145 research outputs found
WristFlex: low-power gesture input with wrist-worn pressure sensors
In this paper we present WristFlex, an always-available on-body gestural interface. Using an array of force sensitive resistors (FSRs) worn around the wrist, the interface can distinguish subtle finger pinch gestures with high accuracy (>80 %) and speed. The system is trained to classify gestures from subtle tendon movements on the wrist. We demonstrate that WristFlex is a complete system that works wirelessly in real-time. The system is simple and light-weight in terms of power consumption and computational overhead. WristFlex's sensor power consumption is 60.7 uW, allowing the prototype to potentially last more then a week on a small lithium polymer battery. Also, WristFlex is small and non-obtrusive, and can be integrated into a wristwatch or a bracelet. We perform user studies to evaluate the accuracy, speed, and repeatability. We demonstrate that the number of gestures can be extended with orientation data from an accelerometer. We conclude by showing example applications.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (NSF award 1256082
Dynamic Nuclear Polarization in Silicon Microparticles
We report record high Si-29 spin polarization obtained using dynamic nuclear
polarization in microcrystalline silicon powder. Unpaired electrons in this
silicon powder are due to dangling bonds in the amorphous region of this
intrinsically heterogeneous sample. Si-29 nuclei in the amorphous region become
polarized by forced electron-nuclear spin flips driven by off-resonant
microwave radiation while nuclei in the crystalline region are polarized by
spin diffusion across crystalline boundaries. Hyperpolarized silicon
microparticles have long T1 relaxation times and could be used as tracers for
magnetic resonance imaging.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, published versio
SensorTape: Modular and Programmable 3D-Aware Dense Sensor Network on a Tape
SensorTape is a modular and dense sensor network in a form factor of a tape. SensorTape is composed of interconnected and programmable sensor nodes on a flexible electronics substrate. Each node can sense its orientation with an inertial measurement unit, allowing deformation self-sensing of the whole tape. Also, nodes sense proximity using time-of-flight infrared. We developed network architecture to automatically determine the location of each sensor node, as SensorTape is cut and rejoined. Also, we made an intuitive graphical interface to program the tape. Our user study suggested that SensorTape enables users with different skill sets to intuitively create and program large sensor network arrays. We developed diverse applications ranging from wearables to home sensing, to show low deployment effort required by the user. We showed how SensorTape could be produced at scale using current technologies and we made a 2.3-meter long prototype.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (NSF award 1256082
EMI Spy: Harnessing electromagnetic interference for low-cost, rapid prototyping of proxemic interaction
We present a wearable system that uses ambient electromagnetic interference (EMI) as a signature to identify electronic devices and support proxemic interaction. We designed a low cost tool, called EMI Spy, and a software environment for rapid deployment and evaluation of ambient EMI-based interactive infrastructure. EMI Spy captures electromagnetic interference and delivers the signal to a user's mobile device or PC through either the device's wired audio input or wirelessly using Bluetooth. The wireless version can be worn on the wrist, communicating with the user;s mobile device in their pocket. Users are able to train the system in less than 1 second to uniquely identify displays in a 2-m radius around them, as well as to detect pointing at a distance and touching gestures on the displays in real-time. The combination of a low cost EMI logger and an open source machine learning tool kit allows developers to quickly prototype proxemic, touch-to-connect, and gestural interaction. We demonstrate the feasibility of mobile, EMI-based device and gesture recognition with preliminary user studies in 3 scenarios, achieving 96% classification accuracy at close range for 6 digital signage displays distributed throughout a building, and 90% accuracy in classifying pointing gestures at neighboring desktop LCD displays. We were able to distinguish 1- and 2-finger touching with perfect accuracy and show indications of a way to determine power consumption of a device via touch. Our system is particularly well-suited to temporary use in a public space, where the sensors could be distributed to support a popup interactive environment anywhere with electronic devices. By designing for low cost, mobile, flexible, and infrastructure-free deployment, we aim to enable a host of new proxemic interfaces to existing appliances and displays
NailO: Fingernails as an Input Surface
We present NailO, a nail-mounted gestural input surface. Using capacitive sensing on printed electrodes, the interface can distinguish on-nail finger swipe gestures with high accuracy (>92%). NailO works in real-time: we miniaturized the system to fit on the fingernail, while wirelessly transmitting the sensor data to a mobile phone or PC. NailO allows one-handed and always-available input, while being unobtrusive and discrete. Inspired by commercial nail stickers, the device blends into the user's body, is customizable, fashionable and even removable. We show example applications of using the device as a remote controller when hands are busy and using the system to increase the input space of mobile phones
High-field Overhauser DNP in silicon below the metal-insulator transition
Single crystal silicon is an excellent system in which to explore dynamic
nuclear polarization (DNP), as it exhibits a continuum of properties from
metallic to insulating as a function of doping concentration and temperature.
At low doping concentrations DNP has been observed to occur via the solid
effect, while at very high doping concentrations an Overhauser mechanism is
responsible. Here we report the hyperpolarization of 29Si in n-doped silicon
crystals, with doping concentrations in the range of 1-3 x 10^17 /cc. In this
regime exchange interactions between donors become extremely important. The
sign of the enhancement in our experiments and its frequency dependence suggest
that the 29Si spins are directly polarized by donor electrons via an Overhauser
mechanism within exchange-coupled donor clusters. The exchange interaction
between donors only needs to be larger than the silicon hyperfine interaction
(typically much smaller than the donor hyperfine coupling) to enable this
Overhauser mechanism. Nuclear polarization enhancement is observed for a range
of donor clusters in which the exchange energy is comparable to the donor
hyperfine interaction. The DNP dynamics are characterized by a single
exponential time constant that depends on the microwave power, indicating that
the Overhauser mechanism is the rate-limiting step. Since only about 2 % of the
silicon nuclei are located within one Bohr radius of the donor electron,
nuclear spin diffusion is important in transferring the polarization to all the
spins. However, the spin-diffusion time is much shorter than the Overhauser
time due to the relatively weak silicon hyperfine coupling strength. In a 2.35
T magnetic field at 1.1 K, we observed a DNP enhancement of 10.4 +/- 3.4 % following two hours of
microwave irradiation.Comment: expanded and extensively modified, 20 pages, 7 figure
Cosmogenic activation of Germanium and its reduction for low background experiments
Production of Co and Ge from stable isotopes of Germanium by
nuclear active component of cosmic rays is a principal background source for a
new generation of Ge double beta decay experiments like GERDA and
Majorana. The biggest amount of cosmogenic activity is expected to be produced
during transportation of either enriched material or already grown crystal.
In this letter properties and feasibility of a movable iron shield are
discussed. Activation reduction factor of about 10 is predicted by simulations
with SHIELD code for a simple cylindrical configuration. It is sufficient for
GERDA Phase II background requirements. Possibility of further increase of
reduction factor and physical limitations are considered. Importance of
activation reduction during Germanium purification and detector manufacturing
is emphasized.Comment: 10 pages, 3 tables, 6 figure
- …