Electronic Watches Research Articles

A non-toxic triboelectric nanogenerator for baby care applications

Herein, we report a non-toxic triboelectric nanogenerator for baby care applications.

Configuration design of BiFeO3 photovoltaic devices for self-powered electronic watch

Photovoltaic devices based on BiFeO3 (BFO) materials offer a direct approach for converting light into electricity. However, realizing high voltage in a single BFO photovoltaic device remains challenging. Here, we greatly boost the output voltage of single BFO photovoltaic devices by configuration design, including segmentation number and distance design, for electronic watches. Changes of photoexcited carrier generation and transport are responsible for the promoted output voltage. Based on the single BFO photovoltaic device which generates voltage as high as 1.71 V at the light intensity of 48.7 mW/cm2, a BFO-capacitor-electronic watch has been established. After 240 s photo-charging by the BFO device, a 3300 μF capacitor can sustain the watch continuously working for 1785 s and the operation time of the watch can be increased to 4258 s by replacing capacitors with homemade solid-state Li-ion batteries. This novel configuration design for single BFO photovoltaic devices holds promise for scavenging light energy for various wearable electronics by using ferroelectric photovoltaic devices.

In Memoriam

In Memoriam

National labels and the competitiveness of European industries: the example of the ‘Swiss Made’ law since 1950

ABSTRACTThis article discusses the impact of country-of-origin labels on the global competitiveness of European industries during the second half of the twentieth century. It considers ‘made-in’ labels as institutional innovations and demonstrates their role in maintaining manufacturing activities in high-wage economies. To facilitate a more detailed inquiry into the topic, the paper uses a case study of the Swiss watch industry. Swiss watch companies began facing growing competition from American and Japanese firms, which had implemented mass-production methods and started relocating low value-added activities to East Asia, in the 1950s. In Switzerland, the issue was to keep the reputation of Swiss watches intact, foregrounding the high precision of the devices, and cutting production costs at the same time. Consequently, in 1971 the federal government adopted an ordinance that allowed watch companies to use the ‘Swiss’ name on their products as long as they kept certain activities in Switzerland. Due to the advent of electronic watches, however, the new provision could not safeguard the Swiss watch industry from a severe crisis between 1975 and 1985. Policymakers updated the ‘Swiss Made’ law and it was renewed in the early 1990s within a shifting context, one in which the Swiss watch industry repositioned itself toward luxury. The law became a powerful tool for regulating the luxury-watch industry. Through the example of the Swiss watch industry, the article emphasizes that understanding the impact of country-of-origin labels requires an examination of the broader context of innovation in specific industries.

Enhancing the performance of NaNbO3 triboelectric nanogenerators by dielectric modulation and electronegative modification

Increasing the triboelectric charge density on the friction layer of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a basic approach towards improving the output performance of a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). Most previous work focuses on the surface structure or dielectric properties, nonetheless, a few studies have focused on electronegative modification. NaNbO3-PDMS TENG (N-TENG) devices are fabricated by dispersing cubic NaNbO3, which is a lead-free piezoelectric material with molecular oxygen dangling bonds on the surface of the crystal, into the PDMS at different mass ratios. When the mass ratio is 7 wt%, the maximum output performance of the N-TENG is obtained. The open-circuit voltage is 550 V, the short-circuit current is 16 µA, and the effective power densities reach up to 5.5 W m−2 at a load resistance of ~100 MΩ. The N-TENG has been used to assemble self-powered electronic watches and illuminate commercial light-emitting diodes, respectively. Its fundamental mechanism has also been discussed in detail from the perspective of dielectric modulation and electronegative modification. This N-TENG technology is revealed to be a splendid candidate for application in large-scale device fabrication, flexible sensors and biological devices thanks to its easy fabrication process, low consumption, high output power density and biocompatibility.

Feature Dimension Reduction of Multisensor Data Fusion using Principal Component Fuzzy Analysis

These days, the most important areas of research in many different applications, with different tools, are focused on how to get awareness. One of the serious applications is the awareness of the behavior and activities of patients. The importance is due to the need of ubiquitous medical care for individuals. That the doctor knows the patient's physical condition, sometimes is very important. Of course, there are other important applications for this information. There are a variety of methods and tools for measurement, gathering, and analysis of the physical behaviors and activities’ information. One of the most successful tools for this aim are ubiquitous intelligent electronic devices, specifically smartphones, and smart watches. There are many sensors in these devices, some of which can be used to understand the activities of daily living. As an output result, these sensors produce many raw data. Thus, it is needed to process these information and recognize the individual behavior of the output of this processing. In this paper, the basic components of the analysis phase for this process have been proposed. Simulations validate the benefits and superiority of this method.

