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Sample records for low-velocity position tracking

  1. Attitude and position tracking

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Candy, LP

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Several applications require the tracking of attitude and position of a body based on velocity data. It is tempting to use direction cosine matrices (DCM), for example, to track attitude based on angular velocity data, and to integrate the linear...

  2. Mobile Robot Positioning by using Low-Cost Visual Tracking System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruangpayoongsak Niramon

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an application of visual tracking system on mobile robot positioning. The proposed method is verified on a constructed low-cost tracking system consisting of 2 DOF pan-tilt unit, web camera and distance sensor. The motion of pan-tilt joints is realized and controlled by using LQR controller running on microcontroller. Without needs of camera calibration, robot trajectory is tracked by Kalman filter integrating distance information and joint positions. The experimental results demonstrate validity of the proposed positioning technique and the obtained mobile robot trajectory is benchmarked against laser rangefinder positioning. The implemented system can successfully track a mobile robot driving at 14 cm/s.

  3. Performance Analysis and Design Strategy for a Second-Order, Fixed-Gain, Position-Velocity-Measured (α-β-η-θ Tracking Filter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kenshi Saho

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available We present a strategy for designing an α - β - η - θ filter, a fixed-gain moving-object tracking filter using position and velocity measurements. First, performance indices and stability conditions for the filter are analytically derived. Then, an optimal gain design strategy using these results is proposed and its relationship to the position-velocity-measured (PVM Kalman filter is shown. Numerical analyses demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy, as well as a performance improvement over the traditional position-only-measured α - β filter. Moreover, we apply an α - β - η - θ filter designed using this strategy to ultra-wideband Doppler radar tracking in numerical simulations. We verify that the proposed strategy can easily design the gains for an α - β - η - θ filter based on the performance of the ultra-wideband Doppler radar and a rough approximation of the target’s acceleration. Moreover, its effectiveness in predicting the steady state performance in designing the position-velocity-measured Kalman filter is also demonstrated.

  4. Tracking Lagrangian trajectories in position–velocity space

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, Haitao

    2008-01-01

    Lagrangian particle-tracking algorithms are susceptible to intermittent loss of particle images on the sensors. The measured trajectories are often interrupted into short segments and the long-time Lagrangian statistics are difficult to obtain. We present an algorithm to connect the segments of Lagrangian trajectories from common particle-tracking algorithms. Our algorithm tracks trajectory segments in the six-dimensional position and velocity space. We describe the approach to determine parameters in the algorithm and demonstrate the validity of the algorithm with data from numerical simulations and the improvement of long-time Lagrangian statistics on experimental data. The algorithm has important applications in measurements with high particle seeding density and in obtaining multi-particle Lagrangian statistics

  5. Feasibility study of one axis three positions tracking solar PV with low concentration ratio reflector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, B.J.; Sun, F.S.

    2007-01-01

    A new PV design, called 'one axis three position sun tracking PV module', with low concentration ratio reflector was proposed in the present study. Every PV module is designed with a low concentration ratio reflector and is mounted on an individual sun tracking frame. The one axis tracking mechanism adjusts the PV position only at three fixed angles (three position tracking): morning, noon and afternoon. This 'one axis three position sun tracking PV module' can be designed in a simple structure with low cost. A design analysis was performed in the present study. The analytical results show that the optimal stopping angle β in the morning or afternoon is about 50 o from the solar noon position and the optimal switching angle that controls the best time for changing the attitude of the PV module is half of the stopping angle, i.e. θ H = β/2, and both are independent of the latitude. The power generation increases by approximately 24.5% as compared to a fixed PV module for latitude φ o . The analysis also shows that the effect of installation misalignment away from the true south direction is negligible ( o . An experiment performed in the present study indicates that the PV power generation can increase by about 23% using low concentration (2X) reflectors. Hence, combining with the power output increase of 24.5%, by using one axis three position tracking, the total increase in power generation is about 56%. The economic analysis shows that the price reduction is between 20% and 30% for the various market prices of flat plate PV modules

  6. Distributed Extended Kalman Filter for Position, Velocity, Time, Estimation in Satellite Navigation Receivers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. Jakubov

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Common techniques for position-velocity-time estimation in satellite navigation, iterative least squares and the extended Kalman filter, involve matrix operations. The matrix inversion and inclusion of a matrix library pose requirements on a computational power and operating platform of the navigation processor. In this paper, we introduce a novel distributed algorithm suitable for implementation in simple parallel processing units each for a tracked satellite. Such a unit performs only scalar sum, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The algorithm can be efficiently implemented in hardware logic. Given the fast position-velocity-time estimator, frequent estimates can foster dynamic performance of a vector tracking receiver. The algorithm has been designed from a factor graph representing the extended Kalman filter by splitting vector nodes into scalar ones resulting in a cyclic graph with few iterations needed. Monte Carlo simulations have been conducted to investigate convergence and accuracy. Simulation case studies for a vector tracking architecture and experimental measurements with a real-time software receiver developed at CTU in Prague were conducted. The algorithm offers compromises in stability, accuracy, and complexity depending on the number of iterations. In scenarios with a large number of tracked satellites, it can outperform the traditional methods at low complexity.

  7. Superconducting low-velocity linac for the Argonne positive-ion injector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shepard, K.W.; Markovich, P.K.; Zinkann, G.P.; Clifft, B.; Benaroya, R.

    1989-01-01

    A low-velocity superconducting linac has been developed as part of a positive-ion injector system, which is replacing a 9 MV tandem as the injector for the ATLAS accelerator. The linac consists of an independently phased array of resonators, and is designed to accelerate various ions over a velocity range .008 < v/c < .06. The resonator array is formed of four different types of superconducting interdigital structures. The linac is being constructed in three phases, each of which will cover the full velocity range. Successive phases will increase the total accelerating potential and permit heavier ions to be accelerated. Assembly of the first phase was completed in early 1989. In initial tests with beam, a five-resonator array provided approximately 3.5 MV of accelerating potential and operated without difficulty for several hundred hours. The second phase is scheduled for completion in late 1989, and will increase the accelerating potential to more than 8 MV. 5 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

  8. Superconducting low-velocity linac for the Argonne positive-ion injector

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shepard, K.W.; Markovich, P.K.; Zinkann, G.P.; Clifft, B.; Benaroya, R.

    1989-01-01

    A low-velocity superconducting linac has been developed as part of a positive-ion injector system, which is replacing a 9 MV tandem as the injector for the ATLAS accelerator. The linac consists of an independently phased array of resonators, and is designed to accelerate various ions over a velocity range .008 < v/c < .06. The resonator array is formed of four different types of superconducting interdigital structures. The linac is being constructed in three phases, each of which will cover the full velocity range. Successive phases will increase the total accelerating potential and permit heavier ions to be accelerated. Assembly of the first phase was completed in early 1989. In initial tests with beam, a five-resonator array provided approximately 3.5 MV of accelerating potential and operated without difficulty for several hundred hours. The second phase is scheduled for completion in late 1989, and will increase the accelerating potential to more than 8 MV. 5 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.

  9. Dimethylether: a low velocity, low diffusion drift chamber gas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Villa, F.

    1983-01-01

    There are two main motivations to look for a low electron mobility gas: the first is that a low drift velocity relaxes the need to measure drift times with nanosecond (or even subnanosecond) precision; the second is that (in an ideal drift geometry), the capability of resolving two closely spaced tracks depends upon the ratio of electron mobility to ion mobility μ/sub e//μ/sub i/. Since μ/sub i/ is rather constant, the way to separate two tracks is to slow down the electrons. Many other properties are required besides low mobility and low drifting electron temperature: the gas should have a large (> 10 3 ) stable gain; it must be chemically stable and not oxic; it should not attack materials commonly used to fabricate drift chambers, etc. With these requirements in mind, we have tried a few promising (on paper) gases, either pure or in admixture with Argon. One of the gases examined, dimethylether [(CH 3 ) 2 )], has shown interesting characteristics

  10. Low velocity gunshot wounds result in significant contamination regardless of ballistic characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weinstein, Joseph; Putney, Emily; Egol, Kenneth

    2014-01-01

    Controversy exists among the orthopedic community regarding the treatment of gunshot injuries. No consistent treatment algorithm exists for treatment of low energy gunshot wound (GSW) trauma. The purpose of this study was to critically examine the wound contamination following low velocity GSW based upon bullet caliber and clothing fiber type found within the injury track. Four types of handguns were fired at ballistic gel from a 10-foot distance. Various clothing materials were applied (denim, cotton, polyester, and wool) circumferentially around the tissue agar in a loose manor. A total of 32 specimens were examined. Each caliber handgun was fired a minimum of 5 times into a gel. Regardless of bullet caliber there was gross contamination of the entire bullet track in 100% of specimens in all scenarios and for all fiber types. Furthermore, as would be expected, the degree of contamination appeared to increase as the size of the bullet increased. Low velocity GSWs result in significant contamination regardless of bullet caliber and jacket type. Based upon our results further investigation of low velocity GSW tracks is warranted. Further clinical investigation should focus on the degree to which debridement should be undertaken.

  11. Three-dimensional trajectory tracking for underactuated AUVs with bio-inspired velocity regulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiajia Zhou

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper attempts to address the motion parameter skip problem associated with three-dimensional trajectory tracking of an underactuated Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV using backstepping-based control, due to the unsmoothness of tracking trajectory. Through kinematics concepts, a three-dimensional dynamic velocity regulation controller is derived. This controller makes use of the surge and angular velocity errors with bio-inspired models and backstepping techniques. It overcomes the frequently occurring problem of parameter skip at inflection point existing in backstepping tracking control method and increases system robustness. Moreover, the proposed method can effectively avoid the singularity problem in backstepping control of virtual velocity error. The control system is proved to be uniformly ultimately bounded using Lyapunov stability theory. Simulation results illustrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the developed controller, which can realize accurate three-dimensional trajectory tracking for an underactuated AUV with constant external disturbances. Keywords: Dynamic velocity regulation, Bio-inspired model, Backstepping, Underactuated AUV, Three-dimensional trajectory tracking

  12. Launch vehicle tracking enhancement through Global Positioning System Metric Tracking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, T. C.; Li, Hanchu; Gray, T.; Doran, A.

    United Launch Alliance (ULA) initiated operational flights of both the Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicle families in 2002. The Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicles were developed jointly with the US Air Force (USAF) as part of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. Both Launch Vehicle (LV) families have provided 100% mission success since their respective inaugural launches and demonstrated launch capability from both Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) on the Western Test Range and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) on the Eastern Test Range. However, the current EELV fleet communications, tracking, & control architecture & technology, which date back to the origins of the space launch business, require support by a large and high cost ground footprint. The USAF has embarked on an initiative known as Future Flight Safety System (FFSS) that will significantly reduce Test Range Operations and Maintenance (O& M) cost by closing facilities and decommissioning ground assets. In support of the FFSS, a Global Positioning System Metric Tracking (GPS MT) System based on the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite constellation has been developed for EELV which will allow both Ranges to divest some of their radar assets. The Air Force, ULA and Space Vector have flown the first 2 Atlas Certification vehicles demonstrating the successful operation of the GPS MT System. The first Atlas V certification flight was completed in February 2012 from CCAFS, the second Atlas V certification flight from VAFB was completed in September 2012 and the third certification flight on a Delta IV was completed October 2012 from CCAFS. The GPS MT System will provide precise LV position, velocity and timing information that can replace ground radar tracking resource functionality. The GPS MT system will provide an independent position/velocity S-Band telemetry downlink to support the current man-in-the-loop ground-based commanded destruct of an anomalous flight- The system

  13. Leader-Follower Tracking System for Agricultural Vehicles: Fusion of Laser and Odometry Positioning Using Extended Kalman Filter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang Lin Huan

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this research was to develop a safe human-driven and autonomous leader-follower tracking system for an autonomous tractor. To enable the tracking system, a laser range finder (LRF-based landmark detection system was designed to observe the relative position between a leader and a follower used in agricultural operations. The virtual follower-based formation-tracking algorithm was developed to minimize tracking errors and ensure safety. An extended Kalman filter (EKF was implemented for fusing LRF and odometry position to ensure stability of tracking in noisy farmland conditions. Simulations were conducted for tracking the leader in small and large sinusoidal curved paths. Simulated results verified high accuracy of formation tracking, stable velocity, and regulated steering angle of the follower. The tracking method confirmed the follower could follow the leader with a required formation safely and steadily in noisy conditions. The EKF helped to improve observation accuracy, velocity, and steering angle stability of the follower. As a result of the improved accuracy of observation and motion action, the tracking performance for lateral, longitudinal, and heading were also improved after the EKF was implemented in the tracking system.

  14. Ice Velocity Mapping Using TOPS SAR Data and Offset Tracking

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dall, Jørgen; Kusk, Anders; Nielsen, Ulrik

    2015-01-01

    Feature tracking and speckle tracking, are robust techniques to measure the velocity of glaciers and ice sheets. Displacement maps based on TOPS data may have small gaps if the bursts are not handled properly. Ice moving from one burst to a consecutive burst between two observations is not observ...

  15. Design of a Low-cost Oil Spill Tracking Buoy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Y.; Hu, X.; Yu, F.; Dong, S.; Chen, G.

    2017-12-01

    As the rapid development of oil exploitation and transportation, oil spill accidents, such as Prestige oil spill, Gulf of Mexico oil spill accident and so on, happened frequently in recent years which would result in long-term damage to the environment and human life. It would be helpful for rescue operation if we can locate the oil slick diffusion area in real time. Equipped with GNSS system, current tracking buoys(CTB), such as Lagrangian drifting buoy, Surface Velocity Program (SVP) drifter, iSLDMB (Iridium self locating datum marker buoy) and Argosphere buoy, have been used as oil tracking buoy in oil slick observation and as validation tools for oil spill simulation. However, surface wind could affect the movement of oil slick, which couldn't be reflected by CTB, thus the oil spill tracking performance is limited. Here, we proposed an novel oil spill tracking buoy (OSTB) which has a low cost of less than $140 and is equipped with Beidou positioning module and sails to track oil slick. Based on hydrodynamic equilibrium model and ocean dynamic analysis, the wind sails and water sails are designed to be adjustable according to different marine conditions to improve tracking efficiency. Quick release device is designed to assure easy deployment from air or ship. Sea experiment was carried out in Jiaozhou Bay, Northern China. OSTB, SVP, iSLDMB, Argosphere buoy and a piece of oil-simulated rubber sheet were deployed at the same time. Meanwhile, oil spill simulation model GNOME (general NOAA operational modeling environment) was configured with the wind and current field, which were collected by an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) mounted with acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCP) and wind speed and direction sensors. Experimental results show that the OSTB has better relevance with rubber sheet and GNOME simulation results, which validate the oil tracking ability of OSTB. With low cost and easy deployment, OSTB provides an effective way for oil spill numerical

  16. EnTracked: Energy-Efficient Robust Position Tracking for Mobile Devices

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjærgaard, Mikkel Baun; Jensen, Jakob Langdal; Godsk, Torben

    2009-01-01

    conditions and mobility, schedules position updates to both minimize energy consumption and optimize robustness. The realized system tracks pedestrian targets equipped with GPS-enabled devices. The system is configurable to realize different trade-offs between energy consumption and robustness. We provide...... of the mobile device. Furthermore, tracking has to robustly deliver position updates when faced with changing conditions such as delays due to positioning and communication, and changing positioning accuracy. This work proposes EnTracked --- a system that, based on the estimation and prediction of system...... extensive experimental results by profiling how devices consume power, by emulation on collected data and by validation in several real-world deployments. Results from this profiling show how a device consumes power while tracking its position. Results from the emulation indicate that the system can...

  17. Surface wave velocity tracking by bisection method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maeda, T.

    2005-01-01

    Calculation of surface wave velocity is a classic problem dating back to the well-known Haskell's transfer matrix method, which contributes to solutions of elastic wave propagation, global subsurface structure evaluation by simulating observed earthquake group velocities, and on-site evaluation of subsurface structure by simulating phase velocity dispersion curves and/or H/V spectra obtained by micro-tremor observation. Recently inversion analysis on micro-tremor observation requires efficient method of generating many model candidates and also stable, accurate, and fast computation of dispersion curves and Raleigh wave trajectory. The original Haskell's transfer matrix method has been improved in terms of its divergence tendency mainly by the generalized transmission and reflection matrix method with formulation available for surface wave velocity; however, root finding algorithm has not been fully discussed except for the one by setting threshold to the absolute value of complex characteristic functions. Since surface wave number (reciprocal to the surface wave velocity multiplied by frequency) is a root of complex valued characteristic function, it is intractable to use general root finding algorithm. We will examine characteristic function in phase plane to construct two dimensional bisection algorithm with consideration on a layer to be evaluated and algorithm for tracking roots down along frequency axis. (author)

  18. Signal differentiation in position tracking control of dc motors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beltran-Carbajal, F; Valderrabano-Gonzalez, A; Rosas-Caro, J C

    2015-01-01

    An asymptotic differentiation approach with respect to time is used for on-line estimation of velocity and acceleration signals in controlled dc motors. The attractive feature of this differentiator of signals is that it does not require any system mathematical model, which allows its use in engineering systems that require the signal differentiation for its control, identification, fault detection, among other applications. Moreover, it is shown that the differentiation approach can be applied for output signals showing a chaotic behavior. In addition a differential flatness control scheme with additional integral compensation of the output error is proposed for tracking tasks of position reference trajectories for direct current electric motors using angular position measurements only

  19. Velocity Tracking Control of Wheeled Mobile Robots by Iterative Learning Control

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaochun Lu

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an iterative learning control (ILC strategy to resolve the trajectory tracking problem of wheeled mobile robots (WMRs based on dynamic model. In the previous study of WMRs’ trajectory tracking, ILC was usually applied to the kinematical model of WMRs with the assumption that desired velocity can be tracked immediately. However, this assumption cannot be realized in the real world at all. The kinematic and dynamic models of WMRs are deduced in this chapter, and a novel combination of D-type ILC algorithm and dynamic model of WMR with random bounded disturbances are presented. To analyze the convergence of the algorithm, the method of contracting mapping, which shows that the designed controller can make the velocity tracking errors converge to zero completely when the iteration times tend to infinite, is adopted. Simulation results show the effectiveness of D-type ILC in the trajectory tracking problem of WMRs, demonstrating the effectiveness and robustness of the algorithm in the condition of random bounded disturbance. A comparative study conducted between D-type ILC and compound cosine function neural network (NN controller also demonstrates the effectiveness of the ILC strategy.

  20. The Measurement of cloud velocity using the pulsed laser and image tracking technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kwon, Seong-Ouk; Baik, Seung-Hoon; Park, Seung-Kyu; Park, Nak-Gyu; Kim, Dong-lyul; Ahn, Yong-Jin [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-05-15

    The height of the clouds is also important for the three dimensional radiative interaction of aerosols and clouds, since the radiative effects vary strongly depending whether the cloud is above, below or even embedded in an aerosol layer. Clouds play an important role in climate change, in the prediction of local weather, and also in aviation safety when instrument assisted flying is unavailable. Presently, various ground-based instruments used for the measurements of the cloud base height or velocity. Lidar techniques are powerful and have many applications in climate studies, including the clouds' temperature measurement, the aerosol particle properties, etc. Otherwise, it is very circumscribed in cloud velocity measurements In this paper, we propose a new method to measure the cloud velocity. In this paper, we presented a method for the measurement of the cloud altitude and velocity using lidar's range detection and the tracking system. For the lidar system, we used an injection-seeded pulsed Nd:YAG laser as the transmitter to measure the distance to the target clouds. We used the DIC system to track the cloud image and calculate the actual displacement per unit time. The configured lidar system acquired the lidar signal of clouds at a distance of about 4 km. The developed fast correlation algorithm of the tracking, which is used to track the fast moving cloud relatively, was efficient for measuring the cloud velocity in real time. The measurement values had a linear distribution.

  1. Adaptive H∞ nonlinear velocity tracking using RBFNN for linear DC brushless motor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Ching-Chih; Chan, Cheng-Kain; Li, Yi Yu

    2012-01-01

    This article presents an adaptive H ∞ nonlinear velocity control for a linear DC brushless motor. A simplified model of this motor with friction is briefly recalled. The friction dynamics is described by the Lu Gre model and the online tuning radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) is used to parameterise the nonlinear friction function and un-modelled errors. An adaptive nonlinear H ∞ control method is then proposed to achieve velocity tracking, by assuming that the upper bounds of the ripple force, the changeable load and the nonlinear friction can be learned by the RBFNN. The closed-loop system is proven to be uniformly bounded using the Lyapunov stability theory. The feasibility and the efficacy of the proposed control are exemplified by conducting two velocity tracking experiments.

  2. Development of Hydroxyl Tagging Velocimetry for Low Velocity Flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andre, Matthieu A.; Bardet, Philippe M.; Burns, Ross A.; Danehy, Paul M.

    2016-01-01

    Hydroxyl tagging velocimetry (HTV) is a molecular tagging technique that relies on the photo-dissociation of water vapor into OH radicals and their subsequent tracking using laser induced fluorescence. Velocities are then obtained from time-of-flight calculations. At ambient temperature in air, the OH species lifetime is relatively short (<50 µs), making it suited for high speed flows. Lifetime and radicals formation increases with temperature, which allows HTV to also probe low-velocity, high-temperature flows or reacting flows such as flames. The present work aims at extending the domain of applicability of HTV, particularly towards low-speed (<10 m/s) and moderate (<500 K) temperature flows. Results are compared to particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements recorded in identical conditions. Single shot and averaged velocity profiles are obtained in an air jet at room temperature. By modestly raising the temperature (100-200 degC) the OH production increases, resulting in an improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Use of nitrogen - a non-reactive gas with minimal collisional quenching - extends the OH species lifetime (to over 500 µs), which allows probing of slower flows or, alternately, increases the measurement precision at the expense of spatial resolution. Instantaneous velocity profiles are resolved in a 100degC nitrogen jet (maximum jet-center velocity of 6.5 m/s) with an uncertainty down to 0.10 m/s (1.5%) at 68% confidence level. MTV measurements are compared with particle image velocimetry and show agreement within 2%.

  3. Nonlinear control of ships minimizing the position tracking errors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Svein P. Berge

    1999-07-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a nonlinear tracking controller with integral action for ships is presented. The controller is based on state feedback linearization. Exponential convergence of the vessel-fixed position and velocity errors are proven by using Lyapunov stability theory. Since we only have two control devices, a rudder and a propeller, we choose to control the longship and the sideship position errors to zero while the heading is stabilized indirectly. A Virtual Reference Point (VRP is defined at the bow or ahead of the ship. The VRP is used for tracking control. It is shown that the distance from the center of rotation to the VRP will influence on the stability of the zero dynamics. By selecting the VRP at the bow or even ahead of the bow, the damping in yaw can be increased and the zero dynamics is stabilized. Hence, the heading angle will be less sensitive to wind, currents and waves. The control law is simulated by using a nonlinear model of the Japanese training ship Shiojimaru with excellent results. Wind forces are added to demonstrate the robustness and performance of the integral controller.

  4. Modeling and Velocity Tracking Control for Tape Drive System ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Modeling and Velocity Tracking Control for Tape Drive System. ... Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management ... The result of the study revealed that 7.07, 8 and 10 of koln values met the design goal and also resulted in optimal control performance with the following characteristics 7.31%,7.71% , 9.41% ...

  5. Instantaneous axial velocity of a radioactive tracer determined with radioactive particle tracking

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fraguio, Maria Sol; Cassanello, Miryan C., E-mail: miryan@di.fcen.uba.a [Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina). Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Programa de Investigacion y Desarrollo de Fuentes Alternativas de Materias Primas y Energia (PINMATE); Cardona, Maria Angelica; Hojman, Daniel, E-mail: cardona@tandar.cnea.gov.a [CONICET, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Somacal, Hector [Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica (CNEA), Buenos Aires (Argentina). Centro Atomico Constituyentes. Dept. de Fisica

    2009-07-01

    Radioactive Particle Tracking (RPT) is a technique that has been successfully used to get features of the liquid and/or the solid motion in multiphase contactors. It is one of the rare techniques able to provide experimental data in dense and strongly turbulent multiphase media. Validation of the technique has always been based on comparing the estimated mean velocity to an imposed mean velocity although the extracted features are frequently related to the instantaneous velocities. The present work pursues the analysis, through calibration experiments, of the ability of RPT to get the actual tracer instantaneous velocities. With this purpose, the motion of a radioactive tracer attached to a moving rod driven by a pneumatic system is reconstructed from the combined response of an array of 10 NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors. Simultaneously, the tracer motion is registered through an encoder able to establish the axial tracer coordinate with high precision and high time resolution. The tracer is a gold particle, activated by neutron bombardment. The rod is moved at different velocities and it travels upwards and downwards close to the column centre. A mini-pilot scale bubble column is used as the test facility. The model liquid is tap water in batch mode and the gas is air, flowing at different gas velocities, spanning the homogeneous and the heterogeneous flow regimes. Time series of the entirety response of all the detectors, while the rod is moving at different imposed velocities within the two phase emulsion, are measured with a sampling period of 0.03 s during about 2 minutes. The instantaneous tracer positions and velocities reconstructed from RPT and the one obtained from the encoder response are compared under different operating conditions and for different tracer velocities. (author)

  6. IFE Target Injection Tracking and Position Prediction Update

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petzoldt, Ronald W.; Jonestrask, Kevin

    2005-01-01

    To achieve high gain in an inertial fusion energy power plant, driver beams must hit direct drive targets with ±20 μm accuracy (±100 μm for indirect drive). Targets will have to be tracked with even greater accuracy. The conceptual design for our tracking system, which predicts target arrival position and timing based on position measurements outside of the reaction chamber was previously described. The system has been built and has begun tracking targets at the first detector station. Additional detector stations are being modified for increased field of view. After three tracking stations are operational, position predictions at the final station will be compared to position measurements at that station as a measure of target position prediction accuracy.The as-installed design will be described together with initial target tracking and position prediction accuracy results. Design modifications that allow for improved accuracy and/or in-chamber target tracking will also be presented

  7. Anomalous effect of ion velocity on track formation in GeS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Szenes, G., E-mail: szenesgyorgy@caesar.elte.hu [Department of Materials Physics, Eötvös University, P.O. Box 32, H-1518 Budapest (Hungary); Pécz, B. [Institute for Technical Physics and Materials Science, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1525 Budapest, P.O. Box 49 (Hungary)

    2016-12-15

    Systematic experiments were performed for studying the effect of the projectile velocity (velocity effect, VE) in GeS which has a highly anisotropic conductivity. The prethinned specimens were irradiated by Bi, Au, W, Xe, Ag, Kr, Ni and Fe ions of about E ≈ 1 MeV/nucleon energy. Track radii were measured by transmission electron microscopy. Compared to previous experiments performed with high velocity projectile, there is a marked VE for S{sub e} > 20 keV/nm (S{sub e} – electronic stopping power). However, the VE is gradually reduced and finally disappears as S{sub e} decreases. This effect is described for the first time. The predictions according to the Analytical Thermal Spike Model are in excellent quantitative agreement with the experiments in the range S{sub e} > 20 keV/nm. The anomalous behavior of track evolution at lower values of S{sub e} is attributed to the combination of semiconducting and insulating properties. An explanation of the VE is given based on the Coulomb explosion model.

  8. Controller Design and Experiment for Tracking Mount of Movable SLR, ARGO-M

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cheol Hoon Park

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Controller design procedure for prototype tracking mount of Movable SLR (Satellite Laser Ranging, ARGO-M is presented. Tracking mount of ARGO-M is altitude-azimuth type and it has two axes of elevation and azimuth to control its position. Controller consists of velocity and acceleration feed-forward controller, position controller at outer loop, velocity controller at inner loop. There are two kinds of position control modes. One is the pointing mode to move from one position to the other position as fast as possible and the other one is tracking mode to follow SLR trajectory as precise as possible. Because the requirement of tracking accuracy is less than 5 arcsec and it is very tight error budget, a sophisticated controller needs to be prepared to meet the accuracy. Especially, ARGO-M is using the cross-roller bearing at each axis to increase the mechanical accuracy, which requires add-on controller DOB (Disturbance observer to suppress friction load and low frequency disturbances. The pointing and tracking performance of the designed controller is simulated and visualized using MATLAB/ Simulink and SimMechanics and the experimental results using test are presented as well.

  9. Estimation of position and velocity for a low dynamic vehicle in near space using nonresolved photometric and astrometric data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jing, Nan; Li, Chuang; Chong, Yaqin

    2017-01-20

    An estimation method for indirectly observable parameters for a typical low dynamic vehicle (LDV) is presented. The estimation method utilizes apparent magnitude, azimuth angle, and elevation angle to estimate the position and velocity of a typical LDV, such as a high altitude balloon (HAB). In order to validate the accuracy of the estimated parameters gained from an unscented Kalman filter, two sets of experiments are carried out to obtain the nonresolved photometric and astrometric data. In the experiments, a HAB launch is planned; models of the HAB dynamics and kinematics and observation models are built to use as time update and measurement update functions, respectively. When the HAB is launched, a ground-based optoelectronic detector is used to capture the object images, which are processed using aperture photometry technology to obtain the time-varying apparent magnitude of the HAB. Two sets of actual and estimated parameters are given to clearly indicate the parameter differences. Two sets of errors between the actual and estimated parameters are also given to show how the estimated position and velocity differ with respect to the observation time. The similar distribution curve results from the two scenarios, which agree within 3σ, verify that nonresolved photometric and astrometric data can be used to estimate the indirectly observable state parameters (position and velocity) for a typical LDV. This technique can be applied to small and dim space objects in the future.

  10. Modular Track System For Positioning Mobile Robots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Jeff

    1995-01-01

    Conceptual system for positioning mobile robotic manipulators on large main structure includes modular tracks and ancillary structures assembled easily along with main structure. System, called "tracked robotic location system" (TROLS), originally intended for application to platforms in outer space, but TROLS concept might also prove useful on Earth; for example, to position robots in factories and warehouses. T-cross-section rail keeps mobile robot on track. Bar codes mark locations along track. Each robot equipped with bar-code-recognizing circuitry so it quickly finds way to assigned location.

  11. A Monte Carlo track structure code for low energy protons

    CERN Document Server

    Endo, S; Nikjoo, H; Uehara, S; Hoshi, M; Ishikawa, M; Shizuma, K

    2002-01-01

    A code is described for simulation of protons (100 eV to 10 MeV) track structure in water vapor. The code simulates molecular interaction by interaction for the transport of primary ions and secondary electrons in the form of ionizations and excitations. When a low velocity ion collides with the atoms or molecules of a target, the ion may also capture or lose electrons. The probabilities for these processes are described by the quantity cross-section. Although proton track simulation at energies above Bragg peak (>0.3 MeV) has been achieved to a high degree of precision, simulations at energies near or below the Bragg peak have only been attempted recently because of the lack of relevant cross-section data. As the hydrogen atom has a different ionization cross-section from that of a proton, charge exchange processes need to be considered in order to calculate stopping power for low energy protons. In this paper, we have used state-of-the-art Monte Carlo track simulation techniques, in conjunction with the pub...

  12. Stereoscopic Feature Tracking System for Retrieving Velocity of Surface Waters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zuniga Zamalloa, C. C.; Landry, B. J.

    2017-12-01

    The present work is concerned with the surface velocity retrieval of flows using a stereoscopic setup and finding the correspondence in the images via feature tracking (FT). The feature tracking provides a key benefit of substantially reducing the level of user input. In contrast to other commonly used methods (e.g., normalized cross-correlation), FT does not require the user to prescribe interrogation window sizes and removes the need for masking when specularities are present. The results of the current FT methodology are comparable to those obtained via Large Scale Particle Image Velocimetry while requiring little to no user input which allowed for rapid, automated processing of imagery.

  13. Ice Velocity Variations of the Polar Record Glacier (East Antarctica Using a Rotation-Invariant Feature-Tracking Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tingting Liu

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In this study, the ice velocity changes from 2004 to 2015 of the Polar Record Glacier (PRG in East Antarctica were investigated based on a feature-tracking method using Landsat-7 enhanced thematic mapper plus (ETM+ and Landsat-8 operational land imager (OLI images. The flow field of the PRG curves make it difficult to generate ice velocities in some areas using the traditional normalized cross-correlation (NCC-based feature-tracking method. Therefore, a rotation-invariant parameter from scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT is introduced to build a novel rotation-invariant feature-tracking approach. The validation was performed based on multi-source images and the making earth system data records for use in research environments (MEaSUREs interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR-based Antarctica ice velocity map data set. The results indicate that the proposed method is able to measure the ice velocity in more areas and performs as well as the traditional NCC-based feature-tracking method. The sequential ice velocities obtained present the variations in the PRG during this period. Although the maximum ice velocity of the frontal margin of the PRG and the frontal iceberg reached about 900 m/a and 1000 m/a, respectively, the trend from 2004 to 2015 showed no significant change. Under the interaction of the Polar Times Glacier and the Polarforschung Glacier, both the direction and the displacement of the PRG were influenced. This impact also led to higher velocities in the western areas of the PRG than in the eastern areas. In addition, elevation changes and frontal iceberg calving also impacted the ice velocity of the PRG.

  14. Multi-User Identification-Based Eye-Tracking Algorithm Using Position Estimation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suk-Ju Kang

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes a new multi-user eye-tracking algorithm using position estimation. Conventional eye-tracking algorithms are typically suitable only for a single user, and thereby cannot be used for a multi-user system. Even though they can be used to track the eyes of multiple users, their detection accuracy is low and they cannot identify multiple users individually. The proposed algorithm solves these problems and enhances the detection accuracy. Specifically, the proposed algorithm adopts a classifier to detect faces for the red, green, and blue (RGB and depth images. Then, it calculates features based on the histogram of the oriented gradient for the detected facial region to identify multiple users, and selects the template that best matches the users from a pre-determined face database. Finally, the proposed algorithm extracts the final eye positions based on anatomical proportions. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm improved the average F1 score by up to 0.490, compared with benchmark algorithms.

  15. Demonstrating EnTracked a System for Energy-Efficient Position Tracking for Mobile Devices

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjærgaard, Mikkel Baun; Jensen, Jakob Langdal; Godsk, Torben

    An important feature of a modern mobile device is that it can position itself. Not only for use on the device but also for remote applications that require tracking of the device. To be useful, such position tracking has to be energy-efficient to avoid having a major impact on the battery life...... of the mobile device. To address this challenge we have build a system named EnTracked that, based on the estimation and prediction of system conditions and mobility, schedules position updates to both minimize energy consumption and optimize robustness. In this demonstration we would like to show how...

  16. A New Filtering Algorithm Utilizing Radial Velocity Measurement

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    LIU Yan-feng; DU Zi-cheng; PAN Quan

    2005-01-01

    Pulse Doppler radar measurements consist of range, azimuth, elevation and radial velocity. Most of the radar tracking algorithms in engineering only utilize position measurement. The extended Kalman filter with radial velocity measureneut is presented, then a new filtering algorithm utilizing radial velocity measurement is proposed to improve tracking results and the theoretical analysis is also given. Simulation results of the new algorithm, converted measurement Kalman filter, extended Kalman filter are compared. The effectiveness of the new algorithm is verified by simulation results.

  17. Positioning Reduction of Deep Space Probes Based on VLBI Tracking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiao, S. B.

    2011-11-01

    asymptotic line in the sequence of positioning points. When VLBI stations changed from three to four or vice versa, trend jumps could sometimes exist in the sequence of positioning points. The analysis could be as a reference to the follow-on Chinese Lunar Exploration Project and Yinghuo Project in the positioning reduction of spacecraft. (2) The tracking data of the MEX satellite by the Chinese VLBI Network (CVN) on 2007 May 30 are processed. The results show that using the delays in precision of nanoseconds in the satellite positioning reduction is more effective than the delay rates in precision of picoseconds per second, and the contribution of the delay rates to the positioning is very limited. If the delays and their rates are jointly used in the positioning reduction, the correction to the adopted velocity should also be solved simultaneously with the position parameters. Otherwise the error in the priori velocity would directly influence the positioning precision. In order to improve the positioning precision of Martian satellite, it is very necessary for CVN to actively practice differential VLBI, same beam VLBI and so on. Then the systematic errors and the noise level of observations are further reduced. (3) Through positioning reduction, the trajectory monitoring of pivotal arcs of the CE-1 satellite is accomplished, including the arcs of maneuvers in the approaching stage, lunar capturing stage, circumlunar stage and the stage of controlled landing on the Moon. Especially, based on the tracking observations of radio ranges and VLBI delays of the CE-1 satellite during the controlled landing on the Moon on 2009 March 1, the landing trajectory, the epoch of the landing, and the coordinates of the landing point are determined by positioning reduction. The three-dimensional positioning uncertainty is about 0.55 km. The trace determination of the rover on the lunar surface is made as planned in the follow-on Chinese lunar exploration project. To apply the constraint of

  18. Comparison of bottom-track to global positioning system referenced discharges measured using an acoustic Doppler current profiler

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Chad R.; Mueller, David S.

    2011-01-01

    A negative bias in discharge measurements made with an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) can be caused by the movement of sediment on or near the streambed. The integration of a global positioning system (GPS) to track the movement of the ADCP can be used to avoid the systematic negative bias associated with a moving streambed. More than 500 discharge transects from 63 discharge measurements with GPS data were collected at sites throughout the US, Canada, and New Zealand with no moving bed to compare GPS and bottom-track-referenced discharges. Although the data indicated some statistical bias depending on site conditions and type of GPS data used, these biases were typically about 0.5% or less. An assessment of differential correction sources was limited by a lack of data collected in a range of different correction sources and different GPS receivers at the same sites. Despite this limitation, the data indicate that the use of Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) corrected positional data is acceptable for discharge measurements using GGA as the boat-velocity reference. The discharge data based on GPS-referenced boat velocities from the VTG data string, which does not require differential correction, were comparable to the discharges based on GPS-referenced boat velocities from the differentially-corrected GGA data string. Spatial variability of measure discharges referenced to GGA, VTG and bottom-tracking is higher near the channel banks. The spatial variability of VTG-referenced discharges is correlated with the spatial distribution of maximum Horizontal Dilution of Precision (HDOP) values and the spatial variability of GGA-referenced discharges is correlated with proximity to channel banks.

  19. Kalman Orbit Optimized Loop Tracking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Lawrence E.; Meehan, Thomas K.

    2011-01-01

    Under certain conditions of low signal power and/or high noise, there is insufficient signal to noise ratio (SNR) to close tracking loops with individual signals on orbiting Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers. In addition, the processing power available from flight computers is not great enough to implement a conventional ultra-tight coupling tracking loop. This work provides a method to track GNSS signals at very low SNR without the penalty of requiring very high processor throughput to calculate the loop parameters. The Kalman Orbit-Optimized Loop (KOOL) tracking approach constitutes a filter with a dynamic model and using the aggregate of information from all tracked GNSS signals to close the tracking loop for each signal. For applications where there is not a good dynamic model, such as very low orbits where atmospheric drag models may not be adequate to achieve the required accuracy, aiding from an IMU (inertial measurement unit) or other sensor will be added. The KOOL approach is based on research JPL has done to allow signal recovery from weak and scintillating signals observed during the use of GPS signals for limb sounding of the Earth s atmosphere. That approach uses the onboard PVT (position, velocity, time) solution to generate predictions for the range, range rate, and acceleration of the low-SNR signal. The low- SNR signal data are captured by a directed open loop. KOOL builds on the previous open loop tracking by including feedback and observable generation from the weak-signal channels so that the MSR receiver will continue to track and provide PVT, range, and Doppler data, even when all channels have low SNR.

  20. A Low Cost GPS System for Real-Time Tracking of Sounding Rockets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markgraf, M.; Montenbruck, O.; Hassenpflug, F.; Turner, P.; Bull, B.; Bauer, Frank (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    This paper describes the development as well as the on-ground and the in-flight evaluation of a low cost Global Positioning System (GPS) system for real-time tracking of sounding rockets. The flight unit comprises a modified ORION GPS receiver and a newly designed switchable antenna system composed of a helical antenna in the rocket tip and a dual-blade antenna combination attached to the body of the service module. Aside from the flight hardware a PC based terminal program has been developed to monitor the GPS data and graphically displays the rocket's path during the flight. In addition an Instantaneous Impact Point (IIP) prediction is performed based on the received position and velocity information. In preparation for ESA's Maxus-4 mission, a sounding rocket test flight was carried out at Esrange, Kiruna, on 19 Feb. 2001 to validate existing ground facilities and range safety installations. Due to the absence of a dedicated scientific payload, the flight offered the opportunity to test multiple GPS receivers and assess their performance for the tracking of sounding rockets. In addition to the ORION receiver, an Ashtech G12 HDMA receiver and a BAE (Canadian Marconi) Allstar receiver, both connected to a wrap-around antenna, have been flown on the same rocket as part of an independent experiment provided by the Goddard Space Flight Center. This allows an in-depth verification and trade-off of different receiver and antenna concepts.

  1. Development of two-dimensional velocity field measurement using particle tracking velocimetry on neutron radiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saito, Y.; Mishima, K.; Suzuki, T.; Matsubayashi, M.

    2003-01-01

    The structures of liquid metal two-phase flow are investigated for analyzing the core meltdown accident of fast reactor. The experiments of high-density ratio two-phase flow for lead-bismuth molten metal and nitrogen gases are conducted to understand in detail. The liquid phase velocity distributions of lead-bismuth molten metal are measured by neutron radiography using Au-Cd tracer particles. The liquid phase velocity distributions are obtained usually by using particle image velocimetry (PIV) on the neutron radiography. The PIV, however is difficult to get the velocity vector distribution quantitatively. An image of neutron radiography is divided into two images of the bubbles and the tracer particles each in particle tracking velocimetry (PTV), which distinguishes tracer contents in the bubble from them in the liquid phase. The locations of tracer particles in the liquid phase are possible to determine by particle mask correlation method, in which the bubble images are separated from the tracer images by Σ-scaling method. The particle tracking velocimetry give a full detail of the velocity vector distributions of the liquid phase in two-phase flow, in comparison with the PIV method. (M. Suetake)

  2. Development of a very-low-velocity superconducting linac

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shepard, K.W.

    1987-01-01

    Four types of superconducting accelerator structures are being developed for use in a low velocity positive-ion injector linac for the ATLAS heavy-ion accelerator. Prototypes of the first two of these have been tested. The structures are all variants of a quarter-wave line terminated with a four-gap interdigital drift-tube array. The two structure types so far tested operate at 48.5 mHz and have an active length of 10 cm (for the particle velocity - .008c type) and 16.5 cm (for the velocity - .014c type). Effective accelerating fields of 10 MV/m have been achieved with the 10 cm structure, corresponding to an effective accelerating potential of 1 MV. The 16.5 cm structure has been operated at field levels of 6 MV/m, also giving an effective potential of 1 MV. Prototypes of the remaining two resonant geometries are under construction.

  3. Development of a very-low-velocity superconducting linac

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shepard, K.W.

    1987-01-01

    Four types of superconducting accelerator structures are being developed for use in a low velocity positive-ion injector linac for the ATLAS heavy-ion accelerator. Prototypes of the first two of these have been tested. The structures are all variants of a quarter-wave line terminated with a four-gap interdigital drift-tube array. The two structure types so far tested operate at 48.5 mHz and have an active length of 10 cm (for the particle velocity - .008c type) and 16.5 cm (for the velocity - .014c type). Effective accelerating fields of 10 MV/m have been achieved with the 10 cm structure, corresponding to an effective accelerating potential of 1 MV. The 16.5 cm structure has been operated at field levels of 6 MV/m, also giving an effective potential of 1 MV. Prototypes of the remaining two resonant geometries are under construction

  4. Robust Solar Position Sensor for Tracking Systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ritchie, Ewen; Argeseanu, Alin; Leban, Krisztina Monika

    2009-01-01

    The paper proposes a new solar position sensor used in tracking system control. The main advantages of the new solution are the robustness and the economical aspect. Positioning accuracy of the tracking system that uses the new sensor is better than 1°. The new sensor uses the ancient principle...... of the solar clock. The sensitive elements are eight ordinary photo-resistors. It is important to note that all the sensors are not selected simultaneously. It is not necessary for sensor operating characteristics to be quasi-identical because the sensor principle is based on extreme operating duty measurement...... (bright or dark). In addition, the proposed solar sensor significantly simplifies the operation of the tracking control device....

  5. A hybrid method for accurate star tracking using star sensor and gyros.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Jiazhen; Yang, Lie; Zhang, Hao

    2017-10-01

    Star tracking is the primary operating mode of star sensors. To improve tracking accuracy and efficiency, a hybrid method using a star sensor and gyroscopes is proposed in this study. In this method, the dynamic conditions of an aircraft are determined first by the estimated angular acceleration. Under low dynamic conditions, the star sensor is used to measure the star vector and the vector difference method is adopted to estimate the current angular velocity. Under high dynamic conditions, the angular velocity is obtained by the calibrated gyros. The star position is predicted based on the estimated angular velocity and calibrated gyros using the star vector measurements. The results of the semi-physical experiment show that this hybrid method is accurate and feasible. In contrast with the star vector difference and gyro-assisted methods, the star position prediction result of the hybrid method is verified to be more accurate in two different cases under the given random noise of the star centroid.

  6. The limits of direct satellite tracking with the Global Positioning System (GPS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertiger, W. I.; Yunck, T. P.

    1988-01-01

    Recent advances in high precision differential Global Positioning System-based satellite tracking can be applied to the more conventional direct tracking of low earth satellites. To properly evaluate the limiting accuracy of direct GPS-based tracking, it is necessary to account for the correlations between the a-priori errors in GPS states, Y-bias, and solar pressure parameters. These can be obtained by careful analysis of the GPS orbit determination process. The analysis indicates that sub-meter accuracy can be readily achieved for a user above 1000 km altitude, even when the user solution is obtained with data taken 12 hours after the data used in the GPS orbit solutions.

  7. Positive and negative streamers in ambient air: measuring diameter, velocity and dissipated energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Briels, T M P; Kos, J; Van Veldhuizen, E M; Ebert, U; Winands, G J J

    2008-01-01

    Positive and negative streamers are studied in ambient air at 1 bar; they emerge from a needle electrode placed 40 mm above a planar electrode. The amplitudes of the applied voltage pulses range from 5 to 96 kV; most pulses have rise times of 30 ns or shorter. Diameters, velocities and energies of the streamers are measured. Two regimes are identified; a low voltage regime where only positive streamers appear and a high voltage regime where both positive and negative streamers exist. Below 5 kV, no streamers emerge. In the range from 5 to 40 kV, positive streamers form, while the negative discharges only form a glowing cloud at the electrode tip, but no streamers. For 5-20 kV, diameters and velocities of the positive streamers have the minimal values of d = 0.2 mm and v ∼ 10 5 m s -1 . For 20-40 kV, their diameters increase by a factor of 6 while the voltage increases only by a factor of 2. Above the transition value of 40 kV, streamers of both polarities form; they strongly resemble each other, though the positive ones propagate further; their diameters continue to increase with applied voltage. For 96 kV, positive streamers attain diameters of 3 mm and velocities of 4 x 10 6 m s -1 ; negative streamers are about 20% slower and thinner. An empirical fit formula for the relation between velocity v and diameter d is v = 0.5d 2 mm -1 ns -1 for both polarities. Streamers of both polarities dissipate energies of the order of several millijoules per streamer while crossing the gap.

  8. A Velocity-Level Bi-Criteria Optimization Scheme for Coordinated Path Tracking of Dual Robot Manipulators Using Recurrent Neural Network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Lin; Zhang, Yongsheng; Liao, Bolin; Zhang, Zhijun; Ding, Lei; Jin, Long

    2017-01-01

    A dual-robot system is a robotic device composed of two robot arms. To eliminate the joint-angle drift and prevent the occurrence of high joint velocity, a velocity-level bi-criteria optimization scheme, which includes two criteria (i.e., the minimum velocity norm and the repetitive motion), is proposed and investigated for coordinated path tracking of dual robot manipulators. Specifically, to realize the coordinated path tracking of dual robot manipulators, two subschemes are first presented for the left and right robot manipulators. After that, such two subschemes are reformulated as two general quadratic programs (QPs), which can be formulated as one unified QP. A recurrent neural network (RNN) is thus presented to solve effectively the unified QP problem. At last, computer simulation results based on a dual three-link planar manipulator further validate the feasibility and the efficacy of the velocity-level optimization scheme for coordinated path tracking using the recurrent neural network.

  9. A RSSI-based parameter tracking strategy for constrained position localization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Jinze; Diouris, Jean-François; Wang, Yide

    2017-12-01

    In this paper, a received signal strength indicator (RSSI)-based parameter tracking strategy for constrained position localization is proposed. To estimate channel model parameters, least mean squares method (LMS) is associated with the trilateration method. In the context of applications where the positions are constrained on a grid, a novel tracking strategy is proposed to determine the real position and obtain the actual parameters in the monitored region. Based on practical data acquired from a real localization system, an experimental channel model is constructed to provide RSSI values and verify the proposed tracking strategy. Quantitative criteria are given to guarantee the efficiency of the proposed tracking strategy by providing a trade-off between the grid resolution and parameter variation. The simulation results show a good behavior of the proposed tracking strategy in the presence of space-time variation of the propagation channel. Compared with the existing RSSI-based algorithms, the proposed tracking strategy exhibits better localization accuracy but consumes more calculation time. In addition, a tracking test is performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed tracking strategy.

  10. Position Tracking During Human Walking Using an Integrated Wearable Sensing System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giulio Zizzo

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Progress has been made enabling expensive, high-end inertial measurement units (IMUs to be used as tracking sensors. However, the cost of these IMUs is prohibitive to their widespread use, and hence the potential of low-cost IMUs is investigated in this study. A wearable low-cost sensing system consisting of IMUs and ultrasound sensors was developed. Core to this system is an extended Kalman filter (EKF, which provides both zero-velocity updates (ZUPTs and Heuristic Drift Reduction (HDR. The IMU data was combined with ultrasound range measurements to improve accuracy. When a map of the environment was available, a particle filter was used to impose constraints on the possible user motions. The system was therefore composed of three subsystems: IMUs, ultrasound sensors, and a particle filter. A Vicon motion capture system was used to provide ground truth information, enabling validation of the sensing system. Using only the IMU, the system showed loop misclosure errors of 1% with a maximum error of 4–5% during walking. The addition of the ultrasound sensors resulted in a 15% reduction in the total accumulated error. Lastly, the particle filter was capable of providing noticeable corrections, which could keep the tracking error below 2% after the first few steps.

  11. Positive and negative streamers in ambient air: measuring diameter, velocity and dissipated energy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Briels, T M P; Kos, J; Van Veldhuizen, E M; Ebert, U [Department of Applied Physics, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven (Netherlands); Winands, G J J [Department of Electrical Engineering, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven (Netherlands)], E-mail: e.m.v.veldhuizen@tue.nl, E-mail: ebert@cwi.nl

    2008-12-07

    Positive and negative streamers are studied in ambient air at 1 bar; they emerge from a needle electrode placed 40 mm above a planar electrode. The amplitudes of the applied voltage pulses range from 5 to 96 kV; most pulses have rise times of 30 ns or shorter. Diameters, velocities and energies of the streamers are measured. Two regimes are identified; a low voltage regime where only positive streamers appear and a high voltage regime where both positive and negative streamers exist. Below 5 kV, no streamers emerge. In the range from 5 to 40 kV, positive streamers form, while the negative discharges only form a glowing cloud at the electrode tip, but no streamers. For 5-20 kV, diameters and velocities of the positive streamers have the minimal values of d = 0.2 mm and v {approx} 10{sup 5} m s{sup -1}. For 20-40 kV, their diameters increase by a factor of 6 while the voltage increases only by a factor of 2. Above the transition value of 40 kV, streamers of both polarities form; they strongly resemble each other, though the positive ones propagate further; their diameters continue to increase with applied voltage. For 96 kV, positive streamers attain diameters of 3 mm and velocities of 4 x 10{sup 6} m s{sup -1}; negative streamers are about 20% slower and thinner. An empirical fit formula for the relation between velocity v and diameter d is v = 0.5d{sup 2} mm{sup -1} ns{sup -1} for both polarities. Streamers of both polarities dissipate energies of the order of several millijoules per streamer while crossing the gap.

  12. Using the Global Positioning System for Earth Orbiter and Deep Space Tracking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lichten, Stephen M.

    1994-01-01

    The Global Positioning System (GPS) can play a major role in supporting orbit and trajectory determination for spacecraft in a wide range of applications, including low-Earth, high-Earth, and even deep space (interplanetary) tracking. This paper summarizes recent results demonstrating these unique and far-ranging applications of GPS.

  13. An Ice Track Equipped with Optical Sensors for Determining the Influence of Experimental Conditions on the Sliding Velocity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lungevics, J.; Jansons, E.; Gross, K. A.

    2018-02-01

    The ability to slide on ice has previously focused on the measurement of friction coefficient rather than the actual sliding velocity that is affected by it. The performance can only be directly measured by the sliding velocity, and therefore the objective was to design and setup a facility to measure velo-city, and determine how experimental conditions affect it. Optical sensors were placed on an angled ice track to provide sliding velocity measurements along three sections and the velocity for the total sliding distance. Experimental conditions included the surface roughness, ambient temperature and load. The effect of roughness was best reported with a Criterion of Contact that showed a similar sliding velocity for metal blocks abraded with sand paper smoother than 600 grit. Searching for the effect of temperature, the highest sliding velocity coincided with the previously reported lowest coefficient of ice friction. Load showed the greatest velocity increase at temperatures closer to the ice melting point suggesting that in such conditions metal block overcame friction forces more easily than in solid friction. Further research needs to be conducted on a longer ice track, with larger metal surfaces, heavier loads and higher velocities to determine how laboratory experiments can predict real-life situations.

  14. An Ice Track Equipped with Optical Sensors for Determining the Influence of Experimental Conditions on the Sliding Velocity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lungevics J.

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The ability to slide on ice has previously focused on the measurement of friction coefficient rather than the actual sliding velocity that is affected by it. The performance can only be directly measured by the sliding velocity, and therefore the objective was to design and setup a facility to measure velo-city, and determine how experimental conditions affect it. Optical sensors were placed on an angled ice track to provide sliding velocity measurements along three sections and the velocity for the total sliding distance. Experimental conditions included the surface roughness, ambient temperature and load. The effect of roughness was best reported with a Criterion of Contact that showed a similar sliding velocity for metal blocks abraded with sand paper smoother than 600 grit. Searching for the effect of temperature, the highest sliding velocity coincided with the previously reported lowest coefficient of ice friction. Load showed the greatest velocity increase at temperatures closer to the ice melting point suggesting that in such conditions metal block overcame friction forces more easily than in solid friction. Further research needs to be conducted on a longer ice track, with larger metal surfaces, heavier loads and higher velocities to determine how laboratory experiments can predict real-life situations.

  15. Very low sound velocities in iron-rich (Mg,Fe)O: Implications for the core-mantle boundary region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wicks, J.K.; Jackson, J.M.; Sturhahn, W.

    2010-01-01

    The sound velocities of (Mg .16 Fe .84 )O have been measured to 121 GPa at ambient temperature using nuclear resonant inelastic x-ray scattering. The effect of electronic environment of the iron sites on the sound velocities were tracked in situ using synchrotron Moessbauer spectroscopy. We found the sound velocities of (Mg .16 Fe .84 )O to be much lower than those in other presumed mantle phases at similar conditions, most notably at very high pressures. Conservative estimates of the effect of temperature and dilution on aggregate sound velocities show that only a small amount of iron-rich (Mg,Fe)O can greatly reduce the average sound velocity of an assemblage. We propose that iron-rich (Mg,Fe)O be a source of ultra-low velocity zones. Other properties of this phase, such as enhanced density and dynamic stability, strongly support the presence of iron-rich (Mg,Fe)O in localized patches above the core-mantle boundary.

  16. Ground Track Acquisition and Maintenance Maneuver Modeling for Low-Earth Orbit Satellite

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Byoung-Sun Lee

    1997-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a comprehensive analytical approach for determining key maneuver parameters associated with the acquisition and maintenance of the ground track for a low-earth orbit. A livearized model relating changes in the drift rate of the ground track directly to changes in the orbital semi-major axis is also developed. The effect of terrestrial atmospheric drag on the semi-major axis is also explored, being quantified through an analytical expression for the decay rate as a function of density. The non-singular Lagrange planetary equations, further simplified for nearly circular orbits, provide the desired relationships between the corrective in-plane impulsive velocity increments and the corresponding effects on the orbit elements. The resulting solution strategy offers excellent insight into the dynamics affecting the timing, magnitude, and frequency of these maneuvers. Simulations are executed for the ground track acquisition and maintenance maneuver as a pre-flight planning and analysis.

  17. Three-dimensional imaging of absolute blood flow velocity and blood vessel position under low blood flow velocity based on Doppler signal information included in scattered light from red blood cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kyoden, Tomoaki; Akiguchi, Shunsuke; Tajiri, Tomoki; Andoh, Tsugunobu; Hachiga, Tadashi

    2017-11-01

    The development of a system for in vivo visualization of occluded distal blood vessels for diabetic patients is the main target of our research. We herein describe two-beam multipoint laser Doppler velocimetry (MLDV), which measures the instantaneous multipoint flow velocity and can be used to observe the blood flow velocity in peripheral blood vessels. By including a motorized stage to shift the measurement points horizontally and in the depth direction while measuring the velocity, the path of the blood vessel in the skin could be observed using blood flow velocity in three-dimensional space. The relationship of the signal power density between the blood vessel and the surrounding tissues was shown and helped us identify the position of the blood vessel. Two-beam MLDV can be used to simultaneously determine the absolute blood flow velocity distribution and identify the blood vessel position in skin.

  18. Comparison of DMSP cross-track ion drifts and SuperDARN line-of-sight velocities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. A. Drayton

    2005-10-01

    Full Text Available Cross-track ion drifts measured by the DMSP satellites are compared with line-of-sight SuperDARN HF velocities in approximately the same directions. Good overall agreement is found for a data set comprising of 209 satellite passes over the field of view of nine SuperDARN radars in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The slope of the best linear fit line relating the SuperDARN and DMSP velocities is of the order of 0.7 with a tendency for SuperDARN velocities to be smaller. The agreement implies that the satellite and radar data can be merged into a common set provided that spatial and temporal variations of the velocity as measured by both instruments are smooth.

    Keywords. Ionosphere (Ionospheric irregularities; Plasma convection; Auroral ionosphere

  19. 14 CFR 437.67 - Tracking a reusable suborbital rocket.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Tracking a reusable suborbital rocket. 437... a reusable suborbital rocket. A permittee must— (a) During permitted flight, measure in real time the position and velocity of its reusable suborbital rocket; and (b) Provide position and velocity...

  20. Three-dimensional particle tracking velocimetry using dynamic vision sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borer, D.; Delbruck, T.; Rösgen, T.

    2017-12-01

    A fast-flow visualization method is presented based on tracking neutrally buoyant soap bubbles with a set of neuromorphic cameras. The "dynamic vision sensors" register only the changes in brightness with very low latency, capturing fast processes at a low data rate. The data consist of a stream of asynchronous events, each encoding the corresponding pixel position, the time instant of the event and the sign of the change in logarithmic intensity. The work uses three such synchronized cameras to perform 3D particle tracking in a medium sized wind tunnel. The data analysis relies on Kalman filters to associate the asynchronous events with individual tracers and to reconstruct the three-dimensional path and velocity based on calibrated sensor information.

  1. High-accuracy measurement of ship velocities by DGPS; DGPS ni yoru sensoku keisoku no koseidoka ni tsuite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yamaguchi, S; Koterayama, W [Kyushu Univ., Fukuoka (Japan). Research Inst. for Applied Mechanics

    1996-04-10

    The differential global positioning system (DGPS) can eliminate most of errors in ship velocity measurement by GPS positioning alone. Through two rounds of marine observations by towing an observation robot in summer 1995, the authors attempted high-accuracy measurement of ship velocities by DGPS, and also carried out both positioning by GPS alone and measurement using the bottom track of ADCP (acoustic Doppler current profiler). In this paper, the results obtained by these measurement methods were examined through comparison among them, and the accuracy of the measured ship velocities was considered. In DGPS measurement, both translocation method and interference positioning method were used. ADCP mounted on the observation robot allowed measurement of the velocity of current meter itself by its bottom track in shallow sea areas less than 350m. As the result of these marine observations, it was confirmed that the accuracy equivalent to that of direct measurement by bottom track is possible to be obtained by DGPS. 3 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.

  2. Usefulness of the Pain Tracking Technique in Acute Mechanical Low Back Pain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tania Bravo Acosta

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To evaluate the usefulness of the pain tracking technique in acute mechanical low back pain. Method. We performed an experimental prospective (longitudinal explanatory study between January 2011 and September 2012. The sample was randomly divided into two groups. Patients were assessed at the start and end of the treatment using the visual analogue scale and the Waddell test. Treatment consisted in applying the pain tracking technique to the study group and interferential current therapy to the control group. At the end of treatment, cryotherapy was applied for 10 minutes. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the Mann Whitney test were used. They were performed with a predetermined significance level of p≤0.05. Results. Pain was triggered by prolonged static posture and intense physical labor and intensified through trunk movements and when sitting and standing. The greatest relief was reported in lateral decubitus position and in William’s position. The majority of the patients had contracture. Pain and disability were modified with the rehabilitation treatment in both groups. Conclusions. Both the pain tracking and interferential current techniques combined with cryotherapy are useful treatments for acute mechanical low back pain. The onset of analgesia is faster when using the pain tracking technique.

  3. Tracking Positioning Algorithm for Direction of Arrival Based on Direction Lock Loop

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiu-Zhi Cheng

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available In order to solve the problem of poor real-time performance, low accuracy and high computational complexity in the traditional process of locating and tracking of Direction of Arrival (DOA of moving targets, this paper proposes a DOA algorithm based on the Direction Lock Loop (DILL which adopts Lock Loop structure to realize the estimation and location of DOA and can adjust the direction automatically along with the changes of a signal’s angular variation to track the position of the signal. Meanwhile, to reduce the influence of nonlinearity and noise on its performance, the UKF filter is designed for eliminating interference of the estimated target signal to improve accuracy of the signal tracking and stability of the system. Simulation results prove that the algorithm can not only get a high resolution DOA estimate signal, but can also locate and track multiple mobile targets effectively with enhanced accuracy, efficiency and stability.

  4. Low crustal velocities and mantle lithospheric variations in southern Tibet from regional Pnl waveforms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodgers, Arthur J.; Schwartz, Susan Y.

    We report low average crustal P-wave velocities (5.9-6.1 km/s, Poisson's ratio 0.23-0.27, thickness 68-76 km) in southern Tibet from modelling regional Pnl waveforms recorded by the 1991-1992 Tibetan Plateau Experiment. We also find that the mantle lithosphere beneath the Indus-Tsangpo Suture and the Lhasa Terrane is shield-like (Pn velocity 8.20-8.25 km/s, lid thickness 80-140 km, positive velocity gradient 0.0015-0.0025 s-1). Analysis of relative Pn travel time residuals requires a decrease in the mantle velocities beneath the northern Lhasa Terrane, the Banggong-Nujiang Suture and the southern Qiangtang Terrane. Tectonic and petrologic considerations suggest that low bulk crustal velocities could result from a thick (50-60 km) felsic upper crust with vertically limited and laterally pervasive partial melt. These results are consistent with underthrusting of Indian Shield lithosphere beneath the Tibetan Plateau to at least the central Lhasa Terrane.

  5. Low-velocity superconducting accelerating structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delayen, J.R.

    1990-01-01

    The present paper reviews the status of RF superconductivity as applied to low-velocity accelerating properties. Heavy-ion accelerators must accelerate efficiently particles which travel at a velocity much smaller than that of light particles, whose velocity changes along accelerator, and also different particles which have different velocity profiles. Heavy-ion superconducting accelerators operate at frequencies which are lower than high-energy superconducting accelerators. The present paper first discusses the basic features of heavy-ion superconducting structures and linacs. Design choices are then addressed focusing on structure geometry, materials, frequency, phase control, and focusing. The report also gives an outline of the status of superconducting booster projects currently under way at the Argonne National Laboratory, SUNY Stony Brook, Weizmann Institute, University of Washington, Florida State, Saclay, Kansas State, Daresbury, Japanese Atomic Energy Research Institute, Legnaro, Bombay, Sao Paulo, ANU (Canberra), and Munich. Recent developments and future prospects are also described. (N.K.) 68 refs

  6. Low-Frequency Gravitational Wave Searches Using Spacecraft Doppler Tracking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Armstrong J. W.

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper discusses spacecraft Doppler tracking, the current-generation detector technology used in the low-frequency (~millihertz gravitational wave band. In the Doppler method the earth and a distant spacecraft act as free test masses with a ground-based precision Doppler tracking system continuously monitoring the earth-spacecraft relative dimensionless velocity $2 Delta v/c = Delta u/ u_0$, where $Delta u$ is the Doppler shift and $ u_0$ is the radio link carrier frequency. A gravitational wave having strain amplitude $h$ incident on the earth-spacecraft system causes perturbations of order $h$ in the time series of $Delta u/ u_0$. Unlike other detectors, the ~1-10 AU earth-spacecraft separation makes the detector large compared with millihertz-band gravitational wavelengths, and thus times-of-flight of signals and radio waves through the apparatus are important. A burst signal, for example, is time-resolved into a characteristic signature: three discrete events in the Doppler time series. I discuss here the principles of operation of this detector (emphasizing transfer functions of gravitational wave signals and the principal noises to the Doppler time series, some data analysis techniques, experiments to date, and illustrations of sensitivity and current detector performance. I conclude with a discussion of how gravitational wave sensitivity can be improved in the low-frequency band.

