Energy harvesting from piezoelectric devices embedded in a 3D printed wing

This thesis work has been carried out at Clarkson University in Potsdam NY, USA and involved the design of a low elongation wing, consisting of parts made by polylactide (PLA) using the fused deposition model (FDM) technology of Rapid Prototyping, then assembled together in a thin aluminum spar. The aim of the research is to evaluate the feasibility of collecting electrical energy by converting mechanical energy from the vibration of the wing flutter. With this aim piezoelectric stripes were glued in the inner part of the wing, as well as on the aluminum spar, as monomorphic configuration. During the phases of the project, particular attention was given to the geometry and the materials used, in order to trigger the flutter for low flow velocity. The CAD software SolidWorks® was used for the design of the wing and then the drawings were sent to the Clarkson machine shop in order to to produce the parts required by the wing assembly. FEM simulations were performed, using software MSC NASTRAN/PATRAN®, to evaluate the stiffness of the whole wing as well as the natural vibration modes of the structure. These data, in a first approximation, were used to predict the flutter speed. Finally, experimental tests in the Clarkson wind tunnel facility were carried out in order to validate the results obtained from FEM analysis. The power collected by the piezoelectrics under flutter condition was addressed by tuning the resistors downstream the electronic circuit of the piezoelectrics.

Virtobot--a multi-functional robotic system for 3D surface scanning and automatic post mortem biopsy

The Virtopsy project, a multi-disciplinary project that involves forensic science, diagnostic imaging, computer science, automation technology, telematics and biomechanics, aims to develop new techniques to improve the outcome of forensic investigations. This paper presents a new approach in the field of minimally invasive virtual autopsy for a versatile robotic system that is able to perform three-dimensional (3D) surface scans as well as post mortem image-guided soft tissue biopsies.

Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of virtual tumours in canine kidney using Global Positioning System-like technology

What's known on the subject? And what does the study add? We have previously shown that percutaneous radiofrequency ablation guided by image-fusion technology allows for precise needle placement with real time ultrasound superimposed with pre-loaded imaging, removing the need for real-time CT or MR guidance. Emerging technology also allows real-time tracking of a treatment needle within an organ in a virtually created 3D format. To our knowledge, this is the first study utilising a sophisticated ultrasound-based navigation system that uses both image-fusion and real-time probe-tracking technologies for in-vivo renal ablative intervention.

The examination and identification of bite marks in foods using 3D scanning and 3D comparison methods

Bite mark analysis offers the opportunity to identify the biter based on the individual characteristics of the dentitions. Normally, the main focus is on analysing bite mark injuries on human bodies, but also, bite marks in food may play an important role in the forensic investigation of a crime. This study presents a comparison of simulated bite marks in different kinds of food with the dentitions of the presumed biter. Bite marks were produced by six adults in slices of buttered bread, apples, different kinds of Swiss chocolate and Swiss cheese. The time-lapse influence of the bite mark in food, under room temperature conditions, was also examined. For the documentation of the bite marks and the dentitions of the biters, 3D optical surface scanning technology was used. The comparison was performed using two different software packages: the ATOS modelling and analysing software and the 3D studio max animation software. The ATOS software enables an automatic computation of the deviation between the two meshes. In the present study, the bite marks and the dentitions were compared, as well as the meshes of each bite mark which were recorded in the different stages of time lapse. In the 3D studio max software, the act of biting was animated to compare the dentitions with the bite mark. The examined food recorded the individual characteristics of the dentitions very well. In all cases, the biter could be identified, and the dentitions of the other presumed biters could be excluded. The influence of the time lapse on the food depends on the kind of food and is shown on the diagrams. However, the identification of the biter could still be performed after a period of time, based on the recorded individual characteristics of the dentitions.

Diagnostic microchip to assay 3D colony-growth potential of captured circulating tumor cells

Microfluidic technology has been successfully applied to isolate very rare tumor-derived epithelial cells (circulating tumor cells, CTCs) from blood with relatively high yield and purity, opening up exciting prospects for early detection of cancer. However, a major limitation of state-of-the-art CTC-chips is their inability to characterize the behavior and function of captured CTCs, for example to obtain information on proliferative and invasive properties or, ultimately, tumor re-initiating potential. Although CTCs can be efficiently immunostained with markers reporting phenotype or fate (e.g. apoptosis, proliferation), it has not yet been possible to reliably grow captured CTCs over long periods of time and at single cell level. It is challenging to remove CTCs from a microchip after capture, therefore such analyses should ideally be performed directly on-chip. To address this challenge, we merged CTC capture with three-dimensional (3D) tumor cell culture on the same microfluidic platform. PC3 prostate cancer cells were isolated from spiked blood on a transparent PDMS CTC-chip, encapsulated on-chip in a biomimetic hydrogel matrix (QGel™) that was formed in situ, and their clonal 3D spheroid growth potential was assessed by microscopy over one week in culture. The possibility to clonally expand a subset of captured CTCs in a near-physiological in vitro model adds an important element to the expanding CTC-chip toolbox that ultimately should improve prediction of treatment responses and disease progression.

