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State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Physical Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2018) | Viewed by 279726

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Department Software Engineering and Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Informatics, University Complutense of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: computer vision; image processing; pattern recognition; 3D image reconstruction, spatio-temporal image change detection and tracking; fusion and registering from imaging sensors; superresolution from low-resolution image sensors
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Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art sensors technology in Spain. We invite research articles that will consolidate our understanding of the state-of-the-art in this area. The Special Issue will publish full research, review, and highly rated manuscripts addressing the above topic.

Prof. Dr. Gonzalo Pajares Martinsanz
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Published Papers (40 papers)

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12 pages, 7536 KiB  
Article
Dual-Polarization Ku-Band Compact Spaceborne Antenna Based on Dual-Reflectarray Optics
by Carolina Tienda, Jose A. Encinar, Mariano Barba and Manuel Arrebola
Sensors 2018, 18(4), 1100; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18041100 - 5 Apr 2018
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5854
Abstract
This article demonstrated an accurate analysis technique for dual-reflectarray antennas that take into account the angle of incidence of the impinging electric field on the main reflectarray cells. The reflected field on the sub and the main reflectarray surfaces is computed using Method [...] Read more.
This article demonstrated an accurate analysis technique for dual-reflectarray antennas that take into account the angle of incidence of the impinging electric field on the main reflectarray cells. The reflected field on the sub and the main reflectarray surfaces is computed using Method of Moments in the spectral domain and assuming local periodicity. The sub-reflectarray is divided into groups of elements and the field radiated by each group is used to compute the incident and reflected field on the main reflectarray cells. A 50-cm demonstrator in Ku-band that provides European coverage has been designed, manufactured and tested to validate the analysis technique. The measured radiation patterns match the simulations and they fulfill the coverage requirements, achieving a cross-polar discrimination better than 25 dB in the frequency range: 12.975–14.25 GHz. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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23 pages, 7210 KiB  
Article
A Collaborative Approach for Surface Inspection Using Aerial Robots and Computer Vision
by Martin Molina, Pedro Frau and Dario Maravall
Sensors 2018, 18(3), 893; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18030893 - 17 Mar 2018
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5437
Abstract
Aerial robots with cameras on board can be used in surface inspection to observe areas that are difficult to reach by other means. In this type of problem, it is desirable for aerial robots to have a high degree of autonomy. A way [...] Read more.
Aerial robots with cameras on board can be used in surface inspection to observe areas that are difficult to reach by other means. In this type of problem, it is desirable for aerial robots to have a high degree of autonomy. A way to provide more autonomy would be to use computer vision techniques to automatically detect anomalies on the surface. However, the performance of automated visual recognition methods is limited in uncontrolled environments, so that in practice it is not possible to perform a fully automatic inspection. This paper presents a solution for visual inspection that increases the degree of autonomy of aerial robots following a semi-automatic approach. The solution is based on human-robot collaboration in which the operator delegates tasks to the drone for exploration and visual recognition and the drone requests assistance in the presence of uncertainty. We validate this proposal with the development of an experimental robotic system using the software framework Aerostack. The paper describes technical challenges that we had to solve to develop such a system and the impact on this solution on the degree of autonomy to detect anomalies on the surface. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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17 pages, 9414 KiB  
Article
Compact Embedded Wireless Sensor-Based Monitoring of Concrete Curing
by Joaquín Cabezas, Trinidad Sánchez-Rodríguez, Juan Antonio Gómez-Galán, Héctor Cifuentes and Ramón González Carvajal
Sensors 2018, 18(3), 876; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18030876 - 15 Mar 2018
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 6923
Abstract
This work presents the design, construction and testing of a new embedded sensor system for monitoring concrete curing. A specific mote has been implemented to withstand the aggressive environment without affecting the measured variables. The system also includes a real-time monitoring application operating [...] Read more.
This work presents the design, construction and testing of a new embedded sensor system for monitoring concrete curing. A specific mote has been implemented to withstand the aggressive environment without affecting the measured variables. The system also includes a real-time monitoring application operating from a remote computer placed in a central location. The testing was done in two phases: the first in the laboratory, to validate the functional requirements of the developed devices; and the second on civil works to evaluate the functional features of the devices, such as range, robustness and flexibility. The devices were successfully implemented resulting in a low cost, highly reliable, compact and non-destructive solution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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18 pages, 4927 KiB  
Article
Smart Sound Processing for Defect Sizing in Pipelines Using EMAT Actuator Based Multi-Frequency Lamb Waves
by Joaquín García-Gómez, Roberto Gil-Pita, Manuel Rosa-Zurera, Antonio Romero-Camacho, Jesús Antonio Jiménez-Garrido and Víctor García-Benavides
Sensors 2018, 18(3), 802; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18030802 - 7 Mar 2018
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 5746
Abstract
Pipeline inspection is a topic of particular interest to the companies. Especially important is the defect sizing, which allows them to avoid subsequent costly repairs in their equipment. A solution for this issue is using ultrasonic waves sensed through Electro-Magnetic Acoustic Transducer (EMAT) [...] Read more.
Pipeline inspection is a topic of particular interest to the companies. Especially important is the defect sizing, which allows them to avoid subsequent costly repairs in their equipment. A solution for this issue is using ultrasonic waves sensed through Electro-Magnetic Acoustic Transducer (EMAT) actuators. The main advantage of this technology is the absence of the need to have direct contact with the surface of the material under investigation, which must be a conductive one. Specifically interesting is the meander-line-coil based Lamb wave generation, since the directivity of the waves allows a study based in the circumferential wrap-around received signal. However, the variety of defect sizes changes the behavior of the signal when it passes through the pipeline. Because of that, it is necessary to apply advanced techniques based on Smart Sound Processing (SSP). These methods involve extracting useful information from the signals sensed with EMAT at different frequencies to obtain nonlinear estimations of the depth of the defect, and to select the features that better estimate the profile of the pipeline. The proposed technique has been tested using both simulated and real signals in steel pipelines, obtaining good results in terms of Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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18 pages, 1990 KiB  
Article
A Neural Network Approach for Building An Obstacle Detection Model by Fusion of Proximity Sensors Data
by Gonzalo Farias, Ernesto Fabregas, Emmanuel Peralta, Héctor Vargas, Gabriel Hermosilla, Gonzalo Garcia and Sebastián Dormido
Sensors 2018, 18(3), 683; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18030683 - 25 Feb 2018
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 7489
Abstract
Proximity sensors are broadly used in mobile robots for obstacle detection. The traditional calibration process of this kind of sensor could be a time-consuming task because it is usually done by identification in a manual and repetitive way. The resulting obstacles detection models [...] Read more.
Proximity sensors are broadly used in mobile robots for obstacle detection. The traditional calibration process of this kind of sensor could be a time-consuming task because it is usually done by identification in a manual and repetitive way. The resulting obstacles detection models are usually nonlinear functions that can be different for each proximity sensor attached to the robot. In addition, the model is highly dependent on the type of sensor (e.g., ultrasonic or infrared), on changes in light intensity, and on the properties of the obstacle such as shape, colour, and surface texture, among others. That is why in some situations it could be useful to gather all the measurements provided by different kinds of sensor in order to build a unique model that estimates the distances to the obstacles around the robot. This paper presents a novel approach to get an obstacles detection model based on the fusion of sensors data and automatic calibration by using artificial neural networks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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15 pages, 2701 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the High-Frequency Content in Human QRS Complexes by the Continuous Wavelet Transform: An Automatized Analysis for the Prediction of Sudden Cardiac Death
by Daniel García Iglesias, Nieves Roqueñi Gutiérrez, Francisco Javier De Cos and David Calvo
Sensors 2018, 18(2), 560; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18020560 - 12 Feb 2018
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4808
Abstract
Background: Fragmentation and delayed potentials in the QRS signal of patients have been postulated as risk markers for Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD). The analysis of the high-frequency spectral content may be useful for quantification. Methods: Forty-two consecutive patients with prior history of SCD [...] Read more.
