Integrated Data Management for a Fleet of Search‐and‐rescue Robots

Search‐and‐rescue operations have recently been confronted with the introduction of robotic tools that assist the human search‐and‐rescue workers in their dangerous but life‐saving job of searching for human survivors after major catastrophes. However, the world of search and rescue is highly reliant on strict procedures for the transfer of messages, alarms, data, and command and control over the deployed assets. The introduction of robotic tools into this world causes an important structural change in this procedural toolchain. Moreover, the introduction of search‐and‐rescue robots acting as data gatherers could potentially lead to an information overload toward the human search‐and‐rescue workers, if the data acquired by these robotic tools are not managed in an intelligent way. With that in mind, we present in this paper an integrated data combination and data management architecture that is able to accommodate real‐time data gathered by a fleet of robotic vehicles on a crisis site, and we present and publish these data in a way that is easy to understand by end‐users. In the scope of this paper, a fleet of unmanned ground and aerial search‐and‐rescue vehicles is considered, developed within the scope of the European ICARUS project. As a first step toward the integrated data‐management methodology, the different robotic systems require an interoperable framework in order to pass data from one to another and toward the unified command and control station. As a second step, a data fusion methodology will be presented, combining the data acquired by the different heterogenic robotic systems. The computation needed for this process is done in a novel mobile data center and then (as a third step) published in a software as a service (SaaS) model. The SaaS model helps in providing access to robotic data over ubiquitous Ethernet connections. As a final step, we show how the presented data‐management architecture allows for reusing recorded exercises with real robots and rescue teams for training purposes and teaching search‐and‐rescue personnel how to handle the different robotic tools. The system was validated in two experiments. First, in the controlled environment of a military testing base, a fleet of unmanned ground and aerial vehicles was deployed in an earthquake‐response scenario. The data gathered by the different interoperable robotic systems were combined by a novel mobile data center and presented to the end‐user public. Second, an unmanned aerial system was deployed on an actual mission with an international relief team to help with the relief operations after major flooding in Bosnia in the spring of 2014. Due to the nature of the event (floods), no ground vehicles were deployed here, but all data acquired by the aerial system (mainly three‐dimensional maps) were stored in the ICARUS data center, where they were securely published for authorized personnel all over the world. This mission (which is, to our knowledge, the first recorded deployment of an unmanned aerial system by an official governmental international search‐and‐rescue team in another country) proved also the concept of the procedural integration of the ICARUS data management system into the existing procedural toolchain of the search and rescue workers, and this in an international context (deployment from Belgium to Bosnia). The feedback received from the search‐and‐rescue personnel on both validation exercises was highly positive, proving that the ICARUS data management system can efficiently increase the situational awareness of the search‐and‐rescue personnel.     

Slow and fast diffusion effects in image processing

A mathematical model for a nonlinear image multiscale analysis is studied. Processing of an image is based on a solution of the strongly nonlinear parabolic partial differential equation, which can degenerate depending on values of the greylevel intensity function. The governing PDE is a generalization of the regularized (in the sense of Catté, Lions, Morel and Coll) Perona-Malik anisotropic diffusion equation. We present numerical techniques for solving the suggested initial-boundary value problem and also existence and convergence results. Numerical experiments are discussed. Received: 6 May 1998 / Accepted: 27 July 2000     

Control System for Free-Floating Space Manipulator Based on Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC)

Manipulator mounted on an unmanned satellite could be used for performing orbital capture maneuver in order to repair satellites or remove space debris from orbit. Use of manipulators for such purposes presents unique challenges, as high level of autonomy is required and the motion of the manipulator influences the position and orientation of the manipulator-equipped satellite. This paper presents a new control system that consists of two modules: trajectory planning module (based on trajectory optimization algorithm) and Model Predictive Controller. Both modules take into account the free-floating nature of the satellite-manipulator system. Proposed control system was tested in numerical simulations performed for a simplified planar case. In the first set of simulations Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) was used to ensure realization of a square reference end-effector trajectory, while in the second set control system was used for optimizing and then ensuring realization of the trajectory that leads to grasping of the rotating target satellite. Simulations were performed with disturbances and with the assumed non-perfect knowledge of parameters of the satellite-manipulator system. Results obtained with NMPC are better than results obtained with the controller based on the Dynamic Jacobian inverse and with the Modified Simple Adaptive Control (MSAC).     

Nuclear numerical range and quantum error correction codes for non-unitary noise models

Quantum Information Processing - We present an efficient protocol to rapidly generate a three-dimensional entangled state for two atoms trapped in a cavity with quantum Zeno dynamics and...     

