EO-Based Low-Cost Frameworks to Address Global Urban Data GAPS on Deprivation and Multiple Hazards

Several stations (seismological, geodetical, etc.) suffer from communications problems, such problems create data gaps in real-time data transmission, also excess humidity and temperatures further than manufacturer limits, usually make components and circuitry, of expensive instruments, failure, and results to unaffordable service or unrepairable damage.We create a low-cost opensource device that will raise the reliability of the stations and secure the instruments from severe damage, such a device installed as prototype at UOA (University of Athens) seismological station KARY (Karistos Greece) for a year and the reliability of the station raised tremendously, since then the device upgraded to provide wireless connection and IoT GUI (mobile app). A local server was built to serve all the devices uninterrupted and provide a secured network.The software is fully customizable and multiple inputs can provide addon sensors capability, for example, gas sensor, humidity sensor, etc., all the data are collected to a remote database for real-time visualization and archiving for further analysis.The shell which covers the circuitry is 3D-printed with a high temperature and humidity-resistant material and it&#8217;s also fully customizable by the user.&#160;

Download Full-text

Sensing and making sense of tourism flows and urban data to foster sustainability awareness: a real-world experience

Journal Of Big Data ◽

10.1186/s40537-021-00442-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Catia Prandi ◽

Valentina Nisi ◽

Miguel Ribeiro ◽

Nuno Nunes

Keyword(s):

Big Data ◽

Real World ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Low Cost ◽

Making Sense ◽

Madeira Archipelago ◽

Big Data Visualization ◽

The Impact ◽

Tourism Flows ◽

Urban Data

AbstractTourism is one of the world’s largest industries fundamentally arising from mobility as a form of capital. In destination islands that have a delicate ecosystem to maintain, this source of income can become problematic in terms of sustainability. A difficulty in making people aware of this issue is also represented by the fact that such sustainability-related issues (and their causes) are often not “visible” to citizens. To foster awareness about the relationship between sustainability and tourism in well-known destinations, we design a platform that engages users at two levels of participation: i. at the IoT and sensors level, in order to let them becoming providers of big data, deploying and enlarging the pervasive infrastructure; ii. at the (big) data visualization level, with the aim of engaging them in making sense of large volumes of data related to sustainability. This paper presents the design and implementation of a real-world experience where a low-cost collaborative platform made it possible to sense and visualize tourist flows and urban data into a rich interactive map-based visualization, open to the local communities. We deployed our case study in the Madeira archipelago, engaging locals and visitors of the island in two exploratory studies focused on measuring the impact of providing users with meaningful representations of tourism flows and related unperceivable aspects that affect the environmental sustainability. Analysing the findings of the two studies, we discuss the potentiality of using such a system to make sense of big data, fostering awareness about sustainability issues, and we point to future open challenges about citizens’ participation in sensing and making sense of big data.

Download Full-text

Cloud-Based Environmental Monitoring to Streamline Remote Sensing Analysis for Biologists

BioScience ◽

10.1093/biosci/biab100 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Amanda T Stahl ◽

Alexander K Fremier ◽

Laura Heinse

Keyword(s):

Environmental Monitoring ◽

Low Cost ◽

Global Scale ◽

Agricultural Watershed ◽

Data Sets ◽

Vegetative Cover ◽

Data Gaps ◽

Potential Applications ◽

Computing Platforms ◽

Computational Resources

Abstract Timely, policy-relevant monitoring data are essential for evaluating the effectiveness of environmental policies and conservation measures. Satellite and aerial imagery can fill data gaps at low cost but are often underused for ongoing environmental monitoring. Barriers include a lack of expertise or computational resources and the lag time between image acquisition and information delivery. Online image repositories and cloud computing platforms are increasingly used by researchers because they offer near-real-time, centralized access to local-to-global-scale data sets and analytics with minimal in-house computational requirements. We aim to broaden knowledge of these open access resources for biologists whose work routinely informs policy and management. To illustrate potential applications of cloud-based environmental monitoring (CBEM), we developed an adaptable approach to detect changes in natural vegetative cover in an agricultural watershed. The steps we describe can be applied to identify opportunities and caveats for applying CBEM in a wide variety of monitoring programs.

