Unsettled Topics in Obstacle Detection for Autonomous Agricultural Vehicles

Agricultural vehicles often drive along the same terrain day after day or year after year. Yet, they still must detect if a moveable object, such as another vehicle or an animal, happens to be on their path or if environmental conditions have caused muddy spots or washouts. Obstacle detection is one of the major missing pieces that can remove humans from highly automated agricultural machines today and enable the autonomous vehicles of the future. Unsettled Topics in Obstacle Detection for Autonomous Agricultural Vehicles examines the challenges of environmental object detection and collision prevention, including air obscurants, holes and soft spots, prior maps, vehicle geometry, standards, and close contact with large objects.

Settlement characteristics of The Emerald Network "Khukhra" and "Riabyna" objects in Sumy region

The current state of biotope’s vegetation cover by natural and spontaneous origin of the Khukhra and Riabyna river valleys was researched, which are left-bank tributaries of the Vorskla river, as fragments of the preserved landscape within one of the western spurs of the Central Russian Upland. They are listed as perspective objects of the Emerald Network — Riabyna river valley in Sumy region (UA0000427) and Khukhra river valley in Sumy region (UA0000429). The obtained new data on environmental significance are data for the primary database formation in the monitoring organization of these territorial objects. The researched areas are mainly floodplains, small segments of pine terraces and slope’s fragments of these rivers native banks. The presence numbers of biotopes from Resolution 4 of the Berne Convention (C1.222; C1.223; C1.224, C1.32; C1.33; C1.4; C2.33; C2.34; C3.51; D5.2; E2.2; E5.4; F9.1; G1.11; G1.21; G1.22; G1.A4; G1.A1) are given for both explored objects, in addition, for the valley of the Riabyna river are indicated E1.3; E3.4, and for the Khukhra river — C3.4; E1.2. We have not confirmed the existence of such biotopes as C3.4, E1.3, C1.4 for these objects. Also, the presence of Sarmatian-type pine forests (G3.4232) was noted, which are timed to the elevations of pine terraces. Biotopes with constant excessive moisture are ubiquitous in the waters of low-flow artificial ponds. Eutrophic and mesotrophic vegetation of slow-flowing waters often occurs in shallow water along riverbeds. Biotopes groups of dwarf annual amphibious plants were observed only in fragments. Lowland swamps with sedge thickets without stagnant water are widespread in the floodplain, although they occupy small areas. Biotopes flooded pasture and hay meadows are a variety of options coenotic (herbaceous and cereal, wet and moist high-grass meadows). Biotopes of riparian shrubs, willow and willow-poplar floodplain forests are distributed in small fragments in the riverbed of floodplains. Mixed riparian floodplain and gallery forests occur in low-lying areas at the transition from the floodplain to the pine terrace. In general, shrub and forest vegetation on the terraces of these rivers are currently quite limited and fragmentary. Due to the reduction in the use of hayfields, in the floodplain the presence of indigenous forest remnants is quite relevant, which should be a source for their restoration in large areas. Important environmental object in these areas, as part of the Emerald Network is the local population of Ostericum palustre, and in the valley of the Khukhra river discovered a large population.

Disinfection Measures during COVID-19 for Dental Operatories

Background: In the dental health-care setups, the environmental object and surfaces are expected to be infected by the COVID virus wherein definite procedures are performed. Consequently, these objects and surfaces, particularly where COVID-19 patients are being treated, must be appropriately cleaned and sanitized to stop further spread. Objective: The present article is intended for providing protocols about the cleaning and disinfection of objects and surfaces in the circumstances of COVID-19 for Dental operatories. Methods: Studies evaluating the surface characteristics of the virus as well as effective disinfection measures have been documented. Results: Various chemicals in different concentrations have a virocidal effect. The devices introduced include used UV radiation and ozone. Conclusion: These changes in dental clinical practice are needed to save humanity by preventing further transmission of disease.

Expert Concepts in Forensic Ecology

The article addresses the existing points of view on the term “the language of forensic expertise”. The author draws attention to the fact that many forensic expert terms comprise a synthesis of legal and scientific concepts. The legal concepts contained in Chapter 26 “Environmental crimes” of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and the definitions of some of them are analyzed. It is pointed out that a range of expert notions necessary for forensic purposes is defined by the GOST R 58081-2018 “Forensic environmental expertise. Terms and definitions”, including the concepts of “environmental harm”, “damage caused to an environmental object”. They should be gradually implemented into the practice of conducting forensic environmental investigations.

