Intelligent traffic light control of isolated intersections using machine learning methods

Traffic congestion is one of the major problems in modern cities. This study applies machine learning methods to determine green times in order to minimize in an isolated intersection. Q-learning and neural networks are applied here to set signal light times and minimize total delays. It is assumed that an intersection behaves in a similar fashion to an intelligent agent learning how to set green times in each cycle based on traffic information. Here, a comparison between Q-learning and neural network is presented. In Q-learning, considering continuous green time requires a large state space, making the learning process practically impossible. In contrast to Q-learning methods, the neural network model can easily set the appropriate green time to fit the traffic demand. The performance of the proposed neural network is compared with two traditional alternatives for controlling traffic lights. Simulation results indicate that the application of the proposed method greatly reduces the total delay in the network compared to the alternative methods.

Gesture based IoT light control for smart clothing

In this paper, a smart wireless wristband is proposed. The potential of innovative gesture based interactivity with connected lighting solutions is reviewed. The solution is intended to offer numerous benefits, in terms of ease of use, and enhanced dynamic interactive functionality. A comparative analysis will be carried out between this work and existing solutions. The evolution of lighting and gesture controls will be discussed and an overview of alternative applications will be provided, as part of the critical analysis.

Effects of intrapulpal temperature change induced by visible light units on the metabolism of odontoblast-like cells

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

Stimulation of the blue light phototropic receptor NPH1 causes a transient increase in cytosolic Ca2+

Blue light regulates plant growth and development, and three photoreceptors, CRY1, CRY2, and NPH1, have been identified. The transduction pathways of these receptors are poorly understood. Transgenic plants containing aequorin have been used to dissect the involvement of these three receptors in the regulation of intracellular Ca2+. Pulses of blue light induce cytosolic Ca2+ transients lasting about 80 s in Arabidopsis and tobacco seedlings. Use of organelle-targeted aequorins shows that Ca2+ increases are limited to the cytoplasm. Blue light treatment of cry1, cry2, and nph1 mutants showed that NPH1, which regulates phototropism, is largely responsible for the Ca2+ transient. The spectral response of the Ca2+ transient is similar to that of phototropism, supporting NPH1 involvement. Furthermore, known interactions between red and blue light and between successive blue light pulses on phototropic sensitivity are mirrored in the blue light control of cytosolic Ca2+ in these seedlings. Our observations raise the possibility that physiological responses regulated by NPH1, such as phototropism, may be transduced through cytosolic Ca2+.

Eficiência energética e controlo de iluminação em edifícios

Dissertação para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Electrotécnica Ramo de Energia

A review on computational intelligence methods for controlling traffic signal timing

Urban traffic as one of the most important challenges in modern city life needs practically effective and efficient solutions. Artificial intelligence methods have gained popularity for optimal traffic light control. In this paper, a review of most important works in the field of controlling traffic signal timing, in particular studies focusing on Q-learning, neural network, and fuzzy logic system are presented. As per existing literature, the intelligent methods show a higher performance compared to traditional controlling methods. However, a study that compares the performance of different learning methods is not published yet. In this paper, the aforementioned computational intelligence methods and a fixed-time method are implemented to set signals times and minimize total delays for an isolated intersection. These methods are developed and compared on a same platform. The intersection is treated as an intelligent agent that learns to propose an appropriate green time for each phase. The appropriate green time for all the intelligent controllers are estimated based on the received traffic information. A comprehensive comparison is made between the performance of Q-learning, neural network, and fuzzy logic system controller for two different scenarios. The three intelligent learning controllers present close performances with multiple replication orders in two scenarios. On average Q-learning has 66%, neural network 71%, and fuzzy logic has 74% higher performance compared to the fixed-time controller.

Fuzzy distributed artificial intelligence systems

In this paper, we introduce a DAI approach called hereinafter Fuzzy Distributed Artificial Intelligence (FDAI). Through the use of fuzzy logic, we have been able to develop mechanisms that we feel may effectively improve current DAI systems, giving much more flexibility and providing the subsidies which a formal theory can bring. The appropriateness of the FDAI approach is explored in an important application, a fuzzy distributed traffic-light control system, where we have been able to aggregate and study several issues concerned with fuzzy and distributed artificial intelligence. We also present a number of current research directions necessary to develop the FDAI approach more fully.

Preferência por substratos escuros no C. auratus: influência das condições de luz no alojamento

Pós-graduação em Psicologia do Desenvolvimento e Aprendizagem - FC

Correspondência de cor de diferentes marcas e sistemas de resina c omposta em relação à escala vita classical

The objective of this study was to compare different resins and determine their matching color with Vita shade, also investigating the possibility of substitution among them and the correlation between the visual and spectrophotometry methods of color selection. The composite resin Tetric N-Ceram® shade A1 was used as light-control and color A4 as dark-control. For each material were prepared five 10 x 2 mm disks. Analyses were performed in a metamerism box by volunteers who ordered the specimens from the lightest to the darkest. The spectrophotometry was carried out using the spectrophotometer Vita Easyshade®. ∆E values were subjected to analysis of variance with 5% significance level. The Fisher exact test showed that there was no color match among the materials and the reference Vita shade. The possibility of substitution among the composites could not be established. The two methods are able to correctly differentiate the control resin A4 as distinct from the other resins shade A2.

