Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Novel Instrumentation System for Measurement of Helicopter Rotor Motions and Loads Data. Phase 1.

Abstract : Results of a Phase-I SBIR study directed at a novel instrumentation system for the measurement of helicopter rotor motion and loads are described. Background into the requirements and needs of the measurement system are provided, along with a summary of past activities in this area. Consideration is then given to a novel scheme that incorporates blade-mounted accelerometer sensors with a simplified signal processing scheme to extract both rotor motion measurements, and to a limited extent, blade loading information. Issues regarding sensitivity of the system to modeling errors, nonlinearities and sensor bias errors are examined through detailed simulation and analysis. Also, a demonstration of the system performance for reconstructing flapping motion measurements is provided using Froude-scaled model rotor test results. Finally, implementation issues are discussed, and a plan for continued work leading to prototype development for this system is outlined.
Mechanical Spider by Using Klann Mechanism

As the wheels are ineffective on rough and rocky areas, therefore robot with legs provided with klann mechanism is beneficial for advanced walking vehicles. It can step over curbs, climb stairs or travel areas that are currently not accessible with wheels. The most important benefit of this mechanism is that, it does not require microprocessor control or large amount of actuator mechanisms. In this mechanism links are connected by pivot joints and convert the rotating motion of the crank into the movement of foot similar to that of animal walking. The proportions of each of the links in the mechanism are defined to optimize the linearity of the foot for one-half of the rotation of the crank. The remaining rotation of the crank allows the foot to be raised to a predetermined height before returning to the starting position and repeating the cycle. Two of these linkages coupled together at the crank and one-half cycle out of phase with each other will allow the frame of a vehicle to travel parallel to the ground. This project is useful in hazardous material handling, clearing minefields, or secures an area without putting anyone at risk. The military, law enforcement, Explosive Ordinance Disposal units, and private security firms could also benefit from applications of mechanical spider. It would perform very well as a platform with the ability to handle stairs and other obstacles to wheeled or tracked vehicles. The goal for this project is to create an eight-legged robot to test new walking algorithm. We loosely based our design on spider because there has an advanced way in robotics on octopedal locomotion. Hopefully algorithm develops will be of use to robotics community and in future society.
Driving and Protecting Large Die IGBT and MOS Power Devices

SummaryToday’s smart IC gate drivers from various manufacturers simplify the design tasks facing the power system engineers. The increased performance with greater reliability possible with the smart IC gate drivers cannot be ignored. For example, the almost instantaneous (within 200 ns) local shutdown available from a smart IC gate driver can easily protect high gain IGBT devices which can self destruct within 2 μs [1]. Output feedback current sensors or fuses just aren’t fast enough to protect these high gain IGBTs. The importance of proper drive and protection of large die size, high power discrete MOSFETs and IGBTs cannot be overemphasized. Modern single die discrete IGBTs can block up to 1400 V and conduct over 1800 A during a short circuit condition — over 2.5 MW of power dissipation in a little less than 6.5cm2!
Islamic Ethics and Crisis Management

The Islamic ethical system is unique and respects the rights of individuals. The Islamic codes and principals are based on the attitudes, morals, virtues, and obligations of the individual and whole civilisation. In multinational companies (MNC), ethical codes and principals are undermined in terms of human feeling, values, and beliefs. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) stated that the aim of his mission is to enhance good morals and values among my ummah and individual people. The chapter examines and evaluates the fundamental belief that the Islamic ethical system is there to serve and develop good morality and avoid indecency and immoral conducts within business dealings.
Gait-stride-and-frequency-based human intention recognition approach and experimental verification on lower limb exoskeleton

In the research of lower extremity exoskeleton, how to achieve synchronization between human and machine is quite significant. The intention recognition, which can be divided into three categories including EMG-based, EEG-based and biomechanics-based, is one of the effective implementation methods. In this paper, a new biomechanics-based method to realize the intention recognition is proposed. Compared with the mainstream, this method identifies the characteristic value of stride and frequency during walking, which describes human intention mathematically and concretizes the intention of human movement, improving the accuracy of recognition result and streamlining the algorithm. In addition, the impedance model is designed to further correct the recognition error. The main contents of this paper can be roughly summarized as follows. Gait feature event points are detected according to the angular signals of exoskeleton joints and the pressure signals of foot sole during the wearer’s walking process. Then the whole gait cycle is segmented by the identified gait feature event points, which is used to identify the wearer’s gait step and frequency in the gait cycle and output the trajectory transformed from standard gait trajectory by the recognized stride and frequency. Moreover, the interactive force signal collected by the three-dimensional force sensors mounted on the four-legged bar is provided as input to the designed impedance controller to adjust the transformed trajectory again. Also, the final trajectory is input to the Proportion Integral and Differential (PID) controller to realize the motion function of the lower extremity exoskeleton based on the wearer’s intention recognition result. Moreover, a simple hardware platform of lower limb exoskeleton is designed and built for practical experimental verification, which involves three kinds of gait respectively having constant stride, constant frequency and time-varying stride and frequency. The feasibility and reliability of the proposed algorithm can be concluded by analyzing the satisfactory experiment result.
Local density evaluation and tracking of multiple objects from complex image sequences

