30,642 research outputs found
Efficient use of bit planes in the generation of motion stimuli
The production of animated motion sequences on computer-controlled display systems presents a technical problem because large images cannot be transferred from disk storage to image memory at conventional frame rates. A technique is described in which a single base image can be used to generate a broad class of motion stimuli without the need for such memory transfers. This technique was applied to the generation of drifting sine-wave gratings (and by extension, sine wave plaids). For each drifting grating, sine and cosine spatial phase components are first reduced to 1 bit/pixel using a digital halftoning technique. The resulting pairs of 1-bit images are then loaded into pairs of bit planes of the display memory. To animate the patterns, the display hardware's color lookup table is modified on a frame-by-frame basis; for each frame the lookup table is set to display a weighted sum of the spatial sine and cosine phase components. Because the contrasts and temporal frequencies of the various components are mutually independent in each frame, the sine and cosine components can be counterphase modulated in temporal quadrature, yielding a single drifting grating. Using additional bit planes, multiple drifting gratings can be combined to form sine-wave plaid patterns. A large number of resultant plaid motions can be produced from a single image file because the temporal frequencies of all the components can be varied independently. For a graphics device having 8 bits/pixel, up to four drifting gratings may be combined, each having independently variable contrast and speed
Effect of contrast on the perception of direction of a moving pattern
A series of experiments examining the effect of contrast on the perception of moving plaids was performed to test the hypothesis that the human visual system determines the direction of a moving plaid in a two-staged process: decomposition into component motion followed by application of the intersection-of-contraints rule. Although there is recent evidence that the first tenet of the hypothesis is correct, i.e., that plaid motion is initially decomposed into the motion of the individual grating components, the nature of the second-stage combination rule has not yet been established. It was found that when the gratings within the plaid are of different contrast the preceived direction is not predicted by the intersection-of-constraints rule. There is a strong (up to 20 deg) bias in the direction of the higher-constrast grating. A revised model, which incorporates a contrast-dependent weighting of perceived grating speed as observed for one-dimensional patterns, can quantitatively predict most of the results. The results are then discussed in the context of various models of human visual motion processing and of physiological responses of neurons in the primate visual system
State-of-charge and state-of-health prediction of lead-acid batteries for hybrid electric vehicles using non-linear observers
The paper describes the application of state-estimation techniques for the real-time prediction of state-of-charge (SoC) and state-of-health (SoH) of lead-acid cells. Approaches based on the extended Kalman filter (EKF) are presented to provide correction for offset, drift and state divergence - an unfortunate feature of more traditional coulomb-counting techniques. Experimental results are employed to demonstrate the relative attributes of the proposed methodolog
Sensorless control of deep-sea ROVs PMSMs excited by matrix converters
The paper reports the development of model-based sensorless control methodologies for driving PMSMs using matrix converters. In particular, experimental results show that observer-based state-estimation techniques normally employed for sensorless control of PMSMs using voltage source inverters (VSIs), can be readily exported to matrix converter counterparts with minimal additional computational overhead. Furthermore, zero speed start-up and speed reversal are experimentally demonstrated. Finally, the observer is designed to be fault tolerant such that upon detection of a broken terminal (phase fault), the PMSM remains operational and could be utilized to provide a limp-home capabilit
Observer techniques for estimating the state-of-charge and state-of-health of VRLABs for hybrid electric vehicles
The paper describes the application of observer-based state-estimation techniques for the real-time prediction of state-of-charge (SoC) and state-of-health (SoH) of lead-acid cells. Specifically, an approach based on the well-known Kalman filter, is employed, to estimate SoC, and the subsequent use of the EKF to accommodate model non-linearities to predict battery SoH. The underlying dynamic behaviour of each cell is based on a generic Randles' equivalent circuit comprising of two-capacitors (bulk and surface) and three resistors, (terminal, transfer and self-discharging). The presented techniques are shown to correct for offset, drift and long-term state divergence-an unfortunate feature of employing stand-alone models and more traditional coulomb-counting techniques. Measurements using real-time road data are used to compare the performance of conventional integration-based methods for estimating SoC, with those predicted from the presented state estimation schemes. Results show that the proposed methodologies are superior with SoC being estimated to be within 1% of measured. Moreover, by accounting for the nonlinearities present within the dynamic cell model, the application of an EKF is shown to provide verifiable indications of SoH of the cell pack
Anomalous lateral diffusion in a viscous membrane surrounded by viscoelastic media
We investigate the lateral dynamics in a purely viscous lipid membrane
surrounded by viscoelastic media such as polymeric solutions. We first obtain
the generalized frequency-dependent mobility tensor and focus on the case when
the solvent is sandwiched by hard walls. Due to the viscoelasticity of the
solvent, the mean square displacement of a disk embedded in the membrane
exhibits an anomalous diffusion. An useful relation which connects the mean
square displacement and the solvent modulus is provided. We also calculate the
cross-correlation of the particle displacements which can be applied for
two-particle tracking experiments.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figure
Automated Retrieval of Non-Engineering Domain Solutions to Engineering Problems
Organised by: Cranfield UniversityBiological inspiration for engineering design has occurred through a variety of techniques such as creation
and use of databases, keyword searches of biological information in natural-language format, prior
knowledge of biology, and chance observations of nature. This research focuses on utilizing the reconciled
Functional Basis function and flow terms to identify suitable biological inspiration for function based design.
The organized search provides two levels of results: (1) associated with verb function only and (2) narrowed
results associated with verb-noun (function-flow). A set of heuristics has been complied to promote efficient
searching using this technique. An example for creating smart flooring is also presented and discussed.Mori Seiki – The Machine Tool Compan
Heavy Meson Physics: What have we learned in Twenty Years?
I give a personal account of the development of the field of heavy quarks.
After reviewing the experimental discovery of charm and bottom quarks, I
describe how the field's focus shifted towards determination of CKM elements
and how this has matured into a precision science.Comment: This talk was presented during the ceremony awarding the Medalla 2003
of the Division of Particles and Fields of The Mexican Phsyical Society, at
the IX Mexican Workshop on Particles and Fields; submitted for proceedings; 9
pages, 9 figures; replacement: fix multiple typo
Quantum coherence in a ferromagnetic metal: time-dependent conductance fluctuations
Quantum coherence of electrons in ferromagnetic metals is difficult to assess
experimentally. We report the first measurements of time-dependent universal
conductance fluctuations in ferromagnetic metal (NiFe)
nanostructures as a function of temperature and magnetic field strength and
orientation. We find that the cooperon contribution to this quantum correction
is suppressed, and that domain wall motion can be a source of
coherence-enhanced conductance fluctuations. The fluctuations are more strongly
temperature dependent than those in normal metals, hinting that an unusual
dephasing mechanism may be at work.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Persistence of magnons in a site-diluted dimerized frustrated antiferromagnet
We present inelastic neutron scattering and thermodynamic measurements
characterizing the magnetic excitations in a disordered non-magnetic
substituted spin-liquid antiferromagnet. The parent compound Ba3Mn2O8 is a
dimerized, quasi-two-dimensional geometrically frustrated quantum disordered
antiferromagnet. We substitute this compound with non-magnetic vanadium for the
S = 1 manganese atoms, Ba3(Mn1-xVx)2O8, and find that the singlet-triplet
excitations which dominate the spectrum of the parent compound persist for the
full range of substitution examined, x = 0.02 to 0.3. We also observe
additional low-energy magnetic fluctuations which are enhanced at the greatest
substitution values. These excitations may be a precursor to a low-temperature
random singlet phase which may exist in Ba3(Mn1-xVx)2O8Comment: 30 pages, 9 figure
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