Uncooled microbolometers have attracted significant interest due to their small size, low cost and low power consumption. As the application range of microbolometers broadens, increasing the dynamic range becomes one of the main objectives of microbolometer research. Targeting this objective, tunable thermal conductance microbolometers have been proposed recently, in which the thermal conductance is tuned by electrostatic actuation. Being a new concept in the field, the current tunable thermal conductance microbolometers have significant potential for improvement in design and performance. In this thesis, an extensive analysis of tunable thermal conductance microbolometers is made, an analytical model is constructed for this purpose, and solutions are proposed to some potential problems such as in-use stiction and variation in spectral response. The current thermal conductance tuning mechanisms use the substrate for electrostatic actuation, which does not support pixel-by-pixel actuation. In this thesis, a new thermal conductance tuning mechanism is demonstrated, that enables pixel-by-pixel actuation by using the micromirror as an actuation terminal instead of the substrate. In addition, a stopper mechanism is used to decrease the risk of in-use stiction. With this new mechanism, the thermal conductance can be tuned by a factor of three at relatively low voltages, making it a promising thermal conductance tuning mechanism for adaptive infrared detectors. Effective estimation of the performance parameters of a tunable thermal conductance microbolometer in the design state requires an analytical model that combines the physics of infrared radiation detection and the thermal conductance tuning mechanisms. As a part of this research, an extensive analytical model is presented, which includes the electrostatic-structural modeling of the thermal conductance tuning mechanism, and electromagnetic and thermal modeling of the microbolometer. The accuracy of the thermal model is of significant importance as the operation of the tuning mechanism within the desired range should be verified in the design stage. A thermal model based on the solution of the microbolometer heat conduction equation is established, which is easily applicable to conventional and tunable thermal conductance microbolometers of various shapes. The constructed microbolometer model is validated by experiments and finite element model simulations. Furthermore, the effect of thermal conductance tuning on spectral response is analyzed. The present thermal conductance tuning mechanisms result in variations in spectral response, which is an undesired effect in many applications. As a solution, a new microbolometer architecture is proposed, in which the spectral response is not affected by thermal conductance. The microbolometer is designed using an analytical model and its performance is characterized by finite element model simulations. To realize the proposed design, a fabrication process flow is offered. It is shown that the proposed microbolometer exhibits high performance, tunable thermal conductance and constant spectral response.

Uncooled microbolometers have attracted significant interest due to their small size, low cost and low power consumption. As the application range of microbolometers broadens, increasing the dynamic range becomes one of the main objectives of microbolometer research. Targeting this objective, tunable thermal conductance microbolometers have been proposed recently, in which the thermal conductance is tuned by electrostatic actuation. Being a new concept in the field, the current tunable thermal conductance microbolometers have significant potential for improvement in design and performance. In this thesis, an extensive analysis of tunable thermal conductance microbolometers is made, an analytical model is constructed for this purpose, and solutions are proposed to some potential problems such as in-use stiction and variation in spectral response. The current thermal conductance tuning mechanisms use the substrate for electrostatic actuation, which does not support pixel-by-pixel actuation. In this thesis, a new thermal conductance tuning mechanism is demonstrated, that enables pixel-by-pixel actuation by using the micromirror as an actuation terminal instead of the substrate. In addition, a stopper mechanism is used to decrease the risk of in-use stiction. With this new mechanism, the thermal conductance can be tuned by a factor of three at relatively low voltages, making it a promising thermal conductance tuning mechanism for adaptive infrared detectors. Effective estimation of the performance parameters of a tunable thermal conductance microbolometer in the design state requires an analytical model that combines the physics of infrared radiation detection and the thermal conductance tuning mechanisms. As a part of this research, an extensive analytical model is presented, which includes the electrostatic-structural modeling of the thermal conductance tuning mechanism, and electromagnetic and thermal modeling of the microbolometer. The accuracy of the thermal model is of significant importance as the operation of the tuning mechanism within the desired range should be verified in the design stage. A thermal model based on the solution of the microbolometer heat conduction equation is established, which is easily applicable to conventional and tunable thermal conductance microbolometers of various shapes. The constructed microbolometer model is validated by experiments and finite element model simulations. Furthermore, the effect of thermal conductance tuning on spectral response is analyzed. The present thermal conductance tuning mechanisms result in variations in spectral response, which is an undesired effect in many applications. As a solution, a new microbolometer architecture is proposed, in which the spectral response is not affected by thermal conductance. The microbolometer is designed using an analytical model and its performance is characterized by finite element model simulations. To realize the proposed design, a fabrication process flow is offered. It is shown that the proposed microbolometer exhibits high performance, tunable thermal conductance and constant spectral response.

