Metal 3D printing, once the domain of advanced industrial applications, is now making its way into universities and research institutions, offering students hands-on experience with cutting-edge manufacturing technologies. Here’s how metal 3D printing is transforming education and why it’s an essential tool for preparing the next generation of engineers and designers.Metal 3D Printing in Universities: Building Practical Skills and Industry Connections<ol><li data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted">Hands-On Learning with Real-World Applications: Integrating metal 3D printers into university curricula offers students invaluable practical experience with advanced manufacturing technologies. This hands-on approach not only helps students develop essential engineering and design skills but also enables them to work on real-world projects in collaboration with industry partners. These collaborations provide students with opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge in practical settings, bridging the gap between academia and industry and preparing them for the professional challenges they will encounter after graduation.</li><li data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="bulleted">Fostering Innovation through Industry Collaboration: By working on real projects with companies, students gain direct exposure to the latest industry practices and technologies. This experience is critical for understanding the practical applications of metal 3D printing and helps to cultivate innovative thinking. At the same time, companies benefit from the fresh insights and creative solutions that students bring to the table, making these partnerships mutually beneficial and driving innovation across the board.</li></ol> Safety First: The Importance of a Safe and User-Friendly SystemMinimized Powder Contact: Safety is a critical consideration when introducing metal 3D printing into educational settings. Systems like the <a href="https://oneclickmetal.com/boldseries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">One Click Metal printer</a> are designed with safety in mind, featuring a cartridge system that minimizes direct contact with metal powders. This ensures that students can focus on learning without the risks associated with powder handling. Research and Advanced LearningVersatile and Research-Ready: The One Click Metal <a href="https://oneclickmetal.com/lab-module/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lab Module</a> is designed specifically for research purposes, making it an excellent addition to university labs. This build module allows for printing with a variety of materials in small, precise amounts, enabling detailed experimentation and material studies. The Lab Module’s ability to work with different materials in small quantities makes it perfect for research projects that require a high level of precision and material flexibility. Students and researchers can experiment with new materials, optimize printing parameters, and push the boundaries of what’s possible with metal 3D printing. Conclusion: A Tool for the Future of EducationMetal 3D printing is more than just a manufacturing technology—it’s a tool for education and innovation. By bringing metal 3D printers into universities, students are given the opportunity to develop practical skills, engage in real-world projects, and prepare for successful careers in engineering and design. With safe, user-friendly systems, educational institutions can offer a learning experience that equips students with the knowledge and skills they need to lead in the industries of tomorrow.

Metal 3D printing at Trier University of Applied Sciences

As technology continues to advance, the educational sector is evolving to ensure that students are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary for the future.

