Desenvolvimento de um Sistema de Visão Global para uma Frota de Mini-Robôs Móveis

Navigation based on visual feedback for robots, working in a closed environment, can be obtained settling a camera in each robot (local vision system). However, this solution requests a camera and capacity of local processing for each robot. When possible, a global vision system is a cheapest solution for this problem. In this case, one or a little amount of cameras, covering all the workspace, can be shared by the entire team of robots, saving the cost of a great amount of cameras and the associated processing hardware needed in a local vision system. This work presents the implementation and experimental results of a global vision system for mobile mini-robots, using robot soccer as test platform. The proposed vision system consists of a camera, a frame grabber and a computer (PC) for image processing. The PC is responsible for the team motion control, based on the visual feedback, sending commands to the robots through a radio link. In order for the system to be able to unequivocally recognize each robot, each one has a label on its top, consisting of two colored circles. Image processing algorithms were developed for the eficient computation, in real time, of all objects position (robot and ball) and orientation (robot). A great problem found was to label the color, in real time, of each colored point of the image, in time-varying illumination conditions. To overcome this problem, an automatic camera calibration, based on clustering K-means algorithm, was implemented. This method guarantees that similar pixels will be clustered around a unique color class. The obtained experimental results shown that the position and orientation of each robot can be obtained with a precision of few millimeters. The updating of the position and orientation was attained in real time, analyzing 30 frames per second

Prescrição de exercício físico para mulheres com síndrome dos ovários policísticos: impacto sobre a aptidão cardiorrespiratória e resposta afetiva

analisar o efeito do treinamento aeróbio periodizado sobre a aptidão cardiorrespiratória e respostas afetivas em mulheres com síndrome dos ovários policísticos (SOP) e II) investigar se o exercício aeróbio realizado na zona de prazer para essa população atende a recomendação do American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) no que se refere à intensidade para melhoria da saúde. Metodologia: foram incluídas mulheres na faixa etária entre 18 e 34 anos, com diagnóstico de SOP de acordo com o Consenso de Rotterdam. Para o subestudo I, oito pacientes sedentárias participaram de 16 semanas de treinamento aeróbio com incrementos mensais de intensidade: fase 1 = 60-70% da frequência cardíaca máxima (FCmax); fase 2 = 70-75% da FCmax; fase 3 = 75-80% da FCmax; fase 4 = 80-85% da FCmax. A intervenção foi realizada três vezes por semana, 40 minutos por sessão. Em todas as sessões foram registradas as respostas afetivas (Feeling Scale -5/+5) e a percepção subjetiva do esforço (escala de Borg CR 6-20). Antes e após a intervenção, as voluntárias realizaram teste ergoespirométrico. Para o subestudo II, 11 pacientes realizaram duas sessões de exercício aeróbio na zona de prazer, sendo registrados parâmetros relativos à demanda física através de receptor de GPS (Global Positioning System) de pulso com cardiofrequencímetro acoplado. As pacientes foram instruídas a realizar 40 minutos de exercício guiadas pelas âncoras verbais bom e muito bom (+3 e +5 na Feeling Scale). Resultados: no subestudo I, após 16 semanas de treinamento, houve aumento da aptidão cardiorrespiratória máxima (17,3%) e submáxima (21,5%). As respostas afetivas variaram entre bom (+3,1 ± 0,8) e razoavelmente bom xi (1,0 ± 0,9) e a percepção subjetiva do esforço entre muito leve a leve (10,2 ± 0,7) e um pouco difícil (12,7 ± 0,6) durante a intervenção. No subestudo II, as pacientes exercitaram-se a ~72,5 ± 6% da FC máxima, ~78,5 ± 6% da FC no limiar anaeróbio e passaram > 95% do tempo em intensidade moderada (~82%) e vigorosa (~16%) durante as sessões experimentais. Em média, as voluntárias reportaram as sessões como fácil (percepção subjetiva do esforço da sessão ~2,2 ± 0,7). Conclusões: o programa de treinamento aeróbio periodizado aumentou a aptidão cardiorrespiratória das pacientes analisadas e foi percebido como uma intervenção prazerosa. Adicionalmente, exercício aeróbio realizado de forma prazerosa atende a recomendação do ACSM no que se refere à intensidade para melhoria da saúde

