Professional Ethical Responsibilities of Career Counsellor

Professional Ethical Responsibilities of Career Counsellor Goh Peng Hng Assessments are an integral part in Career Counseling. As responsible and trained counselor, what are the professional and ethical responsibilities in conducting an assessment for career counseling throughout the process of intervention? Assessment, as quoted in the American Counseling Association states it is â€Å"the process of collecting in-depth information about a person in order to develop a comprehensive plan that will guide the collaborative counseling and service provision process† ( â€Å"Code of Ethics, † 2014. p20). It is known that assessment is an essential component in the process of counseling. If a proper assessment is not carried out, it could prove detrimental to the counseling process. But what purposes does the assessment strive to achieve that makes it so important? First and foremost, assessment serves the purpose of gathering background information for taking further action. According to the American Counseling Association, assessment is primarily utilized for the purpose of attaining information for other purposes such as client decision making or treatment planning ( â€Å"Code of Ethics, † 2014. p11). Secondly, the information gathered from assessment helps the counsel or gain a greater understanding of the client, which in turn benefits the client. For example, during counseling sessions, counselors carry out their duty while considering the clients personal and cultural circumstances ( â€Å"Code of Ethics, † 2014. p11). This ensures the counseling provided is more effective for the client. Lastly, the well-being of individual is promoted through the usage of appropriate educational, mental health, psychological and career assessment carried out by competent and qualified counselors ( â€Å"Code of Ethics, † 2014. p11). In general, what this means is that assessment provides clarity and aid in the client in understanding themselves and figuring out the steps for the future. When assessing a client, there are various professional responsibilities involved. These responsibilities which are written in the code of ethics and are the general standards of any organization consisting of counselors and other healthcare professionals who administer assessments. One example of such a responsibility includes addressing to the clients about the assessment which is being administered, including the function, usage and results of the assessment. Additionally, the client also has the rights to information such as the people who will be able to acquire the results, how the results will be kept and distributed ( â€Å"Code of Professional Responsibilities, † 1995. p6). Security is also a professional responsibility of great importance for counselors. Counselors are required to take applicable and necessary steps prior to, throughout, and following the assessment ( â€Å"Code of Professional Responsibilities, † 1995. p6). The results of the assessment are t o be strictly kept under a watchful eye and safe in a secure environment. This is to ensure that there is no breach of sensitive information as the client is promised privacy and confidentiality. It is also a responsibility of a counselor to use standardized assessments, strictly following the rules and regulations and alert the client if there are any abnormal conditions that arise ( â€Å"Code of Professional Responsibilities, † 1995. p6 ).This guarantees that the results are valid and reliable and the success of the assessing procedure. Besides professional responsibilities, ethical responsibilities are also taken into consideration when assessing a client. According to the National Career Development Association (NCDA), there are a multitude of ethical responsibilities. One of the many that are shown is the respect of the clients confidentiality, or honoring the trust placed in the counselor. It is the counselors responsibility to gather solely information that pertains to the professional relationship between counselor and client during an assessment ( â€Å"Code of Ethics, † 2007. p10). This is the respect for the clients privacy, as asking any more could be due to the counselors curiosity. Which, however, would be unrelated to the assessment and thus, unethical. Another responsibility closely related to privacy is confidentiality. Although the two terms are similar, it is worth noting that they are not the same and have a great difference in the context of ethics. Respect for confidentiality is responsibi lity which means that counselors are strictly prohibited from sharing the results of their assessment or any other classified information without the informed consent of their client. The only exception is that if the counselor has any logical and appropriate legal or ethical reasons to justify the distribution of the information ( â€Å"Code of Ethics, † 2007. p10). Being fair is also a ethical responsibility of a counselor. What this means is that counselors have to be unbiased and neutral when treating all clients. Clients must be given standardized assessments and treated as unique individuals with human rights. This responsibility expects the counselor to have the capacity to be non-judgemental and recognize the exclusive identities of each and every individual ( â€Å"Ethical Framework, † 2010. p3). The British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy (BACP) suggests that counselors have the ethical responsibility of assessing the client without meaning any s ort of harm to the client. Any harm to the client must be prevented be it sexual, financial, emotional or any other form of client exploitation. Included in this responsibility is also to be competent and all times and not providing services when the counselor is unfit to ensure that assessments are done correctly ( â€Å"Ethical Framework, † 2010. p3). This is a vital point as ignoring these guidelines is likely to cause inaccurate assessment results, which might harm the client as a result. Prior to assessment, there are responsibilities to be upheld by counselors. One of such is the maintenance of assessment security and integrity. This responsibility expects counselors to protect the assessment materials by preventing improper use and distribution. They should stored in a secure place that can be only accessed by the staff with authorization. The few people who are allowed to have access to qualified and competent counselors who can interpret the results in the proper manner ( â€Å"Administration Practices, † 2004. p7). Reproduction of test results is also strictly prohibited. Another of one of the standard responsibilities of the counselor administering the assessment is the selection of a testing environment before assessment ( â€Å"Administration Practices, † 2004. p7). This is due to the fact that if clients are comfortable in the testing environment, they will be able to answer the questions posed more accurately. Other than the location of the as sessment, the testing period for the client brings about a similar purpose. The time at which the assessment is scheduled to take place must a time where the client is able to function best ( â€Å"Administration Practices, † 2004. p7). Counselors must judge the clients readiness and willingness to participate in the assessment and may then begin after in the responsibilities to be portrayed before an assessment. Not only