Electrochemical Capacitors with High Output Voltages that Mimic Electric Eels.

A new family of energy-storage devices is created by mimicking the electric eel to obtain a high output voltage. These novel energy-storage devices are flexible, stretchable, and weavable fibers, which satisfies the needs of next-generation portable and wearable electronics. The devices are fabricated via a continuous fabrication technology to effectively power electronic watches and light-emitting diodes as two examples.

The Changing Comparative Advantages of the Hong Kong Watch Industry, 1950-2010

The objective of this paper is to further an understanding of the conditions of competitiveness in the global watch industry from the 1950s to 2010, taking Hong Kong as an example. Analyzing its organizational structure and its integration into the international division of labor over this period makes it possible to highlight three different phases, during which Hong Kong benefi ted from various competitive advantages that supported the expansion of its watch industry (i.e., subcontracting in the 1950s and 1960s; assembly of electronic watches in the 1970s and 1980s; and the implementation and use of new global value chains from the late 1980s).

Complementary-MOS Low-Power Low-Voltage Integrated Binary Counter

In May 1962, Dr. Eric Vittoz was the first electrical engineer hired by Centre Electronique Horloger (CEH), the research laboratory founded in Neuchatel, Switzerland by several organizations representing most of the Swiss watch industry. This paper represents Dr. Vittoz's early work there on an integrated complementary MOS-transistor binary counter stage realized in monolithic form, which allowed p-channel and n-channel MOSTs to be grouped together within two distinct surface areas, resulting in a reduction of the surface necessary for given circuit functions. The integrated frequency divider was used in the first prototypes of electronic watches.

Personal area networks

Despite of the worldwide recession, especially in the telecommunications market, the vision of a fourth-generation (4G) all-IP mobile/wireless network is emerging rapidly In the 4G era, apart from the installed infrastructure cellular networks, powerful digital assistance (PDA) devices and ad-hoc area networks (PANS) are expected to impel towards the simple, anywhere and anytime ubiquitous services' deployment. Advances in fabrication density and microprocessors' design have shrunk devices' size and weight, and enabled professionals to carry a number of electronic gadgets, including cellphones, earphones, PDAs, laptops, MP3 players, and electronic watches. These devices have impressive processing capabilities and multiple storage memories. A PAN is a human-centred network that connects such communications devices in a spontaneous architecture, within a short-range, personal or body space.

Turning Potential into Realities: The Invention of the Integrated Circuit (Nobel Lecture)

The integrated circuit, "the chip", led to microelectronics growing to become the basis of all modern technology, from powerful computers and processors, spaceprobes and medical diagnostic equipment through to washing machines and cars. The chip has also led to our environment being flooded with small electronic devices, such as electronic watches and TV games. Here, the background and first steps in its development are described by its Nobel prize winning inventor.

Gold in watchmaking

The attractive colour of gold, its brightness, durability as well as its tarnish and corrosion resistance made it the choice material for watch cases, from the earliest ‘onion’ of the 16th century to today's multi-motor quartz wrist chronograph. But the use of gold was never just limited to the case and other visible parts. Fire gilding was used in the earliest watches to protect baseplate, bridges and gears from tarnishing and corrosion. In order to give the watch the highest possible value linked with aesthetics and functionality, most (but not all) watch parts have been made of gold alloys at one time or another or have been gold plated. Gold is purely functional as a brazing compound; it is indispensable for chip bonding, wiring and frequency adjustment in electronic watches.

マイクロロボットの小型化のための設計指針とその適用

Labor-reducing robots need to be powerful, while to be able to work in small spaces, a micro-robot must be small. As both requirements are fundamentally different, research for micro-robots requires an approach different from that for large robots. This research has focused on elemental technology for analog electronic watches: compactness. thinness and low power consumption. As a result of this analysis, thin structures were taken as the starting point. By making each functioning unit a board-like structure and arranging the units side by side, small robot (approximately 1 cm3) was made. Because each unit is independent, individual optimization is possible. Modules can thus be assembled variously for different functions. Component parts are basically thin boards that are easily assembled by stacking in one direction to achieve a thin structure. Furthermore, because modules are simply aligned with the inner sides of the body and inserted with the required wadding, there is no need for all units to have high accuracy dimensions. Although the robots have no functions for performing specific tasks, they have proved effective in soothing nerves.