  7. Asymptotic bounded consensus tracking of double-integrator multi-agent systems with bounded-jerk target based on sampled-data without velocity measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Shuang-Shuang; Wu Zhi-Hai; Peng Li; Xie Lin-Bo

    2017-01-01

    This paper investigates asymptotic bounded consensus tracking (ABCT) of double-integrator multi-agent systems (MASs) with an asymptotically-unbounded-acceleration and bounded-jerk target (AUABJT) available to partial agents based on sampled-data without velocity measurements. A sampled-data consensus tracking protocol (CTP) without velocity measurements is proposed to guarantee that double-integrator MASs track an AUABJT available to only partial agents. The eigenvalue analysis method together with the augmented matrix method is used to obtain the necessary and sufficient conditions for ABCT. A numerical example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of theoretical results. (paper)

  8. Remote tracking of a magnetic receiver using low frequency beacons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sheinker, Arie; Ginzburg, Boris; Salomonski, Nizan; Frumkis, Lev; Kaplan, Ben-Zion

    2014-01-01

    Low frequency magnetic fields feature high penetration ability, which allows communication, localization, and tracking in environments where radio or acoustic waves are blocked or distorted by multipath interferences. In the present work, we propose a method for tracking a magnetic receiver using beacons of low frequency magnetic field, where the receiver includes a tri-axial search-coil magnetometer. Measuring the beacons’ magnetic fields and calculating the total-field signals enables localization without restrictions on magnetometer orientation, allowing on-the-move tracking. The total-field signals are used by a global search method, e.g., simulated annealing (SA) algorithm, to localize the receiver. The magnetic field produced by each beacon has a dipole structure and is governed by the beacon’s position and magnetic moment. We have investigated two different methods for estimating beacons’ magnetic moments prior to localization. The first method requires directional measurements, whereas for the second method the total-field signal is used. Effectiveness of these methods has been proved in numerous field tests. In the present work, we introduce a method for tracking a moving receiver by successive localizations. Using previous localization as a starting point of the search method for the next localization can reduce execution time and chances for divergence. The proposed method has been tested using numerous computer simulations. Successful system operation has been verified in field conditions. The good tracking capability together with simple implementation makes the proposed method attractive for real-time, low power field applications, such as mobile robots navigation. (paper)

  9. Accuracy of velocities from repeated GPS surveys: relative positioning is concerned

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duman, Huseyin; Ugur Sanli, D.

    2016-04-01

    Over more than a decade, researchers have been interested in studying the accuracy of GPS positioning solutions. Recently, reporting the accuracy of GPS velocities has been added to this. Researchers studying landslide motion, tectonic motion, uplift, sea level rise, and subsidence still report results from GPS experiments in which repeated GPS measurements from short sessions are used. This motivated some other researchers to study the accuracy of GPS deformation rates/velocities from various repeated GPS surveys. In one of the efforts, the velocity accuracy was derived from repeated GPS static surveys using short observation sessions and Precise Point Positioning mode of GPS software. Velocities from short GPS sessions were compared with the velocities from 24 h sessions. The accuracy of velocities was obtained using statistical hypothesis testing and quantifying the accuracy of least squares estimation models. The results reveal that 45-60 % of the horizontal and none of the vertical solutions comply with the results from 24 h solutions. We argue that this case in which the data was evaluated using PPP should also apply to the case in which the data belonging to long GPS base lengths is processed using fundamental relative point positioning. To test this idea we chose the two IGS stations ANKR and NICO and derive their velocities from the reference stations held fixed in the stable EURASIAN plate. The University of Bern's GNSS software BERNESE was used to produce relative positioning solutions, and the results are compared with those of GIPSY/OASIS II PPP results. First impressions indicate that it is worth designing a global experiment and test these ideas in detail.

  10. On Improving the Energy Efficiency and Robustness of Position Tracking for Mobile Devices

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjærgaard, Mikkel Baun

    2010-01-01

    position updates when faced with changing conditions such as delays and changing positioning conditions. Previous work has established dynamic tracking systems, such as our EnTracked system, as a solution to address these issues. In this paper we propose a responsibility division for position tracking...... into sensor management strategies and position update protocols and combine the sensor management strategy of EnTracked with position update protocols, which enables the system to further reduce the power consumption with up to 268 mW extending the battery life with up to 36\\%. As our evaluation identify...... that classical position update protocols have robustness weaknesses we propose a method to improve their robustness. Furthermore, we analyze the dependency of tracking systems on the pedestrian movement patterns and positioning environment, and how the power savings depend on the power characteristics...

  11. Four-dimensional (4D) tracking of high-temperature microparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Zhehui; Liu, Q.; Waganaar, W.; Fontanese, J.; James, D.; Munsat, T.

    2016-01-01

    High-speed tracking of hot and molten microparticles in motion provides rich information about burning plasmas in magnetic fusion. An exploding-wire apparatus is used to produce moving high-temperature metallic microparticles and to develop four-dimensional (4D) or time-resolved 3D particle tracking techniques. The pinhole camera model and algorithms developed for computer vision are used for scene calibration and 4D reconstructions. 3D positions and velocities are then derived for different microparticles. Velocity resolution approaches 0.1 m/s by using the local constant velocity approximation.

  12. Skull registration for prone patient position using tracked ultrasound

    Science.gov (United States)

    Underwood, Grace; Ungi, Tamas; Baum, Zachary; Lasso, Andras; Kronreif, Gernot; Fichtinger, Gabor

    2017-03-01

    PURPOSE: Tracked navigation has become prevalent in neurosurgery. Problems with registration of a patient and a preoperative image arise when the patient is in a prone position. Surfaces accessible to optical tracking on the back of the head are unreliable for registration. We investigated the accuracy of surface-based registration using points accessible through tracked ultrasound. Using ultrasound allows access to bone surfaces that are not available through optical tracking. Tracked ultrasound could eliminate the need to work (i) under the table for registration and (ii) adjust the tracker between surgery and registration. In addition, tracked ultrasound could provide a non-invasive method in comparison to an alternative method of registration involving screw implantation. METHODS: A phantom study was performed to test the feasibility of tracked ultrasound for registration. An initial registration was performed to partially align the pre-operative computer tomography data and skull phantom. The initial registration was performed by an anatomical landmark registration. Surface points accessible by tracked ultrasound were collected and used to perform an Iterative Closest Point Algorithm. RESULTS: When the surface registration was compared to a ground truth landmark registration, the average TRE was found to be 1.6+/-0.1mm and the average distance of points off the skull surface was 0.6+/-0.1mm. CONCLUSION: The use of tracked ultrasound is feasible for registration of patients in prone position and eliminates the need to perform registration under the table. The translational component of error found was minimal. Therefore, the amount of TRE in registration is due to a rotational component of error.

  13. Global Plate Velocities from the Global Positioning System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larson, Kristine M.; Freymueller, Jeffrey T.; Philipsen, Steven

    1997-01-01

    We have analyzed 204 days of Global Positioning System (GPS) data from the global GPS network spanning January 1991 through March 1996. On the basis of these GPS coordinate solutions, we have estimated velocities for 38 sites, mostly located on the interiors of the Africa, Antarctica, Australia, Eurasia, Nazca, North America, Pacific, and South America plates. The uncertainties of the horizontal velocity components range from 1.2 to 5.0 mm/yr. With the exception of sites on the Pacific and Nazca plates, the GPS velocities agree with absolute plate model predictions within 95% confidence. For most of the sites in North America, Antarctica, and Eurasia, the agreement is better than 2 mm/yr. We find no persuasive evidence for significant vertical motions (less than 3 standard deviations), except at four sites. Three of these four were sites constrained to geodetic reference frame velocities. The GPS velocities were then used to estimate angular velocities for eight tectonic plates. Absolute angular velocities derived from the GPS data agree with the no net rotation (NNR) NUVEL-1A model within 95% confidence except for the Pacific plate. Our pole of rotation for the Pacific plate lies 11.5 deg west of the NNR NUVEL-1A pole, with an angular speed 10% faster. Our relative angular velocities agree with NUVEL-1A except for some involving the Pacific plate. While our Pacific-North America angular velocity differs significantly from NUVEL-1A, our model and NUVEL-1A predict very small differences in relative motion along the Pacific-North America plate boundary itself. Our Pacific-Australia and Pacific- Eurasia angular velocities are significantly faster than NUVEL-1A, predicting more rapid convergence at these two plate boundaries. Along the East Pacific Pise, our Pacific-Nazca angular velocity agrees in both rate and azimuth with NUVFL-1A.

  14. MULTI-COMPONENT ANALYSIS OF POSITION-VELOCITY CUBES OF THE HH 34 JET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodríguez-González, A.; Esquivel, A.; Raga, A. C.; Cantó, J.; Curiel, S.; Riera, A.; Beck, T. L.

    2012-01-01

    We present an analysis of Hα spectra of the HH 34 jet with two-dimensional spectral resolution. We carry out multi-Gaussian fits to the spatially resolved line profiles and derive maps of the intensity, radial velocity, and velocity width of each of the components. We find that close to the outflow source we have three components: a high (negative) radial velocity component with a well-collimated, jet-like morphology; an intermediate velocity component with a broader morphology; and a positive radial velocity component with a non-collimated morphology and large linewidth. We suggest that this positive velocity component is associated with jet emission scattered in stationary dust present in the circumstellar environment. Farther away from the outflow source, we find only two components (a high, negative radial velocity component, which has a narrower spatial distribution than an intermediate velocity component). The fitting procedure was carried out with the new AGA-V1 code, which is available online and is described in detail in this paper.

  15. Construction of a WMR for Trajectory Tracking Control: Experimental Results

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Silva-Ortigoza

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper reports a solution for trajectory tracking control of a differential drive wheeled mobile robot (WMR based on a hierarchical approach. The general design and construction of the WMR are described. The hierarchical controller proposed has two components: a high-level control and a low-level control. The high-level control law is based on an input-output linearization scheme for the robot kinematic model, which provides the desired angular velocity profiles that the WMR has to track in order to achieve the desired position (x*,y* and orientation (φ*. Then, a low-level control law, based on a proportional integral (PI approach, is designed to control the velocity of the WMR wheels to ensure those tracking features. Regarding the trajectories, this paper provides the solution or the following cases: (1 time-varying parametric trajectories such as straight lines and parabolas and (2 smooth curves fitted by cubic splines which are generated by the desired data points x1*,y1*,…,xn*,yn*. A straightforward algorithm is developed for constructing the cubic splines. Finally, this paper includes an experimental validation of the proposed technique by employing a DS1104 dSPACE electronic board along with MATLAB/Simulink software.

  16. Hypersonic sliding target tracking in near space

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiang-yu Zhang

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available To improve the tracking accuracy of hypersonic sliding target in near space, the influence of target hypersonic movement on radar detection and tracking is analyzed, and an IMM tracking algorithm is proposed based on radial velocity compensating and cancellation processing of high dynamic biases under the earth centered earth fixed (ECEF coordinate. Based on the analysis of effect of target hypersonic movement, a measurement model is constructed to reduce the filter divergence which is caused by the model mismatch. The high dynamic biases due to the target hypersonic movement are approximately compensated through radial velocity estimation to achieve the hypersonic target tracking at low systematic biases in near space. The high dynamic biases are further eliminated by the cancellation processing of different radars, in which the track association problem can be solved when the dynamic biases are low. An IMM algorithm based on constant acceleration (CA, constant turning (CT and Singer models is used to achieve the hypersonic sliding target tracking in near space. Simulation results show that the target tracking in near space can be achieved more effectively by using the proposed algorithm.

  17. Low-momentum track finding in Belle II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lettenbichler, J; Frühwirth, R; Nadler, M; Glattauer, R

    2012-01-01

    The Silicon Vertex Detector (SVD) of the Belle II experiment is a newly developed device with four measurement layers. Track finding in the SVD will be done both in conjunction with the Central Drift Chamber and in stand-alone mode. The reconstruction of very-low-momentum tracks in stand-alone mode is a big challenge, especially in view of the low redundancy and the large expected background. We describe an approach for track finding in this domain, where a cellular automaton and a Kalman filter is combined with a Hopfield network which finds an optimal subset of non-overlapping tracks. We present results on simulated data and evaluate them in terms of efficiency and purity.

  18. The measurement of low air flow velocities

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Aghaei, A.; Mao, X.G.; Zanden, van der A.J.J.; Schaik, W.H.J.; Hendriks, N.A.

    2005-01-01

    Air flow velocity is measured with an acoustic sensor, which can be used especially for measuring low air flow velocities as well as the temperature of the air simultaneously. Two opposite transducers send a sound pulse towards each other. From the difference of the transit times, the air flow

  19. On Improving the Energy Efficiency and Robustness of Position Tracking for Mobile Devices

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjærgaard, Mikkel Baun

    An important feature of a modern mobile device is that it can position itself and support remote position tracking. To be useful, such position tracking has to be energy-efficient to avoid having a major impact on the battery life of the mobile device. Furthermore, tracking has to robustly deliver...... of different mobile devices....

  20. An efficient fluorescent single-particle position tracking system for long-term pulsed measurements of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Kiho; Yun, Jiwon; Lee, Donghyuck; Kim, Dohun

    2018-02-01

    A simple and convenient design enables real-time three-dimensional position tracking of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond. The system consists entirely of commercially available components (a single-photon counter, a high-speed digital-to-analog converter, a phase-sensitive detector-based feedback device, and a piezo stage), eliminating the need for custom programming or rigorous optimization processes. With a large input range of counters and trackers combined with high sensitivity of single-photon counting, high-speed position tracking (upper bound recovery time of 0.9 s upon 250 nm of step-like positional shift) not only of bright ensembles, but also of low-photon-collection-efficiency single to few NV centers (down to 103 s-1) is possible. The tracking requires position modulation of only 10 nm, which allows simultaneous position tracking and pulsed measurements in the long term. Therefore, this tracking system enables measuring a single-spin magnetic resonance and Rabi oscillations at a very high resolution even without photon collection optimization. The system is widely applicable to various fields related to NV center quantum manipulation research such as NV optical trapping, NV tracking in fluid dynamics, and biological sensing using NV centers inside a biological cell.

  1. A multi-time-step noise reduction method for measuring velocity statistics from particle tracking velocimetry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Machicoane, Nathanaël; López-Caballero, Miguel; Bourgoin, Mickael; Aliseda, Alberto; Volk, Romain

    2017-10-01

    We present a method to improve the accuracy of velocity measurements for fluid flow or particles immersed in it, based on a multi-time-step approach that allows for cancellation of noise in the velocity measurements. Improved velocity statistics, a critical element in turbulent flow measurements, can be computed from the combination of the velocity moments computed using standard particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) or particle image velocimetry (PIV) techniques for data sets that have been collected over different values of time intervals between images. This method produces Eulerian velocity fields and Lagrangian velocity statistics with much lower noise levels compared to standard PIV or PTV measurements, without the need of filtering and/or windowing. Particle displacement between two frames is computed for multiple different time-step values between frames in a canonical experiment of homogeneous isotropic turbulence. The second order velocity structure function of the flow is computed with the new method and compared to results from traditional measurement techniques in the literature. Increased accuracy is also demonstrated by comparing the dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy measured from this function against previously validated measurements.

  2. Tracking polar lows in CLM

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zahn, M.; Storch, H. von [Inst. for Coastal Research, GKSS Research Center, Geesthacht (Germany); Meteorological Inst., Univ. of Hamburg (Germany)

    2008-08-15

    Polar lows are severe cyclones in sub-polar oceans sized beyond the resolved scale of existing global reanalysis products. We used the NCEP/NCAR reanalyses data to drive a regional climate model (CLM) in order to reproduce finer resolved atmospheric fields over the North Atlantic over a two year period. In these fields we detected polar lows by means of a detection algorithm based on a spatial digital bandpass filter. CLM was run in two different ways, the conventional way and with additionally prescribing the analysed large scale situation. The resulting temporal and spatial distributions of polar lows between the different simulations are compared. A reasonable seasonal cycle and spatial distribution was found for all simulations. A lower number of polar lows in the spectral nudged simulation indicates a closer vicinity to reality. Higher temporal and spatial variability between the conventional simulations suggest a more random generation of polar lows. Frequency distributions of track-lengths reveal shorter tracks when nudging is applied. Maximum wind speeds reveal only minor, insignificant differences between all runs and are higher in conventional mode. (orig.)

  3. Low Velocity Zones along the San Jacinto Fault, Southern California, inferred from Local Earthquakes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Z.; Yang, H.; Peng, Z.; Ben-Zion, Y.; Vernon, F.

    2013-12-01

    Natural fault zones have regions of brittle damage leading to a low-velocity zone (LVZ) in the immediate vicinity of the main fault interface. The LVZ may amplify ground motion, modify rupture propagation, and impact derivation of earthquke properties. Here we image low-velocity fault zone structures along the San Jacinto Fault (SJF), southern California, using waveforms of local earthquakes that are recorded at several dense arrays across the SJFZ. We use generalized ray theory to compute synthetic travel times to track the direct and FZ-reflected waves bouncing from the FZ boundaries. This method can effectively reduce the trade-off between FZ width and velocity reduction relative to the host rock. Our preliminary results from travel time modeling show the clear signature of LVZs along the SJF, including the segment of the Anza seismic gap. At the southern part near the trifrication area, the LVZ of the Clark Valley branch (array JF) has a width of ~200 m with ~55% reduction in Vp and Vs. This is consistent with what have been suggested from previous studies. In comparison, we find that the velocity reduction relative to the host rock across the Anza seismic gap (array RA) is ~50% for both Vp and Vs, nearly as prominent as that on the southern branches. The width of the LVZ is ~230 m. In addition, the LVZ across the Anza gap appears to locate in the northeast side of the RA array, implying potential preferred propagation direction of past ruptures.

  4. Temporal and spatial performance of vector velocity imaging in the human fetal heart.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsui, H; Germanakis, I; Kulinskaya, E; Gardiner, H M

    2011-02-01

    To assess the spatial and temporal performance of fetal myocardial speckle tracking, using high-frame-rate (HFR) storing and Lagrangian strain analysis. Dummy electrocardiographic signaling permitted DICOM HFR in 124 normal fetuses and paired low-frame-rate (LFR) video storing at 25 Hz in 93 of them. Vector velocity imaging (VVI) tracking co-ordinates were used to compare time and spatial domain measures. We compared tracking success, Lagrangian strain, peak diastolic velocity and positive strain rate values in HFR vs. LFR video storing. Further comparisons within an HFR subset included Lagrangian vs. natural strain, VVI vs. M-mode annular displacement, and VVI vs. pulsed-wave tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) peak velocities. HFR (average 79.4 Hz) tracking was more successful than LFR (86 vs. 76%, P = 0.024). Lagrangian and natural HFR strain correlated highly (left ventricle (LV): r = 0.883, P < 0.001; right ventricle (RV): r = 0.792, P < 0.001) but natural strain gave 20% lower values, suggesting reduced reliability of measurement. Lagrangian HFR strain was similar in LV and RV and decreased with gestation (P = 0.015 and P < 0.001, respectively). LV Lagrangian LFR strain was significantly lower than the values for the RV (P < 0.001) and those using paired LV-HFR recordings (P = 0.007). Annular displacement methods correlated highly (LV = 1.046, r = 0.90, P < 0.001; RV = 1.170, r = 0.88, P < 0.001). Early diastolic waves were visible in 95% of TDI, but in only 26% of HFR and 0% of LFR recordings, and HFR-VVI velocities were significantly lower than those for TDI (P < 0.001). Doppler estimation of velocities remains superior to VVI but image gating and use of original co-ordinates should improve offline VVI assessment of fetal myocardial function. Copyright © 2011 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. Seasonal and inter-annual variability in velocity and frontal position of Siachen Glacier (Eastern Karakorum) using multi-satellite data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Usman, M.; Furuya, M.; Sakakibara, D.; Abe, T.

    2017-12-01

    The anomalous behavior of Karakorum glaciers is a hot topic of discussion in the scientific community. Siachen Glacier is one of the longest glaciers ( 75km) in Karakorum Range. This glacier is supposed to be a surge type but so far no studies have confirmed this claim. Detailed velocity mapping of this glacier can possibly provide some clues about intra/inter-annual changes in velocity and observed terminus. Using L-band SAR data of ALOS-1/2, we applied the feature tracking technique (search patch of 128x128 pixels (range x azimuth) , sampling interval of 12x36 pixels) to derive velocity changes; we used GAMMA software. The velocity was calculated by following the parallel flow assumption. To calculate the local topographic gradient unit vector, we used ASTER-GDEM. We also used optical images acquired by Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM), the Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) to derive surface velocity. The algorithm we used is Cross-Correlation in Frequency domain on Orientation images (CCF-O). The velocity was finally calculated by setting a flow line and averaging over the area of 200x200m2. The results indicate seasonal speed up signals that modulate inter-annually from 1999 to 2011, with slight or no change in the observed frontal position. However, in ALOS-2 data, the `observed terminus' seems to have been advancing.

  6. Indentation of aluminium foam at low velocity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shi Xiaopeng

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The indentation behaviour of aluminium foams at low velocity (10 m/s ∼ 30 m/s was investigated both in experiments and numerical simulation in this paper. A flat-ended indenter was used and the force-displacement history was recorded. The Split Hopkinson Pressure bar was used to obtain the indentation velocity and forces in the dynamic experiments. Because of the low strength of the aluminium foam, PMMA bar was used, and the experimental data were corrected using Bacon's method. The energy absorption characteristics varying with impact velocity were then obtained. It was found that the energy absorption ability of aluminium foam gradually increases in the quasi-static regime and shows a significant increase at ∼10 m/s velocity. Numerical simulation was also conducted to investigate this process. A 3D Voronoi model was used and models with different relative densities were investigated as well as those with different failure strain. The indentation energy increases with both the relative density and failure strain. The analysis of the FE model implies that the significant change in energy absorption ability of aluminium foam in indentation at ∼10 m/s velocity may be caused by plastic wave effect.

  7. Assessment of Motor Control during Three-Dimensional Movements Tracking with Position-Varying Gravity Compensation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yao Huang

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Active movements are important in the rehabilitation training for patients with neurological motor disorders, while weight of upper limb impedes movements due to muscles weakness. The objective of this study is to develop a position-varying gravity compensation strategy for a cable-based rehabilitation robot. The control strategy can estimate real-time gravity torque according to position feedback. Then, the performance of this control strategy was compared with the other two kinds of gravity compensation strategies (i.e., without compensation and with fixed compensation during movements tracking. Seven healthy subjects were invited to conduct tracking tasks along four different directions (i.e., upward, forward, leftward, and rightward. The performance of movements with different compensation strategies was compared in terms of root mean square error (RMSE between target and actual moving trajectories, normalized jerk score (NJS, mean velocity ratio (MVR of main motion direction, and the activation of six muscles. The results showed that there were significant effects in control strategies in all four directions with the RMSE and NJS values in the following order: without compensation > fixed compensation > position-varying compensation and MVR values in the following order: without compensation < fixed compensation < position-varying compensation (p < 0.05. Comparing with movements without compensation in all four directions, the activation of muscles during movements with position-varying compensation showed significant reductions, except the activations of triceps and in forward and leftward movements, the activations of upper trapezius and middle parts of deltoid in upward movements and the activations of posterior parts of deltoid in all four directions (p < 0.05. Therefore, with position-varying gravity compensation, the upper limb cable-based rehabilitation robotic system might assist subjects to perform movements with higher quality and

  8. Impact of mesh tracks and low-ground-pressure vehicle use on blanket peat hydrology

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKendrick-Smith, Kathryn; Holden, Joseph; Parry, Lauren

    2016-04-01

    Peatlands are subject to multiple uses including drainage, farming and recreation. Low-ground-pressure vehicle access is desirable by land owners and tracks facilitate access. However, there is concern that such activity may impact peat hydrology and so granting permission for track installation has been problematic, particularly without evidence for decision-making. We present the first comprehensive study of mesh track and low-ground-pressure vehicle impacts on peatland hydrology. In the sub-arctic oceanic climate of the Moor House World Biosphere Reserve in the North Pennines, UK, a 1.5 km long experimental track was installed to investigate hydrological impacts. Surface vegetation was cut and the plastic mesh track pinned into the peat surface. The experimental track was split into 7 treatments, designed to reflect typical track usage (0 - 5 vehicle passes per week) and varying vehicle weight. The greatest hydrological impacts were expected for sections of track subject to more frequent vehicle use and in close proximity to the track. In total 554 dipwells (including 15 automated recording at 15-min intervals) were monitored for water-table depth, positioned to capture potential spatial variability in response. Before track installation, samples for vertical and lateral hydraulic conductivity (Ks) analysis (using the modified cube method) were taken at 0-10 cm depth from a frequently driven treatment (n = 15), an infrequently driven treatment (0.5 passes per week) (n = 15) and a control site with no track/driving (n = 15). The test was repeated after 16 months of track use. We present a spatially and temporally rich water-table dataset from the study site showing how the impacts of the track on water table are spatially highly variable. Water-table depths across the site were shallow, typically within the upper 10 cm of the peat profile for > 75% of the time. We show that mesh track and low-ground-pressure vehicle impacts on water-table depth were small except

  9. Investigation on low velocity impact resistance of SMA composite material

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Dianyin; Zhang, Long; Wang, Rongqiao; Zhang, Xiaoyong

    2016-04-01

    A method to improve low velocity impact resistance of aeroengine composite casing using shape memory alloy's properties of shape memory(SM) and super-elasticity(SE) is proposed in this study. Firstly, a numerical modeling of SMA reinforced composite laminate under low velocity impact load with impact velocity of 10 m/s is established based on its constitutive model implemented by the VUMAT subroutine of commercial software ABAQUS. Secondly, the responses of SMA composite laminate including stress and deflection distributions were achieved through transient analysis under low velocity impact load. Numerical results show that both peak stress and deflection values of SMA composite laminate are less than that without SMA, which proves that embedding SMA into the composite structure can effectively improve the low velocity impact performance of composite structure. Finally, the influence of SM and SE on low velocity impact resistance is quantitatively investigated. The values of peak stress and deflection of SMA composite based on SM property decrease by 18.28% and 9.43% respectively, compared with those without SMA, instead of 12.87% and 5.19% based on SE. In conclusion, this proposed model described the impact damage of SMA composite structure and turned to be a more beneficial method to enhance the impact resistance by utilizing SM effect.

  10. A Muscle Fibre Conduction Velocity Tracking ASIC for Local Fatigue Monitoring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koutsos, Ermis; Cretu, Vlad; Georgiou, Pantelis

    2016-12-01

    Electromyography analysis can provide information about a muscle's fatigue state by estimating Muscle Fibre Conduction Velocity (MFCV), a measure of the travelling speed of Motor Unit Action Potentials (MUAPs) in muscle tissue. MFCV better represents the physical manifestations of muscle fatigue, compared to the progressive compression of the myoelectic Power Spectral Density, hence it is more suitable for a muscle fatigue tracking system. This paper presents a novel algorithm for the estimation of MFCV using single threshold bit-stream conversion and a dedicated application-specified integrated circuit (ASIC) for its implementation, suitable for a compact, wearable and easy to use muscle fatigue monitor. The presented ASIC is implemented in a commercially available AMS 0.35 [Formula: see text] CMOS technology and utilizes a bit-stream cross-correlator that estimates the conduction velocity of the myoelectric signal in real time. A test group of 20 subjects was used to evaluate the performance of the developed ASIC, achieving good accuracy with an error of only 3.2% compared to Matlab.

  11. Rectification of Image Velocity Results (RIVeR): A simple and user-friendly toolbox for large scale water surface Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patalano, Antoine; García, Carlos Marcelo; Rodríguez, Andrés

    2017-12-01

    LSPIV (Large Scale Particle Image Velocimetry) and LSPTV (Large Scale Particle Tracking Velocimetry) are used as relatively low-cost and non-intrusive techniques for water-surface velocity analysis and flow discharge measurements in rivers or large-scale hydraulic models. This paper describes a methodology based on state-of-the-art tools (for example, that apply classical PIV/PTV analysis) resulting in large-scale surface-flow characterization according to the first operational version of the RIVeR (Rectification of Image Velocity Results). RIVeR is developed in Matlab and is designed to be user-friendly. RIVeR processes large-scale water-surface characterization such as velocity fields or individual trajectories of floating tracers. This work describes the wide range of application of the techniques for comparing measured surface flows in hydraulic physical models to flow discharge estimates for a wide range of flow events in rivers (for example, low and high flows).

  12. Long range position and Orientation Tracking System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Armstrong, G.A.; Jansen, J.F.; Burks, B.L.

    1996-01-01

    The long range Position and Orientation Tracking System is an active triangulation-based system that is being developed to track a target to a resolution of 6.35 mm (0.25 in.) and 0.009 degrees(32.4 arcseconds) over a range of 13.72 m (45 ft.). The system update rate is currently set at 20 Hz but can be increased to 100 Hz or more. The tracking is accomplished by sweeping two pairs of orthogonal line lasers over infrared (IR) sensors spaced with known geometry with respect to one another on the target (the target being a rigid body attached to either a remote vehicle or a remote manipulator arm). The synchronization and data acquisition electronics correlates the time that an IR sensor has been hit by one of the four lasers and the angle of the respective mirror at the time of the hit. This information is combined with the known geometry of the IR sensors on the target to determine position and orientation of the target. This method has the advantage of allowing the target to be momentarily lost due to occlusions and then reacquired without having to return the target to a known reference point. The system also contains a camera with operator controlled lighting in each pod that allows the target to be continuously viewed from either pod, assuming their are no occlusions

  13. Centralized Cooperative Positioning and Tracking with Realistic Communications Constraints

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mensing, Christian; Nielsen, Jimmy Jessen

    2010-01-01

    on the overall performance will be assessed. As we are considering a dynamic scenario, the cooperative positioning algorithms are based on extended Kalman filtering for position estimation and tracking. Simulation results for ultra-wideband based ranging information and WLAN based communications infrastructure...

  14. Beam position monitor sensitivity for low-β beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shafer, R.E.

    1993-01-01

    At low velocities, the EM field of a particle in a conducting beam tube is no longer a TEM wave, but has a finite longitudinal extent. The net effect of this is to reduce the coupling of the high-frequency Fourier components of the beam current to BPM (beam position monitor) electrodes, which modifies the BPM sensitivity to beam displacement. This effect is especially pronounced for high-frequency, large-aperture pickups used for low-β beams. Non-interceptive beam position monitors used in conjunction with high frequency RFQ (radio-frequency-quadrupole) and DTL (drift-tube-linac) accelerators fall into this category. When testing a BPM with a thin wire excited with either pulses or high-frequency sinusoidal currents, the EM wave represents the principal (TEM) mode in a coaxial transmission line, which is equivalent to a highly relativistic (β = 1) beam. Thus wire measurements are not suitable for simulating slow particle beams in high bandwidth diagnostic devices that couple to the image currents in the beam tube wall. Attempts to load the tin wire either capacitively or inductively to slow the EM wave down have met with limited success. In general, the equations used to represent the 2-D response of cylindrical-geometry BPMs to charged-particle beams make several assumptions: (1) the BPM electrodes are flush with and grounded to the surface of the conducting beam tube; (2) the beam is a line source (pencil beam); (3) the longitudinal extent of the EM field of a beam particle at the beam tube wall is zero, corresponding to a highly relativistic beam. The purpose of this paper is to make some quantitative estimates of the corrections to the conventional approximations when a BPM is used to measure the position of low velocity (low-β) beams

  15. Comparison of different methods for the determination of dynamic characteristics of low velocity anemometers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Melikov, Arsen Krikor; Popiolek, Z.

    2004-01-01

    Three methods for determining the dynamic characteristics of low velocity thermal anemometers were compared. They were: step-up velocity change and step-down velocity change methods and a method based on sinusoidal type velocity fluctuations. Two low velocity thermal anemometers with omnidirectio......Three methods for determining the dynamic characteristics of low velocity thermal anemometers were compared. They were: step-up velocity change and step-down velocity change methods and a method based on sinusoidal type velocity fluctuations. Two low velocity thermal anemometers...... with omnidirectional velocity sensors were tested. The results identify differences in frequency response of low velocity anemometers determined by the three methods. The time constant and the response time determined by the step-up velocity change method and the step-down velocity change method may be substantially...... different and insufficient for describing the frequency response of all low velocity thermal anemometers. Therefore the upper frequency, determined in tests with sinusoidal velocity fluctuations, is recommended to be used in indoor climate standards as a single parameter describing the dynamic...

  16. Superconducting accelerating structures for very low velocity ion beams

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Xu

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents designs for four types of very-low-velocity superconducting (SC accelerating cavity capable of providing several MV of accelerating potential per cavity, and suitable for particle velocities in the range 0.006velocity profile to maximize the output energy for each of a number of different ion species. Several laboratories in the U.S. and Europe are planning exotic beam facilities based on SC linacs. The cavity designs presented here are intended for the front end of such linacs, particularly for the postacceleration of rare isotopes of low charge state. Several types of SC cavities have been developed recently to cover particle velocities above 0.06c. Superconducting four-gap quarter-wave resonators for velocities 0.008<β=v/c<0.05 were developed about two decades ago and have been successfully operated at the ATLAS SC linac at Argonne National Laboratory. Since that time, progress in simulation tools, cavity fabrication, and processing have increased SC cavity gradients by a factor of 3–4. This paper applies these tools to optimize the design of a four-gap quarter-wave resonator for exotic beam facilities and other low-velocity applications.

  17. Superconducting accelerating structures for very low velocity ion beams

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, J.; Shepard, K.W.; Ostroumov, P.N.; Fuerst, J.D.; Waldschmidt, G.; /Argonne; Gonin, I.V.; /Fermilab

    2008-01-01

    This paper presents designs for four types of very-low-velocity superconducting accelerating cavity capable of providing several MV of accelerating potential per cavity, and suitable for particle velocities in the range 0.006 < v/c < 0.06. Superconducting TEM-class cavities have been widely applied to CW acceleration of ion beams. SC linacs can be formed as an array of independently-phased cavities, enabling a variable velocity profile to maximize the output energy for each of a number of different ion species. Several laboratories in the US and Europe are planning exotic beam facilities based on SC linacs. The cavity designs presented here are intended for the front-end of such linacs, particularly for the post-acceleration of rare isotopes of low charge state. Several types of SC cavities have been developed recently to cover particle velocities above 0.06c. Superconducting four-gap quarter-wave resonators for velocities 0.008 < {beta} = v/c < 0.05 were developed about two decades ago and have been successfully operated at the ATLAS SC linac at Argonne National Laboratory. Since that time, progress in simulation tools, cavity fabrication and processing have increased SC cavity gradients by a factor of 3-4. This paper applies these tools to optimize the design of a four-gap quarter-wave resonator for exotic beam facilities and other low-velocity applications.

  18. Applying dual-laser spot positions measurement technology on a two-dimensional tracking measurement system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Hau-Wei; Chen, Chieh-Li

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents a two-dimensional tracking measurement system with a tracking module, which consists of two stepping motors, two laser diodes and a four separated active areas segmented position sensitive detector (PSD). The PSD was placed on a two-dimensional moving stage and used as a tracking target. The two laser diodes in the tracking module were directly rotated to keep the laser spots on the origin of the PSD. The two-dimensional position of the target PSD on the moving stage is determined from the distance between the two motors and the tracking angles of the two laser diodes, which are rotated by the two stepping motors, respectively. In order to separate the four positional values of the two laser spots on one PSD, the laser diodes were modulated by two distinct frequencies. Multiple-laser spot position measurement technology was used to separate the four positional values of the two laser spots on the PSD. The experimental results show that the steady-state voltage shift rate is about 0.2% and dynamic cross-talk rate is smaller than 2% when the two laser spots are projected on one PSD at the same time. The measurement errors of the x and y axial positions of the two-dimensional tracking system were less than 1% in the measuring range of 20 mm. The results demonstrate that multiple-laser spot position measurement technology can be employed in a two-dimensional tracking measurement system

  19. Measurement of fast-changing low velocities by photonic Doppler velocimetry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Song Hongwei; Wu Xianqian; Huang Chenguang; Wei Yangpeng; Wang Xi [Key Laboratory for Hydrodynamics and Ocean Engineering, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China)

    2012-07-15

    Despite the increasing popularity of photonic Doppler velocimetry (PDV) in shock wave experiments, its capability of capturing low particle velocities while changing rapidly is still questionable. The paper discusses the performance of short time Fourier transform (STFT) and continuous wavelet transform (CWT) in processing fringe signals of fast-changing low velocities measured by PDV. Two typical experiments are carried out to evaluate the performance. In the laser shock peening test, the CWT gives a better interpretation to the free surface velocity history, where the elastic precursor, main plastic wave, and elastic release wave can be clearly identified. The velocities of stress waves, Hugoniot elastic limit, and the amplitude of shock pressure induced by laser can be obtained from the measurement. In the Kolsky-bar based tests, both methods show validity of processing the longitudinal velocity signal of incident bar, whereas CWT improperly interprets the radial velocity of the shocked sample at the beginning period, indicating the sensitiveness of the CWT to the background noise. STFT is relatively robust in extracting waveforms of low signal-to-noise ratio. Data processing method greatly affects the temporal resolution and velocity resolution of a given fringe signal, usually CWT demonstrates a better local temporal resolution and velocity resolution, due to its adaptability to the local frequency, also due to the finer time-frequency product according to the uncertainty principle.

  20. Unsupervised markerless 3-DOF motion tracking in real time using a single low-budget camera.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quesada, Luis; León, Alejandro J

    2012-10-01

    Motion tracking is a critical task in many computer vision applications. Existing motion tracking techniques require either a great amount of knowledge on the target object or specific hardware. These requirements discourage the wide spread of commercial applications based on motion tracking. In this paper, we present a novel three degrees of freedom motion tracking system that needs no knowledge on the target object and that only requires a single low-budget camera that can be found installed in most computers and smartphones. Our system estimates, in real time, the three-dimensional position of a nonmodeled unmarked object that may be nonrigid, nonconvex, partially occluded, self-occluded, or motion blurred, given that it is opaque, evenly colored, enough contrasting with the background in each frame, and that it does not rotate. Our system is also able to determine the most relevant object to track in the screen. Our proposal does not impose additional constraints, therefore it allows a market-wide implementation of applications that require the estimation of the three position degrees of freedom of an object.

  1. Inertial and GPS data integration for positioning and tracking of GPR

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chicarella, Simone; D'Alvano, Alessandro; Ferrara, Vincenzo; Frezza, Fabrizio; Pajewski, Lara

    2015-04-01

    Nowadays many applications and studies use a Global Positioning System (GPS) to integrate Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) data [1-2]. The aim is the production of detailed detection maps that are geo-referenced and superimposable on geographic maps themes. GPS provides data to determine static positioning, and to track the mobile detection system path on the land. A low-cost standard GPS, like GPS-622R by RF Solutions Ltd, allows accuracy around 2.5 m CEP (Circular Error Probability), and a maximum update rate of 10 Hz. These accuracy and update rate are satisfying values when we evaluate positioning datum, but they are unsuitable for precision tracking of a speedy-mobile GPR system. In order to determine the relative displacements with respect to an initial position on the territory, an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) can be used. Some inertial-system applications for GPR tracking have been presented in recent studies [3-4]. The integration of both GPS and IMU systems is the aim of our work, in order to increase GPR applicability, e.g. the case of a GPR mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle for the detection of people buried under avalanches [5]. In this work, we will present the design, realization and experimental characterization of our electronic board that includes GPS-622R and AltIMU-10 v3 by Pololu. The latter comprises an inertial-measurement unit and an altimeter. In particular, the IMU adopts L3GD20 gyro and LSM303D accelerometer and magnetometer; the digital barometer LPS331AP provides data for altitude evaluation. The prototype of our system for GPR positioning and tracking is based on an Arduino microcontroller board. Acknowledgement This work benefited from networking activities carried out within the EU funded COST Action TU1208 'Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar. ' References [1] M. Solla, X. Núñez-Nieto, M. Varela-González, J. Martínez-Sánchez, and P. Arias, 'GPR for Road Inspection: georeferencing and efficient

  2. Position and orientation tracking system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burks, B.L.; DePiero, F.W.; Armstrong, G.A.; Jansen, J.F.; Muller, R.C.; Gee, T.F.

    1998-01-01

    A position and orientation tracking system presents a laser scanning apparatus having two measurement pods, a control station, and a detector array. The measurement pods can be mounted in the dome of a radioactive waste storage silo. Each measurement pod includes dual orthogonal laser scanner subsystems. The first laser scanner subsystem is oriented to emit a first line laser in the pan direction. The second laser scanner is oriented to emit a second line laser in the tilt direction. Both emitted line lasers scan planes across the radioactive waste surface to encounter the detector array mounted on a target robotic vehicle. The angles of incidence of the planes with the detector array are recorded by the control station. Combining measurements describing each of the four planes provides data for a closed form solution of the algebraic transform describing the position and orientation of the target robotic vehicle. 14 figs

  3. Tool position tracking control of a nonlinear uncertain flexible robot ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Robot manipulators have become progressively important in the field of flexible ... this research, tracking of tool position and minimization of motor torque are ...... and Menhaj M B 2013a Position and current control of a permanent-magnet syn-.

  4. Low Velocity Sphere Impact of a Borosilicate Glass

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morrissey, Timothy G [ORNL; Ferber, Mattison K [ORNL; Wereszczak, Andrew A [ORNL; Fox, Ethan E [ORNL

    2012-05-01

    This report summarizes US Army TARDEC sponsored work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) involving low velocity (< 30 m/s or < 65 mph) ball impact testing of Borofloat borosilicate glass, and is a follow-up to a similar study completed by the authors on Starphire soda-lime silicate glass last year. The response of the borosilicate glass to impact testing at different angles was also studied. The Borofloat glass was supplied by the US Army Research Laboratory and its tin-side was impacted or indented. The intent was to better understand low velocity impact response in the Borofloat. Seven sphere materials were used whose densities bracket that of rock: borosilicate glass, soda-lime silicate glass, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, carbon steel, and a chrome steel. A gas gun or a ball-drop test setup was used to produce controlled velocity delivery of the spheres against the glass tile targets. Minimum impact velocities to initiate fracture in the Borofloat were measured and interpreted in context to the kinetic energy of impact and the elastic property mismatch between the seven sphere-Borofloat-target combinations. The primary observations from this low velocity (< 30 m/s or < 65 mph) testing were: (1) BS glass responded similarly to soda-lime silicate glass when spherically indented but quite differently under sphere impact conditions; (2) Frictional effects contributed to fracture initiation in BS glass when it spherically indented. This effect was also observed with soda-lime silicate glass; (3) The force necessary to initiate fracture in BS glass under spherical impact decreases with increasing elastic modulus of the sphere material. This trend is opposite to what was observed with soda-lime silicate glass. Friction cannot explain this trend and the authors do not have a legitimate explanation for it yet; (4) The force necessary to initiate contact-induced fracture is higher under dynamic conditions than under quasi-static conditions. That

  5. Low-rank sparse learning for robust visual tracking

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Tianzhu

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, we propose a new particle-filter based tracking algorithm that exploits the relationship between particles (candidate targets). By representing particles as sparse linear combinations of dictionary templates, this algorithm capitalizes on the inherent low-rank structure of particle representations that are learned jointly. As such, it casts the tracking problem as a low-rank matrix learning problem. This low-rank sparse tracker (LRST) has a number of attractive properties. (1) Since LRST adaptively updates dictionary templates, it can handle significant changes in appearance due to variations in illumination, pose, scale, etc. (2) The linear representation in LRST explicitly incorporates background templates in the dictionary and a sparse error term, which enables LRST to address the tracking drift problem and to be robust against occlusion respectively. (3) LRST is computationally attractive, since the low-rank learning problem can be efficiently solved as a sequence of closed form update operations, which yield a time complexity that is linear in the number of particles and the template size. We evaluate the performance of LRST by applying it to a set of challenging video sequences and comparing it to 6 popular tracking methods. Our experiments show that by representing particles jointly, LRST not only outperforms the state-of-the-art in tracking accuracy but also significantly improves the time complexity of methods that use a similar sparse linear representation model for particles [1]. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.

  6. Track structure for low energy ions including charge exchange processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uehara, S.; Nikjoo, H.

    2002-01-01

    The model and development is described of a new generation of Monte Carlo track structure codes. The code LEAHIST simulates full slowing down of low-energy proton history tracks in the range 1 keV-1 MeV and the code LEAHIST simulates low-energy alpha particle history tracks in the range 1 keV-8 MeV in water. All primary ion interactions are followed down to 1 keV and all electrons to 1 eV. Tracks of secondary electrons ejected by ions were traced using the electron code KURBUC. Microdosimetric parameters derived by analysis of generated tracks are presented. (author)

  7. Tracking the position of the underwater robot for nuclear reactor inspection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeo, J. W.; Kim, C. H.; Seo, Y. C.; Choi, Y. S.; Kim, S. H.

    2003-01-01

    The tracking procedure of the underwater mobile robot moving and submerging ahead to nuclear reactor vessel for visual inspection, which is required to find the foreign objects such as loose parts, is described. The yellowish underwater robot body tends to present a big contrast to boron solute cold water of nuclear reactor vessel, tinged with indigo by the Cerenkov effect. In this paper, we have found and tracked the positions of underwater mobile robot using the two color information, yellow and indigo. From the horizontal and vertical profiles analysis of the color image, the blue, green, and the gray component have the inferior signal-to-noise characteristics compared to the red component. The center coordinates extraction procedures areas follows. The first step is to segment the underwater robot body to cold water with indigo background. From the RGB color components of the entire monitoring image taken with the color CCD camera, we have selected the red color component. In the selected red image, we extracted the positions of the underwater mobile robot using the following process sequences; binarization, labelling, and centroid extraction techniques. In the experiment carried out at the Youngkwang unit 5 nuclear reactor vessel, we have tracked the center positions of the underwater robot submerged near the cold leg and the hot leg way, which is fathomed to 10m deep in depth. When the position of the robot vehicle fluctuates between the previous and the current image frame due to the flickering noise and light source, installed temporally in the bottom of the reactor vessel, we adaptively adjusted the ROI window. Adding the ROI windows of the previous frame to the current frame, and then setting up the ROI window of the next image frame, we can robustly track the positions of the underwater robot and control the target position's divergence. From these facts, we can conclude that using the red component from color camera is more efficient tracking method

  8. The Accuracy and Precision of Position and Orientation Tracking in the HTC Vive Virtual Reality System for Scientific Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diederick C. Niehorster

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The advent of inexpensive consumer virtual reality equipment enables many more researchers to study perception with naturally moving observers. One such system, the HTC Vive, offers a large field-of-view, high-resolution head mounted display together with a room-scale tracking system for less than a thousand U.S. dollars. If the position and orientation tracking of this system is of sufficient accuracy and precision, it could be suitable for much research that is currently done with far more expensive systems. Here we present a quantitative test of the HTC Vive’s position and orientation tracking as well as its end-to-end system latency. We report that while the precision of the Vive’s tracking measurements is high and its system latency (22 ms is low, its position and orientation measurements are provided in a coordinate system that is tilted with respect to the physical ground plane. Because large changes in offset were found whenever tracking was briefly lost, it cannot be corrected for with a one-time calibration procedure. We conclude that the varying offset between the virtual and the physical tracking space makes the HTC Vive at present unsuitable for scientific experiments that require accurate visual stimulation of self-motion through a virtual world. It may however be suited for other experiments that do not have this requirement.

  9. Hierarchical Velocity Control Based on Differential Flatness for a DC/DC Buck Converter-DC Motor System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Silva-Ortigoza

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a hierarchical controller that carries out the angular velocity trajectory tracking task for a DC motor driven by a DC/DC Buck converter. The high level control is related to the DC motor and the low level control is dedicated to the DC/DC Buck converter; both controls are designed via differential flatness. The high level control provides a desired voltage profile for the DC motor to achieve the tracking of a desired angular velocity trajectory. Then, a low level control is designed to ensure that the output voltage of the DC/DC Buck converter tracks the voltage profile imposed by the high level control. In order to experimentally verify the hierarchical controller performance, a DS1104 electronic board from dSPACE and Matlab-Simulink are used. The switched implementation of the hierarchical average controller is accomplished by means of pulse width modulation. Experimental results of the hierarchical controller for the velocity trajectory tracking task show good performance and robustness against the uncertainties associated with different system parameters.

  10. Rotational velocities of low-mass stars

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stauffer, J.B.; Hartmann, L.W.; Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA)

    1986-01-01

    The rotational velocities of stars provide important clues to how stars form and evolve. Yet until recently, studies of stellar rotation were limited to stars more massive than the sun. This is beginning to change, and an observational outline of the rotational velocity evolution of stars less massive than the sun can now be provided. Low-mass stars rotate slowly during the early stages of premain-sequence evolution, and spin up as they contract to the main sequence. This spin-up culminates in a brief period of very rapid rotation at an age of order 50 million years. Physical interpretation of this increase in rotation and the subsequent main-sequence spin-down are complicated by the possibility of differential internal rotation. The observed rapidity of spin-down among G dwarfs suggests that initially only the outer convective envelopes of these stars are slowed. The data suggest an intrinsic spread in angular momentum among young stars of the same mass and age, a spread which is apparently minimized by the angular-momentum loss mechanism in old low-mass stars. 83 references

  11. Low velocity impact of 6082-T6 aluminum plates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mocian, Oana Alexandra; Constantinescu, Dan Mihai; Sandu, Marin; Sorohan, Ştefan

    2018-02-01

    The low velocity domain covers vehicle impacts, ship collisions and even accidentally tool drops. Even though more and more research is needed into these fields, most of the papers concerning impact problems focus on impact at medium and high velocities. Understanding the behavior of structures subjected to low velocity impact is of major importance when referring to impact resistance and damage tolerance. The paper presents an experimental and numerical investigation on the low velocity behavior of 6082-T6 aluminum plates. Impact tests were performed using an Instron Ceast 9340 drop-weight testing machine. In the experimental procedure, square plates were mounted on a circular support, fixed with a pneumatic clamping system and impacted with a hemispherical steel projectile. Specimens were impacted at constant weight and different impact velocities. The effect of different impact energies was investigated. The impact event was then simulated using the nonlinear finite element code LS_DYNA in order to determine the effect of strain rate upon the mechanical behavior of the aluminum plates. Moreover, in order to capture the exact behavior of the material, a special attention has been given to the selection of the correct material model and its parameters, which, in large extent, depend on the observed behavior of the aluminum plate during the test and the actual response of the plate under simulation. The numerical predictions are compared with the experimental observations and the applicability of the numerical model for further researches is analyzed.

  12. VeLoc: Finding Your Car in Indoor Parking Structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Ruipeng; He, Fangpu; Li, Teng

    2018-05-02

    While WiFi-based indoor localization is attractive, there are many indoor places without WiFi coverage with a strong demand for localization capability. This paper describes a system and associated algorithms to address the indoor vehicle localization problem without the installation of additional infrastructure. In this paper, we propose VeLoc, which utilizes the sensor data of smartphones in the vehicle together with the floor map of the parking structure to track the vehicle in real time. VeLoc simultaneously harnesses constraints imposed by the map and environment sensing. All these cues are codified into a novel augmented particle filtering framework to estimate the position of the vehicle. Experimental results show that VeLoc performs well when even the initial position and the initial heading direction of the vehicle are completely unknown.

  13. Application of Fractional Fourier Transform to Moving Target Indication via Along-Track Interferometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chiu Shen

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available A relatively unknown yet powerful technique, the so-called fractional Fourier transform (FrFT, is applied to SAR along-track interferometry (SAR-ATI in order to estimate moving target parameters. By mapping a target's signal onto a fractional Fourier axis, the FrFT permits a constant-velocity target to be focused in the fractional Fourier domain thereby affording orders of magnitude improvement in SCR. Moving target velocity and position parameters are derived and expressed in terms of an optimum fractional angle and a measured fractional Fourier position , allowing a target to be accurately repositioned and its velocity components computed without actually forming an SAR image. The new estimation algorithm is compared with the matched filter bank approach, showing some of the advantages of the FrFT method. The proposed technique is applied to the data acquired by the two-aperture CV580 airborne radar system configured in its along-track mode. Results show that the method is effective in estimating target velocity and position parameters.

  14. Hot-Wire Calibration at Low Velocities: Revisiting the Vortex Shedding Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sohrab S. Sattarzadeh

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The necessity to calibrate hot-wire probes against a known velocity causes problems at low velocities, due to the inherent inaccuracy of pressure transducers at low differential pressures. The vortex shedding calibration method is in this respect a recommended technique to obtain calibration data at low velocities, due to its simplicity and accuracy. However, it has mainly been applied in a low and narrow Reynolds number range known as the laminar vortex shedding regime. Here, on the other hand, we propose to utilize the irregular vortex shedding regime and show where the probe needs to be placed with respect to the cylinder in order to obtain unambiguous calibration data.

  15. Velocity field calculation for non-orthogonal numerical grids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Flach, G. P. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

    2015-03-01

    Computational grids containing cell faces that do not align with an orthogonal (e.g. Cartesian, cylindrical) coordinate system are routinely encountered in porous-medium numerical simulations. Such grids are referred to in this study as non-orthogonal grids because some cell faces are not orthogonal to a coordinate system plane (e.g. xy, yz or xz plane in Cartesian coordinates). Non-orthogonal grids are routinely encountered at the Savannah River Site in porous-medium flow simulations for Performance Assessments and groundwater flow modeling. Examples include grid lines that conform to the sloping roof of a waste tank or disposal unit in a 2D Performance Assessment simulation, and grid surfaces that conform to undulating stratigraphic surfaces in a 3D groundwater flow model. Particle tracking is routinely performed after a porous-medium numerical flow simulation to better understand the dynamics of the flow field and/or as an approximate indication of the trajectory and timing of advective solute transport. Particle tracks are computed by integrating the velocity field from cell to cell starting from designated seed (starting) positions. An accurate velocity field is required to attain accurate particle tracks. However, many numerical simulation codes report only the volumetric flowrate (e.g. PORFLOW) and/or flux (flowrate divided by area) crossing cell faces. For an orthogonal grid, the normal flux at a cell face is a component of the Darcy velocity vector in the coordinate system, and the pore velocity for particle tracking is attained by dividing by water content. For a non-orthogonal grid, the flux normal to a cell face that lies outside a coordinate plane is not a true component of velocity with respect to the coordinate system. Nonetheless, normal fluxes are often taken as Darcy velocity components, either naively or with accepted approximation. To enable accurate particle tracking or otherwise present an accurate depiction of the velocity field for a non

  16. Comparison of Simultaneous PIV and Hydroxyl Tagging Velocimetry in Low Velocity Flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andre, Matthieu A.; Bardet, Philippe M.; Burns, Ross A.; Danehy, Paul M.

    2016-01-01

    Hydroxyl tagging velocimetry (HTV) is a molecular tagging velocimetry (MTV) technique that relies on the photo- dissociation of water vapor into OH radicals and their subsequent tracking using laser-induced fluorescence. At ambient temperature in air, the OH species lifetime is about 50 micro-s. The feasibility of using HTV for probing low- speed flows (a few m/s) is investigated by using an inert, heated gas as a means to increase the OH species lifetime. Unlike particle-based techniques, MTV does not suffer from tracer settling, which is particularly problematic at low speeds. Furthermore, the flow needs to be seeded with only a small mole fraction of water vapor, making it safer for both the user and facilities than other MTV techniques based on corrosive or toxic chemical tracers. HTV is demonstrated on a steam-seeded nitrogen jet at approximately 75 C in the laminar (Umean=3.31 m/s, Re=1,540), transitional (Umean=4.48 m/s, Re=2,039), and turbulent (Umean=6.91 m/s, Re=3,016) regimes at atmospheric pressure. The measured velocity profiles are compared with particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements performed simultaneously with a second imager. Seeding for the PIV is achieved by introducing micron-sized water droplets into the flow with the steam; the same laser sheet is used for PIV and HTV to guarantee spatial and temporal overlap of the data. Optimizing each of these methods, however, requires conflicting operating conditions: higher temperatures benefit the HTV signals but reduce the available seed density for the PIV through evaporation. Nevertheless, data are found to agree within 10% for the instantaneous velocity profiles and within 5% for the mean profiles and demonstrate the feasibility of HTV for low-speed flows at moderate to high temperatures.

  17. Evaluation of ADCP apparent bed load velocity in a large sand-bed river: Moving versus stationary boat conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jamieson, E.C.; Rennie, C.D.; Jacobson, R.B.; Townsend, R.D.

    2011-01-01

    Detailed mapping of bathymetry and apparent bed load velocity using a boat-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) was carried out along a 388-m section of the lower Missouri River near Columbia, Missouri. Sampling transects (moving boat) were completed at 5- and 20-m spacing along the study section. Stationary (fixed-boat) measurements were made by maintaining constant boat position over a target point where the position of the boat did not deviate more than 3 m in any direction. For each transect and stationary measurement, apparent bed load velocity (vb) was estimated using ADCP bottom tracking data and high precision real-time kinematic (RTK) global positioning system (GPS). The principal objectives of this research are to (1) determine whether boat motion introduces a bias in apparent bed load velocity measurements; and (2) evaluate the reliability of ADCP bed velocity measurements for a range of sediment transport environments. Results indicate that both high transport (vb>0.6 m/s) and moving-boat conditions (for both high and low transport environments) increase the relative variability in estimates of mean bed velocity. Despite this, the spatially dense single-transect measurements were capable of producing detailed bed velocity maps that correspond closely with the expected pattern of sediment transport over large dunes. ?? 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.

  18. Experimental and Computational Study of the Flow past a Simplified Geometry of an Engine/Pylon/Wing Installation at low velocity/moderate incidence flight conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bury, Yannick; Lucas, Matthieu; Bonnaud, Cyril; Joly, Laurent; ISAE Team; Airbus Team

    2014-11-01

    We study numerically and experimentally the vortices that develop past a model geometry of a wing equipped with pylon-mounted engine at low speed/moderate incidence flight conditions. For such configuration, the presence of the powerplant installation under the wing initiates a complex, unsteady vortical flow field at the nacelle/pylon/wing junctions. Its interaction with the upper wing boundary layer causes a drop of aircraft performances. In order to decipher the underlying physics, this study is initially conducted on a simplified geometry at a Reynolds number of 200000, based on the chord wing and on the freestream velocity. Two configurations of angle of attack and side-slip angle are investigated. This work relies on unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes computations, oil flow visualizations and stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry measurements. The vortex dynamics thus produced is described in terms of vortex core position, intensity, size and turbulent intensity thanks to a vortex tracking approach. In addition, the analysis of the velocity flow fields obtained from PIV highlights the influence of the longitudinal vortex initiated at the pylon/wing junction on the separation process of the boundary layer near the upper wing leading-edge.

  19. Unravelling the Natural and Anthropogenic Drivers of North Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Track Position since the Little Ice Age

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baldini, L. M.; Baldini, J. U. L.; McElwaine, J.; Frappier, A. B.; Asmerom, Y.; Liu, K. B.; Prufer, K. M.; Ridley, H.; Polyak, V. J.; Kennett, D. J.; Macpherson, C.; Aquino, V. V.; Awe, J.; Breitenbach, S. F. M.

    2017-12-01

    In the last decade, stalagmites have been recognised as valuable archives of past hurricane activity. The characteristically low δ18O rainfall of tropical cyclones (TCs, including both hurricanes and tropical storms) is particularly well-preserved in fast-growing tropical speleothems. Here we present a new multi-proxy approach used to extract the western Caribbean TC signal from background wet season rainfall that, at our site in southern Belize, is driven by seasonal migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The result is an annual 450-year record of western Caribbean TC activity that, when compared to documentary and statistical model-based reconstructions of North Atlantic TC activity, reveals a northward migration of dominant TC track since the height of Little Ice Age cooling. Importantly, the record reveals a reversal in the TC track position-North Atlantic sea surface temperature relationship between the pre-Industrial and Industrial Eras. During the pre-Industrial interval, TC track position migrated with the ITCZ toward the warmer hemisphere. Conversely, anthropogenic greenhouse gas and aerosol emissions during the Industrial Era have decoupled TC track position from the ITCZ through expansion of the Hadley Cell. This research suggests that under future greenhouse gas and aerosol emissions scenarios, the dominant TC track is likely to remain to the north. Combined with greenhouse gas-induced rising sea surface temperatures, the risk to the NE US population and financial centres is likely to increase in the future.

  20. Intermittent Lagrangian velocities and accelerations in three-dimensional porous medium flow.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holzner, M; Morales, V L; Willmann, M; Dentz, M

    2015-07-01

    Intermittency of Lagrangian velocity and acceleration is a key to understanding transport in complex systems ranging from fluid turbulence to flow in porous media. High-resolution optical particle tracking in a three-dimensional (3D) porous medium provides detailed 3D information on Lagrangian velocities and accelerations. We find sharp transitions close to pore throats, and low flow variability in the pore bodies, which gives rise to stretched exponential Lagrangian velocity and acceleration distributions characterized by a sharp peak at low velocity, superlinear evolution of particle dispersion, and double-peak behavior in the propagators. The velocity distribution is quantified in terms of pore geometry and flow connectivity, which forms the basis for a continuous-time random-walk model that sheds light on the observed Lagrangian flow and transport behaviors.

  1. StimTrack: An open-source software for manual transcranial magnetic stimulation coil positioning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ambrosini, Emilia; Ferrante, Simona; van de Ruit, Mark; Biguzzi, Stefano; Colombo, Vera; Monticone, Marco; Ferriero, Giorgio; Pedrocchi, Alessandra; Ferrigno, Giancarlo; Grey, Michael J

    2018-01-01

    During Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) experiments researchers often use a neuronavigation system to precisely and accurately maintain coil position and orientation. This study aimed to develop and validate an open-source software for TMS coil navigation. StimTrack uses an optical tracker and an intuitive user interface to facilitate the maintenance of position and orientation of any type of coil within and between sessions. Additionally, online access to navigation data is provided, hereby adding e.g. the ability to start or stop the magnetic stimulator depending on the distance to target or the variation of the orientation angles. StimTrack allows repeatable repositioning of the coil within 0.7mm for translation and 0.9) was obtained on all parameters computed on SR curves acquired using StimTrack. StimTrack showed a target accuracy similar to that of a commercial neuronavigation system (BrainSight, Rogue Research Inc.). Indeed, small differences both in position (∼0.2mm) and orientation (TMS. StimTrack allows researchers to tailor its functionality to their specific needs, providing added value that benefits experimental procedures and improves data quality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Validation of a Video Analysis Software Package for Quantifying Movement Velocity in Resistance Exercises.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sañudo, Borja; Rueda, David; Pozo-Cruz, Borja Del; de Hoyo, Moisés; Carrasco, Luis

    2016-10-01

    Sañudo, B, Rueda, D, del Pozo-Cruz, B, de Hoyo, M, and Carrasco, L. Validation of a video analysis software package for quantifying movement velocity in resistance exercises. J Strength Cond Res 30(10): 2934-2941, 2016-The aim of this study was to establish the validity of a video analysis software package in measuring mean propulsive velocity (MPV) and the maximal velocity during bench press. Twenty-one healthy males (21 ± 1 year) with weight training experience were recruited, and the MPV and the maximal velocity of the concentric phase (Vmax) were compared with a linear position transducer system during a standard bench press exercise. Participants performed a 1 repetition maximum test using the supine bench press exercise. The testing procedures involved the simultaneous assessment of bench press propulsive velocity using 2 kinematic (linear position transducer and semi-automated tracking software) systems. High Pearson's correlation coefficients for MPV and Vmax between both devices (r = 0.473 to 0.993) were observed. The intraclass correlation coefficients for barbell velocity data and the kinematic data obtained from video analysis were high (>0.79). In addition, the low coefficients of variation indicate that measurements had low variability. Finally, Bland-Altman plots with the limits of agreement of the MPV and Vmax with different loads showed a negative trend, which indicated that the video analysis had higher values than the linear transducer. In conclusion, this study has demonstrated that the software used for the video analysis was an easy to use and cost-effective tool with a very high degree of concurrent validity. This software can be used to evaluate changes in velocity of training load in resistance training, which may be important for the prescription and monitoring of training programmes.

  3. Robust Visual Tracking Via Consistent Low-Rank Sparse Learning

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Tianzhu

    2014-06-19

    Object tracking is the process of determining the states of a target in consecutive video frames based on properties of motion and appearance consistency. In this paper, we propose a consistent low-rank sparse tracker (CLRST) that builds upon the particle filter framework for tracking. By exploiting temporal consistency, the proposed CLRST algorithm adaptively prunes and selects candidate particles. By using linear sparse combinations of dictionary templates, the proposed method learns the sparse representations of image regions corresponding to candidate particles jointly by exploiting the underlying low-rank constraints. In addition, the proposed CLRST algorithm is computationally attractive since temporal consistency property helps prune particles and the low-rank minimization problem for learning joint sparse representations can be efficiently solved by a sequence of closed form update operations. We evaluate the proposed CLRST algorithm against 14 state-of-the-art tracking methods on a set of 25 challenging image sequences. Experimental results show that the CLRST algorithm performs favorably against state-of-the-art tracking methods in terms of accuracy and execution time.

  4. Angles-Only Navigation: Position and Velocity Solution from Absolute Triangulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    contrast to the Kalman filter approach , the algorithm presented here does not require any pre- vious estimate of position or motion, and is of closed... geocentric position vectors. Using two vectors derived from each such observation (see next section), a solution for a portion of the boat’s track was...t)x0 describes the curvature of the path in the direction x 0, which, for a geocentric coordinate system and /(t) < 0, will be toward the center of

  5. Calibration techniques for the hot wire anemometer in a low velocity region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujimura, Kaoru; Kawamura, Hiroshi

    1980-03-01

    In connection with experiments on coolant flow in the core of multi-purpose VHTR, a low-velocity calibration wind tunnel was made, and techniques for the hot wire anemometer in the air were investigated. Following are the results. 1) A technique using the frequency of von Karman vortex street is not recommended because of the irregular mode in a low velocity region. 2) A Pitot tube is valid only for the flow velocities larger than 1 m/s. 3) The thermal trace technique is suitable in a relatively wide range of velocity, if velocity defect in the wake is compensated for. When flow velocity is larger than 1 m/s, the thermal trace technique is consistent with the Pitot tube method. (author)

  6. Position and Attitude Alternate of Path Tracking Heading Control

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baocheng Tan

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The path tracking control algorithm is one of the key problems in the control system design of autonomous vehicle. In this paper, we have conducted dynamic modeling for autonomous vehicle, the relationship between course deviation and yaw rate and centroid deflection angle. From the angle of the dynamics and geometrical, this paper have described the path tracking problem, analyzed the emergence of the eight autonomous vehicles pose binding - position and attitude alternate control methods to identify the relationship between posture and the controlling variables, and design a controller, the experimental results verify the feasibility and effectiveness of this control method.

