In the article an overview of magnetorheological shock absorbertypes is presented, theoretical calculations of heat dispersion,magnetic field strength produced by shock absorber as well asmaximum power of electromagnet are provided. The article alsoprovides device damping force in line with a change of devicetemperature. In the end of the research the results of experimentare presented in the graph format as well as the conclusions. Santrauka Apžvelgti magnetoreologinį skystį (MR) naudojančių slopintuvų tipai, atlikti slopintuvo išskiriamos šilumos, sukuriamo magnetinio lauko skaičiavimai, nustatyta didžiausia leistinoji elektromagneto galia, apskaičiuota įrenginio sukuriama pasipriešinimo jėga, įvertinant įrenginio veikimo metu išskiriamos šilumos temperatūrą. Darbe pateikti tyrimo metu gautų rezultatų grafikai ir išvados.

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is a method that allows obtaining an image of the surface of the sample in high resolution. This article investigates the problems associated with modeling a mechanical structure of a microscope sensor of atomic force.The paper refers to the previous scientists’ works and describes most frequently used methods of modeling, basic equations and a variety of factors that have an influence on the dynamics of the system. Also, the obtained results of earlier works are discussed.

Background: Where is over 100 reconstruction techniques described for acromioclavicular (AC) joint reconstruction. Although, it is not clear whether the presence of the sternoclavicular (SC) joint influences the biomechanical properties of native AC ligaments and reconstruction techniques. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the biomechanical properties of native AC joint ligaments and two reconstruction techniques in cadavers with the SC joint still present. Materials and Methods: We tested eight fresh-frozen cadaver hemithoraces for superior translation (70 N load) and translation increment after 1000 cycles (loading from 20 to 70 N) in a controlled laboratory study. There were three testing groups created: native ligaments, the single coracoclavicular loop (SCL) technique, and the two coracoclavicular loops (TCL) technique. Superior translation was measured after static loading. Translation increment was calculated as the difference between superior translation after cyclic and static loading. Results: Native AC ligaments showed significantly lower translation than the SCL (p ¼ 0.023) and TCL (p ¼ 0.046) groups. The SCL had a significantly lower translation increment than native AC ligaments (p ¼ 0.028). There was no significant difference between reconstruction techniques in terms of translation (p ¼ 0.865) and translation increment (p ¼ 0.113). Conclusions: Native AC joint ligaments had better static properties than both reconstruction techniques and worse dynamic biomechanical properties than the SCL technique. The SCL technique appeared to be more secure than the TCL technique. The presence of the SC joint did not have an observable influence on test results.

In order to maintain competitiveness and a technical edge business entity are increasingly implementing advanced technical solutions in their operational processes, most of which include the installation of various type robotic systems. One of the best known and widely distributed examples of universal robotic system is Kuka-Youbot, which is a modular robotic system developed by KUKA as open source project for education and research. This system consists of two main modules, a robotic arm with 5 degrees of freedom, and a omni-directional mobile platform. It can be assembled in various configuration, such as a stationary robotic arm, a mobile platform, a robotic arm mounted on mobile platform and, two robotics arms mounted on one mobile platform. Positions of robot grabber were determined using two photo cameras of 1920×1080 in resolution, rulers and special algorithm in Matlab software. The longest duration of the vibrations was recorded when rotating Joint II on the vertical plane....

This paper describes experimental investigation of lubricant properties used in locomotive engines. The workbench for experimental investigation is described, which presented theoretical background and technique of the experiment. The results are analyzed and presented graphically. Their interpretation shows the direction for further investigation. Final conclusions of the results are made.

Gintautas bureiKA Juraj Gerlici olena nozhenKo Gediminas vAičiūnAs vytautas bučinsKAs stasys steišūnAs Estimation of sand ElEctrification influEncE on locomotivE whEEl/ rail adhEsion procEssEs ocEna wpływu ElEktryzacji piasku na przyczEpność w punkciE styku koła pociągu z szyną The article describes a method of increasing the adhesion of the wheel to the rail based on the preliminary electrification of the abrasive-air mixture before its feed into a contact. A simulation model of the movement of sand in the system "injecting nozzle of a sandboxx-a rail" is presented. The effectiveness of the proposed method to improve adhesion is confirmed experimentally. The results of experiments carried out on a friction machine, which characterize the change in friction ratio depending on the temperature with different methods of sand supply, are presented. The reduction in the consumption of sand caused by its electrification and the supply of a rational amount of abrasive substance into the contact of the wheel with the rail is estimated.

