Abstract

Abstract
Climbing robots are being developed for applications ranging from cleaning to inspection of difficult to reach constructions. These machines should be capable of travelling on different types of surfaces (such as floors, walls, ceilings) and to walk between such surfaces. Furthermore, these machines should adapt and reconfigure for various environment conditions and should be self-contained. Regarding the adhesion to the surface, they should be able to produce a secure gripping force using a light-weight mechanism. Bearing these facts in mind, this paper presents a survey of different technologies used for climbing robots adhesion to surfaces. © 2008 IEEE.

Abstract
Collaborative Work plays an important role in today's organizations and normally in areas where decisions must be made. However, any decision that involves a collective or group of decision makers is, by itself, complex. In this work we present the VirtualECare project, built in terms of an intelligent multi-agent system able to monitor, interact and serve its customers, which are, normally, in need of care services, and assisted with tools based on open standards, like OSGi an R-OSGi.

Abstract
Adaptation of system parameters is acknowledged as a requirement to scalable and dependable distributed systems. Unfortunately, adaptation cannot be effective when provided solely by individual system components as the correct decision is often tied to the composition itself and the system as a whole. In fact, proper adaption is a cross-cutting issue: Diagnostic and feedback operations must target multiple components and do it at different abstraction levels. We address this problem with the SERPENTINE middleware platform. By relying on the industry standard JMX as a service interface, it can monitor and operate on a wide range of distributed middleware and application components. By building on a JMX-enabled OSGi runtime, SERPENTINE is able to control the life-cycle of components themselves. The scriptable stateless server and cascading architecture allow for increased dependability and flexibility.

Abstract
Omni-directional robots are becoming more and more common in recent robotic applications. They offer improved ease of maneuverability and effectiveness at the expense of increased complexity. Frequent applications include but are not limited to robotic competitions and service robotics. The goal of this work is to find a precise dynamical model in order to predict the robot behavior. Models were found for two real world omni-directional robot configurations and their parameters estimated using a prototype that can have 3 or 4 wheels. Simulations and experimental runs are presented in order to validate the presented work.

Abstract
The aim of the SOCRATES EIE-Surveyor project is to be a reference point for Electrical and Information Engineering in Europe. The project brings together representatives from 27 out of 31 eligible countries. One of the tasks of the project is the evaluation of the accreditation processes in the participating countries. A questionnaire about the accreditation process was developed and sent to project partners in each participating country. The main areas investigated the nature of the accreditation body, the criteria, which are evaluated, the structure of the visit and the decision formulation. A first analysis shows that some countries have not yet introduced a formal accreditation process. These countries are generally in a transition situation in relation to introducing the Bologna process. In some other countries several accreditation bodies exist depending on the region or the nature of the institution. It also appears that the accreditation for masters degrees is not yet compulsory everywhere. Other issues regarding the accreditation process that are also being considered relate to who pays the expenses in relation to the accreditation process, what is the relationship between the ECTS and the actual content and level of the courses and whether or not industrial placement is a compulsory component of the programme.