pwc-archive/papers-with-abstracts huggingface dataset:
Discrete-Time Modeling and Handover Analysis of Intelligent Reflecting Surface-Assisted Networks
Authors: Haoyan Wei, Hongtao Zhang
Date: 2024-03-12 00:00:00

Owning to the reflection gain and double path loss featured by intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) channels, handover (HO) locations become irregular and the signal strength fluctuates sharply with variations in IRS connections during HO, the risk of HO failures (HOFs) is exacerbated and thus HO parameters require reconfiguration. However, existing HO models only assume monotonic negative exponential path loss and cannot obtain sound HO parameters. This paper proposes a discrete-time model to explicitly track the HO process with variations in IRS connections, where IRS connections and HO process are discretized as finite states by measurement intervals, and transitions between states are modeled as stochastic processes. Specifically, to capture signal fluctuations during HO, IRS connection state-dependent distributions of the user-IRS distance are modified by the correlation between measurement intervals. In addition, states of the HO process are formed with Time-to-Trigger and HO margin whose transition probabilities are integrated concerning all IRS connection states. Trigger location distributions and probabilities of HO, HOF, and ping-pong (PP) are obtained by tracing user HO states. Results show IRSs mitigate PPs by 48% but exacerbate HOFs by 90% under regular parameters. Optimal parameters are mined ensuring probabilities of HOF and PP are both less than 0.1%.
LiDAR Point Cloud-based Multiple Vehicle Tracking with Probabilistic Measurement-Region Association
Authors: Guanhua Ding, Jianan Liu, Yuxuan Xia, Tao Huang, Bing Zhu, Jinping Sun
Date: 2024-03-11 00:00:00

Multiple extended target tracking (ETT) has gained increasing attention due to the development of high-precision LiDAR and radar sensors in automotive applications. For LiDAR point cloud-based vehicle tracking, this paper presents a probabilistic measurement-region association (PMRA) ETT model, which can describe the complex measurement distribution by partitioning the target extent into different regions. The PMRA model overcomes the drawbacks of previous data-region association (DRA) models by eliminating the approximation error of constrained estimation and using continuous integrals to more reliably calculate the association probabilities. Furthermore, the PMRA model is integrated with the Poisson multi-Bernoulli mixture (PMBM) filter for tracking multiple vehicles. Simulation results illustrate the superior estimation accuracy of the proposed PMRA-PMBM filter in terms of both positions and extents of the vehicles comparing with PMBM filters using the gamma Gaussian inverse Wishart and DRA implementations.
Passive iFIR Filters for Data-Driven Control
Authors: Zixing Wang, Yongkang Huo, Fulvio Forni
Date: 2024-03-11 00:00:00

We consider the design of a new class of passive iFIR controllers given by the parallel action of an integrator and a finite impulse response filter. iFIRs are more expressive than PID controllers but retain their features and simplicity. The paper provides a model-free data-driven design for passive iFIR controllers based on virtual reference feedback tuning. Passivity is enforced through constrained optimization (three different formulations are discussed). The proposed design does not rely on large datasets or accurate plant models.
Safe Merging in Mixed Traffic with Confidence
Authors: Heeseung Bang, Aditya Dave, Andreas A. Malikopoulos
Date: 2024-03-09 00:00:00
Tasks: Conformal Prediction

In this letter, we present an approach for learning human driving behavior, without relying on specific model structures or prior distributions, in a mixed-traffic environment where connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) coexist with human-driven vehicles (HDVs). We employ conformal prediction to obtain theoretical safety guarantees and use real-world traffic data to validate our approach. Then, we design a controller that ensures effective merging of CAVs with HDVs with safety guarantees. We provide numerical simulations to illustrate the efficacy of the control approach.
Gender-ambiguous voice generation through feminine speaking style transfer in male voices
Authors: Maria Koutsogiannaki, Shafel Mc Dowall, Ioannis Agiomyrgiannakis
Date: 2024-03-12 00:00:00
Tasks: Style Transfer

