The CLAWAR project

In Europe, there are two main thematic groups focusing on robotics, the Climbing and Walking Robots (CLAWAR) project (http://www.clawar.net) and the European Robotics Network (EURON) project (http://www.euron.org). The two networks are complementary: CLAWAR is industrially focused on the immediate needs, and EURON is focused more on blue skies research. This article presents the activities of the CLAWAR project

Selection of Weights in Optimal Control

A method to design the weighting matrices in the optimal control of an aircraft is presented. The method is equally suitable for any general multivariable application provided some prior knowledge is available to enable the rankings and the determination of the important terms

A Real-time Distributed Optimal Autopilot

A new distributed optimal autopilot for aircraft flight control is presented. A parallel processing approach is taken where the longitudinal and lateral motions with cross-coupling effects are handled with different processors. The proposed control algorithm is implemented on a T800 transputer network programmed using Parallel C and it is shown that real-time performance is possible

Digital computer control systems

xiv+217hlm.;26c

IR varieties and their impact

Project number related to IDRC support could not be determine

Intelligence in buildings: the potential of advanced modelling

Intelligence in buildings usually implies facilities management via building automation systems (BAS). However, present-day commercial BAS adopt a rudimentary approach to data handling, control and fault detection, and there is much scope for improvement. This paper describes a model-based technique for raising the level of sophistication at which BAS currently operate. Using stochastic multivariable identification, models are derived which describe the behaviour of air temperature and relative humidity in a full-scale office zone equipped with a dedicated heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) plant. The models are of good quality, giving prediction accuracies of • ± 0.25• °C in 19.2• °C and of • ± 0.6% rh in 53% rh when forecasting up to 15 minutes ahead. For forecasts up to 3 days ahead, accuracies are • ± 0.65• °C and • ± 1.25% rh, respectively.  The utility of the models for facilities management is investigated. The “temperature modeli was employed within a predictive on/off control strategy for the office zone, and was shown to substantially improve temperature regulation and to reduce energy consumption in comparison with conventional on/off control. Comparison of prediction accuracies for two different situations, that is, the office with and without furniture plus carpet, showed that some level of furnishing is essential during the commissioning phase if model-based control of relative humidity is contemplated. The prospects are assessed for wide-scale replication of the model-based technique, and it is shown that deterministic simulation has potential to be used as a means of initialising a model structure and hence of selecting the sensors for a BAS for any building at the design stage. It is concluded that advanced model-based methods offer significant promise for improving BAS performance, and that proving trials in full-scale everyday situations are now needed prior to commercial development and installation.

Positive velocity feedback on a six-legged walking robot

Schneider A, Schilling M, Cruse H, Schmitz J. Positive velocity feedback on a six-legged walking robot. In: Tosun O, Akin HL, Tokhi MO, Virk GS, eds. Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots. New Jersey, London, Singapore: World Scientific; 2009: 623-630

A self-adjusting universal joint controller for standing and walking legs

Schneider A, Fischer B, Cruse H, Schmitz J. A self-adjusting universal joint controller for standing and walking legs. In: Xie M, Dubowsky S, Fontaine J-G, Tokhi MO, Virk GS, eds. Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots. New Jersey, London, Singapore: World Scientific; 2007: 289-298