Sample records for odometers

  1. 75 FR 20965 - Petition for Approval of Alternate Odometer Disclosure Requirements

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-22

    ...The State of Wisconsin has petitioned for approval of alternate odometer requirements to certain requirements under Federal odometer law. NHTSA has initially determined that Wisconsin's alternate requirements satisfy Federal odometer law, with limited exceptions. Accordingly, NHTSA has preliminarily decided to grant Wisconsin's petition on condition that before NHTSA makes a final determination, Wisconsin amends its program to meet all the requirements of Federal odometer law or demonstrates that it meets the requirements of Federal law. This document is not a final agency action.

  2. Odometer Versus Self-Reported Estimates of Vehicle Miles Traveled

    EIA Publications

    2000-01-01

    The findings described here compare odometer readings with self-reported estimates of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) to investigate to what extent self-reported VMT is a reliable surrogate for odometer-based VMT.

  3. Odometer Fraud: Traffic Safety Tips

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1996-01-01

    This fact sheet, NHTSA Facts: Summer 1996, focuses on odometer fraud, which is a major problem for consumers. Some late model used cars have odometers that have been turned back. Any vehicle that has been driven a high number of miles but is only a f...

  4. 75 FR 20925 - Petition for Approval of Alternate Odometer Disclosure Requirements

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-22

    ... the online instructions for accessing the dockets. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew DiMarsico... provisions to limit odometer fraud and assure that the purchaser of a motor vehicle knows the true mileage of... statements did not necessarily deter odometer fraud employing altered documents, discarded titles, and title...

  5. 49 CFR 580.13 - Disclosure of odometer information by power of attorney.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Disclosure of odometer information by power of... DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS § 580.13 Disclosure of odometer information by power of attorney. (a) If the..., and if otherwise permitted by State law, the transferor may give a power of attorney to his transferee...

  6. 76 FR 65485 - Petition for Approval of Alternate Odometer Disclosure Requirements

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-10-21

    ... is subject to review during on-site audits by NYSDMV. When a New York dealer sells a vehicle to a... review the vehicle's data and odometer disclosure on New York's system and compare it to the paper... determination. SUMMARY: The State of New York has petitioned for approval of alternate odometer requirements to...

  7. Sensitive resettable odometer aids roadside census of red-winged blackbirds

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Harke, D.T.; Stickley, A.R.

    1968-01-01

    A sensitive resettable odometer reading to 0.01 mile facilitated censusing breeding male redwinged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) from a vehicle. Territorial males along roadsides were 'marked' with recorded mileage readings rather than with landmarks of the types employed by Hewitt for censuses based on the Lincoln index principle. Sensitive odometers that can be reset have many potential uses in wildlife investigations.

  8. Going with the flow: a brief history of the study of the honeybee's navigational 'odometer'.

    PubMed

    Srinivasan, Mandyam V

    2014-06-01

    Honeybees navigate to a food source using a sky-based compass to determine their travel direction, and an odometer to register how far they have travelled. The past 20 years have seen a renewed interest in understanding the nature of the odometer. Early work, pioneered by von Frisch and colleagues, hypothesized that travel distance is measured in terms of the energy that is consumed during the journey. More recent studies suggest that visual cues play a role as well. Specifically, bees appear to gauge travel distance by sensing the extent to which the image of the environment moves in the eye during the journey from the hive to the food source. Most of the evidence indicates that travel distance is measured during the outbound journey. Accumulation of odometric errors is restricted by resetting the odometer every time a prominent landmark is passed. When making detours around large obstacles, the odometer registers the total distance of the path that is flown to the destination, and not the "bee-line" distance. Finally, recent studies are revealing that bees can perform odometry in three dimensions.

  9. Spoofing Detection Using GNSS/INS/Odometer Coupling for Vehicular Navigation

    PubMed Central

    Broumandan, Ali; Lachapelle, Gérard

    2018-01-01

    Location information is one of the most vital information required to achieve intelligent and context-aware capability for various applications such as driverless cars. However, related security and privacy threats are a major holdback. With increasing focus on using Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) for autonomous navigation and related applications, it is important to provide robust navigation solutions, yet signal spoofing for illegal or covert transportation and misleading receiver timing is increasing and now frequent. Hence, detection and mitigation of spoofing attacks has become an important topic. Several contributions on spoofing detection have been made, focusing on different layers of a GNSS receiver. This paper focuses on spoofing detection utilizing self-contained sensors, namely inertial measurement units (IMUs) and vehicle odometer outputs. A spoofing detection approach based on a consistency check between GNSS and IMU/odometer mechanization is proposed. To detect a spoofing attack, the method analyses GNSS and IMU/odometer measurements independently during a pre-selected observation window and cross checks the solutions provided by GNSS and inertial navigation solution (INS)/odometer mechanization. The performance of the proposed method is verified in real vehicular environments. Mean spoofing detection time and detection performance in terms of receiver operation characteristics (ROC) in sub-urban and dense urban environments are evaluated. PMID:29695064

  10. Spoofing Detection Using GNSS/INS/Odometer Coupling for Vehicular Navigation.

    PubMed

    Broumandan, Ali; Lachapelle, Gérard

    2018-04-24

    Location information is one of the most vital information required to achieve intelligent and context-aware capability for various applications such as driverless cars. However, related security and privacy threats are a major holdback. With increasing focus on using Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) for autonomous navigation and related applications, it is important to provide robust navigation solutions, yet signal spoofing for illegal or covert transportation and misleading receiver timing is increasing and now frequent. Hence, detection and mitigation of spoofing attacks has become an important topic. Several contributions on spoofing detection have been made, focusing on different layers of a GNSS receiver. This paper focuses on spoofing detection utilizing self-contained sensors, namely inertial measurement units (IMUs) and vehicle odometer outputs. A spoofing detection approach based on a consistency check between GNSS and IMU/odometer mechanization is proposed. To detect a spoofing attack, the method analyses GNSS and IMU/odometer measurements independently during a pre-selected observation window and cross checks the solutions provided by GNSS and inertial navigation solution (INS)/odometer mechanization. The performance of the proposed method is verified in real vehicular environments. Mean spoofing detection time and detection performance in terms of receiver operation characteristics (ROC) in sub-urban and dense urban environments are evaluated.

  11. 49 CFR 580.9 - Odometer record retention for auction companies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... the buyer; (c) The vehicle identification number; and (d) The odometer reading on the date which the auction company took possession of the motor vehicle. ... permits systematic retrieval, for five years following the date of sale of each motor vehicle, the...

  12. 49 CFR 580.9 - Odometer record retention for auction companies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... the buyer; (c) The vehicle identification number; and (d) The odometer reading on the date which the auction company took possession of the motor vehicle. ... permits systematic retrieval, for five years following the date of sale of each motor vehicle, the...

  13. 49 CFR 580.9 - Odometer record retention for auction companies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... the buyer; (c) The vehicle identification number; and (d) The odometer reading on the date which the auction company took possession of the motor vehicle. ... permits systematic retrieval, for five years following the date of sale of each motor vehicle, the...

  14. 49 CFR 580.9 - Odometer record retention for auction companies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... the buyer; (c) The vehicle identification number; and (d) The odometer reading on the date which the auction company took possession of the motor vehicle. ... permits systematic retrieval, for five years following the date of sale of each motor vehicle, the...

  15. 49 CFR 580.9 - Odometer record retention for auction companies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... the buyer; (c) The vehicle identification number; and (d) The odometer reading on the date which the auction company took possession of the motor vehicle. ... permits systematic retrieval, for five years following the date of sale of each motor vehicle, the...

  16. 77 FR 36935 - Petition for Approval of Alternate Odometer Requirements

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-20

    ...The State of Florida (``Florida'') has petitioned for approval of alternate odometer requirements. Florida's petition \\1\\ is granted as to vehicle transfers involving casual or private sales, and Florida's petition is denied as to sales involving licensed dealers and sales of leased vehicles. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

  17. 77 FR 50071 - Petition for Approval of Alternate Odometer Disclosure Requirements

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-20

    ... be better informed and provide a mechanism for tracing odometer tampering and prosecuting violators... background, according to information posted on the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) Web site... explanation for this omission, which could make tracing and prosecuting fraud more difficult.\\38\\ \\38...

  18. 76 FR 1367 - Petition for Approval of Alternate Odometer Disclosure Requirements

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-10

    ...The State of Wisconsin has petitioned for approval of alternate requirements to certain requirements under Federal odometer law. NHTSA is issuing this final determination granting Wisconsin's petition as it pertains to vehicle transfers. This determination does not include vehicles covered by a lease agreement.

  19. 49 CFR 580.7 - Disclosure of odometer information for leased motor vehicles.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... the vehicle, including its make, model, year, and body type, and its vehicle identification number; (7... motor vehicles. 580.7 Section 580.7 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation... DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS § 580.7 Disclosure of odometer information for leased motor vehicles. (a) Before...

  20. 49 CFR 580.7 - Disclosure of odometer information for leased motor vehicles.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... the vehicle, including its make, model, year, and body type, and its vehicle identification number; (7... motor vehicles. 580.7 Section 580.7 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation... DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS § 580.7 Disclosure of odometer information for leased motor vehicles. (a) Before...

  1. 49 CFR 580.7 - Disclosure of odometer information for leased motor vehicles.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... the vehicle, including its make, model, year, and body type, and its vehicle identification number; (7... motor vehicles. 580.7 Section 580.7 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation... DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS § 580.7 Disclosure of odometer information for leased motor vehicles. (a) Before...

  2. 49 CFR 580.7 - Disclosure of odometer information for leased motor vehicles.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... the vehicle, including its make, model, year, and body type, and its vehicle identification number; (7... motor vehicles. 580.7 Section 580.7 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation... DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS § 580.7 Disclosure of odometer information for leased motor vehicles. (a) Before...

  3. 49 CFR Appendix C to Part 580 - Separate Disclosure Form

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 7 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Separate Disclosure Form C Appendix C to Part 580... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) ODOMETER DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS Pt. 580, App. C Appendix C to Part 580—Separate Disclosure Form Odometer Disclosure Statement Federal law (and State law...

  4. 76 FR 48101 - Petition for Approval of Alternate; Odometer Disclosure Requirements

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-08

    ... power of attorney. In addition, Florida's proposed program would use different mechanisms to document... licensing of vehicles, for use in any State, unless the title issued to the transferee is printed using a... permit the use of a secure power of attorney for purposes of odometer mileage disclosure in circumstances...

  5. 49 CFR 580.8 - Odometer disclosure statement retention.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ..., carbon or other facsimile copy of each odometer mileage statement which they issue and receive. They... their transferor pursuant to § 580.13, or by their transferee pursuant to § 580.14, shall retain for five years a photostat, carbon, or other facsimile copy of each power of attorney that they receive...

  6. 49 CFR 580.7 - Disclosure of odometer information for leased motor vehicles.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... applicable State law. (b) In connection with the transfer of ownership of the leased motor vehicle, the...; (2) The current odometer reading (not to include tenths of miles); (3) The date of the statement; (4) The lessee's name and current address; (5) The lessor's name and current address; (6) The identity of...

  7. 49 CFR Appendix D to Part 580 - Disclosure Form for Leased Vehicle

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... certify that the odometer reading is NOT the actual mileage. Make Model Body Type Vehicle Identification... 49 Transportation 7 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Disclosure Form for Leased Vehicle D Appendix D to... Pt. 580, App. D Appendix D to Part 580—Disclosure Form for Leased Vehicle Odometer Disclosure...

  8. 49 CFR Appendix D to Part 580 - Disclosure Form for Leased Vehicle

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... certify that the odometer reading is NOT the actual mileage. Make Model Body Type Vehicle Identification... 49 Transportation 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Disclosure Form for Leased Vehicle D Appendix D to... Pt. 580, App. D Appendix D to Part 580—Disclosure Form for Leased Vehicle Odometer Disclosure...

  9. 49 CFR Appendix D to Part 580 - Disclosure Form for Leased Vehicle

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... certify that the odometer reading is NOT the actual mileage. Make Model Body Type Vehicle Identification... 49 Transportation 7 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Disclosure Form for Leased Vehicle D Appendix D to... Pt. 580, App. D Appendix D to Part 580—Disclosure Form for Leased Vehicle Odometer Disclosure...

  10. 49 CFR Appendix D to Part 580 - Disclosure Form for Leased Vehicle

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... certify that the odometer reading is NOT the actual mileage. Make Model Body Type Vehicle Identification... 49 Transportation 7 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Disclosure Form for Leased Vehicle D Appendix D to... Pt. 580, App. D Appendix D to Part 580—Disclosure Form for Leased Vehicle Odometer Disclosure...

  11. 49 CFR Appendix D to Part 580 - Disclosure Form for Leased Vehicle

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... certify that the odometer reading is NOT the actual mileage. Make Model Body Type Vehicle Identification... 49 Transportation 7 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Disclosure Form for Leased Vehicle D Appendix D to... Pt. 580, App. D Appendix D to Part 580—Disclosure Form for Leased Vehicle Odometer Disclosure...

  12. 41 CFR 302-10.101 - Must I furnish actual odometer readings on the travel claim?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 4 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Must I furnish actual odometer readings on the travel claim? 302-10.101 Section 302-10.101 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Travel Regulation System RELOCATION ALLOWANCES TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE OF PROPERTY 10-ALLOWANCES FOR TRANSPORTATION OF MOBILE HOME...

  13. 41 CFR 302-10.101 - Must I furnish actual odometer readings on the travel claim?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 4 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Must I furnish actual odometer readings on the travel claim? 302-10.101 Section 302-10.101 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Travel Regulation System RELOCATION ALLOWANCES TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE OF PROPERTY 10-ALLOWANCES FOR TRANSPORTATION OF MOBILE HOME...

  14. 41 CFR 302-10.101 - Must I furnish actual odometer readings on the travel claim?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 4 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Must I furnish actual odometer readings on the travel claim? 302-10.101 Section 302-10.101 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Travel Regulation System RELOCATION ALLOWANCES TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE OF PROPERTY 10-ALLOWANCES FOR TRANSPORTATION OF MOBILE HOME...

