Non-magnetic semiconductor materials and their devices have attracted wide attention since they are usually prone to exhibit large positive magnetoresistance(MR)effect in a low static magnetic field environment at roo...Non-magnetic semiconductor materials and their devices have attracted wide attention since they are usually prone to exhibit large positive magnetoresistance(MR)effect in a low static magnetic field environment at room temperature.However,how to obtain a large room-temperature negative MR effect in them remains to be studied.In this paper,by designing an Au/n-Ge:Sb/Au device with metal electrodes located on identical side,we observe an obvious room-temperature negative MR effect in a specific 50 T pulsed high magnetic field direction environment,but not in a static low magnetic field environment.Through the analysis of the experimental measurement of the Hall effect results and bipolar transport theory,we propose that this unconventional negative MR effect is mainly related to the charge accumulation on the surface of the device under the modulation of the stronger Lorentz force provided by the pulsed high magnetic field.This theoretical analytical model is further confirmed by regulating the geometry size of the device.Our work sheds light on the development of novel magnetic sensing,magnetic logic and other devices based on non-magnetic semiconductors operating in pulsed high magnetic field environment.展开更多
High-performance ion-conducting hydrogels(ICHs)are vital for developing flexible electronic devices.However,the robustness and ion-conducting behavior of ICHs deteriorate at extreme tempera-tures,hampering their use i...High-performance ion-conducting hydrogels(ICHs)are vital for developing flexible electronic devices.However,the robustness and ion-conducting behavior of ICHs deteriorate at extreme tempera-tures,hampering their use in soft electronics.To resolve these issues,a method involving freeze–thawing and ionizing radiation technology is reported herein for synthesizing a novel double-network(DN)ICH based on a poly(ionic liquid)/MXene/poly(vinyl alcohol)(PMP DN ICH)system.The well-designed ICH exhibits outstanding ionic conductivity(63.89 mS cm^(-1) at 25℃),excellent temperature resistance(-60–80℃),prolonged stability(30 d at ambient temperature),high oxidation resist-ance,remarkable antibacterial activity,decent mechanical performance,and adhesion.Additionally,the ICH performs effectively in a flexible wireless strain sensor,thermal sensor,all-solid-state supercapacitor,and single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerator,thereby highlighting its viability in constructing soft electronic devices.The highly integrated gel structure endows these flexible electronic devices with stable,reliable signal output performance.In particular,the all-solid-state supercapacitor containing the PMP DN ICH electrolyte exhibits a high areal specific capacitance of 253.38 mF cm^(-2)(current density,1 mA cm^(-2))and excellent environmental adaptability.This study paves the way for the design and fabrication of high-performance mul-tifunctional/flexible ICHs for wearable sensing,energy-storage,and energy-harvesting applications.展开更多
Machine-to-machine (M2M) communication plays a fundamental role in autonomous IoT (Internet of Things)-based infrastructure, a vital part of the fourth industrial revolution. Machine-type communication devices(MTCDs) ...Machine-to-machine (M2M) communication plays a fundamental role in autonomous IoT (Internet of Things)-based infrastructure, a vital part of the fourth industrial revolution. Machine-type communication devices(MTCDs) regularly share extensive data without human intervention while making all types of decisions. Thesedecisions may involve controlling sensitive ventilation systems maintaining uniform temperature, live heartbeatmonitoring, and several different alert systems. Many of these devices simultaneously share data to form anautomated system. The data shared between machine-type communication devices (MTCDs) is prone to risk dueto limited computational power, internal memory, and energy capacity. Therefore, securing the data and devicesbecomes challenging due to factors such as dynamic operational environments, remoteness, harsh conditions,and areas where human physical access is difficult. One of the crucial parts of securing MTCDs and data isauthentication, where each devicemust be verified before data transmission. SeveralM2Mauthentication schemeshave been proposed in the literature, however, the literature lacks a comprehensive overview of current M2Mauthentication techniques and the challenges associated with them. To utilize a suitable authentication schemefor specific scenarios, it is important to understand the challenges associated with it. Therefore, this article fillsthis gap by reviewing the state-of-the-art research on authentication schemes in MTCDs specifically concerningapplication categories, security provisions, and performance efficiency.展开更多
