Gamification in the context of smart cities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zica, M. R.; Ionica, A. C.; Leba, M.

2018-01-01

The recent emergence of smart cities is highly supported by the development of IT and IoT technologies. Nevertheless, a smart city needs to be built to meet the needs and requirements of its citizens. In order to build a smart city it is necessary to understand the benefits of such a city. A smart city is, beyond technology, populated by people. A smart city can be raised by its citizens’ contribution, and gamification is the means to motivate them. In this paper we included gamification techniques in the stage of capturing the citizens’ requirements for building a smart city. The system proposed in the paper is to create an application that allows the building of a virtual smart city customized by each user. From this virtual city, the most relevant features are extracted.

Smart homes for people with neurological disability: state of the art.

PubMed

Gentry, Tony

2009-01-01

Smart home technology can include environmental adaptations that allow remote control of home appliances, electronic communication, safety monitoring and automated task cueing, any of which may prove useful for people with neurological disability. This article outlines currently available smart home technologies, examines the burgeoning research in this area, discusses clinical and consumer resources and reviews ethical, funding and professional training considerations for smart home applications. I conclude that more outcomes-based research and collaboration among stakeholders is essential in order to establish guidance for designing, selecting and implementing individualized smart home solutions for those with neurological disability.

All-printed smart structures: a viable option?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Donnell, John; Ahmadkhanlou, Farzad; Yoon, Hwan-Sik; Washington, Gregory

2014-03-01

The last two decades have seen evolution of smart materials and structures technologies from theoretical concepts to physical realization in many engineering fields. These include smart sensors and actuators, active damping and vibration control, biomimetics, and structural health monitoring. Recently, additive manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing and printed electronics have received attention as methods to produce 3D objects or electronic components for prototyping or distributed manufacturing purposes. In this paper, the viability of manufacturing all-printed smart structures, with embedded sensors and actuators, will be investigated. To this end, the current 3D printing and printed electronics technologies will be reviewed first. Then, the plausibility of combining these two different additive manufacturing technologies to create all-printed smart structures will be discussed. Potential applications for this type of all-printed smart structures include most of the traditional smart structures where sensors and actuators are embedded or bonded to the structures to measure structural response and cause desired static and dynamic changes in the structure.

SMART Platforms: Building the App Store for Biosurveillance

PubMed Central

Mandl, Kenneth D.

2013-01-01

Objective To enable public health departments to develop “apps” to run on electronic health records (EHRs) for (1) biosurveillance and case reporting and (2) delivering alerts to the point of care. We describe a novel health information technology platform with substitutable apps constructed around core services enabling EHRs to function as iPhone-like platforms. Introduction Health care information is a fundamental source of data for biosurveillance, yet configuring EHRs to report relevant data to health departments is technically challenging, labor intensive, and often requires custom solutions for each installation. Public health agencies wishing to deliver alerts to clinicians also must engage in an endless array of one-off systems integrations. Despite a $48B investment in HIT, and meaningful use criteria requiring reporting to biosurveillance systems, most vendor electronic health records are architected monolithically, making modification difficult for hospitals and physician practices. An alternative approach is to reimagine EHRs as iPhone-like platforms supporting substitutable apps-based functionality. Substitutability is the capability inherent in a system of replacing one application with another of similar functionality. Methods Substitutability requires that the purchaser of an app can replace one application with another without being technically expert, without requiring re-engineering other applications that they are using, and without having to consult or require assistance of any of the vendors of previously installed or currently installed applications. Apps necessarily compete with each other promoting progress and adaptability. The Substitutable Medical Applications, Reusable Technologies (SMART) Platforms project is funded by a $15M grant from Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology’s Strategic Health IT Advanced Research Projects (SHARP) Program. All SMART standards are open and the core software is open source. The SMART project promotes substitutability through an application programming interface (API) that can be adopted as part of a “container” built around by a wide variety of HIT, providing readonly access to the underlying data model and a software development toolkit to readily create apps. SMART containers are HIT systems, that have implemented the SMART API or a portion of it. Containers marshal data sources and present them consistently across the SMART API. SMART applications consume the API and are substitutable. Results SMART provides a common platform supporting an “app store for biosurveillance” as an approach to enabling one stop shopping for public health departments—to create an app once, and distribute it everywhere. Further, such apps can be readily updated or created—for example, in the case of an emerging infection, an app may be designed to collect additional data at emergency department triage. Or a public health department may widely distribute an app, interoperable with any SMART-enabled EMR, that delivers contextualized alerts when patient electronic records are opened, or through background processes. SMART has sparked an ecosystem of apps developers and attracted existing health information technology platforms to adopt the SMART API—including, traditional, open source, and next generation EHRs, patient-facing platforms and health information exchanges. SMART-enabled platforms to date include the Cerner EMR, the WorldVista EHR, the OpenMRS EHR, the i2b2 analytic platform, and the Indivo X personal health record. The SMART team is working with the Mirth Corporation, to SMART-enable the HealthBridge and Redwood MedNet Health Information Exchanges. We have demonstrated that a single SMART app can run, unmodified, in all of these environments, as long as the underlying platform collects the required data types. Major EHR vendors are currently adapting the SMART API for their products. Conclusions The SMART system enables nimble customization of any electronic health record system to create either a reporting function (outgoing communication) or an alerting function (incoming communication) establishing a technology for a robust linkage between public health and clinical environments.

Design of an Open Smart Energy Gateway for Smart Meter Data Management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Page, Janie; McParland, Chuck; Piette, Mary Ann

With the widespread deployment of electronic interval meters, commonly known as smart meters, came the promise of real-time data on electric energy consumption. Recognizing an opportunity to provide consumers access to their near real-time energy consumption data directly from their installed smart meter, we designed a mechanism for capturing those data for consumer use via an open smart energy gateway (OpenSEG). By design, OpenSEG provides a clearly defined boundary for equipment and data ownership. OpenSEG is an open-source data management platform to enable better data management of smart meter data. Effectively, it is an information architecture designed to work withmore » the ZigBee Smart Energy Profile 1.x (SEP 1.x). It was specifically designed to reduce cyber-security risks and provide secure information directly from smart meters to consumers in near real time, using display devices already owned by the consumers. OpenSEG stores 48 hours of recent consumption data in a circular cache using a format consistent with commonly available archived (not real-time) consumption data such as Green Button, which is based on the Energy Services Provider Interface (ESPI) data standard. It consists of a common XML format for energy usage information and a data exchange protocol to facilitate automated data transfer upon utility customer authorization. Included in the design is an application program interface by which users can acquire data from OpenSEG for further post processing. A sample data display application is included in the initial software product. The data display application demonstrates that OpenSEG can help electricity use data to be retrieved from a smart meter and ported to a wide variety of user-owned devices such as cell phones or a user-selected database. This system can be used for homes, multi-family buildings, or small commercial buildings in California.« less

A Taxonomy on Accountability and Privacy Issues in Smart Grids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naik, Ameya; Shahnasser, Hamid

2017-07-01

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) are combinations of computation, networking, and physical processes. Embedded computers and networks monitor control the physical processes, which affect computations and vice versa. Two applications of cyber physical systems include health-care and smart grid. In this paper, we have considered privacy aspects of cyber-physical system applicable to smart grid. Smart grid in collaboration with different stockholders can help in the improvement of power generation, communication, circulation and consumption. The proper management with monitoring feature by customers and utility of energy usage can be done through proper transmission and electricity flow; however cyber vulnerability could be increased due to an increased assimilation and linkage. This paper discusses various frameworks and architectures proposed for achieving accountability in smart grids by addressing privacy issues in Advance Metering Infrastructure (AMI). This paper also highlights additional work needed for accountability in more precise specifications such as uncertainty or ambiguity, indistinct, unmanageability, and undetectably.

Nanofibrous Smart Fabrics from Twisted Yarns of Electrospun Piezopolymer.

PubMed

Yang, Enlong; Xu, Zhe; Chur, Lucas K; Behroozfar, Ali; Baniasadi, Mahmoud; Moreno, Salvador; Huang, Jiacheng; Gilligan, Jules; Minary-Jolandan, Majid

2017-07-19

Smart textiles are envisioned to make a paradigm shift in wearable technologies to directly impart functionality into the fibers rather than integrating sensors and electronics onto conformal substrates or skin in wearable devices. Among smart materials, piezoelectric fabrics have not been widely reported, yet. Piezoelectric smart fabrics can be used for mechanical energy harvesting, for thermal energy harvesting through the pyroelectric effect, for ferroelectric applications, as pressure and force sensors, for motion detection, and for ultrasonic sensing. We report on mechanical and material properties of the plied nanofibrous piezoelectric yarns as a function of postprocessing conditions including thermal annealing and drawing (stretching). In addition, we used a continuous electrospinning setup to directly produce P(VDF-TrFE) nanofibers and convert them into twisted plied yarns, and demonstrated application of these plied yarns in woven piezoelectric fabrics. The results of this work can be an early step toward realization of piezoelectric smart fabrics.

Application of smart materials for improved flight performance of military aircraft

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kudva, J.; Appa, K.; Martin, C.

1995-12-31

This paper discusses on-going work under an ARPA/WL contract to Northrop Grumman entitled {open_quotes}Smart Structures and Materials Development - Smart Wing.{close_quotes} The contract addresses the application of smart materials and smart Structures concepts to enhance the aerodynamic and maneuver performance of military aircraft. Various concepts for adaptive wing and control surfaces are being studied. Specifically, (a) wing span-wise twist control using built-in shape- memory alloy torquing mechanism and (b) cambered leading edge and trailing edge control surfaces using hybrid piezoelectric and SMA actuation, are being evaluated for a 20% model of a modem day fighter aircraft. The potential benefits ofmore » the designs include increased lift for short take-offs, improved high-speed maneuverability, and enhanced control surface effectiveness. These benefits will be quantified by testing the sub-scale model in a transonic wind tunnel next year.« less

Combining a Multi-Agent System and Communication Middleware for Smart Home Control: A Universal Control Platform Architecture

PubMed Central

Zheng, Song; Zhang, Qi; Zheng, Rong; Huang, Bi-Qin; Song, Yi-Lin; Chen, Xin-Chu

2017-01-01

In recent years, the smart home field has gained wide attention for its broad application prospects. However, families using smart home systems must usually adopt various heterogeneous smart devices, including sensors and devices, which makes it more difficult to manage and control their home system. How to design a unified control platform to deal with the collaborative control problem of heterogeneous smart devices is one of the greatest challenges in the current smart home field. The main contribution of this paper is to propose a universal smart home control platform architecture (IAPhome) based on a multi-agent system and communication middleware, which shows significant adaptability and advantages in many aspects, including heterogeneous devices connectivity, collaborative control, human-computer interaction and user self-management. The communication middleware is an important foundation to design and implement this architecture which makes it possible to integrate heterogeneous smart devices in a flexible way. A concrete method of applying the multi-agent software technique to solve the integrated control problem of the smart home system is also presented. The proposed platform architecture has been tested in a real smart home environment, and the results indicate that the effectiveness of our approach for solving the collaborative control problem of different smart devices. PMID:28926957

Combining a Multi-Agent System and Communication Middleware for Smart Home Control: A Universal Control Platform Architecture.

PubMed

Zheng, Song; Zhang, Qi; Zheng, Rong; Huang, Bi-Qin; Song, Yi-Lin; Chen, Xin-Chu

2017-09-16

In recent years, the smart home field has gained wide attention for its broad application prospects. However, families using smart home systems must usually adopt various heterogeneous smart devices, including sensors and devices, which makes it more difficult to manage and control their home system. How to design a unified control platform to deal with the collaborative control problem of heterogeneous smart devices is one of the greatest challenges in the current smart home field. The main contribution of this paper is to propose a universal smart home control platform architecture (IAPhome) based on a multi-agent system and communication middleware, which shows significant adaptability and advantages in many aspects, including heterogeneous devices connectivity, collaborative control, human-computer interaction and user self-management. The communication middleware is an important foundation to design and implement this architecture which makes it possible to integrate heterogeneous smart devices in a flexible way. A concrete method of applying the multi-agent software technique to solve the integrated control problem of the smart home system is also presented. The proposed platform architecture has been tested in a real smart home environment, and the results indicate that the effectiveness of our approach for solving the collaborative control problem of different smart devices.

New Technology Sparks Smoother Engines and Cleaner Air

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

Automotive Resources, Inc. (ARI) has developed a new device for igniting fuel in engines-the SmartPlug.TM SmartPlug is a self-contained ignition system that may be retrofitted to existing spark-ignition and compression-ignition engines. The SmartPlug needs as little as six watts of power for warm-up, and requires no electricity at all when the engine is running. Unlike traditional spark plugs, once the SmartPlug ignites the engine, and the engine heats up, the power supply for the plug is no longer necessary. In the utility industry, SmartPlugs can be used in tractors, portable generators, compressors, and pumps. In addition to general-purpose applications, such as lawn mowers and chainsaws, SmartPlugs can also be used in the recreational, marine, aviation, and automotive industries. Unlike traditional ignition systems, the SmartPlug system requires no distributor, coil points, or moving parts. SmartPlugs are non-fouling, with a faster and cleaner burn than traditional spark plugs. They prevent detonation and are not sensitive to moisture, allowing them to be used on a variety of engines. Other advantages include no electrical noise, no high voltage, exceptionally high altitude capabilities, and better cold-start statistics than those of standard spark ignition systems. Future applications for the SmartPlug are being evaluated by manufacturers in the snowmobile industry.

Technologies for an aging society: a systematic review of "smart home" applications.

PubMed

Demiris, G; Hensel, B K

2008-01-01

A "smart home" is a residence wired with technology features that monitor the well-being and activities of their residents to improve overall quality of life, increase independence and prevent emergencies. This type of informatics applications targeting older adults, people with disabilities or the general population is increasingly becoming the focus of research worldwide. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive review of health related smart home projects and discuss human factors and other challenges. To cover not only the medical but also the social sciences and electronics literature, we conducted extensive searches across disciplines (e.g., Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Electronics and Communications Abstracts, Web of Science etc.). In order to be inclusive of all new initiatives and efforts in this area given the innovativeness of the concept, we manually searched for relevant references in the retrieved articles as well as published books on smart homes and gerontechnology. A total of 114 publications (including papers, abstracts and web pages) were identified and reviewed to identify the overarching projects. Twenty one smart home projects were identified (71% of the projects include technologies for functional monitoring, 67% for safety monitoring, 47% for physiological monitoring, 43% for cognitive support or sensory aids, 19% for monitoring security and 19% to increase social interaction). Evidence for their impact on clinical outcomes is lacking. The field of smart homes is a growing informatics domain. Several challenges including not only technical but also ethical ones need to be addressed.

Ethical Considerations Regarding the Use of Smart Home Technologies for Older Adults: An Integrative Review.

PubMed

Chung, Jane; Demiris, George; Thompson, Hilaire J

2016-01-01

With the wide adoption and use of smart home applications, there is a need for examining ethical issues regarding smart home use at the intersection of aging, technology, and home environment. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of ethical considerations and the evidence on these ethical issues based on an integrative literature review with regard to the utilization of smart home technologies by older adults and their family members. REVIEW DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted an integrative literature review of the scientific literature from indexed databases (e. g., MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO). The framework guiding this review is derived from previous work on ethical considerations related to telehealth use for older adults and smart homes for palliative care. Key ethical issues of the framework include privacy, informed consent, autonomy, obtrusiveness, equal access, reduction in human touch, and usability. Six hundred and thirty-five candidate articles were identified between the years 1990 and 2014. Sixteen articles were included in the review. Privacy and obtrusiveness issues appear to be the most important factors that can affect smart home technology adoption. In addition, this article recommends that stigmatization and reliability and maintenance of the system are additional factors to consider. When smart home technology is used appropriately, it has the potential to improve quality of life and maintain safety among older adults, ultimately supporting the desire of older adults for aging in place. The ability to respond to potential ethical concerns will be critical to the future development and application of smart home technologies that aim to enhance safety and independence.

Human-Computer Interaction in Smart Environments

PubMed Central

Paravati, Gianluca; Gatteschi, Valentina

2015-01-01

Here, we provide an overview of the content of the Special Issue on “Human-computer interaction in smart environments”. The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight technologies and solutions encompassing the use of mass-market sensors in current and emerging applications for interacting with Smart Environments. Selected papers address this topic by analyzing different interaction modalities, including hand/body gestures, face recognition, gaze/eye tracking, biosignal analysis, speech and activity recognition, and related issues.

A web based tool for storing and visualising data generated within a smart home.

PubMed

McDonald, H A; Nugent, C D; Moore, G; Finlay, D D; Hallberg, J

2011-01-01

There is a growing need to re-assess the current approaches available to researchers for storing and managing heterogeneous data generated within a smart home environment. In our current work we have developed the homeML Application; a web based tool to support researchers engaged in the area of smart home research as they perform experiments. Within this paper the homeML Application is presented which includes the fundamental components of the homeML Repository and the homeML Toolkit. Results from a usability study conducted by 10 computer science researchers are presented; the initial results of which have been positive.

tranSMART: An Open Source and Community-Driven Informatics and Data Sharing Platform for Clinical and Translational Research.

PubMed

Athey, Brian D; Braxenthaler, Michael; Haas, Magali; Guo, Yike

2013-01-01

tranSMART is an emerging global open source public private partnership community developing a comprehensive informatics-based analysis and data-sharing cloud platform for clinical and translational research. The tranSMART consortium includes pharmaceutical and other companies, not-for-profits, academic entities, patient advocacy groups, and government stakeholders. The tranSMART value proposition relies on the concept that the global community of users, developers, and stakeholders are the best source of innovation for applications and for useful data. Continued development and use of the tranSMART platform will create a means to enable "pre-competitive" data sharing broadly, saving money and, potentially accelerating research translation to cures. Significant transformative effects of tranSMART includes 1) allowing for all its user community to benefit from experts globally, 2) capturing the best of innovation in analytic tools, 3) a growing 'big data' resource, 4) convergent standards, and 5) new informatics-enabled translational science in the pharma, academic, and not-for-profit sectors.

General Motors and the University of Michigan smart materials and structures collaborative research laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brei, Diann; Luntz, Jonathan; Shaw, John; Johnson, Nancy L.; Browne, Alan L.; Alexander, Paul W.; Mankame, Nilesh D.

2007-04-01

The field of Smart Materials and Structures is evolving from high-end, one-of-a-kind products for medical, military and aerospace applications to the point of viability for mainstream affordable high volume products for automotive applications. For the automotive industry, there are significant potential benefits to be realized including reduction in vehicle mass, added functionality and design flexibility and decrease in component size and cost. To further accelerate the path from basic research and development to launched competitive products, General Motors (GM) has teamed with the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan (UM) to establish a $2.9 Million Collaborative Research Laboratory (CRL) in Smart Materials and Structures. Researchers at both GM and UM are working closely together to create leap-frog technologies which start at conceptualization and proceed all the way through demonstration and handoff to product teams, thereby bridging the traditional technology gap between industry and academia. In addition to Smart Device Technology Innovation, other thrust areas in the CRL include Smart Material Maturity with a basic research focus on overcoming material issues that form roadblocks to commercialism and Mechamatronic System Design Methodology with an applied focus on development tools (synthesis and analysis) to aid the engineer in application of smart materials to system engineering. This CRL is a global effort with partners across the nation and world from GM's Global Research Network such as HRL Laboratories in California and GM's India Science Lab in Bangalore, India. This paper provides an overview of this new CRL and gives examples of several of the projects underway.

A sensor and video based ontology for activity recognition in smart environments.

PubMed

Mitchell, D; Morrow, Philip J; Nugent, Chris D

2014-01-01

Activity recognition is used in a wide range of applications including healthcare and security. In a smart environment activity recognition can be used to monitor and support the activities of a user. There have been a range of methods used in activity recognition including sensor-based approaches, vision-based approaches and ontological approaches. This paper presents a novel approach to activity recognition in a smart home environment which combines sensor and video data through an ontological framework. The ontology describes the relationships and interactions between activities, the user, objects, sensors and video data.

Smart image sensors: an emerging key technology for advanced optical measurement and microsystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seitz, Peter

1996-08-01

Optical microsystems typically include photosensitive devices, analog preprocessing circuitry and digital signal processing electronics. The advances in semiconductor technology have made it possible today to integrate all photosensitive and electronical devices on one 'smart image sensor' or photo-ASIC (application-specific integrated circuits containing photosensitive elements). It is even possible to provide each 'smart pixel' with additional photoelectronic functionality, without compromising the fill factor substantially. This technological capability is the basis for advanced cameras and optical microsystems showing novel on-chip functionality: Single-chip cameras with on- chip analog-to-digital converters for less than $10 are advertised; image sensors have been developed including novel functionality such as real-time selectable pixel size and shape, the capability of performing arbitrary convolutions simultaneously with the exposure, as well as variable, programmable offset and sensitivity of the pixels leading to image sensors with a dynamic range exceeding 150 dB. Smart image sensors have been demonstrated offering synchronous detection and demodulation capabilities in each pixel (lock-in CCD), and conventional image sensors are combined with an on-chip digital processor for complete, single-chip image acquisition and processing systems. Technological problems of the monolithic integration of smart image sensors include offset non-uniformities, temperature variations of electronic properties, imperfect matching of circuit parameters, etc. These problems can often be overcome either by designing additional compensation circuitry or by providing digital correction routines. Where necessary for technological or economic reasons, smart image sensors can also be combined with or realized as hybrids, making use of commercially available electronic components. It is concluded that the possibilities offered by custom smart image sensors will influence the design and the performance of future electronic imaging systems in many disciplines, reaching from optical metrology to machine vision on the factory floor and in robotics applications.

Research on water management system based on Android

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dongjiang; Hu, Songlin

2018-04-01

With the rapid development of Smart city, Smart water is an important part of Smart city, which is paid more and more attention. It obtains and deals with urban water information through information technology. It can effectively manage urban water supply, The sale of water and other processes. At the same time, due to the popularity of Smartphones, Smartphone applications have covered every aspect of life and become an indispensable part of people's daily life. Through the Smartphone applications, the user can achieve online mobile water purchase, query the water situation, water quality and other basic situation, greatly facilitate the use of the user, for wisdom water construction is of great significance. In this paper, the water management system based on Android is designed and implemented according to the user's needs. It includes intelligent water meter terminal, monitoring center server, Smartphone application and wireless communication network. The user can use the Smartphone at any time and at any place to view the user's water information in real time providing great convenience for users. So its application prospect is very broad as an important part of smart city.

NASA Smart Surgical Probe Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mah, Robert W.; Andrews, Russell J.; Jeffrey, Stefanie S.; Guerrero, Michael; Papasin, Richard; Koga, Dennis (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Information Technologies being developed by NASA to assist astronaut-physician in responding to medical emergencies during long space flights are being employed for the improvement of women's health in the form of "smart surgical probe". This technology, initially developed for neurosurgery applications, not only has enormous potential for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, but broad applicability to a wide range of medical challenges. For the breast cancer application, the smart surgical probe is being designed to "see" a suspicious lump, determine by its features if it is cancerous, and ultimately predict how the disease may progress. A revolutionary early breast cancer detection tool based on this technology has been developed by a commercial company and is being tested in human clinical trials at the University of California at Davis, School of Medicine. The smart surgical probe technology makes use of adaptive intelligent software (hybrid neural networks/fuzzy logic algorithms) with the most advanced physiologic sensors to provide real-time in vivo tissue characterization for the detection, diagnosis and treatment of tumors, including determination of tumor microenvironment and evaluation of tumor margins. The software solutions and tools from these medical applications will lead to the development of better real-time minimally-invasive smart surgical probes for emergency medical care and treatment of astronauts on long space flights.

GIS -- Is it a money pit or a profit generator?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sutton, R.H.

1997-02-01

Today, new technologies including smart pigs and GPS technology can be used to expedite data collection and improve the accuracy of the GIS applications. Eventually, such applications as pipe information for a taxing district, corrosion testing history, and many other applications can be accommodated in a GIS system. The accompanying figure shows the potential relationship of various technologies in today`s world along with other automated data input sources such as very smart pigs and the Global Positioning System (GPS). The paper discusses implementation barriers, assuring success, and recommendations.

An Overview of the Development of High Temperature Wireless Smart Sensor Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W.

2014-01-01

The harsh environment inherent in propulsion systems is especially challenging for Smart Sensor Systems; this paper addresses technology development for such applications. A basic sensing system for high temperature wireless pressure monitoring composed of a sensor, electronics, and wireless communication with scavenged power developed for health monitoring of aircraft engines and other high temperature applications has been demonstrated at 475 C. Other efforts will be discussed including a brief overview of the status of high temperature electronics and sensors, as well as their use and applications.

Ant-App-DB: a smart solution for monitoring arthropods activities, experimental data management and solar calculations without GPS in behavioral field studies.

PubMed

Ahmed, Zeeshan; Zeeshan, Saman; Fleischmann, Pauline; Rössler, Wolfgang; Dandekar, Thomas

2014-01-01

Field studies on arthropod ecology and behaviour require simple and robust monitoring tools, preferably with direct access to an integrated database. We have developed and here present a database tool allowing smart-phone based monitoring of arthropods. This smart phone application provides an easy solution to collect, manage and process the data in the field which has been a very difficult task for field biologists using traditional methods. To monitor our example species, the desert ant Cataglyphis fortis, we considered behavior, nest search runs, feeding habits and path segmentations including detailed information on solar position and azimuth calculation, ant orientation and time of day. For this we established a user friendly database system integrating the Ant-App-DB with a smart phone and tablet application, combining experimental data manipulation with data management and providing solar position and timing estimations without any GPS or GIS system. Moreover, the new desktop application Dataplus allows efficient data extraction and conversion from smart phone application to personal computers, for further ecological data analysis and sharing. All features, software code and database as well as Dataplus application are made available completely free of charge and sufficiently generic to be easily adapted to other field monitoring studies on arthropods or other migratory organisms. The software applications Ant-App-DB and Dataplus described here are developed using the Android SDK, Java, XML, C# and SQLite Database.

Ant-App-DB: a smart solution for monitoring arthropods activities, experimental data management and solar calculations without GPS in behavioral field studies

PubMed Central

Ahmed, Zeeshan; Zeeshan, Saman; Fleischmann, Pauline; Rössler, Wolfgang; Dandekar, Thomas

2015-01-01

Field studies on arthropod ecology and behaviour require simple and robust monitoring tools, preferably with direct access to an integrated database. We have developed and here present a database tool allowing smart-phone based monitoring of arthropods. This smart phone application provides an easy solution to collect, manage and process the data in the field which has been a very difficult task for field biologists using traditional methods. To monitor our example species, the desert ant Cataglyphis fortis, we considered behavior, nest search runs, feeding habits and path segmentations including detailed information on solar position and azimuth calculation, ant orientation and time of day. For this we established a user friendly database system integrating the Ant-App-DB with a smart phone and tablet application, combining experimental data manipulation with data management and providing solar position and timing estimations without any GPS or GIS system. Moreover, the new desktop application Dataplus allows efficient data extraction and conversion from smart phone application to personal computers, for further ecological data analysis and sharing. All features, software code and database as well as Dataplus application are made available completely free of charge and sufficiently generic to be easily adapted to other field monitoring studies on arthropods or other migratory organisms. The software applications Ant-App-DB and Dataplus described here are developed using the Android SDK, Java, XML, C# and SQLite Database. PMID:25977753

Renewable smart materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hyun Chan; Mun, Seongcheol; Ko, Hyun-U.; Zhai, Lindong; Kafy, Abdullahil; Kim, Jaehwan

2016-07-01

The use of renewable materials is essential in future technologies to harmonize with our living environment. Renewable materials can maintain our resources from the environment so as to overcome degradation of natural environmental services and diminished productivity. This paper reviews recent advancement of renewable materials for smart material applications, including wood, cellulose, chitin, lignin, and their sensors, actuators and energy storage applications. To further improve functionality of renewable materials, hybrid composites of inorganic functional materials are introduced by incorporating carbon nanotubes, titanium dioxide and tin oxide conducting polymers and ionic liquids. Since renewable materials have many advantages of biocompatible, sustainable, biodegradable, high mechanical strength and versatile modification behaviors, more research efforts need to be focused on the development of renewable smart materials.

The Interactive Classroom: An Overview of Smart Notebook Software

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nichols, Bryan E.

2015-01-01

Interactive whiteboards are increasingly used in school classrooms. SMART Boards have been adopted in many schools, including music classes taught by specialists. This article provides specific tips for using the most popular whiteboard application. The main features of the software as well as specific strategies for maximizing their use in the…

Authentication techniques for smart cards

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nelson, R.A.

1994-02-01

Smart card systems are most cost efficient when implemented as a distributed system, which is a system without central host interaction or a local database of card numbers for verifying transaction approval. A distributed system, as such, presents special card and user authentication problems. Fortunately, smart cards offer processing capabilities that provide solutions to authentication problems, provided the system is designed with proper data integrity measures. Smart card systems maintain data integrity through a security design that controls data sources and limits data changes. A good security design is usually a result of a system analysis that provides a thoroughmore » understanding of the application needs. Once designers understand the application, they may specify authentication techniques that mitigate the risk of system compromise or failure. Current authentication techniques include cryptography, passwords, challenge/response protocols, and biometrics. The security design includes these techniques to help prevent counterfeit cards, unauthorized use, or information compromise. This paper discusses card authentication and user identity techniques that enhance security for microprocessor card systems. It also describes the analysis process used for determining proper authentication techniques for a system.« less

The role of smart systems in rendezvous, close proximity operations and docking maneuvers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szatkowski, Gerard P.

Various missions scenarios (Space Station logistics, LEO and GEO services, and SEI operation) will involve flexibility in mission management. This means operations will be one or a combination of the following: autonomous, supervised autonomous, and machine aided manual control. Smart Systems will likely play a significant role in making these missions successful from a safety/reliability perspective and less costly from an operations perspective. This does not imply that Smart Systems need to be super sophisticated. On the contrary, Smart Systems have been described as automated intelligence that if a person had done it wrong, it would be considered stupid. The first part of this paper will describe the types of Smart System techniques involved in AR and CC, their specifications, duties, and interactions. Next will be a discussion of the work performed under the auspice of the ALS Program to further Expert Systems applications imbedded in the control process, NASA/JSC CRAD, and other related IRAD projects. This will include issues pertaining to the following: integration, speed, knowledge encapsulation, and cooperative systems. Finally, a brief description will be offered to outline the major obstacles for the acceptance of Smart Systems in critical applications.

EDITORIAL: Adaptive and active materials: Selected papers from the ASME 2010 Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems (SMASIS 10) (Philadelphia, PA, USA, 28 September-1 October 2010) Adaptive and active materials: Selected papers from the ASME 2010 Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems (SMASIS 10) (Philadelphia, PA, USA, 28 September-1 October 2010)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brei, Diann

2011-09-01

The third annual meeting of the AMSE/AIAA Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems Conference (SMASIS) took place in the heart of historic Philadelphia's cultural district, and included a pioneer banquet in the National Constitutional Center. The applications emphasis of the 2010 conference was reflected in keynote talks by Dr Alan Taub, vice president of General Motors global research and development, 'Smart materials in the automotive industry'; Dr Charles R Farrar, engineering institute leader at Los Alamos National Laboratory, 'Future directions for structural health monitoring of civil engineering infrastructure'; and Professor Christopher S Lynch of the University of California Los Angeles, 'Ferroelectric materials and their applications'. The SMASIS conference was divided into six technical symposia each of which included basic research, applied technological design and development, and industrial and governmental integrated system and application demonstrations. The six symposia were: SYMP 1 Multifunctional Materials; SYMP 2 Active Materials, Mechanics and Behavior; SYMP 3 Modeling, Simulation and Control; SYMP 4 Enabling Technologies and Integrated System Design; SYMP 5 Structural Health Monitoring/NDE; and SYMP 6 Bio-inspired Smart Materials and Structures. In addition, the conference introduced a new student and young professional development symposium. Authors of papers in the materials areas (symposia 1, 2 and 6) were invited to write a full journal article on their presentation topic for publication in this special issue of Smart Materials and Structures. This set of papers demonstrates the exceptional quality and originality of the conference presentations. We are appreciative of their efforts in producing this collection of highly relevant articles on smart materials.

Smart Inverter Control and Operation for Distributed Energy Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tazay, Ahmad F.

The motivation of this research is to carry out the control and operation of smart inverters and voltage source converters (VSC) for distributed energy resources (DERs) such as photovoltaic (PV), battery, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV). The main contribution of the research includes solving a couple of issues for smart grids by controlling and implementing multifunctions of VSC and smart inverter as well as improving the operational scheme of the microgrid. The work is mainly focused on controlling and operating of smart inverter since it promises a new technology for the future microgrid. Two major applications of the smart inverter will be investigated in this work based on the connection modes: microgrid at grid-tied mode and autonomous mode. In grid-tied connection, the smart inverter and VSC are used to integrate DER such as Photovoltaic (PV) and battery to provide suitable power to the system by controlling the supplied real and reactive power. The role of a smart inverter at autonomous mode includes supplying a sufficient voltage and frequency, mitigate abnormal condition of the load as well as equally sharing the total load's power. However, the operational control of the microgrid still has a major issue on the operation of the microgrid. The dissertation is divided into two main sections which are: 1. Low-level control of a single smart Inverter. 2. High-level control of the microgrid. The first part investigates a comprehensive research for a smart inverter and VSC technology at the two major connections of the microgrid. This involves controlling and modeling single smart inverter and VSC to solve specific issues of microgrid as well as improve the operation of the system. The research provides developed features for smart inverter comparing with a conventional voltage sourced converter (VSC). The two main connections for a microgrid have been deeply investigated to analyze a better way to develop and improve the operational procedure of the microgrid as well as solve specific issues of connecting the microgrid to the system. A detailed procedure for controlling VSC and designing an optimal operation of the controller is also covered in the first part of the dissertation. This section provides an optimal operation for controlling motor drive and demonstrates issues when motor load exists at an autonomous microgrid. It also provides a solution for specific issues at operating a microgrid at autonomous mode as well as improving the structural design for the grid-tied microgrid. The solution for autonomous microgrid includes changing the operational state of the switching pattern of the smart inverter to solve the issue of a common mode voltage (CMV) that appears across the motor load. It also solves the issue of power supplying to large loads, such as induction motors. The last section of the low-level section involves an improvement of the performance and operation of the PV charging station for a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) at grid-tied mode. This section provides a novel structure and smart controller for PV charging station using three-phase hybrid boost converter topology. It also provides a form of applications of a multifunction smart inverter using PV charging station. The second part of the research is focusing on improving the performance of the microgrid by integrating several smart inverters to form a microgrid. It investigates the issue of connecting DER units with the microgrid at real applications. One of the common issues of the microgrid is the circulating current which is caused by poor reactive power sharing accuracy. When more than two DER units are connected in parallel, a microgrid is forming be generating required power for the load. When the microgrid is operated at autonomous mode, all DER units participate in generating voltage and frequency as well as share the load's power. This section provides a smart and novel controlling technique to solve the issue of unequal power sharing. The feature of the smart inverter is realized by the communication link between smart inverters and the main operator. The analysis and derivation of the problem are presented in this section. The dissertation has led to two accepted conference papers, one accepted transaction IEEE manuscript, and one submitted IET transaction manuscript. The future work aims to improve the current work by investigating the performance of the smart inverter at real applications.

Novel Wiring Technologies for Aerospace Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gibson, Tracy L.; Parrish, Lewis M.

2014-01-01

Because wire failure in aerospace vehicles could be catastrophic, smart wiring capabilities have been critical for NASA. Through the years, researchers at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) have developed technologies, expertise, and research facilities to meet this need. In addition to aerospace applications, NASA has applied its knowledge of smart wiring, including self-healing materials, to serve the aviation industry. This webinar will discuss the development efforts of several wiring technologies at KSC and provide insight into both current and future research objectives.

Aeroservoelastic and Structural Dynamics Research on Smart Structures Conducted at NASA Langley Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGowan, Anna-Maria Rivas; Wilkie, W. Keats; Moses, Robert W.; Lake, Renee C.; Florance, Jennifer Pinkerton; Wieseman, Carol D.; Reaves, Mercedes C.; Taleghani, Barmac K.; Mirick, Paul H.; Wilbur, Mathew L.

1997-01-01

An overview of smart structures research currently underway at the NASA Langley Research Center in the areas of aeroservoelasticity and structural dynamics is presented. Analytical and experimental results, plans, potential technology pay-offs, and challenges are discussed. The goal of this research is to develop the enabling technologies to actively and passively control aircraft and rotorcraft vibration and loads using smart devices. These enabling technologies and related research efforts include developing experimentally-validated finite element and aeroservoelastic modeling techniques; conducting bench experimental tests to assess feasibility and understand system trade-offs; and conducting large-scale wind tunnel tests to demonstrate system performance. The key aeroservoelastic applications of this research include: active twist control of rotor blades using interdigitated electrode piezoelectric composites and active control of flutter, and gust and buffeting responses using discrete piezoelectric patches. In addition, NASA Langley is an active participant in the DARPA/Air Force Research Laboratory/NASA/Northrop Grumman Smart Wing program which is assessing aerodynamic performance benefits using smart materials.

The Theory and Application of Privacy-preserving Computation

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-26

which rejected the deployment of smart meters due to privacy concerns of the fine-grained information reporting necessary for the smart grid . Yet...there are clear benefits of the smart grid that are lost when smart metering is not available. This is true of many applications which require sensitive...31 4.1 Smart Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 4.1.1 Motivation

Smart Sensor Systems for Aerospace Applications: From Sensor Development to Application Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, G. W.; Xu, J. C.; Dungan, L. K.; Ward, B. J.; Rowe, S.; Williams, J.; Makel, D. B.; Liu, C. C.; Chang, C. W.

2008-01-01

The application of Smart Sensor Systems for aerospace applications is a multidisciplinary process consisting of sensor element development, element integration into Smart Sensor hardware, and testing of the resulting sensor systems in application environments. This paper provides a cross-section of these activities for multiple aerospace applications illustrating the technology challenges involved. The development and application testing topics discussed are: 1) The broadening of sensitivity and operational range of silicon carbide (SiC) Schottky gas sensor elements; 2) Integration of fire detection sensor technology into a "Lick and Stick" Smart Sensor hardware platform for Crew Exploration Vehicle applications; 3) Extended testing for zirconia based oxygen sensors in the basic "Lick and Stick" platform for environmental monitoring applications. It is concluded that that both core sensor platform technology and a basic hardware platform can enhance the viability of implementing smart sensor systems in aerospace applications.

Laser Spiderweb Sensor Used with Portable Handheld Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, David C. (Inventor); Ksendzov, Alexander (Inventor); George, Warren P. (Inventor); Smith, James A. (Inventor); Steinkraus, Joel M. (Inventor); Hofmann, Douglas C. (Inventor); Aljabri, Abdullah S. (Inventor); Bendig, Rudi M. (Inventor)

2017-01-01

A portable spectrometer, including a smart phone case storing a portable spectrometer, wherein the portable spectrometer includes a cavity; a source for emitting electromagnetic radiation that is directed on a sample in the cavity, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is reflected within the cavity to form multiple passes of the electromagnetic radiation through the sample; a detector for detecting the electromagnetic radiation after the electromagnetic radiation has made the multiple passes through the sample in the cavity, the detector outputting a signal in response to the detecting; and a device for communicating the signal to a smart phone, wherein the smart phone executes an application that performs a spectral analysis of the signal.

Recovery Act-SmartGrid regional demonstration transmission and distribution (T&D) Infrastructure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hedges, Edward T.

This document represents the Final Technical Report for the Kansas City Power & Light Company (KCP&L) Green Impact Zone SmartGrid Demonstration Project (SGDP). The KCP&L project is partially funded by Department of Energy (DOE) Regional Smart Grid Demonstration Project cooperative agreement DE-OE0000221 in the Transmission and Distribution Infrastructure application area. This Final Technical Report summarizes the KCP&L SGDP as of April 30, 2015 and includes summaries of the project design, implementation, operations, and analysis performed as of that date.

Reconfiguration of a smart surface using heteroclinic connections

PubMed Central

McInnes, Colin R.; Xu, Ming

2017-01-01

A reconfigurable smart surface with multiple equilibria is presented, modelled using discrete point masses and linear springs with geometric nonlinearity. An energy-efficient reconfiguration scheme is then investigated to connect equal-energy unstable (but actively controlled) equilibria. In principle, zero net energy input is required to transition the surface between these unstable states, compared to transitions between stable equilibria across a potential barrier. These transitions between equal-energy unstable states, therefore, form heteroclinic connections in the phase space of the problem. Moreover, the smart surface model developed can be considered as a unit module for a range of applications, including modules which can aggregate together to form larger distributed smart surface systems. PMID:28265191

Cloud computing for energy management in smart grid - an application survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naveen, P.; Kiing Ing, Wong; Kobina Danquah, Michael; Sidhu, Amandeep S.; Abu-Siada, Ahmed

2016-03-01

The smart grid is the emerging energy system wherein the application of information technology, tools and techniques that make the grid run more efficiently. It possesses demand response capacity to help balance electrical consumption with supply. The challenges and opportunities of emerging and future smart grids can be addressed by cloud computing. To focus on these requirements, we provide an in-depth survey on different cloud computing applications for energy management in the smart grid architecture. In this survey, we present an outline of the current state of research on smart grid development. We also propose a model of cloud based economic power dispatch for smart grid.

Depolymerization of Trityl End-Capped Poly(Ethyl Glyoxylate): Potential Applications in Smart Packaging.

PubMed

Fan, Bo; Salazar, Rómulo; Gillies, Elizabeth R

2018-06-01

The temperature-dependent depolymerization of self-immolative poly(ethyl glyoxylate) (PEtG) capped with triphenylmethyl (trityl) groups is studied and its potential application for smart packaging is explored. PEtGs with four different trityl end-caps are prepared and found to undergo depolymerization to volatile products from the solid state at different rates depending on temperature and the electron-donating substituents on the trityl aromatic rings. Through the incorporation of hydrophobic dyes including Nile red and IR-780, the depolymerization is visualized as a color change of the dye as it changes from a dispersed to aggregated state. The ability of this platform to provide information on thermal history through an easily readable signal makes it promising in smart packaging applications for sensitive products such a food and other cargo that is susceptible to degradation. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A Framework to Develop Persuasive Smart Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lobo, Pedro; Romão, Teresa; Dias, A. Eduardo; Danado, José Carlos

This paper presents a framework for the creation of context-sensitive persuasive applications. The framework allows the authoring of new persuasive smart environments producing the appropriate feedback to the users based on different sensors spread throughout the environment to capture contextual information. Using this framework, we created an application, Smart Bins, aimed at promoting users' behavioural changes regarding the recycling of waste materials. Furthermore, to evaluate the usability of our authoring tool, we performed user tests to analyze if developers could successfully create the Smart Bins application using the framework. A description of the Smart Bins application, as well as the results of the user tests, are also presented in this paper.

Applications of polymeric smart materials to environmental problems.

PubMed Central

Gray, H N; Bergbreiter, D E

1997-01-01

New methods for the reduction and remediation of hazardous wastes like carcinogenic organic solvents, toxic materials, and nuclear contamination are vital to environmental health. Procedures for effective waste reduction, detection, and removal are important components of any such methods. Toward this end, polymeric smart materials are finding useful applications. Polymer-bound smart catalysts are useful in waste minimization, catalyst recovery, and catalyst reuse. Polymeric smart coatings have been developed that are capable of both detecting and removing hazardous nuclear contaminants. Such applications of smart materials involving catalysis chemistry, sensor chemistry, and chemistry relevant to decontamination methodology are especially applicable to environmental problems. PMID:9114277

Current Capabilities at SNL for the Integration of Small Modular Reactors onto Smart Microgrids Using Sandia's Smart Microgrid Technology High Performance Computing and Advanced Manufacturing.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rodriguez, Salvador B.

Smart grids are a crucial component for enabling the nation’s future energy needs, as part of a modernization effort led by the Department of Energy. Smart grids and smart microgrids are being considered in niche applications, and as part of a comprehensive energy strategy to help manage the nation’s growing energy demands, for critical infrastructures, military installations, small rural communities, and large populations with limited water supplies. As part of a far-reaching strategic initiative, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) presents herein a unique, three-pronged approach to integrate small modular reactors (SMRs) into microgrids, with the goal of providing economically-competitive, reliable, andmore » secure energy to meet the nation’s needs. SNL’s triad methodology involves an innovative blend of smart microgrid technology, high performance computing (HPC), and advanced manufacturing (AM). In this report, Sandia’s current capabilities in those areas are summarized, as well as paths forward that will enable DOE to achieve its energy goals. In the area of smart grid/microgrid technology, Sandia’s current computational capabilities can model the entire grid, including temporal aspects and cyber security issues. Our tools include system development, integration, testing and evaluation, monitoring, and sustainment.« less

A context management system for a cost-efficient smart home platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, J.; Klein, A.; Mannweiler, C.; Schotten, H. D.

2012-09-01

This paper presents an overview of state-of-the-art architectures for integrating wireless sensor and actuators networks into the Future Internet. Furthermore, we will address advantages and disadvantages of the different architectures. With respect to these criteria, we develop a new architecture overcoming these weaknesses. Our system, called Smart Home Context Management System, will be used for intelligent home utilities, appliances, and electronics and includes physical, logical as well as network context sources within one concept. It considers important aspects and requirements of modern context management systems for smart X applications: plug and play as well as plug and trust capabilities, scalability, extensibility, security, and adaptability. As such, it is able to control roller blinds, heating systems as well as learn, for example, the user's taste w.r.t. to home entertainment (music, videos, etc.). Moreover, Smart Grid applications and Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) functions are applicable. With respect to AAL, we included an Emergency Handling function. It assures that emergency calls (police, ambulance or fire department) are processed appropriately. Our concept is based on a centralized Context Broker architecture, enhanced by a distributed Context Broker system. The goal of this concept is to develop a simple, low-priced, multi-functional, and save architecture affordable for everybody. Individual components of the architecture are well tested. Implementation and testing of the architecture as a whole is in progress.

Aeroservoelastic and Structural Dynamics Research on Smart Structures Conducted at NASA Langley Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGowan, Anna-Maria Rivas; Wilkie, W. Keats; Moses, Robert W.; Lake, Renee C.; Florance, Jennifer Pinkerton; Wieseman, Carol D.; Reaves, Mercedes C.; Taleghani, Barmac K.; Mirick, Paul H.; Wilbur, Matthew L.

1998-01-01

An overview of smart structures research currently underway at the NASA Langley Research Center in the areas of aeroservoelasticity and structural dynamics is presented. Analytical and experimental results, plans, potential technology pay-offs, and challenges are discussed. The goal of this research is to develop the enabling technologies to actively and passively control aircraft and rotorcraft vibration and loads using smart devices. These enabling technologies and related research efforts include developing experimentally-validated finite element and aeroservoelastic modeling techniques; conducting bench experimental tests to assess feasibility and understand system trade-offs; and conducting large-scale wind- tunnel tests to demonstrate system performance. The key aeroservoelastic applications of this research include: active twist control of rotor blades using interdigitated electrode piezoelectric composites and active control of flutter, and gust and buffeting responses using discrete piezoelectric patches. In addition, NASA Langley is an active participant in the DARPA/ Air Force Research Laboratory/ NASA/ Northrop Grumman Smart Wing program which is assessing aerodynamic performance benefits using smart materials. Keywords: aeroelasticity, smart structures, piezoelectric actuators, active fiber composites, rotorcraft, buffet load alleviation, individual blade control, aeroservoelasticity, shape memory alloys, damping augmentation, piezoelectric power consumption

Imaging standards for smart cards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellson, Richard N.; Ray, Lawrence A.

1996-02-01

"Smart cards" are plastic cards the size of credit cards which contain integrated circuits for the storage of digital information. The applications of these cards for image storage has been growing as card data capacities have moved from tens of bytes to thousands of bytes. This has prompted the recommendation of standards by the X3B10 committee of ANSI for inclusion in ISO standards for card image storage of a variety of image data types including digitized signatures and color portrait images. This paper will review imaging requirements of the smart card industry, challenges of image storage for small memory devices, card image communications, and the present status of standards. The paper will conclude with recommendations for the evolution of smart card image standards towards image formats customized to the image content and more optimized for smart card memory constraints.

Imaging standards for smart cards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellson, Richard N.; Ray, Lawrence A.

1996-01-01

'Smart cards' are plastic cards the size of credit cards which contain integrated circuits for the storage of digital information. The applications of these cards for image storage has been growing as card data capacities have moved from tens of bytes to thousands of bytes. This has prompted the recommendation of standards by the X3B10 committee of ANSI for inclusion in ISO standards for card image storage of a variety of image data types including digitized signatures and color portrait images. This paper reviews imaging requirements of the smart card industry, challenges of image storage for small memory devices, card image communications, and the present status of standards. The paper concludes with recommendations for the evolution of smart card image standards towards image formats customized to the image content and more optimized for smart card memory constraints.

The application and development of artificial intelligence in smart clothing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Xiong

2018-03-01

This paper mainly introduces the application of artificial intelligence in intelligent clothing. Starting from the development trend of artificial intelligence, analysis the prospects for development in smart clothing with artificial intelligence. Summarize the design key of artificial intelligence in smart clothing. Analysis the feasibility of artificial intelligence in smart clothing.

SMART Application: One stop services bridging the gap between doctor and patients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiweko, Budi; Agung, P. G.; Narasati, Shabrina

2017-02-01

In this study, we describe the SMART IVF services that has been developed into android-based application as "SMART Application". In this application, we can find one stop services in IVF. This application is expected to help patients to plan effectively for IVF procedure, full access to their IVF information helps them ease off a lot of stress and anxiety in this very delicate and stressful phase in their lives and help the doctor to plan for the best intervention of patients who face infertility problems using Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). SMART application will be compatible with all major mobile operating systems.

Biosmart Materials: Breaking New Ground in Dentistry

PubMed Central

Badami, Vijetha; Ahuja, Bharat

2014-01-01

By definition and general agreement, smart materials are materials that have properties which may be altered in a controlled fashion by stimuli, such as stress, temperature, moisture, pH, and electric or magnetic fields. There are numerous types of smart materials, some of which are already common. Examples include piezoelectric materials, which produce a voltage when stress is applied or vice versa, shape memory alloys or shape memory polymers which are thermoresponsive, and pH sensitive polymers which swell or shrink as a response to change in pH. Thus, smart materials respond to stimuli by altering one or more of their properties. Smart behaviour occurs when a material can sense some stimulus from its environment and react to it in a useful, reliable, reproducible, and usually reversible manner. These properties have a beneficial application in various fields including dentistry. Shape memory alloys, zirconia, and smartseal are examples of materials exhibiting a smart behavior in dentistry. There is a strong trend in material science to develop and apply these intelligent materials. These materials would potentially allow new and groundbreaking dental therapies with a significantly enhanced clinical outcome of treatments. PMID:24672407

Social media messaging in pregnancy: comparing content of Text4baby to content of free smart phone applications of pregnancy.

PubMed

Lewkowitz, Adam K; O'Donnell, Betsy E; Nakagawa, Sanae; Vargas, Juan E; Zlatnik, Marya G

2016-03-01

Text4baby is the only free text-message program for pregnancy available. Our objective was to determine whether content differed between Text4baby and popular pregnancy smart phone applications (apps). Researchers enrolled in Text4baby in 2012 and downloaded the four most-popular free pregnancy smart phone apps in July 2013; content was re-extracted in February 2014. Messages were assigned thematic codes. Two researchers coded messages independently before reviewing all the codes jointly to ensure consistency. Logistic regression modeling determined statistical differences between Text4baby and smart phone apps. About 1399 messages were delivered. Of these, 333 messages had content related to more than one theme and were coded as such, resulting in 1820 codes analyzed. Compared to smart phone apps, Text4baby was significantly more likely to have content regarding Postpartum Planning, Seeking Care, Recruitment and Prevention and significantly less likely to mention Normal Pregnancy Symptoms. No messaging program included content regarding postpartum contraception. To improve content without increasing text message number, Text4baby could replace messages on recruitment with messages regarding normal pregnancy symptoms, fetal development and postpartum contraception.

Smart fabrics and interactive textile enabling wearable personal applications: R&D state of the art and future challenges.

PubMed

Lymberis, A; Paradiso, R

2008-01-01

Smart fabrics and interactive textiles (SFIT) are fibrous structures that are capable of sensing, actuating, generating/storing power and/or communicating. Research and development towards wearable textile-based personal systems allowing e.g. health monitoring, protection & safety, and healthy lifestyle gained strong interest during the last 10 years. Under the Information and Communication Programme of the European Commission, a cluster of R&D projects dealing with smart fabrics and interactive textile wearable systems regroup activities along two different and complementary approaches i.e. 'application pull' and 'technology push'. This includes projects aiming at personal health management through integration, validation, and use of smart clothing and other networked mobile devices as well as projects targeting the full integration of sensors/actuators, energy sources, processing and communication within the clothes to enable personal applications such as protection/safety, emergency and healthcare. The integration part of the technologies into a real SFIT product is at present stage on the threshold of prototyping and testing. Several issues, technical as well user-centred, societal and business, remain to be solved. The paper presents on going major R&D activities, identifies gaps and discuss key challenges for the future.

Usability evaluation of the SMART application for youth with mTBI.

PubMed

Dexheimer, Judith W; Kurowski, Brad G; Anders, Shilo H; McClanahan, Nicole; Wade, Shari L; Babcock, Lynn

2017-01-01

There is a dearth of evidence-based treatments available to address the significant morbidity associated with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). To address this gap, we designed a novel user-friendly, web-based application. We describe the preliminary evaluation of feasibility and usability of the application to promote recovery following mTBI in youth, the Self-Monitoring Activity-Restriction and Relaxation Treatment (SMART). SMART incorporates real-time recommendations for individualized symptom management and activity restriction along with training in cognitive-behavioral coping strategies. We conducted a usability evaluation to assess and modify the SMART system prior to further study and deployment. Children ages 11-18 years presenting to the emergency department were recruited after symptoms resolved. Usability was assessed using a 60-min think-aloud protocol of teens and parents describing their interaction with the application. Upon completion of the tasks, each participant also completed the system usability scale (SUS). We performed tests with 4 parent/child dyads. The average age of the children was 13 years (standard deviation=1.8). The parents were an average of 41.5 years old (standard deviation=6.2). Research revealed that the participants were enthusiastic about the interactive portions of the tool particularly the video based sessions. Parents were concerned about the speed at which their child might move through the program and the children thought that the system required large amounts of reading. Based on user feedback, researchers modified SMART to include an audio file in every module and improved the system's aesthetic properties. The mean SUS score was 85, with high SUS scores (>68) indicating satisfactory usability. High initial usability and favorable user feedback provide a foundation for further iterative development and testing of the SMART application as a tool for managing recovery from concussion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adaptive smart wing design for military aircraft: requirements, concepts, and payoffs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kudva, Jayanth N.; Appa, Kari; Van Way, Craig B.; Lockyer, Allen J.

1995-05-01

New developments in smart structures and materials have made it possible to revisit earlier work in adaptive and flexible wing technology, and remove some of the limitations for technology transition to next-generation aircraft. Research performed by Northrop Grumman, under internal funding, has led to a new program sponsored by ARPA to investigate the application of smart structures and materials technologies to twist and adapt and aircraft wing. Conceptual designs are presented based on state-of-the-art materials, including shape memory alloys, piezoelectrics, and fiber optic sensors for incorporation in a proposed smart wing design. Plans are described to demonstrate proof-of-concept on a prototype 1/10 scale -18 model that will be tested in a wind tunnel for final validation. Highlights of the proposed program are summarized with respect to program objectives, requirements, key concept design features, demonstration testing, and smart wing technology payoffs and risks.

Potential Applications of Smart Multifunctional Wearable Materials to Gerontology.

PubMed

Armstrong, David G; Najafi, Bijan; Shahinpoor, Mohsen

2017-01-01

Smart multifunctional materials can play a constructive role in addressing some very important aging-related issues. Aging affects the ability of older adults to continue to live safely and economically in their own residences for as long as possible. Thus, there will be a greater need for preventive, acute, rehabilitative, and long-term health care services for older adults as well as a need for tools to enable them to function independently during daily activities. The objective of this paper is, thus, to present a comprehensive review of some potential smart materials and their areas of applications to gerontology. Thus, brief descriptions of various currently available multifunctional smart materials and their possible applications to aging-related problems are presented. It is concluded that some of the most important applications to geriatrics may be in various sensing scenarios to collect health-related feedback or information and provide personalized care. Further described are the applications of wearable technologies to aging-related needs, including devices for home rehabilitation, remote monitoring, social well-being, frailty monitoring, monitoring of diabetes and wound healing and fall detection or prediction. It is also concluded that wearable technologies, when combined with an appropriate application and with appropriate feedback, may help improve activities and functions of older patients with chronic diseases. Finally, it is noted that methods developed to measure what one collectively manages in this population may provide a foundation to establish new definitions of quality of life. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Health at hand: A systematic review of smart watch uses for health and wellness.

PubMed

Reeder, Blaine; David, Alexandria

2016-10-01

Smart watches have the potential to support health in everyday living by: enabling self-monitoring of personal activity; obtaining feedback based on activity measures; allowing for in-situ surveys to identify patterns of behavior; and supporting bi-directional communication with health care providers and family members. However, smart watches are an emerging technology and research with these devices is at a nascent stage. We conducted a systematic review of smart watch studies that engaged people in their use by searching PubMed, Embase, IEEE XPlore and ACM Digital libraries. Participant demographics, device features, watch applications and methods, and technical challenges were abstracted from included studies. Seventy-three studies were returned in the search. Seventeen studies published were included. Included studies were published from 2014 to 2016, with the exception of one published in 2011. Most studies employed the use of consumer-grade smart watches (14/17, 82%). Patient-related studies focused on activity monitoring, heart rate monitoring, speech therapy adherence, diabetes self-management, and detection of seizures, tremors, scratching, eating, and medication-taking behaviors. Most patient-related studies enrolled participants with few exclusion criteria to validate smart watch function (10/17, 58%). Only studies that focused on Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and diabetes management enrolled persons living with targeted conditions. One study focused on nursing work in the ICU and one focused on CPR training for laypeople. Consumer-grade smart watches have penetrated the health research space rapidly since 2014. Smart watch technical function, acceptability, and effectiveness in supporting health must be validated in larger field studies that enroll actual participants living with the conditions these devices target. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Smart Grid Information Clearinghouse (SGIC)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rahman, Saifur

Since the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 was enacted, there has been a large number of websites that discusses smart grid and relevant information, including those from government, academia, industry, private sector and regulatory. These websites collect information independently. Therefore, smart grid information was quite scattered and dispersed. The objective of this work was to develop, populate, manage and maintain the public Smart Grid Information Clearinghouse (SGIC) web portal. The information in the SGIC website is comprehensive that includes smart grid information, research & development, demonstration projects, technical standards, costs & benefit analyses, business cases, legislation, policy &more » regulation, and other information on lesson learned and best practices. The content in the SGIC website is logically grouped to allow easily browse, search and sort. In addition to providing the browse and search feature, the SGIC web portal also allow users to share their smart grid information with others though our online content submission platform. The Clearinghouse web portal, therefore, serves as the first stop shop for smart grid information that collects smart grid information in a non-bias, non-promotional manner and can provide a missing link from information sources to end users and better serve users’ needs. The web portal is available at www.sgiclearinghouse.org. This report summarizes the work performed during the course of the project (September 2009 – August 2014). Section 2.0 lists SGIC Advisory Committee and User Group members. Section 3.0 discusses SGIC information architecture and web-based database application functionalities. Section 4.0 summarizes SGIC features and functionalities, including its search, browse and sort capabilities, web portal social networking, online content submission platform and security measures implemented. Section 5.0 discusses SGIC web portal contents, including smart grid 101, smart grid projects, deployment experience (i.e., use cases, lessons learned, cost-benefit analyses and business cases), in-depth information (i.e., standards, technology, cyber security, legislation, education and training and demand response), as well as international information. Section 6.0 summarizes SGIC statistics from the launch of the portal on July 07, 2010 to August 31, 2014. Section 7.0 summarizes publicly available information as a result of this work.« less

GIS Data Collection for Oil Palm (DaCOP) Mobile Application for Smart Phone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdullah, A. F.; Muhadi, N. A.

2015-10-01

Nowadays, smart phone has become a necessity as it offers more than just making a phone call. Smart phone combines the features of cell phone with other mobile devices such as personal digital assistant (PDA) and GPS navigation unit that propel the popularity of smart phones. In recent years, the interest in mobile communication has been increased. Previous research using mobile application has been successfully done in varies areas of study. Areas of study that have been done are health care, education, and traffic monitoring. Besides, mobile application has also been applied in agricultural sector for various purposes such as plant pest risk management. In this study, mobile application for data collection on Ganoderma disease of oil palm has been successfully developed. The application uses several devices in a smart phone such as GPS, Wifi/ GPRS connection and accelerometer devices. The application can be installed in the smart phone and users can use the application while working on-site. The data can be updated immediately through their smart phones to the service. Besides, the application provides offline map so the user can be productive even though their network connectivity is poor or nonexistent. The data can be synced when the users online again. This paper presents an application that allows users to download features from a sync-enabled ArcGIS Feature Service, view and edit the features even when the devices fail to connect with any network connectivity while collecting data on-site.

