Automatic Measurement System Research Articles

Raspberry Pi based automatic temperature measurement and logging system for solar thermal purposes

For automatic temperature measuring and logging purposes in solar thermal experiments, a single board computer - Raspberry Pi based and sensor system is proposed. Different data sets are observed for sensors, thermometers, and thermocouples and they are compared. The consistency of the automated temperature measurement system is also verified.

Reliability and consistency of point-of-care ultrasonography for inferior vena cava measurement: Visual versus automatic ultrasound systems

PurposeWe aimed to study the concordance between the M-mode and the automatic measurement systems of the IVC. MethodsWe recruited five healthy volunteers. Two expert ultrasonographers (2 ED physicians), and four novices (2 ED physicians and 2 ED nurses) performed a manual (M-mode) and an automatic measurement of the maximum and minimum IVC diameter of each volunteer in the supine position. All examinations were blindly and consecutively performed using a GE VENUE ultrasound (GE Healthcare). The same measurement was then repeated in a second round. ResultsConcordance between the M-mode and automatic measurements in all US assessments was at least good [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) .786–.948; p<.001]. Intra-observer reliability was at least moderate in automatic system measures [ICC .614–.973], slightly better than in M-mode [ICC .483–.940], especially useful when performed by novice ultrasonographers. Inter-observer reliability was good for both methods [ICC .839–.919, p<.001]. The automatic measurement method was approximately 50% faster than the M-mode method (p=.001). ConclusionsIn this pilot study, the automatic measurement method was consistent with the M-mode measurement method, as performed by experts or novices. Both methods showed high intra-, inter-observer reliability, but the automatic system was significantly faster, which would allow us to implement this approach more effectively in our daily practice.

Research on Automatic Detection of Microelectrodes Based on Machine Vision Technology

Background: Microfabrication has gradually become a hot spot in the manufacturing industry in recent years, and in the process of microfabrication, the processing of microelectrodes is very important. The precision and error control of the microelectrodes play a vital role in the final machining results. Based on digital image processing technology and Matlab software, this paper designs a microelectrode automatic measurement system. Through preprocessing and image segmentation of the microelectrode image, the electrode size can be obtained quickly. Compared with the size measured by the microscope, the detection size of this system has an error of less than 4% and coaxiality measured error within 6%. The results show that the system has the characteristics of high measurement accuracy and fast detection speed and can meet the requirements of rapid size measurement of microelectrodes. Objective: The purpose of this research is to improve the efficiency of size detection when manufacturing a large number of microelectrodes by developing an automatic detection system. This system has made relevant optimization on the error control of the size detection to ensure that the error is within the allowable range. Method: Firstly, the original images of the microelectrodes were obtained using an electron microscope. Secondly, the necessary image processing had been done for the image: gray processing, binarization, median filtering, morphological processing, and large background noise removal. These processes are automatically carried out in the system. In addition, three methods of measuring coaxiality error are proposed, and the first measurement algorithm with the minimum deviation is selected and put into the system, which can ensure the accuracy of coaxiality offset. Finally, the diameter of the microelectrode was measured, and the coaxiality offset of the microelectrode was measured by various methods. After the comparison of the measured values manually, the algorithm with the minimum deviation was selected and put into the system. Results: The diameter and coaxiality of the cylindrical microelectrode and the cylindrical microelectrode with a ball head are successfully measured, and the measurement error is within 4% after comparison, showing that the automatic measurement system has great measurement efficiency. Conclusion: The comparison of the electrode measurement results of this system with the manual measurement results shows that the automatic measurement system developed in this paper can meet the accuracy requirements for measuring the diameter of the microelectrodes, and can significantly improve the measurement efficiency compared with manual measurement.

