Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to a service-oriented data architecture within a vehicle. In one embodiment, a computing system for controlling electronic systems of a vehicle includes a system processing unit that executes multiple virtual machines (VMs) to isolate different services of the vehicle. The computing system includes a communication plane spanning between the multiple VMs to provide communications across the multiple VMs and with a mechatronics layer and a sensor layer of the vehicle. The multiple VMs provide the different services by executing microservices that are formed to be self-contained and standardized independent of programmed functions and to interoperate with the communication plane and the multiple VMs.

Abstract: A method of producing leached compost casing may include washing compost to remove nutrients from the compost, drying the compost and using the compost as casing to grow plants. In some applications the compost may be pasteurized or sterilized while it is being leached.

Abstract: A washing machine appliance may include a tub, a basket, an impeller base, and an extended post. The impeller base may include one or impeller fins and a mounting face. The mounting face may include a threaded bracket defining a mounting thread extending about a rotation axis. The mounting face may define a vertical slot radially inward from the mounting thread. The extended post may be removably attached to the impeller base to rotate therewith. The extended post may include a base body, an auger fin, and a mating face. The base body may extend between a bottom end and a top end. The auger fin may extend radially from the base body. The mating face may be disposed on the bottom end. The mating face may define a mating thread matched to the mounting thread to rotatably enmesh therewith.

Abstract: Examples are disclosed that relate to pixel-shifting devices for increasing display resolution. An example pixel-shifting device comprises an outer frame, an inner frame coupled to the outer frame via a flexure, a path-shifting optical element mounted to the inner frame, and one or more piezoelectric actuators configured to drive motion of the inner frame.

Abstract: A strain sensor that has an associated temperature compensation circuit. The strain sensor is temperature-compensated as it has a temperature compensation circuit that, when powered, applies an applied voltage across the applied voltage terminals of the strain sensor that has a compensating temperature dependency. That is, the applied voltage has a temperature dependency of one polarity that is opposite a temperature dependency of the strain sensor. Because of this temperature compensation, the signal representing strain has a more stable scale factor between the endured strain and the signal representing the strain. Thus, the accuracy of the strain sensor is improved.

Abstract: Examples are disclosed that relate to scanning mirror systems for display devices. One example provides a scanning mirror system comprising a mirror portion, a flexure arm extending from the mirror portion, and a piezoelectric actuator support portion supporting a piezoelectric actuator comprising a piezoelectric film. The scanning mirror system further comprises a transmission arm extending between the flexure arm and the piezoelectric actuator support portion to transmit motion of the piezoelectric film to the flexure arm, the transmission arm separated at least partially from the piezoelectric actuator support portion by a first gap. The scanning mirror system further comprises an anchor portion separated at least partially from the piezoelectric actuator support portion by a second gap, the anchor portion configured to anchor the scanning mirror system to another structure.

Abstract: A flip chip micromirror assembly comprising a micromirror chip that is flip chip mounted onto the circuit board via a bonding layer. The micromirror chip has a micromirror layer in which a micromirror is formed. The micromirror chip has a flip chip surface facing the electrode surface of the circuit board. The bonding layer includes conductive region(s) that electrically couples corresponding board electrodes with corresponding chip electrodes. However, the bonding layer is not interposed between the electrode surface of the circuit board and the micromirror itself. In other words, the bonding layer spaces the micromirror chip from the circuit board, and provides a gap underneath the micromirror between the micromirror chip and the circuit board. This gap is of sufficient thickness that the micromirror can be actuated with full movement without being mechanically obstructed by the circuit board.

Abstract: A device includes a mirror coupled via a pair of flexible beams supported by a block of semiconductor material that has a cavity about the mirror and beams to allow the mirror to rotate about an axis along the beams. A piezoresistive sensor is coupled to one of the beams to provide information representative of an angle of rotation of the mirror. A light blocking shield covers exposed portions of the block of semiconductor material about the mirror.

Abstract: Examples are disclosed herein relating to reducing strain in a resonant scanning mirror system. One example provides a thin film piezoelectric-actuated resonant scanning mirror system, comprising a body comprising an anchor portion, a scanning mirror portion, a piezoelectric film support portion, a transmission beam extending from the piezoelectric thin film support portion, and a torsion beam extending between the scanning mirror portion and the transmission beam, and a piezoelectric film formed on the piezoelectric film support portion, the piezoelectric film support portion comprising an area of a surface of the body in which a stress on the piezoelectric film does not exceed a yield stress of the piezoelectric film during oscillation of the scanning mirror portion.

Abstract: A plant uses one or more renewable energy sources to facilitate the processing of a hydrocarbon to produce hydrogen, syngas or other products. One renewable energy source is solar energy, which may be harnessed by (a) directly heating a thermal storage medium by way of a concentrated solar thermal (CST) plant; (b) converting the solar energy using photovoltaic cells to produce electricity and using the electricity to heat the thermal storage medium, (c) a combination of both, or (d) converting the solar energy using photovoltaic cells to produce electricity and using the electricity to heat a reactor by way of resistive or inductive heating. The thermal storage medium, when used, is arranged to store enough thermal energy to enable 24-hours a day processing of the hydrocarbon. Electricity derived from PV cells may be used to enable the production of heat for processing when radiant energy from the sun is insufficient.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) scanning device comprising a torsional beam flexure that has a variable width in relation to a rotational axis for a scanning mirror. The geometric properties of the torsional beam vary along the rotational axis to increase a desired mode of mechanical strain at a location where a strain sensor is operating within the MEMS scanning device to generate a feedback signal. The torsional beam flexure mechanically suspends the scanning mirror from a frame structure. During operation of the MEMS scanning device, actuators induce torsional deformation into the torsional beam flexure to cause rotation of the scanning mirror about the rotational axis. The degree or amount of this torsional deformation is directly related to the angular position of the scanning mirror and, therefore, the desired mode of mechanical strain may be this torsional deformation strain component.

