Generative Adversarial Networks for Shadow Removal to Improve Semantic Segmentation for Autonomous Driving

Traversability estimation is a key component in autonomous driving tasks. In many applications, semantic segmentation is used to pixel-wise classify a visual scene. The pixel-wise segmented map is used to estimate the traversability of different environments. The semantic segmentation accuracy can drop if environmental conditions change. The...

Modelling and stabilization of coil deposition in intracranial aneurysm treatment: Improving the safety of neurovascular interventions

An intracranial aneurysm is a bulge in the cerebral vasculature. The rupture of an aneurysm results in a brain bleed. As a consequence, most patients become severely handicapped or may even die. Preventive treatment with endovascular coiling is controversial due to the high risk of complications. These complications are partly caused by the...

A distributed approach to improve inland water transportation addressing privacy and incremental improvements

Currently, inland waterway shipping mainly includes barges and bulk transportation with little to no variation in volume, product, and route. Since transport over water emits less CO2 per tonne-km than road transport, a potential way to reduce CO2 emissions is to transport more containers via inland waterways. Large delays cause unreliability,...

Railway disruption management with passenger-centric rescheduling

Railway networks are subjected to disruptions on a daily basis, which may make the timetable unimplementable, which in its turn may significantly influence passenger satisfaction. In practice, train dispatchers are responsible for mitigating the influence of disruptions, such as delays of trains, train cancellations, and overcrowdedness at...

The Ripple Effect in the Housing Market: An Economic Engineering Model to Control Spatial Price Dynamics

In this thesis, an economic-engineering model of the ripple effect in the housing market is put forward. The ripple effect in the housing market is modeled by integrating into one model the local price dynamics of the rental market, the spatial price dynamics between local rental markets, and the valuation of real estate. Such a model is lacking...

Graph Based LiDAR-Inertial Lo- calization with a Low Power Solid State LiDAR

Mapping an environment with a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor through the use of a LiDAR Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM) algorithm is a powerful technology that allows for the creation of detailed 3D models. Recently various LiDAR sensors have been developed based on Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) technology....

Optimal condition-based maintenance of asphalt concrete pavements

Maintenance is a necessary measure to keep the asset, in this case a road network, in good condition. Spending too much on maintenance is clearly not efficient, while not spending enough may cause the condition to drop below a desired value; moreover, it will almost always cost more to correct the emerging damages afterwards. <br/>In this report...

Intent-Based Coordination of Robotic Autonomous Systems for Persistent Reconnaissance

The introduction of Robotic &amp; Autonomous Systems (RAS) in modern combat seems inevitable, with clear advantages like reduced risk and extensification of personnel. To scope this research, persistent reconnaissance with heterogeneous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is selected, being one of the more prominent applications. Despite continuous...

Emergency Escape Manoeuvre of a Faulty Truck in a Platoon Formation Moving in Highway

The platooning of trucks provides significant benefits in the existing transportation systems regarding social, economic and environmental aspects. Due to the platoon's high dependence on sensors, it is critically important to have fault-tolerant countermeasures that deal efficiently with failures by achieving minimal risk condition. This thesis...

Trajectory control and dynamic modeling of a tailless flapping-wing robot

The DelFly Nimble is a type of tailless flapping-wing micro air vehicles (FWMAVs) that has received an increasing amount of attention. FWMAVs show efficient and agile flight possibilities at small scale. The aerodynamics and dynamics of these flapping vehicles are challenging and not fully understood. In this work, a strategy to implement a 3D...

A Novel Fast Marching Approach for COLREGS Compliant Dynamic Obstacle Avoidance for Unmanned Surface Vehicles

Successful implementation of fully autonomous vehicles is a much desired objective. Within the area of unmanned marine craft or unmanned surface vehicles (USV), the implementation of truly autonomous navigation is still a challenge. During times in which humans are still actively involved in the processof maritime navigation, regulations are...

Smart Curtailment of Renewable Energy Resources for Increasing Capacity of Distribution Grids

Nowadays renewable energy sources (RES) are growing at a rapid pace, particularly the wind energy. The high amount of wind power penetration into the power grids poses a major challenge to Transmission System Operators (TSO) in terms of the operational management, as wind power is highly uncertain. The highly uncertain nature of the wind power...

Model Predictive Control for Hybrid Annealing Furnace at Tata Steel IJmuiden: Formulation and validation of model and controller

The demand from the automotive industry for thinner, stronger and more ductile steels led to development of the so called Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS). These new steel grades are produced at one of the hot dip galvanizing lines, “Dompel Verzinklijn 3” (DVL3), at Tata Steel IJmuiden. The annealing furnace in DVL3 consists out of a number...