Low-Cost Earth Imaging System for Novel Commercial Applications

This note describes the development of a plug-in imaging system for pheromone delta traps used in pest population monitoring. The plug-in comprises an RGB imaging sensor integrated with a microcontroller unit and associated hardware for optimized power usage and data capture. The plug-in can be attached to the top of a modified delta trap to realize periodic image capture of the trap liner (17.8 cm × 17.8 cm). As configured, the captured images are stored on a microSD card with ~0.01 cm2 pixel−1 spatial resolution. The plug-in hardware is configured to conserve power, as it enters in sleep mode during idle operation. Twenty traps with plug-in units were constructed and evaluated in the 2020 field season for codling moth (Cydia pomonella) population monitoring in a research study. The units reliably captured images at daily interval over the course of two weeks with a 350 mAh DC power source. The captured images provided the temporal population dynamics of codling moths, which would otherwise be achieved through daily manual trap monitoring. The system’s build cost is about $33 per unit, and it has potential for scaling to commercial applications through Internet of Things-enabled technologies integration.

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Low-cost high-performance CMOS terahertz imaging system

2015 International SoC Design Conference (ISOCC) ◽

10.1109/isocc.2015.7401634 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Chung Hsing Li ◽

Tzu-Chao Yan ◽

Yuhsin Chang ◽

Chyong Chen ◽

Chien-Nan Kuo

Keyword(s):

High Performance ◽

Imaging System ◽

Low Cost ◽

Terahertz Imaging

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Longevity of Raw and Lyophilized Crude Urease Extracts

Sustainable Chemistry ◽

10.3390/suschem2020018 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 325-334

Author(s):

Neda Javadi ◽

Hamed Khodadadi Tirkolaei ◽

Nasser Hamdan ◽

Edward Kavazanjian

Keyword(s):

Crude Extract ◽

Room Temperature ◽

Low Cost ◽

Extraction Process ◽

Crude Extracts ◽

Simple Extraction ◽

Commercial Applications ◽

Stable Source ◽

The Stability ◽

The Cost

The stability (longevity of activity) of three crude urease extracts was evaluated in a laboratory study as part of an effort to reduce the cost of urease for applications that do not require high purity enzyme. A low-cost, stable source of urease will greatly facilitate engineering applications of urease such as biocementation of soil. Inexpensive crude extracts of urease have been shown to be effective at hydrolyzing urea for carbonate precipitation. However, some studies have suggested that the activity of a crude extract may decrease with time, limiting the potential for its mass production for commercial applications. The stability of crude urease extracts shown to be effective for biocementation was studied. The crude extracts were obtained from jack beans via a simple extraction process, stored at room temperature and at 4 ℃, and periodically tested to evaluate their stability. To facilitate storage and transportation of the extracted enzyme, the longevity of the enzyme following freeze drying (lyophilization) to reduce the crude extract to a powder and subsequent re-hydration into an aqueous solution was evaluated. In an attempt to improve the shelf life of the lyophilized extract, dextran and sucrose were added during lyophilization. The stability of purified commercial urease following rehydration was also investigated. Results of the laboratory tests showed that the lyophilized crude extract maintained its activity during storage more effectively than either the crude extract solution or the rehydrated commercial urease. While incorporating 2% dextran (w/v) prior to lyophilization of the crude extract increased the overall enzymatic activity, it did not enhance the stability of the urease during storage.

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A low-cost laboratory thermal wave imaging system

Journal of Physics E Scientific Instruments ◽

10.1088/0022-3735/17/6/021 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 17 (6) ◽

pp. 526-532 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

G F Kirkbright ◽

R M Miller ◽

A Rzadkiewicz

Keyword(s):

Thermal Wave ◽

Imaging System ◽

Low Cost ◽

Wave Imaging ◽

Thermal Wave Imaging

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Rotordynamic Performance of Flexure Pivot Hydrostatic Gas Bearings for Oil-Free Turbomachinery

Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power ◽

10.1115/1.2720518 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 129 (4) ◽

pp. 1020-1027 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Xuehua Zhu ◽

Luis San Andrés

Keyword(s):

High Speed ◽

Low Cost ◽

Damping Ratio ◽

Extreme Temperature ◽

Gas Bearings ◽

Speed Increase ◽

Feed Pressure ◽

Motor Test ◽

Direct Stiffness ◽

Commercial Applications

Micro-turbomachinery demands gas bearings to ensure compactness, light weight, and extreme temperature operation. Gas bearings with large stiffness and damping, and preferably of low cost, will enable successful commercial applications. Presently, tests conducted on a small rotor supported on flexure pivot hydrostatic pad gas bearings (FPTPBs) demonstrate stable rotordynamic responses up to 100,000rpm (limit of the drive motor). Test rotor responses show the feed pressure raises the system critical speed (increase in bearing direct stiffness) while the viscous damping ratio decreases. Predictions correlate favorably with experimentally identified (synchronous) direct stiffness bearing force coefficients. Identified experimental gas bearing synchronous damping coefficients are 50% or less of the predicted magnitudes, though remaining relatively constant as the rotor speed increases. Tests without feed pressure show the rotor becomes unstable at ∼81krpm with a whirl frequency ratio of 20%. FPTPBs are mechanically complex and more expensive than cylindrical plain bearings. However, their enhanced stability characteristics and predictable rotordynamic performance makes them desirable for the envisioned oil-free applications in high speed micro-turbomachinery.

