ALBERT

Description: A robotic technology consisting of an industrial robot mounted on an autonomous rover used to tap slash pine trees and collect their oleoresin for processing is introduced, and the technological challenges related to the robotic operations are discussed in detail. Unlike the case of industrial automated manufacturing systems where the relative position between the tool and workpiece can be controlled within a few hundredths of a millimeter accuracy, when used in highly unstructured environments characteristic to forestry or agriculture, the positioning accuracy between the industrial robot and the target on which it operates can be much lower than the accuracy required for the operation of the industrial robot. The paper focuses on presenting the robotic operations necessary for drilling three converging boreholes in the pine tree, spraying the boreholes with chemicals, inserting a plastic tube with pre-attached collection bag in one borehole and inserting two plugs in other two boreholes. The challenges related to performing these robotic operations in conditions of large variations in the actual shape of the pine tree trunk and variations in the relative position between the robot and the pine tree after the autonomous vehicle positions itself in front of the tree are presented. The technical solutions used to address these challenges are also described. The strategies used to programmatically adjust the robot toolpath based on detection of the borehole entry points and on the measurement of the insertion force are presented.

Description: To realize precision agriculture at multiple locations in the field, a low-cost measurement system should be developed for easy collection of hydrometeorological data, such as temperature, moisture, and light. In this study, a compact and low-cost hydrometeorological measurement system with a simplified wire code, which is customizable according to the purpose of observation, was built using a circuit board that connects Arduino to the sensors, which was then implemented and analyzed. The developed system measures air and soil temperatures, soil water content, and photosynthetic photon flux density using a sensor connected to Arduino Uno and saves the continuous, high-temporal-resolution output to an SD card. The results obtained from continuous measurement showed that the data collected using this system was significantly better than those collected using commercially available equipment. Anyone can easily measure the weather environments by using this fully open, highly versatile, portable, and user-friendly system. This system can contribute to the growth and expansion of precision agriculture, field management, development of crop models, and laborsaving. It can also provide a global solution to ongoing agricultural issues and improve the efficiency of farming operations, particularly in developing and low-income countries.

Description: Over the last decade, manufacturing processes have undergone significant change. Most factory activities have been transformed through a set of features built into a smart manufacturing framework. The tools brought to bear by the fourth industrial revolution are critical enablers of such change and progress. This review article describes the series of industrial revolutions and explores traditional manufacturing before presenting various enabling technologies. Insights are offered regarding traditional manufacturing lines where some enabling technologies have been included. The manufacturing supply chain is envisaged as enhancing the enabling technologies of Industry 4.0 through their integration. A systematic literature review is undertaken to evaluate each enabling technology and the manufacturing supply chain and to provide some theoretical synthesis. Similarly, obstacles are listed that must be overcome before a complete shift to smart manufacturing is possible. A brief discussion maps out how the fourth industrial revolution has led to novel manufacturing technologies. Likewise, a review of the fifth industrial revolution is given, and the justification for this development is presented.

Description: Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are considered producers of large amounts of rich data. Four types of data-driven models that correspond with various applications are identified as WSNs: query-driven, event-driven, time-driven, and hybrid-driven. The aim of the classification of data-driven models is to get real-time applications of specific data. Many challenges occur during data collection. Therefore, the main objective of these data-driven models is to save the WSN’s energy for processing and functioning during the data collection of any application. In this survey article, the recent advancement of data-driven models and application types for WSNs is presented in detail. Each type of WSN is elaborated with the help of its routing protocols, related applications, and issues. Furthermore, each data model is described in detail according to current studies. The open issues of each data model are highlighted with their challenges in order to encourage and give directions for further recommendation.

Description: Consideration of heat treatment in simulations of structural components and its impact on predictions of behaviour during operation is analysed here. An automotive machine element with a complex geometry and dynamic load is analysed rather than a standard laboratory specimen under controlled conditions. The heat treatment analysis of a starter clutch barrel has been performed in DANTE followed by a structural analysis in ANSYS 2019 R3 during operation simulating a load cycle due to the start of an internal combustion engine. The heat treatment simulation consisted of carburisation, quenching and tempering. First, the carbon content and its distribution have been simulated. Next, the hardness of the starter clutch barrel and its distribution have been analysed with respect to the carbon distribution and hardness-dependent material properties of the AISI/SAE 4142 steel. Finally, the stress field after the heat treatment and during the operation of the starter clutch barrel has been thoroughly evaluated and compared to the simulation without the consideration of the heat treatment. Results of the simulation show that the heat treatment introduces favourable compressive stresses at the critical location of the starter clutch barrel and reduces the effective amplitude of the equivalent stress during the operation. Furthermore, the results of the simulation prove that heat treatment should be considered already during the early stages of the R & D process as it can have a decisive effect on the operational behaviour of the structural component. Moreover, a non-consideration of the heat treatment can lead into erroneous conclusions regarding the suitability of machine elements.

