Web ROC-SIANI

An Approach to Multi-Objective Path Planning Optimization for Underwater Gliders

Antonio C. Domínguez Brito — 2020-02-16T18:16:23Z

Underwater gliders are energy-efficient vehicles that rely on changes in buoyancy in order to convert up and down movement into forward displacement. These vehicles are conceived as multi-sensor platforms, and can be used to collect ocean data for long periods in wide range areas. This endurance is achieved at the cost of low speed, which requires extensive planning to ensure vehicle safety and mission success, particularly when dealing with strong ocean currents. As gliders are often involved on missions that pursue multiple objectives (track events, reach a target point, avoid obstacles, sample specified areas, save energy), path planning requires a way to deal with several constraints at the same time; this makes glider path planning a multi-objective (MO) optimization problem. In this work, we analyse the usage of the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) to tackle a MO glider path planning application on a complex environment integrating 3D and time varying ocean currents. Multiple experiments using a glider kinematic simulator coupled with NSGA-II, combining different control parameters were carried out, to find the best parameter configuration that provided suitable paths for the desired mission. Ultimately, the system described in this work was able to optimize multi-objective trajectories, providing non dominated solutions. Such a planning tool could be of great interest in real mission planning, to assist glider pilots in selecting the most convenient paths for the vehicle, taking into account ocean forecasts and particular characteristics of the deployment location.

Airflow dynamics, vegetation and aeolian erosive processes in a shadow zone leeward of a resort in an arid transgressive dune system

Antonio C. Domínguez Brito — 2019-12-10T13:43:16Z

Structures and infrastructures can modify aeolian sedimentary dynamics as has occurred in the arid transgressive dunefield of Maspalomas (Gran Canaria, Canary Islands), where an aeolian shadow zone has been formed leeward of a tourist resort (Playa del Inglés). The aim of this paper is to analyse spatial and statistically the influences of vegetation and topography on wind flow across this shadow zone. An experiment was carried out in March 2017, collecting wind speed and direction from 5 transects with anemometers at 0.40 m height. Simultaneously, a drone flight was carried out, from which an orthophoto and digital elevation and surface models (DEM and DSM) were obtained. Distance from the resort, and the presence of vegetation were found to influence transects dominated by erosional processes. Transects that do not display erosional processes were primarily affected by the presence of vegetation. The local wind field changes at a similar distance across the transects downwind from the resorts indicating an acceleration or reattachment of the wind at this distance downwind. The vegetation role in this aeolian shadow zone could be a key to the future evolution of the area resulting in either further stabilization, or alternatively, the continued deflation of the area.

ACUSQUAT Project: Acoustic behavioural monitoring of the Angelshark (Squatina squatina) in critical conservation areas

Antonio C. Domínguez Brito — 2020-01-20T10:18:59Z

Acoustic Detection of Tagged Angelsharks from an Autonomous Sailboat

Antonio C. Domínguez Brito — 2019-12-10T13:50:00Z

Autonomous sailboats are silent surface vehicles which are well suited for acoustic monitoring. The integration of an acoustic receiver in an unmanned surface vehicle has a large potential for population monitoring as it permits to report geo-referenced detections in real time, so that researchers can adapt monitoring strategies as data arrive. In this paper we present preliminary work, done on the framework of ACUSQUAT project, to explore the usage of an acoustic receiver onboard a small (2 m length-over-all) autonomous sailboat in order to detect the presence of tagged adult exemplars of angelshark (Squatina squatina), the target species in ACUSQUAT, in certain areas which have demonstrated that this approach is feasible. Results obtained in simulation and during field trials are presented.

A-TIRMA: A small autonomous sailboat

Antonio C. Domínguez Brito — 2015-05-13T13:35:00Z

A-TIRMA Master Thesis Project Dissertation

Antonio C. Domínguez Brito — 2013-08-02T11:58:55Z

Last July 29th 2013, our SIANI's master student, Ángel Ramos de Miguel, has defended his Master Thesis Project at the Real Club Náutico de Gran Canaria. This work has been supervised by our division mebers, Jorge Cabrera Gámez, and Antonio C. Dominguez Brito. In this work an autonomous robotic sailing boat has been developed, A-TIRMA, a low cost robotic sailing platform of easy deployment and small size. Here we want to give our congratulations to Ángel for a work well done.

Next we include some news in relation to the A-TIRMA's dissertation:

1. News on Real Club Náutico de Gran Canaria's web site. And here, more photos.

2. News on ULPGC's web site.

3. News on La Provincia local newspaper.

4. News on the local television Television Canaria on minute 17:45.

A-TIRMA G2: An Oceanic Autonomous Sailboat

Antonio C. Domínguez Brito — 2016-02-04T17:40:00Z

A semantic parliamentary multimedia approach for retrieval of video clips with content understanding

Antonio C. Domínguez Brito — 2019-12-20T18:23:41Z

Digital videos of parliamentary activity play an important role in enhancing transparency and accountability for open e-government. The rapid growth in these videos and the lack of semantic annotations and relationships between video and knowledge resources make it increasingly difficult to find accurate video clips with contextual information for content understanding. To overcome this problem, we highlight the need for building multimedia systems based on a semantic vision. With this aim, we focus on (1) how to address the knowledge representation for automatic extraction of contextual information for video content understanding; (2) how to link the parliamentary knowledge structures within video resources to provide accurate video clips retrieval; and (3) how to perform semantic annotation on video resources. The methodology applied is focused on a systematic approach that uses techniques from ontology engineering. This approach is based on the definition of two models: the semantic model and the reference architecture. The semantic model is composed of a reference ontology and a semantic video annotation framework. The ontology provides the support for video content understanding and the semantic vocabulary for annotating video resources. The video annotation framework is based on an RDF-powered semantic video annotation to effectively relate low- and mid-level visual features, corresponding to speakers’ interventions, to high-level parliamentary concepts. To evaluate the proposed system, a prototype for the Canary Islands Parliament (Spain) has been carried out. The results show how semantic enhancement is a key enabler for improved video retrieval on parliamentary multimedia content.

A DIY Low-Cost Wireless Wind Data Acquisition System Used to Study an Arid Coastal Foredune

Antonio C. Domínguez Brito — 2020-02-16T12:08:04Z

Environmental studies on coastal dune systems are faced with a considerable cost barrier due to the cost of the instrumentation and sensory equipment required for data collection. These systems play an important role in coastal areas as a protection against erosion and as providers of stability to coastal sedimentary deposits. The DIY (Do-It-Yourself) approach to data acquisition can reduce the cost of these environmental studies. In this paper, a low-cost DIY wireless wind data acquisition system is presented which reduces the cost barrier inherent to these types of studies. The system is deployed for the analysis of the foredune of Maspalomas, an arid dune field situated on the south coast of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain), for the specific purpose of studying the dynamics of a dune type (tongue dunes), which is typical of this environment. The results obtained can be of interest for the study of these coastal environments at both the local level, for the management of this particular dune field, and at the general level for other similar dune fields around the world.

A Component-Based C++ Communication Middleware for an Autonomous Robotic Sailboat

Antonio C. Domínguez Brito — 2019-12-10T13:40:00Z

The new C++ standard, C++11, and its upgrade, C++14, introduces new advances and features which make more affordable and easier the development of software for complex systems. Following this tenet we have designed and developed a component-based service-oriented C++ middleware, called ISE, for distributed systems using exclusively standard C++ and the quasi standard C++ Boost Libraries for keeping the middleware portable. The final aim of developing ISE has been to build the remote communication software infrastructure of an oceanic autonomous robotic sailboat called A-Tirma.

publicaciones-principal-en-en

Antonio C. Domínguez Brito — 2012-11-15T16:30:00Z

publicaciones-principal-en

Antonio C. Domínguez Brito — 2012-11-15T16:30:00Z