Migration to an a on-line laboatory in mechanical engineering. The case of a cam-follower design practice.

The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) has leaded to a change in the way the subjects are taught. One of the more important aspects of the EHEA is to support the autonomous study of the students. Taking into account this new approach, the virtual laboratory of the subject Mechanisms of the Aeronautical studies at the Technical University of Madrid is being migrated to an on-line scheme. This virtual laboratory consist on two practices: the design of cam-follower mechanisms and the design of trains of gears. Both practices are software applications that, in the current situation, need to be installed on each computer and the students carry out the practice at the computer classroom of the school under the supervision of a teacher. During this year the design of cam-follower mechanisms practice has been moved to a web application using Java and the Google Development Toolkit. In this practice the students has to design and study the running of a cam to perform a specific displacement diagram with a selected follower taking into account that the mechanism must be able to work properly at high speed regime. The practice has maintained its objectives in the new platform but to take advantage of the new methodology and try to avoid the inconveniences that the previous version had shown. Once the new practice has been ready, a pilot study has been carried out to compare both approaches: on-line and in-lab. This paper shows the adaptation of the cam and follower practice to an on-line methodology. Both practices are described and the changes that has been done to the initial one are shown. They are compared and the weak and strong points of each one are analyzed. Finally we explain the pilot study carried out, the students impression and the results obtained.

Scalable software architecture for on-line multi-camera video processing

In this paper we present a scalable software architecture for on-line multi-camera video processing, that guarantees a good trade off between computational power, scalability and flexibility. The software system is modular and its main blocks are the Processing Units (PUs), and the Central Unit. The Central Unit works as a supervisor of the running PUs and each PU manages the acquisition phase and the processing phase. Furthermore, an approach to easily parallelize the desired processing application has been presented. In this paper, as case study, we apply the proposed software architecture to a multi-camera system in order to efficiently manage multiple 2D object detection modules in a real-time scenario. System performance has been evaluated under different load conditions such as number of cameras and image sizes. The results show that the software architecture scales well with the number of camera and can easily works with different image formats respecting the real time constraints. Moreover, the parallelization approach can be used in order to speed up the processing tasks with a low level of overhead

Migration to an a on.line laboratory in mechanical engineering. The case of a cam follower design practice.

The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) has leaded to a change in the way the subjects are taught. One of the more important aspects of the EHEA is to support the autonomous study of the students. Taking into account this new approach, the virtual laboratory of the subject Mechanisms of the Aeronautical studies at the Technical University of Madrid is being migrated to an on-line scheme. This virtual laboratory consist on two practices: the design of cam-follower mechanisms and the design of trains of gears. Both practices are software applications that, in the current situation, need to be installed on each computer and the students carry out the practice at the computer classroom of the school under the supervision of a teacher. During this year the design of cam-follower mechanisms practice has been moved to a web application using Java and the Google Development Toolkit. In this practice the students has to design and study the running of a cam to perform a specific displacement diagram with a selected follower taking into account that the mechanism must be able to work properly at high speed regime. The practice has maintained its objectives in the new platform but to take advantage of the new methodology and try to avoid the inconveniences that the previous version had shown. Once the new practice has been ready, a pilot study has been carried out to compare both approaches: on-line and in-lab. This paper shows the adaptation of the cam and follower practice to an on-line methodology. Both practices are described and the changes that has been done to the initial one are shown. They are compared and the weak and strong points of each one are analyzed. Finally we explain the pilot study carried out, the students impression and the results obtained.

Las presentaciones de trabajo en lengua inglesa: una propuesta de curso on-line.

