Optimal placement of excitations and sensors by simulated annealing

The optimal placement of discrete actuators and sensors is posed as a combinatorial optimization problem. Two examples for truss structures were used for illustration; the first dealt with the optimal placement of passive dampers along existing truss members, and the second dealt with the optimal placement of a combination of a set of actuators and a set of sensors. Except for the simplest problems, an exact solution by enumeration involves a very large number of function evaluations, and is therefore computationally intractable. By contrast, the simulated annealing heuristic involves far fewer evaluations and is best suited for the class of problems considered. As an optimization tool, the effectiveness of the algorithm is enhanced by introducing a number of rules that incorporate knowledge about the physical behavior of the problem. Some of the suggested rules are necessarily problem dependent

Using ERF Devices to Control Deployments of Space Structures

A report proposes devices containing electrorheological fluids (ERFs) damper for controlling deployments of lightweight, flexible structures in outer space. The structures would include spring members that could be wound or compressed for compact stowage during transport. The ERF based damper would keep the structures compacted and/or regulate the speeds with which the structures would spring out for deployment. After deployment, ERF based dampening mechanism could be used to rigidize the structures or damp their vibrations. An experimental ERF deployment controlled structure described in the report comprised two metal carpenter s measuring tapes sandwiched together, held slightly apart by rubber-band spacers, and placed in a bag filled with an ERF. The viscosity of the ERF varied with the voltage applied to the tapes, such that it was possible to hold the tapes in the wound condition or slow the speed with which they sprung from the wound to the straight condition. The report describes several potential variations on the basic concept of an ERF-controlled structural member, including compartmentalization of the interior volume to prevent total loss of the ERF in case of a leak and the use of multiple, individually addressable electrode pairs to enable more localized control

Review of Implementing the Internet of Things (IoT) for Robotic Drones (IoT Drones)

Drone and the Internet of Things are different technologies, actively utilised and implemented across various fields. Connectivity is the difference between the IoT drone and the regular drone. IoT drones can receive and transmit data and command signals in real-time while being controlled through the IoT network. By implementing both drone and IoT, the flying IoT (IoT-Drone) is built as a new form of IoT device. This work improves how to use the drone effectively in many aspects; data transferring, data collecting, real-time monitoring, and control. With the emergence of the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, and advanced communication, the IoT drone technology has been utilized in many fields, especially in agriculture and inspection, and discussed in smart cities, logistic delivery, and the military. This paper reviews the IoT drone implementation in those fields and reviews the researchers’ discussion and studies on IoT drone optimization

Utilizing the internet of things (IoT) to develop a remotely monitored autonomous floodgate for water management and control

In recent years, floods have increased in frequency and intensity, causing tremendous hardship. In badly affected regions, mostly the rural areas, Weir-type floodgates are the only measure against floods. However, these manually operated gates are numerous and scattered over vast areas. This makes flood mitigation efforts very challenging, which causes severe devastation. Current solutions to automate the floodgates are expensive, black-boxed, and focused on individual gates. In this paper, we present a Centralized Flood Monitoring and Coordination System developed through the Internet of Things (IoT) and other open-source technologies. For this work, we developed a working prototype of an autonomous floodgate that opens/closes according to the level of water. We also developed the required program to allow the gate controller to publish its data through the IoT gateway to the cloud. The data was then captured and viewed on a number of IoT clients, both for individuals and groups of floodgates, in real time. The developed system proved successful as the autonomous gates were monitored remotely through the established IoT framework, with room for future development and improvement. This paper serves as a proof of concept and a preparation for real, on-site implementation of the IoT-floodgates