International Conference on Materials, Electronics & Information Engineering, ICMEIE-2015
Professor
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Shizuoka University, Japan
Area of Specialization: Speech Information Processing, Digital Signal Processing
Title of the Talk: Speech Production for Japanese Voiced Consonants
Abstract: This paper describes observation of speech production for Japanese voiced consonants using waveforms of a small acceleration pick-up and a microphone and MRI movies. It is shown that, for Japanese voiced consonants, buzz bar is radiated from the nostrils, and individual variations of pronounces are large. It is shown that the velum gets loose when buzz bar of initial consonants is uttered.
Professor
Department of Electrical Engineering
University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Title of the Talk: Visual Servoing: Perception and Control
Abstract: As a result of Moore’s law, cameras have become cheap sensors for real-time control, and computationally intense control algorithms are now feasible. Today, robotics has become an important aspect in automation in discrete manufacturing industry where robot manipulators are used for grasping objects on conveyor belts and part mating in automated assembly lines. To realize such robotic tasks, machine vision can provide closed-loop position control for a robot end-effector. This is referred to as visual servoing. Other applications of vision-based robot control include teleoperation, object tracking cameras, autonomous vehicle operation on intelligent highways, and even aircraft landing. Visual servoing problem consists of 3 main areas, namely, machine vision, estimation and path-planning, and control. Recent advances such as catadioptric stereo and advanced numerical methods have given rise to notable advances in applications that include high-speed grasping, beating heart surgery, etc. The control component addresses different options available to define a task function, realize control to regulate the error at zero, and the issues related to realizing high-performance visual servo control.
Associate Professor and Discipline Leader
Department of Mechatronics Engineering
Central Queensland University, Australia
Title of the Talk: Nano-Biosensors for biomedical and environmental measurements
Professor
Department of Information & Communication Engineering,
Graduate School of Information Science and Technology,
University of Tokyo
Japan
Invited Talk: Realizing Speech Prosody in Current Speech Synthesis Technologies
Abstract:
Synthetic speech close to human is now available through waveform concatenation methods. However, the quality is supported by a huge speech corpus, and it is difficult to realize speech with voice qualities/utterance styles not included in the corpus. In order to increase “flexibility” of speech synthesis, the methods handling speech as acoustic parameters need to be improved. HMM-based speech synthesis handles acoustic parameters in statistical basis and can generate speech with new voice qualities/utterance styles only from a limited speech corpus. However, it has an inherent problem for prosody; controlling acoustic parameters frame-by-frame without a viewpoint of wider time-span. Prosodic features are related to words, phrases, sentences, and even paragraphs. Generation process model of fundamental frequency (F0) contours is ideal to represent global features of prosody. It is a command response model, where the commands have clear relations with linguistic and para/non linguistic information conveyed by the utterance.
In this talk, the role of prosody in speech communication is observed and then some of our contributions with the generation process model for HMM-based speech synthesis are introduced.
Associate Professor
Singapore University of Technology and Design
Singapore
Title of the Talk: Electronic materials development with the sustainability in mind - using a combined artificial intelligence, first principles modeling and experiment technology
Abstract: The ever increasing demands on solutions for social and economic sustainable development directly challenge today's scientists and engineers to adopt a new R&D paradigm. It is important to incorporate in the innovations the involvement with the industrial, economic, environmental, and social systems. The Entropic Interface Group, in the Singapore University of Technology and Design, aims to meet the above challenges by practicing a combined technology of information engineering, first principles modeling and experiment. In this talk the author will first try to review the current R D practices and identify a few key technology/methodology components that may enable a sustainable society/economy. The talk, then, will cover key knowledge/methods necessary for high quality innovations in a world of sustainable economy and society. And subsequently, the author will highlight a combined approach of experiment, first principles and physics based semi-empirical models aided by data mining techniques in the development of new apatite materials/devices. In addition, electrical conduction limit of BiFeO3 is also predicted and tested experimentally, by using the same approach. Therefore, the author will demonstrate the power of a new R D paradigm via the design of ionic conducting and multiferroic materials, which are crucial for alternative energy, environment, biomedical and other sustainable applications.