Background: Fragmentation and delayed potentials in the QRS signal of patients have been postulated as risk markers for Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD). The analysis of the high-frequency spectral content may be useful for quantification. Methods: Forty-two consecutive patients with prior history of SCD or malignant arrhythmias (patients) where compared with 120 healthy individuals (controls). The QRS complexes were extracted with a modified Pan-Tompkins algorithm and processed with the Continuous Wavelet Transform to analyze the high-frequency content (85–130 Hz). Results: Overall, the power of the high-frequency content was higher in patients compared with controls (170.9 vs. 47.3 103nV2Hz−1; p = 0.007), with a prolonged time to reach the maximal power (68.9 vs. 64.8 ms; p = 0.002). An analysis of the signal intensity (instantaneous average of cumulative power), revealed a distinct function between patients and controls. The total intensity was higher in patients compared with controls (137.1 vs. 39 103nV2Hz−1s−1; p = 0.001) and the time to reach the maximal intensity was also prolonged (88.7 vs. 82.1 ms; p < 0.001). Discussion: The high-frequency content of the QRS complexes was distinct between patients at risk of SCD and healthy controls. The wavelet transform is an efficient tool for spectral analysis of the QRS complexes that may contribute to stratification of risk. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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15 pages, 3274 KiB  
Article
A COTS-Based Portable System to Conduct Accurate Substance Concentration Measurements
by Juan Aznar-Poveda, Jose Antonio Lopez-Pastor, Antonio-Javier Garcia-Sanchez, Joan Garcia-Haro and Toribio Fernández Otero
Sensors 2018, 18(2), 539; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18020539 - 10 Feb 2018
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 5490
Abstract
Traditionally, electrochemical procedures aimed at determining substance concentrations have required a costly and cumbersome laboratory environment. Specialized equipment and personnel obtain precise results under complex and time-consuming settings. Innovative electrochemical-based sensors are emerging to alleviate this difficulty. However, they are generally scarce, proprietary [...] Read more.
Traditionally, electrochemical procedures aimed at determining substance concentrations have required a costly and cumbersome laboratory environment. Specialized equipment and personnel obtain precise results under complex and time-consuming settings. Innovative electrochemical-based sensors are emerging to alleviate this difficulty. However, they are generally scarce, proprietary hardware and/or software, and focused only on measuring a restricted range of substances. In this paper, we propose a portable, flexible, low-cost system, built from commercial off-the-shelf components and easily controlled, using open-source software. The system is completed with a wireless module, which enables the transmission of measurements to a remote database for their later processing. A well-known PGSTAT100 Autolab device is employed to validate the effectiveness of our proposal. To this end, we select ascorbic acid as the substance under consideration, evaluating the reliability figure and obtaining the calibration curves for both platforms. The final outcomes are shown to be feasible, accurate, and repeatable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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32 pages, 14640 KiB  
Article
Ionizing Radiation Measurement Solution in a Hospital Environment
by Antonio-Javier Garcia-Sanchez, Enrique Angel Garcia Angosto, Pedro Antonio Moreno Riquelme, Alfredo Serna Berna and David Ramos-Amores
Sensors 2018, 18(2), 510; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18020510 - 8 Feb 2018
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 7957
Abstract
Ionizing radiation is one of the main risks affecting healthcare workers and patients worldwide. Special attention has to be paid to medical staff in the vicinity of radiological equipment or patients undergoing radioisotope procedures. To measure radiation values, traditional area meters are strategically [...] Read more.
Ionizing radiation is one of the main risks affecting healthcare workers and patients worldwide. Special attention has to be paid to medical staff in the vicinity of radiological equipment or patients undergoing radioisotope procedures. To measure radiation values, traditional area meters are strategically placed in hospitals and personal dosimeters are worn by workers. However, important drawbacks inherent to these systems in terms of cost, detection precision, real time data processing, flexibility, and so on, have been detected and carefully detailed. To overcome these inconveniences, a low cost, open-source, portable radiation measurement system is proposed. The goal is to deploy devices integrating a commercial Geiger-Muller (GM) detector to capture radiation doses in real time and to wirelessly dispatch them to a remote database where the radiation values are stored. Medical staff will be able to check the accumulated doses first hand, as well as other statistics related to radiation by means of a smartphone application. Finally, the device is certified by an accredited calibration center, to later validate the entire system in a hospital environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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27 pages, 9911 KiB  
Article
Customizable Optical Force Sensor for Fast Prototyping and Cost-Effective Applications
by Jorge A. Díez, José M. Catalán, Andrea Blanco, José V. García-Perez, Francisco J. Badesa and Nicolás Gacía-Aracil
Sensors 2018, 18(2), 493; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18020493 - 7 Feb 2018
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 6747
Abstract
This paper presents the development of an optical force sensor architecture directed to prototyping and cost-effective applications, where the actual force requirements are still not well defined or the most suitable commercial technologies would highly increase the cost of the device. The working [...] Read more.
This paper presents the development of an optical force sensor architecture directed to prototyping and cost-effective applications, where the actual force requirements are still not well defined or the most suitable commercial technologies would highly increase the cost of the device. The working principle of this sensor consists of determining the displacement of a lens by measuring the distortion of a refracted light beam. This lens is attached to an elastic interface whose elastic constant is known, allowing the estimation of the force that disturbs the optical system. In order to satisfy the requirements of the design process in an inexpensive way, this sensor can be built by fast prototyping technologies and using non-optical grade elements. To deal with the imperfections of this kind of manufacturing procedures and materials, four fitting models are proposed to calibrate the implemented sensor. In order to validate the system, two different sensor implementations with measurement ranges of ±45 N and ±10 N are tested with the proposed models, comparing the resulting force estimation with respect to an industrial-grade load cell. Results show that all models can estimate the loads with an error of about 6% of the measurement range. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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19 pages, 5042 KiB  
Article
A Strain-Based Method to Detect Tires’ Loss of Grip and Estimate Lateral Friction Coefficient from Experimental Data by Fuzzy Logic for Intelligent Tire Development
by Jorge Yunta, Daniel Garcia-Pozuelo, Vicente Diaz and Oluremi Olatunbosun
Sensors 2018, 18(2), 490; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18020490 - 6 Feb 2018
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 9529
Abstract
Tires are a key sub-system of vehicles that have a big responsibility for comfort, fuel consumption and traffic safety. However, current tires are just passive rubber elements which do not contribute actively to improve the driving experience or vehicle safety. The lack of [...] Read more.
