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Publications

Publications by Hugo Alexandre Ferreira

2017

Cooperative Deep Water Seafloor Mapping with Heterogeneous Robotic Platforms

Authors
Cruz, N; Abreu, N; Almeida, J; Almeida, R; Alves, J; Dias, A; Ferreira, B; Ferreira, H; Gonçalves, C; Martins, A; Melo, J; Pinto, A; Pinto, V; Silva, A; Silva, H; Matos, A; Silva, E;

Publication
OCEANS 2017 - ANCHORAGE

Abstract
This paper describes the PISCES system, an integrated approach for fully autonomous mapping of large areas of the ocean in deep waters. A deep water AUV will use an acoustic navigation system to compute is position with bounded error. The range limitation will be overcome by a moving baseline scheme, with the acoustic sources installed in robotic surface vessels with previously combined trajectories. In order to save power, all systems will have synchronized clocks and implement the One Way Travel Time scheme. The mapping system will be a combination of an off-the-shelf MBES with a new long range bathymetry system, with a source on a moving surface vessel and the receivers on board the AUV. The system is being prepared to participate in round one of the XPRIZE challenge.

2019

Low Cost Underwater Acoustic Positioning System with a Simplified DoA Algorithm

Authors
Guedes, P; Viana, N; Silva, J; Amaral, G; Ferreira, H; Dias, A; Almeida, JM; Martins, A; Silva, EP;

Publication
OCEANS 2019 MTS/IEEE SEATTLE

Abstract
For the context of a mobile tracking system, an underwater acoustic positioning system was developed, using three hydrophones to compute the direction of an acoustic source relative to an Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV). The paper presents an algorithm for the Direction of Arrival (DoA) of an acoustic source, which allows to estimate its position. Preliminary results will be shown in this paper relative to the detection and identification (ID) of the acoustic sources, as well as an analysis of the proposed algorithm. The solution allows the position estimation of an acoustic source, which can be used in tracking solutions. The system can be applied in an ASV or fixed buoys, as long as the baseline's hydrophones are at equal angular distances. The main objective is to track targets with the DoA algorithm as well to estimate their position, improving what was done in [1].

2019

ROSM - Robotic Oil Spill Mitigation

Authors
Dias, A; Mucha, AP; Santos, T; Pedrosa, D; Amaral, G; Ferreira, H; Oliveira, A; Martins, A; Almeida, J; Almeida, CM; Ramos, S; Magalhaes, C; Carvalho, MF; Silva, E;

Publication
OCEANS 2019 - MARSEILLE

Abstract
The overall aim of the ROSM project is the implementation of an innovative solution based on heterogeneous autonomous vehicles to tackle maritime pollution (in particular, oil spills). These solutions will be based on native microbial consortia with bioremediation capacity, and the adaptation of air and surface autonomous vehicles for in-situ release of autochthonous microorganisms (bioaugmentation) and nutrients (biostimulation). By doing so, these systems can be used as the first line of the responder to pollution incidents from several origins that may occur inside ports, around industrial and extraction facilities, or during transport activities, in a fast, efficient and low-cost way. The paper will address the development of a team of autonomous vehicles able to carry, as payload, native organisms to naturally degrade oil spills (avoiding the introduction of additional chemical or biological additives), the development of a multi-robot system able to provide a first line responses to oil spill incidents under unfavourable and harsh conditions with low human intervention, and then a decentralized cooperative planning with the ability to coordinate an efficient oil spill combat. Field tests have been performed in Leixoes Harbour in Porto and Medas, Portugal, with a simulated oil spill and validated the decentralized coordinated task between the autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) ROAZ and the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

2021

COLLECTION AND LIFE SUPPORT IN A HYPERBARIC SYSTEM FOR DEEP-SEA ORGANISMS

Authors
Viegas, D; Figueiredo, A; Coimbra, J; Dos Santos, A; Almeida, J; Dias, N; Lima, L; Silva, H; Ferreira, H; Almeida, C; Amaro, T; Arenas, F; Castro, F; Santos, M; Martins, A; Silva, E;

Publication
OCEANS 2021: SAN DIEGO - PORTO

Abstract
This paper presents the development of a hyperbaric system able to collect, transport and maintain deep-sea species in controlled condition from the sea floor up to the surface (HiperSea System). The system is composed by two chambers coupled with a transference set-up. The first chamber is able to reach a maximum of 1km depth collecting both benthic and pelagic deep-sea species. The second chamber is a life support compartment to maintain the specimens alive at the surface, in hyperbaric conditions.

2010

Autonomous Guided Vehicles Applied to Industrial Engineering and Management Studies

Authors
Dias, A; Dias, N; Campos, D; Ferreira, H;

Publication
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 1ST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ROBOTICS IN EDUCATION

Abstract
This article presents a framework to an Industrial Engineering and Management Science course from School of Management and Industrial Studies using Autonomous Ground Vehicles (AGV) to supply materials to a production line as an experimental setup for the students to acquire knowledge in the production robotics area. The students must be capable to understand and put into good use several concepts that will be of utmost importance in their professional life such as critical decisions regarding the study, development and implementation of a production line. The main focus is a production line using AGVs, where the students are required to address several topics such as: sensors actuators, controllers and an high level management and optimization software. The presented framework brings to the robotics teaching community methodologies that allow students from different backgrounds, that normally don't experiment with the robotics concepts in practice due to the big gap between theory and practice, to go straight to "making" robotics. Our aim was to suppress the minimum start point level thus allowing any student to fully experience robotics with little background knowledge.

2010

INTRODUCING NUMERICAL ANALYSIS TOOLS IN ENGINEERING. A SCILAB USER CASE IN ELECTRONICS COURSE

Authors
Campos, D; Dias, N; Dias, A; Ferreira, H;

Publication
3RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION (ICERI2010)

Abstract
Software tools in education became popular since the widespread of personal computers. Engineering courses lead the way in this development and these tools became almost a standard. Engineering graduates are familiar with numerical analysis tools but also with simulators (e. g. electronic circuits), computer assisted design tools and others, depending on the degree. One of the main problems with these tools is when and how to start use them so that they can be beneficial to students and not mere substitutes for potentially difficult calculations or design. In this paper a software tool to be used by first year students in electronics/electricity courses is presented. The growing acknowledgement and acceptance of open source software lead to the choice of an open source software tool - Scilab, which is a numerical analysis tool - to develop a toolbox. The toolbox was developed to be used as standalone or integrated in an e-learning platform. The e-learning platform used was Moodle. The first approach was to assess the mathematical skills necessary to solve all the problems related to electronics and electricity courses. Analysing the existing circuit simulators software tools, it is clear that even though they are very helpful by showing the end result they are not so effective in the process of the students studying and self learning since they show results but not intermediate steps which are crucial in problems that involve derivatives or integrals. Also, they are not very effective in obtaining graphical results that could be used to elaborate reports and for an overall better comprehension of the results. The developed tool was based on the numerical analysis software Scilab and is a toolbox that gives their users the opportunity to obtain the end results of a circuit analysis but also the expressions obtained when derivative and integrals calculations, plot signals, obtain vector diagrams, etc. The toolbox runs entirely in the Moodle web platform and provides the same results as the standalone application. The students can use the toolbox through the web platform (in computers where they don't have installation privileges) or in their personal computers by installing both the Scilab software and the toolbox. This approach was designed for first year students from all engineering degrees that have electronics/electricity courses in their curricula.

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