Visual Perception for Humanoid Robots

Visual Perception for Humanoid Robots
Author: David Israel González Aguirre
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 253
Release: 2018-09-01
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3319978411

This book provides an overview of model-based environmental visual perception for humanoid robots. The visual perception of a humanoid robot creates a bidirectional bridge connecting sensor signals with internal representations of environmental objects. The objective of such perception systems is to answer two fundamental questions: What & where is it? To answer these questions using a sensor-to-representation bridge, coordinated processes are conducted to extract and exploit cues matching robot’s mental representations to physical entities. These include sensor & actuator modeling, calibration, filtering, and feature extraction for state estimation. This book discusses the following topics in depth: • Active Sensing: Robust probabilistic methods for optimal, high dynamic range image acquisition are suitable for use with inexpensive cameras. This enables ideal sensing in arbitrary environmental conditions encountered in human-centric spaces. The book quantitatively shows the importance of equipping robots with dependable visual sensing. • Feature Extraction & Recognition: Parameter-free, edge extraction methods based on structural graphs enable the representation of geometric primitives effectively and efficiently. This is done by eccentricity segmentation providing excellent recognition even on noisy & low-resolution images. Stereoscopic vision, Euclidean metric and graph-shape descriptors are shown to be powerful mechanisms for difficult recognition tasks. • Global Self-Localization & Depth Uncertainty Learning: Simultaneous feature matching for global localization and 6D self-pose estimation are addressed by a novel geometric and probabilistic concept using intersection of Gaussian spheres. The path from intuition to the closed-form optimal solution determining the robot location is described, including a supervised learning method for uncertainty depth modeling based on extensive ground-truth training data from a motion capture system. The methods and experiments are presented in self-contained chapters with comparisons and the state of the art. The algorithms were implemented and empirically evaluated on two humanoid robots: ARMAR III-A & B. The excellent robustness, performance and derived results received an award at the IEEE conference on humanoid robots and the contributions have been utilized for numerous visual manipulation tasks with demonstration at distinguished venues such as ICRA, CeBIT, IAS, and Automatica.

Engineering Applications of FPGAs

Engineering Applications of FPGAs
Author: Esteban Tlelo-Cuautle
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 230
Release: 2016-05-28
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3319341154

This book offers readers a clear guide to implementing engineering applications with FPGAs, from the mathematical description to the hardware synthesis, including discussion of VHDL programming and co-simulation issues. Coverage includes FPGA realizations such as: chaos generators that are described from their mathematical models; artificial neural networks (ANNs) to predict chaotic time series, for which a discussion of different ANN topologies is included, with different learning techniques and activation functions; random number generators (RNGs) that are realized using different chaos generators, and discussions of their maximum Lyapunov exponent values and entropies. Finally, optimized chaotic oscillators are synchronized and realized to implement a secure communication system that processes black and white and grey-scale images. In each application, readers will find VHDL programming guidelines and computer arithmetic issues, along with co-simulation examples with Active-HDL and Simulink. The whole book provides a practical guide to implementing a variety of engineering applications from VHDL programming and co-simulation issues, to FPGA realizations of chaos generators, ANNs for chaotic time-series prediction, RNGs and chaotic secure communications for image transmission.

Hierarchical Matrices: Algorithms and Analysis

Hierarchical Matrices: Algorithms and Analysis
Author: Wolfgang Hackbusch
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 532
Release: 2015-12-21
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 3662473240

This self-contained monograph presents matrix algorithms and their analysis. The new technique enables not only the solution of linear systems but also the approximation of matrix functions, e.g., the matrix exponential. Other applications include the solution of matrix equations, e.g., the Lyapunov or Riccati equation. The required mathematical background can be found in the appendix. The numerical treatment of fully populated large-scale matrices is usually rather costly. However, the technique of hierarchical matrices makes it possible to store matrices and to perform matrix operations approximately with almost linear cost and a controllable degree of approximation error. For important classes of matrices, the computational cost increases only logarithmically with the approximation error. The operations provided include the matrix inversion and LU decomposition. Since large-scale linear algebra problems are standard in scientific computing, the subject of hierarchical matrices is of interest to scientists in computational mathematics, physics, chemistry and engineering.