Smart material-based radiation sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovaleski, Scott

2014-10-01

From sensors to power harvesters, the unique properties of smart materials have been exploited in numerous ways to enable new applications and reduce the size of many useful devices. Smart materials are defined as materials whose properties can be changed in a controlled and often reversible fashion by use of external stimuli, such as electric and magnetic fields, temperature, or humidity. Smart materials have been used to make acceleration sensors that are ubiquitous in mobile phones, to make highly accurate frequency standards, to make unprecedentedly small actuators and motors, to seal and reduce friction of rotating shafts, and to generate power by conversion of either kinetic or thermal energy to electrical energy. The number of useful devices enabled by smart materials is large and continues to grow. Smart materials can also be used to generate plasmas and accelerate particles at small scales. The materials discussed in this talk are from non-centrosymmetric crystalline classes including piezoelectric, pyroelectric, and ferroelectric materials, which produce large electric fields in response to external stimuli such as applied electric fields or thermal energy. First, the use of ferroelectric, pyroelectric and piezoelectric materials for plasma generation and particle acceleration will be reviewed. The talk will then focus on the use of piezoelectric materials at the University of Missouri to construct plasma sources and electrostatic accelerators for applications including space propulsion, x-ray imaging, and neutron production. The basic concepts of piezoelectric transformers, which are analogous to conventional magnetic transformers, will be discussed, along with results from experiments over the last decade to produce micro-thrusters for space propulsion and particle accelerators for x-ray and neutron production. Support from ONR, AFOSR, and LANL.

Healthcare Applications of Smart Watches

PubMed Central

Lu, Tsung-Chien; Fu, Chia-Ming; Ma, Matthew Huei-Ming; Fang, Cheng-Chung

2016-01-01

Summary Objective The aim of this systematic review is to synthesize research studies involving the use of smart watch devices for healthcare. Materials and Methods The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was chosen as the systematic review methodology. We searched PubMed, CINAHL Plus, EMBASE, ACM, and IEEE Xplore. In order to include ongoing clinical trials, we also searched ClinicalTrials.gov. Two investigators evaluated the retrieved articles for inclusion. Discrepancies between investigators regarding article inclusion and extracted data were resolved through team discussion. Results 356 articles were screened and 24 were selected for review. The most common publication venue was in conference proceedings (13, 54%). The majority of studies were published or presented in 2015 (19, 79%). We identified two registered clinical trials underway. A large proportion of the identified studies focused on applications involving health monitoring for the elderly (6, 25%). Five studies focused on patients with Parkinson’s disease and one on cardiac arrest. There were no studies which reported use of usability testing before implementation. Discussion Most of the reviewed studies focused on the chronically ill elderly. There was a lack of detailed description of user-centered design or usability testing before implementation. Based on our review, the most commonly used platform in healthcare research was that of the Android Wear. The clinical application of smart watches as assistive devices deserves further attention. Conclusion Smart watches are unobtrusive and easy to wear. While smart watch technology supplied with biosensors has potential to be useful in a variety of healthcare applications, rigorous research with their use in clinical settings is needed. PMID:27623763

Healthcare Applications of Smart Watches. A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Lu, Tsung-Chien; Fu, Chia-Ming; Ma, Matthew Huei-Ming; Fang, Cheng-Chung; Turner, Anne M

2016-09-14

The aim of this systematic review is to synthesize research studies involving the use of smart watch devices for healthcare. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was chosen as the systematic review methodology. We searched PubMed, CINAHL Plus, EMBASE, ACM, and IEEE Xplore. In order to include ongoing clinical trials, we also searched ClinicalTrials.gov. Two investigators evaluated the retrieved articles for inclusion. Discrepancies between investigators regarding article inclusion and extracted data were resolved through team discussion. 356 articles were screened and 24 were selected for review. The most common publication venue was in conference proceedings (13, 54%). The majority of studies were published or presented in 2015 (19, 79%). We identified two registered clinical trials underway. A large proportion of the identified studies focused on applications involving health monitoring for the elderly (6, 25%). Five studies focused on patients with Parkinson's disease and one on cardiac arrest. There were no studies which reported use of usability testing before implementation. Most of the reviewed studies focused on the chronically ill elderly. There was a lack of detailed description of user-centered design or usability testing before implementation. Based on our review, the most commonly used platform in healthcare research was that of the Android Wear. The clinical application of smart watches as assistive devices deserves further attention. Smart watches are unobtrusive and easy to wear. While smart watch technology supplied with biosensors has potential to be useful in a variety of healthcare applications, rigorous research with their use in clinical settings is needed.

Framework for End-User Programming of Cross-Smart Space Applications

PubMed Central

Palviainen, Marko; Kuusijärvi, Jarkko; Ovaska, Eila

2012-01-01

Cross-smart space applications are specific types of software services that enable users to share information, monitor the physical and logical surroundings and control it in a way that is meaningful for the user's situation. For developing cross-smart space applications, this paper makes two main contributions: it introduces (i) a component design and scripting method for end-user programming of cross-smart space applications and (ii) a backend framework of components that interwork to support the brunt of the RDFScript translation, and the use and execution of ontology models. Before end-user programming activities, the software professionals must develop easy-to-apply Driver components for the APIs of existing software systems. Thereafter, end-users are able to create applications from the commands of the Driver components with the help of the provided toolset. The paper also introduces the reference implementation of the framework, tools for the Driver component development and end-user programming of cross-smart space applications and the first evaluation results on their application. PMID:23202169

Recent progress in OLED and flexible displays and their potential for application to aerospace and military display systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarma, Kalluri

2015-05-01

Organic light emitting diode (OLED) display technology has advanced significantly in recent years and it is increasingly being adapted in consumer electronics products with premium performance, such as high resolution smart phones, Tablet PCs and TVs. Even flexible OLED displays are beginning to be commercialized in consumer electronic devices such as smart phones and smart watches. In addition to the advances in OLED emitters, successful development and adoption of OLED displays for premium performance applications relies on the advances in several enabling technologies including TFT backplanes, pixel drive electronics, pixel patterning technologies, encapsulation technologies and system level engineering. In this paper we will discuss the impact of the recent advances in LTPS and AOS TFTs, R, G, B and White OLED with color filter pixel architectures, and encapsulation, on the success of the OLEDs in consumer electronic devices. We will then discuss potential of these advances in addressing the requirements of OLED and flexible displays for the military and avionics applications.

A Cloud-Based Car Parking Middleware for IoT-Based Smart Cities: Design and Implementation

PubMed Central

Ji, Zhanlin; Ganchev, Ivan; O'Droma, Máirtín; Zhao, Li; Zhang, Xueji

2014-01-01

This paper presents the generic concept of using cloud-based intelligent car parking services in smart cities as an important application of the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm. This type of services will become an integral part of a generic IoT operational platform for smart cities due to its pure business-oriented features. A high-level view of the proposed middleware is outlined and the corresponding operational platform is illustrated. To demonstrate the provision of car parking services, based on the proposed middleware, a cloud-based intelligent car parking system for use within a university campus is described along with details of its design, implementation, and operation. A number of software solutions, including Kafka/Storm/Hbase clusters, OSGi web applications with distributed NoSQL, a rule engine, and mobile applications, are proposed to provide ‘best’ car parking service experience to mobile users, following the Always Best Connected and best Served (ABC&S) paradigm. PMID:25429416

A cloud-based car parking middleware for IoT-based smart cities: design and implementation.

PubMed

Ji, Zhanlin; Ganchev, Ivan; O'Droma, Máirtín; Zhao, Li; Zhang, Xueji

2014-11-25

This paper presents the generic concept of using cloud-based intelligent car parking services in smart cities as an important application of the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm. This type of services will become an integral part of a generic IoT operational platform for smart cities due to its pure business-oriented features. A high-level view of the proposed middleware is outlined and the corresponding operational platform is illustrated. To demonstrate the provision of car parking services, based on the proposed middleware, a cloud-based intelligent car parking system for use within a university campus is described along with details of its design, implementation, and operation. A number of software solutions, including Kafka/Storm/Hbase clusters, OSGi web applications with distributed NoSQL, a rule engine, and mobile applications, are proposed to provide 'best' car parking service experience to mobile users, following the Always Best Connected and best Served (ABC&S) paradigm.

Research on the application of wisdom technology in smart city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Juntao; Ma, Shuai; Gu, Weihua; Chen, Weiyi

2015-12-01

This paper first analyzes the concept of smart technology, the relationship between wisdom technology and smart city, and discusses the practical application of IOT(Internet of things) in smart city to explore a better way to realize smart city; then Introduces the basic concepts of cloud computing and smart city, and explains the relationship between the two; Discusses five advantages of cloud computing that applies to smart city construction: a unified and highly efficient, large-scale infrastructure software and hardware management, service scheduling and resource management, security control and management, energy conservation and management platform layer, and to promote modern practical significance of the development of services, promoting regional social and economic development faster. Finally, a brief description of the wisdom technology and smart city management is presented.

Constitutive modeling and control of 1D smart composite structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briggs, Jonathan P.; Ostrowski, James P.; Ponte-Castaneda, Pedro

1998-07-01

Homogenization techniques for determining effective properties of composite materials may provide advantages for control of stiffness and strain in systems using hysteretic smart actuators embedded in a soft matrix. In this paper, a homogenized model of a 1D composite structure comprised of shape memory alloys and a rubber-like matrix is presented. With proportional and proportional/integral feedback, using current as the input state and global strain as an error state, implementation scenarios include the use of tractions on the boundaries and a nonlinear constitutive law for the matrix. The result is a simple model which captures the nonlinear behavior of the smart composite material system and is amenable to experiments with various control paradigms. The success of this approach in the context of the 1D model suggests that the homogenization method may prove useful in investigating control of more general smart structures. Applications of such materials could include active rehabilitation aids, e.g. wrist braces, as well as swimming/undulating robots, or adaptive molds for manufacturing processes.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Agalgaonkar, Yashodhan P.; Hammerstrom, Donald J.

The Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration (PNWSGD) was a smart grid technology performance evaluation project that included multiple U.S. states and cooperation from multiple electric utilities in the northwest region. One of the local objectives for the project was to achieve improved distribution system reliability. Toward this end, some PNWSGD utilities automated their distribution systems, including the application of fault detection, isolation, and restoration and advanced metering infrastructure. In light of this investment, a major challenge was to establish a correlation between implementation of these smart grid technologies and actual improvements of distribution system reliability. This paper proposes using Welch’smore » t-test to objectively determine and quantify whether distribution system reliability is improving over time. The proposed methodology is generic, and it can be implemented by any utility after calculation of the standard reliability indices. The effectiveness of the proposed hypothesis testing approach is demonstrated through comprehensive practical results. It is believed that wider adoption of the proposed approach can help utilities to evaluate a realistic long-term performance of smart grid technologies.« less

Using smart materials to solve new challenges in the automotive industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gath, Kerrie K.; Maranville, Clay; Tardiff, Janice

2018-03-01

Ford has an extensive history of developing and utilizing smart and innovative materials in its vehicles. In this paper, we present new challenges the automotive industry is facing and explore how intelligent uses of smart materials can help provide solutions. We explore which vehicle attributes may provide most advantageous for the use smart materials, and discuss how smart material have had technical challenges that limit their use. We also look at how smart materials such as gecko inspired adhesion is providing opportunities during the vehicle assembly process by improving manufacturing quality, environmental sustainability, and worker safety. An emerging area for deployment of smart materials may involve autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions, where customer expectations are migrating toward a seamless and adaptive experience leading to new expectations for an enhanced journey. Another area where smart materials are influencing change is interior and exterior design including smart textiles, photochromatic dyes, and thermochromatic materials. The key to advancing smart materials in automotive industry is to capitalize on the smaller niche applications where there will be an advantage over traditional methods. Ford has an extensive history of developing and utilizing smart and innovative materials. Magnetorheological fluids, thermoelectric materials, piezoelectric actuators, and shape memory alloys are all in production. In this paper we present new challenges the automotive industry is facing and explore how intelligent uses of smart materials can help provide solutions. We explore which vehicle attributes may provide most advantageous for the use smart materials, and discuss how smart materials have had technical challenges that limit their use. An emerging area for deployment of smart materials may involve autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions, where customer expectations may require a seamless and adaptive experience for users having various expectations.

Applicability of the SMART Model of Transition Readiness for Sickle-Cell Disease

PubMed Central

Valenzuela, Jessica M.; Crosby, Lori E.; Diaz Pow Sang, Claudia

2016-01-01

Objectives This study aimed to examine the applicability of the Social-ecological Model of Adolescent and Young Adult Readiness to Transition (SMART) model for adolescents and young adults (AYA) with sickle-cell disease (SCD). Methods 14 AYA with SCD (14–24 years old) and 10 clinical experts (6–20 years of experience) completed semi-structured interviews. AYA completed brief questionnaires. Interviews were coded for themes, which were reviewed to determine their fit within the SMART model. Results Overall, most themes were consistent with the model (e.g., sociodemographics/culture, neurocognition/IQ, etc.). Factors related to race/culture, pain management, health-care navigation skills, societal stigma, and lack of awareness about SCD were salient for AYA with SCD. Conclusions Findings suggest the SMART model may be appropriate in SCD with the consideration of disease-related stigma. This study is a step toward developing a disease-specific model of transition readiness for SCD. Future directions include the development of a measure of transition readiness for this population. PMID:26717957

A universal data access and protocol integration mechanism for smart home

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, Pengfei; Yang, Qi; Zhang, Xuan

2013-03-01

With the lack of standardized or completely missing communication interfaces in home electronics, there is no perfect solution to address every aspect in smart homes based on existing protocols and technologies. In addition, the central control unit (CCU) of smart home system working point-to-point between the multiple application interfaces and the underlying hardware interfaces leads to its complicated architecture and unpleasant performance. A flexible data access and protocol integration mechanism is required. The current paper offers a universal, comprehensive data access and protocol integration mechanism for a smart home. The universal mechanism works as a middleware adapter with unified agreements of the communication interfaces and protocols, offers an abstraction of the application level from the hardware specific and decoupling the hardware interface modules from the application level. Further abstraction for the application interfaces and the underlying hardware interfaces are executed based on adaption layer to provide unified interfaces for more flexible user applications and hardware protocol integration. This new universal mechanism fundamentally changes the architecture of the smart home and in some way meets the practical requirement of smart homes more flexible and desirable.

Design of the smart scenic spot service platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Min; Wang, Shi-tai

2015-12-01

With the deepening of the smart city construction, the model "smart+" is rapidly developing. Guilin, the international tourism metropolis fast constructing need smart tourism technology support. This paper studied the smart scenic spot service object and its requirements. And then constructed the smart service platform of the scenic spot application of 3S technology (Geographic Information System (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)) and the Internet of things, cloud computing. Based on Guilin Seven-star Park scenic area as an object, this paper designed the Seven-star smart scenic spot service platform framework. The application of this platform will improve the tourists' visiting experience, make the tourism management more scientifically and standardly, increase tourism enterprises operating earnings.

Characterization on Smart Optics Using Ellipsometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Song, Kyo D.

2002-01-01

Recently, NASA Langley Research Center developed a smart active optical concept to filter narrow band pass or to control optical intensity. To characterize developed smart optics materials, we have measured thickness and reflection properties of the materials using a WVASE32 ellipsometry. This project allowed us to: (1) prepare the smart optical materials for measurement of thickness and optical properties at NASA Langley Research Center; (2) measure thickness and optical properties of the smart optical materials; (3) evaluate the measured properties in terms of applications for narrow band-pass filters. The outcomes of this research provide optical properties and physical properties of the smart optics on a selected spectral range. The applications of this development were used for field-controlled spectral smart filters.

Stereovision Imaging in Smart Mobile Phone Using Add on Prisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bar-Magen Numhauser, Jonathan; Zalevsky, Zeev

2014-03-01

In this work we present the use of a prism-based add on component installed on top of a smart phone to achieve stereovision capabilities using iPhone mobile operating system. Through these components and the combination of the appropriate application programming interface and mathematical algorithms the obtained results will permit the analysis of possible enhancements for new uses to such system, in a variety of areas including medicine and communications.

Smart manufacturing systems for Industry 4.0: Conceptual framework, scenarios, and future perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Pai; wang, Honghui; Sang, Zhiqian; Zhong, Ray Y.; Liu, Yongkui; Liu, Chao; Mubarok, Khamdi; Yu, Shiqiang; Xu, Xun

2018-06-01

Information and communication technology is undergoing rapid development, and many disruptive technologies, such as cloud computing, Internet of Things, big data, and artificial intelligence, have emerged. These technologies are permeating the manufacturing industry and enable the fusion of physical and virtual worlds through cyber-physical systems (CPS), which mark the advent of the fourth stage of industrial production (i.e., Industry 4.0). The widespread application of CPS in manufacturing environments renders manufacturing systems increasingly smart. To advance research on the implementation of Industry 4.0, this study examines smart manufacturing systems for Industry 4.0. First, a conceptual framework of smart manufacturing systems for Industry 4.0 is presented. Second, demonstrative scenarios that pertain to smart design, smart machining, smart control, smart monitoring, and smart scheduling, are presented. Key technologies and their possible applications to Industry 4.0 smart manufacturing systems are reviewed based on these demonstrative scenarios. Finally, challenges and future perspectives are identified and discussed.

ePave: A Self-Powered Wireless Sensor for Smart and Autonomous Pavement.

PubMed

Xiao, Jian; Zou, Xiang; Xu, Wenyao

2017-09-26

"Smart Pavement" is an emerging infrastructure for various on-road applications in transportation and road engineering. However, existing road monitoring solutions demand a certain periodic maintenance effort due to battery life limits in the sensor systems. To this end, we present an end-to-end self-powered wireless sensor-ePave-to facilitate smart and autonomous pavements. The ePave system includes a self-power module, an ultra-low-power sensor system, a wireless transmission module and a built-in power management module. First, we performed an empirical study to characterize the piezoelectric module in order to optimize energy-harvesting efficiency. Second, we developed an integrated sensor system with the optimized energy harvester. An adaptive power knob is designated to adjust the power consumption according to energy budgeting. Finally, we intensively evaluated the ePave system in real-world applications to examine the system's performance and explore the trade-off.

ePave: A Self-Powered Wireless Sensor for Smart and Autonomous Pavement

PubMed Central

Xiao, Jian; Zou, Xiang

2017-01-01

“Smart Pavement” is an emerging infrastructure for various on-road applications in transportation and road engineering. However, existing road monitoring solutions demand a certain periodic maintenance effort due to battery life limits in the sensor systems. To this end, we present an end-to-end self-powered wireless sensor—ePave—to facilitate smart and autonomous pavements. The ePave system includes a self-power module, an ultra-low-power sensor system, a wireless transmission module and a built-in power management module. First, we performed an empirical study to characterize the piezoelectric module in order to optimize energy-harvesting efficiency. Second, we developed an integrated sensor system with the optimized energy harvester. An adaptive power knob is designated to adjust the power consumption according to energy budgeting. Finally, we intensively evaluated the ePave system in real-world applications to examine the system’s performance and explore the trade-off. PMID:28954430

Experimental methods of actuation, characterization and prototyping of hydrogels for bioMEMS/NEMS applications.

PubMed

Khaleque, T; Abu-Salih, S; Saunders, J R; Moussa, W

2011-03-01

As a member of the smart polymer material group, stimuli responsive hydrogels have achieved a wide range of applications in microfluidic devices, micro/nano bio and environmental sensors, biomechanics and drug delivery systems. To optimize the utilization of a hydrogel in various micro and nano applications it is essential to have a better understanding of its mechanical and electrical properties. This paper presents a review of the different techniques used to determine a hydrogel's mechanical properties, including tensile strength, compressive strength and shear modulus and the electrical properties including electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity. Also explored the effect of various prototyping factors and the mechanisms by which these factors are used to alter the mechanical and electrical properties of a hydrogel. Finally, this review discusses a wide range of hydrogel fabrication techniques and methods used, to date, to actuate this family of smart polymer material.

Smart Fabrics Technology Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon, Cory; Potter, Elliott; Potter, Elliott; McCabe, Mary; Baggerman, Clint

2010-01-01

Advances in Smart Fabrics technology are enabling an exciting array of new applications for NASA exploration missions, the biomedical community, and consumer electronics. This report summarizes the findings of a brief investigation into the state of the art and potential applications of smart fabrics to address challenges in human spaceflight.

A Brief Review of the Need for Robust Smart Wireless Sensor Systems for Future Propulsion Systems, Distributed Engine Controls, and Propulsion Health Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W.; Behbahani, Alireza

2012-01-01

Smart Sensor Systems with wireless capability operational in high temperature, harsh environments are a significant component in enabling future propulsion systems to meet a range of increasingly demanding requirements. These propulsion systems must incorporate technology that will monitor engine component conditions, analyze the incoming data, and modify operating parameters to optimize propulsion system operations. This paper discusses the motivation towards the development of high temperature, smart wireless sensor systems that include sensors, electronics, wireless communication, and power. The challenges associated with the use of traditional wired sensor systems will be reviewed and potential advantages of Smart Sensor Systems will be discussed. A brief review of potential applications for wireless smart sensor networks and their potential impact on propulsion system operation, with emphasis on Distributed Engine Control and Propulsion Health Management, will be given. A specific example related to the development of high temperature Smart Sensor Systems based on silicon carbide electronics will be discussed. It is concluded that the development of a range of robust smart wireless sensor systems are a foundation for future development of intelligent propulsion systems with enhanced capabilities.

Towards smart mobility in urban spaces: Bus tracking and information application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yue, Wong Seng; Chye, Koh Keng; Hoy, Cheong Wan

2017-10-01

Smart city can be defined as an urban space with complete and advanced infrastructure, intelligent networks and platforms, with millions of sensors among which people themselves and their mobile devices. Urban mobility is one of the global smart city project which offers traffic management in real-time, management of passenger transport means, tracking applications and logistics, car sharing services, car park management and more smart mobility services. Due to the frustrated waiting time for the arrival of buses and the difficulty of accessing shuttle bus-related information in a one-stop centre, bus tracking and information application (BTA) is one the proposed solutions to solve the traffic problems in urban spaces. This paper is aimed to design and develop a bus tracking and information application in a selected city in Selangor state, Malaysia. Next, this application also provides an alternative to design public transport tracking and information application for the urban places in Malaysia. Furthermore, the application also provides a smart solution for the management of public infrastructures and urban facilities in Malaysia in future.

34 CFR 668.58 - Interim disbursements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., ACG, National SMART Grant, or campus-based program funds to the applicant; (ii) Employ the applicant..., ACG, National SMART Grant, or campus-based funds; or (ii)(A) May make one disbursement of any combination of Federal Pell Grant, ACG, National SMART Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, or FSEOG funds for the...

34 CFR 668.58 - Interim disbursements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., ACG, National SMART Grant, or campus-based program funds to the applicant; (ii) Employ the applicant..., ACG, National SMART Grant, or campus-based funds; or (ii)(A) May make one disbursement of any combination of Federal Pell Grant, ACG, National SMART Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, or FSEOG funds for the...

Recent progress in the growth and applications of graphene as a smart material: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aissa, Brahim; Memon, Nasir; Ali, Adnan; Khraisheh, Marwan

2015-09-01

Innovative breakthroughs in fundamental research and industrial applications of graphene material have made its mass and low-cost production a necessary step toward its real world applications. This one-atom thick crystal of carbon, gathers a set of unique physico-chemical properties, ranging from its extreme mechanical behavior to its exceptional electrical and thermal conductivities, which are making graphene as a serious alternative to replace many conventional materials for various applications. In this review paper, we highlight the most important experimental results on the synthesis of graphene material, its emerging properties with reference to its smart applications. We discuss the possibility to successfully integrating graphene directly into device, enabling thereby the realization of a wide range of applications, including actuation, photovoltaic, thermoelectricity, shape memory, self-healing, electrorheology and space missions. The future outlook of graphene is also considered and discussed.

Modules to enhance smart lighting education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bunch, Robert M.; Joenathan, Charles; Connor, Kenneth; Chouikha, Mohamed

2012-10-01

Over the past several years there has been a rapid advancement in solid state lighting applications brought on by the development of high efficiency light emitting diodes. Development of lighting devices, systems and products that meet the demands of the future lighting marketplace requires workers from many disciplines including engineers, scientists, designers and architects. The National Science Foundation has recognized this fact and established the Smart Lighting Engineering Research Center that promotes research leading to smart lighting systems, partners with industry to enhance innovation and educates a diverse, world-class workforce. The lead institution is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with core partners Boston University and The University of New Mexico. Outreach partners include Howard University, Morgan State University, and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Because of the multidisciplinary nature of advanced smart lighting systems workers often have little or no formal education in basic optics, lighting and illumination. This paper describes the initial stages of the development of self-contained and universally applicable educational modules that target essential optics topics needed for lighting applications. The modules are intended to be easily incorporated into new and existing courses by a variety of educators and/or to be used in a series of stand-alone, asynchronous training exercises by new graduate students. The ultimate goal of this effort is to produce resources such as video lectures, video presentations of students-teaching-students, classroom activities, assessment tools, student research projects and laboratories integrated into learning modules. Sample modules and resources will be highlighted. Other outreach activities such as plans for coursework, undergraduate research, design projects, and high school enrichment programs will be discussed.

Reduction of peak energy demand based on smart appliances energy consumption adjustment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powroźnik, P.; Szulim, R.

2017-08-01

In the paper the concept of elastic model of energy management for smart grid and micro smart grid is presented. For the proposed model a method for reducing peak demand in micro smart grid has been defined. The idea of peak demand reduction in elastic model of energy management is to introduce a balance between demand and supply of current power for the given Micro Smart Grid in the given moment. The results of the simulations studies were presented. They were carried out on real household data available on UCI Machine Learning Repository. The results may have practical application in the smart grid networks, where there is a need for smart appliances energy consumption adjustment. The article presents a proposal to implement the elastic model of energy management as the cloud computing solution. This approach of peak demand reduction might have application particularly in a large smart grid.

The Use of Smart phones in Ophthalmology.

PubMed

Zvornicanin, Edita; Zvornicanin, Jasmin; Hadziefendic, Bahrudin

2014-06-01

Smart phones are being increasingly used among health professionals. Ophthalmological applications are widely available and can turn smart phones into sophisticated medical devices. Smart phones can be useful instruments for the practice of evidence-based medicine, professional education, mobile clinical communication, patient education, disease self-management, remote patient monitoring or as powerful administrative tools. Several applications are available for different ophthalmological examinations that can assess visual acuity, color vision, astigmatism, pupil size, Amsler grid test and more. Smart phones can be useful ophthalmic devices for taking images of anterior and posterior eye segment. Professional literature and educational material for patients are easily available with use of smart phones. Smart phones can store great amount of informations and are useful for long term monitoring with caution for patient confidentiality. The use of smart phones especially as diagnostic tools is not standardized and results should be carefully considered. Innovative role of smartphone technology and its use in research, education and information sharing makes smart phones a future of ophthalmology and medicine.

Cellulose-Based Smart Fluids under Applied Electric Fields

PubMed Central

Choi, Kisuk; Gao, Chun Yan; Nam, Jae Do

2017-01-01

Cellulose particles, their derivatives and composites have special environmentally benign features and are abundant in nature with their various applications. This review paper introduces the essential properties of several types of cellulose and their derivatives obtained from various source materials, and their use in electro-responsive electrorheological (ER) suspensions, which are smart fluid systems that are actively responsive under applied electric fields, while, at zero electric field, ER fluids retain a liquid-like state. Given the actively controllable characteristics of cellulose-based smart ER fluids under an applied electric field regarding their rheological and dielectric properties, they can potentially be applied for various industrial devices including dampers and haptic devices. PMID:28891966

Prevention of Information Leakage by Photo-Coupling in Smart Card

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Sung-Shiou; Chiu, Jung-Hui

Advances in smart card technology encourages smart card use in more sensitive applications, such as storing important information and securing application. Smart cards are however vulnerable to side channel attacks. Power consumption and electromagnetic radiation of the smart card can leak information about the secret data protected by the smart card. Our paper describes two possible hardware countermeasures that protect against side channel information leakage. We show that power analysis can be prevented by adopting photo-coupling techniques. This method involves the use of LED with photovoltaic cells and photo-couplers on the power, reset, I/O and clock lines of the smart card. This method reduces the risk of internal data bus leakage on the external data lines. Moreover, we also discuss the effectiveness of reducing electromagnetic radiation by using embedded metal plates.

Smart textiles: a new drug delivery system for symptomatic treatment of a common cold.

PubMed

Wienforth, F; Landrock, A; Schindler, C; Siegert, J; Kirch, W

2007-05-01

Smart textiles provide the possibility of being coated with cineole, menthol, and camphor. Due to over-the-counter availability, ethereal oils are frequently used to treat a common cold. The existing pharmaceutical forms entail the risk of oral ingestion by children, which can cause severe intoxications. This risk could be limited by a smart textile application. Prior to applicability tests in children, the principal traceability of smart textile-applied ethereal oils at their site of action in the alveoli has to be demonstrated. Therefore, a crossover trial (ointment vs smart textiles) with 6 healthy volunteers was carried out as a proof-of-concept study. As a result, the principle proof is given that smart textile-applied ethereal oils are available at their site of action. Because of the volatility of the active ingredients, a close-fitting textile form has to be developed for further clinical development of smart textiles to achieve higher concentrations in the alveoli. Slower liberation properties and a more convenient skin sensation in comparison to available pharmaceutical forms may provide advantages for the applicability in both children and adults.

Description and availability of the SMARTS spectral model for photovoltaic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myers, Daryl R.; Gueymard, Christian A.

2004-11-01

Limited spectral response range of photocoltaic (PV) devices requires device performance be characterized with respect to widely varying terrestrial solar spectra. The FORTRAN code "Simple Model for Atmospheric Transmission of Sunshine" (SMARTS) was developed for various clear-sky solar renewable energy applications. The model is partly based on parameterizations of transmittance functions in the MODTRAN/LOWTRAN band model family of radiative transfer codes. SMARTS computes spectra with a resolution of 0.5 nanometers (nm) below 400 nm, 1.0 nm from 400 nm to 1700 nm, and 5 nm from 1700 nm to 4000 nm. Fewer than 20 input parameters are required to compute spectral irradiance distributions including spectral direct beam, total, and diffuse hemispherical radiation, and up to 30 other spectral parameters. A spreadsheet-based graphical user interface can be used to simplify the construction of input files for the model. The model is the basis for new terrestrial reference spectra developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) for photovoltaic and materials degradation applications. We describe the model accuracy, functionality, and the availability of source and executable code. Applications to PV rating and efficiency and the combined effects of spectral selectivity and varying atmospheric conditions are briefly discussed.

Stimulus-responsive liposomes as smart nanoplatforms for drug delivery applications.

PubMed

Zangabad, Parham Sahandi; Mirkiani, Soroush; Shahsavari, Shayan; Masoudi, Behrad; Masroor, Maryam; Hamed, Hamid; Jafari, Zahra; Taghipour, Yasamin Davatgaran; Hashemi, Hura; Karimi, Mahdi; Hamblin, Michael R

2018-02-01

Liposomes are known to be promising nanoparticles (NPs) for drug delivery applications. Among different types of self-assembled NPs, liposomes stand out for their non-toxic nature, and their possession of dual hydrophilic-hydrophobic domains. Advantages of liposomes include the ability to solubilize hydrophobic drugs, the ability to incorporate different hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs at the same time, lessening the exposure of host organs to potentially toxic drugs and allowing modification of the surface by a variety of different chemical groups. This modification of the surface, or of the individual constituents, may be used to achieve two important goals. Firstly, ligands for active targeting can be attached that are recognized by cognate receptors over-expressed on the target cells of tissues. Secondly, modification can be used to impart a stimulus-responsive or "smart" character to the liposomes, whereby the cargo is released on demand only when certain internal stimuli (pH, reducing agents, specific enzymes) or external stimuli (light, magnetic field or ultrasound) are present. Here, we review the field of smart liposomes for drug delivery applications.

TOPICAL REVIEW: Smart aggregates: multi-functional sensors for concrete structures—a tutorial and a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Gangbing; Gu, Haichang; Mo, Yi-Lung

2008-06-01

This paper summarizes the authors' recent pioneering research work in piezoceramic-based smart aggregates and their innovative applications in concrete civil structures. The basic operating principle of smart aggregates is first introduced. The proposed smart aggregate is formed by embedding a waterproof piezoelectric patch with lead wires into a small concrete block. The proposed smart aggregates are multi-functional and can perform three major tasks: early-age concrete strength monitoring, impact detection and structural health monitoring. The proposed smart aggregates are embedded into the desired location before the casting of the concrete structure. The concrete strength development is monitored by observing the high frequency harmonic wave response of the smart aggregate. Impact on the concrete structure is detected by observing the open-circuit voltage of the piezoceramic patch in the smart aggregate. For structural health monitoring purposes, a smart aggregate-based active sensing system is designed for the concrete structure. Wavelet packet analysis is used as a signal-processing tool to analyze the sensor signal. A damage index based on the wavelet packet analysis is used to determine the structural health status. To better describe the time-history and location information of damage, two types of damage index matrices are proposed: a sensor-history damage index matrix and an actuator-sensor damage index matrix. To demonstrate the multi-functionality of the proposed smart aggregates, different types of concrete structures have been used as test objects, including concrete bridge bent-caps, concrete cylinders and a concrete frame. Experimental results have verified the effectiveness and the multi-functionality of the proposed smart aggregates. The multi-functional smart aggregates have the potential to be applied to the comprehensive monitoring of concrete structures from their earliest stages and throughout their lifetime.

Open Smart Energy Gateway (OpenSEG)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

The Open Smart Energy Gateway (OpenSEG) aims to provide near-real time smart meter data to consumers without the delays or latencies associated with it being transported to the utility data center and then back to the consumer's application. To do this, the gateway queries the local Smart Meter to which it is bound to get energy consumption information at pre-defined intervals (minimum interval is 4 seconds). OpenSEG then stores the resulting data internally for retrieval by an external application.

The Role of Ambulatory Assessment in Psychological Science.

PubMed

Trull, Timothy J; Ebner-Priemer, Ulrich

2014-12-01

We describe the current use and future promise of an innovative methodology, ambulatory assessment (AA), that can be used to investigate psychological, emotional, behavioral, and biological processes of individuals in their daily life. The term AA encompasses a wide range of methods used to study people in their natural environment, including momentary self-report, observational, and physiological. We emphasize applications of AA that integrate two or more of these methods, discuss the smart phone as a hub or access point for AA, and discuss future applications of AA methodology to the science of psychology. We pay particular attention to the development and application of Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) that can be implemented with smart phones and wireless physiological monitoring devices, and we close by discussing future applications of this approach to matters relevant to psychological science.

Park Smart

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

The Parking Garage Automation System (PGAS) is based on a technology developed by a NASA-sponsored project called Robot sensorSkin(TM). Merritt Systems, Inc., of Orlando, Florida, teamed up with NASA to improve robots working with critical flight hardware at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The system, containing smart sensor modules and flexible printed circuit board skin, help robots to steer clear of obstacles using a proximity sensing system. Advancements in the sensor designs are being applied to various commercial applications, including the PGAS. The system includes a smartSensor(TM) network installed around and within public parking garages to autonomously guide motorists to open facilities, and once within, to free parking spaces. The sensors use non-invasive reflective-ultrasonic technology for high accuracy, high reliability, and low maintenance. The system is remotely programmable: it can be tuned to site-specific requirements, has variable range capability, and allows remote configuration, monitoring, and diagnostics. The sensors are immune to interference from metallic construction materials, such as rebar and steel beams. Inside the garage, smart routing signs mounted overhead or on poles in front of each row of parking spots guide the motorist precisely to free spaces.

Research on the framework and key technologies of panoramic visualization for smart distribution network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Jian; Sheng, Wanxing; Lin, Tao; Lv, Guangxian

2018-05-01

Nowadays, the smart distribution network has made tremendous progress, and the business visualization becomes even more significant and indispensable. Based on the summarization of traditional visualization technologies and demands of smart distribution network, a panoramic visualization application is proposed in this paper. The overall architecture, integrated architecture and service architecture of panoramic visualization application is firstly presented. Then, the architecture design and main functions of panoramic visualization system are elaborated in depth. In addition, the key technologies related to the application is discussed briefly. At last, two typical visualization scenarios in smart distribution network, which are risk warning and fault self-healing, proves that the panoramic visualization application is valuable for the operation and maintenance of the distribution network.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lundstrom, Blake; Chakraborty, Sudipta; Lauss, Georg

This paper presents a concise description of state-of-the-art real-time simulation-based testing methods and demonstrates how they can be used independently and/or in combination as an integrated development and validation approach for smart grid DERs and systems. A three-part case study demonstrating the application of this integrated approach at the different stages of development and validation of a system-integrated smart photovoltaic (PV) inverter is also presented. Laboratory testing results and perspectives from two international research laboratories are included in the case study.

Processable Data Making in the Remote Server Sent by Android Phone as a GIS Data Collecting Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karaagac, Abdullah; Bostancı, Bulent

2016-04-01

Mobile technologies are improving and getting cheaper everyday. Not only smart phones are improved much but also new types of mobile applications and sensors come with the smart phone together. Maps and navigation applications one of the most popular types of applications on these types. Most of these applications uses location services including GNSS, Wi Fi, cellular data and beacon services. Although these coordinate precision not very high, it is appropriate for many applications to utilize. Android is a mobile operating system based on Linux Kernel. It is compatible for varies mobile devices like smart phones, tablets, smart TV's, wearable technologies etc. Android has large capability for application development by using the open source libraries and device sensors like gyroscope, GNSS etc. Android Studio is the most popular integrated development environment (IDE) for Android devices, mainly developing by Google. It had been announced on May 16, 2013 at Google I/O conference. Android Studio is built upon Gradle architecture which is written in Java language. SQLite is a relational database operating system which has so common usage for mobile devices. It developed by using C programming library. It is mostly used via embedding into a software or application. It supports many operating systems including Android. Remote servers can be in several forms from high complexity to simplicity. For this project we will use a open source quad core board computer named Raspberry Pi 2. This device includes 900 MHz ARMv7 compatible quad core CPU, VideoCore IV GPU and 1 GB RAM. Although Raspberry Pi 2's main operating system is Raspbian, we use Debian which are both Linux based operating systems. Raspberry is compatible for many programming language, however some languages are optimized for this device. These are Python, Java, C, C++, Ruby, Perl and Squeak Smalltalk. In this paper, a mobile application will be developed to send coordinate and string data to a SQL database embedded to a remote server. The application will run on Android Operating System running mobile phone. The application will get the location information from the GNSS and cellular data. The user will enter the other information individually. These information will send by clicking a button to remote server which runs SQLite. All these informations will be convertible to any type of measure like type of coordinates could be converted from WGS 84 to ITRF.

Applications of smart materials in structural engineering.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-10-01

With the development of materials and technology, many new materials find their applications in civil engineering to deal with the deteriorating infrastructure. Smart material is a promising example that deserves a wide focus, from research to applic...

Taking Orders from Light: Photo-Switchable Working/Inactive Smart Surfaces for Protein and Cell Adhesion.

PubMed

Zhang, Junji; Ma, Wenjing; He, Xiao-Peng; Tian, He

2017-03-15

Photoresponsive smart surfaces are promising candidates for a variety of applications in optoelectronics and sensing devices. The use of light as an order signal provides advantages of remote and noninvasive control with high temporal and spatial resolutions. Modification of the photoswitches with target biomacromolecules, such as peptides, DNA, and small molecules including folic acid derivatives and sugars, has recently become a popular strategy to empower the smart surfaces with an improved detection efficiency and specificity. Herein, we report the construction of photoswitchable self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) based on sugar (galactose/mannose)-decorated azobenzene derivatives and determine their photoswitchable, selective protein/cell adhesion performances via electrochemistry. Under alternate UV/vis irradiation, interconvertible high/low recognition and binding affinity toward selective lectins (proteins that recognize sugars) and cells that highly express sugar receptors are achieved. Furthermore, the cis-SAMs with a low binding affinity toward selective proteins and cells also exhibit minimal response toward unselective protein and cell samples, which offers the possibility in avoiding unwanted contamination and consumption of probes prior to functioning for practical applications. Besides, the electrochemical technique used facilitates the development of portable devices based on the smart surfaces for on-demand disease diagnosis.

Towards smart environments using smart objects.

PubMed

Sedlmayr, Martin; Prokosch, Hans-Ulrich; Münch, Ulli

2011-01-01

Barcodes, RFID, WLAN, Bluetooth and many more technologies are used in hospitals. They are the technological bases for different applications such as patient monitoring, asset management and facility management. However, most of these applications exist side by side with hardly any integration and even interoperability is not guaranteed. Introducing the concept of smart objects inspired by the Internet of Things can improve the situation by separating the capabilities and functions of an object from the implementing technology such as RFID or WLAN. By aligning technological and business developments smart objects have the power to transform a hospital from an agglomeration of technologies into a smart environment.

Review of current status of smart structures and integrated systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chopra, Inderjit

1996-05-01

A smart structure involves distributed actuators and sensors, and one or more microprocessors that analyze the responses from the sensors and use distributed-parameter control theory to command the actuators to apply localized strains to minimize system response. A smart structure has the capability to respond to a changing external environment (such as loads or shape change) as well as to a changing internal environment (such as damage or failure). It incorporates smart actuators that allow the alteration of system characteristics (such as stiffness or damping) as well as of system response (such as strain or shape) in a controlled manner. Many types of actuators and sensors are being considered, such as piezoelectric materials, shape memory alloys, electrostrictive materials, magnetostrictive materials, electro- rheological fluids and fiber optics. These can be integrated with main load-carrying structures by surface bonding or embedding without causing any significant changes in the mass or structural stiffness of the system. Numerous applications of smart structures technology to various physical systems are evolving to actively control vibration, noise, aeroelastic stability, damping, shape and stress distribution. Applications range from space systems, fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, automotive, civil structures and machine tools. Much of the early development of smart structures methodology was driven by space applications such as vibration and shape control of large flexible space structures, but now wider applications are envisaged for aeronautical and other systems. Embedded or surface-bonded smart actuators on an airplane wing or helicopter blade will induce alteration of twist/camber of airfoil (shape change), that in turn will cause variation of lift distribution and may help to control static and dynamic aeroelastic problems. Applications of smart structures technology to aerospace and other systems are expanding rapidly. Major barriers are: actuator stroke, reliable data base of smart material characteristics, non-availability of robust distributed parameter control strategies, and non-existent mathematical modeling of smart systems. The objective of this paper is to review the state-of-the-art of smart actuators and sensors and integrated systems and point out the needs for future research.

Smart Grid Communications System Blueprint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, Adrian; Pavlovski, Chris

2010-10-01

Telecommunications operators are well versed in deploying 2G and 3G wireless networks. These networks presently support the mobile business user and/or retail consumer wishing to place conventional voice calls and data connections. The electrical power industry has recently commenced transformation of its distribution networks by deploying smart monitoring and control devices throughout their networks. This evolution of the network into a `smart grid' has also motivated the need to deploy wireless technologies that bridge the communication gap between the smart devices and information technology systems. The requirements of these networks differ from traditional wireless networks that communications operators have deployed, which have thus far forced energy companies to consider deploying their own wireless networks. We present our experience in deploying wireless networks to support the smart grid and highlight the key properties of these networks. These characteristics include application awareness, support for large numbers of simultaneous cell connections, high service coverage and prioritized routing of data. We also outline our target blueprint architecture that may be useful to the industry in building wireless and fixed networks to support the smart grid. By observing our experiences, telecommunications operators and equipment manufacturers will be able to augment their current networks and products in a way that accommodates the needs of the emerging industry of smart grids and intelligent electrical networks.

A Review of Patents for the Smart Packaging of Meat and Muscle-based Food Products.

PubMed

Holman, Benjamin; Kerry, Joseph P; Hopkins, David L

2017-10-31

Meat packaging once acted primarily as an inert barrier to protect its contents against contamination and this function has shifted. Packaging now includes complementary functions that improve product quality, longevity and customer/retail appeal. The devices and methods applied to achieve these functions may be categorised as smart packaging, which includes intelligent packaging, devised to monitor and communicate packaged content status, and active packaging, to provide passive adjustment of in-pack conditions from its interactions with the packaged meat. Smart packaging examples already available from recent patents include antimicrobial and antioxidant packaging coatings and inserts; sensors or indicators that identify spoilage and freshness; functional engineering customisations; improvements to packaging integrity; leak or tamper detectors; and, environmentally sustainable options. Together, these inventions respond to industry and customer demands for meat packaging and are therefore the focus of this review, in which we discuss their applications and limitations in meat packaging. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

TiO2 nanotube platforms for smart drug delivery: a review

PubMed Central

Wang, Qun; Huang, Jian-Ying; Li, Hua-Qiong; Chen, Zhong; Zhao, Allan Zi-Jian; Wang, Yi; Zhang, Ke-Qin; Sun, Hong-Tao; Al-Deyab, Salem S; Lai, Yue-Kun

2016-01-01

Titania nanotube (TNT) arrays are recognized as promising materials for localized drug delivery implants because of their excellent properties and facile preparation process. This review highlights the concept of localized drug delivery systems based on TNTs, considering their outstanding biocompatibility in a series of ex vivo and in vivo studies. Considering the safety of TNT implants in the host body, studies of the biocompatibility present significant importance for the clinical application of TNT implants. Toward smart TNT platforms for sustainable drug delivery, several advanced approaches were presented in this review, including controlled release triggered by temperature, light, radiofrequency magnetism, and ultrasonic stimulation. Moreover, TNT implants used in medical therapy have been demonstrated by various examples including dentistry, orthopedic implants, cardiovascular stents, and so on. Finally, a future perspective of TNTs for clinical applications is provided. PMID:27703349

TiO2 nanotube platforms for smart drug delivery: a review.

PubMed

Wang, Qun; Huang, Jian-Ying; Li, Hua-Qiong; Chen, Zhong; Zhao, Allan Zi-Jian; Wang, Yi; Zhang, Ke-Qin; Sun, Hong-Tao; Al-Deyab, Salem S; Lai, Yue-Kun

Titania nanotube (TNT) arrays are recognized as promising materials for localized drug delivery implants because of their excellent properties and facile preparation process. This review highlights the concept of localized drug delivery systems based on TNTs, considering their outstanding biocompatibility in a series of ex vivo and in vivo studies. Considering the safety of TNT implants in the host body, studies of the biocompatibility present significant importance for the clinical application of TNT implants. Toward smart TNT platforms for sustainable drug delivery, several advanced approaches were presented in this review, including controlled release triggered by temperature, light, radiofrequency magnetism, and ultrasonic stimulation. Moreover, TNT implants used in medical therapy have been demonstrated by various examples including dentistry, orthopedic implants, cardiovascular stents, and so on. Finally, a future perspective of TNTs for clinical applications is provided.

Tangible interactive system for document browsing and visualisation of multimedia data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rytsar, Yuriy; Voloshynovskiy, Sviatoslav; Koval, Oleksiy; Deguillaume, Frederic; Topak, Emre; Startchik, Sergei; Pun, Thierry

2006-01-01

In this paper we introduce and develop a framework for document interactive navigation in multimodal databases. First, we analyze the main open issues of existing multimodal interfaces and then discuss two applications that include interaction with documents in several human environments, i.e., the so-called smart rooms. Second, we propose a system set-up dedicated to the efficient navigation in the printed documents. This set-up is based on the fusion of data from several modalities that include images and text. Both modalities can be used as cover data for hidden indexes using data-hiding technologies as well as source data for robust visual hashing. The particularities of the proposed robust visual hashing are described in the paper. Finally, we address two practical applications of smart rooms for tourism and education and demonstrate the advantages of the proposed solution.

An Analysis of Security and Privacy Issues in Smart Grid Software Architectures on Clouds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Simmhan, Yogesh; Kumbhare, Alok; Cao, Baohua

2011-07-09

Power utilities globally are increasingly upgrading to Smart Grids that use bi-directional communication with the consumer to enable an information-driven approach to distributed energy management. Clouds offer features well suited for Smart Grid software platforms and applications, such as elastic resources and shared services. However, the security and privacy concerns inherent in an information rich Smart Grid environment are further exacerbated by their deployment on Clouds. Here, we present an analysis of security and privacy issues in a Smart Grids software architecture operating on different Cloud environments, in the form of a taxonomy. We use the Los Angeles Smart Gridmore » Project that is underway in the largest U.S. municipal utility to drive this analysis that will benefit both Cloud practitioners targeting Smart Grid applications, and Cloud researchers investigating security and privacy.« less

A first experience with a Smart bus for improving public transportation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tostado, R.; Rovirosa, A.; Velázquez, J. L.; Castillo, E.; Cervantes, O.

2017-09-01

An alternative to optimize transportation services in the city of Puebla is presented. Main problems tackled to provide advanced transport applications in a Smart City, are described and some available solutions in other countries are analyzed. As a case of study, the challenges for designing and developing a mobile application oriented to users of the buses provided by Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP) are presented. Users include students, as well as faculty members and administrative employees. The application provides an innovative way of tracking, in real time, movements of the UDLAP transportation buses through the city of Puebla in Mexico. Modeling and technical implementation solved problems are presented and future steps for extending those services to the city of Puebla are also suggested.

Design of smart sensing components for volcano monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Xu, M.; Song, W.-Z.; Huang, R.; Peng, Y.; Shirazi, B.; LaHusen, R.; Kiely, A.; Peterson, N.; Ma, A.; Anusuya-Rangappa, L.; Miceli, M.; McBride, D.

2009-01-01

In a volcano monitoring application, various geophysical and geochemical sensors generate continuous high-fidelity data, and there is a compelling need for real-time raw data for volcano eruption prediction research. It requires the network to support network synchronized sampling, online configurable sensing and situation awareness, which pose significant challenges on sensing component design. Ideally, the resource usages shall be driven by the environment and node situations, and the data quality is optimized under resource constraints. In this paper, we present our smart sensing component design, including hybrid time synchronization, configurable sensing, and situation awareness. Both design details and evaluation results are presented to show their efficiency. Although the presented design is for a volcano monitoring application, its design philosophy and framework can also apply to other similar applications and platforms. ?? 2009 Elsevier B.V.

Smart cards: a specific application in the hospital.

PubMed

Güler, I; Zengin, R M; Sönmez, M

1998-12-01

Computers have the ability to process and access tremendous amounts of information in our daily lives. But, now, individuals have this ability by carrying a smart card in their own wallets. These cards provide us the versatility, power, and security of computers. This study begins with a short description of smart cards and their advantages. Then, an electronic circuit that is designed for healthcare application in hospitals is introduced. This circuit functions as a smart card holder identifier, access controller for hospital doors and also can be used as a smart card reader/writer. Design steps of this electronic circuit, operation principles, serial communication with P.C., and the software are examined. Finally a complete access control network for hospital doors that functions with smart cards is discussed.

Developing upconversion nanoparticle-based smart substrates for remote temperature sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coker, Zachary; Marble, Kassie; Alkahtani, Masfer; Hemmer, Philip; Yakovlev, Vladislav V.

2018-02-01

Recent developments in understanding of nanomaterial behaviors and synthesis have led to their application across a wide range of commercial and scientific applications. Recent investigations span from applications in nanomedicine and the development of novel drug delivery systems to nanoelectronics and biosensors. In this study, we propose the application of a newly engineered temperature sensitive water-based bio-compatible core/shell up-conversion nanoparticle (UCNP) in the development of a smart substrate for remote temperature sensing. We developed this smart substrate by dispersing functionalized nanoparticles into a polymer solution and then spin-coating the solution onto one side of a microscope slide to form a thin film substrate layer of evenly dispersed nanoparticles. By using spin-coating to deposit the particle solution we both create a uniform surface for the substrate while simultaneously avoid undesired particle agglomeration. Through this investigation, we have determined the sensitivity and capabilities of this smart substrate and conclude that further development can lead to a greater range of applications for this type smart substrate and use in remote temperature sensing in conjunction with other microscopy and spectroscopy investigations.

Cloud-based robot remote control system for smart factory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Zhiming; Li, Lianzhong; Xu, Yang; Zhai, Jingmei

2015-12-01

With the development of internet technologies and the wide application of robots, there is a prospect (trend/tendency) of integration between network and robots. A cloud-based robot remote control system over networks for smart factory is proposed, which enables remote users to control robots and then realize intelligent production. To achieve it, a three-layer system architecture is designed including user layer, service layer and physical layer. Remote control applications running on the cloud server is developed on Microsoft Azure. Moreover, DIV+ CSS technologies are used to design human-machine interface to lower maintenance cost and improve development efficiency. Finally, an experiment is implemented to verify the feasibility of the program.

Novel techniques for a wireless motion capture system for the monitoring and rehabilitation of disabled persons for application in smart buildings.

PubMed

Banach, Marzena; Wasilewska, Agnieszka; Dlugosz, Rafal; Pauk, Jolanta

2018-05-18

Due to the problem of aging societies, there is a need for smart buildings to monitor and support people with various disabilities, including rheumatoid arthritis. The aim of this paper is to elaborate on novel techniques for wireless motion capture systems for the monitoring and rehabilitation of disabled people for application in smart buildings. The proposed techniques are based on cross-verification of distance measurements between markers and transponders in an environment with highly variable parameters. To their verification, algorithms that enable comprehensive investigation of a system with different numbers of transponders and varying ambient parameters (temperature and noise) were developed. In the estimation of the real positions of markers, various linear and nonlinear filters were used. Several thousand tests were carried out for various system parameters and different marker locations. The results show that localization error may be reduced by as much as 90%. It was observed that repetition of measurement reduces localization error by as much as one order of magnitude. The proposed system, based on wireless techniques, offers a high commercial potential. However, it requires extensive cooperation between teams, including hardware and software design, system modelling, and architectural design.

Educating next-generation civil engineers about smart structures technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yunfeng

2005-05-01

The implementation of smart structures technology in the design, construction and maintenance of civil and mechanical systems have been shown beneficial to the performance enhancement, operating efficiency and reliability of structural systems. However, most of today's engineering students are unaware of the remarkable properties of smart sensors and many applications of smart structures technology. It is thus desirable to prepare the future engineers of the society for the cutting-edge technologies in smart structures, for which they may see broad application in their generation. Pioneering work in incorporating smart structures technologies into civil engineering curriculum has been done by the writer at Lehigh University and is described in this paper. In particular, a graduate-level course entitled "Smart Structural Systems" has been taught in the Spring Semester of Year 2004 at Lehigh University. To better convey the course material to students, a smart structures test-bed, which is used not only to showcase various technological aspects of a smart structural system but also offer students an opportunity to gain hands-on experience by doing experiments has been under development at Lehigh University. The hands-on experience that could be developed with the smart structures test-bed is believed being essential for students to have a good understanding and mastering of the smart structures technologies.

Semantically optiMize the dAta seRvice operaTion (SMART) system for better data discovery and access

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, C.; Huang, T.; Armstrong, E. M.; Moroni, D. F.; Liu, K.; Gui, Z.

2013-12-01

Abstract: We present a Semantically optiMize the dAta seRvice operaTion (SMART) system for better data discovery and access across the NASA data systems, Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) Clearinghouse and Data.gov to facilitate scientists to select Earth observation data that fit better their needs in four aspects: 1. Integrating and interfacing the SMART system to include the functionality of a) semantic reasoning based on Jena, an open source semantic reasoning engine, b) semantic similarity calculation, c) recommendation based on spatiotemporal, semantic, and user workflow patterns, and d) ranking results based on similarity between search terms and data ontology. 2. Collaborating with data user communities to a) capture science data ontology and record relevant ontology triple stores, b) analyze and mine user search and download patterns, c) integrate SMART into metadata-centric discovery system for community-wide usage and feedback, and d) customizing data discovery, search and access user interface to include the ranked results, recommendation components, and semantic based navigations. 3. Laying the groundwork to interface the SMART system with other data search and discovery systems as an open source data search and discovery solution. The SMART systems leverages NASA, GEO, FGDC data discovery, search and access for the Earth science community by enabling scientists to readily discover and access data appropriate to their endeavors, increasing the efficiency of data exploration and decreasing the time that scientists must spend on searching, downloading, and processing the datasets most applicable to their research. By incorporating the SMART system, it is a likely aim that the time being devoted to discovering the most applicable dataset will be substantially reduced, thereby reducing the number of user inquiries and likewise reducing the time and resources expended by a data center in addressing user inquiries. Keywords: EarthCube; ECHO, DAACs, GeoPlatform; Geospatial Cyberinfrastructure References: 1. Yang, P., Evans, J., Cole, M., Alameh, N., Marley, S., & Bambacus, M., (2007). The Emerging Concepts and Applications of the Spatial Web Portal. Photogrammetry Engineering &Remote Sensing,73(6):691-698. 2. Zhang, C, Zhao, T. and W. Li. (2010). The Framework of a Geospatial Semantic Web based Spatial Decision Support System for Digital Earth. International Journal of Digital Earth. 3(2):111-134. 3. Yang C., Raskin R., Goodchild M.F., Gahegan M., 2010, Geospatial Cyberinfrastructure: Past, Present and Future,Computers, Environment, and Urban Systems, 34(4):264-277. 4. Liu K., Yang C., Li W., Gui Z., Xu C., Xia J., 2013. Using ontology and similarity calculations to rank Earth science data searching results, International Journal of Geospatial Information Applications. (in press)

Engineering the smart factory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrison, Robert; Vera, Daniel; Ahmad, Bilal

2016-10-01

The fourth industrial revolution promises to create what has been called the smart factory. The vision is that within such modular structured smart factories, cyber-physical systems monitor physical processes, create a virtual copy of the physical world and make decentralised decisions. This paper provides a view of this initiative from an automation systems perspective. In this context it considers how future automation systems might be effectively configured and supported through their lifecycles and how integration, application modelling, visualisation and reuse of such systems might be best achieved. The paper briefly describes limitations in current engineering methods, and new emerging approaches including the cyber physical systems (CPS) engineering tools being developed by the automation systems group (ASG) at Warwick Manufacturing Group, University of Warwick, UK.

A state-of-the-art assessment of active structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

A state-of-the-art assessment of active structures with emphasis towards the applications in aeronautics and space is presented. It is felt that since this technology area is growing at such a rapid pace in many different disciplines, it is not feasible to cover all of the current research but only the relevant work as relates to aeronautics and space. Research in smart actuation materials, smart sensors, and control of smart/intelligent structures is covered. In smart actuation materials, piezoelectric, magnetostrictive, shape memory, electrorheological, and electrostrictive materials are covered. For sensory materials, fiber optics, dielectric loss, and piezoelectric sensors are examined. Applications of embedded sensors and smart sensors are discussed.

Smart micro/nanoparticles in stimulus-responsive drug/gene delivery systems.

PubMed

Karimi, Mahdi; Ghasemi, Amir; Sahandi Zangabad, Parham; Rahighi, Reza; Moosavi Basri, S Masoud; Mirshekari, H; Amiri, M; Shafaei Pishabad, Z; Aslani, A; Bozorgomid, M; Ghosh, D; Beyzavi, A; Vaseghi, A; Aref, A R; Haghani, L; Bahrami, S; Hamblin, Michael R

2016-03-07

New achievements in the realm of nanoscience and innovative techniques of nanomedicine have moved micro/nanoparticles (MNPs) to the point of becoming actually useful for practical applications in the near future. Various differences between the extracellular and intracellular environments of cancerous and normal cells and the particular characteristics of tumors such as physicochemical properties, neovasculature, elasticity, surface electrical charge, and pH have motivated the design and fabrication of inventive "smart" MNPs for stimulus-responsive controlled drug release. These novel MNPs can be tailored to be responsive to pH variations, redox potential, enzymatic activation, thermal gradients, magnetic fields, light, and ultrasound (US), or can even be responsive to dual or multi-combinations of different stimuli. This unparalleled capability has increased their importance as site-specific controlled drug delivery systems (DDSs) and has encouraged their rapid development in recent years. An in-depth understanding of the underlying mechanisms of these DDS approaches is expected to further contribute to this groundbreaking field of nanomedicine. Smart nanocarriers in the form of MNPs that can be triggered by internal or external stimulus are summarized and discussed in the present review, including pH-sensitive peptides and polymers, redox-responsive micelles and nanogels, thermo- or magnetic-responsive nanoparticles (NPs), mechanical- or electrical-responsive MNPs, light or ultrasound-sensitive particles, and multi-responsive MNPs including dual stimuli-sensitive nanosheets of graphene. This review highlights the recent advances of smart MNPs categorized according to their activation stimulus (physical, chemical, or biological) and looks forward to future pharmaceutical applications.

