Assessing the viability of studying motion indicators of autism spectrum disorders in infants at high and low risk for ASD using a passive motion capture system

Gemstone Team AMIRA

LARGE MOTION VISUALIZATION AND ESTIMATION FOR FLAPPING WING SYSTEMS

Studies of fluid-structure interactions associated with flexible structures such as flapping wings require the capture and quantification of large motions of bodies that may be opaque. Motion capture of a free flying insect is considered by using three synchronized high-speed cameras. A solid finite element representation is used as a reference body and successive snapshots in time of the displacement fields are reconstructed via an optimization procedure. An objective function is formulated, and various shape difference definitions are considered. The proposed methodology is first studied for a synthetic case of a flexible cantilever structure undergoing large deformations, and then applied to a Manduca Sexta (hawkmoth) in free flight. The three-dimensional motions of this flapping system are reconstructed from image date collected by using three cameras. The complete deformation geometry of this system is analyzed. Finally, a computational investigation is carried out to understand the flow physics and aerodynamic performance by prescribing the body and wing motions in a fluid-body code. This thesis work contains one of the first set of such motion visualization and deformation analyses carried out for a hawkmoth in free flight. The tools and procedures used in this work are widely applicable to the studies of other flying animals with flexible wings as well as synthetic systems with flexible body elements.

Of Mice and Men: An Ergonomic and Market Assessment of Current Computer Mice

Gemstone Team MICE (Modifying and Improving Computer Ergonomics)

SPACE-DEPLOYED, THIN-WALLED ENCLOSURE FOR A CRYOGENICALLY-COOLED HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTING COIL

The interaction of magnetic fields generated by large superconducting coils has multiple applications in space, including actuation of spacecraft or spacecraft components, wireless power transfer, and shielding of spacecraft from radiation and high energy particles. These applications require coils with major diameters as large as 20 meters and a thermal management system to maintain the superconducting material of the coil below its critical temperature. Since a rigid thermal management system, such as a heat pipe, is unsuitable for compact stowage inside a 5 meter payload fairing, a thin-walled thermal enclosure is proposed. A 1.85 meter diameter test article consisting of a bladder layer for containing chilled nitrogen vapor, a restraint layer, and multilayer insulation was tested in a custom toroidal vacuum chamber. The material properties found during laboratory testing are used to predict the performance of the test article in low Earth orbit. Deployment motion of the same test article was measured using a motion capture system and the results are used to predict the deployment in space. A 20 meter major diameter and coil current of 6.7 MA is selected as a point design case. This design point represents a single coil in a high energy particle shielding system. Sizing of the thermal and structural components of the enclosure is completed. The thermal and deployment performance is predicted.

FREQUENCY DOMAIN CHARACTERIZATION OF OPTIC FLOW AND VISION-BASED OCELLAR SENSING FOR ROTATIONAL MOTION

The structure of an animal’s eye is determined by the tasks it must perform. While vertebrates rely on their two eyes for all visual functions, insects have evolved a wide range of specialized visual organs to support behaviors such as prey capture, predator evasion, mate pursuit, flight stabilization, and navigation. Compound eyes and ocelli constitute the vision forming and sensing mechanisms of some flying insects. They provide signals useful for flight stabilization and navigation. In contrast to the well-studied compound eye, the ocelli, seen as the second visual system, sense fast luminance changes and allows for fast visual processing. Using a luminance-based sensor that mimics the insect ocelli and a camera-based motion detection system, a frequency-domain characterization of an ocellar sensor and optic flow (due to rotational motion) are analyzed. Inspired by the insect neurons that make use of signals from both vision sensing mechanisms, advantages, disadvantages and complementary properties of ocellar and optic flow estimates are discussed.

MICROFLUIDIC ASSAY PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT USING POROUS VOLUMETRIC DETECTION ELEMENTS FOR IMPEDEMETRIC AND OPTICAL SENSING

Microfluidic technologies have great potential to help create automated, cost-effective, portable devices for rapid point of care (POC) diagnostics in diverse patient settings. Unfortunately commercialization is currently constrained by the materials, reagents, and instrumentation required and detection element performance. While most microfluidic studies utilize planar detection elements, this dissertation demonstrates the utility of porous volumetric detection elements to improve detection sensitivity and reduce assay times. Impedemetric immunoassays were performed utilizing silver enhanced gold nanoparticle immunoconjugates (AuIgGs) and porous polymer monolith or silica bead bed detection elements within a thermoplastic microchannel. For a direct assay with 10 µm spaced electrodes the detection limit was 0.13 fM AuIgG with a 3 log dynamic range. The same assay was performed with electrode spacing of 15, 40, and 100 µm with no significant difference between configurations. For a sandwich assay the detection limit was10 ng/mL with a 4 log dynamic range. While most impedemetric assays rely on expensive high resolution electrodes to enhance planar senor performance, this study demonstrates the employment of porous volumetric detection elements to achieve similar performance using lower resolution electrodes and shorter incubation times. Optical immunoassays were performed using porous volumetric capture elements perfused with refractive index matching solutions to limit light scattering and enhance signal. First, fluorescence signal enhancement was demonstrated with a porous polymer monolith within a silica capillary. Next, transmission enhancement of a direct assay was demonstrated by infusing aqueous sucrose solutions through silica bead beds with captured silver enhanced AuIgGs yielding a detection limit of 0.1 ng/mL and a 5 log dynamic range. Finally, ex situ functionalized porous silica monolith segments were integrated into thermoplastic channels for a reflectance based sandwich assay yielding a detection limit of 1 ng/mL and a 5 log dynamic range. The simple techniques for optical signal enhancement and ex situ element integration enable development of sensitive, multiplexed microfluidic sensors. Collectively the demonstrated experiments validate the use of porous volumetric detection elements to enhance impedemetric and optical microfluidic assays. The techniques rely on commercial reagents, materials compatible with manufacturing, and measurement instrumentation adaptable to POC diagnostics.