Stereoscopic System Research Articles

Experimental characterization of coherent states in turbulent magnetohydrodynamic pipe flow

Investigating magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows, whether through experimental or numerical study, presents significant challenges. A minimum requirement for experimentally studying MHD flows using optical measurement methods is the use of highly conductive, transparent fluids and strong magnetic fields in close proximity to the flow confinement. In response to these complexities, this work introduces a large-scale pipe rig setup, integrating a magnetic frame structure with a Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry system for MHD flow field characterizations. This allows for the detailed analysis of coherent flow patterns under conditions of fully developed MHD turbulence. In alignment with earlier numerical studies on turbulent MHD pipe flow, our research confirms that low Hartmann number turbulence statistics are minimally affected by the applied magnetic field. Nevertheless, we show that the magnetic field significantly extends the streamwise extent of detected coherent organizational states, while their wave number distribution and morphology largely remain unchanged.

Tracking 3D motion of instruments in microsurgery: A comparative study of stereoscopic marker-based vs. deep learning method for objective analysis of surgical skills

Background:In microsurgery, integrating motor and visual information is crucial for achieving precise bimanual maneuvers. Computer vision serves as a useful tool for analyzing surgical maneuvers and enhancing situational awareness in medical assistive systems. Furthermore, the combination of deep learning with computer vision shows promise for objectively assessing surgical skills. Methods:This study compared two methods for tracking 3D movement during microsurgery: Mitracks3D, a stereoscopic tracker using color-marked instruments, and a deep learning method for instruments identification based on YOLOv8. Additionally, drawing an analogy between single-camera and new stereoscopic recording systems, 2D and 3D motion signals from microsurgery training videos on the peg transfer task were obtained to analyze surgeons’ psychomotor skills using six motion analysis parameters (MAPs). Results:When comparing the two 3D tracking methods, the motion signals revealed a relative error (ϵ) of less than 10%, with a correlation coefficient (ρ) exceeding 0.9892 ±0.0020, tracking loss below 2.0398%, and instruments detection time under 1 ms for Mitracks3D and 7.09 ±0.62 ms for YOLOv8. When comparing the performance between participants using 2D and 3D signals, statistically significant differences were found in 4 of the 6 explored MAPs. Additionally, a high cosine similarity (cs>0.99) was found between the performance scores of the 6 MAPs, indicating compatibility between the 2D and 3D recording modalities. Conclusions:The deep learning-based approach is as effective as stereo-tracking with markers; both methods produced remarkably similar 3D motion signals. The compatibility in evaluation between 2D and 3D was confirmed. In essence, adopting computer vision methods such as Mitracks3D and YOLOv8 provides a compelling alternative for constructing objective assessment tools for surgical skills.

Discrimination of Abrus cantoniensis Hance and Abrus mollis Hance using UPLC-Q/TOF-MS and assessment of their in vivo hepatoprotective effects

Ethnopharmacological relevanceIn Guangzhou and Guangxi, China, Abrus cantoniensis Hance (AH) is known for its liver-protective properties and is commonly used in herbal teas and soups. In the herbal market and pharmaceutical preparations, AH and Abrus mollis Hance (AMH) are often used interchangeable. Despite their morphological and usage similarities, distinguishing their differences is essential for scientific research and clinical practice. Aim of the studyThis study focuses on the morphological identification, chemical composition, and hepatoprotective effectiveness of AH and AMH. It aims to evaluate their interchangeable use and provide a rationale for this practice. This research helps regulate the market of AH medicinal materials, ensuring clinical safety and effectiveness. Materials and methodsSamples of AH and AMH roots, stems, leaves, and seeds were collected and photographed using a stereoscope and digital imaging system. The chemical components of AH and AMH were qualitatively analyzed using UPLC-Q/TOF-MS. Chemometric techniques, such as PCA and OPLS-DA, were employed to discern the componential differences between the two species. A CCl4-induced acute liver injury mouse model was developed to assess hepatoprotective effects. The hepatoprotective properties of AH and AMH were evaluated by analyzing the liver index, H&E staining, changes in serum liver function indicators (TBIL, ALT, AST), and concentrations of SOD, MDA in liver homogenate. ResultsThe root color, texture, stem diameter, cross-sectional characteristics, leaf shape, and seed morphology of the two plants were observed. Notable differences were identified, which can be used for accurate identification. The UPLC-Q/TOF-MS identified 50 compounds in both species, which were classified into 3 alkaloids, 22 flavonoids, 2 triterpenes, 10 triterpene saponins, 10 amides, and 3 others, and 20 different compounds between AH and AMH were screened by chemometrics. By improving serum biomarkers (ALT, AST, TBIL) and regulating oxidative stress markers (SOD, MDA), the alleviating effect of AH and AMH extracts on liver injury was confirmed. Notably, AH showed a stronger liver protective effect, significantly reducing ALT and AST levels more than AMH. ConclusionThis study enhances understanding of the morphological identification, chemical profiling, and hepatoprotective effects of AH and AMH. It provides a reference for future scientific research and the clinical application of AH in treating liver damage.

