A fuzzified systematic adjustment of the robotic Darwinian PSO

The Darwinian Particle Swarm Optimization (DPSO) is an evolutionary algorithm that extends the Particle Swarm Optimization using natural selection to enhance the ability to escape from sub-optimal solutions. An extension of the DPSO to multi-robot applications has been recently proposed and denoted as Robotic Darwinian PSO (RDPSO), benefiting from the dynamical partitioning of the whole population of robots, hence decreasing the amount of required information exchange among robots. This paper further extends the previously proposed algorithm adapting the behavior of robots based on a set of context-based evaluation metrics. Those metrics are then used as inputs of a fuzzy system so as to systematically adjust the RDPSO parameters (i.e., outputs of the fuzzy system), thus improving its convergence rate, susceptibility to obstacles and communication constraints. The adapted RDPSO is evaluated in groups of physical robots, being further explored using larger populations of simulated mobile robots within a larger scenario.

Introducing the fractional-order Darwinian PSO

One of the most well-known bio-inspired algorithms used in optimization problems is the particle swarm optimization (PSO), which basically consists on a machinelearning technique loosely inspired by birds flocking in search of food. More specifically, it consists of a number of particles that collectively move on the search space in search of the global optimum. The Darwinian particle swarm optimization (DPSO) is an evolutionary algorithm that extends the PSO using natural selection, or survival of the fittest, to enhance the ability to escape from local optima. This paper firstly presents a survey on PSO algorithms mainly focusing on the DPSO. Afterward, a method for controlling the convergence rate of the DPSO using fractional calculus (FC) concepts is proposed. The fractional-order optimization algorithm, denoted as FO-DPSO, is tested using several well-known functions, and the relationship between the fractional-order velocity and the convergence of the algorithm is observed. Moreover, experimental results show that the FO-DPSO significantly outperforms the previously presented FO-PSO.

Modified Discrete PSO to Increase the Delivered Energy Probability in Distribution energy Systems

This paper proposes a PSO based approach to increase the probability of delivering power to any load point by identifying new investments in distribution energy systems. The statistical failure and repair data of distribution components is the main basis of the proposed methodology that uses a fuzzyprobabilistic modeling for the components outage parameters. The fuzzy membership functions of the outage parameters of each component are based on statistical records. A Modified Discrete PSO optimization model is developed in order to identify the adequate investments in distribution energy system components which allow increasing the probability of delivering power to any customer in the distribution system at the minimum possible cost for the system operator. To illustrate the application of the proposed methodology, the paper includes a case study that considers a 180 bus distribution network.

A combined SMOTE and PSO based RBF classifier for two-class imbalanced problems

This contribution proposes a powerful technique for two-class imbalanced classification problems by combining the synthetic minority over-sampling technique (SMOTE) and the particle swarm optimisation (PSO) aided radial basis function (RBF) classifier. In order to enhance the significance of the small and specific region belonging to the positive class in the decision region, the SMOTE is applied to generate synthetic instances for the positive class to balance the training data set. Based on the over-sampled training data, the RBF classifier is constructed by applying the orthogonal forward selection procedure, in which the classifier's structure and the parameters of RBF kernels are determined using a PSO algorithm based on the criterion of minimising the leave-one-out misclassification rate. The experimental results obtained on a simulated imbalanced data set and three real imbalanced data sets are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed algorithm.

PSO assisted NURB Neural Network Identification

A system identification algorithm is introduced for Hammerstein systems that are modelled using a non-uniform rational B-spline (NURB) neural network. The proposed algorithm consists of two successive stages. First the shaping parameters in NURB network are estimated using a particle swarm optimization (PSO) procedure. Then the remaining parameters are estimated by the method of the singular value decomposition (SVD). Numerical examples are utilized to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach.

Betyg och bedömning : i teorin och praktiken

Syftet med uppsatsen är att studera vilken uppfattning elever i årskurs nio på en skola i Mellan-sverige har kring betyg och bedömning. Metoden som används är en enkätundersökning där eleverna fyller i både kvantitativa och kvalitativa frågor. Undersökningens resultat visar att eleverna tror att det är främst deras beteende och hur de är som elev som är avgörande för vilket betyg de får. Betyg, enligt eleverna i denna undersökning, handlar om hur man är som elev och vad man gör som elev. Det kumskapsrelaterade betygsystemet är inte väl förankrat bland dessa elever.

Modeling and forecasting long-term natural gas (NG) consumption in Iran, using particle swarm optimization (PSO)

The gradual changes in the world development have brought energy issues back into high profile. An ongoing challenge for countries around the world is to balance the development gains against its effects on the environment. The energy management is the key factor of any sustainable development program. All the aspects of development in agriculture, power generation, social welfare and industry in Iran are crucially related to the energy and its revenue. Forecasting end-use natural gas consumption is an important Factor for efficient system operation and a basis for planning decisions. In this thesis, particle swarm optimization (PSO) used to forecast long run natural gas consumption in Iran. Gas consumption data in Iran for the previous 34 years is used to predict the consumption for the coming years. Four linear and nonlinear models proposed and six factors such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Population, National Income (NI), Temperature, Consumer Price Index (CPI) and yearly Natural Gas (NG) demand investigated.

