Sunday, July 21, 2019

Self balancing vehicle

Self balancing vehicle 1.Introduction 1.1. Introduction Research on two wheeled, self balancing vehicle is gaining momentum in many laboratories around the world and has made many developments based on it. Balancing carts are defined by their ability to balance on two wheels and spin on the spot similar to an inverted pendulum. It has been the subject of many researches around the world ever since people started investigating the concept of inverted pendulum system. Many forms and functions of a two wheeled cart have been developed and modified, due to its high manoeuvrability, two wheeled balancing cart has been investigated and developed to become a human transport machine. The Segway, Pegasus, and iBot models are such examples of the design of two wheeled balancing robot as a human transport machine. Balancing of a two wheel cart is a non linear control problem which is quite complex to solve in a methodological approach due to two degrees of freedom, i.e. the balancing cart position and angle using only one control input force. The control principle simply involves driving the wheels of the cart in the direction where the body is falling. It has the same principles as balancing a broom stick on the palm of a hand, a person balancing the stick moves the hand in the direction that the stick is falling The scope of this thesis is to design a controller and develop the hardware for the two wheeled cart such that the cart can stay in an upright position while the cart is in a static position or moving. Apart from the above, the thesis will look into the suitability and performance of different types of linear state space controllers namely the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR), pole placement controller and state observer design in balancing the system. 1.2. Literature Review The wide application of technology derived from the very concept of inverted pendulum has lead to many researches being carried out by many researchers and robot enthusiasts around the world. This chapter provides a review on some vital topics related to the balancing of a two wheeled robot as well as some of the existing human transporters, 1.2.1. Segway The Segway PT is a two-wheeled, self-balancing electric vehicle invented by Dean Kamen. It is produced by Segway Inc. of New Hampshire, USA. The working of the Segway is based on a new technology termed dynamic stabilization, i.e. it uses the bodys movement to enable the Segway to perform its function. For instance, to move forward or backward, the rider has to lean in the required direction, similarly, for left-right movement, the Leansteer frame is turned in the required direction. The dynamics of Segway PT are also based on the concept of the inverted pendulum. It consists of electric motors powered by Valence Technology and phosphate based lithium ion batteries, two tilt sensors and 5 gyroscopes. The servo drive motors rotate the wheels forward or backwards as needed for balance or propulsion. 1.2.2. Self Balancing Scooter Trevor Blackwell built a self-balancing scooter similar to the Segway HT that was completed in 2002. There are two models of the scooter built by Trevor Blackwell and the control system of the vehicle are summarized below, Model 1: The scooter is powered by Remote Control (RC) car battery packs. The packs provide a power source that can support the high discharge rate demanded by the motors. The control system of the vehicle is run from an 8-bit Atmel microcontroller using Proportional Derivative (PD) control with feedback from a piezo electric rate gyroscope. The gain parameters can be tuned by hand while actually using the vehicle. The motors are controlled by the Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) signals from the motor driver. Steering is done by making one wheel go faster than the other. Because all the mass is centered between the wheels, it can spin around quite quickly. The steering system adds and subtracts a small percentage of power from the motors depending on the current speed of the vehicle Model 2: This model is an improvisation of the first model. It is designed to be much smoother, lighter and faster than the first model. Roboteq dual channel motor controller used in the first model is replaced with an OSMC (Open Source Motor Controller) driving each wheel independently. The OSMC can supply from 13V to 50V at 160A continuous and 400A peak while the major advantage stems from the processing time which is in the order of one or two milliseconds compared to tens of milliseconds with the previously used Roboteq motor controller. The gyroscope system used in the first model is replaced with a gyroscope/accelerometer assembly that has significantly less noise and less susceptible to vibrations. This model includes a Bluetooth connection such that the scooter can be driven remotely while balancing. 1.2.3. JOE le Pendule Felix, Grasser (2002) built a revolutionary two-wheeled vehicle called the JOE. It consists of two coaxial wheels with each wheel coupled to a DC motor. This configuration enables the vehicle to do stationary U-turns. The control system consists of two state space controllers which drives the motors so as to keep the system in equilibrium while in motion. In order to reduce cost as well as danger for the test pilots a scaled down prototype carrying a weight instead of a driver was built (Grasser et al). The implemented control system is the pole placement control. JOEs performance can be further enhanced by varying the pole placement in real time depending on the states and inputs of the system. The implementation of these controllers can be seen in papers published by Nakajima et al. (1997), Shiroma et al. (1996), Takahashi et al. (2001) and Grasser et al (2002). 1.2.4 LegWay EquiBot Steve Hassenplugs Lego based LegWay uses two Electro-Optical Proximity Detectors to balance and detect and follow lines. This robot uses Infrared Proximity detectors to deduce the tilt angle of the robot. Another robot similar to the Legway is the Equibot by Dan Piponi. Equibot is a balancing robot which is like a small scale segway. It is based around an ATMega32 RISC Microcontroller. It has just one sensor: the Sharp infrared ranger. This is positioned facing downwards to measure distance to the floor and as a result tilt angle is obtained. The output from this device is used to decide which way the robot is leaning and hence stabilize the system. 1.2.5 nBot Balancing Robot The nBot balancing robot by David P.Anderson is another two wheeled balancing robot that has been developed in the recent past, the concept of balancing this robot could be applied to this two wheeled balancing cart project, for the nBot the wheels are driven in such a way as to stay under the robots center of gravity, hence, the robot remains balanced. The nbot consists of two feedback sensors: a tilt or angle sensor to measure the tilt of the robot with respect to gravity, and also consist of encoders on the wheels in order to measure the position of the base of the robot. The position and motion of an inverted pendulum based machine such as the nBot are defined by four variables. They are the position, the velocity, the tilt angle and the tilt rate. The measurements from these four variables are summed and fed back as a motor voltage which is proportional to torque, hence is used to balance and drive the robot. 1.2.6 EDGAR A student project at the University of Adelaide under the guidance of Dr.Ben Cazzolato resulted in EDGAR, the Electro-Drive Grav-Aware Ride. EDGARs design draws up the successes and failures of the Segway PT and various other attempts of producing self balancing scooters which use different automatic control methods. Angular feedbacks from the gyroscopic sensor and PWM output to motors are used in a control system to achieve balance in EDGAR. The microcontroller used is the Wytec MiniDRAGON+ development board; the microcontroller receives the information from sensors, interprets the information and then sends commands to drive the system to maintain balance.

