TORP: The Open Robot Project A Framework for Module-Based Robots

The development of robots has shown itself as a very complex interdisciplinary research field. The predominant procedure for these developments in the last decades is based on the assumption that each robot is a fully personalized project, with the direct embedding of hardware and software technologies in robot parts with no level of abstraction. Although this methodology has brought countless benefits to the robotics research, on the other hand, it has imposed major drawbacks: (i) the difficulty to reuse hardware and software parts in new robots or new versions; (ii) the difficulty to compare performance of different robots parts; and (iii) the difficulty to adapt development needs-in hardware and software levels-to local groups expertise. Large advances might be reached, for example, if physical parts of a robot could be reused in a different robot constructed with other technologies by other researcher or group. This paper proposes a framework for robots, TORP (The Open Robot Project), that aims to put forward a standardization in all dimensions (electrical, mechanical and computational) of a robot shared development model. This architecture is based on the dissociation between the robot and its parts, and between the robot parts and their technologies. In this paper, the first specification for a TORP family and the first humanoid robot constructed following the TORP specification set are presented, as well as the advances proposed for their improvement.

IEEE 1451-based multi-interface module (I2M) for industrial processes automation

This paper describes the implementation of a multi-interface module (I2M) for automation of industrial processes, based on the IEEE1451 standard. Process automation with I2M can communicate through either wires or using wireless communication, without any hardware or software changes. We used FPGA resources to implement the I2M functions FPGA, with a NIOS II processor and ZigBee communication system (IEEE802.15), as well as RS232 serial standard. Part of the project was done in the SOPC Builder environment, which gave the designer flexibility and speed to implement the NIOS II-based microprocessor system. To test the I2M implementation, a didactic Industrial Hydraulic Module (MHI-01) was used to simulate two industrial processes to be controlled by the system proposed.

Module for the analysis of growth in international commerce (MAGIC Plus): user guide (updated)

Includes bibliography

Micro-inverter for integrated grid-tie PV module using resonant controller

Two-stage isolated converters for photovoltaic (PV) applications commonly employ a high-frequency transformer on the DC-DC side, submitting the DC-AC inverter switches to high voltages and forcing the use of IGBTs instead of low-voltage and low-loss MOSFETs. This paper shows the modeling, control and simulation of a single-phase full-bridge inverter with high-frequency transformer (HFT) that can be used as part of a two-stage converter with transformerless DC-DC side or as a single-stage converter (simple DC-AC inverter) for grid-connected PV applications. The inverter is modeled in order to obtain a small-signal transfer function used to design the PResonant current control regulator. A high-frequency step-up transformer results in reduced voltage switches and better efficiency compared with converters in which the transformer is used on the DC-DC side. Simulations and experimental results with a 200 W prototype are shown. © 2012 IEEE.

Sistema para analizar el crecimiento del comercio internacional: Module to Analyse the Growth of International Commerce (MAGIC): manual de uso

Incluye Bibliografía

Módulo para analizar el crecimiento del comercio internacional: Module to Analyse the Growth of International Commerce (MAGIC): manual de uso

Incluye Bibliografía

Module for the Analysis of Growth of International Commerce (MAGIC PLUS)

On 12 September 2006, on the occasion of the launching of the report Latin America and the Caribbean in the World Economy, 2005-2006, the Executive Secretary of ECLAC, José Luis Machinea, presented a new version of the software program Module for the Analysis of Growth of International Commerce (MAGIC).  The first version of MAGIC was created by ECLAC Subregional Headquarters in Mexico , to conduct ex post analysis of the competitiveness of countries' exports to the United States market. The new application architecture was made possible thanks to financial support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Division of Production, Productivity and Management of ECLAC headquarters in Santiago , Chile .  This issue of the FAL Bulletin reviews the progress of MAGIC in the ten years it has been functioning, and the evolution which has made it one of ECLAC's most popular, versatile, and technologically advanced applications.  

Evaluation report of the training workshop on the use of the module to analyse growth of international commerce (Magic Plus) and the competitive analysis of nations (TRADECAN 2009) software

The aim of the workshop was to provide a functional overview of the software package, to enable participants to use the software in order to inform more evidence-based trade strategies, and build capacity for researchers and trade negotiators to provide more rigorous, analytical policy research to inform future trade negotiations. Participants came from the ministries of trade of the following CDCC member countries: Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. Representatives of the following regional institutions were represented: the Caribbean Community/Caribbean Regional Negotiating Mechanism (CARICOM/CRNM); the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS); the University of Guyana, University of Suriname and the University of the West Indies (UWI). It was hoped the workshop would be a stepping stone towards more advanced trade analysis training. The list of participants appears as Annex I.

Micro-inverter for integrated grid-tie photovoltaic module using resonant controller