are there responsibilities prior to the assessment, there also various responsibilities to be taken note of during the process of assessment. One of the main responsibilities during the assessment is the observation of the client. This ensures that the client follows the instructions given and will thus be able to provide a more valid and reliable result. The client will also be able to alert the counselor if there is any problem that arises during the midst of the assessment. For example, if a client has difficulty understanding the directions given, the counselor would be present to explain it in a brief and concise ( â€Å"Administration Practices, † 2004. p10). This comes hand in hand with reading the instructions of the assessment material. As the assessment begins, it is the responsibility of the counselor to read the instructions as written on the material. This should be done in a â€Å"natural, deliberate tone of voice and manner† ( â€Å"Administrati on Practices, † 2004. p10). At the exact moment where the assessment ends, the counselor has to gather all of the materials used. This is vital as it affirms the security of the assessment ( â€Å"Administration Practices, † 2004. p11). Failing to do so may cause a breach of confidentiality which will in turn affect the relationship between client and counselor. Counselors are obligated to give information in the event that the whereabouts of the materials are unknown. Following the end of an assessment, responsible counselors should check the assessment material in detail. The answers provided should be clear and easy to be interpreted. For example, if there are faintly marked answers, counselor should darken it for clarity. The test must be confirmed to be completely finished and checked thoroughly before the documents can be interpreted ( â€Å"Administration Practices, † 2004. p11). One of the most important responsibilities is the security of the documents ( â€Å"Code of Professional Responsibilities, † 1995. p6). The client must have full knowledge of the safety of the results. The client must be able to make an informed decision regarding the release of the results. Lastly, it is the responsibility of the counselor to judge the clients readiness before disclosing the results to the client. If the client is not ready, the results are not supposed to be released under any circumstances. This is done in the best interests of the client and it is to ensure the results will not harm them if disclosed prematurely. Overall, it is clearly shown that the assessment is a complex and crucial part in the process of career counseling. There are a plethora of responsibilities to be upheld by the counselors during assessment, be it professional or ethical. The responsibilities discussed in this paper are based upon the standard codes of ethics and responsibilities created by renowned and recognized organizations. Following these responsibilities ensures that a counselor can accurately carry out an assessment and bring the margin of error to a bare minimum.

Role of Silicosis in Silica-associated Lung Cancer

Role of Silicosis in Silica-associated Lung Cancer Background Crystalline silica is a mineral compound composed of silicon and oxygen atoms that are arranged in a repeating pattern. Common polymorphs of crystalline silica include quartz, cristobalite and tridymite, with quartz as the most common form. Human exposure to crystalline silica is most often from occupational tasks that involve disturbance, use or manufacture of quartz-containing materials, including stonecutting, mining, quarrying and ceramics.[i],[ii] In 1997, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded there was sufficient evidence for carcinogenicity in humans with occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica in the quartz or cristobalite form.[iii] The 1997 IARC Monograph noted the greater part of epidemiologic studies reported the presence of silicosis (referring to the chronic or also known as classic type), a fibrotic disease of the lung that is associated with high exposure to respirable crystalline silica dust, increases excess lung cancer risk among workers exposed to silica. However, it remains unclear whether lung cancer development among these workers is due to the presence of silicosis or due to exposure to significant silica levels with silicosis being a confounder rather than a prerequisite. A recent literature review of relevant epidemiological studies confirmed that there remains uncertainty about excess lung cancer risk exclusively among silicotic workers due to the shortcomings of the design of existing epidemiological studies, including the inaccurate measurement of silica exposure, inadequate characterization of the exposure-response relationship between crystalline silica and lung cancer, inadequate control for potential confounders such as known lung cancer risk factors and the presence of other carcinogenic agents in the workplace, and the absence of comparing the lung cancer risk between silicotics and non-silicotic (do not have silicosis) workers as controls. The proposed research study attempts to clari fy the role of silicosis in silica-associated lung cancer development by addressing some of the identified study design challenges. Significance Determining if silicosis is a prerequisite for lung cancer development has important public health implications for setting occupational standard for silica exposure, implementing workplace medical surveillance programs and determining causation in medico-legal cases. For example, if it is determined that lung cancer risk increases among workers exposed to silica only in the presence of silicosis, then efforts should be focused on reducing high silica exposure to a level that reduces the risk of developing silicosis. However, if it is determined that silicosis is not a prerequisite, then lung cancer development can occur at silica exposures lower than those likely to cause silicosis, which makes prevention of exposure to high silica levels not adequate for worker protection. Specific Aims To better understand the role of silicosis in the pathway leading to lung cancer from occupational exposure to silica, the specific aims of the study are: To examine the association between occupational exposure to crystalline silica and lung cancer risk in the presence and absence of silicosis and To measure the exposure-response relationship between crystalline silica and lung cancer risk with risk estimates adjusted by silicosis Procedures/Methods Study Design and Population A nested case-control study design will be utilized to analyze the association between occupational exposure to crystalline silica and lung cancer risk among silicotic and non-silicotic workers from an original cohort mortality study. The original study was conducted among workers from the Vermont granite industry.