Effect of kinesthetic and tactile haptic feedback on the quality of experience of edutainment applications

Haptic technologies and applications have received enormous attention in the last decade. The incorporation of haptic modality into multimedia applications adds excitement and enjoyment to an application. It also adds a more natural feel to multimedia applications, that otherwise would be limited to vision and audition, by engaging as well the user’s sense of touch, giving a more intrinsic feel essential for ambient intelligent applications. However, the improvement of an application’s Quality of Experience (QoE) by the addition of haptic feedback is still not completely understood. The research presented in this paper focuses on the effect of haptic feedback and what it potentially adds to the experience of the user as opposed to the traditional visual and auditory feedback. In essence, it investigates certain issues regarding stylus-based haptic education applications and haptic-enhanced entertainment videos. To this end, we used two haptic applications: the haptic handwriting learning tool to experiment with force feedback haptic interaction and the tactile YouTube application for tactile haptic feedback. In both applications, our analysis shows that the addition of haptic feedback will increase the QoE in the absence of fatigue or discomfort for this category of applications. This implies that the incorporation of haptic modality (both force feedback as well as tactile feedback) has positively contributed to the overall QoE for the users.     

Multilayer array illuminators with binary phase plates at fractional Talbot distances

We describe a Talbot array illuminator made of cascaded binary phase plates located at fractional Talbot distances. We compare the performance of such an illuminator with a conventional single-layer Talbot array illuminator in terms of compression ratio and technical feasibility.     

Talbot imaging and unification

The fractional Talbot effect brings into play a superimposition of shifted and complex weightedreplicas of the original object. This phenomenon can be used to replicate images of nonperiodic objects by means of Talbot array illuminators. These diffractive elements can also be used to concentrate replicas into a single image. These techniques are useful for several applications such as beam shaping.     

Stress Intensity Factor Gauging by Digital Image Correlation: Application in Cyclic Fatigue

Abstract:  A fatigue crack in steel (CCT geometry) is studied via digital image correlation. The measurement of the stress intensity factor (SIF) change during one cycle is performed using a decomposition of the displacement field onto a tailored set of elastic fields. The same analysis is performed using two different routes, namely, the first one consists in computing the displacement field using a general correlation technique providing the displacement field projected onto finite element shape functions, and then analysing this displacement field in terms of the selected mechanically relevant fields. The second strategy, called integrated approach, directly estimates the amplitude of these elastic fields from the correlation of successive images. Both procedures give consistent results, and offer very good performances in the evaluation of the crack tip position (uncertainty of about 20  μ m for a 14.5-mm crack), SIFs (uncertainty <1 MPa ) and opening properties.     

Talbot array illuminators: general approach

I present a general approach for designing Talbot array illuminators (TAIL's). Beyond the scope of conventional TAIL's, in which each period of the replay field contains only one bright spot, I examine complex configurations ensuring various topologies of the output spots. The synthesis problem is stated in terms of constraints and degrees of freedom. Both the one-dimensional and two-dimensional cases are treated, and an example of constraints, namely the binarization of the TAIL, is discussed. For illustration, an application is proposed in which I consider a dynamic multilayer interconnection architecture involving a programmable TAIL.     

Structured lipids from high-laurate canola oil and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids

The lipase-assisted acidolysis of high-laurate canola oil (HLCO; Laurical 25) with long-chain n−3 FA (DHA and EPA) was studied. Response surface methodology was used to obtain a maximal incorporation of DHA or EPA into HLCO. The studied process variables were the amount of enzyme (2–6%), reaction temperature (35–55°C), and incubation time (12–36 h). The amount of water added and the mole ratio of substrates (oil to DHA or EPA) were kept at 2% and 1∶3, respectively. All experiments were conducted according to a face-centered cube design. Under optimal conditions (4.79% of enzyme; 46.1°C; 30.1 h), the incorporation of DHA into HLCO was 37.3%. The corresponding maximal incorporation of EPA (61.6%) into Laurical 25 was obtained using 4.6% enzyme, a reaction temperature of 39.9°C, and a reaction period of 26.2 h. Examination of the positional distribution of FA on the glycerol backbone of modified HLCO with DHA showed that the DHA was primarily located in the sn-1,3 positions of the TAG molecules. However, lauric acid also remained mainly in the sn-1,3 positions of the modified oil. For EPA-modified Laurical 25, lauric acid was present mainly in the sn-1,3 positions, whereas EPA was randomly distributed over the three positions.     

