Abstract
Sliding mode controllers are derived for the control of the average output voltage in DC/DC power converters. The controller design is carried out on the basis of well-known bilinear models of such circuits. A cascaded control structure is chosen for ease of control realization and to exploit the motion separation property of this power converter. The performance of the proposed sliding mode controllers is tested for the buck and boost converter type. The numerical simulations will demonstrate the efficiency of sliding mode techniques in this field as a powerful alternative to other existing methods. © 2003 IFAC.

Abstract
This paper describes a surveillance system for forest environments and protected natural areas. The surveillance system has a capacity for detecting fires and other ecological crimes. The system uses a digital camera that is controlled remotely by a system operator. Using the software the operator may choose to zoom a special spot or even take measures to strategically fight the fire right before it becomes uncontrollable. Since this system is operated in the middle of forests, aspects like effectiveness, robustness and reliability are crucial. In positioning the camera, the system uses a stepper motor for the vertical movement of the camera and a DC motor for the horizontal movement. The system also captures information about the temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction. All the processing is realized by a PIC16f877 microcontroller. © 2003 IEEE.

Abstract
A new online identification methodology for estimation of the rotor flux components and the main electrical parameters of vector controlled induction motors is presented in this paper. The induction motor model is referred to the rotor reference frame for estimation of rotor flux and rotor parameters, and referred to the stator reference frame to estimate stator parameters. The stator parameters estimation is achieved by a prediction error method based on a model structure described by a linear regression that is independent of rotor speed and rotor parameters. The rotor flux components and rotor parameters are estimated by a reduced order extended Kalman filter, using a 4th-order state-space model structure where the state equation is described by matrices that are diagonal and independent of rotor speed as well as stator parameters. Both methods work in a boot-strap manner. © 2003 IEEE.

Abstract
This paper addresses the problem of parameter estimation of continuous-time systems using samples of its input-output data. We propose a method based on the bilinear transformation to obtain an equivalent discrete-time model. Introducing a new, polynomial pre-filter it is possible to compute the physical parameters via inverse mapping between the discrete-time and the continuous-time models. A simulation example is given to illustrate the noise effects in the parameter estimation results. Using experimental results, we demonstrate the ability of the estimator to handle real measurement problems.

Abstract
This paper describes a surveillance system for forest environments and protected natural areas with capacity for detecting fires and other ecological crimes. This system uses a digital camera that is controlled remotely by a system operator. Using the software the operator may chose to zoom a special spot or even take measures to place a strategy to fight the lire right before it becomes uncontrollable. Since that this system has to operate in the middle of forests, aspects like effectiveness, robustness and reliability are crucial. To make the positioning of camera, the system uses a stepper motor to the vertical movement of the camera, and a DC motor to the horizontal movement. The system also captures information about the temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction. All the processing is realized by a PIC16f877 microcontroller.

Abstract
The Pool, in many countries, was adopted for the participants of the electricity market to trade the electrical energy in a basis of each half-hour or one hour of the next day. However, like the traditional markets, the agents of electrical market are now exposed to the volatility of market price. In some countries, to face that problem and to turn the market more liquid, the derivatives markets - futures and options - were introduced to negotiate products with electrical energy as underlying active. In this context, there is a need of decision-support tools to assist those agents for the use of derivatives markets with the objective of practicing the hedge. In this paper, we present a decision model that supports producers to establish contracts with the objective to maximize the profit expected utility. © 2003 IEEE.