A Simulated Environment for Traversability Estimation Experiments in Field Robotics Applications

Virtual reality (VR) is quickly becoming the medium of choice for various architecture, engineering, and construction applications, such as design visualization, construction planning, and safety training. In particular, this technology offers an immersive experience to enhance the way architects review their design with team members. Traditionally, VR has used a desktop PC or workstation setup inside a room, yielding the risk of two users bump into each other while using multiuser VR (MUVR) applications. MUVR offers shared experiences that disrupt the conventional single-user VR setup, where multiple users can communicate and interact in the same virtual space, providing more realistic scenarios for architects in the design stage. However, this shared virtual environment introduces challenges regarding limited human locomotion and interactions, due to physical constraints of normal room spaces. This study thus presented a system framework that integrates MUVR applications into omnidirectional treadmills. The treadmills allow users an immersive walking experience in the simulated environment, without space constraints or hurt potentialities. A prototype was set up and tested in several scenarios by practitioners and students. The validated MUVR treadmill system aims to promote high-level immersion in architectural design review and collaboration.

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Characterization of Physical Parameters of an Agricultural Electric Vehicle based on the Dynamic Analysis in a Simulated Environment

2021 IEEE 15th International Conference on Semantic Computing (ICSC) ◽

10.1109/icsc50631.2021.00070 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yan C. Alegre ◽

Tailon A. Podewils ◽

Elmer A. G. Penaloza ◽

Sigmar de Lima ◽

Luciano A. Leston

Keyword(s):

Dynamic Analysis ◽

Electric Vehicle ◽

Physical Parameters ◽

Simulated Environment

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The discourse of ESL advocacy in a simulated environment

Linguistics and Education ◽

10.1016/j.linged.2021.100928 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 63 ◽

pp. 100928

Author(s):

Will Fox ◽

April S. Salerno

Keyword(s):

Simulated Environment

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Analytical Approach to Sampling Estimation of Underwater Tunnels Using Mechanical Profiling Sonars

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21051900 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (5) ◽

pp. 1900

Author(s):

Vitor Augusto Machado Jorge ◽

Pedro Daniel de Cerqueira Gava ◽

Juan Ramon Belchior de França Silva ◽

Thais Mancilha ◽

Waldir Vieira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Power Plant ◽

Power Plants ◽

Hydroelectric Power ◽

Large Power ◽

Unmanned Underwater Vehicles ◽

Power House ◽

Simulated Environment ◽

Sonar Sensor ◽

Power Plant Operation ◽

Plant Power

Hydroelectric power plants often make use of tunnels to redirect the flow of water to the plant power house. Such tunnels are often flooded and can span considerable distances. Periodical inspections of such tunnels are highly desirable since a tunnel collapse will be catastrophic, disrupting the power plant operation. In many cases, the use of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) equipped with mechanical profiling sonars is a suitable and affordable way to gather data to generate 3D mapping of flooded tunnels. In this paper, we study the resolution of 3D tunnel maps generated by one or more mechanical profiling sonars working in tandem, considering synchronization and occlusion problems. The article derives the analytical equations to estimate the sampling of the underwater tunnels using mechanical profiling sonars (scanning sonars). Experiments in a simulated environment using up to four sensors simultaneously are presented. We also report experimental results obtained by a UUV inside a large power plant tunnel, together with a first map of this environment using a single sonar sensor.

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Combined Effects of Temperature and Toxic Algal Abundance on Paralytic Shellfish Toxic Accumulation, Tissue Distribution and Elimination Dynamics in Mussels Mytilus coruscus

Toxins ◽

10.3390/toxins13060425 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 425

Author(s):

Yunyu Tang ◽

Haiyan Zhang ◽

Yu Wang ◽

Chengqi Fan ◽

Xiaosheng Shen

Keyword(s):

Tissue Distribution ◽

Combined Effects ◽

Mytilus Coruscus ◽

Paralytic Shellfish Toxins ◽

Rapid Elimination ◽

Simulated Environment ◽

Paralytic Shellfish ◽

Algal Abundance ◽

Effects Of Temperature ◽

The Impact

This study assessed the impact of increasing seawater surface temperature (SST) and toxic algal abundance (TAA) on the accumulation, tissue distribution and elimination dynamics of paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) in mussels. Mytilus coruscus were fed with the PSTs-producing dinoflagellate A. catenella under four simulated environment conditions. The maximum PSTs concentration was determined to be 3548 µg STX eq.kg−1, which was four times higher than the EU regulatory limit. The increasing SST caused a significant decline in PSTs levels in mussels with rapid elimination rates, whereas high TAA increased the PSTs concentration. As a result, the PSTs toxicity levels decreased under the combined condition. Additionally, toxin burdens were assessed within shellfish tissues, with the highest levels quantified in the hepatopancreas. It is noteworthy that the toxin burden shifted towards the mantle from gill, muscle and gonad at the 17th day. Moreover, variability of PSTs was measured, and was associated with changes in each environmental factor. Hence, this study primarily illustrates the combined effects of SST and TAA on PSTs toxicity, showing that increasing environmental temperature is of benefit to lower PSTs toxicity with rapid elimination rates.