Recently, and under the umbrella of Responsible AI, efforts have been made to develop gender-ambiguous synthetic speech to represent with a single voice all individuals in the gender spectrum. However, research efforts have completely overlooked the speaking style despite differences found among binary and non-binary populations. In this work, we synthesise gender-ambiguous speech by combining the timbre of a male speaker with the manner of speech of a female speaker using voice morphing and pitch shifting towards the male-female boundary. Subjective evaluations indicate that the ambiguity of the morphed samples that convey the female speech style is higher than those that undergo plain pitch transformations suggesting that the speaking style can be a contributing factor in creating gender-ambiguous speech. To our knowledge, this is the first study that explicitly uses the transfer of the speaking style to create gender-ambiguous voices.
Control Strategies for Recommendation Systems in Social Networks
Authors: Ben Sprenger, Giulia De Pasquale, Raffaele Soloperto, John Lygeros, Florian Dörfler
Date: 2024-03-10 00:00:00
Tasks: Recommendation Systems

A closed-loop control model to analyze the impact of recommendation systems on opinion dynamics within social networks is introduced. The core contribution is the development and formalization of model-free and model-based approaches to recommendation system design, integrating the dynamics of social interactions within networks via an extension of the Friedkin-Johnsen (FJ) model. Comparative analysis and numerical simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategies in maximizing user engagement and their potential for influencing opinion formation processes.
Non-robustness of diffusion estimates on networks with measurement error
Authors: Arun G. Chandrasekhar, Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham, Tyler H. McCormick, Samuel Thau, Jerry Wei
Date: 2024-03-08 00:00:00
Tasks: Marketing

Network diffusion models are used to study things like disease transmission, information spread, and technology adoption. However, small amounts of mismeasurement are extremely likely in the networks constructed to operationalize these models. We show that estimates of diffusions are highly non-robust to this measurement error. First, we show that even when measurement error is vanishingly small, such that the share of missed links is close to zero, forecasts about the extent of diffusion will greatly underestimate the truth. Second, a small mismeasurement in the identity of the initial seed generates a large shift in the locations of expected diffusion path. We show that both of these results still hold when the vanishing measurement error is only local in nature. Such non-robustness in forecasting exists even under conditions where the basic reproductive number is consistently estimable. Possible solutions, such as estimating the measurement error or implementing widespread detection efforts, still face difficulties because the number of missed links are so small. Finally, we conduct Monte Carlo simulations on simulated networks, and real networks from three settings: travel data from the COVID-19 pandemic in the western US, a mobile phone marketing campaign in rural India, and in an insurance experiment in China.
Improving Fairness in Photovoltaic Curtailments via Daily Topology Reconfiguration for Voltage Control in Power Distribution Networks
Authors: Rahul K. Gupta, Daniel K. Molzahn
Date: 2024-03-12 00:00:00
Tasks: Fairness

In PV-rich power distribution systems, over-voltage issues are often addressed by curtailing excess generation from PV plants (in addition to reactive power control), raising fairness concerns. Existing fairness-aware control schemes tackle this problem by incorporating fairness objectives into the cost function. However, such schemes result in increased overall curtailments. This paper proposes a solution through daily topology reconfiguration, ensuring that different PV plants face varying grid conditions each day, leading to different curtailment levels and enhancing fairness. We illustrate that implementing this approach enhances overall fairness without significantly increasing overall curtailments. The optimization problem involves two stages. The day-ahead stage optimizes the network topology using day-ahead forecasts of PV generation and demand, minimizing net curtailment and accounting for fairness based on curtailments from prior days. The real-time stage implements the optimized topology and computes active and reactive power setpoints for the PV plants. Day-ahead grid constraints are modeled using LinDistFlow, and real-time control employs a linearized model with a first-order Taylor approximation. The proposed scheme is numerically validated on several benchmark test cases. Results are compared using the Jain Fairness Index, considering fairness and reconfiguration scenarios.
An Approach to Evaluate Modeling Adequacy for Small-Signal Stability Analysis of IBR-related SSOs in Multimachine Systems
Authors: Lilan Karunaratne, Nilanjan Ray Chaudhuri, Amirthagunaraj Yogarathnam, Meng Yue
Date: 2024-03-12 00:00:00
Tasks: Benchmarking