Parallel Three-Branch Correlation Filters for Complex Marine Environmental Object Tracking Based on a Confidence Mechanism

Marine object tracking is critical for search and rescue activities in the complex marine environment. However, the complex marine environment poses a huge challenge to the effect of tracking, such as the variability of light, the impact of sea waves, the occlusion of other ships, etc. Under these complex marine environmental factors, how to design an efficient dynamic visual tracker to make the results accurate, real time and robust is particularly important. The parallel three-branch correlation filters for complex marine environmental object tracking based on a confidence mechanism is proposed by us. The proposed tracker first detects the appearance change and position change of the object by constructing parallel three-branch correlation filters, which enhances the robustness of the correlation filter model. Through the weighted fusion of response maps, the center position of the object is accurately located. Secondly, the Gaussian-triangle joint distribution is used to replace the original Gaussian distribution in the training phase. Finally, a verification mechanism of confidence metric is embedded in the filter update section to analyze the tracking effect of the current frame, and to update the filter sample from verification result. Thus, a more accurate correlation filter is trained to prevent model drift and achieve a good tracking effect. We found that the effect of various interferences on the filter is effectively reduced by comparing with other trackers. The experiments prove that the proposed tracker can play an outstanding role in the complex marine environment.

Rapid Motion Segmentation of LiDAR Point Cloud Based on a Combination of Probabilistic and Evidential Approaches for Intelligent Vehicles

Point clouds from light detecting and ranging (LiDAR) sensors represent increasingly important information for environmental object detection and classification of automated and intelligent vehicles. Objects in the driving environment can be classified as either d y n a m i c or s t a t i c depending on their movement characteristics. A LiDAR point cloud is also segmented into d y n a m i c and s t a t i c points based on the motion properties of the measured objects. The segmented motion information of a point cloud can be useful for various functions in automated and intelligent vehicles. This paper presents a fast motion segmentation algorithm that segments a LiDAR point cloud into d y n a m i c and s t a t i c points in real-time. The segmentation algorithm classifies the motion of the latest point cloud based on the LiDAR’s laser beam characteristics and the geometrical relationship between consecutive LiDAR point clouds. To accurately and reliably estimate the motion state of each LiDAR point considering the measurement uncertainty, both probability theory and evidence theory are employed in the segmentation algorithm. The probabilistic and evidential algorithm segments the point cloud into three classes: d y n a m i c , s t a t i c , and u n k n o w n . Points are placed in the u n k n o w n class when LiDAR point cloud is not sufficient for motion segmentation. The point motion segmentation algorithm was evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively through experimental comparisons with previous motion segmentation methods.

System-Institutional Paradigm of Management of New Technological System Organizations

Subject: The possibility and specifics of the system-institutional paradigm through the prism of innovation activity management. Objectives: Identification of management problems specific to the organization and explicitly arising as a result of its presentation on the basis of the system-institutional paradigm. Methodology: Institutional and evolutionary economic theories, organizational science, the theories of long waves and management. Results: The research features a system-institutional paradigm according to the organization level, represented in the form of environmental, object, processed, and project systems-institutions. The managing subsystem of such an organization must take into account the peculiarities of the four-element managed subsystem, its institutional features that are important for an effective strategy and tactics to be used by new technological system organizations. Conclusions: The system-institutional paradigm that unites the achievements of G. B. Kleiner and B. H. Yerznkyan’s four-element system methodology can be adapted and successfully applied to the management of organizations of the new technological system. This circumstance poses a number of problems that need to be resolved.

ELEMENTS OF URBAN DESIGN IN MODERN CITY ARCHITECTURAL PARTERRE FORMATION

The article deals with the problem of architectural parterre as an environmental object in urban realm structure. Tendencies in urban building are described, resulting in architectural parterre formation. The rates of urban density and number of floors, where architectural parterre is formed, are provided. The description of 3-D elements, that are included in architectural parterre structure, is indicated. This article gives the analysis of architectural parterre human perception peculiarities. On the grounds of conducted analysis, the article presents urban design elements, by means of which the architectural-artistic appearance of architectural parterre is formed. The article makes a description of the urban design revealed elements and systematizes them.

Environmental Object Recognition in a Natural Image

Natural images, which are filled with intriguing stimuli of spatial objects, represent our cognition and are rich in spatial information. Accurate extraction of spatial objects is challenging due to the associated spatial and spectral complexities in object recognition. In this paper, the authors tackle the problem of spatial object extraction in a GEOgraphic Object Based Image Analysis framework taking psychological and mathematical complexities into account. In doing so, the authors experimented with human and GEOBIA based recognition and segmentation in an image of an area of natural importance, the Ventoux Mountain, France. Focus was given to scales, color, and texture properties at multiple levels in delineating the candidate spatial objects from the natural image. Such objects along with the original image were provided to the human subjects in two stages and three different groups of samples. The results of two stages were collated and analyzed. The analysis showed that there exist different ways to comprehend the geographical objects according to priori knowledge.