[iv] They were identified from a group insurance program enrollment between January 1st, 1947 and December 31st, 1998, Vermont Department of Health Division of Industrial Hygiene (DIH) records, pension records, data from a study of workers employed from 1979 to 1987 and data from a study of retired workers.iv The data from the multiple sources were linked to avoid duplications. As a result, the cohort consisted of 7052 Vermont granite industry workers. The mortality follow-up of the cohort identified 359 observed lung cancer deaths. iv Age at death, smoking history and silica dust exposure, medical history of obstructive lung disease and demographics will be compared betwee n the cases and controls. Workers that did not have sufficient smoking information, work histories and available chest radiographs were excluded. The exposure of interest will be the cumulative exposure to silica dust. The study population is unique in that the Vermont granite industry has a long history of silica exposure, medical surveillance and a general exclusion of occupational exposures associated with lung cancer. Case Ascertainment Lung cancer cases will be ascertained from the original Vermont granite industry cohort study. The vital status and cause of data was ascertained from the US National Death Index (NDI), US Social Security Administration vital status records and the Vermont State Records Office. The cause of death was coded to the 9th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9). Control Ascertainment Controls will also be ascertained from the original cohort study. The controls are defined as workers who did not die from lung cancer. Lung cancer cases will be matched to 2 controls by age. Silicosis Ascertainment The presence of silicosis among the cases and controls would be obtained from compensation and medical surveillance records. Silica Exposure Measurement Cumulative exposure to respirable crystalline silica was measured using a job exposure matrix that utilized industrial hygiene measurements. The cumulative exposures are categorized in quartiles. Sample Size Justification According to the sample size calculator (http://www.surveysystem.com/sscalc.htm), it is estimated that this study would need approximately 360 subjects are required in the study to obtain the confidence level of 95% with an interval of 5%, if we are selecting subjects from the 7052 Vermont granite industry workers cohort. We will strive to obtain 90 cases and 180 controls, based on the availability of sufficient smoking information, work histories and chest radiographs. Statistical Analysis Statistical analysis will be performed to calculate odds ratios to examine the association between lung cancer and total and each quartile of cumulative silica exposure in the presence and absence of silicosis. Odds ratios will be adjusted for smoking, obstructive lung disease and age as they are potential confounders. Odds ratios will be calculated with 95% confidence intervals. Study Strengths Strengths of the proposed study include: comparing the association of silica exposure and lung cancer in both silicotic and non-silicotic workers measuring the exposure-response relationship between silica and lung cancer risk, taking into account the presence and absence silicosis controlling for potential confounders of smoking and obstructive lung disease excluding potential confounders of other occupational exposures associated with lung cancer by studying the granite industry cohort conducting a nested case-control study is less expensive than a full cohort study since a comparably significant number of lung cancer cases have emerged Study Limitations Potential biases and study limitations are: Selection bias is a concern as silicotic workers are identified from compensation and medical surveillance records Silicotic workers may be diagnosed by different criteria, but resulting in non-differential misclassification Differential misclassification may result from categorizing the silica exposure in quartiles Silica exposure assessment may not be accurate if the job exposure matrix is methodologically sound Only studied one type of industry associated with silica exposure Non-diseased persons from whom the controls are selected may not be fully representative of the original cohort due to loss to follow-up or death References [i] International Labour Organization (ILO)/SafeWork Bookshelf (2006). ILO Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety: Volume 1, Part I. Body: Chapter 10 Silicosis. Available at http://www.ilo.org/safework_bookshelf/english?dnd=170000102nh=0. [ii] Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) (2002). OSHA Fact Sheet: Crystalline Silica Exposure Health Hazard Information [Electronic Version]. Available at http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/crystalline-factsheet.pdf [iii] WHO/IARC (1997). IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans: Silica, Some Silicates, Coal Dust and para-Aramid Fibrils [Electronic Version]. Volume 68; available at http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol68/mono68.pdf. [iv] Vacek PM, Verma DK, Graham WG, Callas PW, Gibbs GW (2010). Mortality in Vermont granite workers and its association with silica exposure. Occup Environ Med, 68(5), 312-318.

Java Script :: essays research papers

Equipment –   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Backpacking equipment is highly efficient and well-designed to minimize the weight that must be carried. The equipment is also expensive and should be borrowed from someone you know if available to allow you to have more money for your hiking trip. Hiking Boots, Socks, and Gaiters –   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Good quality leather hiking boots are essential for serious backpacking because they offer protection and comfort. Sandals may be seen but are not worn when traveling for many miles. Boots that are durable usually last over many miles which may lead into many years. Most boots have soles made of synthetic rubber known as Vibram. Light weight shoes offer protection at a reasonable cost and decreased break-in time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beginning Hikers tend to buy boots that are heavier and more expensive than necessary because it is important to have boots that fit properly and be long enough so that the toes don’t contact the front of the boot while walking downhill. Boots must be well broken in before attempting to hike on the trail. They should be worn at every opportunity before making a long hike, to make sure they won’t cause blisters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Socks are important companion pieces to boots and most hikers use two pairs. The inner pair is usually is lightweight wool, polypropylene, or similar material to wick moisture away from the feet. The outer pair is usually heavyweight wool to provide cushioning of the feet within the boots. Clean socks should be worn everyday and at least one extra set of socks is needed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nylon or Gore-Tex gaiters will assist in keeping debris such as dirt and snow from entering the top of the boots. Gaiters usually have side or rear zippers to allow the person to put them on or take them off without having to remove the boot.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sandals or lightweight tennis shoes are often overlooked as a campsite alternative. A pair of sandals can allow a hiker to air out the feet and dry out the boots at the same time. Sandals or tennis shoes do not offer enough support for carrying heavy loads, but they do have a function around the campsite. Packs -   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The pack is a are mounted on external frames. It should be possible to remove the pack from the frame in case one wants to use the frame for carrying loads other than the pack. Frames are made of lightweight metal usually tubular aluminum alloy.

