Abstract: A gas sensing device includes a dielectric substrate, a heater integrated into a first side of the substrate and an insulating dielectric formed over the heater. A gas sensing layer is formed on a second side of the substrate opposite the first side. Contacts are formed on the gas sensing substrate. A noble material is formed on a portion of the gas sensing layer between the contacts to act as an ionizing catalyst such that, upon heating to a temperature, adsorption of a specific gas changes electronic properties of the gas sensing layer to permit detection of the gas.

Abstract: A gas sensing device includes a dielectric substrate, a heater integrated into a first side of the substrate and an insulating dielectric formed over the heater. A gas sensing layer is formed on a second side of the substrate opposite the first side. Contacts are formed on the gas sensing substrate. A noble material is formed on a portion of the gas sensing layer between the contacts to act as an ionizing catalyst such that, upon heating to a temperature, adsorption of a specific gas changes electronic properties of the gas sensing layer to permit detection of the gas.

Abstract: A gas sensing device includes a dielectric substrate, a heater integrated into a first side of the substrate and an insulating dielectric formed over the heater. A gas sensing layer is formed on a second side of the substrate opposite the first side. Contacts are formed on the gas sensing substrate. A noble material is formed on a portion of the gas sensing layer between the contacts to act as an ionizing catalyst such that, upon heating to a temperature, adsorption of a specific gas changes electronic properties of the gas sensing layer to permit detection of the gas.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining farm boundary delineations within a target geographic area, comprising extracting data from pixels of a satellite image of the target geographic area, evaluating the data using a classification algorithm to generate one or more line segments between adjacent pixels, the one or more line segments being representative of a portion of a boundary delineation, connecting the one or more line segments to an adjacent line segment to form a boundary delineation defining at least one parcel of land within the target geographic area, and generating a boundary delineation map including the boundary delineation.

Abstract: Scalable feature classification for 3D point cloud data is provided. In one aspect, a method for rasterizing 3D point cloud data includes: obtaining the 3D point cloud data; generating a digital elevation model (DEM) from the 3D point cloud data; decomposing the DEM into local and global fluctuations to obtain a local DEM; generating geo-referenced shapes by automatically thresholding the local DEM; cropping and normalizing the local DEM using minimum bounding boxes derived from the geo-referenced shapes and manual annotations from subject matter experts to create a cropped DEM; and linking geo-spatially tagged labels from the subject matter experts to the cropped DEM. These data can be then directly fed into a system having an ensemble of artificial neural networks. By way of example, a scalable ecosystem is presented on the basis of the geo-spatial platform IBM PAIRS.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes accessing, by a processing unit, an existing layer representing geospatial-temporal data at a selected timestamp. A first overview layer of the existing layer is generated by iteratively aggregating each cluster of cells of the existing layer into a corresponding lower-resolution cell of the first overview layer. The first overview layer therefore has a lower resolution than the existing layer. A query is received related to the geospatial-temporal data in the existing layer, and the query is processed with reference to the first overview layer.

Abstract: A valve body has a piston that slides within the body through four successive positions. The piston has a head, and an upper and lower skirt, with a port in the upper skirt. In the first position, a bias force urges the piston to the first of four positions, in which the piston port is closed. In a second position, the piston port aligns with a low pressure port in the valve body, when a low pressure supply of water is connected. In a third position, greater pressure again closes the piston port. In a fourth position, at a still greater pressure, the piston port aligns with a high pressure port in the valve body. The bias force or a location of the piston port can be varied for valves along a supply line, whereby varying supply pressure opens different valves, thereby enabling addressing of valves according to supply pressure.

Abstract: A highly sensitive gravimeter using a magnetic parallel dipole line (PDL) trap system is provided. In one aspect, a gravimeter includes: a vacuum enclosure; a PDL trap within the vacuum enclosure, the PDL trap having a pair of dipole line magnets, and a diamagnetic rod levitating in between the dipole line magnets; and a heater and temperature sensor within the vacuum enclosure configured to maintain a constant temperature within the vacuum enclosure that is greater than a temperature outside of the vacuum enclosure and precision frequency measurement system. The frequency of the oscillation of the trapped diamagnetic rod will yield the local gravitational acceleration. Methods for measuring a local gravitational field using the present gravimeter are also provided.

Abstract: A parameter-based multi-model blending method and system are described. The method includes selecting a parameter of interest among parameters estimated by each of a set of individual models, running the set of individual models with a range of inputs to obtain a range of estimates of the parameters from each of the set of individual models, and identifying, for each of the set of individual models, critical parameters among the parameters estimated, the critical parameters exhibiting a specified correlation with an error in estimation of the parameter of interest. For each subspace of combinations of the critical parameters, obtaining a parameter-based blended model is based on blending the set of individual models in accordance with the subspace of the critical parameters, the subspace defining a sub-range for each of the critical parameters.

Abstract: A parameter-based multi-model blending method and system are described. The method includes selecting a parameter of interest among parameters estimated by each of a set of individual models, running the set of individual models with a range of inputs to obtain a range of estimates of the parameters from each of the set of individual models, and identifying, for each of the set of individual models, critical parameters among the parameters estimated, the critical parameters exhibiting a specified correlation with an error in estimation of the parameter of interest. For each subspace of combinations of the critical parameters, obtaining a parameter-based blended model is based on blending the set of individual models in accordance with the subspace of the critical parameters, the subspace defining a sub-range for each of the critical parameters.

