Windows-based Application Research Articles

DEVELOPMENT TOOLS FOR DRIVE CONTROL APPLICATIONS BASED ON DSP ARCHITECTURES

The paper presents a Windows-based application, designed in order to assist a control algorithms developer in research and/or development activities. The application solves the main requirements of such a work. A new approach in software development was followed in order to obtain flexible and reusable DSP digital control applications. It was used a standard promoted by Texas Instruments that stimulates software modularity strategy. Experimental results show an implementation example of a modular control application using MSK243 DSP Motion Starter Kit. The software product can be used in educational process and in research as well.

Software Review: Crime Analysis and Mapping with GeoDa 0.9.5-i

As a Windows-based application, GeoDa 0.9.5-i is now much more user-friendly compared to its predecessor, the SpaceStat package and its Arc View Extension, DynESDA. GeoDa provides some very useful tools for doing exploratory spatial data analysis, including dynamically linked windows and data brushing. As a stand-alone program, it has a variety of options for data manipulation and transformation, mapping, exploratory spatial data analysis, spatial weights construction, descriptive statistics, spatial autocorrelation statistics, ordinary least squares (OLS) regression with spatial diagnostics, and spatial regression modeling.

Recognition in a heartbeat

Since its invention in the 19th century, when it was little more than a scientific curiosity, the electrocardiogram (ECG) has developed into one of the most important and widely used quantitative diagnostic tools in medicine. Commercial ambulatory recorders typically have a memory requirement of close to 400 MB of data. Even with improvements in memory density, such a large storage requirement increases the cost of the device. As a result, compression is a key concern for makers of ECG equipment. Novel compression techniques developed for portable heart-monitoring equipment could also form the basis for more intelligent diagnostic systems thanks to the way the compression algorithms depend on signal classification. The authors have developed a Windows-based application known as the research and analysis platform for integrated development of ECG systems (RAPIDECGS), which implements principal components analysis (PCA) and non-linear PCA (NLPCA) techniques. We hope to make it available to the ECG and clinical-research communities so that ECG researchers will use the software as a convenient platform to integrate new research into ECG triggering, compression, clustering, classification, analysis, presentation and interpretation techniques.

A software tool for automating the design of robot fuzzy force controllers

This paper describes a software tool to automate a design method for robotic fuzzy force control. The original method was developed to ensure robust and stable force control in situations where environmental stiffness at the robot/task interface is unknown, obviating the use of fixed-gain controllers. It did, however, involve a manual design process requiring significant knowledge of control theory and fuzzy logic. This process has been automated in the form of a Windows-based application, requiring minimal user inputs and incorporating an automatic tuning technique for improved performance in the final controller application. Results obtained from an experimental robot are presented.

Theoretical and architectural support for input device adaptation

The graphical user interface (GUI) is today's de facto standard for desktop computing. GUIs are designed and optimized for use with a mouse and keyboard. However, modern trends make this reliance on a mouse and keyboard problematic for two reasons. First, people with disabilities may have trouble operating those devices. Second, with the popularization of wireless communication and mobile devices such as personal data assistants, the mouse and keyboard are often replaced by other input devices. Our solution is a tool that can be used to translate a user's input to a form recognizable by any Windows-based application. We argue that a formal model of input is necessary to support arbitrary translations of this sort. We present a model, based on Markov information sources, that extends past work in its ability to handle software-based input such as speech recognition, and to measure relative device bandwidth. We also present our translation tool, which is based on our model, along with four applications built using that tool.

坑内温度・圧力シミュレーションプログラム“ＷｈｉｔｅＣｏａｌ＿Ｔ”の開発

A downhole temperature, and pressure simulation program for drilling, especially for safe methane hydrate drilling, has been developed under a joint R & D project led by Japan National Oil Corporation. The simulation program integrates a database management, a numerical computation core, and a graphical user interface (GUI) in a Windows-based application. It aims to support the control of methane hydrate drilling by simulating wellbore temperature and pressure simultaneously. Three key models are employed in the computation core, 1) a one-dimensional flow dynamics model, 2) a two-dimensional heterogeneous heat conduction model, and 3) a wellbore-formation interface model.New features in the development include, 1) computation of circulating temperature profiles of not only the wellbore but also radially in the formation, 2) the ability to show the in-situ P-T conditions and hydrate equilibrium curve simultaneously, 3) use of multiple heat transfer correlation and rheology model options, 4) ability to simulate heat transfer in a marine riser including buoyancy modules, 5) capability to simulate environmental effects, such as current, sea temperature, etc., and 6) friendly GUI.The validation and verification (V & V) have been performed using field data. The comparison showed a good agreement based on the return and downhole circulating temperature and standpipe pressure. After the work of V & V, the simulation program has been successfully applied in the planning of, and during the drilling of the Japan MITI methane hydrate exploratory well“NANKAI TROUGH”.

