Volume 7 Number 1 (2013 issue)
Brunei Darussalam Journal of Technology and Commerce
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Volume 7 Number 1 (2013 issue)
Brunei Darussalam Journal of Technology and Commerce
Contents
i
Welcome Message
Papers
Stereo Vision System with Image Segmentation Technique for Robot Arm Applications
Swee Kheng Eng, Anwar Hasni Abu Hassan, Tow Leong Tiang and Wee Chuen Lee
1
Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Traffic in Optical Burst Switched Network
Suriani Mohd Sam, Hamdan Sayuti and Norsheila fisal
18
An Analysis of Scouring Effects on Various Shaped Bridge Piers
Md. Mosabbir Pasha, Aziz Hasan Mahmoo and Shahriar Shams
29
A study on the effect of licensing system upon driver’s attitude in Bangladesh
Rabbani Rash-ha Wahi,Shakil Mohammad Rifaat, Nafiz Ul Ahsan and Farzana Leema
43
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Stereo Vision System with Image Segmentation Technique for Robot Arm Applications
Swee Kheng ENG1, Anwar Hasni Abu HASSAN1*, Tow Leong TIANG1 and Wee Chuen LEE1
1School
of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300
Nibong Tebal, Penang, Malaysia, e-mail: anwar@eng.usm.my.
*Corresponding author
ABSTRACT
Three-dimensional (3D) information about the environment is essential for robot movement and object
inspection in robot arm applications. The stereo vision system is one of the best methods for retrieving depth
information. In this research, a pair of cameras is used as a stereo vision module to find the location of an
object. The stereo vision system, which consists of camera calibration, image rectification, image
segmentation, centroid computation, and object localization, is implemented. Image segmentation is
performed through a process of edge-based segmentation, mathematical morphology, and largest area
selection. The x,y coordinates are given by the centroid coordinate of the object in the left image, and the z
coordinates are computed based on the obtained disparity value. The grayscale left and right images are
100% successful aligned horizontally through the image rectification process. The disparity error is
minimized after the image segmentation process. The average error for x and y coordinates are 0.17 cm and
0.36 cm. For the z coordinate, the initial average error is 0.42 cm, but after compensation technique is
performed, the average error is reduced to 0.17 cm. Based on the proposed inverse kinematic technique, the
robot arm is able to pick up an object with 3D location provided by the stereo vision system.
Keywords: Camera Calibration, Inverse Kinematic, Image segmentation, Robot Arm, Stereo Vision.
Volume 7 Number 1 (2013 issue)
Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Traffic in Optical Burst Switched Network
Suriani Mohd SAM1*, Hamdan Sayuti2, Norsheila Fisal2
Teknologi Malaysia, UTMSPACE, Electrical Engineering Department, Jalan Semarak, Kuala
Lumpur. Malaysia, e-mail: suriani@ic.utm.my
2Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Electrical Engineering Faculty, 81310 Skudai, Johor Darul Takzim, Malaysia,
e-mail: hamdan@utm.my
2Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Electrical Engineering Faculty, 81310 Skudai, Johor Darul Takzim, Malaysia,
e-mail: sheila@fke.utm.my
1Universiti
*Corresponding author
ABSTRACT
The amount of bandwidth available on fiber optic links has increased dramatically with advances in
wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technology. However, existing optical network architectures are
unable to fully utilize this bandwidth to support future highly dynamic and bursty traffic. Optical burst
switching (OBS) has been proposed as a new paradigm to achieve a practical balance between coarse-grained
circuit switching and fine-grained packet switching which should result in better utilization of the available
bandwidth. This paper addresses the fundamental characteristic of traffic models used in OBS DiffServ
network. DiffServ provides the network the ability to differentiate between different services, while OBS
provides the assembly of packets into burst which is optically switched in the core network. Three DiffServ
class types that represent multimedia applications, which are real-time constant bit rate, real-time variable
bit rate and non-real time traffic are studied in the paper. This paper is divided into two sections: the packet
level for homogeneous traffic and burst level for heterogeneous. The main focus of this study is the average
queue delay of a packet/burst waiting in the OBS system. The analytical model in support of the simulation
results is also presented. The network and traffic models are developed and validated using the JAVA
platform simulator.
Keywords: Analytical model, average queue delay, DiffServ, homogeneous, heterogeneous, OBS.
