The book reports on the author's original work to address the use of today's state-of-the-art smartphones for human physical activity recognition. By exploiting the sensing, computing and communication capabilities currently available in these devices, the author developed a novel smartphone-based activity-recognition system, which takes into consideration all aspects of online human activity recognition, from experimental data collection, to machine learning algorithms and hardware implementation. The book also discusses and describes solutions to some of the challenges that arose during the development of this approach, such as real-time operation, high accuracy, low battery consumption and unobtrusiveness. It clearly shows that it is possible to perform real-time recognition of activities with high accuracy using current smartphone technologies. As well as a detailed description of the methods, this book also provides readers with a comprehensive review of the fundamental concepts in human activity recognition. It also gives an accurate analysis of the most influential works in the field and discusses them in detail. This thesis was supervised by both the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (primary institution) and University of Genoa (secondary institution) as part of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate in Interactive and Cognitive Environments.

This introductory, yet in-depth, book explains the physical principles of electronic imaging and sensing and provides the reader with the information necessary to understand the design, operation, and practical applications of contemporary electronic imaging and sensing systems. The text has strong practical focus and contains examples of biomedical applications of optical electronic imaging and sensing. Each chapter draws upon the authors' extensive research, teaching, and industrial experience and provides a useful resource for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as a convenient reference for scientists and engineers working in the field of electronic imaging and sensing.

The huge progress which has been achieved in the field is covered here, in the first comprehensive monograph on vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) since eight years. Apart from chapters reviewing the research field and the laser fundamentals, there are comprehensive updates on red and blue emitting VCSELs, telecommunication VCSELs, optical transceivers, and parallel-optical links for computer interconnects. Entirely new contributions are made to the fields of vectorial three-dimensional optical modeling, single-mode VCSELs, polarization control, polarization dynamics, very-high-speed design, high-power emission, use of high-contrast gratings, GaInNAsSb long-wavelength VCSELs, optical video links, VCSELs for optical mice and sensing, as well as VCSEL-based laser printing. The book appeals to researchers, optical engineers and graduate students.

The work described here investigates the advantages and limitations of using laser light for the deep in-vivo illumination and micromanipulation of the neuronal system in zebrafish. To do so, it combines and develops novel optical methods such as optogenetics, light sheet microscopy and optical micromanipulation. It also demonstrates, for the first time, that directional and focused laser beams can successfully be used to target large objects at considerable depth in a living organism to exert purely optical force - in this case on otoliths (ear stones) - and create fictive vestibular stimuli in a stationary animal. The behavioural study and simultaneous imaging of the whole brain reveal the location of the brain cells specific to each ear stone. Elucidating these fundamental neural processes holds substantial value for basic neuroscience researchers, who still have only a vague grasp of how brain circuits mediate perception. As such, it represents highly innovative research that has already led to high-impact publications and is now being intensively pursued.

The concepts represented in this textbook are explored for the first time in assistive and rehabilitation robotics, which is the combination of physical, cognitive, and social human-robot interaction to empower gait rehabilitation and assist human mobility. The aim is to consolidate the methodologies, modules, and technologies implemented in lower-limb exoskeletons, smart walkers, and social robots when human gait assistance and rehabilitation are the primary targets. This book presents the combination of emergent technologies in healthcare applications and robotics science, such as soft robotics, force control, novel sensing methods, brain-computer interfaces, serious games, automatic learning, and motion planning. From the clinical perspective, case studies are presented for testing and evaluating how those robots interact with humans, analyzing acceptance, perception, biomechanics factors, and physiological mechanisms of recovery during the robotic assistance or therapy. Interfacing Humans and Robots for Gait Assistance and Rehabilitation will enable undergraduate and graduate students of biomedical engineering, rehabilitation engineering, robotics, and health sciences to understand the clinical needs, technology, and science of human-robot interaction behind robotic devices for rehabilitation, and the evidence and implications related to the implementation of those devices in actual therapy and daily life applications.

Plastic Optical Fiber Sensors cover the fundamentals and applications of a new class of fiber sensors. With contributions from leading academics in the area, this book covers the theory of plastic optical fiber sensors or (POFs), as well as applications in oil, gas, biotechnology, and energy fields. Using multiple examples, the editors showcase the advantageous characteristics of POFs, such as ease of handling, large diameter, inexpensive peripheral components and simple termination tools. By doing so, the editors assert that there has been a proliferation of the use of POFs in new consumer products. The book also highlights uses for building various products, such as a POF sensor for oil trucker valve monitoring, a monitoring system for high voltage substation switch, an oil leaking sensor for offshore platforms and a solar tracker for illumination. Including over 300 black and white images, this book would be highly beneficial for professionals in manufacturing as well as academics in universities, particularly those who use optical fiber sensors on a regular basis.

