Abstract

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) promises to transform the traditional financial systems into fair and transparent protocols that do not require trusted third parties. To circumvent the high volatility of crypto-assets, DeFi protocols advocate collateralizing their assets against conventional financial instruments. To do so, these protocols require access to external or off-chain data, such as asset exchange rates. DeFi protocols rely on oracles to access such information. Importing external data onto the chain via oracles consists of multiple data processing and aggregation stages. Thus, it is critical to minimize errors or deviations while the ground truth data moves through these stages. In this paper, we investigate the degree of price deviations at different levels between the data source and the final output rendered to an on-chain requester. In particular, we focus on Chainlink’s oracle network for ETH-USD pricing. Our results …

Abstract

In this paper, we present the design of a complete system for recording electrophysiology signals from patients and also present the recordings. We observe the signals from relaxed and fatigued muscles as well as from heart (ECG) signals. We designed the complete integrated circuit for flexible substrates using basic ICs. The system captures, amplifies, and filters using analog circuits. The instrumentation amplifier (AD623) in the first step amplifies (gain = 100), a combination of Bessel low- pass filter (2nd-order active low-pass filter with LM741 op-amp in Sallen-Key topology) cut-off = 500 Hz, HPF (1st-order active high-pass filter with LM741) cut-off = 0.03, and twin-T active Notch filter with LM741 filters the input. Design, analysis, and data from the prototype and packing (flexible) plan for this customized new system are presented in this paper. Index Terms—Electromyography, Instrumentation amplifier, Wearable Systems, Bio instrumentation, Analog circuit design, Second order filters

Abstract

This paper presents a low cost, easy to fabricate, thin-film sensor. We used three different methods to make the thin film using two different base (film) materials: carbon and graphite. We briefly summarize the method and outcome of multi-layer thin film fabrication using spray coating, spin-coating, and drop-casting. The quality of the thin films is compared, and electrical resistance is characterized. The fabricated thin film is used to measure humidity and is characterized against a commercial humidity sensor (DHT22). The experimental details and results of humidity measurement are discussed. We were able to achieve resistance range of 5k - 1.5k ohms for 40 - 80 % RH, respectively. Plans to further optimize the sensitivity of the sensor, in future is discussed.

Abstract

Structural engineering plays an essential role in designing, improving, and optimizing an electromechanical system, instinctively affecting its performance. In this study, design optimization, finite element analysis, and experimental evaluation of capacitive pressure sensors were conducted. The air pressure sensing application was demonstrated to characterize different sensors, which include a combination of multiple rectangular cantilevers and diaphragms (square and circular-shaped). After the design improvement, we found that the square and circular diaphragms each with two trapezoidal cantilevers exhibited highest sensitivity to air pressure monitoring among the different investigated designs which combine the square and circular diaphragms with cantilevers. These designs were then selected for further analysis for acoustic pressure monitoring. The sensors were fabricated using the doit-yourself technique with household materials such as post-it paper, posted tape, and foil. Our approach offers an alternative to the conventional cleanroom fabrication technique and uses easily available materials to fabricate affordable sensors. Therefore, this is the first step toward the development of democratized and sustainable electronic devices that are affordable and available to everyone on the internet. Index Terms—Capacitive sensing, air pressure sensing, acoustic pressure sensing, paper electronics, democratized electronics, affordable electronics, structural engineering.

Abstract

Viscosity measurement has wide ranging applications from oil industry to pharmaceutical industry. However, measuring viscosity in real-time is not a facile process. This paper provides an elaborate mathematical model and study of viscosity measurement in real-time using pressure sensors. For a given flowrate, a change in liquid viscosity gives rise to a change in pressure difference across a particular section of the pipe. Hence, by recording the pressure change, viscosity can be calculated dynamically. A mathematical model as well as a finite element analysis model has been presented to determine viscosity from flowrate and pressure difference. A set of pressure sensors can be placed at a fixed distance from each other to get the real- time pressure change, while flowrate can be obtained using a flowmeter. For the finite element analysis, the pressure sensors were placed 60 mm away from each other. The radius of the pipe was 19 mm. A mixture of water and glycerol, with different ratios, was used to provide variable viscosity. Index Terms—Viscosity, Flowrate, Microfluidic channel, Pressure sensor, Real-time measurement

