Spatial sampling methods for improved communication for wireless relay robots

Having reliable wireless communication in a network of mobile robots is an ongoing challenge, especially when the mobile robots are given tasks in hostile or harmful environments such as radiation environments in scientific facilities, tunnels with large metallic components and complicated geometries as found at CERN. In this paper, we propose a decentralised method for improving the wireless network throughput by optimizing the wireless relay robot position to receive the best wireless signal strength using implicit spatial diversity concepts and gradient-search algorithms. We experimentally demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solutions with a KUKA Youbot omni-directional mobile robot. The performance of the algorithms is compared under various scenarios in an underground scientific facility at CERN.

Efecto del tamaño de la ventana de promediado y la histéresis variable en algoritmos de handover horizontal en redes convergentes

En las redes convergentes inalámbricas, el traspaso horizontal entre distintos puntos de acceso de la red WLAN es una gran fuente de degradación de la calidad de la VoIP y otros servicios conversacionales en tiempo real. Esto es debido a que este tipo de redes no fueron concebidas originalmente para soportar este tipo de servicios, y los traspasos siguen un protocolo ¿cortar antes de realizar¿, produciéndose interrupciones en la comunicación motivadas por el tiempo que necesitan los terminales en volver a asociarse a la red. En este artículo se estudia el efecto que tienen el tamaño de la ventana de promediado de la señal, la histéresis variable y el retardo del handover por parecido entre potencia de puntos de acceso de destino sobre el número de traspasos y las caídas de la potencia de señal por debajo del valor de sensibilidad del terminal, causantes principales de las interrupciones en la comunicación, y, con ello, de la degradación de la calidad de las comunicaciones.

Despliegues de femtoceldas LTE en interiores comparación con otras tecnologías inalámbricas

Long Term Evolution (LTE) has appeared with the aim of improving the performance of 3G networks, increasing spectral efficiency and peak rates both at downlink and uplink, reducing latency and increasing flexibility of frequency allocation. Therefore, LTE is expected to have a key role in the development of wireless networks and services in the next years, and, of course, in specific dedicated in-building solutions. Due to that fact, an analysis of LTE performance in indoor scenarios in terms of capacity and grade of service is essential, as well as its comparison with other indoor solutions, pointing out the technical challenges derived, and describing and proposing performance assessment rules to be used in LTE deployments.

Biomechanical evaluation of the singing voice

Teaching the adequate use of the singing voice conveys a lot of knowledge in musical performance as well as in objective estimation techniques involving the use of air, muscles, room and body acoustics, and the tuning of a fine instrument as the human voice. Although subjective evaluation and training is a very delicate task to be carried out only by expert singers, biomedical engineering may help contributing with well-funded methodologies developed for the study of voice pathology. The present work is a preliminary study of exploratory character describing the performance of a student singer in a regular classroom under the point of view of vocal fold biomechanics. Estimates of biomechanical parameters obtained from singing voice are given and their potential use is discussed.

Estimating tremor in Vocal Fold Biomechanics for Neurological Disease characterisation

Neurological Diseases (ND) are affecting larger segments of aging population every year. Treatment is dependent on expensive accurate and frequent monitoring. It is well known that ND leave correlates in speech and phonation. The present work shows a method to detect alterations in vocal fold tension during phonation. These may appear either as hypertension or as cyclical tremor. Estimations of tremor may be produced by auto-regressive modeling of the vocal fold tension series in sustained phonation. The correlates obtained are a set of cyclicality coefficients, the frequency and the root mean square amplitude of the tremor. Statistical distributions of these correlates obtained from a set of male and female subjects are presented. Results from five study cases of female voice are also given.

Classical vs. biometric features in the 2013 speaker recognition evaluation in mobile environments

MFCC coefficients extracted from the power spectral density of speech as a whole, seems to have become the de facto standard in the area of speaker recognition, as demonstrated by its use in almost all systems submitted to the 2013 Speaker Recognition Evaluation (SRE) in Mobile Environment [1], thus relegating to background this component of the recognition systems. However, in this article we will show that selecting the adequate speaker characterization system is as important as the selection of the classifier. To accomplish this we will compare the recognition rates achieved by different recognition systems that relies on the same classifier (GMM-UBM) but connected with different feature extraction systems (based on both classical and biometric parameters). As a result we will show that a gender dependent biometric parameterization with a simple recognition system based on GMM- UBM paradigm provides very competitive or even better recognition rates when compared to more complex classification systems based on classical features

Monitoring treatment of vocal fold paralysis by biomechanical analysis of voice

A case study of vocal fold paralysis treatment is described with the help of the voice quality analysis application BioMet®Phon. The case corresponds to a description of a 40 - year old female patient who was diagnosed of vocal fold paralysis following a cardio - pulmonar intervention which required intubation for 8 days and posterior tracheotomy for 15 days. The patient presented breathy and asthenic phon ation, and dysphagia. Six main examinations were conducted during a full year period that the treatment lasted consisting in periodic reviews including video - endostroboscopy, voice analysis and breathing function monitoring. The phoniatrician treatment inc luded 20 sessions of vocal rehabilitation, followed by an intracordal infiltration with Radiesse 8 months after the rehabilitation treatment started followed by 6 sessions of rehabilitation more. The videondoscopy and the voicing quality analysis refer a s ubstantial improvement in the vocal function with recovery in all the measures estimated (jitter, shimmer, mucosal wave contents, glottal closure, harmonic contents and biomechanical function analysis). The paper refers the procedure followed and the results obtained by comparing the longitudinal progression of the treatment, illustrating the utility of voice quality analysis tools in speech therapy.