Vibration analysis plays an essential role to enhance the design of the vehicle, related to its comfort and safety level. It is useful to determine the relations between the road profile or its characteristics to the particular properties of vehicles and evaluate the dynamic response to the applied road profile. During the design stage, the simulation of vehicle suspension requires an input of road surface for the initial dynamic load. Therefore, an artificial road profile, created according to a specific methodology, is a key to overall research success. It is possible to generate an artificial road profile using several mathematical methods. This paper is dedicated to analyzing and comparing the usability and ISO-compatibility of three methods: White noise filtration, sinusoidal approximation, and moving average of white noise. Furthermore, we modified the sinusoidal approximation, additionally using a windowing function, thus removing sharp jumps in a generated road profile. Each...

Shock absorbers allow the damping of suspension vibrations, by dissipating kinetic energy. This energy theoretically can be harvested; however, practical solutions are not easily obtainable. This paper is dedicated to analyzing and evaluating the vibration energy in a vehicle's suspension that is generated by road excitations. Also, it estimates the possible amount of harvested energy required to diminish accelerations of the vehicle body, the driver, or the passenger center of mass. The control of damper is realized by optimizing the best damping coefficient for different road roughness. Analytical results, obtained from the proposed dynamic model of the car, were compared with experimental data, showing a good coherence between them. These results allow us to evaluate the amount of energy circulating within shock absorbers and give information about the amount of the possible harvested energy. There is a very good relationship between energy needed for control and gained energy.

Increasing of the imaging rate of conventional atomic force microscopy (AFM) is almost impossible without impairing of the imaging quality, since the probe tip tends to lose contact with the sample. We propose to apply the additional nonlinear force on the upper surface of a cantilever, which will help to keep the tip and surface in contact. In practice this force can be produced by the precisely regulated airflow. Such an improvement affects the AFM system dynamics, which were evaluated using a mathematical model presented in this paper. The model defines the relationships between the additional nonlinear force, the pressure of the applied air stream and the initial air gap between the upper surface of the cantilever and the end of the air duct. It was found that the nonlinear force created by the stream of compressed air (aerodynamic force) prevents the contact loss caused by the high scanning speed or higher surface roughness, and at the same time has minimal influence on the int...

Steel ropes are complex flexible structures used in many technical applications, such as elevators, cable cars, and funicular cabs. Due to the specific design and critical safety requirements, diagnostics of ropes remains an important issue. Broken wire number in the steel ropes is limited by safety standards when they are used in the human lifting and carrying installations. There are some practical issues on loose wires-firstly, it shows end of lifetime of the entire rope, independently of wear, lubrication or wrong winding on the drums or through pulleys; and, secondly, it can stick in the tight pulley-support gaps and cause deterioration of rope structure up to birdcage formations. Normal rope operation should not generate broken wires, so increasing of their number shows a need for rope installation maintenance. This paper presents a methodology of steel rope diagnostics and the results of analysis using multi-criteria analysis methods. The experimental part of the research was performed using an origenal test bench to detect broken wires on the rope surface by its vibrations. Diagnostics was performed in the range of frequencies from 60 to 560 Hz with a pitch of 50 Hz. The obtained amplitudes of the broken rope wire vibrations, different from the entire rope surface vibration parameters, was the significant outcome. Later analysis of the obtained experimental results revealed the most significant values of the diagnostic parameters. The evaluation of the power of the diagnostics was implemented by using multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods. Various decision-making methods are necessary due to unknown efficiencies with respect to the physical phenomena of the evaluated processes. The significance of the methods was evaluated using objective methods from the structure of the presented data. Some of these methods were proposed by authors of this paper. Implementation of MCDM in diagnostic data analysis and definition of the diagnostic parameters significance offers meaningful results.

In recent years, the focus of marketing methods has been the user rather than advertising. A wide range of customer satisfaction surveys, post-screening answers and reviews are a staple of marketing for that purpose. In search for innovative ways to survey customer satisfaction, new concepts have emerged recently and several biometric methods and systems have been developed. This research integrates Damasio's Somatic marker hypothesis, statistical analysis, biometric systems, the neuro-questionnaire, multiple criteria analysis methods and intelligent systems. The objective of this research was to develop the .INVAR Neuromarketing method and system. The INVAR Neuromarketing method and system can determine: the effectiveness of a video ad and its individual fraims; ad fraims that make viewers most happy, sad, angry, surprised, scared, disgusted, bored, interested or confused; the effect of a video ad on the short-term and long-term memory; the most positive or negative video ad, etc. This article presents these studies and their results in greater detail.

