Alternative implementations of a fractional order control algorithm on FPGAs

Traditionally, microprocessor and digital signal processors have been used extensively in controlling simple processes, such as direct current motors. The Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) are currently emerging as an alternative to the previously used devices in controlling all sorts of processes. The fractional order proportional-integrative control algorithm has the advantage of enhancing the closed loop performance as compared to traditional proportional-integrative controllers, but the implementation requires a higher number of computations. Implementations of control algorithms on FPGAs are nowadays much faster than implementations on microprocessors. This allows for a more accurate digital realization of the fractional order controller. The paper presents nine alternative implementations of such control algorithm on two different FPGA targets. The experimental results, considering DC motor speed control, show that double, fixed-point and integer data representation may be used efficiently for control purposes

Double crystallographic groups and their representations on the Bilbao Crystallographic Server

A new section of databases and programs devoted to double crystallographic groups (point and space groups) has been implemented in the Bilbao Crystallographic Server (http://www.cryst.ehu.es). The double crystallographic groups are required in the study of physical systems whose Hamiltonian includes spin-dependent terms. In the symmetry analysis of such systems, instead of the irreducible representations of the space groups, it is necessary to consider the single- and double-valued irreducible representations of the double space groups. The new section includes databases of symmetry operations (DGENPOS) and of irreducible representations of the double (point and space) groups (REPRESENTATIONS DPG and REPRESENTATIONS DSG). The tool DCOMPATIBILITY RELATIONS provides compatibility relations between the irreducible representations of double space groups at different k-vectors of the Brillouin zone when there is a group-subgroup relation between the corresponding little groups. The program DSITESYM implements the so-called site-symmetry approach, which establishes symmetry relations between localized and extended crystal states, using representations of the double groups. As an application of this approach, the program BANDREP calculates the band representations and the elementary band representations induced from any Wyckoff position of any of the 230 double space groups, giving information about the properties of these bands. Recently, the results of BANDREP have been extensively applied in the description and the search of topological insulators.Comment: 32 pages, 20 figures. Two extra figures and minor typo mistakes fixed. Published versio

A Portable Implementation on Industrial Devices of a Predictive Controller Using Graphical Programming

This paper presents an approach for developing an Extended Prediction Self-Adaptive Controller employing graphical programming of industrial standard devices, for controlling fast processes. For comparison purposes, the algorithm has been implemented on three different FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) chips. The paper presents research aspects regarding graphical programming controller design, showing that a single advanced control application can run on different targets without requiring significant program modifications. Based on the time needed for processing the control signal and on the application, one can efficiently and easily select the most appropriate device. To exemplify the procedure, a conclusive case study is presented

Implementation of an extended prediction self-adaptive controller using LabVIEW (TM)

The implementation of the Extended Prediction Self-Adaptive Controller is presented in this paper. It employs LabVIEWTM graphical programming of industrial equipment and it is suitable for controlling fast processes. Three different systems are used for implementing the control algorithm. The research regarding the controller design using graphical programming demonstrates that a single advanced control application can run on Windows, real time operating systems and FPGA targets without requiring significant program modifications. The most appropriate device may be selected according to the required processing time of the control signal and of the application. A relevant case study is used to exemplify the procedure

The Unification of the University Programs and Textbooks of History in the Albanian Speaking Territories

Nowadays, there is an urgency for the unification and the reforming of history programs and textbooks in terms of content considering the transitional time that Albanian speaking territories are experiencing with the aim of providing a more formative and efficient education to Albanian speaking youth. Endeavoring to achieve this, the way the history is treated should converge in all the Albanian speaking territories in compliance with the demand for the creation of a democratic society as specified and welcomed by the international organizations. The increase in the society‟s interest shown towards the historical developments in the course of time closely associated with their right to provide their interpretations of the historical events demands for the unification of the history programs and textbooks, as well as an increased scientific and methodological level of the preparation of the teachers and an increased scientific and methodological level of the curricula and textbooks as recognized across the nation. The university programs should undergo unification by paying due respect to and establishing rightful connections and relations with the alternative interpretations, critical thinking and the future patriotic and contemporary formation of the generations to come. The research aims at promoting and establishing nationwide cooperation for designing unified university textbooks and programs for all the Albanian speaking territories.Keywords: program, unification, interpretation, critical thinking, history, contemporary

