Palmar flexion crease matching is a method for verifying or establishing identity. New methods of palmprint identification, that complement existing identification strategies, or reduce analysis and comparison times, will benefit palmprint identification communities worldwide. To this end, this thesis describes new methods of manual and automated palmar flexion crease identification, that can be used to identify palmar flexion creases in online palmprint images. In the first instance, a manual palmar flexion crease identification and matching method is described, which was used to compare palmar flexion creases from 100 palms, each modified 10 times to mimic some of the types of alterations that can be found in crime scene palmar marks. From these comparisons, using manual palmar flexion crease identification, results showed that when labelled within 10 pixels, or 3.5 mm, of the palmar flexion crease, a palmprint image can be identified with a 99.2% genuine acceptance rate and a 0% false acceptance rate. Furthermore, in the second instance, a new method of automated palmar flexion crease recognition, that can be used to identify palmar flexion creases in online palmprint images, is described. A modified internal image seams algorithm was used to extract the flexion creases, and a matching algorithm, based on kd-tree nearest neighbour searching, was used to calculate the similarity between them. Results showed that in 1000 palmprint images from 100 palms, when compared to manually identified palmar flexion creases, a 100% genuine acceptance rate was achieved with a 0.0045% false acceptance rate. Finally, to determine if automated palmar flexion crease recognition can be used as an effective method of palmprint identification, palmar flexion creases from two online palmprint image data sets, containing images from 100 palms and 386 palms respectively, were automatically extracted and compared. In the first data set, that is, for images from 100 palms, an equal error rate of 0.3% was achieved. In the second data set, that is, for images from 386 palms, an equal error rate of 0.415% was achieved.

Grasping is a useful ability that allows manipulators to restrain objects to a desired location or trajectory. Whole arm grasps are grasps that use the entire surface of the manipulator to apply contacts to an object. The problem of determining the shape of an object and planning a grasp for that object with a snake-like robot are considered in this work. Existing algorithms that attempt to allow robots to plan and perform whole arm grasps are lacking, they either use restrictive assumptions or have unrealistic demands in terms of required hardware. The work presented here allows even the most basic of robots to plan grasps on unknown objects whilst using a minimum of assumptions.The new developed Octograsp algorithm is a method of gaining information regarding the shape of the object to be grasped through tactile information alone. This contact information is processed using an inverse convex hull algorithm to build a model of the object's shape and position. The performance of the algorithms are examined using both simulations and experimental hardware, it is shown that accuracy errors as low as 3.1% can be obtained. The accuracy of the model depends upon factors such as the complexity of the object and the suitability of the robot. Manipulators consisting of a large number of small links with relaxed rotational constraints outperform other configurations. It is also shown that the accuracy can be improved by between 11% and 17% by contacting the object from multiple orientations, whilst also encircling from multiple positions can provide a very large improvement of between 56% to 86%. These methods allow even the coarse contact information provided by the experimental equipment to attain a model with an accuracy error of only 26%.A second novel algorithm is described that uses the information provided from the first algorithm to plan strong grasps over the desired object. The algorithm takes, on average, 25.1 seconds to plan the grasp. The mean strength of the planned grasps is 0.3816 using the wrench ball measure, this is firmly in the very good region. Several robotic configurations, as well as objects, are used to test the performance of the algorithm. The optimal parameters of the algorithm are investigated by using the results of 51030 different tests. It is again shown that robots that consist of a large number of small links and with high rotational ability perform the best.

