Abstract: A testing apparatus includes a chamber, having an interior maintained at a predetermined pressure, a rotor rotatably disposed within the interior of the chamber, and a sensor disposed within the interior of the chamber. When the rotor rotates, the at least one sensor measures a testing characteristic of an object disposed within the interior of the chamber as the object interacts with the rotating rotor. A method includes setting a predetermined pressure of a chamber, rotating a rotor, and maintaining a gap between a surface of an object to be tested and a surface of the rotor by adjusting, with an actuator, the object to be tested or the rotor based upon a change, as measured by a laser, in the dimension of the object to be tested or the rotor.

Abstract: Digital items may be lent from one user to another. A lending system may facilitate matching users that have a digital item to lend with users that wish to borrow a digital item. Each user may have a reputation associated with his or her lending behavior that is represented as a lending metric. The lending metric may show whether a given user is primarily a lender or borrower of digital items. Heavy borrowers that do not engage in commensurate lending may be penalized. Multiple users that lend and borrow digital items from one another may be connected in a social network. The nature of a relationship in the social network may and the lending metrics of users are factors used to make lending decisions.

Abstract: An aircraft control system for a user of a simulated aircraft. The system includes input devices for controlling the simulated aircraft, a video display having three-dimensional graphics, modeling software for determining position and orientation information based on desired direction of flight obtained through the input devices. User controls desired direction of flight through the input devices, thus controlling aircraft. The aircraft control system may be embodied as a flight game.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method to control the movements of a flight simulator involving linear and angular accelerations perceived at a pilot's seat and involving mathematical transformations of a lateral position y and a roll angle ? for said accelerations, wherein mathematical transformations are used with at least one of the following corrections: —Feed-forward of a specific force error due to the y-position wash-out into a roll angle transformation function; —Decomposition of specific force at pilot's position and addition of complementary filters to reproduce suitable side forces in the pilot's seat due to lateral accelerations; —Mathematical transformations linking a pilot's position in an aircraft and flight simulator to a motion base centroid.

Abstract: A method for sharing electronic books may include receiving a request to borrow an electronic book. The request may be received from a borrowing user's electronic book reader. The method may also include generating a borrowing user's license for the electronic book. The method may also include transmitting a copy of the electronic book to the borrowing user's electronic book reader. The method may also include transmitting the borrowing user's license to the borrowing user's electronic book reader.

Abstract: A MEMS device (20) with stress isolation includes elements (28, 30, 32) formed in a first structural layer (24) and elements (68, 70) formed in a second structural layer (26), with the layer (26) being spaced apart from the first structural layer (24). Fabrication methodology (80) entails forming (92, 94, 104) junctions (72, 74) between the layers (24, 26). The junctions (72, 74) connect corresponding elements (30, 32) of the first layer (24) with elements (68, 70) of the second layer (26). The fabrication methodology (80) further entails releasing the structural layers (24, 26) from an underlying substrate (22) so that all of the elements (30, 32, 68, 70) are suspended above the substrate (22) of the MEMS device (20), wherein attachment of the elements (30, 32, 68, 70) with the substrate (22) occurs only at a central area (46) of the substrate (22).

Abstract: In a balance exercise machine, a swing mechanism swings a seat with composition of a swing motion in an anteroposterior direction and a swing motion in a widthwise direction. The swing motion of the seat in the anteroposterior direction is driven faster than, preferably twice as fast, as that in the widthwise direction. The origin of the swing motion of the seat in the widthwise direction is discrepant from origin of the swing motion of the seat in the anteroposterior direction within a half-cycle.

