different speeds and deployed in different orders and combinations, over the problem of a NAO robot controlled by an artificial neural network obtained through a neuroevolutionary algorithm learning a bipedal walking task. The results obtained permit providing a more detailed description of what a suitable synergy implies and how it can be utilized to design more successful morphological developmental processes to improve robot learning.Xunta de Galicia ; EDC431C-2021/39Research supported by the European Commission Horizon program PILLAR-Robots project, grant 101070381, the Xunta de Galicia and the European Regional Development Funds under grant EDC431C-2021/39 and the Spanish Science and Education Ministry through grant PID2021-126220OB-100. We wish to acknowledge the support received from the Centro de Investigación de Galicia ‘‘CITIC”, funded by Xunta de Galicia and the European Union (European Regional Development Fund-Galicia 2014-2020 Program), by grant ED431G 2019/01 and the Centro de Supercomputación de Galicia (CESGA)Xunta de Galicia; ED431G 2019/0

Physicochemical and Microbiological Qualities of the Abattoir Wastewater in Part of Minna Niger State

The study was aimed at Physicochemical and Microbiological composition of the abattoir wastewater in parts of Minna, Niger State. Based on morphological and biochemical tests using API kits, the yeast isolates were identified as species of Candida, Cryptococcus and Trichosporon. The most frequently isolated species was Candida lusitaniae (29.42%), followed by Cryptococcus neoformans (17.76%) while Candida tropicalis, Candida zeylanoides, Candida gulliernondii and Candida fermata had 11.72% frequency of occurrence each. Trichosporon mucoides had the least frequency of occurrence of 5.8%. Analysis of the abattoir wastewater revealed the mean value of 5257.50 mg/l, 2630.00 mg/l and 5830.00 mg/l for total suspended solids (TSS), Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and Chemical oxygen demand (COD) respectively. These values are above WHO standard limits of 20 mg/l, 20mg/l and 1000mg/l respectively. The pH of 7.90 and temperature 26.75 0C obtained for wastewater are within the limit allowed by the WHO. Besides, the concentrations of the heavy metals, copper, lead, magnesium, nickel and zinc in the samples were higher than permissible limit by the WHO except chromium. The study also revealed that the wastewater had mean total viable bacteria, yeast and coliform counts of 2.16× 107, 5.82 x 105 and 1.62 ×105 cfu/ml respectively. The results observed suggest therefore, the organisms particularly; C. neoformans and C. lusitaniae can be suitable candidates for bioremediation of abattoir waste water in the tropics. Keywords: Abattoir; Heavy metal; Wastewater and Yeast

Robobo: la siguiente generación de robot educativo

[Resumen] Las carreras universitarias de informática e ingeniería han estado utilizando robots móviles en diferentes asignaturas desde hace mucho tiempo. Hasta el momento, debido principalmente a limitaciones económicas, estos robots educativos han sido bastante simples en términos tecnológicos. Esto no era un gran problema porque la robótica no se consideraba un mercado real en la industria, por lo que los robots se usaban en las clases como prototipos, sin una expectativa de aplicación a la realidad. Pero como todos sabemos, la situación actual, y el futuro cercano, hacen que la robótica sea un mercado clave para los ingenieros y los informáticos que se forman en las universidades. Como consecuencia, los robots utilizados en las aulas universitarias deben ser actualizados para adecuarlos a la realidad tecnológica que se maneja en el mundo industrial. Este artículo presenta Robobo, un robot móvil educativo de bajo costo desarrollado en la Universidade da Coruña. Robobo combina una base con ruedas simple con un teléfono inteligente, que proporciona la última tecnología al robot. Con Robobo, los estudiantes pueden desarrollar sus propios proyectos usando cámaras, micrófonos o pantallas de alta resolución, acercando la enseñanza universitaria al mercado real que encontrarán cuando finalicen sus estudios.[Abstract] Computer science and engineering majors have been using mobile robots in different subjects for a long time. So far, due primarily to economic constraints, these educational robots have been quite simple in technological terms. This was not a big problem because robotics was not considered a real market in the industry, so robots were used in classes as prototypes, without an expectation of application to reality. But as we all know, the current situation, and the near future, make robotics a key market for engineers and IT graduates in universities. As a consequence, the robots used in the university classrooms must be updated to adapt them to the technological reality that is handled in the industrial world. This article presents Robobo, a low cost educational mobile robot developed at the University of Coruña. Robobo combines a simple wheeled base with a smartphone, which provides the latest technology to the robot. With Robobo, students can develop their own projects using cameras, microphones or highresolution displays, bringing university education closer to the real market they will find when they finish their studies

A perspective on lifelong open-ended learning autonomy for robotics through cognitive architectures

[Abstract]: This paper addresses the problem of achieving lifelong open-ended learning autonomy in robotics, and how different cognitive architectures provide functionalities that support it. To this end, we analyze a set of well-known cognitive architectures in the literature considering the different components they address and how they implement them. Among the main functionalities that are taken as relevant for lifelong open-ended learning autonomy are the fact that architectures must contemplate learning, and the availability of contextual memory systems, motivations or attention. Additionally, we try to establish which of them were actually applied to real robot scenarios. It transpires that in their current form, none of them are completely ready to address this challenge, but some of them do provide some indications on the paths to follow in some of the aspects they contemplate. It can be gleaned that for lifelong open-ended learning autonomy, motivational systems that allow finding domain-dependent goals from general internal drives, contextual long-term memory systems that all allow for associative learning and retrieval of knowledge, and robust learning systems would be the main components required. Nevertheless, other components, such as attention mechanisms or representation management systems, would greatly facilitate operation in complex domains.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación; PID2021-126220OB-I00Xunta de Galicia; EDC431C-2021/39Consellería de Cultura, Educación, Formación Profesional e Universidades; ED431G 2019/0

