Abstract: A system for extracting oxygen from powdered metal oxides, the system comprising a container comprising an electrolyte in the form of meltable or molten salt, at least one cathode, at least one anode, a power supply, and a conducting structure, wherein the cathode is shaped as a receptacle having a porous shell, which has an upper opening, the cathode being arranged in the electrolyte with the opening protruding over the electrolyte, wherein the conducting structure comprises a plurality of conducting elements and gaps between the conducting elements, wherein the power supply is connectable to the at least one cathode and the at least one anode to selectively apply an electric potential across the cathode and the anode, wherein the conducting structure is insertable into the cathode, such that the conducting elements reach into an inner space of the cathode, wherein the conducting structure is electrically connectable to the cathode, and wherein the system is adapted for reducing at least one respective metal

Abstract: A passive cyclone separator to treat a fluid in a microgravity environment to separate a liquid phase of the fluid from a gas phase of the fluid, comprising a tubular body having a longitudinal axis and internally defining a separation chamber within which the gas phase of the fluid is separable, in use, from the liquid phase of the fluid; an inlet opening through which the fluid is injectable, in use, into the separation chamber along an injection axis; a liquid phase outlet opening, through which the liquid phase separated from the gas phase exits, in use, the separation chamber; and a gas phase outlet opening, through which the gas phase separated from the liquid phase exits, in use, the separation chamber; the injection axis is inclined towards the liquid phase outlet opening so as to define a non-zero fluid injection angle with a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A node of a satellite constellation system includes a global positioning receiver configured to receive first signaling from a first plurality of non-LEO navigation satellites of a constellation of non-LEO navigation satellites in non-LEO around the earth. A transceiver is configured to send and receive inter-node communications with other nodes of the satellite constellation system. At least one processor is configured to execute operational instructions that cause the at least one processor to perform operations that include: determining a state of the node of the satellite constellation system based on applying precise point positioning (PPP) correction data to the first signaling, wherein the PPP correction data is received separately from the first signaling; and generating a navigation message based on the state of the node.

Abstract: A method for extracting metal and oxygen from powdered metal oxides in electrolytic cell is proposed, the electrolytic cell comprising a container, a cathode, an anode and an oxygen-ion-conducting membrane, the method comprising providing a solid oxygen ion conducting electrolyte powder into a container, providing a feedstock comprising at least one metal oxide in powdered form into the container, applying an electric potential across the cathode and the anode, the cathode being in communication with the electrolyte powder and the anode being in communication with the membrane in communication with the electrolyte powder, such that at least one respective metallic species of the at least one metal oxide is reduced at the cathode and oxygen is oxidized at the anode to form molecular oxygen, wherein the potential across the cathode and the anode is greater than the dissociation potential of the at least one metal oxide and less than the dissociation potential of the solid electrolyte powder and the membrane.

Abstract: An expanding pin system is described that can provide automated and/or power controlled locking and unlocking of an expanding pin assembly in a mechanical joint. For example, the expanding pin system can include an actuation assembly that includes a single actuator (e.g., motor) to control an expanding pin assembly for locking and unlocking a mechanical joint.

Abstract: A spatial indexing system receives a video that is a sequence of frames depicting an environment, such as a floor of a construction site, and performs a spatial indexing process to automatically identify the spatial locations at which each of the images were captured. The spatial indexing system also generates an immersive model of the environment and provides a visualization interface that allows a user to view each of the images at its corresponding location within the model.

Abstract: An expanding pin system is described that can provide automated and/or power controlled locking and unlocking of an expanding pin assembly in a mechanical joint. For example, the expanding pin system can include an actuation assembly that includes a single actuator (e.g., motor) to control an expanding pin assembly for locking and unlocking a mechanical joint.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for assessing performance of a player of a game. An embodiment operates by monitoring for an input from the player of the game, receiving the input from the player of the game, and determining a characteristic of the game resulting from the input from the player. Based on the input from the player, a performance of the player is assessed. The performance of the player relating to one or more metrics of the game is monitored, and is assessed by comparing the input from the player during the period of time to an optimal input during the period of time in the game.

Abstract: Integrated devices comprising integrated circuits and energy storage devices are described. Disclosed energy storage devices correspond to an all-solid-state construction, and do not include any gels, liquids, or other materials that are incompatible with microfabrication techniques. Disclosed energy storage device comprises energy storage cells with electrodes comprising metal-containing compositions, like metal oxides, metal nitrides, or metal hydrides, and a solid state electrolyte.

Abstract: A non-immersive virtual reality (NIVR) method includes receiving sets of images of a first user and a second user, each image from the sets of images being an image of the associated user taken at a different angle from a set of angles. Video of the first user and the second user is received and processed. A first location and a first field of view are determined for a first virtual representation of the first user, and a second location and a second field of view are determined for a second virtual representation of the second user. Frames are generated for video planes of each of the first virtual representation of the first user and the second virtual representation of the second user based on the processed video, the sets of images, the first and second locations, and the first and second fields of view.

