ALBERT

Notes: The commonly used two-sample tests of equal area-under-the-curve (AUC), where AUC is based on the linear trapezoidal rule, may have poor properties when observations are missing, even if they are missing completely at random (MCAR). We propose two tests: one that has good properties when data are MCAR and another that has good properties when the data are missing at random (MAR), provided that the pattern of missingness is monotonic. In addition, we discuss other non-parametric tests of hypotheses that are similar, but not identical, to the hypothesis of equal AUCs, but that often have better statistical properties than do AUC tests and may be more scientifically appropriate for many settings.

Notes: The relationship between speciation times and the corresponding times of gene divergence is of interest in phylogenetic inference as a means of understanding the past evolutionary dynamics of populations and of estimating the timing of speciation events. It has long been recognized that gene divergence times might substantially pre-date speciation events. Although the distribution of the difference between these has previously been studied for the case of two populations, this distribution has not been explicitly computed for larger species phylogenies. Here we derive a simple method for computing this distribution for trees of arbitrary size. A two-stage procedure is proposed which (i) considers the probability distribution of the time from the speciation event at the root of the species tree to the gene coalescent time conditionally on the number of gene lineages available at the root; and (ii) calculates the probability mass function for the number of gene lineages at the root. This two-stage approach dramatically simplifies numerical analysis, because in the first step the conditional distribution does not depend on an underlying species tree, while in the second step the pattern of gene coalescence prior to the species tree root is irrelevant. In addition, the algorithm provides intuition concerning the properties of the distribution with respect to the various features of the underlying species tree. The methodology is complemented by developing probabilistic formulae and software, written in R. The method and software are tested on five-taxon species trees with varying levels of symmetry. The examples demonstrate that more symmetric species trees tend to have larger mean coalescent times and are more likely to have a unimodal gamma-like distribution with a long right tail, while asymmetric trees tend to have smaller mean coalescent times with an exponential-like distribution. In addition, species trees with longer branches generally have shorter mean coalescent times, with branches closest to the root of the tree being most influential.

Notes: Based on previous studies related to the yeast cell cycle, it is well known that the underlying cellular network in yeast consists of many interactions between genes that have periodic expression patterns during the cell division cycle. In this study, it is proposed that cell cycle-specific gene expression can be understood as a phenomenon of collective synchronization or, in other words, an ensemble of non-identical oscillating response signals from different systems. Therefore, we aimed to apply the theory of statistical multivariate phase synchronization to understand the cell's cyclic transcriptome as a phenomenon of collective synchronization. To this end, a novel algorithm called Self-Organizing Maps with statistical Phase Synchronization (SOMPS) is proposed and evaluated using yeast cell cycle-specific gene expression data. From the evaluation experiments, we draw the following conclusions: 1) It is possible to find groups of genes that have biological interactions with each other and significantly share gene ontology slim terms of biological processes using the theory of multivariate phase synchronization with cell cycle-specific gene expression signals; 2) Among all output clusters of SOMPS, a relatively large cluster with high periodicity with respect to its trained mean field can be considered a prominent cluster; 3) For each gene, it is possible to identify the degree of the strength of its biological interactions with other genes using the coupling strength of synchronization with its trained mean field; and 4) It is feasible to understand cell cycle-specific expression patterns as a phenomenon of collective synchronization.

Notes: A dynamic, nonlinear model for magnetic induction and strain response of cubic magnetostrictivematerials to 3-D dynamic magnetic fields and 3-D stresses is developed. Dynamic eddycurrent losses and inertial stresses are modeled by coupling Maxwell’s equations to Newton’s secondlaw through a nonlinear constitutive model. The constitutive model is derived from continuumthermodynamics

Notes: High performance biosensors are urgently needed from medical diagnosis, to foodsafety/security, to the war on bio-terrorist. Recently, magnetostrictive microcantilever (MSMC) andmagnetostrictive particle (MSP) have been developed as high performance biosensor platform. BothMSMC and MSP are wireless sensors and exhibit advantages over current acoustic wave biosensorplatforms. Theoretical analysis and experimental results indicate that micro/nano scale MSMC andMSP have ultra-high sensitivities. However, in real detection, there is a challenge faces allmicro/nano scale sensors because of their small size. That is, a long time is required for the tinysensors to react with the target species. Due to the magnetic and wireless nature, MSP provides aunique way to bring the nanosensors to target species. The fabrication of bar-like MSPs in nanoscaleis reported. Amorphous Fe-B alloy was selected as target magnetostrictive materials for fabrication.The properties of these nanobars were determined. The morphology and magnetic properties of thenanobars were characterized. The results ware analyzed and the size effect on the microstructure andproperties is discussed

Notes: The present research compares properties and behaviour of co-precipitated 3Y-PSZpowders submitted, after co-precipitation, to different milling treatments. The characteristics of thedifferent products were evaluated by measurement of particle size distribution, thermogravimetricanalysis, X-ray diffraction, specific surface area and scanning electron microscopy analysis. It hasbeen demonstrated that 1h of attrition milling enables the production of powders with micrometricparticles: the dispersing liquid used on milling has little influence. Crystallization of the amorphouspowder is achieved after 1h of high energetic milling, without any thermal treatment

Notes: In this study, aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films reactively sputter deposited from analuminium target are characterized both under material related aspects as well as on device level forresonantly driven gyroscopes. The first topic comprises a qualitative evaluation of the c-axisorientation by applying a wet chemical etching procedure in phosphoric acid to specimenssynthesized under varying sputter deposition conditions. Samples with a high c-axis orientationshow a low etch rate and smooth surface characteristics on the etched areas and vice versa.Furthermore, a quantitative determination of the piezoelectric coefficients is presented including theimpact of the silicon substrate on the change in AlN film thickness under excitation. With thisadvanced approach, the d33 and the d31 coefficients are gained simultaneously with high accuracycomparing FEM simulations and interferometric measurements. Finally, AlN are applied to bulkmicromachinedgyroscopes to stimulate the drive mode. Parasitic effects on the performancegenerated by the microactuator elements are identified and potential improvements are proposed

Notes: Quartz length-extension resonators have already been used to get atomically-resolvedimaging by frequency-modulation atomic force microscopy. Other piezoelectric materials could beappropriate for this application. Theoretical study is reported on Langasite length extensionresonator. In this paper, an attempt to fabricate similar micro resonators in Langasite temperaturecompensatedcuts is prospected

Notes: Soft ferrites in the CuZnTi system, having the chemical composition Cu1-x-yZnxTiyFe2O4with 0.5£x£0.7 and 0.00£y£0.05 were investigated as a function of composition, sinteringtemperature and cooling speed, in order to obtain materials with different Curie temperatures,between 30 and 180 oC and very high change rate of permeability with temperature around theirCurie points. Such materials are well suited to use as high sensitive magnetic temperature sensorsand transducers for temperature control. Zn and Ti additions to copper ferrite change the Curietemperature in a controllable manner, thus being possible to produce ferrite material with a finecontrol of the Curie point at any desired temperature. Most important was the behavior of magneticpermeability with temperature around the Curie point, where it may change with about 60 %/oC by aproper choice of the cooling speed of samples from the sintering temperature to room temperature.This makes such materials extremely attractive as magnetic temperature sensors of high sensitivity.Two applications of such materials as temperature sensors, namely an ultrathermostat and an on-offswitch type relay were designed. Their functionality and performances are presented and discussed

Notes: This article covers advances made in connection with Ionic Polymeric-Conductor Nano Composites(IPCNCs) as distributed biomimetic nanosensors, nanoactuators, nanorobots and artificial muscles.A review of the fundamental properties and characteristics of IPCNCs will first be presented. Thissummary will include descriptions of the basic materials' molecular structure and subsequentprocedure to manufacture the basic material for chemical plating and electroactivation. Furtherdescribed are chemical molecular plating technologies to make IPCNCs, nanotechnologies ofmanufacturing and trapping of nanoparticles, SEM, TEM, SPM and AFM characterization ofIPMNCs, biomimetic sensing and actuation characterization techniques, electrical characterizationand equivalent circuit modeling of IPCNCs as electronic materials.A phenomenological model of the underlying sensing and actuation mechanisms is also presentedbased on linear irreversible thermodynamics with two driving forces, an electric field and a solventpressure gradient and two fluxes, electric current density and the ionic+solvent flux. Thepresentation concludes with a number of videos and some live demos

Notes: In past years scientists have interest in new specific TiO2 properties, which result fromoxygen and titanium ratio in ceramic. Recently such TiO2 applications as implantable biomaterialsin medicine and photocatalysts in purification of waste water become very significant. Hightemperature vacuum treated titanium oxide ceramics become biologically active and decreasemicrobiological water pollution when used as electrodes in electrochemical water treatment. Inmost of these cases highly dense ceramics are requested. TiO2 low-temperature modificationanatase and TiO2 high-temperature modification rutile was used during the investigation. Differentadditives were used to improve particle packing and increase green density of pressed pellets aswell as following sinter density. During the investigation it was found that green density of thesamples depends not only on powder characteristics such as particle size distribution, grain size,mineralogical composition of raw material, quantity and nature of additives used in masspreparation procedure but also on kind and magnitude of compaction and sintering conditions

Notes: Polymeric foams with different concentrations of Fe particles were prepared. The effects ofmagnetic field (MF) during the foaming process was analyzed. Mechanical properties and cellmorphology of samples foamed with and without the application of the MF were compared.As revealed by optical and electronic scanning microscopy the magnetic field induced analignment of Fe particles. The compressive mechanical tests performed on the foams showed anenhancement of the properties with the increase of particles concentration. When the iron particleswere aligned by the magnetic field an improvement of the mechanical properties in the alignmentdirection was measured when compared to the samples with the same particle content.The effect of particles alignment was evident starting from low weight concentrations (5%wt).The mechanical behavior of the samples prepared by using the magnetic field was stronglyanisotropic: in the field direction the mechanical behavior was higher than that in the orthogonaldirection.The development of cellular structures produced by applying a magnetic field during thefoaming process allows the design of anisotropic structures with cell morphology and mechanicalproperties tailored for desired directions

