Multi-sensor fusion for automated guided vehicle positioning

This thesis presents positioning system of Automated Guided Vehicles or AGV for short, which is a mobile robot that follows wire or magnetic tape in the floor to navigate from point to another in workspace. AGV serves in industrial fields to convey materials and products around the manufacturing facility or warehouse thus, time of manufacturing process and number of labors can be reduced accordingly. In contrast, the limitation of its movement specified by the guidance path considered as a main weakness. In order to make the AGV moves freely without guidance path, it is essential to know current position first before starts navigate to target place then, the position has to be updating during movement. For mobile robots positioning and path tracking, two basic techniques are usually used, relative and absolute positioning. Relative positioning techniques based on measuring travelled distance by the robot and accumulate it to its initial position to estimate current position, which lead to drift error over time. Digital compass, Global Positioning System (GPS), and landmarks based positioning are examples of absolute positioning techniques, in which robot position estimated from single reading. Absolute positioning does not have drift error but the system cost is high and has signal blockage inside buildings as in case of landmarks and GPS respectively. The developed positioning system based on odometry, accelerometer, and digital compass for path tracking. RFID landmarks installed in predefined positions and ultrasonic GPS used to eliminate drift error in position estimated from odometry and accelerometer. Radio frequency module is used to transfer sensors reading from the mobile robot to a host PC has software program written on LabVIEW, which has a positioning algorithm and graphical display for robot position. The experiments conducted have illustrated that the developed sensor fusion positioning system can be integrated with AGV to replace the ordinary guidance system. It will give AGV flexibility in task manipulation in industrial application

Evaluación de saponinas de quinua (Chenopodium quinoa) para el control de Fusarium spp, causante del damping-off en arupo (Chionanthus pubescens Kunth), en Chambo, Chimborazo.

El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar un bioproducto a base de saponinas de quinua (Chenopodium quinoa) para el control de Fusarium spp., causante del Damping-off en arupo (Chionanthus pubescens Kunth), para lo cual se analizó el efecto de tres dosis y tres frecuencias de aplicación del bioproducto; y un análisis financiero del proceso. Se empleó del método Soxhlet para elaborar un extracto acuoso de residuos de quinua amarga (22% de saponinas en residuos) con 425 mililitros por cada 200 gramos que alcanza una concentración de 0,610 miligramos por mililitro de saponinas; este bioproducto se separó en tres dosis de concentración del 50, 75 y 100%, los cuales se aplicaron en frecuencias de una, dos y tres semanas de diferencia cada uno, junto con un Testigo Absoluto, todo ubicado en el cantón Chambo de la provincia de Chimborazo. Aplicando un análisis de varianza (ANOVA) se determinó que la frecuencia con mayor significancia fue F1, en donde su aplicación fue cada siete días, mientras que la concentración con mayor significancia fue C2, de 75% del bioproducto de saponinas y 25% de agua destilada; y el costo de producción del proceso fue de 667,35 dólares. Se concluye que hay diferencias entre las distintas dosis de concentración y sus frecuencias viendo que el bioproducto es útil en el control contra el Fusarium spp. Se recomienda comparar otros niveles de dosificación del bioproducto en la misma especie forestal y en otras de interés comercial, lo mismo en el combate contra otros hongos patógenos.The aim of this study was to evaluate a bioproduct based on quinoa saponins (Chenopodium quinoa) for the control of Fusarium spp. causing Damping-off in arupo (Chionanthus pubescens Kunth), for which the effect of three doses and three application frequencies of the bio product were analyzed; and a financial analysis of the process. The Soxhlet method was used to prepare an aqueous extract of bitter quinoa residues (22% of saponins in residues) with 425 milliliters per 200 grams, reaching a concentration of 0,610 milligrams per milliliter of saponins; this bio product was separated into three concentration doses of 50, 75 and 100%, which were applied at frequencies of one, two and three weeks apart each, together with an Absolute Control, all located in Chambo canton province of Chimborazo. Applying an analysis of variance (ANOVA) it was determined that the frequency with the highest significance was F1, where its application was every seven days, while the concentration with the highest significance was C2, of 75% of the bio product of saponins and 25% of distilled water; and the production cost of the process was 667,35 dollars. It is concluded that there are differences between the different doses of concentration and their frequencies seeing that the bio product is useful in the control against Fusarium spp. It is recommended to compare other dosage levels of the bio product in the same forest species and in others of commercial interest, the same in the combat against other pathogenic fungi