The Role of Metal 3D Printing in Education

<h3 id="isPasted">Who are we?&nbsp;</h3>Team Polar is an Eindhoven-based student team filled with students from different disciplines. Our mission is to facilitate and improve the research going on in Antarctica. We aim to achieve this by building an autonomous, affordable, and electric rover. The reason we go with Antarctica is that the current research going on is led by human-driven vehicles using fossil fuels. Building an autonomous vehicle means it is safer and less expensive since there is no&nbsp;driver to pay.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>The Ice Cube&nbsp;</h3>After working for more than a year, Team Polar came up with the&nbsp;Ice Cube. Ice Cube was just the first step towards our vision of building a sustainable and affordable research environment in Antarctica. Ice Cube has 2 square meters of&nbsp;solar panels&nbsp;which helps Ice Cube to go up to 65 kilometers (about half the distance from Washington, D.C. to New York City) per day. With its 28' wheels, the Ice Cube weighs around 350 kilograms (about 771.62 lb).&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>Progress on Ice Cube&nbsp;</h3>Team Polar is&nbsp;in&nbsp;the second prototype's design process, and the Ice Cube is only used for testing.&nbsp;Since the Ice Cube was built in&nbsp;a short time, some features were missing, such as autonomy.&nbsp;Our software team is using&nbsp;the Ice Cube&nbsp;to test their software and the new sensors&nbsp;that&nbsp;we are aiming to implement on our second prototype.&nbsp;While these tests are&nbsp;being made, new structural components are also being tested. Such as gas springs, hinges, handles, etc.&nbsp;Meanwhile, we are developing a force balance that helps&nbsp;determine&nbsp;possible ranges&nbsp;of mass of the next vehicle. We&nbsp;are also looking into the location of research, which will help&nbsp;determine&nbsp;the&nbsp;driving range and strategy for the energy balance (which will&nbsp;probably be&nbsp;made next year).&nbsp;<h3>Processing REMA Image&nbsp;</h3>Under the “Autonomous Department”, our engineers successfully developed and implemented code to process &nbsp; Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica (REMA) images.&nbsp;REMA provides the first, high-resolution (2-meter) terrain map of&nbsp;nearly the&nbsp;entire continent. Since each REMA grid point has a timestamp, any past or future point observation of elevation provides a measurement of elevation change.&nbsp;REMA may provide corrections for a wide range of remote sensing processing activities, such as image orthorectification, and interferometry, and provide constraints for geodynamic and ice flow modeling, mapping of grounding lines, and surface processes. REMA also provides a powerful new resource for field logistics planning.&nbsp;This is an important step for the autonomy of the Ice Cube. The goal is to calculate the altitudes in Antarctica to find out the clearest and most optimized path for the rover.&nbsp;&nbsp;The next step for these images is to transform the processed REMA images into a format that is compatible with our A* algorithm.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>A* Algorithm&nbsp;</h3>The A* search algorithm is one of the best techniques used in path-finding and graph traversals. The path we derived will be the shortest of all the other options or the most efficient by all parameters considered. &nbsp;A* works by making a lowest-cost path&nbsp;<a href="https://brilliant.org/wiki/trees-basic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tree</a>&nbsp;from the start node to the target node. What makes A* different and better for many searches is that for each node, A* uses a function f(n) that gives an estimate of the total cost of a path using that node.The environment of Antarctica and the conditions are the hardest part of our project. We need to come up with innovative and technical solutions. Understanding the altitudes and general geography of Antarctica is crucial.&nbsp;&nbsp;Furthermore, the design of the rover plays a huge role in our path to success. Our Dynamics Sub team is trying to come up with new ideas for the newest version of the Ice Cube.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>Suspension&nbsp;</h3>Unlike the Ice Cube, the new vehicle will use a suspension system. The test in Norway in 2022 showed that; the main purpose of having a suspension is important for keeping all wheels on the ground, for improved traction. Also, it will dampen vibrations to keep the vehicles' most important components as stable as possible.&nbsp;&nbsp;The suspension system the new vehicle will be using is a so-called double wishbone suspension. For this suspension, every wheel is connected to two-wishbone-shaped arms. Every wheel is independently controlled.&nbsp;&nbsp;The main advantage of the double-wishbone configuration is its good ratio of kinematic versatility vs. complexity, it being slightly more complex than other systems like the McPherson strut and slightly simpler than others like multi-link suspensions.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>Ground pressure&nbsp;</h3>Getting the right ground pressure is extremely crucial for the environment the vehicle will operate. A ground pressure that is too high will cause the vehicle to get stuck in the snow or even fall into crevasses. To prevent this, the ground pressure that will be aimed for in the new vehicle is 0.1 bar. This value is also used by Artic Trucks or other snow vehicles such as the tracked vehicles made by Mattracks. In comparison, the average human exerts a pressure of 0.17 bar on the ground.&nbsp;The low ground pressure is achieved by maximizing the contact area using large and not fully inflated&nbsp;tires.&nbsp;Next Steps?&nbsp;

Facilitating the human-led and autonomous research in the Antarctic continent.

Pioneering Autonomous Antarctic Research

Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Machine in Laboratory

This article delves into the fundamental principles of SEM, various imaging modes and techniques, sample preparation methods, and the applications of SEM in different fields.

