Fusing the Navigation Information of Dual Foot-Mounted Zero-Velocity-Update-Aided Inertial Navigation Systems

A range constraint method viz. centroid method is proposed to fuse the navigation information of dual (right and left) foot-mounted Zero-velocity-UPdaTe (ZUPT)-aided Inertial Navigation Systems (INSs). Here, the range constraint means that the distance of separation between the position estimates of right and left foot ZUPT-aided INSs cannot be greater than a quantity known as foot-to-foot maximum separation. We present the experimental results which illustrate the applicability of the proposed method. The results show that the proposed method significantly enhances the accuracy of the navigation solution when compared to using two uncoupled foot-mounted ZUPT-aided INSs. Also, we compare the performance of the proposed method with the existing data fusion methods.

CheepSync: A Time Synchronization Service for Resource Constrained Bluetooth LE Advertisers

Clock synchronization is highly desirable in distributed systems, including many applications in the Internet of Things and Humans. It improves the efficiency, modularity, and scalability of the system, and optimizes use of event triggers. For IoTH, BLE - a subset of the recent Bluetooth v4.0 stack - provides a low-power and loosely coupled mechanism for sensor data collection with ubiquitous units (e.g., smartphones and tablets) carried by humans. This fundamental design paradigm of BLE is enabled by a range of broadcast advertising modes. While its operational benefits are numerous, the lack of a common time reference in the broadcast mode of BLE has been a fundamental limitation. This article presents and describes CheepSync, a time synchronization service for BLE advertisers, especially tailored for applications requiring high time precision on resource constrained BLE platforms. Designed on top of the existing Bluetooth v4.0 standard, the CheepSync framework utilizes low-level time-stamping and comprehensive error compensation mechanisms for overcoming uncertainties in message transmission, clock drift, and other system-specific constraints. CheepSync was implemented on custom designed nRF24Cheep beacon platforms (as broadcasters) and commercial off-the-shelf Android ported smartphones (as passive listeners). We demonstrate the efficacy of CheepSync by numerous empirical evaluations in a variety of experimental setups, and show that its average (single-hop) time synchronization accuracy is in the 10 mu s range.

Aspectos de segurança, persistência e nomeação em agentes de recursos para Internet das coisas

A realização da Internet das Coisas (Internet of Things, IoT) requer a integração e interação de dispositivos e serviços com protocolos de comunicação heterogêneos. Os dados gerados pelos dispositivos precisam ser analisados e interpretados em concordância com um modelo de dados em comum, o que pode ser solucionado com o uso de tecnologias de modelagem semântica, processamento, raciocínio e persistência de dados. A computação ciente de contexto possui soluções para estes desafios com mecanismos que associam os dados de contexto com dados coletados pelos dispositivos. Entretanto, a IoT precisa ir além da computação ciente de contexto, sendo simultaneamente necessário soluções para aspectos de segurança, privacidade e escalabilidade. Para integração destas tecnologias é necessário o suporte de uma infraestrutura, que pode ser implementada como um middleware. No entanto, uma solução centralizada de integração de dispositivos heterogêneos pode afetar escalabilidade. Assim esta integração é delegada para agentes de software, que são responsáveis por integrar os dispositivos e serviços, encapsulando as especificidades das suas interfaces e protocolos de comunicação. Neste trabalho são explorados os aspectos de segurança, persistência e nomeação para agentes de recursos. Para este fim foi desenvolvido o ContQuest, um framework, que facilita a integração de novos recursos e o desenvolvimento de aplicações cientes de contexto para a IoT, através de uma arquitetura de serviços e um modelo de dados. O ContQuest inclui soluções consistentes para os aspectos de persistência, segurança e controle de acesso tanto para os serviços de middleware, como para os Agentes de Recursos, que encapsulam dispositivos e serviços, e aplicações-clientes. O ContQuest utiliza OWL para a modelagem dos recursos e inclui um mecanismo de geração de identificadores únicos universais nas ontologias. Um protótipo do ContQuest foi desenvolvido e validado com a integração de três Agentes de Recurso para dispositivos reais: um dispositivo Arduino, um leitor de RFID e uma rede de sensores. Foi também realizado um experimento para avaliação de desempenho dos componentes do sistema, em que se observou o impacto do mecanismo de segurança proposto no desempenho do protótipo. Os resultados da validação e do desempenho são satisfatórios

