Integrated 2-D Optical Flow Sensor

I present a new focal-plane analog VLSI sensor that estimates optical flow in two visual dimensions. The chip significantly improves previous approaches both with respect to the applied model of optical flow estimation as well as the actual hardware implementation. Its distributed computational architecture consists of an array of locally connected motion units that collectively solve for the unique optimal optical flow estimate. The novel gradient-based motion model assumes visual motion to be translational, smooth and biased. The model guarantees that the estimation problem is computationally well-posed regardless of the visual input. Model parameters can be globally adjusted, leading to a rich output behavior. Varying the smoothness strength, for example, can provide a continuous spectrum of motion estimates, ranging from normal to global optical flow. Unlike approaches that rely on the explicit matching of brightness edges in space or time, the applied gradient-based model assures spatiotemporal continuity on visual information. The non-linear coupling of the individual motion units improves the resulting optical flow estimate because it reduces spatial smoothing across large velocity differences. Extended measurements of a 30x30 array prototype sensor under real-world conditions demonstrate the validity of the model and the robustness and functionality of the implementation

Compact Integrated Transconductance Amplifier Circuit for Temporal Differentiation

A compact integrated CMOS circuit for temporal differentiation is presented. It consists of a high-gain inverting amplifier, an active non-linear transconductance and a capacitor and requires only 4 transistors in its minimal configuration.The circuit provides two rectified current outputs that are proportional to the temporal derivative of the input voltage signal. Besides the compactness of its design, the presented circuit is not dependent on the DC-value of the input signal, as compared with known integrated differentiator circuits. Measured chip results show that the circuit operates on a large input frequency range for which it provides nearideal temporal differentiation. The circuit is particularly suited for focal-plane implementations of gradient-based visual motion systems

Consuming the million-mile electric car

Unlike for many consumer products, there has been no strong environmental case for extending the life of internal combustion engine cars as the majority of their environmental impact is fuel consumed in use and not the energy and materials involved in manufacturing. Indeed, with improving fuel efficiency, product life extension is environmentally undesirable; older, less fuel-efficient cars need to be replaced by newer more fuel-efficient models. Electric vehicles (EVs) are predominantly considered environmentally beneficial by using an increasingly decarbonised fuel – electricity. However, LCA analyses show that EVs have substantial environmental impacts in their materials, manufacturing and disposal. The high ‘embedded’ environmental impacts of EVs fundamentally change the case for product life extension. Thus, product life extension is desirable for EVs and they are suited to it. While petrol and diesel cars have an average lifetime mileage of 124,000 miles (200,000 Kilometres), the case for the million-mile (1.6 million Kilometre) electric car appears strong. Although it may be technically possible to produce a million-mile EV, how will such vehicles be consumed given that the car consumption is complex, involving, for example, extracting use and symbolic value? In this contribution we explore the nature of the relationship between cars and the consumer that moves beyond technical and functional value to understand what form of access consumers require to an EV across its entire 50-year life. If such consumption aspects are overlooked then, even if the million-mile car is technically viable, it is unlikely to be adopted and the environmental benefits they may yield will be lost.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

History of Leadership through Education and Innovation in the Ambulance Service in Britain

Purpose: This paper tracks the hitherto poorly documented history of the ambulance service in Britain from early military history to the present day identifying the leaders who motivated change and through education and innovation provided significant developments in pre-hospital patient care. Methodology: Desk research and interpretation of social and medical issues raised.Findings: The ambulance service developed from an early military need through a period when monks offered care to the local population. Followed by philanthropists and local doctors adapting and funding practices developed elsewhere, to independent hospitals run by doctors offering inbound transport. Subsequently, political pressure forced local authorities to offer pre-hospital care and transportation to hospitals for the sick and injured. The war years saw a military concentration on pre-hospital care followed by the integration of the ambulance service into the newly formed National Health Service (NHS). The profession of the paramedic was formed, technical innovation in communication, transportation, and on-scene patient care encouraged standardization of service. The ambulance service is an integral part of the NHS providing essential pre-hospital medical care.Originality: A description of the social history of the ambulance service in Britain defining the context, role of education in the motivation for leadership and innovation

A Smart Consumer-empowered Diabetes Education System (SCEDES): Integrating Human Wellbeing and Health Care in the Community Environment

Uncontrolled diabetes creates an increasing burden on individuals, their families, and the society in the UnitedStates. The expected total annual costs of diabetes, including both direct costs and the lost productivity, are expectedto be 20% of the Gross Domestic Products by 2016. In this paper, a community-based infrastructure is proposed toprovide consumers, both diabetics and pre-diabetics, with a Smart Consumer-empowered Diabetes EducationSystem (SCEDES) that will not only build consumer self-efficacy but also promote their self-management, selflearning,and support from peers and health care professionals. The system architecture and key implementationfeatures are addressed. Challenging issues and research directions are also discussed for further investigation

How Nation-States Craft National Security Strategy Documents

The need for security and the institutionalization of that security in national strategy and its associated documents is becoming a significant concern for nations in the 21st century international system. This need requires the development of national-level strategies that are designed with objectives; the attainment of which can ensure that the conditions necessary for security for a given actor in the international system can be met. The intent of this monograph is to explore the actual processes that nation-states employ to craft their national security strategy-related documents. The study aligned individual case studies of nation-states conducting their national strategy document formulation processes. These case studies were selected based upon a determination of two primary factors: 1) The nation-states in question had developed national security strategy documents that involved participation in the drafting process from more than one department or agency from the executive branch of government; and, 2) Individual participants that were involved in the actual drafting process would be willing to respond to the questions delineated above, either in person or by written response. In addition, subject to travel resource availability, an effort was made to have as many different regions of the world as possible represented in the review. Ultimately, five countries and their national strategy documents were selected for assessment: Australia, Brazil, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Once the data was gathered, the monograph written so as to compare and contrast the various processes employed by each nation in their strategy document development. The last portion of the analysis evaluates the lessons learned from all five cases and identifies specific lessons that could be applicable to strategy document formulation for any future actor engaged in the process.https://press.armywarcollege.edu/monographs/1538/thumbnail.jp

Critical analysis of Prshta Marma (vital points in the back)

The concept of Marma is a fascinating step and breakthrough in understanding human body from a deeper perspective. Marmas are the vital points in human body where Pranah flows.[1] Upon injury it causes severe complications including death and upon careful manipulation results in desired healing effect. In Atharvaveda, Marmas are described for therapeutic and surgical purposes. In Dhanurveda, science of Marma is used for military approach and martial arts for protecting the vulnerable vital points of soldiers (including elephants and horses) by developing body armor in war.[2] Acharya Susrutha explains all the 107 Marmas in human body in detail. In this article with the detailed reference of Prstha Marmas (vital points of back), the concept of Marmas can be further understood