Sorin Dan Grigorescu

Bio: Sorin Dan Grigorescu is an academic researcher from Politehnica University of Bucharest. The author has contributed to research in topics: AC power & Battery (electricity). The author has an hindex of 6, co-authored 67 publications receiving 281 citations. Previous affiliations of Sorin Dan Grigorescu include University of Bucharest.

Embedding remote experimentation in power engineering education

Abstract: Engineering education by its nature is a costly program in university environments. Perhaps the most costly component is the laboratory facility, usually consisting of specialized equipment. Effective instruction of some topics in power engineering education requires experience with actual equipment, rather than small-scale replicas or simulation. In this paper, a new laboratory approach is described, as implemented in a virtual, Internet-based, experimentation platform. This virtual laboratory (VLab) utilizes real equipment distributed among multiple universities from which remotely located students can perform experiments. The software solution is a multiuser, client-server architecture developed in the LabVIEW environment. Implementation details including video, chat, archiving, and the hardware and software platforms are presented in the paper. An example presented herein is the study of current and voltage waveforms while controlling relays and low-voltage contactors. The applications have been tested with student teams enrolled in the electrical engineering department of Politehnica University of Bucharest and the power engineering program at Arizona State University.

Robotic Platform with Medical Applications in the Smart City Environment

Abstract: In the coming years, services offered in the Smart City environment by autonomous robotic platforms with appropriated functionality have a high potential. They can be implemented in several key areas that increase the quality of life in Smart City: health, security, public order, tourism, education, maintenance etc. This paper presents a robotic platform which incorporates innovative hardware and software elements that ensure its functionality within the Smart City's information and communication networks and can provide specific functions by developing applications according to the needs of citizens, public authorities and various social partners, in this case study, a health kiosk.

A WEB Platform for Rendring and Viewing MRI Volumes using Real-Time Raytracing Principles

Abstract: In this paper, we present a web platform for volume rendering of MRI data. Our platform are designed for mobile and desktop devices and VR applications. Unlike a classical desktop application which is platform dependent, we developed a series of software services in order to optimize and deliver fast and efficient volumetric data. The proposed platform is the summary of our initial efforts to implement raytracing algorithms in practical situations. We consider our platform and implementation a viable solution for volumetric rendering of MRI data in web environments.

Electrochemical Sensing of Caffeic Acid Using Gold Nanoparticles Embedded in Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) Layer by Sinusoidal Voltage Procedure

Abstract: The increasing demand for sensitive electrochemical sensors in various medical and industrial applications promotes the fabrication of novel sensing materials with improved electrocatalytic and analytical performances. This work deals with the development of a composite material based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) embedded in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) layer for electrochemical determination of caffeic acid (CA). CA is a phenolic compound with excellent antioxidant properties that is present in vegetables, fruits, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Its analytical quantification is of great interest in food production monitoring and healthcare applications. Therefore, the development of sensitive analytical devices for CA monitoring is required. The AuNPs have been prepared in situ onto PEDOT coated glassy carbon electrode (GC) by means of an innovative procedure consisting on the use of a sinusoidal voltage (SV) superimposed on a constant potential. The physico-chemical properties of the PEDOT-AuNPs composite material were investigated by a range of techniques including cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance, and scanning electron microscopy. The glassy carbon electrode/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-gold nanoparticles-sinusoidal voltage (GC/PEDOT-AuNPs-SV) sensor exhibited good analytical performance toward the CA quantification with a linear response over a wide concentration range from 10 µM to 1 mM. In addition, the proposed GC/PEDOT-AuNPs-SV sensor was successfully applied in the determination of total polyphenols content expressed as equivalents of CA in juice samples.

Innovative Devops for Artificial Intelligence

Abstract: Abstract Developing Artificial Intelligence is a labor intensive task. It implies both storage and computational resources. In this paper, we present a state-of-the-art service based infrastructure for deploying, managing and serving computational models alongside their respective data-sets and virtual environments. Our architecture uses key-based values to store specific graphs and datasets into memory for fast deployment and model training, furthermore leveraging the need for manual data reduction in the drafting and retraining stages. To develop the platform, we used clustering and orchestration to set up services and containers that allow deployment within seconds. In this article, we cover high performance computing concepts such as swarming, GPU resource management for model implementation in production environments with emphasis on standardized development to reduce integration tasks and performance optimization.