Comparing Of Mice and Men and John Steinbecks Life Essay -- compariso

   John Steinbeck's agricultural upbringing in the California area vibrantly shines through in the settings and story lines of the majority of his works. Steinbeck's novel, Of Mice and Men, takes place in the Salinas Valley of California. The drama is centered around two itinerant farm workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, with a dream of someday owning a place of their own. Lennie Small is a simple-minded, slow moving, shapeless hulk with pale eyes whose enormous physical strength often causes him to get into trouble. George Milton on the other hand is small in stature, clever, dark of face and eyes, and acts as Lennie's guardian and calming force. Early in the story the prospect of their ever realizing their dream seems remote, but as the plot unfolds (they meet a crippled bunkhouse worker who wants to go in with them on the scheme, and who offers offer to chip in his life savings), the probability of fulfillment rises. If the three pool their salaries at the end of the current month, they can quit and move into their farm. Lennie manages to avoid disaster for exactly three days. He gets involved with the flirtatious wife of Curley, the boss' violent son. Through a series of unfortunate events, he becomes frightened and inadvertently kills the girl. Curley organizes a group to apprehend Lennie. George gets to Lennie first and out of sympathy for his companion, shoots him in the head to spare him the pain of Curley's shotgun or the misery of incarceration. Lennie's killing of mice and later his killing of the puppy sets up a pattern that the reader expects to be followed. George's story about Lennie and the little girl with the red dress, which he tells twice, adds to this expectancy, as do the shooting of Candy's d... ...ypical Steinbeck novel in terms of simplicity, story line, and setting. Steinbeck transplants the knowledge he gained and the images he conceived of California in his writings. Works Cited and Consulted: Bloom, Harold. John Steinbeck. Pennsylvania: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999. Davis, Robert Murray. Steinbeck: A Collection of Critical Essays. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1972. Fontenrose, Joseph. John Steinbeck: An Introduction and Interpretation. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1964. French, Warren. John Steinbeck's Fiction Revisited. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1994. Lisca, Peter. The Wide World of John Steinbeck. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1958. Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Books USA Incorporated, 1978. Tedlock, E.W. Steinbeck and His Critics. Albuquerque: The University of New Mexico Press, 1957.    Comparing Of Mice and Men and John Steinbeck's Life Essay -- compariso    John Steinbeck's agricultural upbringing in the California area vibrantly shines through in the settings and story lines of the majority of his works. Steinbeck's novel, Of Mice and Men, takes place in the Salinas Valley of California. The drama is centered around two itinerant farm workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, with a dream of someday owning a place of their own. Lennie Small is a simple-minded, slow moving, shapeless hulk with pale eyes whose enormous physical strength often causes him to get into trouble. George Milton on the other hand is small in stature, clever, dark of face and eyes, and acts as Lennie's guardian and calming force. Early in the story the prospect of their ever realizing their dream seems remote, but as the plot unfolds (they meet a crippled bunkhouse worker who wants to go in with them on the scheme, and who offers offer to chip in his life savings), the probability of fulfillment rises. If the three pool their salaries at the end of the current month, they can quit and move into their farm. Lennie manages to avoid disaster for exactly three days. He gets involved with the flirtatious wife of Curley, the boss' violent son. Through a series of unfortunate events, he becomes frightened and inadvertently kills the girl. Curley organizes a group to apprehend Lennie. George gets to Lennie first and out of sympathy for his companion, shoots him in the head to spare him the pain of Curley's shotgun or the misery of incarceration. Lennie's killing of mice and later his killing of the puppy sets up a pattern that the reader expects to be followed. George's story about Lennie and the little girl with the red dress, which he tells twice, adds to this expectancy, as do the shooting of Candy's d... ...ypical Steinbeck novel in terms of simplicity, story line, and setting. Steinbeck transplants the knowledge he gained and the images he conceived of California in his writings. Works Cited and Consulted: Bloom, Harold. John Steinbeck. Pennsylvania: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999. Davis, Robert Murray. Steinbeck: A Collection of Critical Essays. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1972. Fontenrose, Joseph. John Steinbeck: An Introduction and Interpretation. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1964. French, Warren. John Steinbeck's Fiction Revisited. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1994. Lisca, Peter. The Wide World of John Steinbeck. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1958. Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Books USA Incorporated, 1978. Tedlock, E.W. Steinbeck and His Critics. Albuquerque: The University of New Mexico Press, 1957.   