Phase-contrast imaging with hard X-rays

X-ray topographic images from epitaxial layers of silicon taken on the Swiss-Norwegian Beam Line at the ESRF, Grenoble, showed a rather large concentration of precipitates in the white beam transmission topographs. In order to distinguish between bulk and surface defects, we have taken re ection topographs with the X-ray beam impinging at glancing angles between 5 and 10 degrees to image the surface or near-surface regions only. Topographs taken under these conditions showed no crystal defects whatsoever (neither on the substrate side nor on the epitaxial side) [1]. However, a phase contrast image was observed as horizontal lines superimposed on the topograph. This type of structure may be attributed to rolling defects introduced during the manufacturing of the beryllium windows in the beamline [2, 3]. This led us to consider the possibility of investigating phase contrast imaging from other specimens. Through the recent increase in brilliance of the ESRF source, we are now able to observe phase contrast even in the hard X-ray region which is accessible on bending magnet sources where the critical energy is 20 keV. According to Arthur [4] the requirement for observing phase contrast is that the transverse coherence length lx,y (in im) is of the order of 10, where lx,y ˆ Re=(dx,y2ð), R is the distance from the source ( 40 m), and dx,y are the source dimensions. At a bending magnet at ESRF, dx,y is of the order of 100 im and this gives lx,y 5 im at a wave-length e of 0.08 nm. We can therefore expect to bene®t from enhanced phase contrast in imaging features which are separated by 5 im or less. A quartz single crystal machined for use as tuning forks in electronic watches (see Fehlmann [5]) was investigated in the asymmetric re ection mode by white beam topography. The incident angle of the impinging white beam was 138 to the (0 0 1) crystal surface with the ®lm set at 458 to the incident beam. This corresponds to a wavelength of 0.07 nm for the observed (4 0 3) re ection. The topographs were recorded on Kodak SR 5 X-ray ®lm; the exposure times were 200 ms at 150 mA current in the storage ring or 2±3 s in single bunch mode (10 mA). In addition to the diffraction contrast from crystal defects, we also observed increasing phase contrast with increasing crystal-to-®lm distance, with an optimum of phase contrast at around 90 cm (Fig. 1a and b). The defect contrast marked D is very much enhanced through superposition of phase contrast to the diffraction contrast in conventional (30 cm) X-ray topographs. In a further experimental set-up, the (5 1 1) re ection from an almost perfect Si epitaxial layer placed at a distance of 40 m from the source was used to monochromatize the white beam radiation from the storage ring. The angle of incidence to the monochromator surface oi ˆ eB y a was 78, where a is the angle between the (5 1 1) lattice planes and the crystal surface. The monochromatic beam emerges at an angle 2 eB ˆ 458 to the incident white beam (see Fig. 2). The wavelengh of the diffracted radiation was therefore 0.08 nm, corresponding to an energy of 15.5 keV selected from the incident white beam. The transverse coherence in this type of experiment was enhanced because the angle of incidence oi is less than the exit angle oe and then, according to dynamical theory, De (i.e. the exit divergence from the monochromator crystal) is given by De ˆ jbjDi with b ˆ sin(eB y a) sin(eB ‡ a) ˆ 0:198

Energy storage and the environment: the role of battery technology

Batteries can store energy in a clean, convenient and efficient manner. Battery-powered electric vehicles are expected to contribute to a cleaner environment. In today's world, batteries are used everywhere: in electronic watches, pocket calculators, flashlights, toys, radios, tape recorders, cameras, camcorders, laptop computers, cordless telephones, paging devices, hearing aids, heart pacers, instruments, detectors, sensors, memory back-up devices, drug dispensing, wireless tools, toothbrushes, razors, stationary emergency power equipment, automobile starters, electric vehicles, boats, submarines, airplanes and satellites. Worldwide, about 15 billion primary batteries, and well over 200 million starter batteries are produced per year. What is the impact of this widespread use of batteries on the environment? What role can battery technology play in order to reduce undue effects on the environment? Since this paper is presented at a lead/acid battery conference, the discussion refers, in particular, to this system. The following aspects are covered: (i) the three “E” criteria that are applicable to batteries: Energy, Economics, Environment; (ii) service life and environment; (iii) judicious use and service life; (iv) recycling.