Abstract: An AutoTrim function automatically adjusts the trim of the elevator of a simulated aircraft to compensate for pitching moments that are not caused by a user affirmatively controlling the elevator. A flight simulator program determines a sum of the pitching moments acting on the simulated aircraft, excluding the user setting of the elevator. The sum of the longitudinal pitching moments is then set equal to zero to solve for a desired position for setting the AutoTrim control. A time lag is applied in setting the AutoTrim control to the desired position, to provide greater realism. Use of the AutoTrim control provides enhanced control authority to the user in controlling the longitudinal pitch of the aircraft. The AutoTrim control functionality is stopped as the angle of attack of the aircraft approaches a stall condition, but resumes when the plane is flying in a substantially safer flight condition.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for facilitating navigation techniques in a three-dimensional virtual environment. The present invention couples input driving techniques to the state of one or more workspace variables (e.g., object state, virtual body state, environment state) to change the user's viewing context within a single input control motion. Modification of the user's viewing context allows navigation to various positions and orientations with out the need to be provided with that viewing context prior to navigation. The modification of the user's viewing context also allows for single input motion employing the same input drive controls.

Abstract: A flight control display shows a representation of terrain, the horizon, an aircraft with a fuselage and aircraft wings, and a gamma ladder. The observer has a viewing direction at least in a predefined attitude range, which viewing direction is directed along the momentary flight path. The aircraft is therefore rotated depending on its momentary angle of incidence and angle of yaw with respect to the observer's viewing direction. The representation of the terrain is obtained from the relative position of a geodetic system of coordinates XG, YG, ZG and an aerodynamic system of axes of the airplane, in which case a reference line of the gamma ladder coincides with the horizon.

Abstract: The invention is embodied in a method of integrating kinematics equations for updating a set of vehicle attitude angles of a vehicle using 3-dimensional angular velocities of the vehicle, which includes computing an integrating factor matrix from quantities corresponding to the 3-dimensional angular velocities, computing a total integrated angular rate from the quantities corresponding to a 3-dimensional angular velocities, computing a state transition matrix as a sum of (a) a first complementary function of the total integrated angular rate and (b) the integrating factor matrix multiplied by a second complementary function of the total integrated angular rate, and updating the set of vehicle attitude angles using the state transition matrix.

Abstract: A virtual reality system provides effective exposure treatment for psychiatric patients suffering from a particular anxiety disorder. The system is characterized by a video screen disposed in front of the patient to display an image of a specific graphical environment that is intended to trigger anxiety within the patient as a result of the particular patient phobia. A headset is worn by the patient, and has sensors disposed to detect movement and positioning of the patient's head. A computer program controls the operation of the system, and is designed to control the display of the graphical environment on the video screen, monitor the headset sensors and determine the position of the patient's head, and controllably manipulate the graphical environment displayed on the video screen to reflect the movement and position of the patient's head.

Abstract: An aircraft attitude display device comprising: a circular array of radially extending selectively activatable display elements (5), the radially inner ends of which constitute a boundary defining a central space; within the said central space, a fixed aircraft symbol (7); and means for selectively activating the said display elements in accordance with aircraft attitude so that the selected display elements form a visible pattern, e.g. a sector of the array, bearing a geometrical relationship with respect to the aircraft symbol indicative of the aircraft attitude.The device is suitable for implementation using liquid crystal display technology to give a stand-by display of aircraft pitch and roll which is readily understandable by pilots since it is similar to the display given by conventional rolling ball action aircraft attitude instruments.

Abstract: An enclosure generally shaped to simulate the appearance of a flight vehicle is provided with a seat facing a video display and is supported on a parabolic dish for freedom of angular motion in the pitch and roll modes. Included in the enclosure may be a weighted control stick which, according to its angular displacement, displaces the effective center of gravity, thus moving the enclosure in the pitch and roll modes. A set of orthogonal resolvers deployed in the enclosure and pendulum articulated provide binary signals of the pitch and roll angles achieved to the video display, simulating the flight vehicle attitude while a program is cycled through a microprocessor and superposed onto the pitch and roll inputs to generate on the video screen images simulating flight.

Abstract: A servomechanical controller for inputting prerecorded flight data to an aircraft flight simulator is provided which comprises a pair of servomotors operatively interconnected to a single output shaft connected to the flight simulator control wheel, one motor controlling simulated pitch to the wheel by imparting axial movement to the shaft, and the other motor controlling simulated roll by imparting rotation to the shaft, transducer means for sensing both angular and axial position of the shaft, and a force sensor for sensing torque and axial load on the shaft. The controller is configured for accepting analog or digital prerecorded electronic command inputs and translating those inputs to the flight simulator.