An Analysis of Scouring Effects on Various Shaped Bridge Piers
Md. Mosabbir PASHA1*, Aziz Hasan MAHMOOD1, Shahriar SHAMS2
1Lecturer,
Department of Civil Engineering, Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Board Bazar, Gazipur-1704,
Bangladesh, e-mail: mosabbir@iut-dhaka.edu
1Lecturer, Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Board Bazar, Gazipur-1704, Bangladesh, e-mail: hasancee@iutdhaka.edu
2Senior Lecturer, Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB), Jalan Tungku Link, Gadong, BE-1410, Brunei Darussalam, e-mail:
shams.shahriar@itb.edu.bn
*Corresponding author
ABSTRACT
A series of bridge failures due to pier scour, as reported during floods, has rekindled interest in our
understanding of the scouring process and for developing improved ways of protecting bridges against scour.
As such, attention is being given to the scour design of new bridges and to the inspection, maintenance and
management of existing bridge structures. The two major countermeasure techniques employed for
preventing or minimizing local scour at bridge piers are increased scour resistance and flow alteration. In
the former case, the objective is to combat the erosive action of the scour-inducing mechanisms using hard
engineering materials or physical barriers such as rock riprap. In the latter case, the objective is to either
inhibit the formation of the scour-inducing mechanisms or to cause the scour to be shifted away from the
immediate vicinity of the pier. Other than these, there is another measure that could result in relatively less
Volume 7 Number 1 (2013 issue)
scouring depth around a pier due to difference in pier shapes. All pier shapes do not exhibit the same amount
of scouring for the same flow velocity. In this study, the effect of local scour at a bridge pier is presented for
different flow parameters. The adoption of a countermeasure is based on the concept that its existence will
sufficiently inhibit and/or deflect the local scour mechanisms so as to reduce the local scour immediately
adjacent to the pier. The overall objective of the research is to study the temporal development of scour
around a bridge pier in an alluvial channel. More specifically, the objectives are to i) to identify pier shape
that responses best in order to minimize scouring effect; ii) to find out the relationship of scouring depth
with flow velocity, discharge, depth of flow; iii) to find out parameters on which scouring depth depends and
develop a relationship with scour depth for changes in the parameters. The selection of the pier width and
shape can help in the reduction of the local scour depth in an appreciable manner. A reduction of about 15%
in local scour depth can be obtained by using an elliptical shaped pier instead of using a diamond shaped pier
and about 10% in local scour depth can be obtained by using an elliptical shaped pier instead of a circular
shaped pier.
Keywords: local scour, pier shape, scouring, scour depth.
A study on the effect of licensing system upon driver’s attitude in Bangladesh
Rabbani Rash-ha WAHI1, Shakil Mohammad RIFAAT2*, Nafiz Ul AHSAN3, Farzana LEEMA4
1Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Gazipur - 1704,
Bangladesh, e-mail: rabbanirash.ha@gmail.com
2Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Islamic University of Technology (IUT),
Gazipur -1704, Bangladesh, e-mail:smrifaat@iut-dhaka.edu
3Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Gazipur - 1704,
Bangladesh, e-mail: nafiz085409@yahoo.com
4 Graduate Student, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Tokyo, Japan, e-mail: leema@trip.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp
*Corresponding author
ABSTRACT
Accidents are prevalent in low and middle income countries and majority of the world’s deaths occur in
developing countries due to road crashes. Among many factors contributing to crashes, driver errors and
errant behaviors have been attributed by some road safety professionals, and a large proportion of the
general public, to be one of the biggest contributors. In Bangladesh, this problem is exacerbated by the lack of
proper drivers’ training and testing. As discrepancies are often observed in issuing license in Bangladesh, it
is important to know whether the licensing procedure have any effect on drivers’ attitude as this
characteristic generally plays a major role in the involvement of crashes. For this purpose, a well-conceived
questionnaire survey was conducted on the attitude of heavy vehicle drivers. To fulfill the objective of the
study, drivers are classified into three groups: (a) took no test; (b) took some tests; (c) took all tests. Analysis
of mean responses and One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) are utilized to assess the influence of existing
licensing system on drivers’ attitude in Bangladesh.
Keywords: Drivers’ attitude, Heavy vehicles, License Driver, One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA).