Mobile Robot Feature-Based SLAM Behavior Learning, and Navigation in Complex Spaces

Learning mobile robot space and navigation behavior, are essential requirements for improved navigation, in addition to gain much understanding about the navigation maps. This chapter presents mobile robots feature-based SLAM behavior learning, and navigation in complex spaces. Mobile intelligence has been based on blending a number of functionaries related to navigation, including learning SLAM map main features. To achieve this, the mobile system was built on diverse levels of intelligence, this includes principle component analysis (PCA), neuro-fuzzy (NF) learning system as a classifier, and fuzzy rule based decision system (FRD)

The Effects of Additives on the Dehydrogenation of Amorphous Manganese Borohydride and Its Crystalline Form after Solvent Filtration/Extraction

A non-stoichiometric, amorphous a-Mn(BH4)(2x) hydride, accompanied by a NaCl-type salt, was mechanochemically synthesized from the additive-free mixture of (2NaBH4 + MnCl2), as well as from the mixtures containing the additives of ultrafine filamentary carbonyl nickel (Ni), graphene, and LiNH2. It is shown that both graphene and LiNH2 suppressed the release of B2H6 during thermal gas desorption, with the LiNH2 additive being the most effective suppressor of B2H6. During solvent filtration and extraction of additive-free, as well as additive-bearing, (Ni and graphene) samples from diethyl ether (Et2O), the amorphous a-Mn(BH4)(2x) hydride transformed into a crystalline c-Mn(BH4)2 hydride, exhibiting a microstructure containing nanosized crystallites (grains). In contrast, the LiNH2 additive most likely suppressed the formation of a crystalline c-Mn(BH4)2 hydride during solvent filtration/extraction. In a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), the thermal decomposition peaks of both amorphous a-Mn(BH4)(2x) and crystalline c-Mn(BH4)2 were endothermic for the additive-free samples, as well as the samples with added graphene and Ni. The samples with LiNH2 exhibited an exothermic DSC decomposition peak.Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada Discovery gran

Biomimetic Based EEG Learning for Robotics Complex Grasping and Dexterous Manipulation

There have been tremendous efforts to understand the biological nature of human grasping, in such a way that it can be learned and copied to prosthesis–robotics and dextrous grasping applications. Several biomimetic methods and techniques have been adopted, hence applied to analytically comprehend ways human performs grasping to duplicate human knowledge. A major topic for further study, is related to decoding the resulting EEG brainwaves during motorizing of fingers and moving parts. To accomplish this, there are a number of phases that are performed, including recording, pre-processing, filtration, and understanding of the waves. However, there are two important phases that have received substantial research attentions. The classification and decoding, of such massive and complex brain waves, as they are two important steps towards understanding patterns during grasping. In this respect, the fundamental objective of this research is to demonstrate how to employ advanced pattern recognition methods, like fuzzy c-mean clustering for understanding resulting EEG brain waves, in such a way to control a prosthesis or robotic hand, while relying sets of detected EEG brainwaves. There are a number of decoding and classification methods and techniques, however we shall look into fuzzy based clustering blended with principle component analysis (PAC) technique to help for the decoding mechanism. EEG brainwaves during a grasping and manipulation have been used for this analysis. This involves, movement of almost five fingers during a grasping defined task. The study has found that, it is not a straight forward task to decode all human fingers motions, as due to the complexity of grasping tasks. However, the adopted analysis was able to classify and identify the different narrowly performed and related fundamental events during a simple grasping task

Adaptation decorrelates shape representations

Perception and neural responses are modulated by sensory history. Visual adaptation, an example of such an effect, has been hypothesized to improve stimulus discrimination by decorrelating responses across a set of neural units. While a central theoretical model, behavioral and neural evidence for this theory is limited and inconclusive. Here, we use a parametric 3D shape-space to test whether adaptation decorrelates shape representations in humans. In a behavioral experiment with 20 subjects, we find that adaptation to a shape class improves discrimination of subsequently presented stimuli with similar features. In a BOLD fMRI experiment with 10 subjects, we observe that adaptation to a shape class decorrelates the multivariate representations of subsequently presented stimuli with similar features in object-selective cortex. These results support the long-standing proposal that adaptation improves perceptual discrimination and decorrelates neural representations, offering insights into potential underlying mechanisms