Desde la explosión de crecimiento de internet que comenzó en los años 90, se han ido creando y poniendo a disposición de los usuarios diversas herramientas para compartir información y servicios de diversas formas, desde el nacimiento del primer navegador hasta nuestros días, donde hay infinidad de lenguajes aplicables al ámbito web. En esta fase de crecimiento, en primer lugar, de cara a usuarios individuales, saldrían herramientas que permitirían a cada cual hacer su web personal, con sus contenidos expuestos. Más adelante se fue generando el fenómeno “comunidad”, con, por ejemplo, foros, o webs en las que había múltiples usuarios que disfrutaban de contenidos o servicios que la web ofreciese. Este crecimiento del mundo web en lo comunitario ha avanzado en muchas ramas,entre ellas, por supuesto, la educacional, surgiendo plataformas como la que es base del proyecto que a continuación se presenta, y herramienta básica y prácticamente ya imprescindible en la enseñanza universitaria: Moodle. Moodle es una herramienta diseñada para compatir recursos y diseñar actividades para el usuario potencial, complementando su aprendizaje en aula, o incluso siendo una vía autónoma de aprendizaje en sí misma. Se ha realizado un estudio sobre el estado de saludo de los contenidos que se exponen en Moodle, y se ha encontrado que una gran mayoría de los cursos que se pueden visitar tienen un gran número de carencias. Por un lado, hay pocos con material original explotado exclusivamente para el curso, y, si tienen material original, no se ha observado una especial atención por la maquetación. Por otro lado, hay muchos otros sin material original, y, en ambos casos, no se ha encontrado ningún curso que ofrezca material audiovisual exclusivo para el curso, presentando algunos en su lugar material audiovisual encontrado en la red (Youtube, etc). A la vista de estos hechos, se ha realizado un proyecto que intenta aportar soluciones ante estas carencias, y se presenta un curso procedente de diversas referencias bibliográficas, para la parte textual, y material audiovisual original e inédito que también se ha explotado específicamente para este curso. Este material ha sido por un lado vídeo, que se ha visionado, editado y subtitulado con software de libre distribución, y por otro lado, audio, que complementa un completo glosario que se ha añadido como extra al curso y cuyo planteamiento no se ha encontrado en ningún curso online de los revisados. Todo esto se ha envuelto en una maquetación cuidada que ha sido fruto del estudio de los lenguajes web html y CSS, de forma que, por un lado, el curso sea un lugar agradable en el que aprender dentro de internet, y por otro, se pudiesen realizar ciertas operaciones que sin estos conocimientos habrían sido imposibles, como la realización del glosario o la incrustación de imágenes y vídeos. A su vez, se ha tratado de dar un enfoque didáctico a toda la memoria del proyecto, de forma que pueda ser de utilidad a un usuario futuro que quisiese profundizar en los usos de Moodle, introducirse en el lenguaje web, o introducirse en el mundo de la edición de vídeo. ABSTRACT: Since the explosion of Internet growth beginning in the 90s, many tools have been created and made available for users to share information and services in various ways, from the birth of the first browser until today, where there are plenty of web programming languages. This growth stage would give individual users tools that would allow everyone to make an own personal website, with their contents exposed. Later, the "community" phenomenon appeared with, for example, forums, or websites where multiple users enjoyed the content or web services that those websites offered. Also, this growth in the web community world has progressed in many fields, including education, with the emerge of platforms such as the one that this project uses as its basis, and which is the basic and imperative tool in college education: Moodle. Moodle is a tool designed to share resources and design activities for the potential user, completing class learning, or even letting this user learn in an autonomous way. In this project a study on the current situation of the content present in Moodle courses around the net has been carried out, and it has been found that most of them lack of original material exploited exclusively for the courses, and if they have original material, there has been not observed concern on the layout where that material lies. On the other hand, there are many other with non original material, and in both cases, there has not been found any course that offers audio- visual material made specifically for the course, instead of presenting some audiovisual material found on the net (Youtube, etc). In view of these facts, the project presented here seeks to provide solutions to these shortcomings, presenting a course with original material exploited from various references, and unpublished audioevisual material which also has been exploited specifically for this course. This material is, on one hand, video, which has been viewed, edited and subtitled with free software, and on the other, audio, which complements a comprehensive glossary that has been added as an extra feature to the course and whose approach was not found in any of the online courses reviewed. All of this has been packaged in a neat layout that has been the result of the study of web languages HTML and CSS, so that first, the course was a pleasant place to learn on the internet, and second, certain operations could be performed which without this knowledge would have been impossible, as the glossary design or embedding images and videos. Furthermore, a didactic approach has been adopted to the entire project memory, so it can be useful to a future user who wanted to go deeper on the uses of Moodle, containing an intro into the web language, or in the world video editing.

Una evaluación on-line a la demanda para el autoaprendizaje

En la Escuela de Minas de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) se ha llevado a cabo el proceso de adaptación a los principios de Bolonia. Esto ha implicado cambios en la metodología de la enseñanza. En este artículo se describe una nueva metodología aplicada a un curso introductorio de Mecánica ubicado en el primer semestre del grado de dos diferentes títulos de ingeniería. Los diferentes resultados se presentan mediante un índice que permite evaluar el resultado global del proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje alcanzado con esta metodología.

