This book presents technologies and solutions related to the test and launch control of rockets and other vehicles, and offers the first comprehensive and systematic introduction to the contributions of the Chinese Long March (Chang Zheng in Chinese, or abbreviated as CZ) rockets in this field. Moreover, it discusses the role of this technology in responsive, reliable, and economical access to space, which is essential for the competitiveness of rockets. The need for rapid development of the aerospace industry for both governmental and commercial projects is addressed. This book is a valuable reference resource for practitioners, and many examples and resources are included, not only from Chinese rockets but also from many other vehicles. It covers guidelines, technologies, and solutions on testing and launch control before rocket takeoff, covering equipment-level testing, system-level testing, simulation tests, etc.

This book presents recent research work on stochastic jump hybrid systems. Specifically, the considered stochastic jump hybrid systems include Markovian jump Ito stochastic systems, Markovian jump linear-parameter-varying (LPV) systems, Markovian jump singular systems, Markovian jump two-dimensional (2-D) systems, and Markovian jump repeated scalar nonlinear systems. Some sufficient conditions are first established respectively for the stability and performances of those kinds of stochastic jump hybrid systems in terms of solution of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Based on the derived analysis conditions, the filtering and control problems are addressed. The book presents up-to-date research developments and novel methodologies on stochastic jump hybrid systems. The contents can be divided into two parts: the first part is focused on robust filter design problem, while the second part is put the emphasis on robust control problem. These methodologies provide a framework for stability and performance analysis, robust controller design, and robust filter design for the considered systems. Solutions to the design problems are presented in terms of LMIs. The book is a timely reflection of the developing area of filtering and control theories for Markovian jump hybrid systems with various kinds of imperfect information. It is a collection of a series of latest research results and therefore serves as a useful textbook for senior and/or graduate students who are interested in knowing 1) the state-of-the-art of linear filtering and control areas, and 2) recent advances in stochastic jump hybrid systems. The readers will also benefit from some new concepts, new models and new methodologies with practical significance in control engineering and signal processing.

This volume contains the Proceedings of the First International Congress for the Advancement of Mechanism, Machine, Robotics and Mechatronics Sciences (ICAMMRMS-2017), held in Beirut, Lebanon, October 2017. The book consists of twenty papers in six different fields covering multiple angles of machine and robotics sciences: mechanical design, control, structural synthesis, vibration study, and manufacturing. This volume is of interest to mechanical as well as electrical engineers.

Consisting of 23 refereed contributions, this volume offers a broad and diverse view of current research in control and estimation of partial differential equations. Topics addressed include, but are not limited to - control and stability of hyperbolic systems related to elasticity, linear and nonlinear; - control and identification of nonlinear parabolic systems; - exact and approximate controllability, and observability; - Pontryagin's maximum principle and dynamic programming in PDE; and - numerics pertinent to optimal and suboptimal control problems. This volume is primarily geared toward control theorists seeking information on the latest developments in their area of expertise. It may also serve as a stimulating reader to any researcher who wants to gain an impression of activities at the forefront of a vigorously expanding area in applied mathematics.

Based on interdisciplinary research into "Directional Change", a new data-driven approach to financial data analysis, Detecting Regime Change in Computational Finance: Data Science, Machine Learning and Algorithmic Trading applies machine learning to financial market monitoring and algorithmic trading. Directional Change is a new way of summarising price changes in the market. Instead of sampling prices at fixed intervals (such as daily closing in time series), it samples prices when the market changes direction ("zigzags"). By sampling data in a different way, this book lays out concepts which enable the extraction of information that other market participants may not be able to see. The book includes a Foreword by Richard Olsen and explores the following topics: Data science: as an alternative to time series, price movements in a market can be summarised as directional changes Machine learning for regime change detection: historical regime changes in a market can be discovered by a Hidden Markov Model Regime characterisation: normal and abnormal regimes in historical data can be characterised using indicators defined under Directional Change Market Monitoring: by using historical characteristics of normal and abnormal regimes, one can monitor the market to detect whether the market regime has changed Algorithmic trading: regime tracking information can help us to design trading algorithms It will be of great interest to researchers in computational finance, machine learning and data science. About the Authors Jun Chen received his PhD in computational finance from the Centre for Computational Finance and Economic Agents, University of Essex in 2019. Edward P K Tsang is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Essex, where he co-founded the Centre for Computational Finance and Economic Agents in 2002.

