Single Motion Research Articles

Estimation of Earthquake-Induced Direct Economic Losses of Portfolio Buildings Based on Seismic Fragility Surface

Regional seismic loss assessment is crucial for developing earthquake emergency plans, which can significantly reduce casualties and socioeconomic losses in urban communities. Due to the complex types of building structures in a region, it is not possible to accurately measure the damage state of building structures using a single scalar ground motion intensity measure (IM). To more accurately reflect the responses of structures under earthquake excitations, the seismic fragility surface models for 4 typical RC frame structures are developed based on the vector ground motion IMs. The results indicate that the fragility surface model offers a superior level of precision in capturing the inherent uncertainty of ground motion and subsequently determines a more precise probability of structural failure, outperforming traditional single scalar ground motion IM fragility curve models. This enhanced accuracy holds significant implications for regional loss assessment. To fully consider the spatial cross-correlation of vector ground motion IMs, based on the established ground motion database of 8778 records, principal component analysis (PCA) and geostatistical analysis methods are used to construct a spatial cross-correlation influence field that simultaneously considers multiple ground motion IMs to simulate more realistic earthquake scenarios. Considering the impact of uncertainty in loss ratio on earthquake-induced direct economic loss estimation results, the maximum entropy technique is used in conjunction with an improved Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) to achieve spatially uniform sampling of loss ratio (LR). This study proposes an assessment framework for regional seismic direct economic loss for portfolio buildings based on the seismic fragility surface model considering spatial cross-correlation and uncertainty of loss ratio. The proposed framework is verified by numerical examples, and it is proven that the regional portfolio buildings considering multiple ground motion IMs is more reliable and robust than those merely considering a single ground motion IM, and when spatial cross-correlation is not considered, the probability of serious economic losses will be underestimated.

Waves Generated by the Horizontal Motions of a Bottom Disturbance

Waves generated by a horizontally moving disturbance on the seabed have been studied by developing two numerical models, namely, the Navier–Stokes and the Green–Naghdi equations. Various geometries of the bottom disturbances are considered, and waves generated due to a single motion and multiple oscillatory motions of the bottom disturbances are investigated by the two models. Discussion is provided on how the motion of the disturbance on the seafloor results in the generation of surface waves. The wave-field parameters investigated include the surface elevation, velocity, pressure fields and wave celerity. A parametric study is conducted to assess the effect of the geometry of the disturbance and the kinematic characteristics on the wave generation. It is shown that both linear and nonlinear waves can be generated by a horizontally moving disturbance on the seabed. Long waves, followed by a series of dispersive waves, are produced by the single motion of the bottom disturbance. It is also found that, under appropriate conditions, there would be a balance between nonlinearity and dispersion, such that the generated waves propagate over a flat seafloor with little to no change in their form and shape.

The role of ball path curvature in basketball shooting accuracy

ABSTRACT During the shooting motion of a basketball, the path of the ball from the beginning of the lift to release follows an S-shaped trajectory. This study is the first to investigate how two distinctive features of the S-shaped ball path, the maximum curvature, κmax, and terminal curvature, σ, are associated with longitudinal accuracy. The sagittal plane ball path and curvature were found using Bezier curves for 31 professional male basketball athletes. Terminal release curvature had a very strong positive correlation to intra-individual release velocity standard deviation (r = 0.73, p < 0.001) indicating that shooters with straighter terminal ball paths had better longitudinal shooting accuracy. It was also observed that κmax coincided with the transition to the forward shooting motion and that players with higher κmax tend to have a clear two-part shooting style rather than a single fluid motion. A comparison between groups of good and poor shooters identified a mean difference in κmax of 7.9 m−1 (p < 0.001, 95% CI: 11.8–4.0 m−1) suggesting that good shooters typically have a higher κmax than poor shooters.

Human Fall Motion Prediction: Fall Motion Forecasting and Detection with GRU

The human fall motion prediction system is a preventive tool aimed at reducing the risk of falls. In our research, we developed a deep learning model that utilizes pose estimation to track human body posture and integrated this with a Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) to forecast human motion and predict falls. GRU, an enhancement of Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models offers improved memorization and more efficient memory usage and performance. Our study presents the human fall motion prediction, which combines the forecasting and classification of potential falls.The CAUCAFall dataset is used as the benchmark of this study, which contains the image sequences of single human motion with ten actions conducted by ten actors. We employed the YOLOv8 Pose model to track the 2D human body pose as the input in our system. A thorough evaluation of the CAUCAFall dataset highlights the effectiveness of our proposed system. Evaluation using the CAUCAFall dataset demonstrates that the model achieved a Mean Per Joint Position Error (MPJPE) of 4.65 pixels from the ground truth, with a 70% accuracy rate in fall prediction. However, the model also exhibited a Mean Relative Error (MRE) of 0.3, indicating that 30% of the predictions were incorrect. These findings underscore the potential of the GRU-based system in fall prevention