Neuromorphic computing is a brain-inspired computing paradigm that aims to construct efficient,low-power,and adaptive computing systems by emulating the information processing mechanisms of biological neural systems.A...Neuromorphic computing is a brain-inspired computing paradigm that aims to construct efficient,low-power,and adaptive computing systems by emulating the information processing mechanisms of biological neural systems.At the core of neuromorphic computing are neuromorphic devices that mimic the functions and dynamics of neurons and synapses,enabling the hardware implementation of artificial neural networks.Various types of neuromorphic devices have been proposed based on different physical mechanisms such as resistive switching devices and electric-double-layer transistors.These devices have demonstrated a range of neuromorphic functions such as multistate storage,spike-timing-dependent plasticity,dynamic filtering,etc.To achieve high performance neuromorphic computing systems,it is essential to fabricate neuromorphic devices compatible with the complementary metal oxide semiconductor(CMOS)manufacturing process.This improves the device’s reliability and stability and is favorable for achieving neuromorphic chips with higher integration density and low power consumption.This review summarizes CMOS-compatible neuromorphic devices and discusses their emulation of synaptic and neuronal functions as well as their applications in neuromorphic perception and computing.We highlight challenges and opportunities for further development of CMOS-compatible neuromorphic devices and systems.展开更多
Power-electronic devices are widely used in various applications, such as voltage and frequency control for transmitting and converting electric power. As these devices are becoming increasingly important, there is a ...Power-electronic devices are widely used in various applications, such as voltage and frequency control for transmitting and converting electric power. As these devices are becoming increasingly important, there is a need to reduce their losses and improve their performance to reduce electric power consumption. Current power semiconductor devices, such as inverters, are made of silicon (Si), but the performance of these Si power devices is reaching its limit due to physical properties and energy bandgap. To address this issue, recent developments in wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor materials, such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), offer the potential for a new generation of power semiconductor devices that can perform significantly better than silicon-based devices. In this research, a green synthesized copper-zinc-tin-sulfide (CZTS) nanoparticle is proposed as a new WBG semiconductor material that could be used for optical and electronic devices. Its synthesis, consisting of the production methods and materials used, is discussed. The characterization is also discussed, and further research is recommended in the later sections to enable the continual advancement of this technology.展开更多
Background: Studies have pointed out the influence of different children’s activities and prolonged use of digital products on their social development. However, whether the parent-child activities and using digital ...Background: Studies have pointed out the influence of different children’s activities and prolonged use of digital products on their social development. However, whether the parent-child activities and using digital devices were serial mediators of the relationship between children’s health and social development needs further verification. Purpose: This study explored how parent-child activities and children’s use of digital devices influence the relationship between children’s health and their social competence. Method: This study used data from Kids in Taiwan: National Longitudinal Study of Child Development and Care. A total sample of 2164 participants was used in this study. Serial mediation analyses were performed using model six of Hayes’ PROCESS (2012). Results: This study found that parent-child activities and the use of digital devices can serially mediate the relationship between children’s health and social competence. Children’s health could directly improve their social competence, but it could also serially mediate social competence by increasing parent-child activities and reducing the use of digital devices. Conclusion: Childcare policy planners and parenting educators should not only call on parents to reduce the use of electronic products for their children, but also encourage parents to spend more time interacting with their children, so that children can learn social skills by interacting with others in their daily lives.展开更多
Conducting polymers have achieved remarkable attentions owing to their exclusive characteristics,for instance,electrical conductivity,high ionic conductivity,visual transparency,and mechanical tractability.Surface and...Conducting polymers have achieved remarkable attentions owing to their exclusive characteristics,for instance,electrical conductivity,high ionic conductivity,visual transparency,and mechanical tractability.Surface and nanostructure engineering of conjugated conducting polymers offers an exceptional pathway to facilitate their implementation in a variety of scientific claims,comprising energy storage and production devices,flexible and wearable optoelectronic devices.A two-step tactic to assemble high-performance polypyrrole(PPy)-based microsupercapacitor(MSC)is utilized by transforming the current collectors to suppress structural pulverization and increase the adhesion of PPy,and then electrochemical co-deposition of PPy-CNT nanostructures on rGO@Au current collectors is performed.The resulting fine patterned MSC conveyed a high areal capacitance of 65.9 mF cm^(−2)(at a current density of 0.1 mA cm^(−2)),an exceptional cycling performance of retaining 79%capacitance after 10,000 charge/discharge cycles at 5 mA cm^(−2).Benefiting from the intermediate graphene,current collector free PPy-CNT@rGO flexible MSC is produced by a facile transfer method on a flexible substrate,which delivered an areal capacitance of 70.25 mF cm^(−2) at 0.1 mA cm^(−2) and retained 46%of the initial capacitance at a current density of 1.0 mA cm^(−2).The flexible MSC is utilized as a skin compatible capacitive micro-strain sensor with excellent electromechanochemical characteristics.展开更多
