Adaptive robust control of an omnidirectional mobile platform for autonomous service robots in polar coordinates

This paper presents an adaptive robust control method for trajectory tracking and path following of an omni-directional wheeled mobile platform with actuators' uncertainties. The polar-space kinematic model of the platform with three independent driving omnidirectional wheels equally spaced at 120 from one another is briefly introduced, and the dynamic models of the three uncertain servomotors mounted on the driving wheels are also described. With the platform's kinematic model and the motors' dynamic model associated two unknown parameters, the adaptive robust controller is synthesized via the integral backstepping approach. Computer simulations and experimental results are conducted to show the effectiveness and merits of the proposed control method in comparison with a conventional PI feedback control method

Adaptive Polar-Space Motion Control for Embedded Omnidirectional Mobile Robots with Parameter Variations and Uncertainties

This paper presents an adaptive polar-space motion controller for trajectory tracking and stabilization of a three-wheeled, embedded omnidirectional mobile robot with parameter variations and uncertainties caused by friction, slip and payloads. With the derived dynamic model in polar coordinates, an adaptive motion controller is synthesized via the adaptive backstepping approach. This proposed polar-space robust adaptive motion controller was implemented into an embedded processor using a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chip. Furthermore, the embedded adaptive motion controller works with a reusable user IP (Intellectual Property) core library and an embedded real-time operating system (RTOS) in the same chip to steer the mobile robot to track the desired trajectory by using hardware/software co-design technique and SoPC (system-on-a-programmable-chip) technology. Simulation results are conducted to show the merit of the proposed polar-space control method in comparison with a conventional proportional-integral (PI) feedback controller and a non-adaptive polar-space kinematic controller. Finally, the effectiveness and performance of the proposed embedded adaptive motion controller are exemplified by conducting several experiments on steering an embedded omnidirectional mobile robot

Adaptive Robust Self-Balancing and Steering of a Two-Wheeled Human Transportation Vehicle

This paper presents adaptive robust regulation methods for self-balancing and yaw motion of a two-wheeled human transportation vehicle (HTV) with varying payload and system uncertainties. The proposed regulators are aimed at providing consistent driving performance for the HTV with system uncertainties and parameter variations caused by different drivers. By decomposing the overall system into the yaw motion subsystems and the wheeled inverted pendulum, two proposed adaptive robust regulators are synthesized to achieve self-balancing and yaw motion control. Numerical simulations and experimental results on different terrains show that the proposed adaptive robust controllers are capable of achieving satisfactory control actions to steer the vehicle

Application of simulation technique on debris flow hazard zone delineation: a case study in the Daniao tribe, Eastern Taiwan

Typhoon Morakot struck Taiwan in August 2009 and induced considerable disasters, including large-scale landslides and debris flows. One of these debris flows was experienced by the Daniao tribe in Taitung, Eastern Taiwan. The volume was in excess of 500 000 m(3), which was substantially larger than the original design mitigation capacity. This study considered large-scale debris flow simulations in various volumes at the same area by using the DEBRIS-2D numerical program. The program uses the generalized Julien and Lan (1991) rheological model to simulate debris flows. In this paper, the sensitivity factor considered on the debris flow spreading is the amount of the debris flow initial volume. These simulated results in various amounts of debris flow initial volume demonstrated that maximal depths of debris flows were almost deposited in the same area, and also revealed that a 20% variation in estimating the amount of total volume at this particular site results in a 2.75% variation on the final front position. Because of the limited watershed terrain, the hazard zones of debris flows were not expanded. Therefore, the amount of the debris flow initial volume was not sensitive

Novel hybrid vesicles co-assembled from a cationic lipid and PAAc-g-mPEG with pH-triggered transmembrane channels for controlled drug release

This work presents an important example of novel hybrid vesicles with pH-triggered transmembrane channels prepared by co-assembly of poly(acrylic acid)-g-poly(monomethoxy ethylene glycol) (PAAc-g-mPEG) with a cationic lipid, didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB), via electrostatic interaction for effective doxorubicin (DOX) release

Essential role of PKC delta in histone deacetylase inhibitor-induced Epstein-Barr virus reactivation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells

Histone deactylase inhibitors (HDACi) are common chemotherapeutic agents that stimulate Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation; the detailed mechanism remains obscure. In this study, it is demonstrated that PKC delta is required for induction of the EBV lytic cycle by HDACi. Inhibition of PKC delta abrogates HDACi-mediated transcriptional activation of the Zta promoter and downstream lytic gene expression. Nuclear translocation of PKC delta is observed following HDACi stimulation and its overexpression leads to progression of the EBV lytic cycle. Our study suggests that PKC delta is a crucial mediator of EBV reactivation and provides a novel insight to study the regulation of the EBV lytic cycle