Abstract

In recent years, semi-transparent building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) technology has attracted attention for its renewable energy utilization. This research aims to develop a methodology for assessing the energy-saving potential of semi-transparent photovoltaic (STPV) window, which has a complex relationship with daylighting and air conditioning (AC) electricity consumption. A case study has been developed for the composite climate of Hyderabad, India. The study examines four commercially available single and double pane STPV windows and similar non-photovoltaic windows. For evaluation, an automated parametric simulation tool was developed to compute the net electricity consumption (NEC) for a representative model building with different window systems, and several window-to-wall ratios (WWR) and orientations. The result shows benefit in adopting the STPV window system across all directions …

Abstract

The technological advancements in healthcare mon- itoring devices, automation, consumer electronics, and soft robotics have resulted in extensive research in flexible pressure, force, and tactile sensors. Piezoresistive sensors are the most widely used flexible pressure sensors due to their low-cost fabrication, high flexibility and simple data-acquisition circuits. In this paper, we report the bending response of a velostat- based flexible pressure sensor by examining its reliability when subjected to repeated mechanical stress. The observed deviation in output voltage was 0.95% for 15 mm, 0.95% for 20 mm, 0.97% for 25 mm, and 2.2% for 30 mm bending radii, for 150 bending cycles, with respect to the flat position. We present a two-parameter (a, b) calibration for the pressure sensor with a fixed bias resistance in the readout circuit. This model can be used to further minimize the deviation due to bending cycles. The results obtained from the experimental research have shown a practical possibility of implementing velostat-based sensors for both static and dynamic flexible systems. Index Terms—Reliability; piezoresistive; pressure sensor; me- chanical stress; velostat

Abstract

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are small-scale devices capable of producing motion using electrical energy as input. In this work, we present the determination of thermal and mechanical properties of SU-8, which is an emerging structural material for MEMS applications. We have experimentally calculated the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), thermal conductivity, and specific heat capacity of SU-8 as 29.68 ppm °C−1, 0.17 , and 1.6 , respectively. We observe a non-linear relationship between the input power with the displacement achieved by an SU-8-based thermal actuator because of the hyperelastic behavior of the material. The non-linearity in the experimental results has been explained using the two-parameter Mooney–Rivlin model. With our experimental data, we found the parameters for the uniaxial tensile stress, as Pa and Pa

Abstract

In recent years, the popularity of weight training has increased significantly. However, incorrect technique or physical form while performing an exercise can not only slow down progress but also cause serious injuries. Deadlift is a famous weight training exercise, which if done incorrectly, can lead to chronic back pain. In this paper, we present a wearable pressure sensor system that checks the posture of the user while performing deadlift. The suit employs a set of flexible pressure sensors, made using velostat (piezoresistive) material, to get the amount of bending for specific muscles. We have developed an algorithm to process the data in real-time so that feedback about incorrect posture can be provided to the user immediately. The algorithm has been configured using data from a single subject, however, it provides accurate classification for multiple subjects in the same weight class, thus eliminating the need for subject-wise configuration. The algorithm classifies a repetition (rep) of the exercise into a good rep or bad rep with an overall accuracy of 95.5%, across three subjects. With some enhancements, the system can also be configured to classify reps of other exercises.

Abstract

The paper presents a low-cost method (no extra LDO, Op-amp) to increase the PSRR of composite pair based temperature sensor. Composite pair is a commonly used circuit to generate a linear PTAT voltage for a wide temperature range. A 180° phase shift, voltage biasing technique is introduced at the gate of the NMOS transistor to obtain a supply independent bias current in composite pair. The proposed technique thus achieves a high supply noise rejection. The circuit as a whole does not require additional circuitry, therefore it saves power and area. A 6μW Temperature sensor with 1mV/°c slope is designed in TSMC 180nm technology and achieves PSRR of -80dB. Post-layout simulation results show that the temperature sensor achieves inaccuracy of ±0.1°C from −55°C to 125°C, PSRR of −80dB at 105Hz and -70dB at 200kHz at 1V power supply, and the line regulation of 0.016%/V in a supply voltage range of 1V to 2.5V. Monte-Carlo simulation result for the output PSRR shows −80.56dB as the mean-value with a maximum deviation of ±1.5dB.