Augmented Reality-Based Chronic Wound Healing Assessment Using 3D Stereoscopic Imaging and Self-Organizing Maps

Background: Chronic wounds (CW) present significant public health challenges, impacting individuals' well-being and daily activities. Traditional wound measurement methods, such as the ruler technique, are time-consuming, imprecise, and pose infection risks. Advances in wound care technology, including artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR), have improved wound healing (WH) assessment accuracy and enhanced clinician-patient communication. Methods: This study developed a novel CW evaluation device combining AR and a stereoscopic camera system. The device captures images using two Leopard Imaging LI-OV580 stereo cameras and a pico-projector to create a 3D wound model. The system calculates the wound area by processing stereoscopic images, utilizing structured-from-motion techniques and convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Additionally, the device measures epipolar and projection errors (PE) during AR-based wound evaluation. A Self-Organizing Map (SOM) was employed to refine the 3D reconstruction of the wound. Results: The AR-PE analysis demonstrated the device's accuracy, with the lowest PE recorded at 20 cm from the wound area. The projection error increased as the measurement distance moved toward the edges of the wound. The average epipolar error (EE) was 0.46 pixels, indicating high precision in stereoscopic measurements. Conclusion: The study introduced a non-invasive CW evaluation device that improves wound assessment accuracy and clinician-patient interaction. By utilizing 3D wound modeling and AR, the system enables more effective communication and progress tracking during WH. The results suggest this technology could enhance CW management, offering a reliable alternative to traditional methods.

Risk Assessment of Bird Collisions with a Wind Turbine Based on Flight Parameters

The study addresses the challenge of bird collisions with wind turbines by developing an autonomous risk assessment method. The research uses data from the stereoscopic Bird Protection System (BPS) to anticipate potential collision threats by analysing flight parameters and distance from turbines. The danger factor depends on the flight characteristics of the identified bird species and the parameters of the wind turbine control system. The paper proposes an online quantitative risk assessment model that operates in real time, with the aim of minimising unnecessary turbine shutdowns while improving bird conservation. The model is validated through field data from bird flights. The findings suggest that adaptive management of turbine operations based on real-time bird flight data can significantly reduce collision risks without compromising energy production efficiency. The research underscores the balance between ecological considerations and the economic viability of wind energy, proposing an adaptive strategy that reduces unnecessary turbine stoppages while ensuring the safety of avian species.

TeV Analysis of a Source-rich Region with the HAWC Observatory: Is HESS J1809-193 a Potential Hadronic PeVatron?

HESS J1809-193 is an unidentified TeV source, first detected by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) collaboration. The emission originates in a source-rich region that includes several supernova remnants (SNRs) and pulsars including SNR G11.1+0.1, SNR G11.0-0.0, and the young radio pulsar PSR J1809-1917. Originally classified as a pulsar wind nebula candidate, recent studies show the peak of the TeV region overlapping with a system of molecular clouds. This resulted in the revision of the original leptonic scenario to look for alternate hadronic scenarios. Marked as a potential PeVatron candidate, this region has been studied extensively by H.E.S.S. due to its emission extending up to several tens of TeV. In this work, we use 2398 days of data from the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) observatory to carry out a systematic source search of the HESS J1809-193 region. We were able to resolve emission detected as an extended component (modelled as a symmetric Gaussian with a 1σ radius of 0.°21) with no clear cutoff at high energies and emitting photons up to 210 TeV. We model the multiwavelength observations for the region around HESS J1809-193 using a time-dependent leptonic model and a lepto-hadronic model. Our model indicates that both scenarios could explain the observed data within the region of HESS J1809-193.