78 FR 32701 - Hours of Service of Drivers: Trailways Companies Application for Exemption

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-31

...., Greyhound, SMART Transportation Division, Teamsters Local 118, and United Motorcoach Association all... include the following information: a. Date of the accident, b. City or town, and State, in which the...

Single-arm trial of the second version of an acceptance & commitment therapy smartphone application for smoking cessation.

PubMed

Bricker, Jonathan B; Copeland, Wade; Mull, Kristin E; Zeng, Emily Y; Watson, Noreen L; Akioka, Katrina J; Heffner, Jaimee L

2017-01-01

The first randomized trial of a smartphone application (app) for adult smoking cessation (SmartQuit 1.0) revealed key features that predict cessation. These findings guided the revision of this Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based application (SmartQuit 2.0), which was primarily tested to examine participant receptivity, short-term cessation and reduction, and the relationship between program completion, smoking cessation and reduction. Secondarily, outcomes were descriptively compared with the SmartQuit1.0 trial. Adult participants (78% female, 25% with high school or less education, 30% unemployed) were recruited into the single-arm pilot trial (N=99) of SmartQuit 2.0 with a two-month follow-up (85% retention). Regarding receptivity, 84% of participants were satisfied with SmartQuit 2.0 (vs. 59% for SmartQuit1.0), 73% would recommend it to a friend (vs. 48% for SmartQuit1.0), 81% found the ACT exercises useful for quitting (vs. 44% for SmartQuit1.0). At the 2-month follow-up, the quit rates were 21% for 7-day point prevalence (vs. 23% for SmartQuit1.0), 11% for 30-day point prevalence (vs. 13% for SmartQuit1.0), and 75% of participants reduced their smoking frequency (vs. 57% for SmartQuit1.0). Among program completers (24% of total sample), the quit rates were 33% for 7-day point prevalence, 28% for 30-day point prevalence, and 88% of participants reduced their smoking frequency. The revised app had high user receptivity, modest quit rates, and high smoking reduction rates. Program completion may be key to boosting the app's effectiveness. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Smart-Pixel Array Processors Based on Optimal Cellular Neural Networks for Space Sensor Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fang, Wai-Chi; Sheu, Bing J.; Venus, Holger; Sandau, Rainer

1997-01-01

A smart-pixel cellular neural network (CNN) with hardware annealing capability, digitally programmable synaptic weights, and multisensor parallel interface has been under development for advanced space sensor applications. The smart-pixel CNN architecture is a programmable multi-dimensional array of optoelectronic neurons which are locally connected with their local neurons and associated active-pixel sensors. Integration of the neuroprocessor in each processor node of a scalable multiprocessor system offers orders-of-magnitude computing performance enhancements for on-board real-time intelligent multisensor processing and control tasks of advanced small satellites. The smart-pixel CNN operation theory, architecture, design and implementation, and system applications are investigated in detail. The VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) implementation feasibility was illustrated by a prototype smart-pixel 5x5 neuroprocessor array chip of active dimensions 1380 micron x 746 micron in a 2-micron CMOS technology.

Smart fabrics: integrating fiber optic sensors and information networks.

PubMed

El-Sherif, Mahmoud

2004-01-01

"Smart Fabrics" are defined as fabrics capable of monitoring their own "health", and sensing environmental conditions. They consist of special type of sensors, signal processing, and communication network embedded into textile substrate. Available conventional sensors and networking systems are not fully technologically mature for such applications. New classes of miniature sensors, signal processing and networking systems are urgently needed for such application. Also, the methodology for integration into textile structures has to be developed. In this paper, the development of smart fabrics with embedded fiber optic systems is presented for applications in health monitoring and diagnostics. Successful development of such smart fabrics with embedded sensors and networks is mainly dependent on the development of the proper miniature sensors technology, and on the integration of these sensors into textile structures. The developed smart fabrics will be discussed and samples of the results will be presented.

Application of smart optical fiber sensors for structural load monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, Heddwyn; Everall, Lorna A.; Gallon, Andrew M.

2001-06-01

This paper describes a smart monitoring system, incorporating optical fiber sensing techniques, capable of providing important structural information to designers and users alike. This technology has wide industrial and commercial application in areas including aerospace, civil, maritime and automotive engineering. In order to demonstrate the capability of the sensing system it has been installed in a 35m free-standing carbon fiber yacht mast, where a complete optical network of strain and temperature sensors were embedded into a composite mast and boom during lay-up. The system was able to monitor the behavior of the composite rig through a range of handling conditions. The resulting strain information can be used by engineers to improve the structural design process. Embedded fiber optic sensors have wide ranging application for structural load monitoring. Due to their small size, optical fiber sensors can be readily embedded into composite materials. Other advantages include their immediate multiplexing capability and immunity to electro-magnetic interference. The capability of this system has been demonstrated within the maritime and industrial environment, but can be adapted for any application.

On a simulation study for reliable and secured smart grid communications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mallapuram, Sriharsha; Moulema, Paul; Yu, Wei

2015-05-01

Demand response is one of key smart grid applications that aims to reduce power generation at peak hours and maintain a balance between supply and demand. With the support of communication networks, energy consumers can become active actors in the energy management process by adjusting or rescheduling their electricity usage during peak hours based on utilities pricing incentives. Nonetheless, the integration of communication networks expose the smart grid to cyber-attacks. In this paper, we developed a smart grid simulation test-bed and designed evaluation scenarios. By leveraging the capabilities of Matlab and ns-3 simulation tools, we conducted a simulation study to evaluate the impact of cyber-attacks on demand response application. Our data shows that cyber-attacks could seriously disrupt smart grid operations, thus confirming the need of secure and resilient communication networks for supporting smart grid operations.

A Novel Secure IoT-Based Smart Home Automation System Using a Wireless Sensor Network.

PubMed

Pirbhulal, Sandeep; Zhang, Heye; E Alahi, Md Eshrat; Ghayvat, Hemant; Mukhopadhyay, Subhas Chandra; Zhang, Yuan-Ting; Wu, Wanqing

2016-12-30

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) provide noteworthy benefits over traditional approaches for several applications, including smart homes, healthcare, environmental monitoring, and homeland security. WSNs are integrated with the Internet Protocol (IP) to develop the Internet of Things (IoT) for connecting everyday life objects to the internet. Hence, major challenges of WSNs include: (i) how to efficiently utilize small size and low-power nodes to implement security during data transmission among several sensor nodes; (ii) how to resolve security issues associated with the harsh and complex environmental conditions during data transmission over a long coverage range. In this study, a secure IoT-based smart home automation system was developed. To facilitate energy-efficient data encryption, a method namely Triangle Based Security Algorithm (TBSA) based on efficient key generation mechanism was proposed. The proposed TBSA in integration of the low power Wi-Fi were included in WSNs with the Internet to develop a novel IoT-based smart home which could provide secure data transmission among several associated sensor nodes in the network over a long converge range. The developed IoT based system has outstanding performance by fulfilling all the necessary security requirements. The experimental results showed that the proposed TBSA algorithm consumed less energy in comparison with some existing methods.

A Novel Secure IoT-Based Smart Home Automation System Using a Wireless Sensor Network

PubMed Central

Pirbhulal, Sandeep; Zhang, Heye; E Alahi, Md Eshrat; Ghayvat, Hemant; Mukhopadhyay, Subhas Chandra; Zhang, Yuan-Ting; Wu, Wanqing

2016-01-01

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) provide noteworthy benefits over traditional approaches for several applications, including smart homes, healthcare, environmental monitoring, and homeland security. WSNs are integrated with the Internet Protocol (IP) to develop the Internet of Things (IoT) for connecting everyday life objects to the internet. Hence, major challenges of WSNs include: (i) how to efficiently utilize small size and low-power nodes to implement security during data transmission among several sensor nodes; (ii) how to resolve security issues associated with the harsh and complex environmental conditions during data transmission over a long coverage range. In this study, a secure IoT-based smart home automation system was developed. To facilitate energy-efficient data encryption, a method namely Triangle Based Security Algorithm (TBSA) based on efficient key generation mechanism was proposed. The proposed TBSA in integration of the low power Wi-Fi were included in WSNs with the Internet to develop a novel IoT-based smart home which could provide secure data transmission among several associated sensor nodes in the network over a long converge range. The developed IoT based system has outstanding performance by fulfilling all the necessary security requirements. The experimental results showed that the proposed TBSA algorithm consumed less energy in comparison with some existing methods. PMID:28042831

Measuring level of friendliness of smart city: a perceptual study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sani Roychansyah, Muhammad; Felasari, Sushardjanti

2018-03-01

Currently the concept of smart city comes not only at the level of discussion, but some cities have stepped in the stage of implementation. Many of promised benefits will be met for the needs of urban residents if the city applies this concept. Conversely, many professionals and scholars are still in doubt about readiness of a city in the application of this concept. Dimension of friendliness of the real city certainly will have some limitations in a smart city that relies more on interactions with information and communication technology (ICT). This new paradigm becomes background of this paper in viewing the friendliness dimension of a smart city based on city residents’ perceptions. This paper uses case of 2 cities that have different level of readiness in the application of smart city. They are Yogyakarta City and Magelang City, both are located in Central Java. The method applied in this paper is quantitative method based on perceptual answer of respondents structured in a Likert Scale. Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) is then used to look at the attributes of smart city’s dimension which will show the relationship of the level of city friendliness and the level of city readiness in an application of smart city. The result briefly shows that the level of city sensitivity in the application of smart city is very influential in viewing the friendliness of the city. The city that is better equipped to meet the needs of its population according to the dimensions of the smart city based on its existing characteristics has higher friendliness. Time period of applying a smart city concept as the City of Yogyakarta has done longer before Magelang City, is not a guarantee that the city then has a better level of friendliness. The urban citizens have appropriate affective aspect to articulate between what they need and what the city has provided.

Smart material platforms for miniaturized devices: implications in disease models and diagnostics.

PubMed

Verma, Ritika; Adhikary, Rishi Rajat; Banerjee, Rinti

2016-05-24

Smart materials are responsive to multiple stimuli like light, temperature, pH and redox reactions with specific changes in state. Various functionalities in miniaturised devices can be achieved through the application of "smart materials" that respond to changes in their surroundings. The change in state of the materials in the presence of a stimulus may be used for on demand alteration of flow patterns in devices, acting as microvalves, as scaffolds for cellular aggregation or as modalities for signal amplification. In this review, we discuss the concepts of smart trigger responsive materials and their applications in miniaturized devices both for organ-on-a-chip disease models and for point-of-care diagnostics. The emphasis is on leveraging the smartness of these materials for example, to allow on demand sample actuation, ion dependent spheroid models for cancer or light dependent contractility of muscle films for organ-on-a-chip applications. The review throws light on the current status, scope for technological enhancements, challenges for translation and future prospects of increased incorporation of smart materials as integral parts of miniaturized devices.

Development and evaluation of a novel smart device-based application for burn assessment and management.

PubMed

Godwin, Zachary; Tan, James; Bockhold, Jennifer; Ma, Jason; Tran, Nam K

2015-06-01

We have developed a novel software application that provides a simple and interactive Lund-Browder diagram for automatic calculation of total body surface area (TBSA) burned, fluid formula recommendations, and serial wound photography on a smart device platform. The software was developed for the iPad (Apple, Cupertino, CA) smart device platforms. Ten burns ranging from 5 to 95% TBSA were computer generated on a patient care simulator using Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Adobe, San Jose, CA). Burn clinicians calculated the TBSA first using a paper-based Lund-Browder diagram. Following a one-week "washout period", the same clinicians calculated TBSA using the smart device application. Simulated burns were presented in a random fashion and clinicians were timed. Percent TBSA burned calculated by Peregrine vs. the paper-based Lund-Browder were similar (29.53 [25.57] vs. 28.99 [25.01], p=0.22, n=7). On average, Peregrine allowed users to calculate burn size significantly faster than the paper form (58.18 [31.46] vs. 90.22 [60.60]s, p<0.001, n=7). The smart device application also provided 5 megapixel photography capabilities, and acute burn resuscitation fluid calculator. We developed an innovative smart device application that enables accurate and rapid burn size assessment to be cost-effective and widely accessible. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

An Open Architecture to Support Social and Health Services in a Smart TV Environment.

PubMed

Costa, Carlos Rivas; Anido-Rifon, Luis E; Fernandez-Iglesias, Manuel J

2017-03-01

To design, implement, and test a solution to provide social and health services for the elderly at home based on smart TV technologies and access to all services. The architecture proposed is based on an open software platform and standard personal computing hardware. This provides great flexibility to develop new applications over the underlying infrastructure or to integrate new devices, for instance to monitor a broad range of vital signs in those cases where home monitoring is required. An actual system as a proof-of-concept was designed, implemented, and deployed. Applications range from social network clients to vital signs monitoring; from interactive TV contests to conventional online care applications such as medication reminders or telemedicine. In both cases, the results have been very positive, confirming the initial perception of the TV as a convenient, easy-to-use technology to provide social and health care. The TV set is a much more familiar computing interface for most senior users, and as a consequence, smart TVs become a most convenient solution for the design and implementation of applications and services targeted to this user group. This proposal has been tested in real setting with 62 senior people at their homes. Users included both individuals with experience using computers and others reluctant to them.

Cultural Heritage in Smart City Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angelidou, M.; Karachaliou, E.; Angelidou, T.; Stylianidis, E.

2017-08-01

This paper investigates how the historical and cultural heritage of cities is and can be underpinned by means of smart city tools, solutions and applications. Smart cities stand for a conceptual technology-and-innovation driven urban development model. By becoming `smart', cities seek to achieve prosperity, effectiveness and competitiveness on multiple socio-economic levels. Although cultural heritage is one of the many issues addressed by existing smart city strategies, and despite the documented bilateral benefits, our research about the positioning of urban cultural heritage within three smart city strategies (Barcelona, Amsterdam, and London) reveals fragmented approaches. Our findings suggest that the objective of cultural heritage promotion is not substantially addressed in the investigated smart city strategies. Nevertheless, we observe that cultural heritage management can be incorporated in several different strategic areas of the smart city, reflecting different lines of thinking and serving an array of goals, depending on the case. We conclude that although potential applications and approaches abound, cultural heritage currently stands for a mostly unexploited asset, presenting multiple integration opportunities within smart city contexts. We prompt for further research into bridging the two disciplines and exploiting a variety of use cases with the purpose of enriching the current knowledge base at the intersection of cultural heritage and smart cities.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kuruganti, Phani Teja

The smart grid is a combined process of revitalizing the traditional power grid applications and introducing new applications to improve the efficiency of power generation, transmission and distribution. This can be achieved by leveraging advanced communication and networking technologies. Therefore the selection of the appropriate communication technology for different smart grid applications has been debated a lot in the recent past. After comparing different possible technologies, a recent research study has arrived at a conclusion that the 3G cellular technology is the right choice for distribution side smart grid applications like smart metering, advanced distribution automation and demand response managementmore » system. In this paper, we argue that the current 3G/4G cellular technologies are not an appropriate choice for smart grid distribution applications and propose a Hybrid Spread Spectrum (HSS) based Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) as one of the alternatives to 3G/4G technologies. We present a preliminary PHY and MAC layer design of a HSS based AMI network and evaluate their performance using matlab and NS2 simulations. Also, we propose a time hierarchical scheme that can significantly reduce the volume of random access traffic generated during blackouts and the delay in power outage reporting.« less

Urban Automation Networks: Current and Emerging Solutions for Sensed Data Collection and Actuation in Smart Cities.

PubMed

Gomez, Carles; Paradells, Josep

2015-09-10

Urban Automation Networks (UANs) are being deployed worldwide in order to enable Smart City applications. Given the crucial role of UANs, as well as their diversity, it is critically important to assess their properties and trade-offs. This article introduces the requirements and challenges for UANs, characterizes the main current and emerging UAN paradigms, provides guidelines for their design and/or choice, and comparatively examines their performance in terms of a variety of parameters including coverage, power consumption, latency, standardization status and economic cost.

[Smart therapeutics based on synthetic gene circuits].

PubMed

Peng, Shuguang; Xie, Zhen

2017-03-25

Synthetic biology has an important impact on biology research since its birth. Applying the thought and methods that reference from electrical engineering, synthetic biology uncovers many regulatory mechanisms of life systems, transforms and expands a series of biological components. Therefore, it brings a wide range of biomedical applications, including providing new ideas for disease diagnosis and treatment. This review describes the latest advances in the field of disease diagnosis and therapy based on mammalian cell or bacterial synthetic gene circuits, and provides new ideas for future smart therapy design.

Urban Automation Networks: Current and Emerging Solutions for Sensed Data Collection and Actuation in Smart Cities

PubMed Central

Gomez, Carles; Paradells, Josep

2015-01-01

Urban Automation Networks (UANs) are being deployed worldwide in order to enable Smart City applications. Given the crucial role of UANs, as well as their diversity, it is critically important to assess their properties and trade-offs. This article introduces the requirements and challenges for UANs, characterizes the main current and emerging UAN paradigms, provides guidelines for their design and/or choice, and comparatively examines their performance in terms of a variety of parameters including coverage, power consumption, latency, standardization status and economic cost. PMID:26378534

Health care transformation through collaboration on open-source informatics projects: integrating a medical applications platform, research data repository, and patient summarization.

PubMed

Klann, Jeffrey G; McCoy, Allison B; Wright, Adam; Wattanasin, Nich; Sittig, Dean F; Murphy, Shawn N

2013-05-30

The Strategic Health IT Advanced Research Projects (SHARP) program seeks to conquer well-understood challenges in medical informatics through breakthrough research. Two SHARP centers have found alignment in their methodological needs: (1) members of the National Center for Cognitive Informatics and Decision-making (NCCD) have developed knowledge bases to support problem-oriented summarizations of patient data, and (2) Substitutable Medical Apps, Reusable Technologies (SMART), which is a platform for reusable medical apps that can run on participating platforms connected to various electronic health records (EHR). Combining the work of these two centers will ensure wide dissemination of new methods for synthesized views of patient data. Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside (i2b2) is an NIH-funded clinical research data repository platform in use at over 100 sites worldwide. By also working with a co-occurring initiative to SMART-enabling i2b2, we can confidently write one app that can be used extremely broadly. Our goal was to facilitate development of intuitive, problem-oriented views of the patient record using NCCD knowledge bases that would run in any EHR. To do this, we developed a collaboration between the two SHARPs and an NIH center, i2b2. First, we implemented collaborative tools to connect researchers at three institutions. Next, we developed a patient summarization app using the SMART platform and a previously validated NCCD problem-medication linkage knowledge base derived from the National Drug File-Reference Terminology (NDF-RT). Finally, to SMART-enable i2b2, we implemented two new Web service "cells" that expose the SMART application programming interface (API), and we made changes to the Web interface of i2b2 to host a "carousel" of SMART apps. We deployed our SMART-based, NDF-RT-derived patient summarization app in this SMART-i2b2 container. It displays a problem-oriented view of medications and presents a line-graph display of laboratory results. This summarization app can be run in any EHR environment that either supports SMART or runs SMART-enabled i2b2. This i2b2 "clinical bridge" demonstrates a pathway for reusable app development that does not require EHR vendors to immediately adopt the SMART API. Apps can be developed in SMART and run by clinicians in the i2b2 repository, reusing clinical data extracted from EHRs. This may encourage the adoption of SMART by supporting SMART app development until EHRs adopt the platform. It also allows a new variety of clinical SMART apps, fueled by the broad aggregation of data types available in research repositories. The app (including its knowledge base) and SMART-i2b2 are open-source and freely available for download.

Design and development of a smart knee pain relief pad based on vibration and alternate heating and cooling treatments.

PubMed

Priya, L; Krishnan, V; Vignesh, V; Ajeesh, R P

2018-03-28

Knee pain is one of the main health issue faced by different people in the different parts of the world. Over one fourth of the people above the age of fifty suffer from knee pain. Though there are several physiotherapy treatments for treating knee pain they are not self-applicable and those which are self-applicable by the patient are not highly efficient. This paper deals with an approach towards the use of combining two effective physiotherapy treatments which includes vibrations at acupressure points on knee and alternate heating and cooling treatments. These treatments are controlled using a smart phone in which the user can choose their setting depending on intensity and places of pain. The knee pad controlled using the smart phone serves as a self-applicable and effective knee pain treatment especially for the elderly. Heating and cooling combination therapy will be a suitable alternative for treatment of musculoskeletal diseases, decrease muscle spasms, muscular pain/tension and also increase the speed of nerve conduction, thus improving range of motion. This methodology also helps to relief the sinusitis pain, chronic low back pain and muscular sprain in athletes.

Heterogeneous Wireless Networks for Smart Grid Distribution Systems: Advantages and Limitations.

PubMed

Khalifa, Tarek; Abdrabou, Atef; Shaban, Khaled; Gaouda, A M

2018-05-11

Supporting a conventional power grid with advanced communication capabilities is a cornerstone to transferring it to a smart grid. A reliable communication infrastructure with a high throughput can lay the foundation towards the ultimate objective of a fully automated power grid with self-healing capabilities. In order to realize this objective, the communication infrastructure of a power distribution network needs to be extended to cover all substations including medium/low voltage ones. This shall enable information exchange among substations for a variety of system automation purposes with a low latency that suits time critical applications. This paper proposes the integration of two heterogeneous wireless technologies (such as WiFi and cellular 3G/4G) to provide reliable and fast communication among primary and secondary distribution substations. This integration allows the transmission of different data packets (not packet replicas) over two radio interfaces, making these interfaces act like a one data pipe. Thus, the paper investigates the applicability and effectiveness of employing heterogeneous wireless networks (HWNs) in achieving the desired reliability and timeliness requirements of future smart grids. We study the performance of HWNs in a realistic scenario under different data transfer loads and packet loss ratios. Our findings reveal that HWNs can be a viable data transfer option for smart grids.

Heterogeneous Wireless Networks for Smart Grid Distribution Systems: Advantages and Limitations

PubMed Central

Khalifa, Tarek; Abdrabou, Atef; Gaouda, A. M.

2018-01-01

Supporting a conventional power grid with advanced communication capabilities is a cornerstone to transferring it to a smart grid. A reliable communication infrastructure with a high throughput can lay the foundation towards the ultimate objective of a fully automated power grid with self-healing capabilities. In order to realize this objective, the communication infrastructure of a power distribution network needs to be extended to cover all substations including medium/low voltage ones. This shall enable information exchange among substations for a variety of system automation purposes with a low latency that suits time critical applications. This paper proposes the integration of two heterogeneous wireless technologies (such as WiFi and cellular 3G/4G) to provide reliable and fast communication among primary and secondary distribution substations. This integration allows the transmission of different data packets (not packet replicas) over two radio interfaces, making these interfaces act like a one data pipe. Thus, the paper investigates the applicability and effectiveness of employing heterogeneous wireless networks (HWNs) in achieving the desired reliability and timeliness requirements of future smart grids. We study the performance of HWNs in a realistic scenario under different data transfer loads and packet loss ratios. Our findings reveal that HWNs can be a viable data transfer option for smart grids. PMID:29751633

The application of autostereoscopic display in smart home system based on mobile devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yongjun; Ling, Zhi

2015-03-01

Smart home is a system to control home devices which are more and more popular in our daily life. Mobile intelligent terminals based on smart homes have been developed, make remote controlling and monitoring possible with smartphones or tablets. On the other hand, 3D stereo display technology developed rapidly in recent years. Therefore, a iPad-based smart home system adopts autostereoscopic display as the control interface is proposed to improve the userfriendliness of using experiences. In consideration of iPad's limited hardware capabilities, we introduced a 3D image synthesizing method based on parallel processing with Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) implemented it with OpenGL ES Application Programming Interface (API) library on IOS platforms for real-time autostereoscopic displaying. Compared to the traditional smart home system, the proposed system applied autostereoscopic display into smart home system's control interface enhanced the reality, user-friendliness and visual comfort of interface.

Diagnostic Inaccuracy of Smart Phone Applications for Melanoma Detection

PubMed Central

Wolf, Joel; Moreau, Jacqui; Akilov, Oleg; Patton, Timothy; English, Joseph C; Ho, Jon; Ferris, Laura Korb

2013-01-01

Objective To measure the performance of smart phone applications which evaluate photographs of skin lesions and provide the user feedback as to their likelihood of malignancy. Design Case-control diagnostic accuracy study Setting Academic dermatology department Participants Digital clinical images of pigmented cutaneous lesions (60 melanoma cases and 128 benign lesion controls), all with histologic diagnosis rendered by a board-certified dermatopathologist, obtained prior to biopsy in patients undergoing lesion removal as part of routine care. Main Outcome Measures Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of four smart phone applications designed to aid non-clinician users in determining if their skin lesion is benign or malignant. Results Sensitivity of the four tested applications ranged from 6.8% to 98.1%. Specificity ranged from 30.4% to 93.7%. Positive predictive value ranged from 33.3% to 42.1%, and negative predictive value ranged from 65.4% to 97.0%. The highest sensitivity for melanoma diagnosis was observed for an application that sends the image directly to a board-certified dermatologist for analysis and the lowest sensitivity was observed for applications that use automated algorithms to analyze images. Conclusions The performance of smart phone applications in assessing melanoma risk is highly variable, and 3 out of 4 smart phone applications incorrectly classified 30% or more of melanomas as unconcerning. Reliance on these applications, which are not subject to regulatory oversight, in lieu of medical consultation, has the potential to delay the diagnosis of melanoma and to harm users. PMID:23325302

Combining Sense and Intelligence for Smart Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

IFOS developed the I*Sense technology with assistance from a NASA Langley Research Center SBIR contract. NASA and IFOS collaborated to create sensing network designs that have high sensitivity, low power consumption, and significant potential for mass production. The joint- research effort led to the development of a module that is rugged, compact and light-weight, and immune to electromagnetic interference. These features make the I*Sense multisensor arrays favorable for smart structure applications, including smart buildings, bridges, highways, dams, power plants, ships, and oil tankers, as well as space vehicles, space stations, and other space structures. For instance, the system can be used as an early warning and detection device, with alarms being set to monitor the maximum allowable strain and stress values at various points of a given structure.

Textile fibers coated with carbon nanotubes for smart clothing applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lepak, Sandra; Lalek, Bartłomiej; Janczak, Daniel; Dybowska-Sarapuk, Łucja; Krzemiński, Jakub; Jakubowska, Małgorzata; Łekawa-Raus, Agnieszka

2017-08-01

Carbon nanomaterials: graphene, fullerenes and in particular carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are extremely interesting and extraordinary materials. It is mostly thanks to theirs unusual electrical and mechanical properties. Carbon nanotubes are increasingly examined to enable its usage in many fields of science and technology. It has been reported that there is a high possibility to use CNTs in electronics, optics, material engineering, biology or medicine. However, this material still interests and inspire scientists around the world and the list of different CNTs applications is constantly expanding. In this paper we are presenting a study on the possibility of application carbon nanotubes as a textile fiber coating for smart clothing applications. Various suspensions and pastes containing CNTs have been prepared as a possible coating onto textile fibers. Different application techniques have also been tested. Those techniques included painting with nanotube suspension, spray coating of suspensions and immersion. Following textile fibers were subject to tests: cotton, silk, polyester, polyamide and wool. Obtained composites materials were then characterized electrically by measuring the electrical resistance.

Bioresponsive materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Yue; Aimetti, Alex A.; Langer, Robert; Gu, Zhen

2017-01-01

'Smart' bioresponsive materials that are sensitive to biological signals or to pathological abnormalities, and interact with or are actuated by them, are appealing therapeutic platforms for the development of next-generation precision medications. Armed with a better understanding of various biologically responsive mechanisms, researchers have made innovations in the areas of materials chemistry, biomolecular engineering, pharmaceutical science, and micro- and nanofabrication to develop bioresponsive materials for a range of applications, including controlled drug delivery, diagnostics, tissue engineering and biomedical devices. This Review highlights recent advances in the design of smart materials capable of responding to the physiological environment, to biomarkers and to biological particulates. Key design principles, challenges and future directions, including clinical translation, of bioresponsive materials are also discussed.

Towards Knowledge Management for Smart Manufacturing.

PubMed

Feng, Shaw C; Bernstein, William Z; Hedberg, Thomas; Feeney, Allison Barnard

2017-09-01

The need for capturing knowledge in the digital form in design, process planning, production, and inspection has increasingly become an issue in manufacturing industries as the variety and complexity of product lifecycle applications increase. Both knowledge and data need to be well managed for quality assurance, lifecycle-impact assessment, and design improvement. Some technical barriers exist today that inhibit industry from fully utilizing design, planning, processing, and inspection knowledge. The primary barrier is a lack of a well-accepted mechanism that enables users to integrate data and knowledge. This paper prescribes knowledge management to address a lack of mechanisms for integrating, sharing, and updating domain-specific knowledge in smart manufacturing. Aspects of the knowledge constructs include conceptual design, detailed design, process planning, material property, production, and inspection. The main contribution of this paper is to provide a methodology on what knowledge manufacturing organizations access, update, and archive in the context of smart manufacturing. The case study in this paper provides some example knowledge objects to enable smart manufacturing.

Internet messenger based smart virtual class learning using ubiquitous computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umam, K.; Mardi, S. N. S.; Hariadi, M.

2017-06-01

Internet messenger (IM) has become an important educational technology component in college education, IM makes it possible for students to engage in learning and collaborating at smart virtual class learning (SVCL) using ubiquitous computing. However, the model of IM-based smart virtual class learning using ubiquitous computing and empirical evidence that would favor a broad application to improve engagement and behavior are still limited. In addition, the expectation that IM based SVCL using ubiquitous computing could improve engagement and behavior on smart class cannot be confirmed because the majority of the reviewed studies followed instructions paradigms. This article aims to present the model of IM-based SVCL using ubiquitous computing and showing learners’ experiences in improved engagement and behavior for learner-learner and learner-lecturer interactions. The method applied in this paper includes design process and quantitative analysis techniques, with the purpose of identifying scenarios of ubiquitous computing and realize the impressions of learners and lecturers about engagement and behavior aspect and its contribution to learning

``Smart'' Surfaces of Polymer Brushes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qiang; Meng, Dong

2009-03-01

``Smart'' surfaces, also known as stimuli-responsive surfaces, can change their properties (e.g., wettability, adhesion, friction, elasticity, and biocompatibility) in response to external stimuli (e.g., temperature, pressure, light, solvent selectivity, ionic strength, type of salt, pH, applied electric field, etc.). In this work, we use numerical self-consistent field calculations to study in detail the structure and stimuli- responses of various polymer brushes, including (1) the thermo- response of PNIPAM brushes in water, (2) solvent-response of uncharged diblock copolymer brushes, and (3) the stimuli- response of charged two-component polymer brushes (including both the binary A/B brushes and diblock copolymer A-B brushes) to ionic strength, pH, and applied electric field. Among the many design parameters (e.g., chain lengths, grafting densities, A-B incompatibility, degree of ionization of charged polymers, etc.) we identify those that strongly affect the surface switchability. Such knowledge is useful to the experimental design of these smart polymer brushes for their applications.

Recent enhancements to and applications of the SmartBrick structural health monitoring platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunasekaran, A.; Cross, S.; Patel, N.; Sedigh, S.

2012-04-01

The SmartBrick network is an autonomous and wireless solution for structural health monitoring of civil infrastructures. The base station is currently in its third generation and has been laboratory- and field-tested in the United States and Italy. The second generation of the sensor nodes has been laboratory-tested as of publication. In this paper, we present recent enhancements made to hardware and software of the SmartBrick platform. Salient improvements described include the development of a new base station with fully-integrated long-range GSM (cellular) and short-range ZigBee communication. The major software improvement described in this paper is migration to the ZigBee PRO stack, which was carried out in the interest of interoperability. To broaden the application of the platform to critical environments that require survivability and fault tolerance, we have striven to achieve compliance with military standards in the areas of hardware, software, and communication. We describe these efforts and present a survey of the military standards investigated. Also described is instrumentation of a three-span experimental bridge in Washington County, Missouri; with the SmartBrick platform. The sensors, whose output is conditioned and multiplexed; include strain gauges, thermocouples, push potentiometers, and three-axis inclinometers. Data collected is stored on site and reported over the cellular network. Real-time alerts are generated if any monitored parameter falls outside its acceptable range. Redundant sensing and communication provide reliability and facilitate corroboration of the data collected. A web interface is used to issue remote configuration commands and to facilitate access to and visualization of the data collected.

SMART Layer and SMART Suitcase for structural health monitoring applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Mark; Qing, Xinlin; Kumar, Amrita; Beard, Shawn J.

2001-06-01

Knowledge of integrity of in-service structures can greatly enhance their safety and reliability and lower structural maintenance cost. Current practices limit the extent of real-time knowledge that can be obtained from structures during inspection, are labor-intensive and thereby increase life-cycle costs. Utilization of distributed sensors integrated with the structure is a viable and cost-effective means of monitoring the structure and reducing inspection costs. Acellent Technologies is developing a novel system for actively and passively interrogating the health of a structure through an integrated network of sensors and actuators. Acellent's system comprises of SMART Layers, SMART Suitcase and diagnostic software. The patented SMART Layer is a thin dielectric film with an embedded network of distributed piezoelectric actuators/sensors that can be surface-mounted on metallic structures or embedded inside composite structures. The SMART Suitcase is a portable diagnostic unit designed with multiple sensor/actuator channels to interface with the SMART Layer, generate diagnostic signals from actuators and record measurements from the embedded sensors. With appropriate diagnostic software, Acellent's system can be used for monitoring structural condition and for detecting damage while the structures are in service. This paper enumerates on the SMART Layer and SMART Suitcase and their applicability to composite and metal structures.

SMART: The Future of Spaceflight Avionics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alhorn, Dean C.; Howard, David E.

2010-01-01

A novel avionics approach is necessary to meet the future needs of low cost space and lunar missions that require low mass and low power electronics. The current state of the art for avionics systems are centralized electronic units that perform the required spacecraft functions. These electronic units are usually custom-designed for each application and the approach compels avionics designers to have in-depth system knowledge before design can commence. The overall design, development, test and evaluation (DDT&E) cycle for this conventional approach requires long delivery times for space flight electronics and is very expensive. The Small Multi-purpose Advanced Reconfigurable Technology (SMART) concept is currently being developed to overcome the limitations of traditional avionics design. The SMART concept is based upon two multi-functional modules that can be reconfigured to drive and sense a variety of mechanical and electrical components. The SMART units are key to a distributed avionics architecture whereby the modules are located close to or right at the desired application point. The drive module, SMART-D, receives commands from the main computer and controls the spacecraft mechanisms and devices with localized feedback. The sensor module, SMART-S, is used to sense the environmental sensors and offload local limit checking from the main computer. There are numerous benefits that are realized by implementing the SMART system. Localized sensor signal conditioning electronics reduces signal loss and overall wiring mass. Localized drive electronics increase control bandwidth and minimize time lags for critical functions. These benefits in-turn reduce the main processor overhead functions. Since SMART units are standard flight qualified units, DDT&E is reduced and system design can commence much earlier in the design cycle. Increased production scale lowers individual piece part cost and using standard modules also reduces non-recurring costs. The benefit list continues, but the overall message is already evident: the SMART concept is an evolution in spacecraft avionics. SMART devices have the potential to change the design paradigm for future satellites, spacecraft and even commercial applications.

Smart textiles.

PubMed

Van Langenhove, Lieva; Hertleer, Carla; Catrysse, Michael; Puers, Robert; Van Egmond, Harko; Matthijs, Dirk

2004-01-01

After technical textiles and functional textiles, also smart textiles came into force a few years ago. The term 'smart textiles' covers a broad range. The application possibilities are only limited by our imagination and creativity. In this presentation, it is further explored what smart textiles precisely mean. In a second part, an analysis is made of the possibilities, the state of affairs and the needs for further research.

A Review of Rock Bolt Monitoring Using Smart Sensors.

PubMed

Song, Gangbing; Li, Weijie; Wang, Bo; Ho, Siu Chun Michael

2017-04-05

Rock bolts have been widely used as rock reinforcing members in underground coal mine roadways and tunnels. Failures of rock bolts occur as a result of overloading, corrosion, seismic burst and bad grouting, leading to catastrophic economic and personnel losses. Monitoring the health condition of the rock bolts plays an important role in ensuring the safe operation of underground mines. This work presents a brief introduction on the types of rock bolts followed by a comprehensive review of rock bolt monitoring using smart sensors. Smart sensors that are used to assess rock bolt integrity are reviewed to provide a firm perception of the application of smart sensors for enhanced performance and reliability of rock bolts. The most widely used smart sensors for rock bolt monitoring are the piezoelectric sensors and the fiber optic sensors. The methodologies and principles of these smart sensors are reviewed from the point of view of rock bolt integrity monitoring. The applications of smart sensors in monitoring the critical status of rock bolts, such as the axial force, corrosion occurrence, grout quality and resin delamination, are highlighted. In addition, several prototypes or commercially available smart rock bolt devices are also introduced.

A Review of Rock Bolt Monitoring Using Smart Sensors

PubMed Central

Song, Gangbing; Li, Weijie; Wang, Bo; Ho, Siu Chun Michael

2017-01-01

Rock bolts have been widely used as rock reinforcing members in underground coal mine roadways and tunnels. Failures of rock bolts occur as a result of overloading, corrosion, seismic burst and bad grouting, leading to catastrophic economic and personnel losses. Monitoring the health condition of the rock bolts plays an important role in ensuring the safe operation of underground mines. This work presents a brief introduction on the types of rock bolts followed by a comprehensive review of rock bolt monitoring using smart sensors. Smart sensors that are used to assess rock bolt integrity are reviewed to provide a firm perception of the application of smart sensors for enhanced performance and reliability of rock bolts. The most widely used smart sensors for rock bolt monitoring are the piezoelectric sensors and the fiber optic sensors. The methodologies and principles of these smart sensors are reviewed from the point of view of rock bolt integrity monitoring. The applications of smart sensors in monitoring the critical status of rock bolts, such as the axial force, corrosion occurrence, grout quality and resin delamination, are highlighted. In addition, several prototypes or commercially available smart rock bolt devices are also introduced. PMID:28379167

76 FR 6311 - Regulations Affecting Publication of the United States Government Manual

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-04

... as a single PDF file that includes bookmarks. Finally, he asked if any smart phone applications... an annual online edition of the Manual in both text-only files and PDF files. It is now possible to...

User Requirements Analysis For Digital Library Application Using Quality Function Deployment.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wulandari, Lily; Sularto, Lana; Yusnitasari, Tristyanti; Ikasari, Diana

2017-03-01

This study attemp to build Smart Digital Library to be used by the wider community wherever they are. The system is built in the form of Smart Digital Library portal which uses semantic similarity method (Semantic Similarity) to search journals, articles or books by title or author name. This method is also used to determine the recommended books to be read by visitors of Smart Digital Library based on testimony from a previous reader automatically. Steps being taken in the development of Smart Digital Library system is the analysis phase, design phase, testing and implementation phase. At this stage of the analysis using WebQual for the preparation of the instruments to be distributed to the respondents and the data obtained from the respondents will be processed using Quality Function Deployment. In the analysis phase has the purpose of identifying consumer needs and technical requirements. The analysis was performed to a digital library on the web digital library Gunadarma University, Bogor Institute of Agriculture, University of Indonesia, etc. The questionnaire was distributed to 200 respondents. The research methodology begins with the collection of user requirements and analyse it using QFD. Application design is funded by the government through a program of Featured Universities Research by the Directorate General of Higher Education (DIKTI). Conclusions from this research are identified which include the Consumer Requirements of digital library application. The elements of the consumers requirements consists of 13 elements and 25 elements of Engineering Characteristics digital library requirements. Therefore the design of digital library applications that will be built, is designed according to the findings by eliminating features that are not needed by restaurant based on QFD House of Quality.

Performance of Integrated Fiber Optic, Piezoelectric, and Shape Memory Alloy Actuators/Sensors in Thermoset Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trottier, C. Michael

1996-01-01

Recently, scientists and engineers have investigated the advantages of smart materials and structures by including actuators in material systems for controlling and altering the response of structural environments. Applications of these materials systems include vibration suppression/isolation, precision positioning, damage detection and tunable devices. Some of the embedded materials being investigated for accomplishing these tasks include piezoelectric ceramics, shape memory alloys, and fiber optics. These materials have some benefits and some shortcomings; each is being studied for use in active material design in the SPICES (Synthesis and Processing of Intelligent Cost Effective Structures) Consortium. The focus of this paper concerns the manufacturing aspects of smart structures by incorporating piezoelectric ceramics, shape memory alloys and fiber optics in a reinforced thermoset matrix via resin transfer molding (RTM).

Location Based Application Availability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naeem Akram, Raja; Markantonakis, Konstantinos; Mayes, Keith

Smart cards are being integrated into a diverse range of industries: ranging from banking, telecom, transport, home/office access control to health and E-passport. Traditionally, cardholders are required to carry a smart card for each application. However, recent developments in the Near Field Communication (NFC) have renewed the interest in multiple applications for different services on a single device. This paper builds onto the NFC initiative and avoids the smart card ownership issues that hinder the adoption of such devices. The proposal integrates the Global Positioning System with the NFC in mobile phones to provide a ubiquitously and flexible service access model.

NASA SMART Probe: Breast Cancer Application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mah, Robert W.; Norvig, Peter (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

There is evidence in breast cancer and other malignancies that the physiologic environment within a tumor correlates with clinical outcome. We are developing a unique percutaneous Smart Probe to be used at the time of needle biopsy of the breast. The Smart Probe will simultaneously measure multiple physiologic parameters within a breast tumor. Direct and indirect measurements of tissue oxygen levels, blood flow, pH, and tissue fluid pressure will be analyzed in real-time. These parameters will be interpreted individually and collectively by innovative neural network techniques using advanced intelligent software. The goals are 1) develop a pecutaneous Smart Probe with multiple sensor modalities and applying advanced Information Technologies to provide real time diagnostic information of the tissue at tip of the probe, 2) test the percutaneous Smart Probe in women with benign and malignant breast masses who will be undergoing surgical biopsy, 3) correlate probe sensor data with benign and malignant status of breast masses, 4) determine whether the probe can detect physiologic differences within a breast tumor, and its margins, and in adjacent normal breast tissue, 5) correlate probe sensor data with known prognostic factors for breast caner, including tumor size, tumor grade, axillary lymph node metastases, estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor status.

Dose enhancement effects of gold nanoparticles specifically targeting RNA in breast cancer cells

PubMed Central

Metzler, Philipp; Pilarczyk, Götz; Bobu, Vladimir; Kriz, Wilhelm; Hosser, Hiltraud; Fleckenstein, Jens; Krufczik, Matthias; Bestvater, Felix; Wenz, Frederik; Hausmann, Michael

2018-01-01

Localization microscopy has shown to be capable of systematic investigations on the arrangement and counting of cellular uptake of gold nanoparticles (GNP) with nanometer resolution. In this article, we show that the application of specially modified RNA targeting gold nanoparticles (“SmartFlares”) can result in ring like shaped GNP arrangements around the cell nucleus. Transmission electron microscopy revealed GNP accumulation in vicinity to the intracellular membrane structures including them of the endoplasmatic reticulum. A quantification of the radio therapeutic dose enhancement as a proof of principle was conducted with γH2AX foci analysis: The application of both—SmartFlares and unmodified GNPs—lead to a significant dose enhancement with a factor of up to 1.2 times the dose deposition compared to non-treated breast cancer cells. This enhancement effect was even more pronounced for SmartFlares. Furthermore, it was shown that a magnetic field of 1 Tesla simultaneously applied during irradiation has no detectable influence on neither the structure nor the dose enhancement dealt by gold nanoparticles. PMID:29346397

AccessMRS: integrating OpenMRS with smart forms on Android.

PubMed

Fazen, Louis E; Chemwolo, Benjamin T; Songok, Julia J; Ruhl, Laura J; Kipkoech, Carolyne; Green, James M; Ikemeri, Justus E; Christoffersen-Deb, Astrid

2013-01-01

We present a new open-source Android application, AccessMRS, for interfacing with an electronic medical record system (OpenMRS) and loading 'Smart Forms' on a mobile device. AccessMRS functions as a patient-centered interface for viewing OpenMRS data; managing patient information in reminders, task lists, and previous encounters; and launching patient-specific 'Smart Forms' for electronic data collection and dissemination of health information. We present AccessMRS in the context of related software applications we developed to serve Community Health Workers, including AccessInfo, AccessAdmin, AccessMaps, and AccessForms. The specific features and design of AccessMRS are detailed in relationship to the requirements that drove development: the workflows of the Kenyan Ministry of Health Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) supported by the AMPATH Primary Health Care Program. Specifically, AccessMRS was designed to improve the quality of community-based Maternal and Child Health services delivered by CHVs in Kosirai Division. AccessMRS is currently in use by more than 80 CHVs in Kenya and undergoing formal assessment of acceptability, effectiveness, and cost.

a New Ubiquitous-Based Indoor Positioning System with Minimum Extra Hardware Using Smart Phones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassany Pazoky, S.; Chehreghan, A.; Sadeghi Niaraki, A.; Abbaspour, R. Ali

2014-10-01

Knowing the position has been an ambition in many areas such as science, military, business, etc. GPS was the realization of this wish in 1970s. Technological advances such as ubiquitous computing, as a conquering perspective, requires any service to work for any user, any place, anytime, and via any network. As GPS cannot provide services in indoor environments, many scientists began to develop indoor positioning systems (IPS). Smart phones penetrating our everyday lives were a great platform to host IPS applications. Sensors in smart phones were another big motive to develop IPS applications. Many researchers have been working on the topic developing various applications. However, the applications introduced lack simplicity. In other words, they need to install a step counter or smart phone on the ankle, which makes it awkward and inapplicable in many situations. In the current study, a new IPS methodology is introduced using only the usual embedded sensors in the smart phones. The robustness of this methodology cannot compete with those of the aforementioned approaches. The price paid for simplicity was decreasing robustness and complicating the methods and formulations. However, methods or tricks to harness the errors to an acceptable range are introduced as the future works.

Development of a real time activity monitoring Android application utilizing SmartStep.

PubMed

Hegde, Nagaraj; Melanson, Edward; Sazonov, Edward

2016-08-01

Footwear based activity monitoring systems are becoming popular in academic research as well as consumer industry segments. In our previous work, we had presented developmental aspects of an insole based activity and gait monitoring system-SmartStep, which is a socially acceptable, fully wireless and versatile insole. The present work describes the development of an Android application that captures the SmartStep data wirelessly over Bluetooth Low energy (BLE), computes features on the received data, runs activity classification algorithms and provides real time feedback. The development of activity classification methods was based on the the data from a human study involving 4 participants. Participants were asked to perform activities of sitting, standing, walking, and cycling while they wore SmartStep insole system. Multinomial Logistic Discrimination (MLD) was utilized in the development of machine learning model for activity prediction. The resulting classification model was implemented in an Android Smartphone. The Android application was benchmarked for power consumption and CPU loading. Leave one out cross validation resulted in average accuracy of 96.9% during model training phase. The Android application for real time activity classification was tested on a human subject wearing SmartStep resulting in testing accuracy of 95.4%.

Climate-Smart Design for Ecosystem Management: A Test Application for Coral Reefs.

PubMed

West, Jordan M; Courtney, Catherine A; Hamilton, Anna T; Parker, Britt A; Julius, Susan H; Hoffman, Jennie; Koltes, Karen H; MacGowan, Petra

2017-01-01

The interactive and cumulative impacts of climate change on natural resources such as coral reefs present numerous challenges for conservation planning and management. Climate change adaptation is complex due to climate-stressor interactions across multiple spatial and temporal scales. This leaves decision makers worldwide faced with local, regional, and global-scale threats to ecosystem processes and services, occurring over time frames that require both near-term and long-term planning. Thus there is a need for structured approaches to adaptation planning that integrate existing methods for vulnerability assessment with design and evaluation of effective adaptation responses. The Corals and Climate Adaptation Planning project of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force seeks to develop guidance for improving coral reef management through tailored application of a climate-smart approach. This approach is based on principles from a recently-published guide which provides a framework for adopting forward-looking goals, based on assessing vulnerabilities to climate change and applying a structured process to design effective adaptation strategies. Work presented in this paper includes: (1) examination of the climate-smart management cycle as it relates to coral reefs; (2) a compilation of adaptation strategies for coral reefs drawn from a comprehensive review of the literature; (3) in-depth demonstration of climate-smart design for place-based crafting of robust adaptation actions; and (4) feedback from stakeholders on the perceived usefulness of the approach. We conclude with a discussion of lessons-learned on integrating climate-smart design into real-world management planning processes and a call from stakeholders for an "adaptation design tool" that is now under development.

Comprehensive model for predicting perceptual image quality of smart mobile devices.

PubMed

Gong, Rui; Xu, Haisong; Luo, M R; Li, Haifeng

2015-01-01

An image quality model for smart mobile devices was proposed based on visual assessments of several image quality attributes. A series of psychophysical experiments were carried out on two kinds of smart mobile devices, i.e., smart phones and tablet computers, in which naturalness, colorfulness, brightness, contrast, sharpness, clearness, and overall image quality were visually evaluated under three lighting environments via categorical judgment method for various application types of test images. On the basis of Pearson correlation coefficients and factor analysis, the overall image quality could first be predicted by its two constituent attributes with multiple linear regression functions for different types of images, respectively, and then the mathematical expressions were built to link the constituent image quality attributes with the physical parameters of smart mobile devices and image appearance factors. The procedure and algorithms were applicable to various smart mobile devices, different lighting conditions, and multiple types of images, and performance was verified by the visual data.

Dynamic Metasurface Aperture as Smart Around-the-Corner Motion Detector.

PubMed

Del Hougne, Philipp; F Imani, Mohammadreza; Sleasman, Timothy; Gollub, Jonah N; Fink, Mathias; Lerosey, Geoffroy; Smith, David R

2018-04-25

Detecting and analysing motion is a key feature of Smart Homes and the connected sensor vision they embrace. At present, most motion sensors operate in line-of-sight Doppler shift schemes. Here, we propose an alternative approach suitable for indoor environments, which effectively constitute disordered cavities for radio frequency (RF) waves; we exploit the fundamental sensitivity of modes of such cavities to perturbations, caused here by moving objects. We establish experimentally three key features of our proposed system: (i) ability to capture the temporal variations of motion and discern information such as periodicity ("smart"), (ii) non line-of-sight motion detection, and (iii) single-frequency operation. Moreover, we explain theoretically and demonstrate experimentally that the use of dynamic metasurface apertures can substantially enhance the performance of RF motion detection. Potential applications include accurately detecting human presence and monitoring inhabitants' vital signs.

Smart polymers as surface modifiers for bioanalytical devices and biomaterials: theory and practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanov, A. E.; Zubov, V. P.

2016-06-01

Smart, or responsive polymers can reversibly change their state of aggregation, thus switching from water-soluble to insoluble state, in response to minor changes in temperature, pH or solvent composition. Grafting of these polymers to solid surfaces imparts the surfaces with controllable wettability and adsorption behaviour. The review summarizes the theoretical models and the results of physical measurements of the conformational transitions in grafted polymer chains and polymer brushes. Primary attention is paid to the grafting density and the length and spatial arrangement of grafted chains, the role of polystyrene, organosilane or alkanethiol sublayers and their effects on adsorption of proteins and adhesion of cells. The key applications of grafted smart polymers such as cell culture and tissue engineering, cell and protein separation, biosensing and targeted drug delivery are surveyed. The bibliography includes 174 references.

Development and Application of a Structural Health Monitoring System Based on Wireless Smart Aggregates

PubMed Central

Ma, Haoyan; Li, Peng; Song, Gangbing; Wu, Jianxin

2017-01-01

Structural health monitoring (SHM) systems can improve the safety and reliability of structures, reduce maintenance costs, and extend service life. Research on concrete SHMs using piezoelectric-based smart aggregates have reached great achievements. However, the newly developed techniques have not been widely applied in practical engineering, largely due to the wiring problems associated with large-scale structural health monitoring. The cumbersome wiring requires much material and labor work, and more importantly, the associated maintenance work is also very heavy. Targeting a practical large scale concrete crack detection (CCD) application, a smart aggregates-based wireless sensor network system is proposed for the CCD application. The developed CCD system uses Zigbee 802.15.4 protocols, and is able to perform dynamic stress monitoring, structural impact capturing, and internal crack detection. The system has been experimentally validated, and the experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed system. This work provides important support for practical CCD applications using wireless smart aggregates. PMID:28714927

Development and Application of a Structural Health Monitoring System Based on Wireless Smart Aggregates.

PubMed

Yan, Shi; Ma, Haoyan; Li, Peng; Song, Gangbing; Wu, Jianxin

2017-07-17

Structural health monitoring (SHM) systems can improve the safety and reliability of structures, reduce maintenance costs, and extend service life. Research on concrete SHMs using piezoelectric-based smart aggregates have reached great achievements. However, the newly developed techniques have not been widely applied in practical engineering, largely due to the wiring problems associated with large-scale structural health monitoring. The cumbersome wiring requires much material and labor work, and more importantly, the associated maintenance work is also very heavy. Targeting a practical large scale concrete crack detection (CCD) application, a smart aggregates-based wireless sensor network system is proposed for the CCD application. The developed CCD system uses Zigbee 802.15.4 protocols, and is able to perform dynamic stress monitoring, structural impact capturing, and internal crack detection. The system has been experimentally validated, and the experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed system. This work provides important support for practical CCD applications using wireless smart aggregates.

A Fuzzy-Based Approach for Sensing, Coding and Transmission Configuration of Visual Sensors in Smart City Applications

PubMed Central

Costa, Daniel G.; Collotta, Mario; Pau, Giovanni; Duran-Faundez, Cristian

2017-01-01

The advance of technologies in several areas has allowed the development of smart city applications, which can improve the way of life in modern cities. When employing visual sensors in that scenario, still images and video streams may be retrieved from monitored areas, potentially providing valuable data for many applications. Actually, visual sensor networks may need to be highly dynamic, reflecting the changing of parameters in smart cities. In this context, characteristics of visual sensors and conditions of the monitored environment, as well as the status of other concurrent monitoring systems, may affect how visual sensors collect, encode and transmit information. This paper proposes a fuzzy-based approach to dynamically configure the way visual sensors will operate concerning sensing, coding and transmission patterns, exploiting different types of reference parameters. This innovative approach can be considered as the basis for multi-systems smart city applications based on visual monitoring, potentially bringing significant results for this research field. PMID:28067777

A Fuzzy-Based Approach for Sensing, Coding and Transmission Configuration of Visual Sensors in Smart City Applications.

PubMed

Costa, Daniel G; Collotta, Mario; Pau, Giovanni; Duran-Faundez, Cristian

2017-01-05

The advance of technologies in several areas has allowed the development of smart city applications, which can improve the way of life in modern cities. When employing visual sensors in that scenario, still images and video streams may be retrieved from monitored areas, potentially providing valuable data for many applications. Actually, visual sensor networks may need to be highly dynamic, reflecting the changing of parameters in smart cities. In this context, characteristics of visual sensors and conditions of the monitored environment, as well as the status of other concurrent monitoring systems, may affect how visual sensors collect, encode and transmit information. This paper proposes a fuzzy-based approach to dynamically configure the way visual sensors will operate concerning sensing, coding and transmission patterns, exploiting different types of reference parameters. This innovative approach can be considered as the basis for multi-systems smart city applications based on visual monitoring, potentially bringing significant results for this research field.

Science-Economy-Technology Concordance Matrix for Development and Implementation of Regional Smart Specializations in the Silesian Voivodeship, Poland

PubMed Central

Smoliński, Adam; Bondaruk, Jan; Pichlak, Magdalena; Trząski, Leszek; Uszok, Elżbieta

2015-01-01

The regional smart specializations include the innovative activities within a common science-economy-technology sector, which open the opportunities to gain a competitive advantage. The original procedure of science-economy-technology concordance matrix development on an example of smart specializations of the Silesian Voivodeship was presented in the paper. The procedure developed includes recognition of the research and economic components of the regional smart specialization and the connection between the economic components of the regional specialization and the technological innovation through the international patent classification. It also comprises recognition of key enabling technologies (KETs) and high technologies (of high R&D intensity) other than KET in the economic and technological dimensions of innovation as well as the high R&D intensity services in the economic dimension of innovation. The in-depth expert analyses with the application of the Delphi method were also taken into account. The methodological approach developed and the visualization method applied are both of cognitive and practical importance since they contribute significantly to the creation of efficient development policies, to the enhancement and facilitation of cross-sectoral cooperation, and to the focusing on the fields of key importance in terms of the competitive advantage of a region. PMID:26697528

Science-Economy-Technology Concordance Matrix for Development and Implementation of Regional Smart Specializations in the Silesian Voivodeship, Poland.

PubMed

Smoliński, Adam; Bondaruk, Jan; Pichlak, Magdalena; Trząski, Leszek; Uszok, Elżbieta

2015-01-01

The regional smart specializations include the innovative activities within a common science-economy-technology sector, which open the opportunities to gain a competitive advantage. The original procedure of science-economy-technology concordance matrix development on an example of smart specializations of the Silesian Voivodeship was presented in the paper. The procedure developed includes recognition of the research and economic components of the regional smart specialization and the connection between the economic components of the regional specialization and the technological innovation through the international patent classification. It also comprises recognition of key enabling technologies (KETs) and high technologies (of high R&D intensity) other than KET in the economic and technological dimensions of innovation as well as the high R&D intensity services in the economic dimension of innovation. The in-depth expert analyses with the application of the Delphi method were also taken into account. The methodological approach developed and the visualization method applied are both of cognitive and practical importance since they contribute significantly to the creation of efficient development policies, to the enhancement and facilitation of cross-sectoral cooperation, and to the focusing on the fields of key importance in terms of the competitive advantage of a region.

Using smart card technology to monitor the eating habits of children in a school cafeteria: 1. Developing and validating the methodology.

PubMed

Lambert, N; Plumb, J; Looise, B; Johnson, I T; Harvey, I; Wheeler, C; Robinson, M; Rolfe, P

2005-08-01

The aim of the study was to test the feasibility of using smart card technology to track the eating behaviours of nearly a thousand children in a school cafeteria. Within a large boys' school a smart card based system was developed that was capable of providing a full electronic audit of all the individual transactions that occurred within the cafeteria. This dataset was interfaced to an electronic version of the McCance and Widdowson composition of foods dataset. The accuracy of the smart card generated data and the influence of portion size and wastage were determined empirically during two 5-day trials. The smart card system created succeeded in generating precise data on the food choices made by hundreds of children over an indefinite time period. The data was expanded to include a full nutrient analysis of all the foods chosen. The accuracy of this information was only constrained by the limitations facing all food composition research, e.g. variations in recipes, portion sizes, cooking practices, etc. Although technically possible to introduce wastage correction factors into the software, thereby providing information upon foods consumed, this was not seen as universally practical. The study demonstrated the power of smart card technology for monitoring food/nutrient choice over limitless time in environments such as school cafeterias. The strengths, limitations and applications of such technology are discussed.

SPIE Smart Structures Product Implementation Award: a review of the first ten years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Eric H.; Sater, Janet M.

2007-04-01

The research field of smart materials and structures has been a distinct entity for two decades. Over the past ten years, the SPIE Industrial and Commercial Applications Conference has presented a Smart Structures Product Implementation Award at its annual symposium. This paper revisits the nine winning entries to date (1998-2007) and updates their status. The paper begins with a brief description of the original and current intent of the award and follows with a short overview of the evolution of smart structures, from research to products. The winning teams and their respective products are then described. The current status of the products is discussed based on publicly available information and input from the respective companies. Note however that it is not the purpose of the paper to rank the product winners in terms of success or sales. The paper concludes with an assessment of the larger trends in productization of smart structures technologies. The application "form" for the award as well as the evaluation criteria and suggestions for improving award application packages can be found in the appendix.

Smart sensor systems for human health breath monitoring applications.

PubMed

Hunter, G W; Xu, J C; Biaggi-Labiosa, A M; Laskowski, D; Dutta, P K; Mondal, S P; Ward, B J; Makel, D B; Liu, C C; Chang, C W; Dweik, R A

2011-09-01

Breath analysis techniques offer a potential revolution in health care diagnostics, especially if these techniques can be brought into standard use in the clinic and at home. The advent of microsensors combined with smart sensor system technology enables a new generation of sensor systems with significantly enhanced capabilities and minimal size, weight and power consumption. This paper discusses the microsensor/smart sensor system approach and provides a summary of efforts to migrate this technology into human health breath monitoring applications. First, the basic capability of this approach to measure exhaled breath associated with exercise physiology is demonstrated. Building from this foundation, the development of a system for a portable asthma home health care system is described. A solid-state nitric oxide (NO) sensor for asthma monitoring has been identified, and efforts are underway to miniaturize this NO sensor technology and integrate it into a smart sensor system. It is concluded that base platform microsensor technology combined with smart sensor systems can address the needs of a range of breath monitoring applications and enable new capabilities for healthcare.

