Global Level Path Planning for Mobile Robots in Dynamic Environments

This paper presents a self-adapting approach to global level path planning in dynamic environments. The aim of this work is to minimize risk and delays in possible applications of mobile robots (e.g., in industrial processes). We introduce a hybrid system that uses case-based reasoning as well as grid-based maps for decision-making. Maps are used to suggest several alternative paths between specific start and goal point. The casebase stores these solutions and remembers their characteristics. Environment representation and casebase design are discussed. To solve the problem of exploration vs. exploitation, a decision-making strategy is proposed that is based on the irreversibility of decisions. Forgetting strategies are discussed and evaluated in the context of case-based maintenance. The adaptability of the system is evaluated in a domain based on real sensor data with simulated occupancy probabilities. Forgetting strategies and decision-making strategies are evaluated in simulated environments. Experiments show that a robot is able to adapt in dynamic environments and can learn to use paths that are less risky to follow.     

Color Grouping in Space and Time: Evidence From Negative Color-Based Carryover Effects in Preview Search.

Five experiments addressed the role of color grouping in preview search (D. G. Watson & G. W. Humphreys, 1997). Experiment 1 used opposite color ratios of distractors in preview and second search displays, creating equal numbers of distractors in each color group in the final display. There was selective slowing for new targets carrying the majority color of the old items. This effect held when there was no bias in the preview and only the second search set had an uneven color ratio (Experiment 2). In Experiment 3, participants had foreknowledge of the target color, and effects were shown over and above those due to color biases. Experiment 4 demonstrated negative color carryover even when previews changed color. Experiment 5 showed reduced color carryover effects when previews were presented more briefly. Collectively, the results provide evidence for inhibitory carryover effects in preview search based on feature grouping. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Response Selection in Visual Search: The Influence of Response Compatibility of Nontargets.

The authors used visual search tasks in which components of the classic flanker task (B. A. Eriksen & C. W. Eriksen, 1974) were introduced. In several experiments the authors obtained evidence of parallel search for a target among distractor elements. Therefore, 2-stage models of visual search predict no effect of the identity of those distractors. However, clear compatibility effects of the distractors were obtained: Responses were faster when the distractors were compatible with the response than when they were incompatible. These results show that even in parallel search tasks identity information is extracted from the distractors. In addition, alternative interpretations of the results in terms of the occasional identification of a distractor before or after the target was identified could be ruled out. The results showed that flat search slopes obtained in visual search experiments provide no benchmark for preattentive processing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correlation between quasi-static and dynamic crack resistance curves

The correlation between the crack resistance measured from dynamic and quasi-static J-R tests has been investigated based on test data from instrumented Charpy impact tests and quasi-static single edge notched bend (SENB) J-R tests.The method originally proposed by Aurich et al. [Analyse und Weiterentwicklung Bruchmechanischer versagenskonzepte--Lokales Risswachstum, Ermittlung des Risswiderstandsverhaltens aus der Kerbslagarbeit. BAM Forschungsbericht 192, Berlin 1993, ISBN 3-89429-329-2], to develop a correlation coefficient between the net fracture resistance of Charpy V-notch (ISO) and quasi-static compact tension tests, was extended to establish correlations between so-called ductile-brittle transition fracture resistance curves obtained from instrumented Charpy V-notched (ISO) and fatigue precracked impact tests and quasi-static SENB J-R fracture resistance tests.The correlation between the dynamic and quasi-static crack resistance with regard to practical application to fracture assessments appears to be reasonably consistent, bearing in mind the inherent scatter in crack resistance data in general. The findings of the present research project from testing of ship grade NVE 36 and pressure vessel steel to ASTM A516 Gr. 70 as well as two weldments in the NVE 36 steel, are in excellent agreement with the results of the research conducted by Aurich et al. [Analyse und Weiterentwicklung Bruchmechanischer versagenskonzepte--Lokales Risswachstum, Ermittlung des Risswiderstandsverhaltens aus der Kerbslagarbeit. BAM Forschungsbericht 192, Berlin 1993, ISBN 3-89429-329-2] for structural and pressure vessel steels to the German DIN standard steels including St 52-3, StE 355 and StE 460.     

Effects of surrounding brightness on visual search for safety colors

The present article reports the investigation of the effects of surrounding brightness on a visual search for three safety colors: red, orange, and yellow. Images of visual stimuli consisting of an array of colored circles placed on a large visual field (a visual angle of 40°) were displayed on an 80‐in. screen with a DLP projector. Experiment I examined the search efficiency under three levels of background luminance that were equivalent to the three target luminances. The results showed that the search efficiency for the orange target decreased as the number of distractors increased, under each of the background luminance levels, whereas the efficiency scarcely decreased for the red and yellow targets. Although a reduction in background luminance increased the search efficiency for the orange target, it is suggested that the effect of background luminance is smaller than the effect of the target color in search efficiency. Experiment II examined the search efficiency under three conditions of low levels of incident illuminance, which were matched with a linear regression to the luminance of color chips of safety colors measured twilight conditions. The results showed that the search efficiency for the orange target decreased as the number of distractors increased under each of the different illuminance conditions, whereas the efficiency scarcely decreased for red and yellow targets. Furthermore, as illuminance decreased, the search time for the orange target was more greatly impacted than for red or yellow. These results imply that the recognition of orange tends to be influenced by the surrounding brightness. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 30, 400–409, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/col.20152     

沙袋充填度与稳定性的试验研究

沙袋筑坝在工程中愈来愈广泛的应用，需要解决的问题也很多，笔者对不同尺寸沙袋的充填度进行了讨论，提出了极限充填度和最佳充填度的概念；通过对不同尺寸充沙沙袋在水泥抹面和沙袋布为底面的水槽中所得的试验资料的分析，得出了充沙沙袋的失稳流速。     

一个基于优化的有限元模型修正方法

本文提供了一个基于一阶搜索优化的有限元模型修正方法。它只需利用结构模态试验的部分固有频率，就能获得较精确的有限元模型。文中附有某无人机上垂尾有限元模型修正的实例。根据上垂尾前二阶试验的固有频率，采用本文方法，对有限元模型进行了修正。修正后有限元模型的前二阶固有频率与试验值的相对误差在2．35％以内，而第三阶固有频率与试验值的相对误差仅为5．81％。它不仅大大地缩小了用修正前有限元模型算得的固有频率与试验值的相对误差，而且还能较精确地预测无试验结果的高阶固有频率值。     

静态SAT问题并行处理器的设计研究

针对SAT问题的复杂性及求解速度缓慢的问题，采用可重构器件FPGA设计，实现了静态回溯搜索算法SAT问题并行处理器，提出了研制动态SAT并行处理器的设想。     

Robot Pose Estimation in Unknown Environments by Matching 2D Range Scans

A mobile robot exploring an unknown environment has no absolute frame of reference for its position, other than features it detects through its sensors. Using distinguishable landmarks is one possible approach, but it requires solving the object recognition problem. In particular, when the robot uses two-dimensional laser range scans for localization, it is difficult to accurately detect and localize landmarks in the environment (such as corners and occlusions) from the range scans.In this paper, we develop two new iterative algorithms to register a range scan to a previous scan so as to compute relative robot positions in an unknown environment, that avoid the above problems. The first algorithm is based on matching data points with tangent directions in two scans and minimizing a distance function in order to solve the displacement between the scans. The second algorithm establishes correspondences between points in the two scans and then solves the point-to-point least-squares problem to compute the relative pose of the two scans. Our methods work in curved environments and can handle partial occlusions by rejecting outliers.