Abstract: A tactile sensor includes a pressure transducer encapsulated in an elastic material that defines a contact surface and provides a transmission path that transmits contact forces or pressure distributions applied to the contact surface to the pressure transducer. The pressure transducer can be enclosed in a protective housing that defines a chamber around the transducer. The housing can include one or more openings that expose the chamber to the exterior pressure. The tactile sensor can be made by applying the elastic material in liquid form and exposing the housing to a vacuum that removes air inside the chamber allowing the liquid elastic material to flow into the chamber. Once cured, the elastic material defines a contact surface of the tactile sensor and serves to transfer contact forces applied to the contact surface to the transducer.

Abstract: A method of interpreting an activity of a person on a flexible mat of a trampoline, the method comprising: at least one processor determining a bounce instruction for the person on the flexible mat; determining a first bounce location of the person on the flexible mat; determining a second bounce location of the person on the flexible mat; determining a lead time boundary interval; responsive to determining a time of display of the bounce instruction prior to the lead time boundary interval, the at least one processor comparing the second bounce location with the bounce instruction; and responsive to determining a time of display of the bounce instruction within the lead time boundary interval, the at least one processor determining a third bounce location of the person on the flexible mat and comparing the third bounce location with the bounce instruction.

Abstract: A tactile sensor includes a pressure transducer encapsulated in an elastic material that defines a contact surface and provides a transmission path that transmits contact forces or pressure distributions applied to the contact surface to the pressure transducer. The pressure transducer can be enclosed in a protective housing that defines a chamber around the transducer. The housing can include one or more openings that expose the chamber to the exterior pressure. The tactile sensor can be made by applying the elastic material in liquid form and exposing the housing to a vacuum that removes air inside the chamber allowing the liquid elastic material to flow into the chamber. Once cured, the elastic material defines a contact surface of the tactile sensor and serves to transfer contact forces applied to the contact surface to the transducer.

Abstract: A system and method that performs a similarity calculation to identify insurance accounts haying similar characteristics. The similarity calculation may be based on an existing insurance account or a synthetic insurance account that has user defined characteristics. The system and method may store account information for a plurality of insurance accounts that is normalized to a coordinate system. Parameters of a similarity account are identified and a similarity calculation is performed to identify a subset of the plurality of insurance accounts that match the similarity account. The similarity calculation includes calculating a distance between the similarity account and each of the plurality of insurance accounts and determining the subset of the plurality of insurance accounts that satisfy a predetermined similarity threshold based on the distance.

Abstract: The disclosed calibration method includes a calibration phantom positioned on an adjustable table on the surface of a mechanical couch, with the phantom's centre at an estimated location for the iso-centre of a radio therapy treatment apparatus. The calibration phantom is then irradiated using the apparatus, and the relative location of the center of the calibration phantom and the iso-centre of the apparatus is determined by analyzing images of the irradiation of the calibration phantom. The calibration phantom is then repositioned by the mechanical couch applying an offset corresponding to the determined relative location of the centre of the calibration phantom and the iso-centre of the apparatus to the calibration phantom. Images of the relocated calibration phantom are obtained, to which the offset has been applied, and the obtained images are processed to set the co-ordinate system of a stereoscopic camera system relative to the iso-centre of the apparatus.

Abstract: The invention relates both to processes for the production of functionalised materials containing alkyl sulfonic acids groups and their use as heterogeneous catalysts. The invention also relates to precursors of these new products and new organopolysiloxane sulfonic acids.

Abstract: A method of measuring an activity of a person/object on a flexible mat of a trampoline, comprising: determining a mat deformation signal based at least on measurements from a sensor arrangement comprising at least one sensor and defining a coordinate space for the mat; the or each sensor being configured to measure a value corresponding to a deformation of the mat as the person/object moves on the mat; wherein, the value measured by die or each sensor corresponds to a proximity of the person/object to the sensor; determining a bounce coordinate in the coordinate spate based at least on the mat deformation signal; and determining a bounce location of the person/object on the mat based at least on the bounce coordinate in the coordinate space. Also provided is a trampoline configured to indicate an activity of a person/object on the mat and an interactive apparatus that includes the trampoline.

Abstract: The invention relates both to processes for the production of functionalised materials containing alkyl sulfonic acids groups and their use as heterogeneous catalysts. The invention also relates to precursors of these new products and new organopolysiloxane sulfonic acids.

Abstract: A tactile sensor includes a pressure transducer encapsulated in an elastic material that defines a contact surface and provides a transmission path that transmits contact forces or pressure distributions applied to the contact surface to the pressure transducer. The pressure transducer can be enclosed in a protective housing that defines a chamber around the transducer. The housing can include one or more openings that expose the chamber to the exterior pressure. The tactile sensor can be made by applying the elastic material in liquid form and exposing the housing to a vacuum that removes air inside the chamber allowing the liquid elastic material to flow into the chamber. Once cured, the elastic material defines a contact surface of the tactile sensor and serves to transfer contact forces applied to the contact surface to the transducer.

