In the scenario of a natural or human-induced disaster, traditional communication infrastructure is often disrupted or even completely unavailable, making the employment of emergency wireless networks highly important. In this paper, we consider an industrial Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system assisted by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that restores connectivity from the master terminal unit (MTU) to the remote terminal unit (RTU). The UAV also provides power supply to the ground RTU, which transmits the signal to the end-user terminal (UT) using the harvested RF energy. The MTU-UAV and UAV-RTU channels are modeled through Nakagami-m fading, while the channel between the RTU and the UT is subject to Fisher–Snedecor composite fading. According to the channels’ characterization, the expression for evaluating the overall probability of outage events is derived. The impact of the UAV’s relative position to other terminals and the amount of harvested energy on the outage performance is investigated. In addition, the results obtained based on an independent simulation method are also provided to confirm the validity of the derived analytical results. The provided analysis shows that the position of the UAV that leads to the optimal outage system performance is highly dependent on the MTU’s output power.

The progress of modern technology can make robots more useful, more efficient and applicable in different areas. Swarm robots, which are autonomous, cooperative, self-organized, and coordinated groups of robots, are one of the rapidly expanding areas of robotics. There are many different swarm robots examples in the industry, as well as in scientific research, and every robotic unit in most of these examples is not physically connected to other robotic units. There are much fewer examples of a group of robots where there is some physical connection in the form of a rope or tow link between two robots. Connecting several robots by wire or rope, where a wire is maintained to be tightened, can form moving fence. This system can be used as an autonomous system for herd keeping and breeding - RoboShepherd. Dynamics of such robotic system can be complex. This paper presents multi body dynamics simulation of the off-road robotized vehicle in the RoboShepherd system.

This paper investigates the theoretical feasibility of using pneumatic systems for energy recovery in conventional internal combustion engine vehicles. The concept is based on converting kinetic energy during deceleration into compressed air stored in high-pressure tanks, which can later be expanded through a pneumatic motor to assist in vehicle acceleration. The study presents energy balance considerations, theoretical storage capacities at various pressures, and a comparison with the kinetic energy of a typical passenger car. Efficiencies of compression, storage, and expansion are discussed with emphasis on thermodynamic limitations. The results suggest that while pneumatic recuperation can capture a portion of braking energy, round-trip efficiencies remain significantly lower than electrochemical or electrostatic storage methods, limiting its practical application. However, the concept remains of interest for short-burst assistance in stop-and-go driving where low-cost and mechanically simple hybridization strategies are attractive.The proposed system is designed as a mechatronic unit, where an electromagnetic clutch engages the compressor through brake pedal actuation, a dashboard pressure gauge provides real-time monitoring of storage tanks, and the pneumatic motor can be activated either by a dedicated control button or directly integrated with the accelerator pedal.

The use of robots in various industries has increased significantly in recent years, with mobile robots playing a central role in automation. Their applications range from service robotics and automated material handling to bomb disposal and planetary exploration. A rapidly growing area of mobile robotics involves coordinated groups of autonomous robots, commonly referred to as swarms. However, only a limited number of studies have addressed systems in which ropes or wires physically connect robots. Connecting multiple autonomous robotic vehicles with a tensioned wire can form a movable fence, enabling coordinated motion as a single dynamic entity. This paper presents a real-time control approach for the off-road motion of physically connected skid-steering robotic vehicles. A numerical-simulation-driven artificial neural network is employed as a surrogate model to estimate wheel–ground load distribution online, enabling stable steering control and accurate trajectory tracking on rough terrain while accounting for wire-induced coupling effects.

Supplying distributed railway sensor systems is challenging at remote and difficult-to-access locations where wired power is impractical and battery replacement increases maintenance requirements. This paper compares representative energy harvesting systems according to sensor application and deployment location. Piezoelectric, electromagnetic, photovoltaic, thermoelectric, magnetic-field and radiofrequency solutions are considered for different railway deployment locations. The systems are compared using reported power or energy output, operating conditions, sensor application and level of experimental validation. The results show that technology selection depends on source availability, installation constraints and sensor-node energy requirements, with some solutions enabling intermittent batteryless operation, while others supplement battery power or remain at the laboratory-validation stage. Efficient power management and energy storage, long-term field testing, and consistent reporting of energy performance are required for reliable assessment and wider railway deployment.

Wireless sensors deployed along railway infrastructure are commonly powered by batteries, whose replacement can be costly, particularly on remote sections. Track vibrations induced by passing trains represent a local source of mechanical energy that can be converted into electrical energy using piezoelectric harvesters. This paper reviews structural configurations for railway track applications, including cantilever beams, piezoelectric stacks, and arched and ring-shaped structures. Methods for improving performance, including resonance tuning, broadband operation, frequency up-conversion, mechanical amplification, and overload protection, are examined. Representative designs are compared in terms of mounting location, excitation conditions, and output power.