A lightweight autonomous MAV for indoor search and rescue

Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) have great potentials to be applied for indoor search and rescue missions. In this paper, we propose a modular lightweight design of an autonomous MAV with integrated hardware and software. The MAV is equipped with the 2D laser scanner, camera, mission computer and flight controller, running all the computation onboard in real time. The onboard perception system includes a laser‐based SLAM module and a custom‐designed visual detection module. A dual Kalman filter design provides robust state estimation by multiple sensor fusion. Specifically, the fusion module provides robust altitude measurement in the circumstance of surface changing. In addition, indoor‐outdoor transition is explicitly handled by the fusion module. In order to efficiently navigate through obstacles and adapt to multiple tasks, a task tree‐based mission planning method is seamlessly integrated with path planning and control modules. The MAV is capable of searching and rescuing victims from unknown indoor environments effectively. It was validated by our award‐winning performance at the 2017 International Micro Air Vehicle Competition (IMAV 2017), held in Toulouse, France. The performance video is available on https://youtu.be/8H19ppS_VXM .     

Context-Based Path Prediction for Targets with Switching Dynamics

International Journal of Computer Vision - Anticipating future situations from streaming sensor data is a key perception challenge for mobile robotics and automated vehicles. We address the problem...     

Damage mechanism at different transpassive potentials of solution-annealed 316 and 316l stainless steels

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), anodic polarization and scanning electron microscopy techniques were used to investigate the damage mechanism in the transpassive potential region of AISI ...     

Potentiometric sensors with plastized poly(vinyl chloride) membranes selective to penicillin antibiotics: Properties and applications

Potentiometric sensors with plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) membranes based on β-lactam–tetraalkylammonium ion associates sensitive to penicillin antibiotics are proposed. The physicochemical characteristics (solubility product constants and dissociation constants) of active membrane components and the electrode, transport, and selective properties of the membranes of liquidand solid-contact sensors have been studied. The quantitative characteristics of membrane transport (penetrability, ion flux, and transport rate) have been evaluated. The main charge carriers in the membranes and at the membrane/solution interface have been determined from the membrane transport characteristics. The potentiometric sensors are shown to be applicable to the determination of penicillin antibiotics in biological fluids (blood serum and oral fluid) from patients with urinary tract infection.     

Measuring equipment and test bench to control evolution of acoustic-deformation and heat fields induced in solids under failure by fluids

The authors have developed a procedure and a test bench for studying evolution of various nature physical fields in modeling geomedium fracture by fluids. The test bench performs synchronous recording of macro- and micro-deformation, heat and acoustic emission induced in physical models of geomedium under loading to discontinuity. The experimental procedure has been trialed. The analysis of the synchronized test data allows a conclusion on the existence of time–space relationship between different nature physical fields induced during failure of solids.     

Quantitative UPLC‐MS/MS analysis of chlorogenic acid derivatives in antioxidant fractionates from dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) root

While qualitative studies have identified chlorogenic acids in antioxidant extracts, particularly ethyl acetate‐derived extracts, of Taraxacum officinale, quantitative analysis of these phenolic compounds remains largely unreported for this species. In this study, bioactivity‐guided fractionation of an antioxidant crude ethyl acetate extract (DPPH = 295.481 ± 0.955 mg TE g^?1 extract) from T. officinale root resulted in a number of reverse‐phase fractions that demonstrated high antioxidant activity (DPPH = 1058.733–1312.136 mg TE g^?1 extract), stronger than that of the synthetic antioxidant Trolox^®. UPLC‐MS/MS screening of these fractions for the presence of selected mono‐ and di‐caffeoylquinic acids revealed large quantities of 1,5‐dicaffeoylquinic acid present in several fractions (853.052–907.324 μg mg^?1), respectively. Due to the antioxidant potency and high levels of 1,5‐dicaffeoylquinic acid observed in these fractions, it was concluded that specifically this chlorogenic acid derivative is a major contributor to the antioxidant efficacy of dandelion root.