Bücher veröffentlicht von In Tech

Rapid advances in the field of robotics have made it possible to use robots not just in industrial automation but also in entertainment, rehabilitation, and home service. Since robots will likely affect many aspects of human existence, fundamental questions of human-robot interaction must be formulated and, if at all possible, resolved. Some of these questions are addressed in this collection of papers by leading HRI researchers.

The aim of this book is to provide an overview of recent developments in Kalman filtertheory and their applications in engineering and scientific fields. The book is divided into 24chapters and organized in five blocks corresponding to recent advances in Kalman filteringtheory, applications in medical and biological sciences, tracking and positioning systems,electrical engineering and, finally, industrial processes and communication networks.

The book New Approaches in Automation and Robotics offers in 22 chapters a collection of recent developments in automation, robotics as well as control theory. It is dedicated to researchers in science and industry, students, and practicing engineers, who wish to update and enhance their knowledge on modern methods and innovative applications.The authors and editor of this book wish to motivate people, especially under-graduate students, to get involved with the interesting field of robotics and mechatronics. We hope that the ideas and concepts presented in this book are useful for your own work and could contribute to problem solving in similar applications as well. It is clear, however, that the wide area of automation and robotics can only be highlighted at several spots but not completely covered by a single book.

In this book, a set of relevant, updated and selected papers in the field of automation and robotics are presented. These papers describe projects where topics of artificial intelligence, modeling and simulation process, target tracking algorithms, kinematic constraints of the closed loops, non-linear control, are used in advanced and recent research.

This book on Robust Speech Recognition and Understanding brings together many different aspects of the current research on automatic speech recognition and language understanding. The first four chapters address the task of voice activity detection which is considered an important issue for all speech recognition systems. The next chapters give several extensions to state-of-the-art HMM methods. Furthermore, a number of chapters particularly address the task of robust ASR under noisy conditions. Two chapters on the automatic recognition of a speaker's emotional state highlight the importance of natural speech understanding and interpretation in voice-driven systems. The last chapters of the book address the application of conversational systems on robots, as well as the autonomous acquisition of vocalization skills.

Brains rule the world, and brain-like computation is increasingly used in computers and electronic devices. Brain-like computation is about processing and interpreting data or directly putting forward and performing actions. Learning is a very important aspect. This book is on reinforcement learning which involves performing actions to achieve a goal.The first 11 chapters of this book describe and extend the scope of reinforcement learning. The remaining 11 chapters show that there is already wide usage in numerous fields. Reinforcement learning can tackle control tasks that are too complex for traditional, hand-designed, non-learning controllers. As learning computers can deal with technical complexities, the tasks of human operators remain to specify goals on increasingly higher levels. This book shows that reinforcement learning is a very dynamic area in terms of theory and applications and it shall stimulate and encourage new research in this field.

This book reports recent advances in the use of pattern recognition techniques for computer and robot vision. The sciences of pattern recognition and computational vision have been inextricably intertwined since their early days, some four decades ago with the emergence of fast digital computing. All computer vision techniques could be regarded as a form of pattern recognition, in the broadest sense of the term. Conversely, if one looks through the contents of a typical international pattern recognition conference proceedings, it appears that the large majority (perhaps 70-80%) of all pattern recognition papers are concerned with the analysis of images. In particular, these sciences overlap in areas of low level vision such as segmentation, edge detection and other kinds of feature extraction and region identification, which are the focus of this book.

In this book the variety of humanoid robotic research can be obtained. This book is divided in four parts: Hardware Development: Components and Systems, Biped Motion: Walking, Running and Self-orientation, Sensing the Environment: Acquisition, Data Processing and Control and Mind Organisation: Learning and Interaction.The first part of the book deals with remarkable hardware developments, whereby complete humanoid robotic systems are as well described as partial solutions.In the second part diverse results around the biped motion of humanoid robots are presented. The autonomous, efficient and adaptive two-legged walking is one of the main challenge in humanoid robotics. The two-legged walking will enable humanoid robots to enter our environment without rearrangement.Developments in the field of visual sensors, data acquisition, processing and control are to be observed in third part of the book.In the fourth part some "mind building" and communication technologies are presented.

The coupling of several areas of the medical field with recent advances in robotic systems has seen a paradigm shift in our approach to selected sectors of medical care, especially over the last decade. Rehabilitation medicine is one such area. The development of advanced robotic systems has ushered with it an exponential number of trials and experiments aimed at optimising restoration of quality of life to those who are physically debilitated. Despite these developments, there remains a paucity in the presentation of these advances in the form of a comprehensive tool. This book was written to present the most recent advances in rehabilitation robotics known to date from the perspective of some of the leading experts in the field and presents an interesting array of developments put into 33 comprehensive chapters. The chapters are presented in a way that the reader will get a seamless impression of the current concepts of optimal modes of both experimental and ap- plicable roles of robotic devices.

Computer Vision is the most important key in developing autonomous navigation systems for interaction with the environment. It also leads us to marvel at the functioning of our own vision system. In this book we have collected the latest applications of vision research from around the world. It contains both the conventional research areas like mobile robot navigation and map building, and more recent applications such as, micro vision, etc.The fist seven chapters contain the newer applications of vision like micro vision, grasping using vision, behavior based perception, inspection of railways and humanitarian demining. The later chapters deal with applications of vision in mobile robot navigation, camera calibration, object detection in vision search, map building, etc.

Nowadays it is hard to find areas of human activity and development that have not profited from or contributed to remote sensing. Natural, physical and social activities find in remote sensing a common ground for interaction and development.This book intends to show the reader how remote sensing impacts other areas of science, technology, and human activity, by displaying a selected number of high quality contributions dealing with different remote sensing applications.

Pattern recognition is a very wide research field. It involves factors as diverse as sensors, feature extraction, pattern classification, decision fusion, applications and others. The signals processed are commonly one, two or three dimensional, the processing is done in real- time or takes hours and days, some systems look for one narrow object class, others search huge databases for entries with at least a small amount of similarity. No single person can claim expertise across the whole field, which develops rapidly, updates its paradigms and comprehends several philosophical approaches.This book reflects this diversity by presenting a selection of recent developments within the area of pattern recognition and related fields. It covers theoretical advances in classification and feature extraction as well as application-oriented works. Authors of these 25 works present and advocate recent achievements of their research related to the field of pattern recognition.

This book contains 35 chapters written by experts in developing techniques for making aerial vehicles more intelligent, more reliable, more flexible in use, and safer in operation.It will also serve as an inspiration for further improvement of the design and application of aeral vehicles. The advanced techniques and research described here may also be applicable to other high-tech areas such as robotics, avionics, vetronics, and space.

Having lived with the World Wide Web for twenty years, surfing the Web becomes a way of our life that cannot be separated. From latest news, photo sharing, social activities, to research collaborations and even commercial activities and government affairs, almost all kinds of information are available and processible via the Web. While people are appreciating the great invention, the father of the Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, has started the plan for the next generation of the Web, the Semantic Web.  Unlike the Web that was originally designed for reading, the Semantic Web aims at a more intelligent Web severing machines as well as people. The idea behind it is simple: machines can automatically process or "understand" the information, if explicit meanings are given to it. In this way, it facilitates sharing and reuse of data across applications, enterprises, and communities. According to the organisation of the book, the intended readers may come from two groups, i.e. those whose interests include Semantic Web and want to catch on the state-of-the-art research progress in this field; and those who urgently need or just intend to seek help from the Semantic Web. In this sense, readers are not limited to the computer science. Everyone is welcome to find their possible intersection of the Semantic Web.

The book comprehensively covers almost all aspects of stereo vision. In addition reader can find topics from defining knowledge gaps to the state of the art algorithms as well as current application trends of stereo vision to the development of intelligent hardware modules and smart cameras. It would not be an exaggeration if this book is considered to be one of the most comprehensive books published in reference to the current research in the field of stereo vision. Research topics covered in this book makes it equally essential and important for students and early career researchers as well as senior academics linked with computer vision.

The book presents an excellent overview of the recent developments in the different areas of Robotics, Automation and Control. Through its 24 chapters, this book presents topics related to control and robot design; it also introduces new mathematical tools and techniques devoted to improve the system modeling and control. An important point is the use of rational agents and heuristic techniques to cope with the computational complexity required for controlling complex systems. Through this book, we also find navigation and vision algorithms, automatic handwritten comprehension and speech recognition systems that will be included in the next generation of productive systems developed by man.

