Abstract: A turbine blade has a root portion, a platform and an aerofoil, the aerofoil is mounted on the platform and is formed by a pressure side wall and a suction side wall and has an outer surface, the pressure side wall and the suction side wall meet at a leading edge and a trailing edge, the aerofoil has an axial chord length, the suction side wall defines part of the radially outward surface of the aerofoil, the suction side wall defines an overhang, the overhang has a maximum overhang length that is between 5% and 20% of the axial chord length of the blade and is located between 5% and 50% of the suction surface length from the leading edge.

Abstract: An image capture system comprises a camera configured to capture an image of a whiteboard, or similar, viewed from an acute angle. A linear polarizer has a surface substantially perpendicular to a plane of the board and an axis of polarization substantially perpendicular to the plane of the board or within 30° of the perpendicular to the plane of the board. The camera is configured to capture the image of the board through the polarizer. A normal to the polarizer is directed in a different direction to a direction defined by an optic axis of the camera.

Abstract: The invention related to a method of making a nutrient additive from electronic waste comprising the steps of: a) adding electronic waste to a reaction vessel; b) admixing the electronic waste and optionally one or more metal catalysts with one or more acids, wherein one or more metals in the electronic waste is dissolved by the acid to form a nutrient additive; and related products, such as fertilisers and soil improvers.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for a multi-peer telepresence communications system. In one aspect, a method includes formulating a geometry of an environment based on sensor data collected from the environment by at least one sensor; capturing, with a camera, a plurality of video frames of the environment and associating each of the captured video frames with spatial transform data of the camera within the geometry of the environment; providing the video frames and associated camera position data to a remote peer; compositing, by the remote peer, the video frames and associated camera position data to generate a local composite; and displaying, on the remote peer, a three-dimensional augmented reality of the environment based on the local composite.

Abstract: A method of capturing writing or drawing on a whiteboard comprises inputting camera data for a succession of image frames of the whiteboard, and processing data from said image frames to remove parts of the image frames corresponding to parts of a user or user pen writing or drawing on the whiteboard. The processing involves filtering to distinguish between i) motion of the user/user pen parts in the image frames, and ii) writing/drawing image information in the image frames which appears or changes during said writing or drawing but which is thereafter substantially unchanging. The filtered data defines captured writing or drawing from the whiteboard.

Abstract: In managing the backlog of undelivered publications for durable subscriptions, a maximum quantity of publications stored in connection with a durable subscription to publications of a particular topic can be established on behalf of a particular subscribing end user. A new publication published for the particular topic subscribed to by the end user can be received and it can be determined if storing the new publication in connection with the durable subscription causes a quantity of publications stored in connection with the durable subscription to exceed the maximum quantity. The new publication can be stored in connection with the durable subscription; however, the oldest publication stored in connection with the durable subscription can be removed when it is determined that storing the new publication in connection with the durable subscription causes a quantity of publications stored in connection with the durable subscription to exceed the maximum quantity.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for a multi-peer telepresence communications system. In one aspect, a method includes formulating a geometry of an environment based on sensor data collected from the environment by at least one sensor; capturing, with a camera, a plurality of video frames of the environment and associating each of the captured video frames with spatial transform data of the camera within the geometry of the environment; providing the video frames and associated camera position data to a remote peer; compositing, by the remote peer, the video frames and associated camera position data to generate a local composite; and displaying, on the remote peer, a three-dimensional augmented reality of the environment based on the local composite.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for a multi-peer telepresence communications system. In one aspect, a method includes formulating a geometry of an environment based on sensor data collected from the environment by at least one sensor; capturing, with a camera, a plurality of video frames of the environment and associating each of the captured video frames with spatial transform data of the camera within the geometry of the environment; providing the video frames and associated camera position data to a remote peer; compositing, by the remote peer, the video frames and associated camera position data to generate a local composite; and displaying, on the remote peer, a three-dimensional augmented reality of the environment based on the local composite.

Abstract: A bioreactor consumable unit (50; 500) comprises a bioreactor part (60); a fluid feed container part (80) integrally connected with the bioreactor part and including at least one fluid feed container (82) in fluid communication with the bioreactor (60); and an integral pumping element (100, 110; 160, 206) configured to enable fluid to flow from the at least one fluid feed container (82) to the bioreactor (60). The bioreactor part (60) includes a bioreactor chamber (62) and a stirrer (64) for agitation of a cell culture (66) in the chamber. The pumping element comprises a combination of a syringe pump (110) and an associated three-way valve (102). The bioreactor consumable unit (50; 500) may be inserted into a receiving station (20) of a cell culture module (10) for the processing and control of a bioreaction in the bioreactor chamber (62).

Abstract: Various approaches to touch sensing systems are disclosed As an example, a touch sensing system is disclosed that includes: an optical beam source to provide an optical beam; a pair of controllable beam deflectors comprising at least first and second beam deflectors, wherein the first beam deflector is configured to deflect the optical beam through a first angle towards a touch sensing region, and wherein the second beam deflector is configured to deflect scattered light from an object in the touch sensing region through a second angle; a detector, in particular a detector array; and an imaging system to image the deflected scattered light from the second beam deflector onto the detector array. The first and second beam deflectors are controlled in tandem to scan the touch sensing region.

