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4223 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Software for Storage and Management of Microclimatic Data for Preventive Conservation of Cultural Heritage

by Ángel Fernández-Navajas, Paloma Merello, Pedro Beltrán and Fernando-Juan García-Diego

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 2700-2718; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130302700 - 27 Feb 2013

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 6218

Abstract

Cultural Heritage preventive conservation requires the monitoring of the parameters involved in the process of deterioration of artworks. Thus, both long-term monitoring of the environmental parameters as well as further analysis of the recorded data are necessary. The long-term monitoring at frequencies higher [...] Read more.

Cultural Heritage preventive conservation requires the monitoring of the parameters involved in the process of deterioration of artworks. Thus, both long-term monitoring of the environmental parameters as well as further analysis of the recorded data are necessary. The long-term monitoring at frequencies higher than 1 data point/day generates large volumes of data that are difficult to store, manage and analyze. This paper presents software which uses a free open source database engine that allows managing and interacting with huge amounts of data from environmental monitoring of cultural heritage sites. It is of simple operation and offers multiple capabilities, such as detection of anomalous data, inquiries, graph plotting and mean trajectories. It is also possible to export the data to a spreadsheet for analyses with more advanced statistical methods (principal component analysis, ANOVA, linear regression, etc.). This paper also deals with a practical application developed for the Renaissance frescoes of the Cathedral of Valencia. The results suggest infiltration of rainwater in the vault and weekly relative humidity changes related with the religious service schedules. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Physical Sensors)

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526 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Harsh Environment Wireless Pressure Sensing Solution Utilizing High Temperature Electronics

by Jie Yang

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 2719-2734; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130302719 - 27 Feb 2013

Cited by 64 | Viewed by 11676

Abstract

Pressure measurement under harsh environments, especially at high temperatures, is of great interest to many industries. The applicability of current pressure sensing technologies in extreme environments is limited by the embedded electronics which cannot survive beyond 300 °C ambient temperature as of today. [...] Read more.

Pressure measurement under harsh environments, especially at high temperatures, is of great interest to many industries. The applicability of current pressure sensing technologies in extreme environments is limited by the embedded electronics which cannot survive beyond 300 °C ambient temperature as of today. In this paper, a pressure signal processing and wireless transmission module based on the cutting-edge Silicon Carbide (SiC) devices is designed and developed, for a commercial piezoresistive MEMS pressure sensor from Kulite Semiconductor Products, Inc. Equipped with this advanced high-temperature SiC electronics, not only the sensor head, but the entire pressure sensor suite is capable of operating at 450 °C. The addition of wireless functionality also makes the pressure sensor more flexible in harsh environments by eliminating the costly and fragile cable connections. The proposed approach was verified through prototype fabrication and high temperature bench testing from room temperature up to 450 °C. This novel high-temperature pressure sensing technology can be applied in real-time health monitoring of many systems involving harsh environments, such as military and commercial turbine engines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Physical Sensors)

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350 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Virtual Estimator for Piecewise Linear Systems Based on Observability Analysis

by Cornelio Morales-Morales, Manuel Adam-Medina, Ilse Cervantes, Luis G. Vela-Valdés and Carlos Daniel García Beltrán

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 2735-2749; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130302735 - 27 Feb 2013

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5755

Abstract

This article proposes a virtual sensor for piecewise linear systems based on observability analysis that is in function of a commutation law related with the system’s outpu. This virtual sensor is also known as a state estimator. Besides, it presents a detector of [...] Read more.

This article proposes a virtual sensor for piecewise linear systems based on observability analysis that is in function of a commutation law related with the system’s outpu. This virtual sensor is also known as a state estimator. Besides, it presents a detector of active mode when the commutation sequences of each linear subsystem are arbitrary and unknown. For the previous, this article proposes a set of virtual estimators that discern the commutation paths of the system and allow estimating their output. In this work a methodology in order to test the observability for piecewise linear systems with discrete time is proposed. An academic example is presented to show the obtained results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Physical Sensors)

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358 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Systematic Angle Random Walk Estimation of the Constant Rate Biased Ring Laser Gyro

by Huapeng Yu, Wenqi Wu, Meiping Wu, Guohu Feng and Ming Hao

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 2750-2762; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130302750 - 27 Feb 2013

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 7589

Abstract

An actual account of the angle random walk (ARW) coefficients of gyros in the constant rate biased rate ring laser gyro (RLG) inertial navigation system (INS) is very important in practical engineering applications. However, no reported experimental work has dealt with the issue [...] Read more.

An actual account of the angle random walk (ARW) coefficients of gyros in the constant rate biased rate ring laser gyro (RLG) inertial navigation system (INS) is very important in practical engineering applications. However, no reported experimental work has dealt with the issue of characterizing the ARW of the constant rate biased RLG in the INS. To avoid the need for high cost precise calibration tables and complex measuring set-ups, the objective of this study is to present a cost-effective experimental approach to characterize the ARW of the gyros in the constant rate biased RLG INS. In the system, turntable dynamics and other external noises would inevitably contaminate the measured RLG data, leading to the question of isolation of such disturbances. A practical observation model of the gyros in the constant rate biased RLG INS was discussed, and an experimental method based on the fast orthogonal search (FOS) for the practical observation model to separate ARW error from the RLG measured data was proposed. Validity of the FOS-based method was checked by estimating the ARW coefficients of the mechanically dithered RLG under stationary and turntable rotation conditions. By utilizing the FOS-based method, the average ARW coefficient of the constant rate biased RLG in the postulate system is estimated. The experimental results show that the FOS-based method can achieve high denoising ability. This method estimate the ARW coefficients of the constant rate biased RLG in the postulate system accurately. The FOS-based method does not need precise calibration table with high cost and complex measuring set-up, and Statistical results of the tests will provide us references in engineering application of the constant rate biased RLG INS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Physical Sensors)

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709 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Microparticle Separation Utilizing Electrokinesis within an Electrodeless Dielectrophoresis Chip

by Chi-Han Chiou, Jia-Cheng Pan, Liang-Ju Chien, Yu-Ying Lin and Jr-Lung Lin

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 2763-2776; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130302763 - 27 Feb 2013

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 6698

Abstract

This study demonstrated the feasibility of utilizing electrokinesis in an electrodeless dielectrophoresis chip to separate and concentrate microparticles such as biosamples. Numerical simulations and experimental observations were facilitated to investigate the phenomena of electrokinetics, i.e., electroosmosis, dielectrophoresis, and electrothermosis. Moreover, the proposed [...] Read more.

This study demonstrated the feasibility of utilizing electrokinesis in an electrodeless dielectrophoresis chip to separate and concentrate microparticles such as biosamples. Numerical simulations and experimental observations were facilitated to investigate the phenomena of electrokinetics, i.e., electroosmosis, dielectrophoresis, and electrothermosis. Moreover, the proposed operating mode can be used to simultaneously convey microparticles through a microfluidic device by using electroosmotic flow, eliminating the need for an additional micropump. These results not only revealed that the directions of fluids could be controlled with a forward/backward electroosmotic flow but also categorized the optimum separating parameters for various microparticle sizes (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 μm). Separation of microparticles can be achieved by tuning driving frequencies at a specific electric potential (90 Vpp·cm⁻¹). Certainly, the device can be designed as a single automated device that carries out multiple functions such as transportation, separation, and detection for the realization of the envisioned Lab-on-a-Chip idea. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microfluidic Devices)

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637 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multi Reflection of Lamb Wave Emission in an Acoustic Waveguide Sensor

by Martin Schmitt, Sergei Olfert, Jens Rautenberg, Gerhard Lindner, Bernd Henning and Leonhard Michael Reindl

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 2777-2785; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130302777 - 27 Feb 2013

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 8783

Abstract

Recently, an acoustic waveguide sensor based on multiple mode conversion of surface acoustic waves at the solid—liquid interfaces has been introduced for the concentration measurement of binary and ternary mixtures, liquid level sensing, investigation of spatial inhomogenities or bubble detection. In this contribution [...] Read more.

Recently, an acoustic waveguide sensor based on multiple mode conversion of surface acoustic waves at the solid—liquid interfaces has been introduced for the concentration measurement of binary and ternary mixtures, liquid level sensing, investigation of spatial inhomogenities or bubble detection. In this contribution the sound wave propagation within this acoustic waveguide sensor is visualized by Schlieren imaging for continuous and burst operation the first time. In the acoustic waveguide the antisymmetrical zero order Lamb wave mode is excited by a single phase transducer of 1 MHz on thin glass plates of 1 mm thickness. By contact to the investigated liquid Lamb waves propagating on the first plate emit pressure waves into the adjacent liquid, which excites Lamb waves on the second plate, what again causes pressure waves traveling inside the liquid back to the first plate and so on. The Schlieren images prove this multi reflection within the acoustic waveguide, which confirms former considerations and calculations based on the receiver signal. With this knowledge the sensor concepts with the acoustic waveguide sensor can be interpreted in a better manner. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Last Trends in Acoustic Sensing)

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1044 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Anti-Quorum Sensing Potential of Crude Kigelia africana Fruit Extracts

by Hafizah Y. Chenia

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 2802-2817; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130302802 - 27 Feb 2013

Cited by 72 | Viewed by 12827

Abstract

The increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant pathogens has stimulated the search for novel anti-virulence compounds. Although many phytochemicals show promising antimicrobial activity, their power lies in their anti-virulence properties. Thus the quorum sensing (QS) inhibitory activity of four crude Kigelia africana fruit extracts was [...] Read more.

The increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant pathogens has stimulated the search for novel anti-virulence compounds. Although many phytochemicals show promising antimicrobial activity, their power lies in their anti-virulence properties. Thus the quorum sensing (QS) inhibitory activity of four crude Kigelia africana fruit extracts was assessed qualitatively and quantitatively using the Chromobacterium violaceum and Agrobacterium tumefaciens biosensor systems. Inhibition of QS-controlled violacein production in C. violaceum was assayed using the qualitative agar diffusion assay as well as by quantifying violacein inhibition using K. africana extracts ranging from 0.31–8.2 mg/mL. Qualitative modulation of QS activity was investigated using the agar diffusion double ring assay. All four extracts showed varying levels of anti-QS activity with zones of violacein inhibition ranging from 9–10 mm. The effect on violacein inhibition was significant in the following order: hexane > dichloromethane > ethyl acetate > methanol. Inhibition was concentration-dependent, with the ≥90% inhibition being obtained with ≥1.3 mg/mL of the hexane extract. Both LuxI and LuxR activity were affected by crude extracts suggesting that the phytochemicals target both QS signal and receptor. K. africana extracts with their anti-QS activity, have the potential to be novel therapeutic agents, which might be important in reducing virulence and pathogenicity of drug-resistant bacteria in vivo. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Biosensors)

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370 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Determination of Odor Release in Hydrocolloid Model Systems Containing Original or Carboxylated Cellulose at Different pH Values Using Static Headspace Gas Chromatographic (SHS-GC) Analysis

by Sang Mi Lee, Gil-Ok Shin, Kyung Min Park, Pahn-Shick Chang and Young-Suk Kim

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 2818-2829; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130302818 - 27 Feb 2013

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 6395

Abstract

Static headspace gas chromatographic (SHS-GC) analysis was performed to determine the release of 13 odorants in hydrocolloid model systems containing original or regio-selectively carboxylated cellulose at different pH values. The release of most odor compounds was decreased in the hydrocolloid solutions compared to [...] Read more.

Static headspace gas chromatographic (SHS-GC) analysis was performed to determine the release of 13 odorants in hydrocolloid model systems containing original or regio-selectively carboxylated cellulose at different pH values. The release of most odor compounds was decreased in the hydrocolloid solutions compared to control, with the amounts of 2-propanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, and 2,3-butanedione released into the headspace being less than those of any other odor compound in the hydrocolloid model systems. However, there was no considerable difference between original cellulose-containing and carboxylated-cellulose containing systems in the release of most compounds, except for relatively long-chain esters such as ethyl caprylate and ethyl nonanoate. The release from the original and carboxylated cellulose solutions controlled to pH 10 was significantly higher than that from solutions adjusted to pH 4 and 7 in the case of some esters (ethyl acetate, methyl propionate, ethyl propionate, ethyl butyrate, butyl propionate, ethyl caproate) and alcohols (2-propanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol), in particular, ethyl butyrate and 3-methyl-1-butanol. In contrast, the release of 2,3-butanedione from both the original and carboxylated cellulose solutions was increased at pH 4 and 7 compared to that at pH 10 by about 70% and 130%, respectively. Our study demonstrated that the release of some odorants could be changed significantly by addition of both original and carboxylated cellulose in hydrocolloid model systems, but only minor effect was observed in pH of the solution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Odor Detection: Electronic Nose, Olfactometer, and Advanced Instrumentation)

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1127 KiB

Open AccessArticle

BreedVision — A Multi-Sensor Platform for Non-Destructive Field-Based Phenotyping in Plant Breeding

by Lucas Busemeyer, Daniel Mentrup, Kim Möller, Erik Wunder, Katharina Alheit, Volker Hahn, Hans Peter Maurer, Jochen C. Reif, Tobias Würschum, Joachim Müller, Florian Rahe and Arno Ruckelshausen

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 2830-2847; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130302830 - 27 Feb 2013

Cited by 225 | Viewed by 19496

Abstract

To achieve the food and energy security of an increasing World population likely to exceed nine billion by 2050 represents a major challenge for plant breeding. Our ability to measure traits under field conditions has improved little over the last decades and currently [...] Read more.

To achieve the food and energy security of an increasing World population likely to exceed nine billion by 2050 represents a major challenge for plant breeding. Our ability to measure traits under field conditions has improved little over the last decades and currently constitutes a major bottleneck in crop improvement. This work describes the development of a tractor-pulled multi-sensor phenotyping platform for small grain cereals with a focus on the technological development of the system. Various optical sensors like light curtain imaging, 3D Time-of-Flight cameras, laser distance sensors, hyperspectral imaging as well as color imaging are integrated into the system to collect spectral and morphological information of the plants. The study specifies: the mechanical design, the system architecture for data collection and data processing, the phenotyping procedure of the integrated system, results from field trials for data quality evaluation, as well as calibration results for plant height determination as a quantified example for a platform application. Repeated measurements were taken at three developmental stages of the plants in the years 2011 and 2012 employing triticale (×Triticosecale Wittmack L.) as a model species. The technical repeatability of measurement results was high for nearly all different types of sensors which confirmed the high suitability of the platform under field conditions. The developed platform constitutes a robust basis for the development and calibration of further sensor and multi-sensor fusion models to measure various agronomic traits like plant moisture content, lodging, tiller density or biomass yield, and thus, represents a major step towards widening the bottleneck of non-destructive phenotyping for crop improvement and plant genetic studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensor-Based Technologies and Processes in Agriculture and Forestry)

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1656 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Novel Low-Cost Sensor Prototype for Monitoring Temperature during Wine Fermentation in Tanks

by Beatriz Sainz, Jonathan Antolín, Miguel López-Coronado and Carlos De Castro

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 2848-2861; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130302848 - 28 Feb 2013

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 7377

Abstract

This paper presents a multipurpose and low cost sensor for temperature control over the wine fermentation process, in order to steadily communicate data through wireless modules in real time to a viticulturist’s mobile or fixed device. The advantage of our prototype is due [...] Read more.

