Image Processing Using FPGAs

This book presents a selection of papers representing current research on using field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for realising image processing algorithms. These papers are reprints of papers selected for a Special Issue of the Journal of Imaging on image processing using FPGAs. A diverse range of topics is covered, including parallel soft processors, memory management, image filters, segmentation, clustering, image analysis, and image compression. Applications include traffic sign recognition for autonomous driving, cell detection for histopathology, and video compression. Collectively, they represent the current state-of-the-art on image processing using FPGAs

Mansell power lifter actuator failure analysis

The Mansell Power Lifter is a critical component of the Mansell Infant Retrieval System. It functions as an electrically powered stretcher which can be raised or lowered through the use of two independant DC-motor driven linear actuators. The Mansell Infant Retrieval System is a key piece of medical equipment used widely to transport critically ill infants. Over a number of years there have been reports of the linear actuators used in the Mansell Power Lifter failing unexpectedly. Due to the high reliability requirements of the Mansell Power Lifter as a medical device any failures are unacceptable, and as a result the manufacturer of the Mansell Power lifter has sought to identify the cause of the failures. The aim of this project was to attempt to identify the mechanism and cause of the actuator failures and if possible propose a potential solution. In order to identify the failure mechanism and root cause, it was determined that data would need to be collected about the usage and operational characteristics of the linear actuators. After analysis of the situation, it was decided to construct an autonomous data collection device to collect real world usage data from the actuators. An integrated, microcontroller based, data logger device was designed and developed which could be placed on a Mansell Power Lifter and record operational data without interfering with normal operation. Analysis of the collected data was performed to identify any operational characteristics which might lead to failures. While an actual failure of the linear actuators was not observed during the testing period, the data obtained showed that the actuators were being subjected to a large number of short, sharp movements on a regular basis, which could be contributing to the limit switches in the actuators jamming. Since the definitive cause of the actuator failures could not be confirmed, given the data obtained, it was not possible to propose a guaranteed solution to the problem. Despite this, a number of potential solutions were proposed, which given further testing and analysis, could be implemented to help prevent actuator failures in the future

Donald Bailey Oral History

Susan Metrhens\u27 Note: Regarded by many of his peers at Jax as one of the most intuitive, prescient and creative scientists at the Lab, Bailey was a very reflective narrator. While he provides one anecdote of c.c. Little1s sartorial habits, this tape is largely devoid of anecdotal material, and is more a reminiscence by a scientist who was at Jax in the early \u2750\u27s, who left and returned in 1967. I tried, through a variety of questions, to probe the synergy between Bailey and the Lab, the degree to which his prescience and creativity might be due to the freedom and rich genetic resource provided by Jax, but perhaps this was too nebulous or difficult a theme: Bailey never really addressed it, and, in fact, seemed surprised to learn how his colleagues regard him. As might be expected, given his colleagues\u27 opinion of him as a pioneering maverick, Bailey gave unique answers to my standard questions about utopian changes to be made at Jax, and the legacy it will leave to the future. Where most others looked to things like an endowment as a way Jax could be changed for the better, Bailey would redo the physical plant to create more interaction betweeen the staff. His memories of Jax in the \u2750\u27s--the small size, laissezfaire lack of bureaucracy, and family atmosphere--echo the attitudes of many of the old timers. . Value this tape as a distinctly different set of views, by a thoughtful and reflective scientist

A checklist of pamphlets by Mathieu de Morgues and his polemical associates in the Newberry Library

"This article was created by attendance at the first Summer Institute in the Archival Sciences." This copy is corrected in the hand of the author.Almost one hundred pamphlets were written against Cardinal Richelieu by Mathieu de Morgues and three individuals to whom I refer in this context as his polemical associates. Marie de Medici, Gaston d'Orléans, and Jacques Chanteloube helped de Morgues flood France during the 1630s with an impressive series of pamphlets defending themselves and their dévot friends against the political and personal attack on them by Louis XIII's first minister. At the time, the pamphlets, telling as were their indictments and arguments, had little effect in counterbalancing the influence which Richelieu exercised in the royal council and French politics in general, but later they contributed significantly to the development of the darker aspects of Richelieu's reputation in history and in historical fiction, as well as in the popular imagination

Construction time and cost control using the IBM Project Management System/360

The object of this investigation was to determine the advantages or disadvantages involved in the use of the IBM Project Management system/360 as a time and cost control tool as compared to the methods presently used by construction contractors in the small to medium size range. The methods used by three construction contractors were investigated in order to acquire a sample of methods presently used. It was determined from the investigation that a number of advantages could be obtained which would provide better control of a construction project. It was also decided that a detailed investigation concerning the cost of installing and using the system must be made in order to determine the feasibility of using the system --Abstract, page ii

A test methodology for the validation of Doppler video instrumentation for fighter aircraft radar in development of electronic protection

There is a need to measure the effects of radar jamming on modern military radar systems. An advanced Doppler video system designed to measure the effects of jammers on radar systems was developed by the United States Air Force Electronic Warfare Division. This thesis develops a methodology that can be used to effectively validate such an instrumentation system. The Doppler video instrumentation system was an advanced system geared specifically towards developing counter-jamming techniques by capturing the raw RF data entering the radarThe methodology developed was a process of sequenced tests designed to evaluate the Doppler video instrumentation system. Applications into the development of electronic counter-countermeasures are described to illustrate the processes required by this methodology. The typical radar instrumentation connects only to the radar processor, recording the various operating modes or calculated range and closing rates of targets, and does not capture the RF spectrum. That type of system is easily validated through the comparison of radar processor data to target tracking data from a surveyed ground radar or other truth source. The challenge of validating the Doppler video instrumentation was in selecting specific tests to determine the accuracy of the frequency and intensity measurements of the RF spectrum. The methodology used a building block approach, starting with ground tests and advancing to flight tests. Ground-testing involved direct injection of a signal into the radar, exercising the full range of bandwidth and intensity. Flight testing assessed radar baseline performance to determine the impact of the instrumentation system\u27s insertion loss on detection and lock-on range. Flight testing included examining the effects of Doppler shifts and frequency roll-off at radar gimbal. Flight tests against a target equipped with a programmable radar jammer were designed to evaluate performance against techniques such as noise, range gate pull-off and velocity gate pull-off. The methodology demonstrated that the Doppler video instrumentation system met the accuracy requirements for monitoring the frequency and intensity data from the radar under test in both ground and flight phases. Flight testing also successfully assessed the capability of the instrumentation system to capture jamming techniquesThe radar under test was observed in jamming runs to apply an attenuating filter to manage the power levels for the receiver and in the process lose the faint skin returnAdditional testing in an anechoic chamber or with a calibrated airborne signal collector was recommended to enhance the measurement of intensity error

Power and Piety: The Religiosity of Michel de Marillac

A major text of the life of Michel de Marillac, Lezeau’s Histoire de la vie de messier Michel de Marillac has a hagiographic perspective. However, it is more informative about Marillac’s religiosity than one might think. It details his spiritual experiences and religious practices and how they impacted all aspects of his life. Marillac scrupulously applied religious principles to his duties overseeing finance and justice. He believed that civil order should be enforced by divine and royal authority. Lezeau’s assertions are placed within the context of the conventions of Marillac’s time (by which he was considered a model Christian statesman) and are balanced against other sources