abstract / Electrical and Electronic Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Orientador: Eduardo Martins Morgado / Banca: Maria Crsitina Gobbi / Banca: Adriana Bertoldi Carreto de Castro / Resumo: Em um mundo onde as pessoas estão cada vez mais conectadas, chega o momento em que os objetos também passam a fazer parte da rede de compartilhamentos. Com a possibilidade de conexão de equipamentos por meio de hardware com capacidade de telecomunicação e de processamento para executar moderno software embarcado, é cada vez mais acessível tecnológica e economicamente o desenvolvimento de novos produtos conectados. Esta pesquisa discute parte da evolução da Internet das Coisas (IoT) e de algumas de suas aplicações, propondo a criação de um dispositivo conectado a esta rede. Sendo o objeto deste trabalho a IoT, dentro da grande gama de dispositivos que poderiam ser criados, foi colocado foco em desenvolver uma aplicação para coleta e leitura de dados climáticos. Como metodologia, a partir da pesquisa bibliográfica, será desenvolvido um relatório de pesquisa com construção de um protótipo. Atualmente o mercado dispõe de produtos de alto custo para leitura de dados climáticos, quase sempre importados ou desenvolvidos por empresas multinacionais, havendo pouca tecnologia nacional disponível para consumidores finais. Reserva-se esta a grandes centros de pesquisa de referência nacional. Foi desenvolvido um dispositivo para adequar-se aos fins propostos no trabalho, para responder à questão seria possível desenvolver um dispositivo para coleta e leitura de dados climáticos. O objeto deste trabalho é a Internet das Coisas. O objetivo geral foi verificar as características para desenvo... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: In a world where people are increasingly connected, comes the time when objects also become part of the share's network. With the possibility of connecting hardware by means of hardware with the capability of communication and processing for the execution of modern embedded software, the development of new connected products is increasingly accessible and economically. This research discusses part of the evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT) and some of its applications, proposing a creation of a device connected to this network. Being the object of this work an IoT, within the wide range of devices that are being inserted, were putted in focus an application for the data collection and reading of climatic data. As a methodology, from the bibliographic research, a research report will be developed with the construction of a prototype. Now a days, the market for high-priced climate data products, almost always imported or by multinational companies, has national technology available to end consumers. Reserves to major research centers of national reference. A device was developed to fit the purposes proposed in the work, to answer the question it would be possible to develop a device for collecting and reading climatic data. The object of this work is the Internet of Things. The general objective was to verify the characteristics for the development of an IoT device to perform the reading of climatic data. The specific objectives were: to define ways to collect climate dat... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

The objective of the research is to examine the impact of auditory stimulus on improving reaching performance in children with cerebral palsy. A form of auditory stimulus, called rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS), is well-established in neurological fields as well as in music-based rehabilitation and therapy. RAS is a method in which the rhythm functions as a sensory cue to induce temporal stability and enhancement of movement patterns by what is believed to be a temporal constraint of the patient’s internal optimized path of motion. In current neurological studies, it is suggested that activity in the premotor cortex may represent the integration of auditory information with temporally organized motor action during rhythmic cuing. Based on this theory, researchers have shown that rhythmic auditory stimulation can produce significant improvement in mean gait velocity, cadence, and stride length in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Evidence validating this observation was also seen in a study on hemiparetic stroke wherein patients displayed improvements in spatio-temporal arm control, reduction in variability of timing and reaching trajectories, and kinematic smoothing of the wrist joint during rhythmic entrainment. Lastly, studies have suggested an accompaniment of sound feedback in addition to visual feedback can result in a positive influence and higher confidence in patients who have had a stroke or spinal cord injury. Although an effect of rhythmic cuing on upper extremity therapy has been explored in areas where brain injury has occurred (such as patients who have incurred stroke, spinal injury, traumatic brain injury, etc.), what has not been explored is the effect of rhythmic cuing on upper extremity therapy for individuals with neurological movement disorders, such as cerebral palsy. Thus, in this research, we set out to explore the effect of RAS in therapeutic interventions for children with cerebral palsy. Through this investigation, we examine its effect on reaching performance as measured through range of motion, peak angular velocity, movement time, path length, spatio-temporal variability, and movement units. For this assessment, we created a virtual system to test the aforementioned principles. We established clinically based angular measurements that include elbow flexion, shoulder flexion, and shoulder abduction using a 3D depth sensor to evaluate relevant metrics in upper extremity rehabilitation. We validated the output of our measurements through a comparison with a Vicon Motion Capture System. We then confirmed the trends of the metrics between groups of adults, children, and children with cerebral palsy. Through testing our system with adults, children, and children with cerebral palsy, we believe we have constructed a system that may induce engagement, which is critical to physical therapy, and may also have a positive impact on the metrics. Although we see trends indicative of an effect through use of the system on children with cerebral palsy, we believe further testing is needed in order to establish or refute the effect and also to definitively establish or refute the effect of rhythmic auditory stimulation. The system, the angular measurements, and the metrics we employ could provide an excellent foundation for future research in this space.

