Guillem Alenyà

Lock-in Time-of-Flight (ToF) Cameras: A Survey

This paper reviews the state-of-the art in the field of lock-in time-of-flight (ToF) cameras, their advantages, their limitations, the existing calibration methods, and the way they are being used, sometimes in combination with other sensors. Even though lock-in ToF cameras provide neither higher resolution nor larger ambiguity-free range compared to other range map estimation systems, advantages such as registered depth and intensity data at a high frame rate, compact design, low weight, and reduced power consumption have motivated their increasing usage in several research areas, such as computer graphics, machine vision, and robotics.

Robotized Plant Probing: Leaf Segmentation Utilizing Time-of-Flight Data

Supervision of long-lasting extensive botanic experiments is a promising robotic application that some recent technological advances have made feasible. Plant modeling for this application has strong demands, particularly in what concerns three-dimensional (3-D) information gathering and speed.

FINDDD: A fast 3D descriptor to characterize textiles for robot manipulation

Most current depth sensors provide 2.5D range images in which depth values are assigned to a rectangular 2D array. In this paper we take advantage of this structured information to build an efficient shape descriptor which is about two orders of magnitude faster than competing approaches, while showing similar performance in several tasks involving deformable object recognition. Given a 2D patch surrounding a point and its associated depth values, we build the descriptor for that point, based on the cumulative distances between their normals and a discrete set of normal directions. This processing is made very efficient using integral images, even allowing to compute descriptors for every range image pixel in a few seconds. The discriminative power of our descriptor, dubbed FINDDD, is evaluated in three different scenarios: recognition of specific cloth wrinkles, instance recognition from geometry alone, and detection of reliable and informed grasping points.

