Tracking Equipment Research Articles

Application of Eye Tracking Equiptment to Understand Consumer Perception of Beef Color and Marbling

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to understand consumer perception of beef color and marbling using eye tracking equipment.Materials and MethodsA total of 158 consumers from the Bryan/College Station, TX area were recruited to observe images of raw steaks and report overall, color, and marbling liking. The official USDA Small50 grading card image was edited by an experienced photographer (Adobe Photoshop CC, San Jose, CA) to create different degrees of color and marbling. This allowed all other intrinsic attributes of the steak image (i.e., shape and ribeye area) to be consistent across all edited images, therefore minimizing conclusions to focus on exclusively marbling or color differences. Consumers viewed two scenarios of pictures. Scenario 1 consisted of three images with Average Choice marbling in color scores of 8, 6, and 4 that correspond to dark, ideal, and light color categories, respectively. Scenario 1 was designed to understand consumer perception of beef color. Scenario 2 displayed three images of similar color (ideal; color score 6) and differing degrees of marbling (Average Choice, Low Choice, and Select). Images were presented on a 1,920 × 1,080 pixels computer screen while a Tobii TX-300 eye-tracking device collected data at a rate of 600 Hz. Each scenario was exposed for 10 s before automatically advancing to slides where consumers reported their overall, color, and marbling liking of each image on a 9-point hedonic scale where 1 = dislike extremely and 9 = like extremely. Between each slide, filler slides were placed for 3-s intervals with a target randomly placed in the top left, top right, bottom left, or bottom right. Consumers were instructed to stare at the target until the next slide appeared. This was intended to randomize where the consumers would begin their observations. Each image within the slide was defined as an area of interest (AOI) to collect eye-tracking metrics to compare the images within each scenario. Metrics included time to first fixation (TTFF), time spent, revisits, and fixation counts.ResultsIn scenario 1, consumers liked for overall and color liking the ideal colored image and rated the light-colored image lowest (P < 0.0001). Consumers fixated on the dark and ideally colored images before the light. Additionally, more time was spent observing the dark and ideally colored images compared to the light (P < 0.0001). The number of revisits and fixation counts were greatest for the ideal colored image followed by the dark image and were lowest for the light-colored image. In scenario 2, consumer overall and marbling liking was highest for Average and Low Choice images. Consumers rated the Select image lowest for overall and marbling liking (P < 0.0001). Eye tracking data was reflective of these findings. The Low Choice image was viewed the fastest with more time spent viewing, attracted more revisits, and accounted for greater fixation counts compared to the Average Choice and Select images (P < 0.0001).ConclusionThese findings confirm the use of eye tracking equipment can provide additional insight into the factors that drive consumer acceptability and therefore potentially increase beef consumption. Implementing this tool in future studies will provide information on consumers’ cognitive behavior that cannot be observed solely through hedonic measures.

Improved viewpoint entropy to evaluate material appearance under various lighting positions

In this paper, we proposed a useful calculation method to perform the perception-based selection of lighting position that emphasizes the material appearance of CG object. The proposed method is based on the conventional viewpoint entropy which is used to find an appropriate viewing angle. To find an appropriate shot for material appearance, we first identified the important surface that has information of gloss reflection related to material appearance with eye tracking equipment. Next, we modified the equation of viewpoint entropy by adding a weight coefficient for emphasizing at important surface. Since this viewpoint entropy retains the independency for object shape, light direction, and viewing direction, our proposed method can extract only important light position which is most representative of the material appearance. From the results of verification with changing shape and material of CG object, we confirmed that our selection of lighting position accomplishes the fine agreement with subjective evaluation which is imposed on the selection of appropriate scene with emphasis of material appearance.

