Research efforts on the development of autonomous vehicles date back to the 1920s and recent announcements indicate that those cars are close to becoming commercially available. However, the most successful prototypes that are currently being demonstrated rely on an expensive set of sensors. This study investigates the use of an affordable vision system as a planner for the Robocart, an autonomous golf cart prototype developed by the Wireless Innovation Laboratory at WPI. The proposed approach relies on a stereo vision system composed of a pair of Raspberry Pi computers, each one equipped with a Camera Module. They are connected to a server and their clocks are synchronized using the Precision Time Protocol (PTP). The server uses timestamps to obtain a pair of simultaneously captured images. Images are processed to generate a disparity map using stereo matching and points in this map are reprojected to the 3D world as a point cloud. Then, an occupancy grid is built and used as input for an A* graph search that finds a collision-free path for the robot. Due to the non-holonomic constraints of a car-like robot, a Pure Pursuit algorithm is used as the control method to guide the robot along the computed path. The cameras are also used by a Visual Odometry algorithm that tracks points on a sequence of images to estimate the position and orientation of the vehicle. The algorithms were implemented using the C++ language and the open source library OpenCV. Tests in a controlled environment show promising results and the interfaces between the server and the Robocart have been defined, so that the proposed method can be used on the golf cart as soon as the mechanical systems are fully functional.

Boas condições acústicas, para a transmissão e para o entendimento da mensagem falada, são importantes para a eficácia do processo de aprendizagem. Para tanto, além de se minimizar a intrusão do ruído externo, é fundamental que a distribuição da energia sonora no interior das salas de aula seja adequada. Quando não se adotavam soluções prescritivas, utilizava-se para projeto, apenas, o tradicional tempo de reverberação. Na literatura, há faixas de valores para outros descritores que, por falta de estudos específicos, não são empregados para salas de aula. Esta pesquisa enfoca essa lacuna no conhecimento, ou seja, estabelecimento de faixas adequadas de outros descritores que possam ser empregados na otimização do projeto acústico de salas de aula sob a perspectiva dos alunos. Para atingir esse objetivo utilizou-se de métodos de Avaliação Pós-Ocupação, com a aplicação de questionários e a medição de descritores, usando-se a técnica de medição da resposta impulsiva, de várias salas de escolas diferentes, a fim de associar os valores medidos com o grau de satisfação expressado pelos usuários dos espaços. As medições foram feitas, em oitavas, ao longo de uma malha de pontos. Os valores medidos foram complementados com simulações computacionais para avaliar outras posições no interior dos recintos. Foram analisados os descritores TR, EDT, BR, Ts, D50 e RASTI. Destes parâmetros, foram selecionados aqueles que podem ser otimizados pelas decisões de projeto arquitetônico, sendo estes: TR, EDT, Ts e RASTI. / Good acoustic conditions, for the transmission and understanding of the spoken message, are important for the effectiveness of the learning process. Therefore, in addition to minimizing the intrusion of outdoor noise, it is essential that the distribution of the sound energy inside the classrooms is adequate. When prescriptive solutions were not adopted, only the traditional reverberation time was used for design. In the literature, there are ranges of values for other descriptors that, for lack of specific studies, are not used for classrooms. This research focuses on this knowledge gap, that is, the establishment of adequate ranges of other descriptors that can be used to optimize the acoustic design of classrooms from the perspective of the students. In order to accomplish this objective, Post-Occupancy Evaluation methods were used, with the application of questionnaires and the measurement of descriptors, using the impulse response measurement technique of several classrooms from different schools, in order to associate the measured values with the degree of satisfaction expressed by its users. Measurements were made in octave bands along a mesh of points. The obtained values were complemented with computational simulations to evaluate other positions inside the rooms. The descriptors TR, EDT, BR, Ts, D50 and RASTI were analyzed. From these parameters, those that can be optimized by the architectural design decisions were selected, being these: TR, EDT, Ts and RASTI