Scanning Electron Microscopy: A Comprehensive Guide

Each year, people tend to travel further and further. For all modes of fast transportation problems will arise in the near future. The capacity of existing infrastructure does not suffice for the growing demand, leading to large waiting queues and traffic jams. Additionally, current modes of transportation are energy inefficient and large contributors to rising carbon dioxide levels and climate change. Furthermore, current modes of transportation are sensitive to external influences, leading to disruptive situations.&nbsp;A promising solution for these problems is the hyperloop: a high-speed transportation system using near- vacuum tubes in which pressurized vehicles travel. The concept of hyperloop was initiated back in 1799 as an atmospheric railway by George Medhurst and got reintroduced by the publication of the white paper of Elon Musk in 2013 (Figure 1). By reducing the air resistance and rolling resistance, a hyperloop could travel efficiently with speeds over 1000 kilometers per hour. The enclosed environment of the system ensures reduced external influences.&nbsp;<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjM0Mjg2MTcwNzQ0LWltYWdlMS0zMS5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 1: Hyperloop pod design from Elon Musk's white paper 2013</div>The hyperloop system is designed to replace continental flights. In short, it is a pod which is moving through a vacuum tube from A to B. The pod levitates in the tube using magnetic levitation. Furthermore, the pod moves by the use of magnetic propulsion. Because of the vacuum and levitation, the pod is not exposed to air resistance and rolling resistance respectively. This results in a highly efficient energy use and speeds around 1000 kilometers per hour. The hyperloop can be seen in Figure 2.&nbsp;<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjM0Mjg2MjU5MTA0LWltYWdlMi0zMy5qcGVnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 2: Delft Hyperloop render</div><h2 id="isPasted">The design objective</h2>Delft Hyperloop has&nbsp;the&nbsp;goal&nbsp;to make a&nbsp;fully scalable hyperloop system, to show that the hyperloop can be realized in the near future. For a hyperloop system to be scalable, it needs to have a propulsion method which is efficient for long distance travel. Furthermore, the infrastructure, station design and safety aspects need to be included in the design. &nbsp;To achieve this goal, we took the first steps designing, producing, testing and operating a scalable hyperloop pod, incorporating the eventual hyperloop propulsion method: the Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) system. Our hyperloop pod is not yet designed to levitate. This will be a next step in the process.In&nbsp;Figure 3, you can see our system overview. Here you can see all the subsystems, which together create our hyperloop system.&nbsp;To ensure a scalable design, the system consists of a&nbsp;pod&nbsp;and&nbsp;a compatible track-design as one of its key features.<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjM0Mjg2MzE0MjYxLWltYWdlMy0zNS5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 3: System overview of build pod from Delft Hyperloop V</div>The design can be divided into five subsystems which come together, allowing the system to operate in harmony. The subsystems are: propulsion, sense &amp; control, structures, braking, and suspension. In addition, we have a scalability department who focus on the infrastructure and implementation of the hyperloop in the real world. Since we want to explain the scalable aspects of our hyperloop system, we will focus on propulsion and scalability in this article.&nbsp;The pod is designed to run on the Delft Hyperloop track on which it can perform symmetric trajectories. It can propel itself, come to a halt and reverse again. The system is shown in Figure 4. &nbsp;<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjM0NTY1NjgyMTQwLVBvZCB3aXRob3V0IGFlcm9zaGVsbC0yLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 4: Render of Delft Hyperloop system without aerodynamic shell</div><div class="fr-img-space-wrap"> </div><h2 id="isPasted">Top level specifications</h2>As an introduction to the explanation of the subsystems, Figure 5 shows the top-level dimensions of the Pod and the Track. The system is designed to operate at a pressure of 100 mbar, travel bi-directionally and handle speeds of up to 200 km/h. After this speed, it is assumed the (eventual) hyperloop will levitate and irregularities in the track will not affect the system anymore [Cho et al, 2009].&nbsp;<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjM0Mjg2NDM0MjYzLWltYWdlNS0zOS5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 5: Dimensions of the pod and track</div><h3 id="isPasted">Propulsion&nbsp;</h3>The hyperloop propulsion system is there to accelerate the pod to cruising speed and maintain this speed. The propulsion method which we chose is called a Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM), which uses magnetic propulsion. This method is the most efficient way of propelling a levitating pod.&nbsp;The LSM has high efficiency and speed compared to other propulsion systems. One reason for this is that the battery for the propulsion system is not located in the pod but in the track. This reduces the weight of the pod significantly. In addition, the LSM does not have to induce a magnetic field in the track, which would give major efficiency losses. Finally, LSM system could be used for regenerative braking, in order to regain energy. These aspects make the LSM the most scalable solution. &nbsp;The LSM consists of a permanent magnet and coils. For our scalable design we chose to put the permanent magnet in the pod and the coils in the track. The coils (1), which are arranged in a series array can be seen between the L-beams in Figure 6. The permanent magnets (2) surround the coils on the track. &nbsp;<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjM0Mjg2ODEyMzkzLWltYWdlNi00MS5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 6: Overview of the Propulsion subsystem</div>The permanent magnets in the pod provide a stationary magnetic field, while the coils in the track provide a varying magnetic field. The coils interacting with the magnets produce a thrust force through the repelling or attracting force between equal or opposing magnetic poles respectively. By running a 3-phase alternating current through the set of coils, a varying magnetic field is generated with alternating poles, which can be controlled in strength and speed of change by varying the magnitude and frequency of the provided current.