BrainMap

Lacrimioara Grama

Associate Professor - UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA

Teaching staff

Web of Science ResearcherID: B-5522-2012

Curriculum Vitae (02/09/2020)

Expertise & keywords

Versatile and economically viable robotic platform for indoor navigation in cluttered environments with obstacles Call name: P 2 - SP 2.1 - Proiect de transfer la operatorul economic
PN-III-P2-2.1-PTE-2019-0867 2020 - 2022

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L.

Project partners: CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L. (RO); UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO); UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO); UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICĂ "GHEORGHE ASACHI" IAŞI (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO)

Project website: http://www.citst.ro/projects/omni-z

Abstract:

CITST, the coordinating SME is aiming to exploit an increasing market niche resulting from the current demographic changes and emerging assistive robots. Development of intelligent products based on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for the elderly population is strongly supported by the Europen Active and Assistive Living (AAL) Program (http://aal-europe.eu). The leading SME has developed in collaboration with UPB an AAL environment and framework around a robotic platform with the aim of paving the robotic way into AAL. The CAMI platform has been tested and demonstrated in several pilots around Europe. This has brought evidence about the interest of the elderly but also about the barriers robotic platforms face in being adopted in the everyday lives of elderly. Among such barriers we have identified high costs, security issues, and limited capabilities to navigate in cluttered environments.

Within the present project, the SME is aiming to improve the performance of an in-house modified robotic platform such that it becomes suitable for AAL environments and compatible with eHealth, domotics and wellbeing platforms which are part of CITST’s commercial strategy. The characteristics of the platform are innovative allowing passing over high obstacles. The bussines plan is promissing and motivating for the SME.

Smart Acoustic Sensor for Intruder Detection Call name: P 2 - SP 2.1 - Proiect experimental - demonstrativ
PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2016-1608 2017 - 2018

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO); CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L. (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO)

Project website: http://sp.utcluj.ro/SASID2017/HomePage.html

Abstract:

All over the world, systems of monitoring wild regions and detecting intruders are necessary these days and would probably ensure a better preserving of these protected areas. In the wildlife protection applications, standalone systems must be utilized. The implementation of such surveillance system requires the design of low complexity algorithms and the hardware with low power consumption. The proposed project is related to a potential monitoring system that could be assimilated to an "acoustic eye". Its usage against other monitoring systems like the video surveillance ones has some advantages: simplicity of implementation, less information to be processed, the fact that it does not depend on the visibility and a much cheaper solution. Since there are many restrictions regarding power consumption it is not feasible to use high complexity signal processing at the sensors level. To this end, the design and to deliver the smart acoustic sensor for intruder detection (ASD) is the main goal of this project. Using such several remote ASD sensors placed over a large wildlife area (woods, natural reservations, lakes, rivers), one can collect the information needed and transmit it to a central collection knot of the network via low data rate - low power radio protocols. The data stored here is further used in order to extract valuable information. ASD may be also used in different applications covering monitoring of industrial or agricultural wide (open or close) areas, active and assisted living. The main objectives of the project are: ASD inputs and outputs selection, sound preprocessing, design and implementation of ASD communication, implementation of ASD components, implementation of overall ASD, testing of ASD operation, algorithms design, implementation and optimization according to ASD features and the target application.

Improving contextual awareness of a robot through the analysis of acoustic information Call name: P 2 - SP 2.1 - Transfer de cunoaștere la agentul economic „Bridge Grant”
PN-III-P2-2.1-BG-2016-0378 2016 - 2018

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO); CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L. (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO)

Project website: http://sp.utcluj.ro/ROXAC2016/HomePage.html

Abstract:

In this project we propose to solve for the beneficiary (CITST) the problem of context awareness based on acoustic analysis for the service robot Tiago from PAL Robotics, owned by CITST. Through the use of Tiago, CITST is targeting services offered to companies or individual people. Such services will involve significant human-robot interaction for which safety is an essential aspect. Service or social robots that share a space with people require the capacity to detect and track humans and recognize their activities. This knowledge is a key for effectively integrating robots into people’s workflows, as well as natural human-robot interaction.

