Automation Applications Research Articles

Setting up a Digital Twin Assisted Greenhouse Architecture

The present article contains a study about utilizing the Digital Twins concept in the field of contemporary agricultural production. Through this study, an exemplary architecture has been developed regarding the conversion of a conventional greenhouse to a digital greenhouse. A digital greenhouse modus operandi features a great number of advantages compared with the traditional workflow in a conventional greenhouse. The purpose of the work is to propose tools for assisting the possible reduction of the consumption of the used resources for the crops. This requires the application of automation of tools for cultivation such as Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). The article shows that the Digital Twins concept can immensely contribute towards controlling the agricultural environment and at the same time improve performance and quality while reducing the consumption of resources for a variety of crops. The proposed workflow starts by identifying the parameters that need to be taken into account and finally proposes several cyber and physical tools for setting up a Digital Twin for the case of a greenhouse. The objective of this study was the development of a DT architecture that would be able to optimize productivity in the context of CEA applications.

The application of Robotic Process Automation in the financial accounting in entities that operate in Poland

Purpose: The article discusses the concept of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and examines the level of its application in the area of financial accounting in Polish compa-nies. Methodology/approach: The article uses quantitative research in the form of a ques-tionnaire, which was conducted based on a purposeful sampling of respondents. Taking into account the nature of the questions and scales included in the research tool, de-scriptive statistics measures were used in the data analysis in the study. Findings: The research showed that among entities that use RPA in Poland, robotiza-tion is mainly used in the area of financial accounting. Further analysis indicated that robots are implemented mainly either in processes with a high volume of transactions (like sales or purchases) or in processes determined by internally generated data (month-end closing, financial reporting). It also shows that entities that implemented RPA mainly have a long history of operation and are large corporations employing over 1,000 employees. Research limitations/implications: The article is a contribution to research on the use of RPA in accounting and it identifies the benefits and threats that result from us-ing RPA. Practical implications: This article indicates that financial accounting is the area that is most often the subject of robotization among entities that apply RPA in Poland. Addi-tionally, it presents the specific processes within financial accounting in which the ap-plication of robotization is most popular. The results of the research give a clear direc-tion both for the companies that are at the initial stage of implementing RPA and those that are considering expanding its application. Originality/value: The article covers the current and relatively little-known area of contemporary financial accounting. The literature review, especially the Polish litera-ture, indicates that the area of applying RPA in accounting is a new topic. This study is one of the first to present the results of research conducted among entities operating in Poland.

Application of Mechanical Manufacturing and Automation in Elevator Manufacturing

Application of Mechanical Manufacturing and Automation in Elevator Manufacturing

Actuation-Coordinated Mobile Parallel Robots With Hybrid Mobile and Manipulation Functions

Abstract Mobile robots with manipulation capability are a key technology that enables flexible robotic interactions, large area covering and remote exploration. This paper presents a novel class of actuation-coordinated mobile parallel robots (ACMPRs) that utilize parallel mechanism configurations and perform hybrid moving and manipulation functions through coordinated wheel actuators. The ACMPRs differ with existing mobile manipulators by their unique combination of the mobile wheel actuators and the parallel mechanism topology through prismatic joint connections. Common motion of the wheels will provide mobile function while their relative motion will actuate the parallel manipulation function. This new concept reduces actuation requirement and increases manipulation accuracy and mobile motion stability through coordinated and connected wheel actuators comparing with existing mobile parallel manipulators. The relative wheel location on the base frame also enables a reconfigurable base size with variable moving stability on the ground. The basic concept and general type synthesis are introduced and followed by kinematics and inverse dynamics analysis of a selected three limb ACMPR. A numerical simulation also illustrates the dynamics model and the motion property of the new mobile parallel robot (MPR) followed by a prototype-based experimental validation. The work provides a basis for introducing this new class of robots for potential applications in surveillance, industrial automation, construction, transportation, human assistance, medical applications, and other operations in extreme environment such as nuclear plants, Mars, etc.

