Continuum robots are biologically inspired robots that capture the extraordinary abilities of biological structures such as elephant trunks, octopus tentacles, and mamma-lian tongues. They are given the term continuum robots due to their ability to bend conti-nuously rather than at specific joints such as with traditional rigid link robots. They are used in applications such as search and rescue operations, nuclear reactor repairs, colo-noscopies, minimal invasive surgeries, and steerable needles. In this thesis, a model that predicts the shape of a continuum robot is presented and verified. A verification system to verify the validity and accuracy of the model is presented which allows easy and accu-rate measurement of a continuum robot tip position. The model was verified against a flexible rod, the core component of a continuum robot, resulting in an accuracy of 0.61%. Finally, this thesis introduces a novel robot design, consisting of a single rod for the backbone which can be manipulated by applying external forces and torques.

Au Liban, 65% de la population résident à Beyrouth et au Mont Liban particulièrement dans la zone côtière et dans une bande étroite du flanc ouest du Mont Liban. Cette occupation engendre une forte pression anthropique sur les ressources hydriques. En effet environ 330 Mm3 d'eaux usées par an sont rejetés dans la Méditerranée par 53 émissaires distribués sur les villes côtières. Ces eaux, rejetées en grande majorité sans traitement, représentent le vecteur principal de pollution du milieu récepteur que représente la Mer Méditerranée (MOE/UNDP/ECODIT, 2011).Cette étude avait pour objectif principal de déterminer la qualité des eaux usées au Liban et d'établir une comparaison entre les contextes Libanais (en s'appuyant sur Beyrouth) et Français (cas de l'agglomération parisienne). Un suivi ponctuel des eaux usées provenant de 4 sites de prélèvement représentatifs de la région de Beyrouth et ses banlieues (sites d'Al Ghadir, Fleuve Beyrouth, Antelias et Jounieh) a été conduit. Deux sites ont été sélectionnés pour un suivi en continu de l'évolution des eaux usées aux échelles journalière et hebdomadaire : Jounieh et Al Ghadir. En France, une série de campagnes ont été réalisées sur les principaux émissaires des stations d'épuration de Marne Aval, Seine Amont, Seine Centre et Seine Aval, au sein de la STEP Seine Centre (au niveau des traitements primaire et secondaire), et en Seine. Ensuite les résultats à Beyrouth et Paris ont été confrontés pour déterminer l'impact sur l'environnement qu'aurait la mise en place de traitements adaptés aux effluents libanais. Les niveaux de contamination pour les paramètres globaux sont comparables pour le prélèvement ponctuel entre les bassins versants d'Al Ghadir et de Jounieh. Cependant les niveaux relevés à Al Ghadir et Jounieh sont plus élevés que ceux d'Antelias et Fleuve Beyrouth. Par ailleurs, le suivi en continu a permis de mettre en évidence que les niveaux en MES, MVS, DCOT et DBO5 sont généralement comparables sur les deux sites Al Ghadir et Jounieh. La comparaison avec les émissaires parisiens montre des différences significatives pour les MES, MVS et DBO5, ces paramètres sont significativement plus élevés sur les sites libanais. Pour la DCOT, les concentrations sont comparables entre les deux pays. En comparant les ETM totaux (Cr, Zn, Cu, Cd et Pb), on trouve que la concentration en cuivre des émissaires parisiens est plus élevée que celle du Liban pour les bassins versants d'Al Ghadir et Jounieh. Pour le plomb et le zinc, les concentrations sont comparables entre les deux pays. Enfin les concentrations en cadmium et chrome sont beaucoup plus élevées à Beyrouth qu'à Paris. Les flux en ETM au Liban exportés vers la Mer Méditerranée pour le site d'Al Ghadir sont 20,7; 20,8; 2,42; 0,6; et 1,5 kg/jour respectivement pour le CrT, ZnT, CuT, CdT et PbT et pour l'émissaire de Jounieh 0,66; 3,7; 0,38; 0,045 et 0,33 kg/jour. En s'appuyant sur l'efficacité des STEP parisiennes, les niveaux rejetés diminueraient de 90 à 98% pour les MES, de 84 à 95% pour la DCOT et de 63 à 97 % suivant l'ETM concerné / In Lebanon, 65 % of the population lives in Beirut and Mount Lebanon particularly along the coastal area and a narrow band of the western side of the Lebanon Mount. This occupation generates a strong anthropic pressure on the water resources. Indeed approximately 330 mm3 of waste waters a year are rejected into the