Cooperative Task Execution between Modular Robots Based on Tight-Loose Cooperation Strategies

The complexity in the execution of cooperative tasks is high due to the fact that a robot team requires movement coordination at the beginning of the mission and continuous coordination during the execution of the task. A variety of techniques have been proposed to give a solution to this problem assuming standard mobile robots. This work focuses on presenting the execution of a cooperative task by a modular robot team. The complexity of the task execution increases due to the fact that each robot is composed of modules which have to be coordinated in a proper way to successfully work. A combined tight and loose cooperation strategy is presented and a bar-pushing example is used as a cooperative task to show the performance of this type of system.

Modular Planar Antenna at X-band for satellite communications

An antenna which has been conceived as a portable system for satellite communications based on the recommendations ITU-R S.580-6 [1] and ITU-R S.465-5 [2] for small antennas, i.e., with a diameter lower than 50 wavelengths, is introduced. It is a planar and a compact structure with a size of 40×40×2 cm. The antenna is formed by an array of 256 printed elements covering a large bandwidth (14.7%) at X-Band. The specification includes transmission (Tx) and reception (Rx) bands simultaneously. The printed antenna has a radiation pattern with a 3dB beamwidth of 5°, over a 31dBi gain, and a dual and an interchangeable circular polarization

Aplicaciones estructurales de la guadua (Guadua angustifolia Kunth): Proyecto de estructura modular multifuncional en Colombia

La Guadua (Guadua angustifolia Kunth) es una de las especies forestales más características de Colombia. Perteneciente a la familia del bambú, ésta planta nativa de Colombia usada en la construcción permite una reducción de costos, garantizados, entre otras ventajas, por sus propiedades físico-mecánicas de flexibilidad, resistencia, dureza, efecto climatizado y sismo resistencia. En el proyecto se plantea inicialmente un estudio de la Guadua como material estructural. Se estudiará su anatomía, sus propiedades físicas y mecánicas así como la normativa existente que rige su uso en construcción y por último se darán algunos ejemplos en los que se puede comprobar su uso en la actualidad. Posteriormente se procederá al desarrollo del proyecto cuya finalidad es el diseño de una estructura modular multifuncional que se necesita para llevarla a cabo en un proyecto de cooperación localizado en Neiva (Colombia). El proyecto incluirá todos los documentos necesarios para un trabajo de estas características: memoria, pliego de condiciones técnicas, presupuesto, planos, así como el Estudio de Seguridad y Salud Laboral. Como solución a las necesidades planteadas en el proyecto de cooperación, se realizará el diseño de dos estructuras modulares cuya finalidad sea las de uso como oficina y como almacén. Se aplicará para su cálculo el CTE cómo normativa de construcción, pero apoyándose en algunos parámetros en la NSR-10, estableciendo una comparativa posterior entre ambas normativas. Debido a la importancia de la acción sísmica en Colombia se comprobará la resistencia sísmica del módulo diseñado según el “Manual de Construcción, evaluación y rehabilitación sismo resistente de viviendas de mampostería” creado por la Asociación Colombiana de Ingeniería Sísmica. Basándose en este manual se definirán los tipos de uniones más favorables sísmicamente de los módulos con el diseño de una cercha auxiliar necesaria según el tipo de unión. ABSTRACT PROJECT: Structural applications of the guadua (Guadua angustifolia Kunth). Project of modular multifunctional structure in Colombia Guadua (Guadua angustifolia Kunth) is one of the forest species more characteristics of Colombia. Pertaining to the family of the bamboo, this one native plant of Colombia used in the construction allows a reduction of costs, guaranteed, among others advantages, by its physic mechanical properties of flexibility, resistance, hardness, climatic effect and earthquake resistance. The project initially considers a study of the Guadua as structural material. We will study its anatomy, its physical and mechanical properties as well as the existing norm that governs its use in construction and finally some examples will be provided in which its actual use can be verified. Later on, we will proceed with the development of the project which purpose is the design of a multifunctional modular structure required to in a project of cooperation located in Neiva (Colombia). The project will include all the necessary documents for a work of these characteristics: memory, technical specifications, budget, drawings, as well as the Security and Labor Health Study. In order to satisfy the needs raised in the cooperation project, we will undertake the design of two modular structures with the purpose to be used as office and warehouse. The construction normative CTE will be applied for its calculation, but some parameters will be based in the NSR-10, establishing a comparison between both norms. Due to the importance of the seismic action in Colombia, the seismic resistance of the module will be verified according to the “Manual of Construction, evaluation and rehabilitation resistant earthquake of rubblework houses” created by the Colombian Association of Seismic Engineering,. We will also use this Manual to define the types of unions more favorable from seismic point of view, designing the required auxiliary segments according to the type of union.

Modular extensions for modular (Logic) languages

We address the problem of developing mechanisms for easily implementing modular extensions to modular (logic) languages. By(language) extensions we refer to different groups of syntactic definitions and translation rules that extend a language. Our use of the concept of modularity in this context is twofold. We would like these extensions to be modular, in the sense above, i.e., we should be able to develop different extensions mostly separately. At the same time, the sources and targets for the extensions are modular languages, i.e., such extensions may take as input sepárate pieces of code and also produce sepárate pieces of code. Dealing with this double requirement involves interesting challenges to ensure that modularity is not broken: first, combinations of extensions (as if they were a single extensión) must be given a precise meaning. Also, the sepárate translation of múltiple sources (as if they were a single source) must be feasible. We present a detailed description of a code expansion-based framework that proposes novel solutions for these problems. We argüe that the approach, while implemented for Ciao, can be adapted for other Prolog-based systems and languages.

Context-sensitive multivariant assertion checking in modular programs

We propose a modular, assertion-based system for verification and debugging of large logic programs, together with several interesting models for checking assertions statically in modular programs, each with different characteristics and representing different trade-offs. Our proposal is a modular and multivariant extensión of our previously proposed abstract assertion checking model and we also report on its implementation in the CiaoPP system. In our approach, the specification of the program, given by a set of assertions, may be partial, instead of the complete specification required by raditional verification systems. Also, the system can deal with properties which cannot always be determined at compile-time. As a result, the proposed system needs to work with safe approximations: all assertions proved correct are guaranteed to be valid and all errors actual errors. The use of modular, context-sensitive static analyzers also allows us to introduce a new distinction between assertions checked in a particular context or checked in general.