In this paper, a comparison of PD, PID, and SMC position controllers for a V-tail quadcopter is presented. First, a customized design of the V-tail quadcopter is shown to know the parameters of this structure and compare them with the commonly × structure quadcopter used in most papers. Then, the dynamic analysis of the V-tail quadcopter using the Newton-Euler formulation is presented. The main contribution of this paper remains in the design and Lyapunov stability analysis of the PD, PID, and SMC position controllers for the V-tail quadcopter because the robot manipulator methodology was used, treating the V-tail quadcopter as a robot manipulator. The simulation results validate the proposed controllers and algorithms for the V-tail quadcopter when the three controllers reach the desired position. Also, a non-conventional variable is introduced to study the stability analysis of unmanned aerial vehicles when controlled by PID position controller. Finally, a comparison between the three designed controllers for the V-tail quadcopter is presented, where the differences between each can be appreciated. So that, for the first time, three controllers for the V-tail quadcopter designed using the robot manipulator theory is presented.

Visually impaired and blind people (VIBP) have to face significant difficulties locating public transport vehicles and bus stops due to their vision restrictions. Over the past decade, diverse assistance systems have been developed to solve this problem. However, most of them are based upon the global positioning system (GPS) and present satellite coverage problems in indoor environments. Some others are wearable prototypes that turn out to be onerous for the user. This paper presents an assistance system for VIBP in the use of public transportation. The proposed system uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology for location and communication purposes, and a mobile application for user-smartphone interaction. The BLE beacons are installed on buses and their stops; accordingly, the mobile application tracks them in real-time and provides the relevant information to the user employing verbal instructions; transportation line, destination, next stop name, and current location. This information allows the user to properly select the desired bus in advance and get off at the correct destination stop. The proposed system has been tested in two scenarios: 1) under controlled conditions and 2) in a real environment. The results show that the proposed system is 97.6% effective when VIBP travel independently from one point to another. In addition, according to an assessment sheet completed by the participants, the proposed system grants them greater confidence and independence than GPS-based systems because of the following reasons; firstly, it can work with an internet connection or without an internet connection. Secondly, it is not an onerous system; information about the location of vehicles and stops is provided in real-time. Last but not least, it does not present satellite coverage problems in indoor environments.

This manuscript presents a fully detailed methodology in order to identify the hydrodynamic parameters of a mini autonomous underwater vehicle (mini-AUV) and evaluate its performance using different controllers. The methodology consists of close-to-reality simulation using a Computed Fluid Dynamics (CFD) module of the ANSYS™ Workbench software, the processing of the data, obtained by simulation, with a set of Savistky–Golay filters; and, the application of the Least Square Method in order to estimate the hydrodynamic parameters of the mini-AUV. Finally, these parameters are considered to design the three different controllers that are based on the robot manipulators theory. Numerical simulations are carried out to evaluate the performance of the controllers.

The use of UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) technology has allowed for advances in the area of robotics in control processes and application development. Such is the case of image processing, in which, by the use of aerial photographs taken by these aircrafts, it is possible to perform surveillance and monitoring tasks. As an example, we can mention the use of aerial photographs for the generation of panoramic images through the process of stitching images without losing image resolution. Some applications are photogrammetry and mapping, where the main problems to be solved are image alignment and ghosting images, for which different stitching techniques can be applied. These methodologies can be categorized into direct methods or feature-based methods. This paper aims to show an overview of the most frequently applied mosaicing techniques in UAVs by providing an introduction to those interested in developing in this area. For this purpose, a summary of the most applied techniques and their applications is given, showing the trend of the research field and the contribution of different countries over time.

This article presents a methodology to improve the performance of learning of students in the major of Automation Engineering, through the development of a multidisciplinary project that involves the use of contemporary technological tools and knowledge of previous subjects. It is sought to add in their educational training, theory and practice for the student, learning, new knowledge, and skills within their training as an engineer. Despite advances in teaching methods and the inclusion of contemporary tools in the learning process, the success rate is low. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of student learning is made by integrating a multidisciplinary project based on contemporary tools compared with other reviewed works. This laboratory based on a field‐programmable gate array helps the student to acquire skills related to the implementation of reconfigurable logic and instrumentation applied to control theory. The development of the final project involves the design of a graphic user interface, hardware description, communication protocols, and implementation of motion control, it is looking for is that the student can relate theory to practice in order to motivate and increase skills and knowledge, as well as solving both didactic and industrial problems. The results obtained show that the students are satisfied with the course and that the experience with the integration of this type of multidisciplinary projects directly impacts the motivation and learning of the student, considerably increased developed based on the specific indicators that the Querétaro State University has accredited by Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology since 2016.