Water scarcity for agriculture is one of the most important challenges to improve food security worldwide. In this thesis we study the potential to develop a low-cost controller for a small scale brackish desalination plant that consists of proven water treatment technologies, reverse osmosis, cation exchange, and nanofiltration to treat groundwater into two final products: drinking water and irrigation water. The plant is powered by a combination of wind and solar power systems. The low-cost controller uses Arduino Mega, and Arduino DUE, which consist of ATmega2560 and Atmel SAM3X8E ARM Cortex-M3 CPU microcontrollers. These are widely used systems characterized for good performance and low cost. However, Arduino also requires drivers and interfaces to allow the control and monitoring of sensors and actuators. The thesis explains the process, as well as the hardware and software implemented.

The aim of this diploma paper is to design and implement a system of heating and irrigation. The system was designed for the premises of the garden shop located in Nové Město na Moravě. The new system shall replace the existing one as well as eliminate the use of human resources. The irrigation is done through a system of water pumps implemented in each of four green-houses. The heating is achieved through a system of hot air devices, and uses water as a transfer medium. The water is heated in a boiler using the new generation of solid propellants. The boiler is supplemented by solar collectors placed on the roof of the shop premises. The process is controlled by one of the programmable automatic devices made by Siemens, namely the S7-200 model. Temperature and humidity sensors are responsible for collection of the data. The paper also describes the technologies used and considered, the development environment and the construction components.

Critical infrastructures are defined as the basic facilities, services and utilities needed to support the functioning of society. For over three-thousand years, civil engineers have built these infrastructures to ensure that needed services and products are available to make mankind more comfortable, secure and productive. Modern infrastructure control systems are vulnerable to disruption from natural disaster, accident, negligent operation and intentional cyber assaults from malicious agents. Many critical processes within our infrastructures are continuous (e.g., electric power, etc.) and cannot be interrupted without consequence to industry and the public. Failure to protect the critical infrastructure from cyber assaults will result in physical, economic and social impacts, extending from the local to the national level. Cyber weapons have shown that harm to infrastructures can occur before system operators have time to determine the source.We present the thesis that infrastructure control systems can employ autonomic computing technology to detect anomalies and mitigate process disruption. Specifically we focus on: 1) autonomic computing algorithms that can be integrated into control systems and networks to detect and respond to anomalies; 2) autonomic technology capable of detecting and blocking infrastructure controller commands, that if executed, would result in process disruption; 3) design and construction of a prototype Autonomic Critical Infrastructure Protection appliance (ACIP) for integration and testing of autonomic algorithms; and 4) the design and construction of a test bed capable of modeling critical infrastructures and related control systems and processes for the purpose of testing and demonstrating new autonomic technologies.We report on the development of a new, multi-dimension ontology that organizes cyber assault methodologies correlated with perpetrator motivation and goals. Using this ontology, we create a theoretical framework to identify the integration points for protective technology within infrastructure control systems. We have created a unique modeling and simulation test bed for critical infrastructure systems and processes, and a prototype autonomic computing appliance. Through this work, we have developed an expanded understanding of autonomic computing theory and its application to controls systems. We also, through experimentation, prove the thesis and establish a roadmap for future research.

