The Central Pattern Generator: a paradigm for artificial locomotion

 In this paper the fundamental aspects that unify the basic programs for locomotion generation in both vertebrates and invertebrates are examined. Subsequently it is shown that these laws that are commonly included under the biological stereotype of the so-called Central Pattern Generator (CPG), can be efficiently represented and reproduced by means of low-cost, locally interacting nonlinear systems and programmed by soft-computing techniques. To demonstrate the suitability of the approach some simple Central Pattern Generators are implemented on biologically inspired robotic prototypes.     

Distribution of fatty acids and phytosterols as a criterion to discriminate geographic origin of pistachio seeds

The composition of fatty acids and phytosterols was investigated in the oil extracted from the pistachio seeds coming from different countries, (Italy, Turkey, Iran and Greece). The oils are characterized by high contents of oleic acid and β-sitosterol, showing a composition almost similar to that of olive oil. The pattern recognition of data for fatty acids sterols, by multivariate analyses, may provide useful criteria for origin authentication of pistachio seeds.     

Latest developments in image processing for the next generation of devices with a view on DEMO

In magnetic confinement fusion devices the use of cameras, both visible and infrared, has increased very significantly in the last years. The large amount of data (in the range of tens of Gbytes per shot) and the difficulty of the analysis tasks (ambiguity, ill posed problems, etc.), require new solutions. The technology of Cellular Nonlinear Networks (CNNs) has been successfully applied to various tasks, from the real time hot spot detection to the automatic identification of instabilities. The accuracy obtained is comparable to the one of more traditional serial algorithms but the CCNs guarantee deterministic computational times independently from the image contents. Moreover the latest developments have allowed obtaining these results also in the case of space variant image analysis, without compromising the computational speed (of the order of ten thousand frames per second). The method of the optical flow permits to derive information about the speed of the objects moving in the frames of a single camera. The results of previous applications have been so successful that the approach has been extended to videos in compressed format (MPEG) to reduce the computational time to less than 7 ms per frame, preserving the accuracy of the results. Since in the next generation of devices, also the edge will emit Soft X-rays (SXR), new technologies are being developed to perform imaging over this region of the spectrum for a global view of the entire plasma column.     

Partial oxidation of propane on Nafion supported catalytic membranes

Nafion supported catalytic membranes were found to be effective in the partial oxidation of propane to oxygenates with H₂O₂ in the presence of Fe²⁺ under mild conditions. The influence of [Fe²⁺] and [H₂O₂] on the reaction rate and product distribution in the temperature range 80–110°C has been ascertained. A reaction pathway involving the electrophilic activation of propane on superacid sites and subsequent reaction of the activated propane molecules with OH radicals generated by Fe²⁺/H₂O₂ Fenton system is discussed.     

Diamond‐like‐carbon LC‐alignment layers for application in LCOS microdisplays

Abstract— To improve the lifetime and yield of LCOS microdisplays, non‐contact LC alignment techniques using inorganic materials are under investigation. This report focuses on oblique ion‐beam treatment of diamond‐like carbon (DLC) layers, and in particular on the influence of the ion dose on the LC alignment on DLC, keeping the ion‐beam angle (40°) and ion‐beam energy (170 eV) the same. LC alignment on ion‐milled DLC layers is uniform if the ion dose is between 3.8 × 10^?4 C/cm² and 5.5 × 10^?3 C/cm². Above and below this ion dose range, non‐uniform alignment is observed. NEXAFS experiments show that this is caused by lack of molecular anisotropy on the surface of the ion‐milled DLC layers. By varying the ion dose between 3.8 × 10^?4 C/cm² and 5.5 × 10^?3 C/cm², LC molecules have an average pre‐tilt between 3° and 5°, which is within the desired range for application in LCOS microdisplays. The lifetime of the LCOS microdisplays with ion‐milled DLC for projection‐TV application is, however, shorter than the lifetime of microdisplays with PI layers. Ion milling probably creates a reactive surface that is unstable under the high light fluxes used in projection TVs. A solution for this problem could be chemical passivation of the ion‐milled alignment layers. Initial experiments with passivation of ion‐milled PI resulted in an increase in lifetime, but the lifetime after passivation was still lower than the lifetime of rubbed PI layers (factor 0.7). Nevertheless, ion‐milling of DLC or PI can be a good alternative LC alignment technique in other LCD applications. LC‐alignment layers based on inorganic layers such as obliquely deposited SiO₂ films would be a better option for application in LCOS microdisplays due to their higher light stability.     

An adaptive, self-organizing dynamical system for hierarchical control of bio-inspired locomotion

In this paper, dynamical systems made up of locally coupled nonlinear units are used to control the locomotion of bio-inspired robots and, in particular, a simulation of an insect-like hexapod robot. These controllers are inspired by the biological paradigm of central pattern generators and are responsible for generating a locomotion gait. A general structure, which is able to change the locomotion gait according to environmental conditions, is introduced. This structure is based on an adaptive system, implemented by motor maps, and is able to learn the correct locomotion gait on the basis of a reward function. The proposed control system is validated by a large number of simulations carried out in a dynamic environment for simulating legged robots.     

Multi‐template approach to realize central pattern generators for artificial locomotion control

Biologically inspired control of artificial locomotion often makes use of the concept of central pattern generator (CPG), a network of neurons establishing the locomotion pattern within a lattice of neural activity. In this paper a new approach, based on cellular neural networks (CNNs), for the design of CPGs is presented. From a biological point of view this new approach includes an approximated chemical synapse realized and implemented in a CNN structure. This allows to extend the results, previously obtained with a reaction‐diffusion‐CNN (RD‐CNN) for the locomotion control of a hexapod robot, to a more general class of artificial CPGs in which the desired locomotion pattern and the switching among patterns are realized by means of a spatio‐temporal algorithm implemented in the same CNN structure. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fabrication of miniaturized Si-based electrocatalytic membranes

The increasing interest for lightweight and portable electronic systems, cellphones and small digital devices is driving technological research towards integrated regenerating power sources with small dimensions and great autonomy. Conventional batteries are already unable to deliver power in ever smaller volumes while maintaining the requirements of long duration and light weight. A possible solution to overcome these limits is the use of miniaturized fuel cells. The fuel cell offers a greater gravimetric energy density compared to conventional batteries. The micromachining technology of silicon is an important tool to reduce the fuel cell structure to micron sizes. The use of silicon also gives the opportunity to integrate the power source and the electronic circuits controlling the fuel cell on the same structure. This article reports preliminary results concerning the micromachining process for fabricating a silicon-based electrocatalytic membrane for miniaturized Si-based proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells.     

The influence of particle size and density on the radial gas mixing in the dilute region of the circulating fluidized bed

A cold model of a CFB, having a 0.120m ID, 5.75m high riser, was operated at a superficial gas velocity of 6m/s and at average solids mass fluxes varying in the range between 16 and 55kg/sm². A stream of carbon dioxide was injected continuously at a fixed position along the riser axis and used as tracer gas. Three solids, belonging to groups A and B of Geldart's classification, were selected in order to investigate separately, the effect of particle size and density on the radial mixing of the gas phase. The intensity of radial gas dispersion reduced when larger or heavier particles were used. The differences in the values of radial dispersion coefficient and Peclet number were explained, taking into account the role of the particle size with respect to the scale of gas turbulence.