Tires are a key sub-system of vehicles that have a big responsibility for comfort, fuel consumption and traffic safety. However, current tires are just passive rubber elements which do not contribute actively to improve the driving experience or vehicle safety. The lack of information from the tire during driving gives cause for developing an intelligent tire. Therefore, the aim of the intelligent tire is to monitor tire working conditions in real-time, providing useful information to other systems and becoming an active system. In this paper, tire tread deformation is measured to provide a strong experimental base with different experiments and test results by means of a tire fitted with sensors. Tests under different working conditions such as vertical load or slip angle have been carried out with an indoor tire test rig. The experimental data analysis shows the strong relation that exists between lateral force and the maximum tensile and compressive strain peaks when the tire is not working at the limit of grip. In the last section, an estimation system from experimental data has been developed and implemented in Simulink to show the potential of strain sensors for developing intelligent tire systems, obtaining as major results a signal to detect tire’s loss of grip and estimations of the lateral friction coefficient. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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21 pages, 6150 KiB  
Article
An Intraoperative Visualization System Using Hyperspectral Imaging to Aid in Brain Tumor Delineation
by Himar Fabelo, Samuel Ortega, Raquel Lazcano, Daniel Madroñal, Gustavo M. Callicó, Eduardo Juárez, Rubén Salvador, Diederik Bulters, Harry Bulstrode, Adam Szolna, Juan F. Piñeiro, Coralia Sosa, Aruma J. O’Shanahan, Sara Bisshopp, María Hernández, Jesús Morera, Daniele Ravi, B. Ravi Kiran, Aurelio Vega, Abelardo Báez-Quevedo, Guang-Zhong Yang, Bogdan Stanciulescu and Roberto Sarmientoadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Sensors 2018, 18(2), 430; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18020430 - 1 Feb 2018
Cited by 112 | Viewed by 10971
Abstract
Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) allows for the acquisition of large numbers of spectral bands throughout the electromagnetic spectrum (within and beyond the visual range) with respect to the surface of scenes captured by sensors. Using this information and a set of complex classification algorithms, [...] Read more.
Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) allows for the acquisition of large numbers of spectral bands throughout the electromagnetic spectrum (within and beyond the visual range) with respect to the surface of scenes captured by sensors. Using this information and a set of complex classification algorithms, it is possible to determine which material or substance is located in each pixel. The work presented in this paper aims to exploit the characteristics of HSI to develop a demonstrator capable of delineating tumor tissue from brain tissue during neurosurgical operations. Improved delineation of tumor boundaries is expected to improve the results of surgery. The developed demonstrator is composed of two hyperspectral cameras covering a spectral range of 400–1700 nm. Furthermore, a hardware accelerator connected to a control unit is used to speed up the hyperspectral brain cancer detection algorithm to achieve processing during the time of surgery. A labeled dataset comprised of more than 300,000 spectral signatures is used as the training dataset for the supervised stage of the classification algorithm. In this preliminary study, thematic maps obtained from a validation database of seven hyperspectral images of in vivo brain tissue captured and processed during neurosurgical operations demonstrate that the system is able to discriminate between normal and tumor tissue in the brain. The results can be provided during the surgical procedure (~1 min), making it a practical system for neurosurgeons to use in the near future to improve excision and potentially improve patient outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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17 pages, 3109 KiB  
Article
A Flexible Multiring Concentric Electrode for Non-Invasive Identification of Intestinal Slow Waves
by Victor Zena-Giménez, Javier Garcia-Casado, Yiyao Ye-Lin, Eduardo Garcia-Breijo and Gema Prats-Boluda
Sensors 2018, 18(2), 396; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18020396 - 30 Jan 2018
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4899
Abstract
Developing new types of optimized electrodes for specific biomedical applications can substantially improve the quality of the sensed signals. Concentric ring electrodes have been shown to provide enhanced spatial resolution to that of conventional disc electrodes. A sensor with different electrode sizes and [...] Read more.
Developing new types of optimized electrodes for specific biomedical applications can substantially improve the quality of the sensed signals. Concentric ring electrodes have been shown to provide enhanced spatial resolution to that of conventional disc electrodes. A sensor with different electrode sizes and configurations (monopolar, bipolar, etc.) that provides simultaneous records would be very helpful for studying the best signal-sensing arrangement. A 5-pole electrode with an inner disc and four concentric rings of different sizes was developed and tested on surface intestinal myoelectrical recordings from healthy humans. For good adaptation to a curved body surface, the electrode was screen-printed onto a flexible polyester substrate. To facilitate clinical use, it is self-adhesive, incorporates a single connector and can perform dry or wet (with gel) recordings. The results show it to be a versatile electrode that can evaluate the optimal configuration for the identification of the intestinal slow wave and reject undesired interference. A bipolar concentric record with an outer ring diameter of 30 mm, a foam-free adhesive material, and electrolytic gel gave the best results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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22 pages, 18224 KiB  
Article
Analysis of 3D Scan Measurement Distribution with Application to a Multi-Beam Lidar on a Rotating Platform
by Jesús Morales, Victoria Plaza-Leiva, Anthony Mandow, Jose Antonio Gomez-Ruiz, Javier Serón and Alfonso García-Cerezo
Sensors 2018, 18(2), 395; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18020395 - 30 Jan 2018
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 9860
Abstract
Multi-beam lidar (MBL) rangefinders are becoming increasingly compact, light, and accessible 3D sensors, but they offer limited vertical resolution and field of view. The addition of a degree-of-freedom to build a rotating multi-beam lidar (RMBL) has the potential to become a common solution [...] Read more.
Multi-beam lidar (MBL) rangefinders are becoming increasingly compact, light, and accessible 3D sensors, but they offer limited vertical resolution and field of view. The addition of a degree-of-freedom to build a rotating multi-beam lidar (RMBL) has the potential to become a common solution for affordable rapid full-3D high resolution scans. However, the overlapping of multiple-beams caused by rotation yields scanning patterns that are more complex than in rotating single beam lidar (RSBL). In this paper, we propose a simulation-based methodology to analyze 3D scanning patterns which is applied to investigate the scan measurement distribution produced by the RMBL configuration. With this purpose, novel contributions include: (i) the adaption of a recent spherical reformulation of Ripley’s K function to assess 3D sensor data distribution on a hollow sphere simulation; (ii) a comparison, both qualitative and quantitative, between scan patterns produced by an ideal RMBL based on a Velodyne VLP-16 (Puck) and those of other 3D scan alternatives (i.e., rotating 2D lidar and MBL); and (iii) a new RMBL implementation consisting of a portable tilting platform for VLP-16 scanners, which is presented as a case study for measurement distribution analysis as well as for the discussion of actual scans from representative environments. Results indicate that despite the particular sampling patterns given by a RMBL, its homogeneity even improves that of an equivalent RSBL. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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22 pages, 20161 KiB  
Article
Implementation and Operational Analysis of an Interactive Intensive Care Unit within a Smart Health Context
by Peio Lopez-Iturri, Erik Aguirre, Jesús Daniel Trigo, José Javier Astrain, Leyre Azpilicueta, Luis Serrano, Jesús Villadangos and Francisco Falcone
Sensors 2018, 18(2), 389; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18020389 - 29 Jan 2018
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5459
Abstract
In the context of hospital management and operation, Intensive Care Units (ICU) are one of the most challenging in terms of time responsiveness and criticality, in which adequate resource management and signal processing play a key role in overall system performance. In this [...] Read more.
