Present day mechatronic systems are designed with synergistic integration of mechanics, electronics and computer technology to produce intelligent devices for the purpose of solving real-world problems. Crucial requirements for a mechatronic system are robustness and fault tolerance, i.e. it should have the ability to process incomplete, imprecise or uncertain information. Such systems often have to work in collaborative environments while being subjected to adverse conditions yet adhering to strict safety standards. This e-book explains the fundamentals of designing such systems from the first principles and how to embed intelligence into them. Examples in this volume are not restricted to production lines, but extend to extreme safety based systems such as space and underwater robotics, autonomous transportation systems, aviation systems and medical robots. Moreover, this e-book also presents recent developments in the design of innovative and intelligent mechatronic systems, applied to robotics and transportation systems, thereby providing an authoritative support for researchers and professionals having basic knowledge in mechatronics.

Mechatronics Series I: Intelligent Transportation Vehicles brings the latest advances and developments in intelligent vehicles to readers on the basis of their significance and quality. Wider dissemination of research developments will stimulate more exchanges and collaborations among the research community and contribute to further advancement of this rapidly growing field. This Ebook series includes key contributions presented by different researchers. These contributions represent a wide coverage of the state-of-the-art and the emerging research directions in intelligent transportation vehicles.

Additive manufacturing or 3D printing is the construction of an object using CAD models. The technology for additive manufacturing s gaining traction in recent times due to its accessibility for both personal and industrial use, as well as its usefulness in quick prototyping (either of a whole object or its components) and meeting the needs of small commercial workloads. Advances in Additive Manufacturing Processes informs readers about the breadth of 3D printing processes. Chapters cover the basic knowledge of additive techniques and their industrial applications with relevant examples. The improvements in each method and their recent technical achievements with practical experimental data are highlighted. The book presents eight types of 3D printing processes, covering a diverse range of technologies which represent the industry. The contents also cover selected topics of relevance to additive manufacturing which include the formation of defects and factors that affect the mechanical properties of the additively manufactured components. Chapters also provide recent guidelines for adapting additive manufacturing processes to increase productivity and reduce manufacturing cost. Advances in Additive Manufacturing Processes is a handy reference for scholars and professionals involved in manufacturing industries and process engineering as well as hobbyists who are interested in the current state-of-the-art in 3D printing.

It is well known that Intersymbol (ISI) Interference is a limiting factor in many communication environments where it causes an irreducible degradation of the bit error rate (BER) thus imposing an upper limit on the data symbol rate. In order to overcome the ISI problem, an equalizer is implemented in those systems. Among the three types of equalizers - non-blind, semi-blind and blind – the blind equalizer has the benefit of bandwidth saving and there is no need of going through a training phase. Blind equalization algorithms are essentially adaptive filtering algorithms designed such that they do not require the external supply of a desired response to generate the error signal in the output of the adaptive equalization filter. The algorithms generate an estimate of the desired response by applying a nonlinear transformation to sequences involved in the adaptation process. This nonlinearity is designed to minimize a cost function that is implicitly based on higher order statistics (HOS) according to one approach, or calculated directly according to the Bayes rules. The Whole Story behind Blind Adaptive Equalizers/ Blind Deconvolution gives the readers a full understanding on blind deconvolution. The e-book covers a variety of blind deconvolution/equalization methods based on both cost functions and Bayes rules where simulation results are supplied to support the theory. These include the Maximum Entropy density approximation technique and the Edgeworth Expansion approach used in various blind equalizers. It also describes the relationship between the cost function approach and the approach taken according to Bayes rules. The e-book deals also with the effect of various system parameters (such as the step-size parameter or the equalizer's tap length) have on the obtained equalization performance. This e-book will be of particular interest to advanced communications engineering undergraduate students, graduate students, university instructors and signal processing researchers.

This book deals with the methods of theoretical and experimental research of antennas, which are based on the electromagnetic (EM) theory. The theory of thin antennas explains antenna analysis, as thin antennas represent one of the main types of radiators and are extensively applied as both independent antennas and as elements of more complicated antennas.

