For synthetic aperture imaging, position and orientation deviation is of great concern. Unknown motions of a Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) can blur the reconstructed images and degrade image quality considerably. Considering the high sensitivity of synthetic aperture imaging technique to sonar deviation, this research aims at providing a thorough navigation solution for a free-towed synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) comprising aspects from the design and construction of the navigation card through to data postprocessing to produce position, velocity, and attitude information of the sonar. The sensor configuration of the designed navigation card is low-cost Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) Magnetic, Angular Rate, and Gravity (MARG) sensors including three angular rate gyroscopes, three dual-axial accelerometers, and a triaxial magnetic hybrid. These MARG sensors are mounted orthogonally on a standard 180mm Eurocard PCB to monitor the motions of the sonar in six degrees of freedom. Sensor calibration algorithms are presented for each individual sensor according to its characteristics to precisely determine sensor parameters. The nonlinear least square method and two-step estimator are particularly used for the calibration of accelerometers and magnetometers. A quaternion-based extended Kalman filter is developed based on a total state space model to fuse the calibrated navigation data. In the model, the frame transformations are described using quaternions instead of other attitude representations. The simulations and experimental results are demonstrated in this thesis to verify the capability of the sensor fusion strategy.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Geomagnetic storms are primarily driven by the rapid transfer of energy from the solar wind to the magnetosphere. The mechanism of energy transfer involves the merging of the interplanetary magnetic field to the geomagnetic field in a process known as magnetic reconnection. This leads to an influx of energetic, charged particles into the magnetosphere so that current systems are enhanced. Specifically, an increase in the equatorial ring current leads to a decrease in the surface field. Geomagnetic storms are thus characterized by a strong decline in the horizontal components of the geomagnetic field, lasting from several hours to days. The intensity of a storm is described by the disturbed storm-time index, which is essentially a measure of the deviation from the typical quiet day variation along the equator. Severe storms can lead to the disruption of high frequency (HF) communications as a consequence of a strongly perturbed ionosphere. By the same token, the global positioning system (GPS) can become highly unreliable during magnetically disturbed conditions, yielding distance errors as large as 50 meters. The impact of geomagnetic activity and other solar-driven processes on technology systems are collectively known as space weather. Magnetic field sensing thus forms an important part of space weather forecasting and is vital to space science research as a means of improving our understanding of solar wind-magnetosphere interactions. This study examines the use of magnetometers built as SQUIDs (Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices) for monitoring the geomagnetic field for space weather forecasting purposes. A basic theory of superconductivity is presented and subsequently the key aspects governing the operation of SQUIDs are discussed. Space weather is also introduced with respect to the various processes on the sun that perturb the magnetosphere and hence the geomagnetic field. The method of analysis was basically to Fourier-transform the data using the Wiener-Khintchine theorem. A systematic approach to Fourier analysis is thus presented, demonstrating the superiority of the Wiener-Khintchine theorem in noise reduction. The suitability of SQUID magnetometers for space science research is demonstrated by a comparative study between SQUID and fluxgate datasets for magnetic storms during 2011. Strong correlation was observed between the frequency content of the SQUID and fluxgate signals. This result supports South Africa’s SQUID project, currently undertaken as a collaborative effort between SANSA Space Science and the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Stellenbosch University. This thesis thus lays a foundation for future research involving advanced magnetometry using SQUIDs. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geomagnetiese storms word hoofsaaklik gedryf deur die vinnige oordrag van energie van die sonwind na die magnetosfeer. Die meganisme van energie oordrag behels die samesmelting van die interplanetêre magneetveld met die geomagneetveld, in 'n proses wat bekend staan as magnetiese heraansluiting. Dit lei tot 'n instroming van energieke elektries-gelaaide deeltjies, tot in die magnetosfeer, met die gevolg dat magnetosferiese elektriese stroomstelsels versterk word. 