Abstract

Abstract
The use of robots is widely spread across the industry. It is paramount that the robot end-effector tracks a pre-defined trajectory with the lowest energy loss. To contribute to the solution of this problem, the robot trajectory is defined using a tracking parameter which is optimised using the Matlab (R) fminunc function and the Particle Swam Optimisation algorithm. This approach was tested for a case study with the energy loss being reduced in approximately 96.15%.

Abstract
Robotics is a multidisciplinary subject that typically involves mechanics, electronics, and computer science concepts. For this reason, robotic projects are particularly well suited to the European Project Semester framework since they allow students with different backgrounds to contribute to the overall team objective in their specific knowledge areas. This chapter briefly presents illustrative examples of robotic projects that have been developed by teams of students participating in the European Project Semester at the School of Engineering of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto. It concludes by presenting and discussing student feedback, namely on the program and the projects developed.

Abstract
Orion is a NASA spacecraft being developed for human exploration of the Moon and Mars. Crew Dragon is a commercial spacecraft used to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). Both spacecraft are of similar design and both spacecraft perform a water landing following re-entry. This study evaluated the ability of International Institute of Astronautical Sciences (IIAS) Citizen Astronaut Candidates (CAC) to egress a spacecraft mock-up wearing a commercially available intravehicular activity (IVA) spacesuit manufactured by Final Frontier Design (FFD) (Anderson, 2014; Barker and Bellenkes; 1996; Rubio et al., 2004). This suit is similar to those worn by astronauts traveling to the ISS on board Crew Dragon. Mobility assessment revealed that most participants had sufficient ranges of motion to perform egress tasks successfully. In some instances suited participants were unable to perform selected tasks proficiently, but in these instances this often stemmed from difficulty in achieving a stable upright position in the water. Seat ingress and egress evaluation revealed no significant problems with anthropometric accommodation across participants.

Abstract
In recent years, with the rise of a growing economic and technological interest in lithium mineral resources, there has been a parallel concern, on the part of some local populations and even national environmental groups, for a hypothetical contamination problem that this type of exploitations may cause on the quality of groundwater. Thus, the present study was based on an evaluation of an open-pit quarry, in the so-called Alijó quarry, located in the North of Portugal, in the parish of Canedo, Ribeira de Pena municipality and Vila Real district. This exploitation, under concession by the company José Aldeia Lagoa & Filhos, SA, has been going on for at least 11 years and mainly supplies the ceramic and glass industry. It is in this context that this work is carried out. The general objectives are to assess signs of impacts that extractive activities, carried out in the open-pit exploitation area of Alijó, may have caused on the surrounding subsoil. In this sense, it was necessary to consider the aforementioned hypothesis of the existence of possible sources of water drainage with ionic anomalies for the surrounding environment. If this hypothesis were confirmed, then the level of underground conductivity would have to be proportionally high and obtainable through equivalent low values of electrical resistivity (high electrical conductivity). The current study was limited to geophysical tools along with a few chemical analysis of water samples collected in the open-pit exploration for control purposes. The signs we sought for could possibly be manifested in the form of anomalous concentrations of some of the elements of the mineralization of this lithiniferous pegmatite and whose effects could, hypothetically, be measured in the form of anomalous low values of underground electrical resistivity, as well as anomalous pH valuespresent in the drainage water. To this end, a study mainly supported by the electrical resistivity method was carried out. This method is based on the measurement of electrical resistivity variations of different subsoil geological materials, since rocks and soils, depending on their mineralogical composition, texture, porosity, fracturing and the content/chemical composition of the water contained in them, could exhibit anomalous, low electrical resistivity. The results revealed that no low resistivity values were found, typical of areas that normally exhibit natural or anthropogenic geochemical anomalies, or even, in more extreme cases, contaminations with acid drainages whose acidity and resistivity would be even lower and more anomalous.

Abstract
The Alto do Sobrido and Ribeiro da Serra Mines, are two antimony-gold mines located in Gondomar, Portugal, and are part of the Dúrico-Beirão Mining District (DBMD). In this work, we use four geophysical methods, such as gravity, radiometry, magnetic and electromagnetic, to improve the knowledge about these mineralizations and the lithologies and structures associated with them. These four methods allowed us to study these mineralizations through different physical properties. The gravimetric method allowed us to add more data to the hypothesis that the gold-antimony mineralizations of the DBMD could be genetically associated with a non-outcropping granite intrusion, which functioned either as a heat engine that promoted the circulation of fluids and/or as a source of fluids and metals itself. A 2D model was proposed, created with both modelling and inversion, to show that the presence of this granite could indeed fit the response of the negative anomalies found in the residual anomaly. The radiometric method was used mainly as a mapping tool, where we were able to distinguish between some of the lithologies of the area, like the Lower Ordovician quartzites and the metasediments of the Middle Ordovician to the Carboniferous, but also to observe different element concentrations within the Pre-Ordovician Schist-Greywacke Complex (SGC). These variations within the SGC lithology don’t have a clear explanation as to why they occur. Still, we believe that they could occur due to the influence of the abovementioned non-outcropping granite. With the very low frequency (VLF) electromagnetic method, it was possible to locate areas of lower resistivities that correspond to the location of several known mineralized veins, as well as the probable location for a new vein. It was also possible to observe some weathered rocks near faults and fractures associated with the Dúrico-Beirão Shear Zone (DBSZ). With the magnetic method, it is possible to contribute to areas with the prevalence of lithologies and minerals with higher magnetic susceptibilities. Several magnetic anomalies found near the Alto do Sobrido mining works correspond to the mineralized veins paragenesis. Other anomalies appear to be related to the location of faults and fractures associated with the DBSZ. The use of all these methods allowed us to observe the mineralization responses and its associated lithologies and structures through the different geophysical properties while adding knowledge about the genesis of these mineralizations and possibly the location of new mineralized veins.