The Complete Reference (Volume 4)

This is the fourth volume of the successful series Robot Operating Systems: The Complete Reference, providing a comprehensive overview of robot operating systems (ROS), which is currently the main development framework for robotics applications, as well as the latest trends and contributed systems. The book is divided into four parts: Part 1 features two papers on navigation, discussing SLAM and path planning. Part 2 focuses on the integration of ROS into quadcopters and their control. Part 3 then discusses two emerging applications for robotics: cloud robotics, and video stabilization. Part 4 presents tools developed for ROS; the first is a practical alternative to the roslaunch system, and the second is related to penetration testing. This book is a valuable resource for ROS users and wanting to learn more about ROS capabilities and features.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Cloud Based Disaster Management System

The combination of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) and 3D virtual environments opens a new paradigm for their use in natural disaster management applications. It is important to have a realistic virtual environment based on datasets received from WSNs to prepare a backup rescue scenario with an acceptable response time. This paper describes a complete cloud-based system that collects data from wireless sensor nodes deployed in real environments and then builds a 3D environment in near real-time to reflect the incident detected by sensors (fire, gas leaking, etc.). The system’s purpose is to be used as a training environment for a rescue team to develop various rescue plans before they are applied in real emergency situations. The proposed cloud architecture combines 3D data streaming and sensor data collection to build an efficient network infrastructure that meets the strict network latency requirements for 3D mobile disaster applications. As compared to other existing systems, the proposed system is truly complete. First, it collects data from sensor nodes and then transfers it using an enhanced Routing Protocol for Low-Power and Lossy Networks (RLP). A 3D modular visualizer with a dynamic game engine was also developed in the cloud for near-real time 3D rendering. This is an advantage for highly-complex rendering algorithms and less powerful devices. An Extensible Markup Language (XML) atomic action concept was used to inject 3D scene modifications into the game engine without stopping or restarting the engine. Finally, a multi-objective multiple traveling salesman problem (AHP-MTSP) algorithm is proposed to generate an efficient rescue plan by assigning robots and multiple unmanned aerial vehicles to disaster target locations, while minimizing a set of predefined objectives that depend on the situation. The results demonstrate that immediate feedback obtained from the reconstructed 3D environment can help to investigate what–if scenarios, allowing for the preparation of effective rescue plans with an appropriate management effort.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

DroneTrack: Cloud-Based Real-Time Object Tracking Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Over the Internet

Low-cost drones represent an emerging technology that opens the horizon for new smart Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications. Recent research efforts in cloud robotics are pushing for the integration of low-cost robots and drones with the cloud and the IoT. However, the performance of real-time cloud robotics systems remains a fundamental challenge that demands further investigation. In this paper, we present DroneTrack, a real-time object tracking system using a drone that follows a moving object over the Internet. The DroneTrack leverages the use of Dronemap planner (DP), a cloud-based system, for the control, communication, and management of drones over the Internet. The main contributions of this paper consist in: (1) the development and deployment of the DroneTrack, a real-time object tracking application through the DP cloud platform and (2) a comprehensive experimental study of the real-time performance of the tracking application. We note that the tracking does not imply computer vision techniques but it is rather based on the exchange of GPS locations through the cloud. Three scenarios are used for conducting various experiments with real and simulated drones. The experimental study demonstrates the effectiveness of the DroneTrack system, and a tracking accuracy of 3.5 meters in average is achieved with slow-speed moving targets.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Normal, Abnormal Book-Tax Differences And Accounting Conservatism

The present paper investigates the effect of book-tax differences on the accounting conservatism (as a proxy for financial reporting quality). The major objective of this study was to examine the extent to which regulatory and opportunistic information in book- tax differences influence accounting conservatism. We also aim to examine if book-tax differences are a signal of “bad news” for investors. Using publicly available financial statements from 2005 to 2012 for 28 Tunisian listed firms on the Tunis Stock Exchange and operating in the industrial and commercial sectors, we use a current measure for accounting conservatism and documents that observation with large book-tax differences are associated with low levels of accounting conservatism. Also, we find that firms with abnormal book-tax differences and normal book-tax differences exhibit less accounting conservatism. Overall, the results suggest that the total and differing components of book- tax differences have differential implications on accounting conservatism. Our research is valuable for researchers, shareholders as well as regulators. For researchers, it appears to an innovative area for future research. For shareholders, it shows the role of the information transmitted by book-tax differences into the analysis of earnings quality published by firms. This study also helps regulators to improve accounting rules and tax rule