&nbsp;In Figure 7, the principle can be seen at a certain time, where the thrust forces between the magnets and the coils are indicated with arrows, thus propelling the pod in the left direction (1). If nothing changes, and the pod propels in the left direction, the magnets and coils will start to work against the pod, pushing it back (2). In order to prevent this situation and keep the forward force on the pod, the current will be reversed hence reversing the magnetic poles in the coils (3). This will result in a forward force once again. By alternating the current at the right time instances, the pod will be accelerated to the desired speed. &nbsp;<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjM0Mjg2ODU2OTUwLWltYWdlNy00My5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 7: LSM propulsion explanation&nbsp;</div><h2>Scalability</h2>Besides producing a hyperloop pod, we also focus on working out challenges that the general hyperloop concept faces. These challenges include technical aspects like construction of infrastructure, tube material and energy consumption, but also financial and political aspects like investors, role of government and placement of the hyperloop station. Works out these challenges through research projects with partners and designing parts of the hyperloop system through our own vision.&nbsp;An example is the placement and design of a hyperloop station in the Netherlands. One of the major advantages of hyperloop as a mode of fast transportation over aviation is the potential for a station that is closer to the city center. Where airports are often located far outside of the city, the hyperloop passenger could walk through the station doors right into the city. We therefore envision the main hyperloop station in the Netherlands to be on top of the Amsterdam Zuid train station. Placing the station here integrates the hyperloop perfectly into existing modes of public transportation, such as trains, trams and busses. Amsterdam’s business hub is right outside the station’s doors, while the city center is just at 15-minute metro ride away. &nbsp;Figure 8 Shows a part of how we envision the Amsterdam hyperloop station. The station is designed with efficiency in mind. A passenger needs to be able to move from the station entrance to the pod as quickly as possible, unlike the 2-hour check-in procedure at airports. This then ties in with the shorter overall travel time of a hyperloop compared to aviation. This means that the turn-around time, the time between passengers disembarking from the pod when it arrives at the station and passengers entering the pod during departure, also needs to be as short as possible. With this in mind, we designed our own hyperloop station. &nbsp;<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjM0Mjg2OTk0ODA3LWltYWdlOC00NS5qcGVnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 8: Inside shot of station design</div>An important technical aspect of the station design is the connection of the pressurized pod and station, with a vacuum tube environment in between. This vacuum interface system, or airlock, needs to be fast to benefit the efficiency of the station, but also energy efficient to reduce costs. We made a comparison between three different options, shown in Figure 9, on costs, time, resilience and safety. &nbsp;<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjM0Mjg3MDIxMTQxLWltYWdlOS00Ny5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 9: Schematic view of the three airlock systems considered in our research. Bridge doors connect the pod to the station with a docking system similar to that of an airplane door and a gate connection bridge. An airlock chamber pressurizes the end of the tube</div>After a thorough analysis, we concluded that the bridge door airlock option would be the most suitable for a hyperloop station. It is the fastest option due to the small volume that needs to be pressurized and only minimal space inside that station is needed to operate the system, reducing construction costs of the tube and the station. &nbsp;The Amsterdam hyperloop station will be one of many stations in a European hyperloop network. From Amsterdam, we envision that a passenger can travel in two directions. One track will head towards Brussels and Paris, the other towards Frankfurt. One of the biggest challenges of a hyperloop in Europe is the placement and therefore vertical alignment of the tube. Europe is densely populated, which means it is inevitable that the track will encounter cities, towns and protected nature areas. Highways can be laid around these areas, but a hyperloop track needs to be as straight as possible, since it is very uncomfortable for a passenger to do a sharp turn at 1000 km/h. A good way to avoid these areas is by placing the track underground. This is also aesthetically more pleasing, since there is no big tube running through the landscape. However, this is almost twice as expensive as building above ground or on pillars, since tunnels need to be dug out for the tube to go through. &nbsp;<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjM0Mjg3MDc0OTYxLWltYWdlMTAtNDkucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 10: Vertical alignment</div>Delft Hyperloop has made a guide for performing a cost-benefit analysis on the vertical alignment of the tube. It considers three types of alignments, on pillars above ground, on the ground and underground. These alignments are shown in Figure 10. The model considers construction costs, maintenance costs, protection costs, energy generation and land acquisition. We applied our model to the track between Amsterdam and Brussels. The results of our analysis are shown in Figure 11.<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjM0Mjg3MTE0OTc2LWltYWdlMTEtNTEucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 11: Results of a cost-benefit analysis of the vertical alignment of the track between Amsterdam and Brussels. Aesthetics and nature benefits are not monetized, resulting in a much higher cost for an underground placement of the tube.&nbsp; </div>Upcoming year, we will focus more on the infrastructure of the hyperloop and tackling challenges to help realize the hyperloop concept. Furthermore, we will look more in depth into our station and pod design to create the ultimate passenger experience. &nbsp;<h2>The Team</h2>Delft Hyperloop is a team consisting of 35 students from Delft University of Technology. Our mission is to develop the desire, technology and infrastructure for the future implementation of the hyperloop system. We do this by competing in the European Hyperloop Week (EHW) with 25 other universities from all over the world. Next year we are aiming to develop a levitating pod. If you would like to read more about our mission and progress you can visit delfthyperloop.nl or follow us on our socials.&nbsp;<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjM0Mjg3MTgzNTQxLWltYWdlMTItNTMuanBlZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 12: Team photo of Delft Hyperloop V </div><hr><h2 id="isPasted">References</h2>Han-Wook Choa, Hyung-Seok Han, Je-Sung Bang, Ho-Kyung Sung, and Byung-Hyun Kim&nbsp;(2009) ‘Characteristic analysis of electrodynamic suspension device with permanent magnet Halbach array’.&nbsp;Journal of Applied Physics 105 &nbsp;

