Modal Test of the NASA Mobile Launcher at Kennedy Space Center

The NASA Mobile Launcher (ML), located at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), has recently been modified to support the launch of the new NASA Space Launch System (SLS). The ML is a massive structureconsisting of a 345-foot tall tower attached to a two-story base, weighing approximately 10.5 million poundsthat will secure the SLS vehicle as it rolls to the launch pad on a Crawler Transporter, as well as provide a launch platform at the pad. The ML will also provide the boundary condition for an upcoming SLS Integrated Modal Test (IMT). To help correlate the ML math models prior to this modal test, and allow focus to remain on updating SLS vehicle models during the IMT, a ML-only experimental modal test was performed in June 2019. Excitation of the tower and platform was provided by five uniquely-designed test fixtures, each enclosing a hydraulic shaker, capable of exerting thousands of pounds of force into the structure. For modes not that were not sufficiently excited by the test fixture shakers, a specially-designed mobile drop tower provided impact excitation at additional locations of interest. The response of the ML was measured with a total of 361 accelerometers. Following the random vibration, sine sweep vibration, and modal impact testing, frequency response functions were calculated and modes were extracted for three different configurations of the ML in 0 Hz to 12 Hz frequency range. This paper will provide a case study in performing modal tests on large structures by discussing the Mobile Launcher, the test strategy, an overview of the test results, and recommendations for meeting a tight test schedule for a large-scale modal test

Vital Sensory Kit For Use With Telemedicine In Developing Countries

In many developing countries, a large percentage of the population lacks access to adequate healthcare. This is especially true in India where close to 70% of the population lives in rural areas and has little to no access to hospitals or clinics. People living in rural India often times cannot afford to pay to see a doctor should they need to make the journey to a hospital. Telemedicine, a breakthrough in the past couple decades, has broken down the barrier between the patient and the physician. It has slowly been implemented in India to make doctors more available to patients through the use of video conferences and other forms of communication. A compact and affordable kit has been developed that will be used to take a patient’s blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose concentration and oxygen saturation. Our most novel contribution is the non-invasive glucose sensor that will use a near-infrared LED and photodiode in the patient’s earlobe. Currently millions of diabetics do this by pricking their finger. By wirelessly sending data results from the vital sign kit, the first essential part of a treatment can be carried out via wireless communication, saving the doctor and patient time and money

The Desktop Muon Detector: A simple, physics-motivated machine- and electronics-shop project for university students

This paper describes an undergraduate-level physics project that incorporates various aspects of machine- and electronics-shop technical development. The desktop muon detector is a self-contained apparatus that employs plastic scintillator as a detection medium and a silicon photomultiplier for light collection. These detectors can be used in conjunction with the provided software to make interesting physics measurements. The total cost of each counter is approximately $100.Comment: 29 pages, 14 figure

TAO Conceptual Design Report: A Precision Measurement of the Reactor Antineutrino Spectrum with Sub-percent Energy Resolution

The Taishan Antineutrino Observatory (TAO, also known as JUNO-TAO) is a satellite experiment of the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO). A ton-level liquid scintillator detector will be placed at about 30 m from a core of the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant. The reactor antineutrino spectrum will be measured with sub-percent energy resolution, to provide a reference spectrum for future reactor neutrino experiments, and to provide a benchmark measurement to test nuclear databases. A spherical acrylic vessel containing 2.8 ton gadolinium-doped liquid scintillator will be viewed by 10 m^2 Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) of >50% photon detection efficiency with almost full coverage. The photoelectron yield is about 4500 per MeV, an order higher than any existing large-scale liquid scintillator detectors. The detector operates at -50 degree C to lower the dark noise of SiPMs to an acceptable level. The detector will measure about 2000 reactor antineutrinos per day, and is designed to be well shielded from cosmogenic backgrounds and ambient radioactivities to have about 10% background-to-signal ratio. The experiment is expected to start operation in 2022

Design of a Miniature Camera System for Interior Vision Automotive Application

The purpose of this thesis is to describe the design process, goals, and analysis of the interior vision camera for a driver monitoring system. The design includes minimizing the overall footprint of the system by utilizing smaller more precise optics, as well as higher quantum efficiency (QE) image sensor technologies and packaging. As a result of this research, prototype cameras are constructed, and performance was analyzed. The analysis shows that Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) performance is stable at extreme hot and cold temperatures, while the cost is mitigated by using all plastic lens elements. New high QE image sensors are a potential improvement to this design. The mechanical part of the design has resulted in the filing of three different patents. The first patent was the athermalization spacer itself for automotive applications. The second patent was the way the lens barrel interacts with the athermalization piece. The third patent was the way the imager assembly accommodates the same Bill Of Material (BOM) components and different customer requirement angles

SYSTEM DETECTION FOR VEHICLE MOVEMENT

The main objective for this project is to develop an intelligent robot which can detect an obstacle object that blocking the main road. Besides the system also develop to create one robot system that can follow certain path to be use in moving or transport industries. Then security aspect also has been applied in this project by providing surveillance camera which able to monitor certain activity at one place by transmitting data or image recorded by it to security center. This research is on artificial intelligence knowledge which related to knowledge and intelligence that has been applied to robot system in order to implement the task which is similar or more human can do. All the task are done using latest technology in order to produce the greatest system that can be use by all sides and give benefit to all. From the finish product, I hope this robot can be use for the broad purpose and contribute to the big research of robotic development. From my research, Malaysia is still new with robot development, and with that I hope robot industry can become wider.

Electrowetting-Based Digital Microfluidics Platform for Automated Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay

Electrowetting is the effect by which the contact angle of a droplet exposed to a surface charge is modified. Electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) exploits the dielectric properties of thin insulator films to enhance the charge density and hence boost the electrowetting effect. The presence of charges results in an electrically induced spreading of the droplet which permits purposeful manipulation across a hydrophobic surface. Here, we demonstrate EWOD-based protocol for sample processing and detection of four categories of antigens, using an automated surface actuation platform, via two variations of an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) methods. The ELISA is performed on magnetic beads with immobilized primary antibodies which can be selected to target a specific antigen. An antibody conjugated to HRP binds to the antigen and is mixed with H 2O 2/Luminol for quantification of the captured pathogens. Assay completion times of between 6 and 10 min were achieved, whilst minuscule volumes of reagents were utilized.Peer reviewe

On flexibly integrating machine vision inspection systems in PCB manufacture

The objective of this research is to advance computer vision techniques and their applications in the electronics manufacturing industry. The research has been carried out with specific reference to the design of automatic optical inspection (AOI) systems and their role in the manufacture of printed circuit boards (PCBs). To achieve this objective, application areas of AOI systems in PCB manufacture have been examined. As a result, a requirement for enhanced performance characteristics has been identified and novel approaches and image processing algorithms have been evolved which can be used within next generation of AOI systems. The approaches are based on gaining an understanding of ways in which manufacturing information can be used to support AOI operations. Through providing information support, an AOI system has access to product models and associated information which can be used to enhance the execution of visual inspection tasks. Manufacturing systems integration, or more accurately controlled access to electronic information, is the key to the approaches. Also in the thesis methods are proposed to achieve the flexible integration of AOI systems (and computer vision systems in general) within their host PCB manufacturing environment. Furthermore, potential applications of information supported AOI systems at various stages of PCB manufacturing have been studied. It is envisaged that more efficient and cost-effective applications of AOI can be attained through adopting the flexible integration methods proposed, since AOI-generated information can now be accessed and utilized by other processes