Data Telemetry System Research Articles

Improved time-variable transformer-based fault diagnosis method for satellite attitude control system

This study proposes a fault diagnosis method based on a time-variable transformer network for satellite attitude control system telemetry data, which has the properties of a time series and strong multivariate correlation. First, a time-attention module was utilised to determine the correlation between the data at a specific time and before that time to effectively identify the dynamic properties of the data. A variable attention module is introduced to capture the degree of correlation between various variables to achieve multivariate decoupling. Then, the interactive attention layer combines the dynamic properties of the data with the correlations between the variables to achieve dynamic data decorrelation. Finally, a linear layer is used to implement the fault diagnosis.

An integrated buoy-satellite based coastal water quality nowcasting system: India's pioneering efforts towards addressing UN ocean decade challenges

The Indian coastal waters are stressed due to a multitude of factors, such as the discharge of industrial effluents, urbanization (municipal sewage), agricultural runoff, and river discharge. The coastal waters along the eastern and western seaboard of India exhibit contrasting characteristics in terms of seasonality, the magnitude of river influx, circulation pattern, and degree of anthropogenic activity. Therefore, understanding these processes and forecasting their occurrence is highly necessary to secure the health of coastal waters, habitats, marine resources, and the safety of tourists. This article introduces an integrated buoy-satellite based Water Quality Nowcasting System (WQNS) to address the unique challenges of water quality monitoring in Indian coastal waters and to boost the regional blue economy. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has launched a first-of-its-kind WQNS, and positioned the buoys at two important locations along the east (Visakhapatnam) and west (Kochi) coast of India, covering a range of environmental conditions and tourist-intensive zones. These buoys are equipped with different physical-biogeochemical sensors, data telemetry systems, and integration with satellite-based observations for real-time data transmission to land. The sensors onboard these buoys continuously measure 22 water quality parameters, including surface current (speed and direction), salinity, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, phycocyanin, phycoerythrin, Coloured Dissolved Organic Matter, chlorophyll-a, turbidity, dissolved methane, hydrocarbon (crude and refined), scattering, pCO2 (water and air), and inorganic macronutrients (nitrite, nitrate, ammonium, phosphate, silicate). This real-time data is transmitted to a central processing facility at INCOIS, and after necessary quality control, the data is disseminated through the INCOIS website. Preliminary results from the WQNS show promising outcomes, including the short-term changes in the water column oxic and hypoxic regimes within a day in coastal waters off Kochi during the monsoon period, whereas effluxing of high levels of CO2 into the atmosphere associated with the mixing of water, driven by local depression in the coastal waters off Visakhapatnam. The system has demonstrated its ability to detect changes in the water column properties due to episodic events and mesoscale processes. Additionally, it offers valuable data for research, management, and policy development related to coastal water quality.

Grizzly bear responses to restrictions of recreation in Yellowstone National Park

AbstractAvoiding humans will be more difficult and energetically costly for animals as outdoor recreation increases and people venture farther into wildland areas that provide high‐quality habitat for wildlife. Restricting human access can be an attractive management tool to mitigate effects of human recreation activities on wildlife; however, the efficacy of such measures is rarely assessed. In 1982, Yellowstone National Park identified areas important to grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) to help protect critical grizzly bear habitat and reduce the likelihood of human injuries by bears. Referred to as bear management areas (BMAs), human access is restricted in these areas for 2–8 months each year, with timing and type of restrictions varying by area. We examined 2 datasets to evaluate grizzly bear selection of BMAs and differences of bear density in BMAs and non‐BMAs. First, we used 17 years of recent global positioning system telemetry data for grizzly bears to assess their selection of BMAs during periods when human access was allowed, and when access was restricted. We used step‐selection functions to test the hypothesis that bears spend time in places that allow them to avoid people and select quality food sources. There was support that grizzly bears differentially select for BMAs regardless of whether human access was restricted at the time, compared with areas outside BMAs, and that selection changed with sex and season. Only males during the summer and hyperphagic seasons changed their selection of BMAs based on whether access restrictions were in place, and overall, male bears preferred unrestricted BMAs (BMAs without restrictions in place). Females preferentially selected BMAs regardless of whether the area had access restrictions in place only during the mating season. Individuals varied widely in their preference for BMAs and access restrictions. Bears likely choose to spend time in BMAs based on available food resources rather than restrictions to human access. Supporting this interpretation, our analyses indicated that a greater proportion of BMA in an area was associated with higher densities of grizzly bear. Thus, restrictions to human access likely help reduce the potential for human–bear interactions, accomplishing one of the original objectives for establishing the BMAs.

