Control Console Research Articles

Structuring ship design project approval mechanism towards installation of operator–system interfaces via fuzzy axiomatic design principles

Managing the verification of primary design projects for ship machinery systems is one of the crucial stages in ship building processes. In particular, the design of operator–system interfaces such as remote controls, displays, alarms, workstations, and labels requires a high level of technical expertise and systematic control. This paper focuses on structuring a ship design project approval mechanism (SDPAM) based on fuzzy axiomatic design (FAD) methodology which is concerned with the system design of relevant interfaces on an engine room control console. Design characteristics such as accessibility and operational requirements are treated as “hard” constraints being encountered in this complex problem. Hence, the proposed methodology requires performance assessment using fuzzy values. This study provides original contributions to the existing approval procedures of classification societies, which are non-governmental construction and classification organizations in the shipping industry. Furthermore, the study proposes a new approach to handle uncertainty and vagueness by an axiomatic design extension to ship project execution problems.

Potential for pesticide and nutrient savings via map-based automatic boom section control of spray nozzles

Reducing off-target chemical application errors can improve profitability and reduce pesticide and nutrient losses to the environment from agricultural operations. Off-target errors include: skipped-application, multiple-application, and unintentional-application to environmentally sensitive areas. Current spray application technologies limit the ability of producers to control pesticide application to a resolution of approximately 5–10 m or greater with large self-propelled sprayers. The objective of this case study was to present a summary of results from three fields that highlight the potential benefits of automatic boom section control technology. Map-based automatic section control was achieved through the addition of a ZYNX X15 control console with a 30 channel spray electronic control unit to a self-propelled sprayer with a 24.76 m boom in Shelby County, Kentucky. For each field, the sprayed area calculated with map-based automatic boom section control was compared to the total area covered by the spray boom. A reduction of 15.2–17.5% in the area applied to each field was achieved with map-based automatic boom section control versus no boom section control. As expected, savings were reduced with lower control resolution; however these arrangements still resulted in a reduction in applied areas where three sections (∼8% reduction) and five sections (∼11% reduction) were compared to no boom section control. Statistical analysis revealed significant reductions in control section “on” time from the center to exterior boom control section positions. These results indicate that map-based automatic boom section control can provide savings for producers adopting this technology.

SU‐FF‐J‐156: High Throughput Micro‐CT Scanner Using a Distributed Multi‐Beam Field Emission X‐Ray Source

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of a stationary gantry‐free micro‐CT scanner using spatially distributed multi‐beam x‐ray source. A prototype multi‐beam micro‐CT (MBμCT) scanner has been developed and its imaging performance characterized. Method and Materials: The MBμCT system consists of a 20‐beam carbon nanotube (CNT) field emission x‐ray source; an object table; a flat panel x‐ray detector; a MOSFET based control circuitry and a control console with a customized software user interface written in LabVIEW for data acquisition and processing. The x‐ray beams are individually controlled and can generate a scanning beam covering an angle span of 36°. It takes merely 9 steps to finish a full rotation in less than 10s. The projection images are acquired and stored for imaging processing and CT reconstruction. Results: The performance (focal spot size, field emission I‐V characteristics and current stability) of the multi‐beam x‐ray source has been characterized. The control circuitry and LabVIEW based control software have been implemented and tested. A mouse carcass has been scanned using the prototype MBμCT system and the acquired projection images showed decent imaging quality. We are currently working on refining the system geometry calibration and developing the corresponding CT reconstruction algorithm for this novel MBμCT imaging system, and some preliminary data will be presented. Conclusion: The feasibility of a stationary gantry‐free MBμCT has been evaluated based on the study of the as‐developed prototype system. Our preliminary results showed that the MBμCT scanner has the potential to deliver fast CT scan speed as a result of its novel scanning configuration. As a prototype system, it will be used to perform various feasibility tests for the future development of a fully stationary multi‐beam micro‐CT scanner. Once fully developed, this system would potentially provide fast screening, image registration and guidance for radiotherapy in pre‐clinical studies as well.

Intelligent Robot-Assisted Humanitarian Search and Rescue System

The unprecedented scale and number of natural and man-made disasters in the past decade has urged international emergency search and rescue communities to seek for novel technology to enhance operation efficiency. Tele-operated search and rescue robots that can navigate deep into rubble to search for victims and to transfer critical field data back to the control console has gained much interest among emergency response institutions. In response to this need, a low-cost autonomous mini robot equipped with thermal sensor, accelerometer, sonar, pin-hole camera, microphone, ultra-bright LED and wireless communication module is developed to study the control of a group of decentralized mini search and rescue robots. The robot can navigate autonomously between voids to look for living body heat and can send back audio and video information to allow the operator to determine if the found object is a living human. This paper introduces the design and control of a low-cost robotic search and rescue system based on an immuno control framework developed for controlling decentralized systems. Design and development of the physical prototype and the immunity-based control system are described in this paper.