Time-varying phasor-based analysis of subsynchronous oscillations (SSOs) involving grid-following converters (GFLCs) and its benchmarking with electromagnetic transient (EMT) models have so far been restricted to highly simplified grid models with constant voltage sources behind series R-L circuits. In this paper, modeling adequacy of bulk power systems with synchronous generators (SGs), transmission systems, loads, and GFLCs are considered. To this end, we revisit the notions of time-varying phasor calculus, highlighting the distinction between space-phasor-calculus (SPC) and two often interchangeably used frameworks namely baseband-abc and generalized averaging. We present the models of grids in SPC framework that include transmission line dynamics, load dynamics, and SG stator transients. Next, we propose a generic approach to study modeling adequacy in small-signal sense by (a) identifying critical modes through eigenvalue and singular value analysis followed by (b) using weighted maximum singular value error magnitudes as metrics, and (c) further cross-validation. Using a modified 4-machine IEEE benchmark model with up to 3 GFLCs we show that SPC framework can be used for analysis of SSOs. Further, we consider the quasistationary phasor calculus (QPC) framework that neglects transmission line, load, and SG stator dynamics to show its adequacy in SSO modeling and analysis. Time-domain and frequency-domain results with EMT models are also presented.
Utilizing Load Shifting for Optimal Compressor Sequencing in Industrial Refrigeration
Authors: Rohit Konda, Vikas Chandan, Jesse Crossno, Blake Pollard, Dan Walsh, Rick Bohonek, Jason R. Marden
Date: 2024-03-12 00:00:00

The ubiquity and energy needs of industrial refrigeration has prompted several research studies investigating various control opportunities for reducing energy demand. This work focuses on one such opportunity, termed compressor sequencing, which entails intelligently selecting the operational state of the compressors to service the required refrigeration load with the least possible work. We first study the static compressor sequencing problem and observe that deriving the optimal compressor operational state is computationally challenging and can vary dramatically based on the refrigeration load. Thus we introduce load shifting in conjunction with compressor sequencing, which entails strategically precooling the facility to allow for more efficient compressor operation. Interestingly, we show that load shifting not only provides benefits in computing the optimal compressor operational state, but also can lead to significant energy savings. Our results are based on and compared to real-world sensor data from an operating industrial refrigeration site of Butterball LLC located in Huntsville, AR, which demonstrated that without load shifting, even optimal compressor operation results in compressors often running at intermediate capacity levels, which can lead to inefficiencies. Through collected data, we demonstrate that a load shifting approach for compressor sequencing has the potential to reduce energy use of the compressors up to 20% compared to optimal sequencing without load shifting.
Distributed Estimation by Two Agents with Different Feature Spaces
Authors: Aneesh Raghavan, Karl Henrik Johansson
Date: 2024-03-12 00:00:00
Tasks: Meta-Learning

We consider the problem of estimation of a function by a system consisting of two agents and a fusion center. The two agents collect data comprising of samples of an independent variable and the corresponding value of a dependent variable. The objective of the system is to collaboratively estimate the function without any exchange of data among the members of the system. To this end, we propose the following framework. The agents are given a set of features using which they construct suitable function spaces to formulate and solve the estimation problems locally. The estimated functions are uploaded to a fusion space where an optimization problem is solved to fuse the estimates (also known as meta-learning) to obtain the system estimate of the mapping. The fused function is then downloaded by the agents to gather knowledge about the other agents estimate of the function. With respect to the framework, we present the following: a systematic construction of fusion space given the features of the agents; the derivation of an uploading operator for the agents to upload their estimated functions to a fusion space; the derivation of a downloading operator for the fused function to be downloaded. Through an example on least squares regression, we illustrate the distributed estimation architecture that has been developed.
Humans-in-the-Building: Getting Rid of Thermostats for Optimal Thermal Comfort Control in Energy Management Systems
Authors: Jiali Wang, Yang Tang, Luca Schenato
Date: 2024-03-12 00:00:00
Tasks: Diversity, energy management, Management

