In Step with INS Navigation for the Blind, Tracking Emergency Crews

As demand increases for positioning rescue crews, military users, and individuals with special needs, miniaturized low-power inertial measurement units (IMUs) coupled with GPS receivers and other sensors can provide accurate position in both indoor and outdoor situations

An Alternative Approach to Vision Techniques - Pedestrian Navigation System based on Digital Magnetic Compass and Gyroscope Integration

Over the last few years, research had been conducted on how to develop basic mobility aid for visually impaired and blind people using vision and image processing techniques. However, our research at Geodetic Engineering Laboratory has taken a different view to this problem

Improvement of walking speed prediction by accelerometry and altimetry, validated by satellite positioning

Activity monitors based on accelerometry are used to predict the speed and energy cost of walking at 0% slope, but not at other inclinations. Parallel measurements of body accelerations and altitude variation were studied to determine whether walking speed prediction could be improved. Fourteen subjects walked twice along a 1.3km circuit with substantial slope variations (−17% to +17%). The parameters recorded were body acceleration using a uni-axial accelerometer, altitude variation using differential barometry, and walking speed using satellite positioning (DGPS). Linear regressions were calculated between acceleration and walking speed, and between acceleration/altitude and walking speed. These predictive models, calculated using the data from the first circuit run, were used to predict speed during the second circuit. Finally the predicted velocity was compared with the measured one. The result was that acceleration alone failed to predict speed (meanr=0.4). Adding altitude variation improved the prediction (meanr=0.7). With regard to the altitude/acceleration-speed relationship, substantial inter-individual variation was found. It is concluded that accelerometry, combined with altitude measurement, can assess position variations of humans provided inter-individual variation is taken into account. It is also confirmed that DGPS can be used for outdoor walking speed measurements, opening up new perspectives in the field of biomechanic

De l'évolution du GPS à la navigation pédestre

Ces dernières années, les méthodes de localisation ont pris un essor important dans de nombreuses activités humaines. Connaître sa position a toujours été une préoccupation de l'homme qui a développé, au fil du temps, les moyens nécessaires pour s'orienter et se déplacer au bon endroit

Faciliter le déplacement des aveugles avec une carte numérique et une interface vocale

Le récepteur GPS permet à la personne de se localiser sous certaines conditions de visibilité des satellites et de réception de leurs signaux. Lorsque ces conditions ne sont pas remplies, il est nécessaire d'utiliser d'autres capteurs pour saisir le déplacement de la personne et son orientation. Ce mécanisme est appelé navigation à l'estime (Dead Reckoning)

Capteurs et analyse de signaux pour la navigation pédestre

Cet article présente une approche pour améliorer la détermination de l'azimut d'un système de navigation pédestre. Le système étudié combine un gyroscope, un compas magnétique et un accéléromètre tri-axial

Digital Magnetic Compass and Gyroscope for Dismounted Soldier Position & Navigation

When satellite signals are available, the localisation of a pedestrian is fairly straightforward. However, in cities or indoors, dead reckoning systems are necessary

Targeting KSHV/HHV-8 Latency with COX-2 Selective Inhibitor Nimesulide: A Potential Chemotherapeutic Modality for Primary Effusion Lymphoma

The significance of inflammation in KSHV biology and tumorigenesis prompted us to examine the role of COX-2 in primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), an aggressive AIDS-linked KSHV-associated non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) using nimesulide, a well-known COX-2 specific NSAID. We demonstrate that (1) nimesulide is efficacious in inducing proliferation arrest in PEL (KSHV+/EBV-; BCBL-1 and BC-3, KSHV+/EBV+; JSC-1), EBV-infected (KSHV-/EBV+; Raji) and non-infected (KSHV-/EBV-; Akata, Loukes, Ramos, BJAB) high malignancy human Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) as well as KSHV-/EBV+ lymphoblastoid (LCL) cell lines; (2) nimesulide is selectively toxic to KSHV infected endothelial cells (TIVE-LTC) compared to TIVE and primary endothelial cells (HMVEC-d); (3) nimesulide reduced KSHV latent gene expression, disrupted p53-LANA-1 protein complexes, and activated the p53/p21 tumor-suppressor pathway; (4) COX-2 inhibition down-regulated cell survival kinases (p-Akt and p-GSK-3β), an angiogenic factor (VEGF-C), PEL defining genes (syndecan-1, aquaporin-3, and vitamin-D3 receptor) and cell cycle proteins such as cyclins E/A and cdc25C; (5) nimesulide induced sustained cell death and G1 arrest in BCBL-1 cells; (6) nimesulide substantially reduced the colony forming capacity of BCBL-1 cells. Overall, our studies provide a comprehensive molecular framework linking COX-2 with PEL pathogenesis and identify the chemotherapeutic potential of nimesulide in treating PEL