Discussion on the Application and Analysis of Electrical Automation in Electrical Engineering

Discussion on the Application and Analysis of Electrical Automation in Electrical Engineering

Dependability‐aware routing and scheduling for Time‐Sensitive Networking

Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) extends IEEE 802.1 Ethernet for safety-critical and real-time applications in several areas, for example, automotive, aerospace or industrial automation. However, many of these systems also have stringent security requirements, and security attacks may impair safety. Given a TSN-based distributed architecture, a set of applications with tasks and messages as well as a set of security and redundancy requirements, the authors are interested to synthesise a system configuration such that the real-time, safety and security requirements are upheld. The Timed Efficient Stream Loss-Tolerant Authentication (TESLA) low-resource multicast authentication protocol is used to guarantee the security requirements and redundant disjunct message routes to tolerate link failures. The authors consider that tasks are dispatched using a static cyclic schedule table and that the messages use the time-sensitive traffic class in TSN, which relies on schedule tables (called Gate Control Lists, GCLs) in the network switches. A configuration consists of the schedule tables for tasks as well as the disjoint routes and GCLs for messages. A Constraint Programing-based formulation, which can be used to find an optimal solution with respect to the cost function, is proposed. Additionally, a Simulated Annealing-based metaheuristic, which can find good solution for large test cases, is proposed. The authors evaluate both approaches on several test cases.

LiDAR-Stabilised GNSS-IMU Platform Pose Tracking.

The requirement to estimate the six degree-of-freedom pose of a moving platform frequently arises in automation applications. It is common to estimate platform pose by the fusion of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) measurements and translational acceleration and rotational rate measurements from an inertial measurement unit (IMU). This paper considers a specific situation where two GNSS receivers and one IMU are used and gives the full formulation of a Kalman filter-based estimator to do this. A limitation in using this sensor set is the difficulty of obtaining accurate estimates of the degree of freedom corresponding to rotation about the line passing through the two GNSS receiver antenna centres. The GNSS-aided IMU formulation is extended to incorporate LiDAR measurements in both known and unknown environments to stabilise this degree of freedom. The performance of the pose estimator is established by comparing expected LiDAR range measurements with actual range measurements. Distributions of the terrain point-to-model error are shown to improve from mean error to when the GNSS-aided IMU estimator is augmented with LiDAR measurements. This precision is marginally degraded to when the pose estimator is operated in an a prior unknown environment.

Editorial: Special Issue on Robotics Collaborative Technology Alliance (RCTA) Program

The growing technology investment in driverless cars, warehouse automation, human-service robots, and artificial intelligence applications in our daily lives is inspiring. However, the majority of this effort assumes a structured environment, which leaves significant, unsolved problems for autonomous robots operating in unstructured environments. Beginning in 2010, the U.S. Combat Capabilities Development Command, Army Research Laboratory (ARL), funded a 10-year research program, the Robotics Collaborative Technology Alliance (RCTA), which brought together scientists and engineers from government, academia, and industry to develop autonomous mobile robot technologies focused on solving the unique research challenges of operating in unstructured environments. While the underlying motivation came from helping soldiers operating in Army-relevant environments, the benefits extend to scenarios ranging from disasters, to planetary exploration, to reducing reliance on extensive prior knowledge in structured environments. Initially, the program focused around four key robotics technology areas: perception, intelligence, human-robot interaction, and dexterous manipulation and unique mobility (DMUM). In the program’s last several years, focus shifted to integrated capabilities, built upon the pillars of success already achieved. This revised, system-oriented approach laid the foundation for many experiments in laboratory, simulation, and field environments. The program concluded with a capstone demonstration that showcased advanced robotic capabilities for the stakeholders. This special issue highlights robotics technology developed during the RCTA program, progress of which was evaluated and documented through research articles, field experiments, and hardware/software system descriptions. The program produced hundreds of published papers describing innovations in multiple, autonomy-related research areas throughout the program. The papers selected for this special issue describe more recent work, and range from individual research advances to lessons learned from conducting system-level field experiments.

Head Tracking in Automotive Environments for Driver Monitoring Using a Low Resolution Thermal Camera

The steady enhancement of driver assistance systems and the automation of driving functions are in need of advanced driver monitoring functionalities. To evaluate the driver state, several parameters must be acquired. A basic parameter is the position of the driver, which can be useful for comfort automation or medical applications. Acquiring the position through cameras can be used to provide multiple information at once. When using infrared cameras, not only the position information but also the thermal information is available. Head tracking in the infrared domain is still a challenging task. The low resolution of affordable sensors makes it especially difficult to achieve high robustness due the lack of detailed images. In this paper, we present a novel approach for robust head tracking based on template matching and optical flow. The method has been tested on various sets of subjects containing different head shapes. The evaluation does not only include the original sensor size, but also downscaled images to simulate low resolution sensors. A comparison with the ground truth is performed for X- and Y-coordinate separately for each downscaled resolution.