Silicon ball grid array chip carrier

DOEpatents

Palmer, David W.; Gassman, Richard A.; Chu, Dahwey

2000-01-01

A ball-grid-array integrated circuit (IC) chip carrier formed from a silicon substrate is disclosed. The silicon ball-grid-array chip carrier is of particular use with ICs having peripheral bond pads which can be reconfigured to a ball-grid-array. The use of a semiconductor substrate such as silicon for forming the ball-grid-array chip carrier allows the chip carrier to be fabricated on an IC process line with, at least in part, standard IC processes. Additionally, the silicon chip carrier can include components such as transistors, resistors, capacitors, inductors and sensors to form a "smart" chip carrier which can provide added functionality and testability to one or more ICs mounted on the chip carrier. Types of functionality that can be provided on the "smart" chip carrier include boundary-scan cells, built-in test structures, signal conditioning circuitry, power conditioning circuitry, and a reconfiguration capability. The "smart" chip carrier can also be used to form specialized or application-specific ICs (ASICs) from conventional ICs. Types of sensors that can be included on the silicon ball-grid-array chip carrier include temperature sensors, pressure sensors, stress sensors, inertia or acceleration sensors, and/or chemical sensors. These sensors can be fabricated by IC processes and can include microelectromechanical (MEM) devices.

Creating New Mathematical Applications Utilizing SMART Table

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seals, Cheryl D.; Swanier, Cheryl S.; Nyagwencha, Justus Nyamweya; Cagle, Ashley L.; Houser, Navorro

2011-01-01

SMART Technologies is leading the way for interactive learning, through their many different tools. The SMART Table is a multi-user, multi-touch interactive interface that not only teaches children different concepts in fun ways (Steurer P., 2003), but it also inspires cooperative competition. In Alabama, the state curriculum for kindergarten…

Smart Sensor Network for Aircraft Corrosion Monitoring

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-01

Network Elements – Hub, Network capable application processor ( NCAP ) – Node, Smart transducer interface module (STIM)  Corrosion Sensing and...software Transducer software Network Protocol 1451.2 1451.3 1451.5 1451.6 1451.7 I/O Node -processor Power TEDS Smart Sensor Hub ( NCAP ) IEEE 1451.0 and

77 FR 22331 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Solar Cell: A Mobile UV Manager for Smart Phones...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-13

...). Pre-test 245 1 20/60 82 (Appendix A). Post-test 245 1 40/60 163 (Appendix B). Totals 308 Request for... of the study is to design a smart phone application, Solar Cell, which uses smart phone technology to...

Semantic Framework of Internet of Things for Smart Cities: Case Studies.

PubMed

Zhang, Ningyu; Chen, Huajun; Chen, Xi; Chen, Jiaoyan

2016-09-14

In recent years, the advancement of sensor technology has led to the generation of heterogeneous Internet-of-Things (IoT) data by smart cities. Thus, the development and deployment of various aspects of IoT-based applications are necessary to mine the potential value of data to the benefit of people and their lives. However, the variety, volume, heterogeneity, and real-time nature of data obtained from smart cities pose considerable challenges. In this paper, we propose a semantic framework that integrates the IoT with machine learning for smart cities. The proposed framework retrieves and models urban data for certain kinds of IoT applications based on semantic and machine-learning technologies. Moreover, we propose two case studies: pollution detection from vehicles and traffic pattern detection. The experimental results show that our system is scalable and capable of accommodating a large number of urban regions with different types of IoT applications.

Semantic Framework of Internet of Things for Smart Cities: Case Studies

PubMed Central

Zhang, Ningyu; Chen, Huajun; Chen, Xi; Chen, Jiaoyan

2016-01-01

In recent years, the advancement of sensor technology has led to the generation of heterogeneous Internet-of-Things (IoT) data by smart cities. Thus, the development and deployment of various aspects of IoT-based applications are necessary to mine the potential value of data to the benefit of people and their lives. However, the variety, volume, heterogeneity, and real-time nature of data obtained from smart cities pose considerable challenges. In this paper, we propose a semantic framework that integrates the IoT with machine learning for smart cities. The proposed framework retrieves and models urban data for certain kinds of IoT applications based on semantic and machine-learning technologies. Moreover, we propose two case studies: pollution detection from vehicles and traffic pattern detection. The experimental results show that our system is scalable and capable of accommodating a large number of urban regions with different types of IoT applications. PMID:27649185

Smart optical writing head design for laser-based manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amin, M. Junaid; Riza, Nabeel A.

2014-03-01

Proposed is a smart optical writing head design suitable for high precision industrial laser based machining and manufacturing applications. The design uses an Electronically Controlled Variable Focus Lens (ECVFL) which enables the highest achievable spatial resolution of writing head spot sizes for axial target distances reaching 8 meters. A proof-of-concept experiment is conducted using a visible wavelength laser with a collimated beam that is coupled to beam conditioning optics which includes an electromagnetically actuated deformable membrane liquid ECVFL cascaded with a bias convex lens of fixed focal length. Electronic tuning and control of the ECVFL keeps the laser writing head far-field spot beam radii under 1 mm that is demonstrated over a target range of 20 cm to 800 cm. Applications for the proposed writing head design, which can accommodate both continuous wave and pulsed wave sources, include laser machining, high precision industrial molding of components, as well as materials processing requiring material sensitive optical power density control.

Automating Geospatial Visualizations with Smart Default Renderers for Data Exploration Web Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ekenes, K.

2017-12-01

This presentation will outline the process of creating a web application for exploring large amounts of scientific geospatial data using modern automated cartographic techniques. Traditional cartographic methods, including data classification, may inadvertently hide geospatial and statistical patterns in the underlying data. This presentation demonstrates how to use smart web APIs that quickly analyze the data when it loads, and provides suggestions for the most appropriate visualizations based on the statistics of the data. Since there are just a few ways to visualize any given dataset well, it is imperative to provide smart default color schemes tailored to the dataset as opposed to static defaults. Since many users don't go beyond default values, it is imperative that they are provided with smart default visualizations. Multiple functions for automating visualizations are available in the Smart APIs, along with UI elements allowing users to create more than one visualization for a dataset since there isn't a single best way to visualize a given dataset. Since bivariate and multivariate visualizations are particularly difficult to create effectively, this automated approach removes the guesswork out of the process and provides a number of ways to generate multivariate visualizations for the same variables. This allows the user to choose which visualization is most appropriate for their presentation. The methods used in these APIs and the renderers generated by them are not available elsewhere. The presentation will show how statistics can be used as the basis for automating default visualizations of data along continuous ramps, creating more refined visualizations while revealing the spread and outliers of the data. Adding interactive components to instantaneously alter visualizations allows users to unearth spatial patterns previously unknown among one or more variables. These applications may focus on a single dataset that is frequently updated, or configurable for a variety of datasets from multiple sources.

The Aircraft Morphing Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wlezien, R. W.; Horner, G. C.; McGowan, A. R.; Padula, S. L.; Scott, M. A.; Silcox, R. J.; Simpson, J. O.

1998-01-01

In the last decade smart technologies have become enablers that cut across traditional boundaries in materials science and engineering. Here we define smart to mean embedded actuation, sensing, and control logic in a tightly coupled feedback loop. While multiple successes have been achieved in the laboratory, we have yet to see the general applicability of smart devices to real aircraft systems. The NASA Aircraft Morphing program is an attempt to couple research across a wide range of disciplines to integrate smart technologies into high payoff aircraft applications. The program bridges research in seven individual disciplines and combines the effort into activities in three primary program thrusts. System studies are used to assess the highest- payoff program objectives, and specific research activities are defined to address the technologies required for development of smart aircraft systems. In this paper we address the overall program goals and programmatic structure, and discuss the challenges associated with bringing the technologies to fruition.

Smart Sustainable Islands VS Smart Sustainable Cities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pantazis, D. N.; Moussas, V. C.; Murgante, B.; Daverona, A. C.; Stratakis, P.; Vlissidis, N.; Kavadias, A.; Economou, D.; Santimpantakis, K.; Karathanasis, B.; Kyriakopoulou, V.; Gadolou, E.

2017-09-01

This paper has several aims: a) the presentation of a critical analysis of the terms "smart sustainable cities" and "smart sustainable islands" b) the presentation of a number of principles towards to the development methodological framework of concepts and actions, in a form of a manual and actions guide, for the smartification and sustainability of islands. This kind of master plan is divided in thematic sectors (key factors) which concern the insular municipalities c) the creation of an island's smartification and sustainability index d) the first steps towards the creation of a portal for the presentation of our smartification actions manual, together with relative resources, smart applications examples, and, in the near future the first results of our index application in a number of Greek islands and e) the presentation of some proposals of possible actions towards their sustainable development and smartification for the municipalities - islands of Paros and Antiparos in Greece, as case studies.

An Open Source "Smart Lamp" for the Optimization of Plant Systems and Thermal Comfort of Offices.

PubMed

Salamone, Francesco; Belussi, Lorenzo; Danza, Ludovico; Ghellere, Matteo; Meroni, Italo

2016-03-07

The article describes the design phase, development and practical application of a smart object integrated in a desk lamp and called "Smart Lamp", useful to optimize the indoor thermal comfort and energy savings that are two important workplace issues where the comfort of the workers and the consumption of the building strongly affect the economic balance of a company. The Smart Lamp was built using a microcontroller, an integrated temperature and relative humidity sensor, some other modules and a 3D printer. This smart device is similar to the desk lamps that are usually found in offices but it allows one to adjust the indoor thermal comfort, by interacting directly with the air conditioner. After the construction phase, the Smart Lamp was installed in an office normally occupied by four workers to evaluate the indoor thermal comfort and the cooling consumption in summer. The results showed how the application of the Smart Lamp effectively reduced the energy consumption, optimizing the thermal comfort. The use of DIY approach combined with read-write functionality of websites, blog and social platforms, also allowed to customize, improve, share, reproduce and interconnect technologies so that anybody could use them in any occupied environment.

Smart Sensors: Why and when the origin was and why and where the future will be

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corsi, C.

2013-12-01

Smart Sensors is a technique developed in the 70's when the processing capabilities, based on readout integrated with signal processing, was still far from the complexity needed in advanced IR surveillance and warning systems, because of the enormous amount of noise/unwanted signals emitted by operating scenario especially in military applications. The Smart Sensors technology was kept restricted within a close military environment exploding in applications and performances in the 90's years thanks to the impressive improvements in the integrated signal read-out and processing achieved by CCD-CMOS technologies in FPA. In fact the rapid advances of "very large scale integration" (VLSI) processor technology and mosaic EO detector array technology allowed to develop new generations of Smart Sensors with much improved signal processing by integrating microcomputers and other VLSI signal processors. inside the sensor structure achieving some basic functions of living eyes (dynamic stare, non-uniformity compensation, spatial and temporal filtering). New and future technologies (Nanotechnology, Bio-Organic Electronics, Bio-Computing) are lightning a new generation of Smart Sensors extending the Smartness from the Space-Time Domain to Spectroscopic Functional Multi-Domain Signal Processing. History and future forecasting of Smart Sensors will be reported.

Development of smart textiles with embedded fiber optic chemical sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalil, Saif E.; Yuan, Jianming; El-Sherif, Mahmoud A.

2004-03-01

Smart textiles are defined as textiles capable of monitoring their own health conditions or structural behavior, as well as sensing external environmental conditions. Smart textiles appear to be a future focus of the textile industry. As technology accelerates, textiles are found to be more useful and practical for potential advanced technologies. The majority of textiles are used in the clothing industry, which set up the idea of inventing smart clothes for various applications. Examples of such applications are medical trauma assessment and medical patients monitoring (heart and respiration rates), and environmental monitoring for public safety officials. Fiber optics have played a major role in the development of smart textiles as they have in smart structures in general. Optical fiber integration into textile structures (knitted, woven, and non-woven) is presented, and defines the proper methodology for the manufacturing of smart textiles. Samples of fabrics with integrated optical fibers were processed and tested for optical signal transmission. This was done in order to investigate the effect of textile production procedures on optical fiber performance. The tests proved the effectiveness of the developed methodology for integration of optical fibers without changing their optical performance or structural integrity.

Mobilizing Older Adults: Harnessing the Potential of Smart Home Technologies. Contribution of the IMIA Working Group on Smart Homes and Ambient Assisted Living.

PubMed

Demiris, G; Thompson, H J

2012-01-01

This paper highlights the potential of smart home applications to not only assess mobility determinants for older adults in the home environment but also provide the opportunity for tailored interventions. We present a theoretical framework for assessing mobility parameters and utilizing this information to enable behavior change based on the Health Belief Model. We discuss examples that showcase the potential of smart home systems to not only measure but also improve mobility for community dwelling older adults. Mobility is a complex construct that cannot be addressed with a single monitoring approach or a single intervention. Instead, tailored interventions that address specific needs and behaviors of individuals and take into consideration preferences of older adults and potentially their social network are needed to effectively enforce positive behavior change. Smart home systems have the ability to capture details of one's daily living that could otherwise not be easily obtained; however, such data repositories alone are not sufficient to improve clinical outcomes if appropriate mechanisms for data mining and analysis, as well as tailored response systems are not in place. Unleashing the potential of smart home applications to measure and improve mobility has the potential of transforming elder care and providing potentially cost-effective tools to support independence for older adults. A technologically driven smart home application can maximize its clinical relevance by pursuing interactive features that can lead to behavior change.

The SMART Platform: early experience enabling substitutable applications for electronic health records.

PubMed

Mandl, Kenneth D; Mandel, Joshua C; Murphy, Shawn N; Bernstam, Elmer Victor; Ramoni, Rachel L; Kreda, David A; McCoy, J Michael; Adida, Ben; Kohane, Isaac S

2012-01-01

The Substitutable Medical Applications, Reusable Technologies (SMART) Platforms project seeks to develop a health information technology platform with substitutable applications (apps) constructed around core services. The authors believe this is a promising approach to driving down healthcare costs, supporting standards evolution, accommodating differences in care workflow, fostering competition in the market, and accelerating innovation. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, through the Strategic Health IT Advanced Research Projects (SHARP) Program, funds the project. The SMART team has focused on enabling the property of substitutability through an app programming interface leveraging web standards, presenting predictable data payloads, and abstracting away many details of enterprise health information technology systems. Containers--health information technology systems, such as electronic health records (EHR), personally controlled health records, and health information exchanges that use the SMART app programming interface or a portion of it--marshal data sources and present data simply, reliably, and consistently to apps. The SMART team has completed the first phase of the project (a) defining an app programming interface, (b) developing containers, and (c) producing a set of charter apps that showcase the system capabilities. A focal point of this phase was the SMART Apps Challenge, publicized by the White House, using http://www.challenge.gov website, and generating 15 app submissions with diverse functionality. Key strategic decisions must be made about the most effective market for further disseminating SMART: existing market-leading EHR vendors, new entrants into the EHR market, or other stakeholders such as health information exchanges.

Developing Use Cases for Evaluation of ADMS Applications to Accelerate Technology Adoption: Preprint

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Veda, Santosh; Wu, Hongyu; Martin, Maurice

Grid modernization for the distribution systems comprise of the ability to effectively monitor and manage unplanned events while ensuring reliable operations. Integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) and proliferation of autonomous smart controllers like microgrids and smart inverters in the distribution networks challenge the status quo of distribution system operations. Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS) technologies are being increasingly deployed to manage the complexities of operating distribution systems. The ability to evaluate the ADMS applications in specific utility environments and for future scenarios will accelerate wider adoption of the ADMS and will lower the risks and costs of their implementation.more » This paper addresses the first step - identify and define the use cases for evaluating these applications. The applications that are selected for this discussion include Volt-VAr Optimization (VVO), Fault Location Isolation and Service Restoration (FLISR), Online Power Flow (OLPF)/Distribution System State Estimation (DSSE) and Market Participation. A technical description and general operational requirements for each of these applications is presented. The test scenarios that are most relevant to the utility challenges are also addressed.« less

Opportunistic Mobility Support for Resource Constrained Sensor Devices in Smart Cities

PubMed Central

Granlund, Daniel; Holmlund, Patrik; Åhlund, Christer

2015-01-01

A multitude of wireless sensor devices and technologies are being developed and deployed in cities all over the world. Sensor applications in city environments may include highly mobile installations that span large areas which necessitates sensor mobility support. This paper presents and validates two mechanisms for supporting sensor mobility between different administrative domains. Firstly, EAP-Swift, an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)-based sensor authentication protocol is proposed that enables light-weight sensor authentication and key generation. Secondly, a mechanism for handoffs between wireless sensor gateways is proposed. We validate both mechanisms in a real-life study that was conducted in a smart city environment with several fixed sensors and moving gateways. We conduct similar experiments in an industry-based anechoic Long Term Evolution (LTE) chamber with an ideal radio environment. Further, we validate our results collected from the smart city environment against the results produced under ideal conditions to establish best and real-life case scenarios. Our results clearly validate that our proposed mechanisms can facilitate efficient sensor authentication and handoffs while sensors are roaming in a smart city environment. PMID:25738767

Ubiquitous learning model using interactive internet messenger group (IIMG) to improve engagement and behavior for smart campus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umam, K.; Mardi, S. N. S.; Hariadi, M.

2017-01-01

The recent popularity of internet messenger based smartphone technologies has motivated some university lecturers to use them for educational activities. These technologies have enormous potential to enhance the teaching and ubiquitous learning experience for smart campus development. However, the design ubiquitous learning model using interactive internet messenger group (IIMG) and empirical evidence that would favor a broad application of mobile and ubiquitous learning in smart campus settings to improve engagement and behavior is still limited. In addition, the expectation that mobile learning could improve engagement and behavior on smart campus cannot be confirmed because the majority of the reviewed studies followed instructions paradigms. This article aims to present ubiquitous learning model design and showing learners’ experiences in improved engagement and behavior using IIMG for learner-learner and learner-lecturer interactions. The method applied in this paper includes design process and quantitative analysis techniques, with the purpose of identifying scenarios of ubiquitous learning and realize the impressions of learners and lecturers about engagement and behavior aspect, and its contribution to learning.

Opportunistic mobility support for resource constrained sensor devices in smart cities.

PubMed

Granlund, Daniel; Holmlund, Patrik; Åhlund, Christer

2015-03-02

A multitude of wireless sensor devices and technologies are being developed and deployed in cities all over the world. Sensor applications in city environments may include highly mobile installations that span large areas which necessitates sensor mobility support. This paper presents and validates two mechanisms for supporting sensor mobility between different administrative domains. Firstly, EAP-Swift, an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)-based sensor authentication protocol is proposed that enables light-weight sensor authentication and key generation. Secondly, a mechanism for handoffs between wireless sensor gateways is proposed. We validate both mechanisms in a real-life study that was conducted in a smart city environment with several fixed sensors and moving gateways. We conduct similar experiments in an industry-based anechoic Long Term Evolution (LTE) chamber with an ideal radio environment. Further, we validate our results collected from the smart city environment against the results produced under ideal conditions to establish best and real-life case scenarios. Our results clearly validate that our proposed mechanisms can facilitate efficient sensor authentication and handoffs while sensors are roaming in a smart city environment.

Energy-efficient digital and wireless IC design for wireless smart sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Jun; Huang, Xiongchuan; Wang, Chao; Tae-Hyoung Kim, Tony; Lian, Yong

2017-10-01

Wireless smart sensing is now widely used in various applications such as health monitoring and structural monitoring. In conventional wireless sensor nodes, significant power is consumed in wirelessly transmitting the raw data. Smart sensing adds local intelligence to the sensor node and reduces the amount of wireless data transmission via on-node digital signal processing. While the total power consumption is reduced compared to conventional wireless sensing, the power consumption of the digital processing becomes as dominant as wireless data transmission. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art energy-efficient digital and wireless IC design techniques for reducing the power consumption of the wireless smart sensor node to prolong battery life and enable self-powered applications.

A Field Programmable Gate Array-Based Reconfigurable Smart-Sensor Network for Wireless Monitoring of New Generation Computer Numerically Controlled Machines

PubMed Central

Moreno-Tapia, Sandra Veronica; Vera-Salas, Luis Alberto; Osornio-Rios, Roque Alfredo; Dominguez-Gonzalez, Aurelio; Stiharu, Ion; de Jesus Romero-Troncoso, Rene

2010-01-01

Computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines have evolved to adapt to increasing technological and industrial requirements. To cover these needs, new generation machines have to perform monitoring strategies by incorporating multiple sensors. Since in most of applications the online Processing of the variables is essential, the use of smart sensors is necessary. The contribution of this work is the development of a wireless network platform of reconfigurable smart sensors for CNC machine applications complying with the measurement requirements of new generation CNC machines. Four different smart sensors are put under test in the network and their corresponding signal processing techniques are implemented in a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-based sensor node. PMID:22163602

A field programmable gate array-based reconfigurable smart-sensor network for wireless monitoring of new generation computer numerically controlled machines.

PubMed

Moreno-Tapia, Sandra Veronica; Vera-Salas, Luis Alberto; Osornio-Rios, Roque Alfredo; Dominguez-Gonzalez, Aurelio; Stiharu, Ion; Romero-Troncoso, Rene de Jesus

2010-01-01

Computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines have evolved to adapt to increasing technological and industrial requirements. To cover these needs, new generation machines have to perform monitoring strategies by incorporating multiple sensors. Since in most of applications the online Processing of the variables is essential, the use of smart sensors is necessary. The contribution of this work is the development of a wireless network platform of reconfigurable smart sensors for CNC machine applications complying with the measurement requirements of new generation CNC machines. Four different smart sensors are put under test in the network and their corresponding signal processing techniques are implemented in a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-based sensor node.

Using a Smart Phone as a Standalone Platform for Detection and Monitoring of Pathological Tremors

PubMed Central

Daneault, Jean-François; Carignan, Benoit; Codère, Carl Éric; Sadikot, Abbas F.; Duval, Christian

2013-01-01

Introduction: Smart phones are becoming ubiquitous and their computing capabilities are ever increasing. Consequently, more attention is geared toward their potential use in research and medical settings. For instance, their built-in hardware can provide quantitative data for different movements. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to evaluate the capabilities of a standalone smart phone platform to characterize tremor. Results: Algorithms for tremor recording and online analysis can be implemented within a smart phone. The smart phone provides reliable time- and frequency-domain tremor characteristics. The smart phone can also provide medically relevant tremor assessments. Discussion: Smart phones have the potential to provide researchers and clinicians with quantitative short- and long-term tremor assessments that are currently not easily available. Methods: A smart phone application for tremor quantification and online analysis was developed. Then, smart phone results were compared to those obtained simultaneously with a laboratory accelerometer. Finally, results from the smart phone were compared to clinical tremor assessments. PMID:23346053

Manufacturing of polylactic acid nanocomposite 3D printer filaments for smart textile applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashemi Sanatgar, R.; Cayla, A.; Campagne, C.; Nierstrasz, V.

2017-10-01

In this paper, manufacturing of polylactic acid nanocomposite 3D printer filaments was considered for smart textile applications. 3D printing process was applied as a novel process for deposition of nanocomposites on PLA fabrics to introduce more flexible, resourceefficient and cost effective textile functionalization processes than conventional printing process like screen and inkjet printing. The aim is to develop an integrated or tailored production process for smart and functional textiles which avoid unnecessary use of water, energy, chemicals and minimize the waste to improve ecological footprint and productivity.

Tissue modification with feedback: the smart scalpel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sebern, Elizabeth L.; Brenan, Colin J. H.; Anderson, R. Rox; Hunter, Ian W.

1998-10-01

While feedback control is widespread throughout many engineering fields, there are almost no examples of surgical instruments that utilize a real-time detection and intervention strategy. This concept of closed loop feedback can be applied to the development of autonomous or semi- autonomous minimally invasive robotic surgical systems for efficient excision or modification of diseased tissue. Spatially localized regions of the tissue are first probed to distinguish pathological from healthy tissue based on differences in histochemical and morphological properties. Energy is directed to only the diseased tissue, minimizing collateral damage by leaving the adjacent healthy tissue intact. Continuous monitoring determines treatment effectiveness and, if needed, enables real-time treatment modifications to produce optimal therapeutic outcomes. The present embodiment of this general concept is a microsurgical instrument we call the Smart Scalpel, designed to treat skin angiodysplasias such as port wine stains. Other potential Smart Scalpel applications include psoriasis treatment and early skin cancer detection and intervention.

Smart Building: Decision Making Architecture for Thermal Energy Management.

PubMed

Uribe, Oscar Hernández; Martin, Juan Pablo San; Garcia-Alegre, María C; Santos, Matilde; Guinea, Domingo

2015-10-30

Smart applications of the Internet of Things are improving the performance of buildings, reducing energy demand. Local and smart networks, soft computing methodologies, machine intelligence algorithms and pervasive sensors are some of the basics of energy optimization strategies developed for the benefit of environmental sustainability and user comfort. This work presents a distributed sensor-processor-communication decision-making architecture to improve the acquisition, storage and transfer of thermal energy in buildings. The developed system is implemented in a near Zero-Energy Building (nZEB) prototype equipped with a built-in thermal solar collector, where optical properties are analysed; a low enthalpy geothermal accumulation system, segmented in different temperature zones; and an envelope that includes a dynamic thermal barrier. An intelligent control of this dynamic thermal barrier is applied to reduce the thermal energy demand (heating and cooling) caused by daily and seasonal weather variations. Simulations and experimental results are presented to highlight the nZEB thermal energy reduction.

Transformation of food packaging from passive to innovative via nanotechnology: concepts and critiques.

PubMed

Mlalila, Nichrous; Kadam, Dattatreya M; Swai, Hulda; Hilonga, Askwar

2016-09-01

In recent decades, there is a global advancement in manufacturing industry due to increased applications of nanotechnology. Food industry also has been tremendously changing from passive packaging to innovative packaging, to cope with global trends, technological advancements, and consumer preferences. Active research is taking place in food industry and other scientific fields to develop innovative packages including smart, intelligent and active food packaging for more effective and efficient packaging materials with balanced environmental issues. However, in food industry the features behind smart packaging are narrowly defined to be distinguished from intelligent packaging as in other scientific fields, where smart materials are under critical investigations. This review presents some scientific concepts and features pertaining innovative food packaging. The review opens new research window in innovative food packaging to cover the existing disparities for further precise research and development of food packaging industry.

Experiments with Sensor Motes and Java-DSP

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwon, Homin; Berisha, V.; Atti, V.; Spanias, A.

2009-01-01

Distributed wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are being proposed for various applications including defense, security, and smart stages. The introduction of hardware wireless sensors in a signal processing education setting can serve as a paradigm for data acquisition, collaborative signal processing, or simply as a platform for obtaining,…

Aerospace Sensor Systems: From Sensor Development To Vehicle Application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W.

2008-01-01

This paper presents an overview of years of sensor system development and application for aerospace systems. The emphasis of this work is on developing advanced capabilities for measurement and control of aeropropulsion and crew vehicle systems as well as monitoring the safety of those systems. Specific areas of work include chemical species sensors, thin film thermocouples and strain gages, heat flux gages, fuel gages, SiC based electronic devices and sensors, space qualified electronics, and MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) as well as integrated and multifunctional sensor systems. Each sensor type has its own technical challenges related to integration and reliability in a given application. The general approach has been to develop base sensor technology using microfabrication techniques, integrate sensors with "smart" hardware and software, and demonstrate those systems in a range of aerospace applications. Descriptions of the sensor elements, their integration into sensors systems, and examples of sensor system applications will be discussed. Finally, suggestions related to the future of sensor technology will be given. It is concluded that smart micro/nano sensor technology can revolutionize aerospace applications, but significant challenges exist in maturing the technology and demonstrating its value in real-life applications.

Encyclopedia of Smart Materials, 2 Volume Set

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, Mel

2002-03-01

Smart materials--materials and structures that can impart information about their environment to an observer or monitoring device--are revolutionizing fields as diverse as engineering, optics, and medical technology. Advances in smart materials are impacting disciplines across the scientific and technological landscape. Now, practictioners and researchers have an authoritative source to go to for answers about this emerging new area. Encyclopedia of Smart Materials provides A-to-Z coverage of the entire field of intelligent materials. Discussions of theory, fabrication, processing, applications, and uses of these unique materials are presented here in a collection of concise entries from the world's foremost experts in the field--including scientists, educators and engineers. This encyclopedia is as broad in scope as the technology itself, addressing daily, commercial applications as well as sophisticated units designed to operate in space, underwater, underground, and within the human body. Extensively cross-referenced and generously supplemented with bibliographies and indexes, this book's treatment also broaches the specialized properties and coatings that are required for the use of materials in extreme conditions. Illustrated with photographs, tables, line drawings, and equations, Encyclopedia of Smart Materials is the premier reference for material scientists, chemists, chemical engineers, process engineers, consultants, patent attorneys and students in these areas. An essential resource on the shelves of laboratories, government facilities, and academic libraries. Editor-in-Chief, Mel Schwartz has over forty years of experience with metals, ceramics, and composites, with special expertise in brazing. The holder of five patents, he has authored thirteen books and more than one hundred technical papers and articles. Reach the information you need rapidly and easily with the ONLINE edition of the Encyclopedia of Smart Materials. The online edition delivers all the rich content of the print edition with the added benefits of an advanced search engine and the desktop convenience of web access. For more information or to license the online edition (beginning July 2002) please visit: www.interscience.wiley.com/reference/esm

Spline Approximation of Thin Shell Dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

delRosario, R. C. H.; Smith, R. C.

1996-01-01

A spline-based method for approximating thin shell dynamics is presented here. While the method is developed in the context of the Donnell-Mushtari thin shell equations, it can be easily extended to the Byrne-Flugge-Lur'ye equations or other models for shells of revolution as warranted by applications. The primary requirements for the method include accuracy, flexibility and efficiency in smart material applications. To accomplish this, the method was designed to be flexible with regard to boundary conditions, material nonhomogeneities due to sensors and actuators, and inputs from smart material actuators such as piezoceramic patches. The accuracy of the method was also of primary concern, both to guarantee full resolution of structural dynamics and to facilitate the development of PDE-based controllers which ultimately require real-time implementation. Several numerical examples provide initial evidence demonstrating the efficacy of the method.

Data distribution service-based interoperability framework for smart grid testbed infrastructure

DOE PAGES

Youssef, Tarek A.; Elsayed, Ahmed T.; Mohammed, Osama A.

2016-03-02

This study presents the design and implementation of a communication and control infrastructure for smart grid operation. The proposed infrastructure enhances the reliability of the measurements and control network. The advantages of utilizing the data-centric over message-centric communication approach are discussed in the context of smart grid applications. The data distribution service (DDS) is used to implement a data-centric common data bus for the smart grid. This common data bus improves the communication reliability, enabling distributed control and smart load management. These enhancements are achieved by avoiding a single point of failure while enabling peer-to-peer communication and an automatic discoverymore » feature for dynamic participating nodes. The infrastructure and ideas presented in this paper were implemented and tested on the smart grid testbed. A toolbox and application programing interface for the testbed infrastructure are developed in order to facilitate interoperability and remote access to the testbed. This interface allows control, monitoring, and performing of experiments remotely. Furthermore, it could be used to integrate multidisciplinary testbeds to study complex cyber-physical systems (CPS).« less

VOLTTRON™: An Agent Platform for Integrating Electric Vehicles and Smart Grid

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Haack, Jereme N.; Akyol, Bora A.; Tenney, Nathan D.

2013-12-06

The VOLTTRON™ platform provides a secure environment for the deployment of intelligent applications in the smart grid. VOLTTRON design is based on the needs of control applications running on small form factor devices, namely security and resource guarantees. Services such as resource discovery, secure agent mobility, and interacting with smart and legacy devices are provided by the platform to ease the development of control applications and accelerate their deployment. VOLTTRON platform has been demonstrated in several different domains that influenced and enhanced its capabilities. This paper will discuss the features of VOLTTRON and highlight its usage to coordinate electric vehiclemore » charging with home energy usage« less

Rethinking GIS Towards The Vision Of Smart Cities Through CityGML

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guney, C.

2016-10-01

Smart cities present a substantial growth opportunity in the coming years. The role of GIS in the smart city ecosystem is to integrate different data acquired by sensors in real time and provide better decisions, more efficiency and improved collaboration. Semantically enriched vision of GIS will help evolve smart cities into tomorrow's much smarter cities since geospatial/location data and applications may be recognized as a key ingredient of smart city vision. However, it is need for the Geospatial Information communities to debate on "Is 3D Web and mobile GIS technology ready for smart cities?" This research places an emphasis on the challenges of virtual 3D city models on the road to smarter cities.

Independence and shared decision making: the role of smart home technology in empowering older adults.

PubMed

Demiris, George

2009-01-01

This study aims to explore the concepts of independence and shared decision making in the context of smart home technologies for older adults. We conducted a Delphi study with three rounds involving smart home designers, and researchers as well as community dwelling older adults. While there were differences in the way different stakeholders define these concepts, the study findings provide clear implications for the design, implementation and evaluation of smart home applications.

Evaluation of 3D printed optofluidic smart glass prototypes.

PubMed

Wolfe, Daniel; Goossen, K W

2018-01-22

Smart glass or smart windows are an innovative technology used for thermal management, energy efficiency, and privacy applications. Notable commercially available smart glass relies on an electric stimuli to modulate the glass from a transparent to a translucent mode of operation. However, the current market technologies, such as electrochromic, polymer dispersed liquid crystal, and suspended particle devices are expensive and suffer from solar absorption, poor transmittance modulation, and in some cases, continuous power consumption. The authors of this paper present a novel optofluidic smart glass prototype capable of modulating visible light transmittance from 8% to 85%.

Integrating Dynamic Data and Sensors with Semantic 3D City Models in the Context of Smart Cities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaturvedi, K.; Kolbe, T. H.

2016-10-01

Smart cities provide effective integration of human, physical and digital systems operating in the built environment. The advancements in city and landscape models, sensor web technologies, and simulation methods play a significant role in city analyses and improving quality of life of citizens and governance of cities. Semantic 3D city models can provide substantial benefits and can become a central information backbone for smart city infrastructures. However, current generation semantic 3D city models are static in nature and do not support dynamic properties and sensor observations. In this paper, we propose a new concept called Dynamizer allowing to represent highly dynamic data and providing a method for injecting dynamic variations of city object properties into the static representation. The approach also provides direct capability to model complex patterns based on statistics and general rules and also, real-time sensor observations. The concept is implemented as an Application Domain Extension for the CityGML standard. However, it could also be applied to other GML-based application schemas including the European INSPIRE data themes and national standards for topography and cadasters like the British Ordnance Survey Mastermap or the German cadaster standard ALKIS.

Sense, decide, act, communicate (SDAC): next generation of smart sensor systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berry, Nina; Davis, Jesse; Ko, Teresa H.; Kyker, Ron; Pate, Ron; Stark, Doug; Stinnett, Regan; Baker, James; Cushner, Adam; Van Dyke, Colin; Kyckelhahn, Brian

2004-09-01

The recent war on terrorism and increased urban warfare has been a major catalysis for increased interest in the development of disposable unattended wireless ground sensors. While the application of these sensors to hostile domains has been generally governed by specific tasks, this research explores a unique paradigm capitalizing on the fundamental functionality related to sensor systems. This functionality includes a sensors ability to Sense - multi-modal sensing of environmental events, Decide - smart analysis of sensor data, Act - response to environmental events, and Communication - internal to system and external to humans (SDAC). The main concept behind SDAC sensor systems is to integrate the hardware, software, and networking to generate 'knowledge and not just data'. This research explores the usage of wireless SDAC units to collectively make up a sensor system capable of persistent, adaptive, and autonomous behavior. These systems are base on the evaluation of scenarios and existing systems covering various domains. This paper presents a promising view of sensor network characteristics, which will eventually yield smart (intelligent collectives) network arrays of SDAC sensing units generally applicable to multiple related domains. This paper will also discuss and evaluate the demonstration system developed to test the concepts related to SDAC systems.

Smart-actuated continuous moldline technology (CMT) mini wind tunnel test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pitt, Dale M.; Dunne, James P.; Kilian, Kevin J.

1999-07-01

The Smart Aircraft and Marine Propulsion System Demonstration (SAMPSON) Program will culminate in two separate demonstrations of the application of Smart Materials and Structures technology. One demonstration will be for an aircraft application and the other for marine vehicles. The aircraft portion of the program will examine the application of smart materials to aircraft engine inlets which will deform the inlet in-flight in order to regulate the airflow rate into the engine. Continuous Moldline Technology (CMT), a load-bearing reinforced elastomer, will enable the use of smart materials in this application. The capabilities of CMT to withstand high-pressure subsonic and supersonic flows were tested in a sub-scale mini wind- tunnel. The fixture, used as the wind-tunnel test section, was designed to withstand pressure up to 100 psi. The top and bottom walls were 1-inch thick aluminum and the side walls were 1-inch thick LEXAN. High-pressure flow was introduced from the Boeing St. Louis poly-sonic wind tunnel supply line. CMT walls, mounted conformal to the upper and lower surfaces, were deflected inward to obtain a converging-diverging nozzle. The CMT walls were instrumented for vibration and deflection response. Schlieren photography was used to establish shock wave motion. Static pressure taps, embedded within one of the LEXAN walls, monitored pressure variation in the mini-wind tunnel. High mass flow in the exit region. This test documented the response of CMT technology in the presence of high subsonic flow and provided data to be used in the design of the SAMPSON Smart Inlet.

Fiber-Optic Sensor And Smart Structures Research At Florida Institute Of Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grossman, Barry G.; Alavie, A. Tino; Ham, Fredric M.; Franke, Jorge E.; Thursby, Michael H.

1990-02-01

This paper discusses the fundamental issues being investigated by Florida Institute of Technology (F.I.T.) to implement the technology of smart structural systems for DoD, NASA, and commercial applications. Embedded sensors and actuators controlled by processors can provide a modification of the mechanical characteristics of composite structures to produce smart structures1-3. Recent advances in material science have spurred the development and use of composite materials in a wide range of applications from rotocraft blades and advanced tactical fighter aircraft to undersea and aerospace structures. Along with the advantages of an increased strength-to-weight ratio, the use of these materials has raised a number of questions related to understanding their failure mechanisms. Also, being able to predict structural failures far enough in advance to prevent them and to provide real-time structural health and damage monitoring has become a realistic possibility. Unfortunately, conventional sensors, actuators, and digital processors, although highly developed and well proven for other systems, may not be best suited for most smart structure applications. Our research has concentrated on few-mode and polarimetric single-fiber strain sensors4-7 and optically activated shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators controlled by artificial neural processors. We have constructed and characterized both few-mode and polarimetric sensors for a variety of fiber types, including standard single-mode, high-birefringence polarization preserving, and low-birefringence polarization insensitive fibers. We have investigated signal processing techniques for these sensors and have demonstrated active phase tracking for the high- and low-birefringence polarimetric sensors through the incorporation into the system of an electrooptic modulator designed and fabricated at F.I.T.. We have also started the design and testing of neural network architectures for processing the sensor signal outputs to calculate strain magnitude and actuator control signals for simple structures.

A Current Sensor Based on the Giant Magnetoresistance Effect: Design and Potential Smart Grid Applications

PubMed Central

Ouyang, Yong; He, Jinliang; Hu, Jun; Wang, Shan X.

2012-01-01

Advanced sensing and measurement techniques are key technologies to realize a smart grid. The giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect has revolutionized the fields of data storage and magnetic measurement. In this work, a design of a GMR current sensor based on a commercial analog GMR chip for applications in a smart grid is presented and discussed. Static, dynamic and thermal properties of the sensor were characterized. The characterizations showed that in the operation range from 0 to ±5 A, the sensor had a sensitivity of 28 mV·A−1, linearity of 99.97%, maximum deviation of 2.717%, frequency response of −1.5 dB at 10 kHz current measurement, and maximum change of the amplitude response of 0.0335%·°C−1 with thermal compensation. In the distributed real-time measurement and monitoring of a smart grid system, the GMR current sensor shows excellent performance and is cost effective, making it suitable for applications such as steady-state and transient-state monitoring. With the advantages of having a high sensitivity, high linearity, small volume, low cost, and simple structure, the GMR current sensor is promising for the measurement and monitoring of smart grids. PMID:23202221

A current sensor based on the giant magnetoresistance effect: design and potential smart grid applications.

PubMed

Ouyang, Yong; He, Jinliang; Hu, Jun; Wang, Shan X

2012-11-09

Advanced sensing and measurement techniques are key technologies to realize a smart grid. The giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect has revolutionized the fields of data storage and magnetic measurement. In this work, a design of a GMR current sensor based on a commercial analog GMR chip for applications in a smart grid is presented and discussed. Static, dynamic and thermal properties of the sensor were characterized. The characterizations showed that in the operation range from 0 to ±5 A, the sensor had a sensitivity of 28 mV·A(-1), linearity of 99.97%, maximum deviation of 2.717%, frequency response of −1.5 dB at 10 kHz current measurement, and maximum change of the amplitude response of 0.0335%·°C(-1) with thermal compensation. In the distributed real-time measurement and monitoring of a smart grid system, the GMR current sensor shows excellent performance and is cost effective, making it suitable for applications such as steady-state and transient-state monitoring. With the advantages of having a high sensitivity, high linearity, small volume, low cost, and simple structure, the GMR current sensor is promising for the measurement and monitoring of smart grids.

Chemical Oxidative Polymerization of Polyaniline: A Practical Approach for Preparation of Smart Conductive Textiles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abu-Thabit, Nedal Y.

2016-01-01

Electrically conducting polymers are one of the promising alternative materials for technological applications in many interdisciplinary areas, including chemistry, material sciences, and engineering. This experiment was designed for providing undergraduate students with a quick and practical approach for preparation of a polyaniline-conducting…

76 FR 7187 - Priorities for Addressing Risks to the Reliability of the Bulk-Power System; Reliability...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-09

... emerging challenges facing the power grid? b. Do the CIP standards assure cyber security, including... Smart Grid applications have non-cyber reliability implications that need to be addressed? d. What steps... (NERC). Ronald L. Litzinger, President, Southern California Edison Company. Stephen J. Wright...

The SMART Platform: early experience enabling substitutable applications for electronic health records

PubMed Central

Mandel, Joshua C; Murphy, Shawn N; Bernstam, Elmer Victor; Ramoni, Rachel L; Kreda, David A; McCoy, J Michael; Adida, Ben; Kohane, Isaac S

2012-01-01

Objective The Substitutable Medical Applications, Reusable Technologies (SMART) Platforms project seeks to develop a health information technology platform with substitutable applications (apps) constructed around core services. The authors believe this is a promising approach to driving down healthcare costs, supporting standards evolution, accommodating differences in care workflow, fostering competition in the market, and accelerating innovation. Materials and methods The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, through the Strategic Health IT Advanced Research Projects (SHARP) Program, funds the project. The SMART team has focused on enabling the property of substitutability through an app programming interface leveraging web standards, presenting predictable data payloads, and abstracting away many details of enterprise health information technology systems. Containers—health information technology systems, such as electronic health records (EHR), personally controlled health records, and health information exchanges that use the SMART app programming interface or a portion of it—marshal data sources and present data simply, reliably, and consistently to apps. Results The SMART team has completed the first phase of the project (a) defining an app programming interface, (b) developing containers, and (c) producing a set of charter apps that showcase the system capabilities. A focal point of this phase was the SMART Apps Challenge, publicized by the White House, using http://www.challenge.gov website, and generating 15 app submissions with diverse functionality. Conclusion Key strategic decisions must be made about the most effective market for further disseminating SMART: existing market-leading EHR vendors, new entrants into the EHR market, or other stakeholders such as health information exchanges. PMID:22427539

Information and Communication Technology and Electric Vehicles — Paving the Way towards a Smart Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mase, Kenichi

A smart community can be considered an essential component to realize a sustainable, low-carbon, and disaster-tolerant society, thereby providing a base for community inhabitants to lead a simple, healthy, and energy-saving way of life as well as ensuring safety, security, and a high quality-of-life in the community. In particular, a smart community can be essential for senior citizens in an aging society. Smart community enablers such as information and communication technology (ICT) and electric vehicles (EVs) can perform essential roles to realize a smart community. With regard to ICT, the necessity of a dedicated wireless sensor backbone has been identified. With regard to EV, a small-sized EV with one or two seats (Mini-EV) has been identified as an emerging player to support personal daily mobility in an aged society. The Mini-EV may be powered by a solar battery, thereby mitigating vehicular maintenance burden for the elderly. It is essential to realize a dependable ICT network and communication service for a smart community. In the study, we present the concept of trans-locatable design to achieve this goal. The two possible roles of EVs in contributing to a dependable ICT network are highlighted; these include EV charging of the batteries of the base stations in the network, and the creation of a Mini-EV based ad-hoc network that can enable applications such as safe driving assistance and secure neighborhoods.

Lithium-Ion Batteries for Aerospace Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Surampudi, S.; Halpert, G.; Marsh, R. A.; James, R.

1999-01-01

This presentation reviews: (1) the goals and objectives, (2) the NASA and Airforce requirements, (3) the potential near term missions, (4) management approach, (5) the technical approach and (6) the program road map. The objectives of the program include: (1) develop high specific energy and long life lithium ion cells and smart batteries for aerospace and defense applications, (2) establish domestic production sources, and to demonstrate technological readiness for various missions. The management approach is to encourage the teaming of universities, R&D organizations, and battery manufacturing companies, to build on existing commercial and government technology, and to develop two sources for manufacturing cells and batteries. The technological approach includes: (1) develop advanced electrode materials and electrolytes to achieve improved low temperature performance and long cycle life, (2) optimize cell design to improve specific energy, cycle life and safety, (3) establish manufacturing processes to ensure predictable performance, (4) establish manufacturing processes to ensure predictable performance, (5) develop aerospace lithium ion cells in various AH sizes and voltages, (6) develop electronics for smart battery management, (7) develop a performance database required for various applications, and (8) demonstrate technology readiness for the various missions. Charts which review the requirements for the Li-ion battery development program are presented.

High-authority smart material integrated electric actuator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weisensel, G. N.; Pierce, Thomas D.; Zunkel, Gary

1997-05-01

For many current applications, hydraulic power is still the preferred method of gaining mechanical advantage. However, in many of these applications, this power comes with the penalties of high weight, size, cost, and maintenance due to the system's distributed nature and redundancy requirements. A high authority smart material Integrated Electric Actuator (IEA) is a modular, self-contained linear motion device that is capable of producing dynamic output strokes similar to those of hydraulic actuators yet at significantly reduced weight and volume. It provides system simplification and miniaturization. This actuator concept has many innovative features, including a TERFENOL-D-based pump, TERFENOL-D- based active valves, control algorithms, a displacement amplification unit and integrated, unitized packaging. The IEA needs only electrical power and a control command signal as inputs to provide high authority, high response rate actuation. This approach is directly compatible with distributed control strategies. Aircraft control, automotive brakes and fuel injection, and fluid power delivery are just some examples of the IEA's pervasive applications in aerospace, defense and commercial systems.

77 FR 2734 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request: Solar Cell: A Mobile UV Manager for Smart Phones (NCI)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-19

... Request: Solar Cell: A Mobile UV Manager for Smart Phones (NCI) SUMMARY: In compliance with the... Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Proposed Collection: Title: Solar Cell: A Mobile UV... Collection: The overall goal of the study is to design a smart phone application, Solar Cell, which uses...

An Open Source “Smart Lamp” for the Optimization of Plant Systems and Thermal Comfort of Offices

PubMed Central

Salamone, Francesco; Belussi, Lorenzo; Danza, Ludovico; Ghellere, Matteo; Meroni, Italo

2016-01-01

The article describes the design phase, development and practical application of a smart object integrated in a desk lamp and called “Smart Lamp”, useful to optimize the indoor thermal comfort and energy savings that are two important workplace issues where the comfort of the workers and the consumption of the building strongly affect the economic balance of a company. The Smart Lamp was built using a microcontroller, an integrated temperature and relative humidity sensor, some other modules and a 3D printer. This smart device is similar to the desk lamps that are usually found in offices but it allows one to adjust the indoor thermal comfort, by interacting directly with the air conditioner. After the construction phase, the Smart Lamp was installed in an office normally occupied by four workers to evaluate the indoor thermal comfort and the cooling consumption in summer. The results showed how the application of the Smart Lamp effectively reduced the energy consumption, optimizing the thermal comfort. The use of DIY approach combined with read-write functionality of websites, blog and social platforms, also allowed to customize, improve, share, reproduce and interconnect technologies so that anybody could use them in any occupied environment. PMID:26959035

Survey on the use of smart and adaptive engineering systems in medicine.

PubMed

Abbod, M F; Linkens, D A; Mahfouf, M; Dounias, G

2002-11-01

In this paper, the current published knowledge about smart and adaptive engineering systems in medicine is reviewed. The achievements of frontier research in this particular field within medical engineering are described. A multi-disciplinary approach to the applications of adaptive systems is observed from the literature surveyed. The three modalities of diagnosis, imaging and therapy are considered to be an appropriate classification method for the analysis of smart systems being applied to specified medical sub-disciplines. It is expected that future research in biomedicine should identify subject areas where more advanced intelligent systems could be applied than is currently evident. The literature provides evidence of hybridisation of different types of adaptive and smart systems with applications in different areas of medical specifications. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.

A comprehensive review of select smart polymeric and gel actuators for soft mechatronics and robotics applications: fundamentals, freeform fabrication, and motion control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrico, James D.; Tyler, Tom; Leang, Kam K.

2017-10-01

Smart polymeric and gel actuators change shape or size in response to stimuli like electricity, heat, or light. These smart polymeric- and gel-based actuators are compliant and well suited for development of soft mechatronic and robotic devices. This paper provides a thorough review of select smart polymeric and gel actuator materials where an automated and freeform fabrication process, like 3D printing, is exploited to create custom shaped monolithic devices. In particular, the advantages and limitations, examples of applications, manufacturing and fabrication techniques, and methods for actuator control are discussed. Finally, a rigorous comparison and analysis of some of the advantages and limitations, as well as manufacturing processes, for these materials, are presented.

Sensor Fusion and Smart Sensor in Sports and Biomedical Applications.

PubMed

Mendes, José Jair Alves; Vieira, Mário Elias Marinho; Pires, Marcelo Bissi; Stevan, Sergio Luiz

2016-09-23

The following work presents an overview of smart sensors and sensor fusion targeted at biomedical applications and sports areas. In this work, the integration of these areas is demonstrated, promoting a reflection about techniques and applications to collect, quantify and qualify some physical variables associated with the human body. These techniques are presented in various biomedical and sports applications, which cover areas related to diagnostics, rehabilitation, physical monitoring, and the development of performance in athletes, among others. Although some applications are described in only one of two fields of study (biomedicine and sports), it is very likely that the same application fits in both, with small peculiarities or adaptations. To illustrate the contemporaneity of applications, an analysis of specialized papers published in the last six years has been made. In this context, the main characteristic of this review is to present the largest quantity of relevant examples of sensor fusion and smart sensors focusing on their utilization and proposals, without deeply addressing one specific system or technique, to the detriment of the others.

Ambient Intelligence in a Smart Home for Energy Efficiency and Eldercare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Silva, Liyanage C.; Petra, M. Iskandar; Punchihewa, G. Amal

In this paper we present our research results related to smart monitoring, control and communication with the main objective of energy efficiency and eldercare in mind. One of the main objectives of this research work is to use multitude of different sensors to monitor activities in a smart home and use the results to control the home environment to meet the objectives of energy efficiency and eldercare. Here we present the application of the smart monitoring to a prototype system.

Active coatings technologies for tailorable military coating systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zunino, J. L., III

2007-04-01

The main objective of the U.S. Army's Active Coatings Technologies Program is to develop technologies that can be used in combination to tailor coatings for utilization on Army Materiel. The Active Coatings Technologies Program, ACT, is divided into several thrusts, including the Smart Coatings Materiel Program, Munitions Coatings Technologies, Active Sensor packages, Systems Health Monitoring, Novel Technology Development, as well as other advanced technologies. The goal of the ACT Program is to conduct research leading to the development of multiple coatings systems for use on various military platforms, incorporating unique properties such as self repair, selective removal, corrosion resistance, sensing, ability to modify coatings' physical properties, colorizing, and alerting logistics staff when tanks or weaponry require more extensive repair. A partnership between the U.S. Army Corrosion Office at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ along with researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, NJ, Clemson University, SC, University of New Hampshire, NH, and University of Massachusetts (Lowell), MA, are developing the next generation of Smart Coatings Materiel via novel technologies such as nanotechnology, Micro-electromechanical Systems (MEMS), meta-materials, flexible electronics, electrochromics, electroluminescence, etc. This paper will provide the reader with an overview of the Active Coatings Technologies Program, including an update of the on-going Smart Coatings Materiel Program, its progress thus far, description of the prototype Smart Coatings Systems and research tasks as well as future nanotechnology concepts, and applications for the Department of Defense.

Cost benefit analysis for smart grid projects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Karali, Nihan; He, Gang; Mauzey, J

The U.S. is unusual in that a definition of the term “smart grid” was written into legislation, appearing in the Energy Independence and Security Act (2007). When the recession called for stimulus spending and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, 2009) was passed, a framework already existed for identification of smart grid projects. About $4.5B of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (U.S. DOE’s) $37B allocation from ARRA was directed to smart grid projects of two types, investment grants and demonstrations. Matching funds from other sources more than doubled the total value of ARRA-funded smart grid projects. The Smart Gridmore » Investment Grant Program (SGIG) consumed all but $620M of the ARRA funds, which was available for the 32 projects in the Smart Grid Demonstration Program (SGDP, or demonstrations). Given the economic potential of these projects and the substantial investments required, there was keen interest in estimating the benefits of the projects (i.e., quantifying and monetizing the performance of smart grid technologies). Common method development and application, data collection, and analysis to calculate and publicize the benefits were central objectives of the program. For this purpose standard methods and a software tool, the Smart Grid Computational Tool (SGCT), were developed by U.S. DOE and a spreadsheet model was made freely available to grantees and other analysts. The methodology was intended to define smart grid technologies or assets, the mechanisms by which they generate functions, their impacts and, ultimately, their benefits. The SGCT and its application to the Demonstration Projects are described, and actual projects in Southern California and in China are selected to test and illustrate the tool. The usefulness of the methodology and tool for international analyses is then assessed.« less

'Smart' nanoparticles as drug delivery systems for applications in tumor therapy.

PubMed

Fang, Zhi; Wan, Lin-Yan; Chu, Liang-Yin; Zhang, Yan-Qiong; Wu, Jiang-Feng

2015-01-01

In the therapy of clinical diseases such as cancer, it is important to deliver drugs directly to tumor sites in order to maximize local drug concentration and reduce side effects. This objective may be realized by using 'smart' nanoparticles (NPs) as drug delivery systems, because they enable dramatic conformational changes in response to specific physical/chemical stimuli from the diseased cells for targeted and controlled drug release. In this review, we first briefly summarize the characteristics of 'smart' NPs as drug delivery systems in medical therapy, and then discuss their targeting transport, transmembrane and endosomal escape behaviors. Lastly, we focus on the applications of 'smart' NPs as drug delivery systems for tumor therapy. Biodegradable 'smart' NPs have the potential to achieve maximum efficacy and drug availability at the desired sites, and reduce the harmful side effects for healthy tissues in tumor therapy. It is necessary to select appropriate NPs and modify their characteristics according to treatment strategies of tumor therapy.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Youssef, Tarek A.; Elsayed, Ahmed T.; Mohammed, Osama A.

This study presents the design and implementation of a communication and control infrastructure for smart grid operation. The proposed infrastructure enhances the reliability of the measurements and control network. The advantages of utilizing the data-centric over message-centric communication approach are discussed in the context of smart grid applications. The data distribution service (DDS) is used to implement a data-centric common data bus for the smart grid. This common data bus improves the communication reliability, enabling distributed control and smart load management. These enhancements are achieved by avoiding a single point of failure while enabling peer-to-peer communication and an automatic discoverymore » feature for dynamic participating nodes. The infrastructure and ideas presented in this paper were implemented and tested on the smart grid testbed. A toolbox and application programing interface for the testbed infrastructure are developed in order to facilitate interoperability and remote access to the testbed. This interface allows control, monitoring, and performing of experiments remotely. Furthermore, it could be used to integrate multidisciplinary testbeds to study complex cyber-physical systems (CPS).« less

Study of Smart Campus Development Using Internet of Things Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widya Sari, Marti; Wahyu Ciptadi, Prahenusa; Hafid Hardyanto, R.

2017-04-01

This paper describes the development of smart campus using Internet of Things (IoT) technology. Through smart campus, it is possible that a campus is connected via online by the outside entity, so that the teaching approach based on technology can be conducted in real time. This research was conducted in smart education, smart parking and smart room. Observation and literature studies were applied as the research method with the related theme for the sake of system design of smart campus. The result of this research is the design of smart campus system that includes smart education development, smart parking and smart room with the sake of Universitas PGRI Yogyakarta as the case study.

Motionless active depth from defocus system using smart optics for camera autofocus applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amin, M. Junaid; Riza, Nabeel A.

2016-04-01

This paper describes a motionless active Depth from Defocus (DFD) system design suited for long working range camera autofocus applications. The design consists of an active illumination module that projects a scene illuminating coherent conditioned optical radiation pattern which maintains its sharpness over multiple axial distances allowing an increased DFD working distance range. The imager module of the system responsible for the actual DFD operation deploys an electronically controlled variable focus lens (ECVFL) as a smart optic to enable a motionless imager design capable of effective DFD operation. An experimental demonstration is conducted in the laboratory which compares the effectiveness of the coherent conditioned radiation module versus a conventional incoherent active light source, and demonstrates the applicability of the presented motionless DFD imager design. The fast response and no-moving-parts features of the DFD imager design are especially suited for camera scenarios where mechanical motion of lenses to achieve autofocus action is challenging, for example, in the tiny camera housings in smartphones and tablets. Applications for the proposed system include autofocus in modern day digital cameras.

Open data models for smart health interconnected applications: the example of openEHR.

PubMed

Demski, Hans; Garde, Sebastian; Hildebrand, Claudia

2016-10-22

Smart Health is known as a concept that enhances networking, intelligent data processing and combining patient data with other parameters. Open data models can play an important role in creating a framework for providing interoperable data services that support the development of innovative Smart Health applications profiting from data fusion and sharing. This article describes a model-driven engineering approach based on standardized clinical information models and explores its application for the development of interoperable electronic health record systems. The following possible model-driven procedures were considered: provision of data schemes for data exchange, automated generation of artefacts for application development and native platforms that directly execute the models. The applicability of the approach in practice was examined using the openEHR framework as an example. A comprehensive infrastructure for model-driven engineering of electronic health records is presented using the example of the openEHR framework. It is shown that data schema definitions to be used in common practice software development processes can be derived from domain models. The capabilities for automatic creation of implementation artefacts (e.g., data entry forms) are demonstrated. Complementary programming libraries and frameworks that foster the use of open data models are introduced. Several compatible health data platforms are listed. They provide standard based interfaces for interconnecting with further applications. Open data models help build a framework for interoperable data services that support the development of innovative Smart Health applications. Related tools for model-driven application development foster semantic interoperability and interconnected innovative applications.

Special Designed Activities for Learning English Language through the Application of WhatsApp!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zayed, Niveen Mohammad

2016-01-01

Students nowadays have strong passion towards the smart mobile phones with all their smart applications. The researcher believes that English language teachers can use the mobile phones, from each now and then, to increase the students' motivation. In this paper, the researcher designed a number of special activities that can be delivered to the…

2017 SmartWay Logistics Tool Demonstration

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EPA presentation provides information on the SmartWay Logistics Carrier Tool: its background and development, participation in the program, application process, emission metrics, tool demonstration, data collection, and schedule for 2017.

2017 SmartWay Shipper Tool Demonstration

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EPA presentation provides information on the SmartWay Logistics Carrier Tool: its background and development, participation in the program, application process, emission metrics, tool demonstration, data collection, and schedule for 2017.

From Secure Memories to Smart Card Security

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Handschuh, Helena; Trichina, Elena

Non-volatile memory is essential in most embedded security applications. It will store the key and other sensitive materials for cryptographic and security applications. In this chapter, first an overview is given of current flash memory architectures. Next the standard security features which form the basis of so-called secure memories are described in more detail. Smart cards are a typical embedded application that is very vulnerable to attacks and that at the same time has a high need for secure non-volatile memory. In the next part of this chapter, the secure memories of so-called flash-based high-density smart cards are described. It is followed by a detailed analysis of what the new security challenges for such objects are.

