<p>This thesis presents segmentation of the right ventricle of the heart in real-time tracking of 3D ultrasound recordings. A simple deformable model for the right ventricle is developed based on statistical data from manual segmentations, and the model has been tested out in a set of 3D ultrasound recordings and compared to manually segmented right ventricular volumes. The manual segmentation method with volume approximation is also developed. The segmentation tests on the recordings are performed with an already present Kalman filter based real-time contour tracking framework. The ability of the models to fit to the shape of the right ventricle has been evaluated, and the resulting volume curves have been inspected. Deformable models of the right ventricle are constructed by placing nodes in an initial three-dimensional mesh, and subdivision schemes are applied to make smooth surfaces. There have also been experimented with models of different resolutions and initial positions. A background study of right ventricular anatomy, subdivision, model-based segmentation and Kalman filter theory is included, and clinical applications of volume measurements in real-time are suggested. The results of the segmentation are promising, and indicate that models adjust to the right ventricle during the heart beat.</p>

<p>To enable deterministic scheduling in a distributed embedded system an existing open source embedded TCP/IP stack has been modified to support strict priority queuing. The embedded target system has a fully switched closed Ethernet backplane used for internal communication. The problem is that high-volume configuration file downloads interfere with low-volume internal signaling, such as alarms, status reports, performance data and other statistics. The network was already designed using a type of switches which could support several Quality of Service schemes. An open source embedded TCP/IP stack, lightweight IP (lwIP) was evaluated, and found to be a suitable foundation for the developed application; the Priority Based Message Stack (PBMS). PBMS is a modification of lwIP with support for selective packet forwarding and reception based on the IPv4 Type-of-Service (TOS) field. Support for the BOOTP protocol, as well as a nonblocking send operation, was also implemented. PBMS is easily portable in the sense that it only requires a clearly defined basic set of generic OS functions in order to be ported to new systems. A generic interface to Ethernet drivers must also be developed. The implementation was desktop tested on a Linux platform for correct functionality in the IP, UDP and BSD Socket modules. The performance of the priority scheme compared to a best-effort strategy was also measured. These tests showed that stack-internal strict prioritization based on the IPv4 TOS precedence bits have a clear potential for offering deterministic transfer times in Nera’s distributed embedded system. Without prioritization, with contention for the network link, an average output time of 480 microseconds was measured from the time the socket sendto function was called until the IP output function had been executed. Using strict prioritization under the same conditions this sequence of functions executed in only 15 microseconds in 99 percent of the test runs. The proper prioritization within the TCP/IP stack is only one of several queuing points in the target network. The existing switches, along with the proper TOS marking of each packet, will ensure an unbroken chain of priority queueing all the way to the destination. Some network endpoints might have variable latencies, which will affect the round-trip time (RTT). A measurement methodology to determine this has been described. A test methodology for round-trip and one-way delay time measurement will be used to validate PBMS in the target system. These tests can also be used to estimate the latencies in those network endpoints mentioned above. With this data at hand a worst-case RTT for the entire system can be calculated. The target system integration and validation will be carried out immediately after the completion of this thesis.</p>

<p>Design and implementation of a multicore scheduler for the Linux kernel. Specifically look at the pfair global algorithm, a ratebased deadline driven scheduler that is near-optimal on multicore platforms</p>

<p>In todays industrial applications there is an increasing demand for good control algorithms and implementions. This may be because of increased competition leading to smaller economic margins, safety reasons or even environmental reasons etc. With such demands comes the need for faster and more efficient hardware. Unfortunately, even though CPU-speed has more or less sky-rocketed the last decades, using such solutions for a typical embedded system is not very cost efficient, practical or robust. Thus, many embedded systems now a days use complete microcontrollers, such as the ATMEL AVR-chips. These however, run on far slower clock speeds than pure CPUs, and are not capable of performing the calculations needed for real-time controlling using for example an MPC controller. One way of getting around the performance issue, could be to construct the controller entirely in hardware, designed specifically for the task at hand. This paper will look at how this is possible to accomplish by using an FPGA, and how much performance gain it is possible to achieve on this platform.</p>

