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Article
Publication date: 8 May 2024

Minghao Wang, Ming Cong, Yu Du, Huageng Zhong and Dong Liu

To make the robot that have real autonomous ability is always the goal of mobile robot research. For mobile robots, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) research is no…

Abstract

Purpose

To make the robot that have real autonomous ability is always the goal of mobile robot research. For mobile robots, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) research is no longer satisfied with enabling robots to build maps by remote control, more needs will focus on the autonomous exploration of unknown areas, which refer to the low light, complex spatial features and a series of unstructured environment, lick underground special space (dark and multiintersection). This study aims to propose a novel robot structure with mapping and autonomous exploration algorithms. The experiment proves the detection ability of the robot.

Design/methodology/approach

A small bio-inspired mobile robot suitable for underground special space (dark and multiintersection) is designed, and the control system is set up based on STM32 and Jetson Nano. The robot is equipped with double laser sensor and Ackerman chassis structure, which can adapt to the practical requirements of exploration in underground special space. Based on the graph optimization SLAM method, an optimization method for map construction is proposed. The Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm is used to match two frames of laser to recalculate the relative pose of the robot, which improves the sensor utilization rate of the robot in underground space and also increase the synchronous positioning accuracy. Moreover, based on boundary cells and rapidly-exploring random tree (RRT) algorithm, a new Bio-RRT method for robot autonomous exploration is proposed in addition.

Findings

According to the experimental results, it can be seen that the upgraded SLAM method proposed in this paper achieves better results in map construction. At the same time, the algorithm presents good real-time performance as well as high accuracy and strong maintainability, particularly it can update the map continuously with the passing of time and ensure the positioning accuracy in the process of map updating. The Bio-RRT method fused with the firing excitation mechanism of boundary cells has a more purposeful random tree growth. The number of random tree expansion nodes is less, and the amount of information to be processed is reduced, which leads to the path planning time shorter and the efficiency higher. In addition, the target bias makes the random tree grow directly toward the target point with a certain probability, and the obtained path nodes are basically distributed on or on both sides of the line between the initial point and the target point, which makes the path length shorter and reduces the moving cost of the mobile robot. The final experimental results demonstrate that the proposed upgraded SLAM and Bio-RRT methods can better complete the underground special space exploration task.

Originality/value

Based on the background of robot autonomous exploration in underground special space, a new bio-inspired mobile robot structure with mapping and autonomous exploration algorithm is proposed in this paper. The robot structure is constructed, and the perceptual unit, control unit, driving unit and communication unit are described in detail. The robot can satisfy the practical requirements of exploring the underground dark and multiintersection space. Then, the upgraded graph optimization laser SLAM algorithm and interframe matching optimization method are proposed in this paper. The Bio-RRT independent exploration method is finally proposed, which takes shorter time in equally open space and the search strategy for multiintersection space is more efficient. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed upgrade SLAM and Bio-RRT methods can better complete the underground space exploration task.

Details

Robotic Intelligence and Automation, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2754-6969

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 January 2024

Yahan Xiong and Xiaodong Fu

Users often struggle to select choosing among similar online services. To help them make informed decisions, it is important to establish a service reputation measurement…

Abstract

Purpose

Users often struggle to select choosing among similar online services. To help them make informed decisions, it is important to establish a service reputation measurement mechanism. User-provided feedback ratings serve as a primary source of information for this mechanism, and ensuring the credibility of user feedback is crucial for a reliable reputation measurement. Most of the previous studies use passive detection to identify false feedback without creating incentives for honest reporting. Therefore, this study aims to develop a reputation measure for online services that can provide incentives for users to report honestly.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors present a method that uses a peer prediction mechanism to evaluate user credibility, which evaluates users’ credibility with their reports by applying the strictly proper scoring rule. Considering the heterogeneity among users, the authors measure user similarity, identify similar users as peers to assess credibility and calculate service reputation using an improved expectation-maximization algorithm based on user credibility.

Findings

Theoretical analysis and experimental results verify that the proposed method motivates truthful reporting, effectively identifies malicious users and achieves high service rating accuracy.

Originality/value

The proposed method has significant practical value in evaluating the authenticity of user feedback and promoting honest reporting.