Sistema de soporte al desarrollo de un planificador de misiones en un vehículo aéreo no tripulado

En esta memoria se describe el trabajo de construcción de una arquitectura software diseñada para facilitar el desarrollo un planificador de misión de un vehículo aéreo no tripulado (UAV), con el fin de que éste alcance los objetivos marcados en la competición internacional de robótica IARC (séptima edición). A lo largo de la memoria, se describe en primer lugar, una revisión de técnicas de robótica inteligente aplicadas a la construcción de vehículos aéreos no tripulados, en el que se ven los diferentes paradigmas de programación de la robótica inteligente y la clasificación de dichos robots aéreos, dependiendo de su autonomía. Este descripción finaliza con la presentación del problema correspondiente a la competición IARC. A continuación se describe el diseño realizado para soporte al desarrollo de un planificador de misiones de UAVs, con simulación de comportamiento de vehículos robóticos y visualización 3D con movimiento. Finalmente, se muestran las pruebas que se han realizado para validar la construcción de dicha arquitectura software. ---ABSTRACT---In this report it is presented the construction of a software architecture, designed to facilitate the development of a mission planner for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), so that it reaches the goals set in the International Aerial Robotics Competition - IARC (seventh edition). Throughout this report, it is described first, a review of intelligent robotics techniques applied to the construction of unmanned aerial vehicles, where different paradigms of intelligent robotics are seen, along with a classification of such aerial robots, depending on their autonomy. Description ends with the presentation of the problem corresponding to the IARC competition. Following, it is described the design made to satisfy the support to the development of a mission planner for UAV´s, with a simulation of the robotics vehicles’ behaviours and a 3D display with motion. Finally, we will deal with the tests that have been conducted to validate the construction of the software architecture.

Vocal fold biomechanical analysis for the singing voice

Teaching the adequate use of the singing voice conveys a lot of knowledge in musical performance as well as in objective estimation techniques involving the use of air, muscles, room and body acoustics, and the tuning of a fine instrument as the human voice. Although subjective evaluation and training is a very delicate task to be carried out only by expert singers, biomedical engineering may help contributing with well - funded methodologies developed for the study of voice pathology. The present study is a preliminary study of exploratory character describing the performance of a student singer in a regular classroom under the point of view of vocal fold biomechanics. Estimate s of biomechanical parameters obtained from singing voice are given and their use i n the classroom is discussed.

Wavelet description of the Glottal Gap

The Glottal Source correlates reconstructed from the phonated parts of voice may render interesting information with applicability in different fields. One of them is defective closure (gap) detection. Through the paper the background to explain the physical foundations of defective gap are reviewed. A possible method to estimate defective gap is also presented based on a Wavelet Description of the Glottal Source. The method is validated using results from the analysis of a gender-balanced speakers database. Normative values for the different parameters estimated are given. A set of study cases with deficient glottal closure is presented and discussed.

A VLC-based beacon location system for mobile applications

This paper proposes a low cost and complexity indoor location and navigation system using visible light communications and a mobile device. LED lamps work as beacons transmitting an identifier code so a mobile device can know its location. Experimental designs for transmitter and receiver interfaces are presented and potential applications are discussed.

BatNet: an implementation of a 6LoWPAN sensor and actuator network

This demo presents BatNet, a 6LoWPAN Wireless Transducer Network, in a Home Automation context. Its suitability for such application is shown by means of several performance and usability tests.

Lessons learned on home energy monitoring and management: Smartcity Málaga

The Smartcity Málaga project is one of Europe?s largest ecoefficient city initiatives. The project has implemented a field trial in 50 households to study the effects of energy monitoring and management technologies on the residential electricity consumption. This poster presents some lessons learned on energy consumption trends, smart clamps reliability and the suitability of power contracted by users, obtained after six months of data analysis.

Cooperative controllers for highways based on human experience

The AUTOPIA program has been working on the development of intelligent autonomous vehicles for the last 10 years. Its latest advances have focused on the development of cooperative manœuvres based on communications involving several vehicles. However, so far, these manœuvres have been tested only on private tracks that emulate urban environments. The first experiments with autonomous vehicles on real highways, in the framework of the grand cooperative driving challenge (GCDC) where several vehicles had to cooperate in order to perform cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC), are described. In this context, the main challenge was to translate, through fuzzy controllers, human driver experience to these scenarios. This communication describes the experiences deriving from this competition, specifically that concerning the controller and the system implemented in a Citröen C3.

On-line learning of a fuzzy controller for a precise vehicle cruise control system

Usually, vehicle applications require the use of artificial intelligent techniques to implement control methods, due to noise provided by sensors or the impossibility of full knowledge about dynamics of the vehicle (engine state, wheel pressure or occupiers weight). This work presents a method to on-line evolve a fuzzy controller for commanding vehicles? pedals at low speeds; in this scenario, the slightest alteration in the vehicle or road conditions can vary controller?s behavior in a non predictable way. The proposal adapts singletons positions in real time, and trapezoids used to codify the input variables are modified according with historical data. Experimentation in both simulated and real vehicles are provided to show how fast and precise the method is, even compared with a human driver or using different vehicles.