The ongoing development and increased affordability of hyperspectral sensors are increasing their utilization in a variety of applications, such as agricultural monitoring and decision making. Hyperspectral Automated Target Recognition (ATR) systems typically rely heavily on dimensionality reduction methods, and particularly intelligent reduction methods referred to as feature extraction techniques. This dissertation reports on the development, implementation, and testing of new hyperspectral analysis techniques for ATR systems, including their use in agricultural applications where ground truthed observations available for training the ATR system are typically very limited. This dissertation reports the design of effective methods for grouping and down-selecting Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) coefficients and the design of automated Wavelet Packet Decomposition (WPD) filter tree pruning methods for use within the framework of a Multiclassifiers and Decision Fusion (MCDF) ATR system. The efficacy of the DWT MCDF and WPD MCDF systems are compared to existing ATR methods commonly used in hyperspectral remote sensing applications. The newly developed methods’ sensitivity to operating conditions, such as mother wavelet selection, decomposition level, and quantity and quality of available training data are also investigated. The newly developed ATR systems are applied to the problem of hyperspectral remote sensing of agricultural food crop contaminations either by airborne chemical application, specifically Glufosinate herbicide at varying concentrations applied to corn crops, or by biological infestation, specifically soybean rust disease in soybean crops. The DWT MCDF and WPD MCDF methods significantly outperform conventional hyperspectral ATR methods. For example, when detecting and classifying varying levels of soybean rust infestation, stepwise linear discriminant analysis, results in accuracies of approximately 30%-40%, but WPD MCDF methods result in accuracies of approximately 70%-80%.

Yes / Recent studies suggest that multicarrier systems using wavelets outperform conventional OFDM systems using the FFT, in that they have well-contained side lobes, improved spectral efficiency and BER performance, and they do not require a cyclic prefix. Here we study the wavelet packet and discrete wavelet transforms, comparing the BER performance of wavelet transform-based multicarrier systems and Fourier based OFDM systems, for multipath Rayleigh channels with AWGN. In the proposed system zero-forcing channel estimation in the frequency domain has been used. Results confirm that discrete wavelet-based systems using Daubechies wavelets outperform both wavelet packet transform- based systems and FFT-OFDM systems in terms of BER. Finally, Alamouti coding and maximal ratio combining schemes were employed in MIMO environments, where results show that the effects of multipath fading were greatly reduced by the antenna diversity.

This thesis deals with copyright protection and content authentication for still images. New blind transform domain block based algorithms using one-level and two-level Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) were developed for copyright protection. The mobile number with international code is used as the watermarking data. The robust algorithms used the Low-Low frequency coefficients of the DWT to embed the watermarking information. The watermarking information is embedded in the green channel of the RGB colour image and Y channel of the YCbCr images. The watermarking information is scrambled by using a secret key to increase the security of the algorithms. Due to the small size of the watermarking information comparing to the host image size, the embedding process is repeated several times which resulted in increasing the robustness of the algorithms. Shuffling process is implemented during the multi embedding process in order to avoid spatial correlation between the host image and the watermarking information. The effects of using one-level and two-level of DWT on the robustness and image quality have been studied. The Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR), the Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM) and Normalized Correlation Coefficient (NCC) are used to evaluate the fidelity of the images. Several grey and still colour images are used to test the new robust algorithms. The new algorithms offered better results in the robustness against different attacks such as JPEG compression, scaling, salt and pepper noise, Gaussian noise, filters and other image processing compared to DCT based algorithms. The authenticity of the images were assessed by using a fragile watermarking algorithm by using hash function (MD5) as watermarking information embedded in the spatial domain. The new algorithm showed high sensitivity against any tampering on the watermarked images. The combined fragile and robust watermarking caused minimal distortion to the images. The combined scheme achieved both the copyright protection and content authentication.

