Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985, 2000), the purpose of this thesis was to investigate the role of global/dispositional autonomous and controlled motivation orientations in facilitating posttraumatic growth (PTG; Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996, 2004) following the experience of various significant negative life events (Manuscript 1), relationship dissolution (Manuscript 2), and bereavement (Manuscript 3) in two university student samples. The objectives were to investigate the contribution of dispositional autonomous and controlled motivation in statistically predicting PTG above and beyond previously researched correlates; and explore the mediating role of cognitive appraisals and coping strategies in explaining the relationship between dispositional motivation orientations and PTG. Consistent with the overall hypotheses of the thesis, dispositional autonomous motivation was positively associated with PTG across all three manuscripts. Across all three manuscripts, we found that dispositional autonomous motivation explained a unique portion of the variance in explaining PTG, above and beyond previously researched correlates of PTG and dispositional controlled motivation. Mediation results indicated an indirect effect of dispositional autonomous motivation on PTG through primary cognitive appraisal (Manuscript 1). Dispositional autonomous motivation was positively associated with task-oriented coping strategies across all three manuscripts. Moreover, task-oriented coping strategies were the strongest indirect effect in Manuscript 1, and the only significant indirect effect in Manuscript 2 and Manuscript 3 between dispositional autonomous motivation and PTG. Dispositional controlled motivation was positively related to disengagement-oriented coping strategies in Manuscript 1 and 2, but unrelated in Manuscript 3. Collectively, these findings highlight the importance of incorporating motivation orientations into theoretical models of PTG and aiding practitioners in better recognizing the significance of motivational factors in facilitating posttraumatic growth.

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) systems are expected to become the de facto sensors of choice for autonomous vehicles and robotics systems due to their long range and high resolution, allowing them to map the environment accurately. Current available LiDAR systems are based on mechanical apparatus and discrete components that result in large, bulky, and expensive systems with yet-to-be-proven reliability. The advent of Silicon Photonics technology, advanced CMOS foundries allow us to fabricate miniaturized optical components such as phased arrays that combined enable reliable, solid-state, and cost-effective chip-scale LiDAR systems. Furthermore, Silicon Photonics based platform has the advantage of integrating many complex optical components in to a single chip. It is possible to realize an optical phased array based on waveguides with gratings for emitters. These emitters allow to steer the beam by tuning the source's wavelength exploiting the grating's sensitivity to wavelength in one axis and standard phase tuning on the other axis. Such a steering scheme requires only N phase shifters for an N-channel system thus leading to high power efficiency. Another example that could leverage the Silicon Photonics platform is a full coherent LiDAR system utilizing Frequency-Modulated Continuous-Wave (FMCW) detection scheme that was recently reported. However, miniaturizing a LiDAR system to chip-scale has many challenges. The work in this dissertation presents solutions to some of the key challenges we face in order to demonstrate high performance LiDAR based on phased array. One key challenge is the trade-off between beam divergence and field of view. Here, we show a platform based on silicon-nitride/silicon that achieves simultaneously minimal beam divergence and maximum field of view while maintaining performance that is robust to fabrication variations. In addition, in order to maximize the emission from the entire length of the grating, we design the grating’s strength by varying its duty cycle (apodization) to emit uniformly. We fabricate a millimeter long grating emitter with diffraction-limited beam divergence of 0.089°. Another challenge that is intertwined with the aperture length mention before is how maximizing the steering range in an optical phased array. The array's field of view that is perpendicular to the light propagation is governed by the spacing between emitters. In contrast to Radio Frequency based devices, achieving maximum field of view by placing the emitters at half wavelength pitch to avoid side lobes, is challenging for optical phased arrays as the size of the mode is comparable to the wavelength that give rise to cross-talk issues. Emitter pitch that is larger than half the wavelength induce grating lobes in the steered range, effectively limiting the field of view. The closer together the waveguides, the shorter emitters must be to avoid cross-talk, fundamentally limiting the spot size at the farfield. Cross-talk between waveguides induces wavefront aberrations in the beam, thereby increasing beam divergence and limiting the system resolution and range. Here, we improve the mode confinement in the waveguide by increasing the index along the waveguide axis. We use thin Silicon rods, known as metamaterials, between the emitters to tightly confine the mode in the waveguide. Concentrating the mode in the waveguide reduces cross-talk between emitters and maximizes the optical phased array field of view. By embedding an array in a Mach–Zehnder interferometer we demonstrate a sensitive method of measuring cross-talk between the waveguide. We also measure in the nearfield the width of an array of waveguides over a millimeter long emitters. We show that by using the metamaterials we can realize a dense array with a pitch of 1.2 µm over a millimeter long waveguides with gratings at negligible cross-talk. This short pitch allows for 83° steering angle range (Field of View). Combining this the work of Silicon Nitride based long gratings, will allow for a LiDAR system with minimal beam divergence while achieving record large Field of View. Finally, the last chapter discusses Subwavelength Grating structures that due to their sub-wavelength dimensions guide light without diffraction. These structures allow us to tailor the required effective index by varying their duty cycle. We evaluate their robustness to fabrication variations by embedding them inside a sensitive race track. Using this resonator we measured the sensitivity of Subwavelength Grating structures to an off-set in the element's location, elements' width, duty cycle variation, and width change of a single element. Lastly, we show that due to their periodic structure, they are also robust to as many as three consecutive missing elements. This protection property opens the possibility of realizing a plethora of new devices not possible using wire waveguides. One such example is a T-splitter in which an incoming Transverse Magnetic polarized mode could be split to two separate branches at a 90° angle. The demonstrated platform we show here paves the way for on-chip LiDAR systems for autonomous automotive, robotics, wireless communications, and particle trapping.

