scholarly journals Customized 2D Barcode Sensing for Anti-Counterfeiting Application in Smart IoT with Fast Encoding and Information Hiding

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (17) ◽  
pp. 4926
Author(s):  
Rongjun Chen ◽  
Yongxing Yu ◽  
Jiangtao Chen ◽  
Yongbin Zhong ◽  
Huimin Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information Hiding ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Perceptual Quality ◽  
Image Block ◽  
Fast Encoding ◽  
2D Barcode ◽  
Aesthetic Appearance ◽  
Closed Source ◽  
High Information

With the development of commodity economy, the emergence of fake and shoddy products has seriously harmed the interests of consumers and enterprises. To tackle this challenge, customized 2D barcode is proposed to satisfy the requirements of the enterprise anti-counterfeiting certification. Based on information hiding technology, the proposed approach can solve these challenging problems and provide a low-cost, difficult to forge, and easy to identify solution, while achieving the function of conventional 2D barcodes. By weighting between the perceptual quality and decoding robustness in sensing recognition, the customized 2D barcode can maintain a better aesthetic appearance for anti-counterfeiting and achieve fast encoding. A new picture-embedding scheme was designed to consider 2D barcode, within a unit image block as a basic encoding unit, where the 2D barcode finder patterns were embedded after encoding. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed customized barcode could provide better encoding characteristics, while maintaining better decoding robustness than several state-of-the-art methods. Additionally, as a closed source 2D barcode that could be visually anti-counterfeit, the customized 2D barcode could effectively prevent counterfeiting that replicate physical labels. Benefitting from the high-security, high information capacity, and low-cost, the proposed customized 2D barcode with sensing recognition scheme provide a highly practical, valuable in terms of marketing, and anti-counterfeiting traceable solution for future smart IoT applications.

scholarly journals UV Inscription and Pressure Induced Long-Period Gratings through 3D Printed Amplitude Masks

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1977
Author(s):  
Ricardo Oliveira ◽  
Liliana M. Sousa ◽  
Ana M. Rocha ◽  
Rogério Nogueira ◽  
Lúcia Bilro
Keyword(s):  
State Of The Art ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Resonance Wavelength ◽  
Complex Structures ◽  
Pressing Method ◽  
Long Period ◽  
Long Period Gratings ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Mechanical Pressing ◽  
First Time

In this work, we demonstrate for the first time the capability to inscribe long-period gratings (LPGs) with UV radiation using simple and low cost amplitude masks fabricated with a consumer grade 3D printer. The spectrum obtained for a grating with 690 µm period and 38 mm length presented good quality, showing sharp resonances (i.e., 3 dB bandwidth < 3 nm), low out-of-band loss (~0.2 dB), and dip losses up to 18 dB. Furthermore, the capability to select the resonance wavelength has been demonstrated using different amplitude mask periods. The customization of the masks makes it possible to fabricate gratings with complex structures. Additionally, the simplicity in 3D printing an amplitude mask solves the problem of the lack of amplitude masks on the market and avoids the use of high resolution motorized stages, as is the case of the point-by-point technique. Finally, the 3D printed masks were also used to induce LPGs using the mechanical pressing method. Due to the better resolution of these masks compared to ones described on the state of the art, we were able to induce gratings with higher quality, such as low out-of-band loss (0.6 dB), reduced spectral ripples, and narrow bandwidths (~3 nm).

Accurate 3D Localization Using RGB-TOF Camera and IMU for Industrial Mobile Robots

Robotica ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Majid Yekkehfallah ◽  
Ming Yang ◽  
Zhiao Cai ◽  
Liang Li ◽  
Chuanxiang Wang
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Robots ◽  
Inertial Measurement Unit ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Estimation Algorithm ◽  
Measurement Unit ◽  
3D Localization ◽  
Fast Motion ◽  
Tof Camera

SUMMARY Localization based on visual natural landmarks is one of the state-of-the-art localization methods for automated vehicles that is, however, limited in fast motion and low-texture environments, which can lead to failure. This paper proposes an approach to solve these limitations with an extended Kalman filter (EKF) based on a state estimation algorithm that fuses information from a low-cost MEMS Inertial Measurement Unit and a Time-of-Flight camera. We demonstrate our results in an indoor environment. We show that the proposed approach does not require any global reflective landmark for localization and is fast, accurate, and easy to use with mobile robots.

scholarly journals Single-Layer Line-Fed Broadband Microstrip Patch Antenna on Thin Substrates