Multiple-hypothesis static knowledge modelling is introduced in the distributed inference mechanism of extended Kalman filters. The extension from single to multiple modelling based on spatial constraints the system performances to be improved and the system functionalities to be extended. The present system provides in real-time not only crowding density estimation but also people tracking in real-life complex environments. The target has a major role in the field of surveillance of complex environments. It done by extracting from sequences of images a set of significant features, correlated with the number of people present in the monitored scene. The proposed new approach provides each feature-extractor node with several possible nonlinear models and with a classification procedure for selecting the most suitable one. A probabilistic approach has been developed in order to track the monitored groups of people by means of a graph-based time and space knowledge representation. <<ETX>>
Assessing the Sustainable Development of Micro-Hydro Power Plants in an Isolated Traditional Village West Java, Indonesia

The sustainable development of micro-hydropower (MHP) plants is a challenge for rural electrification in developing countries, especially in Indonesia, which has diverse ethnic groups, cultures, and traditions in several isolated locations due to its complex terrain. The uniqueness of a social situation in a location can affect the sustainable electrification development. This study aimed to assess the sustainable development of MHP plants in the Kasepuhan Ciptagelar, which has unique traditions and cultural characteristics. The assessment was conducted using the sustainable development indicator (SDI) method, the Ilskog method, which can include social, economic, environmental, technical, and institutional dimensions. Data were collected through field investigations and qualitative dialogs to understand the culture and ways of thinking. The results of the Ilskog method analysis revealed that the environmental dimensions had the highest scores, whereas economic dimensions had the lowest scores, indicating that the cultural background of the Kasepuhan Ciptagelar impacted the SDI scores. This was attributable to the decision of Kasepuhan’s traditional leader, which strengthened the community commitment to renewable energy use. However, the cultural background adversely impacted monetary income to sustain MHP plants. This study proposed that community innovation and microcredit availability could improve productive activities, resulting in better economic conditions to sustain MHP plants.
Combat Damage Assessment Team. A-10/Gau-8 Low Angle Firings versus Simulated Soviet Tank Company (Array 22) (LAVP Lot Number AJD 79A181-001 Aerojet)

Abstract : This report describes firings of the A-10/GAU-9 weapon system on 7 November 1979 against a Soviet tank company simulated by 10 combat loaded M-47 tanks. The pilot making the firing passes attacked at low altitude and used correspondingly low dive angles in order to simulate movement through a hostile air defense system Ammunition used in the attacks comprised Aerojet Lot Number AJD 79A181-001 30mm armor piercing incendiary (API) rounds, which proved to be effective damage agents against substantial areas of the U.S. MK 47 tanks used as targets. The pilot in ten successful firing passes fired a total of 174 rounds of which 90 impacted the targets. Of the projectiles impacting on targets 30 achieved perforations of the armored envelope. Significant results include catastrophic damage to 3 tanks, 1 tank immobilized and silenced, three tanks immobilized only.
Affine-invariant texture analysis and retrieval of 3D medical images with clinical context integration

The number of images produced per day in modern hospitals followed an exponential growth during the last decade, which has the undesirable effect to overwhelm the radiologists with image interpretation tasks. Recently, the digital form of medical images along with their standardized storage gave birth to a new domain at the crossing of computer vision and medicine: image–based computer–aided diagnosis (CAD). In this thesis, methods for building a hybrid CAD system based both on the detection of abnormal regions as well as content-based image retrieval (CBIR) are proposed, evaluated and discussed with a focus on texture analysis of high–resolution computed tomography (HRCT) images of patients affected with interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). An affine–invariant set of texture features is developed based on tailored wavelet transforms. In a second step, the clinical context of medical images is introduced in the classification framework and allowed to significantly improve the detection performance. Based on the output of the detection–based CAD, a multimodal similarity measure is introduced to enable case–based retrieval, yielding a hybrid detection–CBIR–based CAD system. The experiences and outcomes of the research presented in this thesis suggest that although computer vision is still far behind the tremendous skills of human vision, the end of its early days has been reached and multidisciplinary research efforts are required to bring the full potential of emerging computer vision technologies to the clinicians.
Fusion Energy