Styles Used in Islamic Art

Styles Used in Islamic Art What is sacred art? Who determines what art is sacred? And what reasons do they decide upon? Many questions surface when it comes to distinguishing the difference between sacred art, religious art, and traditional art. The three are different from one another in some way. Sacred art includes depictions encouraging humans into spirituality. It is the result of divine inspiration. It is basically something specifically made for the purpose of worship and can range from a prayer carpet to the prayer itself. Due to the fact that in the Islamic civilization, the depiction of figural representation is forbidden, Islamic art primarily focuses on spiritual geometric forms, calligraphy and biomorphic designs. From the Middle-Ages, Islamic art has always had this theme of balance, unity and harmony in its patterns; which in Arabic is called el tawhid. It uses repetition of designs to come across with crucial concepts such as Gods creation of the universe. In comparison, religious art is that type of non-traditional art devoted to religious themes and functions even if its method of execution and language are no longer traditional (Sophia 1996). It consists of illustrations of themes or events depicted in holly books. This type of art can only be appreciated by its followers. For an example, to a Muslim a painting of Saint Mary and Jesus may not seem as appealing as it would to Christianity followers. Finally, traditional art; is dissimilar from both the previously stated arts as it is the art that deals with a culture or a specific group of people. Due to all its principles and techniques of symbolism it assists the viewer to become aware of the Divine; which is in Islam God but for an example in Christianity Jesus Christ. Egypt with all its mosques, churches and even Jewish temples, is a proper example of where many traditional arts appear since there is many arts however they suit all the religions perfectly. The Islamic work of art is a symbolic statement, as is all art; for it attempts to make a sensory representation of an important idea not evidenced to the senses (Al Faruqi). However, the Islamic civilization tends to spread religious architecture rather than sacred architecture. It focuses primarily on representing the theme of tawhid through its architecture, calligraphy, and forms. However, it is impossible to for a non-follower to understand this type of art. In reverse, it is also impossible for one to understand Islam and its message without being exposed to its art; which carries a true and deep meaning to it. This can all be understood by looking back at what Henry David Thoreau once said its not what you look at but what you see; where symbolism is explained; that what the art means or reflects varies from one person to another. As Islamic art focuses on patterns and symmetry to demonstrate unity it uses many styles to accomplish its mission. One of the famous styles used in Islamic civilization is the smallness of the elements of the compositional motifs which is how forms are fixed to the smallest details. This is concluded to drive the viewer to concentrate on every little detail. A second style used in Islamic art is the complication of the motifs which generates the viewer to look at the design from different perspectives. The third style seen in Islamic art uses repetition of patterns; to symbolize infinity. Islamic art also contains many forms such as divisions and symmetry. Such divisions embody organization and infinity. Most of the previously stated styles and forms can be found in the famous design called the Breath of the Compassionate. The Breath of the Compassionate, or al-nafas al-rahman, is an eight-point star, is a famous design to many cultures and religions. It can be found in many religious iconographies; just like the form of a niche can be found in churches, synagogues and mosques. However, it holds a different meaning to every religion it is illustrated in. I believe this widely-known design of symmetry and balance has great significance to the Islamic idea of el tawhid demonstrating harmony and unity. One of the major reasons, I believe so is because it uses all of the forms and styles I have previously stated above such as symmetry, repetition and geometry. One major aspect that needs to be explained in many of the Islamic designs is the use of the number eight; in the number of sides, points of a star and so forth. This number is used in many of the Islamic designs especially where octagons can be found. The Breath of the Compassionate is a great example to look at while discussing the deep meaning behind the number eight. The number eight holds different meanings to many cultures as well as to diverse religions. First and foremost, eight symbolizes eternity and absolute perfection (Schimmel). It is also the number of how many gates Paradise has unlike Hell which has seven only. This shows that Gods mercy is greater than His wrath (Schimmel). The word Compassionate in the phrase the Breath of the Compassionate is derived from the ninety-nine names of God. Compassionate resembles infinity therefore; Islamic designs tend to be repetitive. As a result, I believe that the indirect message behind the phrase the Breath of the Compassionate is Gods creation of the universe. Moreover, it represents His endless compassion towards Muslim followers; which in Arabic is rahma. In conclusion, as Islamic art displays no figural representations and entirely focuses on symmetrical and unified geometrical patterns it carries a deep meaning to it that mostly only Muslims can comprehend. All Islamic art follows the transcendent theory of el tawhid; to inspire Islam followers into believing in the concept of La-illah ila-Allah; meaning one God. To sum up all my points, I believe the unity and balance created in Islamic iconographies demonstrates the creative will of God.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

