Category: Uncategorized

CeRVIM-REPARTI Webinar
Parallel and Cable Robotics Research:
Theoretical and Technological Advancements

Hamid D. Taghirad
Advanced Robotics and Automated Systems Lab (ARAS)
K. N. Toosi University of Technology
Tehran, Iran
Visiting Professor, University of Alberta

Date and Time:
Tuesday, March 8, 2022 (17 Esfand 1400)
12:00-13:00 (Eastern Standard Time: -5:00 GMT) or
20:30-21:30 (Iran Standard Time: +3:30 GMT)

Abstract:
Cable and parallel robotics have been gaining more attention among researchers due to their unique characteristics and applications. Simple structure, high payload capacity, agile movements, and deployable structures are the main characteristics that nominate cable-robots from the other types of manipulators for many applications such as imaging, cranes, agriculture, etc. Interdisciplinary research fields such as dynamic analysis and control synthesis of parallel and cable-driven manipulators by using modern and intelligent approaches will be given further consideration in this presentation.

Kamalolmol® robot is a representative of cable-driven robots developed in ARAS research group, which is a fast deployable edutainment cable-driven robot for calligraphy and painting (chiaroscuro) applications. Additionally, ARAS research exploits the simplicity of cable robots with graph-based optimization and perception algorithms to create commercial inspection and imaging tools for various applications. In this webinar, the underlying concepts of such systems and the current state-of-the-art development of these advancements will be presented.

Bio:

Hamid D. Taghirad has received his B.Sc. degree in mechanical engineering from Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran, in 1989, his M.Sc. in mechanical engineering in 1993, and his Ph.D. in electrical engineering in 1997, both from McGill University, Montreal, Canada. He is currently a visiting Professor, University of Alberta, and professor and director of  Advanced Robotics and Automated System (ARAS), K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran. He is a senior member of IEEE, and Editorial board of International Journal of Robotics: Theory and Application, and International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems. His research interest is robust and nonlinear control applied to robotic systems. His publications include five books, and more than 300 papers in peer-reviewed international Journals and conference proceedings.

The presentation will be given in English and the slides will be in English.

To obtain the Zoom meeting web link, please contact:
Annette.Schwerdtfeger@gel.ulaval.ca

CeRVIM Webinar: Online optimization of the imaging parameters of complex super-resolution modalities

Anthony Bilodeau
Centre de recherche CERVO
Université Laval

Feb. 4, 2022, 11:00 a.m.

Abstract
Optical super-resolution fluorescence microscopy is an essential tool in biology to visualize the sub-cellular structures with minimal invasiveness. STimulated Emission Depletion (STED) microscopy allows the nanostructures of biological samples to be investigated, even live, by routinely reaching resolutions below 60nm but is often associated with photobleaching of the fluorescent molecules. Photobleaching can be minimized by the microscopist to a certain extent by careful modulation of the imaging parameters (depletion laser power, excitation laser power, pixel dwell time, and others). This however requires knowledge of the influence of each parameter on the imaging objectives (spatial resolution, photobleaching, signal to noise ratio). More complex imaging schemes for STED microscopy, for example RESCue or DyMIN, were introduced to minimize the impact of the image acquisition on the sample but require more parameters to be carefully calibrated. We thus tackle the online optimization problem of identifying a set of optimal imaging parameters under a multi-armed bandit framework. To facilitate the quantitative validation of our machine learning-based optimization routines for super-resolution microscopy, we developed a STED simulation platform. This platform integrates most imaging parameters and photophysical properties of fluorophores for the simulation of STED microscopy experiments. Preliminary results show that our method can also be transferred to real RESCue and DyMIN experiments by optimizing the imaging parameters which alleviates the required expertise of the microscopist.

The presentation will be given in English and the slides will be in English.

To obtain the Zoom meeting web link, please contact:
Annette.Schwerdtfeger@gel.ulaval.ca

CeRVIM Webinar: Creation of dynamic models of mechanisms using Siemens NX CAD software and simulating these models with MATLAB

Xavier Garant
Laboratoire de robotique
Dép. de génie mécanique, Université Laval

Jan. 21, 2022, 11:00 a.m.