Notes: Shape memory materials represent a promising class of dual-shape materials that canmove from one shape to another in response to a stimulus such as light, heat, electricity ormagnetism. In this regard, the biomedical field is showing large interest in this class of materials,especially in shape memory polymers (SMPs), whose mechanical properties make them extremelyattractive for many biomedical applications. However, diverse characteristics including also themechanical behaviour are still part of research. In this contribution the shape memory properties ofpolymers will be quantified by cyclic thermomechanical investigations. One cycle includes the"programming" of the sample and the recovery of its permanent shape. To describe thisphenomenon, a three-dimensional thermomechanical coupled model is proposed. Thismacromechanical constitutive model is based on the physical understanding of the materialbehaviour and a mechanical interpretation of the stress-strain-temperature changes observed duringthermomechanical loading. The main focus of this work is the influence of both, the materialconstants and heat transfer boundary conditions on the response of shape memory polymers.Therefore we illustrate different general simulations as well as examples of application

Notes: Long term service of the materials under stresses and at attacking environments causesmaterial damages, leading to fractures. Among a lot of the material damages, creep cavity and fatiguecrack are principal targets to be self healed autonomously during actual service of materials. Since thecreep cavity and the fatigue crack are generally too fine to be detected during actual service anddifficult to be repaired at the service sites. Recently self healing of creep cavity and fatigue crack hasbeen developed. In the developed methods, segregation and precipitation of solute atoms wereapplied to self healing of the damages. The self healing methods are comparatively simple and lowcost, which may make it easy to be applied to many materials

Notes: Metal coatings with embedded phase change material (PCM) particles were made byelectrolytic deposition. These composite coatings have useful thermo-mechanical properties forthermal actuators. The PCM particles which are homogeneously dispersed in the metal matrixprovide a large thermal expansion of the composite at the phase change temperature. Since themetal matrix has a good thermal conductivity, it allows fast heating of the embedded PCM particlesand hence fast actuation. In this study, paraffin and water were used as PCM in copper, zinc andnickel coatings. To embed PCM material in electrolytic metal coatings, the PCM has to beencapsulated first. This was done by emulsion polymerization for paraffin and by solventevaporation of a double emulsion for water. PCM-metal composite coatings are made by adding thePCM particles to the electrolyte used for metal plating. The properties of the metal-PCM compositecoatings were examined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and vertical dilatometry. Thethermal expansion of the paraffin composite coatings showed a sharp increase in a smalltemperature range above the melting point of the paraffin and a total expansion of 1 % was found.Although a sharp expansion increase in a small temperature range is ideal for thermal actuators, theeffect decreased by thermal cycling. A thermoelastoplastic model was developed to describe thethermal expansion of the composites. For water containing composite coatings, very largeexpansions of up to 15 % were obtained, but the temperature range over which this expansionoccurs is large

Notes: A new designing concept to realize multifunctional structural material systems is proposedand demonstrated in this paper. The concept can be explained as follow: There exist a couple ofcompetitive structural materials which normally compete with each other because of their similar andhigh mechanical properties, and they tend to have secondary properties which are different from eachother or opposite among them. So if they are combined together to make a composite, the similarproperties, normally high mechanical property, can be maintained, and the other dissimilar propertiesconflict with each other, which will generate functional properties. According to the proposed concept,a CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastics)/aluminum laminate was fabricated and its actuationcapabilities and multifunctionality were successfully demonstrated. A titanium fiber/aluminummatrix composite was also fabricated, where the fiber was oxidized for electrical insulation andstrengthening. This material system is very simple, but it can generate many useful functions such asheating, actuation, temperature sensing, deformation sensing and healing

Notes: Multistable structures are a promising basis for reconfigurable systems. A multistablestructure will remain in one of its stable configurations until actuation forces it to move to anotherstable configuration. This paper will describe a promising method of forming structures with usefulmultiple stable states by using prestressed textured shell surfaces. Textured shell structures havefeatures at a scale intermediate between the global structural scale, and the material scale, and canhave some remarkable structural properties. This paper will describe two simple examples: aglobally flat, but corrugated shell, and a globally curved, doubly corrugated shell. Both structuresshow additional stable equilibrium configurations that would not be possible without the texturedsurface

Notes: It is difficult to use an ordinary bearing in a vacuum and/or at a high temperature, becauseof evaporation or deterioration of the lubricant oil. A solid lubricant, MoS2 or BN, is promising insuch condition. Recently, a thin solid lubricant film is often applied on a hard material by PVD orCVD. The thin film is, however, easily removed when the load or friction speed is too high. On theother hand, when the lubricant is dispersed in a matrix, the solid lubricant always exists even thesurface of the bearing is worn out. The aim of this experiment is to examine friction properties of thecomposites. Cu was plated on the lubricant particles by electroless deposition. The lubricant volumefraction (hereafter Vf) was up to 30 vol%. The Cu plated lubricant powder was hot-pressed to formcomposites at 873 K under 30 MPa in a vacuum. Friction properties of composites were determinedby using a ball-on-disk type testing machine. The test was performed either in air or in a vacuumwithout oil at the room temperature. The coefficients of dynamical friction of the composites weredecreased by the lubricant in the air. The effect of the lubricant was much remarkable in vacuum. Thewear rates of the composites were, however, larger than Cu in the air. On the contrary, the wear ratesof the composites were much less than one of Cu in a vacuum

Notes: We report on tailoring magnetic properties and giant magneto-impedance GMI in glasscoatedmicrowires fabricated by the Taylor-Ulitovsky method, by means of selection of their alloycomposition and/or annealing conditions. Fe-rich microwires subjected to stress annealing show thehysteresis loops of inclined form due to induced transverse magnetic anisotropy, and hence becomesuitable for GMI. The transverse anisotropy depends on the annealing conditions: temperature,duration and stress. The application of external stress further drastically changes the shape of thehysteresis loops and the GMI spectra. The wires with compositions Co-Fe-Ni-Si-B and Co-Fe-Cr-Si-B are demonstrated to have a low Curie temperature (below 90oC) and pronounced temperaturedependentmagnetic properties and GMI effect. Both families of developed microwires are foreseenfor applications in high performance stress and temperature sensors as well as in tuneable sensorycomposite materials. Such composites contain short pieces of microwires embedded into adielectric matrix and contribute to the effective ac permittivity. The latter depends on the wiremagnetic properties through the GMI effect and can be tailored to produce a microwave responsesensitive to environment: magnetic field, stress and temperature

Notes: Through the evolution of millions of years, nature has developed fascinating biosensors,bioactuators, and bio-network systems with ability to transfer data through information processingchannels, and extracting useful information from data. Thus, nature has become a source ofinspiration for many engineered systems. One such system is civil infrastructure. Globally, civilinfrastructures are deteriorating at an alarming rate caused by overuse, overloading, aging, damageor failure due to natural or man-made hazards. With such a vast network of deterioratinginfrastructure, there is a growing interest in continuous monitoring technologies. In order to providea true distributed sensor and control system for civil structures, we are developing a StructuralNervous System that mimics key attributes of a human nervous system. This nervous system ismade up of building blocks that are designed based on mechanoreceptors as a fundamentally newapproach for the development of a structural health monitoring and diagnostic system that utilizesthe recently developed piezo-fibers capable of sensing and actuation. In particular, our research hasbeen focused on producing a sensory nervous system for civil structures by using piezo-fibers assensory receptors, nerve fibers, neuronal pools, and spinocervical tract to the nodal and centralprocessing units. This paper presents up to date results of our research, including the design andanalysis of the structural nervous system

Notes: This paper discusses some issues which are relevant when addressing the design and theimplementation of control algorithms for smart structures: (1) the model of the closed control loop;(2) the control strategy; (3) the control methodology; (4) the feedback information constraints; and(5) the digital implementation. A case study is used to illustrate some of these issues

Notes: Control algorithms for semi-active structural control system found in the scientificliterature often rely on the choice of several parameters included in the control law. The presentpaper shows the preliminary conclusions of a study aiming to explain the weak dependency of theresponse reduction associated to semi-active control systems on the particular choice of the controlalgorithm adopted, provided that the relevant parameters of any control law be properly tuned

Notes: Silicon Carbide (SiC) is a very promising material for the fabrication of a new category of sensorsand devices, to be used in very hostile environments (high temperature, corrosive ambient, presenceof radiation, etc.). The fabrication of SiC MEMS-based sensors requires new processes able torealize microstructures on bulk material or on the SiC surface. The hetero-epitaxial growth of 3CSiCon silicon substrates allows one to overcome the traditional limitations of SiC microfabrication.This approach puts together the standard silicon bulk microfabrication methodologieswith the robust mechanical properties of 3C-SiC. Using this approach we were able to fabricate SiCcantilevers for a new class of pressure sensor. The geometries studied were selected in order tostudy the internal residual stress of the SiC film. X-Ray Diffraction polar figure and Bragg-Brentano scan analysis were used to check to crystal structure and the orientations of the film. SEManalysis was performed to analyze the morphology of the released MEMS structures

Notes: In this work, we describe the use of porous Si as a base material for the production ofporous metal layers by a galvanic displacement reaction. We have applied this process for theproduction of porous Pt, Au, Ru and Pd layers. By adding HF to the reaction bath, we achieve avirtually complete displacement of Si by the metal. We have worked with porous Si samples ofdifferent morphologies, obtained on differently doped Si substrates, and studied the influence of thechemical nature of the metal precursor on the morphology of the porous metal layer produced. Thesamples were studied by SEM with EDS, BET analysis, and voltammetry. Porous metal layerscomprising random agglomerates of spherical particles with diameters between 50 and 100 nm areusually obtained, while the original porous Si samples show arrays of straight pores. With Au,using its ethylenediamine complex, the original straight pore morphology could be preserved

