Relative Transformation Estimation Based on Fusion of Odometry and UWB Ranging Data

In this work, the problem of 4 degree-of-freedom (3D position and heading) robot-to-robot relative frame transformation estimation using onboard odometry and inter-robot distance measurements is studied. Firstly, we present a theoretical analysis of the problem, namely the derivation and interpretation of the Cramer-Rao Lower Bound (CRLB), the Fisher Information Matrix (FIM) and its determinant. Secondly, we propose optimization-based methods to solve the problem, including a quadratically constrained quadratic programming (QCQP) and the corresponding semidefinite programming (SDP) relaxation. Moreover, we address practical issues that are ignored in previous works, such as accounting for spatial-temporal offsets between the ultra-wideband (UWB) and odometry sensors, rejecting UWB outliers and checking for singular configurations before commencing operation. Lastly, extensive simulations and real-life experiments with aerial robots show that the proposed QCQP and SDP methods outperform state-of-the-art methods, especially in geometrically poor or large measurement noise conditions. In general, the QCQP method provides the best results at the expense of computational time, while the SDP method runs much faster and is sufficiently accurate in most cases

Outage performance analysis of non-orthogonal multiple access with time-switching energy harvesting

In recent years, although non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) has shown its potentials thanks to its ability to enhance the performance of future wireless communication networks, a number of issues emerge related to the improvement of NOMA systems. In this work, we consider a half-duplex (HD) relaying cooperative NOMA network using decode-and-forward (DF) transmission mode with energy harvesting (Ell) capacity, where we assume the NOMA destination (D) is able to receive two data symbols in two continuous time slots which leads to the higher transmission rate than traditional relaying networks. To analyse EH, we deploy time-switching (TS) architecture to comprehensively study the optimal transmission time and outage performance at D. In particular, we are going to obtain closed-form expressions for outage probability (OP) with optimal TS ratio for both data symbols with both exact and approximate forms. The given simulation results show that the placement of the relay (R) plays an important role in the system performance.Web of Science253918

An integrated localization-navigation scheme for distance-based docking of UAVs

In this paper we study the distance-based docking problem of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by using a single landmark placed at an arbitrarily unknown position. To solve the problem, we propose an integrated estimation-control scheme to simultaneously achieve the relative localization and navigation tasks for discrete-time integrators under bounded velocity: a nonlinear adaptive estimation scheme to estimate the relative position to the landmark, and a delicate control scheme to ensure both the convergence of the estimation and the asymptotic docking at the given landmark. A rigorous proof of convergence is provided by invoking the discrete-time LaSalle's invariance principle, and we also validate our theoretical findings on quadcopters equipped with ultra-wideband ranging sensors and optical flow sensors in a GPS-less environment

Reducing the risk of bias in academic publishing

The risk of bias in academic publishing is present from the first stages of the publishing process when the author creates an account and submits the manuscript, which becomes subject to the rights and power of journal editors. The author’s disclosure of certain personal information risks exposing him/her to biases for or against certain groups of authors. To reduce these potential biases, reviewers and editors involved in the assessment of author works should be prevented from accessing authors’ information until the final decision regarding publication has been made. Some information, such as authors’ ORCID details, can be requested after the article is accepted for publication. Standardizing appeal procedures and establishing protocols for handling author appeals is a necessary step in the effort to reduce publication bias. Regulations for the cover letter to editor should also be put in place to ensure that authors’ personal information is not disclosed, either explicitly or implicitly

SPINS: Structure Priors aided Inertial Navigation System

Although Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) has been an active research topic for decades, current state-of-the-art methods still suffer from instability or inaccuracy due to feature insufficiency or its inherent estimation drift, in many civilian environments. To resolve these issues, we propose a navigation system combing the SLAM and prior-map-based localization. Specifically, we consider additional integration of line and plane features, which are ubiquitous and more structurally salient in civilian environments, into the SLAM to ensure feature sufficiency and localization robustness. More importantly, we incorporate general prior map information into the SLAM to restrain its drift and improve the accuracy. To avoid rigorous association between prior information and local observations, we parameterize the prior knowledge as low dimensional structural priors defined as relative distances/angles between different geometric primitives. The localization is formulated as a graph-based optimization problem that contains sliding-window-based variables and factors, including IMU, heterogeneous features, and structure priors. We also derive the analytical expressions of Jacobians of different factors to avoid the automatic differentiation overhead. To further alleviate the computation burden of incorporating structural prior factors, a selection mechanism is adopted based on the so-called information gain to incorporate only the most effective structure priors in the graph optimization. Finally, the proposed framework is extensively tested on synthetic data, public datasets, and, more importantly, on the real UAV flight data obtained from a building inspection task. The results show that the proposed scheme can effectively improve the accuracy and robustness of localization for autonomous robots in civilian applications.Comment: 14 pages, 14 figure