Space use and site fidelity of wintering whooping cranes on the Texas Gulf Coast

AbstractThe Aransas‐Wood Buffalo population (the only non‐reintroduced, migratory population) of endangered whooping cranes (Grus americana) overwinters along the Texas Gulf Coast, USA. Understanding whooping crane space use on the wintering grounds reveals essential aspects of this species' ecology, which subsequently assists with conservation. Using global positioning system telemetry data from marked whooping cranes during 2009–2017, we fit continuous‐time stochastic process models to describe movement and home range using autocorrelated kernel density estimation (AKDE) and explored variation in home range size in relation to age, sex, reproductive status, and drought conditions. We used the Bhattacharyya coefficient of overlap and distance between home range centroids to quantify site fidelity. We examined the effects of time between winter home ranges and the sex of the crane on site fidelity using Bayesian mixed‐effects beta regression. Winter whooping crane 95% AKDE home range size averaged 30.1 ± 45.2 (SD) km2 (median = 14.3, range = 1.1–308.6). Home ranges of sub‐adult females were approximately 2 times larger than those of sub‐adult males or families. As drought worsened, home ranges typically expanded. Between consecutive years, the home ranges of an adult crane exhibited 68 ± 31% overlap (site fidelity), but fidelity to winter sites declined in subsequent winters. The overlap of adult home ranges with the nearest unrelated family averaged 33 ± 28%. As a whooping crane aged, overlap with its winter home range as a juvenile declined, regardless of sex. By 4 years of age, a whooping crane had approximately 14 ± 28% overlap with its juvenile winter home range. Limited evidence suggested male whooping cranes return to within 2 km of their juvenile home range by their fifth winter. Previous data obtained from aerial surveys led ecologists to assume that whooping crane families normally used small areas (~2 km2) and expressed persistent site fidelity. Our analyses showed <8% of families had home ranges ≤2 km2, with the average area 15 times greater, and waning site fidelity over time. Our work represents an analysis of whooping crane home ranges for this population, identifying past misconceptions of winter space use and resulting in better estimates of space requirements for future conservation efforts.

Variable strategies to solve risk–reward tradeoffs in carnivore communities

Mesopredator release theory suggests that dominant predators suppress subordinate carnivores and ultimately shape community dynamics, but the assumption that subordinate species are only negatively affected ignores the possibility of facilitation through scavenging. We examined the interplay within a carnivore community consisting of cougars, coyotes, black bears, and bobcats using contemporaneous Global Positioning System telemetry data from 51 individuals; diet analysis from 972 DNA-metabarcoded scats; and data from 128 physical investigations of cougar kill sites, 28 of which were monitored with remote cameras. Resource provisioning from competitively dominant cougars to coyotes through scavenging was so prolific as to be an overwhelming determinant of coyote behavior, space use, and resource acquisition. This was evident via the strong attraction of coyotes to cougar kill sites, frequent scavenging of cougar-killed prey, and coyote diets that nearly matched cougars in the magnitude of ungulate consumption. Yet coyotes were often killed by cougars and used space to minimize encounters, complicating the fitness benefits gained from scavenging. We estimated that 23% (95% CI: 8 to 55%) of the coyote population in our study area was killed by cougars annually, suggesting that coyote interactions with cougars are a complex behavioral game of risk and reward. In contrast, we found no indication that bobcat space use or diet was influenced by cougars. Black bears avoided cougars, but there was no evidence of attraction to cougar kill sites and much lower levels of ungulate consumption and carcass visitation than for coyotes. Interspecific interactions among carnivores are multifaceted, encompassing both suppression and facilitation.

