Controller design of desktop-size NC machine tool with multi-application function

In this paper, a desktop-size NC machine tool is first presented to have multi-application function, such as 3D-machining modes with and without handling a machining force, and profiling-control modes with and without using stick-slip motion. The NC machine tool consists of three single-axis devices with a high resolution of 1???m in position. A ball end mill called router bit or a thin wood-stick tool can be attached to the tip of the z-axis. The proposed machine tool realizes compliant motion required for the profiling control along a desired trajectory. The profiling-control mode can be applied to the lapping process of a metallic LED lens cavity. Next, a control strategy with fine stick-slip motion is further added to the profiling-control system to improve the lapping performance. The fine stick-slip motion is generated orthogonally to the direction of the tool movement. Generally, the stick-slip motion is an undesirable phenomenon to be eliminated in precision machineries. However, the proposed machine tool employs the fine stick-slip motion to partly regulate slight finishing energy. The effectiveness of the machine tool is demonstrated through an actual machining test of a wood material and a lapping test of a metallic LED lens cavity.     

Moiré interferometry measurements of neartip deformation in inhomogeneous elasticplastic fracture specimens

Moiré interferometry was used for direct measurements of the crack tip behavior in the homogeneous compact tension (CT) specimens of A533B and HT80 steels, and in electron-beam welded inhomogeneous CT specimens of the two materials. These two materials have considerably different yield stresses, although their elastic properties are the same. Five types of homogeneous and inhomogeneous specimens were used in the experiment. Moiré fringe patterns of the five specimen types were directly compared for elastic, elastic-plastic and unloaded stages. Although the global deformations in terms of the load versus COD relations exhibit little inhomogeneity effects, large inhomogeneity effects were observed in the moiré fringe patterns in the elastic-plastic and unloaded stages. The near-tip deformations were also compared with the corresponding HRR singular fields. In a horizontal weld specimen, due to strong hardening in the weld region, the slope of the displacement field does not shift the characteristic HRR field for the A533B or the HT80 steel for increasing load.     

Preparation and dielectric properties of polycrystalline films with dense nano-structured BaTiO3 by chemical vapor deposition using inductively coupled plasma

To clarify the dielectric properties of BaTiO₃ with nanometer size region, it is necessary to fabricate the dense structure composed of BaTiO₃ nanoparticles. In the present study, BaTiO₃ nanoparticles were directly deposited on Pt/Al₂O₃/SiO₂/Si substrate by introducing Ba(DPM)₂ and Ti(OiPr)₄ into an inductively coupled plasma (ICP). The optimal condition for preparing dense structure of BaTiO₃ nanoparticles was investigated by changing the substrate temperature. Single phase BaTiO₃ of perovskite structure was obtained at the substrate temperatures between 773 and 1173 K. The dense structure of BaTiO₃ nanoparticles with particle sizes of about 30 nm was successfully obtained at the substrate temperature of 773 K. At the substrate temperature>873 K, the deposited nanoparticles sintered to be the columnar structure. The ε_r and tan δ of the BaTiO₃ nanoparticles were estimated to be 285 and 6.6%, respectively (1 kHz and 100 mV). The phase of the BaTiO₃ nanoparticles were found to be paraelectric by the measurement of C-V curves. The breakdown field of the dense structure of BaTiO₃ nanoparticles was estimated to be 649 kV/cm according to I-V curves. These features are favorable for applying the structure to the dielectric layer of multilayer capacitors.     

Organic Acid Adsorption on Lead Titanate Surfaces

Several carboxylic acids were adsorbed on the surface of lead titanate. The total amount of adsorbed acid was determined and characterized by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transmission spectroscopy (DRIFTS). The acids were found to be chemisorbed on the lead titanate surface by a metal carboxylate bond. This bond forms by reaction between surface hydroxyls and the organic acid functional group. The amount of adsorbed species per unit surface area varied with each carboxylic acid studied and generally correlated with the size of the individual molecules. The experiments also demonstrate an application of a sensitive method for carbon analysis, oxygen-based coulombic titration.     