Notes: The rapidly changing defense landscape and the exponential increase in complexchallenges and threats faced by our warfighters demand revolutionary advances across thespectrum and even a rethinking of current combat doctrine. Sensors and Electron devices arecritical elements in a number of application form providing situational awareness to battlefieldoperations. Enabling nano and micro system approaches offer the potential to fulfill Army needsin applications such as chemical and biological sensors, high-frequency and low-powerelectronics, micro autonomous systems, micro power generation, specialized optical sources anddetectors and much more. A large part of the advances thus far originate in insights andunderstanding of the underlying materials. I will review some emerging needs with recentillustrative examples from the field and will follow up with potential solutions that are beingdeveloped within ARL and our Army partners. These include RF MEMS for electronicallyscanned antennas, carbon nanotube and other nanostructure based chemical/biological sensors,biomimetic approaches to materials development for power storage applications andnanostructured semiconductors for integrated electronics and energetics.A major advance in information gathering in the recent past is the use of persistent sensing,namely the ability to monitor relevant battle space without interruption. To quote from theQuadrennial Defense Review Report: [1] “The ability of the future force to establish an“unblinking eye” over the battle-space through persistent surveillance will be key to conductingeffective joint operations”. The goals of this new approach are to increase awareness of thebattle space and to integrate real-time information with intelligence to provide an operationaladvantage. Even if the information is not timely enough to prevent an adversarial action, it canbe critical in forensics. In the longer term, the intelligence contribution can be substantial.Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) networks can deliver high-qualityinformation to the Soldier by exploiting all available sensor sources and adaptable networks.This concept is being developed to optimize utility across multiple dynamic missions, to processdata and deliver information driven by mission need within network constraints (e.g. power andbandwidth), and to support the human user by minimizing data deluge. To support this concept,research at the Army Research Laboratory’s Sensor and Electron Devices Directorate (ARL –SEDD) is being conducted in various areas to develop the fundamental underpinnings of multimodaland multi-sensor fusion, scalable decentralized/distributed processing, autonomoussensor-network management and metadata representation. This includes the understanding of

Notes: This paper reports on the design of piezoresistive GaAs sensors and focuses on nonconventional orientations. The piezoresistive detection of in-plane longitudinal and shear stresses isstudied to determine the best orientations for pressure and force sensors. Simulation of shapes formicromachined membranes and cantilevers allows us to select some (hk0) orientations for whichthe sensitivity is evaluated

Notes: The mechanics of cables is caught either by numeric or analytic models which are able topredict the nonlinear dynamic response of this structural elements with the desired level ofapproximation. Although cable dynamics has been widely explored in the literature, efforts are stillrequired in the field of cable vibration mitigation to conceive an economical, feasible and robustcontrol strategy. An adaptive control strategy combining a distributed passive solution with a semiactiveactuation is here proposed for the purpose of reducing the spatial cable vibrations. Theeffectiveness of the proposed control policy is investigated by means of experimental tests and asuitable numeric scheme

Notes: The complete integration of piezoceramic sensor/actuator-modules into metal components usinghigh pressure die casting is a promising approach for the fabrication of multifunctional structuralelements with enhanced properties. A technique providing stabilization and protection of themodule during the highly dynamic mould filling is presented. Demonstration parts are producedwhich are fully capable to detect vibrations. An approach to characterize this sensory functionalityof the adaptronic system is presented

Notes: A long-term structural health monitoring (SHM) system consisting of more than 600sensors has been designed and is being implemented by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University tothe Guangzhou New TV Tower (GNTVT) of 610 m high. This monitoring system is one of few SHMpractices that integrate in-construction monitoring and in-service monitoring. It is also designed toperform a special function of verifying the effectiveness of vibration control devices to be installed onthe tower. The sensory system for in-construction monitoring includes a weather station, a totalstation, anemometers, zenithal telescopes, level sensors, theodolites, global positioning systems,vibrating wire gauges, thermometers, digital video cameras, and accelerometers (for ambientvibration monitoring at several construction stages), and the sensory system for in-service monitoringincludes a weather station, anemometers, wind pressure sensors, vibrating wire gauges, thermometers,global positioning systems, digital video cameras, accelerometers, a seismograph, corrosion sensors,tiltmeters, and fiber optic sensors (for dynamic strain and temperature monitoring). The strain andtemperature at the inner structure during construction are continuously monitored by a wireless dataacquisition system. This paper outlines the design and implementation of this SHM system

Notes: In this study, a hybrid health monitoring technique that combines wireless sensing andembedded monitoring algorithms is proposed to realize the diagnosis of damage in PSC girder bridges.Firstly, a hybrid damage monitoring system that can alarm damage occurrence and classifydamage-types is designed for PSC girder bridges. Secondly, smart sensor nodes that have wireless,stand-alone, sensing and monitoring capacities of acceleration and impedance are developed for hybridhealth monitoring of the structures. Finally, the performance of the smart sensor nodes is evaluatedusing a laboratory-scale PSC girder bridge model for which acceleration and impedance signals weremeasured for prestress-loss and stiffness-loss cases

Notes: This study validates an adaptive control algorithm capable of compensating for onlinesensor failure. Online failure is a relevant problem when considering actively damped, multi-storysmart buildings experiencing a disturbance event. In recent years, Artificial Neural Networks(ANNs) have proven very efficient in pattern classification and control applications. In this study,the unique application of ANNs involving Radial Basis Functions (RBFs) combined with H∞optimal control has demonstrated three significant characteristic advantages: (1) real timeadaptability, (2) optimal convergence and computation time, and (3) most importantly, no offlinetraining. The novelty of the proposed controller is elucidated by performing disturbance rejectiontests involving a scaled two degree of freedom shear frame subjected to a combined H∞ and ANNcontrol. A bench scale structural model is instrumented with piezoelectric sensors and actuators.After the onset of a first mode disturbance, the structural frame is subjected to a complete sensorfailure. The proposed controller is shown to enhance the performance of a baseline H∞ controllerin the presence of sensor failure

Notes: Nanoparticles (NPs) of biodegradable polymers as a drug delivery system formulate drugdevoid of harmful adjuvant, realize controlled drug release and achieve better therapeutic efficacy thanpristine agent. However, the low selectivity of NPs towards cancer cells hinders the advantages of NPformulation for efficient chemotherapy. The novel system of paclitaxel-loaded, trastuzumab-decoratedpoly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide)/montmorillonite(PLGA/MMT) NPs for targeted drug delivery wasdeveloped. Paclitaxel was used as a prototype drug with excellent therapeutic effects against a widespectrum of cancers. Trastuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against the humanepidermal growth factor receptor-2(HER2), which overexpresses in 25-30% breast cancers. Moreover,synergistic effects have been found in combination of trastuzumab with paclitaxel. As a potentdetoxifier, the medical clay MMT can adsorb toxins and reduce side effects. The drug delivery systemrepresents a new concept in developing drug delivery systems and can achieve functions such as toformulate anticancer drugs with no harmful adjuvant; to reduce side effects caused by formulated drugs;to have synergistic therapeutic effects; and to achieve targeted chemotherapy for HER2-positive breastcancer

Notes: Injected, nano-scale drug delivery systems, or nanovectors, are ideal candidates toprovide breakthrough solutions to the time-honored problem of optimizing therapeutic index for atreatment. Even modest amounts of progress towards this goal have historically engenderedsubstantial benefits across multiple fields of medicine, with the translability, for example, fromoncology to infectious diseases being granted by the fact that the progresses had a single commondenominator in the underlying technological platform. In this work we combine multiscalemolecular modeling and experimental approaches to define the mode and the molecularrequirements of the interaction of oligonucleotide-based therapeutics (e.g., small interfering(si)RNA) and dendrimeric delivery reagents. In details, by mimicking in silico the experimentsperformed in vitro, information at the molecular level (e.g., interaction forces, mechanisms,structures, free energies of binding, self-assembly, etc.), which cannot be accessed by otherexperimental techniques, are obtained. Thus, critical molecular parameters for optimizing and denovo designing nanocargos for tissues and tumor specific uptake can be determined. This wouldprovide valuable information to devise optimal delivery modalities that would increase the efficacyof siRNA therapeutics in cells and laboratory animals and move them toward clinical applications

Notes: Transdermal drug delivery system is a system that delivers a drug into a body at a desiredsite and rate. The conductive polymer-hydrogel blends between polypyrrole (PPy) doped with ananionic drug and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) were developed as the matrix/carriers of the drug for thetransdermal drug delivery in which the characteristic releases depend on the electrical field appliedand the crosslinking ratio. The PAA films and their blend films were prepared by solution castingusing ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as a crosslinking agent. A mechanical blending ofPPy particles and PAA matrix was then carried out. The drug diffusions of blended PPy/PAAhydrogel and the non-blended one were investigated and determined by using a modified Franzdiffusioncell with an acetate buffer, pH 5.5, at 37 0C, for a period of 48 h to determine the effectsof crosslinking ratio and electric field strength. Amounts of the released drug were measured by aUV-visible spectrophotometer. The diffusion coefficient of the drug was determined through theHiguchi equation, with and without an electric field at various crosslink ratios. The diffusioncoefficient decreases as the crosslinking ratio is increased and the diffusion coefficient increaseswith applied electric field up to 1.0 V

Notes: The release mechanisms and the diffusion coefficients of salicylic acid -loadedpolyacrylamide hydrogels are investigated experimentally by using a modified Franz-Diffusion cellat the temperature of 37 °C to determine the effects of crosslinking ratio and electric field strength.The fabricated hydrogels retain their physical shapes and sizes during the experiments along withdata reproducibility. A significant amount of salicylic is released within 48 h from the hydrogels ofvarious crosslinking ratios, with and without electric field. The release profile of Q vs. t1/2 islinear. Diffusion coefficient, determined from the Higuchi equation, increases with electric fieldstrength and reach maximum values at electric field strength of 0.1 V due to the electrophoresis ofthe drug, and it becomes saturated at electric field strengths between 0.5 – 10 V