A Compact Modular Teleoperated Robotic System for Laparoscopic Surgery

Compared with traditional open surgery, minimally invasive surgical procedures reduce patient trauma and recovery time, but the dexterity of the surgeon in laparoscopic surgery is reduced owing to the small incisions, long instruments and limited indirect visibility of the operative site inside the patient. Robotic surgical systems, teleoperated by surgeons from a master control console with joystick-type manipulation interfaces, have been commercially developed yet their adoption into standard practice may be limited owing to their size, complexity, cost and time-consuming setup, maintenance and sterilization procedures. The goal of our research is to improve the effectiveness of robot-assisted surgery by developing much smaller, simpler, modular, teleoperated robotic manipulator systems for minimally invasive surgery.

Hands-on with optical tweezers: a multitouch interface for holographic optical trapping

We report the implementation of a multitouch console for control of a holographic optical tweezers system. This innovative interface enables the independent but simultaneous interactive control of numerous optical traps by multiple users, overcoming the limitations of traditional interfaces and placing the full power of holographic optical tweezing into the operators' hands.

Tuštymėtųjų Perdangos Plokščių Betono Sudėties Modifikavimas

The questions of the extruded concrete composition and the possibilities of modifying it are very important for the technology for the extruded concrete. The gained experience of working with the extruders of hollow core slabs shows that the operators of such equipment frequently choose an improper strategy for the production process. The main drawbacks are as follows: a) the use of fairly stiff mixture that is far above the necessary Vebe consistency class V2 for this technology; b) the over saturation of the mixture with coarse aggregates which determines a low compaction factor of the mixture; c) the rejection of using concrete admixtures which causes equipment overloads or led to its exploitation in the limitary conditions. Besides, the experience of using extruders proves that all parameters predicted by standards and other norms (for example, concrete strength class C40/50 or C50/60 including water cement ratio W/C<0,45) are obtainable without large efforts. Therefore, the main criteria for the suitability of such concrete modifi cation have rather technological character including the lowest energy consumption during shaping and the compaction of the semi manufacture of the reinforced article as well as the highest structural strength or stability of the fresh concrete slab. Whereas the mechanical properties (mainly strength) of such hardened concrete are mostly within acceptable values, it cannot be treated as the main criterion for optimizing the extruded concrete composition. Extruded concrete compositions used for producing hollow-core slab were chosen for technological and laboratory scale investigations. The amount of Portland cement in the concrete mixture was 335…370 kg/m3, sand made 0/2 mm grade – 330…440kg/m3 and 0/4 mm grade – 680…510 kg/m3; the amount of coarse aggregates 200…325 kg/m3 and 755…825 kg/m3 for grades 2/8 mm and 11/16 mm respectively; W/C ratio 0,34…0,39. The crushing strength of the extruded concrete was within 57…68 MPa and more (the results of technological trials). The character of the structure and the compaction level of the extruded mixture are the indicators of its technological suitability. Adding common lignosulfonate-based plasticizer (up to 1% of the cement mass) or a very small dose (0,2…0,3%) of the new generation super plasticizer with or without air entrainment agent could improve the structural and technological properties of such concrete. The experience obtained during laboratory scale investigations and on trials for the manufacturing lines of hollow core slabs shows that the main cause of such improvements is a better dispersion of cement particles in the stiff concrete mixture while the cohesion of the mixture of the freshly extruded article rests near unchanged. The effectiveness of such improvement was proven within the process of observing the level of the consumption of compaction energy – it was registered by the control console of extruders. After improvements in the concrete mixture were carried out, the consumption of compaction energy was reduced by 20…25 %. Investigations into concrete cores drilled-out from the hardened articles prove the apparently better structure of the modifi ed concrete while concrete strength and other physical properties rests rather unchanged (if the mixture W/C ratio rests unchanged). Improvements to concrete structure manifests by the absence of ‘air pockets’ (large pores of irregular form, air gaps trapped during mixture extrusion and compaction), more gradually distributed and comparatively small pores, the absence of internal concrete structure zones with cleft aggregates and loose sand particles and evenly coloured concrete (which proves a very good distribution of cement particles). The use of an air entrainment agent in the stiff concrete mixture allows reducing the dose of the plasticizer (super plasticizer) and reduces the density and crushing strength of the extruded concrete. Such was negligible during investigation and technological trials (up to 1,5 % of concrete density and about 3 % of strength), it was concluded that the air entrainment agent could be used in the extruded concrete for articles the exploitation conditions of which are severe, for example, for class XF2 etc.