Coastal buoy data acquisition and telemetry system for monitoring oceanographic and meteorological variables in the Gulf of Mexico

This paper presents a data acquisition and telemetry system designed and built to monitor oceanographic and meteorological parameters. A voltage regulator and readout module was designed for the reading of data from a set of dedicated commercial sensors and to continuously monitor the voltage level of the power supply. In order to monitor the measured parameters and the status of the buoy remotely, a data string was transmitted every hour using an Iridium satellite transceiver. The described system was implemented and tested in four coastal oceanographic buoys that were deployed and operated in remote sites in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) for several months in 2016. The data recorded by the buoys is used to describe the oceanographic and meteorological conditions at each site. The system proved to be reliable for long-term monitoring at offshore sites, requiring only minor corrective maintenance during their operation in the field.

Design and development of the PLC based sensor and instrumentation system for self-propelled pruning residue mulcher prototype

The main idea of this paper is to present a programmable logic controller (PLC) based data acquisition, telemetry, and control system for self-propelled pruning residue mulcher prototype. The main power source of the mulcher prototype is the diesel engine. Hydraulic systems were used to transmit the motion received from the motor to the wheels, pick up and mulching unit, and steering systems. The operation and control of all systems were carried out using a PLC-based electromechanical system. The objective of this paper is to develop a PLC-based measuring and controlling system in order to control, collect, and monitor the sensor-based data such as: number of cycles of the fingers in the pick-up unit, the speed of the mulcher blades, machine forward speed, fuel consumption, and pump pressures. In the system, an embedded industrial computer and differential global positioning system (DGPS) were used to assist in real-time measuring, recording, controlling, and displaying all the sensor data during the field operation. The control of the machine is built using industry-standard off-the-shelf PLCs. The data acquisition software was written using VB.NET programming language. The PLC-based sensor and instrumentation system was tested and validated on different orchards. Test results show that the developed control and data acquisition system is well qualified with high control precision and high reaction speed. The developed machine is the first self-propelled agricultural mulcher machine developed in Turkey. And there is no other example in the world in terms of using PLC-based control and data acquisition system in self-propelled pruning residue mulchers.

Graph neural network approach for anomaly detection

To ensure the stable long-time operation of satellites, evaluate the satellite status, and improve satellite maintenance efficiency, we propose an anomaly detection method based on graph neural network and dynamic threshold (GNN-DTAN). Firstly, we build the graph neural network model for telemetry data. The graph construction module in the model extracts the relationship between features, and the spatial dependency extraction module and the temporal dependency extraction module extract the spatial and temporal dependencies of the data, respectively. The trained model is then used to predict the data, and the anomaly score between the predicted and actual values is calculated. Finally, the wavelet variance is used to analyze the data period. A dynamic threshold method based on the period time window is used to detect anomalies in the data set. Experimental results of satellite power system telemetry data show that the proposed algorithm's accuracy reaches more than 98%, with good effectiveness and robustness.

Development of an Onboard and Wireless Data Telemetry Systems for Electric Vehicle

This research aims to design and develop a data monitoring and acquisition system of an onboard and wireless data telemetry system for electric vehicle. The scopes of this research are sensor integrations (6DOF IMU sensor and voltage sensor), creating a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for onboard monitoring system, conducting tests on data acquired by systems and connection’s durability testing for the developed systems. The onboard system consists of Arduino Uno, sensors, a serial communication module, LCD display and a memory card which is fitted onto RC car for data recording. The data is transmitted to the wireless system via radio frequency through the serial communication module. The wireless system consisting of Arduino Uno and a serial communication module are connected to a laptop. The data collected from both systems are compared to ensure minimal data losses. It is found that there are no data losses between the data transmitted and received. As an outcome from this research, a telemetry system has been developed to be used on RC cars.

The Debate About Bait: A Red Herring in Wildlife Research

ABSTRACTThe use of bait (or attractants) to lure animals to a sampling site is common in wildlife research and important for optimizing species detection rates. The effect of bait on animal movement and space‐use, however, is contested, fueled by concerns bait may affect animal movement and increase residency time. If founded, bait may bias parameter estimates from density, species distribution, resource selection, or behavioral models, produce spurious ecological inferences, and skew resulting management recommendations. To test whether animal movement varies with proximity to bait, we used high‐resolution global positioning system telemetry data of 10 fishers (Pekania pennanti), temporally paired with 64 baited wildlife camera traps, to quantify the effect of bait on individual and population movement metrics. Although bait appeared to have a significant correlative effect on 1‐hour movement segments, landscape characteristics had an effect 1.7 times greater, where the proportion of mixed forest and cultivation explained the majority of variability in animal movements. We contend that maximizing probability of detection and controlling or modeling local‐scale landscape variability that could affect the probability of detection is a more important consideration in wildlife research than the effect of bait, which is eclipsed by differences incurred by natural habitat heterogeneity. Failing to maximize the probability of detection may obscure the modest bias potentially presented by the use of bait, or attractants, on ecological inference. © 2019 The Wildlife Society

