A Unified Framework for Mutual Improvement of SLAM and Semantic Segmentation

This paper presents a novel framework for simultaneously implementing localization and segmentation, which are two of the most important vision-based tasks for robotics. While the goals and techniques used for them were considered to be different previously, we show that by making use of the intermediate results of the two modules, their performance can be enhanced at the same time. Our framework is able to handle both the instantaneous motion and long-term changes of instances in localization with the help of the segmentation result, which also benefits from the refined 3D pose information. We conduct experiments on various datasets, and prove that our framework works effectively on improving the precision and robustness of the two tasks and outperforms existing localization and segmentation algorithms.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures.This work has been accepted by ICRA 2019. The demo video can be found at https://youtu.be/Bkt53dAehj

A Balanced Heuristic Mechanism for Multirobot Task Allocation of Intelligent Warehouses

This paper presents a new mechanism for the multirobot task allocation problem in intelligent warehouses, where a team of mobile robots are expected to efficiently transport a number of given objects. We model the system with unknown task cost and the objective is twofold, that is, equally allocating the workload as well as minimizing the travel cost. A balanced heuristic mechanism (BHM) is proposed to achieve this goal. We raised two improved task allocation methods by applying this mechanism to the auction and clustering strategies, respectively. The results of simulated experiments demonstrate the success of the proposed approach regarding increasing the utilization of the robots as well as the efficiency of the whole warehouse system (by 5~15%). In addition, the influence of the coefficient α in the BHM is well-studied. Typically, this coefficient is set between 0.7~0.9 to achieve good system performance

Seasonal succession of phytoplankton functional groups in a reservoir in central China

Zhushuqiao Reservoir is one of the main sources of drinking water for Changsha City, which is the capital of Hunan province in central China. Understanding phytoplankton functional groups and their relationships with the environment is critical for the sustainable management of the reservoir for the supply of drinking water. Therefore, phytoplankton and water samples were collected and analyzed seasonally in 2016 to detect these relationships, with a total of 23 functional groups of phytoplankton identified. The highest diversity of functional groups was observed in spring, while the lowest was in winter. Due to differences in the geographical position, as well as the hydrological and environmental conditions, upstream phytoplankton-community structures are different from those downstream, with the dominant functional groups having a clear seasonal succession. The succession dynamics of phytoplankton functional groups from upstream to downstream in spring were M (Microcystis aeruginosa) + Y (Cryptomonas sp.) -> S1 (Pseudanabaena limnetica) + L-M (Gomphosphaeria sp.) -> S1 + L-M + X1 (Chlorella sp.) -> X1 + X2 (chlamydomonas sp.) + F (Oocystis sp.) -> F + X1 + X2; X1, F and Lo (Peridinium sp.) were the co- dominant groups from summer to autumn, and group C (Melosira ambigua) was dominant in winter. The upstream assemblages of X1 + X2, X1 + F, S1 + L-M + M in spring and LO in summer can adapt to the rapid growth in eutrophic conditions with potential bloom threats. Water temperature, light and phosphorus were the primary factors regulat- ing the dominant functional groups, and the phytoplankton succession was seasonally dependent. These results may have implications for the management of future water resources in the Zhushuqiao Reservoir, such as the determination of the intake depth of drinking water, and the prevention of nutrient pollution

Seasonal succession of phytoplankton functional groups in a reservoir in central China

Zhushuqiao Reservoir is one of the main sources of drinking water for Changsha City, which is the capital of Hunan province in central China. Understanding phytoplankton functional groups and their relationships with the environment is critical for the sustainable management of the reservoir for the supply of drinking water. Therefore, phytoplankton and water samples were collected and analyzed seasonally in 2016 to detect these relationships, with a total of 23 functional groups of phytoplankton identified. The highest diversity of functional groups was observed in spring, while the lowest was in winter. Due to differences in the geographical position, as well as the hydrological and environmental conditions, upstream phytoplankton-community structures are different from those downstream, with the dominant functional groups having a clear seasonal succession. The succession dynamics of phytoplankton functional groups from upstream to downstream in spring were M (Microcystis aeruginosa) + Y (Cryptomonas sp.) -> S1 (Pseudanabaena limnetica) + L-M (Gomphosphaeria sp.) -> S1 + L-M + X1 (Chlorella sp.) -> X1 + X2 (chlamydomonas sp.) + F (Oocystis sp.) -> F + X1 + X2; X1, F and Lo (Peridinium sp.) were the co- dominant groups from summer to autumn, and group C (Melosira ambigua) was dominant in winter. The upstream assemblages of X1 + X2, X1 + F, S1 + L-M + M in spring and LO in summer can adapt to the rapid growth in eutrophic conditions with potential bloom threats. Water temperature, light and phosphorus were the primary factors regulat- ing the dominant functional groups, and the phytoplankton succession was seasonally dependent. These results may have implications for the management of future water resources in the Zhushuqiao Reservoir, such as the determination of the intake depth of drinking water, and the prevention of nutrient pollution

Research on the effects of idling start-stop function on light vehicles fuel consumption and emission under different cycle conditions

The idling distribution characteristics of NEDC, WLTC and CLTC conditions were analyzed, and the exhaust emissions and fuel consumption of three light gasoline vehicles when the idling start-stop function was turned on and off under different cycle conditions were measured. The effects of idling start-stop function on light vehicle fuel consumption and emissions under different cycle conditions were analyzed. The results show that the vehicle fuel saving rate of the idling start-stop function in three cycle conditions is WLTC, NEDC and CLTC conditions from low to high. The idling start-stop function has little effect on vehicle gaseous pollutant emissions. On the whole, the the activation of idling start-stop function increases the THC and CO emissions and reduces NOx emissions

The Synergistic Effect of Microwave Radiation and Hypergravity on Rats and the Intervention Effect of Rana Sylvatica Le Conte Oil

Aim: The phenomena of hypergravity and microwave radiation are widespread, which cause more and more concern for the hazards to human health. The aim of this study was to investigate the synergistic effect of microwave radiation and hypergravity on rats and observe the protective effect of Rana sylvatica Le conte oil. Methods: Rats were exposed to microwave radiation and hypergravity, and the rat weight, the climbing pole height, serum enzyme activities, blood urea nitrogen concentration, and total antioxidant capacity were detected. Results: The climbing pole height, the activities of choline acetyl transferase and cholinesterase, and the total antioxidant capacity decreased, whereas the activities of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, areatine kinase, isocitric dehydrogenase, hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, and the blood urea nitrogen concentration increased in the hypergravity irradiation group as compared with the others. Conclusion: These results imply that the motion and nervous system of rats might be affected critically by the synergistic effect of microwave radiation and hypergravity, and it causes damage to most rat organs, such as the bone, skeletal muscle, liver, heart, and kidney, and the antioxidant effect is also damaged, while the injury resulted from it could be protected by Rana sylvatica Le conte oil