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Title: Improving Localization Safety for Landmark-Based LiDAR Localization System
Creator: Chen, Yihe
Date: 2024
Description: Autonomous ground robots have gained traction in various commercial applications, with established safety protocols covering subsystem...
Show moreAutonomous ground robots have gained traction in various commercial applications, with established safety protocols covering subsystem reliability, control algorithm stability, path planning, and localization. This thesis specifically delves into the localizer, a critical component responsible for determining the vehicle’s state (e.g., position and orientation), assessing compliance with localization safety requirements, and proposing methods for enhancing localization safety.Within the robotics domain, diverse localizers are utilized, such as scan-matching techniques like normal distribution transformations (NDT), the iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm,probabilistic maps method, and semantic map-based localization.Notably, NDT stands out as a widely adopted standalone laser localization method, prevalent in autonomous driving software such as Autoware and Apollo platforms.In addition to the mentioned localizers, common state estimators include variants of Kalman Filter, particle filter-based, and factor graph-based estimators. The evaluation of localization performance typically involves quantifying the estimated state variance for these state estimators.While various localizer options exist, this study focuses on those utilizing extended Kalman filters and factor graph methods. Unlike methods like NDT and ICP algorithms, extended Kalman filters and factor graph based approaches guarantee bounding of estimated state uncertainty and have been extensively researched for integrity monitoring.Common variance analysis, employed for sensor readings and state estimators, has limitations, primarily focusing on non-faulted scenarios under nominal conditions. This approach proves impractical for real-world scenarios and falls short for safety-critical applications like autonomous vehicles (AVs).To overcome these limitations, this thesis utilizes a dedicated safety metric: integrity risk. Integrity risk assesses the reliability of a robot’s sensory readings and localization algorithm performance under both faulted and non-faulted conditions. With a proven track record in aviation, integrity risk has recently been applied to robotics applications, particularly for evaluating the safety of lidar localization.Despite the significance of improving localization integrity risk through laser landmark manipulation, this remains an under explored territory. Existing research on robot integrity risk primarily focuses on the vehicles themselves. To comprehensively understand the integrity risk of a lidar-based localization system, as addressed in this thesis, an exploration of lidar measurement faults’ modes is essential, a topic covered in this thesis.The primary contributions of this thesis include: A realistic error estimation method for state estimators in autonomous vehicles navigating using pole-shape lidar landmark maps, along with a compensatory method; A method for quantifying the risk associated with unmapped associations in urban environments, enhancing the realism of values provided by the integrity risk estimator; a novel approach to improve the localization integrity of autonomous vehicles equipped with lidar feature extractors in urban environments through minimal environmental modifications, mitigating the impact of unmapped association faults. Simulation results and experimental results are presented and discussed to illustrate the impact of each method, providing further insights into their contributions to localization safety.
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Title: Improving Localization Safety for Landmark-Based LiDAR Localization System
Creator: Chen, Yihe
Date: 2024
Description: Autonomous ground robots have gained traction in various commercial applications, with established safety protocols covering subsystem...
