Abstract: Systems and methods for battery testing including a holder system. The holder system is designed to couple one or more transducers to a battery under test, wherein the one or more transducers are configured for electrochemical-acoustic signal interrogation (EASI) of the battery. The holder system includes at least one arm to house at least one transducer to be coupled to the battery, and a pressure applying device to apply pressure to the at least one transducer, and to control pressure between the at least one transducer and the battery. The holder system is also configured to determine the pressure between the at least one transducer and the battery and adjust the pressure applied to the at least one transducer based on the determined pressure.

Abstract: Described is an aerial vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”), that includes a plurality of sensors, such as stereo cameras, mounted along a perimeter frame of the aerial vehicle and arranged to generate a scene that surrounds the aerial vehicle. The sensors may be mounted in or on winglets of the perimeter frame. Each of the plurality of sensors has a field of view and the plurality of optical sensors are arranged and/or oriented such that their fields of view overlap with one another throughout a continuous space that surrounds the perimeter frame. The fields of view may also include a portion of the perimeter frame or space that is adjacent to the perimeter frame.

Abstract: A bail for forming a mechanical and electrical connection includes an inboard section and an outboard section. The inboard section includes an elongate, electrically conductive multi-strand conductor. The outboard section includes an elongate, electrically conductive solid rod conductor electrically connected to the multi-strand conductor.

Abstract: A propeller provided on an aerial vehicle may include a digital camera or other imaging device embedded into a surface of one of the blades of the propeller. The digital camera may capture images while the propeller is rotating at an operational speed. Images captured by the digital camera may be processed to recognize one or more objects therein, and to determine ranges to such objects by stereo triangulation techniques. Using such ranges, a depth map or other model of the surface features in an environment in which the aerial vehicle is operating may be defined and stored or used for any purpose. A propeller may include digital cameras or other imaging devices embedded into two or more blades, and may also use such images to determine ranges to objects by stereo triangulation techniques.

Abstract: Systems and methods of determining physical conditions of a battery, such as state of charge (SOC), state of health (SOH), quality of construction, defect, or failure state include driving two or more acoustic signals of two or more amplitudes, each acoustic signal having two or more frequencies, into the battery and detecting vibrations generated in the battery based on the two or more acoustic signals. Nonlinear response characteristics of the battery for the two or more acoustic signals are determined from the detected vibrations. The physical conditions of the battery are determined based at least in part on the nonlinear response characteristics, using nonlinear acoustic resonance spectroscopy (NARS) or nonlinear resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (NRUS).

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for modelling a driveline. The driveline comprising a plurality of components. The method comprising the steps of: a) receiving a parametric description of the driveline; b) creating a tribology model of the driveline from the parametric description; c) calculating one or more traction coefficients for one or more components of the driveline using the tribology model; and d) calculating a performance metric of the driveline, based on the parametric description and the one or more traction coefficients.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a configuration of an aerial vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”), that includes a plurality of cameras that may be selectively combined to form a stereo pair for use in obtaining stereo images that provide depth information corresponding to objects represented in those images. Depending on the distance between an object and the aerial vehicle, different cameras may be selected for the stereo pair based on the baseline between those cameras and a distance between the object and the aerial vehicle. For example, cameras with a small baseline (close together) may be selected to generate stereo images and depth information for an object that is close to the aerial vehicle. In comparison, cameras with a large baseline may be selected to generate stereo images and depth information for an object that is farther away from the aerial vehicle.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods provide simulations to vehicles, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with stereoscopic cameras. The system can include a plurality of screens set at predetermined angles to provide proper parallax to the stereoscopic cameras. The system can also include a test computer to update the screens based on the actions and travel time of the UAV. The test computer can also monitor the load on the computing systems of the UAV due to the camera and other inputs. The system can enable the testing and configuration of cameras and sensors without requiring actual flight. The test computer can provide navigational information to the UAV, receive actions taken by the UAV, update the screens based on these actions and the travel speed and direction of the UAV, and monitor the effects of the cameras and other sensors on the internal components of the UAV during use.

Abstract: A wedge connector system for connecting first and second elongate electrical conductors includes a C-shaped sleeve member, a wedge member and a locking mechanism. The sleeve member defines a sleeve cavity and opposed first and second sleeve channels on either side of the sleeve cavity. The wedge member includes a wedge body having first and second opposed wedge side walls. The locking mechanism includes a lock member including a sleeve engagement portion, and a clamping mechanism coupled to the wedge member. The sleeve member and the wedge member are configured to capture the first and second conductors such that the first conductor is received in the first sleeve channel between the sleeve member and the first wedge side wall and the second conductor is received in the second sleeve channel between the sleeve member and the second wedge side wall.

Abstract: A method of computer aided engineering for designing a driveline comprises the steps of: creating a single parametric description of the driveline; analysing the parametric description for performance using one or more failure modes; and optimising performance by amending the parametric description and repeating the analysing step.