Mediterranean by 53 trunks distributed along the coastal towns. In fact, these wastewaters are released to natural media without any significant treatment and These effluents, released in great majority without treatment, are considered as the primary vector of the Mediterranean Sea pollution (MOE/UNDP/ECODIT, 2011).This study aimed at determining the quality of wastewaters in Lebanon and at establishing a comparison between the Lebanese (with respect to Beirut) and French (case of the urban area of Paris) contexts. A specific monitoring of wastewaters was led on 4 representative sampling sites of the area of Beirut and its suburbs (Al Ghadir sites, Beirut River, Antelias and Jounieh). Two sites were selected to follow the evolution of the wastewater quality both at the daily and weekly scale: Jounieh and Al Ghadir. In France, a series of campaigns were carried out on the main trunks of several wastewater treatment plants, e.g., Marne Aval, Seine Amont, Seine Aval and Seine Centre, in the Seine Centre WWTP (within the primary and secondary treatments), and in the Seine River. Then the results in Beirut and Paris were confronted to determine the environmental impact of the installation of treatments adapted to the Lebanese effluents.Contamination levels for the water quality parameters were comparable for the punctual sampling between the Al Ghadir and Jounieh watersheds. However, the levels found in Al Ghadir and Jounieh were higher than those of Antelias and Beirut River. In addition, continuous monitoring helped to highlight the levels of TSS, VSS, BOD5 and CODT were generally comparable at both sites: Al Ghadir and Jounieh. The comparison with the Parisian trunks showed significant differences for TSS, BOD5 and VSS, these parameters were significantly higher on Lebanese sites. For CODT, concentrations were comparable between the two countries. By comparing the total ETM (Cr, Zn, Cu, Cd and Pb), we found that Cu concentrations in Parisian trunks were higher than those of Lebanese Al Ghadir and Jounieh watersheds. For lead and zinc concentrations were comparable between the two countries. Finally, the concentrations of cadmium and chromium were much higher in Beirut than in Paris. Trace metal flows to the Mediterranean Sea from the Al Ghadir site were of 20,7; 20,8; 2,42; 0,6; and 1,5 kg/day for CrT, ZnT, CuT, CdT and PbT respectively, and for Jounieh they were of 0,66; 3,7; 0,38; 0,045 and 0,33 kg/day, respectively. Based on the effectiveness of the Parisian WWTPs, released levels would decrease by 90-98 % for TSS, 84-95 % for CODt and 63-97 % depending on the ETM concerned

Viticultural practices such as trunk girdling and shoot topping along with defoliation, shading and node number per vine treatments were used to alter the carbohydrate physiology of mature Chardonnay grapevines growing in the cool climate of Canterbury, New Zealand. The timing of vine defoliation in the season previous to fruiting decreased concentrations of over-wintering carbohydrate reserves (mostly starch) in both the trunks and roots of grapevines. Roots were particularly sensitive, with defoliation as early as 4 weeks after bloom in the previous season reducing starch concentrations to 1.5%Dwt at bud burst compared with 17%Dwt in non-defoliated vines. In contrast, partial vine defoliation as early as bloom in the previous season reduced root starch concentrations to 4-7%Dwt at bud burst compared with 15%Dwt in non-defoliated vines. Vine shading and trunk girdling treatments at bloom in the previous season, resulted in small reductions in root starch concentrations (16%Dwt) compared with non-shaded and non-girdled vines (19%Dwt), but shoot topping did not. Study across three growing seasons established that higher concentrations of over-wintering trunk and root carbohydrate reserves were associated with warmer and sunnier weather in the previous growing season. Individual shoot leaf removal at either the beginning or towards the end of the inflorescence initiation period, reduced shoot starch concentrations to 3-6%Dwt compared with 11 %Dwt for no leaf removal, such reductions persisted through to the following season. Shoot topping at the start of the initiation period had no effect on shoot carbohydrate accumulation, but trunk girdling temporarily increased shoot starch concentrations during the first 31 days after treatment. Reductions in over-wintering trunk and root carbohydrate reserves were associated