Given the widespread attention to individual thermal comfort, coupled with significant energy-saving potential inherent in energy management systems for optimizing indoor environments, this paper aims to introduce advanced "Humans-in-the-building" control techniques to redefine the paradigm of indoor temperature design. Firstly, we innovatively redefine the role of individuals in the control loop, establishing a model for users' thermal comfort and constructing discomfort signals based on individual preferences. Unlike traditional temperature-centric approaches, "thermal comfort control" prioritizes personalized comfort. Then, considering the diversity among users, we propose a novel method to determine the optimal indoor temperature range, thus minimizing discomfort for various users and reducing building energy consumption. Finally, the efficacy of the "thermal comfort control" approach is substantiated through simulations conducted using Matlab.
BEACON: A Bayesian Evolutionary Approach for Counterexample Generation of Control Systems
Authors: Joshua Yancosek, Ali Baheri
Date: 2024-03-09 00:00:00
Tasks: Bayesian Optimization

The rigorous safety verification of control systems in critical applications is essential, given their increasing complexity and integration into everyday life. Simulation-based falsification approaches play a pivotal role in the safety verification of control systems, particularly within critical applications. These methods systematically explore the operational space of systems to identify configurations that result in violations of safety specifications. However, the effectiveness of traditional simulation-based falsification is frequently limited by the high dimensionality of the search space and the substantial computational resources required for exhaustive exploration. This paper presents BEACON, a novel framework that enhances the falsification process through a combination of Bayesian optimization and covariance matrix adaptation evolutionary strategy. By exploiting quantitative metrics to evaluate how closely a system adheres to safety specifications, BEACON advances the state-of-the-art in testing methodologies. It employs a model-based test point selection approach, designed to facilitate exploration across dynamically evolving search zones to efficiently uncover safety violations. Our findings demonstrate that BEACON not only locates a higher percentage of counterexamples compared to standalone BO but also achieves this with significantly fewer simulations than required by CMA-ES, highlighting its potential to optimize the verification process of control systems. This framework offers a promising direction for achieving thorough and resource-efficient safety evaluations, ensuring the reliability of control systems in critical applications.
On the locomotion of the slider within a self-adaptive beam-slider system
Authors: Florian Müller, Malte Krack
Date: 2024-03-12 00:00:00
Tasks: Position

A beam-slider system is considered whose passive self-adaption relies on an intricate locomotion process involving both frictional and unilateral contact. The system also exploits geometric nonlinearity to achieve broadband efficacy. The dynamics of the system take place on three distinct time scales: On the fast time scale of the harmonic base excitation are the vibrations and the locomotion cycle. On the slow time scale, the slider changes its position along the beam, and the overall vibration level varies. Finally, on an intermediate time scale, strong modulations of the vibration amplitude may take place. In the present work, first, an analytical approximation of the beam's response on the slow time scale is derived as function of the slider position, which is a crucial prerequisite for identifying the main drivers of the slider's locomotion. Then, the most important forms of locomotion are described and approximations of their individual contribution to the overall slider transport are estimated. Finally, the theoretical results are compared against numerical results obtained from an experimentally validated model.
GMPC: Geometric Model Predictive Control for Wheeled Mobile Robot Trajectory Tracking
Authors: Jiawei Tang, Shuang Wu, Bo Lan, Yahui Dong, Yuqiang Jin, Guangjian Tian, Wen-An Zhang, Ling Shi
Date: 2024-03-12 00:00:00
Tasks: Model Predictive Control

The configuration of most robotic systems lies in continuous transformation groups. However, in mobile robot trajectory tracking, many recent works still naively utilize optimization methods for elements in vector space without considering the manifold constraint of the robot configuration. In this letter, we propose a geometric model predictive control (MPC) framework for wheeled mobile robot trajectory tracking. We first derive the error dynamics of the wheeled mobile robot trajectory tracking by considering its manifold constraint and kinematic constraint simultaneously. After that, we utilize the relationship between the Lie group and Lie algebra to convexify the tracking control problem, which enables us to solve the problem efficiently. Thanks to the Lie group formulation, our method tracks the trajectory more smoothly than existing nonlinear MPC. Simulations and physical experiments verify the effectiveness of our proposed methods. Our pure Python-based simulation platform is publicly available to benefit further research in the community.
Learning-Aided Control of Robotic Tether-Net with Maneuverable Nodes to Capture Large Space Debris
Authors: Achira Boonrath, Feng Liu, Elenora M. Botta, Souma Chowdhury
Date: 2024-03-11 00:00:00
Tasks: Trajectory Planning