The Art of Memory Forensics

The Art of Memory Forensics
Author: Michael Hale Ligh
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 912
Release: 2014-07-22
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 1118824997

Memory forensics provides cutting edge technology to help investigate digital attacks Memory forensics is the art of analyzing computer memory (RAM) to solve digital crimes. As a follow-up to the best seller Malware Analyst's Cookbook, experts in the fields of malware, security, and digital forensics bring you a step-by-step guide to memory forensics—now the most sought after skill in the digital forensics and incident response fields. Beginning with introductory concepts and moving toward the advanced, The Art of Memory Forensics: Detecting Malware and Threats in Windows, Linux, and Mac Memory is based on a five day training course that the authors have presented to hundreds of students. It is the only book on the market that focuses exclusively on memory forensics and how to deploy such techniques properly. Discover memory forensics techniques: How volatile memory analysis improves digital investigations Proper investigative steps for detecting stealth malware and advanced threats How to use free, open source tools for conducting thorough memory forensics Ways to acquire memory from suspect systems in a forensically sound manner The next era of malware and security breaches are more sophisticated and targeted, and the volatile memory of a computer is often overlooked or destroyed as part of the incident response process. The Art of Memory Forensics explains the latest technological innovations in digital forensics to help bridge this gap. It covers the most popular and recently released versions of Windows, Linux, and Mac, including both the 32 and 64-bit editions.

Tensor Spaces and Numerical Tensor Calculus

Tensor Spaces and Numerical Tensor Calculus
Author: Wolfgang Hackbusch
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 622
Release: 2019-12-16
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 3030355543

Special numerical techniques are already needed to deal with n × n matrices for large n. Tensor data are of size n × n ×...× n=nd, where nd exceeds the computer memory by far. They appear for problems of high spatial dimensions. Since standard methods fail, a particular tensor calculus is needed to treat such problems. This monograph describes the methods by which tensors can be practically treated and shows how numerical operations can be performed. Applications include problems from quantum chemistry, approximation of multivariate functions, solution of partial differential equations, for example with stochastic coefficients, and more. In addition to containing corrections of the unavoidable misprints, this revised second edition includes new parts ranging from single additional statements to new subchapters. The book is mainly addressed to numerical mathematicians and researchers working with high-dimensional data. It also touches problems related to Geometric Algebra.

Getting Up to Speed

Getting Up to Speed
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 307
Release: 2005-03-03
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 0309095026

Supercomputers play a significant and growing role in a variety of areas important to the nation. They are used to address challenging science and technology problems. In recent years, however, progress in supercomputing in the United States has slowed. The development of the Earth Simulator supercomputer by Japan that the United States could lose its competitive advantage and, more importantly, the national competence needed to achieve national goals. In the wake of this development, the Department of Energy asked the NRC to assess the state of U.S. supercomputing capabilities and relevant R&D. Subsequently, the Senate directed DOE in S. Rpt. 107-220 to ask the NRC to evaluate the Advanced Simulation and Computing program of the National Nuclear Security Administration at DOE in light of the development of the Earth Simulator. This report provides an assessment of the current status of supercomputing in the United States including a review of current demand and technology, infrastructure and institutions, and international activities. The report also presents a number of recommendations to enable the United States to meet current and future needs for capability supercomputers.

Pediatric Sleep Medicine

Pediatric Sleep Medicine
Author: David Gozal
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 719
Release: 2021-04-15
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 3030655741

This book provides comprehensive coverage of all aspects related to pediatric sleep and its associated disorders. It addresses the ontogeny and maturational aspects of physiological sleep and circadian rhythms, as well as the effects of sleep on the various organ systems as a function of development. Organized into nine sections, the book begins with a basic introduction to sleep, and proceeds into an extensive coverage of normative sleep and functional homeostasis. Part three then concisely examines the humoral and developmental aspects of sleep, namely the emerging role of metabolic tissue and the intestinal microbiota in regulation. Parts four, five, and six discuss diagnoses methods, techniques in sleep measurement, and specific aspects of pharmacotherapy and ventilator support for the pediatric patient. Various sleep disorders are explored in part seven, followed by an in-depth analysis of obstructive sleep apnea in part eight. The book concludes with discussions on the presence of sleep issues in other disorders such as Down syndrome, obesity, cystic fibrosis, and asthma. Written by recognized leaders in the field, Pediatric Sleep Medicine facilitates an extensive learning experience for practicing physicians who encounter specific sleep-related issues in their practice.

Future Trends in Biomedical and Health Informatics and Cybersecurity in Medical Devices

Future Trends in Biomedical and Health Informatics and Cybersecurity in Medical Devices
Author: Kang-Ping Lin
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 439
Release: 2019-09-28
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9783030306359

This book gathers the proceedings of the IV International Conference on Biomedical and Health Informatics (ICBHI 2019), held on 17-20 April, 2019, in Taipei, Taiwan. Contributions span a range of topics, including medical imaging, biosignal processing, biodata management and analytics, public and personalized health systems, mobile health applications and many more. The IV conference edition gave a special emphasis to cybersecurity issues and cutting-edge medical devices, as it is reflected in this book, which provides academics and professionals with extensive knowledge on and a timely snapshot of cutting-edge research and developments in the field of biomedical and health informatics.