An Approach for the Customized High-Dimensional Segmentation of Remote Sensing Hyperspectral Images

Abstract: This paper addresses three problems in the field of hyperspectral image segmentation: the fact that the way an image must be segmented is related to what the user requires and the application; the lack and cost of appropriately labeled reference images; and, finally, the information loss problem that arises in many algorithms when high dimensional images are projected onto lower dimensional spaces before starting the segmentation process. To address these issues, the Multi-Gradient based Cellular Automaton (MGCA) structure is proposed to segment multidimensional images without projecting them to lower dimensional spaces. The MGCA structure is coupled with an evolutionary algorithm (ECAS-II) in order to produce the transition rule sets required by MGCA segmenters. These sets are customized to specific segmentation needs as a function of a set of low dimensional training images in which the user expresses his segmentation requirements. Constructing high dimensional image segmenters from low dimensional training sets alleviates the problem of lack of labeled training images. These can be generated online based on a parametrization of the desired segmentation extracted from a set of examples. The strategy has been tested in experiments carried out using synthetic and real hyperspectral images, and it has been compared to state-of-the-art segmentation approaches over benchmark images in the area of remote sensing hyperspectral imaging.Ministerio de Economía y competitividad; TIN2015-63646-C5-1-RMinisterio de Economía y competitividad; RTI2018-101114-B-I00Xunta de Galicia: ED431C 2017/1

Some Experiments on the Influence of Problem Hardness in Morphological Development Based Learning of Neural Controllers

This version of the conference paper has been accepted for publication, after peer review and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use (https://www.springernature.com/gp/open-science/policies/accepted-manuscript-terms), but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61705-9_30.Included in 'Hybrid Artificial Intelligent Systems', the 15th International Conference, HAIS 2020, Gijón, Spain, November 11-13, 2020, Proceedings.[Abstract]: Natural beings undergo a morphological development process of their bodies while they are learning and adapting to the environments they face from infancy to adulthood. In fact, this is the period where the most important learning processes, those that will support learning as adults, will take place. However, in artificial systems, this interaction between morphological development and learning, and its possible advantages, have seldom been considered. In this line, this paper seeks to provide some insights into how morphological development can be harnessed in order to facilitate learning in embodied systems facing tasks or domains that are hard to learn. In particular, here we will concentrate on whether morphological development can really provide any advantage when learning complex tasks and whether its relevance towards learning increases as tasks become harder. To this end, we present the results of some initial experiments on the application of morphological development to learning to walk in three cases, that of a quadruped, a hexapod and that of an octopod. These results seem to confirm that as task learning difficulty increases the application of morphological development to learning becomes more advantageous.This work has been partially funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades of Spain/FEDER (grant RTI2018-101114-B-I00), Xunta de Galicia and FEDER (grant ED431C 2017/12) and M. Naya-Varela is very grateful for the support of the UDC-Inditex 2019 grant for international mobility. We also want to thank CESGA (Centro de Supercomputación de Galicia. https://www.cesga.es/) for the possibility of using its resources.Xunta de Galicia; ED431C 2017/1

Artificial Intelligence in Pre-University Education: What and How to Teach

This article belongs to the Proceedings of 3rd XoveTIC Conference[Abstract] The present paper is part of the European Erasmus+ project on educational innovation led by the UDC and entitled “AI+: Developing an Artificial Intelligence Curriculum adapted to European High School”. In this paper, the progress achieved during the first year of the project will be presented. Mainly, the definition of the methodological approach for this future subject has been defined, and the AI topics to be dealt with at this age have been established. It has been a great effort to select the most appropriate focus for this subject considering the students’ and teachers’ technical background and the schools’ equipment.European Commission; 2019-1-ES01-KA201-06574

Processing and properties of natural fibers reinforced thermoplastic and thermosseting composites

In this work, three different natural fibers were studied and characterized, using optical and SEM microscopy. Woven fabrics of those reinforcement fibers were used to reinforce polyester and epoxy matrices and produce composite plates by vacum lay-up. Also, using an experimental piston blender equipment, long fiber reinforced PLA (LFT) composites were manufactured by hot compression molding. All different obtained composite plates were submitted to mechanical testing in order to determine relevant mechanical proprieties.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Processing and properties of composites obtained from natural fibres and thermosetting matrices

In this work, different natural fibres were studied and characterized, using optical and SEM microscopy. Those fibres were used to reinforce polyester and epoxy matrices and produce composite plates by hand lay-up. A vacuum bag was then used to allow improving the fibre impregnation, establishing a controlled pressure atmosphere. All different obtained composite plates were submitted to mechanical testing, in order to determine relevant mechanical proprieties. The produced composites were, namely, submitted to flexure and tensile tests, in accordance to ISO 14125 and ISO 527, standards, respectively. It was also determined, for each type of composite, the GIIc property (critical energy release rate in mode II), in order to assess their impact behaviour.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT