The automotive industry has been involved in making vehicles autonomous to different levels in the past decade rapidly. Particularly in the commercial vehicle market, there is a significant necessity to make trucks have a certain level of automation to help reduce dependence on human efforts to drive. This could help in reducing several accidents caused by human error. Interestingly there are several challenges and solutions in achieving and implementing autonomous driving for trucks. First, a benchmark of different control architectures that can make a truck drive autonomously are explored. The chosen controllers (Pure Pursuit, Stanley, Linear Quadratic Regulator, Sliding Mode Control and Model Predictive Control) vary in their simplicity in implementation and versatility in handling different vehicle parameters and constraints. A thorough comparison of these path tracking controllers are performed using several metrics. Second, a collision avoidance system based on cubic polynomials, inspired by rapidly exploring random tree (RRT) is presented. Some of the path tracking controllers are limited by their ability and hence a standalone collision avoidance system is needed to provide safe maneuvering. Simulations are performed for different test cases with and without obstacles. These simulations help compare safety margin and driving comfort of each path tracking controller that are integrated with the collision avoidance system. Third, different performance metrics like change in acceleration input, change in steering input, error in path tracking, deviation from base frame of track file and lateral and longitudinal margin between ego and target vehicle are presented. To conclude, a set of suitable controllers for heavy articulated vehicles are developed and benchmarked. / Bilindustrin har varit involverad i att göra fordon autonoma till olika nivåer under det senaste decenniet snabbt. Särskilt på marknaden för kommersiella fordon finns det ett stort behov av att få lastbilar att ha en viss nivå av automatisering för att minska beroendet av mänskliga ansträngningar att köra. Detta kan hjälpa till att minska flera olyckor orsakade av mänskliga fel. Intressant nog finns det flera utmaningar och lösningar för att uppnå och implementera autonom körning för lastbilar. Först utforskas ett riktmärke av olika styrarkitekturer som kan få en lastbil att köra autonomt. De valda kontrollerna (Pure Pursuit, Stanley, Linear Quadratic Regulator, Sliding Mode Control och Model Predictive Control) varierar i sin enkelhet i implementering och mångsidighet när det gäller att hantera olika fordonsparametrar och begränsningar. En grundlig jämförelse av dessa vägspårningskontroller utförs med hjälp av flera mätvärden. För det andra presenteras ett system för undvikande av kollisioner baserat på kubiska polynom, inspirerat av snabbt utforskande slumpmässiga träd (RRT). Vissa av vägspårningskontrollerna är begränsade av sin förmåga och därför behövs ett fristående system för att undvika kollisioner för att ge säker manövrering. Simuleringar utförs för olika testfall med och utan hinder. Dessa simuleringar hjälper till att jämföra säkerhetsmarginal och körkomfort för varje vägspårningskontroller som är integrerade med kollisionsundvikande systemet. För det tredje presenteras olika prestandamått som förändring i accelerationsinmatning, förändring i styrinmatning, fel i banspårning, avvikelse från basramen för spårfilen och lateral och longitudinell marginal mellan ego och målfordon. Avslutningsvis utvecklas och benchmarkas en uppsättning lämpliga styrenheter för tunga ledade fordon.

Wheel loaders are fundamental construction equipment to assist handling of bulk material e.g. gravel and stones. During digging operations, it withstands forces that are both large and very complicated to predict. Moreover, it is very expensive to develop prototypes of wheel loader for verification. Consequently, the Discrete Element Method (DEM) was introduced for gravel modeling a couple of years ago to enable prediction of these forces. The gravel model is connected with a Multibody System (MBS) model of the wheel loader, in this thesis a Volvo L180G. The co-simulation of these two systems is a very computer intensive operation and hence, it is important to investigate which parameters that have the largest influence on the simulation results. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the simulation sensitivity with respect to co-simulation communication interval, collision detection interval and gravel normal stiffness.The simulation results are verified by comparison with measurement data from previous tests performed by Volvo CE. The simulations are compared to investigate the relevant parameters. The conclusion of this thesis is that DEM is a method that in a very good way can predict the draft forces during digging operations.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research focuses on the development of new efficient algorithms for multi-path planning and multi-rigid body constrained attitude control. The work is motivated by current and future applications of these algorithms in: intelligent control of multiple autonomous aircraft and spacecraft systems; control of multiple mobile and industrial robot systems; control of intelligent highway vehicles and traffic; and air and sea traffic control. We shall collectively refer to the class of mobile autonomous systems as “agents”. One of the challenges in developing and applying such algorithms is that of complexity resulting from the nontrivial agent dynamics as agents interact with other agents, and their environment. In this work, some of the current approaches are studied with the intent of exposing the complexity issues associated them, and new algorithms with reduced computational complexity are developed, which can cope with interaction constraints and yet maintain stability and efficiency. To this end, this thesis contributes the following new developments to the field of multipath planning and multi-body constrained attitude control: • The introduction of a new LMI-based approach to collision avoidance in 2D and 3D spaces. • The introduction of a consensus theory of quaternions by applying quaternions directly with the consensus protocol for the first time. • A consensus and optimization based path planning algorithm for multiple autonomous vehicle systems navigating in 2D and 3D spaces. • A proof of the consensus protocol as a dynamic system with a stochastic plant matrix. • A consensus and optimization based algorithm for constrained attitude synchronization of multiple rigid bodies. • A consensus and optimization based algorithm for collective motion on a sphere. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing fokus op die ontwikkeling van nuwe koste-effektiewe algoritmes, vir multipad-beplanning en veelvuldige starre-liggaam beperkte standbeheer. Die werk is gemotiveer deur huidige en toekomstige toepassing van hierdie algoritmes in: intelligente beheer van veelvuldige outonome vliegtuig- en ruimtevaartuigstelsels; beheer van veelvuldige mobiele en industrile robotstelsels; beheer van intelligente hoofwegvoertuie en verkeer; en in lug- en see-verkeersbeheer. Ons sal hier “agente” gebruik om gesamentlik te verwys na die klas van mobiele outonome stelsels. Een van die uitdagings in die ontwikkeling en toepassing van sulke algoritmes is die kompleksiteit wat spruit uit die nie-triviale agentdinamika as gevolg van die interaksie tussen agente onderling, en tussen agente en hul omgewing. In hierdie werk word sommige huidige benaderings bestudeer met die doel om die kompleksiteitskwessies wat met hulle geassosieer word, bloot te l^e. Verder word nuwe algoritmes met verminderde berekeningskompleksiteit ontwikkel. Hierdie algoritmes kan interaksie-beperkings hanteer, en tog stabiliteit en doeltreffendheid behou. Vir hierdie doel dra die proefskrif die volgende nuwe ontwikkelings by tot die gebied van multipad-beplanning van multi-liggaam beperkte standbeheer: • Die voorstel van ’n nuwe LMI-gebasseerde benadering tot botsingsvermyding in 2D en 3D ruimtes. • Die voorstel van ’n konsensus-teorie van “quaternions” deur “quaternions” vir die eerste keer met die konsensusprotokol toe te pas. • ’n Konsensus- en optimeringsgebaseerde padbeplanningsalgoritme vir veelvoudige outonome voertuigstelsels wat in 2D en 3D ruimtes navigeer. • Die bewys van ’n konsensusprotokol as ’n dinamiese stelsel met ’n stochastiese aanlegmatriks. • ’n Konsensus- en optimeringsgebaseerde algoritme vir beperkte stand sinchronisasie van veelvoudige starre liggame. • ’n Konsensus- en optimeringsgebaseerde algoritme vir kollektiewe beweging op ’n sfeer.

