Abstract: Systems and methods for a wearable “exo-shell” to improve the gait of elderly people during obstacle avoidance tasks are disclosed. With payload and energy expenditure as a main focus of this design, the present system leverages switchable, passive systems, in combination with lightweight materials that minimize additional metabolic costs, while remaining as “transparent” to the user as possible when inactive.

Abstract: A consensus-based decentralized multi-robot approach is presented for reconstructing a discrete distribution of features, modeled as an occupancy grid map, that represent information contained in a bounded planar 2D environment, such as visual cues used for navigation or semantic labels associated with object detection. The robots explore the environment according to a random walk modeled by a discrete-time discrete-state (DTDS) Markov chain and estimate the feature distribution from their own measurements and the estimates communicated by neighboring robots, using a distributed Chernoff fusion protocol. Under this decentralized fusion protocol, each robot's feature distribution converges to the ground truth distribution in an almost sure sense.

Abstract: Composite material can include a matrix material, a fiber dispersed in the matrix material, and an ultraviolet (UV)-light sensitive mechanophore grafted to a surface of the fiber. A method for making a fiber-reinforced polymer composite can include contacting a fiber in a first solution, rinsing and then drying intermediate fiber, contacting dried fiber in a third solution, rinsing, and then drying the rinsed fiber thereby generating functionalized fiber that is sensitive to ultraviolet light. The functionalized fiber can be combined with a polymer matrix material, cured, and irradiated, thereby generating a fiber-reinforced polymer composite.

Abstract: Multi-stage distributed beamforming for distributed mosaic wireless networks is provided. Embodiments described herein present systems, devices, and methods that provide increased range, data rate, and robustness to interference and jamming. A distributed mosaic wireless network includes a transmitter, a receiver, and one or more distributed clusters of radios referred to herein as mosaics or relay mosaics. Each mosaic consists of several distributed, cooperative radio transceivers (e.g., mosaic nodes) that relay a signal sent by the transmitter towards the receiver. In some embodiments, a single-stage beamforming technique is implemented whereby the transmitter sends a signal to a first mosaic, which then relays this signal by beamforming to the receiver. In some embodiments, a multi-stage beamforming technique is implemented whereby the transmitter sends a signal to a first mosaic, which then relays this signal by beamforming to a second mosaic, which then relays this signal by beamforming to the receiver.

Abstract: Systems for physical unclonable function (“PUF”) generation, PUF devices, and methods for manufacturing PUF devices. In one implementation, the system includes a plurality of PUF devices and an electronic controller. Each of the plurality of PUF devices include a first electrochemically-inactive electrode, a second electrochemically-inactive electrode, and a layer of silicon suboxide. The layer of silicon suboxide is positioned directly between the first electrochemically-inactive electrode and the second electrochemically-inactive electrode. The electronic controller is communicably coupled to the plurality of PUF devices. The electronic controller is configured to read binary values associated with the plurality of PUF devices.

Abstract: Methods for light-induced electroplating of aluminum are disclosed herein. Exemplary methods may comprise preparing an ionic liquid comprising aluminum chloride (AlCl3) and an organic halide, placing the silicon substrate into the ionic liquid, illuminating the silicon substrate, the illumination passing through the ionic liquid, and depositing aluminum onto the silicon substrate via a light-induced electroplating process, wherein the light-induced electroplating process utilizes an applied current that does not exceed a photo-generated current generated by the illumination.

Abstract: The instant disclosure is directed to compositions comprising an encapsulated spheroid, and methods of making and using the same. A composition may comprise a spheroid comprising a plurality of cells and aminoglycoside antibiotic-derived hydrogel beads, wherein the spheroid is encapsulated by the aminoglycoside antibiotic-derived hydrogel beads to form an encapsulated spheroid. A method may comprise administering the composition to a subject in need thereof. Another method may comprise administering a compound to the encapsulated spheroid. A method of creating an encapsulated spheroid may comprise coating a surface with an aminoglycoside antibiotic-derived hydrogel, culturing a plurality of cells on the surface, thereby creating a spheroid, and encapsulating the spheroid with a plurality of aminoglycoside antibiotic-derived hydrogel beads.

Abstract: Methods and systems, including those employing machine learning, utilizing one or more algorithms for relating the structure of a molecule in a library to its function are described. Embodiments described herein relate structure to function by considering the covalent structure of the molecule, the components of that structure that are common to many molecules in the library, and the properties of those components as they relate to the function in question. Applications include, for example, enhancement and amplification of the diagnostic and prognostic signals provided by peptide arrays for use in analyzing the profile of antibodies in the blood produced in response to a disease, condition or treatment.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and associated method for generating a valid mapping for a computational loop on a CGRA are disclosed herein. In particular, the method includes generating randomized schedules within particular constraints to explore greater mapping spaces than previous approaches. Further, the system and related method employs a feasibility test to test validity of each schedule such that mappings are only generated from valid schedules.

