A digital twins enabled underwater intelligent internet vehicle path planning system via reinforcement learning and edge computing

The Autonomous Underwater Glider(AUG)is a kind of prevailing underwater intelligent internet vehicle and occupies a dominant position in industrial applications,in which path planning is an essential problem.Due to the complexity and variability of the ocean,accurate environment modeling and flexible path planning algorithms are pivotal challenges.The traditional models mainly utilize mathematical functions,which are not complete and reliable.Most existing path planning algorithms depend on the environment and lack flexibility.To overcome these challenges,we propose a path planning system for underwater intelligent internet vehicles.It applies digital twins and sensor data to map the real ocean environment to a virtual digital space,which provides a comprehensive and reliable environment for path simulation.We design a value-based reinforcement learning path planning algorithm and explore the optimal network structure parameters.The path simulation is controlled by a closed-loop model integrated into the terminal vehicle through edge computing.The integration of state input enriches the learning of neural networks and helps to improve generalization and flexibility.The task-related reward function promotes the rapid convergence of the training.The experimental results prove that our reinforcement learning based path planning algorithm has great flexibility and can effectively adapt to a variety of different ocean conditions.

Impact of COVID-19 on Safety Performance for Motorcycles: Pre-and during-Pandemic Conditions

Florida has the highest number of motorcycle fatalities in the United States and contains the second largest population of registered motorcycles. The COVID-19 pandemic influenced the roads, traffic, and driving behavior in the continental United States. Motorcycle crashes decreased during the COVID-19 years (2020 and 2021) while the fatality rates increased. The purpose of this study is to 1) investigate motorcycle crashes before and during the Pandemic period to understand the impacts on motorcycle safety and contributing factors to the crash severity levels;2) develop the crash predictive model for different degrees of severity in motorcycle crashes in Florida. Florida statewide crash data were collected. T tests have been conducted to compare the contributing factors between two periods. The injury severities are significantly different among all five levels between those during normal period and the Pandemic period. A crash predictive model has been developed to determine the facts to injury severity levels for motorcycle crashes. A total of eight variables are found to significantly increase the injury severity levels for motorcycle crashes during the Pandemic period.

Hazardous Attitude Factors Influence Risk Perception in General Aviation Pilots

This manuscript presents a research proposal to investigate how hazardous attitudes among general aviation pilots influence pilot performance in aviation accidents. General aviation pilots train to maintain safe flying conditions, but accidents still occur, and human factors figure prominently among the causes of aviation accidents. The levels of hazardous attitudes among pilots may influence the likelihood of engaging in risky flight behaviors that can lead to accidents. This quantitative study aims to determine whether dangerous attitudes impact risk perception in general aviation pilots. The study will focus on two specific hazardous attitudes, “Anti-Authority” and Macho” behaviors. Among the hazardous attitudes identified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the two attitudes often stand out in accident investigations and pilot narratives. While all hazardous attitudes have inherent dangers, these two attitudes tend to be more frequently cited in accident reports and investigations. Despite rigorous training in safe flying conditions, general aviation accidents still transpire due to human factors. This research hypothesizes that the five attitudes from the hazardous attitude model, particularly Anti-Authority and Macho, significantly shape pilots’ risk perception. The insights from this study would benefit stakeholders, like the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Air Safety Institute, and aviation training programs, in creating training modules tailored to reduce such attitudes.

Effect of Spray Rails on Takeoff Performance of Amphibian Aircraft

Amphibian aircraft have seen a rise in popularity in the recreational and utility sectors due to their ability to take off and land on both land and water, thus serving a myriad of purposes, such as aerobatics, surveillance, and firefighting. Such seaplanes must be aerodynamically and hydrodynamically efficient, particularly during the takeoff phase. Naval architects have long employed innovative techniques to optimize the performance of marine vessels, including incorporating spray rails on hulls. This research paper is dedicated to a comprehensive investigation into the potential utilization of spray rails to enhance the takeoff performance of amphibian aircraft. Several spray rail configurations obtained from naval research were simulated on a bare Seamax M22 amphibian hull to observe an approximate 10% - 25% decrease in water resistance at high speeds alongside a 3% reduction in the takeoff time. This study serves as a motivation to improve the design of the reference airplane hull and a platform for detailed investigations in the future to improve modern amphibian design.