Arabidopsis COP1 protein specifically interacts in vitro with a cytoskeleton-associated protein, CIP1.

Arabidopsis COP1 acts inside the nucleus to suppress photomorphogenic cellular development, and light inactivation of COP1 may involve a specific control of its nuclear activity in hypocotyls and cotyledons, but not in roots, of developing seedlings. To understand the molecular mechanisms of COP1 action during light-mediated development, we initiated a screen for Arabidopsis cDNAs encoding proteins which interact directly with COP1 in vitro as a step to identify the cellular components involved. We report here the isolation and characterization of a cDNA clone encoding a protein designated CIP1 (COP1-interactive protein 1). CIP1 is predominantly alpha-helical and most likely involved in coiled-coil formation. It interacts specifically with the putative coiled-coil region of COP1 in vitro. Further, CIP1 is encoded by a single gene in Arabidopsis, and its mRNA and protein levels are not regulated by light. Immunofluorescent labeling of CIP1 in Arabidopsis seedling protoplasts demonstrated that CIP1 is part of, or associated with, a cytoskeletal structure in hypocotyl and cotyledon cells, but not in roots. Our results are consistent with a possible role of CIP1 in mediating light control of COP1 nuclear activity by regulating its nucleocytoplasmic partitioning.

How to measure healthiness in buildings: Experiences in teaching with BIM tools

Introducing teaching about healthy solutions in buildings and BIM has been a challenge for the University of Alicante. Teaching attached to very tighten study plans conditioned the types of methods that could be used in the past. The worldwide situation of crisis that especially reached Spain and the bursting of the housing bubble generated a lack of employment that reached universities where careers related to construction, Architecture and Architectural Technologist, suffered a huge reduction in the number of students enrolled. In the case of the University of Alicante, students’ enrolment for Architectural Technology reached an 80% reduction. The necessity of a reaction against this situation made the teachers be innovative and use the new Bologna adapted study plans to develop new teaching experiences introducing new concepts: people wellbeing in buildings and BIM. Working with healthy solutions in buildings provided new approaches for building design and construction as an alternative to sustainability. For many years sustainability was the concept that applied to housing gave buildings an added value and the possibility of having viability in a very complex scenario. But after lots of experiences, the approved methodologies for obtaining sustainable housing were ambiguous and at the end, investors, designers, constructors and purchasers cannot find real and validated criteria for obtaining an effective sustainable house. It was the moment to work with new ideas and concepts and start facing buildings from the users’ point of view. At the same time the development of new tools, BIM, has opened a wide range of opportunities, innovative and suggestive, that allows simulation and evaluation of many building factors. This paper describes the research in teaching developed by the University of Alicante to adapt the current study plans, introducing work with healthy solutions in buildings and the use of BIM, with the aim of attracting students by improving their future employability. Pilot experiences have been carried out in different subjects based on the work with projects and case studies under an international frame with the cooperation of different European partner universities. The use of BIM tools, introduced in 2014, solved the problems that appeared in some subjects, mainly building construction, and helped with the evaluation of some healthy concepts that presented difficulties until this moment as knowledge acquired by the students was hard to be evaluated. The introduction of BIM tools: Vasari, FormIt, Revit and Light Control among others, allowed the study of precise healthy concepts and provided the students a real understand of how these different parameters can condition a healthy architectural space. The analysis of the results showed a clear acceptance by the students and gave teachers the possibility of opening new research lines. At the same time, working with BIM tools to obtain healthy solutions in building has been a good option to improve students’ employability as building market in Spain is increasing the number of specialists in BIM with a wider knowledge.

Semantic enabled sensor network design

Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) systems have become more and more popular in our modern life. They have been widely used in many areas, such as smart homes/buildings, context-aware devices, military applications, etc. Despite the increasing usage, there is a lack of formal description and automated verification for WSN system design. In this paper, we present an approach to support the rigorous verification of WSN modeling using the Semantic Web technology We use Web Ontology Language (OWL) and Semantic Web Rule Language (SWRL) to define a meta-ontology for the modeling of WSN systems. Furthermore, we apply ontology reasoners to perform automated verification on customized WSN models and their instances. We demonstrate and evaluate our approach through a Light Control System (LCS) as the case study.

Herbivores and nutrients control grassland plant diversity via light limitation

Human alterations to nutrient cycles1, 2 and herbivore communities3, 4, 5, 6, 7 are affecting global biodiversity dramatically2. Ecological theory predicts these changes should be strongly counteractive: nutrient addition drives plant species loss through intensified competition for light, whereas herbivores prevent competitive exclusion by increasing ground-level light, particularly in productive systems8, 9. Here we use experimental data spanning a globally relevant range of conditions to test the hypothesis that herbaceous plant species losses caused by eutrophication may be offset by increased light availability due to herbivory. This experiment, replicated in 40 grasslands on 6 continents, demonstrates that nutrients and herbivores can serve as counteracting forces to control local plant diversity through light limitation, independent of site productivity, soil nitrogen, herbivore type and climate. Nutrient addition consistently reduced local diversity through light limitation, and herbivory rescued diversity at sites where it alleviated light limitation. Thus, species loss from anthropogenic eutrophication can be ameliorated in grasslands where herbivory increases ground-level light.