Complicated tribological behavior occurs when human fingers touch and perceive the surfaces of objects.In this process,people use their exploration style with different conditions,such as contact load,sliding speed,sl...Complicated tribological behavior occurs when human fingers touch and perceive the surfaces of objects.In this process,people use their exploration style with different conditions,such as contact load,sliding speed,sliding direction,and angle of orientation between fingers and object surface consciously or unconsciously.This work addressed interlaboratory experimental devices for finger active and passive tactile friction analysis,showing two types of finger movement.In active sliding experiment,the participant slid their finger freely against the object surface,requiring the subject to control the motion conditions themselves.For passive sliding experiments,these motion conditions were adjusted by the device.Several analysis parameters,such as contact force,vibration acceleration signals,vibration magnitude,and fingerprint deformation were recorded simultaneously.Noticeable friction differences were observed when comparing active sliding and passive sliding.For passive sliding,stick-slip behavior occurred when sliding in the distal direction,evidenced by observing the friction force and the related deformation of the fingerprint ridges.The employed devices showed good repeatability and high reliability,which enriched the design of the experimental platform and provided guidance to the standardization research in the field of tactile friction.展开更多
Multifunctional and flexible wearable devices play a crucial role in a wide range of applications,such as heath monitoring,intelligent skins,and human-machine interactions.Developing flexible and conductive materials ...Multifunctional and flexible wearable devices play a crucial role in a wide range of applications,such as heath monitoring,intelligent skins,and human-machine interactions.Developing flexible and conductive materials for multifunctional wearable devices with low-cost and high efficiency methods are highly desirable.Here,a conductive graphene/microsphere/bamboo fiber(GMB)nanocomposite paper with hierarchical surface microstructures is successfully fabricated through a simple vacuum-assisted filtration followed by thermo-foaming process.The as-prepared microstructured GMB nanocomposite paper exhibits not only a high volume electrical conductivity of~45 S/m but also an excellent electrical stability(i.e.,relative changes in resistance are less than 3%under stretching,folding,and compressing loadings)due to its unique structure features.With this microstructured nanocomposite paper as active sensing layer,microstructured pressure sensors with a high sensitivity(-4 kPa^(-1)),a wide sensing range(0–5 kPa),and a rapid response time(about 140 ms)are realized.In addition,benefitting from the outstanding electrical stability and mechanical flexibility,the microstructured nanocomposite paper is further demonstrated as a low-voltage Joule heating device.The surface temperature of the microstructured nanocomposite paper rapidly reaches over 80℃ when applying a relatively low voltage of 7 V,indicating its potential in human thermotherapy and thermal management.展开更多
Purpose: Patient-specific quality assurance (PSQA) requires manual operation of different workstations, which is time-consuming and error-prone. Therefore, developing automated solutions to improve efficiency and accu...Purpose: Patient-specific quality assurance (PSQA) requires manual operation of different workstations, which is time-consuming and error-prone. Therefore, developing automated solutions to improve efficiency and accuracy is a priority. The purpose of this study was to develop a general software interface with scripting on a human interactive device (HID) for improving the efficiency and accuracy of manual quality assurance (QA) procedures. Methods: As an initial application, we aimed to automate our PSQA workflow that involves Varian Eclipse treatment planning system, Elekta MOSAIQ oncology information system and PTW Verisoft application. A general platform, the AutoFrame interface with two imbedded subsystems—the AutoFlow and the PyFlow, was developed with a scripting language for automating human operations of aforementioned systems. The interface included three functional modules: GUI module, UDF script interpreter and TCP/IP communication module. All workstations in the PSQA process were connected, and most manual operations were automated by AutoFrame sequentially or in parallel. Results: More than 20 PSQA tasks were performed both manually and using the developed AutoFrame interface. On average, 175 (±12) manual operations of the PSQA procedure were eliminated and performed by the automated process. The time to complete a PSQA task was 8.23 (±0.78) minutes for the automated workflow, in comparison to 13.91 (±3.01) minutes needed for manual operations. Conclusion: We have developed the AutoFrame interface framework that successfully automated our PSQA procedure, and significantly reduced the time, human (control/clicking/typing) errors, and operators’ stress. Future work will focus on improving the system’s flexibility and stability and extending its operations to other QA procedures.展开更多
基金Project supported by the Special Funding for Talents of Three Gorges University(Grant No.8230202)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.12274258)National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2016YFA0401003).