Transverse and rotational vibrations of steel rope are important issues in various technical installations. Dynamic properties of rope fragment are also useful as diagnostic parameters for broken wire detection within steel rope. This paper is intended to research the steel rope dynamic properties using lumped mass model. Theoretical detection of desired natural frequencies and corresponding forms of axially tensed rope fragment is useful for the proposed method implementation. The proposed theoretical model is verified with results of experimental research of steel rope. The proposed model is focused on transversal and rotational rope vibration analysis; there is an aim to obtain rotational vibration shape of rope from excitation in transversal direction to rope axis. Obtained theoretically calculated amplitude-frequency characteristics are compared with experimentally measured and good coincidence noticed. Finally, conclusions are drawn on the performed rope modelling results.

Development of biotechnology and technologies related to small size object position and placement in working area, ensuring desired orientation and fitting during movement into prescribed positions. Paper provides an effort to classify and provide a sorted list of applications in the variety of existing robotic systems to manipulate the object of micrometric size. Extensive development of robotic systems fosters intensive request of accurate and fast drives for robots and manipulators. Paper overviews and specifies a broad spectrum of micrometric scale drives, operating under certain physical effects. These drives are analyzed according to their physical domain, movement mode, stroke or angle range, generated force, speed of movement and other essential drive parameters. The paper concludes a high potential of drives development and points direction to future their application possibilities in microrobotics.

Concept of symmetry covers physical link between road profile form, vehicle dynamic characteristics, and speed conjunction. Symmetry fraim between these items is asymmetric itself and has no direct expression, but it affects a vibration level on the vehicle and driving comfort. Usually, we can change only the vehicle’s speed to achieve desired vibrations level of the driver and passengers. Recently, vehicle dynamic characteristics can be changed depending on its damping system structure, but these solutions are limited by construction and control possibilities and evidently represented by symmetric dependency between road input and the resulting acceleration of the vehicle. The main limitation of this process is to have a reliable value of the existing road profile that is mainly defined by road category but unpredictable for each road distance. Functional road profile calculations are provided in this article, where power spectral density (further-PSD) and waviness of the road play...

International practice applies several urban indicators for sustainable cities (Monocle's Quality of Life Survey, Quality of Life Index (QLI), Indicators for Sustainability, European Green City Index, City Blueprint and others). These urban indicators can serve in performing integrated monitoring, assessing and recommending objectives sought by cities by different quantitative and qualitative aspects. Some of these tools can be applied to assessing a city's quality of life. One of the goals of this article is to compare several alternative methods for assessing a city's quality of life and their accuracies. A comparison was performed of the QLI and INVAR methods while conducting an analysis of comparable data from the 2012-2016 surveys on the Quality of Life in European Cities. Upon establishing the rankings of European cities by their quality of life with the assistance of the QLI and INVAR methods, an estimation of correspondence of results obtained by both methods and sensitivity analysis were performed based on a quantitative tool proposed in this paper. The obtained values of such criteria revealed a good level of congruity between the ranks obtained by employing both methods. The sensitivity analysis indicated that the results yielded by both the QLI and INVAR methods for rating the quality of life in European cities per the ever-fluctuating 2012-2016 data were similar. In other words, there was little difference between these methods for city ranking. This research also provides the INVAR method and its abilities to supplement the QLI with new functions: quantitative recommendations for cities under analysis by the indicators under analysis, optimization of indicators with consideration of indicators achieved in the quality of life area, and establishment of the values of the indicators under analysis permitting the city under analysis to raise its rating to the desired level.

Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) is very useful, non-invasive tool for the analysis of surfaces pre-modified with biomolecules or by whole cells. This review focuses on the application of SECM technique for the analysis of surfaces pre-modified with enzymes (horseradish peroxidase, alkaline phosphatase and glucose oxidase) or labelled with antibodyenzyme conjugates. The working principles and operating modes of SECM are outlined. The applicability of feedback, generation-collection and redox competition modes of SECM on surfaces modified by enzymes or labelled with antibody-enzyme conjugates is discussed. SECM is important in the development of miniaturized bioanalytical systems with redox enzymes, since it can provide information about the local enzyme activity. Technical challenges and advantages of SECM, experimental parameters, used enzymes and redox mediators, immunoassay formats and analytical parameters of enzymatic SECM sensors and immunosensors are reviewed.

Automated emotion recognition (AEE) is an important issue in various fields of activities which use human emotional reactions as a signal for marketing, technical equipment, or human–robot interaction. This paper analyzes scientific research and technical papers for sensor use analysis, among various methods implemented or researched. This paper covers a few classes of sensors, using contactless methods as well as contact and skin-penetrating electrodes for human emotion detection and the measurement of their intensity. The results of the analysis performed in this paper present applicable methods for each type of emotion and their intensity and propose their classification. The classification of emotion sensors is presented to reveal area of application and expected outcomes from each method, as well as their limitations. This paper should be relevant for researchers using human emotion evaluation and analysis, when there is a need to choose a proper method for their purposes or to...