Matthaios Bimpas

A Situation-Adaptive Lane-Keeping Support System: Overview of the SAFELANE Approach

Going beyond standard lane-departure-avoidance systems, this paper addresses the development of a system that is able to deal with a large set of different traffic situations. Its foundation lies on a thoroughly constituted environment detection through which a decision system is built. From the output of the decision module, the driver is warned or corrected through suited actuators that are coupled to control strategies. The input to the system comes from cameras, which are supplemented by active sensors (such as radar and laser scanners) and vehicle dynamic data, digital road maps, and precise vehicle-positioning data. In this paper, the presented system design is divided into three layers: the perception layer, which is responsible for the environment perception, and the decision and action layers, which are responsible for evaluating and executing actions, respectively.

A Holistic Approach to the Integration of Safety Applications: The INSAFES Subproject Within the European Framework Programme 6 Integrating Project PReVENT

This paper deals with the integration of multiple advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and in-vehicle information systems (IVIS) in a holistic driver-support system. The paper presents the results of a project named Integrated Safety Systems (INSAFES), which was part of PReVENT: an integrating project carried out under the European Framework Programme 6. Integration in INSAFES is tackled at three different levels in the framework of a “cognitive car” perspective: 1) at the perception level, to represent the world around the vehicle, including object-tracking between sensor fields and the detection of driver intentions; 2) at the decision level, to reproduce humanlike holistic motion plans, which serve as “reference maneuvers” to evaluate the motion alternatives that a driver faces; and 3) at the level of interaction with the driver and vehicle control ( action level), to arbitrate between the requests of functions competing for driver attention. A function that provides simultaneous longitudinal and lateral support has been developed. It gives support for safe speed, safe distance, lane change, and all-around collision avoidance all at the same time. At its core, there is a tool (evasive/reference maneuver) that constantly evaluates two possible alternatives (in lane and evasive/lane change) and compares them with the driver input to detect which one applies, which dictates warnings and driver interactions, and whether there is a better alternative. In addition, a “warning manager” has been developed, acting like a referee who lets the ADAS applications work standalone and then combines the requests of each application, prioritizes them, and manages the interaction with the user. The warning manager can be particularly useful in the case of integration of pre-existing standalone functions, which can be quickly reused. If a holistic ADAS is developed, the warning manager can still be used to combine it with IVIS functions. In fact, depending on the kind of ADAS and IVIS considered, the most suitable approach can be either to combine functions in a unified multifunctional driver-support application or to arbitrate between them through the warning manager.

Development and testing of a detector system for trapped humans in building ruins

The necessity of developing a high performance human life detector system, to support rescue operations after an earthquake disaster, is addressed by using CW Doppler radar. Various configurations are examined, regarding the transmitted frequency, antenna type and signal processing techniques. The major problem that hinders the performance of such a system is the high attenuation of electromagnetic waves through ruin materials, especially concrete.

DEVELOPMENT OF A THREE BAND RADAR SYSTEM FOR DETECING TRAPPED ALIVE HUMANS UNDER BUILDING RUINS

This paper shows the ability to use a continuous wave (CW) radar as an instrument to search for trapped alive persons in demolished buildings and ruins. The utilized operation principle is the detection of the Doppler frequency shift of the E/M wave when it is reflected by a slightly moving part of a living human body. The presented system has gone through several prototype development phases. Many parameters and alternative implementations have been tested in both real and simulated sites. A system analysis is carried out and presented followed by a presentation of the signal processing techniques. The inherent difficulties for the realization and practical exploitation of such a system are discussed. Results from tests of the system are also presented.

Stacked Autoencoders for Outlier Detection in Over-the-Horizon Radar Signals

Detection of outliers in radar signals is a considerable challenge in maritime surveillance applications. High-Frequency Surface-Wave (HFSW) radars have attracted significant interest as potential tools for long-range target identification and outlier detection at over-the-horizon (OTH) distances. However, a number of disadvantages, such as their low spatial resolution and presence of clutter, have a negative impact on their accuracy. In this paper, we explore the applicability of deep learning techniques for detecting deviations from the norm in behavioral patterns of vessels (outliers) as they are tracked from an OTH radar. The proposed methodology exploits the nonlinear mapping capabilities of deep stacked autoencoders in combination with density-based clustering. A comparative experimental evaluation of the approach shows promising results in terms of the proposed methodologys performance.

