The titles below are included in Synthesis Collection Ten

Advances in Automotive Technology

Author: Haotian Cao, Hunan University, China

Mingjun Li, Hunan University, China

Song Zhao, University of Waterloo, Canada

Xiaolin Song, Hunan University, China

Keywords: intelligent vehicle, decision making, path planning, speed planning, robust trajectory tracking control, driving intention, human-automation cooperative driving, deep Q-learning, driving hazard potential, convex optimization, dynamical game theory

Abstract: The intelligent vehicle will play a crucial and essential role in the development of the future intelligent transportation system, which is developing toward the connected driving environment, ultimate driving safety, and comforts, as well as green efficiency. While the decision making, planning, and control are extremely vital components of the intelligent vehicle, these modules act as a bridge, connecting the subsystem of the environmental perception and the bottom-level control execution of the vehicle as well. This short book covers various strategies of designing the decision making, trajectory planning, and tracking control, as well as share driving, of the human-automation to adapt to different levels of the automated driving system.

Biomedical Engineering

Author: Wujie Zhang, Milwaukee School of Engineering

Keywords: nanotechnology, nanofabrication, electrospinning, biosynthesis, nanomedicine, environment, bioengineering

Abstract: Nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary field that is rapidly evolving and expanding. Significant advancements have been made in nanotechnology-related disciplines in the past few decades and continued growth and progression in the field are anticipated. Moreover, nanotechnology, omnipresent in innovation, has been applied to resolve critical challenges in nearly every field, especially those related to biological technologies and processes. This book, used as either a textbook for a short course or a reference book, provides state-of-the-art analysis of essential topics in nanotechnology for bioengineers studying and working in biotechnology, chemical/biochemical, pharmaceutical, biomedical, and other related fields. The book topics range from introduction to nanotechnology and nanofabrication to applications of nanotechnology in various biological fields. This book not only intends to introduce bioengineers to the amazing world of nanotechnology, but also inspires them to use nanotechnology to address some of the world’s biggest challenges.

Computer Science

Authors: Stijn Van Hijfte, Howest Applied University College

Keywords: blockchain, distributed ledger, DAG, bitcoin, ethereum, iota, hyperledger

Abstract: This book introduces all the technical features that make up blockchain technology today. It starts with a thorough explanation of all technological concepts necessary to understand any discussions related to distributed ledgers and a short history of earlier implementations. It then discusses in detail how the Bitcoin network looks and what changes are coming in the near future, together with a range of altcoins that were created on the same base code. To get an even better idea, the book shortly explores how Bitcoin might be forked before going into detail on the Ethereum network and cryptocurrencies running on top of the network, smart contracts, and more. The book introduces the Hyperledger foundation and the tools offered to create private blockchain solutions. For those willing, it investigates directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) and several of its implementations, which could solve several of the problems other blockchain networks are still dealing with to this day. In Chapter 4, readers can find an overview of blockchain networks that can be used to build solutions of their own and the tools that can help them in the process.

Computer Vision

Authors: Jun Wan, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Guodong Guo, Institute of Deep Learning, Baidu Research, and National Engineering Laboratory for Deep Learning Technology and Application

Sergio Escalera, Universitat de Barcelona and Computer Vision Center

Hugo Jair Escalante, Computer Science Department at INAOE and Computer Science Department at CINVESTAV, Zacatenco

Stan Z. Li, Westlake University, Hangzhou and Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Macau University of Science and Technology

Keywords: face presentation attack detection, face anti-spoofing, multi-modal data analysis

Abstract: For the last ten years, face biometric research has been intensively studied by the computer vision community. Face recognition systems have been used in mobile, banking, and surveillance systems. For face recognition systems, face spoofing attack detection is a crucial stage that could cause severe security issues in government sectors. Although effective methods for face presentation attack detection have been proposed so far, the problem is still unsolved due to the difficulty in the design of features and methods that can work for new spoofing attacks. In addition, existing datasets for studying the problem are relatively small which hinders the progress in this relevant domain.

Engineering, Science, and Technology

Author: Colm T. Whelan, Old Dominion University

Keywords: differential equations, linear equations, polynomial approximations, variational principles

Abstract: There is only a very limited number of physical systems that can be exactly described in terms of simple analytic functions. There are, however, a vast range of problems which are amenable to a computational approach. This book provides a concise, self-contained introduction to the basic numerical and analytic techniques, which form the foundations of the algorithms commonly employed to give a quantitative description of systems of genuine physical interest. The methods developed are applied to representative problems from classical and quantum physics.

Authors: Gregory A. DiLisi, John Carroll University

Richard A. Rarick, Cleveland State University

Keywords: forensic physics, applied physics, forensic analysis, introductory physics

Abstract: This book focuses on a forensics-style re-examination of several historical events. The purpose of these studies is to afford readers the opportunity to apply basic principles of physics to unsolved mysteries and controversial events in order to settle the historical debate. We identify nine advantages of using case studies as a pedagogical approach to understanding forensic physics. Each of these nine advantages is the focus of a chapter of this book. Within each chapter, we show how a cascade of unlikely events resulted in an unpredictable catastrophe and use introductory-level physics to analyze the outcome. Armed with the tools of a good forensic physicist, the reader will realize that the historical record is far from being a set of agreed upon immutable facts; instead, it is a living, changing thing that is open to re-visitation, re-examination, and re-interpretation.