Maneuverable tether-net systems launched from an unmanned spacecraft offer a promising solution for the active removal of large space debris. Guaranteeing the successful capture of such space debris is dependent on the ability to reliably maneuver the tether-net system -- a flexible, many-DoF (thus complex) system -- for a wide range of launch scenarios. Here, scenarios are defined by the relative location of the debris with respect to the chaser spacecraft. This paper represents and solves this problem as a hierarchically decentralized implementation of robotic trajectory planning and control and demonstrates the effectiveness of the approach when applied to two different tether-net systems, with 4 and 8 maneuverable units (MUs), respectively. Reinforcement learning (policy gradient) is used to design the centralized trajectory planner that, based on the relative location of the target debris at the launch of the net, computes the final aiming positions of each MU, from which their trajectory can be derived. Each MU then seeks to follow its assigned trajectory by using a decentralized PID controller that outputs the MU's thrust vector and is informed by noisy sensor feedback (for realism) of its relative location. System performance is assessed in terms of capture success and overall fuel consumption by the MUs. Reward shaping and surrogate models are used to respectively guide and speed up the RL process. Simulation-based experiments show that this approach allows the successful capture of debris at fuel costs that are notably lower than nominal baselines, including in scenarios where the debris is significantly off-centered compared to the approaching chaser spacecraft.
VLEIBot: A New 45-mg Swimming Microrobot Driven by a Bioinspired Anguilliform Propulsor
Authors: Elijah K. Blankenship, Conor K. Trygstad, Francisco M. F. R. Gonçalves, Néstor O. Pérez-Arancibia
Date: 2024-03-11 00:00:00

This paper presents the VLEIBot^* (Very Little Eel-Inspired roBot), a 45-mg/23-mm^3 microrobotic swimmer that is propelled by a bioinspired anguilliform propulsor. The propulsor is excited by a single 6-mg high-work-density (HWD) microactuator and undulates periodically due to wave propagation phenomena generated by fluid-structure interaction (FSI) during swimming. The microactuator is composed of a carbon-fiber beam, which functions as a leaf spring, and shape-memory alloy (SMA) wires, which deform cyclically when excited periodically using Joule heating. The VLEIBot can swim at speeds as high as 15.1mm * s^{-1} (0.33 Bl * s^{-1}}) when driven with a heuristically-optimized propulsor. To improve maneuverability, we evolved the VLEIBot design into the 90-mg/47-mm^3 VLEIBot^+, which is driven by two propulsors and fully controllable in the two-dimensional (2D) space. The VLEIBot^+ can swim at speeds as high as 16.1mm * s^{-1} (0.35 Bl * s^{-1}), when driven with heuristically-optimized propulsors, and achieves turning rates as high as 0.28 rad * s^{-1}, when tracking path references. The measured root-mean-square (RMS) values of the tracking errors are as low as 4 mm.
Distributed Average Consensus via Noisy and Non-Coherent Over-the-Air Aggregation
Authors: Huiwen Yang, Xiaomeng Chen, Lingying Huang, Subhrakanti Dey, Ling Shi
Date: 2024-03-11 00:00:00

Over-the-air aggregation has attracted widespread attention for its potential advantages in task-oriented applications, such as distributed sensing, learning, and consensus. In this paper, we develop a communication-efficient distributed average consensus protocol by utilizing over-the-air aggregation, which exploits the superposition property of wireless channels rather than combat it. Noisy channels and non-coherent transmission are taken into account, and only half-duplex transceivers are required. We prove that the system can achieve average consensus in mean square and even almost surely under the proposed protocol. Furthermore, we extend the analysis to the scenarios with time-varying topology. Numerical simulation shows the effectiveness of the proposed protocol.