The contents of the book cover new methods of antenna analysis and design, including the theory of electrically coupled lines, the methods of complex potential, compensation, impedance line, and mathematical programming among others. New results from these experiments are also detailed. The complex potential method is generalized to inhomogeneous media and is employed in conical and parabolic problems. The theory of electrically coupled lines allows considering theoretical problems of multi-conductor cables and multi-radiator antennas. The compensation method permits creating a weak field area in the near region of a transmitting antenna. The method of impedance line is applied to antennas with loads, and the method of mathematical programming deals with selecting loads to develop antennas with the required characteristics.

The methods described within this text enable engineers to calculate parameters for new types of antennas, particularly, the self-complementary antennas. In the general case, similar properties pertain to the three-dimensional self-complementary antennas, their variants are also considered in the book. Close attention is also paid to the field compensation in the near region of a transmitting antenna and to the creation of the ‘dark spot’.

The book is an essential reference for graduates and researchers requiring knowledge on the design and engineering of new antennas as well as the underlying electromagnetic and mathematical principles.

Railway is a form of public transport which serves the society, and its aim is to transport passengers and freight safely, rapidly, reliably, accurately and economically. With an implementation of railway great-leap-forward development, the realization of new-generation rail transport system- Railway Intelligent Transportation System (RITS), whose purpose is to ensure security, improve transport efficiency, elevate service quality and achieve the international standards, has become the inevitable development trend. Aiming to provide high security, high efficiency, and high quality service to the rail transport, for the first time the authors put forward the concept of " RITS ", and systematically discussed its connotation and substantive characteristics, structural model, development framework and core technology, developmental pattern etc; they deeply analyze the service framework, logical framework and physical framework of typical subsystem of RITS --- Intelligent Emergency Rescue and Safety System, and execute optimization design. The purpose of optimization design for RITS is to coordinate system target-oriented designs and realizations among various subsystems, making the entire work better, to achieve a system with best overall performance, the construction of RITS system in China. Combining years’ research and practical experience in RITS, we proposed the "The Theory and Method of Design and Optimization for Railway Intelligent Transportation Systems (RITS) ", presenting it in the form of a book to meet the urgent needs of theory and methods of intelligent transport systems for railway transport. We hope that this book can play the role of throwing a brick to allure a gem, and accelerate further expansion research and application of RITS. The authors of the book engaged in research work of RITS and related fields for many years, successively undertaking and completing the key project of National Natural Science Foundation of "Research on Integrated Information System and Key technologies of High-speed Railway Intelligent Transportation", Ministry of Science and Technology research project "Railway Geographic Information System", "Research on Railway Intelligent Transportation System Standard System", "National Railway GIS Application Service Platform" and "Research on Development Strategy of Railway Intelligent Transportation System", Ministry of Railways research project" Railway Geographic Information System Design and Development", "Research and Development on Qinghai-Tibet Railway Emergency Rescue System and Emergency Rescue Command & Management Information System", "Research on the Railway Emergency Preplan Management" and "Research on Railway Intelligent Transportation System (RITS) Framework", China Postdoctoral Science Foundation-funded project" Research on RITS Framework Design and Optimization Method", faulitating the development of application systems, granting achievements in these projects . We sincerely express our gratitude to the National Natural Science Foundation of China, The Ministry of Science and Technology of China, and The Ministry of Railway of China for their financial support. We would also like to thank Dr. Li ping, Dr. Meng yan, Dr. Qinyong, Master Jia Tianli and Master Shao Yikun etc, for their valuable advice, selfless support and assistance for completion of the book. In the process of writing the book, we reviewed a large number of references, to seek clear concepts, using familiar examples to illustrate various theories and methods, which may enable various types of readers to have a clear understanding and knowledge of the optimized design of RITS. With the limitation of the authors’ knowledge level and the depth as well as the breadth of research, there must be some irregularities of views, methods and theories in the book, which the readers may duly criticize. This book combines theories and applications closely, and is convenient for readers’ self-study. The book is also adequate for colleagues engaged in work and research in the rail transportation field, as well as colleges and universities, graduate students and scientific researchers in interrelated fields.

This e-book provides several state-of-the-art analog circuit design techniques. It presents both empirical and theoretical materials for system-on-a-chip (SOC) circuit design. Fundamental communication concepts are used to explain a variety of topics including data conversion (ADC, DAC, Σ-Δ oversampling data converters), clock data recovery, phase-locked loops for system timing synthesis, supply voltage regulation, power amplifier design, and mixer design. This is an excellent reference book for both circuit designers and researchers who are interested in the field of design of analog communication circuits for SOC applications.