'n Toename in die ekwatoriale ringstrome lei spesifiek tot 'n afname in die horisontale komponent van die geomagnetiese veld. Geomagnetiese storms word dus gekenmerk deur 'n sterk afname in die horisontale komponent van die geomagnetiese veld, ‘n afname wat etlike ure tot dae kan duur. Die intensiteit van 'n storm word beskryf deur die storm-tyd versteurings indeks , 'n maatstaf van die afwyking van die tipiese stil dag magnetiese variasie langs die ewenaar. Ernstige storms kan lei tot die ontwrigting van hoë frekwensie (HF) kommunikasie as 'n gevolg van 'n erg versteurde ionosfeer. Soortgelyk kan die Globale Posisionering Stelsel (GPS) hoogs onbetroubaar word tydens magneties versteurde toestande, en posisiefoute so groot as 50 meter veroorsaak. Die impak van geomagnetiese aktiwiteit en ander sonkrag gedrewe prosesse op tegnologie is gesamentlik bekend as ruimteweer. Magneetveldmetinge vorm dus 'n belangrike deel van ruimteweervoorspelling en is noodsaaklik vir ruimtewetenskaplike navorsing as 'n middel om die sonwind-magnetosfeer interaksies beter te verstaan. Hierdie studie ondersoek die gebruik van SQUID (Engels: Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) magnetometers vir die monitering van die geomagnetiese veld vir ruimteweervoorspellingsdoeleindes. ’n Basiese teorie van supergeleiding word aangebied, waarvolgens die sleutelaspekte van SQUIDs bespreek word. Ruimteweer word ook voorgestel in terme van die verskillende prosesse op die son wat die aarde se magnetosfeer en dus die geomagnetiese veld versteur. Die analisemetode wat hier gebruik word, is om die Fourier-transform van data met die Wiener-Khintchine theorema te bereken. A sistematiese metode vir Fourier-analise word aangebied, wat die superiorireit van die Wiener-Khintchine teorema vir ruisvermindering demonstreer. Die geskiktheid van SQUID magnetometers vir ruimtewetenskaplike navorsing word gedemonstreer deur ’n vergelykende studie tussen SQUID- en vloedhek-datastelle vir magnetiese storms gedurende 2011. Sterk korrelasie is waargeneem tussen die frekwensie-inhoud van die SQUID- en vloedhekseine. Hierdie resultate ondersteun Suid-Afrika se SQUID-projek, wat tans as ’n samewerkingspoging tussen SANSA Space Science en die Departement Elektriese en Elektroniese Ingenieurswese aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch bedryf word. Hierdie tesis lê ’n fondasie vir toekomstige navorsing oor gevorderde magnetometrie met SQUIDs.

[pt] Esta Tese teve por objetivo desenvolver um magnetômetro de alta sensibilidade, baseado nas características de fase do efeito da Magnetoimpedância Gigante (GMI – Giant Magnetoimpedance), para medição de campos magnéticos ultra-fracos. Elementos sensores GMI apresentam grande potencial na fabricação de magnetômetros que conciliem alta sensibilidade e elevada resolução espacial com baixo custo. A otimização da sensibilidade do transdutor magnético é diretamente afetada pela sensibilidade de seus elementos sensores GMI, cuja maximização é um processo intrinsecamente multivariável. Consequentemente, a metodologia experimental empregada iniciou-se pelo desenvolvimento de um sistema automático de caracterização das amostras GMI, de modo a se garantir a agilidade do processo de caracterização, possibilitando a obtenção de um volume significativo de informações experimentais. A análise minuciosa dos dados provenientes das medições experimentais permitiu a definição do ponto ótimo de operação das amostras GMI estudadas. Em todas as medições experimentais realizadas foram obtidas e avaliadas as curvas de histerese das amostras GMI. Na sequência, foram idealizados circuitos eletrônicos para condicionamento das amostras GMI e leitura das características de fase de sua impedância, destacandose a configuração eletrônica desenvolvida para a amplificação da sensibilidade de fase. Foram, inclusive, depositadas patentes nacionais e internacionais referentes ao método proposto e ao novo transdutor magnético GMI (PI 0902770-0; PI 1004686-0; WO/2010/094096 e WO/2012/048395). As caracterizações e ensaios experimentais realizados indicaram a eficácia da abordagem proposta, evidenciando o grande potencial do magnetômetro GMI desenvolvido, o qual apresentou uma elevada sensibilidade de 5 mV/nT. A resolução do magnetômetro foi limitada pelo ruído magnético ambiental, indicando que sua capacidade de medição de campos inferiores aos níveis de ruído poderá ser claramente evidenciada quando for avaliada em ambiente magneticamente blindado. Os estudos teórico-experimentais realizados indicam o potencial do transdutor magnético GMI desenvolvido, caracterizado por seu baixo custo e elevada sensibilidade, para