The Autonomous System

The idea of autonomous systems that are able to make choices according to properties which allow them to experience, apprehend and assess their environment is becoming a reality. These systems are capable of auto-configuration and self-organization. This book presents a model for the creation of autonomous systems based on a complex substratum, made up of multiple electronic components that deploy a variety of specific features. This substratum consists of multi-agent systems which act continuously and autonomously to collect information from the environment which they then feed into the global system, allowing it to generate discerning and concrete representations of its surroundings. These systems are able to construct a so-called artificial corporeity which allows them to have a sense of self, to then behave autonomously, in a way reminiscent of living organisms.

Discover what lies beyond the bleeding-edge of autonomous airborne networks with this authoritative new resource   Autonomous Airborne Wireless Networks  delivers an insightful exploration of recent advances in the theory and practice of using airborne wireless networks to provide emergency communications, coverage and capacity expansion, information dissemination, and more. The distinguished engineers and editors have selected resources that cover the fundamentals of airborne networks, including channel models, recent regulation developments, self-organized networking, AI-enabled flying networks, and notable applications in a variety of industries.  The book evaluates advances in the cutting-edge of unmanned aerial vehicle wireless network technology while offering readers new ideas on how airborne wireless networks can support various applications expected of future networks. The rapidly developing field is examined from a fresh perspective, one not just concerned with ideas of control, trajectory optimization, and navigation.  Autonomous Airborne Wireless Networks  considers several potential use cases for the technology and demonstrates how it can be integrated with concepts from self-organized network technology and artificial intelligence to deliver results in those cases. Readers will also enjoy:  A thorough discussion of distributed drone base station positioning for emergency cellular networks using reinforcement learning (AI-enabled trajectory optimization) An exploration of unmanned aerial vehicle-to-wearables (UAV2W) indoor radio propagation channel measurements and modelling An up-to-date treatment of energy minimization in UAV trajectory design for delay tolerant emergency communication Examinations of cache-enabled UAVs, 3D MIMO for airborne networks, and airborne networks for Internet of Things communications Perfect for telecom engineers and industry professionals working on identifying practical and efficient concepts tailored to overcome challenges facing unmanned aerial vehicles providing wireless communications,  Autonomous Airborne Wireless Networks  also has a place on the bookshelves of stakeholders, regulators, and research agencies working on the latest developments in UAV communications.

Offers a step-by-step guide to building autonomous vehicles and robots, with source code and accompanying videos The first book of its kind on the detailed steps for creating an autonomous vehicle or robot, this book provides an overview of the technology and introduction of the key elements involved in developing autonomous vehicles, and offers an excellent introduction to the basics for someone new to the topic of autonomous vehicles and the innovative, modular-based engineering approach called DragonFly. Engineering Autonomous Vehicles and Robots: The DragonFly Modular-based Approach covers everything that technical professionals need to know about: CAN bus, chassis, sonars, radars, GNSS, computer vision, localization, perception, motion planning, and more. Particularly, it covers Computer Vision for active perception and localization, as well as mapping and motion planning. The book offers several case studies on the building of an autonomous passenger pod, bus, and vending robot. It features a large amount of supplementary material, including the standard protocol and sample codes for chassis, sonar, and radar. GPSD protocol/NMEA protocol and GPS deployment methods are also provided. Most importantly, readers will learn the philosophy behind the DragonFly modular-based design approach, which empowers readers to design and build their own autonomous vehicles and robots with flexibility and affordability. Offers progressive guidance on building autonomous vehicles and robots Provides detailed steps and codes to create an autonomous machine, at affordable cost, and with a modular approach Written by one of the pioneers in the field building autonomous vehicles Includes case studies, source code, and state-of-the art research results Accompanied by a website with supplementary material, including sample code for chassis/sonar/radar; GPS deployment methods; Vision Calibration methods Engineering Autonomous Vehicles and Robots is an excellent book for students, researchers, and practitioners in the field of autonomous vehicles and robots.

