Development of a support vector machine-based navigation system for driving a mobile robot through paths in plantations

The use of mobile robots turns out to be interesting in activities where the action of human specialist is difficult or dangerous. Mobile robots are often used for the exploration in areas of difficult access, such as rescue operations and space missions, to avoid human experts exposition to risky situations. Mobile robots are also used in agriculture for planting tasks as well as for keeping the application of pesticides within minimal amounts to mitigate environmental pollution. In this paper we present the development of a system to control the navigation of an autonomous mobile robot through tracks in plantations. Track images are used to control robot direction by preprocessing them to extract image features. Such features are then submitted to a support vector machine in order to find out the most appropriate route. The overall goal of the project to which this work is connected is to develop a real time robot control system to be embedded into a hardware platform. In this paper we report the software implementation of a support vector machine, which so far presented around 93% accuracy in predicting the appropriate route. © 2012 IEEE.

TAO - A software platform for autonomous mobile robots

To date, different techniques of navigation for mobile robots have been developed. However, the experimentation of these techniques is not a trivial task because usually it is not possible to reuse the developed control software due to system incompabilities. This paper proposes a software platform that provides means for creating reusable software modules through the standardization of software interfaces, which represent the various robot modules. © 2012 ICROS.

Manipulação remota de um braço mecânico (Scorbot ER - III) utilizando a rede mundial de computadores

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Desenvolvimento de um sistema de navegação baseado em máquina de vetores de suporte para dirigibilidade de um robô móvel por caminhos em plantações

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Mindware semiótico-comunicativo: campos conceituais no ensino de física para deficientes visuais utilizando uma interface cérebro-computador

Pós-graduação em Educação para a Ciência - FC

Comparing support vector machines and artificial neural networks in the recognition of steering angle for driving of mobile robots through paths in plantations

The use of mobile robots turns out to be interesting in activities where the action of human specialist is difficult or dangerous. Mobile robots are often used for the exploration in areas of difficult access, such as rescue operations and space missions, to avoid human experts exposition to risky situations. Mobile robots are also used in agriculture for planting tasks as well as for keeping the application of pesticides within minimal amounts to mitigate environmental pollution. In this paper we present the development of a system to control the navigation of an autonomous mobile robot through tracks in plantations. Track images are used to control robot direction by pre-processing them to extract image features. Such features are then submitted to a support vector machine and an artificial neural network in order to find out the most appropriate route. A comparison of the two approaches was performed to ascertain the one presenting the best outcome. The overall goal of the project to which this work is connected is to develop a real time robot control system to be embedded into a hardware platform. In this paper we report the software implementation of a support vector machine and of an artificial neural network, which so far presented respectively around 93% and 90% accuracy in predicting the appropriate route. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. Selection and peer review under responsibility of the organizers of the 2013 International Conference on Computational Science

Desenvolvimento de um sistema para navegação de robôs móveis por caminhos em plantações

The use of mobile robots in the agriculture turns out to be interesting in tasks of cultivation and application of pesticides in minute quantities to reduce environmental pollution. In this paper we present the development of a system to control an autonomous mobile robot navigation through tracks in plantations. Track images are used to control robot direction by preprocessing them to extract image features, and then submitting such characteristic features to a support vector machine to find out the most appropriate route. As the overall goal of the project to which this work is connected is the robot control in real time, the system will be embedded onto a hardware platform. However, in this paper we report the software implementation of a support vector machine, which so far presented around 93% accuracy in predicting the appropriate route.

Use of myoelectric signals to command mobile entertainment robot by disabled children: Design and control architecture

Severely disabled children have little chance of environmental and social exploration and discovery. This lack of interaction and independency may lead to an idea that they are unable to do anything by themselves. In an attempt to help children in this situation, educational robotics can offer and aid, once it can provide them a certain degree of independency in the exploration of environment. The system developed in this work allows the child to transmit the commands to a robot through myoelectric and movement sensors. The sensors are placed on the child's body so they can obtain information from the body inclination and muscle contraction, thus allowing commanding, through a wireless communication, the mobile entertainment robot to carry out tasks such as play with objects and draw. In this paper, the details of the robot design and control architecture are presented and discussed. With this system, disabled children get a better cognitive development and social interaction, balancing in a certain way, the negative effects of their disabilities. © 2012 IEEE.

Mobile Robot navigation modelling, control and applications

This work presents and discusses the main topics involved on the design of a mobile robot system and focus on the control and navigation systems for autonomous mobile robots. Introduces the main aspects of the Robot design, which is a holistic vision about all the steps of the development process of an autonomous mobile robot; discusses the problems addressed to the conceptualization of the mobile robot physical structure and its relation to the world. Presents the dynamic and control analysis for navigation robots with kinematic and dynamic model and, for final, presents applications for a robotic platform of Automation, Simulation, Control and Supervision of Mobile Robots Navigation, with studies of dynamic and kinematic modelling, control algorithms, mechanisms for mapping and localization, trajectory planning and the platform simulator. © 2012 Praise Worthy Prize S.r.l. - All rights reserved.

A proposed neural control for the trajectory tracking of a nonholonomic mobile robot with disturbances

In this paper, a trajectory tracking control problem for a nonholonomic mobile robot by the integration of a kinematic neural controller (KNC) and a torque neural controller (TNC) is proposed, where both the kinematic and dynamic models contains disturbances. The KNC is a variable structure controller (VSC) based on the sliding mode control theory (SMC), and applied to compensate the kinematic disturbances. The TNC is a inertia-based controller constituted of a dynamic neural controller (DNC) and a robust neural compensator (RNC), and applied to compensate the mobile robot dynamics, and bounded unknown disturbances. Stability analysis with basis on Lyapunov method and simulations results are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.

