Constraint-based algorithm to estimate the line of a milling edge

Each practical task has its constrains. They limit the number of potential solutions. Incorporation of the constraints into the structure of an algorithm makes it possible to speed up computations by reducing the search space and excluding the wrong results. However, such an algorithm needs to be designed for one task only, has a limited usefulness to tasks which have the same set of constrains. Therefore, sometimes is limited to just a single application for which it has been designed, and is difficult to generalise. An algorithm to estimate the straight line representing a milling Edge is presented. The algorithm was designed for the measurement purposes and meets the requirements related to precision

Image annotating tools for agricultural purpose : a requirements study

Images of natural scenes, like those relevant for agriculture, are characterised with a variety of forms of objects of interest and similarities between objects that one might want to discriminate. This introduces uncertainty to the analysis of such images. Requirements for an image annotation tool to be used in pattern recognition design for agriculture were discussed. A selection of open source annotating tools were presented. Advices how to use the software to handle uncertainty and missing functionalities were described

Whole Time Series Data Streams Clustering: Dynamic Profiling of the Electricity Consumption

Data from smart grids are challenging to analyze due to their very large size, high dimensionality, skewness, sparsity, and number of seasonal fluctuations, including daily and weekly effects. With the data arriving in a sequential form the underlying distribution is subject to changes over the time intervals. Time series data streams have their own specifics in terms of the data processing and data analysis because, usually, it is not possible to process the whole data in memory as the large data volumes are generated fast so the processing and the analysis should be done incrementally using sliding windows. Despite the proposal of many clustering techniques applicable for grouping the observations of a single data stream, only a few of them are focused on splitting the whole data streams into the clusters. In this article we aim to explore individual characteristics of electricity usage and recommend the most suitable tariff to the customer so they can benefit from lower prices. This work investigates various algorithms (and their improvements) what allows us to formulate the clusters, in real time, based on smart meter data

Assessment of the Possibility of Imitating Experts’ Aesthetic Judgments about the Impact of Knots on the Beauty of Furniture Fronts Made of Pine Wood

Our research aims to reconstruct expert preferences regarding the visual attractiveness of furniture fronts made of pine wood using machine learning algorithms. A numerical experiment was performed using five machine learning algorithms of various paradigms. To find the answer to the question of what determines the expert’s decision, we determined the importance of variables for some machine learning models. For random forest and classification trees, it involves the overall reduction in node impurities resulting from variable splitting, while for neural networks it uses the Garson algorithm. Based on the numerical experiments we can conclude that the best results of expert decision reconstruction are provided by a neural network model. The expert’s decision is better reconstructed for more beautiful images. The decision for nice images is made based on the best 4 or 5 variables, while for ugly images many more features are important. Prettier images and those for which the expert’s decision is better reconstructed have fewer knots

The influence of structure on the methyl group dynamics of polymorphic complexes: 6,6′-dimethyl-2,2′-dipyridyl with halo derivatives of benzoquinone acids

Recently, interest in organic ferroelectrics or antiferroelectrics representing a metal-free perovskite-type has increased significantly. This interest results from the properties of organic systems. First of all, they do not have toxic metals in their structure. Therefore they are environmentally friendly. Also, the method of preparation, simple syntheses, and low-temperature processability increase their attractiveness in terms of application. In this paper, the above properties are associated with the proton dynamics in organic donor–acceptor systems. We present the comparison of the physicochemical properties of four molecular complexes containing the proton acceptor molecule, 6,6′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridyl (66DMBP), and one of three organic acid molecules belonging to the benzoquinone group. As proton donor molecules the organic acids: chloranilic, bromanilic and iodanilic acids have been chosen. We present the results of experiments concerning the determination of crystal structures, 1H NMR, inelastic neutron scattering (INS) and UV/vis spectra. In the theoretical part, we attempt to explain the influence of the crystallization method (a type of solvent) on transoid or cisoid arrangement of 66DMBP. In the theoretical approach, we focus on two forms of the complex with chloranilic acid, α-66DMBP·CLA and β-66DMBP·CLA, which undergo solid-to-solid phase transitions, at 380 and 317 K, respectively. We have chosen these examples because the α analogue possesses ferroelectric properties in a wide range of temperatures

Development of an Algorithm to Indicate the Right Moment of Plant Watering Using the Analysis of Plant Biomasses Based on Dahlia × hybrida

Water management in agriculture and horticulture has a strong ecological importance related to the necessity of optimizing the use of water resources. To achieve sustainable water use, it is necessary to optimize the time, frequency and the methods of water application. In this study, we hypothesized that the right moment for watering may be established on the grounds of the observation of the physiological state of the plant (if the plant is still in turgor) and the biomass of plant and the substrate. The proper irrigation scheduling, that is, just before the plant loses turgor, which appears at ca. 73% of LRWC in dahlias, determined with the use of the proposed measurement and computing system, makes it possible to save ca. 30% of irrigation water, in comparison to standard watering. Controlled watering also affected plant growth parameters, such as the content of chlorophyll a and b and carotenoid, as well as total and reducing sugar content (ca. 7%, 9% and 23% more than in plants watered in a standard way, respectively). Plants watered in a controlled way were 12% more compact when compared with the ones watered in a standard way. The results clearly proved that the computing system connected to scales made it possible to save water used for irrigation without a negative impact on the parameters of plant growth

Frequent or scarce? Damage to flight-enabling body parts in bats (Chiroptera).

Bat wings are characterized by high endurance, and these mammals have developed a number of adaptations that protect them from falling into obstacles and potential injuries. However, in bat populations, there are individuals with visible fresh or healed injuries to the flight-enabling body parts. The aim of this research was to determine the differences in the occurrence of wing membrane damages among species of bats that differ in ecology and behavior. The study was conducted in southern and western Poland in the years 2000-2016 and included 3,525 individuals of six species: lesser horseshoe bat Rhinolopus hipposideros, Daubenton's bat Myotis daubentonii, Natterer's bat Myotis nattereri, greater mouse-eared bat Myotis myotis, western barbastelle Barbastella barbastellus, and brown long-eared bat Plecotus auritus. In all, 2.9% of the bats studied showed damage to the flight-enabling body parts. Natterer's bat was the species with the highest number of injured individuals (21.74%). The lowest number of injured individuals (0.3%) was found in the brown long-eared bat. The most frequently observed type of damage was loss of an edge of the wing membrane (29.3%). The bat species studied differed significantly in the occurrence and location of flight enabling body parts damages. Certain behavioral and ecological factors like foraging mode, foraging habitats and habitat types of bat species determine the number of wing and tail membrane damages