This paper presents an overview of the main challenges that fusion research is facing on the road to a demonstration power plant. The focus is on magnetic confinement fusion. Most of the challenges are being addressed in the context of the ITER construction and exploitation. These include the demonstration of high fusion gain regimes of operation, the management of high heat and particle loads and the integration of the main technologies of a fusion power plant. In preparation of DEMO, reliable solutions for the breeding blanket and neutron resistant materials have to be developed.
Bat azimuthal echolocation using interaural level differences: modeling and implementation by a VLSI-based hardware system

Abstract : Bats have long fascinated both scientists and engineers due to their superb ability to use echolocation to fly with speed and agility through complex natural environments in complete darkness. This dissertation presents a neuromorphic VLSI circuit model of bat azimuthal echolocation. Interaural level differences (ILDs) are the cues for bat azimuthal echolocation and are also the primary cues used by other mammals to localize high frequency sounds. The fact that neurons in bats respond to short echoes by one or two spikes strongly suggests that the conventionally used firing rate is an unlikely code. The operation of first spike latency in ILD computation and transformation is investigated in a network of spiking neurons linking the lateral superior olive (LSO), dorsal nucleus of the lateral lemniscus (DNLL) and inferior colliculus IC. The results of the investigation suggest that spatially distributed first spike latencies can serve as a fast code for azimuth that can be read-out by ascending stages. With the hardware echolocation model that uses spike timing representation, we study how multiple echoes can affect bat echolocation and demonstrate that the response to multiple sounds is not a simple linear addition of the response to single sounds. By developing functional models of the bat echolocation system, we can study the efficient implementation demonstrated by nature. For example, variations among analog VLSI circuit units due to the unavoidable transistor mismatch--traditionally thought of as a hurdle to overcome--have been found beneficial in generating the desired diversity of response that is similar to their neural counterparts. This work advocates the use and design of summating and exponentially decaying synapses.
Evaluation of an Adaptive Automation Trigger Based on Task Performance, Priority, and Frequency

Abstract : A significant Air Force research thrust includes increasing use of automation, creating the potential for the operators to become complacent and over-reliant on automation. To avoid operator complacency, adaptive automation has been proposed, where changes in automation are triggered based upon operator performance or other attributes. This research sought to understand the effect of a weighted method for triggering changes in automation as compared method weighting all tasks equally. In this work, the weighted method considered operator performance, priority, and frequency of each task when computing a measure on which to trigger changes in automation. Although overall system performance was not statistically different between the two system implementations, the participants with the priority based triggering scheme tended to rate the LOA changes as more aligned with their actual performance and were significantly less surprised by the actions of the automation than those participants with the non-weighted approach. The results of this study, combined with participant preference for workload based adaptations, suggest a benefit to the implementation of a hybrid approach. Future research could focus on task weights based on priority and operator specific threshold criteria, where automation aides are triggered once the summation of current tasks exceeds the given threshold.
Robust Trajectory Planning and Robust NMPC of Processes with Model Uncertainties

Abstract This paper presents an approach for robust open-loop and robust closed-loop control of biological production processes described by models which comprise uncertain initial conditions and parameter uncertainties. The application of these robust techniques dramatically decreases the variability of the realized process trajectory and hence, the fluctuation of the product amount. The algorithm utilizes a second order approximation to calculate the first two statistical moments of the system's output as a function of the stochastic system's state and uncertain model parameters. Extensive simulation studies of both open- and closed-loop controlled fermentations based on a simple unstructured production model as well as on a structured compartment model consisting of 7 biotic states are shown.
An Efficient and Stable Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation System for Rubber Grass ( Taraxacum Spp. )

BackgroundRubber grass is excellent alternatives to Hevea and ideal model plants for natural rubber research through genetic transformation. However, the transformation is unstable due to the high heterozygosity of rubber grass and the efficiency of the existing transformation system could not well satisfy the needs of the studies on key gene functions of natural rubber biosynthesis.ResultsHere, we report an efficient and stable Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system of rubber grass species using young leaves as explants. An excellent rubber grass species, named as 12-16, that is suitable for tissue culture was selected from a wild germplasm repository collected from Xinjiang. The total regeneration efficiency of 12-16 which cultivated on shoot regeneration medium (Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium plus 1.5 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) and 0.1 mg/L naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA)) was 100%, and the excellent regeneration shoots reached in 74.1%. Finally, two genes, rubber elongation factors 138 (REF138) and rubber elongation factors 258 (REF258) driven under an enhanced 35S promoter were transformed into 12-16 by Agrobacterium tumefaciens GV3101 mediated genetic transformation. The final transformation efficiency exceeded 20% and the total transformation cycle from leaf explants to hygromycin-resistant seedling lasted approximately 3–4 months.ConclusionsWe provides a highly efficient transformation system based on rubber grass germplasm 12-16 for the introduction of interest genes into rubber grass and provides important technical support for rubber biosynthesis research.
Team Description Paper