Construção e validação de um receptor GPS para uso espacial

Global Positioning System, or simply GPS, it is a radionavigation system developed by United States for military applications, but it becames very useful for civilian using. In the last decades Brazil has developed sounding rockets and today many projects to build micro and nanosatellites has appeared. This kind of vehicles named spacecrafts or high dynamic vehicles, can use GPS for its autonome location and trajectories controls. Despite of a huge number of GPS receivers available for civilian applications, they cannot used in high dynamic vehicles due environmental issues (vibrations, temperatures, etc.) or imposed dynamic working limits. Only a few nations have the technology to build GPS receivers for spacecrafts or high dynamic vehicles is available and they imposes rules who difficult the access to this receivers. This project intends to build a GPS receiver, to install them in a payload of a sounding rocket and data collecting to verify its correct operation when at the flight conditions. The inner software to this receiver was available in source code and it was tested in a software development platform named GPS Architect. Many organizations cooperated to support this project: AEB, UFRN, IAE, INPE e CLBI. After many phases: defining working conditions, choice and searching electronic, the making of the printed boards, assembling and assembling tests; the receiver was installed in a VS30 sounding rocket launched at Centro de Lançamento da Barreira do Inferno in Natal/RN. Despite of the fact the locations data from the receiver were collected only the first 70 seconds of flight, this data confirms the correct operation of the receiver by the comparison between its positioning data and the the trajectory data from CLBI s tracking radar named ADOUR

Processamento embarcado aplicado a um sistema de deteccão de vazamentos

Embedded systems are widely spread nowadays. An example is the Digital Signal Processor (DSP), which is a high processing power device. This work s contribution consist of exposing DSP implementation of the system logic for detecting leaks in real time. Among the various methods of leak detection available today this work uses a technique based on the pipe pressure analysis and usesWavelet Transform and Neural Networks. In this context, the DSP, in addition to do the pressure signal digital processing, also communicates to a Global Positioning System (GPS), which helps in situating the leak, and to a SCADA, sharing information. To ensure robustness and reliability in communication between DSP and SCADA the Modbus protocol is used. As it is a real time application, special attention is given to the response time of each of the tasks performed by the DSP. Tests and leak simulations were performed using the structure of Laboratory of Evaluation of Measurement in Oil (LAMP), at Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN)

Monitoramento por dgps e análise dos processos erosivos da linha de costa na praia de Pirangi do Norte - Parnamirim / RN

Through out the course of a steady increase in search and recovery of space in the coastal zone, there is also an expanding concern about the erosion processes of this area. The main problem in coastal areas is that urbanization occurs in a disorderly fashion and unsustainable, further aggravating the problems of coastal dynamics. The study area of this work is located on the southern coast of Pirangi do Norte beach to about 20km south of Natal, capital of Rio Grande do Norte in the Parnamirim City. This area has the length of approximately 1km, divided into three sections (Western, Central and Eastern) with a morphology consisting of a tableland at the top, sea cliffs in the West and Central parts and sand dunes in the Eastern section, both vegetated, and a coastal plain on the inferior part associated with the presence of beach rocks. This study aimed to analyze the erosion processes operating in the excerpt of Pirangi do Norte beach and assess the feasibility of their monitoring making use of DGPS (Global Positioning System Differential mode). During the work it was carried out a physical description of the area through photo-interpretation and site survey after measurement of the shoreline in the period between November 2004 and November 2009 and beach profiles between August 2005 and July 2006. The analysis of the results of the annual surveys showed the occurrence of variations of the shoreline along the stretch traveled. Sites are identified in advancement coast from the sea and it was verified in loco the presence of erosion with deposition of materials on the lower part of the coastal bluff, the former position of the shoreline, showing a false notion of advancing it. This leads to the conclusion that the data collected in a survey of the shoreline should always be accompanied by photographic records of the local area and with the highest rate of erosion, thus avoiding the mistake of treating the deposit materials as evidence of progress coast. At the end of the study, after a review of various works to mitigate the erosion in the coastal zone, it is recommended to the area of study the adoption of an artificial feeding of the beach, aiming the minimization of the erosive effects of the tides. Moreover, it is suggested that even the continuity of monitoring, maintenance of existing vegetation and control of the occupation on the edge of sea cliffs

Espectrometria de emissão óptica com plasma indutivamente acoplado aliada à quimiometria na determinação de íons metálicos no molusco Mytella falcata para discriminação de estuários potiguares

