Biomimetics as a strategy for the development of bioinspired structures for energy absorption based on fruits

This review seeks to update our knowledge about fruits, your structures, your materials for development of bio-inspired products, and your respective applications in-volving energy absorption, and shock dissipation. In nature, we will find a multitude of biological structure that performs the function of protection and crashworthiness. This study focuses on one of the biologically most important functions found in the natural packaging –that consists of the direct or indirect protection against mechanical damage or other negative environmental influences that involving crashworthiness– as well as energy absorption. Through of the systematic literature review, which includes all peer-reviewed research, documents that are relevant to the objective to ensure a comprehensive search were selected 21 research studies. Three research databases were identified: (I) web of Sci-ence, (II) Scopus, and (III) Science Direct. Only primary empirical studies were included. The review identified several situations where Biomimetics and Bio-inspiration method-ology are introduced for improvements and solving technological problems by analyzing, abstracting, adapting, and transposing biological principles, into the technical world. The results indicated that the structures based on fruits could improve the structure’s effi-ciency that has the role of providing an effective bio-inspired absorber for a multitude of product designs. Although there are several studies, more research is needed for use of new technologies and new settings to ensure recommendations that can implement the improvement of the development of design bio-inspired

The Future of MR-Guided Radiation Therapy

Magnetic resonance image guided radiation therapy (MRIgRT) is a relatively new technology that has already shown outcomes benefits but that has not yet reached its clinical potential. The improved soft-tissue contrast provided with MR, coupled with the immediacy of image acquisition with respect to the treatment, enables expansion of on-table adaptive protocols, currently at a cost of increased treatment complexity, use of human resources, and longer treatment slot times, which translate to decreased throughput. Many approaches are being investigated to meet these challenges, including the development of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to accelerate and automate much of the workflow and improved technology that parallelizes workflow tasks, as well as improvements in image acquisition speed and quality. This article summarizes limitations of current available integrated MRIgRT systems and gives an outlook about scientific developments to further expand the use of MRIgRT

Biomimetics as a strategy for the development of bioinspired structures for energy absorption based on fruits

This review seeks to update our knowledge about fruits, your structures, your materials for development of bio-inspired products, and your respective applications involving energy absorption, and shock dissipation. In nature, we will find a multitude of biological structure that performs the function of protection and crashworthiness. This study focuses on one of the biologically most important functions found in the natural packaging –that consists of the direct or indirect protection against mechanical damage or other negative environmental influences that involving crashworthiness– as well as energy absorption. Through of the systematic literature review, which includes all peer-reviewed research, documents that are relevant to the objective to ensure a comprehensive search were selected 21 research studies. Three research databases were identified: (I) web of Science, (II) Scopus, and (III) Science Direct. Only primary empirical studies were included. The review identified several situations where Biomimetics and Bio-inspiration methodology are introduced for improvements and solving technological problems by analyzing, abstracting, adapting, and transposing biological principles, into the technical world. The results indicated that the structures based on fruits could improve the structure’s efficiency that has the role of providing an effective bio-inspired absorber for a multitude of product designs. Although there are several studies, more research is needed for use of new technologies and new settings to ensure recommendations that can implement the improvement of the development of design bio-inspired.Esta revisión busca actualizar nuestro conocimiento sobre frutas, sus estructuras, sus materiales para el desarrollo de productos bioinspirados y sus respectivas aplicaciones relacionadas con la absorción de energía y la disipación de impactos. En la naturaleza, encontraremos multitud de estructuras biológicas que cumplen la función de protección y resistencia a los choques. Este estudio se centra en una de las funciones biológicamente más importantes que se encuentran en el embalaje natural, que consiste en la protección directa o indirecta contra daños mecánicos u otras influencias ambientales negativas que involucran la resistencia a los choques, así como la absorción de energía. A través de la revisión sistemática de la literatura, que incluye toda la investigación revisada por pares, se seleccionaron 21 estudios de investigación documentos que son relevantes para el objetivo de asegurar una búsqueda integral. Se identificaron tres bases de datos de investigación: (I) web of Science, (II) Scopus y (III) Science Direct. Solo se incluyeron estudios empíricos primarios. La revisión identificó varias situaciones en las que se introduce la metodología Biomimética y Bioinspiración para mejorar y resolver problemas tecnológicos mediante el análisis, la abstracción, la adaptación y la transposición de principios biológicos al mundo técnico. Los resultados indicaron que las estructuras basadas en frutas podrían mejorar la eficiencia de la estructura que tiene la función de proporcionar un absorbente bioinspirado eficaz para una multitud de diseños de productos. Aunque existen varios estudios, se necesita más investigación para el uso de nuevas tecnologías y nuevos escenarios para asegurar recomendaciones que puedan implementar la mejora del desarrollo de diseño bioinspirado. Esta revisão busca atualizar nosso conhecimento sobre frutas, suas estruturas, seus materiais para o desenvolvimento de produtos bioinspirados e suas respectivas aplicações envolvendo absorção de energia e dissipação de choque. Na natureza, encontraremos uma infinidade de estruturas biológicas que desempenham a função de proteção e resistência a choques. Este estudo enfoca uma das funções biologicamente mais importantes encontradas nas embalagens naturais - que consiste na proteção direta ou indireta contra danos mecânicos ou outras influências ambientais negativas que envolvam resistência ao choque - bem como a absorção de energia. Por meio da revisão sistemática da literatura, que inclui todas as pesquisas revisadas por pares, foram selecionados 21 trabalhos de pesquisa que são relevantes ao objetivo de garantir uma busca abrangente. Três bancos de dados de pesquisa foram identificados: (I) web of Science, (II) Scopus e (III) Science Direct. Apenas estudos empíricos primários foram incluídos. A revisão identificou várias situações onde a Biomimética e a metodologia de Bioinspiração são introduzidas para melhorias e solução de problemas tecnológicos por meio da análise, abstração, adaptação e transposição de princípios biológicos para o mundo técnico. Os resultados indicaram que as estruturas baseadas em frutas podem melhorar a eficiência da estrutura que tem o papel de fornecer um absorvedor bioinspirado eficaz para uma infinidade de designs de produtos. Embora existam diversos estudos, mais pesquisas são necessárias para utilização de novas tecnologias e novos ambientes para garantir recomendações que possam implementar a melhoria do desenvolvimento de projetos bioinspirados

