Projects

Developing

"Virtual and Augmented Reality Interfaces to Install a Re-closer and Checking the Maintenance Status of Gas Insulated Switchgear Respectively"

"Multi-sensor Integration System to Classify Surface Failures on Pavements"

 This research project is focused on developing a hardware and software system to perform automatic surface visual inspection to classify failures on pavements. The project hardware includes a trailer with different sensors such as laser range finder, RGB camera, GPS and motion devices; which their data acquisition is integrated into a software tool. Then, data is read offline to classify surface failures on the pavement using deep neural networks. Finally, reports are issue using VIZIR standard.

Finished

"Training in Failures Diagnosis for Technicians, Electrical and Electronic Engineers: Automatic Control Systems Application"

This research project search answer the following question: What training methodologies and technological tools are needed to develop failure diagnosis skills in automatic control systems for Technicians, Electrical and Electronic students?. The methodology proposed in this project is analytical and experimental. Two main components are distinguished: first, training content development in the context of Active Education; and second, a technological development which supports all the experimentation. The former involves the development of Virtual Learning Objects, which will be managed by a LMS (Learning Management System). And, the technological development involves grouping together many applications including process emulation, simulation and virtual labs.

“Platform Development for Interactive Teaching of Basic Programming Courses using Mobile Robots”

This project proposes the design and implementation of an interactive platform to teach basic programming in Engineering. Two main parts are present in this project: first, a set of mobile robots to implement Engineering solutions; and second, the responsive WEB GUI. The GUI is able to program the mobile robots using graphical, Python or C interfaces; which corresponds to basic, intermediate and advanced programming skills. In this project three levels of complexity are available to users ranging from those people with no background in programming and robotics, to those people with knowledge in programming and robotics.

“Local Estimation of Asphalt Layer Thickness using Computer Vision”

The aim of this work is estimating structural properties of pavement and base layers. The concerning structural property is pavement and base layer thickness. The first task to perform is drilling a hole of 23.5cm long and 2.5cm of diameter. Afterwards, the motion control electronics introduces the video-scope probe into the hole and the laptop acquires the images until a deep of 23.5cm is reached. Image are acquired using an Extech HDV620 connect to an EasyCAP USB video capture. Then, each image is joined with the next one to build a mosaic. Once the image mosaic is built, the pre-processing method is applied. In the texture segmentation and filters stage, the following method and filters were tested: Otzu thresholding method and Gabor filters. Once the image mosaic was processed by the texture segmentation methods and filters, the post-processing and thickness estimation stage starts. Finally pavement and base layers thickness are estimated from the resulting images of previous stage.

“Assisted Walking with an Exoskeleton”

Universidad del Valle has made advances in developing a robotic-exoskeleton for lower limbs, oriented to gait therapy for patients with stroke, which is now mechanically implemented and its movements are electronically instrumented, as well as  electromyography signals for the exoskeleton’s wearer. Gait therapy sessions are improved by using a treadmills, which allows  long gait sessions without needing large spaces for walking.

“Remote Access Laboratory with Shared Access through RENATA Network for the Robotics Experimentation”

Through this project and thanks to the network infrastructure of RENATA is possible an academic and research cooperation between the Universidad del Valle and Universidad del Quindio. Nowadays the University of Valle has a Mobile Robotics Lab which can be shared with the University of Quindio and other institutions of our country. On the other hand, the Universidad del Quindio has an Industrial Robotics Lab which can be shared with the Universidad del Valle and other institutions of our country.  This cooperation is performed using the remote labs developed in this project.

“Experimental System for the Integral Evaluation of Pavements Using a Mobile Robot”

This research project had three main results: first, a pavement surface distress detection and classification system based on computer vision and an autonomous mobile robot; second, a platform to evaluate the pavement structural parameters such as IFI, IRI and seismic analysis; finally, a new methodology to estimate the pavement thickness using a videoscope. All these results are consolidated into a software tool which stores all the information using a data base.

“Distributed Processing Platform, with Multi - User Remote Access and Dynamic System Emulation, for Research and Education in Engineering”

This research project had the main goal to provide multi-user remote tools to emulate and simulate complex systems for research and education in Engineering. Three main results were generated in this project: first, a hardware platform including 4 servers to emulate complex process in real-time; second, a set of simulation and emulation tools available on demand; finally, JMat a software tool to provide remote and multi-user access to Matlab.

“Software Tool for Maintenance of Substations Equipment by Thermographic Inspection”

ISA-GEN and Colciencias granted this research project in order to desing and implement a software tool to be used in maintenance of substations equipment by thermographic inspection. This software tools satisfies the following requirements: thermal image acquisition, thermal image pre-processing and processing tools using graphical interface, design and implementation of different tools for thermal images analysis, and automatic report generation.

Thermography is an important tool to perform non-invasive inspection of electrical and electronic equipment, heating and cooling systems, and energy saving systems. For this reason, this project had the main goal to desing and implement a friendly software tool to perform different thermal image analysis using graphical programming.

“Platform for Experimentation on Industrial Computing”