In the context of hospital management and operation, Intensive Care Units (ICU) are one of the most challenging in terms of time responsiveness and criticality, in which adequate resource management and signal processing play a key role in overall system performance. In this work, a context aware Intensive Care Unit is implemented and analyzed to provide scalable signal acquisition capabilities, as well as to provide tracking and access control. Wireless channel analysis is performed by means of hybrid optimized 3D Ray Launching deterministic simulation to assess potential interference impact as well as to provide required coverage/capacity thresholds for employed transceivers. Wireless system operation within the ICU scenario, considering conventional transceiver operation, is feasible in terms of quality of service for the complete scenario. Extensive measurements of overall interference levels have also been carried out, enabling subsequent adequate coverage/capacity estimations, for a set of Zigbee based nodes. Real system operation has been tested, with ad-hoc designed Zigbee wireless motes, employing lightweight communication protocols to minimize energy and bandwidth usage. An ICU information gathering application and software architecture for Visitor Access Control has been implemented, providing monitoring of the Boxes external doors and the identification of visitors via a RFID system. The results enable a solution to provide ICU access control and tracking capabilities previously not exploited, providing a step forward in the implementation of a Smart Health framework. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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15 pages, 3595 KiB  
Article
High Frequency Data Acquisition System for Modelling the Impact of Visitors on the Thermo-Hygrometric Conditions of Archaeological Sites: A Casa di Diana (Ostia Antica, Italy) Case Study
by Paloma Merello, Fernando-Juan García-Diego, Pedro Beltrán and Claudia Scatigno
Sensors 2018, 18(2), 348; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18020348 - 25 Jan 2018
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4355
Abstract
The characterization of the microclimatic conditions is fundamental for the preventive conservation of archaeological sites. In this context, the identification of the factors that influence the thermo-hygrometric equilibrium is key to determine the causes of cultural heritage deterioration. In this work, a characterization [...] Read more.
The characterization of the microclimatic conditions is fundamental for the preventive conservation of archaeological sites. In this context, the identification of the factors that influence the thermo-hygrometric equilibrium is key to determine the causes of cultural heritage deterioration. In this work, a characterization of the thermo-hygrometric conditions of Casa di Diana (Ostia Antica, Italy) is carried out analyzing the data of temperature and relative humidity recorded by a system of sensors with high monitoring frequency. Sensors are installed in parallel, calibrated and synchronized with a microcontroller. A data set of 793,620 data, arranged in a matrix with 66,135 rows and 12 columns, was used. Furthermore, the influence of human impact (visitors) is evaluated through a multiple linear regression model and a logistic regression model. The visitors do not affect the environmental humidity as it is very high and constant all the year. The results show a significant influence of the visitors in the upset of the thermal balance. When a tourist guide takes place, the probability that the hourly temperature variation reaches values higher than its monthly average is 10.64 times higher than it remains equal or less to its monthly average. The analysis of the regression residuals shows the influence of outdoor climatic variables in the thermal balance, such as solar radiation or ventilation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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18 pages, 1590 KiB  
Article
VLSI Design of Trusted Virtual Sensors
by Macarena C. Martínez-Rodríguez, Miguel A. Prada-Delgado, Piedad Brox and Iluminada Baturone
Sensors 2018, 18(2), 347; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18020347 - 25 Jan 2018
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 6427
Abstract
This work presents a Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) design of trusted virtual sensors providing a minimum unitary cost and very good figures of size, speed and power consumption. The sensed variable is estimated by a virtual sensor based on a configurable and [...] Read more.
This work presents a Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) design of trusted virtual sensors providing a minimum unitary cost and very good figures of size, speed and power consumption. The sensed variable is estimated by a virtual sensor based on a configurable and programmable PieceWise-Affine hyper-Rectangular (PWAR) model. An algorithm is presented to find the best values of the programmable parameters given a set of (empirical or simulated) input-output data. The VLSI design of the trusted virtual sensor uses the fast authenticated encryption algorithm, AEGIS, to ensure the integrity of the provided virtual measurement and to encrypt it, and a Physical Unclonable Function (PUF) based on a Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) to ensure the integrity of the sensor itself. Implementation results of a prototype designed in a 90-nm Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology show that the active silicon area of the trusted virtual sensor is 0.86 mm 2 and its power consumption when trusted sensing at 50 MHz is 7.12 mW. The maximum operation frequency is 85 MHz, which allows response times lower than 0.25 μ s. As application example, the designed prototype was programmed to estimate the yaw rate in a vehicle, obtaining root mean square errors lower than 1.1%. Experimental results of the employed PUF show the robustness of the trusted sensing against aging and variations of the operation conditions, namely, temperature and power supply voltage (final value as well as ramp-up time). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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15 pages, 3428 KiB  
Article
Textile Concentric Ring Electrodes for ECG Recording Based on Screen-Printing Technology
by José Vicente Lidón-Roger, Gema Prats-Boluda, Yiyao Ye-Lin, Javier Garcia-Casado and Eduardo Garcia-Breijo
Sensors 2018, 18(1), 300; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18010300 - 21 Jan 2018
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 8930
Abstract
Among many of the electrode designs used in electrocardiography (ECG), concentric ring electrodes (CREs) are one of the most promising due to their enhanced spatial resolution. Their development has undergone a great push due to their use in recent years; however, they are [...] Read more.
Among many of the electrode designs used in electrocardiography (ECG), concentric ring electrodes (CREs) are one of the most promising due to their enhanced spatial resolution. Their development has undergone a great push due to their use in recent years; however, they are not yet widely used in clinical practice. CRE implementation in textiles will lead to a low cost, flexible, comfortable, and robust electrode capable of detecting high spatial resolution ECG signals. A textile CRE set has been designed and developed using screen-printing technology. This is a mature technology in the textile industry and, therefore, does not require heavy investments. Inks employed as conductive elements have been silver and a conducting polymer (poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate; PEDOT:PSS). Conducting polymers have biocompatibility advantages, they can be used with flexible substrates, and they are available for several printing technologies. CREs implemented with both inks have been compared by analyzing their electric features and their performance in detecting ECG signals. The results reveal that silver CREs present a higher average thickness and slightly lower skin-electrode impedance than PEDOT:PSS CREs. As for ECG recordings with subjects at rest, both CREs allowed the uptake of bipolar concentric ECG signals (BC-ECG) with signal-to-noise ratios similar to that of conventional ECG recordings. Regarding the saturation and alterations of ECGs captured with textile CREs caused by intentional subject movements, silver CREs presented a more stable response (fewer saturations and alterations) than those of PEDOT:PSS. Moreover, BC-ECG signals provided higher spatial resolution compared to conventional ECG. This improved spatial resolution was manifested in the identification of P1 and P2 waves of atrial activity in most of the BC-ECG signals. It can be concluded that textile silver CREs are more suitable than those of PEDOT:PSS for obtaining BC-ECG records. These developed textile electrodes bring the use of CREs closer to the clinical environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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27 pages, 10174 KiB  
Article
New Control Paradigms for Resources Saving: An Approach for Mobile Robots Navigation
by Rafael Socas, Raquel Dormido and Sebastián Dormido
Sensors 2018, 18(1), 281; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18010281 - 18 Jan 2018
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4055
Abstract
In this work, an event-based control scheme is presented. The proposed system has been developed to solve control problems appearing in the field of Networked Control Systems (NCS). Several models and methodologies have been proposed to measure different resources consumptions. The use of [...] Read more.
In this work, an event-based control scheme is presented. The proposed system has been developed to solve control problems appearing in the field of Networked Control Systems (NCS). Several models and methodologies have been proposed to measure different resources consumptions. The use of bandwidth, computational load and energy resources have been investigated. This analysis shows how the parameters of the system impacts on the resources efficiency. Moreover, the proposed system has been compared with its equivalent discrete-time solution. In the experiments, an application of NCS for mobile robots navigation has been set up and its resource usage efficiency has been analysed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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15 pages, 11639 KiB  
Article
Improving Odometric Accuracy for an Autonomous Electric Cart
by Jonay Toledo, Jose D. Piñeiro, Rafael Arnay, Daniel Acosta and Leopoldo Acosta
Sensors 2018, 18(1), 200; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18010200 - 12 Jan 2018
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 8273
Abstract
In this paper, a study of the odometric system for the autonomous cart Verdino, which is an electric vehicle based on a golf cart, is presented. A mathematical model of the odometric system is derived from cart movement equations, and is used to [...] Read more.