Towards robust part tracking in an automated manufacturing process using RFID

Automated Identification and in particular, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) promises to assist with the automation of mass customised production processes. RFID has long been used to gather a history or trace of part movements, but the use of it as an integral part of the control process is yet to be fully exploited. Such use places stringent demands on the quality of the sensor data and the method used to interpret that data. in particular, this paper focuses on the issue of correctly identifying, tracking and dealing with aggregated objects with the use of RFID. The presented approach is evaluated in the context of a laboratory manufacturing system that produces customised gift boxes. Copyright © 2005 IFAC.

System combination and score normalization for spoken term detection

Spoken content in languages of emerging importance needs to be searchable to provide access to the underlying information. In this paper, we investigate the problem of extending data fusion methodologies from Information Retrieval for Spoken Term Detection on low-resource languages in the framework of the IARPA Babel program. We describe a number of alternative methods improving keyword search performance. We apply these methods to Cantonese, a language that presents some new issues in terms of reduced resources and shorter query lengths. First, we show score normalization methodology that improves in average by 20% keyword search performance. Second, we show that properly combining the outputs of diverse ASR systems performs 14% better than the best normalized ASR system. © 2013 IEEE.

Numerical simulations supporting the process design of ring rolling processes

In conventional Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of radial-axial ring rolling (RAR) the motions of all tools are usually defined prior to simulation in the preprocessing step. However, the real process holds up to 8 degrees of freedom (DOF) that are controlled by industrial control systems according to actual sensor values and preselected control strategies. Since the histories of the motions are unknown before the experiment and are dependent on sensor data, the conventional FEA cannot represent the process before experiment. In order to enable the usage of FEA in the process design stage, this approach integrates the industrially applied control algorithms of the real process including all relevant sensors and actuators into the FE model of ring rolling. Additionally, the process design of a novel process 'the axial profiling', in which a profiled roll is used for rolling axially profiled rings, is supported by FEA. Using this approach suitable control strategies can be tested in virtual environment before processing. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

Application of Dempster-Shafer evidence theory to unsupervised classification in multisource remote sensing

The aim of this paper is to show that Dempster-Shafer evidence theory may be successfully applied to unsupervised classification in multisource remote sensing. Dempster-Shafer formulation allows for consideration of unions of classes, and to represent both imprecision and uncertainty, through the definition of belief and plausibility functions. These two functions, derived from mass function, are generally chosen in a supervised way. In this paper, the authors describe an unsupervised method, based on the comparison of monosource classification results, to select the classes necessary for Dempster-Shafer evidence combination and to define their mass functions. Data fusion is then performed, discarding invalid clusters (e.g. corresponding to conflicting information) thank to an iterative process. Unsupervised multisource classification algorithm is applied to MAC-Europe'91 multisensor airborne campaign data collected over the Orgeval French site. Classification results using different combinations of sensors (TMS and AirSAR) or wavelengths (L- and C-bands) are compared. Performance of data fusion is evaluated in terms of identification of land cover types. The best results are obtained when all three data sets are used. Furthermore, some other combinations of data are tried, and their ability to discriminate between the different land cover types is quantified

三维环境中基于ESMF的多机器人协作观测方法

提出了一种基于扩展集员估计（ESMF）的多机器人协作观测方法，该方法将多机器人之间的观测数据融合过程嵌入到估计过程当中，从而减少了数据处理的过程，增强了算法的快速性。同时，这种方法在实现协作观测时只需要协作机器人传送观测信息而不是整个的估计信息，因此可以减轻多机器人系统的通信负担。除此之外，该方法在融合多机器人的观测数据过程中避免了多余的近似过程，增加了观测的准确性。最后，给出了三维环境下的仿真结果，验证了方法的可行性。