Outage probability analysis for hybrid TSR-PSR based SWIPT systems over log-normal fading channels

Employing simultaneous information and power transfer (SWIPT) technology in cooperative relaying networks has drawn considerable attention from the research community. We can find several studies that focus on Rayleigh and Nakagami-m fading channels, which are used to model outdoor scenarios. Differing itself from several existing studies, this study is conducted in the context of indoor scenario modelled by log-normal fading channels. Specifically, we investigate a so-called hybrid time switching relaying (TSR)-power splitting relaying (PSR) protocol in an energy-constrained cooperative amplify-and-forward (AF) relaying network. We evaluate the system performance with outage probability (OP) by analytically expressing and simulating it with Monte Carlo method. The impact of power-splitting (PS), time-switching (TS) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) on the OP was as well investigated. Subsequently, the system performance of TSR, PSR and hybrid TSR-PSR schemes were compared. The simulation results are relatively accurate because they align well with the theory

An adaptive hierarchical sliding mode controller for autonomous underwater vehicles

The paper addresses a problem of efficiently controlling an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), where its typical underactuated model is considered. Due to critical uncertainties and nonlinearities in the system caused by unavoidable external disturbances such as ocean currents when it operates, it is paramount to robustly maintain motions of the vehicle over time as expected. Therefore, it is proposed to employ the hierarchical sliding mode control technique to design the closed-loop control scheme for the device. However, exactly determining parameters of the AUV control system is impractical since its nonlinearities and external disturbances can vary those parameters over time. Thus, it is proposed to exploit neural networks to develop an adaptive learning mechanism that allows the system to learn its parameters adaptively. More importantly, stability of the AUV system controlled by the proposed approach is theoretically proved to be guaranteed by the use of the Lyapunov theory. Effectiveness of the proposed control scheme was verified by the experiments implemented in a synthetic environment, where the obtained results are highly promising. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Linh Nguyen" is provided in this record*

Optimizing conditions to improve polyphenol content and screening antioxidant capacity with DNA protection activity of Perilla frutescens

Polyphenols are among the natural antioxidants that have been exploited in recent years for their safe and effective ability against oxidative stress. This project aimed to optimize 3 factor-conditions affecting total polyphenols extracted from Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt as well as DNA protection activity of polyphenols for applications in the fields of dietary supplements, pharmaceuticals, and health care. All extracts contained phenolic compounds and exhibited good antioxidant ability through a ferric reducing antioxidant power assay. The total polyphenolic compounds varied from 6.056 ± 0.08 to 9.630 ± 0.127 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE) per 1 g dry weight (dw). The highest phenolic content yield was extracted at 70°C for 60 minutes at a pH of 7.0. However, a sample with the highest polyphenol content had a lower residual DNA concentration than the extract (55°C, 60 min, and pH 6.0) with the greatest reducing power. The result of the DNA protection assay also indicated that the extraction concentration and pH condition had a significant effect on preventing DNA from being damaged by free radicals. The study found the conditions for improving polyphenol in the extraction of P. frutescens (L.) Britt with the aid of Box-Behnken Design. This research also proposed that P. frutescens (L.) Britt is a good source showing DNA protection and antioxidant activity for healthcare

Stability of twin circular tunnels in cohesive-frictional soil using the node-based smoothed finite element method (NS-FEM)

This paper presents an upper bound limit analysis procedure using the node-based smoothed finite element method (NS-FEM) and second order cone programming (SOCP) to evaluate the stability of twin circular tunnels in cohesive-frictional soils subjected to surcharge loading. At first stage, kinematically admissible displacement fields of the tunnel problems are approximated by NS-FEM using triangular elements (NS-FEM-T3). Next, commercial software Mosek is employed to deal with the optimization problems, which are formulated as second order cone. Collapse loads as well as failure mechanisms of plane strain tunnels are obtained directly by solving the optimization problems. For twin circular tunnels, the distance between centers of two parallel tunnels is the major parameter used to determine the stability. In this study, the effects of mechanical soil properties and the ratio of tunnel diameter and the depth to the tunnel stability are investigated. Numerical results are verified with those available to demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed method