Stabilization of Visually Guided Robotic Lampreys

This thesis contains two contributions to the stabilization of visually guided robotic lampreys: the head stabilization method and the head-led target tracking design. Both approach the problem that camera inputs, attached to the head segment, are disturbed due to the participation of the head in the locomotion gait of the robot. Head...

Distributed IDA-PBC for Nonholonomic Mechanical Systems

Nonholonomic mechanical systems encompass a large class of practically interesting robotic structures, such as wheeled mobile robots, space manipulators, and multi-fingered robot hands. However, few results exist on the cooperative control of such systems in a generic, distributed approach. In this work we extend a recently developed distributed...

Fabrication of polymer nanocomposites for application in luminescent solar concentrators

The integration of luminescent nanoparticles into transparent polymer matrices opens the way to affordable, scalable and efficient luminescent solar concentrators. A key challenge in the fabrication is to prevent agglomeration of the nanoparticles as this will drastically reduce the performance due to scattering effects. The incompatibility of...

Vision-based stabilization of micro quadrotors

On-board stabilization of quadrotors is often done using an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), aided by additional sensors to combat the IMU drift. For example, GPS readings can aid when flying outdoors, or when flying in GPS denied environments, such as indoors, visual information from one or more camera modules can be used. <br/>A single...

Designing for Independent Filmmakers

This project concerns a design proposal for a new form of camera support equipment for low-budget independent filmmakers. The final product replaces a tripod a dolly and any other handheld device. The system holds a DSLR camera and contains a docking station for a smartphone. Through a special designed app the filmmaker can choose which moving...

Mathematical modeling of free-flooding anti-roll tanks

One way of stabilizing a ship is by anti-roll tanks. There are three kinds of anti-roll tanks: the free-surface, U-tube and free-flooding tanks. Of these the free-flooding anti-roll tank is the least known and applied. The reason is that the performance of these tanks is reduced due to a momentum drag penalty incurred at forward speeds. This...

A Continuous Calibration Method For the Transfer Stabilization of Successive Detection Logarithmic Amplifiers

To ensure efficient and reliable operation of power amplifiers it is very important to precisely measure and control the power of the signal they transmit. A device most often used to do precise power measurements of RF systems is the so-called RF power detector. As this detector is used as measurement device the precise measurement ability of...

Citizens on the move: Designing a vehicle to shape urban future

Following the ViP design method to investigate the domain of citizens on the move, the mission statement created was that we would like citizens on the move to balance, without compromises, between the importance of their individuality and that of their community. “Achieve the bonding of cultivated individuals into a whole” The interaction of...

Identification of a two pivot human neck model using linear anterior-posterior perturbations

Eight healthy young adult males seated in a rigid chair and restrained by a five point harness belt underwent anterior-posterior random appearing multisine perturbations with a frequency range of 0.3-20 Hz. Six different conditions were tested differentiating in maximum acceleration level ([1;2;4;8] m/s²) and in task (mental arithmetic and...