In this paper, a study of the odometric system for the autonomous cart Verdino, which is an electric vehicle based on a golf cart, is presented. A mathematical model of the odometric system is derived from cart movement equations, and is used to compute the vehicle position and orientation. The inputs of the system are the odometry encoders, and the model uses the wheels diameter and distance between wheels as parameters. With this model, a least square minimization is made in order to get the nominal best parameters. This model is updated, including a real time wheel diameter measurement improving the accuracy of the results. A neural network model is used in order to learn the odometric model from data. Tests are made using this neural network in several configurations and the results are compared to the mathematical model, showing that the neural network can outperform the first proposed model. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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13 pages, 6187 KiB  
Article
A Portable Dynamic Laser Speckle System for Sensing Long-Term Changes Caused by Treatments in Painting Conservation
by Alberto J. Pérez, Rolando J. González-Peña, Roberto Braga Jr., Ángel Perles, Eva Pérez–Marín and Fernando J. García-Diego
Sensors 2018, 18(1), 190; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18010190 - 11 Jan 2018
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 6088
Abstract
Dynamic laser speckle (DLS) is used as a reliable sensor of activity for all types of materials. Traditional applications are based on high-rate captures (usually greater than 10 frames-per-second, fps). Even for drying processes in conservation treatments, where there is a high level [...] Read more.
Dynamic laser speckle (DLS) is used as a reliable sensor of activity for all types of materials. Traditional applications are based on high-rate captures (usually greater than 10 frames-per-second, fps). Even for drying processes in conservation treatments, where there is a high level of activity in the first moments after the application and slower activity after some minutes or hours, the process is based on the acquisition of images at a time rate that is the same in moments of high and low activity. In this work, we present an alternative approach to track the drying process of protective layers and other painting conservation processes that take a long time to reduce their levels of activity. We illuminate, using three different wavelength lasers, a temporary protector (cyclododecane) and a varnish, and monitor them using a low fps rate during long-term drying. The results are compared to the traditional method. This work also presents a monitoring method that uses portable equipment. The results present the feasibility of using the portable device and show the improved sensitivity of the dynamic laser speckle when sensing the long-term process for drying cyclododecane and varnish in conservation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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15 pages, 4728 KiB  
Article
An Efficient Wireless Sensor Network for Industrial Monitoring and Control
by Juan Aponte-Luis, Juan Antonio Gómez-Galán, Fernando Gómez-Bravo, Manuel Sánchez-Raya, Javier Alcina-Espigado and Pedro Miguel Teixido-Rovira
Sensors 2018, 18(1), 182; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18010182 - 10 Jan 2018
Cited by 108 | Viewed by 11595
Abstract
This paper presents the design of a wireless sensor network particularly designed for remote monitoring and control of industrial parameters. The article describes the network components, protocol and sensor deployment, aimed to accomplish industrial constraint and to assure reliability and low power consumption. [...] Read more.
This paper presents the design of a wireless sensor network particularly designed for remote monitoring and control of industrial parameters. The article describes the network components, protocol and sensor deployment, aimed to accomplish industrial constraint and to assure reliability and low power consumption. A particular case of study is presented. The system consists of a base station, gas sensing nodes, a tree-based routing scheme for the wireless sensor nodes and a real-time monitoring application that operates from a remote computer and a mobile phone. The system assures that the industrial safety quality and the measurement and monitoring system achieves an efficient industrial monitoring operations. The robustness of the developed system and the security in the communications have been guaranteed both in hardware and software level. The system is flexible and can be adapted to different environments. The testing of the system confirms the feasibility of the proposed implementation and validates the functional requirements of the developed devices, the networking solution and the power consumption management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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11141 KiB  
Article
Smart CEI Moncloa: An IoT-based Platform for People Flow and Environmental Monitoring on a Smart University Campus
by Manuel Alvarez-Campana, Gregorio López, Enrique Vázquez, Víctor A. Villagrá and Julio Berrocal
Sensors 2017, 17(12), 2856; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17122856 - 8 Dec 2017
Cited by 83 | Viewed by 12857
Abstract
Internet of Things platforms for Smart Cities are technologically complex and deploying them at large scale involves high costs and risks. Therefore, pilot schemes that allow validating proof of concepts, experimenting with different technologies and services, and fine-tuning them before migrating them to [...] Read more.
Internet of Things platforms for Smart Cities are technologically complex and deploying them at large scale involves high costs and risks. Therefore, pilot schemes that allow validating proof of concepts, experimenting with different technologies and services, and fine-tuning them before migrating them to actual scenarios, are especially important in this context. The IoT platform deployed across the engineering schools of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid in the Moncloa Campus of International Excellence represents a good example of a test bench for experimentation with Smart City services. This paper presents the main features of this platform, putting special emphasis on the technological challenges faced and on the solutions adopted, as well as on the functionality, services and potential that the platform offers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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Article
Enhancing the Trajectory Generation of a Stair-Climbing Mobility System
by Jose Abel Chocoteco, Rafael Morales and Vicente Feliu-Batlle
Sensors 2017, 17(11), 2608; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17112608 - 13 Nov 2017
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 7346
Abstract
Recent advances in mobile robotic technologies have enabled significant progress to be made in the development of Stair-Climbing Mobility Systems (SCMSs) for people with mobility impairments and limitations. These devices are mainly characterized by their ability to negotiate those architectural barriers associated with [...] Read more.
Recent advances in mobile robotic technologies have enabled significant progress to be made in the development of Stair-Climbing Mobility Systems (SCMSs) for people with mobility impairments and limitations. These devices are mainly characterized by their ability to negotiate those architectural barriers associated with climbing stairs (curbs, ramps, etc.). The development of advanced trajectory generators with which to surpass such architectural barriers is one of the most important aspects of SCMSs that has not yet been appropriately exploited. These advanced trajectory generators have a considerable influence on the time invested in the stair climbing process and on passenger comfort and, consequently, provide people with physical disabilities with greater independence and a higher quality of life. In this paper, we propose a new nonlinear trajectory generator for an SCMS. This generator balances the stair-climbing time and the user’s comfort and includes the most important constraints inherent to the system behavior: the geometry of the architectural barrier, the reconfigurable nature of the SCMS (discontinuous states), SCMS state-transition diagrams, comfort restrictions and physical limitations as regards the actuators, speed and acceleration. The SCMS was tested on a real two-step staircase using different time-comfort combinations and different climbing strategies to verify the effectiveness and the robustness of the proposed approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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11655 KiB  
Article
Model-Based Real-Time Non-Rigid Tracking
by Sebastián Bronte, Luis M. Bergasa, Daniel Pizarro and Rafael Barea
Sensors 2017, 17(10), 2342; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17102342 - 14 Oct 2017
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5197
Abstract
This paper presents a sequential non-rigid reconstruction method that recovers the 3D shape and the camera pose of a deforming object from a video sequence and a previous shape model of the object. We take PTAM (Parallel Mapping and Tracking), a state-of-the-art sequential [...] Read more.