Robust Image-Based Water-Level Estimation Using Single-Camera Monitoring

This study proposes an automatic image water-level measurement system using a single camera. The inverse perspective mapping (IPM) technology is used to rectify an image to improve deviations because the optical axis of the camera and staff gauge are not orthogonal, causing a perspective distortion in the real environment. The initial position of the current watermark is first determined from the staff gauge’s image by applying basic digital image-processing technology. The system uses the image histogram of staff gauge’s region of interest to provide a reference region for determining accurate water levels from the preliminary watermark position. Furthermore, the proposed system can correctly and automatically determine the current water-level elevation by establishing the control points to convert the pixel distance to the real-world distance as well as through the setting of the reference water-level elevation. The images are shifted because of camera vibration, which will also shift the waterline coordinates. To prevent the image shift due to camera vibration from interfering with the accuracy of water-level measurement, we used the normalized cross correlation (NCC) technology with the proposed camera-vibration calibration scheme for removing the impact. The proposed distance calibration (DISCAL) module further optimizes the results of the images rectified using the IPM technology. The suggested automatic water-level measurement system can improve the traditional linear interpolation approach by >90%, and the deviation value of the real water level is < 0.5 cm, which is ideal for water-level measurement in confined spaces according to experimental results.

Artificial Intelligence Based Reliable Load Balancing Framework in Software-Defined Networks

Software-defined networking (SDN) plays a critical role in transforming networking from traditional to intelligent networking. The increasing demand for services from cloud users has increased the load on the network. An efficient system must handle various loads and increasing needs representing the relationships and dependence of businesses on automated measurement systems and guarantee the quality of service (QoS). The multiple paths from source to destination give a scope to select an optimal path by maintaining an equilibrium of load using some best algorithms. Moreover, the requests need to be transferred to reliable network elements. To address SDN’s current and future challenges, there is a need to know how artificial intelligence (AI) optimization techniques can efficiently balance the load. This study aims to explore two artificial intelligence optimization techniques, namely Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), used for load balancing in SDN. Further, we identified that a modification to the existing optimization technique could improve the performance by using a reliable link and node to form the path to reach the target node and improve load balancing. Finally, we propose a conceptual framework for SDN futurology by evaluating node and link reliability, which can balance the load efficiently and improve QoS in SDN.

Photoluminescence characteristics of NaCl: Cu sintered dose tablets under X/γ irradiation

In this paper, NaCl: Cu circular dose tablets with a size of 5×1.8mm are prepared by sintering pure NaCl and CuCl powder as raw materials. They are placed in a four-element shell and sealed with plastic film to overcome the moisture absorption of the material. Their photoluminescence characteristics are studied by using an Inlight 200 automatic photoluminescence measurement system. The results show that the X-ray characteristic peaks of NaCl: Cu sintered at 650 ℃ and 400 ℃ appear at 27°, 32°, 45°, 56°, 66°, 75° and 84° respectively. Compared with the data given by XRD standard card of pure NaCl crystal (pdf-#88-2300), those peaks of the sample sintered at 650 ℃ are more consistent with the data given by the standard card. In the scanning electron microscope image, it can be seen that the grains are wholly welded and closely connected, and the characteristic grains in the sintering process have good welding effect. After Cu&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; ion doping, the lattice structure of NaCl is slightly deformed. After high-temperature sintering, the mass transfer of Cu&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; ions occurs at an atomic level in NaCl, and the particles are combined into a coherent solid structure. For X/γ-rays, the photoluminescence response of NaCl:Cu dose sheet to low-energy rays is higher than that of the same kind of rays with high energy. When using NaCl:Cu dose sheet to calculate the cumulative photoluminescence dose, it is necessary to consider the ray category and ray energy of the radiation source at the radiation site. The photoluminescence curve of NaCl:Cu dose sheet has typical exponential attenuation characteristics. The deflection angle of dose sheet has influence on the measured value: the greatest influence extent is 13.5%. With the increase of deflection angle of dose sheet, the area irradiated by γ-ray decreases, and the response of internal lattices to γ-ray decreases slightly. The uniformity of NaCl: Cu raw material particle sizes has a great influence on the distribution consistency of photoluminescence response of dose tablets. The decrease of sample particle size during tablet pressing can improve the contact surface area between NaCl and CuCl. The increase of contact surface area can improve the diffusion and transfer efficiency of Cu&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; ions, increase the number of dose traps in the crystal, and make the overall count higher. When the particle sizes are more uniform, the Cu&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; ion transferefficiencies and quantities of different dose tablets are close, the difference in the number of dose traps is reduced, and the photoluminescence sensitivities are closer. The coefficient of variation of the repeatability test experiment is 2.28%. The consistency of the repeated measurement data is good. The lattice structure and lattice defects of the material are not changed in the process of photoluminescence measurement and photoannealing. In a dose range of 1-1000mgy, with the increase of irradiation dose, the photoluminescence response of NaCl: Cu and NaCl dose tablets gradually increase and show a good linear relationship. The photoluminescence response of NaCl: Cu is 2-to-4 times higher than that of NaCl dose tablets. The NaCl: Cu dose tablets prepared by the sintering method can be used as dosimeters for monitoring personal or environmental dose.