Show moreAutonomous ground robots have gained traction in various commercial applications, with established safety protocols covering subsystem reliability, control algorithm stability, path planning, and localization. This thesis specifically delves into the localizer, a critical component responsible for determining the vehicle’s state (e.g., position and orientation), assessing compliance with localization safety requirements, and proposing methods for enhancing localization safety.Within the robotics domain, diverse localizers are utilized, such as scan-matching techniques like normal distribution transformations (NDT), the iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm,probabilistic maps method, and semantic map-based localization.Notably, NDT stands out as a widely adopted standalone laser localization method, prevalent in autonomous driving software such as Autoware and Apollo platforms.In addition to the mentioned localizers, common state estimators include variants of Kalman Filter, particle filter-based, and factor graph-based estimators. The evaluation of localization performance typically involves quantifying the estimated state variance for these state estimators.While various localizer options exist, this study focuses on those utilizing extended Kalman filters and factor graph methods. Unlike methods like NDT and ICP algorithms, extended Kalman filters and factor graph based approaches guarantee bounding of estimated state uncertainty and have been extensively researched for integrity monitoring.Common variance analysis, employed for sensor readings and state estimators, has limitations, primarily focusing on non-faulted scenarios under nominal conditions. This approach proves impractical for real-world scenarios and falls short for safety-critical applications like autonomous vehicles (AVs).To overcome these limitations, this thesis utilizes a dedicated safety metric: integrity risk. Integrity risk assesses the reliability of a robot’s sensory readings and localization algorithm performance under both faulted and non-faulted conditions. With a proven track record in aviation, integrity risk has recently been applied to robotics applications, particularly for evaluating the safety of lidar localization.Despite the significance of improving localization integrity risk through laser landmark manipulation, this remains an under explored territory. Existing research on robot integrity risk primarily focuses on the vehicles themselves. To comprehensively understand the integrity risk of a lidar-based localization system, as addressed in this thesis, an exploration of lidar measurement faults’ modes is essential, a topic covered in this thesis.The primary contributions of this thesis include: A realistic error estimation method for state estimators in autonomous vehicles navigating using pole-shape lidar landmark maps, along with a compensatory method; A method for quantifying the risk associated with unmapped associations in urban environments, enhancing the realism of values provided by the integrity risk estimator; a novel approach to improve the localization integrity of autonomous vehicles equipped with lidar feature extractors in urban environments through minimal environmental modifications, mitigating the impact of unmapped association faults. Simulation results and experimental results are presented and discussed to illustrate the impact of each method, providing further insights into their contributions to localization safety.
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Title: Improving Localization Safety for Landmark-Based LiDAR Localization System
Creator: Chen, Yihe
Date: 2024
Description: Autonomous ground robots have gained traction in various commercial applications, with established safety protocols covering subsystem...
Show moreAutonomous ground robots have gained traction in various commercial applications, with established safety protocols covering subsystem reliability, control algorithm stability, path planning, and localization. This thesis specifically delves into the localizer, a critical component responsible for determining the vehicle’s state (e.g., position and orientation), assessing compliance with localization safety requirements, and proposing methods for enhancing localization safety.Within the robotics domain, diverse localizers are utilized, such as scan-matching techniques like normal distribution transformations (NDT), the iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm,probabilistic maps method, and semantic map-based localization.Notably, NDT stands out as a widely adopted standalone laser localization method, prevalent in autonomous driving software such as Autoware and Apollo platforms.In addition to the mentioned localizers, common state estimators include variants of Kalman Filter, particle filter-based, and factor graph-based estimators. The evaluation of localization performance typically involves quantifying the estimated state variance for these state estimators.While various localizer options exist, this study focuses on those utilizing extended Kalman filters and factor graph methods. Unlike methods like NDT and ICP algorithms, extended Kalman filters and factor graph based approaches guarantee bounding of estimated state uncertainty and have been extensively researched for integrity monitoring.Common variance analysis, employed for sensor readings and state estimators, has limitations, primarily focusing on non-faulted scenarios under nominal conditions. This approach proves impractical for real-world scenarios and falls short for safety-critical applications like autonomous vehicles (AVs).To overcome these limitations, this thesis utilizes a dedicated safety metric: integrity risk. Integrity risk assesses the reliability of a robot’s sensory readings and localization algorithm performance under both faulted and non-faulted conditions. With a proven track record in aviation, integrity risk has recently been applied to robotics applications, particularly for evaluating the safety of lidar localization.Despite the significance of improving localization integrity risk through laser landmark manipulation, this remains an under explored territory. Existing research on robot integrity risk primarily focuses on the vehicles themselves. To comprehensively understand the integrity risk of a lidar-based localization system, as addressed in this thesis, an exploration of lidar measurement faults’ modes is essential, a topic covered in this thesis.The primary contributions of this thesis include: A realistic error estimation method for state estimators in autonomous vehicles navigating using pole-shape lidar landmark maps, along with a compensatory method; A method for quantifying the risk associated with unmapped associations in urban environments, enhancing the realism of values provided by the integrity risk estimator; a novel approach to improve the localization integrity of autonomous vehicles equipped with lidar feature extractors in urban environments through minimal environmental modifications, mitigating the impact of unmapped association faults. Simulation results and experimental results are presented and discussed to illustrate the impact of each method, providing further insights into their contributions to localization safety.
