Abstract
This paper provides an overview of the development of a selforiented solar mirror (SOSM) project within the European Project Semester (EPS) at Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP). While the main objective of the EPS@ISEP project-based educational framework is to foster teamwork, communication, interpersonal and problem solving skills in an international, multidisciplinary engineering environment, the goal of the SOSM is to track and reflect the Sun radiation onto a pre-defined area. In the spring of 2017 a group of five students chose to develop a proof-of-concept domestic SOSM called SUNO. The students undertook project supportive modules in Ethics, Sustainability, Marketing and Project Management together with project coaching meetings to assist the development of SUNO. The paper details this process, describing the initial project definition, the research of current technologies, the designing, the manufacturing and testing of the SUNO prototype, and discusses what the students gained from this learning experience. © 2017 Association for Computing Machinery.

Abstract
This paper demonstrates the potential benefits of the integration of robot based sensing and Enterprise Information Systems extended with information about the geometric location and volumetric information of the parts contained in logistic supermarkets. The comparison of this extended world model with hierarchical spatial representations produced by a fleet of robots traversing the logistic supermarket corridors enables the continuous assessment of inconsistencies between reality, i.e., the spatial representations collected from online 3D data, and the modelled information, i.e., the world model. Results show that it is possible to detect inconsistencies reliably and in real time. The proposed approach contributes to the development of more robust and effective Enterprise Information Systems.

Abstract
Cognitive robots have started to find their way into manufacturing halls. However, the full potential of these robots can only be exploited through an integration into the automation pyramid so that the system is able to communicate with the manufacturing execution system (MES). Integrating the robot with the MES allows the robot to get access to manufacturing environment and process data so that it can perform its task without human intervention. This paper describe the mobile robotic manipulator developed in the EU project STAMINA, its has been integrated with an existing MES and its application in a kitting task from the automotive industry.

Abstract
This paper presents the state-of-the-art in terms of automation and control for protected cultivation in greenhouses. Aspects such as modeling, instrumentation, energy optimization and applied robotics are considered, aiming at not only to identify latest research topics, but also to foster continuous improvement in key cutting-edge problems. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2017.

Abstract
This paper addresses a strategy to improve disturbance rejection for the Sliding Mode Controller designed in a Smith Predictor scheme (SMC-SP), with its parameters tuned through the bio-inspired search algorithm—Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). Conventional SMC-SP is commonly based on tuning equations derived from step response identification, when First Order Plus Dead Time models (FOPDT) are considered and therefore controller parameters are previously set. Online PSO tuning based on minimization of the Integral of Time Absolute Error (ITAE) can provide faster recovery from external disturbances without significant increase of energy consumption, and the Sliding Mode feature deals with possible model mismatch. Simulation results for time delayed systems corroborating these benefits are presented. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2017.

Abstract
Proportional, integrative and derivative (PID) controllers are among the most used in industrial control applications. Classical PID controller design methodologies can be significantly improved by incorporating recent computational intelligence techniques. Two techniques based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithms are proposed to design PI-PID controllers. Both control design methodologies are directed to optimize PI-PID controller gains using two degrees-of-freedom control configurations, subjected to frequency domain robustness constraints. The first technique proposes a single-objective PSO algorithm, to sequentially design a two degrees-of-freedom control structure, considering the optimization of load disturbance rejection followed by set-point tracking optimization. The second technique proposes a many-objective PSO algorithm, to design a two degrees-of-freedom control structure, considering simultaneously, the optimization of four different design criteria. In the many-objective case, the control engineer may select the most adequate solution among the resulting optimal Pareto set. Simulation results are presented showing the effectiveness of the proposed PI-PID design techniques, in comparison with both classic and optimization based methods.