A dominant source of Internet traffic, today, is constituted of compressed images. In modern multimedia communications, image compression plays an important role. Some of the image compression standards set by the Joint Photographic Expert Group (JPEG) include JPEG and JPEG2000. The expert group came up with the JPEG image compression standard so that still pictures could be compressed to be sent over an e-mail, be displayed on a webpage, and make high-resolution digital photography possible. This standard was originally based on a mathematical method, used to convert a sequence of data to the frequency domain, called the Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT). In the year 2000, however, a new standard was proposed by the expert group which came to be known as JPEG2000. The difference between the two is that the latter is capable of providing better compression efficiency. There is also a downside to this new format introduced. The computation required for achieving the same sort of compression efficiency as one would get with the original JPEG format is higher. JPEG is a lossy compression standard which can throw away some less important information without causing any noticeable perception differences. Whereas, in lossless compression, the primary purpose is to reduce the number of bits required to represent the original image samples without any loss of information. The areas of application of the JPEG image compression standard include the Internet, digital cameras, printing, and scanning peripherals. In this thesis work, a simulator kind of functionality setup is needed for conducting the objective quality assessment. An image is given as an input to our wireless communication system and its data size is varied (e.g. 5%, 10%, 15%, etc) and a Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) value is given as input, for JPEG2000 compression. Then, this compressed image is passed through a JPEG encoder and then transmitted over a Rayleigh fading channel. The corresponding image obtained after having applied these constraints on the original image is then decoded at the receiver and inverse discrete wavelet transform (IDWT) is applied to inverse the JPEG 2000 compression. Quantization is done for the coefficients which are scalar-quantized to reduce the number of bits to represent them, without the loss of quality of the image. Then the final image is displayed on the screen. The original input image is co-passed with the images of varying data size for an SNR value at the receiver after decoding. In particular, objective perceptual quality assessment through Structural Similarity (SSIM) index using MATLAB is provided.

Rapid progress is being made towards the realization of autonomous cars. Since the technology is in its early stages, human intervention is still necessary in order to ensure hazard-free operation of autonomous driving systems. Substantial research efforts are underway to enhance driver and passenger safety in autonomous cars. Toward that end GreedyHaarSpiker, a real-time vision-based lane detection algorithm is proposed for road lane detection in different weather conditions. The algorithm has been implemented in Python 2.7 with OpenCV 3.0 and tested on a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B ARMv8 1GB RAM coupled to a Raspberry Pi camera board v2. To test the algorithm’s performance, the Raspberry Pi and the camera board were mounted inside a Jeep Wrangler. The algorithm performed better in sunny weather with no snow on the road. The algorithm’s performance deteriorated at night time or when the road surface was covered with snow.

Este trabalho fundamenta-se no desenvolvimento e aprimoramento de uma metodologia de proteção diferencial de Transformadores de Potência. A metodologia desenvolvida avalia eventos transitórios que dificultam a operação correta de relés diferenciais aplicados à proteção de transformadores. O estudo concentra-se no estabelecimento de contribuições ao estado da arte associadas à análise de sinais de corrente diferenciais geradas tanto por faltas internas e externas quanto por distúrbios transitórios. A concepção da metodologia proposta baseou-se na quantificação da energia espectral gerada a través dos coeficientes de detalhe da Transformada Wavelet Discreta. A metodologia de proteção proposta foi desenvolvida em ambiente MATLAB® e testada por meio de simulações realizadas através do software ATP/EMTP (Alternative Transients Program/Electromagnetic Transients Program). Os resultados da pesquisa mostram a aplicabilidade do algoritmo de proteção, mesmo nas condições mais adversas, como na ocorrência da saturação dos transformadores de corrente. / This work is based on the development and improvement of a methodology to differential protection of power transformer. The proposed methodology evaluates transient events that difficult the correct operation of differential relays applied to transformer protection. The study establishes contributions to the state of the art related to differential current analysis generated by internal and external faults and transient disturbance. The conception of the proposed methodology was based on the spectral energies variation generated by each event and calculated through the detail coefficient of Discrete Wavelet Transform. The proposed methodology was developed in MATLAB® environment and tested through several simulations performed with the ATP/EMTP software (Alternative Transients Program / Electromagnetic Transients Program). The results of the research show the applicability of the protection algorithms, even in adverse conditions, such as saturation of current transformers.

Este trabalho fundamenta-se no desenvolvimento e aprimoramento de uma metodologia de proteção diferencial de Transformadores de Potência. A metodologia desenvolvida avalia eventos transitórios que dificultam a operação correta de relés diferenciais aplicados à proteção de transformadores. O estudo concentra-se no estabelecimento de contribuições ao estado da arte associadas à análise de sinais de corrente diferenciais geradas tanto por faltas internas e externas quanto por distúrbios transitórios. A concepção da metodologia proposta baseou-se na quantificação da energia espectral gerada a través dos coeficientes de detalhe da Transformada Wavelet Discreta. A metodologia de proteção proposta foi desenvolvida em ambiente MATLAB® e testada por meio de simulações realizadas através do software ATP/EMTP (Alternative Transients Program/Electromagnetic Transients Program). Os resultados da pesquisa mostram a aplicabilidade do algoritmo de proteção, mesmo nas condições mais adversas, como na ocorrência da saturação dos transformadores de corrente. / This work is based on the development and improvement of a methodology to differential protection of power transformer. The proposed methodology evaluates transient events that difficult the correct operation of differential relays applied to transformer protection. The study establishes contributions to the state of the art related to differential current analysis generated by internal and external faults and transient disturbance. The conception of the proposed methodology was based on the spectral energies variation generated by each event and calculated through the detail coefficient of Discrete Wavelet Transform. The proposed methodology was developed in MATLAB® environment and tested through several simulations performed with the ATP/EMTP software (Alternative Transients Program / Electromagnetic Transients Program). The results of the research show the applicability of the protection algorithms, even in adverse conditions, such as saturation of current transformers.