Analysis of fine-grained sediment dynamics from field observations with a vector autoregressive model

Empirical models and process-based theoretical or numerical models are valuable tools for analyzing sediment dynamics by reproducing the suspended sediment concentration (SSC) observations, but they are either limited by simplified assumptions or computationally complex. Some data-driven models have been developed to predict SSC but are still weak in explaining the causes of its changes. A field observation of silty sediment dynamics was performed in the Yellow River Delta, China. Then, a vector autoregressive (VAR) model is employed to analyze and predict the SSC variations. Using the impulse response function, the VAR model quantifies the transient and cumulative responses of the SSC to storm and current shocks (i.e., the impulse input), which reveals the key mechanisms of SSC changes from a new perspective. Results show that the storm effect on SSC in the study area lasts for ca. 85 h, and the SSC peaks at around the 36th hour with a cumulative increase of about 1.3 g/L due to the storm’s cumulative effect. Quantitative analysis reveals that waves contribute 73.78% to the SSC, while tidal currents contribute 26.22%. Fine SSC is significantly impacted by horizontal advection. A single reciprocal motion of the tidal current affects the SSC for approximately 6.25 h, while the overall duration exceeds 100 h. The proposed model physically reveals that the storm-induced high concentration gradient has been pushed back and forth by the tidal currents, affecting the SSC at the observation site, and the horizontal advection effect lasts for more than 100 h. Moreover, the VAR model achieves high-accuracy interval predictions of SSC for the next 5 h using only historical hydrodynamic data, with a 100% coverage probability of the 95% prediction interval. This paper provides a simple and efficient method for sediment dynamics analysis, which is of great significance for marine environment protection and disaster warning.

A HRWS SAR Motion Compensation Method with Multichannel Phase Correction

The multichannel synthetic aperture radar (SAR) possesses the capability to acquire high-resolution, wide-swath SAR imagery, which has great potential for application. However, similar to traditional single-channel SAR systems, it suffers from imaging quality degradation due to motion errors. Many motion compensation algorithms have been used to improve the quality of single-channel SAR images, while fewer studies have been conducted on multichannel SAR motion compensation methods. The sub-image motion compensation method utilizes the single channel motion errors to perform multichannel motion errors compensation, considering that multiple channels have the same phase errors. To improve the quality of multichannel SAR imaging when multiple channel motion errors are inconsistent, this paper proposes a motion compensation method with multichannel phase correction for HRWS SAR. First, the method derives the phase errors estimation model via maximum sharpness to simultaneously estimate multichannel phase. Then, it compensates for the motion errors of all channels during backprojection imaging. The inconsistent motion errors of multiple channels can be compensated by estimating the phase errors of all channels, improving the image quality. The channel phase errors can be corrected while compensating for the motion errors. Moreover, the experimental results of point targets and complex scenes validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Single camera markerless motion capture in children with gait pathology

Single camera markerless motion capture in children with gait pathology

Enhancing evaluation of bull fertility through multivariate analysis of sperm

Computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) has become the predominant tool for assessing bull semen in artificial insemination programs. Despite such popularity CASA's ability to predict fertility has been limited, especially when emphasis is based upon single motion characteristics. Our hypothesis is that numerical sets of CASA measures provide a more effective method to differentiate the potential fertilization capacity of bulls and that bulls can be clustered based upon sets of CASA measures. Therefore, we used CASA to evaluate frozen-thawed semen samples from 307 Holstein and 152 Jersey bulls sourced from USDA-ARS's National Animal Germplasm Program gene bank. Sperm was evaluated immediately after thawing and 30 min later. We evaluated sperm kinetic and morphometric means and variances to capture the structure of CASA data in relation to various sources of variation. These data were subjected to univariate and multivariate statistical methods to investigate animal and management factors affecting sperm characteristics measured by CASA. Clustering with K-means identified 4 clusters of bulls based upon each cluster's set of CASA parameters after thawing. There was little overlap among clusters for sets of CASA measures. At the extremes, bull cluster 1 (BC1, n = 180) and BC3 (n = 101) had different sire conception rates (SCR) -0.07 vs -1.29, respectively and sets of CASA measures. Interestingly, BC2 had CASA measures that could be perceived as negative, e.g., cell size at 8.18mm2 vs 6.37mm2 for BC4 and total motility of 29.7% vs 48.7% for BC3, but SCR for BC2 was higher (-0.79) than BC3 (-1.29). Despite such discrepancies for some BC2 CASA values it appears the potentially negative effects were offset by the levels of other CASA values. Our findings suggest improved approaches for using CASA could lie in evaluating multiple CASA measures as sets within specific numerical ranges rather than as independent measures.