Learning probabilistic action models from interpretation transitions

La enfermedad de Lafora es un tipo de epilepsia mioclonica progresiva de herencia autosomica recesiva causada por la mutacion de uno de los siguientes genes: EPM2A, que codifica para la fosfatasa de especificidad dual laforina, y EPM2B, que codifica para la E3 ubicuitina ligasa malina. Ambas proteinas participan en las mismas rutas fisiologicas a traves de la formacion de un complejo funcional en el que laforina recluta de manera especifica sustratos para que sean ubicuitinados por malina. Sin embargo, muchos aspectos relativos al funcionamiento de este complejo estan aun por definir. En el presente trabajo, hemos analizado el mecanismo de dimerizacion de laforina, descubriendo que la cisteina 329 juega un papel fundamental en el proceso de dimerizacion, ya que su mutacion da lugar a una forma exclusivamente monomerica que mantiene la capacidad catalitica y la capacidad de formar un complejo funcional con malina. Por otro lado, hemos definido que el complejo laforina-malina emplea a la enzima conjugadora de ubicuitina UBE2N para promover la ubicuitinacion de sus sustratos con cadenas unidas en K63. El adaptador de la autofagia selectiva p62 tambien interacciona con el complejo laforina-malina, estimulando su capacidad de ubicuitinacion y siendo ubicuitinado el mismo en el proceso. Todos ellos colocalizan en regiones donde esta teniendo lugar la autofagia. Ademas, el complejo laforina-malina participa en la regulacion de este proceso uniendo al nucleo central beclina1-Vps34-Vps15, promoviendo su ubicuitinacion, asi como la de reguladores posteriores como Atg14L y UVRAG. El complejo laforina-malina esta regulado por componentes de la maquinaria de autofagia, como Bcl-2, que inhibe su capacidad de ubicuitinacion, o TRAF6, que promueve la ubicuitinacion de laforina. Sin embargo, el complejo laforina-malina no se recluta a la mitocondria para su degradacion por autofagia ni en condiciones normales ni tras producirse dano mitocondrial. Del mismo modo, la migracion de parkina a la mitocondria para inducir su degradacion no esta afectada ni en ausencia ni en sobreexpresion de laforina y malina. En conjunto, hemos definido algunos aspectos relevantes respecto al mecanismo por el que actuan laforina y malina, y por tanto mejorado nuestra comprension sobre como pueda estar causada la patologia.290 Pags.- Figs.- Tabls. Tesis Univ. Zaragoza, Departamento de Geografia y Ordenacion del Territorio. Dirigida por los Drs. Santiago Begueria (EEAD-CSIC) y Sergio M. Vicente-Serrano (IPE-CSIC). Bajo Creative Commons License Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).We define a clause tableau calculus for MaxSAT, prove its soundness and completeness, and describe a tableau-based algorithm for MaxSAT. Given a multiset of clauses ϕ, the algorithm computes both the minimum number of clauses that can be falsified in ϕ, and an optimal assignment. We also describe how the algorithm can be extended to solve weighted MaxSAT and weighted partial MaxSAT.Grupo 5: Valor social.-- Programa de investigacion para la conservacion preventiva y regimen de acceso de la cueva de Altamira (2012-2014).Automated planning has proven to be useful to solve problems where an agent has to maximize a reward function by executing actions. As planners have been improved to salve more expressive and difficult problems, there is an increasing interest in using planning to improve efficiency in robotic tasks. However, planners rely on a domain model, which has to be either handcrafted or learned. Although learning domain models can be very costly, recent approaches provide generalization capabilities and integrate human feedback to reduce the amount of experiences required to learn. In this thesis we propase new methods that allow an agent with no previous knowledge to solve certain problems more efficiently by using task planning. First, we show how to apply probabilistic planning to improve robot performance in manipulation tasks (such as cleaning the dirt or clearing the tableware on a table). Planners obtain sequences of actions that get the best result in the long term, beating reactive strategies. Second, we introduce new reinforcement learning algorithms where the agent can actively request demonstrations from a teacher to learn new actions and speed up the learning process. In particular, we propase an algorithm that allows the user to set the minimum quality to be achieved, where a better quality also implies that a larger number of demonstrations will be requested . Moreover, the learned model is analyzed to extract the unlearned or problematic parts of the model. This information allow the agent to provide guidance to the teacher when a demonstration is requested, and to avoid irrecoverable errors. Finally, a new domain model learner is introduced that, in addition to relational probabilistic action models, can also learn exogenous effects. This learner can be integrated with existing planners and reinforcement learning algorithms to salve a wide range of problems. In summary, we improve the use of learning and task planning to salve unknown tasks. The improvements allow an agent to obtain a larger benefit from planners, learn faster, balance the number of action executions and teacher demonstrations, avoid irrecoverable errors, interact with a teacher to solve difficult problems, and adapt to the behavior of other agents by learning their dynamics. All the proposed methods were compared with state-of-the-art approaches, and were also demonstrated in different scenarios, including challenging robotic tasks.L’estudi del sistema d’alimentacio d’hidrogen es un dels camps de recerca necessaris per a allargar la vida util de les piles de combustible PEM. Estudis anteriors han demostrat que la vida util i l’eficiencia d’aquestes piles milloren amb l’us d’un sistema de recirculacio d’hidrogen. En aquest treball s’ha dissenyat i fabricat un ejector per a ser implementat a l’estacio de proves 4 del laboratori de control de piles de combustible de l’IRI amb la finalitat d’analitzar l’efecte que els sistemes de recirculacio d’hidrogen basats en ejectors tenen sobre aquestes piles. En el disseny de la geometria d’un ejector s’han de considerar diferents parametres que nomes es poden estudiar mitjancant CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics). Per tant, s’ha desenvolupat un model 2D axisimetric utilitzant el model de turbulencia k-e estandard per a resoldre les equacions de Navier-Stokes amb una mitjana de Favre. El model s’ha utilitzat per a dissenyar i fabricar un ejector experimental amb la finalitat de validar-lo. Els resultats obtinguts mostren que el model