This paper presents a multipurpose and low cost sensor for temperature control over the wine fermentation process, in order to steadily communicate data through wireless modules in real time to a viticulturist’s mobile or fixed device. The advantage of our prototype is due to the fact that it will be used by small winemakers in the “Ribera del Duero” area, and as it is a cheaper sensor and easy to use for the control and monitoring of the grape fermentation process, it will probably be used by other business men with the same necessities in the region. The microcontroller MSP430G2553 is among the components that make up the sensor, that are integrated onto a motherboard. It communicates with the RN-42 Bluetooth module through an UART interface. After verifying that all elements are working correctly, the parts are assembled to form the final prototype. This device has been tested in a winery in the region, fulfilling the initial project specifications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Biosensors)

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1280 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Automatic Weighting System for Wild Animals Based in an Artificial Neural Network: How to Weigh Wild Animals without Causing Stress

by Diego Francisco Larios, Carlos Rodríguez, Julio Barbancho, Manuel Baena, Miguel Ángel Leal, Jesús Marín, Carlos León and Javier Bustamante

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 2862-2883; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130302862 - 28 Feb 2013

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 9438

Abstract

This paper proposes a novel and autonomous weighing system for wild animals. It allows evaluating changes in the body weight of animals in their natural environment without causing stress. The proposed system comprises a smart scale designed to estimate individual body weights and [...] Read more.

This paper proposes a novel and autonomous weighing system for wild animals. It allows evaluating changes in the body weight of animals in their natural environment without causing stress. The proposed system comprises a smart scale designed to estimate individual body weights and their temporal evolution in a bird colony. The system is based on computational intelligence, and offers valuable large amount of data to evaluate the relationship between long-term changes in the behavior of individuals and global change. The real deployment of this system has been for monitoring a breeding colony of lesser kestrels (Falco naumanni) in southern Spain. The results show that it is possible to monitor individual weight changes during the breeding season and to compare the weight evolution in males and females. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Sensor Networks)

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631 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Trapping and Propelling Microparticles at Long Range by Using an Entirely Stripped and Slightly Tapered No-Core Optical Fiber

by Fang-Wen Sheu and Yen-Si Huang

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 2884-2894; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130302884 - 28 Feb 2013

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 6584

Abstract

A stripped no-core optical fiber with a 125 µm diameter was transformed into a symmetric and unbroken optical fiber that tapers slightly to a 45-µm-diameter waist. The laser light can be easily launched into the no-core optical fiber. The enhanced evanescent wave of [...] Read more.

A stripped no-core optical fiber with a 125 µm diameter was transformed into a symmetric and unbroken optical fiber that tapers slightly to a 45-µm-diameter waist. The laser light can be easily launched into the no-core optical fiber. The enhanced evanescent wave of the slightly tapered no-core optical fiber can attract nearby 5-µm-diameter polystyrene microparticles onto the surface of the tapered multimode optical fiber within fast flowing fluid and propel the trapped particles in the direction of the light propagation to longer delivery range than is possible using a slightly tapered telecom single-mode optical fiber. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser Sensing and Imaging)

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1264 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hand Biometric Recognition Based on Fused Hand Geometry and Vascular Patterns

by GiTae Park and Soowon Kim

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 2895-2910; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130302895 - 28 Feb 2013

Cited by 33 | Viewed by 8775

Abstract

A hand biometric authentication method based on measurements of the user’s hand geometry and vascular pattern is proposed. To acquire the hand geometry, the thickness of the side view of the hand, the K-curvature with a hand-shaped chain code, the lengths and angles [...] Read more.

A hand biometric authentication method based on measurements of the user’s hand geometry and vascular pattern is proposed. To acquire the hand geometry, the thickness of the side view of the hand, the K-curvature with a hand-shaped chain code, the lengths and angles of the finger valleys, and the lengths and profiles of the fingers were used, and for the vascular pattern, the direction-based vascular-pattern extraction method was used, and thus, a new multimodal biometric approach is proposed. The proposed multimodal biometric system uses only one image to extract the feature points. This system can be configured for low-cost devices. Our multimodal biometric-approach hand-geometry (the side view of the hand and the back of hand) and vascular-pattern recognition method performs at the score level. The results of our study showed that the equal error rate of the proposed system was 0.06%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Physical Sensors)

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937 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Study on the Precise Orbit Determination of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System

by Lina He, Maorong Ge, Jiexian Wang, Jens Wickert and Harald Schuh

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 2911-2928; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130302911 - 1 Mar 2013

Cited by 84 | Viewed by 11875

Abstract

The regional service of the Chinese BeiDou satellite navigation system is now in operation with a constellation including five Geostationary Earth Orbit satellites (GEO), five Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO) satellites and four Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites. Besides the standard positioning service with [...] Read more.

The regional service of the Chinese BeiDou satellite navigation system is now in operation with a constellation including five Geostationary Earth Orbit satellites (GEO), five Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO) satellites and four Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites. Besides the standard positioning service with positioning accuracy of about 10 m, both precise relative positioning and precise point positioning are already demonstrated. As is well known, precise orbit and clock determination is essential in enhancing precise positioning services. To improve the satellite orbits of the BeiDou regional system, we concentrate on the impact of the tracking geometry and the involvement of MEOs, and on the effect of integer ambiguity resolution as well. About seven weeks of data collected at the BeiDou Experimental Test Service (BETS) network is employed in this experimental study. Several tracking scenarios are defined, various processing schemata are designed and carried out; and then, the estimates are compared and analyzed in detail. The results show that GEO orbits, especially the along-track component, can be significantly improved by extending the tracking network in China along longitude direction, whereas IGSOs gain more improvement if the tracking network extends in latitude. The involvement of MEOs and ambiguity-fixing also make the orbits better. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Physical Sensors)

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2478 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dynamic Obstacle Avoidance Using Bayesian Occupancy Filter and Approximate Inference

by Ángel Llamazares, Vladimir Ivan, Eduardo Molinos, Manuel Ocaña and Sethu Vijayakumar

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 2929-2944; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130302929 - 1 Mar 2013

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 8930

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to solve the problem of dynamic obstacle avoidance for a mobile platform using the stochastic optimal control framework to compute paths that are optimal in terms of safety and energy efficiency under constraints. We propose a threedimensional [...] Read more.

The goal of this paper is to solve the problem of dynamic obstacle avoidance for a mobile platform using the stochastic optimal control framework to compute paths that are optimal in terms of safety and energy efficiency under constraints. We propose a threedimensional extension of the Bayesian Occupancy Filter (BOF) (Cou´e et al. Int. J. Rob. Res. 2006, 25, 19–30) to deal with the noise in the sensor data, improving the perception stage. We reduce the computational cost of the perception stage by estimating the velocity of each obstacle using optical flow tracking and blob filtering. While several obstacle avoidance systems have been presented in the literature addressing safety and optimality of the robot motion separately, we have applied the approximate inference framework to this problem to combine multiple goals, constraints and priors in a structured way. It is important to remark that the problem involves obstacles that can be moving, therefore classical techniques based on reactive control are not optimal from the point of view of energy consumption. Some experimental results, including comparisons against classical algorithms that highlight the advantages, are presented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends towards Automatic Vehicle Control and Perception Systems)

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550 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Explicit Context Matching in Content-Based Publish/Subscribe Systems

by Sergio Vavassori, Javier Soriano, David Lizcano and Miguel Jiménez

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 2945-2966; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130302945 - 1 Mar 2013

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 6305

Abstract

Although context could be exploited to improve performance, elasticity and adaptation in most distributed systems that adopt the publish/subscribe (P/S) communication model, only a few researchers have focused on the area of context-aware matching in P/S systems and have explored its implications in [...] Read more.

Although context could be exploited to improve performance, elasticity and adaptation in most distributed systems that adopt the publish/subscribe (P/S) communication model, only a few researchers have focused on the area of context-aware matching in P/S systems and have explored its implications in domains with highly dynamic context like wireless sensor networks (WSNs) and IoT-enabled applications. Most adopted P/S models are context agnostic or do not differentiate context from the other application data. In this article, we present a novel context-aware P/S model. SilboPS manages context explicitly, focusing on the minimization of network overhead in domains with recurrent context changes related, for example, to mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). Our approach represents a solution that helps to effciently share and use sensor data coming from ubiquitous WSNs across a plethora of applications intent on using these data to build context awareness. Specifically, we empirically demonstrate that decoupling a subscription from the changing context in which it is produced and leveraging contextual scoping in the filtering process notably reduces (un)subscription cost per node, while improving the global performance/throughput of the network of brokers without altering the cost of SIENA-like topology changes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Sensor Networks)

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1281 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gas Sensors Characterization and Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) Hardware Implementation for Gas Identification Using a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)

by Fayçal Benrekia, Mokhtar Attari and Mounir Bouhedda

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 2967-2985; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130302967 - 1 Mar 2013

Cited by 35 | Viewed by 8463

Abstract

This paper develops a primitive gas recognition system for discriminating between industrial gas species. The system under investigation consists of an array of eight micro-hotplate-based SnO₂ thin film gas sensors with different selectivity patterns. The output signals are processed through a signal [...] Read more.

This paper develops a primitive gas recognition system for discriminating between industrial gas species. The system under investigation consists of an array of eight micro-hotplate-based SnO₂ thin film gas sensors with different selectivity patterns. The output signals are processed through a signal conditioning and analyzing system. These signals feed a decision-making classifier, which is obtained via a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) with Very High-Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language. The classifier relies on a multilayer neural network based on a back propagation algorithm with one hidden layer of four neurons and eight neurons at the input and five neurons at the output. The neural network designed after implementation consists of twenty thousand gates. The achieved experimental results seem to show the effectiveness of the proposed classifier, which can discriminate between five industrial gases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gas Sensors - 2013)

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753 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mid-Infrared Lifetime Imaging for Viability Evaluation of Lettuce Seeds Based on Time-Dependent Thermal Decay Characterization

by Ghiseok Kim, Geon Hee Kim, Chi-Kook Ahn, Yoonkyu Yoo and Byoung-Kwan Cho

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 2986-2996; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130302986 - 1 Mar 2013

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 8149

Abstract

An infrared lifetime thermal imaging technique for the measurement of lettuce seed viability was evaluated. Thermal emission signals from mid-infrared images of healthy seeds and seeds aged for 24, 48, and 72 h were obtained and reconstructed using regression analysis. The emission signals [...] Read more.

An infrared lifetime thermal imaging technique for the measurement of lettuce seed viability was evaluated. Thermal emission signals from mid-infrared images of healthy seeds and seeds aged for 24, 48, and 72 h were obtained and reconstructed using regression analysis. The emission signals were fitted with a two-term exponential model that had two amplitudes and two time variables as lifetime parameters. The lifetime thermal decay parameters were significantly different for seeds with different aging times. Single-seed viability was visualized using thermal lifetime images constructed from the calculated lifetime parameter values. The time-dependent thermal signal decay characteristics, along with the decay amplitude and delay time images, can be used to distinguish aged lettuce seeds from normal seeds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensor-Based Technologies and Processes in Agriculture and Forestry)

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680 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Vibration Analysis of Composite Laminate Plate Excited by Piezoelectric Actuators

by Shiuh-Chuan Her and Chi-Sheng Lin

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 2997-3013; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130302997 - 1 Mar 2013

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 8118

Abstract

Piezoelectric materials can be used as actuators for the active vibration control of smart structural systems. In this work, piezoelectric patches are surface bonded to a composite laminate plate and used as vibration actuators. A static analysis based on the piezoelectricity and elasticity [...] Read more.

Piezoelectric materials can be used as actuators for the active vibration control of smart structural systems. In this work, piezoelectric patches are surface bonded to a composite laminate plate and used as vibration actuators. A static analysis based on the piezoelectricity and elasticity is conducted to evaluate the loads induced by the piezoelectric actuators to the host structure. The loads are then employed to develop the vibration response of a simply supported laminate rectangular plate excited by piezoelectric patches subjected to time harmonic voltages. An analytical solution of the vibration response of a simply supported laminate rectangular plate under time harmonic electrical loading is obtained and compared with finite element results to validate the present approach. The effects of location and exciting frequency of piezoelectric actuators on the vibration response of the laminate plate are investigated through a parametric study. Numerical results show that modes can be selectively excited, leading to structural vibration control. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Piezoelectric Sensors and Actuators)

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1065 KiB

Open AccessArticle

SAD-Based Stereo Vision Machine on a System-on-Programmable-Chip (SoPC)

by Xiang Zhang and Zhangwei Chen

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3014-3027; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303014 - 4 Mar 2013

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 7899

Abstract

This paper, proposes a novel solution for a stereo vision machine based on the System-on-Programmable-Chip (SoPC) architecture. The SOPC technology provides great convenience for accessing many hardware devices such as DDRII, SSRAM, Flash, etc., by IP reuse. The system hardware is [...] Read more.

This paper, proposes a novel solution for a stereo vision machine based on the System-on-Programmable-Chip (SoPC) architecture. The SOPC technology provides great convenience for accessing many hardware devices such as DDRII, SSRAM, Flash, etc., by IP reuse. The system hardware is implemented in a single FPGA chip involving a 32-bit Nios II microprocessor, which is a configurable soft IP core in charge of managing the image buffer and users’ configuration data. The Sum of Absolute Differences (SAD) algorithm is used for dense disparity map computation. The circuits of the algorithmic module are modeled by the Matlab-based DSP Builder. With a set of configuration interfaces, the machine can process many different sizes of stereo pair images. The maximum image size is up to 512 K pixels. This machine is designed to focus on real time stereo vision applications. The stereo vision machine offers good performance and high efficiency in real time. Considering a hardware FPGA clock of 90 MHz, 23 frames of 640 × 480 disparity maps can be obtained in one second with 5 × 5 matching window and maximum 64 disparity pixels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Physical Sensors)

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310 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High Temperature Optical Fiber Sensor Based on Compact Fattened Long-Period Fiber Gratings

by Ruth I. Mata-Chávez, Alejandro Martínez-Rios, Julián M. Estudillo-Ayala, Everardo Vargas-Rodríguez, Roberto Rojas-Laguna, Juan C. Hernández-García, Ana D. Guzmán-Chávez, David Claudio-González and Eduardo Huerta-Mascotte

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3028-3038; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303028 - 4 Mar 2013

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 6841

Abstract

A compact high temperature fiber sensor where the sensor head consists of a short fattened long period fiber grating (F-LPFG) of at least 2 mm in length and background loss of −5 dBm is reported. On purpose two different F-LPFGs were used to [...] Read more.