Research on Multi cabin Collaborative Assembly Method Based on Multi Agent Reinforcement Learning

Abstract In the domain of multi-cabin assembly, the prevailing method entails step-by-step docking assembly, which often leads to the accumulation of errors throughout the assembly process. This paper employs multi-agent reinforcement learning techniques to facilitate collaborative assembly of the lateral force device assembly, thereby enhancing assembly quality. Initially, the assembly process of the final assembly is scrutinized to establish a conducive learning environment. Subsequently, a novel agent configuration is proposed, wherein two agents are deployed to represent a single motion unit. Following this, a diverse range of algorithms is employed to train the model, enabling the selection of the most appropriate algorithm and optimization of pertinent parameters. The resultant multi-agent assembly paths are then generated for comprehensive analysis and comparison. Finally, simulation verification of the paths is conducted, accompanied by an analysis of the assembly-induced stress during the assembly process.

Fast Kinematic Calibration of a Robotic Manipulator through a Single Continuous Motion

Fast Kinematic Calibration of a Robotic Manipulator through a Single Continuous Motion

Effect of tooth surface wear on dynamic characteristics of spur gear transmission system

The meshing stiffness and system dynamic characteristics caused by gear wear fault are studied. Firstly, potential energy method was used to model and solve the meshing stiffness of gears and the effect of wear on the meshing stiffness and static transfer error was analyzed. A 6-dof spur gear dynamics model was established considering various nonlinear factors, and the dynamic responses of the spur gear system under various wear degrees were analyzed by using time domain, spectrum, phase plane, and Poincare mapping. Finally, the visual test platform of the gear box is built, and the wear condition and dynamic response of the gear box under different wear cycles are analyzed. Results show that the meshing stiffness of gear decreases due to wear, and the meshing stiffness of double tooth decreases more than that of single tooth. In addition, the static transmission errors caused by wear changes periodically with meshing frequency. Wear causes the vibration response of gear system to become complex gradually, and the nonlinear of the system is enhanced, which changes from single period motion to quasi period motion. Results can provide theoretical support for gear wear reduction, life extension, vibration reduction, and noise reduction and lubrication improvement.

Lightweight Multiscale Spatiotemporal Locally Connected Graph Convolutional Networks for Single Human Motion Forecasting

Lightweight Multiscale Spatiotemporal Locally Connected Graph Convolutional Networks for Single Human Motion Forecasting

Experimental study of a single bubble's motion in a liquid metal under a horizontal magnetic field

An ultrasonic phased array system is introduced to study the three-dimensional (3-D) movement of a single bubble in a GaInSn alloy under a transverse magnetic field (MF), which is verified by bubble experiments in water. The 3-D motion trajectories of individual bubbles in the GaInSn are obtained under a horizontal MF. As the MF becomes stronger, the bubble successively oscillates in random directions (R mode), a direction perpendicular to the MF (V mode), a direction parallel to the MF (P mode) and finally it rises straight (S mode). The significant anisotropy of the oscillation directions at a moderate MF intensity may be due to the anisotropy of the vortex structure around the bubble. Furthermore, the oscillation amplitude gradually declines with increasing MF intensity until the bubble trajectory finally becomes a straight line. Our measurements allow us to specify the characteristic regions for the observed bubble modes in the $N-Eo-Re$ parameter space (N is the magnetic interaction parameter, Eo is the Eötvös number and Re is the Reynolds number). In addition, more detailed characteristics of bubble terminal velocity are revealed, showing that the bubble velocities are closely related to the motion modes. The increase in bubble velocity at a moderate MF intensity is caused by the weakening oscillation. At a high strength, the MF monotonically suppresses the rise velocity of the bubble with a fixed scaling law.