This paper presents a sequential non-rigid reconstruction method that recovers the 3D shape and the camera pose of a deforming object from a video sequence and a previous shape model of the object. We take PTAM (Parallel Mapping and Tracking), a state-of-the-art sequential real-time SfM (Structure-from-Motion) engine, and we upgrade it to solve non-rigid reconstruction. Our method provides a good trade-off between processing time and reconstruction error without the need for specific processing hardware, such as GPUs. We improve the original PTAM matching by using descriptor-based features, as well as smoothness priors to better constrain the 3D error. This paper works with perspective projection and deals with outliers and missing data. We evaluate the tracking algorithm performance through different tests over several datasets of non-rigid deforming objects. Our method achieves state-of-the-art accuracy and can be used as a real-time method suitable for being embedded in portable devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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6766 KiB  
Article
Performance Study of a Torsional Wave Sensor and Cervical Tissue Characterization
by Antonio Callejas, Antonio Gomez, Juan Melchor, Miguel Riveiro, Paloma Massó, Jorge Torres, Modesto T. López-López and Guillermo Rus
Sensors 2017, 17(9), 2078; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17092078 - 11 Sep 2017
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 5711
Abstract
A novel torsional wave sensor designed to characterize mechanical properties of soft tissues is presented in this work. Elastography is a widely used technique since the 1990s to map tissue stiffness. Moreover, quantitative elastography uses the velocity of shear waves to achieve the [...] Read more.
A novel torsional wave sensor designed to characterize mechanical properties of soft tissues is presented in this work. Elastography is a widely used technique since the 1990s to map tissue stiffness. Moreover, quantitative elastography uses the velocity of shear waves to achieve the shear stiffness. This technique exhibits significant limitations caused by the difficulty of the separation between longitudinal and shear waves and the pressure applied while measuring. To overcome these drawbacks, the proposed torsional wave sensor can isolate a pure shear wave, avoiding the possibility of multiple wave interference. It comprises a rotational actuator disk and a piezoceramic receiver ring circumferentially aligned. Both allow the transmission of shear waves that interact with the tissue before being received. Experimental tests are performed using tissue mimicking phantoms and cervical tissues. One contribution is a sensor sensitivity study that has been conducted to evaluate the robustness of the new proposed torsional wave elastography (TWE) technique. The variables object of the study are both the applied pressure and the angle of incidence sensor–phantom. The other contribution consists of a cervical tissue characterization. To this end, three rheological models have fit the experimental data and a static independent testing method has been performed. The proposed methodology permits the reconstruction of the mechanical constants from the propagated shear wave, providing a proof of principle and warranting further studies to confirm the validity of the results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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Article
Octopus: A Design Methodology for Motion Capture Wearables
by Javier Marin, Teresa Blanco and Jose J. Marin
Sensors 2017, 17(8), 1875; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17081875 - 15 Aug 2017
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 9706
Abstract
Human motion capture (MoCap) is widely recognised for its usefulness and application in different fields, such as health, sports, and leisure; therefore, its inclusion in current wearables (MoCap-wearables) is increasing, and it may be very useful in a context of intelligent objects interconnected [...] Read more.
Human motion capture (MoCap) is widely recognised for its usefulness and application in different fields, such as health, sports, and leisure; therefore, its inclusion in current wearables (MoCap-wearables) is increasing, and it may be very useful in a context of intelligent objects interconnected with each other and to the cloud in the Internet of Things (IoT). However, capturing human movement adequately requires addressing difficult-to-satisfy requirements, which means that the applications that are possible with this technology are held back by a series of accessibility barriers, some technological and some regarding usability. To overcome these barriers and generate products with greater wearability that are more efficient and accessible, factors are compiled through a review of publications and market research. The result of this analysis is a design methodology called Octopus, which ranks these factors and schematises them. Octopus provides a tool that can help define design requirements for multidisciplinary teams, generating a common framework and offering a new method of communication between them. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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10340 KiB  
Article
Vibroacoustic Impact on the Architectonic Heritage When Using Replicas of 16th Century Weapons
by Angel Tomas Lloret, Sandra Sendra, Jaime Lloret, Romina Del Rey and Miguel Louis Cereceda
Sensors 2017, 17(8), 1871; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17081871 - 14 Aug 2017
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 6635
Abstract
The recreation of historical battles next to old buildings, walls, churches, fortifications or historical facades belonging to the historical heritage of a city, has always been a source of controversy and discussion. In the absence of a clear legislation about how these buildings [...] Read more.
The recreation of historical battles next to old buildings, walls, churches, fortifications or historical facades belonging to the historical heritage of a city, has always been a source of controversy and discussion. In the absence of a clear legislation about how these buildings can be affected by the use of blunderbusses and pyrotechnics, it is necessary to carry out practical experiments to test the effect of these celebrations on these buildings. For this reason, this paper presents a set of practical experiments where the vibroacoustic effect of using weapons such as blunderbusses and harquebuses is analyzed. To gather these measurements, we have used several sound level meters and 3-axis accelerometers placed on the facade of an old building. The tests have been carried out at the Moors and Christians festival of Villajoyosa (Spain) which is internationally famous for this festival. In order to carry out the tests, six harquebusiers shot their firearms and the sensors placed along the facade of the building at different height collected the data. The results of these devices allow us to study the vibroacoustic impact on the facade depending on the height. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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10537 KiB  
Article
A Compact Energy Harvesting System for Outdoor Wireless Sensor Nodes Based on a Low-Cost In Situ Photovoltaic Panel Characterization-Modelling Unit
by Diego Antolín, Nicolás Medrano, Belén Calvo and Pedro A. Martínez
Sensors 2017, 17(8), 1794; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17081794 - 4 Aug 2017
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 6048
Abstract
This paper presents a low-cost high-efficiency solar energy harvesting system to power outdoor wireless sensor nodes. It is based on a Voltage Open Circuit (VOC) algorithm that estimates the open-circuit voltage by means of a multilayer perceptron neural network model trained using local [...] Read more.
This paper presents a low-cost high-efficiency solar energy harvesting system to power outdoor wireless sensor nodes. It is based on a Voltage Open Circuit (VOC) algorithm that estimates the open-circuit voltage by means of a multilayer perceptron neural network model trained using local experimental characterization data, which are acquired through a novel low cost characterization system incorporated into the deployed node. Both units—characterization and modelling—are controlled by the same low-cost microcontroller, providing a complete solution which can be understood as a virtual pilot cell, with identical characteristics to those of the specific small solar cell installed on the sensor node, that besides allows an easy adaptation to changes in the actual environmental conditions, panel aging, etc. Experimental comparison to a classical pilot panel based VOC algorithm show better efficiency under the same tested conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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5027 KiB  
Article
Crack Detection in Concrete Tunnels Using a Gabor Filter Invariant to Rotation
by Roberto Medina, José Llamas, Jaime Gómez-García-Bermejo, Eduardo Zalama and Miguel José Segarra
Sensors 2017, 17(7), 1670; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17071670 - 20 Jul 2017
Cited by 77 | Viewed by 9838
Abstract
In this article, a system for the detection of cracks in concrete tunnel surfaces, based on image sensors, is presented. Both data acquisition and processing are covered. Linear cameras and proper lighting are used for data acquisition. The required resolution of the camera [...] Read more.
