Innovative Man Machine Interfaces In Aeronautics

The research activity focused on the study, design and evaluation of innovative human-machine interfaces based on virtual three-dimensional environments. It is based on the brain electrical activities recorded in real time through the electrical impulses emitted by the brain waves of the user. The achieved target is to identify and sort in real time the different brain states and adapt the interface and/or stimuli to the corresponding emotional state of the user. The setup of an experimental facility based on an innovative experimental methodology for “man in the loop" simulation was established. It allowed involving during pilot training in virtually simulated flights, both pilot and flight examiner, in order to compare the subjective evaluations of this latter to the objective measurements of the brain activity of the pilot. This was done recording all the relevant information versus a time-line. Different combinations of emotional intensities obtained, led to an evaluation of the current situational awareness of the user. These results have a great implication in the current training methodology of the pilots, and its use could be extended as a tool that can improve the evaluation of a pilot/crew performance in interacting with the aircraft when performing tasks and procedures, especially in critical situations. This research also resulted in the design of an interface that adapts the control of the machine to the situation awareness of the user. The new concept worked on, aimed at improving the efficiency between a user and the interface, and gaining capacity by reducing the user’s workload and hence improving the system overall safety. This innovative research combining emotions measured through electroencephalography resulted in a human-machine interface that would have three aeronautical related applications: • An evaluation tool during the pilot training; • An input for cockpit environment; • An adaptation tool of the cockpit automation.

Portfolio Approaches in Constraint Programming

Recent research has shown that the performance of a single, arbitrarily efficient algorithm can be significantly outperformed by using a portfolio of —possibly on-average slower— algorithms. Within the Constraint Programming (CP) context, a portfolio solver can be seen as a particular constraint solver that exploits the synergy between the constituent solvers of its portfolio for predicting which is (or which are) the best solver(s) to run for solving a new, unseen instance. In this thesis we examine the benefits of portfolio solvers in CP. Despite portfolio approaches have been extensively studied for Boolean Satisfiability (SAT) problems, in the more general CP field these techniques have been only marginally studied and used. We conducted this work through the investigation, the analysis and the construction of several portfolio approaches for solving both satisfaction and optimization problems. We focused in particular on sequential approaches, i.e., single-threaded portfolio solvers always running on the same core. We started from a first empirical evaluation on portfolio approaches for solving Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs), and then we improved on it by introducing new data, solvers, features, algorithms, and tools. Afterwards, we addressed the more general Constraint Optimization Problems (COPs) by implementing and testing a number of models for dealing with COP portfolio solvers. Finally, we have come full circle by developing sunny-cp: a sequential CP portfolio solver that turned out to be competitive also in the MiniZinc Challenge, the reference competition for CP solvers.

Atomistic simulations of liquid crystals in the bulk and at their interfaces

In this thesis, we have dealt with several problems concerning liquid crystals (LC) phases, either in the bulk or at their interfaces, by the use of atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We first focused our attention on simulating and characterizing the bulk smectic phase of 4-n-octyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl (8CB), allowing us to investigate the antiparallel molecular arrangement typical of SmAd smectic phases. A second topic of study was the characterization of the 8CB interface with vacuum by simulating freely suspended thin films, which allowed us to determine the influence of the interface on the orientational and positional order. Then we investigated the LC-water and LC-electrolyte water solution interface. This interface has recently found application in the development of sensors for several compounds, including biological molecules, and here we tried to understand the re-orientation mechanism of LC molecules at the interface which is behind the functioning of these sensors. The characterization of this peculiar interface has incidentally led us to develop a polarizable force field for the pentyl-cyanobiphenyl mesogen, whose process of parametrization and validation is reported here in detail. We have shown that this force field is a significant improvement over its previous, static charge non polarizable version in terms of density, orientational order parameter and translational diffusion.

Tracer diffusion at water-oil interfaces studied by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy

The adsorption of particles and surfactants at water-oil interfaces has attracted continuous attention because of its emulsion stabilizing effect and the possibility to form two-dimensional materials. Herein, I studied the interfacial diffusion of single molecules and nanoparticles at water-oil interfaces using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. rnrnFluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) is a promising technique to study diffusion of fluorescent tracers in diverse conditions. This technique monitors and analyzes the fluorescence fluctuation caused by single fluorescent tracers coming in and out of a diffraction-limited observation volume “one at a time”. Thus, this technique allows a combination of high precision, high spatial resolution and low tracer concentration. rnrnIn chapter 1, I discussed some controversial questions regarding the properties of water-hydrophobic interfaces and also introduced the current progress on the stability and dynamic of single nanoparticles at water-oil interfaces. The materials and setups I used in this thesis were summarized in chapter 2. rnrnIn chapter 3, I presented a new strategy to study the properties of water-oil interfaces. The two-dimensional diffusion of isolated molecular tracers at water/n-alkane interfaces was measured using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. The diffusion coefficients of larger tracers with a hydrodynamic radius of 4.0 nm agreed well with the values calculated from the macroscopic viscosities of the two bulk phases. However, for small molecule tracers with hydrodynamic radii of only 1.0 and 0.6 nm, notable deviations were observed, indicating the existence of an interfacial region with a reduced effective viscosity. rnrnIn chapter 4, the interfacial diffusion of nanoparticles at water-oil interfaces was investigated using FCS. In stark contrast to the interfacial diffusion of molecular tracers, that of nanoparticles at any conditions is slower than the values calculated in accordance to the surrounding viscosity. The diffusion of nanoparticles at water-oil interfaces depended on the interfacial tension of liquid-liquid interfaces, the surface properties of nanoparticles, the particle sizes and the viscosities of surrounding liquid phases. In addition, the interfacial diffusion of nanoparticles with Janus motif is even slower than that of their symmetric counterparts. Based on the experimental results I obtained, I drew some possibilities to describe the origin of nanoparticle slowdown at water-oil interfaces.

Structure and dynamics of ionic liquid,electrode interfaces

In the early 20th century, Gouy, Chapman, and Stern developed a theory to describe the capacitance and the spatial ion distribution of diluted electrolytes near an electrode. After a century of research, considerable progress has been made in the understanding of the electrolyte/electrode interface. However, its molecular-scale structure and its variation with an applied potential is still under debate. In particular for room-temperature ionic liquids, a new class of solventless electrolytes, the classical theories for the electrical double layer are not applicable. Recently, molecular dynamics simulations and phenomenological theories have attempted to explain the capacitance of the ionic liquid/electrode interface with the molecular-scale structure and dynamics of the ionic liquid near the electrode. rnHowever, experimental evidence is very limited. rnrnIn the presented study, the ion distribution of an ionic liquid near an electrode and its response to applied potentials was examined with sub-molecular resolution. For this purpose, a new sample chamber was constructed, allowing in situ high energy X-ray reflectivity experiments under potential control, as well as impedance spectroscopy measurements. The combination of structural information and electrochmical data provided a comprehensive picture of the electric double layer in ionic liquids. Oscillatory charge density profiles were found, consisting of alternating anion- and cation-enriched layers at both, cathodic and anodic, potentials. This structure was shown to arise from the same ion-ion correlations dominating the liquid bulk structure that were observed as a distinct X-ray diffraction peak. Therefore, existing physically motivated models were refined and verified by comparison with independent measurements. rnrnThe relaxation dynamics of the interfacial structure upon potential variation were studied by time resolved X-ray reflectivity experiments with sub-millisecond resolution. The observed relaxation times during charging/discharging are consistent with the impedance spectroscopy data revealing three processes of vastly different characteristic time-scales. Initially, the ion transport normal to the interface happens on a millisecond-scale. Another 100-millisecond-scale process is associated with molecular reorientation of electrode-adsorbed cations. Further, a minute-scale relaxation was observed, which is tentatively assigned to lateral ordering within the first layer.

New integer programming models for balanced multi-country kep

Le persone che soffrono di insufficienza renale terminale hanno due possibili trattamenti da affrontare: la dialisi oppure il trapianto di organo. Nel caso volessero seguire la seconda strada, oltre che essere inseriti nella lista d'attesa dei donatori deceduti, possono trovare una persona, come il coniuge, un parente o un amico, disposta a donare il proprio rene. Tuttavia, non sempre il trapianto è fattibile: donatore e ricevente possono, infatti, presentare delle incompatibilità a livello di gruppo sanguigno o di tessuto organico. Come risposta a questo tipo di problema nasce il KEP (Kidney Exchange Program), un programma, ampiamente avviato in diverse realtà europee e mondiali, che si occupa di raggruppare in un unico insieme le coppie donatore/ricevente in questa stessa situazione al fine di operare e massimizzare scambi incrociati di reni fra coppie compatibili. Questa tesi approffondisce tale questione andando a valutare la possibilità di unire in un unico insieme internazionale coppie donatore/ricevente provenienti da più paesi. Lo scopo, naturalmente, è quello di poter ottenere un numero sempre maggiore di trapianti effettuati. Lo studio affronta dal punto di vista matematico problematiche legate a tale collaborazione: i paesi che eventualmente accettassero di partecipare a un simile programma, infatti, devono avere la garanzia non solo di ricavarne un vantaggio, ma anche che tale vantaggio sia equamente distribuito fra tutti i paesi partecipanti.