  7. VeLoc: Finding Your Car in Indoor Parking Structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruipeng Gao

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available While WiFi-based indoor localization is attractive, there are many indoor places without WiFi coverage with a strong demand for localization capability. This paper describes a system and associated algorithms to address the indoor vehicle localization problem without the installation of additional infrastructure. In this paper, we propose VeLoc, which utilizes the sensor data of smartphones in the vehicle together with the floor map of the parking structure to track the vehicle in real time. VeLoc simultaneously harnesses constraints imposed by the map and environment sensing. All these cues are codified into a novel augmented particle filtering framework to estimate the position of the vehicle. Experimental results show that VeLoc performs well when even the initial position and the initial heading direction of the vehicle are completely unknown.

  8. GPS-based satellite tracking system for precise positioning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yunck, T. P.; Melbourne, W. G.; Thornton, C. L.

    1985-01-01

    NASA is developing a Global Positioning System (GPS) based measurement system to provide precise determination of earth satellite orbits, geodetic baselines, ionospheric electron content, and clock offsets between worldwide tracking sites. The system will employ variations on the differential GPS observing technique and will use a network of nine fixed ground terminals. Satellite applications will require either a GPS flight receiver or an on-board GPS beacon. Operation of the system for all but satellite tracking will begin by 1988. The first major satellite application will be a demonstration of decimeter accuracy in determining the altitude of TOPEX in the early 1990's. By then the system is expected to yield long-baseline accuracies of a few centimeters and instantaneous time synchronization to 1 ns.

  9. Angular Position Tracking Control of a Quadcopter

    OpenAIRE

    T. V. Glazkov; A. E. Golubev

    2017-01-01

    The paper dwells on tracking the quad-copter angular position with desired quality parameters of transient processes. The aerial vehicle is considered as a rigid body with six degrees of freedom.  A full rigid body quad-copter mathematical model is considered without the assumption of smallness of the Euler angles.Among the most well known methods of non-linear stabilization are feedback linearization and backstepping. The backstepping approach allows us to have an effective solution of the s...

  10. Suitability of markerless EPID tracking for tumor position verification in gated radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Serpa, Marco; Baier, Kurt; Guckenberger, Matthias; Cremers, Florian; Meyer, Juergen

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: To maximize the benefits of respiratory gated radiotherapy (RGRT) of lung tumors real-time verification of the tumor position is required. This work investigates the feasibility of markerless tracking of lung tumors during beam-on time in electronic portal imaging device (EPID) images of the MV therapeutic beam. Methods: EPID movies were acquired at ∼2 fps for seven lung cancer patients with tumor peak-to-peak motion ranges between 7.8 and 17.9 mm (mean: 13.7 mm) undergoing stereotactic body radiotherapy. The external breathing motion of the abdomen was synchronously measured. Both datasets were retrospectively analyzed inPortalTrack, an in-house developed tracking software. The authors define a three-step procedure to run the simulations: (1) gating window definition, (2) gated-beam delivery simulation, and (3) tumor tracking. First, an amplitude threshold level was set on the external signal, defining the onset of beam-on/-off signals. This information was then mapped onto a sequence of EPID images to generate stamps of beam-on/-hold periods throughout the EPID movies in PortalTrack, by obscuring the frames corresponding to beam-off times. Last, tumor motion in the superior-inferior direction was determined on portal images by the tracking algorithm during beam-on time. The residual motion inside the gating window as well as target coverage (TC) and the marginal target displacement (MTD) were used as measures to quantify tumor position variability. Results: Tumor position monitoring and estimation from beam's-eye-view images during RGRT was possible in 67% of the analyzed beams. For a reference gating window of 5 mm, deviations ranging from 2% to 86% (35% on average) were recorded between the reference and measured residual motion. TC (range: 62%–93%; mean: 77%) losses were correlated with false positives incidence rates resulting mostly from intra-/inter-beam baseline drifts, as well as sudden cycle-to-cycle fluctuations in exhale positions. Both

  11. Neural network tracking and extension of positive tracking periods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanan, Jay C.; Chao, Tien-Hsin; Moreels, Pierre

    2004-04-01

    Feature detectors have been considered for the role of supplying additional information to a neural network tracker. The feature detector focuses on areas of the image with significant information. Basically, if a picture says a thousand words, the feature detectors are looking for the key phrases (keypoints). These keypoints are rotationally invariant and may be matched across frames. Application of these advanced feature detectors to the neural network tracking system at JPL has promising potential. As part of an ongoing program, an advanced feature detector was tested for augmentation of a neural network based tracker. The advance feature detector extended tracking periods in test sequences including aircraft tracking, rover tracking, and simulated Martian landing. Future directions of research are also discussed.

  12. Low Velocity Impact Behavior of Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shishevan, Farzin Azimpour; Akbulut, Hamid; Mohtadi-Bonab, M. A.

    2017-06-01

    In this research, we studied low velocity impact response of homogenous basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) composites and then compared the impact key parameters with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) homogenous composites. BFRPs and CFRPs were fabricated by vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) method. Fabricated composites included 60% fiber and 40% epoxy matrix. Basalt and carbon fibers used as reinforcement materials were weaved in 2/2 twill textile tip in the structures of BFRP and CFRP composites. We also utilized the energy profile method to determine penetration and perforation threshold energies. The low velocity impact tests were carried out in 30, 60, 80, 100, 120 and 160 J energy magnitudes, and impact response of BFRPs was investigated by related force-deflection, force-time, deflection-time and absorbed energy-time graphics. The related impact key parameters such as maximum contact force, absorbed energy, deflection and duration time were compared with CFRPs for various impact energy levels. As a result, due to the higher toughness of basalt fibers, a better low velocity impact performance of BFRP than that of CFRP was observed. The effects of fabrication parameters, such as curing process, were studied on the low velocity impact behavior of BFRP. The results of tested new fabricated materials show that the change of fabrication process and curing conditions improves the impact behavior of BFRPs up to 13%.

  13. On the development of inexpensive speed and position tracking system for swimming

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Trangbæk, Søren; Rasmussen, Cuno; Andersen, Thomas Bull

    2016-01-01

    A semi-automated tracking system was developed for the analysis of swimming, using cameras, an LED diode marker, and a red swim cap. Four experienced young swimmers were equipped with a marker and a swim cap and their position and speed was tracked throughout above-water and under-water swimming...

  14. Thermistor based, low velocity isothermal, air flow sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cabrita, Admésio A C M; Mendes, Ricardo; Quintela, Divo A

    2016-01-01

    The semiconductor thermistor technology is applied as a flow sensor to measure low isothermal air velocities (<2 ms −1 ). The sensor is subjected to heating and cooling cycles controlled by a multifunctional timer. In the heating stage, the alternating current of a main AC power supply source guarantees a uniform thermistor temperature distribution. The conditioning circuit assures an adequate increase of the sensors temperature and avoids the thermal disturbance of the flow. The power supply interruption reduces the consumption from the source and extends the sensors life time. In the cooling stage, the resistance variation of the flow sensor is recorded by the measuring chain. The resistive sensor parameters proposed vary significantly and feature a high sensitivity to the flow velocity. With the aid of a computer, the data transfer, storage and analysis provides a great advantage over the traditional local anemometer readings. The data acquisition chain has a good repeatability and low standard uncertainties. The proposed method measures isothermal air mean velocities from 0.1 ms −1 to 2 ms −1 with a standard uncertainty error less than 4%. (paper)

  15. Atomic collision experiments utilizing low-velocity, highly-charged ion beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, B.M.; Jones, K.W.; Meron, M.

    1983-01-01

    Intense beams of highly-stripped ions are now routinely produced at low velocities using the Brookhaven dual MP-tandems in a unique four-stage accel/decel mode. This mode of operation combines three stages of acceleration, stripping at high energy, and one stage of deceleration to near-zero velocity. To date, experiments have used 10-100 nA beams of bare and few-electron heavy ions at energies as low as 0.2 MeV/amu, and upgrades of the facility should push the lower limit below 0.1 MeV/amu. Recent experiments, such as measurements of charge transfer and x-ray production for S 6 - 16 + on He and Ar at 6-20 MeV and P(b) measurements for MO x-rays produced in Cl 16 + + Ar collisions at 20, 10 and 5 MeV have demonstrated the usefulness of highly-stripped, low-velocity projectiles. These experiments and a few possibilities for future experiments are discussed

  16. Atomic collision experiments utilizing low-velocity, highly-charged ion beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, B.M.; Jones, K.W.; Meron, M.

    1982-01-01

    Intense beams of highly-stripped ions are now routinely produced at low velocities using the Brookhaven dual MP-tandens in a unique four-stage accel/decel mode. This mode of operation combines three stages of acceleration, stripping at high energy, and one stage of deceleration to near-zero velocity. To date, experiments have used 10-100 nA beams of bare and few-electron heavy ions at energies as low as 0.2 MeV/amu, and upgrades of the facility should push the lower limit below 0.1 MeV/amu. Recent experiments, such as measurements of charge transfer and x-ray production for S/sup 6-16+/ on He and Ar at 6 to 20 MeV and P(b) measurements for MO x-rays produced in Cl 16 + + Ar collisions at 20, 10, and 5 MeV have demonstrated the usefulness of highly-stripped, low-velocity projectiles. These experiments and a few possibilities for future experiments are discussed

  17. A gain-field encoding of limb position and velocity in the internal model of arm dynamics.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eun Jung Hwang

    2003-11-01

    Full Text Available Adaptability of reaching movements depends on a computation in the brain that transforms sensory cues, such as those that indicate the position and velocity of the arm, into motor commands. Theoretical consideration shows that the encoding properties of neural elements implementing this transformation dictate how errors should generalize from one limb position and velocity to another. To estimate how sensory cues are encoded by these neural elements, we designed experiments that quantified spatial generalization in environments where forces depended on both position and velocity of the limb. The patterns of error generalization suggest that the neural elements that compute the transformation encode limb position and velocity in intrinsic coordinates via a gain-field; i.e., the elements have directionally dependent tuning that is modulated monotonically with limb position. The gain-field encoding makes the counterintuitive prediction of hypergeneralization: there should be growing extrapolation beyond the trained workspace. Furthermore, nonmonotonic force patterns should be more difficult to learn than monotonic ones. We confirmed these predictions experimentally.

  18. Automated positioning dual-axis solar tracking system with precision elevation and azimuth angle control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sidek, M.H.M.; Azis, N.; Hasan, W.Z.W.; Ab Kadir, M.Z.A.; Shafie, S.; Radzi, M.A.M.

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents a study on an automated positioning open-loop dual-axis solar tracking system. The solar tracker was designed and fabricated using standard cylindrical aluminium hollow and Polyuthrene (PE). The control system of the solar tracker was governed by Micro Controller Unit (MCU) with auxiliary devices which includes encoder and Global Positioning System (GPS). The sun path trajectory algorithm utilizing the astronomical equation and GPS information was also embedded in the system. The power generation performance of the dual-axis solar tracking system was compared with the fixed-tilted Photovoltaic (PV) system. It is found that the solar tracker is able to position itself automatically based on sun path trajectory algorithm with an accuracy of ±0.5°. The embedded Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) positioning system improves the tracking of elevation and azimuth angles with minimum energy consumption. It is reveals that the proposed solar tracker is able generate 26.9% and 12.8% higher power than fixed-tilted PV system on a clear and heavy overcast conditions respectively. Overall, the open-loop dual-axis solar tracker can be deployed automatically at any location on the earth with minimal configurations and is suitable for mobile solar tracking system. - Highlights: • Self-positioning dual-axis solar tracking system. • Precise control of elevation and azimuth angle. • Sun path trajectory based on astronomical equation and GPS. • Can achieve up to 26.9% higher power than fixed-tilted PV system under clear weather condition.

  19. Binocular Vision-Based Position and Pose of Hand Detection and Tracking in Space

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jun, Chen; Wenjun, Hou; Qing, Sheng

    After the study of image segmentation, CamShift target tracking algorithm and stereo vision model of space, an improved algorithm based of Frames Difference and a new space point positioning model were proposed, a binocular visual motion tracking system was constructed to verify the improved algorithm and the new model. The problem of the spatial location and pose of the hand detection and tracking have been solved.

  20. On the determination of heliographic positions and rotation velocities of sunspots. Pt. 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balthasar, H.

    1983-01-01

    Using sunspot positions of small sunspots observed at Debrecen and Locarno as well as positions of recurrent sunspots taken from the Greenwich Photoheliographic Results (1940-1976) the influence of the Wilson depression on the rotation velocities was investigated. It was found that the Wilson depression can be determined by minimizing errors of the rotation velocities or minimizing the differences of rotation velocities determined from disk passages and central meridian passages. The Wilson depressions found were between 765 km and 2500 km for the first sample while they were between 0 km and several 1000 km for the second sample. The averaged Wilson depression for the second sample is between 500 km and 965 km depending on the reduction method. A dependence of the Wilson depression on the age of the spots investigated seems not to exist. (orig.)

  1. An evaluation of intrafraction motion of the prostate in the prone and supine positions using electromagnetic tracking

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shah, Amish P.; Kupelian, Patrick A.; Willoughby, Twyla R.; Langen, Katja M.; Meeks, Sanford L.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate differences in target motion during prostate irradiation in the prone versus supine position using electromagnetic tracking to measure prostate mobility. Materials/methods: Twenty patients received prostate radiotherapy in the supine position utilizing the Calypso Localization System (registered) for prostate positioning and monitoring. For each patient, 10 treatment fractions were followed by a session in which the patient was repositioned prone, and prostate mobility was tracked. The fraction of time that the prostate was displaced by >3, 5, 7, and 10 mm was calculated for each patient, for both positions (400 tracking sessions). Results: Clear patterns of respiratory motion were seen in the prone tracks due to the influence of increased abdominal motion. Averaged over all patients, the prostate was displaced >3 and 5 mm for 37.8% and 10.1% of the total tracking time in the prone position, respectively. In the supine position, the prostate was displaced >3 and 5 mm for 12.6% and 2.9%, respectively. With both patient setups, inferior and posterior drifts of the prostate position were observed. Averaged over all prone tracking sessions, the prostate was displaced >3 mm in the posterior and inferior directions for 11.7% and 9.5% of the total time, respectively. Conclusions: With real-time tracking of the prostate, it is possible to study the effects of different setup positions on the prostate mobility. The percentage of time the prostate moved >3 and 5 mm was increased by a factor of three in the prone versus supine position. For larger displacements (>7 mm) no difference in prostate mobility was observed between prone and supine positions. To reduce rectal toxicity, radiotherapy in the prone position may be a suitable alternative provided respiratory motion is accounted for during treatment. Acute and late toxicity results remain to be evaluated for both patient positions.

  2. A motion-compensated image filter for low-dose fluoroscopy in a real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miyamoto, Naoki; Ishikawa, Masayori; Sutherland, Kenneth

    2015-01-01

    In the real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy system, a surrogate fiducial marker inserted in or near the tumor is detected by fluoroscopy to realize respiratory-gated radiotherapy. The imaging dose caused by fluoroscopy should be minimized. In this work, an image processing technique is proposed for tracing a moving marker in low-dose imaging. The proposed tracking technique is a combination of a motion-compensated recursive filter and template pattern matching. The proposed image filter can reduce motion artifacts resulting from the recursive process based on the determination of the region of interest for the next frame according to the current marker position in the fluoroscopic images. The effectiveness of the proposed technique and the expected clinical benefit were examined by phantom experimental studies with actual tumor trajectories generated from clinical patient data. It was demonstrated that the marker motion could be traced in low-dose imaging by applying the proposed algorithm with acceptable registration error and high pattern recognition score in all trajectories, although some trajectories were not able to be tracked with the conventional spatial filters or without image filters. The positional accuracy is expected to be kept within ±2 mm. The total computation time required to determine the marker position is a few milliseconds. The proposed image processing technique is applicable for imaging dose reduction. (author)

  3. Imaging the Iceland Hotspot Track Beneath Greenland with Seismic Noise Correlations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mordret, A.

    2017-12-01

    During the past 65 million years, the Greenland craton drifted over the Iceland hotspot; however, uncertainties in geodynamic modeling and a lack of geophysical evidence prevent an accurate reconstruction of the hotspot track. I image the Greenland lithosphere down to 300 km depth with seismic noise tomography. The hotspot track is observed as a linear high-velocity anomaly in the middle crust associated with magmatic intrusions. In the upper mantle, the remnant thermal signature of the hotspot manifests as low velocity and low viscosity bodies. This new detailed picture of the Greenland lithosphere will drive more accurate geodynamic reconstructions of tectonic plate motions and prediction of Greenland heat flow, which in turn will enable more precise estimations of the Greenland ice-sheet mass balance.

  4. The First Result of Relative Positioning and Velocity Estimation Based on CAPS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Jiaojiao; Ge, Jian; Wang, Liang; Wang, Ningbo; Zhou, Kai; Yuan, Hong

    2018-01-01

    The Chinese Area Positioning System (CAPS) is a new positioning system developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences based on the communication satellites in geosynchronous orbit. The CAPS has been regarded as a pilot system to test the new technology for the design, construction and update of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS). The system structure of CAPS, including the space, ground control station and user segments, is almost like the traditional Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSSs), but with the clock on the ground, the navigation signal in C waveband, and different principles of operation. The major difference is that the CAPS navigation signal is first generated at the ground control station, before being transmitted to the satellite in orbit and finally forwarded by the communication satellite transponder to the user. This design moves the clock from the satellite in orbit to the ground. The clock error can therefore be easily controlled and mitigated to improve the positioning accuracy. This paper will present the performance of CAPS-based relative positioning and velocity estimation as assessed in Beijing, China. The numerical results show that, (1) the accuracies of relative positioning, using only code measurements, are 1.25 and 1.8 m in the horizontal and vertical components, respectively; (2) meanwhile, they are about 2.83 and 3.15 cm in static mode and 6.31 and 10.78 cm in kinematic mode, respectively, when using the carrier-phase measurements with ambiguities fixed; and (3) the accuracy of the velocity estimation is about 0.04 and 0.11 m/s in static and kinematic modes, respectively. These results indicate the potential application of CAPS for high-precision positioning and velocity estimation and the availability of a new navigation mode based on communication satellites. PMID:29757204

  5. Influence of Velocity on Variability in Gait Kinematics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yang, Sylvia X M; Larsen, Peter K; Alkjær, Tine

    2014-01-01

    the concurrence of joint angles throughout a gait cycle at three different velocities (3.0, 4.5, 6.0 km/h). Six datasets at each velocity were collected from 16 men. A variability range VR throughout the gait cycle at each velocity for each joint angle for each person was calculated. The joint angles at each...... velocity were compared pairwise, and whenever this showed values within the VR of this velocity, the case was positive. By adding the positives throughout the gait cycle, phases with high and low concurrences were located; peak concurrence was observed at mid-stance phase. Striving for the same velocity...

  6. Mobile positioning and tracking from conventional to cooperative techniques

    CERN Document Server

    Frattasi, Simone

    2017-01-01

    Current trends in mobile services envisage location-based networking as a major strong stimulator for the development of novel solutions for obtaining positioning information in wireless networks. This book discusses mobile positioning solutions applied on top of current wireless communication networks. Moreover, it introduces advanced and novel topics such as localization in heterogeneous and cooperative scenarios. In this fully updated second edition, the authors summarize recent developments in mobile positioning and tracking. Compared with the previous version, the new edition introduces more advanced topics, providing the bridge between research and industry. It works as an important reference and provides good foundations for new researchers.

  7. A Simple and Robust Sliding Mode Velocity Observer for Moving Coil Actuators in Digital Hydraulic Valves

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nørgård, Christian; Schmidt, Lasse; Bech, Michael Møller

    2016-01-01

    This paper focuses on estimating the velocity and position of fast switching digital hydraulic valves actuated by electromagnetic moving coil actuators, based on measurements of the coil current and voltage. The velocity is estimated by a simple first-order sliding mode observer architecture...... and the position is estimated by integrating the estimated velocity. The binary operation of digi-valves enables limiting and resetting the position estimate since the moving member is switched between the mechanical end-stops of the valve. This enables accurate tracking since drifting effects due to measurement...... noise and integration of errors in the velocity estimate may be circumvented. The proposed observer architecture is presented along with stability proofs and initial experimental results. To reveal the optimal observer performance, an optimization of the observer parameters is carried out. Subsequently...

  8. The Effects of L2C Signal Tracking on High-Precision Carrier Phase GPS Positioning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berglund, H.; Blume, F.; Estey, L. H.; Borsa, A. A.

    2010-12-01

    (Larson et al, 2010). We use several different methods to determine the effect that tracking and logging L2C has on carrier phase measurements and positioning for various receiver models and configurations. Our analyses use GAMIT and TRACK to calculate positions and baseline lengths including zero-length baselines, position time series from a subset of 10 PBO stations that have been L2C enabled, phase residual comparisons and direct comparisons of the L2 phase observable. Twenty-four hour zero-length baseline solutions using L2 show sub-millimeter differences in the mean positions for both the horizontal and vertical components. Direct comparisons of the L2 phase observable from RINEX (2.11) files with and without the L2C observable show sub-millicycle differences over a 24 hour mean with variations up to ~±0.06 cycles for satellites that broadcast L2C. Our results show that the magnitude of the variations increased at low elevations. Separate correlation of the L2 and L2C signals may explain this difference. The number of L2 observations increased when the L2C observable was recorded, while the number of cycle slips above 10 degrees in elevation decreased when L2C was recorded. The behavior of the L2P(Y) phase observations or positions from a given receiver was not affected by the enabling of L2C tracking.

  9. Online Wavelet Complementary velocity Estimator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Righettini, Paolo; Strada, Roberto; KhademOlama, Ehsan; Valilou, Shirin

    2018-02-01

    In this paper, we have proposed a new online Wavelet Complementary velocity Estimator (WCE) over position and acceleration data gathered from an electro hydraulic servo shaking table. This is a batch estimator type that is based on the wavelet filter banks which extract the high and low resolution of data. The proposed complementary estimator combines these two resolutions of velocities which acquired from numerical differentiation and integration of the position and acceleration sensors by considering a fixed moving horizon window as input to wavelet filter. Because of using wavelet filters, it can be implemented in a parallel procedure. By this method the numerical velocity is estimated without having high noise of differentiators, integration drifting bias and with less delay which is suitable for active vibration control in high precision Mechatronics systems by Direct Velocity Feedback (DVF) methods. This method allows us to make velocity sensors with less mechanically moving parts which makes it suitable for fast miniature structures. We have compared this method with Kalman and Butterworth filters over stability, delay and benchmarked them by their long time velocity integration for getting back the initial position data. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Superconducting RF for Low-Velocity and Intermediate-Velocity Beams

    CERN Document Server

    Grimm, Terry L

    2005-01-01

    Existing superconducting radio frequency (SRF) linacs are used to accelerate ions (protons through uranium) with velocities less than about 15% the speed of light, or electrons with velocities approximately equal to the speed of light. In the last ten years, prototype SRF cavities have completely covered the remaining range of velocities. They have demonstrated that SRF linacs will be capable of accelerating electrons from rest up to the speed of light, and ions from less than 1% up to the speed of light. When the Spallation Neutron Source is operational, SRF ion linacs will have covered the full range of velocities except for v/c ~ 0.15 to v/c ~ 0.5. A number of proposed projects (RIA, EURISOL) would span the latter range of velocities. Future SRF developments will have to address the trade-offs associated with a number of issues, including high gradient operation, longitudinal and transverse acceptance, microphonics, Lorentz detuning, operating temperature, cryogenic load, number of gaps or cells per cavity...

  11. What triggers catch-up saccades during visual tracking?

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Brouwer, Sophie; Yuksel, Demet; Blohm, Gunnar; Missal, Marcus; Lefèvre, Philippe

    2002-03-01

    When tracking moving visual stimuli, primates orient their visual axis by combining two kinds of eye movements, smooth pursuit and saccades, that have very different dynamics. Yet, the mechanisms that govern the decision to switch from one type of eye movement to the other are still poorly understood, even though they could bring a significant contribution to the understanding of how the CNS combines different kinds of control strategies to achieve a common motor and sensory goal. In this study, we investigated the oculomotor responses to a large range of different combinations of position error and velocity error during visual tracking of moving stimuli in humans. We found that the oculomotor system uses a prediction of the time at which the eye trajectory will cross the target, defined as the "eye crossing time" (T(XE)). The eye crossing time, which depends on both position error and velocity error, is the criterion used to switch between smooth and saccadic pursuit, i.e., to trigger catch-up saccades. On average, for T(XE) between 40 and 180 ms, no saccade is triggered and target tracking remains purely smooth. Conversely, when T(XE) becomes smaller than 40 ms or larger than 180 ms, a saccade is triggered after a short latency (around 125 ms).

  12. Strong tracking adaptive Kalman filters for underwater vehicle dead reckoning

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    XIAO Kun; FANG Shao-ji; PANG Yong-jie

    2007-01-01

    To improve underwater vehicle dead reckoning, a developed strong tracking adaptive kalman filter is proposed. The filter is improved with an additional adaptive factor and an estimator of measurement noise covariance. Since the magnitude of fading factor is changed adaptively, the tracking ability of the filter is still enhanced in low velocity condition of underwater vehicles. The results of simulation tests prove the presented filter effective.

  13. A compound control strategy combining velocity compensation with ADRC of electro-hydraulic position servo control system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Bingwei; Shao, Junpeng; Yang, Xiaodong

    2014-11-01

    In order to enhance the anti-jamming ability of electro-hydraulic position servo control system at the same time improve the control precision of the system, a compound control strategy that combines velocity compensation with Active Disturbance Rejection Controller (ADRC) is proposed, and the working principle of the compound control strategy is given. ADRC controller is designed, and the extended state observer is used for observing internal parameters uncertainties and external disturbances, so that the disturbances of the system are suppressed effectively. Velocity compensation controller is designed and the compensation model is derived to further improve the positioning accuracy of the system and to achieve the velocity compensation without disturbance. The compound control strategy is verified by the simulation and experiment respectively, and the simulation and experimental results show that the electro-hydraulic position servo control system with ADRC controller can effectively inhibit the external disturbances, the precise positioning control is realized after introducing the velocity compensation controller, and verify that the compound control strategy is effective. Copyright © 2014 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Tracking silica in Earth's upper mantle using new sound velocity data for coesite to 5.8 GPa and 1073 K: Tracking Silica in Earth's Upper Mantle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Ting [Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook New York USA; Liebermann, Robert C. [Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook New York USA; Mineral Physics Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook New York USA; Zou, Yongtao [Mineral Physics Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook New York USA; State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun China; Li, Ying [Mineral Physics Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook New York USA; Key Laboratory of Earthquake Prediction, Institute of Earthquake Science, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing China; Qi, Xintong [Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook New York USA; Li, Baosheng [Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook New York USA; Mineral Physics Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook New York USA

    2017-08-12

    The compressional and shear wave velocities for coesite have been measured simultaneously up to 5.8 GPa and 1073 K by ultrasonic interferometry for the first time. The shear wave velocity decreases with pressure along all isotherms. The resulting contrasts between coesite and stishovite reach ~34% and ~45% for P and S wave velocities, respectively, and ~64% and ~75% for their impedance at mantle conditions. The large velocity and impedance contrasts across coesite-stishovite transition imply that to generate the velocity and impedance contrasts observed at the X-discontinuity, only a small amount of silica would be required. The velocity jump dependences on silica, d(lnVP)/d(SiO2) = 0.38 (wt %)-1 and d(lnVS)/d(SiO2) = 0.52 (wt %)-1, are utilized to place constraints on the amount of silica in the upper mantle and provide a geophysical approach to track mantle eclogite materials and ancient subducted oceanic slabs.

  15. Acquisition, tracking, and pointing V; Proceedings of the Meeting, Orlando, FL, Apr. 3-5, 1991

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masten, Michael K.; Stockum, Larry A.

    1991-08-01

    The present conference discusses the Starlab control system, an angular positioning mechanism for a UV coronagraph spectrometer, a second-generation laser tracking system, the optimization of a gimbal-scanned IR seeker, design considerations for an airborne electrooptic sensor, the effects of atmospheric turbulence on a relay mirror experiment, and the sensor fusion approach to optimization for human perception. Also discussed are target detection with a co-occurrence matrix segmentation, imaging autotracker technology for guided missile systems, a fuzzy logic approach to multitarget tracking in clutter, salient contour extraction for target recognition, accelerometer-based platform stabilization, a low-drift fiber-optic gyro for earth-rate applications, and velocity profiling in linear and rotational systems. (No individual items are abstracted in this volume)

  16. Fuzzy Vector Field Orientation Feedback Control-Based Slip Compensation for Trajectory Tracking Control of a Four Track Wheel Skid-steered Mobile Robot

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xuan Vinh Ha

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Skid-steered mobile robots have been widely used in exploring unknown environments and in military applications. In this paper, the tuning fuzzy Vector Field Orientation (FVFO feedback control method is proposed for a four track wheel skid-steered mobile robot (4-TW SSMR using flexible fuzzy logic control (FLC. The extended Kalman filter is utilized to estimate the positions, velocities and orientation angles, which are used for feedback control signals in the FVFO method, based on the AHRS kinematic motion model and velocity constraints. In addition, in light of the wheel slip and the braking ability of the robot, we propose a new method for estimating online wheel slip parameters based on a discrete Kalman filter to compensate for the velocity constraints. As demonstrated by our experimental results, the advantages of the combination of the proposed FVFO and wheel slip estimation methods overcome the limitations of the others in the trajectory tracking control problem for a 4-TW SSMR.

  17. Tracking Accuracy of a Real-Time Fiducial Tracking System for Patient Positioning and Monitoring in Radiation Therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shchory, Tal; Schifter, Dan; Lichtman, Rinat; Neustadter, David; Corn, Benjamin W.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: In radiation therapy there is a need to accurately know the location of the target in real time. A novel radioactive tracking technology has been developed to answer this need. The technology consists of a radioactive implanted fiducial marker designed to minimize migration and a linac mounted tracking device. This study measured the static and dynamic accuracy of the new tracking technology in a clinical radiation therapy environment. Methods and Materials: The tracking device was installed on the linac gantry. The radioactive marker was located in a tissue equivalent phantom. Marker location was measured simultaneously by the radioactive tracking system and by a Microscribe G2 coordinate measuring machine (certified spatial accuracy of 0.38 mm). Localization consistency throughout a volume and absolute accuracy in the Fixed coordinate system were measured at multiple gantry angles over volumes of at least 10 cm in diameter centered at isocenter. Dynamic accuracy was measured with the marker located inside a breathing phantom. Results: The mean consistency for the static source was 0.58 mm throughout the tested region at all measured gantry angles. The mean absolute position error in the Fixed coordinate system for all gantry angles was 0.97 mm. The mean real-time tracking error for the dynamic source within the breathing phantom was less than 1 mm. Conclusions: This novel radioactive tracking technology has the potential to be useful in accurate target localization and real-time monitoring for radiation therapy.

  18. Dispersion upscaling from a pore scale characterization of Lagrangian velocities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turuban, Régis; de Anna, Pietro; Jiménez-Martínez, Joaquín; Tabuteau, Hervé; Méheust, Yves; Le Borgne, Tanguy

    2013-04-01

    Mixing and reactive transport are primarily controlled by the interplay between diffusion, advection and reaction at pore scale. Yet, how the distribution and spatial correlation of the velocity field at pore scale impact these processes is still an open question. Here we present an experimental investigation of the distribution and correlation of pore scale velocities and its relation with upscaled dispersion. We use a quasi two-dimensional (2D) horizontal set up, consisting of two glass plates filled with cylinders representing the grains of the porous medium : the cell is built by soft lithography technique, wich allows for full control of the system geometry. The local velocity field is quantified from particle tracking velocimetry using microspheres that are advected with the pore scale flow. Their displacement is purely advective, as the particle size is chosen large enough to avoid diffusion. We thus obtain particle trajectories as well as lagrangian velocities in the entire system. The measured velocity field shows the existence of a network of preferential flow paths in channels with high velocities, as well as very low velocity in stagnation zones, with a non Gaussian distribution. Lagrangian velocities are long range correlated in time, which implies a non-fickian scaling of the longitudinal variance of particle positions. To upscale this process we develop an effective transport model, based on correlated continous time random walk, which is entirely parametrized by the pore scale velocity distribution and correlation. The model predictions are compared with conservative tracer test data for different Peclet numbers. Furthermore, we investigate the impact of different pore geometries on the distribution and correlation of Lagrangian velocities and we discuss the link between these properties and the effective dispersion behavior.

  19. Effective star tracking method based on optical flow analysis for star trackers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Ting; Xing, Fei; Wang, Xiaochu; Li, Jin; Wei, Minsong; You, Zheng

    2016-12-20

    Benefiting from rapid development of imaging sensor technology, modern optical technology, and a high-speed computing chip, the star tracker's accuracy, dynamic performance, and update rate have been greatly improved with low power consumption and miniature size. The star tracker is currently one of the most competitive attitude measurement sensors. However, due to restrictions of the optical imaging system, difficulties still exist in moving star spot detection and star tracking when in special motion conditions. An effective star tracking method based on optical flow analysis for star trackers is proposed in this paper. Spot-based optical flow, based on a gray gradient between two adjacent star images, is analyzed to distinguish the star spot region and obtain an accurate star spot position so that the star tracking can keep continuous under high dynamic conditions. The obtained star vectors and extended Kalman filter (EKF) are then combined to conduct an angular velocity estimation to ensure region prediction of the star spot; this can be combined with the optical flow analysis result. Experiment results show that the method proposed in this paper has advantages in conditions of large angular velocity and large angular acceleration, despite the presence of noise. Higher functional density and better performance can be achieved; thus, the star tracker can be more widely applied in small satellites, remote sensing, and other complex space missions.

  20. Field-Testing of an Active Laser Tracking System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markov, V.; Khiznyak, A.; Woll, D.; Liu, S.

    Comprehensive space surveillance demands a more accurate technique in tracking multi-dimensional state vector (3D coordinate, velocity, vibration, etc.) of the space objects. RF radiometric techniques typically can not provide the needed accuracy, while passive optical (and laser) tracking systems can provide distance to the object and its angular position, but not a direct reading of velocity, the parameter of primary importance for space object tracking and characterization. Addressing this problem with active optical tracking techniques is challenging because of the great distances involved, the high velocity of the satellites, and the optical aberrations induced by the atmosphere. We have proposed a phase conjugation based laser tracking concept, and accomplished the first version of design and engineering of a prototype for an Active Laser Tracking System (ALTS). In its current state the ALTS is capable to demonstrate the very basics operational principles of the proposed active tracking technique. We then performed a number of experiments to prove operational capabilities of this prototype both at MetroLaser's lab environment and at Edwards AFB Test Range. In its current architecture the ALTS is comprised of two laser cavities, Master and Slave that are coupled through a Phase Conjugate Mirror (PCM) formed in a non-linear medium (NLM) set at Master laser cavity. By pumping NLM and forming PCM, Master laser establishes the cavities coupling mode and injects the photons in the slave cavity. It is essential that the specific features of the PCM not only serve to couple ALTS cavities, but also serves to compensate optical aberrations of the ALTS (gain media and optical elements of the laser resonator). Due to its ability to compensate optical aberrations, phase conjugate resonators are capable of sustaining oscillation with a remote target as an output coupler. The entire system comprises of several modules, including a laser, emitting/receiving telescope, gimbal

  1. Resolution of low-velocity control in golf putting differentiates professionals from amateurs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasegawa, Yumiko; Fujii, Keisuke; Miura, Akito; Yamamoto, Yuji

    2017-07-01

    It is difficult for humans to apply small amounts of force precisely during motor control. However, experts who have undergone extended training are thought to be able to control low-velocity movement with precision. We investigated the resolution of motor control in golf putting. A total of 10 professional and 10 high-level amateur golfers participated. Putting distances were 0.6-3.3 m, in increments of 0.3 m. We measured the impact velocity and the club-face angle at impact, and the acceleration profile of the downswing. The professionals showed significantly smaller coefficients of variation with respect to impact velocity and smaller root mean square errors in relation to acceleration profiles than did the amateurs. To examine the resolution of motor control for impact velocity, we investigated intra-participant differences in the impact velocity of the club head at two adjacent distances. We found that professionals had higher velocity precision when putting small distance intervals than did amateurs. That is, professionals had higher resolution of low-velocity control than did high-level amateurs. Our results suggest that outstanding performance at a task involves the ability to recognise small distinctions and to produce appropriate movements.

  2. Positioning and tracking control system analysis for mobile free space optical network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yushan; Refai, Hazem; Sluss, , James J., Jr.; Verma, Pramode; LoPresti, Peter

    2005-08-01

    Free Space Optical (FSO) communication has evolved to be applied to the mobile network, because it can provide up to 2.5Gbps or higher data rate wireless communication. One of the key challenges with FSO systems is to maintain the Line of Sight (LOS) between transmitter and receiver. In this paper, the feasibility and performance of applying the FSO technology to the mobile network is explored, and the design plan of the attitude positioning and tracking control system of the FSO transceiver is investigated. First, the system architecture is introduced, the requirements for the control system are analyzed, the involved reference frames and frame transformation are presented. Second, the control system bandwidth is used to evaluate the system performance in controlling a positioning system consisting of a gimbal and a steering mirror, some definitions to describe the positioning accuracy and tracking capacity are given. The attitude control of a FSO transceiver is split into 2 similar channels: pitch and yaw. Using an equivalent linear control system model, the simulations are carried out, with and without the presence of uncertainties that includes GPS data errors and sensor measurement errors. Finally, based on the simulation results in the pitch channel, the quantitative evaluation on the performance of the control system is given, including positioning accuracy, tracking capability and uncertainty tolerance.

  3. Semi-automated tracking of behaviour of Betta splendens

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Durey, Maëlle; Paulsen, Rasmus Reinhold; Matessi, Giuliano

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, a novel software system for animal behaviour tracking is described. It is used for tracking fish filmed in aquariums using a low quality acquisition system. The tracking is based on a multiscale template matching technique that finds both the position and the orientation of the tra......In this paper, a novel software system for animal behaviour tracking is described. It is used for tracking fish filmed in aquariums using a low quality acquisition system. The tracking is based on a multiscale template matching technique that finds both the position and the orientation...... of the tracked fish. The template is matched in the background subtracted frames, where the background is estimated using a median based approach. The system is very stable and has been used in a large behavioural study design to the use of the behavioural pattern known as mate choice copying in Betta splendens....

  4. Position and attitude tracking control for a quadrotor UAV.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Jing-Jing; Zheng, En-Hui

    2014-05-01

    A synthesis control method is proposed to perform the position and attitude tracking control of the dynamical model of a small quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), where the dynamical model is underactuated, highly-coupled and nonlinear. Firstly, the dynamical model is divided into a fully actuated subsystem and an underactuated subsystem. Secondly, a controller of the fully actuated subsystem is designed through a novel robust terminal sliding mode control (TSMC) algorithm, which is utilized to guarantee all state variables converge to their desired values in short time, the convergence time is so small that the state variables are acted as time invariants in the underactuated subsystem, and, a controller of the underactuated subsystem is designed via sliding mode control (SMC), in addition, the stabilities of the subsystems are demonstrated by Lyapunov theory, respectively. Lastly, in order to demonstrate the robustness of the proposed control method, the aerodynamic forces and moments and air drag taken as external disturbances are taken into account, the obtained simulation results show that the synthesis control method has good performance in terms of position and attitude tracking when faced with external disturbances. Copyright © 2014 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. The role of ECoG magnitude and phase in decoding position, velocity and acceleration during continuous motor behavior

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiri eHammer

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available In neuronal population signals, including the electroencephalogram (EEG and electrocorticogram (ECoG, the low-frequency component (LFC is particularly informative about motor behavior and can be used for decoding movement parameters for brain-machine interface (BMI applications. An idea previously expressed, but as of yet not quantitatively tested, is that it is the LFC phase that is the main source of decodable information. To test this issue, we analyzed human ECoG recorded during a game-like, one-dimensional, continuous motor task with a novel decoding method suitable for unfolding magnitude and phase explicitly into a complex-valued, time-frequency signal representation, enabling quantification of the decodable information within the temporal, spatial and frequency domains and allowing disambiguation of the phase contribution from that of the spectral magnitude. The decoding accuracy based only on phase information was substantially (at least 2 fold and significantly higher than that based only on magnitudes for position, velocity and acceleration. The frequency profile of movement-related information in the ECoG data matched well with the frequency profile expected when assuming a close time-domain correlate of movement velocity in the ECoG, e.g., a (noisy copy of hand velocity. No such match was observed with the frequency profiles expected when assuming a copy of either hand position or acceleration. There was also no indication of additional magnitude-based mechanisms encoding movement information in the LFC range. Thus, our study contributes to elucidating the nature of the informative low-frequency component of motor cortical population activity and may hence contribute to improve decoding strategies and BMI performance.

  6. Experimental study of convective heat transfer during cooling with low air velocity in a stack of objects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ben Amara, Sami; Laguerre, Onrawee [Cemagref - Refrigeration Processes Engineering Research Unit, parc de Tourvoie, BP 44, 92163 cedex, Antony (France); Flick, Denis [National Agronomic Institute - INAPG, 16 rue Claude Bernard, 75231 cedex 05, Paris (France)

    2004-12-01

    During cooling with low air velocity (u{<=}0.2 m.s{sup -1}) of a stack of foodstuffs (a few centimeters dimension), the radiation and conduction between products can be of the same order of magnitude as convection. A method was developed to quantify these various transfer modes. The experiment was carried out using an in-line spherical arrangement; however, the same methodology can be applied to other product shapes. The results confirm that the heat transfers by radiation and conduction cannot be neglected. In addition, the convective heat transfer coefficient varies not only with air velocity but also with the product position in the stack. (authors)

  7. Angular Position Tracking Control of a Quadcopter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. V. Glazkov

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper dwells on tracking the quad-copter angular position with desired quality parameters of transient processes. The aerial vehicle is considered as a rigid body with six degrees of freedom.  A full rigid body quad-copter mathematical model is considered without the assumption of smallness of the Euler angles.Among the most well known methods of non-linear stabilization are feedback linearization and backstepping. The backstepping approach allows us to have an effective solution of the stabilization problems with uncertainties available in the system. However, in synthesis of the feedback through backstepping, there is still an urgent issue: how to ensure desirable quality of transients in the closed-loop system. The paper presents a solution of this problem using as an example the tracking a given (programmed change of the angular position of a quad-copter.The control algorithms obtained in this paper are implemented using the Rolling Spider MATLAB Toolbox (ROSMAT tool package on the Parrot Rolling Spider quad-copter. A numerical simulation and experiments have shown the efficiency of obtained control laws, with the transient processes taking into account the desired quality indicators. However, the experiments showed that lack of terms in the mathematical model to describe the aerodynamic effects, resulted in the instability of the quad-copter flight near the obstacle (the effect of the reflected airflow.Further research can be aimed at solving the control problem in question using a mathematical model of the quad-copter motion that takes into account various aerodynamic effects.One of the potential application areas for the theoretical results, obtained in the paper, is to solve the problems of automatic control of unmanned aerial vehicles.

  8. Level tracking in detailed reactor simulations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aktas, B.; Mahaffy, J.H. [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)

    1995-09-01

    We introduce a useful test problem for judging the performance of reactor safety codes in situations where moving two-phase mixture levels are present. The test problem tracks a two-phase liquid level as it rises and then falls back to its original position. Pure air exists above the level, and a low void air-water mixture is below the level. Conditions are subcooled and isothermal to remove complications resulting from failures of interfacial heat transfer packages to properly account for the level. Comparisons are made between the performance of current versions of CATHARE, RELAP5, TRAC-BF1, and TRAC-PF1. These system codes are based on finite-difference methods with a fixed, Eulerian staggered grid in space. When a partially filled cell with a mixture level discontinuity becomes the donor cell, the sharp changes in fluid properties across the interface results in numerical oscillations of various terms. Furthermore, the cell-to-cell convection of mass, momentum and energy are inaccurately predicted nearby a mixture level. To adequately model moving mixture levels, an efficient discontinuity tracking method for the finite-difference Eulerian approximations is described. This model had been implemented in the TRAC-BWR code for the two-phase mixture level tracking since the TRAC-BD1 Version (released April 1984). The result of the test problem run by the current version of TRAC-BF1/MOD1 with the mixture level tracking model shows some peculiar behavior of the variables such as velocities, pressures and interfacial terms. A systematic approach to improving performance of the tracking method is described. Implementing this approach in TRAC-BF1/MOD1 has shown a major improvement in the results.

  9. Pacing Behavior and Tactical Positioning in 500-and 1000-m Short-Track Speed Skating

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Noorbergen, Olaf S.; Konings, Marco J.; Micklewright, Dominic; Elferink-Gemser, Marge T.; Hettinga, Florentina J.

    Purpose: To explore pacing behavior and tactical positioning during the shorter 500- and 1000-m short-track competitions. Methods: Lap times and intermediate rankings of elite 500- and 1000-m short-track-skating competitors were collected over the 2012-13 season. First, lap times were analyzed using

  10. Rotation in moderate-mass pre-main-sequence radiative track G stars

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mcnamara, B.

    1990-01-01

    Recent studies suggest that the observed high-mass radiative track velocity histograms for pre-main-sequence stars differ significantly. In the Vogel and Kuhi (1981) study, these stars were found to possess a rather broad distribution of rotational velocities with a moderate peak at low velocities. In contrast, Smith et al. (1983), found a very sharply peaked distribution located at low values of v sin i. The difference in these velocity distributions is shown to be due to inadequate allowance for field stars in the Smith, et al., work. Once these stars are removed, the high-mass velocity distributions of the two regions are remarkably similar. This result suggests that a unique velocity distribution might be used in modeling very young stars. Assuming that the Orion Ic proto-F stars continue to contract in a homologous fashion, their average current rotational velocity is in agreement with that expected for zero-age main sequence F stars. 27 refs

  11. Vehicle tracking for an evasive manoeuvres assistant using low-cost ultrasonic sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiménez, Felipe; Naranjo, José E; Gómez, Oscar; Anaya, José J

    2014-11-28

    Many driver assistance systems require knowledge of the vehicle environment. As these systems are increasing in complexity and performance, this knowledge of the environment needs to be more complete and reliable, so sensor fusion combining long, medium and short range sensors is now being used. This paper analyzes the feasibility of using ultrasonic sensors for low cost vehicle-positioning and tracking in the lane adjacent to the host vehicle in order to identify free areas around the vehicle and provide information to an automatic avoidance collision system that can perform autonomous braking and lane change manoeuvres. A laser scanner is used for the early detection of obstacles in the direction of travel while two ultrasonic sensors monitor the blind spot of the host vehicle. The results of tests on a test track demonstrate the ability of these sensors to accurately determine the kinematic variables of the obstacles encountered, despite a clear limitation in range.

  12. Vehicle Tracking for an Evasive Manoeuvres Assistant Using Low-Cost Ultrasonic Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Felipe Jiménez

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Many driver assistance systems require knowledge of the vehicle environment. As these systems are increasing in complexity and performance, this knowledge of the environment needs to be more complete and reliable, so sensor fusion combining long, medium and short range sensors is now being used. This paper analyzes the feasibility of using ultrasonic sensors for low cost vehicle-positioning and tracking in the lane adjacent to the host vehicle in order to identify free areas around the vehicle and provide information to an automatic avoidance collision system that can perform autonomous braking and lane change manoeuvres. A laser scanner is used for the early detection of obstacles in the direction of travel while two ultrasonic sensors monitor the blind spot of the host vehicle. The results of tests on a test track demonstrate the ability of these sensors to accurately determine the kinematic variables of the obstacles encountered, despite a clear limitation in range.

  13. Effect of head rotation on cerebral blood velocity in the prone position

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Højlund, Jakob; Sandmand, Marie; Sonne, Morten

    2012-01-01

    for cerebral blood flow. We tested in healthy subjects the hypothesis that rotating the head in the prone position reduces cerebral blood flow. Methods. Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), stroke volume (SV), and CO were determined, together with the middle cerebral artery mean blood velocity (MCA V...... V(mean) ~10% in spite of an elevated MAP. Prone positioning with rotated head affects both CBF and cerebrovenous drainage indicating that optimal brain perfusion requires head centering....

  14. Altered velocity processing in schizophrenia during pursuit eye tracking.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthias Nagel

    Full Text Available Smooth pursuit eye movements (SPEM are needed to keep the retinal image of slowly moving objects within the fovea. Depending on the task, about 50%-80% of patients with schizophrenia have difficulties in maintaining SPEM. We designed a study that comprised different target velocities as well as testing for internal (extraretinal guidance of SPEM in the absence of a visual target. We applied event-related fMRI by presenting four velocities (5, 10, 15, 20°/s both with and without intervals of target blanking. 17 patients and 16 healthy participants were included. Eye movements were registered during scanning sessions. Statistical analysis included mixed ANOVAs and regression analyses of the target velocity on the Blood Oxygen Level Dependency (BOLD signal. The main effect group and the interaction of velocity×group revealed reduced activation in V5 and putamen but increased activation of cerebellar regions in patients. Regression analysis showed that activation in supplementary eye field, putamen, and cerebellum was not correlated to target velocity in patients in contrast to controls. Furthermore, activation in V5 and in intraparietal sulcus (putative LIP bilaterally was less strongly correlated to target velocity in patients than controls. Altered correlation of target velocity and neural activation in the cortical network supporting SPEM (V5, SEF, LIP, putamen implies impaired transformation of the visual motion signal into an adequate motor command in patients. Cerebellar regions seem to be involved in compensatory mechanisms although cerebellar activity in patients was not related to target velocity.

  15. Track benchmarking method for uncertainty quantification of particle tracking velocimetry interpolations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schneiders, Jan F G; Sciacchitano, Andrea

    2017-01-01

    The track benchmarking method (TBM) is proposed for uncertainty quantification of particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) data mapped onto a regular grid. The method provides statistical uncertainty for a velocity time-series and can in addition be used to obtain instantaneous uncertainty at increased computational cost. Interpolation techniques are typically used to map velocity data from scattered PTV (e.g. tomographic PTV and Shake-the-Box) measurements onto a Cartesian grid. Recent examples of these techniques are the FlowFit and VIC+  methods. The TBM approach estimates the random uncertainty in dense velocity fields by performing the velocity interpolation using a subset of typically 95% of the particle tracks and by considering the remaining tracks as an independent benchmarking reference. In addition, also a bias introduced by the interpolation technique is identified. The numerical assessment shows that the approach is accurate when particle trajectories are measured over an extended number of snapshots, typically on the order of 10. When only short particle tracks are available, the TBM estimate overestimates the measurement error. A correction to TBM is proposed and assessed to compensate for this overestimation. The experimental assessment considers the case of a jet flow, processed both by tomographic PIV and by VIC+. The uncertainty obtained by TBM provides a quantitative evaluation of the measurement accuracy and precision and highlights the regions of high error by means of bias and random uncertainty maps. In this way, it is possible to quantify the uncertainty reduction achieved by advanced interpolation algorithms with respect to standard correlation-based tomographic PIV. The use of TBM for uncertainty quantification and comparison of different processing techniques is demonstrated. (paper)

  16. The species velocity of trees in Alaska

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrison, B. D.; Napier, J.; de Lafontaine, G.; Heath, K.; Li, B.; Hu, F.; Greenberg, J. A.

    2017-12-01

    Anthropogenic climate change has motivated interest in the paleo record to enhance our knowledge about past vegetation responses to climate change and help understand potential responses in the future. Additionally, polar regions currently experience the most rapid rates of climate change globally, prompting concern over changes in the ecological composition of high latitude ecosystems. Recent analyses have attempted to construct methods to estimate a species' ability to track climate change by computing climate velocity; a measure of the rate of climate displacement across a landscape which may indicate the speed an organism must migrate to keep pace with climate change. However, a challenge to using climate velocity in understanding range shifts is a lack of species-specificity in the velocity calculations: climate velocity does not actually use any species data in its analysis. To solve the shortcomings of climate velocity in estimating species displacement rates, we computed the "species velocity" of white spruce, green and grey alder populations across the state of Alaska from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to today. Species velocity represents the rate and direction a species is required to migrate to keep pace with a changing climate following the LGM. We used a species distribution model to determine past and present white spruce and alder distributions using statistically downscaled climate data at 60m. Species velocity was then derived from the change in species distribution per year by the change in distribution over Alaska (km/yr). High velocities indicate locations where the species environmental envelope is changing drastically and must disperse rapidly to survive climate change. As a result, high velocity regions are more vulnerable to distribution shifts and higher risk of local extinction. Conversely, low species velocities indicate locations where the local climate envelope is shifting relatively slowly, reducing the stress to disperse quickly

  17. Referencing geostrophic velocities using ADCP data Referencing geostrophic velocities using ADCP data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isis Comas-Rodríguez

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs have proven to be a useful oceanographic tool in the study of ocean dynamics. Data from D279, a transatlantic hydrographic cruise carried out in spring 2004 along 24.5°N, were processed, and lowered ADCP (LADCP bottom track data were used to assess the choice of reference velocity for geostrophic calculations. The reference velocities from different combinations of ADCP data were compared to one another and a reference velocity was chosen based on the LADCP data. The barotropic tidal component was subtracted to provide a final reference velocity estimated by LADCP data. The results of the velocity fields are also shown. Further studies involving inverse solutions will include the reference velocity calculated here.

  18. Irradiation positions for fission-track dating in the University of Pavia TRIGA Mark II nuclear reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oddone, Massimo; Meloni, Sandro; Balestrieri, Maria Laura; Bigazzi, Giulio

    2002-01-01

    An irradiation position arranged is described in the present paper for fission-track dating in the Triga Mark II reactor of the University of Pavia. Fluence values determined using the NIST glass standard SRM 962a for fission-track dating and the traditional metal foils are compared. Relatively good neutron thermalization (φ th /φ f = 0.956) and lack of significant fluence spatial gradients are good factors for fission-track dating. Finally, international age standards (or putative age standards) irradiated in this new position yielded results consistent with independent reference ages. (author)

  19. A TPC-like readout method for high precision muon-tracking using GEM-detectors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Flierl, Bernhard; Biebel, Otmar; Bortfeldt, Jonathan; Hertenberger, Ralf; Klitzner, Felix; Loesel, Philipp; Mueller, Ralph [Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen (Germany); Zibell, Andre [Julius-Maximilians-Universitaet Wuerzburg (Germany)

    2016-07-01

    Gaseous electron multiplier (GEM) detectors are well suited for tracking of charged particles. Three dimensional tracking in a single layer can be achieved by application of a time-projection-chamber like readout mode (μTPC), if the drift time of the electrons is measured and the position dependence of the arrival time is used to calculate the inclination angle of the track. To optimize the tracking capabilities for ion tracks drift gas mixtures with low drift velocity have been investigated by measuring tracks of cosmic muons in a compact setup of four GEM-detectors of 100 x 100 x 6 mm{sup 3} active volume each and an angular acceptance of -25 to 25 . The setup consists of three detectors with two-dimensional strip readout layers of 0.4 mm pitch and one detector with a single strip readout layer of 0.25 mm pitch. All strips are readout by APV25 frontend boards and the amplification stage in the detectors consists of three GEM-foils. Tracks are reconstructed by the μTPC-method in one of the detectors and are then compared to the prediction from the other three detectors defined by the center of charge in every detector. We report our study of Argon and Helium based noble gas mixtures with carbon-dioxide as quencher.

  20. Robust Visual Tracking via Online Discriminative and Low-Rank Dictionary Learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Tao; Liu, Fanghui; Bhaskar, Harish; Yang, Jie

    2017-09-12

    In this paper, we propose a novel and robust tracking framework based on online discriminative and low-rank dictionary learning. The primary aim of this paper is to obtain compact and low-rank dictionaries that can provide good discriminative representations of both target and background. We accomplish this by exploiting the recovery ability of low-rank matrices. That is if we assume that the data from the same class are linearly correlated, then the corresponding basis vectors learned from the training set of each class shall render the dictionary to become approximately low-rank. The proposed dictionary learning technique incorporates a reconstruction error that improves the reliability of classification. Also, a multiconstraint objective function is designed to enable active learning of a discriminative and robust dictionary. Further, an optimal solution is obtained by iteratively computing the dictionary, coefficients, and by simultaneously learning the classifier parameters. Finally, a simple yet effective likelihood function is implemented to estimate the optimal state of the target during tracking. Moreover, to make the dictionary adaptive to the variations of the target and background during tracking, an online update criterion is employed while learning the new dictionary. Experimental results on a publicly available benchmark dataset have demonstrated that the proposed tracking algorithm performs better than other state-of-the-art trackers.

  1. Design and Implementation of Browser based GPS/GPRS Vehicle Positioning and Tracking System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang Keqiang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper mainly describes a vehicle positioning and tracking system which is based on browser, GPS and GPRS. And this system takes advantage of Baidu Map as basic material to show vehicle status, which enables drivers and supervisor to monitor the vehicle’s current and past positions. The vehicle’s location data is got from satellites, and these data is sent to the central server through GPRS, the central server will store formatted data into the database after the data is parsed; Later, these data stored in the database will be used by web application and displayed on the map as markers. This paper also involves the implementation on mobile side, and this system used Baidu map JavaScript interface, Ajax, JSP and JSON to implement the vehicle positioning and tracking system.

  2. A Precision-Positioning Method for a High-Acceleration Low-Load Mechanism Based on Optimal Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Inertial Energy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xin Chen

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available High-speed and precision positioning are fundamental requirements for high-acceleration low-load mechanisms in integrated circuit (IC packaging equipment. In this paper, we derive the transient nonlinear dynamicresponse equations of high-acceleration mechanisms, which reveal that stiffness, frequency, damping, and driving frequency are the primary factors. Therefore, we propose a new structural optimization and velocity-planning method for the precision positioning of a high-acceleration mechanism based on optimal spatial and temporal distribution of inertial energy. For structural optimization, we first reviewed the commonly flexible multibody dynamic optimization using equivalent static loads method (ESLM, and then we selected the modified ESLM for optimal spatial distribution of inertial energy; hence, not only the stiffness but also the inertia and frequency of the real modal shapes are considered. For velocity planning, we developed a new velocity-planning method based on nonlinear dynamic-response optimization with varying motion conditions. Our method was verified on a high-acceleration die bonder. The amplitude of residual vibration could be decreased by more than 20% via structural optimization and the positioning time could be reduced by more than 40% via asymmetric variable velocity planning. This method provides an effective theoretical support for the precision positioning of high-acceleration low-load mechanisms.

  3. Optical performance of inclined south-north axis three-positions tracked solar panels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhong, Hao; Li, Guihua; Tang, Runsheng; Dong, Wenli

    2011-01-01

    In this work, the optical performance of solar panels with a new sun-tracking technique was theoretically investigated based on the proposed mathematical method and monthly horizontal radiation. The mechanism of the investigated sun-tracking is that the attitude angle of solar panels is daily adjusted three times at three fixed positions: eastward, southward, and westward in the morning, noon, and afternoon, respectively, by rotating solar panels about the inclined south-north axis (ISNA-3P sun-tracking). Calculation results showed that, for ISNA-3P tracked solar panels with a yearly fixed tilt-angle of the ISNA, the maximum annual collectible radiation on ISNA-3P tracked solar panels was about 93% of that on a solar panel with 2-axis sun-tracking; whereas for those with the ISNA being yearly adjusted four times at three fixed tilt-angles, it was about 96%. Results also indicated that the attempt to further increase the annual solar gain on ISNA-3P tracked solar panels by seasonally optimizing design of the sun-tracking system for maximizing solar gain in each of four seasons was not efficient, and thus not advisable in practical applications. Optimal parametric designs of such sun-tracking system for maximizing the annual solar gain on solar panels in different cases were also presented. -- Research highlights: → The paper presented a new sun-tracking technique (ISNA-3P) for possible applications in PV generating systems. → Algorithms to estimate daily collectible radiation on the fixed, 2-axis and ISNA-3P tracked solar panels were proposed based on solar geometry and monthly horizontal radiation. → A detailed theoretical study on the optical performance of such tracked solar panels in terms of R 3P-0 and R 3P-2 , the ratios of maximum annual solar gain to that on fixed and 2-axis tracked solar panels; optimal parameters affecting the optical performance of the systems were presented in the different cases. → Results showed that such sun-tracking system

  4. Effects of wrist tendon vibration on arm tracking in people poststroke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conrad, Megan O; Scheidt, Robert A; Schmit, Brian D

    2011-09-01

    The goal of this study was to evaluate the influence of wrist tendon vibration on a multijoint elbow/shoulder tracking task. We hypothesized that tendon vibration applied at the wrist musculature would improve upper arm tracking performance in chronic stroke survivors through increased, Ia-afferent feedback to the central nervous system (CNS). To test this hypothesis, 10 chronic stroke and 5 neurologically intact subjects grasped the handle of a planar robot as they tracked a target through a horizontal figure-8 pattern. A total of 36 trials were completed by each subject. During the middle trials, 70-Hz tendon vibration was applied at the wrist flexor tendons. Position, velocity, and electromyography data were evaluated to compare the quality of arm movements before, during, and after trials with concurrent vibration. Despite tracking a target that moved at a constant velocity, hand trajectories appeared to be segmented, displaying alternating intervals of acceleration and deceleration. Segments were identifiable in tangential velocity data as single-peaked, bell-shaped speed pulses. When tendon vibration was applied at the wrist musculature, stroke subjects experienced improved tracking performance in that hand path lengths and peak speed variability decreased, whereas movement smoothness increased. These performance improvements were accompanied by decreases in the muscle activity during movement. Possible mechanisms behind improved movement control in response to tendon vibration may include improved sensorimotor integration or improved cortical modulation of spinal reflex activity.

  5. Instantaneous fluctuation velocity and skewness distributions upstream of transition onset

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hernon, D.; Walsh, E.J.; McEligot, D.M.

    2007-01-01

    The development of streamwise orientated disturbances through the boundary layer thickness prior to transition onset for zero-pressure gradient boundary layer flow under the influence %Tu = 4.2 is presented. The analysis concentrates on the development of the maximum positive and negative of the fluctuation velocity in order to gain further insight into the transition process. The average location of the peak negative fluctuation velocity over a range of Reynolds numbers was measured in the upper portion of the boundary layer at y/δ ∼ 0.6, whereas the location of the peak positive value was measured at y/δ ∼ 0.3. The disturbance magnitude of the negative fluctuation velocity increased beyond that of the positive as transition onset approached. The distribution and disturbance magnitude of the maximum positive and negative fluctuation velocities indicate that the initiation of transition may occur on the low-speed components of the flow that are lifted up to the upper region of the boundary layer. This is in qualitative agreement with recent direct numerical simulations on the breakdown of the flow on the lifted low-speed streaks near the boundary layer edge. The results presented in this investigation also demonstrate the increased physical insight gained by examining the distributions of the maximum positive and negative of the streamwise fluctuation velocity component associated with the low- and high-speed streaks, compared to time-averaged values, in determining what structures cause the breakdown to turbulence

  6. The influence of train running direction and track supports position on the behaviour of transition zones

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sañudo Ortega, R.; Miranda Manzanares, M.; Markine, V.; Dell' Olio, L.

    2016-07-01

    Different types of track infrastructure can be found along railway lines. Separation zones between these different types of structures are the source of a lot of problems. Transition zones on a railway line represent a gradual solution for the problems between conventional railway structure and singular structures located at different points along the line. The different nature, positioning and geometry used with the materials generate changes in the stiffness on both sides of these singular zones leading to an increase in wear and a loss of geometry, with the associated maintenance costs. This article describes the use of mathematical modelling to represent the behaviour of these zones as a function of train running direction and track supports. Available research into transition zones has not studied these separation points where high increases in load are generated for very short periods of time. Finite elements are used to model two types of track (conventional ballasted track and slab track), using a vehicle to dynamically simulate the behaviour in these zones as a function of train running direction and the position of track supports. The magnitudes analysed were the vertical stresses and the vertical displacements under the sleepers and the supports in both types of structure. The results show increased stresses at the separation zone between both structures which varied in magnitude and position depending most of track supports’ location than the train running direction. (Author)

  7. Low velocity encounters of minor bodies with the outer planets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carusi, A.; Perozzi, E.; Valsecchi, G.B.

    1983-01-01

    Previous studies of close encounters of minor bodies with Jupiter have shown that the perturbations are stronger either if the encounter is very deep or if the velocity of the minor body relative to the planet is low. In the present research the author investigates the effects of low velocity encounters between fictitious minor bodies and the four outer planets. Two possible outcomes of this type of encounter are the temporary satellite capture of the minor body by the planet, and the exchange of perihelion with aphelion of the minor body orbit. Different occurrence rates of these processes are found for different planets, and the implications for the orbital evolution of minor bodies in the outer Solar System are discussed. (Auth.)

  8. Robust tracking control of two-degrees-of-freedom mobile robots

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Oelen, W.; Oelen, W.; van Amerongen, J.