Download Full-text

OPTIMIZING LOW-COST UAV AERIAL IMAGE MOSAICING FOR CROP GROWTH MONITORING

ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences ◽

10.5194/isprs-archives-xliv-m-3-2021-7-2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol XLIV-M-3-2021 ◽

pp. 7-12

Author(s):

P. Bupathy ◽

R. Sivanpillai ◽

V. V. Sajithvariyar ◽

V. Sowmya

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Low Cost ◽

Optimal Number ◽

Aerial Image ◽

Growth Monitoring ◽

Image Mosaic ◽

Yield Data ◽

Matching Process ◽

Crop Field ◽

Data Gaps

Abstract. High spatial resolution images acquired with drones can provide useful information to farmers for devising suitable management practices and increase crop yield. Data collected as individual frames or images have to be mosaiced using pattern recognition and matching process. Most flight missions collect hundreds of photos with high overlap and side overlap in order to generate mosaic without data gaps or distortion. These frames are aligned using the location information associated with each image. The same features are identified in multiple frames for generating the mosaic. In this process, it is common to use all or most of the images which requires a lot of resources. Uploading and processing hundreds of images could take several hours to days. Many farmers and crop consultants in developing countries may not have the necessary resources to upload hundreds of images. This study assessed the optimal number of images required to generate an image mosaic for a crop field without any data gaps or distortion. Images were collected at two different heights and directions. First, the mosaic was generated using all (100%) frames followed by subsets containing 90%, through 50% of images. Results obtained will assist us to plan the settings in future flight missions for acquiring optimal number of images required for generating image mosaic.

Download Full-text

Decomposition of the metastable beta titanium alloy Ti-15-3

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100075117 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 41 ◽

pp. 264-265

Author(s):

Y. L. Chen ◽

S. Fujlshiro

Keyword(s):

Low Cost ◽

High Strength ◽

Alpha Phase ◽

Thick Sheet ◽

Omega Phase ◽

Beta Titanium Alloy ◽

Beta Titanium ◽

Beta Matrix ◽

Metastable Beta ◽

Very High

Metastable beta titanium alloys have been known to have numerous advantages such as cold formability, high strength, good fracture resistance, deep hardenability, and cost effectiveness. Very high strength is obtainable by precipitation of the hexagonal alpha phase in a bcc beta matrix in these alloys. Precipitation hardening in the metastable beta alloys may also result from the formation of transition phases such as omega phase. Ti-15-3 (Ti-15V- 3Cr-3Al-3Sn) has been developed recently by TIMET and USAF for low cost sheet metal applications. The purpose of the present study was to examine the aging characteristics in this alloy.The composition of the as-received material is: 14.7 V, 3.14 Cr, 3.05 Al, 2.26 Sn, and 0.145 Fe. The beta transus temperature as determined by optical metallographic method was about 770°C. Specimen coupons were prepared from a mill-annealed 1.2 mm thick sheet, and solution treated at 827°C for 2 hr in argon, then water quenched. Aging was also done in argon at temperatures ranging from 316 to 616°C for various times.

Download Full-text

Chromic Acid Etching of Polyethylene

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100070801 ◽

1973 ◽

Vol 31 ◽

pp. 72-73

Author(s):

J. D. Muzzy ◽

R. D. Hester ◽

J. L. Hubbard

Keyword(s):

Chromic Acid ◽

Low Cost ◽

Acid Etching ◽

Crystalline Morphology ◽

Bulk Specimen ◽

Morphological Studies ◽

Perfect Form ◽

Molecular Length ◽

Lamellar Texture ◽

Cost Studies

Polyethylene is one of the most important plastics produced today because of its good physical properties, ease of fabrication and low cost. Studies to improve the properties of polyethylene are leading to an understanding of its crystalline morphology. Polyethylene crystallized by evaporation from dilute solutions consists of thin crystals called lamellae. The polyethylene molecules are parallel to the thickness of the lamellae and are folded since the thickness of the lamellae is much less than the molecular length. This lamellar texture persists in less perfect form in polyethylene crystallized from the melt.Morphological studies of melt crystallized polyethylene have been limited due to the difficulty of isolating the microstructure from the bulk specimen without destroying or deforming it.

Download Full-text

Glass Knife Geometry as Seen by the SEM

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100066322 ◽

1971 ◽

Vol 29 ◽

pp. 454-455

Author(s):

J. Temple Black

Keyword(s):