Design and experiment of a stereoscopic vision-based system for seeding depth consistency adjustment

The basic process of corn sowing includes seed selection, land preparation, fertilization, sowing, and soil compaction. Soil compaction is an important step in the sowing process, playing a crucial role in protecting the seeds, promoting germination and root development, and providing a stable growth environment for corn. Currently, mainstream soil compaction devices used in corn sowing employ non-active adjustment structures, which cannot regulate the amount of soil covering and the compaction force for individual seeds during the sowing process, making it difficult to ensure consistent sowing depth. To address these issues, this study investigates the soil compaction device on a corn planter and proposes a soil compaction device that utilizes a binocular structured light camera to detect the opening depth of the planter and flexibly adjust the soil covering and compaction force for each seed. Experimental evaluations of the device’s performance were also conducted. The design of the sowing depth consistency control system includes the selection and application of the design, motor, gearbox, binocular structured light camera, dust removal device, user interface, electric-driven soil compaction device, and control system. The experimental results showed that when the system detects a variation in trench depth of around 2 cm, the average response time of the system is 2.23 s with a standard deviation of 0.042 s. When the system detects a variation in trench depth of around 4 cm, the average response time of the system is 4.68 s with a standard deviation of 0.078 s. This suggests that the system’s response time fluctuates within 0.1 s, indicating good stability of the system. The average error of the planter’s opening depth, as measured by the binocular structured light camera, is approximately 6 mm, the success rate of detection can be maintained above 70 % under different trench depths. The dust removal device’s performance meets the requirements of the detection system. The research demonstrates that the sowing depth consistency control system developed in this study can accurately detect the planter’s opening depth during operation and adjust the soil covering, compaction force appropriately based on the depth information provided by the soil compaction device.

On-site calibration method for an underwater stereoscopic camera system based on Scheimpflug principle

On-site calibration method for an underwater stereoscopic camera system based on Scheimpflug principle

Very-high-energy γ-Ray Emission from Young Massive Star Clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud

The Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud is known for its high star formation activity. At its center lies the young massive star cluster R136, providing a significant amount of the energy that makes the nebula shine so brightly at many wavelengths. Recently, young massive star clusters have been suggested to also efficiently produce very high-energy cosmic rays, potentially beyond PeV energies. Here, we report the detection of very-high-energy γ-ray emission from the direction of R136 with the High Energy Stereoscopic System, achieved through a multicomponent, likelihood-based modeling of the data. This supports the hypothesis that R136 is indeed a very powerful cosmic-ray accelerator. Moreover, from the same analysis, we provide an updated measurement of the γ-ray emission from 30 Dor C, the only superbubble detected at TeV energies presently. The γ-ray luminosity above 0.5 TeV of both sources is (2–3) × 1035 erg s−1. This exceeds by more than a factor of 2 the luminosity of HESS J1646−458, which is associated with the most massive young star cluster in the Milky Way, Westerlund 1. Furthermore, the γ-ray emission from each source is extended with a significance of >3σ and a Gaussian width of about 30 pc. For 30 Dor C, a connection between the γ-ray emission and the nonthermal X-ray emission appears likely. Different interpretations of the γ-ray signal from R136 are discussed.

H.E.S.S. observations of the 2021 periastron passage of PSR B1259-63/LS 2883

PSR B1259–63/LS 2883 is a gamma-ray binary system that hosts a pulsar in an eccentric orbit, with a 3.4 yr period, around an O9.5Ve star (LS 2883). At orbital phases close to periastron passages, the system radiates bright and variable non-thermal emission, for which the temporal and spectral properties of this emission are, for now, poorly understood. In this regard, very high-energy (VHE) emission is especially useful to study and constrain radiation processes and particle acceleration in the system. We report on an extensive VHE observation campaign conducted with the High Energy Stereoscopic System, comprised of approximately 100 h of data taken over five months, from tp − 24 days to tp + 127 days around the system’s 2021 periastron passage (where tp is the time of periastron). We also present the timing and spectral analyses of the source. The VHE light curve in 2021 is consistent overall with the stacked light curve of all previous observations. Within the light curve, we report a VHE maximum at times coincident with the third X-ray peak first detected in the 2021 X-ray light curve. In the light curve – although sparsely sampled in this time period – we see no VHE enhancement during the second disc crossing. In addition, we see no correspondence to the 2021 GeV flare in the VHE light curve. The VHE spectrum obtained from the analysis of the 2021 dataset is best described by a power law of spectral index Γ = 2.65 ± 0.04stat ± 0.04sys, a value consistent with the spectral index obtained from the analysis of data collected with H.E.S.S. during the previous observations of the source. We report spectral variability with a difference of ΔΓ = 0.56 ± 0.18stat ± 0.10sys at 95% confidence intervals, between sub-periods of the 2021 dataset. We also detail our investigation into X-ray/TeV and GeV/TeV flux correlations in the 2021 periastron passage. We find a linear correlation between contemporaneous flux values of X-ray and TeV datasets, detected mainly after tp + 25 days, suggesting a change in the available energy for non-thermal radiation processes. We detect no significant correlation between GeV and TeV flux points, within the uncertainties of the measurements, from ∼tp − 23 days to ∼tp + 126 days. This suggests that the GeV and TeV emission originate from different electron populations.