A Randomized Control Trial of Non-Surgical Methods of Non-Dominant Hand Training to Enhance Laparoscopic Skill

Study Objective To determine if non-dominant hand training using task-specific exercises or everyday activities, would translate to improved laparoscopic ambidexterity amongst medical trainees. Design Single center non-blinded, randomized control trial. Setting University medical school. Patients or Participants Medical students. Interventions 100 medical students were block randomized to receive either 1) Task-specific exercises to train the non-dominant hand, 2) Directions to use their non-dominant hand to perform everyday activities, or 3) No training. Laparoscopic skills during completion of pre-defined tasks were assessed using a box-trainer fitted with motion tracking equipment. Three time points were measured; pre-training, post-training (t = 3 weeks), and retention (t = 6 weeks). A principal components analysis incorporating extreme velocity and acceleration events was performed to assess multidimensional hand movements and obtain a global metric of ability i.e. smoothness of motion. We compared smoothness between groups and across times using mixed-effect linear regression, controlling for pre-test ability. Measurements and Main Results There was a significant improvement in smoothness from the post-test phase to the retention phase for all groups (mean effect size d = 0.34), suggesting that smoothness was improving over time regardless of intervention. However, there was no difference in smoothness between the control group and either task-specific exercises or everyday activities for any task at any time point (all p > 0.05, mean task-specific effect size d = 0.14, mean everyday effect size d = 0.04). Conclusion While sound in theory, training of the non-dominant hand to improve ambidexterity does not translate to the laparoscopic surgical environment. Simulation based laparoscopic exercises remain the favored education modality.

Design and multi-body dynamics analysis of a four-claw spherical stabilization platform based on Adams

Airborne photoelectric stabilization platform is one of the most effective devices to isolate aircraft motion from tracking and scanning equipment. In order to make the airborne photoelectric stabilization platform lighter in weight and better in performance, a four-claw spherical stabilization platform is designed. The multi-body dynamic analysis of the four-claw spherical stabilized platform is carried out to verify whether the designed platform meets the functional requirements, that is, whether the four-claw spherical platform can isolate the movement of aircraft and whether the spherical platform can rotate around the pitch axis and azimuth axis. SolidWorks software is used to build a three-dimensional model of a four-claw spherical stabilized platform. Then simplify the three-dimensional model of the platform, import Adams software, carry out multi-body dynamic analysis of a four-claw spherical stabilized platform, verify whether the platform can meet the function. The analysis results show that the designed four-claw spherical stabilized platform can isolate the motion of the aircraft and rotate around the azimuth axis and pitch axis to meet the function, which provides a reference for the design of similar platforms.

Design and characteristic analysis of a four-claw spherical photoelectric stabilization platform

Airborne photoelectric stabilization platform is an important tracking and scanning equipment. In order to make the photoelectric stabilization platform smaller and lighter, a four-claw spherical photoelectric stabilization platform is proposed. The four-claw spherical photoelectric stabilization platform is driven by piezoelectric motors with parallel structure. SolidWorks software is used to build the three-dimensional model of the stabilized platform. After reasonable simplification, the finite element model is built in ANSYS software. Comparing different mesh generation methods in the process of establishing finite element model, the mesh distortion is reduced from 0.74 to 0.38 by changing the mesh correlation and refinement. Different materials are used to design the platform, and the mass of the platform under different materials is compared. The platform mass of the new material is 30.3% and 66.4% less than that of the other two materials. The static characteristics of the platform with new materials are analyzed, and the maximum deformation and stress of the platform are analyzed. The results show that the designed airborne spherical photoelectric stabilized platform with new materials meets the requirements of stiffness and strength, which provides a reference for the design of such platform.

Application of new automatic welding equipment and welding technology in the future construction machinery field

The production efficiency of machinery manufacturing industry is affected by the automatic welding equipments and technologies directly. Through introducing the working principle and applicable working conditions of new automatic welding equipments and welding technologies, the writer uses laser tracking equipment and welding deformation technology to analyze the possibility of application of automatic welding technology in the field of construction machinery, so as to provide useful reference for improving the quality of mechanical welding, reducing production costs and strengthening brand effect.