Distension-Induced Gastric Contraction is Attenuated in an Experimental Model of Gastric Restraint

Background Gastric distension has important implications for motility and satiety. The hypothesis of this study was that distension affects the amplitude and duration of gastric contraction and that these parameters are largely mediated by efferent vagus stimulation. Methods A novel isovolumic myograph was introduced to test these hypotheses. The isovolumic myograph isolates the stomach and records the pressure generated by the gastric contraction under isovolumic conditions. Accordingly, the phasic changes of gastric contractility can be documented. A group of 12 rats were used under in vivo conditions and isolated ex vivo conditions and with two different gastric restraints (small and large) to determine the effect of degree of restraint. Results The comparison of the in vivo and ex vivo contractility provided information on the efferent vagus mediation of gastric contraction, i.e., the in vivo amplitude and duration reached maximum of 12.6±2.7 mmHg and 19.8±5.6 s in contrast to maximum of 5.7±0.9 mmHg and 7.3±1.3 s in ex vivo amplitude and duration, respectively. The comparison of gastric restraint and control groups highlights the role of distension on in vivo gastric contractility. The limitation of gastric distension by restraint drastically reduced the maximal amplitude to below 2.9±0.2 mmHg. Conclusions The results show that distension-induced gastric contractility is regulated by both central nervous system and local mechanisms with the former being more substantial. Furthermore, the gastric restraint significantly attenuates gastric contractility (decreased amplitude and shortened duration of contraction) which is mediated by the efferent vagus activation. These findings have important implications for gastric motility and physiology and may improve our understanding of satiety

Effect of Different Types of Shear Reinforcement on the Strength, Stiffness and Crack Resistance of Bending Reinforced Concrete Elements

This article describes the effect of three different types of shear reinforcement on the strength, stiffness and crack resistance of bending reinforced concrete beams. This paper reports experimental data on the behavior of reinforced concrete beams, reinforced with different shear reinforcement. Tests were conducted on four reinforced concrete beams, one with stirrups and three with different types of shear lattice girder (truss) reinforcement. The behavior of the reinforced concrete beams is analyzed and supported with statistical evaluations. Conclusions are drawn, showing that the beams act differently under the action of the same subjected load, providing numerical data ensuring the effectiveness of the two types of shear reinforcement with respect to the standard widely used model (model with stirrups)

Interação genótipo-ambiente para peso ao sobreano em alguns estados brasileiros e em clusters de municípios do estado de São Paulo em bovinos da raça Canchim.

Foram analisados dados de rebanhos Canchim pertencentes a alguns estados do Brasil (IGA1) e clusters de municípios paulistas (IGA2) para a investigação da presença de interação genótipo-ambiente (IGA) para a característica peso ao sobreano (PS). Duas investigações distintas foram realizadas para os diferentes ambientes (IGA1 e IGA2) por meio da comparação de dois modelos sugeridos em cada ambiente, um com o efeito aleatório de touro-ambiente e o outro sem este efeito. Para o estudo no ambiente IGA1 foi constatada a presença da IGA, indicando alteração significativa no desempenho de PS dos animais conforme a região em que foram avaliados. No estudo no ambiente IGA2 não foi encontrada diferença significativa entre os desempenhos de PS nos clusters paulistas, sugerindo não haver IGA entre os municípios analisados. No entanto, no estudo de IGA2 houve variação entre os modelos das estimativas das variâncias genéticas, de ambiente e fenotípicas, o que não permitiu descartar a possibilidade da presença da IGA