Assessment of a Vision-Based Technique for an Automatic Van Herick Measurement System

The adoption of Artificial Intelligence methods within the instrumentation and measurements field is nowadays an attractive research area. On the one hand, making machines learn from data how to perform an activity, rather than hard code sequential instructions, is a convenient and effective solution in many modern research areas. On the other hand, AI allows for the compensation of inaccurate or not complete models of specific phenomena or systems. In this context, this paper investigates the possibility to exploit suitable Machine Learning techniques in a vision-based ophthalmic instrument to perform automatic Anterior Chamber Angle (ACA) measurements. In particular, two CNN&#x2013;based networks have been identified to automatically classify acquired images and select the ones suitable for the Van&#x2013;Herick procedure. Extensive clinical trials have been conducted by clinicians, from which a realistic and heterogeneous image dataset has been collected. The measurement accuracy of the proposed instrument is derived by extracting measures from the images of the aforementioned dataset, as well as the system performances have been assessed with respect to differences in patients&#x2019; eye color. Currently, the ACA measurement procedure is performed manually by appropriately trained medical personnel. For this reason, Machine Learning and Vision&#x2013;Based techniques may greatly improve both test objectiveness and diagnostic accessibility, by enabling an automatic measurement procedure.

Toward an Automatic Power Quality Measurement System: An Effective Classifier of Power Signal Alterations

This paper presents an innovative and accurate automatic classifier of Power Signal (PS) alterations. Effective detection and an accurate classification are an important step toward the design of an automatic power quality measurement system that is becoming a must in current scenarios. The aim of the paper is to boost classification accuracy. This goal is achieved by merging the Hilbert Huang transform (HHT) and Convolutional Neural Network. Indeed, the first is used to extract the features of the PSs and is robust to the non-stationarity introduced by the alterations. The second is suitable to extract information from the bi-dimensional information of PS features and is robust to noise. Numerical tests comparing several classifiers and the proposed one show increased classification accuracy. Experimental tests based on emulated PSs confirm the numerical ones.

A Fully Automated Measurement System for the Characterization of Micro-Thermoelectric Device

A Fully Automated Measurement System for the Characterization of Micro-Thermoelectric Device

2-D/3-D fusion-based robust pose normalisation of 3-D livestock from multiple RGB-D cameras