Optimization of a Dual-Band Wireless Power and Data Telemetry System Using Genetic Algorithm

Inductively coupled coils are commonly used in implanted biomedical electronic devices for wireless power and data transmission. The design challenges include high power transmission efficiency, high data rate, and overall low power operation. This article uses genetic algorithm for the optimization which has the advantages of global optimization, capability of handling multiple targets, and providing multiple solutions. —Shuenn-Yuh Lee, National Cheng Kung University

Implanted dual‐band circular antenna for biomedical applications

AbstractA compact dual‐band circular patch antenna is designed for implanted biomedical data telemetry systems. Several miniaturization techniques were applied to cover dual bands. The antenna has a radius of 7.5 mm, a thickness of 1.92 mm and a total volume of 340 mm3. The antenna covers MedRadio (401–405 MHz), MICS (402–405 MHz), and ISM bands (433.2–434.8 MHz, 2.4–2.5 GHz). The −10 dB bandwidths are 346–460 MHz (114 MHz) and 2.37–2.63 GHz (260 MHz). The designed antenna was fabricated and its performance was tested inside flesh samples.

The structure and knowledge flow of building information modeling based on patent citation network analysis

Abstract Building information modeling (BIM) creates new business value and innovation in the construction engineering industry. This study identifies BIM technology structure and the characteristics of knowledge flow through a patent citation network. A technology patent database was collected with backward and forward citation patents currently registered in the US Patents and Trademark Office and identified by the Cooperative Patent Classification. Technology citation networks interact and follow the power law distribution. The analysis of individual patent characteristics and intermediaries revealed digital data processing and telemetry systems as core technology fields stimulating innovative BIM technology. This study overcomes the limitations of previous methods of technology forecasting that have depended on expert opinion or peer review by performing a patent big data analysis to ascertain the domain of the BIM industry. This approach could soon be applied to R&D strategy planning and competition in business and the development of cutting-edge technology.

Validation of an ingestible temperature data logging and telemetry system during exercise in the heat

ABSTRACTAim: Intestinal temperature telemetry systems are promising monitoring and research tools in athletes. However, the additional equipment that must be carried to continuously record temperature data limits their use to training. The purpose of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of a new gastrointestinal temperature data logging and telemetry system (e-Celsius™) during water bath experimentation and exercise trials. Materials and Methods: Temperature readings of 23 pairs of e-Celsius (TeC) and VitalSense (TVS) ingestible capsules were compared to rectal thermistor responses (Trec) at 35, 38.5 and 42°C in a water bath. Devices were also assessed in vivo during steady-state cycling (n = 11) and intermittent running (n = 11) in hot conditions. Results: The water bath experiment showed TVS and TeC under-reported Trec (P<0.001). This underestimation of Trec also occurred during both cycling (mean bias vs TVS: 0.21°C, ICC: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.66–0.91; mean bias vs. TeC: 0.44°C, ICC: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.07–0.86, P<0.05) and running trials (mean bias vs. TVS: 0.15°C, ICC: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.83–0.96; mean bias vs. TeC: 0.25, ICC: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.61–0.94, P<0.05). However, calibrating the devices attenuated this difference during cycling and eliminated it during running. During recovery following cycling exercise, TeC and TVS were significantly lower than Trec despite calibration (P<0.01). Conclusion: These results indicate that both TeC and TVS under-report Trec during steady-state and intermittent exercise in the heat, with TeC predicting Trec with the least accuracy of the telemetry devices. It is therefore recommended to calibrate these devices at multiple temperatures prior to use.

Wireless gigabit data telemetry for large-scale neural recording.

