Abstract

Abstract
In this paper, a reversible multilevel nine-leg converter for three-phase applications is investigated. This topology can be applied in line voltage regulators, power factor correction devices, and uninterrupted power supplies. It is composed of three single-phase three-leg converters with a leg shared by both load and grid sides. Suitable modeling, a pulse-width modulation (PWM) strategy based on a vector approach, and a control system are developed. The proposed PWM and control strategies are suitable to balance the dc-link voltages and to optimize the harmonic distortion, reducing switching stress and power losses. The investigated configuration is compared with two conventional topologies, including a neutral-point-clamped converter and has demonstrated that it presents some advantages in terms of voltage rating of the power switches, harmonic distortion, and semiconductor losses. Computer simulations and experimental results have been carried in the same operation conditions to verify the validity of theoretical considerations.

Abstract
A teaching experiment is proposed in which an artificial intelligence technique is blended with classical control techniques to design PID controllers. The artificial intelligence technique deployed is currently considered one of the most popular and successfully nature and biological inspired metaheuristics: the particle swarm optimization algorithm. The teaching experiment is proposed for an introductory undergraduate Biomedical Engineering feedback control systems course. The mean arterial pressure control, quite relevant in practical application terms, is revisited. Moreover, another biomedical control problem is proposed for teaching/learning purposes: the minimum temperature control for intracranial tumor treatment. Simulation results concerning both classic and artificial intelligence based techniques for PID controller design are presented.

Abstract
This paper presents the autononomous aerial vehicle OTUS and its application to search and rescue scenarios, namely the participation on the EuRathlon 2015 competition. The OTUS robot was developed at INESC TEC/ ISEP for research in cooperative aerial robotics and applications in complex and dynamic environments. The system was validated in this challenging scenario and was able to win the Grand Challenge scenario in cooperation with a land and marine robotics partner teams.

Abstract
Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder which affects 0.5-1% of the world population. Its diagnosis relies both on Electroencephalogram (EEG) findings and characteristic seizure -induced body movements - called seizure semiology. Thus, synchronous EEG and (2D) video recording systems (known as Video-EEG) are the most accurate tools for epilepsy diagnosis. Despite the establishment of several quantitative methods for EEG analysis, seizure semiology is still analyzed by visual inspection, based on epileptologists' subjective interpretation of the movements of interest (MOIs) that occur during recorded seizures. In this contribution, we present NeuroKinect, a low-cost, easy to setup and operate solution for a novel 3Dvideo-EEG system. It is based on a RGB-D sensor (Microsoft Kinect camera) and performs 24/7 monitoring of an Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) bed. It does not require the attachment of any reflectors or sensors to the patient's body and has a very low maintenance load. To evaluate its performance and usability, we mounted a state-of-the-art 6-camera motion-capture system and our low-cost solution over the same EMU bed. A comparative study of seizure-simulated MOIs showed an average correlation of the resulting 3D motion trajectories of 84.2%. Then, we used our system on the routine of an EMU and collected 9 different seizures where we could perform 3D kinematic analysis of 42 MOIs arising from the temporal (TLE) (n = 19) and extratemporal (ETE) brain regions (n = 23). The obtained results showed that movement displacement and movement extent discriminated both seizure MOI groups with statistically significant levels (mean = 0.15 m vs. 0.44 m, p<0.001; mean = 0.068 m(3) vs. 0.14 m(3), p< 0.05, respectively). Furthermore, TLE MOIs were significantly shorter than ETE (mean = 23 seconds vs 35 seconds, p< 0.01) and presented higher jerking levels (mean = 345 ms(-3) vs 172 ms(-3), p< 0.05). Our newly implemented 3D approach is faster by 87.5% in extracting body motion trajectories when compared to a 2D frame by frame tracking procedure. We conclude that this new approach provides a more comfortable (both for patients and clinical professionals), simpler, faster and lower-cost procedure than previous approaches, therefore providing a reliable tool to quantitatively analyze MOI patterns of epileptic seizures in the routine of EMUs around the world. We hope this study encourages other EMUs to adopt similar approaches so that more quantitative information is used to improve epilepsy diagnosis.

Abstract
In this paper, a novel modulation function-based method including analyses of the modulation index and phase is proposed for operation of modular multilevel converters (MMCs) in high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission systems. The proposed modulation function-based control technique is developed based on thorough and precise analyses of all MMC voltages and currents in the a-b-c reference frame in which the alternating current (AC)-side voltage is the first target to be obtained. Using the AC-side voltage, the combination of the MMC upper and lower arm voltages is achieved as the main structure of the proposed modulation function. The main contribution of this paper is to obtain two very simple new modulation functions to control MMC performance in different operating conditions. The features of the modulation function-based control technique are as follows: (1) this control technique is very simple and can be easily achieved in a-b-c reference frame without the need of using Park transformation; and (2) in addition, the inherent properties of the MMC model are considered in the proposed control technique. Considering these properties leads to constructing a control technique that is robust against MMC parameters changes and also is a very good tracking method for the components of MMC input currents. These features lead to improving the operation of MMC significantly, which can act as a rectifier in the HVDC structure. The simulation studies are conducted through MATLAB/SIMULINK software, and the results obtained verify the effectiveness of the proposed modulation function-based control technique.