Monitoring a bioengineering class in a professional engineering specialization: is there concatenation of learning?

This paper presents the follow-up of a bioengineering class within a professional engineering specialization, whose objective is to analyze whether this integration makes sense academically. The class presents special applications of automation, being bioengineering and energy management. Its main objective is to present particular ways of applying automation concepts, their particular fundamentals (of each area) and the similarities of this kind of special project. Bioengineering refers to the application of the techniques and methods of engineering and exact sciences in the development of artificial organs and auxiliary devices of biological systems. The following analysis strategies were used: (i) ratio of grades obtained from the students of the class; (ii) impressions of two students of the class; and (iii) impression of two professors of the class. Based on the pass results, students' feedback and the report of the professors involved in the class, it is possible to state that the bioengineering class did not have any negative influence within the students' education. Moreover, it may have had a positive performance by: (i) reinforcing the assimilation of scientific methodology in students; (ii) presenting special automation applications that may have expanded the student's professional prospection; and (iii) stimulating the emergence of new engineering solutions within medicine.

Implementation of Robots Integration in Scaled Laboratory Environment for Factory Automation

Robotic systems for research and development of factory automation are complex and unavailable for broad deployment in robotic laboratory settings. The usual robotic factory automation setup consists of series of sensors, robotic arms and mobile robots integrated and orchestrated by a central information system. Cloud-based integration has been gaining traction in recent years. In order to build such a system in a laboratory environment, there are several practical challenges that have to be resolved to come to a point when such a system can become operational. In this paper, we present the development of one such system composed of (i) a cloud-based system built on top of open platform for innovation in logistics, (ii) a prototyped mobile robot with a forklift to manipulate pallets in a “factory” floor, and (iii) industrial robot ABB IRB 140 with a customized gripper and various sensors. A mobile robot is designed as an autonomous four Mecanum wheels system with on-board LiDAR and RGB-D sensor for simultaneous localization and mapping. The paper shows a use case of the overall system and highlights the advantages of having a laboratory setting with real robots for the research of factory automation in a laboratory environment. Moreover, the proposed solution could be scaled and replicated in real factory automation applications.

Peningkatan Kompetensi Pustakawan Melalui Penerapan Otomasi Perpustakaan di Perpustakaan SMKN 3 Bandung

This study aims to determine the competence of librarians, which will certainly have a major influence on the development of libraries, supported by a slim-based information technology system, to what extent librarians' competence through the application of automation using window theory contains three indicators, namely: knowledge, skills and attitudes. This research uses descriptive qualitative method with interview techniques. Based on the results, the implementation of this automation system can make it easier for librarians to complete their tasks. The school librarian participates in various activities such as practices that are followed during lectures, training and other seminars organized by the government for those who do not have a library educational background. This can increase the librarian's competence after carrying out these activities. At the time of implementing this automation system, librarians experience several problems, such as unstable internet networks, inadequate computers, and computers that often interfere with data loss, therefore librarians still apply manual systems.

Fruits and Vegetables Grading Using Digital Image Processing Techniques

New safe and fast methods for grading of fruits have important place in agricultural economy. At the present time traditional grading methods have still been used broadly. But high costs and some inconsistencies guide post harvesting industry to automation applications in classification operations. Recently, enterprises incline towards to automation systems for increasing working capacity and decreasing working costs. Inconsistencies associated with manual grading decrease when automated grading systems are used. Thus, error rate and costs decrease while speed increases. As known; size, shape, color and tissue are base criteria in the classification process. In this study, automatic apple grading by size and color using digital cameras and computerized image processing techniques were studied. The assembled system has achieved basic tasks but it needs to be developed further. Key words: Image process, Digital image process, Machine vision, Fruit classification

Potentials of combined visible light and near infrared imaging for driving automation

An extension of automotive imaging from the visible (VIS) to the near infrared (NIR) spectrum is promising for driving automation applications because the technology is readily available and offers potential benefits in low visibility conditions, in low light conditions with active illumination, and by collection of complementary data. We propose the evaluation of VIS-NIR imaging in simulation using an extended version of our camera simulation and optimization framework. Our extended framework generates realistic spectral irradiance data of synthetic scenes in the VIS and NIR spectral range and includes physically based camera models with characteristic increased NIR sensitivity of VIS-NIR CMOS imagers, modified automotive VIS-NIR color filter arrays and adapted image processing. We evaluate the reproduction of potential benefits of VIS-NIR imaging in our simulated camera images using exemplary night time and daylight traffic scenes, and discuss further extensions for creation of a well-balanced VIS-NIR dataset for quantitative evaluation.

