Interface Unit Research Articles

High-fluence relay-based disposable photoacoustic-ultrasonic endoscopy for in vivo anatomical imaging of gastrointestinal tract

Photoacoustic endomicroscopy combined with ultrasound (PAEM-US) has been a long-standing expectation for gastrointestinal tumor examination. Here, we introduce a prototype disposable PAEM-US catheter and corresponding power interface unit, featuring catheter switchability, self-internal three-dimensional scanning, and system repeatability for gastrointestinal endoscopy. By utilizing high-fluence relays, cascade insertion loss of the optical waveguide is minimized to 0.6 dB with a high performance of power resistance, and a focus-customizable acousto-optic coaxial probe is designed for high-sensitivity optical-resolution photoacoustic imaging. Imaging capability was demonstrated with in vivo anatomical imaging at 30 frames per second. Imaging results showed co-registered microscopic visualization of the microvascular and stratification of the rat colorectum with lateral resolution of 18 μm and axial resolution of 63 μm, holding great potential in the clinical detection of gastrointestinal diseases.

A Secure Long-Range Transceiver for Monitoring and Storing IoT Data in the Cloud: Design and Performance Study.

Due to the high demand for Internet of Things (IoT) and real-time data monitoring and control applications in recent years, the long-range (LoRa) communication protocols leverage technology to provide inter-cluster communications in an effective manner. A secure LoRa system is required to monitor and store IoT data in the cloud. This paper aims to report on the design, analysis, and performance evaluation of a low-cost LoRa transceiver interface unit (433 MHz band) for the real-time monitoring and storing of IoT sensor data in the cloud. We designed and analyzed a low-cost LoRa transceiver interface unit consisting of a LoRa communication module and Wi-Fi module in the laboratory. The system was built (prototype) using radially available hardware devices from the local electronics shops at about USD 150. The transmitter can securely exchange IoT sensor data to the receiver node at about 10 km using a LoRa Wi-Fi module. The receiver node accumulates the sensor data and stores it in the cloud for processing. The performance of the proposed LoRa transceiver was evaluated by field experiments in which two transmitter nodes were deployed on the rooftop of Auckland University of Technology's Tower building on city campus (New Zealand), and the receiver node was deployed in Liston Park, which was located 10 km away from the University Tower building. The manual incident field tests examined the accuracy of the sensor data, and the system achieved a data accuracy of about 99%. The reaction time of the transmitter nodes was determined by the data accumulation of sensor nodes within 2-20 s. Results show that the system is robust and can be used to effectively link city and suburban park communities.

ANALYSIS OF 5.8GHZ HELICAL ANTENNA FOR THE APPLICATION OF UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE

An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is an aircraft with practically no human pilot. The real life utilizations of UAV are payload conveyance, trafc checking, moving items in apparently perilous climate and with the end goal of observation in armed force, naval force and ying corps. The parts utilized in UAV's are Radome, Antenna, Antenna handset regulator, Modulation and recurrence transformation unit, Data interface unit, Power control module, Lithium battery and Solar power band. The antenna are the main electronic parts of UAV. The antenna utilized in UAV are Patch antenna, Spiral antenna, SATCOM antenna, MFC antenna, Array antenna, Blade antenna and L-C Sector antenna and Helical antenna. Helical antenna is planned in the recurrence of 10GHz and its exhibition attributes are examined for the compelling correspondence in UAV.

Roll Rate Estimation for Cylindrical Spinning Vehicle Based on Pseudorange Observations

Roll rate estimation is essential to attitude measurement. During the processing of baseband signals, it is complicated to measure the vehicle rolling attitude, based on the energy features of existing satellite signals. To measure the energy of received signals in real time, the data communication interface and storage unit of the receiving device must be customized. However, the customization will push up the cost of attitude sensors, and result in processing delays. To solve the problem, this paper measures the vehicle roll rate by the variation features of pseudorange observations, which are easy to acquire and highly applicable. Specifically, the roll rate of a cylindrical spinning vehicle was estimated, using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver with single side-mounted antenna. After analyzing the variation of pseudorange observations, the authors calculated the roll rate of the cylindrical spinning vehicle based on the variation rules. The proposed approach was verified through experiments with simulated GNSS signals. The accuracy of our approach was measured at different rotation speeds and translational speeds. The results show that our approach can accurately estimate the roll rate when the standard deviations of noise is less than 1m for pseudorange measurement.

Equivalent models of solar photovoltaic cells and discuss the effects of resistance on maximum output power curve

The usage of renewable energy for power generation plays a key role in power sector through reduces the noxious impacts of conventional fuels to generate power. Solar photovoltaic is a clean and emission-free renewable energy sources which is widely used for the power generation in the world. The solar photovoltaic array is made up of solar modules. These modules are act as an interfacing unit. The conversion process from sunlight to electricity is obtained through modules. But, the generation of power through involving the solar photovoltaic is dependent on variation of environments. The solar photovoltaic arrays have non-linear characteristics and depend on available solar insolation and operating temperature. A problem can be raised if these cells have not synchronized with each other. The variation of series resistance can cause the more absorption of current by the leakage current resistance. Due to this, a substantial reduction of current flows through the load circuit. So, the variation in shunt (parallel) resistance and series resistance can obtained a significant change in output characteristics. The data sheet provided by manufacturer of solar photovoltaic module contains current-voltage (I-V) and power-voltage (P-V) characteristics. The datasheet contains various parameters of solar module. But there are some parameters not provided in the datasheet by the manufacturer. This paper presents the effect of series resistance (Rs) and parallel resistance (Rp) on solar photovoltaic characteristics curves. The variation in characteristics curve (or maximum power output curve) well shown by the graphical representations.

Recent Progress of Switching Power Management for Triboelectric Nanogenerators.

Based on the coupling effect of contact electrification and electrostatic induction, the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) as an emerging energy technology can effectively harvest mechanical energy from the ambient environment. However, due to its inherent property of large impedance, the TENG shows high voltage, low current and limited output power, which cannot satisfy the stable power supply requirements of conventional electronics. As the interface unit between the TENG and load devices, the power management circuit can perform significant functions of voltage and impedance conversion for efficient energy supply and storage. Here, a review of the recent progress of switching power management for TENGs is introduced. Firstly, the fundamentals of the TENG are briefly introduced. Secondly, according to the switch types, the existing power management methods are summarized and divided into four categories: travel switch, voltage trigger switch, transistor switch of discrete components and integrated circuit switch. The switch structure and power management principle of each type are reviewed in detail. Finally, the advantages and drawbacks of various switching power management circuits for TENGs are systematically summarized, and the challenges and development of further research are prospected.

Colour discernment of tomatoes using machine vision system with OpenCV Python and Raspberry Pi

Colour is the first quality attribute of food that consumers examine and it is an important component of food quality that influences market acceptance. Classification of fruits by visual inspection is an arduous, time-consuming process and prone to human error. The machine vision system is a distributed control system that integrates several machine vision modules with a control module and a user interface unit. This research proposes a method for recognising and sorting tomato fruits into a preferred location continuously. Before designing colour sorter the physical properties of fruits were studied. The major and minor diameter of the tomatoes ranges from 45-60mm and 35-50mm, respectively. The mean geometric diameter, sphericity and surface area were 48.64mm,0.94 and 6477.14mm2 respectively. The average length, width, thickness, bulk density and true density were 54.63mm, 48.44mm, 51.42mm, 0.6874g/cm3 , 0.9852g/cm3 , respectively. The colour sorter was researched, designed and created with Raspberry Pi, USB camera, servo motor and different digital as well as mechanical components. The model used for Raspberry Pi is Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+, USB camera with a video resolution of 640 x 480, 4.2-6V servo motor. Image evaluation is completed on each captured picture and Raspberry Pi will do the selection of which fruit can be sorted. Specific programming code in Python is written for this system. The developed colour sorter captures images and diverts fruits into the respective channel at the rate of 1800 fruits/h (i.e.one fruit per 2 seconds).

