Geometrical Parameter Estimation for Industrial Manipulators Using Two-step Estimation Schemes

This paper proposes a new solution for estimating the kinematic parameters of a manipulator, using a two-step linear estimator. The estimator is based on the recursive least-squares (RLS) method. The main characteristics of the method are that one singularity in estimation is overcome and parameters estimates approach the true values more quickly and smoothly than for algorithms using a one-step estimator. The algorithm can be applied for the estimation of parameters of both serial-link robots and robots having a kinematic closed-loop. Simulation results are given, comparing the proposed method with conventional approaches.     

CLF based designs with robustness to dynamic input uncertainties

The problem of robust stabilization of nonlinear systems in the presence of input uncertainties is of great importance in practical implementation. Stabilizing control laws may not be robust to this type of uncertainty, especially if cancellation of nonlinearities is used in the design. By exploiting a connection between robustness and optimality, “domination redesign” of the control Lyapunov function (CLF) based Sontag's formula has been shown to possess robustness to static and dynamic input uncertainties. In this paper we provide a sufficient condition for the domination redesign to apply. This condition relies on properties of local homogeneous approximations of the system and of the CLF. We show that an inverse optimal control law may not exist when these conditions are violated and illustrate how these conditions may guide the choice of a CLF which is suitable for domination redesign.     

Relation between Viscous Characteristics and Dextrose Equivalent of Maltodextrins

Relation between viscous characteristics of different maltodextrins and degree of starch hydrolytic conversion expressed as DE value (dextrose equivalent) was deduced. Reduced viscosity of diluted solutions of maltodextrins linearly increased with maltodextrin concentration in the range 0.2×10⁻² to 1×10⁻² g/cm³. Values of intrinsic viscosity decreased with increasing degree of hydrolysis, which is expressed by DE values. Values of intrinsic viscosity of maltodextrins are independent of the botanical source of a particular starch but are dependent on molecular properties of samples that influence its friction characteristics in solution. When in diluted solutions, maltodextrins behave like macromolecules and obey the Staudinger‐Mark‐Houwink equation. Two ranges of DE value were established: DE = 0.5–10, in this range maltodextrin molecules in solution are randomly coiled (a = 0.53); and DE = 10–20, where the molecules are stretched (a = 1). Equations for determination of DE value by viscometric measurements were derived for each of the two established DE ranges. DE values calculated from the equations show good agreement with the ones obtained by standard chemical titration methods.     

Recent research directions: missing pieces of the puzzle

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy -     

A new IoT‐based smart energy meter for smart grids

The significant increase in energy consumption by the growth of the population or by the use of new equipment has brought big challenges to the energy security as well as the environment. There is a need that consumers can track their daily use and understand consumption standards for better organizing themselves to obtain financial and energetic efficiency. With the improvement of smart networks technology for better energy supply, a smart meter is not just a simple measurement gadget anymore, but it has additional functions including smart equipment control, bidirectional communication that allows integration of users and networks, and other functionalities. Smart meters are the most fundamental components in smart power grids. Besides, the meters used with a management system can be utilized for monitoring and controlling home appliances and other gadgets according to the users' need. A solution of an integrated and single system should be more efficient and economical. Smart measurement systems allow monitoring the energy consumption of the final consumers while providing useful information about the energy quality. The information provided by these systems is used by the operators to enhance the energy supply, and different techniques can be also applied for this end, such as charge scheduling, management from the demand side, and non‐intrusive load monitoring. The Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming a great ally in the management of smart distribution and energy consumption in smart systems scenarios. To address these issues, this paper proposes and demonstrates a new smart energy meter following an IoT approach and its associated costs and benefits. The developed device incorporates several communication interfaces. In order to easily integrate with any monitoring software solution, the meter has a multi‐protocol connection. Finally, the provided solution is validated and demonstrated in real‐life environments and it is also under use.     

Extending a brainiac prover to lambda-free higher-order logic

Decades of work have gone into developing efficient proof calculi, data structures, algorithms, and heuristics for first-order automatic theorem proving. Higher-order provers lag behind in terms of efficiency. Instead of developing a new higher-order prover from the ground up, we propose to start with the state-of-the-art superposition prover E and gradually enrich it with higher-order features. We explain how to extend the prover’s data structures, algorithms, and heuristics to \(\lambda \)-free higher-order logic, a formalism that supports partial application and applied variables. Our extension outperforms the traditional encoding and appears promising as a stepping stone toward full higher-order logic.

     

Novel wavelength and bandwidth allocation algorithms for WDM EPON with QoS support

Ethernet passive optical networks (EPONs) have been considered as the one of the most promising candidates for next-generation access networks. However, the EPON architecture although cost effective is bandwidth limited and quality of service (QoS) support is still a major concern. In this paper, we propose a cost-efficient wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) EPON architecture. We present two wavelength and bandwidth allocation algorithms with full QoS support to fulfill all requirements of new application and services in a converged triple play network. We analyze and compare the presented models and algorithms in terms of delay, jitter, queue occupancy, throughput and overall system performance. We conduct detailed simulation experiments to study the performance and validate the effectiveness of the proposed architecture and algorithms.