Printing People. Heterogeneous Multi-Property Printing of Humanoid Anatomics

<p>Film and television (TV) have been a way to view unthinkable worlds for many years. Physical props are a fundamental part of many films as they help to portray the story in the real world, which results in a more believable experience for the audience. The technology used in the production of props and creatures has evolved with the changes in the manufacturing process to allow for more computer-controlled designs. This begs the question; what could multi-property, 3D/4D printing bring to the way the film prop manufacturing industry creates physical props? Printing in the fourth dimension (dynamic) is a relatively new concept and is being researched by leading 3D printing companies. This area of study has yet to apply the four-dimensional (4D) capabilities of multi-property printing to the creation of heterogeneous humanoid anatomic’s. Heterogeneous 3D printing is the combination of multiple elements and material qualities in one print, which is possible by using the Stratasys J750 Polyjet printer. This printer allows for both hard and soft components to be incorporated into one design by blending the full-colour hard Vero material with soft, translucent Agilus material. The final humanoid objects have varying material hardness throughout the design, representing the different densities and materiality that is found in the finger joint. By taking the basic parameters of a section of human anatomy, the ability to create a creature by merely changing the size, colour, or the number of joints is achievable. With this technology, the ability to rapidly produce and easily edited final on-screen props is possible.</p>

Printing People. Heterogeneous Multi-Property Printing of Humanoid Anatomics

<p>Film and television (TV) have been a way to view unthinkable worlds for many years. Physical props are a fundamental part of many films as they help to portray the story in the real world, which results in a more believable experience for the audience. The technology used in the production of props and creatures has evolved with the changes in the manufacturing process to allow for more computer-controlled designs. This begs the question; what could multi-property, 3D/4D printing bring to the way the film prop manufacturing industry creates physical props? Printing in the fourth dimension (dynamic) is a relatively new concept and is being researched by leading 3D printing companies. This area of study has yet to apply the four-dimensional (4D) capabilities of multi-property printing to the creation of heterogeneous humanoid anatomic’s. Heterogeneous 3D printing is the combination of multiple elements and material qualities in one print, which is possible by using the Stratasys J750 Polyjet printer. This printer allows for both hard and soft components to be incorporated into one design by blending the full-colour hard Vero material with soft, translucent Agilus material. The final humanoid objects have varying material hardness throughout the design, representing the different densities and materiality that is found in the finger joint. By taking the basic parameters of a section of human anatomy, the ability to create a creature by merely changing the size, colour, or the number of joints is achievable. With this technology, the ability to rapidly produce and easily edited final on-screen props is possible.</p>

Towards non-blind optical tweezing by finding 3D refractive index changes through off-focus interferometric tracking

In modern 3D microscopy, holding and orienting arbitrary biological objects with optical forces instead of using coverslips and gel cylinders is still a vision. Although optical trapping forces are strong enough and related photodamage is acceptable, the precise (re-) orientation of large specimen with multiple optical traps is difficult, since they grab blindly at the object and often slip off. Here, we present an approach to localize and track regions with increased refractive index using several holographic optical traps with a single camera in an off-focus position. We estimate the 3D grabbing positions around several trapping foci in parallel through analysis of the beam deformations, which are continuously measured by defocused camera images of cellular structures inside cell clusters. Although non-blind optical trapping is still a vision, this is an important step towards fully computer-controlled orientation and feature-optimized laser scanning of sub-mm sized biological specimen for future 3D light microscopy.

Development of computer-controlled atmospheric pressure plasma structuring for 2D/3D pattern on fused silica

Fused silica with structured and continuous patterns is increasingly demanded in advanced imaging and illumination fields because of its excellent properties and functional performance. Atmospheric pressure plasma, based on pure chemical etching under atmospheric pressure, is developed as a promising fabrication technique for fused silica due to its deterministic high material removal rate, controllable removal imprint and no mechanical load. The stable and controllable Gaussian-shape removal function makes computer-controlled plasma tool potential to generate complex structures with high accuracy, efficiency and flexibility. In the paper, computer-controlled atmospheric pressure plasma structuring (APPS) is proposed to fabricate 2D/3D patterns on fused silica optics. The capacitively coupled APPS system with a double-layer plasma torch and its discharge characteristics are firstly developed. By means of multi-physics simulation and process investigation, the stable and controllable Gaussian-shape removal function can be achieved. Two different structuring modes, including discrete and continuous APPS, are explored for 2D/3D patterns. A series of structuring experiments show that different kinds of 2D patterns (including square lens array, hexagon lens array and groove array) as well as complex 3D phase plate patterns have been successfully fabricated, which validates the effectiveness of the proposed APPS of 2D/3D patterns on fused silica optics.