This book was conceived as a gathering place of new ideas from academia, industry, research and practice in the fields of robotics, automation and control. The aim of the book was to point out interactions among various fields of interests in spite of diversity and narrow specializations which prevail in the current research. The common denominator of all included chapters appears to be a synergy of various specializations. This synergy yields deeper understanding of the treated problems. Each new approach applied to a particular problem can enrich and inspire improvements of already established approaches to the problem.

In this book, new results or developments from different research backgrounds and application fields are put together to provide a wide and useful viewpoint on these headed research problems mentioned above, focused on the motion planning problem of mobile ro-bots. These results cover a large range of the problems that are frequently encountered in the motion planning of mobile robots both in theoretical methods and practical applications including obstacle avoidance methods, navigation and localization techniques, environmental modelling or map building methods, and vision signal processing etc. Different methods such as potential fields, reactive behaviours, neural-fuzzy based methods, motion control methods and so on are studied. Through this book and its references, the reader will definitely be able to get a thorough overview on the current research results for this specific topic in robotics. The book is intended for the readers who are interested and active in the field of robotics and especially for those who want to study and develop their own methods in motion/path planning or control for an intelligent robotic system.

Intracerebral hemorrhage is an important clinical entity encountered in practice. Common causes of intracerebral hemorrhage include hypertension, amyloid angiopathy, trauma, coagulopathy, arteriovenous malformation and underlying tumor. Advances in imaging techniques have helped in better understanding of pathogenesis and the mechanisms of recovery of intracerebral hemorrhage, thereby resulting in marked improvement in its management. I hope that this book on intracerebral hemorrhage will be a useful learning tool for students and clinicians in the field of neuroscience.

Soil is an irreplaceable resource that sustains life on the planet, challenged by food and energy demands of an increasing population. Therefore, soil contamination constitutes a critical issue to be addressed if we are to secure the life quality of present and future generations. Integrated efforts from researchers and policy makers are required to develop sound risk assessment procedures, remediation strategies and sustainable soil management policies. Environmental Risk Assessment of Soil Contamination provides a wide depiction of current research in soil contamination and risk assessment, encompassing reviews and case studies on soil pollution by heavy metals and organic pollutants. The book introduces several innovative approaches for soil remediation and risk assessment, including advances in phytoremediation and implementation of metabolomics in soil sciences.

The aim of this book is to demonstrate the use of SAR data in three application domains, i.e. land cover (Part II), topography (Part III), and land motion (Part IV). These are preceded by Part I, where an extensive and complete review on speckle and adaptive filtering is provided, essential for the understanding of SAR images. Part II is dedicated to land cover mapping. Part III is devoted to the generation of Digital Elevation Models based on radargrammetry and on a wise fusion (by considering sensor characteristic and acquisition geometry) of interferometric and photogrammetric elevation data. Part IV provides a contribution to three applications related to land motion.

This book will bring out the state of art of carotid stenosis in the basic and clinical approaches for better understanding of the mechanisms and useful therapies for these disease. We hope that would be a new current trend understanding new aspects regarding this scientific problematic involving not only anatomical, functional but also clinical questions.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of HLA discovery by the French Nobel laureate physician Jean Dausset, as well as the 55th anniversary of the identification and naming of the first HLA. Under such circumstances, both basic HLA research and its clinical applications need a new book that comprehensively reflects the latest achievements in the field. Thus, Professor Xi as Editor has contributed to organize international experts in the areas of HLA-related basic research and clinical applications, to unite their knowledge in chapters covering various related topics, and finally to finish the book "HLA and Associated Important Diseases". The book consists of three sections which mainly include basic theoretical and technological developments, several important HLA-associated autoimmune diseases and HLA-associated infectious diseases.

Cellulose is destined to play a major role in the emerging bioeconomy. Awareness of the environment and a depletion of fossil fuels are some of the driving forces for looking at forest biomaterials for an alternative source of energy, chemicals and materials. The importance of cellulose is widely recognized world-wide and as such the field of cellulose science is expanding exponentially. Cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer on earth, has unique properties which makes it an ideal starting point for transforming it into useful materials. To achieve this, a solid knowledge of cellulose is essential. As such this book on cellulose, the first in a series of three, is very timely. It deals with fundamental aspect of cellulose, giving the reader a good appreciation of the richness of cellulose properties. Book Cellulose - Fundamental Aspects is a good introduction to books Cellulose - Medical, Pharmaceutical and Electronic Applications and Cellulose - Biomass Conversion , in which applications of cellulose and its conversion to other materials are treated.