A COVID-19 forecasting system for hospital needs using ANFIS and LSTM models: A graphical user interface unit.

BackgroundCenters for Disease Control and Prevention data showed that about 40% of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients had been suffering from at least one underlying medical condition were hospitalized; in which nearly 33% of them needed to be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) to receive specialized medical services. Our study aimed to find a proper machine learning algorithm that can predict confirmed COVID-19 hospital admissions with high accuracy.MethodsWe obtained data on daily COVID-19 cases in regular medical inpatient units, emergency department, and ICU in the time window between 21 July 2020 and 21 November 2021. Data for the first 183 days (training data set) were used for long short-term memory (LSTM) network, adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), support vector regression (SVR) and decision tree model training, whilst the remaining data for the last 60 days (test data set) were used for model validation. To predict the number of ICU and non-ICU patients, we used these models. Finally, a user-friendly graphical user interface unit was designed to load any time series data (here the trend of population of COVID-19 patients) and train LSTM, ANFIS, SVR or tree models for the prediction of COVID-19 cases for one week ahead.ResultsAll models predicted the dynamics of COVID-19 cases in ICU and non- wards. The values of root-mean-square error and R2 as model assessment metrics showed that ANFIS model had better predictive power among all models.ConclusionArtificial intelligence-based forecasting models such as ANFIS system or deep learning approach based on LSTM or regression models including SVR or tree regression play a key role in forecasting the required number of beds or other types of medical facilities during the coronavirus pandemic. Thus, the designed graphical user interface of the present study can be used for optimum management of resources by health care systems amid COVID-19 pandemic.

Propane Gas Thermoelectric Generator with Microcontroller Integrated Development Environment Hot Side Temperature Control

A thermoelectric generator consists of various thermocouples arranged in series. A voltage is generated when a temperature gradient exists across the junctions of the thermocouples. This research modelled, developed and tested a thermoelectric generator with hot side temperature control using propane gas, in a microcontroller integrated development environment to protect the modules from excessive high temperatures. The models were solved using MATLAB for pictorial representation of the performance of the generator with temperature gradient, hot and cold side temperatures. The thermoelectric generator was developed using ten SP-184827145-SA modules. The temperature control circuitry consists of an ATMEGA32 microcontroller, DS18B30 temperature sensors, stepper motor, computer interface and power supply unit whose sole aim is to regulate the gas supply and hence control the flame temperature. The maximum open circuit voltage gotten was 25 V at 300 secs with hot side temperature of 120°C and cold side temperature 30°C, with an efficiency of 3.6%. It was also found out that the higher the temperature gradient the higher the voltage produced.

Application of two-phase hybrid stepping motor based on three-phase inverter chopping control strategy in aircraft electric drive servo valve

With the development of multi-/all-electric technology, more and more aircraft platforms use electrically driven servo valves as the driving source to realize real-time adjustments of flow, pressure and temperature in the area network. The new generation of aircraft applies a stepper motor to drive the servo valve as the drive source, and utilizes the holding torque and open-loop control characteristics of the stepper motor when the stepper motor could not meet aircraft’s requirements of the reliability of the servo valve, the controllability of the opening and closing angle, and the environmental resistance. This paper develops a set of stepper motor drive servo valve control system. The system is mainly composed of flight tube bus, electromechanical management computer, remote actuation unit, remote interface unit and motor-driven servo valve. The stepper motor driver is integrated in the remote execution unit and is used to control the two-phase hybrid stepper motor to drive the servo valve. The topology of a three-phase inverter bridge drive is used to achieve the two-phase double four-shot drive, which saves about 25% power drive hardware. By controlling the two-phases motor, the direction and amplitude of the current one can realize micro-step control. The test and simulation result show that the system has higher control accuracy and better acceleration. The deceleration characteristics in two-phase full step and micro step working modes can expand the application of electric servo valve and improve aircraft performance.