Taking a dive into the future of transportation

Developing A Scalable Hyperloop

<html><head></head><body>In 2014, two planes had gone missing with no luck at finding the wreckage. Lives were lost and families are left wondering “what happened?”. In the world of truly autonomous vehicles, UAVs should react on their own through some sort of external stimuli. It is through these external stimuli that the UAVs react and adjust their goal accordingly. These stimuli can be taken from various sensors on the craft but also can be given commands by a human.Drones are unmanned, aerial devices used for a variety of purposes. When first developed, these devices were manually, remotely controlled. Now, however, drones often incorporate artificial intelligence, automating some or all operations. The incorporation of AI enables drone vendors to use data from sensors attached to the drone to collect and implement visual and environmental data. &nbsp;This data enables autonomous or assisted flight, making operation easier, and increasing accessibility. As a result, drones have become part of the smart mobility offerings that are now commercially available to businesses and consumers. AI-based drones rely largely on computer vision. This technology enables drones to detect objects while flying and allows the analysis and recording of information on the ground.Computer vision works through high-performance, onboard image processing performed with a neural network. A neural network is a layered architecture that is used to implement algorithms in machine learning. Neural networks enable drones to perform object detection, classification, and tracking. This information is combined in real-time to enable drones to avoid collisions and locate and track targets.To implement neural networks in drones, researchers must first train the machine learning algorithms to recognize and correctly classify objects in a wide variety of contexts. This is done by feeding specially marked images into the algorithm.These images teach the neural network which traits classes of objects have and how to differentiate one type of object from another. More advanced neural networks continue learning without supervision during operation, improving detection and analysis with use.Drones have three main applications.<h3>SURVEILLANCE</h3>Drones can be equipped with various types of surveillance equipment that can collect HD video and still images day and night. Drones can be equipped with technology allowing them to intercept cell phone calls, determine GPS locations, and gather license plate information. The high payload compatibility allows the use of different surveying systems such as lidar scanners, multi- and hyperspectral devices and much more – around the clock, with low staffing requirements and low costs.Drone surveillance is the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to capture of still images and video to gather information about specific targets, which might be individuals, groups or environments. Drone surveillance enables surreptitiously gathering information about a target as captured from a distance or altitude. Drone surveillance enables the surreptitious gathering of information about a target as captured from a distance or altitude.Of course, drone use in this wide-ranging industry (or area) extends well beyond these fundamental and simplistic boundaries. The government officials, police and other security personnel use this drone technology. Automated surveillance is going to become increasingly common as companies and researchers find new ways to use machine learning to analyze live video footage.A new project from scientists in the UK and India shows one possible use for this technology: identifying violent behavior in crowds with the help of camera-equipped drones. It uses a simple Parrot AR quadcopter to transmit video footage over a mobile internet connection for real-time analysis. An algorithm trained using deep learning estimates the poses of humans in the video and matches them to postures the researchers have designated as “violent.” For the purposes of the project, just five poses are included: strangling, punching, kicking, shooting, and stabbing.However, the research needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, particularly with regard to its claims of accuracy. Some report that their system was 94 percent accurate at identifying “violent” poses, but they note that the more people that appear in frame, the lower this figure. (It fell to 79 percent accuracy when looking at 10 individuals.)More importantly, though, these figures don’t represent real-world usage. In order to train and test their AI, the researchers recorded their own video clips of volunteers pretending to attack one another. The volunteers are generously spaced apart and attack one another with exaggerated movements. They acknowledged that this isn’t a perfect reflection of how the surveillance system might perform in the wild, but he said he has plans to test the drones during two upcoming festivals in India: Technozion and Spring Spree, both of which take place at NIT Warangal.But even if this particular system has not yet proved itself in the wild, it’s a clear illustration of the direction contemporary research is going. Using AI to identify body poses is a common problem, with big tech companies like Facebook publishing significant research on the topic. And with the rise of cheap drones and fast mobile internet, it’s easier than ever to capture and transmit live video footage. Putting these pieces together to create sophisticated surveillance isn’t hard.<h3>WEATHER FORECAST</h3>The climate is changing. So is the face of natural catastrophes. Admittedly, drones fall short in matching the efficacy of satellite imagery in forecasting adverse weather events. However, when disaster does strike, they are capable of providing valuable assistance. Government authorities as well as insurers are waking up to the potential of using them to assess post-disaster damages, especially at sites not marked safe for humans to enter.Using drones to collect atmospheric samples is a huge advance on traditional methods of data collection, and has the potential to vastly improve the accuracy of weather forecasting models. Why does it matter? Having more accurate models affects both the day-to-day and the big picture. It allows meteorologists to give us better 10 day weather forecasts, but more than that, it means the ability to give more advanced warning for storms such as tornadoes, or whether and where hurricanes will land.The lowest layer of the atmosphere, called the boundary layer, is where most of our weather is happening. The weather conditions that impact each and every one of us are dependent on a dizzying number of variables and factors. Trying to make accurate predictions about what the weather will do next relies on very complicated weather forecasting models, but the output of these models is only as good as the data fed into them. And getting good data is harder than you might think. That’s where weather drones come in. Weather drones can be flown through the entire vertical layer of the boundary layer of the atmosphere, and collect crucial data on temperature, moisture, air pressure and wind speed and direction.Weather drones can collect this data in several ways.