Multi-threaded Software Architecture Research Articles

Improved fast phase unwrapping algorithm based on parallel acceleration

Aiming at the shortcoming of low serial operational efficiency in the quality-map-guided phase-unwrapping algorithm proposed by Miguel, an improved algorithm for parallel merging of multiple low-reliability blocks is pro-posed. Under the condition that the original algorithm design idea is satisfied, the unwrapping path is redefined as the largest reliable edge of the block. In addition, based on the non-continuous characteristic of the unwrapping path of the original algorithm, a low-reliability block out-of-order merging strategy is proposed to make multiple merging tasks can be performed simultaneously. The improved algorithm uses a multi-threaded software architecture. The main thread is responsible for looping through the unprocessed blocks to check whether they meet the requirements of merging, and the child threads receive and perform the merge tasks. The experimental results show that the improved method is completely consistent with the processing results of the original algorithm, and the parallel improvement strategy can effectively use the computer's multi-core resources, so that the operational efficiency of the phase unwrapping algorithm is improved by more than 50%.

Multi-Robot Localization and Mapping Based on Signed Distance Functions

This publication describes a 2D Simultaneous Localization and Mapping approach applicable to multiple mobile robots. The presented strategy uses data of 2D LIDAR sensors to build a dynamic representation based on Signed Distance Functions. Novelties of the approach are a joint map built in parallel instead of occasional merging of smaller maps and the limited drift localization which requires no loop closure detection. A multi-threaded software architecture performs registration and data integration in parallel allowing for drift-reduced pose estimation of multiple robots. Experiments are provided demonstrating the application with single and multiple robot mapping using simulated data, public accessible recorded data, two actual robots operating in a comparably large area as well as a deployment of these units at the Robocup rescue league.

Line-scan hyperspectral imaging system for real-time inspection of poultry carcasses with fecal material and ingesta

In poultry processing plants, fecal material and ingesta are the primary source of carcass contamination with microbial pathogens. The current practice of the poultry inspection in the United States is primarily human visual observations. Since the visual inspection is becoming more challenging in poultry processing plants adopting high-speed lines, a rapid sorting system could significantly improve the detection and monitoring of carcasses with surface fecal material and ingesta. As a result, we developed a prototype line-scan hyperspectral imaging system configured as a real-time multispectral imaging subsystem for online detection of surface fecal material and ingesta. Specifically, we integrated a commercially available off-the-shelf hyperspectral image camera into the system with two line lights and a custom software program for real-time multispectral imaging. The bottleneck of the imaging system was the data acquisition. For that reason, a multithreaded software architecture was designed and implemented not only to meet the application requirements such as speed and detection accuracy, but also to be customizable to different imaging applications such as systemic disease detection in the future. The image acquisition and processing speed tests confirmed the system could operate to scan poultry carcasses in commercial poultry processing plants. The fecal detection algorithm was based on the previous research using different hyperspectral imaging systems. A new carcass detection and image formation algorithm was developed to allow existing image processing and detection algorithms reusable without any modifications. Sixteen chicken carcasses and four different types of fecal and ingesta samples were used in a study to test the imaging system at two different speeds (140 birds per minute and 180 birds per minute) in a pilot-scale poultry processing facility. The study found that the system could grab and process three waveband images of carcasses moving up to 180 birds per minute (a line-scan rate 286 Hz) and detect fecal material and ingesta on their surfaces. The detection accuracy of the system varied between 89% and 98% with minimum false positive errors (less than 1%), depending on tested detection algorithms. Therefore, these findings provide the basis of not only a commercially viable imaging platform for fecal detection but also a single poultry inspection system for multiple tasks such as systemic disease detection and quality sorting.

Advances in High-Speed EBSD Orientation Mapping

In addition, during this 3ms period, the analysis software must receive the transferred image, correct its background, create a Hough transform, detect several Kikuchi bands and solve the orientation correctly. The software not only needs to be efficient, but must also utilize a multi-threaded software architecture to take advanced of modern operating systems and PC hardware with multiple CPUs. Such software has been developed and tested on a four CPU PC.

A Multithreaded Message Passing Interface (MPI) Architecture: Performance and Program Issues

This paper discusses a multithreaded software architecture for message-passing interface (MPI) software specification. The architecture is thread-safe, allows for concurrent communication over several communications media (multifabric communication), efficiently utilizes available hardware concurrency over a wide range of target platforms, and allows for concurrent communication and computation within the limits imposed by the hardware. The architecture is developed in the framework of the MPICH software architecture, a well-known MPI implementation used worldwide. The proposed architecture adopts wide portability of the MPICH design and remedies some of its deficiencies such as inefficient multifabric communication and non-thread-safety. The paper also considers the issues concerning development of high-performance portable message-passing systems for general-purpose architectures. The contributions of the paper are improving architecture and addressing thread safety of modern reliable messaging software, as well as identifying and taking advantage of inherent concurrency in the message-passing software itself.