Quality control is a necessity when it comes to automating a biological lab with the help of robotics. Two major quality control objectives are targeted by the research group PharmBio at Uppsala University: (1) barcode recognition and decoding, and (2) determining the position and orientation of microplates relative the gripper at the end of an industrial robot arm. In order to achieve these objectives, a hardware package with a camera and microcomputer has been designed and built, which can be attached next to the gripper. In addition to the hardware solution, a software stack has been developed and implemented which utilizes the camera and microcomputer to capture digital images. These images are enhanced and processed using machine vision software on the microcomputer, after which the final generated data is sent to an external system for further handling. The final system consisting of integrated hardware and software is capable of achieving both goals: barcode recognition and plate pose determination. However, due to changes in the group’s project plan during the current Master’s project, final implementation of the plate pose determination software remains as future work for a later version. / Kvalitetskontroll är en nödvändighet när det gäller automatiseringen av ett biologiskt lab med hjälp av robotik. Forskargruppen PharmBio vid Uppsala universitet har två huvudsakliga mål gällande kvalitetskontroll: (1) igenkänning och avläsning av streckkoder, och (2) fastställandet av position och riktning av en mikrotiterplatta relativt en gripklo på änden av en robotarm. För att uppnå dessa mål har en enhet innehållandes en kamera och enkortsdator designats och byggts, tänkt att fästas intill gripklon. Utöver denna enhet har ett mjukvarusystem som använder kameran och datorn för att ta bilder utvecklats och implementerats. Dessa bilder behandlas med hjälp av machine vision-mjukvara på enkortsdatorn innan framtagen data skickas vidare till ett externt datorsystem för ytterligare hantering. Det slutgiltiga systemet bestående av integrerad hård- och mjukvara är kapabel att uppnå båda projektmål: streckkodsavläsning och avgöra position/riktning hos en mikrotiterplatta. På grund av ändrad planering hos forskargruppen under arbetets gång kommer dock implementation av mjukvaran framtagen för positions- och riktningsigenkänning dröja till en senare version av projektet.

京都大学 / 新制・論文博士 / 博士(農学) / 乙第13520号 / 論農博第2908号 / 新制||農||1096(附属図書館) / 学位論文||R4||N5420(農学部図書室) / 京都府立医科大学 / (主査)教授 中﨑 鉄也, 教授 土井 元章, 教授 及川 彰, 准教授 田中 朋之 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当 / Doctor of Agricultural Science / Kyoto University / DGAM

No description available.

We often check our virtual mailbox several times a day but often forget to check our actual mailbox. This project aims to create a smart mailbox. This is defined as a mailbox that can notify the recipient that mail has been delivered and give access to the right person. The notification process is done by a barcode-scanner that scans incoming letters and identifies the recipient. An e-mail is then sent to them, notifying that a letter has arrived. A study on different types of barcodes has been done with the conclusion that Code-128 was the most appropriate to use for this project. The scanning accuracy of the mailbox was tested and it was found that a familiar user can correctly scan a letter in 90% of attempts. Giving access to the right person was done with radio frequency identification (RFID), using an RFID reader and RFID tags. The mailbox was programmed in such a way that scanning the authorized tag gave access to the contents of the box by unlocking and opening the lid. The final product is a proof of concept of a smart mailbox. Its purpose is to visualise and test our theories. The project also aims to prove the benefits of implementing more information into the standards of IMB (Intelligent mail barcode) / Vi kollar ofta våran virtuella brevlåda flera gånger om dagen men glömmer ofta att kolla vår faktiska brevlåda hemma. Målet med det här projektet är att skapa en smart brevlåda. Denna definieras som en brevlåda som kan meddela mottagaren att ett brev har kommit och öppnas åt rätt person. Meddelande-processen sker genom att en streckkodsläsare skannar inkommande brev och identifierar mottagaren. Sedan skickas ett e-postmeddelande till dem, som meddelar att ett brev anlänt. En undersökning av olika typer av streckkoder har genomförts med slutsatsen att Code128 var den mest lämpliga att använda för detta projekt. Skanningsnoggrannheten av brevlådan testades och visade att en användare bekant med konceptet kunde skanna ett brev korrekt 90% av försöken. Att ge åtkomst till rätt person gjordes med Radio frequency identification (RFID), genom att använda en RFID-läsare och RFID-brickor. Brevlådan programmerades på det sättet att skannandet av den auktoriserade brickan gav tillgång till innehållet av lådan genom att låsa upp och öppna locket. Den slutgiltiga produkten är ett koncepttest av en smart brevlåda. Dess syfte är att visualisera och testa våra teorier. Det här projektet ämnar också att bevisa fördelarna med att implementera mer information i standarden för IMB (Intelligent mail barcode)