Mathematics and Statistics

Author: E.N. Barron, Loyola University, Chicago

J.G. Del Greco, Loyola University, Chicago

Keywords: probability, random variables, sample distribution, confidence intervals, prediction intervals, hypothesis testing, linear regression

Abstract: One of the most important subjects for all engineers and scientists is probability and statistics. This book presents the basics of the essential topics in probability and statistics from a rigorous standpoint. The basics of probability underlying all statistics is presented first and then we cover the essential topics in statistics, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, and linear regression. This book is suitable for any engineer or scientist who is comfortable with calculus and is meant to be covered in a one-semester format.

Mechanical Engineering

Author: Tariq M. Arif, Weber State University

Keywords: Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Python, PyTorch, artificial neural network, machine learning, deep learning, transfer learning, pre-trained model, convolutional neural network, pooling layers, EfficientNet

Abstract: This book provides a short introduction and easy-to-follow implementation steps of deep learning using Google Cloud Platform. It also includes a practical case study that highlights the utilization of Python and related libraries for running a pre-trained deep learning model.

In recent years, deep learning-based modeling approaches have been used in a wide variety of engineering domains, such as autonomous cars, intelligent robotics, computer vision, natural language processing, and bioinformatics. Also, numerous real-world engineering applications utilize an existing pre-trained deep learning model that has already been developed and optimized for a related task. However, incorporating a deep learning model in a research project is quite challenging, especially for someone who doesn’t have related machine learning and cloud computing knowledge. Keeping that in mind, this book is intended to be a short introduction of deep learning basics through the example of a practical implementation case.

The audience of this short book is undergraduate engineering students who wish to explore deep learning models in their class project or senior design project without having a full journey through the machine learning theories. The case study part at the end also provides a cost-effective and step-by-step approach that can be replicated by others easily.

Network Systems

Author: Larry Peterson, Open Networking Foundation and Princeton University

Oğuz Sunay, Open Networking Foundation

Keywords: 5G, mobile networks, edge cloud, SDN, open source networking software

Abstract: This book describes the 5G mobile network from a systems perspective, focusing on the fundamental design principles that are easily obscured by an overwhelming number of acronyms and standards definitions that dominate this space. The book is written for system generalists with the goal of helping bring up to speed a community that understands a broad range of systems issues (but knows little or nothing about the cellular network) so it can play a role in the network’s evolution. This is a community that understands both feature velocity and best practices in building robust scalable systems, and so it has an important role to play in bringing to fruition all of 5G’s potential.

In addition to giving a step-by-step tour of the design rationale behind 5G, the book aggressively disaggregates the 5G mobile network. Building a disaggregated, virtualized, and software-defined 5G access network is the direction the industry is already headed (for good technical and business reasons), but breaking the 5G network down into its elemental components is also the best way to explain how 5G works. It also helps to illustrate how 5G might evolve in the future to provide even more value.

An open source implementation of 5G serves as the technical underpinning for the book. The authors, in collaboration with industrial and academic partners, are working towards a cloud-based implementation that takes advantage of both Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and cloud-native (microservice-based) architectures, culminating in a managed 5G-enabled EdgeCloud-as-a-Service built on the components and mechanisms described throughout the book.

Ocean Systems Engineering

Author: Kurian George, Kerala State Electricity Board

Keywords: inland water transport, water train, tractor wheel propulsion, propulsion efficiency, energy efficiency, rail connected traction, BTU/ton-km

Abstract: In a government-aided research project carried out at Cochin University, the inventor of the Water-Train demonstrated that his invention requires only 24 BTU/ton-km of energy whereas barges use 328 BTU in the same Inland water transportation situation. The use of this Water-Train can invariably curtail, to a large extent, the emission of greenhouse gases thereby decreasing the effect on global warming. Conventional water vehicles use screw propellers which have high reacting energy loss in propulsion whereas the Water-Train relies on the earth for reaction which is an infinite mass causing no reacting energy loss at all. The propelled water takes away a large quantity of kinetic energy (1/22 where its mass is and velocity is ). Water-Train requires a monorail rigidly fixed to the earth through cross arms and pillars for applying the traction/propulsion force. The reacting body is the earth and so the traction efficiency tends toward 100%. It utilizes low friction of water and also the vehicles are connected serially like a locomotive and hence the wave making and skin resistances are also reduced. The NITIE study conducted earlier in India showed that diesel and electric trains use 166.3 BTU and 105.76 BTU, respectively, for the same purpose.

Signal Processing

Author: Nasser Kehtarnavaz, University of Texas at Dallas

Fatemeh Saki, University of Texas at Dallas

Adrian Duran, University of Texas at Dallas

Arian Azarang, University of Texas at Dallas

Keywords: smartphone-based signals and systems laboratory, anywhere-anytime platform for signals and systems courses, from MATLAB to smartphones

Abstract: A typical undergraduate electrical engineering curriculum incorporates a signals and systems course. The widely used approach for the laboratory component of such courses involves the utilization of MATLAB to implement signals and systems concepts. This book presents a newly developed laboratory paradigm where MATLAB codes are made to run on smartphones which are possessed by nearly all students. As a result, this laboratory paradigm provides an anywhere-anytime hardware platform or processing board for students to learn implementation aspects of signals and systems concepts. The book covers the laboratory experiments that are normally covered in signals and systems courses and discusses how to run MATLAB codes for these experiments as apps on both Android and iOS smartphones, thus enabling a truly mobile laboratory paradigm.