Abstract
The dynamic simulation of a mechanism from its initial CAD model has the potential to significantly accelerate research work by reducing the experimental workload. In this case, the Siemens NX CAD software has a very interesting simulation module which enables dynamic models to be exported to the MATLAB/Simulink environment.
This approach makes it possible to:

• Simplify the creation of complex dynamic models (inertias, constraints, contacts, etc.)
• Take advantage of the efficiency of Simulink to prototype control algorithms
• Graphically present and analyze results

This webinar will present the complete process of dynamic co-simulation with NX and MATLAB, from the creation of the CAD model of the mechanism to the graphic animations and plotted results.

The presentation will be given in French and the slides will be in English.

To obtain the Zoom meeting web link, please contact:
Annette.Schwerdtfeger@gel.ulaval.ca

CeRVIM Webinar: Combiner l’apprentissage profond à la spectroscopie pour détecter et différencier divers métabolites au sein d’échantillons biologiques complexes

Alexis Lebrun
Centre d’optique, photonique et laser (COPL) et
Centre de recherche CERVO
Université Laval

Dec. 6, 2021, 11:00 a.m.

Abstract
La spectroscopie Raman exaltée en surface (SERS) est une technique d’identification moléculaire qui produit un spectre hautement spécifique avec diverses bandes corrélées à la structure moléculaire de l’échantillon analysé. Celle-ci permet notamment de distinguer et de quantifier différentes molécules au sein d’un même échantillon. Cependant, l’analyse de plusieurs molécules similaires en même temps est susceptible de produire des spectres complexes qui nécessitent l’utilisation d’outils avancés pour les analyser. En combinant cette technique à l’apprentissage profond, il est possible d’analyser des mélanges complexes de différentes espèces chimiques dans un temps de mesure relativement court.

Dans cet exposé, la spectroscopie SERS et les applications qui en découlent seront introduites sommairement. Les résultats obtenus dans le cadre d’un projet de maîtrise seront présentés afin de démontrer comment cette technique peut bénéficier de l’apprentissage profond. Finalement, d’autres opportunités liées à la combinaison du SERS et de l’apprentissage profond seront abordées brièvement.

The presentation will be given in French and the slides will be in English.

To obtain the Zoom meeting web link, please contact:
Annette.Schwerdtfeger@gel.ulaval.ca

CeRVIM Webinar: Capture de mouvement et animation d’avatars virtuels à l’aide du capteur Azure Kinect

Kento Ôtomo-Lauzon
Laboratoire de Vision et Systèmes Numériques
Computer Vision and Systems Lab
Dép. de génie électrique et de génie informatique, Université Laval

Nov. 26, 2021, 11:00 a.m.

Abstract
Ce projet réalisé dans le cadre du cours de lectures dirigées en génie électrique porte sur l’animation d’avatars virtuels par capture de mouvement. À cet effet, un prototype fonctionnel employant une caméra Kinect et l’environnement de jeu Unity a été réalisé, lequel permet l’animation d’un avatar 3D en temps réel en reproduisant les mouvements de l’utilisateur. La présentation introduira d’abord quelques concepts utiles à la capture de mouvement et fera un survol des approches de la littérature. Finalement, le fonctionnement du prototype sera démontré puis comparé à un produit commercial équivalent.

The presentation will be given in French and the slides will be in French.

To obtain the Zoom meeting web link, please contact:
Pour obtenir le lien d’accès pour la rencontre Zoom, SVP contacter :
Annette.Schwerdtfeger@gel.ulaval.ca

CeRVIM Webinar: Véhicule automatisé à l’aide du capteur Lidar 360° dans l’environnement ROS

Geoffrey Sawyer Charron
Computer Vision and Systems Lab
Dép. de génie électrique et de génie informatique, Université Laval

Sept. 24, 2021, 11:00 a.m.

Abstract
Dans le cadre du cours de lecture dirigé en génie électrique, un projet pratique de véhicule automatisé a vu le jour afin de mettre les connaissances apprisses en action. Principalement, il sera question de SLAM (Simultaneous Localization And Mapping), de capteur lidar 360° et de l’environnement ROS (Robot Operating System). L’objectif de ce projet est d’automatiser le véhicule pour qu’il se rende du point A au point B de façon autonome tout en évitant les obstacles sur sa route. Dans cette présentation, il sera aussi question de la fabrication du prototype.