The thesis describes the basic types of barcodes, their development and history. It's mentioned cutting barcodes by dimension, types of barcodes which are the best known and the best used, are described. The key chapter describes details of EAN-8, EAN-13, UPC-A and the additional symbol. It's outlined an algorithm for decoding barcode in image. In conclusion, the results are evaluated and a further development of the project is outlined.

Sammanfattning Syfte: Syftet med detta examensarbete är att skapa ett ramverk för att underlätta valet av automatisk identifieringsteknik för tillverkningsföretag med tillhörande lagerhanteringsprocesser. Syftet är också att identifiera brister i Emballator Lagan Plasts nutida spårbarhetslösning, tillämpa ramverket för att välja en lämplig automatisk identifieringsteknik och utforma en bättre framtida spårbarhetslösning.  Metod: Denna studie är baserad i kvalitativ forskningsmetod och inkluderar en systematisk litteraturstudie, en intervjustudie och en fallstudie. Data till första forskningsfrågan insamlades genom en systematisk litteraturstudie och en intervjustudie med expert inom automatiska identifieringstekniker. Data till forskningsfråga två insamlades genom intervjuer med anställda hos Emballator Lagan Plast tillsammans med vetenskapliga artiklar.  Resultat: Genom att analysera data från den systematiska litteraturstudien gentemot data från intervjustudien sammanställdes ramverket för val av automatisk identifieringsteknik. Baserat på intervjuer med anställda identifierades brister i den nuvarande spårbarhetslösningen hos Emballator Lagan Plast. Ramverket tillämpades sedan för att välja automatisk identiferingsteknik som en del av den framtida spårbarhetslösningen. Den framtida spårbarhetslösningen baseras på 2D-streckkoder, förändringar i lagerhanteringsprocesserna samt mer utnyttjande av det tillgängliga lagerhanteringsystemet. / Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to create a framework for manufacturing companies to facilitate the choice of auto-id technology. The purpose is also to identify faults in the current traceability solution at Emballator Lagan Plast, apply the framework to choose an auto-id technology and to suggest the future traceability solution.  Method: This thesis is based on qualitative method and includes a systematic literature review, an interview study and a case study. For research question one data was gathered through a systematic literature review and through an interview with an expert in the field of auto-id technologies. For research question two data was gathered through interviews with employees at Emballator Lagan Plast together with scientific articles.  Results: By analysing data from the systematic literature review and the interview the framework for choosing an auto-id technology was established. Based on interviews with employees’ faults in the current traceability solution at Emballator Lagan Plast was identified. The framework was applied to choose an auto-id technology as a part of the future traceability solution. The future traceability solution consists of 2D-barcodes, changes in warehouse processes and increased utilization of the warehouse management system.

Herbal medicines are growing in popularity in the Western world and are becoming more stringently regulated under new EU legislation. Within the arena of herbal medicines, St. John’s Wort (SJW), Hypericum perforatum, is a top ten best seller with clinical evidence to support its use as an anti-depressant. A fundamental requirement of the new legislation is to prove the identity of the plant material in question. This is currently achieved via morphological and chemical methods, neither of which are ideal. A wide range of DNA based methods have been applied to this arena, standardisation is required to realise the potential of DNA based techniques. The DNA barcoding initiative aims to produce sequence data for all plant species, capable of species identification. The proposal is to use these data to design fast and effective DNA based methods of identification. For assay design, the putative barcode region nrITS was selected as a platform. Three assays were designed; • A PCR assay designed to hyper variable sequences within a barcode region. This assay is capable of distinguishing SJW from other closely related species. • A quantitative qPCR assay designed to measure total DNA and specific SJW DNA within a mixed sample. • A multiplex PCR incorporating fluorescently labelled primers, allowing amplicon detection by capillary electrophoresis. This assay identifies four separate Hypericum species, including SJW, with a mixed sample in one reaction. The suitability of the nrITS and three other barcode regions is assessed based on sequence data generated for 32 vouchered samples of different Hypericum species, and a Lithuanian sample set of 22 and 16 H. perforatum and H. maculatum samples respectively. The matK is currently unusable, the rbcL highly conserved, trnH-psbA problematically variable and the nrITS proved to be ideal for assay design.