The Sustainable Renovation of Buildings and Neighborhoods is a collection of papers presented at the International Congress of Sustainable Construction and Eco‐efficient Solutions. This event has established itself as a forum for meeting academics from around the word, researchers and professionals of the construction sector, in which environmental information is shared with a multidisciplinary context, and which involves participants from different areas of the construction process. The congress brings together development proposals through a shared vision of environmental sustainability and presents alternative solutions to problems through technical presentations and trainings, in order to minimize the environmental impact caused by the construction sector. This monograph celebrates the event’s second international edition and its fourth national edition. The volume contains selected articles written by the participants. Readers will find information about interesting, new developments and concepts on • Energy retrofitting in older buildings • Tools to determine and measure environmental impact and sustainability indicators • Economic / cost based revaluation of buildings through the viability of eco‐efficient solutions • Reduction of the consumption of material and energy resources and in CO2 emissions • Sustainability research based on the renovation of urban areas. The studies in this book provide real examples from different countries (Argentina and Spain, for example). The Sustainable Renovation of Buildings and Neighborhoods is a useful reference for researchers and professional architects involved in sustainable development, environmental rehabilitation and the construction industry.

Considerable effort and money are devoted to developing alternative energy sources, such as wind power, solar power, cellulosic ethanol, and biofuels. This ebook is a collection of research papers on alternative energy sources presented at the Economics of Alternative Energy Sources and Globalization: The Road Ahead Conference that was held in November 2009 in Orlando, Florida. Thirty-three papers were presented by leading experts in the field, with about half being published in the e-book. Several of the papers explored the economics of biofuels produced from corn, sugarcane, and/or forestry materials. Two of the papers addressed the link between biofuel production and U.S. agricultural policy, and how biofuels could reduce U.S. Treasury costs even though biofuels increase food prices. International subsidies promote alternative fuel production (e.g., Brazil). This ebook should be a very useful resource for readers interested in alternative energy research and related economic policy.

I joined NEC in 1968 and was assigned to the circuit development department of the computer division. My first work was the circuit design of the switching mode power supply (SMPS) for the mainframe of the computer system. My job area was expanded to development of the design rule and to standardization of all over the electric and electronics parts for the non-logic circuit. Non-logic circuit was categorized to except the gate-array which forms the logic circuit of the mainframe. The experiment of SMPS was considered to be dangerousness and no one wanted to design. Therefore, my development of the power supply system (PSS) including the circuit design of SMPS was continued. The electric current of the mainframe and the supercomputer was reached to several thousand amperes. The critical problem of PSS was the heat dissipation and the electromagnetic interference (EMI) against the logic circuit. In 1992, the full-scale R&D of EMC became necessary hastily. I was nominated and transferred to the chief managing researcher of the established EMC engineering center in NEC Laboratories. I had believed that the switching mode circuit (SMC) including the digital circuit and SMPS circuit will be improved greatly if the EMC problem is solved. However the deep R&D was difficult because the actual fruits in every year were required strongly. Therefore, his knowledge of the science concerning EMC was not deepened enough. However I could understand the actual status of technologies of the electronics and electrics widely and the basic knowledge about how to approach the science as well as R&D could be learned. During this time, I completed PhD course and received the PhD. degree from Kyushu University, lectured in Kyushu University and Tohoku University for one year each, and executed several national projects by the cooperation of his colleague in NEC and of the supporters in the industrial society and academia. These are considered to be my best harvest in NEC Laboratories. I had decided to continue R&D for solving EMC problem of SMC after his retirement and to try the commercialization of the fruit of R&D. I established ICAST which is the abbreviation of the innovative circuit and system technologies in 2005. The solitary electromagnetic (SEMW) theory was advocated and the novel technologies including the low impedance lossy line (LILL) and the matched impedance lossy line (MILL) were invented based on the SEMW theory.

Two purposes exist in this eBook. The first is to be validated the SEMW theory by the academia and the industrial society. The second is the contribution to the growth of the industry in the world by the technologies of LILL and MILL.