Description: Purpose: The aim of this study is to compare the effects of two xenografts, i.e., porcine- and bovine-derived xenografts, on dental implant therapy after implant site development. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study involved adults who underwent dental implantation between January 2012 and December 2020. Various patient and implant-site characteristics were collected from the patient records. The implant-surgery clinical parameters of the porcine- and bovine-derived xenografts used for implant site development were analyzed and compared. Results: A total of 116 subjects with 168 dental implants were included in this study. There was less soft bone in the porcine bone group of the maxilla. However, there was less soft bone and a greater percentage of “primary stability ≥35 N” in the bovine bone group of the mandible. However, no significant differences in regrafting rate, post-operative infection rate, or implant survival rate were found between the bovine and porcine bone groups. Conclusion: The effects of implant site development using bovine- and porcine-origin xenografts are comparable in terms of the implant-therapy clinical parameters, including the regrafting rate and implant survival rate. Thus, the choice of xenografts could be made according to the patient’s religious requirements. However, the reported results should be used with caution, considering the limitations of this retrospective study.

Description: Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) belongs to the 3D printable materials which show shape-memory properties, i.e., which can recover their original shape after a deformation if they are heated above the glass transition temperature. This makes PLA quite an interesting material for diverse applications, such as bumpers, safety equipment for sports, etc. After investigating the influence of the infill design and degree, as well as the pressure orientation on the recovery properties of 3D printed PLA cubes in previous studies, here we report on differences between different PLA materials as well as on the impact of post-treatments after 3D printing by solvents or by heat. Our results show not only large differences between materials from different producers, but also a material-dependent impact of the post treatments. Generally, it is possible to tailor the mechanical and recovery properties of 3D printed PLA parts by choosing the proper material in combination with a chemical or temperature post-treatment.

Description: Background: Social media-based interventions are commonly used mode of delivery for physical activity promotion interventions. Instagram is an understudied social media platform and our purpose was to describe a detailed study protocol and report the feasibility of an Instagram-based physical activity promotion intervention. Method: Participants (n = 45) were recruited and randomized to follow one of three Instagram accounts for 3 months. The groups included a control, a popular fitness account, and two intervention groups. Participants were asked to complete weekly surveys for four weeks, at a 2-month follow up, and at a 3-month follow up. Participants were incentivized by being entered into a drawing for a free wearable activity monitor. Results: The intervention rate was 40% while the retention rate after four weeks was 33.3% and 22.2% after three months. Participants in the intervention groups reported higher education from the study account, enjoyment, and satisfaction. Conclusion: Although the study was well-received, more research is needed to determine how to increase retention within an Instagram-based intervention. Researchers should consider methods for participant identification, variations of interactive content, and extending the intervention period when designing their own study.

Description: In recent times, an alternative synthesis pathway involving severe plastic deformation for Mg-based materials has been explored involving the generation of turnings according to a set of machining parameters and cold compaction into billets followed by hot extrusion. This is known as the turning induced deformation (TID) method and has shown potential to alter the properties of resulting Mg-based materials for the better, not to mention economic benefits arising from this processing method. This work summarizes exploratory efforts involving this method for synthesis of Mg-based materials. The TID method resulted in overall superior properties compared to conventional processing methods, while two distinct parameters (high depth of cut and low cutting speed) were found to have significant positive influence on the final material properties, and as such are considered to be suitable basis on which further exploratory work in this field may be conducted.

Description: Three-dimensional (3D) printing in soil science is relatively rare but offers promising directions for research. Having 3D-printed soil samples will help academics and researchers conduct experiments in a reproducible and participatory research network and gain a better understanding of the studied soil parameters. One of the most important challenges in utilizing 3D printing techniques for soil modeling is the manufacturing of a soil structure. Until now, the most widespread method for printing porous soil structures is based on scanning a real sample via X-ray tomography. The aim of this paper is to design a porous soil structure based on mathematical models rather than on samples themselves. This can allow soil scientists to design and parameterize their samples according to their desired experiments. An open-source toolchain is developed using a Lua script, in the IceSL slicer, with graphical user interface to enable researchers to create and configure their digital soil models, called monoliths, without using meshing algorithms or STL files which reduce the resolution of the model. Examples of monoliths are 3D-printed in polylactic acid using fused filament fabrication technology with a layer thickness of 0.20, 0.12, and 0.08 mm. The images generated from the digital model slicing are analyzed using open-source ImageJ software to obtain information about internal geometrical shape, porosity, tortuosity, grain size distribution, and hydraulic conductivities. The results show that the developed script enables designing reproducible numerical models that imitate soil structures with defined pore and grain sizes in a range between coarse sand (from 1 mm diameter) to fine gravel (up to 12 mm diameter).