Implantable wireless neural recording from a large ensemble of simultaneously acting neurons is a critical component to thoroughly investigate neural interactions and brain dynamics from freely moving animals. Recent researches have shown the feasibility of simultaneously recording from hundreds of neurons and suggested that the ability of recording a larger number of neurons results in better signal quality. This massive recording inevitably demands a large amount of data transfer. For example, recording 2000 neurons while keeping the signal fidelity ( > 12 bit, > 40 KS/s per neuron) needs approximately a 1-Gb/s data link. Designing a wireless data telemetry system to support such (or higher) data rate while aiming to lower the power consumption of an implantable device imposes a grand challenge on neuroscience community. In this paper, we present a wireless gigabit data telemetry for future large-scale neural recording interface. This telemetry comprises of a pair of low-power gigabit transmitter and receiver operating at 60GHz, and establishes a short-distance wireless link to transfer the massive amount of neural signals outward from the implanted device. The transmission distance of the received neural signal can be further extended by an externally rendezvous wireless transceiver, which is less power/heat-constraint since it is not at the immediate proximity of the cortex and its radiated signal is not seriously attenuated by the lossy tissue. The gigabit data link has been demonstrated to achieve a high data rate of 6 Gb/s with a bit-error-rate of 10(-12) at a transmission distance of 6mm, an applicable separation between transmitter and receiver. This high data rate is able to support thousands of recording channels while ensuring a low energy cost per bit of 2.08 pJ/b.

Environmental factors and habitat use influence body condition of individuals in a species at risk, the grizzly bear.

Metrics used to quantify the condition or physiological states of individuals provide proactive mechanisms for understanding population dynamics in the context of environmental factors. Our study examined how anthropogenic disturbance, habitat characteristics and hair cortisol concentrations interpreted as a sex-specific indicator of potential habitat net-energy demand affect the body condition of grizzly bears (n = 163) in a threatened population in Alberta, Canada. We quantified environmental variables by modelling spatial patterns of individual habitat use based on global positioning system telemetry data. After controlling for gender, age and capture effects, we assessed the influence of biological and environmental variables on body condition using linear mixed-effects models in an information theoretical approach. Our strongest model suggested that body condition was improved when patterns of habitat use included greater vegetation productivity, increased influence of forest harvest blocks and oil and gas well sites, and a higher percentage of regenerating and coniferous forest. However, body condition was negatively affected by habitat use in close proximity to roads and in areas where potential energetic demands were high. Poor body condition was also associated with increased selection of parks and protected areas and greater seasonal vegetation productivity. Adult females, females with cubs-of-year, juvenile females and juvenile males were in poorer body condition compared with adult males, suggesting that intra-specific competition and differences in habitat use based on gender and age may influence body condition dynamics. Habitat net-energy demand also tended to be higher in areas used by females which, combined with observed trends in body condition, could affect reproductive success in this threatened population. Our results highlight the importance of considering spatiotemporal variability in environmental factors and habitat use when assessing the body condition of individuals. Long-term and large-scale monitoring of the physiological state of individuals provides a more comprehensive approach to support management and conservation of species at risk.

Quantifying grizzly bear selection of natural and anthropogenic edges

Understanding the use of edges by threatened species is important for conservation and management. Whereas the effects of anthropogenic edges on threatened species have been studied, the effects of natural edges are unknown. We studied grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) habitat selection in relation to different landscape-level measures of edge, both natural and anthropogenic. We used a database of global positioning system telemetry data collected from 26 grizzly bears from 2005 to 2009 in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in west-central Alberta, Canada. We quantified grizzly bear locations relative to natural edges extracted from satellite-derived land cover data and anthropogenic edges from existing vector datasets (roads, pipelines, and forest harvests). To compare edge distance from observed telemetry points statistically, we generated a distribution of expected points through a conditional randomization of an existing resource selection function describing grizzly bear habitat use without respect to edges. We also measured the density of edges within home ranges and compared this to the overall population to create an edge selection ratio. In general, females selected anthropogenic edges, whereas males selected natural edges. Both sexes selected the natural transition (edge) of shrub to conifer. Females had a greater selection ratio for road edges than males in all seasons, and males had a greater selection ratio for roads in the fall than in other seasons. Only females selected for pipeline edges. Our results indicated that edge habitat was selected by both males and females, mostly in the fall. Given human access to bear habitat is often facilitated by anthropogenic edges (e.g., roads), improved management of these features may minimize human conflicts. In particular, we highlight the importance of the natural transition of shrub to conifer to grizzly bears. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.