Master of Science / Division of Biology / David A. Haukos / The ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) is a popular and economically important upland gamebird in Kansas. Population declines have stakeholders seeking methods to manage populations on agricultural lands. Cover crops planted during the breeding period may provide important resources pheasants require for survival and successful reproduction. I evaluated three cover crop mixes; a custom mix, commercial mix, a wildlife mix, and a chemical fallow control in three counties in western Kansas, during 2017 and 2018 to determine their potential as a management practice for increasing pheasant habitat. I tested the relative effects of spring cover crops on female pheasant survival, nest survival, nest-site selection, and mesocarnivore occupancy. Females pheasants (73) were captured via nightlighting during February – April and fitted with 15-g very-high-frequency radio collars and monitored by telemetry. I placed 58 camera traps on field edges and within cover crop treatments from April to September. Vegetation data were collected at nests and random points to assess nest-site selection and weekly random vegetation points were sampled within treatments. I used known fate and nest survival models in the package RMark interface in R to investigate adult and nest survival (R Core Team 2018). Adult breeding season survival was 0.57 (SE < 0.0001, CI = 0.5739 – 0.5740). Percent spring cover crop positively influenced adult survival (AICc wi = 0.450). Nest survival was 0.36 (SE < 0.001, CI = 0.3614 - 0.3614). Daily nest survival followed a pattern of high survival that gradually declined over the breeding season. Resource selection functions suggest female ring-necked pheasants selected vegetation between 5-7 dm at 50% VOR for nest sites (AICc wi = 0.97). Chi-square analyses suggest females selected Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) patches for nest sites more than expected during both years (2017 χ²₄ = 26.49, P < 0.001; 2018 χ²₄ = 9.80, P = 0.04). CRP supported 57% of nests and 56% of successful nests relative to other cover types. All three of the monitored nests in cover crops were depredated. Ring-necked pheasant occupancy was greatest on edges of treatments (ψ = 0.97, SE = 0.081) and influenced by proportion of the Chick Magnet seed mix (AICc wi = 0.68). Mesocarnivore occupancy was greatest on treatment edges with a constant occupancy of 0.99 (SE = 0.47, AICc wi = 0.66). Spring cover crops provide cover and foraging resources when the majority of agricultural practices are fallow. Spring cover crops do not provide sufficient vertical cover for nesting until after peak nesting occurs, especially during cooler than average winter and spring conditions such as 2018. However, there are tangible benefits of spring cover crops to other biological periods, such as adult female survival, and brood resources if placement of cover crops is targeted near quality nest habitat. My results indicates wheat is an ecological trap for nesting due to increased predation and destruction during harvest. Providing quality nest structure will reduce females nesting in wheat. Incorporation of spring cover crops is a beneficial wildlife management tool that can increase ring-necked pheasant habitat on the landscape.