A compact high temperature fiber sensor where the sensor head consists of a short fattened long period fiber grating (F-LPFG) of at least 2 mm in length and background loss of −5 dBm is reported. On purpose two different F-LPFGs were used to measure temperature variations, taking advantage of their broad spectrum and the slope characteristics of the erbium light source. This approach affected the spectrum gain as the linear band shifting took place. The measured sensitivity of the long period fiber gratings were about 72 pm/°C in a range from 25 to 500 °C. Here, the temperature rate of the experiment was 0.17 °C/s and the temperature response time was within 3 s. Moreover, temperature changes were detected with an InGaAs photodetector, where a sensitivity of 0.05 mV/°C was achieved. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser Sensing and Imaging)

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Open AccessArticle

A Novel Cell-Based Hybrid Acoustic Wave Biosensor with Impedimetric Sensing Capabilities

by Fei Liu, Fang Li, Anis Nurashikin Nordin and Ioana Voiculescu

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3039-3055; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303039 - 4 Mar 2013

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 9533

Abstract

A novel multiparametric biosensor system based on living cells will be presented. The biosensor system includes two biosensing techniques on a single device: resonant frequency measurements and electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS). The multiparametric sensor system is based on the innovative use of [...] Read more.

A novel multiparametric biosensor system based on living cells will be presented. The biosensor system includes two biosensing techniques on a single device: resonant frequency measurements and electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS). The multiparametric sensor system is based on the innovative use of the upper electrode of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) resonator as working electrode for the ECIS technique. The QCM acoustic wave sensor consists of a thin AT-cut quartz substrate with two gold electrodes on opposite sides. For integration of the QCM with the ECIS technique a semicircular counter electrode was fabricated near the upper electrode on the same side of the quartz crystal. Bovine aortic endothelial live cells (BAECs) were successfully cultured on this hybrid biosensor. Finite element modeling of the bulk acoustic wave resonator using COMSOL simulations was performed. Simultaneous gravimetric and impedimetric measurements performed over a period of time on the same cell culture were conducted to validate the device’s sensitivity. The time necessary for the BAEC cells to attach and form a compact monolayer on the biosensor was 35~45 minutes for 1.5 × 10⁴ cells/cm² BAECs; 60 minutes for 2.0 × 10⁴ cells/cm² BAECs; 70 minutes for 3.0 × 10⁴ cells/cm² BAECs; and 100 minutes for 5.0 × 10⁴ cells/cm² BAECs. It was demonstrated that this time is the same for both gravimetric and impedimetric measurements. This hybrid biosensor will be employed in the future for water toxicity detection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Last Trends in Acoustic Sensing)

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295 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Rank-Ordered Marginal Filter for Deinterlacing

by Gwanggil Jeon, Marco Anisetti and Seok Hoon Kang

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3056-3065; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303056 - 4 Mar 2013

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 5065

Abstract

This paper proposes a new interpolation filter for deinterlacing, which is achievedby enhancing the edge preserving ability of the conventional edge-based line averagemethods. This filter consists of three steps: pre-processing step, fuzzy metric-based weightassignation step, and rank-ordered marginal filter step. The proposed method [...] Read more.

This paper proposes a new interpolation filter for deinterlacing, which is achievedby enhancing the edge preserving ability of the conventional edge-based line averagemethods. This filter consists of three steps: pre-processing step, fuzzy metric-based weightassignation step, and rank-ordered marginal filter step. The proposed method is able tointerpolate the missing lines without introducing annoying articles. Simulation results showthat the images filtered with the proposed algorithm restrain less annoying pixels than theones acquired by other methods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Physical Sensors)

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Open AccessArticle

Link-Quality Measurement and Reporting in Wireless Sensor Networks

by Abdellah Chehri, Gwanggil Jeon and Byoungjo Choi

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3066-3076; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303066 - 4 Mar 2013

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 7632

Abstract

Wireless Sensor networks (WSNs) are created by small hardware devices that possess the necessary functionalities to measure and exchange a variety of environmental data in their deployment setting. In this paper, we discuss the experiments in deploying a testbed as a first step [...] Read more.

Wireless Sensor networks (WSNs) are created by small hardware devices that possess the necessary functionalities to measure and exchange a variety of environmental data in their deployment setting. In this paper, we discuss the experiments in deploying a testbed as a first step towards creating a fully functional heterogeneous wireless network-based underground monitoring system. The system is mainly composed of mobile and static ZigBee nodes, which are deployed on the underground mine galleries for measuring ambient temperature. In addition, we describe the measured results of link characteristics such as received signal strength, latency and throughput for different scenarios. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Sensor Networks)

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Open AccessArticle

A Low-Power Bio-Potential Acquisition System with Flexible PDMS Dry Electrodes for Portable Ubiquitous Healthcare Applications

by Chih-Yuan Chen, Chia-Lin Chang, Chih-Wei Chang, Shin-Chi Lai, Tsung-Fu Chien, Hong-Yi Huang, Jin-Chern Chiou and Ching-Hsing Luo

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3077-3091; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303077 - 4 Mar 2013

Cited by 56 | Viewed by 10296

Abstract

This work describes a bio-potential acquisition system for portable ubiquitous healthcare applications using flexible polydimethylsiloxane dry electrodes (FPDEs) and a low-power recording circuit. This novel FPDE used Au as the skin contact layer, which was made using a CO₂ laser and replica [...] Read more.

This work describes a bio-potential acquisition system for portable ubiquitous healthcare applications using flexible polydimethylsiloxane dry electrodes (FPDEs) and a low-power recording circuit. This novel FPDE used Au as the skin contact layer, which was made using a CO₂ laser and replica method technology. The FPDE was revised from a commercial bio-potential electrode with a conductive snap using dry electrodes rather than wet electrodes that proposed reliable and robust attachment for the purpose of measurement, and attaching velcro made it wearable on the forearm for bio-potential applications. Furthermore, this study proposes a recording device to store bio-potential signal data and provides portability and low-power consumption for the proposed acquisition system. To acquire differential bio-potentials, such as electrocardiogram (ECG) signals, the proposed recording device includes a low-power front-end acquisition chip fabricated using a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process, a commercial microcontroller (MSP430F149), and a secure digital (SD) card for portable healthcare applications. The proposed system can obtain ECG signals efficiently and are comfortable to the skin. The power consumption of the system is about 85 mW for continuous working over a 3 day period with two AA batteries. It can also be used as a compact Holter ECG system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Physical Sensors)

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Open AccessArticle

A Strip-Type Microthrottle Pump: Modeling, Design and Fabrication

by Borut Pečar, Danilo Vrtačnik, Drago Resnik, Matej Možek, Uroš Aljančič, Tine Dolžan, Slavko Amon and Dejan Križaj

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3092-3108; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303092 - 4 Mar 2013

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 6443

Abstract

A novel design for a strip-type microthrottle pump with a rectangular actuator geometry is proposed, with more efficient chip surface consumption compared to existing micropumps with circular actuators. Due to the complex structure and operation of the proposed device, determination of detailed structural [...] Read more.

A novel design for a strip-type microthrottle pump with a rectangular actuator geometry is proposed, with more efficient chip surface consumption compared to existing micropumps with circular actuators. Due to the complex structure and operation of the proposed device, determination of detailed structural parameters is essential. Therefore, we developed an advanced, fully coupled 3D electro-fluid-solid mechanics simulation model in COMSOL that includes fluid inertial effects and a hyperelastic model for PDMS and no-slip boundary condition in fluid-wall interface. Numerical simulation resulted in accurate virtual prototyping of the proposed device only after inclusion of all mentioned effects. Here, we provide analysis of device operation at various frequencies which describes the basic pumping effects, role of excitation amplitude and backpressure and provides optimization of critical design parameters such as optimal position and height of the microthrottles. Micropump prototypes were then fabricated and characterized. Measured characteristics proved expected micropump operation, achieving maximal flow-rate 0.43 mL·min⁻¹ and maximal backpressure 12.4 kPa at 300 V excitation. Good agreement between simulation and measurements on fabricated devices confirmed the correctness of the developed simulation model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microfluidic Devices)

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Open AccessArticle

Comparison and Intercalibration of Vegetation Indices from Different Sensors for Monitoring Above-Ground Plant Nitrogen Uptake in Winter Wheat

by Xinfeng Yao, Xia Yao, Wenqing Jia, Yongchao Tian, Jun Ni, Weixing Cao and Yan Zhu

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3109-3130; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303109 - 5 Mar 2013

Cited by 42 | Viewed by 7908

Abstract

Various sensors have been used to obtain the canopy spectral reflectance for monitoring above-ground plant nitrogen (N) uptake in winter wheat. Comparison and intercalibration of spectral reflectance and vegetation indices derived from different sensors are important for multi-sensor data fusion and utilization. In [...] Read more.

Various sensors have been used to obtain the canopy spectral reflectance for monitoring above-ground plant nitrogen (N) uptake in winter wheat. Comparison and intercalibration of spectral reflectance and vegetation indices derived from different sensors are important for multi-sensor data fusion and utilization. In this study, the spectral reflectance and its derived vegetation indices from three ground-based sensors (ASD Field Spec Pro spectrometer, CropScan MSR 16 and GreenSeeker RT 100) in six winter wheat field experiments were compared. Then, the best sensor (ASD) and its normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI (807, 736)) for estimating above-ground plant N uptake were determined (R² of 0.885 and RMSE of 1.440 g·N·m⁻² for model calibration). In order to better utilize the spectral reflectance from the three sensors, intercalibration models for vegetation indices based on different sensors were developed. The results indicated that the vegetation indices from different sensors could be intercalibrated, which should promote application of data fusion and make monitoring of above-ground plant N uptake more precise and accurate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensor-Based Technologies and Processes in Agriculture and Forestry)

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Open AccessArticle

A Sensitive Ratiometric Fluorescent Sensor for Zinc(II) with High Selectivity

by Yuanyuan Lv, Mingda Cao, Jiakai Li and Junbo Wang

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3131-3141; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303131 - 6 Mar 2013

Cited by 39 | Viewed by 8041

Abstract

A new fluorescent Zn²⁺ chemosensor (P1) based on a functionalized porphyrin was synthesized and characterized. P1 displayed dramatic ratiometric variations in absorption and fluorescent emission spectra upon exposure to Zn²⁺ due to the formation of a 1:1 Zn²⁺/P1 complex. [...] Read more.

A new fluorescent Zn²⁺ chemosensor (P1) based on a functionalized porphyrin was synthesized and characterized. P1 displayed dramatic ratiometric variations in absorption and fluorescent emission spectra upon exposure to Zn²⁺ due to the formation of a 1:1 Zn²⁺/P1 complex. The sensor also exhibited high selectivity and sensitivity toward Zn²⁺ over other common metal ions in the physiological pH range with a detection limit of 1.8 mM. The sensor showed fast response times and excellent reproducibility, thus confirming its potential applicability as a fluorescent sensor for Zn²⁺ sensing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Chemical Sensors)

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888 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fingerprint Identification Using SIFT-Based Minutia Descriptors and Improved All Descriptor-Pair Matching

by Ru Zhou, Dexing Zhong and Jiuqiang Han

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3142-3156; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303142 - 6 Mar 2013

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 17673

Abstract

The performance of conventional minutiae-based fingerprint authentication algorithms degrades significantly when dealing with low quality fingerprints with lots of cuts or scratches. A similar degradation of the minutiae-based algorithms is observed when small overlapping areas appear because of the quite narrow width of [...] Read more.

The performance of conventional minutiae-based fingerprint authentication algorithms degrades significantly when dealing with low quality fingerprints with lots of cuts or scratches. A similar degradation of the minutiae-based algorithms is observed when small overlapping areas appear because of the quite narrow width of the sensors. Based on the detection of minutiae, Scale Invariant Feature Transformation (SIFT) descriptors are employed to fulfill verification tasks in the above difficult scenarios. However, the original SIFT algorithm is not suitable for fingerprint because of: (1) the similar patterns of parallel ridges; and (2) high computational resource consumption. To enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the algorithm for fingerprint verification, we propose a SIFT-based Minutia Descriptor (SMD) to improve the SIFT algorithm through image processing, descriptor extraction and matcher. A two-step fast matcher, named improved All Descriptor-Pair Matching (iADM), is also proposed to implement the 1:N verifications in real-time. Fingerprint Identification using SMD and iADM (FISiA) achieved a significant improvement with respect to accuracy in representative databases compared with the conventional minutiae-based method. The speed of FISiA also can meet real-time requirements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Japan 2012)

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452 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Design and Implementation of a Sun Tracker with a Dual-Axis Single Motor for an Optical Sensor-Based Photovoltaic System

by Jing-Min Wang and Chia-Liang Lu

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3157-3168; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303157 - 6 Mar 2013

Cited by 91 | Viewed by 20843

Abstract

The dual threats of energy depletion and global warming place the development of methods for harnessing renewable energy resources at the center of public interest. Solar energy is one of the most promising renewable energy resources. Sun trackers can substantially improve the electricity [...] Read more.

The dual threats of energy depletion and global warming place the development of methods for harnessing renewable energy resources at the center of public interest. Solar energy is one of the most promising renewable energy resources. Sun trackers can substantially improve the electricity production of a photovoltaic (PV) system. This paper proposes a novel design of a dual-axis solar tracking PV system which utilizes the feedback control theory along with a four-quadrant light dependent resistor (LDR) sensor and simple electronic circuits to provide robust system performance. The proposed system uses a unique dual-axis AC motor and a stand-alone PV inverter to accomplish solar tracking. The control implementation is a technical innovation that is a simple and effective design. In addition, a scaled-down laboratory prototype is constructed to verify the feasibility of the scheme. The effectiveness of the Sun tracker is confirmed experimentally. To conclude, the results of this study may serve as valuable references for future solar energy applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Physical Sensors)

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Open AccessArticle

ARBRES: Light-Weight CW/FM SAR Sensors for Small UAVs

by Albert Aguasca, Rene Acevo-Herrera, Antoni Broquetas, Jordi J. Mallorqui and Xavier Fabregas

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3204-3216; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303204 - 6 Mar 2013

Cited by 44 | Viewed by 9908

Abstract

This paper describes a pair of compact CW/FM airborne SAR systems for small UAV-based operation (wingspan of 3.5 m) for low-cost testing of innovative SAR concepts. Two different SAR instruments, using the C and X bands, have been developed in the context of [...] Read more.