    1994-01-01

    A robust tracking controller for a mobile robot with two degrees of freedom has been developed. It is implemented and tested on a real mobile robot. Where other controllers show decreasing performance for low reference velocities, the performance of this controller depends only on the geometry of

  9. Positioning indoors with Wi-Fi devices of low-cost

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moreira, Fabricio M.; Farias, Marcos S.; Carvalho, Paulo Victor R. de

    2017-01-01

    The rhythm of research development linked to location tracking is highly linked with the advancement of wireless sensor network and wireless technologies. A classic example is the Global Positioning System (GPS), where satellites are used to send signals to receivers on earth that use these signals to compute navigation information. However, as communication between the satellites and GPS receivers require radio propagation in line of sight, the GPS system usually only works outdoors. For the growing interest in research to position tracking indoors, you must use wireless devices based on Bluetooth or Wi-Fi technology (IEEE 802.11). The aim of this work is to show the development of applications using new Wi-Fi devices (ESP8266) for the estimation of positioning and location indoors

  10. Direct training of robots using a positional deviation sensor

    OpenAIRE

    Dessen, Fredrik

    1988-01-01

    A device and system for physically guiding a manipulator through its task is described. The device consists of inductive, contact-free positional deviation sensors, enabling the rcbot to track a motion marker. Factors limiting the tracking performance are the kinematics of the sensor device and the bartdwidth of the servo system. Means for improving it includes the use of optimal motion coordination and force and velocity feedback. This enables real-time manual training o...

  11. Control of group velocity by phase-changing collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goren, C.; Rosenbluh, M.; Wilson-Gordon, A.D.; Friedmann, H.

    2005-01-01

    We discuss the influence of phase-changing collisions on the group velocities in Doppler-broadened, cycling, degenerate two-level systems where F e =F g +1 and F g >0, interacting with pump and probe lasers, that exhibit electromagnetically induced absorption (EIA). Two model systems are considered: the N system where the pump and probe are polarized perpendicularly, and EIA is due to transfer of coherence (TOC), and the double two-level system (TLS) where both lasers have the same polarization, and EIA is due to transfer of population (TOP). For the case of Doppler-broadened EIA TOC, which occurs at low pump intensity, there is a switch from positive to negative dispersion and group velocity, as the rate of phase-changing collisions is increased. For the case of EIA TOP at low pump intensity, the dispersion and group velocity remain negative even when the collision rate is increased. Pressure-induced narrowing, accompanied by an increase in the magnitude of the negative dispersion and a decrease in the magnitude of the negative group velocity, occurs in both EIA TOC and EIA TOP, at low pump intensity. When the pump intensity is increased, a switch from negative to positive dispersion and group velocity, with increasing collision rate, also occurs in the double TLS system. However, the effect is far smaller than in the case of the N system at low pump intensity

  12. A comparison of tracking with visual and kinesthetic-tactual displays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jagacinski, R. J.; Flach, J. M.; Gilson, R. D.

    1981-01-01

    Recent research on manual tracking with a kinesthetic-tactual (KT) display suggests that under appropriate conditions it may be an effective means of providing visual workload relief. In order to better understand how KT tracking differs from visual tracking, both a critical tracking task and stationary single-axis tracking tasks were conducted with and without velocity quickening. On the critical tracking task, the visual displays were superior; however, the KT quickened display was approximately equal to the visual unquickened display. Mean squared error scores in the stationary tracking tasks for the visual and KT displays were approximately equal in the quickened conditions, and the describing functions were very similar. In the unquickened conditions, the visual display was superior. Subjects using the unquickened KT display exhibited a low frequency lead-lag that may be related to sensory adaptation.

  13. P-wave velocity changes in freezing hard low-porosity rocks: a laboratory-based time-average model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Draebing

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available P-wave refraction seismics is a key method in permafrost research but its applicability to low-porosity rocks, which constitute alpine rock walls, has been denied in prior studies. These studies explain p-wave velocity changes in freezing rocks exclusively due to changing velocities of pore infill, i.e. water, air and ice. In existing models, no significant velocity increase is expected for low-porosity bedrock. We postulate, that mixing laws apply for high-porosity rocks, but freezing in confined space in low-porosity bedrock also alters physical rock matrix properties. In the laboratory, we measured p-wave velocities of 22 decimetre-large low-porosity (< 10% metamorphic, magmatic and sedimentary rock samples from permafrost sites with a natural texture (> 100 micro-fissures from 25 °C to −15 °C in 0.3 °C increments close to the freezing point. When freezing, p-wave velocity increases by 11–166% perpendicular to cleavage/bedding and equivalent to a matrix velocity increase from 11–200% coincident to an anisotropy decrease in most samples. The expansion of rigid bedrock upon freezing is restricted and ice pressure will increase matrix velocity and decrease anisotropy while changing velocities of the pore infill are insignificant. Here, we present a modified Timur's two-phase-equation implementing changes in matrix velocity dependent on lithology and demonstrate the general applicability of refraction seismics to differentiate frozen and unfrozen low-porosity bedrock.

  14. Virtual velocity loop based on MEMS accelerometers for optical stabilization control system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Wei; Deng, Chao; Mao, Yao; Ren, Ge

    2017-08-01

    In the optical stabilization control system (OSCS) control system based on a charge-coupled device (CCD), stabilization performance of the line-of-sight is severely limited by the mechanical resonance and the low sampling rate of the CCD. An approach to improve the stabilization performance of the OSCS control system with load restriction based on three loops, including an acceleration loop, a virtual velocity loop, and a position loop, by using MEMS accelerometers and a CCD is proposed. The velocity signal is obtained by accelerators instead of gyro sensors. Its advantages are low power, low cost, small size, and wide measuring range. A detailed analysis is provided to show how to design the virtual velocity loop and correct virtual velocity loop drift. Experimental results show that the proposed multiloop feedback control method with virtual velocity loop in which the disturbance suppression performance is better than that of the dual loop control with only an acceleration loop and a position loop at low frequency.

  15. Comparison of positronium, positron and electron collisions with hydrogen at low velocities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reeth, P Van; Humberston, J W; Woods, Denton; Ward, S J

    2016-01-01

    Recent experimental findings indicate that at equal velocity electron and ortho-positronium scattering cross sections are similar over a wide range of velocities and targets where both elastic and inelastic processes can take place. We present a comparative study of positronium, positron and electron elastic scattering from atomic hydrogen in order to investigate if a similar behaviour occurs for this target at low velocities where inelastic channels are closed. We calculate elastic cross sections for the three projectiles using Kohn-type variational methods which allows us to make a detailed study of the differences and similarities. We find a qualitative similarity in the spin-weighted elastic integrated cross sections for positronium and electron scattering and a good agreement between the singlet integrated cross sections. However, this agreement does extend to the low velocity region and where the agreement is found in the integrated cross sections we show that it is not present in the individual partial waves cross sections. Interestingly, given the agreement we find in the singlet integrated cross section for electron and positronium scattering, when comparing the overall shapes of the corresponding singlet differential cross sections we find different angular and velocity dependencies. (paper)

  16. Experimental observation of both negative and positive phase velocities in a two-dimensional sonic crystal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu, Ming-Hui; Feng, Liang; Liu, Xiao-Ping; Liu, Xiao-Kang; Chen, Yan-Feng; Zhu, Yong-Yuan; Mao, Yi-Wei; Zi, Jian

    2007-01-01

    Both negative and positive phase velocities for acoustic waves have been experimentally established in a two-dimensional triangular sonic crystal (SC) consisting of steel cylinders embedded in air at first. With the increase of the SCs thickness layer by layer in the experiments, phase shifts decrease in the second band but increase in the first band, showing the negative and the positive phase velocities, respectively. Moreover, the dispersion relation of the SC is constructed by the phase information, which is consistent well with the theoretical results. These abundant characteristics of acoustic wave propagation in the SC might be useful for the device applications

  17. Using cluster analysis to organize and explore regional GPS velocities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simpson, Robert W.; Thatcher, Wayne; Savage, James C.

    2012-01-01

    Cluster analysis offers a simple visual exploratory tool for the initial investigation of regional Global Positioning System (GPS) velocity observations, which are providing increasingly precise mappings of actively deforming continental lithosphere. The deformation fields from dense regional GPS networks can often be concisely described in terms of relatively coherent blocks bounded by active faults, although the choice of blocks, their number and size, can be subjective and is often guided by the distribution of known faults. To illustrate our method, we apply cluster analysis to GPS velocities from the San Francisco Bay Region, California, to search for spatially coherent patterns of deformation, including evidence of block-like behavior. The clustering process identifies four robust groupings of velocities that we identify with four crustal blocks. Although the analysis uses no prior geologic information other than the GPS velocities, the cluster/block boundaries track three major faults, both locked and creeping.

  18. HyperCube: A Small Lensless Position Sensing Device for the Tracking of Flickering Infrared LEDs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raharijaona, Thibaut; Mignon, Paul; Juston, Raphaël; Kerhuel, Lubin; Viollet, Stéphane

    2015-07-08

    An innovative insect-based visual sensor is designed to perform active marker tracking. Without any optics and a field-of-view of about 60°, a novel miniature visual sensor is able to locate flickering markers (LEDs) with an accuracy much greater than the one dictated by the pixel pitch. With a size of only 1 cm3 and a mass of only 0.33 g, the lensless sensor, called HyperCube, is dedicated to 3D motion tracking and fits perfectly with the drastic constraints imposed by micro-aerial vehicles. Only three photosensors are placed on each side of the cubic configuration of the sensing device, making this sensor very inexpensive and light. HyperCube provides the azimuth and elevation of infrared LEDs flickering at a high frequency (>1 kHz) with a precision of 0.5°. The minimalistic design in terms of small size, low mass and low power consumption of this visual sensor makes it suitable for many applications in the field of the cooperative flight of unmanned aerial vehicles and, more generally, robotic applications requiring active beacons. Experimental results show that HyperCube provides useful angular measurements that can be used to estimate the relative position between the sensor and the flickering infrared markers.

  19. HyperCube: A Small Lensless Position Sensing Device for the Tracking of Flickering Infrared LEDs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thibaut Raharijaona

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available An innovative insect-based visual sensor is designed to perform active marker tracking. Without any optics and a field-of-view of about 60°, a novel miniature visual sensor is able to locate flickering markers (LEDs with an accuracy much greater than the one dictated by the pixel pitch. With a size of only 1 cm3 and a mass of only 0.33 g, the lensless sensor, called HyperCube, is dedicated to 3D motion tracking and fits perfectly with the drastic constraints imposed by micro-aerial vehicles. Only three photosensors are placed on each side of the cubic configuration of the sensing device, making this sensor very inexpensive and light. HyperCube provides the azimuth and elevation of infrared LEDs flickering at a high frequency (>1 kHz with a precision of 0.5°. The minimalistic design in terms of small size, low mass and low power consumption of this visual sensor makes it suitable for many applications in the field of the cooperative flight of unmanned aerial vehicles and, more generally, robotic applications requiring active beacons. Experimental results show that HyperCube provides useful angular measurements that can be used to estimate the relative position between the sensor and the flickering infrared markers.

  20. Approximation-Based Discrete-Time Adaptive Position Tracking Control for Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Jinpeng; Shi, Peng; Yu, Haisheng; Chen, Bing; Lin, Chong

    2015-07-01

    This paper considers the problem of discrete-time adaptive position tracking control for a interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) based on fuzzy-approximation. Fuzzy logic systems are used to approximate the nonlinearities of the discrete-time IPMSM drive system which is derived by direct discretization using Euler method, and a discrete-time fuzzy position tracking controller is designed via backstepping approach. In contrast to existing results, the advantage of the scheme is that the number of the adjustable parameters is reduced to two only and the problem of coupling nonlinearity can be overcome. It is shown that the proposed discrete-time fuzzy controller can guarantee the tracking error converges to a small neighborhood of the origin and all the signals are bounded. Simulation results illustrate the effectiveness and the potentials of the theoretic results obtained.

  1. [Study on method of tracking the active cells in image sequences based on EKF-PF].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Chunming; Liu, Ying

    2013-02-01

    In cell image sequences, due to the nonlinear and nonGaussian motion characteristics of active cells, the accurate prediction and tracking is still an unsolved problem. We applied extended Kalman particle filter (EKF-PF) here in our study, attempting to solve the problem. Firstly we confirmed the existence and positions of the active cells. Then we established a motion model and improved it via adding motion angle estimation. Next we predicted motion parameters, such as displacement, velocity, accelerated velocity and motion angle, in region centers of the cells being tracked. Finally we obtained the motion traces of active cells. There were fourteen active cells in three image sequences which have been tracked. The errors were less than 2.5 pixels when the prediction values were compared with actual values. It showed that the presented algorithm may basically reach the solution of accurate predition and tracking of the active cells.

  2. An investigation of airborne GPS/INS for high accuracy position and velocity determination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sun, H.; Cannon, M.E. [Calgary Univ., AB (Canada). Dept. of Geomatics Engineering; Owen, T.E.; Meindl, M.A. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    1993-12-31

    An airborne test using a differential GPS-INS system in a Twin Otter was conducted by Sandia National Laboratories to assess the feasibility of using the integrated system for cm-level position and cm/s velocity. The INS is a miniaturized ring-laser gyro IMU jointly developed by Sandia and Honeywell while the GPS system consists of the NovAtel GPSCard{trademark}. INS position, velocity and attitude data were computed using Sandia`s SANDAC flight computer system and logged at 4 Hz and GPS data was acquired at a 1 Hz rate. The mission was approximately 2.5 hours in duration and the aircraft reached separations of up to 19 km from the base station. The data was post-processed using a centralized Kalman filter approach in which the double differenced carrier phase measurements are used to update the INS data. The INS position is in turn used to detect and correct GPS carrier phase cycle slips and also to bridge GPS outages. Results are presented for the GPS-only case and also for integrated GPS/INS.

  3. Optical losses due to tracking error estimation for a low concentrating solar collector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sallaberry, Fabienne; García de Jalón, Alberto; Torres, José-Luis; Pujol-Nadal, Ramón

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • A solar thermal collector with low concentration and one-axis tracking was tested. • A quasi-dynamic testing procedure for IAM was defined for tracking collector. • The adequation between the concentrator optics and the tracking was checked. • The maximum and long-term optical losses due to tracking error were calculated. - Abstract: The determination of the accuracy of a solar tracker used in domestic hot water solar collectors is not yet standardized. However, while using optical concentration devices, it is important to use a solar tracker with adequate precision with regard to the specific optical concentration factor. Otherwise, the concentrator would sustain high optical losses due to the inadequate focusing of the solar radiation onto its receiver, despite having a good quality. This study is focused on the estimation of long-term optical losses due to the tracking error of a low-temperature collector using low-concentration optics. For this purpose, a testing procedure for the incidence angle modifier on the tracking plane is proposed to determinate the acceptance angle of its concentrator even with different longitudinal incidence angles along the focal line plane. Then, the impact of maximum tracking error angle upon the optical efficiency has been determined. Finally, the calculation of the long-term optical error due to the tracking errors, using the design angular tracking error declared by the manufacturer, is carried out. The maximum tracking error calculated for this collector imply an optical loss of about 8.5%, which is high, but the average long-term optical loss calculated for one year was about 1%, which is reasonable for such collectors used for domestic hot water

  4. Long range position and orientation tracking system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Armstrong, G.A.; Jansen, J.F.; Burks, B.L.; Bernacki, B.E.; Nypaver, D.J.

    1995-01-01

    The long range position and orientation tracking system (LRPOTS) will consist of two measurement pods, a VME-based computer system, and a detector array. The system is used to measure the position and orientation of a target that may be attached to a robotic arm, teleoperated manipulator, or autonomous vehicle. The pods have been designed to be mounted in the man-ways of the domes of the Fernald K-65 waste silos. Each pod has two laser scanner subsystems as well as lights and camera systems. One of the laser scanners will be oriented to scan in the pan direction, the other in the tilt direction. As the lasers scan across the detector array, the angles of incidence with each detector are recorded. Combining measurements from each of the four lasers yields sufficient data for a closed-form solution of the transform describing the location and orientation of the Content Mobilization System (CMS). Redundant detectors will be placed on the CMS to accommodate occlusions, to provide improved measurement accuracy, and to determine the CMS orientation

  5. Long-range position and orientation tracking system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Armstrong, G.A.; Jansen, J.F.; Burks, B.L.

    1995-01-01

    The long-range position and orientation tracking system will consist of two measurement pods, a VME-based computer system, and a detector array. The system is used to measure the position and orientation of a target that may be attached to a robotic arm, teleoperated manipulator, or autonomous vehicle. The pods have been designed to be mounted in the manways of the domes of the Fernald K-65 waste silos. Each pod has two laser scanner subsystems as well as lights and camera systems. One of the laser scanners will be oriented to scan in the pan direction, the other in the tilt direction. As the lasers scan across the detector array, the angles of incidence with each detector are recorded. Combining measurements from each of the four lasers yields sufficient data for a closed-form solution of the transform describing the location and orientation of the content mobilization system (CMS). Redundant detectors will be placed on the CMS to accommodate occlusions, to provide improved measurement accuracy, and to determine the CMS orientation

  6. On a stabilization mechanism for low-velocity detonations

    KAUST Repository

    Sow, Aliou; Semenko, Roman E.; Kasimov, Aslan R.

    2017-01-01

    We use numerical simulations of the reactive Lula equations to analyse the nonlinear stability of steady-state one-dimensional solutions for gaseous detonations in the presence of both momentum and heat losses. Our results point to a possible stabilization mechanism for the low-velocity detonations in such systems. The mechanism stems from the existence of a one-parameter family of solutions found in Semenko el al.

  7. On a stabilization mechanism for low-velocity detonations

    KAUST Repository

    Sow, Aliou

    2017-03-08

    We use numerical simulations of the reactive Lula equations to analyse the nonlinear stability of steady-state one-dimensional solutions for gaseous detonations in the presence of both momentum and heat losses. Our results point to a possible stabilization mechanism for the low-velocity detonations in such systems. The mechanism stems from the existence of a one-parameter family of solutions found in Semenko el al.

  8. TRAX - Real-World Tracking of Moving Objects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Christian Søndergaard; Pakalnis, Stardas

    2007-01-01

    accuracy. This paper presents the TRAX tracking system that supports several techniques capable of tracking the current positions of moving objects with guaranteed accuracies at low update and communication costs in real-world settings. The techniques are readily relevant for practical applications......, but they also have implications for continued research. The tracking techniques offer a realistic setting for existing query processing techniques that assume that it is possible to always know the exact positions of moving objects. The techniques enable studies of trade-offs between querying and update...

  9. On plasma coupling and turbulence effects in low velocity stopping

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kurilenkov, Yu K [Unified Institute for High Temperatures of Russian Academy of Sciences, 13/19 Izhorskaya Str., 125412 Moscow (Russian Federation); Maynard, G [Laboratoire de Physique des Gaz et des Plasmas, UMR-8578, Bat. 210, Universite Paris XI, F-91405 Orsay (France); Barriga-Carrasco, M D [Laboratoire de Physique des Gaz et des Plasmas, UMR-8578, Bat. 210, Universite Paris XI, F-91405 Orsay (France); Valuev, A A [Unified Institute for High Temperatures of Russian Academy of Sciences, 13/19 Izhorskaya Str., 125412 Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2006-04-28

    The problem of stopping power (SP) for projectile ions is analysed in terms of the dielectric function and effective collision frequency for moderately dense and strongly coupled plasmas (SCP). We consider several issues regarding the calculation of stopping power for correlated ensembles of particles and oscillators. In particular, effects of group (few particle) modes, transition from positive to negative dispersion and excitation of collective modes up to suprathermal level at plasma targets are addressed. Linear SP of dense suprathermal (nonlinear) plasma targets at different levels of target plasma turbulence is estimated. The force of suprathermal plasma oscillations on the projectile ions is mostly in the nature of increased frictional drag. The results obtained show the possibility of increasing low velocity stopping (up to 'turbulent' values) in comparison with losses in equilibrium dense plasma targets. Experimental conditions to create specific turbulent targets as well as some connection between stopping phenomena and SCP transport properties are discussed briefly.

  10. On plasma coupling and turbulence effects in low velocity stopping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kurilenkov, Yu K; Maynard, G; Barriga-Carrasco, M D; Valuev, A A

    2006-01-01

    The problem of stopping power (SP) for projectile ions is analysed in terms of the dielectric function and effective collision frequency for moderately dense and strongly coupled plasmas (SCP). We consider several issues regarding the calculation of stopping power for correlated ensembles of particles and oscillators. In particular, effects of group (few particle) modes, transition from positive to negative dispersion and excitation of collective modes up to suprathermal level at plasma targets are addressed. Linear SP of dense suprathermal (nonlinear) plasma targets at different levels of target plasma turbulence is estimated. The force of suprathermal plasma oscillations on the projectile ions is mostly in the nature of increased frictional drag. The results obtained show the possibility of increasing low velocity stopping (up to 'turbulent' values) in comparison with losses in equilibrium dense plasma targets. Experimental conditions to create specific turbulent targets as well as some connection between stopping phenomena and SCP transport properties are discussed briefly

  11. Robot trajectory tracking with self-tuning predicted control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Xianzhong; Shin, Kang G.

    1988-01-01

    A controller that combines self-tuning prediction and control is proposed for robot trajectory tracking. The controller has two feedback loops: one is used to minimize the prediction error, and the other is designed to make the system output track the set point input. Because the velocity and position along the desired trajectory are given and the future output of the system is predictable, a feedforward loop can be designed for robot trajectory tracking with self-tuning predicted control (STPC). Parameters are estimated online to account for the model uncertainty and the time-varying property of the system. The authors describe the principle of STPC, analyze the system performance, and discuss the simplification of the robot dynamic equations. To demonstrate its utility and power, the controller is simulated for a Stanford arm.

  12. Open-loop position tracking control of a piezoceramic flexible beam using a dynamic hysteresis compensator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen, Phuong-Bac; Choi, Seung-Bok

    2010-01-01

    This paper proposes a novel hysteresis compensator to enhance control accuracy in open-loop position tracking control of a piezoceramic flexible beam. The proposed hysteresis compensator consists of two components: a rate-independent hysteresis compensator and a nonlinear filter. The compensator is formulated based on the inverse Preisach model, while the weight coefficients of the filter are identified adaptively using a recursive least square (RLS) algorithm. In this work, two dynamic hysteresis compensators (or rate-independent hysteresis compensators) are developed by adopting two different nonlinear filters: Volterra and bilinear filters. In order to demonstrate the improved control accuracy of the proposed dynamic compensators, a flexible beam associated with the piezoceramic actuator is modeled using the finite element method (FEM) and Euler–Bernoulli beam theory. The beam model is then integrated with the proposed hysteresis model to achieve accurate position tracking control at the tip of the beam. An experimental investigation on the tip position tracking control is undertaken by realizing three different hysteresis compensators: a rate-independent hysteresis compensator, a rate-dependent hysteresis compensator with a Volterra nonlinear filter and a rate-independent hysteresis compensator with a bilinear nonlinear filter. It is shown that the proposed dynamic hysteresis compensators can provide much better tracking control accuracy than conventional rate-independent hysteresis compensators

  13. Dynamic tracking performance of indoor global positioning system: An experimental and theoretical study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gang Zhao

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The automation level has been improved rapidly with the introduction of large-scale measurement technologies, such as indoor global positioning system, into the production process among the fields of car, ship, and aerospace due to their excellent measurement characteristics. In fact, the objects are usually in motion during the real measurement process; however, the dynamic measurement characteristics of indoor global positioning system are much limited and still in exploration. In this research, we focused on the dynamic tracking performance of indoor global positioning system and then successfully built a mathematical model based on its measurement principles. We first built single and double station system models with the consideration of measurement objects’ movement. Using MATLAB simulation, we realized the dynamic measurement characteristics of indoor global positioning system. In the real measurement process, the experimental results also support the mathematical model that we built, which proves a great success in dynamic measurement characteristics. We envision that this dynamic tracking performance of indoor global positioning system would shed light on the dynamic measurement of a motion object and therefore make contribution to the automation production.

  14. Low frequency vibration tests on a floating slab track in an underground laboratory

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    De-yun DING; Wei-ning LIU; Ke-fei LI; Xiao-jing SUN; Wei-feng LIU

    2011-01-01

    Low frequency vibrations induced by underground railways have attracted increasing attention in recent years. To obtain the characteristics of low frequency vibrations and the low frequency performance of a floating slab track (FST), low frequency vibration tests on an FST in an underground laboratory at Beijing Jiaotong University were carried out. The FST and an unbalanced shaker SBZ30 for dynamic simulation were designed for use in low frequency vibration experiments. Vibration measurements were performed on the bogie of the unbalanced shaker, the rail, the slab, the tunnel invert, the tunnel wall, the tunnel apex, and on the ground surface at distances varying from 0 to 80 m from the track. Measurements were also made on several floors of an adjacent building. Detailed results of low frequency vibration tests were reported. The attenuation of low frequency vibrations with the distance from the track was presented, as well as the responses of different floors of the building. The experimental results could be regarded as a reference for developing methods to control low frequency vibrations and for adopting countermeasures.

  15. Threshold velocity for environmentally-assisted cracking in low alloy steels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wire, G.L.; Kandra, J.T.

    1997-01-01

    Environmentally Assisted Cracking (EAC) in low alloy steels is generally believed to be activated by dissolution of MnS inclusions at the crack tip in high temperature LWR environments. EAC is the increase of fatigue crack growth rate of up to 40 to 100 times the rate in air that occurs in high temperature LWR environments. A steady state theory developed by Combrade, suggested that EAC will initiate only above a critical crack velocity and cease below this same velocity. A range of about twenty in critical crack tip velocities was invoked by Combrade, et al., to describe data available at that time. This range was attributed to exposure of additional sulfides above and below the crack plane. However, direct measurements of exposed sulfide densities on cracked specimens were performed herein and the results rule out significant additional sulfide exposure as a plausible explanation. Alternatively, it is proposed herein that localized EAC starting at large sulfide clusters reduces the calculated threshold velocity from the value predicted for a uniform distribution of sulfides. Calculations are compared with experimental results where the threshold velocity has been measured, and the predicted wide range of threshold values for steels of similar sulfur content but varying sulfide morphology is observed. The threshold velocity decreases with the increasing maximum sulfide particle size, qualitatively consistent with the theory. The calculation provides a basis for a conservative minimum velocity threshold tied directly to the steel sulfur level, in cases where no details of sulfide distribution are known

  16. An experimental comparison of conventional two-bank and novel four-bank dynamic MLC tracking

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davies, G A; Clowes, P; McQuaid, D; Evans, P M; Webb, S; Poludniowski, G

    2013-01-01

    The AccuLeaf mMLC featuring four multileaf-collimator (MLC) banks has been used for the first time for an experimental comparison of conventional two-bank with novel four-bank dynamic MLC tracking of a two-dimensional sinusoidal respiratory motion. This comparison was performed for a square aperture, and for three conformal treatment apertures from clinical radiotherapy lung cancer patients. The system latency of this prototype tracking system was evaluated and found to be 1.0 s and the frequency at which MLC positions could be updated, 1 Hz, and therefore accurate MLC tracking of irregular patient motion would be difficult with the system in its current form. The MLC leaf velocity required for two-bank-MLC and four-bank-MLC tracking was evaluated for the apertures studied and a substantial decrease was found in the maximum MLC velocity required when four-banks were used for tracking rather than two. A dosimetric comparison of the two techniques was also performed and minimal difference was found between two-bank-MLC and four-bank-MLC tracking. The use of four MLC banks for dynamic MLC tracking is shown to be potentially advantageous for increasing the delivery efficiency compared with two-bank-MLC tracking where difficulties are encountered if large leaf shifts are required to track motion perpendicular to the direction of leaf travel. (paper)

  17. Optimal Control Method of Robot End Position and Orientation Based on Dynamic Tracking Measurement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Dalong; Xu, Lijuan

    2018-01-01

    In order to improve the accuracy of robot pose positioning and control, this paper proposed a dynamic tracking measurement robot pose optimization control method based on the actual measurement of D-H parameters of the robot, the parameters is taken with feedback compensation of the robot, according to the geometrical parameters obtained by robot pose tracking measurement, improved multi sensor information fusion the extended Kalan filter method, with continuous self-optimal regression, using the geometric relationship between joint axes for kinematic parameters in the model, link model parameters obtained can timely feedback to the robot, the implementation of parameter correction and compensation, finally we can get the optimal attitude angle, realize the robot pose optimization control experiments were performed. 6R dynamic tracking control of robot joint robot with independent research and development is taken as experimental subject, the simulation results show that the control method improves robot positioning accuracy, and it has the advantages of versatility, simplicity, ease of operation and so on.

  18. The relationship between fission track length and track density in apatite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laslett, G.M.; Gleadow, A.J.W.; Duddy, I.R.

    1984-01-01

    Fission track dating is based upon an age equation derived from a random line segment model for fission tracks. This equation contains the implicit assumption of a proportional relationship between the true mean length of fission tracks and their track density in an isotropic medium. Previous experimental investigation of this relationship for both spontaneous and induced tracks in apatite during progressive annealment model in an obvious fashion. Corrected equations relating track length and density for apatite, an anisotropic mineral, show that the proportionality in this case is between track density and a length factor which is a generalization of the mean track length combining the actual length and crystallographic orientation of the track. This relationship has been experimentally confirmed for induced tracks in Durango apatite, taking into account bias in sampling of the track lengths, and the effect of the bulk etching velocity. (author)

  19. Fuzzy path tracking and position estimation of autonomous vehicles using differential GPS

    OpenAIRE

    Rodríguez Castaño, Ángel; Heredia Benot, José Guillermo; Ollero Baturone, Aníbal

    2000-01-01

    This paper presents an autonomous vehicle position estimation system based on GPS, that uses a fuzzy sensor fusion technique. A fuzzy path tracking algorithm is also proposed. Both systems have been implemented in the ROMEO-4R vehicle developed at the University of Seville.

  20. Study of capillary tracking detectors with position-sensitive photomultiplier readout

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cardini, A.; Cavasinni, V.; Di Girolamo, B.; Dolinsky, S.I.; Flaminio, V.; Golovkin, S.V.; Gorin, A.M.; Medvedkov, A.M.; Pyshev, A.I.; Tyukov, V.E.; Vasilchenko, V.G.; Zymin, K.V.

    1995-01-01

    Measurements have been carried out on light yield and attenuation length in glass capillaries filled with new liquid scintillators (LS) and compared with analogous measurements made on 0.5 mm diameter plastic fibres Kuraray SCSF-38 and 3HF. It is found that, at a distance of 1 m, the light output in the capillary filled with green LS based on 1-methylnaphthalene doped with a new dye 3M15 is greater by a factor of 2 to 3 than for plastic fibres. A tracking detector consisting of a capillary bundle read out by a 100 channel position-sensitive microchannel plate photomultiplier (2MCP-100) has been built and tested in the laboratory using a cosmic ray trigger. A comparison has been made between the performance of such a detector and that of a similar one, read out by a 96 channel Philips XP1724/A photomultiplier. It was found that a bundle made of 20μm diameter capillaries with a tapered end giving a magnification of 2.56, filled with the new IPN+3M15 liquid scintillator, read out by the 2MCP-100, provides a space resolution of σ=170μm, a two-track resolution of the same value and a hit density of n=1.9/mm for tracks crossing the detector at a distance of 20 cm from the photocathode. If the same detector is read out by the Philips XP1724/A, the space resolution becomes 200μm, the two-track resolution 600μm and the hit density n=1.7/mm. The worse performance in the latter case is caused by the larger crosstalk compared with that of the 2MCP-100 PSPM. The results indicate that a LS-filled capillary detector is a very promising device for fast fibre tracking. (orig.)

  1. Flocking in Multi-Agent Systems with Multiple Virtual Leaders Based Only on Position Measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Su Housheng

    2012-01-01

    Most existing flocking algorithms assume one single virtual leader and rely on information on both relative positions and relative velocities among neighboring agents. In this paper, the problem of controlling a flock of mobile autonomous agents to follow multiple virtual leaders is investigated by using only position information in the sense that agents with the same virtual leader asymptotically attain the same velocity and track the corresponding virtual leader based on only position measurements. A flocking algorithm is proposed under which every agent asymptotically attains its desired velocity, collision between agents can be avoided, and the final tight formation minimizes all agents' global potentials. A simulation example is presented to verify and illustrate the theoretical results. (general)

  2. Seismic velocity structure of the crust and shallow mantle of the Central and Eastern United States by seismic surface wave imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pollitz, Fred; Mooney, Walter D.

    2016-01-01

    Seismic surface waves from the Transportable Array of EarthScope's USArray are used to estimate phase velocity structure of 18 to 125 s Rayleigh waves, then inverted to obtain three-dimensional crust and upper mantle structure of the Central and Eastern United States (CEUS) down to ∼200 km. The obtained lithosphere structure confirms previously imaged CEUS features, e.g., the low seismic-velocity signature of the Cambrian Reelfoot Rift and the very low velocity at >150 km depth below an Eocene volcanic center in northwestern Virginia. New features include high-velocity mantle stretching from the Archean Superior Craton well into the Proterozoic terranes and deep low-velocity zones in central Texas (associated with the late Cretaceous Travis and Uvalde volcanic fields) and beneath the South Georgia Rift (which contains Jurassic basalts). Hot spot tracks may be associated with several imaged low-velocity zones, particularly those close to the former rifted Laurentia margin.

  3. Velocity Controller for a Class of Vehicles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Herman Przemyslaw

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper addresses the problem of velocity tracking control for various fully-actuated robotic vehicles. The presented method, which is based on transformation of equations of motion allows one to use, in the control gain matrix, the dynamical couplings existing in the system. Consequently, the dynamics of the vehicle is incorporated into the control process what leads to fast velocity error convergence. The stability of the system under the controller is derived based on Lyapunov argument. Moreover, the robustness of the proposed controller is shown too. The general approach is valid for 6 DOF models as well as other reduced models of vehicles. Simulation results on a 6 DOF indoor airship validate the described velocity tracking methodology.

  4. Automated analysis of two-dimensional positions and body lengths of earthworms (Oligochaeta); MimizuTrack.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kodama, Naomi; Kimura, Toshifumi; Yonemura, Seiichiro; Kaneda, Satoshi; Ohashi, Mizue; Ikeno, Hidetoshi

    2014-01-01

    Earthworms are important soil macrofauna inhabiting almost all ecosystems. Their biomass is large and their burrowing and ingestion of soils alters soil physicochemical properties. Because of their large biomass, earthworms are regarded as an indicator of "soil heath". However, primarily because the difficulties in quantifying their behavior, the extent of their impact on soil material flow dynamics and soil health is poorly understood. Image data, with the aid of image processing tools, are a powerful tool in quantifying the movements of objects. Image data sets are often very large and time-consuming to analyze, especially when continuously recorded and manually processed. We aimed to develop a system to quantify earthworm movement from video recordings. Our newly developed program successfully tracked the two-dimensional positions of three separate parts of the earthworm and simultaneously output the change in its body length. From the output data, we calculated the velocity of the earthworm's movement. Our program processed the image data three times faster than the manual tracking system. To date, there are no existing systems to quantify earthworm activity from continuously recorded image data. The system developed in this study will reduce input time by a factor of three compared with manual data entry and will reduce errors involved in quantifying large data sets. Furthermore, it will provide more reliable measured values, although the program is still a prototype that needs further testing and improvement. Combined with other techniques, such as measuring metabolic gas emissions from earthworm bodies, this program could provide continuous observations of earthworm behavior in response to environmental variables under laboratory conditions. In the future, this standardized method will be applied to other animals, and the quantified earthworm movement will be incorporated into models of soil material flow dynamics or behavior in response to chemical

  5. Gamma ray energy tracking in GRETINA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, I. Y.

    2011-10-01

    The next generation of stable and exotic beam accelerators will provide physics opportunities to study nuclei farther away from the line of stability. However, these experiments will be more demanding on instrumentation performance. These come from the lower production rate for more exotic beams, worse beam impurities, and large beam velocity from the fragmentation and inverse reactions. Gamma-ray spectroscopy will be one of the most effective tools to study exotic nuclei. However, to fully exploit the physics reach provided by these new facilities, better gamma-ray detector will be needed. In the last 10 years, a new concept, gamma-ray energy tracking array, was developed. Tracking arrays will increase the detection sensitivity by factors of several hundred compared to current arrays used in nuclear physics research. Particularly, the capability of reconstructing the position of the interaction with millimeters resolution is needed to correct the Doppler broadening of gamma rays emitted from high velocity nuclei. GRETINA is a gamma-ray tracking array which uses 28 Ge crystals, each with 36 segments, to cover ¼ of the 4 π of the 4 π solid angle. The gamma ray tracking technique requires detailed pulse shape information from each of the segments. These pulses are digitized using 14-bit 100 MHz flash ADCs, and digital signal analysis algorithms implemented in the on-board FPGAs provides energy, time and selection of pulse traces. A digital trigger system, provided flexible trigger functions including a fast trigger output, and also allows complicated trigger decisions to be made up to 20 microseconds. Further analyzed, carried out in a computer cluster, determine the energy, time, and three-dimensional positions of all gamma-ray interactions in the array. This information is then utilized, together with the characteristics of Compton scattering and pair-production processes, to track the scattering sequences of the gamma rays. GRETINA construction is completed in

  6. An Extended Kalman Filter-Based Attitude Tracking Algorithm for Star Sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jian; Wei, Xinguo; Zhang, Guangjun

    2017-08-21

    Efficiency and reliability are key issues when a star sensor operates in tracking mode. In the case of high attitude dynamics, the performance of existing attitude tracking algorithms degenerates rapidly. In this paper an extended Kalman filtering-based attitude tracking algorithm is presented. The star sensor is modeled as a nonlinear stochastic system with the state estimate providing the three degree-of-freedom attitude quaternion and angular velocity. The star positions in the star image are predicted and measured to estimate the optimal attitude. Furthermore, all the cataloged stars observed in the sensor field-of-view according the predicted image motion are accessed using a catalog partition table to speed up the tracking, called star mapping. Software simulation and night-sky experiment are performed to validate the efficiency and reliability of the proposed method.

  7. A comparative study on low-velocity impact response of fabric composite laminates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Diantang; Sun, Ying; Chen, Li; Pan, Ning

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • We examine the low-velocity behavior of single-ply 3D orthogonal woven fabric composites. • Three-coordinate measuring device was used to acquire the 3D topographies. • Single-ply 3D orthogonal woven fabric composites show better impact performance. • Impact properties will increase if in-plane yarns and Z-yarns of single-ply 3D orthogonal woven fabric are optimized. - Abstract: Impact behaviors at low velocity of composite laminates reinforced with fabrics of different architectures are investigated. Unidirectional prepreg, 2D woven and 3D orthogonal fabrics, all formed of Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) filaments, were selected as reinforcements to form composite laminates using hot pressing technology. Low velocity impact tests were conducted using a drop-weight impact equipment at the energy level of 35 J. A three-coordinate measuring device was employed to determine the volume of plastic deformation and surface dent diameter. The results show that the composite laminates of single-ply 3D orthogonal woven fabric exhibit better energy absorbed capacity and impact damage resistance as compared to those of unidirectional and 2D plain-woven fabric

  8. Anomalous scaling of low-order structure functions of turbulent velocity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, S.Y.; Dhruva, B.; Kurien, S.; Sreenivasan, K.R.; Taylor, M.A.

    2006-12-01

    It is now believed that the scaling exponents of moments of velocity increments are anomalous, or that the departures from Kolmogorov's (1941) self-similar scaling increase nonlinearly with the increasing order of the moment. This appears to be true whether one considers velocity increments themselves or their absolute values. However, moments of order lower than 2 of the absolute values of velocity increments have not been investigated thoroughly for anomaly. Here, we discuss the importance of the scaling of non-integer moments of order between +2 and -1, and obtain them from direct numerical simulations at moderate Taylor microscale Reynolds numbers R λ ≤ 450, and experimental data at high Reynolds numbers (R λ ∼ 10 000). The relative difference between the measured exponents and Kolmogorov's prediction increases as the moment order decreases towards -1, thus showing that the anomaly is manifested in low-order moments as well. (author)

  9. Accurate Determination of Glacier Surface Velocity Fields with a DEM-Assisted Pixel-Tracking Technique from SAR Imagery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shiyong Yan

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available We obtained accurate, detailed motion distribution of glaciers in Central Asia by applying digital elevation model (DEM assisted pixel-tracking method to L-band synthetic aperture radar imagery. The paper firstly introduces and analyzes each component of the offset field briefly, and then describes the method used to efficiently and precisely compensate the topography-related offset caused by the large spatial baseline and rugged terrain with the help of DEM. The results indicate that the rugged topography not only forms the complex shapes of glaciers, but also affects the glacier velocity estimation, especially with large spatial baseline. The maximum velocity, 0.85 m∙d−1, was observed in the middle part on the Fedchenko Glacier, which is the world’s longest mountain glacier. The motion fluctuation on its main trunk is apparently influenced by mass flowing in from tributaries, as well as angles between tributaries and the main stream. The approach presented in this paper was proved to be highly appropriate for monitoring glacier motion and will provide valuable sensitive indicators of current and future climate change for environmental analysis.

  10. Distributed Consensus Tracking for Second-Order Nonlinear Multiagent Systems with a Specified Reference State

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guoguang Wen

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper mainly addresses the distributed consensus tracking problem for second-order nonlinear multiagent systems with a specified reference trajectory. The dynamics of each follower consists of two terms: nonlinear inherent dynamics and a simple communication protocol relying only on the position and velocity information of its neighbors. The consensus reference is taken as a virtual leader, whose output is only its position and velocity information that is available to only a subset of a group of followers. To achieve consensus tracking, a class of nonsmooth control protocols is proposed which reply on the relative information among the neighboring agents. Then some corresponding sufficient conditions are derived. It is shown that if the communication graph associated with the virtual leader and followers is connected at each time instant, the consensus can be achieved at least globally exponentially with the proposed protocol. Rigorous proofs are given by using graph theory, matrix theory, and Lyapunov theory. Finally, numerical examples are presented to illustrate the theoretical analysis.

  11. Dense velocity reconstruction from tomographic PTV with material derivatives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneiders, Jan F. G.; Scarano, Fulvio

    2016-09-01

    A method is proposed to reconstruct the instantaneous velocity field from time-resolved volumetric particle tracking velocimetry (PTV, e.g., 3D-PTV, tomographic PTV and Shake-the-Box), employing both the instantaneous velocity and the velocity material derivative of the sparse tracer particles. The constraint to the measured temporal derivative of the PTV particle tracks improves the consistency of the reconstructed velocity field. The method is christened as pouring time into space, as it leverages temporal information to increase the spatial resolution of volumetric PTV measurements. This approach becomes relevant in cases where the spatial resolution is limited by the seeding concentration. The method solves an optimization problem to find the vorticity and velocity fields that minimize a cost function, which includes next to instantaneous velocity, also the velocity material derivative. The velocity and its material derivative are related through the vorticity transport equation, and the cost function is minimized using the limited-memory Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno (L-BFGS) algorithm. The procedure is assessed numerically with a simulated PTV experiment in a turbulent boundary layer from a direct numerical simulation (DNS). The experimental validation considers a tomographic particle image velocimetry (PIV) experiment in a similar turbulent boundary layer and the additional case of a jet flow. The proposed technique (`vortex-in-cell plus', VIC+) is compared to tomographic PIV analysis (3D iterative cross-correlation), PTV interpolation methods (linear and adaptive Gaussian windowing) and to vortex-in-cell (VIC) interpolation without the material derivative. A visible increase in resolved details in the turbulent structures is obtained with the VIC+ approach, both in numerical simulations and experiments. This results in a more accurate determination of the turbulent stresses distribution in turbulent boundary layer investigations. Data from a jet

  12. Motion Control Design for an Omnidirectional Mobile Robot Subject to Velocity Constraints

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ollin Peñaloza-Mejía

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available A solution to achieve global asymptotic tracking with bounded velocities in an omnidirectional mobile robot is proposed in this paper. It is motivated by the need of having a useful in-practice motion control scheme, which takes into account the physical limits of the velocities. To this end, a passive nonlinear controller is designed and combined with a tracking controller in a negative feedback connection structure. By using Lyapunov theory and passivity tools, global asymptotic tracking with desired bounded velocities is proved. Simulations and experimental results are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposal.

  13. Robust Visual Tracking Via Consistent Low-Rank Sparse Learning

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Tianzhu; Liu, Si; Ahuja, Narendra; Yang, Ming-Hsuan; Ghanem, Bernard

    2014-01-01

    and the low-rank minimization problem for learning joint sparse representations can be efficiently solved by a sequence of closed form update operations. We evaluate the proposed CLRST algorithm against 14 state-of-the-art tracking methods on a set of 25

  14. Pacing Behavior and Tactical Positioning in 1500-m Short-Track Speed Skating.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konings, Marco J; Noorbergen, Olaf S; Parry, David; Hettinga, Florentina J

    2016-01-01

    To gain more insight in pacing behavior and tactical positioning in 1500-m short-track speed skating, a sport in which several athletes directly compete in the same race. Lap times and intermediate rankings of elite 1500-m short-track- skating competitors were collected over the season 2012-13 (N = 510, 85 races). Two statistical approaches were used to assess pacing behavior and tactical positioning. First, lap times were analyzed using a MANOVA, and for each lap differences between sex, race type, final rankings, and stage of competition were determined. Second, Kendall tau b correlations were used to assess relationships between intermediate and final rankings. In addition, intermediate rankings of the winner of each race were examined. In 1500 m (13.5 laps of 111.12 m), correlations between intermediate and final ranking gradually increased throughout the race (eg, lap 1, r = .05; lap 7, r = .26; lap 13, r = .85). Moreover, the percentage of race winners skating in the leading position was over 50% during the last 3 laps. Top finishers were faster than bottom-place finishers only during the last 5 laps, with on average 0.1- to 1.5-s faster lap times of the race winners compared with the others during the last 5 laps. Although a fast start led to faster finishing times, top finishers were faster than bottom-placed finishers only during the last 5 laps. Moreover, tactical positioning at 1 of the foremost positions during the latter phase of the race appeared to be a strong determinant of finishing position.

  15. BEEtag: A Low-Cost, Image-Based Tracking System for the Study of Animal Behavior and Locomotion.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James D Crall

    Full Text Available A fundamental challenge common to studies of animal movement, behavior, and ecology is the collection of high-quality datasets on spatial positions of animals as they change through space and time. Recent innovations in tracking technology have allowed researchers to collect large and highly accurate datasets on animal spatiotemporal position while vastly decreasing the time and cost of collecting such data. One technique that is of particular relevance to the study of behavioral ecology involves tracking visual tags that can be uniquely identified in separate images or movie frames. These tags can be located within images that are visually complex, making them particularly well suited for longitudinal studies of animal behavior and movement in naturalistic environments. While several software packages have been developed that use computer vision to identify visual tags, these software packages are either (a not optimized for identification of single tags, which is generally of the most interest for biologists, or (b suffer from licensing issues, and therefore their use in the study of animal behavior has been limited. Here, we present BEEtag, an open-source, image-based tracking system in Matlab that allows for unique identification of individual animals or anatomical markers. The primary advantages of this system are that it (a independently identifies animals or marked points in each frame of a video, limiting error propagation, (b performs well in images with complex backgrounds, and (c is low-cost. To validate the use of this tracking system in animal behavior, we mark and track individual bumblebees (Bombus impatiens and recover individual patterns of space use and activity within the nest. Finally, we discuss the advantages and limitations of this software package and its application to the study of animal movement, behavior, and ecology.

  16. Electron capture by highly charged low-velocity ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cocke, C.L.; Dubois, R.; Justiniano, E.; Gray, T.J.; Can, C.

    1982-01-01

    This paper describes the use of a fast heavy ion beam to produce, by bombardment of gaseous targets, highly-charged low-velocity recoil ions, and the use of these secondary ions in turn as projectiles in studies of electron capture and ionization in low-energy collision systems. The interest in collisions involving low-energy highly-charged projectiles comes both from the somewhat simplifying aspects of the physics which attend the long-range capture and from applications to fusion plasmas, astrophysics and more speculative technology such as the production of X-ray lasers. The ions of interest in such applications should have both electronic excitation and center-of-mass energies in the keV range and cannot be produced by simply stripping fast heavy ion beams. Several novel types of ion source have been developed to produce low-energy highly-charged ions, of which the secondary ion recoil source discussed in this paper is one. (Auth.)

  17. Particle-pair relative velocity measurement in high-Reynolds-number homogeneous and isotropic turbulence using 4-frame particle tracking velocimetry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dou, Zhongwang; Ireland, Peter J.; Bragg, Andrew D.; Liang, Zach; Collins, Lance R.; Meng, Hui

    2018-02-01

    The radial relative velocity (RV) between particles suspended in turbulent flow plays a critical role in droplet collision and growth. We present a simple and accurate approach to RV measurement in isotropic turbulence—planar 4-frame particle tracking velocimetry—using routine PIV hardware. It improves particle positioning and pairing accuracy over the 2-frame holographic approach by de Jong et al. (Int J Multiphas Flow 36:324-332; de Jong et al., Int J Multiphas Flow 36:324-332, 2010) without using high-speed cameras and lasers as in Saw et al. (Phys Fluids 26:111702, 2014). Homogeneous and isotropic turbulent flow ({R_λ }=357) in a new, fan-driven, truncated iscosahedron chamber was laden with either low-Stokes (mean St=0.09, standard deviation 0.05) or high-Stokes aerosols (mean St=3.46, standard deviation 0.57). For comparison, DNS was conducted under similar conditions ({R_λ }=398; St=0.10 and 3.00, respectively). Experimental RV probability density functions (PDF) and mean inward RV agree well with DNS. Mean inward RV increases with St at small particle separations, r, and decreases with St at large r, indicating the dominance of "path-history" and "inertial filtering" effects, respectively. However, at small r, the experimental mean inward RV trends higher than DNS, possibly due to the slight polydispersity of particles and finite light sheet thickness in experiments. To confirm this interpretation, we performed numerical experiments and found that particle polydispersity increases mean inward RV at small r, while finite laser thickness also overestimates mean inward RV at small r, This study demonstrates the feasibility of accurately measuring RV using routine hardware, and verifies, for the first time, the path-history and inertial filtering effects on particle-pair RV at large particle separations experimentally.

  18. Wind Velocity and Position Sensor-less Operation for PMSG Wind Generator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Senjyu, Tomonobu; Tamaki, Satoshi; Urasaki, Naomitsu; Uezato, Katsumi; Funabashi, Toshihisa; Fujita, Hideki

    Electric power generation using non-conventional sources is receiving considerable attention throughout the world. Wind energy is one of the available non-conventional energy sources. Electrical power generation using wind energy is possible in two ways, viz. constant speed operation and variable speed operation using power electronic converters. Variable speed power generation is attractive, because maximum electric power can be generated at all wind velocities. However, this system requires a rotor speed sensor, for vector control purpose, which increases the cost of the system. To alleviate the need of rotor speed sensor in vector control, we propose a new sensor-less control of PMSG (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator) based on the flux linkage. We can estimate the rotor position using the estimated flux linkage. We use a first-order lag compensator to obtain the flux linkage. Furthermore‚we estimate wind velocity and rotation speed using a observer. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated thorough simulation results.

  19. Low-voltage electroosmotic pumping using polyethylene terephthalate track-etched membrane

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang Ceming; Wang Lin [State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Xue Jianming, E-mail: jmxue@pku.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Center for Applied Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)

    2012-09-01

    We present experimental investigations of electroosmotic (EO) pumping using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) track-etched membrane at a low applied voltage. An EO pump based on PET track-etched membrane has been designed and fabricated. Pumping performance of the device is experimentally studied in terms of flow rate as a function of applied voltage and KCl aqueous concentration. The PET track-etched membrane EO pump can generate flow rates on the order of 10 {mu}l min{sup -1} cm{sup -2} at several applied volts. The measured flow rate tends to decrease with increasing KCl aqueous concentration. In addition, we study the EO flow in cylindrical nanopore with use of a continuum model, composed of Nernst Planck equations, Poisson equation and Navier Stokes equations.

  20. Blob sizes and velocities in the Alcator C-Mod scrape-off layer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kube, R.; Garcia, O.E.; LaBombard, B.

    A new blob-tracking algorithm for the GPI diagnostic installed in the outboard-midplane of Alcator C-Mod is developed. I t tracks large-amplitude fluctuations propagating through the scrape-off layer and calculates blob sizes and velocities. We compare the results of this method to a blob velocity...

  1. Track structure analysis illustrating the prominent role of low-energy electrons in radiobiological effects of low-LET radiations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nikjoo, H.; Goodhead, D.T.

    1991-01-01

    Monte Carlo track structure methods have been used to illustrate the importance of low-energy electrons produced by low-LET radiations. It is shown that these low-energy secondary electrons contribute substantially to the dose in all low-LET irradiations and are particularly efficient at producing highly localized clusters of atomic damage which may be responsible for a major part of the biological effectiveness of low-LET radiations. The data generated by Monte Carlo track structure techniques and by earlier semi-analytical methods based on the LET concept have been compared in terms of cumulative and differential fractions of total dose absorbed as a function of electron energy. The data show that low-energy secondary electrons account for up to nearly 50% of the total dose imparted to a medium when irradiated with electrons or photons. (author)

  2. Low-cost motility tracking system (LOCOMOTIS for time-lapse microscopy applications and cell visualisation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adam E Lynch

    Full Text Available Direct visualisation of cells for the purpose of studying their motility has typically required expensive microscopy equipment. However, recent advances in digital sensors mean that it is now possible to image cells for a fraction of the price of a standard microscope. Along with low-cost imaging there has also been a large increase in the availability of high quality, open-source analysis programs. In this study we describe the development and performance of an expandable cell motility system employing inexpensive, commercially available digital USB microscopes to image various cell types using time-lapse and perform tracking assays in proof-of-concept experiments. With this system we were able to measure and record three separate assays simultaneously on one personal computer using identical microscopes, and obtained tracking results comparable in quality to those from other studies that used standard, more expensive, equipment. The microscopes used in our system were capable of a maximum magnification of 413.6×. Although resolution was lower than that of a standard inverted microscope we found this difference to be indistinguishable at the magnification chosen for cell tracking experiments (206.8×. In preliminary cell culture experiments using our system, velocities (mean µm/min ± SE of 0.81 ± 0.01 (Biomphalaria glabrata hemocytes on uncoated plates, 1.17 ± 0.004 (MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, 1.24 ± 0.006 (SC5 mouse Sertoli cells and 2.21 ± 0.01 (B. glabrata hemocytes on Poly-L-Lysine coated plates, were measured and are consistent with previous reports. We believe that this system, coupled with open-source analysis software, demonstrates that higher throughput time-lapse imaging of cells for the purpose of studying motility can be an affordable option for all researchers.

  3. Low-cost motility tracking system (LOCOMOTIS) for time-lapse microscopy applications and cell visualisation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynch, Adam E; Triajianto, Junian; Routledge, Edwin

    2014-01-01

    Direct visualisation of cells for the purpose of studying their motility has typically required expensive microscopy equipment. However, recent advances in digital sensors mean that it is now possible to image cells for a fraction of the price of a standard microscope. Along with low-cost imaging there has also been a large increase in the availability of high quality, open-source analysis programs. In this study we describe the development and performance of an expandable cell motility system employing inexpensive, commercially available digital USB microscopes to image various cell types using time-lapse and perform tracking assays in proof-of-concept experiments. With this system we were able to measure and record three separate assays simultaneously on one personal computer using identical microscopes, and obtained tracking results comparable in quality to those from other studies that used standard, more expensive, equipment. The microscopes used in our system were capable of a maximum magnification of 413.6×. Although resolution was lower than that of a standard inverted microscope we found this difference to be indistinguishable at the magnification chosen for cell tracking experiments (206.8×). In preliminary cell culture experiments using our system, velocities (mean µm/min ± SE) of 0.81 ± 0.01 (Biomphalaria glabrata hemocytes on uncoated plates), 1.17 ± 0.004 (MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells), 1.24 ± 0.006 (SC5 mouse Sertoli cells) and 2.21 ± 0.01 (B. glabrata hemocytes on Poly-L-Lysine coated plates), were measured and are consistent with previous reports. We believe that this system, coupled with open-source analysis software, demonstrates that higher throughput time-lapse imaging of cells for the purpose of studying motility can be an affordable option for all researchers.

  4. Low-Cost Motility Tracking System (LOCOMOTIS) for Time-Lapse Microscopy Applications and Cell Visualisation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynch, Adam E.; Triajianto, Junian; Routledge, Edwin

    2014-01-01

    Direct visualisation of cells for the purpose of studying their motility has typically required expensive microscopy equipment. However, recent advances in digital sensors mean that it is now possible to image cells for a fraction of the price of a standard microscope. Along with low-cost imaging there has also been a large increase in the availability of high quality, open-source analysis programs. In this study we describe the development and performance of an expandable cell motility system employing inexpensive, commercially available digital USB microscopes to image various cell types using time-lapse and perform tracking assays in proof-of-concept experiments. With this system we were able to measure and record three separate assays simultaneously on one personal computer using identical microscopes, and obtained tracking results comparable in quality to those from other studies that used standard, more expensive, equipment. The microscopes used in our system were capable of a maximum magnification of 413.6×. Although resolution was lower than that of a standard inverted microscope we found this difference to be indistinguishable at the magnification chosen for cell tracking experiments (206.8×). In preliminary cell culture experiments using our system, velocities (mean µm/min ± SE) of 0.81±0.01 (Biomphalaria glabrata hemocytes on uncoated plates), 1.17±0.004 (MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells), 1.24±0.006 (SC5 mouse Sertoli cells) and 2.21±0.01 (B. glabrata hemocytes on Poly-L-Lysine coated plates), were measured and are consistent with previous reports. We believe that this system, coupled with open-source analysis software, demonstrates that higher throughput time-lapse imaging of cells for the purpose of studying motility can be an affordable option for all researchers. PMID:25121722

  5. Image-based tracking system for vibration measurement of a rotating object using a laser scanning vibrometer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Dongkyu, E-mail: akein@gist.ac.kr; Khalil, Hossam; Jo, Youngjoon; Park, Kyihwan, E-mail: khpark@gist.ac.kr [School of Mechatronics, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Buk-gu, Gwangju, South Korea, 500-712 (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-06-28

    An image-based tracking system using laser scanning vibrometer is developed for vibration measurement of a rotating object. The proposed system unlike a conventional one can be used where the position or velocity sensor such as an encoder cannot be attached to an object. An image processing algorithm is introduced to detect a landmark and laser beam based on their colors. Then, through using feedback control system, the laser beam can track a rotating object.

  6. FPGA curved track fitter with very low resource usage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Jin-Yuan; Wang, M.; Gottschalk, E.; Shi, Z.; /Fermilab

    2006-11-01

    Standard least-squares curved track fitting process is tailored for FPGA implementation. The coefficients in the fitting matrices are carefully chosen so that only shift and accumulation operations are used in the process. The divisions and full multiplications are eliminated. Comparison in an application example shows that the fitting errors of the low resource usage implementation are less than 4% bigger than the fitting errors of the exact least-squares algorithm. The implementation is suitable for low-cost, low-power applications such as high energy physics detector trigger systems.

  7. The influence of the tangential velocity of inner rotating wall on axial velocity profile of flow through vertical annular pipe with rotating inner surface

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharf Abdusalam M.

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available In the oil and gas industries, understanding the behaviour of a flow through an annulus gap in a vertical position, whose outer wall is stationary whilst the inner wall rotates, is a significantly important issue in drilling wells. The main emphasis is placed on experimental (using an available rig and computational (employing CFD software investigations into the effects of the rotation speed of the inner pipe on the axial velocity profiles. The measured axial velocity profiles, in the cases of low axial flow, show that the axial velocity is influenced by the rotation speed of the inner pipe in the region of almost 33% of the annulus near the inner pipe, and influenced inversely in the rest of the annulus. The position of the maximum axial velocity is shifted from the centre to be nearer the inner pipe, by increasing the rotation speed. However, in the case of higher flow, as the rotation speed increases, the axial velocity is reduced and the position of the maximum axial velocity is skewed towards the centre of the annulus. There is a reduction of the swirl velocity corresponding to the rise of the volumetric flow rate.

  8. The flex track: flexible partitioning between low- and high-acuity areas of an emergency department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laker, Lauren F; Froehle, Craig M; Lindsell, Christopher J; Ward, Michael J

    2014-12-01

    Emergency departments (EDs) with both low- and high-acuity treatment areas often have fixed allocation of resources, regardless of demand. We demonstrate the utility of discrete-event simulation to evaluate flexible partitioning between low- and high-acuity ED areas to identify the best operational strategy for subsequent implementation. A discrete-event simulation was used to model patient flow through a 50-bed, urban, teaching ED that handles 85,000 patient visits annually. The ED has historically allocated 10 beds to a fast track for low-acuity patients. We estimated the effect of a flex track policy, which involved switching up to 5 of these fast track beds to serving both low- and high-acuity patients, on patient waiting times. When the high-acuity beds were not at capacity, low-acuity patients were given priority access to flexible beds. Otherwise, high-acuity patients were given priority access to flexible beds. Wait times were estimated for patients by disposition and Emergency Severity Index score. A flex track policy using 3 flexible beds produced the lowest mean patient waiting time of 30.9 minutes (95% confidence interval [CI] 30.6 to 31.2 minutes). The typical fast track approach of rigidly separating high- and low-acuity beds produced a mean patient wait time of 40.6 minutes (95% CI 40.2 to 50.0 minutes), 31% higher than that of the 3-bed flex track. A completely flexible ED, in which all beds can accommodate any patient, produced mean wait times of 35.1 minutes (95% CI 34.8 to 35.4 minutes). The results from the 3-bed flex track scenario were robust, performing well across a range of scenarios involving higher and lower patient volumes and care durations. Using discrete-event simulation, we have shown that adding some flexibility into bed allocation between low and high acuity can provide substantial reductions in overall patient waiting and a more efficient ED. Copyright © 2014 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc

  9. Position and Orientation Tracking in a Ubiquitous Monitoring System for Parkinson Disease Patients With Freezing of Gait Symptom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Català, Andreu; Rodríguez Martín, Daniel; van der Aa, Nico; Chen, Wei; Rauterberg, Matthias

    2013-01-01

    Background Freezing of gait (FoG) is one of the most disturbing and least understood symptoms in Parkinson disease (PD). Although the majority of existing assistive systems assume accurate detections of FoG episodes, the detection itself is still an open problem. The specificity of FoG is its dependency on the context of a patient, such as the current location or activity. Knowing the patient's context might improve FoG detection. One of the main technical challenges that needs to be solved in order to start using contextual information for FoG detection is accurate estimation of the patient's position and orientation toward key elements of his or her indoor environment. Objective The objectives of this paper are to (1) present the concept of the monitoring system, based on wearable and ambient sensors, which is designed to detect FoG using the spatial context of the user, (2) establish a set of requirements for the application of position and orientation tracking in FoG detection, (3) evaluate the accuracy of the position estimation for the tracking system, and (4) evaluate two different methods for human orientation estimation. Methods We developed a prototype system to localize humans and track their orientation, as an important prerequisite for a context-based FoG monitoring system. To setup the system for experiments with real PD patients, the accuracy of the position and orientation tracking was assessed under laboratory conditions in 12 participants. To collect the data, the participants were asked to wear a smartphone, with and without known orientation around the waist, while walking over a predefined path in the marked area captured by two Kinect cameras with non-overlapping fields of view. Results We used the root mean square error (RMSE) as the main performance measure. The vision based position tracking algorithm achieved RMSE = 0.16 m in position estimation for upright standing people. The experimental results for the proposed human orientation

  10. Low-velocity Impact Response of a Nanocomposite Beam Using an Analytical Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahdi Heydari Meybodi

    Full Text Available AbstractLow-velocity impact of a nanocomposite beam made of glass/epoxy reinforced with multi-wall carbon nanotubes and clay nanoparticles is investigated in this study. Exerting modified rule of mixture (MROM, the mechanical properties of nanocomposite including matrix, nanoparticles or multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT, and fiber are attained. In order to analyze the low-velocity impact, Euler-Bernoulli beam theory and Hertz's contact law are simultaneously employed to govern the equations of motion. Using Ritz's variational approximation method, a set of nonlinear equations in time domain are obtained, which are solved using a fourth order Runge-Kutta method. The effect of different parameters such as adding nanoparticles or MWCNT's on maximum contact force and energy absorption, stacking sequence, geometrical dimensions (i.e., length, width and height, and initial velocity of the impactor have been studied comprehensively on dynamic behavior of the nanocomposite beam. In addition, the result of analytical model is compared with Finite Element Modeling (FEM.The results reveal that the effect of nanoparticles on energy absorption is more considerable at higher impact energies.

  11. Velocity and pressure measurements in guide vane clearance gap of a low specific speed Francis turbine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thapa, B. S.; Dahlhaug, O. G.; Thapa, B.

    2016-11-01

    In Francis turbine, a small clearance gap between the guide vanes and the cover plates is usually required to pivot guide vanes as a part of governing system. Deflection of cover plates and erosion of mating surfaces causes this gap to increase from its design value. The clearance gap induces the secondary flow in the distributor system. This effects the main flow at the runner inlet, which causes losses in efficiency and instability. A guide vane cascade of a low specific speed Francis turbine has been developed for experimental investigations. The test setup is able to produce similar velocity distributions at the runner inlet as that of a reference prototype turbine. The setup is designed for particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements from the position of stay vane outlet to the position of runner inlet. In this study, velocity and pressure measurements are conducted with 2 mm clearance gap on one side of guide vane. Leakage flow is observed and measured together with pressure measurements. It is concluded that the leakage flow behaves as a jet and mixes with the main flow in cross-wise direction and forms a vortex filament. This causes non-uniform inlet flow conditions at runner blades.

  12. Evaluation of kinesthetic-tactual displays using a critical tracking task

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jagacinski, R. J.; Miller, D. P.; Gilson, R. D.; Ault, R. T.