文摘Non-magnetic semiconductor materials and their devices have attracted wide attention since they are usually prone to exhibit large positive magnetoresistance(MR)effect in a low static magnetic field environment at room temperature.However,how to obtain a large room-temperature negative MR effect in them remains to be studied.In this paper,by designing an Au/n-Ge:Sb/Au device with metal electrodes located on identical side,we observe an obvious room-temperature negative MR effect in a specific 50 T pulsed high magnetic field direction environment,but not in a static low magnetic field environment.Through the analysis of the experimental measurement of the Hall effect results and bipolar transport theory,we propose that this unconventional negative MR effect is mainly related to the charge accumulation on the surface of the device under the modulation of the stronger Lorentz force provided by the pulsed high magnetic field.This theoretical analytical model is further confirmed by regulating the geometry size of the device.Our work sheds light on the development of novel magnetic sensing,magnetic logic and other devices based on non-magnetic semiconductors operating in pulsed high magnetic field environment.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(11875138,52077095).
文摘High-performance ion-conducting hydrogels(ICHs)are vital for developing flexible electronic devices.However,the robustness and ion-conducting behavior of ICHs deteriorate at extreme tempera-tures,hampering their use in soft electronics.To resolve these issues,a method involving freeze–thawing and ionizing radiation technology is reported herein for synthesizing a novel double-network(DN)ICH based on a poly(ionic liquid)/MXene/poly(vinyl alcohol)(PMP DN ICH)system.The well-designed ICH exhibits outstanding ionic conductivity(63.89 mS cm^(-1) at 25℃),excellent temperature resistance(-60–80℃),prolonged stability(30 d at ambient temperature),high oxidation resist-ance,remarkable antibacterial activity,decent mechanical performance,and adhesion.Additionally,the ICH performs effectively in a flexible wireless strain sensor,thermal sensor,all-solid-state supercapacitor,and single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerator,thereby highlighting its viability in constructing soft electronic devices.The highly integrated gel structure endows these flexible electronic devices with stable,reliable signal output performance.In particular,the all-solid-state supercapacitor containing the PMP DN ICH electrolyte exhibits a high areal specific capacitance of 253.38 mF cm^(-2)(current density,1 mA cm^(-2))and excellent environmental adaptability.This study paves the way for the design and fabrication of high-performance mul-tifunctional/flexible ICHs for wearable sensing,energy-storage,and energy-harvesting applications.
基金the Deanship of Scientific Research,Vice Presidency for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research,King Faisal University,Saudi Arabia(Grant No.GRANT5,208).
文摘Machine-to-machine (M2M) communication plays a fundamental role in autonomous IoT (Internet of Things)-based infrastructure, a vital part of the fourth industrial revolution. Machine-type communication devices(MTCDs) regularly share extensive data without human intervention while making all types of decisions. Thesedecisions may involve controlling sensitive ventilation systems maintaining uniform temperature, live heartbeatmonitoring, and several different alert systems. Many of these devices simultaneously share data to form anautomated system. The data shared between machine-type communication devices (MTCDs) is prone to risk dueto limited computational power, internal memory, and energy capacity. Therefore, securing the data and devicesbecomes challenging due to factors such as dynamic operational environments, remoteness, harsh conditions,and areas where human physical access is difficult. One of the crucial parts of securing MTCDs and data isauthentication, where each devicemust be verified before data transmission. SeveralM2Mauthentication schemeshave been proposed in the literature, however, the literature lacks a comprehensive overview of current M2Mauthentication techniques and the challenges associated with them. To utilize a suitable authentication schemefor specific scenarios, it is important to understand the challenges associated with it. Therefore, this article fillsthis gap by reviewing the state-of-the-art research on authentication schemes in MTCDs specifically concerningapplication categories, security provisions, and performance efficiency.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.62074075,62174082,and 61834001).