Notes: Microencapsulation of highly water soluble pharmaceutical substances (solubility morethan 1g/ml), especially if high drug loading is required (more than 50%) is a big challenge.Biodegradable polylactide as coating material and polyvinyl alcohol as surfactant were foundsuitable for this purpose. Active substance was microencapsulated using slightly modified waterin-oil-in-water technique which involves dissolving of the drug in the water and polymer inmethylene chloride and forming an emulsion in water using a surfactant. Procedure ofmicroencapsulation was followed by filtration and drying of product obtained. Not only thedeveloped method enables microencapsulation of highly water soluble pharmaceuticals, but it alsopredicts properties of products obtained. Microencapsulation technique developed allowsencapsulation of highly water soluble pharmaceutical with drug load up to 80%, and encapsulationefficiency up to 65%. During the study such parameters as emulsification time, volume of outerwater phase and amount of active ingredient in inner water phase on microencapsulation processand product properties were investigated

Notes: Implantable cardiac devices have very strict restrictions on energy dissipation sincebattery change requires surgery. Today the battery longevity of pacemakers during standard use isup to 10 years which might seem sufficient. However, new functionality is constantly beingintroduced requiring more advanced signal processing algorithms which in turn increase energydissipation. New battery technologies are of course beneficial, but compared to the progress ofelectronics according to Moore's Law, battery development is very slow and energy issues have tobe solved by more efficient implementations. Technology scaling will help us by reducingcapacitance and thereby lowering the dynamic energy. However, for technology nodes of 130 nmand below static energy dissipation due to leakage currents, which traditionally could be ignored,are becoming increasingly important. This is especially true for low sampling rate applications werethe dynamic energy often may be ignored. In this paper we will make an introduction to the topic,discuss the mechanisms of energy dissipation and present some specific solutions regardingimplementation of signal processing in implantable cardiac devices. Special attention will be givento reduced leakage and a dual mode operation

Notes: We report the surface modification of a cellulose dialysis membrane by tetraether lipidsand silver colloids to improve the antiadhesive and antibacterial properties of the biopolymer. Thelipid was covalently attached to the membrane via the bivalent linker cyanuric chloride. Thebiologically evaluation show that the adhesion of serum components as well as bacteria, wasdecreased by this novel coating

Notes: This paper covers circuits and systems techniques for the construction of high reliabilitybiosensing and stimulation medical devices. Such microsystems are dedicated for interconnectionsthrough either the central or the peripheral nervous systems. Low-power high-reliability wirelesslinks are used to power up the implanted devices while data are exchanged bidirectionaly betweenthese implants and external controllers. A global view of main devices is given, case studies relatedto applications such as bladder control, intracortical monitoring and microstimulation are discussed,altogether with modeling, characterization, as well as microsystems assembly and packaging. Also,dedicated electrode arrays and their interfaces to tissues interfaces are summarized

Notes: Neuroprosthetics is a relatively new topic but it has already shown its potential. Since theapplication of this science, it has already significantly improved the quality of life of over 60,000individuals who previously suffered from severely impaired hearing or total deafness. Today,through use of cochlear implants, children born totally deaf can enjoy going to regular schools andcommunicating normally. Individuals suffering from dizziness and balance disorders can alsobenefit from the progress made in cochlear prosthetics. The inner ear's vestibular system providescues about self-motion and help stabilise vision during movement. Damage to this system can resultin dizziness, imbalance, blurred vision and instability in locomotion, a leading cause of death in theelderly. We propose a hybrid CMOS/MEMS platform for bypassing a dysfunctional pathway inindividuals that suffer from balance-related disorders. Combining MEMS-based inertia sensingwith CMOS-based neural monitoring and processing electronics, this prosthesis aims to deliver acorrective artificial stimulus to the vestibulocochlear (VIII) nerve. We describe a novel systemoutlining the architectural aspects and implementation methodology used in the design

Notes: Recently, Ti-based metallic glasses aim at biomaterials with their high specific strengthand superior corrosion resistance. Their high workability also shows a good performance for massproduction under the energy saving environment. In this study, we started investigation of the designof Ti-based metallic glasses with the restricted alloying elements for biocompatibility andcharacteristic evaluation of the optimized Ti-based metallic glasses with higher glass forming abilityfor dental implants. These Ti-based metallic glasses do not contain Al, V and Ni elements which arewell known to be neurotoxicity and cytotoxicity for human body. Current medical reports ofimpracticability by these elements have been a hot issue in biomaterials science. Newly designedTi-based metallic glasses exhibit good performances. Especially, the optimized Ti-based metallicglass has high corrosion resistance with better passivity in a wide passivation range in simulated bodyfluids at 310K. In addition, biocompatibility of Ti-based metallic glass was also evaluated by cellculture in vitro. Excellent biocompatibility of Ti-based metallic glass show high potentials to beapplied as biomaterials that necrosis of osteoblast (SaOS2) was not detected in this study

Notes: We investigated the plasma etching of polysiloxane intended for use in cochlear implantsas a protection layer. The processing was performed using fluorine-based chemistry ionized in RIE(Reactive Ion Etching) or ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) discharge. The effect of temperature onpolysiloxane etch rate and the resulting surface morphology was examined. XPS was employed todetermine chemical changes induced by plasma treatment. The cytotoxicity on a cell line wasobserved in order to estimate suitability of plasma processed silicone elastomer for use inbiomedical applications. This paper presents the selected results, which reveals how thepolysiloxane surface properties can change depending upon plasma treatment conditions.Exemplary micro devices encapsulated in plasma treated silicone elastomer are also shown

Notes: There is a great unmet clinical need to develop small diameter tissue engineered bloodvessels (TEBV) with low thrombogenicity and immune response and suitable mechanicalproperties. In this paper we describe experimental and computational frameworks to characterizethe use of mechanical stimuli to improve the mechanical properties of TEBVs. We model theTEBV as a constrained mixture and track the production, degradation, mechanical state, andorganization of each structural constituent. Specifically, we assume that individual load bearingconstituents can co-exist within each neighborhood and, although they are constrained to deformtogether, each constituent within this neighborhood may have different natural (i.e., stress-free)configurations. Motivated by this theoretical framework, we have designed a bioreactor andbiomechanical testing device for TEBVs. This device is designed to provide precise andindependent control of mean and cyclic luminal flow rate, transmural pressure, and axial load overweeks and months in culture and perform intermittent biaxial biomechanical tests. This device alsofits under a two-photon laser scanning microscope for 3-dimenstional imaging of the content andorganization of cells and matrix constituents. These data directly support our theoretical model

Notes: Superelastic 0.1mm diameter Ti-Ni filaments are used to manufacture braided orthopediccable for bone fixation. Biomechanical conditions for this application generally have a cyclic nature,and therefore it becomes important to evaluate the influence of the installation (mean) strain on thefatigue life of these filaments. Uniaxial tension cyclic testing of Ti-Ni filaments is performed in awater bath at 37°C with a 2Hz frequency of to 100 000 cycles. Strain-controlled testing conditionsare as follows: alternating strain magnitude varies between 0.64 and 3.64% with mean strain rangebetween 1.32 and 7.1%. Based on the premises that the minimum strain should be high enough toprevent any loss of tension in the tested specimen and that the maximum strain should not bring thespecimen to failure during the first loading cycle, the total strain magnitude is encompassed between0.68 and 8.94%. The results obtained provide a better understanding of the impact mean strain hason the fatigue life of superelastic Ti-Ni alloys

Notes: Currently, a minimally invasive surgery called stenting is extensively used to increase thelumen of partially obstructed arteries. Unfortunately, restenosis, a postoperative phenomenon inwhich the lumen of the artery is reduced due to a traumatism of the artery, is still a concern. Themost popular solution that has been adopted by stent manufacturers comprises drug-eluting stents.This paper presents a new stent concept in which the treatment of restenosis is carried out from acompletely different angle. Indeed, instead of traumatizing the artery, and then trying to controlrestenosis with drugs, the new stent minimizes the traumatism of the artery by expanding itself, notinstantaneously, but progressively, and in a controlled manner. To achieve this, a nitinol stent overwhich a series of polymer rings are installed tries to reach a fully deployed configuration, but thepolymer rings, which act as a retainer, become soft over time due to creeping. Thus, after the initialdeployment in the artery, the stent continues its expansion autonomously over an extended periodof time (a few weeks). It is believed that the artery has enough time to adapt to the expansion,leading to minimum traumatism. This paper presents the stent design

Notes: This paper describes the early conception and latest developments of electroactive polymer (EAP)-based sensors, actuators and power sources, implemented as wearable devices for smart electronictextiles (e-textiles). Such textiles, functioning as multifunctional wearable human interfaces, aretoday considered relevant promoters of progress and useful tools in several biomedical field, suchas biomonitoring, rehabilitation and telemedicine. This paper presents the more performing EAPbaseddevices developed by our lab and other research groups for sensing, actuating and energyharvesting, with reference to their already demonstrated or potential applicability to electronictextiles

Notes: The commercial systems using intelligent textiles that start to appear on the marketperform physiological measurements such as body temperature, electrocardiogram, respiration rate,etc. and target sport and healthcare applications. Biochemical measurements of body fluidscombined with available health monitoring technology will extend these systems by addressingimportant health and safety issues. BIOTEX, standing for Bio-sensing Textile for HealthManagement, is a European project, which aims at developing dedicated biochemical sensingtechniques that can be integrated into textiles. Such a system would be a major breakthrough forpersonalized healthcare and would allow for the first time the monitoring of body fluids withsensors distributed in a textile substrate. The potential applications include isolated people,convalescents and patients with chronic diseases, sports performance assessment and training. Theproject is addressing several challenges, among which: sweat collection and delivery to the sensors,high sensitivity with a wearable system, wearability issues, sensor calibration and lack of researchin sweat analysis

Notes: In this article I discuss the backgrounds, some technical insights, and the noveldevelopments of a bioengineering approach to semi-synthetic minimal cells that is currentlypursued within the EU project SYNTHCELLS. Originally developed by Pier Luigi Luisi andcoworkers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH, Zurich), the project aims to theconstruction of liposome-based bioreactors, which display living properties, although at a minorcomplexity level

Notes: A butterfly's fore- and hindwings act as one low aspect ratio wing. The variation in thefeathering angle is not as large as that of other insects such as a dragonfly and a damselfly. A butterflyvaries the lead-lag angle of the forewing and the angle between the thorax and the abdomen attake-off. This implies the possibility that the insect moves all parts of its body to fly. This is anadvantage that an insect has over a conventional aircraft. Moreover, a new method to investigate aninsect’s flight control ability is introduced. An attached plate disturbs the insect, and a remarkableflight pattern can be observed. The flight control ability of the insect can be elucidated by analyzingthe insect’s flight pattern