In this Ph. D. thesis we discuss four different problems in analysis: (a) sharp inequalities related to the restriction phenomena for the Fourier transform, with emphasis on some Strichartz-type estimates; (b) extremal approximations of exponential type for the Gaussian and for a class of even functions, with applications to analytic number theory; (c) radial symmetrization approach to convolution-like inequalities for the Boltzmann collision operator; (d) regularity of maximal operators with respect to weak derivatives and weak continuity. / text

Le granite du Manaslu (Népal Central) permet d'étudier la mise en place d'un corps magmatique en contexte de collision et d'extension intracontinentale et les relations entre phénomènes thermiques, anatectiques et tectoniques qui affectent la Chaîne himalayenne entre 30 et 15 Ma. L'estimation des conditions pression-température dans l'auréole de contact suggère une profondeur de mise en place du granite, entre 18-21 km à la base et 9-13 km au toit, pour une température de 550 ± 50 °c. La présence d'un fluide hydraté, d'origine magmatique, percolant dans l'auréole au cours de l'emplacement du granite est attestée par l'étude isotopique de l'oxygène et de l'hydrogène. Une telle profondeur implique une épaisseur de la croûte continentale supérieure compatible avec l'existence d'une nappe d'âge tardi-Oligocène, au dessus des Séries Sédimentaires Téthysiennes. A partir de l'étude structurale, microstructurale et magnétique (ASM) de la déformation finie dans le granite et dans son encaissant, nous proposons un modèle de mise en place du granite contrôlé (i) par des décrochements dextres de direction Est Ouest et (ii) par l'accrétion de venues magmatiques successives, dans une zone de relais transtensive, avec expansion latérale vers l'Est et le Nord-Est. Les résultats thermochronologiques 40 Ar/39 Ar obtenus dans l'auréole de contact supérieure du massif sont comparés aux données géochronologiques existantes et permettent d'envisager une mise en place vers 25 Ma. Une période de refroidissement lente de 200/Ma entre 25 et 19 Ma est alors sui vie par une période de refroidissement rapide entre 19 et 16 Ma, probablement liée à une dénudation tectonique par faille normale au dessus du granite. Cette seconde période d'extension vers 18 ± 1 Ma, reconnue tout au long de la chaîne himalayenne est responsable de nouvelles venues magmatiques. Un nouveau modèle de fusion en condition anhydre (XH20<0.3), puis hydraté (XH20>0.7), des niveaux métapélitiques et métagrauwackeux du Cristallin du Haut-Himalaya est envisagé afin de rendre compte de l'évolution géochimiques des majeurs, des traces et des isotopes Rb/Sr du Manaslu. Les âges, les modalités de mise en place de l'ensemble des leucogranites himalayens et les conditions pression-température dans le Cristallin du Haut Himalaya suggèrent une activation de plus en plus tardive du MCT vers l'Est compatible avec la rotation anti-horaire de l'Inde et l'extrusion du Sud-Tibet, au cours de la collision Inde-Asie, depuis au moins 25 Ma.

The purpose of this thesis is to develop a comprehensive model analysis in a three-dimensional spatial frame for the dynamics of molecular particles in dilute colloidal suspensions in solutions flowing inside pores of variable width, subject to hydrodynamic forces, Brownian motion and diffusive collisions at the rough pore boundaries, by using numerical simulations. The approach by simulations is necessary because it is extremely complex to use analytical tools at present to deal with the problem of diffusive collisions of the particles at the solid pore boundaries. The algorithms which we have developed and the corresponding simulations are sufficiently general and refined to be directly applied to the study of the dynamics of a wide variety of polymer and biological particles in dilute solutions under diverse physical and applicable hydrodynamic conditions inside pores. Moreover, the mechanisms leading to the adhesion of particles of nano sizes under what would be non-equilibrium conditions, due to the conflicting influence of the mechanical diffusive collisions and the attractive Hamaker forces at the boundaries, are of major interest. We have hence investigated a theoretical model to calculate the restitution coefficient from basic physical principles. The objective is to quantify the energy balance during the process of a diffusive collision of a nano particle under the influence of the repulsive forces on one hand, and the attractive Hamaker forces acting on the nano particle on the other. This is done by developing a model, based on the JKR and Hertz theories, to account for the energy losses during collisions, and for the energy gains due to the Hamaker interactions. Adhesion becomes an outcome if the energy balance permits this. Our theoretical model is developed by proposing a special analytic approach based on the Hamaker potential. We derive from the theoretical analysis a characteristic nonlinear equation for the restitution coefficient, and analyze its properties which determine under given physical conditions the outcome for adhesion or not.