文摘Neuromorphic computing is a brain-inspired computing paradigm that aims to construct efficient,low-power,and adaptive computing systems by emulating the information processing mechanisms of biological neural systems.At the core of neuromorphic computing are neuromorphic devices that mimic the functions and dynamics of neurons and synapses,enabling the hardware implementation of artificial neural networks.Various types of neuromorphic devices have been proposed based on different physical mechanisms such as resistive switching devices and electric-double-layer transistors.These devices have demonstrated a range of neuromorphic functions such as multistate storage,spike-timing-dependent plasticity,dynamic filtering,etc.To achieve high performance neuromorphic computing systems,it is essential to fabricate neuromorphic devices compatible with the complementary metal oxide semiconductor(CMOS)manufacturing process.This improves the device’s reliability and stability and is favorable for achieving neuromorphic chips with higher integration density and low power consumption.This review summarizes CMOS-compatible neuromorphic devices and discusses their emulation of synaptic and neuronal functions as well as their applications in neuromorphic perception and computing.We highlight challenges and opportunities for further development of CMOS-compatible neuromorphic devices and systems.
文摘Power-electronic devices are widely used in various applications, such as voltage and frequency control for transmitting and converting electric power. As these devices are becoming increasingly important, there is a need to reduce their losses and improve their performance to reduce electric power consumption. Current power semiconductor devices, such as inverters, are made of silicon (Si), but the performance of these Si power devices is reaching its limit due to physical properties and energy bandgap. To address this issue, recent developments in wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor materials, such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), offer the potential for a new generation of power semiconductor devices that can perform significantly better than silicon-based devices. In this research, a green synthesized copper-zinc-tin-sulfide (CZTS) nanoparticle is proposed as a new WBG semiconductor material that could be used for optical and electronic devices. Its synthesis, consisting of the production methods and materials used, is discussed. The characterization is also discussed, and further research is recommended in the later sections to enable the continual advancement of this technology.
文摘Background: Studies have pointed out the influence of different children’s activities and prolonged use of digital products on their social development. However, whether the parent-child activities and using digital devices were serial mediators of the relationship between children’s health and social development needs further verification. Purpose: This study explored how parent-child activities and children’s use of digital devices influence the relationship between children’s health and their social competence. Method: This study used data from Kids in Taiwan: National Longitudinal Study of Child Development and Care. A total sample of 2164 participants was used in this study. Serial mediation analyses were performed using model six of Hayes’ PROCESS (2012). Results: This study found that parent-child activities and the use of digital devices can serially mediate the relationship between children’s health and social competence. Children’s health could directly improve their social competence, but it could also serially mediate social competence by increasing parent-child activities and reducing the use of digital devices. Conclusion: Childcare policy planners and parenting educators should not only call on parents to reduce the use of electronic products for their children, but also encourage parents to spend more time interacting with their children, so that children can learn social skills by interacting with others in their daily lives.
基金support of the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2021YFB3200701,2018YFA0208501)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.52272098,21875260,21671193,91963212,51773206,21731001,22272182)Beijing Natural Science Foundation(No.2202069).
文摘Conducting polymers have achieved remarkable attentions owing to their exclusive characteristics,for instance,electrical conductivity,high ionic conductivity,visual transparency,and mechanical tractability.Surface and nanostructure engineering of conjugated conducting polymers offers an exceptional pathway to facilitate their implementation in a variety of scientific claims,comprising energy storage and production devices,flexible and wearable optoelectronic devices.A two-step tactic to assemble high-performance polypyrrole(PPy)-based microsupercapacitor(MSC)is utilized by transforming the current collectors to suppress structural pulverization and increase the adhesion of PPy,and then electrochemical co-deposition of PPy-CNT nanostructures on rGO@Au current collectors is performed.The resulting fine patterned MSC conveyed a high areal capacitance of 65.9 mF cm^(−2)(at a current density of 0.1 mA cm^(−2)),an exceptional cycling performance of retaining 79%capacitance after 10,000 charge/discharge cycles at 5 mA cm^(−2).Benefiting from the intermediate graphene,current collector free PPy-CNT@rGO flexible MSC is produced by a facile transfer method on a flexible substrate,which delivered an areal capacitance of 70.25 mF cm^(−2) at 0.1 mA cm^(−2) and retained 46%of the initial capacitance at a current density of 1.0 mA cm^(−2).The flexible MSC is utilized as a skin compatible capacitive micro-strain sensor with excellent electromechanochemical characteristics.