UTUtd-3D 2006 is based on experience of UTUtd-3D 2005 (1). Last year the team worked on high level skills especially on position- ing, ball handling, decision making(2). As the server status for the 2006 competition is cleared recently, this paper mostly describes changes since 2005 in the architecture of the UTUtd-3d team and the planned changes for 2006 competition. Most important changes are: 1. Improvement of high level skills (shoot, pass, dribble). 2. Implementation of a new sys- tem to determine team's strategy and players positioning according to the way opponents play. We also describe our efiort on a controller for the legged agents.
Parametric Reliability of Space-Based Field Programmable Gate Arrays

Abstract : The high cost of failure for microelectronic devices operating in the space environment has led to a need for an accurate characterization of a device's reliability prior to being deployed. In addition, significant cost savings can be achieved by determining this reliability prior to fabrication. With the increased performance needs required for many missions, designers are seeking to utilize devices that have smaller and smaller feature sizes. Specifically, feature sizes as small as 130, 90, and 65 nm. A characterization of the space environment is constructed specifically to address the extreme conditions that can affect the performance and functionality of small feature-sized microelectronic devices. The characterization is centered on temperature, non-ideal supply voltage, and radiation effects. A simulation technique is developed to determine the reliability of a microelectronic device prior to fabrication and deployment into the space environment. The technique is based on identifying the key elements of a circuit, simulating these key elements under each characterized condition individually, and then a comprehensive simulation of the elements under all combinations of the characterized conditions in each significant element operating state. Reliability calculations are performed based on simulation results and identified critical performance criteria. A demonstration of the technique is accomplished showing the poor reliability of non-radiation hardened small feature-sized commercial-off-the-shelf FPGAs in four common orbits. The results are then compared to an established, radiation hardened FPGA.
Energy simulation in building design

Design decision support related to building energy consumption and / or indoor climate, should be based on an integral approach of environment, building, heating, ventilating and airconditioning (HVAC) system and occupants. The tools to achieve this are now available in the form of computer simulation systems which treat the building and plant as an integrated, dynamic system. Although its potentials reach beyond the area of Computer Aided Building Design, the paper describes building and plant energy simulation simulation within the context of CABD, design decision support and design evaluation. Currently, computer simulation is only used indirectly as a design decision support mechanism; ie its power is not delivered very efficiently to the design profession. Future research directions are indicated, aimed at providing a mechanism to overcome this problem by developing an "intelligent front end" which bridges the gap between sophisticated computer simulation tools and the design profession.
Reliable goal-directed reactive control of autonomous mobile robots

This dissertation demonstrates that effective control of autonomous mobile robots in real-world environments can be achieved by combining reactive and deliberative components into an integrated architecture. The reactive component allows the robot to respond to contingencies in real time. Deliberation allows the robot to make effective predictions about the world. By using different computational mechanisms for the reactive and deliberative components, much existing deliberative technology can be effectively incorporated into a mobile robot control system. The dissertation describes the design and implementation of a reactive control system for an autonomous mobile robot which is explicitly designed to interface to a deliberative component. A programming language called ALFA is developed to program this system. The design of a control architecture which incorporates this reactive system is also described. The architecture is heterogeneous and asynchronous, that is, it consists of components which are structured differently from one another, and which operate in parallel. This prevents slow deliberative computations from adversely affecting the response time of the overall system. The architecture produces behavior which is reliable and goal-directed, yet reactive to contingencies, in the face of noise, limited computational resources, and an unpredictable environment. The system described in this dissertation has been used to control three real robots and a simulated robot performing a variety of tasks in real-world and simulated real-world environments. A general design methodology based upon bottom-up hierarchical decomposition is demonstrated. The methodology is based on the principle of cognizant failure, that is, that low-level activities should be designed in a way as to detect failures and state transitions at high levels of abstraction. Furthermore, the results of deliberative computations should be used to guide the robot's actions, but not to control those actions directly.