Bringing Human Robot Interaction towards _Trust and Social Engineering

Robots started their journey in books and movies; nowadays, they are becoming an important part of our daily lives: from industrial robots, passing through entertainment robots, and reaching social robotics in fields like healthcare or education. An important aspect of social robotics is the human counterpart, therefore, there is an interaction between the humans and robots. Interactions among humans are often taken for granted as, since children, we learn how to interact with each other. In robotics, this interaction is still very immature, however, critical for a successful incorporation of robots in society. Human robot interaction (HRI) is the domain that works on improving these interactions. HRI encloses many aspects, and a significant one is trust. Trust is the assumption that somebody or something is good and reliable; and it is critical for a developed society. Therefore, in a society where robots can part, the trust they could generate will be essential for cohabitation. A downside of trust is overtrusting an entity; in other words, an insufficient alignment of the projected trust and the expectations of a morally correct behaviour. This effect could negatively influence and damage the interactions between agents. In the case of humans, it is usually exploited by scammers, conmen or social engineers - who take advantage of the people's overtrust in order to manipulate them into performing actions that may not be beneficial for the victims. This thesis tries to shed light on the development of trust towards robots, how this trust could become overtrust and be exploited by social engineering techniques. More precisely, the following experiments have been carried out: (i) Treasure Hunt, in which the robot followed a social engineering framework where it gathered personal information from the participants, improved the trust and rapport with them, and at the end, it exploited that trust manipulating participants into performing a risky action. (ii) Wicked Professor, in which a very human-like robot tried to enforce its authority to make participants obey socially inappropriate requests. Most of the participants realized that the requests were morally wrong, but eventually, they succumbed to the robot'sauthority while holding the robot as morally responsible. (iii) Detective iCub, in which it was evaluated whether the robot could be endowed with the ability to detect when the human partner was lying. Deception detection is an essential skill for social engineers and professionals in the domain of education, healthcare and security. The robot achieved 75% of accuracy in the lie detection. There were also found slight differences in the behaviour exhibited by the participants when interacting with a human or a robot interrogator. Lastly, this thesis approaches the topic of privacy - a fundamental human value. With the integration of robotics and technology in our society, privacy will be affected in ways we are not used. Robots have sensors able to record and gather all kind of data, and it is possible that this information is transmitted via internet without the knowledge of the user. This is an important aspect to consider since a violation in privacy can heavily impact the trust. Summarizing, this thesis shows that robots are able to establish and improve trust during an interaction, to take advantage of overtrust and to misuse it by applying different types of social engineering techniques, such as manipulation and authority. Moreover, robots can be enabled to pick up different human cues to detect deception, which can help both, social engineers and professionals in the human sector. Nevertheless, it is of the utmost importance to make roboticists, programmers, entrepreneurs, lawyers, psychologists, and other sectors involved, aware that social robots can be highly beneficial for humans, but they could also be exploited for malicious purposes

The Reintroduction of Bobâlna Hill into the Tourist Circuit

Bobâlna Hill is the highest part of the Cluj and Dej Hills, an integrated part of the Someșan Plateau, with an altitude of 693 m. From a geomorphological point of view, it falls within the erosive-structural level formed on the horizon of the Dej tuff, of Lower Pannonian age. At the foot of the hill, a series of subsequent valleys developed, such as Olpret Valley to the north, northeast and east, Măr Valley and Lujerdiu Valley to the south, and Luna Valley to the west and southwest respectively. From a geological point of view, Bobâlna Hill is composed by the Dacitic tuff of Dej, interspersed with marls, clays, sandstones with coals and marly shales. Due to its altitude and the rocks it is made of, Bobâlna Hill determined the meaning of the evolution of the other natural components of the environment, flora, fauna, soils, as well as the hydrography. The development of human communities in the adjacent communes was deeply influenced by the presence of Bobâlna Hill. The hill is located about 30 km west of Dej City. Its area of polarization is more visible on the territories of Bobâlna, Aluniș, Cornești, Recea-Cristur and Panticeu communes. Bobâlna Hill has been the source of building materials for houses and other buildings for a long time. There are still buildings made of “Băbdiu stone” today. In addition to resistance over time, tuff has a beautiful appearance and was accessible to people. In June 1437, an army of peasants gathered on Bobâlna Hill, armed with pitchforks and scythes, ready to fight to regain their rights and freedom. The uprising in Bobâlna took place as a result of burdensome feudal obligations towards the state, the feudal lord and the Catholic church, but also because of numerous abuses. On June 8, 1937, the leaders of the villages in the Olpret area formed an initiative committee to build a monument in honour of the peasants who revolted in 1437, on Bobâlna Hill, at an altitude of 693 meters. The initiative was successful and a limestone monument was built, unveiled on December 21, 1957. Starting from 1968 and up to 1989, popular celebrations were organized, most of them just above, on the Bobâlna plateau. The heroes of the 1437 uprising were commemorated and it was an occasion of joy, reunion and party for the inhabitants of the area. Between the years 1989-1999, the celebrations stopped, but they were resumed in 1999, 2001 and 2002. The last celebration was in 2015, in the school yard in Bobâlna commune, but it had a smaller scale. In the years 2021 and 2022, the first two editions of the Revolution Race event took place, on Bobâlna Hill. Revolution Race is a sporting event that highlights nature, history and rural traditions. The “Înflorești” Sports Club Association participated to the organization of the two events in partnership with the Go4Fun Association and the administration of the municipalities of Bobâlna and Cornești. Over 300 runners from Romania and abroad participated in each edition. Starting from the advantages offered by the natural setting, the presence of Bobâlna Hill, and the significance of the historical event of 1437, Bobâlna municipality is currently designing a long-term development strategy based on ecological rural tourism

