DSAAR: distributed software architecture for autonomous robots

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Electrotécnica

Multifunctional controller architecture for sold-state marx modulator based on FPGA

This paper proposes a multifunctional architecture to implement field-programmable gate array (FPGA) controllers for power converters and presents a prototype for a pulsed power generator based on a solid-state Marx topology. The massively parallel nature of reconfigurable hardware platforms provides very high processing power and fast response times allowing the implementation of many subsystems in the same device. The prototype includes the controller, a failure detection system, an interface with a safety/emergency subsystem, a graphical user interface, and a virtual oscilloscope to visualize the generated pulse waveforms, using a single FPGA. The proposed architecture employs a modular design that can be easily adapted to other power converter topologies.

Validity and reliability of a health care service evaluation instrument for tuberculosis

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the validity and reliability of an instrument that evaluates the structure of primary health care units for the treatment of tuberculosis.METHODS This cross-sectional study used simple random sampling and evaluated 1,037 health care professionals from five Brazilian municipalities (Natal, state of Rio Grande do Norte; Cabedelo, state of Paraíba; Foz do Iguaçu, state of Parana; Sao José do Rio Preto, state of Sao Paulo, and Uberaba, state of Minas Gerais) in 2011. Structural indicators were identified and validated, considering different methods of organization of the health care system in the municipalities of different population sizes. Each structure represented the organization of health care services and contained the resources available for the execution of health care services: physical resources (equipment, consumables, and facilities); human resources (number and qualification); and resources for maintenance of the existing infrastructure and technology (deemed as the organization of health care services). The statistical analyses used in the validation process included reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis.RESULTS The validation process indicated the retention of five factors, with 85.9% of the total variance explained, internal consistency between 0.6460 and 0.7802, and quality of fit of the confirmatory factor analysis of 0.995 using the goodness-of-fit index. The retained factors comprised five structural indicators: professionals involved in the care of tuberculosis patients, training, access to recording instruments, availability of supplies, and coordination of health care services with other levels of care. Availability of supplies had the best performance and the lowest coefficient of variation among the services evaluated. The indicators of assessment of human resources and coordination with other levels of care had satisfactory performance, but the latter showed the highest coefficient of variation. The performance of the indicators “training” and “access to recording instruments” was inferior to that of other indicators.CONCLUSIONS The instrument showed feasibility of application and potential to assess the structure of primary health care units for the treatment of tuberculosis.

Viewpoints and goals: towards an integrated approach

Dissertação de Mestrado em Engenharia Informática

Information technology service management: an experimental approach towards IT service prediction

Dissertation presented to obtain a Masters degree in Computer Science

Remote experimentation network - yielding an inter-university peer-to-peer e-service

The goal of this paper is to discuss the benefits and challenges of yielding an inter-continental network of remote laboratories supported and used by both European and Latin American Institutions of Higher Education. Since remote experimentation, understood as the ability to carry out real-world experiments through a simple Web browser, is already a proven solution for the educational community as a supplement to on-site practical lab work (and in some cases, namely for distance learning courses, a replacement to that work), the purpose is not to discuss its technical, pedagogical, or economical strengths, but rather to raise and try to answer some questions about the underlying benefits and challenges of establishing a peer-to-peer network of remote labs. Ultimately, we regard such a network as a constructive mechanism to help students gain the working and social skills often valued by multinational/global companies, while also providing awareness of local cultural aspects.

A type system for access control in an object-oriented language

Trabalho apresentado no âmbito do Mestrado em Engenharia Informática, como requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Informática

A Web-Based geographical information system prototype on Portuguese traditional food products

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies

Bio-inspired anatomy for autonomous DPWS-compliant automation components

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Engenharia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores

Characterization and performance analysis of a VDFLL GNSS receiver architecture

A non-coherent vector delay/frequency-locked loop architecture for GNSS receivers is proposed. Two dynamics models are considered: PV (position and velocity) and PVA (position, velocity, and acceleration). In contrast with other vector architectures, the proposed approach does not require the estimation of signals amplitudes. Only coarse estimates of the carrier-to-noise ratios are necessary.

Board-level prototype validation: a built-in controller and extended BST architecture

Prototype validation is a major concern in modern electronic product design and development. Simulation, structural test, functional and timing debug are all forming parts of the validation process, although very often addressed as dissociated tasks. In this paper we describe an integrated approach to board-level prototype validation, based on a set of mandatory/optional BST instructions and a built-in controller for debug and test, that addresses the late mentioned tasks as inherent parts of a whole process

Physical layer aware network architecture for the future internet

In this article, physical layer awareness in access, core, and metro networks is addressed, and a Physical Layer Aware Network Architecture Framework for the Future Internet is presented and discussed, as proposed within the framework of the European ICT Project 4WARD. Current limitations and shortcomings of the Internet architecture are driving research trends at a global scale toward a novel, secure, and flexible architecture. This Future Internet architecture must allow for the co-existence and cooperation of multiple networks on common platforms, through the virtualization of network resources. Possible solutions embrace a full range of technologies, from fiber backbones to wireless access networks. The virtualization of physical networking resources will enhance the possibility of handling different profiles, while providing the impression of mutual isolation. This abstraction strategy implies the use of well elaborated mechanisms in order to deal with channel impairments and requirements, in both wireless (access) and optical (core) environments.

Land use / land cover change detection: an object oriented approach, Münster, Germany

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies

Serviço de visualização de informação geográfica na WEB - A publicação do atlas de Portugal utilizando a especificação WEB MAP SERVICE

Dissertação apresentada como requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ciência e Sistemas de Informação Geográfica

Plataforma de negociação de componentes multimédia

O objectivo da tese é demonstrar a adequação do paradigma dos mercados electrónicos baseados em agentes para transaccionar objectos multimédia em função do perfil dos espectadores. Esta dissertação descreve o projecto realizado no âmbito da plataforma de personalização de conteúdos em construção. O domínio de aplicação adoptado foi a personalização dos intervalos publicitários difundidos pelos distribuidores de conteúdos multimédia, i.e., pretende-se gerar em tempo útil o alinhamento de anúncios publicitários que melhor se adeqúe ao perfil de um espectador ou de um grupo de espectadores. O projecto focou-se no estudo e selecção das tecnologias de suporte, na concepção da arquitectura e no desenvolvimento de um protótipo que permitisse realizar diversas experiências nomeadamente com diferentes estratégias e tipos de mercado. A arquitectura proposta para a plataforma consiste num sistema multiagente organizado em três camadas que disponibiliza interfaces do tipo serviço Web com o exterior. A camada de topo é constituída por agentes de interface com o exterior. Na camada intermédia encontram-se os agentes autónomos que modelam as entidades produtoras e consumidoras de componentes multimédia assim como a entidade reguladora do mercado. Estes agentes registam-se num serviço de registo próprio onde especificam os componentes multimédia que pretendem negociar. Na camada inferior realiza-se o mercado que é constituído por agentes delegados dos agentes da camada superior. O lançamento do mercado é efectuado através de uma interface e consiste na escolha do tipo de mercado e no tipo de itens a negociar. Este projecto centrou-se na realização da camada do mercado e da parte da camada intermédia de apoio às actividades de negociação no mercado. A negociação é efectuada em relação ao preço da transmissão do anúncio no intervalo em preenchimento. Foram implementados diferentes perfis de negociação com tácticas, incrementos e limites de variação de preço distintos. Em termos de protocolos de negociação, adoptou-se uma variante do Iterated Contract Net – o Fixed Iterated Contract Net. O protótipo resultante foi testado e depurado com sucesso.