Awareness and Perceived Value of Eye Tracking Technology for Concussion Assessment among Sports Medicine Clinicians: A Multinational Study

ABSTRACT Objective The awareness of concussion as a serious and frequently occurring sports injury and its management has evolved significantly. One viable objective diagnostic tool is eye tracking technology. The authors hypothesized that while clinicians may be aware that assessing eye movements in concussed athletes can be beneficial, it is possible that, due to the novelty of the eye tracking technology and limited exposure, only a few actually use it in their practice. The study aimed to assess the awareness of eye movement deficits associated with concussion amongst sports medicine clinicians and to determine the utilization and perceptions of the eye tracking technology for concussion diagnosis. Methods An online 18-question survey was distributed internationally from January until December 2017 and completed by 171 sports medicine clinicians (sport physicians, therapists, general practitioners, neuropsychologists) from 32 countries. Results Respondents indicated that subjectivity of assessments remained a major limitation of established diagnostic tools. Eye tracking technology, despite its potential to attenuate this limitation, was only used by 12% of respondents. To diagnose concussion, 77% did not use any eye movement assessment tools other than own clinical assessment. With the exception of abnormal pupil light reflex, which was checked by 68%, eye movement deficits were inspected by less than half of the respondents (46.3 ± 12%). Conclusion Even among sports medicine clinicians who regularly attend to patients with concussions, there is insufficient awareness that concussion can lead to abnormal eye tracking behavior. Lack of exposure to the sensitive eye tracking equipment may be a limiting factor for using eye movement metrics for concussion diagnostics. Facilitating the awareness of objective methods, like eye tracking technology, may help assure the appropriate continuum of identification and treatment for concussed athletes. Increasing educational opportunities and practical experience of clinicians regarding concussive symptoms and potential innovative technology is strongly advocated.

Video-based surgical skill assessment using 3Dconvolutional neural networks.

A profound education of novice surgeons is crucial to ensure that surgical interventions are effective and safe. One important aspect is the teaching of technical skills for minimally invasive or robot-assisted procedures. This includes the objective and preferably automatic assessment of surgical skill. Recent studies presented good results for automatic, objective skill evaluation by collecting and analyzing motion data such as trajectories of surgical instruments. However, obtaining the motion data generally requires additional equipment for instrument tracking or the availability of a robotic surgery system to capture kinematic data. In contrast, we investigate a method for automatic, objective skill assessment that requires video data only. This has the advantage that video can be collected effortlessly during minimally invasive and robot-assisted training scenarios. Our method builds on recent advances in deep learning-based video classification. Specifically, we propose to use an inflated 3DConvNet to classify snippets, i.e., stacks of a few consecutive frames, extracted from surgical video. The network is extended into a temporal segment network during training. We evaluate the method on the publicly available JIGSAWS dataset, which consists of recordings of basic robot-assisted surgery tasks performed on a dry lab bench-top model. Our approach achieves high skill classification accuracies ranging from 95.1 to 100.0%. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of deep learning-based assessment of technical skill from surgical video. Notably, the 3DConvNet is able to learn meaningful patterns directly from the data, alleviating the need for manual feature engineering. Further evaluation will require more annotated data for training and testing.

PARAMETRIC FREQUENCY GENERATOR ON NONCOLLINEAR MAGNETIC FIELDS

Purpose. The article is aimed to study a parametric frequency generator on noncollinear magnetic fields, which performs the functions of a stabilized power source and means of protection against the effects of powerful impulse noises in the form of switching overvoltages and lightning discharges. Methodology. To carry out experimental studies, a prototype model of a parametric generator was fabricated. A number of studies were carried out to determine the optimal parameters of the pump circuits and the circuit of the device, in which the best energy characteristics and maximum output power are achieved with stable generation in the system. Findings. The authors proved the importance to develop a means of protecting signaling equipment, centralization and blocking from the effects of powerful impulse noises. The developed construction of the device completely eliminates the transformation of energy, it means the penetration of noise from the input to the output. As a result of the experimental studies, the optimal parameters of the generator circuits, which provide its best energy characteristics, were determined. Originality. The device of the parametric generator, which has energy-consuming elements in its design, has been improved, this significantly improves the energy characteristics and properties. In order to improve the reliability of automatic blocking systems, the methods for protecting railway automation equipment and telemechanics from the effects of high-power impulse noises and high levels of traction currents were further developed. Practical value. Based on the obtained results, the device under investigation can be introduced into production and used in railway automation systems to organize a stabilized secondary power source for railway automation track equipment, as well as to protect equipment from the effects of powerful impulse noises created by lightning discharges and lightning or switching overvoltages. The results of work can also be used in re-equipment of the hauls with new railway automation systems and in the preparation of design documentation for track circuits, station systems and automatic blocking systems. The results are used during the studying of the subjects: «Special Measurements at Railway Transport» and «Automatic Devices Power Supply»; the organization of scientific workshops, training courses etc.

