Dual-eyes Vision-based Docking System for Autonomous Underwater Vehicle: an Approach and Experiments

A critical challenge for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) is the docking operation for applications such as sleeping under the mother ship, recharging batteries, transferring data, and new mission downloading. The final stage of docking at a unidirectional docking station requires the AUV to approach while keeping the pose (position and orientation) of the vehicle within an allowable range. The appropriate pose therefore demands a sensor unit and a control system that have high accuracy and robustness against disturbances existing in a real-world underwater environment. This paper presents a vision-based AUV docking system consisting of a 3D model-based matching method and Real-time Multi-step Genetic Algorithm (GA) for real-time estimation of the robot’s relative pose. Experiments using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) with dual-eye cameras and a separate 3D marker were conducted in a small indoor pool. The experimental results confirmed that the proposed system is able to provide high homing accuracy and robustness against disturbances that influence not only the captured camera images but also the movement of the vehicle. A successful docking operation using stereo vision that is new and novel to the underwater vehicle environment was achieved and thus proved the effectiveness of the proposed system for AUV.     

A novel soft-switching PWM dc-dc converter with high-frequency transformer link and its open-loop regulation characteristics

In the practical requirement for high efficiency, high power density, and high performance in switched-mode power supplies and their related application systems, a variety of circuit topologies of dc-dc converters incorporating soft-switching PDM, PFM, and PWM control schemes have attracted special interest in low-power and high-power applications. Some types of quasi-resonant soft-switching PWM converters have remarkable advantages, such as lowered switching losses of power semiconductor devices, reduced dynamic electrical stresses, constant-frequency operation, simple control schemes, and reduced EMI noise. However, most soft-switched quasi-resonant PWM converters developed so far include some inherent problems which must be solved, such as reduced power conversion efficiency due to significant circulating current generation. In recent years, a newly modified prototype soft-switched PWM dc-dc converter with a high-frequency transformer link has been proposed, which is capable of excluding circulating current operation mode. This paper presents a novel high-frequency transformer link soft-switching PWM dc-dc converter using active switches in the rectifier circuit. Its operating principles and unique features are described and compared with previously developed dc-dc converters. The operating performance of this converter in the steady state is illustrated and discussed, including simulated analytical and experimental results. © 1997 Scripta Technica, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 119(3): 81–93, 1997     

JTT-501, a novel oral antidiabetic agent, improves insulin resistance in genetic and non-genetic insulin-resistant models

The effects of histamine on the intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), action potential and membrane currents were assessed in single atrial myocytes prepared from guinea-pigs. Histamine caused a concentration-dependent increase in the [Ca2+]i transient in indol/AM loaded myocytes when stimulated electrically at 0.5 Hz. However, the maximum increase in [Ca2+]i transient produced by histamine was less than 50% of that elicited by isoprenaline. The histamine-induced increase in [Ca2+]i transient was significantly inhibited by chlorpheniramine, but not by cimetidine. Pretreatment with nifedipine nearly completely suppressed the histamine-induced increase in [Ca2+]i transient. Cyclopiazonic acid did not affect the histamine response. In the whole-cell current-clamp mode of the patch-clamp method, both histamine and isoprenaline prolonged action potential duration (APD) in atrial myocytes. In the presence of Co2+ or nifedipine, the isoprenaline-induced APD prolongation was abolished and an APD shortening effect was manifested, while histamine still increased APD. The APD prolongation elicited by histamine was reversed by chlorpheniramine. In the voltage-clamp mode, the histamine-sensitive membrane current was inwardly rectifying and reversed close to the calculated value of the K+ equilibrium potential. Histamine had no apparent effect on L-type Ca2+ current, in contrast to the pronounced effect of isoprenaline. These results indicate that in guinea-pig atrial myocytes stimulation of H1-receptors with histamine does not directly activate Ca2+ channels but causes an elevation of [Ca2+]i transient by increasing Ca2+ influx through the channels during the prolonged repolarization of action potentials resulting from inhibition of the outward K+ current.     