Electronics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Roberto Vincenti Gatti ◽  
Riccardo Rossi ◽  
Marco Dionigi
Keyword(s):  
Patch Antenna ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Single Layer ◽  
Microstrip Antennas ◽  
Microstrip Patch Antenna ◽  
Layer Line ◽  
Limited Bandwidth ◽  
Microstrip Patch ◽  
Effective Design

In this work, the issue of limited bandwidth typical of microstrip antennas realized on a single thin substrate is addressed. A simple yet effective design approach is proposed based on the combination of traditional single-resonance patch geometries. Two novel shaped microstrip patch antenna elements with an inset feed are presented. Despite being printed on a single-layer substrate with reduced thickness, both radiators are characterized by a broadband behavior. The antennas are prototyped with a low-cost and fast manufacturing process, and measured results validate the simulations. State-of-the-art performance is obtained when compared to the existing literature, with measured fractional bandwidths of 3.71% and 6.12% around 10 GHz on a 0.508-mm-thick Teflon-based substrate. The small feeding line width could be an appealing feature whenever such radiating elements are to be used in array configurations.

scholarly journals A Machine Vision Approach for Bioreactor Foam Sensing

2021 ◽  
pp. 247263032110088
Author(s):  
Jonas Austerjost ◽  
Robert Söldner ◽  
Christoffer Edlund ◽  
Johan Trygg ◽  
David Pollard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Machine Vision ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
High Accuracy ◽  
Consumer Electronics ◽  
Learning System ◽  
Automotive Applications ◽  
Fine Grained

Machine vision is a powerful technology that has become increasingly popular and accurate during the last decade due to rapid advances in the field of machine learning. The majority of machine vision applications are currently found in consumer electronics, automotive applications, and quality control, yet the potential for bioprocessing applications is tremendous. For instance, detecting and controlling foam emergence is important for all upstream bioprocesses, but the lack of robust foam sensing often leads to batch failures from foam-outs or overaddition of antifoam agents. Here, we report a new low-cost, flexible, and reliable foam sensor concept for bioreactor applications. The concept applies convolutional neural networks (CNNs), a state-of-the-art machine learning system for image processing. The implemented method shows high accuracy for both binary foam detection (foam/no foam) and fine-grained classification of foam levels.

A low-cost asymmetric carbazole-based hole-transporting material for efficient perovskite solar cells

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xueqiao Li ◽  
Na Sun ◽  
Zhanfeng Li ◽  
Jinbo Chen ◽  
Qinjun Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Perovskite Solar Cells ◽  
The State ◽  
Hole Transporting ◽  
Hole Transporting Material

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have reached their highest efficiency with the state-of-the-art hole-transporting material (HTM) spiro-OMeTAD.

scholarly journals Low-Cost Customized Cranioplasty with Polymethyl Methacrylate Using 3D Printer Generated Mold: An Institutional Experience and Review of Literature

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ankit Chaudhary ◽  
Virendra Deo Sinha ◽  
Sanjeev Chopra ◽  
Jitendra Shekhawat ◽  
Gaurav Jain
Keyword(s):  
Polymethyl Methacrylate ◽  
Bone Fractures ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Operating Time ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Wound Dehiscence ◽  
3D Printer ◽  
Skull Defects ◽  
Aesthetic Appearance ◽  
The Mean

Abstract Background Cranioplasty is performed to repair skull defects and to restore normal skull anatomy. Optimal reconstruction remains a topic of debate. Autologous bone flap is the standard option but it may not be available due to traumatic bone fractures, bone infection, and resorption. The authors present their experience with prefabrication of precise and low-cost polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) mold using three-dimensional (3D) digital printing. Methods A total of 30 patients underwent cranioplasty between March 2017 and September 2019 at Sawai Man Singh Medical College Jaipur, India. Preoperative data included diagnosis for which decompressive craniectomy was done and Glasgow coma scale score. Intraoperative data included operating time. Postoperative data included cosmetic outcome in the form of cranial contour and margins, complications such as infection, seroma, implant failure, wound dehiscence, and hematoma. Results Patient age at cranioplasty ranged from 12 to 63 years with a mean age of 36.7 years. The mean operating time was 151.6 minutes (range 130–190 minutes). The mean follow-up period was 8 months (range 6–13 months). Postoperative wound dehiscence developed in one case (3.3%). Cranial contour and approximation of the margins were excellent and aesthetic appearance improved in all patients. Conclusion Low-cost PMMA implant made by digital 3D printer mold is associated with reconstruction of the deformed skull contour giving satisfactory results to the patient and his family members, at a low cost compared with other commercially available implants. This technique could be a breakthrough in cranioplasty.

scholarly journals State-of-the-art on the production and application of carbon nanomaterials from biomass

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (22) ◽  
pp. 5031-5057 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhanghong Wang ◽  
Dekui Shen ◽  
Chunfei Wu ◽  
Sai Gu
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Nanomaterials ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Catalyst Supports ◽  
Carbon Catalysts

Biomass serves as a green and low-cost source of carbon, catalysts and catalyst supports for the preparation of carbon nanomaterials.