Benefits from the remote monitoring of railway assets

Railway infrastructure already has some ‘smart’ characteristics, in that it ‘knows’ where trains are located and can sometimes detect track and other equipment faults. There is considerable scope to increase these capabilities. There is also a significant and urgent need for such improvements: railways have limited operational flexibility and face increasing passenger and freight traffic demand on existing infrastructure. The reliable provision of additional capacity requires improved system ‘self-knowledge’ for traffic control and management purposes, as well as for system reliability and safety. The use of smart infrastructure for fault prediction and the guidance of preventive maintenance helps to maintain operational capacity. This approach also helps to reduce track access requirements for traditional maintenance and renewals activities, thus increasing network availability and total capacity. Climate change presents the railway industry with significant challenges, notably in terms of flooding and earthworks failures resulting from increased rainfall intensity. Smart infrastructure includes the prediction and monitoring of such events to maintain safety and enable the timely implementation of operational contingency plans. This paper draws upon a range of sources to identify the needs for and potential benefits of increased deployment of smart infrastructure and other assets on railways in Britain and elsewhere.

Optimizing the Fresnel-Lens Solar-Concentrator Design for Tracking Error Mitigation in Thermal Applications, Using a Statistical Algorithm

The driving motive of this work is to enhance the tolerability of a flat Fresnel-lens concentrator to tracking errors, without the use of secondary optics or sophisticated, and normally costly, meticulous tracking equipment. This is achieved by optimizing the prismatic geometry of the Fresnel lens through a statistical approach that incorporates laws of light refraction and trigonometry. The proposed design produces high focal heat flux that is more suitable for thermal applications. A comparative simulation analysis was conducted for two case studies from literature, each with a different design method for the Fresnel lens. On basis of equivalent geometric concentration ratio and f-number, the flat-spot lenses, designed by this study, returned higher values of the concentration acceptance product ( $$CAP$$ ). In case #1 of a 212× cylindrical lens with an f-number of unity, an equivalent flat lens by this work almost doubled the $$CAP$$ from 0.165 to 0.34. For the design case #2 of a 559× aspheric Fresnel lens made by simple geometrical optics, a 60.7% enhanced $$CAP$$ was achieved by this work’s lens, from 0.206 to 0.331, at an f-number of 0.83.

A Comprehensive Head-mounted Eye Tracking Review: Software Solutions, Applications, and Challenges

Head-mounted eye-tracking (E-T) technology allows for monitoring and recording people’s eye movements in a completely unobtrusive fashion. It has been effectively used to accelerate human behavior research in a wide variety of areas. Motivated by the growing importance/applications of head-mounted eye tracking technology, this work provides a comprehensive review for researchers who are trying to find the most effective strategies for their research and applications. The goal of the paper is to provide the reader with a survey of state-of-art head-mounted eye tracking technology, present commercially available wearable eye tracking equipment, software solutions for eye tracking data analysis techniques reported in the literature, and large-scale eye tracking data visualization methods for researchers from varying backgrounds. Example applications adopting head-mounted eye tracking are described, such as human-machine interaction, cognitive psychology, medical applications, and augmented reality. Finally, discussion of limitations and expectations for headmounted eye tracking analysis methodology is also investigated.

Design of Metal Weld Seam Tracking Equipment Based on Image Processing

Design of Metal Weld Seam Tracking Equipment Based on Image Processing

Justification of parameters of wheelset axle fatigue strength test-bench for railway rolling stock

The operation safety of the railway rolling stock depends directly on the strength of the base part of the wheelset – its axle. Therefore, in recent years numerous studies of theoretical and experimental nature, both for means of rail transport, and for machines containing rail track equipment are carried out. This paper substantiates the main parameters of the fatigue test bench for axles for wheelsets of railway rolling stock. We performed an analysis of the load schema for bench tests, determined the dependence of the bench work force on the parameters of the wheelset axle. In addition, we substantiated the design and parameters of vibrator. For the research, we adopted the following criteria of rationality: work force, energy consumption and longitudinal dimension of the test bench. The design is considered the best, if these criteria acquire the smallest values. The results of the research indicate that the load scheme “cantilever beam” is rational for the fatigue bench tests of the axles for wheelsets of railway rolling stock. The best design of the vibrator have to provide the test bench work force by rotating the unbalanced mass around the stationary wheelset axle. The rational vibrator contains a sectoral eccentric mass rotating at an angular velocity of about 150 s-1. In this case, the eccentric mass value is about 80 kg, and its eccentricity is 135 mm.

