Low-cost Minicomputer Research Articles

Assessing the Performance of a Speech Recognition System Embedded in Low-Cost Devices

The main purpose of this research is to investigate how an Amazigh speech recognition system can be integrated into a low-cost minicomputer, specifically the Raspberry Pi, in order to improve the system's automatic speech recognition capabilities. The study focuses on optimizing system parameters to achieve a balance between performance and limited system resources. To achieve this, the system employs a combination of Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), Gaussian Mixture Models (GMMs), and Mel Frequency Spectral Coefficients (MFCCs) with a speaker-independent approach. The system has been developed to recognize 20 Amazigh words, comprising of 10 commands and the first ten Amazigh digits. The results indicate that the recognition rate achieved on the Raspberry Pi system is 89.16% using 3 HMMs, 16 GMMs, and 39 MFCC coefficients. These findings demonstrate that it is feasible to create effective embedded Amazigh speech recognition systems using a low-cost minicomputer such as the Raspberry Pi. Furthermore, Amazigh linguistic analysis has been implemented to ensure the accuracy of the designed embedded speech system.

Implementation of 3D Sound Effects for Museums Using Raspberry Pi and Home Theatre System

In recent years, museums are exploring digital and computer technologies to enhance visitor experience and for that purpose a variety of systems for creating 3D sound effects for museums have been implemented. The growth of the performance of low-cost minicomputers leads to the issue of their integration with home theatre systems for simple implementation of 3D sound effects. This paper presents one solution for implementing 3D sound effects for auditory illusions immersive experiences in museums using the Raspberry Pi minicomputer and a home theatre system with 5.1 surround sound. With this solution it is possible to create a museum visitor detector via Raspberry Pi that uses motion detection to trigger 3D sound playing on a home theatre system. The solution was experimentally tested developing an audio system called “Auditory Illusions for Concentration Camp Museums”. The system was developed to enrich the exhibition in the Red Cross Second World War Concentration Camp Museum in the city of Niš, Serbia.

Densimetric Detection in Sec. A Semi-Automated Method for Calculation of Molecular Weight Averages

Abstract It is shown that detection by measurement of density (mass per unit volume) offers some advantages: the signals from such an instrument are inherently digital and integrated over each measuring interval, which makes calculation of molecular weight averages very easy. A BASIC program is described, by which data reduction can be performed with good accuracy by means of a low-cost minicomputer.

Minicomputer simulation of medical emergencies and advanced life support

A low-cost minicomputer system was designed to simulate certain medical emergencies that require basic and advanced life support treatment. The simulation required students to use both didactic and psychomotor skills to treat various emergency situations within a realistic time period. The minicomputer system provided the signs and symptoms of the emergency condition and updated the patient's status during treatment. The student could select various clinical examinations or provide basic and advanced life support therapeutic modalities. Under the direction of the computer, the student could perform the clinical examination or provide indicated treatment at a clinical testing station, using available basic and advanced life support equipment.

Data handling on a sequential multichannelanalyser computerized (SMAC):using a low‐cost minicomputer

Data handling on a sequential multichannelanalyser computerized (SMAC):using a low‐cost minicomputer

FMFPAK1: A program package for routine analysis of single parameter flow microfluorimetric data on a low cost mini-computer

A program package is presented for routine analysis, on a low cost minicomputer, of data obtained by flow microfluorimetry. The programs, with the aid of a graphics capability, provide calculations of various properties of cell populations: percentage of cells in various phases of the cell-cycle (G 1, S, G 2 + M); mean fluorescence per cell; mean narrow-angle scatter per cell, and an approximation to relative mean volume per cell from narrow-angle light scatter measurements. The system is designed to allow either direct analysis or for storage of raw data on tape files for analysis at a later time. Provision is also made for hard copy on a digital x-y plotter.

A Graphic Man-Computer Environment for Three Dimensional Engineering Design

An interactive computer graphics system for three dimensional design is described. The system combines the speed, accuracy and accessibility of a relatively low-cost minicomputer and refresh display with versatile and powerful interactive software to achieve a truly effective environment for visual design of complex three dimensional data. The designer creates and manipulates objects interactively using several convenient input devices that communicate his commands to the system and move a shaping tool on the display screen. Several example design sequences are included to illustrate various features of the system. An application to finite element mesh generation is also discussed.

Words into action II: A task-oriented system: Harpy is an experimental, continuous-speech recognition system that exploits a low-cost minicomputer

Discusses the Harpy experimental system using a low-cost minicomputer which is capable of automatic speech recognition with up to 98% accuracy when the vocabulary is restricted to 1011 words, and sentence structure limited to that used in the retrieval of abstracts of documents relating to computer technology. The recognition process of the system is described.

Advanced Nuclear Plant Monitoring Systems

Recent years have shown dramatic advances in computer technology. These advances have resulted in the availability of very low cost, high performance minicomputers and more sophisticated minicomputer operating system software. The availability of modern technology, improved performance and low cost minicomputer systems has made it practical and attractive for utilities operating nuclear power plant facilities to consider upgrading the original equipment acquired at the time of plant order. Such addon or replacement approaches can help utilities to cope with ever increasing needs for site-based computational assistance to accomodate new regulatory requirements and the realization that nuclear power plant facilities have needs for computational assistance far beyond those originally planned for by NSSS system vendors.