  15. 41 CFR 302-10.101 - Must I furnish actual odometer readings on the travel claim?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 4 2013-07-01 2012-07-01 true Must I furnish actual odometer readings on the travel claim? 302-10.101 Section 302-10.101 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Travel Regulation System RELOCATION ALLOWANCES TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE OF PROPERTY 10-ALLOWANCES FOR TRANSPORTATION OF MOBILE HOMES...

  16. A Low Cost Mobile Robot Based on Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) Control System and Odometer for Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haq, R.; Prayitno, H.; Dzulkiflih; Sucahyo, I.; Rahmawati, E.

    2018-03-01

    In this article, the development of a low cost mobile robot based on PID controller and odometer for education is presented. PID controller and odometer is applied for controlling mobile robot position. Two-dimensional position vector in cartesian coordinate system have been inserted to robot controller as an initial and final position. Mobile robot has been made based on differential drive and sensor magnetic rotary encoder which measured robot position from a number of wheel rotation. Odometry methode use data from actuator movements for predicting change of position over time. The mobile robot is examined to get final position with three different heading angle 30°, 45° and 60° by applying various value of KP, KD and KI constant.

  17. Equipping an automated wheelchair with an infrared encoder wheel odometer - biomed 2011.

    PubMed

    Schultz, D; Allen, M; Barrett, S F

    2011-01-01

    Assistive technology is a rapidly growing field that provides a degree of freedom and self-sufficiency to people of limited mobility. Smart wheelchairs are a subset of assistive technology, and are designed to be operated by people who are unable to use a traditional control system. Instead, smart wheelchairs are equipped with a combination of automated functionality and steering mechanisms specialized to meet a person’s individual needs. One feature common to the automated capabilities of smart wheelchairs is the tracking system. The wheelchair’s microcontroller needs to know how far the chair has travelled, its speed, and the rotational direction of its wheels in order to successfully navigate through an environment. The purpose of this research was to develop an odometer to track the motion of a motorized wheelchair. Due to federal regulations that prohibit changing the structure or internal mechanics of a medical device, the odometer had to be designed as a separate, removable part. The final design for the odometer consisted of two infrared sensors that measure edge transitions of a segmented black and white encoder wheel. The sensor output was then run through two comparator op amps and a high pass filter to produce a clean, crisp square wave signal output. The signal was then fed to an Atmel ATmega164P microcontroller. The microcontroller was programmed to compare the sensor signal with its internal clock, sense edge transitions, and thereby extrapolate the speed, travelled distance, and rotational direction of the wheelchair.

  18. Two odometers in honeybees?

    PubMed

    Dacke, M; Srinivasan, M V

    2008-10-01

    Although several studies have examined how honeybees gauge and report the distance and direction of a food source to their nestmates, relatively little is known about how this information is combined to obtain a representation of the position of the food source. In this study we manipulate the amount of celestial compass information available to the bee during flight, and analyse the encoding of spatial information in the waggle dance as well as in the navigation of the foraging bee. We find that the waggle dance encodes information about the total distance flown to the food source, even when celestial compass cues are available only for a part of the journey. This stands in contrast to how a bee gauges distance flown when it navigates back to a food source that it already knows. When bees were trained to find a feeder placed at a fixed distance in a tunnel in which celestial cues were partially occluded and then tested in a tunnel that was fully open to the sky, they searched for the feeder at a distance that corresponds closely to the distance that was flown under the open sky during the training. Thus, when navigating back to a food source, information about distance travelled is disregarded when there is no concurrent input from the celestial compass. We suggest that bees may possess two different odometers - a 'community' odometer that is used to provide information to nestmates via the dance, and a 'personal' odometer that is used by an experienced individual to return to a previously visited source.

  19. Cumulative Timers for Microprocessors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Battle, John O.

    2007-01-01

    It has been proposed to equip future microprocessors with electronic cumulative timers, for essentially the same reasons for which land vehicles are equipped with odometers (total-distance-traveled meters) and aircraft are equipped with Hobbs meters (total-engine-operating time meters). Heretofore, there has been no way to determine the amount of use to which a microprocessor (or a product containing a microprocessor) has been subjected. The proposed timers would count all microprocessor clock cycles and could only be read by means of microprocessor instructions but, like odometers and Hobbs meters, could never be reset to zero without physically damaging the chip.

  20. Fractionating dead reckoning: role of the compass, odometer, logbook, and home base establishment in spatial orientation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wallace, Douglas G.; Martin, Megan M.; Winter, Shawn S.

    2008-06-01

    Rats use multiple sources of information to maintain spatial orientation. Although previous work has focused on rats’ use of environmental cues, a growing number of studies have demonstrated that rats also use self-movement cues to organize navigation. This review examines the extent that kinematic analysis of naturally occurring behavior has provided insight into processes that mediate dead-reckoning-based navigation. This work supports a role for separate systems in processing self-movement cues that converge on the hippocampus. The compass system is involved in deriving directional information from self-movement cues; whereas, the odometer system is involved in deriving distance information from self-movement cues. The hippocampus functions similar to a logbook in that outward path unique information from the compass and odometer is used to derive the direction and distance of a path to the point at which movement was initiated. Finally, home base establishment may function to reset this system after each excursion and anchor environmental cues to self-movement cues. The combination of natural behaviors and kinematic analysis has proven to be a robust paradigm to investigate the neural basis of spatial orientation.

  1. Fractionating dead reckoning: role of the compass, odometer, logbook, and home base establishment in spatial orientation

    PubMed Central

    Martin, Megan M.; Winter, Shawn S.

    2008-01-01

    Rats use multiple sources of information to maintain spatial orientation. Although previous work has focused on rats' use of environmental cues, a growing number of studies have demonstrated that rats also use self-movement cues to organize navigation. This review examines the extent that kinematic analysis of naturally occurring behavior has provided insight into processes that mediate dead-reckoning-based navigation. This work supports a role for separate systems in processing self-movement cues that converge on the hippocampus. The compass system is involved in deriving directional information from self-movement cues; whereas, the odometer system is involved in deriving distance information from self-movement cues. The hippocampus functions similar to a logbook in that outward path unique information from the compass and odometer is used to derive the direction and distance of a path to the point at which movement was initiated. Finally, home base establishment may function to reset this system after each excursion and anchor environmental cues to self-movement cues. The combination of natural behaviors and kinematic analysis has proven to be a robust paradigm to investigate the neural basis of spatial orientation. PMID:18553065

  2. Neural mechanisms in insect navigation: polarization compass and odometer.

    PubMed

    Labhart, Thomas; Meyer, Eric P

    2002-12-01

    Insect navigation relies on path integration, a procedure by which information about compass bearings pursued and distances travelled are combined to calculate position. Three neural levels of the polarization compass, which uses the polarization of skylight as a reference, have been analyzed in orthopteran insects. A group of dorsally directed, highly specialized ommatidia serve as polarization sensors. Polarization-opponent neurons in the optic lobe condition the polarization signal by removing unreliable and irrelevant components of the celestial stimulus. Neurons found in the central complex of the brain possibly represent elements of the compass output. The odometer for measuring travelling distances in honeybees relies on optic flow experienced during flight, whereas desert ants most probably use proprioreceptive cues.

  3. Vector navigation in desert ants, Cataglyphis fortis: celestial compass cues are essential for the proper use of distance information.

    PubMed

    Sommer, Stefan; Wehner, Rüdiger

    2005-10-01

    Foraging desert ants navigate primarily by path integration. They continually update homing direction and distance by employing a celestial compass and an odometer. Here we address the question of whether information about travel distance is correctly used in the absence of directional information. By using linear channels that were partly covered to exclude celestial compass cues, we were able to test the distance component of the path-integration process while suppressing the directional information. Our results suggest that the path integrator cannot process the distance information accumulated by the odometer while ants are deprived of celestial compass information. Hence, during path integration directional cues are a prerequisite for the proper use of travel-distance information by ants.

  4. Odometers for Rail Application

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1975-05-01

    Available mileage counters were evaluated, anticipating the possibility of using mileage intervals, rather than elapsed time, for freight car inspection. Simple, reliable and reasonably low costing devices were required. Only two unpowered mileage co...

  5. 49 CFR Appendix C to Part 580 - Separate Disclosure Form

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... the actual mileage. WARNING—ODOMETER DISCREPANCY. Make Model Body Type Vehicle Identification Number... reflects the actual mileage of the vehicle described below, unless one of the following statements is...

  6. 49 CFR Appendix C to Part 580 - Separate Disclosure Form

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... the actual mileage. WARNING—ODOMETER DISCREPANCY. Make Model Body Type Vehicle Identification Number... reflects the actual mileage of the vehicle described below, unless one of the following statements is...

  7. 49 CFR Appendix C to Part 580 - Separate Disclosure Form

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... the actual mileage. WARNING—ODOMETER DISCREPANCY. Make Model Body Type Vehicle Identification Number... reflects the actual mileage of the vehicle described below, unless one of the following statements is...

  8. 49 CFR Appendix C to Part 580 - Separate Disclosure Form

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... the actual mileage. WARNING—ODOMETER DISCREPANCY. Make Model Body Type Vehicle Identification Number... reflects the actual mileage of the vehicle described below, unless one of the following statements is...

  9. 41 CFR 302-10.101 - Must I furnish actual odometer readings on the travel claim?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Management Federal Travel Regulation System RELOCATION ALLOWANCES TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE OF PROPERTY 10-ALLOWANCES FOR TRANSPORTATION OF MOBILE HOMES AND BOATS USED AS A PRIMARY RESIDENCE Computation of Distance...

  10. Capsule-odometer: a concept to improve accurate lesion localisation.

    PubMed

    Karargyris, Alexandros; Koulaouzidis, Anastasios

    2013-09-21

    In order to improve lesion localisation in small-bowel capsule endoscopy, a modified capsule design has been proposed incorporating localisation and - in theory - stabilization capabilities. The proposed design consists of a capsule fitted with protruding wheels attached to a spring-mechanism. This would act as a miniature odometer, leading to more accurate lesion localization information in relation to the onset of the investigation (spring expansion e.g., pyloric opening). Furthermore, this capsule could allow stabilization of the recorded video as any erratic, non-forward movement through the gut is minimised. Three-dimensional (3-D) printing technology was used to build a capsule prototype. Thereafter, miniature wheels were also 3-D printed and mounted on a spring which was attached to conventional capsule endoscopes for the purpose of this proof-of-concept experiment. In vitro and ex vivo experiments with porcine small-bowel are presented herein. Further experiments have been scheduled.

  11. 49 CFR 580.13 - Disclosure of odometer information by power of attorney.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... vehicle, including its make, model year, body type and vehicle identification number. (c) In addition to.... (b) In connection with the transfer of ownership of a motor vehicle, each transferor to whom a title...

  12. 49 CFR 580.13 - Disclosure of odometer information by power of attorney.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... vehicle, including its make, model year, body type and vehicle identification number. (c) In addition to.... (b) In connection with the transfer of ownership of a motor vehicle, each transferor to whom a title...

  13. 49 CFR 501.2 - General.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    .... (2) Chapter 303—National Driver Register. (3) Chapter 305—National Automobile Title Information.... (7) Chapter 327—Odometers. (8) Chapter 329—Automobile Fuel Economy. (9) Chapter 331—Theft Prevention... and maintenance, traffic control devices, identification and surveillance of accident locations, and...

  14. 49 CFR 501.2 - General.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    .... (2) Chapter 303—National Driver Register. (3) Chapter 305—National Automobile Title Information.... (7) Chapter 327—Odometers. (8) Chapter 329—Automobile Fuel Economy. (9) Chapter 331—Theft Prevention... and maintenance, traffic control devices, identification and surveillance of accident locations, and...

  15. 40 CFR 51.358 - Test equipment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... vehicle description, including license plate number, vehicle identification number, and odometer reading... emissions test on subject vehicles. (a) Performance features of computerized emission test systems. The...) Emission test equipment shall be capable of testing all subject vehicles and shall be updated from time to...

  16. 40 CFR 51.358 - Test equipment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... vehicle description, including license plate number, vehicle identification number, and odometer reading... emissions test on subject vehicles. (a) Performance features of computerized emission test systems. The...) Emission test equipment shall be capable of testing all subject vehicles and shall be updated from time to...

  17. 40 CFR 51.358 - Test equipment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... vehicle description, including license plate number, vehicle identification number, and odometer reading... emissions test on subject vehicles. (a) Performance features of computerized emission test systems. The...) Emission test equipment shall be capable of testing all subject vehicles and shall be updated from time to...

  18. 40 CFR 86.155-98 - Records required; refueling test.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ...-integrated systems, fuel system (including fuel tank(s) capacity and location), basic engine description... odometer reading. (g) All pertinent instrument information including nozzle and fuel delivery system description. As an alternative, a reference to a vehicle test cell number may be used, with advance approval...

  19. 40 CFR 86.155-98 - Records required; refueling test.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ...-integrated systems, fuel system (including fuel tank(s) capacity and location), basic engine description... odometer reading. (g) All pertinent instrument information including nozzle and fuel delivery system description. As an alternative, a reference to a vehicle test cell number may be used, with advance approval...

  20. 40 CFR 86.155-98 - Records required; refueling test.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ...-integrated systems, fuel system (including fuel tank(s) capacity and location), basic engine description... odometer reading. (g) All pertinent instrument information including nozzle and fuel delivery system description. As an alternative, a reference to a vehicle test cell number may be used, with advance approval...

  1. 40 CFR 86.155-98 - Records required; refueling test.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ...-integrated systems, fuel system (including fuel tank(s) capacity and location), basic engine description... odometer reading. (g) All pertinent instrument information including nozzle and fuel delivery system description. As an alternative, a reference to a vehicle test cell number may be used, with advance approval...

  2. 40 CFR 86.155-98 - Records required; refueling test.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ...-integrated systems, fuel system (including fuel tank(s) capacity and location), basic engine description... odometer reading. (g) All pertinent instrument information including nozzle and fuel delivery system description. As an alternative, a reference to a vehicle test cell number may be used, with advance approval...

  3. 40 CFR 85.2238 - Test report-EPA 91.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ..., including license plate number, vehicle identification number, weight class, and odometer reading. (2) Date... model year vehicles or engines until December 31, 1993, after which the requirements of this section are... vehicles or engines; in a state where the Administrator has approved a SIP revision providing for...