&nbsp;One way is through temperature, humidity and air pressure sensors affixed directly onto the drone. Another way they collect data is by dropping sensors called dropsondes, fitted with a parachute, from a high altitude. The dropsondes descend through the vertical profile of the boundary layer, collecting data all the way down. One final important way weather drones collect data is through visual imaging, including photographs and video.There are several important projects ongoing that are working to make use of and improve drones for weather data collection. One of these is directly connected to scientists working with the NOAA. They are working on short term field studies focused on s pecific regions of the US to study how terrain and land surface features affect weather patterns. The goal is to determine whether and how the land surface impacts weather, and how to incorporate that variable into weather and climate models.More data from all over the nation (and the world), from more levels of the boundary layer, means more accurate weather forecasting models. Measurements from storm drones can help scientists evaluate current weather models, and identify and correct forecast models. Collaboration between scientists working on these data collection projects and local weather service forecast models is resulting in more accurate weather forecasts for local weather reporting. It’s a standing joke that meteorologists get to be wrong all the time with no one holding them accountable, but that could change with more accurate models.<h3>DELIVERY</h3>There are several applications in which delivery drones are used.Health care&nbsp;: Drones can be used to transport medicinal products such as blood products, vaccines, and other supplies such as pharmaceuticals and medical samples. During the COVID-19 pandemic, drones began making medical deliveries of personal protective equipment and COVID- 19 tests in the United States and in Israel. Zipline has made more than 70,000 medical deliveries by drone as of October 2020.&nbsp;By using drones to deliver blood donations, vaccinations, medications, anti-venom solutions, organ transplants, and other medical supplies, the medical segment of drone delivery is gaining quite a bit of traction. Between drone service providers and business-internal services, there are more than 30 companies using drones to deliver medical supplies. Integrated with Matternet’s autonomous M2 Drone and Cloud Platform, the new Matternet station supports the company’s vision of distributed, &nbsp;peer-to-peer drone logistics networks for urban environments, allowing hospitals and their supply partners to integrate automated drone delivery laboratories and pharmacy operations.Food: Drones have been proposed as a solution for rapidly deliveringprepared foods, such as pizzas, tacos, and frozen beverages. Early prototypes of food delivery drones include the Tacocopter demonstration by Star Simpson, which was a taco delivery concept utilizing a smartphone app to order drone-delivered tacos in San Francisco area.Initially drones have seen early adoption in Surveillance and Security, Mapping and Inspection and Detection industries because of the remote locations they have been easier to deploy there. Now drones do not only enhance the above industrial and commercial processes, delivery drones can also add a lot of value to logistical supply chains. Of late there has been a growing interest in the benefits that delivery drones can bring to commerce in general and the daily routines of people in particular, where the promise of having food delivered to you wherever you are, via a drone, is gaining traction.&nbsp;Online Food Delivery (FD) platforms have taken off and represent a $350bn market today as these platforms are enticing consumers away from cooking or eating out to eating in the comfort of their own homes, or where ever they happen to be at a given moment. In the major markets of China, US, India, UK and Brazil, annual growth rates range from 5% to about 10% per annum. Worldwide online FD has become well accepted are clearly here to stay with many platforms having become household names.Postal: Different postal companies from Australia, Switzerland, Germany, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Ukraine have undertaken various drone trials as they test the feasibility and profitability of unmanned delivery drone services. The USPS has been testing delivery systems with Horse-Fly Drones. When delivering parcels, drones often have a poorer energy balance than traditional delivery vans, as shown by a new study conducted at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.&nbsp;In densely populated areas, drones consume comparatively high amounts of energy and their range is strongly influenced by wind conditions. In rural areas, however, they may be able to compete with diesel-powered delivery vans. The study has been published in the journal Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment. Wind conditions play a crucial role in how they perform. If there is a crosswind, for example, more energy must be expended to keep the drone on course.On the other hand, headwinds or tailwinds can even have a slightly positive effect on energy consumption. "Drones consume a relatively large amount of energy when they have to hover in one place in the air, for example when they want to deliver a parcel and have to wait outside the door of the recipient's home," explains the economist.Ship Resupply: The shipping line Maersk and the Port of Rotterdam have experimented with using drones to resupply offshore ships instead of sending smaller boats. Delivery drones are delivering supplies to marines in combat, allowing emergency food and ammunition deliveries in a short amount of time. The autonomous drones can carry 60 pounds of cargo and fly up to six miles away. The delivery drones are a part of the Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System’s (TRUAS) $225,000 competition.<h3>PROGRAMMING ASPECT</h3>&nbsp;Programming to build a drone is different from programming to make a drone perform some tasks. Building a drone involves interfacing sensors and actuators with some kind of processor to make the drone fly stably. But, to make an application all needed is a readily available drone and a computer where algorithms can be implemented.If the question is about building a drone, I would say it depends on the hardware used to build it. For example, arduino if arduino based controllers are used. It is more of embedded systems. Communication between microcontoller and all other sensors is established so that the controller can process the sensor readings and sends control signals to actuators to achieve a stable flight.Drones, in the nearest future, will be used to obtain privileged data which can be applied to weather forecasting, storm tracking, and precision agriculture. They can even be used for surveillance purposes, especially in search and rescue. We are right on track to a final destination where drones will eventually be self-sufficient.REFERENCES -&nbsp;1) Towards Automated Drone Surveillance in Railways: State-of-the- Art and Future Direction Conference Paper · October 2016 from &nbsp;book Content-Based Mammogram Retrieval Using Mixed Kernel PCA and Curvelet Transform (pp.336-348).2)International Journal of Engineering Sciences and Research Technology Implementation of Voice Activated Autonomous QuadcopterPritesh A. Metha, M.E. (E&amp;TC) &amp; Prof. M. U. Inamdar Siddhant, College of Engineering, Pune3)Surveillance and Security Management System Using Drone Ganeshwar.R, Ramprabhu.J, Manochitra.P, Kaliappan.S, Department of EEE, Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore &nbsp;</body></html>

