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Taking robotic patents between 1977 and 2017 and building upon the topic modeling technique, we extract their latent topics, analyze how important these topics are over time, and how they are related to each other looking at how often they are recombined in the same patents. This allows us to differentiate between more and less important technological trends in robotics based on their stage of diffusion and position in the space of knowledge represented by a topic graph, where some topics appear isolated while others are highly interconnected. Furthermore, utilizing external reference texts that characterize service robots from a technical perspective, we propose and apply a novel approach to match the constructed topics to service robotics. The matching procedure is based on frequency and exclusivity of words overlapping between the patents and the reference texts. We identify around 20 topics belonging to service robotics. Our results corroborate earlier findings, but also provide novel insights on the content and stage of development of application areas in service robotics. With this study we contribute to a better understanding of the highly dynamic field of robotics as well as to new practices of utilizing the topic modeling approach, matching the resulting topics to external classifications and applying to them metrics from graph theory. © 2021 The Author(s). Financial support from the Helmholtz Association (HIRG-0069) is gratefully acknowledged. Ivan Savin acknowledges support from the Russian Science Foundation [RSF grant number 19-18-00262]. This work has benefited from presentations at workshops in Kiel, Strasbourg, Karlsruhe, the EMAEE conference in Brighton and the EAEPE conference in Bilbao. All remaining shortcomings are our responsibility.

The AEAOD– ΔAEAOD grid proposed by Gobbi et al. (2007) is a graphical method used to visually represent the spectral characterization of aerosol optical depth (AOD), i.e. Angström exponent (AE) and its curvature, in order to infer the fine mode contribution (η) to the total AOD and the size of the fine mode aerosol particles. Perrone et al. (2014) applied this method for the wavelengths widely used in lidar measurements. However, in neither case does the method allow for a direct relationship between η and the fine mode fraction contribution to the total aerosol population. Some discussions are made regarding the effect of shape and composition to the classical AE-ΔAE plot. The potential use of particle backscatter measurements, widely used in aerosol characterization methods together with extinction measurements, is also discussed in the AE-ΔAE grid context. A modification is proposed that yields the submicron contribution to the total volume concentration by using particle extinction data, and a comparison to experimental measurements is made. Our results indicate that the use of a modified AE-ΔAE grid plot to directly obtain submicrometric and micrometric mode fraction to the total aerosol population is feasible if a volume-based bimodal particle size distribution is used instead of a number-based one., Andalusia Regional Government through project P12-RNM-2409, Spanish Ministry of Sciences, Innovation and Universities (CGL2016-81092 and CGL2017 -90884 - REDT)

The aim of the present work is to use graphical methods based on the evaluation of selected trace metals (Mn, Cu, Cr, V and Ni) and wind direction monitoring data to identify sources of trace metal in the main urban areas of the Cantabria Region (Northern Spain). These graphical methods take into account the frequency of wind in each sector and the measured concentration of trace elements in PM10. The comparison between the contribution of wind and selected trace metals to each sector is presented in polar diagrams. The main conclusions derived from these diagrams are compared to those obtained from radial diagrams based on pollutant concentration roses computed from daily metal levels and hourly wind direction data. The procedure, based on plotting the ratio between the contribution of trace metals and wind data to each sector on polar diagrams, may result in an easier interpretation. Finally, both procedures are applied to data from three sampling sites located in Santander Bay, to study the influence of point sources on the levels of Mn. The analysis of the results shows that similar conclusions were obtained from both methods. These methods are primarily recommended when large emissions are produced by local point sources. The authors are thankful for the financial support from the CTM 2010-16068 project (Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation). The authors would also like to thank the Regional Environment Ministry of the Cantabria Government for providing the PM10 samples at the GUAR, CAST and TORR sites, and the Meteorological State Agency (AEMET) for supplying the wind information at SANT.