Uma arquitetura distribuída de hardware e software para controle de um robô móvel autônomo

In this work, we present a hardware-software architecture for controlling the autonomous mobile robot Kapeck. The hardware of the robot is composed of a set of sensors and actuators organized in a CAN bus. Two embedded computers and eigth microcontroller based boards are used in the system. One of the computers hosts the vision system, due to the significant processing needs of this kind of system. The other computer is used to coordinate and access the CAN bus and to accomplish the other activities of the robot. The microcontroller-based boards are used with the sensors and actuators. The robot has this distributed configuration in order to exhibit a good real-time behavior, where the response time and the temporal predictability of the system is important. We adopted the hybrid deliberative-reactive paradigm in the proposed architecture to conciliate the reactive behavior of the sensors-actuators net and the deliberative activities required to accomplish more complex tasks

Interpercepção: uma arquitetura de software para compartilhamento de ambientes virtuais com interfaces gráficas distintas

In this work, we propose the Interperception paradigm, a new approach that includes a set of rules and a software architecture for merge users from different interfaces in the same virtual environment. The system detects the user resources and provide transformations on the data in order to allow its visualization in 3D, 2D and textual (1D) interfaces. This allows any user to connect, access information, and exchange information with other users in a feasible way, without needs of changing hardware or software. As results are presented two virtual environments builded acording this paradigm

Arquitetura para aplicações interativas imersivas de televisão digital

In this work, we propose a new approach to Interactive Digital Television (IDTV), aimed to explore the concepts of immersivity. Several architectures have been proposed to IDTV, but they did not explore coherently questions related to immersion. The goal of this thesis consists in defining formally what is immersion and interactivity for digital TV and how they may be used to improve user experience in this new televisive model. The approach raises questions such as the appropriate choice of equipment to assist in the sense of immersion, which forms of interaction between users can be exploited in the interaction-immersion context, if the environment where an immersive and interactive application is used can influence the user experience, and which new forms of interactivity between users, and interactivity among users and interactive applications can be explored with the use of immersion. As one of the goals of this proposal, we point out new solutions to these issues that require further studies. We intend to formalize the concepts that embrace interactivity in the brazilian system of digital TV. In an initial study, this definition is organized into categories or levels of interactivity. From this point are made analisis and specifications to achieve immersion using DTV. We pretend to make some case studies of immersive interactive applications for digital television in order to validate the proposed architecture. We also approach the use of remote devices anda proposal of middleware architecture that allows its use in conjunction with immersive interactive applications

Desenvolvimento de uma arquitetura em hardware prototipada em FPGA para aplicações genéricas utilizando redes neurais artificiais embarcadas

This work proposes hardware architecture, VHDL described, developed to embedded Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Multilayer Perceptron (MLP). The present work idealizes that, in this architecture, ANN applications could easily embed several different topologies of MLP network industrial field. The MLP topology in which the architecture can be configured is defined by a simple and specifically data input (instructions) that determines the layers and Perceptron quantity of the network. In order to set several MLP topologies, many components (datapath) and a controller were developed to execute these instructions. Thus, an user defines a group of previously known instructions which determine ANN characteristics. The system will guarantee the MLP execution through the neural processors (Perceptrons), the components of datapath and the controller that were developed. In other way, the biases and the weights must be static, the ANN that will be embedded must had been trained previously, in off-line way. The knowledge of system internal characteristics and the VHDL language by the user are not needed. The reconfigurable FPGA device was used to implement, simulate and test all the system, allowing application in several real daily problems

