Design of an FPGA-based smart camera and its application towards object tracking : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Electronics and Computer Engineering at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand

Smart cameras and hardware image processing are not new concepts, yet despite the fact both have existed several decades, not much literature has been presented on the design and development process of hardware based smart cameras. This thesis will examine and demonstrate the principles needed to develop a smart camera on hardware, based on the experiences from developing an FPGA-based smart camera. The smart camera is applied on a Terasic DE0 FPGA development board, using Terasic’s 5 megapixel GPIO camera. The algorithm operates at 120 frames per second at a resolution of 640x480 by utilising a modular streaming approach. Two case studies will be explored in order to demonstrate the development techniques established in this thesis. The first case study will develop the global vision system for a robot soccer implementation. The algorithm will identify and calculate the positions and orientations of each robot and the ball. Like many robot soccer implementations each robot has colour patches on top to identify each robot and aid finding its orientation. The ball is comprised of a single solid colour that is completely distinct from the colour patches. Due to the presence of uneven light levels a YUV-like colour space labelled YC1C2 is used in order to make the colour values more light invariant. The colours are then classified using a connected components algorithm to segment the colour patches. The shapes of the classified patches are then used to identify the individual robots, and a CORDIC function is used to calculate the orientation. The second case study will investigate an improved colour segmentation design. A new HSY colour space is developed by remapping the Cartesian coordinate system from the YC1C2 to a polar coordinate system. This provides improved colour segmentation results by allowing for variations in colour value caused by uneven light patterns and changing light levels

La literacidad crítico-reflexiva en la enseñanza de la escritura académica en la facultad de lenguas

La guía en la escritura se da desde los niveles iniciales de la educación, pero, quizá debido a deficiencias en el sistema de enseñanza, ésta no alcanza eficientemente su objetivo y propicia que, aunado diversos factores en el desarrollo de la comunicación, se den casos de “analfabetismo” en niveles superiores, es decir, la deficiencia para leer y escribir de acuerdo con normas estandarizadas en las áreas del conocimiento y con las reglas de la lengua. Los investigadores en el áre

Kálim y el dragón

La Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México reúne en este libro cinco cuentos cortos de Miguel Ángel Contreras Nieto: “Kálim y el dragón”, “La Leyenda de Don Beltrán”, “Chano”, “Derek y la Princesa” y “Prakash de la India”, inscritos en el territorio de la literatura fantástica. “Kálim y el dragón” y “La leyenda de Don Beltrán” pertenecen a la tradición de los relatos de caballería, “Derek y la Princesa”, a los cuentos occidentales para niños, y “Prakash de la India”, a la literatura oriental, hermanado con Las mil y una noches. Por otro lado, “Chano” nos recuerda las leyendas mexicanas decimonónicas, como “La llorona”. Todos los cuentos están bellamente recreados por el trazo maestro de Carlos Badillo

AdS/QCD Modified Soft Wall Model and Light Meson Spectra

We analyze here the mass spectrum of light vector and scalar mesons applying a novel approach where a modified soft wall model that includes a UV-cutoff at a finite $z$-position in the AdS space is used, thus introducing an extra energy scale. For this model, we found that the masses for the scalar and vector spectra are well fitted within $\delta_{RMS}=7.64\%$ for these states, with non-linear trajectories given by two common parameters, the UV locus $z_{0}$ and the quadratic dilaton profile slope $\kappa$. We also conclude that in this model, the $f_{0}(500)$ scalar resonance cannot be fitted holographycally as a $q\overline{q}$ state since we cannot find a trajectory that include this pole. This result is in agreement with the most recent phenomenological and theoretical methods.Comment: 4 pages, no figures, conference pape

Anti-Crime Programs: An Evaluation of the Comuna Segura Program

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the impact that the anti-crime program Comuna Segura: Compromiso 100 had on the reporting rate of different types of crimes. This program, implemented in Chile starting in 2001, was very highly criticized and, therefore, was eliminated in 2006. This paper provides statistical evidence, using the impact assessment methodology, which shows that the program was successful in increasing the reporting rate in targeted municipalities and also in decreasing levels of crimes associated with other crimes, such as rape. All this underlies the importance of carrying out formal impact assessments in order to determine benefits that are associated with a particular program. However, financial issues are also very important too and it is necessary to take them in account when making a fair statement about the cost-effectiveness of the program. This point is, however, not addressed in this paper but should be kept in mind in order to have a complete picture of the program.Crime, Program evaluation, Matching.

¿Existe la necesidad de evaluación de sesgos probabilísticos en futuros profesores?

La existencia de sesgos probabilísticos es un problema ampliamente extendido en la sociedad, llegado a considerarse hasta cotidiano. Estos razonamientos incorrectos deben ser conocidos por los formadores para, a parte de superarlos ellos mismos, evaluarlos en sus alumnos. El problema se agrava cuando estos errores llegan al punto de influir en el futuro académico del estudiante, ya no solo porque el alumno cometa estos sesgos, sino porque sea la institución que pretende evaluar al estudiante la que los comete. Este trabajo evalúa a estudiantes ante un problema de una prueba de acceso a la universidad para mayores de 25 años. El estudio compara los resultados de la muestra principal (alumnos de 4o y 5o de la licenciatura de matemáticas) con dos muestras de alumnos de primer año, que no cursaron aún docencia en probabilidad, y que poseen unos conocimientos probabilísticos adquiridos en su etapa preuniversitaria