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAVs, are becoming more and
more available as technology becomes cheaper. This is an article about Drones which work on the principle of Artificial Intelligence.  

Artificial Intelligence in Drone Technology

<h2>What is our project?</h2>Researchers are continually looking for the fastest, strongest, most efficient, and lowest-cost ways to deploy actuation to carry out their intended functions in the robotic field. To this end, the new field of soft robotics or artificial muscles is currently investigating new actuators ideas that could emulate the properties of muscles that allow for fast adaptability and control in unstructured environments. To fill this void, our research group, <a href="https://dasl.nau.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dynamic and Active System Lab (DASL)</a> at Northern Arizona University, has exploited the possibility to create compliant actuators by drawing, twisting, and coiling polymer tubes. &nbsp;They are named ‘cavatappi’ artificial muscles based on their resemblance to the Italian pasta (see Fig.1). Cavatappi artificial muscles can contract more than 50% of their initial length and exhibits mechanical contractile efficiencies near 45%. They have also been demonstrated to generate a maximum specific work and power of 0.38 kilojoules per kilogram and 1.42 kilowatts per kilogram, respectively. Given the hydraulic or pneumatic activation source, these devices have the potential to substantially outperform similar thermally activated actuation technologies regarding actuation bandwidth, efficiency, modeling and controllability, and practical implementation.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjMxMTk1MzY1NzY1LUZpZ3VyZSAxIC0gRGllZ28gSGlndWVyYXMgUnVpei5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Fig. 1. Cavatappi pasta (A) and the actuators developed (C-H) from the straight drawn polymer tubes (B)<h3 class="fr-img-space-wrap">Artificial Muscle Conception</h3>Cavatappi artificial muscles were initially inspired by twisted and coiled polymer actuators (TCPAs), which were revolutionary when they first came out because they were powerful, lightweight, and cheap. But they are very inefficient (approximately two percent) and slow to actuate because they are thermally driven, and temperature is usually a slow driver. For cavatappi, we have got around these shortcomings by twisting and coiling tubes that use pressurized fluid to actuate, making these devices more likely to be adopted and implemented in bioinspired applications. These devices respond about as fast as the fluid can enter the actuators. However, the significant advantage is their efficiency. It has been demonstrated an actuator contractile efficiency of up to about 45% and a total system efficiency of 21%, which is a high number in soft actuation.&nbsp;<h3>Actuation Mechanism</h3>The novel soft actuation mechanism presented in cavatappi artificial muscles relies upon specific processing of inexpensive polymer tubes to augment anisotropy (high axial and low radial strength to deformation) and helical microstructural reorientation.&nbsp;These tubes can be configured as torsional actuators (Fig. 2B) when twisted or linear actuators when helically coiled (Fig. 2C), similar to TCPAs. This asymmetric behavior of cavatappi is related to the microstructure of the material. After drawing (anisotropy enhancement) (see Fig. 2A) and twisting (internal fibers reorientation), hydraulic or pneumatic pressure applied inside the tube, results in localized untwisting of the helical microstructure. This untwisting manifests as a contraction of the helical pitch for the coiled configuration.&nbsp;<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjMxMTk4NTU1NzYzLUZpZ3VyZTJfLV9EaWVnb19IaWd1ZXJhc19SdWl6XzM1LnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Fig. 2. Cavatappi artificial muscles: Fabrication and actuation. (A) drawn precursor tube, (B) straight twisted tube (element unit), and (C) cavatappi artificial muscles.</div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MpCFumHFZvU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> <h2><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yXAJGH5s4cs?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </h2><h3>Performance</h3>Overall, cavatappi artificial muscles are found to mimic some human muscle properties and outperforming others, such as fast contraction activation, specific power and work, and maximum force and contraction. Furthermore, like human skeletal muscles, cavatappi artificial muscles have the potential for stacking in parallel to increase force generation.&nbsp;<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjMxMTk4NzQ4ODIwLUZpZ3VyZSAzIC0gRGllZ28gSGlndWVyYXMgUnVpei5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Fig. 3. Artificial muscles performance comparison along with those skeletal muscles.</div>Our team believes that this technology could be used in soft robotics applications, conventional robotic actuators (for example, for walking robots), or even potentially in assistive technologies like exoskeletons or prostheses. So far, we have presented a few demonstrations (robotic hand and arm); however, their simplicity, low-cost ($0.9/m of cavatappi muscle), lightweight, flexibility, efficiency will allow their fast development and we expect to see that future work will include the use of cavatappi artificial muscles in many applications.