<p>In the last couple of years The Institute of Cybernetics at NTNU, Norway, has based its research on the SVEN work carried out in Sweden in the late 1970’s. The SVEN hand was an on/off-controlled upper limb prosthesis based on electromyographic (EMG) signals. This master thesis is a part of the renewed and continuing research. This study will try to identify signal features that are beneficial in a proportional control of a multi-function upper limb prosthesis. The intent is to identify a set of signal features that could be implemented in a practical proportional control system to enhance the movement functions of the prosthesis such that it more closely mimic the movements of a normal upper limb. The data set used in this paper consist of EMG signals and VICON angle data recorded by Fougner (2007). A short explanation will be given on how to acquire such data. A brief introduction on feature selection defines the properties of a wrapper and filter approach in search for a feature subset. Wavelets properties are explained and two wavelet techniques are used in order to obtain more information from the EMG signal in addition to existing features. From this, we search for a subset of features that will let us use a mapping function that estimates a correct motion with respect to the features fed to it. The Cosine Similarity Transform (CST) and the Correlation coefficient (CORR) will in addition to RMSE be investigated in order to find an optimal performance indicator. With a good and reliable indicator we may find a suitable subset. EWC-WAVE were found to be the best subset according to both CST and RMSE. Based upon the information obtained from each performance indicator, it is suggested that CST should be carried out as a measure of accuracy on how to map data in the future. There are still unsolved problems. Some of the angles we tried to estimate with a neural network suffered and produced non-informative data. This indicate that one should add more hidden nodes to a neural network when more features are used as input. We have obtained indications that we do need to combine feature subsets in order to obtain higher accuracy of the estimated signal. It is proposed that a post-processing technique should be developed and used subsequent to the pattern recognition methods in order to achieve a signal that better reflects the estimation and may be used as a control signal for a prosthesis. Hopefully will these findings help improve future work to achieve an enhanced proportional control for a real prosthesis.</p>

<p>This thesis describes the design and creation of a system for stabilizing a camera mounted on a nano-UAV. A prototype voice coil actuator was produced, and Hall effect sensors were used to measure the angle of the actuator. The actuator and sensor is used to counter vibrations in the UAV. A circuit board used to control the actuator was designed and created, and a controller for the system was implemented. Testing showed that the controller was able to counter vibrations, but the bandwidth was low, only a few hertz. Wires connected to the actuator and sensor had significant impact on the system. They caused a spring/damper effect which meant more current was required, which again caused lower bandwidth due to saturation. On the other hand, the wires also lead to passive damping of higher frequencies. Unfortunately, there is a frequency band around 10 Hz where neither active nor passive control provides damping.</p>

<p>The idea about the CyberBike came to Jens G. Balchen - the founder of the Department of Engineering Cybernetics (ITK) at NTNU - in the 1980's. He wanted to make an unmanned autonomus bicycle, i.e. a bike that could run by itself. The idea was picked up by Amund Skavhaug, who started the CyberBike project in the late 80's. After being deffered for some years, the CyberBike has again gained some attention. This master's thesis is based on Hans Olav Loftum's and Lasse Bjermeland's theses at the spring 2006 and the autumn project of John A. Fossum the same year. The goal of the CyberBike project is to make the bike work as intended, i.e. as an autonomous unmanned bicycle. This thesis naturally share this goal, although the bike did not become able to take its first autonomous trip within the thesis' time frame. At the start of the work, the bike were already equipped with a suitcase of computational hardware on its baggage rack, a small QNX Neutrino OS image was installed on the industrial PC mounted in the suitcase, and drivers for the installed motors, tachometers and potmeters were written. An Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) was intended to supply the control system with the necessary information about rotation, acceleration and position, and the unit was purchased for the purpose. Also a driver was written, but not properly tested. The IMU had to be installed and connected to the control system. The bike's control theory was developed, but had never been put into action outside computer simulations (due to the lack of acceleration measurements). The various tasks that had to be addressed emerged as the development process advanced. First, the IMU had to be connected to the system, by making a signal tranceiver circuit. A small printed circuit board was designed and laid out, mainly to include a MAX233CPP iC. Then the DB-9 serial connector on the bikes single board computer (Wafer-9371A) could be used to read the UART signal from the IMU as RS-232. Then some testing had to be done, and drivers updated. A better and more advanced IMU (referred to as the "MTi") was added to the project. This unit needed no signal converting circuitry, but driver development and testing still had to be done. To enhance the CyberBike's navigation opportunities, a GPS module was purchased. A signal transceiving circuit, similar to the one for the IMU, was made for this unit, as well as software to read out the measurements from the device. By the end of this thesis, no navigational algorithms are made, hence the GPS is currently not used, but available for future efforts made on this area. Some hardware related tasks was carried out, as connecting and implementing functionality to the pendulum limit switches, installation of a emergency stop switch and a power switch, purchasing and installation of two 12V batteries and a cooling fan. An operating system upgrade resulted in replacing the CyberBikePC's storage device, a compact flash card, with a mobile hard disk drive. Installation of a motor, for supplying torque to the rear wheel, included setup and tuning of a hardware based velocity controller in a Baldor TFM 060-06-01-3 servo module. However; this task is not to be considered as accomplished, due to some unsolved problems on the system I/O-card's output channels giving the motor controller card its reference voltage. A bike model and controller realized in Simulink was made by Bjermeland. Hence communicaton between Simulink and the device drivers had to be established, and this was realized by using S-functions and Real-Time Workshop. Finally the controller could be connected to the actual bike, but there was too little time left to explore this thoroughly, and make the system work properly. However, a foundation is laid for further development of the control strategy, hopefully storing a bright future for the CyberBike.</p>

