Revista UIS Ingenierías

Bocellibot: Robot to assist in mobility for people with advanced visual impairment

Helber Vegara- Vargas — 2025-06-09

People with disabilities face multiple challenges daily, such as difficulties with social interaction, navigating public spaces, accessing goods and services, using public transportation, and finding employment and educational opportunities, among others. In Colombia, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection has led the development of the National Public Policy on Disability and Social Inclusion, an initiative aimed at implementing strategies to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities and their families. According to the 2018 census, 3,134,036 people (7.1% of the national population) have some form of disability, and within this group, 1,948,332 individuals experience visual impairment, representing a significant challenge to their autonomy and personal development. These individuals struggle to navigate unfamiliar environments due to their visual limitations, which prevent them from recognizing logos, objects, or symbols, and hinder their ability to perceive distances, shapes, depths, or colors. This lack of visual perception negatively impacts their independence and affects critical aspects such as safety, self-esteem, social participation, and self-fulfillment. In this context, this project develops a guide robot with a focus on the Internet of Things, designed to assist people with visual impairments in navigating indoor spaces such as shopping malls, government offices, and health centers. The robot enhances autonomy in decision-making while respecting the user's privacy and freedom. Tests conducted demonstrate that the system safely and efficiently guides users to points of interest, ensuring effective interaction through voice commands and appropriate navigation speeds, thereby contributing to the independence and empowerment of people with visual impairments.

Industry 4.0 evaluation model for the sugar agroindustry

Jonás Michel- Horta — 2025-06-16

Industry 4.0 has been gradually implemented across all productive sectors today and the sugar agroindustry is no exception; however, there are still gaps to close. This study presents an Industry 4.0 maturity evaluation model for the sugar cane sector. Although there are several evaluation models of this type, there is no one focused on this type of industry. The methodology consists of 3 stages: the review of existing literature to substantiate the construction of the model, followed by the development and structuring of the industry 4.0 evaluation model for the sugar industry, with specific considerations for application areas, and concluding with the application of the model in a case study. Finally, this work presents an Industry 4.0 evaluation model for the sugar sector, which can be used to evaluate the level of maturity of these organizations concerning Industry 4.0.

Optimization of factors for estimation of operational speed in horizontal curves

Castillo-Ñañez Castillo-Ñañez — 2025-06-26

The consistency of geometric design allows for evaluating a road layout based on drivers' expectations. In the literature, methodologies (Pollus and Mattar-Habib, 2004; Castro et al., 2006; Echaveguren, 2014) have been identified that define the level of consistency based on operational speed (V85). For estimating this, linear models are used, which include geometric elements and operational parameters as independent variables. The hypothesis of this study is that nonlinear models provide an adequate estimation of V85, as they account for the dependency of operational parameters through the curve. The objective of this work is to compare the estimation of V85 on rural two-lane roads using the Panel Data model and comparing it with a linear model. The sample includes 22,020 free-flow vehicles measured at five significant points of the curve on rural two-lane roads in Puerto Rico. For the analysis, 23 quantitative variables and 46 categorical variables were included, with significant ones being selected using the Best Subsets method and integrated into the Panel Data model. When compared, similarity in R² values is observed, resulting in the conclusion that the Panel Data model is suitable for estimating V85 for a road section, taking five points per road segment, with error statistics having lower values than those obtained by the other models.

Environmental effects in clay mining in Riohacha, La Guajiracilla en Riohacha, La Guajira

Dewin Andrés Gómez-Sanjuan — 2025-06-30

Currently, productive activities around clay mining have had a notable increase, which leads the industry to generate negative environmental impacts. The purpose of this research is: first, to identify the environmental effects derived from the exploitation of clay in the department of La Guajira, Colombia. Second, based on a review study, characterize the environmental regulations surrounding clay mining, envisioning the activity towards sustainable development. Although the analysis of environmental impacts is closely related to the local context, there is a dependency on the knowledge of regulations currently in force because these contemplate the guidelines and compliance duties regarding the use of natural resources; Therefore, today sustainability is an invaluable strategy that can be adapted to the realities of each organization by promoting socio-environmental and legal dimensions, which contributes to the foundation of cleaner farms that are attractive to the market due to the added value that this concept promotes.

Household air pollutants (PMx and PAHs) from combustion of biomass: A holistic approach

Nazly E. Sanchez-Peña — 2025-07-09

Urban areas, but especially rural and dispersed rural regions in developing countries, experience significant indoor air pollution primarily caused by using solid fuels for daily domestic activities, such as cooking. The lack of access to clean energy sources, combined with the use of inefficient stoves, has created a substantial health risk, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children, unborn babies, and individuals with comorbidities; numerous original research articles have documented this issue. This study presents a systematic review of information published in scientific literature and governmental reports from 1989 to 2024, focusing on pollutant emissions (PMx and PAHs) in households, with particular attention to the following analysis categories: 1) variables influencing the level of pollutant generation, 2) health effects due to indoor exposure, and 3) governmental actions and policies aimed at addressing the problem, especially those related to technological modifications. Cooking methods in different countries, cultural culinary differences among rural populations, kitchen configurations, types of biomass used, and variations in burner technology determine the concentration of indoor pollutants (PMx and PAHs) in households. The literature has reported a wide range of health issues related to indoor exposure, including diabetes, hypertension, asthma, rhinitis, and lung cancer, among others. Additionally, authors consistently suggest increased efforts to minimize the risk for women cooking with biomass or fossil fuels in rural areas, as strategies and policies remain scarce and ineffective, particularly in developing countries.

Utilizing Moringa and Sunflower Oils as Sustainable Additives for Reduced Viscosity and Lower Working Temperatures in Asphalt Binder

Gutemberg Gonçalves da Silva — 2025-07-09

In efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the use of vegetable oils as additives in asphalt binders has gained significant interest. However, the limited availability of vegetable oil in certain regions poses challenges, as its use must not compromise critical applications like food production. To encourage the adoption of vegetable oils in asphalt pavements, it is crucial to diversify their use across different regions, such as Brazil, which offers favorable conditions for cultivating various oilseeds like soy, palm, cotton, sunflower, and moringa. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of incorporating moringa and sunflower oils at concentrations of 1%, 1.5%, 2%, and 2.5% by weight of the asphalt binder in reducing binder viscosity and achieving lower working temperatures during mixture preparation and compaction. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to assess the significance of the data. The results demonstrate that incorporating vegetable oils reduced asphalt binder viscosity, mixing temperature, and compaction temperature. Moringa oil showed the most substantial reductions, with a decrease of 18.3°C in compaction temperature and 13.8°C in mixing temperature at a 2.5% concentration. Additionally, the use of vegetable oils effectively reduced the binder's susceptibility to aging while maintaining its resistance to permanent deformation. An optimal content of 2% vegetable oil was identified for pavement applications. This research highlights the potential of vegetable oils, particularly moringa and sunflower oils, as sustainable and effective additives for modifying asphalt binders, contributing to reduced environmental impact and promoting more sustainable infrastructure practices. Through blending charts, it was found that incorporating 2.5% of these vegetable oils allows the use of approximately 43% RAP in recycled asphalt mixtures.