Neste trabalho busca-se estudar as diferentes etapas de pre-processamento de dados na identificacao de sistemas, que sao: filtragem, normalizacao e amostragem. O objetivo principal e de acondicionar os dados empiricos medidos pelos instrumentos dos processos industriais, para que quando estes dados forem usados na identificacao de sistemas, se possa obter modelos matematicos que representem da forma mais proxima a dinamica do processo real. Vai-se tambem implementar as tecnicas de pre-processamento de dados no software MatLab 2012b e vai-se fazer testes na Planta Piloto de Vazao instalada no Laboratorio de Controle de Processos Industriais do Departamento de Engenharia de Telecomunicacoes e Controle da Escola Politecnica da USP; bem como em plantas simuladas de processos industriais, em que e conhecido a priori seu modelo matematico. Ao final, vai-se analisar e comparar o desempenho das etapas de pre-processamento de dados e sua influencia no indice de ajuste do modelo ao sistema real (fit), obtido mediante o metodo de validacao cruzada. Os parametros do modelo sao obtidos para predicoes infinitos passos a frente. / This work aims to study the different stages of data pre-processing in system identification, as are: filtering, normalization and sampling. The main goal is to condition the empirical data measured by the instruments of industrial processes, so that when these data are used to identify systems, one can obtain mathematical models that represent more closely the dynamics of the real process. It will also be implemented the techniques of preprocessing of data in MatLab 2012b and it will be performed tests in the Pilot Plant of Flow at the Laboratory of Industrial Process Control, Department of Telecommunications and Control Engineering from the Polytechnic School of USP; as well as with simulated plants of industrial processes where it is known a priori its mathematical model. At the end, it is analyzed and compared the performance of the pre-processing of data and its influence on the index of adjustment of the model to the real system (fit), obtained by the cross validation method. The model parameters are obtained for infinite step-ahead prediction.

We introduce and study a novel graph optimization problem to search for multiple cliques with the maximum overall weight, to which we denote as the Maximum Weighted Multiple Clique Problem (MWMCP). This problem arises in research involving network-based data mining, specifically, in bioinformatics where complex diseases, such as various types of cancer and diabetes, are conjectured to be triggered and influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. To integrate potential effects from interplays among underlying candidate factors, we propose a new network-based framework to identify effective biomarkers by searching for "groups" of synergistic risk factors with high predictive power to disease outcome. An interaction network is constructed with vertex weight representing individual predictive power of candidate factors and edge weight representing pairwise synergistic interaction among factors. This network-based biomarker identification problem is then formulated as a MWMCP. To achieve near optimal solutions for large-scale networks, an analytical algorithm based on column generation method as well as a fast greedy heuristic have been derived. Also, to obtain its exact solutions, an advanced branch-price-and-cut algorithm is designed and solved after studying the properties of the problem. Our algorithms for MWMCP have been implemented and tested on random graphs and promising results have been obtained. They also are used to analyze two biomedical datasets: a Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) dataset from the Diabetes Prevention Trial-Type 1 (DPT-1) Study, and a breast cancer genomics dataset for metastasis prognosis. The results demonstrate that our network-based methods can identify important biomarkers with better prediction accuracy compared to the conventional feature selection that only considers individual effects.

254f. / Submitted by Ana Portela (anapoli@ufba.br) on 2013-05-10T12:37:11Z No. of bitstreams: 1 tese definitiva para cd - Mari pdf.pdf: 1531567 bytes, checksum: 1991616ba5ea9dbb2f6e0c1ba0399c1c (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Oliveira Santos Dilzaná(dilznana@yahoo.com.br) on 2013-06-06T18:09:05Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 tese definitiva para cd - Mari pdf.pdf: 1531567 bytes, checksum: 1991616ba5ea9dbb2f6e0c1ba0399c1c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-06-06T18:09:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tese definitiva para cd - Mari pdf.pdf: 1531567 bytes, checksum: 1991616ba5ea9dbb2f6e0c1ba0399c1c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / CAPES / O presente trabalho estabelece um diálogo interdisciplinar entre as ciências sociais e a psicanálise e visa a analisar os mecanismos sociais e psíquicos que constituem, moldam e aprisionam o ser humano. Para explicitar esse diálogo, recorreu-se à teoria da complexidade como paradigma epistemológico para justificar que não há um déficit em nenhum dos campos do conhecimento, mas uma colaboração recíproca necessária para a compreensão e explicação de um objeto complexo, o qual tem, como contraponto, a sobredeterminação. A sociologia e a psicanálise foram tratadas como “campos”, à luz da teoria dos campos de Pierre Bourdieu, e assim delimitados. Para a sistematização do diálogo entre o campo da psicanálise e o campo das ciências sociais e das possibilidades de novas interpretações a partir desse diálogo, recorreu-se a uma ilustração exemplar encontrada na obra de Sergio Paulo Rouanet, através de seis de seus livros. Pretendeu-se, por fim, dar uma colaboração a esse diálogo, recorrendose aos conceitos de habitus, de Bourdieu e de Norbert Elias, para a análise dos condicionamentos sociais do indivíduo e aos conceitos freudianos de inconsciente e de identificação para a análise das determinações psíquicas do sujeito. Feita a articulação do objeto complexo indivíduo/sujeito, foi sugerida a margem de liberdade, de emancipação e autonomia do ser humano diante dessa sobredeterminação, bem como de sua responsabilidade pelos seus atos. The present work establishes an interdisciplinary dialogue between the Social Sciences and the Psychoanalysis and intends to analyse the social and psychic mechanisms that constitute, mold and imprision the human beings. The Theory of Complexity was used as an epistemological paradigm to provide the basis that there is not a deficit in the fields of knowledge but a necessary and reciprocal collaboration among them in order to comprehend and explain a complex object, which has, as a counterpoint, the overdetermination. The Social Sciences and the Pschycoanalysis were treated as “fields”, in light of Pierre Bourdieu´s fields theory, and then delimited. An illustration from Sergio Paulo Rouanet’s work was used to systematize the dialogue between the psychoanalisys and the social science fields and the possibility of new interpretations coming from this dialogue. It was intented, finally, to give a collaboration to this dialogue, using Bourdieu and Norbert Elias´s concepts of habitus, in order to analyse the social conditioning of the individual. It also uses Freud´concepts of unconscious and identification to analyse the psychic determinations of the subject. After the articulation of the individual/subject complex object, it was suggested the margin of liberty, emancipation and autonomy of the human being in face of this overdetermination, as well as his responsability for his acts. / Salvador