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Leveraging a Genetic Algorithm for the Optimal Placement of Distributed Generation and the Need for Energy Management Strategies Using a Fuzzy Inference System

Electronics ◽

10.3390/electronics10020172 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 172

Author(s):

Sunny Katyara ◽

Muhammad Fawad Shaikh ◽

Shoaib Shaikh ◽

Zahid Hussain Khand ◽

Lukasz Staszewski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Algorithm ◽

Energy Management ◽

Fuzzy Inference System ◽

Distribution System ◽

Fuzzy Inference ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Test System ◽

Optimal Placement ◽

Inference System ◽

Simulated Environment

With the rising load demand and power losses, the equipment in the utility network often operates close to its marginal limits, creating a dire need for the installation of new Distributed Generators (DGs). Their proper placement is one of the prerequisites for fully achieving the benefits; otherwise, this may result in the worsening of their performance. This could even lead to further deterioration if an effective Energy Management System (EMS) is not installed. Firstly, addressing these issues, this research exploits a Genetic Algorithm (GA) for the proper placement of new DGs in a distribution system. This approach is based on the system losses, voltage profiles, and phase angle jump variations. Secondly, the energy management models are designed using a fuzzy inference system. The models are then analyzed under heavy loading and fault conditions. This research is conducted on a six bus radial test system in a simulated environment together with a real-time Power Hardware-In-the-Loop (PHIL) setup. It is concluded that the optimal placement of a 3.33 MVA synchronous DG is near the load center, and the robustness of the proposed EMS is proven by mitigating the distinct contingencies within the approximately 2.5 cycles of the operating period.

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Virtual fit evaluation of pants using the Adaptive Network Fuzzy Inference System

Textile Research Journal ◽

10.1177/00405175211020515 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 004051752110205

Author(s):

Xueqing Zhao ◽

Ke Fan ◽

Xin Shi ◽

Kaixuan Liu

Keyword(s):

Fuzzy Inference System ◽

Fuzzy Inference ◽

Test Accuracy ◽

Adaptive Network ◽

Data Set ◽

Inference System ◽

Second Stage ◽

Simulated Environment ◽

Two Stages ◽

Fold Cross Validation

Virtual reality is a technology that allows users to completely interact with a computer-simulated environment, and put on new clothes to check the effect without taking off their clothes. In this paper, a virtual fit evaluation of pants using the Adaptive Network Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), VFE-ANFIS for short, is proposed. There are two stages of the VFE-ANFIS: training and evaluation. In the first stage, we trained some key pressure parameters by using the VFE-ANFIS; these key pressure parameters were collected from real try-on and virtual try-on of pants by users. In the second stage, we evaluated the fit by using the trained VFE-ANFIS, in which some key pressure parameters of pants from a new user were determined and we output the evaluation results, fit or unfit. In addition, considering the small number of input samples, we used the 10-fold cross-validation method to divide the data set into a training set and a testing set; the test accuracy of the VFE-ANFIS was 94.69% ± 2.4%, and the experimental results show that our proposed VFE-ANFIS could be applied to the virtual fit evaluation of pants.

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Towards footwear manufacturing 4.0: shoe sole robotic grasping in assembling operations

The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology ◽

10.1007/s00170-021-06697-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Guillermo Oliver ◽

Pablo Gil ◽

Jose F. Gomez ◽

Fernando Torres

Keyword(s):

Industry 4.0 ◽

Laser Scanner ◽

Point Clouds ◽

Average Score ◽

Low Density ◽

Contour Extraction ◽

Shoe Industry ◽

Simulated Environment ◽

Dense Point ◽

Different Shapes

AbstractIn this paper, we present a robotic workcell for task automation in footwear manufacturing such as sole digitization, glue dispensing, and sole manipulation from different places within the factory plant. We aim to make progress towards shoe industry 4.0. To achieve it, we have implemented a novel sole grasping method, compatible with soles of different shapes, sizes, and materials, by exploiting the particular characteristics of these objects. Our proposal is able to work well with low density point clouds from a single RGBD camera and also with dense point clouds obtained from a laser scanner digitizer. The method computes antipodal grasping points from visual data in both cases and it does not require a previous recognition of sole. It relies on sole contour extraction using concave hulls and measuring the curvature on contour areas. Our method was tested both in a simulated environment and in real conditions of manufacturing at INESCOP facilities, processing 20 soles with different sizes and characteristics. Grasps were performed in two different configurations, obtaining an average score of 97.5% of successful real grasps for soles without heel made with materials of low or medium flexibility. In both cases, the grasping method was tested without carrying out tactile control throughout the task.

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