A stereoscopic video computer vision system for weed discrimination in rice field under both natural and controlled light conditions by machine learning

A site-specific weed detection and classification system was implemented with a stereoscopic video camera to reduce the adverse effects of chemical herbicides in rice field. A computer vision and meta-heuristic hybrid NN-ICA classifier were used to accurately discriminate between two weed varieties and rice plants, under either natural light (NLC) or controlled light conditions (CLC). Preprocessing, segmentation, and matching procedures were performed on images coming from either right or left camera channels. Most discriminant features were selected from average, either arithmetic or geometric, images using a NN-PSO algorithm. Accuracy classification results with the stereo computer vision system under NLC were 85.71 % for the arithmetic mean (AM) and 85.63 % for the geometric mean (GM), test set. At the same time, accuracy classification results of the computer vision system under CLC reached 96.95 % for the AM case and 94.74 % for the GM case, being consistently higher than those under NLC.

Clinical Application of the 4K-3D Exoscope System in Cochlear Implantation.

To evaluate a system for otomicrosurgery based on 4K three-dimensional (3D) exoscope technology and apply it to cochlear implantation. An open stereoscopic vision-based surgical system, which differs from traditional surgical microscopes, was created by utilizing 4K stereo imaging technology and combining it with low-latency 4K ultra-high-definition 3D display. The system underwent evaluation based on 57 cochlear implantation operations, three designed microscopic manipulations, and a questionnaire survey. The surgical images displayed by the 4K-3D exoscope system (4K-3D-ES) are stereoscopic, clear, and smooth. The use of 4K-3D-ES in cochlear implantation is not inferior to traditional microscopes in terms of intraoperative bleeding and surgical complications, and the surgical duration is not slower or may even be faster than when using traditional microscopes. The results of micromanipulation experiments conducted on 16 students also confirmed this and demonstrated that 4K-3D-ES can be easily adapted. Furthermore, additional advantages of 4K-3D-ES were gathered. Significantly enlarged and high-definition stereoscopic images contribute to the visualization of finer anatomical microstructures such as chordae tympani, ensuring safer surgery. Users feel more comfortable in their necks, shoulders, waists, and backs. Real-time shared stereoscopic view for multiple people, convenient for collaboration and teaching. The ear endoscope and 4K-3D-ES enable seamless switching on the same screen. High-definition 3D images and videos can be saved with just one click, making future publication and communication convenient. The feasibility and safety of 4K-3D-ES for cochlear implantation surgery have been demonstrated. The 4K-3D-ES also offers numerous unique advantages and holds clinical application and promotional value.

Impact of heteroaggregation between microplastics and algae on particle vertical transport

Understanding the impacts of microplastics (MPs) on aqueous environments requires understanding their transport dynamics and how their presence affects other natural processes and cycles. In this context, one aspect to consider is how MPs interact with freshwater snow (FWS), a mixture of algae and natural particles. FWS is one of the primary drivers of the flux of organic matter from the water surface to the bottom sediment, where zooplankton, diurnal migration, fish faecal pellets settling and turbulent mixing can also play prominent roles. Understanding how MPs and FWS heteroaggregation affects their respective settling velocities is important to assess not only MPs fate and transport but also their ecological impacts by altering FWS deposition and thereby nutrient cycling. In this present study, we obtained a mechanistic understanding of the processes controlling MPs settling dynamics and heteroaggregation with FWS and the subsequent impacts on the settling rates of both MPs and ballasted FWS. Here we used a plexiglass column equipped with a stereoscopic camera system to track the settling velocities of (1) MPs of various compositions, densities and morphologies, (2) FWS flocs and (3) MP–FWS agglomerates. For each experimental set, thousands of particles were tracked over a series of image sequences. We found that agglomerates with high-density MPs settled at least twofold faster than FWS alone, implying a much smaller residence time in the water column, except for cases with MP fibres or low-density plastics. These findings will help to refine MP fate models and, while contingent on MPs number, may impact biogeochemical cycles by changing the flux of nutrients contained in FWS to the sediment.