Det är enklare i teorin… Om skolutveckling i praktiken : En fallstudie av ett skolutvecklingsprojekt i en gymnasieskola

This dissertation is a case study dealing with a school development project that took place in an upper secondary school as a result of a merger of two schools with different cultures. The project used a method called “Frirumsmodellen” and was planned to be conducted in three steps. The first was to carry out a cultural analysis in order to map the preconditions to start a school development project. The second was to carry out concrete actions and finally study eventual effects from such activities by doing a second cultural analysis. My role was to be a supervisor in the school development work, but at the same time study how this work was conducted and its impact in the ordinary school day. The dissertation takes its departure in the fact that schools are political governed. The mission of schools is never neutral; it is always an expression of behind laying social forces, ideologies and ideals of the contemporary society. Of this reason, there is a close connection between the macro political level and the micro political level. Another point of departure is the transition from a modern to a post modern society that gives the character to the changes that take place in schools. Steering of schools has partly been treated as a technical implementation problem. Schools contain on going conflicts between different interest groups that, more or less regularly, end up in educational reforms. These reforms generate school development activities in the single school. Undoubtedly, this makes school development to a complex process. At a rather late stage of the study I decided not to fulfil my task to follow the original plan. I instead let the school development project as a model to be in focus. The over all purpose was formulated: How is it possible to understand what happened in the school development project in the Falkgymnasiet and why was it not possible to carry it out as it was said in the project plan? To interpret what took place during the project I did create an interpretation frame of implementation and complexity theory that also made it possible to critically scrutinise the “Frirumsmodellen”. Already in an early stage of the process it was obvious that the “Frirumsmodellen” did not supply any tools to use and it became disconnected from the project. The project in it selves was marginalised and made invisible. The headmaster used the situation to change things she thought were important to develop. As a result, things happened, but most of the involved people did not at first hand connect this to the project. It is, of course, difficult in detail to say what caused what. The complexity theory successively made the hidden patterns revealed, hidden unofficial potentates visible, as well as unpredictable conditions that generated reactions from the personnel in front of a development work. Together this was rather efficient obstacles for not changing this school. I also discuss school development and implementation problems on a general level, for example, the possibility to transform a top-down initiated project to be bottom-up driven and using project as a tool for school development work. It was obvious that headmasters and teachers must be prepared to handle the ideological dimensions of problems schools have to face. Consequently, development work is about making problems visible and to handle these in the intersection point between the intentions of educational policies, pedagogical researchers, school administrators, headmasters, teachers and pupils. The ideological dimension also contains an existential issue. Do I as a teacher share the intentions for the development work? If not, how must I act?

Identificação e comparação entre controle preditivo com modelo não linear e PI sintonizados com PSO em sistema de separação gravitacional de águia-óleo

The separation methods are reduced applications as a result of the operational costs, the low output and the long time to separate the uids. But, these treatment methods are important because of the need for extraction of unwanted contaminants in the oil production. The water and the concentration of oil in water should be minimal (around 40 to 20 ppm) in order to take it to the sea. Because of the need of primary treatment, the objective of this project is to study and implement algorithms for identification of polynomial NARX (Nonlinear Auto-Regressive with Exogenous Input) models in closed loop, implement a structural identification, and compare strategies using PI control and updated on-line NARX predictive models on a combination of three-phase separator in series with three hydro cyclones batteries. The main goal of this project is to: obtain an optimized process of phase separation that will regulate the system, even in the presence of oil gushes; Show that it is possible to get optimized tunings for controllers analyzing the mesh as a whole, and evaluate and compare the strategies of PI and predictive control applied to the process. To accomplish these goals a simulator was used to represent the three phase separator and hydro cyclones. Algorithms were developed for system identification (NARX) using RLS(Recursive Least Square), along with methods for structure models detection. Predictive Control Algorithms were also implemented with NARX model updated on-line, and optimization algorithms using PSO (Particle Swarm Optimization). This project ends with a comparison of results obtained from the use of PI and predictive controllers (both with optimal state through the algorithm of cloud particles) in the simulated system. Thus, concluding that the performed optimizations make the system less sensitive to external perturbations and when optimized, the two controllers show similar results with the assessment of predictive control somewhat less sensitive to disturbances

Optimisation of a fermentation process for butanol production by particle swarm optimisation (PSO)

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

Kappa-PSO-ARTMAP Fuzzy: uma metodologia para detecção de intrusos baseado em seleção de atributos e otimização de parâmetros numa rede neural ARTMAP Fuzzy

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Elétrica - FEIS

The Extremely Red, Young L Dwarf PSO J318.5338-22.8603: a Free-Floating Planetary-Mass Analog to Directly Imaged Young Gas-Giant Planets

