Abstract: The present disclosure provides a fire starter that does not require oxygen from the air to ignite or maintain a flame and makes it easy to ignite using one or no fingers, such as teeth. A fire starter includes a burnable casing forming a sealed chamber. A first burnable mixture and a second burnable mixture are separately disposed in the sealed chamber. The first burnable mixture can form a flame without oxygen from the air. An igniter is disposed in the sealed chamber adjacent to the first burnable mixture and configured to generate a first thermal event to ignite the first burnable mixture without oxygen from the air. The first burnable mixture combusts during the first thermal event and triggers a second thermal event to ignite the second burnable mixture. An actuator is configured to activate the igniter to generate the first thermal event without using more than one finger.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a fire starter that does not require oxygen from the air to ignite or maintain a flame and makes it easy to ignite using one or no fingers, such as teeth. A fire starter includes a burnable casing forming a sealed chamber. A first burnable mixture and a second burnable mixture are separately disposed in the sealed chamber. The first burnable mixture can form a flame without oxygen from the air. An igniter is disposed in the sealed chamber adjacent to the first burnable mixture and configured to generate a first thermal event to ignite the first burnable mixture without oxygen from the air. The first burnable mixture combusts during the first thermal event and triggers a second thermal event to ignite the second burnable mixture. An actuator is configured to activate the igniter to generate the first thermal event without using more than one finger.

Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for an imaging detector array. In one example, a detector module of the array has a central slit separating a first tile from a second tile of the detector module. An integrated circuit is located along a first side of the first tile and along a first side of the second tile and flex cable coupled to the integrated circuit of the first portion extends through the central slit of the detector module.

Abstract: A smoke device comprises a container, a base/base plate, a plate having at least one exit hole, a blend of chemicals contained in the container and a mechanical means by which generated smoke is prevented from directly exiting through the at least one exit hole without first being redirected in one or more directions. The mechanical means by which generated smoke is prevented from directly exiting through the at least one exit hole without first being redirected in one or more directions may include a plurality of baffles which have at least one hole therein and a plurality of chambers formed by the plurality of baffles. Each baffle has holes offset from holes in an adjacent baffle. The plurality of baffles may be spaced apart by using support posts and/or can be supported by support rings and/or can be supported by support pins and/or can be supported by support brackets.

Abstract: A smoke device comprises a container, a base/base plate, a plate having at least one exit hole, a blend of chemicals contained in the container and a mechanical means by which generated smoke is prevented from directly exiting through the at least one exit hole without first being redirected in one or more directions. The mechanical means by which generated smoke is prevented from directly exiting through the at least one exit hole without first being redirected in one or more directions may include a plurality of baffles which have at least one hole therein and a plurality of chambers formed by the plurality of baffles. Each baffle has holes offset from holes in an adjacent baffle. The plurality of baffles may be spaced apart by using support posts and/or can be supported by support rings and/or can be supported by support pins and/or can be supported by support brackets.

Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for an imaging detector array. In one example, a detector module of the array has a central slit separating a first tile from a second tile of the detector module. An integrated circuit is located along a first side of the first tile and along a first side of the second tile and flex cable coupled to the integrated circuit of the first portion extends through the central slit of the detector module.

Abstract: An airbag inflator includes a pressure vessel with a bottom portion, a top portion and a center structure connecting the bottom portion and the top portion. The top portion includes an exit orifice that is closed with a rupturable membrane. An energetics cover attached to the center structure houses a pyrotechnic material, and a diverter is attached to the top portion. The pressure vessel, the energetics cover and the diverter define a gas flow path from inside the energetics cover toward the bottom portion of the pressure vessel, the gas flow path turning at least a first 180 degrees toward the top portion of the pressure vessel and between the energetics cover and the pressure vessel. The longer gas flow path allows time for multi-perforation grain slivers to burn up before exiting the inflator, thereby reducing the amount of particulate exiting the inflator.

Abstract: A smoke device comprises a container, a base/base plate, a plate having at least one exit hole, a blend of chemicals contained in the container and a mechanical means by which generated smoke is prevented from directly exiting through the at least one exit hole without first being redirected in one or more directions. The mechanical means by which generated smoke is prevented from directly exiting through the at least one exit hole without first being redirected in one or more directions may include a plurality of baffles which have at least one hole therein and a plurality of chambers formed by the plurality of baffles. The plurality of baffles is placed in a staggered formation such that the hole(s) formed in each baffle is offset from the hole(s) in an adjacent/neighboring baffle.

Abstract: An airbag inflator includes a pressure vessel with a bottom portion, a top portion and a center structure connecting the bottom portion and the top portion. The top portion includes an exit orifice that is closed with a rupturable membrane. An energetics cover attached to the center structure houses a pyrotechnic material, and a diverter is attached to the top portion. The pressure vessel, the energetics cover and the diverter define a gas flow path from inside the energetics cover toward the bottom portion of the pressure vessel, the gas flow path turning at least a first 180 degrees toward the top portion of the pressure vessel and between the energetics cover and the pressure vessel. The longer gas flow path allows time for multi-perforation grain slivers to burn up before exiting the inflator, thereby reducing the amount of particulate exiting the inflator.

