Tomás de Jesús Mateo Sanguino

Improving Skills and Perception in Robot Navigation by an Augmented Virtuality Assistance System

Successful navigation in a teleoperation scenario requires a good level of situational or environmental awareness. This paper presents the main features and capabilities of a new augmented virtuality-based system aimed at providing users with improved perception of the robot’s remote environment. With this purpose, a mixed-perspective exocentric display (ME3D), and a video centric display (VC2D) are compared. Both interfaces were implemented on a mobile robot and experiments were performed in a real working scenario. To assess this contribution, this works analyzes the teleoperation capability, performance, and human workload of users by means of NASA-TLX (Task Load Index). The results show that participants experienced a reduction in the driving workload and showed high degrees of acceptance for the proposed ME3D interface.

Toward Simple Strategy for Optimal Tracking and Localization of Robots With Adaptive Particle Filtering

The ability of robotic systems to autonomously understand and/or navigate in uncertain environments is critically dependent on fairly accurate strategies, which are not always optimally achieved due to effectiveness, computational cost, and parameter settings. In this paper, we propose a novel and simple adaptive strategy to increase the efficiency and drastically reduce the computational effort in particle filters (PFs). The purpose of the adaptive approach (dispersion-based adaptive particle filter—DAPF) is to provide higher number of particles during the initial searching state (when the localization presents greater uncertainty) and fewer particles during the subsequent state (when the localization exhibits less uncertainty). With the aim of studying the dynamical PF behavior regarding others and putting the proposed algorithm into practice, we designed a methodology based on different target applications and a Kinect sensor. The various experiments conducted for both color tracking and mobile robot localization problems served to demonstrate that the DAPF algorithm can be further generalized. As a result, the DAPF approach significantly improved the computational performance over two well-known filtering strategies: 1) the classical PF with fixed particle set sizes, and 2) the adaptive technique named Kullback–Leiber distance.

Design, Modelling, and Implementation of a Fuzzy Controller for an Intelligent Road Signaling System

Crossing points are not always 100% visible for drivers due to different factors (e.g., poor road maintenance, occlusion of vertical signs, and adverse weather conditions). USA estimated in 2015 the number of traffic accidents involving pedestrians and vehicles in 70,000 of whom 5,376 resulted in deceased people. To contribute in this field, this paper presents the design, implementation, and testing of a smart prototype system applied to pedestrian crossings—not regulated by semaphores—which try to reduce the accident rate on roads. The hardware and software system consists of a set of autonomous, intelligent, and wireless low-cost devices that generate a visual warning barrier perceived by drivers from a suitable distance when pedestrians traverse a crosswalk. In this way, drivers can reduce the speed of their vehicles and stop safely. The system’s intelligence is carried out by a fuzzy controller that performs sensory fusion at both low level and high level with various types of sensors from local and neighboring devices. The tests conducted have determined an average success of 94.64% and a precision of 100%, thus corresponding with a very good test according to a ROC analysis. As a result, the system proposed has been patented and extended to international PCT.

Optimal Design and Deployment of Wireless LANs Based on Evolutionary Genetic Strategy

This paper presents a design and deployment tool for wireless local area networks (WLAN) based on the IEEE 802.11 standard. The problem for optimal WLAN deployment has been addressed using an evolutionary genetic strategy. The algorithm starts with an initial population of nodes defined within a map and tries to search the best location for access points (AP). The flexibility of the algorithm allows improving the distribution of APs based on the analysis of the RF signal loss by distance and obstacles as criteria. This algorithm has been fully integrated within a previous tool called WiFiSim, which allows to study various parameters and design problems in the PHY and MAC layers of the OSI model (e.g., the hidden node problem, throughput, channel utilization, frame collisions, delays, and jitter). This enables engineers to have a complete tool for the study, design and deployment of customized Wi-Fi networks.