Notes: Silks spun by arthropods exhibit a set of unique properties that have emerged as theresult of over four hundred million years of evolution. Silks show the most optimized combinationof tensile strength and deformation at breaking, yielding the highest work of fracture of any knownmaterial. These outstanding features have thrust an increasing interest in reproducing or evenimproving the properties of natural silks. However, the advances in the field are hampered by anincomplete knowledge on the relation between microstructure and mechanical properties as well asby uncertainties related to the influence of processing in the performance of the fiber. In this workwe present some of the most significant contributions of our groups to the field, stressing thepossibility of controlling the tensile properties of silks and the contribution of this basic knowledgeto the production of artificial regenerated fibers. Spider silk shows a large variability that it isthought to allow the spider to adapt the fibers to its immediate requirements, but represents a majordrawback for its study or application. The development of the wet stretching process has allowedthe modification of silk fibers in a controlled and reproducible way for the first time. Besides,recent improvements in the spinning of regenerated silkworm silk fibers have led to artificial fiberswith properties that approach those of natural silks. These progresses allow envisaging theproduction of bioinspired fibers in a not too distant future

Notes: Myliobatidae is a family of large pelagic rays including cownose, eagle and manta rays.They are extremely efficient swimmers, can cruise at high speeds and can perform turn-on-a-dimemaneuvering, making these fishes excellent inspiration for an autonomous underwater vehicle.Myliobatoids have been studied extensively from a biological perspective; however the fluidmechanisms that produce thrust for their large-amplitude oscillatory-style pectoral fin flapping areunknown. An experimental robotic flapping wing has been developed that closely matches thecamber and planform shapes of myliobatoids. The wing can produce significant spanwisecurvature, phase delays down the span, and oscillating frequencies of up to 1 Hz, capturing thedominant kinematic modes of flapping for myliobatoids. This paper uses dye flow visualization toqualitatively characterize the fluid mechanisms at work during steady-state oscillation. It is shownthat oscillatory swimming uses fundamentally different fluid mechanisms than undulatoryswimming by the generation of leading-edge vortices. Lessons are distilled from studying the fluiddynamics of myliobatoids that can be applied to the design of biomimetic underwater vehicles usingmorphing wing technology

Notes: The deployment of leaves with plane surface and straight parallel folds, as observed inleaves of hornbeam and beech, was investigated by using numerical methods. In both species theveins are angled at 30° to 50° from the midrib, when the leaves are outstretched. Although a higherangle allows the leaf to be folded more compactly within the bud, it has very small leaf area in theearly stage of unfolding. The midrib of leaf grows very slowly at first and then it does with analmost constant speed. From the numerical simulation, it was found that the midrib grows with theminimum unfolding energy. The deployment of flowers was also investigated from mechanicalpoint of view. A potato flower has five or six petals with triangle gussets between petals. The budvolume becomes largest when the number of petals, N, is five. However, the energy for unfoldingof the model with N = 5 or 6 is smaller than those of other models, if the energy can be representedby the total kinetic energy during unfolding

Notes: Polycrystalline copper-based shape memory alloys have been of particular interest inrelation to Ni-Ti because of their low cost and good shape memory effect. Nevertheless the absenceof a pronounced pseudoelasticity effect restricts the number of potential applications. In this work,the influence of Nb and V on the microstructure and the mechanical properties was investigated.Samples of Cu-13.8 Al-Ni containing V and Nb alloy were prepared by induction and solutiontreated at 850ºC and then further quenched into cold water. The addition of Nb and V promotes theformation of precipitates which act as grain refiner and subsequently improve the mechanicalproperties. The tensile tests were performed at temperatures slightly inferior to Mf and superior toAf, to investigate the shape recovery and pseudoelasticity, respectively. Based on the analyses of theCu-13,8Al-2Ni-1Nb (wt%) alloy was detected rupture strains greater than 14%, besidesobservation of the superelasticity of these alloys and quantification of this property by means ofcycling, from 0 to strains between 1 and 7%. The studies performed on alloy Cu-13.8Al- 3,5Ni-1V(wt%) made it possible to determine rupture strains in the order of 3% and its superelastic behaviorthrough cycling for deformations between 1 and 3%

Notes: We measured integrated intensities of 26 reflections of the B2-phase of titaniumnickelide single crystal and determined structure factors for these reflections. Based on the structurefactors, mean squares of displacements of Ni and Ti atoms with respect to the crystal-lattice siteshave been determined. After that we determined the mean squares of atomic displacements 〈u2〉Niand 〈u2〉Ti in temperature range of existence of the B2-pase, at temperatures Т1=328 K and T2=376K. We separated the mean squares of atomic displacements 〈u2〉Ni and 〈u2〉Ti into static anddynamic ones. The mean squares of dynamic displacements of Ni and Ti atoms are identical, but themean square of static displacements is greater by a factor of 4.7 for Ni atoms than for Ti atoms. TheDebye temperature calculated from the mean squares of displacements of Ni atoms is 360 K; thatcalculated for Ti atoms in a similar way is 390 K. The large value of complete atomic displacementsin TiNi is due to static rather than dynamic displacements of atoms, mainly due to staticdisplacements of nickel atoms

Notes: A series of multielementary AB-type shape memory alloys, quaternary (Ti,Hf)50(Ni,Cu)50and quinary (Ti,Zr,Hf)50(Ni,Cu)50, have been produced by means of the melt-spinning (ribbons),twin-roll casting (strips) and injection casting (bars) techniques. The glass forming ability (GFA)has been investigated by means of calorimetric studies (DSC, DTA), microscopic observations(TEM/SAD, SEM, XRD, optical microscopy) and deformation tests (bending, tension). The glasstransition (Tg) and crystallization (Tx) temperatures with the corresponding supercooled liquidwindow ΔT = Tx – Tg have been determined for the mentioned rapid solidification techniques. GFAis found to be strongly dependent on specific ratio between the constituent alloying elements, witheffective element A containing mixture of the early transition elements A = (Ti,Zr,Hf) and effectiveelement B containing mixture of the late transition elements B = (Ni,Cu), respectively. We report achoice of the alloy composition, which is amorphous after fast cooling while recovers a reversibleB2 ↔ B19 ↔ B19' martensitic transformation sequence and demonstrates shape memory andsuperelastic properties (up to MS ~ 400 K, AF ~ 450 K in the bulk material versus MS ~ 250 K,AF ~ 350 K in the ribbon and strip states) after an adequate thermal treatment

Notes: Most animals and insects use opposing muscles, called flexors and extensors, toarticulate the joints of their limbs. However, some spiders do not have extensors in some of theirjoints and use, instead, a simple and efficient miniaturized hydraulic system to extend their limbs.An actuator inspired by the hydraulic system of spiders, which can be embedded on adaptivestructures, is investigated in robot-like configurations in this paper. Its design and characteristics arediscussed and the effects of the geometrical parameters on its performance are investigated

Notes: Rhythmic movements associated with animal locomotion are controlled by neuronalcircuits known as central pattern generators (CPG). These biological control systems appear toentrain to the natural frequencies of the mechanical systems they control, taking advantage of theresonance of the structure, resulting in efficient control. The ultimate goal is employing thesecontrols in a biomimetic autonomous underwater vehicle so as to capture, and possibly improveupon, the performance capabilities of animals like the manta ray. To this end, this paperinvestigates the CPG control of a simple tensegrity structure. The dynamics of a tensegritystructure are linearized about a nominal configuration, and a synthesized CPG is used as the controlinput. Successful integration is shown by the CPG's ability to tune the structure's first mode

Notes: In this contribution a survey on a novel approach to locomotion and perception inbiologically inspired robots is presented. The basic electronic architecture for modeling andimplementing nonlinear dynamics involved in motion and perceptual control of the robot is theCellular nonlinear network paradigm. It is shown how this continuous time lattice of neural-likecircuits can generate suitable and real-time dynamics for efficient control of multi-actuators movingmachines, and also to create the basis for a perceptual control of their behaviors

Notes: We developed an anthropomorphic talking robot, Waseda Talker No. 6 (WT-6), whichgenerates speech sounds by mechanically simulating articulatory motions and aero-acousticphenomena. WT-6 possesses 17 degrees of freedom (DOF): a 5-DOF tongue, 1-DOF jaws, 4-DOFlips, a nasal cavity, and a 1-DOF soft palate as articulators; and 5-DOF vocal cords and 1-DOF lungsas vocal organs. The vocal cords, tongue, and lips are made from the thermoplastic rubber Septon,whose elasticity is similar to that of human tissue. WT-6 has three-dimensional (3D) lips, tongue, jaw,and velum, which form the vocal tract structure. It also has an independent jaw opening/closingmechanism. The previous robot in the series had a two-dimensional tongue and could not producehuman-like tongue shape. The new tongue can form 3D shapes, and thus, is able to produce morerealistic vocal tract shapes. The vocal cord model consists of two folds, and is constructed with astructure similar to the biomechanical structure of human vocal cords. These vocal cords can vibratein complex phases, similar to those of a human. With these mechanisms, the robot can reproducehuman speech in a more biomechanical manner, and thus, can produce a voice closer to that of ahuman

Notes: The focus of this research is to use flying insects, coupled with lightweight electronics,to develop cyborg MAVs, or CMAVs. The premise isn't simply to build telemetry devices on theinsects, but to embed controls and power systems within the insects to create MAVs that are aliveyet manipulated in their actions. The model insect implemented is the Manduca sexta moth, whichhas a wingspan up to 10cm, a body mass up to 2 grams, and can withstand payloads up to 1 gram.The technique used to create these CMAVs is an integration of MEMS and CMOS devices onto asingle silicon device that is surgically inserted into the moth. The control and sensor systems arepowered by harvesting energy from the vibration of the insect flight by means of piezoelectricmaterial and inductor-coils. Methods for controlling the insect flight include reactionary responsesto visual and direct stimulation. Guidance is achieved through an ultra-wideband communicationsystem and a micro GPS system. The primary discussion topics of this paper are the powerharvesting devices employed and the control schemes used to manipulate the flight of the CMAVs