&nbsp;<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JQpIuJAvwb4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> <h2><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3Dvxo_fcRaQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </h2><h2><div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjMxMTk4ODE1MDkxLUZpZ3VyZSA0IC0gRGllZ28gSGlndWVyYXMgUnVpei5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Fig. 4. Robotic hand actuated by cavatappi artificial muscles</div></div></h2><h2>What problem does our project solve?</h2>As there is a new tendency for robots to transition to more biological forms that allow for safer human-robot interactions, new soft actuation technologies are emerging fast. Although traditional robots powered by electric motors or hydraulic pistons can fulfill most of the tasks found in the industry, their rigid form limits how they can be deployed in biomimetic applications. This limitation sets boundaries between human and robot interactions, integrations, and even augmentations safely.&nbsp;Cavatappi artificial muscles are capable of outperforming most human muscle metrics such as fast contraction activation, specific power and work, maximum force and contraction, and actuator efficiency. Furthermore, like human skeletal muscles, cavatappi artificial muscles have the potential to feature tunable compliance and damping, self-sensing, morphological computation, and variable recruitment. &nbsp;The flexibility of cavatappi will allow them to be used on applications over corners/joints such as a knee, elbow, or ankle because they can be placed under a curved deformation and still actuate. Their simplicity also presents an advantage in applications. Because cavatappi are fabricated from soft PVC tubing, the same tube length could consist of sections where the drawn precursor tube is coiled-twisted, straight-twisted, or simply kept as the original straight drawn configuration. Hence, a single tube length with a coiled section in the middle could serve as (1) the plumbing from the pressure source, (2) the actuator, and (3) the tendon running to the point of force application. Such an implementation would decrease the overhead mass and complexity from fittings, increase reliability by eliminating leaks, and decrease maintenance. &nbsp;Finally, cavatappi artificial muscles present minimal or negligible volumetric changes during actuation, which would make them volumetrically efficient when configures in parallel, similar to those muscles’ fiber bundles found in nature.<div data-container="27816804" data-fieldid="378220551"><h2 data-chartcontainer="27816804">What is the current state of the sector?</h2></div>Interest in emulating the properties of biological muscles that allow for fast adaptability and control in unstructured environments has been of interest in the past few decades. The field of soft robotics is evolving rapidly as new soft actuator designs are created every year with the goal to guarantee a world where humans and robots can partner up to improve people’s lives. &nbsp;The main challenges in the sector are on controlling these new soft actuation technologies because material-based models can be complicated to achieve since some of these actuators present viscoelastic effects, similar to biological muscles. However, the trade-off is totally fair as such material properties are the key factors that allow soft actuators to mimic the desired actuation properties of biological muscles.&nbsp;In general, accurate models and control strategies have started being presented in the past few years, and promising advances have been done in this field.<div data-container="1925412439" data-fieldid="1807346637"><h2 data-chartcontainer="1925412439">Who is working on this project?</h2></div>This research has been conducted at the Dynamic and Active Laboratory by Diego Higueras-Ruiz, a graduate bioengineering Ph.D. student at Northern Arizona University under the advising of Michael Shafer and Heidi Feigenbaum. &nbsp;"As the principal researcher of this project, I would like to inspire other students to believe in their innovative/crazy ideas and always give them a try. In my case, I believed that flexible polymer tubes could be processed to create artificial muscles and after many attempts, I found a way to fabricate useful biomimetic actuators”. Diego said.&nbsp;Technology is available for licensing opportunities.<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjMxMTk4OTM3OTQ0LUZpZ3VyZSA1IC0gRGllZ28gSGlndWVyYXMgUnVpei5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">NAU mechanical engineers Diego Higueras-Ruiz and Michael Shafer conducting a visual inspection of their compliant robotic arm actuated with cavatappi artificial muscles.</div>

High-performance cavatappi artificial muscles, based on the shape of Italian pasta, exhibit specific work and power metrics ten and five times higher than human skeletal muscles, respectively, and up to 45 percent efficiency.


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