This book proposes a complete pipeline for monocular (single camera) based 3D mapping of terrestrial and underwater environments. The aim is to provide a solution to large-scale scene modeling that is both accurate and efficient. To this end, we have developed a novel Structure from Motion algorithm that increases mapping accuracy by registering camera views directly with the maps. The camera registration uses a dual approach that adapts to the type of environment being mapped. In order to further increase the accuracy of the resulting maps, a new method is presented, allowing detection of images corresponding to the same scene region (crossovers). Crossovers then used in conjunction with global alignment methods in order to highly reduce estimation errors, especially when mapping large areas. Our method is based on Visual Bag of Words paradigm (BoW), offering a more efficient and simpler solution by eliminating the training stage, generally required by state of the art BoW algorithms. Also, towards developing methods for efficient mapping of large areas (especially with costs related to map storage, transmission and rendering in mind), an online 3D model simplification algorithm is proposed. This new algorithm presents the advantage of selecting only those vertices that are geometrically representative for the scene.

This book provides a detailed insight into Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technologies linked with AI that will help organizations implement Industry 4.0 procedures. RPA tools enhance their functionality by incorporating AI objectives, such as use of artificial neural network algorithms, text mining techniques, and natural language processing techniques for information extraction and the subsequent process of optimization and forecasting scenarios for the purpose of improving an organization's operational and business processes. The target readers of this book are researchers, professors, graduate students, scientists, policymakers, professionals, and developers working in the IT and ITeS sectors, i.e. people who are working on emerging technologies. This book also provides insights and decision support tools necessary for executives concerned with different industrial and organizational automation-centric jobs, knowledge dissemination, information, and policy development for automation in different educational, government, and non-government organizations. This book is of special interest to college and university educators who teach AI, machine learning, blockchain, business intelligence, cognitive intelligence, and brain intelligence courses in different capacities.

At the end of the nineteenth century Lyapunov and Poincare developed the so called qualitative theory of differential equations and introduced geometric- topological considerations which have led to the concept of dynamical systems. In its present abstract form this concept goes back to G.D. Birkhoff. This is also the starting point of Chapter 1 of this book in which uncontrolled and controlled time-continuous and time-discrete systems are investigated. Controlled dynamical systems could be considered as dynamical systems in the strong sense, if the controls were incorporated into the state space. We, however, adapt the conventional treatment of controlled systems as in control theory. We are mainly interested in the question of controllability of dynamical systems into equilibrium states. In the non-autonomous time-discrete case we also consider the problem of stabilization. We conclude with chaotic behavior of autonomous time discrete systems and actual real-world applications.

Ethics and Human Behaviour in ICT Development discusses ethics in a professional context and encourages readers to self-assessment of their own behaviour. It provides thought-provoking accounts of the little-known early history of technological development in information and communication technology (ICT) and the automation industry in Poland, with a focus on Wroclaw. The book provides a framework for understanding the relationship between ethics and behaviour, and analyses critically ethical and behavioural issues in challenging workplaces and social contexts. It includes: case studies from around the world, especially Poland, which illustrate the relationships between human behaviour and ethics; biographies of successful Polish ICT and automation leading designers; analysis of case studies of human behaviour and ethics in challenging industrial development and other environments; and illustrative practical applications alongside the theory of human behaviour and ethics. The authors demonstrate the ingenuity of the early Polish designers, programmers and other specialists in overcoming the shortage of components caused by import embargoes to enable Poland to develop its own computer industry. An example of this is Elwro, formerly the largest manufacturer of computers in Poland. The discussion of its growth illustrates the potential of human creativity to overcome problems. The discussion of its fall highlights the importance of ethical approaches to technology transfer and the dangers of a colonialist mentality. The book is designed for engineers, computer scientists, researchers and professionals alike, as well as being of interest for those broadly concerned with ethics and human behaviour.

Although the use of fuzzy control methods has grown nearly to the level of classical control, the true understanding of fuzzy control lags seriously behind. Moreover, most engineers are well versed in either traditional control or in fuzzy control-rarely both. Each has applications for which it is better suited, but without a good understanding of both, engineers cannot make a sound determination of which technique to use for a given situation.

A First Course in Fuzzy and Neural Control is designed to build the foundation needed to make those decisions. It begins with an introduction to standard control theory, then makes a smooth transition to complex problems that require innovative fuzzy, neural, and fuzzy-neural techniques. For each method, the authors clearly answer the questions: What is this new control method? Why is it needed? How is it implemented? Real-world examples, exercises, and ideas for student projects reinforce the concepts presented.