Punto de Inicio: una ayuda on line a los estudiantes con carencias científicas en el acceso a la universidad

La diversidad de centros de enseñanzas previas a la universidad y el margen de desarrollo y contenido de las mismas que contempla su regulación, hace que la preparación de los estudiantes tenga distintos niveles en sus contenidos. El espacio Web "Punto de Inicio" es un espacio orientado a proporcionar a los estudiantes de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) un apoyo para superar sus carencias en las asignaturas de: Matemáticas, Física, Dibujo y Química. Cada materia está organizada en un Aula soportada en la Plataforma Moodle. Cada una de las cuatro Aulas tiene su singularidad pero, con criterio general, todas tienen la siguiente estructura: 1) Contenidos de autoestudio organizados en las cinco o seis áreas temáticas más relevantes de cada materia. 2) Tests de autoevaluación asociados a cada área temática y con realimentación a las respuestas. 3) Material complementario: Prácticas, ejercicios no formales, enlaces web,... 4) Prueba diagnóstico de conocimientos. Los autores de los materiales son profesores de la UPM, pertenecientes a los Departamentos relacionados con la docencia de estas materias y los contenidos han sido desarrollados por equipos interdisciplinares de profesores de la UPM, especialistas en dichas materias, en colaboración con profesores de enseñanzas previas a la universidad. Una de las principales preocupaciones ha sido el asegurar que los niveles expuestos en las cuatro Aulas mencionadas se correspondieran con los definidos oficialmente para las materias previas a la Universidad, evitando incorporar nuevos contenidos y garantizando que, efectivamente, se atienden las posibles deficiencias de conocimientos en las asignaturas básicas requeridos para la integración, con éxito, en la misma. La primera versión de Punto de Inicio se publicó en el curso 2005-2006 y desde entonces ha venido mejorándose año a año hasta la versión actual que se publicó en Julio del 2012. Una expresión del interés de esta plataforma es su utilización por los alumnos, habiendo tenido, en los siete años de su existencia, un número medio de accesos por curso académico de 26.100, un número medio de registros por curso académico de 124.000 y un número medio de cuestionarios de autoevaluación realizados por curso académico de 4.250. Punto de Inicio es un espacio Web de acceso limitado a los miembros de la UPM. Hay una versión en abierto para el exterior, de contenido y estructura similar, cuya referencia es: http://ocw.upm.es/apoyo-para-la-preparacion-de-los-estudios-de-ingenieria-y-arquitectura

Una evaluación on-line a la demanda para el autoaprendizaje

En la Escuela de Minas de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) se ha llevado a cabo el proceso de adaptación a los principios de Bolonia. Esto ha implicado cambios en la metodología de la enseñanza. En este artículo se describe una nueva metodología aplicada a un curso introductorio de Mecánica ubicado en el primer semestre del grado de dos diferentes títulos de ingeniería. Los diferentes resultados se presentan mediante un índice que permite evaluar el resultado global del proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje alcanzado con esta metodología.

Using a causal smoothing to improve the performance of an on-line neural network glucose prediction algorithm

This work evaluates a spline-based smoothing method applied to the output of a glucose predictor. Methods:Our on-line prediction algorithm is based on a neural network model (NNM). We trained/validated the NNM with a prediction horizon of 30 minutes using 39/54 profiles of patients monitored with the Guardian® Real-Time continuous glucose monitoring system The NNM output is smoothed by fitting a causal cubic spline. The assessment parameters are the error (RMSE), mean delay (MD) and the high-frequency noise (HFCrms). The HFCrms is the root-mean-square values of the high-frequency components isolated with a zero-delay non-causal filter. HFCrms is 2.90±1.37 (mg/dl) for the original profiles.

Traditional education vs modern education. What is the impact of teaching techniques' evolution on students learning process?

The main objective of this article is to focus on the analysis of teaching techniques, ranging from the use of the blackboard and chalk in old traditional classes, using slides and overhead projectors in the eighties and use of presentation software in the nineties, to the video, electronic board and network resources nowadays. Furthermore, all the aforementioned, is viewed under the different mentalities in which the teacher conditions the student using the new teaching technique, improving soft skills but maybe leading either to encouragement or disinterest, and including the lack of educational knowledge consolidation at scientific, technology and specific levels. In the same way, we study the process of adaptation required for teachers, the differences in the processes of information transfer and education towards the student, and even the existence of teachers who are not any longer appealed by their work due which has become much simpler due to new technologies and the greater ease in the development of classes due to the criteria described on the new Grade Programs adopted by the European Higher Education Area. Moreover, it is also intended to understand the evolution of students’ profiles, from the eighties to present time, in order to understand certain attitudes, behaviours, accomplishments and acknowledgements acquired over the semesters within the degree Programs. As an Educational Innovation Group, another key question also arises. What will be the learning techniques in the future?. How these evolving matters will affect both positively and negatively on the mentality, attitude, behaviour, learning, achievement of goals and satisfaction levels of all elements involved in universities’ education? Clearly, this evolution from chalk to the electronic board, the three-dimensional view of our works and their sequence, greatly facilitates the understanding and adaptation later on to the business world, but does not answer to the unknowns regarding the knowledge and the full development of achievement’s indicators in basic skills of a degree. This is the underlying question which steers the roots of the presented research.