La linea guida api - risk based inspection: Definizione delle frequenze di rilascio e ottimazione delle visite ispettive

La stima della frequenza di accadimento di eventi incidentali di tipo random da linee e apparecchiature è in generale effettuata sulla base delle informazioni presenti in banche dati specializzate. I dati presenti in tali banche contengono informazioni relative ad eventi incidentali avvenuti in varie tipologie di installazioni, che spaziano dagli impianti chimici a quelli petrolchimici. Alcune di queste banche dati risultano anche piuttosto datate, poiché fanno riferimento ad incidenti verificatisi ormai molto addietro negli anni. Ne segue che i valori relativi alle frequenze di perdita forniti dalle banche dati risultano molto conservativi. Per ovviare a tale limite e tenere in conto il progresso tecnico, la linea guida API Recommended Pratice 581, pubblicata nel 2000 e successivamente aggiornata nel 2008, ha introdotto un criterio per determinare frequenze di perdita specializzate alla realtà propria impiantistica, mediante l’ausilio di coefficienti correttivi che considerano il meccanismo di guasto del componente, il sistema di gestione della sicurezza e l’efficacia dell’attività ispettiva. Il presente lavoro di tesi ha lo scopo di mettere in evidenza l’evoluzione dell’approccio di valutazione delle frequenze di perdita da tubazione. Esso è articolato come descritto nel seguito. Il Capitolo 1 ha carattere introduttivo. Nel Capitolo 2 è affrontato lo studio delle frequenze di perdita reperibili nelle banche dati generaliste. Nel Capitolo 3 sono illustrati due approcci, uno qualitativo ed uno quantitativo, che permettono di determinare le linee che presentano priorità più alta per essere sottoposte all’attività ispettiva. Il Capitolo 4 è dedicato alla descrizione della guida API Recomended Practice 581. L’applicazione ad un caso di studio dei criteri di selezione delle linee illustrati nel Capitolo 3 e la definizione delle caratteristiche dell’attività ispettiva secondo la linea guida API Recomended Practice 581 sono illustrati nel Capitolo 5. Infine nel Capitolo 6 sono rese esplicite le considerazioni conclusive dello studio effettuato.

Progetto e sviluppo di restful web api per un sistema aziendale di marcature degli accessi

La tesi tratta la tematica delle web API implementate secondo i vincoli dello stile architetturale ReST e ne propone un esempio concreto riportando la progettazione delle API di un sistema di marcature realizzato in ambito aziendale.

App mobile con l'integrazione di social network e google api per migliorare l'esperienza utente

Questa tesi esamina la progettazione e lo sviluppo di un'applicazione mobile Android che è in grado di gestire l'attività sportiva di un utente. L'applicazione offre numerose funzionalità, che permettono all'utente di eseguire allenamenti per il fitness e allenamenti per la corsa, tenendo sempre sotto controllo i risultati ottenuti e tutte le informazioni necessarie. Oltre ad eseguire allenamenti l'utente può crearne di propri e modificarli a suo piacimento, in più nell'App è inserito lo shop dove l'utilizzatore può comprare allenamenti messi a disposizione direttamente da FitBody. Gli aspetti visti sopra saranno descritti attraverso un'analisi del problema e un'analisi sulla progettazione architetturale. In particolare verranno sottolineati aspetti riguardanti l'interazione tra utenti e l'utilizzo di API che permetteranno all'utilizzatore di condividere le proprie esperienze sul social network Facebook e di avere un'esperienza completa con l'app. In questo scritto si parlerà anche della comunicazione tra applicazione e server, che avviene grazie a chiamate HTTP con metodo POST. Attraverso queste chiamate l'applicazione leggerà e scriverà informazioni sul database online, 'hostato' sulla piattaforma Altervista. L'applicazione web, di cui sarà data solamente un'infarinatura, è stata sviluppata utilizzando il linguaggio di programmazione PHP. Ogni 'response' inviata dal server al client è composta da uno o più oggetti JSON.

Big data, nosql e machine learning: un'applicazione di prediction e recommendation basata sulle api di Amazon

In questa tesi sono stati introdotti e studiati i Big Data, dando particolare importanza al mondo NoSQL, approfondendo MongoDB, e al mondo del Machine Learning, approfondendo PredictionIO. Successivamente è stata sviluppata un'applicazione attraverso l'utilizzo di tecnologie web, nodejs, node-webkit e le tecnologie approfondite prima. L'applicazione utilizza l'interpolazione polinomiale per predirre il prezzo di un bene salvato nello storico presente su MongoDB. Attraverso PredictionIO, essa analizza il comportamento degli altri utenti consigliando dei prodotti per l'acquisto. Infine è stata effetuata un'analisi dei risultati dell'errore prodotto dall'interpolazione.

