Adaptive technology of the sampling of noise-corrupted signals

It is shown that, for certain industrial objects, the range of the spectrum of technical parameters can vary in time depending on the operating regime, the environment, the raw material properties, the appearance of defects which can appear, and other operating conditions. A technology that makes it possible to adapt the sampling step to the spectrum of the signal range is proposed. This technology accounts for the metrological parameters of analog-to-digital converters used for this purpose.     

Process optimization via constraints adaptation

In the framework of real-time optimization, measurement-based schemes have been developed to deal with plant-model mismatch and process variations. These schemes differ in how the feedback information from the plant is used to adapt the inputs. A recent idea therein is to use the feedback information to adapt the constraints of the optimization problem instead of updating the model parameters. These methods are based on the observation that, for many problems, most of the optimization potential arises from activating the correct set of constraints. In this paper, we provide a theoretical justification of these methods based on a variational analysis. Then, various aspects of the constraint-adaptation algorithm are discussed, including the detection of active constraints and convergence issues. Finally, the applicability and suitability of the constraint-adaptation algorithm is demonstrated with the case study of an isothermal stirred-tank reactor.     

Increasing Throughput and QoS in a HIPERLAN/2 System with Co-channel Interference

There is a growing demand for bandwidth as well as mobility. Within ETSI BRAN a wireless LAN called HIPERLAN/2 has been standardized. While data rates can be as high as 54 Mbit/s for a high carrier to interferer ratio (C/I), more robust combinations of modulation and code-rate have to be used and also retransmissions do occur when interference is present. This leads to much smaller effective data rates. Interference and link adaptation are therefore important topics. In order to have a realistic co-channel interference, two radio cells are implemented which interact with each other. In both radio cells detailed implementations of the protocols are used. Data transmission between the terminals is carried out via TCP/IP, respectively UDP. In this paper it is shown how throughput as well as delay can be improved in all load conditions by reducing co-channel interference and reducing the variations in the interference situation which significantly increases the effectiveness of link adaptation.     

Managing and interpreting uncertainty for climate change risk

Climate change is a significant risk for the built environment because it implies not only warmer weather, but also more extreme weather events, such as storms, droughts and heat waves. Considerable uncertainty about the future also exists, partly because of the response of society's apparent reluctance to mitigate climate change by reducing fossil fuel consumption. An adaptive response to the challenge draws on the literature on climate change, the urban environment, natural hazards and risk analysis. Two concepts - life cycle costs and the avoidance of ruin - provide a useful framework for factoring the uncertainty associated with climate change into a risk analysis for the built environment. Monitoring, prediction, data management and communication are the unglamorous underpinnings of a successful urban risk-management strategy. For cities to develop a significantly improved response capacity, the active support of senior levels of government is essential because cities have neither the legal powers nor the resources to tackle climate change on their own. Ultimately, the biggest challenges are institutional and behavioural.     

The Role of Primary and Secondary Control in Adaptation to Age-Related Vision Loss: A Study of Older Adults With Macular Degeneration.

This study examines the effect of primary and secondary control on 3 major outcomes experienced by visually impaired older adults, that is, functional ability, adaptation to vision loss, and positive affect. The authors' theoretical model is based on the J. Heckhausen and R. Schulz (1995) control framework, as well as a conceptual integration of these outcomes, and they hypothesized that control beliefs can substantially contribute to explaining interindividual differences in these outcomes. A path model applied to data from a sample (N = 90) of visually impaired older adults, suffering from age-related macular degeneration, the major cause of vision loss in old age, generally supports this expectation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adaptation level, personality theory, and psychopathology.

Adaptation-level (AL) theory represents a quantitative approach to the concept of adjustment and offers an experimental psychological point of departure for a science of personal and social behavior. It is suggested that a personality theory develop from classification of response types specifying relevant aspects of the focal, background, and residual factors. The various psychopathologies may be similarly viewed in terms of specific behavioral excesses or impairments within the framework of AL theory. A proposal for the use of AL theory in regard to personality and psychopathology is outlined and representative studies are cited. (58 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correcting distance estimates by interacting with immersive virtual environments: Effects of task and available sensory information.

The tendency to underestimate egocentric distances in immersive virtual environments (VEs) is not well understood. However, previous research (A. R. Richardson & D. Waller, 2007) has demonstrated that a brief period of interaction with the VE prior to making distance judgments can effectively eliminate subsequent underestimation. Here the authors examine the mechanism underlying the effect of VE interaction and the conditions that may give rise to it. In Experiment 1, after interacting with an immersive VE, participants tended to overestimate distances in the physical world, indicating that the interaction involved a recalibration of the perceptual-motor system. Experiment 2 demonstrates that visual information is not necessary (and that body-based information is necessary) during the interaction period for it to have a positive effect on subsequent distance estimation accuracy. Experiment 3 illustrates that the interaction task does not need to be goal directed in order to be effective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Context-aware 3D visualization and collaboration services for ubiquitous cars using augmented reality

Context-aware, ubiquitous computing is a vision of our future computing lifestyle in which computer systems seamlessly integrate into our everyday lives, providing services and information in anywhere and anytime fashion. Augmented reality (AR) can naturally complement ubiquitous computing by providing an intuitive and collaborative visualization and simulation interface to a three-dimensional information space embedded within physical reality. This paper presents a service framework and its applications for providing context-aware and adaptable 3D visualization and collaboration services for ubiquitous cars (U-cars) using augmented reality, which can support a rich set of ubiquitous car services and collaboration services for distributed maintenance and repair. It utilizes augmented reality for providing visual interactions by superimposing virtual models of car components or sub-assemblies onto real cars, which realizes bi-augmentation between physical and virtual models. It also offers a context processing module to acquire, interpret and disseminate context information. In particular, the context processing module considers user’s preferences for providing customer’s context adaptable services. The prototype system has been implemented to support 3D animation, text-to-speech (TTS), augmented manual, and pre- and post-augmentation services in ubiquitous car service environments.     

面向航空发动机装配线的知识化制造自适应优化调度

为了解决不确定生产环境下的航空发动机装配调度问题,设计了一种面向航空发动机装配线的知识化制造自适应优化调度算法。算法采用强化学习和过程仿真相结合的调度策略求解方式,以最小化提前期惩罚费用和完工时间成本为调度目标,给出了航空发动机装配的Q学习自适应调度模型;针对装配调度问题定义了四个新的调度规则,定义了航空发动机装配的四个状态特征用于对系统状态进行描述,并针对调度目标设计了合理的回报函数。仿真实验结果表明,在调度过程中,采用提出的Q学习方法在多数情况下都远优于其他规则,尤其在装配任务到达频繁的情况下,总体上表现出更好的优势,显示了良好的自适应性能。