An Interpretable CNN for the Segmentation of the Left Ventricle in Cardiac MRI by Real-Time Visualization

The interpretability of deep learning models has emerged as a compelling area in artificial intelligence research.The safety criteria for medical imaging are highly stringent,and models are required for an explanation.However,existing convolutional neural network solutions for left ventricular segmentation are viewed in terms of inputs and outputs.Thus,the interpretability of CNNs has come into the spotlight.Since medical imaging data are limited,many methods to fine-tune medical imaging models that are popular in transfer models have been built using massive public Image Net datasets by the transfer learning method.Unfortunately,this generates many unreliable parameters and makes it difficult to generate plausible explanations from these models.In this study,we trained from scratch rather than relying on transfer learning,creating a novel interpretable approach for autonomously segmenting the left ventricle with a cardiac MRI.Our enhanced GPU training system implemented interpretable global average pooling for graphics using deep learning.The deep learning tasks were simplified.Simplification included data management,neural network architecture,and training.Our system monitored and analyzed the gradient changes of different layers with dynamic visualizations in real-time and selected the optimal deployment model.Our results demonstrated that the proposed method was feasible and efficient:the Dice coefficient reached 94.48%,and the accuracy reached 99.7%.It was found that no current transfer learning models could perform comparably to the ImageNet transfer learning architectures.This model is lightweight and more convenient to deploy on mobile devices than transfer learning models.

Comparisons of Structured Surface Floors for Pool Boiling Enhancement at Low Heat Fluxes: Hands-On Learning Setup for Heat Transfer Classroom

Various enhanced surfaces have been proposed over the years to improve boiling heat transfer. This paper introduces an experimental setup designed for boiling demonstration in the graduate-level Heat Transfer course. The pool boiling performance of water under atmospheric pressure of 1.025 bar is investigated by using several structured surfaces at heat fluxes of 28 and 35 kW/m2. Surfaces with holes, rectangular grooves, and mushroom fins are manufactured by an NC-controlled vertical milling machine. The heat flux versus excess temperature graph is plotted by using thermocouple measurements of water and base temperatures of the boiling vessel. The separation, rise, and growth of individual vapor bubbles from the surface during boiling were recorded with a digital camera. The results for the plain surface are compared to the Rohsenow correlation. The enhancement of heat transfer coefficient (h) ranged between 15% - 44.5% for all structured surfaces. The highest heat transfer coefficient enhancement is observed between 41% - 56.5% for holed surface-3 (405 holes) compared to the plain surface. The excess temperature dropped around 29% - 34% for holed surface-3 (405 holes) compared to the plain surface. The heat transfer coefficient increases as the spacing between channels or holes decreases. While the bubbles on holed and mushroomed surfaces were spherical, the bubbles on the flat and grooved surfaces were observed as formless. The suggested economical test design could be appropriate to keep students focused and participating in the classroom.

Dual-System Activation of Ni-Base Superalloy under High Strain and High Temperature

Due to their superior combination of heat resistance, high temperature corrosion resistance, toughness and strength, nickel-based superalloys have become of extensive use in the aerospace industry. This research aims to explain why the fatigue life of Inconel-718 in preconditioned samples had larger fatigue lives than pristine samples. The hypothesis is that preconditioning at 700°C and 1.0% strain could lead to thermal activation of the {100} cubic slip plane alongside the {111} octahedral slip plane, potentially improving fatigue life. Using SEM and EBSD imaging, the microstructure of Inconel-718 samples were characterized before and after preconditioning. The directions of the slip bands that formed following the preconditioning were determined. The result was that the existence of both the cubic and octahedral slip systems was confirmed, leading to the thermal activation hypothesized. The existence of both slip planes was considered to be the reason behind the improved fatigue life due to better strain accommodation within the microstructure. It is suggested that focuses for future research includes conducting in-situ observation of slip activation and the application of preconditioning as a manufacturing method.