Developed from lecture notes for a highly successful course titled The Fundamentals of Soft Computing, the text is written in the same reader-friendly style as the authors' popular A First Course in Fuzzy Logic text. A First Course in Fuzzy and Neural Control requires only a basic background in mathematics and engineering and does not overwhelm students with unnecessary material but serves to motivate them toward more advanced studies.

This book presents a novel decision-making support system based on paraconsistent annotated evidential logic, which directly handles imprecise, incomplete and contradictory data. The authors offer insights into areas such as engineering and biomedicine, as well as related fields. Decision analysis is useful in making choices when the consequences of actions are uncertain, like in business administration, where it assists in making investment decisions, and in health care, Decision analysis is also valuable when the possible actions may lead to conflicting consequences. A fundamental tenet of decision analysis is that even though the available information is incomplete, a decision must be made. Thus, analyses often contain assumptions about or estimates of missing data. The contribution that this method can provide to professionals and companies has significant relevance in terms of the impact of information systems on productivity and quality of the companies; the lack of training companies for proper planning and management of information systems; and the need for interdisciplinary treatment of several sectors of almost all related scientific areas. This book is a valuable resource for professionals seeking a competitive edge in their performance.

"Repetitive Motion Planning and Control of Redundant Robot Manipulators" presents four typical motion planning schemes based on optimization techniques, including the fundamental RMP scheme and its extensions. These schemes are unified as quadratic programs (QPs), which are solved by neural networks or numerical algorithms. The RMP schemes are demonstrated effectively by the simulation results based on various robotic models; the experiments applying the fundamental RMP scheme to a physical robot manipulator are also presented. As the schemes and the corresponding solvers presented in the book have solved the non-repetitive motion problems existing in redundant robot manipulators, it is of particular use in applying theoretical research based on the quadratic program for redundant robot manipulators in industrial situations. This book will be a valuable reference work for engineers, researchers, advanced undergraduate and graduate students in robotics fields.

Yunong Zhang is a professor at The School of Information Science and Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Zhijun Zhang is a research fellow working at the same institute.

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"The Human Hand as an Inspiration for Robot Hand Development" presents an edited collection of authoritative contributions in the area of robot hands. The results described in the volume are expected to lead to more robust, dependable, and inexpensive distributed systems such as those endowed with complex and advanced sensing, actuation, computation, and communication capabilities. The twenty-four chapters discuss the field of robotic grasping and manipulation viewed in light of the human hand's capabilities and push the state-of-the-art in robot hand design and control. Topics discussed include human hand biomechanics, neural control, sensory feedback and perception, and robotic grasp and manipulation. This book will be useful for researchers from diverse areas such as robotics, biomechanics, neuroscience, and anthropologists.

SYROM conferences have been organized since 1973 by the Romanian branch of the International Federation for the Promotion of Mechanisms and Machine Science IFToMM, Year by year the event grew in quality. Now in its 10th edition, international visibility and recognition among the researchers active in the mechanisms science field has been achieved.

SYROM 2009 brought together researchers and academic staff from the field of mechanisms and machine science from all over the world and served as a forum for presenting the achievements and most recent results in research and education. Topics treated include conceptual design, kinematics and dynamics, modeling and simulation, synthesis and optimization, command and control, current trends in education in this field, applications in high-tech products.

The papers presented at this conference were subjected to a peer-review process to ensure the quality of the paper, the engineering significance, the soundness of results and the originality of the paper. The accepted papers fulfill these criteria and make the proceedings unique among the publications of this type.

This book provides a decentralized approach for the identification and control of robotics systems. It also presents recent research in decentralized neural control and includes applications to robotics. Decentralized control is free from difficulties due to complexity in design, debugging, data gathering and storage requirements, making it preferable for interconnected systems. Furthermore, as opposed to the centralized approach, it can be implemented with parallel processors. This approach deals with four decentralized control schemes, which are able to identify the robot dynamics. The training of each neural network is performed on-line using an extended Kalman filter (EKF). The first indirect decentralized control scheme applies the discrete-time block control approach, to formulate a nonlinear sliding manifold. The second direct decentralized neural control scheme is based on the backstepping technique, approximated by a high order neural network.The third control scheme applies a decentralized neural inverse optimal control for stabilization. The fourth decentralized neural inverse optimal control is designed for trajectory tracking. This comprehensive work on decentralized control of robot manipulators and mobile robots is intended for professors, students and professionals wanting to understand and apply advanced knowledge in their field of work.