Impact of Ozonation Process on the Microbiological Contamination and Antioxidant Capacity of Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinum corymbosum L.) Fruit during Cold Storage

In the studies conducted, the impact of the innovative ozonation procedure on the microbial state and antioxidant potential of highbush blueberry (Vaccinum corymbosum L.) stored under cold storage conditions was assessed. Microbiological analysis was carried out to determine the total number of mesophilic aerobic bacteria and the total number of fungi during the storage experiment. In addition, changes in the flavonoid, anthocyanins, and vitamin C content and the total antioxidant capacity were monitored during the storage. The degree of fruit infection with gray mold and anthracnose was determined. It was found that daily ozonation of fruits with a dose of 15 ppm for 30 min, every 12 h, for 28 days effectively reduced the development of aerobic mesophilic bacteria and fungi. On the last day of storage, symptoms of the infection by gray mold were observed in 27.5% of the control fruit, while the absence of symptoms was observed in case of the ozonated fruit. On the other hand, ozone was ineffective in case of inhibiting the infection by anthracnose. Nevertheless, the ozonation process allowed maintaining a high antioxidant potential of the fruit and substantially reduced losses of flavonoids, anthocyanins, and vitamin C. The utilized procedure has proved to be effective, providing the possibility of extensive use of ozone as a factor allowing sustaining a high commercial and consumption value of the fruit over extended time.     

The Implementation of Fluorescence‐Based Detection in LTCC (Low‐Temperature‐Co‐Fired‐Ceramics) Microfluidic Modules

The possibility of the application of fluorescence‐based detection method in a microfluidic system is discussed. It consists of a microfluidic module and complementary housing. Both parts are made from LTCC technology. Three microfluidic module designs are analysed. They vary by way of their constructions of a transparent window, which is used for the transmission of a fluorescence signal from the module to the photodetector integrated onto the housing. The influence of the type of materials used for optical windows on performance of the system is discussed. According to the performed measurements, a concentration as low as 0.03 ng/mL was detected.     

A novel functional silica/lignin hybrid material as a potential bio‐based polypropylene filler

A functional silica/lignin hybrid filler was obtained using a process of mechanical grinding of precursors (Syloid^®244 silica and kraft lignin). The product underwent comprehensive physicochemical and dispersive–morphological analysis. The silica/lignin hybrid has good homogeneity and a surface area of 164 m²/g. The effectiveness of combination was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The high electrokinetic stability (over almost the whole of the analyzed pH range) and above all the thermal stability of the resulting material (mass loss equal to 12%) indicate its potential use as a polypropylene (PP) filler. Experiments showed that the incorporation of a small amount of silica/lignin hybrid filler into PP may substantially influence its elongation at break and notched impact strength. Especially at low concentrations of silica/lignin filler (below 5 wt%) an exceptional set of mechanical properties was obtained. The addition of larger amounts of the filler was found not to bring any further improvement. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:913–922, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

The Numerical Comparison of Heat Transfer in a Coated and Fixed Bed of an Adsorption Chiller

Ecological adsorption technology is becoming a focus of attention by industry due to the utilization of low grade thermal energy sources for cooling production. It can be a promising part of sustainable development concept of the global economy. Therefore, research aiming at improving their performance i.e. Coefficient of Performance (COP) by optimizing the construction of sorption beds with a built in heat exchanger system is crucial. The heat transfer characteristics between the bed of porous media (sorbent) and surface of the heat exchanger system determine the heating power of an adsorption chiller. The HP increase can be obtained by heat transfer intensification due to the increase in the thermal conductivity of the sorbent layer in the vicinity of the heat exchanger’s surface. The novel modification of the sorbent layer structure is proposed in the paper in order to improve the heat transfer processes in the heat exchanger boundary layer. The analysis of desorption process conditions in the parametric model of a coated and fixed adsorption bed design is presented in the paper. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with conjugate heat transfer analysis is used to determine the crucial input parameters (temperature distribution in the sorbent bed) for further analytical calculations. The commercial code Ansys Fluent was used to perform numerical simulations. The developed computational model consisted of three subdomains representing heating water, heat exchanger material (copper) and sorbent (silica gel). The comparison of a novel coated design and a conventional fixed bed is discussed in the paper. The numerical analysis is based on experimental thermal conductivity measurements of the sorbent layer in different configurations, which were performed using Laser Flash Method.     

Reduction of fractures in dried clay-like materials due to specific surfactants

The possibility of fracture reduction as a result of application of specific surfactants during intensive drying of clay-like materials was examined in this paper. The dodecyl sulfate sodium salt (SDS) and the fluoric (FC 4430) surfactants were used for the tests. Different amounts of these surfactants were mixed with distilled water and used for wetting a dry clay material before forming clay samples. The clay samples in the form of cylinders 44 mm in diameter and 50 mm high were extruded and after leveling the moisture distribution subjected to convectively drying in hot air at 120 °C. The acoustic emission (AE) method was used to monitor on line the development of crack formation in dried samples. It was stated that application of surfactants in a prescribed amount may significantly reduce the drying induced fractures in clay during its intensive drying and thus to obtain good quality products by high drying rates.     

Effect of hydrogen on room-temperature plasticity of B2 iron aluminides

Different sensitivities to hydrogen embrittlement for the disordered and ordered B2 FeAl alloys have been investigated. The plasticity of annealed alloys (before hydrogenating) has been found to decrease with increasing the long-range order parameter. An intrinsic weakness of FeAl phase grain boundaries revealed at a high degree of ordering. The results of bending tests on specimens annealed and cathodically charged with hydrogen have shown that the influence of hydrogen on the plasticity diminishes with the increase in the degree of FeAl phase ordering.