Smart Roadside System for Driver Assistance and Safety Warnings: Framework and Applications

PubMed Central

Jang, Jeong Ah; Kim, Hyun Suk; Cho, Han Byeog

2011-01-01

The use of newly emerging sensor technologies in traditional roadway systems can provide real-time traffic services to drivers through Telematics and Intelligent Transport Systems (ITSs). This paper introduces a smart roadside system that utilizes various sensors for driver assistance and traffic safety warnings. This paper shows two road application models for a smart roadside system and sensors: a red-light violation warning system for signalized intersections, and a speed advisory system for highways. Evaluation results for the two services are then shown using a micro-simulation method. In the given real-time applications for drivers, the framework and certain algorithms produce a very efficient solution with respect to the roadway type features and sensor type use. PMID:22164025

Transforming Ordinary Buildings into Smart Buildings via Low-Cost, Self-Powering Wireless Sensors & Sensor Networks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Feng, Philip

The research objective of this project is to design and demonstrate a low-cost, compact, easy-to-deploy, maintenance-free sensor node technology, and a network of such sensors, which enable the monitoring of multiphysical parameters and can transform today’s ordinary buildings into smart buildings with environmental awareness. We develop the sensor node and network via engineering and integration of existing technologies, including high-efficiency mechanical energy harvesting, and ultralow-power integrated circuits (ICs) for sensing and wireless communication. Through integration and innovative power management via specifically designed low-power control circuits for wireless sensing applications, and tailoring energy-harvesting components to indoor applications, the target products willmore » have smaller volume, higher efficiency, and much lower cost (in both manufacturing and maintenance) than the baseline technology. Our development and commercialization objective is to create prototypes for our target products under the CWRU-Intwine collaboration.« less

Dramatically Promoted Swelling of a Hydrogel by Pillar[6]arene-Ferrocene Complexation with Multistimuli Responsiveness.

PubMed

Ni, Mengfei; Zhang, Ning; Xia, Wei; Wu, Xuan; Yao, Chenhao; Liu, Xin; Hu, Xiao-Yu; Lin, Chen; Wang, Leyong

2016-05-25

The swelling-shrinking transition of hydrogels is crucial for their wide applications such as actuators and drug delivery. We hereby fabricated a smart hydrogel with ferrocene groups on pendant of polymer networks. While it was immersed in the water-soluble pillar[6]arene (WP6) aqueous solution, the hydrogel was dramatically swollen, which was an approximately 11-fold promotion in weight compared with that in pure water, due to the formation of the inclusion complexes between WP6 and ferrocene groups in the hydrogel. In particular, the well-swollen hydrogel exhibited good responsiveness to multistimuli including temperature, pH, redox, and competitive guests by tuning the dissociation/formation of WP6-ferrocene inclusion complexes or the strength of their charges. Meanwhile, potential application of such a smart hydrogel in pH-responsive drug release was demonstrated as well.

Mobile Language Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-08-18

Language Study 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5d. TASK NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Professor Mads Dam, Pablo Giambiagi 5e...Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8/98) Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39-18 SPC 01-4025 Mobile Language Study Final...smart card applications. Smart cards can be programmed using general-purpose languages ; but because of their limited resources, smart card programs

New Technologies for Smart Grid Operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mak, Sioe T.

2015-02-01

This book is a handbook for advanced applications design and integration of new and future technologies into Smart Grids for researchers and engineers in academia and industry, looking to pull together disparate technologies and apply them for greater gains. The book covers Smart Grids as the midpoint in the generation, storage, transmission and distribution process through to database management, communication technologies, intelligent devices and synchronisation.

Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensor Based on Smart Phone Platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yun; Liu, Qiang; Chen, Shimeng; Cheng, Fang; Wang, Hanqi; Peng, Wei

2015-08-01

We demonstrate a fiber optic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor based on smart phone platforms. The light-weight optical components and sensing element are connected by optical fibers on a phone case. This SPR adaptor can be conveniently installed or removed from smart phones. The measurement, control and reference channels are illuminated by the light entering the lead-in fibers from the phone’s LED flash, while the light from the end faces of the lead-out fibers is detected by the phone’s camera. The SPR-sensing element is fabricated by a light-guiding silica capillary that is stripped off its cladding and coated with 50-nm gold film. Utilizing a smart application to extract the light intensity information from the camera images, the light intensities of each channel are recorded every 0.5 s with refractive index (RI) changes. The performance of the smart phone-based SPR platform for accurate and repeatable measurements was evaluated by detecting different concentrations of antibody binding to a functionalized sensing element, and the experiment results were validated through contrast experiments with a commercial SPR instrument. This cost-effective and portable SPR biosensor based on smart phones has many applications, such as medicine, health and environmental monitoring.

Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensor Based on Smart Phone Platforms.

PubMed

Liu, Yun; Liu, Qiang; Chen, Shimeng; Cheng, Fang; Wang, Hanqi; Peng, Wei

2015-08-10

We demonstrate a fiber optic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor based on smart phone platforms. The light-weight optical components and sensing element are connected by optical fibers on a phone case. This SPR adaptor can be conveniently installed or removed from smart phones. The measurement, control and reference channels are illuminated by the light entering the lead-in fibers from the phone's LED flash, while the light from the end faces of the lead-out fibers is detected by the phone's camera. The SPR-sensing element is fabricated by a light-guiding silica capillary that is stripped off its cladding and coated with 50-nm gold film. Utilizing a smart application to extract the light intensity information from the camera images, the light intensities of each channel are recorded every 0.5 s with refractive index (RI) changes. The performance of the smart phone-based SPR platform for accurate and repeatable measurements was evaluated by detecting different concentrations of antibody binding to a functionalized sensing element, and the experiment results were validated through contrast experiments with a commercial SPR instrument. This cost-effective and portable SPR biosensor based on smart phones has many applications, such as medicine, health and environmental monitoring.

Lessons learned from the development of health applications in a tertiary hospital.

PubMed

Park, Joong-Yeol; Lee, Guna; Shin, Soo-Yong; Kim, Jeong Hun; Han, Hye-Won; Kwon, Tae-Wan; Kim, Woo Sung; Lee, Jae Ho

2014-03-01

Adoption of smart devices for hospital use has been increasing with the development of health applications (apps) for patient point-of-care and hospital management. To promote the use of health apps, we describe the lessons learned from developing 12 health apps in the largest tertiary hospital in Korea. We reviewed and analyzed 12 routinely used apps in three categories-Smart Clinic, Smart Patient, and Smart Hospital-based on target users and functions. The log data for each app were collected from the date of release up until December 2012. Medical personnel accessed a mobile electronic medical record app classified as Smart Clinic an average of 452 times per day. Smart Hospital apps are actively used to communicate with each other. Patients logged on to a mobile personal health record app categorized as Smart Patient an average of 222 times per day. As the mobile trend, the choice of supporting operating system (OS) is more difficult. By developing these apps, a monitoring system is needed for evaluation. We described the lessons learned regarding OS support, device choice, and developmental strategy. The OS can be chosen according to market share or hospital strategic plan. Smartphones were favored compared with tablets. Alliance with an information technology company can be the best way to develop apps. Health apps designed for smart devices can be used to improve healthcare. However, to develop health apps, hospitals must define their future goals and carefully consider all the aspects.

Smart Mirrors for Photorefractive Control of Light with Tim Bunning, RX - Agile Filters Application

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-08

AFRL-AFOSR-UK-TR-2017-0008 Smart Mirrors for photorefractive control of light with Tim Bunning, RX-- Agile filters application Luciano De Sio...photorefractive control of light with Tim Bunning, RX-- Agile filters application 5a.  CONTRACT NUMBER 5b.  GRANT NUMBER FA9550-14-1-0050 5c.  PROGRAM...photorefractive, switchable optical filters , liquide crystalline composite materials, Switchable reflective holographic gratings, polymer-dispersed liquid

Spatiotemporal Data Organization and Application Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, C.; Yan, S.

2017-09-01

Organization and management of spatiotemporal data is a key support technology for intelligence in all fields of the smart city. The construction of a smart city cannot be realized without spatiotemporal data. Oriented to support intelligent applications this paper proposes an organizational model for spatiotemporal data, and details the construction of a spatiotemporal big data calculation, analysis, and service framework for highly efficient management and intelligent application of spatiotemporal data for the entire data life cycle.

2017 SmartWay Multimodal Carrier Tool Demonstration

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EPA presentation provides information on the SmartWay Multimodal Carrier Tool: its background and development, participation in the program, application process, emission metrics, tool demonstration, data collection, and schedule for 2017.

A self-learning camera for the validation of highly variable and pseudorandom patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelley, Michael

2004-05-01

Reliable and productive manufacturing operations have depended on people to quickly detect and solve problems whenever they appear. Over the last 20 years, more and more manufacturing operations have embraced machine vision systems to increase productivity, reliability and cost-effectiveness, including reducing the number of human operators required. Although machine vision technology has long been capable of solving simple problems, it has still not been broadly implemented. The reason is that until now, no machine vision system has been designed to meet the unique demands of complicated pattern recognition. The ZiCAM family was specifically developed to be the first practical hardware to meet these needs. To be able to address non-traditional applications, the machine vision industry must include smart camera technology that meets its users" demands for lower costs, better performance and the ability to address applications of irregular lighting, patterns and color. The next-generation smart cameras will need to evolve as a fundamentally different kind of sensor, with new technology that behaves like a human but performs like a computer. Neural network based systems, coupled with self-taught, n-space, non-linear modeling, promises to be the enabler of the next generation of machine vision equipment. Image processing technology is now available that enables a system to match an operator"s subjectivity. A Zero-Instruction-Set-Computer (ZISC) powered smart camera allows high-speed fuzzy-logic processing, without the need for computer programming. This can address applications of validating highly variable and pseudo-random patterns. A hardware-based implementation of a neural network, Zero-Instruction-Set-Computer, enables a vision system to "think" and "inspect" like a human, with the speed and reliability of a machine.

Piezoelectric Actuator/Sensor Technology at Rockwell

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neurgaonkar, Ratnakar R.

1996-01-01

We describe the state-of-the art of piezoelectric materials based on perovskite and tungsten bronze families for sensor, actuator and smart structure applications. The microstructural defects in these materials have been eliminated to a large extent and the resulting materials exhibit exceedingly high performance for various applications. The performance of Rockwell actuators/sensors is at least 3 times better than commercially available products. These high performance actuators are being incorporated into various applications including, DOD, NASA and commercial. The multilayer actuator stacks fabricated from our piezoceramics are advantageous for sensing and high capacitance applications. In this presentation, we will describe the use of our high performance piezo-ceramics for actuators and sensors, including multilayer stacks and composite structures.

Gesture recognition for smart home applications using portable radar sensors.

PubMed

Wan, Qian; Li, Yiran; Li, Changzhi; Pal, Ranadip

2014-01-01

In this article, we consider the design of a human gesture recognition system based on pattern recognition of signatures from a portable smart radar sensor. Powered by AAA batteries, the smart radar sensor operates in the 2.4 GHz industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band. We analyzed the feature space using principle components and application-specific time and frequency domain features extracted from radar signals for two different sets of gestures. We illustrate that a nearest neighbor based classifier can achieve greater than 95% accuracy for multi class classification using 10 fold cross validation when features are extracted based on magnitude differences and Doppler shifts as compared to features extracted through orthogonal transformations. The reported results illustrate the potential of intelligent radars integrated with a pattern recognition system for high accuracy smart home and health monitoring purposes.

Blockchain: A Path to Grid Modernization and Cyber Resiliency

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mylrea, Michael E.; Gourisetti, Sri Nikhil G.

Blockchain may help solve several complex problems related to integrity and trustworthiness of rapid, distributed, complex energy transactions and data exchanges. In a move towards resilience, blockchain commoditizes trust and enables automated smart contracts to support auditable multiparty transactions based on predefined rules between distributed energy providers and customers. Blockchain based smart contracts also help remove the need to interact with third-parties, facilitating the adoption and monetization of distributed energy transactions and exchanges, both energy flows as well as financial transactions. This may help reduce transactive energy costs and increase the security and sustainability of distributed energy resource (DER) integration,more » helping to remove barriers to a more decentralized and resilient power grid. This paper explores the application of blockchain and smart contracts to improve smart grid cyber resiliency and secure transactive energy applications.« less

Communication Simulations for Power System Applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fuller, Jason C.; Ciraci, Selim; Daily, Jeffrey A.

2013-05-29

New smart grid technologies and concepts, such as dynamic pricing, demand response, dynamic state estimation, and wide area monitoring, protection, and control, are expected to require considerable communication resources. As the cost of retrofit can be high, future power grids will require the integration of high-speed, secure connections with legacy communication systems, while still providing adequate system control and security. While considerable work has been performed to create co-simulators for the power domain with load models and market operations, limited work has been performed in integrating communications directly into a power domain solver. The simulation of communication and power systemsmore » will become more important as the two systems become more inter-related. This paper will discuss ongoing work at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to create a flexible, high-speed power and communication system co-simulator for smart grid applications. The framework for the software will be described, including architecture considerations for modular, high performance computing and large-scale scalability (serialization, load balancing, partitioning, cross-platform support, etc.). The current simulator supports the ns-3 (telecommunications) and GridLAB-D (distribution systems) simulators. Ongoing and future work will be described, including planned future expansions for a traditional transmission solver. A test case using the co-simulator, utilizing a transactive demand response system created for the Olympic Peninsula and AEP gridSMART demonstrations, requiring two-way communication between distributed and centralized market devices, will be used to demonstrate the value and intended purpose of the co-simulation environment.« less

Smart-DS: Synthetic Models for Advanced, Realistic Testing: Distribution Systems and Scenarios

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Krishnan, Venkat K; Palmintier, Bryan S; Hodge, Brian S

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Universidad Pontificia Comillas (Comillas-IIT, Spain) and GE Grid Solutions, is working on an ARPA-E GRID DATA project, titled Smart-DS, to create: 1) High-quality, realistic, synthetic distribution network models, and 2) Advanced tools for automated scenario generation based on high-resolution weather data and generation growth projections. Through these advancements, the Smart-DS project is envisioned to accelerate the development, testing, and adoption of advanced algorithms, approaches, and technologies for sustainable and resilient electric power systems, especially in the realm of U.S. distribution systems. This talk will present themore » goals and overall approach of the Smart-DS project, including the process of creating the synthetic distribution datasets using reference network model (RNM) and the comprehensive validation process to ensure network realism, feasibility, and applicability to advanced use cases. The talk will provide demonstrations of early versions of synthetic models, along with the lessons learnt from expert engagements to enhance future iterations. Finally, the scenario generation framework, its development plans, and co-ordination with GRID DATA repository teams to house these datasets for public access will also be discussed.« less

Findings from a participatory evaluation of a smart home application for older adults.

PubMed

Demiris, George; Oliver, Debra Parker; Dickey, Geraldine; Skubic, Marjorie; Rantz, Marilyn

2008-01-01

The aim of this paper is to present a participatory evaluation of an actual "smart home" project implemented in an independent retirement facility. Using the participatory evaluation process, residents guided the research team through development and implementation of the initial phase of a smart home project designed to assist residents to remain functionally independent and age in place. We recruited nine residents who provided permission to install the technology in their apartments. We conducted a total of 75 interviews and three observational sessions. Residents expressed overall positive perceptions of the sensor technologies and did not feel that these interfered with their daily activities. The process of adoption and acceptance of the sensors included three phases, familiarization, adjustment and curiosity, and full integration. Residents did not express privacy concerns. They provided detailed feedback and suggestions that were integrated into the redesign of the system. They also reported a sense of control resulting from their active involvement in the evaluation process. Observational sessions confirmed that the sensors were not noticeable and residents did not change their routines. The participatory evaluation approach not only empowers end-users but it also allows for the implementation of smart home systems that address residents' needs.

Randomized, Controlled Pilot Trial of a Smartphone App for Smoking Cessation Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

PubMed Central

Bricker, Jonathan B.; Mull, Kristin; Kientz, Julie A.; Vilardaga, Roger M.; Mercer, Laina D.; Akioka, Katrina; Heffner, Jaimee L.

2014-01-01

Background There is a dual need for (1) innovative theory-based smartphone applications for smoking cessation and (2) controlled trials to evaluate their efficacy. Accordingly, this study tested the feasibility, acceptability, preliminary efficacy, and mechanism of behavioral change of an innovative smartphone-delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) application for smoking cessation versus an application following US Clinical Practice Guidelines. Method Adult participants were recruited nationally into the double-blind randomized controlled pilot trial (N = 196) that compared smartphone-delivered ACT for smoking cessation application (SmartQuit) with the National Cancer Institute's application for smoking cessation (QuitGuide). Results We recruited 196 participants in two months. SmartQuit participants opened their application an average of 37.2 times, as compared to 15.2 times for QuitGuide participants (p <.0001). The overall quit rates were 13% in SmartQuit vs. 8% in QuitGuide (OR=2.7; 95% CI=0.8-10.3). Consistent with ACT's theory of change, among those scoring low (below the median) on acceptance of cravings at baseline (n = 88), the quit rates were 15% in SmartQuit vs. 8% in QuitGuide (OR=2.9; 95% CI=0.6-20.7). Conclusions ACT is feasible to deliver by smartphone application and shows higher engagement and promising quit rates compared to an application that follows US Clinical Practice Guidelines. As results were limited by the pilot design (e.g., small sample), a full-scale efficacy trial is now needed. PMID:25085225

Interactions between 1-MCP and controlled atmosphere storage on quality and storage disorders of fruits and vegetable.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The use of 1-methycyclopropene (1-MCP) to maintain quality attributes of horticultural products has been investigated extensively. Commercial applications of 1-MCP (SmartFreshTM), are made to a range of horticultural crops, including avocados, bananas, melons, persimmons and tomatoes, but the major...

Interactions between 1-MCP and controlled atmospheres on quality and storage disorders of fruits and vegetable

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The use of 1-methycyclopropene (1-MCP) to maintain quality attributes of horticultural products has been investigated extensively. Commercial applications of 1-MCP (SmartFreshTM), are made to a range of horticultural crops, including avocados, bananas, melons, persimmons and tomatoes, but the major...

Chromogenic switchable glazing: Towards the development of the smart window

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lampert, C.M.

1995-06-01

The science and technology of chromogenic materials for switchable glazings in building applications is discussed. These glazings can be used for dynamic control of solar and visible energy. Currently many researchers and engineers are involved with the development of products in this field. A summary of activities in Japan, Europe, Australia, USA and Canada is made. The activities of the International Energy Agency are included. Both non-electrically activated and electrically activated glazings are discussed. Technologies covered in the first category are photochromics, and thermochromics and thermotropics. A discussion of electrically activated chromogenic glazings includes dispersed liquid crystals, dispersed particles andmore » electrochromics. A selection of device structures and performance characteristics are compared. A discussion of transparent conductors is presented. Technical issues concerning large-area development of smart windows are discussed.« less

Smart sensing surveillance video system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Charles; Szu, Harold

2016-05-01

An intelligent video surveillance system is able to detect and identify abnormal and alarming situations by analyzing object movement. The Smart Sensing Surveillance Video (S3V) System is proposed to minimize video processing and transmission, thus allowing a fixed number of cameras to be connected on the system, and making it suitable for its applications in remote battlefield, tactical, and civilian applications including border surveillance, special force operations, airfield protection, perimeter and building protection, and etc. The S3V System would be more effective if equipped with visual understanding capabilities to detect, analyze, and recognize objects, track motions, and predict intentions. In addition, alarm detection is performed on the basis of parameters of the moving objects and their trajectories, and is performed using semantic reasoning and ontologies. The S3V System capabilities and technologies have great potential for both military and civilian applications, enabling highly effective security support tools for improving surveillance activities in densely crowded environments. It would be directly applicable to solutions for emergency response personnel, law enforcement, and other homeland security missions, as well as in applications requiring the interoperation of sensor networks with handheld or body-worn interface devices.

Addressing Data Veracity in Big Data Applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aman, Saima; Chelmis, Charalampos; Prasanna, Viktor

Big data applications such as in smart electric grids, transportation, and remote environment monitoring involve geographically dispersed sensors that periodically send back information to central nodes. In many cases, data from sensors is not available at central nodes at a frequency that is required for real-time modeling and decision-making. This may be due to physical limitations of the transmission networks, or due to consumers limiting frequent transmission of data from sensors located at their premises for security and privacy concerns. Such scenarios lead to partial data problem and raise the issue of data veracity in big data applications. We describemore » a novel solution to the problem of making short term predictions (up to a few hours ahead) in absence of real-time data from sensors in Smart Grid. A key implication of our work is that by using real-time data from only a small subset of influential sensors, we are able to make predictions for all sensors. We thus reduce the communication complexity involved in transmitting sensory data in Smart Grids. We use real-world electricity consumption data from smart meters to empirically demonstrate the usefulness of our method. Our dataset consists of data collected at 15-min intervals from 170 smart meters in the USC Microgrid for 7 years, totaling 41,697,600 data points.« less

Adaptivity and smart algorithms for fluid-structure interaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oden, J. Tinsley

1990-01-01

This paper reviews new approaches in CFD which have the potential for significantly increasing current capabilities of modeling complex flow phenomena and of treating difficult problems in fluid-structure interaction. These approaches are based on the notions of adaptive methods and smart algorithms, which use instantaneous measures of the quality and other features of the numerical flowfields as a basis for making changes in the structure of the computational grid and of algorithms designed to function on the grid. The application of these new techniques to several problem classes are addressed, including problems with moving boundaries, fluid-structure interaction in high-speed turbine flows, flow in domains with receding boundaries, and related problems.

Smart Secure Homes: A Survey of Smart Home Technologies that Sense, Assess, and Respond to Security Threats.

PubMed

Dahmen, Jessamyn; Cook, Diane J; Wang, Xiaobo; Honglei, Wang

2017-08-01

Smart home design has undergone a metamorphosis in recent years. The field has evolved from designing theoretical smart home frameworks and performing scripted tasks in laboratories. Instead, we now find robust smart home technologies that are commonly used by large segments of the population in a variety of settings. Recent smart home applications are focused on activity recognition, health monitoring, and automation. In this paper, we take a look at another important role for smart homes: security. We first explore the numerous ways smart homes can and do provide protection for their residents. Next, we provide a comparative analysis of the alternative tools and research that has been developed for this purpose. We investigate not only existing commercial products that have been introduced but also discuss the numerous research that has been focused on detecting and identifying potential threats. Finally, we close with open challenges and ideas for future research that will keep individuals secure and healthy while in their own homes.

Adaptive Energy Forecasting and Information Diffusion for Smart Power Grids

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Simmhan, Yogesh; Agarwal, Vaibhav; Aman, Saim

2012-05-16

Smart Power Grids exemplify an emerging class of Cyber Physical Applications that exhibit dynamic, distributed and data intensive (D3) characteristics along with an always-on paradigm to support operational needs. Smart Grids are an outcome of instrumentation, such as Phasor Measurement Units and Smart Power Meters, that is being deployed across the transmission and distribution network of electric grids. These sensors provide utilities with improved situation awareness on near-realtime electricity usage by individual consumers, and the power quality and stability of the transmission network.

Feasibility and accessibility of electronic patient-reported outcome measures using a smartphone during routine chemotherapy: a pilot study.

PubMed

Bae, Woo Kyun; Kwon, Jihyun; Lee, Hyun Woo; Lee, Sang-Cheol; Song, Eun-Kee; Shim, Hyeok; Ryu, Keun Ho; Song, Jemin; Seo, Sungbo; Yang, Yaewon; Park, Jong-Hyock; Lee, Ki Hyeong; Han, Hye Sook

2018-05-07

There is growing interest in integrating electronic patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures into routine oncology practice for symptom monitoring. Here, we evaluated the feasibility and accessibility of electronic PRO measures using a smartphone (PRO-SMART) for cancer patients receiving routine chemotherapy. The proposed PRO-SMART application obtains daily personal health record (PHR) data from cancer patients via a smartphone. An analysis report of cumulative PHR data is provided to the clinician in a format suitable for upload to electronic medical records (EMRs). Cancer outpatients who had received at least two cycles of chemotherapy and who were scheduled for two more cycles were enrolled. Between February 2015 and December 2016, 111 patients were screened and 101 of these were included. One-hundred patients used PRO-SMART at least once and were included in the final analysis (90.1% overall accessibility among all screened patients). The number of symptomatic adverse events (AEs) related to chemotherapy recorded in EMRs (mean ± standard deviation [SD]) increased from 0.92 ± 0.80 to 2.26 ± 1.80 (P < 0.001), and grading of AEs increased from 0.81 ± 0.69 to 1.00 ± 0.62 (P = 0.029). After using PRO-SMART, the numeric rating scale for pain (mean ± SD) increased from 0.20 ± 0.72 to 0.99 ± 1.55 (P < 0.001). A patient-reported questionnaire revealed that 64.2% of patients found it useful and 83% found it easy to use. This study suggests that the proposed PRO-SMART is feasible and accessible for assessment of symptomatic AEs in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy for a prospective randomized trial.

A Study of the Relationship between Weather Variables and Electric Power Demand inside a Smart Grid/Smart World Framework

PubMed Central

Hernández, Luis; Baladrón, Carlos; Aguiar, Javier M.; Calavia, Lorena; Carro, Belén; Sánchez-Esguevillas, Antonio; Cook, Diane J.; Chinarro, David; Gómez, Jorge

2012-01-01

One of the main challenges of today's society is the need to fulfill at the same time the two sides of the dichotomy between the growing energy demand and the need to look after the environment. Smart Grids are one of the answers: intelligent energy grids which retrieve data about the environment through extensive sensor networks and react accordingly to optimize resource consumption. In order to do this, the Smart Grids need to understand the existing relationship between energy demand and a set of relevant climatic variables. All smart “systems” (buildings, cities, homes, consumers, etc.) have the potential to employ their intelligence for self-adaptation to climate conditions. After introducing the Smart World, a global framework for the collaboration of these smart systems, this paper presents the relationship found at experimental level between a range of relevant weather variables and electric power demand patterns, presenting a case study using an agent-based system, and emphasizing the need to consider this relationship in certain Smart World (and specifically Smart Grid and microgrid) applications.

Organizational IQ: Characteristics Common to Smart Organizations and Applicability to the U.S. Military

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

overwhelming ( Gottfredson , 1996). In addition to job performance, higher intelligence improves the odds of success in school, ultimate job level attained...necessary, but not sufficient, to build a smart organization. High organizational intelligence can be realized only when the right people are brought...15. NUMBER OF PAGES 89 14. SUBJECT TERMS Organizational intelligence ; Collective intelligence ; Smart organizations; Culture of

Future War: An Assessment of Aerospace Campaigns in 2010,

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-01-01

theoretician: "The impending sixth generation of warfare, with its centerpiece of superior data-processing to support precision smart weaponry, will radically...tions concept of " smart push, warrior pull." If JFACC were colocated with the worldwide intelligence manager, unit taskings and the applicable...intelligence information could be distributed concurrently (" smart push"). Intelligence officers sitting alongside the operational tasking officers would

Tool Demo Webinar: 2017 SmartWay Air Carrier Tool Demonstration

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EPA presentation provides information on the SmartWay Air Carrier Tool: its background and development, participation in the program, application process, emission metrics, tool demonstration, data collection, and schedule for 2017.

Smart FRP Composite Sandwich Bridge Decks in Cold Regions

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-07-01

In this study, new and integrated Smart honeycomb Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (S-FRP) : sandwich materials for various transportation construction applications, with particular emphasis : on highway bridge decks in cold regions, were developed and teste...

An Approach for Smart Antenna Testbed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawitkar, R. S.; Wakde, D. G.

2003-07-01

The use of wireless, mobile, personal communications services are expanding rapidly. Adaptive or "Smart" antenna arrays can increase channel capacity through spatial division. Adaptive antennas can also track mobile users, improving both signal range and quality. For these reasons, smart antenna systems have attracted widespread interest in the telecommunications industry for applications to third generation wireless systems.This paper aims to design and develop an advanced antennas testbed to serve as a common reference for testing adaptive antenna arrays and signal combining algorithms, as well as complete systems. A flexible suite of off line processing software should be written using matlab to perform system calibration, test bed initialization, data acquisition control, data storage/transfer, off line signal processing and analysis and graph plotting. The goal of this paper is to develop low complexity smart antenna structures for 3G systems. The emphasis will be laid on ease of implementation in a multichannel / multi-user environment. A smart antenna test bed will be developed, and various state-of-the-art DSP structures and algorithms will be investigated.Facing the soaring demand for mobile communications, the use of smart antenna arrays in mobile communications systems to exploit spatial diversity to further improve spectral efficiency has recently received considerable attention. Basically, a smart antenna array comprises a number of antenna elements combined via a beamforming network (amplitude and phase control network). Some of the benefits that can be achieved by using SAS (Smart Antenna System) include lower mobile terminal power consumption, range extension, ISI reduction, higher data rate support, and ease of integration into the existing base station system. In terms of economic benefits, adaptive antenna systems employed at base station, though increases the per base station cost, can increase coverage area of each cell site, thereby reducing the total system cost dramatically - often by more than 50% without compromising the system performance. The testbed can be employed to illustrate enhancement of system capacity and service quality in wireless communications.

Ubiquitous Green Computing Techniques for High Demand Applications in Smart Environments

PubMed Central

Zapater, Marina; Sanchez, Cesar; Ayala, Jose L.; Moya, Jose M.; Risco-Martín, José L.

2012-01-01

Ubiquitous sensor network deployments, such as the ones found in Smart cities and Ambient intelligence applications, require constantly increasing high computational demands in order to process data and offer services to users. The nature of these applications imply the usage of data centers. Research has paid much attention to the energy consumption of the sensor nodes in WSNs infrastructures. However, supercomputing facilities are the ones presenting a higher economic and environmental impact due to their very high power consumption. The latter problem, however, has been disregarded in the field of smart environment services. This paper proposes an energy-minimization workload assignment technique, based on heterogeneity and application-awareness, that redistributes low-demand computational tasks from high-performance facilities to idle nodes with low and medium resources in the WSN infrastructure. These non-optimal allocation policies reduce the energy consumed by the whole infrastructure and the total execution time. PMID:23112621

Ubiquitous green computing techniques for high demand applications in Smart environments.

PubMed

Zapater, Marina; Sanchez, Cesar; Ayala, Jose L; Moya, Jose M; Risco-Martín, José L

2012-01-01

Ubiquitous sensor network deployments, such as the ones found in Smart cities and Ambient intelligence applications, require constantly increasing high computational demands in order to process data and offer services to users. The nature of these applications imply the usage of data centers. Research has paid much attention to the energy consumption of the sensor nodes in WSNs infrastructures. However, supercomputing facilities are the ones presenting a higher economic and environmental impact due to their very high power consumption. The latter problem, however, has been disregarded in the field of smart environment services. This paper proposes an energy-minimization workload assignment technique, based on heterogeneity and application-awareness, that redistributes low-demand computational tasks from high-performance facilities to idle nodes with low and medium resources in the WSN infrastructure. These non-optimal allocation policies reduce the energy consumed by the whole infrastructure and the total execution time.

Scalable Decision Support at the Point of Care: A Substitutable Electronic Health Record App for Monitoring Medication Adherence

PubMed Central

Mandel, Joshua; Jonikas, Magdalena; Ramoni, Rachel Badovinac; Kohane, Isaac S; Mandl, Kenneth D

2013-01-01

Background Non-adherence to prescribed medications is a serious health problem in the United States, costing an estimated $100 billion per year. While poor adherence should be addressable with point of care health information technology, integrating new solutions with existing electronic health records (EHR) systems require customization within each organization, which is difficult because of the monolithic software design of most EHR products. Objective The objective of this study was to create a published algorithm for predicting medication adherence problems easily accessible at the point of care through a Web application that runs on the Substitutable Medical Apps, Reusuable Technologies (SMART) platform. The SMART platform is an emerging framework that enables EHR systems to behave as “iPhone like platforms” by exhibiting an application programming interface for easy addition and deletion of third party apps. The app is presented as a point of care solution to monitoring medication adherence as well as a sufficiently general, modular application that may serve as an example and template for other SMART apps. Methods The widely used, open source Django framework was used together with the SMART platform to create the interoperable components of this app. Django uses Python as its core programming language. This allows statistical and mathematical modules to be created from a large array of Python numerical libraries and assembled together with the core app to create flexible and sophisticated EHR functionality. Algorithms that predict individual adherence are derived from a retrospective study of dispensed medication claims from a large private insurance plan. Patients’ prescription fill information is accessed through the SMART framework and the embedded algorithms compute adherence information, including predicted adherence one year after the first prescription fill. Open source graphing software is used to display patient medication information and the results of statistical prediction of future adherence on a clinician-facing Web interface. Results The user interface allows the physician to quickly review all medications in a patient record for potential non-adherence problems. A gap-check and current medication possession ratio (MPR) threshold test are applied to all medications in the record to test for current non-adherence. Predictions of 1-year non-adherence are made for certain drug classes for which external data was available. Information is presented graphically to indicate present non-adherence, or predicted non-adherence at one year, based on early prescription fulfillment patterns. The MPR Monitor app is installed in the SMART reference container as the “MPR Monitor”, where it is publically available for use and testing. MPR is an acronym for Medication Possession Ratio, a commonly used measure of adherence to a prescribed medication regime. This app may be used as an example for creating additional functionality by replacing statistical and display algorithms with new code in a cycle of rapid prototyping and implementation or as a framework for a new SMART app. Conclusions The MPR Monitor app is a useful pilot project for monitoring medication adherence. It also provides an example that integrates several open source software components, including the Python-based Django Web framework and python-based graphics, to build a SMART app that allows complex decision support methods to be encapsulated to enhance EHR functionality. PMID:23876796

Scalable decision support at the point of care: a substitutable electronic health record app for monitoring medication adherence.

PubMed

Bosl, William; Mandel, Joshua; Jonikas, Magdalena; Ramoni, Rachel Badovinac; Kohane, Isaac S; Mandl, Kenneth D

2013-07-22

Non-adherence to prescribed medications is a serious health problem in the United States, costing an estimated $100 billion per year. While poor adherence should be addressable with point of care health information technology, integrating new solutions with existing electronic health records (EHR) systems require customization within each organization, which is difficult because of the monolithic software design of most EHR products. The objective of this study was to create a published algorithm for predicting medication adherence problems easily accessible at the point of care through a Web application that runs on the Substitutable Medical Apps, Reusuable Technologies (SMART) platform. The SMART platform is an emerging framework that enables EHR systems to behave as "iPhone like platforms" by exhibiting an application programming interface for easy addition and deletion of third party apps. The app is presented as a point of care solution to monitoring medication adherence as well as a sufficiently general, modular application that may serve as an example and template for other SMART apps. The widely used, open source Django framework was used together with the SMART platform to create the interoperable components of this app. Django uses Python as its core programming language. This allows statistical and mathematical modules to be created from a large array of Python numerical libraries and assembled together with the core app to create flexible and sophisticated EHR functionality. Algorithms that predict individual adherence are derived from a retrospective study of dispensed medication claims from a large private insurance plan. Patients' prescription fill information is accessed through the SMART framework and the embedded algorithms compute adherence information, including predicted adherence one year after the first prescription fill. Open source graphing software is used to display patient medication information and the results of statistical prediction of future adherence on a clinician-facing Web interface. The user interface allows the physician to quickly review all medications in a patient record for potential non-adherence problems. A gap-check and current medication possession ratio (MPR) threshold test are applied to all medications in the record to test for current non-adherence. Predictions of 1-year non-adherence are made for certain drug classes for which external data was available. Information is presented graphically to indicate present non-adherence, or predicted non-adherence at one year, based on early prescription fulfillment patterns. The MPR Monitor app is installed in the SMART reference container as the "MPR Monitor", where it is publically available for use and testing. MPR is an acronym for Medication Possession Ratio, a commonly used measure of adherence to a prescribed medication regime. This app may be used as an example for creating additional functionality by replacing statistical and display algorithms with new code in a cycle of rapid prototyping and implementation or as a framework for a new SMART app. The MPR Monitor app is a useful pilot project for monitoring medication adherence. It also provides an example that integrates several open source software components, including the Python-based Django Web framework and python-based graphics, to build a SMART app that allows complex decision support methods to be encapsulated to enhance EHR functionality.

Smart Adaptive Socket to Improve Fit and Relieve Pain in Wounded Warriors

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

applications were developed for wireless interaction with the socket system firmware. A control algorithm was designed and tested. Clinical trial...interface, Dynamic segmental volume control, Wireless connection, Pressure control system. 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT 18...charging jack, and power button are included in the design. A Bluetooth 4 radio is also included to allow for advanced user control via smartphone. The

Evaluation of the Geotech SMART24BH 20Vpp/5Vpp data acquisition system with active fortezza crypto card data signing and authentication.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rembold, Randy Kai; Hart, Darren M.

Sandia National Laboratories has tested and evaluated Geotech SMART24BH borehole data acquisition system with active Fortezza crypto card data signing and authentication. The test results included in this report were in response to static and tonal-dynamic input signals. Most test methodologies used were based on IEEE Standards 1057 for Digitizing Waveform Recorders and 1241 for Analog to Digital Converters; others were designed by Sandia specifically for infrasound application evaluation and for supplementary criteria not addressed in the IEEE standards. The objective of this work was to evaluate the overall technical performance of two Geotech SMART24BH digitizers with a Fortezza PCMCIAmore » crypto card actively implementing the signing of data packets. The results of this evaluation were compared to relevant specifications provided within manufacturer's documentation notes. The tests performed were chosen to demonstrate different performance aspects of the digitizer under test. The performance aspects tested include determining noise floor, least significant bit (LSB), dynamic range, cross-talk, relative channel-to-channel timing, time-tag accuracy/statistics/drift, analog bandwidth.« less

Operations management in distribution networks within a smart city framework.

PubMed

Cerulli, Raffaele; Dameri, Renata Paola; Sciomachen, Anna

2017-02-20

This article studies a vehicle routing problem with environmental constraints that are motivated by the requirements for sustainable urban transport. The empirical research presents a fleet planning problem that takes into consideration both minimum cost vehicle routes and minimum pollution. The problem is formulated as a mixed integer linear programming model and experimentally validated using data collected from a real situation: a grocery company delivering goods ordered via e-channels to customers spread in the urban and metropolitan area of Genoa smart city. The proposed model is a variant of the vehicle routing problem tailored to include environmental issues and street limitations. Its novelty regards also the use of real data instances provided by the B2C grocery company. Managerial implications are the choice of both the routes and the number and type of vehicles. Results show that commercial distribution strategies achieve better results in term of both business and environmental performance, provided the smart mobility goals and constraints are included into the distribution model from the beginning. © The authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. All rights reserved.

The Nurse Watch: Design and Evaluation of a Smart Watch Application with Vital Sign Monitoring and Checklist Reminders

PubMed Central

Bang, Magnus; Solnevik, Katarina; Eriksson, Henrik

2015-01-01

Computerized wearable devices such as smart watches will become valuable nursing tools. This paper describes a smart-watch system developed in close collaboration with a team of nurses working in a Swedish ICU. The smart-watch system provides real-time vital-sign monitoring, threshold alarms, and to-do reminders. Additionally, a Kanban board, visualized on a multitouch screen provides an overview of completed and upcoming tasks. We describe an approach to implement automated checklist systems with smart watches and discuss aspects of importance when implementing such memory and attention support. The paper is finalized with an in-development formative evaluation of the system. PMID:26958162

The Nurse Watch: Design and Evaluation of a Smart Watch Application with Vital Sign Monitoring and Checklist Reminders.

PubMed

Bang, Magnus; Solnevik, Katarina; Eriksson, Henrik

Computerized wearable devices such as smart watches will become valuable nursing tools. This paper describes a smart-watch system developed in close collaboration with a team of nurses working in a Swedish ICU. The smart-watch system provides real-time vital-sign monitoring, threshold alarms, and to-do reminders. Additionally, a Kanban board, visualized on a multitouch screen provides an overview of completed and upcoming tasks. We describe an approach to implement automated checklist systems with smart watches and discuss aspects of importance when implementing such memory and attention support. The paper is finalized with an in-development formative evaluation of the system.

Sensor Fusion and Smart Sensor in Sports and Biomedical Applications

PubMed Central

Mendes, José Jair Alves; Vieira, Mário Elias Marinho; Pires, Marcelo Bissi; Stevan, Sergio Luiz

2016-01-01

The following work presents an overview of smart sensors and sensor fusion targeted at biomedical applications and sports areas. In this work, the integration of these areas is demonstrated, promoting a reflection about techniques and applications to collect, quantify and qualify some physical variables associated with the human body. These techniques are presented in various biomedical and sports applications, which cover areas related to diagnostics, rehabilitation, physical monitoring, and the development of performance in athletes, among others. Although some applications are described in only one of two fields of study (biomedicine and sports), it is very likely that the same application fits in both, with small peculiarities or adaptations. To illustrate the contemporaneity of applications, an analysis of specialized papers published in the last six years has been made. In this context, the main characteristic of this review is to present the largest quantity of relevant examples of sensor fusion and smart sensors focusing on their utilization and proposals, without deeply addressing one specific system or technique, to the detriment of the others. PMID:27669260

Autonomous docking system for space structures and satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad, Guru; Tajudeen, Eddie; Spenser, James

2005-05-01

Aximetric proposes Distributed Command and Control (C2) architecture for autonomous on-orbit assembly in space with our unique vision and sensor driven docking mechanism. Aximetric is currently working on ip based distributed control strategies, docking/mating plate, alignment and latching mechanism, umbilical structure/cord designs, and hardware/software in a closed loop architecture for smart autonomous demonstration utilizing proven developments in sensor and docking technology. These technologies can be effectively applied to many transferring/conveying and on-orbit servicing applications to include the capturing and coupling of space bound vehicles and components. The autonomous system will be a "smart" system that will incorporate a vision system used for identifying, tracking, locating and mating the transferring device to the receiving device. A robustly designed coupler for the transfer of the fuel will be integrated. Advanced sealing technology will be utilized for isolation and purging of resulting cavities from the mating process and/or from the incorporation of other electrical and data acquisition devices used as part of the overall smart system.

Smart Building: Decision Making Architecture for Thermal Energy Management

PubMed Central

Hernández Uribe, Oscar; San Martin, Juan Pablo; Garcia-Alegre, María C.; Santos, Matilde; Guinea, Domingo

2015-01-01

Smart applications of the Internet of Things are improving the performance of buildings, reducing energy demand. Local and smart networks, soft computing methodologies, machine intelligence algorithms and pervasive sensors are some of the basics of energy optimization strategies developed for the benefit of environmental sustainability and user comfort. This work presents a distributed sensor-processor-communication decision-making architecture to improve the acquisition, storage and transfer of thermal energy in buildings. The developed system is implemented in a near Zero-Energy Building (nZEB) prototype equipped with a built-in thermal solar collector, where optical properties are analysed; a low enthalpy geothermal accumulation system, segmented in different temperature zones; and an envelope that includes a dynamic thermal barrier. An intelligent control of this dynamic thermal barrier is applied to reduce the thermal energy demand (heating and cooling) caused by daily and seasonal weather variations. Simulations and experimental results are presented to highlight the nZEB thermal energy reduction. PMID:26528978

Adaptive spatio-temporal filtering of disturbed ECGs: a multi-channel approach to heartbeat detection in smart clothing.

PubMed

Wiklund, Urban; Karlsson, Marcus; Ostlund, Nils; Berglin, Lena; Lindecrantz, Kaj; Karlsson, Stefan; Sandsjö, Leif

2007-06-01

Intermittent disturbances are common in ECG signals recorded with smart clothing: this is mainly because of displacement of the electrodes over the skin. We evaluated a novel adaptive method for spatio-temporal filtering for heartbeat detection in noisy multi-channel ECGs including short signal interruptions in single channels. Using multi-channel database recordings (12-channel ECGs from 10 healthy subjects), the results showed that multi-channel spatio-temporal filtering outperformed regular independent component analysis. We also recorded seven channels of ECG using a T-shirt with textile electrodes. Ten healthy subjects performed different sequences during a 10-min recording: resting, standing, flexing breast muscles, walking and pushups. Using adaptive multi-channel filtering, the sensitivity and precision was above 97% in nine subjects. Adaptive multi-channel spatio-temporal filtering can be used to detect heartbeats in ECGs with high noise levels. One application is heartbeat detection in noisy ECG recordings obtained by integrated textile electrodes in smart clothing.

The NASA Smart Probe Project for real-time multiple microsensor tissue recognition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Andrews, Russell J.; Mah, Robert W.

2003-01-01

BACKGROUND: Remote surgery requires automated sensors, effectors and sensor-effector communication. The NASA Smart Probe Project has focused on the sensor aspect. METHODS: The NASA Smart Probe uses neural networks and data from multiple microsensors for a unique tissue signature in real time. Animal and human trials use several probe configurations: (1) 8-microsensor probe (2.5 mm in diameter) for rodent studies (normal and subcutaneous mammary tumor tissues), and (2) 21-gauge needle probe with 3 spectroscopic fibers and an impedance microelectrode for breast cancer diagnosis in humans. Multisensor data are collected in real time (update 100 times/s) using PCs. RESULTS: Human data (collected by NASA licensee BioLuminate) from 15 women undergoing breast biopsy distinguished normal tissue from both benign tumors and breast carcinoma. Tumor margins and necrosis are rapidly detected. CONCLUSION: Real-time tissue identification is achievable. Potential applications, including probes incorporating nanoelectrode arrays, are presented. Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Electromagnetic Smart Valves for Cryogenic Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Traum, M. J.; Smith, J. L.; Brisson, J. G.; Gerstmann, J.; Hannon, C. L.

2004-06-01

Electromagnetic valves with smart control capability have been developed and demonstrated for use in the cold end of a Collins-style cryocooler. The toroidal geometry of the valves was developed utilizing a finite-element code and optimized for maximum opening force with minimum input current. Electromagnetic smart valves carry two primary benefits in cryogenic applications: 1) magnetic actuation eliminates the need for mechanical linkages and 2) valve timing can be modified during system cool down and in regular operation for cycle optimization. The smart feature of these electromagnetic valves resides in controlling the flow of current into the magnetic coil. Electronics have been designed to shape the valve actuation current, limiting the residence time of magnetic energy in the winding. This feature allows control of flow through the expander via an electrical signal while dissipating less than 0.0071 J/cycle as heat into the cold end. The electromagnetic smart valves have demonstrated reliable, controllable dynamic cycling. After 40 hours of operation, they suffered no perceptible mechanical degradation. These features enable the development of a miniaturized Collins-style cryocooler capable of removing 1 Watt of heat at 10 K.

Research of a smart cutting tool based on MEMS strain gauge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Y.; Zhao, Y. L.; Shao, YW; Hu, T. J.; Zhang, Q.; Ge, X. H.

2018-03-01

Cutting force is an important factor that affects machining accuracy, cutting vibration and tool wear. Machining condition monitoring by cutting force measurement is a key technology for intelligent manufacture. Current cutting force sensors exist problems of large volume, complex structure and poor compatibility in practical application, for these problems, a smart cutting tool is proposed in this paper for cutting force measurement. Commercial MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System) strain gauges with high sensitivity and small size are adopted as transducing element of the smart tool, and a structure optimized cutting tool is fabricated for MEMS strain gauge bonding. Static calibration results show that the developed smart cutting tool is able to measure cutting forces in both X and Y directions, and the cross-interference error is within 3%. Its general accuracy is 3.35% and 3.27% in X and Y directions, and sensitivity is 0.1 mV/N, which is very suitable for measuring small cutting forces in high speed and precision machining. The smart cutting tool is portable and reliable for practical application in CNC machine tool.

Smart wormlike micelles.

PubMed

Chu, Zonglin; Dreiss, Cécile A; Feng, Yujun

2013-09-07

A major scientific challenge of the past decade pertaining to the field of soft matter has been to craft 'adaptable' materials, inspired by nature, which can dynamically alter their structure and functionality on demand, in response to triggers produced by environmental changes. Amongst these, 'smart' surfactant wormlike micelles, responsive to external stimuli, are a particularly recent area of development, yet highly promising, given the versatility of the materials but simplicity of the design-relying on small amphiphilic molecules and their spontaneous self-assembly. The switching 'on' and 'off' of the micellar assembly structures has been reported using electrical, optical, thermal or pH triggers and is now envisaged for multiple stimuli. The structural changes, in turn, can induce major variations in the macroscopic characteristics, affecting properties such as viscosity and elasticity and sometimes even leading to a spontaneous and effective 'sol-gel' transition. These original smart materials based on wormlike micelles have been successfully used in the oil industry, and offer a significant potential in a wide range of other technological applications, including biomedicine, cleaning processes, drag reduction, template synthesis, to name but a few. This review will report results in this field published over the last few years, describe the potential and practical applications of stimuli-responsive wormlike micelles and point out future challenges.

Smart FRP Composite Sandwich Bridge Decks in Cold Regions

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-07-01

In this study, new and integrated Smart honeycomb Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (S-FRP) sandwich materials for various transportation construction applications, with particular emphasis on highway bridge decks in cold regions, were developed and tested. T...

Street deployment of pedestrian control smart traffic signals.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-04-01

Smart Signals is a term used to describe the application of network based distributed control technology to the control of traffic signals at signalized intersections. Presently, signalized intersections use a centralized control approach where all o...

ROSA: Resource-Oriented Service Management Schemes for Web of Things in a Smart Home.

PubMed

Liao, Chun-Feng; Chen, Peng-Yu

2017-09-21

A Pervasive-computing-enriched smart home environment, which contains many embedded and tiny intelligent devices and sensors coordinated by service management mechanisms, is capable of anticipating intentions of occupants and providing appropriate services accordingly. Although there are a wealth of research achievements in recent years, the degree of market acceptance is still low. The main reason is that most of the devices and services in such environments depend on particular platform or technology, making it hard to develop an application by composing the devices or services. Meanwhile, the concept of Web of Things (WoT) is becoming popular recently. Based on WoT, the developers can build applications based on popular web tools or technologies. Consequently, the objective of this paper is to propose a set of novel WoT-driven plug-and-play service management schemes for a smart home called Resource-Oriented Service Administration (ROSA). We have implemented an application prototype, and experiments are performed to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The results of this research can be a foundation for realizing the vision of "end user programmable smart environments".

A new type of smart basalt fiber-reinforced polymer bars as both reinforcements and sensors for civil engineering application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Yongsheng; Wu, Zhishen; Yang, Caiqian; Wu, Gang; Shen, Sheng

2010-11-01

In this paper, a new type of smart basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) bar is developed and their sensing performance is investigated by using the Brillouin scattering-based distributed fiber optic sensing technique. The industrial manufacturing process is first addressed, followed by an experimental study on the strain, temperature and fundamental mechanical properties of the BFRP bars. The results confirm the superior sensing properties, in particular the measuring accuracy, repeatability and linearity through comparing with bare optical fibers. Results on the mechanical properties show stable elastic modulus and high ultimate strength. Therefore, the smart BFRP bar has potential applications for long-term structural health monitoring (SHM) as embedded sensors as well as strengthening and upgrading structures. Moreover the coefficient of thermal expansion for smart BFRP bars is similar to the value for concrete.

Experimental investigation of nonlinear characteristics of a smart fluid damper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, Mahmudur; Ong, Zhi Chao; Chong, Wen Tong; Julai, Sabariah; Ahamed, Raju

2018-05-01

Smart fluids, known as smart material, are used to form controllable dampers in vibration control applications. Magnetorheological(MR) fluid damper is a well-known smart fluid damper which has a reputation to provide high damping force with low-power input. However, the force/velocity of the MR damper is significantly nonlinear and proper characteristic analysis are required to be studied for optimal implementation in structural vibration control. In this study, an experimental investigation is carried out to test the damping characteristics of MR damper. Dynamic testing is performed with a long-stroke MR damper model no RD-80410-1 from Lord corporation on a universal testing machine(UTM). The force responses of MR damper are measured under different stroke lengths, velocities and current inputs and their performances are analyzed. This study will play a key role to implement MR damper in many structural vibration control applications.

Smart Electrospun Nanofibers for Controlled Drug Release: Recent Advances and New Perspectives

PubMed Central

Weng, Lin; Xie, Jingwei

2017-01-01

In biological systems, chemical molecules or ions often release upon certain conditions, at a specific location, and over a desired period of time. Electrospun nanofibers that undergo alterations in the physicochemical characteristics corresponding to environmental changes have gained considerable interest for various applications. Inspired by biological systems, therapeutic molecules have been integrated with these smart electrospun nanofibers, presenting activation-modulated or feedback-regulated control of drug release. Compared to other materials like smart hydrogels, environment-responsive nanofiber-based drug delivery systems are relatively new but possess incomparable advantages due to their greater permeability, which allows shorter response time and more precise control over the release rate. In this article, we review the mechanisms of various environmental parameters functioning as stimuli to tailor the release rates of smart electrospun nanofibers. We also illustrate several typical examples in specific applications. We conclude this article with a discussion on perspectives and future possibilities in this field. PMID:25732665

Smart electrospun nanofibers for controlled drug release: recent advances and new perspectives.

PubMed

Weng, Lin; Xie, Jingwei

2015-01-01

In biological systems, chemical molecules or ions often release upon certain conditions, at a specific location, and over a desired period of time. Electrospun nanofibers that undergo alterations in the physicochemical characteristics corresponding to environmental changes have gained considerable interest for various applications. Inspired by biological systems, therapeutic molecules have been integrated with these smart electrospun nanofibers, presenting activation-modulated or feedback-regulated control of drug release. Compared to other materials like smart hydrogels, environment-responsive nanofiber-based drug delivery systems are relatively new but possess incomparable advantages due to their greater permeability, which allows shorter response time and more precise control over the release rate. In this article, we review the mechanisms of various environmental parameters functioning as stimuli to tailor the release rates of smart electrospun nanofibers. We also illustrate several typical examples in specific applications. We conclude this article with a discussion on perspectives and future possibilities in this field.

Integrated microelectronics for smart textiles.

PubMed

Lauterbach, Christl; Glaser, Rupert; Savio, Domnic; Schnell, Markus; Weber, Werner

2005-01-01

The combination of textile fabrics with microelectronics will lead to completely new applications, thus achieving elements of ambient intelligence. The integration of sensor or actuator networks, using fabrics with conductive fibres as a textile motherboard enable the fabrication of large active areas. In this paper we describe an integration technology for the fabrication of a "smart textile" based on a wired peer-to-peer network of microcontrollers with integrated sensors or actuators. A self-organizing and fault-tolerant architecture is accomplished which detects the physical shape of the network. Routing paths are formed for data transmission, automatically circumventing defective or missing areas. The network architecture allows the smart textiles to be produced by reel-to-reel processes, cut into arbitrary shapes subsequently and implemented in systems at low installation costs. The possible applications are manifold, ranging from alarm systems to intelligent guidance systems, passenger recognition in car seats, air conditioning control in interior lining and smart wallpaper with software-defined light switches.

Smart Actuators and Adhesives for Reconfigurable Matter.

PubMed

Ko, Hyunhyub; Javey, Ali

2017-04-18

Biological systems found in nature provide excellent stimuli-responsive functions. The camouflage adaptation of cephalopods (octopus, cuttlefish), rapid stiffness change of sea cucumbers, opening of pine cones in response to humidity, and rapid closure of Venus flytraps upon insect touch are some examples of nature's smart systems. Although current technologies are still premature to mimic these sophisticated structures and functions in smart biological systems, recent work on stimuli-responsive programmable matter has shown great progress. Stimuli-responsive materials based on hydrogels, responsive nanocomposites, hybrid structures, shape memory polymers, and liquid crystal elastomers have demonstrated excellent responsivities to various stimuli such as temperature, light, pH, and electric field. However, the technologies in these stimuli-responsive materials are still not sophisticated enough to demonstrate the ultimate attributes of an ideal programmable matter: fast and reversible reconfiguration of programmable matter into complex and robust shapes. Recently, reconfigurable (or programmable) matter that reversibly changes its structure/shape or physical/chemical properties in response to external stimuli has attracted great interest for applications in sensors, actuators, robotics, and smart systems. In particular, key attributes of programmable matter including fast and reversible reconfiguration into complex and robust 2D and 3D shapes have been demonstrated by various approaches. In this Account, we review focused areas of smart materials with special emphasis on the material and device structure designs to enhance the response time, reversibility, multistimuli responsiveness, and smart adhesion for efficient shape transformation and functional actuations. First, the capability of fast reconfiguration of 2D and 3D structures in a reversible way is a critical requirement for programmable matter. For the fast and reversible reconfiguration, various approaches based on enhanced solvent diffusion rate through the porous or structured hydrogel materials, electrostatic repulsion between cofacial electrolyte nanosheets, and photothermal actuation are discussed. Second, the ability to reconfigure programmable matters into a variety of complex structures is beneficial for the use of reconfigurable matter in diverse applications. For the reconfiguration of planar 2D structures into complex 3D structures, asymmetric and multidirectional stress should be applied. In this regard, local hinges with stimuli-responsive stiffness, multilayer laminations with different responsiveness in individual layers, and origami and kirigami assembly approaches are reviewed. Third, multistimuli responsiveness will be required for the efficient reconfiguration of complex programmable matter in response to user-defined stimulus under different chemical and physical environments. In addition, with multistimuli responsiveness, the reconfigured shape can be temporarily affixed by one signal and disassembled by another signal at a user-defined location and time. Photoactuation depending on the chirality of carbon nanotubes and composite gels with different responsiveness will be discussed. Finally, the development of smart adhesives with on-demand adhesion strength is critically required to maintain the robust reconfigurable shapes and for the switching on/off of the binding between components or with target objects. Among various connectors and adhesives, thermoresponsive nanowire connectors, octopus-inspired smart adhesives, and elastomeric tiles with soft joints are described due to their potential applications in joints of deformable 3D structures and smart gripping systems.

Defence Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

nano-energetics and new types of catalysts), reduced cost of maintenance (for example through wear reduction, self - healing and self -repair), enhanced...materials • Self - healing ( self -repair) material • Smart skin materials • Adaptive camouflage • Adaptive structures Defence Applications 6 - 2 RTO-EN...type of atom or a single molecule to a site at which it might be required. Smart drug delivery and self - healing follows on from such a capability

Active Control Technology at NASA Langley Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antcliff, Richard R.; McGowan, Anna-Marie R.

2000-01-01

NASA Langley has a long history of attacking important technical opportunities from a broad base of supporting disciplines. The research and development at Langley in this subject area range from the test tube to the test flight. The information covered here will range from the development of innovative new materials, sensors and actuators, to the incorporation of smart sensors and actuators in practical devices, to the optimization of the location of these devices, to, finally, a wide variety of applications of these devices utilizing Langley's facilities and expertise. Advanced materials are being developed for sensors and actuators, as well as polymers for integrating smart devices into composite structures. Contributions reside in three key areas: computational materials; advanced piezoelectric materials; and integrated composite structures. The computational materials effort is focused on developing predictive tools for the efficient design of new materials with the appropriate combination of properties for next generation smart airframe systems. Research in the area of advanced piezoelectrics includes optimizing the efficiency, force output, use temperature, and energy transfer between the structure and device for both ceramic and polymeric materials. For structural health monitoring, advanced non-destructive techniques including fiber optics are being developed for detection of delaminations, cracks and environmental deterioration in aircraft structures. The computational materials effort is focused on developing predictive tools for the efficient design of new materials with the appropriate combination of properties for next generation smart airframe system. Innovative fabrication techniques processing structural composites with sensor and actuator integration are being developed.

An Application of Con-Resistant Trust to Improve the Reliability of Special Protection Systems within the Smart Grid

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

in an effort to be more reliable and efficient. However, with the benefits of this new technology comes added risk . This research utilizes a con ...AN APPLICATION OF CON -RESISTANT TRUST TO IMPROVE THE RELIABILITY OF SPECIAL PROTECTION SYSTEMS WITHIN THE SMART GRID THESIS Crystal M. Shipman...Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States AFIT/GCO/ENG/12-22 AN APPLICATION OF CON -RESISTANT TRUST TO IMPROVE THE

Camouflage Traffic: Minimizing Message Delay for Smart Grid Applications under Jamming

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-01

technologies. To facilitate efficient information exchange, wireless networks have been proposed to be widely used in the smart grid. However, the jamming...attack that constantly broadcasts radio interference is a primary security threat to prevent the deployment of wireless networks in the smart grid. Hence... wireless communications, while at the same time providing latency guarantee for control messages. An open question is how to minimize message delay for

Reliability of IGBT in a STATCOM for Harmonic Compensation and Power Factor Correction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gopi Reddy, Lakshmi Reddy; Tolbert, Leon M; Ozpineci, Burak

With smart grid integration, there is a need to characterize reliability of a power system by including reliability of power semiconductors in grid related applications. In this paper, the reliability of IGBTs in a STATCOM application is presented for two different applications, power factor correction and harmonic elimination. The STATCOM model is developed in EMTP, and analytical equations for average conduction losses in an IGBT and a diode are derived and compared with experimental data. A commonly used reliability model is used to predict reliability of IGBT.

78 FR 7774 - SmartEnergy Holdings, LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-04

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. ER13-779-000] SmartEnergy Holdings, LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request for Blanket Section 204 Authorization This is a supplemental notice in the above-referenced proceeding, of SmartEnergy...

Structural health monitoring using smart optical fiber sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, Heddwyn; Everall, Lorna A.; Gallon, Andrew M.