Este trabalho fundamenta-se no desenvolvimento e aprimoramento de uma metodologia de proteção diferencial de Transformadores de Potência. A metodologia desenvolvida avalia eventos transitórios que dificultam a operação correta de relés diferenciais aplicados à proteção de transformadores. O estudo concentra-se no estabelecimento de contribuições ao estado da arte associadas à análise de sinais de corrente diferenciais geradas tanto por faltas internas e externas quanto por distúrbios transitórios. A concepção da metodologia proposta baseou-se na quantificação da energia espectral gerada a través dos coeficientes de detalhe da Transformada Wavelet Discreta. A metodologia de proteção proposta foi desenvolvida em ambiente MATLAB® e testada por meio de simulações realizadas através do software ATP/EMTP (Alternative Transients Program/Electromagnetic Transients Program). Os resultados da pesquisa mostram a aplicabilidade do algoritmo de proteção, mesmo nas condições mais adversas, como na ocorrência da saturação dos transformadores de corrente. / This work is based on the development and improvement of a methodology to differential protection of power transformer. The proposed methodology evaluates transient events that difficult the correct operation of differential relays applied to transformer protection. The study establishes contributions to the state of the art related to differential current analysis generated by internal and external faults and transient disturbance. The conception of the proposed methodology was based on the spectral energies variation generated by each event and calculated through the detail coefficient of Discrete Wavelet Transform. The proposed methodology was developed in MATLAB® environment and tested through several simulations performed with the ATP/EMTP software (Alternative Transients Program / Electromagnetic Transients Program). The results of the research show the applicability of the protection algorithms, even in adverse conditions, such as saturation of current transformers.

S rychlým rozvojem technologie multispektrálního zobrazování v posledních desetiletích obrázky získané zobrazovacími systémy obsahují nejen barevná pásma RGB v každodenním životě, ale také mají multispektrální barevná pásma a vysoké prostorové rozlišení v multispektrálních obrazových datech. Díky tomu obrázky obsahují bohaté informace o charakteristických cílových oblastech. Fúze obrazu je také důležitou větví v oblasti zpracování obrazu, kde je více obrázků ze stejné oblasti ve stejné výšce sloučeno do jednoho obrazu. Poté se zlepší korelace mezi spektrálními informacemi multispektrálních obrazů. Aby se informace na obrázku neztratily. Tato práce obsahuje popis návrhu a implementace multispektrálního obrazového systému, předzpracování multispektrálních obrazů, fúzi multispektrálních obrazů a analýzu hlavních komponent. Nakonec je představeno hodnocení celého systému.

This thesis presents the development and evaluation of IT-based methods and systems for supporting assessment of symptoms and enabling remote monitoring of Parkinson‟s disease (PD) patients. PD is a common neurological disorder associated with impaired body movements. Its clinical management regarding treatment outcomes and follow-up of patients is complex. In order to reveal the full extent of a patient‟s condition, there is a need for repeated and time-stamped assessments related to both patient‟s perception towards common symptoms and motor function. In this thesis, data from a mobile device test battery, collected during a three year clinical study, was used for the development and evaluation of methods. The data was gathered from a series of tests, consisting of selfassessments and motor tests (tapping and spiral drawing). These tests were carried out repeatedly in a telemedicine setting during week-long test periods. One objective was to develop a computer method that would process tracedspiral drawings and generate a score representing PD-related drawing impairments. The data processing part consisted of using the discrete wavelet transform and principal component analysis. When this computer method was evaluated against human clinical ratings, the results showed that it could perform quantitative assessments of drawing impairment in spirals comparatively well. As a part of this objective, a review of systems and methods for detecting the handwriting and drawing impairment using touch screens was performed. The review showed that measures concerning forces, accelerations, and radial displacements were the most important ones in detecting fine motor movement anomalies. Another objective of this thesis work was to design and evaluate an information system for delivering assessment support information to the treating clinical staff for monitoring PD symptoms in their patients. The system consisted of a patient node for data collection based on the mobile device test battery, a service node for data storage and processing, and a web application for data presentation. A system module was designed for compiling the test battery time series into summary scores on a test period level. The web application allowed adequate graphic feedback of the summary scores to the treating clinical staff. The evaluation results for this integrated system indicate that it can be used as a tool for frequent PD symptom assessments in home environments.