  4. 40 CFR 85.2238 - Test report-EPA 91.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ..., including license plate number, vehicle identification number, weight class, and odometer reading. (2) Date... model year vehicles or engines until December 31, 1993, after which the requirements of this section are... vehicles or engines; in a state where the Administrator has approved a SIP revision providing for...

  5. 40 CFR 85.2238 - Test report-EPA 91.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ..., including license plate number, vehicle identification number, weight class, and odometer reading. (2) Date... model year vehicles or engines until December 31, 1993, after which the requirements of this section are... vehicles or engines; in a state where the Administrator has approved a SIP revision providing for...

  6. 28 CFR 25.54 - Responsibilities of the States.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Section 25.54 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE INFORMATION SYSTEMS National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) § 25.54 Responsibilities of the States. (a) Each... reported as such, to compare and verify the odometer information presented with that reported in the system...

  7. 75 FR 49879 - Civil Penalties

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-16

    ... , including any personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading below. Privacy Act: Anyone... pertaining to odometer tampering and disclosure requirements and vehicle theft prevention. 66 FR 41149. On... disclosure requirements. 75 FR 5246. We have reviewed the civil penalty amounts in 49 CFR part 578 and, in...

  8. 49 CFR 580.5 - Disclosure of odometer information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... the vehicle, including its make, model, year, and body type, and its vehicle identification number. (d... the mileage disclosed by the transferor when ownership of the vehicle was transferred and contain a... vehicle, each transferor shall disclose the mileage to the transferee in writing on the title or, except...

  9. 49 CFR 580.5 - Disclosure of odometer information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... the vehicle, including its make, model, year, and body type, and its vehicle identification number. (d... the mileage disclosed by the transferor when ownership of the vehicle was transferred and contain a... vehicle, each transferor shall disclose the mileage to the transferee in writing on the title or, except...

  10. 49 CFR 580.5 - Disclosure of odometer information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... the vehicle, including its make, model, year, and body type, and its vehicle identification number. (d... the mileage disclosed by the transferor when ownership of the vehicle was transferred and contain a... vehicle, each transferor shall disclose the mileage to the transferee in writing on the title or, except...

  11. 49 CFR 580.5 - Disclosure of odometer information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... the vehicle, including its make, model, year, and body type, and its vehicle identification number. (d... the mileage disclosed by the transferor when ownership of the vehicle was transferred and contain a... vehicle, each transferor shall disclose the mileage to the transferee in writing on the title or, except...

  12. 40 CFR 86.157-98 - Refueling test procedures for liquefied petroleum gas-fueled vehicles.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ..., evaporative/refueling emission family, fuel tank(s) capacity, basic fuel system description and odometer.... As an alternative, a reference to a vehicle test cell number may be used, with advance approval of the Administrator, provided test cell calibration records show the pertinent instrument information...

  13. 49 CFR 580.5 - Disclosure of odometer information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... section at the time of transfer of ownership. (c) In connection with the transfer of ownership of a motor... connection with the transfer of ownership of a motor vehicle in which more than one person is a transferor... transferor's name and current address; (4) The transferee's name and current address; and (5) The identity of...

  14. 28 CFR 21.5 - Use of table of distances.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    .... Mileage payable to witnesses under 28 U.S.C. 1821 shall be computed on the basis of odometer readings or the highway distances as stated in the Rand McNally Standard Highway Mileage Guide or in any generally accepted highway mileage guide which contains a shortline nationwide table of distances. However, with...

  15. Force Project Technology Presentation to the NRCC

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-02-04

    Functional Bridge components Smart Odometer Adv Pretreatment Smart Bridge Multi-functional Gap Crossing Fuel Automated Tracking System Adv...comprehensive matrix of candidate composite material systems and textile reinforcement architectures via modeling/analyses and testing. Product(s...Validated Dynamic Modeling tool based on parametric study using material models to reliably predict the textile mechanics of the hose

  16. 49 CFR 580.17 - Exemptions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... vehicles need not disclose the vehicle's odometer mileage: (1) A vehicle having a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, as defined in § 571.3 of this title, of more than 16,000 pounds; (2) A vehicle that is not self-propelled; (3) A vehicle that was manufactured in a model year beginning at least ten years before January 1...

  17. 77 FR 50381 - Petition for Approval of Alternate Odometer Requirements

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-21

    .... Currently, in New York, dealers are required by NYSDMV to keep a paper inventory (Book of Registry) in which... petition stated that during vehicle registration by a New York purchaser, NYSDMV staff would review the... transferred in a paper Book of Registry. The proposed changes to New York's program consolidate the Books of...

  18. In-motion initial alignment and positioning with INS/CNS/ODO integrated navigation system for lunar rovers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Jiazhen; Lei, Chaohua; Yang, Yanqiang; Liu, Ming

    2017-06-01

    Many countries have been paying great attention to space exploration, especially about the Moon and the Mars. Autonomous and high-accuracy navigation systems are needed for probers and rovers to accomplish missions. Inertial navigation system (INS)/celestial navigation system (CNS) based navigation system has been used widely on the lunar rovers. Initialization is a particularly important step for navigation. This paper presents an in-motion alignment and positioning method for lunar rovers by INS/CNS/odometer integrated navigation. The method can estimate not only the position and attitude errors, but also the biases of the accelerometers and gyros using the standard Kalman filter. The differences between the platform star azimuth, elevation angles and the computed star azimuth, elevation angles, and the difference between the velocity measured by odometer and the velocity measured by inertial sensors are taken as measurements. The semi-physical experiments are implemented to demonstrate that the position error can reduce to 10 m and attitude error is within 2″ during 5 min. The experiment results prove that it is an effective and attractive initialization approach for lunar rovers.

  19. 78 FR 22944 - Notice of Receipt of Petition for Decision That Nonconforming 1991 Volkswagen Transporter Multi...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-17

    ..., installation of a seat belt warning lamp, and recalibration of the speedometer/odometer to show speed in miles... Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention: installation of a U.S.-model micro switch in the steering lock...: installation of an information placard containing manufacturer specifications for seating capacity and loading...

  20. Evaluation of Ferroelectric Materials for Memory Applications

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-06-01

    as automobile odometers, access counters, and flight time recorders. Detailed product information is provided in Appendix A. 3. Optical Read...volatility but by definition are not reprogrammable , which severely restricts flexibility and makes error correction difficult. Magnetic core is non...battery-backed SRAMs as well. The programs for embedded controllers, such as those increasingly used in automobiles , are kept in nonvolatile memory. The

  1. PIG's Speed Estimated with Pressure Transducers and Hall Effect Sensor: An Industrial Application of Sensors to Validate a Testing Laboratory.

    PubMed

    Lima, Gustavo F; Freitas, Victor C G; Araújo, Renan P; Maitelli, André L; Salazar, Andrés O

    2017-09-15

    The pipeline inspection using a device called Pipeline Inspection Gauge (PIG) is safe and reliable when the PIG is at low speeds during inspection. We built a Testing Laboratory, containing a testing loop and supervisory system to study speed control techniques for PIGs. The objective of this work is to present and validate the Testing Laboratory, which will allow development of a speed controller for PIGs and solve an existing problem in the oil industry. The experimental methodology used throughout the project is also presented. We installed pressure transducers on pipeline outer walls to detect the PIG's movement and, with data from supervisory, calculated an average speed of 0.43 m/s. At the same time, the electronic board inside the PIG received data from odometer and calculated an average speed of 0.45 m/s. We found an error of 4.44%, which is experimentally acceptable. The results showed that it is possible to successfully build a Testing Laboratory to detect the PIG's passage and estimate its speed. The validation of the Testing Laboratory using data from the odometer and its auxiliary electronic was very successful. Lastly, we hope to develop more research in the oil industry area using this Testing Laboratory.

  2. A New Filtering and Smoothing Algorithm for Railway Track Surveying Based on Landmark and IMU/Odometer

    PubMed Central

    Jiang, Qingan; Wu, Wenqi; Jiang, Mingming; Li, Yun

    2017-01-01

    High-accuracy railway track surveying is essential for railway construction and maintenance. The traditional approaches based on total station equipment are not efficient enough since high precision surveying frequently needs static measurements. This paper proposes a new filtering and smoothing algorithm based on the IMU/odometer and landmarks integration for the railway track surveying. In order to overcome the difficulty of estimating too many error parameters with too few landmark observations, a new model with completely observable error states is established by combining error terms of the system. Based on covariance analysis, the analytical relationship between the railway track surveying accuracy requirements and equivalent gyro drifts including bias instability and random walk noise are established. Experiment results show that the accuracy of the new filtering and smoothing algorithm for railway track surveying can reach 1 mm (1σ) when using a Ring Laser Gyroscope (RLG)-based Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) with gyro bias instability of 0.03°/h and random walk noise of 0.005°/h while control points of the track control network (CPIII) position observations are provided by the optical total station in about every 60 m interval. The proposed approach can satisfy at the same time the demands of high accuracy and work efficiency for railway track surveying. PMID:28629191

  3. PIG’s Speed Estimated with Pressure Transducers and Hall Effect Sensor: An Industrial Application of Sensors to Validate a Testing Laboratory

    PubMed Central

    Freitas, Victor C. G.; Araújo, Renan P.; Maitelli, André L.; Salazar, Andrés O.

    2017-01-01

    The pipeline inspection using a device called Pipeline Inspection Gauge (PIG) is safe and reliable when the PIG is at low speeds during inspection. We built a Testing Laboratory, containing a testing loop and supervisory system to study speed control techniques for PIGs. The objective of this work is to present and validate the Testing Laboratory, which will allow development of a speed controller for PIGs and solve an existing problem in the oil industry. The experimental methodology used throughout the project is also presented. We installed pressure transducers on pipeline outer walls to detect the PIG’s movement and, with data from supervisory, calculated an average speed of 0.43 m/s. At the same time, the electronic board inside the PIG received data from odometer and calculated an average speed of 0.45 m/s. We found an error of 4.44%, which is experimentally acceptable. The results showed that it is possible to successfully build a Testing Laboratory to detect the PIG’s passage and estimate its speed. The validation of the Testing Laboratory using data from the odometer and its auxiliary electronic was very successful. Lastly, we hope to develop more research in the oil industry area using this Testing Laboratory. PMID:28914757

  4. Potential air pollutant emission from private vehicles based on vehicle route

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huboyo, H. S.; Handayani, W.; Samadikun, B. P.

    2017-06-01

    Air emissions related to the transportation sector has been identified as the second largest emitter of ambient air quality in Indonesia. This is due to large numbers of private vehicles commuting within the city as well as inter-city. A questionnaire survey was conducted in Semarang city involving 711 private vehicles consisting of cars and motorcycles. The survey was conducted in random parking lots across the Semarang districts and in vehicle workshops. Based on the parking lot survey, the average distance private cars travelled in kilometers (VKT) was 17,737 km/year. The machine start-up number of cars during weekdays; weekends were on average 5.19 and 3.79 respectively. For motorcycles the average of kilometers travelled was 27,092 km/year. The machine start-up number of motorcycles during weekdays and weekends were on average 5.84 and 3.98, respectively. The vehicle workshop survey showed the average kilometers travelled to be 9,510 km/year for motorcycles, while for private cars the average kilometers travelled was 21,347 km/year. Odometer readings for private cars showed a maximum of 3,046,509 km and a minimum of 700 km. Meanwhile, for motorcycles, odometer readings showed a maximum of 973,164 km and a minimum of roughly 54.24 km. Air pollutant emissions on East-West routes were generally higher than those on South-North routes. Motorcycles contribute significantly to urban air pollution, more so than cars. In this study, traffic congestion and traffic volume contributed much more to air pollution than the impact of fluctuating terrain.

  5. A 3D Laser Profiling System for Rail Surface Defect Detection

    PubMed Central

    Li, Qingquan; Mao, Qingzhou; Zou, Qin

    2017-01-01

    Rail surface defects such as the abrasion, scratch and peeling often cause damages to the train wheels and rail bearings. An efficient and accurate detection of rail defects is of vital importance for the safety of railway transportation. In the past few decades, automatic rail defect detection has been studied; however, most developed methods use optic-imaging techniques to collect the rail surface data and are still suffering from a high false recognition rate. In this paper, a novel 3D laser profiling system (3D-LPS) is proposed, which integrates a laser scanner, odometer, inertial measurement unit (IMU) and global position system (GPS) to capture the rail surface profile data. For automatic defect detection, first, the deviation between the measured profile and a standard rail model profile is computed for each laser-imaging profile, and the points with large deviations are marked as candidate defect points. Specifically, an adaptive iterative closest point (AICP) algorithm is proposed to register the point sets of the measured profile with the standard rail model profile, and the registration precision is improved to the sub-millimeter level. Second, all of the measured profiles are combined together to form the rail surface through a high-precision positioning process with the IMU, odometer and GPS data. Third, the candidate defect points are merged into candidate defect regions using the K-means clustering. At last, the candidate defect regions are classified by a decision tree classifier. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed laser-profiling system in rail surface defect detection and classification. PMID:28777323

  6. Research of cartographer laser SLAM algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Bo; Liu, Zhengjun; Fu, Yiran; Zhang, Changsai

    2017-11-01

    As the indoor is a relatively closed and small space, total station, GPS, close-range photogrammetry technology is difficult to achieve fast and accurate indoor three-dimensional space reconstruction task. LIDAR SLAM technology does not rely on the external environment a priori knowledge, only use their own portable lidar, IMU, odometer and other sensors to establish an independent environment map, a good solution to this problem. This paper analyzes the Google Cartographer laser SLAM algorithm from the point cloud matching and closed loop detection. Finally, the algorithm is presented in the 3D visualization tool RViz from the data acquisition and processing to create the environment map, complete the SLAM technology and realize the process of indoor threedimensional space reconstruction

  7. Property Measurement

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1980-01-01

    Van is used by Land Inventory Systems to measure and map property for tax assessment purposes. It is adapted from navigation system of the Lunar Rover wheeled vehicle in which moon-exploring astronauts traveled as much as 20 miles from their Lunar Module base. Astronauts had to know their precise position so that in case of emergency they could take the shortest route back. Computerized navigational system kept a highly accurate record of the directional path providing continuous position report. Distance measuring subsystem was a more accurate counterpart of automobile odometer system counts revolutions of wheels and encoders generate electrical pulses for each fractional revolution and the computer analyzed the pulses to determine the distance traveled in a given direction.