abstract: A novel underwater, open source, and configurable vehicle that mimics and leverages advances in quad-copter controls and dynamics, called the uDrone, was designed, built and tested. This vehicle was developed to aid coral reef researchers in collecting underwater spectroscopic data for the purpose of monitoring coral reef health. It is designed with an on-board integrated sensor system to support both automated navigation in close proximity to reefs and environmental observation. Additionally, the vehicle can serve as a testbed for future research in the realm of programming for autonomous underwater navigation and data collection, given the open-source simulation and software environment in which it was developed. This thesis presents the motivation for and design components of the new vehicle, a model governing vehicle dynamics, and the results of two proof-of-concept simulation for automated control. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Computer Science 2020

The topic of this master's thesis is devoted to design and realization of autonomous camera system of the selected object with possibility of remote access. The content of the theoretical part is description of components of the camera system and close analysis of the used software, including the selection of suitable components. The practical part is approaching to the initial installation of the system and verification of the functionality of individual components based on simple commands. The next step is developing an mobile application comunicattting with the camera system based on low data flow.

This thesis deals with an axle design for an autonomous minibus. The theoretical part is about axles then the next one goes over the given parameters. Following with a selection of suitable parts for use and designs of parts for production. This chapter is also about geometry and driving characteristics analyzation. The next chapters are devoted to the calculations of the loads on the lower arm, its design and static analysis. The last chapter combines all the parts together into a conceptual design.

Background. Today autonomous vehicles (AV) are a well-debated topic and manystudies try to understand or solve different ethical dilemmas concerning self-driving.There are legal issues and liability concerns that require clarity from a governmentfor any type of AV to operate on the road. The Swedish transport agency has notallowed autonomous cars because they do not fulfill the requirements to be classifiedas a safe vehicle and there are only a few studies in Sweden that focus on this topic.  Objectives. This thesis will investigate previous research in this area to find outwhat are the most common topics that are a concern to people when it comes toAVs. Based on the findings from the literature review, a survey will be distributed,containing both qualitative and quantitative questions. Methods. A literature review has been performed to set up the base work for thesurvey. The questions to the survey were based on the findings from the literaturereview thereafter a pilot survey was distributed. The result from the survey will beanalysed by categorizing themes and keywords from the respondents. Results. The literature review can reveal that the most concerning categories according to people are safety, security, legal aspects & liability, and cost. The respondents to the survey indicate that safety is a high prioritized topic together with anylegal and liability aspects. The result also shows that there is a high expectationfrom the car manufacturers to make the vehicle secure from any attacks. As opposedto other research the Swedish respondents in this survey do not show much concernwhen it comes to costs.  Conclusions. A common theme from the respondents shows that safety must beprioritized before any AVs can be released on the road, with no exceptions. Many ofthe respondents show that they trust the Swedish government and its legal systemwhich indicates that the acceptance of AVs could correlate with an acceptance fromthe Swedish transport agency. Though the respondents in the survey do seem to trustin the companies ability to provide a secure vehicle there are still some concernedabout the possibility of being a victim of a cyber attack. There are no concernsabout the cost of the autonomous technology amongst the respondents but it is notevaluated why and that leaves those results open for interpretation.

International drone goods transportation - Abstract, key words The aim of this work is to explore the possibilities of liability concepts in relation to unmanned aerial vehicles that transport goods in the international transport of goods. For this purpose, a comparison of the normative theory of František Weyr and the way of functioning of formally logical systems is performed within the work. This normative theory has a great impact on the actual functioning of the information system itself, which is exempt from the content of its own rule contained in the norm itself. There are described methods of acknowledging machines and the method of interpretation and application of individual rules contained in norms themselves that are being interpreted by these machines. All this precisely with regard to the fact that unmanned aerial vehicles cannot learn to distinguish between inner values of norms, on which individual legal norms are based. This is because unmanned aerial vehicles cannot achieve this with the help of a tool of pure intelligence alone. Since unmanned aerial vehicles interpret and apply their own internal norms to the outside world only as they are set within their normative setting. This normative setting is also related to the protection against banal evil and the protection of notional...