aplicação na medição de campos magnéticos ultra-fracos. / [en] This Thesis aimed at developing a high sensitivity magnetometer, based on the phase characteristics of the Giant Magnetoimpedance effect (GMI), for measuring ultra-weak magnetic fields. GMI sensor elements have great potential to implement magnetometers that combine high sensitivity and high spatial resolution with low cost. The optimization of the magnetic transducer sensitivity is directly affected by the sensitivity of its GMI sensor elements, whose maximization is inherently multivariate. Consequently, the first step of the experimental methodology employed was to develop an automatic system for the characterization of GMI samples, so as to ensure the agility of the characterization process, allowing the gathering of a significant amount of experimental data. A thorough analysis of the experimental data led to the definition of the optimal operation point of the analyzed GMI samples. The hysteresis curves of the GMI samples were obtained and evaluated, in all of the performed experimental measurements. Based on the characterization studies results, electronic circuits were designed for conditioning the GMI samples and reading their impedance phase characteristics, highlighting the new electronic configuration developed for enhancing the phase sensitivity. National and international patents were filed, related to the proposed method, for sensitivity enhancement, and to the new GMI magnetometer (PI 0902770-0; PI 1004686-0; WO/2010/094096 e WO/2012/048395). The performed experimental characterizations and assays indicated the effectiveness of the proposed approach, showing the great potential of the developed GMI magnetometer, which presents a high sensitivity of 5 mV/nT. The magnetometer resolution was limited by the environmental magnetic noise, pointing out their capability in measuring fields below the environmental noise level, which can be clearly evidenced only when evaluated in a magnetically shielded room. The theoretical and experimental studies carried out indicate the potential of the developed GMI magnetic transducer, characterized by its low cost and high sensitivity, for applications involving the measurement of ultra-weak magnetic fields.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Electrical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012 / In order to effectively determine the occurrences of space weather anomalies in near Earth orbit, a highly sensitive space-grade magnetometer system is needed for measuring changes in the Earth’s magnetic field, which is the aftermath of space weather storms. This research is a foundational work, aimed at evaluating a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) high temperature DC SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) magnetometer, and establishing the possibility of using it for space weather applications. A SQUID magnetometer is a magnetic field measuring in strument that produces an electrical signal relative to the sensed external magnetic field intensity.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:15:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 CharlieSG.pdf: 1382454 bytes, checksum: 2b54a2a0dcd81f1ca374af1328ff8c73 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-03-15 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico / n this master s dissertation a Kerr Magneto Optic s magnetometer effect was set up to do characterization of samples type films fine and ultra thin, these samples will be grown after the implementation of the sputtering technique at the magnetism laboratory of of this department. In this work a cooled electromagnet was also built the water and that it reaches close values to 10kOe with a gap of 22 mm including an area of uniform field of 25mm of diameter. The first chapter treats of the construction of this electromagnet from its dimensioning to the operation tests that involve measures of reached maximum field and temperature of the reels when operated during one hour. The second chapter is dedicated to the revision of the magnetism and the magnetization processes as well as it presents a theoretical base regarding the magnetic energies found in films and magnetic multilayer. In the sequence, the third chapter, is especially dedicated the description of the effects magneto opticians the effect kerr in the longitudinal, traverse and polar configurations, using for so much only the classic approach of the electromagnetism and the coefficients of Fresnel. Distinguished the two areas of observation of the effect regarding thickness of the film. The constructive aspects of the experimental apparatus as well as the details of its operation are explained at the room surrender, also presenting the preliminary results of the measures made in one serializes of permalloy films and