    1977-01-01

    The study sought to investigate the feasibility of applying the critical tracking task paradigm to the evaluation of kinesthetic-tactual displays. Four subjects attempted to control a first-order unstable system with a continuously decreasing time constant by using either visual or tactual unidimensional displays. Display aiding was introduced in both modalities in the form of velocity quickening. Visual tracking performance was better than tactual tracking, and velocity aiding improved the critical tracking scores for visual and tactual tracking about equally. The results suggest that the critical task methodology holds considerable promise for evaluating kinesthetic-tactual displays.

  13. Ultra-low velocity zone heterogeneities at the core-mantle boundary from diffracted PKKPab waves

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Xiaolong; Sun, Xinlei

    2017-08-01

    Diffracted waves around Earth's core could provide important information of the lowermost mantle that other seismic waves may not. We examined PKKPab diffraction waves from 52 earthquakes occurring at the western Pacific region and recorded by USArray to probe the velocity structure along the core-mantle boundary (CMB). These diffracted waves emerge at distances up to 10° past the theoretical cutoff epicentral distance and show comparable amplitudes. We measured the ray parameters of PKKPab diffraction waves by Radon transform analysis that is suitable for large-aperture arrays. These ray parameters show a wide range of values from 4.250 to 4.840 s/deg, suggesting strong lateral heterogeneities in sampling regions at the base of the mantle. We further estimated the P-wave velocity variations by converting these ray parameters and found the CMB regions beneath the northwestern edge of African Anomaly (Ritsma et al. in Science 286:1925-1928, 1999) and southern Sumatra Islands exhibit velocity reductions up to 8.5% relative to PREM. We suggest that these low velocity regions are Ultra-low velocity zones, which may be related to partial melt or iron-enriched solids.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

  14. Rheology of serpentinite in high-temperature and low-slip-velocity regime

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, M.; Uehara, S.; Mizoguchi, K.; Takeda, N.; Masuda, K.

    2009-12-01

    This study was designed to clarify the rheology of serpentinite experimentally, related both the sliding velocity and the temperature. The frictional behavior of serpentinite is of particular interest in the study of earthquake generation processes along subducting plates and transform faults. Previous studies [Reinen et al., 1991-93] revealed that the serpentinites indicated two-mechanical behaviors at velocity-step test: ‘state-variable dominated behavior’ at relatively higher velocity (0.1-10 μm/sec) and ‘flow-dominated behavior’ at lower velocity (less than 0.1 μm/sec). Such complexity on the frictional behavior could make it complicated to forecast on the slip acceleration process from the plate motion velocity to the earthquake. Even under the room-temperature condition, those multiple behavior could be observed, thus, serpentinite can be a model substance to present a new constitutive law at the brittle-ductile transition regime. We, therefore, focus to discuss the transient behaviors of serpentinite at the velocity-step test. We used a gas-medium, high-pressure, and high-temperature triaxial testing machine belonging to the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan. Sliding deformation was applied on the thin zone of the serpentinite gouge (1.0 g of almost pure antigorite powder) sandwiched between two alumina blocks with oblique surfaces at 30° to the axis. All experiments were carried out under a set of constant conditions, 100 MPa of the confining pressure (Ar-gas) and 30 MPa of the pore pressure (distilled water). The temperature conditions were varied from the room-temperature to 500° C, and three sliding velocity-regimes were adopted: low (0.0115 - 0.115 μm/sec), middle (0.115 - 1.15 μm/sec) and high (1.15 - 11.5 μm/sec) velocity regimes. In each velocity regime, the sliding velocity was increased or decreased in a stepwise fashion, and then we observed the transient behaviors until it reached the

  15. A Radar-Enabled Collaborative Sensor Network Integrating COTS Technology for Surveillance and Tracking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Murat Demirer

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The feasibility of using Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS sensor nodes is studied in a distributed network, aiming at dynamic surveillance and tracking of ground targets. Data acquisition by low-cost ( < $50 US miniature low-power radar through a wireless mote is described. We demonstrate the detection, ranging and velocity estimation, classification and tracking capabilities of the mini-radar, and compare results to simulations and manual measurements. Furthermore, we supplement the radar output with other sensor modalities, such as acoustic and vibration sensors. This method provides innovative solutions for detecting, identifying, and tracking vehicles and dismounts over a wide area in noisy conditions. This study presents a step towards distributed intelligent decision support and demonstrates effectiveness of small cheap sensors, which can complement advanced technologies in certain real-life scenarios.

  16. Results of verification and investigation of wind velocity field forecast. Verification of wind velocity field forecast model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ogawa, Takeshi; Kayano, Mitsunaga; Kikuchi, Hideo; Abe, Takeo; Saga, Kyoji

    1995-01-01

    In Environmental Radioactivity Research Institute, the verification and investigation of the wind velocity field forecast model 'EXPRESS-1' have been carried out since 1991. In fiscal year 1994, as the general analysis, the validity of weather observation data, the local features of wind field, and the validity of the positions of monitoring stations were investigated. The EXPRESS which adopted 500 m mesh so far was improved to 250 m mesh, and the heightening of forecast accuracy was examined, and the comparison with another wind velocity field forecast model 'SPEEDI' was carried out. As the results, there are the places where the correlation with other points of measurement is high and low, and it was found that for the forecast of wind velocity field, by excluding the data of the points with low correlation or installing simplified observation stations to take their data in, the forecast accuracy is improved. The outline of the investigation, the general analysis of weather observation data and the improvements of wind velocity field forecast model and forecast accuracy are reported. (K.I.)

  17. Low-noise magnetic observatory variometer with race-track sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Janošek, M; Petrucha, V; Vlk, M

    2016-01-01

    We present a low-noise, high-stability observatory magnetometer with race-track sensors, as developed by the Czech Technical University in Prague for National Observatory of Athens. As opposed to the standard instruments, we used our novel race-track fluxgate sensors with planar oval core which were cut by state-of-the art pico-second UV-laser. The noise performance of the complete electronics and sensor chain is below 6 pT/√Hz @ 1 Hz. The electronics uses 24-bit 200-Hz A/D converter with simultaneous sampling and all digital processing is done in FPGA. The variometer with the sensors mounted on a MACOR cube has been successfully calibrated by scalar method. (paper)

  18. Low velocity collisions of porous planetesimals in the early solar system

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Niem, D.; Kührt, E.; Hviid, S.; Davidsson, B.

    2018-02-01

    The ESA Rosetta mission has shown that Comet 67P/Churuymov-Gerasimenko is bi-lobed, has a high average porosity of around 70%, does not have internal cavities on size scales larger than 10 m, the lobes could have individual sets of onion shell-like layering, and the nucleus surface contains 100 m-scale cylindrical pits. It is currently debated whether these properties are consistent with high-velocity collisional evolution or if they necessarily are surviving signatures of low-velocity primordial accretion. We use an Eulerian hydrocode to study collisions between highly porous bodies of different sizes, material parameters and relative velocities with emphasis on 5-100 m/s to characterize the effects of collisions in terms of deformation, compaction, and heating. We find that accretion of 1 km cometesimals by 3 km nuclei at 13.5 m/s flattens and partially buries the cometesimal with ∼ 1% reduction of the bulk porosity. This structure locally becomes more dense but the global effect of compaction is minor, suggesting that low-velocity accretion does not lead to a 'bunch of grapes' structure with large internal cavities but a more homogeneous interior, consistent with Rosetta findings. The mild local compaction associated with accretion is potentially the origin of the observed nucleus layering. In 2D axially symmetric impacts hit-and-stick collisions of similarly-sized nuclei are possible at velocities up to 30 m/s where deformation becomes severe. The bulk porosity is reduced significantly, even at 30-50 m/s relative velocity. To avoid hit-and-run collisions the impact angle must be less than 35°-45° from the surface normal at 10 m/s, and even smaller at higher velocities. Impact heating is insignificant. We find that the small cross section of the 67P neck may require a ≤ 5 m/s impact, unless the cohesion exceeds 10 kPa. We conclude that bi-lobe nucleus formation is possible at velocities typically discussed in hierarchical growth scenarios. Impacts of a 7 m

  19. Immersed transient eddy current flow metering: a calibration-free velocity measurement technique for liquid metals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krauter, N.; Stefani, F.

    2017-10-01

    Eddy current flow meters are widely used for measuring the flow velocity of electrically conducting fluids. Since the flow induced perturbations of a magnetic field depend both on the geometry and the conductivity of the fluid, extensive calibration is needed to get accurate results. Transient eddy current flow metering has been developed to overcome this problem. It relies on tracking the position of an impressed eddy current system that is moving with the same velocity as the conductive fluid. We present an immersed version of this measurement technique and demonstrate its viability by numerical simulations and a first experimental validation.

  20. Immersed transient eddy current flow metering: a calibration-free velocity measurement technique for liquid metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krauter, N; Stefani, F

    2017-01-01

    Eddy current flow meters are widely used for measuring the flow velocity of electrically conducting fluids. Since the flow induced perturbations of a magnetic field depend both on the geometry and the conductivity of the fluid, extensive calibration is needed to get accurate results. Transient eddy current flow metering has been developed to overcome this problem. It relies on tracking the position of an impressed eddy current system that is moving with the same velocity as the conductive fluid. We present an immersed version of this measurement technique and demonstrate its viability by numerical simulations and a first experimental validation. (paper)

  1. Investigating Ultra-low Velocity Zones beneath the Southwestern Pacific

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carson, S. E.; Hansen, S. E.; Garnero, E.

    2017-12-01

    The core mantle boundary (CMB), where the solid silicate mantle meets the liquid iron-nickel outer core, represents the largest density contrast on our planet, and it has long been recognized that the CMB is associated with significant structural heterogeneities. One CMB structure of particular interest are ultra low-velocity zones (ULVZs), laterally-varying, 5-50 km thick isolated patches seen in some locations just above the CMB that are associated with increased density and reduced seismic wave velocities. These variable characteristics have led to many questions regarding ULVZ origins, but less than 40% of the CMB has been surveyed for the presence of ULVZs given limited seismic coverage of the lowermost mantle. Therefore, investigations that sample the CMB with new geometries are critical to further our understanding of ULVZs and their potential connection to other deep Earth processes. The Transantarctic Mountains Northern Network (TAMNNET), a 15-station seismic array that was recently deployed in Antarctica, provides a unique dataset to further study ULVZ structure with new and unique path geometry. Core-reflected ScP and PcP phases from the TAMNNET dataset particularly well sample the CMB in the vicinity of New Zealand in the southwestern Pacific, providing coverage between an area to the north where ULVZ structure has been previously identified and another region to the south, which shows no ULVZ evidence. By identifying and modeling pre- and post-cursor ScP and PcP energy, we are exploring a new portion of the CMB with a goal of better understanding potential ULVZ origins. Our study area also crosses the southern boundary of the Pacific Large Low Shear Velocity Province (LLSVP); therefore, our investigations may allow us to examine the possible relationship between LLSVPs and ULVZs.

  2. Real-time Non-linear Target Tracking Control of Wheeled Mobile Robots

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    YU Wenyong

    2006-01-01

    A control strategy for real-time target tracking for wheeled mobile robots is presented. Using a modified Kalman filter for environment perception, a novel tracking control law derived from Lyapunov stability theory is introduced. Tuning of linear velocity and angular velocity with mechanical constraints is applied. The proposed control system can simultaneously solve the target trajectory prediction, real-time tracking, and posture regulation problems of a wheeled mobile robot. Experimental results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed tracking control laws.

  3. Model tracking system for low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities: License application interrogatories and responses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Benbennick, M.E.; Broton, M.S.; Fuoto, J.S.; Novgrod, R.L.

    1994-08-01

    This report describes a model tracking system for a low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal facility license application. In particular, the model tracks interrogatories (questions, requests for information, comments) and responses. A set of requirements and desired features for the model tracking system was developed, including required structure and computer screens. Nine tracking systems were then reviewed against the model system requirements and only two were found to meet all requirements. Using Kepner-Tregoe decision analysis, a model tracking system was selected.

  4. Model tracking system for low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities: License application interrogatories and responses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Benbennick, M.E.; Broton, M.S.; Fuoto, J.S.; Novgrod, R.L.

    1994-08-01

    This report describes a model tracking system for a low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal facility license application. In particular, the model tracks interrogatories (questions, requests for information, comments) and responses. A set of requirements and desired features for the model tracking system was developed, including required structure and computer screens. Nine tracking systems were then reviewed against the model system requirements and only two were found to meet all requirements. Using Kepner-Tregoe decision analysis, a model tracking system was selected

  5. Adaptive Jacobian Fuzzy Attitude Control for Flexible Spacecraft Combined Attitude and Sun Tracking System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chak, Yew-Chung; Varatharajoo, Renuganth

    2016-07-01

    Many spacecraft attitude control systems today use reaction wheels to deliver precise torques to achieve three-axis attitude stabilization. However, irrecoverable mechanical failure of reaction wheels could potentially lead to mission interruption or total loss. The electrically-powered Solar Array Drive Assemblies (SADA) are usually installed in the pitch axis which rotate the solar arrays to track the Sun, can produce torques to compensate for the pitch-axis wheel failure. In addition, the attitude control of a flexible spacecraft poses a difficult problem. These difficulties include the strong nonlinear coupled dynamics between the rigid hub and flexible solar arrays, and the imprecisely known system parameters, such as inertia matrix, damping ratios, and flexible mode frequencies. In order to overcome these drawbacks, the adaptive Jacobian tracking fuzzy control is proposed for the combined attitude and sun-tracking control problem of a flexible spacecraft during attitude maneuvers in this work. For the adaptation of kinematic and dynamic uncertainties, the proposed scheme uses an adaptive sliding vector based on estimated attitude velocity via approximate Jacobian matrix. The unknown nonlinearities are approximated by deriving the fuzzy models with a set of linguistic If-Then rules using the idea of sector nonlinearity and local approximation in fuzzy partition spaces. The uncertain parameters of the estimated nonlinearities and the Jacobian matrix are being adjusted online by an adaptive law to realize feedback control. The attitude of the spacecraft can be directly controlled with the Jacobian feedback control when the attitude pointing trajectory is designed with respect to the spacecraft coordinate frame itself. A significant feature of this work is that the proposed adaptive Jacobian tracking scheme will result in not only the convergence of angular position and angular velocity tracking errors, but also the convergence of estimated angular velocity to

  6. Track etch parameters and annealing kinetics assessment of protons of low energy in CR-39 detector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jain, R.K.; Kumar, Ashok; Singh, B.K.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► We calibrate CR-39 detector with very low energy protons. ► We establish linear relationship between track diameter and time/energy up to 200 keV. ► We determine activation energy of annealing using different models. ► We justify concept of single annealing activation energy in CR-39. - Abstract: In this paper threshold of the registration sensitivity of very low energy proton in CR-39 is investigated. Irradiation of CR-39 (poly-allyl-diglycol carbonate) was carried out with very low energy mono energetic protons of 20–60 keV from a mini proton accelerator. Nearly 10 4 /cm 2 fluence of protons was used. The variation of track diameter with etching time as well as proton energy response curve was carefully calibrated. The bulk and track etch rates were measured by using proton track diameters. Bulk etch rate was also measured by the thickness of removed surface layer. The thermal annealing of proton track at temperatures ranging from 100 to 200 °C in CR-39 was studied by several models. Activation energy of annealed CR-39 detectors was calculated by slope of track etch rate and temperature plot. The data of proton tracks of 200, 250 and 300 keV from 400 kV Van-de-Graaff accelerator was also used and compared with the track diameters of different energies of proton.

  7. Evaluation of a BGO-Based PET System for Single-Cell Tracking Performance by Simulation and Phantom Studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu Ouyang PhD

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available A recent method based on positron emission was reported for tracking moving point sources using the Inveon PET system. However, the effect of scanner background noise was not further explored. Here, we evaluate tracking with the Genisys4, a bismuth germanate-based PET system, which has no significant intrinsic background and may be better suited to tracking lower and/or faster activity sources. Position-dependent sensitivity of the Genisys4 was simulated in Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission (GATE using a static 18F point source. Trajectories of helically moving point sources with varying activity and rotation speed were reconstructed from list-mode data as described previously. Simulations showed that the Inveon’s ability to track sources within 2 mm of localization error is limited to objects with a velocity-to-activity ratio < 0.13 mm/decay, compared to < 0.29 mm/decay for the Genisys4. Tracking with the Genisys4 was then validated using a physical phantom of helically moving [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose-in-oil droplets (< 0.24 mm diameter, 139-296 Bq, yielding < 1 mm localization error under the tested conditions, with good agreement between simulated sensitivity and measured activity (Pearson correlation R = .64, P << .05 in a representative example. We have investigated the tracking performance with the Genisys4, and results suggest the feasibility of tracking low activity, point source-like objects with this system.

  8. Tracking of Polycarbonate Films using Low-energy Ions Final Report CRADA No. TC-774-94

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Musket, R. G. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2018-01-24

    Ion tracking is performed almost exclusively using ions with energies near or above the maximum in electronic stopping. For the present study, we have examined the results of etching ion tracks created by ions bombarding polycarbonate films with energies corresponding to stopping well below the maximum and just above the anticipated threshold for creating etchable latent tracks. Low-energy neon and argon ions with 18-60 keV /amu and fluences of about 108/cm2 were used to examine the limits for producing etchable tracks in polycarbonate films. By concentrating on the early stages of etching (i.e., -20 nm < SEM hole diameter < -100 nm), we can directly relate the energy deposition calculated for the incident ion to the creation of etchable tracks. The experimental results will be discussed with regard to the energy losses of the ions in the polycarbonate films and to the formation of continuous latent tracks through the entire thickness the films. These results have significant implications with respect to the threshold for formation of etchable tracks and to the use of low-energy ions for lithographic applications.

  9. Passive Infrared (PIR)-Based Indoor Position Tracking for Smart Homes Using Accessibility Maps and A-Star Algorithm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Dan; Xu, Bin; Rao, Kaiyou; Sheng, Weihua

    2018-01-24

    Indoor occupants' positions are significant for smart home service systems, which usually consist of robot service(s), appliance control and other intelligent applications. In this paper, an innovative localization method is proposed for tracking humans' position in indoor environments based on passive infrared (PIR) sensors using an accessibility map and an A-star algorithm, aiming at providing intelligent services. First the accessibility map reflecting the visiting habits of the occupants is established through the integral training with indoor environments and other prior knowledge. Then the PIR sensors, which placement depends on the training results in the accessibility map, get the rough location information. For more precise positioning, the A-start algorithm is used to refine the localization, fused with the accessibility map and the PIR sensor data. Experiments were conducted in a mock apartment testbed. The ground truth data was obtained from an Opti-track system. The results demonstrate that the proposed method is able to track persons in a smart home environment and provide a solution for home robot localization.

  10. Passive Infrared (PIR-Based Indoor Position Tracking for Smart Homes Using Accessibility Maps and A-Star Algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dan Yang

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Indoor occupants’ positions are significant for smart home service systems, which usually consist of robot service(s, appliance control and other intelligent applications. In this paper, an innovative localization method is proposed for tracking humans’ position in indoor environments based on passive infrared (PIR sensors using an accessibility map and an A-star algorithm, aiming at providing intelligent services. First the accessibility map reflecting the visiting habits of the occupants is established through the integral training with indoor environments and other prior knowledge. Then the PIR sensors, which placement depends on the training results in the accessibility map, get the rough location information. For more precise positioning, the A-start algorithm is used to refine the localization, fused with the accessibility map and the PIR sensor data. Experiments were conducted in a mock apartment testbed. The ground truth data was obtained from an Opti-track system. The results demonstrate that the proposed method is able to track persons in a smart home environment and provide a solution for home robot localization.

  11. Design of a positional tracking and radiological alarm system for transportation of radioactive isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saindane, Shashank; Pujari, R.N.; Narsaiah, M.V.R.; Chaudhury, Probal; Pradeepkumar, K.S.

    2016-01-01

    The safety aspects during the transport of radioactive material have to ensure that even in event of accident the potential of radiation exposure to public is extremely small. Continuous monitoring and online data transfer to emergency control room will strengthen the emergency preparedness to response to any such accident during transport of radioactive material. The paper presents the combined application of Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and the Internet for tracking the shipment vehicle transporting radioactive isotopes for use in the medical industry. The key features of the prototype system designed are realtime radiological status update along with photo snap of the shipping flask at predefined interval along with positional coordinates, GIS platform and a web-based user interface. The system consists of a GM based radiation monitoring device (RMD) along with a LAN camera, GPS for tracking the shipment vehicle, a communications server, a web-server, a database server, and a map server. The RMD and tracking device mounted in the shipment vehicle collects location and radiological information on real-time via the GPS. This information is transferred continuously through GPRS to a central database. The users will be able to view the current location of the vehicle via a web-based application

  12. PerPos: a Translucent Positioning Middleware Supporting Adaptation of Internal Positioning Processes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Jakob Langdal; Schougaard, Kari Rye; Kjærgaard, Mikkel Baun

    2010-01-01

    of application specific features that can be applied to the internal position processing of the middleware. To evaluate these capabilities we extend the internal position processing of the middleware with functionality supporting probabilistic position tracking and strategies for minimization of the energy......A positioning middleware benefits the development of location aware applications. Traditionally, positioning middleware provides position transparency in the sense that it hides low-level details. However, many applications require access to specific details of the usually hidden positioning...

  13. Satellite Altimetry and Current-Meter Velocities in the Malvinas Current at 41°S: Comparisons and Modes of Variations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrari, Ramiro; Artana, Camila; Saraceno, Martin; Piola, Alberto R.; Provost, Christine

    2017-12-01

    Three year long current-meter arrays were deployed in the Malvinas Current at 41°S below a satellite altimeter track at about 10 years intervals. Surface geostrophic velocities (SGV) derived from satellite altimetric data are compared with the in situ velocities at the upper current meter (˜300 m). Multisatellite gridded SGV compare better with in situ observations than along-track SGV. In spite of the proximity of the moorings to the complex Brazil-Malvinas Confluence (BMC) region, satellite SGV are significantly correlated with the 20 day low-passed in situ velocities (0.85 for along-isobaths velocities, 0.8 for cross-isobaths velocities). The recent in situ measurement period (2014-2015) stands out in the altimetry record with a long-lasting (4 months) high level of eddy kinetic energy at the mooring site and a southernmost location of the Subantarctic Front (SAF). The first two modes of variations of sea level anomaly (SLA) over the BMC remarkably match the first two modes of the low-passed in situ velocities. The first mode is associated with a latitudinal migration of the SAF, and the second with a longitudinal displacement of the Brazil Current overshoot. The two modes dominate the 24 year long record of SLA in the BMC, with energy peaks at the annual and semiannual periods for the first mode and at 3-5 months for the second mode. The SLA over the Southwest Atlantic was regressed onto the two confluence modes of SLA variations and showed remarkable standing wave train like structures in the Argentine Basin.

  14. Pacing Behavior and Tactical Positioning in 500- and 1000-m Short-Track Speed Skating.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noorbergen, Olaf S; Konings, Marco J; Micklewright, Dominic; Elferink-Gemser, Marije T; Hettinga, Florentina J

    2016-09-01

    To explore pacing behavior and tactical positioning during the shorter 500- and 1000-m short-track competitions. Lap times and intermediate rankings of elite 500- and 1000-m short-track-skating competitors were collected over the 2012-13 season. First, lap times were analyzed using a MANOVA, and for each lap, differences between sex, race type, final ranking, and stage of competition were determined. Second, Kendall tau-b correlations were used to assess relationships between intermediate and final rankings. In addition, intermediate rankings of the winner of each race were examined. Top-placed athletes appeared faster than bottom-placed athletes in every lap in the 500-m, while in the 1000-m no differences were found until the final 4 laps (P < .05). Correlations between intermediate and final rankings were already high at the beginning stages of the 50-m (lap 1: r = .59) but not for the 1000-m (lap 1: r = .21). Although 500- and 1000-m short-track races are both relatively short, fundamental differences in pacing behavior and tactical positioning were found. A fast-start strategy seems to be optimal for 500-m races, while the crucial segment in 1000-m races seems to be from the 6th lap to the finish line (ie, after ± 650 m). These findings provide evidence to suggest that athletes balance between choosing an energetically optimal profile and the tactical and positional benefits that play a role when riding against an opponent, as well as contributing to developing novel insights in exploring athletic behavior when racing against opponents.

  15. Upper mantle low velocity heterogeneities beneath NE China revealed by source- and receiver-side converted waves

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guan, Z.; Niu, F.

    2017-12-01

    Common-conversion-point (CCP) stacking of receiver function is a powerful tool in mapping upper mantle heterogeneities. However, reverberations from shallow boundaries with large velocity contrast could contaminate the imaging profiles severely. Applying the refined Slowness Weighted CCP (SWCCP) stacking technique (Guan and Niu, 2017) on NECESSArray data, we eliminated the multiple effects and systematically imaged the upper mantle low velocity heterogeneities in NE China where there exist rich unconsolidated sediments. The SWCCP profiles reveal a 350 km low velocity heterogeneity which is possibly associated with the Changbai Mountain volcanism and interpreted as a negatively buoyant silicate melt lying atop of the 410 km discontinuity. Besides, the imaging results are also suggestive of a sporadic 580-620 km low velocity heterogeneity locating in the easternmost part of NE China with a velocity contrast comparable with the 660-km discontinuity. In addition, between 42º N and 45º N, we also found a double 660-km discontinuity at the two sides of the localized depression in the longitudinal range of 128º E to 131º E. On the other hand, we gathered USArray and Alaska regional array seismic data of deep earthquakes occurring beneath NE China and the surrounding areas and employed stacking technique to study the source side S-to-P conversions. The source-side stacking also showed a strong S-to-P conversion at 600 km deep, consistent with the SWCCP stacks. Meanwhile, we also confirmed the double 660-km discontinuity feature from the source-side conversions. The receiver- and source-side observations provide strong constraints on these low velocity anomalies that may offer insights on the subduction dynamics of the Pacific plate.

  16. Random set particle filter for bearings-only multitarget tracking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vihola, Matti

    2005-05-01

    The random set approach to multitarget tracking is a theoretically sound framework that covers joint estimation of the number of targets and the state of the targets. This paper describes a particle filter implementation of the random set multitarget filter. The contribution of this paper to the random set tracking framework is the formulation of a measurement model where each sensor report is assumed to contain at most one measurement. The implemented filter was tested in synthetic bearings-only tracking scenarios containing up to two targets in the presence of false alarms and missed measurements. The estimated target state consisted of 2D position and velocity components. The filter was capable to track the targets fairly well despite of the missing measurements and the relatively high false alarm rates. In addition, the filter showed robustness against wrong parameter values of false alarm rates. The results that were obtained during the limited tests of the filter show that the random set framework has potential for challenging tracking situations. On the other hand, the computational burden of the described implementation is quite high and increases approximately linearly with respect to the expected number of targets.

  17. An artificial retina for fast track finding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ristori, Luciano

    2000-01-01

    A new approach is proposed for fast track finding in position-sensitive detectors. The basic working principle is modeled on what is widely believed to be the low-level mechanism used by the eye to recognize straight edges. A number of receptors are tuned such that each one responds to a different range of track orientations, each track actually fires several receptors and an estimate of the orientation is obtained through interpolation. The feasibility of a practical device based on this principle and its possible implementation using currently available digital logic is discussed

  18. Fission track dating method: I. Study of neutron flux uniformity in some irradiation positions of IEA-R1 reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Osorio, A.M.; Hadler, J.C.; Iunes, P.J.; Paulo, S.R. de

    1993-06-01

    In order to use the fission track dating method the flux gradient was verified within the sample holder, in some irradiation positions of the IEA-R1 reactor at IPEN/CNEN, Sao Paulo. The fission track dating method considers only the thermal neutron fission tracks, to subtract the other contributions sample irradiations with a cadmium cover was performed. The neutron flux cadmium influence was studied. (author)

  19. Performance of a vector velocity estimator

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Munk, Peter; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

    1998-01-01

    tracking can be found in the literature, but no method with a satisfactory performance has been found that can be used in a commercial implementation. A method for estimation of the velocity vector is presented. Here an oscillation transverse to the ultrasound beam is generated, so that a transverse motion...... in an autocorrelation approach that yields both the axial and the lateral velocity, and thus the velocity vector. The method has the advantage that a standard array transducer and a modified digital beamformer, like those used in modern ultrasound scanners, is sufficient to obtain the information needed. The signal...

  20. New Low Cost Structure for Dual Axis Mount Solar Tracking System Using Adaptive Solar Sensor

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Argeseanu, Alin; Ritchie, Ewen; Leban, Krisztina Monika

    2010-01-01

    A solar tracking system is designed to optimize the operation of solar energy receivers. The objective of this paper is proposing a new tracking system structure with two axis. The success strategy of this new project focuses on the economical analysis of solar energy. Therefore it is important...... to determine the most cost effective design, to consider the costs of production and maintenance, and operating. The proposed tracking system uses a new solar sensor position with an adaptive feature....

  1. Ultrasonic detection of spall damage nucleation under low-velocity repeated impact

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Watanabe T.

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Repeated plate impact testing with impact stress well below the threshold spall-stress (2.6 GPa on medium carbon steel was carried out to the identical target plate by impacting the flyer plate. Occurrence of spall damage under low-velocity repeated impact was evaluated nondestructively with a low frequency scanning acoustic microscope. We observed the spall damage distribution by the B- and C-scan images. In order to initiate the spall damage (voids in a ductile material or cracks in a brittle one the particular value of threshold spall-stress should be exceeded what already belongs to a commonly accepted knowledge. Generally, the spall damage development is dependent on the amplitude and the duration of the stress pulse. If the stress is high and duration is long enough to create tensile failure of material, the voids or cracks nucleate along the spall plane, and consequently, they form macrocracks. Therefore, the spall damage does not create when the first impact stress is less than the threshold spall-stress. However, after the fifth low-velocity repeated impact test, the generation of the spall damage was detected, even if the impact stress (1.1–1.7 GPa was lower than the threshold spall-stress (2.6 GPa.

  2. A low-cost test-bed for real-time landmark tracking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Csaszar, Ambrus; Hanan, Jay C.; Moreels, Pierre; Assad, Christopher

    2007-04-01

    A low-cost vehicle test-bed system was developed to iteratively test, refine and demonstrate navigation algorithms before attempting to transfer the algorithms to more advanced rover prototypes. The platform used here was a modified radio controlled (RC) car. A microcontroller board and onboard laptop computer allow for either autonomous or remote operation via a computer workstation. The sensors onboard the vehicle represent the types currently used on NASA-JPL rover prototypes. For dead-reckoning navigation, optical wheel encoders, a single axis gyroscope, and 2-axis accelerometer were used. An ultrasound ranger is available to calculate distance as a substitute for the stereo vision systems presently used on rovers. The prototype also carries a small laptop computer with a USB camera and wireless transmitter to send real time video to an off-board computer. A real-time user interface was implemented that combines an automatic image feature selector, tracking parameter controls, streaming video viewer, and user generated or autonomous driving commands. Using the test-bed, real-time landmark tracking was demonstrated by autonomously driving the vehicle through the JPL Mars yard. The algorithms tracked rocks as waypoints. This generated coordinates calculating relative motion and visually servoing to science targets. A limitation for the current system is serial computing-each additional landmark is tracked in order-but since each landmark is tracked independently, if transferred to appropriate parallel hardware, adding targets would not significantly diminish system speed.

  3. Velocities of gas and plasmas from real time holographic interferograms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deason, V.A.; Reynolds, L.D.; McIlwain, M.E.

    1985-01-01

    A truly noninvasive measurement technique for plasma velocity has not been demonstrated. Plasma velocities have been inferred using laser Doppler anemometry or photographic analysis of the position of smoke or small particles. This paper describes an alternate method based on the refractive index change created in a plasma by a gaseous probe material injected into the plasma. This disturbance of the refractive index can be monitored using interferometry. A multipass real time holographic interferometry system was used to follow the changes of the interferometric pattern, and the data was recorded using high speed cinematography. A transparent model of an industrial plasma torch was employed in these studies, and a number of different types of trace gas materials were used to track the plasma flow. Using a combination of multipass interferometry and a laser line absorbing gas, sufficient interferometric sensitivity was obtained to determine plasma velocities in the 100 m/s range. Based on these results, a working plasma torch was constructed. Further studies are planned using this torch and actual plasmas

  4. Derivation of three closed loop kinematic velocity models using normalized quaternion feedback for an autonomous redundant manipulator with application to inverse kinematics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Unseren, M.A.

    1993-04-01

    The report discusses the orientation tracking control problem for a kinematically redundant, autonomous manipulator moving in a three dimensional workspace. The orientation error is derived using the normalized quaternion error method of Ickes, the Luh, Walker, and Paul error method, and a method suggested here utilizing the Rodrigues parameters, all of which are expressed in terms of normalized quaternions. The analytical time derivatives of the orientation errors are determined. The latter, along with the translational velocity error, form a dosed loop kinematic velocity model of the manipulator using normalized quaternion and translational position feedback. An analysis of the singularities associated with expressing the models in a form suitable for solving the inverse kinematics problem is given. Two redundancy resolution algorithms originally developed using an open loop kinematic velocity model of the manipulator are extended to properly take into account the orientation tracking control problem. This report furnishes the necessary mathematical framework required prior to experimental implementation of the orientation tracking control schemes on the seven axis CESARm research manipulator or on the seven-axis Robotics Research K1207i dexterous manipulator, the latter of which is to be delivered to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1993.

  5. Derivation of three closed loop kinematic velocity models using normalized quaternion feedback for an autonomous redundant manipulator with application to inverse kinematics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Unseren, M.A.

    1993-04-01

    The report discusses the orientation tracking control problem for a kinematically redundant, autonomous manipulator moving in a three dimensional workspace. The orientation error is derived using the normalized quaternion error method of Ickes, the Luh, Walker, and Paul error method, and a method suggested here utilizing the Rodrigues parameters, all of which are expressed in terms of normalized quaternions. The analytical time derivatives of the orientation errors are determined. The latter, along with the translational velocity error, form a dosed loop kinematic velocity model of the manipulator using normalized quaternion and translational position feedback. An analysis of the singularities associated with expressing the models in a form suitable for solving the inverse kinematics problem is given. Two redundancy resolution algorithms originally developed using an open loop kinematic velocity model of the manipulator are extended to properly take into account the orientation tracking control problem. This report furnishes the necessary mathematical framework required prior to experimental implementation of the orientation tracking control schemes on the seven axis CESARm research manipulator or on the seven-axis Robotics Research K1207i dexterous manipulator, the latter of which is to be delivered to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1993

  6. Elastic collisions of classical point particles on a finite frictionless linear track with perfectly reflecting endpoints

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeLuca, R.

    2006-03-01

    Repeated elastic collisions of point particles on a finite frictionless linear track with perfectly reflecting endpoints are considered. The problem is analysed by means of an elementary linear algebra approach. It is found that, starting with a state consisting of a projectile particle in motion at constant velocity and a target particle at rest in a fixed known position, the points at which collisions occur on track, when plotted versus progressive numerals, corresponding to the collisions themselves, show periodic patterns for a rather large choice of values of the initial position x(0) and on the mass ratio r. For certain values of these parameters, however, only regular behaviour over a large number of collisions is detected.

  7. Damage in woven CFRP laminates subjected to low velocity impacts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ullah, H; Abdel-Wahab, A A; Harland, A R; Silberschmidt, V V

    2012-01-01

    Carbon fabric-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites used in sports products can be exposed to different in-service conditions such as large dynamic bending deformations caused by impact loading. Composite materials subjected to such loads demonstrate various damage modes such as matrix cracking, delamination and, ultimately, fabric fracture. Damage evolution in these materials affects both their in-service properties and performance that can deteriorate with time. These processes need adequate means of analysis and investigation, the major approaches being experimental characterisation and non-destructive examination of internal damage in composite laminates. This research deals with a deformation behaviour and damage in woven composite laminates due to low-velocity dynamic out-of-plane bending. Experimental tests are carried out to characterise the behaviour of such laminates under large-deflection dynamic bending in un-notched specimens in Izod tests using a Resil Impactor. A series of low-velocity impact tests is carried out at various levels of impact energy to assess the energy absorbed and force-time response of CFRP laminates. X-ray micro computed tomography (micro-CT) is used to investigate material damage modes in the impacted specimens. X-ray tomographs revealed that through-thickness matrix cracking, inter-ply delamination and intra-ply delamination, such as tow debonding and fabric fracture, were the prominent damage modes.

  8. Slow light with low group-velocity dispersion at the edge of photonic graphene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ouyang Chunfang; Dong Biqin; Liu Xiaohan; Zi Jian [Department of Physics, Key Laboratory of Micro- and Nanophotonic Structures, Ministry of Education, and Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Xiong Zhiqiang; Zhao Fangyuan; Hu Xinhua [Department of Material Science and Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China)

    2011-07-15

    We theoretically study the light propagation at the zigzag edges of a honeycomb photonic crystal (PC), or photonic graphene. It is found that the corresponding edge states have a sinusoidal dispersion similar to those found in PC coupled resonator optical waveguides [CROWs; M. Notomi et al., Nature Photon. 2, 741 (2008)]. The sinusoidal dispersion curve can be made very flat by carefully tuning edge parameters. As a result, low group velocity and small group velocity dispersion can be simultaneously obtained for light propagating at the zigzag edge of photonic graphene. Compared with PC CROWs, our slow-light system exhibits no intrinsic radiation loss and has a larger group velocity bandwidth product. Our results could find applications in on-chip optical buffers and enhanced light-matter interaction.

  9. The Design of High Performance, Low Power Triple-Track Magnetic Sensor Chip

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junning Chen

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a design of a high performance and low power consumption triple-track magnetic sensor chip which was fabricated in TSMC 0.35 μm CMOS process. This chip is able to simultaneously sense, decode and read out the information stored in triple-track magnetic cards. A reference voltage generating circuit, a low-cost filter circuit, a power-on reset circuit, an RC oscillator, and a pre-decoding circuit are utilized as the basic modules. The triple-track magnetic sensor chip has four states, i.e., reset, sleep, swiping card and data read-out. In sleep state, the internal RC oscillator is closed, which means that the digital part does not operate to optimize energy consumption. In order to improve decoding accuracy and expand the sensing range of the signal, two kinds of circuit are put forward, naming offset correction circuit, and tracking circuit. With these two circuits, the sensing function of this chip can be more efficiently and accurately. We simulated these circuit modules with TSMC technology library. The results showed that these modules worked well within wide range input signal. Based on these results, the layout and tape-out were carried out. The measurement results showed that the chip do function well within a wide swipe speed range, which achieved the design target.

  10. Fatigue Performance of Composite Laminates After Low-velocity Impact

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LIANG Xiao-lin

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Compression-compression fatigue tests were carried out on T300/5405 composite laminates after low-velocity impact, compression performance of the laminates with different impact damages was studied together with its fatigue life and damage propagation under different stress levels, then the effects of impact energy, stress level and damage propagation on fatigue life of laminates were discussed. The results indicate that impact damage can greatly reduce the residual strength of laminates; under low fatigue load levels, the higher impact energy is, the shorter the fatigue life of laminates with impact damage will be; damage propagation undergoes two stages during the fatigue test, namely the steady propagation and the rapid propagation, accounting for 80% and 20% of the overall fatigue life, respectively; damage propagation rate decreases with the reduction of stress level.

  11. Imaging pockets and conduits of low velocity material beneath the lithosphere of the Atlas Mountains of Morocco: links to volcanism and orogenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, M. S.; Sun, D.; O'Driscoll, L.; Holt, A.; Butcher, A.; Becker, T. W.; Diaz Cusi, J.; Thomas, C.

    2014-12-01

    The Atlas Mountains of Morocco have unusually high topography, with no apparent deep crustal root, and regions of localized Cenozoic alkaline volcanism. Previous seismic imaging and geophysical studies have implied a hot mantle upwelling as the source of the volcanism and high elevation, but the existence and physical properties of such an upwelling are debated. Recent temporary deployments of over 100 broadband seismometers that extended across Morocco as part of the PICASSO, Morocco-Münster, and IberArray experiments along with select permanent stations have provided a dataset to image the detailed mantle and lithospheric structure beneath the Atlas. We present results from S receiver functions (SRF), shear wave splitting, waveform modeling, and geodynamic models that help constrain the tectonic evolution of the Atlas and the localized alkaline volcanism. The receiver functions show that the lithosphere is thin (~65 km) beneath the Atlas, but thickens (~105 km) over a very short length scale at the flanks of the mountains and near the Quaternary volcanoes. These changes in lithospheric thickness also correspond to dramatic decreases in delay times inferred from S and SKS splitting observations. SRFs also indicate a broad, low seismic velocity anomaly (~150 km) below the shallow lithosphere that extends along much of the Atlas and beneath the Anti-Atlas and correlates with the location of Pliocene-Quaternary magmatism. Waveform analysis from the linear array across the Middle and High Atlas constrains the position, shape, and physical characteristics of a localized, low velocity conduit that extends up from the uppermost mantle (~200 km). The shape, position and temperature of the imaged low velocity anomaly, offsets in the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary, and correlation with mantle flow inferred from shear wave splitting suggest that the unusually high topography of the Atlas Mountains is due to active mantle support.

  12. P-wave velocity structure beneath the northern Antarctic Peninsula: evidence of a steeply subducting slab and a deep-rooted low-velocity anomaly beneath the central Bransfield Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Yongcheol; Kim, Kwang-Hee; Lee, Joohan; Yoo, Hyun Jae; Plasencia L., Milton P.

    2012-12-01

    Upper-mantle structure between 100 and 300 km depth below the northern Antarctic Peninsula is imaged by modelling P-wave traveltime residuals from teleseismic events recorded on the King Sejong Station (KSJ), the Argentinean/Italian stations (JUBA and ESPZ), an IRIS/GSN Station (PMSA) and the Seismic Experiment in Patagonia and Antarctica (SEPA) broad-band stations. For measuring traveltime residuals, we applied a multichannel cross-correlation method and inverted for upper-mantle structure using VanDecar's method. The new 3-D velocity model reveals a subducted slab with a ˜70° dip angle at 100-300 km depth and a strong low-velocity anomaly confined below the SE flank of the central Bransfield Basin. The low velocity is attributed to a thermal anomaly in the mantle that could be as large as 350-560 K and which is associated with high heat flow and volcanism in the central Bransfield Basin. The low-velocity zone imaged below the SE flank of the central Bransfield Basin does not extend under the northern Bransfield Basin, suggesting that the rifting process in that area likely involves different geodynamic processes.

  13. Friction properties and deformation mechanisms of halite(-mica) gouges from low to high sliding velocities

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Buijze, L.; Niemeijer, A.R.; Han, R.; Shimamoto, T.; Spiers, C.J.

    2017-01-01

    The evolution of friction as a function of slip rate is important in understanding earthquake nucleation and propagation. Many laboratory experiments investigating friction of fault rocks are either conducted in the low velocity regime (10−8–10−4 ms−1) or in the high velocity regime (0.01–1 m s−1).

  14. Low-bias flat band-stop filter based on velocity modulated gaussian graphene superlattice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sattari-Esfahlan, S. M.; Shojaei, S.

    2018-05-01

    Transport properties of biased planar Gaussian graphene superlattice (PGGSL) with Fermi velocity barrier is investigated by transfer matrix method (TMM). It is observed that enlargement of bias voltage over miniband width breaks the miniband to WSLs leads to suppressing resonant tunneling. Transmission spectrum shows flat wide stop-band property controllable by external bias voltage with stop-band width of near 200 meV. The simulations demonstrate that strong velocity barriers prevent tunneling of Dirac electrons leading to controllable enhancement of stop-band width. By increasing ratio of Fermi velocity in barriers to wells υc stop-band width increase. As wide transmission stop-band width (BWT) of filter is tunable from 40 meV to 340 meV is obtained by enhancing ratio of υc from 0.2 to 1.5, respectively. Proposed structure suggests easy tunable wide band-stop electronic filter with a modulated flat stop-band characteristic by height of electrostatic barrier and structural parameters. Robust sensitivity of band width to velocity barrier intensity in certain bias voltages and flat band feature of proposed filter may be opens novel venue in GSL based flat band low noise filters and velocity modulation devices.

  15. Cerebral blood flow velocity changes during upright positioning in bed after acute stroke : An observational study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Aries, Marcel J; Elting, Jan Willem; Stewart, Roy; De Keyser, Jacques; Kremer, Berry; Vroomen, Patrick

    2013-01-01

    Objectives: National guidelines recommend mobilisation in bed as early as possible after acute stroke. Little is known about the influence of upright positioning on real-time cerebral flow variables in patients with stroke. We aimed to assess whether cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) changes

  16. Effect of cross-correlation on track-to-track fusion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saha, Rajat K.

    1994-07-01

    Since the advent of target tracking systems employing a diverse mixture of sensors, there has been increasing recognition by air defense system planners and other military system analysts of the need to integrate these tracks so that a clear air picture can be obtained in a command center. A popular methodology to achieve this goal is to perform track-to-track fusion, which performs track-to-track association as well as kinematic state vector fusion. This paper seeks to answer analytically the extent of improvement achievable by means of kinetic state vector fusion when the tracks are obtained from dissimilar sensors (e.g., Radar/ESM/IRST/IFF). It is well known that evaluation of the performance of state vector fusion algorithms at steady state must take into account the effects of cross-correlation between eligible tracks introduced by the input noise which, unfortunately, is often neglected because of added computational complexity. In this paper, an expression for the steady-state cross-covariance matrix for a 2D state vector track-to-track fusion is obtained. This matrix is shown to be a function of the parameters of the Kalman filters associated with the candidate tracks being fused. Conditions for positive definiteness of the cross-covariance matrix have been derived and the effect of positive definiteness on performance of track-to-track fusion is also discussed.

  17. LP 400-22, A Very Low Mass and High-Velocity White Dwarf

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawka, Adela; Vennes, Stephane; Oswalt, Terry D.; Smith, J. Allyn; Silvestri, Nicole M.

    2006-01-01

    We report the identification of LP 400-22 (WD 2234+222) as a very low mass and high-velocity white dwarf. The ultraviolet GALEX and optical photometric colors and a spectral line analysis of LP 400-22 show this star to have an effective temperature of 11,080+/-140 K and a surface gravity of log g = 6.32 +/-0.08. Therefore, this is a helium-core white dwarf with a mass of 0.17 M,. The tangential velocity of this white dwarf is 414+/-43 km/s, making it one of the fastest moving white dwarfs known. We discuss probable evolutionary scenarios for this remarkable object.

  18. Comparison of global positioning system (GPS) tracking and parent-report diaries to characterize children's time-location patterns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elgethun, Kai; Yost, Michael G; Fitzpatrick, Cole T E; Nyerges, Timothy L; Fenske, Richard A

    2007-03-01

    Respondent error, low resolution, and study participant burden are known limitations of diary timelines used in exposure studies such as the National Human Exposure Assessment Survey (NHEXAS). Recent advances in global positioning system (GPS) technology have produced tracking devices sufficiently portable, functional and affordable to utilize in exposure assessment science. In this study, a differentially corrected GPS (dGPS) tracking device was compared to the NHEXAS diary timeline. The study also explored how GPS can be used to evaluate and improve such diary timelines by determining which location categories and which respondents are least likely to record "correct" time-location responses. A total of 31 children ages 3-5 years old wore a dGPS device for all waking hours on a weekend day while their parents completed the NHEXAS diary timeline to document the child's time-location pattern. Parents misclassified child time-location approximately 48% of the time using the NHEXAS timeline in comparison to dGPS. Overall concordance between methods was marginal (kappa=0.33-0.35). The dGPS device found that on average, children spent 76% of the 24-h study period in the home. The diary underestimated time the child spent in the home by 17%, while overestimating time spent inside other locations, outside at home, outside in other locations, and time spent in transit. Diary data for time spent outside at home and time in transit had the lowest response concordance with dGPS. The diaries of stay-at-home mothers and mothers working unskilled labor jobs had lower concordance with dGPS than did those of the other participants. The ability of dGPS tracking to collect continuous rather than categorical (ordinal) data was also demonstrated. It is concluded that automated GPS tracking measurements can improve the quality and collection efficiency of time-location data in exposure assessment studies, albeit for small cohorts.

  19. A Study on the Measurement of Ultrasound Velocity to Evaluate Degradation of Low Voltage Cables for Nuclear Power Plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Kyung Cho; Kang, Suk Chull; Goo, Cheol Soo [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jin Ho; Park, Jae Seok; Joo, Geum Jong; Park, Chi Seung [KAITEC, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2004-08-15

    Several kinds of low voltage cables have been used in nuclear power plants for the supply of electric power, supervision, and the propagation of control signals. These low voltage tables must be inspected for safe and stable operation of nuclear power plants. In particular, the degradation diagnosis to estimate the integrity of low voltage rabies has recently been emphasized according to the long use of nuclear power plants. In order to evaluate their degradation, the surrounding temperature, hardness of insulation material, elongation at breaking point (EAB), etc. have been used. However, the measurement of temperature or hardness is not useful because of the absence of quantitative criteria; the inspection of a sample requires turning off of the power plant power; and, the electrical inspection method is not sufficiently sensitive from the initial through the middle stage of degradation. In this research, based on the theory that the ultrasonic velocity changes with relation to the degradation of the material, we measured the ultrasonic velocity as low voltage cables were degraded. To this end, an ultrasonic degradation diagnosis device was developed and used to measure the ultrasonic velocity with the clothing on the cable, and it was confirmed that the ultrasonic velocity changes according to the degradation of low voltage cables. The low voltage cables used in nuclear power plants were degraded at an accelerated rate, and EAB was measured in a tensile test conducted after the measurement of ultrasonic velocity. With the increasing degradation degree, the ultrasonic velocity decreased, whose potential as a useful parameter for the quantitative degradation evaluation was thus confirmed

  20. Side-Scan Sonar Image Mosaic Using Couple Feature Points with Constraint of Track Line Positions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianhu Zhao

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available To obtain large-scale seabed surface image, this paper proposes a side-scan sonar (SSS image mosaic method using couple feature points (CFPs with constraint of track line positions. The SSS geocoded images are firstly used to form a coarsely mosaicked one and the overlapping areas between adjacent strip images can be determined based on geographic information. Inside the overlapping areas, the feature point (FP detection and registration operation are adopted for both strips. According to the detected CFPs and track line positions, an adjustment model is established to accommodate complex local distortions as well as ensure the global stability. This proposed method effectively solves the problem of target ghosting or dislocation and no accumulated errors arise in the mosaicking process. Experimental results show that the finally mosaicked image correctly reflects the object distribution, which is meaningful for understanding and interpreting seabed topography.

  1. Radial velocities of very low mass stars and candidate brown dwarf members of the Hyades and Pleiades

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stauffer, John R.; Liebert, James; Giampapa, Mark; Macintosh, Bruce; Reid, Neill; Hamilton, Donald

    1994-01-01

    We have determined H alpha equivalent widths and radial velocities with 1 sigma accuracies of approximately 5 km s(exp -1) for approximately 20 candidate very low mass members of the Hyades and Pleiades clusters. The radial velocities for the Hyades sample suggest that nearly all of these stars are indeed highly probable members of the Hyades. The faintest stars in the Hyades sample have masses of order 0.1 solar mass. We also obtained radial velocities for four candidate very low mass members of the Pleiades and two objects that are candidate BD Pleiads. All of these stars have apparent V magnitudes fainter than the Hyades stars we observed, and the resultant radial velocity accuracy is worse. We believe that the three brighter stars are indeed likely very low mass stellar members of the Pleiades, whereas the status of the two brown dwarf candidates is uncertain. The Hyades stars we have observed and the three Pleiades very low mass stars are the lowest mass members of any open cluster whose membership has been confirmed by radial velocities and whose chromospheric activity has been measured. We see no change in chromospheric activity at the boundary where stars are expected to become fully convective (M approximately equals 0.3 solar mass) in either cluster. In the Pleiades, however, there may be a decrease in chromospheric activity for stars with (V-I)(sub K) greater than 3.5 (M less than or equal to 0.1 solar mass).

  2. Particle-tracking code (track3d) for convective solute transport modelling in the geosphere: Description and user`s manual; Programme de reperage de particules (track3d) pour la modelisation du transport par convection des solutes dans la geosphere: description et manuel de l`utilisateur

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nakka, B W; Chan, T

    1994-12-01

    A deterministic particle-tracking code (TRACK3D) has been developed to compute convective flow paths of conservative (nonreactive) contaminants through porous geological media. TRACK3D requires the groundwater velocity distribution, which, in our applications, results from flow simulations using AECL`s MOTIF code. The MOTIF finite-element code solves the transient and steady-state coupled equations of groundwater flow, solute transport and heat transport in fractured/porous media. With few modifications, TRACK3D can be used to analyse the velocity distributions calculated by other finite-element or finite-difference flow codes. This report describes the assumptions, limitations, organization, operation and applications of the TRACK3D code, and provides a comprehensive user`s manual.

  3. Algorithms for estimating blood velocities using ultrasound

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

    2000-01-01

    Ultrasound has been used intensively for the last 15 years for studying the hemodynamics of the human body. Systems for determining both the velocity distribution at one point of interest (spectral systems) and for displaying a map of velocity in real time have been constructed. A number of schemes...... have been developed for performing the estimation, and the various approaches are described. The current systems only display the velocity along the ultrasound beam direction and a velocity transverse to the beam is not detected. This is a major problem in these systems, since most blood vessels...... are parallel to the skin surface. Angling the transducer will often disturb the flow, and new techniques for finding transverse velocities are needed. The various approaches for determining transverse velocities will be explained. This includes techniques using two-dimensional correlation (speckle tracking...

  4. Integrating different tracking systems in football: multiple camera semi-automatic system, local position measurement and GPS technologies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buchheit, Martin; Allen, Adam; Poon, Tsz Kit; Modonutti, Mattia; Gregson, Warren; Di Salvo, Valter

    2014-12-01

    Abstract During the past decade substantial development of computer-aided tracking technology has occurred. Therefore, we aimed to provide calibration equations to allow the interchangeability of different tracking technologies used in soccer. Eighty-two highly trained soccer players (U14-U17) were monitored during training and one match. Player activity was collected simultaneously with a semi-automatic multiple-camera (Prozone), local position measurement (LPM) technology (Inmotio) and two global positioning systems (GPSports and VX). Data were analysed with respect to three different field dimensions (small, systems were compared, and calibration equations (linear regression models) between each system were calculated for each field dimension. Most metrics differed between the 4 systems with the magnitude of the differences dependant on both pitch size and the variable of interest. Trivial-to-small between-system differences in total distance were noted. However, high-intensity running distance (>14.4 km · h -1 ) was slightly-to-moderately greater when tracked with Prozone, and accelerations, small-to-very largely greater with LPM. For most of the equations, the typical error of the estimate was of a moderate magnitude. Interchangeability of the different tracking systems is possible with the provided equations, but care is required given their moderate typical error of the estimate.

  5. Numerical simulating and experimental study on the woven carbon fiber-reinforced composite laminates under low-velocity impact

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hanyang; Tang, Zhanwen; Pan, Lingying; Zhao, Weidong; Sun, Baogang; Jiang, Wenge

    2016-05-01

    Impact damage has been identified as a critical form of the defects that constantly threatened the reliability of composite structures, such as those used in the aerospace structures and systems. Low energy impacts can introduce barely visible damage and cause the degradation of structural stiffness, furthermore, the flaws caused by low-velocity impact are so dangerous that they can give rise to the further extended delaminations. In order to improve the reliability and load carrying capacity of composite laminates under low-velocity impact, in this paper, the numerical simulatings and experimental studies on the woven fiber-reinforced composite laminates under low-velocity impact with impact energy 16.7J were discussed. The low velocity impact experiment was carried out through drop-weight system as the reason of inertia effect. A numerical progressive damage model was provided, in which the damages of fiber, matrix and interlamina were considered by VUMT subroutine in ABAQUS, to determine the damage modes. The Hashin failure criteria were improved to cover the failure modes of fiber failure in the directions of warp/weft and delaminations. The results of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) were compared with the experimental results of nondestructive examination including the results of ultrasonic C-scan, cross-section stereomicroscope and contact force - time history curves. It is found that the response of laminates under low-velocity impact could be divided into stages with different damage. Before the max-deformation of the laminates occurring, the matrix cracking, fiber breakage and delaminations were simulated during the impactor dropping. During the releasing and rebounding period, matrix cracking and delaminations areas kept increasing in the laminates because of the stress releasing of laminates. Finally, the simulating results showed the good agreements with the results of experiment.

  6. Surface ice flow velocity and tide retrieval of the amery ice shelf using precise point positioning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, X.H.; Andersen, Ole Baltazar

    2006-01-01

    Five days of continuous GPS observation data were collected in the frontal zone of the Amery ice shelf and subsequently post-processed using precise point position (PPP) technology based on precise orbit and clock products from the International GNSS service. The surface ice flow velocity of the ...

  7. Code Tracking Algorithms for Mitigating Multipath Effects in Fading Channels for Satellite-Based Positioning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Markku Renfors

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available The ever-increasing public interest in location and positioning services has originated a demand for higher performance global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs. In order to achieve this incremental performance, the estimation of line-of-sight (LOS delay with high accuracy is a prerequisite for all GNSSs. The delay lock loops (DLLs and their enhanced variants (i.e., feedback code tracking loops are the structures of choice for the commercial GNSS receivers, but their performance in severe multipath scenarios is still rather limited. In addition, the new satellite positioning system proposals specify the use of a new modulation, the binary offset carrier (BOC modulation, which triggers a new challenge in the code tracking stage. Therefore, in order to meet this emerging challenge and to improve the accuracy of the delay estimation in severe multipath scenarios, this paper analyzes feedback as well as feedforward code tracking algorithms and proposes the peak tracking (PT methods, which are combinations of both feedback and feedforward structures and utilize the inherent advantages of both structures. We propose and analyze here two variants of PT algorithm: PT with second-order differentiation (Diff2, and PT with Teager Kaiser (TK operator, which will be denoted herein as PT(Diff2 and PT(TK, respectively. In addition to the proposal of the PT methods, the authors propose also an improved early-late-slope (IELS multipath elimination technique which is shown to provide very good mean-time-to-lose-lock (MTLL performance. An implementation of a noncoherent multipath estimating delay locked loop (MEDLL structure is also presented. We also incorporate here an extensive review of the existing feedback and feedforward delay estimation algorithms for direct sequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA signals in satellite fading channels, by taking into account the impact of binary phase shift keying (BPSK as well as the newly proposed BOC modulation

  8. Video measurements of fluid velocities and water levels in breaking waves

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Govender, K

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available The cost-effective measurement of the velocity flow fields in breaking water waves, using particle and correlation image velocimetry, is described. The fluid velocities are estimated by tracking the motion of neutrally buoyant particles and aeration...

  9. A radar-enabled collaborative sensor network integrating COTS technology for surveillance and tracking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kozma, Robert; Wang, Lan; Iftekharuddin, Khan; McCracken, Ernest; Khan, Muhammad; Islam, Khandakar; Bhurtel, Sushil R; Demirer, R Murat

    2012-01-01

    The feasibility of using Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) sensor nodes is studied in a distributed network, aiming at dynamic surveillance and tracking of ground targets. Data acquisition by low-cost (wireless mote is described. We demonstrate the detection, ranging and velocity estimation, classification and tracking capabilities of the mini-radar, and compare results to simulations and manual measurements. Furthermore, we supplement the radar output with other sensor modalities, such as acoustic and vibration sensors. This method provides innovative solutions for detecting, identifying, and tracking vehicles and dismounts over a wide area in noisy conditions. This study presents a step towards distributed intelligent decision support and demonstrates effectiveness of small cheap sensors, which can complement advanced technologies in certain real-life scenarios.

  10. Tracking coherent structures in massively-separated and turbulent flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rockwood, Matthew; Huang, Yangzi; Green, Melissa

    2018-01-01

    Coherent vortex structures are tracked in simulations of massively-separated and turbulent flows. Topological Lagrangian saddle points are found using intersections of the positive and negative finite-time Lyapunov exponent ridges, and these points are then followed in order to track individual coherent structure motion both in a complex interacting three-dimensional flow (turbulent channel) and during vortex formation (two-dimensional bluff body shedding). For a simulation of wall-bounded turbulence in a channel flow, tracking Lagrangian saddles shows that the average structure convection speed exhibits a similar trend as a previously published result based on velocity and pressure correlations, giving validity to the method. When this tracking method is applied in a study of a circular cylinder in cross-flow it shows that Lagrangian saddles rapidly accelerate away from the cylinder surface as the vortex sheds. This saddle behavior is compared with the time-resolved static pressure distribution on the circular cylinder, yielding locations on a cylinder surface where common sensors could detect this phenomenon, which is not available from force measurements or vortex circulation calculations. The current method of tracking coherent structures yields insight into the behavior of the coherent structures in both of the diverse flows presented, highlighting the breadth of its potential application.

  11. A low-complexity interacting multiple model filter for maneuvering target tracking

    KAUST Repository

    Khalid, Syed Safwan; Abrar, Shafayat

    2017-01-01

    In this work, we address the target tracking problem for a coordinate-decoupled Markovian jump-mean-acceleration based maneuvering mobility model. A novel low-complexity alternative to the conventional interacting multiple model (IMM) filter is proposed for this class of mobility models. The proposed tracking algorithm utilizes a bank of interacting filters where the interactions are limited to the mixing of the mean estimates, and it exploits a fixed off-line computed Kalman gain matrix for the entire filter bank. Consequently, the proposed filter does not require matrix inversions during on-line operation which significantly reduces its complexity. Simulation results show that the performance of the low-complexity proposed scheme remains comparable to that of the traditional (highly-complex) IMM filter. Furthermore, we derive analytical expressions that iteratively evaluate the transient and steady-state performance of the proposed scheme, and establish the conditions that ensure the stability of the proposed filter. The analytical findings are in close accordance with the simulated results.

  12. A low-complexity interacting multiple model filter for maneuvering target tracking

    KAUST Repository

    Khalid, Syed Safwan

    2017-01-22

    In this work, we address the target tracking problem for a coordinate-decoupled Markovian jump-mean-acceleration based maneuvering mobility model. A novel low-complexity alternative to the conventional interacting multiple model (IMM) filter is proposed for this class of mobility models. The proposed tracking algorithm utilizes a bank of interacting filters where the interactions are limited to the mixing of the mean estimates, and it exploits a fixed off-line computed Kalman gain matrix for the entire filter bank. Consequently, the proposed filter does not require matrix inversions during on-line operation which significantly reduces its complexity. Simulation results show that the performance of the low-complexity proposed scheme remains comparable to that of the traditional (highly-complex) IMM filter. Furthermore, we derive analytical expressions that iteratively evaluate the transient and steady-state performance of the proposed scheme, and establish the conditions that ensure the stability of the proposed filter. The analytical findings are in close accordance with the simulated results.

  13. Beam tracking strategies for studies of kinetic scales in the solar wind with THOR-CSW

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Keyser, Johan; Lavraud, Benoit; Neefs, Eddy; Berkenbosch, Sophie; Anciaux, Michel; Maggiolo, Romain

    2016-04-01

    Modern plasma spectrometers for monitoring the solar wind attempt to intelligently track the energy and direction of the solar wind beam in order to obtain solar wind velocity distributions more efficiently. Such beam tracking strategies offer some benefits, but also have their limitations and drawbacks. Benefits include an improved resolution and/or a faster velocity distribution function acquisition time. Limitations are due to instrument characteristics that tend to be optimized for a particular range of particle energies and arrival directions. A drawback is the risk to miss an important part of the velocity distribution or to lose track of the beam altogether. A comparison is presented of different beam tracking strategies under consideration for the THOR-CSW instrument in order to highlight a number of design decisions and their impact on the acquired velocity distributions. The gain offered by beam tracking in terms of increased time resolution turns out to be essential for studies of solar wind physics at kinetic scales.

  14. Mapping Deep Low Velocity Zones in Alaskan Arctic Coastal Permafrost using Seismic Surface Waves

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dou, S.; Ajo Franklin, J. B.; Dreger, D. S.

    2012-12-01

    Permafrost degradation may be an important amplifier of climate change; Thawing of near-surface sediments holds the potential of increasing greenhouse gas emissions due to microbial decomposition of preserved organic carbon. Recently, the characterization of "deep" carbon pools (several meters below the surface) in circumpolar frozen ground has increased the estimated amount of soil carbon to three times higher than what was previously thought. It is therefore potentially important to include the characteristics and processes of deeper permafrost strata (on the orders of a few to tens of meters below surface) in climate models for improving future predictions of accessible carbon and climate feedbacks. This extension is particularly relevant if deeper formations are not completely frozen and may harbor on-going microbial activity despite sub-zero temperatures. Unfortunately, the characterization of deep permafrost systems is non-trivial; logistics and drilling constraints often limit direct characterization to relatively shallow units. Geophysical measurements, either surface or airborne, are often the most effective tools for evaluating these regions. Of the available geophysical techniques, the analysis of seismic surface waves (e.g. MASW) has several unique advantages, mainly the ability to provide field-scale information with good depth resolution as well as penetration (10s to 100s of m with small portable sources). Surface wave methods are also able to resolve low velocity regions, a class of features that is difficult to characterize using traditional P-wave refraction methods. As part of the Department of Energy (DOE) Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments (NGEE-Arctic) project, we conducted a three-day seismic field survey (May 12 - 14, 2012) at the Barrow Environmental Observatory, which is located within the Alaskan Arctic Coastal Plain. Even though permafrost at the study site is continuous, ice-rich and thick (>= 350m), our Multichannel Analysis of

  15. Comparison of remifentanil and low-dose fentanyl for fast-track cardiac anesthesia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Khanykin, Boris; Siddiqi, Rizwan; Jensen, Per F

    2013-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Different anesthetic techniques have been used for fast tracking in cardiac anesthesia. Remifentanil, with its unique pharmacokinetic profile, could be an ideal drug for fast tracking. Possible limitations of remifentanil are rapid onset of postoperative pain after discontinuation...... of the drug infusion, which may increase the risk of an ischemic event. We conducted this randomized study to compare the efficacy of remifentanil versus low doses of fentanyl in fast-track cardiac anesthesia. It has been hypothesized that remifentanil would provide a safe anesthesia with no impact...... anesthesia. The study was designed as a prospective randomized study. The primary outcomes were changes in the cardiac index and creatine kinase MB fraction (CKMB), extubation times, mobilization times, and lengths of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) and the hospital. Frequency of myocardial infarction...