Determining bridge deck deterioration through the use of 3D photogrammetry

The bridge inspection industry has yet to utilize a rapidly growing technology that shows promise to help improve the inspection process. This thesis investigates the abilities that 3D photogrammetry is capable of providing to the bridge inspector for a number of deterioration mechanisms. The technology can provide information about the surface condition of some bridge components, primarily focusing on the surface defects of a concrete bridge which include cracking, spalling and scaling. Testing was completed using a Canon EOS 7D camera which then processed photos using AgiSoft PhotoScan to align the photos and develop models. Further processing of the models was done using ArcMap in the ArcGIS 10 program to view the digital elevation models of the concrete surface. Several experiments were completed to determine the ability of the technique for the detection of the different defects. The cracks that were able to be resolved in this study were a 1/8 inch crack at a distance of two feet above the surface. 3D photogrammetry was able to be detect a depression of 1 inch wide with 3/16 inch depth which would be sufficient to measure any scaling or spalling that would be required be the inspector. The percentage scaled or spalled was also able to be calculated from the digital elevation models in ArcMap. Different camera factors including the distance from the defects, number of photos and angle, were also investigated to see how each factor affected the capabilities. 3D photogrammetry showed great promise in the detection of scaling or spalling of the concrete bridge surface.

An application of combinatorial optimization in the printing industry

Offset printing is a common method to produce large amounts of printed matter. We consider a real-world offset printing process that is used to imprint customer-specific designs on napkin pouches. The print- ing technology used yields a number of specific constraints. The planning problem consists of allocating designs to printing-plate slots such that the given customer demand for each design is fulfilled, all technologi- cal and organizational constraints are met and the total overproduction and setup costs are minimized. We formulate this planning problem as a mixed-binary linear program, and we develop a multi-pass matching-based savings heuristic. We report computational results for a set of problem instances devised from real-world data.

VIRTOPSY--scientific documentation, reconstruction and animation in forensic: individual and real 3D data based geo-metric approach including optical body/object surface and radiological CT/MRI scanning.

Until today, most of the documentation of forensic relevant medical findings is limited to traditional 2D photography, 2D conventional radiographs, sketches and verbal description. There are still some limitations of the classic documentation in forensic science especially if a 3D documentation is necessary. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate new 3D real data based geo-metric technology approaches. This paper present approaches to a 3D geo-metric documentation of injuries on the body surface and internal injuries in the living and deceased cases. Using modern imaging methods such as photogrammetry, optical surface and radiological CT/MRI scanning in combination it could be demonstrated that a real, full 3D data based individual documentation of the body surface and internal structures is possible in a non-invasive and non-destructive manner. Using the data merging/fusing and animation possibilities, it is possible to answer reconstructive questions of the dynamic development of patterned injuries (morphologic imprints) and to evaluate the possibility, that they are matchable or linkable to suspected injury-causing instruments. For the first time, to our knowledge, the method of optical and radiological 3D scanning was used to document the forensic relevant injuries of human body in combination with vehicle damages. By this complementary documentation approach, individual forensic real data based analysis and animation were possible linking body injuries to vehicle deformations or damages. These data allow conclusions to be drawn for automobile accident research, optimization of vehicle safety (pedestrian and passenger) and for further development of crash dummies. Real 3D data based documentation opens a new horizon for scientific reconstruction and animation by bringing added value and a real quality improvement in forensic science.

Engineering an in vitro air-blood barrier by 3D bioprinting

Intensive efforts in recent years to develop and commercialize in vitro alternatives in the field of risk assessment have yielded new promising two- and three dimensional (3D) cell culture models. Nevertheless, a realistic 3D in vitro alveolar model is not available yet. Here we report on the biofabrication of the human air-blood tissue barrier analogue composed of an endothelial cell, basement membrane and epithelial cell layer by using a bioprinting technology. In contrary to the manual method, we demonstrate that this technique enables automatized and reproducible creation of thinner and more homogeneous cell layers, which is required for an optimal air-blood tissue barrier. This bioprinting platform will offer an excellent tool to engineer an advanced 3D lung model for high-throughput screening for safety assessment and drug efficacy testing.

Virtual 3D Support Contents Oriented to Interactive Self-Learning

In the educational project described in this paper, new virtual 3D didactical contents have been developed to achieve specific outcomes, within the frame of a new methodology oriented to objectives of the European Higher Education Area directives. The motivation of the project was to serve as a new assessment method, to create a link between new programs of study with the older ones. In this project, new rubrics have been developed to be employed as an objective method of evaluation of specific and transversal outcomes, to accomplish the certification criteria of institutions like ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology).

Dynamic Response of Wind Turbines to Theoretical 3D Seismic Motions Taking into Account the Rotational Component

We study the dynamic response of a wind turbine structure subjected to theoretical seismic motions, taking into account the rotational component of ground shaking. Models are generated for a shallow moderate crustal earthquake in the Madrid Region (Spain). Synthetic translational and rotational time histories are computed using the Discrete Wavenumber Method, assuming a point source and a horizontal layered earth structure. These are used to analyze the dynamic response of a wind turbine, represented by a simple finite element model. Von Mises stress values at different heights of the tower are used to study the dynamical structural response to a set of synthetic ground motion time histories

Upper Limb Portable Motion Analysis System Based on Inertial Technology for Neurorehabilitation Purposes

Here an inertial sensor-based monitoring system for measuring and analyzing upper limb movements is presented. The final goal is the integration of this motion-tracking device within a portable rehabilitation system for brain injury patients. A set of four inertial sensors mounted on a special garment worn by the patient provides the quaternions representing the patient upper limb’s orientation in space. A kinematic model is built to estimate 3D upper limb motion for accurate therapeutic evaluation. The human upper limb is represented as a kinematic chain of rigid bodies with three joints and six degrees of freedom. Validation of the system has been performed by co-registration of movements with a commercial optoelectronic tracking system. Successful results are shown that exhibit a high correlation among signals provided by both devices and obtained at the Institut Guttmann Neurorehabilitation Hospital.