In this article, a system for the detection of cracks in concrete tunnel surfaces, based on image sensors, is presented. Both data acquisition and processing are covered. Linear cameras and proper lighting are used for data acquisition. The required resolution of the camera sensors and the number of cameras is discussed in terms of the crack size and the tunnel type. Data processing is done by applying a new method called Gabor filter invariant to rotation, allowing the detection of cracks in any direction. The parameter values of this filter are set by using a modified genetic algorithm based on the Differential Evolution optimization method. The detection of the pixels belonging to cracks is obtained to a balanced accuracy of 95.27%, thus improving the results of previous approaches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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9970 KiB  
Article
A Novel Active Imaging Model to Design Visual Systems: A Case of Inspection System for Specular Surfaces
by Jorge Azorin-Lopez, Andres Fuster-Guillo, Marcelo Saval-Calvo, Higinio Mora-Mora and Juan Manuel Garcia-Chamizo
Sensors 2017, 17(7), 1466; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17071466 - 22 Jun 2017
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5242
Abstract
The use of visual information is a very well known input from different kinds of sensors. However, most of the perception problems are individually modeled and tackled. It is necessary to provide a general imaging model that allows us to parametrize different input [...] Read more.
The use of visual information is a very well known input from different kinds of sensors. However, most of the perception problems are individually modeled and tackled. It is necessary to provide a general imaging model that allows us to parametrize different input systems as well as their problems and possible solutions. In this paper, we present an active vision model considering the imaging system as a whole (including camera, lighting system, object to be perceived) in order to propose solutions to automated visual systems that present problems that we perceive. As a concrete case study, we instantiate the model in a real application and still challenging problem: automated visual inspection. It is one of the most used quality control systems to detect defects on manufactured objects. However, it presents problems for specular products. We model these perception problems taking into account environmental conditions and camera parameters that allow a system to properly perceive the specific object characteristics to determine defects on surfaces. The validation of the model has been carried out using simulations providing an efficient way to perform a large set of tests (different environment conditions and camera parameters) as a previous step of experimentation in real manufacturing environments, which more complex in terms of instrumentation and more expensive. Results prove the success of the model application adjusting scale, viewpoint and lighting conditions to detect structural and color defects on specular surfaces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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Article
Torsional Ultrasound Sensor Optimization for Soft Tissue Characterization
by Juan Melchor, Rafael Muñoz and Guillermo Rus
Sensors 2017, 17(6), 1402; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17061402 - 15 Jun 2017
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5415
Abstract
Torsion mechanical waves have the capability to characterize shear stiffness moduli of soft tissue. Under this hypothesis, a computational methodology is proposed to design and optimize a piezoelectrics-based transmitter and receiver to generate and measure the response of torsional ultrasonic waves. The procedure [...] Read more.
Torsion mechanical waves have the capability to characterize shear stiffness moduli of soft tissue. Under this hypothesis, a computational methodology is proposed to design and optimize a piezoelectrics-based transmitter and receiver to generate and measure the response of torsional ultrasonic waves. The procedure employed is divided into two steps: (i) a finite element method (FEM) is developed to obtain a transmitted and received waveform as well as a resonance frequency of a previous geometry validated with a semi-analytical simplified model and (ii) a probabilistic optimality criteria of the design based on inverse problem from the estimation of robust probability of detection (RPOD) to maximize the detection of the pathology defined in terms of changes of shear stiffness. This study collects different options of design in two separated models, in transmission and contact, respectively. The main contribution of this work describes a framework to establish such as forward, inverse and optimization procedures to choose a set of appropriate parameters of a transducer. This methodological framework may be generalizable for other different applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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Article
Enhanced Flexibility and Reusability through State Machine-Based Architectures for Multisensor Intelligent Robotics
by Héctor Herrero, Jose Luis Outón, Mildred Puerto, Damien Sallé and Karmele López de Ipiña
Sensors 2017, 17(6), 1249; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17061249 - 31 May 2017
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 6518
Abstract
This paper presents a state machine-based architecture, which enhances the flexibility and reusability of industrial robots, more concretely dual-arm multisensor robots. The proposed architecture, in addition to allowing absolute control of the execution, eases the programming of new applications by increasing the reusability [...] Read more.
This paper presents a state machine-based architecture, which enhances the flexibility and reusability of industrial robots, more concretely dual-arm multisensor robots. The proposed architecture, in addition to allowing absolute control of the execution, eases the programming of new applications by increasing the reusability of the developed modules. Through an easy-to-use graphical user interface, operators are able to create, modify, reuse and maintain industrial processes, increasing the flexibility of the cell. Moreover, the proposed approach is applied in a real use case in order to demonstrate its capabilities and feasibility in industrial environments. A comparative analysis is presented for evaluating the presented approach versus traditional robot programming techniques. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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Article
Measurement of Vibrations in Two Tower-Typed Assistant Personal Robot Implementations with and without a Passive Suspension System
by Javier Moreno, Eduard Clotet, Marcel Tresanchez, Dani Martínez, Jordi Casanovas and Jordi Palacín
Sensors 2017, 17(5), 1122; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17051122 - 14 May 2017
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5656
Abstract
This paper presents the vibration pattern measurement of two tower-typed holonomic mobile robot prototypes: one based on a rigid mechanical structure, and the other including a passive suspension system. Specific to the tower-typed mobile robots is that the vibrations that originate in the [...] Read more.
This paper presents the vibration pattern measurement of two tower-typed holonomic mobile robot prototypes: one based on a rigid mechanical structure, and the other including a passive suspension system. Specific to the tower-typed mobile robots is that the vibrations that originate in the lower part of the structure are transmitted and amplified to the higher areas of the tower, causing an unpleasant visual effect and mechanical stress. This paper assesses the use of a suspension system aimed at minimizing the generation and propagation of vibrations in the upper part of the tower-typed holonomic robots. The two robots analyzed were equipped with onboard accelerometers to register the acceleration over the X, Y, and Z axes in different locations and at different velocities. In all the experiments, the amplitude of the vibrations showed a typical Gaussian pattern which has been modeled with the value of the standard deviation. The results have shown that the measured vibrations in the head of the mobile robots, including a passive suspension system, were reduced by a factor of 16. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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5192 KiB  
Article
Radon Mitigation Approach in a Laboratory Measurement Room
by Patricia Blanco-Rodríguez, Luis Alfonso Fernández-Serantes, Alberto Otero-Pazos, José Luis Calvo-Rolle and Francisco Javier De Cos Juez
Sensors 2017, 17(5), 1090; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17051090 - 11 May 2017
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 5225
Abstract
Radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer, causing thousands of deaths annually. It can be a problem for people or animals in houses, workplaces, schools or any building. Therefore, its mitigation has become essential to avoid health problems and to [...] Read more.
Radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer, causing thousands of deaths annually. It can be a problem for people or animals in houses, workplaces, schools or any building. Therefore, its mitigation has become essential to avoid health problems and to prevent radon from interfering in radioactive measurements. This study describes the implementation of radon mitigation systems at a radioactivity laboratory in order to reduce interferences in the different works carried out. A large set of radon concentration samples is obtained from measurements at the laboratory. While several mitigation methods were taken into account, the final applied solution is explained in detail, obtaining thus very good results by reducing the radon concentration by 76%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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Article
Development of a Spectrophotometric System to Detect White Striping Physiopathy in Whole Chicken Carcasses
by Maria Victoria Traffano-Schiffo, Marta Castro-Giraldez, Ricardo J. Colom and Pedro J. Fito
Sensors 2017, 17(5), 1024; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17051024 - 4 May 2017
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 5406
Abstract
Due to the high intensification of poultry production in recent years, white chicken breast striping is one of the most frequently seen myopathies. The aim of this research was to develop a spectrophotometry-based sensor to detect white striping physiopathy in chicken breast meat [...] Read more.