  16. The structure of a jet in cross flow at low velocity ratios

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gopalan, Shridhar; Abraham, Bruce M.; Katz, Joseph

    2004-01-01

    This paper examines in detail the flow structure and associated wall pressure fluctuations caused by the injection of a round, turbulent jet into a turbulent boundary layer. The velocity ratio, r, ratio of mean jet velocity to the mean cross flow, varies from 0.5 to 2.5 and the Reynolds number based on the cross flow speed and jet diameter is 1.9x10 4 . Particle image velocimetry is used to measure the flow and flush mounted pressure sensors installed at several locations used to determine the wall pressure. The results consist of sample instantaneous flow structures, distributions of mean velocity, vorticity and turbulence intensity, as well as wall pressure spectra. The flow structure depends strongly on the velocity ratio and there are two distinctly different regions. At low velocity ratios, namely r 2, the near-wall flow behind the jet resembles a Karman vortex street and the wall-normal vortical structures contain cross flow boundary layer vorticity. Autospectra of the pressure signals show that the effect of the jet is mainly in the 15-100 Hz range. At r 2, the wall pressure levels reach a plateau demonstrating the diminishing effect of the jet on the near-wall flow. Consistent with the flow structure, the highest wall pressure fluctuations occur off the jet centerline for r 2. Also, the advection speed of near-wall vortical structures increase with r at r 2 it is a constant

  17. Effect of track etch rate on geometric track characteristics for polymeric track detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdel-Naby, A.A.; El-Akkad, F.A.

    2001-01-01

    Analysis of the variable track etch rate on geometric track characteristic for polymeric track detectors has been applied to the case of LR-155 II SSNTD. Spectrometric characteristics of low energy alpha particles response by the polymeric detector have been obtained. The track etching kinematics theory of development of minor diameter of the etched tracks has been applied. The calculations show that, for this type of detector, the energy dependence of the minor track diameter d is linear for small-etched removal layer h. The energy resolution gets better for higher etched removal layer

  18. Kinetic theory of the positive column of a low-pressure discharge in a transverse magnetic field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Londer, Ya. I.; Ul’yanov, K. N.

    2011-01-01

    The influence of a transverse magnetic field on the characteristics of the positive column of a planar low-pressure discharge is studied theoretically. The motion of magnetized electrons is described in the framework of a continuous-medium model, while the ion motion in the ambipolar electric field is described by means of a kinetic equation. Using mathematical transformations, the problem is reduced to a secondorder ordinary differential equation, from which the spatial distribution of the potential is found in an analytic form. The spatial distributions of the plasma density, mean plasma velocity, and electric potential are calculated, the ion velocity distribution function at the plasma boundary is found, and the electron energy as a function of the magnetic field is determined. It is shown that, as the magnetic field rises, the electron energy increases, the distributions of the plasma density and mean plasma velocity become asymmetric, the maximum of the plasma density is displaced in the direction of the Ampère force, and the ion flux in this direction becomes substantially larger than the counter-directed ion flux.

  19. Common origin of positive ionospheric storms at middle latitudes and the geomagnetic activity effect at low latitudes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Proelss, G.W.

    1993-01-01

    The author looks for a correlation between two different atmospheric effects. They are a positive atmospheric storm (an anomalous increase in the F2 region ionization density), observed at middle latitudes, and the geomagnetic activity effect (the anomalous changes of temperature and gas density seen in the thermosphere), observed at low latitudes. A temporal correlation is sought to test the argument that both of these effects are the result of travelling atmospheric disturbances (TAD). A TAD is a pulselike atmospheric wave thought to be generated by substorm activity, and to propagate with high velocity (600 m/s) from polar latitudes toward equatorial latitudes. The author looks at data from five separate events correlating magnetic, ionospheric, and neutral atmospheric measurements. The conclusion is that there is a positive correlation between magnetic substorm activity at high latitudes, and positive ionospheric storms at middle latitudes and geomagnetic activity at low latitudes. The time correlations are consistent with high propagation speeds between these events. The author also presents arguments which indicate that the middle latitude positive ionospheric storms are not the result of electric field effects

  20. Composition of the low seismic velocity E' layer at the top of Earth's core

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badro, J.; Brodholt, J. P.

    2017-12-01

    Evidence for a layer (E') at the top of the outer core has been available since the '90s and while different studies suggest slightly different velocity contrasts and thicknesses, the common observation is that the layer has lower velocities than the bulk outer core (PREM). Although there are no direct measurements on the density of this layer, dynamic stability requires it to be less dense than the bulk outer core under those same pressure and temperature conditions. Using ab initio simulations on Fe-Ni-S-C-O-Si liquids we constrain the origin and composition of the low-velocity layer E' at the top of Earth's outer core. We find that increasing the concentration of any light-element always increases velocity and so a low-velocity and low-density layer (for stability) cannot be made by simply increasing light element concentration. This rules out barodiffusion or upwards sedimentation of a light phase for its origin. However, exchanging elements can—depending on the elements exchanged—produce such a layer. We evaluate three possibilities. Firstly, crystallization of a light phase from a core containing more than one light element may make such a layer, but only if the crystalizing phase is very Fe-rich, which is at odds with available phase diagrams at CMB conditions. Secondly, the E' layer may result from incomplete mixing of an early Earth core with a late impactor, depending on the light element compositions of the impactor and Earth's core, but such a primordial stratification is neither supported by dynamical models of the core nor thermodynamic models of core merger after the giant impact. The last and most plausible scenario is core-mantle chemical interaction; using thermodynamic models for metal-silicate partitioning of silicon and oxygen at CMB conditions, we show that a reaction between the core and an FeO-rich basal magma ocean can enrich the core in oxygen while depleting it in silicon, in relative amounts that produce a light and slow layer

  1. Using particle tracking to measure flow instabilities in an undergraduate laboratory experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelley, Douglas H.; Ouellette, Nicholas T.

    2011-03-01

    Much of the drama and complexity of fluid flow occurs because its governing equations lack unique solutions. The observed behavior depends on the stability of the multitude of solutions, which can change with the experimental parameters. Instabilities cause sudden global shifts in behavior. We have developed a low-cost experiment to study a classical fluid instability. By using an electromagnetic technique, students drive Kolmogorov flow in a thin fluid layer and measure it quantitatively with a webcam. They extract positions and velocities from movies of the flow using Lagrangian particle tracking and compare their measurements to several theoretical predictions, including the effect of the drive current, the spatial structure of the flow, and the parameters at which instability occurs. The experiment can be tailored to undergraduates at any level or to graduate students by appropriate emphasis on the physical phenomena and the sophisticated mathematics that govern them.

  2. Nuclear fragmentation and the number of particle tracks in tissue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ponomarev, A. L.; Cucinotta, F. A.

    2006-01-01

    For high energy nuclei, the number of particle tracks per cell is modified by local nuclear reactions that occur, with large fluctuations expected for heavy ion tracks. Cells near the interaction site of a reaction will experience a much higher number of tracks than estimated by the average fluence. Two types of reaction products are possible and occur in coincidence; projectile fragments, which generally have smaller charge and similar velocity to that of the projectile, and target fragments, which are produced from the fragmentation of the nuclei of water atoms or other cellular constituents with low velocity. In order to understand the role of fragmentation in biological damage a new model of human tissue irradiated by heavy ions was developed. A box of the tissue is modelled with periodic boundary conditions imposed, which extrapolates the technique to macroscopic volumes of tissue. The cross sections for projectile and target fragmentation products are taken from the quantum multiple scattering fragmentation code previously developed at NASA Johnson Space Center. Statistics of fragmentation pathways occurring in a cell monolayer, as well as in a small volume of 10 x 10 x 10 cells are given. A discussion on approaches to extend the model to describe spatial distributions of inactivated or other cell damage types, as well as highly organised tissues of multiple cell types, is presented. (authors)

  3. Velocity Feedback Experiments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chiu Choi

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Transient response such as ringing in a control system can be reduced or removed by velocity feedback. It is a useful control technique that should be covered in the relevant engineering laboratory courses. We developed velocity feedback experiments using two different low cost technologies, viz., operational amplifiers and microcontrollers. These experiments can be easily integrated into laboratory courses on feedback control systems or microcontroller applications. The intent of developing these experiments was to illustrate the ringing problem and to offer effective, low cost solutions for removing such problem. In this paper the pedagogical approach for these velocity feedback experiments was described. The advantages and disadvantages of the two different implementation of velocity feedback were discussed also.

  4. Finite element simulation of low velocity impact loading on a sandwich composite

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vishwas M.

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Sandwich structure offer more advantage in bringing flexural stiffness and energy absorption capabilities in the application of automobile and aerospace components. This paper presents comparison study and analysis of two types of composite sandwich structures, one having Jute Epoxy skins with rubber core and the other having Glass Epoxy skins with rubber core subjected to low velocity normal impact loading. The behaviour of sandwich structure with various parameters such as energy absorption, peak load developed, deformation and von Mises stress and strain, are analyzed using commercially available analysis software. The results confirm that sandwich composite with jute epoxy skin absorbs approximately 20% more energy than glass epoxy skin. The contact force developed in jute epoxy skin is approximately 2.3 times less when compared to glass epoxy skin. von Mises stress developed is less in case of jute epoxy. The sandwich with jute epoxy skin deforms approximately 1.6 times more than that of same geometry of sandwich with glass epoxy skin. Thus exhibiting its elastic nature and making it potential candidate for low velocity impact application.

  5. AUV-Based Plume Tracking: A Simulation Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Awantha Jayasiri

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a simulation study of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV navigation system operating in a GPS-denied environment. The AUV navigation method makes use of underwater transponder positioning and requires only one transponder. A multirate unscented Kalman filter is used to determine the AUV orientation and position by fusing high-rate sensor data and low-rate information. The paper also proposes a gradient-based, efficient, and adaptive novel algorithm for plume boundary tracking missions. The algorithm follows a centralized approach and it includes path optimization features based on gradient information. The proposed algorithm is implemented in simulation on the AUV-based navigation system and successful boundary tracking results are obtained.

  6. Natural tracer test simulation by stochastic particle tracking method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ackerer, P.; Mose, R.; Semra, K.

    1990-01-01

    Stochastic particle tracking methods are well adapted to 3D transport simulations where discretization requirements of other methods usually cannot be satisfied. They do need a very accurate approximation of the velocity field. The described code is based on the mixed hybrid finite element method (MHFEM) to calculated the piezometric and velocity field. The random-walk method is used to simulate mass transport. The main advantages of the MHFEM over FD or FE are the simultaneous calculation of pressure and velocity, which are considered as unknowns; the possibility of interpolating velocities everywhere; and the continuity of the normal component of the velocity vector from one element to another. For these reasons, the MHFEM is well adapted for particle tracking methods. After a general description of the numerical methods, the model is used to simulate the observations made during the Twin Lake Tracer Test in 1983. A good match is found between observed and simulated heads and concentrations. (Author) (12 refs., 4 figs.)

  7. Doppler ultrasound for detection of renal transplant artery stenosis - Threshold peak systolic velocity needs to be higher in a low-risk or surveillance population

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patel, U.; Khaw, K.K.; Hughes, N.C.

    2003-01-01

    AIMS: To establish the ideal threshold arterial velocity for the diagnosis of renal transplant artery stenosis in a surveillance population with a low pre-test probability of stenosis. METHODS: Retrospective review of Doppler ultrasound, angiographic and clinical outcome data of patients transplanted over a 3-year period. Data used to calculate sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) for various threshold peak systolic velocity values. RESULTS: Of 144 patients transplanted, full data were available in 117 cases. Five cases had renal transplant artery stenosis--incidence 4.2% [stenosis identified at a mean of 6.5 months (range 2-10 months)]. All five cases had a significant arterial pressure gradient across the narrowing and underwent angioplasty. Threshold peak systolic velocity of ≥2.5 m/s is not ideal [specificity=79% (CI 65-82%), PPV=18% (CI 6-32%), NPV=100% (CI 94-100%)], subjecting many patients to unnecessary angiography--8/117 (6%) in our population. Comparable values if the threshold is set at ≥3.0 m/s are 93% (CI 77-96%), 33% (CI 7-44%) and 99% (CI 93-100%), respectively. The clinical outcome of all patients was satisfactory, with no unexplained graft failures or loss. CONCLUSIONS: In a surveillance population with a low pre-test probability of stenosis, absolute renal artery velocity ≥2.5 m/s is a limited surrogate marker for significant renal artery stenosis. The false-positive rate is high, and ≥3.0 m/s is a better choice which will halve the number of patients enduring unnecessary angiography. Close clinical follow-up of patients in the 2.5-3.0 m/s range, with repeat Doppler ultrasound if necessary, will identify the test false-negatives

  8. EYE GAZE TRACKING

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2017-01-01

    This invention relates to a method of performing eye gaze tracking of at least one eye of a user, by determining the position of the center of the eye, said method comprising the steps of: detecting the position of at least three reflections on said eye, transforming said positions to spanning...... a normalized coordinate system spanning a frame of reference, wherein said transformation is performed based on a bilinear transformation or a non linear transformation e.g. a möbius transformation or a homographic transformation, detecting the position of said center of the eye relative to the position...... of said reflections and transforming this position to said normalized coordinate system, tracking the eye gaze by tracking the movement of said eye in said normalized coordinate system. Thereby calibration of a camera, such as knowledge of the exact position and zoom level of the camera, is avoided...

  9. Individualized tracking of self-directed motor learning in group-housed mice performing a skilled lever positioning task in the home cage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silasi, Gergely; Boyd, Jamie D; Bolanos, Federico; LeDue, Jeff M; Scott, Stephen H; Murphy, Timothy H

    2018-01-01

    Skilled forelimb function in mice is traditionally studied through behavioral paradigms that require extensive training by investigators and are limited by the number of trials individual animals are able to perform within a supervised session. We developed a skilled lever positioning task that mice can perform within their home cage. The task requires mice to use their forelimb to precisely hold a lever mounted on a rotary encoder within a rewarded position to dispense a water reward. A Raspberry Pi microcomputer is used to record lever position during trials and to control task parameters, thus making this low-footprint apparatus ideal for use within animal housing facilities. Custom Python software automatically increments task difficulty by requiring a longer hold duration, or a more accurate hold position, to dispense a reward. The performance of individual animals within group-housed mice is tracked through radio-frequency identification implants, and data stored on the microcomputer may be accessed remotely through an active internet connection. Mice continuously engage in the task for over 2.5 mo and perform ~500 trials/24 h. Mice required ~15,000 trials to learn to hold the lever within a 10° range for 1.5 s and were able to further refine movement accuracy by limiting their error to a 5° range within each trial. These results demonstrate the feasibility of autonomously training group-housed mice on a forelimb motor task. This paradigm may be used in the future to assess functional recovery after injury or cortical reorganization induced by self-directed motor learning. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We developed a low-cost system for fully autonomous training of group-housed mice on a forelimb motor task. We demonstrate the feasibility of tracking both end-point, as well as kinematic performance of individual mice, with each performing thousands of trials over 2.5 mo. The task is run and controlled by a Raspberry Pi microcomputer, which allows for cages to be

  10. Quadrotor trajectory tracking using PID cascade control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Idres, M.; Mustapha, O.; Okasha, M.

    2017-12-01

    Quadrotors have been applied to collect information for traffic, weather monitoring, surveillance and aerial photography. In order to accomplish their mission, quadrotors have to follow specific trajectories. This paper presents proportional-integral-derivative (PID) cascade control of a quadrotor for path tracking problem when velocity and acceleration are small. It is based on near hover controller for small attitude angles. The integral of time-weighted absolute error (ITAE) criterion is used to determine the PID gains as a function of quadrotor modeling parameters. The controller is evaluated in three-dimensional environment in Simulink. Overall, the tracking performance is found to be excellent for small velocity condition.

  11. The drift velocity of electrons in water vapour at low values of E/N

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheung, B.; Elford, M.T.

    1990-01-01

    The drift velocity of electrons in water vapour at 294 K has been measured over the E/N range 1.4 to 40 Td with an error estimated to be 35 Td. The present data show that μN decreases monotonically with decreasing E/N at low E/N values as observed by Wilson et al. (1975) and does not become independent of E/N as indicated by Lowke and Rees (1963). The present values although lower than those of Lowke and Rees, lie within the combined error limits, except for values below 2 Td. The present data suggested that the momentum transfer cross section at low energies is approximately 10% larger than that obtained by Pack et al. (1962) from their drift velocity measurements. 13 refs., 2 tabs., 5 figs

  12. Modeling delamination of FRP laminates under low velocity impact

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Z.; Wen, H. M.; Ren, S. L.

    2017-09-01

    Fiber reinforced plastic laminates (FRP) have been increasingly used in various engineering such as aeronautics, astronautics, transportation, naval architecture and their impact response and failure are a major concern in academic community. A new numerical model is suggested for fiber reinforced plastic composites. The model considers that FRP laminates has been constituted by unidirectional laminated plates with adhesive layers. A modified adhesive layer damage model that considering strain rate effects is incorporated into the ABAQUS / EXPLICIT finite element program by the user-defined material subroutine VUMAT. It transpires that the present model predicted delamination is in good agreement with the experimental results for low velocity impact.

  13. Accuracy limitations for low velocity measurements and draft assessment in rooms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Melikov, Arsen Krikor; Popiolek, Zbigniew J.; Silva, M.G.

    2007-01-01

    must be known in order to perform reliable assessment and validation. At present, a low-velocity thermal anemometer (LVTA) with an omnidirectional (spherical) sensor is most often used in practice for measuring air speed due to its low price and easy and convenient operation. The accuracy of the speed......, the definition of realistic requirements in thermal comfort standards as well as validation of CFD predictions is made possible.......The measurement of air temperature, mean air speed, and turbulence intensity is required in order to assess air distribution and draft discomfort in ventilated rooms. The measurements are also used for validation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) predictions. The uncertainty of the measurements...

  14. Influence of velocity on variability in gait kinematics: implications for recognition in forensic science.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Sylvia X M; Larsen, Peter K; Alkjaer, Tine; Lynnerup, Niels; Simonsen, Erik B

    2014-09-01

    Closed circuit television (CCTV) footage is often available from crime scenes and may be used to compare perpetrators with suspects. Usually, the footage comprises incomplete gait cycles at different velocities, making gait pattern identification from crimes difficult. This study investigated the concurrence of joint angles throughout a gait cycle at three different velocities (3.0, 4.5, 6.0 km/h). Six datasets at each velocity were collected from 16 men. A variability range VR throughout the gait cycle at each velocity for each joint angle for each person was calculated. The joint angles at each velocity were compared pairwise, and whenever this showed values within the VR of this velocity, the case was positive. By adding the positives throughout the gait cycle, phases with high and low concurrences were located; peak concurrence was observed at mid-stance phase. Striving for the same velocity for the suspect and perpetrator is recommended. © 2014 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  15. [Echo-tracking technology for evaluating femoral artery endothelial function in patients with Grave's disease].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Wei; Wang, Jingyuan; Zhao, Qiaoling; Yang, Jinru

    2012-10-01

    To assess the value of echo-tracking technology in evaluating endothelial function of the femoral artery in patients with Grave's disease. Thirty-four patients with Grave's disease patients and 30 normal adults as controls were recruited in this study. The intima-media thickness (IMT), arterial stiffness (β), pressure strain elastic modulus (Ep), arterial compliance (AC), pulse wave conducting velocity (PWVβ) and augmentation index (AI) parameters were examined using echo-tracking technology for evaluating the right femoral arterial elasticity. Compared with the control subjects, the patients with Grave's disease showed significantly increased β, Ep, and PWVβ and significantly decreased AC (P0.05). In patients with Grave's disease, β and Ep were positively correlated with FT3, FT4, TT3, TT4, and PWVβ was positively correlated with FT3 and FT4. Echo-tracking technology can provide more accurate quantitative evidences for early diagnosis of femoral artery endothelial dysfunction in patients with Grave's disease, but the influence of procedural factors on the measurement accuracy should be considered in the evaluation.

  16. A detonation model of high/low velocity detonation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hu, Shaoming; Li, Chenfang; Ma, Yunhua; Cui, Junmin [Xian Modern Chemistry Research Institute, Xian, 710065 (China)

    2007-02-15

    A new detonation model that can simulate both high and low velocity detonations is established using the least action principle. The least action principle is valid for mechanics and thermodynamics associated with a detonation process. Therefore, the least action principle is valid in detonation science. In this model, thermodynamic equilibrium state is taken as the known final point of the detonation process. Thermodynamic potentials are analogous to mechanical ones, and the Lagrangian function in the detonation process is L=T-V. Under certain assumptions, the variation calculus of the Lagrangian function gives two solutions: the first one is a constant temperature solution, and the second one is the solution of an ordinary differential equation. A special solution of the ordinary differential equation is given. (Abstract Copyright [2007], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

  17. The effect of the nuclear track detectors' position on the radon concentration measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yilmaz, A.; Kuerkcueoglu, M. E.; Haner, B.

    2009-01-01

    It is important to determine the radon concentration values of the underground mines according to workers' health. For this purpose, to be able to measure radon concentrations by using passive nuclear etched track detectors, CR-39 detectors were placed into 66 points on the way of aeration galleries of Armutcuk, Amasra, Karadon, Kozlu and Uezuelmez bituminous coal mines which are known as the Carboniferous outcrops of the Western Black Sea Area in Turkey. In every measurement point, a pair of detectors, one of them is being perpendicular and the other one is parallel to air flow, were exposed to radon gases over 40 days for four seasons of the year 2008. The relationship between the readings of vertically and horizontally positioned detectors was investigated by evaluating the effect of the detectors' positions on the detected radon concentrations. It can be concluded that, the vertically positioned detectors, in general, recorded higher radon gases concentration values than that of the horizontally positioned ones.

  18. Probabilistic Localization and Tracking of Malicious Insiders Using Hyperbolic Position Bounding in Vehicular Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laurendeau Christine

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available A malicious insider in a wireless network may carry out a number of devastating attacks without fear of retribution, since the messages it broadcasts are authenticated with valid credentials such as a digital signature. In attributing an attack message to its perpetrator by localizing the signal source, we can make no presumptions regarding the type of radio equipment used by a malicious transmitter, including the transmitting power utilized to carry out an exploit. Hyperbolic position bounding (HPB provides a mechanism to probabilistically estimate the candidate location of an attack message's originator using received signal strength (RSS reports, without assuming knowledge of the transmitting power. We specialize the applicability of HPB into the realm of vehicular networks and provide alternate HPB algorithms to improve localization precision and computational efficiency. We extend HPB for tracking the consecutive locations of a mobile attacker. We evaluate the localization and tracking performance of HPB in a vehicular scenario featuring a variable number of receivers and a known navigational layout. We find that HPB can position a transmitting device within stipulated guidelines for emergency services localization accuracy.

  19. Low cost heads-up virtual reality (HUVR) with optical tracking and haptic feedback

    KAUST Repository

    Margolis, Todd; DeFanti, Thomas A.; Dawe, Greg; Prudhomme, Andrew; Schulze, Jurgen P.; Cutchin, Steven

    2011-01-01

    consumer 3D HD flat screen TV with a half-silvered mirror to project any graphic image onto the user's hands and into the space surrounding them. With his or her head position optically tracked to generate the correct perspective view, the user maneuvers a

  20. Position tracking of moving liver lesion based on real-time registration between 2D ultrasound and 3D preoperative images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weon, Chijun; Hyun Nam, Woo; Lee, Duhgoon; Ra, Jong Beom; Lee, Jae Young

    2015-01-01

    gradient-based similarity measure. Finally, if needed, they obtain the position information of the liver lesion using the 3D preoperative image to which the registered 2D preoperative slice belongs. Results: The proposed method was applied to 23 clinical datasets and quantitative evaluations were conducted. With the exception of one clinical dataset that included US images of extremely low quality, 22 datasets of various liver status were successfully applied in the evaluation. Experimental results showed that the registration error between the anatomical features of US and preoperative MR images is less than 3 mm on average. The lesion tracking error was also found to be less than 5 mm at maximum. Conclusions: A new system has been proposed for real-time registration between 2D US and successive multiple 3D preoperative MR/CT images of the liver and was applied for indirect lesion tracking for image-guided intervention. The system is fully automatic and robust even with images that had low quality due to patient status. Through visual examinations and quantitative evaluations, it was verified that the proposed system can provide high lesion tracking accuracy as well as high registration accuracy, at performance levels which were acceptable for various clinical applications

  1. Effect of Low Co-flow Air Velocity on Hydrogen-air Non-premixed Turbulent Flame Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Noor Mohsin Jasim

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to provide information concerning the effect of low co-flow velocity on the turbulent diffusion flame for a simple type of combustor, a numerical simulated cases of turbulent diffusion hydrogen-air flame are performed. The combustion model used in this investigation is based on chemical equilibrium and kinetics to simplify the complexity of the chemical mechanism. Effects of increased co-flowing air velocity on temperature, velocity components (axial and radial, and reactants have been investigated numerically and examined. Numerical results for temperature are compared with the experimental data. The comparison offers a good agreement. All numerical simulations have been performed using the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD commercial code FLUENT. A comparison among the various co-flow air velocities, and their effects on flame behavior and temperature fields are presented.

  2. A new paradigm for particle tracking velocimetry, based on graph-theory and pulsed neural network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Derou, D.; Herault, L.

    1994-01-01

    The Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV) technique works by recording, at different instances in time, positions of small tracers particles following a flow and illuminated by a sheet, or pseudo sheet, of light. It aims to recognize each particle trajectory, constituted of n different spots and determine thus each particle velocity vector. In this paper, we devise a new method, taking into account a global consistency of the trajectories to be extracted, in terms of visual perception and physical properties. It is based on a graph-theoretic formulation of the particle tracking problem and the use of an original neural network, called pulsed neural network. (authors). 4 figs

  3. Study of the pore-opening process of latent tracks of light low-energetic ions in CR-39 by means of electrolytic etching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oganesyan, V.R.

    2005-01-01

    In this thesis the irradiation of 10-μm thick CR-39 foils with 5.5-7 MeV protons and of 22-400 μm thick CR-39 foils with 4.85-28 MeV α-particles with subsequent determination of the etching velocities is described. By means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) the pore shape after irradiation was determined. From the analysis of the track profiles by means of SEM the track-nucleus diameter for 28 MeV α particles was determined to 1.4 nm. (HSI)

  4. Solar tracking system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okandan, Murat; Nielson, Gregory N.

    2016-07-12

    Solar tracking systems, as well as methods of using such solar tracking systems, are disclosed. More particularly, embodiments of the solar tracking systems include lateral supports horizontally positioned between uprights to support photovoltaic modules. The lateral supports may be raised and lowered along the uprights or translated to cause the photovoltaic modules to track the moving sun.

  5. Binomial distribution of Poisson statistics and tracks overlapping probability to estimate total tracks count with low uncertainty

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khayat, Omid; Afarideh, Hossein; Mohammadnia, Meisam

    2015-01-01

    In the solid state nuclear track detectors of chemically etched type, nuclear tracks with center-to-center neighborhood of distance shorter than two times the radius of tracks will emerge as overlapping tracks. Track overlapping in this type of detectors causes tracks count losses and it becomes rather severe in high track densities. Therefore, tracks counting in this condition should include a correction factor for count losses of different tracks overlapping orders since a number of overlapping tracks may be counted as one track. Another aspect of the problem is the cases where imaging the whole area of the detector and counting all tracks are not possible. In these conditions a statistical generalization method is desired to be applicable in counting a segmented area of the detector and the results can be generalized to the whole surface of the detector. Also there is a challenge in counting the tracks in densely overlapped tracks because not sufficient geometrical or contextual information are available. It this paper we present a statistical counting method which gives the user a relation between the tracks overlapping probabilities on a segmented area of the detector surface and the total number of tracks. To apply the proposed method one can estimate the total number of tracks on a solid state detector of arbitrary shape and dimensions by approximating the tracks averaged area, whole detector surface area and some orders of tracks overlapping probabilities. It will be shown that this method is applicable in high and ultra high density tracks images and the count loss error can be enervated using a statistical generalization approach. - Highlights: • A correction factor for count losses of different tracks overlapping orders. • For the cases imaging the whole area of the detector is not possible. • Presenting a statistical generalization method for segmented areas. • Giving a relation between the tracks overlapping probabilities and the total tracks

  6. Biotic and Climatic Velocity Identify Contrasting Areas of Vulnerability to Climate Change

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carroll, Carlos; Lawler, Joshua J.; Roberts, David R.; Hamann, Andreas

    2015-01-01

    Metrics that synthesize the complex effects of climate change are essential tools for mapping future threats to biodiversity and predicting which species are likely to adapt in place to new climatic conditions, disperse and establish in areas with newly suitable climate, or face the prospect of extirpation. The most commonly used of such metrics is the velocity of climate change, which estimates the speed at which species must migrate over the earth’s surface to maintain constant climatic conditions. However, “analog-based” velocities, which represent the actual distance to where analogous climates will be found in the future, may provide contrasting results to the more common form of velocity based on local climate gradients. Additionally, whereas climatic velocity reflects the exposure of organisms to climate change, resultant biotic effects are dependent on the sensitivity of individual species as reflected in part by their climatic niche width. This has motivated development of biotic velocity, a metric which uses data on projected species range shifts to estimate the velocity at which species must move to track their climatic niche. We calculated climatic and biotic velocity for the Western Hemisphere for 1961–2100, and applied the results to example ecological and conservation planning questions, to demonstrate the potential of such analog-based metrics to provide information on broad-scale patterns of exposure and sensitivity. Geographic patterns of biotic velocity for 2954 species of birds, mammals, and amphibians differed from climatic velocity in north temperate and boreal regions. However, both biotic and climatic velocities were greatest at low latitudes, implying that threats to equatorial species arise from both the future magnitude of climatic velocities and the narrow climatic tolerances of species in these regions, which currently experience low seasonal and interannual climatic variability. Biotic and climatic velocity, by approximating

  7. Pedestrian Detection and Tracking from Low-Resolution Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Thermal Imagery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yalong Ma

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Driven by the prominent thermal signature of humans and following the growing availability of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, more and more research efforts have been focusing on the detection and tracking of pedestrians using thermal infrared images recorded from UAVs. However, pedestrian detection and tracking from the thermal images obtained from UAVs pose many challenges due to the low-resolution of imagery, platform motion, image instability and the relatively small size of the objects. This research tackles these challenges by proposing a pedestrian detection and tracking system. A two-stage blob-based approach is first developed for pedestrian detection. This approach first extracts pedestrian blobs using the regional gradient feature and geometric constraints filtering and then classifies the detected blobs by using a linear Support Vector Machine (SVM with a hybrid descriptor, which sophisticatedly combines Histogram of Oriented Gradient (HOG and Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT features in order to achieve accurate detection. This research further proposes an approach for pedestrian tracking. This approach employs the feature tracker with the update of detected pedestrian location to track pedestrian objects from the registered videos and extracts the motion trajectory data. The proposed detection and tracking approaches have been evaluated by multiple different datasets, and the results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods. This research is expected to significantly benefit many transportation applications, such as the multimodal traffic performance measure, pedestrian behavior study and pedestrian-vehicle crash analysis. Future work will focus on using fused thermal and visual images to further improve the detection efficiency and effectiveness.

  8. A quasi-continuous observation of the α-transition of Fe1+xS by Moessbauer line tracking

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mendoza Zelis, P.; Pasquevich, G. A.; Veiga, A.; Fernandez van Raap, M. B.; Sanchez, F. H.

    2010-01-01

    Moessbauer absorption line tracking methodology, under a constant velocity strategy, is used for a quasi-continuous observation of the α-transition on slightly non stoichiometric Fe 1+x S alloy. To this end, two strategies were applied: an intelligent absorption line tracking with a control algorithm that uses the data measured in the previous region to establish the position of the next partial spectral range; and a predetermined line tracking in which temperature evolution of a partial spectral region of interest (ROI) is programmed. The latter uses results from the former, in order to achieve a quasi-continuous partial spectral observation. These experiments clearly demonstrate that line tracking allows a more efficient use of the radioactive source, as the effort is concentrated in a partial region of the spectra from which the desired information can be obtained.

  9. Rail Track Detection and Modelling in Mobile Laser Scanner Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Oude Elberink

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available We present a method for detecting and modelling rails in mobile laser scanner data. The detection is based on the properties of the rail tracks and contact wires such as relative height, linearity and relative position with respect to other objects. Points classified as rail track are used in a 3D modelling algorithm. The modelling is done by first fitting a parametric model of a rail piece to the points along each track, and estimating the position and orientation parameters of each piece model. For each position and orientation parameter a smooth low-order Fourier curve is interpolated. Using all interpolated parameters a mesh model of the rail is reconstructed. The method is explained using two areas from a dataset acquired by a LYNX mobile mapping system in a mountainous area. Residuals between railway laser points and 3D models are in the range of 2 cm. It is concluded that a curve fitting algorithm is essential to reliably and accurately model the rail tracks by using the knowledge that railways are following a continuous and smooth path.

  10. The influence of levodopa-induced dyskinesias on manual tracking in patients with Parkinson's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lemieux, Sarah; Ghassemi, Mehrdad; Jog, Mandar; Edwards, Roderick; Duval, Christian

    2007-01-01

    The influence of peak-dose, levodopa-induced dyskinesias (LID) on manual tracking (MT) was examined in 10 dyskinetic patients with Parkinson's disease (DPD), and compared to 10 age/gender-matched non-dyskinetic patients with Parkinson's disease (NDPD) and 10 healthy controls. Whole-body movement (WBM) and MT performance were recorded simultaneously with a 6-degrees-of-freedom magnetic motion tracker and forearm rotation sensors, respectively. Subjects were asked to match the length of a computer-generated line with a line they controlled via wrist rotation. Results show that DPD patients had greater WBM magnitude at rest and during the motor task, both in displacement and in velocity. All groups displayed some increase in WBM displacement from rest to MT, but only the DPD group had a significant increase in WBM velocity during movement. As for MT performance (determined by assessing the positional mismatch between subjects' and target lines), ERROR in displacement was statistically similar between groups. There was no correlation between ERROR and the magnitude of WBM within the DPD group. The DPD group showed significant increased ERROR when the velocity of the subject's line was compared with that of the velocity of the target line. When two distinct target pace segments were examined (FAST/SLOW), no significant differences were found in ERROR for displacement for either group, but both the NDPD and DPD group showed increased ERROR from SLOW to FAST for velocity. This was accompanied with an increase in WBM velocity only in the DPD group. The lack of increased ERROR during the SLOW tracking portion in the DPD group supports the notion that the dyskinesias themselves were not primarily responsible for the ERROR seen in the patients. When examining the positive or negative values of ERROR (i.e., faster or slower than the target), we found that the increased ERROR in velocity observed in the DPD group was the result of excess velocity rather than bradykinesia

  11. Modelling low velocity impact induced damage in composite laminates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Yu; Soutis, Constantinos

    2017-12-01

    The paper presents recent progress on modelling low velocity impact induced damage in fibre reinforced composite laminates. It is important to understand the mechanisms of barely visible impact damage (BVID) and how it affects structural performance. To reduce labour intensive testing, the development of finite element (FE) techniques for simulating impact damage becomes essential and recent effort by the composites research community is reviewed in this work. The FE predicted damage initiation and propagation can be validated by Non Destructive Techniques (NDT) that gives confidence to the developed numerical damage models. A reliable damage simulation can assist the design process to optimise laminate configurations, reduce weight and improve performance of components and structures used in aircraft construction.

  12. Models and Algorithms for Tracking Target with Coordinated Turn Motion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xianghui Yuan

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Tracking target with coordinated turn (CT motion is highly dependent on the models and algorithms. First, the widely used models are compared in this paper—coordinated turn (CT model with known turn rate, augmented coordinated turn (ACT model with Cartesian velocity, ACT model with polar velocity, CT model using a kinematic constraint, and maneuver centered circular motion model. Then, in the single model tracking framework, the tracking algorithms for the last four models are compared and the suggestions on the choice of models for different practical target tracking problems are given. Finally, in the multiple models (MM framework, the algorithm based on expectation maximization (EM algorithm is derived, including both the batch form and the recursive form. Compared with the widely used interacting multiple model (IMM algorithm, the EM algorithm shows its effectiveness.

  13. Drift velocity monitoring of the CMS muon drift chambers

    CERN Document Server

    Sonnenschein, Lars

    2010-01-01

    The drift velocity in drift tubes of the CMS muon chambers is a key parameter for the muon track reconstruction and trigger. It needs to be monitored precisely in order to detect any deviation from its nominal value. A change in absolute pressure, a variation of the gas admixture or a contamination of the chamber gas by air affect the drift velocity. Furthermore the temperature and magnetic field influence its value. First data, taken with a dedicated Velocity Drift Chamber (VDC) built by RWTH Aachen IIIA are presented.

  14. Optical Tracking Data Validation and Orbit Estimation for Sparse Observations of Satellites by the OWL-Net.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Jin; Jo, Jung Hyun; Yim, Hong-Suh; Choi, Eun-Jung; Cho, Sungki; Park, Jang-Hyun

    2018-06-07

    An Optical Wide-field patroL-Network (OWL-Net) has been developed for maintaining Korean low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites' orbital ephemeris. The OWL-Net consists of five optical tracking stations. Brightness signals of reflected sunlight of the targets were detected by a charged coupled device (CCD). A chopper system was adopted for fast astrometric data sampling, maximum 50 Hz, within a short observation time. The astrometric accuracy of the optical observation data was validated with precise orbital ephemeris such as Consolidated Prediction File (CPF) data and precise orbit determination result with onboard Global Positioning System (GPS) data from the target satellite. In the optical observation simulation of the OWL-Net for 2017, an average observation span for a single arc of 11 LEO observation targets was about 5 min, while an average optical observation separation time was 5 h. We estimated the position and velocity with an atmospheric drag coefficient of LEO observation targets using a sequential-batch orbit estimation technique after multi-arc batch orbit estimation. Post-fit residuals for the multi-arc batch orbit estimation and sequential-batch orbit estimation were analyzed for the optical measurements and reference orbit (CPF and GPS data). The post-fit residuals with reference show few tens-of-meters errors for in-track direction for multi-arc batch and sequential-batch orbit estimation results.

  15. Optical Tracking Data Validation and Orbit Estimation for Sparse Observations of Satellites by the OWL-Net

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jin Choi

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available An Optical Wide-field patroL-Network (OWL-Net has been developed for maintaining Korean low Earth orbit (LEO satellites’ orbital ephemeris. The OWL-Net consists of five optical tracking stations. Brightness signals of reflected sunlight of the targets were detected by a charged coupled device (CCD. A chopper system was adopted for fast astrometric data sampling, maximum 50 Hz, within a short observation time. The astrometric accuracy of the optical observation data was validated with precise orbital ephemeris such as Consolidated Prediction File (CPF data and precise orbit determination result with onboard Global Positioning System (GPS data from the target satellite. In the optical observation simulation of the OWL-Net for 2017, an average observation span for a single arc of 11 LEO observation targets was about 5 min, while an average optical observation separation time was 5 h. We estimated the position and velocity with an atmospheric drag coefficient of LEO observation targets using a sequential-batch orbit estimation technique after multi-arc batch orbit estimation. Post-fit residuals for the multi-arc batch orbit estimation and sequential-batch orbit estimation were analyzed for the optical measurements and reference orbit (CPF and GPS data. The post-fit residuals with reference show few tens-of-meters errors for in-track direction for multi-arc batch and sequential-batch orbit estimation results.

  16. Position and Orientation Tracking System graphical user interface. CRADA final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barry, R.E.; Armstrong, G.A.; Burks, B.L.

    1997-01-01

    Under the Department of Energy's Robotics Technology Development Program (RTDP) Tank Waste Retrieval (TWR) program, a major effort is under way to develop technology for remediating the waste in underground storage tanks that contain radioactive and hazardous waste. A large part of the program's effort has gone towards development of remotely operable robotics equipment, including the Houdini Vehicle and the Position and Orientation Tracking System (POTS). Since planned operation of this equipment is to be completely remote, a significant effort is needed to ensure that operators have sufficient system information to operate the equipment efficiently and safely. ORNL developed POTS and RedZone Robotics, Inc. developed Houdini which can be operated together to provide both position and orientation descriptions of the Houdini vehicle, relative to a world reference frame, while operating inside an underground storage tank. The Houdini vehicle has been outfitted with an optical detection system that houses infrared detectors. The infrared detectors are part of the POTS tracking system. The sensors provide a set of timing pulses to the POTS control computer whenever a laser beam from one of the four POTS laser scanners strikes a detector. Using the pointing angle information from each POTS laser scanners, the POTS control computer is able to compute the pose of the Houdini vehicle at a rate of approximately 25 Hz. This information, along with the orientation of the Houdini's Schilling Titan II robot arm, is used to present the pose information to the operator in a 3-D graphical user interface using software that has been developed by this Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA). The graphical display presents the data to the operator in a format that is readily understood. The equipment operators are able to use the information in real-time to enhance the operator's ability to safely and efficiently control the remotely-operated vehicle

  17. Measurements of low density, high velocity flow by electron beam fluorescence technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soga, Takeo; Takanishi, Masaya; Yasuhara, Michiru

    1981-01-01

    A low density chamber with an electron gun system was made for the measurements of low density, high velocity (high Mach number) flow. This apparatus is a continuous running facility. The number density and the rotational temperature in the underexpanding free jet of nitrogen were measured along the axis of the jet by the electron beam fluorescence technique. The measurements were carried out from the vicinity of the exit of the jet to far downstream of the first Mach disk. Rotational nonequilibrium phenomena were observed in the hypersonic flow field as well as in the shock wave (Mach disk). (author)

  18. Low-velocity impact damage of woven fabric composites: Finite element simulation and experimental verification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hassan, M.A.; Naderi, S.; Bushroa, A.R.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Low-velocity impact test on GFRP with different energy levels and thicknesses. • Using force–deflection curve to determine critical energy for penetration threshold. • Reflection of damage processes to different type of diagrams. • Significant influence of Initial energy and thickness on dynamic response of plates. • Good agreements between experimental and FEM models for the force history data. - Abstract: This paper addresses the response of Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic laminates (GFRPs) under low-velocity impact. Experimental tests were performed according to ASTM: D5628 for different initial impact energy levels ranging from 9.8 J to 29.4 J and specimen thicknesses of 2, 3 and 4 mm. The impact damage process and contact stiffness were studied incrementally until a perforation phase of the layered compounds occurred, in line with a force–deflection diagram and imaging of impacted laminates. The influence that impact parameters such as velocity and initial energy had on deflection and damage of the test specimens was investigated. Finite Element Simulation (FES) was done using MSC. MARC® was additionally carried out to understand the impact mechanism and correlation between these parameters and the induced damage. The simulation and experimental results reached good accord regarding maximum contact force and contact time with insignificant amount of damage

  19. Low-Cost Radar Sensors for Personnel Detection and Tracking in Urban Areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    2007-01-31

    progress on the reserach grant "Low-Cost Radar Sensors for Personnel Detection and Tracking in Urban Areas" during the period 1 May 2005 - 31 December...The limitations of the proposed system resulting from DOA ambiguity of multiple moving targets are studied. 2. METHODOLOGY Our radar receiver

  20. Low velocity impact on polymer composite plates in contact with water

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y Kwon

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available In this study, composite materials were tested in two different environments to determine the role of Fluid Structure Interaction with composites under a low velocity impact. This was done using a low velocity impact machine and polymer composite plates. The composite is made of laminated symmetrical plain weave E-glass fabrics. The test area of the composite plates is 30.5 cm by 30.5 cm with clamped boundary conditions. The testing was done using a drop weight system to impact the center of the test area. One testing was performed with composite plates in air, called dry impact. The other testing was conducted while composite plates were submerged in water, called wet impact. A Plexiglas box in conjunction with the impact machine was used to keep the top of the composite sample dry while it was submerged in an anechoic water tank, so called water-backed air impact. Output from the tests was recorded using strain gauges and a force impact sensor. The results show that an added mass effect from the water plays a large role in the Fluid Structure Interaction with composites due to the similar densities of water and the composites. The wet impact results in a larger impact force and damage than the dry impact under the same impact condition, i.e., the same impact mass and drop height.

  1. CATS, a low pressure multiwire proportional chamber for secondary beam tracking at GANIL

    CERN Document Server

    Ottini-Hustache, S; Auger, F; Musumarra, A; Alamanos, N; Cahan, B; Gillibert, A; Lagoyannis, A; Maillard, O; Pollacco, E; Sida, J L; Riallot, M

    1999-01-01

    A beam detector system, CATS (Chambre A Trajectoires de Saclay), was designed to provide event-by-event particle tracking in experiments with radioactive beams at GANIL. It consists of two low pressure multiwire proportional chambers with one plane of anode wires placed between two cathode planes (active area: 70x70 mm sup 2), respectively segmented into 28 vertical or horizontal strips (2.54 mm wide). The anode wires deliver a time signal allowing a time of flight measurement with an accuracy between 440 ps and 1.2 ns, depending on the energy loss of incident particles in the detector. The cathode strips are individually read out and the position of incoming particles is reconstructed using a charge centroid finding algorithm. A spatial resolution of 400 mu m (700 mu m) was achieved during in beam experiment, with a counting rate of 1.5x10 sup 5 (10 sup 6) particles per second. (author)

  2. Real-time automatic fiducial marker tracking in low contrast cine-MV images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin, Wei-Yang; Lin, Shu-Fang; Yang, Sheng-Chang; Liou, Shu-Cheng; Nath, Ravinder; Liu Wu

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: To develop a real-time automatic method for tracking implanted radiographic markers in low-contrast cine-MV patient images used in image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). Methods: Intrafraction motion tracking using radiotherapy beam-line MV images have gained some attention recently in IGRT because no additional imaging dose is introduced. However, MV images have much lower contrast than kV images, therefore a robust and automatic algorithm for marker detection in MV images is a prerequisite. Previous marker detection methods are all based on template matching or its derivatives. Template matching needs to match object shape that changes significantly for different implantation and projection angle. While these methods require a large number of templates to cover various situations, they are often forced to use a smaller number of templates to reduce the computation load because their methods all require exhaustive search in the region of interest. The authors solve this problem by synergetic use of modern but well-tested computer vision and artificial intelligence techniques; specifically the authors detect implanted markers utilizing discriminant analysis for initialization and use mean-shift feature space analysis for sequential tracking. This novel approach avoids exhaustive search by exploiting the temporal correlation between consecutive frames and makes it possible to perform more sophisticated detection at the beginning to improve the accuracy, followed by ultrafast sequential tracking after the initialization. The method was evaluated and validated using 1149 cine-MV images from two prostate IGRT patients and compared with manual marker detection results from six researchers. The average of the manual detection results is considered as the ground truth for comparisons. Results: The average root-mean-square errors of our real-time automatic tracking method from the ground truth are 1.9 and 2.1 pixels for the two patients (0.26 mm/pixel). The

  3. Real-time automatic fiducial marker tracking in low contrast cine-MV images

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, Wei-Yang; Lin, Shu-Fang; Yang, Sheng-Chang; Liou, Shu-Cheng; Nath, Ravinder; Liu Wu [Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan, 62102 (China); Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510-3220 (United States)

    2013-01-15

    Purpose: To develop a real-time automatic method for tracking implanted radiographic markers in low-contrast cine-MV patient images used in image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). Methods: Intrafraction motion tracking using radiotherapy beam-line MV images have gained some attention recently in IGRT because no additional imaging dose is introduced. However, MV images have much lower contrast than kV images, therefore a robust and automatic algorithm for marker detection in MV images is a prerequisite. Previous marker detection methods are all based on template matching or its derivatives. Template matching needs to match object shape that changes significantly for different implantation and projection angle. While these methods require a large number of templates to cover various situations, they are often forced to use a smaller number of templates to reduce the computation load because their methods all require exhaustive search in the region of interest. The authors solve this problem by synergetic use of modern but well-tested computer vision and artificial intelligence techniques; specifically the authors detect implanted markers utilizing discriminant analysis for initialization and use mean-shift feature space analysis for sequential tracking. This novel approach avoids exhaustive search by exploiting the temporal correlation between consecutive frames and makes it possible to perform more sophisticated detection at the beginning to improve the accuracy, followed by ultrafast sequential tracking after the initialization. The method was evaluated and validated using 1149 cine-MV images from two prostate IGRT patients and compared with manual marker detection results from six researchers. The average of the manual detection results is considered as the ground truth for comparisons. Results: The average root-mean-square errors of our real-time automatic tracking method from the ground truth are 1.9 and 2.1 pixels for the two patients (0.26 mm/pixel). The

  4. Experimental Results for Minimum-Time Trajectory Tracking of a Direct-Drive Three-Link Planar Arm

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    DRIESSEN,BRIAN; PARKER,GORDON G.

    1999-09-01

    This work is an experimental investigation of the ability of a real three-link direct-drive arm to track model-based minimum-time trajectories that have been found off-line. Sufficiently large velocity gains in the computed torque control law were not achievable with the velocity sensors described herein. This indicates the critical importance of the velocity sensing when attempting to track trajectories that push the envelope of the system's torque capabilities.

  5. Development of three-dimensional individual bubble-velocity measurement method by bubble tracking

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kanai, Taizo; Furuya, Masahiro; Arai, Takahiro; Shirakawa, Kenetsu; Nishi, Yoshihisa

    2012-01-01

    A gas-liquid two-phase flow in a large diameter pipe exhibits a three-dimensional flow structure. Wire-Mesh Sensor (WMS) consists of a pair of parallel wire layers located at the cross section of a pipe. Both the parallel wires cross at 90o with a small gap and each intersection acts as an electrode. The WMS allows the measurement of the instantaneous two-dimensional void-fraction distribution over the cross-section of a pipe, based on the difference between the local instantaneous conductivity of the two-phase flow. Furthermore, the WMS can acquire a phasic-velocity on the basis of the time lag of void signals between two sets of WMS. Previously, the acquired phasic velocity was one-dimensional with time-averaged distributions. The authors propose a method to estimate the three-dimensional bubble-velocity individually WMS data. The bubble velocity is determined by the tracing method. In this tracing method, each bubble is separated from WMS signal, volume and center coordinates of the bubble is acquired. Two bubbles with near volume at two WMS are considered as the same bubble and bubble velocity is estimated from the displacement of the center coordinates of the two bubbles. The validity of this method is verified by a swirl flow. The proposed method can successfully visualize a swirl flow structure and the results of this method agree with the results of cross-correlation analysis. (author)

  6. Velocity distribution of electrons in time-varying low-temperature plasmas: progress in theoretical procedures over the past 70 years

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makabe, Toshiaki

    2018-03-01

    A time-varying low-temperature plasma sustained by electrical powers with various kinds of fRequencies has played a key role in the historical development of new technologies, such as gas lasers, ozonizers, micro display panels, dry processing of materials, medical care, and so on, since World War II. Electrons in a time-modulated low-temperature plasma have a proper velocity spectrum, i.e. velocity distribution dependent on the microscopic quantum characteristics of the feed gas molecule and on the external field strength and the frequency. In order to solve and evaluate the time-varying velocity distribution, we have mostly two types of theoretical methods based on the classical and linear Boltzmann equations, namely, the expansion method using the orthogonal function and the procedure of non-expansional temporal evolution. Both methods have been developed discontinuously and progressively in synchronization with those technological developments. In this review, we will explore the historical development of the theoretical procedure to evaluate the electron velocity distribution in a time-varying low-temperature plasma over the past 70 years.

  7. Response of cellulose nitrate track detectors to electron doses

    CERN Document Server

    Segovia, N; Moreno, A; Vazquez-Polo, G; Santamaría, T; Aranda, P; Hernández, A

    1999-01-01

    In order to study alternative dose determination methods, the bulk etching velocity and the latent track annealing of LR 115 track detectors was studied during electron irradiation runs from a Pelletron accelerator. For this purpose alpha irradiated and blank detectors were exposed to increasing electron doses from 10.5 to 317.5 kGy. After the irradiation with electrons the detectors were etched under routine conditions, except for the etching time, that was varied for each electron dose in order to reach a fixed residual thickness. The variation of the bulk etching velocity as a function of each one of the electron doses supplied, was interpolated in order to obtain dosimetric response curves. The observed annealing effect on the latent tracks is discussed as a function of the total electron doses supplied and the temperature.

  8. A low noise discrete velocity method for the Boltzmann equation with quantized rotational and vibrational energy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clarke, Peter; Varghese, Philip; Goldstein, David

    2018-01-01

    A discrete velocity method is developed for gas mixtures of diatomic molecules with both rotational and vibrational energy states. A full quantized model is described, and rotation-translation and vibration-translation energy exchanges are simulated using a Larsen-Borgnakke exchange model. Elastic and inelastic molecular interactions are modeled during every simulated collision to help produce smooth internal energy distributions. The method is verified by comparing simulations of homogeneous relaxation by our discrete velocity method to numerical solutions of the Jeans and Landau-Teller equations, and to direct simulation Monte Carlo. We compute the structure of a 1D shock using this method, and determine how the rotational energy distribution varies with spatial location in the shock and with position in velocity space.

  9. Initial Examination of Low Velocity Sphere Impact of Glass Ceramics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morrissey, Timothy G [ORNL; Fox, Ethan E [ORNL; Wereszczak, Andrew A [ORNL; Ferber, Mattison K [ORNL

    2012-06-01

    This report summarizes US Army TARDEC sponsored work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) involving low velocity (< 30 m/s or < 65 mph) sphere impact testing of two materials from the lithium aluminosilicate family reinforced with different amounts of ceramic particulate, i.e., glass-ceramic materials, SCHOTT Resistan{trademark}-G1 and SCHOTT Resistan{trademark}-L. Both materials are provided by SCHOTT Glass (Duryea, PA). This work is a follow-up to similar sphere impact studies completed by the authors on PPG's Starphire{reg_sign} soda-lime silicate glass and SCHOTT BOROFLOAT{reg_sign} borosilicate glass. A gas gun or a sphere-drop test setup was used to produce controlled velocity delivery of silicon nitride (Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}) spheres against the glass ceramic tile targets. Minimum impact velocities to initiate fracture in the glass-ceramics were measured and interpreted in context to the kinetic energy of impact and the elastic property mismatch between sphere and target material. Quasistatic spherical indentation was also performed on both glass ceramics and their contact damage responses were compared to those of soda-lime silicate and borosilicate glasses. Lastly, variability of contact damage response was assessed by performing spherical indentation testing across the area of an entire glass ceramic tile. The primary observations from this low velocity (< 30 m/s or < 65 mph) testing were: (1) Resistan{trademark}-L glass ceramic required the highest velocity of sphere impact for damage to initiate. Starphire{reg_sign} soda-lime silicate glass was second best, then Resistan{trademark}-G1 glass ceramic, and then BOROFLOAT{reg_sign} borosilicate glass. (2) Glass-ceramic Resistan{trademark}-L also required the largest force to initiate ring crack from quasi-static indentation. That ranking was followed, in descending order, by Starphire{reg_sign} soda-lime silicate glass, Resistan{trademark}-G1 glass ceramic, and BOROFLOAT{reg_sign} borosilicate glass

  10. A quasi-continuous observation of the {alpha}-transition of Fe{sub 1+x}S by Moessbauer line tracking

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mendoza Zelis, P., E-mail: pmendoza@fisica.unlp.edu.ar; Pasquevich, G. A.; Veiga, A.; Fernandez van Raap, M. B.; Sanchez, F. H. [Universidad Nacional de La Plata, CONICET, Depto. de Fisica, Fac. Ciencias Exactas, Instituto de Fisica La Plata (Argentina)

    2010-01-15

    Moessbauer absorption line tracking methodology, under a constant velocity strategy, is used for a quasi-continuous observation of the {alpha}-transition on slightly non stoichiometric Fe{sub 1+x}S alloy. To this end, two strategies were applied: an intelligent absorption line tracking with a control algorithm that uses the data measured in the previous region to establish the position of the next partial spectral range; and a predetermined line tracking in which temperature evolution of a partial spectral region of interest (ROI) is programmed. The latter uses results from the former, in order to achieve a quasi-continuous partial spectral observation. These experiments clearly demonstrate that line tracking allows a more efficient use of the radioactive source, as the effort is concentrated in a partial region of the spectra from which the desired information can be obtained.

  11. Regional positioning using a low Earth orbit satellite constellation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shtark, Tomer; Gurfil, Pini

    2018-02-01

    Global and regional satellite navigation systems are constellations orbiting the Earth and transmitting radio signals for determining position and velocity of users around the globe. The state-of-the-art navigation satellite systems are located in medium Earth orbits and geosynchronous Earth orbits and are characterized by high launching, building and maintenance costs. For applications that require only regional coverage, the continuous and global coverage that existing systems provide may be unnecessary. Thus, a nano-satellites-based regional navigation satellite system in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), with significantly reduced launching, building and maintenance costs, can be considered. Thus, this paper is aimed at developing a LEO constellation optimization and design method, using genetic algorithms and gradient-based optimization. The preliminary results of this study include 268 LEO constellations, aimed at regional navigation in an approximately 1000 km × 1000 km area centered at the geographic coordinates [30, 30] degrees. The constellations performance is examined using simulations, and the figures of merit include total coverage time, revisit time, and geometric dilution of precision (GDOP) percentiles. The GDOP is a quantity that determines the positioning solution accuracy and solely depends on the spatial geometry of the satellites. Whereas the optimization method takes into account only the Earth's second zonal harmonic coefficient, the simulations include the Earth's gravitational field with zonal and tesseral harmonics up to degree 10 and order 10, Solar radiation pressure, drag, and the lunisolar gravitational perturbation.

  12. Thermal SiO as a probe of high velocity motions in regions of star formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Downes, D.; Genzel, R.; Hjalmarson, A.; Nyman, L.A.; Roennaeng, B.

    1982-01-01

    New observations of the v = 0, J = = 2→1 line of SiO at 86.8 GHz show a close association of the thermal SiO emission and infrared and maser sources in regions of star formation. In addition to SiO emission with low velocity dispersion (Δν -1 ), we report the first detection of high velocity (''plateau'') emission toward W49 and W51. The low velocity SiO component may come from the core of the molecular cloud which contains the infrared and maser sources. The ''plateau'' may indicate mass clusters. In Orion KL, the positional centroid of the high velocity SiO emission (Vertical BarΔνVertical Bar> or =20 km s -1 ) is near that of the component we identify as the ''18 km s -1 flow''. However, the centriods of the blue- and redshifted wings are displaced from each other by a few arcseconds, to the NW and NE of the position of the 18 km s -1 component. The mass-loss rates of the high velocity flow and the 18 km s -1 flow are similar

  13. Theoretical and Experimental Study of Radial Velocity Generation for Extending Bandwidth of Magnetohydrodynamic Angular Rate Sensor at Low Frequency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yue Ji

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The magnetohydrodynamics angular rate sensor (MHD ARS has received much attention for its ultra-low noise in ultra-broad bandwidth and its impact resistance in harsh environments; however, its poor performance at low frequency hinders its work in long time duration. The paper presents a modified MHD ARS combining Coriolis with MHD effect to extend the measurement scope throughout the whole bandwidth, in which an appropriate radial flow velocity should be provided to satisfy simplified model of the modified MHD ARS. A method that can generate radial velocity by an MHD pump in MHD ARS is proposed. A device is designed to study the radial flow velocity generated by the MHD pump. The influence of structure and physical parameters are studied by numerical simulation and experiment of the device. The analytic expression of the velocity generated by the energized current drawn from simulation and experiment are consistent, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the method generating radial velocity. The study can be applied to generate and control radial velocity in modified MHD ARS, which is essential for the two effects combination throughout the whole bandwidth.

  14. Electronic energy loss of low velocity H+ beams in Al, Ag, Sb, Au and Bi

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Valdes, J.E.; Martinez Tamayo, G.; Lantschner, G.H.; Eckardt, J.C.; Arista, N.R.

    1993-01-01

    The energy loss of H + ions in thin polycrystalline Al, Sb, Ag, Au and Bi films has been determined in the energy range below 10 keV. This low-energy range is of special interest to fill a lack of low-energy experimental data and test various theoretical predictions and semiempirical formulas. We find that the general theoretical prediction of a velocity-proportional dependence of energy loss does not hold for all targets studied in this work. The velocity-proportionality is better satisfied for Al, Sb and Bi, whereas a departure from such dependence is observed at lower energies for Ag and Au targets. The results obtained here are in good general agreement with nonlinear stopping power calculations based on density functional theory. Comparison with semiempirical predictions, and other experimental results are also done. (orig.)

  15. A Mathematical Model to Estimate the Position of Mobile Robot by Sensing Caster Wheel Motion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amarendra Jnana H.

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes the position estimation of mobile robot by sensing caster wheel motion. A mathematical model is developed to determine the position of mobile robot by sensing the angular velocity and heading angle of the caster wheel. Using the established equations, simulations were carried out using MATLAB version 8.6 to observe and verify the position coordinates of mobile robot and in turn obtain its trajectory. The simulation results show that the angular velocity of caster wheel and heading angle calculated from the sensor output readings with the help of inverse kinematics equations matches well with that of actual values given as input for simulation. Simulation result of tracking rectangular trajectory implies that the path traced by the mobile robot can also be determined from the sensor output readings. This concept can be implemented on a real mobile robot for estimation of its position.

  16. On the measurement of the neutrino velocity applying the standard time of the Global Positioning System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Skeivalas, J; Parseliunas, E

    2013-01-01

    The measurement of the neutrino velocity applying the standard time of the Global Positioning System (GPS) is presented in the paper. The practical data were taken from the OPERA experiment, in which neutrino emission from the CERN LHC accelerator to Gran Sasso detector was investigated. The distance between accelerator and detector is about 730 km. The time interval was measured by benchmark clocks, which were calibrated by the standard GPS time signals received from GPS satellites. The calculation of the accuracy of the GPS time signals with respect to changes of the signals' frequencies due to the Doppler effect is presented. It is shown that a maximum error of about 200 ns could occur when GPS time signals are applied for the calibration of the clocks for the neutrino velocity measurements. (paper)

  17. Three-dimensional simulation of the motion of a single particle under a simulated turbulent velocity field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreno-Casas, P. A.; Bombardelli, F. A.

    2015-12-01

    A 3D Lagrangian particle tracking model is coupled to a 3D channel velocity field to simulate the saltation motion of a single sediment particle moving in saltation mode. The turbulent field is a high-resolution three dimensional velocity field that reproduces a by-pass transition to turbulence on a flat plate due to free-stream turbulence passing above de plate. In order to reduce computational costs, a decoupled approached is used, i.e., the turbulent flow is simulated independently from the tracking model, and then used to feed the 3D Lagrangian particle model. The simulations are carried using the point-particle approach. The particle tracking model contains three sub-models, namely, particle free-flight, a post-collision velocity and bed representation sub-models. The free-flight sub-model considers the action of the following forces: submerged weight, non-linear drag, lift, virtual mass, Magnus and Basset forces. The model also includes the effect of particle angular velocity. The post-collision velocities are obtained by applying conservation of angular and linear momentum. The complete model was validated with experimental results from literature within the sand range. Results for particle velocity time series and distribution of particle turbulent intensities are presented.

  18. Bulk velocity measurements by video analysis of dye tracer in a macro-rough channel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghilardi, T; Franca, M J; Schleiss, A J

    2014-01-01

    Steep mountain rivers have hydraulic and morphodynamic characteristics that hinder velocity measurements. The high spatial variability of hydraulic parameters, such as water depth (WD), river width and flow velocity, makes the choice of a representative cross-section to measure the velocity in detail challenging. Additionally, sediment transport and rapidly changing bed morphology exclude the utilization of standard and often intrusive velocity measurement techniques. The limited technical choices are further reduced in the presence of macro-roughness elements, such as large, relatively immobile boulders. Tracer tracking techniques are among the few reliable methods that can be used under these conditions to evaluate the mean flow velocity. However, most tracer tracking techniques calculate bulk flow velocities between two or more fixed cross-sections. In the presence of intense sediment transport resulting in an important temporal variability of the bed morphology, dead water zones may appear in the few selected measurement sections. Thus a technique based on the analysis of an entire channel reach is needed in this study. A dye tracer measurement technique in which a single camcorder visualizes a long flume reach is described and developed. This allows us to overcome the problem of the presence of dead water zones. To validate this video analysis technique, velocity measurements were carried out on a laboratory flume simulating a torrent, with a relatively gentle slope of 1.97% and without sediment transport, using several commonly used velocity measurement instruments. In the absence of boulders, salt injections, WD and ultrasonic velocity profiler measurements were carried out, along with dye injection technique. When boulders were present, dye tracer technique was validated only by comparison with salt tracer. Several video analysis techniques used to infer velocities were developed and compared, showing that dye tracking is a valid technique for bulk velocity

  19. Tracking errors in a prototype real-time tumour tracking system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharp, Gregory C; Jiang, Steve B; Shimizu, Shinichi; Shirato, Hiroki

    2004-01-01

    In motion-compensated radiation therapy, radio-opaque markers can be implanted in or near a tumour and tracked in real-time using fluoroscopic imaging. Tracking these implanted markers gives highly accurate position information, except when tracking fails due to poor or ambiguous imaging conditions. This study investigates methods for automatic detection of tracking errors, and assesses the frequency and impact of tracking errors on treatments using the prototype real-time tumour tracking system. We investigated four indicators for automatic detection of tracking errors, and found that the distance between corresponding rays was most effective. We also found that tracking errors cause a loss of gating efficiency of between 7.6 and 10.2%. The incidence of treatment beam delivery during tracking errors was estimated at between 0.8% and 1.25%

  20. Ocean acidification responses in paralarval squid swimming behavior using a novel 3D tracking system

    KAUST Repository

    Zakroff, Casey J.

