Capturing 3D textured inner pipe surfaces for sewer inspection

Inspection robots equipped with TV camera technology are commonly used to detect defects in sewer systems. Currently, these defects are predominantly identified by human assessors, a process that is not only time-consuming and costly but also susceptible to errors. Furthermore, existing systems primarily offer only information from 2D imaging for damage assessment, limiting the accurate identification of certain types of damage due to the absence of 3D information. Thus, the necessary solid quantification and characterisation of damage, which is needed to evaluate remediation measures and the associated costs, is limited from the sensory side. In this paper, we introduce an innovative system designed for acquiring multimodal image data using a camera measuring head capable of capturing both color and 3D images with high accuracy and temporal availability based on the single-shot principle. This sensor head, affixed to a carriage, continuously captures the sewer's inner wall during transit. The collected data serves as the basis for an AI-based automatic analysis of pipe damages as part of the further assessment and monitoring of sewers. Moreover, this paper is focused on the fundamental considerations about the design of the multimodal measuring head and elaborates on some application-specific implementation details. These include data pre-processing, 3D reconstruction, registration of texture and depth images, as well as 2D-3D registration and 3D image fusion

Investigations on the potential application of machine vision lenses for depth measurement by exploiting chromatic aberrations

Chromatic (spectral) aberrations are image imperfections that are disadvantageous for standard image processing tasks and are typically compensated through the application of different types of glass during lens design. The longitudinal chromatic aberration causes a relative unsharpness over different spectral channels. Since this error is corrected in most multi-chromatic lenses, this paper investigates to which extent the shift of the focal planes in a standard lens can be used specifically for image processing applications. Theoretical investigations of the longitudinal chromatic aberration are carried out. Based on this, conditions and a method to generate a 3D depth reconstruction out of different spectral channels are presented

roteiro para a gestão dos fluxos gerados na atividade agropecuária

A grande dimensão dos custos económicos e ambientais decorrente da intensificação dos sistemas agrícolas, pecuários e agroindustriais, torna imperiosa a procura de soluções que valorizem os seus efluentes e coprodutos, visando tanto a redução da sua toxicidade como o desenvolvimento sustentável de novos processos e de novos produtos. No Âmbito do Programa de Desenvolvimento Rural 2020, Medida 1. Promoção para a Inovação, Ação 1.1. Inovação por Grupos Operacionais, foi financiado o GoEfluentes - Efluentes de pecuária: abordagem estratégica à valorização agronómica/energética dos fluxos gerados na atividade agropecuária (PDR2020-1.0.1-FEADER-031831). (https://projects.iniav.pt/goefluentes), apoio que confirma a importância com que se revestem as preocupações ambientais do sector

Transgenic Overexpression of the Type I Isoform of Neuregulin 1 Affects Working Memory and Hippocampal Oscillations but not Long-term Potentiation

Neuregulin 1 (NRG1) is a growth factor involved in neurodevelopment and plasticity. It is a schizophrenia candidate gene, and hippocampal expression of the NRG1 type I isoform is increased in the disorder. We have studied transgenic mice overexpressing NRG1 type I (NRG1tg-type I) and their wild-type littermates and measured hippocampal electrophysiological and behavioral phenotypes. Young NRG1tg-type I mice showed normal memory performance, but in older NRG1tg-type I mice, hippocampus-dependent spatial working memory was selectively impaired. Hippocampal slice preparations from NRG1tg-type I mice exhibited a reduced frequency of carbachol-induced gamma oscillations and an increased tendency to epileptiform activity. Long-term potentiation in NRG1tg-type I mice was normal. The results provide evidence that NRG1 type I impacts on hippocampal function and circuitry. The effects are likely mediated via inhibitory interneurons and may be relevant to the involvement of NRG1 in schizophrenia. However, the findings, in concert with those from other genetic and pharmacological manipulations of NRG1, emphasize the complex and pleiotropic nature of the gene, even with regard to a single isoform