Hawaii地区钠激光雷达与流星雷达和中频雷达同时观测水平风场的对比分析

钠激光雷达、流星雷达和中频雷达是测量中间层顶水平风场的三个重要手段。Hawaii地区在2002～2005年间同时存在这三种仪器,多次进行了对中间层大气水平风场的同时观测。通过对2002年7月9日晚和2003年10月23日晚这三种设备连续8 h同时探测的风场数据进行对比分析,发现钠激光雷达与流星雷达观测的径向风和纬向风结果比较吻合,并且都远大于(约两倍)中频雷达观测的结果。风场的夜平均垂直廓线表明,在速度较小并且风速变化比较平稳时,中频雷达能够表现出与钠激光雷达和流星雷达相对较好的一致性;反之,差异较大。

Andes上空中间层和低热层中大气惯性重力波的激光雷达观测

利用Andes观测站(30. 3°S,70. 7°W)激光雷达2016年6月8~9日共11. 6 h的风场、温度以及钠原子数密度的观测数据,研究了一个在中间层顶区域惯性重力波活动事件。谱分析表明,这个惯性重力波的周期约6. 6 h,垂直波长约7. 5 km,水平波长约826 km。根据矢端曲线法分析发现,此惯性重力波的传播方向大约为西偏北38. 6°。计算出它的垂直群速度约0. 2 m·s-1,水平群速度约22. 9 m·s-1。射线追踪结果表明,上传惯性重力波可能来自于平流层的急流区域。虽然该惯性重力波不能达到不稳定性的阈值,但是理查德森数和浮力频率显示,由于不同扰动分量的叠加,导致了在一些高度和时间上,动力学的发生和对流不稳定性的存在。因此,叠加效应引起的不稳定性可能会对中间层-低热层中波的饱和度和幅度约束有显著影响。同时利用重力波偏振关系和惯性重力波纬向风扰动,计算出了经向风、温度和大气密度扰动,同时观测的经向风和温度扰动与计算的结果一致,表明观测到的准单色惯性重力波能很好满足重力波偏振关系。另外,计算得到的大气密度扰动与观测的钠原子数密度扰动相位一致,证实了中间层-低热层区域的钠原子可以作为重力波的示踪物。

Airport Information Systems—Airside Management Information Systems

Research on the intersection of the areas of aviation and management of information systems is scarce. Airports, more than ever before need to align their information systems to gain a competitive advantage and become more efficient in their operations. A proper classification is a prerequisite to systems alignment. The purpose of this paper is to provide descriptions of some of the airport management information systems, connections to or interoperability with other systems, and the key uses and users of each system. There are many types of management information systems and they can be organized or classified in a number of different ways. Furthermore, each system may or may not be necessary for a particular airport depending on the business goals and objectives and the certificate which the airport is operating under. Consequently, the system classification schema presented in this paper is neither all-inclusive nor exclusive;however, a number of leading aviation practitioners, business professionals, and educators in the industry were instrumental in both proposing and validating the schema. The study used interviews, documentation, and observation as the primary sources of data.

Real-Time Thermomechanical Modeling of PV Cell Fabrication via a POD-Trained RBF Interpolation Network

This paper presents a numerical reduced order model framework to simulate the physics of the thermomechanical processes that occur during c-Si photovoltaic(PV)cell fabrication.A response surface based on a radial basis function(RBF)interpolation network trained by a Proper Orthogonal Decomposition(POD)of the solution fields is developed for fast and accurate approximations of thermal loading conditions on PV cells during the fabrication processes.The outcome is a stand-alone computational tool that provides,in real time,the quantitative and qualitative thermomechanical response as a function of user-controlled input parameters for fabrication processes with the precision of 3D finite element analysis(FEA).This tool provides an efficient and effective avenue for design and optimization as well as for failure prediction of PV cells.