Thermal recovery of antioxidant activity from carnosol quinone,the main antioxidation product of carnosol

The antioxidant reaction of carnosol, a phenolic diterpene of sage and rosemary, produced ortho‐ and para‐quinone derivatives. Although the orthoquinone derivative of carnosol (CARQ) is stable in a lipophilic solution and has a very weak antioxidant activity, the thermal treatment of CARQ in lipid restored strong antioxidant activity. HPLC analysis of the thermal recovery reaction clarified that the strong activity was mainly due to the reproduced carnosol. A possible mechanism for the production of carnosol from CARQ is the self‐redox reaction of CARQ. Two of the oxidation products from CARQ in the thermal recovery reaction were identified to be rosmariquinone and dehydrorosmariquinone. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Discharge characteristics of latent heat storage columns packed with cross-linked plastic particles

This investigation deals with experimental and numerical analyses carried out to investigate the discharge characteristics of latent heat storage columns, using cross-linked cylindrical plastic particles as a phase-change type of heat storage material and ethylene glycol as a heat transfer medium. In the experiment, the transient response of the outlet temperature of the heat transfer medium was measured under conditions of varying the initial temperature in the column, the inlet temperature of the heat transfer medium, the mass flow rate of the heat transfer medium, and the mass of the heat storage material packed in the column. In the numerical analysis, the transient temperature distributions in the column was calculated by using an empirical formula for estimating the heat transfer coefficient for a fixed bed, which was recommended in the authors' previous paper. The experimental results were found to be in fair agreement with the numerical results. © 1998 Scripta Technica. Heat Trans Jpn Res, 26(3): 193–206, 1997     

Mechanical properties of fruit-cuticular membranes isolated from 27 cultivars of Diospyros kaki Thunb.

Fruit cuticular membranes (CMs) were isolated from 27 cultivars of Diospyros kaki Thunb., and relationships among their chemical compositions, densities and mechanical properties were analysed. Wide cultivar dependency was observed in both chemical compositions and mechanical properties, however, astringency did not show clear correlation with them. Densities of the CMs showed significant positive correlation with maximum stress and elastic modulus, but negative correlation with maximum strain. Positive correlations were also observed in elastic modulus-polysaccharide content and maximum strain-polysaccharide content, and negative correlation in elastic modulus-cutin content on a weight over unit area (μg/cm²) basis. The integration of densities of fruit CMs and their chemical constituents may explain the mechanical properties which are specific to each cultivar of D. kaki fruit.     

Pharmacological profiles of a novel oral antidiabetic agent, JTT-501, an isoxazolidinedione derivative

JTT-501, 4-[4-[2-(5-methyl-2-phenyl-4-oxazolyl)ethoxy]benzyl]-3,5-isoxaz olidinedione, is an isoxazolidinedione derivative which is structurally distinct from thiazolidinediones such as pioglitazone and troglitazone. We investigated the effects of JTT-501 on insulin-sensitizing activity and in rodent diabetic models. JTT-501 enhanced insulin-stimulated cell differentiation of 3T3-L1 fibroblasts with an EC50 value of 110 nM. Furthermore, JTT-501 activated peroxisome proliferator-activated (PPA) gamma and alpha receptors with the EC5-fold values of 0.28 and 5.4 microM, respectively. In the non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus model KK-Ay mice, JTT-501 improved hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia and hypertriglyceridemia, and enhanced insulin-stimulated glucose oxidation in adipose tissues. JTT-501 was also effective in the non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus model Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats but not in the insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus model streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. These observations suggest that JTT-501 enhances insulin sensitivity in peripheral tissues and improves hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and hypertriglyceridemia in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus models. In particular, the triglyceride-lowering activity of JTT-501 is a unique characteristic compared to the thiazolidinediones. Therefore, JTT-501 may be a promising antidiabetic agent for treating non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients with insulin resistance.