THE EVOLUTION OF THE AREA BETWEEN VALEA CHINTĂULUI AND VALEA CALDĂ FOLLOWING THE WORKS MITIGATING SOIL EROSION

The study area is located on the left slope of the Someșul Mic River, in the northern part of Cluj-Napoca and is bounded on the north and east by the watershed that separates it from the Valea Caldă River basin, south of the agricultural road that separates the slope from Someșul Mic floodplain and west of the orchard border. The area is called Sfântu Gheorghe Hill, the homonymous peak bordering it to the west, and Țigla Hill to the east. In 1986, the Institute for Studies and Design for Land Improvements implemented a plan to mitigate soil erosion on an area of 600 hectares within the mentioned limits. Of these, 300 hectares represented the arrangement of terraces, 200 hectares the arrangement of landslides and 100 hectares of drainage on slopes. The execution of the works mitigating soil erosion aimed at reducing the annual soil losses, the possibility of applying appropriate agrotechniques in the fruit plantations to be established. The arrangement of the slippery surfaces was done by modeling, eliminating the excess moisture, terracing, grassing or planting and had the purpose of bringing significant areas of land back in the economic circuit. Elimination of excessive water through drains was made for the proper development of future tree plantations. The purpose of this study is to analyze the temporal evolution, over a period of 30 years, of the efficiency of the arrangement works on the slope performed in 1986, first of all. The estimation of the effectiveness of the works executed at that moment was made by the comparative morphometric and morphological analysis of the landslides and the forms of deep erosion on the slopes. Second, the study examines the vulnerability of landslide risk factors in this area, in particular residential and public buildings, road infrastructure and agricultural land. The study starts from the following premises: the geomorphology of the southern slope of Sfântu Gheorghe Hill has been studied over time, as attested by bibliographical sources; 30 years ago, the destination of the lands related to the area was mainly agricultural, and the land use plans included mainly measures for agricultural development; in recent years, there has been an accelerated expansion of Cluj-Napoca, including on the northern slope of Someșul Mic, both from the base of the slope to the watershed, and along the base of the slope, to the eastern outskirts of the city. The questions that arise are: how did the landslides evolve and how did the slope evolve after the development carried out in 1986? How many of the built elements are located in areas with acceptable risk and how many are located in areas with high risk in terms of slope stability