Abstract: An electronic click wrench comprises a handle for applying torque through a shaft to a working head. The shaft includes torque sensing means for calculating the torque applied to a workpiece by the working head, and a trigger mechanism for sending a haptic feedback to a user by triggering a small movement of the handle relative to the working head when a set point torque is reached. The trigger mechanism comprises a permanent magnet that is normally anchored by magnetic attraction to a pole piece so as to resist separation when a force is applied through the handle, and an electromagnetic means actuable to reduce or cancel that magnetic attraction so as to permit separation of the pole piece and permanent magnet, thus generating the haptic feedback. Operation of the electromagnet may oppose the flux of the permanent magnet through the pole piece. Alternatively operation of the electromagnet may divert the flux of the permanent magnet away from the pole piece.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of reducing the propensity of a diesel fuel composition to take up zinc when exposed to zinc during storage and/or transportation, the method comprising formulating a diesel fuel composition to be stored or transported in contact with zinc such that said diesel fuel composition has an aniline point greater than 80° C.

Abstract: We describe a method of capturing writing or drawing on a whiteboard. The method comprises: inputting camera data for a succession of image frames, wherein the camera data is from a camera directed towards the whiteboard and the image frames comprise successive images of the whiteboard from the camera; and user filter processing data from said image frames to remove parts of said image frames corresponding to parts of a user or user pen writing or drawing on said whiteboard. The user-filter processing comprises filtering to distinguish between motion of the user/user pen parts in the image frames and writing/drawing image information in the image frames which appears or changes during said writing or drawing but which is thereafter substantially unchanging. The method outputs writing/drawing data from the user filter-processing, this defining captured writing or drawing from the whiteboard.

Abstract: We describe a touch sensing system projecting light defining a touch sheet above a surface and a camera to capture a touch image of light scattered by a pen intersecting the touch sheet. A signal processor identifies a lateral location of the pen. The pen includes a light source to provide a light signal, and the system also includes two photodiodes to detect the signal from the pen. The touch detection is augmented by modelling the signals received at the photodiodes, dependent on the distance and angle of a pen, and using this to derive a probability of the observed received signals given the pen location determined from the touch sheet. This information can be used, for example, to allocate identities to the pens.

Abstract: An electronic click wrench comprises a handle for applying torque through a shaft to a working head. The shaft includes torque sensing means for calculating the torque applied to a workpiece by the working head, and a trigger mechanism for sending a haptic feedback to a user by triggering a small movement of the handle relative to the working head when a set point torque is reached. The trigger mechanism comprises a permanent magnet that is normally anchored by magnetic attraction to a pole piece so as to resist separation when a force is applied through the handle, and an electromagnetic means actuable to reduce or cancel that magnetic attraction so as to permit separation of the pole piece and permanent magnet, thus generating the haptic feedback. Operation of the electromagnet may oppose the flux of the permanent magnet through the pole piece. Alternatively operation of the electromagnet may divert the flux of the permanent magnet away from the pole piece.

Abstract: An array of resilient floor tiles is assembled into a continuous sheet after being laid down. An array of included, sacrificial resistive wires is buried along the edges of the tiles and is controllably heated in order to cause welding of the edges of tiles across the paths of the wires to neighboring tiles. Subsequently the wires may be used to give the array integral tensile strength. The welded array is provided with greater strength for resisting use, expansive and contractile forces caused by environmental heat and cold and also long-term tile contraction owing to loss of plasticizer as may be seen with PVC-based tiles.

Abstract: As a user writes using a handheld writing device, such as an electronic pen or stylus, handwriting input is received and initially displayed as digital ink. The display of the digital ink is converted to recognized text inline with additional digital ink as the user continues to write. A user may edit a word of recognized text inline with other text by selecting the word. An enlarged version of the word is displayed in a character correction user interface that allows a user to make corrections on an individual character basis and also provides other correction options for the word.

Abstract: A bioreactor consumable unit (50; 500) comprises a bioreactor part (60); a fluid feed container part (80) integrally connected with the bioreactor part and including at least one fluid feed container (82) in fluid communication with the bioreactor (60); and an integral pumping element (100, 110; 160, 206) configured to enable fluid to flow from the at least one fluid feed container (82) to the bioreactor (60). The bioreactor part (60) includes a bioreactor chamber (62) and a stirrer (64) for agitation of a cell culture (66) in the chamber. The pumping element comprises a combination of a syringe pump (110) and an associated three-way valve (102). The bioreactor consumable unit (50; 500) may be inserted into a receiving station (20) of a cell culture module (10) for the processing and control of a bioreaction in the bioreactor chamber (62).

Abstract: The invention provides a method of reducing the propensity of a diesel fuel composition to take up zinc when exposed to zinc during storage and/or transportation, the method comprising formulating a diesel fuel composition to be stored or transported in contact with zinc such that said diesel fuel composition has an aniline point greater than 80° C.