This paper describes a pair of compact CW/FM airborne SAR systems for small UAV-based operation (wingspan of 3.5 m) for low-cost testing of innovative SAR concepts. Two different SAR instruments, using the C and X bands, have been developed in the context of the ARBRES project, each of them achieving a payload weight below 5 Kg and a volume of 13.5 dm³(sensor and controller). Every system has a dual receiving channel which allows operation in interferometric or polarimetric modes. Planar printed array antennas are used in both sensors for easy system integration and better isolation between transmitter and receiver subsystems. First experimental tests on board a 3.2 m wingspan commercial radio-controlled aircraft are presented. The SAR images of a field close to an urban area have been focused using a back-projection algorithm. Using the dual channel capability, a single pass interferogram and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) has been obtained which agrees with the scene topography. A simple Motion Compensation (MoCo) module, based on the information from an Inertial+GPS unit, has been included to compensate platform motion errors with respect to the nominal straight trajectory. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Remote Sensors)

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873 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Error Modeling and Calibration for Encoded Sun Sensors

by Qiaoyun Fan, Guangjun Zhang, Jian Li, Xinguo Wei and Xiaoyang Li

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3217-3231; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303217 - 7 Mar 2013

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 6052

Abstract

Error factors in the encoded sun sensor (ESS) are analyzed and simulated. Based on the analysis results, an ESS error compensation model containing structural errors and fine-code algorithm errors is established, and the corresponding calibration method for model parameters is proposed. As external [...] Read more.

Error factors in the encoded sun sensor (ESS) are analyzed and simulated. Based on the analysis results, an ESS error compensation model containing structural errors and fine-code algorithm errors is established, and the corresponding calibration method for model parameters is proposed. As external parameters, installation deviation between ESS and calibration equipment are introduced to the ESS calibration model, so that the model parameters can be calibrated accurately. The experimental results show that within plus/minus 60 degree of incident angle, the ESS measurement accuracy after compensation is three times higher on average than that before compensation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Physical Sensors)

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873 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Design Optimization of Structural Parameters for Highly Sensitive Photonic Crystal Label-Free Biosensors

by Jonghyun Ju, Yun-ah Han and Seok-min Kim

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3232-3241; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303232 - 7 Mar 2013

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 6582

Abstract

The effects of structural design parameters on the performance of nano-replicated photonic crystal (PC) label-free biosensors were examined by the analysis of simulated reflection spectra of PC structures. The grating pitch, duty, scaled grating height and scaled TiO₂ layer thickness were selected [...] Read more.

The effects of structural design parameters on the performance of nano-replicated photonic crystal (PC) label-free biosensors were examined by the analysis of simulated reflection spectra of PC structures. The grating pitch, duty, scaled grating height and scaled TiO₂ layer thickness were selected as the design factors to optimize the PC structure. The peak wavelength value (PWV), full width at half maximum of the peak, figure of merit for the bulk and surface sensitivities, and surface/bulk sensitivity ratio were also selected as the responses to optimize the PC label-free biosensor performance. A parametric study showed that the grating pitch was the dominant factor for PWV, and that it had low interaction effects with other scaled design factors. Therefore, we can isolate the effect of grating pitch using scaled design factors. For the design of PC-label free biosensor, one should consider that: (1) the PWV can be measured by the reflection peak measurement instruments, (2) the grating pitch and duty can be manufactured using conventional lithography systems, and (3) the optimum design is less sensitive to the grating height and TiO₂ layer thickness variations in the fabrication process. In this paper, we suggested a design guide for highly sensitive PC biosensor in which one select the grating pitch and duty based on the limitations of the lithography and measurement system, and conduct a multi objective optimization of the grating height and TiO₂ layer thickness for maximizing performance and minimizing the influence of parameter variation. Through multi-objective optimization of a PC structure with a fixed grating height of 550 nm and a duty of 50%, we obtained a surface FOM of 66.18 RIU⁻¹ and an S/B ratio of 34.8%, with a grating height of 117 nm and TiO₂ height of 210 nm. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photonic Crystal Sensors)

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449 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Selective Serial Multi-Antibody Biosensing with TOPAS Microstructured Polymer Optical Fibers

by Grigoriy Emiliyanov, Poul E. Høiby, Lars H. Pedersen and Ole Bang

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3242-3251; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303242 - 8 Mar 2013

Cited by 121 | Viewed by 7759

Abstract

We have developed a fluorescence-based fiber-optical biosensor, which can selectively detect different antibodies in serial at preselected positions inside a single piece of fiber. The fiber is a microstructured polymer optical fiber fabricated from TOPAS cyclic olefin copolymer, which allows for UV activation [...] Read more.

We have developed a fluorescence-based fiber-optical biosensor, which can selectively detect different antibodies in serial at preselected positions inside a single piece of fiber. The fiber is a microstructured polymer optical fiber fabricated from TOPAS cyclic olefin copolymer, which allows for UV activation of localized sensor layers inside the holes of the fiber. Serial fluorescence-based selective sensing of Cy3-labelled α-streptavidin and Cy5-labelled α-CRP antibodies is demonstrated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photonic Crystal Sensors)

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641 KiB

Open AccessArticle

CO Responses of Sensors Based on Cerium Oxide Thick Films Prepared from Clustered Spherical Nanoparticles

by Noriya Izu, Ichiro Matsubara, Toshio Itoh, Takafumi Akamatsu and Woosuck Shin

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3252-3261; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303252 - 8 Mar 2013

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 8034

Abstract

Various types of CO sensors based on cerium oxide (ceria) have been reported recently. It has also been reported that the response speed of CO sensors fabricated from porous ceria thick films comprising nanoparticles is extremely high. However, the response value of such [...] Read more.

Various types of CO sensors based on cerium oxide (ceria) have been reported recently. It has also been reported that the response speed of CO sensors fabricated from porous ceria thick films comprising nanoparticles is extremely high. However, the response value of such sensors is not suitably high. In this study, we investigated methods of improving the response values of CO sensors based on ceria and prepared gas sensors from core-shell ceria polymer hybrid nanoparticles. These hybrid nanoparticles have been reported to have a unique structure: The core consists of a cluster of ceria crystallites several nanometers in size. We compared the characteristics of the sensors based on thick films prepared from core-shell nanoparticles with those of sensors based on thick films prepared from conventionally used precipitated nanoparticles. The sensors prepared from the core-shell nanoparticles exhibited a resistance that was ten times greater than that of the sensors prepared from the precipitated nanoparticles. The response values of the gas sensors based on the core-shell nanoparticles also was higher than that of the sensors based on the precipitated nanoparticles. Finally, improvements in sensor response were also noticed after the addition of Au nanoparticles to the thick films used to fabricate the two types of sensors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gas Sensors - 2013)

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Open AccessArticle

Reconfigurable, Defect-Free, Ultrahigh-Q Photonic Crystal Microcavities for Sensing

by Snjezana Tomljenovic-Hanic and C. Martijn De Sterke

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3262-3269; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303262 - 8 Mar 2013

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 6051

Abstract

We propose a new approach for creating reconfigurable high-Q cavities in defect-free photonic crystal slabs (PCSs). The approach relies on selective air-hole infiltration in otherwise defect-free PCSs. We show that using this method we can design ultrahigh-Q microcavities, with Q~10 [...] Read more.

We propose a new approach for creating reconfigurable high-Q cavities in defect-free photonic crystal slabs (PCSs). The approach relies on selective air-hole infiltration in otherwise defect-free PCSs. We show that using this method we can design ultrahigh-Q microcavities, with Q~10⁶. Numerical calculations indicate a large number of high-Q modes with high sensitivity, which are ideal for simultaneous, multi-parameter refractive index-based sensing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photonic Crystal Sensors)

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Open AccessArticle

Robust Lane Sensing and Departure Warning under Shadows and Occlusions

by Rodolfo Tapia-Espinoza and Miguel Torres-Torriti

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3270-3298; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303270 - 11 Mar 2013

Cited by 36 | Viewed by 9297

Abstract

A prerequisite for any system that enhances drivers’ awareness of road conditions and threatening situations is the correct sensing of the road geometry and the vehicle’s relative pose with respect to the lane despite shadows and occlusions. In this paper we propose an [...] Read more.

A prerequisite for any system that enhances drivers’ awareness of road conditions and threatening situations is the correct sensing of the road geometry and the vehicle’s relative pose with respect to the lane despite shadows and occlusions. In this paper we propose an approach for lane segmentation and tracking that is robust to varying shadows and occlusions. The approach involves color-based clustering, the use of MSAC for outlier removal and curvature estimation, and also the tracking of lane boundaries. Lane boundaries are modeled as planar curves residing in 3D-space using an inverse perspective mapping, instead of the traditional tracking of lanes in the image space, i.e., the segmented lane boundary points are 3D points in a coordinate frame fixed to the vehicle that have a depth component and belong to a plane tangent to the vehicle’s wheels, rather than 2D points in the image space without depth information. The measurement noise and disturbances due to vehicle vibrations are reduced using an extended Kalman filter that involves a 6-DOF motion model for the vehicle, as well as measurements about the road’s banking and slope angles. Additional contributions of the paper include: (i) the comparison of textural features obtained from a bank of Gabor filters and from a GMRF model; and (ii) the experimental validation of the quadratic and cubic approximations to the clothoid model for the lane boundaries. The results show that the proposed approach performs better than the traditional gradient-based approach under different levels of difficulty caused by shadows and occlusions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends towards Automatic Vehicle Control and Perception Systems)

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625 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Real-Time Terahertz Time-Domain Polarization Analyzer with 80-MHz Repetition-Rate Femtosecond Laser Pulses

by Shinichi Watanabe, Naoya Yasumatsu, Kenichi Oguchi, Masatoshi Takeda, Takeshi Suzuki and Takehiro Tachizaki

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3299-3312; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303299 - 11 Mar 2013

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 8825

Abstract

We have developed a real-time terahertz time-domain polarization analyzer by using 80-MHz repetition-rate femtosecond laser pulses. Our technique is based on the spinning electro-optic sensor method, which we recently proposed and demonstrated by using a regenerative amplifier laser system; here we improve the [...] Read more.

We have developed a real-time terahertz time-domain polarization analyzer by using 80-MHz repetition-rate femtosecond laser pulses. Our technique is based on the spinning electro-optic sensor method, which we recently proposed and demonstrated by using a regenerative amplifier laser system; here we improve the detection scheme in order to be able to use it with a femtosecond laser oscillator with laser pulses of a much higher repetition rate. This improvement brings great advantages for realizing broadband, compact and stable real-time terahertz time-domain polarization measurement systems for scientific and industrial applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Japan 2012)

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Open AccessArticle

Development and Evaluation of a Combined Cultivator and Band Sprayer with a Row-Centering RTK-GPS Guidance System

by Manuel Perez-Ruiz, Jacob Carballido, Juan Agüera and Antonio Rodríguez-Lizana

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3313-3330; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303313 - 11 Mar 2013

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 10045

Abstract

Typically, low-pressure sprayers are used to uniformly apply pre- and post-emergent herbicides to control weeds in crop rows. An innovative machine for weed control in inter-row and intra-row areas, with a unique combination of inter-row cultivation tooling and intra-row band spraying for six [...] Read more.

Typically, low-pressure sprayers are used to uniformly apply pre- and post-emergent herbicides to control weeds in crop rows. An innovative machine for weed control in inter-row and intra-row areas, with a unique combination of inter-row cultivation tooling and intra-row band spraying for six rows and an electro-hydraulic side-shift frame controlled by a GPS system, was developed and evaluated. Two weed management strategies were tested in the field trials: broadcast spraying (the conventional method) and band spraying with mechanical weed control using RTK-GPS (the experimental method). This approach enabled the comparison between treatments from the perspective of cost savings and efficacy in weed control for a sugar beet crop. During the 2010–2011 season, the herbicide application rate (112 L ha⁻¹) of the experimental method was approximately 50% of the conventional method, and thus a significant reduction in the operating costs of weed management was achieved. A comparison of the 0.2-trimmed means of weed population post-treatment showed that the treatments achieved similar weed control rates at each weed survey date. Sugar beet yields were similar with both methods (p = 0.92). The use of the experimental equipment is cost-effective on ≥20 ha of crops. These initial results show good potential for reducing herbicide application in the Spanish beet industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensor-Based Technologies and Processes in Agriculture and Forestry)

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391 KiB

Open AccessArticle

THz QCL-Based Cryogen-Free Spectrometer for in Situ Trace Gas Sensing

by Luigi Consolino, Saverio Bartalini, Harvey E. Beere, David A. Ritchie, Miriam Serena Vitiello and Paolo De Natale

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3331-3340; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303331 - 11 Mar 2013

Cited by 52 | Viewed by 7475

Abstract

We report on a set of high-sensitivity terahertz spectroscopy experiments making use of QCLs to detect rotational molecular transitions in the far-infrared. We demonstrate that using a compact and transportable cryogen-free setup, based on a quantum cascade laser in a closed-cycle Stirling cryostat, [...] Read more.

We report on a set of high-sensitivity terahertz spectroscopy experiments making use of QCLs to detect rotational molecular transitions in the far-infrared. We demonstrate that using a compact and transportable cryogen-free setup, based on a quantum cascade laser in a closed-cycle Stirling cryostat, and pyroelectric detectors, a considerable improvement in sensitivity can be obtained by implementing a wavelength modulation spectroscopy technique. Indeed, we show that the sensitivity of methanol vapour detection can be improved by a factor ≈ 4 with respect to standard direct absorption approaches, offering perspectives for high sensitivity detection of a number of chemical compounds across the far-infrared spectral range. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser Sensing and Imaging)

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Open AccessArticle

Noninvasive Vascular Displacement Estimation for Relative Elastic Modulus Reconstruction in Transversal Imaging Planes

by Hendrik H. G. Hansen, Michael S. Richards, Marvin M. Doyley and Chris L. de Korte

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3341-3357; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303341 - 11 Mar 2013

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 7143

Abstract

Atherosclerotic plaque rupture can initiate stroke or myocardial infarction. Lipid-rich plaques with thin fibrous caps have a higher risk to rupture than fibrotic plaques. Elastic moduli differ for lipid-rich and fibrous tissue and can be reconstructed using tissue displacements estimated from intravascular ultrasound [...] Read more.

Atherosclerotic plaque rupture can initiate stroke or myocardial infarction. Lipid-rich plaques with thin fibrous caps have a higher risk to rupture than fibrotic plaques. Elastic moduli differ for lipid-rich and fibrous tissue and can be reconstructed using tissue displacements estimated from intravascular ultrasound radiofrequency (RF) data acquisitions. This study investigated if modulus reconstruction is possible for noninvasive RF acquisitions of vessels in transverse imaging planes using an iterative 2D cross-correlation based displacement estimation algorithm. Furthermore, since it is known that displacements can be improved by compounding of displacements estimated at various beam steering angles, we compared the performance of the modulus reconstruction with and without compounding. For the comparison, simulated and experimental RF data were generated of various vessel-mimicking phantoms. Reconstruction errors were less than 10%, which seems adequate for distinguishing lipid-rich from fibrous tissue. Compounding outperformed single-angle reconstruction: the interquartile range of the reconstructed moduli for the various homogeneous phantom layers was approximately two times smaller. Additionally, the estimated lateral displacements were a factor of 2–3 better matched to the displacements corresponding to the reconstructed modulus distribution. Thus, noninvasive elastic modulus reconstruction is possible for transverse vessel cross sections using this cross-correlation method and is more accurate with compounding. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Medical & Biological Imaging)

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Open AccessArticle

In-Network Processing of Joins in Wireless Sensor Networks

by Hyunchul Kang

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3358-3393; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303358 - 11 Mar 2013

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5712

Abstract

The join or correlated filtering of sensor readings is one of the fundamental query operations in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Although the join in centralized or distributed databases is a well-researched problem, join processing in WSNs has quite different characteristics and is much [...] Read more.