Abstract: A washing machine appliance may include a tub, a basket, an impeller base, and an extended post. The impeller base may be rotatably mounted within the basket. The impeller base may include an impeller platform and a mounting face defined on the impeller platform. The mounting face may define a recessed cup. The extended post may be removably attached to the impeller base to rotate therewith. The extended post may define an interior cavity. The extended post may include a mating collar and an attachment piston. The mating collar may be on the bottom end in selective engagement with the mounting face at the recessed cup. The attachment piston may include a piston flange extending radially outward at an upper piston end and define an upper radial contact surface in selective engagement with a portion of an inner surface of the mating collar.

Abstract: A system and method that enables resource analysis within an intelligent content absorption network with autonomous mobility implementations includes generating a prioritization model, training the prioritization model on a data corpus to generate a prioritization schedule, deploying the prioritization schedule to one or more autonomous vehicles, offloading data at a local content absorption node, processing data at the local content absorption node, and optionally transmitting data results from the processed data.

Abstract: A system and method that includes collecting vehicle sensor data, wherein prioritizing vehicle sensor data includes identifying a level of importance for each of a plurality of vehicle sensor data types included in the vehicle sensor data; generating a vehicle sensor data schedule, wherein generating the vehicle data schedule includes one or more of (i) identifying a transmission order for each of the plurality of vehicle sensor data types and (ii) identifying a storage scheme selected from a hierarchy of data storage types for each of the plurality of vehicle sensor data types; transforming vehicle sensor data into message data, wherein the transforming includes selectively converting one or more of the vehicle sensor data types of the vehicle sensor data to a messaging format based on the prioritization; and transmitting, via one or more selected communication networks, the message data according to the vehicle sensor data schedule.

Abstract: A washing machine appliance may include a tub, a basket, an impeller base, and an extended post. The impeller base may include one or impeller fins and a mounting face. The mounting face may include a threaded bracket defining a mounting thread extending about a rotation axis. The mounting face may define a vertical slot radially inward from the mounting thread.. The extended post may be removably attached to the impeller base to rotate therewith. The extended post may include a base body, an auger fin, and a mating face. The base body may extend between a bottom end and a top end. The auger fin may extend radially from the base body. The mating face may be disposed on the bottom end. The mating face may define a mating thread matched to the mounting thread to rotatably enmesh therewith.

Abstract: A dryer appliance includes an impeller assembly for drawing a fluid from a reservoir assembly and directing the fluid into a drying chamber to treat articles for drying. The impeller assembly includes a spindle that drives the impeller. The spindle is rotated by a roller which itself is rotated through contact with the dryer appliance's rotating drum. The reservoir assembly is filled with a clothing treatment liquid. Negative pressure generated by operation of the impeller assembly draws fluid from the reservoir through a siphon and the fluid is delivered to a fluid distribution element directed into the drying chamber.

Abstract: A washing machine appliance may include a tub, a basket, an impeller base, and an extended post. The impeller base may be rotatably mounted within the basket. The impeller base may include an impeller platform and a mounting face defined on the impeller platform. The mounting face may define a recessed cup. The extended post may be removably attached to the impeller base to rotate therewith. The extended post may define an interior cavity. The extended post may include a mating collar and an attachment piston. The mating collar may be on the bottom end in selective engagement with the mounting face at the recessed cup. The attachment piston may include a piston flange extending radially outward at an upper piston end and define an upper radial contact surface in selective engagement with a portion of an inner surface of the mating collar.

Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving data offloading in a mobile context by using indexes of the data to identify distributed devices that may include the data and selectively querying identified devices for the data. In one embodiment, a method includes, responsive to receiving a query for selected data stored among one or more distributed devices, identifying, by a query device, at least one target device of the distributed devices that matches the selected data using an index of vehicle data stored on the distributed devices. The method includes providing, by the query device, a request to the at least one target device to cause the at least one target device to retrieve the selected data stored locally at the target device. The method includes receiving the selected data from the target device. The method includes providing the selected data as an electronic output.

Abstract: Examples are disclosed that relate to pixel-shifting devices for increasing display resolution. One example provides a pixel-shifting device comprising an outer frame, an inner frame coupled to the outer frame via a flexure, a path-shifting optical element mounted to the inner frame, and one or more piezoelectric actuators configured to drive motion of the inner frame.

Abstract: A washing machine appliance may include a tub, a basket, an impeller base, and an extended post. The basket may be rotatably positioned within the tub. The impeller base may be rotatably mounted within the basket and define a rotation axis. The impeller base may include an impeller platform extending radially outward from the rotation axis and a mounting face defined on the impeller platform coaxial to the rotation axis. The extended post may be removably attached to the impeller base to rotate therewith. The extended post may include a base body, a mating face, a bar latch, and a connector bar. The base body may define an interior cavity. The mating face may be disposed in selective engagement with the mounting face. The bar latch may be pivotably attached to the base body above the mating face. The connector bar may be movably received within the interior cavity.