How collective reward structure impedes group decision making: An experimental study using the HoneyComb paradigm

This study investigates if and under which conditions humans are able to identify and follow the most advantageous leader who will them provide with the most resources. In an iterated economic game with the aim of earning monetary reward, 150 participants were asked to repeatedly choose one out of four leaders. Unbeknownst to participants, the leaders were computer-controlled and programmed to yield different expected payout values that participants had to infer from repeated interaction over 30 rounds. Additionally, participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: single, independent, or cohesion. The conditions were designed to investigate the ideal circumstances that lead to identifying the most advantageous leader: when participants are alone (single condition), in a group that lets individuals sample information about leaders independently (independent condition), or in a group that is rewarded for cohesive behavior (cohesion condition). Our results show that participants are generally able to identify the most advantageous leader. However, participants who were incentivized to act cohesively in a group were more likely to settle on a less advantageous leader. This suggests that cohesion might have a detrimental effect on group decision making. To test the validity of this finding, we explore possible explanations for this pattern, such as the length of exploration and exploitation phases, and present techniques to check for confounding factors in group experiments in order to identify or exclude them as alternative explanations. Finally, we show that the chosen reward structure of the game strongly affects the observed following behavior in the group and possibly occludes other effects. We conclude with a recommendation to carefully choose reward structures and evaluate possible alternative explanations in experimental group research that should further pursue the study of exploration/exploitation phases and the influence of group cohesion on group decision making as promising topics for further research.

Design and Application of Automatic Calibration Device for Multi-Channel Resistance Strain Gauge Indicator

In this paper, an automatic calibration device for multi-channel resistance strain gauge indicator is designed and its applicability and measurement accuracy are verified at laboratory. The calibration done by original resistance bridge calibrator is time-consuming for its manual operation and complex calibration process. With the intent to increase calibration efficiency, an automatic channel switch device was developed, and the resistance bridge calibrator was automated. The designed calibration device is completely computer controlled enabling a sequence of unmanned measurements. The calibration device was verified at laboratory that the maximum of error is 0.072%. It was applied to calibrate a 60-channel resistance strain gage indicator to approve its practical applicability. The result shows that the designed calibration device can realize automatic calibration and the efficiency is increased by 40%.

Severe distortion in the representation of foveal visual image locations in short term memory

The foveal visual image region provides the human visual system with the highest acuity. However, it is unclear whether such a high fidelity representational advantage is maintained when foveal image locations are committed to short term memory. Here we describe a paradoxically large distortion in foveal target location recall by humans. We briefly presented small, but high contrast, points of light at eccentricities ranging from 0.1 to 12 deg, while subjects maintained their line of sight on a stable target. After a brief memory period, the subjects indicated the remembered target locations via computer controlled cursors. The biggest localization errors, in terms of both directional deviations and amplitude percentage overshoots or undershoots, occurred for the most foveal targets, and such distortions were still present, albeit with qualitatively different patterns, when subjects shifted their gaze to indicate the remembered target locations. Foveal visual images are severely distorted in short term memory.

Onlife Drama: Towards a Reference Framework for Hyper-Connected Activity

An important aspect of ICT, identified 25 years ago within the user interface design community, is dramatic interaction: The deep engagement promoted by digital technologies that can be better explored by adopting a conceptual framework traditionally used to describe and study theater. This framework offers a wider perspective that demonstrates a deep connection between the qualities of our hyper-connected era and drama as an art of representing action. These concepts transcend the prevailing technical mentality when addressing ICT. They imply that we all participate as “interactors” on the “onlife stage” where other agents (either humans or computer-controlled) are also present. By promoting deep experiences, the hyper-connected environment in which we live in, changes our metaphysics and self-conception. A dramatic framework can explain the power of ICT and help us work towards the development of an equilibrium both personally and collectively: When used to enrich our experiences and extend our agencies, ICT can be considered as an enhancement of reality. When, on the other side, they are used to promote a false reality experience, they should be rectified. Important ethical and anthropological concerns are framed on the same philosophical ground as ancient drama. Ancient drama was a major pillar of Ancient Democracy and served the need to educate citizens with empathy in order to participate as responsible actors in decision making processes.