<div>The heavy duty transportation sector is projected to grow in the coming decades. Increasing the fuel economy of class 8 vehicles would simultaneously decrease CO2 emissions and decrease the annual fuel expenditures that account for nearly a quarter of cargo companies' annual budgets. Most technology that has aimed to do this has primarily been focused on either improvements in engine efficiency or reduction of aerodynamic drag. This thesis addresses a somewhat different approach: the optimization of vehicle dynamics in order to realize fuel savings. </div><div><br></div><div>Through partnerships with Peloton Technology and Cummins, tests and simulations were conducted on corridors with grades up to 5% that indicate fuel savings of up to 14.4% can be achieved through the combination of three strategies: two-truck platooning, long-horizon predictive cruise control (LHPCC), and simultaneous shifting. Two-truck platooning is the act of drafting a rear truck behind a front truck. It has been shown that this not only reduces the drag of the follow vehicle, but also that of the lead vehicle. LHPCC is an optimization of the lead truck's velocity over a given corridor to get "from point A to point B" in the most efficient way possible whilst doing so with a trip time constraint. Last is the use of simultaneous shifting, which allows the follow vehicle to maintain the proper platoon gap distance behind</div><div>the lead truck.</div>

Colloidal robots refer to the colloid scale (from nm to μm) machines capable of carrying out programmed actions for complex tasks automatically. Because of its promising application in engineering and medical service, colloidal robotics have been of much recent research interest in both theoretical and technological relevance. However, there remain many open challenges on increasing actuation efficiency, achieving high level tasks (e.g., autonomous navigation), etc. This dissertation, in general, focuses on developing new actuation mechanisms and designing autonomous navigation strategies for colloidal robots with both experimental and computational efforts. Firstly, the motivation, background and recent research advances on colloidal robots are reviewed. In Chapter 2, a high-efficiency actuation method called contact charge electrophoresis(CCEP) is introduced to propel the dielectric metallic Janus colloid particles. The autonomous propulsion of Janus particles shows colloidal particle asymmetries can be used to direct the motions of colloidal robots. Beyond single colloidal particle's propulsion, Chapter 3 shows multi-colloidal particles' motions can be coupled and synchronized to generate traveling waves via electrostatic interactions. Our results in Chapter 3 suggest that simple energy inputs can coordinate complex motions for colloidal robots. Then inspired by active particles motions' guided by their symmetry in Chapter 2, we show in Chapter 4 how multiple autonomous navigation can be achieved by designing the active particle's geometry and its stimulus response. Chapter 4 describes a strategy that colloid particles can sense the stimulus in environment via shape-shifting. The feedback loop of sensing and motion enables colloid particles to achieve positive or negative chemotaxis-like navigation. To experimentally realize similar navigation behaviors introduced in Chapter 4, we described a magnetic driven colloidal robot system in Chapter 5, which could show navigation behaviors (uphill and downhill) on a slope by rationally programming the external magnetic field. Chapter 6 highlights future research directions and potential applications of colloidal robots.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Advancement in modern technology has brought with it an advent of increased interest in self-driving. The rapid growth in interest has caused a surge in the development of autonomous vehicles which in turn brought with itself a few challenges. To overcome these new challenges, automotive companies are forced to invest heavily in the research and development of autonomous vehicles. To overcome this challenge, simulations are a great tool in any arsenal that’s inclined towards making progress towards a self-driving autonomous future. There is a massive growth in the amount of computing power in today’s world and with the help of the same computing power, simulations will help test and simulate scenarios to have real time results. However, the challenge does not end here, there is a much bigger hurdle caused by the growing complexities of modelling a complete simulation environment. This thesis focuses on providing a solution for modelling a RADAR sensor for a simulation environment. This research presents a RADAR modeling technique suitable for autonomous vehicle simulation environment using open-source utilities. This study proposes to customize an onboard LiDAR model to the specification of a desired RADAR field of view, resolution, and range and then utilizes a density-based clustering algorithm to generate the RADAR output on an open-source graphical engine such as Unreal Engine (UE). High fidelity RADAR models have recently been developed for proprietary simulation platforms such as MATLAB under its automated driving toolbox. However, open-source RADAR models for open-source simulation platform such as UE are not available. This research focuses on developing a RADAR model on UE using blueprint visual scripting for off-road vehicles. The model discussed in the thesis uses 3D pointcloud data generated from the simulation environment and then clipping the data according to the FOV of the RADAR specification, it clusters the points generated from an object using DBSCAN. The model gives the distance and azimuth to the object from the RADAR sensor in 2D. This model offers the developers a base to build upon and help them develop and test autonomous control algorithms requiring RADAR sensor data. Preliminary simulation results show promise for the proposed RADAR model.