Professor
Graduate School of Science and Engineering
Saitama University, Japan
Title of the Talk: Photoluminescence Characterization of Nonradiative Recombination Centers in Light Emitting Materials by Utilizing Below-Gap Excitation
Abstract: Light emission efficiency of materials and devices is determined by the competition between radiative and nonradiative recombination (NRR) processes. The latter takes place mainly via localized NRR centers originating from various kinds of lattice defects. We can compare relative efficiency among samples by conventional photoluminescence (PL) under an above-gap excitation (AGE) light, butit gives us nothing on the truth of NRR centers which determine such efficiency difference. In order to improve the performance of any light emitting devices, it is universal and indispensable for us to understand dominant NRR centers in light emitting materials and eliminate them from crystal growth and fabrication processes. An optical and quantitative characterization of NRR centers became possible by utilizing a below-gap excitation (BGE) light in our scheme of Two-Wavelength Excited PL (TWEPL). Wavelength tuning of the BGE enables us to determine the energy distribution of detected NRR centers, while that of the above-gap excitation (AGE) reveals their spatial distribution. Our experimental studies on GaAs- and GaN-based bulk and quantum well structures are reviewed and an attempt to improve efficiency of LEDs is introduced.
Professor
Chemical Resources Laboratory
Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
Area of Specialization: Molecule Functionalized Material, Nano Functionalized Material, Material Electricity Chemistry
Title of the Talk: Block Copolymer
Associate Professor
Chemical Resources Laboratory
Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
Area of Specialization: Polymer Science Chemistry, Functionalized Material Chemistry, Photochemistry, Nuclear Fusion Science
Title of the Talk: To be published soon
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Malaya, Malaysia
Area of Specialization: Corrosion, Tribo-Corrosion, Coating, Automotive Materials, Electronic Materials And Renewable Energy
Title of the Talk: Corrosion mechanisms of different metals in palm biodiesel
Abstract: In the present study, corrosion mechanisms of copper and magnesium in palm biodiesel were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Compositional change of biodiesel due to the exposure of metal surface was also investigated. Depth profile revealed that MgO and Mg(OH)2 were the major corrosion products formed on biodiesel exposed magnesium surface. Corrosion patina on copper is found to be composed of Cu2O, CuO, Cu(OH)2 and CuCO3. A significant corrosion attack was also observed on the biodiesel exposed magnesium surface. An optical and quantitative characterization of NRR centers became possible by utilizing a below-gap excitation (BGE) light in our scheme of Two-Wavelength Excited PL (TWEPL). Wavelength tuning of the BGE enables us to determine the energy distribution of detected NRR centers, while that of the above-gap excitation (AGE) reveals their spatial distribution. Our experimental studies on GaAs- and GaN-based bulk and quantum well structures are reviewed and an attempt to improve efficiency of LEDs is introduced.
Department of Chemistry
Tribhuvan University, Nepal
Title of the Talk: Synthesis and microscopic analysis of group II-VI semiconductor nanoparticles
Abstract: Inorganic semiconductor (Group II-VI) nanoparticles such as CdS and ZnS have been a subject of intense study due to extensive range of applications in light emitting diodes (LEDs), blue light emitting lasers, low-voltage electroluminescent, photodetectors, solar cells etc. The properties of such semiconductor nanoparticles are dependent on their crystal structure and size. It is very essential to investigate a synthetic procedure to produce well defined nanocrystals in gram scale. A novel method is developed to synthesize good quality nanosized CdS and ZnS semiconductors in normal laboratory conditions at room temperature. The crystalline structure of those nanocrystallites is well settled with the help of X-ray diffraction (XRD) study by profile refinement techniques using Fullprof; whereas optical absorption spectra are recorded using absorption spectroscopy to study the size quantization effect and blue-shift resulting in the change of band gap with crystalline size. Particle sizes are calculated by Tight Binding (TB) model. The crystalline structure and particle size can be verified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). An optical and quantitative characterization of NRR centers became possible by utilizing a below-gap excitation (BGE) light in our scheme of Two-Wavelength Excited PL (TWEPL). Wavelength tuning of the BGE enables us to determine the energy distribution of detected NRR centers, while that of the above-gap excitation (AGE) reveals their spatial distribution. Our experimental studies on GaAs- and GaN-based bulk and quantum well structures are reviewed and an attempt to improve efficiency of LEDs is introduced.
