Neural primitives for motion control

The neural control of movement requires the ability to deal with changes, both in the environment and in the parameters that characterize the mechanical structure of the organism. Here we discuss the three types of coordinate representations that sensory and motor systems use to generate and control movements, and argue that the intrinsic redundancy of the musculoeskeletal system can be exploited to implement control signals that result in successful task completion while allowing for variance in trajectory parameters not relevant to the task. We also argue that muscle synergies activated through the stimulation of specific loci along the spinal cord provide evidence for the existence of a vocabulary of motor primitives that can be combined, either simultaneously or sequentially, to generate a broad repertoire of complex movements.     

A full non-metallic trailer for GPR road surveys

In this work, the design and construction of a special trailer designed to evaluate traffic infrastructure with GPR is presented. This trailer is adapted to the requirements of a multipurpose GPR system and different ground-coupled antennas to allow for multi-frequency surveys of roads without obstructing traffic. The prototype presented in this work is completely non-metallic, allowing massive data acquisition at a cruising speed up to 80 km/h. It provides the possibility of carrying two bowtie antennas simultaneously with a simple mechanism that allows for changing the elevation from the roadbed to the antenna/s for adequate and safe operation. The work includes the results of tests conducted to evaluate the performance of the system under different field work conditions.     

Ground Penetrating Radar Applied to Monumental Stone Conservation: Application to the Rock Necropolis of San Vítor de Barxacova in NW Spain

Surveys in Geophysics - This paper deals with the application of the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) method in the assessment of stone monuments. Compilation of published works and a discussion of...     

Ground Penetrating Radar Investigations in the Noble Hall of São Carlos Theater in Lisbon,Portugal

This paper describes a study conducted by the National Laboratory for Civil Engineering of Portugal (LNEC), in cooperation with the Defense University Center at the Spanish Naval Academy and “La Sapienza,” University of Rome, to assess the health and safety conditions of the Noble Hall floor in the São Carlos National Theater (Lisbon, Portugal). In a multidisciplinary approach, extensive fieldwork was carried out. The survey included the location and characterization of beams in the various areas of the floor by using two ground penetrating radar (GPR) systems equipped with two different ground- or air-coupled antennas, local inspection openings to visually assess the geometry, timber species and conservation state of structural members, and an assessment of the conservation state of the timber beam ends using drilling equipment. All the tests performed and the results obtained are presented. The potential of using non-destructive tests for the inspection of timber cultural heritage structures, particularly GPR, is discussed, and some practical recommendations are made.