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Inventions
Special Issues
10th Anniversary of Inventions
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10th Anniversary of Inventions

A special issue of Inventions (ISSN 2411-5134).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 1988

Editor

Prof. Dr. Ismail Fidan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Manufacturing and Engineering Technology, College of Engineering, Tennessee Tech University, Cookeville, TN 38505, USA
Interests: fiber reinforced additive manufacturing; low cost metal additive manufacturing; smart manufacturing; electronics manufacturing; remote laboratories; STEM education focused on manufacturing innovation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Inventions is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access scientific journal published bimonthly online by MDPI. Over the past decade, the journal has experienced significant growth in scholarly impact, manuscript submissions, published articles, and citation performance, firmly establishing itself as a high-quality archival outlet for engineering and scientific research.

To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Inventions, we are pleased to launch a commemorative Special Issue and invite researchers, inventors, and practitioners to submit their latest original contributions. Submissions are welcomed across a broad range of topics, including but not limited to the following:

  • Advanced manufacturing technologies and processes;
  • Applied chemistry and physics;
  • Design methodologies, modeling, and computational approaches;
  • Electrical engineering, energy systems, and communications;
  • Energy systems, thermal sciences, and fluid mechanics.

Manuscripts addressing other emerging or interdisciplinary areas aligned with the journal’s scope are also strongly encouraged.

In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, innovation is being translated into a growing body of disclosures, patent filings, and other mechanisms for protecting and disseminating intellectual advancements. The Inventions community is eager to learn about recent breakthroughs, emerging trends, and transformative technologies shaping the future of innovation. This Special Issue provides a dedicated forum to showcase impactful and forward-looking research that reflects these advancements.

To recognize outstanding contributions, three exceptional papers published in this Special Issue will receive prestigious awards, selected based on research originality, technical merit, and overall impact. The awards include an official trophy, a certificate, and a free voucher for article processing fees valid for one year.

We look forward to celebrating this milestone with you through your contributions and highlighting research that will define the next decade of Inventions.

Prof. Dr. Ismail Fidan
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Inventions is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • advanced manufacturing technologies and processes
  • applied chemistry and physics
  • design methodologies, modeling, and computational approaches
  • electrical engineering, energy systems, and communications
  • energy systems, thermal sciences, and fluid mechanics

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  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