On-line measurement of soil properties without direct spectral response in near infrared spectral range

So far, the majority of reports on on-line measurement considered soil properties with direct spectral responses in near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). This work reports on the results of on-line measurement of soil properties with indirect spectral responses, e.g. pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), exchangeable calcium (Caex) and exchangeable magnesium (Mgex) in one field in Bedfordshire in the UK. The on-line sensor consisted of a subsoiler coupled with an AgroSpec mobile, fibre type, visible and near infrared (vis–NIR) spectrophotometer (tec5 Technology for Spectroscopy, Germany), with a measurement range 305–2200 nm to acquire soil spectra in diffuse reflectance mode. General calibration models for the studied soil properties were developed with a partial least squares regression (PLSR) with one-leave-out cross validation, using spectra measured under non-mobile laboratory conditions of 160 soil samples collected from different fields in four farms in Europe, namely, Czech Republic, Denmark, Netherland and UK. A group of 25 samples independent from the calibration set was used as independent validation set. Higher accuracy was obtained for laboratory scanning as compared to on-line scanning of the 25 independent samples. The prediction accuracy for the laboratory and on-line measurements was classified as excellent/very good for pH (RPD = 2.69 and 2.14 and r2 = 0.86 and 0.78, respectively), and moderately good for CEC (RPD = 1.77 and 1.61 and r2 = 0.68 and 0.62, respectively) and Mgex (RPD = 1.72 and 1.49 and r2 = 0.66 and 0.67, respectively). For Caex, very good accuracy was calculated for laboratory method (RPD = 2.19 and r2 = 0.86), as compared to the poor accuracy reported for the on-line method (RPD = 1.30 and r2 = 0.61). The ability of collecting large number of data points per field area (about 12,800 point per 21 ha) and the simultaneous analysis of several soil properties without direct spectral response in the NIR range at relatively high operational speed and appreciable accuracy, encourage the recommendation of the on-line measurement system for site specific fertilisation.

Una asignatura on-line de Historia de los Algoritmos

This paper describes the objectives, contents learning methodology and results of an on-line course about History of Algorithms for engineering students of the Polytechnic University of Madrid. This course is conducted in a virtual environment based on Moodle, with an educational model centered at student which includes a detailed planning of learning activities. . Our experience indicates that this subject is is highly motivating for students and the virtual environment facilitates competencies development.

On the use of trenches and walls on the control of ground transmitted railway vibrations

An actual case of an underground railway in the neighbourhood of habitation buildings has been analyzed. The study has been based on a twodimensional BEM model including a tunnel and a typical building. The soil properties were obtained using geophysical techniques. After a sensitivity study, the model has been simplyfied and validated by comparison with "in situ" measurements. Using this simplyfied model, a parametric study has been done including trenches and walls of different materials and different depths at two different distances from the tunnel. The reductions obtained with the different solutions can then be compared.

On-line MRI sequences for the evaluation of apple internal quality.

On-line dynamic MRI, which is oriented to industrial grading lines, requires high-speed sequences with motion correction artefacts. In this study two different types of motion correction sequences have been used and have been implemented in real-time (FLASH and UFLARE). They are based on T2* and T2 respectively and their selection depends on the expected contrast effect of the disorder: while watercore enhances bright areas due to higher fluid mobility, internal breakdown potentiates low signal due to texture degradation. For watercore study, five different apple cultivars were used (Normanda-18-, Fuji-35-, Helada-36-, Verde Doncella-54-, Esperiega-75-) along two seasons (2011 and 2012). In total 218 fruits were measured under both, static conditions (20 slices per fruit) and under dynamic conditions (3 repetitions without slice selection). For internal breakdown, Braeburn cultivar has been studied (in total 106 fruits) under both static (20 slices per fruit) and dynamic conditions (3 replicates with slice selection). Metrological aspects such as repeatability of dynamic images and subsequent histogram feature stability become of major interest for further industrial application. Segregation ability among varying degrees of disorder is also analyzed.

Model Based On-Line Energy Prediction System for Semi-Autonomous Mobile Robots

Maximizing energy autonomy is a consistent challenge when deploying mobile robots in ionizing radiation or other hazardous environments. Having a reliable robot system is essential for successful execution of missions and to avoid manual recovery of the robots in environments that are harmful to human beings. For deployment of robots missions at short notice, the ability to know beforehand the energy required for performing the task is essential. This paper presents a on-line method for predicting energy requirements based on the pre-determined power models for a mobile robot. A small mobile robot, Khepera III is used for the experimental study and the results are promising with high prediction accuracy. The applications of the energy prediction models in energy optimization and simulations are also discussed along with examples of significant energy savings.