  8. Efforts toward an autonomous wheelchair - biomed 2011.

    PubMed

    Barrett, Steven; Streeter, Robert

    2011-01-01

    An autonomous wheelchair is in development to provide mobility to those with significant physical challenges. The overall goal of the project is to develop a wheelchair that is fully autonomous with the ability to navigate about an environment and negotiate obstacles. As a starting point for the project, we have reversed engineered the joystick control system of an off-the-shelf commercially available wheelchair. The joystick control has been replaced with a microcontroller based system. The microcontroller has the capability to interface with a number of subsystems currently under development including wheel odometers, obstacle avoidance sensors, and ultrasonic-based wall sensors. This paper will discuss the microcontroller based system and provide a detailed system description. Results of this study may be adapted to commercial or military robot control.

  9. Crankcase emissions with disabled PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) systems. Final report, September 1984-May 1985

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Montalvo, D.A.; Hare, C.T.

    1985-03-01

    The report describes the laboratory testing of nine in-use light-duty gasoline passenger cars using up to four PCV disablement configurations. The nine vehicles included 1975 to 1983 model years, with odometer readings generally between 20,000 and 60,000 miles. No two vehicles were identical in make and engine type, and engine displacements ranged from 89 to 403 cu in. The vehicles were tested over the 1975 Federal Test Procedure, with sampling for crankcase HC conducted during each individual cycle of the 3-bag FTP and during the 10-minute hot soak. Emissions of crankcase HC are provided in g/mi for the 3-bag FTP,more » and in g/min for the 10-minute soak.« less

  10. Optic flow odometry operates independently of stride integration in carried ants.

    PubMed

    Pfeffer, Sarah E; Wittlinger, Matthias

    2016-09-09

    Cataglyphis desert ants are impressive navigators. When the foragers roam the desert, they employ path integration. For these ants, distance estimation is one key challenge. Distance information was thought to be provided by optic flow (OF)-that is, image motion experienced during travel-but this idea was abandoned when stride integration was discovered as an odometer mechanism in ants. We show that ants transported by nest mates are capable of measuring travel distance exclusively by the use of OF cues. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the information gained from the optic flowmeter cannot be transferred to the stride integrator. Our results suggest a dual information channel that allows the ants to measure distances by strides and OF cues, although both systems operate independently and in a redundant manner. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  11. Measurement fundamentals

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Webb, R.A.

    The need to have accurate petroleum measurement is obvious. Petroleum measurement is the basis of commerce between oil producers, royalty owners, oil transporters, refiners, marketers, the Department of Revenue, and the motoring public. Furthermore, petroleum measurements are often used to detect operational problems or unwanted releases in pipelines, tanks, marine vessels, underground storage tanks, etc. Therefore, consistent, accurate petroleum measurement is an essential part of any operation. While there are several methods and different types of equipment used to perform petroleum measurement, the basic process stays the same. The basic measurement process is the act of comparing an unknown quantity,more » to a known quantity, in order to establish its magnitude. The process can be seen in a variety of forms; such as measuring for a first-down in a football game, weighing meat and produce at the grocery, or the use of an automobile odometer.« less

  12. Effects of Mid-Level Ethanol Blends on Conventional Vehicle Emissions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Knoll, K.; West, B.; Huff, S.

    2010-06-01

    Tests were conducted in 2008 on 16 late-model conventional vehicles (1999-2007) to determine short-term effects of mid-level ethanol blends on performance and emissions. Vehicle odometer readings ranged from 10,000 to 100,000 miles, and all vehicles conformed to federal emissions requirements for their federal certification level. The LA92 drive cycle, also known as the Unified Cycle, was used for testing because it more accurately represents real-world acceleration rates and speeds than the Federal Test Procedure. Test fuels were splash-blends of up to 20 volume percent ethanol with federal certification gasoline. Both regulated and unregulated air-toxic emissions were measured. For the 16-vehiclemore » fleet, increasing ethanol content resulted in reductions in average composite emissions of both nonmethane hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide and increases in average emissions of ethanol and aldehydes.« less

  13. University students' notebook computer use.

    PubMed

    Jacobs, Karen; Johnson, Peter; Dennerlein, Jack; Peterson, Denise; Kaufman, Justin; Gold, Joshua; Williams, Sarah; Richmond, Nancy; Karban, Stephanie; Firn, Emily; Ansong, Elizabeth; Hudak, Sarah; Tung, Katherine; Hall, Victoria; Pencina, Karol; Pencina, Michael

    2009-05-01

    Recent evidence suggests that university students are self-reporting experiencing musculoskeletal discomfort with computer use similar to levels reported by adult workers. The objective of this study was to determine how university students use notebook computers and to determine what ergonomic strategies might be effective in reducing self-reported musculoskeletal discomfort in this population. Two hundred and eighty-nine university students randomly assigned to one of three towers by the university's Office of Housing participated in this study. The results of this investigation showed a significant reduction in self-reported notebook computer-related discomfort from pre- and post-survey in participants who received notebook computer accessories and in those who received accessories and participatory ergonomics training. A significant increase in post-survey rest breaks was seen. There was a significant correlation between self-reported computer usage and the amount measured using computer usage software (odometer). More research is needed however to determine the most effective ergonomics intervention for university students.

  14. Elasticity of Vehicle Miles of Travel to Changes in the Price of Gasoline and the Cost of Driving in Texas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wenzel, Tom P.; Fujita, K. Sydny

    This report examines the sensitivity of annual vehicle miles of travel (VMT) of light-duty vehicles to the price of gasoline, commonly referred to as the elasticity of demand for VMT to the price of gasoline; the fuel-economy-related rebound effect is generally assumed to be of the same magnitude as the VMT elasticity of gas price or driving cost. We use detailed odometer readings from over 30 million vehicles in four urban areas of Texas, over a six-year period. We account for economic conditions over this period, as well as vehicle age. Following the literature we include fixed effects by vehiclemore » make and individual vehicle, as well as the effect of adding an instrument to predict monthly gasoline price independent of any influences of demand for gasoline on its price.« less

  15. The NavTrax fleet management system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McLellan, James F.; Krakiwsky, Edward J.; Schleppe, John B.; Knapp, Paul L.

    The NavTrax System, a dispatch-type automatic vehicle location and navigation system, is discussed. Attention is given to its positioning, communication, digital mapping, and dispatch center components. The positioning module is a robust GPS (Global Positioning System)-based system integrated with dead reckoning devices by a decentralized-federated filter, making the module fault tolerant. The error behavior and characteristics of GPS, rate gyro, compass, and odometer sensors are discussed. The communications module, as presently configured, utilizes UHF radio technology, and plans are being made to employ a digital cellular telephone system. Polling and automatic smart vehicle reporting are also discussed. The digital mapping component is an intelligent digital single line road network database stored in vector form with full connectivity and address ranges. A limited form of map matching is performed for the purposes of positioning, but its main purpose is to define location once position is determined.

  16. Gasoline conservation: a procedure for measuring and reducing the driving of college students

    PubMed Central

    Foxx, R. M.; Hake, D. F.

    1977-01-01

    The study sought to motivate college students to reduce the number of miles they drove each day and thus save gasoline. Students in two psychology classes were divided by class into two groups. The experimental group was offered various combinations of prizes such as cash, a tour of a mental-health facility, car servicing, and a university parking sticker for reducing driving. The value of the prize received was scaled in terms of per cent reduction in driving. The contrast group received no inducements. The condition in which the experimental group's mileage reduction was reinforced was counterbalanced by two baseline conditions. Several special recording procedures were used to reduce and detect the possibility of subjects altering their odometers, the source of the driving data. Experimental subjects reduced their average daily mileage by 20% relative to the initial baseline; the contrast group did not change. During the one-month reinforcement condition, the 12 experimental subjects saved some 170 gallons (worth $102) of gasoline. PMID:16795548

  17. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wenzel, Tom

    In this report we compare two measures of driver risks: fatality risk per vehicle registration-year, and casualty (fatality plus serious injury) risk per police-reported crash. Our analysis is based on three sets of data from five states (Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, and Pennsylvania): data on all police-reported crashes involving model year 2000 to 2004 vehicles; 2005 county-level vehicle registration data by vehicle model year and make/model; and odometer readings from vehicle emission inspection and maintenance (I/M) programs conducted in urban areas of four of the five states (Florida does not have an I/M program). The two measures of risk couldmore » differ for three reasons: casualty risks are different from fatality risk; risks per vehicle registration-year are different from risks per crash; and risks estimated from national data are different from risks from the five states analyzed here. We also examined the effect of driver behavior, crash location, and general vehicle design on risk, as well as sources of potential bias in using the crash data from five states.« less

  18. Trajectory-based visual localization in underwater surveying missions.

    PubMed

    Burguera, Antoni; Bonin-Font, Francisco; Oliver, Gabriel

    2015-01-14

    We present a new vision-based localization system applied to an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) with limited sensing and computation capabilities. The traditional EKF-SLAM approaches are usually expensive in terms of execution time; the approach presented in this paper strengthens this method by adopting a trajectory-based schema that reduces the computational requirements. The pose of the vehicle is estimated using an extended Kalman filter (EKF), which predicts the vehicle motion by means of a visual odometer and corrects these predictions using the data associations (loop closures) between the current frame and the previous ones. One of the most important steps in this procedure is the image registration method, as it reinforces the data association and, thus, makes it possible to close loops reliably. Since the use of standard EKFs entail linearization errors that can distort the vehicle pose estimations, the approach has also been tested using an iterated Kalman filter (IEKF). Experiments have been conducted using a real underwater vehicle in controlled scenarios and in shallow sea waters, showing an excellent performance with very small errors, both in the vehicle pose and in the overall trajectory estimates.

  19. Electric drive motors for industrial robots

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fichtner, K.

    1985-04-01

    In robotized industrial plants it is possible to use electric motors in the technological process and also for control, assembly, transport, testing, and measurements. Particularly suitable for these applications are permanent-magnet d.c. motors. A new special series was developed for industrial robots with hinge joints in kinematic pairs. The complete drive includes thyristors or transistor controls with regulators and, if necessary, a line transformer as well as a servomotor with tachometer and odometer for speed, current, and position control. The drive is coupled to a robot tong through mechanical torque and force converters. In addition to a 0 to 4000 rpm speed regulation, without wobble at low speeds, and a high torque-to-weight ratio for repetitive short-time heavy duty, these low-inertia motors develop high starting and accelerating torques over the entire speed range. They operate from a 1 to O 220 V a.c. line through a rectifier. The motors are totally enclosed, or of open construction for better ventilation. Their windings have class F insulation for operation at ambient temperatures up to 40 C.

  20. Optimal sensor fusion for land vehicle navigation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Morrow, J.D.

    1990-10-01

    Position location is a fundamental requirement in autonomous mobile robots which record and subsequently follow x,y paths. The Dept. of Energy, Office of Safeguards and Security, Robotic Security Vehicle (RSV) program involves the development of an autonomous mobile robot for patrolling a structured exterior environment. A straight-forward method for autonomous path-following has been adopted and requires digitizing'' the desired road network by storing x,y coordinates every 2m along the roads. The position location system used to define the locations consists of a radio beacon system which triangulates position off two known transponders, and dead reckoning with compass and odometer. Thismore » paper addresses the problem of combining these two measurements to arrive at a best estimate of position. Two algorithms are proposed: the optimal'' algorithm treats the measurements as random variables and minimizes the estimate variance, while the average error'' algorithm considers the bias in dead reckoning and attempts to guarantee an average error. Data collected on the algorithms indicate that both work well in practice. 2 refs., 7 figs.« less

  1. A Model for an Angular Velocity-Tuned Motion Detector Accounting for Deviations in the Corridor-Centering Response of the Bee.

    PubMed

    Cope, Alex J; Sabo, Chelsea; Gurney, Kevin; Vasilaki, Eleni; Marshall, James A R

    2016-05-01

    We present a novel neurally based model for estimating angular velocity (AV) in the bee brain, capable of quantitatively reproducing experimental observations of visual odometry and corridor-centering in free-flying honeybees, including previously unaccounted for manipulations of behaviour. The model is fitted using electrophysiological data, and tested using behavioural data. Based on our model we suggest that the AV response can be considered as an evolutionary extension to the optomotor response. The detector is tested behaviourally in silico with the corridor-centering paradigm, where bees navigate down a corridor with gratings (square wave or sinusoidal) on the walls. When combined with an existing flight control algorithm the detector reproduces the invariance of the average flight path to the spatial frequency and contrast of the gratings, including deviations from perfect centering behaviour as found in the real bee's behaviour. In addition, the summed response of the detector to a unit distance movement along the corridor is constant for a large range of grating spatial frequencies, demonstrating that the detector can be used as a visual odometer.

  2. A Model for an Angular Velocity-Tuned Motion Detector Accounting for Deviations in the Corridor-Centering Response of the Bee

    PubMed Central

    Sabo, Chelsea; Gurney, Kevin; Vasilaki, Eleni; Marshall, James A. R.

    2016-01-01

    We present a novel neurally based model for estimating angular velocity (AV) in the bee brain, capable of quantitatively reproducing experimental observations of visual odometry and corridor-centering in free-flying honeybees, including previously unaccounted for manipulations of behaviour. The model is fitted using electrophysiological data, and tested using behavioural data. Based on our model we suggest that the AV response can be considered as an evolutionary extension to the optomotor response. The detector is tested behaviourally in silico with the corridor-centering paradigm, where bees navigate down a corridor with gratings (square wave or sinusoidal) on the walls. When combined with an existing flight control algorithm the detector reproduces the invariance of the average flight path to the spatial frequency and contrast of the gratings, including deviations from perfect centering behaviour as found in the real bee’s behaviour. In addition, the summed response of the detector to a unit distance movement along the corridor is constant for a large range of grating spatial frequencies, demonstrating that the detector can be used as a visual odometer. PMID:27148968

  3. Track Detection in Railway Sidings Based on MEMS Gyroscope Sensors

    PubMed Central

    Broquetas, Antoni; Comerón, Adolf; Gelonch, Antoni; Fuertes, Josep M.; Castro, J. Antonio; Felip, Damià; López, Miguel A.; Pulido, José A.