Abstract: A vacuum cathode arc-induced pulsed thruster includes a housing where a triggering room and an electric discharging room are defined and are in communication with each other, a first anode unit and a first cathode unit concentrically disposed in the triggering room, a second anode unit disposed in the electric discharging room, an insulating fuel layer concentrically located between the first anode unit and the first cathode unit, a main insulating layer concentrically surrounded by the first cathode unit, and a second cathode unit inserted from the triggering room into the electric discharging room. Thus, the vacuum cathode arc-induced pulse thruster is lightweight and has low manufacturing costs, low system complexity, and less energy consumption. Carbon deposition caused during an electric discharging process is prevented from affecting an inducing effect to thereby prolong the service life of the thruster and increase the control precision and inducing precision effectively.

Abstract: An acoustic transponder provides information related to the transponder when the transponder is receiving an acoustic interrogating signal. The transponder includes a power supply, an electronic circuit connected to the power supply, and one or more transducers receiving and emitting the acoustic signal. The electronic circuit includes a sequence generator. The transponder further includes an amplification and modulation unit, an extraction filter, and a suppression filter. The extraction filter is adapted to extract the received acoustic interrogating signal and suppress other signals prior to being input to the amplification and modulation unit which are configured to modulate the received acoustic signal according to a sequence generated by the sequence generator and to amplify the modulated signal. The suppression filter is adapted to suppress the received acoustic interrogating signal from the amplified and modulated signal.

Abstract: A Metalorganic chemical vapor phase epitaxy or vapor phase deposition apparatus, having a first gas source system, a reactor, an exhaust gas system, and a control unit, wherein the first gas source system has a carrier gas source, a bubbler with an organometallic starting compound, and a first supply section leading to the reactor either directly or through a first control valve, the carrier gas source is connected to an inlet of the bubbler through a first mass flow controller by a second supply section, an outlet of the bubbler is connected to the first supply section, and the carrier gas source is connected to the first supply section through a second mass flow controller by a third supply section, the first supply section is connected to an inlet of the reactor through a third mass flow controller.

Abstract: A solar array structure for a spacecraft is based on a modular approach, allowing for arrays to be designed, and designed to be modified, and manufactured in reduced time and with reduced cost. The embodiments for the solar array are formed of multiple copies of a “bay” of a multiple strings of solar array cells mounted on semi-rigid face-sheet structural elements. The bays are then placed into frame structures made of tubes connected by nodes to provide an easily scalable, configurable, and producible solar array wing structure. This allows for rapid turnaround of program specific designs and proposal iterations that is quickly adaptable to new/future PhotoVoltaic (PV) technologies and that can create uniquely shaped (i.e., not rectangular) arrays, allowing for mass production with simple mass producible building blocks.

Abstract: An assembly having an aircraft door and auxiliary equipment. The aircraft door and the auxiliary equipment are connected by a flexible deformable bellows having creases. The door comprises a passing through hole and a support joinable to the first end of the bellows. The auxiliary equipment comprises a support joinable to the second end of the bellows and a projecting part. The projecting part is configured to have elevation movement and/or azimuth movement, and the projecting part crosses the interior of the bellows and the hole of the door and protrudes out of the door. At both ends of the bellows a clamp joins and tightens each end of the bellows with the corresponding support. There is a fixed joint between the first end of the bellows and the door and a movable joint between the second end of the bellows and the auxiliary equipment.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for processing a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signal, the GNSS comprising multiple satellites, wherein each satellite transmits a respective navigation signal containing a spreading code. The method comprises receiving an incoming signal at a receiver, wherein the incoming signal may contain navigation signals from one or more satellites; encrypting the incoming signal at the receiver using a homomorphic encryption scheme to form an encrypted signal; and transmitting the encrypted signal from the receiver to a remote server.

Abstract: A deployable membrane structure for an antenna comprises a membrane comprising a plurality of first regions of higher-stiffness material integrally connected via one or more second regions of lower-stiffness material, wherein the one or more second regions are formed from compliant material configured to permit the membrane to be folded into a collapsed configuration and subsequently unfolded into a deployed configuration, and are arranged so as to allow adjacent ones of the plurality of first regions to be folded so as to lie against one another. In some embodiments the membrane is formed of a composite material comprising a plurality of fibres in a compliant matrix, and the plurality of first regions comprise material with a higher fibre density than the one or more second regions. A deployable antenna comprising the deployable membrane structure is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for providing cost efficient probable accommodation facilities in each of one or more area clusters. The method includes a first step to receive a first set of data associated with a plurality of organizations at a cluster identification system. The method includes another step to fetch a second set of data associated with a plurality of competitors. The method includes yet another step to obtain a set of rules associated with a plurality of parameters. The method includes yet another step to perform analysis of the first set of data, the second set of data, and the set of rules in real-time to identify the one or more area clusters in the geographical region based on the analysis of the first set of data and the second set of data with facilitation of the set of rules in real-time.

Abstract: A satellite observation system and method of deploying a satellite system are disclosed. The system includes a plurality of observation satellites comprising one or more sensors, each of the plurality of observation satellites configured with at least a solar array and a mechanical stabilization element. Each of the plurality of observation satellites is constructed without positioning components. The plurality of observation satellites is positioned in a dawn/dusk sun-synchronous orbital plane about a celestial body such that the one or more observation sensors are oriented toward the celestial body.

Abstract: A bipolar plate for use in an electrochemical device is proposed, in which a flow duct runs between two outer boundary surfaces and extends from a peripheral fluid inlet to a peripheral fluid outlet. As a result, very good cooling of electrochemical cells via a bipolar plate which is in surface contact therewith can be achieved.