Abstract: A parameter-based multi-model blending method and system are described. The method includes selecting a parameter of interest among parameters estimated by each of a set of individual models, running the set of individual models with a range of inputs to obtain a range of estimates of the parameters from each of the set of individual models, and identifying, for each of the set of individual models, critical parameters among the parameters estimated, the critical parameters exhibiting a specified correlation with an error in estimation of the parameter of interest. For each subspace of combinations of the critical parameters, obtaining a parameter-based blended model is based on blending the set of individual models in accordance with the subspace of the critical parameters, the subspace defining a sub-range for each of the critical parameters.

Abstract: A valve body has a piston that slides within the body through four successive positions. The piston has a head, and an upper and lower skirt, with a port in the upper skirt. In the first position, a bias force urges the piston to the first of four positions, in which the piston port is closed. In a second position, the piston port aligns with a low pressure port in the valve body, when a low pressure supply of water is connected. In a third position, greater pressure again closes the piston port. In a fourth position, at a still greater pressure, the piston port aligns with a high pressure port in the valve body. The bias force or a location of the piston port can be varied for valves along a supply line, whereby varying supply pressure opens different valves, thereby enabling addressing of valves according to supply pressure.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for crop type identification using satellite observation and weather data. The method includes extracting current and historical data from pixels of satellite images of a target region, generating temporal sequences of vegetation indices, based on the weather data, converting each timestamp of the temporal sequences into a modified temporal variable correlating with actual crop growth, training a classifier using a set of historical temporal sequences of vegetation indices with respect to the modified temporal variable as training features and corresponding historically known crop types as training labels, identifying a crop type for each pixel location within the satellite images using the trained classifier and the historical temporal sequences of vegetation indices with respect to the modified temporal variable for a current crop season, and estimating a crop acreage value by aggregating identified pixels associated with the crop type.

Abstract: High-efficiency, ultra-low power gas sensors are provided. In one aspect, a gas detector device is provided which includes: at least one gas sensor having a plurality of fins; a conformal resistive heating element on the fins; a conformal barrier layer on the resistive heating element; and a conformal sensing layer on the barrier layer. A method of forming a gas sensor as well as a method for use thereof in gas detection are also provided.

Abstract: A system and method to enhance observation resolution using continuous learning include obtaining a first image of a surface area from a first satellite, and obtaining a second image of the surface area from a second satellite. The first image has a lower spatial resolution than the second image, and temporal resolution of the first images obtained by the first satellite is higher than temporal resolution of the second images obtained by the second satellite. The method also includes determining a convolution matrix A or training a neural network, obtaining additional one or more of the first images prior to obtaining an additional one of the second images, and generating a new image from each of the one or more of the first images using the convolution matrix A or the neural network. The new image has a higher spatial resolution than the one or more of the first images.

Abstract: A non-contact conductivity and magnetic susceptibility meter using a magnetic parallel dipole line (PDL) trap system is provided. In one aspect, a measurement system includes: a PDL trap having a pair of dipole line magnets; and a diamagnetic object levitating above the dipole line magnets, wherein the diamagnetic object is configured to contain a material under test for conductivity and magnetic susceptibility measurement using the measurement system. A method for analyzing a material under test using the present PDL trap-based non-contact measurement system is also provided.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for crop type identification using satellite observation and weather data. The method includes extracting current and historical data from pixels of satellite images of a target region, generating temporal sequences of vegetation indices, based on the weather data, converting each timestamp of the temporal sequences into a modified temporal variable correlating with actual crop growth, training a classifier using a set of historical temporal sequences of vegetation indices with respect to the modified temporal variable as training features and corresponding historically known crop types as training labels, identifying a crop type for each pixel location within the satellite images using the trained classifier and the historical temporal sequences of vegetation indices with respect to the modified temporal variable for a current crop season, and estimating a crop acreage value by aggregating identified pixels associated with the crop type.

Abstract: A method for measuring pollution that includes providing a plurality of analyte sensors arranged in a grid over a sensing area, wherein the analyte sensors measure a pollutant, and positioning at least one current sensor in the sensing area. A pollution source is localized using a pollution source locator including a dispersion model and at least one hardware processor to interpolate a location of a pollution source from variations in current measured from the current sensors and measurements of pollutants from the analyte sensors.

Abstract: Techniques for modeling a data center are provided. In one aspect, a method for determining data center efficiency is provided. The method includes the following steps. Target parameters for the data center are obtained. Technology pre-requisite parameters for the data center are obtained. An optimum data center efficiency is determined given the target parameters for the data center and the technology pre-requisite parameters for the data center.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is provided for improving farm management by determining farm boundary delineations within a target geographic area based on crop recognition. The method includes evaluating the data using a classification algorithm to generate one or more line segments at an interface separating each pixel in at least one pair of adjacent pixels. It also includes connecting the one or more line segments to an adjacent line segment to form a boundary delineation. The method further includes generating a boundary delineation map including the boundary delineation as well as generating a farm management plan including the boundary delineation map and a recommended crop type. The farm management plan can be generated based on at least a type of vegetation present.