Spectrum and extension of the inverse-Compton emission of the Crab Nebula from a combined Fermi-LAT and H.E.S.S. analysis

The Crab Nebula is a unique laboratory for studying the acceleration of electrons and positrons through their non-thermal radiation. Observations of very-high-energy γ rays from the Crab Nebula have provided important constraints for modelling its broadband emission. We present the first fully self-consistent analysis of the Crab Nebula’s γ-ray emission between 1 GeV and ∼100 TeV, that is, over five orders of magnitude in energy. Using the open-source software package GAMMAPY, we combined 11.4 yr of data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope and 80 h of High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) data at the event level and provide a measurement of the spatial extension of the nebula and its energy spectrum. We find evidence for a shrinking of the nebula with increasing γ-ray energy. Furthermore, we fitted several phenomenological models to the measured data, finding that none of them can fully describe the spatial extension and the spectral energy distribution at the same time. Especially the extension measured at TeV energies appears too large when compared to the X-ray emission. Our measurements probe the structure of the magnetic field between the pulsar wind termination shock and the dust torus, and we conclude that the magnetic field strength decreases with increasing distance from the pulsar. We complement our study with a careful assessment of systematic uncertainties.

The population of Galactic supernova remnants in the TeV range

Supernova remnants (SNRs) are likely to be significant sources of cosmic rays up to the knee of the local cosmic-ray (CR) spectrum. They produce gamma rays in the very-high-energy (VHE) ($E>0.1$ TeV) range mainly via two mechanisms: hadronic interactions of accelerated protons with the interstellar medium and leptonic interactions of accelerated electrons with soft photons. Observations with current instruments have lead to the detection of about a dozen SNRs emitting VHE gamma rays and future instruments should significantly increase this number. Yet, the details of particle acceleration at SNRs and of the mechanisms producing VHE gamma-rays at SNRs remain poorly understood. We aim to study the population of SNRs detected in the TeV range and its properties and confront it to simulated samples in order to address fundamental questions concerning particle acceleration at SNR shocks. Such questions concern the spectrum of accelerated particles, the efficiency of particle acceleration, and the gamma-ray emission being dominated by hadronic or leptonic interactions. By means of Monte Carlo methods, we simulated the population of SNRs in the gamma--ray domain and confronted our simulations to the catalogue of sources from the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) Galactic Plane Survey (HGPS). We systematically explored the parameter space defined in our model, including for example, the slope of accelerated particles alpha , the electron-to-proton ratio $K_ ep $, and the efficiency of particle acceleration $ $. In particular, we found possible sets of parameters for which $ 90$<!PCT!> of Monte Carlo realisations are found to be in agreement with the HGPS. These parameters are typically found at $ 4.2 ep $, and $0.03 0.1 $ . We are able to strongly argue against some regions of the parameter space describing the population of Galactic SNRs in the TeV range, such as $ 4.35$, or ep Our model is so far able to explain the SNR population of the HGPS. Our approach, when confronted with the results of future systematic surveys, such as the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory, will help remove degeneracy from the solutions and to better understand particle acceleration at SNR shocks in the Galaxy.

Enabling extracorporeal ultrasound imaging with the da Vinci robot for transoral robotic surgery: a feasibility study.

Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) is a challenging procedure due to its small workspace and complex anatomy. Ultrasound (US) image guidance has the potential to improve surgical outcomes, but an appropriate method for US probe manipulation has not been defined. This study evaluates using an additional robotic (4th) arm on the da Vinci Surgical System to perform extracorporeal US scanning for image guidance in TORS. A stereoscopic imaging system and da Vinci-compatible US probe attachment were developed to enable control of the extracorporeal US probe from the surgeon console. The prototype was compared to freehand US by nine operators in three tasks on a healthy volunteer: (1) identification of the common carotid artery, (2) carotid artery scanning, and (3) identification of the submandibular gland. Operator workload and user experience were evaluated using a questionnaire. The robotic US tasks took longer than freehand US tasks (2.09x longer; ) and had higher operator workload (2.12x higher; ). However, operator-rated performance was closer (avg robotic/avg freehand=0.66; ), and scanning performance measured by MRI-US average Hausdorff distance provided no statistically significant difference. Extracorporeal US scanning for intraoperative US image guidance is a convenient approach for providing the surgeon direct control over the US image plane during TORS, with little modification to the existing operating room workflow. Although more time-consuming and higher operator workload, several methods have been identified to address these limitations.

