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A distributed gain-scheduled observer-based approach for the practical consensus of LPV multi-agent systems
No full textThis paper proposes a distributed gain-scheduled observer-based technique for the practical state consensus of linear parameter-varying (LPV) multi-agent systems (MAS). In the proposed approach, the effects of considering different scheduling parameters for each agent are modeled as an internal disturbance. By applying the concepts of the Lyapunov theory, sufficient conditions are obtained for the design of a gain-scheduled observer-based consensus protocol ensuring that the trajectories of the consensus error converge exponentially to a bounded region, achieving a practical consensus. Numerical experiments illustrate the advantages of the proposed practical consensus over the non-synchronization-based scenario usually obtained when the LPV MAS is subjected to different scheduling parameters
Designing and crafting systems for non-human animals: inspirations from elephants
No full textChapter 17 in @Animals, Ethics and Engineering - Intersections and Implications. Edited by Rosalyn W. Berne.
This chapter draws on several years of trying out different designs for elephant control systems and of facilitating regular multidisciplinary design workshops (“zoo jams”) that consider ways
we can deploy technology to address animal welfare challenges. The knowledge and insights gained are applied to a discussion of
some interaction design features relevant to non-humans, and how
we used craft as part of a process to support the design of animal centered computing systems. Much of the research has been done in the context of managed non-human animals (henceforth, animals), which means there are always human stakeholders to consider. These might include animal stewards or stock hands, management teams, animal health and welfare specialists, other researchers, and in some cases, visitors. As a technologist, having the opportunity to collaborate with animal specialists continues to be one of the highlights of undertaking research that focuses on other species
Distributed leader-following formation of discrete-time multi-agent LPV systems
Get PDFThis paper addresses the leader‐following formation consensus problem for multi‐agent systems (MASs) with agents represented by discrete‐time linear parameter‐varying (LPV) models. The scenario where each agent can be modeled with distinct time‐varying scheduling parameters is investigated with respect to compensation signals. Using Lyapunov stability arguments, sufficient conditions are derived for designing a distributed gain‐scheduled observer‐based consensus protocol that ensures formation tracking. Furthermore, we explore the case where the effects of the desired formation and different parameters are considered internal perturbations. Under this assumption, we propose sufficient design conditions to ensure that the combined estimation and tracking error dynamics are ℓ ∞ ‐norm bounded. The effectiveness of the proposed leader‐following framework is illustrated through numerical examples
Understanding youth social action: project report
Get PDFThis research on London’s Youth Social Action Ecosystem was commissioned by the Greater London Authority (GLA) Civil Society and Sports Unit’s Youth team and was conducted by a research team from London Metropolitan University’s Centre for Applied Research in Empowering Society (CARES).
CARES is the established research arm of the London Met Lab programme at London Metropolitan University. CARES supports the University’s commitment to the sustainable development agenda by taking a multidisciplinary approach to tackling social problems. The aim of CARES is to challenge social injustices by using empowering models of engagement to address systems that produce inequalities. The Centre focuses on empowerment and community engagement, identifying opportunities to collaborate and co-design research into the challenges faced by Londoners, working closely with civic partners
The fourth industrial revolution: biosecurity education in the age of Artificial Intelligence
No full textThe Fourth Industrial Revolution, marked by rapid advances in science and technology (S&T), dawned in the early 21st century. These rapid advances have revolutionised science and life as we know it, while simultaneously increasing the scale of challenges concerning biosecurity. There are many alternative definitions of biosecurity, however, for the purpose of this paper, and the work of our centre, we define biosecurity as “the prevention of natural, accidental, and deliberately caused disease in humans, animals, and plants”. Biosecurity, and the prohibition of biological and chemical weapons relates to the 1925 Geneva Protocol, the 1975 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) and the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
The rapid increase in challenges illustrated in the 21st century, solidifies the need to provide adequate advanced S&T security training to all relevant stakeholders. Of particular concern, when discussing the rising challenges of advanced S&T is the at the intersection between artificial intelligence (AI) and biosecurity.
