Autonomous control of a humanoid soccer robot : development of tools and strategies using colour vision : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Mechatronics at Massey University

Humanoid robots research has been an ongoing area of development for researchers due to the benefits that humanoid robots present, whether for entertainment or industrial purposes because of their ability to move around in a human environment, mimic human movement and being aesthetically pleasing. The RoboCup is a competition designed to further the development of robotics, with the humanoid league being the forefront of the competition. A design for the robot platform to compete at an international level in the RoboCup competition will be developed. Along with the platform, tools are created to allow the robot to function autonomously, effectively and efficiently in this environment, primarily using colour vision as its main sensory input. By using a 'point and follow' approach to the robot control a simplistic A.I. was formed which enables the robot to complete the basic functionality of a striker of the ball. Mathematical models are then presented for the comparison of stereoscopic versus monoscopic vision, with the expansion on why monoscopic vision was chosen, due to the environment of the competition being known. A monoscopic depth perception mathematical model and algorithm is then developed, along with a ball trajectory algorithm to allow the robot to calculate a moving balls trajectory and react according to its motion path. Finally through analysis of the implementation of the constructed tools for the chosen platform, details on their effectiveness and their drawbacks are discussed

Alien Registration- Rielly, Catherine (Portland, Cumberland County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/24201/thumbnail.jp

Alien Registration- Rielly, Catherine (Portland, Cumberland County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/24201/thumbnail.jp

Alien Registration- Rielly, Delia (Portland, Cumberland County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/24269/thumbnail.jp

The Graylands story

Gray lands is unique -there is no doubt about that. Many past Graylanders would suggest that its uniqueness came from its buildings, but there were other teacher-education institutions in Australia which were compelled to operate in unsatisfactory conditions. Indeed, the physical surroundings for students and staff at Claremont had been, over the years since the war, little better than those at Graylands. Besides, toward the end of its life, through the efforts of the 4,000 students who passed through its corrugated-iron huts, the hundreds of lecturers, administrators and clerical officers who remained dedicated despite the totally inadequate accommodation, and the succession of hardworking gardeners, caretakers and cleaners, the college found itself in better shape than it had ever been. By that time it was air-conditioned; its grounds were a tribute to the efforts of all these people; it had equipment which in some areas was second to none in Australia. Probably the conditions had something to do with the individuality of Gray lands, but they do not entirely account for the elusive factor, whatever it was, that made exGraylanders so valued as additions to staff in any school in Western Australia

Evaluating Farmland Preservation through Suffolk County, New York\u27s Purchase of Development Rights Program Comment

Agricultural land is a vital national resource that is disappearing rapidly. It would be difficult to overstate the adverse impact this trend has on the physical, cultural, and economic landscape of America from the local to the national levels. Recognizing this fact, many states are attempting to protect farmland throughout a mix of conventional and innovative measures. Suffolk County, New York, is typical of many agriculturally productive counties on the fringe of large metropolitan area, which have lost farmland to development at a rapid rate. Supported by a state and local legal framework authorizing the protection of land, Suffolk County\u27s response was to innovate America\u27s first purchase of development rights (PDR) program to protect its dwindling farmland. While Suffolk\u27s PDR program has been successful, success has come at an economic and political price that other counties may be unable or unwilling to pay. An assessment of Suffolk\u27s PDR program in light of these costs and other critical factors suggests that, despite the benefits of the purchase of development rights, PDR programs should be employed merely as one tool within a larger farmland and open space preservation regime

Detached Eddy Simulation on the Turbulent Flow in a Stirred Tank

A detached eddy simulation (DES), a large-eddy simulation (LES), and a k-ε-based Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) calculation on the single phase turbulent flow in a fully baffled stirred tank, agitated by a Rushton turbine is presented. The DES used here is based on the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model solved on a grid containing about a million control volumes. The standard k-ε and LES were considered here for comparison purposes. Predictions of the impeller-angle-resolved and time-averaged turbulent flow have been evaluated and compared with data from laser doppler anemometry measurements. The effects of the turbulence model on the predictions of the mean velocity components and the turbulent kinetic energy are most pronounced in the (highly anisotropic) trailing vortex core region, with specifically DES performing well. The LES—that was performed on the same grid as the DES—appears to lack resolution in the boundary layers on the surface of the impeller. The findings suggest that DES provides a more accurate prediction of the features of the turbulent flows in a stirred tank compared with RANS-based models and at the same time alleviates resolution requirements of LES close to walls