Department of Biomedical Engineering
University of Malaya, Malaysia
Title of the Talk: Developing Solutions in Rehabilitation Engineering: Identifying User’s Needs
Abstract: Rehabilitation Engineering may include a wide spectrum of technology: from wheelchairs and walking aids, to the more high-end Biomechatronics and Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES). These developments would be useful if the potential and nature of the technology is realized with the end user in mind from the very beginning. It is crucially important for us Engineers to understand the specific needs of the end users, which may be the patients themselves, their carers or the funding agency. As engineers who are offering solutions in a biomedical field, we have to work closer with people who may not be in the same field, in order to ‘speak their language’ and ‘think like them’. This would ensure that we will not ‘over-engineer’ or offer an unused solution, and it would empower us highly by understanding what the users really need. While some solutions may require high-end technology, some might be simpler and lower in cost. My talk aims to provide this insights into this first step of us contributing to the society in a more meaningful and efficient way.
Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, Germany
Title of the Talk: The Role of Photovoltaics in the Electrical Power Supply of Bangladesh: Survey of Status Quo and Scenarios of the Future Development
Abstract: The potential of photovoltaics (PV) for electrical power generation in Bangladesh has been investigated. Based on commonly available meteorological data, the insolation onto a solar module in dependence on its azimuth and inclination angle was calculated over the year. The contributions of direct insolation, diffuse insolation and insolation from surface-reflected light (albedo) were taken into account. From these data the energy harvest per year was calculated. It was found that it is strongly increased in comparison to Germany, although monsoon rain strongly reduces direct insolation during the summer months. A potential of PV of 37 GW was estimated based on realistic assumptions. Since PV plays in the status quo of electrical power generation of Bangladesh only a negligible role, based on these findings, an enforced expansion of PV power generation is recommended.
Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics, Germany
Title of the Talk: Reliability of Photovoltaic Modules under Harsh Environmental Conditions
Abstract: Within this contribution it will be discussed how to integrate systematic material testing, environmental load simulations into the design process of PV modules. The aim is a lifetime prediction of PV modules for different climates. As an exemplary approach fatigue of copper ribbons will be considered. The results of material testing and finite-element simulation will be utilized in order to compare the influence of day/night temperature differences for two different climate zones on the lifetime of copper ribbon. Furthermore, an example will be introduced how different encapsulant material may influence ribbon fatigue.
Professor
Department of Information & Communication Engineering
University of Tokyo, Japan
Area of Specialization: Spoken language information processing including speech prosody, spoken dialogue system, speech synthesis, recognition and related audio signal processing
Title of the Talk: Realizing Speech Prosody in Current Speech Synthesis Technologies
Abstract: Synthetic speech close to human is now available through waveform concatenation methods. However, the quality is supported by a huge speech corpus, and it is difficult to realize speech with voice qualities/utterance styles not included in the corpus. In order to increase “flexibility” of speech synthesis, the methods handling speech as acoustic parameters need to be improved. HMM-based speech synthesis handles acoustic parameters in statistical basis and can generate speech with new voice qualities/utterance styles only from a limited speech corpus. However, it has an inherent problem for prosody; controlling acoustic parameters frame-by-frame without a viewpoint of wider time-span. Prosodic features are related to words, phrases, sentences, and even paragraphs. Generation process model of fundamental frequency (F0) contours is ideal to represent global features of prosody. It is a command response model, where the commands have clear relations with linguistic and para/nonlinguistic information conveyed by the utterance.
In this talk, the role of prosody in speech communication is observed and then some of our contributions with the generation process model for HMM-based speech synthesis are introduced.