Abstract: Systems and methods for battery testing including a holder system. The holder system is designed to couple one or more transducers to a battery under test, wherein the one or more transducers are configured for electrochemical-acoustic signal interrogation (EASI) of the battery. The holder system includes at least one arm to house at least one transducer to be coupled to the battery, and a pressure applying device to apply pressure to the at least one transducer, and to control pressure between the at least one transducer and the battery. The holder system is also configured to determine the pressure between the at least one transducer and the battery and adjust the pressure applied to the at least one transducer based on the determined pressure.

Abstract: A polar elastomer dielectric layer is formed on a substrate by dynamically dispensing a solution containing the polar elastomer on the substrate and curing it at an elevated temperature. The polar elastomer can include poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexa-fluoropropylene) (e-PVDF-HFP). They dynamic dispensing process can include spinning the substrate at a first speed, depositing the polar elastomer solution on the substrate, and spinning the substrate at a second speed.

Abstract: Described is an imaging component for use by an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) for object detection. As described, the imaging component includes one or more cameras that are configured to obtain images of a scene using visible light that are converted into a depth map (e.g., stereo image) and one or more other cameras that are configured to form images, or thermograms, of the scene using infrared radiation (“IR”). The depth information and thermal information are combined to form a representation of the scene based on both depth and thermal information.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a device and system for verifying the content of items in a bin within a materials handling facility. In some implementations, a bin content verification apparatus may pass by one or more bins and capture images of those bins. The images may be processed to determine whether the content included in the bins has changed since the last time images of the bins were captured. A determination may also be made as to whether a change to the bin content was expected and, if so, if the determined change corresponds with the expected change.

Abstract: Systems and methods for measuring temperature characteristics of a battery include one or more transducers coupled to the battery for transmitting and/or receiving sound waves through at least a portion of the battery. A temperature measurement unit is provided to determine a time-of-flight of sound waves through at least the portion of the battery based on transmitted and received sound waves through at least the portion of the battery, and to determine temperature characteristics of at least the portion of the battery based on the time-of-flight.

Abstract: A wedge connector system for connecting first and second elongate electrical conductors includes a C-shaped sleeve member, a wedge member and a locking mechanism. The sleeve member defines a sleeve cavity and opposed first and second sleeve channels on either side of the sleeve cavity. The wedge member includes a wedge body having first and second opposed wedge side walls. The locking mechanism includes a lock member including a sleeve engagement portion, and a clamping mechanism coupled to the wedge member. The sleeve member and the wedge member are configured to capture the first and second conductors such that the first conductor is received in the first sleeve channel between the sleeve member and the first wedge side wall and the second conductor is received in the second sleeve channel between the sleeve member and the second wedge side wall.

Abstract: A wedge connector system for connecting first and second elongate electrical conductors includes a C-shaped sleeve member, a wedge member and a locking mechanism. The sleeve member defines a sleeve cavity and opposed first and second sleeve channels on either side of the sleeve cavity. The wedge member includes a wedge body having first and second opposed wedge side walls. The locking mechanism includes a lock member including a sleeve engagement portion, and a clamping mechanism coupled to the wedge member. The sleeve member and the wedge member are configured to capture the first and second conductors such that the first conductor is received in the first sleeve channel between the sleeve member and the first wedge side wall and the second conductor is received in the second sleeve channel between the sleeve member and the second wedge side wall.

Abstract: A method and associated imaging system for classifying at least one concept type in a video segment is disclosed. The method associates an object concept type in the video segment with a spatio-temporal segment of the video segment. The method then associates a plurality of action concept types with the spatio-temporal segment, where each action concept type of the plurality of action concept types is associated with a subset of the spatio-temporal segment associated with the object concept type. The method then classifies the action concept types and the object concept types associated with the video segment using a conditional Markov random field (CRF) model where the CRF model is structured with the plurality of action concept types being independent and indirectly linked via a global concept type assigned to the video segment, and the object concept type is linked to the global concept type.

Abstract: Methods and systems for collecting camera calibration data using wearable devices are described. An augmented reality interface may be provided at a wearable device. Three-dimensional virtual information may be presented at the augmented reality interface. The three-dimensional information may identify a field of view of a remote camera and may be associated with collection of calibration data for the remote camera. Calibration data collected by the remote camera viewing a calibration target in the field of view may be received. The camera may be calibrated based at least in part on the calibration data.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to monitoring exposure levels for individual cameras of a stereo camera system to reduce unwanted lens flaring which may disrupt stereo vision capabilities of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The UAV may identify lens flaring by monitoring histogram data received from the cameras and then mitigate the lens flaring by performing aerial maneuvers with respect to the light source and/or moving camera componentry such as deploying a lens hood. The UAV may also identify lens flaring patterns that on a camera's sensor and determine a location of a peripheral light source based on these patterns. The UAV may then deploy a visor between the location of the peripheral light source and the cameras.