Development of Transport in Eastern Regions of Russia

This article considers the issues on forming the Russian transport system, and the impact of distance and climate on the transport development. Special attention is paid to the role of railway transport in the country’s transport system, the state and development of rolling stock, and the development of track equipment. Considerable attention is paid to the development of transport and the railway network in the Far East and Siberia.

Data compensation based on the additional feature information for collaborative interactive operation with optical human motion capture system

As the effective capture region of optical motion capture system is limited by quantity, installation mode, resolution and focus of infrared cameras, the reflective markers on certain body parts (such as wrists, elbows, etc.) of multi-actual trainees may be obscured when they perform the collaborative interactive operation. To address this issue, motion data compensation method based on the additional feature information provided by the electromagnetic spatial position tracking equipment is proposed in this paper. The main working principle and detailed realization process of the proposed method are introduced step by step, and the practical implementation is presented to illustrate its validity and efficiency. The results show that the missing capture data and motion information of relevant obscured markers on arms can be retrieved with the proposed method, which can avoid the simulation motions of corresponding virtual operators being interrupted and deformed during the collaborative interactive operation process performed by multi-actual trainees with optical human motion capture system in a limited capture range.

Testing a Brief Web-based Intervention to Increase Recognition of Tobacco Constituents.

We examined website formats to increase smokers' recognition of harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs) in cigarettes. Adult, daily smokers (N = 279) were randomized to view a brief, single-page study website showing HPHC names and uses. The intervention site was tailored + interactive, labeled by cigarette brand/subbrand showing color imagery and pop-up boxes; the generic + static website (control) was unbranded in greyscale. Eye tracking equipment measured attention (dwell time) to precise website features. Linear regression analyses compared attention to HPHC descriptions and the correct recognition of 15 HPHC chemicals. A randomly selected sub-sample (N = 30) of participants qualitatively rated website usability. Despite spending less dwell time on the HPHC text and entire website, adult smokers who viewed the generic + static website had greater improvement in HPHC recognition compared to the tailored + interactive website (4.6 vs 3.6; p = .02); this finding contrasts with current literature on tailoring and interactivity. Both websites were rated highly on ease-of-use and readability. Basic formats and narrative HPHC Web-based content attracted less visual attention, yet increased recognition of these chemicals in cigarettes, compared to brand-tailored, interactive web-based content.

Lean implementation for rail substation processes

PurposeTraction substations are an integral part of the railway infrastructure. In order to ensure that machinery and equipment is available and utilised at full capacity, intelligent maintenance methods should be implemented. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the development of lean maintenance strategies implemented on traction substations and offer the maintenance manager an alternative maintenance method to be utilised during optimisation initiatives.Design/methodology/approachThe rail company under consideration has various improvement options, the maintenance supply chain is a priority. The existing maintenance process of 3 kVDC traction substations is examined and all operations and activities directly and indirectly associated with maintenance are analysed with lean methodologies. The analysis of maintenance operations and activities reveals that some of these operations and activities are non-value-adding and, therefore, regarded as waste. These activities only prolong the maintenance process without adding value to the process. Alternative operations and activities are suggested and simulated.FindingsThe application of lean indicates that the maintenance process could be optimised to deliver on a more efficient process, which would improve the quality of maintenance by ensuring that maintenance is timeously carried out. Through reducing the downtime caused by maintenance, the availability of the system is preserved and the railway lines could be used to capacity.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is limited to 3 kVDC traction substations and the associated maintenance process, as this was the area of opportunity for the company. The track and overhead traction equipment maintenance is not included.Practical implicationsThe practical application of this research is in optimisation of the value chain for maintenance, specifically in the rail industry.Originality/valueThis research could be applied by maintenance managers to effectively implement if a run-to-failure (RTF) maintenance philosophy is being utilised. The research offers maintenance techniques within the RTF maintenance scope which reduces the maintenance cycle and equipment downtime.

