2024
Authors
Mota, A; Serôdio, C; Valente, A;
Publication
ELECTRONICS
Abstract
Smart home devices are becoming more popular over the years. A diverse range of appliances is being created, and Ambient Intelligence is growing in homes. However, there are various producers of these gadgets, different kinds of protocols, and diverse environments. The lack of interoperability reduces comfort of the user and turns into a barrier to smart home adoption. Matter is growing by constructing an open-source application layer protocol that can be compatible with all smart home ecosystems. In this article, a Matter overview is provided (namely, of the Commissioning stage), and a Matter Accessory using ESP32-S3 is developed referring to the manufacturer's SDKs and is inserted into an existent household ecosystem. Its behavior on the network is briefly analyzed, and interactions with the device are carried out. The simplicity of these tasks demonstrates accessibility for developers to create products, especially when it comes to firmware. Additionally, device commissioning and control are straightforward for the consumer. This capacity of gadget incorporation into diverse ecosystems using Matter is already on the market and might result in higher device production and enhanced smart home adoption.
2024
Authors
Matos, C; Castro, M; Baptista, J; Valente, A; Briga-Sá, A;
Publication
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
Abstract
Water is essential at various stages of winemaking, from irrigation in the vineyard to cleaning equipment and facilities, controlling fermentation temperatures, and diluting grape juice if necessary. Additionally, water is used for sanitation purposes to ensure the quality and safety of the final product. This article provides an overview of the existing knowledge regarding the use of water in wineries throughout the winemaking process, water consumption values, effluent treatment, efficient use of water measures, and water reuse. Different assessment methods, including Water Footprint (WF) and Life Cycle Assessment(LCA), provide varied insights into water use impacts, emphasizing the importance of standardized methodologies for accurate assessment and sustainable practices. This research showed that the characterization of the vinification processes of each type of wine is fundamental for further analysis on the environmental impact of winemaking regarding water use. It was also observed that WF is affected by factors like climate, irrigation needs, and cleaning procedures. Thus, efficient water management in all the stages of wine production is crucial to reduce the overall WF. Water efficiency measures may involve the modification of the production processes, reusing and recycling water and the implementation of cleaner production practices and technological innovations, such as automated fermentation systems that reduce water needs. Furthermore, waste management in wineries emphasizes the importance of sustainable practices and technological innovations to mitigate environmental impacts and enhance resource efficiency.
2024
Authors
Barradas, R; Lencastre, JA; Soares, S; Valente, A;
Publication
CSEDU (1)
Abstract
STEM education advances at the same rate as the need for new and more evolved tools. This article introduces the latest version of the Kid Grígora educational robot, based on the work of Barradas et al. (2019). Targeted for students aged 8 to 18, the robot serves as an interdisciplinary teaching tool, integrated into STEM curricula. The upgraded version corrects what we’ve learned from a real test with 177 students from a Portuguese school and adds other features that allow this new robot to be used in even more educational STEM and problem-solving scenarios. We focused on the creation of a second beta version of the prototype, named Stemie, and its heuristic evaluation by three experts. After all the issues and suggestions from the experts have been resolved and implemented, the new version is ready for usability evaluation.
2024
Authors
Rebelo, PM; Valente, A; Oliveira, PM; Sobreira, H; Costa, P;
Publication
ROBOT 2023: SIXTH IBERIAN ROBOTICS CONFERENCE ADVANCES IN ROBOTICS, VOL 1
Abstract
Mobile robot platforms capable of operating safely and accurately in dynamic environments can have a multitude of applications, ranging from simple delivery tasks to advanced assembly operations. These abilities rely heavily on a robust navigation stack, which requires stable and accurate pose estimations within the environment. The wide range of AMR's applications and the characteristics of multiple industrial environments (indoor and outdoor) have led to the development of a flexible and robust robot software architecture that allows the fusion of different data sensors in real time. In this way, and in terms of localization, AMRs have greater precision when it comes to uncontrolled and unstructured environments. These complex environments feature a variety of dynamic and unpredictable elements, such as variable layouts, limited visibility, unstructured spaces, and uncertain terrain. This paper presents a multi-localization system for industrial mobile robots in complex and dynamic industrial scenarios, based on different localization technologies and methods that can interact together and simultaneously.
2024
Authors
Saraiva, AA; da Silva, JPO; Moura Sousa, JV; Fonseca Ferreira, NM; Soares, SP; Valente, A;
Publication
BIOSTEC (1)
Abstract
2024
Authors
Neves, BP; Santos, VDN; Valente, A;
Publication
ELECTRONICS
Abstract
This article presents a new firmware update paradigm for optimising the procedure in microcontrollers. The aim is to allow updating during program execution, without interruptions or restarts, replacing only specific code segments. The proposed method uses static and absolute addresses to locate and isolate the code segment to be updated. The work focuses on Microchip's PIC18F27K42 microcontroller and includes an example of updating functionality without affecting ongoing applications. This approach is ideal for band limited channels, reducing the amount of data transmitted during the update process. It also allows incremental changes to the program code, preserving network capacity, and reduces the costs associated with data transfer, especially in firmware update scenarios using cellular networks. This ability to update the normal operation of the device, avoiding service interruption and minimising downtime, is of remarkable value.
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