Perceptual Quality Assessment of Low-light Image Enhancement

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Guangtao Zhai ◽  
Wei Sun ◽  
Xiongkuo Min ◽  
Jiantao Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Image Quality ◽  
Quality Assessment ◽  
Image Enhancement ◽  
Dynamic Range ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Perceptual Quality ◽  
Low Light ◽  
Light Image ◽  
Light Enhancement

Low-light image enhancement algorithms (LIEA) can light up images captured in dark or back-lighting conditions. However, LIEA may introduce various distortions such as structure damage, color shift, and noise into the enhanced images. Despite various LIEAs proposed in the literature, few efforts have been made to study the quality evaluation of low-light enhancement. In this article, we make one of the first attempts to investigate the quality assessment problem of low-light image enhancement. To facilitate the study of objective image quality assessment (IQA), we first build a large-scale low-light image enhancement quality (LIEQ) database. The LIEQ database includes 1,000 light-enhanced images, which are generated from 100 low-light images using 10 LIEAs. Rather than evaluating the quality of light-enhanced images directly, which is more difficult, we propose to use the multi-exposure fused (MEF) image and stack-based high dynamic range (HDR) image as a reference and evaluate the quality of low-light enhancement following a full-reference (FR) quality assessment routine. We observe that distortions introduced in low-light enhancement are significantly different from distortions considered in traditional image IQA databases that are well-studied, and the current state-of-the-art FR IQA models are also not suitable for evaluating their quality. Therefore, we propose a new FR low-light image enhancement quality assessment (LIEQA) index by evaluating the image quality from four aspects: luminance enhancement, color rendition, noise evaluation, and structure preserving, which have captured the most key aspects of low-light enhancement. Experimental results on the LIEQ database show that the proposed LIEQA index outperforms the state-of-the-art FR IQA models. LIEQA can act as an evaluator for various low-light enhancement algorithms and systems. To the best of our knowledge, this article is the first of its kind comprehensive low-light image enhancement quality assessment study.

Smart Nanodevices for Point-of-Care Applications

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajasekhar Chokkareddy ◽  
Suvardhan Kanchi ◽  
Inamuddin
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Patient Monitoring ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Medical Diagnostics ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Current State ◽  
Rural Patients ◽  
Diagnosis Of Diseases

Background: While significant strides have been made to avoid mortality during the treatment of chronic diseases, it is still one of the biggest health-care challenges that have a profound effect on humanity. The development of specific, sensitive, accurate, quick, low-cost, and easy-to-use diagnostic tools is therefore still in urgent demand. Nanodiagnostics is defined as the application of nanotechnology to medical diagnostics that can offer many unique opportunities for more successful and efficient diagnosis and treatment for infectious diseases. Methods: In this review we provide an overview of infectious disease using nanodiagnostics platforms based on nanoparticles, nanodevices for point-of-care (POC) applications. Results: Current state-of-the-art and most promising nanodiagnostics POC technologies, including miniaturized diagnostic tools, nanorobotics and drug delivery systems have been fully examined for the diagnosis of diseases. It also addresses the drawbacks, problems and potential developments of nanodiagnostics in POC applications for chronic diseases. Conclusions: While progress is gaining momentum in this field and many researchers have dedicated their time in developing new smart nanodevices for POC applications for various chronic diseases, the ultimate aim of achieving longterm, reliable and continuous patient monitoring has not yet been achieved. Moreover, the applicability of the manufactured nanodevices to rural patients for on-site diagnosis, cost, and usability are the crucial aspects that require more research, improvements, and potential testing stations. Therefore, more research is needed to develop the demonstrated smart nanodevices and upgrade their applicability to hospitals away from the laboratories.

Glycerol in Energy Transportation: A State-of-the-art Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tianjian Zhang ◽  
Changhui Liu ◽  
Yanlong Gu ◽  
Francois Jerome
Keyword(s):  
State Of The Art ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Energy Transportation

Glycerol, which bears green, low-cost, and good miscibility features, provides a variety of solvent portfolios to satisfy the complex market demands. Owing to its abundant feedstock and unique properties, glycerol...

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