Flexible and large area pressure sensors for human-neuroprostheses and human-neurorobotic interface assessment

Promising results on flexible and large area pressure sensors for human-neuroprostheses and human-neurobotic interface assessment are presented. Sensor arrays of 4?×?4 and 8?×?8 based on a plastic electronics concept, with a resolution of 1 and 0.25?cm², respectively, have been fabricated and characterized. The working pressure range is between 0 and 1?kg/cm² and the offset measured is around 0.03?kg/cm². The response time is around 1?ms. Using these sensor arrays, a sedestation–bipedestation field test by a pressure sensor integrated in a gait orthosis has been carried out in order to corroborate the medical application scenarios cerebrovascular accidents, spinal cord injuries and cerebral palsy.     

Evaluation of flooded areas with satellite imagery using an objective hydrologic criterion

A method for computing flooded areas in relation to precedent climatic conditions in a plain area is evaluated. The studied area includes the most important production area for cattle breeding in Argentina; therefore, waterlogging periods create significant economic losses. In order to conduct this study, Landsat images that represent different hydrological conditions were used. The method is based on the frequency analysis of rainfall records of the 30, 60 and 120 days prior each image, thus obtaining a seasonally weighted mean frequency. In order to minimize biases of individual images, the images were combined linearly so as to obtain composed images with the desired antecedent precipitation frequency. Then, the flooded areas were associated with the frequency of the antecedent rainfall. Therefore, frequencies equal to or higher than 50% are associated with semi‐permanent or permanent lentic waterbodies. Consequently, lower frequencies are associated with waterlogged areas reaching 35% of flooded area for a 20% precipitation frequency.     

A communication infrastructure to ease the development of mobile collaborative applications

Mobile workers doing loosely coupled activities typically perform on demand collaboration in the physical workplace. Communication services available in such work scenarios are uncertain, therefore mobile collaborative applications supporting those activities must provide ad hoc communication mechanisms in order to use each cooperation opportunity. Typically, the complexity of implementing such mobile ad hoc communication mechanisms becomes a challenge that jeopardizes the development of mobile collaborative solutions. This article presents a communication infrastructure named HLMP API dealing with that challenge. HLMP API intends to ease the development of such applications through the reuse of communication services. The infrastructure is an application programming interface that implements the HLMP routing protocol and also some awareness mechanisms that are required for mobile loosely coupled work. Developers using this infrastructure do not have to perform low-level programming.