This work examined the possibility of using mussel Mytella falcata as bioindicator sample to detect metal ions in several estuaries potiguares, since species substances that accumulate in their tissues due to its characteristics filter feeders have been used for environmental monitoring. The chemometrics by principal components analysis was used to reduce the size of the original data in order to establish a pattern of distribution of metal ion. Samples were collected at three different points in the estuaries Curimataú, Guaraíra-Papeba, Potengi, Galinhos-Guamaré and Piranhas-Assu having been marked with the location using GPS (Global Positioning System). The determination of humidity content and digestion of the samples were performed using methods described in the Compendium of analytical standards of the Institute Adofo Lutz (2005) and the determination of metal ions of the elements Al, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn and Zn were performed by optical emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma as described by USEPA method 6010C. The results show that it is possible to use this molluscum Mytella falcata in the estuaries of Rio Grande do Norte for the determination of metal ions. The data were subjected to principal components analysis (PCA) which enabled us to verify the distribution pattern of the metal ions studied in several estuaries potiguares and group them according to the metal ions in common with and relate them to the activities in each region

Caracterização geomorfológica e modelagem de dados espaciais na plataforma continental rasa do RN nos limites da folha Touros

This work focuses the geomorphological characterization and spatial data modeling in the shallow continental shelf within the Folha Touros limits (SB-25-CV-II), based on bathymetric data analysis and remote sensing products interpretation. The Rio Grande do Norte state is located in northeastern Brazil and the work area is located at the transition region between the eastern and northern portions of their coast. The bathymetric surveys were conduced between march and may 2009, using a 10 meters long vessel and 0.70 meters draught, equipped with global positioning system and echo sounder (dual beam, 200KHz , 14°). The fieldwork resulted in 44 bathymetric profiles espaced 1.5 km and 30 km average length. The bathymetric data amount were 111,200 points and were navigated 1395.7 km within na area about 1,850 km2. The bathymetric data were corrected for the tide level, vessel draught and were subsequently entered into a geographic information system for further processing. Analysis of remote sensing products was carried out using Landsat 7/ETM + band 1, from november 1999. The image was used for visualization and mapping submerged features. The results showed the presence of geomorphological features within the study area. Were observed, from the analysis of local bathymetry and satellite image, seven types of geomorphological features. The channels, with two longitudinals channels (e. g. San Roque and Cioba channels) and other perpendicular to the coast (e. g. Touros, Pititinga and Barretas). Coastal reef formations (Maracajaú, Rio do Fogo and Cioba). Longitudinal waves, described in the literature as longitudinal dunes. The occurrence of a transverse dune field. Another feature observed was the oceanic reefs, an rock alignment parallel to the coast. Were identified four riscas , from north to south: risca do Liso, Gameleira, Zumbi, Pititinga (the latter being described for the first time). Finally, an oceanic terrace was observed in the deepest area of study. Image interpretation corroborated with the in situ results, enabling visualization and description for all features in the region. The results were analysed in an integrating method (using the diferent methodologies applied in this work) and it was essential to describe all features in the area. This method allowed us to evaluate which methods generated better results to describe certain features. From these results was possible to prove the existence of submerged features in the eastern shallow continental shelf of Rio Grande do Norte. In this way, the conclusions was (1) this study contributed to the provision of new information about the area in question, particularly with regard to data collection in situ depths, (2) the method of data collection and interpretation proves to be effective because, through this, it was possible to visualize and interpret the features present in the study area and (3) the interpretation and discussion of results in an integrated method, using different methodologies, can provide better results

Classificação de técnicas e auxílio à navegação de busca com base em sua carga cognitiva, precisão e eficiência

Navigation, in both virtual and real environments, is the process of a deliberated movement to a specific place that is usually away from the origin point, and that cannot be perceived from it. Navigation aid techniques (TANs) have as their main objective help finding a path through a virtual environment to a desired location and, are widely used because they ease the navigation on these unknown environments. Tools like maps, GPS (Global Positioning System) or even oral instructions are real world examples of TAN usage. Most of the works which propose new TANs for virtual environments aim to analyze their impact in efficiency gain on navigation tasks from a known place to an unknown place. However, such papers tend to ignore the effect caused by a TAN usage over the route knowledge acquisition process, which is important on virtual to real training transfer, for example. Based on a user study, it was possible to confirm that TANs with different strategies affects the performance of search tasks differently and that the efficiency of the help provided by a TAN is not inversely related to the cognitive load of the technique’s aids. A technique classification formula was created. This formula utilizes three factors instead of only efficiency. The experiment’s data were applied to the formula and we obtained a better refinement of help level provided by TANs.