INSPIRE-SAT 7, a Second CubeSat to Measure the Earth’s Energy Budget and to Probe the Ionosphere

INSPIRE-SAT 7 is a French 2-Unit CubeSat (11.5 × 11.5 × 22.7 cm) primarily designed for Earth and Sun observation. INSPIRE-SAT 7 is one of the missions of the International Satellite Program in Research and Education (INSPIRE). Twice the size of a 4 × 4 Rubik’s Cube and weighing about 3 kg, INSPIRE-SAT 7 will be deployed in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in 2023 to join its sister satellite, UVSQ-SAT. INSPIRE-SAT 7 represents one of the in-orbit demonstrators needed to test how two Earth observation CubeSats in orbit can be utilized to set up a satellite constellation. This new scientific and technological pathfinder CubeSat mission (INSPIRE-SAT 7) uses a multitude of miniaturized sensors on all sides of the CubeSat to measure the Earth’s energy budget components at the top-of-the-atmosphere for climate change studies. INSPIRE-SAT 7 contains also a High-Frequency (HF) payload that will receive HF signals from a ground-based HF transmitter to probe the ionosphere for space weather studies. Finally, this CubeSat is equipped with several technological demonstrators (total solar irradiance sensors, UV sensors to measure solar spectral irradiance, a new Light Fidelity (Li-Fi) wireless communication system, a new versatile telecommunication system suitable for CubeSat). After introducing the objectives of the INSPIRE-SAT 7 mission, we present the satellite definition and the mission concept of operations. We also briefly show the observations made by the UVSQ-SAT CubeSat, and assess how two CubeSats in orbit could improve the information content of their Earth’s energy budget measurements. We conclude by reporting on the potential of future missions enabled by CubeSat constellations.

Design of Miniaturized Sensors for a Mission-Oriented UAV Application: A New Pathway for Early Warning

In recent decades, the increasing threats associated with Chemical and Radiological (CR) agents prompted the development of new tools to detect and collect samples without putting in danger first responders inside contaminated areas. A particularly promising branch of these technological developments relates to the integration of different detectors and sampling systems with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). The adoption of this equipment may bring significant benefits for both military and civilian implementations. For instance, instrumented UAVs could be used in support of specialist military teams such as Sampling and Identification of Biological, Chemical and Radiological Agents (SIBCRA) team, tasked to perform sampling in contaminated areas, detecting the presence of CR substances in field and then confirming, collecting and evaluating the effective threats. Furthermore, instrumented UAVs may find dual-use application in the civil world in support of emergency teams during industrial accidents and in the monitoring activities of critical infrastructures. Small size drones equipped with different instruments for detection and collection of samples may enable, indeed, several applications, becoming a tool versatile and easy to use in different fields, and even featuring equipment normally utilized in manual operation. The authors hereby present the design of miniaturized sensors for a mission-oriented UAV application and the preliminary results from an experimental campaign performed in 2020.

CuO-Doped Alginate for Simple Electrochemical Vitamin C Sensing in Sweat

Heat-exposed work activities or prolonged sport sessions suppose a continuous nutrient loss through sweating, leading to long-term health issues. Among prevention steps, the use of miniaturized sensors for real-time monitoring of micronutrient presence directly in sweat can be of great interest. Here, we propose a flexible sensor for the detection of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) based on a very simple process of electrode modification via electrodeposition of a membrane containing CuO nanoparticles. The reductive effect of ascorbic acid on the nanoparticles produces a shift of the redox peaks in cyclic voltammetry analysis, which can be measured at nearly zero volts as a current increase by amperometry. The detection is performed efficiently at the micromolar ascorbic acid levels found naturally in sweat and works at ultra-low potential (−5 mV), showing no interferences with other typical molecules found in the samples. In combination with sensors for other nutrients, this can be a promising approach for preventive healthcare applications.

Self-Expanding Anchors for Stabilizing Percutaneously Implanted Microdevices in Biological Tissues

Percutaneously implanted miniaturized devices such as fiducial markers, miniaturized sensors, and drug delivery devices have an important and expanding role in diagnosing and treating a variety of diseases. However, there is a need to develop and evaluate anchoring methods to ensure that these microdevices remain secure without dislodgement, as even minimal migration within tissues could result in loss of microdevice functionality or clinical complications. Here we describe two anchoring methods made from biocompatible materials: (1) a self-expanding nitinol mesh anchor and (2) self-expanding hydrogel particles contained within pliable netting. We integrate these anchors into existing drug-screening microdevices and experimentally measure forces required to dislodge them from varying tissues. We report similar dislodgement forces of 738 ± 37, 707 ± 40, 688 ± 29, and 520 ± 28 mN for nitinol-anchored microdevices, and 735 ± 98, 702 ± 46, 457 ± 47, and 459 ± 39 mN for hydrogel-anchored microdevices in liver, kidney, fat, and muscle tissues, respectively—significantly higher compared with 13 ± 2, 15 ± 3, 15 ± 2, and 15 ± 3 mN for non-anchored microdevices (p < 0.001 in all tissues). The anchoring methods increased resistance to dislodgement by a factor of 30–50× in all tissues, did not increase the required needle gauge for insertion, and were compatible with percutaneous implantation and removal. These results indicate that anchoring significantly improves microdevice stability and should reduce migration risk in a variety of biological tissues.

