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3 pages, 191 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Low-Cost Inventions and Patents

by Esther Salmerón-Manzano and Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro

Inventions 2022, 7(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions7010013 - 11 Jan 2022

Viewed by 2287

Abstract

Inventions have been the technological advances of mankind [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Cost Inventions and Patents)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

20 pages, 9448 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Proposed Smart Monitoring System for the Detection of Bee Swarming

by George Voudiotis, Sotirios Kontogiannis and Christos Pikridas

Inventions 2021, 6(4), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions6040087 - 17 Nov 2021

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5772

Abstract

This paper presents a bee-condition-monitoring system incorporated with a deep-learning process to detect bee swarming. This system includes easy-to-use image acquisition and various end node approaches for either on-site or cloud-based mechanisms. This system also incorporates a new smart CNN engine called Swarm-engine [...] Read more.

This paper presents a bee-condition-monitoring system incorporated with a deep-learning process to detect bee swarming. This system includes easy-to-use image acquisition and various end node approaches for either on-site or cloud-based mechanisms. This system also incorporates a new smart CNN engine called Swarm-engine for detecting bees and the issue of notifications in cases of bee swarming conditions to the apiarists. First, this paper presents the authors’ proposed implementation system architecture and end node versions that put it to the test. Then, several pre-trained networks of the authors’ proposed CNN Swarm-engine were also validated to detect bee-clustering events that may lead to swarming. Finally, their accuracy and performance towards detection were evaluated using both cloud cores and embedded ARM devices on parts of the system’s different end-node implementations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Cost Inventions and Patents)

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17 pages, 11186 KiB

Open AccessArticle

HIGROTERM: An Open-Source and Low-Cost Temperature and Humidity Monitoring System for Laboratory Applications

by Renan Rocha Ribeiro, Elton Bauer and Rodrigo Lameiras

Inventions 2021, 6(4), 84; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions6040084 - 15 Nov 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3997

Abstract

Low-cost electronics developed on easy-to-use prototyping platforms, such as Arduino, are becoming increasingly popular in various fields of science. This article presents an open-source and low-cost eight-channel data-logging system for temperature and humidity monitoring based on DHT22 (AM2302) sensors, named HIGROTERM. The system [...] Read more.

Low-cost electronics developed on easy-to-use prototyping platforms, such as Arduino, are becoming increasingly popular in various fields of science. This article presents an open-source and low-cost eight-channel data-logging system for temperature and humidity monitoring based on DHT22 (AM2302) sensors, named HIGROTERM. The system was designed to solve real needs of the Laboratory of Material Testing of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Brasília. The system design, functionalities, hardware components, source code, bill of materials, assemblage and enclosure are thoroughly described to enable complete reproduction by the interested reader. The terminologies and instructions presented were simplified as much as possible to make it accessible to the greatest extent to researchers from different areas, especially those without electronics background. The data-acquisition system has an estimated total cost of USD 96.00, or USD 136.00 if eight sensor nodes are included, with a considerable margin for cost reduction. The authors expect that the HIGROTERM system may both be a valuable low-cost and customizable tool for the readers, as well a source of innovation and interest in low-cost electronics for real problem-solving in various fields of science. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Cost Inventions and Patents)

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14 pages, 6256 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Expanding the Level of Technological Readiness for a Low-Cost Vertical Hydroponic System

by Juan D. Borrero

Inventions 2021, 6(4), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions6040068 - 14 Oct 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 6662

Abstract

Climate and social changes are deeply affecting current agro-food systems. Unsustainable agricultural practices and the low profitability of small farmers are challenging the agricultural development of rural areas. This study aims to develop a novel, modular and low-cost vertical hydroponic farm system through [...] Read more.

Climate and social changes are deeply affecting current agro-food systems. Unsustainable agricultural practices and the low profitability of small farmers are challenging the agricultural development of rural areas. This study aims to develop a novel, modular and low-cost vertical hydroponic farm system through reviews of the patented literature, research literature and variants of commercial products. After a detailed conceptualization process, a prototype was fabricated and tested at my university to validate its technology readiness level (TRL). The outcomes supported the usability and performance of the present utility model but highlighted several changes that are necessary before it can pass to the next TRL. This study shows that the prototype has the potential to not only solve food sovereignty but also to benefit society by advancing the innovations in food production and improving quality of life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Cost Inventions and Patents)

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13 pages, 3007 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Radio Wave Attenuation Measurement System Based on RSSI for Precision Agriculture: Application to Tomato Greenhouses

by Dora Cama-Pinto, Juan Antonio Holgado-Terriza, Miguel Damas-Hermoso, Francisco Gómez-Mula and Alejandro Cama-Pinto

Inventions 2021, 6(4), 66; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions6040066 - 12 Oct 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2379

Abstract

Precision agriculture and smart farming are concepts that are acquiring an important boom due to their relationship with the Internet of Things (IoT), especially in the search for new mechanisms and procedures that allow for sustainable and efficient agriculture to meet future demand [...] Read more.

Precision agriculture and smart farming are concepts that are acquiring an important boom due to their relationship with the Internet of Things (IoT), especially in the search for new mechanisms and procedures that allow for sustainable and efficient agriculture to meet future demand from an increasing population. Both concepts require the deployment of sensor networks that monitor agricultural variables for the integration of spatial and temporal agricultural data. This paper presents a system that has been developed to measure the attenuation of radio waves in the 2.4 GHz free band (ISM- Industrial, Scientific and Medical) when propagating inside a tomato greenhouse based on the received signal strength indicator (RSSI), and a procedure for using the system to measure RSSI at different distances and heights. The system is based on Zolertia Re-Mote nodes with the Contiki operating system and a Raspberry Pi to record the data obtained. The receiver node records the RSSI at different locations in the greenhouse with the transmitter node and at different heights. In addition, a study of the radio wave attenuation was measured in a tomato greenhouse, and we publish the corresponding obtained dataset in order to share with the research community. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Cost Inventions and Patents)

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15 pages, 21368 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A New No Equilibrium Fractional Order Chaotic System, Dynamical Investigation, Synchronization, and Its Digital Implementation

by Zain-Aldeen S. A. Rahman, Basil H. Jasim, Yasir I. A. Al-Yasir, Raed A. Abd-Alhameed and Bilal Naji Alhasnawi

Inventions 2021, 6(3), 49; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions6030049 - 6 Jul 2021

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3208

Abstract

In this paper, a new fractional order chaotic system without equilibrium is proposed, analytically and numerically investigated, and numerically and experimentally tested. The analytical and numerical investigations were used to describe the system’s dynamical behaviors including the system equilibria, the chaotic attractors, the [...] Read more.

In this paper, a new fractional order chaotic system without equilibrium is proposed, analytically and numerically investigated, and numerically and experimentally tested. The analytical and numerical investigations were used to describe the system’s dynamical behaviors including the system equilibria, the chaotic attractors, the bifurcation diagrams, and the Lyapunov exponents. Based on the obtained dynamical behaviors, the system can excite hidden chaotic attractors since it has no equilibrium. Then, a synchronization mechanism based on the adaptive control theory was developed between two identical new systems (master and slave). The adaptive control laws are derived based on synchronization error dynamics of the state variables for the master and slave. Consequently, the update laws of the slave parameters are obtained, where the slave parameters are assumed to be uncertain and are estimated corresponding to the master parameters by the synchronization process. Furthermore, Arduino Due boards were used to implement the proposed system in order to demonstrate its practicality in real-world applications. The simulation experimental results were obtained by MATLAB and the Arduino Due boards, respectively, with a good consistency between the simulation results and the experimental results, indicating that the new fractional order chaotic system is capable of being employed in real-world applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Cost Inventions and Patents)

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25 pages, 84877 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Conceptual Synthesis and Development of a Multifunctional Lawnmower

by Chun Quan Kang, Poh Kiat Ng and Kia Wai Liew

Inventions 2021, 6(2), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions6020038 - 28 May 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 7609

Abstract

This study aims to develop a novel, original and multifunctional lawnmower through reviews of patent literature, research literature and variants of existing lawnmowers. After a detailed conceptualisation process, Autodesk Inventor (version 2019) is used for the finalised design drawing and stress simulation. The [...] Read more.