Essay --

Escaping the confinements of a gallery wall, we leave the formalistic ideals of limitations that art set by the existing parameters. Thinking beyond the white walls allows a bridge between humanity and art enabling them to have a direct relationship and become one. They become a harmony of two voices, clarity; a marriage. â€Å"The form, material and even the birth process of the work takes the location into account. The surrounding space in itself may act as an artistic element†(Jokela). The locale of a work of art is not just a particular setting but something that completely becomes involved within the work. Their direct relationship is unifying, feeding off each other while not allowing the characteristics of one becoming more important than the characteristics of the other. The significance is what the viewer sees and the artist’s purpose for the work. The gaps are blurred. Art in the natural environment captivates one’s attention as to the way that the elem ents of true reality play a role in it. The idea of art moving to the outdoor world leaves no restrictions to a certain style, and it abandons formal and traditional artistic ideas and values. Works of art escaping simplistic white walls of a gallery was a branch off of minimalism in the 1960s and 1970s, taking concepts such as experiencing space around a form to the next level (Nisbet.) This particular movement of art converging into daily life linked spacial and environmental awareness on a physicality and conceptual level. When art is experienced outdoors, it is not sequestered but brought together with physical existence. The work becomes a mental and bodily experience for the viewers to really observe. Conversely, in a gallery, the walls already exist in the peripheral vis... ... the wind and light creating dialogue between each other. This art closely pays attention to the â€Å"living beauty† and in transitioning from one of the structures to the other (Castro). â€Å"The artist’s connection to nature is respectful, almost sacral. It is as if the work refers to nature’s own beauty or significance. The work of art opens one’s eyes to see something ordinary and everyday in a new way†(Jokela). Central park was of major importance to this piece in being made, and it became a part of others lives who lived there and saw Central Park on a daily basis. According to the couple, art is meant to be a life experience for themselves and for the viewers, which is something that can’t completely be fulfilled within a gallery system. When the work is completed, it incorporates itself into something that perpetuates into nature and all its environmental effects.

International Law and Individual Rights Essay

The international law has been undergoing some evolutions since early and mid 19th century. The original international law laid a lot of emphasis on just the state as the custodian of individual rights of its citizens. (L. Oppenheim, 1912. )However, the law deemed inadequate to address individual rights, thus, following some developments, the law has undergone some transformations, which are aimed at promoting individual rights, regardless of their country, state, race, gender or religion. The main developments which have triggered these evolutions of the international law include the Holocaust, the Second World War and the establishment of international criminal courts mainly to try the perpetrators of recent genocides like the former Yugoslavia, and Rwanda The Holocaust was a form of genocide, in which Germany, lead by Adolf Hitler, undertook the extermination of stateless Jews in Germany in which 6 million Jews were killed. Nazi Germany planned and implemented the Holocaust because of the domestic jurisdiction principle of the then international law, which prevented any other state from interfering when Hitler undertook the persecution of the Jews. This made the Geneva Convention which came into being between 1864 and 1949 as a result of efforts by Henry Dunant, realize that the law needed radical changes to enable the international community to intervene in domestic matters of a nation especially those linked to individual rights (Buergenthal, T. 978 and 1997) The need for further changes to the status of individuals under international law went a notch higher after the Second World War, in which many people lost their lives due to the state of anarchy which prevailed then. In 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt in his freedom speech called for a world order in which the world could be founded upon four freedoms namely freedom of speech and expression, International Law and Individual Rights 4 reedom of worship in any way, freedom from want and freedom from fear. This was followed by the formation of the United Nations in 1949, whose main concern, among others was to address the International law, so as to empower the international community to address large scale violations of individual rights. The international law was further to evolve with the establishment of international criminal courts mainly to try the perpetrators of recent genocides like the former Yugoslavia, and Rwanda which took place in mid 1990s. A treaty to create the new international criminal court was formed in 2002, while the international criminal court was formally constituted in 2003, about six decades after the Nuremberg trials (R. K. Woetzel 1962) and the Holocaust. The main objective of this court is to ensure that nations revise their human rights aspects in their constitutions and more importantly, prosecute the leaders who oversee the violation of human rights. It can be seen that international law has undergone all these evolutions, which are all inclined towards protecting the rights of the individual, not just the nation.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle of Bits, Pilani-Dubai Campus for the International Aerial Robotics Competition 2011