The presentation will be given in French and the slides will be in French.

To obtain the Zoom meeting web link, please contact:
Pour obtenir le lien d’accès pour la rencontre Zoom, SVP contacter :
Annette.Schwerdtfeger@gel.ulaval.ca

CeRVIM Webinar: A Comparative Study on Deep Learning based Semi-Supervised Video Anomaly Detection Methods. 

Mohammad Baradaran
Computer Vision and Systems Lab
Dép. de génie électrique et de génie informatique, Université Laval

June 21, 2021, 11h00

Résumé / Abstract
Nowadays, high-quality cameras are ubiquitous and a huge amount of video data are being recorded for different purposes (such as surveillance in public places, traffic control on highways, border control, studying human or animal behavior, production quality control, etc.). Analyzing this huge amount of data is beyond the capability of human operators, hence there is a need for intelligent systems to analyze video content and to detect events of interest automatically.

Video anomaly detection (abnormal event detection) is one of the hot research topics in computer vision today, as abnormal events contain a large amount of information. Anomalies are the events that deviate from the majority of observed events and are one of the main detection targets in surveillance systems and most of the suspicious events which take place belong to this group. For example, a car moving with the speed of 120 km/h on a road (with a maximum accepted speed of 120 km/h), on a snowy day while other cars drive slowly, would constitute an abnormal event.

In this presentation we will critically analyze state-of-the-art deep learning based semi-supervised video anomaly detection approaches, analyzing the strategies and pointing out their strong and weak points. These results are used and presented in our review paper. Moreover, the results of these experiments show the existing shortcomings in the field and provided the basis for our proposed method. Our proposed method will be presented in a forthcoming presentation.

La présentation sera donnée en anglais et les diapos seront en anglais.
The presentation will be given in English and the slides will be in English.

To obtain the Zoom meeting web link, please contact:
Pour obtenir le lien d’accès pour la rencontre Zoom, SVP contacter :
Annette.Schwerdtfeger@gel.ulaval.ca

CeRVIM Webinar: Multiple Cylinders Extraction from Organized Point Clouds. 

Saed Moradi
Computer Vision and Systems Lab
Dép. de génie électrique et de génie informatique, Université Laval

June 18, 2021, 11h00

Résumé / Abstract
Most man-made objects are composed of a few geometric primitives (GPs) such as spheres, cylinders, planes, ellipsoids, or cones. Thus, the object recognition problem can be considered as a geometric primitives extraction. Among the different geometric primitives, cylinders are the most frequently used GPs in real-world scenes. Therefore, cylinder detection and extraction are of great importance in 3D computer vision. Despite the rapid progress of cylinder detection algorithms, there are still two open problems in this area. First, a robust strategy is needed for the initial sample selection component of the cylinder extraction module. Second, detecting multiple cylinders simultaneously has not yet been investigated in depth. In this presentation, a robust solution is provided to address these problems.

La présentation sera donnée en anglais et les diapos seront en anglais.
The presentation will be given in English and the slides will be in English.

To obtain the Zoom meeting web link, please contact:
Pour obtenir le lien d’accès pour la rencontre Zoom, SVP contacter :
Annette.Schwerdtfeger@gel.ulaval.ca

Colloque REPARTI 2021: Wednesday, June 16, 2021, 9h00 – 11h00, on Zoom.*

A keynote presentation, followed by a series of short presentations, offered by researchers and students from the member institutions of REPARTI, will allow you to learn more about the research projects and initiatives carried out by REPARTI members. Here is the detailed program which includes the titles of all of the presentations:

Colloque REPARTI 2021 Program

*To obtain the Zoom meeting web link, please contact:
Annette.Schwerdtfeger@gel.ulaval.ca

Colloque CeRVIM 2021:  Friday, May 14, 2021, 9h30 – 11h30, on Zoom.*

A series of short presentations, offered by CeRVIM researchers and students, will allow you to learn more about the research projects and initiatives carried out by CeRVIM members. Here is the detailed program which includes the titles of all of the presentations:

Colloque CeRVIM 2021 Program

*To obtain the Zoom meeting web link, please contact:
Annette.Schwerdtfeger@gel.ulaval.ca