Recently, 3-D scanning data are becoming increasingly important for precision livestock farming. In particular, RGB-D (red, green, blue – depth) data of livestock have come to play a critical role in the field of livestock body measurement. However, the latest livestock pose normalisation methods rely on purely 3-D geometric data and are therefore prone to errors due to noise and missing data. To achieve adequate performance, particularly for different livestock species in practical applications a 2-D/3-D fusion-based robust livestock pose normalisation method is proposed. Firstly, based on advanced 2-D object detection techniques, the proposed approach makes the best use of 2-D information to determine the accurate orientation of livestock in 3-D. Secondly, the 2-D detection results are used to generate frustums in 3-D space to locate livestock targets, which markedly reduces the search space and improves segmentation. Finally, based on a bilateral symmetry-based pose normalisation framework, a more robust pose normalisation algorithm is applied. Compared to existing pose normalization methods that operate in 3-D, extensive experiments with multiple view RGB-D data of livestock show that the proposed method is more robust and practical than existing methods. The proposed algorithm provides pose normalisation in an automatic body measurement system for livestock. This study proposes that the idea that 2-D/3-D fusion-based strategies in 3-D should be explored in more detail, particularly for cases in which the 3-D input captured by consumer designed RGB-D cameras which are often noisy and miss values at certain pixels. All the training databases and codes used in the study can be downloaded freely.

ELECTRONIC DEVICE CIRCUITS FOR GENERATION SIGNAL OF INITIAL START OF PROGRAM AND MONITORING OF THE WORK OF A MICROCONTROLLER IN THE AUTONOMOUS SYSTEM OF DATA ANALYSIS FOR NON DESTRUCTIVE CONTROL

The use of microprocessors for processing discrete data and control in automatic control, measurement and control systems allows you to implement complex and optimal algorithms. At the same time, it is necessary to optimize circuit solutions to build these fault-tolerant systems. One of the tasks of the system is uninterrupted operation with little operator intervention or without any outside interference. Due to the complexity of complete testing of systems and the impact on microprocessors of many external factors, there are risks of system malfunction, which leads to failures in data processing. Therefore, it is extremely important to detect the incorrect operation of the microprocessor system and make decisions to correct the situation, and in the future to prevent similar problems.&#x0D; A variant of the circuit of the power supply unit to the microcontroller is considered to ensure the safe termination of the program when the system supply voltage is suddenly turned off. The proposed solution allows you to determine the time of power failure and allows you to perform preparatory operations to complete the current transformations, prepare the microcontroller for stop and stop the program. Was presented the circuitry solution for determining the state of the system before starting the program using a memory element on the capacitor, which made it possible to establish the preliminary cause of the initial start of the program. The schematic diagram for store eight bits of discrete data outside the microcontroller is developed. Using of this circuit allow store information about the number of the current state of the program and at the initial start of the program will increase information about causes of reset.&#x0D; With using the specified storage method, able to determine the state of the program that failed, and was causing the initial start of the program, and then take this information into account to eliminate such failures. Another circuit also developed to generate the hardware signal of the initial start of the microcontroller program when the USB connector is connected. The scheme provides the ability to prohibit the forming hardware signal. That require during the execution of critical parts of the program.

Retraction Note: Research and application of automatic monitoring system for tunnel-surrounding rock measurement based on GIS

Retraction Note: Research and application of automatic monitoring system for tunnel-surrounding rock measurement based on GIS

Validation of the accuracy of geodetic automated measurement system based on GNSS platform for continuous monitoring of surface movements in post-mining areas

Abstract The problem involving the monitoring of surface ground movements in post-mining areas is particularly important during the period of mine closures. During or after flooding of a mine, mechanical properties of the rock mass may be impaired, and this may trigger subsidence, surface landslides, uplift, sinkholes or seismic activity. It is, therefore, important to examine and select updating methods and plans for long-term monitoring of post-mining areas to mitigate seismic hazards or surface deformation during and after mine closure. The research assumed the implementation of continuous monitoring of surface movements using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) in the area of a closed hard coal mine ‘Kazimierz-Juliusz’, located in Poland. In order to ensure displacement measurement results with the accuracy of several millimetres, the accuracy of multi-GNSS observations carried out in real time as a combination of four global navigation systems, Global Positioning System (GPS), Globalnaja Navigacionnaja Sputnikova Sistema (GLONASS), Galileo and BeiDou, was determined. The article presents the results of empirical research conducted at four reference points. The test observations were made in variants comprising measurements based on: GPS, GPS and GLONASS systems, GPS, GLONASS and Galileo systems, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou systems. For each adopted solution, daily measurement sessions were performed using the RTK technique. The test results were subjected to accuracy analyses. Based on the obtained results, it was found that GNSS measurements should be carried out with the use of three navigation systems (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo), as an optimal solution for the needs of continuous geodetic monitoring in the area of the study.