Livstidsstraffet i förändring

The main point of this thesis is whether or not there is a need for modifications of the life sentence in Sweden, and should that be the case, how that modification is supposed to be constructed. To answer this in an adequate manner, the Swedish life sentence is going to be compared to the English and Norwegian equivalents. To start with, an account of different theories on penalization and principles that have embossed the Swedish penal system’s construction will be given. The life sentence has gone through a number of different paradigm shifts and our current differentiated penal system considers both the risk for a relapse into crime and the prognosis for treatment. A short review of the development of the life sentence will be made in order to explain how the penalty has evolved into its current importance. The life sentence has replaced the death penalty in punishing the most serious of crimes and is currently the harshest penalty the law prescribes. In a proposition, the Swedish government suggests that the life sentence should be possible to use on a much wider scale and be the normal sentence in the manner that it will be used on a majority of cases. In practice, this means that more people sentenced for murder will receive life imprisonment as a penalty. According to the law many of the deeds committed by these criminal leads to a shorter, fixed term sentence. The Swedish Parliament approved this proposition on April 29th 2014 and it will come into effect on July 1st 2014. This coming legislation could come to affect the proportionality of the penal system and the Rule of Law in a negative manner. This thesis argues on whether there is such a need as the government suggests. To further address the thesis’ main issue, the arguments for and against the life sentence and its legal construction will be examined and analysed as will the legal debate in the chosen countries. In Sweden, the issue of converting the penalties and the risk assessment, which are to be the foundation for a possible conversion of the non-fixed term penalty, are debated. Arguments about the aggravation of a meaningful enforcement and the lacking Rule of Law are addressed. The strongest arguments for life sentencing are considered to be the aspect of societal protection. In England, the whole-life order where convicts sentenced to life imprisonment and denied the possibility of parole is the target of criticism. Also, the mandatory life sentence for murder in England is criticized since it, in practice, does not actually mean imprisonment for life. By a comparison to Norway, the deduction that the life sentence is a legally insecure sentence and out-of-date punishment is made. The criticism towards preventive detention is mainly aimed at the reliability of the risk assessments on which the trial of parole is founded. On the other hand, based on the possibility to extend the sentence by five years at the time, preventive detention gives the convict hope of that the imprisonment not necessarily has to last for too long. The conclusion of this thesis is therefore that there is a need for change in regard to the life sentence where a solution similar to the one in Norway is a suitable option.Den centrala frågan i denna framställning är huruvida det finns ett behov av förändring vad gäller livstidsstraffet i Sverige, och om frågan besvaras jakande, vad förändringen i så fall skulle bestå av. För att kunna besvara frågeställningen på ett tillfredställande sätt jämförs det svenska livstidsstraffet med de engelska och norska påföljdssystemen. Inledningsvis redogörs för olika bestraffningsteorier och principer som har präglat det svenska straffsystemets uppbyggnad. Livstidsstraffet har genomgått en rad olika paradigmskiften och vårt nuvarande differentierade påföljdssystem beaktar såväl principer om proportionalitet och ekvivalens som återfallsrisk och behandlingsprognos. Vidare görs en kort genomgång av livstidsstraffets utveckling för att förklara hur straffet fått sin nuvarande betydelse. Livstidsstraffet har ersatt dödsstraffet som påföljd för de grövsta brotten och är numera lagens strängaste straff. I prop. 2013/14:194 Skärpt straff för mord presenterar regeringen ett förslag om att livstidsstraffet ska kunna användas i betydligt större utsträckning samt utgöra normalpåföljden i den bemärkelsen att det förutses dömas ut i majoriteten av fallen. Detta innebär i praktiken att fler som döms för mord ska dömas till fängelse på livstid. Enligt gällande rätt leder många av dessa gärningar idag till ett kortare tidsbestämt straff. Riksdagen biföll den 29 april 2014 förslaget och lagändringen träder i kraft den 1 juli 2014. Den kommande lagändringen kan komma att påverka proportionaliteten i påföljdssystemet samt rättssäkerheten negativt. Denna uppsats diskuterar huruvida det finns ett behov av den förändring som regeringen föreslår. Som ett ytterligare led i besvarandet av uppsatsens huvudfråga utreds och analyseras för- och motargument som framförs gällande livstidsstraffet och dess utformning samt hur den rättspolitiska debatten ser ut i de valda länderna. I Sverige diskuteras problematiken med omvandlingsförfarandet och den riskbedömning som ska ligga till grund för en eventuell omvandling av det tidsobetämda straffet. Argument kring försvårandet av en meningsfull verkställighet och bristande rättssäkerhet lyfts särskilt fram. Det starkaste argumentet för livstidsstraffet anses vara samhällsskyddsaspekten. I England kritiseras främst det livsvariga livstidsstraffet där livstidsdömda riskerar nekas prövning om frigivning. Vidare kritiseras det obligatoriska livstidsstraffet för mord i England eftersom det i praktiken inte innebär ett livsvarigt fängelsestraff. Genom en jämförelse med Norge dras slutsatsen att livstidsstraffet är en rättsosäker påföljd som dessutom är föråldrad. Kritiken som riktats mot förvaringsstraffet tar främst sikte på tillförlitligheten av de riskbedömningar som ligger till grund för frigivningsprövningen. Däremot p.g.a. möjligheten att förlänga straffet fem år i taget ger förvaringsstraffet den dömde hopp om att frihetsberövandet inte nödvändigtvis kommer att bli alltför långvarigt. Uppsatsens slutsats blir därmed att det finns ett behov av förändring gällande livstidsstraffet där en liknande lösning som den i Norge är ett lämpligt alternativ

Development and Analysis of Low-Cost IoT Sensors for Urban Environmental Monitoring

The accelerated pace of urbanization is having a major impact over the world’s environment. Although urban dwellers have higher living standards and can access better public services as compared to their rural counterparts, they are usually exposed to poor environmental conditions such as air pollution and noise. In order for municipalities and citizens to mitigate the negative effects of pollution, the monitoring of certain parameters, such as air quality and ambient sound levels, both in indoor and outdoor locations, has to be performed. The current paper presents a complete solution that allows the monitoring of ambient parameters such as Volatile Organic Compounds, temperature, relative humidity, pressure, and sound intensity levels both in indoor and outdoor spaces. The presented solution comprises of low-cost, easy to deploy, wireless sensors and a cloud application for their management and for storing and visualizing the recorded data