In this paper, an enhanced artificial potential field (EAPF) planner is introduced. This planner is proposed to rapidly find online solutions for the mobile robot path planning problems, when the underlying environment contains obstacles with unknown locations and sizes. The classical artificial potential field represents both the repulsive force due to the detected obstacle and the attractive force due to the target. These forces can be considered as the primary directional indicator for the mobile robot. However, the classical artificial potential field has many drawbacks. So, we suggest two secondary forces which are called the midpoint

In this paper, first and second order sliding mode controllers are designed for a single link robotic arm actuated by two Pneumatic Artificial Muscles (PAMs). A new mathematical model for the arm has been developed based on the model of large scale pneumatic muscle actuator model. Uncertainty in parameters has been presented and tested for the two controllers. The simulation results of the second-order sliding mode controller proves to have a low tracking error and chattering effect as compared to the first order one. The verification has been done by using MATLAB and Simulink software.

Wastewater projects are one of the most important infrastructure projects, which require developing strategic plans to manage these projects. Most of the wastewater projects in Iraq don’t have a maintenance plan. This research aims to prepare the maintenance management plan (MMP) for wastewater projects. The objective of the research is to predict the cost and time of maintenance projects by building a model using ANN. The research sample included (15) completed projects in Wasit Governorate, where the researcher was able to obtain the data of these projects through the historical information of the Wasit Sewage Directorate. In this research artificial neural networks (ANN) technique was used to build two models (cost

In this work, CdS/TiO2 nanotubes composite nanofilms were successfully synthesized via electrodeposition technique. TiO2 titania nanotube arrays (NTAs) are commonly used in photoelectrochemical cells as the photoelectrode due to their high surface area, excellent charge transfer between interfaces and fewer interfacial grain boundaries. The anodization technique of titanium foil was used to prepare TiO2 NTAs photoelectrode. The concentration of CdCl2 played an important role in the formation of CdS nanoparticles. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) shows that the CdS nanoparticles were well deposited onto the outer and inner of nanotube at 40 mM of CdCl2. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyses wer

Potential health and environmental effects of nanoparticles need to be thoroughly assessed before their widespread commercialization. The present investigation was planned with the aims to determine the effects of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) on blast (BI) and mitotic (MI) indices of cultured lymphocytes. The results revealed that BI (50.3±2.3, 30.2±1.9, 10.5±0.7 and 0.0%, respectively) and MI (70.1±2.9, 20.4±1.1, 5.3±0.1 and 0.0%, respectively) showed a gradual decreased percentage as the concentration of GNPs was increased from 0.085 to 0.66 µg/mL, and the difference was significant compared to control culture (81.6±2.5 and 90.2±3.7%, respectively). A maximum inhibition of BI and MI was occurred at the concentration 0.66 µg/mL. In

Polyaniline (PANI) has been prepared by the oxidation method in order to fabricate it with various concentrations of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) which produced using the reduction method. Various techniques have characterized pure PANI and PANI doped CuNPs composites, such as fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), which were provided important information about the structure and morphology of the fabricated polymer nanocomposites. The properties of dielectric permittivity (έ), dielectric loss (ἔ) and electrical conductivity (σ_AC) properties were studied at room temperature versus a range

Statement of the Problem. The use of orthodontic fixed appliances may adversely affect oral health leading to demineralizing lesions and the development of gingival problems. Aims of the Study. The study aimed to coat orthodontic archwires with chlorhexidine hexametaphosphate nanoparticles (CHX-HMP NPs) and to evaluate the elusion of CHX from CHX-HMP NPs. Materials and Methods. A solution of CHX-HMP nanoparticles with an overall concentration of 5 mM for both CHX and HMP was prepared, characterized (using atomic force microscope and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy), and used to coat orthodontic stainless steel (SSW) and NiTi archwires (NiTiW). The coated segments were characterized (using scanning electron microscopy