Abstract: Assessing a thermal conductivity of a viscoelastic material in a steady state using a conduction method includes i) allowing a sample of the viscoelastic material to reach thermal equilibrium in a liquid at a first temperature, ii) assessing a heat flow of the sample at the first temperature, iii) repeating i) and ii) at one or more additional temperatures, and iv) assessing the thermal conductivity of the viscoelastic material based on the heat flow of the sample at the first temperature and the one or more additional temperatures, a cross-sectional area of the sample, and a temperature-thickness gradient of the sample at thermal equilibrium.

Abstract: A phosphorescent emitter or delayed fluorescent and phosphorescent emitters represented by Formula I or Formula II, where M is platinum or palladium.

Abstract: A system for failure detection tools is disclosed. The system may include at least one user device, an application server, and a failure detection system, each of which may be in communication with one or more of the others via at least one network. The failure detection system may receive first data from a data source, process the first data to generate second data, apply a statistical modeling algorithm to make a prediction relating to the first data or the second data, and communicate data relating to the prediction and/or a trend related to the first data or the second data to the user device for displaying at least a portion of the data relating to the prediction and/or the trend on a display of the user device.

Abstract: A two-step thermochemical reactor and method are disclosed. The reactor includes a housing and a reactor cavity formed within, and surrounded by, thermal insulation within the housing. The reactor cavity includes at least one unit cell, each cell having an electric heat source and a reactive material. The reactor also includes a feedstock inlet and a product outlet in fluid communication with the reactor cavity. The reactor also includes a reducing configuration, with the inlet being closed and the electric heat source of each unit cell being driven to thermally reduce the reactive material at a first temperature, releasing oxygen into the cavity. The reactor also has a splitting configuration where the reactive material is at a second temperature that is lower than the first, the feedstock inlet open and introducing feedstock gas into the cavity to reoxidize the reactive material and split into a product gas.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and methods for audio source separation via multi-scale feature learning are disclosed.

Abstract: A light emitting device includes a transparent organic light emitting device and a quarter-wave plate. The transparent organic light emitting device includes a chiral complex emitter and produces circularly polarized light, and the quarter-wave plate converts the circularly polarized light into linearly polarized light. Generating linearly polarized light includes generating circularly polarized light via a transparent organic light emitting device including a chiral complex emitter, and passing the circularly polarized light through a quarter-wave plate to yield linearly polarized light.

Abstract: A safety-guaranteed control system for automated vehicles (AVs) considers both vehicle and tire stabilities on varying road conditions. Conventional AV control systems may not be sufficient to adequately handle control-dependent and time-varying safety constraints. The system integrates control-dependent barrier functions (CDBF) and time-varying CBFs (TCBFs) with control Lyapunov functions (CLFs) in a quadratic programming problem.

Abstract: A system and method for the automatic stimulation of a vagus nerve for post-stroke rehabilitation is disclosed. The system includes an application subsystem having an electrode positioned to stimulate the vagus nerve and coupled to a user outside of a surgical setting. The system also includes a waveform generator communicatively coupled to the electrode, and a triggering subsystem including a receiver configured to detect the presence of a tag. The triggering subsystem is communicatively coupled to waveform generator and is configured to automatically trigger the stimulation of the vagus nerve upon detecting the presence of the tag. The tag is located proximate a rehabilitation context such that the tag is detected when the user is using the rehabilitation context, resulting in the vagus nerve of the user being automatically stimulated by the electrode in response to the user's post-stroke rehabilitation training.

Abstract: A system and method for modulating optogenetic vagus neurons in a noninvasive and transcutaneous manner is disclosed. The system and method comprises a two-dimensional array of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), a voltage-generating unit, a control unit, and a feedback loop. The array is placed on a subject's outer ear. Because the array is flexible, it can be closely placed on the skin of the outer ear. The array can deliver optical therapy and monitor heart rate variability (HRV) of the subject simultaneously, and the pixels of the array can be individually addressed. The voltage-generating unit generates pulsed voltage to the OLEDs. The control unit is connected to the array and controls the array and therapeutic patterns. The feedback loop uses the HRV to identify the therapeutic patterns.

Abstract: A zwitterionic polysulfone formed from an allyl-containing monomer, a phenol-containing monomer, and an aryl-halide-containing monomer. The zwitterionic polysulfone may be incorporated into a desalination membrane.

Abstract: A method estimates an intention of a lead vehicle by an ego vehicle. The method includes: (a) receiving, from at least one of a first plurality of sensors coupled to the ego vehicle, information associated with a parametric variable, (b) selecting a partition of an operating region of the parametric variable based on the parametric variable information, wherein the operating region includes a predetermined range of values for the parametric variable, wherein the partition includes a subset of the predetermined range of values and being associated with a predetermined ego vehicle input, and wherein the predetermined vehicle input includes at least one value for a parameter corresponding to dynamics of the ego vehicle, and (c) causing a vehicle control system of the ego vehicle to perform a vehicle maneuver based on the predetermined ego vehicle input.