PO-213 Comparison of the effects of Swimming and skiing exercise on the stamina quality of undergraduate male students in Capital University of physical Education and Sports

Objective Many factors affecting the endurance quality of college students include genetic factors, age, sex, physical exercise, physical fitness and nervous system tolerance.Physical exercise is of great importance to improving endurance quality. If we take part in physical exercise for a long time, we can make people's heart muscle develop.The heart's potential is fully tapped.The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of swimming and skiing exercise on the endurance quality of undergraduate male students in Capital Institute of physical Education, so as to provide the basis for the improvement of endurance quality of college students.
 Methods 1 Measurement of general endurance
 (1) 1000m run (M)
 Significance of measurement: it mainly reflects the ability of the subjects to work long hours in the heart and lungs.
 Track and Field equipment: 400 mL 300 mU 200md track, stopwatch, whistle.
 Test method: the subjects stood at the starting line in a standing position and immediately started when they heard the whistle. The timekeeper starts counting, recording each test in detail, accurate to 0.1 seconds.
 Measurement requirements: testers report the number of laps left to the tester during the test to avoid running around.
 2 Measurement of Speed Endurance
 (1) 400m run measurement
 Significance of measurement: it mainly reflects the speed and endurance level of the subjects.
 Field equipment: 400 m track, stopwatch, whistle. Issue a flag of command.
 The shorter it takes to run: 400m, the higher the speed endurance.
 Measurement method: after standing at the starting line, the subjects start at the whistle and finish the whole race as soon as possible.
 3 Measurement of dynamic endurance
 (1) pull-up
 Significance of the test: the strength and dynamic force of the upper limb group and the shoulder band muscle group, which mainly respond to their own body weight.
 Measuring equipment: high horizontal bar. Measurement method: the subjects take off, hold the bar with their hands in a positive grip. After the body is still, both arms pull up at the same time and practice repeatedly until they try their best.
 Measurement requirements:
 When the bar is high, there should be corresponding protection measures.
 Participants can use the help of others when they can't hold the bar, but they must complete the whole process by themselves .
 In the face of testers in the process of testing instability can help their stability.
 
 Results The results showed that the general endurance, speed endurance and dynamic endurance of the non-sports major boys who took the swimming course in the Capital Institute of physical Education were higher than those of the non-sports major boys who took the skiing courses.
 Conclusions In this experiment, SPSS20.0 software was selected to calculate and analyze the data, and t test was carried out. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0. 05). In this experiment, the results of the first elective swimming and skiing courses for male students of non-sports major are true and effective. After one semester, The endurance quality of the non-sports major boys in the first elective swimming course is higher than that of the non-sports major boys in the ski course. Therefore, it can be concluded that swimming can improve the endurance quality of the boys in the first body non-sports major more than skiing.

Energy storage sizing methodology for mass-transit direct-current wayside support: Application to French railway company case study

In the context of direct-current electrified railway systems, power supply quality issues are a major concern for the railway network operators. Indeed, after signaling systems and track equipment, voltage issues may be the most challenging factor for the capacity of a direct-current railway line. These issues and the high cost of new substations motivate the implementation of wayside energy storage systems to support the system. Since an appropriate sizing methodology is a key step towards an energy storage system implementation in a railway line, in this paper a sizing methodology is presented in detail. As hypothesis, the sizing methodology is defined such that the storage system is able to support the railway line under projected conditions of the rolling stock traffic, along with other technical criteria relevant to the railway operator. A real-time simulation oriented, direct-current railway network modeling approach is proposed and exploited in this sizing methodology. Using this modeling method, the optimal energy storage sizing formulation is described. The objective function to minimize is the trade-off between energy storage capacity and charging power. The proposed sizing method is applied to a real railway line with known power supply quality issues. This case study is introduced by analyzing real voltage measurements on two key sites of the line over several days. Then, the sizing methodology is applied and the results are discussed for the study case, defining the minimal technical requirements to install. The obtained minimal technical requirements for the storage system are considered by the operator to take a cost-effective decision in contrast with the reinforcement of the line with new substations.