Thesis (M.Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1982. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Sandra Airené Jones. / M.Arch.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientÃfico e TecnolÃgico / In Brazil, the last decades have seen the introduction of the private sector in housing provision policies. In this scenario, the government reduced its participation in the process, focusing solely on the roles as a articulator and performing regulatory tasks , through lending to constr uction and obtainment of housing ; context into which the My House My Life program (PMCMV) resides. Simultaneously, post - occupancy evaluation's researches (POE) have gained more prominence in the diagnostics concerning housing production in the country, contributing with essential information to feedback into the design p rocess and to encourage improvements in the quality of the environment built, generating greater value to customers. In this sense, both the POE studies and the specific evaluation studies concerning the measurement of satisfaction levels find validation i n theories and methodologies that have arisen from Psychology, e.g. Environmental Psychology and Social Representations. From this context, the research that is referred to in this document aims to propose improvements to social - interest housing projects ( HIS), from the perspective of the end user. Therefore, by means of adopting a multiple case study as a research strategy, projects delivered from PMCMV (track 1) in CearÃ, were seized as the object and the residents that received the benefits were seized a s the subject. Using multiple data collection instruments, individual interviews and focus groups amongst them, comments of a positive, neutral and negative nature were captured concerning various aspects of housing, as divulged by the participating reside nts during the application of the instruments of data collection. After organizing the collected data into tables, the respondents' points of satisfaction and dissatisfaction concerning the pro duct received were identified; f urthermore, through the applic ation of tools designed for this very purpose, the relevance bestowed by the participants to various aspects of housing were measured. Subsequently, the dissatisfactions detected were turned into improvement guidelines for future development of HIS, consid ering, thusly, the perspective of end users. Finally, contributions to proposals that aim to improve the quality of housing developments were made, through the use of tools derived from the person - environment studies / No Brasil, as Ãltimas dÃcadas assistiram à introduÃÃo do setor privado nas polÃticas de provisÃo habitacional. Nesse cenÃrio, o poder pÃblico reduziu sua participaÃÃo no processo, concentrando-se nas tarefas de regulamentador e articulador, atravÃs da concessÃo de crÃdito para construÃÃo e obtenÃÃo de moradias; contexto este no qual se insere o Programa Minha Casa Minha Vida (PMCMV). Paralelamente, as pesquisas de avaliaÃÃo de pÃs-ocupaÃÃo (APO) vÃm conquistando um maior destaque no diagnÃstico da produÃÃo habitacional do paÃs, contribuindo com informaÃÃes essenciais para retroalimentar o processo de projeto e promover a melhoria da qualidade dos ambientes construÃdos, gerando maior valor para os clientes. Neste sentido, tanto os estudos de APO, quanto os estudos especÃficos de avaliaÃÃo de satisfaÃÃo encontram validade nas teorias e metodologias oriundas, por exemplo, da Psicologia, como a Psicologia ambiental e a Teoria das RepresentaÃÃes Sociais. A partir deste contexto, a pesquisa à qual se refere o presente documento visa à proposiÃÃo de diretrizes de melhorias para projetos de habitaÃÃo de interesse social (HIS), a partir da visÃo dos clientes finais. Para tanto, atravÃs da adoÃÃo de um estudo de caso mÃltiplo como estratÃgia de pesquisa, utilizou-se como objeto, os empreendimentos entregues pelo PMCMV (faixa 1) no Cearà e, como sujeitos, os moradores beneficiados. Utilizando-se mÃltiplos instrumentos de coleta de dados, dentre os quais grupos focais e entrevistas individuais, foram capturados comentÃrios de cunho positivos, neutros e negativos acerca de diversos aspectos da moradia, proferidos pelos moradores participantes durante as aplicaÃÃes dos instrumentos de coleta de dados. ApÃs organizaÃÃo dos dados coletados em tabelas, foram identificados os pontos de satisfaÃÃo e insatisfaÃÃo dos respondentes com relaÃÃo ao produto recebido; alÃm disso, atravÃs da aplicaÃÃo de instrumento para este fim, foram medidas as importÃncias conferidas pelos participantes a diversos aspectos da moradia. Posteriormente, as insatisfaÃÃes detectadas foram transformadas em diretrizes de melhoria para empreendimentos futuros em HIS, considerando, desta forma, a Ãtica dos clientes finais. Por fim, contribuiu-se com proposiÃÃes que objetivam a melhoria de qualidade de EHIS, atravÃs do uso de ferramentas derivadas dos estudos pessoa-ambiente.

