Multispectral aerial image processing system for precision agriculture

Cuban agriculture has the growing need to increase its productivity. To achieve this, precision agriculture can play a fundamental role. It is necessary to develop an image processing system able to process all the crops information and calculate vegetation indexes in a satisfactory way. This will entail in accurate measurements of the nitrogen lack, the hydric stress, and the vegetal strength, among other aspects, seeking to improve the accuracy in the care of these aspects. This document reports the results of an investigation pointed to develop a procedure for capturing and processing multispectral aerial images obtained from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles [UAV]. This procedure searched to measure the vegetation indexes of sugarcane crops that may be correlated with the level of vegetal strength, the number of stems, and the foliar mass per lot. We used a USENSE-X8 UAV together with a Sequoia multispectral sensor and the QGIS processing software. The procedure was experimentally validated.

LIES: Learning Immersive Experiences Significative

Virtual education is progressively replacing the classrooms, then having a face-to-face class is becoming a luxury. This paper proposes a way to take advantage of this opportunity for direct human exchange with technological support, but focusing the pedagogical activity on a living experience where the apprentice is the protagonist. Although pedagogical mediation requires a lot of preparatory work, has advantages: make simple its implementation and facilitate its replica by almost any individual who had received enough training. High-level educational experiences in many scenarios are enabled, joining the virtues of both: tangible and intangible worlds. A particular case, where a methodological structure based on the breathing –with its expansions and its contractions– as pedagogical process is proposed, and its educational components are explained

Guidance scheme for paths without temporary restrictions using the Krick Felix model boat under the influence of sea currents

The autonomous surface vehicles are composed of a guidance, navigation, and control systems where the first one plays an important role in missions without human intervention. This article presents the design of a guidance system made of an I-LOS controller, where its purpose is to achieve the convergence and the precise following of straight paths, regardless of the sea currents presence. The controller gains adjustment is performed according to the vehicle features and the geometry of the path to follow. The proposed guidance algorithm is assessed through simulation, obtaining favorable results.

Handover Algorithms in LTE Networks for Massive Means of Transport

Handover in LTE occurs when a device moves from the cell coverage serving it towards another; a process where the user established session must not be interrupted due to this cell change. Handovers in LTE are classified as hard ones, since the link with the serving cell is interrupted before establishing the new link with the target cell. This entails a larger failure risk and, consequently, a potential deterioration in the quality of service. This article presents a review of the handover algorithms in LTE, focusing on the ones oriented to massive means of transport. We show how the new algorithms offer a larger success in handovers, increasing the networkdata rate. This indicates that factors such as speed, position, and direction should be included in the algorithms to improve the handover in means of transport. We also present the algorithms focused on mobile relays such as an important study field for future research works.

Machine learning algorithms for inter-cell interference coordination

The current LTE and LTE-A deployments require larger efforts to achieve the radio resource management. This, due to the increase of users and the constantly growing demand of services. For this reason, the automatic optimization is a key point to avoid issues such as the inter-cell interference. This paper presents several proposals of machine-learning algorithms focused on this automatic optimization problem. The research works seek that the cellular systems achieve their self-optimization, a key concept within the self-organized networks, where the main objective is to achieve that the networks to be capable to automatically respond to the particular needs in the dynamic network traffic scenarios.

Effects of blind channel equalization using the regressive accelerator algorithm version ɣ

We present a blind channel equalization scheme, applied to ɣ version regressive acceleration algorithm, which uses self-taught equalization techniques to study the characteristics of both, the second and the higher order moments for the transmitted signal, used to calculate the signal of error and thus, to make an optimal estimation of the transmitted symbols. This way, simulations of the obtained results are done in comparison with the algorithms based on the stochastic gradient and with the Bussgang algorithms. The results of that simulations show how, using the regressive acceleration algorithm version ɣ, a better detection of transmitted bits and higher convergence speeds are obtained, with a minimum mean square error.

Implementation of an OBD-II diagnostics tool over CAN-BUS with Arduino

Since its beginnings, the goal of On Board Diagnostics [OBD] standard has been to take control over gasses emission in automotives and its effects in the environment. This project implements a system based on OBD-II diagnostic protocol over a CAN bus, which allows both, displaying real time variables and diagnostic the vehicle status to get codes about its functioning, failures and energy efficiency. On board diagnostic systems allow to obtain failure codes stored and several relevant variables as: speed, gas level and CO2 emission levels, in real time. An OBD-II system centered at the end of the bus, corresponding to the scanner or diagnostic unit, was implemented on an Arduino Mega 2560 board connected to a CAN transceiver-controller composite module. The scanner has a USB connection that makes it easy to view the data recovered in a versatile way on a PC through a graphical interface created in LabVIEW ™.

Towards smarter cities taking advantage of the Fog Computing paradigm

The fog computing term has achieved importance in the last years due to its effect in the latency reduction that the Internet of Things [IoT] applications have. These applications demand real-time (or nearly real-time) responses and they are characterized by low bandwidth consumption; hence, the fog computing is relevant in achieving these requests because part of the processing is done near the end user devices. For this reason, the cloud computing paradigm is not enough for some applications, since nowadays, the instant need of data and the decision-making process leverage –or somehow discover– a new horizon that demands a complementary variable. This article consists on an approach to the fog computing term, together with the requirements analysis for engineering solutions in the IoT field. Also, its impact in the smart cities and other fields plus its main challenges are addressed. We also present a guideline to implement a recommendation system for sightseeing places for tourists based in fog computing embraced in a large smart city project located in Havana.

Pulse oximeter with Internet data visualization

In this work, we describe the design and construction of a pulse oximeter for remote patient monitoring. The proposed device uses the ESP8266 microcontroller as the core component to establish the wireless connection and send information to a node.js server. Then, a web service shows the saturation of oxygen and the heart rate through a WebSocket connection. This paper describes the hardware and software designs, justifying the decision to select each component of the proposed device. Finally, some experimental results are shown to illustrate the performance of the developed prototype.

Help button for elderly people on the Arduino platform

The design and implementation of a system capable of providing elderly people with a fast track to ask for help, remotely, to the person in charge of their care, using the cellular network is reported t. The main functionality is a help button, through which the person in charge of the elderly care will receive a text message when the elder presses the button. Recognizing the little connection between the people of this age group with cellular technology, defining the number to which the messages will be sent (and writing them) is not their task. The system has other features of great value, as a group of automatic alarms, also operating via SMS, generated by a group of sensors included in the system, which facilitates remote decision making from caregivers.