Lora-based traffic flow detection for smart-road

This paper presents a wireless traffic flow detection system, mainly focused on conditions in which the traffic flow is slow or stopped, which increases the risk of highway accidents. To achieve this goal, a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) based on LoRa called Short LoRa has been developed. This LoRa sub-network complies with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) harmonized standard for its compatibility in Europe countries. In addition, the development of the devices has allowed them to also work on a LoRaWAN network. The introduced development has been compared to a reference system mounted with laser barriers that provided a high accurate comparison. Field tests of the system have been carried out and the data obtained in the measurement has been analyzed with two different methods, and both of them were valid for the application. The results can determine vehicle speed with adequate precision at low speeds. The attenuating behavior of the communication signal is also analyzed through the Radio Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI). The relationship between vehicle speed, gate distances and RSSI attenuation has been studied. The system is proven to have efficient results in detecting traffic flow under the conditions for which it has been developed

MsWH: A multi-sensory hardware platform for capturing and analyzing physiological emotional signals

This paper presents a new physiological signal acquisition multi-sensory platform for emotion detection: Multi-sensor Wearable Headband (MsWH). The system is capable of recording and analyzing five different physiological signals: skin temperature, blood oxygen saturation, heart rate (and its variation), movement/position of the user (more specifically of his/her head) and electrodermal activity/bioimpedance. The measurement system is complemented by a porthole camera positioned in such a way that the viewing area remains constant. Thus, the user''s face will remain centered regardless of its position and movement, increasing the accuracy of facial expression recognition algorithms. This work specifies the technical characteristics of the developed device, paying special attention to both the hardware used (sensors, conditioning, microprocessors, connections) and the software, which is optimized for accurate and massive data acquisition. Although the information can be partially processed inside the device itself, the system is capable of sending information via Wi-Fi, with a very high data transfer rate, in case external processing is required. The most important features of the developed platform have been compared with those of a proven wearable device, namely the Empatica E4 wristband, in those measurements in which this is possible

The origin of the young stellar population in the solar neighborhood - a link to the formation of the Local Bubble?

We have analyzed the trajectories of moving stellar groups in the solar neighborhood in an attempt to estimate the number of supernova explosions in our local environment during the past 20 million years. Using Hipparcos stellar distances and the results of kinematical analyses by Asiain et al. (1999a) on the Pleiades moving groups, we are able to show that subgroup B1, consisting of early type B stars up to 10 Msun, but lacking more massive objects, has passed through the local interstellar medium within less than 100 pc. Comparing the stellar content of B1 with the initial mass function derived from the analysis of galactic OB associations, we estimate the number of supernova explosions and find that about 20 supernovae must have occurred during the past ~ 10 - 20 million years, which is suggested to be the age of the Local Bubble; the age of the star cluster is about ~ 20 - 30 million years. For the first time, this provides strong evidence that the Local Bubble must have been created and shaped by multi-supernova explosions and presumably been reheated more than 1 million years ago, consistent with recent findings of an excess of 60Fe in a deep ocean ferromanganese crust. Calculating similarity solutions of an expanding superbubble for time-dependent energy input, we show that the number of explosions is sufficient to explain the size of the Local Bubble. The present energy input rate is about $\dot E_{SN}$ ~ 5 x 10^36 erg/s, in good agreement with the estimated local soft X-ray photon output rate. It seems plausible that the origin of the Local Bubble is also linked to the formation of the Gould Belt, which originated about 30-60 Myrs ago.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Banco de ensayos multipropósito para caracterizar baterías de LiPo