Audio appears to be a well suited sensory modality for this task since many human activities produce very characteristic sounds from which a robot can infer the corresponding human actions. Therefore, sound environment analysis is an important, complementary simpler mean, compared to vision, that can help the robot to achieve a good understanding of the context. For example, during the interaction with the human user the robot will be aware of the activities the human is involved into, i.e. walking, sleeping and talking. Detection of distress situations such as fall detection is also needed. The robot should at all times be aware of the environment in the house and outdoor. Using a sound based system solves also several privacy issues. When using vision the robot must be to be in close visual contact with the human user and it could become annoying. When using acoustic based methods the robot can be further from the user.

The solution proposed in the current project will be based on combining components already existent in the robot’s operating system and will use the algorithms already developed by Coordinator (UTCN). The main objective is to setup and to develop of a robust sound environment analysis system capable to identify everyday life normal or abnormal and distress conditions.

Intelligent system for management, monitoring and maintenance of pavements and roads using modern imaging techniques-PAV3M Call name: Joint Applied Research Projects - PCCA 2013 - call
PN-II-PT-PCCA-2013-4-1762 2014 - 2017

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA BABES BOLYAI

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA BABES BOLYAI (RO); CENTRUL IT PENTRU STIINTA SI TEHNOLOGIE S.R.L. (RO); CENTRUL DE COMPETENTA IN ELECTROSTATICA SI ELECTROTEHNOLOGII S.R.L. (RO); UNIVERSITATEA "VALAHIA" TARGOVISTE (RO); UNIVERSITATEA "DUNAREA DE JOS" (RO); UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO)

Project website: https://econ.ubbcluj.ro/PAV3M, https://www.facebook.com/pages/PAV3M/757415914312096

Abstract:

The primary objective of PAV3M is to develop a holistic platform which integrates imaging based road pavement inspection technology with a risk management and cost/benefits application software tool to support road management needs of transportation agencies, construction and road rehabilitation companies and local governments. On the technological side we propose an automated, portable visual pavement inspection system for traffic-speed pavement distress monitoring and analysis of road pavements whose high degree of integration, easy mountability and costs will permit its operation on non-specialized vehicles and thus its widespread use. Current approaches for road condition data collection are done by specialized vehicles at substantial costs and long inspection cycles. In some cases, due to limited funding, officials even relay on time-consuming manual labor. Yet the importance for traffic safety of timely identification and rectification of road deformations cannot be overstated.

PAV3M will exploit recent advances in image acquisition hardware (higher resolution sensors, faster and more light sensitive digital cameras, increased data acquisition rates, etc.) and the tremendous increase in processing/computing power of “miniatural” units. The proposed system will consist of an innovative camera system and a full set of additional sensors for positioning, orientation and communication. Within PAV3M we will develop efficient algorithms and methods for automated image and video processing to identify and quantify road pavement surface condition parameters. Coupling this information with prediction of defects and with a cost and risk management application will endow the road owners with a methodology to assess the current status of the pavements and to evaluate the effect of maintenance techniques on the pavement capital.

Economic and risk management aspects (UBB) together with defect evolution prediction will be fully integrated into a web portal offering a service that is part of the SMEs (CITST and CCEE) business strategy for targeting the fast developing Romanian road management sector. Intelligent System development will follow Oguara objectives of Pavement Maintenance and Management Systems (PMMS) linked with management tools and functionality. Our proposal links together PMMS and PMS (Pavement Management Systems) in a web-based multi-tier modular solution, which will be offered as a SaaS (Software as a Service) through a web portal.

Using semantic Web we propose a road history database, which can be used in the risk management module. An expert module assists the decision makers in finding optimum strategies for maintaining pavements and the risk module offers solutions for avoid or mitigate risk factors in a given period of time for the minimum cost. This module will offer alternative strategies to cover the wide range of risks associated with pavements, which was proposed by Paine, based on Unified Facilities Criteria for Pavement Maintenance Management.

Partners involved in the project ensure the complementary synergies in a trans-disciplinary approach, based on their competencies, involving a number of interrelated disciplines. We mention relevant expertise in hardware integration, image processing and pattern recognition area, multimedia databases, business process management, risk management, e-business application, portals and web technologies, Web services.

FILE DESCRIPTION	DOCUMENT
List of research grants as project coordinator or partner team leader
Significant R&D projects for enterprises, as project manager
R&D activities in enterprises
Peer-review activity for international programs/projects