Automatic Measurement System of High Resistance up to100TΩ

To solve the problems exist in the measurements high resistances in range of 1 MΩ~100 TΩ, such as low precision, poor repeatability, long time consuming and easy to be affected by the external environment, an adapted Wheatstone bridge for high resistances is described. The system uses two DC voltage sources to build a standard proportion, a pico-ammeter as the Null-indicator. The automatic balancing of the bridge is realized through the balance algorithm. The measurement software is compiled to realize the automatic measurement of high resistance. The shielding system is studied, the methods to improve the accuracy are summarized. The experimental results show that the standard uncertainty at 100GΩ reaches 3.2×10−5. The system can meet the calibration requirements of high value resistance, and has been applied in practical work.

A novel dew point measurement system based on the thermal effect of humidity sensitive thin film

A novel dew point measurement method has been developed by using a temperature sensor covered by humidity sensitive thin film (referred as HSTF). The measurement mechanism is that the mutation of the temperature-time curve caused by the thermal effect of the HSTF can be used to detect dew points. The automatic measurement system of dew point and relative humidity (RH) based on LabVIEW is built. Compared with the existing dew point detection methods, the technique has the advantages of simple device and anti-interference. The experimental data were compared with the reference values with the satisfactory results, relative humidity deviations are less than 1%, the working range is 0–30 °C within 25–85% humidity environment and the maximum response time are less than 65 s which can be further shortened by software. The research provides an effective way for the construction of a simple and automatic dew point measurement system.

Drying Kinetics of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L., cv. ‘Pionier’) during Thin-Layer Drying at Low Temperatures

The management of moisture is one of the main challenges in anticipating and averting food decay and food losses during postharvest processing and storage. Hence, it is imperative to reduce the moisture of freshly harvested products to safe-storage limits in order to inhibit the occurrence of diverse biochemical, microbiological and other moisture-related deteriorative reactions which can contribute to quality degradation. A viable alternative to conventional hot-air drying is the application of low temperatures for drying, which has scarcely been investigated. In this regard, experimental-based modeling is a requisite to gain insights into drying processes. Thus, this study focused on investigating the drying kinetics of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cv. ‘Pionier’ under a coherent set of drying air temperatures (T = 10–50 °C), relative humidity (RH = 20–60%), and airflow velocity (v = 0.15–1.00 ms−1). A robust and automated measurement system using a high precision balance was utilized as a basis for the real-time and continuous acquisition of drying data. The analysis of the experimental results facilitated the establishment of generalized drying model for low temperatures able to describe at a high accuracy the behavior of moisture ratio X* (R2 = 0.997, RMSE = 1.285 × 10−2, MAPE = 6.5%). An analytical model for predicting the effective diffusion coefficients D (R2 = 0.988, RMSE = 4.239 × 10−2, MAPE = 7.7%) was also developed. In conclusion, the anticipated drying model has demonstrated the capability of modeling the drying behavior of wheat at low temperatures with a high temporal resolution and should be employed in the design, analysis and modeling of cooling, aeration and low-temperature drying processes of wheat bulks.

Improvement of simplified inclined plane test for evaluation of thickened liquids by using optical sensor.