Newly established autonomous adaptive low-power instrument platform(AAL-PIP) chain on East Antarctic Plateau and operation

An autonomous adaptive low-power instrument platform(AAL-PIP)chain of six stations has been newly established on East Antarctic Plateau along the 40°geomagnetic meridian,to investigate interhemispheric geomagnetically conjugate current systems,waves,and other space weather phenomena in Polar Regions.These six stations,PG0 to PG5,which host low-power magnetometers(Fluxgate and Searchcoil),dual frequency GPS receivers,HF radio experiment,and run autonomously with solar power and two-way satellite communication,are designated at the geomagnetically conjugate(based on the International Geomagnetic Reference Field)locations of the West Greenland geomagnetic chain covering magnetic latitudes from 70°to 80°.We present the development,deployment,and operation of this chain,as well as the data collected by the chain and some preliminary scientific results showing evidence of interhemispheric asymmetries,which are important to better understand Solar Wind–Magnetosphere–Ionosphere(SWMI)coupling in Polar Regions.Recent investigations focus on magnetic impulse(MI)events,traveling convection vortices(TCVs),and ultra-low frequency(ULF)waves in the coupled southern and northern hemispheres.

Understanding the Contributing Factors to Nighttime Crashes at Freeway Mainline Segments

This study investigated the crash contributing factors to the injury outcomes and the characteristics of the night time crashes at freeway mainline segments. Multinomial logit model (MNL) was selected to estimate the explanatory variables at a 95% confidence level. The six-year crash data (2005-2010) were obtained in the State of Florida, USA and five injury level outcomes, no injury, possible injury, non-incapacitating injury, capacitating injury, and fatal injury, were considered. The no injury level was selected as the baseline category.

Airport Management—Value of Customer Display Systems

By providing real-time updates of essential information, airports not only display and disseminate information but also help control the flow of traffic. In order to maximize available space, particularly in high traffic areas, Airport Display Information Systems should be integrated into the overall design of the airport and their positioning should be carefully planned to deliver optimal results. Airport Display Information Systems can help airports maximize space, increase customer satisfaction, and generate new revenue opportunities. The technology is designed not only to comply with environmental regulations, but also to help airports keep budgets in check. This paper discusses airport display systems, their connections and interoperability with other systems and who the key airport users of these airport display systems are.

Vacuum Preparation, Optimization of Cylinder Length and Postoperative Daily Inflation Reduces Complaints of Shortened Penile Length Following Implantation of Inflatable Penile Prosthesis

Introduction: The inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) has been used to treat erectile dysfunction for 40 years. Loss of penile length following IPP remains the single biggest patient complaint. We describe a preoperative and postoperative patient preparation protocol to assist in setting realistic patient expectations and decreasing the complaint of reduced penile length. Materials & Methods: 750 Patients are instructed to use a vacuum erection device for 10 minutes each day for up to 2 months prior to IPP implant. After two months, maximization of cylinder length is accomplished regardless of IPP manufacturer. Cylinders are left partially inflated in the post-operative period and daily inflation for 3 months immediately upon patient tolerance. The average implanted cylinder length has increased dramatically with the preoperative vacuum usage when compared to the authors’ previous implantations and when compared to the national average of implanted cylinders obtained from one manufacturer. Results: Preoperative use of the vacuum device has allowed maximization of cylinder length. After the vacuum program, patients tend to experience less pain following implantation allowing earlier device instruction cycling and use. The average implanted cylinder length continued to increase annually for the first 5 years as the protocol evolved and seems to have remained stable for the last five years. Conclusions: Preoperative vacuum usage and postoperative capsule management has nearly eliminated patient complaints of reduced penile length. We believe this to be the result of larger size cylinders being implanted when compared to our previous implantations absent of the patient participation protocol.