全地形移动机器人轮-地几何接触角估计

研究全地形移动机器人在不平坦地形中轮-地几何接触角的实时估计问题.本文以带有被动柔顺机构的六轮全地形移动机器人为对象,抛弃轮-地接触点位于车轮支撑臂延长线上这一假设,通过定义轮-地几何接触角δ来反映轮-地接触点在轮缘上位置的变化和地形不平坦给机器人运动带来的影响,将机器人看成是一个串-并联多刚体系统,基于速度闭链理论建立考虑地形不平坦和车轮滑移的机器人运动学模型,并针对轮-地几何接触角δ难以直接测量的问题,提出一种基于模型的卡尔曼滤波实时估计方法.利用卡尔曼滤波对机器人内部传感器的测量值进行噪声处理,基于机器人整体运动学模型对各个轮-地几何接触角进行实时估计,物理实验数据的处理结果验证了本文方法的有效性,从而为机器人运动学的精确计算和高质量的导航控制奠定了基础.

基于多传感器的可变形机器人自主控制方法研究

将GPS、电子罗盘、倾角仪、码盘传感器等应用到可变形机器人自主运动控制中.针对可变形机器人自身结构特点,提出了一种基于多传感器信息融合的可变形机器人在野外环境中自主控制的方法.该方法主要实现了在非结构环境中机器人的自主变形、自主避障和自主导航定位等功能.实验验证了该方法的有效性.

移动机器人多传感器信息融合技术述评

多传感器信息融合技术是目前移动机器人领域的研究热点。详细阐述了多传感器信息融合技术在移动机器人领域中的应用与研究进展,尤其对多传感器信息融合实现方法进行了深入的探讨。指明了移动机器人领域中多传感器信息融合技术未来的发展方向。

智能机器人系统中局部环境特征的提取

本文基于栅格地图和滚动视窗的控制方法 ,提出了一种提取机器人局部障碍物群环境特征的数据融合新方法 .该方法在多个级别对原始数据进行不同程度的抽象和压缩 ,减少机器人内部模块之间或机器人之间、机器人与控制中心进行通讯的数据量 ,提高系统的动态性能 .同时 ,该方法对复杂环境具有良好的自适应性和实时性 .本文分别列举了仿真实验和物理实验结果 ,表明了机器人采用障碍物群的环境特征提取方法可以成功地完成躲避障碍物和路径规划的任务

移动机器人的障碍物群检测方法

利用激光和超声波传感器在用栅格表示法形成地图的基础上 ,提出了进行数据融合以提取环境特征的新方法 :识别障碍物群。该方法能够在密集障碍物环境中为机器人的路径规划和避障提供准确的环境特征信息 ,提高机器人系统的自主性和实时性。实验结果表明了该方法的有效性。

Automated Assembly Using Feature Localization

Automated assembly of mechanical devices is studies by researching methods of operating assembly equipment in a variable manner; that is, systems which may be configured to perform many different assembly operations are studied. The general parts assembly operation involves the removal of alignment errors within some tolerance and without damaging the parts. Two methods for eliminating alignment errors are discussed: a priori suppression and measurement and removal. Both methods are studied with the more novel measurement and removal technique being studied in greater detail. During the study of this technique, a fast and accurate six degree-of-freedom position sensor based on a light-stripe vision technique was developed. Specifications for the sensor were derived from an assembly-system error analysis. Studies on extracting accurate information from the sensor by optimally reducing redundant information, filtering quantization noise, and careful calibration procedures were performed. Prototype assembly systems for both error elimination techniques were implemented and used to assemble several products. The assembly system based on the a priori suppression technique uses a number of mechanical assembly tools and software systems which extend the capabilities of industrial robots. The need for the tools was determined through an assembly task analysis of several consumer and automotive products. The assembly system based on the measurement and removal technique used the six degree-of-freedom position sensor to measure part misalignments. Robot commands for aligning the parts were automatically calculated based on the sensor data and executed.