Neste trabalho busca-se estudar as diferentes etapas de pre-processamento de dados na identificacao de sistemas, que sao: filtragem, normalizacao e amostragem. O objetivo principal e de acondicionar os dados empiricos medidos pelos instrumentos dos processos industriais, para que quando estes dados forem usados na identificacao de sistemas, se possa obter modelos matematicos que representem da forma mais proxima a dinamica do processo real. Vai-se tambem implementar as tecnicas de pre-processamento de dados no software MatLab 2012b e vai-se fazer testes na Planta Piloto de Vazao instalada no Laboratorio de Controle de Processos Industriais do Departamento de Engenharia de Telecomunicacoes e Controle da Escola Politecnica da USP; bem como em plantas simuladas de processos industriais, em que e conhecido a priori seu modelo matematico. Ao final, vai-se analisar e comparar o desempenho das etapas de pre-processamento de dados e sua influencia no indice de ajuste do modelo ao sistema real (fit), obtido mediante o metodo de validacao cruzada. Os parametros do modelo sao obtidos para predicoes infinitos passos a frente. / This work aims to study the different stages of data pre-processing in system identification, as are: filtering, normalization and sampling. The main goal is to condition the empirical data measured by the instruments of industrial processes, so that when these data are used to identify systems, one can obtain mathematical models that represent more closely the dynamics of the real process. It will also be implemented the techniques of preprocessing of data in MatLab 2012b and it will be performed tests in the Pilot Plant of Flow at the Laboratory of Industrial Process Control, Department of Telecommunications and Control Engineering from the Polytechnic School of USP; as well as with simulated plants of industrial processes where it is known a priori its mathematical model. At the end, it is analyzed and compared the performance of the pre-processing of data and its influence on the index of adjustment of the model to the real system (fit), obtained by the cross validation method. The model parameters are obtained for infinite step-ahead prediction.

All structures have modal properties such as natural frequencies and damping. In engineeringit is often of interest to estimate these modal properties for certain structures, to be used whenmodelling for example fatigue. This is done by computing them from finite element models, by using experimental measurements or both. In the case of doing both, a finite elementmodel is usually established first and adjusted to fit measurements from experiments. Atlas Copco Rock Drills AB is the company where this thesis has been performed and the subject is experimental procedures related to estimating modal properties of the so calledpower pack, which essentially is a modularised engine and hydraulic power source of an Atlas Copco drill rig. Their current method for estimating these properties is a classical procedure which makes use of an impact hammer that an operator strikes the power pack with to induce excitation. Due to concealment of behind other parts the power pack when mounted inside the drill rig, the number of places where the operator is able to strike the power pack in is limited. Another problem with the current procedure is that it can be difficult to strike the power pack with a strong enough impulse to generate reliable results. In this thesis a new experimental procedure for Atlas Copco to use is suggested. It is based on operational modal analysis (OMA), which uses the machinery's excitation from its operational conditions to compute modal estimates. A comparison between different experimental procedures have been done and the suggested procedure is the following: excitation by engine sweep; modal identifcation by the PolyMAX method and mode shape scaling by the harmonic scaling method. An experiment was performed to compare two OMA procedures.The suggested procedure is the one that generated the better results of the two.

