Spectral Biomimetic Technique for Wood Classification

Palatal clicks are most interesting for human echolocation. Moreover, these sounds are suitable for other acoustic applications due to their regular mathematical properties and reproducibility. Simple and nondestructive techniques, bioinspired by synthetized pulses whose form reproduces the best features of palatal clicks, can be developed. The use of synthetic palatal pulses also allows detailed studies of the real possibilities of acoustic human echolocation without the problems associated with subjective individual differences. These techniques are being applied to the study of wood. As an example, a comparison of the performance of both natural and synthetic human echolocation to identify three different species of wood is presented. The results show that human echolocation has a vast potential

Towards Miniaturization of Magnetic Gears: Torque Performance Assessment

Magnetomechanical components can be a good solution in order to reduce, or even completely avoid, friction phenomena in micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) since they can transmit forces through magnetic fields without contacts. In this communication, electromagnetic simulations of the expected specific torque of a coaxial magnetic gear are given. The results show that micromagnetic gears (3 mm of diameter) could provide a specific torque up to 8.98 Nm/kg, several times larger than the specific torque that microgears (<9 mm of diameter) can provide. This implies that micromagnetic gears could provide speed conversion without contact in the teeth, avoiding corresponding friction, but also that it would even improve the specific torque transmission with respect to contact microgears

Bend and Moisture Effects on the Performance of a U-Shaped Slotted Wearable Antenna for Off-Body Communications in an Industrial Scientific Medical (ISM) 2.4 GHz band

In recent years, the study and design of wearable antennas have been empowered given the success of Wireless Body Area Networks (WBAN) for healthcare and medical purposes. This work analyses a flexible textile antenna whose performance can be optimised by the careful selection of the substrate thickness of the textile material, and by varying the antenna’s geometrical shape. After considering these parameters, several arrangements of antennas were simulated using the Computer Simulation Technology software (CST). The results of the simulations were compared to the experimental prototypes manufactured on a flexible felt material for a range of thicknesses and curvatures of the antenna substrate. Such antenna designs can be utilised in off-body communications and ISM applications

Design of a Multi-Band Microstrip Textile Patch Antenna for LTE and 5G Services with the CRO-SL Ensemble

A textile multi-band antenna for LTE and 5G communication services, composed by a rectangular microstrip patch, two concentric annular slots and a U-Shaped slot, is considered in this paper. In the ground plane, three sleeved meanders have been introduced to modify the surface current distribution, leading to a bandwidth improvement. The U-Shaped slot, the dual circular slots, and the meanders shape have been optimized by means of the Coral Reefs Optimization with Substrate Layer algorithm (CRO-SL). This population-based meta-heuristic approach is a kind of ensemble algorithm for optimization (multi-method), in which different search operators are considered within the algorithm. We show that the CRO-SL is able to obtain a robust multi-band textile antenna, including LTE and 5G frequency bands. For the optimization process, the CRO-SL is guided by means of a fitness function obtained after the antenna simulation by a specific simulation software for electromagnetic analysis in the high frequency range

Filtering of Mammograms Based on Convolution with Directional Fractal Masks to Enhance Microcalcifications

The image processing of mammograms is very important for the early detection of breast pathologies, including cancer. This paper proposes a new technique based on directional fractal filtering for detecting microcalcification clusters or irregularly shaped microcalcifications. The proposed algorithm has two parts: a preprocessing step for detecting and locating microcalcification; and a second zooming, enhancement, and segmentation step. Detection is performed by image convolution using a set of masks with interesting fractal properties. Combined with other simple mathematical operations, remarkable contrast enhancement and segmentation are produced. The final result permits the clear delineation of the shape of individual microcalcifications. A comparison is made with other microcalcification enhancement techniques described in the literature

Numerical Study of Focusing Effects of Microwaves inside Wood Due to Timber Ring Structure

The aim of this study is the detailed calculation of microwave propagation inside raw timber in cylindrical configurations. Two different approaches have been used. The first one uses an exact formulation and analytical approximations in order to explore the electromagnetic field distribution inside dry wood. The introduction of conductivity in the exact model makes it so complex that the equations are unsuitable for analytical manipulation. In order to further explore the effect of moisture in cylindrical wood structures, a full scale numerical simulation using commercial software has been performed. The results show that for microwave frequencies in the 3 GHz range and for typical wood parameters, a cylindrical log behaves as a kind of Fresnel lens. This work has important applications in microwave treatment and sensing of wood

Plan de negocio para la implementación de una empresa que brinde el servicio de inspección con drones para el sector de hidrocarburos a nivel nacional

En los últimos años en el Perú, el sector de hidrocarburos se ha convertido en fuente e importante soporte para el país, es poseedor de materias primas como gas natural y petróleo, y viene desarrollando proyectos de gran envergadura tecnológica en beneficio de la salud de los peruanos y sostenibilidad con el medio ambiente; sin embargo, el sector presenta una amplia brecha referida a la seguridad de los procesos y también de las personas, con lo cual se visualiza una oportunidad de negocio para desarrollar nuevas tecnologías que ayudarán a la industria peruana a preservar la integridad de sus colaboradores y a la vez realizar inspecciones con mejores resultados para la toma oportuna de decisiones. El presente plan de negocios comprende la implementación de una empresa que brinde el servicio de inspecciones con drones para el sector hidrocarburos a nivel nacional, que involucra a las operaciones del upstream y downstream

Fully Integrated Miniaturized Wireless Power Transfer Rectenna for Medical Applications Tested inside Biological Tissues

This work presents the results of the characterization of two 1 × 5 mm 2 miniaturized rectennas developed for medical applications. They have been designed for relatively high voltage and high-power applications, given the size of the rectennas. Both rectennas were tested in open-air conditions and surrounded by pork fat and muscle tissues, whose properties are similar to those of the human body. The resonant frequencies of the rectennas were found, and the incident electric field on the rectennas tests was increased. The first chip showed a maximum output voltage of 5.29 V and a maximum output power of 0.056 mW, at 1.446 GHz, under an incident field on the rectenna of 340 V/m, and the second chip, 4.62 V and 4.27 mW, at 1.175 GHz, under 535 V/m. The second rectenna can provide an output power greater than 5 mW. The rectennas presented in this article are beyond the state of the art, as they can deliver about three times more power and voltage than those of similar dimensions reported in the literature. Based on the test results, the efficiency of the rectennas was analyzed at different locations of the human body, considering different thicknesses of tissues with high and low water content. Finally, potential applications are described in which the rectennas could power implantable medical devices or microsurgery tools, for example, pulmonary artery pressure monitors.</p