A Wii™-Related Clay-Shoveler's Fracture

A 38-year-old man presented to the accident and emergency department complaining of severe neck pain. This had started immediately after swinging his Wii game console control during a rather vigorous game. An X-ray demonstrated a clay-shoveler's fracture of C7. This had radiological features to suggest an acute injury. This is the first report of a clay-shoveler's fracture strongly suggestive of being related to the use of a Wii console.

SU‐GG‐J‐112: Integration and Verification of 3T Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging in Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to test the feasibility of MRSI integration into brain tumor RT planning using a custom‐built MRSI head phantom as well as a case study. Method and Materials: A special MRSI head phantom was constructed with spatially well‐defined tube inserts. Each tube contains different pre‐determined concentrations of metabolite solutions that mimic different degrees of brain tumor burden and were immersed in a background solution that emulate normal brain metabolite levels. The 3D MRSI data were acquired on a Siemens 3T TRIO TIM scanner using PRESS (point resolved spectroscopy) sequence with TE/TR: 135/1510 ms, 16×16×8 matrix, FOV: 16×16×8 resulting in MRSI voxel size of 10×10×10 mm3. Registration of MRSI (gray scale DICOM) data with planning CT and creation of metabolite‐derived target contours were performed on Pinnacle treatment planning system. Target contours created using MRSI‐derived tumor metabolic abnormalities were compared with those created based on morphological (T2 and T1 contrast weighted) MRI scans. Results: The CT‐MR (T1) registration accuracy was found to be within 1 mm, with no spatial distortion during MRSI. Registration errors were found in the TPS due to field‐of‐view size and origin difference between studies. These were corrected using a simple algorithm to determine the translation. Re‐scaled MRSI pixel values allowed automated segmentation of metabolic ratios and were consistent with those identified on the control console of the MRI scanner. When applied to a clinical case, a 42 cc (or 58%) reduction in the treated volume of the PTV was possible, assuming the CNI ratio of 2.5 included all microscopic extension of disease requiring the boost dose. Conclusion: MRSI derived functional information can be incorporated into RT planning for brain tumors well within the registration tolerance limits of current planning process.

디지털 디머 시스템 개발 연구

최근, 디지털 디머 시스템의 수요는 꾸준히 증가하고 있는 추세이다. 하지만, 국내 연구는 그에 비하여 미비한 실정이다. 본 논문에서는 디지털 디머 장치들을 설계, 제작하고, 시스템을 구성하는 방법을 제안한다. 디지털 디머 장치들은 크게 콘솔과 디머 랙으로 나눌 수 있으며, 콘솔은 GUI환경의 사용자 인터페이스를 제공하여 손쉽게 각 조명기기를 제어하는 패턴을 구현하며, 디머 랙은 콘솔로부터 전송받은 각 조명 레벨을 위상각 제어 방식으로 조명기기의 밝기를 제어한다.

Accelerated partial breast irradiation: Preliminary experience with the IntraBeam System

11581 Local failure after breast conserving surgery (BCS) and breast radiation usually occurs at the tumor site. This has increased interest in accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI), because better local control should be achieved if radiation is delivered directly to the tumor bed. The interstitial catheter and Mammosite balloon brachytherapy procedures require multiple visits to the radiation center and another procedure to remove the devices. Veronesi’s intraoperative radiotherapy technique (IORT) and the Mobetron require a special operating room (OR), expensive equipment, and are not very mobile. The IntraBeam IORT system is ideal for APBI. It is inexpensive, safe, easy to use, mobile and can be used in any standard OR. The system also can be used at multiple sites. The photon radiation unit, control console, and applicators all fit easily in cases, requiring only a stand at another site. This makes the system versatile and cost effective. It is convenient for the patient because it requires no further surgery or visits to the radiation center. The procedure is very practical for the community setting. We have performed the procedure to compliment BCS in 54 patients, 49 as part of the original surgery, while 5 had re-exploration of the previous segmental mastectomy site. Because of the final pathology, 3 patients had total mastectomies and 8 went on to have total breast irradiation. When total breast radiation is required, the IntraBeam IORT serves as the radiation boost. There have been no serious surgical or radiation complications, however, most patients developed seromas, managed by aspiration. There were no wound infections. One patient had re-excision of the segmental mastectomy site after 22 months because of severe induration. The pathology report was only radiation fibrosis and fat necrosis. Patient satisfaction has been great and there have been no local recurrences. However, our follow-up is not long enough to determine the true efficacy of preventing local recurrence. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Siemens Multileaf Collimator Characterization and Quality Assurance Approaches for Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy

Application of the multileaf collimator (MLC) has evolved from replacing blocks to create treatment fields to creating photon fluence modulation for intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Multileaf collimator system performance requirements are far more stringent for such applications and will require increased performance for future applications, such as motion tracking. This article reviews Siemens MLC systems, including a technical description and dosimetric characteristics of 56-, 82-, and 160-leaf designs. Routine quality assurance of MLC for IMRT necessitates frequent and critical assessment of MLC leaf position calibration errors that can present in many different ways (e.g., accuracy, reproducibility, longevity, hysteresis, and collimator/gantry angle dependencies). Several techniques for measuring these errors are presented, along with qualitative and quantitative techniques for analyzing results. In particular, increased accuracy of leaf position measurement at variable gantry angles is enabled by spatial transformations to electronic portal imaging device position quantified by calibration protocols introduced with megavoltage cone beam. Measured values of X-ray transmission (intra-leaf, inter-leaf, and through abutting leaf pairs) and penumbra (leaf end, leaf tongue, leaf groove) are presented with an evaluation of their characterization by a treatment-planning system. The dosimetric impact of planning system model inadequacies is demonstrated for collimator scatter, dose profile values within 30 mm of the field edge, and the resultant effect demonstrated on clinical cases. Finally, a description of automated quality assurance delivery, analysis, and calibration protocols applicable for the specific vendor's system is provided.

Classic operational concepts plus touchscreen

A new HMI configuration (human machine interface) hitherto unique in the automotive industry provides an ideal addition to two previously competing operational strategies, with control elements for the display dialogue (classic) and touchscreen technology. Now the driver is offered a free choice between steering wheel actuation of the combi display, touch- screen in the central console and voice control. Developed by Ford of Europe, the system bears the name FordConvers+. The OEM describes the path from the “vision of simplicity” to the first integration in series production.

Design and evaluation of simple control console usable by therapist and elderly people in nursing home for robot assisted activity / therapy

Design and evaluation of simple control console usable by therapist and elderly people in nursing home for robot assisted activity / therapy

Auditory stimulus-response compatibility and control-display design

This study investigated spatial stimulus-response (S-R) compatibility effects for auditory signals, in order to suggest interface design recommendations. The auditory signals were presented in transverse and longitudinal orientations relative to the listener. The results showed that stimulus-response correspondence was the prime factor contributing to spatial compatibility and that there were spatial compatibility effects for both orientations. Relatively longer reaction times (RTs) and higher error percentages (EPs) were found for the longitudinal orientation than for the transverse one. The results suggest that the longitudinal orientation should not be used for getting attention and soliciting responses when using auditory signals. Transverse orientation signals produced quicker and more accurate responses. For faster reaction times, auditory signals should be positioned on the right hand side of right-handed operators. The length of warning time interval between an alerting visual message and the presentation of an auditory signal was shown to affect reaction time in the transverse stimulus orientation. To shorten reaction times, people should be given a greater than 1-s, and preferably a 3-s, forewarning period before being asked to make a response. For both orientations, reaction times varied with assigned hand posture, indicating that the layout of response keys on, for example, a control console should be compatible with the hand posture of the operators. Uncrossed hand posture should be assigned in the transverse orientation and the right and left hands should be used for the rear and front keys, respectively, in the longitudinal orientation. This study showed that in man–machine interface design, in addition to spatial S-R compatibility, hand position and an appropriate warning time should also be considered.

Ergonomics recommendations for simultaneous and delayed presentation of visual and auditory signals

This study investigated the interaction effects of simultaneous and delayed presentations of visual and auditory signals on reaction times and response errors in a combined auditory-visual setting. The delay between visual and auditory (or auditory and visual) stimuli, and the intensity levels of the auditory signals were varied. In each trial the auditory and visual signals were presented either to the left or right of the subjects, who had to respond to the direction of signal that occurred earliest. It was found that visual stimuli tended to dominate auditory stimuli in the simultaneous presentation condition. However, this visual dominance effect was weakened with increasing intensity of the auditory signal. The visual dominance effect was also found when the two signals were presented with a small delay between them. Signal position, signal modality, signal presentation sequence and warning time were all found to affect performance. Some ergonomics recommendations based on these findings are given with the aim of improving the human–machine interface design in multi-sensory control consoles in order to enhance operator response speed and accuracy and overall system performance.

