Maintaining strong mutual visibility of an evader moving over the reduced visibility graph

In this paper, we address the problem of determining whether a mobile robot, called the pursuer, is able to maintain strong mutual visibility (a visibility notion between regions over a convex partition of the environment) of an antagonist agent, called the evader. We frame the problem as a non cooperative game. We consider the case in which the pursuer and the evader move at bounded speed, traveling in a known polygonal environment with or without holes, and in which there are no restrictions as to the distance that might separate the agents. Unlike our previous efforts (Murrieta-Cid et al. in Int J Robot Res 26:233–253, 2007), we give special attention to the combinatorial problem that arises when searching for a solution through visiting several locations in an environment with obstacles. In this paper we take a step further, namely, we assume an antagonistic evader who moves continuously and unpredictably, but with a constraint over its set of admissible motion policies, as the evader moves in the shortest-path roadmap, also called the reduced visibility graph (RVG). The pursuer does not know which among the possible paths over the RVG the evader will choose, but the pursuer is free to move within all the environment. We provide a constructive method to solve the decision problem of determining whether or not the pursuer is able to maintain strong mutual visibility of the evader. This method is based on an algorithm that computes the safe areas (areas that keep evader surveillance) at all times. We prove decidability of this problem, and provide a complexity measure to this evader surveillance game; both contributions hold for any general polygonal environment that might or not contain holes. All our algorithms have been implemented and we show simulation results.     

A PC-Based Simulator/Controller/Monitor Software for a Generic 6-DOF Manipulator

General form application is a very important issue in industrial design. Prototyping a design helps in determining system parameters, ranges and in structuring better systems. Robotics is one of the industrial design fields in which prototyping is crucial for improved functionality. Developing an environment that enables optimal and flexible design using reconfigurable links, joints, actuators and sensors is essential for using robots in the education and industrial fields. We propose a PC-based software package to control, monitor, and simulate a generic 6-DOF (six degrees of freedom) robot including a spherical wrist. This package may be used as a black box for the design implementations or as a white (detailed) box for learning about the basics of robotics and simulation technology.     

Effect of diacetyl piquerol on H+-ATPase activity of microsomes fromIpomoea purpurea

The effect of an allelopathic compound, diacetyl-piquerol on the H⁺ -ATPase activity of the microsomal fraction from the radicles of a common weedIpomoea purpurea was studied. The diacetyl-piquerol inhibited the germination and radicle growth fromI. purpurea; the radicle growth was increasingly inhibited (10% to 100%) as piquerol concentrations were raised (10 M to 1000 M). The H⁺-ATPase activity was inhibited (48%) by 500 M diacetyl-piquerol, and this inhibition was higher in plasma membrane ATPase (67.2%) than in tonoplast membrane ATPase (31.4%). Additional studies of the precise physiological mechanisms of interference caused by allelopathic compounds are needed.This study was sponsored by Project PCECCCNA-050954 of Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT).     

Modeling of the relative humidity via functional networks and control of the temperature via classic controls for a bird incubator

The control of the relative humidity and the temperature is important for the birds to be born. It is not easy to control the relative humidity, but it is possible to obtain the measure of the relative humidity as a consequence of the control of the temperature in a bird incubator. In this article, (1) the mathematical model for the control of temperature in the bird incubator is presented, (2) a functional network to approximate the relative humidity behavior in the bird incubator is proposed, (3) a control for the temperature in the bird incubator is proposed, the error of the proportional control applied to the mathematical model of the temperature of the bird incubator is assured to be uniformly stable, (4) the comparison results of four classic control laws for the control of the temperature considering the proposed mathematical model of the temperature and the functional network to approximate the relative humidity behavior in the bird incubator are presented.     

Tool wear monitoring using neuro-fuzzy techniques: a comparative study in a turning process

Tool wear detection is a key issue for tool condition monitoring. The maximization of useful tool life is frequently related with the optimization of machining processes. This paper presents two model-based approaches for tool wear monitoring on the basis of neuro-fuzzy techniques. The use of a neuro-fuzzy hybridization to design a tool wear monitoring system is aiming at exploiting the synergy of neural networks and fuzzy logic, by combining human reasoning with learning and connectionist structure. The turning process that is a well-known machining process is selected for this case study. A four-input (i.e., time, cutting forces, vibrations and acoustic emissions signals) single-output (tool wear rate) model is designed and implemented on the basis of three neuro-fuzzy approaches (inductive, transductive and evolving neuro-fuzzy systems). The tool wear model is then used for monitoring the turning process. The comparative study demonstrates that the transductive neuro-fuzzy model provides better error-based performance indices for detecting tool wear than the inductive neuro-fuzzy model and than the evolving neuro-fuzzy model.     

Three-dimensional space-vector modulation algorithm for four-leg multilevel converters using abc coordinates

In this paper, a novel three-dimensional (3-D) space-vector algorithm for four-leg multilevel converters is presented. It can be applied to active power filters or neutral-current compensator applications for mitigating harmonics and zero-sequence components using abc coordinates (referred from now on this paper as natural coordinates). This technique greatly simplifies the selection of the 3-D region where a given voltage vector is supposed to be found. Compared to a three-level modulation algorithm for three-leg multilevel converters, this algorithm does not increase its complexity and the calculations of the active vectors with the corresponding switching time that generate the reference voltage vector. In addition, the low-computational cost of the proposed algorithm is always the same and it is independent of the number of levels of the converter.     

Gas-sensing properties of sprayed films of (CdO)/sub x/(ZnO)/sub 1-x/ mixed oxide

A novel NO/sub 2/ sensor based on (CdO)/sub x/(ZnO)/sub 1-x/ mixed-oxide thin films deposited by the spray pyrolysis technique is developed. The sensor response to 3-ppm NO/sub 2/ is studied in the range 50/spl deg/C-350/spl deg/C for three different film compositions. The device is also tested for other harmful gases, such as CO (300 ppm) and CH/sub 4/ (3000 ppm). The sensor response to these reducing gases is different at different temperatures varying from the response typical for the p-type semiconductor to that typical for the n-type semiconductor. Satisfactory response to NO/sub 2/ and dynamic behavior at 230/spl deg/C, as well as low resistivity, are observed for the mixed-oxide film with 30% Cd. The response to interfering gas is poor at working temperature (230/spl deg/C). On the basis of this study, a possible sensing mechanism is proposed.     

火电厂多代理控制系统

针对火电厂非线性、多变量和多控制目标的特点,设计了一个火电厂多代理控制系统(PPMACS).在PP MACS中,前馈控制代理(FFCAs)采用神经模糊系统进行决策,反馈控制代理(FBCAs)采用基于遗传算法的模糊系统进行决策.优化任务分解代理(OTDAs)通过一个优化代理和一个分解代理来进行多目标优化分解PPMACS的任务.协调代理根据运行条件协调PPMACS的各个代理.仿真结果显示了火电厂多代理控制系统能够实现火电单元机组的多目标运行和大范围负荷跟踪.神经网络、模糊逻辑和遗传算法是PPMACS中的智能代理进行决策的有效工具.