Cost-Effective Use of Minicomputers to Solve Structural Problems

In the past, large, expensive computers were required to perform most calculations in the aerospace industry. Today, low-cost minicomputers (both 16- and 32-bit) offer significant capability and are finding increased use, particularly for calculations requiring interactive response or interactive display of results. The advent of virtual memory on minicomputers was the turning point. Now minicomputers have operating system and software capabilities often surpassing those of large, mainframe computers. Minicomputers can solve any problems which can be solved by large computers, except those requiring an expensive (but faster) central processing unit (CPU) and more than 64-bit accuracy. Finite-element structural calculations are often one of the biggest challenges to large mainframe computers. This paper shows how even finite-element structural calculations can be solved cost-effectively on a minicomputer.

Minicomputers and mini computer centers scientific research & teaching

The advent of low cost minicomputers and peripherals supported by extensive high level software in the late 1960's led to the possibility of dispersing computer power from isolated central sites to user sites. The experience of one of a group of six such sites in an academic environment is described. The experience gained can provide a guide to others attempting to produce similar installations on optimizing the choice of hardware and software.

A low-cost minicomputer system in a laboratory environment

Economic constraints present a formidable hurdle to the development of new teaching methods when they involve a large capital investment. The use of computers in science education is a good example of this, particularly when there are so many different systems available, and the capital cost can vary from thousands to hundreds of thousands of pounds. In this chapter a minicomputer system is described, which in relative terms can be considered as low-cost. It is presented as a case study, and by example shows the potential and limitations of such a system. The emphasis is on computer applications that are linked to the laboratory in which it is located.

Fast speech spectrogram reduction and display on minicomputer/Graphics processors

Interactive graphics processors have recently been included as standard components of several low-cost minicomputer systems. We describe techniques which enable fast reduction and display of multiintensity speech spectrograms on such systems.

FLOW: A teaching language for computer programming in the humanities

FLOW is an instructional computer programming language which eliminates many of the difficulties beginners usually have when learning to program. The language is very limited in scope, and the pedagogical emphasis is on algorithmic design rather than extensive language features. It is used only for the very first lectures in programming in college and secondary level courses, where it allows immediate hands-on use of the computer. FLOW is always quickly supplanted by whichever "real" computer language is most suited to the needs of the course. The extreme interaction afforded by low cost minicomputers is exploited by the technique of "typing amplification" which completes the typing of keywords once their initial letter is entered. FLOW has proven easy to implement on many computer systems, and has been effective with a wide variety of students over the past four years. In the Report of the Conference on Computer Technology in the Humanities 1 the committee on courses and curricula concluded that a first course in computer programming in the humanities should "provide extensive instruction and practice in programming. Insofar as possible, programming should be taught algorithmically . . . rather than as aspects of a specific programming language. Such algorithms . . . provide an abstract structure onto which any given programming language can be mapped. Hence, the logical aspect of programming, rather than the details of a programming language, is given primary emphasis, and thus the inevitable shifts from one programming language to another necessitated by a change in computer or in research goals are facilitated." An institute 2 in programming in the humanities was proposed and implemented on the basis of the recommendations of this and other committees and during that institute, held in the summer of 1970, the FLOW programming language was developed by the author. It met the requirements outlined above, and it has been in use since then, proving itself to be a powerful teaching aid. 3 There are a number of impediments that come between the artist or humanities scholar and the art and technique of programming. These problems begin with the often expressed self-doubt of the students who feel that they are about to enter an alien field where they will be at a severe disadvantage. Later they will be forced to memorize arbitrary language conventions, they will work in a hostile and noisy environment and will have to learn many irrelevant facts about computers and operating systems. I f they happen to take a course not designed for humanists they will be given problems to solve that are intended to be trivial. But the students will too often find that the problems themselves are as troublesome as the programming part of the exercise. 4 For -the beginning student of programming any nonprogramming content serves to confuse the issue. FLOW solves these as well as a few other problems that arise in the earliest stages of teaching programming. FLOW works especially well when it is embedded in a curriculum designed substantively and psychologically around the needs of the humanities or arts student or professional. Part of FLOW's attractiveness is that it can run on very small (and inexpensive) minicomputers and that it is easy to implement and maintain. The original implementation was written by two of my students and myself in one day. s FLOW is designed for interactive terminals, but a version has been used successfully

Minicomputer-based health sciences instruction (summary report)

Simplicity, ease of access, reliability, and frequent freedom from communication charges and difficulties, make the use of low-cost minicomputers attractive. Although their cost per computation is relatively high, in certain situations minicomputers may cost less than the use of a large time-shared computer and communication lines. Minicomputers are currently handicapped by small memory size and inadequate high speed bulk storage. Therefore, they frequently lack sophisticated languages and operating systems, and are limited in performing extensive computation and handling large amounts of data. As minicomputer technology advances, these problems should be alleviated.

Low-cost minicomputer opens up many new system opportunities : Ken Gorman and Phil Kaufman. Electronics, June (1973), p. 110

Low-cost minicomputer opens up many new system opportunities : Ken Gorman and Phil Kaufman. Electronics, June (1973), p. 110