    2012-01-01

    The paper presents a two-step technique for real-time track detection in single-track railway sidings using low-cost MEMS gyroscopes. The objective is to reliably know the path the train has taken in a switch, diverted or main road, immediately after the train head leaves the switch. The signal delivered by the gyroscope is first processed by an adaptive low-pass filter that rejects noise and converts the temporal turn rate data in degree/second units into spatial turn rate data in degree/meter. The conversion is based on the travelled distance taken from odometer data. The filter is implemented to achieve a speed-dependent cut-off frequency to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio. Although direct comparison of the filtered turn rate signal with a predetermined threshold is possible, the paper shows that better detection performance can be achieved by processing the turn rate signal with a filter matched to the rail switch curvature parameters. Implementation aspects of the track detector have been optimized for real-time operation. The detector has been tested with both simulated data and real data acquired in railway campaigns. PMID:23443376

  4. State of New Mexico wind site survey loan program

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Reynolds, R.D.

    1981-12-01

    This pilot project made available to the citizens of New Mexico, interested in wind energy, the loan of a wind data accumulator for one year so that they could determine if their site was suitable for the installation of a wind generator prior to their investment in a wind system. A nominal fee of $35.00 was charged for a year to help defray maintenance expenses. The Physical Science Laboratory meteorologist installed a 3-cup anemometer usually on a 30' telescoping mast at each site after looking over the exposure and making recommendations to the Site Owner. The electronic odometer was eithermore » housed inside a house or mounted to the mast in its lockable case. There are a total of 21 sets for loan. The site owners read their data once per week and mailed a data card in to the Physical Science Laboratory. The annual wind climatology for each site was computed and the owners advised of the suitability of their site for wind generation of electricity. An updated wind climatology for New Mexico was prepared utilizing this new data.« less

  5. Neural basis of forward flight control and landing in honeybees.

    PubMed

    Ibbotson, M R; Hung, Y-S; Meffin, H; Boeddeker, N; Srinivasan, M V

    2017-11-06

    The impressive repertoire of honeybee visually guided behaviors, and their ability to learn has made them an important tool for elucidating the visual basis of behavior. Like other insects, bees perform optomotor course correction to optic flow, a response that is dependent on the spatial structure of the visual environment. However, bees can also distinguish the speed of image motion during forward flight and landing, as well as estimate flight distances (odometry), irrespective of the visual scene. The neural pathways underlying these abilities are unknown. Here we report on a cluster of descending neurons (DNIIIs) that are shown to have the directional tuning properties necessary for detecting image motion during forward flight and landing on vertical surfaces. They have stable firing rates during prolonged periods of stimulation and respond to a wide range of image speeds, making them suitable to detect image flow during flight behaviors. While their responses are not strictly speed tuned, the shape and amplitudes of their speed tuning functions are resistant to large changes in spatial frequency. These cells are prime candidates not only for the control of flight speed and landing, but also the basis of a neural 'front end' of the honeybee's visual odometer.

  6. Data logger technologies for manual wheelchairs: A scoping review.

    PubMed

    Routhier, François; Lettre, Josiane; Miller, William C; Borisoff, Jaimie F; Keetch, Kate; Mitchell, Ian M; Research Team, CanWheel

    2018-01-01

    In recent years, studies have increasingly employed data logger technologies to record objective driving and physiological characteristics of manual wheelchair users. However, the technologies used offer significant differences in characteristics, such as measured outcomes, ease of use, and level of burden. In order to identify and describe the extent of published research activity that relies on data logger technologies for manual wheelchair users, we performed a scoping review of the scientific and gray literature. Five databases were searched: Medline, Compendex, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Google Scholar. The 119 retained papers document a wide variety of logging devices and sensing technologies measuring a range of outcomes. The most commonly used technologies were accelerometers installed on the user (18.8%), odometers installed on the wheelchair (12.4%), accelerometers installed on the wheelchair (9.7%), and heart monitors (9.7%). Not surprisingly, the most reported outcomes were distance, mobility events, heart rate, speed/velocity, acceleration, and driving time. With decreasing costs and technological improvements, data loggers are likely to have future widespread clinical (and even personal) use. Future research may be needed to assess the usefulness of different outcomes and to develop methods more appropriate to wheelchair users in order to optimize the practicality of wheelchair data loggers.

  7. Honeybee Odometry: Performance in Varying Natural Terrain

    PubMed Central

    Tautz, Juergen; Zhang, Shaowu; Spaethe, Johannes; Brockmann, Axel; Si, Aung

    2004-01-01

    Recent studies have shown that honeybees flying through short, narrow tunnels with visually textured walls perform waggle dances that indicate a much greater flight distance than that actually flown. These studies suggest that the bee's “odometer” is driven by the optic flow (image motion) that is experienced during flight. One might therefore expect that, when bees fly to a food source through a varying outdoor landscape, their waggle dances would depend upon the nature of the terrain experienced en route. We trained honeybees to visit feeders positioned along two routes, each 580 m long. One route was exclusively over land. The other was initially over land, then over water and, finally, again over land. Flight over water resulted in a significantly flatter slope of the waggle-duration versus distance regression, compared to flight over land. The mean visual contrast of the scenes was significantly greater over land than over water. The results reveal that, in outdoor flight, the honeybee's odometer does not run at a constant rate; rather, the rate depends upon the properties of the terrain. The bee's perception of distance flown is therefore not absolute, but scene-dependent. These findings raise important and interesting questions about how these animals navigate reliably. PMID:15252454

  8. Optic flow informs distance but not profitability for honeybees.

    PubMed

    Shafir, Sharoni; Barron, Andrew B

    2010-04-22

    How do flying insects monitor foraging efficiency? Honeybees (Apis mellifera) use optic flow information as an odometer to estimate distance travelled, but here we tested whether optic flow informs estimation of foraging costs also. Bees were trained to feeders in flight tunnels such that bees experienced the greatest optic flow en route to the feeder closest to the hive. Analyses of dance communication showed that, as expected, bees indicated the close feeder as being further, but they also indicated this feeder as the more profitable, and preferentially visited this feeder when given a choice. We show that honeybee estimates of foraging cost are not reliant on optic flow information. Rather, bees can assess distance and profitability independently and signal these aspects as separate elements of their dances. The optic flow signal is sensitive to the nature of the environment travelled by the bee, and is therefore not a good index of flight energetic costs, but it provides a good indication of distance travelled for purpose of navigation and communication, as long as the dancer and recruit travel similar routes. This study suggests an adaptive dual processing system in honeybees for communicating and navigating distance flown and for evaluating its energetic costs.

  9. Optic flow informs distance but not profitability for honeybees

    PubMed Central

    Shafir, Sharoni; Barron, Andrew B.

    2010-01-01

    How do flying insects monitor foraging efficiency? Honeybees (Apis mellifera) use optic flow information as an odometer to estimate distance travelled, but here we tested whether optic flow informs estimation of foraging costs also. Bees were trained to feeders in flight tunnels such that bees experienced the greatest optic flow en route to the feeder closest to the hive. Analyses of dance communication showed that, as expected, bees indicated the close feeder as being further, but they also indicated this feeder as the more profitable, and preferentially visited this feeder when given a choice. We show that honeybee estimates of foraging cost are not reliant on optic flow information. Rather, bees can assess distance and profitability independently and signal these aspects as separate elements of their dances. The optic flow signal is sensitive to the nature of the environment travelled by the bee, and is therefore not a good index of flight energetic costs, but it provides a good indication of distance travelled for purpose of navigation and communication, as long as the dancer and recruit travel similar routes. This study suggests an adaptive dual processing system in honeybees for communicating and navigating distance flown and for evaluating its energetic costs. PMID:20018787

  10. Learning styles and the prospective ophthalmologist.

    PubMed

    Modi, Neil; Williams, Olayinka; Swampillai, Andrew J; Waqar, Salman; Park, Jonathan; Kersey, Thomas L; Sleep, Tamsin

    2015-04-01

    Understanding the learning styles of individual trainees may enable trainers to tailor an educational program and optimise learning. Surgical trainees have previously been shown to demonstrate a tendency towards particular learning styles. We seek to clarify the relationship between learning style and learned surgical performance using a simulator, prior to surgical training. The Kolb Learning Style Inventory was administered to a group of thirty junior doctors. Participants were then asked to perform a series of tasks using the EyeSi virtual reality cataract surgery simulator (VR Magic, Mannheim, Germany). All completed a standard introductory programme to eliminate learning curve. They then undertook four attempts of level 4 forceps module binocularly. Total score, odometer movement (mm), corneal area injured (mm(2)), lens area injured (mm(2)) and total time taken (seconds) recorded. Mean age was 31.6 years. No significant correlation was found between any learning style and any variable on the EyeSi cataract surgery simulator. There is a predominant learning style amongst surgical residents. There is however no demonstrable learning style that results in a better (or worse) performance on the EyeSi surgery simulator and hence in learning and performing cataract surgery.

  11. Localization Based on Magnetic Markers for an All-Wheel Steering Vehicle

    PubMed Central

    Byun, Yeun Sub; Kim, Young Chol

    2016-01-01

    Real-time continuous localization is a key technology in the development of intelligent transportation systems. In these systems, it is very important to have accurate information about the position and heading angle of the vehicle at all times. The most widely implemented methods for positioning are the global positioning system (GPS), vision-based system, and magnetic marker system. Among these methods, the magnetic marker system is less vulnerable to indoor and outdoor environment conditions; moreover, it requires minimal maintenance expenses. In this paper, we present a position estimation scheme based on magnetic markers and odometry sensors for an all-wheel-steering vehicle. The heading angle of the vehicle is determined by using the position coordinates of the last two detected magnetic markers and odometer data. The instant position and heading angle of the vehicle are integrated with an extended Kalman filter to estimate the continuous position. GPS data with the real-time kinematics mode was obtained to evaluate the performance of the proposed position estimation system. The test results show that the performance of the proposed localization algorithm is accurate (mean error: 3 cm; max error: 9 cm) and reliable under unexpected missing markers or incorrect markers. PMID:27916827

  12. FPGA-based real-time embedded system for RISS/GPS integrated navigation.

    PubMed

    Abdelfatah, Walid Farid; Georgy, Jacques; Iqbal, Umar; Noureldin, Aboelmagd

    2012-01-01

    Navigation algorithms integrating measurements from multi-sensor systems overcome the problems that arise from using GPS navigation systems in standalone mode. Algorithms which integrate the data from 2D low-cost reduced inertial sensor system (RISS), consisting of a gyroscope and an odometer or wheel encoders, along with a GPS receiver via a Kalman filter has proved to be worthy in providing a consistent and more reliable navigation solution compared to standalone GPS receivers. It has been also shown to be beneficial, especially in GPS-denied environments such as urban canyons and tunnels. The main objective of this paper is to narrow the idea-to-implementation gap that follows the algorithm development by realizing a low-cost real-time embedded navigation system capable of computing the data-fused positioning solution. The role of the developed system is to synchronize the measurements from the three sensors, relative to the pulse per second signal generated from the GPS, after which the navigation algorithm is applied to the synchronized measurements to compute the navigation solution in real-time. Employing a customizable soft-core processor on an FPGA in the kernel of the navigation system, provided the flexibility for communicating with the various sensors and the computation capability required by the Kalman filter integration algorithm.

  13. The desert ant odometer: a stride integrator that accounts for stride length and walking speed.

    PubMed

    Wittlinger, Matthias; Wehner, Rüdiger; Wolf, Harald

    2007-01-01

    Desert ants, Cataglyphis, use path integration as a major means of navigation. Path integration requires measurement of two parameters, namely, direction and distance of travel. Directional information is provided by a celestial compass, whereas distance measurement is accomplished by a stride integrator, or pedometer. Here we examine the recently demonstrated pedometer function in more detail. By manipulating leg lengths in foraging desert ants we could also change their stride lengths. Ants with elongated legs ('stilts') or shortened legs ('stumps') take larger or shorter strides, respectively, and misgauge travel distance. Travel distance is overestimated by experimental animals walking on stilts, and underestimated by animals walking on stumps - strongly indicative of stride integrator function in distance measurement. High-speed video analysis was used to examine the actual changes in stride length, stride frequency and walking speed caused by the manipulations of leg length. Unexpectedly, quantitative characteristics of walking behaviour remained almost unaffected by imposed changes in leg length, demonstrating remarkable robustness of leg coordination and walking performance. These data further allowed normalisation of homing distances displayed by manipulated animals with regard to scaling and speed effects. The predicted changes in homing distance are in quantitative agreement with the experimental data, further supporting the pedometer hypothesis.

  14. FPGA-Based Real-Time Embedded System for RISS/GPS Integrated Navigation

    PubMed Central

    Abdelfatah, Walid Farid; Georgy, Jacques; Iqbal, Umar; Noureldin, Aboelmagd

    2012-01-01

    Navigation algorithms integrating measurements from multi-sensor systems overcome the problems that arise from using GPS navigation systems in standalone mode. Algorithms which integrate the data from 2D low-cost reduced inertial sensor system (RISS), consisting of a gyroscope and an odometer or wheel encoders, along with a GPS receiver via a Kalman filter has proved to be worthy in providing a consistent and more reliable navigation solution compared to standalone GPS receivers. It has been also shown to be beneficial, especially in GPS-denied environments such as urban canyons and tunnels. The main objective of this paper is to narrow the idea-to-implementation gap that follows the algorithm development by realizing a low-cost real-time embedded navigation system capable of computing the data-fused positioning solution. The role of the developed system is to synchronize the measurements from the three sensors, relative to the pulse per second signal generated from the GPS, after which the navigation algorithm is applied to the synchronized measurements to compute the navigation solution in real-time. Employing a customizable soft-core processor on an FPGA in the kernel of the navigation system, provided the flexibility for communicating with the various sensors and the computation capability required by the Kalman filter integration algorithm. PMID:22368460

  15. Research on the Rapid and Accurate Positioning and Orientation Approach for Land Missile-Launching Vehicle

    PubMed Central

    Li, Kui; Wang, Lei; Lv, Yanhong; Gao, Pengyu; Song, Tianxiao

    2015-01-01

    Getting a land vehicle’s accurate position, azimuth and attitude rapidly is significant for vehicle based weapons’ combat effectiveness. In this paper, a new approach to acquire vehicle’s accurate position and orientation is proposed. It uses biaxial optical detection platform (BODP) to aim at and lock in no less than three pre-set cooperative targets, whose accurate positions are measured beforehand. Then, it calculates the vehicle’s accurate position, azimuth and attitudes by the rough position and orientation provided by vehicle based navigation systems and no less than three couples of azimuth and pitch angles measured by BODP. The proposed approach does not depend on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), thus it is autonomous and difficult to interfere. Meanwhile, it only needs a rough position and orientation as algorithm’s iterative initial value, consequently, it does not have high performance requirement for Inertial Navigation System (INS), odometer and other vehicle based navigation systems, even in high precise applications. This paper described the system’s working procedure, presented theoretical deviation of the algorithm, and then verified its effectiveness through simulation and vehicle experiments. The simulation and experimental results indicate that the proposed approach can achieve positioning and orientation accuracy of 0.2 m and 20″ respectively in less than 3 min. PMID:26492249

  16. Study of the Integration of the CNU-TS-1 Mobile Tunnel Monitoring System.

    PubMed

    Du, Liming; Zhong, Ruofei; Sun, Haili; Zhu, Qiang; Zhang, Zhen

    2018-02-01

    A rapid, precise and automated means for the regular inspection and maintenance of a large number of tunnels is needed. Based on the depth study of the tunnel monitoring method, the CNU-TS-1 mobile tunnel monitoring system (TS1) is developed and presented. It can efficiently obtain the cross-sections that are orthogonal to the tunnel in a dynamic way, and the control measurements that depend on design data are eliminated. By using odometers to locate the cross-sections and correcting the data based on longitudinal joints of tunnel segment lining, the cost of the system has been significantly reduced, and the interval between adjacent cross-sections can reach 1-2 cm when pushed to collect data at a normal walking speed. Meanwhile, the relative deformation of tunnel can be analyzed by selecting cross-sections from original data. Through the measurement of the actual tunnel, the applicability of the system for tunnel deformation detection is verified, and the system is shown to be 15 times more efficient than that of the total station. The simulation experiment of the tunnel deformation indicates that the measurement accuracy of TS1 for cross-sections is 1.1 mm. Compared with the traditional method, TS1 improves the efficiency as well as increases the density of the obtained points.

  17. A Direct and Non-Singular UKF Approach Using Euler Angle Kinematics for Integrated Navigation Systems

    PubMed Central

    Ran, Changyan; Cheng, Xianghong

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents a direct and non-singular approach based on an unscented Kalman filter (UKF) for the integration of strapdown inertial navigation systems (SINSs) with the aid of velocity. The state vector includes velocity and Euler angles, and the system model contains Euler angle kinematics equations. The measured velocity in the body frame is used as the filter measurement. The quaternion nonlinear equality constraint is eliminated, and the cross-noise problem is overcome. The filter model is simple and easy to apply without linearization. Data fusion is performed by an UKF, which directly estimates and outputs the navigation information. There is no need to process navigation computation and error correction separately because the navigation computation is completed synchronously during the filter time updating. In addition, the singularities are avoided with the help of the dual-Euler method. The performance of the proposed approach is verified by road test data from a land vehicle equipped with an odometer aided SINS, and a singularity turntable test is conducted using three-axis turntable test data. The results show that the proposed approach can achieve higher navigation accuracy than the commonly-used indirect approach, and the singularities can be efficiently removed as the result of dual-Euler method. PMID:27598169

  18. Research on the rapid and accurate positioning and orientation approach for land missile-launching vehicle.

    PubMed

    Li, Kui; Wang, Lei; Lv, Yanhong; Gao, Pengyu; Song, Tianxiao

    2015-10-20

    Getting a land vehicle's accurate position, azimuth and attitude rapidly is significant for vehicle based weapons' combat effectiveness. In this paper, a new approach to acquire vehicle's accurate position and orientation is proposed. It uses biaxial optical detection platform (BODP) to aim at and lock in no less than three pre-set cooperative targets, whose accurate positions are measured beforehand. Then, it calculates the vehicle's accurate position, azimuth and attitudes by the rough position and orientation provided by vehicle based navigation systems and no less than three couples of azimuth and pitch angles measured by BODP. The proposed approach does not depend on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), thus it is autonomous and difficult to interfere. Meanwhile, it only needs a rough position and orientation as algorithm's iterative initial value, consequently, it does not have high performance requirement for Inertial Navigation System (INS), odometer and other vehicle based navigation systems, even in high precise applications. This paper described the system's working procedure, presented theoretical deviation of the algorithm, and then verified its effectiveness through simulation and vehicle experiments. The simulation and experimental results indicate that the proposed approach can achieve positioning and orientation accuracy of 0.2 m and 20″ respectively in less than 3 min.

  19. Single-Command Approach and Instrument Placement by a Robot on a Target

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Huntsberger, Terrance; Cheng, Yang

    2005-01-01

    AUTOAPPROACH is a computer program that enables a mobile robot to approach a target autonomously, starting from a distance of as much as 10 m, in response to a single command. AUTOAPPROACH is used in conjunction with (1) software that analyzes images acquired by stereoscopic cameras aboard the robot and (2) navigation and path-planning software that utilizes odometer readings along with the output of the image-analysis software. Intended originally for application to an instrumented, wheeled robot (rover) in scientific exploration of Mars, AUTOAPPROACH could be adapted to terrestrial applications, notably including the robotic removal of land mines and other unexploded ordnance. A human operator generates the approach command by selecting the target in images acquired by the robot cameras. The approach path consists of multiple legs. Feature points are derived from images that contain the target and are thereafter tracked to correct odometric errors and iteratively refine estimates of the position and orientation of the robot relative to the target on successive legs. The approach is terminated when the robot attains the position and orientation required for placing a scientific instrument at the target. The workspace of the robot arm is then autonomously checked for self/terrain collisions prior to the deployment of the scientific instrument onto the target.

  20. Vehicle energy conservation indicating device and process for use

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Crump, J.M.

    A vehicle energy conservation indicating device comprises an integrated instrument cluster functioning basically as a nomographic computing mechanism. The odometer distance traveled indicator computing mechanism is linked with the fuel indicating gauge mechanism such that a three variable equation computing mechanism is obtained. The three variables are distance traveled, quantity of fuel consumed and distance traveled per unit of fuel consumed. Energy conservation is achieved by operating the vehicle under such performance conditions as to produce the highest possible value for distance traveled per unit of fuel consumed. The instrument panel cluster brings the operator's attention to focus upon andmore » continuously stimulated to conserving energy. Furthermore, the vehicle energy conservation indicating device can be adapted for recording these performance variables on tape type print out. The speedometer advises the vehicle operator when he is obeying or breaking the speed laws which are enforced and monitored by the police with specific punishment prescribed for violations of the law. At this time there is no comparable procedure for enforcing vehicle energy conservation. Thus, this direct read out of distance traveled per unit of energy will moderate the operation in an analogous manner similar to subliminal advertising. This device becomes the focal point of the instrument panel along with the speedometer, thereby providing constant motivation to obey both the speed and energy conservation laws.« less

  1. Systematic Calibration for a Backpacked Spherical Photogrammetry Imaging System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rau, J. Y.; Su, B. W.; Hsiao, K. W.; Jhan, J. P.

    2016-06-01

    A spherical camera can observe the environment for almost 720 degrees' field of view in one shoot, which is useful for augmented reality, environment documentation, or mobile mapping applications. This paper aims to develop a spherical photogrammetry imaging system for the purpose of 3D measurement through a backpacked mobile mapping system (MMS). The used equipment contains a Ladybug-5 spherical camera, a tactical grade positioning and orientation system (POS), i.e. SPAN-CPT, and an odometer, etc. This research aims to directly apply photogrammetric space intersection technique for 3D mapping from a spherical image stereo-pair. For this purpose, several systematic calibration procedures are required, including lens distortion calibration, relative orientation calibration, boresight calibration for direct georeferencing, and spherical image calibration. The lens distortion is serious on the ladybug-5 camera's original 6 images. Meanwhile, for spherical image mosaicking from these original 6 images, we propose the use of their relative orientation and correct their lens distortion at the same time. However, the constructed spherical image still contains systematic error, which will reduce the 3D measurement accuracy. Later for direct georeferencing purpose, we need to establish a ground control field for boresight/lever-arm calibration. Then, we can apply the calibrated parameters to obtain the exterior orientation parameters (EOPs) of all spherical images. In the end, the 3D positioning accuracy after space intersection will be evaluated, including EOPs obtained by structure from motion method.

  2. Cardiorespiratory parameters in draught horses before and after short term draught work pulling loads.

    PubMed

    Pérez, R; Recabarren, S E; Mora, G; Jara, C; Quijada, G; Hetz, E

    1992-04-01

    In order to establish the relationship between draught force and cardiorespiratory responses to exercise heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), arterial and venous blood gases, pH, hemoglobin concentration and temperature were measured in five draught horses during rest, immediately after exercise and 30 min post-exercise under field conditions. A wagon equipped with an odometer and a hydraulic dynamometer was used for measuring distance and draught force. The wagon was loaded with 946 kg for the low load, 1,979 kg for the medium load and 2,994 kg for the high load, and drawn for a distance of 1,500 m. Draught force and load weight were linearly related. The response of the draught horse to low and medium load exercise was characterized by a moderate increase in HR, RR and temperature with no significant changes in arterial blood gases and pH. An increase in HR, RR and temperature was observed, whereas no changes in arterial PO2 and increases in venous PO2 were noticed after high load exercise. Slight increase in venous lactic acid concentration as a result of high load exercise was observed, suggesting that some anaerobic work was performed. However this was insufficient to produce changes in blood pH. The increase in metabolic requirements during the three levels of draught exercise was associated with increases in arterial hemoglobin concentration and oxygen content of blood.

  3. Optical profilometer using laser based conical triangulation for inspection of inner geometry of corroded pipes in cylindrical coordinates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buschinelli, Pedro D. V.; Melo, João. Ricardo C.; Albertazzi, Armando; Santos, João. M. C.; Camerini, Claudio S.

    2013-04-01

    An axis-symmetrical optical laser triangulation system was developed by the authors to measure the inner geometry of long pipes used in the oil industry. It has a special optical configuration able to acquire shape information of the inner geometry of a section of a pipe from a single image frame. A collimated laser beam is pointed to the tip of a 45° conical mirror. The laser light is reflected in such a way that a radial light sheet is formed and intercepts the inner geometry and forms a bright laser line on a section of the inspected pipe. A camera acquires the image of the laser line through a wide angle lens. An odometer-based triggering system is used to shot the camera to acquire a set of equally spaced images at high speed while the device is moved along the pipe's axis. Image processing is done in real-time (between images acquisitions) thanks to the use of parallel computing technology. The measured geometry is analyzed to identify corrosion damages. The measured geometry and results are graphically presented using virtual reality techniques and devices as 3D glasses and head-mounted displays. The paper describes the measurement principles, calibration strategies, laboratory evaluation of the developed device, as well as, a practical example of a corroded pipe used in an industrial gas production plant.

  4. Odometry and Low-Cost Sensor Fusion in Tmm Dataset

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manzino, A. M.; Taglioretti, C.

    2016-03-01

    The aim of this study is to identify the most powerful motion model and filtering technique to represent an urban terrestrial mobile mapping (TMM) survey and ultimately to obtain the best representation of the car trajectory. The authors want to test how far a motion model and a more or less refined filtering technique could bring benefits in the determination of the car trajectory. To achieve the necessary data for the application of the motion models and the filtering techniques described in the article, the authors realized a TMM survey in the urban centre of Turin by equipping a vehicle with various instruments: a low-cost action-cam also able to record the GPS trace of the vehicle even in the presence of obstructions, an inertial measurement system and an odometer. The results of analysis show in the article indicate that the Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) technique provides good results in the determination of the vehicle trajectory, especially if the motion model considers more states (such as the positions, the tangential velocity, the angular velocity, the heading, the acceleration). The authors also compared the results obtained with a motion model characterized by four, five and six states. A natural corollary to this work would be the introduction to the UKF of the photogrammetric information obtained by the same camera placed on board the vehicle. These data would permit to establish how photogrammetric measurements can improve the quality of TMM solutions, especially in the absence of GPS signals (like urban canyons).

  5. Operational field evaluation of the PAC-MAG man-portable magnetometer array

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keranen, Joe; Topolosky, Zeke; Schultz, Gregory; Miller, Jonathan

    2013-06-01

    Detection and discrimination of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in areas of prior conflict is of high importance to the international community and the United States government. For humanitarian applications, sensors and processing methods need to be robust, reliable, and easy to train and implement using indigenous UXO removal personnel. This paper describes system characterization, system testing, and a continental United States (CONUS) Operational Field Evaluations (OFE) of the PAC-MAG man-portable UXO detection system. System testing occurred at a government test facility in June, 2010 and December, 2011 and the OFE occurred at the same location in June, 2012. NVESD and White River Technologies personnel were present for all testing and evaluation. The PAC-MAG system is a manportable magnetometer array for the detection and characterization of ferrous UXO. System hardware includes four Cesium vapor magnetometers for detection, a Real-time Kinematic Global Position System (RTK-GPS) for sensor positioning, an electronics module for merging array data and WiFi communications and a tablet computer for transmitting and logging data. An odometer, or "hipchain" encoder, provides position information in GPS-denied areas. System software elements include data logging software and post-processing software for detection and characterization of ferrous anomalies. The output of the post-processing software is a dig list containing locations of potential UXO(s), formatted for import into the system GPS equipment for reacquisition of anomalies. Results from system characterization and the OFE will be described.