АВТОМАТИЗАЦИЯ И ЦИФРОВИЗАЦИЯ ОБЪЕКТОВ ЭЛЕКТРОЭНЕРГЕТИКИ

The application of automation and digitalization systems for the efficient use of electricity is con-sidered. The theoretical, technical and practical advantages and disadvantages of using this approach in the electric power industry have been determined. Provides an analysis of energy policy on the use of various types of energy sources in different countries. The trends in the de-velopment of the electric power industry associated with the introduction of automation systems are outlined.

From Platform to Knowledge Graph: Evolution of Laboratory Automation.

High-fidelity computer-aided experimentation is becoming more accessible with the development of computing power and artificial intelligence tools. The advancement of experimental hardware also empowers researchers to reach a level of accuracy that was not possible in the past. Marching toward the next generation of self-driving laboratories, the orchestration of both resources lies at the focal point of autonomous discovery in chemical science. To achieve such a goal, algorithmically accessible data representations and standardized communication protocols are indispensable. In this perspective, we recategorize the recently introduced approach based on Materials Acceleration Platforms into five functional components and discuss recent case studies that focus on the data representation and exchange scheme between different components. Emerging technologies for interoperable data representation and multi-agent systems are also discussed with their recent applications in chemical automation. We hypothesize that knowledge graph technology, orchestrating semantic web technologies and multi-agent systems, will be the driving force to bring data to knowledge, evolving our way of automating the laboratory.

Analysis on the Application of Instrument Measurement and Automation

Analysis on the Application of Instrument Measurement and Automation

Digitalization and Automation in Intermodal Freight Transport and Their Potential Application for Low-Income Countries

This paper presents an assessment of enabling technologies in intermodal freight transport. It first identifies the technologies used in intermodal freight transport globally using a systematic literature review. Then, it characterizes intermodal freight transport in the context of low-income countries to assess the potential application of digitalization and automation for the countries. Countries with a per capita gross national income (GNI) lower than $1025 are categorized as low-income countries. To achieve the objectives, a review was undertaken of 147 published articles from Scopus, Web of Science, and Transport Research International Documentation (TRID). Furthermore, distinctions of intermodal transport in low-income countries were also characterized using gray literature. A number of enabling technologies applied at components of intermodal transport were identified. The results demonstrated that several enabling technologies such as wireless communication technology, sensors, positioning technology, and web-based platforms are highly utilized in intermodal freight transport globally. In contrast, electronic data interchange (EDI), wireless communication technologies, and web-based platforms also have potential applications in low-income countries, and their adoption should be studied further.

Experimental Evaluation of Teleoperated Control of Cyborg Insects between Bangladesh and Japan

The teleoperation system is very popular for various medical, industrial, and automation applications. During the covid19 pandemic, people understood the importance of the teleoperation system because people could not move from one place to another for travel restrictions. Recently cyborg insects have been a hot research topic for search and rescue operations. However, controlling cyborg insects is not easy because insects are living things and have a biological control system. Only experts can balance the biological and electrical control systems. Otherwise, too much stimulation could kill the insects. This study aimed to develop a cyborg cockroach controlling system for search and rescue operations using the teleoperation technique. The teleoperation system communication link was established between Japan to Bangladesh. These experimental results show that the cyborg insects control accuracy 88% using a teleoperation system. Finally, this study will help control the cyborg insects for search and rescue operations by an expert operator anywhere any the world.

Direct Discretized Kernel Identification for Continuous Agglomeration Processes

Continuous particle agglomeration processes are important size-enlargement unit operations applied in the food, pharmaceutical and agricultural industry. For the improvement of these processes predictive mathematical models are of utmost importance. A widely applied modeling framework is the population balance equation, where the agglomeration kinetics are described by the so-called agglomeration kernel. The identification of functions describing these kinetics has turned out to be a challenging task. Therefore, this article deals with identifying such a kernel function by minimizing the L2-residual between experimentally obtained particle size distributions and simulations. The application of a stochastic gradient descent algorithm with automatic differentiation for minimization allows for the direct identification of the high-dimensional matrix representing the discretized kernel function. The comparison between the simulated and measured size distribution shows that the identified kernel is able to accurately describe the evolution of the particle size distribution. The algorithm presented in this contribution can be applied to a variety of similar processes and the identified kernels can be used in process optimization and automation applications.