Notes: A team of low-cost underwater vehicles could cover an area quickly, e.g. for pollutiondetection and clearance and benefit from the advantages of formation control, for example it canreduce the cost, increase the robustness and efficiency. In previous work, we have investigatedbehaviour-based rules with fuzzy logic controlled priority weights for multi-UUVs team cooperation.The goal of this paper is to examine whether the behaviour-based rules can control the line formationof the team when each member is represented by a dynamic manoeuvring model of a real vehicle.Fuzzy logic controllers are applied to update the priority weights for the behavioural rules accordingto different situations that the vehicles meet in real time. The cooperative mission scenarios with lineformation pattern are simulated and the results indicate that the approach can potentially help tomaintain the cooperative vehicles in a specified line formation

Notes: In this study, fabrication and evaluation of a biomimetic jellyfish robot by using IPMCactuators were performed. Application fields of the existing IPMC actuators are limited due to the flatshape which is a serious weakness for such actuation material. A new curved IPMC actuator with anintended initial deformation was newly developed to overcome the weakness of the flat IPMCactuator and to mimic the jellyfish. The thermal treatment was applied to obtain the intended initialdeformation. The bio-inspired input signal was generated with mimicking real motion of the jellyfish.The vertical floating displacement and force of the biomimetic jellyfish robot under various drivingsignals were measured and compared vertical floating forces and motion of jellyfish robot. Unlikesinusoidal excitation, the bio-inspired input signals make position. Although there are still certainproblems to be resolved in the power system and buoyancy, the curved IPMC actuators may possiblybe a promising candidate that can materialize the biomimetic fish robot

Notes: The paper present a type of nano and manipulators which are based on structure ofthe magnetic bacterium, which is described.There are presented a theoretical study and analisys of the micromechanic circuit with elasticand damper elements, the micromagnetic circuit ( with micromagnetic specific characteristics)and also the electromechanic analogy aspects of the magnetic bacterium.The authors propose some nano and micromanipulators based on the structure of the chain ofmagnetic bacterium which include the nano or micro magnetic particles.The calculus, electromechanical modeling and experiments of this nano or microstructurewhat work and in the fluid medium are presented.There are evidenced the possible aspects on microrobotics and application field

Notes: Although it is well known that the modes of undulatory locomotion of fish swimmingprovide high speed and high drive efficiency, it is hard to understand the propulsion mechanism offish directly from living things. In the present study, in order to investigate hydrodynamiccharacteristics of the swimming modes, numerical simulation of flows around a deforming body of arainbow trout which belongs to the kind of fish of subcarangiform undulatory swimmers wasperformed by using a Lagrangian vortex method. In this simulation, the basic configuration of thefish body is modeled with use of a NACA type airfoil, and the mode of undulatory motion isnumerically given by a function obtained from observation of actual fish swimming. As a result of thepresent study, the relation between characteristics of propulsion force acting on the fish body andformation of complex vortex structures are clarified

Notes: The research effort described here is concerned with developing a maneuvering propulsorfor an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV’s) based on the mechanical design and performance ofsunfish pectoral fin. Bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) are highly maneuverable bony fishesthat have been the subject of a number of experimental analyses of locomotor function [5, 6].Although swimming generally involves the coordinated movement of many fin surfaces, the sunfishis capable of propulsion and maneuvering using almost exclusively the pectoral fins. They usepectoral fins exclusively for propulsion at speeds of less than 1.1 body length per second (BL/s). Thecurve in Fig. 1 depicts two peaks of body acceleration of bluegill sunfish during steady forwardswimming. These abilities are the direct result of their pectoral fins being highly deformable controlsurfaces that can create vectored thrust. The motivation here is that by understanding these complex,highly controlled movements and by borrowing appropriately from pectoral fin design, a bio-roboticpropulsor can be designed to provide vectored thrust and high levels of control to AUVs. This paperwill focus on analyses of bluegill sunfish’s pectoral fin hydrodynamics which were carried out toguide the design of a flexible propulsor for AUV’s

Notes: Swimming movement of human being is quite distinctive compared to those of the otheraquatic animals. Taking into account of such peculiarity, the authors recently have developed asimulation model “SWUM” to analyze the dynamics of the human swimming. The simulation modelitself is firstly described. Next, examples of analysis, applications of the model, and its future arerespectively described

Notes: Dielectric elastomers, or more precisely dielectric polymers, are a relatively new class ofmaterials for variable-stiffness and variable-damping devices. Dielectric elastomers offer significantpotential advantages compared with previous variable stiffness smart materials. Advantages includesimplicity, broad dynamic range, ability to reach zero stiffness, low cost, minimal mass, shocktolerance, simple drive circuitry, and design flexibility.Dielectric elastomer devices in the variable-stiffness mode convert electrical and mechanical energyback and forth to change mechanical impedance. This type of electromechanical transductiondistinguishes the variable stiffness mode from simply using a dielectric elastomer actuator to alterthe geometry, and hence the stiffness, of the device. Stiffness using a variable-stiffness modedepends heavily on the electrical loading of the dielectric elastomer. Analysis shows that a constantvoltage loading reduces stiffness, down to zero in some cases, while a constant charge loadingincreases stiffness.Many applications can be considered for dielectric elastomer variable-stiffness mode such asvibration control, suspensions, and tuning consumer devices for user comfort or preference. As withdielectric elastomer actuators and generators, silicones and acrylics are the most promisingmaterials for variable-stiffness-mode devices

Notes: In this work, two systems of mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBGs) with a series ofdifferent SiO2:CaO:P2O5 ratios were derived via a sol-gel method involving the usage of blockcopolymers Pluronic F127 and P123 as templates, respectively. A two-dimensional hexagonal(P6mm) mesoporous structure was obtained in the two systems with a SiO2:CaO:P2O5 ratio of80:16:4. With the decrease of the SiO2 content, the porous structure of MBGs became less regular,and the BET surface area and the pore volume were also decreased. Mesoporous bioactive glassesfrom the template F127 displayed a higher degree of bioactivity than those from the template P123,as a result of the existence of more defects on the walls of the mesopores

Notes: The paper reports about different kind of sutures, their suitability and performance. An ideal suture should possess many characteristics such as - easy to handle, bio-compatibility, minimal tissue reaction, resistance to bacterial growth, adequate tensile strength and elasticity, knot security, strength loss versus healing rate of tissues. Selection of suture is often very complex for satisfying host of physical, mechanical and biological properties, and fulfilling contradictory requirements in varied applications. The paper develops an understanding about the selection of suture depending on the varied requirement. Past research work pertaining to the development of suture as reported in this paper, provides insight about the suitability of different surgical sutures and possible direction of future research

Notes: A general model of transport of gases in an artificial epidermal layer (membrane) wasestablished. The model was developed based on Dusty Gas Model (DGM), solution diffusion andsurface diffusion. As a result, solutions of the model for different transport conditions were derived.In this investigation, parameters of oxygen and carbon dioxide gases through an artificial“epidermal” membrane of varying porosity were used to calculate semi-empirical solutions of thegeneral model. In other words, the solutions of the general model were analytically obtained fordifferent transport conditions, using experimentally obtained parameters of oxygen and carbondioxide gases through the artificial “epidermal” membrane of varying porosity. The obtainedsolutions of the general model were for the oxygen and carbon dioxide gases through the artificial“epidermal” membrane of the varying porosity

Notes: Hydroxyapatite-zirconia composites have received much attention during the last decadedue to their combination of the desirable mechanical properties of zirconia and the excellentbioactivity of hydroxyapatite (HA). However, thermal decomposition of the hydroxyapatite phase andreaction between the zirconia phase and the hydroxyapatite phase remain a major problem in thehydroxyapatite-zirconia composites. In this study, thermally stable and fluorine-substitutedhydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)0.8F1.2; coded as HA06F) was prepared by a sol-gel method to replacethe hydroxyapatite. Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YTZP) was also prepared by a sol-gel method in orderto produce HA06F-YTZP composites with 5, 10, 15, 20, 40, and 60 wt% YTZP by simple andcost-effective pressureless sintering. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and x-ray diffraction (XRD)of the HA06F-YTZP composites showed that the thermal stability of the HA06F matrices could bemaintained when the YTZP content did not exceed 20 wt% and for sintering temperatures less than1400 oC. Dilatometric analysis and microstructural observation revealed that the YTZP phase in theHA06F-YTZP composites retarded the densification of the composites if the zirconia content wasover 20 wt%. Electron scanning microscopy (SEM) and high resolution transmission electronmicroscopy (HR-TEM) of the HA06F-YTZP composites showed that the YTZP second phase had asize in the nanometer scale and the reaction between the HA06F phase and the zirconia phase wassuppressed. Mechanical properties including the Knoop hardness, the Young’s modulus, and thefracture toughness of the HA06F-YTZP composites increased with the YTZP content until theoptimal content of 20 wt%; higher YTZP contents led to low mechanical properties due to poordensification of the composites and the severe thermal decomposition of the HA06F phase. Theoptimal HA06F-20YTZP composite also showed desirable attachment and proliferation of osteoblastcells. Nevertheless, the study of the composite system indicated the limitations of the pressurelesssintering technique. To achieve the full potential of the composites for medium or low load bearingapplications, a pressure-assisted sintering technique would still be necessary

Notes: This paper presents an illustrated discussion of the potential for creative design applications ofthermochromic textiles brought into contact with specifically designed heat-profiling circuitry. Theresults are derived from a current research programme at the design/technology interface on theapplication of colour change technology in interior textile design. Examples are given of textilesamples combining printed thermochromics with circuitry to demonstrate the aesthetic qualities thatcan be achieved from integration of the technologies in a flexible fabric system. Dynamic colourchange effects controlled by prototype circuitry and power electronics are demonstrated. The paperconcludes with an analysis of the potential for product/artefact development in the area of “smart”design and how, as a consequence, a responsive interior might be envisaged

