Communication

Fernando Lobo Pereira, founder of the ARISE Associated Lab of which he was Scientific Coordinator, passed away on June 17th, 2022. He was 65 years old.

A person of immense sympathy and generosity, he leaves an enormous scientific legacy. One of the biggest Portuguese names in the areas of control, dynamic optimization, impulsive systems, coordination and control of multiple dynamic systems, autonomous systems, as well as control applications in mobile robotics, power and manufacturing systems.

With condolences to the family, colleagues and friends The Advanced Production and Intelligent Systems Associated Laboratory.

– ARISE

PAMI – Portuguese Additive Manufacturing Initiative

PAMI is led by CDRSP from the IP Leiria, and counts with a very strong participation of the ARISE AL research unit ISR-C from the Institute of Systems and Robotics, CEMMPRE from  Universidade Coimbra, and also involves key partners such as, IP Nunes, CENTIMFE and CNC.

ARISE LA – Advance Production and Intelligent Systems is strongly articulated to this research infrastructure. Both ARISE LA and PAMI intend to respond to a crucial competitiveness challenge and threat to future property: closing the gap between R&D activities and the development of technological innovations in production of goods. PAMI is also in-line with the CRER2020 program for the central region of Portugal. All nodes of PAMI are committed to the following general aims:

  1. Fostering novel research areas and interdisciplinary fields.
  2. To encourage, support and help in creation of products and launch of spin off companies from the current research institutes in fields of engineering, and medical sciences.
  3. To provide educational services and prepare the new generation of engineers and,
  4. To provide prototyping services to external companies/ Institutes. PAMI proposes a clever distribution of excellent infrastructures within the central region of Portugal with different areas of specialty: Mechanical, Materials, and Electrical Engineering, and Bio-Sciences.

This infra-structure plays a core role in the ARISE LA and many of its activities are already discussed in the Thematic line Advanced Production Systems and Processes.

Laboratory for Digital and Intelligent Industry (DIGI2)

The SYSTEC-DIGI2 targets the design, implementation and validation of smart components for advanced manufacturing system that introduce intelligence into industrial processes. By implementing a novel Framework related with Cyber-Physical Production Systems, the work carried out at SYSTEC-DIGI2 will contribute to the emergence of the factories of the future.

Targeting added value manufacturing concepts, SYSTEC-DIGI2 is highly interdisciplinary as it spans from the design and implementation of the smart components and supporting services (hardware and software), including the required infra-structures, to the CPPS conceptual frameworks underlying control, data analytics, intelligence and coordination. Currently the SYSTEC-DIGI2 develops research in the following thrusts:

  • Adaptive and smart manufacturing systems for Smart factories, which includes automated operation of the shop-floor, integrated embedded computers, real-time monitoring, adaptive control, autonomous actuation and cooperative machine to machine interaction.
  • Digital, virtual and resource-efficient factories, which includes human-team agile exploitation/analysis of vast amounts of digital information, knowledge management, informed planning and complex simulation and collaborative product-service engineering support.
  • Virtual Factories, which includes connected and collaborative enterprises and highly flexible global supply chains of connected eco-systems.

SYSTEC-DIGI2 is located in the Informatics Engineering and in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at FEUP, in room i124.

Laboratory for Systems Control Optimization and Estimation (LSCOE)

The SYSTEC-LSCOE aims at creating a fertile ground for discussion of research ideas, broaching challenging problems for engineers and mathematicians, and providing scientists with advanced methods and new tools for their research activity. Its main lines of activity are research and training, mostly carried out within the context of SYSTEC-CONTROL thematic line, and involve: The development of dedicated stand-alone estimation, optimization and control algorithms and prototypes for a wide range of applications, and environments such as health care, agriculture, and power systems.

  • The access to advanced software libraries and grid computing infra-structures.
  • Data acquisition and ground truth construction to validate the developed products.
  • Interaction with external specialists and field testing of algorithms and computational packages.

These activities result from the merging of the CEO (Control Estimation and Optimization) group of ISR Porto with new members from a research center at the University of Aveiro, and are supported by external cooperation and networking with highly reputed researchers at national and international level.

The lab facilities include computer equipped workplaces and a server with some of the latest control and optimization software packages.

SYSTEC- LSCOE is located in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at FEUP, in room i202.

Laboratory for Electric Mobility and Renewables (LEMR)

The SYSTEC-LEMR activities are mainly developed within the context of SYSTEC-ENERGY thematic line and involve the development of:

  • Hardware and real time software for power converters and systems control as well as for distributed instrumentation with tele-operation, tele-maintenance and observation techniques for products full life cycle.
  • Test benches for laboratory essay of power converters, batteries, specific components, and systems, namely, EVs powertrain, renewable generation systems integrated into grid.
  • Software tools for power circuits, control systems, electromechanical systems, power systems and grid.
  • Optimization software for power system operation, integrating smart grid technologies and new paradigms using forecast and real-time information.
  • Innovative technologies for electric vehicles and transport systems.
  • Integrated intelligent concepts and solutions for smart building systems.
  • Prototypes of innovative technologies for efficient consumption appliances.

These activities continue the tradition of developments of the IE – Industrial Electronics group of ISR Porto, from which it inherits most of its members and welcomes new researchers working on energy.

LEMR is located in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at FEUP, in rooms i104 and i-115.

Cyber-Physical Control Systems and Robotics Laboratory (C2SR)

The SYSTEC-NET activities, which are mainly developed at the Cyber-Physical Control Systems and Robotics lab (C2SR) and in cooperation with the FEUP Laboratory of Underwater Systems and Technologies (LSTS) encompass:

  • Hardware for unmanned aerial, surface and underwater vehicles for autonomous and tele-operated mode of operations. This includes the design, development, and testing of complex systems encompassing mechanical components, power systems, various types of communications, electronics, sensing, actuators, and onboard and off-board computational systems.
  • Hardware for devices to support autonomous navigation and robust communications for networked devices and operators.
  • Software required for the single mode and networked operation of the unmanned aerial, surface and underwater vehicles for autonomous and tele-operated mode of operations. This includes the design, development, and testing of a chain of software tools comprising command and control systems for the operation of single and multiple vehicles, middleware platforms, disruptive tolerant communication infra-structures, and the vehicle’s onboard software.
  • Lab testing of all hardware devices, software and systems, and integrated hardware and software via simulation, and simulation with hardware in the loop.
  • Intensive field testing of vehicles and systems in standalone and networking modes to meet strict operational end-users requirements.

C2SR is located in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at FEUP, in room i102.