Covers all aspects of the structure, function, neurochemistry, transmitter identification and development of the enteric nervous system This book brings together extensive knowledge of the structure and cell physiology of the enteric nervous system and provides an up-to-date synthesis of the roles of the enteric nervous system in the control of motility, secretion and blood supply in the gastrointestinal tract. It includes sections on the enteric nervous system in disease, genetic abnormalities that affect enteric nervous system function, and targets for therapy in the enteric nervous system. It also includes many newly created explanatory diagrams and illustrations of the organization of enteric nerve circuits. This new book is ideal for gastroenterologists (including trainees/fellows), clinical physiologists and educators. It is invaluable for the many scientists in academia, research institutes and industry who have been drawn to work on the gastrointestinal innervation because of its intrinsic interest, its economic importance and its involvement in unsolved health problems. It also provides a valuable resource for undergraduate and graduate teaching.

This book presents a global and synthetic vision of planetology – the study of objects in the Solar System. In the past several decades, planetology has undergone a real revolution, marked in particular by the discovery of the Kuiper belt beyond Neptune, the discovery of extrasolar planets, and also by the space exploration of ever more distant objects. Today, it is at the crossroads of many disciplines: astronomy, geophysics, geochemistry and biology.

The Solar System 2 studies the outer Solar System: satellites and rings of giant planets, small bodies and dwarf planets. It also deals with meteorites and cosmochemistry, as well as the formation and dynamics of the Solar System. It addresses the question of the origin of life and extraterrestrial life, and presents all of the methods in the study of planetology.

The high level of innovation currently transforming our society and its technological dynamics can be seen as a second wave of innovation of the third technological system, which emerged in the late 1970s. This book discusses the concept of technological systems, focusing on the tools used for formalizing the organization of technology in society and its dynamics of evolution. The author uses these tools to characterize the contemporary technological system and to model its specific dynamics. In doing so, he raises questions about the continuity of the current technological system, and its capacity to generate powerful innovatory movements.

An Exciting and Authoritative Account of the Second Golden Age of Solar System Exploration Award-winning author Peter Bond provides an up-to-date, in-depth account of the sun and its family in the 2nd edition of Exploring the Solar System. This new edition brings together the discoveries and advances in scientific understanding made during the last 60 years of solar and planetary exploration, using research conducted by the world's leading geoscientists, astronomers, and physicists. Exploring the Solar System, 2nd Edition is an ideal introduction for non-science undergraduates and anyone interested in learning about our small corner of the Milky Way galaxy.

Power systems worldwide are going through a paradigm shift from centralized generation to distributed generation. This book presents the SYNDEM (i.e., synchronized and democratized) grid architecture and its technical routes to harmonize the integration of renewable energy sources, electric vehicles, storage systems, and flexible loads, with the synchronization mechanism of synchronous machines, to enable autonomous operation of power systems, and to promote energy freedom. This is a game changer for the grid. It is the sort of breakthrough – like the touch screen in smart phones – that helps to push an industry from one era to the next, as reported by Keith Schneider, a New York Times correspondent since 1982. This book contains an introductory chapter and additional 24 chapters in five parts: Theoretical Framework, First-Generation VSM (virtual synchronous machines), Second-Generation VSM, Third-Generation VSM, and Case Studies. Most of the chapters include experimental results.

As the first book of its kind for power electronics-enabled autonomous power systems, it

• introduces a holistic architecture applicable to both large and small power systems, including aircraft power systems, ship power systems, microgrids, and supergrids
• provides latest research to address the unprecedented challenges faced by power systems and to enhance grid stability, reliability, security, resiliency, and sustainability
• demonstrates how future power systems achieve harmonious interaction, prevent local faults from cascading into wide-area blackouts, and operate autonomously with minimized cyber-attacks
• highlights the significance of the SYNDEM concept for power systems and beyond

Power Electronics-Enabled Autonomous Power Systems is an excellent book for researchers, engineers, and students involved in energy and power systems, electrical and control engineering, and power electronics. The SYNDEM theoretical framework chapter is also suitable for policy makers, legislators, entrepreneurs, commissioners of utility commissions, energy and environmental agency staff, utility personnel, investors, consultants, and attorneys.