2001-04-01

This paper describes the potential of a smart monitoring system, incorporating optical fiber sensing techniques, to provide important structural information to designers and users alike. This technology has application in all areas including aerospace, civil, maritime and automotive engineering. In order to demonstrate the capability of the sensing system it has been installed in a 35 m free-standing carbon fiber yacht mast, where a complete optical network of strain and temperature sensors were embedded into a composite mast and boom during lay-up. The system was able to monitor the behavior of the composite rig through a range of handling conditions and the resulting strain information could be used by engineers to improve the structural design process. The optical strain sensor system comprises of three main components: the sensor network, the opto-electronic data acquisition unit (OFSSS) and the external PC which acts as a data log and display. Embedded fiber optic sensors have wide ranging application for structural load monitoring. Due to their small size, optical fiber sensors can be readily embedded into composite materials. Other advantages include their immediate multiplexing capability and immunity to electromagnetic interference. The capability of this system has been demonstrated within the maritime environment, but can be adapted for any application.

Randomized, controlled pilot trial of a smartphone app for smoking cessation using acceptance and commitment therapy.

PubMed

Bricker, Jonathan B; Mull, Kristin E; Kientz, Julie A; Vilardaga, Roger; Mercer, Laina D; Akioka, Katrina J; Heffner, Jaimee L

2014-10-01

There is a dual need for (1) innovative theory-based smartphone applications for smoking cessation and (2) controlled trials to evaluate their efficacy. Accordingly, this study tested the feasibility, acceptability, preliminary efficacy, and mechanism of behavioral change of an innovative smartphone-delivered acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) application for smoking cessation vs. an application following US Clinical Practice Guidelines. Adult participants were recruited nationally into the double-blind randomized controlled pilot trial (n=196) that compared smartphone-delivered ACT for smoking cessation application (SmartQuit) with the National Cancer Institute's application for smoking cessation (QuitGuide). We recruited 196 participants in two months. SmartQuit participants opened their application an average of 37.2 times, as compared to 15.2 times for QuitGuide participants (p<0001). The overall quit rates were 13% in SmartQuit vs. 8% in QuitGuide (OR=2.7; 95% CI=0.8-10.3). Consistent with ACT's theory of change, among those scoring low (below the median) on acceptance of cravings at baseline (n=88), the quit rates were 15% in SmartQuit vs. 8% in QuitGuide (OR=2.9; 95% CI=0.6-20.7). ACT is feasible to deliver by smartphone application and shows higher engagement and promising quit rates compared to an application that follows US Clinical Practice Guidelines. As results were limited by the pilot design (e.g., small sample), a full-scale efficacy trial is now needed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Balance measured by the sway balance smart-device application does not discriminate between older persons with and without a fall history.

PubMed

Vincenzo, Jennifer L; Glenn, Jordan M; Gray, Stephanie M; Gray, Michelle

2016-08-01

Clinical functional assessments of balance often lack specificity and sensitivity in discriminating and predicting falls among community-dwelling older adults. We determined the feasibility of using a smart-device application measuring balance to discriminate fall status among older adults. We also evaluated differences between smart-device balance measurements when secured with or without a harness. A cross-sectional study design to determine the ability of the Sway Balance smart-device application (SWAY) to discriminate older adults based on fall history. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC) were used as comparative, clinically based assessments. Community-dwelling older adults with (n = 25) and without (n = 32) a history of fall(s) participated. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to determine differences among assessments based on fall history. Logistic regression models determined the ability of each assessment to discriminate fall history. Older adults with and without a history of falls were not significantly different on SWAY (P = 0.92) but were different on BBS (P = 0.01), and ABC (P < 0.001). Similarly, SWAY did not discriminate fall history (P = 0.92), while BBS and ABC both discriminated fall history (P < 0.01). Paired t tests between SWAY scores with and without a harness indicated no differences (P ≥ 0.05). Among the older adults studied, the BBS and ABC measures discriminated groups defined by fall history, while the SWAY smart-device balance application did not. Modifications to the application may improve the discriminating ability of the measure in the recognition of fall status in older adults.

Clustering Methods; Part IV of Scientific Report No. ISR-18, Information Storage and Retrieval...

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY. Dept. of Computer Science.

Two papers are included as Part Four of this report on Salton's Magical Automatic Retriever of Texts (SMART) project report. The first paper: "A Controlled Single Pass Classification Algorithm with Application to Multilevel Clustering" by D. B. Johnson and J. M. Laferente presents a single pass clustering method which compares favorably…

A forty-year history of fiber optic smart structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Udd, Eric; Scheel, Ingrid U.

2017-04-01

In 1977 McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company began a project on using fiber optic sensors to support the Delta Rocket program. This resulted in a series of fiber sensors to support the measurement of rotation, acoustics, vibration, strain, and temperature for a variety of applications and early work on fiber optic smart structures. The work on fiber optic smart structures transitioned in part to Blue Road Research in 1993 and continued in 2006 to the present at Columbia Gorge Research. This paper summarizes some of the efforts made by these companies to implement fiber optic smart structures over this forty year period.

Intelligent Home Control System Based on Single Chip Microcomputer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Libo

2017-12-01

Intelligent home as a way to achieve the realization of the family information has become an important part of the development of social information, Internet of Things because of its huge application prospects, will be smart home industry in the development process of a more realistic breakthrough in the smart home industry development has great significance. This article is based on easy to implement, easy to operate, close to the use of the design concept, the use of STC89C52 microcontroller as the control core for the control terminal, and including infrared remote control, buttons, Web interface, including multiple control sources to control household appliances. The second chapter of this paper describes the design of the hardware and software part of the specific implementation, the fifth chapter is based on the design of a good function to build a specific example of the environment.

Smart Microsystems with Photonic Element and Their Applications to Aerospace Platforms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adamovsky, G.; Lekki, J.; Sutter, J. K.; Sarkisov, S. S.; Curley, M. J.; Martin, C. E.

2000-01-01

The need to make manufacturing, operation, and support of airborne vehicles safer and more efficient forces engineers and scientists to look for lighter, cheaper, more reliable technologies. Light weight, immunity to EMI, fire safety, high bandwidth, and high signal fidelity have already made photonics in general and fiber optics in particular an extremely attractive medium for communication purposes. With the fiber optics serving as a central nervous system of the vehicle, generation, detection, and processing of the signal occurs at the peripherals that include smart structures and devices. Due to their interdisciplinary nature, photonic technologies cover such diverse areas as optical sensors and actuators, embedded and distributed sensors, sensing schemes and architectures, harnesses and connectors, signal processing and algorithms. The paper includes a brief description of work in the photonic area that is going on at NASA, especially at the Glenn Research Center (GRC).

Systems Maintenance Automated Repair Tasks (SMART)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

SMART is an interactive decision analysis and refinement software system that uses evaluation criteria for discrepant conditions to automatically provide and populate a document/procedure with predefined steps necessary to repair a discrepancy safely, effectively, and efficiently. SMART can store the tacit (corporate) knowledge merging the hardware specification requirements with the actual "how to" repair methods, sequences, and required equipment, all within a user-friendly interface. Besides helping organizations retain repair knowledge in streamlined procedures and sequences, SMART can also help them in saving processing time and expense, increasing productivity, improving quality, and adhering more closely to safety and other guidelines. Though SMART was developed for Space Shuttle applications, its interface is easily adaptable to any hardware that can be broken down by component, subcomponent, discrepancy, and repair.

SMART Power Systems for ANTS Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, P. E.; Floyd, S. R.; Curtis, S. A.; Rilee, M. L.

2005-02-01

Autonomous NanoTechnology Swarm (ANTS) Architecture is based on Addressable Reconfigurable Technology (ART) adaptable for the full spectrum of activities in space. ART systems based on currently available electromechanical (EMS) technology could support human crews on the lunar surface within the next 10 to 15 years. Two or more decades from now, NEMS (Super Miniaturized ART or SMART) technology could perform fully autonomous surveys and operations beyond the reach of human crews. Power system requirements would range from 1 kg to generate tens of Watts for near term ART applications, such as a lunar or Mars Lander Amorphous Rover Antenna (LARA), to <0.1 kg to generate hundreds of mWatts for more advanced SMART applications.

Controlled-Release Microcapsules for Smart Coatings for Corrosion Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

Corrosion is a serious problem that has enormous costs and serious safety implications. Localized corrosion, such as pitting, is very dangerous and can cause catastrophic failures. The NASA Corrosion Technology Laboratory at Kennedy Space Center is developing a smart coating based on pH-sensitive microcapsules for corrosion applications. These versatile microcapsules are designed to be incorporated into a smart coating and deliver their core content when corrosion starts. Corrosion indication was the first function incorporated into the microcapsules. Current efforts are focused on incorporating the corrosion inhibition function through the encapsulation of corrosion inhibitors into water core and oil core microcapsules. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of encapsulated corrosion inhibitors are shown.

On the Design of Smart Homes: A Framework for Activity Recognition in Home Environment.

PubMed

Cicirelli, Franco; Fortino, Giancarlo; Giordano, Andrea; Guerrieri, Antonio; Spezzano, Giandomenico; Vinci, Andrea

2016-09-01

A smart home is a home environment enriched with sensing, actuation, communication and computation capabilities which permits to adapt it to inhabitants preferences and requirements. Establishing a proper strategy of actuation on the home environment can require complex computational tasks on the sensed data. This is the case of activity recognition, which consists in retrieving high-level knowledge about what occurs in the home environment and about the behaviour of the inhabitants. The inherent complexity of this application domain asks for tools able to properly support the design and implementation phases. This paper proposes a framework for the design and implementation of smart home applications focused on activity recognition in home environments. The framework mainly relies on the Cloud-assisted Agent-based Smart home Environment (CASE) architecture offering basic abstraction entities which easily allow to design and implement Smart Home applications. CASE is a three layered architecture which exploits the distributed multi-agent paradigm and the cloud technology for offering analytics services. Details about how to implement activity recognition onto the CASE architecture are supplied focusing on the low-level technological issues as well as the algorithms and the methodologies useful for the activity recognition. The effectiveness of the framework is shown through a case study consisting of a daily activity recognition of a person in a home environment.

FOREWORD: Shape Memory and Related Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yong

2005-10-01

The International Symposium on Shape Memory and Related Technologies (SMART2004) successfully took place in Singapore from November 24 to 26, 2004. SMART2004 aimed to provide a forum for presenting and discussing recent developments in the processing, characterization, application and performance prediction of shape memory materials, particularly shape memory alloys and magnetic shape memory materials. In recent years, we have seen a surge in the research and application of shape memory materials. This is due on the one hand to the successful applications of shape memory alloys (SMAs), particularly NiTi (nitinol), in medical practices and, on the other hand, to the discovery of magnetic shape memory (MSM) materials (or, ferromagnetic shape memory alloys, FSMAs). In recent years, applications of SMAs in various engineering practices have flourished owing to the unique combination of novel properties including high power density related to shape recovery, superelasticity with tunable hysteresis, high damping capacity combined with good fatigue resistance, excellent wear resistance due to unconventional deformation mechanisms (stress-induced phase transformation and martensite reorientation), and excellent biocompatibility and anticorrosion resistance, etc. In~the case of MSMs (or FSMAs), their giant shape change in a relatively low magnetic field has great potential to supplement the traditional actuation mechanisms and to have a great impact on the world of modern technology. Common mechanisms existing in both types of materials, namely thermoelastic phase transformation, martensite domain switching and their controlling factors, are of particular interest to the scientific community. Despite some successful applications, some fundamental issues remain unsatisfactorily understood. This conference hoped to link the fundamental research to engineering practices, and to further identify remaining problems in order to further promote the applications of shape memory materials in various demanding fields. Some top researchers from Asia, Australia, Europe and USA attended the meeting and gave oral presentations on both the fundamentals and applied aspects of SMAs and MSMs. Several prominent experts have delivered invited talks on the damping capacity of SMAs (J Van Humbeeck), SMA thin films (S Miyazaki), MSMs (V Lindross and O Söderberg) and SMA microtubes (Q P Sun). At the end of the Symposium, a panel discussion on various aspects of shape memory materials was held in the Nanyang Technological University. Comments, suggestions, opinions, discussions etc from all participants are greatly appreciated and acknowledged. I would like to thank all the participants for their valuable contributions toward the success of SMART2004, and thank all the session chairpersons for making this Symposium an event full of beneficial discussions. This special issue includes some of the manuscripts submitted to SMART2004. I want to express my deep gratitude to the editorial office of the journal of Smart Materials and Structures and all the referees for their great help in producing this special issue. This symposium has received support from the Institute of Materials (East Asia) and the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering of the Nanyang Technological University. The following sponsors are gratefully acknowledged: Lee Foundation (Singapore) Accelrys Instron (Singapore Pte Ltd).

Effectiveness and potential ecological effects of offshore surface dispersant use during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: a retrospective analysis of monitoring data.

PubMed

Bejarano, Adriana C; Levine, Edwin; Mearns, Alan J

2013-12-01

The Special Monitoring of Applied Response Technologies (SMART) program was used during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill as a strategy to monitor the effectiveness of sea surface dispersant use. Although SMART was implemented during aerial and vessel dispersant applications, this analysis centers on the effort of a special dispersant missions onboard the M/V International Peace, which evaluated the effectiveness of surface dispersant applications by vessel only. Water samples (n = 120) were collected from background sites, and under naturally and chemically dispersed oil slicks, and were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (TPAHs), total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), and a chemical marker of Corexit (dipropylene glycol n-butyl ether, DPnB). Water chemistry results were analyzed relative to SMART field assessments of dispersant effectiveness ("not effective," "effective," and "very effective"), based on in situ fluorometry. Chemistry data were also used to indirectly determine if the use of dispersants increased the risk of acute effects to water column biota, by comparison to toxicity benchmarks. TPAH and TPH concentrations in background, and naturally and chemically dispersed samples were extremely variable, and differences were not statistically detected across sample types. Ratios of TPAH and TPH between chemically and naturally dispersed samples provided a quantitative measure of dispersant effectiveness over natural oil dispersion alone, and were in reasonable agreement with SMART field assessments of dispersant effectiveness. Samples from "effective" and "very effective" dispersant applications had ratios of TPAH and TPH up to 35 and 64, respectively. In two samples from an "effective" dispersant application, TPHs and TPAHs exceeded acute benchmarks (0.81 mg/L and 8 μg/L, respectively), while none exceeded DPnB's chronic value (1,000 μg/L). Although the primary goal of the SMART program is to provide near real-time effectiveness data to the response, and not to address concerns regarding acute biological effects, the analyses presented here demonstrate that SMART can generate information of value to a larger scientific audience. A series of recommendations for future SMART planning are also provided.

Bio-inspired device: a novel smart MR spring featuring tendril structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaluvan, Suresh; Park, Chun-Yong; Choi, Seung-Bok

2016-01-01

Smart materials such as piezoelectric patches, shape memory alloy, electro and magneto rheological fluid, magnetostrictive materials, etc are involved by far to design intelligent and high performance smart devices like injectors, dental braces, dampers, actuators and sensors. In this paper, an interesting smart device is proposed by inspiring on the structure of the bio climber plant. The key enabling concept of this proposed work is to design the smart spring damper as a helical shaped tendril structure using magneto-rheological (MR) fluid. The proposed smart spring consists of a hollow helical structure filled with MR fluid. The viscosity of the MR fluid decides the damping force of helical shaped smart spring, while the fluid intensity in the vine decides the strength of the tendril in the climber plant. Thus, the proposed smart spring can provide a new concept design of the damper which can be applicable to various damping system industries with tuneable damping force. The proposed smart spring damper has several advantageous such as cost effective, easy implementation compared with the conventional damper. In addition, the proposed spring damper can be easily designed to adapt different damping force levels without any alteration.

The US Army Foreign Comparative Test fuel cell program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bostic, Elizabeth; Sifer, Nicholas; Bolton, Christopher; Ritter, Uli; Dubois, Terry

The US Army RDECOM initiated a Foreign Comparative Test (FCT) Program to acquire lightweight, high-energy dense fuel cell systems from across the globe for evaluation as portable power sources in military applications. Five foreign companies, including NovArs, Smart Fuel Cell, Intelligent Energy, Ballard Power Systems, and Hydrogenics, Inc., were awarded competitive contracts under the RDECOM effort. This paper will report on the status of the program as well as the experimental results obtained from one of the units. The US Army has interests in evaluating and deploying a variety of fuel cell systems, where these systems show added value when compared to current power sources in use. For low-power applications, fuel cells utilizing high-energy dense fuels offer significant weight savings over current battery technologies. This helps reduce the load a solider must carry for longer missions. For high-power applications, the low operating signatures (acoustic and thermal) of fuel cell systems make them ideal power generators in stealth operations. Recent testing has been completed on the Smart Fuel Cell A25 system that was procured through the FCT program. The "A-25" is a direct methanol fuel cell hybrid and was evaluated as a potential candidate for soldier and sensor power applications.

Assessing Smart Phones for Generating Life-space Indicators.

PubMed

Wan, Neng; Qu, Wenyu; Whittington, Jackie; Witbrodt, Bradley C; Henderson, Mary Pearl; Goulding, Evan H; Schenk, A Katrin; Bonasera, Stephen J; Lin, Ge

2013-04-01

Life-space is a promising method for estimating older adults' functional status. However, traditional life-space measures are costly and time consuming because they often rely on active subject participation. This study assesses the feasibility of using the global positioning system (GPS) function of smart phones to generate life-space indicators. We first evaluated the location accuracy of smart phone collected GPS points versus those acquired by a commercial GPS unit. We then assessed the specificity of the smart phone processed life-space information against the traditional diary method. Our results suggested comparable location accuracy between the smart phone and the standard GPS unit in most outdoor situations. In addition, the smart phone method revealed more comprehensive life-space information than the diary method, which leads to higher and more consistent life-space scores. We conclude that the smart phone method is more reliable than traditional methods for measuring life-space. Further improvements will be required to develop a robust application of this method that is suitable for health-related practices.

Investigation on Smart Parts with Embedded Piezoelectric Sensors via Additive Manufacturing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lin, Yirong

The goal of this proposed research is to design, fabricate, and evaluate “smart parts” with embedded sensors for energy systems. The “smart parts” will be fabricated using Electron Beam Melting (EBM) 3D printing technique with built-in piezoceramic sensors. The objectives of the proposed project are: 1) Fabricate energy system related components with embedded sensors, 2) Evaluate the mechanical properties and sensing functionalities of the “smart parts” with embedded piezoceramic sensors, and 3) Assess in-situ sensing capability of energy system parts. The second year’s research of the research is centered on fabrication of the “smart parts” with considerations of overall materialmore » property as well as demonstration of sensing functionalities. The results for the final report are presented here, including all research accomplishment, project management. Details are included such as: how the design and fabrication of sensor packaging could improve the sensor performance, demonstration of “smart parts” sensing capabilities, analysis on the elements that constitute the “smart sensors”, advanced “stop and go” fabrication process, smart injector fabrication using SLM technology, smart injector testing in combustion environments etc. Research results to date have generated several posters and papers.« less

Electrorheological fluids and methods

DOEpatents

Green, Peter F.; McIntyre, Ernest C.

2015-06-02

Electrorheological fluids and methods include changes in liquid-like materials that can flow like milk and subsequently form solid-like structures under applied electric fields; e.g., about 1 kV/mm. Such fluids can be used in various ways as smart suspensions, including uses in automotive, defense, and civil engineering applications. Electrorheological fluids and methods include one or more polar molecule substituted polyhedral silsesquioxanes (e.g., sulfonated polyhedral silsesquioxanes) and one or more oils (e.g., silicone oil), where the fluid can be subjected to an electric field.

Security in Intelligent Transport Systems for Smart Cities: From Theory to Practice.

PubMed

Javed, Muhammad Awais; Ben Hamida, Elyes; Znaidi, Wassim

2016-06-15

Connecting vehicles securely and reliably is pivotal to the implementation of next generation ITS applications of smart cities. With continuously growing security threats, vehicles could be exposed to a number of service attacks that could put their safety at stake. To address this concern, both US and European ITS standards have selected Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) algorithms to secure vehicular communications. However, there is still a lack of benchmarking studies on existing security standards in real-world settings. In this paper, we first analyze the security architecture of the ETSI ITS standard. We then implement the ECC based digital signature and encryption procedures using an experimental test-bed and conduct an extensive benchmark study to assess their performance which depends on factors such as payload size, processor speed and security levels. Using network simulation models, we further evaluate the impact of standard compliant security procedures in dense and realistic smart cities scenarios. Obtained results suggest that existing security solutions directly impact the achieved quality of service (QoS) and safety awareness of vehicular applications, in terms of increased packet inter-arrival delays, packet and cryptographic losses, and reduced safety awareness in safety applications. Finally, we summarize the insights gained from the simulation results and discuss open research challenges for efficient working of security in ITS applications of smart cities.

Strategy for the development of a smart NDVI camera system for outdoor plant detection and agricultural embedded systems.

PubMed

Dworak, Volker; Selbeck, Joern; Dammer, Karl-Heinz; Hoffmann, Matthias; Zarezadeh, Ali Akbar; Bobda, Christophe

2013-01-24

The application of (smart) cameras for process control, mapping, and advanced imaging in agriculture has become an element of precision farming that facilitates the conservation of fertilizer, pesticides, and machine time. This technique additionally reduces the amount of energy required in terms of fuel. Although research activities have increased in this field, high camera prices reflect low adaptation to applications in all fields of agriculture. Smart, low-cost cameras adapted for agricultural applications can overcome this drawback. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) for each image pixel is an applicable algorithm to discriminate plant information from the soil background enabled by a large difference in the reflectance between the near infrared (NIR) and the red channel optical frequency band. Two aligned charge coupled device (CCD) chips for the red and NIR channel are typically used, but they are expensive because of the precise optical alignment required. Therefore, much attention has been given to the development of alternative camera designs. In this study, the advantage of a smart one-chip camera design with NDVI image performance is demonstrated in terms of low cost and simplified design. The required assembly and pixel modifications are described, and new algorithms for establishing an enhanced NDVI image quality for data processing are discussed.

Strategy for the Development of a Smart NDVI Camera System for Outdoor Plant Detection and Agricultural Embedded Systems

PubMed Central

Dworak, Volker; Selbeck, Joern; Dammer, Karl-Heinz; Hoffmann, Matthias; Zarezadeh, Ali Akbar; Bobda, Christophe

2013-01-01

The application of (smart) cameras for process control, mapping, and advanced imaging in agriculture has become an element of precision farming that facilitates the conservation of fertilizer, pesticides, and machine time. This technique additionally reduces the amount of energy required in terms of fuel. Although research activities have increased in this field, high camera prices reflect low adaptation to applications in all fields of agriculture. Smart, low-cost cameras adapted for agricultural applications can overcome this drawback. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) for each image pixel is an applicable algorithm to discriminate plant information from the soil background enabled by a large difference in the reflectance between the near infrared (NIR) and the red channel optical frequency band. Two aligned charge coupled device (CCD) chips for the red and NIR channel are typically used, but they are expensive because of the precise optical alignment required. Therefore, much attention has been given to the development of alternative camera designs. In this study, the advantage of a smart one-chip camera design with NDVI image performance is demonstrated in terms of low cost and simplified design. The required assembly and pixel modifications are described, and new algorithms for establishing an enhanced NDVI image quality for data processing are discussed. PMID:23348037

Smart surgical tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Huan; Yang, Lih-Mei; Bai, Shuang; Liu, Jian

2015-02-01

A laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) guided smart surgical tool using a femtosecond fiber laser is developed. This system provides real-time material identification by processing and analyzing the peak intensity and ratio of atomic emissions of LIBS signals. Algorithms to identify emissions of different tissues and metals are developed and implemented into the real-time control system. This system provides a powerful smart surgical tool for precise robotic microsurgery applications with real-time feedback and control.

Smart manufacturing of complex shaped pipe components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salchak, Y. A.; Kotelnikov, A. A.; Sednev, D. A.; Borikov, V. N.

2018-03-01

Manufacturing industry is constantly improving. Nowadays the most relevant trend is widespread automation and optimization of the production process. This paper represents a novel approach for smart manufacturing of steel pipe valves. The system includes two main parts: mechanical treatment and quality assurance units. Mechanical treatment is performed by application of the milling machine with implementation of computerized numerical control, whilst the quality assurance unit contains three testing modules for different tasks, such as X-ray testing, optical scanning and ultrasound testing modules. The advances of each of them provide reliable results that contain information about any failures of the technological process, any deviations of geometrical parameters of the valves. The system also allows detecting defects on the surface or in the inner structure of the component.

Usability of Security Management:Defining the Permissions of Guests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Matthew; Stajano, Frank

Within the scenario of a Smart Home, we discuss the issues involved in allowing limited interaction with the environment for unidentified principals, or guests. The challenges include identifying and authenticating guests on one hand and delegating authorization to them on the other. While the technical mechanisms for doing so in generic distributed systems have been around for decades, existing solutions are in general not applicable to the smart home because they are too complex to manage. We focus on providing both security and usability; we therefore seek simple and easy to understand approaches that can be used by a normal computer-illiterate home owner, not just by a trained system administrator. This position paper describes ongoing research and does not claim to have all the answers.

A Smart Molecule for Selective Sensing of Nitric Oxide: Conversion of NO to HSNO; Relevance of Biological HSNO Formation.

PubMed

Islam, Abu Saleh Musha; Bhowmick, Rahul; Pal, Kaberi; Katarkar, Atul; Chaudhuri, Keya; Ali, Mahammad

2017-04-17

A smart molecule, QT 490 , containing thiosemicarbazide moiety acts as a highly selective turn-on in vitro NO sensor through the unprecedented NO-induced transformation of thiosemicarbazide moiety to 1,3,4-oxadiazole heterocycle with the concomitant release of HSNO, thereby eliminating any interference from various endogenous biomolecules including dehydroascorbic acid, ascorbic acid, etc. The kinetic studies of the reactions between QT 490 and NO provide a mechanistic insight into formation of HSNO/RSNO from the reaction between H 2 S/RSH and NO in the biological system. This novel probe is non-cytotoxic, cell permeable, water-soluble, and appropriate for intracellular cytoplasmic NO sensing with the possibilities of in vivo applications.

Self-assembled peptide-based nanostructures: Smart nanomaterials toward targeted drug delivery.

PubMed

Habibi, Neda; Kamaly, Nazila; Memic, Adnan; Shafiee, Hadi

2016-02-01

Self-assembly of peptides can yield an array of well-defined nanostructures that are highly attractive nanomaterials for many biomedical applications such as drug delivery. Some of the advantages of self-assembled peptide nanostructures over other delivery platforms include their chemical diversity, biocompatibility, high loading capacity for both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs, and their ability to target molecular recognition sites. Furthermore, these self-assembled nanostructures could be designed with novel peptide motifs, making them stimuli-responsive and achieving triggered drug delivery at disease sites. The goal of this work is to present a comprehensive review of the most recent studies on self-assembled peptides with a focus on their "smart" activity for formation of targeted and responsive drug-delivery carriers.

TAS::89 0927::TAS RECOVERY - The Lean Green Energy Controller Machine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Teeter, John; Wang, Gene; Moss, David

Achieving efficiency improvements and providing demand-response programs have been identified as key elements of our national energy initiative. The residential market is the largest, yet most difficult, segment to engage in efforts to meet these objectives. This project developed Energy Management System that engages the consumer and enables Smart Grid services, applications, and business processes to address this need. Our innovative solution provides smart controller providing dynamic optimization of energy consumption for the residential energy consumer. Our solution extends the technical platform to include a cloud based Internet of Things (IoT) aggregation of data sensors and actuators the go beyondmore » energy management and extend to life style services provided through compelling mobile and console based user experiences.« less

'NASA Invention of the Year' Controls Noise and Vibration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

Developed at NASA's Langley Research Center, the Macro-Fiber Composite (MFC) is designed to control vibration, noise, and deflections in composite structural beams and panels. Smart Material Corporation specializes in the development of piezocomposite components, and licensed the MFC technology from Langley in 2002. To date, Smart Material Corporation has sold MFCs to over 120 customers, including such industry giants as Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda, BMW, General Electric, and the tennis company, HEAD. The company estimates that its customers have filed at least 100 patents for their various unique uses of the technology. In addition, the company's product portfolio has grown to include piezoceramic fibers and fiber composites, piezoceramic actuators and sensors, and test equipment for these products. It also offers a compact, lightweight power system for MFC testing and validation. Consumer applications already on the market include piezoelectric systems as part of audio speakers, phonograph cartridges and microphones, and recreational products requiring vibration control, such as skis, snowboards, baseball bats, hockey sticks, and tennis racquets.

75 FR 33611 - Implementing the National Broadband Plan by Empowering Consumers and the Smart Grid: Data Access...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-14

... Smart Grid: Data Access, Third Party Use, and Privacy AGENCY: Department of Energy. ACTION: Notice of... information from smart meters, historical consumption data, and pricing and billing information. DOE will hold... electronic form--including real-time information from smart meters, historical consumption data, and pricing...

A Brief Overview of NASA Glenn Research Center Sensor and Electronics Activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W.

2012-01-01

Aerospace applications require a range of sensing technologies. There is a range of sensor and sensor system technologies being developed using microfabrication and micromachining technology to form smart sensor systems and intelligent microsystems. Drive system intelligence to the local (sensor) level -- distributed smart sensor systems. Sensor and sensor system development examples: (1) Thin-film physical sensors (2) High temperature electronics and wireless (3) "lick and stick" technology. NASA GRC is a world leader in aerospace sensor technology with a broad range of development and application experience. Core microsystems technology applicable to a range of application environmentS.

Smart SPHERES: A Telerobotic Free-Flyer for Intravehicular Activities in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fong, Terrence; Micire, Mark J.; Morse, Ted; Park, Eric; Provencher, Chris; To, Vinh; Wheeler, D. W.; Mittman, David; Torres, R. Jay; Smith, Ernest

2013-01-01

Smart SPHERES is a prototype free-flying space robot based on the SPHERES platform. Smart SPHERES can be remotely operated by astronauts inside a spacecraft, or by mission controllers on the ground. We developed Smart SPHERES to perform a variety of intravehicular activities (IVA), such as operations inside the International Space Station (ISS). These IVA tasks include environmental monitoring surveys (radiation, sound levels, etc.), inventory, and mobile camera work. In this paper, we first discuss the motivation for free-flying space robots. We then describe the development of the Smart SPHERES prototype, including avionics, software, and data communications. Finally, we present results of initial flight tests on-board the ISS.

Smart SPHERES: A Telerobotic Free-Flyer for Intravehicular Activities in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fong, Terrence; Micire, Mark J.; Morse, Ted; Park, Eric; Provencher, Chris

2013-01-01

Smart SPHERES is a prototype free-flying space robot based on the SPHERES platform. Smart SPHERES can be remotely operated by astronauts inside a spacecraft, or by mission controllers on the ground. We developed Smart SPHERES to perform a variety of intravehicular activities (IVA), such as operations inside the International Space Station (ISS). These IVA tasks include environmental monitoring surveys (radiation, sound levels, etc.), inventory, and mobile camera work. In this paper, we first discuss the motivation for free- flying space robots. We then describe the development of the Smart SPHERES prototype, including avionics, software, and data communications. Finally, we present results of initial flight tests on-board the ISS.

Smart micro/nanoparticles in stimulus-responsive drug/gene delivery systems

PubMed Central

Karimi, Mahdi; Ghasemi, Amir; Zangabad, Parham Sahandi; Rahighi, Reza; Moosavi Basri, S. Masoud; Mirshekari, H.; Amiri, M.; Pishabad, Z. Shafaei; Aslani, A.; Bozorgomid, M.; Ghosh, D.; Beyzavi, A.; Vaseghi, A.; Aref, A. R.; Haghani, L.; Bahrami, S.; Hamblin, Michael R.

2016-01-01

New achievements in the realm of nanoscience and innovative techniques of nanomedicine have moved micro/nanoparticles (MNPs) to the point of becoming actually useful for practical applications in the near future. Various differences between the extracellular and intracellular environments of cancerous and normal cells and the particular characteristics of tumors such as physicochemical properties, neovasculature, elasticity, surface electrical charge, and pH have motivated the design and fabrication of inventive “smart” MNPs for stimulus-responsive controlled drug release. These novel MNPs can be tailored to be responsive to pH variations, redox potential, enzymatic activation, thermal gradients, magnetic fields, light, and ultrasound (US), or can even be responsive to dual or multi-combinations of different stimuli. This unparalleled capability has increased their importance as site-specific controlled drug delivery systems (DDSs) and has encouraged their rapid development in recent years. An in-depth understanding of the underlying mechanisms of these DDS approaches is expected to further contribute to this groundbreaking field of nanomedicine. Smart nanocarriers in the form of MNPs that can be triggered by internal or external stimulus are summarized and discussed in the present review, including pH-sensitive peptides and polymers, redox-responsive micelles and nanogels, thermo- or magnetic-responsive nanoparticles (NPs), mechanical- or electrical-responsive MNPs, light or ultrasound-sensitive particles, and multi-responsive MNPs including dual stimuli-sensitive nanosheets of graphene. This review highlights the recent advances of smart MNPs categorized according to their activation stimulus (physical, chemical, or biological) and looks forward to future pharmaceutical applications. PMID:26776487

Simulating and evaluating an adaptive and integrated traffic lights control system for smart city application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Djuana, E.; Rahardjo, K.; Gozali, F.; Tan, S.; Rambung, R.; Adrian, D.

2018-01-01

A city could be categorized as a smart city when the information technology has been developed to the point that the administration could sense, understand, and control every resource to serve its people and sustain the development of the city. One of the smart city aspects is transportation and traffic management. This paper presents a research project to design an adaptive traffic lights control system as a part of the smart system for optimizing road utilization and reducing congestion. Research problems presented include: (1) Congestion in one direction toward an intersection due to dynamic traffic condition from time to time during the day, while the timing cycles in traffic lights system are mostly static; (2) No timing synchronization among traffic lights in adjacent intersections that is causing unsteady flows; (3) Difficulties in traffic condition monitoring on the intersection and the lack of facility for remotely controlling traffic lights. In this research, a simulator has been built to model the adaptivity and integration among different traffic lights controllers in adjacent intersections, and a case study consisting of three sets of intersections along Jalan K. H. Hasyim Ashari has been simulated. It can be concluded that timing slots synchronization among traffic lights is crucial for maintaining a steady traffic flow.

Design and Development of a Nearable Wireless System to Control Indoor Air Quality and Indoor Lighting Quality.

PubMed

Salamone, Francesco; Belussi, Lorenzo; Danza, Ludovico; Galanos, Theodore; Ghellere, Matteo; Meroni, Italo

2017-05-04

The article describes the results of the project "open source smart lamp" aimed at designing and developing a smart object able to manage and control the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of the built environment. A first version of this smart object, built following a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach using a microcontroller, an integrated temperature and relative humidity sensor, and techniques of additive manufacturing, allows the adjustment of the indoor thermal comfort quality (ICQ), by interacting directly with the air conditioner. As is well known, the IEQ is a holistic concept including indoor air quality (IAQ), indoor lighting quality (ILQ) and acoustic comfort, besides thermal comfort. The upgrade of the smart lamp bridges the gap of the first version of the device providing the possibility of interaction with the air exchange unit and lighting system in order to get an overview of the potential of a nearable device in the management of the IEQ. The upgraded version was tested in a real office equipped with mechanical ventilation and an air conditioning system. This office was occupied by four workers. The experiment is compared with a baseline scenario and the results show how the application of the nearable device effectively optimizes both IAQ and ILQ.

Design and Development of a Nearable Wireless System to Control Indoor Air Quality and Indoor Lighting Quality

PubMed Central

Salamone, Francesco; Belussi, Lorenzo; Danza, Ludovico; Galanos, Theodore; Ghellere, Matteo; Meroni, Italo

2017-01-01

The article describes the results of the project “open source smart lamp” aimed at designing and developing a smart object able to manage and control the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of the built environment. A first version of this smart object, built following a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach using a microcontroller, an integrated temperature and relative humidity sensor, and techniques of additive manufacturing, allows the adjustment of the indoor thermal comfort quality (ICQ), by interacting directly with the air conditioner. As is well known, the IEQ is a holistic concept including indoor air quality (IAQ), indoor lighting quality (ILQ) and acoustic comfort, besides thermal comfort. The upgrade of the smart lamp bridges the gap of the first version of the device providing the possibility of interaction with the air exchange unit and lighting system in order to get an overview of the potential of a nearable device in the management of the IEQ. The upgraded version was tested in a real office equipped with mechanical ventilation and an air conditioning system. This office was occupied by four workers. The experiment is compared with a baseline scenario and the results show how the application of the nearable device effectively optimizes both IAQ and ILQ. PMID:28471398

In Situ Assembly of Well-Dispersed Ag Nanoparticles throughout Electrospun Alginate Nanofibers for Monitoring Human Breath-Smart Fabrics.

PubMed

Zhang, Jun; Wang, Xiao-Xiong; Zhang, Bin; Ramakrishna, Seeram; Yu, Miao; Ma, Jian-Wei; Long, Yun-Ze

2018-05-31

Alginate nanofibers assembled with silver nanoparticles throughout the whole nanofiber were fabricated by three steps including electrospinning of Na-alginate nanofibers, ion exchange between the sodium and silver ions, and in situ reduction of silver nanoparticles. The content, distribution, and size of the nanoparticles are controllable by tuning reaction conditions. Ag/alginate nanofibers exhibit good humidity sensitivity in a wide humidity range from 20% ambient relative humidity (RH) to 85% RH. Interestingly, these humidity sensors can be attached to a 3M-9001V mask for monitoring human breath during exercise and emotion changes, and this smart mask exhibits accurate and continuous human breath tracking, no matter how fast or slow as well as how deep or shallow is the human breathing. The obtained frequencies of respiration during normal, running, delight, and sadness conditions were 16, 13, 14, and 8 times per minute, respectively. Moreover, the signal waveform obtained under emotion changes is distinguishable, implying its potential applications in lie detection and interrogation. Thanks to this smart mask, it could accurately capture the rate and depth of respiration, providing an effective, low-cost, and convenient approach for tracking respiration, and it was utilized as smart fabrics in avoiding sleep apnea.

Power smart in-door optical wireless link design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marraccini, P. J.; Riza, N. A.

2011-12-01

Presented for the first time, to the best of the authors´ knowledge, is the design of a power smart in-door optical wireless link that provides lossless beam propagation between Transmitter (T) and Receiver (R) for changing link distances. Each T/R unit uses a combination of fixed and variable focal length optics to smartly adjust the laser beam propagation parameters of minimum beam waist size and its location to produce the optimal zero propagation loss coupling condition at the R for that link distance. An Electronically Controlled Variable Focus Lens (ECVFL) is used to form the wide field-of-view search beam and change the beam size at R to form a low loss beam. The T/R unit can also deploy camera optics and thermal energy harvesting electronics to improve link operational smartness and efficiency. To demonstrate the principles of the beam conditioned low loss indoor link, a visible 633 nm laser link using an electro-wetting technology liquid ECVFL is demonstrated for a variable 1 to 4 m link range. Measurements indicate a 53% improvement over an unconditioned laser link at 4 m. Applications for this power efficient wireless link includes mobile computer platform communications and agile server rack interconnections in data centres.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harper, Jason; Dobrzynski, Daniel S.

A smart charging system for charging a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) includes an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) configured to supply electrical power to the PEV through a smart charging module coupled to the EVSE. The smart charging module comprises an electronic circuitry which includes a processor. The electronic circuitry includes electronic components structured to receive electrical power from the EVSE, and supply the electrical power to the PEV. The electronic circuitry is configured to measure a charging parameter of the PEV. The electronic circuitry is further structured to emulate a pulse width modulated signal generated by the EVSE. Themore » smart charging module can also include a first coupler structured to be removably couple to the EVSE and a second coupler structured to be removably coupled to the PEV.« less

Methodological Approaches for Estimating the Benefits and Costs of Smart Grid Demonstration Projects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Russell

This report presents a comprehensive framework for estimating the benefits and costs of Smart Grid projects and a step-by-step approach for making these estimates. The framework identifies the basic categories of benefits, the beneficiaries of these benefits, and the Smart Grid functionalities that lead to different benefits and proposes ways to estimate these benefits, including their monetization. The report covers cost-effectiveness evaluation, uncertainty, and issues in estimating baseline conditions against which a project would be compared. The report also suggests metrics suitable for describing principal characteristics of a modern Smart Grid to which a project can contribute. This first sectionmore » of the report presents background information on the motivation for the report and its purpose. Section 2 introduces the methodological framework, focusing on the definition of benefits and a sequential, logical process for estimating them. Beginning with the Smart Grid technologies and functions of a project, it maps these functions to the benefits they produce. Section 3 provides a hypothetical example to illustrate the approach. Section 4 describes each of the 10 steps in the approach. Section 5 covers issues related to estimating benefits of the Smart Grid. Section 6 summarizes the next steps. The methods developed in this study will help improve future estimates - both retrospective and prospective - of the benefits of Smart Grid investments. These benefits, including those to consumers, society in general, and utilities, can then be weighed against the investments. Such methods would be useful in total resource cost tests and in societal versions of such tests. As such, the report will be of interest not only to electric utilities, but also to a broad constituency of stakeholders. Significant aspects of the methodology were used by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop its methods for estimating the benefits and costs of its renewable and distributed systems integration demonstration projects as well as its Smart Grid Investment Grant projects and demonstration projects funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The goal of this report, which was cofunded by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and DOE, is to present a comprehensive set of methods for estimating the benefits and costs of Smart Grid projects. By publishing this report, EPRI seeks to contribute to the development of methods that will establish the benefits associated with investments in Smart Grid technologies. EPRI does not endorse the contents of this report or make any representations as to the accuracy and appropriateness of its contents. The purpose of this report is to present a methodological framework that will provide a standardized approach for estimating the benefits and costs of Smart Grid demonstration projects. The framework also has broader application to larger projects, such as those funded under the ARRA. Moreover, with additional development, it will provide the means for extrapolating the results of pilots and trials to at-scale investments in Smart Grid technologies. The framework was developed by a panel whose members provided a broad range of expertise.« less

SmartWay Tractor and Trailer Logo Usage Instructions

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

View a presentation provides guidelines for SmartWay Partners on tractor and trailer logo usage, including SmartWay designated technical specifications and requirements, importance of logo display, how to obtain the logo, and logo placement.

The research and application of the power big data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Suxiang; Zhang, Dong; Zhang, Yaping; Cao, Jinping; Xu, Huiming

2017-01-01

Facing the increasing environment crisis, how to improve energy efficiency is the important problem. Power big data is main support tool to realize demand side management and response. With the promotion of smart power consumption, distributed clean energy and electric vehicles etc get wide application; meanwhile, the continuous development of the Internet of things technology, more applications access the endings in the grid power link, which leads to that a large number of electric terminal equipment, new energy access smart grid, and it will produce massive heterogeneous and multi-state electricity data. These data produce the power grid enterprise's precious wealth, as the power big data. How to transform it into valuable knowledge and effective operation becomes an important problem, it needs to interoperate in the smart grid. In this paper, we had researched the various applications of power big data and integrate the cloud computing and big data technology, which include electricity consumption online monitoring, the short-term power load forecasting and the analysis of the energy efficiency. Based on Hadoop, HBase and Hive etc., we realize the ETL and OLAP functions; and we also adopt the parallel computing framework to achieve the power load forecasting algorithms and propose a parallel locally weighted linear regression model; we study on energy efficiency rating model to comprehensive evaluate the level of energy consumption of electricity users, which allows users to understand their real-time energy consumption situation, adjust their electricity behavior to reduce energy consumption, it provides decision-making basis for the user. With an intelligent industrial park as example, this paper complete electricity management. Therefore, in the future, power big data will provide decision-making support tools for energy conservation and emissions reduction.

Design, processing and characterization of mechanically alloyed galfenol & lightly rare-earth doped FeGa alloys as smart materials for actuators and transducers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taheri, Parisa

Smart materials find a wide range of application areas due to their varied response to external stimuli. The different areas of application can be in our day to day life, aerospace, civil engineering applications, and mechatronics to name a few. Magnetostrictive materials are a class of smart materials that can convert energy between the magnetic and elastic states. Galfenol is a magnetostrictive alloy comprised primarily of the elements iron (Fe) and gallium (Ga). Galfenol exhibits a unique combination of mechanical and magnetostrictive (magnetic) properties that legacy smart materials do not. Galfenol's ability to function while in tension, mechanical robustness and high Curie temperature (600 °C) is attracting interest for the alloy's use in mechanically harsh and elevated temperature environments. Applications actively being investigated include transducers for down-hole use, next-generation fuel injectors, sensing, and energy harvesting devices. Understanding correlations between microstructure, electronic structure, and functional response is key to developing novel magnetostrictive materials for sensor and actuator technologies. To this end, in the first part of this thesis we report successful fabrication and investigation of magnetic and magnetostrictive properties of mechanically alloyed Fe81Ga19 compounds. For the first time, we could measure magnetostrictive properties of mechanically alloyed FeGa compounds. A maximum saturation magnetostriction of 41 ppm was achieved which is comparable to those measured from polycrystalline FeGa alloys prepared by other processing techniques, namely gas atomization and cold rolling. Overall, this study demonstrates the feasibility of large-scale production of FeGa polycrystalline alloys powders by a simple and cost-effective mechanical alloying technique. In the second part of this work, we report for the first time, experimental results pertaining to successful fabrication and advanced characterization of a series of Er/Gd-doped [110]-textured polycrystalline alloys of nominal composition, Fe83Ga17Erx (0 In the second part of this work, we report for the first time, experimental results pertaining to successful fabrication and advanced characterization of a series of Er/Gd-doped [110]-textured polycrystalline alloys of nominal composition, Fe83Ga 17Erx (0.

Smart Materials in Architecture: Useful Tools with Practical Applications or Fascinating Inventions for Experimental Design?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konarzewska, Bogusława

2017-10-01

For at least several decades smart or so-called intelligent materials, being the result of great advancements in material engineering, appear in architecture in different applications. Most of them are called “smart” because of their inherent properties: a real-time response to environmental stimuli. There are also those considered to be “smart” due to smart design: their original structure or the composition of their materials are in nanoscale, providing them with unique properties. Colour changes, physical states, temperature or shape-always repeatable and reversible - make these materials attractive to architects, both from a visual and a practical point of view. Their spectacular applications often inspire architects, scientists and artists to create, for instance, city displays revealing various shapes and figures according to daily weather conditions; thermochromics urban seats that reflect peoples’ presence; wallpaper with organic patterns that glow in darkness, and many others. On the other hand, more practical projects are being developed, such as “switchable” partition glass walls (that is, we can turn them on and they change their transparency while switching on or off: electrochromic glass is a good example). Other concepts include self-cleaning building envelopes; self-repairing concrete; phase-changing materials diminishing cooling loads in the buildings; energy-generating highways; materials that harden at the moment of impact thus withstanding exceptionally great forces; shape memory alloys playing the role of actuators-opening and - closing façade louvers or thin polymer films mimicking the function of living skin, adopted as a building envelope. All those projects result from the fascination of designers with the possibility to create materials and, in effect, a complex environment that is active, “flexible”, and adapts to changing conditions and users’ needs and is compatible with real, natural environments. Smart materials that serve this purpose make such projects not only more unique and beautiful but, as their inventors claim, their application may bring real environmental and financial gains in the future. This article presents the most crucial, selected examples of such materials and examines what benefits they could offer.

SMART-on-FHIR implemented over i2b2

PubMed Central

Mandel, Joshua C; Klann, Jeffery G; Wattanasin, Nich; Mendis, Michael; Chute, Christopher G; Mandl, Kenneth D; Murphy, Shawn N

2017-01-01

We have developed an interface to serve patient data from Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside (i2b2) repositories in the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) format, referred to as a SMART-on-FHIR cell. The cell serves FHIR resources on a per-patient basis, and supports the “substitutable” modular third-party applications (SMART) OAuth2 specification for authorization of client applications. It is implemented as an i2b2 server plug-in, consisting of 6 modules: authentication, REST, i2b2-to-FHIR converter, resource enrichment, query engine, and cache. The source code is freely available as open source. We tested the cell by accessing resources from a test i2b2 installation, demonstrating that a SMART app can be launched from the cell that accesses patient data stored in i2b2. We successfully retrieved demographics, medications, labs, and diagnoses for test patients. The SMART-on-FHIR cell will enable i2b2 sites to provide simplified but secure data access in FHIR format, and will spur innovation and interoperability. Further, it transforms i2b2 into an apps platform. PMID:27274012

Modeling activity recognition of multi resident using label combination of multi label classification in smart home

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamed, Raihani; Perumal, Thinagaran; Sulaiman, Md Nasir; Mustapha, Norwati; Zainudin, M. N. Shah

2017-10-01

Pertaining to the human centric concern and non-obtrusive way, the ambient sensor type technology has been selected, accepted and embedded in the environment in resilient style. Human activities, everyday are gradually becoming complex and thus complicate the inferences of activities when it involving the multi resident in the same smart environment. Current works solutions focus on separate model between the resident, activities and interactions. Some study use data association and extra auxiliary of graphical nodes to model human tracking information in an environment and some produce separate framework to incorporate the auxiliary for interaction feature model. Thus, recognizing the activities and which resident perform the activity at the same time in the smart home are vital for the smart home development and future applications. This paper will cater the above issue by considering the simplification and efficient method using the multi label classification framework. This effort eliminates time consuming and simplifies a lot of pre-processing tasks comparing with previous approach. Applications to the multi resident multi label learning in smart home problems shows the LC (Label Combination) using Decision Tree (DT) as base classifier can tackle the above problems.

Novel Flexible Wearable Sensor Materials and Signal Processing for Vital Sign and Human Activity Monitoring.

PubMed

Servati, Amir; Zou, Liang; Wang, Z Jane; Ko, Frank; Servati, Peyman

2017-07-13

Advances in flexible electronic materials and smart textile, along with broad availability of smart phones, cloud and wireless systems have empowered the wearable technologies for significant impact on future of digital and personalized healthcare as well as consumer electronics. However, challenges related to lack of accuracy, reliability, high power consumption, rigid or bulky form factor and difficulty in interpretation of data have limited their wide-scale application in these potential areas. As an important solution to these challenges, we present latest advances in novel flexible electronic materials and sensors that enable comfortable and conformable body interaction and potential for invisible integration within daily apparel. Advances in novel flexible materials and sensors are described for wearable monitoring of human vital signs including, body temperature, respiratory rate and heart rate, muscle movements and activity. We then present advances in signal processing focusing on motion and noise artifact removal, data mining and aspects of sensor fusion relevant to future clinical applications of wearable technology.

Smart Polymeric Hydrogels for Cartilage Tissue Engineering: A Review on the Chemistry and Biological Functions.

PubMed

Eslahi, Niloofar; Abdorahim, Marjan; Simchi, Abdolreza

2016-11-14

Stimuli responsive hydrogels (SRHs) are attractive bioscaffolds for tissue engineering. The structural similarity of SRHs to the extracellular matrix (ECM) of many tissues offers great advantages for a minimally invasive tissue repair. Among various potential applications of SRHs, cartilage regeneration has attracted significant attention. The repair of cartilage damage is challenging in orthopedics owing to its low repair capacity. Recent advances include development of injectable hydrogels to minimize invasive surgery with nanostructured features and rapid stimuli-responsive characteristics. Nanostructured SRHs with more structural similarity to natural ECM up-regulate cell-material interactions for faster tissue repair and more controlled stimuli-response to environmental changes. This review highlights most recent advances in the development of nanostructured or smart hydrogels for cartilage tissue engineering. Different types of stimuli-responsive hydrogels are introduced and their fabrication processes through physicochemical procedures are reported. The applications and characteristics of natural and synthetic polymers used in SRHs are also reviewed with an outline on clinical considerations and challenges.

Control systems using modal domain optical fiber sensors for smart structure applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindner, Douglas K.; Reichard, Karl M.

1991-01-01

Recently, a new class of sensors has emerged for structural control which respond to environmental changes over a significant gauge length; these sensors are called distributed-effect sensors. These sensors can be fabricated with spatially varying sensitivity to the distributed measurand, and can be configured to measure a variety of structural parameters which can not be measured directly using point sensors. Examples of distributed-effect sensors include piezoelectric film, holographic sensors, and modal domain optical fiber sensors. Optical fiber sensors are particularly attractive for smart structure applications because they are flexible, have low mass, and can easily be embedded directly into materials. In this paper we describe the implementation of weighted modal domain optical fiber sensors. The mathematical model of the modal domain optical fiber sensor model is described and used to derive an expression for the sensor sensitivity. The effects of parameter variations on the sensor sensitivity are demonstrated to illustrate methods of spatially varying the sensor sensitivity.

Novel Flexible Wearable Sensor Materials and Signal Processing for Vital Sign and Human Activity Monitoring

PubMed Central

Servati, Amir; Wang, Z. Jane; Ko, Frank; Servati, Peyman

2017-01-01

Advances in flexible electronic materials and smart textile, along with broad availability of smart phones, cloud and wireless systems have empowered the wearable technologies for significant impact on future of digital and personalized healthcare as well as consumer electronics. However, challenges related to lack of accuracy, reliability, high power consumption, rigid or bulky form factor and difficulty in interpretation of data have limited their wide-scale application in these potential areas. As an important solution to these challenges, we present latest advances in novel flexible electronic materials and sensors that enable comfortable and conformable body interaction and potential for invisible integration within daily apparel. Advances in novel flexible materials and sensors are described for wearable monitoring of human vital signs including, body temperature, respiratory rate and heart rate, muscle movements and activity. We then present advances in signal processing focusing on motion and noise artifact removal, data mining and aspects of sensor fusion relevant to future clinical applications of wearable technology. PMID:28703744

Fiber optic perimeter system for security in smart city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cubik, Jakub; Kepak, Stanislav; Nedoma, Jan; Fajkus, Marcel; Zboril, Ondrej; Novak, Martin; Jargus, Jan; Vasinek, Vladimir

2017-10-01

Protection of persons and assets is the key challenge of Smart City safeguards technologies. Conventional security technologies are often outdated and easy to breach. Therefore, new technologies that could complement existing systems or replace them are developed. The use of optical fibers and their subsequent application in sensing is a trend of recent years. This article discusses the use of fiber-optic sensors in perimeter protection. The sensor consists of optical fibers and couplers only and being constructed without wires and metal parts bring many advantages. These include an absence of interference with electromagnetic waves, system presence can be difficult to detect as well as affect its operation. Testing installation of perimeter system was carried out under reinforced concrete structure. Subjects walked over the bridge at different speeds and over the different routes. The task for the system was an absolute detection of all subjects. The proposed system should find application mainly in areas with the presence of volatile substances, strong electromagnetic fields, or in explosive areas.

How to improve healthcare? Identify, nurture and embed individuals and teams with "deep smarts".

PubMed

Eljiz, Kathy; Greenfield, David; Molineux, John; Sloan, Terry

2018-03-19

Purpose Unlocking and transferring skills and capabilities in individuals to the teams they work within, and across, is the key to positive organisational development and improved patient care. Using the "deep smarts" model, the purpose of this paper is to examine these issues. Design/methodology/approach The "deep smarts" model is described, reviewed and proposed as a way of transferring knowledge and capabilities within healthcare organisations. Findings Effective healthcare delivery is achieved through, and continues to require, integrative care involving numerous, dispersed service providers. In the space of overlapping organisational boundaries, there is a need for "deep smarts" people who act as "boundary spanners". These are critical integrative, networking roles employing clinical, organisational and people skills across multiple settings. Research limitations/implications Studies evaluating the barriers and enablers to the application of the deep smarts model and 13 knowledge development strategies proposed are required. Such future research will empirically and contemporary ground our understanding of organisational development in modern complex healthcare settings. Practical implications An organisation with "deep smarts" people - in managerial, auxiliary and clinical positions - has a greater capacity for integration and achieving improved patient-centred care. Originality/value In total, 13 developmental strategies, to transfer individual capabilities into organisational capability, are proposed. These strategies are applicable to different contexts and challenges faced by individuals and teams in complex healthcare organisations.

3D shape measurement system developed on mobile platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Zhoujie; Chang, Meng; Shi, Bowen; Zhang, Qican

2017-02-01

Three-dimensional (3-D) shape measurement technology based on structured light has become one hot research field inspired by the increasing requirements. Many methods have been implemented and applied in the industry applications, but most of their equipments are large and complex, cannot be portable. Meanwhile, the popularity of the smart mobile terminals, such as smart phones, provides a platform for the miniaturization and portability of this technology. The measurement system based on phase-shift algorithm and Gray-code pattern under the Android platform on a mobile phone is mainly studied and developed, and it has been encapsulated into a mobile phone application in order to reconstruct 3-D shape data in the employed smart phone easily and quickly. The experimental results of two measured object are given in this paper and demonstrate the application we developed in the mobile platform is effective.

Designing User Interfaces for Smart-Applications for Operating Rooms and Intensive Care Units

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kindsmüller, Martin Christof; Haar, Maral; Schulz, Hannes; Herczeg, Michael

Today’s physicians and nurses working in operating rooms and intensive care units have to deal with an ever increasing amount of data. More and more medical devices are delivering information, which has to be perceived and interpreted in regard to patient status and the necessity to adjust therapy. The combination of high information load and insufficient usability creates a severe challenge for the health personnel with respect to proper monitoring of these devices respective to acknowledging alarms and timely reaction to critical incidents. Smart Applications are a new kind of decision support systems that incorporate medical expertise in order to help health personnel in regard to diagnosis and therapy. By means of a User Centered Design process of two Smart Applications (anaesthesia monitor display, diagnosis display), we illustrate which approach should be followed and which processes and methods have been successfully applied in fostering the design of usable medical devices.

Smart phone monitoring of second heart sound split.

PubMed

Thiyagaraja, Shanti R; Vempati, Jagannadh; Dantu, Ram; Sarma, Tom; Dantu, Siva

2014-01-01

Heart Auscultation (listening to heart sounds) is the basic element of cardiac diagnosis. The interpretation of these sounds is a difficult skill to acquire. In this work we have developed an application to detect, monitor, and analyze the split in second heart sound (S2) using a smart phone. The application records the heartbeat using a stethoscope connected to the smart phone. The audio signal is converted into the frequency domain using Fast Fourier Transform to detect the first and second heart sounds (S1 and S2). S2 is extracted and fed into the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) and then to Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) to detect the Aortic (A2) and the Pulmonic (P2) components, which are used to calculate the split in S2. With our application, users can continuously monitor their second heart sound irrespective of ages and check for a split in their hearts with a low-cost, easily available equipment.

Applications of FRP-OFBG sensors on bridge cables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Zhi; Zhang, Zhichun; Deng, Nianchun; Zhao, Xuefeng; Li, Dongsheng; Wang, Chuang; Ou, Jinping

2005-05-01

It is still a practical problem how to effectively install FBG sensors on bridge cabes. In this paper, a simple and effective solution is introduced to develop smart bridge cables using FRP-OFBG bars developed in HIT (Harbin Institute of Technology). Here, the FRP-OFBG bar acts as one component of the cable and shows force resistance and well-protected sensors in service. The installation techniques and the sensing properties of FBGs in three kinds of cables, FRP cables, common steel-wire cable and extruded-anchor cable, are introduced and tested under dead load. Moreover, the preliminary introduction of a practical field application based on this solution has been also given. The experimental results show that the deformability of FRP-OFBG bars in the smart cables can reach the terminal and show wonderful accuracy, which shows that such kind of smart cable is practical in field application.

Cognitive radio based optimal channel sensing and resources allocation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vijayasarveswari, V.; Khatun, S.; Fakir, M. M.; Nayeem, M. N.; Kamarudin, L. M.; Jakaria, A.

2017-03-01

Cognitive radio (CR) is the latest type of wireless technoloy that is proposed to mitigate spectrum saturation problem. İn cognitve radio, secondary user will use primary user's spectrum during primary user's absence without interupting primary user's transmission. This paper focuses on practical cognitive radio network development process using Android based smart phone for the data transmission. Energy detector based sensing method was proposed and used here because it doesnot require primary user's information. Bluetooth and Wi-fi are the two available types of spectrum that was sensed for CR detection. Simulation showed cognitive radio network can be developed using Android based smart phones. So, a complete application was developed using Java based Android Eclipse program. Finally, the application was uploaded and run on Android based smart phone to form and verify CR network for channel sensing and resource allocation. The observed efficiency of the application was around 81%.

ROSA: Resource-Oriented Service Management Schemes for Web of Things in a Smart Home

PubMed Central

Chen, Peng-Yu

2017-01-01

A Pervasive-computing-enriched smart home environment, which contains many embedded and tiny intelligent devices and sensors coordinated by service management mechanisms, is capable of anticipating intentions of occupants and providing appropriate services accordingly. Although there are a wealth of research achievements in recent years, the degree of market acceptance is still low. The main reason is that most of the devices and services in such environments depend on particular platform or technology, making it hard to develop an application by composing the devices or services. Meanwhile, the concept of Web of Things (WoT) is becoming popular recently. Based on WoT, the developers can build applications based on popular web tools or technologies. Consequently, the objective of this paper is to propose a set of novel WoT-driven plug-and-play service management schemes for a smart home called Resource-Oriented Service Administration (ROSA). We have implemented an application prototype, and experiments are performed to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The results of this research can be a foundation for realizing the vision of “end user programmable smart environments”. PMID:28934159

Smart Polymeric Gels: Redefining the Limits of Biomedical Devices.

PubMed

Chaterji, Somali; Kwon, Il Keun; Park, Kinam

2007-08-01

This review describes recent progresses in the development and applications of smart polymeric gels, especially in the context of biomedical devices. The review has been organized into three separate sections: defining the basis of smart properties in polymeric gels; describing representative stimuli to which these gels respond; and illustrating a sample application area, namely, microfluidics. One of the major limitations in the use of hydrogels in stimuli-responsive applications is the diffusion rate limited transduction of signals. This can be obviated by engineering interconnected pores in the polymer structure to form capillary networks in the matrix and by downscaling the size of hydrogels to significantly decrease diffusion paths. Reducing the lag time in the induction of smart responses can be highly useful in biomedical devices, such as sensors and actuators. This review also describes molecular imprinting techniques to fabricate hydrogels for specific molecular recognition of target analytes. Additionally, it describes the significant advances in bottom-up nanofabrication strategies, involving supramolecular chemistry. Learning to assemble supramolecular structures from nature has led to the rapid prototyping of functional supramolecular devices. In essence, the barriers in the current performance potential of biomedical devices can be lowered or removed by the rapid convergence of interdisciplinary technologies.

A preliminary survey analysis of school shuttle bus system towards smart mobility solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yue, Wong Seng; Hoy, Cheong Wan; Chye, Koh Keng

2017-10-01

Mobility and accessibility are crucial indicators of urban development. Public transport in the urban areas came into existence to fulfil transportation needs as well as mobility and accessibility demands. Ridership can be affected by the quality and quantity of transit service. However, technical improvements are needed for such as real-time bus information, controlling run time and headway delay. Thus, this paper is aimed to carry out a preliminary survey to determine the problems of school shuttle bus that faced by the students in a selected educational institution, their perceptions of using shuttle bus tracking and information mobile application and impacts of real-time information of public transits on bus ridership and towards smart mobility solutions. Efficient public transportation system needs further investigation about the role of mobile application for the bus tracking system in supporting smart mobility actions and real-time information. The proposed application also provides a smart solution for the management of public infrastructures and urban facilities in Malaysia in future. Eventually, this study opens an opportunity to improve Malaysian quality of life on the public value that created for the city as a whole.

Smart Polymeric Gels: Redefining the Limits of Biomedical Devices

PubMed Central

Chaterji, Somali; Kwon, Il Keun; Park, Kinam

2007-01-01

This review describes recent progresses in the development and applications of smart polymeric gels, especially in the context of biomedical devices. The review has been organized into three separate sections: defining the basis of smart properties in polymeric gels; describing representative stimuli to which these gels respond; and illustrating a sample application area, namely, microfluidics. One of the major limitations in the use of hydrogels in stimuli–responsive applications is the diffusion rate limited transduction of signals. This can be obviated by engineering interconnected pores in the polymer structure to form capillary networks in the matrix and by downscaling the size of hydrogels to significantly decrease diffusion paths. Reducing the lag time in the induction of smart responses can be highly useful in biomedical devices, such as sensors and actuators. This review also describes molecular imprinting techniques to fabricate hydrogels for specific molecular recognition of target analytes. Additionally, it describes the significant advances in bottom–up nanofabrication strategies, involving supramolecular chemistry. Learning to assemble supramolecular structures from nature has led to the rapid prototyping of functional supramolecular devices. In essence, the barriers in the current performance potential of biomedical devices can be lowered or removed by the rapid convergence of interdisciplinary technologies. PMID:18670584

Dynamic Distribution and Layouting of Model-Based User Interfaces in Smart Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roscher, Dirk; Lehmann, Grzegorz; Schwartze, Veit; Blumendorf, Marco; Albayrak, Sahin

The developments in computer technology in the last decade change the ways of computer utilization. The emerging smart environments make it possible to build ubiquitous applications that assist users during their everyday life, at any time, in any context. But the variety of contexts-of-use (user, platform and environment) makes the development of such ubiquitous applications for smart environments and especially its user interfaces a challenging and time-consuming task. We propose a model-based approach, which allows adapting the user interface at runtime to numerous (also unknown) contexts-of-use. Based on a user interface modelling language, defining the fundamentals and constraints of the user interface, a runtime architecture exploits the description to adapt the user interface to the current context-of-use. The architecture provides automatic distribution and layout algorithms for adapting the applications also to contexts unforeseen at design time. Designers do not specify predefined adaptations for each specific situation, but adaptation constraints and guidelines. Furthermore, users are provided with a meta user interface to influence the adaptations according to their needs. A smart home energy management system serves as running example to illustrate the approach.

Exploration and design of smart home circuit based on ZigBee

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Huirong

2018-05-01

To apply ZigBee technique in smart home circuit design, in the hardware design link of ZigBee node, TI Company's ZigBee wireless communication chip CC2530 was used to complete the design of ZigBee RF module circuit and peripheral circuit. In addition, the function demand and the overall scheme of the intelligent system based on smart home furnishing were proposed. Finally, the smart home system was built by combining ZigBee network and intelligent gateway. The function realization, reliability and power consumption of ZigBee network were tested. The results showed that ZigBee technology was applied to smart home system, making it have some advantages in terms of flexibility, scalability, power consumption and indoor aesthetics. To sum up, the system has high application value.

Smart dental practice: capitalising on smart mobile technology.

PubMed

Plangger, K; Bredican, J; Mills, A J; Armstrong, J

2015-08-14

To keep pace with consumer adoption of smart mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, and the applications ('apps') developed for these devices, dental professionals should consider how this technology could be used to simultaneously improve both patient service experiences and dental practice management. Using U-Commerce as a theoretical lens, this article discusses the potential value of smart mobile technology to the dental practice context, with a particular focus on the unique and customisable capabilities of apps. To take full advantage of this technology, a process is outlined for identifying and designing bespoke dental apps that takes into account the unique advantages of these devices. Dental practices, with increasing financial and competitive pressures, may improve the efficiency and profitability of operations and better manage patients, employees and stakeholders by integrating smart mobile technology.

Smarten up garments through knitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwarz-Pfeiffer, A.; Obermann, M.; Weber, M. O.; Ehrmann, A.

2016-07-01

Smart textiles are a growing and fascinating field with enormous potential in the field of wearable electronics: shirts with integrated electrodes, socks stimulating the blood circulation or heating clothing are just a few examples of wearable, smart textile products. Most often, the technology of choice for on-the-body-worn smart textiles is knitting as it results in stretchable and, hence comfortable garments. This presentation explores the knitting technology in respect to smart textiles giving an overview of current research activities as well as commercially available products on the market. It further intends to foster the transfer of research approaches into business applications as well as to develop new challenging research ideas.

Context Aware Systems, Methods and Trends in Smart Home Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robles, Rosslin John; Kim, Tai-Hoon

Context aware applications respond and adapt to changes in the computing environment. It is the concept of leveraging information about the end user to improve the quality of the interaction. New technologies in context-enriched services will use location, presence, social attributes, and other environmental information to anticipate an end user's immediate needs, offering more-sophisticated, situation-aware and usable functions. Smart homes connect all the devices and appliances in your home so they can communicate with each other and with you. Context-awareness can be applied to Smart Home technology. In this paper, we discuss the context-aware tools for development of Smart Home Systems.

Calibration of asynchronous smart phone cameras from moving objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagen, Oksana; Istenič, Klemen; Bharti, Vibhav; Dhali, Maruf Ahmed; Barmaimon, Daniel; Houssineau, Jérémie; Clark, Daniel

2015-04-01

Calibrating multiple cameras is a fundamental prerequisite for many Computer Vision applications. Typically this involves using a pair of identical synchronized industrial or high-end consumer cameras. This paper considers an application on a pair of low-cost portable cameras with different parameters that are found in smart phones. This paper addresses the issues of acquisition, detection of moving objects, dynamic camera registration and tracking of arbitrary number of targets. The acquisition of data is performed using two standard smart phone cameras and later processed using detections of moving objects in the scene. The registration of cameras onto the same world reference frame is performed using a recently developed method for camera calibration using a disparity space parameterisation and the single-cluster PHD filter.

Reviews CD-ROM: Scientific American—The Amateur Scientist 3.0 Book: The New Resourceful Physics Teacher Equipment: DynaKar Book: The Fundamentals of Imaging Book: Teaching Secondary Physics Book: Novel Materials and Smart Applications Equipment: Cryptic disk Web Watch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2012-05-01

WE RECOMMEND Scientific American—The Amateur Scientist 3.0 Article collection spans the decades DynaKar DynaKar drives dynamics experiments The Fundamentals of Imaging Author covers whole imaging spectrum Teaching Secondary Physics Effective teaching is all in the approach Novel Materials and Smart Applications/Novel materials sample pack Resources kit samples smart materials WORTH A LOOK Cryptic disk Metal disk spins life into discussions about energy, surfaces and kinetics HANDLE WITH CARE The New Resourceful Physics Teacher Book brings creativity to physics WEB WATCH Apps for tablets and smartphones can aid physics teaching

Novel Multidisciplinary Models Assess the Capabilities of Smart Structures to Manage Vibration, Sound, and Thermal Distortion in Aeropropulsion Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saravanos, Dimitris A.

1997-01-01

The development of aeropropulsion components that incorporate "smart" composite laminates with embedded piezoelectric actuators and sensors is expected to ameliorate critical problems in advanced aircraft engines related to vibration, noise emission, and thermal stability. To facilitate the analytical needs of this effort, the NASA Lewis Research Center has developed mechanics and multidisciplinary computational models to analyze the complicated electromechanical behavior of realistic smart-structure configurations operating in combined mechanical, thermal, and acoustic environments. The models have been developed to accommodate the particular geometries, environments, and technical challenges encountered in advanced aircraft engines, yet their unique analytical features are expected to facilitate application of this new technology in a variety of commercial applications.

A look-ahead probabilistic contingency analysis framework incorporating smart sampling techniques

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Yousu; Etingov, Pavel V.; Ren, Huiying

2016-07-18

This paper describes a framework of incorporating smart sampling techniques in a probabilistic look-ahead contingency analysis application. The predictive probabilistic contingency analysis helps to reflect the impact of uncertainties caused by variable generation and load on potential violations of transmission limits.

Smart Materials Based on DNA Aptamers: Taking Aptasensing to the Next Level

PubMed Central

Mastronardi, Emily; Foster, Amanda; Zhang, Xueru; DeRosa, Maria C.

2014-01-01

“Smart” materials are an emerging category of multifunctional materials with physical or chemical properties that can be controllably altered in response to an external stimulus. By combining the standard properties of the advanced material with the unique ability to recognize and adapt in response to a change in their environment, these materials are finding applications in areas such as sensing and drug delivery. While the majority of these materials are responsive to physical or chemical changes, a particularly exciting area of research seeks to develop smart materials that are sensitive to specific molecular or biomolecular stimuli. These systems require the integration of a molecular recognition probe specific to the target molecule of interest. The ease of synthesis and labeling, low cost, and stability of DNA aptamers make them uniquely suited to effectively serve as molecular recognition probes in novel smart material systems. This review will highlight current work in the area of aptamer-based smart materials and prospects for their future applications. PMID:24553083

Autonomous smart sensor network for full-scale structural health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rice, Jennifer A.; Mechitov, Kirill A.; Spencer, B. F., Jr.; Agha, Gul A.

2010-04-01

The demands of aging infrastructure require effective methods for structural monitoring and maintenance. Wireless smart sensor networks offer the ability to enhance structural health monitoring (SHM) practices through the utilization of onboard computation to achieve distributed data management. Such an approach is scalable to the large number of sensor nodes required for high-fidelity modal analysis and damage detection. While smart sensor technology is not new, the number of full-scale SHM applications has been limited. This slow progress is due, in part, to the complex network management issues that arise when moving from a laboratory setting to a full-scale monitoring implementation. This paper presents flexible network management software that enables continuous and autonomous operation of wireless smart sensor networks for full-scale SHM applications. The software components combine sleep/wake cycling for enhanced power management with threshold detection for triggering network wide tasks, such as synchronized sensing or decentralized modal analysis, during periods of critical structural response.

Recent developments in smart freezing technology applied to fresh foods.

PubMed

Xu, Ji-Cheng; Zhang, Min; Mujumdar, Arun S; Adhikari, Benu

2017-09-02

Due to the increased awareness of consumers in sensorial and nutritional quality of frozen foods, the freezing technology has to seek new and innovative technologies for better retaining the fresh like quality of foods. In this article, we review the recent developments in smart freezing technology applied to fresh foods. The application of these intelligent technologies and the associated underpinning concepts have greatly improved the quality of frozen foods and the freezing efficiency. These technologies are able to automatically collect the information in-line during freezing and help control the freezing process better. Smart freezing technology includes new and intelligent technologies and concepts applied to the pretreatment of the frozen product, freezing processes, cold chain logistics as well as warehouse management. These technologies enable real-time monitoring of quality during the freezing process and help improve product quality and freezing efficiency. We also provide a brief overview of several sensing technologies used to achieve automatic control of individual steps of freezing process. These sensing technologies include computer vision, electronic nose, electronic tongue, digital simulation, confocal laser, near infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance technology and ultrasound. Understanding of the mechanism of these new technologies will be helpful for applying them to improve the quality of frozen foods.

An Open Source Extensible Smart Energy Framework

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rankin, Linda

Aggregated distributed energy resources are the subject of much interest in the energy industry and are expected to play an important role in meeting our future energy needs by changing how we use, distribute and generate electricity. This energy future includes an increased amount of energy from renewable resources, load management techniques to improve resiliency and reliability, and distributed energy storage and generation capabilities that can be managed to meet the needs of the grid as well as individual customers. These energy assets are commonly referred to as Distributed Energy Resources (DER). DERs rely on a means to communicate informationmore » between an energy provider and multitudes of devices. Today DER control systems are typically vendor-specific, using custom hardware and software solutions. As a result, customers are locked into communication transport protocols, applications, tools, and data formats. Today’s systems are often difficult to extend to meet new application requirements, resulting in stranded assets when business requirements or energy management models evolve. By partnering with industry advisors and researchers, an implementation DER research platform was developed called the Smart Energy Framework (SEF). The hypothesis of this research was that an open source Internet of Things (IoT) framework could play a role in creating a commodity-based eco-system for DER assets that would reduce costs and provide interoperable products. SEF is based on the AllJoynTM IoT open source framework. The demonstration system incorporated DER assets, specifically batteries and smart water heaters. To verify the behavior of the distributed system, models of water heaters and batteries were also developed. An IoT interface for communicating between the assets and a control server was defined. This interface supports a series of “events” and telemetry reporting, similar to those defined by current smart grid communication standards. The results of this effort demonstrated the feasibility and application potential of using IoT frameworks for the creation of commodity-based DER systems. All of the identified commodity-based system requirements were met by the AllJoyn framework. By having commodity solutions, small vendors can enter the market and the cost of implementation for all parties is reduced. Utilities and aggregators can choose from multiple interoperable products reducing the risk of stranded assets. Based on this research it is recommended that interfaces based on existing smart grid communication protocol standards be created for these emerging IoT frameworks. These interfaces should be standardized as part of the IoT framework allowing for interoperability testing and certification. Similarly, IoT frameworks are introducing application level security. This type of security is needed for protecting application and platforms and will be important moving forward. Recommendations are that along with DER-based data model interfaces, platform and application security requirements also be prescribed when IoT devices support DER applications.« less

Telematics and smart cards in integrated health information system.

PubMed

Sicurello, F; Nicolosi, A

1997-01-01

Telematics and information technology are the base on which it will be possible to build an integrated health information system to support population and improve their quality of life. This system should be based on record linkage of all data based on the interactions of the patients with the health structures, such as general practitioners, specialists, health institutes and hospitals, pharmacies, etc. The record linkage can provide the connection and integration of various records, thanks to the use of telematic technology (either urban or geographical local networks, such as the Internet) and electronic data cards. Particular emphasis should be placed on the introduction of smart cards, such as portable health cards, which will contain a standardized data set and will be sufficient to access different databases found in various health services. The inter-operability of the social-health records (including multimedia types) and the smart cards (which are one of the most important prerequisites for the homogenization and wide diffusion of these cards at an European level) should be strongly taken into consideration. In this framework a project is going to be developed aiming towards the integration of various data bases distributed territorially, from the reading of the software and the updating of the smart cards to the complete management of the patients' evaluation records, to the quality of the services offered and to the health planning. The applications developed will support epidemiological investigation software and data analysis. The inter-connection of all the databases of the various structures involved will take place through a coordination center, the most important system of which we will call "record linkage" or "integrated database". Smart cards will be distributed to a sample group of possible users and the necessary smart card management tools will be installed in all the structures involved. All the final users (the patients) in the whole network of services involved will be monitored for the duration of the project. The system users will also include general practitioners, social workers, physicians, health operators, pharmacists, laboratory workers and administrative personnel of the municipality and of the health structures concerned.

Overview of demonstrator program of Japanese Smart Materials and Structure System project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tajima, Naoyuki; Sakurai, Tateo; Sasajima, Mikio; Takeda, Nobuo; Kishi, Teruo

2003-08-01

The Japanese Smart Material and Structure System Project started in 1998 as five years' program that funded by METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) and supported by NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization). Total budget of five years was finally about 3.8 billion Japanese yen. This project has been conducted as the Academic Institutions Centered Program, namely, one of collaborated research and development among seven universities (include one foreign university), seventeen Industries (include two foreign companies), and three national laboratories. At first, this project consisted of four research groups that were structural health monitoring, smart manufacturing, active/adaptive structures, and actuator material/devices. Two years later, we decided that two demonstrator programs should be added in order to integrate the developed sensor and actuator element into the smart structure system and verify the research and development results of above four research groups. The application target of these demonstrators was focused to the airplane, and two demonstrators that these shapes simulate to the fuselage of small commercial airplane (for example, Boeing B737) had been established. Both demonstrators are cylindrical structures with 1.5 m in diameter and 3 m in length that the first demonstrator has CFRP skin-stringer and the second one has CFRP skin. The first demonstrator integrates the following six innovative techniques: (1) impact monitoring using embedded small diameter optical fiber sensors newly developed in this program, (2) impact monitoring using the integrated acoustic emission (AE) systems, (3) whole-field strain mapping using the BOTDR/FBG integrated system, (4) damage suppression using embedded shape memory alloy (SMA) films, (5) maximum and cyclic strain sensing using smart composite patches, and (6) smart manufacturing using the integrated sensing system. The second one is for demonstrating the suppression of vibration and acoustic noise generated in the composite cylindrical structure. In this program, High-performance PZT actuators/sensors developed in this program are also installed. The whole tests and evaluations have now been finished. This paper presents the outline of demonstrator programs, followed by six presentations that show the detail verification results of industrial demonstration themes.

Using Smart City Technology to Make Healthcare Smarter.

PubMed

Cook, Diane J; Duncan, Glen; Sprint, Gina; Fritz, Roschelle

2018-04-01

Smart cities use information and communication technologies (ICT) to scale services include utilities and transportation to a growing population. In this article we discuss how smart city ICT can also improve healthcare effectiveness and lower healthcare cost for smart city residents. We survey current literature and introduce original research to offer an overview of how smart city infrastructure supports strategic healthcare using both mobile and ambient sensors combined with machine learning. Finally, we consider challenges that will be faced as healthcare providers make use of these opportunities.

Adapting smart phone applications about physics education to blind students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bülbül, M. Ş.; Yiğit, N.; Garip, B.

2016-04-01

Today, most of necessary equipment in a physics laboratory are available for smartphone users via applications. Physics teachers may measure from acceleration to sound volume with its internal sensors. These sensors collect data and smartphone applications make the raw data visible. Teachers who do not have well-equipped laboratories at their schools may have an opportunity to conduct experiments with the help of smart phones. In this study, we analyzed possible open source physics education applications in terms of blind users in inclusive learning environments. All apps are categorized as partially, full or non-supported. The roles of blind learner’s friend during the application are categorized as reader, describer or user. Mentioned apps in the study are compared with additional opportunities like size and downloading rates. Out of using apps we may also get information about whether via internet and some other extra information for different experiments in physics lab. Q-codes reading or augmented reality are two other opportunity provided by smart phones for users in physics labs. We also summarized blind learner’s smartphone experiences from literature and listed some suggestions for application designers about concepts in physics.

Towards a Mobile Intelligent Information System with Application to HIV/AIDS.

PubMed

Kopec, D; Eckhardt, R; Tamang, S; Reinharth, D

2005-01-01

The United Nations Security Council reports HIV/AIDS as the fastest growing threat to human development. In addition, the World Health Organization [1] reports that nearly 5 million persons (4.3 million adults and 700,000 children) are newly infected with HIV each year; more than 95% of them found in developing countries. Since STDs as a group are a personal problem which few people feel comfortable discussing, we believe that hand-held PDAs can provide an opportunity for learning about this disease while insuring anonymity. This device will employ the newest technologies including Bluetooth wireless technology, which can transmit and receive data via a short-range radio link using a globally available frequency band (2.4 GHz ISM band), enabling rapid and accurate synchronous and asynchronous data communication. The first generation of Bluetooth permits exchange of data up to a rate of 1 Mbps, even in areas with much electromagnetic disturbance. This emerging technology can facilitate HIV/AIDS outreach around the globe.Recent advances in learning have taken a particularly cognitive perspective and these findings have implications for education in general as well as for the development of intelligent tutoring systems in particular. In the past, effective SmartBookstrade markhave been developed for AIDS education to disseminate the critical knowledge relevant to this epidemic [2].Since 1993, the proliferation of the World Wide Web has created a plethora of new opportunities for the delivery of electronic distance learning systems. However, we feel that it is important that a whatever technology is employed is based on a sound educational theory. A new, comprehensive, web-based learning system called SmartTutor has been developed, at Brooklyn College of The City University of New York [3]. This technology provides a user-friendly, self-paced, easy to modify, software environment intended to serve the user's learning needs and is based on a generic SmartTutor methodology organized around the use of concept mapping. Early assessment of SmartTutor has shown that it is well received by students and helps significantly in their learning processes. It is readily adaptable to the presentation of academic and more general subject matter such as the latest available information on HIV/AIDS. Our new HIV/AIDS SmartTutor will incorporate this SmartTutor paradigm. Our new SmartTutor would provide worldwide access to medical professionals as well as the general public to learn about HIV/AIDS. This new device could also provide a survey tool to facilitate HIV risk assessment. Demonstrations of the SmartTutor learning system will be presented and the continued development of the applications will be discussed.

Managing Distributed Systems with Smart Subscriptions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Filman, Robert E.; Lee, Diana D.; Swanson, Keith (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

We describe an event-based, publish-and-subscribe mechanism based on using 'smart subscriptions' to recognize weakly-structured events. We present a hierarchy of subscription languages (propositional, predicate, temporal and agent) and algorithms for efficiently recognizing event matches. This mechanism has been applied to the management of distributed applications.

Privacy-Assured Aggregation Protocol for Smart Metering: A Proactive Fault-Tolerant Approach [Proactive Fault-Tolerant Aggregation Protocol for Privacy-Assured Smart Metering

DOE PAGES

Won, Jongho; Ma, Chris Y. T.; Yau, David K. Y.; ...

2016-06-01

Smart meters are integral to demand response in emerging smart grids, by reporting the electricity consumption of users to serve application needs. But reporting real-time usage information for individual households raises privacy concerns. Existing techniques to guarantee differential privacy (DP) of smart meter users either are not fault tolerant or achieve (possibly partial) fault tolerance at high communication overheads. In this paper, we propose a fault-tolerant protocol for smart metering that can handle general communication failures while ensuring DP with significantly improved efficiency and lower errors compared with the state of the art. Our protocol handles fail-stop faults proactively bymore » using a novel design of future ciphertexts, and distributes trust among the smart meters by sharing secret keys among them. We prove the DP properties of our protocol and analyze its advantages in fault tolerance, accuracy, and communication efficiency relative to competing techniques. We illustrate our analysis by simulations driven by real-world traces of electricity consumption.« less

MAC/GMC Code Enhanced for Coupled Electromagnetothermoelastic Analysis of Smart Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bednarcyk, Brett A.; Arnold, Steven M.; Aboudi, Jacob

2002-01-01

Intelligent materials are those that exhibit coupling between their electromagnetic response and their thermomechanical response. This coupling allows smart materials to react mechanically (e.g., an induced displacement) to applied electrical or magnetic fields (for instance). These materials find many important applications in sensors, actuators, and transducers. Recently interest has arisen in the development of smart composites that are formed via the combination of two or more phases, one or more of which is a smart material. To design with and utilize smart composites, designers need theories that predict the coupled smart behavior of these materials from the electromagnetothermoelastic properties of the individual phases. The micromechanics model known as the generalized method of cells (GMC) has recently been extended to provide this important capability. This coupled electromagnetothermoelastic theory has recently been incorporated within NASA Glenn Research Center's Micromechanics Analysis Code with Generalized Method of Cells (MAC/GMC). This software package is user friendly and has many additional features that render it useful as a design and analysis tool for composite materials in general, and with its new capabilities, for smart composites as well.

Privacy-Assured Aggregation Protocol for Smart Metering: A Proactive Fault-Tolerant Approach [Proactive Fault-Tolerant Aggregation Protocol for Privacy-Assured Smart Metering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Won, Jongho; Ma, Chris Y. T.; Yau, David K. Y.

Smart meters are integral to demand response in emerging smart grids, by reporting the electricity consumption of users to serve application needs. But reporting real-time usage information for individual households raises privacy concerns. Existing techniques to guarantee differential privacy (DP) of smart meter users either are not fault tolerant or achieve (possibly partial) fault tolerance at high communication overheads. In this paper, we propose a fault-tolerant protocol for smart metering that can handle general communication failures while ensuring DP with significantly improved efficiency and lower errors compared with the state of the art. Our protocol handles fail-stop faults proactively bymore » using a novel design of future ciphertexts, and distributes trust among the smart meters by sharing secret keys among them. We prove the DP properties of our protocol and analyze its advantages in fault tolerance, accuracy, and communication efficiency relative to competing techniques. We illustrate our analysis by simulations driven by real-world traces of electricity consumption.« less

Wrist ambulatory monitoring system and smart glove for real time emotional, sensorial and physiological analysis.

PubMed

Axisa, F; Gehin, C; Delhomme, G; Collet, C; Robin, O; Dittmar, A

2004-01-01

Improvement of the quality and efficiency of the quality of health in medicine, at home and in hospital becomes more and more important Designed to be user-friendly, smart clothes and gloves fit well for such a citizen use and health monitoring. Analysis of the autonomic nervous system using non-invasive sensors provides information for the emotional, sensorial, cognitive and physiological analysis. MARSIAN (modular autonomous recorder system for the measurement of autonomic nervous system) is a wrist ambulatory monitoring and recording system with a smart glove with sensors for the detection of the activity of the autonomic nervous system. It is composed of a "smart tee shirt", a "smart glove", a wrist device and PC which records data. The smart glove is one of the key point of MARSIAN. Complex movements, complex geometry, sensation make smart glove designing a challenge. MARSIAN has a large field of applications and researches (vigilance, behaviour, sensorial analysis, thermal environment for human, cognition science, sport, etc...) in various fields like neurophysiology, affective computing and health monitoring.

Security Aspects of Smart Cards vs. Embedded Security in Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Advanced Mobile Network Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyerstein, Mike; Cha, Inhyok; Shah, Yogendra

The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standardisation group currently discusses advanced applications of mobile networks such as Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication. Several security issues arise in these contexts which warrant a fresh look at mobile networks’ security foundations, resting on smart cards. This paper contributes a security/efficiency analysis to this discussion and highlights the role of trusted platform technology to approach these issues.

Security in Intelligent Transport Systems for Smart Cities: From Theory to Practice

PubMed Central

Javed, Muhammad Awais; Ben Hamida, Elyes; Znaidi, Wassim

2016-01-01

Connecting vehicles securely and reliably is pivotal to the implementation of next generation ITS applications of smart cities. With continuously growing security threats, vehicles could be exposed to a number of service attacks that could put their safety at stake. To address this concern, both US and European ITS standards have selected Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) algorithms to secure vehicular communications. However, there is still a lack of benchmarking studies on existing security standards in real-world settings. In this paper, we first analyze the security architecture of the ETSI ITS standard. We then implement the ECC based digital signature and encryption procedures using an experimental test-bed and conduct an extensive benchmark study to assess their performance which depends on factors such as payload size, processor speed and security levels. Using network simulation models, we further evaluate the impact of standard compliant security procedures in dense and realistic smart cities scenarios. Obtained results suggest that existing security solutions directly impact the achieved quality of service (QoS) and safety awareness of vehicular applications, in terms of increased packet inter-arrival delays, packet and cryptographic losses, and reduced safety awareness in safety applications. Finally, we summarize the insights gained from the simulation results and discuss open research challenges for efficient working of security in ITS applications of smart cities. PMID:27314358

IoT-based smart garbage system for efficient food waste management.

PubMed

Hong, Insung; Park, Sunghoi; Lee, Beomseok; Lee, Jaekeun; Jeong, Daebeom; Park, Sehyun

2014-01-01

Owing to a paradigm shift toward Internet of Things (IoT), researches into IoT services have been conducted in a wide range of fields. As a major application field of IoT, waste management has become one such issue. The absence of efficient waste management has caused serious environmental problems and cost issues. Therefore, in this paper, an IoT-based smart garbage system (SGS) is proposed to reduce the amount of food waste. In an SGS, battery-based smart garbage bins (SGBs) exchange information with each other using wireless mesh networks, and a router and server collect and analyze the information for service provisioning. Furthermore, the SGS includes various IoT techniques considering user convenience and increases the battery lifetime through two types of energy-efficient operations of the SGBs: stand-alone operation and cooperation-based operation. The proposed SGS had been operated as a pilot project in Gangnam district, Seoul, Republic of Korea, for a one-year period. The experiment showed that the average amount of food waste could be reduced by 33%.

Light-responsive expansion-contraction of spherical nanoparticle grafted with azopolymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Jie; Zhang, Xinghua; Miao, Bing; Yan, Dadong

2017-04-01

Due to the very importance for both fundamental research and technological applications, smart materials with stimuli-responsive properties have been studied intensively. Theoretical investigation contributes to this endeavor through constructing and analyzing a model system which captures main features of the corresponding complex material, wherefrom useful insight can be provided to the trial-and-error experiments. We here report a theoretical study on the smart spherical nanoparticle grafted with light-responsive azobenzene-containing polymers. Utilizing the photoisomerization ability of the azobenzene group, nanoparticles can undergo a light-induced expansion-contraction transition. The wormlike chain based single chain in mean field theory, which has been developed by us recently, is used to investigate this transition in detail. Exploring a large parameter space, our results definitely determine the parameters, including the chain length and effective Kuhn length of grafted chain, nanoparticle radius, grafting density, and position of the azobenzene group along the chain contour, to admit optimum light-responsive behavior of the smart nanoparticle, which provides a guide for experimentalists to design this type of material in a rational manner.

IoT-Based Smart Garbage System for Efficient Food Waste Management

PubMed Central

Lee, Jaekeun

2014-01-01

Owing to a paradigm shift toward Internet of Things (IoT), researches into IoT services have been conducted in a wide range of fields. As a major application field of IoT, waste management has become one such issue. The absence of efficient waste management has caused serious environmental problems and cost issues. Therefore, in this paper, an IoT-based smart garbage system (SGS) is proposed to reduce the amount of food waste. In an SGS, battery-based smart garbage bins (SGBs) exchange information with each other using wireless mesh networks, and a router and server collect and analyze the information for service provisioning. Furthermore, the SGS includes various IoT techniques considering user convenience and increases the battery lifetime through two types of energy-efficient operations of the SGBs: stand-alone operation and cooperation-based operation. The proposed SGS had been operated as a pilot project in Gangnam district, Seoul, Republic of Korea, for a one-year period. The experiment showed that the average amount of food waste could be reduced by 33%. PMID:25258730

A FPGA embedded web server for remote monitoring and control of smart sensors networks.

PubMed

Magdaleno, Eduardo; Rodríguez, Manuel; Pérez, Fernando; Hernández, David; García, Enrique

2013-12-27

This article describes the implementation of a web server using an embedded Altera NIOS II IP core, a general purpose and configurable RISC processor which is embedded in a Cyclone FPGA. The processor uses the μCLinux operating system to support a Boa web server of dynamic pages using Common Gateway Interface (CGI). The FPGA is configured to act like the master node of a network, and also to control and monitor a network of smart sensors or instruments. In order to develop a totally functional system, the FPGA also includes an implementation of the time-triggered protocol (TTP/A). Thus, the implemented master node has two interfaces, the webserver that acts as an Internet interface and the other to control the network. This protocol is widely used to connecting smart sensors and actuators and microsystems in embedded real-time systems in different application domains, e.g., industrial, automotive, domotic, etc., although this protocol can be easily replaced by any other because of the inherent characteristics of the FPGA-based technology.

A FPGA Embedded Web Server for Remote Monitoring and Control of Smart Sensors Networks

PubMed Central

Magdaleno, Eduardo; Rodríguez, Manuel; Pérez, Fernando; Hernández, David; García, Enrique

2014-01-01

This article describes the implementation of a web server using an embedded Altera NIOS II IP core, a general purpose and configurable RISC processor which is embedded in a Cyclone FPGA. The processor uses the μCLinux operating system to support a Boa web server of dynamic pages using Common Gateway Interface (CGI). The FPGA is configured to act like the master node of a network, and also to control and monitor a network of smart sensors or instruments. In order to develop a totally functional system, the FPGA also includes an implementation of the time-triggered protocol (TTP/A). Thus, the implemented master node has two interfaces, the webserver that acts as an Internet interface and the other to control the network. This protocol is widely used to connecting smart sensors and actuators and microsystems in embedded real-time systems in different application domains, e.g., industrial, automotive, domotic, etc., although this protocol can be easily replaced by any other because of the inherent characteristics of the FPGA-based technology. PMID:24379047

SMART-X: Square Meter, Arcsecond Resolution Telescope for X-rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vikhlinin, Alexey; SMART-X Collaboration

2013-04-01

SMART-X is a concept for a next-generation X-ray observatory with large-area, 0.5" angular resolution grazing incidence adjustable X-ray mirrors, high-throughput critical angle transmission gratings, and X-ray microcalorimeter and CMOS-based imager in the focal plane. High angular resolution is enabled by new technology based on controlling the shape of mirror segments using thin film piezo actuators deposited on the back surface. Science applications include observations of growth of supermassive black holes since redshifts of ~10, ultra-deep surveys over 10's of square degrees, galaxy assembly at z=2-3, as well as new opportunities in the high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy and time domains. We also review the progress in technology development, tests, and mission design over the past year.

Thundercloud: Domain specific information security training for the smart grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stites, Joseph

In this paper, we describe a cloud-based virtual smart grid test bed: ThunderCloud, which is intended to be used for domain-specific security training applicable to the smart grid environment. The test bed consists of virtual machines connected using a virtual internal network. ThunderCloud is remotely accessible, allowing students to undergo educational exercises online. We also describe a series of practical exercises that we have developed for providing the domain-specific training using ThunderCloud. The training exercises and attacks are designed to be realistic and to reflect known vulnerabilities and attacks reported in the smart grid environment. We were able to use ThunderCloud to offer practical domain-specific security training for smart grid environment to computer science students at little or no cost to the department and no risk to any real networks or systems.

Unlocking the potential of the smart grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konopko, Joanna

2015-12-01

The smart grid refers to describe a next-generation electrical power system that is typified by the increased use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the whole delivery electrical energy process. The generation, delivery and consumption energy, all the steps for power transmission and distribution make the smart grid a complex system. The question is if the amount, diversity, and uses of such data put the smart grid in the category of Big Data applications, followed by the natural question of what is the true value of such data. In this paper an initial answer to this question is provided, the current state of data generation of the Polish grid is analyzed, and a future realistic scenario is illustrated. The analysis shows that the amount of data generated in smart grid is comparable to some of Big Data system examples.

Fabrication of Microcapsules for Dye-Doped Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystal-Based Smart Windows.

PubMed

Kim, Mingyun; Park, Kyun Joo; Seok, Seunghwan; Ok, Jong Min; Jung, Hee-Tae; Choe, Jaehoon; Kim, Do Hyun

2015-08-19

A dye-doped polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) is an attractive material for application in smart windows. Smart windows using a PDLC can be operated simply and have a high contrast ratio compared to those of other devices that employed photochromic or thermochromic material. However, in conventional dye-doped PDLC methods, dye contamination can cause problems and has a limited degree of commercialization of electric smart windows. Here, we report on an approach to resolve dye-related problems by encapsulating the dye in monodispersed capsules. By encapsulation, a fabricated dye-doped PDLC had a contrast ratio of >120 at 600 nm. This fabrication method of encapsulating the dye in a core-shell structured microcapsule in a dye-doped PDLC device provides a practical platform for dye-doped PDLC-based smart windows.

Nanotechnology: MEMS and NEMS and their applications to smart systems and devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varadan, Vijay K.

2003-10-01

The microelectronics industry has seen explosive growth during the last thirty years. Extremely large markets for logic and memory devices have driven the development of new materials, and technologies for the fabrication of even more complex devices with features sizes now down at the sub micron and nanometer level. Recent interest has arisen in employing these materials, tools and technologies for the fabrication of miniature sensors and actuators and their integration with electronic circuits to produce smart devices and systems. This effort offers the promise of: (1) increasing the performance and manufacturability of both sensors and actuators by exploiting new batch fabrication processes developed including micro stereo lithographic and micro molding techniques; (2) developing novel classes of materials and mechanical structures not possible previously, such as diamond like carbon, silicon carbide and carbon nanotubes, micro-turbines and micro-engines; (3) development of technologies for the system level and wafer level integration of micro components at the nanometer precision, such as self-assembly techniques and robotic manipulation; (4) development of control and communication systems for MEMS devices, such as optical and RF wireless, and power delivery systems, etc. A novel composite structure can be tailored by functionalizing carbon nano tubes and chemically bonding them with the polymer matrix e.g. block or graft copolymer, or even cross-linked copolymer, to impart exceptional structural, electronic and surface properties. Bio- and Mechanical-MEMS devices derived from this hybrid composite provide a new avenue for future smart systems. The integration of NEMS (NanoElectroMechanical Systems), MEMS, IDTs (Interdigital Transducers) and required microelectronics and conformal antenna in the multifunctional smart materials and composites results in a smart system suitable for sending and control of a variety functions in automobile, aerospace, marine and civil strutures and food and medical industries. This unique combination of technologies also results in novel conformal sensors that can be remotely sensed by an antenna system with the advantage of no power requirements at the sensor site. This paper provides a brief review of MEMS and NEMS based smart systems for various applications mentioned above. Carbon Nano Tubes (CNT) with their unique structure, have already proven to be valuable in their application as tips for scanning probe microscopy, field emission devices, nanoelectronics, H2-storage, electromagnetic absorbers, ESD, EMI films and coatings and structural composites. For many of these applications, highly purified and functionalized CNT which are compatible with many host polymers are needed. A novel microwave CVD processing technique to meet these requirements has been developed at Penn State Center for the Engineering of Electronic and Acoustic Materials and Devices (CEEAMD). This method enables the production of highly purified carbon nano tubes with variable size (from 5 - 40 nm) at low cost (per gram) and high yield. Whereas, carbon nano tubes synthesized using the laser ablation or arc discharge evaporation method always include impurity due to catalyst or catalyst support. The Penn State research is based on the use of zeolites over other metal/metal oxides in the microwave field for a high production and uniformity of the product. An extended coventional purification method has been employed to purify our products in order to remove left over impurity. A novel composite structure can be tailored by functionalizing carbon nano tubes and chemically bonding them with the polymer matrix e.g. block or graft copolymer, or even cross-linked copolymer, to impart exceptional structural, electronic and surface properties. Bio- and Mechanical-MEMS devices derived from this hybrid composites will be presented.

Ultra-Low-Power Smart Electronic Nose System Based on Three-Dimensional Tin Oxide Nanotube Arrays.

PubMed

Chen, Jiaqi; Chen, Zhuo; Boussaid, Farid; Zhang, Daquan; Pan, Xiaofang; Zhao, Huijuan; Bermak, Amine; Tsui, Chi-Ying; Wang, Xinran; Fan, Zhiyong

2018-06-04

In this work, we present a high-performance smart electronic nose (E-nose) system consisting of a multiplexed tin oxide (SnO 2 ) nanotube sensor array, read-out circuit, wireless data transmission unit, mobile phone receiver, and data processing application (App). Using the designed nanotube sensor device structure in conjunction with multiple electrode materials, high-sensitivity gas detection and discrimination have been achieved at room temperature, enabling a 1000 times reduction of the sensor's power consumption as compared to a conventional device using thin film SnO 2 . The experimental results demonstrate that the developed E-nose can identify indoor target gases using a simple vector-matching gas recognition algorithm. In addition, the fabricated E-nose has achieved state-of-the-art sensitivity for H 2 and benzene detection at room temperature with metal oxide sensors. Such a smart E-nose system can address the imperative needs for distributed environmental monitoring in smart homes, smart buildings, and smart cities.

Course Modules on Structural Health Monitoring with Smart Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shih, Hui-Ru; Walters, Wilbur L.; Zheng, Wei; Everett, Jessica

2009-01-01

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is an emerging technology that has multiple applications. SHM emerged from the wide field of smart structures, and it also encompasses disciplines such as structural dynamics, materials and structures, nondestructive testing, sensors and actuators, data acquisition, signal processing, and possibly much more. To…

Application of Digital Cybersecurity Approaches to University Management--VFU SMART STUDENT

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nedyalkova, Anna; Bakardjieva, Teodora; Nedyalkov, Krasimir

2016-01-01

This paper suggests digital approaches in university management. Digital transformation requires leadership that can maintain and balance competing interests from faculty, administrators, students and others. The team of Varna Free University designed a flexible proper solution VFU SMART STUDENT aiming at lower operating costs and better…

Development of smart spray systems to enhance delivery of pesticides in field nursery production

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Two smart sprayer prototypes have been developed and are being evaluated with a goal of increasing pesticide application efficiency and minimizing environmental impact in field nursery production sites. The first prototype, a modified hydraulic vertical boom system, utilizes ultrasonic sensors to d...

Implementation of spatial smart waste management system in malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omar, M. F.; Termizi, A. A. A.; Zainal, D.; Wahap, N. A.; Ismail, N. M.; Ahmad, N.

2016-06-01

One of the challenges to innovate and create an IoT -enabled solution is in monitoring and management of the environment. Waste collection utilizing the Internet of Things (IoT) with the technology of smart wireless sensors will able to gather fill-level data from waste containers hence providing a waste monitoring solution that brings up savings in waste collection costs. One of the challenges to the local authority is how to monitor the works of contractor effective and efficiently in waste management. This paper will propose to the local authority the implementation of smart waste management in Malaysia to improve the city management and to provide better services to the public towards smart city applications.

Fiber optic smart structures and skins V; Proceedings of the Meeting, Boston, MA, Sept. 8, 9, 1992

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Claus, Richard O. (Editor); Rogowski, Robert S. (Editor)

1993-01-01

The present conference discusses the materials used in applications of fiber-optics (F-O) to smart structures, extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric F-O sensors, sapphire F-O sensors, two-mode F-O sensors with photoinduced refractive index, an F-O accelerometer using two-mode fibers, and embedded F-O acoustic sensors for flaw detection. Also discussed are an optoelectronic smart structure interface, F-O sensors for simultaneous detection of strain and temperature, an optical Mach-Zehnder interferometer for smart skins, a split-cavity cross-coupled extrinsic fiber interferometer, and an embedded Bragg grating F-O sensor for composite flexbeams, an Er-doped ring-laser strain sensor.

Smart and hybrid materials: perspectives for their use in textile structures for better health care.

PubMed

Carosio, Stefano; Monero, Alessandra

2004-01-01

High tech materials such as Shape Memory Alloys can be effectively integrated in textiles, thus providing multifunctional garments with potential application to the health care industry or for simply improving the quality of life. The objective of the present paper is to describe the development of a novel hybrid fabric with embedded shape memory (Nitinol) wires, and the related clothing application with the capability of recovering any shape depending upon the environment and becoming superelastic. The use of these smart garments for biomedical applications will be illustrated, thus opening new perspectives for enhanced health care provision.

Electric Field-Mediated Processing of Biomaterials: Toward Nanostructured Biomimetic Systems. Appendix 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowlin, Gary L.; Simpson, David G.; Lam, Philippe; Wnek, Gary E.

2001-01-01

Significant opportunities exist for the processing of synthetic and biological polymers using electric fields ('electroprocessing'). We review casting of multi-component films and the spinning of fibers in electric fields, and indicate opportunities for the creation of smart polymer systems using these approaches. Applications include 2-D substrates for cell growth and diagnostics, scaffolds for tissue engineering and repair, and electromechanically active biosystems.

Design of a smart ECG garment based on conductive textile electrode and flexible printed circuit board.

PubMed

Cai, Zhipeng; Luo, Kan; Liu, Chengyu; Li, Jianqing

2017-08-09

A smart electrocardiogram (ECG) garment system was designed for continuous, non-invasive and comfortable ECG monitoring, which mainly consists of four components: Conductive textile electrode, garment, flexible printed circuit board (FPCB)-based ECG processing module and android application program. Conductive textile electrode and FPCB-based ECG processing module (6.8 g, 55 mm × 53 mm × 5 mm) are identified as two key techniques to improve the system's comfort and flexibility. Preliminary experimental results verified that the textile electrodes with circle shape, 40 mm size in diameter, and 5 mm thickness sponge are best suited for the long-term ECG monitoring application. The tests on the whole system confirmed that the designed smart garment can obtain long-term ECG recordings with high signal quality.

High power microwave hazard facing smart ammunitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bohl, J.

1995-03-01

The battle field of the present and even more the one in future will be characterized by the use of weapon systems with a high degree of electronics, computers, and sensors, designed and built to keep not only the man out of the loop. But the higher the technology used for smart weapon systems, the more these systems are endangered by numerous sources of hazard. One of those sources is the threat caused by induced or natural electromagnetic fields. These threat factors can be generated by natural, civil and military environment. In principle there are two main applications which must be considered in military applications: Firstly, weapon systems, that is, high power microwave sources as well as intelligent electromagnetic radiation systems to defeat ammunition on the battle field and secondly, the hardening of the own smart ammunition systems and missiles against the interference sources created by the different types of electromagnetic fields. This report will discuss the possible electromagnetic coupling effects on smart ammunition and missiles and their typical interference caused on the electronics and sensor level. Real time 6-DOF simulations show the flight mission which may be compromised depending on the coupled electromagnetic fields. The German MOD has established a research program where smart ammunitions with different seeker systems are investigated in respect of the coupling effects on smart ammunition caused by high power microwaves. This program considers all available resources and know how in Germany. The systems are investigated by analytical, numerical, and experimental methods with passive and activated missiles.

U.S. Army Research Office Workshop on Smart Materials, Structures and Mathematical Issues Held in Blacksburg, Virginia on 15-16 September 1988

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-01-01

prestrained Nitinol (an alloy of nickel and titanium) wires are embedded in an off-axis position in the graphite fiber reinforced epoxy composite beam... Nitinol ) alloy. Shape memory alloys have been applied to a number of items including connectors and heat engines, but have usually found application in... nitinol wire; the design includes prevention from ancillary jams. Miwa (1985) discusses the use of SMA actuator to sequential robotic control of multiple

Stepped MS(All) Relied Transition (SMART): An approach to rapidly determine optimal multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry parameters for small molecules.

PubMed

Ye, Hui; Zhu, Lin; Wang, Lin; Liu, Huiying; Zhang, Jun; Wu, Mengqiu; Wang, Guangji; Hao, Haiping

2016-02-11

Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) is a universal approach for quantitative analysis because of its high specificity and sensitivity. Nevertheless, optimization of MRM parameters remains as a time and labor-intensive task particularly in multiplexed quantitative analysis of small molecules in complex mixtures. In this study, we have developed an approach named Stepped MS(All) Relied Transition (SMART) to predict the optimal MRM parameters of small molecules. SMART requires firstly a rapid and high-throughput analysis of samples using a Stepped MS(All) technique (sMS(All)) on a Q-TOF, which consists of serial MS(All) events acquired from low CE to gradually stepped-up CE values in a cycle. The optimal CE values can then be determined by comparing the extracted ion chromatograms for the ion pairs of interest among serial scans. The SMART-predicted parameters were found to agree well with the parameters optimized on a triple quadrupole from the same vendor using a mixture of standards. The parameters optimized on a triple quadrupole from a different vendor was also employed for comparison, and found to be linearly correlated with the SMART-predicted parameters, suggesting the potential applications of the SMART approach among different instrumental platforms. This approach was further validated by applying to simultaneous quantification of 31 herbal components in the plasma of rats treated with a herbal prescription. Because the sMS(All) acquisition can be accomplished in a single run for multiple components independent of standards, the SMART approach are expected to find its wide application in the multiplexed quantitative analysis of complex mixtures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Utilization and Perceived Impact of Smart Phone Apps Among Persons Pursuing Mental Health Services

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

impact of smart phone apps among persons pursuing mental health services Robin E. Becker, MA*, Daniel G. Cassidy, PhD, and William C. Isler, PhD...applications (apps) designed for use on phones and other ‘smart’ devices. The purpose of this study is to address 1) whether and by what means individuals...while only 13 recording ownership, with 79 denying this. 19% of respondents reported being made aware of mental health applications by a provider

SmartG: Spontaneous Malaysian Augmented Reality Tourist Guide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasinathan, Vinothini; Mustapha, Aida; Subramaniam, Tanabalan

2016-11-01

In effort to attract higher tourist expenditure along with higher tourist arrivals, this paper proposes a travel application called the SmartG, acronym for Spontaneous Malaysian Augmented Reality Tourist Guide, which operates by making recommendations to user based on the travel objective and individual budget constraints. The applications relies on augmented reality technology, whereby a three dimensional model is presented to the user based on input from real world environment. User testing returned a favorable feedback on the concept of using augmented reality in promoting Malaysian tourism.

Evaluation of Immediate and 12-Week Effects of a Smartphone Sun-Safety Mobile Application: A Randomized Trial

PubMed Central

Buller, David B.; Berwick, Marianne; Lantz, Kathy; Buller, Mary Klein; Shane, James; Kane, Ilima; Liu, Xia

2015-01-01

Importance Mobile apps on smart phones can communicate a large amount of personalized, real-time health information, including advice on skin cancer prevention, but their effectiveness may be affected by whether Americans can be convinced to use them. Objective A smart phone mobile application delivering real-time sun protection advice was evaluated for a second time in a randomized trial. Design The trial conducted in 2013 utilized a randomized pretest-posttest controlled design. Screening procedures and a 3-week run-in period were added to increase use of the mobile app. Also, follow-ups at 3- and 8-weeks after randomization were conducted to examine immediate and longer-term effects. Setting Data was collected from participants recruited nationwide through online promotions. Participants A volunteer sample of adults aged 18 or older who owned an Android or iPhone smart phones. Intervention The mobile application gave feedback on sun protection (i.e., sun safety practices and sunburn risk) and alerted users to apply/reapply sunscreen and get out of the sun. Also, it displayed the hourly UV Index and vitamin D production based on the forecast UV Index, time, and location. Main Outcomes and Measures Percent of days using sun protection and days and minutes outdoors in the midday sun and number of sunburns in the past 3 months were assesed. Results Treatment group participants used wide-brimmed hats more at 7-weeks than controls. Women who used Solar Cell reported using all sun protection combined more than men but men and older individuals used sunscreen and hats less. Conclusions and Relevance The mobile application appeared to weakly improve sun protection initially. Use of the mobile application was higher than in a previous trial and associated with greater sun protection especially by women. Strategies to increase use are needed if the mobile app is to be effective deployed to the general adult population. PMID:25629819

San Diego field operational test of smart call boxes : technical aspects

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-01-01

Smart call boxes are devices similar to those used as emergency call boxes in California. The basic call box consists of a microprocessor, a cellular transceiver, and a solar power source. The smart call box system also includes data-collection devic...

Hearing results using the SMart piston prosthesis.

PubMed

Fayad, Jose N; Semaan, Maroun T; Meier, Josh C; House, John W

2009-12-01

SMart, a newly introduced piston prosthesis for stapedotomy, is a nitinol-based, heat-activated, self-crimping prosthesis. We review our hearing results and postoperative complications using this self-crimped piston prosthesis and compare them with those obtained using stainless steel or platinum piston prostheses. Audiometric results using the SMart piston are identical to those obtained using a conventional piston prosthesis. Retrospective chart review. Private neurotologic tertiary referral center. The 416 ears reviewed included 306 with a SMart prosthesis and 110 conventional prostheses. 61% were women. Mean follow-up time was 5.6 (standard deviation [SD], 6.3 mo) and 6.9 months (SD, 7.0 mo) for the 2 groups, respectively. Stapedotomy using the SMart or a conventional (non-SMart) prosthesis. Audiometric hearing results, including pure-tone average (PTA) and air-bone gap (ABG), and prevalence of postoperative complications. Mean postoperative PTA was 32.6 (SD, 16.8) dB for the SMart group and 29.4 (SD, 13.5) dB for the non-SMart group, with ABGs of 7.6 (SD, 8.9) and 6.0 (SD, 5.2) dB, respectively. Mean change (decrease) in ABG was 18.7 (SD, 13.1) dB for the SMart group and 19.9 (SD, 10.3) dB for the non-SMart group. High-frequency bone PTAs showed overclosure of 2.0 (SD, 7.9) dB for the SMart group and 3.6 (SD, 8.6) dB for the non-SMart group. Postoperative vertigo and tinnitus were infrequent. No significant differences in these audiometric outcomes or complication rates were noted between groups. There was no significant difference in rate of gap closure to within 10 dB (78.3 versus 84.2%, SMart and non-SMart, respectively) or 20 dB (94.2 and 98.0%). Compared with conventional stapes prostheses, the nitinol-based SMart is a safe and reliable stapes prosthesis that eliminates manual crimping without significantly altering the audiometric outcome. Complications are rare, but longer follow-up is needed before establishing long-term stability.

Use of SMART Learning Objectives to Introduce Continuing Professional Development Into the Pharmacy Curriculum

PubMed Central

Khandoobhai, Anand; Leadon, Kim

2012-01-01

Objective. To determine whether a 2-year continuing professional development (CPD) training program improved first-year (P1) and second-year (P2) pharmacy students’ ability to write SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timed) learning objectives. Design. First-year students completed live or online CPD training, including creating portfolios and writing SMART objectives prior to their summer introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE). In year 2, P1 and P2 students were included. SMART learning objectives were graded and analyzed. Assessment. On several objectives, the 2011 P1 students (n = 130) scored higher than did the P2 cohort (n = 105). In 2011, P2 students outscored their own performance in 2010. In 2011, P1 students who had been trained in online modules performed the same as did live-session trainees with respect to SMART objectives. Conclusion. With focused online or live training, students are capable of incorporating principles of CPD by writing SMART learning objectives. PMID:22611277

Emotion Recognition from Chinese Speech for Smart Affective Services Using a Combination of SVM and DBN

PubMed Central

Zhu, Lianzhang; Chen, Leiming; Zhao, Dehai

2017-01-01

Accurate emotion recognition from speech is important for applications like smart health care, smart entertainment, and other smart services. High accuracy emotion recognition from Chinese speech is challenging due to the complexities of the Chinese language. In this paper, we explore how to improve the accuracy of speech emotion recognition, including speech signal feature extraction and emotion classification methods. Five types of features are extracted from a speech sample: mel frequency cepstrum coefficient (MFCC), pitch, formant, short-term zero-crossing rate and short-term energy. By comparing statistical features with deep features extracted by a Deep Belief Network (DBN), we attempt to find the best features to identify the emotion status for speech. We propose a novel classification method that combines DBN and SVM (support vector machine) instead of using only one of them. In addition, a conjugate gradient method is applied to train DBN in order to speed up the training process. Gender-dependent experiments are conducted using an emotional speech database created by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The results show that DBN features can reflect emotion status better than artificial features, and our new classification approach achieves an accuracy of 95.8%, which is higher than using either DBN or SVM separately. Results also show that DBN can work very well for small training databases if it is properly designed. PMID:28737705

Design of smart composite platforms for adaptive trust vector control and adaptive laser telescope for satellite applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghasemi-Nejhad, Mehrdad N.

2013-04-01

This paper presents design of smart composite platforms for adaptive trust vector control (TVC) and adaptive laser telescope for satellite applications. To eliminate disturbances, the proposed adaptive TVC and telescope systems will be mounted on two analogous smart composite platform with simultaneous precision positioning (pointing) and vibration suppression (stabilizing), SPPVS, with micro-radian pointing resolution, and then mounted on a satellite in two different locations. The adaptive TVC system provides SPPVS with large tip-tilt to potentially eliminate the gimbals systems. The smart composite telescope will be mounted on a smart composite platform with SPPVS and then mounted on a satellite. The laser communication is intended for the Geosynchronous orbit. The high degree of directionality increases the security of the laser communication signal (as opposed to a diffused RF signal), but also requires sophisticated subsystems for transmission and acquisition. The shorter wavelength of the optical spectrum increases the data transmission rates, but laser systems require large amounts of power, which increases the mass and complexity of the supporting systems. In addition, the laser communication on the Geosynchronous orbit requires an accurate platform with SPPVS capabilities. Therefore, this work also addresses the design of an active composite platform to be used to simultaneously point and stabilize an intersatellite laser communication telescope with micro-radian pointing resolution. The telescope is a Cassegrain receiver that employs two mirrors, one convex (primary) and the other concave (secondary). The distance, as well as the horizontal and axial alignment of the mirrors, must be precisely maintained or else the optical properties of the system will be severely degraded. The alignment will also have to be maintained during thruster firings, which will require vibration suppression capabilities of the system as well. The innovative platform has been designed to have tip-tilt pointing and simultaneous multi-degree-of-freedom vibration isolation capability for pointing stabilization. Analytical approaches have been employed for determining the loads in the components as well as optimizing the design of the system. The different critical components such as telescope tube struts, flexure joints, and the secondary mirror mount have been designed and analyzed using finite element technique. The Simultaneous Precision Positioning and Vibration Suppression (SPPVS) smart composites platforms for the adaptive TVC and adaptive composite telescope are analogous (e.g., see work by Ghasemi-Nejhad and co-workers [1, 2]), where innovative concepts and control strategies are introduced, and experimental verifications of simultaneous thrust vector control and vibration isolation of satellites were performed. The smart composite platforms function as an active structural interface between the main thruster of a satellite and the satellite structure for the adaptive TVC application and as an active structural interface between the main smart composite telescope and the satellite structure for the adaptive laser communication application. The cascaded multiple feedback loops compensate the hysteresis (for piezoelectric stacks inside the three linear actuators that individually have simultaneous precision positioning and vibration suppression), dead-zone, back-lash, and friction nonlinearities very well, and provide precision and quick smart platform control and satisfactory thrust vector control capability. In addition, for example for the adaptive TVC, the experimental results show that the smart composite platform satisfactorily provided precision and fast smart platform control as well as the satisfactory thrust vector control capability. The vibration controller isolated 97% of the vibration energy due to the thruster firing.