A Fuzzy Behavior-Based Control for Mobile Robots Using Adaptive Fusion Units

It is known that a behavior-based control approach is effective for acquiring an intelligent control system of robots. However, further improvements are required for making any behavior-based control system robust against changes in the environments. A module learning method has been applied in the framework of fuzzy behavior-based control to have an adaptive behavioral fusion. In this paper, an adaptive fusion strategy is proposed to adaptively select a cooperative fusion unit or competitive fusion unit, depending on the external sensor information. Some simulations are given to illustrate that the present control systems are flexible against the change of environments or untrained environments, compared to those with a conventional priority-based fusion unit.     

Initial configuration dependence in a self-organizing robot

In this paper, we describe the dependence of an initial state in a self-organizing robot on an optimal structure configuration, where a “fractum” is used as a basic unit. Each robot operates on a genetic algorithm (GA) by itself, and all of them will produce a desired configuration. However, problems such as a deadlock state can happen depending on the initial configuration. A deadlock state means a state in which no robots can move because each robot moves autonomously. It is proved from simulations that a difference in the initial configuration can affect both the deadlock rate and the number of movements of fracta needed to obtain an optimal structure configuration. This work was presented, in part, at the Third International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 19–21, 1998     

Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Contributes to Differentiation of Monocyte-Derived Tumor-Associated Macrophages via PAI-1 and IL-8 Production

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) promote cancer cell proliferation and metastasis, as well as anti-tumor immune suppression. Recent studies have shown that tumors enhance the recruitment and differentiation of TAMs, but the detailed mechanisms have not been clarified. We thus examined the influence of cancer cells on the differentiation of monocytes to TAM subsets, including CD163⁺, CD204⁺, and CD206⁺ cells, in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) using immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, and a cytokine array. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of OSCC cells (HSC-2, SQUU-A, and SQUU-B cells) on the differentiation of purified CD14⁺ cells to TAM subsets. The localization patterns of CD163⁺, CD204⁺, and CD206⁺ in OSCC sections were quite different. The expression of CD206 on CD14⁺ cells was significantly increased after the co-culture with OSCC cell lines, while the expressions of CD163 and CD204 on CD14⁺ cells showed no change. High concentrations of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) were detected in the conditioned medium of OSCC cell lines. PAI-1 and IL-8 stimulated CD14⁺ cells to express CD206. Moreover, there were positive correlations among the numbers of CD206⁺, PAI-1⁺, and IL-8⁺ cells in OSCC sections. These results suggest that PAI-1 and IL-8 produced by OSCC contribute to the differentiation of monocytes to CD206⁺ TAMs.     

In situ Raman study on single- and double-walled carbon nanotubes as a function of lithium insertion

We investigated the electrochemical lithium ion (Li(+)) insertion/desertion behavior on highly pure and bundled single- and double-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs and DWNTs) using an in situ Raman technique. In general, two storage sites could host Li(+) in SWNT and DWNT bundles when varying an external potential: a) the outer surface sites, and b) the interstitial spaces within the bundles. The most sensitive changes in the tangential mode (TM) of the Raman spectra upon doping with Li(+) can be divided into two regions. The first region was found from 2.8 to 1.0 V (the coverage of Li(+) on the outer surface of a bundled nanotube) and was characterized by the loss of resonant conditions via partial charge transfer, where the G(+) line of the SWNT and the TM of the outer tube of DWNTs experienced a highly depressed intensity, but remained almost constant in frequency. The appearance of a Breit-Wigner-Fano (BWF) profile provided strong evidence of metallic inner tubes within DWNTs. The second region was observed when the applied potentials ranged from 0.9 to 0 V and was characterized by Li(+) diffusion into the interstitial sites of the bundled nanotube material. This phenomenon invoked a large downshift of the G(-) band in SWNTs, and a small downshift of the TM of the inner tube of DWNTs caused by expansion of the C--C bonds due to the charge transferred to the nanotubes, and the disappearance of the BWF profile through the screening effect of the interstitial Li(+) layers.