Šis magistro baigiamasis darbas skirtas teismų jurisdikcijų kolizijų civilinėse bylose, turinčiose užsienio elementą, bendrojoje tarptautinėje, užsienio ir Lietuvos teisėje įtvirtintos teisės normų reglamentacijos sukeliamų problemų analizei. Pagrindine tyrimo užduotimi autorius laiko po Lietuvos Respublikos tapimo Europos Sąjungos nare išaugusią užsienio elementą turinčių civilinių ginčų teismų jurisdikcijų teisingo nustatymo instituto svarbą įtvirtinančių tarptautinių, užsienio ir Lietuvos teisės normų nuostatų bei teismų jurisprudencijos įvertinimą bendrame pasauliniame kontekste. Darbą sudaro trys dalys. Pirmojoje dalyje išryškinama teismų jurisdikcijų kolizijos samprata, jos atskirų kriterijų reikšmė nustatant kompetentingą teismą ir tos teisminės institucijos priimtų sprendimų pripažinimą bei vykdymą. Taip pat detaliai susipažįstama su įvairių valstybių (Vokietijos, Prancūzijos, Lietuvos...) nacionalinių, pasaulinių (UNIDROIT Romos konvencija dėl pavogtų ar neteisėtai išvežtų kultūros objektų...) ir ES (Reglamento 44/2001…) teisės aktų bei Lietuvos Respublikos pasirašytų teisinės pagalbos sutarčių nuostatomis, įtvirtinančiomis civilinių bylų su užsienio elementu priskirtinumą konkrečioms teismų jurisdikcijoms. Antrojoje dalyje susipažįstama su Europos Teisingumo Teismo, Nuolatinio Tarptautinio Teisingumo Teismo, užsienio ir Lietuvos valstybių teisminių institucijų praktika. Aptariant šią praktiką bei pirmojoje dalyje aprašytus kriterijus, įvardijamos daugiausiai... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The present thesis is devoted to the analysis of collisions of courts' jurisdictions in civil cases involving a foreign element and the analysis of the problems caused by the regulation of law norms confirmed in General International Law, Foreign Law and Lithuanian Law. After becoming an EU member state, the growth of civil contentions involving a foreign element is noticeable in the Republic of Lithuania. According to the author of this thesis, the main task of the thesis is considered to be the evaluation of the right determination institute of civil law jurisdictions importance confirmed by International, Foreign and Lithuanian Law norms regulation as well as the courts’ jurisprudence in the common world context. The thesis consists of three different parts. In the first part the author emphasizes the definition of collision of the courts’ jurisdiction and the importance of its separate criteria by identification of the qualified court, the recognition of its taken judgments and implementation. After that, national laws of different countries (such as Germany, France, Lithuania, etc.), international (UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects, etc.) and the European Union (EU) (Council Regulation 44/2001, etc.) rules of law as well as some legal provisions from the international legal assistance treaties signed by the Republic of Lithuania, that deals with civil cases’ involving foreign element, attributability to the particular courts will be... [to full text]

This PhD study aimed to address the sustainability issues of the robotic systems from the environmental and social aspects. During the research, three approaches were developed: the first one an online programming-free model-driven system that utilises web-based distributed human-robot collaboration architecture to perform distant assembly operations. It uses a robot-mounted camera to capture the silhouettes of the components from different angles. Then the system analyses those silhouettes and constructs the corresponding 3D models.Using the 3D models together with the model of a robotic assembly cell, the system guides a distant human operator to assemble the real components in the actual robotic cell. To satisfy the safety aspect of the human-robot collaboration, a second approach has been developed for effective online collision avoidance in an augmented environment, where virtual three-dimensional (3D) models of robots and real images of human operators from depth cameras are used for monitoring and collision detection. A prototype system is developed and linked to industrial robot controllers for adaptive robot control, without the need of programming by the operators. The result of collision detection reveals four safety strategies: the system can alert an operator, stop a robot, move away the robot, or modify the robot’s trajectory away from an approaching operator. These strategies can be activated based on the operator’s location with respect to the robot. The case study of the research further discusses the possibility of implementing the developed method in realistic applications, for example, collaboration between robots and humans in an assembly line.To tackle the energy aspect of the sustainability for the human-robot production environment, a third approach has been developed which aims to minimise the robot energy consumption during assembly. Given a trajectory and based on the inverse kinematics and dynamics of a robot, a set of attainable configurations for the robot can be determined, perused by calculating the suitable forces and torques on the joints and links of the robot. The energy consumption is then calculated for each configuration and based on the assigned trajectory. The ones with the lowest energy consumption are selected. / <p>QC 20170223</p>