Mechatronics is a synergic discipline integrating precise mechanics, electrotechnics, electronics and IT technologies. The main goal of mechatronical approach to design of complex products is to achieve new quality of their utility value at reasonable price. Successful accomplishment of this task would not be possible without application of advanced software and hardware tools for simulation of design, technologies and production control and also for simulation of behavior of these products in order to provide the highest possible level of spatial and functional integration of the final product.

This book brings a review of the current state of the art in mechatronics, as presented at the 8th International Conference Mechatronics 2009, organized by the Brno Technical University, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Czech Republic. The specific topics of the conference are Modelling and Simulation, Metrology & Diagnostics, Sensorics & Photonics, Control & Robotics, MEMS Design & Mechatronic Products, Production Machines and Biomechanics. The selected contributions provide an insight into the current development of these scientific disciplines, present the new results of research and development and indicate the trends of development in the interdisciplinary field of mechatronic systems. Therefore, the book provides the latest and helpful information both for the R&D specialists and for the designers working in mechatronics and related fields.

This book covers all topics relevant for the design of haptic interfaces and teleoperation systems. The book provides the basic knowledge required for understanding more complex approaches and more importantly it introduces all issues that must be considered for designing efficient and safe haptic interfaces. Topics covered in this book provide insight into all relevant components of a haptic system.
The reader is guided from understanding the virtual reality concept to the final goal of being able to design haptic interfaces for specific tasks such as nanomanipulation.

The introduction chapter positions the haptic interfaces within the virtual reality context. In order to design haptic interfaces that will comply with human capabilities at least basic understanding of human sensors-motor system is required. An overview of this topic is provided in the chapter related to human haptics. The book does not try to introduce the state-of-the-art haptic interface solutions because these tend to change quickly. Only a careful selection of different kinematic configurations is shown to introduce the reader into this field.
Mathematical models of virtual environment, collision detection and force rendering topics are strongly interrelated and are described in the next two chapters. The interaction with the virtual environment is simulated with a haptic interface. Impedance and admittance based approaches to haptic robot control are presented. Stability issues of haptic interaction are analyzed in details and solutions are proposed for guaranteeing stable and safe operation. Finally, haptic interaction is extended to teleoperation systems. Virtual fixtures which improve the teleoperation and human-robot cooperation in complex environments are covered next and the last chapter presents nanomanipulation as one specific example of teleoperation.

Identification Modeling and Characteristics of Miniature Rotorcraft introduces an approach to developing a simple and effective linear parameterized model of vehicle dynamics using the CIFERa identification tool created by the Army/NASA Rotorcraft Division. It also presents the first application of the advanced control system optimization tool CONDUITa to systematically and efficiently tune control laws for a model-scale UAV helicopter against multiple and competing dynamic response criteria.

Identification Modeling and Characteristics of Miniature Rotorcraft presents the detailed account of how the theory was developed, the experimentation performed, and how the results were used.

This book will serve as a basic and illustrative guide for all students that are interested in developing autonomous flying helicopters. "

Medical and Healthcare Robotics: New Paradigms and Recent Advances provides an overview and exclusive insights into current trends, the most recent innovations, and concerns in medical robotics. The book covers the major areas of medical robotics, including rehabilitation devices, artificial organs, assistive technologies, service robotics, and robotic devices for surgery, exploration, diagnosis, therapy, and training. It highlights the limitations and the importance of robotics and artificial intelligence for medical and healthcare applications. The book is a timely and comprehensive reference guide for undergraduate-level students, graduate students, and researchers in the fields of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, mechatronics, control systems engineering, and biomedical engineering. It can be useful for master’s programs, leading consultants, and industrial companies. The book can be of high interest for physicians and physiotherapists and all technical people in the medical and biomedical fields.

Robots and autonomous agents have permeated every aspect of human life. They are not only omnipresent on the shop floors; they have pervaded our homes and are around us everywhere. Design methodologies and implementation techniques of intelligent machines are making progress in leaps and bounds. Smart interaction, cooperation, and pro-activeness are the hallmarks of modern intelligent machines.

This book deals with the theoretical and methodological aspects of incorporating intelligence in "Autonomous Robots and Agents." Challenges faced in the real world to accomplish complex tasks, which require collaborative efforts, and methods to overcome them, are detailed. Several informative articles deal with navigation, localization and mapping of mobile robots, a problem that engineers and researchers are grappling with all the time.