The join or correlated filtering of sensor readings is one of the fundamental query operations in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Although the join in centralized or distributed databases is a well-researched problem, join processing in WSNs has quite different characteristics and is much more difficult to perform due to the lack of statistics on sensor readings and the resource constraints of sensor nodes. Since data transmission is orders of magnitude more costly than processing at a sensor node, in-network processing of joins is essential. In this paper, the state-of-the-art techniques for join implementation in WSNs are surveyed. The requirements and challenges, join types, and components of join implementation are described. The open issues for further research are identified. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Sensor Networks)

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Open AccessArticle

Using a Standing-Tree Acoustic Tool to Identify Forest Stands for the Production of Mechanically-Graded Lumber

by Normand Paradis, David Auty, Peter Carter and Alexis Achim

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3394-3408; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303394 - 12 Mar 2013

Cited by 38 | Viewed by 8839

Abstract

This study investigates how the use of a Hitman ST300 acoustic sensor can help identify the best forest stands to be used as supply sources for the production of Machine Stress-Rated (MSR) lumber. Using two piezoelectric sensors, the ST300 measures the velocity of [...] Read more.

This study investigates how the use of a Hitman ST300 acoustic sensor can help identify the best forest stands to be used as supply sources for the production of Machine Stress-Rated (MSR) lumber. Using two piezoelectric sensors, the ST300 measures the velocity of a mechanical wave induced in a standing tree. Measurements were made on 333 black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) trees from the North Shore region, Quebec (Canada) selected across a range of locations and along a chronosequence of elapsed time since the last fire (TSF). Logs were cut from a subsample of 39 trees, and sawn into 77 pieces of 38 mm × 89 mm cross-section before undergoing mechanical testing according to ASTM standard D-4761. A linear regression model was developed to predict the static modulus of elasticity of lumber using tree acoustic velocity and stem diameter at 1.3 m above ground level (R² = 0.41). Results suggest that, at a regional level, 92% of the black spruce trees meet the requirements of MSR grade 1650Fb-1.5E, whilst 64% and 34% meet the 2100Fb-1.8E and 2400Fb-2.0E, respectively. Mature stands with a TSF < 150 years had 11 and 18% more boards in the latter two categories, respectively, and therefore represented the best supply source for MSR lumber. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensor-Based Technologies and Processes in Agriculture and Forestry)

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Open AccessArticle

Spatio-Temporal Saliency Perception via Hypercomplex Frequency Spectral Contrast

by Ce Li, Jianru Xue, Nanning Zheng, Xuguang Lan and Zhiqiang Tian

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3409-3431; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303409 - 12 Mar 2013

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 7907

Abstract

Salient object perception is the process of sensing the salient information from the spatio-temporal visual scenes, which is a rapid pre-attention mechanism for the target location in a visual smart sensor. In recent decades, many successful models of visual saliency perception have been [...] Read more.

Salient object perception is the process of sensing the salient information from the spatio-temporal visual scenes, which is a rapid pre-attention mechanism for the target location in a visual smart sensor. In recent decades, many successful models of visual saliency perception have been proposed to simulate the pre-attention behavior. Since most of the methods usually need some ad hoc parameters or high-cost preprocessing, they are difficult to rapidly detect salient object or be implemented by computing parallelism in a smart sensor. In this paper, we propose a novel spatio-temporal saliency perception method based on spatio-temporal hypercomplex spectral contrast (HSC). Firstly, the proposed HSC algorithm represent the features in the HSV (hue, saturation and value) color space and features of motion by a hypercomplex number. Secondly, the spatio-temporal salient objects are efficiently detected by hypercomplex Fourier spectral contrast in parallel. Finally, our saliency perception model also incorporates with the non-uniform sampling, which is a common phenomenon of human vision that directs visual attention to the logarithmic center of the image/video in natural scenes. The experimental results on the public saliency perception datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach compared to eleven state-of-the-art approaches. In addition, we extend the proposed model to moving object extraction in dynamic scenes, and the proposed algorithm is superior to the traditional algorithms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Physical Sensors)

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Open AccessArticle

Chromium and Ruthenium-Doped Zinc Oxide Thin Films for Propane Sensing Applications

by Heberto Gómez-Pozos, José Luis González-Vidal, Gonzalo Alberto Torres, Jorge Rodríguez-Baez, Arturo Maldonado, María De la Luz Olvera, Dwight Roberto Acosta, Maximino Avendaño-Alejo and Luis Castañeda

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3432-3444; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303432 - 12 Mar 2013

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 8381

Abstract

Chromium and ruthenium-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Cr) and (ZnO:Ru) thin solid films were deposited on soda-lime glass substrates by the sol-gel dip-coating method. A 0.6 M solution of zinc acetate dihydrate dissolved in 2-methoxyethanol and monoethanolamine was used as basic solution. Chromium (III) acetylacetonate [...] Read more.

Chromium and ruthenium-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Cr) and (ZnO:Ru) thin solid films were deposited on soda-lime glass substrates by the sol-gel dip-coating method. A 0.6 M solution of zinc acetate dihydrate dissolved in 2-methoxyethanol and monoethanolamine was used as basic solution. Chromium (III) acetylacetonate and Ruthenium (III) trichloride were used as doping sources. The Ru incorporation and its distribution profile into the films were proved by the SIMS technique. The morphology and structure of the films were studied by SEM microscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements, respectively. The SEM images show porous surfaces covered by small grains with different grain size, depending on the doping element, and the immersions number into the doping solutions. The sensing properties of ZnO:Cr and ZnO:Ru films in a propane (C₃H₈) atmosphere, as a function of the immersions number in the doping solution, have been studied in the present work. The highest sensitivity values were obtained for films doped from five immersions, 5.8 and 900, for ZnO:Cr and ZnO:Ru films, respectively. In order to evidence the catalytic effect of the chromium (Cr) and ruthenium (Ru), the sensing characteristics of undoped ZnO films are reported as well. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Tools in Electrochemical Sensing)

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Open AccessArticle

Low Temperature Sensing Properties of a Nano Hybrid Material Based on ZnO Nanotetrapods and Titanyl Phthalocyanine

by Nicola Coppedè, Marco Villani, Roberto Mosca, Salvatore Iannotta, Andrea Zappettini and Davide Calestani

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3445-3453; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303445 - 13 Mar 2013

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 6792

Abstract

ZnO nanotetrapods have recently been exploited for the realization of high-sensitivity gas sensors, but they are affected by the typical drawbacks of metal-oxides, i.e., poor selectivity and a relatively high working temperature. On the other hand, it has been also demonstrated that [...] Read more.

ZnO nanotetrapods have recently been exploited for the realization of high-sensitivity gas sensors, but they are affected by the typical drawbacks of metal-oxides, i.e., poor selectivity and a relatively high working temperature. On the other hand, it has been also demonstrated that the combined use of nanostructured metal oxides and organic molecules can improve the gas sensing performance sensitivity or selectivity, even at lower temperatures. A gas sensor device, based on films of interconnected ZnO nanotetrapods properly functionalized by titanyl phthalocyanine (TiOPc), has been realized in order to combine the high surface to volume ratio and structural stability of the crystalline ZnO nanostructures with the enhanced sensitivity of the semiconducting TiOPc molecule, especially at low temperature. The electronic properties of the resulting nanohybrid material are different from those of each single component. The response of the hybrid nanostructure towards different gases has been compared with that of ZnO nanotetrapod without functionalization in order to highlight the peculiar properties of the hybrid interaction(s). The dynamic response in time has been studied for different gases and temperatures; in particular, an increase in the response to NO₂ has been observed, even at room temperature. The formation of localized p-n heterojunctions and the possibility of exchanging charge carriers at the hybrid interface is shown to be crucial for the sensing mechanism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Organics and Metal Oxide Hybrid Sensors)

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Open AccessArticle

Enhanced Perception of User Intention by Combining EEG and Gaze-Tracking for Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs)

by Jong-Suk Choi, Jae Won Bang, Kang Ryoung Park and Mincheol Whang

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3454-3472; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303454 - 13 Mar 2013

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 7209

Abstract

Speller UI systems tend to be less accurate because of individual variation and the noise of EEG signals. Therefore, we propose a new method to combine the EEG signals and gaze-tracking. This research is novel in the following four aspects. First, two wearable [...] Read more.

Speller UI systems tend to be less accurate because of individual variation and the noise of EEG signals. Therefore, we propose a new method to combine the EEG signals and gaze-tracking. This research is novel in the following four aspects. First, two wearable devices are combined to simultaneously measure both the EEG signal and the gaze position. Second, the speller UI system usually has a 6 × 6 matrix of alphanumeric characters, which has disadvantage in that the number of characters is limited to 36. Thus, a 12 × 12 matrix that includes 144 characters is used. Third, in order to reduce the highlighting time of each of the 12 × 12 rows and columns, only the three rows and three columns (which are determined on the basis of the 3 × 3 area centered on the user’s gaze position) are highlighted. Fourth, by analyzing the P300 EEG signal that is obtained only when each of the 3 × 3 rows and columns is highlighted, the accuracy of selecting the correct character is enhanced. The experimental results showed that the accuracy of proposed method was higher than the other methods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Physical Sensors)

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Open AccessArticle

Evaluating the Power Consumption of Wireless Sensor Network Applications Using Models

by Antônio Dâmaso, Davi Freitas, Nelson Rosa, Bruno Silva and Paulo Maciel

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3473-3500; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303473 - 13 Mar 2013

Cited by 52 | Viewed by 8915

Abstract

Power consumption is the main concern in developing Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) applications. Consequently, several strategies have been proposed for investigating the power consumption of this kind of application. These strategies can help to predict the WSN lifetime, provide recommendations to application developers [...] Read more.

Power consumption is the main concern in developing Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) applications. Consequently, several strategies have been proposed for investigating the power consumption of this kind of application. These strategies can help to predict the WSN lifetime, provide recommendations to application developers and may optimize the energy consumed by the WSN applications. While measurement is a known and precise strategy for power consumption evaluation, it is very costly, tedious and may be unfeasible considering the (usual) large number of WSN nodes. Furthermore, due to the inherent dynamism of WSNs, the instrumentation required by measurement techniques makes difficult their use in several different scenarios. In this context, this paper presents an approach for evaluating the power consumption of WSN applications by using simulation models along with a set of tools to automate the proposed approach. Starting from a programming language code, we automatically generate consumption models used to predict the power consumption of WSN applications. In order to evaluate the proposed approach, we compare the results obtained by using the generated models against ones obtained by measurement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Sensor Networks)

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Open AccessArticle

Ultrasound Indoor Positioning System Based on a Low-Power Wireless Sensor Network Providing Sub-Centimeter Accuracy

by Carlos Medina, José Carlos Segura and Ángel De la Torre

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3501-3526; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303501 - 13 Mar 2013

Cited by 136 | Viewed by 20576

Abstract

This paper describes the TELIAMADE system, a new indoor positioning system based on time-of-flight (TOF) of ultrasonic signal to estimate the distance between a receiver node and a transmitter node. TELIAMADE system consists of a set of wireless nodes equipped with a radio [...] Read more.

This paper describes the TELIAMADE system, a new indoor positioning system based on time-of-flight (TOF) of ultrasonic signal to estimate the distance between a receiver node and a transmitter node. TELIAMADE system consists of a set of wireless nodes equipped with a radio module for communication and a module for the transmission and reception of ultrasound. The access to the ultrasonic channel is managed by applying a synchronization algorithm based on a time-division multiplexing (TDMA) scheme. The ultrasonic signal is transmitted using a carrier frequency of 40 kHz and the TOF measurement is estimated by applying a quadrature detector to the signal obtained at the A/D converter output. Low sampling frequencies of 17.78 kHz or even 12.31 kHz are possible using quadrature sampling in order to optimize memory requirements and to reduce the computational cost in signal processing. The distance is calculated from the TOF taking into account the speed of sound. An excellent accuracy in the estimation of the TOF is achieved using parabolic interpolation to detect of maximum of the signal envelope at the matched filter output. The signal phase information is also used for enhancing the TOF measurement accuracy. Experimental results show a root mean square error (rmse) less than 2 mm and a standard deviation less than 0.3 mm for pseudorange measurements in the range of distances between 2 and 6 m. The system location accuracy is also evaluated by applying multilateration. A sub-centimeter location accuracy is achieved with an average rmse of 9.6 mm. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Last Trends in Acoustic Sensing)

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Open AccessArticle

Deployment of a Fully-Automated Green Fluorescent Protein Imaging System in a High Arctic Autonomous Greenhouse

by Talal Abboud, Matthew Bamsey, Anna-Lisa Paul, Thomas Graham, Stephen Braham, Rita Noumeir, Alain Berinstain and Robert Ferl

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3530-3548; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303530 - 13 Mar 2013

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 7725

Abstract

Higher plants are an integral part of strategies for sustained human presence in space. Space-based greenhouses have the potential to provide closed-loop recycling of oxygen, water and food. Plant monitoring systems with the capacity to remotely observe the condition of crops in real-time [...] Read more.

Higher plants are an integral part of strategies for sustained human presence in space. Space-based greenhouses have the potential to provide closed-loop recycling of oxygen, water and food. Plant monitoring systems with the capacity to remotely observe the condition of crops in real-time within these systems would permit operators to take immediate action to ensure optimum system yield and reliability. One such plant health monitoring technique involves the use of reporter genes driving fluorescent proteins as biological sensors of plant stress. In 2006 an initial prototype green fluorescent protein imager system was deployed at the Arthur Clarke Mars Greenhouse located in the Canadian High Arctic. This prototype demonstrated the advantageous of this biosensor technology and underscored the challenges in collecting and managing telemetric data from exigent environments. We present here the design and deployment of a second prototype imaging system deployed within and connected to the infrastructure of the Arthur Clarke Mars Greenhouse. This is the first imager to run autonomously for one year in the un-crewed greenhouse with command and control conducted through the greenhouse satellite control system. Images were saved locally in high resolution and sent telemetrically in low resolution. Imager hardware is described, including the custom designed LED growth light and fluorescent excitation light boards, filters, data acquisition and control system, and basic sensing and environmental control. Several critical lessons learned related to the hardware of small plant growth payloads are also elaborated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Biosensors)

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Open AccessArticle

Continuous Transmission Frequency Modulation Detection under Variable Sonar-Target Speed Conditions

by Yang Wang and Jun Yang

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3549-3567; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303549 - 13 Mar 2013

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 6962

Abstract

As a ranging sensor, a continuous transmission frequency modulation (CTFM) sonar with its ability for range finding and range profile formation works effectively under stationary conditions. When a relative velocity exists between the target and the sonar, the echo signal is Doppler-shifted. This [...] Read more.