with a reduction in inflorescences per shoot and flowers per inflorescence in the following season, the reduction as much as 50% compared with non carbohydrate stressed vines. While there were strong linear or curvilinear relationships between the concentration of starch in trunks and roots at bud burst and inflorescences per shoot and flowers per inflorescence, in case the of inflorescences per shoot, there was not an immediate cause and effect because inflorescences were initiated in the previous season. Individual shoot leaf removal during the inflorescence initiation period illustrated that leaf removal directly inhibited the initiation of inflorescences in latent buds. Shoot carbohydrate measurements showed a strong curvilinear relationship to the number of inflorescences per shoot, with a threshold starch concentration of 10-12%Dwt during the inflorescence initiation period required for a maximum number of inflorescences per shoot. Furthermore, examination of individual node positions emphasised the importance of the subtending leaf on the initiation of inflorescences within the latent bud. The number of inflorescences per shoot post bud burst was reduced on vines that were both carbohydrate reserve stressed (by previous season's defoliation) and had a high node (108) number retained per vine after winter pruning compared with little or no reduction in inflorescences per shoot on carbohydrate reserve stressed vines that had a low (20) node number per vine. The reduction in inflorescences per shoot on high node vines was associated with reduced carbohydrate reserves and reduced shoot vigour (thinner and lighter shoots). Flowers per inflorescence were reduced by as much 50% in response to lower overwintering carbohydrate reserves. Fewer flowers per inflorescence were attributed to a reduction in primary branching of the inflorescence and also a reduction in flowers per branch. Strong linear relationships between the concentrations of starch in trunks and roots and flowers per inflorescence indicate that the determination of flowers per inflorescence, unlike inflorescences per shoot, may be dependent on the level of overwintering carbohydrate reserves. This is most likely due to changes in branching of the inflorescence and individual flower formation occurring during the bud burst period. Per cent fruitset was not affected by reductions in carbohydrate reserves, so fewer inflorescences per shoot and flowers per inflorescence resulted in reduced vine yield. The findings of this thesis indicate that changes in the level of carbohydrate production and partitioning in response to a range of viticultural management practices and seasonal weather contribute to seasonal variation in grapevine flowering and yields in New Zealand's cool climate environment. The relationships between carbohydrate reserves and flowering illustrate the potential to use this information to predict grapevine flowering and forecast yields. The practical implications of this research illustrate that the viticulturist must manage grapevines not only for the current crop, but also for subsequent crops by maintaining sufficient carbohydrate reserves for balanced growth flowering and fruiting from season to season.

nÃo hà / Eu e os tremembÃs. De encontros e reencontros nasce o desejo de pesquisa, feita em parceria como a danÃa do torÃm. Nesse movimento, busco compreender os modos de aprender-ensinar dos troncos velhos tremembÃs de Almofala - CE com relaÃÃo aos saberes da tradiÃÃo, que âbrotamâ da terra, do cÃu, dos rios e do mar, e que se materializam nos seus ditos e feitos. Quantos encantamentos e ensinamentos nos trazem os troncos velhos: a palavra, o silÃncio, o gesto, o conselho, âo carÃoâ, tudo à transmissÃo. E as Escolas IndÃgenas TremembÃs (EITâs), o que estÃo a fazer para preservar e dar continuidade a esses saberes? Para me ajudar nessa danÃa, convido para a roda de torÃm pensa-danÃadores, com a qual dialogo, compondo, assim, o cÃrculo teÃrico. SÃo eles: Freire (1983,2001); Figueiredo (2007,2015); BrandÃo (1993,2020); Oliveira Jr (1988); Larrosa (2015); Benjamim (1994); Bosi (1994); Quijano (2005) e Walsh (2008), dentre outros. Juntos fazemos um âtorÃm dialÃgicoâ para tratarmos de saber de experiÃncia, dialogicidade e (des)colonialidade. âOs troncos velhosâ marcam os passos da danÃa e nos contam vÃrias histÃrias. Depois, eu as reconto, ou seja, empresto a minha escrita para mostrar os modos de aprender-ensinar