Details

International Journal of Web Information Systems, vol. 20 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1744-0084

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 September 2022

Ali Noroozian, Babak Amiri and Mehrdad Agha Mohammad Ali Kermani

Movies critics believe that the diversity of Iranian cinematic genres has decreased over time. The paper aims to answer the following questions: What is the impact of the…

Abstract

Purpose

Movies critics believe that the diversity of Iranian cinematic genres has decreased over time. The paper aims to answer the following questions: What is the impact of the continuous cooperation between the key nodes on the audience's taste, uniformity of the cinematic genres and the box office? Is there any relationship between the importance of actors in the actors' network and their popularity?

Design/methodology/approach

In the artistic world, artists' relationships lead to a network that affects individuals' commercial or artistic success and defines the artwork's value. To study the issue that the diversity of Iranian cinematic genres has decreased over time, the authors utilized social network analysis (SNA), in which every actor is considered a node, and its collaboration with others in the same movies is depicted via edges. After preparing the desired dataset, networks were generated, and metrics were calculated. First, the authors compared the structure of the network with the box office. The results illustrated that the network density growth negatively affects box office. Second, network key nodes were identified, their relationships with other actors were inspected using the Apriori algorithm to examine the density cause and the cinematic genre of key nodes, and their followers were investigated. Finally, the relationship between the actors' Instagram follower count and their importance in the network structure was analyzed to answer whether the generated network is acceptable in society.

Findings

The social problem genre has stabilized due to continuous cooperation between the core nodes because network density negatively impacts the box office. As well as, the generated network in the cinema is acceptable by the audience because there is a positive correlation between the importance of actors in the network and their popularity.

Originality/value

The novelty of this paper is investigating the issue raised in the cinema industry and trying to inspect its aspects by utilizing the SNA to deepen the cinematic research and fill the gaps. This study demonstrates a positive correlation between the actors' Instagram follower count and their importance in the network structure, indicating that people follow those central in the actors' network. As well as investigating the network key nodes with a heuristic algorithm using coreness centrality and analyzing their relationships with others through the Apriori algorithm. The authors situated the analysis using a novel and original dataset from the Iranian actors who participated in the Fajr Film Festival from 1998 to 2020.

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 29 July 2020

Abdullah Alharbi, Wajdi Alhakami, Sami Bourouis, Fatma Najar and Nizar Bouguila

We propose in this paper a novel reliable detection method to recognize forged inpainting images. Detecting potential forgeries and authenticating the content of digital images is…

Abstract

We propose in this paper a novel reliable detection method to recognize forged inpainting images. Detecting potential forgeries and authenticating the content of digital images is extremely challenging and important for many applications. The proposed approach involves developing new probabilistic support vector machines (SVMs) kernels from a flexible generative statistical model named “bounded generalized Gaussian mixture model”. The developed learning framework has the advantage to combine properly the benefits of both discriminative and generative models and to include prior knowledge about the nature of data. It can effectively recognize if an image is a tampered one and also to identify both forged and authentic images. The obtained results confirmed that the developed framework has good performance under numerous inpainted images.

Details

Applied Computing and Informatics, vol. 20 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2634-1964

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 November 2023

Ahmed M. E. Bayoumi

This article proposes a relaxed gradient iterative (RGI) algorithm to solve coupled Sylvester-conjugate transpose matrix equations (CSCTME) with two unknowns.

Abstract

Purpose

This article proposes a relaxed gradient iterative (RGI) algorithm to solve coupled Sylvester-conjugate transpose matrix equations (CSCTME) with two unknowns.

Design/methodology/approach

This article proposes a RGI algorithm to solve CSCTME with two unknowns.

Findings

The introduced (RGI) algorithm is more efficient than the gradient iterative (GI) algorithm presented in Bayoumi (2014), where the author's method exhibits quick convergence behavior.

Research limitations/implications

The introduced (RGI) algorithm is more efficient than the GI algorithm presented in Bayoumi (2014), where the author's method exhibits quick convergence behavior.

Practical implications

In systems and control, Lyapunov matrix equations, Sylvester matrix equations and other matrix equations are commonly encountered.

Social implications

In systems and control, Lyapunov matrix equations, Sylvester matrix equations and other matrix equations are commonly encountered.

