Abstract
This paper proposes a method to avoid using a CORDIC or external memory to process the steering vectors to calculate the pseudospectrum of correlation-based beamforming algorithms. We show that if we decompose the steering vector equation, the size of the matrix to be saved in memory becomes independent of the antenna array size. Besides, the amount of data needed is small enough to be saved in the internal block RAMs of the FPGA SoC. Besides, this method greatly reduces the number of memory accesses, by offloading some processing to hardware, while keeping the frequency at 300MHz with a precision of 0.25 degrees. Finally, we show that this approach is scalable since the complexity grows logarithmically for bigger arrays, and the symmetry in the matrices obtained allows even more compact data.

Abstract
Today, logistics activities are driven by the pressing need to simultaneously increase efficiency, reduce costs, and promote sustainability. In our research, we tackle this challenge by adapting a general vehicle routing problem with deliveries and pickups to accommodate different types of customers. Customers requiring both delivery and pickup services are mandatory, while those needing only a pickup service (backhaul customers) are optional and are only visited if profitable. A mixed-integer linear programming model is formulated to minimize fuel consumption. This model can address various scenarios, such as allowing mandatory customers to be served with combined or separate delivery or pickup visits, and visiting optional customers either during or only after mandatory customer visits. An adaptive large neighborhood search is developed to solve instances adapted from the literature as well as to solve a real-case study of a beverage distributor. The results show the effectiveness of our approach, demonstrating the potential to utilize the available capacity on vehicles returning to the depot to create profitable and environmentally friendly routes, and so enhancing efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable logistics activities. © 2024 International Federation of Operational Research Societies.

Abstract

Abstract
Robotics competitions have been increasing in the last years since they bring several impacts on students education, such as technical skill development, teamwork, resilience and decision making withing the STEM skills. The article highlights the significance of robotics competitions as platforms for fostering innovation and driving advancements in the field of robotics. This article primarily focuses on the development of a robot in the Dragster category for the 2023 Portuguese Robotics Open. It outlines the strategies devised to tackle the competition's challenges and discusses the obstacles encountered along with the corresponding solutions employed. The article delves into the specific details of the challenges faced and the iterative processes undertaken to enhance the robot's performance and functionalities. By sharing the insights gained from the project, future proposals for iterations of the robot will be presented, aiming to further augment its features and overall performance while sharing knowledge with other teams and community.

Abstract
Introduction: Precision monitoring maturity in climacteric fruits like tomato is crucial for minimising losses within the food supply chain and enhancing pre- and post-harvest production and utilisation. Objectives: This paper introduces an approach to analyse the precision maturation of tomato using hyperspectral tomography-like. Methods: A novel bi-directional spectral reconstruction method is presented, leveraging visible to near-infrared (Vis-NIR) information gathered from tomato spectra and their internal tissues (skin, pulp, and seeds). The study, encompassing 118 tomatoes at various maturation stages, employs a multi-block hierarchical principal component analysis combined with partial least squares for bi-directional reconstruction. The approach involves predicting internal tissue spectra by decomposing the overall tomato spectral information, creating a superset with eight latent variables for each tissue. The reverse process also utilises eight latent variables for reconstructing skin, pulp, and seed spectral data. Results: The reconstruction of the tomato spectra presents a mean absolute percentage error of 30.44 % and 5.37 %, 5.25 % and 6.42 % and Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.85, 0.98, 0.99 and 0.99 for the skin, pulp and seed, respectively. Quality parameters, including soluble solid content (%), chlorophyll (a.u.), lycopene (a.u.), and puncture force (N), were assessed and modelled with PLS with the original and reconstructed datasets, presenting a range of R2 higher than 0.84 in the reconstructed dataset. An empirical demonstration of the tomato maturation in the internal tissues revealed the dynamic of the chlorophyll and lycopene in the different tissues during the maturation process. Conclusion: The proposed approach for inner tomato tissue spectral inference is highly reliable, provides early indications and is easy to operate. This study highlights the potential of Vis-NIR devices in precision fruit maturation assessment, surpassing conventional labour-intensive techniques in cost-effectiveness and efficiency. The implications of this advancement extend to various agronomic and food chain applications, promising substantial improvements in monitoring and enhancing fruit quality. [GRAPHICS] .

Abstract
Numerous pose estimation methodologies demonstrate a decrement in accuracy or efficiency metrics when subjected to highly cluttered scenarios. Currently, companies expect high-efficiency robotic systems to close the gap between humans and machines, especially in logistic operations, which is highlighted by the requirement to execute operations, such as navigation, perception and picking. To mitigate this issue, the majority of strategies augment the quantity of detected and matched features. However, in this paper, it is proposed a system which adopts an inverse strategy, for instance, it reduces the types of features detected to enhance efficiency. Upon detecting 2D polygons, this solution perceives objects, identifies their corners and edges, and establishes a relationship between the features extracted from the perceived object and the known object model. Subsequently, this relationship is used to devise a weighting system capable of predicting an optimal final pose estimation. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that this solution applies to different objects in real scenarios, such as intralogistic, and industrial, provided there is prior knowledge of the object's shape and measurements. Lastly, the proposed method was evaluated and found to achieve an average overlap rate of 89.77% and an average process time of 0.0398 seconds per object pose estimation.