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

MCAO for Extremely Large Telescopes: the cases of LBT and E-ELT

Several MCAO systems are under study to improve the angular resolution of the current and of the future generation large ground-based telescopes (diameters in the 8-40 m range). The subject of this PhD Thesis is embedded in this context. Two MCAO systems, in dierent realization phases, are addressed in this Thesis: NIRVANA, the 'double' MCAO system designed for one of the interferometric instruments of LBT, is in the integration and testing phase; MAORY, the future E-ELT MCAO module, is under preliminary study. These two systems takle the sky coverage problem in two dierent ways. The layer oriented approach of NIRVANA, coupled with multi-pyramids wavefront sensors, takes advantage of the optical co-addition of the signal coming from up to 12 NGS in a annular 2' to 6' technical FoV and up to 8 in the central 2' FoV. Summing the light coming from many natural sources permits to increase the limiting magnitude of the single NGS and to improve considerably the sky coverage. One of the two Wavefront Sensors for the mid- high altitude atmosphere analysis has been integrated and tested as a stand- alone unit in the laboratory at INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna and afterwards delivered to the MPIA laboratories in Heidelberg, where was integrated and aligned to the post-focal optical relay of one LINC-NIRVANA arm. A number of tests were performed in order to characterize and optimize the system functionalities and performance. A report about this work is presented in Chapter 2. In the MAORY case, to ensure correction uniformity and sky coverage, the LGS-based approach is the current baseline. However, since the Sodium layer is approximately 10 km thick, the articial reference source looks elongated, especially when observed from the edge of a large aperture. On a 30-40 m class telescope, for instance, the maximum elongation varies between few arcsec and 10 arcsec, depending on the actual telescope diameter, on the Sodium layer properties and on the laser launcher position. The centroiding error in a Shack-Hartmann WFS increases proportionally to the elongation (in a photon noise dominated regime), strongly limiting the performance. To compensate for this effect a straightforward solution is to increase the laser power, i.e. to increase the number of detected photons per subaperture. The scope of Chapter 3 is twofold: an analysis of the performance of three dierent algorithms (Weighted Center of Gravity, Correlation and Quad-cell) for the instantaneous LGS image position measurement in presence of elongated spots and the determination of the required number of photons to achieve a certain average wavefront error over the telescope aperture. An alternative optical solution to the spot elongation problem is proposed in Section 3.4. Starting from the considerations presented in Chapter 3, a first order analysis of the LGS WFS for MAORY (number of subapertures, number of detected photons per subaperture, RON, focal plane sampling, subaperture FoV) is the subject of Chapter 4. An LGS WFS laboratory prototype was designed to reproduce the relevant aspects of an LGS SH WFS for the E-ELT and to evaluate the performance of different centroid algorithms in presence of elongated spots as investigated numerically and analytically in Chapter 3. This prototype permits to simulate realistic Sodium proles. A full testing plan for the prototype is set in Chapter 4.

Characterization of thermoelectric commercial modules using a module test system

Il presente lavoro di tesi è stato svolto presso la DTU, Technical University of Denmark, nel Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Riso Campus. Lo scopo del periodo di soggiorno estero è stato quello di caratterizzare appropriati moduli termoelettrici forniti da aziende del settore, utilizzando un opportuno apparato di caratterizzazione. Quest’ultimo è noto come “module test system” e, nello specifico, è stato fornito dalla PANCO GmbH, azienda anch’essa attiva nel campo delle tecnologie termoelettriche. Partendo da uno studio teorico dei fenomeni fisici interessati (effetto Seebeck per la produzione di potenza termoelettrica), si è cercato in seguito di analizzare le principali caratteristiche, ed elementi, del “module test system”. Successivamente a questa prima fase di analisi, sono stati condotti esperimenti che, con l’aiuto di modelli computazionali implementati attraverso il software Comsol Multiphysics, hanno permesso di studiare l’affidabilità del sistema di caratterizzazione. Infine, una volta acquisite le basi necessarie ad una corretta comprensione dei fenomeni fisici e delle caratteristiche relative alla strumentazione, sono stati analizzati moduli termoelettrici di tipo commerciale. In particolare, sono stati estrapolati dati quali correnti, tensioni, gradienti di temperatura, che hanno permesso di ricavare flussi termici, efficienze, e potenze che caratterizzano il modulo in questione durante le condizioni di funzionamento. I risultati ottenuti sono stati successivamente comparati con dati forniti dal produttore, presenti sul catalogo.

Development of a model-based transient calibration process for diesel engine electronic control module tables – Part 1: data requirements, processing, and analysis

This is the first part of a study investigating a model-based transient calibration process for diesel engines. The motivation is to populate hundreds of parameters (which can be calibrated) in a methodical and optimum manner by using model-based optimization in conjunction with the manual process so that, relative to the manual process used by itself, a significant improvement in transient emissions and fuel consumption and a sizable reduction in calibration time and test cell requirements is achieved. Empirical transient modelling and optimization has been addressed in the second part of this work, while the required data for model training and generalization are the focus of the current work. Transient and steady-state data from a turbocharged multicylinder diesel engine have been examined from a model training perspective. A single-cylinder engine with external air-handling has been used to expand the steady-state data to encompass transient parameter space. Based on comparative model performance and differences in the non-parametric space, primarily driven by a high engine difference between exhaust and intake manifold pressures (ΔP) during transients, it has been recommended that transient emission models should be trained with transient training data. It has been shown that electronic control module (ECM) estimates of transient charge flow and the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) fraction cannot be accurate at the high engine ΔP frequently encountered during transient operation, and that such estimates do not account for cylinder-to-cylinder variation. The effects of high engine ΔP must therefore be incorporated empirically by using transient data generated from a spectrum of transient calibrations. Specific recommendations on how to choose such calibrations, how many data to acquire, and how to specify transient segments for data acquisition have been made. Methods to process transient data to account for transport delays and sensor lags have been developed. The processed data have then been visualized using statistical means to understand transient emission formation. Two modes of transient opacity formation have been observed and described. The first mode is driven by high engine ΔP and low fresh air flowrates, while the second mode is driven by high engine ΔP and high EGR flowrates. The EGR fraction is inaccurately estimated at both modes, while EGR distribution has been shown to be present but unaccounted for by the ECM. The two modes and associated phenomena are essential to understanding why transient emission models are calibration dependent and furthermore how to choose training data that will result in good model generalization.