The Theater High Altitude Area Defense program: an interim examination of its acquisition strategy

This thesis is an examination of the Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) program's implementation of the User Operational Evaluation System (UOES) acquisition strategy. The Missile Defense Act of 1991 imposed significant schedule risk on THAAD's development, necessitating the UOES strategy. The UOES risk management issues are analyzed using DOD's risk management guidance. This guidance incorporates some current methods, applications, and trends in using prototypes during development. Using this guidance, THAAD's tailored acquisition strategy is reviewed. From this review, lessons that have been learned from the program's experience are developed. The results show that as a result of programmatic risk the UOES strategy has resulted in a delay in fielding the full THAAD objective system.http://www.archive.org/details/theaterhighaltit00atkiCaptain, United States ArmyApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Modular hardware platform for monitoring and control at small office and home office

Dissertação de Mestrado em Engenharia Física apresentada à Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra.Este trabalho consistiu no desenvolvimento de uma plataforma modular de hardware para controlo e monitorização, criando, deste modo, a base para a rápida prototipagem de produtos e sensores capazes de se ligarem a Internet. Utilizam-se produtos e dispositivos disponíveis comercialmente para o público em geral na criação da plataforma, como é o caso do Raspberry Pi e de Arduinos, interligados pelos módulos de rádio NRF24L01+. A plataforma desenvolvida foi usada na construção do Qold, um produto para monitorizar temperaturas de forma automática, sem fios e totalmente integrado com uma aplicação online, tendo sido testado num cenário de utilização real, mostrando-se um sistema fiável (80.7% e 74.8% de up time no principal instalação feita). Um total de 5 gateways e 14 nodos foram instalados.In this project it was developed a modular hardware platform for monitoring and control. This platform will allow the faster development of products and sensors able to be connected to the Internet. We used commercial o the shelf products, such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi, and we connected them using the NRF24L01+ radio modules. The created platform was used in the development of Qold, a product designed to automatically measure temperatures and that is totally integrated with a web application. Qold was tested in real situation scenarios, with a reliable performance (with up times of 80.7% and 74.8% in the main pilot tested). A total of 5 gateways and 14 sensor nodes were installed

Novel binary actuator using SMA

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2005.Includes bibliographical references (p. 95-96).In situations that demand the use of the high-bandwidth, high-quality sense of vision for interactions with the physical world it would be beneficial to have a wearable tactile display that takes advantage of touch to communicate information to the user without causing visual distractions. This thesis presents the design and development of a novel actuator that can be configured into thin, flexible arrays to meet this need for wearable tactile displays. The actuator presented uses the strain recovery property of the martensitic transformation of Nitinol, a Shape Memory Alloy (SMA), to generate the actuation force. A compliant bistable mechanism provides the restoring force that pre- strains the martensitic Nitinol, and thus makes the actuator binary. Binary actuation alleviates some of the problems that would otherwise limit the effectiveness of Nitinol in wearable haptic systems. To increase the potential for commercial success, manufacturability issues are considered throughout the development cycle to ensure the potential for economical large scale production. The paper concludes with the presentation of three different prototypes. Their successes and failures are discussed along with recommendations for future work.by R. Dodge Daverman.S.M

The evolving role of prototypes in design research: a discussion on terms and meanings.

In this paper, we present the preliminary findings of an ongoing research project addressing the role of advanced prototypes in design research. The project aims at investigating the evolution of the role of the prototype in design research, given the recent advances in prototyping techniques and processes. In the first phase, we collected a diversity of definitions from literature, outlining both traditional and emerging traits of the use of prototypes. We observed that researchers tend to classify prototypes based on a variety of different purposes, which are tightly bound to the type of enquiry being carried out and the specific area of research in which they work. The emergent heterogeneity of terms and meanings shows that the definition of prototype is anything but univocal. This multiplicity of definitions led us to develop an overview of the assortment of terminologies and purposes that researchers use to describe the role(s) of the prototype