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Title: A PARAMETRIC STUDY OF THE THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF DOUBLE SKIN FACADES AT DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS USING ANNUAL ENERGY SIMULATION
Creator: Pekdemir, Emir Aykut
Date: 2011-11-28, 2011-12
Description: While Double Skin Façades [DSF] are considered one of the advanced techniques of designing energy efficient buildings, the decision to...
Show moreWhile Double Skin Façades [DSF] are considered one of the advanced techniques of designing energy efficient buildings, the decision to implement a DSF is usually driven by aesthetics. The project owners and unspecialized architects generally lack the knowledge of which types of DSFs are applicable in different climate zones. In some applications, DSF designs are increasing the energy costs of buildings due to incorrect assumptions during the system selection process. This research aims to come up with result patterns to show which types of DSFs are applicable in each American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers [ASHRAE] climate zone to guide project owners and unspecialized architects during their decision making process, when they choose to design a DSF. Using Building Energy Modeling [BEM] software, various types of DSFs are analyzed at different locations. The thermal performance of the DSF is determined by comparing the building energy use data of a generic office building. The BEM tool chosen to run the analysis is Virtual Environment by Integrated Environmental Solutions [IESVE]. The different types of DSFs are created following a set of parameters such as stratification type, permissibility of airflow, and width of interstitial space. The weather data for different locations is obtained from U.S. Department of Energy [DOE] website. Although there has been much research done regarding the thermal performance of DSFs, there is a significant gap in terms of parametric and location based evaluation. Moreover, previous research tend to focus on a very specific function or type of DSF, while this study aims to create a general guide for practitioners in the decision making level of the building construction industry.
M.S. in Civil Engineering, December 2011
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Title: A FORGOTTEN FOUNDATION OF THE BAUHAUS: PSYCHO-PHYSIOLOGICAL AESTHETICS AND THE INCEPTION OF MODERN DESIGN THEORY
Creator: Kalkatechi, Mina
Date: 2016, 2016-12
Description: This dissertation investigates the Bauhaus during its activity in Weimar and Dessau, as a pedagogical paradigm of modern era that drew upon...
Show moreThis dissertation investigates the Bauhaus during its activity in Weimar and Dessau, as a pedagogical paradigm of modern era that drew upon different aesthetic ideas of its past, which were set in motion by a vigorous interaction with human sciences during the era of 1890-1914. As a much-contested account of modernism, the story of the Bauhaus has been rewritten in many ways. While the dominant narrative considered the school as a forceful, autonomous entity that stood triumphant in its supposed denial of history and an innovation in modern pedagogy, studies that challenge this autonomy have been exclusive to social and political precedents of the Wilhelmine era. Yet, there remains a significant need in scholarship to fully grasp the scope of the Bauhaus as an aesthetic paradigm that goes beyond an elusive devotion to modern aesthetic ideals. My inquiry aims to position the Bauhaus as an outcome of a broader epistemological framework of its immediate past. Primarily set to address the aesthetics of everyday objects, scientific endeavors in psychology and psychophysiology during this time initiated a new aesthetics, whose main aim I argue, was to render a more humanistic prospect for modern art and architecture. This different connotation of modernity was decisive to counteract the extreme skepticism and negative mentality towards technological progress that was devoid of emotion and affect. Through discussing four discursive themes, I concoct a trajectory of different artistic attempts during 1890-1914 that act as precedents to those of the Bauhaus in 1920s. By so doing, this study highlights a significant contribution to inception of modern design at the Bauhaus: the interaction of human sciences with aesthetics at the turn of the century. This new aesthetics sought to understand its perceptual borders and created a theory of affect that engaged the Bauhaus more than it has been acknowledged in the scholarship. Although this new theory pervaded artistic realms through its interaction with social aspects of design, theories of craft and industry, and modern abstraction, it still remains a forgotten contribution to the Bauhaus. As such, the era of 1890-1914 shaped modern architectural theory more vigorously than previously realized.
Ph.D. in Architecture, December 2016
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Title: Electrification project the Illinois Central Railroad Company suburban service at Chicago, Ill.
Creator: Simpson, Tracy W.