Este trabalho propõe uma metodologia de identificação para sistemas lineares sujeitos a saltos markovianos. Dada uma sequência de observações ruidosas da variável de estados, busca-se estimá-la juntamente com os parâmetros (desconhecidos) que descrevem o sistema dinâmico no espaço de estados. Como é bem conhecido, a ltragem ótima nesta classe de sistemas tem requisitos computacionais exponencialmente crescentes em função do tamanho da amostra, e torna-se inviável na prática. Recorre-se, portanto, a um algoritmo sub-ótimo de ltragem, cujos resultados são utilizados na identificação por máxima verossimilhança segundo a metodologia apresentada. Simulações realizadas mostram boa convergência. / This paper proposes a methodology for the identification of Markov-jump linear systems. Given a sequence of noisy observations of the state variable, our objective is to estimate it along with the (unknown) parameters that drive the system in the state-space. As it is well known, the optimal ltering in this class of systems requires exponentially increasing computing power, in proportion to the sample size, and is not feasible in practice. We resort, therefore, to a sub-optimal algorithm, whose results are used for a maximum likelihood identification according to the methodology presented here. Simulations show a good convergence.

Un système de transport ferroviaire intelligent est essentiellement caractérisé par son niveau d'autonomie de prise de décision en fonction des conditions qui lui sont extérieurs. Afin de renforcer son intelligence et son autonomie, cette nouvelle génération de systèmes de transport intègre des multiples technologies et standards de communication et de traitement de l'information. L'intégration de ces technologies permet aux opérateurs du transport ferroviaire de réduire les coûts d'exploitation et de maintenance et d'attirer un plus grand nombre de passagers en leur facilitant l'accès ainsi que l'exploitation du transport ferroviaire tout en leur offrant des nouveaux services à bord. Cependant l'utilisation de plusieurs standards de communication ainsi que l'augmentation du trafic (le nombre de passagers et le nombre de véhicules mis en service) déclenchent un besoin sans précédent des ressources radio, notamment au niveau du spectre fréquentiel. En effet, avec la demande croissante des ressources radio, la Radio Intelligente (RI) se présente comme une technologie émergente qui améliore les performances des systèmes radio existants en intégrant l'intelligence artificielle avec la radio logicielle. / Any intelligent railway transport system is mainly characterized by its autonomy in making decisions in terms of its external conditions. In order to improve its cognition and autonomy, this new generation of transport systems integrates multiple technologies and standards of communication and information processing. The integration of these technologies allows rail operators to reduce operational and maintenance costs and attracts more passengers by making easier rail transport access and use while offering new services on board. However, using multiple communication standards and increasing traffic (number of passengers and vehicles in service) trigger an unprecedented need for radio resources, particularly frequency spectrum. Indeed, with the growing of radio resources demand, Cognitive Radio (CR) is an emerging technology that improves the performance of existing radio systems by the integration of artificial intelligence and software defined radio (SDR).

Este trabalho propõe uma metodologia de identificação para sistemas lineares sujeitos a saltos markovianos. Dada uma sequência de observações ruidosas da variável de estados, busca-se estimá-la juntamente com os parâmetros (desconhecidos) que descrevem o sistema dinâmico no espaço de estados. Como é bem conhecido, a ltragem ótima nesta classe de sistemas tem requisitos computacionais exponencialmente crescentes em função do tamanho da amostra, e torna-se inviável na prática. Recorre-se, portanto, a um algoritmo sub-ótimo de ltragem, cujos resultados são utilizados na identificação por máxima verossimilhança segundo a metodologia apresentada. Simulações realizadas mostram boa convergência. / This paper proposes a methodology for the identification of Markov-jump linear systems. Given a sequence of noisy observations of the state variable, our objective is to estimate it along with the (unknown) parameters that drive the system in the state-space. As it is well known, the optimal ltering in this class of systems requires exponentially increasing computing power, in proportion to the sample size, and is not feasible in practice. We resort, therefore, to a sub-optimal algorithm, whose results are used for a maximum likelihood identification according to the methodology presented here. Simulations show a good convergence.