No description available.

As microalgas são organismos unicelulares fotossintéticos que possuem estrutura celular eucariótica e podem apresentar-se em formas coloniais ou livres. Estes organismos vem sendo amplamente estudados para aplicação em biorremediação e em biorrefinarias. Seu potencial biotecnológico destaca-se na produção de biocombustíveis e bioprodutos, por apresentarem características como alta taxa de crescimento e alta capacidade de armazenamento de substâncias de reserva, como lipídios e amido. Coleções de recursos genéticos e programas de melhoramento, tem como pré-requisito a identificação e manutenção dos organismos em um estado metabólico inativo. Desta forma, dois marcadores moleculares, o gene cloroplastídeo rbcL e a região ITS2 do DNA ribossômico nuclear, foram utilizados como barcodes de DNA para identificação das cepas microalgais coletadas de águas continentais brasileiras, depositadas na Coleção de Microrganismos e Microalgas Aplicados à Agroenergia e Biorrefinarias da Embrapa. Para a manutenção dos recursos genéticos desta coleção em um estado metabólico inativo, aplicou-se o método de criopreservação aliado a estratégia de resfriamento lento, utilizando os compostos químicos metanol e dimetilsulfóxido (DMSO) como agentes crioprotetores. A região ITS2 pode ser amplificada e sequenciada com sucesso em 48 (94%) das amostras utilizando um par de primers universais disponíveis na literatura. Por outro lado, novos pares de primers tiveram que ser desenhados para o gene rbcL, o que possibilitou o sequenciamento de 49 (96%) das amostras. Uma diversidade média de nucleotídeos próxima foi observada entre as sequências de ITS2 (0.472) e rbcL (0.461), o que sugere um similar poder de discriminação de espécies. Porém, os resultados indicam que o ITS2 deve ser utilizado como marcador primário, e o rbcL como marcador auxiliar para a identificação de microalgas verdes. Os testes de criopreservação demonstraram que é possível empregar este método para manutenção de microalgas continentais brasileiras em estado metabólico inativo, utilizando DMSO em concentração de 10% como agente crioprotetor. / Microalgae are photosynthetic unicellular organisms that have eukaryotic cell structure and occur in colonial or free forms. These organisms have been widely studied in the application of bioremediation and in biorefineries. Their biotechnological potential stands out in the production of biofuels and bioproducts, because they have features like high growth rate and high storage capacity of reserve substances, such as lipids and starch. Collections of genetic resources and breeding programs have as a prerequisite the identification and the maintenance of the organisms in an inactive metabolic state. Thus, two molecular markers, the chloroplastid gene rbcL and the ITS2 region of the nuclear ribosomal DNA were used as DNA barcodes for identification of microalgal strains collected from Brazilian continental waters, deposited in Embrapa’s Collection of Microorganisms and Microalgae Applied to Agroenergy and Biorefineries. For the genetic resources maintenance in an inactive metabolic state, it was applied the cryopreservation method combined with a slow cooling strategy, using the chemical compounds methanol and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as cryoprotectans agents. The ITS2 region could be amplified and sequenced successfully in 48 (94%) of the samples using a pair of universal primers available in the literature. On the other hand, new sets of primers had to be designed for the rbcL gene, which allowed the sequencing of 49 (96%) of the samples. Similar levels of nucleotide diversity were observed among the ITS2 (0.472) and rbcL (0.461) sequences, suggesting a similar potential for taxa discrimination. However, the results indicates that the ITS2 should be used as a primary marker, and rbcL as an auxiliary marker for the identification of green microalgae. Cryopreservation tests showed that it is possible to use this method for maintaining Brazilian continental microalgae in an inactive metabolic state using DMSO in 10% concentration as a cryoprotectant agent.

No description available.