1.RESUMENEl presente trabajo final de grado (TFG) tiene como finalidad desarrollar el diseño y la fabricación de dos bancos de prueba; un banco de pruebas para validar contactos eléctricos y un banco de pruebas para caracterizar un acumulador. Se comienza por realizar un estudio completo de los sistemas existentes en el mercado y se plantean las soluciones adoptadas para resolver cada una de las cuestiones.En primer lugar, se diseña un banco de pruebas con el objetivo de validar el comportamiento de un contacto eléctrico, y analizar e interpretar su comportamiento en un ensayo de 5 minutos. En este trabajo se ponen a prueba dos diseños, el primero consiste en una pieza de cobre rectangular atornillada sobre las pletinas del acumulador para aumentar la superficie conductora. En el segundo diseño se añaden a la pieza anterior unos refuerzos de cobre y acero, además de una grasa para contactos que mejora la conductividad eléctrica.Analizando los resultados, se obtienen mejores datos en el segundo caso, puesto que la presión ejercida en todos los puntos de la unión es uniforme. La termografía refleja que la transmisión del calor en este segundo contacto es más homogénea y la temperatura al finalizar el ensayo tiende a estabilizarse.En segundo lugar, se diseña un banco de ensayos para caracterizar celdas de Litio-Polímero. El objetivo de este banco es someter al acumulador a un ensayo de carga y descarga profunda, pudiendo analizar así su comportamiento e interpretar los resultados obtenidos.Se realizan dos ensayos, el primero de ellos utilizando una carga resistiva, por lo que la corriente no es constante, sino que depende de la tensión. En el segundo, se utiliza una carga electrónica programable, pudiendo realizar el ensayo de descarga a corriente constante. En ambos casos, la fase de carga se realiza utilizando una fuente de alimentación modificada con el objetivo de poder limitar y variar la tensión vía software durante el ensayo. Para ambos bancos de ensayo se diseña una interfaz de usuario mediante el software LabView, que permite el guardado de datos y la automatización del sistema. Estos resultados se comparan con los datos obtenidos mediante una instrumentación de precisión en el centro de investigación Tecnalia.Finalmente obteniendo que el error absoluto máximo del sistema desarrollado en el presente trabajo, no supera el 0,5%, se concluye que, utilizando equipos de menor coste económico, se pueden conseguir resultados eficientes y válidos. Y que el uso de estas herramientas es de vital importancia para el desarrollo de vehículos eléctricos.<br /

The Effect of the Outer Lindblad Resonance of the Galactic Bar on the Local Stellar Velocity Distribution

Hydro-dynamical modeling of the inner Galaxy suggest that the radius of the outer Lindblad resonance (OLR) of the Galactic bar lies in the vicinity of the Sun. How does this resonance affect the distribution function in the outer parts of a barred disk, and can we identify any effect of the resonance in the velocity distribution f(v) actually observed in the solar neighborhood? To answer these questions, detailed simulations of f(v) in the outer parts of an exponential stellar disks with nearly flat rotation curves and a rotating central bar have been performed. For a model resembling the old stellar disk, the OLR causes a distinct feature in f(v) over a significant fraction of the outer disk. For positions <2kpc outside the OLR radius and at bar angles of \~10-70 degrees, f(v) inhibits a bi-modality between the low-velocity stars moving like the local standard of rest (LSR) and a secondary mode of stars predominantly moving outward and rotating more slowly than the LSR. Such a bi-modality is indeed present in f(v) inferred from the Hipparcos data for late-type stars in the solar neighborhood. If one interpretes this observed bi-modality as induced by the OLR -- and there are hardly any viable alternatives -- then one is forced to deduce that the OLR radius is slightly smaller than Ro. Moreover, by a quantitative comparison of the observed with the simulated distributions one finds that the pattern speed of the bar is 1.85+/-0.15 times the local circular frequency, where the error is dominated by the uncertainty in bar angle and local circular speed. Also other, less prominent but still significant, features in the observed f(v) resemble properties of the simulated velocity distributions, in particular a ripple caused by orbits trapped in the outer 1:1 resonance.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures (Fig.2 in full resolution available upon request), accepted for publication in A

The nearest young moving groups

The latest results in the research of forming planetary systems have led several authors to compile a sample of candidates for searching for planets in the vicinity of the sun. Young stellar associations are indeed excellent laboratories for this study, but some of them are not close enough to allow the detection of planets through adaptive optics techniques. However, the existence of very close young moving groups can solve this problem. Here we have compiled the members of the nearest young moving groups, as well as a list of new candidates from our catalogue of late-type stars possible members of young stellar kinematic groups, studying their membership through spectroscopic and photometric criteria.Comment: Latex file with 16 pages, 4 figures. Available at http://www.ucm.es/info/Astrof/invest/actividad/skg/skg_sag.html Accepted for publication in: The Astrophysical Journal (ApJ

A Comparison of the Chemical Evolutionary Histories of the Galactic Thin Disk and Thick Disk Stellar Populations

We have studied 23 long-lived G dwarfs that belong to the thin disk and thick disk stellar populations. Abundances have been derived for 24 elements: O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Ti, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Y, Zr, Ba, La, Ce, Nd, and Eu. We find that the behavior of [alpha/Fe] and [Eu/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] are quite different for the two populations. As has long been known, the thin disk O, Mg, Si, Ca, and Ti ratios are enhanced relative to iron at the lowest metallicities, and decline toward solar values as [Fe/H] rises above -1.0. For the thick disk, the decline in [alpha/Fe] and [Eu/Fe] does not begin at [Fe/H] = -1.0, but at -0.4. Other elements share this behavior, including Sc, Co, and Zn, suggesting that at least in the chemical enrichment history of the thick disk, these elements were manufactured in similar-mass stars. Combining our results for the oldest and longest-lived stars with prior work, we find clear signs for an independent origin for the Galactic thick disk. (Abridged)Comment: 48 pages and 20 figures, accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journa