As a ranging sensor, a continuous transmission frequency modulation (CTFM) sonar with its ability for range finding and range profile formation works effectively under stationary conditions. When a relative velocity exists between the target and the sonar, the echo signal is Doppler-shifted. This situation causes the output of the sensor to deviate from the actual target range, thus limiting its applications to stationary conditions only. This work presents an approach for correcting such a deviation. By analyzing the Doppler effect during the propagation process, the sensor output can be corrected by a Doppler factor. To obtain this factor, a conventional CTFM system is slightly modified by adding a single tone signal with a frequency that locates out-of-sweep range of the transmitted signal. The Doppler factor can be extracted from the echo. Both verification experiments and performance tests are carried out. Results indicate the validity of the proposed approach. Moreover, ranging precision under different processing setups is discussed. For adjacent multiple targets, the discrimination ability is influenced by displacement and velocity. A discrimination boundary is provided through an analysis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Physical Sensors)

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Open AccessArticle

A Novel Offset Cancellation Based on Parasitic-Insensitive Switched-Capacitor Sensing Circuit for the Out-of-Plane Single-Gimbaled Decoupled CMOS-MEMS Gyroscope

by Ming-Hui Chang and Han-Pang Huang

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3568-3587; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303568 - 14 Mar 2013

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 7580

Abstract

This paper presents a novel parasitic-insensitive switched-capacitor (PISC) sensing circuit design in order to obtain high sensitivity and ultra linearity and reduce the parasitic effect for the out-of-plane single-gimbaled decoupled CMOS-MEMS gyroscope (SGDG). According to the simulation results, the proposed PISC circuit has [...] Read more.

This paper presents a novel parasitic-insensitive switched-capacitor (PISC) sensing circuit design in order to obtain high sensitivity and ultra linearity and reduce the parasitic effect for the out-of-plane single-gimbaled decoupled CMOS-MEMS gyroscope (SGDG). According to the simulation results, the proposed PISC circuit has better sensitivity and high linearity in a wide dynamic range. Experimental results also show a better performance. In addition, the PISC circuit can use signal processing to cancel the offset and noise. Thus, this circuit is very suitable for gyroscope measurement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Physical Sensors)

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Open AccessArticle

Utilizing Joint Routing and Capacity Assignment Algorithms to Achieve Inter- and Intra-Group Delay Fairness in Multi-Rate Multicast Wireless Sensor Networks

by Frank Yeong-Sung Lin, Chiu-Han Hsiao, Leo Shih-Chang Lin and Yean-Fu Wen

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3588-3614; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303588 - 14 Mar 2013

Viewed by 6020

Abstract

Recent advance in wireless sensor network (WSN) applications such as the Internet of Things (IoT) have attracted a lot of attention. Sensor nodes have to monitor and cooperatively pass their data, such as temperature, sound, pressure, etc. through the network under constrained physical [...] Read more.

Recent advance in wireless sensor network (WSN) applications such as the Internet of Things (IoT) have attracted a lot of attention. Sensor nodes have to monitor and cooperatively pass their data, such as temperature, sound, pressure, etc. through the network under constrained physical or environmental conditions. The Quality of Service (QoS) is very sensitive to network delays. When resources are constrained and when the number of receivers increases rapidly, how the sensor network can provide good QoS (measured as end-to-end delay) becomes a very critical problem. In this paper; a solution to the wireless sensor network multicasting problem is proposed in which a mathematical model that provides services to accommodate delay fairness for each subscriber is constructed. Granting equal consideration to both network link capacity assignment and routing strategies for each multicast group guarantees the intra-group and inter-group delay fairness of end-to-end delay. Minimizing delay and achieving fairness is ultimately achieved through the Lagrangean Relaxation method and Subgradient Optimization Technique. Test results indicate that the new system runs with greater effectiveness and efficiency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Sensor Networks)

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Open AccessArticle

A Humidity Sensing Organic-Inorganic Composite for Environmental Monitoring

by Zubair Ahmad, Qayyum Zafar, Khaulah Sulaiman, Rizwan Akram and Khasan S. Karimov

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3615-3624; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303615 - 14 Mar 2013

Cited by 81 | Viewed by 9047

Abstract

In this paper, we present the effect of varying humidity levels on the electrical parameters and the multi frequency response of the electrical parameters of an organic-inorganic composite (PEPC+NiPc+Cu₂O)-based humidity sensor. Silver thin films (thickness ~200 nm) were primarily deposited on [...] Read more.

In this paper, we present the effect of varying humidity levels on the electrical parameters and the multi frequency response of the electrical parameters of an organic-inorganic composite (PEPC+NiPc+Cu₂O)-based humidity sensor. Silver thin films (thickness ~200 nm) were primarily deposited on plasma cleaned glass substrates by the physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique. A pair of rectangular silver electrodes was formed by patterning silver film through standard optical lithography technique. An active layer of organic-inorganic composite for humidity sensing was later spun coated to cover the separation between the silver electrodes. The electrical characterization of the sensor was performed as a function of relative humidity levels and frequency of the AC input signal. The sensor showed reversible changes in its capacitance with variations in humidity level. The maximum sensitivity ~31.6 pF/%RH at 100 Hz in capacitive mode of operation has been attained. The aim of this study was to increase the sensitivity of the previously reported humidity sensors using PEPC and NiPc, which has been successfully achieved. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Chemical Sensors)

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Open AccessArticle

Fluorescent Imaging for Assessment of the Effect of Combined Application of Electroporation and Rifampicin on HaCaT Cells as a New Therapeutic Approach for Psoriasis

by Biliana Nikolova, Anelia Kostadinova, Borislav Dimitrov, Zhivko Zhelev, Rumiana Bakalova, Ichio Aoki, Tsuneo Saga and Iana Tsoneva

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3625-3634; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303625 - 14 Mar 2013

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 6989

Abstract

The study aimed to clarify the role of electric pulses in combination with chemotherapy on the viability of keratinocyte cell line HaCaT, in the context of its application as a new therapeutic approach for psoriasis. The data show that electroporation of HaCaT cells [...] Read more.

The study aimed to clarify the role of electric pulses in combination with chemotherapy on the viability of keratinocyte cell line HaCaT, in the context of its application as a new therapeutic approach for psoriasis. The data show that electroporation of HaCaT cells in combination with rifampicin induces cytoskeleton disruption and increases permeability of cell monolayer due to cell-cell junctions’ interruption, visualized by fluorescent imaging of E-cadherin and actin integrity. This was accompanied with synergistic reduction of cell viability. The study proposes a new opportunity for more effective skin treatment than chemotherapy. The future application of this electrochemotherapeutic approach for combined local treatment of psoriasis may have serous benefits because of a high possibility to avoid side-effects of conventional chemotherapy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Medical & Biological Imaging)

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Open AccessArticle

Fabrication and Characterisation of the Graphene Ring Micro Electrode (GRiME) with an Integrated, Concentric Ag/AgCl Reference Electrode

by James W. Dickinson, Michael Bromley, Fabrice P. L. Andrieux and Colin Boxall

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3635-3651; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303635 - 14 Mar 2013

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 9038

Abstract

Abstract: We report the fabrication and characterisation of the first graphene ring micro electrodes with the addition of a miniature concentric Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The graphene ring electrode is formed by dip coating fibre optics with graphene produced by a modified Hummers method. [...] Read more.

Abstract: We report the fabrication and characterisation of the first graphene ring micro electrodes with the addition of a miniature concentric Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The graphene ring electrode is formed by dip coating fibre optics with graphene produced by a modified Hummers method. The reference electrode is formed using an established photocatalytically initiated electroless deposition (PIED) plating method. The performance of the so-formed graphene ring micro electrodes (GRiMEs) and associated reference electrode is studied using the probe redox system ferricyanide and electrode thicknesses assessed using established electrochemical methods. Using 220 µm diameter fibre optics, a ~15 nm thick graphene ring electrode is obtained corresponding to an inner to outer radius ratio of >0.999, so allowing for use of extant analytical descriptions of very thin ring microelectrodes in data analysis. GRiMEs are highly reliable (current response invariant over >3,000 scans), with the concentric reference electrode showing comparable stability (current response invariant over >300 scans). Furthermore the micro-ring design allows for efficient use of electrochemically active graphene edge sites and the associated nA scale currents obtained neatly obviate issues relating to the high resistivity of undoped graphene. Thus, the use of graphene in ring microelectrodes improves the reliability of existing micro-electrode designs and expands the range of use of graphene-based electrochemical devices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Tools in Electrochemical Sensing)

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Open AccessCommunication

A Small and Slim Coaxial Probe for Single Rice Grain Moisture Sensing

by Kok Yeow You, Hou Kit Mun, Li Ling You, Jamaliah Salleh and Zulkifly Abbas

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3652-3663; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303652 - 14 Mar 2013

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 8716

Abstract

A moisture detection of single rice grains using a slim and small open-ended coaxial probe is presented. The coaxial probe is suitable for the nondestructive measurement of moisture values in the rice grains ranging from from 9.5% to 26%. Empirical polynomial models are [...] Read more.

A moisture detection of single rice grains using a slim and small open-ended coaxial probe is presented. The coaxial probe is suitable for the nondestructive measurement of moisture values in the rice grains ranging from from 9.5% to 26%. Empirical polynomial models are developed to predict the gravimetric moisture content of rice based on measured reflection coefficients using a vector network analyzer. The relationship between the reflection coefficient and relative permittivity were also created using a regression method and expressed in a polynomial model, whose model coefficients were obtained by fitting the data from Finite Element-based simulation. Besides, the designed single rice grain sample holder and experimental set-up were shown. The measurement of single rice grains in this study is more precise compared to the measurement in conventional bulk rice grains, as the random air gap present in the bulk rice grains is excluded. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensor-Based Technologies and Processes in Agriculture and Forestry)

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Open AccessArticle

A Zirconium Dioxide Ammonia Microsensor Integrated with a Readout Circuit Manufactured Using the 0.18 μm CMOS Process

by Guan-Ming Lin, Ching-Liang Dai and Ming-Zhi Yang

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3664-3674; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303664 - 15 Mar 2013

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 6418

Abstract

The study presents an ammonia microsensor integrated with a readout circuit on-a-chip fabricated using the commercial 0.18 μm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process. The integrated sensor chip consists of a heater, an ammonia sensor and a readout circuit. The ammonia sensor is [...] Read more.

The study presents an ammonia microsensor integrated with a readout circuit on-a-chip fabricated using the commercial 0.18 μm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process. The integrated sensor chip consists of a heater, an ammonia sensor and a readout circuit. The ammonia sensor is constructed by a sensitive film and the interdigitated electrodes. The sensitive film is zirconium dioxide that is coated on the interdigitated electrodes. The heater is used to provide a working temperature to the sensitive film. A post-process is employed to remove the sacrificial layer and to coat zirconium dioxide on the sensor. When the sensitive film adsorbs or desorbs ammonia gas, the sensor produces a change in resistance. The readout circuit converts the resistance variation of the sensor into the output voltage. The experiments show that the integrated ammonia sensor has a sensitivity of 4.1 mV/ppm. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gas Sensors - 2013)

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Open AccessArticle

Assessing Herbivore Foraging Behavior with GPS Collars in a Semiarid Grassland

by David J. Augustine and Justin D. Derner

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3711-3723; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303711 - 15 Mar 2013

Cited by 81 | Viewed by 8590

Abstract

Advances in global positioning system (GPS) technology have dramatically enhanced the ability to track and study distributions of free-ranging livestock. Understanding factors controlling the distribution of free-ranging livestock requires the ability to assess when and where they are foraging. For four years (2008–2011), [...] Read more.

Advances in global positioning system (GPS) technology have dramatically enhanced the ability to track and study distributions of free-ranging livestock. Understanding factors controlling the distribution of free-ranging livestock requires the ability to assess when and where they are foraging. For four years (2008–2011), we periodically collected GPS and activity sensor data together with direct observations of collared cattle grazing semiarid rangeland in eastern Colorado. From these data, we developed classification tree models that allowed us to discriminate between grazing and non-grazing activities. We evaluated: (1) which activity sensor measurements from the GPS collars were most valuable in predicting cattle foraging behavior, (2) the accuracy of binary (grazing, non-grazing) activity models vs. models with multiple activity categories (grazing, resting, traveling, mixed), and (3) the accuracy of models that are robust across years vs. models specific to a given year. A binary classification tree correctly removed 86.5% of the non-grazing locations, while correctly retaining 87.8% of the locations where the animal was grazing, for an overall misclassification rate of 12.9%. A classification tree that separated activity into four different categories yielded a greater misclassification rate of 16.0%. Distance travelled in a 5 minute interval and the proportion of the interval with the sensor indicating a head down position were the two most important variables predicting grazing activity. Fitting annual models of cattle foraging activity did not improve model accuracy compared to a single model based on all four years combined. This suggests that increased sample size was more valuable than accounting for interannual variation in foraging behavior associated with variation in forage production. Our models differ from previous assessments in semiarid rangeland of Israel and mesic pastures in the United States in terms of the value of different activity sensor measurements for identifying grazing activity, suggesting that the use of GPS collars to classify cattle grazing behavior will require calibrations specific to the environment and vegetation being studied. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Physical Sensors)

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Open AccessArticle

Multipass Active Contours for an Adaptive Contour Map

by Jeong Heon Kim, Bo-Young Park, Farhan Akram, Byung-Woo Hong and Kwang Nam Choi

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3724-3738; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303724 - 15 Mar 2013

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 6727

Abstract

Isocontour mapping is efficient for extracting meaningful information from a biomedical image in a topographic analysis. Isocontour extraction from real world medical images is difficult due to noise and other factors. As such, adaptive selection of contour generation parameters is needed. This paper [...] Read more.

Isocontour mapping is efficient for extracting meaningful information from a biomedical image in a topographic analysis. Isocontour extraction from real world medical images is difficult due to noise and other factors. As such, adaptive selection of contour generation parameters is needed. This paper proposes an algorithm for generating an adaptive contour map that is spatially adjusted. It is based on the modified active contour model, which imposes successive spatial constraints on the image domain. The adaptability of the proposed algorithm is governed by the energy term of the model. This work focuses on mammograms and the analysis of their intensity. Our algorithm employs the Mumford-Shah energy functional, which considers an image’s intensity distribution. In mammograms, the brighter regions generally contain significant information. Our approach exploits this characteristic to address the initialization and local optimum problems of the active contour model. Our algorithm starts from the darkest region; therefore, local optima encountered during the evolution of contours are populated in less important regions, and the important brighter regions are reserved for later stages. For an unrestricted initial contour, our algorithm adopts an existing technique without re-initialization. To assess its effectiveness and robustness, the proposed algorithm was tested on a set of mammograms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Medical & Biological Imaging)

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Open AccessArticle

Design and Application of a Field Sensing System for Ground Anchors in Slopes

by Se Woon Choi, Jihoon Lee, Jong Moon Kim and Hyo Seon Park

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3739-3752; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303739 - 18 Mar 2013

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 8491

Abstract

In a ground anchor system, cables or tendons connected to a bearing plate are used for stabilization of slopes. Then, the stability of a slope is dependent on maintaining the tension levels in the cables. So far, no research on a strain-based field [...] Read more.