Advancing computational models for wave dynamics applications with quartic trigonometric tension b-spline techniques

This paper presents a computational model using Quartic Trigonometric Tension B-spline (QT-TB) function with collocation approach for nonlinear dispersive wave equation. Shallow water wave modeling plays a crucial role in various fields, including coastal engineering, oceanography, and natural hazard assessment. The QT-TB function is employed for spatial derivatives, integrating the nonlinear term through the linearization technique. While maintaining most characteristics of traditional polynomial B-splines, this method improves numerical solutions, enhancing accuracy in modeling. The performance of the method is rigorously assessed across three benchmark problems, with results compared to those of prior studies employing identical parameters. Detailed numerical illustrations are presented. Graphical representations are utilized to illustrate the single solitary wave motion, dynamics of coupled solitary waves and dynamics of triplet solitary waves in this study. Numerical experiments validate the method's accuracy and efficiency in capturing RLW-driven wave dynamics, establishing it as a reliable tool for various applications. The presented work includes an analysis of the stability of the proposed scheme, employing the Fourier method and shows that its unconditional stable.

Modelling seismic ground motion and its uncertainty in different tectonic contexts: challenges and application to the 2020 European Seismic Hazard Model (ESHM20)

Abstract. Current practice in strong ground motion modelling for probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) requires the identification and calibration of empirical models appropriate to the tectonic regimes within the region of application, along with quantification of both their aleatory and epistemic uncertainties. For the development of the 2020 European Seismic Hazard Model (ESHM20) a novel approach for ground motion characterisation was adopted based on the concept of a regionalised scaled-backbone model, wherein a single appropriate ground motion model (GMM) is identified for use in PSHA, to which adjustments or scaling factors are then applied to account for epistemic uncertainty in the underlying seismological properties of the region of interest. While the theory and development of the regionalised scaled-backbone GMM concept have been discussed in earlier publications, implementation in the final ESHM20 required further refinements to the shallow-seismicity GMM in three regions, which were undertaken considering new data and insights gained from the feedback provided by experts in several regions of Europe: France, Portugal and Iceland. Exploration of the geophysical characteristics of these regions and analysis of additional ground motion records prompted recalibrations of the GMM logic tree and/or modifications to the proposed regionalisation. These modifications illustrate how the ESHM20 GMM logic tree can still be refined and adapted to different regions based on new ground motion data and/or expert judgement, without diverging from the proposed regionalised scaled-backbone GMM framework. In addition to the regions of crustal seismicity, the scaled-backbone approach needed to be adapted to earthquakes occurring in Europe's subduction zones and to the Vrancea deep seismogenic source region. Using a novel fuzzy methodology to classify earthquakes according to different seismic regimes within the subduction system, we compare ground motion records from non-crustal earthquakes to existing subduction GMMs and identify a suitable-backbone GMM for application to subduction and deep seismic sources in Europe. The observed ground motion records from moderate- and small-magnitude earthquakes allow us to calibrate the anelastic attenuation of the backbone GMM specifically for the eastern Mediterranean region. Epistemic uncertainty is then calibrated based on the global variability in source and attenuation characteristics of subduction GMMs. With the ESHM20 now completed, we reflect on the lessons learned from implementing this new approach in regional-scale PSHA and highlight where we hope to see new developments and improvements to the characterisation of ground motion in future generations of the European Seismic Hazard Model.

Direct Intraocular Lens Extraction Using a Newly Developed Lens-Grabbing Forceps.

Background: Due to lower age thresholds for cataract surgery and increased longevity, cases with intraocular lens (IOL) dislocation requiring removal have increased. Traditional methods, such as cutting or folding the IOL within the eye, pose a high risk of complications, including corneal endothelial and iris damage. Methods: We developed a new minimally invasive technique for direct IOL removal using specially designed lens-grabbing forceps. These forceps can grasp and remove the IOL through a small incision in a single motion, significantly reducing intraocular manipulations compared to conventional methods. Results: In our test cases, IOL removal through a 2.2 mm corneal incision was completed in approximately 95 s, with minimal incision enlargement (about 0.16 mm) and a slight decrease in corneal endothelial cells. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that this technique is minimally invasive and safe for IOL removal, offering a promising alternative to existing methods.

