UWB-Based Self-Localization Strategies: A Novel ICP-Based Method and a Comparative Assessment for Noisy-Ranges-Prone Environments.

Ultra-Wide-Band (UWB) positioning systems are now a real option to estimate the position of generic agents (e.g., robots) within indoor/GPS-denied environments. However, these environments can comprise metallic structures or other elements which can negatively affect the signal transmission and hence the accuracy of UWB-based position estimations. Regarding this fact, this paper proposes a novel method based on point-to-sphere ICP (Iterative Closest Point) to determine the 3D position of a UWB tag. In order to improve the results in noise-prone environments, our method first selects the anchors' subset which provides the position estimate with least uncertainty (i.e., largest agreement) in our approach. Furthermore, we propose a previous stage to filter the anchor-tag distances used as input of the ICP stage. We also consider the addition of a final step based on non-linear Kalman Filtering to improve the position estimates. Performance results for several configurations of our approach are reported in the experimental results section, including a comparison with the performance of other position-estimation algorithms based on trilateration. The experimental evaluation under laboratory conditions and inside the cargo hold of a vessel (i.e., a noise-prone scenario) proves the good performance of the ICP-based algorithm, as well as the effects induced by the prior and posterior filtering stages.

Vision-Based Corrosion Detection Assisted by a Micro-Aerial Vehicle in a Vessel Inspection Application.

Vessel maintenance requires periodic visual inspection of the hull in order to detect typical defective situations of steel structures such as, among others, coating breakdown and corrosion. These inspections are typically performed by well-trained surveyors at great cost because of the need for providing access means (e.g., scaffolding and/or cherry pickers) that allow the inspector to be at arm's reach from the structure under inspection. This paper describes a defect detection approach comprising a micro-aerial vehicle which is used to collect images from the surfaces under inspection, particularly focusing on remote areas where the surveyor has no visual access, and a coating breakdown/corrosion detector based on a three-layer feed-forward artificial neural network. As it is discussed in the paper, the success of the inspection process depends not only on the defect detection software but also on a number of assistance functions provided by the control architecture of the aerial platform, whose aim is to improve picture quality. Both aspects of the work are described along the different sections of the paper, as well as the classification performance attained.

Contributions of fluorescence to endocrine surgery. / Aportaciones de la fluorescencia a la cirugía endocrina.

The use of fluorescence in surgery has expanded and become widespread in recent years, which has led to a real technological phenomenon with the emergence of devices adapted for use in laparoscopic and robotic approaches. Fluorescence-guided surgery in the field of endocrine surgery is also on the rise. More and more articles describe its use in surgery of the thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands, although the series are still modest in size and protocols have not been standardized. There are currently several developing areas for the application of fluorescence in endocrine surgery, including the use of fluorescence with indocyanine green in adrenal gland surgery, the identification and prediction of parathyroid perfusion with indocyanine green, and autofluorescence of the parathyroid glands. The objective of this article is to review the current applications of fluorescence in endocrine surgery.