Four sensing approaches for the implementation of microwave sensors based on transmission lines loaded with metamaterial-inspired resonators are considered in this review paper, and examples of applications are pointed out. In all the cases, sensing is based on the effects that the magnitude under measurement causes in the transmission properties of the resonator-loaded line. Such four strategies are (i) resonance frequency variation, (ii) coupling modulation through symmetry disruption (causing variation of the notch depth), (iii) frequency splitting (also exploiting symmetry properties), and (iv) amplitude modulation of a harmonic signal. Such sensors are useful in various scenarios, of interest in fields as diverse as characterization of dielectric materials for communication circuits, medical diagnosis and treatment with microwave technologies, and sensors for space applications, among others.
This review paper is focused on the design of microwave sensors using symmetry properties of transmission lines loaded with symmetric resonators. The operating principle of these sensors is presented and then several prototype devices are reported, including linear and angular displacement sensors and rotation speed sensors. The main advantage of the proposed sensors is the robustness against changing environmental conditions.
Techniques for three-dimensional reconstruction of macromolecular complexes from electron micrographs have been successfully used for many years. These include methods which take advantage of the natural symmetry properties of the structure (for example helical or icosahedral) as well as those that use single axis or other tilting geometries to reconstruct from a set of projection images. These techniques have traditionally relied on a very experienced operator to manually perform the often numerous and time consuming steps required to obtain the final reconstruction. While the guidance and oversight of an experienced and critical operator will always be an essential component of these techniques, recent advances in computer technology, microprocessor controlled microscopes and the availability of high quality CCD cameras have provided the means to automate many of the individual steps.During the acquisition of data automation provides benefits not only in terms of convenience and time saving but also in circumstances where manual procedures limit the quality of the final reconstruction.
This paper describes a promising method for non-contact vibration diagnostics based on the use of Doppler microwave sensors. In this case, active irradiation of the object with electromagnetic waves and the allocation of phase changes using two-channel quadrature processing of the received reflected signal are used. The modes of further fine analysis of the resulting signal using spectral or wavelet transformations depending on the nature of the active vibration are considered. The advantages of this non-contact and remote vibration analysis method for the study of complex dynamic objects are described. The convenience of the method for machine learning and use in intelligent systems of non-destructive continuous monitoring of the state of these objects by vibration is noted.
A Review of Sensing Strategies for Microwave Sensors Based on Metamaterial-Inspired Resonators: Dielectric Characterization, Displacement, and Angular Velocity Measurements for Health Diagnosis, Telecommunication, and Space Applications