Research Programmes
Do you know…
- … the scientists in CEITEC will be researching what happens in the brain when a human has realized that they have made a mistake?
- … there will be nearly 800 scientists in CEITEC?
- … in CEITEC we will be researching how the brain works and why some people are motivated and others are not?
- … thanks to CEITEC most of the diagnostic methods will be cheaper, faster and more comfortable for the patients?
- … 63 research teams will be created in CEITEC?
- … there will be 7 research programmes in CEITEC?
- … there will be more than 1,000 modern instruments in CEITEC?
- … more than 31,000 m2 of new infrastructure will be built in CEITEC?
- … more than 1,500 students will use the CEITEC infrastructure per year?
- … there will be 10 shared laboratories created in CEITEC?
- … CEITEC has 6 partners?
- … work will be carried out on self-cleaning surfaces in CEITEC?
- … CEITEC will co-operate closely with the industrial sector?
- … there will also be international scientists working in CEITEC?
- … CEITEC will support the international mobility of scientists?
- … the scientists in CEITEC are developing a subdermal chip which will analyse some life functions and will inform doctors from a distance?
- … the scientists in CEITEC are working on the development of a device which will enable physiotherapy from a distance?
- … the scientists at CEITEC are working on the development of biosensors?
- … CEITEC will be created in the south-Moravian city of Brno?
Materials for Sensors and Technological Processes Control Systems
Doc. Ing. Pavel Václavek, Ph.D.
Research Group Leader
THEMATIC RESEARCH FOCUS
RESEARCH AREAS
- Smart sensors and signal processing, sensor design using new materials
- Advanced control technologies, control of technological processes
- Mobile robotic systems
- Embedded systems and communication technologies
MAIN OBJECTIVES
The development of novel composite materials with a functionally graded structure for the improvement of the effi ciency and lifetime of components and devices for energetics, communication and control technologies (conductive ceramic and polymer materials for electrodes, novel actuators, sensor components, control and instrumentation systems for technological processes, catalyst for the decomposition of gaseous pollutants, biopolymers and precursors from plants and plant residues).
CONTENT OF RESEARCH
Materials for sensors and technological processes control systems
The research is focussed on advanced robotics, control and sensor systems using new materials. New robotic systems in the area of rescue systems and life-science applications will be developed (e.g. intelligent service and special environment reconnaissance). New approaches inspired by nature will be used in the development work. Control technologies for technological processes with critical reliability and safety will be studied. Particular results of control technologies development will be also applicable beyond the scope of robotic systems, especially applications in control of traction drives for ecological transportation will be considered. The topic includes also smart sensors design research based on new materials. The smart sensors are expected to provide necessary process data gathered from technical and biological systems interacting with the controlled robotic systems.
The particulate research activities include:
Intelligent sensors using new materials
The research will be focussed on the development of special smart sensors and power harvesting devices. The goal of the research and development of the sensors will be in application of advanced materials and new methods of signal processing especially for data fusion, signal processing of sensor arrays, autocalibration and autodiagnostics. These methods could be used typically on MEMS sensors and sensors utilizing new materials to enhance their parameters, for example accuracy, frequency response, long-term stability and reliability. Research will be also focus on optimisation of energy consumption of wireless and robotic sensors based on energy harvesting devices and advanced materials that can produce energy in operating conditions. Development of new methods and devices based on new materials for decreasing of energy consumption will be also important objective.
Robotic systems for special and hazardous environment
Reconnaissance mobile robotic systems for special environments will be developed. The systems are supposed to work in hazardous environments, like areas with chemical, nuclear and biological contamination, places with extreme environmental conditions, risk of explosion or intentional damage. For these reasons the systems will widely use special materials to be able to survive massive contamination, decontamination process, and to decrease their detectability, namely in visible, near and far infrared and considerably decrease electromagnetic radiation in wide frequency spectrum. Various smart sensors will be used onboard the robots to enhance their functionality. Biologically inspired robots as well as bio-oriented robot control devices such as augmented reality and enhanced telepresence will form another research activity of the robotic group. It is supposed that these machines will use so-called non-traditional actuators in robotics, like pneumatic muscles, and shape memory alloys. Specialized mini-manipulators and/or mobile robots will be eventually developed for material handling and fabrication if demanded by other groups (super-clean environments, precise positioning, hazardous material handling, etc.).