The Effect of Spiral Structure on the Stellar Velocity Distribution in the Solar Neighborhood

Clumps in the solar neighborhood's stellar velocity distribution could be caused by spiral density waves. In the solar neighborhood, stellar velocities corresponding to orbits that are nearly closed in the frame rotating with a spiral pattern represent likely regions for stellar concentrations. Via particle integration, we show that orbits can intersect the solar neighborhood when they are excited by Lindblad resonances with a spiral pattern. We find that a two-armed spiral density wave with pattern speed placing the Sun near the 4:1 Inner Lindblad Resonance (ILR) can cause two families of nearly closed orbits in the solar neighborhood. One family corresponds to square shaped orbits aligned so their peaks lie on top of, and support, the two dominant stellar arms. The second family correspond to orbits 45 degrees out of phase with the other family. Such a spiral density pattern could account for two major clumps in the solar neighborhood's velocity distribution. The Pleiades/Hyades moving group corresponds to the first family of orbits and the Coma Berenices moving group corresponds to the second family. This model requires a spiral pattern speed of approximately 0.66 +- 0.03 times the angular rotation rate of the Sun or 18.1 +- 0.8 km/s/kpc.Comment: Accepted for publication in A

A New Nearby Candidate Star Cluster in Ophiuchus at d = 170 pc

The recent discoveries of nearby star clusters and associations within a few hundred pc of the Sun, as well as the order of magnitude difference in the formation rates of the embedded and open cluster populations, suggests that additional poor stellar groups are likely to be found at surprisingly close distances to the Sun. Here I describe a new nearby stellar aggregate found by virtue of the parallel proper motions, similar trigonometric parallaxes, and consistent color-magnitude distribution of its early-type members. The 120 Myr-old group lies in Ophiuchus at $d$ $\simeq$ 170 pc, with its most massive member being the 4th-magnitude post-MS B8II-III star $\mu$ Oph. The group may have escaped previous notice due to its non-negligible extinction ($A_V$ $\simeq$ 0.9 mag). If the group was born with a normal initial mass function, and the nine B- and A-type systems represent a complete system of intermediate-mass stars, then the original population was probably of order $\sim$200 systems. The age and space motion of the new cluster are very similar to those of the Pleiades, $\alpha$ Per cluster, and AB Dor Moving Group, suggesting that these aggregates may have formed in the same star-forming complex some $\sim10^8$ yr ago.Comment: 23 pages, 3 figs., to appear in Nov. 2006 A

A New Association of Post-T Tauri Stars Near The Sun

Observing ROSAT sources in 20 x 25 deg centered at the high latitude active star ER Eri, we found evidences for a new young nearby association (~30Myr at~60pc), the Horologium Association (HorA), formed by at least 10 probable and 6 possible members, some being Post-T Tauri stars. We examine several requirements that characterize a young association and they, together, create a strong evidence for the reality of the HorA. In fact, the Li line intensities are between those of the oldest classical T Tauri stars and the ones of the Local Association stars. The space velocities of the HorA relative to the Sun, U= -9.5+/-1.0, V = -20.9 +/- 1.1, W = -2.1 +/- 1.9, are not far from those of the Local Association. We suggest that some hotter and non-X-ray active stars, with similar space velocities, could be massive members of the HorA, among them, the nearby Be star Achernar. The maximum of the mass distribution function of the HorA is around 0.8 solar masses. At its distance, the projected size of the HorA, ~50 pc, would be larger than our surveyed area and many other members could have been missed. We also observed 3 control regions, two at northern and southern galactic latitudes and a third one in the known TW Hya Association (TWA), and the properties and distribution of their young stars strengthen the reality of the HorA. Contrary to the TWA, the only known binaries in the HorA are 2 very wide systems. The HorA is much more isolated from clouds and older than the TWA and could give some clues about the lifetime of the disks around T Tauri stars. Actually, none of the proposed members is an IRAS source indicating an advanced stage of the evolution of their accreting disks. ER Eri itself was found to be a RS CVn-like system.Comment: 25 pages, 5 eps figures, to appear in Astron.