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

A cantilevered piezoelectric beam with a tip mass at its free end is a common energy harvester configuration. This paper introduces a new principle of designing such a harvester which increases the generated voltage without changing the natural frequency of the harvester: The attraction force between two permanent magnets is used to add stiffness to the system. This magnetic stiffening counters the effect of the tip mass on the natural frequency. Three setups incorporating piezoelectric bimorph cantilevers of the same type in different mechanical configurations are compared theoretically and experimentally to investigate the feasibility of this principle. Theoretical and experimental results show that magnetically stiffe

Buildings such as malls, offices, airports and hospitals nowadays have become very complicated which increases the need for a solution that helps people to find their locations in these buildings. GPS or cell signals are commonly used for positioning in an outdoor environment and are not accurate in indoor environment. Smartphones are becoming a common presence in our daily life, also the existing infrastructure, the Wi-Fi access points, which is commonly available in most buildings, has motivated this work to build hybrid mechanism that combines the APs fingerprint together with smartphone barometer sensor readings, to accurately determine the user position inside building floor relative to well-known lan

This work was conducted to study the extraction of eucalyptus oil from natural plants (Eucalyptus camaldulensis leaves) using water distillation method by Clevenger apparatus. The effects of main operating parameters were studied: time to reach equilibrium, temperature (70 to100°C), solvent to solid ratio (4:1 to 8:1 (v/w)), agitation speed (0 to 900 rpm), and particle size (0.5 to 2.5 cm) of the fresh leaves, to find the best processing conditions for achieving maximum oil yield. The results showed that the agitation speed of 900 rpm, temperature 100° C, with solvent to solid ratio 5:1 (v/w) of particle size 0.5 cm for 160 minute give the highest percentage of oil (46.25 wt.%). The extracted oil was examined by HPLC.

Computer systems and networks are being used in almost every aspect of our daily life, the security threats to computers and networks have increased significantly. Usually, password-based user authentication is used to authenticate the legitimate user. However, this method has many gaps such as password sharing, brute force attack, dictionary attack and guessing. Keystroke dynamics is one of the famous and inexpensive behavioral biometric technologies, which authenticate a user based on the analysis of his/her typing rhythm. In this way, intrusion becomes more difficult because the password as well as the typing speed must match with the correct keystroke patterns. This thesis considers static keystroke dynamics as a transparent layer of t

The rotor dynamics generally deals with vibration of rotating structures. For designing rotors of a high speeds, basically its important to take into account the rotor dynamics characteristics. The modeling features for rotor and bearings support flexibility are described in this paper, by taking these characteristics of rotor dynamics features into standard Finite Element Approach (FEA) model. Transient and harmonic analysis procedures have been found by ANSYS, the idea has been presented to deal with critical speed calculation. This papers shows how elements BEAM188 and COMBI214 are used to represent the shaft and bearings, the dynamic stiffness and damping coefficients of journal bearings as a matrices have been found

This research is concerned with a new type of ferrocement characterized by its lower density and enhanced thermal insulation. Lightweight ferrocement plates have many advantages, low weight, low cost, thermal insulation, environmental conservation. This work contain two group experimental : first different of layer ferrocement, second different of ratio aggregate to cement. The experiments were made to determined the optimum proportion of cement and lightweight aggregate (recycle thermestone ). A low W/C ratio of 0.4 was used with super plasticizer conforming to ASTM 494 Type G. The compressive strength of the mortar mixes is 20-25 MPa. The work also involved the determination of thermal properties .Thermal conductivity value of thi

in this paper the collocation method will be solve ordinary differential equations of retarted arguments also some examples are presented in order to illustrate this approach