Exploring strengths and weaknesses: A case study after developing a remote network lab

The constrains of traditional hands‐on sessions have expedited R&D in remote laboratories over the past decade, offering higher education an effective way to overcome the high cost of equipment, the limited flexibility of time, or the physical distance to labs, among other shortcomings. Considering these issues, the authors of this work have developed the remote access and management of a classical laboratory—called Ciscolab—dedicated to computer networking practices in Computer Science. The improvements developed have been focused on automatically managing the web‐learning resources for educational purposes, while providing a high level of security to be accessed by trusted students. To this end, this paper describes how an institutions Identity Provider (IdP) was integrated into a Meeting Room Booking System (MRBS) to attain a secure access to the remote equipment and how a maintenance system was automated to perform scheduled backups and reboots of the networking systems. As a main contribution, we developed an analysis methodology to track the students’ work to detect their strengths and weaknesses. In addition, we provide a statistical study after the interaction of a group of students on how the remote lab influenced three different educational areas: learning and motivation (LM), usability and practicality (UP), as well as outcome and feasibility (OF).

Making image and vision effortless: Learning methodology through the quick and easy design of short case studies

Learning on machine vision and image processing generally require high‐level knowledge on techniques, algorithms and programming skills. The educational process is frequently supported by formal lecture approaches assisted by object lessons or lab activities, and project‐based learning methodologies where students engage complex questions, challenges, and problems over a longer period of time. These educational approaches are not effective when applying to learners in robotics study programs or without a programming background where time and motivation are different. To address this concern, this paper presents an educational tool developed to teach the basic principles of machine vision and image processing through the design of short case studies. As the main contribution, the proposed tool allows to shorten the training time required by students—mainly beginners—without the skills in programming and deep understanding of math hidden behind each image operation. This lets to fit theoretical and practical works into short development times. To this end, we conducted an educational experience in robotics subjects with third year students of the computer science and industrial engineering degrees. As a result of this scenario, we statistically compared the teaching and learning issues, the user preferences about the tool and the student academic performance.

Optimal Modeling of Wireless LANs: A Decision-Making Multiobjective Approach

Communication infrastructure planning is a critical design task that typically requires handling complex concepts on networking aimed at optimizing performance and resources, thus demanding high analytical and problem-solving skills to engineers. To reduce this gap, this paper describes an optimization algorithm—based on evolutionary strategy—created as an aid for decision-making prior to the real deployment of wireless LANs. The developed algorithm allows automating the design process, traditionally handmade by network technicians, in order to save time and cost by improving the WLAN arrangement. To this end, we implemented a multiobjective genetic algorithm (MOGA) with the purpose of meeting two simultaneous design objectives, namely, to minimize the number of APs while maximizing the coverage signal over a whole planning area. Such approach provides efficient and scalable solutions closer to the best network design, so that we integrated the developed algorithm into an engineering tool with the goal of modelling the behavior of WLANs in ICT infrastructures. Called WiFiSim, it allows the investigation of various complex issues concerning the design of IEEE 802.11-based WLANs, thereby facilitating design of the study and design and optimal deployment of wireless LANs through complete modelling software. As a result, we comparatively evaluated three target applications considering small, medium, and large scenarios with a previous approach developed, a monoobjective genetic algorithm.

A Debate and Decision-Making Tool for Enhanced Learning

Debates have been used to develop critical thinking within teaching environments. Many learning activities are configured as working groups, which use debates to make decisions. Nevertheless, in a classroom debate, only a few students can participate; large work groups are similarly limited. Whilst the use of web tools would appear to offer a convenient solution, none of those currently available provides an automated system for organizing contributions into a logical structure, or for making decisions. To address this problem, this paper describes a new tool for managing and structuring debates over the Internet, and presents the results of a series of trials in an educational context. The tool enables users to post opinions and proposals, and to make multiple group decisions. The main advantages are that it does not require a moderator, and all contributions are automatically arranged into an intuitive structure. Thus, it enabled large groups to carry out bigger projects. Empirical results showed that it also encouraged the involvement of all the students in debates and allowed the participation of each student to be evaluated. The tool demonstrated its advantages over traditional oral debates and, as far as we are aware, it incorporates features not found in any other comparable web tool.