Long-term elasto-static compressive loading drives rejuvenation of a metallic glass

The current work focuses on the impact of mechanical protocol which can lead to either rejuvenation or relaxation of metallic glasses (MGs) through elasto-static compressive loading (ECL) treatment. Here we demonstrate that, even after imposing a long-term ECL process, the Zr52.5Cu17.9Ni14.6Al10Ti5 MG subjected to an elasto-static stress of 85% of the yield stress at room temperature shows varying degrees of rejuvenation without any relaxation. The MG undergoes an increasing trend in structural rejuvenation with an increased stored energy and a more disordered structure. Nanoindentation results reveal that the variation of mechanical responses emerges from the complementary effects of the thermal activation process and the structural heterogeneity of glassy phase. The spital heterogeneities can effectively reduce the activation barriers of the shear transformation zones (STZs) and widen their distributions, which will perturb the shear-banding processes from single motion to collective movements, leading to shear band multiplication/branching and an increase in the elastic energy density cut-off. As a result, the plasticity is significantly enhanced and the yield strength is decreased. These findings shed light on that ECL process is an effective way to enhance the structural heterogeneity and the level of rejuvenation of a monolithic MG, which may allow the design of MGs with desirable mechanical properties.

Single file motion of robot swarms

We present experimental results on the single file motion of a group of robots interacting with each other through position sensors. We successfully replicate the fundamental diagram typical of these systems, with a transition from free flow to congested traffic as the density of the system increases. In the latter scenario we also observe the characteristic stop-and-go waves. The unique advantages of this novel system, such as experimental stability and repeatability, allow for extended experimental runs, facilitating a comprehensive statistical analysis of the global dynamics. Above a certain density, we observe a divergence of the average jam duration and the average number of robots involved in it. This discovery enables us to precisely identify another transition: from congested intermittent flow (for intermediate densities) to a totally congested scenario for high densities. Beyond this finding, the present work demonstrates the suitability of robot swarms to model complex behaviors in many particle systems. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Impact of temporal resolution in single particle tracking analysis

Temporal resolution is a key parameter in the observation of dynamic processes, as in the case of single molecules motions visualized in real time in two-dimensions by wide field (fluorescence) microscopy, but a systematic investigation of its effects in all the single particle tracking analysis steps is still lacking. Here we present tools to quantify its impact on the estimation of diffusivity and of its distribution using one of the most popular tracking software for biological applications on simulated data and movies. We found important shifts and different widths for diffusivity distributions, depending on the interplay of temporal sampling conditions with various parameters, such as simulated diffusivity, density of spots, signal-to-noise ratio, lengths of trajectories, and kind of boundaries in the simulation. We examined conditions starting from the ones of experiments on the fluorescently labelled receptor p75NTR, a relatively fast-diffusing membrane receptor (diffusivity around 0.5–1 µm2/s), visualized by TIRF microscopy on the basal membrane of living cells. From the analysis of the simulations, we identified the best conditions in cases similar to these ones; considering also the experiments, we could confirm a range of values of temporal resolution suitable for obtaining reliable diffusivity results. The procedure we present can be exploited in different single particle/molecule tracking applications to find an optimal temporal resolution.

Research of closed loop characteristics of single and double chamber structure for fuel metering mechanism

There are two forms of engine fuel metering devices which are single and double chamber structures using electro-hydraulic servo valves as electro-hydraulic conversion devices to realize accurate fuel flow measurements and constant pressure differential valve is used to maintain the constant pressure difference of the metering valve. The main purpose of this article is to analyze the time domain and frequency domain characteristics of constant pressure differential valve assembly and compare the closed-loop characteristics of two metering mechanisms. Firstly, the mathematical model of constant pressure differential valve assembly (including the fuel pump and constant pressure differential valve) is established and its time and frequency domain characteristics are analyzed. The conclusion that the constant pressure differential of the metering valve can meet the practical requirements is obtained. Secondly, the mathematical models of single and double-chamber fuel metering mechanisms are established considering the specific working conditions. Finally, the characteristics of two kinds of metering mechanisms are compared and analyzed under the same control method in the time and frequency domain. The extension overshoot with a maximum value of 3.564% of the single chamber control metering valve mechanism is smaller than that of the double chamber control metering valve mechanism with a maximum extension overshoot of 6.04%. The negative overshoot with a maximum value of 1.391% of the single chamber control metering valve mechanism is bigger than the double chamber control metering valve mechanism with a maximum negative overshoot value of 1.17%. In terms of steady-state error, the steady-state error of a single chamber control metering valve mechanism with a maximum value of 0.194 mm and minimum value of 1.25e-6 mm is smaller than that maximum value of 0.302 mm and minimum value of 1.95e-6 mm of double chamber control metering valve mechanism under the same controller parameters. The bandwidth of the extension motion of the single and double chamber control metering valve is greater than that of the retraction motion. Under the same proportional control parameter, the bandwidth of the double chamber control metering valve extension motion system is greater than that of the single chamber extension motion system.