Originality/value

This article proposes a relaxed gradient iterative (RGI) algorithm to solve coupled Sylvester conjugate transpose matrix equations (CSCTME) with two unknowns. For any initial matrices, a sufficient condition is derived to determine whether the proposed algorithm converges to the exact solution. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the suggested method and to compare it with the gradient-based iterative algorithm proposed in [6] numerical examples are provided.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 40 no. 9/10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 April 2024

Yong Wang, Yuting Liu and Fan Xu

Soft robots are known for their excellent safe interaction ability and promising in surgical applications for their lower risks of damaging the surrounding organs when operating…

Abstract

Purpose

Soft robots are known for their excellent safe interaction ability and promising in surgical applications for their lower risks of damaging the surrounding organs when operating than their rigid counterparts. To explore the potential of soft robots in cardiac surgery, this paper aims to propose an adaptive iterative learning controller for tracking the irregular motion of the beating heart.

Design/methodology/approach

In continuous beating heart surgery, providing a relatively stable operating environment for the operator is crucial. It is highly necessary to use position-tracking technology to keep the target and the surgical manipulator as static as possible. To address the position tracking and control challenges associated with dynamic targets, with a focus on tracking the motion of the heart, control design work has been carried out. Considering the lag error introduced by the material properties of the soft surgical robotic arm and system delays, a controller design incorporating iterative learning control with parameter estimation was used for position control. The stability of the controller was analyzed and proven through the construction of a Lyapunov function, taking into account the unique characteristics of the soft robotic system.

Findings

The tracking performance of both the proportional-derivative (PD) position controller and the adaptive iterative learning controller are conducted on the simulated heart platform. The results of these two methods are compared and analyzed. The designed adaptive iterative learning control algorithm for position control at the end effector of the soft robotic system has demonstrated improved control precision and stability compared with traditional PD controllers. It exhibits effective compensation for periodic lag caused by system delays and material characteristics.

Originality/value

Tracking the beating heart, which undergoes quasi-periodic and complex motion with varying accelerations, poses a significant challenge even for rigid mechanical arms that can be precisely controlled and makes tracking targets located at the surface of the heart with the soft robot fraught with considerable difficulties. This paper originally proposes an adaptive interactive learning control algorithm to cope with the dynamic object tracking problem. The algorithm has theoretically proved its convergence and experimentally validated its performance at the cable-driven soft robot test bed.

Details

Robotic Intelligence and Automation, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2754-6969

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 October 2023

Jie Chu, Junhong Li, Yizhe Jiang, Weicheng Song and Tiancheng Zong

The Wiener-Hammerstein nonlinear system is made up of two dynamic linear subsystems in series with a static nonlinear subsystem, and it is widely used in electrical, mechanical…

Abstract

Purpose

The Wiener-Hammerstein nonlinear system is made up of two dynamic linear subsystems in series with a static nonlinear subsystem, and it is widely used in electrical, mechanical, aerospace and other fields. This paper considers the parameter estimation of the Wiener-Hammerstein output error moving average (OEMA) system.

Design/methodology/approach

The idea of multi-population and parameter self-adaptive identification is introduced, and a multi-population self-adaptive differential evolution (MPSADE) algorithm is proposed. In order to confirm the feasibility of the above method, the differential evolution (DE), the self-adaptive differential evolution (SADE), the MPSADE and the gradient iterative (GI) algorithms are derived to identify the Wiener-Hammerstein OEMA system, respectively.

Findings

From the simulation results, the authors find that the estimation errors under the four algorithms stabilize after 120, 30, 20 and 300 iterations, respectively, and the estimation errors of the four algorithms converge to 5.0%, 3.6%, 2.7% and 7.3%, which show that all four algorithms can identify the Wiener-Hammerstein OEMA system.