32 pages, 2772 KB  
Article
From Protected Concept to Validated Prototype: TRL Assessment of a Utility-Model Protected Compact LiBr–H2O Evaporator–Absorber Subsystem with Exploratory Neural Network Analysis
by Germán Díaz-Flórez, Santiago Villagrana-Barraza, Ma. Auxiliadora Araiza-Esquivel, Sodel Vázquez-Reyes, Perla Velasco-Elizondo, Luis E. Bañuelos-García, Mario Molina-Almaraz and Genis Díaz-Flórez
Inventions 2026, 11(4), 77; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions11040077 - 26 Jul 2026
Viewed by 282
Abstract
This manuscript presents a patent-based engineering case study of a compact LiBr–H2O evaporator–absorber unit, tracing its progression from conceptual embodiment to laboratory validation through contextualized technology-readiness assessment and bounded data-driven analysis. The study reconstructs three successive prototypes, applies the international Technology [...] Read more.
This manuscript presents a patent-based engineering case study of a compact LiBr–H2O evaporator–absorber unit, tracing its progression from conceptual embodiment to laboratory validation through contextualized technology-readiness assessment and bounded data-driven analysis. The study reconstructs three successive prototypes, applies the international Technology Readiness Level (TRL) framework together with the Mexican TRL guideline, and includes an exploratory artificial neural network (ANN) analysis of the validated Prototype III. The results show a maturation pathway: Prototype I corresponded to conceptual embodiment, Prototype II provided proof-of-concept evidence through observable cooling, and Prototype III was a protected, instrumented, and experimentally validated laboratory prototype, conservatively assigned to TRL 4 as the highest level supported by the evidence. The auxiliary ANN gave only a limited approximation of the thermal response (mean test R2 = 0.41, dispersion ±0.32), consistent with a single-run laboratory-scale dataset rather than robust predictive modeling. Overall, the study integrates prototype trajectory, intellectual-property protection, TRL assessment, and bounded analysis into a rigorous evaluation of a protected pre-commercial thermal subsystem. Beyond this device, the framework offers inventors, designers, and research groups a transferable reference, letting them build on a documented pathway rather than restarting from the lowest readiness levels and identifying the evidence needed for each TRL transition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 10th Anniversary of Inventions)
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24 pages, 8307 KB  
Article
Development of a Low-Cost Measurement Platform for HF RFID Tag Antenna Performance Evaluation at 13.56 MHz
by Claudia Constantinescu, Adina Giurgiuman, Vasile Topa, Calin Munteanu, Sergiu Andreica, Marian Gliga, Laszlo Rapolti and Claudia Pacurar
Inventions 2026, 11(4), 72; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions11040072 - 21 Jul 2026
Viewed by 294
Abstract
High-frequency (HF) RFID systems operating at 13.56 MHz are widely used in applications such as near-field communication, contactless identification, and smart sensing. Their performance strongly depends on the inductive coupling between the reader and tag antennas, which is influenced by antenna geometry, relative [...] Read more.
High-frequency (HF) RFID systems operating at 13.56 MHz are widely used in applications such as near-field communication, contactless identification, and smart sensing. Their performance strongly depends on the inductive coupling between the reader and tag antennas, which is influenced by antenna geometry, relative position, orientation, and environmental conditions. This work investigates the antenna component of passive HF RFID tags, represented by planar spiral inductors, without integrating an RFID microchip, allowing the electromagnetic coupling to be analyzed independently of chip-specific effects. A low-cost automated measurement platform was developed to experimentally evaluate the influence of antenna geometry, distance, orientation, and temperature on inductively coupled HF RFID antennas. The platform combined an automated positioning system with a mobile application for remote operation, minimizing the influence of the operator during measurements. A second experimental setup was designed to investigate the effect of temperature on antenna performance. Experimental results show that rectangular spiral antennas generally provided stronger inductive coupling than the other geometries investigated. Furthermore, varying the receiving antenna orientation improved the coupling between rectangular and octagonal antennas under specific configurations. Temperature variations within the investigated range had only a minor influence on antenna performance. The proposed platform provides a low-cost, portable, and reproducible solution for the experimental characterization of HF RFID antennas operating at 13.56 MHz. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 10th Anniversary of Inventions)
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36 pages, 35950 KB  
Article
Application of a Beaufort Scale-Based Mimetic System in Camouflage Garment Design
by Shih-Wen Hsiao and Po-Hsiang Peng
Inventions 2026, 11(4), 71; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions11040071 - 9 Jul 2026
Viewed by 370
Abstract
Camouflage design for jungle environments has conventionally relied on the static optimization of color, texture, and edge features, presuming that the background remains visually stable. This presumption diverges from real conditions, in which wind continuously alters leaf orientation and vegetation texture, leaving a [...] Read more.
Camouflage design for jungle environments has conventionally relied on the static optimization of color, texture, and edge features, presuming that the background remains visually stable. This presumption diverges from real conditions, in which wind continuously alters leaf orientation and vegetation texture, leaving a gap between static optimization and dynamic visual reality. To address this limitation, this study developed a systematic camouflage design process that integrates the Beaufort scale into a mimetic system for simulating vegetation sway. Dominant colors were extracted using the CIE L*a*b* color space and K-means clustering, and background maps were generated via Gaussian blur. Leaf textures from five plant species were arranged through seamless tiling and overlaid onto the backgrounds to form 15 camouflage samples. Validation employed a fuzzy logic questionnaire and eye-tracking measurements. Under the present experimental conditions, which used screen presentation under visible light, pattern A-13 performed best. Derived from the Terminalia mantaly leaf texture in the dark green variant, it achieved the most favorable balance between distinctiveness from the regional reference pattern and disruption of target–background segmentation, whereas C-15, the light green variant, consistently ranked last. The proposed process is reproducible and applicable to civilian equipment such as tents and backpacks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 10th Anniversary of Inventions)
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13 pages, 6892 KB  
Article
Smart Ear-Mounted Heart Rate Monitoring Device as a Proof-of-Concept Platform for Calving Monitoring in Dairy Cows
by Mónica B. Torres Dávila, Miguel Á. García Sánchez, Mario Molina Almaraz, Eduardo García Sánchez, Luis E. Bañuelos García, José C. Torres Dávila, Ma. del Rosario Martínez Blanco, Luis O. Solís Sánchez, Gerardo Sánchez Sandoval and Luis H. Mendoza Huizar
Inventions 2026, 11(4), 67; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions11040067 - 25 Jun 2026
Viewed by 442
Abstract
Calving in cattle is divided into two main stages: dilation and expulsion, during which timely assistance can reduce reproductive losses. This study presents a smart ear-mounted device as a proof-of-concept heart-rate monitoring platform for calving-stage assessment in dairy cows. The prototype preserves the [...] Read more.
Calving in cattle is divided into two main stages: dilation and expulsion, during which timely assistance can reduce reproductive losses. This study presents a smart ear-mounted device as a proof-of-concept heart-rate monitoring platform for calving-stage assessment in dairy cows. The prototype preserves the form factor of a conventional ear tag and integrates a MAX30105 optical sensor, an Arduino Nano microcontroller, local micro-SD storage, and an autonomous power supply. Field tests were conducted in Holstein cows at Rancho El Pinar, Trancoso, Zacatecas, Mexico. Heart rate was recorded every 10 min and grouped according to physiological stages around calving. The results showed distinctive heart rate patterns, with higher values during dilation and lower values after delivery, supporting the use of ear-mounted heart rate monitoring as a non-invasive descriptive marker of stage-related physiological variation around labor. An average temperature profile from 70 h before to 50 h after calving was also incorporated as complementary descriptive evidence of peripartum physiological variation. Because heart rate is a non-specific physiological variable affected by stress, movement, ambient temperature, feeding, health status, and sensor contact, the present study does not propose HR as a stand-alone or definitive predictor of calving or dystocia. Instead, the device is presented as a proof-of-concept platform for future multi-indicator monitoring and validation studies. The proposed system is presented as a proof-of-concept invention that combines a practical wearable format with physiological monitoring and a conceptual decision-support logic that remains to be validated and integrated with additional indicators before any field implementation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 10th Anniversary of Inventions)
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