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle of BITS, Pilani-Dubai Campus for the International Aerial Robotics Competition 2011 Saurabh Ladha, Deepan Kishore Kumar, Robin Singh ,Pavitra Bhalla, Anant Mittal, Aditya Jain, Anshul Upreti, Prof. Dr. R. K. Mittal, Dr Anand Kumar Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani-Dubai Campus, Dubai, UAE ABSTRACT The Intelligent Flying Object for Reconnaissance (IFOR) is an autonomous aerial vehicle that has been developed by BITS Pilani Dubai Campus students.The vehicle is capable of localizing itself using the SLAM algorithm, stabilize its attitude (pitch, roll and yaw) and altitude using PID controllers, plan paths around obstacles and navigate an unknown indoor environment with wall following guidance. In addition, it has been designed to be capable of pattern recognition which would enable it to recognize images and signs. These features enable the IFOR to execute the 6th mission of the International Aerial Robotics Competition, which involves scanning an unknown indoor arena protected by laser barriers and cameras, bestrewn with obstacles, in the search for a flash drive. 1.INTRODUCTION The field of robotics is witnessing a paradigm shift in the operation and use of robots. With robots becoming autonomous and intelligent day by day, their application and use has increased tremendously. Aerial robots specifically have an edge over other autonomous vehicles due to its higher degrees of freedom in motion and agile maneuverability. To tap these features and advance the applications and versatility of the quadrotor is the aim of the team. 1. 1 Problem Statement The 6th mission of the IARC requires teams to infiltrate a military facility from which a flash drive has to be retrieved and replaced by a decoy.This flash drive is placed in the ‘Office of the Chief of Security’, identifiable by a unique Arabic pattern. To reach this room, a vehicle must explore a ‘maze’ of rooms avoiding randomly placed obstacles alon g its path. In addition it must also avoid detection by a camera and laser barriers placed within the arena. Once the target pen drive is found it must retrieve the object after dropping a decoy in its place, the entire mission must be performed in under 10 minutes. 1. 2 Conceptual Solution Team IFOR will be using a quadrotor as its aerial vehicle to execute the 6th mission.The vehicle will use wall following guidance to explore the maze, whilst a path planning system shall continuosly scan the environment to plan optimum paths around obstacles. Localization in a global frame can be accomplished using the SLAM algorithm, the output of which can be used by a Drift Control system to Page 1 of 10 correct unintentional drift. The Image processing routine runs in parallel to find recognizable patterns in its surrounding. Ground Station Wi- ­? Fi 2. 4 GHz Hokuyo scanning laser range finder Camera Guidance, Navigation, Control - ­? Mission planner - ­? Wall following guidance - ­? Path planning  ­? Target retrieval - ­? Pattern matching CoreExpress breakout board Intel Atom Z530 Image recognition Analog 72 MHz Safety Pilot Inertial Measurement Unit - ­? MEMS gyro sensors - ­? 3D magnetic compass - ­? 3 axis accelerometer ARM7 Microprocessor Stability Augmentation System - ­? Altitude hold - ­? Attitude hold Motors Sonar Altimeter Figure of Overall system architecture 1. 3 Yearly Milestones In the second year of the 6th Mission, Team IFOR intends to fly autonomously, navigate through the arena, and implement drift control, path planning and image processing(limited to recognition of the pen drive and signboards).SLAM will serve as a base system for the IFOR to successfully run all other systems that are directly dependent on the localized coordinates. Flash drive retrieval mechanism will be developed in the following year. Page 2 of 10 2. Air vehicle The team is using an off the shelf quadrotor from Ascending Technologies, the Asctec Pelican Quad rotor. The Pelican weighs about 980 g and has a payload capacity of 500 g, ideally suited for covert missions. The Asctec Pelican quadrotor and the propeller action. 2. 1 Propulsion and lift system The quadrotor is a Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) rotorcraft which is propelled by four rotors.By appropriately changing the rotor speeds the quadrotor can pitch, roll or yaw. Each of the four propellers produces a downward thrust about the centre of the blades and a torque about the arm of the quadrotor. The quadrotor can be flown either in diamond configuration where the pitch axis is the diagonal of the quadrotor or in square configuration where the axis of the pitch is parallel to two adjacent propellers. If all the four propellers spun in identical directions and speeds, the quadrotor would yaw about its centre of mass.To stabilize this yaw, the two sets of propellers spin in opposite directions and balance the angular momentum generated by the other two propellers. Pitch, in a square configuration, is achieved by reducing the speeds of two propellers (A and B) and increasing the speeds of the two propellers (C and D), this pitches the quadrotor in the direction of A and B. Roll is achieved in a similar way, by increasing speeds of propellers A and D and reducing the speeds of B and D, this rolls the quadrotor in the direction of B and D. 2. 2 Guidance Navigation and Control Control The quadrotor, by nature, is an aerodynamically unstable system.It hence demands to be one that is mechatronic in nature with its dynamics being controlled by PID generated control signals. This automatically calls for the Page 3 of 10 implementation of a feedback system to monitor the quads’ deviations from the desired response. The Asctec Pelican already has a PID controller implemented to control the attitude (pitch,roll and yaw). The Inertial Measurement Unit(IMU) readings are used as inputs for these loops, in addition, yaw control also uses the inputs generated by the magentometer. 2. Stability Augmentation systems The instability of the quadrotor arises from the fact that the aerial vehicles dynamics are electronically varied, which leads to a delay for the mechanical system to respond due to inertial reasons. The commanded attitude is delivered by use of the PID loops already described. In addition we have also implemented an altitude PID controller which can be described as below: Altitude Output = Kc         ? #               +                  1&'      ? #      ()   +*(()   ? +) ?