Hands-on, simulated, and remote laboratories: A comparative literature review

Abstract: Laboratory-based courses play a critical role in scientific education. Automation is changing the nature of these laboratories, and there is a long-running debate about the value of hands-on versus simulated laboratories. In addition, the introduction of remote laboratories adds a third category to the debate. Through a review of the literature related to these labs in education, the authors draw several conclusions about the state of current research. The debate over different technologies is confounded by the use of different educational objectives as criteria for judging the laboratories: Hands-on advocates emphasize design skills, while remote lab advocates focus on conceptual understanding. We observe that the boundaries among the three labs are blurred in the sense that most laboratories are mediated by computers, and that the psychology of presence may be as important as technology. We also discuss areas for future research.

The iLab Shared Architecture: A Web Services Infrastructure to Build Communities of Internet Accessible Laboratories

Abstract: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's iLab project has developed a distributed software toolkit and middleware service infrastructure to support Internet-accessible laboratories and promote their sharing among schools and universities on a worldwide scale. The project starts with the assumption that the faculty teaching with online labs and the faculty or academic departments that provide those labs are acting in two roles with different goals and concerns. The iLab architecture focuses on fast platform-independent lab development, scalable access for students, and efficient management for lab providers while preserving the autonomy of the faculty actually teaching the students. Over the past two years, the iLab architecture has been adopted by an increasing number of partner universities in Europe, Australia, Africa, Asia, and the United States. The iLab project has demonstrated that online laboratory use can scale to thousands of students dispersed on several continents.

Learning outcome achievement in non-traditional (virtual and remote) versus traditional (hands-on) laboratories

Abstract: This review presents the first attempt to synthesize recent (post-2005) empirical studies that focus on directly comparing learning outcome achievement using traditional lab (TL; hands-on) and non-traditional lab (NTL; virtual and remote) participants as experimental groups. Findings suggest that most studies reviewed (n?=?50, 89%) demonstrate student learning outcome achievement is equal or higher in NTL versus TL across all learning outcome categories (knowledge and understanding, inquiry skills, practical skills, perception, analytical skills, and social and scientific communication), though the majority of studies (n?=?53, 95%) focused on outcomes related to content knowledge, with most studies (n?=?40, 71%) employing quizzes and tests as the assessment instrument. Scientific inquiry skills was the least assessed learning objective (n?=?4, 7%), and lab reports/written assignments (n?=?5, 9%) and practical exams (n?=?5, 9%) were the least common assessment instrument. The results of this review raise several important concerns and questions to be addressed by future research. Data supports equal or greater outcome achievement in virtual/remote labs vs. hands-on.A categorization tool (KIPPAS) is presented for meaningful outcome comparisons.The Knowledge and understanding (K) outcome of the KIPPAS tool is most frequently assessed.Quizzes/exams are the most frequently used tools for evaluating outcome achievement.

Virtual and remote labs in education

Abstract: Laboratory experimentation plays an essential role in engineering and scientific education. Virtual and remote labs reduce the costs associated with conventional hands-on labs due to their required equipment, space, and maintenance staff. Furthermore, they provide additional benefits such as supporting distance learning, improving lab accessibility to handicapped people, and increasing safety for dangerous experimentation. This paper analyzes the literature on virtual and remote labs from its beginnings to 2015, identifying the most influential publications, the most researched topics, and how the interest in those topics has evolved along the way. To do so, bibliographical data gathered from ISI Web of Science, Scopus and GRC2014 have been examined using two prominent bibliometric approaches: science mapping and performance analysis. Display Omitted Laboratory experimentation plays an essential role in engineering and sci-entific education.Virtual and remote labs are emerging as a valuable alternative to conven-tional hands-on labs.This paper analyzes the literature on virtual and remote labs from 1993 to 2015.4405 records retrieved from ISI Web of Science, Scopus and GRC2014 are processed.Two bibliometric approaches are applied: performance analysis and science mapping.