We have discovered using Pan-STARRS1 an extremely red late-L dwarf, which has (J - K)(MKO) = 2.78 and (J - K) (2MASS) = 2.84, making it the reddest known field dwarf and second only to 2MASS J1207-39b among substellar companions. Near-IR spectroscopy shows a spectral type of L7 +/- 1 and reveals a triangular H-band continuum and weak alkali (K I and Na I) lines, hallmarks of low surface gravity. Near-IR astrometry from the Hawaii Infrared Parallax Program gives a distance of 24.6 +/- 1.4 pc and indicates a much fainter J-band absolute magnitude than field L dwarfs. The position and kinematics of PSO J318.5-22 point to membership in the beta Pic moving group. Evolutionary models give a temperature of 1160(-40)(+30) K and a mass of 6.5(-1.0)(+1.3) M-Jup, making PSO J318.5-22 one of the lowest mass free-floating objects in the solar neighborhood. This object adds to the growing list of low-gravity field L dwarfs and is the first to be strongly deficient in methane relative to its estimated temperature. Comparing their spectra suggests that young L dwarfs with similar ages and temperatures can have different spectral signatures of youth. For the two objects with well constrained ages (PSO J318.5-22 and 2MASS J0355+11), we find their temperatures are approximate to 400 K cooler than field objects of similar spectral type but their luminosities are similar, i.e., these young L dwarfs are very red and unusually cool but not "underluminous." Altogether, PSO J318.5-22 is the first free-floating object with the colors, magnitudes, spectrum, luminosity, and mass that overlap the young dusty planets around HR 8799 and 2MASS J1207-39

PSO and neural networks: Optimal combination to solve non linear complex problems

Swarm colonies reproduce social habits. Working together in a group to reach a predefined goal is a social behaviour occurring in nature. Linear optimization problems have been approached by different techniques based on natural models. In particular, Particles Swarm optimization is a meta-heuristic search technique that has proven to be effective when dealing with complex optimization problems. This paper presents and develops a new method based on different penalties strategies to solve complex problems. It focuses on the training process of the neural networks, the constraints and the election of the parameters to ensure successful results and to avoid the most common obstacles when searching optimal solutions.

Debonding detection of FRP strengthened concrete beams by using impedance measurements and an ensemble PSO adaptive spectral model

An impedance-based midspan debonding identification method for RC beams strengthened with FRP strips is presented in this paper using piezoelectric ceramic (PZT) sensor?actuators. To reach this purpose, firstly, a two-dimensional electromechanical impedance model is proposed to predict the electrical admittance of the PZT transducer bonded to the FRP strips of an RC beam. Considering the impedance is measured in high frequencies, a spectral element model of the bonded-PZT?FRP strengthened beam is developed. This model, in conjunction with experimental measurements of PZT transducers, is used to present an updating methodology to quantitatively detect interfacial debonding of these kinds of structures. To improve the performance and accuracy of the detection algorithm in a challenging problem such as ours, the structural health monitoring approach is solved with an ensemble process based on particle of swarm. An adaptive mesh scheme has also been developed to increase the reliability in locating the area in which debonding initiates. Predictions carried out with experimental results have showed the effectiveness and potential of the proposed method to detect prematurely at its earliest stages a critical failure mode such as that due to midspan debonding of the FRP strip.

An automatic tuning strategy for local fuzzy logic ramp metering algorithm using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO)

Freeway systems are becoming more congested each day. One contribution to freeway traffic congestion comprises platoons of on-ramp traffic merging into freeway mainlines. As a relatively low-cost countermeasure to the problem, ramp meters are being deployed in both directions of an 11-mile section of I-95 in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The local Fuzzy Logic (FL) ramp metering algorithm implemented in Seattle, Washington, has been selected for deployment. The FL ramp metering algorithm is powered by the Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC). The FLC depends on a series of parameters that can significantly alter the behavior of the controller, thus affecting the performance of ramp meters. However, the most suitable values for these parameters are often difficult to determine, as they vary with current traffic conditions. Thus, for optimum performance, the parameter values must be fine-tuned. This research presents a new method of fine tuning the FLC parameters using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). PSO attempts to optimize several important parameters of the FLC. The objective function of the optimization model incorporates the METANET macroscopic traffic flow model to minimize delay time, subject to the constraints of reasonable ranges of ramp metering rates and FLC parameters. To further improve the performance, a short-term traffic forecasting module using a discrete Kalman filter was incorporated to predict the downstream freeway mainline occupancy. This helps to detect the presence of downstream bottlenecks. The CORSIM microscopic simulation model was selected as the platform to evaluate the performance of the proposed PSO tuning strategy. The ramp-metering algorithm incorporating the tuning strategy was implemented using CORSIM's run-time extension (RTE) and was tested on the aforementioned I-95 corridor. The performance of the FLC with PSO tuning was compared with the performance of the existing FLC without PSO tuning. The results show that the FLC with PSO tuning outperforms the existing FL metering, fixed-time metering, and existing conditions without metering in terms of total travel time savings, average speed, and system-wide throughput.