In a ground anchor system, cables or tendons connected to a bearing plate are used for stabilization of slopes. Then, the stability of a slope is dependent on maintaining the tension levels in the cables. So far, no research on a strain-based field sensing system for ground anchors has been reported. Therefore, in this study, a practical monitoring system for long-term sensing of tension levels in tendons for anchor-reinforced slopes is proposed. The system for anchor-reinforced slopes is composed of: (1) load cells based on vibrating wire strain gauges (VWSGs), (2) wireless sensor nodes which receive and process the signals from load cells and then transmit the result to a master node through local area communication, (3) master nodes which transmit the data sent from sensor nodes to the server through mobile communication, and (4) a server located at the base station. The system was applied to field sensing of ground anchors in the 62 m-long and 26 m-high slope at the side of the highway. Based on the long-term monitoring, the safety of the anchor-reinforced slope can be secured by the timely applications of re-tensioning processes in tendons. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Sensor Networks)

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Open AccessArticle

Eye-Tracker-Guided Non-Mechanical Excimer Laser Assisted Penetrating Keratoplasty

by Edgar Janunts, Frank Schirra, Nora Szentmáry, Berthold Seitz and Achim Langenbucher

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3753-3764; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303753 - 18 Mar 2013

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 6812

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to implement a new eye tracking mask which could be used to guide the laser beam in automated non-mechanical excimer laser assisted penetrating keratoplasty. Materials and methods: A new trephination mask design with an [...] Read more.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to implement a new eye tracking mask which could be used to guide the laser beam in automated non-mechanical excimer laser assisted penetrating keratoplasty. Materials and methods: A new trephination mask design with an elevated surface geometry has been proposed with a step formation between conical and flat interfaces. Two recipient masks of 7.5/8.0 mm have been manufactured and tested. The masks have outer diameter of 12.5 mm, step formation at 10.5 mm, and slope of conical surfaces 15°. Its functionality has been tested in different lateral positions and tilts on a planar surface, and pig eye experiments. After successful validation on porcine eyes, new masks have been produced and tested on two patients. Results: The build-in eye tracking software of the MEL 70 was always able to capture the masks. It has been shown that the unwanted pigmentation/pattern induced by the laser pulses on the mask surface does not influence the eye-tracking efficiency. The masks could be tracked within the 18 × 14 mm lateral displacement and up to 12° tilt. Two patient cases are demonstrated. No complications were observed during the surgery, although it needs some attention for aligning the mask horizontally before trephination. Stability of eye tracking masks is emphasized by inducing on purpose movements of the patient head. Conclusion: Eye-tracking-guided penetrating keratoplasty was successfully applied in clinical practice, which enables robust tracking criteria within an extended range. It facilitates the automated trephination procedure of excimer laser-assisted penetrating keratoplasty. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Biosensors)

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Open AccessArticle

A Dibutyl Phthalate Sensor Based on a Nanofiber Polyaniline Coated Quartz Crystal Monitor

by You Wang, Pengfei Ding, Ruifen Hu, Jianming Zhang, Xingfa Ma, Zhiyuan Luo and Guang Li

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3765-3775; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303765 - 18 Mar 2013

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 7488

Abstract

Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) is a commonly used plasticizer and additive to adhesives, printing inks and nail polishes. Because it has been found to be a powerful reproductive and developmental toxicant, a sensor to monitor DBP in some working spaces and the environment is [...] Read more.

Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) is a commonly used plasticizer and additive to adhesives, printing inks and nail polishes. Because it has been found to be a powerful reproductive and developmental toxicant, a sensor to monitor DBP in some working spaces and the environment is required. In this work polyaniline nanofibers were deposited on the electrode of a quartz crystal oscillator to form a Quartz Crystal Microbalance gas sensor. The coated quartz crystal and a non-coated quartz crystal were mounted in a sealed chamber, and their frequency difference was monitored. When DBP vapor was injected into the chamber, gas adsorption decreased the frequency of the coated quartz crystal oscillator and thereby caused an increase in the frequency difference between the two crystals. The change of the frequency difference was recorded as the sensor response. The sensor was extremely sensitive to DBP and could be easily recovered by N₂ purging. A low measurement limit of 20 ppb was achieved. The morphologies of the polyaniline films prepared by different approaches have been studied by SEM and BET. How the nanofiber-structure can improve the sensitivity and stability is discussed, while its selectivity and long-term stability were investigated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Chemical Sensors)

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Open AccessArticle

Identifying Rhodamine Dye Plume Sources in Near-Shore Oceanic Environments by Integration of Chemical and Visual Sensors

by Yu Tian, Xiaodong Kang, Yunyi Li, Wei Li, Aiqun Zhang, Jiangchen Yu and Yiping Li

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3776-3798; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303776 - 18 Mar 2013

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 6974

Abstract

This article presents a strategy for identifying the source location of a chemical plume in near-shore oceanic environments where the plume is developed under the influence of turbulence, tides and waves. This strategy includes two modules: source declaration (or identification) and source verification [...] Read more.

This article presents a strategy for identifying the source location of a chemical plume in near-shore oceanic environments where the plume is developed under the influence of turbulence, tides and waves. This strategy includes two modules: source declaration (or identification) and source verification embedded in a subsumption architecture. Algorithms for source identification are derived from the moth-inspired plume tracing strategies based on a chemical sensor. The in-water test missions, conducted in November 2002 at San Clemente Island (California, USA) in June 2003 in Duck (North Carolina, USA) and in October 2010 at Dalian Bay (China), successfully identified the source locations after autonomous underwater vehicles tracked the rhodamine dye plumes with a significant meander over 100 meters. The objective of the verification module is to verify the declared plume source using a visual sensor. Because images taken in near shore oceanic environments are very vague and colors in the images are not well-defined, we adopt a fuzzy color extractor to segment the color components and recognize the chemical plume and its source by measuring color similarity. The source verification module is tested by images taken during the CPT missions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Chemical Sensors)

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Open AccessArticle

Sliding Window-Based Region of Interest Extraction for Finger Vein Images

by Lu Yang, Gongping Yang, Yilong Yin and Rongyang Xiao

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3799-3815; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303799 - 18 Mar 2013

Cited by 87 | Viewed by 8077

Abstract

Region of Interest (ROI) extraction is a crucial step in an automatic finger vein recognition system. The aim of ROI extraction is to decide which part of the image is suitable for finger vein feature extraction. This paper proposes a finger vein ROI [...] Read more.

Region of Interest (ROI) extraction is a crucial step in an automatic finger vein recognition system. The aim of ROI extraction is to decide which part of the image is suitable for finger vein feature extraction. This paper proposes a finger vein ROI extraction method which is robust to finger displacement and rotation. First, we determine the middle line of the finger, which will be used to correct the image skew. Then, a sliding window is used to detect the phalangeal joints and further to ascertain the height of ROI. Last, for the corrective image with certain height, we will obtain the ROI by using the internal tangents of finger edges as the left and right boundary. The experimental results show that the proposed method can extract ROI more accurately and effectively compared with other methods, and thus improve the performance of finger vein identification system. Besides, to acquire the high quality finger vein image during the capture process, we propose eight criteria for finger vein capture from different aspects and these criteria should be helpful to some extent for finger vein capture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Physical Sensors)

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Open AccessArticle

J3Gen: A PRNG for Low-Cost Passive RFID

by Joan Melià-Seguí, Joaquin Garcia-Alfaro and Jordi Herrera-Joancomartí

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3816-3830; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303816 - 19 Mar 2013

Cited by 41 | Viewed by 8688

Abstract

Pseudorandom number generation (PRNG) is the main security tool in low-cost passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) technologies, such as EPC Gen2. We present a lightweight PRNG design for low-cost passive RFID tags, named J3Gen. J3Gen is based on a linear feedback shift register (LFSR) [...] Read more.

Pseudorandom number generation (PRNG) is the main security tool in low-cost passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) technologies, such as EPC Gen2. We present a lightweight PRNG design for low-cost passive RFID tags, named J3Gen. J3Gen is based on a linear feedback shift register (LFSR) configured with multiple feedback polynomials. The polynomials are alternated during the generation of sequences via a physical source of randomness. J3Gen successfully handles the inherent linearity of LFSR based PRNGs and satisfies the statistical requirements imposed by the EPC Gen2 standard. A hardware implementation of J3Gen is presented and evaluated with regard to different design parameters, defining the key-equivalence security and nonlinearity of the design. The results of a SPICE simulation confirm the power-consumption suitability of the proposal. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Physical Sensors)

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Open AccessArticle

A New Adaptive Self-Tuning Fourier Coefficients Algorithm for Periodic Torque Ripple Minimization in Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM)

by Alfonso Gómez-Espinosa, Víctor M. Hernández-Guzmán, Manuel Bandala-Sánchez, Hugo Jiménez-Hernández, Edgar A. Rivas-Araiza, Juvenal Rodríguez-Reséndiz and Gilberto Herrera-Ruíz

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3831-3847; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303831 - 19 Mar 2013

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 10355

Abstract

A New Adaptive Self-Tuning Fourier Coefficients Algorithm for Periodic Torque Ripple Minimization in Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM) Torque ripple occurs in Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSMs) due to the non-sinusoidal flux density distribution around the air-gap and variable magnetic reluctance of the [...] Read more.

A New Adaptive Self-Tuning Fourier Coefficients Algorithm for Periodic Torque Ripple Minimization in Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM) Torque ripple occurs in Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSMs) due to the non-sinusoidal flux density distribution around the air-gap and variable magnetic reluctance of the air-gap due to the stator slots distribution. These torque ripples change periodically with rotor position and are apparent as speed variations, which degrade the PMSM drive performance, particularly at low speeds, because of low inertial filtering. In this paper, a new self-tuning algorithm is developed for determining the Fourier Series Controller coefficients with the aim of reducing the torque ripple in a PMSM, thus allowing for a smoother operation. This algorithm adjusts the controller parameters based on the component’s harmonic distortion in time domain of the compensation signal. Experimental evaluation is performed on a DSP-controlled PMSM evaluation platform. Test results obtained validate the effectiveness of the proposed self-tuning algorithm, with the Fourier series expansion scheme, in reducing the torque ripple. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Physical Sensors)

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Open AccessArticle

Efficient VLSI Architecture for Training Radial Basis Function Networks

by Zhe-Cheng Fan and Wen-Jyi Hwang

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3848-3877; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303848 - 19 Mar 2013

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 6608

Abstract

This paper presents a novel VLSI architecture for the training of radial basis function (RBF) networks. The architecture contains the circuits for fuzzy C-means (FCM) and the recursive Least Mean Square (LMS) operations. The FCM circuit is designed for the training of centers [...] Read more.

This paper presents a novel VLSI architecture for the training of radial basis function (RBF) networks. The architecture contains the circuits for fuzzy C-means (FCM) and the recursive Least Mean Square (LMS) operations. The FCM circuit is designed for the training of centers in the hidden layer of the RBF network. The recursive LMS circuit is adopted for the training of connecting weights in the output layer. The architecture is implemented by the field programmable gate array (FPGA). It is used as a hardware accelerator in a system on programmable chip (SOPC) for real-time training and classification. Experimental results reveal that the proposed RBF architecture is an effective alternative for applications where fast and efficient RBF training is desired. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Physical Sensors)

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Open AccessArticle

Electrical Characterization and Hydrogen Peroxide Sensing Properties of Gold/Nafion:Polypyrrole/MWCNTs Electrochemical Devices

by Graziella Scandurra, Antonella Arena, Carmine Ciofi and Gaetano Saitta

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3878-3888; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303878 - 19 Mar 2013

Cited by 36 | Viewed by 7519

Abstract

Electrochemical devices using as substrates copier grade transparency sheets are developed by using ion conducting Nafion:polypyrrole mixtures, deposited between gold bottom electrodes and upper electrodes based on Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs). The electrical properties of the Nafion:polypyrrole blends and of the gold/Nafion:polypyrrole/MWCNTs [...] Read more.

Electrochemical devices using as substrates copier grade transparency sheets are developed by using ion conducting Nafion:polypyrrole mixtures, deposited between gold bottom electrodes and upper electrodes based on Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs). The electrical properties of the Nafion:polypyrrole blends and of the gold/Nafion:polypyrrole/MWCNTs devices are investigated under dry conditions and in deionized water by means of frequency dependent impedance measurements and time domain electrical characterization. According to current-voltage measurements carried out in deionized water, the steady state current forms cycles characterized by redox peaks, the intensity and position of which reversibly change in response to H₂O₂, with a lower detection limit in the micromolar range. The sensitivity that is obtained is comparable with that of other electrochemical sensors that however, unlike our devices, require supporting electrolytes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Chemical Sensors)

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Open AccessArticle

Improvement of H₂S Sensing Properties of SnO₂-Based Thick Film Gas Sensors Promoted with MoO₃ and NiO

by Soo Chool Lee, Seong Yeol Kim, Byung Wook Hwang, Suk Yong Jung, Dhanusuraman Ragupathy, In Sung Son, Duk Dong Lee and Jae Chang Kim

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3889-3901; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303889 - 19 Mar 2013

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 8286

Abstract

The effects of the SnO₂ pore size and metal oxide promoters on the sensing properties of SnO₂-based thick film gas sensors were investigated to improve the detection of very low H₂S concentrations (<1 ppm). SnO₂ sensors and [...] Read more.

The effects of the SnO₂ pore size and metal oxide promoters on the sensing properties of SnO₂-based thick film gas sensors were investigated to improve the detection of very low H₂S concentrations (<1 ppm). SnO₂ sensors and SnO₂-based thick-film gas sensors promoted with NiO, ZnO, MoO₃, CuO or Fe₂O₃ were prepared, and their sensing properties were examined in a flow system. The SnO₂ materials were prepared by calcining SnO₂ at 600, 800, 1,000 and 1,200 °C to give materials identified as SnO₂(600), SnO₂(800), SnO₂(1000), and SnO₂(1200), respectively. The Sn(12)Mo5Ni3 sensor, which was prepared by physically mixing 5 wt% MoO₃ (Mo5), 3 wt% NiO (Ni3) and SnO₂(1200) with a large pore size of 312 nm, exhibited a high sensor response of approximately 75% for the detection of 1 ppm H₂S at 350 °C with excellent recovery properties. Unlike the SnO₂ sensors, its response was maintained during multiple cycles without deactivation. This was attributed to the promoter effect of MoO₃. In particular, the Sn(12)Mo5Ni3 sensor developed in this study showed twice the response of the Sn(6)Mo5Ni3 sensor, which was prepared by SnO₂(600) with the smaller pore size than SnO₂(1200). The excellent sensor response and recovery properties of Sn(12)Mo5Ni3 are believed to be due to the combined promoter effects of MoO₃ and NiO and the diffusion effect of H₂S as a result of the large pore size of SnO₂. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gas Sensors - 2013)

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Open AccessCommunication

Rank Awareness in Group-Sparse Recovery of Multi-Echo MR Images

by Angshul Majumdar and Rabab Ward

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3902-3921; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303902 - 20 Mar 2013

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 6303

Abstract

This work addresses the problem of recovering multi-echo T1 or T2 weighted images from their partial K-space scans. Recent studies have shown that the best results are obtained when all the multi-echo images are reconstructed by simultaneously exploiting their intra-image spatial redundancy and [...] Read more.

