A quadratic spline approximation using detail multi-layer for soft shadow generation in augmented reality

Implementation of shadows is crucial to enhancement of images in AR environments. Without shadows, virtual objects would look floating over the scene resulting in unrealistic rendering of AR environments. Casting hard shadows would provide only spatial information while soft shadows help improve realism of AR environments. Several algorithms have been proposed to render realistic shadows which often incurred high computational costs. Little attention has been directed towards the balanced trade-off between shadow quality and computational costs. In this study, two approaches are proposed: Quadratic Spline Interpolation (QSI) to soften the outline of the shadow and Detail Multi-Layer (DML) technique to optimize the volume of computations for the generation of soft shadows based on real light sources. QSI estimates boarder hard shadow samples while DML involves three main phases: real light sources estimation, soft shadow production and reduction of the complexity of 3-Dimensional objects’ shadows. To be more precise, a reflective hemisphere is used to capture real light and to create an environment map. The Median Cut algorithm is implemented to locate the direction of real light sources on the environment map. Subsequently, the original hard shadows are retrieved and a sample of multilayer hard shadows is produced where each layer has its unique size and colour. These layers overlap to produce soft shadows based on the real light sources’ directions. Finally, the Level of Details (LOD) algorithm is implemented to increase the efficiency of soft shadows by decreasing the complexity of vertex transformations. The proposed technique is tested using three samples of multilayer hard shadows with varying numbers of light sources generated from the Median Cut algorithm. The experimental results show that the proposed technique successfully produces realistic soft shadows at low computational costs.     

密度函数驱动的度量重构及其应用

一般情况下,以密度函数作为权重的带权测地距离并不满足严格的三角不等式,给诸多几何问题的解决带来了一定的困难.为此,提出一种基于密度函数重构非退化度量的鲁棒算法.该算法将给定密度函数与网格曲面的缺省密度场相结合重设网格曲面的边长,并保证每个三角形的新边长仍然满足三角不等式;然后使用精确的测地线算法计算任意两点之间的带权测地距离.实验结果表明,文中算法以平均曲率作为密度函数重构度量,在自适应采样与重新网格化问题上得到了高质量的结果,展示了该算法的有用性和有效性.     

Modification of oil palm empty fruit bunches with maleic anhydride: The effect on the tensile and dimensional stability properties of empty fruit bunch/polypropylene composites

Oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB)‐filled polypropylene (PP) composites were produced. The EFB filler was chemically modified with maleic anhydride (MAH). The effects of the filler size and chemical modification of EFBs on the tensile and dimensional stability properties of EFB–PP composites were studied. The composites with MAH‐treated EFBs showed higher tensile strengths than those with untreated EFBs. This was attributed to the enhanced compatibility between the MAH‐treated EFBs and PP matrix, as shown in a scanning electron microscopy study. Fourier transform infrared analysis showed evidence of C?C and C?O bonds from MAH at 1630 and 1730 cm^?1, respectively. The MAH‐treated PP composites showed lower water absorption and thickness swelling than those with untreated EFBs. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 87: 827–835, 2003     

Rheological properties of poly(vinyl chloride) / epoxidized natural rubber blends. Part II: The effect of processing variables

The effect of processing variables on the rheological properties of PVC/ENR blends was investigated. The role of crosslinking in determining the flow behavior of blends was also examined by means of dynamically cured blends. It was found that PVC/ENR blends yield melts that are power law fluids. The flow of the melts improves with an increase in temperature and shear rate. However, the introduction of crosslinks reverses this trend, although under more rigorous conditions, the influence of crosslinks is superseded, and subsequently, flow becomes shear rate and temperature dependent. PVC/ENR systems also manifested elastic phenomena. The dependence of the elastic phenomena such as die swell and melt fracture on L/D ratio of the die was demonstrated.     

制备温度和压力对纳米氧化锆相组成的影响

利用压力[CD*2/3]热液法制备纳米氧化锆粉体,考察不同温度和压力下的制备工艺条件,以及采用XRD分析经过热处理后粉体的相组成和晶粒的长大倾向.结果表明,制备出的氧化锆粉体平均粒径约15 nm,粉体在600℃、800℃、1 000℃热处理1 h后,晶粒随温度长大趋势较小,抗老化能力较好.     

On the in‐situ polymerization of cyclic butylene terephthalate oligomers: DSC and rheological studies

The thermal and rheological behaviors of cyclic butylene terephthalate (CBT) were studied with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and plate–plate rheometry, respectively. DSC scans were taken at different heating rates. The related first‐heat thermograms indicated crystallization and melting of the resulting poly (butylene terephthalate) (PBT) only at very low heating rate (0.5°C/min). As the crystallization and melting enthalpies were closely matched, one could conclude that the polymerization is essentially athermic. The polymerization was accompanied by a steep increase of the melt viscosity in isothermal rheological tests performed in the temperature range T = 145–210°C. Changes in the viscoelasticity of the polymerizing CBT and crystallizing PBT could be best followed by considering the changes in the phase angle. Viscosity increased with the conversion exponentially in the first approximation. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 46:743–750, 2006. © 2006 Society of Plastics Engineers     

磷酸钙基组织工程化多孔微球的制备工艺研究

以β-磷酸三钙（βTCP）和壳聚糖（CS）为主要原料，采用反相乳液悬浮法制备出β-TCP／CS复合微球，并经1150℃条件下烧结，得到主要成分为卢．TCP的无机微球。X射线衍射分析得到经烧结后微球相成分主要为伊TCP，扫描电镜观察微球形貌表明微球成球性好、表面粗糙，激光粒度分析仪测定微球粒径主要分布在150-450μm。生物实验表明微球具有良好的生物活性。     

PLC在工业机械手控制系统改造中的应用

介绍了PLC在工业机械手控制系统改造中的应用，通过其程序设计，展示了运用功能指令比完全采用基本逻辑指令具有更明显的优点。实践表明：该控制系统连线简单、功耗低、可靠性高；对类似设备的控制系统的改造或设计有一定的指导意义。     

水电厂励磁系统调差系数的优化配置

为对发电机励磁系统调差系数进行合理整定,建立了发电机Pβ节点模型,对励磁调差系数进行了优化配置,并以具体算例进行分析,结果表明:优化后的励磁系统调差系数满足发电机安全稳定运行的要求。     

Optimized unequal error protection of embedded video bitstream using adaptive-hierarchical QAM

In this paper, a reliable video communication system using adaptive Hierarchical QAM (HQAM) is designed to provide optimized unequal error protection (UEP) to embedded video bitstreams. Based on the relative importance of bits, video bitstream is partitioned into two priorities, namely High Priority (HP) and Low Priority (LP) substreams. Then, the optimal value of modulation (or hierarchical) parameter (α) of HQAM, which controls the relative error protection of these substreams, is selected from a pre-designed look-up table. The proposed system adapts itself by adapting the optimal α according to the varying channel condition, without changing the modulation level. This is in contrast to conventional WiMAX and LTE systems, in which dynamic switching among multiple modulations is used to adapt the varying channel conditions. This paper proposes HQAM with adaptive α as an alternative to the multiple modulation schemes. Moreover, for fixed average transmission power, receiver demodulates symbols without the knowledge of α. In order to further improve the video quality and to reduce the effects of erroneously received LP bits, the proposed system uses another level of adaptation, in which received LP bits are adaptively considered or discarded, before decoding the video, depending on the channel conditions (or optimized α). Simulation results show that proposed system can achieve significant improvement in the video quality compared to QAM based EEP scheme and non-adaptive HQAM.