    2017-08-22

    Chronic embryonic exposure to ocean acidification (OA) has been shown to degrade the aragonitic statolith of paralarval squid, Doryteuthis pealeii, a key structure for their swimming behavior. This study examined if day-of-hatching paralarval D. pealeii from eggs reared under chronic OA demonstrated measurable impairments to swimming activity and control. This required the development of a novel, cost-effective, and robust method for 3D motion tracking and analysis. Squid eggs were reared in pCO2 levels in a dose-dependent manner ranging from 400 to 2200 ppm. Initial 2D experiments showed paralarvae in higher acidification environments spent more time at depth. In 3D experiments, velocity, particularly positive and negative vertical velocities, significantly decreased from 400 to 1000 ppm pCO2, but showed non-significant decreases at higher concentrations. Activity and horizontal velocity decreased linearly with increasing pCO2, indicating a subtle impact to paralarval energetics. Patterns may have been obscured by notable individual variability in the paralarvae. Responses were also seen to vary between trials on cohort or potentially annual scales. Overall, paralarval swimming appeared resilient to OA, with effects being slight. The newly developed 3D tracking system provides a powerful and accessible method for future studies to explore similar questions in the larvae of aquatic taxa.

  1. A mega Ultra Low Velocity Zone at the Base of the Iceland Plume: a Target for Tomographic Telescope Implementation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romanowicz, Barbara; Yuan, Kaiqing; Masson, Yder; Adourian, Sevan

    2017-04-01

    We have recently constructed the first global whole mantle radially anisotropic shear wave velocity model based on time domain full waveform inversion and numerical wavefield computations using the Spectral Element Method (French et al., 2013; French and Romanowicz, 2014). This model's most salient features are broad chimney-like low velocity conduits, rooted within the large-low-shear-velocity provinces (LLSVPs) at the base of the mantle, and extending from the core-mantle boundary up through most of the lower mantle, projecting to the earth's surface in the vicinity of major hotspots. The robustness of these features is confirmed through several non-linear synthetic tests, which we present here, including several iterations of inversion using a different starting model than that which served for the published model. The roots of these not-so-classical "plumes" are regions of more pronounced low shear velocity. While the detailed structure is not yet resolvable tomographically, at least two of them contain large (>800 km diameter) ultra-low-velocity zones (ULVZs), one under Hawaii (Cottaar and Romanowicz, 2012) and the other one under Samoa (Thorne et al., 2013). Through 3D numerical forward modelling of Sdiff phases down to 10s period, using data from broadband arrays illuminating the base of the Iceland plume from different directions, we show that such a large ULVZ also exists at the root of this plume, embedded within a taller region of moderately reduced low shear velocity, such as proposed by He et al. (2015). We also show that such a wide, but localized ULVZ is unique in a broad region around the base of the Iceland Plume. Because of the intense computational effort required for forward modelling of trial structures, to first order this ULVZ is represented by a cylindrical structure of diameter 900 km, height 20 km and velocity reduction 20%. To further refine the model, we have developed a technique which we call "tomographic telescope", in which we are

  2. Sub-micron accurate track navigation method ''Navi'' for the analysis of Nuclear Emulsion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshioka, T; Yoshida, J; Kodama, K

    2011-01-01

    Sub-micron accurate track navigation in Nuclear Emulsion is realized by using low energy signals detected by automated Nuclear Emulsion read-out systems. Using those much dense ''noise'', about 10 4 times larger than the real tracks, the accuracy of the track position navigation reaches to be sub micron only by using the information of a microscope field of view, 200 micron times 200 micron. This method is applied to OPERA analysis in Japan, i.e. support of human eye checks of the candidate tracks, confirmation of neutrino interaction vertexes and to embed missing track segments to the track data read-out by automated systems.

  3. Sub-micron accurate track navigation method ``Navi'' for the analysis of Nuclear Emulsion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshioka, T.; Yoshida, J.; Kodama, K.

    2011-03-01

    Sub-micron accurate track navigation in Nuclear Emulsion is realized by using low energy signals detected by automated Nuclear Emulsion read-out systems. Using those much dense ``noise'', about 104 times larger than the real tracks, the accuracy of the track position navigation reaches to be sub micron only by using the information of a microscope field of view, 200 micron times 200 micron. This method is applied to OPERA analysis in Japan, i.e. support of human eye checks of the candidate tracks, confirmation of neutrino interaction vertexes and to embed missing track segments to the track data read-out by automated systems.

  4. Submicron position-sensitive detector

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pugatch, V M; Rosenfeld, A B; Litovchenko, P G; Barabash, L I; Nemets, O F; Pavlenko, Yu N; Vasiliev, Yu O [Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Kiev (Ukraine). Inst. for Nuclear Research

    1992-08-01

    A method has been developed to measure precisely the coordinates of charged particles incident between adjacent strips of a strip detector. The position sensitivity of an inter-strip gap has been studied by means of a pulsed laser beam and irradiation by [alpha]-particles of a [sup 226]Ra-source. The capacitive division of charge generated by the incident particle depends on the position of its track. Its coordinates were determined by two-dimensional amplitude analysis of the charges collected by neighbouring strips. This method of coordinate determination applied to studies of spatial and energy distributions of electromagnetic as well as charged particle beams (including radioactive ion beams) of low intensity could provide the highest level of the precision limited by the track dimensions of charged particles, i.e. percents of a micrometer. (orig.).

  5. Characteristics of low-mass-velocity vertical gas-liquid two-phase flow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adachi, Hiromichi; Abe, Yutaka; Kimura, Ko-ji

    1995-01-01

    In the present paper, characteristics of low mass velocity two-phase flow was analyzed based on a concept that pressure energy of two-phase flow is converted into acceleration work, gravitational work and frictional work, and the pressure energy consumption rate should be minimum at the stable two-phase flow condition. Experimental data for vertical upward air-water two-phase flow at atmospheric pressure was used to verify this concept and the turbulent model used in this method is optimized with the data. (author)

  6. FECAL SOURCE TRACKING BY ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE ANALYSIS ON A WATERSHED EXHIBITING LOW RESISTANCE

    Science.gov (United States)

    The ongoing development of microbial source tracking has made it possible to identify contamination sources with varying accuracy, depending on the method used. The purpose of this study was done to test the efficiency of the antibiotic resistance analysis (ARA) method under low ...

  7. Collaborative research on fluidization employing computer-aided particle tracking

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, M.M.

    1990-01-01

    The objective of this work is to obtain unique, fundamental information on fluidization dynamics over a wide range of flow regimes using a Transportable Computer-Aided Particle Tracking Apparatus (TCAPTA). The contractor will design and fabricate a transportable version of the Computer-Aided Particle Tracking Facility (CAPTF) he has previously developed. The contractor will install and operate the (TCAPTA) at the METC fluidization research facilities. Quantitative data on particle motion will be obtained and reduced. The data will be used to provide needed information for modeling of bed dynamics, and prediction of bed performance, including erosion. A radioactive tracer particle, identical in size shape and mass to the bed particles under study, is mixed in the bed. The radiation emitted by the tracer particle, monitored continuously by 16 scintillation detectors, allows its position to be determined as a function of time. Stochastic mixing processes intrinsic to fluidization further cause the particle to travel to all active regions of the bed, thus sampling the motion in these regions. After a long test run to insure that a sufficient sampling have been acquired, time-differentiation and other statistical processing will then yield the mean velocity distribution, the fluctuating velocity distribution, many types of auto- and cross correlations, as well as mean fluxes, including the mean momentum fluxes due to random motion, which represent the kinetic contributions to the mean stress tensor

  8. Global Tracking Control of Quadrotor VTOL Aircraft in Three-Dimensional Space

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Duc Khac Do

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a method to design controllers that force a quadrotor vertical take-off and landing (VTOL aircraft to globally asymptotically track a reference trajectory in three-dimensional space. Motivated by the vehicle's steering practice, the roll and pitch angles are considered as immediate controls plus the total thrust force  provided by the aircraft's four rotors to control the position and yaw angle of the aircraft. The control design is based on the newly introduced one-step ahead backstepping, the standard backstepping and Lyapunov's direct methods. A combination of Euler angles and unit-quaternion for the attitude representation of the aircraft is used to obtain global tracking control results. The paper also includes a design of observers that exponentially estimate the aircraft's linear velocity vector and disturbances. Simulations illustrate the results.

  9. Multisensory Tracking of Objects in Darkness: Capture of Positive Afterimages by the Tactile and Proprioceptive Senses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brian W Stone

    Full Text Available This paper reports on three experiments investigating the contribution of different sensory modalities to the tracking of objects moved in total darkness. Participants sitting in the dark were exposed to a brief, bright flash which reliably induced a positive visual afterimage of the scene so illuminated. If the participants subsequently move their hand in the darkness, the visual afterimage of that hand fades or disappears; this is presumably due to conflict between the illusory visual afterimage (of the hand in its original location and other information (e.g., proprioceptive from a general mechanism for tracking body parts. This afterimage disappearance effect also occurs for held objects which are moved in the dark, and some have argued that this represents a case of body schema extension, i.e. the rapid incorporation of held external objects into the body schema. We demonstrate that the phenomenon is not limited to held objects and occurs in conditions where incorporation into the body schema is unlikely. Instead, we propose that the disappearance of afterimages of objects moved in darkness comes from a general mechanism for object tracking which integrates input from multiple sensory systems. This mechanism need not be limited to tracking body parts, and thus we need not invoke body schema extension to explain the afterimage disappearance. In this series of experiments, we test whether auditory feedback of object movement can induce afterimage disappearance, demonstrate that the disappearance effect scales with the magnitude of proprioceptive feedback, and show that tactile feedback alone is sufficient for the effect. Together, these data demonstrate that the visual percept of a positive afterimage is constructed not just from visual input of the scene when light reaches the eyes, but in conjunction with input from multiple other senses.

  10. A comparison of vision-based tracking schemes for control of microbiorobots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Dal Hyung; Steager, Edward B; Cheang, U Kei; Kim, Min Jun; Byun, Doyoung

    2010-01-01

    There has been significant recent interest in micro-nano robots operating in low Reynold's number fluidic environments. Even though recent works showed the success of controlling micro-nano robots, there are some limitations because of the tracking method. In this paper, we introduce and implement a feature-based tracking method (FTM). Scale invariant feature transform (SIFT) is a well-explored technique at much larger length scales for research fields regarding robotics and vision. Here, the technique is extensively investigated and optimized for microbiorobots (MBRs) in low Reynold's number environments. Also, we compare the FTM with the conventional tracking method for cells, which is known as the region-based tracking method (RTM). We clearly show that the FTM can track more accurate positions of the objects in comparison with the RTM in cases where objects are in close contact or overlapped. Also, we demonstrate that the FTM allows tracking microscopic objects even though illumination changes over time or portions of the object are occluded or outside the field of view.

  11. Modified method of perturbed stationary states. II. Semiclassical and low-velocity quantal approximations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Green, T.A.

    1978-10-01

    For one-electron heteropolar systems, the wave-theoretic Lagrangian of Paper I 2 is simplified in two distinct approximations. The first is semiclassical; the second is quantal, for velocities below those for which the semiclassical treatment is reliable. For each approximation, unitarity and detailed balancing are discussed. Then, the variational method as described by Demkov is used to determine the coupled equations for the radial functions and the Euler-Lagrange equations for the translational factors which are part of the theory. Specific semiclassical formulae for the translational factors are given in a many-state approximation. Low-velocity quantal formulae are obtained in a one-state approximation. The one-state results of both approximations agree with an earlier determination by Riley. 14 references

  12. Research on carbon fiber–reinforced plastic bumper beam subjected to low-velocity frontal impact

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yefa Hu

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Lightweight and safety performance of automobiles are two important factors for automobile designs. In this article, a research on lightweight and crashworthiness of automotive bumper has been conducted. The carbon fiber–reinforced plastic bumper beam is considered to replace the traditional high-strength steel one. The low-velocity impact finite element simulations for the above two bumper beams are performed via LS-DYNA. Furthermore, the energy absorption capabilities and dynamic response characteristics of the carbon fiber–reinforced plastic bumper beam are investigated and compared with the steel one. The results show that the carbon fiber–reinforced plastic bumper beam is of the better energy absorption capabilities and dynamic response characteristics than those of the steel one; the weight has decreased remarkably close to 50%. Meanwhile, the effect of lay-up and wall thickness on the crashworthiness of the carbon fiber–reinforced plastic bumper beam under low-velocity impact is also studied in this article to select appropriate design schemes.

  13. Optimal Trajectory Tracking Control for a Wheeled Mobile Robot Using Fractional Order PID Controller

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ameer L. Saleh

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper present an optimal Fractional Order PID (FOPID controller based on Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO for controlling the trajectory tracking of Wheeled Mobile Robot(WMR.The issue of trajectory tracking with given a desired reference velocity is minimized to get the distance and deviation angle equal to zero, to realize the objective of trajectory tracking a two FOPID controllers are used for velocity control and azimuth control to implement the trajectory tracking control. A path planning and path tracking methodologies are used to give different desired tracking trajectories.  PSO algorithm is using to find the optimal parameters of FOPID controllers. The kinematic and dynamic models of wheeled mobile robot for desired trajectory tracking with PSO algorithm are simulated in Simulink-Matlab. Simulation results show that the optimal FOPID controllers are more effective and has better dynamic performance than the conventional methods.

  14. Crack wave propagation along fracture with an induced low-velocity layer; Teisokudo no chika kiretsu zone wo denpasuru kiretsuha no bunsan tokusei

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nagano, K [Muroran Institute of Technology, Hokkaido (Japan)

    1997-10-22

    A study has been performed on underground cracks working as a geothermy reservoir layer, with respect to characteristics of elastic waves propagating with their energy concentrated on a boundary between rocks around the cracks and fluid in the underground cracks, or `crack waves`. The study has modeled a multi-crack reservoir layer according to the three-layer structure of the fluid layer and low-velocity solid layers around the former layer, whereas crack waves propagating therein were discussed for their dispersion characteristics. As a result of discussions, a guideline to the crack wave measurement at actual fields was put together as follows: because the low-velocity layer affects the dispersion characteristics of the crack waves, the structure and characteristics of the multi-crack reservoir layer may possibly be evaluated by measuring the velocity of the crack waves; evaluating the low-velocity layers requires proper selection of frequency of the crack wave to be measured; for example, at the Higashi Hachimantai field, a crack wave of several hundred hertz must be analyzed; and thickness of the low-velocity layers around main cracks, which can be estimated from the velocity of the crack wave is two meters at the greatest. 6 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.

  15. A PTV method based on ultrasound imaging and feature tracking in a low-concentration sediment-laden flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Zhimin; Hu, Wenbin; Zhao, Xiaohong; Tao, Weiliang

    2018-02-01

    This study aims to provide a particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) method based on ultrasound imaging and feature-tracking in a low-concentration sediment-laden flow. A phased array probe is used to generate a 2D ultrasound image at different times. Then, the feature points are extracted to be tracked instead of the centroids of the particle image. In order to better identify the corresponding feature point, each feature is described by an oriented angle and its location. Then, a statistical interpolation procedure is used to yield the displacement vector on the desired grid point. Finally a correction procedure is adopted because the ultrasound image is sequentially acquired line by line through the field of view. A simple test experiment was carried out to evaluate the performance. The ultrasound PTV system was applied to a sediment-laden flow with a low concentration of 1‰, and the speed was up to 10 cm s-1. In comparison to optical particle image velocimetry (PIV), ultrasound imaging does not have a limitation in optical access. The feature-tracking method does not have a binarisation and segmentation procedure, which can result in overlapping particles or a serious loss of particle data. The feature-tracking algorithm improves the peak locking effect and measurement accuracy. Thus, the ultrasound PTV algorithm is a feasible alternative and is significantly more robust against gradients than the correlation-based PIV algorithms in a low-concentration sediment-laden fluid.

  16. Experimental Studies of Low-Pressure Turbine Flows and Flow Control. Streamwise Pressure Profiles and Velocity Profiles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Volino, Ralph

    2012-01-01

    This report summarizes research performed in support of the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) Low-Pressure Turbine (LPT) Flow Physics Program. The work was performed experimentally at the U.S. Naval Academy faculties. The geometry corresponded to "Pak B" LPT airfoil. The test section simulated LPT flow in a passage. Three experimental studies were performed: (a) Boundary layer measurements for ten baseline cases under high and low freestream turbulence conditions at five Reynolds numbers of 25,000, 50,000, 100,000, 200,000, and 300,000, based on passage exit velocity and suction surface wetted length; (b) Passive flow control studies with three thicknesses of two-dimensional bars, and two heights of three-dimensional circular cylinders with different spanwise separations, at same flow conditions as the 10 baseline cases; (c) Active flow control with oscillating synthetic (zero net mass flow) vortex generator jets, for one case with low freestream turbulence and a low Reynolds number of 25,000. The Passive flow control was successful at controlling the separation problem at low Reynolds numbers, with varying degrees of success from case to case and varying levels of impact at higher Reynolds numbers. The active flow control successfully eliminated the large separation problem for the low Reynolds number case. Very detailed data was acquired using hot-wire anemometry, including single and two velocity components, integral boundary layer quantities, turbulence statistics and spectra, turbulent shear stresses and their spectra, and intermittency, documenting transition, separation and reattachment. Models were constructed to correlate the results. The report includes a summary of the work performed and reprints of the publications describing the various studies.This report summarizes research performed in support of the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) Low-Pressure Turbine (LPT) Flow Physics Program. The work was performed experimentally at the U.S. Naval Academy

  17. BANYAN. III. Radial velocity, rotation, and X-ray emission of low-mass star candidates in nearby young kinematic groups

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Malo, Lison; Artigau, Étienne; Doyon, René; Lafrenière, David; Albert, Loïc; Gagné, Jonathan, E-mail: malo@astro.umontreal.ca, E-mail: doyon@astro.umontreal.ca [Département de physique and Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7 (Canada)

    2014-06-10

    Based on high-resolution spectra obtained with PHOENIX at Gemini-South, CRIRES at VLT-UT1, and ESPaDOnS at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, we present new measurements of the radial and projected rotational velocities of 219 low-mass stars. The target likely membership was initially established using the Bayesian analysis tool recently presented in Malo et al., taking into account only the position, proper motion, and photometry of the stars to assess their membership probability. In the present study, we include radial velocity as an additional input to our analysis, and in doing so we confirm the high membership probability for 130 candidates: 27 in β Pictoris, 22 in Tucana-Horologium, 25 in Columba, 7 in Carina, 18 in Argus and 18 in AB Doradus, and 13 with an ambiguous membership. Our analysis also confirms the membership of 57 stars proposed in the literature. A subsample of 16 candidates was observed at 3 or more epochs, allowing us to discover 6 new spectroscopic binaries. The fraction of binaries in our sample is 25%, consistent with values in the literature. Of the stars in our sample, 20% show projected rotational velocities (vsin i) higher than 30 km s{sup –1} and therefore are considered as fast rotators. A parallax and other youth indicators are still needed to fully confirm the 130 highly probable candidates identified here as new bona fide members. Finally, based on the X-ray emission of bona fide and highly probable group members, we show that for low-mass stars in the 12-120 Myr age range, the X-ray luminosity is an excellent indicator of youth and better than the more traditionally used R {sub X} parameter, the ratio of X-ray to bolometric luminosity.

  18. Parameterization-based tracking for the P2 experiment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sorokin, Iurii [Institut fuer Kernphysik and PRISMA Cluster of Excellence, Mainz (Germany); Collaboration: P2-Collaboration

    2016-07-01

    The P2 experiment at the new MESA accelerator in Mainz aims to determine the weak mixing angle by measuring the parity-violating asymmetry in elastic electron-proton scattering at low momentum transfer. To achieve an unprecedented precision an order of 10{sup 11} scattered electrons per second have to be acquired. %within the acceptance. Whereas the tracking system is not required to operate at such high rates, every attempt is made to achieve as high rate capability as possible. The P2 tracking system will consist of four planes of high-voltage monolithic active pixel sensors (HV-MAPS). With the present preliminary design one expects about 150 signal electron tracks and 20000 background hits (from bremsstrahlung photons) per plane in every 50 ns readout frame at the full rate. In order to cope with this extreme combinatorial background in on-line mode, a parameterization-based tracking is considered as a possible solution. The idea is to transform the hit positions into a set of weakly correlated quantities, and to find simple (e.g. polynomial) functions of these quantities, that would give the required characteristics of the track (e.g. momentum). The parameters of the functions are determined from a sample of high-quality tracks, taken either from a simulation, or reconstructed in a conventional way from a sample of low-rate data.

  19. Simulating ice thickness and velocity evolution of Upernavik Isstrøm 1849-2012 by forcing prescribed terminus positions in ISSM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haubner, Konstanze; Box, Jason E.; Schlegel, Nicole J.; Larour, Eric Y.; Morlighem, Mathieu; Solgaard, Anne M.; Kjeldsen, Kristian K.; Larsen, Signe H.; Rignot, Eric; Dupont, Todd K.; Kjær, Kurt H.

    2018-04-01

    Tidewater glacier velocity and mass balance are known to be highly responsive to terminus position change. Yet it remains challenging for ice flow models to reproduce observed ice margin changes. Here, using the Ice Sheet System Model (ISSM; Larour et al. 2012), we simulate the ice velocity and thickness changes of Upernavik Isstrøm (north-western Greenland) by prescribing a collection of 27 observed terminus positions spanning 164 years (1849-2012). The simulation shows increased ice velocity during the 1930s, the late 1970s and between 1995 and 2012 when terminus retreat was observed along with negative surface mass balance anomalies. Three distinct mass balance states are evident in the reconstruction: (1849-1932) with near zero mass balance, (1932-1992) with ice mass loss dominated by ice dynamical flow, and (1998-2012), when increased retreat and negative surface mass balance anomalies led to mass loss that was twice that of any earlier period. Over the multi-decadal simulation, mass loss was dominated by thinning and acceleration responsible for 70 % of the total mass loss induced by prescribed change in terminus position. The remaining 30 % of the total ice mass loss resulted directly from prescribed terminus retreat and decreasing surface mass balance. Although the method can not explain the cause of glacier retreat, it enables the reconstruction of ice flow and geometry during 1849-2012. Given annual or seasonal observed terminus front positions, this method could be a useful tool for evaluating simulations investigating the effect of calving laws.

  20. Design of low velocity-spread cusp guns for axis encircling beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lawson, W.

    1987-01-01

    The design of a novel electron gun suitable for intense beam cyclotron resonance devices is introduced here. An annular Pierce-type gun is used in conjunction with an unbalanced nonadiabatic field reversal and an adiabatic compression region to produce an axis-encircling beam. This beam is ideally suited for interaction with electromagnetic waves that have strong on-axis electric fields (e.g., the TE 0 /sub 11/ mode). Low velocity spreads are achieved by utilizing the beam self-fields in the compression region and by focusing in the Pierce gun

  1. The shape of ion tracks in natural apatite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schauries, D.; Afra, B.; Bierschenk, T.; Lang, M.; Rodriguez, M. D.; Trautmann, C.; Li, W.; Ewing, R. C.; Kluth, P.

    2014-05-01

    Small angle X-ray scattering measurements were performed on natural apatite of different thickness irradiated with 2.2 GeV Au swift heavy ions. The evolution of the track radius along the full ion track length was estimated by considering the electronic energy loss and the velocity of the ions. The shape of the track is nearly cylindrical, slightly widening with a maximum diameter approximately 30 μm before the ions come to rest, followed by a rapid narrowing towards the end within a cigar-like contour. Measurements of average ion track radii in samples of different thicknesses, i.e. containing different sections of the tracks are in good agreement with the shape estimate.

  2. The shape of ion tracks in natural apatite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schauries, D.; Afra, B.; Bierschenk, T.; Lang, M.; Rodriguez, M.D.; Trautmann, C.; Li, W.; Ewing, R.C.; Kluth, P.

    2014-01-01

    Small angle X-ray scattering measurements were performed on natural apatite of different thickness irradiated with 2.2 GeV Au swift heavy ions. The evolution of the track radius along the full ion track length was estimated by considering the electronic energy loss and the velocity of the ions. The shape of the track is nearly cylindrical, slightly widening with a maximum diameter approximately 30 μm before the ions come to rest, followed by a rapid narrowing towards the end within a cigar-like contour. Measurements of average ion track radii in samples of different thicknesses, i.e. containing different sections of the tracks are in good agreement with the shape estimate

  3. A low cost fMRI-compatible tracking system using the Nintendo Wii remote.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Modroño, Cristián; Rodríguez-Hernández, Antonio F; Marcano, Francisco; Navarrete, Gorka; Burunat, Enrique; Ferrer, Marta; Monserrat, Raquel; González-Mora, José L

    2011-11-15

    It is sometimes necessary during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments to capture different movements made by the subjects, e.g. to enable them to control an item or to analyze its kinematics. The aim of this work is to present an inexpensive hand tracking system suitable for use in a high field MRI environment. It works by introducing only one light-emitting diode (LED) in the magnet room, and by receiving its signal with a Nintendo Wii remote (the primary controller for the Nintendo Wii console) placed outside in the control room. Thus, it is possible to take high spatial and temporal resolution registers of a moving point that, in this case, is held by the hand. We tested it using a ball and racket virtual game inside a 3 Tesla MRI scanner to demonstrate the usefulness of the system. The results show the involvement of a number of areas (mainly occipital and frontal, but also parietal and temporal) when subjects are trying to stop an object that is approaching from a first person perspective, matching previous studies performed with related visuomotor tasks. The system presented here is easy to implement, easy to operate and does not produce important head movements or artifacts in the acquired images. Given its low cost and ready availability, the method described here is ideal for use in basic and clinical fMRI research to track one or more moving points that can correspond to limbs, fingers or any other object whose position needs to be known. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Advanced Tracking of Vehicles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Christian Søndergaard; Li, K.-J.; Pakalnis, Stardas

    2005-01-01

    efficient tracking techniques. More specifically, while almost all commercially available tracking solutions simply offer time-based sampling of positions, this paper's techniques aim to offer a guaranteed tracking accuracy for each vehicle at the lowest possible costs, in terms of network traffic...

  5. Low-level radon measurements by nuclear track detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koksal, E. M.; Goksel, S. A.; Alkan, H.

    1985-01-01

    In the work to be described here we have developed a passive nuclear track dosimeter to measure the integrated value of indoor radon (Rn-222) over a long period of time. Passive radon dosimeter which we have developed in our laboratories makes use of two small pieces of CR-39 plastic (Allyl diglycol carbonate) as detectors for registering tracks of alpha particles emitted by radon. These CR-39 plastic detectors are fixed on the inside bottom of a cup-shaped polystrene enclosure which is closed at the top by a tissue permeable for gases only. CR-39 detectors exposed to radon gas in the indoor air for a period of six months then are removed and chemically etched to make the alpha particle tracks visible under the microscope. The counts of tracks are evaluated to determine the radon concentration in the air in comparison with the number of tracks produced by a known concentration of radon gas. By using the passive dosimeters developed and the chemical etching procedure descriped here, measurements of indoor radon concentrations were carried out in 45 houses in different districts of the city of Istanbul. In this pilot experiment mean radon concentrations between 0.7 and 3.5 pCi/l have been found in these houses. In order to improve the counting of alpha tracks produced on the detectors a prototype electrochemical etching system in addition to chemical etching, is being developed. (author)

  6. CONSTRAINING THE NFW POTENTIAL WITH OBSERVATIONS AND MODELING OF LOW SURFACE BRIGHTNESS GALAXY VELOCITY FIELDS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuzio de Naray, Rachel; McGaugh, Stacy S.; Mihos, J. Christopher

    2009-01-01

    We model the Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) potential to determine if, and under what conditions, the NFW halo appears consistent with the observed velocity fields of low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies. We present mock DensePak Integral Field Unit (IFU) velocity fields and rotation curves of axisymmetric and nonaxisymmetric potentials that are well matched to the spatial resolution and velocity range of our sample galaxies. We find that the DensePak IFU can accurately reconstruct the velocity field produced by an axisymmetric NFW potential and that a tilted-ring fitting program can successfully recover the corresponding NFW rotation curve. We also find that nonaxisymmetric potentials with fixed axis ratios change only the normalization of the mock velocity fields and rotation curves and not their shape. The shape of the modeled NFW rotation curves does not reproduce the data: these potentials are unable to simultaneously bring the mock data at both small and large radii into agreement with observations. Indeed, to match the slow rise of LSB galaxy rotation curves, a specific viewing angle of the nonaxisymmetric potential is required. For each of the simulated LSB galaxies, the observer's line of sight must be along the minor axis of the potential, an arrangement that is inconsistent with a random distribution of halo orientations on the sky.

  7. Current injection phase thermography for low-velocity impact damage identification in composite laminates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grammatikos, S.A.; Kordatos, E.Z.; Matikas, T.E.; David, C.; Paipetis, A.S.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • A novel Current injection phase thermography NDE method has been developed. • Blind impact damage has been successfully detected in composite laminates. • Carbon nanotubes enhance detection by improving of through thickness conductivity. • Detection is feasible with considerably less energy than for IR excited thermography. - Abstract: An innovative non-destructive evaluation (NDE) technique is presented based on current stimulated thermography. Modulated electric current is injected to Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) laminates as an external source of thermal excitation. Pulsed Phase Thermography (PPT) is concurrently employed to identify low velocity impact induced (LVI) damage. The efficiency of the proposed method is demonstrated for both plain and with Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) modified laminates, which are subjected to low-velocity impact damaged composite laminates at different energy levels. The presence of the nano reinforcing phase is important in achieving a uniform current flow along the laminate, as it improves the through thickness conductivity. The acquired thermographs are compared with optical PPT, C-scan images and Computer Tomography (CT) representations. The typical energy input for successful damage identification with current injection is three to four orders of magnitude less compared to the energy required for optical PPT

  8. Low sputum smear positive tuberculosis among pulmonary ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Low sputum smear positive tuberculosis among pulmonary tuberculosis suspects in a tertiary hospital in Mwanza, Tanzania. ... The risk factors among smear positive TB patients were co-illness (32.5%), previous history of TB (7.5%) and history of positive TB contact (4.7%). These findings also show that as CD4+ T Cells ...

  9. Particle Filter Based Fault-tolerant ROV Navigation using Hydro-acoustic Position and Doppler Velocity Measurements

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhao, Bo; Blanke, Mogens; Skjetne, Roger

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents a fault tolerant navigation system for a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The navigation system uses hydro-acoustic position reference (HPR) and Doppler velocity log (DVL) measurements to achieve an integrated navigation. The fault tolerant functionality is based on a modied...... particle lter. This particle lter is able to run in an asynchronous manner to accommodate the measurement drop out problem, and it overcomes the measurement outliers by switching observation models. Simulations with experimental data show that this fault tolerant navigation system can accurately estimate...

  10. Detecting critical illness outside the ICU: the role of track and trigger systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jansen, Jan O; Cuthbertson, Brian H

    2010-06-01

    Critical illness is often preceded by physiological deterioration. Track and trigger systems are intended to facilitate the timely recognition of patients with potential or established critical illness outside critical care areas. The aim of this article is to review the evidence for the use of such systems. Existing track and trigger systems have low sensitivity, low positive predictive values, and high specificity. They often fail to identify patients who need additional care and have not been shown to improve outcomes. The development of such systems must be based on robust methodological and statistical principles. At present, few track and trigger systems meet these standards. Although track and trigger systems, combined with appropriate response algorithms, have the potential to improve the recognition and management of critical illness, further work is required to validate their utility.

  11. Constraining cosmology with the velocity function of low-mass galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, Aurel; Trujillo-Gomez, Sebastian

    2018-04-01

    The number density of field galaxies per rotation velocity, referred to as the velocity function, is an intriguing statistical measure probing the smallest scales of structure formation. In this paper we point out that the velocity function is sensitive to small shifts in key cosmological parameters such as the amplitude of primordial perturbations (σ8) or the total matter density (Ωm). Using current data and applying conservative assumptions about baryonic effects, we show that the observed velocity function of the Local Volume favours cosmologies in tension with the measurements from Planck but in agreement with the latest findings from weak lensing surveys. While the current systematics regarding the relation between observed and true rotation velocities are potentially important, upcoming data from H I surveys as well as new insights from hydrodynamical simulations will dramatically improve the situation in the near future.

  12. Loss of positional information when tracking multiple moving dots: the role of visual memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narasimhan, Sathyasri; Tripathy, Srimant P; Barrett, Brendan T

    2009-01-01

    Pylyshyn, Z.W. and Storm, R.W. (1988) (Tracking multiple independent targets: Evidence for a parallel tracking mechanism. Spatial Vision, 3(3), 179-197) proposed that human observers could simultaneously track up to five dots when presented with an array of dots moving in a random manner. In contrast, Tripathy, S.P., and Barrett, B.T. (2004) (Severe loss of positional information when detecting deviations in multiple trajectories. Journal of Vision, 4(12):4, 1020-1043, http://journalofvision.org/4/14/4/, doi: 10.1167/4.12.4) showed that when a threshold paradigm was employed, observers' ability to track deviations in straight-line trajectories is severely compromised when attending to two or more dots. In this study we present a series of four experiments that investigates the role of attention and visual memory while tracking deviations in multiple trajectories using a threshold paradigm. Our stimuli consisted of several linear, non-parallel, left-to-right trajectories, each moving at the same speed. At the trajectory mid-point (reached simultaneously by all dots), one of the dots (target) deviated clockwise or counter-clockwise. The observers' task was to identify the direction of deviation. The target trajectory was cued in the second half of the trial either by disappearance of distractors at the monitor's mid-line (Experiment 1) or by means of a change in colour of the target (Experiment 2); in both cases deviation thresholds rose steeply when the number of distractor trajectories was increased from 0 (typical threshold approximately 2 degrees) to 3 (typical threshold>20 degrees). When all the trajectories were presented statically in a single frame (Experiment 3), thresholds for identifying the orientation change of the target trajectory remained relatively unchanged as the number of distractor trajectories was increased. When a temporal delay of a few hundred milliseconds was introduced between the first and second halves of trajectories (Experiment 4

  13. Sodium Velocity Maps on Mercury

    Science.gov (United States)

    Potter, A. E.; Killen, R. M.

    2011-01-01

    The objective of the current work was to measure two-dimensional maps of sodium velocities on the Mercury surface and examine the maps for evidence of sources or sinks of sodium on the surface. The McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope and the Stellar Spectrograph were used to measure Mercury spectra that were sampled at 7 milliAngstrom intervals. Observations were made each day during the period October 5-9, 2010. The dawn terminator was in view during that time. The velocity shift of the centroid of the Mercury emission line was measured relative to the solar sodium Fraunhofer line corrected for radial velocity of the Earth. The difference between the observed and calculated velocity shift was taken to be the velocity vector of the sodium relative to Earth. For each position of the spectrograph slit, a line of velocities across the planet was measured. Then, the spectrograph slit was stepped over the surface of Mercury at 1 arc second intervals. The position of Mercury was stabilized by an adaptive optics system. The collection of lines were assembled into an images of surface reflection, sodium emission intensities, and Earthward velocities over the surface of Mercury. The velocity map shows patches of higher velocity in the southern hemisphere, suggesting the existence of sodium sources there. The peak earthward velocity occurs in the equatorial region, and extends to the terminator. Since this was a dawn terminator, this might be an indication of dawn evaporation of sodium. Leblanc et al. (2008) have published a velocity map that is similar.

  14. Tracking flow of leukocytes in blood for drug analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basharat, Arslan; Turner, Wesley; Stephens, Gillian; Badillo, Benjamin; Lumpkin, Rick; Andre, Patrick; Perera, Amitha

    2011-03-01

    Modern microscopy techniques allow imaging of circulating blood components under vascular flow conditions. The resulting video sequences provide unique insights into the behavior of blood cells within the vasculature and can be used as a method to monitor and quantitate the recruitment of inflammatory cells at sites of vascular injury/ inflammation and potentially serve as a pharmacodynamic biomarker, helping screen new therapies and individualize dose and combinations of drugs. However, manual analysis of these video sequences is intractable, requiring hours per 400 second video clip. In this paper, we present an automated technique to analyze the behavior and recruitment of human leukocytes in whole blood under physiological conditions of shear through a simple multi-channel fluorescence microscope in real-time. This technique detects and tracks the recruitment of leukocytes to a bioactive surface coated on a flow chamber. Rolling cells (cells which partially bind to the bioactive matrix) are detected counted, and have their velocity measured and graphed. The challenges here include: high cell density, appearance similarity, and low (1Hz) frame rate. Our approach performs frame differencing based motion segmentation, track initialization and online tracking of individual leukocytes.

  15. Development of Autonomous Boat-Type Robot for Automated Velocity Measurement in Straight Natural River

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanjou, Michio; Nagasaka, Tsuyoshi

    2017-11-01

    The present study describes an automated system to measure the river flow velocity. A combination of the camera-tracking system and the Proportional/Integral/Derivative (PID) control could enable the boat-type robot to remain in position against the mainstream; this results in reasonable evaluation of the mean velocity by a duty ratio which corresponds to rotation speed of the screw propeller. A laser range finder module was installed to measure the local water depth. Reliable laboratory experiments with the prototype boat robot and electromagnetic velocimetry were conducted to obtain a calibration curve that connects the duty ratio and mean current velocity. The remaining accuracy in the target point was also examined quantitatively. The fluctuation in the spanwise direction is within half of the robot length. It was therefore found that the robot remains well within the target region. We used two-dimensional navigation tests to guarantee that the prototype moved smoothly to the target points and successfully measured the streamwise velocity profiles across the mainstream. Moreover, the present robot was found to move successfully not only in the laboratory flume but also in a small natural river. The robot could move smoothly from the starting point near the operator's site toward the target point where the velocity is measured, and it could evaluate the cross-sectional discharge.

  16. Dual Use of Image Based Tracking Techniques: Laser Eye Surgery and Low Vision Prosthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Juday, Richard D.; Barton, R. Shane

    1994-01-01

    With a concentration on Fourier optics pattern recognition, we have developed several methods of tracking objects in dynamic imagery to automate certain space applications such as orbital rendezvous and spacecraft capture, or planetary landing. We are developing two of these techniques for Earth applications in real-time medical image processing. The first is warping of a video image, developed to evoke shift invariance to scale and rotation in correlation pattern recognition. The technology is being applied to compensation for certain field defects in low vision humans. The second is using the optical joint Fourier transform to track the translation of unmodeled scenes. Developed as an image fixation tool to assist in calculating shape from motion, it is being applied to tracking motions of the eyeball quickly enough to keep a laser photocoagulation spot fixed on the retina, thus avoiding collateral damage.

  17. Track 2 sites: Guidance for assessing low probability hazard sites at the INEL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    This document presents guidance for assessment of Track 2 low probability hazard sites (LPHS) at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). The Track 2 classification was developed specifically for the INEL to streamline the implementation of Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. Track 2 LPHSs are described as sites where insufficient data are available to make a decision concerning the risk level or to select or design a remedy. As such, these types of sites are not described in the National Contingency Plan or existing regulatory guidance. The goal of the Track 2 process is to evaluate LPHSs using existing qualitative and quantitative data to minimize the collection of new environmental data. To this end, this document presents a structured format consisting of a series of questions and tables. A qualitative risk assessment is used. The process is iterative, and addresses an LPHS from multiple perspectives (i.e., historical, empirical, process) in an effort to generate a reproducible and defensible method. This rigorous approach follows the data quality objective process and establishes a well organized, logical approach to consolidate and assess existing data, and set decision criteria. If necessary, the process allows for the design of a sampling and analysis strategy to obtain new environmental data of appropriate quality to support decisions for each LPHS. Finally, the guidance expedites consensus between regulatory parties by emphasizing a team approach to Track 2 investigations

  18. Long-term GPS tracking of ocean sunfish Mola mola offers a new direction in fish monitoring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sims, David W; Queiroz, Nuno; Humphries, Nicolas E; Lima, Fernando P; Hays, Graeme C

    2009-10-09

    Satellite tracking of large pelagic fish provides insights on free-ranging behaviour, distributions and population structuring. Up to now, such fish have been tracked remotely using two principal methods: direct positioning of transmitters by Argos polar-orbiting satellites, and satellite relay of tag-derived light-level data for post hoc track reconstruction. Error fields associated with positions determined by these methods range from hundreds of metres to hundreds of kilometres. However, low spatial accuracy of tracks masks important details, such as foraging patterns. Here we use a fast-acquisition global positioning system (Fastloc GPS) tag with remote data retrieval to track long-term movements, in near real time and position accuracy of GPS tagging to provide tracks of unparalleled accuracy for monitoring movements of large pelagic fish, and with nearly four times as many locations obtained by the GPS tag than by a conventional Argos transmitter. The results signal the potential of GPS-tagged pelagic fish that surface regularly to be detectors of resource 'hotspots' in the blue ocean and provides a new capability for understanding large pelagic fish behaviour and habitat use that is relevant to ocean management and species conservation.

  19. Object Tracking with LiDAR: Monitoring Taxiing and Landing Aircraft

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zoltan Koppanyi

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Mobile light detection and ranging (LiDAR sensors used in car navigation and robotics, such as the Velodyne’s VLP-16 and HDL-32E, allow for sensing the surroundings of the platform with high temporal resolution to detect obstacles, tracking objects and support path planning. This study investigates the feasibility of using LiDAR sensors for tracking taxiing or landing aircraft close to the ground to improve airport safety. A prototype system was developed and installed at an airfield to capture point clouds to monitor aircraft operations. One of the challenges of accurate object tracking using the Velodyne sensors is the relatively small vertical field of view (30°, 41.3° and angular resolution (1.33°, 2°, resulting in a small number of points of the tracked object. The point density decreases with the object–sensor distance, and is already sparse at a moderate range of 30–40 m. The paper introduces our model-based tracking algorithms, including volume minimization and cube trajectories, to address the optimal estimation of object motion and tracking based on sparse point clouds. Using a network of sensors, multiple tests were conducted at an airport to assess the performance of the demonstration system and the algorithms developed. The investigation was focused on monitoring small aircraft moving on runways and taxiways, and the results indicate less than 0.7 m/s and 17 cm velocity and positioning accuracy achieved, respectively. Overall, based on our findings, this technology is promising not only for aircraft monitoring but for airport applications.

  20. [The radial velocity measurement accuracy of different spectral type low resolution stellar spectra at different signal-to-noise ratio].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Feng-Fei; Luo, A-Li; Zhao, Yong-Heng

    2014-02-01

    The radial velocity of the star is very important for the study of the dynamics structure and chemistry evolution of the Milky Way, is also an useful tool for looking for variable or special objects. In the present work, we focus on calculating the radial velocity of different spectral types of low-resolution stellar spectra by adopting a template matching method, so as to provide effective and reliable reference to the different aspects of scientific research We choose high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) spectra of different spectral type stellar from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), and add different noise to simulate the stellar spectra with different SNR. Then we obtain theradial velocity measurement accuracy of different spectral type stellar spectra at different SNR by employing a template matching method. Meanwhile, the radial velocity measurement accuracy of white dwarf stars is analyzed as well. We concluded that the accuracy of radial velocity measurements of early-type stars is much higher than late-type ones. For example, the 1-sigma standard error of radial velocity measurements of A-type stars is 5-8 times as large as K-type and M-type stars. We discuss the reason and suggest that the very narrow lines of late-type stars ensure the accuracy of measurement of radial velocities, while the early-type stars with very wide Balmer lines, such as A-type stars, become sensitive to noise and obtain low accuracy of radial velocities. For the spectra of white dwarfs stars, the standard error of radial velocity measurement could be over 50 km x s(-1) because of their extremely wide Balmer lines. The above conclusion will provide a good reference for stellar scientific study.

  1. THE VELOCITY DISTRIBUTION OF NEARBY STARS FROM HIPPARCOS DATA. II. THE NATURE OF THE LOW-VELOCITY MOVING GROUPS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bovy, Jo; Hogg, David W.

    2010-01-01

    The velocity distribution of nearby stars (∼<100 pc) contains many overdensities or 'moving groups', clumps of comoving stars, that are inconsistent with the standard assumption of an axisymmetric, time-independent, and steady-state Galaxy. We study the age and metallicity properties of the low-velocity moving groups based on the reconstruction of the local velocity distribution in Paper I of this series. We perform stringent, conservative hypothesis testing to establish for each of these moving groups whether it could conceivably consist of a coeval population of stars. We conclude that they do not: the moving groups are neither trivially associated with their eponymous open clusters nor with any other inhomogeneous star formation event. Concerning a possible dynamical origin of the moving groups, we test whether any of the moving groups has a higher or lower metallicity than the background population of thin disk stars, as would generically be the case if the moving groups are associated with resonances of the bar or spiral structure. We find clear evidence that the Hyades moving group has higher than average metallicity and weak evidence that the Sirius moving group has lower than average metallicity, which could indicate that these two groups are related to the inner Lindblad resonance of the spiral structure. Further, we find weak evidence that the Hercules moving group has higher than average metallicity, as would be the case if it is associated with the bar's outer Lindblad resonance. The Pleiades moving group shows no clear metallicity anomaly, arguing against a common dynamical origin for the Hyades and Pleiades groups. Overall, however, the moving groups are barely distinguishable from the background population of stars, raising the likelihood that the moving groups are associated with transient perturbations.

  2. Consensus seeking, formation keeping, and trajectory tracking in multiple vehicle cooperative control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Wei

    stringent inter-vehicle communication limitations. A constructive approach based on the satisficing control paradigm is also applied to multi-robot coordination in hardware. For trajectory tracking, we investigate nonlinear tracking controllers for fixed wing unmanned air vehicles and nonholonomic mobile robots with velocity and heading rate constraints. The main contribution of this dissertation in this area is that our proposed tracking controllers are shown to be robust to input uncertainties and measurement noise, and are computationally simple and can be implemented with low-cost, low-power microcontrollers. In addition, our approach allows piecewise continuous reference velocity and heading rate and can be extended to derive a variety of other trajectory tracking strategies.

  3. Track profile and range studies of heavy and light ions in CR-39: effect of thermal pre-treatment on etching characteristics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Najjar, S.A.R.; Bull, R.K.; Durrani, S.A.

    1982-01-01

    Sheets of CR 39 have been irradiated with 20 Ne, 32 S, 40 Ar, 56 Fe and 63 Cu ions at normal incidence to the surface of the sheets and at normal incidence to the edges. The profiles of the etched tracks have been observed side-on and measurements made of the variation of V (the ratio of track to bulk etching velocities) along the tracks and of the fully etched range of the tracks. Heating the plastic at 100 0 C prior to etching produces zones within the plastic having different bulk etching rates Vsub(B). An outer zone of low Vsub(B) is followed by a zone of much higher Vsub(B). This allows tracks to be readily etched to very large diameters, comparable in size to the breakdown spots produced by electrochemical etching. (author)

  4. Complex C: A Low-Metallicity, High-Velocity Cloud Plunging into the Milky Way

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tripp, Todd M.; Wakker, Bart P.; Jenkins, Edward B.; Bowers, C. W.; Danks, A. C.; Green, R. F.; Heap, S. R.; Joseph, C. L.; Kaiser, M. E.; Linsky, J. L.; Woodgate, B. E.

    2003-06-01

    We present evidence that high-velocity cloud (HVC) complex C is a low-metallicity gas cloud that is plunging toward the disk and beginning to interact with the ambient gas that surrounds the Milky Way. This evidence begins with a new high-resolution (7 km s-1 FWHM) echelle spectrum of 3C 351 obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS). 3C 351 lies behind the low-latitude edge of complex C, and the new spectrum provides accurate measurements of O I, Si II, Al II, Fe II, and Si III absorption lines at the velocity of complex C; N I, S II, Si IV, and C IV are not detected at 3 σ significance in complex C proper. However, Si IV and C IV as well as O I, Al II, Si II and Si III absorption lines are clearly present at somewhat higher velocities associated with a ``high-velocity ridge'' (HVR) of 21 cm emission. This high-velocity ridge has a similar morphology to and is roughly centered on complex C proper. The similarities of the absorption-line ratios in the HVR and complex C suggest that these structures are intimately related. In complex C proper we find [O/H]=-0.76+0.23-0.21. For other species the measured column densities indicate that ionization corrections are important. We use collisional and photoionization models to derive ionization corrections; in both models we find that the overall metallicity Z=0.1-0.3 Zsolar in complex C proper, but nitrogen must be underabundant. The iron abundance indicates that the complex C contains very little dust. The size and density implied by the ionization models indicate that the absorbing gas is not gravitationally confined. The gas could be pressure confined by an external medium, but alternatively we may be viewing the leading edge of the HVC, which is ablating and dissipating as it plunges into the Milky Way. O VI column densities observed with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) toward nine QSOs/AGNs behind complex C support this conclusion: N(O VI) is highest near 3C 351, and the O VI/H I

  5. Tenure Track Policy Increases Representation of Women in Senior Academic Positions, but Is Insufficient to Achieve Gender Balance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bakker, M.M.; Jacobs, M.H.

    2016-01-01

    Underrepresentation of women in senior positions is a persistent problem in universities worldwide, and a wide range of strategies to combat this situation is currently being contemplated. One such strategy is the introduction of a tenure track system, in which decisions to promote scientific staff

  6. Effect of the space-charge force on tracking at low energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Furman, M.A.

    1987-01-01

    The authors present tracking results for the SSC's Low Energy Booster at injection energy, including the effect of the space-charge force. The bunches are assumed to be gaussian with elliptical cross-section. Magnet errors and sextupoles are not included, but an RF cavity is. The authors compare the phase space with and without synchrotron oscillations, with and without space-charge. The effective emittance is not significantly altered. They also present results on tune shifts with amplitude

  7. Kalman滤波在井下人员跟踪定位中的应用%Application of Kalman filter in underground personnel tracking and positioning

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    罗宇锋; 刘勇; 李芳

    2013-01-01

    In view of problem that RSSI location algorithm does not have continuity in positioning process,the paper proposed an underground personnel positioning method with continuity based on Kalman filter.The method adopts Kalman filter to filter processing position coordinates of underground personnel estimated by RSSI location algorithm,and established a Kalman filter model on the basis of this coordinate in order to real-timely track underground personnel.The experimental results show that the positioning method based on Kalman filter has accurate tracking effect,and can improve real-time performance and tracking accuracy of underground personnel tracking and positioning system.%针对基于RSSI定位算法在定位过程中不具备连续性问题,提出了一种基于Kalman滤波的连续性并下人员定位方法.采用Kalman滤波对基于RSSI定位算法估算出的井下人员位置坐标进行滤波处理,在此坐标的基础上,建立Kalman滤波模型,利用Kalman滤波实现对井下人员的实时跟踪.实验结果表明,基于Kalman滤波的定位方法对井下人员的跟踪效果较好,提高了系统的实时性和跟踪精度.

  8. Effect of velocity variation on secondary-ion-emission probability: Quantum stationary approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goldberg, E.C.; Ferron, J.; Passeggi, M.C.G.

    1989-01-01

    The ion-velocity dependence of the ionization probability for an atom ejected from a surface is examined by using a quantum approach in which the coupled motion between electrons and the outgoing nucleus is followed along the whole trajectory by solving the stationary Schroedinger equation. We choose a very-small-cluster-model system in which the motion of the atom is restricted to one dimension, and with energy potential curves corresponding to the involved channels varying appreciably with the atom position. We found an exponential dependence on the inverse of the asymptotic ion velocity for high emission energies, and a smoother behavior with slight oscillations at low energies. These results are compared with those obtained within a dynamical-trajectory approximation using either a constant velocity equal to the asymptotic ionic value, or expressions for the velocity derived from the eikonal approximation and from the classical limit of the current vector. Both approaches give similar results provided the velocity is allowed to adjust self-consistently to potential energies and transition-amplitude variations. Strong oscillations are observed in the low-emission-energy range either if the transitions are neglected, or a constant velocity along the whole path is assumed for the ejected particle

  9. Low Complexity Track Initialization from a Small Set of Non-Invertible Measurements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wolfgang Koch

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available Target tracking from non-invertible measurement sets, for example, incomplete spherical coordinates measured by asynchronous sensors in a sensor network, is a task of data fusion present in a lot of applications. Difficulties in tracking using extended Kalman filters lead to unstable behavior, mainly caused by poor initialization. Instead of using high complexity numerical batch-estimators, we offer an analytical approach to initialize the filter from a minimum number of observations. This directly pertains to multi-hypothesis tracking (MHT, where in the presence of clutter and/or multiple targets (i low complexity algorithms are desirable and (ii using a small set of measurements avoids the combinatorial explosion. Our approach uses no numerical optimization, simply evaluating several equations to find the state estimates. This is possible since we avoid an over-determined setup by initializing only from the minimum necessary subset of measurements. Loss in accuracy is minimized by choosing the best subset using an optimality criterion and incorporating the leftover measurements afterwards. Additionally, we provide the possibility to estimate only sub-sets of parameters, and to reliably model the resulting added uncertainties by the covariance matrix. We compare two different implementations, differing in the approximation of the posterior: linearizing the measurement equation as in the extended Kalman filter (EKF or employing the unscented transform (UT. The approach will be studied in two practical examples: 3D track initialization using bearingsonly measurements or using slant-range and azimuth only.

  10. Effect of low air velocities on thermal homeostasis and comfort during exercise at space station operational temperature and humidity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beumer, Ronald J.

    1989-01-01

    The effectiveness of different low air velocities in maintaining thermal comfort and homeostasis during exercise at space station operational temperature and humidity was investigated. Five male subjects exercised on a treadmill for successive ten minute periods at 60, 71, and 83 percent of maximum oxygen consumption at each of four air velocities, 30, 50, 80, and 120 ft/min, at 22 C and 62 percent relative humidity. No consistent trends or statistically significant differences between air velocities were found in body weight loss, sweat accumulation, or changes in rectal, skin, and body temperatures. Occurrence of the smallest body weight loss at 120 ft/min, the largest sweat accumulation at 30 ft/min, and the smallest rise in rectal temperature and the greatest drop in skin temperature at 120 ft/min all suggested more efficient evaporative cooling at the highest velocity. Heat storage at all velocities was evidenced by increased rectal and body temperatures; skin temperatures declined or increased only slightly. Body and rectal temperature increases corresponded with increased perception of warmth and slight thermal discomfort as exercise progressed. At all air velocities, mean thermal perception never exceeded warm and mean discomfort, greatest at 30 ft/min, was categorized at worst as uncomfortable; sensation of thermal neutrality and comfort returned rapidly after cessation of exercise. Suggestions for further elucidation of the effects of low air velocities on thermal comfort and homeostasis include larger numbers of subjects, more extensive skin temperature measurements and more rigorous analysis of the data from this study.

  11. Accuracy of position measurement method using Arago spot for inertial fusion energy target tracking system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saruta, Koichi; Tsuji, Ryusuke

    2007-01-01

    The accuracy of a position measurement method using the Arago spot is reported for an inertial fusion energy (IFE) target tracking system, where the position of the target is determined by the position of the Arago spot, which is a bright spot appearing in the central portion of the diffraction pattern of a spherical obstacle. We use a He-Ne laser as the light source and a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera with a microscope objective lens to magnify and record the diffraction pattern of a spherical target. We examine two different algorithms to determine the center of the Arago spot in order to compare the measurement performances. The experimental results show that the position of a 5-mm-diameter target can be obtained with a measurement resolution of 1 μm and an rms measurement error of less than 0.2μm for both algorithms when the distance between the target and the microscope objective lens is 5 cm. (author)

  12. BP neural network tuned PID controller for position tracking of a pneumatic artificial muscle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Jizhuang; Zhong, Jun; Zhao, Jie; Zhu, Yanhe

    2015-01-01

    Although Pneumatic Artificial Muscle (PAM) has a promising future in rehabilitation robots, it's difficult to realize accurate position control due to its highly nonlinear properties. This paper deals with position control of PAM. To describe the hysteresis inside PAM, a polynomial based phenomenological function is developed. Based on the phenomenological model for PAM and analysis of pressure dynamics within PAM, an adaptive cascade controller is proposed. Both outer loop and inner loop employ BP Neural Network tuned PID algorithm. The outer loop is to handle high nonlinearities and unmodeled dynamics of PAM, while the inner loop is responsible for nonlinearities caused by pressure dynamics. Experimental results show high tracking accuracy as compared with a convention PID controller. The proposed controller is effective in improving performance of PAM and will be implemented in a rehabilitation robot.

  13. Flight Performance Evaluation of Three GPS Receivers for Sounding Rocket Tracking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bull, Barton; Diehl, James; Montenbruck, Oliver; Markgraf, Markus; Bauer, Frank (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    In preparation for the European Space Agency Maxus-4 mission, a sounding rocket test flight was carried out at Esrange, near Kiruna, Sweden on February 19, 2001 to validate existing ground facilities and range safety installations. Due to the absence of a dedicated scientific payload, the flight offered the opportunity to test multiple GPS receivers and assess their performance for the tracking of sounding rockets. The receivers included an Ashtech G12 HDMA receiver, a BAE (Canadian Marconi) Allstar receiver and a Mitel Orion receiver. All of them provide C/A code tracking on the L1 frequency to determine the user position and make use of Doppler measurements to derive the instantaneous velocity. Among the receivers, the G12 has been optimized for use under highly dynamic conditions and has earlier been flown successfully on NASA sounding rockets. The Allstar is representative of common single frequency receivers for terrestrial applications and received no particular modification, except for the disabling of the common altitude and velocity constraints that would otherwise inhibit its use for space application. The Orion receiver, finally, employs the same Mitel chipset as the Allstar, but has received various firmware modifications by DLR to safeguard it against signal losses and improve its tracking performance. While the two NASA receivers were driven by a common wrap-around antenna, the DLR experiment made use of a switchable antenna system comprising a helical antenna in the tip of the rocket and two blade antennas attached to the body of the vehicle. During the boost a peak acceleration of roughly l7g's was achieved which resulted in a velocity of about 1100 m/s at the end of the burn. At apogee, the rocket reached an altitude of over 80 km. A detailed analysis of the attained flight data is given together with a evaluation of different receiver designs and antenna concepts.

  14. LOW-VELOCITY SHOCKS TRACED BY EXTENDED SiO EMISSION ALONG THE W43 RIDGES: WITNESSING THE FORMATION OF YOUNG MASSIVE CLUSTERS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen-Luong, Q.; Martin, P. G.; Motte, F.; Louvet, F.; Hill, T.; Hennemann, M.; Didelon, P.; Carlhoff, P.; Schilke, P.; Lesaffre, P.; Gusdorf, A.; Schneider, N.; Bontemps, S.; Duarte-Cabral, A.; Menten, K. M.; Wyrowski, F.; Bendo, G.; Roussel, H.; Bernard, J.-P.; Bronfman, L.

    2013-01-01

    The formation of high-mass stars is tightly linked to that of their parental clouds. Here, we focus on the high-density parts of W43, a molecular cloud undergoing an efficient event of star formation. Using a column density image derived from Herschel continuum maps, we identify two high-density filamentary clouds, called the W43-MM1 and W43-MM2 ridges. Both have gas masses of 2.1 × 10 4 M ☉ and 3.5 × 10 4 M ☉ above >10 23 cm -2 and within areas of ∼6 and ∼14 pc 2 , respectively. The W43-MM1 and W43-MM2 ridges are structures that are coherent in velocity and gravitationally bound, despite their large velocity dispersion measured by the N 2 H + (1-0) lines of the W43-HERO IRAM large program. Another intriguing result is that these ridges harbor widespread (∼10 pc 2 ) bright SiO (2-1) emission, which we interpret to be the result of low-velocity shocks (≤10 km s –1 ). We measure a significant relationship between the SiO (2-1) luminosity and velocity extent and show that it distinguishes our observations from the high-velocity shocks associated with outflows. We use state-of-the-art shock models to demonstrate that a small percentage (10%) of Si atoms in low-velocity shocks, observed initially in gas phase or in grain mantles, can explain the observed SiO column density in the W43 ridges. The spatial and velocity overlaps between the ridges of high-density gas and the shocked SiO gas suggest that ridges could be forming via colliding flows driven by gravity and accompanied by low-velocity shocks. This mechanism may be the initial conditions for the formation of young massive clusters

  15. An Assessment of a Low-Cost Visual Tracking System (VTS) to Detect and Compensate for Patient Motion During SPECT

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNamara, Joseph E.; Bruyant, Philippe; Johnson, Karen; Feng, Bing; Lehovich, Andre; Gu, Songxiang; Gennert, Michael A.; King, Michael A.

    2008-06-01

    Patient motion is inevitable in SPECT and PET due to the lengthy period of time patients are imaged and patient motion can degrade diagnostic accuracy. The goal of our studies is to perfect a methodology for tracking and correcting patient motion when it occurs. In this paper we report on enhancements to the calibration, camera stability, accuracy of motion tracking, and temporal synchronization of a low-cost visual tracking system (VTS) we are developing. The purpose of the VTS is to track the motion of retro-reflective markers on stretchy bands wrapped about the chest and abdomen of patients. We have improved the accuracy of 3D spatial calibration by using a MATLAB optical camera calibration package with a planar calibration pattern. This allowed us to determine the intrinsic and extrinsic parameters for stereo-imaging with our CCD cameras. Locations in the VTS coordinate system are transformed to the SPECT coordinate system by a VTS/SPECT mapping using a phantom of 7 retro-reflective spheres each filled with a drop of Tc99m. We switched from pan, tilt and zoom (PTZ) network cameras to fixed network cameras to reduce the amount of camera drift. The improved stability was verified by tracking the positions of fixed retro-reflective markers on a wall. The ability of our VTS to track movement, on average, with sub-millimeter and sub-degree accuracy was established with the 7-sphere phantom for 1 cm vertical and axial steps as well as for an arbitrary rotation and translation. The difference in the time of optical image acquisition as decoded from the image headers relative to synchronization signals sent to the SPECT system was used to establish temporal synchrony between optical and list-mode SPECT acquisition. Two experiments showed better than 100 ms agreement between VTS and SPECT observed motion for three axial translations. We were able to track 3 reflective markers on an anthropomorphic phantom with a precision that allowed us to correct motion such that no

  16. Tri-track: free software for large-scale particle tracking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vallotton, Pascal; Olivier, Sandra

    2013-04-01

    The ability to correctly track objects in time-lapse sequences is important in many applications of microscopy. Individual object motions typically display a level of dynamic regularity reflecting the existence of an underlying physics or biology. Best results are obtained when this local information is exploited. Additionally, if the particle number is known to be approximately constant, a large number of tracking scenarios may be rejected on the basis that they are not compatible with a known maximum particle velocity. This represents information of a global nature, which should ideally be exploited too. Some time ago, we devised an efficient algorithm that exploited both types of information. The tracking task was reduced to a max-flow min-cost problem instance through a novel graph structure that comprised vertices representing objects from three consecutive image frames. The algorithm is explained here for the first time. A user-friendly implementation is provided, and the specific relaxation mechanism responsible for the method's effectiveness is uncovered. The software is particularly competitive for complex dynamics such as dense antiparallel flows, or in situations where object displacements are considerable. As an application, we characterize a remarkable vortex structure formed by bacteria engaged in interstitial motility.

  17. Fast Blood Vector Velocity Imaging using ultrasound: In-vivo examples of complex blood flow in the vascular system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Kristoffer Lindskov; Udesen, Jesper; Gran, Fredrik

    2008-01-01

    Conventional ultrasound methods for acquiring color flow images of the blood motion are restricted by a relatively low frame rate and angle dependent velocity estimates. The Plane Wave Excitation (PWE) method has been proposed to solve these limitations. The frame rate can be increased, and the 2-D...... vector velocity of the blood motion can be estimated. The transmitted pulse is not focused, and a full speckle image of the blood can be acquired for each emission. A 13 bit Barker code is transmitted simultaneously from each transducer element. The 2-D vector velocity of the blood is found using 2-D...... speckle tracking between segments in consecutive speckle images. The flow patterns of six bifurcations and two veins were investigated in-vivo. It was shown: 1) that a stable vortex in the carotid bulb was present opposed to other examined bifurcations, 2) that retrograde flow was present...

  18. Fast tracking detector with fiber scintillators and a position sensitive photomultiplier

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salomon, M.; Li, V.; Smith, G.; Wu, Y.S.

    1988-11-01

    We have studied the properties of a tracking detector composed of 32 fiber scintillators coupled to a multianode photomultiplier placed in a pion beam at TRIUMF. We measured the efficiency of the detector, as well as its tracking capabilities and double hit resolution

  19. Large scale tracking algorithms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hansen, Ross L. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Love, Joshua Alan [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Melgaard, David Kennett [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Karelitz, David B. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Pitts, Todd Alan [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Zollweg, Joshua David [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Anderson, Dylan Z. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Nandy, Prabal [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Whitlow, Gary L. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Bender, Daniel A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Byrne, Raymond Harry [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2015-01-01

    Low signal-to-noise data processing algorithms for improved detection, tracking, discrimination and situational threat assessment are a key research challenge. As sensor technologies progress, the number of pixels will increase signi cantly. This will result in increased resolution, which could improve object discrimination, but unfortunately, will also result in a significant increase in the number of potential targets to track. Many tracking techniques, like multi-hypothesis trackers, suffer from a combinatorial explosion as the number of potential targets increase. As the resolution increases, the phenomenology applied towards detection algorithms also changes. For low resolution sensors, "blob" tracking is the norm. For higher resolution data, additional information may be employed in the detection and classfication steps. The most challenging scenarios are those where the targets cannot be fully resolved, yet must be tracked and distinguished for neighboring closely spaced objects. Tracking vehicles in an urban environment is an example of such a challenging scenario. This report evaluates several potential tracking algorithms for large-scale tracking in an urban environment.