Arquitetura de controladores fuzzy em redes foundation fieldbus

Foundation Fieldbus Industrial networks are the high standard technology which allows users to create complex control logic and totally decentralized. Although being so advanced, they still have some limitations imposed by their own technology. Attempting to solve one of these limitations, this paper describes how to design a Fuzzy controller in a Foundation Fieldbus network using their basic elements of programming, the functional blocks, so that the network remains fully independent of other devices other than the same instruments that constitute it. Moreover, in this work was developed a tool that aids this process of building the Fuzzy controller, setting the internal parameters of functional blocks and informing how many and which blocks should be used for a given structure. The biggest challenge in creating this controller is exactly the choice of blocks and how to arrange them in order to effectuate the same functions of a Fuzzy controller implemented in other kind of environment. The methodology adopted was to divide each one of the phases of a traditional Fuzzy controller and then create simple structures with the functional blocks to implement them. At the end of the work, the developed controller is compared with a Fuzzy controller implemented in a mathematical program that it has a proper tool for the development and implementation of Fuzzy controllers, obtaining comparatives graphics of performance between both

SOA-DB: uma arquitetura embarcada orientada a serviço para acesso a dispositivos biomédicos

The great diversity in the architecture of biomedical devices, coupled with their different communication protocols, has hindered the implementation of systems that need to make access to these devices. Given these differences, the need arises to provide access to such a transparent manner. In this sense, this paper proposes an embedded architecture, service-oriented, for access to biomedical devices, as a way to abstract the mechanism for writing and reading data on these devices, thereby contributing to the increase in quality and productivity of biomedical systems so as to enable that, the focus of the development team of biomedical software, is almost exclusively directed to its functional requirements

Uma arquitetura para detecção online de transientes em sinais de eletrocardiograma sobre o protocolo IEEE 802.3 com PM-AH

The occurrence of transients in electrocardiogram (ECG) signals indicates an electrical phenomenon outside the heart. Thus, the identification of transients has been the most-used methodology in medical analysis since the invention of the electrocardiograph (device responsible for benchmarking of electrocardiogram signals). There are few papers related to this subject, which compels the creation of an architecture to do the pre-processing of this signal in order to identify transients. This paper proposes a method based on the signal energy of the Hilbert transform of electrocardiogram, being an alternative to methods based on morphology of the signal. This information will determine the creation of frames of the MP-HA protocol responsible for transmitting the ECG signals through an IEEE 802.3 network to a computing device. That, in turn, may perform a process to automatically sort the signal, or to present it to a doctor so that he can do the sorting manually

Trendtv : uma arquitetura para mudança automática de canais de TV baseada em redes sociais virtuais com graus de amizade e suporte a múltiplos dispositivos no cenário da TV digital brasileira

Due to the large amount of television content, which emerged from the Digital TV, viewers are facing a new challenge, how to find interesting content intuitively and efficiently. The Personalized Electronic Programming Guides (pEPG) arise as an answer to this complex challenge. We propose TrendTV a layered architecture that allows the formation of social networks among viewers of Interactive Digital TV based on online microblogging. Associated with a pEPG, this social network allows the viewer to perform content filtering on a particular subject from the indications made by other viewers of his network. Allowing the viewer to create his own indications for a particular content when it is displayed, or to analyze the importance of a particular program online, based on these indications. This allows any user to perform filtering on content and generate or exchange information with other users in a flexible and transparent way, using several different devices (TVs, Smartphones, Tablets or PCs). Moreover, this architecture defines a mechanism to perform the automatic exchange of channels based on the best program that is showing at the moment, suggesting new components to be added to the middleware of the Brazilian Digital TV System (Ginga). The result is a constructed and dynamic database containing the classification of several TV programs as well as an application to automatically switch to the best channel of the moment

Algoritmos genéricos para otimização de uma arquitetura de controle inteligente híerárquico

