Claudio Fornaro

Involving graduating engineers in applying a commercial brain-computer interface to motorized wheelchair driving

Engineering students have a natural strong desire to see how their laboriously acquired knowledge has effective application in real life. A small group of students were involved to apply their knowledge of computer science, electronics, and electrical engineering to something unusual and with a social impact: driving a wheelchair by using brain-computer interfaces. Todays development of these interfaces are not yet so advanced to be effectively used in health devices and must be considered very carefully. This led to a pilot experiment that kept all the charm of the original goal, but would have no drawbacks if something should go wrong: moving a small cart, based on Arduino boards, interfaced with a normal laptop to a commercial and affordable brainwave sensing headset. Being the driver not onboard, a Bluetooth connection has been used to send commands to the cart. Results are twofold. The cart actually moved where requested, and this is even more noticeable after considering that the people involved had limited time training and had no reduced mobility, which means less psychological involvement, otherwise recognized as an important factor of success. The group manifested a strong interest in every part of the project, giving them awareness of their actual skills and their actual ability to autonomously acquire new skills as needed. This study is the outcome of the International Telematic University Uninettuno and Helwan University (Cairo, Egypt) in a four year long cooperation for a double degree (one recognized in Italy and all Europe and the other in Egypt). The students involved had completed all the exams and were going to graduate. This project was devised for one of their MS thesis.

A note on two-variable Chebyshev polynomials

Abstract In this paper we discuss generalized two-variable Chebyshev polynomials and their relevant relations; in particular, by using their integral representations, we prove some operational identities. The approach is based on the generalized two-variable Hermite polynomials and the integral representations of ordinary Chebyshev polynomials of first and second kind. In addition, we discuss how the families of generalized Chebyshev polynomials can be used to prove some interesting properties related to ordinary Chebyshev polynomials of first and second kind. A fundamental role, as we see, is played by the powerful operational techniques verified by the families of generalized Hermite polynomials.

The Data Processor System of EUSO Balloon: in flight performance.

The EUSO-Balloon experiment is a pathfinder mission for JEM-EUSO which has as its main objective an end-to-end test of all the key technologies and instrumentation of JEM-EUSO detectors. The instrument is a telescope of smaller dimension with respect to the one designed for the ISS, it is mounted in an unpressurized gondola of a stratospheric balloon. It was launched during the CNES flight campaign in August 2014 from the Timmins (Ontario) base. The flight lasted about five hours and the payload reached a float altitude of about 38 km. In this paper we will present the Data Processor (DP) of EUSO-Balloon. The DP is the component of the electronics system which performs the data handling and, through the interface with the telemetry system, allows the controlling and the monitoring of the instrument from ground. We will describe the main components of the system and their performance during the flight.

The Data Processor System of EUSO-SPB

We will present the Data Processor (DP) and the flight software of EUSO-SPB. The EUSO-SPB experiment is a pathfinder mission of the EUSO program having as main objective to detect Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) by measuring, for the first time from the space, the fluorescence and the Cerenkov light produced by the interaction of the particle with the nuclei of the Earths atmosphere. The instrument is a telescope of smaller dimension in respect to the one designed for the ISS, mounted on an unpressurised gondola of a super pressure pumpkin balloon. EUSO-SPB was launched from the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility of Wanaka Airport (New Zealand) on the 24th of April 2017, 22:50 and lasted for 12 days 4.5 hours aloft.

The onboard software of the EUSO-SPB pathfinder experiment

In this paper, the flight software architecture of the EUSO‐SPB mission is described. The JEM‐EUSO program aims at developing an advanced large space‐borne UV telescope designed to detect ultra high energy cosmic rays. In this framework, the EUSO‐SPB experiment is the third pathfinder mission of the JEM‐EUSO program, the second that has been launched on a stratospheric balloon to test the technological readiness of the detectors and to carry out some preliminary scientific observations. The EUSO‐SPB software has a modular structure conceived to control all the instruments and the ancillary subsystems, to acquire data, and to manage data transfer to ground. System programming in C and C++ languages and Bash scripts have been used to implement and run the modules. The software runs on the data processor, an onboard computer that communicates with several payload blocks, the UV sensor, and the synchronization and time tagging board. The control software module controls all the subsystems, provides communication to ground through the NASA telemetry or the Internet, runs the acquisition control and download software, and manages the execution of the acquisition software. The acquisition software module directly operates the subsystems for the data acquisition activity. The acquisition control and download software module runs the acquisition software upon request of the control software and transfers scientific data to ground. The software system performed as expected during the flight on April 2017.

Smart open online tool for adaptive education on Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing is a breakthrough paradigm and even more a key aspect for the digital transformation of companies, the Public Administration and Society. The IN-CLOUD project, funded by the European Union, aims to train and qualify professionals able to introduce and manage cloud-based services and technologies in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Public Administrations. Among all the outcomes of the project, a smart open online tool has been designed for adaptive education. The tool is able to assess the needs of each different user and to propose a customized learning path, optimally fitting his/her didactic needs and expectations.