Abstract: Robotic grippers and robotic gripping systems are disclosed. A robotic gripper includes one or more gripping members, one or more tactile sensors on or in the one or more gripping members, and one or more processors. The one or more tactile sensors are configured to take geographic measurements of an object gripped by the one or more gripping members. The one or more processors are configured to create a numeric model of at least a portion of a surface of the object gripped by the one or more gripping members using the geographic measurements from the one or more tactile sensors. The one or more processors are also configured to adjust a location of the object gripped by the one or more gripping members by controlling the one or more gripping members based on the numeric model of the at least the portion of the surface of the object.

Abstract: A fuse mechanism for e.g. a pyrotechnic grenade in which a spring loaded striker lever (31) is blocked via a cammed surface (22) of a safety lever (21) comprising a handle. (25). Release of the handle (25) enables deployment of the fuse assembly. Spring-loaded striker lever (31) is urged upwards by the force of torsion spring (38). Contact between the free end (34) of the striker lever (31) exerts a rotational force on cammed portion (22). The safety lever (21) rotates away from the body of the munition (20). Rapid upward movement of the striker lever (31) is prevented at this stage by contact of the free end (34) with the cammed portion (22). Further rotation of the safety lever (21) occurs until point where the cammed portion (22) is no longer in contact with the striker lever.

Abstract: A fuse mechanism for e.g. a pyrotechnic grenade in which a spring loaded striker lever (31) is blocked via a cammed surface (22) of a safety lever (21) comprising a handle. (25). Release of the handle (25) enables deployment of the fuse assembly. Spring-loaded striker lever (31) is urged upwards by the force of torsion spring (38). Contact between the free end (34) of the striker lever (31) exerts a rotational force on cammed portion (22). The safety lever (21) rotates away from the body of the munition (20). Rapid upward movement of the striker lever (31) is prevented at this stage by contact of the free end (34) with the cammed portion (22). Further rotation of the safety lever (21) occurs until point where the cammed portion (22) is no longer in contact with the striker lever.

Abstract: Robotic grippers and robotic gripping systems are disclosed. A robotic gripper includes one or more gripping members, one or more tactile sensors on or in the one or more gripping members, and one or more processors. The one or more tactile sensors are configured to take geographic measurements of an object gripped by the one or more gripping members. The one or more processors are configured to create a numeric model of at least a portion of a surface of the object gripped by the one or more gripping members using the geographic measurements from the one or more tactile sensors. The one or more processors are also configured to adjust a location of the object gripped by the one or more gripping members by controlling the one or more gripping members based on the numeric model of the at least the portion of the surface of the object.

Abstract: In one aspect, a computer-implemented method for conflating a base dataset with a secondary dataset may generally include defining a locker boundary around each of a plurality of base polylines of the base dataset and identifying a plurality of initial matched segments and a plurality of initial mismatched segments for a plurality of secondary polylines of the secondary dataset, wherein each portion of the secondary polylines that is included within a locker boundary is defined as an initial matched segment and each portion of the secondary polylines that is not included within a locker boundary is defined as an initial mismatched segment. The method may also include identifying an offset parameter defined between a first initial matched segment and its corresponding base polyline using a three-vertex approximation and, if the offset parameter exceeds a predetermined offset threshold, defining the first initial matched segment as a mismatched segment.

Abstract: In one aspect, a computer-implemented method for conflating a base dataset with a secondary dataset may generally include defining a locker boundary around each of a plurality of base polylines of the base dataset and identifying a plurality of initial matched segments and a plurality of initial mismatched segments for a plurality of secondary polylines of the secondary dataset, wherein each portion of the secondary polylines that is included within a locker boundary is defined as an initial matched segment and each portion of the secondary polylines that is not included within a locker boundary is defined as an initial mismatched segment. The method may also include identifying an offset parameter defined between a first initial matched segment and its corresponding base polyline using a three-vertex approximation and, if the offset parameter exceeds a predetermined offset threshold, defining the first initial matched segment as a mismatched segment.

Abstract: A direct-conversion X-ray detector includes one or more detector modules. The detector modules can include a substrate, one or more sensor tiles, and one or more photon-counting application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The substrate has a dielectric constant of less than about 3.5 and is capable of lithographic conductor patterning with feature sizes of about 5 um or less. The one or more X-ray direct conversion sensor tiles have an array of one or more electrodes electrically coupled to a first surface of the substrate. The one or more ASICs are electrically coupled to the substrate and disposed laterally along the substrate with respect to the one or more direct conversion sensor tiles. Conductive lines are spaced along the substrate and are configured to electrically couple the one or more X-ray direct conversion sensor tiles to the one or more ASICs.

Abstract: Detector modules for an imaging system and methods of manufacturing are provided. One detector module includes a substrate, a direct conversion sensor material coupled to the substrate and a flexible interconnect electrically coupled to the direct conversion sensor material and configured to provide readout of electrical signals generated by the direct conversion sensor material. The detector module also includes at least one illumination source for illuminating the direct conversion sensor material.

Abstract: Detector modules for an imaging system and methods of manufacturing are provided. One detector module includes a substrate, a direct conversion sensor material coupled to the substrate and a flexible interconnect electrically coupled to the direct conversion sensor material and configured to provide readout of electrical signals generated by the direct conversion sensor material. The detector module also includes at least one illumination source for illuminating the direct conversion sensor material.

Abstract: A modular sensor assembly comprises: sensor arrays electrically coupled to a sensor substrate; a plurality of integrated circuits with sensor signal processors electrically coupled to a package substrate; and an interconnect assembly including electrical paths configured to electrically couple analog output signals from a first sensor array to a first integrated circuit and from a second sensor to a second integrated circuit, the first sensor disposed adjacent to the second sensor.