Date: 2009, 1909
Publisher: Armour Institute of Technology
Description: http://www.archive.org/details/electrificationp00simp
Thesis (B.S.)--Armour Institute of Technology

Title: Comparative tests of induction wattmeters
Creator: Sigwalt, Elmer J., Henning, Charles S., Jr
Date: 2009, 1907
Publisher: Armour Institute of Technology
Description: http://www.archive.org/details/comparativetests00sigw
Thesis (B.S.)--Armour Institute of Technology

Title: A comparative determination of the magnetic qualities of iron and steel with the Esterline permeameter and magnetic balance
Creator: Wendell, R. B., Wolfe, E. J.
Date: 2009, 1907
Publisher: Armour Institute of Technology
Description: http://www.archive.org/details/comparativedeter_00wend
Thesis (B.S.)--Armour Institute of Technology

Title: DEVELOPING ALGORITHMIC TRADING STRATEGIES AND EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS WITH HIGH FREQUENCY TRADING DATA
Creator: Lee, Jeonghoe
Date: 2015, 2015-07
Description: The PhD dissertation research topics aim at developing algorithmic trading strategies and demonstrating data analysis skills. To be a...
Show moreThe PhD dissertation research topics aim at developing algorithmic trading strategies and demonstrating data analysis skills. To be a quantitative analyst as well as an academic scholar in financial trading area, these two professional backgrounds are indispensable. In detail, chapter 1 shows multi-objective optimization and spontaneous optimization of design variables. For instance, while conventional trading systems explore a single objective function, multi-objective optimization allows us to manage the essential trade-off among profit, standard deviation and maximum-drop. In addition, design parameters such as trading volume, the amount of historical data, and trading gateways of technical indicators are continuously optimized in real time. In chapter 2, this chapter shows an algorithmic trading system with the concept of machine learning, and demonstrating its various applications. The main purpose of this research is to propose objective numerical development framework in algorithmic trading. Chapter 3 pursues understanding liquidity measures which are critical for algorithmic traders and investors. Various liquidity measures have been suggested and they have different sensitivities to the market. This research analyzes liquidity measures and clarifies the relation between market price return & realized volatility and liquidity measures. In sum, with these three chapters, this dissertation will demonstrate necessary research topics in algorithmic trading.
Ph.D. in Management Science, July 2015
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Title: AMERICA'S NEW HOME
Creator: Klinger, Ryan J.
Date: 2013-04-30, 2013-05
Description: The role of the American nuclear single-family home has shifted significantly in the past 100 years.It began with the introduction and...
Show moreThe role of the American nuclear single-family home has shifted significantly in the past 100 years.It began with the introduction and expanded availability of the automobile by Henry Ford in 1908. Though private ownership of single-family homes steadily increased in the early part of the Twentieth Century, the majority of the existing housing market remained on rental. As a result of the stock market crash in 1929, the American housing market saw its first decline in the growth rate of new properties being built and occupied. Following the crash, the housing market experienced its first declining growth rate of the century. It was not until the late 1940s, with the end of World War II and the G.I. Bill’s introduction, that Americans saw an unprecedented increase in private homeownership nationwide. Pre-fabricated building processes, adapted from assembly-line production during World War II, radically transformed standard building methodologies for production of housing communities. Levittown, Pennsylvania was the primary example of this new fast-paced method of construction beginning in 1948. In the two decades following World War II, single-family homeownership surpassed rentals to become the majority of occupied housing units in the United States. The housing market took another hit in the economic decline of the 1970s. An economic downturn and an oil embargo that occurred during the 1970s produced a rising demand for rental properties that weakened the demand for newly-built singlefamily homes. In 1980 FHA revised its form of financing private homeownership and the American single-family home was now available to an expanded demographic of qualified owners. ix This resulted in another expansion of units being built and occupied from the later 1980s through the early 2000s. In 2007 America saw this come to an end; the American housing market crashed, forcing homeowners across the country into premature foreclosure. Private homeownership, once a central aspiration of the American Dream, is now shattered on a wide scale. As we move into the next phase of the American singlefamily home, many wonder if it will survive as a building model and reemerge as a prominent housing typology. It is the sole purpose of this investigation to establish the new face of the singlefamily home in an urban setting. The Gap Neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side will be used as an example. The investigation’s conclusion will provide the architectural community, as well as the target client-population, with a prototypical case study for the emerging single-family dwelling unit.It will serve as a comprehensive model that has reacted to the current issues that remain as a result of the housing crisis.
M.S. in Architecture, May 2013
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