El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial donde ha sido publicado. / Production systems need to be monitored because failure to do so can cause a delay in production due to a lack of remote monitoring. There are solutions that provide this information, but they are limited, because they are owned and very expensive solutions. This paper proposes the development of a mobile application for the monitoring of S7-1200 programmable controller variables through Firebase. The goal is to use open-source-type tools to develop a real-time variable monitoring application of a programmable controller capable of hosting a Web server, and the sent data to the Firebase cloud, in order to avoid modifying the driver software and the data stored in memory. The implemented system of sending, handling and presenting variables is developed with tools of open source type, since they have as an advantage to have greater freedom in programming, unlike proprietary solutions or services. The tests were performed on the Siemens S7-1200 controller with a plastic injection molding machine. / Revisión por pares

A agricultura familiar tem grande relevância quando se apresentam os números de propriedades produtoras de alimentos brasileiros que abastecem o mercado interno. Neste cenário, destaca-se o cultivo de cogumelos que podem servir de complemento de renda a pequenos produtores, em virtude da utilização de pequenos espaços e da boa aceitação mercadológica. O cogumelo A. blazei é um fungo consumido em decorrência de seu valor medicinal e das propriedades fortalecedoras do sistema imunológico. O cultivo desse tipo de fungo possui características específicas de cuidados, como o monitoramento constante da umidade e temperatura, fatores abióticos fundamentais que podem possibilitar o bom desempenho da safra. Diante disso, este trabalho propõe a automação do controle e do monitoramento de temperatura e umidade por meio de sensores e dispositivos microcontrolados, a custo acessível para a agricultura familiar, propiciando a diminuição da mão de obra do agricultor. Utilizou-se a plataforma Arduino para esse fim. O experimento foi realizado em duas fases, manual e automatizada, a fim de comparar os resultados e identificar a produtividade e a melhor forma de cultivo, assim como a umidade ideal para o desenvolvimento da safra na região em que o experimento foi realizado. Os canteiros que em que os sensores de umidade e temperatura foram instalados apresentaram facilidades no manejo da safra. A segunda safra automatizada apresentou produção de 59,86kg, com 4,31kg de cogumelo A. blazei in natura a mais do que a primeira fase manual. O A. blazei apresentou melhor desempenho no canteiro com a umidade próxima aos 80%, com desvio padrão de 1,13. Nesse cenário, constata-se que a região na qual foi realizado o experimento apresenta condições propícias para o cultivo de cogumelo A. blazei. As informações foram encaminhadas via conexão com a Internet para a plataforma web de Internet das Coisas (IoT) Thingsboard, para armazenamento de dados, o que possibilitou identificar, monitorar e acompanhar os aspectos referentes ao crescimento do A. blazei a distância. Conclui o trabalho que a utilização de sensores e microcontroladores facilita a produção, a identificação da melhor umidade para o desenvolvimento do cultivar e reduz os custos com mão de obra. / Family farming has great relevance when presenting the numbers of Brazilian food producing properties that supply the domestic market. In this scenario, we highlight the cultivation of mushrooms that can supplement income for small producers, due to the use of small spaces and good market acceptance. The A. blazei mushroom is a fungus consumed due to its medicinal value and the strengthening properties of the immune system. The cultivation of this type of fungus has specific characteristics of care, such as the constant monitoring of humidity and temperature, fundamental abiotic factors that can enable the good performance of the crop. In view of this, this work proposes the automation of the control and monitoring of temperature and humidity by means of sensors and microcontrollable devices, at affordable cost for the family agriculture, propitiating the reduction of the workmanship of the farmer. The Arduino platform was used for this purpose. The experiment was carried out in two phases, manual and automated, in order to compare the results and identify the productivity and the best form of cultivation, as well as the ideal humidity for the development of the crop in the region where the experiment was carried out. The beds in which the humidity and temperature sensors were installed showed facilities to handle the harvest. The second automated harvest showed a yield of 59.86 kg, with 4.31 kg of A. blazei mushroom in natura more than the first manual phase. The A. blazei presented better performance at the site with humidity close to 80%, with a standard deviation of 1.13. In this scenario, it is verified that the region in which the experiment was performed presents propitious conditions for the cultivation of A. blazei mushroom. The information was sent via Internet connection to the Thingswo Internet Things (IoT) web platform for data storage, which enabled the identification, monitoring and follow-up of the aspects of A. blazei growth at a distance. It concludes the work that the use of sensors and microcontrollers facilitates the production, identification of the best moisture for the development of the cultivar and reduces labor costs.