Hartley holograms

Binary holograms have become more interesting since spatial light modulators, capable of binary phase modulation, were developed. The primary restriction of these dynamic elements when used with the Fourier transform is the symmetry of the hologram reconstruction. I describe a new type of hologram that uses the Hartley transform instead of the Fourier transform. Despite their binary form, Hartley holograms offer maximal efficiency (theoretically 100%). Thus they can be presented as high diffraction-efficiency programmable elements. For practical reasons, I also propose a modified version for Hartley holograms that is easy to use. A theoretical analysis as well as experimental results are given.     

Magnetic behavior of polycarbosilazane ?FeII, ?FeIII and mixed‐valence ?FeII–III chloride metallopolymers

Fe^II, Fe^III and mixed‐valence Fe^II–III chlorides were reacted with poly[N,N′‐bis(dimethylsilyl)ethylenedi‐ amine], [? Si(CH₃)₂NHCH₂CH₂NH? ]_n, to form the corresponding Fe‐polycarbosilazane macromolecular complexes. The average chain–chain spacing in these materials was estimated from X‐ray diffraction data and found to be 6.94, 7.29, 7.30 and 7.45 Å in metal‐free and Fe^II? , Fe^III? and Fe^II–III‐containing polycarbosilazanes, respectively. This demonstrates that Fe^II, Fe^III and Fe^II–III chlorides are encapsulated between the polycarbosilazane chains. The chain–chain expansions in the divalent Fe^II and trivalent Fe^III chloride macromolecular complexes are comparable, but less than that in the Fe^II–III chloride analog, which suggests that different chain–chain packings exist in the mixed‐valence macromolecular complex. The magnetic properties of the resulting complexes were investigated by measuring the magnetization in magnetic fields up to 8 kOe and in the temperature range from liquid nitrogen temperature to room temperature. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Structured and Specialty Lipids in Continuous Packed Column Reactors: Comparison of Production Using One and Two Enzyme Beds

In this study, speciality lipids based on fish oil (FO) and capric acid (CA) were produced in packed bed bioreactors using immobilized Lipozyme IM from Rhizomucor miehei in a solvent-free environment. Our goal was to compare the product quality and yield among reactors consisting of one or two enzyme columns. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize process variables for maximum incorporation (Inc) of CA for each reactor configuration. The studied process variables were substrate molar ratio (1:1–3:1 CA/FO), temperature (35–55 °C) and flow rate (0.5–1.5 mL/min). All experiments were conducted based on a face-centered cube design. The maximum predicted Inc of CA into FO (31.7 mol%) using one column was obtained when substrate molar ratio, temperature and flow rate of substrates were 2.70:1 (CA/FO), 55 °C and 0.5 mL/min. The corresponding optimal Inc of CA into FO (22.7 mol%) using two columns was predicted at 2.95:1 (CA/FO), 55 °C and 0.86 mL/min. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that Inc of CA into the one-bed design was significantly influenced by all experimental conditions, with substrate molar ratio having the greatest impact. In the two-bed design, only temperature and flow rate had an effect; the molar ratio of substrates was not significant. Coefficients of determination were low for both designs, indicating a poor fit of our data to the model. However, the main purpose of this study was to assess the effect of process factors on Inc of CA into FO, rather than generate a model useful for prediction of responses under conditions not examined with this design. Therefore, the significant ANOVA results are much more important, stressing the real relationship between parameters and response, than the low coefficients of determination.     

Node-based reconfigurable volume interconnections. 2. Hologram encoding considerations

We address free-space optical interconnections based on cascaded multifacet holographic elements, including an intermediate regeneration of the optical signals. Particular attention is paid to digital hologram encoding in the case of highly interconnected planes. Degrees of freedom selected in the reconstruction plane are used for satisfying both holographic-encoding and signal constraints. An iterative Fourier-transform algorithm is chosen because of its ability to incorporate constraint considerations.