es capac d’obtenir els fluxos massics que apareixen en un ejector per a diferents condicions operatives. Un cop validat el model, s’ha fet servir per a fer un estudi parametric per a trobar els parametres geometrics optims que ha de tenir l’ejector dissenyat per a l’estacio de proves 4.Trabajo presentado en el 10th International Symposium on the Cretaceous, celebrado en Viena (Austria) del 21 al 26 de agosto de 2017Este trabajo ha sido parcialmente financiado por el proyecto CGL2009-11316 y por una beca de Formacion de Profesorado Universitario del Ministerio de educacion AP2007-03633.Trabajo presentado en el XXIV Congreso Iberoamericano de Catalisis, celebrado en Medellin (Colombia) del 14 al 19 de septiembre de 2014.Trabajo presentado en el 33rd International Meeting of Sedimentology y 16eme Congres Francais de Sedimentologie (2017), celebrado en Toulouse (Francia), del 10 al 12 de octubre de 2017Trabajo presentado en la XXV Reunion Bienal de Quimica Organica celebrada en Alicante del 4 al 6 de junio de 2014.Resumen del trabajo presentado a las II Jornadas Cientificas CIAL-Forum, celebradas durante los dias 16 y 17 de noviembre de 2016 en el Instituto de Investigacion en Ciencias de la Alimentacion (CIAL).Esta reflexion analiza el paralelismo entre el origen del discurso patrimonial autorizado y la precarizacion del trabajo femenino. Ambos surgen con el capitalismo y son dos de sus pilares. Plantea que el cambio simbolico que implica la igualdad legal entre hombres y mujeres supone un cambio profundo en las estructuras sociales y que este cambio ofrece serias resistencias, que se generan no solo por la necesidad de las instancias de poder de seguir ocupandolo sino porque implican cambios en la identidad de los grupos y de los individuos, con la angustia que ello genera. La idea de patrimonio cultural esta directamente implicada en estos cambios puesto que la incorporacion de las mujeres a el implica una variacion sustancial en el propio concepto. Sugiere que para avanzar en este cambio es necesario comprender que el “que” y el “como” se hacen las cosas estan necesariamente imbricados.Presentacion para el 50th European Marine Biology Symposium, 21-25 September 2015, Helgoland, Germany.-- 15 pagesResumen del trabajo presentado al XVIII Scientific Meeting of the Spanish Society of Chromatography and Related Techniques (SECyTA), celebrado en Granada del 2 al 4 de octubre de 2018.Resumen del trabajo presentado al 42st Annual Association for Research in Otolaryngology (ARO) MidWinter Meeting, celebrado en Baltimore, Maryland (USA) del 9 al 13 de febrero de 2019.Partial financial support has been received from the Agencia Estatal de Investigacion (AEI, MCI, Spain) and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER, UE), under Project PACSS (RTI2018-093732-B-C21/C22) and the Maria de Maeztu Program for units of Excellence in R&D (MDM-2017-0711). A.F.P. acknowledges support by the Formacion de Profesorado Universitario (FPU14/00554) program of Ministerio de Educacion, Cultura y Deportes (MECD) (Spain).Memoria presentada para optar al titulo de Doctor otorgado por la Universidad de Cantabria por Biuse Casaponsa Gali y que ha sido realizada en el Instituto de Fisica de Cantabria.Trabajo presentado al: 4th International Meeting on Apicomplexa in Farm Animals. (Madrid, Spain. 11-14 October 2017).3 paginas, 1 tabla , 1 figura.--Trabajo presentado a las XVII Jornadas sobre Produccion Animal AIDA (Zaragoza, 30 y 31 de mayo, 2017).301 paginas.-- 392 referencias.-- Memoria para optar al titulo de Doctora en Farmacia por la Universidad de SevillaTrabajo presentado en el ANQUE.ICCE.BIOTEC - Congress on Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, celebrado en Madrid del 01 al 04 de julio de 2014.Towards an integrated evaluation of the Spanish journals on Social and Human Sciences. The journals of Psychology. The present work is part of an ampler project about Spanish journals evaluation of Social y Human Sciences. First, the results of the evaluation of the Spanish journals of Psychology are presented. These results are obtained from a survey sent to university professors in order to evaluate the journals to establish hierarchized relations in each area of knowledge. Second, a study of the references cited from a selection of journals is realized. Finally, an integrated table of valuation of the journals is presented. In order to facilitate the task a data base is elaborated. Among the obtained conclusions it is particularly interested the fact that while the professors declare to publish mainly in Spanish journals, they preferredly cite foreign journals. On the other hand, it is indicated that the different methods to evaluate a journal are complementary and it is important to know the used method in each case.Trabajo presentado al: 4th International Meeting on Apicomplexa in Farm Animals. (11-14 October 2017 - Madrid, Spain).Trabajo presentado en la ed. anual 2017 del congreso nacional BIOTEC organizado por la Sociedad Espanola de Biotecnologia en el Campus La Merced de la Universidad de Murcia durante los dias 18 a 21 de junio de 2017.Memoria presentada para optar al grado de Doctor en Ciencias, Seccion Quimicas, por el Licenciado Elena Forcen Vazquez en la Facultad de Ciencias de la Universidad de ZaragozaResumen del trabajo presentado a la IV Reunion de Jovenes Investigadores en Coloides e Interfases, celebrada en Cordoba del 7 al 9 de febrero de 2018.Poster presentado en el II Simposio del Grupo de Trabajo “Interacciones Planta‐Suelo” Universidad de Jaen, Palacio de Najera (Antequera) 22‐25 marzo (2018)Trabajo presentado en el XIII Congreso Nacional de Acuicultura, celebrado en Barcelona del 21 al 24 de noviembre de 2011.Trabajo presentado al 15th JCF Fruhjahrssymposium (Congreso de Jovenes Investigadores de la Sociedad Alemana de Quimica) celebrado en Berlin (Alemania) del 6 al 9 de marzo de 2013.Trabajo presentado en la V Reunion de Internacional de FUEGORED (Red Tematica efectos de los incendios forestales sobre los suelos), celebrada en Barcelona – Solsona (Espana), del 8 al 10 de mayo de 2014Poster presentado a la 20th International Conference on Solid Compounds of Transition Elements, celebrada del 11 al 15 de abril de 2016 en Zaragoza (Espana).10 pages, 3 figures, 4 tables, 61 references. We thank the Consejeri´a de Medio Ambiente, Junta de Andaluci´a, for permitting the field work in Sierra Nevada and Sierra de Baza. Sergio de Haro provided invaluable help in the field. Corinna Riginos made constructive comments on the manuscript. David Nesbitt improved the English version.Trabajo presentado a la Annual World Conference on Carbon, celebrada en Dresden (Alemania) del 12 al 17 de julio de 2015.