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Fast, Robust, and Low-Cost Microwave Imaging of Multiple Non-Metallic Pipes

Electronics ◽

10.3390/electronics10151762 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (15) ◽

pp. 1762

Author(s):

Yuki Gao ◽

Maryam Ravan ◽

Reza K. Amineh

Keyword(s):

Antenna Arrays ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Imaging System ◽

Imaging Techniques ◽

Low Cost ◽

Microwave Imaging ◽

Airport Security ◽

Destructive Testing ◽

Security Screening ◽

Industrial Sectors

The use of non-metallic pipes and composite components that are low-cost, durable, light-weight, and resilient to corrosion is growing rapidly in various industrial sectors such as oil and gas industries in the form of non-metallic composite pipes. While these components are still prone to damages, traditional non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques such as eddy current technique and magnetic flux leakage technique cannot be utilized for inspection of these components. Microwave imaging can fill this gap as a favorable technique to perform inspection of non-metallic pipes. Holographic microwave imaging techniques are fast and robust and have been successfully employed in applications such as airport security screening and underground imaging. Here, we extend the use of holographic microwave imaging to inspection of multiple concentric pipes. To increase the speed of data acquisition, we utilize antenna arrays along the azimuthal direction in a cylindrical setup. A parametric study and demonstration of the performance of the proposed imaging system will be provided.

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Solution Processed Fabrication of Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes: Towards Low Cost and Commercial Applications

Journal of Materials Chemistry C ◽

10.1039/d1tc03385a ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jianfeng Zhang ◽

Bin Wei ◽

Lin Wang ◽

Xuyong Yang

Keyword(s):

Light Emitting Diodes ◽

Low Cost ◽

Color Purity ◽

Color Gamut ◽

Light Emitting ◽

Metal Halide Perovskite ◽

Wide Color Gamut ◽

Halide Perovskite ◽

Commercial Applications ◽

High Color Purity

Metal halide perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) have emerged as one of the most promising candidates for next-generation high-resolution displays, due to their wide color gamut, high color purity and low-cost...

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Near-infrared fundus imaging system with light illumination from an electronic contact lens

Applied Physics Express ◽

10.35848/1882-0786/ac4675 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 027001

Author(s):

Yang Cui ◽

Taiki Takamatsu ◽

Koichi Shimizu ◽

Takeo Miyake

Keyword(s):

Contact Lens ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Imaging System ◽

Low Cost ◽

Light Illumination ◽

Fundus Images ◽

Fundus Imaging ◽

Point Spread ◽

Spread Function ◽

Dependent Point

Abstract As for the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases, an ideal fundus imaging system is expected to be portability, low cost, and high resolution. Here, we demonstrate a non-mydriatic near-infrared fundus imaging system with light illumination from an electronic contact lens (E-lens). The E-lens can illuminate the retinal and choroidal structures for capturing the fundus images when voltage is applied wirelessly to the lens. And we also reconstruct the images with a depth-dependent point-spread function to suppress the scattering effect that eventually visualizes the clear fundus images.

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Effect of Different Pre-Treatments on Antinutrients and Antioxidants of Rice Bean (Vigna umbellata)

Acta Universitatis Cibiniensis Series E Food Technology ◽

10.2478/aucft-2020-0003 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 25-38

Author(s):

Damanpreet Kaur ◽

Kajal Dhawan ◽

Prasad Rasane ◽

Jyoti Singh ◽

Sawinder Kaur ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antioxidant Activity ◽

Low Cost ◽

Nutrient Content ◽

Nutritional Factors ◽

Rice Bean ◽

Phytochemical Content ◽

Vigna Umbellata ◽

Commercial Applications ◽

Maximum Content ◽

Orphan Crop

AbstractRice bean (Vigna umbellata) is a legume that belongs to Vigna genus. Native to Indo-Chinese region, it is considered to be an ‘under-utilized’ or ‘orphan’ crop. Rice bean is known to possess high nutritional potential and antioxidant activity. But the use of rice bean supplementation in routine diet is limited despite its high nutritional profile due to the presence of non-nutritional factors. Thus, various pre-treatments like soaking, germination, oven roasting, sand roasting, boiling and pressure cooking at different time and temperature were carried out to reduce the anti-nutritional content of rice bean and to study its effect on antioxidant activity and phytochemical content. All the pre-treatments were able to significantly reduce the anti-nutrient content in rice bean, but germination showed the maximum reduction. Also germinated rice bean showed the maximum antioxidant potential and maximum content of total phenols, total flavonoids, vitamin C and carotenoids. Rice bean has been underutilized so far, owing to its antinutrient content and low popularity. This experiment attempted to use low cost processing to reduce the content of antinutrients and track the antioxidant content in rice bean. The concluded processing could be adopted for commercial applications for dietary supplementation.

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