The development and application of a multiple wavelength illumination technique for the vision-based process monitoring of aero-structure riveting

Airframe riveting is a critical process that requires high levels of process monitoring and quality assurance due to the very high risk associated with the failure of such joints. This paper describes the development of the enabling technology developed for a machine vision-based process monitoring system. One of the key factors affecting the performance of a machine vision system is the quality of the lighting. In the application described in this paper the available lighting was severely limited by the confined space in which the system had to operate. The problem was also compounded by the reflective nature of the objects to be examined. The initial images obtained were not suitable for further processing due to the presence of significant shadows and specular reflections. A novel solution to this problem based on multiple wavelength illumination and signal processing is presented along with results from experimental trials of the approach.     

General Solution for the Dynamic Modeling of Parallel Robots

In this paper, we present a general method to calculate the inverse and direct dynamic models of parallel robots. The models are expressed in a closed form by a single equation in which all the elements needed are expressed. The solution is given in terms of the dynamic models of the legs, the dynamics of the platform and some Jacobian matrices. The proposed method is applied in this paper on two parallel robots with different structures. Categories (2), (3).     

Flight-vehicle structures education in the united states—Assessment and recommendations

An assessment is made of the technical contents of flight-vehicle structures curricula at 41 U.S. universities with accredited aerospace engineering programs. The assessment is based on the technical needs for the new and projected aeronautical and space systems as well as on the likely characteristics of the aerospace engineering work environment. A number of deficiencies and areas of concern are identified and recommendations are presented for enhancing the effectiveness of flight-vehicle structures education. A number of government supported programs that can help aerospace engineering education are listed in the appendix.     

Diazepam alters caffeine-induced effects on beta-endorphin levels in specific rat brain regions

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of caffeine and the benzodiazepine agonist diazepam, and a combination of both on beta-endorphin (beta-EN) levels in specific rat brain regions. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (150-200 g) adapted to a 12-hour light: 12-hour dark illumination cycle were used in this study. Caffeine (10 mg/kg), diazepam (2 mg/kg) or a combination of caffeine (10 mg/kg) and diazepam (2 mg/kg) were administered intraperitoneally to rats at 11:00 hr. Control animals were injected with saline. Animals were sacrificed by decapitation 1 h after injection, the brains were immediately removed; the cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus and midbrain were dissected and their B-EN levels measured by radioimmunoassay. Caffeine administration significantly increased B-EN levels in the cortex. Similarly, administration of diazepam alone resulted in a significant increase of B-EN levels in cortex. However, concurrent administration of diazepam and caffeine resulted in higher increase of B-EN levels in cortex. No significant changes in B-EN levels were detected in hippocampus and midbrain after administration of either caffeine or diazepam alone. On the other hand, when diazepam and caffeine were concurrently administered a significant increase of B-EN levels were observed in the midbrain. Moreover, administration of diazepam alone resulted in a significant increase of B-EN levels in hypothalamus. This increase was still observed following concurrent administration of diazepam and caffeine. These results clearly indicate that diazepam alters caffeine-induced effects on B-EN in specific rat brain regions.     

Boundary element analysis of thin plates internally bounded by rigid patches

Procedures are described for modelling a structural system consisting of thin Kirchhoff plates with internal patch areas capable of displacing as rigid flat surfaces. The physical prototype for these patches could be interconnection points for one-dimensional frame type elements of various shapes and layout, rigidly connected at these finite size 'joints' in the plate. The numerical procedure for modelling the thin plate is the Direct Boundary Element Method (DBEM) and a simple overview of this procedure is provided. Potential trouble spots, of which the user should be aware, are described. The paper will be of interest to structural engineers for analysis of frames having both plate and simple frame elements, for example, building frames; and also to researchers seeking the greater detail that this refined procedure can provide. As a practical tool, the methods described are computationally competitive with existing procedures, including the more rugged approaches used by building structural engineers for dynamic and torsional analysis.     

Optical properties of evaporated Ge20Se80−x Tl x thin films

Chalcogenide glasses with composition Ge₂₀Se_80–x Tl _x (x=10, 15, 20, 25, 35%) have been prepared by the usual melt-quenching technique. Thin films of the mentioned compositions have been prepared by the electron beam evaporation. In addition, another set taken from the composition ofX=30 at % with different thicknesses (d=14.7, 30.0, 56.5, 70.0, 101.0, 180.0 nm) have been taken into consideration. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the amorphous nature of the prepared films. It was found that, in contrast to the optical gap (E _op), both the extent of the band tailing (B), and the band gap (E _e) increase with increasing thallium content. In other side,E _op showed thickness independency. The refractive index (n) showed obvious dependence on both composition and thickness also on the energy of the incident radiation.     

An on-line microcomputer-based respiratory monitor for manual materials handling

The main objective of the present study is to develop a low cost microcomputer-based respiratory system that is capable of computing the oxygen consumption and minute ventilation of individuals engaged in manual materials handling on an on-line basis. The design, specifications, and merits of the system are given. The software package developed was written in assembly language for the IBM AT personal computer.     

A 50-MS/s (35 mW) to 1-kS/s (15 /spl mu/W) power scaleable 10-bit pipelined ADC using rapid power-on opamps and minimal bias current variation

A novel rapid power-on operational amplifier and a current modulation technique are used in a 10-bit 1.5-bit/stage pipelined ADC in 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS to realize power scalability between 1 kS/s (15 /spl mu/W) and 50 MS/s (35 mW), while maintaining an SNDR of 54-56 dB for all sampling rates. The current modulated power scaling (CMPS) technique is shown to enhance the power scaleable range of current scaling by 50 times, allowing ADC power to be varied by a factor of 2500 while only varying bias currents by a factor of 50. Furthermore, the nominal power is reduced by 20%-30% by completely powering off the rapid power-on opamps during the sampling phase in the pipeline's sample-and-holds.