concluding with the results of the characterization of the first films of iron and permalloy grown here at the theoretical and experimental physics department at UFRN / Nesta disserta??o de mestrado foi montado um magnet?metro de efeito Kerr Magneto-?ptico para fazer caracteriza??o de amostras tipo filme fino e ultrafino, amostras estas que ser?o crescidas ap?s a implementa??o da t?cnica de Sputtering no laborat?rio de magnetismo deste departamento. Neste trabalho tamb?m foi constru?do um eletro?m? arrefecido a ?gua e que atinge valores pr?ximos a 10 kOe com um gap de 22 mm abrangendo uma regi?o de campo uniforme de 25 mm de di?metro. O primeiro cap?tulo trata da constru??o deste eletro?m? desde o seu dimensionamento at? os testes de opera??o que envolvem medidas de campo m?ximo alcan?ado e temperatura das bobinas quando operando durante 1 hora. O capitulo 2 ? dedicado a uma revis?o do magnetismo e dos processos de magnetiza??o bem como apresenta uma base te?rica a respeito das energias magn?ticas encontradas em filmes e multicamadas magn?ticas. Na seq??ncia, o terceiro cap?tulo, ? dedicado a descri??o dos efeitos magneto ?pticos em especial o efeito kerr nas configura??es longitudinal, transversal e polar, utilizando para tanto somente a abordagem cl?ssica do eletromagnetismo e os coeficientes de Fresnel. Distinguindo em seguida, as duas regi?es de observa??o do efeito referentes a espessura do filme. Os aspectos construtivos do aparato experimental bem como os detalhes de sua opera??o s?o explanados no quarto capitulo, apresentando tamb?m os resultados preliminares das medidas efetuadas em uma serie de filmes de Permalloy e finalizando com os resultados da caracteriza??o dos primeiros filmes de ferro e Permalloy crescidos aqui no departamento de f?sica te?rica e experimental da UFRN

[pt] Nanopartículas são importantes ferramentas utilizadas em medicina, tanto para diagnóstico como para tratamento de diversas doenças. Seus tamanhos podem ser controlados, variando de dezenas até centenas de nanômetros, tornando-as menores ou comparáveis às dimensões de células, bactérias e vírus. As nanopartículas magnéticas possuem um núcleo de material magnético recoberto por camadas de diferentes materiais, incluindo sílica ou um polímero. Esta cobertura é responsável pela funcionalização, de forma que elas realizem tarefas específicas, seja para funcionar como um marcador com fins diagnósticos e/ou como um transportador de fármacos. É muito importante no processo de fabricação e utilização das nanopartículas o conhecimento de suas propriedades magnéticas. Com este objetivo, construímos um magnetômetro baseado em um criorefrigerador com capacidade para medir propriedades magnéticas em função da temperatura desde ambiente até 6 K. Como sensor magnético utilizamos um elemento Hall de GaAs de baixo custo. O magnetômetro construído tem uma configuração diferente dos magnetômetros Hall tradicionais, já que neste caso a amostra se movimenta na região do sensor. De forma a aumentar a exatidão do momento magnético obtido, foi desenvolvido um modelo que leva em consideração a geometria da amostra. A resolução está limitada pelo sensor utilizado em 10-7 Am2. O magnetômetro foi calibrado de forma independente e seu desempenho foi comparado a magnetômetros de amostra vibrante (VSM) comerciais, apresentando erros menores que 2 porcento na magnetização obtida de diversas amostras. Todos os equipamentos envolvidos na operação do magnetômetro a baixas temperaturas são controlados utilizando a linguagem LabVIEW. Na versão atual do programa, curvas M x H e ZFC-FC podem ser obtidas. Como exemplo de aplicação, fabricamos nanopartículas magnéticas com núcleo de oxido de ferro pelo processo de coprecipitação em meio alcalino e recobrimos com surfactantes e SiO2. As propriedades magnéticas das nanopartículas foram obtidas utilizando o magnetômetro construído. As nanopartículas apresentaram comportamento superparamagnético e grande potencial para liberação controlada de drogas. / [en] Nanoparticles are important tools used in medicine, for diagnosis as well as for treatment of various diseases. Their sizes can be controlled, ranging from tens to hundreds of nanometers, enabling them to interact with cells, bacteria, and viruses. Magnetic nanoparticles have a core of magnetic material coated with layers of different materials, including silica or a polymer. This coating is responsible for their functionalization, so they can carry out specific tasks serving as a marker for diagnostic purposes and / or as a carrier for drugs. The knowledge of the magnetic properties of nanoparticles is very important in the manufacturing process and their use. With this aim, we built a magnetometer based on a cryorefrigerator capable of measuring their magnetic properties as a function of temperature from room temperature to 6 K. We