Reactive programming: un caso di studio

L'obiettivo di questa tesi è analizzare e testare la programmazione reattiva, paradigma di programmazione particolarmente adatto per lo sviluppo di applicazioni altamente interattive. La progettazione di sistemi reattivi implica necessariamente l'utilizzo di codice asincrono e la programmazione reattiva (RP) offre al programmatore semplici meccanismi per gestirlo. In questa tesi, la programmazione reattiva è stata utilizzata e valutata mediante la realizzazione di un progetto real-world chiamato AvvocaTimer. Verrà affrontata la progettazione, implementazione e collaudo di una parte del sistema attraverso l'approccio reattivo e, successivamente, confrontata con la prima versione, realizzata con i metodi attualmente usati per gestire codice asincrono, per analizzare vantaggi e/o svantaggi derivanti dall'utilizzo del nuovo paradigma.

Integrazione di piattaforme d'esecuzione e simulazione in una toolchain Scala per aggregate programming

La tesi è calata nell'ambito dell'Aggregate Programming e costituita da una prima parte introduttiva su questo ambito, per poi concentrarsi sulla descrizione degli elaborati prodotti e infine qualche nota conclusiva unitamente a qualche possibile sviluppo futuro. La parte progettuale consiste nell'integrazione del framework Scafi con il simulatore Alchemist e con una piattaforma di creazione e di esecuzione di sistemi in ambito Spatial Computin, con lo scopo di potenziare la toolchain esistente per Aggregate Programming. Inoltre si riporta anche un breve capitolo per l'esecuzione del framework scafi sviluppato in scala sulla piattaforma Android.

Organic Interfaces; or, How Human Beings Augment Their Digital Devices

It is a central premise of the advertising campaigns for nearly all digital communication devices that buying them augments the user: they give us a larger, better memory; make us more “creative” and “productive”; and/or empower us to access whatever information we desire from wherever we happen to be. This study is about how recent popular cinema represents the failure of these technological devices to inspire the enchantment that they once did and opens the question of what is causing this failure. Using examples from the James Bond films, the essay analyzes the ways in which human users are frequently represented as the media connecting and augmenting digital devices and NOT the reverse. It makes use of the debates about the ways in which our subjectivity is itself a networked phenomenon and the extended mind debate from the philosophy of mind. It will prove (1) that this represents an important counter-narrative to the technophilic optimism about augmentation that pervades contemporary advertising, consumer culture, and educational debates; and (2) that this particular discourse of augmentation is really about technological advances and not advances in human capacity.

Flexibles WebMapping durch eigene Erweiterungen des Esri JavaScript API

Wie viele andere GIS-Dienstleister der Öffentlichen Verwaltung auch, ist die Abteilung Geoinformation und Vermessung des Kantons Luzern (geo) mit der wachsenden Nachfrage nach flexiblen Webmapping-Applikationen konfrontiert. Neben klassischen Stand-Alone-Anwendungen unterschiedlicher Komplexität werden zunehmend integrierte Lösungen aktuell. Drittanbieter-Applikationen sollen mit Mapping- und GIS-Funktionalitäten erweitert werden. Um den vielfältigen Ansprüchen gerecht zu werden, hat geo zu diesem Zweck einen Viewer (MapViewer LU 4.0) und ein eigenes API (geo.api LU) inklusive Print-Service entwickelt. Das API baut als Erweiterung auf dem bestehenden Esri JavaScript API auf. In der Präsentation werden Anforderungen, Lösungsansätze sowie die konkrete Umsetzung mittels Anwendungs-Demo vorgestellt.

INTEGRATION D’UN OBSERVATOIRE URBAIN SUR GOOGLE MAPS : Cas des infrastructures de la santé de la ville de Douala Cameroun

The spectacular advances computer science applied to geographic information systems (GIS) in recent times has favored the emergence of several technological solutions. These developments have given rise to enormous opportunities for digital management of the territory. Among the technological solutions, the most famous Google Maps offers free online mapping dynamic exhaustive of the Maps. In addition to meet the enormous needs of urban indicators geotagged information, we did work on this project “Integration of an urban observatory on Google Maps.” The problem of geolocation in the urban observatory is particularly relevant in the sense that there is currently no data (descriptive and geographical) reliable on the urban sector; we must stick to extrapolate from data old and obsolete. This helps to curb the effectiveness of urban management to make difficult investment programming and to prevent the acquisition of knowledge to make cities engines of growth. The use of a geolocation tool coupled to the data would allow better monitoring of indicators Our project's objective is to develop an interactive map server (WebMapping) which map layer is formed from the resources of the Google Maps servers and match information from the field to produce maps of urban equipment and infrastructure of a city data to the client's request To achieve this goal, we will participate in a study of a GPS location of strategic sites in our core sector (health facilities), on the other hand, using information from the field, we will build a postgresql database that will link the information from the field to map from Google Maps via KML scripts and PHP appropriate. We will limit ourselves in our work to the city of Douala Cameroon with the sectors of health facilities with the possibility of extension to other areas and other cities. Keywords: Geographic Information System (GIS), Thematic Mapping, Web Mapping, data mining, Google API.