This paper proposes a new method to tune a fractional order PID controller. This method utilizes both the analytic and numeric approach to determine the controller parameters. The control design specifications that must be achieved by the control system are gain crossover frequency, phase margin, and peak magnitude at the resonant frequency, where the latter is a new design specification suggested by this paper. These specifications results in three equations in five unknown variables. Assuming that certain relations exist between two variables and discretizing one of them, a performance index can be evaluated and the optimal controller parameters that minimize this performance index are selected. As a case study, a third order linear time

Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks (WMSNs) are networks of wirelessly interconnected sensor nodes equipped with multimedia devices, such as cameras and microphones. Thus a WMSN will have the capability to transmit multimedia data, such as video and audio streams, still images, and scalar data from the environment. Most applications of WMSNs require the delivery of multimedia information with a certain level of Quality of Service (QoS). This is a challenging task because multimedia applications typically produce huge volumes of data requiring high transmission rates and extensive processing; the high data transmission rate of WMSNs usually leads to congestion, which in turn reduces the Quality of Service (QoS) of multimedia applications. To

Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks (WMSNs) are networks of wirelessly interconnected sensor nodes equipped with multimedia devices, such as cameras and microphones. Thus a WMSN will have the capability to transmit multimedia data, such as video and audio streams, still images, and scalar data from the environment. Most applications of WMSNs require the delivery of multimedia information with a certain level of Quality of Service (QoS). This is a challenging task because multimedia applications typically produce huge volumes of data requiring high transmission rates and extensive processing; the high data transmission rate of WMSNs usually leads to congestion, which in turn reduces the Quality of Service (QoS) of multimedia appli

Optimization is essentially the art, science and mathematics of choosing the best among a given set of finite or infinite alternatives. Though currently optimization is an interdisciplinary subject cutting through the boundaries of mathematics, economics, engineering, natural sciences, and many other fields of human Endeavour it had its root in antiquity. In modern day language the problem mathematically is as follows - Among all closed curves of a given length find the one that closes maximum area. This is called the Isoperimetric problem. This problem is now mentioned in a regular fashion in any course in the Calculus of Variations. However, most problems of antiquity came from geometry and since there were no general methods to solve suc

The control of prostheses and their complexities is one of the greatest challenges limiting wide amputees’ use of upper limb prostheses. The main challenges include the difficulty of extracting signals for controlling the prostheses, limited number of degrees of freedom (DoF), and cost-prohibitive for complex controlling systems. In this study, a real-time hybrid control system, based on electromyography (EMG) and voice commands (VC) is designed to render the prosthesis more dexterous with the ability to accomplish amputee’s daily activities proficiently. The voice and EMG systems were combined in three proposed hybrid strategies, each strategy had different number of movements depending on the combination protocol between voic