Acompanha: Produto educacional: Desenvolvimento de um kit didático experimental para o ensino de resistores, capacitores e circuitos de temporização RC / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O Ensino de Física tem sofrido inúmeras transformações nas últimas décadas, discute-se muito sobre a inserção de diferentes recursos didáticos em sala de aula a fim de gerar um ambiente de aprendizagem diferente do tradicional, bem como proporcionar condições de uma aprendizagem efetiva para o aluno. O sistema tradicional do ensino de Física vem perdendo aos poucos a eficácia, o significado e até mesmo o interesse por parte do aluno em buscar conhecimento. O convívio constante com as mídias de maneira inapropriada tem provocado uma imensa perda de tempo, tornando-se um adversário desleal contra o estudo, restando assim pouco tempo para a aprendizagem. Nesse sentido, esse trabalho tem como objetivo o desenvolvimento de um novo método com uma proposta experimental e investigativa, baseado na teoria de Vygotsky, visando despertar no educando o interesse e a busca pelo saber, uma vez que ele é parte principal do processo, e que a partir de seus conhecimentos prévios é que o professor introduz seu conhecimento, proporcionando melhor interação entre professor e aluno, e também propiciando o desenvolvimento cognitivo e social no ambiente escolar. O kit didático experimental desenvolvido torna-se uma ferramenta de grande valia, que possibilita ao professor trabalhar um método diferenciado onde ele poderá relacionar a parte teórica com a parte prática, possibilitando com o kit trabalhar o conteúdo de resistores e capacitores por completo, de um modo que despertará no aluno um maior interesse. A tecnologia utilizada para o desenvolvimento do kit foi a plataforma de desenvolvimento Arduino que é composta por um microcontrolador e periféricos, devido ao fácil acesso a materiais didáticos disponíveis, possibilitando a fácil reprodução do protótipo futuramente por pessoas com pouco conhecimento na área e por ser uma plataforma open-source. Esse produto desenvolvido vem ao encontro das politicas de inclusão propostas pelos governos, que tem o objetivo de incluir na sociedade pessoas com necessidades educacionais especiais, pensando nisso, essa ideia vem contribuir e dar suporte a alunos com deficiências auditiva ou visual, bem como os demais alunos do ensino regular ou até mesmo superior, que necessitam estudar o conteúdo abordado aqui. / The teaching of physics has undergone numerous transformations in the last decades, much is discussed about the insertion of different didactic resources in the classroom in order to generate a learning environment different from the traditional one, as well as to provide conditions of an effective learning for the student. The traditional system of physics teaching has gradually lost its effectiveness, meaning and even the student's interest in seeking knowledge. The constant conviviality with the media in an inappropriate way has caused an immense loss of time, becoming an unfair opponent against the study, thus leaving little time for learning. In this sense, this work aims to develop a new method with an experimental and investigative proposal, based on Vygotsky's theory, aiming to awaken in the student the interest and the search for knowledge, since it is a main part of the process, and that from their previous knowledge is that the teacher introduces their knowledge, providing better interaction between teacher and student, and also fostering cognitive and social development in the school environment. The developed experimental teaching kit becomes a valuable tool that allows the teacher to work a different method where he can relate the theoretical part to the practical part, allowing the kit to work the contents of resistors and capacitors completely, so that the student will be more interested. The technology used for the development of the kit was the Arduino development platform which is composed of a microcontroller and peripherals, due to the easy access to available didactic material, allowing the easy reproduction of the prototype in the future by people with little knowledge in the area and being a open-source platform. This developed product is in line with the inclusion policies proposed by governments, which aims to include people with special educational needs in society. With this in mind, this idea contributes to and supports students with hearing or visual impairments, as well as other students of regular or even higher education, who need to study the content covered here.

Renewable power systems are becoming more affordable and provide better options than fossil-fuel generation, for not only the environment, but a benefit of a reduced cost of operation. Methods to optimize charging batteries from renewable technologies is an important subject for off-grid and micro-grids, and is becoming more relevant for larger installations. Overcharging or undercharging the battery can result in failure and reduction of battery life. The Arduino hybrid MPPT controller takes the advantage of solar and wind energy sources by controlling two systems simultaneously. The ability to manage two systems with one controller is better for an overall production of energy, cost, and manageability, at a minor expense of efficiency. The hybrid MPPT uses two synchronous buck DC-DC converters to control both wind and solar. The hybrid MPPT performed at a maximum of 93.6% efficiency, while the individual controller operated at a maximum 97.1% efficiency when working on the bench test. When designing the controller to manage power production from a larger generator, the inductor size was too large due to the frequency provided by the Arduino. A larger inductor means less allowable current to flow before the inductor becomes over saturated, reducing the efficiency of the controller. Utilizing a different microcontroller like the PIC16C63A produces a much faster frequency, which will reduce the inductor size needed and allow more current before over saturation.