  6. An Anatomically Constrained Model for Path Integration in the Bee Brain.

    PubMed

    Stone, Thomas; Webb, Barbara; Adden, Andrea; Weddig, Nicolai Ben; Honkanen, Anna; Templin, Rachel; Wcislo, William; Scimeca, Luca; Warrant, Eric; Heinze, Stanley

    2017-10-23

    Path integration is a widespread navigational strategy in which directional changes and distance covered are continuously integrated on an outward journey, enabling a straight-line return to home. Bees use vision for this task-a celestial-cue-based visual compass and an optic-flow-based visual odometer-but the underlying neural integration mechanisms are unknown. Using intracellular electrophysiology, we show that polarized-light-based compass neurons and optic-flow-based speed-encoding neurons converge in the central complex of the bee brain, and through block-face electron microscopy, we identify potential integrator cells. Based on plausible output targets for these cells, we propose a complete circuit for path integration and steering in the central complex, with anatomically identified neurons suggested for each processing step. The resulting model circuit is thus fully constrained biologically and provides a functional interpretation for many previously unexplained architectural features of the central complex. Moreover, we show that the receptive fields of the newly discovered speed neurons can support path integration for the holonomic motion (i.e., a ground velocity that is not precisely aligned with body orientation) typical of bee flight, a feature not captured in any previously proposed model of path integration. In a broader context, the model circuit presented provides a general mechanism for producing steering signals by comparing current and desired headings-suggesting a more basic function for central complex connectivity, from which path integration may have evolved. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Experience-related reorganization of giant synapses in the lateral complex: Potential role in plasticity of the sky-compass pathway in the desert ant Cataglyphis fortis.

    PubMed

    Schmitt, Franziska; Stieb, Sara Mae; Wehner, Rüdiger; Rössler, Wolfgang

    2016-04-01

    Cataglyphis desert ants undergo an age-related polyethism from interior workers to relatively short-lived foragers with remarkable visual navigation capabilities, predominantly achieved by path integration using a polarized skylight-based sun compass and a stride-integrating odometer. Behavioral and physiological experiments revealed that the polarization (POL) pattern is processed via specialized UV-photoreceptors in the dorsal rim area of the compound eye and POL sensitive optic lobe neurons. Further information about the neuronal substrate for processing of POL information in the ant brain has remained elusive. This work focuses on the lateral complex (LX), known as an important relay station in the insect sky-compass pathway. Neuroanatomical results in Cataglyphis fortis show that LX giant synapses (GS) connect large presynaptic terminals from anterior optic tubercle neurons with postsynaptic GABAergic profiles of tangential neurons innervating the ellipsoid body of the central complex. At the ultrastructural level, the cup-shaped presynaptic structures comprise many active zones contacting numerous small postsynaptic profiles. Three-dimensional quantification demonstrated a significantly higher number of GS (∼ 13%) in foragers compared with interior workers. Light exposure, as opposed to age, was necessary and sufficient to trigger a similar increase in GS numbers. Furthermore, the increase in GS numbers was sensitive to the exclusion of UV light. As previous experiments have demonstrated the importance of the UV spectrum for sky-compass navigation in Cataglyphis, we conclude that plasticity in LX GS may reflect processes involved in the initial calibration of sky-compass neuronal circuits during orientation walks preceding active foraging. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. How to find home backwards? Navigation during rearward homing of Cataglyphis fortis desert ants.

    PubMed

    Pfeffer, Sarah E; Wittlinger, Matthias

    2016-07-15

    Cataglyphis ants are renowned for their impressive navigation skills, which have been studied in numerous experiments during forward locomotion. However, the ants' navigational performance during backward homing when dragging large food loads has not been investigated until now. During backward locomotion, the odometer has to deal with unsteady motion and irregularities in inter-leg coordination. The legs' sensory feedback during backward walking is not just a simple reversal of the forward stepping movements: compared with forward homing, ants are facing towards the opposite direction during backward dragging. Hence, the compass system has to cope with a flipped celestial view (in terms of the polarization pattern and the position of the sun) and an inverted retinotopic image of the visual panorama and landmark environment. The same is true for wind and olfactory cues. In this study we analyze for the first time backward-homing ants and evaluate their navigational performance in channel and open field experiments. Backward-homing Cataglyphis fortis desert ants show remarkable similarities in the performance of homing compared with forward-walking ants. Despite the numerous challenges emerging for the navigational system during backward walking, we show that ants perform quite well in our experiments. Direction and distance gauging was comparable to that of the forward-walking control groups. Interestingly, we found that backward-homing ants often put down the food item and performed foodless search loops around the left food item. These search loops were mainly centred around the drop-off position (and not around the nest position), and increased in length the closer the ants came to their fictive nest site. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  9. Biochemical and physiological parameters and estimated work output in draught horses pulling loads for long periods.

    PubMed

    Perez, R; Recabarren, S E; Valdes, P; Hetz, E

    1992-01-01

    A study was undertaken in five draught horses of 648 +/- 33 kg body weight to find the effects of continuously pulling loads on their cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic responses. A cart equipped with an odometer, for measuring distance, and a hydraulic dynamometer, for measuring draught force, was used. Heart and respiration rates and rectal temperatures were recorded. Blood samples for measuring arterial and venous pH and blood gases, haemoglobin, glucose and lactic acid concentrations and the serum activity of the enzymes creatine phosphokinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase were taken before exercise and immediately after each journey (morning and afternoon) of the daily work. Draught exercise, with loads which generated forces of between 0.57 and 0.59 kN, at speeds of 1.60 to 2.11 m/s, for 8 h daily for five consecutive days, with resting intervals of 10 min each hour, was well tolerated. Exercise tolerance was evaluated from the recovery from the changes observed in the biochemical and physiological parameters induced by the work. The analysis of these showed that, when the horses were subjected to prolonged periods of resting, their loss of fitness for work was shown by significant increases in the serum activity of muscle-derived enzymes and in blood lactate concentrations during the first day of work. However, over the following days the horses adapted to the work, so that the decreases in serum enzyme activities and blood lactate concentrations were reduced. Since similar observations have been described for racehorses, the determination of blood lactate concentrations and the serum activities of muscle-derived enzymes, specifically CK, seem to be good indicators of fitness in draught horses.

  10. Shoulder Strength and Physical Activity Predictors of Shoulder Pain in People With Paraplegia From Spinal Injury: Prospective Cohort Study

    PubMed Central

    Hatchett, Patricia; Eberly, Valerie J.; Lighthall Haubert, Lisa; Conners, Sandy; Requejo, Philip S.

    2015-01-01

    Background Shoulder joint pain is a frequent secondary complaint for people following spinal cord injury (SCI). Objective The purpose of this study was to determine predictors of shoulder joint pain in people with paraplegia. Methods/Design A 3-year longitudinal study was conducted. Participants were people with paraplegia who used a manual wheelchair for at least 50% of their mobility and were asymptomatic for shoulder pain at study entry. Participants were classified as having developed shoulder pain if they experienced an increase of ≥10 points on the Wheelchair User's Shoulder Pain Index in the 3-year follow-up period. Measurements of maximal isometric shoulder torques were collected at study entry (baseline), 18 months, and 3 years. Daily activity was measured using a wheelchair odometer, and self-reported daily transfer and raise frequency data were collected by telephone every 6 weeks. Results Two hundred twenty-three participants were enrolled in the study; 39.8% developed shoulder pain over the 3-year follow-up period. Demographic variables and higher activity levels were not associated with shoulder pain onset. Baseline maximal isometric torque (normalized by body weight) in all shoulder muscle groups was 10% to 15% lower in participants who developed shoulder pain compared with those who remained pain-free. Lower shoulder adduction torque was a significant predictor of shoulder pain development (log-likelihood test=11.38), but the model explained only 7.5% of shoulder pain onset and consequently is of limited clinical utility. Limitations Time since SCI varied widely among participants, and transfer and raise activity was measured by participant recall. Conclusions Participants who developed shoulder pain had decreased muscle strength, particularly in the shoulder adductors, and lower levels of physical activity prior to the onset of shoulder pain. Neither factor was a strong predictor of shoulder pain onset. PMID:25721123

  11. Exercise prevents weight gain and alters the gut microbiota in a mouse model of high fat diet-induced obesity.

    PubMed

    Evans, Christian C; LePard, Kathy J; Kwak, Jeff W; Stancukas, Mary C; Laskowski, Samantha; Dougherty, Joseph; Moulton, Laura; Glawe, Adam; Wang, Yunwei; Leone, Vanessa; Antonopoulos, Dionysios A; Smith, Dan; Chang, Eugene B; Ciancio, Mae J

    2014-01-01

    Diet-induced obesity (DIO) is a significant health concern which has been linked to structural and functional changes in the gut microbiota. Exercise (Ex) is effective in preventing obesity, but whether Ex alters the gut microbiota during development with high fat (HF) feeding is unknown. Determine the effects of voluntary Ex on the gastrointestinal microbiota in LF-fed mice and in HF-DIO. Male C57BL/6 littermates (5 weeks) were distributed equally into 4 groups: low fat (LF) sedentary (Sed) LF/Sed, LF/Ex, HF/Sed and HF/Ex. Mice were individually housed and LF/Ex and HF/Ex cages were equipped with a wheel and odometer to record Ex. Fecal samples were collected at baseline, 6 weeks and 12 weeks and used for bacterial DNA isolation. DNA was subjected both to quantitative PCR using primers specific to the 16S rRNA encoding genes for Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes and to sequencing for lower taxonomic identification using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Data were analyzed using a one or two-way ANOVA or Pearson correlation. HF diet resulted in significantly greater body weight and adiposity as well as decreased glucose tolerance that were prevented by voluntary Ex (p<0.05). Visualization of Unifrac distance data with principal coordinates analysis indicated clustering by both diet and Ex at week 12. Sequencing demonstrated Ex-induced changes in the percentage of major bacterial phyla at 12 weeks. A correlation between total Ex distance and the ΔCt Bacteroidetes: ΔCt Firmicutes ratio from qPCR demonstrated a significant inverse correlation (r2 = 0.35, p = 0.043). Ex induces a unique shift in the gut microbiota that is different from dietary effects. Microbiota changes may play a role in Ex prevention of HF-DIO.

  12. In-use fuel economy of hybrid-electric school buses in Iowa.

    PubMed

    Hallmark, Shauna; Sperry, Bob; Mudgal, Abhisek

    2011-05-01

    Although it is much safer and more fuel-efficient to transport children to school in buses than in private vehicles, school buses in the United States still consume 822 million gal of diesel fuel annually, and school transportation costs can account for a significant portion of resource-constrained school district budgets. Additionally, children in diesel-powered school buses may be exposed to higher levels of particulates and other pollutants than children in cars. One solution to emission and fuel concerns is use of hybrid-electric school buses, which have the potential to reduce emissions and overall lifecycle costs compared with conventional diesel buses. Hybrid-electric technologies are available in the passenger vehicle market as well as the transit bus market and have a track record indicating fuel economy and emissions benefits. This paper summarizes the results of an in-use fuel economy evaluation for two plug-in hybrid school buses deployed in two different school districts in Iowa. Each school district selected a control bus with a route similar to that of the hybrid bus. Odometer readings, fuel consumption, and maintenance needs were recorded for each bus. The buses were deployed in 2008 and data were collected through May 2010. Fuel consumption was calculated for each school district. In Nevada, IA, the overall average fuel economy was 8.23 mpg for the hybrid and 6.35 mpg for the control bus. In Sigourney, IA, the overall average fuel economy was 8.94 mpg for the hybrid and 6.42 mpg for the control bus. The fuel consumption data were compared for the hybrid and control buses using a Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results indicate that fuel economy for the Nevada hybrid bus was 29.6% better than for the Nevada control bus, and fuel economy for the Sigourney hybrid bus was 39.2% higher than for the Sigourney control bus. Both differences were statistically significant.

  13. Exercise Prevents Weight Gain and Alters the Gut Microbiota in a Mouse Model of High Fat Diet-Induced Obesity

    PubMed Central

    Evans, Christian C.; LePard, Kathy J.; Kwak, Jeff W.; Stancukas, Mary C.; Laskowski, Samantha; Dougherty, Joseph; Moulton, Laura; Glawe, Adam; Wang, Yunwei; Leone, Vanessa; Antonopoulos, Dionysios A.; Smith, Dan; Chang, Eugene B.; Ciancio, Mae J.

    2014-01-01

    Background Diet-induced obesity (DIO) is a significant health concern which has been linked to structural and functional changes in the gut microbiota. Exercise (Ex) is effective in preventing obesity, but whether Ex alters the gut microbiota during development with high fat (HF) feeding is unknown. Objective Determine the effects of voluntary Ex on the gastrointestinal microbiota in LF-fed mice and in HF-DIO. Methods Male C57BL/6 littermates (5 weeks) were distributed equally into 4 groups: low fat (LF) sedentary (Sed) LF/Sed, LF/Ex, HF/Sed and HF/Ex. Mice were individually housed and LF/Ex and HF/Ex cages were equipped with a wheel and odometer to record Ex. Fecal samples were collected at baseline, 6 weeks and 12 weeks and used for bacterial DNA isolation. DNA was subjected both to quantitative PCR using primers specific to the 16S rRNA encoding genes for Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes and to sequencing for lower taxonomic identification using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Data were analyzed using a one or two-way ANOVA or Pearson correlation. Results HF diet resulted in significantly greater body weight and adiposity as well as decreased glucose tolerance that were prevented by voluntary Ex (p<0.05). Visualization of Unifrac distance data with principal coordinates analysis indicated clustering by both diet and Ex at week 12. Sequencing demonstrated Ex-induced changes in the percentage of major bacterial phyla at 12 weeks. A correlation between total Ex distance and the ΔCt Bacteroidetes: ΔCt Firmicutes ratio from qPCR demonstrated a significant inverse correlation (r2 = 0.35, p = 0.043). Conclusion Ex induces a unique shift in the gut microbiota that is different from dietary effects. Microbiota changes may play a role in Ex prevention of HF-DIO. PMID:24670791

  14. NAVIS-An UGV Indoor Positioning System Using Laser Scan Matching for Large-Area Real-Time Applications

    PubMed Central

    Tang, Jian.; Chen, Yuwei.; Jaakkola, Anttoni.; Liu, Jinbing.; Hyyppä, Juha.; Hyyppä, Hannu.

