Closed form solution for the sensor registration problem using only position information

Sensors, mounted on the dexterous end of a robot, can be used for feedback control or calibration. When you mount a sensor on a robot it becomes necessary to find the pose (orientation and position) of the sensor relative to the robot. This is the sensor registration problem. Many researchers have provided closed-form solutions to the sensor registration problem; however, the published solutions apply only to sensors that can measure a complete pose (three positions and three orientations). Many sensors, however, can provide only position information; they cannot measure the orientation of an object. This article provides a closed-form solution to the sensor registration problem applicable when: (1) the sensor can provide only position information and (2) the robot can move along and rotate about straight lines. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Influence of Neotyphodium coenophialum on copper concentration in tall fescue

Poor performance of livestock that graze tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) has been associated with the endophyte fungus Neotyphodium coenophialum [Morgan-Jones and Gams] Glenn, Bacon, and Hanlin). Recent evidence suggests lowered Cu status and a depression of Cu-related immune function in steers that graze endophyte-infected (E+) tall fescue. Greenhouse and field studies investigated relationships between the endophyte and Cu concentrations in tall fescue. Seventeen infected 'Kenhy' clones were divided, and one plant of each pair was treated three times with Benomyl to remove the endophyte (E-). Plants were watered with nutrient solution in a greenhouse for 6 mo before sampling. Copper concentrations were greater (P < .001) in E- than in E+ clones (3.4 vs 2.8 microg/g; SE, .06). In the second greenhouse experiment, genetically similar E+ and E- 'Kentucky'-31 (KY-31) and 'Georgia Jessup' were grown from seed and fertilized with nutrient solution to produce mature plants. Copper concentrations were higher (P < .05) in E- than in E+ tall fescue (8.6 vs 7.6 microg/g; SE, .3). In a field plot experiment in Texas, E+ and E- KY-31 were grown with 0, 50, and 100% replacement of potential evapotranspiration. By September, Cu concentrations were higher (P < .05) in E- than in E+ tall fescue (7.3 vs 6.6 microg/g; SE, .2). In pasture experiments, KY-31 E+ (> 70% infection level) and E- (< 5% infection level) tall fescue were grown in Virginia at two locations with three rates of N fertilizer. Copper concentrations were higher (P < .05) in E- than in E+ tall fescue (4.8 vs 4.5 microg/g; SE, .1) and increased (P < .01) linearly in response to N. Our data demonstrate that the presence of the endophyte is associated with lower Cu concentrations in tall fescue, which may contribute to lowered Cu status in animals and thus contribute to the etiology of fescue toxicity.     

Do you have an internet acceptable use policy?

No longer is the question if the Internet will be used in the classroom but when the Internet will be used in the classroom. Superimposing this technology on procedural teaching methods in the highly regulated and structured environment known as public education is akin to managing chaos. The confusion experienced by educators at all levels is not unlike similar sentiments expressed by other professionals having survived rapid organizational changes in the business world over the period of the past five to seven years. With this in mind, an attempt to define educators' proactive responsibilities in preparation for these changes led to an extensive review of literature and a survey by one of the authors. A necessary first step in embracing technological changes in education is the development of an Internet Acceptable Use Policy. A policy shell is provided that can be used to formulate individual school policy.     

Dressing of filigree fine-grained metal bonded grinding wheels

Metal bonded grinding tools offer a remarkable potential for micro grinding because of their favorable wear behavior. However, metal bonded grinding tools, especially dicing blades, are hard to dress by conventional dressing methods. Electro contact discharge dressing, which is presented in this paper, is a numerically controlled dressing process offering the possibility to create the geometry and topography of the grinding wheel simultaneously at negligible dressing forces. The power of an electric circuit thermally removes the metal bond of the grinding wheel during the dressing process. The quality of the created profiles and the influence of the dressing parameters on the specific material removal rate of the grinding tool as well as the wear of the electrode are investigated at fine-grained grinding wheels.     

Adsorption of dissolved organics from industrial effluents on to activated carbon

Industrial effluents usually include multicomponent organic solutes. The optimum pH for adsorption of a specific industrial effluent on activated carbon should be determined experimentally because, in general, more than one mechanism is involved. A series of experiments was conducted to establish the influence of the initial hydrogen ion concentration on carbon adsorption of organic solutes. For these studies, powdered activated carbon was used, and the water systems studied included both single component pure organic compounds as well as multicomponent organic wastes. Results indicate that the pH effect upon the effectiveness of carbon adsorption mainly depends upon the nature of the adsorbed substance. In general, the degree of ionisation is the controlling factor for adsorption of ionic organic solutes on activated carbon. Adsorption reaches a maximum at the point of least ionisation of the adsorbate. As the organic compounds become more complex (i.e. longer hydrocarbon chains, higher molecular weights, increased branching), the electrical adsorption forces between activated carbon and ionic organic solutes will govern. Anionic surfactants meet with decreased electronegative repulsive forces at low pH levels, which increase the effectiveness of carbon adsorption. However, the adsorption of a cationic surfactant is increased by an increase in the electronegative carbon surface at high pH levels. When ionic organic solutes become much more complex, like a polymer, the effects of both ionisation and electrical adsorption forces become less important. Instead, the adsorption rate will be controlled by the extent of hydrolysis caused by the pH adjustment. For non-ionic organic solutes, chemical reaction(s) between the adsorbate and the added chemical (acid or base) for pH adjustment is an important controlling factor. Again, hydrolysis is responsible for the breakdown of larger size molecules to smaller sizes. Then an increase in adsorption rate with decreasing molecular weight of adsorbate is expected.     

Determination of tetrachloroethylene—Results of a collaborative study and the standardized method

The development, by collaborative study, of a standardized method for the determination of tetrachloroethylene in olive oils is described. The results of the study, which was carried out in 1989 under the direction of the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC), are presented and show that tetrachloroethylene can be readily determined, to an acceptable degree of precision, by gas-liquid chromatography with electron capture detection. A limited number of results obtained for the determination of trichloroethylene and chloroform by the same method indicate that a similar precision could be obtained with the method when determining these solvents also.