DESIGNING AND EVALUATING A PORTABLE LIDAR-BASED SLAM SYSTEM

Mobile Mapping Technology (MMT) has evolved rapidly over the past few decades, especially in using low-cost sensors. This progress is primarily attributed to the appearance of innovative simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms. This article focuses on evaluating the efficiency of a new LiDAR-based portable SLAM system for mapping in dynamic real-world environments. The work proposed a technical solution based on a Livox Avia LiDAR sensor enhanced by gimbal stabilization. The system, named Portable Livox-based Mapping system (PoLiMap), is compared to other similar solutions by acquiring data from various environments, including urban sceneries, underground tunnels and forested areas, and processing them using a modified FAST-LIO-SLAM algorithm. The research presented in the article contributes to the understanding of the capabilities of PoLiMap systems under various conditions and offers significant insight into its potential applications. Accuracy evaluation results prove that the proposed MMT system can successfully tackle various demanding environments and challenge the results of other more costly state-of-the-art portable mobile laser scanning methods

Synthesis of a mechanism for generating straight line indexing trajectory

Syntezie mechanizmów do realizacji trajektorii prostoliniowej poświęcono niezliczoną liczbę prac. W niniejszej przedstawiono dwie metody syntezy czworoboku napędzanego członem zmiennej długości (napęd liniowy). Punkt łącznikowy realizuje w pewnym zakresie tor zbliżony do linii prostej ale jednocześnie zapewniona jest liniowa zależność pomiędzy przemieszczeniem wzdłuż tej prostej i wydłużeniem napędu liniowego. Pierwsza z metod, jakkolwiek oparta na przeglądzie zupełnym możliwych rozwiązań, jest metodą przybliżoną. W drugiej metodzie, wspomaganej algorytmami genetycznymi, dokonano optymalizacji uzyskując poprawę oczekiwanej liniowej relacji przemieszczenia punktu łącznikowego i wydłużenia napędu liniowego. Prezentowane metody syntezy mogą być przydatne w projektowaniu podobnych układów.A lot of papers have considered the task of synthesis mechanisms generating straight line trajectory. This paper presents two methods of synthesis a mechanism that is driven by linear actuator. The coupler point, in a part of its trajectory, moves along straight line and at the same time the linear relation between its displacement and of the driver’s elongation is fulfilled. The first method, however based on searching among possible solutions, uses some simplifications. The second method uses neural networks and is focused mainly on optimization of linear relation of a coupler point motion and elongation of linear actua- tors. Presented methods can be helpful in designing similar me- chanisms

A Rig for Testing the Leg of a Wheel-Legged Robot

The paper describes a rig specially constructed for testing a single leg of the wheel-legged robot being designed and presents exemplary test results. The aim of the tests was to verify the mechanical structure and control system operation in laboratory conditions. The operation of the control, communication and data transmission modules was verified. Also tests aimed at selecting proper parameters for the drive controllers were carried out on the test rig

Complex history of studies of Devonian vertebrates in Poland

We all represent a great group of vertebrates, Tetrapoda. Nowadays this is diversified and large taxon which includes eg. dogs, elephants, frogs as well as snakes, sparrows and dolphins. All of them (and us) have a common ancestor which lived in area of the present-day Holy Cross Mountains over 395 myr ago, that is in the Middle Devonian times (Niedźwiedzki et al., 2010). In this paper we recall our great scientists who made first steps in this field and opened the way for the next discoveries. We also present a brief history of Polish vertebrate paleontology. Last years of XIX and the beginning of XX century gave us many classical papers written by great geologists such as Georg Gürich and Jan Czarnocki. They created a general framework for the recent knowledge about the Devonian of the Holy Cross Mountains and collected many important specimens subsequently investigated by paleontologists - Zinaida Gorizdro-Kulczycka, Julian Kulczycki, Michał Ginter and authors of this paper. One of those paleontologists - Julian Kulczycki - created a scientific basis for Polish centre of studies on Paleozoic vertebrates. Because of reasons independent of him, Kulczycki could not achieve this goal. Inspired by Kulczycki’s work as well as our discovery of footprints of first tetrapods and other new finds we decided to form a working group of young scientists to carry out further investigations. The studies are to be conducted in the Holy Cross Mountains Paleontological Laboratory which is being organized in the Kielce branch of the Polish Geological Institute - National Research Institute and in close cooperation with several national and foreign research centers

What is really behavioral in behavioral health policy? And does it work?

Across health systems, there is increasing interest in applying behavioral economics insights to health policy challenges. Policy decision makers have recently discussed a range of diverse health policy interventions that are commonly brought together under a behavioral umbrella. These include randomized controlled trials, comparison portals, information labels, financial incentives, sin taxes, and nudges. A taxonomy is proposed to classify such behavioral interventions. In the context of risky health behavior, each cluster of policies is then scrutinized under two respects: (i) What are its genuinely behavioral insights? (ii) What evidence exists on its practical effectiveness? The discussion highlights the main challenges in drawing a clear mapping between how much each policy is behaviorally inspired and its effectiveness