An Outsider’s View of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Meetings Essay

An Outsider’s View of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Meetings Today, one out of every thirteen adults abuse alcohol or are alcoholics. That means nearly thirteen million Americans have a drinking problem. (www.niaaa.nih.gov) This topic offers a broad range of ideas to be researched within the psychological field. For this particular project, the topic of alcoholism and the psychological effects on people best fit the criteria. Alcoholism is defined as a disorder characterized by the excessive consumption of and dependence on alcoholic beverages, leading to physical and psychological harm and impaired social and vocational functioning. (www.dictionary.com) Through this project, the most important information regarding personal experiences dealing with alcoholism will be revealed. Not only are statistics, like the facts mentioned before, important when dealing with an issue such as alcoholism, but personal accounts and information are often more powerful and influential evidence. Non-alcoholics should be allowed to attend Alcoholics Anonymous me etings for research purposes. There are two groups of people pertinent to this project. Members of AA will provide information through sharing their experiences in interviews to those that will read and learn from the project, such as future alcoholics, new AA members, college students, and everyone in between. The members of the Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are the most valuable first-hand accounts, and will be the first to supply information with this project. Though a few members may be less than cooperative to provide personal information, most are more than willing to share their experiences in order to help others in any way possible. In the first visit to the AA meeting, several o... ...ld, and atheist. The importance of these people is that they are constantly contributing their own conversation to the topic of how alcoholism affects them, in their own personal way. This project plans to contribute in a different way: by providing all of these stories to a new audience. From a biological perspective, alcoholism is a disease that affects the brain’s functioning and AA is a route to sobriety. From a psychology major’s perspective, it is more than just a place for victims of alcoholism. It is an opportunity to observe how people go from drunk to sober with help from their AA friends. Works Cited Do You Think You’re Different? New York: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1976. Dictionary.com..October 6th, 2004. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism .. October 6th, 2004. An Outsider’s View of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Meetings Essay An Outsider’s View of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Meetings Today, one out of every thirteen adults abuse alcohol or are alcoholics. That means nearly thirteen million Americans have a drinking problem. (www.niaaa.nih.gov) This topic offers a broad range of ideas to be researched within the psychological field. For this particular project, the topic of alcoholism and the psychological effects on people best fit the criteria. Alcoholism is defined as a disorder characterized by the excessive consumption of and dependence on alcoholic beverages, leading to physical and psychological harm and impaired social and vocational functioning. (www.dictionary.com) Through this project, the most important information regarding personal experiences dealing with alcoholism will be revealed. Not only are statistics, like the facts mentioned before, important when dealing with an issue such as alcoholism, but personal accounts and information are often more powerful and influential evidence. Non-alcoholics should be allowed to attend Alcoholics Anonymous me etings for research purposes. There are two groups of people pertinent to this project. Members of AA will provide information through sharing their experiences in interviews to those that will read and learn from the project, such as future alcoholics, new AA members, college students, and everyone in between. The members of the Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are the most valuable first-hand accounts, and will be the first to supply information with this project. Though a few members may be less than cooperative to provide personal information, most are more than willing to share their experiences in order to help others in any way possible. In the first visit to the AA meeting, several o... ...ld, and atheist. The importance of these people is that they are constantly contributing their own conversation to the topic of how alcoholism affects them, in their own personal way. This project plans to contribute in a different way: by providing all of these stories to a new audience. From a biological perspective, alcoholism is a disease that affects the brain’s functioning and AA is a route to sobriety. From a psychology major’s perspective, it is more than just a place for victims of alcoholism. It is an opportunity to observe how people go from drunk to sober with help from their AA friends. Works Cited Do You Think You’re Different? New York: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1976. Dictionary.com..October 6th, 2004. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism .. October 6th, 2004.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Summary :: essays research papers