This book comprises a collection of papers by international experts, presented at the International Conference on NextGen Electronic Technologies (ICNETS2-2017). ICNETS2 encompassed six symposia covering all aspects of electronics and communications engineering domains, including relevant nano/micro materials and devices. Featuring the latest research on computational signal processing and analysis, the book is useful to researchers, professionals, and students working in the core areas of electronics and their applications, especially signal processing, embedded systems, and networking.

This textbook covers the fundamental concepts of analog communications with a Q&A approach. It is a comprehensive compilation of numerical problems and solutions covering all the topics in analog communications. Richly illustrated with figures, this book covers the important topics of signals and systems, random variables and random processes, amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, pulse code modulation and noise in analog modulation. It has numerical questions and their solutions clearing the concepts of Fourier transform, Hilbert transform, modulation, synchronization, signal-to-noise ratio analysis and many more. All the solutions have step-by-step approach for easy understanding. This book will be of great interest to the students of electronics and electrical communications engineering.

This book illustrates the commonly used and novel approaches of audio watermarking for copyrights protection. The author examines the theoretical and practical step by step guide to the topic of data hiding in audio signal such as music, speech, broadcast. The book covers new techniques developed by the authors are fully explained and MATLAB programs, for audio watermarking and audio quality assessments and also discusses methods for objectively predicting the perceptual quality of the watermarked audio signals.Explains the theoretical basics of the commonly used audio watermarking techniquesDiscusses the methods used to objectively and subjectively assess the quality of the audio signalsProvides a comprehensive well tested MATLAB programs that can be used efficiently to watermark any audio media

This book introduces model studies and experimental results associated with laser forming and welding such as laser induced bending, welding of sheet metals, and related practical applications. The book provides insight into the physical processes involved with laser forming and welding. The analytical study covers the formulation of laser induced bending while the model study demonstrates the simulation of bending and welding processes using the finite element method. Analytical and numerical solutions for laser forming and welding problems are provided.

This book presents the main research advances in the field of photofunctional rare earth hybrid materials. The first chapter discusses the fundamental principles, ranging from rare earth, rare earth luminescence, luminescent rare earth compounds and photofunctional rare earth hybrid materials. The main body of the book consists of six chapters exploring different kinds of photofunctional hybrid materials, such as hybrids based on organically modified silica; organically modified mesoporous silica; functionalized microporous zeolite and metal-organic frameworks; polymer or polymer/silica composite; and multi-component assembly of hybrids. It also includes a chapter introducing the photofunctional application of these hybrid materials. It is a valuable resource for a wide readership in various fields of rare earth chemistry, chemical science and materials science.

Images are all around us The proliferation of low-cost, high-quality imaging devices has led to an explosion in acquired images. When these images are acquired from a microscope, telescope, satellite, or medical imaging device, there is a statistical image processing task: the inference of something--an artery, a road, a DNA marker, an oil spill--from imagery, possibly noisy, blurry, or incomplete. A great many textbooks have been written on image processing. However this book does not so much focus on images, per se, but rather on spatial data sets, with one or more measurements taken over a two or higher dimensional space, and to which standard image-processing algorithms may not apply. There are many important data analysis methods developed in this text for such statistical image problems. Examples abound throughout remote sensing (satellite data mapping, data assimilation, climate-change studies, land use), medical imaging (organ segmentation, anomaly detection), computer vision (image classification, segmentation), and other 2D/3D problems (biological imaging, porous media). The goal, then, of this text is to address methods for solving multidimensional statistical problems. The text strikes a balance between mathematics and theory on the one hand, versus applications and algorithms on the other, by deliberately developing the basic theory (Part I), the mathematical modeling (Part II), and the algorithmic and numerical methods (Part III) of solving a given problem. The particular emphases of the book include inverse problems, multidimensional modeling, random fields, and hierarchical methods.

This work presents a comprehensive source of information on germanate glasses. It describes in detail the structures, properties, and glass forming abilities of various germanate systems, then shows how to create new and established varieties of glasses with precision and accuracy. "Germanate Glasses" begins with a review of glass state physics and chemistry, then moves into detailed chapters describing germanium dioxide; GeO2 glasses; binary, ternary, and multicomponent glasses; fluoride-containing germanate glasses; and pseudo-ternary fluoro-germanate systems. These chapters present up-to-date research on each glass type, including x-ray and neutron studies, optical properties, spectroscopic data, and more. Numerous references are included at the end of each chapter. For researchers, designers and fabricators of germanate glass, this book: shows how composition and structure relate to glass forming ability, and sets out to cut design time and eliminate unnecessary experiments by knowing ahead of time what will and will not work.