A hierarchical fuzzy control scheme is applied to improve vibration suppression by using an electro-mechanical system based on the lever principle. The hierarchical intelligent controller consists of a hierarchical fuzzy supervisor, one fuzzy controller and one robust controller. The supervisor combines controllers output signal to generate the control signal that will be applied on the plant. The objective is to improve the performance of the electromechanical system, considering that the supervisor could take advantage of the different techniques based controllers. The robust controller design is based on a linear mathematical model. Genetic algorithms are used on the fuzzy controller and the supervisor tuning, which are based on non-linear mathematical model. In order to attest the efficiency of the hierarchical fuzzy control scheme, digital simulations were employed. Some comparisons involving the optimized hierarchical controller and the non-optimized hierarchical controller will be made to prove the efficiency of the genetic algorithms and the advantages of its use

Uma arquitetura para sistemas supervisórios industriais e sua aplicação em processos de elevação artificial de petróleo

The using of supervision systems has become more and more essential in accessing, managing and obtaining data of industrial processes, because of constant and frequent developments in industrial automation. These supervisory systems (SCADA) have been widely used in many industrial environments to store process data and to control the processes in accordance with some adopted strategy. The SCADA s control hardware is the set of equipments that execute this work. The SCADA s supervision software accesses process data through the control hardware and shows them to the users. Currently, many industrial systems adopt supervision softwares developed by the same manufacturer of the control hardware. Usually, these softwares cannot be used with other equipments made by distinct manufacturers. This work proposes an approach for developing supervisory systems able to access process information through different control hardwares. An architecture for supervisory systems is first defined, in order to guarantee efficiency in communication and data exchange. Then, the architecture is applied in a supervisory system to monitor oil wells that use distinct control hardwares. The implementation was modeled and verified by using the formal method of the Petri networks. Finally, experimental results are presented to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed solution

Uma arquitetura baseada em SCTP e SIP para suporte a aplicações VoIP móveis e a especificação formal do seu módulo de controle

New versions of SCTP protocol allow the implementation of handover procedures in the transport layer, as well as the supply of a partially reliable communication service. A communication architecture is proposed herein, integrating SCTP with the session initiation protocol, SIP, besides additional protocols. This architecture is intended to handle voice applications over IP networks with mobility requirements. User localization procedures are specified in the application layer as well, using SIP, as an alternative mean to the mechanisms used by traditional protocols, that support mobility in the network layer. The SDL formal specification language is used to specify the operation of a control module, which coordinates the operation of the system component protocols. This formal specification is intended to prevent ambiguities and inconsistencies in the definition of this module, assisting in the correct implementation of the elements of this architecture

Implementação paralela escalável e eficiente do algoritmo simplex padrão em arquitetura multicore

This work presents a scalable and efficient parallel implementation of the Standard Simplex algorithm in the multicore architecture to solve large scale linear programming problems. We present a general scheme explaining how each step of the standard Simplex algorithm was parallelized, indicating some important points of the parallel implementation. Performance analysis were conducted by comparing the sequential time using the Simplex tableau and the Simplex of the CPLEXR IBM. The experiments were executed on a shared memory machine with 24 cores. The scalability analysis was performed with problems of different dimensions, finding evidence that our parallel standard Simplex algorithm has a better parallel efficiency for problems with more variables than constraints. In comparison with CPLEXR , the proposed parallel algorithm achieved a efficiency of up to 16 times better

Arquitetura de Software para Barcos Robóticos

We propose in this work a software architecture for robotic boats intended to act in diverse aquatic environments, fully autonomously, performing telemetry to a base station and getting this mission to be accomplished. This proposal aims to apply within the project N-Boat Lab NatalNet DCA, which aims to empower a sailboat navigating autonomously. The constituent components of this architecture are the memory modules, strategy, communication, sensing, actuation, energy, security and surveillance, making these systems the boat and base station. To validate the simulator was developed in C language and implemented using the graphics API OpenGL resources, whose main results were obtained in the implementation of memory, performance and strategy modules, more specifically data sharing, control of sails and rudder and planning short routes based on an algorithm for navigation, respectively. The experimental results, shown in this study indicate the feasibility of the actual use of the software architecture developed and their application in the area of autonomous mobile robotics