A Review of Actuation and Sensing Mechanisms in MEMS-Based Sensor Devices

Over the last couple of decades, the advancement in Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) devices is highly demanded for integrating the economically miniaturized sensors with fabricating technology. A sensor is a system that detects and responds to multiple physical inputs and converting them into analogue or digital forms. The sensor transforms these variations into a form which can be utilized as a marker to monitor the device variable. MEMS exhibits excellent feasibility in miniaturization sensors due to its small dimension, low power consumption, superior performance, and, batch-fabrication. This article presents the recent developments in standard actuation and sensing mechanisms that can serve MEMS-based devices, which is expected to revolutionize almost many product categories in the current era. The featured principles of actuating, sensing mechanisms and real-life applications have also been discussed. Proper understanding of the actuating and sensing mechanisms for the MEMS-based devices can play a vital role in effective selection for novel and complex application design.

A Gesture Elicitation Study of Nose-Based Gestures

Presently, miniaturized sensors can be embedded in any small-size wearable to recognize movements on some parts of the human body. For example, an electrooculography-based sensor in smart glasses recognizes finger movements on the nose. To explore the interaction capabilities, this paper conducts a gesture elicitation study as a between-subjects experiment involving one group of 12 females and one group of 12 males, expressing their preferred nose-based gestures on 19 Internet-of-Things tasks. Based on classification criteria, the 912 elicited gestures are clustered into 53 unique gestures resulting in 23 categories, to form a taxonomy and a consensus set of 38 final gestures, providing researchers and practitioners with a larger base with six design guidelines. To test whether the measurement method impacts these results, the agreement scores and rates, computed for determining the most agreed gestures upon participants, are compared with the Condorcet and the de Borda count methods to observe that the results remain consistent, sometimes with a slightly different order. To test whether the results are sensitive to gender, inferential statistics suggest that no significant difference exists between males and females for agreement scores and rates.

Field Evaluation of Low-Cost Particulate Matter Sensors in Beijing

Numerous particulate matter (PM) sensors with great development potential have emerged. However, whether the current sensors can be used for reliable long-term field monitoring is unclear. This study describes the research and application prospects of low-cost miniaturized sensors in PM2.5 monitoring. We evaluated five Plantower PMSA003 sensors deployed in Beijing, China, over 7 months (October 2019 to June 2020). The sensors tracked PM2.5 concentrations, which were compared to the measurements at the national control monitoring station of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) at the same location. The correlations of the data from the PMSA003 sensors and MEE reference monitors (R2 = 0.83~0.90) and among the five sensors (R2 = 0.91~0.98) indicated a high accuracy and intersensor correlation. However, the sensors tended to underestimate high PM2.5 concentrations. The relative bias reached −24.82% when the PM2.5 concentration was >250 µg/m3. Conversely, overestimation and high errors were observed during periods of high relative humidity (RH > 60%). The relative bias reached 14.71% at RH > 75%. The PMSA003 sensors performed poorly during sand and dust storms, especially for the ambient PM10 concentration measurements. Overall, this study identified good correlations between PMSA003 sensors and reference monitors. Extreme field environments impact the data quality of low-cost sensors, and future corrections remain necessary.

A Review on Smart IoT Based Farming

With the increase of world population, the availability of food to all inhabitants on globe is one of the significant challenges. These challenges need to be addressed by adopting innovative options to improve the soil capacity and the safety of environmental resources. The availability of real-time vital parameters related to farming such as moisture, temperature, weather, crops diseases and water management as well as predictive actions against the changes in parameters can provide great help to deal with these challenges. Internet of Things (IoT) is an evolving technology, has great potential to play and prevail its miraculous role in almost every field. IoT is a network of things that are capable of self-configuring network. The development of intelligent IoT based Smart farming is day by day getting its space in developed countries. It facilitates towards precision agriculture and turning the face of agriculture production. Subsequently, it is reducing spoilage of resources such as water, fertilizers, operating cost. The availability and development of cost effective smart miniaturized sensors, processors and communication technologies has made IoT based smart farming feasible. This paper aims to review most recent papers from year 2015 to 2020 in IoT based farming domain. The recent work is highlighted in terms of their scope, methodology and summarised in a table followed by discussion and analysis. The intention is to provide a platform for the future researchers to get a start towards a system with a single standard expert and complete autonomous assistive system.

Imprinted Polymeric Beads-Based Screen-Printed Potentiometric Platforms Modified with Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) for Selective Recognition of Fluoxetine

Herein, we present a new validated potentiometric method for fluoxetine (FLX) drug monitoring. The method is based on the integration of molecular imprinting polymer (MIP) beads as sensory elements with modified screen-printed solid contact ion-selective electrodes (ISEs). A multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) was used as a nanomaterial for the ion-to-electron transduction process. The prepared MIP beads depend on the use of acrylamide (AAm) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylic acid (EGDMA) as a functional monomer and cross-linker, respectively. The sensor revealed a stable response with a Nernstian slope of 58.9 ± 0.2 mV/decade and a detection limit of 2.1 × 10−6 mol/L in 10 mmol/L acetate buffer of pH 4.5. The presented miniaturized sensors revealed good selectivity towards FLX over many organic and inorganic cations, as well as some additives encountered in the pharmaceutical preparations. Repeatability, reproducibility and stability have been studied to evaluate the analytical features of the presented sensors. These sensors were successfully applied for FLX assessment in different pharmaceutical formulations collected from the Egyptian local market. The obtained results agreed well with the acceptable recovery percentage and were better than those obtained by other previously reported routine methods.