Shiny Metal Research Articles

Multi-View Metal Parts Pose Estimation Based on a Single Camera.

Pose estimation of metal parts plays a vital role in industrial grasping areas. It is challenging to obtain complete point clouds of metal parts because of their reflective properties. This study introduces an approach for recovering the 6D pose of CAD-known metal parts from images captured by a single RGB camera. The proposed strategy only requires RGB images without depth information. The core idea of the proposed method is to use multiple views to estimate the metal parts' pose. First, the pose of metal parts is estimated in the first view. Second, ray casting is employed to simulate additional views with the corresponding status of the metal parts, enabling the calculation of the camera's next best viewpoint. The camera, mounted on a robotic arm, is then moved to this calculated position. Third, this study integrates the known camera transformations with the poses estimated from different viewpoints to refine the final scene. The results of this work demonstrate that the proposed method effectively estimates the pose of shiny metal parts.

Time Series Prediction Based on LSTM Neural Network for Gold Prices

Metals like gold have been traded around the world for ages. Gold, the yellow shiny metal, can maintain the stability of the market, disperse the risk of transfer price, and stabilize the national economy. Therefore, the research and prediction of gold prices is not only of great significance to the countries but also of great significance to individuals. However, compared with other financial time series, research on gold prices is still relatively few and lacks models integrated with deep learning. The purpose of this paper is to establish a new model for the time series prediction of gold prices and at the same time to provide new ideas for future financial time series prediction problems. In this paper, a prediction model based on LSTM (long-term memory Neural Network) is proposed by using the time series of large amounts of financial data as experimental data for prediction. The RMSE (root mean square error), which acts as a loss function, is selected to evaluate the accuracy of our prediction model. The model proposed has a good prediction effect on financial time series.

In Defense of Interiority: Melvin Edwards’ Early Work

Melvin Edwards made his first abstract sculptures at the beginning of the contemporary period in the early 1960s, but the ways he held on formally to a modern notion of “interiority” in his Lynch Fragments series provide us with an underexamined aesthetic position in contemporary art. Edwards offered nuanced relationships between interior and exterior at a moment when concepts of “interiority” and “self” were under the most strain in contemporary art practice. If we consider this turn away from interiority—and toward surface, emptiness, system, and dematerialization—to be, in part, a symptom of the pressure exerted by the commodity form on art viewers’ sensibilities after 1955, then the stakes of Edwards’ choice not only to use found metal objects, but to compose them around an active rather than empty center, feel higher. By comparing the sculpture Mojo for 1404 (1964) with the Bichos (1960–1965) of Lygia Clark, the distinctiveness of Edwards’ project emerges even more strongly. Clark responded to the crisis of interiority with shiny metal sculptures whose interiors were constantly being flipped inside-out. By contrast, Edwards’ art was motivated by the struggle for racial justice, and it persistently spoke its desire for grounded, scarred personhood in an aesthetic language that required viewers to recall their own interiority.

Experimental Evaluation of ND: YAG Laser Parameters and Sample Preparation Methods for Texturing Thin AISI 316L Steel Samples

In mechanical and material engineering, the effect of laser texturing depends on many factors besides device specification, primarily the properties of the materials being processed, and, secondly, the preparation of the sample. Laser texturing of thin (<5 mm) samples is mostly performed utilizing short-pulse lasers, but depending on the power of the laser beam, the process can also be performed by using continuous operation lasers. When using a laser beam to modify the surface layer, special attention should be paid to the surface preparation process. Engraving a shiny metal surface can lead to laser beam dispersion and energy loss. Some materials require special preparation and surface darkening in order to be effectively engraved. In the case of engraving, maximizing the efficiency and repeatability of the process is the key to obtaining the desired properties. The aim of the conducted study was to establish satisfying parameters and a sample preparation method for texturing thin AISI 316L samples. Appropriately selected laser parameters added to proper sample preparation. The sanding, etching, and darkening of the surface layer improved the quality of the weld and eliminated problems such as deformation and spark formation that often occur with raw samples during the texturing process.

