ViSP for visual servoing: a generic software platform with a wide class of robot control skills

ViSP (Visual Servoing Platform), a fully functional modular architecture that allows fast development of visual servoing applications, is described. The platform takes the form of a library which can be divided in three main modules: control processes, canonical vision-based tasks that contain the most classical linkages, and real-time tracking. ViSP software environment features independence with respect to the hardware, simplicity, extendibility, and portability. ViSP also features a large library of elementary tasks with various visual features that can be combined together, an image processing library that allows the tracking of visual cues at video rate, a simulator, an interface with various classical framegrabbers, a virtual 6-DOF robot that allows the simulation of visual servoing experiments, etc. The platform is implemented in C++ under Linux.     

Transmission electron microscopic investigation of the microstructure of Fe-Cr-Al alloys

The microstructure of different Fe-Cr-Al alloys in the composition range of 0 to 18 at % Cr and 7 to 25 at % Al was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). By systematically varying the compositions, the location of the order-disorder transition was determined. Dark field images confirmed that many samples consisted of a two-phase mixture of small DO₃-ordered particles in a disordered A2 matrix. The mottled contrast exhibited by some samples and sometimes taken as a proof of the existence of ordered particles is shown to be produced by an artefact due to the TEM sample preparation. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Functional heterodimeric amino acid transporters lacking cysteine residues involved in disulfide bond

Sera of 125 patients with sexually transmitted diseases (syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydiosis, HPV and HIV infections) were investigated for presence of 3 markers of HBV infection; they were found in 41 (33%) patients. Anti-HBc was present in sera of 35 (28%) patients, in 3 of them antigen HBs was found and in 28 anti-HBs was found as well. Antigen HBs alone was present in sera of 6 other patients but they were not reactive in test for anti-HBc. Moreover in this group of 125 patients anti-HCV were discovered in 4 (3%); in 3 of them occurrence of markers of HBV infection was found.     

Acrosomal integrity and capacitation are not influenced by sperm cryopreservation in the giant panda

Sperm cryopreservation and artificial insemination are important management tools for giant panda breeding and the preservation of extant genetic diversity. This study examined the influence of freeze-thawing on sperm function, specifically capacitation. Sperm from nine giant pandas were assessed before and after rapid (- 40 and - 100 degrees C/min) cryopreservation by incubation in HEPES-buffered Ham's F10 medium with and without the capacitation accelerators, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) and dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP). At 0, 3 and 6 h of exposure, aliquots were assessed for sperm motility traits and capacitation, defined as the proportion of sperm with intact acrosomes following exposure to solubilised zonae pellucidae (ursid or felid) or calcium ionophore subtracted from the proportion of sperm with intact acrosomes before exposure. Although mean+/-S.E.M. sperm motility post-thaw (56.1 +/- 3.9% at 0 h) was less (P < 0.05) than pre-freeze (71.7 +/- 6.0%), there was no difference (P > 0.05) in the proportion of acrosome-intact sperm (fresh, 93.0 +/- 1.7% versus cryopreserved-thawed, 81.7 +/- 4.7% at 0 h). Incidence of capacitation was greater (P < 0.05) in fresh sperm incubated with capacitation accelerators IBMX and dbcAMP (9 h: 50.9 +/- 1.1) compared with fresh sperm incubated without accelerators (9 h: 41.2 +/- 1.1%). Frozen-thawed sperm preincubated without accelerators underwent capacitation (49.6 +/- 1.1%) to a greater extent (P < 0.05) compared with these fresh counterparts. Thawed samples with (9 h: 45.9 +/- 1.4%) and without accelerators (9 h: 41.2 +/- 1.1%) did not differ (P > 0.05) during the 9-h incubation. We conclude that giant panda spermatozoa (1) undergo capacitation in vitro with or without chemical accelerators and (2) withstand a rapid cryopreservation protocol, including retaining normal acrosomal integrity and functional capacitation ability.     

Role of MgADP in the development of diastolic dysfunction in the intact beating rat heart

Sarcomere relaxation depends on dissociation of actin and myosin, which is regulated by a number of factors, including intracellular [MgATP] as well as MgATP hydrolysis products [MgADP] and inorganic phosphate [Pi], pHi, and cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca2+]c). To distinguish the contribution of MgADP from the other regulators in the development of diastolic dysfunction, we used a strategy to increase free [MgADP] without changing [MgATP], [Pi], or pHi. This was achieved by applying a low dose of iodoacetamide to selectively inhibit the creatine kinase activity in isolated perfused rat hearts. [MgATP], [MgADP], [Pi], and [H+] were determined using 31P NMR spectroscopy. The [Ca2+]c and the glycolytic rate were also measured. We observed an approximately threefold increase in left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and 38% increase in the time constant of pressure decay (P < 0.05) in these hearts, indicating a significant impairment of diastolic function. The increase in LVEDP was closely related to the increase in free [MgADP]. Rate of glycolysis was not changed, and [Ca2+]c increased by 16%, which cannot explain the severity of diastolic dysfunction. Thus, our data indicate that MgADP contributes significantly to diastolic dysfunction, possibly by slowing the rate of cross-bridge cycling.     

Small solar (thermal) water-pumping system

A small solar (thermal) water pump prototype was tested. The pump works on an organic Rankine cycle using refrigerant R113. The design of the pump is described. Detailed temperature and pressure measurements of the working fluid for different operating conditions are performed. The behaviour of the cycle is analysed to get a clear picture of the thermodynamic process. Power-characteristic curves are obtained by a systematic variation of water temperature, pumping head and heat input.     

Analyzing the industrial scalability of backwards compatible intralogistics systems

The (re-)development of industrial production systems has to deal with high flexibility due to customers’ demands as well as constraints such as the dimensions of the manufactory. Therefore, Intralogistics systems, which transport goods or products between machine tools in the production system, must also be flexibly assembled to fit into the given space. This presupposes that parts of the Intralogistics system, such as a belt conveyor, may be modified or exchanged by different ones and with less effort. Additionally, due to the different lifespans of mechanical, electrical and software components, often electrical devices need to be replaced by other ones during operation as a result of lacking availability thanks to shorter life cycles. Nowadays in industry, a manual adaptation of the control software is necessary after the exchange of an electrical/mechanical device with a newer one. In order to ease the software adaptation, in this paper an automatic analysis of the differences between incompatible software and an adaptation approach focusing on the functional behavior of the software is introduced. After identifying seven interaction points of the control software that need to be adapted, the approach is evaluated with an industrial case study and feedback from industrial experts to prove industrial scalability.