This book systematically introduces the single frequency semiconductor laser, which is widely used in many vital advanced technologies, such as the laser cooling of atoms and atomic clock, high-precision measurements and spectroscopy, coherent optical communications, and advanced optical sensors. It presents both the fundamentals and characteristics of semiconductor lasers, including basic F-P structure and monolithic integrated structures; interprets laser noises and their measurements; and explains mechanisms and technologies relating to the main aspects of single frequency lasers, including external cavity lasers, frequency stabilization technologies, frequency sweeping, optical phase locked loops, and so on. It paints a clear, physical picture of related technologies and reviews new developments in the field as well. It will be a useful reference to graduate students, researchers, and engineers in the field.

This book deals with the topic of biomechanical biofeedback systems and applications that are primarily aimed at motor learning in sports and rehabilitation. It gives a comprehensive tutorial of the concepts, architectures, operation, and exemplary applications of biomechanical biofeedback systems. A special section is dedicated to various constraints in designing biomechanical biofeedback systems. The book also describes the technologies needed for the adequate operation of biofeedback systems, such as motion tracking, communication, processing, and sensor technologies. In regard to technologies, the emphasis is on the assurance of the requirements of the real-time system operation. The application focus is on the usage in sport and rehabilitation, particularly in the field of accelerated motor learning and injury prevention. We include several examples of operational (real-time) biofeedback applications in golf, skiing, and swimming. The book is in the first place intended for the professional audience, researchers, and scientists in the fields connected to the topics of this book.

Nanophotonics is a newly developing and exciting field, with two main areas of interest: imaging/computer vision and data transport. The technologies developed in the field of nanophotonics have far reaching implications with a wide range of potential applications from faster computing power to medical applications, and "smart" eyeglasses to national security.

"Integrated Nanophotonic Devices" explores one of the key technologies emerging within nanophotonics: that of nano-integrated photonic modulation devices and sensors. The authors introduce the scientific principles of these devices and provide a practical, applications-based approach to recent developments in the design, fabrication and experimentation of integrated photonic modulation circuits.

For this second edition, all chapters have been expanded and updated to reflect this rapidly advancing field, and an entirely new chapter has been added to cover liquid crystals integrated with nanostructures.
Unlocks the technologies that will turn the rapidly growing research area of nanophotonics into a major area of commercial development, with applications in telecommunications, computing, security, and sensing Nano-integrated photonic modulation devices and sensors are the components that will see nanophotonics moving out of the lab into a new generation of products and servicesBy covering the scientific fundamentals alongside technological applications, the authors open up this important multidisciplinary subject to readers from a range of scientific backgrounds

This book presents studies involving algorithms in the machine learning paradigms. It discusses a variety of learning problems with diverse applications, including prediction, concept learning, explanation-based learning, case-based (exemplar-based) learning, statistical rule-based learning, feature extraction-based learning, optimization-based learning, quantum-inspired learning, multi-criteria-based learning and hybrid intelligence-based learning.

This book puts forward the concept of a virtual equivalent system (VES) based on theoretical analysis and simulation results. The new concept will facilitate the development of a unified framework for analyzing the stability and convergence of self-tuning control (STC) systems, and potentially, of all adaptive control systems. The book then shows that a time-varying STC system can be converted into a time-invariant system using a certain nonlinear compensation signal, which reduces the complexity and difficulty of stability and convergence analysis. In closing, the VES concept and methodology are used to assess the stability of multiple model adaptive control (MMAC) systems and T-S model-based fuzzy control systems.

This volume gathers the latest fundamental research contributions, innovations, and applications in the field of design and analysis of complex robotic mechanical systems, machines, and mechanisms, as presented by leading international researchers at the 2nd USCToMM Symposium on Mechanical Systems and Robotics (USCToMM MSR), held in Rapid City, South Dakota, USA on May 19-21, 2022. It covers highly diverse topics, including soft, wearable and origami robotic systems; applications to walking, flying, climbing, underground, swimming and space systems; human rehabilitation and performance augmentation; design and analysis of mechanisms and machines; human-robot collaborative systems; service robotics; mechanical systems and robotics education; and the commercialization of mechanical systems and robotics. The contributions, which were selected by means of a rigorous international peer-review process, highlight numerous exciting and impactful research results that will inspire novel research directions and foster multidisciplinary research collaborations among researchers from around the globe.