- is the difference between the desired altitude and actual altitude . The MaxSonar LV sonar altimeter is used to for readings on the altitude.A drift control mechanism is also required since milligram imbalances in weight apart from other factors cause a quadrotor to drift unintentionally, the drift control is accomplished via a separate set of loops which can be described as follows: Pitch Output Roll Output = Kc         ? +               +                  1;'      ? +      ()   +*(()   ? +                      = Kc         ?. +                  1&'      ?. ()   +*(()   ?. ) ?/ is the difference between desired pitch and actual pitch ? 0 is the difference between desired roll and actual roll Kc is the controller parameter, from which Kp (Kc * 1), Ki (Kc / Ti) and Kd (Kc ** ) values are obtained.The require the Zeigler Nicholls Tuning method was used to generate optimum values for Kp Ki and Kd. R(s) + – Controller Gc(s) Measured Output System Input Process Gp (s) Control Output Sensor H (s) s: transfer function parameter Figure of control system architecture Page 4 of 10 The three loops described in this section are implemented on the Intel Atom board which is on board the vehicle. 2. 4 Navigation The quadrotor begins ascending and finds the window opening using feature detection. Once the window has been detecte d, the arena is infiltrated after checking whether the camera is on or off.Once inside the arena, the quadrotor moves close to the right wall and performs right wall following algorithm to explore the indoor arena. SLAM forms the base upon which the quadrotor extracts its local coordinates for adjusting drift of movement and also aligns itself with the wall to continue its navigation. The mission planner sets the direction in which the vehicle must move. 2. 5 SLAM The term SLAM is an acronym for Simultaneous Localization and Mapping. SLAM is concerned with the problem of building a map of an unknown environment by a mobile robot while at the same time navigating the environment using the map.SLAM consists of multiple parts; Landmark extraction, data association, state estimation, state update and landmark update. The team has developed a program that extracts data directly from the laser sensor and implements SLAM real-time using CoreSLAM libraries. CoreSLAM is a fully developed sim ple and efficient algorithm, which can perform SLAM using data just from a laser sensor. Due to its computational simplicity, it can easily be used on-board the vehicle. It integrates laser information in its localization subsystem based on particle filter, using two main functions: †¢ †¢ The scan o map distance function, which acts as the likelihood function used to test each state position hypothesis (particle) in the filter. The map update function, used to build the map as the robot is going forward. It uses a very simple Monte-Carlo algorithm to match the current scan with the map to get the updated (x,y) coordinates of the robot position estimate at all times during the mission. This localization is then provided to other higher-level modules such as drift control, path planning and mission planning. Page 5 of 10 2. Flight Termination System The quadrotor though autonomous in its flight can also be manually commanded to abort the flight.A safety kill switch mechanism has been developed in order to attain this safety feature. The kill switch will override all other running programs in the quadrotor and gradually reduce the throttle to zero so that the quadrotor can land safely. The Pelican has a built in termination system in which, the vehicle lands the moment the transmitter falls out of range. This feature is used for Flight termination via a kill switch which shuts the transmitter off and hence causes the vehicle to land. . Payload 3. 1 Sensor suite 3. 1. 1 GNC Sensor Asctec 3D MAG is a triple axis magnetometer that determines the vehicles heading by measuring the earth’s magnetic field. A Hokuyo-Light Detection and Ranging Device is used to scan the environment for SLAM, navigation and obstacle avoidance. A SONAR altimeter is used to measure the altitude of the quadrotor. The quadrotor’s sensory system includes an Inertial Measurement Unit comprising of a Triple axis accelerometer and a MEMS gyrometers. Each of these electroni c components perform crucial role in the flight stability, control and navigation. . 2 Mission sensor 3. 2. 1Target identification The image processing module of the quadrotor is capable of detecting the blue LED which indicates whether the camera is on or off, this is accomplished via blob detection. In addition, it is also capable of detecting signboards using Optical Character Recognition. 3. 2. 2 Obstacle detection and Avoidance The threat avoidance system of the quadrotor is directly a subroutine of the Path planning module. This sub routine identifies obstacles, classifies them as threat if they are in the intended path of travel.On finding an obstacle in the scan, the algorithm proceeds to suitably finding a path that would avoid the obstacle with the minimum possible deviation from the original path. We define a safe distance(the safe distance is contingent on the aerial vehicle’s kinematics) from an obstacle and a minimum clearance width, a scanning range of ? degree s in front of the quadrotor is calculated to be sufficient to identify the existence of an obstacle. If in this scanning angle range, a point is found to be too close to the quadrotor it is declared as an Page 6 of 0 obstacle. This is the point at which the â€Å"growth algorithm† takes over the navigation of the quadrotor. The growth algorithm and path planning are represented as follows: Reduce each scan by ? , thereby ‘growing ‘every obstacle If adajecent points lie too close then reduce by secondary factor ? Considering the quadrotor to be a point calculate the longest free path Assign imporatnce factor to di? erent clear paths based on of deviaRon from original path and total length Yaw towards the set path and pitch forward Repeat unRl no obstacles are found 3. Communications The vehicle communicates with a base computer via an Xbee module over the Zigbee protocol in order to deliver telemetry data. The other communication links include a WiFi link to delive r real time video to the base station. Both of these links operate at 2. 