Prediction of anti-CD25 and 5-FU treatments efficacy for pancreatic cancer using a mathematical model

BackgroundPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal disease with rising incidence and with 5-years overall survival of less than 8%. PDAC creates an immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment to escape immune-mediated eradication. Regulatory T (Treg) cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are critical components of the immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment. Shifting from tumor escape or tolerance to elimination is the major challenge in the treatment of PDAC.ResultsIn a mathematical model, we combine distinct treatment modalities for PDAC, including 5-FU chemotherapy and anti- CD25 immunotherapy to improve clinical outcome and therapeutic efficacy. To address and optimize 5-FU and anti- CD25 treatment (to suppress MDSCs and Tregs, respectively) schedule in-silico and simultaneously unravel the processes driving therapeutic responses, we designed an in vivo calibrated mathematical model of tumor-immune system (TIS) interactions. We designed a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) unit which is configurable for treatment timings to implement an in-silico clinical trial to test different timings of both 5-FU and anti- CD25 therapies. By optimizing combination regimens, we improved treatment efficacy. In-silico assessment of 5-FU and anti- CD25 combination therapy for PDAC significantly showed better treatment outcomes when compared to 5-FU and anti- CD25 therapies separately. Due to imprecise, missing, or incomplete experimental data, the kinetic parameters of the TIS model are uncertain that this can be captured by the fuzzy theorem. We have predicted the uncertainty band of cell/cytokines dynamics based on the parametric uncertainty, and we have shown the effect of the treatments on the displacement of the uncertainty band of the cells/cytokines. We performed global sensitivity analysis methods to identify the most influential kinetic parameters and simulate the effect of the perturbation on kinetic parameters on the dynamics of cells/cytokines.ConclusionOur findings outline a rational approach to therapy optimization with meaningful consequences for how we effectively design treatment schedules (timing) to maximize their success, and how we treat PDAC with combined 5-FU and anti- CD25 therapies. Our data revealed that a synergistic combinatorial regimen targeting the Tregs and MDSCs in both crisp and fuzzy settings of model parameters can lead to tumor eradication.

Application of Step Motor Servo Control Technology in Integrated Thermal Management of Advanced Fighter System

The integrated thermal management of advanced fighter jets directly affects the combat performance of the aircraft. This paper develops a set of multi-cycle integrated thermal management control system, based on the stepper motor drive servo valve. The stepper motor control system is integrated in the aircraft Remote Execution Unit (REU). The controlled information, such as flow, pressure, temperature, is collected and combined through the Remote Interface Unit (RIU). Through the IEEE-1394 bus, feedback achieves deterministic transmission between control-action-response, and through inverse time protection, the high reliable power drive can be achieved. The open-loop vector micro-stepping driving strategy of the stepper motor is designed, simplifying software and hardware designs. The experimental results show that the strategy developed in this paper can better realize the characteristics of two-phase current sine wave, have better acceleration performance, improve the controllability of the opening and closing angle of the stepping motor servo valve, and satisfy the comprehensive thermal management of advanced fighters.

Development of an airborne gamma-ray spectrometer based on a CZT detector

An airborne survey system named the MARK-A1 was developed to be mounted on a commercial drone for the purpose of application in contaminated areas with high dose rate levels. The MARK-A1 system consists of a CZT detector, signal processing unit, and positioning and interface units to a PC on the ground. The weight of the system is below 1 kg for loading on a commercial drone. For experimental verification, irradiation testing and field testing were conducted. From the irradiation test, we derived the G-factor and dose rate calibration factor to calculate ambient dose rates from measured energy spectra with an applicable energy range. An airborne survey was then conducted to check the system performance at a height of about 1 m and 10 m. The ambient dose rate was successfully estimated from the calculation of the measured energy spectra and dose conversion factor. Finally, the results were compared with those from in situ gamma-ray spectrometry using a tripod at the same survey site. The difference between the two systems was below 20%, indicating a good performance of the MARK-A1. It is anticipated that the MARK-A1 can be used to quickly scan wide, highly contaminated areas that are difficult for humans to access in the event of a radiological accident.