The effects of the bacterial interaction with visible-light responsive titania photocatalyst on the bactericidal performance

Bactericidal activity of traditional titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalyst is effective only upon irradiation by ultraviolet light, which restricts the potential applications of TiO2 for use in our living environments. Recently carbon-containing TiO2 was found to be photoactive at visible-light illumination that affords the potential to overcome this problem; although, the bactericidal activity of these photocatalysts is relatively lower than conventional disinfectants. Evidenced from scanning electron microscopy and confocal Raman spectral mapping analysis, we found the interaction with bacteria was significantly enhanced in these anatase/rutile mixed-phase carbon-containing TiO2. Bacteria-killing experiments indicate that a significantly higher proportion of all tested pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella flexneri and Acinetobacter baumannii, were eliminated by the new nanoparticle with higher bacterial interaction property. These findings suggest the created materials with high bacterial interaction ability might be a useful strategy to improve the antimicrobial activity of visible-light-activated TiO2

Ginkgo biloba extract attenuates oxLDL-induced oxidative functional damages in endothelial cells

Ou HC, Lee WJ, Lee IT, Chiu TH, Tsai KL, Lin CY, Sheu WH. Ginkgo biloba extract attenuates oxLDL-induced oxidative functional damages in endothelial cells. J Appl Physiol 106: 1674-1685, 2009. First published February 19, 2009; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.91415.2008.-Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory process with increased oxidative stress in vascular endothelium. Ginkgo biloba extract (GbE), extracted from Ginkgo biloba leaves, has commonly been used as a therapeutic agent for cardiovascular and neurological disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate how GbE protects vascular endothelial cells against the proatherosclerotic stressor oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) in vitro. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were incubated with GbE (12.5-100 mu g/ml) for 2 h and then incubated with oxLDL (150 mu g/ml) for an additional 24 h. Subsequently, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, antioxidant enzyme activities, adhesion to monocytes, cell morphology, viability, and several apoptotic indexes were assessed. Our data show that ROS generation is an upstream signal in oxLDL-treated HUVECs. Cu,Zn-SOD, but not Mn-SOD, was inactivated by oxLDL. In addition, oxLDL diminished expression of endothelial NO synthase and enhanced expression of adhesion molecules (ICAM, VCAM, and E-selectin) and the adherence of monocytic THP-1 cells to HUVECs. Furthermore, oxLDL increased intracellular calcium, disturbed the balance of Bcl-2 family proteins, destabilized mitochondrial membrane potential, and triggered subsequent cytochrome c release into the cytosol and activation of caspase-3. These detrimental effects were ameliorated dose dependently by GbE (P < 0.05). Results from this study may provide insight into a possible molecular mechanism underlying GbE suppression of the oxLDL-mediated vascular endothelial dysfunction

Metadevice of three dimensional split ring resonators

Split-ring resonator (SRR), a kind of building block for metamaterial unit cell, has attracted wide attentions due to the resonance excitation of electric and magnetic dipolar response. Here, different from prior published lectures, fundamental plasmon properties and potential applications in novel three dimensional vertical split-ring resonators (VSRRs ) are designed and investigated. The resonant properties arose from the electric and magnetic interactions between the VSRR s and light are firstly theoretically and experimentally studied (Fig. 1(a)). Tuning the configuration of VSRR unit cells is able to generate various novel coupling phenomena in VSRRs, such as plasmon hybridization and Fano resonance, as shown in Figs. 1(b) and 1(c) . Subsequently, the VSRR-based refractive-index sensor will be demonstrated. Due to the unique structural configuration, the enhanced plasmon fields localized in VSRR gaps can be lifted off from the dielectric substrate, allowing for the increase of sensing volume and enhancing the sensitivity (Fig. 1(d)) . We further perform a VSRR based metasurface for light manipulation in optical communication frequency, as shown in Fig. 1(e). Moreover, isotropic VSRRs are approached by optimizing the structural arrangement within a unit cell (Fig. 1(f)). Figure 1(g) shows the schematic for isotropic VSRR-based perfect absorber. By incorporating a metallic mirror with isotropic VSRRs, a stronger field confinement happens to enhance the absorption ability, benefitting the development of refractive index sensor. Finally, a transverse toroidal moment generated by normal incident optical wave at gold dumbbell-shaped aperture and a VSRR is designed and experimentally demonstrated , as shown in Fig. 1(h)