King Duncan’s generals, Macbeth and Banquo, encounter three strange women on a bleak Scottish moorland on their way home from quelling a rebellion. The women prophesy that Macbeth will be given the title of Thane of Cawdor and then become King of Scotland, while Banquo's heirs shall be kings. The generals want to hear more but the weird sisters disappear. Duncan creates Macbeth Thane of Cawdor in thanks for his success in the recent battles and then proposes to make a brief visit to Macbeth's castle. Lady Macbeth receives news from her husband of the prophecy and his new title and she vows to help him become king by any means she can. Macbeth's return is followed almost at once by Duncan's arrival. The Macbeths plot together and later that night, while all are sleeping and after his wife has given the guards drugged wine, Macbeth kills the King and his guards. Lady Macbeth leaves the bloody daggers beside the dead king. Macduff arrives and when the murder is discovered Duncan's sons, Malcolm and Donalbain flee, fearing for their lives, but they are nevertheless blamed for the murder. Macbeth is elected King of Scotland, but is plagued by feelings of guilt and insecurity. He arranges for Banquo and his son, Fleance to be killed, but the boy escapes the murderers. At a celebratory banquet Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo and disconcerts the courtiers with his strange manner. Lady Macbeth tries to calm him but is rejected. Macbeth seeks out the witches and learns from them that he will be safe until Birnam Wood comes to his castle, Dunsinane. They tell him that he need fear no-one born of woman, but also that the Scottish succession will come from Banquo's son. Macbeth embarks on a reign of terror and many, including Macduff's family are murdered, while Macduff himself has gone to join Malcolm at the court of the English king, Edward. Malcolm and Macduff decide to lead an army against Macbeth. Macbeth feels safe in his remote castle at Dunsinane until he is told that Birnam Wood is moving towards him.