Nanomaterials for LightManagement in Electro-Optical Devices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Truong, Vo-Van; Singh, Jai; Tanemura, Sakae

2012-01-01

In the past decade, nanostructured materials and nanoparticles have emerged as the necessary ingredients for electrooptical applications and enhancement of device performance, in particular by making use of the light management aspects of the nanomaterials. The application areas that are being transformed profoundly include smart coating devices (e.g., electrochromic, photochromic, and thermochromic devices), solar energy, and sensing. Despite the large volume of work in the past on smart coating devices, and in particular on electrochromic devices and thermochromic fenestrations, for optical transmission or reflection control, applications remain limited because of slow response time and nonuniformity in the case of largemore » surfaces. Recent works in the field indicate that nanostructured electrochromic coatings would be an integral part of the solution to the above problem. One aspect that can thus be focused on would be the fabrication and characterization of the nanostructured smart coating materials and their compatibility with other layers in the overall smart coating device. In the area of solar photovoltaics, nanomaterials have been used in designing light-trapping schemes for inorganic as well as organic solar cells. One particular category of solar cells that has attracted much interest is the plasmonic solar cells in which metallic nanoparticles are incorporated, helping in enhancing their energy conversion efficiency. Nanostructured solar cells would eventually develop into a 'game changing' technology for making solar cells that are affordable and highly efficient, providing a sizeable alternative energy source for our ever-increasing energy needs. Sensors based on the optical properties of constituting nanostructures and nanoparticles also form a most interesting class of bio- and electrochemical sensing devices. The possibility of synthetizing nanoparticles and structures of specifically desired sizes and shapes has indeed opened a whole new range of sensing applications. In parallel to the experimental development of nanomaterials for light management in devices, theoretical modeling and analysis have also accomplished much progress, and different methods for simulating the optical properties of nanoparticles and structures have been proposed. This special issue of the Journal of Nanomaterials is thus dedicated to articles dealing with nanostructured materials that can be used for light management purpose in different applications. Silicon-rich oxide (SRO) is a dielectric material that contains Si nanoparticles and exhibits interesting physical characteristics for applications in optoelectronic devices. The work by Aceves-Mijares et al. examine, in detail the electro-, cathode- and photoluminescence properties of SRO and discuss the origin of light emission in this type of materials. SRO films, of high and medium silicon excess density, obtained by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition and annealed at 1,100 C have been studied. Results obtained by the authors have led to conclude that SRO emission properties are due to oxidation state nanoagglomerates rather than to nanocrystals, and the emission mechanism is similar to that in the donor-acceptor decay in semiconductors with a specific wide emission spectrum. Two papers are devoted to nanostructured electrochromic thin films, a category of materials most suitable for controlling light transmission or absorption in electrooptical devices, including smart window coatings. Dinh et al. have shown that by mixing nanostructured Ti and W oxides films, one can obtain devices with considerable enhancement of electrochromic efficiency and electrochemical stability as compared to the conventional nonnanostructured films. As large-area mixed Ti and W oxides can be prepared by the simple doctor blade technique followed by an electrochemical process, this type of nanostructured electrochromic films can be considered a good candidate for smart window applications. Djaoued et al. have presented their studies on the synthesis, characterization, and electrochromic applications of porous WO{sub 3} thin films with different nanocrystalline phases. Asymmetric type electrochromic devices have been constructed using hexagonal, monoclinic, and orthorhombic porous WO{sub 3} thin porous films, and their enhanced electrochromic functionality has been well demonstrated. The paper on smart materials by Chen et al. presents the synthesis of thermochromic W-doped VO{sub 2} (monoclinic/rutile) nanopowders using a novel and simple solution-based process as opposed to other conventional techniques such as excimer laser-assisted metal organic deposition and magnetron sputtering. This simple process is based on the reaction of ammonium metavanadate (NH{sub 4}VO{sub 3}) and oxalic acid dihydrate (C{sub 2}H{sub 2}O{sub 4} {center_dot} 2H{sub 2}O) followed by addition of appropriate ammonium tungstate (N{sub 5}H{sub 37}W{sub 6}O{sub 24} {center_dot} H{sub 2}O).« less

Use of EPANET solver to manage water distribution in Smart City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonowicz, A.; Brodziak, R.; Bylka, J.; Mazurkiewicz, J.; Wojtecki, S.; Zakrzewski, P.

2018-02-01

Paper presents a method of using EPANET solver to support manage water distribution system in Smart City. The main task is to develop the application that allows remote access to the simulation model of the water distribution network developed in the EPANET environment. Application allows to perform both single and cyclic simulations with the specified step of changing the values of the selected process variables. In the paper the architecture of application was shown. The application supports the selection of the best device control algorithm using optimization methods. Optimization procedures are possible with following methods: brute force, SLSQP (Sequential Least SQuares Programming), Modified Powell Method. Article was supplemented by example of using developed computer tool.

SmartHome: a domotic framework based on smart sensing and actuator network to reduce energy wastes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santamaria, Amilcare Francesco; De Rango, Floriano; Falbo, Domenico; Barletta, Domenico

2014-05-01

Domestic environment and human interaction with services supplied by domotic devices is going to be a very interesting application field. With a domotic system is possible to achieve great interaction between human beings, environments and smart devices. The enhancing of these interactions is the main goal of this work whose intent is to improve the classic concept of domotics. The framework we developed can be used for several application fields such as lighting, heating, conditioning or water management and energy consumption. In particular, the proposed system can optimize energy consumptions by rising awareness to users that have full control of their house and the possibility to save money and reduce the impact of the energetic consumes to the earth, matching the new "green" motto requirements. In this way, the overall system wants to match the central concept of Internet Of Things (IoT) as well. From this point of view a complex automation system with smart devices make possible a more efficient way to produce, follow and manage domotic policies. Following the spread of IoT, for this work we designed and implemented new plug-and-play and ready-to-use smart devices that are part of a complex automation system that offers a user-friendly web application and allows users to control and interact with different plans of their house in order to make life more comfortable and be aware of their energy consumptions. Control and awareness arc the two key points that led us to develop the proposed system.

Smart Grid Communications Security Project, U.S. Department of Energy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barnes, Frank

There were four groups that worked on this project in different areas related to Smart Girds and Security. They included faculty and students from electric computer and energy engineering, law, business and sociology. The results of the work are summarized in a verity of reports, papers and thesis. A major report to the Governor of Colorado’s energy office with contributions from all the groups working on this project is given bellow. Smart Grid Deployment in Colorado: Challenges and Opportunities, Report to Colorado Governor’s Energy Office and Colorado Smart Grid Task Force(2010) (Kevin Doran, Frank Barnes, and Puneet Pasrich, eds.) Thismore » report includes information on the state of the grid cyber security, privacy, energy storage and grid stability, workforce development, consumer behavior with respect to the smart grid and safety issues.« less

Adaptive Interventions and SMART Designs: Application to child behavior research in a community setting.

PubMed

Kidwell, Kelley M; Hyde, Luke W

2016-09-01

Heterogeneity between and within people necessitates the need for sequential personalized interventions to optimize individual outcomes. Personalized or adaptive interventions (AIs) are relevant for diseases and maladaptive behavioral trajectories when one intervention is not curative and success of a subsequent intervention may depend on individual characteristics or response. AIs may be applied to medical settings and to investigate best prevention, education, and community-based practices. AIs can begin with low-cost or low-burden interventions and followed with intensified or alternative interventions for those who need it most. AIs that guide practice over the course of a disease, program, or school year can be investigated through sequential multiple assignment randomized trials (SMARTs). To promote the use of SMARTs, we provide a hypothetical SMART in a Head Start program to address child behavior problems. We describe the advantages and limitations of SMARTs, particularly as they may be applied to the field of evaluation.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hart, Darren M.

Sandia National Laboratories has tested and evaluated Geotech Smart24 data acquisition system with active Fortezza crypto card data signing and authentication. The test results included in this report were in response to static and tonal-dynamic input signals. Most test methodologies used were based on IEEE Standards 1057 for Digitizing Waveform Recorders and 1241 for Analog to Digital Converters; others were designed by Sandia specifically for infrasound application evaluation and for supplementary criteria not addressed in the IEEE standards. The objective of this work was to evaluate the overall technical performance of the Geotech Smart24 digitizer with a Fortezza PCMCIA cryptomore » card actively implementing the signing of data packets. The results of this evaluation were compared to relevant specifications provided within manufacturer's documentation notes. The tests performed were chosen to demonstrate different performance aspects of the digitizer under test. The performance aspects tested include determining noise floor, least significant bit (LSB), dynamic range, cross-talk, relative channel-to-channel timing, time-tag accuracy, analog bandwidth and calibrator performance.« less

Development and characterization of textile batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Normann, M.; Grethe, T.; Schwarz-Pfeiffer, A.; Ehrmann, A.

2017-02-01

During the past years, smart textiles have gained more and more attention. Products cover a broad range of possible applications, from fashion items such as LED garments to sensory shirts detecting vital signs to clothes with included electrical stimulation of muscles. For all electrical or electronic features included in garments, a power supply is needed - which is usually the bottleneck in the development of smart textiles, since common power supplies are not flexible and often not lightweight, prohibiting their unobtrusive integration in electronic textiles. In a recent project, textile-based batteries are developed. For this, metallized woven fabrics (e.g. copper, zinc, or silver) are used in combinations with carbon fabrics. The article gives an overview of our recent advances in optimizing power storage capacity and durability of the textile batteries by tailoring the gel-electrolyte. The gel-electrolyte is modified with respect to thickness and electrolyte concentration; additionally, the influence of additives on the long-time stability of the batteries is examined.

PSO-Based Smart Grid Application for Sizing and Optimization of Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems

PubMed Central

Mohamed, Mohamed A.; Eltamaly, Ali M.; Alolah, Abdulrahman I.

2016-01-01

This paper introduces an optimal sizing algorithm for a hybrid renewable energy system using smart grid load management application based on the available generation. This algorithm aims to maximize the system energy production and meet the load demand with minimum cost and highest reliability. This system is formed by photovoltaic array, wind turbines, storage batteries, and diesel generator as a backup source of energy. Demand profile shaping as one of the smart grid applications is introduced in this paper using load shifting-based load priority. Particle swarm optimization is used in this algorithm to determine the optimum size of the system components. The results obtained from this algorithm are compared with those from the iterative optimization technique to assess the adequacy of the proposed algorithm. The study in this paper is performed in some of the remote areas in Saudi Arabia and can be expanded to any similar regions around the world. Numerous valuable results are extracted from this study that could help researchers and decision makers. PMID:27513000

PSO-Based Smart Grid Application for Sizing and Optimization of Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems.

PubMed

Mohamed, Mohamed A; Eltamaly, Ali M; Alolah, Abdulrahman I

2016-01-01

This paper introduces an optimal sizing algorithm for a hybrid renewable energy system using smart grid load management application based on the available generation. This algorithm aims to maximize the system energy production and meet the load demand with minimum cost and highest reliability. This system is formed by photovoltaic array, wind turbines, storage batteries, and diesel generator as a backup source of energy. Demand profile shaping as one of the smart grid applications is introduced in this paper using load shifting-based load priority. Particle swarm optimization is used in this algorithm to determine the optimum size of the system components. The results obtained from this algorithm are compared with those from the iterative optimization technique to assess the adequacy of the proposed algorithm. The study in this paper is performed in some of the remote areas in Saudi Arabia and can be expanded to any similar regions around the world. Numerous valuable results are extracted from this study that could help researchers and decision makers.

Green and Smart: Hydrogels to Facilitate Independent Practical Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hurst, Glenn A.

2017-01-01

A laboratory experiment was developed to enable students to investigate the use of smart hydrogels for potential application in targeted drug delivery. This is challenging for students to explore practically because of the extremely high risks of handling cross-linking agents such as glutaraldehyde. Genipin is a safe and green alternative that has…

An overview of smart grid routing algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Junsheng; OU, Qinghai; Shen, Haijuan

2017-08-01

This paper summarizes the typical routing algorithm in smart grid by analyzing the communication business and communication requirements of intelligent grid. Mainly from the two kinds of routing algorithm is analyzed, namely clustering routing algorithm and routing algorithm, analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of two kinds of typical routing algorithm in routing algorithm and applicability.

75 FR 62377 - Combined Notice of Filings #3

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-08

.... Eastern Time on Monday, October 18, 2010. Docket Numbers: ER10-2943-000. Applicants: Smart One Energy, LLC. Description: Smart One Energy, LLC submits Petition for Acceptance of Initial Tariff, Waivers, and Blanket...)(2)(iii): FERC Rate Schedule No. 51, City of Tipp City to be effective 9/29/2010. Filed Date: 09/29...

The Smart Approach to Student Loans and Consumer Debt.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Missouri State Dept. of Higher Education, Jefferson City.

This brochure contains information about student loans for college applicants and students in Missouri. It is a resource to assist borrowers in making smart repayment decisions and in understanding the options to avoid delinquency and default. Things to consider before one borrows, how to increase one's resources, and how to decrease one's…

Smart growth community design and physical activity in children.

PubMed

Jerrett, Michael; Almanza, Estela; Davies, Molly; Wolch, Jennifer; Dunton, Genevieve; Spruitj-Metz, Donna; Ann Pentz, Mary

2013-10-01

Physical inactivity is a leading cause of death and disease globally. Research suggests physical inactivity might be linked to community designs that discourage active living. A "smart growth" community contains features likely to promote active living (walkability, green space, mixed land use), but objective evidence on the potential benefits of smart growth communities is limited. To assess whether living in a smart growth community was associated with increased neighborhood-centered leisure-time physical activity in children aged 8-14 years, compared to residing in a conventional community (i.e., one not designed according to smart growth principles). Participants were recruited from a smart growth community, "The Preserve," located in Chino, California, and eight conventional communities within a 30-minute drive of The Preserve. The analytic sample included 147 children. During 2009-2010, each child carried an accelerometer and a GPS for 7 days to ascertain physical activity and location information. Negative binomial models were used to assess the association between residence in the smart growth community and physical activity. Analyses were conducted in 2012. Smart growth community residence was associated with a 46% increase in the proportion of neighborhood moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) as compared to conventional community residence. This analysis included neighborhood activity data collected during the school season and outside of school hours and home. Counterfactual simulations with model parameters suggested that smart growth community residence could add 10 minutes per day of neighborhood MVPA. Living in a smart growth community may increase local physical activity in children as compared to residence in conventionally designed communities. © 2013 American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Smart medical systems with application to nutrition and fitness in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soller, Babs R.; Cabrera, Marco; Smith, Scott M.; Sutton, Jeffrey P.

2002-01-01

Smart medical systems are being developed to allow medical treatments to address alterations in chemical and physiologic status in real time. In a smart medical system, sensor arrays assess subject status, which is interpreted by computer processors that analyze multiple inputs and recommend treatment interventions. The response of the subject to the treatment is again assessed by the sensor arrays, thus closing the loop. An early form of "smart medicine" has been practiced in space to assess nutrition. Nutrient levels are assessed with food frequency questionnaires, which are interpreted by flight surgeons to recommend inflight alterations in diet. In the future, sensor arrays will directly probe body chemistry. Near-infrared spectroscopy can be used to non-invasively measure several blood and tissue parameters that are important in the assessment of nutrition and fitness. In particular, this technology can be used to measure blood hematocrit and interstitial fluid pH. The non-invasive measurement of interstitial pH is discussed as a surrogate for blood lactate measurement for the development and real-time assessment of exercise protocols in space. Earth-based application of these sensors is also described.

Smart Medical Systems with Application to Nutrition and Fitness in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soller, Babs R.; Cabrera, Marco; Smith, Scott M.; Sutton, Jeffrey P.

2002-01-01

Smart medical systems are being developed to allow medical treatments to address alterations in chemical and physiological status in real time. In a smart medical system sensor arrays assess subject status, which are interpreted by computer processors which analyze multiple inputs and recommend treatment interventions. The response of the subject to the treatment is again assessed by the sensor arrays, closing the loop. An early form of "smart medicine" has been practiced in space to assess nutrition. Nutrient levels are assessed with food frequency questionnaires, which are interpreted by flight surgeons to recommend in-flight alterations in diet. In the future, sensor arrays will directly probe body chemistry. Near infrared spectroscopy can be used to noninvasively measure several blood and tissue parameters which are important in the assessment of nutrition and fitness. In particular, this technology can be used to measure blood hematocrit and interstitial fluid pH. The noninvasive measurement of interstitial pH is discussed as a surrogate for blood lactate measurement for the development and real-time assessment of exercise protocols in space. Earth-based application of these sensors are also described.

R & D of smart FRP-OFBG-based steel strand and its application in monitoring of prestressing loss for RC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Zhi; Zhou, Hui; Huang, Ying; Ou, Jinping

2008-03-01

The long-term monitoring and performance evaluation techniques for the steel strand based pre-stressed structures are still not mature yet, especially for the prestressing loss monitoring and prediction. The main problem of this issue is lack of reliable monitoring techniques. To resolve this problem, in this paper, a new kind of quasi-distributed smart steel strand based on FRP-OFBG(Fiber Reinforced Polymer-Optical Fiber Bragg Grating) has been developed and its pre-stress monitoring principle has been also given. The test of the post-tension pre-stressed concrete beam with bonded tendons and its tensioning experiments have been conducted. And the prestressing loss of the steel strands has been monitored using the FBG in it. Researches results indicate that this kind of smart steel strand can monitor both instant loss and permanent loss of the prestressing successfully, and it can preferably describe the pre-stress loss state of the pre-stressed structure. Compared with the traditional monitoring instrument, this kind of smart steel strand owns distinct advantages and broad application foregrounds.

Temperature-Responsive Smart Nanocarriers for Delivery Of Therapeutic Agents: Applications and Recent Advances.

PubMed

Karimi, Mahdi; Sahandi Zangabad, Parham; Ghasemi, Alireza; Amiri, Mohammad; Bahrami, Mohsen; Malekzad, Hedieh; Ghahramanzadeh Asl, Hadi; Mahdieh, Zahra; Bozorgomid, Mahnaz; Ghasemi, Amir; Rahmani Taji Boyuk, Mohammad Reza; Hamblin, Michael R

2016-08-24

Smart drug delivery systems (DDSs) have attracted the attention of many scientists, as carriers that can be stimulated by changes in environmental parameters such as temperature, pH, light, electromagnetic fields, mechanical forces, etc. These smart nanocarriers can release their cargo on demand when their target is reached and the stimulus is applied. Using the techniques of nanotechnology, these nanocarriers can be tailored to be target-specific, and exhibit delayed or controlled release of drugs. Temperature-responsive nanocarriers are one of most important groups of smart nanoparticles (NPs) that have been investigated during the past decades. Temperature can either act as an external stimulus when heat is applied from the outside, or can be internal when pathological lesions have a naturally elevated termperature. A low critical solution temperature (LCST) is a special feature of some polymeric materials, and most of the temperature-responsive nanocarriers have been designed based on this feature. In this review, we attempt to summarize recent efforts to prepare innovative temperature-responsive nanocarriers and discuss their novel applications.

Psycho-social aspects of personal health monitoring: a descriptive literature review.

PubMed

Muehlan, Holger; Schmidt, Silke

2013-01-01

We aimed at providing a short review on already published studies addressing psycho-social issues of personal health monitoring (PHM). Both core questions addressed within this review are: What is the impact of PHM on intended psycho-social and health-related outcomes? And which psycho-social issues affected by or related to PHM have already been investigated? This descriptive review based on a literature search using various databases (Psycinfo, Psyndex, Pubmed, SSCI). Resulting 428 abstracts were coded regarding their psycho-social content. Inspection of results was carried out along the relevance of the papers regarding psycho-social issues. Research in PHM focuses on telemonitoring and smart home applications: Tele-monitoring studies are directed to outcome-related questions, smart home studies to feasibility issues. Despite of technological matters, comparability of both systems in psycho-social issues is lacking. Tele-monitoring has been proven for impact on patient groups with chronic diseases, yet smart home still lacks evidence in health-related and psycho-social matters. Smart home applications have been investigated with respect to attitudes, perceptions and concerns of end-users, telemonitoring regarding acceptance and adherence.

Surface 12 lead electrocardiogram recordings using smart phone technology.

PubMed

Baquero, Giselle A; Banchs, Javier E; Ahmed, Shameer; Naccarelli, Gerald V; Luck, Jerry C

2015-01-01

AliveCor ECG is an FDA approved ambulatory cardiac rhythm monitor that records a single channel (lead I) ECG rhythm strip using an iPhone. In the past few years, the use of smartphones and tablets with health related applications has significantly proliferated. In this initial feasibility trial, we attempted to reproduce the 12 lead ECG using the bipolar arrangement of the AliveCor monitor coupled to smart phone technology. We used the AliveCor heart monitor coupled with an iPhone cellular phone and the AliveECG application (APP) in 5 individuals. In our 5 individuals, recordings from both a standard 12 lead ECG and the AliveCor generated 12 lead ECG had the same interpretation. This study demonstrates the feasibility of creating a 12 lead ECG with a smart phone. The validity of the recordings would seem to suggest that this technology could become an important useful tool for clinical use. This new hand held smart phone 12 lead ECG recorder needs further development and validation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Color coded multiple access scheme for bidirectional multiuser visible light communications in smart home technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tiwari, Samrat Vikramaditya; Sewaiwar, Atul; Chung, Yeon-Ho

2015-10-01

In optical wireless communications, multiple channel transmission is an attractive solution to enhancing capacity and system performance. A new modulation scheme called color coded multiple access (CCMA) for bidirectional multiuser visible light communications (VLC) is presented for smart home applications. The proposed scheme uses red, green and blue (RGB) light emitting diodes (LED) for downlink and phosphor based white LED (P-LED) for uplink to establish a bidirectional VLC and also employs orthogonal codes to support multiple users and devices. The downlink transmission for data user devices and smart home devices is provided using red and green colors from the RGB LEDs, respectively, while uplink transmission from both types of devices is performed using the blue color from P-LEDs. Simulations are conducted to verify the performance of the proposed scheme. It is found that the proposed bidirectional multiuser scheme is efficient in terms of data rate and performance. In addition, since the proposed scheme uses RGB signals for downlink data transmission, it provides flicker-free illumination that would lend itself to multiuser VLC system for smart home applications.

Using Multi-modal Sensing for Human Activity Modeling in the Real World

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrison, Beverly L.; Consolvo, Sunny; Choudhury, Tanzeem

Traditionally smart environments have been understood to represent those (often physical) spaces where computation is embedded into the users' surrounding infrastructure, buildings, homes, and workplaces. Users of this "smartness" move in and out of these spaces. Ambient intelligence assumes that users are automatically and seamlessly provided with context-aware, adaptive information, applications and even sensing - though this remains a significant challenge even when limited to these specialized, instrumented locales. Since not all environments are "smart" the experience is not a pervasive one; rather, users move between these intelligent islands of computationally enhanced space while we still aspire to achieve a more ideal anytime, anywhere experience. Two key technological trends are helping to bridge the gap between these smart environments and make the associated experience more persistent and pervasive. Smaller and more computationally sophisticated mobile devices allow sensing, communication, and services to be more directly and continuously experienced by user. Improved infrastructure and the availability of uninterrupted data streams, for instance location-based data, enable new services and applications to persist across environments.

Remotely Triggered Nano-Theranostics For Cancer Applications.

PubMed

Sneider, Alexandra; VanDyke, Derek; Paliwal, Shailee; Rai, Prakash

2017-01-01

Nanotechnology has enabled the development of smart theranostic platforms that can concurrently diagnose disease, start primary treatment, monitor response, and, if required, initiate secondary treatments. Recent in vivo experiments demonstrate the promise of using theranostics in the clinic. In this paper, we review the use of remotely triggered theranostic nanoparticles for cancer applications, focusing heavily on advances in the past five years. Remote triggering mechanisms covered include photodynamic, photothermal, phototriggered chemotherapeutic release, ultrasound, electro-thermal, magneto-thermal, X-ray, and radiofrequency therapies. Each section includes a brief overview of the triggering mechanism and summarizes the variety of nanoparticles employed in each method. Emphasis in each category is placed on nano-theranostics with in vivo success. Some of the nanotheranostic platforms highlighted include photoactivatable multi-inhibitor nanoliposomes, plasmonic nanobubbles, reduced graphene oxide-iron oxide nanoparticles, photoswitching nanoparticles, multispectral optoacoustic tomography using indocyanine green, low temperature sensitive liposomes, and receptor-targeted iron oxide nanoparticles loaded with gemcitabine. The studies reviewed here provide strong evidence that the field of nanotheranostics is rapidly evolving. Such nanoplatforms may soon enable unique advances in the clinical management of cancer. However, reproducibility in the synthesis procedures of such "smart" platforms that lend themselves to easy scale-up in their manufacturing, as well as the development of new and improved models of cancer that are more predictive of human responses, need to happen soon for this field to make a rapid clinical impact.

Active control of transmission loss with smart foams.

PubMed

Kundu, Abhishek; Berry, Alain

2011-02-01

Smart foams combine the complimentary advantages of passive foam material and spatially distributed piezoelectric actuator embedded in it for active noise control applications. In this paper, the problem of improving the transmission loss of smart foams using active control strategies has been investigated both numerically and experimentally inside a waveguide under the condition of plane wave propagation. The finite element simulation of a coupled noise control system has been undertaken with three different smart foam designs and their effectiveness in cancelling the transmitted wave downstream of the smart foam have been studied. The simulation results provide insight into the physical phenomenon of active noise cancellation and explain the impact of the smart foam designs on the optimal active control results. Experimental studies aimed at implementing the real-time control for transmission loss optimization have been performed using the classical single input/single output filtered-reference least mean squares algorithm. The active control results with broadband and single frequency primary source inputs demonstrate a good improvement in the transmission loss of the smart foams. The study gives a comparative description of the transmission and absorption control problems in light of the modification of the vibration response of the piezoelectric actuator under active control.

Adaptive software architecture based on confident HCI for the deployment of sensitive services in Smart Homes.

PubMed

Vega-Barbas, Mario; Pau, Iván; Martín-Ruiz, María Luisa; Seoane, Fernando

2015-03-25

Smart spaces foster the development of natural and appropriate forms of human-computer interaction by taking advantage of home customization. The interaction potential of the Smart Home, which is a special type of smart space, is of particular interest in fields in which the acceptance of new technologies is limited and restrictive. The integration of smart home design patterns with sensitive solutions can increase user acceptance. In this paper, we present the main challenges that have been identified in the literature for the successful deployment of sensitive services (e.g., telemedicine and assistive services) in smart spaces and a software architecture that models the functionalities of a Smart Home platform that are required to maintain and support such sensitive services. This architecture emphasizes user interaction as a key concept to facilitate the acceptance of sensitive services by end-users and utilizes activity theory to support its innovative design. The application of activity theory to the architecture eases the handling of novel concepts, such as understanding of the system by patients at home or the affordability of assistive services. Finally, we provide a proof-of-concept implementation of the architecture and compare the results with other architectures from the literature.

Health Sensors, Smart Home Devices, and the Internet of Medical Things: An Opportunity for Dramatic Improvement in Care for the Lower Extremity Complications of Diabetes.

PubMed

Basatneh, Rami; Najafi, Bijan; Armstrong, David G

2018-05-01

The prevalent and long-neglected diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) and its related complications rank among the most debilitating and costly sequelae of diabetes. With the rise of the Internet of medical things (IoMT), along with smart devices, the med-tech industry is on the cusp of a home-care revolution, which could also create opportunity for developing effective solutions with significant potential to reduce DFU-associated costs and saving limbs. This article discusses potential applications of IoMT to the DFU patient population and beyond. To better understand potential opportunities and challenges associated with implementing IoMT for management of DFU, the authors reviewed recent relevant literatures and included their own expert opinions from a multidisciplinary point of view including podiatry, engineering, and data security. The IoMT has opened digital transformation of home-based diabetic foot care, as it enables promoting patient engagement, personalized care and smart management of chronic and noncommunicable diseases through individual data-driven treatment regimens, telecommunication, data mining, and comprehensive feedback tailored to individual requirements. In particular, with recent advances in voice-activated commands technology and its integration as a part of IoMT, new opportunities have emerged to improve the patient's central role and responsibility in enabling an optimized health care ecosystem. The IoMT has opened new opportunities in health care from remote monitoring to smart sensors and medical device integration. While it is at its early stage of development, ultimately we envisage a connected home that, using voice-controlled technology and Bluetooth-radio-connected add-ons, may augment much of what home health does today.

Analysing Smart Metering Systems from a Consumer Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yesudas, Rani

Many countries are deploying smart meters and Advanced Metering Infrastructure systems as part of demand management and grid modernisation efforts. Several of these projects are facing consumer resistance. The advertised benefits to the consumer appear mainly monetary but detailed analysis shows that financial benefits are hard to realise since the fixed services charges are high. Additionally, the data collected from smart meters have security and privacy implications for the consumer. These projects failed to consider end-users as an important stakeholder group during planning stages resulting in the design and roll-out of expensive systems, which do not demonstrate clear consumer benefits. The overall goal of the research reported in this thesis was to improve the smart metering system to deliver consumer benefits that increase confidence and acceptance of these projects. The smart metering system was examined from an end-user perspective for realistic insights into consumer concerns. Processes from Design Science Research methodology were utilised to conduct this research due to the utilitarian nature of the objective. Consumer segmentation was central to the proposed measures. Initially, a consumer-friendly risk analysis framework was devised, and appropriate requirement elicitation techniques were identified. Control options for smart meter data transfer and storage were explored. Various scenarios were analysed to determine consumer-friendly features in the smart metering system, including control options for smart meter data transfer and storage. Proposed functionalities (billing choices, feedback information and specific configurations to match the needs of different user segments) were studied using the Australian smart metering system. Smart meters vary in capabilities depending on the manufacturer, mode and place of deployment. The research showed that features proposed in this thesis are implementable in smart meters, by examining their applicability to those used in Victoria (Australia). This study demonstrated that intelligent systems for demand and distribution-side management can be built without the use of detailed consumption data from the consumer. Many issues related to smart meter data could be avoided by distributing intelligent metering devices across the network. A check-list was generated to guide project proponents to achieve a consumer-friendly outcome. This research establishes that by applying well-established theories during the planning process, in particular, requirement elicitation and risk analysis, consumer support can be gained leading to the deployment of user-friendly and sustainable systems. The check-list generated will help the industry to appropriately plan and develop systems that can avoid opposition and even stimulate adoption. Options proposed provide choices for different consumer segments without affecting major operations such as billing. On evaluation, it has been identified that the proposed measures do not affect the quality attributes of the system. Since the proposals presented in this thesis were based on smart meters used in Victoria (Australia), smart meters used in other areas may require upgrades or revisions to support these functions. The scope of this research is limited to identifying improvements in the system that will benefit the residential consumer and does not extend to the analysis of the effects of these improvements on the profitability of the investors.

Smart-Glasses: Exposing and Elucidating the Ethical Issues.

PubMed

Hofmann, Bjørn; Haustein, Dušan; Landeweerd, Laurens

2017-06-01

The objective of this study is to provide an overview over the ethical issues relevant to the assessment, implementation, and use of smart-glasses. The purpose of the overview is to facilitate deliberation, decision making, and the formation of knowledge and norms for this emerging technology. An axiological question-based method for human cognitive enhancement including an extensive literature search on smart-glasses is used to identify relevant ethical issues. The search is supplemented with relevant ethical issues identified in the literature on human cognitive enhancement (in general) and in the study of the technical aspects of smart-glasses. Identified papers were subject to traditional content analysis: 739 references were identified of which 247 were regarded as relevant for full text examinations, and 155 were included in the study. A wide variety of ethical issues with smart-glasses have been identified, such as issues related to privacy, safety, justice, change in human agency, accountability, responsibility, social interaction, power and ideology. Smart-glasses are envisioned to change individual human identity and behavior as well as social interaction. Taking these issues into account appears to be relevant when developing, deliberating, deciding on, implementing, and using smart-glasses.

GridLAB-D: An Agent-Based Simulation Framework for Smart Grids

DOE PAGES

Chassin, David P.; Fuller, Jason C.; Djilali, Ned

2014-01-01

Simulation of smart grid technologies requires a fundamentally new approach to integrated modeling of power systems, energy markets, building technologies, and the plethora of other resources and assets that are becoming part of modern electricity production, delivery, and consumption systems. As a result, the US Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity commissioned the development of a new type of power system simulation tool called GridLAB-D that uses an agent-based approach to simulating smart grids. This paper presents the numerical methods and approach to time-series simulation used by GridLAB-D and reviews applications in power system studies, market design, building control systemmore » design, and integration of wind power in a smart grid.« less

GridLAB-D: An Agent-Based Simulation Framework for Smart Grids

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chassin, David P.; Fuller, Jason C.; Djilali, Ned

2014-06-23

Simulation of smart grid technologies requires a fundamentally new approach to integrated modeling of power systems, energy markets, building technologies, and the plethora of other resources and assets that are becoming part of modern electricity production, delivery, and consumption systems. As a result, the US Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity commissioned the development of a new type of power system simulation tool called GridLAB-D that uses an agent-based approach to simulating smart grids. This paper presents the numerical methods and approach to time-series simulation used by GridLAB-D and reviews applications in power system studies, market design, building control systemmore » design, and integration of wind power in a smart grid.« less

Non-isolated high gain DC-DC converter for smart grid- A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Divya Navamani, J.; Vijayakumar, K.; Lavanya, A.; Mano Raj, A. Jason

2018-04-01

Smart grids are becoming the most interesting and promising alternative for an electric grid system. Power conditioning units and control over the distribution of power is the essential feature for the smart grid system. In this paper, we reviewed several non-isolated high gain topologies derived from boost converter for providing required voltage to the grid tie inverter from renewable energy sources. Steady state analysis of all the topologies is analyzed to compare the performance of the topologies. Simulation is carried out in nL5 simulator and the results are compared and validated with the theoretical results. This paper is a guide to the researchers to choose the best topology for the smart grid application.

Septic safe interactions with smart glasses in health care.

PubMed

Czuszynski, K; Ruminski, J; Kocejko, T; Wtorek, J

2015-08-01

In this paper, septic safe methods of interaction with smart glasses, due to the health care environment applications consideration, are presented. The main focus is on capabilities of an optical, proximity-based gesture sensor and eye-tracker input systems. The design of both interfaces is being adapted to the open smart glasses platform that is being developed under the eGlasses project. Preliminary results obtained from the proximity sensor show that the recognition of different static and dynamic hand gestures is promising. The experiments performed for the eye-tracker module shown the possibility of interaction with simple Graphical User Interface provided by the near-to-eye display. Research leads to the conclusion of attractiveness of collaborative interfaces for interaction with smart glasses.

An Analysis of Context-Aware Data Models for Smart Cities: Towards Fiware and Etsi Cim Emerging Data Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jara, A. J.; Bocchi, Y.; Fernandez, D.; Molina, G.; Gomez, A.

2017-09-01

Smart Cities requires the support of context-aware and enriched semantic descriptions to support a scalable and cross-domain development of smart applications. For example, nowadays general purpose sensors such as crowd monitoring (counting people in an area), environmental information (pollution, air quality, temperature, humidity, noise) etc. can be used in multiple solutions with different objectives. For that reason, a data model that offers advanced capabilities for the description of context is required. This paper presents an overview of the available technologies for this purpose and how it is being addressed by the Open and Agile Smart Cities principles and FIWARE platform through the data models defined by the ETSI ISG Context Information Management (ETSI CIM).

Smart Grid | Climate Neutral Research Campuses | NREL

Science.gov Websites

begun to build smart grids. Most operate electricity grids that include power generation; load control plant managers use these communications for energy management and load shedding, which are among the top familiar with equipment interoperability, central dispatch, and load shedding. These are common in smart

Smart Partnerships to Increase Equity in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leahy, Margaret; Davis, Niki; Lewin, Cathy; Charania, Amina; Nordin, Hasniza; Orlic, Davor; Butler, Deirdre; Lopez-Fernadez, Olatz

2016-01-01

This exploratory analysis of smart partnerships identifies the risk of increasing the digital divide with the deployment of data analytics. Smart partnerships in education appear to include a process of evolution into a synergy of strategic and holistic approaches that enhance the quality of education with digital technologies, harnessing ICT…

Smart learning services based on smart cloud computing.

PubMed

Kim, Svetlana; Song, Su-Mi; Yoon, Yong-Ik

2011-01-01

Context-aware technologies can make e-learning services smarter and more efficient since context-aware services are based on the user's behavior. To add those technologies into existing e-learning services, a service architecture model is needed to transform the existing e-learning environment, which is situation-aware, into the environment that understands context as well. The context-awareness in e-learning may include the awareness of user profile and terminal context. In this paper, we propose a new notion of service that provides context-awareness to smart learning content in a cloud computing environment. We suggest the elastic four smarts (E4S)--smart pull, smart prospect, smart content, and smart push--concept to the cloud services so smart learning services are possible. The E4S focuses on meeting the users' needs by collecting and analyzing users' behavior, prospecting future services, building corresponding contents, and delivering the contents through cloud computing environment. Users' behavior can be collected through mobile devices such as smart phones that have built-in sensors. As results, the proposed smart e-learning model in cloud computing environment provides personalized and customized learning services to its users.

Smart Learning Services Based on Smart Cloud Computing

PubMed Central

Kim, Svetlana; Song, Su-Mi; Yoon, Yong-Ik

2011-01-01

Context-aware technologies can make e-learning services smarter and more efficient since context-aware services are based on the user’s behavior. To add those technologies into existing e-learning services, a service architecture model is needed to transform the existing e-learning environment, which is situation-aware, into the environment that understands context as well. The context-awareness in e-learning may include the awareness of user profile and terminal context. In this paper, we propose a new notion of service that provides context-awareness to smart learning content in a cloud computing environment. We suggest the elastic four smarts (E4S)—smart pull, smart prospect, smart content, and smart push—concept to the cloud services so smart learning services are possible. The E4S focuses on meeting the users’ needs by collecting and analyzing users’ behavior, prospecting future services, building corresponding contents, and delivering the contents through cloud computing environment. Users’ behavior can be collected through mobile devices such as smart phones that have built-in sensors. As results, the proposed smart e-learning model in cloud computing environment provides personalized and customized learning services to its users. PMID:22164048

Shape-Memory Polymers for Biomedical Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yakacki, Christopher M.; Gall, Ken

Shape-memory polymers (SMPs) are a class of mechanically functional "smart" materials that have generated substantial interest for biomedical applications. SMPs offer the ability to promote minimally invasive surgery, provide structural support, exert stabilizing forces, elute therapeutic agents, and biodegrade. This review focuses on several areas of biomedicine including vascular, orthopedic, and neuronal applications with respect to the progress and potential for SMPs to improve the standard of treatment in these areas. Fundamental studies on proposed biomedical SMP systems are discussed with regards to biodegradability, tailorability, sterilization, and biocompatibility. Lastly, a proposed research and development pathway for SMP-based biomedical devices is proposed based on trends in the recent literature.

Dual-junction GaAs solar cells and their application to smart stacked III–V//Si multijunction solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugaya, Takeyoshi; Tayagaki, Takeshi; Aihara, Taketo; Makita, Kikuo; Oshima, Ryuji; Mizuno, Hidenori; Nagato, Yuki; Nakamoto, Takashi; Okano, Yoshinobu

2018-05-01

We report high-quality dual-junction GaAs solar cells grown using solid-source molecular beam epitaxy and their application to smart stacked III–V//Si quadruple-junction solar cells with a two-terminal configuration for the first time. A high open-circuit voltage of 2.94 eV was obtained in an InGaP/GaAs/GaAs triple-junction top cell that was stacked to a Si bottom cell. The short-circuit current density of a smart stacked InGaP/GaAs/GaAs//Si solar cell was in good agreement with that estimated from external quantum efficiency measurements. An efficiency of 18.5% with a high open-circuit voltage of 3.3 V was obtained in InGaP/GaAs/GaAs//Si two-terminal solar cells.

Smart Sampling and HPC-based Probabilistic Look-ahead Contingency Analysis Implementation and its Evaluation with Real-world Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Yousu; Etingov, Pavel V.; Ren, Huiying

This paper describes a probabilistic look-ahead contingency analysis application that incorporates smart sampling and high-performance computing (HPC) techniques. Smart sampling techniques are implemented to effectively represent the structure and statistical characteristics of uncertainty introduced by different sources in the power system. They can significantly reduce the data set size required for multiple look-ahead contingency analyses, and therefore reduce the time required to compute them. High-performance-computing (HPC) techniques are used to further reduce computational time. These two techniques enable a predictive capability that forecasts the impact of various uncertainties on potential transmission limit violations. The developed package has been tested withmore » real world data from the Bonneville Power Administration. Case study results are presented to demonstrate the performance of the applications developed.« less

Automating the application of smart materials for protein crystallization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Khurshid, Sahir; Govada, Lata; EL-Sharif, Hazim F.

2015-03-01

The first semi-liquid, non-protein nucleating agent for automated protein crystallization trials is described. This ‘smart material’ is demonstrated to induce crystal growth and will provide a simple, cost-effective tool for scientists in academia and industry. The fabrication and validation of the first semi-liquid nonprotein nucleating agent to be administered automatically to crystallization trials is reported. This research builds upon prior demonstration of the suitability of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs; known as ‘smart materials’) for inducing protein crystal growth. Modified MIPs of altered texture suitable for high-throughput trials are demonstrated to improve crystal quality and to increase the probability of successmore » when screening for suitable crystallization conditions. The application of these materials is simple, time-efficient and will provide a potent tool for structural biologists embarking on crystallization trials.« less

Modeling and optimization of energy storage system for microgrid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Xin

The vanadium redox flow battery (VRB) is well suited for the applications of microgrid and renewable energy. This thesis will have a practical analysis of the battery itself and its application in microgrid systems. The first paper analyzes the VRB use in a microgrid system. The first part of the paper develops a reduced order circuit model of the VRB and analyzes its experimental performance efficiency during deployment. The statistical methods and neural network approximation are used to estimate the system parameters. The second part of the paper addresses the implementation issues of the VRB application in a photovoltaic-based microgrid system. A new dc-dc converter was proposed to provide improved charging performance. The paper was published on IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, Vol. 5, No. 4, July 2014. The second paper studies VRB use within a microgrid system from a practical perspective. A reduced order circuit model of the VRB is introduced that includes the losses from the balance of plant including system and environmental controls. The proposed model includes the circulation pumps and the HVAC system that regulates the environment of the VRB enclosure. In this paper, the VRB model is extended to include the ESS environmental controls to provide a model that provides a more realistic efficiency profile. The paper was submitted to IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy. Third paper discussed the optimal control strategy when VRB works with other type of battery in a microgird system. The work in first paper is extended. A high level control strategy is developed to coordinate a lead acid battery and a VRB with reinforcement learning. The paper is to be submitted to IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid.

Conducting a fully mobile and randomised clinical trial for depression: access, engagement and expense.

PubMed

Anguera, Joaquin A; Jordan, Joshua T; Castaneda, Diego; Gazzaley, Adam; Areán, Patricia A

2016-01-01

Advances in mobile technology have resulted in federal and industry-level initiatives to facilitate large-scale clinical research using smart devices. Although the benefits of technology to expand data collection are obvious, assumptions about the reach of mobile research methods ( access ), participant willingness to engage in mobile research protocols ( engagement ), and the cost of this research ( cost ) remain untested. To assess the feasibility of a fully mobile randomised controlled trial using assessments and treatments delivered entirely through mobile devices to depressed individuals. Using a web-based research portal, adult participants with depression who also owned a smart device were screened, consented and randomised to 1 of 3 mental health apps for treatment. Assessments of self-reported mood and cognitive function were conducted at baseline, 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Physical and social activity was monitored daily using passively collected phone use data. All treatment and assessment tools were housed on each participant's smart phone or tablet. A cognitive training application, an application based on problem-solving therapy, and a mobile-sensing application promoting daily activities. Access : We screened 2923 people and enrolled 1098 participants in 5 months. The sample characteristics were comparable to the 2013 US census data. Recruitment via Craigslist.org yielded the largest sample. Engagement : Study engagement was high during the first 2 weeks of treatment, falling to 44% adherence by the 4th week. Cost : The total amount spent on for this project, including staff costs and β testing, was $314 264 over 2 years. These findings suggest that mobile randomised control trials can recruit large numbers of participants in a short period of time and with minimal cost, but study engagement remains challenging. NCT00540865.

Inertial Sensor-Based Gait Recognition: A Review

PubMed Central

Sprager, Sebastijan; Juric, Matjaz B.

2015-01-01

With the recent development of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), inertial sensors have become widely used in the research of wearable gait analysis due to several factors, such as being easy-to-use and low-cost. Considering the fact that each individual has a unique way of walking, inertial sensors can be applied to the problem of gait recognition where assessed gait can be interpreted as a biometric trait. Thus, inertial sensor-based gait recognition has a great potential to play an important role in many security-related applications. Since inertial sensors are included in smart devices that are nowadays present at every step, inertial sensor-based gait recognition has become very attractive and emerging field of research that has provided many interesting discoveries recently. This paper provides a thorough and systematic review of current state-of-the-art in this field of research. Review procedure has revealed that the latest advanced inertial sensor-based gait recognition approaches are able to sufficiently recognise the users when relying on inertial data obtained during gait by single commercially available smart device in controlled circumstances, including fixed placement and small variations in gait. Furthermore, these approaches have also revealed considerable breakthrough by realistic use in uncontrolled circumstances, showing great potential for their further development and wide applicability. PMID:26340634

Materials science. Materials that couple sensing, actuation, computation, and communication.

PubMed

McEvoy, M A; Correll, N

2015-03-20

Tightly integrating sensing, actuation, and computation into composites could enable a new generation of truly smart material systems that can change their appearance and shape autonomously. Applications for such materials include airfoils that change their aerodynamic profile, vehicles with camouflage abilities, bridges that detect and repair damage, or robotic skins and prosthetics with a realistic sense of touch. Although integrating sensors and actuators into composites is becoming increasingly common, the opportunities afforded by embedded computation have only been marginally explored. Here, the key challenge is the gap between the continuous physics of materials and the discrete mathematics of computation. Bridging this gap requires a fundamental understanding of the constituents of such robotic materials and the distributed algorithms and controls that make these structures smart. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

eTRIKS platform: Conception and operation of a highly scalable cloud-based platform for translational research and applications development.

PubMed

Bussery, Justin; Denis, Leslie-Alexandre; Guillon, Benjamin; Liu, Pengfeï; Marchetti, Gino; Rahal, Ghita

2018-04-01

We describe the genesis, design and evolution of a computing platform designed and built to improve the success rate of biomedical translational research. The eTRIKS project platform was developed with the aim of building a platform that can securely host heterogeneous types of data and provide an optimal environment to run tranSMART analytical applications. Many types of data can now be hosted, including multi-OMICS data, preclinical laboratory data and clinical information, including longitudinal data sets. During the last two years, the platform has matured into a robust translational research knowledge management system that is able to host other data mining applications and support the development of new analytical tools. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A high voltage dielectrically isolated smart power technology based on silicon direct bonding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macary, Veronique

1992-09-01

The feasibility of a dielectrically isolated technology based on the silicon direct bonding technique, for high voltage smart power applications in the 1000 to 1550 V/1 to 20 A range, where a vertical power switch is necessary, is investigated and demonstrated. Static and dynamic isolation of the low voltage circuitry integrated beside the vertical power transistor is the main concern of this family of circuits. The dielectric isolation offers better protection to the low voltage part than does the junction isolation, because of the elimination of the parasitic bipolar transistor inherent to the latter isolation technique. Silicon direct bonding provides a cost effective way to obtain a buried oxide isolation layer. In addition, the application requires a Si/Si bonded area in the active region of the vertical power switch. Strong influence of the prebonding cleaning in the electrical characteristics of the Si/Si interface is pointed out, and presence of crystalline defects is assumed to be at the origin of electrical failures. The main problems of silicon direct bonding process compatibility with standard processes were overcome, and a complete process flow, including the simultaneous integration of a vertical power bipolar transistor together with a bipolar control circuitry, was validated. Using a peripheral biased ring is shown to provide an easy way to optimize high voltage termination for the smart power circuit, while adding a non-additional technological step. This technique was studied by dimensional electrical simulations (BIDIM2 software), as well as analytically computed.

Analysis, optimization, and implementation of a hybrid DS/FFH spread-spectrum technique for smart grid communications

DOE PAGES

Olama, Mohammed M.; Ma, Xiao; Killough, Stephen M.; ...

2015-03-12

In recent years, there has been great interest in using hybrid spread-spectrum (HSS) techniques for commercial applications, particularly in the Smart Grid, in addition to their inherent uses in military communications. This is because HSS can accommodate high data rates with high link integrity, even in the presence of significant multipath effects and interfering signals. A highly useful form of this transmission technique for many types of command, control, and sensing applications is the specific code-related combination of standard direct sequence modulation with fast frequency hopping, denoted hybrid DS/FFH, wherein multiple frequency hops occur within a single data-bit time. Inmore » this paper, error-probability analyses are performed for a hybrid DS/FFH system over standard Gaussian and fading-type channels, progressively including the effects from wide- and partial-band jamming, multi-user interference, and varying degrees of Rayleigh and Rician fading. In addition, an optimization approach is formulated that minimizes the bit-error performance of a hybrid DS/FFH communication system and solves for the resulting system design parameters. The optimization objective function is non-convex and can be solved by applying the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions. We also present our efforts toward exploring the design, implementation, and evaluation of a hybrid DS/FFH radio transceiver using a single FPGA. Numerical and experimental results are presented under widely varying design parameters to demonstrate the adaptability of the waveform for varied harsh smart grid RF signal environments.« less

A magnetic-piezoelectric smart material-structure sensing three axis DC and AC magnetic-fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hung, Chiao-Fang; Chen, Chin-Chung; Yeh, Po-Chen; Chen, Po-Wen; Chung, Tien-Kan

2017-12-01

In this paper, we demonstrate a smart material-structure can sense not only three-axis AC magnetic-fields but also three-axis DC magnetic-fields. Under x-axis and z-axis AC magnetic field ranging from 0.2 to 3.2 gauss, sensing sensitivity of the smart material-structure stimulated at resonant frequency is approximate 8.79 and 2.80 mV/gauss, respectively. In addition, under x-axis and z-axis DC magnetic fields ranging from 2 to 12 gauss, the sensitivity of the smart material-structure is 1.24-1.54 and 1.25-1.41 mV/gauss, respectively. In addition, under x-axis and z-axis DC magnetic fields ranging from 12 to 20 gauss, the sensitivity of the smart material-structure is 5.17-6.2 and 3.97-4.57 mV/gauss, respectively. These experimental results show that the smart material-structure successfully achieves three-axis DC and AC magnetic sensing as we designed. Furthermore, we also compare the results of the AC and DC magnetic-field sensing to investigate discrepancies. Finally, when applying composite magnetic-fields to the smart material-structure, the smart material-structure shows decent outputs as expected (consistent to the sensing principle). In the future, we believe the smart material-structure capable of sensing AC and DC magnetic fields will have more applications than conventional structures capable of sensing only DC or AC magnetic field. Thus, the smart material-structure will be an important design reference for future magnetic-field sensing technologies.

Technology for the Next-Generation-Mobile User Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delagi, Greg

The current mobile-handset market is a vital and growing one, being driven by technology advances, including increased bandwidth and processing performance, as well as reduced power consumption and improved screen technologies. The 3G/4G handsets of today are multimedia internet devices with increased screen size, HD video and gaming, interactive touch screens, HD camera and camcorders, as well as incredible social, entertainment, and productivity applications. While mobile-technology advancements to date have made us more social in many ways, new advancements over the next decade will bring us to the next level, allowing mobile users to experience new types of "virtual" social interactions with all the senses. The mobile handsets of the future will be smart autonomous-lifestyle devices with a multitude of incorporated sensors, applications and display options, all designed to make your life easier and more productive! With future display media, including 3D imaging, virtual interaction and conferencing will be possible, making every call feel like you are in the same room, providing an experience far beyond today's video conferencing technology. 3D touch-screen with integrated image-projection technologies will work in conjunction with gesturing to bring a new era of intuitive mobile device applications, interaction, and information sharing. Looking to the future, there are many challenges to be faced in delivering a smart mobile companion device that will meet the user demands. One demand will be for the availability of new and compelling services, and features on the "mobile companion". These mobile companions will be more than just Internet devices, and will function as on-the-go workstations, allowing users to function as if they were sitting in front of their computer in the office or at home. The massive amounts of data that will be transmitted through, to and from these mobile companions will require immense improvements in system performance, including specialized circuits, highly parallel architectures, and new packaging design. Another concern of the smart-mobile-companion user will be that their device is able to deliver an always-on, always-aware environment in a way that is completely seamless and transparent. These handsets will automatically determine the best and most appropriate modem link from the multiple choices on the device, including WiFi, LTE, 5G, and mmWave, based on which link will optimize performance, battery life, and network charges to deliver the best possible user experience. In the future, adaptive connectivity will require many different solutions, including the standard modem technologies of today, as well as new machine-machine interfaces and body-area-networks. All of the new and exciting applications and features of these mobile-companion devices are going to require additional energy due to added computational requirements. However, a gap in energy efficiency is quickly developing between the energy that can be delivered by today's battery technologies, and the energy needed to deliver all-day operation or 2-day always-on standby without a recharge. New innovations ranging from low-voltage digital and analog circuits, non-volatile memory, and adaptive power management, to energy harvesting, will be needed to further improve the battery life of these mobile companion devices. Increased bandwidth combined with decreased latency, higher power efficiency, energy harvesting, massive multimedia processing, and new interconnect technologies will all work together to revolutionize how we interact with our smart-companion devices. The implementation challenges in bringing these technologies to market may seem daunting and numerous at first, but with the strong collaboration in research and development from universities, government agencies, and corporations, the smart-mobile-companion devices of the future will likely become reality within 5 years!

A dynamic vulnerability evaluation model to smart grid for the emergency response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Zhen; Wu, Xiaowei; Fang, Diange

2018-01-01

Smart grid shows more significant vulnerability to natural disasters and external destroy. According to the influence characteristics of important facilities suffered from typical kinds of natural disaster and external destroy, this paper built a vulnerability evaluation index system of important facilities in smart grid based on eight typical natural disasters, including three levels of static and dynamic indicators, totally forty indicators. Then a smart grid vulnerability evaluation method was proposed based on the index system, including determining the value range of each index, classifying the evaluation grade standard and giving the evaluation process and integrated index calculation rules. Using the proposed evaluation model, it can identify the most vulnerable parts of smart grid, and then help adopting targeted emergency response measures, developing emergency plans and increasing its capacity of disaster prevention and mitigation, which guarantee its safe and stable operation.

Utilization of smart phones related medical applications among medical students at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Sayedalamin, Zaid; Alshuaibi, Abdulaziz; Almutairi, Osama; Baghaffar, Mariam; Jameel, Tahir; Baig, Mukhtiar

The present study explored the utility, attitude, and trends regarding Smartphone related Medical Applications (Apps) among medical students of King Abdulaziz University (KAU) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (SA) and their perceptions of the impact of Medical Apps in their training activities. This survey was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine, Jeddah, and Rabigh campuses, KAU, Jeddah, SA. All participants were medical students of 2nd to 6th year. The data was collected by using an anonymous questionnaire regarding the perception of medical students about Medical Apps on the smart devices and the purpose of installation of the Apps. Additionally examined was the use of different Medical Apps by the students to investigate the impact of Medical Apps on the clinical training/practice. Data was analyzed on SPSS 21. The opinion of 330/460 medical students from all academic years was included in the study with a response rate of 72%. There were 170 (51.5%) males and 160 (48.5%) females with a mean age of 21.26±1.86 years. Almost all participating students 320 (97%) were well aware of Medical Apps for smart devices and 89.1% had installed different applications on their smart devices. The main usage was for either revision of courses (62.4%) or for looking up of medical information (67.3%), followed by preparing for a presentation (34.5%) and getting the medical news (32.1%). Regarding the impact of Medical Apps, most of the students considered these helpful in clinical decision-making, assisting in differential diagnosis, allowing faster access to Evidence-Based Medical practice, saving time and others. The practical use of these Apps was found to be minimal in medical students. Around 73% were occasional users of Medical Apps, and only 27% were using Medical Apps at least once a day. The regular use of Medical Apps on mobile devices is not common among medical students of KAU. Copyright © 2016 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Revisiting structure-property relationship of pH-responsive polymers for drug delivery applications.

PubMed

Bazban-Shotorbani, Salime; Hasani-Sadrabadi, Mohammad Mahdi; Karkhaneh, Akbar; Serpooshan, Vahid; Jacob, Karl I; Moshaverinia, Alireza; Mahmoudi, Morteza

2017-05-10

pH-responsive polymers contain ionic functional groups as pendants in their structure. The total number of charged groups on polymer chains determines the overall response of the system to changes in the external pH. This article reviews various pH-responsive polymers classified as polyacids (e.g., carboxylic acid based polymers, sulfonamides, anionic polysaccharides, and anionic polypeptides) and polybases (e.g., polyamines, pyridine and imidazole containing polymers, cationic polysaccharides, and cationic polypeptides). We correlate the pH variations in the body at the organ level (e.g., gastrointestinal tract and vaginal environment), tissue level (e.g., cancerous and inflamed tissues), and cellular level (e.g., sub-cellular organelles), with the intrinsic properties of pH-responsive polymers. This knowledge could help to select more effective ('smart') polymeric systems based on the biological target. Considering the pH differences in the body, various drug delivery systems can be designed by utilizing smart biopolymeric compounds with the required pH-sensitivity. We also review the pharmaceutical application of pH-responsive polymeric carriers including hydrogels, polymer-drug conjugates, micelles, dendrimers, and polymersomes. © 2016.

Curb Challenges of the “Trojan Horse” Approach: Smart Strategies in Achieving Effective yet Safe Cell-penetrating Peptide-based Drug Delivery

PubMed Central

Huang, Yongzhuo; Jiang, Yifan; Wang, Huiyuan; Wang, Jianxin; Shin, Meong Cheol; Byun, Youngro; He, Huining; Liang, Yanqin; Yang, Victor C.

2013-01-01

Cell-penetrating peptide (CPP)-mediated intracellular drug delivery system, often specifically termed as “the Trojan horse approach”, has become the “holy grail” in achieving effective delivery of macromolecular compounds such as proteins, DNA, siRNAs, and drug carriers. It is characterized by the unique cell- (or receptor-), temperature-, and payload-independent mechanisms, therefore offering potent means to improve poor cellular uptake of a variety of macromolecular drugs. Nevertheless, this “Trojan horse” approach also acts like a double-edged sword, causing serious safety and toxicity concerns to normal tissues or organs for in vivo application, due to lack of target selectivity of the powerful cell penetrating activity. To overcome this problem of potent yet non-selective penetration vs. targeting delivery, a number of “smart” strategies have been developed in recent years, including controllable CPP-based drug delivery systems based on various stimuli-responsive mechanisms. This review article provides a fundamental understanding of these smart systems, as well as a discussion of their real-time in vivo applicability. PMID:23369828

Recent Progress on Flexible Triboelectric Nanogenerators for SelfPowered Electronics.

PubMed

Hinchet, Ronan; Seung, Wanchul; Kim, Sang-Woo

2015-07-20

Recently, smart systems have met with large success. At the origin of the internet of things, they are a key driving force for the development of wireless, sustainable, and independent autonomous smart systems. In this context, autonomy is critical, and despite all the progress that has been made in low-power electronics and batteries, energy harvesters are becoming increasingly important. Thus, harvesting mechanical energy is essential, as it is widespread and abundant in our daily life environment. Among harvesters, flexible triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) exhibit good performance, and they are easy to integrate, which makes them perfect candidates for many applications and, therefore, crucial to develop. In this review paper, we first introduce the fundamentals of TENGs, including their four basic operation modes. Then, we discuss the different improvement parameters. We review some progress made in terms of performance and integration that have been possible through the understanding of each operation mode and the development of innovative structures. Finally, we present the latest trends, structures, and materials in view of future improvements and applications. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Adaptive and active materials: selected papers from the ASME 2013 Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems (SMASIS 13) (Snowbird, UT, USA, 16-18 September 2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Nancy; Naguib, Hani; Turner, Travis; Anderson, Iain; Bassiri-Gharb, Nazanin; Daqaq, Mohammed; Baba Sundaresan, Vishnu; Sarles, Andy

2014-10-01

The sixth annual meeting of the ASME Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems Conference (SMASIS) was held in the beautiful mountain encircled Snowbird Resort and Conference Center in Little Cottonwood Canyon near Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the conference's objective to provide an up-to-date overview of research trends in the entire field of smart materials systems in a friendly casual forum conducive to the exchange of ideas and latest results. As each year we strive to grow and offer new experiences, this year we included special focused topic tracks on nanoscale multiferroic materials and origami engineering. The cross-disciplinary emphasis was reflected in keynote speeches by Professor Kaushik Bhattacharya (California Institute of Technology) on 'Cyclic Deformation and the Interplay between Phase Transformation and Plasticity in Shape Memory Alloys', by Professor Alison Flatau (University of Maryland at College Park) on 'Structural Magnetostrictive Alloys: The Other Smart Material', and by Dr Leslie Momoda (Director of the Sensors and Materials Laboratories, HRL Laboratories, LLC, Malibu, CA) on 'Architecturing New Functional Materials: An Industrial Perspective'. SMASIS 2013 was divided into seven symposia which span basic research, applied technological design and development, and industrial and governmental integrated system and application demonstrations. SYMP 1. Development and Characterization of Multifunctional Materials. SYMP 2. Mechanics and Behavior of Active Materials. SYMP 3. Modeling, Simulation and Control of Adaptive Systems. SYMP 4. Integrated System Design and Implementation. SYMP 5. Structural Health Monitoring. SYMP 6. Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems. SYMP 7. Energy Harvesting. Authors of selected papers in the materials areas (symposia 1, 2, and 6) as well as energy harvesting (symposium 7) were invited to write a full journal article on their presentation topic for publication in this special issue of Smart Materials and Structures. This collection of papers demonstrates the exceptional quality and originality of the conference presentations. We are very appreciative of their efforts to produce this collection of highly relevant articles on smart materials.