LUMINOSITY, SPIRIT, AND THE ROLE OF CLAPPER-BELLS IN THE FORMATION OF A CHINESE METALLURGICAL TRADITION

AbstractThis article explores the manner in which the Eurasian metallurgical tradition was transformed into an indigenous tradition on the Chinese Central Plains. It argues that the association of luminosity with the divine has a cognitive foundation, which accounts for the use translucent stones and shiny metals, including copper, bronze, silver, and gold as mediums for religious artifacts throughout the world. In China, this association was the primary impetus for the development of an indigenous metallurgy based on a piece-mold and coring technology. Although the technology ultimately concentrated on the production of ritual vessels, it was first developed at Yanshi Erlitou 偃師二里頭 for the production of clapper-bells (ling 鈴), which had similar round hollow bodies.We further explore the history of clapper-bells, arguing that they were a development of a Central Plains tradition dating back to the Yangshao 仰韶 period (5000–3000 b.c.e.). We argue that their religious significance at Erlitou lay in the previously unheard sound produced when the two luminous substances, jade and bronze, struck against one another. Thus, religious interlocutors at Erlitou used them to contact the ancestral spirits. Later, in the Yinxu 殷墟 period of the Shang Dynasty (ca. 1300–1050 b.c.e.), bronze clapper-bells were worn by dogs buried in tombs. We propose that their role there was a development of the earlier one; that is, they were used to contact the occupant's ancestral spirits as he was guided by the dog in the underworld.

Introduction and Investigation into Oil Well Logging Operations (Review)

ole in all sta Oil well logging, also known as wireline logging, is a method of collecting data from the well environment to determine subterranean physical properties and reservoir parameters. Measurements are collected against depth along the well's length, and many types of wire cabling tools depend on the physical property of interest. Well probes generally has a dynamic respon to changes in rock layers and fluid composition. These probes or well logs are legal documents that record the history of a well during the drilling stages until its completion. Well probes record the physical properties of the well, which must then be interpreted in petrographic terms to obtain the characteristics of the rocks and fluids associated with the well. Many bases on which well probes are depend on obtaining information, and preventing the rocks from responding to stimuli sent by special devices, whether those stimuli are electrical, radioactive, or acoustic. In addition, there are electrically controlled mechanical bases used to measure the diameter of the well, its flow, pressure, perforation, and taking samples. Wireline refers to the technique of using the cable to deliver special equipment to the bottom of the well to repair, evaluation, or equipment recovery. A simple wireline consists of a shiny metal wire (called a slickline) that is very durable for tensile and wear operations. It is of (0.108" or 0.125") diameter. The equipment is installed at the end of the wire. Still, sometimes a braided cable is used from many small steel wires (Braided line), which makes it stronger and heavier than the first type. The information obtained from the logs is considered to assess geological areas based on porosity, permeability, hydrocarbon fluids, and shale ratio. Well logging uses logs that are much cheaper than core operations and also cheaper than the information obtained from drilling mud. This review aims to pinpoint on the most important logging processes used in oil wells, as well logs have an effective role in all stages of the oil industry.

A Generative Feature-to-Image Robotic Vision Framework for 6D Pose Measurement of Metal Parts

Six degrees of freedom (6D) pose estimation or measurement of target objects are important robotic vision techniques that are key aspects for achieving autonomously executed robot tasks. The existing techniques solve this problem well for ordinary textured or rough-surfaced objects; however, 6D pose estimation remains a challenge for textureless, shiny metal parts in industry. This article proposes both a new framework for performing 6D pose estimation and a practical method based on the proposed framework that outperforms the state-of-the-art methods. All the existing methods follow an image-to-feature framework: they first extract features from images and then use the features to infer object poses. In contrast, our idea is a novel generative feature-to-image framework based on generative models, whose pipeline is a reverse mapping from feature to image. In other words, given a feature representing a pose, our method generates an image of the object in the exact same pose. Based on this framework, we propose a specific algorithm to indirectly infer the pose, which enables an initially random answer to gradually be regressed to the correct result. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed deep learning method possesses greater robustness and achieves higher accuracy than the traditional methods

Multiscale roughness analysis by microprofilometry based on conoscopic holography: a new tool for treatment monitoring in highly reflective metal artworks

The analysis of surface roughness in highly reflective metal artworks is challenging and requires contactless devices capable to measure regions with high micrometer accuracy in both depth and lateral directions. We demonstrate optical profilometry based on scanning conoscopic holography for micrometer measurement of silver samples treated with different hand-made cleaning processes. The technique is shown effective in acquiring shiny and smooth metal samples providing high-resolution and high-accurate dataset (0.1,upmu hbox {m} depth and 5,upmu hbox {m} lateral resolution) that is a reliable representation of the microsurface structure. From a statistical point of view, the cleaning treatments have the same nature of the low-abrasion, but the underlying mechanical processes are different. This fact suggested a more in-depth study of both the amplitude and the hybrid areal roughness parameters. It is proposed a workflow for a dual integrated multiscale roughness analysis for surface characterization: a scale inspection to detect possible texture non-homogeneity, and a signals separation to outline the most significant texture components. The scale-limited components allowed to discriminate the different surface processes. The results on silver samples demonstrate the potential of multiscale roughness analysis by conoscopic holography as a new tool for treatment monitoring in metal artworks.