Avaliação por ressonância magnética funcional e estimulação magnética transcraniana da intervenção única da terapia espelho em pacientes após acidente vascular cerebral isquêmico

Mirror therapy (MT) is being used as a rehabilitation tool in various diseases, including stroke. Although some studies have shown its effectiveness, little is known about neural mechanisms that underlie the rehabilitation process. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing cortical neuromodulation after a single MT intervention in ischemic stroke survivors, by means of by functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). Fifteen patients participated in a single thirty minutes MT session. fMRI data was analyzed bilaterally in the following Regions of Interest (ROI): Supplementary Motor Area (SMA), Premotor cortex (PMC), Primary Motor cortex (M1), Primary Sensory cortex (S1) and Cerebellum. In each ROI, changes in the percentage of occupation and beta values were computed. Group fMRI data showed a significant decreased in the percentage of occupation in PMC and cerebellum, contralateral to the affected hand (p <0.05). Significant increase in beta values was observed in the following contralateral motor areas: SMA, Cerebellum, PMC and M1 (p<0,005). Moreover, a significant decrease was observed in the following ipsilateral motor areas: PMC and M1 (p <0,001). In S1 a bilateral significant decrease (p<0.0005) was observed.TMS consisted of the analysis of Motor Evoked Potential (MEP) of M1 hotspot. A significant increase in the amplitude of the MEP was observed after therapy in the group (p<0,0001) and individually in 4 patients (p <0.05). Altogether, our results imply that single MT intervention is already capable of promoting changes in neurobiological markers toward patterns observed in healthy subjects. Furthermore, the contralateral hemisphere motor areas changes are opposite to the ones in the ipsilateral side, suggesting an increase system homeostasis.

Efeito in vitro da terapia fotodinâmica sobre bactérias orais em suspensão e na formação de biofilme : ensaio com azul de metileno e toluidina ativados por luz halógena

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been proposed as an alternative method for the treatment of biofilm-dependent oral diseases like dental caries. This therapy consists of simultaneous action of a visible light (L) and a photosensitizer (FS) in the presence of oxygen, which leads to production of different reactive oxygen species that can interact with the bacterial cell components, and promote cell death. This study aims to evaluate the antimicrobial action of PDT on oral bacteria in suspension, as well as the formation of mono and multi-species biofilms, in vitro, from a standard strain of Streptococcus mutans (ATCC 25175) and saliva samples, respectively. The dye methylene blue (MB) and toluidine blue (TB) were used at a concentration of 100 mg/ L and activated by halogen light (600 to 750 nm) from a modified hand held photopolymerizer (Ultralux ®, Dabi Atlante, Ribeirão Preto , São Paulo, Brazil.). Planktonic cultures were prepared and submitted to different experimental conditions: 1. PDT using TB 2. PDT using MB, 3. L+ FS- , 4. TB + L - ; 5. MB+ L-; 6. L- FS- (negative control) and 7. administration of 0.12% chlorhexidine digluconate (positive control) (Periogard ®, Colgate-Palmolive Company, New York, USA). The immediate and mediated action of PDT on bacterial suspensions, as well as its effect on biofilm formation were observed from the number of colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL) and measures optical density (OD). The data were statistically analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney test for the significance level of 5%. According to the results, the PDT showed no antibacterial action on suspensions of S. mutans, regardless of the dye used. PDT with MB activated by halogen light was able to reduce 86.6% CFU/mL multi-species planktonic cultures, however, this reduction was not significant (p > 0.05). PDT showed antibacterial effect, mediate on multi-species planktonic cultures with TB (p < 0.001) and MB (p < 0.001), activated by halogen light. PDT was able to prevent the formation of multispecies biofilm, through the activation of TB by halogen light (p = 0.01). We conclude that activation of the dye toluidine blue and methylene blue, by halogen light (PDT) showed antimicrobial activity, compared to multi-species planktonic cultures prepared from saliva samples