Evaluating the use of robots to enlarge AAL services1

We introduce robots as a tools to enhance Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) services. Robots are a unique opportunity to create new systems to cooperate in reaching better living conditions. Robots offer the possibility of richer interaction with humans, and can perform actions to actively change the environment. The current state-of-art includes skills in various areas, including advanced interaction (natural language, visual attention, object recognition, intention learning), navigation (map learning, obstacle avoidance), manipulation (grasping, use of tools), and cognitive architectures to handle highly unpredictable environments. From our experience in several robotics projects and principally in the RoboCup@Home competition, a new set of evaluation methods is proposed to assess the maturity of the required skills. Such comparison should ideally enable the abstraction from the particular robotic platform and concentrate on the easy comparison of skills. The validity of that low-level skills can be then scaled to more complex tasks, that are composed by several skills. Our conclusion is that effective evaluation methods can be designed with the objective of enabling robots to enlarge AAL services.

Guest Editorial Sensorimotor Contingencies for Cognitive Robotics

The sensorimotor approach to cognition states, that the key to bring semantics to the world of a robot, requires making the robot learn the relation between the actions that the robot performs and the change it experiences in its sensed data because of those actions. Those relations are called sensorimotor contingencies (SMCs). This special issue presents a variety of recent developments in SMCs with a particular focus on cognitive robotics applications.

Execution Fault Recovery in Robot Programming by Demonstration Using Multiple Models

Deformable object (e.g., clothes) manipulation by a robot in interaction with a human being presents several interesting challenges. Due to texture and deformability, the object can get hooked in the human limbs. Moreover, the human can change their limbs position and curvature, which require changes in the paths to be followed by the robot. To help solve these problems, in this paper we propose a technique of learning by demonstration able to adapt to changes in position and curvature of the object (human limb) and recover from execution faults (hooks). The technique is tested using simulations, but with data obtained from a real robot.

PLANNING STACKING OPERATIONS WITH AN UNKNOWN NUMBER OF OBJECTS

A planning framework is proposed for the task of cleaning a table and stack an unknown number of objects of different size on a tray. We propose to divide this problem in two, and combine two different planning algorithms. One, plan hand motions in the euclidean space to be able to move the hand in a noisy scenario using a novel Time-of-Flight camera (ToF) to perform the perception of the environment. The other one, chooses the strategy to effectively clean the table, considering the symbolic position of the objects, and also its size for stacking considerations. Our formulation does not use information about the number of objects available, and thus is general in this sense. Also, it can deal with different object sizes, planning adequately to stack them. The special definition of the possible actions allows a simple and elegant way of characterizing the problem, and is one of the key ingredients of the proposed solution. Some experiments are provided in simulated and real scenarios that validate our approach.