Integrating faces and fingerprints for personal identification

An automatic personal identification system based solely on fingerprints or faces is often not able to meet the system performance requirements. We have developed a prototype biometrics system which integrates faces and fingerprints. The system overcomes the limitations of face recognition systems as well as fingerprint verification systems. The integrated prototype system operates in the identification mode with an admissible response time. The identity established by the system is more reliable than the identity established by a face recognition system. In addition, the proposed decision fusion scheme enables performance improvement by integrating multiple cues with different confidence measures. Experimental results demonstrate that our system performs very well. It meets the response time as well as the accuracy requirements     

Optimal registration of object views using range data

This paper deals with robust registration of object views in the presence of uncertainties and noise in depth data. Errors in registration of multiple views of a 3D object severely affect view integration during automatic construction of object models. We derive a minimum variance estimator (MVE) for computing the view transformation parameters accurately from range data of two views of a 3D object. The results of our experiments show that view transformation estimates obtained using MVE are significantly more accurate than those computed with an unweighted error criterion for registration     

Multi-objective optimization of the ecm process

Optimization of process parameters is helpful in efficient working of the process and, hence, in lowering the cost of machining. Optimization of ECM process parameters has been achieved by considering only one objective at a time from metal removal rate, geometrical accuracy, and total process cost. From a practical point of view, a solution of the ecm problem satisfying all three objectives simultaneously is highly desirable.In the proposed model, a multi-objective problem involving the ecm process is formulated producing highly nonlinearized equations. These are then linearized by regression analysis and converted into a goal programming format. Finally, the problem is solved by the partitioning algorithm.It is concluded that the tool, or cathode, remains safe at the optimal values of design variables obtained in the examples discussed. The optimal value of voltage when metal removal rate is the only objective, is found to be higher than the case when the geometrical accuracy requirement is also to be satisfied.     

Elastohydrodynamic analysis of a cylindrical journal bearing with a flexible bearing shell

The effect of the elastic deformation of a bearing shell was considered in the determination of the performance characteristics of a hydrodynamic journal bearing. The finite element method with an iteration scheme was employed to solve the Reynolds equation governing flow in the clearance space and the three-dimensional linear elasticity equations representing the displacement vector field in the bearing shell. For design convenience a nondimensional deformation coefficient ψ relating μ, E_m, U₀ , C, R_j and tis defined. The performance characteristics were obtained in terms of load-carrying capacity, fluid flow, power loss and attitude angle for an aspect ratio $\text{L}\text{D = 1}$, eccentricity ? = 0.6 and for a wide range of deformation coefficients. The results are compared for bearing materials having Poisson's ratio v equal to 0.3 and 0.4.     

Electrical conduction mechanism in solution grown doped polyvinyl pyrrolidone films

A detailed study of electrical conduction mechanism in bimetallized ferrocene-doped polyvinyl pyrrolidone films was carried out. The measurements were carried out on films of about 20 μm thick, in the field range of (2.0–8.0) x 10⁴ V/cm at temperatures ranging from 363 to 423 K. An investigation of the effect of impurity such as ferrocene in the polymer matrix was undertaken. Lowering of activation energy and increase in current due to doping were observed. The results showed that the charge carriers were generated by field-assisted lowering of coulombic barriers at the traps and were conducted through the bulk of the material by a hopping process between the localized states by a Jonscher-Ansari modified Poole-Frenkel mechanism. The dependence of current and activation energy on the ferrocene concentration is explained on the basis of charge transfer type of interaction between dopant and polymeric material.     

Etch pit shapes on {110} surfaces of CaF2 crystals

{110} surfaces of CaF₂ crystals are etched with different concentrations of HCl. It is found that concentrated HCl produces characteristic rectangular pyramidal etch pits and 2 volume percent HCl produces boat shaped etch pits. Such variations in the etch pit shapes on {110} surfaces of CaF₂ crystals with different concentrations of HCl have been explained. Concentrated H₂SO₄ is found to be a suitable chemical polisher for these surfaces, the polishing rate is about 0·1μ/min.     

CAE FOR THE MANUFACTURING ENGINEER: THE ROLE OF PROCESS SIMULATION IN CONCURRENT ENGINEERING

As America refocuses its attention on the factory, design and manufacturing engineers must work together closely to design the appropriate products, and matching production process in a team effort. By building off the designer's CAE tools that predict product performance, the manufacturing engineer is today able to simulate the proposed production process. Process simulations for the following manufacturing processes are available or being developed:

▪Forging, ▪Machining, ▪Injection Molding, ▪Die Casting, ▪Investment Casting, ▪Metal Forming, ▪Heat Treating, ▪Assembly Tolerancing

By utilizing the same 3-D solid model and finite element modeling tools used by the designer, coupled to powerful analysis simulation tools to predict the transient nonlinear heat transfer and plastic material flow found in many manufacturing processes, the manufacturing engineer is able to explore alternative processing plans, evaluate trade-offs and even influence the design to produce superior products.

Process simulation brings a science to support the manufacturing engineers experience for reduced lead time, lower cost, increase product quality and better understanding of the process. The next step will be to directly link the process simulation to an expert system.

This paper describes the current state of technology in the area of manufacturing process computer simulation for a number of manufacturing operations and suggests how these tools can be used “up-front” and lead to concurrent engineering.     

From template to image: reconstructing fingerprints from minutiae points

Most fingerprint-based biometric systems store the minutiae template of a user in the database. It has been traditionally assumed that the minutiae template of a user does not reveal any information about the original fingerprint. In this paper, we challenge this notion and show that three levels of information about the parent fingerprint can be elicited from the minutiae template alone, viz., 1) the orientation field information, 2) the class or type information, and 3) the friction ridge structure. The orientation estimation algorithm determines the direction of local ridges using the evidence of minutiae triplets. The estimated orientation field, along with the given minutiae distribution, is then used to predict the class of the fingerprint. Finally, the ridge structure of the parent fingerprint is generated using streamlines that are based on the estimated orientation field. Line integral convolution is used to impart texture to the ensuing ridges, resulting in a ridge map resembling the parent fingerprint. The salient feature of this noniterative method to generate ridges is its ability to preserve the minutiae at specified locations in the reconstructed ridge map. Experiments using a commercial fingerprint matcher suggest that the reconstructed ridge structure bears close resemblance to the parent fingerprint