Robôs móveis autônomos dependem da informação obtida de seus sensores para processos de tomada de decisão durante a realização de suas tarefas. A utilização de sistemas de visão permite a aquisição de um grande volume de dados sobre o ambiente no qual o robô se encontra. Particularmente, um sistema de visão omnidirecional é capaz de fornecer informações sobre todo o espaço ao redor do robô numa única imagem. Através do processamento de um par ou mais de imagens omnidirecionais pode-se obter as distâncias entre o robô e os objetos no seu ambiente de trabalho. Devido às incertezas inerentes a qualquer sensoriamento, um modelo probabilístico do mesmo faz-se necessário para que a informação sensorial adquirida possa ser utilizada para os processos de decisão internos do robô durante a execução de sua tarefa. Assim, tendo como único sensor um sistema de visão estéreo omnidirecional utilizado como fonte de informação para uma representação estocástica espacial do ambiente, conhecida como Grades de Evidência, o robô é capaz de determinar a probabilidade da ocupação dos espaços ao seu redor e assim navegar autonomamente no ambiente. Este artigo mostra um algoritmo estéreo com imagens omnidirecionais e um modelo do sistema de visão estéreo omnidirecional para atualização das Grades de Evidência. Este é a primeira etapa de um trabalho que visa a realização de tarefas de navegação e exploração de ambientes desconhecidos e não-estruturados tendo como base de conhecimento para o robô um modelo probabilístico baseado nas Grades de Evidência. / Autonomous mobile robots depend on information acquired with its sensors to make decisions during its task. The use of vision systems provide a large amount of data about the environment in which the robot is. Particularly, an omnidirectional vision systems provide information in all directions of the environment to the robot with just one image. Through the processing of a pair of omnidirectional images it is possible to obtain the distances between the robot and the objects in its work environment. Because of the uncertainty of all sensors, a probabilistic model is necessary so that the information acquired could be used in decision make processes. Having just an omnidirectional stereovision system as a source of information to an stochastic representation of the environment, known as Evidence Grids, the robot can determine the probability of occupation of the space in the environment and navigate autonomously. This article shows a stereo algorithm and a model of the omnidirectional stereovision system to update the Evidence Grid. This is the beginning of a work that have as objective make navigation and exploration of unknown and unstructured environment having as knowledge base a probabilistic model as Evidence Grids.

É esperado que edifícios escolares públicos ofereçam ambientes destinados ao ensino-aprendizagem de qualidade. Entretanto, seu adequado desempenho ambiental depende tanto do planejamento, do projeto e da execução, quanto dos padrões de uso e dos procedimentos de operação e manutenção. As escolas públicas paulistas de ensino fundamental e médio foram alvo de um processo de padronização que envolveu os programas de necessidade, componentes e sistemas construtivos de seus edifícios. No entanto, para a elaboração dessas diretrizes, não foi considerado um processo sistemático de melhoria contínua que levasse em conta os resultados pregressos, obtidos por meio das avaliações das condições de uso das edificações existentes. Esta pesquisa avalia o desempenho de três escolas ocupadas há mais de um ano, as quais foram projetadas e construídas segundo as diretrizes para o projeto e a execução de escolas vigente, a partir de 2003, na rede pública estadual paulista. Para tal, foram aplicados múltiplos métodos de Avaliação Pós-Ocupação [APO], a fim de obter, de modo sistemático, informações dos ambientes construídos durante seu uso, bem como aferir a opinião dos usuários. Dentre os métodos e técnicas adotados, foram considerados: walkthroughs, checklists, medições de conforto ambiental, entrevistas com pessoas-chave, grupos focais e questionários aplicados a usuários. Os resultados subsidiam a discussão referente ao impacto das decisões tomadas em projeto e ao longo do uso nos edifícios escolares estaduais paulistas, destacando eventuais aspectos críticos e oportunidades para a revisão das diretrizes de projeto destas edificações, de modo a aprimorar a qualidade dos ambientes de ensino-aprendizagem e a preservar o período de vida útil previsto em projeto. / Public school buildings are expected to provide quality spaces for learning. However, their environmental quality depends on the design, use patterns and regular operation procedures. The São Paulo public elementary and high schools were the subject of a standardization process, which involved: the architectural programming, the components and the construction systems. Notwithstanding, the guidelines presented were limited to the design and construction phases and do not address issues regarding the delivery, the operation and the maintenance of the building. This research discusses the impacts of the design issues for three learning facilities in use and its consequences. The methods adopted involved the implementation of Post- Occupancy Evaluations (POEs) which included: walkthroughs, environmental comfort measurements, interviews with key people, focus group, surveys and questionnaires applied to users. A qualitative and quantitative analysis was conducted from the results obtained, regarding the functional impacts caused by the use conditions in these built environments. The findings aims to present information on understanding of the effects of the impact of the design and use decisions to applied to the public school system of São Paulo State, highlighting the critical issues and opportunities for review the design guidelines in planning future similar educational facilities, in order to improve the learning built environments quality, the operating and maintenance procedures and the preservation of the building project life cycle.