Deformation and failure of a novel fiber-metal hybrid lamina composite under quasi-static and impact loading

A novel composite comprising two laminae, each integrating fiber and metal within a single layer, is established, with the objective of addressing the common problem of structural degradation via debonding between composite and metals in conventional Fiber-Metal Laminates (FMLs). Each lamina consists of an aluminium sheet with rectangular perforations punched out in a grid-like pattern; basalt roving is then “woven” into the sheet by running parallel strips of roving in one direction through the perforations, alternating above and below of metal segments. This results in interlocking of the roving and metal constituents, and the lamina can be considered an assembly of many small metal-composite interface (MCI) units, where the roving and metal are in mutual contact. Two such laminae are stacked together, and epoxy is infused into them to create a bi-layer composite. Specimens are then subjected to quasi-static and projectile impact tests, to examine the deformation and failure induced. Examination of post-test samples show failure and debonding within only a limited number of MCI units in a lamina, because of the intimate integration and interlocking between the fiber and metal components. Moreover, no debonding between the two adjacent laminae is observed. This indicates that the novel architecture of the composite, endows it with excellent resistance against crack propagation, not only within MCI units, but also within the basalt-reinforced epoxy component. It is envisaged that with appropriate optimization, the mechanical properties of these new fiber-metal composites can be further enhanced and implemented in applications where conventional FMLs encounter limitations.

Advanced Nanocellulose-Based Composites for Flexible Functional Energy Storage Devices.

With the increasing demand for wearable electronics (such as smartwatch equipment, wearable health monitoring systems, and human-robot interface units), flexible energy storage systems with eco-friendly, low-cost, multifunctional characteristics, and high electrochemical performances are imperative to be constructed. Nanocellulose with sustainable natural abundance, superb properties, and unique structures has emerged as a promising nanomaterial, which shows significant potential for fabricating functional energy storage systems. This review is intended to provide novel perspectives on the combination of nanocellulose with other electrochemical materials to design and fabricate nanocellulose-based flexible composites for advanced energy storage devices. First, the unique structural characteristics and properties of nanocellulose are briefly introduced. Second, the structure-property-application relationships of these composites are addressed to optimize their performances from the perspective of processing technologies and micro/nano-interface structure. Next, the recent specific applications of nanocellulose-based composites, ranging from flexible lithium-ion batteries and electrochemical supercapacitors to emerging electrochemical energy storage devices, such as lithium-sulfur batteries, sodium-ion batteries, and zinc-ion batteries, are comprehensively discussed. Finally, the current challenges and future developments in nanocellulose-based composites for the next generation of flexible energy storage systems are proposed.

Use of UIoT for Offshore Surveys Through Autonomous Vehicles

Abstract The ENDURUNS project is a European Research project of the Horizon 2020 framework, which has as its main objective to achieve the optimum and intelligent use of green hydrogen energy for long-term ocean surveys. The ENDURUNS system comprises an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) and an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) with gliding capability. The power pack of the USV integrates Li-ion batteries with photovoltaic panels, whilst the AUV employs Li-ion batteries and a hydrogen fuel cell. It is essential to develop a continuous monitoring ca-pability for the different systems of the vehicles. Data transmission between the devices onboard presents challenges due to the volume and structure of the different datasets. A telecommunications network has been designed to manage the operational components considered in the project. The autonomous vehicles perform measurements, providing their position and other data wirelessly. The system will generate a great volume of various signals during the survey. The Remote Control Centre needs to be interfaced with the vehicles in order to receive, manage and store the acquired data. An Underwater Internet of Things (IoT) platform is designed to establish efficient and smart data management. This study presents an exhaustive survey to analyse the telecommunication systems employed in the autonomous vehicles, including the back-end, user interface and mobile units. This paper presents the novel design of the hardware and software structure of the ENDURUNS project with regard to the literature, where its components and their in-terconnection layers are detailed, which is a novel scientific and technological approach for autonomous seabed surveying in deep oceans or in coastal areas.