UPM indoor tyre traction testing facility

Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) tyre traction testing facility was designed and developed to spearhead fundamental research on traction mechanics with high-lug agricultural tyres on tropical soils. This available facility consists of a moving carriage with a cantilever-mounted tyre that moves in either forward or reverse directions on rails well above a soil tank. The present facility set-up was able to operate in either: (a) towing test mode for tyre motion resistance studies, or (b) driving test mode for tyre net traction and tractive efficiency studies. The test tyre on the moving carriage under the towing test mode was made to rotate and engage onto the soil surface in the tank through a chain drive system. Under the driving test mode, the test tyre on the moving carriage was powered to rotate by a motor and a gearbox system with an additional pull provided by a cable-pulley mechanism connected to a tower with hanging dead weights. All controls on the moving carriage were activated from the main control console. Respective transducers were positioned at various localities within and interfaced to a data acquisition system to measure tyre horizontal and vertical forces, tyre sinkage, tyre speed and motion carriage speed. The data acquisition system was able to receive the measured signals in real time, display on the monitor screen and record into its CPU storage memory. Static calibration tests on various associated transducers showed excellent linearity with coefficients of determination ( r 2) of close to 1. The developed facility was successfully tested to determine motion resistance and net traction ratios for high-lug agricultural tyre at the recommended inflation pressure on sandy clay loam soil.

MediSeal GmbH improves pharmaceutical packaging efficiency for small batch sizes

PurposeThis paper aims to describe the advances made by a particular pharmaceutical packaging machinery manufacturer for dealing with short product runs.Design/methodology/approachThe company and its blister packaging machinery products are described, with special attention to the modular servo‐driven range. The centralised control console and the capabilities of its software are reviewed. A collaborative investigation of a late‐stage customisation approach is reported.FindingsSmall lot‐size is an acute problem in Europe because of the variations in language, carton format and dimensions, and can make set‐up time dominate running time. Functional separation within the machinery and central set‐up control ameliorate this problem, and the use of a logistical storage unit greatly improves overall through‐put.Practical implicationsWhen lot sizes are small, the productivity of a manufacturing line is decided not by the maximum production rate of each machine, but by the logistics of job scheduling.Originality/valuePresents practical developments that improve productivity in pharmaceutical packaging.

Attending visual and auditory signals: Ergonomics recommendations with consideration of signal modality and spatial stimulus–response (S–R) compatibility

This study investigated spatial stimulus–response (S–R) compatibility effects in a combined auditory–visual setting, in which subjects had to respond to a single signal that could be visual or auditory. Auditory signals were positioned either to the left or right of the subject on a transverse axis, and visual signals were positioned at two vertical locations in front of the subject on a longitudinal axis. There were three main findings. First, a strong spatial S–R compatibility effect was observed for both signal modalities and such correspondence of S–R positions elicited relatively faster responses. However, in a condition when either the visual or the auditory pairing was incompatible, reaction times increased dramatically. Second, responses made to the visual signals were generally faster than those to the auditory signals. This contradicted the previous finding that simple visual reaction time was longer than simple auditory reaction time. Thus, simple reaction times cannot be applied directly for the estimation of response speeds of different signal modalities in a multi-sensory control console. Third, a superior visual strength effect was observed in this choice reaction task. This visual strength effect was more marked in the conditions with conflicting S–R mapping pairings. Relevance to industry This study showed that spatial S–R compatibility and signal modality are two important interface design factors for enhancing response efficiency of operators in a multi-sensory control console. Some ergonomics recommendations based on these findings are given with the aim of improving interface design in multi-sensory control consoles in order to enhance the operators’ response speed and accuracy and overall system performance.

Fast XUV 16 × 16 Array Hybrid Module for Plasma Imaging Applications

A hybrid matrix array detector is developed for ultra-fast plasma imaging applications with the use of XUV Si photodiodes (SPD diodes) manufactured according to Ioffe Institute original technology. A basic 16 × 16 hybrid module is comprised of eight stacked sub-modules with 2 × 16 linear SPD diode arrays combined with a circuit board with a 32-channel preamplifier and four 8-channel fast multiplexers. Array front size is 31 × 31 mm2 with ∼25 % sensitive area. The module has a “zero-edge” design providing an option of stacking into the larger arrays, if necessary. The data acquisition system (DAS) consists of eight 4-channel synchronous 12-bit ADC modules with 40 MS/s upper sampling rate, thus providing less than 1 μs minimum time for the complete read-out of the array. Each channel has a 64 MB on-board memory limiting the duration of the acquired period to 0.8 sec at the maximum sampling rate. A common TCP/IP Ethernet protocol is used for the data transmission into the main PC operating as a DAS control console, data preview and storage computer.