<div>Recent advances in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), a noninvasive imaging technique, have spurred the exploration of poorly understood physiological phenomena <i>in vivo</i>. Applications of MRI vary greatly, from anatomical evaluation to complex functional analysis. The body of this dissertation presents four applications of MRI: 1) investigation of a novel traumatic brain injury (TBI) biomarker, 2) analysis of position-specific head acceleration events on neurometabolic profiles in high school football athletes, 3) the first reporting of neurometabolic changes in middle school football athletes, and 4) a novel application of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to characterize implantable drug-delivery depots (Appendix A).</div><div> </div><div>Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is an MRI method used to evaluate the metabolic profiles of tissues. Certain brain metabolites (N-acetyl aspartate, <i>myo</i>-inositol, choline, creatine, and glutamate/glutamine) offer unique information regarding brain homeostasis following TBI. When coupled with additional metrics, such as head acceleration events recorded during collision-sport participation, the mechanisms of neurophysiological changes can be further elucidated. Here, player position-specific neurometabolic changes were evaluated in high school and middle school football athletes. Striking differences were noted between linemen and non-linemen as well as high school and middle school athletes.</div><div> </div><div>However, in most clinical cases of TBI, information regarding head acceleration events is unknown and baseline scans are not available.Therefore, it is critical to evaluate candidate biomarkers which increase solely in response to injury. Acrolein, a toxic reactive oxygen species, has been shown to increase following injury to the central nervous system in animal models. Hence, acrolein is a prime TBI biomarker candidate and has been investigated using nuclear magnetic resonance and MRS at 7 Tesla.</div><div> </div><div>Applications of MRI are not limited to the brain, or even tissues. Studies have reported that up to 50% of patients fail to take their medications correctly - resulting in disease progression and medication waste. <i>In situ</i> forming implants (ISFIs) offer an alternative to oral dosage regimens but have not been validated <i>in vivo. </i>Using DWI, ISFIs can be characterized noninvasively and their design can be refined, ultimately improving patient outcomes.</div><div> </div><div>Taken together, MRI is powerful tool that can be used to investigate a wide range of physiological questions. Chapters 2-4 will emphasize efforts to improve TBI diagnostics and better understand neurometabolic changes in youth football athletes. Appendix A offers insights into the DWI-guided characterization of <i>in situ</i> forming implants.</div>

[pt] Este trabalho apresenta uma nova proposta para a implementação de um sistema de partículas em GPU. A simulação é feita inteiramente no processador gráfico, o que elimina a transferência de dados entre a CPU e a GPU. O sistema proposto é capaz de simular partículas de diferentes diâmetros em ambientes confinados, incluindo tratamento de colisão entre partículas, restrições e colisão de partículas com o ambiente. A detecção de colisão entre as partículas é feita com base numa estrutura de subdivisão do espaço em uma grade regular de células. Em GPUs atuais, o sistema é capaz de simular um milhão de partículas a taxas iterativas. Também é proposto um método flexível para modelar os obstáculos que compõe o ambiente, permitindo a criação de diferentes cenas sem necessidade de re-codificação de shaders. O sistema é composto por diferentes shaders, responsáveis por cada etapa da simulação. Um programa de fragmentos é responsável por fazer a atualização da posição das partículas. Em seguida, um programa de vértices faz a montagem da estrutura de subdivisão espacial. As etapas seguintes (detecção e tratamento de colisão e de restrições) são efetuadas apenas por programas de fragmentos usando a técnica de relaxação. / [en] This work presents a new proposal for the implementation of a GPU-based particle system. The simulation runs entirely on the graphic processor, thus eliminating data transfer between the CPU and the GPU. The proposed system is able to simulate particles with different diameters in confined environments, including support for inter-particle collisions, constraints, and particle-obstacle collisions. Inter-particle collision detection is accomplished by subdividing the space into a regular grid of cells. On modern graphics cards, the system is able to simulate up to one million particles at interactive rate. It is also proposed a flexible approach for modeling the obstacles that define the environment, allowing the creation of different scenes without relying on shader re-coding. The system is divided in different shaders responsible for each stage of the simulation. One fragment program is responsible to advance the particles in time. After that a vertex program builds the space subdivision structure. The following stages (collision detection and response, and constraint solving) are performed only by fragment programs using the relaxation method.