Evaluating the Efficiency of Coal Loading ‎Process by Simulating the Process of Loading onto the Face Conveyor with a Shearer with an ‎Additional Share

This paper analyses the possibility of increasing the efficiency of loading the destroyed rock mass into the face scraper conveyor by the lagging screw actuator of the shearer in the process of coal mining in the complex mechanized treatment faces of coal mines. It was taken into account that the most significant influence on the loading efficiency of coal is exerted by the dimensions of the cross-sectional area of the loading window, the distance between the screw and conveyor and the height of the bottom of the conveyor. Non-traditional technical solutions are proposed that reduce the negative impact of the gap between the screw and the conveyor on the efficiency of coal loading by the lagging screw actuator of shearers and increase the degree of filling of the conveyor groove. Technical solutions contribute to the formation of a rational section of the cargo flow in the trough of the downhole conveyor and, therefore, increase its productivity. The results of modeling the process of loading coal onto the face conveyor by an auger actuator with an additional loading device are presented. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the proposed constructive technical solutions for the interface unit in the loading area confirmed an increase of 2.94 times the maximum capacity of the screw executive body for loading coal onto the face conveyor while 2.7 times less specific energy consumption during loading.

UVM based verification of iAPX 186 processor modules

UVM is used to enable faster development and reuse of System Verilog based Verification Environment. The use of UVM is to develop reusable test bench. The UVM class library contains configuration database, TLM and component hierarchy. Each and every component in the verification environment has a specific functionality. The UVM has a list of base class which are pre-stored and System Verilog environment can be built by deriving the base classes. Two parameters have been used namely Coverage and Assertions. Coverage is used to measure whether all features of the design specification is tested. Assertions are used for checking the behavior of the design. In this work, we design the individual blocks like Interrupt Controller, Timer module, DMA Controller, Execution Unit and Bus Interface Unit of 80186 processor using Verilog and Verify its functionality behavior using the two parameters using UVM.

Speech Recognition based Industrial Cloud Robot for Service-Oriented Sustainable Manufacturing

Industrial Cloud Robotics is an amalgamation of cloud computing and an industrial robot to establish a service-oriented manufacturing system. Teleoperation of an industrial robot – the ability to control a robot from a remote location, is facilitated through this system. In this paper, a framework is proposed by utilizing speech recognition and industrial cloud robots for the applications of sustainable manufacturing. We have used Google’s speech recognition services to control the robot manipulator. We have employed Android Speech API in a custom android application that receives the speech signal, transcribes, and forwards it to a server. The application can be viewed or accessed by any host computer, which primarily serves as a user. The monitoring unit and the data is fetched by the Robot Speech Interface unit via the internet and web sockets. The interface triggers the required action of the robot through the relay board actuation of the digital input facility of the robot. Through this work, it is realized that, despite the disturbances and noise interferences, speed and reliability are not compromised.

Microgrid design using folded P-f droop and new grid interface unit to minimize the need for communication

A new control scheme is proposed for microgrids to enable seamless switching between islanded mode and grid-connected mode in this paper. Utilizing a specially designed interface unit as the interface device, a systematic control strategy is proposed to enable a smooth and autonomous transition from grid-connected to islanded and vice-versa. With the proposed scheme, the need for high-speed communication is eliminated despite of the change of operational mode. To make this happen, a folded droop scheme is proposed to enable autonomous frequency support for paralleled converters in the microgrid and a coordinating strategy is then proposed to enable autonomous re-synchronization with the main grid as well. The control scheme proposed are validated with a benchmark microgrid model of parallel- connected converters using MATLAB/SIMULINK. The results show that the proposed control can enable autonomous smooth transitions between modes with reduced power rating in the interface converter unit.