On the Questionable Appeal of Glossy/Shiny Food Packaging.

Those stimuli that have a shiny/glossy visual appearance are typically rated as both attractive and attention capturing. Indeed, for millennia, shiny precious metals and glossy lacquerware have been used to enhance the presentation, and thus the perception, of food and drink. As such, one might have expected that adding a shiny/glossy appearance/finish to the outer packaging of food and beverage products would also be desirable. However, the latest research appears to show that many consumers have internalised an association between glossy packaging and greasy (or unhealthy) food products, while matte packaging tends to be associated with those foods that are more natural instead. Furthermore, it turns out that many consumers do not necessarily appreciate the attempt to capture their attention that glossy packaging so often affords. At the same time, it is important to recognise that somewhat different associations may apply in the case of inner versus outer food and beverage packaging. Shiny metallic (inner) packaging may well prime (rightly or wrongly) concerns about sustainability amongst consumers. Given the research that has been published in recent years, food and beverage manufacturers/marketers should think very carefully about whether or not to introduce such shiny/glossy finishes to their packaging.

Black metal hydrogen above 360 GPa driven by proton quantum fluctuations

Hydrogen metallization under stable conditions is a substantial step towards the realization of the first room-temperature superconductor. Recent low-temperature experiments1–3 report different metallization pressures, ranging from 360 GPa to 490 GPa. In this work, we simulate the structural properties and vibrational Raman, infrared and optical spectra of hydrogen phase III, accounting for proton quantum effects. We demonstrate that nuclear quantum fluctuations downshift the vibron frequencies by 25%, introduce a broad lineshape into the Raman spectra and reduce the optical gap by 3 eV. We show that hydrogen metallization occurs at 380 GPa in phase III due to band overlap, in good agreement with transport data2. Our simulations predict that this state is a black metal—transparent in the infrared—so the shiny metal observed at 490 GPa (ref. 1) is not phase III. We predict that the conductivity onset and optical gap will substantially increase if hydrogen is replaced by deuterium, underlining that metallization is driven by quantum fluctuations and is thus isotope-dependent. We show how hydrogen acquires conductivity and brightness at different pressures, explaining the apparent contradictions in existing experimental scenarios1–3. Numerical calculations that include the quantum fluctuations of protons explain the optical properties of hydrogen at high pressure.

Livestock Handling at the Abattoir: Effects on Welfare and Meat Quality

Low-stress handling that uses behavioral principles can help reduce bruises and improve meat quality in cattle, pigs, and sheep. Short-term stressors before stunning, such as electric prod use or jamming in the race, may increase Pale, Soft, Exudative meat in pork and reduce tenderness in beef. Longer term stresses may increase Dark, Firm and Dry meat. Continuous assessment of livestock handling practices is recommended. Handlers should be trained to move small groups of livestock. They also need to understand behavioral principles. The most important ones are flight zone and the point of balance at the shoulder. Calm animals will be easier to handle. Simple economical improvements in races and lairages can help facilitate animal movement through the facility. The movement of livestock can often be improved by (1) installation of a light at a dark stun box entrance, (2) moving lamps to reduce reflections on shiny metal, (3) installation of solid shields to prevent incoming animals from seeing people on moving conveyors, (4) redirection of air flow at the stun box entrance, or (5) in elevated conveyor restrainers, use of a false floor to prevent entering animals from seeing the “visual cliff ” effect. Continuous assessment and supervision are required to maintain low-stress handling methods.

Transplantable Carbonaceous Li+ Filtrating Membrane for Lithium Metal Protection.

Utilization of the lithium (Li) metal anode is seriously prevented by the undesirable side reactions with electrolyte solvents due to their mismatched energy gaps and easily lacerated SEI layer. In this work, we develop a transplantable carbonaceous membrane with a particular ability of filtrating Li+ ions by blocking organic solvents and use it as an independent protective component to isolate lithium metal anode from the electrolytes. This graphene-supported N-doped membrane (GNM) can separate organic carbonates of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and diethyl carbonate (DEC) from H2O-DMC/DEC mixtures by holding back the organic solvents. When this membrane is used in a Li-Cu cell, a high Li Coulombic efficiency (CE) of 98.5% is maintained in carbonate electrolyte over 400 cycles. Application of GNM in Li-O2 full cell provides a sustainable use of Li metal for more than 200 cycles (2000 h) by keeping its shiny metal luster. Our results demonstrate that the use of an independent component with Li+ filtrating ability, such as the transplantable membrane of GNM developed in this work, should be a feasible remedy to protect Li metal anode in practical Li metal batteries.