High-recall calibration monitoring for stereo cameras

Cameras are the prevalent sensors used for perception in autonomous robotic systems, but their initial calibration may degrade over time due to dynamic factors. This may lead to a failure of downstream tasks, such as simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) or object recognition. Hence, a computationally lightweight process that detects the decalibration is of interest. We describe a modification of StOCaMo, an online calibration monitoring procedure for a stereoscopic system. The method uses robust kernel correlation based on epipolar constraints; it validates extrinsic calibration parameters on a single frame with no temporal tracking. In this paper, we present a modified StOCaMo with an improved recall rate on small decalibrations through a confirmation technique based on resampled variance. With fixed parameters learned on a realistic synthetic dataset from CARLA, StOCaMo and its proposed modification were tested on multiple sequences from two real-world datasets: KITTI and EuRoC MAV. The modification improved the recall of StOCaMo by 25 % (to 91 % and 82 %, respectively), and the accuracy by 12 % (to 94.7 % and 87.5 %, respectively), while labeling at most one-third of the input data as uninformative. The upgraded method achieved the rank correlation between StOCaMo V-index and downstream SLAM error of 0.78 (Spearman).

Multi-view Deep Learning for Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes

This research note concerns the application of deep-learning-based multi-view-imaging techniques to data from the High Energy Stereoscopic System Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope array. We find that the earlier the fusion of layer information from different views takes place in the neural network, the better our model performs with this data. Our analysis shows that the point in the network where the information from the different views is combined is far more important for the model performance than the method used to combine the information.

Design and Experiment of Automatic Transport System for Planting Plate in Plant Factory

In the plant factories using stereoscopic cultivation systems, the cultivation plate transport equipment is an essential component of production. However, there are problems, such as high labor intensity, low levels of automation, and poor versatility of existing solutions, that can affect the efficiency of cultivation plate transport processes. To address these issues, this study designed a cultivation plate transport system that can automatically input and output cultivation plates, and can flexibly adjust its structure to accommodate different cultivation frame heights. We elucidated the working principles of the transport system and carried out structural design and parameter calculation for the lift cart, input actuator, and output actuator. In the input process, we used dynamic simulation technology to obtain an optimum propulsion speed of 0.3 m·s−1. In the output process, we used finite element numerical simulation technology to verify that the deformation of the cultivation plate and the maximum stress suffered by it could meet the operational requirements. Finally, operation and performance experiments showed that, under the condition of satisfying the allowable amount of positioning error in the horizontal and vertical directions, the horizontal operation speed was 0.2 m·s−1, the maximum positioning error was 2.87 mm, the vertical operation speed was 0.3 m·s−1, and the maximum positioning error was 1.34 mm. Accordingly, the success rate of the transport system was 92.5–96.0%, and the operational efficiency was 176–317 plates/h. These results proved that the transport system could meet the operational requirements and provide feasible solutions for the automation of plant factory transport equipment.

Ground-based response robotics for the safe operation of TV journalists in emergency zone

The article considers an approach to ensuring safe working conditions for TV journalists conducting TV reports from the emergency zone by means of ground-based response robotics. It is proposed to use a remote controlled (teleoperated) ground-based mobile service robots equipped with vision systems and professional television film-ing equipment. Remote-controlled robots developed at the Russian State Scientific Center for Robotics and Tech-nical Cybernetics (St. Petersburg) can be used as such robotic systems. Equipping robots with a stereoscopic vi-sion systems and a special TV camera to organize teleoperation of a mobile robot’s movement requires a broad-band communication channel, since it is necessary to transmit several video streams simultaneously. To solve this problem, it is proposed to use an image compression methods and the experience of using a network technolo-gies obtained during the development of the multiple-camera vision systems for installation on the mobile robotic systems BROKK-110D and BROKK-330 (Sweden) at the instructions of the Center for Special Risk Rescue Opera-tions «Leader» (Russia). The technical solution is presented to provide TV journalists with special remote-controlled ground-based robotics, which allows them to conduct television reports directly from the scene of hostili-ties, while being at a safe distance from the scene of events and the location of radio antennas.