Projetado no início da década de 50 do século XX por Oscar Niemeyer o edifício COPAN surgiu num momento de profundas transformações em São Paulo. A economia da capital paulistana se fortalecia aquecendo o mercado imobiliário e ocasionando uma verdadeira ?febre construtiva? na cidade. Maior edifício residencial da América Latina, com 116.152m² de área construída, o COPAN, situado no centro de São Paulo, era um monumento aos novos paradigmas adotados nos anos 50 na cidade: gigantismo, verticalização, adensamento populacional, dentre outros. Utilizando-se dos métodos e das técnicas da Avaliação Pós-Ocupação (APO), esta dissertação tem como objetivo aferir o desempenho do edifício nas questões de conforto ambiental, desempenho funcional dos apartamentos e das áreas comuns, acessibilidade para pessoas com dificuldades de locomoção e visão e segurança contra incêndio, tanto do ponto de vista dos especialistas, bem como do ponto de vista dos usuários. Com base em diagnósticos elaborados para cada item pesquisado, são feitas recomendações, sempre que possível, visando atender às exigências atuais de desempenho constantes em Normas, as determinações de Código de Obras, além de proposições voltadas à melhoria da qualidade de vida neste edifício, sempre que pertinente. A pesquisa inclui ainda, para fundamentar os diagnósticos e as recomendações da APO, um estudo voltado à compreensão da gestão do processo de projeto, desde sua concepção. / Designed by Oscar Niemeyer in the early 1950s, the Copan Building in Downtown São Paulo, Brazil, was erected during a period when sweeping changes were taking place in the city. The local economy was strengthened by the growing real-estate market and was bringing about a veritable \"rage of construction.\" The Copan is the tallest residential building in Latin America, having 116,152m² of constructed area, and it was a monument to the new architectural paradigms being adopted in São Paulo in the 1950s, including gigantism, verticalization and demographic densification. Using methods and techniques of the Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE), this dissertation is aimed at appraising the building\'s performance in the areas of environmental comfort, functional performance of the apartments and common areas, access for persons with difficulties in locomotion and sight, and fire safety, all from the points of view of both specialists and users. Whenever possible and pertinent, and based on the diagnoses drawn up, recommendations are made for each item geared to the demands expressed in today\'s laws and regulations, including the São Paulo Building Code. Proposals are also presented for improving the quality of living in this building. To back up the diagnoses and recommendations in the POE, the dissertation also includes a study aimed at obtaining a better understanding of the management of the designing process, right from its very conception.