  20. The Tracking Meteogram, an AWIPS II Tool for Time-Series Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burks, Jason Eric; Sperow, Ken

    2015-01-01

    A new tool has been developed for the National Weather Service (NWS) Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) II through collaboration between NASA's Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) and the NWS Meteorological Development Laboratory (MDL). Referred to as the "Tracking Meteogram", the tool aids NWS forecasters in assessing meteorological parameters associated with moving phenomena. The tool aids forecasters in severe weather situations by providing valuable satellite and radar derived trends such as cloud top cooling rates, radial velocity couplets, reflectivity, and information from ground-based lightning networks. The Tracking Meteogram tool also aids in synoptic and mesoscale analysis by tracking parameters such as the deepening of surface low pressure systems, changes in surface or upper air temperature, and other properties. The tool provides a valuable new functionality and demonstrates the flexibility and extensibility of the NWS AWIPS II architecture. In 2014, the operational impact of the tool was formally evaluated through participation in the NOAA/NWS Operations Proving Ground (OPG), a risk reduction activity to assess performance and operational impact of new forecasting concepts, tools, and applications. Performance of the Tracking Meteogram Tool during the OPG assessment confirmed that it will be a valuable asset to the operational forecasters. This presentation reviews development of the Tracking Meteogram tool, performance and feedback acquired during the OPG activity, and future goals for continued support and extension to other application areas.

  1. Device for positioning and generation of an element of track model and slice of the MELAS automatic equipment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kryutchenko, E.V.; Fedotov, V.S.

    1979-01-01

    The structure and organization of the device for positioning and generation of element of track model and slice of the MELAS automatic equipment which is developed for measuring films from big bubble chambers, is described. Main features of the device are studied and characteristics are given as well

  2. Spontaneous Velocity Effect of Musical Expression on Self-Paced Walking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buhmann, Jeska; Desmet, Frank; Moens, Bart; Van Dyck, Edith; Leman, Marc

    2016-01-01

    The expressive features of music can influence the velocity of walking. So far, studies used instructed (and intended) synchronization. But is this velocity effect still present with non-instructed (spontaneous) synchronization? To figure that out, participants were instructed to walk in their own comfort tempo on an indoor track, first in silence and then with tempo-matched music. We compared velocities of silence and music conditions. The results show that some music has an activating influence, increasing velocity and motivation, while other music has a relaxing influence, decreasing velocity and motivation. The influence of musical expression on the velocity of self-paced walking can be predicted with a regression model using only three sonic features explaining 56% of the variance. Phase-coherence between footfall and beat did not contribute to the velocity effect, due to its implied fixed pacing. The findings suggest that the velocity effect depends on vigor entrainment that influences both stride length and pacing. Our findings are relevant for preventing injuries, for gait improvement in walking rehabilitation, and for improving performance in sports activities. PMID:27167064

  3. Spontaneous Velocity Effect of Musical Expression on Self-Paced Walking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buhmann, Jeska; Desmet, Frank; Moens, Bart; Van Dyck, Edith; Leman, Marc

    2016-01-01

    The expressive features of music can influence the velocity of walking. So far, studies used instructed (and intended) synchronization. But is this velocity effect still present with non-instructed (spontaneous) synchronization? To figure that out, participants were instructed to walk in their own comfort tempo on an indoor track, first in silence and then with tempo-matched music. We compared velocities of silence and music conditions. The results show that some music has an activating influence, increasing velocity and motivation, while other music has a relaxing influence, decreasing velocity and motivation. The influence of musical expression on the velocity of self-paced walking can be predicted with a regression model using only three sonic features explaining 56% of the variance. Phase-coherence between footfall and beat did not contribute to the velocity effect, due to its implied fixed pacing. The findings suggest that the velocity effect depends on vigor entrainment that influences both stride length and pacing. Our findings are relevant for preventing injuries, for gait improvement in walking rehabilitation, and for improving performance in sports activities.

  4. Spontaneous Velocity Effect of Musical Expression on Self-Paced Walking.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeska Buhmann

    Full Text Available The expressive features of music can influence the velocity of walking. So far, studies used instructed (and intended synchronization. But is this velocity effect still present with non-instructed (spontaneous synchronization? To figure that out, participants were instructed to walk in their own comfort tempo on an indoor track, first in silence and then with tempo-matched music. We compared velocities of silence and music conditions. The results show that some music has an activating influence, increasing velocity and motivation, while other music has a relaxing influence, decreasing velocity and motivation. The influence of musical expression on the velocity of self-paced walking can be predicted with a regression model using only three sonic features explaining 56% of the variance. Phase-coherence between footfall and beat did not contribute to the velocity effect, due to its implied fixed pacing. The findings suggest that the velocity effect depends on vigor entrainment that influences both stride length and pacing. Our findings are relevant for preventing injuries, for gait improvement in walking rehabilitation, and for improving performance in sports activities.

  5. A simplified Track Assembler I/O for the Muon Trigger Track Finder

    CERN Document Server

    Dallavalle, Gaetano-Marco; Genchev, Vladimir; Grandi, Claudio; Neumeister, Norbert; Porth, Paul; Rohringer, Herbert

    1998-01-01

    One of the architectural concerns in the present design of the Muon Trigger Track Finder ( MTTF) is the large number of inputs to the Track Assembler ( TA). In the TA block, input track segment pairs from many Extrapolation Units ( EU) are associated into tracks. The relative contribution of these inputs to the assembled tracks is studied with simulated track patterns for low and high pt muons over the entire eta, phi acceptance of the CMS barrel. A pruning of the EUs is proposed which does not alter the performance of the Track Finder and minimizes the interconnections between azimuthal wedges.

  6. Velocity slip of gas mixtures in free jet expansions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cattolica, R.J.; Talbot, L.; Coe, D.

    1976-11-01

    Velocity slip in gas mixtures of argon and helium in axisymmetric free jet expansions has been measured using a grating monochromator together with a computer-controlled Fabry-Perot interferometer to observe the fluorescence excited by an electron beam. The Doppler shift between the fluorescence observed parallel and perpendicular to the centerline of the free jet was used to measure the mean velocity of a particular species along the jet centerline, employing the 4880 A line for argon and the 5016 A line for helium. By alternately tracking the parallel and perpendicular fluorescence, the Doppler shift due to the mean velocity was measured directly with an accuracy of 1 percent. Flow field surveys have been made in the initial acceleration region where the flow becomes hypersonic and in the far field region. The differences between argon and helium mean velocities (velocity slip) are in good agreement with molecular beam data and show a correlation with an inverse Knudsen number

  7. Respiratory motion tracking using Microsoft’s Kinect v2 camera

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ernst Floris

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available In image-guided radiotherapy, monitoring and compensating for respiratory motion is of high importance. We have analysed the possibility to use Microsoft’s Kinect v2 sensor as a low-cost tracking camera. In our experiment, eleven circular markers were printed onto a Lycra shirt and were tracked in the camera’s color image using cross correlation-based template matching. The 3D position of the marker was determined using this information and the mean distance of all template pixels from the sensor. In an experiment with four volunteers (male and female we could demonstrate that real time position tracking is possible in 3D. By averaging over the depth values inside the template, it was possible to increase the Kinect’s depth resolution from 1 mm to 0.1 mm. The noise level was reduced to a standard deviation of 0.4 mm. Temperature sensitivity of the measured depth values was observed for about 10-15 minutes after system start.

  8. Handheld pose tracking using vision-inertial sensors with occlusion handling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Juan; Slembrouck, Maarten; Deboeverie, Francis; Bernardos, Ana M.; Besada, Juan A.; Veelaert, Peter; Aghajan, Hamid; Casar, José R.; Philips, Wilfried

    2016-07-01

    Tracking of a handheld device's three-dimensional (3-D) position and orientation is fundamental to various application domains, including augmented reality (AR), virtual reality, and interaction in smart spaces. Existing systems still offer limited performance in terms of accuracy, robustness, computational cost, and ease of deployment. We present a low-cost, accurate, and robust system for handheld pose tracking using fused vision and inertial data. The integration of measurements from embedded accelerometers reduces the number of unknown parameters in the six-degree-of-freedom pose calculation. The proposed system requires two light-emitting diode (LED) markers to be attached to the device, which are tracked by external cameras through a robust algorithm against illumination changes. Three data fusion methods have been proposed, including the triangulation-based stereo-vision system, constraint-based stereo-vision system with occlusion handling, and triangulation-based multivision system. Real-time demonstrations of the proposed system applied to AR and 3-D gaming are also included. The accuracy assessment of the proposed system is carried out by comparing with the data generated by the state-of-the-art commercial motion tracking system OptiTrack. Experimental results show that the proposed system has achieved high accuracy of few centimeters in position estimation and few degrees in orientation estimation.

  9. Track reconstruction method in a small volume self-shunted streamer chamber - analysis of the errors for low energy electrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parizet, M.J.; Augerat, J.; Avan, M.; Ballet, M.; Vialle, M.

    1977-01-01

    A programme has been worked out to reconstruct electron tracks of low energy (from 100 keV to 2 MeV) curved by a magnetic field in a small streamer chamber (size 10x11x51 cm 3 ). Before a study of the problems involved in the experimental set-up, the geometrical programme is described and the different errors are evaluated. Finally the accuracies on kinetic energies and angles which can be obtained for low energy elctron tracks are given. (Auth.)

  10. A glance at velocity structure of Izmir

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Özer, Çağlar, E-mail: caglar.ozer@deu.edu.tr [Dokuz Eylul University, Faculty of Engineering, Geophysical Engineering Department, Izmir (Turkey); Dokuz Eylul University, The Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Department of Geophysical Engineering, Izmir (Turkey); Polat, Orhan, E-mail: orhan.polat@deu.edu.tr [Dokuz Eylul University, Faculty of Engineering, Geophysical Engineering Department, Izmir (Turkey)

    2016-04-18

    In this study; we investigated velocity structure of Izmir and surroundings. We used local earthquake data which was recorded by different type of instruments and obtained high resolution 3D sections. We selected more than 400 earthquakes which were occurred between 2010 and 2013. Examined tomographic sections especially in Izmir along coastal areas (Mavisehir-Inciraltı); revealed the low speed zone. Along this low-speed zone; it is consistent with the results obtained from the stratigraphic section and surface geology. While; low velocity zones are associated with faults and water content; high velocity is related to magmatic rocks or compact rocks. Along Karsıyaka, Seferihisar, Orhanlı, Izmir fault zones; low P velocity was observed. When examined higher elevations of the topography; which are composed of soured magmatic material is dominated by high P velocity. In all horizontal sections; resolution decreasing with increasing depth. The reason for this; the reduction of earthquakes causes ray tracing problems.

  11. Studying the instantaneous velocity field in gas-sheared liquid films in a horizontal duct

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasques, Joao; Tokarev, Mikhail; Cherdantsev, Andrey; Hann, David; Hewakandamby, Buddhika; Azzopardi, Barry

    2016-11-01

    In annular flow, the experimental validation of the basic assumptions on the liquid velocity profile is vital for developing theoretical models of the flow. However, the study of local velocity of liquid in gas-sheared films has proven to be a challenging task due to the highly curved and disturbed moving interface of the phases, small scale of the area of interrogation, high velocity gradients and irregular character of the flow. This study reports on different optical configurations and interface-tracking methods employed in a horizontal duct in order to obtain high-resolution particle image velocimetry (PIV) data in such types of complex flows. The experimental envelope includes successful measurements in 2D and 3D waves regimes, up to the disturbance wave regime. Preliminary data show the presence of complex structures in the liquid phase, which includes re-circulation areas below the liquid interface due to the gas-shearing action, together with non-uniform transverse movements of the liquid phase close to the wall due to the presence of 3D waves at the interface. With the aid of the moving interface-tracking, PIV, time-resolved particle-tracking velocimetry and vorticity measurements were performed.

  12. Assessment of the pseudo-tracking approach for the calculation of material acceleration and pressure fields from time-resolved PIV: part I. Error propagation

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Gent, P. L.; Schrijer, F. F. J.; van Oudheusden, B. W.

    2018-04-01

    Pseudo-tracking refers to the construction of imaginary particle paths from PIV velocity fields and the subsequent estimation of the particle (material) acceleration. In view of the variety of existing and possible alternative ways to perform the pseudo-tracking method, it is not straightforward to select a suitable combination of numerical procedures for its implementation. To address this situation, this paper extends the theoretical framework for the approach. The developed theory is verified by applying various implementations of pseudo-tracking to a simulated PIV experiment. The findings of the investigations allow us to formulate the following insights and practical recommendations: (1) the velocity errors along the imaginary particle track are primarily a function of velocity measurement errors and spatial velocity gradients; (2) the particle path may best be calculated with second-order accurate numerical procedures while ensuring that the CFL condition is met; (3) least-square fitting of a first-order polynomial is a suitable method to estimate the material acceleration from the track; and (4) a suitable track length may be selected on the basis of the variation in material acceleration with track length.

  13. An accurate calibration method for accelerometer nonlinear scale factor on a low-cost three-axis turntable

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pan, Jianye; Zhang, Chunxi; Cai, Qingzhong

    2014-01-01

    Strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS) requirements are very demanding on gyroscopes and accelerometers as well as on calibration. To improve the accuracy of SINS, high-accuracy calibration is needed. Adding the accelerometer nonlinear scale factor into the model and reducing estimation errors is essential for improving calibration methods. In this paper, the inertial navigation error model is simplified, including only velocity and tilt errors. Based on the simplified error model, the relationship between the navigation errors (the rates of change of velocity errors) and the inertial measurement unit (IMU) calibration parameters is presented. A tracking model is designed to estimate the rates of change of velocity errors. With a special calibration procedure consisting of six rotation sequences, the accelerometer nonlinear scale factor errors can be computed by the estimates of the rates of change of velocity errors. Simulation and laboratory test results show that the accelerometer nonlinear scale factor can be calibrated with satisfactory accuracy on a low-cost three-axis turntable in several minutes. The comparison with the traditional calibration method highlights the superior performance of the proposed calibration method without precise orientation control. In addition, the proposed calibration method saves a lot of time in comparison with the multi-position calibration method. (paper)

  14. Persistent Aerial Tracking

    KAUST Repository

    Mueller, Matthias

    2016-04-13

    In this thesis, we propose a new aerial video dataset and benchmark for low altitude UAV target tracking, as well as, a photo-realistic UAV simulator that can be coupled with tracking methods. Our benchmark provides the rst evaluation of many state of-the-art and popular trackers on 123 new and fully annotated HD video sequences captured from a low-altitude aerial perspective. Among the compared trackers, we determine which ones are the most suitable for UAV tracking both in terms of tracking accuracy and run-time. We also present a simulator that can be used to evaluate tracking algorithms in real-time scenarios before they are deployed on a UAV "in the field", as well as, generate synthetic but photo-realistic tracking datasets with free ground truth annotations to easily extend existing real-world datasets. Both the benchmark and simulator will be made publicly available to the vision community to further research in the area of object tracking from UAVs. Additionally, we propose a persistent, robust and autonomous object tracking system for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) called Persistent Aerial Tracking (PAT). A computer vision and control strategy is applied to a diverse set of moving objects (e.g. humans, animals, cars, boats, etc.) integrating multiple UAVs with a stabilized RGB camera. A novel strategy is employed to successfully track objects over a long period, by \\'handing over the camera\\' from one UAV to another. We integrate the complete system into an off-the-shelf UAV, and obtain promising results showing the robustness of our solution in real-world aerial scenarios.

  15. Full-Carpet Design of a Low-Boom Demonstrator Concept

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ordaz, Irian; Wintzer, Mathias; Rallabhandi, Sriram K.

    2015-01-01

    The Cart3D adjoint-based design framework is used to mitigate the undesirable o -track sonic boom properties of a demonstrator concept designed for low-boom directly under the flight path. First, the requirements of a Cart3D design mesh are determined using a high-fidelity mesh adapted to minimize the discretization error of the CFD analysis. Low-boom equivalent area targets are then generated at the under-track and one off-track azimuthal position for the baseline configuration. The under-track target is generated using a trim- feasible low-boom target generation process, ensuring that the final design is not only low-boom, but also trimmed at the specified flight condition. The o -track equivalent area target is generated by minimizing the A-weighted loudness using an efficient adjoint-based approach. The configuration outer mold line is then parameterized and optimized to match the off-body pressure distributions prescribed by the low-boom targets. The numerical optimizer uses design gradients which are calculated using the Cart3D adjoint- based design capability. Optimization constraints are placed on the geometry to satisfy structural feasibility. The low-boom properties of the final design are verified using the adaptive meshing approach. This analysis quantifies the error associated with the CFD mesh that is used for design. Finally, an alternate mesh construction and target positioning approach offering greater computational efficiency is demonstrated and verified.

  16. Low-velocity Shocks Traced by Extended SiO Emission along the W43 Ridges: Witnessing the Formation of Young Massive Clusters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen-Lu'o'ng, Q.; Motte, F.; Carlhoff, P.; Louvet, F.; Lesaffre, P.; Schilke, P.; Hill, T.; Hennemann, M.; Gusdorf, A.; Didelon, P.; Schneider, N.; Bontemps, S.; Duarte-Cabral, A.; Menten, K. M.; Martin, P. G.; Wyrowski, F.; Bendo, G.; Roussel, H.; Bernard, J.-P.; Bronfman, L.; Henning, T.; Kramer, C.; Heitsch, F.

    2013-10-01

    The formation of high-mass stars is tightly linked to that of their parental clouds. Here, we focus on the high-density parts of W43, a molecular cloud undergoing an efficient event of star formation. Using a column density image derived from Herschel continuum maps, we identify two high-density filamentary clouds, called the W43-MM1 and W43-MM2 ridges. Both have gas masses of 2.1 × 104 M ⊙ and 3.5 × 104 M ⊙ above >10^{23}\\, {{cm}^{-2}} and within areas of ~6 and ~14 pc2, respectively. The W43-MM1 and W43-MM2 ridges are structures that are coherent in velocity and gravitationally bound, despite their large velocity dispersion measured by the N2H+ (1-0) lines of the W43-HERO IRAM large program. Another intriguing result is that these ridges harbor widespread (~10 pc2) bright SiO (2-1) emission, which we interpret to be the result of low-velocity shocks (models to demonstrate that a small percentage (10%) of Si atoms in low-velocity shocks, observed initially in gas phase or in grain mantles, can explain the observed SiO column density in the W43 ridges. The spatial and velocity overlaps between the ridges of high-density gas and the shocked SiO gas suggest that ridges could be forming via colliding flows driven by gravity and accompanied by low-velocity shocks. This mechanism may be the initial conditions for the formation of young massive clusters.

  17. Measuring saccade peak velocity using a low-frequency sampling rate of 50 Hz.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wierts, Roel; Janssen, Maurice J A; Kingma, Herman

    2008-12-01

    During the last decades, small head-mounted video eye trackers have been developed in order to record eye movements. Real-time systems-with a low sampling frequency of 50/60 Hz-are used for clinical vestibular practice, but are generally considered not to be suited for measuring fast eye movements. In this paper, it is shown that saccadic eye movements, having an amplitude of at least 5 degrees, can, in good approximation, be considered to be bandwidth limited up to a frequency of 25-30 Hz. Using the Nyquist theorem to reconstruct saccadic eye movement signals at higher temporal resolutions, it is shown that accurate values for saccade peak velocities, recorded at 50 Hz, can be obtained, but saccade peak accelerations and decelerations cannot. In conclusion, video eye trackers sampling at 50/60 Hz are appropriate for detecting the clinical relevant saccade peak velocities in contrast to what has been stated up till now.

  18. Hearthfire design base for the high current low velocity rf linac

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burke, R.J.; Khoe, T.K.; Kustom, R.L.; Martin, R.L.; Moretti, A.

    1977-01-01

    The particle beam parameters needed for inertial fusion can be achieved with conventional accelerator technology if heavy ion machines attain the level of performance of the most intense high energy proton machines. Many of the problems posed by this goal pertain to the low energy portions of the accelerator system. In particular, the implied particle current in the rf linac is 10 3 --10 4 times the values achieved with existing heavy ion machines. Much of this discrepancy is simply attributable to the great differences between the design considerations relevant to accelerators for fusion and those which have determined the performance of the existing machines. The basic concept chosen at Argonne National Laboratory is cavities containing single drift tubes mounted on lambda/4 supports. Such structures pose the least problem for the beam transport system, and one cavity is placed between adjacent quadrupole magnets. The average voltage gain of the first cells of the low velocity section is moderate; and, although probably acceptable and improved by the end of the 10 MV section, the low initial gain adds to the motivation provided by the transport problem to increase the preinjector voltage substantially above 750 kV

  19. Friction properties and deformation mechanisms of halite(-mica) gouges from low to high sliding velocities

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Buijze, Loes|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/411880306; Niemeijer, André R.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/370832132; Han, Raehee; Shimamoto, Toshihiko; Spiers, Christopher J.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304829323

    2017-01-01

    The evolution of friction as a function of slip rate is important in understanding earthquake nucleation and propagation. Many laboratory experiments investigating friction of fault rocks are either conducted in the low velocity regime (10−810−8–View the MathML source10−4 ms−1) or in the high

  20. Particle displacement tracking for PIV

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wernet, Mark P.

    1990-01-01

    A new Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV) data acquisition and analysis system, which is an order of magnitude faster than any previously proposed system has been constructed and tested. The new Particle Displacement Tracing (PDT) system is an all electronic technique employing a video camera and a large memory buffer frame-grabber board. Using a simple encoding scheme, a time sequence of single exposure images are time coded into a single image and then processed to track particle displacements and determine velocity vectors. Application of the PDT technique to a counter-rotating vortex flow produced over 1100 velocity vectors in 110 seconds when processed on an 80386 PC.

  1. Low cost heads-up virtual reality (HUVR) with optical tracking and haptic feedback

    KAUST Repository

    Margolis, Todd

    2011-01-23

    Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, have created a new, relatively low-cost augmented reality system that enables users to touch the virtual environment they are immersed in. The Heads-Up Virtual Reality device (HUVR) couples a consumer 3D HD flat screen TV with a half-silvered mirror to project any graphic image onto the user\\'s hands and into the space surrounding them. With his or her head position optically tracked to generate the correct perspective view, the user maneuvers a force-feedback (haptic) device to interact with the 3D image, literally \\'touching\\' the object\\'s angles and contours as if it was a tangible physical object. HUVR can be used for training and education in structural and mechanical engineering, archaeology and medicine as well as other tasks that require hand-eye coordination. One of the most unique characteristics of HUVR is that a user can place their hands inside of the virtual environment without occluding the 3D image. Built using open-source software and consumer level hardware, HUVR offers users a tactile experience in an immersive environment that is functional, affordable and scalable.

  2. Low cost heads-up virtual reality (HUVR) with optical tracking and haptic feedback

    Science.gov (United States)

    Margolis, Todd; DeFanti, Thomas A.; Dawe, Greg; Prudhomme, Andrew; Schulze, Jurgen P.; Cutchin, Steve

    2011-03-01

    Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, have created a new, relatively low-cost augmented reality system that enables users to touch the virtual environment they are immersed in. The Heads-Up Virtual Reality device (HUVR) couples a consumer 3D HD flat screen TV with a half-silvered mirror to project any graphic image onto the user's hands and into the space surrounding them. With his or her head position optically tracked to generate the correct perspective view, the user maneuvers a force-feedback (haptic) device to interact with the 3D image, literally 'touching' the object's angles and contours as if it was a tangible physical object. HUVR can be used for training and education in structural and mechanical engineering, archaeology and medicine as well as other tasks that require hand-eye coordination. One of the most unique characteristics of HUVR is that a user can place their hands inside of the virtual environment without occluding the 3D image. Built using open-source software and consumer level hardware, HUVR offers users a tactile experience in an immersive environment that is functional, affordable and scalable.

  3. A large-aperture low-cost hydrophone array for tracking whales from small boats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, B; Dawson, S

    2009-11-01

    A passive sonar array designed for tracking diving sperm whales in three dimensions from a single small vessel is presented, and the advantages and limitations of operating this array from a 6 m boat are described. The system consists of four free floating buoys, each with a hydrophone, built-in recorder, and global positioning system receiver (GPS), and one vertical stereo hydrophone array deployed from the boat. Array recordings are post-processed onshore to obtain diving profiles of vocalizing sperm whales. Recordings are synchronized using a GPS timing pulse recorded onto each track. Sensitivity analysis based on hyperbolic localization methods is used to obtain probability distributions for the whale's three-dimensional location for vocalizations received by at least four hydrophones. These localizations are compared to those obtained via isodiachronic sequential bound estimation. Results from deployment of the system around a sperm whale in the Kaikoura Canyon in New Zealand are shown.

  4. High-LET dose-response characteristics by track structure theory of heavy charged particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hansen, J.W.; Olsen, K.J.

    1981-09-01

    The track structure theory developed by Katz and co-workers ascribes the effect of high-LET radiation to the highly inhomogeneous dose distribution due to low energy Δ-rays ejected from the particle track. The theory predicts the effectiveness of high-LET radiation by using the ion parameters zsub(eff') effective charge of the ion, and β = v/c, the relative ion velocity, together with the characteristic dose D 37 derived from low-LET dose-response characteristic of the detector and the approximate size asub(0) of the sensitive element of the detector. 60 Co gamma-irradiation is used as a reference low-LET radiation, while high-LET radiation ranging from 16 MeV protons to 4 MeV/amu 16 0-ions covering an initial LET range of 30-5500 MeVcm 2 /g is obtained from a tandem Van de Graaff accelerator. A thin film (5mg/cm 2 ) radiochromic dye cyanide plastic dosemeter was used as detector with the characteristic dose of 16.8 Mrad and a sensitive element size of 10 -7 cm. Theoretical and experimental effectiveness, RBE, agreed within 10 to 25% depending on LET. (author)

  5. Tracking Adolescents With Global Positioning System-Enabled Cell Phones to Study Contextual Exposures and Alcohol and Marijuana Use: A Pilot Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byrnes, Hilary F; Miller, Brenda A; Wiebe, Douglas J; Morrison, Christopher N; Remer, Lillian G; Wiehe, Sarah E

    2015-08-01

    Measuring activity spaces, places adolescents spend time, provides information about relations between contextual exposures and risk behaviors. We studied whether contextual exposures in adolescents' activity spaces differ from contextual risks present in residential contexts and examined relationships between contextual exposures in activity spaces and alcohol/marijuana use. Adolescents (N = 18) aged 16-17 years carried global positioning system (GPS)-enabled smartphones for 1 week, with locations tracked. Activity spaces were created by connecting global positioning system points sequentially and adding buffers. Contextual exposure data (e.g., alcohol outlets) were connected to routes. Adolescents completed texts regarding behaviors. Adolescent activity spaces intersected 24.3 census tracts and contained nine times more alcohol outlets than that of residential census tracts. Outlet exposure in activity spaces was related to drinking. Low-socioeconomic status exposure was related to marijuana use. Findings suggest substantial differences between activity spaces and residential contexts and suggest that activity spaces are relevant for adolescent risk behaviors. Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Time dependent response of low velocity impact induced composite conical shells under multiple delamination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dey, Sudip; Karmakar, Amit

    2014-02-01

    This paper presents the time dependent response of multiple delaminated angle-ply composite pretwisted conical shells subjected to low velocity normal impact. The finite element formulation is based on Mindlin's theory incorporating rotary inertia and effects of transverse shear deformation. An eight-noded isoparametric plate bending element is employed to satisfy the compatibility of deformation and equilibrium of resultant forces and moments at the delamination crack front. A multipoint constraint algorithm is incorporated which leads to asymmetric stiffness matrices. The modified Hertzian contact law which accounts for permanent indentation is utilized to compute the contact force, and the time dependent equations are solved by Newmark's time integration algorithm. Parametric studies are conducted with respect to triggering parameters like laminate configuration, location of delamination, angle of twist, velocity of impactor, and impactor's displacement for centrally impacted shells.

  7. Novel approach to automatically classify rat social behavior using a video tracking system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peters, Suzanne M; Pinter, Ilona J; Pothuizen, Helen H J; de Heer, Raymond C; van der Harst, Johanneke E; Spruijt, Berry M

    2016-08-01

    In the past, studies in behavioral neuroscience and drug development have relied on simple and quick readout parameters of animal behavior to assess treatment efficacy or to understand underlying brain mechanisms. The predominant use of classical behavioral tests has been repeatedly criticized during the last decades because of their poor reproducibility, poor translational value and the limited explanatory power in functional terms. We present a new method to monitor social behavior of rats using automated video tracking. The velocity of moving and the distance between two rats were plotted in frequency distributions. In addition, behavior was manually annotated and related to the automatically obtained parameters for a validated interpretation. Inter-individual distance in combination with velocity of movement provided specific behavioral classes, such as moving with high velocity when "in contact" or "in proximity". Human observations showed that these classes coincide with following (chasing) behavior. In addition, when animals are "in contact", but at low velocity, behaviors such as allogrooming and social investigation were observed. Also, low dose treatment with morphine and short isolation increased the time animals spent in contact or in proximity at high velocity. Current methods that involve the investigation of social rat behavior are mostly limited to short and relatively simple manual observations. A new and automated method for analyzing social behavior in a social interaction test is presented here and shows to be sensitive to drug treatment and housing conditions known to influence social behavior in rats. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. SU-G-JeP1-11: Feasibility Study of Markerless Tracking Using Dual Energy Fluoroscopic Images for Real-Time Tumor-Tracking Radiotherapy System

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shiinoki, T; Shibuya, K [Yamaguchi University, Ube, Yamaguchi (Japan); Sawada, A [Kyoto college of medical science, Nantan, Kyoto (Japan); Uehara, T; Yuasa, Y; Koike, M; Kawamura, S [Yamaguchi University Hospital, Ube, Yamaguchi (Japan)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: The new real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy (RTRT) system was installed in our institution. This system consists of two x-ray tubes and color image intensifiers (I.I.s). The fiducial marker which was implanted near the tumor was tracked using color fluoroscopic images. However, the implantation of the fiducial marker is very invasive. Color fluoroscopic images enable to increase the recognition of the tumor. However, these images were not suitable to track the tumor without fiducial marker. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of markerless tracking using dual energy colored fluoroscopic images for real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy system. Methods: The colored fluoroscopic images of static and moving phantom that had the simulated tumor (30 mm diameter sphere) were experimentally acquired using the RTRT system. The programmable respiratory motion phantom was driven using the sinusoidal pattern in cranio-caudal direction (Amplitude: 20 mm, Time: 4 s). The x-ray condition was set to 55 kV, 50 mA and 105 kV, 50 mA for low energy and high energy, respectively. Dual energy images were calculated based on the weighted logarithmic subtraction of high and low energy images of RGB images. The usefulness of dual energy imaging for real-time tracking with an automated template image matching algorithm was investigated. Results: Our proposed dual energy subtraction improve the contrast between tumor and background to suppress the bone structure. For static phantom, our results showed that high tracking accuracy using dual energy subtraction images. For moving phantom, our results showed that good tracking accuracy using dual energy subtraction images. However, tracking accuracy was dependent on tumor position, tumor size and x-ray conditions. Conclusion: We indicated that feasibility of markerless tracking using dual energy fluoroscopic images for real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy system. Furthermore, it is needed to investigate the

  9. Low cost, robust and real time system for detecting and tracking moving objects to automate cargo handling in port terminals

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vaquero, V.; Repiso, E.; Sanfeliu, A.; Vissers, J.; Kwakkernaat, M.

    2016-01-01

    The presented paper addresses the problem of detecting and tracking moving objects for autonomous cargo handling in port terminals using a perception system which input data is a single layer laser scanner. A computationally low cost and robust Detection and Tracking Moving Objects (DATMO) algorithm

  10. Low velocity impact properties of intra-ply hybrid composites based on basalt and nylon woven fabrics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dehkordi, Majid Tehrani; Nosraty, Hooshang; Shokrieh, Mahmood Mehrdad; Minak, Giangiacomo; Ghelli, Daniele

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, the low velocity impact behavior of homogenous and hybrid composite laminates reinforced by basalt-nylon intra-ply fabrics was experimentally investigated. Epoxy resin was used as matrix material. The purpose of using this hybrid composite is to combine the good mechanical properties of basalt fiber with the excellent impact resistant of nylon fiber. Five different types of woven fabrics were used as reinforcement with different volume percentages of nylon (0%, 25%, 33.3%, 50% and 100%). The effect of nylon/basalt fiber content on maximum force, maximum deflection, residual deflection, total absorbed energy, elastic energy, size and type of damage were studied at several low velocity impact nominal energy levels (16, 30 and 40 J). The results indicate that impact performance of these composites is significantly affected by the nylon/basalt fiber content. The visual inspection and ultrasonic C-scan of the impact damaged specimens reveals that content of nylon/basalt fiber controls the type and size of damage.

  11. Charge-state correlated cross sections for the production of low-velocity highly charged Ne ions by heavy-ion bombardment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gray, T.J.; Cocke, C.L.; Justiniano, E.

    1980-01-01

    We report measured cross sections for the collisional production of highly charged low-velocity Ne recoil ions resulting from the bombardment of a thin Ne gas target by highly charged 1-MeV/amu C, N, O, and F projectiles. The measurements were made using time-of-flight techniques which allowed the simultaneous identification of the final charge state of both the low-velocity recoil ion and the high-velocity projectile for each collision event. For a given incident-projectile charge state, the recoil charge-state distribution is very dependent upon the final charge state of the projectile. Single- and double-electron capture events by incident bare nuclei and projectile K-shell ionization during the collision cause large shifts in the recoil charge-state distributions toward higher charge states. A previously proposed energy-deposition model is modified to include the effects of projectile charge-changing collisions during the collision for bare and hydrogenlike projectiles and is used to discuss the present experimental results

  12. Integrated navigation fusion strategy of INS/UWB for indoor carrier attitude angle and position synchronous tracking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Qigao; Wu, Yaheng; Hui, Jing; Wu, Lei; Yu, Zhenzhong; Zhou, Lijuan

    2014-01-01

    In some GPS failure conditions, positioning for mobile target is difficult. This paper proposed a new method based on INS/UWB for attitude angle and position synchronous tracking of indoor carrier. Firstly, error model of INS/UWB integrated system is built, including error equation of INS and UWB. And combined filtering model of INS/UWB is researched. Simulation results show that the two subsystems are complementary. Secondly, integrated navigation data fusion strategy of INS/UWB based on Kalman filtering theory is proposed. Simulation results show that FAKF method is better than the conventional Kalman filtering. Finally, an indoor experiment platform is established to verify the integrated navigation theory of INS/UWB, which is geared to the needs of coal mine working environment. Static and dynamic positioning results show that the INS/UWB integrated navigation system is stable and real-time, positioning precision meets the requirements of working condition and is better than any independent subsystem.

  13. Heavy-ion stopping powers and the low-velocity-projectile z3 effect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Porter, L.E.

    1977-01-01

    Recent heavy-ion stopping-power measurements with elemental solid targets have been analyzed in order to ascertain the influence on effective ion charge of incorporating the low-velocity-projectile z 3 effect in Bethe-Bloch calculations. Shell corrections and the mean excitation energy of a given target were held fixed while searching for the best-fit value of a single charge-state parameter. In general, excellent fits to the stopping powers at projectile energies above 0.3 MeV/amu were achieved. Results of the present study compare very favorably with those from other extant methods of analysis

  14. Velocity distribution of women's 30-km cross-country skiing during Olympic Games from 2002-2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erdmann, Wlodzimierz S; Dancewicz-Nosko, Dorota; Giovanis, Vasilios

    2017-12-01

    Within several investigated endurance sport disciplines the distribution of load of the best competitors has a manner of evenly or slightly rising velocity values. Unfortunately many other competitors have usually diminishing values or when they are very poor they have evenly values. The aim of this study was to investigate distribution of velocity within 30-km cross-country female skiers. Cross-country skiing runs were investigated of Olympic Games 2002-2014 (Salt Lake City, Turin, Vancouver, Sochi). At every race two 15 km or three 10 km loops of the same vertical profile were taken into account. The competitors were divided onto: A - winners, B - medallists, C - competitors who obtained places 4 to 10 at the finish line (medium runners), D - competitors who obtained places 11 to 30 at the finish line (poor runners). Velocity data presented on the web pages of several institutions were utilized. The competitors had their velocity distributed in a manner with usually diminishing values. While comparing velocity of sequential loops with the mean velocity the difference for the poor runners reached the value of almost 6 %, which was too high. There was significant (usually negative) correlation coefficient between values of velocity deviation for the first and second loops and the mean value of velocity for the entire distance for the better runners and mixed, i.e. positive and negative values for the poorer runners. It was postulated investigations of velocity distribution should be introduced in coaching in order to inform competitors about their running. This advise is especially important for the poorer runners. Up to now cross country skiers run for themselves. It should be discussed whether the tactics used by road and track runners, i.e. running with pace makers, can be introduced in cross country skiing. Also the use of a drone during training can be used in order to maintain proper pace.

  15. Effects of non-Maxwellian electron velocity distribution function on two-stream instability in low-pressure discharges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sydorenko, D.; Smolyakov, A.; Kaganovich, I.; Raitses, Y.

    2007-01-01

    Electron emission from discharge chamber walls is important for plasma maintenance in many low-pressure discharges. The electrons emitted from the walls are accelerated by the sheath electric field and are injected into the plasma as an electron beam. Penetration of this beam through the plasma is subject to the two-stream instability, which tends to slow down the beam electrons and heat the plasma electrons. In the present paper, a one-dimensional particle-in-cell code is used to simulate these effects both in a collisionless plasma slab with immobile ions and in a cross-field discharge of a Hall thruster. The two-stream instability occurs if the total electron velocity distribution function of the plasma-beam system is a nonmonotonic function of electron speed. Low-pressure plasmas can be depleted of electrons with energy above the plasma potential. This study reveals that under such conditions the two-stream instability depends crucially on the velocity distribution function of electron emission. It is shown that propagation of the secondary electron beams in Hall thrusters may be free of the two-stream instability if the velocity distribution of secondary electron emission is a monotonically decaying function of speed. In this case, the beams propagate between the walls with minimal loss of the beam current and the secondary electron emission does not affect the thruster plasma properties

  16. Neural network fusion capabilities for efficient implementation of tracking algorithms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundareshan, Malur K.; Amoozegar, Farid

    1997-03-01

    The ability to efficiently fuse information of different forms to facilitate intelligent decision making is one of the major capabilities of trained multilayer neural networks that is now being recognized. While development of innovative adaptive control algorithms for nonlinear dynamical plants that attempt to exploit these capabilities seems to be more popular, a corresponding development of nonlinear estimation algorithms using these approaches, particularly for application in target surveillance and guidance operations, has not received similar attention. We describe the capabilities and functionality of neural network algorithms for data fusion and implementation of tracking filters. To discuss details and to serve as a vehicle for quantitative performance evaluations, the illustrative case of estimating the position and velocity of surveillance targets is considered. Efficient target- tracking algorithms that can utilize data from a host of sensing modalities and are capable of reliably tracking even uncooperative targets executing fast and complex maneuvers are of interest in a number of applications. The primary motivation for employing neural networks in these applications comes from the efficiency with which more features extracted from different sensor measurements can be utilized as inputs for estimating target maneuvers. A system architecture that efficiently integrates the fusion capabilities of a trained multilayer neural net with the tracking performance of a Kalman filter is described. The innovation lies in the way the fusion of multisensor data is accomplished to facilitate improved estimation without increasing the computational complexity of the dynamical state estimator itself.

  17. Is self-regard a sociometer or a hierometer? Self-esteem tracks status and inclusion, narcissism tracks status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahadevan, Nikhila; Gregg, Aiden P; Sedikides, Constantine

    2018-04-02

    What adaptive function does self-regard serve? Sociometer theory predicts that it positively tracks social inclusion. A new theory, hierometer theory, predicts that it positively tracks social status. We tested both predictions with respect to two types of self-regard: self-esteem and narcissism. Study 1 (N = 940), featuring a cross-sectional design, found that both status and inclusion covaried positively with self-esteem, but that status alone covaried positively with narcissism. These links held independently of gender, age, and the Big Five personality traits. Study 2 (N = 627), a preregistered cross-sectional study, obtained similar results with alternative measures of self-esteem and narcissism. Studies 3-4 featured experimental designs in which status and inclusion were orthogonally manipulated. Study 3 (N = 104) found that both higher status and higher inclusion promoted higher self-esteem, whereas only higher status promoted higher narcissism. Study 4 (N = 259) obtained similar results with alternative measures of self-esteem and narcissism. The findings suggest that self-esteem operates as both sociometer and hierometer, positively tracking both status and inclusion, whereas narcissism operates primarily as a hierometer, positively tracking status. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  18. Development of Feedforward Control in a Dynamic Manual Tracking Task

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Roon, Dominique; Caeyenberghs, Karen; Swinnen, Stephan P.; Smits-Engelsman, Bouwien C. M.

    2008-01-01

    To examine the development of feedforward control during manual tracking, 117 participants in 5 age groups (6 to 7, 8 to 9, 10 to 11, 12 to 14, and 15 to 17 years) tracked an accelerating dot presented on a monitor by moving an electronic pen on a digitizer. To remain successful at higher target velocities, they had to create a predictive model of…

  19. High Dynamic Optimized Carrier Loop Improvement for Tracking Doppler Rates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amirhossein Fereidountabar

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Mathematical analysis and optimization of a carrier tracking loop are presented. Due to fast changing of the carrier frequency in some satellite systems, such as Low Earth Orbit (LEO or Global Positioning System (GPS, or some planes like Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs, high dynamic tracking loops play a very important role. In this paper an optimized tracking loop consisting of a third-order Phase Locked Loop (PLL assisted by a second-order Frequency Locked Loop (FLL for UAVs is proposed and discussed. Based on this structure an optimal loop has been designed. The main advantages of this approach are the reduction of the computation complexity and smaller phase error. The paper shows the simulation results, comparing them with a previous work.

  20. Match-play demands of elite youth Gaelic football using global positioning system tracking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reilly, Brian; Akubat, Ibrahim; Lyons, Mark; Collins, D Kieran

    2015-04-01

    Global positioning systems (GPS) technology has made athlete-tracking a convenient and accepted technique to specify movement patterns and physical demands in sport. The purpose of this study was to examine positional demands of elite youth Gaelic football match-play using portable GPS technology to examine movement patterns and heart rates across match periods. Fifty-six elite youth male Gaelic footballers (age, 15 ± 0.66 years) fitted with portable 4-Hz GPS units were observed during 6 competitive matches (60 minutes). Data provided from the GPS unit included total distance, high-intensity (≥17·km·h(-1)) distance, sprint (≥22 km·h(-1)) distance, and total number of sprints. Heart rate was monitored continuously throughout the games. Players covered a mean distance of 5732 ± 1047 m, and the mean intensity of match-play was 85% of the peak heart rate. There was a significant (p = 0.028) drop in the total distance covered in the second half (2783 ± 599 m) compared with the first half (2948 ± 580 m). In particular, there is a noticeable drop in the distance covered in the third quarter of the game (after half-time), which has implications for re-warming up at the end of the half-time interval. There was a highly significant (p < .001) difference in the distance traveled across the 5 positional groups with midfielders covering the greatest total distance (6740 ± 384 m). The significant differences found with respect to positional groups support the implementation of individual, position-specific strength and conditioning programs.

  1. Laser vibrometer measurement of guided wave modes in rail track

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Loveday, PW

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available ) in the laboratory and on an operational rail track (with S-4 60-SAR profile) and example results are presented in this section. The measurements 5 were performed using a Polytec PSV-400-M2-20 high frequency scanning vibrometer 6 equipped with the VD-09 velocity...Hz on operational rail track and to identify the modes that are capable of 16 propagating large distances. 17 18 KEYWORDS: Semi-analytical finite element method; modes of guided wave 19 propagation; laser vibrometer measurement; rail track 20 PACs...

  2. Experimental Evaluation of UWB Indoor Positioning for Sport Postures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ridolfi, Matteo; Vandermeeren, Stef; Defraye, Jense; Steendam, Heidi; Gerlo, Joeri; De Clercq, Dirk; Hoebeke, Jeroen; De Poorter, Eli

    2018-01-09

    Radio frequency (RF)-based indoor positioning systems (IPSs) use wireless technologies (including Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Bluetooth, and ultra-wide band (UWB)) to estimate the location of persons in areas where no Global Positioning System (GPS) reception is available, for example in indoor stadiums or sports halls. Of the above-mentioned forms of radio frequency (RF) technology, UWB is considered one of the most accurate approaches because it can provide positioning estimates with centimeter-level accuracy. However, it is not yet known whether UWB can also offer such accurate position estimates during strenuous dynamic activities in which moves are characterized by fast changes in direction and velocity. To answer this question, this paper investigates the capabilities of UWB indoor localization systems for tracking athletes during their complex (and most of the time unpredictable) movements. To this end, we analyze the impact of on-body tag placement locations and human movement patterns on localization accuracy and communication reliability. Moreover, two localization algorithms (particle filter and Kalman filter) with different optimizations (bias removal, non-line-of-sight (NLoS) detection, and path determination) are implemented. It is shown that although the optimal choice of optimization depends on the type of movement patterns, some of the improvements can reduce the localization error by up to 31%. Overall, depending on the selected optimization and on-body tag placement, our algorithms show good results in terms of positioning accuracy, with average errors in position estimates of 20 cm. This makes UWB a suitable approach for tracking dynamic athletic activities.

  3. Experimental Evaluation of UWB Indoor Positioning for Sport Postures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matteo Ridolfi

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Radio frequency (RF-based indoor positioning systems (IPSs use wireless technologies (including Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Bluetooth, and ultra-wide band (UWB to estimate the location of persons in areas where no Global Positioning System (GPS reception is available, for example in indoor stadiums or sports halls. Of the above-mentioned forms of radio frequency (RF technology, UWB is considered one of the most accurate approaches because it can provide positioning estimates with centimeter-level accuracy. However, it is not yet known whether UWB can also offer such accurate position estimates during strenuous dynamic activities in which moves are characterized by fast changes in direction and velocity. To answer this question, this paper investigates the capabilities of UWB indoor localization systems for tracking athletes during their complex (and most of the time unpredictable movements. To this end, we analyze the impact of on-body tag placement locations and human movement patterns on localization accuracy and communication reliability. Moreover, two localization algorithms (particle filter and Kalman filter with different optimizations (bias removal, non-line-of-sight (NLoS detection, and path determination are implemented. It is shown that although the optimal choice of optimization depends on the type of movement patterns, some of the improvements can reduce the localization error by up to 31%. Overall, depending on the selected optimization and on-body tag placement, our algorithms show good results in terms of positioning accuracy, with average errors in position estimates of 20 cm. This makes UWB a suitable approach for tracking dynamic athletic activities.

  4. New sensor for measurement of low air flow velocity. Phase I final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hashemian, H.M.; Hashemian, M.; Riggsbee, E.T.

    1995-08-01

    The project described here is the Phase I feasibility study of a two-phase program to integrate existing technologies to provide a system for determining air flow velocity and direction in radiation work areas. Basically, a low air flow sensor referred to as a thermocouple flow sensor has been developed. The sensor uses a thermocouple as its sensing element. The response time of the thermocouple is measured using an existing in-situ method called the Loop Current Step Response (LCSR) test. The response time results are then converted to a flow signal using a response time-versus-flow correlation. The Phase I effort has shown that a strong correlation exists between the response time of small diameter thermocouples and the ambient flow rate. As such, it has been demonstrated that thermocouple flow sensors can be used successfully to measure low air flow rates that can not be measured with conventional flow sensors. While the thermocouple flow sensor developed in this project was very successful in determining air flow velocity, determining air flow direction was beyond the scope of the Phase I project. Nevertheless, work was performed during Phase I to determine how the new flow sensor can be used to determine the direction, as well as the velocity, of ambient air movements. Basically, it is necessary to use either multiple flow sensors or move a single sensor in the monitoring area and make flow measurements at various locations sweeping the area from top to bottom and from left to right. The results can then be used with empirical or physical models, or in terms of directional vectors to estimate air flow patterns. The measurements can be made continuously or periodically to update the flow patterns as they change when people and objects are moved in the monitoring area. The potential for using multiple thermocouple flow sensors for determining air flow patterns will be examined in Phase II

  5. Spacecraft angular velocity estimation algorithm for star tracker based on optical flow techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Yujie; Li, Jian; Wang, Gangyi

    2018-02-01

    An integrated navigation system often uses the traditional gyro and star tracker for high precision navigation with the shortcomings of large volume, heavy weight and high-cost. With the development of autonomous navigation for deep space and small spacecraft, star tracker has been gradually used for attitude calculation and angular velocity measurement directly. At the same time, with the dynamic imaging requirements of remote sensing satellites and other imaging satellites, how to measure the angular velocity in the dynamic situation to improve the accuracy of the star tracker is the hotspot of future research. We propose the approach to measure angular rate with a nongyro and improve the dynamic performance of the star tracker. First, the star extraction algorithm based on morphology is used to extract the star region, and the stars in the two images are matched according to the method of angular distance voting. The calculation of the displacement of the star image is measured by the improved optical flow method. Finally, the triaxial angular velocity of the star tracker is calculated by the star vector using the least squares method. The method has the advantages of fast matching speed, strong antinoise ability, and good dynamic performance. The triaxial angular velocity of star tracker can be obtained accurately with these methods. So, the star tracker can achieve better tracking performance and dynamic attitude positioning accuracy to lay a good foundation for the wide application of various satellites and complex space missions.

  6. Study of the behavior of automatic track detectors for radon determination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moreno C, A.

    1997-01-01

    Both the alpha decay and the alpha and beta emitting radon daughters, may affect the living cells. In this thesis, experiments have been performed to study the response of environmental radon using different alpha particle detectors. A study was performed both in the laboratory and in the field of two kinds of detectors: a) Passive solid state nuclear track detectors, LR 115 type II, capable to integrate the alpha particles in a given period of time and, b) an automatic active detector, Clipperton, that continuously accumulate the alpha counting from radon decay. LR-115 track detectors were exposed in the laboratory to alpha particles from a radioactive source and a controlled radon atmosphere. The detectors were also exposed to electrons from an electron accelerator. The number of alpha tracks in the detectors were evaluated with two kinds of spark counters. The response of the track detectors as a function of the number of alpha tracks showed a reproducibility of 92%, and the effect of electron doses showed that the bulk etching velocity varied as a function of the electron dose. Additionally some changes were introduced in an SSNTD exchanger, exposed to the radon chamber in order to reduce the background in the non exposed positions. A conversion factor of 0.016 tracks/cm 2 . 10h per Bq/m 3 was obtained. The response of the two spark counters was similar. Field soil radon determinations were performed with track detectors during 11 months and with the active detector during 5 months with exposures each month and each hour respectively. When calculated for the same time periods exposure the response of both systems was similar. However differences were quite striking in the patterns of short and long term exposure periods since short term fluctuations are explicitly shown with the active detector while integrated within the passive one. (Author)

  7. Verification and Validation of Carbon-Fiber Laminate Low Velocity Impact Simulations.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    English, Shawn Allen; Nelson, Stacy Michelle; Briggs, Timothy; Brown, Arthur A.

    2014-10-01

    Presented is a model verification and validation effort using low - velocity impact (LVI) of carbon fiber reinforced polymer laminate experiments. A flat cylindrical indenter impacts the laminate with enough energy to produce delamination, matrix cracks and fiber breaks. Included in the experimental efforts are ultrasonic scans of the damage for qualitative validation of the models. However, the primary quantitative metrics of validation are the force time history measured through the instrumented indenter and initial and final velocities. The simulations, whi ch are run on Sandia's Sierra finite element codes , consist of all physics and material parameters of importance as determined by a sensitivity analysis conducted on the LVI simulation. A novel orthotropic damage and failure constitutive model that is cap able of predicting progressive composite damage and failure is described in detail and material properties are measured, estimated from micromechanics or optimized through calibration. A thorough verification and calibration to the accompanying experiment s are presented. Specia l emphasis is given to the four - point bend experiment. For all simulations of interest, the mesh and material behavior is verified through extensive convergence studies. An ensemble of simulations incorporating model parameter unc ertainties is used to predict a response distribution which is then compared to experimental output. The result is a quantifiable confidence in material characterization and model physics when simulating this phenomenon in structures of interest.

  8. Research on carbon fiber–reinforced plastic bumper beam subjected to low-velocity frontal impact

    OpenAIRE

    Yefa Hu; Can Liu; Jinguang Zhang; Guoping Ding; Qiong Wu

    2015-01-01

    Lightweight and safety performance of automobiles are two important factors for automobile designs. In this article, a research on lightweight and crashworthiness of automotive bumper has been conducted. The carbon fiber–reinforced plastic bumper beam is considered to replace the traditional high-strength steel one. The low-velocity impact finite element simulations for the above two bumper beams are performed via LS-DYNA. Furthermore, the energy absorption capabilities and dynamic response c...

  9. DVL Velocity Aiding in the HUGIN 1000 Integrated Inertial Navigation System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bjørn Jalving

    2004-10-01

    Full Text Available The RDI WHN-600 Doppler Velocity Log (DVL is a key navigation sensor for the HUG1N 1000 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV. HUGIN 1000 is designed for autonomous submerged operation for long periods of time. This is facilitated by a low drift velocity aided Inertial Navigation System (INS. Major factors determining the position error growth are the IMU and DVL error characteristics and the mission plan pattern_ For instance, low frequency DVL errors cause an approximately linear drift in a straight-line trajectory, while these errors tend to be cancelled out by a lawn mower pattern_ The paper focuses on the accuracy offered by the DVL. HUGIN 1000 is a permanent organic mine countermeasure (MCM capacity on the Royal Norwegian Navy MCM vessel KNM Karmoy. HUGIN 1000 will be part of the NATO force MCMFORNORTH in fall 2004.

  10. Siamese convolutional networks for tracking the spine motion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yuan; Sui, Xiubao; Sun, Yicheng; Liu, Chengwei; Hu, Yong

    2017-09-01

    Deep learning models have demonstrated great success in various computer vision tasks such as image classification and object tracking. However, tracking the lumbar spine by digitalized video fluoroscopic imaging (DVFI), which can quantitatively analyze the motion mode of spine to diagnose lumbar instability, has not yet been well developed due to the lack of steady and robust tracking method. In this paper, we propose a novel visual tracking algorithm of the lumbar vertebra motion based on a Siamese convolutional neural network (CNN) model. We train a full-convolutional neural network offline to learn generic image features. The network is trained to learn a similarity function that compares the labeled target in the first frame with the candidate patches in the current frame. The similarity function returns a high score if the two images depict the same object. Once learned, the similarity function is used to track a previously unseen object without any adapting online. In the current frame, our tracker is performed by evaluating the candidate rotated patches sampled around the previous frame target position and presents a rotated bounding box to locate the predicted target precisely. Results indicate that the proposed tracking method can detect the lumbar vertebra steadily and robustly. Especially for images with low contrast and cluttered background, the presented tracker can still achieve good tracking performance. Further, the proposed algorithm operates at high speed for real time tracking.

  11. Evaluation of StereoPIV Measurement of Droplet Velocity in an Effervescent Spray

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sina Ghaemi

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Particle image velocimetry (PIV is a well known technique for measuring the instantaneous velocity field of flows. However, error may be introduced when measuring the velocity field of sprays using this technique when the spray droplets are used as the seed particles. In this study, the effect of droplet number density, droplet velocity profile, and droplet size distribution of a spray produced by an effervescent atomizer on velocity measurement using a StereoPIV has been investigated. A shadowgraph-particle tracking velocimetry (S-PTV system provided measurement of droplet size and velocity for comparison. This investigation demonstrated that the StereoPIV under-estimates velocity at near-field dense spray region where measurement accuracy is limited by multi-scattering of the laser sheet. In the dilute far-field region of the spray, StereoPIV measurement is mostly in agreement with velocity of the droplet size-class which is close to the mean diameter based on droplet number frequency times droplet cross sectional area.

  12. Effect of Tracking Error of Double-Axis Tracking Device on the Optical Performance of Solar Dish Concentrator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jian Yan

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a flux distribution model of the focal plane in dish concentrator system has been established based on ray tracking method. This model was adopted for researching the influence of the mirror slope error, solar direct normal irradiance, and tracking error of elevation-azimuth tracking device (EATD on the focal spot characteristics (i.e., flux distribution, geometrical shape, centroid position, and intercept factor. The tracking error transmission law of the EATD transferred to dish concentrator was also studied. The results show that the azimuth tracking error of the concentrator decreases with the increase of the concentrator elevation angle and it decreases to 0 mrad when the elevation angle is 90°. The centroid position of focal spot along x-axis and y-axis has linear relationship with azimuth and elevation tracking error of EATD, respectively, which could be used to evaluate and calibrate the tracking error of the dish concentrator. Finally, the transmission law of the EATD azimuth tracking error in solar heliostats is analyzed, and a dish concentrator using a spin-elevation tracking device is proposed, which can reduce the effect of spin tracking error on the dish concentrator. This work could provide fundamental for manufacturing precision allocation of tracking devices and developing a new type of tracking device.

  13. Estimating Position of Mobile Robots From Omnidirectional Vision Using an Adaptive Algorithm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Luyang; Liu, Yun-Hui; Wang, Kai; Fang, Mu

    2015-08-01

    This paper presents a novel and simple adaptive algorithm for estimating the position of a mobile robot with high accuracy in an unknown and unstructured environment by fusing images of an omnidirectional vision system with measurements of odometry and inertial sensors. Based on a new derivation where the omnidirectional projection can be linearly parameterized by the positions of the robot and natural feature points, we propose a novel adaptive algorithm, which is similar to the Slotine-Li algorithm in model-based adaptive control, to estimate the robot's position by using the tracked feature points in image sequence, the robot's velocity, and orientation angles measured by odometry and inertial sensors. It is proved that the adaptive algorithm leads to global exponential convergence of the position estimation errors to zero. Simulations and real-world experiments are performed to demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm.

  14. In situ calibration of an interferometric velocity sensor for measuring small scale flow structures using a Talbot-pattern

    Science.gov (United States)

    König, Jörg; Czarske, Jürgen

    2017-10-01

    Small scale flow phenomena play an important role across engineering, biological and chemical sciences. To gain deeper understanding of the influence of those flow phenomena involved, measurement techniques with high spatial resolution are often required, presuming a calibration of very low uncertainty. To enable such measurements, a method for the in situ calibration of an interferometric flow velocity profile sensor is presented. This sensor, with demonstrated spatial resolution better than 1 μm, allows for spatially-resolving measurements with low velocity uncertainty in flows with high velocity gradients, on condition that the spatial behavior of the interference fringe systems is well-known by calibration with low uncertainty, especially challenging to obtain at applications with geometries difficult to access. The calibration method described herein uses three interfering beams to form the interference fringe systems of the sensor, yielding Doppler burst signals exhibiting two peaks in the frequency domain whose amplitude ratio varies periodically along the measurement volume major z-axis, giving a further independent value of the axial tracer particle position that can be used to determine the calibration functions of the sensor during the flow measurement. A flow measurement in a microchannel experimentally validates that the presented approach allows for simultaneously estimating the calibration functions and the velocity profile, providing flow measurements with very low systematic measurement errors of the particle position of less than 400 nm (confidence interval 95%). In that way, the interferometric flow velocity profile sensor utilizing the in situ self-calibration method promises valuable insights on small scale flow phenomena, such as those given in shear and boundary layer flows, by featuring reliable flow measurements due to minimum systematic and statistical measurement errors.

  15. Effect of low velocity impact damage on the natural frequency of composite plates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chok, E. Y. L.; Majid, D. L. A. A.; Harmin, M. Y.

    2017-12-01

    Biodegradable natural fibers have been suggested to replace the hazardous synthetic fibers in many aerospace applications. However, this notion has been limited due to their low mechanical properties, which leads to the idea of hybridizing the two materials. Many aircraft components such as radome, aft body and wing are highly susceptible to low velocity impact damage while in-service. The damages degrade the structural integrity of the components and change their dynamic characteristics. In worst case scenario, the changes can lead to resonance, which is an excessive vibration. This research is conducted to study the dynamic characteristic changes of low velocity impact damaged hybrid composites that is designed for aircraft radome applications. Three materials, which are glass fiber, kenaf fiber and kenaf/glass fiber hybrid composites, have been impacted with 3J, 6J and 9J of energy. Cantilevered and also vertically clamped boundary conditions are used and the natural frequencies are extracted for each of the specimens. The obtained results show that natural frequency decreases with increasing impact level. Cantilevered condition is found to induce lower modes due to the gravitational pull. To eliminate mass and geometrical effects, normalized modes are computed. Among the three materials considered, glass fiber composites have displayed the highest normalized frequency that reflects on its higher stiffness compared to the other two materials. As the damage level is increased, glass fiber composites have shown the highest frequency reduction to a maximum of 35% while kenaf composites have the least frequency reduction in the range of 1 - 18%. Thus, kenaf fiber is taken to be helpful in stalling the damage progression and reducing the effect of damage. This has been proven when the percentage frequency decrement shown by kenaf/glass fiber composite lies between glass fiber and kenaf fiber composites.

  16. Flowfield characterisation in the wake of a low-velocity heated sphere anemometer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Olim, A.M. [Associacao para o Desenvolvimento da Aerodinamica Industrial (ADAI), Coimbra (Portugal); Riethmuller, M.L. [Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (VKI), St. Genese (Belgium); Gameiro da Silva, M.C. [Departamento de Engenharia Mecanica, Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia, Universidade de Coimbra Polo II, Coimbra (Portugal)

    2002-06-01

    Heated sphere anemometers (HSA) are the most widely used instruments for low-velocity measurements in the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning industry. Experiments were conducted to characterise the flowfield around the spherically shaped sensor and upper probe assembly of a HSA. Particle image velocimetry was the main quantitative experimental technique. Measurements of the flowfield around a HSA probe and a 2:1 scaled-up model were performed in a uniform isothermal axisymmetrical jet air flow at Re around 350, based on sensor diameter, for different pitch angle incident flows. Additionally, extensive flow visualisation studies around scaled-up models of the HSA probe were performed. (orig.)

  17. The positive ion injector for ALPI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bisoffi, G.

    1996-01-01

    In the framework of the ALPI upgrading, a new positive ion injector is foreseen in order to be able to accelerate ions with masses of the order of 200 and with high charge states from the velocity of β=0.009 up to β=0.055. The structures chosen for that velocity range are superconducting radio frequency quadrupoles operating at a frequency of 80 MHz, which is the operating frequency of the ALPI low β cavities. The paper describes the current status of the project including beam dynamics, cavity design, beam transfer lines and vacuum, control and cryogenic systems. (orig.)

  18. Focal plane instrumentation: a very high resolution MWPC system for inclined tracks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bertozzi, W.; Hynes, M.V.; Sargent, C.P.; Creswell, C.; Dunn, P.C.; Hirsch, A.; Leitch, M.; Norum, B.; Rad, F.N.; Sasanuma, T.

    1977-01-01

    A focal plane system has been developed for the MIT energy-loss spectrometer. The arrival time information from adjacent wires of one MWPC (s=2mm), is used to trace particle trajectories with a position resolution of 120μm (2sigma) and an angular resolution of less than 17 mrad (2sigma). The tracks are inclined to the MWPC at about 45 0 . The readout uses 3 delay lines connected to successive sense wires in a cyclical pattern. Coarse wire positions are determined by differences and drift times by sums of signal arrival times at the ends of the delays lines. A Cherenkov counter provides a fiducial signal. Interpolation is independent of drift velocity since the drift is normal to the sense plane. A similar readout with a second chamber provides position information perpendicular to momentum plane. This information is used to correct on-line for focal plane curvatures and other spectrometer aberrations. Final momentum resolution is about 10 -4 . (Auth.)

  19. Air-Breathing Hypersonic Vehicle Tracking Control Based on Adaptive Dynamic Programming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mu, Chaoxu; Ni, Zhen; Sun, Changyin; He, Haibo

    2017-03-01

    In this paper, we propose a data-driven supplementary control approach with adaptive learning capability for air-breathing hypersonic vehicle tracking control based on action-dependent heuristic dynamic programming (ADHDP). The control action is generated by the combination of sliding mode control (SMC) and the ADHDP controller to track the desired velocity and the desired altitude. In particular, the ADHDP controller observes the differences between the actual velocity/altitude and the desired velocity/altitude, and then provides a supplementary control action accordingly. The ADHDP controller does not rely on the accurate mathematical model function and is data driven. Meanwhile, it is capable to adjust its parameters online over time under various working conditions, which is very suitable for hypersonic vehicle system with parameter uncertainties and disturbances. We verify the adaptive supplementary control approach versus the traditional SMC in the cruising flight, and provide three simulation studies to illustrate the improved performance with the proposed approach.

  20. Velocity bunching of high-brightness electron beams

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. G. Anderson

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Velocity bunching has been recently proposed as a tool for compressing electron beam pulses in modern high brightness photoinjector sources. This tool is familiar from earlier schemes implemented for bunching dc electron sources, but presents peculiar challenges when applied to high current, low emittance beams from photoinjectors. The main difficulty foreseen is control of emittance oscillations in the beam in this scheme, which can be naturally considered as an extension of the emittance compensation process at moderate energies. This paper presents two scenarios in which velocity bunching, combined with emittance control, is to play a role in nascent projects. The first is termed ballistic bunching, where the changing of relative particle velocities and positions occur in distinct regions, a short high gradient linac, and a drift length. This scenario is discussed in the context of the proposed ORION photoinjector. Simulations are used to explore the relationship between the degree of bunching, and the emittance compensation process. Experimental measurements performed at the UCLA Neptune Laboratory of the surprisingly robust bunching process, as well as accompanying deleterious transverse effects, are presented. An unanticipated mechanism for emittance growth in bends for highly momentum chirped beam was identified and studied in these experiments. The second scenario may be designated as phase space rotation, and corresponds closely to the recent proposal of Ferrario and Serafini. Its implementation for the compression of the electron beam pulse length in the PLEIADES inverse Compton scattering (ICS experiment at LLNL is discussed. It is shown in simulations that optimum compression may be obtained by manipulation of the phases in low gradient traveling wave accelerator sections. Measurements of the bunching and emittance control achieved in such an implementation at PLEIADES, as well as aspects of the use of velocity-bunched beam directly