used a low cost GaAs Hall element as its magnetic sensor. The magnetometer built has a different configuration from the traditional Hall magnetometers, since in this case the sample moves in the region of the sensor. A model which takes into consideration the geometry of the sample was developed in order to increase the accuracy of the magnetic moment obtained. The magnetometer resolution is limited by the Hall sensor used in 10-7 Am2. The magnetometer was calibrated independently and its performance was compared to commercial vibrating sample magnetometers (VSM) showing errors smaller than 2 percent in the magnetization obtained from various samples. All the equipment involved in the operation of magnetometers at low temperatures is controlled by using the LabVIEW language. The M x H e ZFC-FC curves can be obtained in the current version. We manufactured the core with magnetic nanoparticles of iron oxide by coprecipitation process in an alkaline medium, coated with surfactants and SiO2. The magnetic properties of the nanoparticles were obtained using the magnetometer built. The nanoparticles showed superparamagnetic behavior and great potential for controlled drug release.

Thanks to the development in recent years, the placement of miniaturized sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, global positioning system receivers (GPS), microphones or others to commercially sold smartphones is increasing. Use of these sensors (which are to be found in the smartphone) for human activity recognition with health care improvement in mind is a discussed theme. Advantages of the use of smartphone for human movement monitoring lies in the fact that it is a device that the person measured carries with them and there are no additional costs. The disadvantages are a limited storage and battery. Therefore, only accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, and microphone were chosen because their combination achieves best results. GPS sensor was excluded for its lack of reliability in sampling and for being energy demanding. Features were computed from the measured data and used for learning of the classification model. The highest accuracy was achieved with the use of a machine learning method called Random Forest. The main goal of this work was to create an algorithm for transportation mode recognition using signals sensed by a smartphone. The created algorithm succeeds in classification of walk, car, bus, tram, train, and bike in 97.4 % with 20 % holdout validation. When tested on a new set of data from the tenth volunteer, the resulting accuracy counted as average form classification recall for each transportation mode reached 90.49 %.

The diploma paper deal with control problems of a four legged walking robot. They endeavour to establish and partly implement the walking and control algorithms. They are divided into six parts. Individual chassis types and their advantages and drawbacks are analysed in introduction. Next part describes mechanical design of the robot and also all realised electronics facilities. The third part describes in detail sensors that are used by the robot. Following part deals with description of robot's walking. It explains individual walking phases and analyses both static and dynamic stability. Next part contains description of the robot's software facility. The software facility of the control micro-controller and the algorithm that generates walking are explained in this part. It also describes software facility of control application in computer. Exploration of the possibilities for wireless control is carried out in the last part.

This thesis deals with the design and theoretical description of the hybrid control system for quadrocopter. First, a mathematical model is presented, sensors needed for development and their principles. This work shows the system architecture design and scheme of communication channels between the blocks. Implementation section discusses specific uses of computing nodes/sensors and their settings. In this thesis there are illustrated messages sent between computing nodes and the control loop machine. It also describes how to test the sensors, measurement results and techniques for improvement.

The goal of this master's thesis is design and built of platform for three-rotor helicopter development. The helicopter is also known as tricopter. Theoretical part describes principle of tricopter's flight and stabilization. There is also described basics inertial navigation system and sensors which are required for correct functionality. Practical part is dedicated to development of tricopter's frame, schematics diagram, communication between subsystems and stabilization system development. Flight stablization system is base on ATmega128A an using PID Controller. In the end is described testing of developed platform.