基金Supported by the China Scholarship Council (Grant No.201907000020)the 111 Project (Grant No.B20008)。
文摘Complicated tribological behavior occurs when human fingers touch and perceive the surfaces of objects.In this process,people use their exploration style with different conditions,such as contact load,sliding speed,sliding direction,and angle of orientation between fingers and object surface consciously or unconsciously.This work addressed interlaboratory experimental devices for finger active and passive tactile friction analysis,showing two types of finger movement.In active sliding experiment,the participant slid their finger freely against the object surface,requiring the subject to control the motion conditions themselves.For passive sliding experiments,these motion conditions were adjusted by the device.Several analysis parameters,such as contact force,vibration acceleration signals,vibration magnitude,and fingerprint deformation were recorded simultaneously.Noticeable friction differences were observed when comparing active sliding and passive sliding.For passive sliding,stick-slip behavior occurred when sliding in the distal direction,evidenced by observing the friction force and the related deformation of the fingerprint ridges.The employed devices showed good repeatability and high reliability,which enriched the design of the experimental platform and provided guidance to the standardization research in the field of tactile friction.
基金We gratefully acknowledge the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.11872132,51803016 and U1837204)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2020M673124)+1 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing(No.cstc2020jcyj-bshX0001)the Competitive Internal Research Award of Khalifa University(CIRA-2018-16).
文摘Multifunctional and flexible wearable devices play a crucial role in a wide range of applications,such as heath monitoring,intelligent skins,and human-machine interactions.Developing flexible and conductive materials for multifunctional wearable devices with low-cost and high efficiency methods are highly desirable.Here,a conductive graphene/microsphere/bamboo fiber(GMB)nanocomposite paper with hierarchical surface microstructures is successfully fabricated through a simple vacuum-assisted filtration followed by thermo-foaming process.The as-prepared microstructured GMB nanocomposite paper exhibits not only a high volume electrical conductivity of~45 S/m but also an excellent electrical stability(i.e.,relative changes in resistance are less than 3%under stretching,folding,and compressing loadings)due to its unique structure features.With this microstructured nanocomposite paper as active sensing layer,microstructured pressure sensors with a high sensitivity(-4 kPa^(-1)),a wide sensing range(0–5 kPa),and a rapid response time(about 140 ms)are realized.In addition,benefitting from the outstanding electrical stability and mechanical flexibility,the microstructured nanocomposite paper is further demonstrated as a low-voltage Joule heating device.The surface temperature of the microstructured nanocomposite paper rapidly reaches over 80℃ when applying a relatively low voltage of 7 V,indicating its potential in human thermotherapy and thermal management.
文摘Purpose: Patient-specific quality assurance (PSQA) requires manual operation of different workstations, which is time-consuming and error-prone. Therefore, developing automated solutions to improve efficiency and accuracy is a priority. The purpose of this study was to develop a general software interface with scripting on a human interactive device (HID) for improving the efficiency and accuracy of manual quality assurance (QA) procedures. Methods: As an initial application, we aimed to automate our PSQA workflow that involves Varian Eclipse treatment planning system, Elekta MOSAIQ oncology information system and PTW Verisoft application. A general platform, the AutoFrame interface with two imbedded subsystems—the AutoFlow and the PyFlow, was developed with a scripting language for automating human operations of aforementioned systems. The interface included three functional modules: GUI module, UDF script interpreter and TCP/IP communication module. All workstations in the PSQA process were connected, and most manual operations were automated by AutoFrame sequentially or in parallel. Results: More than 20 PSQA tasks were performed both manually and using the developed AutoFrame interface. On average, 175 (±12) manual operations of the PSQA procedure were eliminated and performed by the automated process. The time to complete a PSQA task was 8.23 (±0.78) minutes for the automated workflow, in comparison to 13.91 (±3.01) minutes needed for manual operations. Conclusion: We have developed the AutoFrame interface framework that successfully automated our PSQA procedure, and significantly reduced the time, human (control/clicking/typing) errors, and operators’ stress. Future work will focus on improving the system’s flexibility and stability and extending its operations to other QA procedures.