The thickening management index for food for dysphagia is important in enabling recognition of the rheological properties of thickened liquids, including their static and dynamic properties. One of the static properties of these liquids is the yield stress. An improvement to the simplified inclined plane test is proposed here that involves use of an automatic system for measurement of the displacements of thickened liquids on an inclined plate. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the displacements of the thickened liquids and the variable thickener concentrations using an optical sensor. To measure the displacement of each thickened liquid on a clear inclined plate, an optical sensor that has a 12-mm-long light receiving surface is selected to form a one-dimensional position-sensitive detector (1D-PSD) under the clear inclined plate. The relationship between the angle of inclination of the plate θ at which the maximum voltage occurred in the 1D-PSD and five thickener (xanthan gum) concentrations c, ranging from 1.0 to 3.0wt% in steps of 0.5wt%, was investigated. It was confirmed that an approximately linear plot was obtained under the condition that θ=8.24 c + 0.18, with the correlation R= .99 (for n= 7). This result indicated that the optical sensor composed of the 1D-PSD can measure the displacements of thickened liquids with various thickener concentrations on the clear inclined plate automatically.

Development of an automated system to measure ion channel currents using a surface-modified gold probe

Artificial lipid bilayer single-channel recording technique has been employed to determine the biophysical and pharmacological properties of various ion channels. However, its measurement efficiency is very low, as it requires two time-consuming processes: preparation of lipid bilayer membranes and incorporation of ion channels into the membranes. In order to address these problems, we previously developed a technique based on hydrophilically modified gold probes on which are immobilized ion channels that can be promptly incorporated into the bilayer membrane at the same time as the membrane is formed on the probes’ hydrophilic area. Here, we improved further this technique by optimizing the gold probe and developed an automated channel current measurement system. We found that use of probes with rounded tips enhanced the efficiency of channel current measurements, and introducing a hydrophobic area on the probe surface, beside the hydrophilic one, further increased measurement efficiency by boosting membrane stability. Moreover, we developed an automated measurement system using the optimized probes; it enabled us to automatically measure channel currents and analyze the effects of a blocker on channel activity. Our study will contribute to the development of high-throughput devices to identify drug candidates affecting ion channel activity.

Automatic water-level measurement system for confined-space applications.

To prevent flooding from threatening people's lives and property, surveillance cameras have been extensively installed along rivers to monitor the water level. In this study, an automatic water-level measurement system based on a single camera is proposed. The system uses the images captured by the camera to verify the water levels of the rivers. The preliminary positions of the current water marks are first identified from the images of the staff gauges installed on site using the basic digital image processing technology. To establish the correct water levels from the preliminary water mark positions, the system uses the image histogram of the staff gauge region of interest to provide a reference for the water-level determination mechanism. The camera position typically results in a nonorthogonal angle between the camera's optical axis and the on-site staff gauge plane because it causes perspective distortion that eventually leads to deviations. When the water level is low, the distance of the water line deviation from the orthogonal position becomes larger, and the actual distance represented by the pixel also becomes larger, resulting in greater deviations. To address this issue, this system adopts the inverse perspective mapping method to rectify the perspective distortion. By setting the reference water level and control points, this system can accurately calculate water levels. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed automatic water-level measurement system as applied in confined spaces can reduce the image measurement error caused by the perspective distortion as well as verify and identify the current water levels.

Hydraulic pump automatic test system based on C/S structure

In order to meet the automation production and testing needs of modern enterprises, this paper takes the hydraulic vane pump test bench as an example, and builds a set of hydraulic automatic measurement and control system based on C/S framework, which can meet the requirements of single/double pump test simultaneously. Among them, the client software is developed based on LabVIEW, the server is built based on FTP protocol and MYSQL database, and the test bench is successfully connected to the internal production management system of the enterprise through the local area network, realizing the integration of product model management, process control, automatic testing, result uploading and other functions. At the same time, the PID closed-loop control strategy was improved in the acceleration and loading stages to shorten the test time and reduce the system overshoot. Finally, the automatic run-in, efficiency verification and low-speed pressure-holding test of vane pump have been completed.