    2014-01-01

    Laser scan matching with grid-based maps is a promising tool for real-time indoor positioning of mobile Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs). While there are critical implementation problems, such as the ability to estimate the position by sensing the unknown indoor environment with sufficient accuracy and low enough latency for stable vehicle control, further development work is necessary. Unfortunately, most of the existing methods employ heuristics for quick positioning in which numerous accumulated errors easily lead to loss of positioning accuracy. This severely restricts its applications in large areas and over lengthy periods of time. This paper introduces an efficient real-time mobile UGV indoor positioning system for large-area applications using laser scan matching with an improved probabilistically-motivated Maximum Likelihood Estimation (IMLE) algorithm, which is based on a multi-resolution patch-divided grid likelihood map. Compared with traditional methods, the improvements embodied in IMLE include: (a) Iterative Closed Point (ICP) preprocessing, which adaptively decreases the search scope; (b) a totally brute search matching method on multi-resolution map layers, based on the likelihood value between current laser scan and the grid map within refined search scope, adopted to obtain the global optimum position at each scan matching; and (c) a patch-divided likelihood map supporting a large indoor area. A UGV platform called NAVIS was designed, manufactured, and tested based on a low-cost robot integrating a LiDAR and an odometer sensor to verify the IMLE algorithm. A series of experiments based on simulated data and field tests with NAVIS proved that the proposed IMEL algorithm is a better way to perform local scan matching that can offer a quick and stable positioning solution with high accuracy so it can be part of a large area localization/mapping, application. The NAVIS platform can reach an updating rate of 12 Hz in a feature-rich environment and 2 Hz even in a feature-poor environment, respectively. Therefore, it can be utilized in a real-time application. PMID:24999715

  15. NAVIS-An UGV indoor positioning system using laser scan matching for large-area real-time applications.

    PubMed

    Tang, Jian; Chen, Yuwei; Jaakkola, Anttoni; Liu, Jinbing; Hyyppä, Juha; Hyyppä, Hannu

    2014-07-04

    Laser scan matching with grid-based maps is a promising tool for real-time indoor positioning of mobile Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs). While there are critical implementation problems, such as the ability to estimate the position by sensing the unknown indoor environment with sufficient accuracy and low enough latency for stable vehicle control, further development work is necessary. Unfortunately, most of the existing methods employ heuristics for quick positioning in which numerous accumulated errors easily lead to loss of positioning accuracy. This severely restricts its applications in large areas and over lengthy periods of time. This paper introduces an efficient real-time mobile UGV indoor positioning system for large-area applications using laser scan matching with an improved probabilistically-motivated Maximum Likelihood Estimation (IMLE) algorithm, which is based on a multi-resolution patch-divided grid likelihood map. Compared with traditional methods, the improvements embodied in IMLE include: (a) Iterative Closed Point (ICP) preprocessing, which adaptively decreases the search scope; (b) a totally brute search matching method on multi-resolution map layers, based on the likelihood value between current laser scan and the grid map within refined search scope, adopted to obtain the global optimum position at each scan matching; and (c) a patch-divided likelihood map supporting a large indoor area. A UGV platform called NAVIS was designed, manufactured, and tested based on a low-cost robot integrating a LiDAR and an odometer sensor to verify the IMLE algorithm. A series of experiments based on simulated data and field tests with NAVIS proved that the proposed IMEL algorithm is a better way to perform local scan matching that can offer a quick and stable positioning solution with high accuracy so it can be part of a large area localization/mapping, application. The NAVIS platform can reach an updating rate of 12 Hz in a feature-rich environment and 2 Hz even in a feature-poor environment, respectively. Therefore, it can be utilized in a real-time application.

  16. Analysis of the vehicle fleet in the Kathmandu Valley for estimation of environment and climate co-benefits of technology intrusions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shrestha, Shreejan Ram; Kim Oanh, Nguyen Thi; Xu, Quishi; Rupakheti, Maheswar; Lawrence, Mark G.

    2013-12-01

    Technologies and activities of the on-road traffic fleets, including bus, van, 3-wheeler, taxi and motorcycle (MC) in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, during 2010, were investigated with the aim to produce emission estimates, using the International Vehicle Emission (IVE) model, for the base year and for an optimistic technology scenario. The parking lot survey, GPS monitoring and video camera monitoring were conducted over four typical road types (arterial, highway, residential and outskirt roads). The average age of vehicles in the bus, van, 3-wheeler, taxi and MC fleet was 9, 8.7, 11, 9.5 and 4 years, respectively. There were some extremely old buses (over 40 years old) which had extremely high emission factors. Except for MCs that had a large share of Euro III technology (75%), other types of surveyed vehicles were at most Euro II or lower. The average vehicle kilometers traveled (VKT) for each vehicle type was estimated based on odometer readings which showed comparable results with the GPS survey. The emission factors (EFs) produced by the IVE model for the driving and meteorological conditions in Kathmandu were used to estimate emissions for the base case of 2010. EFs in Kathmandu were higher than other developing cities, especially for PM and NOx from the bus fleet. Diurnal variations of the emissions were consistent with the diurnal vehicle density. From the fleet in 2010, total emissions of the major pollutants, i.e., CO, VOC, NOx, PM, BC, and CO2, were 31, 7.7, 16, 4.7, 2.1, and 1554 Gg, respectively. If the entire fleet in the Kathmandu Valley would comply with Euro III then the emission would decrease, as compared to the base case, by 44% for toxic air pollutants (excluding CO2) and 31% for climate-forcers in terms of the 20-year horizon CO2-equivalent. Future surveys should include other vehicle types such as trucks, personal cars, and non-road vehicles. The EFs obtained for the Euro III scenario in Kathmandu were well above those in other parts of the World, hence strongly suggesting influences of the driving conditions, especially the low vehicle speeds, on the vehicle emission in the valley.

  17. Tightly coupled low cost 3D RISS/GPS integration using a mixture particle filter for vehicular navigation.

    PubMed

    Georgy, Jacques; Noureldin, Aboelmagd

    2011-01-01

    Satellite navigation systems such as the global positioning system (GPS) are currently the most common technique used for land vehicle positioning. However, in GPS-denied environments, there is an interruption in the positioning information. Low-cost micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS)-based inertial sensors can be integrated with GPS and enhance the performance in denied GPS environments. The traditional technique for this integration problem is Kalman filtering (KF). Due to the inherent errors of low-cost MEMS inertial sensors and their large stochastic drifts, KF, with its linearized models, has limited capabilities in providing accurate positioning. Particle filtering (PF) was recently suggested as a nonlinear filtering technique to accommodate for arbitrary inertial sensor characteristics, motion dynamics and noise distributions. An enhanced version of PF called the Mixture PF is utilized in this study to perform tightly coupled integration of a three dimensional (3D) reduced inertial sensors system (RISS) with GPS. In this work, the RISS consists of one single-axis gyroscope and a two-axis accelerometer used together with the vehicle's odometer to obtain 3D navigation states. These sensors are then integrated with GPS in a tightly coupled scheme. In loosely-coupled integration, at least four satellites are needed to provide acceptable GPS position and velocity updates for the integration filter. The advantage of the tightly-coupled integration is that it can provide GPS measurement update(s) even when the number of visible satellites is three or lower, thereby improving the operation of the navigation system in environments with partial blockages by providing continuous aiding to the inertial sensors even during limited GPS satellite availability. To effectively exploit the capabilities of PF, advanced modeling for the stochastic drift of the vertically aligned gyroscope is used. In order to benefit from measurement updates for such drift, which are loosely-coupled updates, a hybrid loosely/tightly coupled solution is proposed. This solution is suitable for downtown environments because of the long natural outages or degradation of GPS. The performance of the proposed 3D Navigation solution using Mixture PF for 3D RISS/GPS integration is examined by road test trajectories in a land vehicle and compared to the KF counterpart.

  18. Tightly Coupled Low Cost 3D RISS/GPS Integration Using a Mixture Particle Filter for Vehicular Navigation

    PubMed Central

    Georgy, Jacques; Noureldin, Aboelmagd

    2011-01-01

    Satellite navigation systems such as the global positioning system (GPS) are currently the most common technique used for land vehicle positioning. However, in GPS-denied environments, there is an interruption in the positioning information. Low-cost micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS)-based inertial sensors can be integrated with GPS and enhance the performance in denied GPS environments. The traditional technique for this integration problem is Kalman filtering (KF). Due to the inherent errors of low-cost MEMS inertial sensors and their large stochastic drifts, KF, with its linearized models, has limited capabilities in providing accurate positioning. Particle filtering (PF) was recently suggested as a nonlinear filtering technique to accommodate for arbitrary inertial sensor characteristics, motion dynamics and noise distributions. An enhanced version of PF called the Mixture PF is utilized in this study to perform tightly coupled integration of a three dimensional (3D) reduced inertial sensors system (RISS) with GPS. In this work, the RISS consists of one single-axis gyroscope and a two-axis accelerometer used together with the vehicle’s odometer to obtain 3D navigation states. These sensors are then integrated with GPS in a tightly coupled scheme. In loosely-coupled integration, at least four satellites are needed to provide acceptable GPS position and velocity updates for the integration filter. The advantage of the tightly-coupled integration is that it can provide GPS measurement update(s) even when the number of visible satellites is three or lower, thereby improving the operation of the navigation system in environments with partial blockages by providing continuous aiding to the inertial sensors even during limited GPS satellite availability. To effectively exploit the capabilities of PF, advanced modeling for the stochastic drift of the vertically aligned gyroscope is used. In order to benefit from measurement updates for such drift, which are loosely-coupled updates, a hybrid loosely/tightly coupled solution is proposed. This solution is suitable for downtown environments because of the long natural outages or degradation of GPS. The performance of the proposed 3D Navigation solution using Mixture PF for 3D RISS/GPS integration is examined by road test trajectories in a land vehicle and compared to the KF counterpart. PMID:22163846

  19. Project of the planetary terrain analogs research for technology development and education in geodesy and image processing.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Semenov, Mikhail; Gavrushin, Nikolay; Bataev, Mikhail; Kruzhkov, Maxim; Oberst, Juergen

    2013-04-01

    The MIIGAiK Extraterrestrial Laboratory (MExLab) is currently finalizing the development the robotic mobile science platform MExRover, designed for simulating rover activities on the surface of earth-type planets and satellites. In the project, we develop a hardware and software platform for full rover operation and telemetry processing from onboard instruments, as a means of training undergraduate and postgraduate students and young scientists working in the field of planetary exploration. 1. Introduction The main aim of the project is to provide the research base for image processing development and geodesy survey. Other focus is the development of research programs with participation of students and young scientists of the University, for digital terrain model creation for macro- and microrelief surveying. MExRover would be a bridge from the old soviet Lunokhod experience to the new research base for the future rover technology development support. 2. Rover design The design of the rover and its instrument suite allows acquiring images and navigation data satisfying the requirements for photogrammetric processing. The high-quality color panoramas as well as DTMs (Digital Terrain Models) will be produced aboard and could be used for the real-time track correction and environment analysis. A local operator may control the rover remotely from a distance up to 3 km and continuously monitor all systems. The MExRover has a modular design, which provides maximum flexibility for accomplishing different tasks with different sets of additional equipment weighing up to 15 kg. The framework can be easily disassembled and fit into 3 transport boxes, which allows transporting them on foot, by car, train or plane as a the ordinary luggage. The imaging system included in the present design comprises low resolution video cameras, high resolution stereo camera, microphone and IR camera. More instruments are planned to be installed later as auxiliary equipment, such as: spectrometer, odometer, solar radiation sensor, temperature sensor, wind sensor, magnetometer and radiation detector. The first version of the MExRover is operational and now is in testing process. We are open to proposals of mutual exploitation of MExRover platform for science, education and outreach purposes. 3. Specification Dimensions W×L×H 600×1000×400/1700 mm Maximum weight 60 kg Payload weight 20 kg Cruising range 3 km Mean velocity 1 km/h Acknowledgements This work is supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation (MEGA-GRANT, Project name: "Geodesy, cartography and the study of planets and satellites", contract # 11.G34.31.0021 dd. 30.11.2010).

  20. On-site inspections of pavement damages evolution using GPR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tosti, Fabio; D'Amico, Fabrizio; Calvi, Alessandro; Benedetto, Andrea

    2014-05-01

    Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is being increasingly used for pavements maintenance due to the wide range of applications spanning from physical to geometrical inspections, thereby allowing for a reliable diagnosis of the main causes of road structural damages. In this work, an off-ground GPR system was used to investigate a large-scale rural road network. Two sets of surveys were carried out in different time periods, with the main goals to i) localize the most critical sections; ii) monitor the evolution of previous damages and localize newborn deep faults, although not revealed at the pavement surface level; iii) analyze the causes of both evolution and emergence of faults by considering environmental and human factors. A 1-GHz GPR air-launched antenna was linked to an instrumented van for collecting data at traffic speed. Other support techniques (e.g. GPS data logger, odometer, HD video camera) were used for cross-checking,. Such centre frequency of investigation along with a 25-ns time window allow for a signal penetration of 900 mm, consistent with the deepest layer interfaces. The bottom of the array was 400 mm over the surface, with a minimum distance of 1200 mm from the van body. Scan length of maximum 10 km were provided for avoiding heavy computational loads. The rural road network was located in the District of Rieti, 100 km north from Rome, Italy, and mostly develops in a hilly and mountainous landscape. In most of the investigated roads, the carriageway consists in two lanes of 3.75 meters wide and two shoulders of 0.50 meters wide. A typical road section includes a HMA layer (65 mm average thickness), a base layer (100 mm average thickness), and a subbase layer (300 mm average thickness), as described by pavement design charts. The first set of surveys was carried out in two days at the beginning of spring in moderately dry conditions. Overall, 320-km-long inspections were performed in both travel directions, thereby showing a productivity of approximately 160 km/day at 40 km/h speed, on the average. After processing and first-checking, GPR profiles were divided into homogeneous sections according to the combination of different parameters (e.g. route analyzed, long distance conditions of regularity/irregularity in layers arrangement). In such context, a high consistency between surface damages, mismatches from the GPR scans, and boundary environmental conditions was demonstrated. In addition, deep mismatches were detected even for early-stage or unrevealed faults. The second set of surveys was carried out in autumn in high humidity conditions, due to recent rainfalls. 160 km of relevant routes from the same road network were investigated. Results showed a high consistency with those collected during the first-stage of surveys. Minor changes were found in those sections with low traffic loads (e.g. farther away from the biggest town of Rieti), whereas major mismatches were detected in wetlands (e.g. close to rivers), work zones, and nearby those sections already deeply damaged in the past. This work benefited from networking activities carried out within the EU funded COST Action TU1208 'Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar'.

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