Originality/value

Compared with DE, SADE and GI algorithm, the MPSADE algorithm not only has higher parameter estimation accuracy but also has a faster convergence speed. Finally, the input–output relationship of laser welding system is described and identified by the MPSADE algorithm. The simulation results show that the MPSADE algorithm can effectively identify parameters of the laser welding system.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 40 no. 9/10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 April 2024

Fangqi Hong, Pengfei Wei and Michael Beer

Bayesian cubature (BC) has emerged to be one of most competitive approach for estimating the multi-dimensional integral especially when the integrand is expensive to evaluate, and…

Abstract

Purpose

Bayesian cubature (BC) has emerged to be one of most competitive approach for estimating the multi-dimensional integral especially when the integrand is expensive to evaluate, and alternative acquisition functions, such as the Posterior Variance Contribution (PVC) function, have been developed for adaptive experiment design of the integration points. However, those sequential design strategies also prevent BC from being implemented in a parallel scheme. Therefore, this paper aims at developing a parallelized adaptive BC method to further improve the computational efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach

By theoretically examining the multimodal behavior of the PVC function, it is concluded that the multiple local maxima all have important contribution to the integration accuracy as can be selected as design points, providing a practical way for parallelization of the adaptive BC. Inspired by the above finding, four multimodal optimization algorithms, including one newly developed in this work, are then introduced for finding multiple local maxima of the PVC function in one run, and further for parallel implementation of the adaptive BC.

Findings

The superiority of the parallel schemes and the performance of the four multimodal optimization algorithms are then demonstrated and compared with the k-means clustering method by using two numerical benchmarks and two engineering examples.

Originality/value

Multimodal behavior of acquisition function for BC is comprehensively investigated. All the local maxima of the acquisition function contribute to adaptive BC accuracy. Parallelization of adaptive BC is realized with four multimodal optimization methods.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 41 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 February 2024

Wenqi Mao, Kexin Ran, Ting-Kwei Wang, Anyuan Yu, Hongyue Lv and Jieh-Haur Chen

Although extensive research has been conducted on precast production, irregular component loading constraints have received little attention, resulting in limitations for…

Abstract

Purpose

Although extensive research has been conducted on precast production, irregular component loading constraints have received little attention, resulting in limitations for transportation cost optimization. Traditional irregular component loading methods are based on past performance, which frequently wastes vehicle space. Additionally, real-time road conditions, precast component assembly times, and delivery vehicle waiting times due to equipment constraints at the construction site affect transportation time and overall transportation costs. Therefore, this paper aims to provide an optimization model for Just-In-Time (JIT) delivery of precast components considering 3D loading constraints, real-time road conditions and assembly time.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to propose a JIT (just-in-time) delivery optimization model, the effects of the sizes of irregular precast components, the assembly time, and the loading methods are considered in the 3D loading constraint model. In addition, for JIT delivery, incorporating real-time road conditions in the transportation process is essential to mitigate delays in the delivery of precast components. The 3D precast component loading problem is solved by using a hybrid genetic algorithm which mixes the genetic algorithm and the simulated annealing algorithm.

Findings

A real case study was used to validate the JIT delivery optimization model. The results indicated this study contributes to the optimization of strategies for loading irregular precast components and the reduction of transportation costs by 5.38%.

Originality/value

This study establishes a JIT delivery optimization model with the aim of reducing transportation costs by considering 3D loading constraints, real-time road conditions and assembly time. The irregular precast component is simplified into 3D bounding box and loaded with three-space division heuristic packing algorithm. In addition, the hybrid algorithm mixing the genetic algorithm and the simulated annealing algorithm is to solve the 3D container loading problem, which provides both global search capability and the ability to perform local searching. The JIT delivery optimization model can provide decision-makers with a more comprehensive and economical strategy for loading and transporting irregular precast components.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Abstract

Purpose

In this paper, the authors study the nonlinear matrix equation Xp=Q±A(X-1+B)-1AT, that occurs in many applications such as in filtering, network systems, optimal control and control theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors present some theoretical results for the existence of the solution of this nonlinear matrix equation. Then the authors propose two iterative schemes without inversion to find the solution to the nonlinear matrix equation based on Newton's method and fixed-point iteration. Also the authors show that the proposed iterative schemes converge to the solution of the nonlinear matrix equation, under situations.

Findings

The efficiency indices of the proposed schemes are presented, and since the initial guesses of the proposed iterative schemes have a high cost, the authors reduce their cost by changing them. Therefore, compared to the previous scheme, the proposed schemes have superior efficiency indices.

Originality/value

Finally, the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed schemes in comparison to an existing scheme are demonstrated by various numerical examples. Moreover, as an application, by using the proposed schemes, the authors can get the optimal controller state feedback of $x(t+1) = A x(t) + C v(t)$.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 40 no. 9/10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

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