SPEAKER IDENTIFICATION MODEL BASED ON DEEP NURAL NETWOKS

This study aims is to establish a small system of text-independent recognition of speakers for a relatively small group of speakers at a sound stage. The fascinating justification for the International Space Station (ISS) to detect if the astronauts are speaking at a specific time has influenced the difficulty. In this work, we employed Machine Learning Applications. Accordingly, we used the Direct Deep Neural Network (DNN)-based approach, in which the posterior opportunities of the output layer are utilized to determine the speaker’s presence. In line with the small footprint design objective, a simple DNN model with only sufficient hidden units or sufficient hidden units per layer was designed, thereby reducing the cost of parameters through intentional preparation to avoid the normal overfitting problem and optimize the algorithmic aspects, such as context-based training, activation functions, validation, and learning rate. Two commercially available databases, namely, TIMIT clean speech and HTIMIT multihandset communication database and TIMIT noise-added data framework, were tested for this reference model that we developed using four sound categories at three distinct signal-to-noise ratios. Briefly, we used a dynamic pruning method in which the conditions of all layers are simultaneously pruned, and the pruning mechanism is reassigned. The usefulness of this approach was evaluated on all the above contact databases

Kinematics of a 6-DOF parallel manipulator with two limbs actuated by spherical motion generators

Inspired by dual-arm-like manipulation, a novel 6-DOF parallel manipulator with two spherical-universal-revolute limbs is proposed. Compared with general 6-DOF parallel manipulators with six limbs, this new manipulator actuated by spherical motion generators has only two limbs, which brings advantages such as fewer active limbs for avoiding interference, larger reachable and orientational workspace for complex operating, more actuators integrated in active modules for decreasing installation errors and increasing compactness. In this paper, the kinematics of this novel parallel manipulator is solved and illustrated, covering its inverse and forward position analysis, workspace and singularities. The kinematic study reveals interesting features of this manipulator such as multiple working and assembly modes, small footprint and large workspace volume with high dexterity. Numerical examples of kinematic analysis are included. Practical application of the new manipulator is illustrated.

Bubble NoC – A Low Energy Network-on-Chip with Small Footprint and High Performance

<div>The Bubble NoC is based on simplicity and provides outstanding performance. Flow control is implemented by <i>bubbles</i>, which are inserted between the flits. The logic resembles a traffic situation where a vehicle only moves if the next position is empty. When a flit moves, a bubble is created behind it, and when there is a blocking the bubbles are collapsed as the flits behind are packed together. Even when the Bubble NoC is saturated, it degrades gracefully, and the execution continues.</div><div> Deterministic prerouting is used, with the address stored as markers in a 2 out of 32 code. The routing algorithm shifts the address one step at each hop and turns or finishes when a marker starts the address.</div><div> The physical implementation is a mesh of <i>streets</i> containing duplex links of 38 wires carrying 32-bit payload. Signaling is based on current injection that charges the wires. A switch is placed in a four-way crossing, with a fifth local connection into a street. The switch contains input registers for each approaching street. Straight through traffic is simply passed on, and a diagonal gate is used for turning traffic.</div><div> All switches are bidirectional transmission gates, and the control is distributed as a sidewalk in a few µm of the periphery surrounding the intersection. In a 14 nm technology, the streets are 8 μm wide, the crossing is 17 μm in square, the hop frequency 6.67 GHz and the energy for a datapath 4.1 fJ/bit/hop (150 µm).</div>

Bubble NoC – A Low Energy Network-on-Chip with Small Footprint and High Performance

<div>The Bubble NoC is based on simplicity and provides outstanding performance. Flow control is implemented by <i>bubbles</i>, which are inserted between the flits. The logic resembles a traffic situation where a vehicle only moves if the next position is empty. When a flit moves, a bubble is created behind it, and when there is a blocking the bubbles are collapsed as the flits behind are packed together. Even when the Bubble NoC is saturated, it degrades gracefully, and the execution continues.</div><div> Deterministic prerouting is used, with the address stored as markers in a 2 out of 32 code. The routing algorithm shifts the address one step at each hop and turns or finishes when a marker starts the address.</div><div> The physical implementation is a mesh of <i>streets</i> containing duplex links of 38 wires carrying 32-bit payload. Signaling is based on current injection that charges the wires. A switch is placed in a four-way crossing, with a fifth local connection into a street. The switch contains input registers for each approaching street. Straight through traffic is simply passed on, and a diagonal gate is used for turning traffic.</div><div> All switches are bidirectional transmission gates, and the control is distributed as a sidewalk in a few µm of the periphery surrounding the intersection. In a 14 nm technology, the streets are 8 μm wide, the crossing is 17 μm in square, the hop frequency 6.67 GHz and the energy for a datapath 4.1 fJ/bit/hop (150 µm).</div>

America's Wars

The collapse of the Soviet Union ushered in American global hegemony in world affairs. In the post-Cold War period, both Democrat and Republican governments intervened, fought insurgencies, and changed regimes. In America's Wars, Thomas Henriksen explores how America tried to remake the world by militarily invading a host of nations beset with civil wars, ethnic cleansing, brutal dictators, and devastating humanitarian conditions. The immediate post-Cold War years saw the United States carrying out interventions in the name of Western-style democracy, humanitarianism, and liberal internationalism in Panama, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia and Kosovo. Later, the 9/11 terrorist attacks led America into larger-scale military incursions to defend itself from further assaults by al Qaeda in Afghanistan and from perceived nuclear arms in Iraq, while fighting small-footprint conflicts in Africa, Asia, and Arabia. This era is coming to an end with the resurgence of great power rivalry and rising threats from China and Russia.

LLC and CLLC Resonant Converters Based DC Transformers (DCXs): Characteristics, Issues, and Solutions

Conventional line frequency transformers have the disadvantages of large volume and low efficiency. The medium or high frequency transformers based on power converters can achieve high power conversion with small footprint have drawn popularity in numerous industrial applications. Unregulated resonant converters, LLC and CLLC resonant converters, with fixed voltage conversion ratio operating at resonant frequency, which are also known as DC transformers (DCXs), are attractive owning to their high efficiency characteristic. Nevertheless, there are issues associated with DCXs in real applications. Regulation capability and automatic resonant frequency tracking capability are the two most important issues for DCXs. The main work of this paper is to characterize the resonant converters based DCXs, and overview the issues and solutions associated with DCXs. Guidelines can be provided for researchers and engineers when designing the resonant converters based DCXs.

Multi-Attribute Assessment of Waste-to-Energy Technologies for Medical, Industrial, and Electronic Residual Wastes

There is a global need for residual waste management to prevent environmental and health hazards and reduce its volume for disposal to sanitary landfills. A waste-to-energy (WtE) facility can provide solutions by converting energy from waste to generate electricity. In this study, a method of selecting the most appropriate WtE technology for residual wastes from medical, industrial, and electronic sectors was formulated and implemented through multi-attribute decision analysis. The preference of the investigators with technical knowledge from different fields of expertise were considered in ranking the most important parameters in the study. From the comparison of seven waste conversion technologies and four power generation technologies, the pyrolysis-Brayton plant was found to be the most suitable WtE technology for residual waste. Using empirical, literature, and industry data, a pyrolysis-Brayton WtE power plant was simulated at capacities of 1, 3, and 10 tons per day (tpd) for the three waste sectors. The results of the study show that a WtE plant can reduce the volume of residual wastes up to 90% and generate electricity up to 1.2 MW for 10tpd plant simulations. The flexibility and small footprint of the pyrolysis-Brayton set-up is suitable for installment in clustered locations. Pilot demonstration is recommended for future studies.