This edited volume is targeted to present the latest state-of-the-art methodologies in Robotics. It is a compilation of the extended versions of the very best papers selected from the many that were presented at the 3rd International Conference on Autonomous Robots and Agents (ICARA 2006) which was held at Palmerston North, New Zealand from 11-14 December, 2006. Scientists and engineers who work with mobile robots will find this book very useful and stimulating.

Research on humanoid robots has been mostly with the aim of developing robots that can replace humans in the performance of certain tasks. Motion planning for these robots can be quite difficult, due to their complex kinematics, dynamics and environment. It is consequently one of the key research topics in humanoid robotics research and the last few years have witnessed considerable progress in the field. Motion Planning for Humanoid Robots surveys the remarkable recent advancement in both the theoretical and the practical aspects of humanoid motion planning. Various motion planning frameworks are presented in Motion Planning for Humanoid Robots, including one for skill coordination and learning, and one for manipulating and grasping tasks. The problem of planning sequences of contacts that support acyclic motion in a highly constrained environment is addressed and a motion planner that enables a humanoid robot to push an object to a desired location on a cluttered table is described. The main areas of interest include: * whole body motion planning, * task planning, * biped gait planning, and * sensor feedback for motion planning. Torque-level control of multi-contact behavior, autonomous manipulation of moving obstacles, and movement control and planning architecture are also covered. Motion Planning for Humanoid Robots will help readers to understand the current research on humanoid motion planning. It is written for industrial engineers, advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students.

One of the most important methods in dealing with the optimization of large, complex systems is that of hierarchical decomposition. The idea is to reduce the overall complex problem into manageable approximate problems or subproblems, to solve these problems, and to construct a solution of the original problem from the solutions of these simpler prob lems. Development of such approaches for large complex systems has been identified as a particularly fruitful area by the Committee on the Next Decade in Operations Research (1988) [42] as well as by the Panel on Future Directions in Control Theory (1988) [65]. Most manufacturing firms are complex systems characterized by sev eral decision subsystems, such as finance, personnel, marketing, and op erations. They may have several plants and warehouses and a wide variety of machines and equipment devoted to producing a large number of different products. Moreover, they are subject to deterministic as well as stochastic discrete events, such as purchasing new equipment, hiring and layoff of personnel, and machine setups, failures, and repairs.

This book provides a thorough overview of cutting-edge research on electronics applications relevant to industry, the environment, and society at large. It covers a broad spectrum of application domains, from automotive to space and from health to security, while devoting special attention to the use of embedded devices and sensors for imaging, communication and control. The book is based on the 2015 ApplePies Conference, held in Rome, which brought together researchers and stakeholders to consider the most significant current trends in the field of applied electronics and to debate visions for the future. Areas addressed by the conference included information communication technology; biotechnology and biomedical imaging; space; secure, clean and efficient energy; the environment; and smart, green and integrated transport. As electronics technology continues to develop apace, constantly meeting previously unthinkable targets, further attention needs to be directed toward the electronics applications and the development of systems that facilitate human activities. This book, written by industrial and academic professionals, represents a valuable contribution in this endeavor.

Intelligent Unmanned Ground Vehicles describes the technology developed and the results obtained by the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute in the course of the DARPA Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) project. The goal of this work was to equip off-road vehicles with computer-controlled, unmanned driving capabilities. The book describes contributions in the area of mobility for UGVs including: tools for assembling complex autonomous mobility systems; on-road and off-road navigation; sensing techniques; and route planning algorithms. In addition to basic mobility technology, the book covers a number of integrated systems demonstrated in the field in realistic scenarios. The approaches presented in this book can be applied to a wide range of mobile robotics applications, from automated passenger cars to planetary exploration, and construction and agricultural machines. Intelligent Unmanned Ground Vehicles shows the progress that was achieved during this program, from brittle specially-built robots operating under highly constrained conditions, to groups of modified commercial vehicles operating in tough environments. One measure of progress is how much of this technology is being used in other applications. For example, much of the work in road-following, architectures and obstacle detection has been the basis for the Automated Highway Systems (AHS) prototypes currently under development. AHS will lead to commercial prototypes within a few years. The cross-country technology is also being used in the development of planetary rovers with a projected launch date within a few years. The architectural tools built under this program have been used in numerous applications, from an automated harvester to an autonomous excavator. The results reported in this work provide tools for further research development leading to practical, reliable and economical mobile robots.