Complex illumination and meteorological conditions can significantly limit the robustness of robotic vision systems. This book focuses on image pre-processing for robot vision in complex illumination and dynamic weather conditions. It systematically covers cutting-edge models and algorithms, approaching them from a novel viewpoint based on studying the atmospheric physics and imaging mechanism. It provides valuable insights and practical methods such as illumination calculations, scattering modeling, shadow/highlight detection and removal, intrinsic image derivation, and rain/snow/fog removal technologies that will enable robots to be effective in diverse lighting and weather conditions, i.e., ensure their all-weather operating capacity. As such, the book offers a valuable resource for researchers, graduate students and engineers in the fields of robot engineering and computer science.

This book discusses blind investigation and recovery of digital evidence left behind on digital devices, primarily for the purpose of tracing cybercrime sources and criminals. It presents an overview of the challenges of digital image forensics, with a specific focus on two of the most common forensic problems. The first part of the book addresses image source investigation, which involves mapping an image back to its camera source to facilitate investigating and tracing the source of a crime. The second part of the book focuses on image-forgery detection, primarily focusing on "copy-move forgery" in digital images, and presenting effective solutions to copy-move forgery detection with an emphasis on additional related challenges such as blur-invariance, similar genuine object identification, etc. The book concludes with future research directions, including counter forensics. With the necessary mathematical information in every chapter, the book serves as a useful reference resource for researchers and professionals alike. In addition, it can also be used as a supplementary text for upper-undergraduate and graduate-level courses on "Digital Image Processing", "Information Security", "Machine Learning", "Computer Vision" and "Multimedia Security and Forensics".

This book continues first one of the same authors "Adaptive Image Processing Algorithms for Printing" and presents methods and software solutions for copying and scanning various types of documents by conventional office equipment, offering techniques for correction of distortions and enhancement of scanned documents; techniques for automatic cropping and de-skew; approaches for segmentation of text and picture regions; documents classifiers; approach for vectorization of symbols by approximation of their contour by curves; methods for optimal compression of scanned documents, algorithm for stitching parts of large originals; copy-protection methods by microprinting and embedding of hidden information to hardcopy; algorithmic approach for toner saving. In addition, method for integral printing is considered. Described techniques operate in automatic mode thanks to machine learning or ingenious heuristics. Most the techniques presented have a low computational complexity and memory consumption due to they were designed for firmware of embedded systems or software drivers. The book reflects the authors' practical experience in algorithm development for industrial R&D.

This book provides an overview of the design, synthesis, and characterization of different photoactive hybrid organic-inorganic materials, based on the combination of mainly organic molecules and inorganic nanostructures, tackling their uses in different scientific fields from photonics to biomedicine. There are many examples extensively describing how the confinement of organic compounds (i.e. chromophores, photochromic molecules or photoreactants), or other photoactive compounds (i.e.metal clusters) into several microporous systems can modulate the photophysical properties and photochemical reactions leading to interesting applications. Among (ordered)-hosts, different systems of diverse nature are widely used, such as the, the 1D- or 3D- channels of zeolitic frameworks, interlayer space of 2D-clays, the organic nanospace of curcubituril and cyclodextrins or the organo-inorganic porous crystalline MOFs systems. This volume highlights the advances of these photoactive materials and aims to be an inspiration for researchers working in materials science and photochemistry, including chemists, material engineers, physicists, biologists, and medical researchers.

"Advanced Technologies in Ad Hoc and Sensor Networks "collects selected papers from the 7th China Conference on Wireless Sensor Networks (CWSN2013) held in Qingdao, October 17-19, 2013. The book features state-of-the-art studies on Sensor Networks in China with the theme of Advances in wireless sensor networks of China . The selected works can help promote development of sensor network technology towards interconnectivity, resource sharing, flexibility and high efficiency. Researchers and engineers in the field of sensor networks can benefit from the book.

Xue Wang is a professor at Tsinghua University; Li Cui is a professor at Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Zhongwen Guo is a professor at Ocean University of China."

In this book we analyze relaxation oscillations in models of lasers with nonlinear elements controlling light dynamics. The models are based on rate equations taking into account periodic modulation of parameters, optoelectronic delayed feedback, mutual coupling between lasers, intermodal interaction and other factors. With the aim to study relaxation oscillations we present the special asymptotic method of integration for ordinary differential equations and differential-difference equations. As a result, they are reduced to discrete maps. Analyzing the maps we describe analytically such nonlinear phenomena in lasers as multistability of large-amplitude relaxation cycles, bifurcations of cycles, controlled switching of regimes, phase synchronization in an ensemble of coupled systems and others. The book can be fruitful for students and technicians in nonlinear laser dynamics and in differential equations.