Design of a drainage system to improve the water regimen in Lanzhot (South Moravia)

El objetivo del proyecto es la elección y diseño de un sistema de drenaje para controlar el régimen hídrico en una región del sur de República Checa, característico por tener un suelo poco permeable

MRS Drone: A Modular Platform for Real-World Deployment of Aerial Multi-Robot Systems

This paper presents a modular autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) platform called the Multi-robot Systems (MRS) Drone that can be used in a large range of indoor and outdoor applications. The MRS Drone features unique modularity with respect to changes in actuators, frames, and sensory configuration. As the name suggests, the platform is specially tailored for deployment within a MRS group. The MRS Drone contributes to the state-of-the-art of UAV platforms by allowing smooth real-world deployment of multiple aerial robots, as well as by outperforming other platforms with its modularity. For real-world multi-robot deployment in various applications, the platform is easy to both assemble and modify. Moreover, it is accompanied by a realistic simulator to enable safe pre-flight testing and a smooth transition to complex real-world experiments. In this manuscript, we present mechanical and electrical designs, software architecture, and technical specifications to build a fully autonomous multi UAV system. Finally, we demonstrate the full capabilities and the unique modularity of the MRS Drone in various real-world applications that required a diverse range of platform configurations.Comment: 49 pages, 39 figures, accepted for publication to the Journal of Intelligent & Robotic System

Scale effect on hydraulic conductivity and solute transport: Small and large-scale laboratory experiments and field experiments

[EN] Hydraulic conductivity (K), dispersivity (alpha) and partition coefficient (K-d) can change according to the measurement support (scale) and that is referred to as scale effect. However, there is no clear consensus about the behavior of these parameters with the change in the scale. Comparison between results obtained in different support of measurements in the field and in the laboratory can promote the discussion about scale effects on K, alpha, and K-d, and contribute to understanding how these parameters behave with the change in the scale of measurement, the main objectives of the present paper. Small and large-scale laboratory tests using undisturbed soil samples and field experiments at different scales were performed. Results show that for the same measurement condition, K, alpha, and K-d increase with scale in all studied magnitudes. Caution should be taken when using K, alpha, and K-d values in numerical models with no concern about the scale effect. The lack of consideration of the difference of scale between field and laboratory measurements and numerical model may compromise the reliability of the predictions and misrepresent the responses.The authors thank the financial support by the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) (Project 401441/2014-8). The doctoral fellowship awarded to the first author by the Coordination of Improvement of Higher Level Personnel (CAPES) is gratefully acknowledged. The first author also thanks the international mobility grant awarded by CNPq, through the Science Without Borders program (grant number: 200597/2015-9), and the international mobility grant awarded by Santander Mobility in cooperation with the University of Sao Paulo.Almeida De-Godoy, V.; Zuquette, L.; Gómez-Hernández, JJ. (2018). Scale effect on hydraulic conductivity and solute transport: Small and large-scale laboratory experiments and field experiments. Engineering Geology. 243:196-205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2018.06.020S19620524

Water management supporting the delivery of ecosystem services for grassland, heath and moorland

In the present era, permanent grasslands and other grazed habitats, i.e., moorlands and heath, are appreciated as avant la lettre green infrastructure (GI) resources, providing a wide range of ecosystem services, the delivery of many of which require water management to be in place. This paper discusses the role of water management and, in particular, that of drainage. We contend that controlled drainage and drainage-irrigation systems can contribute to the sustainable use of grasslands and associated habitats in the European Union. We present examples from a range of habitats in several EU Member States and attempt to identify the contemporary (short-term) costs as well as the short-term revenues covering these costs. Options for enhancing the role of the Green Infrastructure in Europe to achieve sustainable land use by including all "permanent grassland" are discussed