Notes: This paper reports a novel method of developing SMART nanocomposite membranesand coatings by in situ synthesis of iron oxide particles in a Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)matrix, usingco-precipitation of different amounts of Fe(II) and Fe(III) taken in an alkaline medium. Poly(vinylalcohol) was used to encapsulate iron oxide nanoparticles, as scaffold for particle nucleation and itsinfluence on particle size and on magnetic properties were studied. The ferrogels were prepared bya freeze/thawing process of the solutions containing magnetite nanoparticles. Magnetite particleswith an average diameter of 20-40 nm were obtained homogeneously within the matrix because ofthe tridimensional structure and chelating capacities of PVA. Calcium-alginate PVA gel was used toencapsulate the iron oxide/PVA nanocomposite. The mechanical properties and the saturationmagnetization of the system were measured. The combination of magnetic properties of ironnanoparticles with the biocompatibility of calcium-alginate suggests that these materials have greatpotential for use as controlled delivery systems activated externally by magnetic stimuli

Notes: The limitations of autogenic, allogenic and xenogenic grafting methods have led to the developmentof synthetic grafts as an alternative. The aim of this study was to manufacture highly porous andwell interconnected hydroxyapatite scaffolds and modify them with a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)(PLGA)-bioactive glass composite coating to achieve mechanical properties close to those ofnatural cancellous bones. In this study, hydroxyapatite scaffolds were prepared from a calciumphosphate cement (CPC) powder and cell culture using fibroblast cells was done to examine thecytotoxicity of the materials used for the scaffolds. The average pore size of the scaffolds was foundto be 650μm and the total porosity was about 80%. The hydroxyapatite scaffolds without thecoating had a mean compressive strength and a mean compressive modulus of 0.74 MPa and 20.46MPa, respectively, which were in contrast to those of the scaffolds coated with the PLGA-bioacitveglass composite material (1.36 MPa and 24.58 MPa, respectively). The fibroblast cells wereobserved to proliferate well on the PLGA-bioactive glass coated scaffolds. The cells had alsopenetrated into the scaffold to a depth of approximately 2mm. Thus the scaffolds fabricated in thisstudy exhibited a favourable porous structure and good cell response which are desirable for bonetissue engineering

Notes: This paper investigates how the cost of structural health monitoring (SHM) technologiescompetitively fits into the life-cycle management of civil infrastructure. After a brief review of theaging infrastructure problem and a discussion of the technological, organizational, and societalcomplexities present, the need for synergistic adoptions-in-concert of common metrics, methods,and means of communication is addressed to develop a supporting platform upon which SHMsystems can be developed and implemented. Using the costs associated with a recent bridgecollapse, methods for the quantification of the utility of SHM are demonstrated. These methodsinclude expanding upon existing and accepted practices, employing risk-based decision making,and calculating the benefit of monitoring in reliability-based life-cycle management models

Notes: In this research the possibilities of the realization of an interactive architecturewith the use of dynamic materials is examined. The reason for the use of dynamicmaterials can be found in the urge to implement material innovation technologies in anarchitectural context. An inventory of different actuators is made, used for thedeformation of the design concept. Shape memory alloys are the most suitable actuatorsfor this application, even though a lot of disadvantages are found. Experiments shouldpoint out the possibilities of the application of Shape Memory Alloys

Notes: The shape memory behaviour of a Fe29Mn7Si5Cr based alloy has been investigated.Characterization of the martensitic transformation and the different structural constituents wasperformed using optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods and electron backscatterdiffraction (EBSD). The transformation temperatures and the shape recovery were determined bydilatometry on prestrained samples

Notes: In this study Cu-13.8Al alloys with 3.0% and 4.0% (wt%) of nickel were obtained byinduction melting. The effect of homogenization heat treatment and hot rolling on thetransformation temperatures of these alloys was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. Itwas observed that the transformation temperatures increase with long homogenization times, andalso by hot rolling, and this displacement is smaller for alloys with 4.0% of nickel. In both alloys inthe quenched state, the reversion reaction is characterized by the appearance of multiple peaksattributed to the presence of martensites 2H and 18R. The influence of the rolling process must beassociated with the loss of Ni and Al during the process

Notes: The insertion of inorganic nanoparticles and nanowires in a liquid crystalline elastomericenvironment is here investigated. The combination of ferroelectric and conductive properties of thenanomaterials with the thermo-mechanical and shape memory response of liquid single crystalelastomers based on polysiloxane is indeed very promising for new technological applications, suchas electroactive actuators. In this work the preparation and physical-chemical properties of newcomposites are presented and discussed in comparison with those of standard liquid single crystalelastomers (LSCEs). In particular, we are reporting the preliminary results of new compositesincluding either lead titanate nanoparticles or molibdene oxide nanowires, having different electricand conductive properties

Notes: Gel is a fascinating material for its unique properties, such as phase-transition,chemomechanical behavior, stimuli-responsiveness, low surface sliding friction, and for its possiblewide application in many industry fields. Recently, hydrogels have drawn special attraction inbiological field due to its possible applications as soft man-made tissues. However, conventionalhydrogels, especially polyelectrolyte gels, are mechanically too weak to be practically used in anystress or strain bearing applications. Inspired by the structure of articular cartilage, we discovered ageneral method to obtain very strong polyelectrolyte hydrogels containing 60-90% water byinducing a double-network (DN) structure for various combinations of hydrophilic polymers. Thesoft and wet gel materials with both a high strength and an extremely low surface friction wouldfind wide applications not only in industry but also in biomedical field, for example, as substitutesof articular cartilage or other bio-tissues

Notes: In this work, we report the development of “one piece” electrochemical actuator fibers,presenting linear deformations, and working in open-air. The hollow fiber shaped actuators aresynthesized as three components Interpenetrating Polymer Network (IPN). The electronicconducting polymer (ECP), poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), is embedded in a hollowfiber shape matrix working as two ECP concentric electrodes. The host matrix which presents anIPN type architecture is composed of two poly(ethylene oxide) networks, crosslinked in thepresence of each other. Strains up to 3 % and forces between 50 and 300 mN are realized in a twoelectrodes configuration, in open-air

Notes: The need for high electric fields to drive dielectric elastomers is still retaining theirdiffusion as actuators in some areas of potential application, as in the case of biomedicaldisciplines. The development of new materials offering superior electromechanical properties isthus an essential requirement in order to effectively reduce the driving fields. In this light, thepresent work is aimed to enhance the electromechanical properties of two silicone and polyurethanebased dielectric elastomers, both by making particulate composites with high-permittivity ceramicfillers, and by blending with a highly polarisable polymeric phase. Due to a consequent worseningof the mechanical properties, pure composite architectures yielded only limited results on theoverall electromechanical response. With the blend approach, instead, both an increase of thedielectric permittivity and an unexpected reduction of the tensile elastic modulus were observed,leading to an overall increase of the electromechanical response. In any case, a key role appears tobe played by the nature and intensity of polarisation phenomena arising at interfaces betweendifferent phases

Notes: In this study, we are testing a sensing response of recently developed IPMC fabricationmethod, “IPMC Paint”, which can be directly sprayed onto any complex surface. In order to performa spraying, the IPMC paint solution was consisted of liquid NafionTM, viscosity controller(Polyvinylpyrrolidone, PVP), and plasticizer (Polyethylene glycol, PEG). Modified NafionTMsolution was sprayed onto the various substrates like aluminum foil, paper, and tape. Sensing testsshow that IPMC paint sensor is capable of producing comparable voltage (- 0.6 ~ 0.4 mV) to thetypical IPMC when dynamic bent with 10 Hz sine wave and 1.3 cm displacement using shaker. Thereported research is modified from the work presented by Park et. al [1]

Notes: Carbon nanotubes have attracted extensive attention in the past few years because oftheir appealing mechanical and electronic properties. Yarns made through spinning multiwallcarbon nanotubes (MWNTs) have been reported. Here we study the application of these yarns aselectrochemical actuators, and as force sensors. MWNT yarns are mechanically strong with tensilestrengths reaching one GPa. When charge is stored in the yarns they change in length. This isthought to be because of a combination of electrostatic and quantum chemical effects. We reportstrains up to 0.6 %. The charged yarns can also generate current and change in voltage in responseto a change in the applied tension. Electrostatic and quantum effects contributing to actuation areintroduced along with the effect of the yarn geometry on actuation and other contributing factors

Notes: Composite actuators consisting of sheets of the solid polymer electrolyte (similar toNafion®) with Cu2+ counter-ions inserted and coated with platinum and copper metal layers (socalled Ionomeric Polymer-Metal Composites; IPMC-s) have been synthesized and theirelectromechanical performance upon actuation has been monitored. Resistivity measurements onthe electrodes show that the electrical conductivity of the membranes metal surface increases on thecathode side during the actuation process, contradictory to the situation when Cu is absent from themetal coating. This phenomenon is explained by the subsequent reduction of Cu2+ ions on thecathode upon actuation; Cu layer growth in this side prevents it from cracking and decreases itselectrode resistance. The phenomenon opens up for longer life-times for Cu-based IPMC-s.However, additional problems with Cu layer oxidation and Cu dendrite growth on the electrodesshould be considered

Notes: The cuboid actuator is presented as a simple system for evaluation of the properties ofdielectric elastomer actuators. The Ogden model as a component of this theory is evaluated andparameters for VHB 4910 found in literature are compared. The model is presented and evaluatedwith both intensive and extensive variables. For the first time direct effects of the width prestretchon electromechanical coupling are clearly presented. Also, the importance of choosing properparameters for the hyper-elastic model is made clear via example

Notes: Dielectric elastomer actuators based on Maxwell-stress induced deformation, are considered formany potential applications where high actuation strain and high energy density are required. Theyusually rely on a planar actuator configuration, however, a string-like actuator would be less bulky,and more versatile for several applications. In this paper, a co-axial dielectric elastomer actuator thatproduces relatively high actuation strain is presented. The actuator is manufactured throughalternating dip-coating steps with insulating and conductive thin layers. A soluble thermoplasticblock-copolymer, SEBS(poly-(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), is used for the dielectric layersas well as for the host material of the compliant electrodes. Electrical conductivity of the electrodesis achieved by incorporation of conductive carbon-black particles in the elastomer matrix. Actuatorswith a single and with multiple active layers (up to three) have been successfully demonstrated. Thisgeometry is advantageous in that it is compact and can be bundled easily, and should therefore bepractical in applications such as “artificial muscles”