Slade Plating Case Management Summary Essay -- Business Management Stu

Slade Plating Case Management Summary Despite the success of the Slade Company as manufacturer of metal products designed for industrial application, the production manager, Ralph Porter, was concerned about the dishonesty among employees in the Plating Department. Some of the workers were misusing the punch in-out system for those who wanted to leave early or arrive late. Given the long working hour and low payment, they lacked of motivation in performing their tasks, resulting in the dishonest action. However, because of informal groupings among some of them, they operated as a team to work harder doing peak orders. Therefore, the desired output of the department was still satisfied. Yet, some employees who were not in the main group were slack off and misused the system even during the peak period, which potentially resulted in internal conflict in the department. Thus, in order to motivate employees and prevent the dishonesty, we propose to remove punch in-out system and launch a better payment system with both financial and non-financial incentives. Also, the working environment should be improved with various campaigns to enhance the unity in the department. We also move an employee who could not perform fully his talent to other department to maximize his capacity. With these solutions, the Slade Company could motivate their employees, encourage the teamwork, avoid internal conflict, and finally increase the productivity in the Plating Department. Analyzing the present situation There were 38 workers in the Plating Department of the Slade Company. Their jobs, working conditions, values and tasks varied significantly. They were all dependent on each other as they only received their workload after work at the previous stage was done. Work was supervised by a punch in-out system and a supervisor, Otto Schell. Payment was low and the working hours were long due to the company policy to keep training and benefit cost down by requiring overtime instead of hiring new workers. In addition, informal groupings were formed in the department, which significantly affected the daily run of the work. The largest group was the Sarto group, which could practically influence the whole department as others tended to copy this group’s ideas and values. Without doubt, this group was a real driving force of the department, both ... ... However, for Herman Schell, he is found to be inappropriate and non-manageable and thus to be removed from the department, to say, â€Å"promoted† to other department to maximize his personal abilities and talents that we unfortunately cannot utilize in this department. This, we acknowledge, is a very easy and usually not the manager’s way to solve an issue like that. But we believe we just identified the case when a significant and sustainable change is not likely at all and by getting rid of him would eliminate the conflict source from the group and enhance group dynamics on the floor in all. Of course, a con to that is the feeling of safety, the lifetime job experience of the workers. Yet, we believe this does not endanger the good workers’ positions and therefore does not pose threat to the regular employee. A reason why he might not have been sacked before – apart from the general practice of the department – is probably the family ties to Otto Schell, the supervisor. In our opinion, such ties can be good but in no way shall be hindering performance, and this shall not be a base for delivering improper results both professionally and personally in the workplace.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

The Progression of Huck’s Maturity

As the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, progresses, Huck becomes more mature. The reader can see this change in maturity by the level of his thinking and the changes it undergoes. The maturation of Huck is also evident in pranks that he plays, which progressively change his attitude and the way he thinks. The book starts off with a Huck that has a wild nature, and is not civilized. He is in Tom Sawyer’s â€Å"gang† that plays pranks of people. The prank that Tom and Huck play on Jim, Miss Watson’s slave, really stands out. Huck and Tom take Jim’s hat and hide it up on a tree branch above him while he is sleeping. Huck later realizes that Jim â€Å"was most ruined for a servant, because he got stuck up on account of having seen the devil and been rode by witches† (Twain 16). His prank set Jim up for a bad image, which had a negative repercussion which Huck did not see, showing his immaturity. Another prank Huck plays in which he doesn’t judge the consequences before hand, is when he places the dead snake in Jim’s bed. Unaware that the snake’s mate would come after the body, Huck causes Jim to be bit by a snake, which is very dangerous. Later on in the novel, Huck plays another prank on Jim, in which he pretends that nothing happened, when in reality, Huck and Jim are separated in the fog. He convinces Jim that Jim is crazy, and this concerns Jim. Huck feels â€Å"so mean [that he] could [have] almost kissed his foot to get him to take it back† after Jim insults Huck for making fun of Jim (Twain 75). He later apologizes, and regains the trust, but he realizes that not all of his pranks are good. Finally, Huck shows that he is much more mature when the â€Å"Duke† and the â€Å"Dauphin† come on the ship. Huck realizes that these two conmen are just bluffing their status. However he â€Å"never [says] nothing, never let on; kept it to [himself]† because then â€Å"you don’t have quarrels, and don’t get into no trouble† (Twain 104). He didn’t mind calling them what they wanted to be called, â€Å"‘long as it would keep peace in the family† (Twain 104). Overall, Huck grows in his maturity greatly. While encountering his personal experiences with Jim, and away from society, he grows as an individual with a greater moral and maturity.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Girls’ State Essay

I rely to attend the Rhododendron Girls soil Program. My attendance would drastically assist me in all of my future endeavors. It would provide me with an fortune to join the over 30,000 girls who have already benefited from the citizenship, leadership, and patriotism training. This nationally recognized course of study would help me academically excel above others. Besides looking great in general on my college application, it could provide me with a chance to receive scholarships. After racy instill, I currently plan to play along my rearing at either tungsten Liberty University or Ohio University.I want to put one across a dual major of biota and chemistry these majors are distinguished because I want to be Pre-Medicine. on with a rigorous curriculum, I hope to play collegiate softball. After college, I will again further my education by going to a school of medicine in order to live an orthopedic surgeon. When I apply for main course into these schools, they will ta ke into account programs such(prenominal) as Girls State causing them to recognize me as a better option than those who did not attend such programs.Since I will soon be of voting age, I am interested in acquiring a better rationality and deeper regard for my nations legacy of freedom and democracy. Running for offices, registering to vote, and delivering speeches will name me first-hand experience for the real world. My nations history is unique and the founding fathers of the States would be proud to see jejuneness learning about the government they created.