4 Ghz. Finally, a safety pilot can take control over the vehicle at any time using a Futaba radio controller operating at 72 Mhz. 3. 4 Power system The quadrotor is powered by an 11. 1V Lithium Polymer Battery. A power board is used to distribute power and communication lines to all motor controllers and other systems on board.This power board comprises of a switching power regulator to generate a stable Page 7 of 10 6V supply for the Auto Pilot board and a high power MosFET to switch current ON and OFF. 4. Operation 4. 1 Flight preparation Each flight test is performed with utmost precaution following the mentioned safety procedure which ensures a safe and smooth flight of the quadrotor. 4. 2 Checklist 1. Double Check LiPo battery voltage using voltmeter. 2. Examine the propellers, safety mounts, nuts and screws for any damage. 3. Test communication link between the quadrotor and the Ground station 4.Enable sa fety pilot and check kill switch action before flight. 5. Check status LED’s 4. 3 Man/Machine interface The Intel atom board which is on board the vehicle can be accessed via an LVDS display, this also allows other HMI devices like a mouse/keyboard to be connected. 5. Risk reduction 5. 1 Vehicle status Two status LEDs allow for a check on certain critical vehicle states. The Red LED blinking indicates that the sensors are being initialized and calibrated. Once the sensors are calibrated a green LED blinks rapidly indicating the flight control software is running. In case the battery voltage drops below under 9. volts a loud tone is emitted, with the beeping becoming faster as the voltage drops. 5. 2 Shock / Vibration isolation The Asctec Pelican is built on a carbon fiber frame which has a large value of Ultimate Tensile Strength; that is it can withstand a large amount of impact without necking. The quadrotor is also fitted with soft cushioning pads below the arms to ensure that any impact is cushioned. EMI/RFI Solutions Page 8 of 10 The quadrotor’s vital components that do not communicate wirelessly are wrapped with aluminum foil paper, which does not allow for Electromagnetic interference from the wireless devices.This simple solution is based on the principle of a Faraday’s cage. Sensitive components like these are also placed above all other devices. RFI is less in the vehicle as all the computation happens on board. Safety The IFOR is equipped with landing gear designed in a manner to deflect shock from the electronic system. The propellers are also covered, which ensures safety to both bystanders and the vehicle in case of a mishap. The ON/OFF switch on board is designed active low, so if for some reason the mechanical switch breaks or looses connection the vehicle will remain ON.However this mechanism is overridden by the safety kill switch. Modeling and Simulation The intelligence of the quadrotor was extensively tested for robust ness before and after burning the codes onto the on board processor. Image processing was developed from scratch to meet the requirements of the competition. The PID controllers were tested on Lab View. Testing Device / Routine HOKUYO LIDAR SLAM Cameras Drift Control Conclusion BITS Pilani Dubai Campus had developed IFOR to become a fully autonomous quadrotor that will be able to successfully accomplish the tasks of the IARC.The IFOR’s intelligence system comprises of Simultaneous Localization and Mapping algorithm for the bot to get localize itself in its environment, achieve drift control using a simple PID controller on each of the pitch, roll and altitude controls, this ensures that the flight operation to be steady without considerable oscillating variations. The navigation of the quadrotor is dependent on the wall following algorithm along with the mission planner. Obstacle avoidance ensures that indoor environments can be explored regardless of the Page 9 of 10 Testing Tested while running the intelligence software.Real time execution and experimentally determined accuracy of localization. Pre flight and On Flight testing for image processing Onboard as well off board testing for suitability to tuning presence of obstacles. Finally, image processing enables the quadrotor to scan for patterns, edges and symbols and make corresponding control outputs to maneuver the quadrotor to reach its target room with the flash drive. References 1) Johnson, E. N. and Schrage, D. P. , â€Å"System Integration and Operation of a Research Unmanned Aerial Vehicle,† AIAA Journal of Aerospace Computing, Information and Communication, Vol. 1, No. 1, Jan 2004, pp. –18. Durrant-Whyte, H. ; Bailey, T. (2006). â€Å"Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM): Part I The Essential Algorithms†. Robotics and Automation Magazine 13 (2): 99–110. Andrew J. Davison. Real-time simultaneous localization and mapping with International Conference on Com puter V i s i o n ( I C C V ’ 0 3 ) – V o l u m e 2 , 2003. a single camera. Ninth IEEE 2) 3) 4) Chowdhary, G. V. and Johnson, E. N. , â€Å"Theory and Flight Test Validation of Long Term Learning A d a p t i v e F l i g h t Controller,† Proceedings of the AIAA Guidance Navigation and Control Conference, Honolulu, HI, 2008. 5) 6) Michelson, R. Rules for the International Aerial Robotics Competition 6th Mission, http://iarc. angelstrike. com/IARC_6th_Mission_Rules. pdf Hoffmann,    G. M. , Huang, H. , Waslander, S. L. , ; Tomlin, C. J. (2007). Quadrotor Helicopter Flight Dynamics and Control Theory and Experiment. AIAA Guidance, Navigation and Control Conference and Exhibit, 20(23), 1- ­? 20. Point Grey - ­? Imaging - ­? Firefly MV CMOS USB 2. 0 / FireWire Camera. (n. d. ). Point Grey CCD and CMOS Digital Cameras for Industrial, Machine, and Computer Vision. Retrieved June 1, 2010, from http://www. ptgrey. com/products/fireflymv/index. asp 7) Page 10 of 1 0