This work addresses the problem of recovering multi-echo T1 or T2 weighted images from their partial K-space scans. Recent studies have shown that the best results are obtained when all the multi-echo images are reconstructed by simultaneously exploiting their intra-image spatial redundancy and inter-echo correlation. The aforesaid studies either stack the vectorised images (formed by row or columns concatenation) as columns of a Multiple Measurement Vector (MMV) matrix or concatenate them as a long vector. Owing to the inter-image correlation, the thus formed MMV matrix or the long concatenated vector is row-sparse or group-sparse respectively in a transform domain (wavelets). Consequently the reconstruction problem was formulated as a row-sparse MMV recovery or a group-sparse vector recovery. In this work we show that when the multi-echo images are arranged in the MMV form, the thus formed matrix is low-rank. We show that better reconstruction accuracy can be obtained when the information about rank-deficiency is incorporated into the row/group sparse recovery problem. Mathematically, this leads to a constrained optimization problem where the objective function promotes the signal’s groups-sparsity as well as its rank-deficiency; the objective function is minimized subject to data fidelity constraints. The experiments were carried out on ex vivo and in vivo T2 weighted images of a rat's spinal cord. Results show that this method yields considerably superior results than state-of-the-art reconstruction techniques. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Medical & Biological Imaging)

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Open AccessArticle

Measurements of Tropospheric NO₂ in Romania Using a Zenith-Sky Mobile DOAS System and Comparisons with Satellite Observations

by Daniel-Eduard Constantin, Alexis Merlaud, Michel Van Roozendael, Mirela Voiculescu, Caroline Fayt, François Hendrick, Gaia Pinardi and Lucian Georgescu

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3922-3940; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303922 - 20 Mar 2013

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 8772

Abstract

In this paper we present a new method for retrieving tropospheric NO₂ Vertical Column Density (VCD) from zenith-sky Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) measurements using mobile observations. This method was used during three days in the summer of 2011 in Romania, being [...] Read more.

In this paper we present a new method for retrieving tropospheric NO₂ Vertical Column Density (VCD) from zenith-sky Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) measurements using mobile observations. This method was used during three days in the summer of 2011 in Romania, being to our knowledge the first mobile DOAS measurements peformed in this country. The measurements were carried out over large and different areas using a mobile DOAS system installed in a car. We present here a step-by-step retrieval of tropospheric VCD using complementary observations from ground and space which take into account the stratospheric contribution, which is a step forward compared to other similar studies. The detailed error budget indicates that the typical uncertainty on the retrieved NO₂tropospheric VCD is less than 25%. The resulting ground-based data set is compared to satellite measurements from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2 (GOME-2). For instance, on 18 July 2011, in an industrial area located at 47.03°N, 22.45°E, GOME-2 observes a tropospheric VCD value of (3.4 ± 1.9) × 10¹⁵ molec./cm², while average mobile measurements in the same area give a value of (3.4 ± 0.7) × 10¹⁵ molec./cm². On 22 August 2011, around Ploiesti city (44.99°N, 26.1°E), the tropospheric VCD observed by satellites is (3.3 ± 1.9) × 10¹⁵ molec./cm² (GOME-2) and (3.2 ± 3.2) × 10¹⁵ molec./cm² (OMI), while average mobile measurements give (3.8 ± 0.8) × 10¹⁵ molec./cm². Average ground measurements over “clean areas”, on 18 July 2011, give (2.5 ± 0.6) × 10¹⁵ molec./cm² while the satellite observes a value of (1.8 ± 1.3) × 10¹⁵ molec./cm². Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Remote Sensors)

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Open AccessArticle

Simple Fabrication Process for 2D ZnO Nanowalls and Their Potential Application as a Methane Sensor

by Tse-Pu Chen, Sheng-Po Chang, Fei-Yi Hung, Shoou-Jinn Chang, Zhan-Shuo Hu and Kuan-Jen Chen

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3941-3950; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303941 - 20 Mar 2013

Cited by 61 | Viewed by 8270

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) ZnO nanowalls were prepared on a glass substrate by a low-temperature thermal evaporation method, in which the fabrication process did not use a metal catalyst or the pre-deposition of a ZnO seed layer on the substrate. The nanowalls were characterized for [...] Read more.

Two-dimensional (2D) ZnO nanowalls were prepared on a glass substrate by a low-temperature thermal evaporation method, in which the fabrication process did not use a metal catalyst or the pre-deposition of a ZnO seed layer on the substrate. The nanowalls were characterized for their surface morphology, and the structural and optical properties were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and photoluminescence (PL). The fabricated ZnO nanowalls have many advantages, such as low growth temperature and good crystal quality, while being fast, low cost, and easy to fabricate. Methane sensor measurements of the ZnO nanowalls show a high sensitivity to methane gas, and rapid response and recovery times. These unique characteristics are attributed to the high surface-to-volume ratio of the ZnO nanowalls. Thus, the ZnO nanowall methane sensor is a potential gas sensor candidate owing to its good performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotube and Nanowire Sensors)

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Open AccessArticle

A Transmission Power Optimization with a Minimum Node Degree for Energy-Efficient Wireless Sensor Networks with Full-Reachability

by Yi-Ting Chen, Mong-Fong Horng, Chih-Cheng Lo, Shu-Chuan Chu, Jeng-Shyang Pan and Bin-Yih Liao

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3951-3974; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303951 - 20 Mar 2013

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 9426

Abstract

Transmission power optimization is the most significant factor in prolonging the lifetime and maintaining the connection quality of wireless sensor networks. Un-optimized transmission power of nodes either interferes with or fails to link neighboring nodes. The optimization of transmission power depends on the [...] Read more.

Transmission power optimization is the most significant factor in prolonging the lifetime and maintaining the connection quality of wireless sensor networks. Un-optimized transmission power of nodes either interferes with or fails to link neighboring nodes. The optimization of transmission power depends on the expected node degree and node distribution. In this study, an optimization approach to an energy-efficient and full reachability wireless sensor network is proposed. In the proposed approach, an adjustment model of the transmission range with a minimum node degree is proposed that focuses on topology control and optimization of the transmission range according to node degree and node density. The model adjusts the tradeoff between energy efficiency and full reachability to obtain an ideal transmission range. In addition, connectivity and reachability are used as performance indices to evaluate the connection quality of a network. The two indices are compared to demonstrate the practicability of framework through simulation results. Furthermore, the relationship between the indices under the conditions of various node degrees is analyzed to generalize the characteristics of node densities. The research results on the reliability and feasibility of the proposed approach will benefit the future real deployments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Sensor Networks)

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Open AccessArticle

Piper nigrum, Piper betle and Gnetum gnemon- Natural Food Sourcewith Anti-Quorum Sensing Properties

by Li Ying Tan, Wai-Fong Yin and Kok-Gan Chan

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3975-3985; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303975 - 20 Mar 2013

Cited by 46 | Viewed by 9212

Abstract

Various parts of Piper nigrum, Piper betle and Gnetum gnemon are used as food sources by Malaysians. The purpose of this study is to examine the anti-quorum sensing (anti-QS) properties of P. nigrum, P. betle and G. gnemon extracts. The hexane, chloroform [...] Read more.

Various parts of Piper nigrum, Piper betle and Gnetum gnemon are used as food sources by Malaysians. The purpose of this study is to examine the anti-quorum sensing (anti-QS) properties of P. nigrum, P. betle and G. gnemon extracts. The hexane, chloroform and methanol extracts of these plants were assessed in bioassays involving Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA01, Escherichia coli [pSB401], E. coli [pSB1075] and Chromobacterium violaceum CV026. It was found that the extracts of these three plants have anti-QS ability. Interestingly, the hexane, chloroform and methanol extracts from P. betle showed the most potent anti-QS activity as judged by the bioassays. Since there is a variety of plants that serve as food sources in Malaysia that have yet to be tested for anti-QS activity, future work should focus on identification of these plants and isolation of the anti-QS compounds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Biosensors)

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Open AccessArticle

A Silver Nanoparticle-Modified Evanescent Field Optical Fiber Sensor for Methylene Blue Detection

by Ji Luo, Jun Yao, Yonggang Lu, Wenying Ma and Xuye Zhuang

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3986-3997; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303986 - 21 Mar 2013

Cited by 31 | Viewed by 9527

Abstract

A silver nanoparticle-modified evanescent field optical fiber sensor based on a MEMS microchannel chip has been successfully fabricated. Experimental results show that the sensor response decreases linearly with increasing concentration of analyte. Over a range of methylene blue concentrations from 0 to 0.4 [...] Read more.

A silver nanoparticle-modified evanescent field optical fiber sensor based on a MEMS microchannel chip has been successfully fabricated. Experimental results show that the sensor response decreases linearly with increasing concentration of analyte. Over a range of methylene blue concentrations from 0 to 0.4 μmol/mL, the sensor response is linear (R = 0.9496). A concentration variation of 0.1 μmol/mL can cause an absorbance change of 0.402 dB. Moreover, the optical responses of the same sensing fiber without decoration and modified with silver nanoparticles have also been compared. It can be observed that the output intensity of the Ag nanoparticle-modified sensor is enhanced and the sensitivity is higher. Meanwhile, the absorbance spectra are found to be more sensitive to concentration changes compared to the spectra of the peak wavelength. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Chemical Sensors)

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Review

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484 KiB

Open AccessReview

Contactless Impedance Sensors and Their Application to Flow Measurements

by František Opekar, Petr Tůma and Karel Štulík

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 2786-2801; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130302786 - 27 Feb 2013

Cited by 44 | Viewed by 9603

Abstract

The paper provides a critical discussion of the present state of the theory of high-frequency impedance sensors (now mostly called contactless impedance or conductivity sensors), the principal approaches employed in designing impedance flow-through cells and their operational parameters. In addition to characterization of [...] Read more.

The paper provides a critical discussion of the present state of the theory of high-frequency impedance sensors (now mostly called contactless impedance or conductivity sensors), the principal approaches employed in designing impedance flow-through cells and their operational parameters. In addition to characterization of traditional types of impedance sensors, the article is concerned with the use of less common sensors, such as cells with wire electrodes or planar cells. There is a detailed discussion of the effect of the individual operational parameters (width and shape of the electrodes, detection gap, frequency and amplitude of the input signal) on the response of the detector. The most important problems to be resolved in coupling these devices with flow-through measurements in the liquid phase are also discussed. Examples are given of cell designs for continuous flow and flow-injection analyses and of detection systems for miniaturized liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis. New directions for the use of these sensors in molecular biology and chemical reactors and some directions for future development are outlined. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Chemical Sensors)

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278 KiB

Open AccessReview

Opening up the Window into “Chemobrain”: A Neuroimaging Review

by Carole S. Scherling and Andra Smith

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3169-3203; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303169 - 6 Mar 2013

Cited by 54 | Viewed by 12119

Abstract

As more chemotherapy-treated cancer patients are reaching survivorship, side-effects such as cognitive impairment warrant research attention. The advent of neuroimaging has helped uncover a neural basis for these deficits. This paper offers a review of neuroimaging investigations in chemotherapy-treated adult cancer patients, discussing [...] Read more.

As more chemotherapy-treated cancer patients are reaching survivorship, side-effects such as cognitive impairment warrant research attention. The advent of neuroimaging has helped uncover a neural basis for these deficits. This paper offers a review of neuroimaging investigations in chemotherapy-treated adult cancer patients, discussing the benefits and limitations of each technique and study design. Additionally, despite the assumption given by the chemobrain label that chemotherapy is the only causative agent of these deficits, other factors will be considered. Suggestions are made on how to more comprehensively study these cognitive changes using imaging techniques, thereby promoting generalizability of the results to clinical applications. Continued investigations may yield better long-term quality of life outcomes by supporting patients’ self-reports, and revealing brain regions being affected by chemotherapy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Medical & Biological Imaging)

1509 KiB

Open AccessReview

Slotted Photonic Crystal Sensors

by Mark G. Scullion, Thomas F. Krauss and Andrea Di Falco

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3675-3710; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303675 - 15 Mar 2013

Cited by 87 | Viewed by 16020

Abstract

Optical biosensors are increasingly being considered for lab-on-a-chip applications due to their benefits such as small size, biocompatibility, passive behaviour and lack of the need for fluorescent labels. The light guiding mechanisms used by many of them results in poor overlap of the [...] Read more.

Optical biosensors are increasingly being considered for lab-on-a-chip applications due to their benefits such as small size, biocompatibility, passive behaviour and lack of the need for fluorescent labels. The light guiding mechanisms used by many of them results in poor overlap of the optical field with the target molecules, reducing the maximum sensitivity achievable. This review article presents a new platform for optical biosensors, namely slotted photonic crystals, which provide higher sensitivities due to their ability to confine, spatially and temporally, the optical mode peak within the analyte itself. Loss measurements showed values comparable to standard photonic crystals, confirming their ability to be used in real devices. A novel resonant coupler was designed, simulated, and experimentally tested, and was found to perform better than other solutions within the literature. Combining with cavities, microfluidics and biological functionalization allowed proof-of-principle demonstrations of protein binding to be carried out. Higher sensitivities were observed in smaller structures than possible with most competing devices reported in the literature. This body of work presents slotted photonic crystals as a realistic platform for complete on-chip biosensing; addressing key design, performance and application issues, whilst also opening up exciting new ideas for future study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photonic Crystal Sensors)

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Other

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131 KiB

Open AccessComment

Comments and Reply to: Foot Plantar Pressure Measurement System: A Review. Sensors 2012, 12, 9884-9912

by Nachiappan Chockalingam, Aoife Healy, Roozbeh Naemi, Philip Burgess-Walker, Abdul Hadi Abdul Razak, Aladin Zayegh, Rezaul K. Begg and Yufridin Wahab

Sensors 2013, 13(3), 3527-3529; https://doi.org/10.3390/s130303527 - 13 Mar 2013

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 6661

Abstract

We would like to comment on a recent review article published in Sensors by Razak et al. [1]. The authors provided a review of plantar pressure measurement systems which included the discussion of the recently developed WalkinSense^® system. While the authors correctly [...] Read more.

We would like to comment on a recent review article published in Sensors by Razak et al. [1]. The authors provided a review of plantar pressure measurement systems which included the discussion of the recently developed WalkinSense^® system. While the authors correctly identified that our group completed research using this system [2], they have inaccurately reported the manufacturer of the system and our research findings. Full article

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Sensors, Volume 13, Issue 3 (March 2013) – 80 articles , Pages 2700-3997

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