Range and local population densities of brown bear Ursus arctos in Slovenia

Solid understanding of species’ range and local population densities is important for successful wildlife management and research. Specific behavioral and ecological characteristics make brown bear Ursus arctos a difficult species to study. We present a map of range and local population densities of brown bears in Slovenia, made with the use of a new approach similar to voting classifications based on a combination of four datasets: Global Positioning System telemetry data, records of bear removals, systematic and opportunistic direct observations and signs of bear presence, and noninvasive genetic samples. Results indicate that the majority of bears in Slovenia live in Dinaric Mountains in the southern part of the country where local bear population densities exceed 40 bears/100 km2. This is one of the highest population densities reported so far for this species worldwide. Population densities decrease towards the north (Alpine region) and are very low along the border with Italy and Austria where almost no females are present. This explains slow past and present expansion of this transboundary bear population into the Alps and should be considered in future bear re-colonization management strategies. Results also showed that data from observations and removals overestimate bear population densities at low values, while mortality and genetic data overestimate population densities in areas with more people. Nevertheless, all data types appeared useful for describing the general bear distribution patterns. Similar approach could be applied to studies of other charismatic or game species, for which several types of data are often available.

PILOT STUDIES WITH A PHOTOGRAMMETRIC GLACIER LAKE OUTBURST FLOOD EARLY WARNING SYSTEM

Abstract. Glacier Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) depict an environmental risk with an increasing damage potential in many regions of the world. GLOFs are often caused by glacier margin lakes, which suddenly find a drainage path underneath the bottom of a glacier, which is destabilized and retreating as a consequence of local or global climate changes. In a typical GLOF event, a glacier margin lake may drain completely in 24 hours, causing a large flood wave in the area downstream the glacier. The paper documents some recent GLOF events in the Northern Patagonian Icefield (Chile) and presents a terrestrial photogrammetric glacier margin lake monitoring system. The system is based on a camera taking images at regular time intervals. In these images, variations of the water level can be detected by tracking the water-land interface at pre-defined image spots. Due to the drainage mechanism, which is characterized by progressive erosion and melting at the bottom of the glacier, GLOFs are indicated by a progressive water level drop in the lake. Water level changes may be detected with subpixel accuracy by image sequence processing methods. If a 3D model of the lake bottom topography (or at least one height profile through the lake) exists, water level changes in monoscopic image sequences may be transformed into volume loss. The basic idea herein is the intersection of a terrain profile with a water level detected in the image and projected into object space. The camera orientation is determined through a GPS-supported photogrammetric network. Camera orientation changes, which may for instance be induced by wind, can be compensated by tracking some fiducial marks in the image. The system has been used in a pilot study at two glacier margin lakes in the Northern Patagonian Icefield. These lakes have a depth of about 80 - 100 meters. The larger one has a length of 5 km and a maximum volume of about 200,000,000 cubic meters. During the pilot study, several GLOF events could be recorded and processed. Water level changes can be determined at decimeter level precision. The results prove the feasibility of the concept, which has to be completed by a data telemetry and alarm system.

Two-Channel Passive Data Telemetry With Remote RF Powering for High-Performance Wireless and Batteryless Strain Sensing Microsystem Applications

A reliable two-channel passive data telemetry system with remote RF powering capability is developed for high-performance industrial wireless and batteryless microelectromechanical systems strain sensing applications. The prototype system is insensitive to mechanical rotation and can simultaneously transmit and receive digitized Manchester-encoded strain and temperature data at 2.5 Mb/s and 125 kb/s by employing passive phase-shift keying and passive amplitude-shift keying modulation schemes, respectively, over the same wireless link used for remotely RF powering the strain sensing microsystem. The remote RF powering system can produce a stable on-chip dc voltage of 2.8 V with a 2-mA current supply capability from a 50-MHz energy source. The demonstrated performance is critical for realizing a wireless and batteryless strain sensing microsystem, which can provide a high-resolution and high-data rate strain information together with a low-data rate temperature information for real-time calibration and intelligent system control.