Advanced control systems
The research of advanced control algorithms and their application to technological processes control. New algorithms based on the modern control theory will be developed. These algorithms will be used for energy optimal, safe and reliable control of robotics systems and technological processes. Special attention will be given to advanced control of electrical drives with applications in precise servo-drives in robotics, technological processes actuators and ecological transportation systems.
Instrumentation, communication and special electronics for technological processes
The research activities in this area include development of communication interfaces for special instrumentation including smart sensors and actuators, design of new solutions for distributed data acquisition and data fusion; algorithms for diagnostics and self-monitoring; development of special electronics for special technological processes and evaluation of performance of communication subsystems, interfaces and electronic modules in general in terms of error rates, timing errors, power consumption and robustness. Development of embedded systems equipped with very high data rate interfaces, systems for hardware accelerated real-time data processing development of solutions meeting requirements on functional safety or high availability
KEY RESEARCH EQUIPMENT
PLANNED RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE
Technology Units
Laboratories of control and robotics
Laboratories of industrial communication
CURRENT RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE
Electrical drive laboratory equipped with a 5kVA 3-ph arbitrary waveform programmable power supply, DC to 3GHz spectrum analyser, 6-channel wattmeter – design and performance assessment of advanced control algorithms and systems for small AC drives; software for the simulation of dynamical and discrete event systems, design and validation of advanced control algorithms.
MAIN PROJECTS
- ENIAC MotorBrain – Nanoelectronics for Electric Vehicle Intelligent Failsafe Power Train, 2011-2014, coordinated by Infi neon (Germany), P. Vaclavek, Brno University of Technology.
- Development of certifi ed prototype and functional set of chemical reconnaissance mobile robot Orpheus-AC (HS187093), contract research with VOP026 Šternberk, state public enterprise, 2007-2008, L. Žalud, Brno University of Technology.
- CREDO – Cabin noise Reduction by Experimental and numerical Design Optimization (FP6 STREP, contract no. 030814), 2006-2009, coordinated by Universita Politecnica delle Marche (Italy), P. Beneš, Brno University of Technology.
- ARTEMIS IoE – Internet of Energy for Electric Mobility (Agreement no. 269374), 2011-2014, coordinated by SINTEF(Norway), P. Fiedler, Brno University of Technology.
- ARTEMIS POLLUX – Process Oriented Electrical Control Units for Electrical Vehicles (7H100205), developed on a multi-systém real-time embedded platform, coordinated by SINTEF(Norway), Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, 2010-2013, R. Vrba, Brno University of Technology.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- BERAN, J., FIEDLER, P., ZEZULKA, F. Virtual Automation Networks. Industrial Electronics Magazine, IEEE. 2010, 4(3), p. 20-27.
- HAVRANEK, Z., KLUSACEK, S. Localization of sound sources in large scale based on multiple patch measurement. In Inter-noise 2008 Proceedings on CD-ROM. 1. Shanghai, China: I-ince, 2008. p. 1-11.
- VACLAVEK, P., BLAHA, P. Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine Field Weakening Control Strategy – the Analytical Solution. In Proceedings of the 2008 Annual Conference of the Japan Society of Instruments and Control Engineers. Tokyo: SICE, 2008, p. 753-758.
- ZALUD, L. Augmented Reality User Interface for Reconnaissance Robotic Missions. In Proceedings of 16th IEEE Int. Symposium on Robot & Human Interactive Communication. Korea, Daejeon: Genicom, Co. Ltd, 2007, p. 974-979.
- VACLAVEK, P., BLAHA, P. Lyapunov-Function-Based Flux and Speed Observer for AC Induction Motor Sensorless Control and Parameters Estimation. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics. 2006, 53(1), p. 138-145.
EUROPEAN UNION