que acontecem a partir da convivÃncia familiar e comunitÃria, por intermÃdio da providÃncia divina e das experiÃncias com os elementos da natureza. / Eu e os tremembÃs. De encontros e reencontros nasce o desejo de pesquisa, feita em parceria como a danÃa do torÃm. Nesse movimento, busco compreender os modos de aprender-ensinar dos troncos velhos tremembÃs de Almofala - CE com relaÃÃo aos saberes da tradiÃÃo, que âbrotamâ da terra, do cÃu, dos rios e do mar, e que se materializam nos seus ditos e feitos. Quantos encantamentos e ensinamentos nos trazem os troncos velhos: a palavra, o silÃncio, o gesto, o conselho, âo carÃoâ, tudo à transmissÃo. E as Escolas IndÃgenas TremembÃs (EITâs), o que estÃo a fazer para preservar e dar continuidade a esses saberes? Para me ajudar nessa danÃa, convido para a roda de torÃm pensa-danÃadores, com a qual dialogo, compondo, assim, o cÃrculo teÃrico. SÃo eles: Freire (1983,2001); Figueiredo (2007,2015); BrandÃo (1993,2020); Oliveira Jr (1988); Larrosa (2015); Benjamim (1994); Bosi (1994); Quijano (2005) e Walsh (2008), dentre outros. Juntos fazemos um âtorÃm dialÃgicoâ para tratarmos de saber de experiÃncia, dialogicidade e (des)colonialidade. âOs troncos velhosâ marcam os passos da danÃa e nos contam vÃrias histÃrias. Depois, eu as reconto, ou seja, empresto a minha escrita para mostrar os modos de aprender-ensinar que acontecem a partir da convivÃncia familiar e comunitÃria, por intermÃdio da providÃncia divina e das experiÃncias com os elementos da natureza. / I and the tremembÃs. From encounters and re-encounters the desire to research is born, a research done in partnership, like the torÃm dance. In this movement, I search to understand the ways of learning-teaching of the old trunks from Almofala â CE in relation to the knowledge of the tradition that âsproutâ from the land, from the sky, from the rivers and from the sea, and that materializes in their sayings and deeds. So many enchantments and teachings the old trunks bring us: the speech, the silence, the gesture, the advice, the âlong faceâ, everything is transmission. What about the TremembÃs Indigenous Schools (Escolas IndÃgenas TremembÃs â EITâs), what are they doing to preserve and give continuinity to this knowledge? To help me in this dance, I invite to the torÃm circle the thinking-dancers, with wich I dialogue, thereby composing the theoretical circle. They are: Freire (1983,2001); Figueiredo (2007,2015); BrandÃo (1993,2020); Oliveira Jr (1988); Larrosa (2015); Benjamim (1994); Bosi (1994); Quijano (2005) e Walsh (2008), among others. Together we make a âdialogical torÃmâ in order to know about experience, dialogicity and (dis)coloniality. âThe old trunksâ set the tone of the dance and tell us many stories. Later on, I re-tell them, that is, I lend my writing to show the ways of learning-teaching that stem from family and community conviviality, from divine providence intervention and from the experiences with the elements of nature. / I and the tremembÃs. From encounters and re-encounters the desire to research is born, a research done in partnership, like the torÃm dance. In this movement, I search to understand the ways of learning-teaching of the old trunks from Almofala â CE in relation to the knowledge of the tradition that âsproutâ from the land, from the sky, from the rivers and from the sea, and that materializes in their sayings and deeds. So many enchantments and teachings the old trunks bring us: the speech, the silence, the gesture, the advice, the âlong faceâ, everything is transmission. What about the TremembÃs Indigenous Schools (Escolas IndÃgenas TremembÃs â EITâs), what are they doing to preserve and give continuinity to this knowledge? To help me in this dance, I invite to the torÃm circle the thinking-dancers, with wich I dialogue, thereby composing the theoretical circle. They are: Freire (1983,2001); Figueiredo (2007,2015); BrandÃo (1993,2020); Oliveira Jr (1988); Larrosa (2015); Benjamim (1994); Bosi (1994); Quijano (2005) e Walsh (2008), among others. Together we make a âdialogical torÃmâ in order to know about experience, dialogicity and (dis)coloniality. âThe old trunksâ set the tone of the dance and tell us many stories. Later on, I re-tell them, that is, I lend my writing to show the ways of learning-teaching that stem from family and community conviviality, from divine providence intervention and from the experiences with the elements of nature.