Book Advances in Nanofibers is a research publication that covers original research on developments within the Nanofibers field of study. The book is a collection of reviewed scholarly contributions written by different authors. Each scholarly contribution represents a chapter and each chapter is complete in itself but related to the major topics and objectives. The target audience comprises scholars and specialists in the field.

In breast reconstruction, flap based procedures and implant based procedures are the two major modalities that have emerged as surgical options for patients. These are both continuing to evolve as new, innovative techniques help to improve outcomes and patient satisfaction. This book is divided into four sections. The first section includes overviews of mastectomy options and considerations in breast reconstruction procedure selection. The next section comprises non microsurgical reconstruction options which include implant based reconstruction refinements, the emerging role of fat grafting, and a novel technique of robotic latissimus flap harvesting. The third section is devoted to microsurgical reconstruction including flap refinements, tips and tricks, as well as advice on handling difficult situations. The final section includes the growing field of lymphedema surgery which is an important addition to breast reconstruction.

Endocarditis is an inflammation of the lining of the heart and valves. It can be due to a non-infectious cause but when the inflammation is associated with an infection, usually bacterial, it is known as infective endocarditis. It is typically characterized by the development of a large septic thrombus on one of the cardiac valves. As this thrombus grows, it can lead to valve failure or may fragment forming a septic embolus that is associated with high mortality if the target of the embolus is the brain, heart or lung. This book reviews multi-organ complications associated with Infective endocarditis including significant recent advances in molecular mechanisms underlying thrombus formation on the cardiac valve, anti-microbial treatment and surgery.

Urinary tract infections (UTI) continue to be under the most common bacterial infections worldwide. Diagnostic and treatment have substantial financial burden on society. In the USA, UTIs are responsible for more than 7 million physician visits annually and about 15% of all community-prescribed antibiotics in the USA are dispensed for UTIs. About 50% of women will experience at least one UTI episode during lifetime, about 1 million emergency department visits due to UTI in the USA alone, resulting in more than 100 000 hospital admissions annually, most often for pyelonephritis. Moreover, UTIs are also the leading cause of hospital-acquired infections, accounting for approximately 40% of all such cases. The majority of these cases are catheter-associated. Therefore, nosocomial UTIs comprise perhaps the largest institutional reservoir for nosocomial antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Beside the economic impact, UTIs affect also significantly the quality of life of the affected population. The aim of this book is to highlight problematic aspects and recent advances in the field of UTIs. The book is divided in three parts.

Functional brain mapping has by now gained a high impact on research and clinical practice: huge funds are unveiled all over the world in order to boost the research and clinical applications of this field of neuroscience. The most successful approach to unlock the mysteries of the brain, to tell it with Jay Ingram, is to bring together an interdisciplinary network of scientists and clinicians and encourage an interchange of ideas. It is this crossfire we try to promote with this book.

This volume presents overviews as well as in depth reviews of many aspects of the clinical presentation, pathophysiology, and treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) especially PH related to thromboembolic disease. Saleem Sharieff presents a comprehensive synopsis of the epidemiologic, clinical, histopathologic, and therapy of PAH. Next, Dimitar Sajkov, Bliegh Mupunga, Jeffrey J. Bowden, and Nikolai Petrovsky comprehensively review World Health Organization group III PH. The cellular and biochemical pathophysiology of PH are summarized by Rajamma Mathew. Specific mechanisms implicated in the pathogenesis of PH are presented by Junko Maruyama, Ayumu Yokochi, Erquan Zhang, Hirohumi Sawada, Kazuo Maruyama; and Aureliano Hernandez and Rafael A. Areiza. Jean Elwing and Ralph Panos discuss PH associated with acute thromboembolism. Mehdi Badidi and M Barek Naz discuss PH caused by chronic thromboembolic disease. Juan C. Grignola, Maria J. Ruiz-Cano, Juan P. Salisbury, Gabriela Pascal, Pablo Curbelo, and Pilar Escribano present the physiologic assessment of patients with chronic thromboembolic disease prior to surgical pulmonary endarterectomy and, finally, Henry Liu, Philip L. Kalarickal, Yiru Tong, Daisuke Inui, Michael J Yarborough, Kavitha A. Mathew, Amanda Gelineau, and Charles Fox comprehensively review the clinical perioperative evaluation and management of patients with PH due to chronic thromboembolic disease.