A presente tese objetiva identificar quais as diretrizes projetuais podem ser tomadas para os futuros edifícios de bibliotecas universitárias no âmbito nacional, utilizando como instrumento de apoio a avaliação de desempenho do ambiente construído desses ambientes. Para tanto, em uma primeira fase, buscou-se estudar a problemática por meio de análises comparativas de exemplos internacionais, nacionais e estudos de caso, identificando suas intervenções, suas potencialidades e suas espacialidades. Na segunda fase, a proposta da avaliação teve como foco, dois estudos de caso, a saber, dois edifícios de bibliotecas universitárias com características e componentes organizacionais distintos: o primeiro caso, uma biblioteca central de uma instituição privada e, o segundo caso, uma biblioteca central de uma universidade pública. Ou seja, a pesquisa se inseriu nos procedimentos e métodos da Avaliação Pós-Ocupação (APO), realizando análises de desempenho físico (medições, vistorias técnicas) e aferição de satisfação dos usuários dos estudos de caso. As bases teóricas da pesquisa abordaram questões relativas à linguagem arquitetônica e a ambientação física dos edifícios de bibliotecas universitárias, tratando dos elementos relativos às concepções e funções desses edifícios, bem como, as principais operações dos serviços informacionais de localização, de recuperação, de comunicação e de devolução da informação. Foram também apresentadas as contribuições da Avaliação Pós-Ocupação no contexto das bibliotecas universitárias, principalmente no contexto internacional onde os procedimentos metodológicos são mais presentes e consistentes, voltados para o estabelecimento de indicadores de desempenho e diretrizes mínimas em intervenções projetuais. Por fim foi possível criar uma série de diretrizes para futuros projetos, neste caso, de bibliotecas universitárias no contexto nacional, direcionados à construção, operação e manutenção destes ambientes construídos Os resultados da pesquisa demonstram que a utilização de avaliações sistêmicas (estudos de caso) podem coloborar significativamente na instrumentação necessária para realimentação no processo de produção e uso de futuros ambientes de bibliotecas universitárias. / The objective of the present thesis is to identify which projectual guidelines may be taken for future university library buildings at national level, using the evaluation of performance of the ambience built in these environments as an instrument of support. To achieve this, in a first phase, the problems were studied by means of comparative analyses of international and national examples and case studies identifying its interventions, potentialities and spatialities. In the second phase, the purpose of the evaluation was to focus on two case studies, namely two university library buildings with distinct organizational characteristics and components: the first case, a central library of a private institution and, the second case, a central library of a public university. In other words, the study was inserted in the procedures and methods of Post-Occupation Evaluation (POE), conducting analyses of physical performance (measurements, technical inspections) and gauging satisfaction of the users in the case studies. The theoretical bases of the study address questions relative to the architectural language and the physical environment of the university library buildings, treating the elements relative to the conceptions and functions of these buildings, such as the principle operations of the informational services of localization, recuperation, communication and devolution of information. The contributions of the Post-Occupation Evaluation in the context of the university libraries also were presented, principally in the international context where the methodological proceedings are more present and consistent, directed to the establishment of performance indicators and minimum guidelines in intervention projects. In the end it was possible to create a series of guidelines for future projects, in this case, university libraries in the national context, directed at the construction, operation and maintenance of these built environments. The results of the research demonstrate that the use of systematic evaluations (case studies) can significantly collaborate in the instrumentation necessary for feedback in the production process and use of future environments of university libraries.

Following several years of research and development around the subject of BIM, its impact on the design and handover of buildings is now becoming visible across the construction industry. Changes in design procedures and information management methods indicate the potential for greater utilisation of a Common Data Environment in areas other than design. To identify how these changes are influencing the engineering design process, and adapt this process to the needs and requirements of building performance management requires consideration of multiple factors, relating mainly to the stakeholders and processes employed in these procedures. This thesis is the culmination of a four year Engineering Doctorate exploring how BIM could be used to support non-domestic building energy performance management. It begins with an introduction to the research aim and objectives, then presents a thorough review of the subject area and the methodologies employed for the research. Research is split between eight sequential tasks using literature review, interviews, data analysis and case-study application from which findings, conclusions and key recommendations are made. Findings demonstrate disparity between different information environments and provide insight into the necessary steps to enable connection between BIM and monitored building energy performance information. They highlight the following factors essential to providing an information environment suitable for BIM applied performance management: Skills in handling information and the interface between various environments; Technology capable of producing structured and accurate information, supporting efficient access for interconnection with other environments; and Processes that define the standards to which information is classified, stored and modified, with responsibility for its creation and modification made clear throughout the building life-cycle. A prototype method for the linking of BIM and monitored building energy performance data is demonstrated for a case-study building, encountering many of the technical barriers preventing replication on other projects. Methodological challenges are identified using review of existing building design and operation procedures. In conclusion the research found that BIM is still in its infancy, and while efforts are being made to apply it in novel ways to support efficient operation, several challenges remain. Opportunities for building energy performance improvement may be visualised using the modelling environment BIM provides, and the ability to interface with descriptive performance data suggests the future potential for BIM utilisation post-handover.