Basket extraction of esophageal foreign bodies.

When a foreign body becomes lodged in the esophagus, appropriate management depends on the nature of the swallowed object [1]. Prompt endoscopic removal is recommended for a sharp-edged or pointed foreign body because of its potential for esophageal-wall penetration and perforation [2, 3]. Likewise, small disk batteries, such as those used in electronic watches and calculators, should be withdrawn without delay to prevent caustic erosion and perforation of the esophagus [4]. However, if the foreign body has smooth surfaces and is nontoxic, one may justify delaying extraction, because most blunt objects will pass spontaneously without incident [2, 5-7]. To hasten passage into the stomach, a number of noninvasive pharmacologic and mechanical measures have been advocated, such as glucagon to relieve lower esophageal sphincter spasm [1 , 5, 8, 9], sublingual nitroglycerin to eliminate more widespread smooth muscle spasm [51, and carbon dioxide gas to distend the esophagus and push impacted food beyond fixed strictures [9, 1 0]. When noninvasive methods fail to dislodge a blunt object, extraction is required. Currently, most foreign bodies are removed with instruments passed through an endoscope or with a Foley catheter balloon inflated distal to the impaction and withdrawn under fluoroscopic control [1 1 , 12]. We introduce a method for removing blunt foreign bodies from the esophagus using a Dormia-type wire basket under fluoroscopic guidance. The technique is a natural extension of the popular procedure developed by Burhenne [1 3] for removing residual bile duct stones through the T-tube tract. We have found the procedure particularly useful for removing soft food boluses and hard, spherical objects (such as fruit pits) that have become impacted above esophageal strictures.

Further proposals for the application of liquid crystals to photoelastic instrumentation

Liquid crystal displays (L.C.D's) are well known for their application to electronic watches, calculators, games and digital thermometers, the technology involved being derived from electro‐optic effects observed in liquid crystals since about 1968. A previous technical note1 introduced proposals for the application of one type of liquid crystal cell (45°twisted nematic) to rapid conversion from plane to circular polarisation states by means of electrical switching of the cells from ‘off’ to ‘on’ states. This was shown to be particularly attractive for automatic control purposes.

Technological Innovations in Aquaculture

Abstract Technology in aquaculture has expanded at a phenomenal rate during the last 50 to 100 years. Based on both this past progress and the present technological advances being made in our society, it is reasonable to expect aquaculturists to profit from the rapid technological advances being made in both hardware and biological systems. These advances will result as spinoffs from medicine, from analytical chemistry, and most importantly, from the evolution of new consumer products such as auto-focus cameras, electronic watches, and microprocessor-monitored automobiles. We can expect to use economical, reliable instrumentation capable of environmental monitoring for predictive purposes and instrumentation that will contain alarm and control circuits. Genetic engineering will result in biological organisms that produce hormones, drugs, and other biological materials as well as detoxify pollutants on demand. When we as aquaculturists identify the need for a product, that product will be developed.

Guest Editorial: Liquid Crystal Applications

Since the discovery of the liquid crystal phase in 1888, research in this intermediate state of matter and its fascinating optical phenomena has experienced several periods of intense interest. However, there was no large-scale application of liquid crystal technology until the 1970s, when the advent of microelectronic digital circuits during the 1960s created a need for low power, compact display devices for certain portable electronic products. Thus, the announcement in 1968 of the dynamic scattering liquid crystal display (LCD) triggered a great interest in the electronics industry and dramatically increased research activity on liquid crystal materials and their electro-optic effects. Within a few years these efforts led to the invention of the twisted nematic LCD and the discovery of several classes of stable liquid crystal compounds. These developments significantly improved the performance of the LCD such that by the mid 1970s the twisted nematic device became the dominant display used in electronic watches and calculators.

Some proposals for the application of liquid crystals to photoelastic instrumentation

Liquid crystal displays (L.C.D.'s) are well known for their application to electronic watches, calculators, games and digital thermometers, the technology involved being derived from electro‐optic effects observed in liquid crystals since about 1968. This paper describes proposals for a totally different application of one particular class of liquid crystal, as an optical element in a photoelastic transmission or reflective polariscope.The proposals are currently under development* and considerable work remains before this particular application of liquid crystals is perfected. Early results are promising and if successful they could well produce a revolution in the design of optical equipment with particular attraction to automatic systems incorporating microcomputer control.