Abstract: Methods and systems to commission building environmental sensors are disclosed. The system includes a device that will move about the environment of a building (inside and/or outside) and detect building environmental sensor devices that are installed in the environment. For each of the sensor devices, in response to detecting the sensor device, the system will retrieve an identifier for the sensor device, and it will determine whether the sensor device is registered with a control system. If the sensor device is registered with the control system, the system will not automatically implement a commissioning process with the sensor device. If the sensor device is not registered with the control system, the system will automatically implement the commissioning process with the sensor device.

Abstract: A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control system is provided. The system includes one or more sources of controlled air, a network of portable sensors that are configured to measure one or more parameters of an environment, one or more environmental condition controllers that are configured to operate the one or more sources of controlled air, and a computing device, including a processor and memory. The memory stores programming instructions that are configured to, when executed, cause the processor to generate an initial lumped-element model of the environment, update the initial lumped-element model using the one or more parameters of the environment to generate an adapted lumped-element model of the environment, and cause the one or more environmental condition controllers to adjust an output of the one or more sources of controlled air based on the adapted lumped-element model.

Abstract: A thin form of an electrical connector for creating a detachable connection between two circuit elements is disclosed. When the connector is employed, only an outer electrode present on a portion of the connector is exposed to the ambient environment and the rest of the electronics of both the connector and of a device into which the device is integrated can be insulated from the ambient environment. The parts of the connector can create a small three-dimensional interlock structure to seal off contact area and to facilitate electrical contacts between two circuit elements. The connector structure is flexible, allowing the connector to be embedded into a curved surface of a device that can use the electrode exposed to the environment to obtain data regarding the environment.

Abstract: Methods and systems to commission building environmental sensors are disclosed. The system include a device that will move about the environment of a building (inside and/or outside) and detect building environmental sensor devices that are installed in the environment. For each of the sensor devices, in response to detecting the sensor device, the system will retrieve an identifier for the sensor device, and it will determine whether the sensor device is registered with a control system. If the sensor device is registered with the control system, the system will not automatically implement a commissioning process with the sensor device. If the sensor device is not registered with the control system, the system will automatically implement the commissioning process with the sensor device.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods of producing metal nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanotubes. The methods include forming a reaction mixture by combining a first solution with a second solution, wherein the first solution comprises polymer-coated metal nanoparticles comprising metallic nanoparticles coated with a polymer, and wherein the second solution comprises carbon nanotubes. The methods also include heating the reaction mixture to a temperature greater than a glass transition temperature of the polymer for a time sufficient to cause the polymer-coated metal nanoparticles to bind to the carbon nanotubes forming the metal nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanotubes.

Abstract: A test strip includes a substantially transparent substrate and one or more colorimetric test spots on the transparent substrate. Each colorimetric test spot has one or more sensing chemicals chemically attached onto a porous support material. The porous support material has at least one exposed surface configured to absorb a body fluid. The one or more sensing chemicals are configured to change a color in response to a presence of a target drug in the body fluid.

Abstract: A resonant structure includes a conductive surface layer on a dielectric layer that produces an enhanced or reduced backscattered radiation in one or more resonant frequency bands when illuminated with electromagnetic energy. A transmitter illuminates the resonant structure with the electromagnetic energy at a first angle relative to the normal of the conductive surface. A receiver is operable to detect the enhanced or reduced backscattered radiation at the resonant frequency bands at a second angle relative to the normal of the conductive surface. The second angle is different from the first angle by at least five degrees. A processor coupled to the receiver and is operable to detect data encoded in one or both of a frequency response and a polarization response of the resonant structure based on the detected enhanced or reduced backscattered radiation.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods of producing metal nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanotubes. The methods include forming a reaction mixture by combining a first solution with a second solution, wherein the first solution comprises polymer-coated metal nanoparticles comprising metallic nanoparticles coated with a polymer, and wherein the second solution comprises carbon nanotubes. The methods also include heating the reaction mixture to a temperature greater than a glass transition temperature of the polymer for a time sufficient to cause the polymer-coated metal nanoparticles to bind to the carbon nanotubes forming the metal nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanotubes.