Abstract: A computer implemented method to anonymise transactions conducted via a trading platform between a clearing agent in communication with a trading database, and a client terminal, the method comprising: identifying the client terminal with an anonymised client identifier; the clearing agent receiving from a client terminal, as an order, a request to buy or sell a quantity of financial instrument and assigning an anonymised order identifier to the request; for each anonymised order identifier the trading database identifying identical or similar financial instruments, and their quantity, offered by a plurality of other users for the financial instrument in the request and assigning a weighted score of the likelihood of a match between the identified instruments and the requested instrument; presenting on the client terminal, as a trade offer anonymised information of the weighted score of the likelihood of a match between the requested and each of a plurality of identified financial instruments; and indicating

Abstract: A saw blade includes a saw blade body having a first face, a second face opposing the first face, and an axis of rotation extending between the first face and the second face. The saw blade includes a cutting element disposed about an outer periphery of the saw blade body. The saw blade includes a spline arbor interface portion disposed about an inner periphery of the saw blade body and having a peripheral face defining an eye disposed substantially collinearly with the axis of rotation of the saw blade body. The saw blade body defines a relief portion extending along at least a portion of an edge between the peripheral face of the spline arbor interface portion and at least one of the first face and the second face.

Abstract: A catheter system allows for percutaneous intervention on the fast-moving structures inside the heart. The device consists of a steerable catheter sheath, an actuated, multi-degree of freedom moving catheter, and a catheter end effector, such as a fixation device. An actuator controls the motion of the catheter guide-wire in the catheter sheath to follow the motion of the target tissue. A control system controls the actuator and compensates for mechanical characteristics of the system including friction and backlash. A 3-D imaging system can be used to view the motion of the target tissue and the catheter end effector and produce 3-D imaging data. The 3-D imaging data can be used by the control system to track the target tissue and accurately position the end effector with respect to the moving target tissue allowing a clinician to repair the target tissue while it is moving.

Abstract: The invention relates to new compounds of Formula 1: [(O3/2)Si CH2CH2SX]a [Si(O4/2)]b[Si(O3/2V)]c. The compounds are useful as scavengers for the removal of unwanted organic and inorganic compounds, for solid phase extraction, for solid phase synthesis, for acid and metal mediated heterogeneous catalysis, for metal ion abstraction and for the immobilization of bio-molecules.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing insurance companies with historical data indicating their placement results versus peer insurance companies with a broker and proactively identify upcoming policy opportunities from a broker.

Abstract: This software enables a financial institution acting as a clearing agent to offer a liquidity pool where their clients can anonymously submit orders for a financial instrument. Many financial markets suffer from reduced liquidity, the causes for which include: 1) fragmentation across multiple markets, 2) fragmentation across a large instrument universe and 3) attempting to trade an illiquid instrument. The software has been developed to uniquely improve available liquidity using crossing algorithms that intelligently identify orders for similar instruments as relevant execution opportunities, and applies a quantitative scoring of their propensity to trade on which clients can anonymously negotiate and execute.

Abstract: A multi-fingered underactuated mechanical grasping system driven by a single actuator, yet can grasp objects spanning a wide range of size, shape, and mass. A member for moving a link relative to a base acts in parallel to a direction of compliance of a joint between the link and the base. The joint has a plurality of degrees of freedom. The number of members for moving links in the grasping system is less than the number of degrees of freedom in the grasping system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a compound of Formula 1: The compound of Formula 1 is useful as a scavenger for the removal of unwanted organic and inorganic compounds, for solid phase extraction, for solid phase synthesis, for the immobilization of bio-molecules, as ion exchanger materials, as catalysts and catalyst supports and as chromatography materials.

Abstract: A storage and work place apparatus used in conjunction with a wheelbarrow or similar item. The apparatus includes a housing having a bottom portion and a side portion extending outwardly to form an open chamber the bottom portion is intended to a lie atop a wheelbarrow a cover is used in conjunction with the open chamber and is hingedly or slidingly attached to the housing in order to extend laterally from the housing. At least a first leg attainably connects to the housing and extends outwardly to contact a ground surface adjacent the wheel barrow. At least a second leg is rotatable attached to the cover and also extends outwardly therefrom to support the cover above the ground surface when the leg contacts the ground surface.

Abstract: [(O3/2)SiCH2CH2SX]a[Si(O4/2)]b[WSi(O3/2)]c[VSi(O3/2)]d wherein X is selected from (CR1R2)eNR5CO NHR, (CR1R2)eNR5CSNHR, W when present is selected from (CR6R7)eZR, (CH2)3SR1(CH2)3NRR1, (CH2)eSR8, CH2CH2S (CR1R2)fNR5CONHR, CH2CH2S(CR1R2),NR5CSNHR, CH2CH2S(CH2)fOR; Z is O or S, R, R1-7 are independently selected from hydrogen, alkyl group, aryl group or alkylaryl group, R8 is selected from [CH2CH2NR1]PR and (CR1R2)mSR9 where R9 is hydrogen, C1-22-alkyl group, and V is a group which is optionally substituted and selected from a C1-22-alkyl group, C2-22-alkenyl group, a C2-22-alkynyl group or an aryl group.

Abstract: A storage and work place apparatus used in conjunction with a wheelbarrow or similar item. The apparatus includes a housing having a bottom portion and a side portion extending outwardly to form an open chamber the bottom portion is intended to a lie atop a wheelbarrow a cover is used in conjunction with the open chamber and is hingedly or slidingly attached to the housing in order to extend laterally from the housing. At least a first leg attainably connects to the housing and extends outwardly to contact a ground surface adjacent the wheel barrow. At least a second leg is rotatable attached to the cover and also extends outwardly therefrom to support the cover above the ground surface when the leg contacts the ground surface.