Integrated Time-to-Digital Converters Based on Interpolation

The main features of two time-to-digital convertersbased on interpolation are presented, together with some measurementresults. The first converter is based on digital delay line interpolatorsand has been implemented in a 1.2 µm CMOS process.It has a single-shot resolution of 1 ns (-value)and a nonlinearity less than ±50 ps in the measurementrange 5 to 500 ns. The power consumption of the circuit is 15mW. The second time digitizer has analog interpolators basedon time-to-voltage conversion and has been implemented in a 1.2 µm BiCMOS process. It has a single-shot resolutionof 50 ps and a nonlinearity less than 150 ps in the measurementrange 1 to 300 ns. The power consumption of this circuit is 200mW.     

A process for designing algorithm-based personalized gamification

Multimedia Tools and Applications - Personalization is an upcoming trend in gamification research, with several researchers proposing that gamified systems should take personal characteristics into...     

Interactive Subsurface Scattering for Materials With High Scattering Distances

Existing algorithms for rendering subsurface scattering in real time cannot deal well with scattering over longer distances. Kernels for image space algorithms become very large in these circumstances and separation does not work anymore, while geometry-based algorithms cannot preserve details very well. We present a novel approach that deals with all these downsides. While for lower scattering distances, the advantages of geometry-based methods are small, this is not the case anymore for high scattering distances (as we will show). Our proposed method takes advantage of the highly detailed results of image space algorithms and combines it with a geometry-based method to add the essential scattering from sources not included in image space. Our algorithm does not require pre-computation based on the scene's geometry, it can be applied to static and animated objects directly. Our method is able to provide results that come close to ray-traced images which we will show in direct comparisons with images generated by PBRT. We will compare our results to state of the art techniques that are applicable in these scenarios and will show that we provide superior image quality while maintaining interactive rendering times.      

Robotic technologies for solar‐powered UAVs: Fully autonomous updraft‐aware aerial sensing for multiday search‐and‐rescue missions

Large‐scale aerial sensing missions can greatly benefit from the perpetual endurance capability provided by high‐performance low‐altitude solar‐powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). However, today these UAVs suffer from small payload capacity, low energetic margins, and high operational complexity. To tackle these problems, this paper presents four individual technical contributions and integrates them into an existing solar‐powered UAV system: First, a lightweight and power‐efficient day/night‐capable sensing system is discussed. Second, means to optimize the UAV platform to the specific payload and to thereby achieve sufficient energetic margins for day/night flight with payload are presented. Third, existing autonomous launch and landing functionality is extended for solar‐powered UAVs. Fourth, as a main contribution an extended Kalman filter (EKF)‐based autonomous thermal updraft tracking framework is developed. Its novelty is that it allows the end‐to‐end integration of the thermal‐induced roll moment into the estimation process. It is assessed against unscented Kalman filter and particle filter methods in simulation and implemented on the aircraft's low‐power autopilot. The complete system is verified during a 26 h search‐and‐rescue aerial sensing mock‐up mission that represents the first‐ever fully autonomous perpetual endurance flight of a small solar‐powered UAV with a day/night‐capable sensing payload. It also represents the first time that solar‐electric propulsion and autonomous thermal updraft tracking are combined in flight. In contrast to previous work that has focused on the energetic feasibility of perpetual flight, the individual technical contributions of this paper are considered core functionality to guarantee ease‐of‐use, effectivity, and reliability in future multiday aerial sensing operations with small solar‐powered UAVs.     

Social Manufacturing for High-end Apparel Customization

Social manufacturing (SM), a novel distributed, collaborative and intelligent manufacturing mode, is proposed and developed for high-end apparel customization. The main components of SM cloud are designed, and its research topics are summarized. Then, SM's key technologies are studied. 3D technologies for apparel customization, like 3D modeling, 3D fitting mirror and 3D customization, are developed to improve the customization precision and user experience. Information based collaborative management is realized to share, communicate, and handle the information efficiently among all groups and individuals of SM cloud. Suppliers' evaluation mechanism is designed to support the optimal decisions making. Next, SM cloud is constructed in five layers for high-end apparel customization. By using SM cloud based crowd-sourcing, social resources can be allocated rationally and utilized efficiently, consumer can customize the product in any processes like innovation, design, making, marketing and service, and traditional apparel enterprise can be upgraded into SM mode for keeping it competitive in the future customization markets.      

Study of sulfonic acid esters from 1→4‐, 1→3‐, and 1→6‐linked polysaccharides

Sulfonic acid esters of differently linked polysaccharides including cellulose, dextran, lichenan, and pullulan were synthesized homogeneously applying N,N‐dimethylacetamide/LiCl as the solvent. The dependence of the degree of substitution (DS) on the molar ratio of repeating unit to sulfonic acid chloride and on the structure of the reagent (benzene‐, p‐toluene‐, 4‐chlorobenzene‐, 2,4‐dinitrobenzene‐, 2,4,6‐trimethylbenzene‐, and 2,4,6‐triisopropylbenzene sulfonic acid chloride), as well as on the polysaccharide, was studied. DS values in the range of 0.2–2.3 were obtained. Bulky and electron withdrawing substituents on the aromatic ring inhibited ester formation. None of the sulfonic acid chlorides applied showed distinct regioselectivity. The polysaccharide sulfonic acid esters were soluble in organic solvents depending on the type of substituent and the degree of substitution. The molecular structure of the new polymers was confirmed by elemental analysis, FTIR, and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy. Subsequently, nucleophilic displacement reactions were carried out, which showed that the reactivity of the primary sulfonic acid ester group was higher than that of the secondary ones. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 2142–2150, 2006     

Characterization of piezoelectric ceramics using the burst/transient method with resonance and antiresonance analysis

In this paper, a comprehensive methodology for characterizing the high power resonance behavior of bulk piezoelectric ceramics using the burst method is described. In the burst method, the sample is electrically driven at its resonance frequency, and then either a short circuit or an open circuit condition is imposed, after which the vibration decays at the resonance or antiresonance frequency, respectively. This decay can be used to measure the quality factor in either of these conditions. The resulting current in the short circuit vibration condition is related to the vibration velocity through the “force factor.” The generated voltage in the open circuit vibration condition corresponds to the displacement by the “voltage factor.” The force factor and the voltage factor are related to material properties and physical dimensions of the sample. Using this method, the high power behavior of the permittivity, compliance, effective piezoelectric charge constant, electromechanical coupling factor, and material losses can be determined directly by measuring the resonance (short circuit) and antiresonance (open circuit) frequencies, their corresponding quality factors, the force factor A, and the voltage factor B. The experimental procedure to apply this method is described and demonstrated on commercially available hard and semi‐hard PZT materials of geometry.     

Flächendatenbank für die hydrogeologische Karte im bayerischen Bodeninformationssystem

The hydrogeological survey of Bavaria has recently been intensified in order to produce a countrywide hydrogeological map at the scale of 1:50,000 by 2015. The spatial data will be seamfree, reflect the 3D-character of hydrogeological maps and comprehensive search functions will be available for the whole dataset. A spatial database was designed which incorporates the complex relations of rock and groundwater bodies. The underlying relational data model integrates the following main object types: propagation of the upper aquifers and surface layers, rock bodies, structural surfaces together with point data and fault lines, groundwater bodies as well as groundwater surfaces together with point data and the distribution of different types of groundwater potential. The database was developed as an ArcGISextension using the Geodatabase as a relational database. The application of this system supports the mapping process and guarantees a consistent data structure. After integration into the Bavarian Soil Information System, the hydrogeological spatial data will be available for the users in a searchable format.