Due to the high intensification of poultry production in recent years, white chicken breast striping is one of the most frequently seen myopathies. The aim of this research was to develop a spectrophotometry-based sensor to detect white striping physiopathy in chicken breast meat in whole chicken carcasses with skin. Experiments were carried out using normal and white striping breasts. In order to understand the mechanism involved in this physiopathy, the different tissues that conform each breast were analyzed. Permittivity in radiofrequency (40 Hz to 1 MHz) was measured using two different sensors; a sensor with two flat plates to analyze the whole breast with skin (NB or WSB), and a two needles with blunt-ended sensor to analyze the different surface tissues of the skinless breast. In the microwave range (500 MHz to 20 GHz), permittivity was measured as just was described for the two needles with blunt-ended sensor. Moreover, fatty acids composition was determined by calorimetry techniques from −40 °C to 50 °C at 5 °C/min after previously freeze-drying the samples, and pH, microstructure by Cryo-SEM and binocular loupe structure were also analyzed. The results showed that the white striping physiopathy consists of the partial breakdown of the pectoral muscle causing an increase in fatty acids, reducing the quality of the meat. It was possible to detect white striping physiopathy in chicken carcasses with skin using spectrophotometry of radiofrequency spectra. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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Article
Influence of Wind Speed on RGB-D Images in Tree Plantations
by Dionisio Andújar, José Dorado, José María Bengochea-Guevara, Jesús Conesa-Muñoz, César Fernández-Quintanilla and Ángela Ribeiro
Sensors 2017, 17(4), 914; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17040914 - 21 Apr 2017
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 5671
Abstract
Weather conditions can affect sensors’ readings when sampling outdoors. Although sensors are usually set up covering a wide range of conditions, their operational range must be established. In recent years, depth cameras have been shown as a promising tool for plant phenotyping and [...] Read more.
Weather conditions can affect sensors’ readings when sampling outdoors. Although sensors are usually set up covering a wide range of conditions, their operational range must be established. In recent years, depth cameras have been shown as a promising tool for plant phenotyping and other related uses. However, the use of these devices is still challenged by prevailing field conditions. Although the influence of lighting conditions on the performance of these cameras has already been established, the effect of wind is still unknown. This study establishes the associated errors when modeling some tree characteristics at different wind speeds. A system using a Kinect v2 sensor and a custom software was tested from null wind speed up to 10 m·s−1. Two tree species with contrasting architecture, poplars and plums, were used as model plants. The results showed different responses depending on tree species and wind speed. Estimations of Leaf Area (LA) and tree volume were generally more consistent at high wind speeds in plum trees. Poplars were particularly affected by wind speeds higher than 5 m·s−1. On the contrary, height measurements were more consistent for poplars than for plum trees. These results show that the use of depth cameras for tree characterization must take into consideration wind conditions in the field. In general, 5 m·s−1 (18 km·h−1) could be established as a conservative limit for good estimations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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6808 KiB  
Article
Robot-Beacon Distributed Range-Only SLAM for Resource-Constrained Operation
by Arturo Torres-González, Jose Ramiro Martínez-de Dios and Anibal Ollero
Sensors 2017, 17(4), 903; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17040903 - 20 Apr 2017
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5915
Abstract
This work deals with robot-sensor network cooperation where sensor nodes (beacons) are used as landmarks for Range-Only (RO) Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). Most existing RO-SLAM techniques consider beacons as passive devices disregarding the sensing, computational and communication capabilities with which they are [...] Read more.
This work deals with robot-sensor network cooperation where sensor nodes (beacons) are used as landmarks for Range-Only (RO) Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). Most existing RO-SLAM techniques consider beacons as passive devices disregarding the sensing, computational and communication capabilities with which they are actually endowed. SLAM is a resource-demanding task. Besides the technological constraints of the robot and beacons, many applications impose further resource consumption limitations. This paper presents a scalable distributed RO-SLAM scheme for resource-constrained operation. It is capable of exploiting robot-beacon cooperation in order to improve SLAM accuracy while meeting a given resource consumption bound expressed as the maximum number of measurements that are integrated in SLAM per iteration. The proposed scheme combines a Sparse Extended Information Filter (SEIF) SLAM method, in which each beacon gathers and integrates robot-beacon and inter-beacon measurements, and a distributed information-driven measurement allocation tool that dynamically selects the measurements that are integrated in SLAM, balancing uncertainty improvement and resource consumption. The scheme adopts a robot-beacon distributed approach in which each beacon participates in the selection, gathering and integration in SLAM of robot-beacon and inter-beacon measurements, resulting in significant estimation accuracies, resource-consumption efficiency and scalability. It has been integrated in an octorotor Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) and evaluated in 3D SLAM outdoor experiments. The experimental results obtained show its performance and robustness and evidence its advantages over existing methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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8591 KiB  
Article
Multisensory System for the Detection and Localization of Peripheral Subcutaneous Veins
by Roemi Fernández and Manuel Armada
Sensors 2017, 17(4), 897; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17040897 - 19 Apr 2017
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 6004
Abstract
This paper proposes a multisensory system for the detection and localization of peripheral subcutaneous veins, as a first step for achieving automatic robotic insertion of catheters in the near future. The multisensory system is based on the combination of a SWIR (Short-Wave Infrared) [...] Read more.
This paper proposes a multisensory system for the detection and localization of peripheral subcutaneous veins, as a first step for achieving automatic robotic insertion of catheters in the near future. The multisensory system is based on the combination of a SWIR (Short-Wave Infrared) camera, a TOF (Time-Of-Flight) camera and a NIR (Near Infrared) lighting source. The associated algorithm consists of two main parts: one devoted to the features extraction from the SWIR image, and another envisaged for the registration of the range data provided by the TOF camera, with the SWIR image and the results of the peripheral veins detection. In this way, the detected subcutaneous veins are mapped onto the 3D reconstructed surface, providing a full representation of the region of interest for the automatic catheter insertion. Several experimental tests were carried out in order to evaluate the capabilities of the presented approach. Preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed design and highlight the potential benefits of the solution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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8321 KiB  
Article
The Use of Phononic Crystals to Design Piezoelectric Power Transducers
by Silvia Ronda, José Luis Aragón, Elvira Iglesias and Francisco Montero de Espinosa
Sensors 2017, 17(4), 729; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17040729 - 31 Mar 2017
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5587
Abstract
It was recently proposed that the lateral resonances around the working resonance band of ultrasonic piezoelectric sandwich transducers can be stopped by a periodic array of circular holes drilled along the main propagation direction (a phononic crystal). In this work, the performance of [...] Read more.
It was recently proposed that the lateral resonances around the working resonance band of ultrasonic piezoelectric sandwich transducers can be stopped by a periodic array of circular holes drilled along the main propagation direction (a phononic crystal). In this work, the performance of different transducer designs made with this procedure is tested using laser vibrometry, electric impedance tests and finite element models (FEM). It is shown that in terms of mechanical vibration amplitude and acoustic efficiency, the best design for physiotherapy applications is when both, the piezoceramic and an aluminum capsule are phononic structures. The procedure described here can be applied to the design of power ultrasonic devices, physiotherapy transducers and other external medical power ultrasound applications where piston-like vibration in a narrow band is required. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2017)
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