Notes: Polyacrylamide (PAAM) gels suits better the artificial muscle fabrication despite theirresponse time which stays low compared to natural human muscle. This main problem is due totheir bulky form where the ions exchange takes a long time compared to the microsecond scale inhuman muscle. Thus a successful artificial muscle will need to replicate the small scales of themuscle fibers that can achieve fast response. In this study we develop a technique for PAAM gelfibers fabrication with micrometric diameter, 1D structure, aiming to convert isotropic swelling intoa directional one and we propose an electrical activation mode for a linear actuation mechanism

Notes: In order to understand the mechanism of the bending motion of the electroactive polymeractuators from the molecular interaction, we performed Monte Carlo simulations in two length scales;the micrometer scale and the nanometer scale. In the micrometer scale picture, the bending motion ofan actuator can be viewed as the inhomogeneous expansion/contraction of the three layer system. Wetheoretically formulated the deformation of the actuator in terms of the elastic constants and the stressexerted due to the applied voltage. For the nanometer scale, noting that the electrodes of the EAPactuators have porous structures, we modeled the anode and the cathode by the porous electrodeswhere the ions are confined in the space with the dimension comparable to the ion size. We foundthat significant osmotic stress arises in the porous electrodes when voltage is applied. The results ofsuch multi-scale analyses are combined with the experimental results to obtain the insights into themolecular mechanism of the actuators and to give the guideline for the molecular design of theactuators

Notes: IPMCs are suitable candidates to realize artificial muscles for possible autonomous applications. Insuch a field power budget is of great importance. The goal of this paper is to maximize the IPMCelectromechanical conversion efficiency in order to increase the performance of these transducers.More specifically, the optimal frequency, amplitude, and waveform to be used to drive the IPMCmembrane has been investigated. By using a novel model of IPMC actuators, the waveform of theapplied voltage signal that maximize the IPMC conversion efficiency was found. The amplitude ofthe first 15 harmonics of the IPMC driving signal was determined, for different constrains such asthe minimum output power and the maximum input voltage.The paper reports about the proposed IPMC model, the optimization algorithm, the optimal drivingsignals, and the validation of the approach

Notes: Stimuli-sensitive change their volume (equilibrium degree of swelling), mechanicalproperties (elasticity, stiffness) and molecular transport properties in response to a small change inthe properties of the swelling agent, like temperature, solvent composition, pH value, ionconcentration, etc. Widespread used smart gels take advantages of the volume phase transitioninduced by a change of temperature. The temperature of volume phase transition depends on theinteraction between gel and solvent. For a gel with defined chemical structure it can be changed bythe composition of the swelling agent, e.g. content of salt or organic components. For application,e.g. in MEMS, an easy and controlled stimulation of volume phase transition is required. Thedegree of swelling (Q) and therefore the dimension of gel structures are determined bytemperature. It is possible to regulate Q to a predetermined value by heating/cooling. Thermalenergy inside a gel-based device can be easily generated and regulated by incorporated heatingresistors and temperature sensors. Different structures (micro-spheres, pads, patterned layers) ofsmart hydrogels are applied. The switching between two different states of swelling is induced bychanges of temperature or by changing the environment. Using the example of gel-basedmicrovalves, sensors, sensor arrays, pumps, and chemostats (concentration control of chemicalsubstances) the sensor-actuator properties and advantages of this group of polymers are discussed

Notes: IPMCs are one of the most promising smart actuators to replace traditional actuators for some specificapplications particularly in the micro-nano scales. IPMC actuator’s shape and configuration have a dramaticeffect on the actuation parameters. While the behaviour of IPMCs as a single fixed end strip actuator(cantilever) has been widely studied since the early 80’s, its behaviour in other configurations is relativelyunknown. This paper presents work carried out in order to reconfigure these actuators for some newapplications. The first configuration is when both ends of an IPMC actuator strip are fully constrained, inboth the actuator plane and the normal direction. In this case the displacement and force measurements at themid point of the strip are presented. The results of a series of experiments show the behaviour of the actuatorin this configuration and using these results some models have been proposed. The second configuration iswhen only one end of the strip is fixed and the other end is constrained in the normal direction with respectto the plane of the actuator strip. A series of experiments were also carried out to explore the IPMC actuatorbehaviour in terms of maximum displacement and force generated in this configuration. The behaviour of theIPMC actuator in these two configurations is also investigated by studying the internal stresses in the IPMCstructure

Notes: Dielectric elastomer actuators with smart compliant electrodes (DESCE) combineposition sensing and actuation in one macroscopic and mechanical uniform structure. The DESCEis a rubber band capable of extending upon application of an electrical potential, and at the sametime allow for measurement of the extension. Compared to other smart materials and structures, theDESCE is second to only piezoelectric ceramics in this respect.A DESCE is a sheet of silicone elastomer actuator with microstructured electrodes on both sides.Such sheets may be used either as actuator upon application of a potential or as sensor by measuringthe capacity of the film. We have assembled such sheets to form a multilayer actuator. One sheet isused as sensor and the others as actuators.The talk will describe performance and use of such actuators for control applications as well as theirpotential for use in space applications. That latter part was investigated in a project on Electroactivepolymer actuators for the European Space Agency (ESA). The primary application considered isvibration damping of large lightweight structures in space. Basic materials properties as well asperformance under space environment – vacuum, temperature, and radiation stability – will bediscussed

Notes: Technologies for space applications are often considered to be rather conservative, aimedat ensuring reliability and robustness. Nevertheless, novel concepts coming from research activitieshave been and are always the lymph for the development of successful and competitive newsolutions. This paper presents new concepts and ideas inspired by natural systems with distributedactuation embedded in their structure, considered as ideal models for possible uses in spaceapplications. Preliminary concepts for possible technical solutions for long-term futureimplementations are here proposed and briefly analyzed. Peristaltic-like actuations obtained by theuse of dielectric elastomer actuators is proposed as one of the most promising solutions.Experimental performances of a single actuation unit are here presented and directions for futureimplementations are proposed

Notes: Dielectric elastomer (DE) actuators are able to typically show significantelectromechanical performances, which make this electroactive polymer technology particularlyattractive for so-called ‘artificial muscle’ devices. This paper deals with two types of DE actuatorsrecently developed in our lab. The first type is represented by the so-called ‘folded actuators’, basedon a simple configuration suitable to easily implement linear contractile devices. The structureconsists of a monolithic electroded sheet of elastomer, which is folded up and compacted; theresulting contractile actuator is functionally equivalent to a multilayer stack with interdigitatedelectrodes, but can be manufactured more easily. The second type of devices is represented by theso-called ‘buckling actuators’. They operate with out-of-plane unidirectional displacements of anelastomer membrane. This paper describes the structure and the properties of both these actuators,along with different examples of applications currently being developed in our lab for thebiomedical, the robotic and the space fields

Notes: This document explains different approaches to integrating electronics in textiles. Itdiscusses reliability standards and tests for electronics in textiles. Encapsulation technologies areevaluated concerning their applicability in textile integrated electronics.Furthermore a specific assembly with embroidered wiring and embroidered interconnections hasbeen developed and improved. Two different encapsulation technologies have been developed forthis assembly. Standardized tests have been carried out to assess the reliability of the assembly andits encapsulations. Finally the achievements are critically discussed

Notes: There is a critical need of integrating the basic electronics technologies, sensors,computers and communications into textiles, so that these, until now passive, to be able to bechanged into interactive, intelligent information infrastructure in order to facilitate the personalizedmobile information processing to the end user. A field with a special application potential of theintelligent textiles is the medical field. The paper will present a knitted textile product having anattached resistive sensor meant for monitoring the foetus heart rate during the intrauterinedevelopment period

Notes: Textile integration of smart sensor systems is the key technology for the success of futuree-garments oriented to emergency operators. Ubiquitous recording and transmission of human andenvironmental data will allow combining comfort and protection leveraging with the existing smarttextile, microelectronics and telecommunication technologies. The challenge offered by emergencysituation is mainly in the difficulty to acquire data in a very aggressive environment, during hardphysical activity; conditions that will increase the risks of signals artefacts, as well as the presenceof positive and negative false events.Security is addressed through the implementation of systems combining body sensing platform, forhealth alertness and environment sensing platform for context awareness; the full system has also toguarantee protective functionality. State of art textile technology allows the monitoring of heart andrespiratory rate, humidity rate, activity rate, GSR and EMG, while core and external temperature,posture via accelerometers, absolute position via GPS are easily monitored through standardsensors. The body sensing platform requires a direct contact with the operator skin leading to theimplementation of a sensing inner garment, at the same time environment platform are integrated ina protective jacket that is also hosting the alarm systems and the electronic unit for signalprocessing and transmission hardware.This paper is reporting about a study done with a pioneer e-textile system named Wealthy onhealthy subjects during extreme conditions.Wealthy platform is currently evolving in a new one, specially designed for emergency scenarios,developed in the frame of the project Proetex, a preliminary description of the new system ispresented; the new system that is under first testing phase, has been designed to be used withoutinterfering with operator activities

Notes: This paper investigated the use of titanium dioxide sol-gel coatings to photo-catalyse redwine stains on wool fabrics. Coatings were produced by the hydrolysis and condensation oftitanium butoxide (Ti(OC4H9)4) on the surface of wool fabrics after pad application. Coatings werepartially converted to the anatase form of titanium dioxide by prolonged immersion in boilingwater. The coating presence was confirmed using scanning electron microscopy, UVspectrophotometryand atomic force microscopy. Coated samples were measured for photo-catalyticactivity by degrading red wine stains from the surface of the coated fabric. The level of photocatalysiswas determined for each of the coating systems after 168 hours. Red wine stains werephoto-catalysed and level of staining was reduced from the UV exposed surface of the coated woolfabric