<p>This study is a part of a renew and continuation of the SVEN work done in Sweden in the later 1970's. The SVEN hand was an on/off-controlled upper-limb prosthesis based on measured electromyographic (EMG) signals. Recently the SVEN methods have been revived in a cooperation by NTNU and UNB, Canada. The aim of this study is to further develop a practical porportional control system for a multifunction upper-limb prosthesis. This is based on a hypothesis that a simple and smooth proportional control system will be easier for the central nervous system to adapt to, compared to existing systems, and will thus provide increased functionality for the user. A protocol has been developed for the recording of EMG signals and VICON motion measurements in a laboratory. Suitable data sets have been recorded from three test subjects, and signal processing and three pattern recognition methods have been applied on these data sets to generate estimates of clinical angles. The pattern recognition methods tested were linear (LF) and quadratic (QF) mapping functions and multi-layer perceptron (MLP) network. The performance of these methods has been evaluated, compared and visualized. More testing is needed to find the best method, and the MLP network can be improved in several ways. To achieve better angle estimates that can be used for proportional control of prostheses, we wanted to use EMG signal features that are insensitive to amplitude changes due to variations in skin conductance. Qualitative and quantitative EMG signal features are described with this property as an important concern. The zero-crossings (ZC) feature has been tested as one of these, also in combination with the averaged absolute value (AAV). Although ZC did not always perform superior to AAV, it is likely that other features and combinations of these should be tested. Inclusion of other properties from the prosthesis, like elbow angle or measured pressure from the arm on the prosthesis, can also be included to improve the estimates. We now have a large, suitable data set from the laboratory, which can be used for further work on pattern recognition and multifunction proportional control of prostheses. There are also other applications for the methods developed. The final step will hopefully be implementation in a real prosthesis.</p>

<p>It would be of great value for the prosthesis industry to achieve an open standard for communication in upper limb prostheses. Cooperation between NTNU and the University of New Brunswick has resulted in a functional requirements specification for such a standard, SCIP(Standardised Communication Interface in Prostheses). The special challenges for communication in a prosthesis system are possible noisy environments, high demands for light weight, safety for the user and the fact that devices might be switched during operation. It was the purpose of this master thesis to make a design based upon those requirements. This was done by first choosing an existing bus standard, that would provide the lower levels of communication. CAN was chosen for this purpose. The next step of the design process was to transform the functional requirements into more specific technical requirements. This resulted in the definition of four types of nodes on the bus. These are bus controller, input controller, device controller and service controller. Their interactions called for the specification of several different message types, to support data exchange between the nodes. The result was a design that specifies node types, message types, variables like adresses, control strategies etc., state transition diagrams for the different node types and some message sequences. It also specifies the use of the CAN data-frame for all message types.</p>

<p>In this master's thesis, a ground station (GS) for the fixed-wing UAV: CyberSwan (CS), has been developed. The CS was designed for surveillance purposes, and two other master's theses deals with the work of making it autonomous (Høstmark (2007) and Bjørntvedt (2007)). Having a GS will make it possible to communicate with the CS in-flight, and present data and video from the CS through communication devices. The GS has been realised using LabVIEW development software from citet{labview}. A CS simulator was also developed in LabVIEW for test purposes. In addition was a Global Position System (GPS) receiver board, and a Radio Frequency (RF) communication board, developed. The GPS receiver was used to position the GS, and used as a source for position correction data. The RF communication board was developed for mounting in the CS and to be connected to its computer system to enable communication with the GS. The GS used a RF demo board for communication. A wireless camera was mounted on the CS for in-flight video surveillance, and a ultrasound ranging device was tested intended to be used in a autonomous landing situation. A hardware in the loop (HIL) test was performed to test the GS's communication capacity. Here the developed CS simulator was used, as the CS computer system was not completed (Bjørntvedt 2007). The test proved it possible to transfer a CS status message at 4 Hz, making the chosen communication device a good choice for the intended purpose.</p>