Creating a reference database of cargo inspection X-ray images using high energy radiographs of cargo mock-ups

Customs continue to use a wide range of technology in protecting against terrorism and the movement of illicit trade and prohibited imports. The throughput of scanned vehicles and cargo increases and just keeps on growing. Therefore, the need of automated algorithms to help screening officers in inspection, examination or surveillance of vehicles and containers is crucial. In this context, the successful collaboration between manufacturers and customs offices is of key importance. Facing this topic, within the seventh framework program of the European Commission, the project ACXIS “Automated Comparison of X-ray Images for cargo Scanning” arose. The main objective of this project is to develop a manufacturer independent reference database for X-ray images of illicit and licit cargo. Historic images of real detections, images of illegal cargo mock-ups as well as images of legitimate cargo will be integrated into the reference database. For this, procedures and algorithms to uniform X-ray images of different cargo scanners was developed, as well as an automated identification method of potentially illicit cargo. Finally, these developments were incorporated in creating a training simulator and a toolbox for inspection officers enhanced X-ray screening competence.     

Microanalytical examination of coloured anodized oxide layers

Based on microanalytic and micromorphologic examinations of the dyes of anodic oxide layers coloured by two metals the following observations could be made. The metal particles from the different metal salt electrolytes incorporate into the channels of the oxide layer in the form of crystallized metallic rods. If the colouring electrolyte contains two kinds of metals, the metallic rods will also contain both metallic components. If colouring of the two metals is done successively, a layered structure located perpendicularly to the layer plane inside the anodic oxide will be formed. The majority of the porechannels available were filled by the metal used initially, followed by the second metal, which continued to fill the already replenished channels. Employing a morphological investigation combined with microanalysis, i.e. a combination of the modern electron beam methods, any coloured structure made by any structural technology could be identified.     

The PLVC display color characterization model revisited

This work proposes a study of the Piecewise Linear assuming Variation in Chromaticity (PLVC) display color characterization model. This model has not been widely used as the improved accuracy compared with the more common PLCC (Piecewise Linear assuming Chromaticity Constancy) model is not significant for CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display technology, and it requires more computing power than this model. With today's computers, computational complexity is less of a problem, and today's display technologies show a different colorimetric behavior than CRTs. The main contribution of this work is to generalize the PLVC model to multiprimary displays and to provide extensive experimental results and analysis for today's display technologies. We confirm and extend the results found in the literature and compare this model with classical PLCC and Gain‐Offset‐Gamma‐Offset models. We show that using this model is highly beneficial for Liquid Crystal Displays, reducing the average error about a third for the two tested LCD projectors compared with a black corrected PLCC model, from 3.93 and 1.78 to respectively 1.41 and 0.54 ΔE units. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 33, 449–460, 2008     

Design and performance evaluation of vacuum cleaners using cyclone technology

A cyclone technology for a vacuum cleaner—axial inlet flow cyclone and the tangential inlet flow cyclone — to collect dusts efficiently and reduce pressure drop has been studied experimentally. The optimal design factors such as dust collection efficiency, pressure drop, and cut-size being the particle size corresponding to the fractional collection efficiency of 50% were investigated. The particle cut-size decreases with reduced inlet area, body diameter, and vortex finder diameter of the cyclone. The tangential inlet twin-flow cyclone has good performance taking into account the low pressure drop of 350 mmAq and the cut-size of 1.5 μm in mass median diameter at the flow rate of 1 m³/min. A vacuum cleaner using tangential inlet twin-flow cyclone shows the potential to be an effective method for collecting dusts generated in the household.