Epilogue to MERIT: Lessons Learned in Developing an Interactive Environmental Database

MERIT, Mission Environmental Requirements Integration Technology, is an interactive environmental database developed by the Air Force Wright Laboratory's Flight Dynamics Directorate (currently the Air Vehicles Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory). The purpose of this MS Windows-based application is to quickly and accurately estimate, during the early conceptual design stage, the environments to which stores carried externally on fighter/attack aircraft will be exposed throughout all phases of the life cycle (such as manufacturing, deployment, storage, and operational usage). MERIT is currently used at approximately 75 locations within 25 companies and government agencies. During the development of the MERIT system, many important lessons were learned regarding the creation of environmental databases to support materiel acquisition functions (such as design, test, and maintenance). In this paper, the scope and capabilities of MERIT will be described in more detail. The basis for the lessons learned will be explained and illustrated through examples from the system's development history.

Development and Evaluation of the Windows Computer Experience Questionnaire (WCEQ)

The software market has been inundated with Windows-based application programs claiming increased usability and convenience. Although this trend is indeed prolific, it has resulted in two important implications: (a) an increase in the need to select employees with high levels of Windows-based computer expertise or to identify current employees who require enhanced training, and (b) an increase in the need to measure user expertise to support human-computer interaction research. Despite these increasing demands, questionnaires used to determine general computer experience are scarce. Furthermore, questionnaires regarding computer experience in a Windows environment are seemingly nonexistent. A reliable means of measuring experience in a Windows environment could substantially facilitate both human-computer interaction research and training. This article describes the procedures used to develop and test the reliability of the Windows Computer Experience Questionnaire (WCEQ). A test-retest correlation revealed that the WCEQ is a reliable measure of computer experience. Furthermore, a subsequent factor analysis revealed that the WCEQ is composed of four main factors: general Windows experience, advanced Windows experience, formal instruction and reliance on help functions.

A software application to estimate exposure around 131I cancer and hyperthyroid patients

A Windows-based software application (IDOSE) has been developed to estimate time-dependent radiation exposure around patients who receive 131I-sodium iodide (NaI) for hyperthyroidism or thyroid cancer therapy. This application is based on radiation exposure associations which relate pharmacokinetically such factors as administered dose, distance from patient, directional projection and time. The software was tested by comparing its predictability with that obtained with a survey meter in-house as well as at neighbouring hospitals for a total of 74 patients who were administered 131I(NaI). The latter surveys were performed at the patient's surface, at 30 cm and at 100 cm, from 0.25 to 56 h post-administration for a total of 133 data points. Statistical testing showed r-coefficients of > 0.9 and paired t-test values of > 0.39 between the predicted and measured survey values for all distances surveyed. The versatility of IDOSE lies in its ability to predict radiation exposure to others who come into contact with the patient relative to projection, time and distance. The latter is based on patient- and literature-generated default values at administration for three distances: surface, 30 cm and 100 cm. Thereafter, IDOSE predicts exposures at the default distances as a function of time. User-generated survey values at administration are an input option. IDOSE will never take the place of an actual survey. Its potential lies with estimating such information at times when surveys are not possible. Hypothetical 131I(NaI) patients are followed to illustrate the multifaceted nature of IDOSE. This paper describes the development, implementation and efficacy of a user-friendly Windows-based software application for predicting radiation exposure around 131I(NaI) patients.

A Microsoft ® Windows ™ based application for acquisition and replay of cardiotocograph data

The electronic fetal monitor or cardiotocograph is an integral part of all modern labour wards. It records fetal heart and uterine contractions and charts this data as a cardiotocogram (CTG). The CTG is used to assess fetal well-being by the labour attendants and in some circumstances for research. A means to acquire and display the CTG by microcomputer as an aid to archiving and to obstetric research is presented. A Microsoft Windows-based application was written using Microsoft C version 7.0 to acquire and replay the CTG data. The application acquires the CTG data by using the RS232 serial link fitted on most modern fetal monitors. Additionally, comments and events can be entered by the user throughout recording. The data are saved to disk files which can be replayed on screen in the manner of a CTG. The data replay functions of the application calculates the uterine activity integral and active pressure for each contraction and for 15 min intervals. This calculated data is not available from many fetal monitors but is widely used for research into the mechanics of labour. This application provides an easy, reliable and accurate means of acquiring the CTG data, for archiving and research. It also provides a framework for further CTG analysis.

An interactive robot control environment for rehabilitation applications

Interactive robot systems are under active investigation as aids for people with impaired manipulating ability. Under the direction of a disabled operator, a robot can manipulate objects, thereby increasing the independence of the operator in home, school and work activities. This paper describes a high-level control language CURL developed to facilitate communication between a disabled operator and the task environment. CURL is a Windows-based application. Interactive robotics requires a different approach from mainstream robotics where humans are kept out of the robot's work area.