Bryan Traynor: serious science from a funny fellow

Bryan Traynor: serious science from a funny fellow

Against Whatever Holds You Down, and: Rainless Season

Against Whatever Holds You Down, and: Rainless Season Ann E. Michael (bio) Against Whatever Holds You Down Summer, and the barefoot girlskips across hot macadam drivewaysto the cooler concrete streetswith their broken curbsand broken glass beside the smallmown lawns, walks ten blocksto the playground where shesits alone on the seesaw.She can see heat waves risingfrom the railroad tracks.She's young but sure she's leftgirlhood behind on the swing set,grown like the plantain weedsbeside the shiny metal slide.Mosquitoes and gnats rise. A pair of third-graders clambersonto the jungle gym.She envies them their bruisedankles and scratched legs,nobody's telling them to grow up,put on pantyhose, walk like a girl.She almost wishes she smoked,seems like something she could dowith her aimless time, make herselflook occupied. She's busy,she just doesn't seem like it,busy thinking about the world [End Page 43] and her place in it. Then she seesthe swarm of dragonflieshovering over the sluice drain,a hundred of them, maybe.Even the little kids don't notice. She stays balanced on the frame,watches the darning needles swoopand dart, hungry, busy, rising upagainst whatever holds them down. Rainless Season The days are hot, so hotthat heat contaminates night.Air stirs only through fan bladesand the restless lungs of my children,who sleep half naked on the floorstriated by moonlightwaiting for rain which is obstinateand hides in the cellar.The dog has crawled beneath our bed,seeking a den, and earth,some dark and cooling burrowwe must conjure from imagination. I dream of doors.Our wooden house swells around us,absorbing air's steaminess.If only the rafters wouldexhale a thunderstorm,a deluge, a week of fog. [End Page 44] I think you once wrotethat night is uncompromising,but then you might alsohave mentioned how night gives upa handful of stars in exchangefor a little more of sun's reflectionon the moon's bland disc.Could be barter or negotiation,could be compromise. It dependson perspective. You would have seenboth outcomes. And others. I dream of otherswhile my heart constricts aroundthe loss of you. When I exhale,a torrent. The keening wind.The river in the arroyoand the dust-dry chasmafterward. [End Page 45] Ann E. Michael Ann E. Michael, writing coordinator at DeSales University, is the author of Water-Rites (Brick Road) and four chapbooks. Her poems, reviews, and essays have appeared widely. Visit www.annemichael.wordpress.com. Copyright © 2018 University of Nebraska Press

DETECTION AND PURGING OF SPECULAR REFLECTIVE AND TRANSPARENT OBJECT INFLUENCES IN 3D RANGE MEASUREMENTS

Abstract. 3D laser scanners are favoured sensors for mapping in mobile service robotics at indoor and outdoor applications, since they deliver precise measurements at a wide scanning range. The resulting maps are detailed since they have a high resolution. Based on these maps robots navigate through rough terrain, fulfil advanced manipulation, and inspection tasks. In case of specular reflective and transparent objects, e.g., mirrors, windows, shiny metals, the laser measurements get corrupted. Based on the type of object and the incident angle of the incoming laser beam there are three results possible: a measurement point on the object plane, a measurement behind the object plane, and a measurement of a reflected object. It is important to detect such situations to be able to handle these corrupted points. This paper describes why it is difficult to distinguish between specular reflective and transparent surfaces. It presents a 3DReflection- Pre-Filter Approach to identify specular reflective and transparent objects in point clouds of a multi-echo laser scanner. Furthermore, it filters point clouds from influences of such objects and extract the object properties for further investigations. Based on an Iterative-Closest-Point-algorithm reflective objects are identified. Object surfaces and points behind surfaces are masked according to their location. Finally, the processed point cloud is forwarded to a mapping module. Furthermore, the object surface corners and the type of the surface is broadcasted. Four experiments demonstrate the usability of the 3D-Reflection-Pre-Filter. The first experiment was made in a empty room containing a mirror, the second experiment was made in a stairway containing a glass door, the third experiment was made in a empty room containing two mirrors, the fourth experiment was made in an office room containing a mirror. This paper demonstrate that for single scans the detection of specular reflective and transparent objects in 3D is possible. It is more reliable in 3D as in 2D. Nevertheless, collect the data of multiple scans and post-filter them as soon as the object was bypassed should pursued. This is why future work concentrates on implementing a post-filter module. Besides, it is the aim to improve the discrimination between specular reflective and transparent objects.

Clothing as a Technology of Enchantment: Gaze and Glaze in Hindu Garments

This paper explores the effects and uses of shining garments in the contemporary Hindu group Iskcon (International Society for Krishna Consciousness). Shiny, decorative surfaces perform a paradoxical function in Iskcon's temple in Mayapur, India, and are worn both by deities and devotees in specific contexts. The importance of glaze can be understood through the centrality of gaze in Hindu worship, i.e., the magical efficacy of darshan where the devotee imbues the physical properties and qualities of the deity image through the tactility of sight. The luminous surfaces of shiny metal and plastic sequins, and gold and silver threads on the temple altar create an apotropaic barrier where clothing acts as a technology of enchantment (Gell 1998). Garment technology, as it is argued here, compels devotion through the juxtaposition of opposing emotions and forces.

Identification of transparent and specular reflective material in laser scans to discriminate affected measurements for faultless robotic SLAM

Mapping with laser scanners is the state-of-the-art method applied in service, industrial, medical, and rescue robotics. Although a lot of research has been done, maps still suffer from interferences caused by transparent and specular reflective objects. Glass, mirrors, shiny or translucent surfaces cause erroneous measurements depending on the incident angle of the laser beam. In past experiments the Mirror Detector Approach was implemented to determine such measurements with a multi-echo laser scanner. Recognition values are based on their differences in recorded measurements in regard to the distance of the echoes. This paper describes the research to distinguish between reflective and transparent objects. The implemented Mirror Detector was specifically modified for recognition of said objects for which four experiments were conducted; one experiment to show the map of the original Mirror Detector; two experiments to investigate intensity characteristics based on angle, distance, and material; and one experiment to show an applied discrimination with the extended version of the Mirror Detector, the Reflection Classifier Approach. To verify the results, a comparison with existing models was performed. This study showed that shiny metals, like aluminium, etc., provide significant characteristics, while mirrors are to be characterized by a mixed model of glass and shiny metal. Transparent objects turned out to be challenging because their appearance in the sensor data strongly depends on the background. Nevertheless, these experiments show that discrimination of transparent and reflective materials based on the reflected intensity is possible and feasible.

Inside Cover: A Non‐Exploding Alkali Metal Drop on Water: From Blue Solvated Electrons to Bursting Molten Hydroxide (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 42/2016)

Hydrated electrons (blue) can been seen by the naked eye despite their very short lifetime in water. Gently placing a drop of water on a sodium/potassium alloy drop leads to a vigorous reaction, but avoids an explosion, as shown by S. Bauerecker, P. Jungwirth, and co-workers in their Communication on page 13019 ff. The snapshot depicts the glass reaction vessel with a shiny alkali metal drop surrounded by a blue, electron-rich region and white hydroxide as the final product of the reaction.

Reflective workpiece detection and localization for flexible robotic cells

A smart vision system for industrial robotic cells is presented. It can recognize and localize a reflective workpiece, and allows for automatic adjustments of the robot program. The purpose of the study is to improve industrial robots awareness of the environment and to increase adaptability of the manufacturing processes where full control over environment is not achievable. This approach is particularly relevant to small batch robotic production, often suffering from only partial control of the process parameters, such as the order of jobs, workpiece position, or illumination conditions.A distinguishing aspect of the study is detection of workpieces made of diverse materials, including shiny metals. Reflective surfaces are common in the industrial manufacturing, but are rarely considered in the research on object recognition because they hinder many of the object recognition algorithms. The proposed solution has been qualified and tested on a selected benchmark in a realistic workshop environment with artificial light conditions. The training of the object recognition software is an automatic process and can be executed by non-expert industrial users to allow for recognition of different types of objects. HighlightsA machine vision system for detection of workpieces in a robotic cell is proposed.The system can recognize objects with specular surfaces (made of reflective metal).It estimates the location of the object on the workbench from a single camera image.It adjusts the robot program according to the presence of the workpiece and its type.

Application of imaging ellipsometry to the detection of latent fingermarks

Imaging ellipsometry (IE) is applied to visualize latent fingermarks on specular surfaces. Instead of a real image, IE provides images related to the polarization states, which are changed by the imprinted layer on a surface. Fingermarks formed on the surfaces of various materials are investigated, including a shiny metal and a black-colored plastic. Relatively clear IE images are obtained from most surfaces on which the optical properties are distinguishable from those of the fingermarks. Also, it is shown that discernible IE images can be obtained even after a fingermark is vigorously rubbed with lab tissues.