Low Cost ◽

Amorphous Material ◽

Stress Concentrations ◽

Basic Tool ◽

Tool Materials ◽

Optical Inspection ◽

Surface Flaws ◽

Slip Planes ◽

Glass Knife ◽

Diamond Knife

In ultramicrotomy, the two basic tool materials are glass and diamond. Glass because of its low cost and ease of manufacture of the knife itself is still widely used despite the superiority of diamond knives in many applications. Both kinds of knives produce plastic deformation in the microtomed section due to the nature of the cutting process and microscopic chips in the edge of the knife. Because glass has no well defined slip planes in its structure (it's an amorphous material), it is very strong and essentially never fails in compression. However, surface flaws produce stress concentrations which reduce the strength of glass to 10,000 to 20,000 psi from its theoretical or flaw free values of 1 to 2 million psi. While the microchips in the edge of the glass or diamond knife are generally too small to be observed in the SEM, the second common type of defect can be identified. This is the striations (also termed the check marks or feathers) which are always present over the entire edge of a glass knife regardless of whether or not they are visable under optical inspection. These steps in the cutting edge can be observed in the SEM by proper preparation of carefully broken knives and orientation of the knife, with respect to the scanning beam.

Download Full-text

Spectraplot: A PC-based spectrum translation and display program

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s042482010010665x ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 46 ◽

pp. 918-919

Author(s):

H. O. Colijn

Keyword(s):

Low Cost ◽

Transfer Program ◽

File Transfer ◽

Transfer Data ◽

Error Checking ◽

Data Files ◽

The University

Many labs today wish to transfer data between their EDS systems and their existing PCs and minicomputers. Our lab has implemented SpectraPlot, a low- cost PC-based system to allow offline examination and plotting of spectra. We adopted this system in order to make more efficient use of our microscopes and EDS consoles, to provide hardcopy output for an older EDS system, and to allow students to access their data after leaving the university.As shown in Fig. 1, we have three EDS systems (one of which is located in another building) which can store data on 8 inch RT-11 floppy disks. We transfer data from these systems to a DEC MINC computer using “SneakerNet”, which consists of putting on a pair of sneakers and running down the hall. We then use the Hermit file transfer program to download the data files with error checking from the MINC to the PC.

Download Full-text

Transmission Electron Microscopy of oriented Co84Cr14Ta2 thin films for longitudinal magnetic recording

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100088099 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 49 ◽

pp. 756-757

Author(s):

T. P. Nolan

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Electron Microscopy ◽

Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽

Low Cost ◽

Low Noise ◽

Information Storage ◽

High Coercivity ◽

Magnetic Alloy ◽

Magnetic Media ◽

Transmission Electron

Thin film magnetic media are being used as low cost, high density forms of information storage. The development of this technology requires the study, at the sub-micron level, of morphological, crystallographic, and magnetic properties, throughout the depth of the deposited films. As the microstructure becomes increasingly fine, widi grain sizes approaching 100Å, the unique characterization capabilities of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have become indispensable to the analysis of such thin film magnetic media.Films were deposited at 225°C, on two NiP plated Al substrates, one polished, and one circumferentially textured with a mean roughness of 55Å. Three layers, a 750Å chromium underlayer, a 600Å layer of magnetic alloy of composition Co84Cr14Ta2, and a 300Å amorphous carbon overcoat were then sputter deposited using a dc magnetron system at a power of 1kW, in a chamber evacuated below 10-6 torr and filled to 12μm Ar pressure. The textured medium is presently used in industry owing to its high coercivity, Hc, and relatively low noise. One important feature is that the coercivity in the circumferential read/write direction is significandy higher than that in the radial direction.

Download Full-text

Influence of MBE Growth Conditions on Dislocation Densities of GaAs/Ge Epilayers Grown on Silicon Substrates

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100118692 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 43 ◽

pp. 364-365

Author(s):

K.M. Hones ◽

P. Sheldon ◽

B.G. Yacobi ◽

A. Mason

Keyword(s):

High Efficiency ◽

Lattice Mismatch ◽

Low Cost ◽

Growth Conditions ◽

Nonradiative Recombination ◽

Device Structure ◽

Si Substrates ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

Dislocation Densities ◽

Dislocation Type

There is increasing interest in growing epitaxial GaAs on Si substrates. Such a device structure would allow low-cost substrates to be used for high-efficiency cascade- junction solar cells. However, high-defect densities may result from the large lattice mismatch (∼4%) between the GaAs epilayer and the silicon substrate. These defects can act as nonradiative recombination centers that can degrade the optical and electrical properties of the epitaxially grown GaAs. For this reason, it is important to optimize epilayer growth conditions in order to minimize resulting dislocation densities. The purpose of this paper is to provide an indication of the quality of the epitaxially grown GaAs layers by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to examine dislocation type and density as a function of various growth conditions. In this study an intermediate Ge layer was used to avoid nucleation difficulties observed for GaAs growth directly on Si substrates. GaAs/Ge epilayers were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on Si substrates in a manner similar to that described previously.

Download Full-text