MEMS-based sensors for post-earthquake damage assessment

The evaluation of seismic damage is today almost exclusively based on visual inspection, as building owners are generally reluctant to install permanent sensing systems, due to their high installation, management and maintenance costs. To overcome this limitation, the EU-funded MEMSCON project aims to produce small size sensing nodes for measurement of strain and acceleration, integrating Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) based sensors and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags in a single package that will be attached to reinforced concrete buildings and will transmit data using a wireless interface. During the first phase of the project completed so far, sensor prototypes were produced by assembling preexisting components. This paper outlines the device operating principles, production scheme and operation at both unit and network levels. It also reports on validation campaigns conducted in the laboratory to assess system performance. Accelerometer sensors were tested on a reduced scale metal frame mounted on a shaking table, while strain sensors were embedded in both reduced and full-scale reinforced concrete specimens undergoing increasing deformation cycles up to extensive damage and collapse. The performance of the sensors developed for the project and their applicability to long-term seismic monitoring are discussed.

Integrated High Resolution Imaging Radar and Decision Support System for the Rehabilitation of WATER PIPElines

Many EU cities are experiencing increasing problems with their water pipeline infrastructure. The cost of replacing these old, worn-out systems, if left to deteriorate beyond repair, is astronomical and clearly beyond the resources of many communities. Replacement, however, is not the only choice as many of these systems can be rehabilitated at 30 to 70 percent of the cost of replacement. Accordingly, resources are now increasingly being allocated to address pipeline rehabilitation management issues.nnDue to the emphasis on sustainable management, risk-based approaches for the rehabilitation management of the water supply network need to be developed. Rehabilitation decisions should be based, interalia, on inspection and evaluation of the pipeline conditions. Yet, utilities cannot locate a number of their old pipes and current inspection technologies typically do not provide the needed detailed information on pipeline damage.nnThe objectives of this book are to describe the research work carried out in the framework of WATERPIPE project aiming: nnThis title belongs to European Water Research Series .nnISBN: 9781843393719 (Print)nnISBN: 9781780401560 (eBook)

Requirements collection for the design and development of a pervasive water quality monitoring photonic device

In this paper we present the process of eliciting requirements for the a highly sensitive pervasive water monitoring photonic device, ranging from the review of the state of the art, to the design and conduction of surveys among key stakeholders (both internal to the project and external ones) who take interest in water quality monitoring, eventually leading to the elicitation of requirements that will drive the photonic device design and development. The photonic device will be developed in the context of the EU WaterSpy project.

Online Indexing Structure for Big Image Data used for 3D Reconstruction

One of the main characteristics of Internet era is the free and online availability of extremely large collections of images. Although the proliferation of millions of shared photos provide a unique opportunity for cultural heritage e-documentation, the main difficulty is that Internet image datasets are unstructured. For this reason, this paper aims to describe a new image indexing scheme with application in 3D reconstruction. The presented approach is capable, on the one hand to index images in a fast and accurate way and on the other to select form an image dataset the most appropriate images for 3D reconstruction, improving this way reconstruction computational time, while simultaneously keeping the same reconstruction performance.

Full-scale laboratory validation of a wireless MEMS-based technology for damage assessment of concrete structures

This paper illustrates an experimental campaign conducted under laboratory conditions on a full-scale reinforced concrete three-dimensional frame instrumented with wireless sensors developed within the Memscon project. In particular it describes the assumptions which the experimental campaign was based on, the design of the structure, the laboratory setup and the results of the tests. The aim of the campaign was to validate the performance of Memscon sensing systems, consisting of wireless accelerometers and strain sensors, on a real concrete structure during construction and under an actual earthquake. Another aspect of interest was to assess the effectiveness of the full damage recognition procedure based on the data recorded by the sensors and the reliability of the Decision Support System (DSS) developed in order to provide the stakeholders recommendations for building rehabilitation and the costs of this. With these ends, a Eurocode 8 spectrum-compatible accelerogram with increasing amplitude was applied at the top of an instrumented concrete frame built in the laboratory. MEMSCON sensors were directly compared with wired instruments, based on devices available on the market and taken as references, during both construction and seismic simulation.