Abstract: A resonant structure includes a conductive surface layer on a dielectric layer that produces an enhanced or reduced backscattered radiation in one or more resonant frequency bands when illuminated with electromagnetic energy. A transmitter illuminates the resonant structure with the electromagnetic energy at a first angle relative to the normal of the conductive surface. A receiver is operable to detect the enhanced or reduced backscattered radiation at the resonant frequency bands at a second angle relative to the normal of the conductive surface. The second angle is different from the first angle by at least five degrees. A processor coupled to the receiver and is operable to detect data encoded in one or both of a frequency response and a polarization response of the resonant structure based on the detected enhanced or reduced backscattered radiation.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of compositions for gas sensing and sensors utilizing the same. In one embodiment, a composition comprises carbon nanotubes and polymer-coated metal nanoparticles bound to the carbon nanotubes.

Abstract: A phased array antenna system comprises a feeding network which includes power combiners/dividers and an amplitude tapering system. The phased array antenna system comprises a plurality of antenna elements coupled to the feeding network. The amplitude tapering system is configured to generate amplitude coefficients and apply an amplitude tapering function on a transmitted or received radio frequency signal. The amplitude tapering function comprises a combination of a least two disparate amplitude tapering functions.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein include a chipless patterned conductor, comprising one or more glyphs. Each glyph comprises a disk and a ring structure including at least one ring surrounding the disk. One or more of a spacing between the disk and the at least one ring and a width of the at least one ring is configured to determine a characteristic resonant frequency of the glyph. At least one notch is disposed in at least one of the disk and at least one ring of the ring structure. The at least one notch is configured such that the magnitude of resonances in the glyph are dependent on polarization direction.

Abstract: A capacitive relative humidity sensor includes a first electrode and a second electrode, where at least the one of the electrodes is a water-permeable electrode. The electrodes act in conjunction with a water-sensitive hygroscopic dielectric material. The design enables low-cost and simple fabrication of fast-responding and stable relative humidity sensors using digital fabrication techniques.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems of providing carbon nanotubes decorated with polymer coated metal nanoparticles. Then, annealing the metal coated carbon nanotubes to reduce a quantity of hydrophilic components of the polymer coating.

Abstract: A millimeter-wave (mmW) imaging device comprises a mmW radar sensor, an auxiliary sensor arrangement, and at least one processor. The mmW radar sensor comprises a transmitter coupled to an antenna arrangement configured to transmit mmW radiation at a target, and a receiver coupled to the antenna arrangement or a separate antenna arrangement configured to receive backscatter radiation from the target. The auxiliary sensor arrangement is configured to detect one or both of relative motion and relative position between the imaging device and the target. A processor of the mmW imaging device is configured to receive data respectively produced by the mmW radar sensor and the auxiliary sensor arrangement during relative movement between the imaging device and the target. The processor or a remote processor is configured to reconstruct a mmW radar image of the target using the received data.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a flexible substrate, a phased array antenna system disposed on the substrate, and a wearable applicator. The flexible substrate is configured to conform to a shape corresponding to a portion of a human body. The phased array antenna system comprises a plurality of antenna elements configured to resonate in response to an input signal and to generate a collective output electromagnetic pattern to propagate wirelessly to a target region in a human body. The wearable applicator is configured to align the collective output electromagnetic pattern with the target region.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems of providing carbon nanotubes decorated with polymer coated metal nanoparticles. Then, annealing the metal coated carbon nanotubes to reduce a quantity of hydrophilic components of the polymer coating.

Abstract: A test strip includes a substantially transparent substrate and one or more colorimetric test spots on the transparent substrate. Each colorimetric test spot has one or more sensing chemicals chemically attached onto a porous support material. The porous support material has at least one exposed surface configured to absorb a body fluid. The one or more sensing chemicals are configured to change a color in response to a presence of a target drug in the body fluid.

Abstract: A phased array antenna system comprises a feeding network which includes power combiners/dividers and an amplitude tapering system. The phased array antenna system comprises a plurality of antenna elements coupled to the feeding network. The amplitude tapering system is configured to generate amplitude coefficients and apply an amplitude tapering function on a transmitted or received radio frequency signal. The amplitude tapering function comprises a combination of a least two disparate amplitude tapering functions.

Abstract: Gas sensors for the detection of rare events consume very little or no power. The sensors include materials that interact with a target gas. Accumulation of the target gas on the sensor materials leads to a change in electrical properties of the sensor. The sensors may have high gain, meaning that a large electrical change is induced upon gas accumulation. The sensor might change from an extremely high resistance (open circuit) to a measurably low resistance, or it might change from a relatively low capacitance to a high capacitance. The gas sensors are connected to electronics that can transmit an alarm signal after gas has been detected. The electronics may be in a low power sleep mode until awakened by a signal from the sensor.