This paper covers a brief review of both the advantages and disadvantages of the implementation of various smoothing filters in the analysis of electroencephalography (EEG) data for the purpose of potential medical diagnostics. The EEG data are very prone to the occurrence of various internal and external artifacts and signal distortions. In this paper, three types of smoothing filters were compared: smooth filter, median filter and Savitzky–Golay filter. The authors of this paper compared those filters and proved their usefulness, as they made the analyzed data more legible for diagnostic purposes. The obtained results were promising, however, the studies on finding perfect filtering methods are still in progress.

Fractional-order control system design can be used for systems with non-local dynamics involving long-term memory effects. However, implementation of a fractional-order controller in industrial systems is complicated, because of the excessive demand for computational power. The following paper presents the step-by-step design procedure, parameter tuning, and experimental evaluation of the fractional order proportional-integral-derivative (FOPID) controller. The control algorithm is based on the Continued Fraction Expansion approximation of the fractional-order operators. It is implemented on a standard industrial Programmable Logic Controller. The FOPID control system is verified and evaluated in terms of efficiency and robustness using a new laboratory benchmark of a temperature control in the pipeline. The proposed solution shows increased efficiency in terms of robustness compared to the standard PID closed-loop control.

The application scope of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is increasing along with commensurate advancements in performance. The hybrid quadrotor vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAV has the benefits of both rotary-wing aircraft and fixed-wing aircraft. However, the vehicle requires a robust controller for takeoff, landing, transition, and hovering modes because the aerodynamic parameters differ in those modes. We consider a nonlinear observer-based backstepping controller in the control design and provide stability analysis for handling parameter variations and external disturbances. We carry out simulations in MATLAB Simulink which show that the nonlinear observer contributes more to robustness and overall closed-loop stability, considering external disturbances in takeoff, hovering and landing phases. The backstepping controller is capable of decent trajectory-tracking during the transition from hovering to level flight and vice versa with nominal altitude drop.

The paper deals with the use of MATLAB and COMSOL Multiphysics environments for solution of optimization problem regarding underground thermal processes occurring at the old mining dumps affected by subsurface endogenous fires. It gives the description of measurement system and physical setup of the experimental borehole used to provide the real measured data for the model with the aim of its verification. The optimization problem is defined and solved by proposed computational technique that uses both MATLAB and COMSOL Multiphysics with the LiveLink tool that integrates these environments. Results of the optimization help to evaluate the total or relative heat power of the mass within mining dump.

The paper deals with the problems of development, construction and testing of a special autonomous system for long-term monitoring of environmental signals which are crucial for appropriate functionality of heat collection technology at thermal active mining dumps. Pilot project for heat collection are implemented at old mining dumps in Moravian-Silesian region, particularly at the Hedvika and the EMA mining dumps, as well as at the OZO municipal waste dump. The paper gives a description of autonomous system including definition of its particular modules. It also presents pieces of information gathered during construction, calibration and launching the system under real conditions. Last but not least, it tackles the technology of heat collection that uses the entire system and thus provides very unique data sets for consequent data processing.