Ethical challenges alone for AI and biosecurity are significant in their respective fields; this, however, appears even more perilous where the fields intersect. Ethical challenges include, but are not limited to information hazards, hallucinations, information bias, and controversy of open source research. In this paper, we use AI to illustrate the potential security issues the field of biosecurity are facing and advocate for an International Biological Security Education Network to address these rising challenges
Spinoff ecosystems: micro-foundations, intermediaries, and performance metrics
No full textUniversity spinoff ecosystems comprise diverse actors from the private sector, state-run entities, and university-affiliated entities, aiming to transfer technology from university laboratories to the market (Clayton et al., 2018; Good et al., 2020). Ecosystems have gained considerable scholarly attention because of the key role they play in facilitating innovation, and in the growth and success of both participating spinoffs and broader regions (Cosenz et al., 2024; Hayter et al, 2018; Heaton et al., 2019). Extant research describes ecosystems as complex environments, but studies have focused predominantly on transaction dyads or, alternatively, adopted an overarching macro-perspective (Abootorabi et al., 2021; Cosenz et al., 2024; Roundy & Lyons, 2023) that often neglects strategic and systemic conceptualizations of ecosystems and their effects (Hayter et al., 2018; Gianodis et al., 2016). Significant gaps remain in our understanding of ecosystem microfoundations (Cosenz et al., 2024; Roundy et al., 2022), and the role that ecosystem structure, complexity, coordination mechanisms, and participant interactions play in ecosystem success (Heaton et al., 2019). What is more, the very metrics that are used to assess success remain confounded (Hayter et al., 2018), as ecosystem participants might have divergent or even conflicting goals (Gotsopoulos & Pitsakis, 2024). This symposium delves deeper into such still open questions, aiming specifically to shed more light on the role of ecosystem intermediaries, to link micro-level factors (e.g., actors, structures, and processes) to macro-level outcomes such as spinoff success, to bridge spinoff ecosystem theory and practice and discuss appropriate metrics of spinoff success
The working class in Schrader’s Blue Collar (1978)
No full textThis chapter examines Paul Schrader’s directorial debut Blue Collar (1978) with reference to its entrapment of three Detroit autoworkers. Within this rust-belt drama, two of the men are black --- the thirty year-old Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Brown (Richard Pryor) and the two-time ‘loser’ ex-convict thirty-five-year-old Sam ‘Smokey’ James (Yaphet Kotto) --- and one is white --- the thirty two year old Polish American Jerry Bartowski (Harvey Keitel). (Schrader and Schrader 1978) Due to the fictional American Union of Autoworkers’ (AAW) (representing the real life Union of Autoworkers (UAW)) indifference to their poor working conditions, the trio break into their local branches’ safe
Are emerging technologies unlocking the potential of sustainable practices in the context of a net zero economy? An analysis of driving forces
Get PDFIncreasing globalization and climate change have significantly affected business activities. Government and other stakeholders are creating pressure to have a sustainable business model for efficient resource utilization and minimizing negative environmental impact. Many organizations have started focusing on sustainable and cleaner production through the adoption of net zero economy (NZE) practices. Certain technological advancements are required to put these concepts into practice. Firms have begun to adopt digital technologies (such as Big Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, and Internet of Things, among others), and have been widely used in practice to achieve NZE. Is digitalization unlocking the potential of sustainable practices in the context of a net zero economy? This question is still unanswered, therefore this study aims to identify and analyse the drivers of digitalization that ensure sustainable practices to achieve net zero economy. Through an extensive literature review and experts’ opinions, a list of drivers was identified. An empirical investigation was conducted to validate the identified drivers and further understand the influencing relationship among the drivers, Pythagorean Fuzzy-Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (PF-DEMATEL) was employed. The findings of the study show that ‘high degree of automation’, ‘enhancing the flexibility in the manufacturing process’, and ‘real-time sensing capability’ are the main influencer drivers among all cause group forces. The present study can be a source for industrial practitioners and academia that can provide significant guidance on how the adoption of digitalization can unlock the potential to achieve CE, which can lead us towards net-zero
Advanced wideband antenna arrays for 5G millimeter-wave spectrum at K- and Ka-bands
Get PDFMillimeter-wave (mm-Wave) wireless communication systems play a central role in meeting the demands of next-generation wireless technologies such as 5G. This chapter presents the design and analysis of three advanced antenna arrays optimized for mm-Wave 5G wireless networks operating over K-band (18–27 GHz) and Ka-band (27–40 GHz). These structures feature radiation patches suspended above a common substrate, excited using three methods to achieve optimal performance. The first method utilizes a 50 Ω open-ended microstrip-line balun to slot-line transition for effective energy coupling and excitation. The second method employs a 50Ω-microstrip feed network, ensuring consistent power distribution across array elements. Lastly, metallic-rods passing through the substrate provide direct excitation, facilitating robust mechanical and electrical integration. To address challenges, innovative techniques were implemented. Vertical metallic-vias suppress unwanted surface currents, while the spacing between radiating elements was optimized as multiples of half-wavelength to minimize interference and maximize array performance. Additionally, antenna elements were enclosed with metallic-walls to further enhance isolation and ensure predictable performance. Further strategies such as bowtie-like dipoles were incorporated to provide wider radiation apertures and better impedance matching. Power dividers were used to split input signals into multiple equal-phase outputs, boosting overall gain. Furthermore, the patches were embedded with slots to exhibit metasurface characteristics, enhancing bandwidth and radiation performance while maintaining compactness. The design methodologies and optimizations result in antenna arrays with superior performance metrics. The detailed analysis, innovative techniques, and demonstrated performance of the proposed antenna arrays establish them as strong candidates for practical deployment in advanced 5G mm-Wave networks and beyond
Quad-beam 4 × 2 array antenna for millimeter-wave 5G applications
Get PDFThis article presents the design of a novel, compact, 4 × 2 planar-array antenna that provides quad-beam radiation in the broadside direction, and it enhances coverage and serviceability for millimeter-wave applications. The antenna utilizes a corporate (parallel) feed network to deliver equal power and phase to all elements. Non-uniform element spacing in the two orthogonal planes, exceeding 0.5λ1 (λ1 being the wavelength at 30 GHz), results in a quad-beam radiation pattern. Two beams are formed in the xz-plane and two in the yz-plane, oriented at angles of θ = ±54◦. However, this spacing leads to null radiation at the center and splits the radiation energy, reducing the overall gain. The measured half-power beamwidth (HPBW) is 30◦ in the xz-plane and 35◦ in the yz-plane, with X-polarization levels of −20.5 dB and −26 dB, respectively. The antenna achieves a bandwidth of 28.5–31.1 GHz and a peak gain of 10.6 dBi. Furthermore, increasing the aperture size enhances the gain and narrows the beamwidth by replicating the structure and tuning the feed network. These features make the proposed antenna suitable for 5G wireless communication systems