Transient bilateral diabetic cataracts in a Brazilian Terrier puppy

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

CONTROL of THE CENTRAL CHEMOREFLEX BY A5 NORADRENERGIC NEURONS IN RATS

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Bloqueio contínuo do plexo lombar via posterior bilateral com bomba de infusão descartável: relato de caso

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: O número de artroplastia total de quadril (ATQ) bilateral tem aumentado a cada ano. Analgesia pós-operatória pela infusão contínua perineural com anestésico local tem se mostrado favorável quando comparada com analgesia sistêmica. O uso de bombas elastoméricas tem aumentado a satisfação do paciente quando em comparação com os modelos eletrônicos. O objetivo deste relato foi descrever um caso de analgesia contínua bilateral do plexo lombar via posterior, com infusão contínua através de bomba elastomérica, em paciente submetido à uma artroplastia bilateral de quadril. RELATO do CASO: Paciente feminina, 46 anos, 65 kg, 162 cm, com artrite reumatoide e hipertensão arterial, estado físico ASA II, escalada para ser submetida a ATQ bilateral em um único estágio. Uso de corticosteroide por 13 anos. Hemoglobina = 10,1 g.dL-1, hematócrito = 32,7%. Monitoração de rotina. Raquianestesia com 15 mg de bupivacaína 0,5% isobárica. Anestesia geral com propofol (PFS) e remifentanil e intubação sem bloqueadores neuromusculares. ATQ direita e no final, bloqueio plexo lombar com estimulador e conjunto agulha 150 mm e injeção de 20 mL bupivacaína 0,2% e passagem de cateter. ATQ esquerda e, no final, mesmo procedimento. Estudado dispersão do anestésico e contraste. Instalado bomba elastomérica com bupivacaína 0,1% (400 mL) em velocidade de 14 mL.h-1. Transferida para Unidade de Cuidados Intensivos (UCI). Vinte e quatro horas após, nova bomba com a mesma solução. Nenhum bolus durante 50 horas. Após remoção de cateter, dor controlada por via oral com cetoprofeno e dipirona. CONCLUSÕES: O bloqueio bilateral contínuo periférico com infusão de bupivacaína a 0,1% com bombas elastoméricas é um procedimento seguro e efetivo em adultos.

Role of pressor mechanisms from the NTS and CVLM in control of arterial pressure

In the present study, we investigated the effects of inhibition of the caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVLM) with the GABA(A) agonist muscimol combined with the blockade of glutamatergic mechanism in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) with kynurenic acid (kyn) on mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and regional vascular resistances. In male Holtzman rats anesthetized intravenously with urethane/chloralose, bilateral injections of muscimol (120 pmol) into the CVLM or bilateral injections of kyn (2.7 nmol) into the NTS alone increased MAP to 186 +/- 11 and to 142 +/- 6 mmHg, respectively, vs. control: 105 +/- 4 mmHg; HR to 407 +/- 15 and to 412 +/- 18 beats per minute (bpm), respectively, vs. control: 352 +/- 12 bpm; and renal, mesenteric and hindquarter vascular resistances. However, in rats with the CVLM bilaterally blocked by muscimol, additional injections of kyn into the NTS reduced MAP to 88 +/- 5 mmHg and mesenteric and hindquarter vascular resistances below control baseline levels. Moreover, in rats with the glutamatergic mechanisms of the NTS blocked by bilateral injections of kyn, additional injections of muscimol into the CVLM also reduced MAP to 92 +/- 2 mmHg and mesenteric and hindquarter vascular resistances below control baseline levels. Simultaneous blockade of NTS and CVLM did not modify the increase in HR but also abolished the increase in renal vascular resistance produced by each treatment alone. The results suggest that important pressor mechanisms arise from the NTS and CVLM to control vascular resistance and arterial pressure under the conditions of the present study.

Interaction of serotonin and cholecystokinin in the lateral parabrachial nucleus to control sodium intake

Serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] and CCK injected into the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN) inhibit NaCl and water intake. In this study, we investigated interactions between 5-HT and CCK into the LPBN to control water and NaCl intake. Male Holtzman rats with cannulas implanted bilaterally in the LPBN were treated with furosemide + captopril to induce water and NaCl intake. Bilateral LPBN injections of high doses of the 5-HT antagonist methysergide (4 mug) or the CCK antagonist proglumide (50 mug), alone or combined, produced similar increases in water and 1.8% NaCl intake. Low doses of methysergide (0.5 mug) + proglumide (20 mug) produced greater increases in NaCl intake than when they were injected alone. The 5-HT2a/2c agonist 2,5-dimetoxy-4-iodoamphetamine hydrobromide (DOI; 5 mug) into the LPBN reduced water and NaCl intake. After proglumide (50 mug) + DOI treatment, the intake was not different from vehicle treatment. CCK-8 (1 mug) alone produced no effect. CCK-8 combined with methysergide (4 mug) reduced the effect of methysergide on NaCl intake. The data suggest that functional interactions between 5-HT and CCK in the LPBN may be important for exerting inhibitory control of NaCl intake.