Spontaneous Regression of a Histologically Proven Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Introduction: The rate of squamous cell carcinoma spontaneous regression (SR) remains unknown because incidences are rare and underreported. Case Report: We present a case of a 92-year-old Caucasian female who was found to have a 1 cm lesion on her nose. Pathologic evaluation supported the diagnosis of a moderately-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. The patient refused treatment and returned with no clinical evidence of disease several months later. The lesion spontaneously regressed without excision. Discussion: Frequency of SR of malignancies has been estimated to occur 1 in 80,000 to 100,000 cases [1]. The biologic mechanisms of SR in malignancies remain unclear. Further investigations into the mechanisms of SR may identify potential treatment strategies for cancer.

Investigation Motorcycle Safety at Exit Ramp Sections by Analyzing Historical Crash Data and Rider’s Perception

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety performance of four exit ramp types and the major contributing factors on motorcycle crashes and injury severity of motorcycle riders. A six-year crash data were collected in Florida, and a web-based survey (234 samples) was conducted. 573 crashes were found at 419 exits, including 178 diamond exits, 71 directional exits, 85 loop exits and 85 outer connection exits. For a diamond exit, both the survey and crash data showed that this type was safer and more preferable by motorcycle riders;while a loop exit was the most dangerous exit due to the sharp curve and a certain length of curve with limited visibility. For a directional exit, longer ramp lengths and the reverse curvature are the major factors causing motorcycle crashes. For an outer connection exit, the riders rated it as a safe type;however, the data showed higher average crash frequency and rate than those at diamond exits or directional exits. The possible reason could be the unexpected curvature in the middle of the ramp, which could be dangerous if the rider is not familiar with the exit ramp location or doesn’t pay attention to the ramp curvatures. The crash predictive model was developed, and the result indicated that if all remained the same, a directional exit, a loop exit, or an outer connection exit will have 16%, 27%, and 42% more crashes than a diamond exit, respectively. The findings from this study can help policy-makers and engineers to develop and apply effective countermeasures to reduce motorcycle crashes and injury severity levels for different exit ramp types.

Stress Analysis of Membrane Flapping-Wing Aerial Vehicle Based on Different Material Models

Recent studies of flapping-wing aerial vehicles have been focused on the aerodynamic performance based on linear materials. Little work has been done on structural analysis based on nonlinear material models. A stress analysis is conducted in this study on membrane flapping-wing aerial vehicles using finite element method based on three material models, namely, linear elastic, Mooney-Rivlin non linear, and composite material models. The purpose of this paper is to understand how different types of materials affect the stresses of a flapping-wing. In the finite element simulation, each flapping cycle is divided into twelve stages and the maximum stress is calculated in each stage. The results show that 1) there are two peak stress values in one flapping cycle;one at the beginning stage of down stroke and the other at the beginning of upstroke, 2) maximum stress at the beginning of down stroke is greater than that at the beginning of upstroke, 3) maximum stress based on each material model is different. The composite and the Mooney-Rivlin nonlinear models produce much less stresses compared to the linear material model;and 4) the ratio of downstroke maximum stress and upstroke maximum stress varies with different material models. This research is helpful in answering why insect wings are so impeccable, thus providing a possibility of improving the design of flapping-wing aerial vehicles.

Lift and Thrust Characteristics of Flapping Wing Aerial Vehicle with Pitching and Flapping Motion

Development of flapping wing aerial vehicle (FWAV) has been of interest in the aerospace community with ongoing research into unsteady and low Reynolds number aerodynamics based on the vortex lattice method. Most of the previous research has been about pitching and plunging motion of the FWAV. With pitching and flapping motion of FMAV, people usually study it by experiment, and little work has been done by numerical calculation. In this paper, three-dimension unsteady vortex lattice method is applied to study the lift and thrust of FWAV with pitching and flapping motion. The results show that: 1) Lift is mainly produced during down stroke, however, thrust is produced during both down stroke and upstroke. The lift and thrust produced during down stroke are much more than that produced during upstroke. 2) Lift and thrust increase with the increase of flapping frequency;3) Thrust increases with the increase of flapping amplitude, but the lift decreases with the increase of flapping amplitude;4) Lift and thrust increase with the increase of mean pitching angle, but the effect on lift is much more than on thrust. This research is helpful to understand the flight mechanism of birds, thus improving the design of FWAV simulating birds.