This study aims to develop a novel, original and multifunctional lawnmower through reviews of patent literature, research literature and variants of existing lawnmowers. After a detailed conceptualisation process, Autodesk Inventor (version 2019) is used for the finalised design drawing and stress simulation. The prototype is fabricated and tested through several experiments for usability validation which included tests on sound intensity level, cutting ability, polishing performance and battery power durability. Using Minitab 19, the data for the sound intensity and cutting ability experiments are analysed with two-sample t-tests. The data for the polishing performance and battery power durability experiments are analysed through observations, mean comparisons, and manual calculations. Significant differences are found to exist between the tested and control parameters in the context of each experiment, with the outcomes supporting the usability and performance of the present study’s multifunctional lawnmower. This study showed that the prototype has the potential to solve not only some of the problems in conventional lawnmowers but also a few limitations in existing robotic lawnmowers. The outcome of this study intends to benefit society by advancing innovation in lawn maintenance and improving quality of life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Cost Inventions and Patents)

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17 pages, 3650 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Portable Low-Cost Ultrasound Measurement Device for Concrete Monitoring

by Daniel Fontoura Barroso, Niklas Epple and Ernst Niederleithinger

Inventions 2021, 6(2), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions6020036 - 20 May 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3685

Abstract

This paper describes a new ultrasonic measuring device called “W-Box”. It was developed based on the requirements of the DFG Forschergruppe (research unit) CoDA for a portable device for monitoring of concrete specimens, models and actual structures using embedded ultrasonic transducers as well [...] Read more.

This paper describes a new ultrasonic measuring device called “W-Box”. It was developed based on the requirements of the DFG Forschergruppe (research unit) CoDA for a portable device for monitoring of concrete specimens, models and actual structures using embedded ultrasonic transducers as well as temperature and humidity sensors. The W-Box can send ultrasonic pulses with a variable frequency of 50–100 kHz to one selectable transducer and records signals from up to 75 multiplexed channels with a sample rate of 1 MHz and a resolution of 14 bits. In addition, it measures temperature and humidity with high accuracy, adjustable amplification, restarts automatically after a power failure and can be fully controlled remotely. The measured data are automatically stored locally on-site data quality checks and transferred to remote servers. The comparison of the W-Box with a laboratory setup using commercial devices proves that it is equally reliable and precise, at much lower cost. The W-Box also shows that their measurement capacities, with the used embedded ultrasonic transducers, can reach above 6 m in concrete. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Cost Inventions and Patents)

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15 pages, 2283 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Design and Construction of a Novel Simple and Low-Cost Test Bench Point-Absorber Wave Energy Converter Emulator System

by Ephraim Bonah Agyekum, Seepana PraveenKumar, Aleksei Eliseev and Vladimir Ivanovich Velkin

Inventions 2021, 6(1), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions6010020 - 22 Mar 2021

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3454

Abstract

This paper proposed a test bench device to emulate or simulate the electrical impulses of a wave energy converter (WEC). The objective of the study is to reconstruct under laboratory conditions the dynamics of a WEC in the form of an emulator to [...] Read more.

This paper proposed a test bench device to emulate or simulate the electrical impulses of a wave energy converter (WEC). The objective of the study is to reconstruct under laboratory conditions the dynamics of a WEC in the form of an emulator to assess the performance, which, in this case, is the output power. The designed emulator device is programmable, which makes it possible to create under laboratory conditions the operating mode of the wave generator, identical to how the wave generator would work under real sea conditions. Any control algorithm can be executed in the designed emulator. In order to test the performance of the constructed WEC emulator, an experiment was conducted to test its power output against that of a real point-absorber WEC. The results indicate that, although the power output for that of the real WEC was higher than the WEC emulator, the emulator performed perfectly well. The relatively low power output of the emulator was because of the type of algorithm that was written for the emulator, therefore increasing the speed of the motor in the algorithm (code) would result in higher output for the proposed WEC emulator. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Cost Inventions and Patents)

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