Modeling of natural phenomena has been of particular interest in the graphics ommunity in recent years. This thesis will explore a method for creating and animating orb webs using a coupled spring-mass system. Using a spring-mass system for creating the orb web is ideal as we can represent each web strand using coupled spring-mass pairs. This allows the orb web simulator to be physically based, i.e., the simulation follows the laws that act on objects in the real world. This in turn simplifies the process of animating the web, as the animation emerges from the simulator without anyone having to set it up explicitly. Since this model is physically based, it would allow for realistic visualization of effects such as observing an orb web under a wind. In the children's book ``Charlotte's Web', the spider creates orb webs with words inscribed on them. Charlotte's web is used as an inspiration, in this thesis, to create webs which no real world spider could possibly create, while keeping the model physically based. This involves modifying the orb web such that the target text shows up on the orb web while keeping the web looking as natural as possible.

¡@¡@With the rapid advance of information technology, embedded systems are becoming mature technology and have penetrated into most of the equipment. On the other hand, the unified modeling language (UML) has become a standard modeling language in object-oriented systems analysis and design. Over the past few years a considerable effort has been made in modeling the platform independent model (PIM) with UML for business information systems. However, the detailed guideline for modeling the PIM of embedded systems is lacking. ¡@¡@To alleviate the forgoing problem, this study proposed a PIM modeling methodology for embedded systems. This includes the use of sequence diagram, state machine diagram, timing diagram and class diagram for behavior and static modeling. For each diagram, the detailed modeling processes and rules are described. The research methodology is articulated using the design science research methodology. A usability evaluation is performed to demonstrate its applicability with a real-world embedded system case. With this proposed method, the system developer can easily model the PIM of embedded systems, and thereby enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of system development.

¡@¡@With the rapid advance of information technology, Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is becoming a mature technology. Many software firms have implemented it to enhance the flexibility and efficiency of system development. Several systems analysis and design methods have been proposed to develop the SOA systems. Among them, however, the detailed guideline and procedure for identifying the services and components in PIM (Platform Independent Model) stage are lacking. ¡@¡@To alleviate the forgoing problem, this study proposed a PIM modeling methodology for developing an SOA system. The methodology which includes the business process, service, and component layers, uses the unified modeling language to describe the detailed modeling processes and rules for each layer. The research methodology is articulated using the design science research methodology. A usability evaluation is performed to demonstrate its applicability with a testing case. With this proposed method, the system developer can easily model the PIM of SOA systems, and thereby enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of system development.

User interface (UI) has become the key element of modern information systems (ISs) and is commonly viewed as one of the decisive factors for the success of an IS project. Many component-based development tools have been introduced by software vendors to meet the needs of designing a variety of UIs. Such modern design tools offer system developer vehicles to create sophisticated UIs with a few codes. However, the modeling methodology from the stages of user requirement modeling to UI modeling based on the modern design tools is virtually lacking. This study presents an integrated modeling methodology, which integrates the unified modeling language with interface drawing and interface glossary to provide a seamless and graphical approach and specifications for component-based UI modeling from user requirement modeling. A real-world case using the integrated approach is presented and a prototype system is developed to illustrate the concepts, application, and the advantages of using the proposed methodology.

Abstract Today, in the industrial circumstance, to increase product¡¦s values are one of the primary sources of increasing competing edge. The product¡¦s value always base on continuous innovation of products and working methods. The findings of product¡¦s research and development (r&d) are the expertise of the business, so-called ¡uknow-how¡v. Whether these knowledge can be effectively spread, shared and reused, has significantly influenced on business. Therefore, effectively managing know-how becomes important issue of business. This paper proposed a framework and methodology for knowledge modeling. By use it to construct the knoweledge access architecture. The results provide a useful basis for reducing the time of r&d and increasing the product¡¦s value.

<p>E-business modeling is a concept that has several components and can be designed based on different combinations of them. Furthermore, it is a concept that is vulnerable to changes as it is associated with technology, which is developing rapidly day by day. By con-ducting this research on 1) how the companies are managing changes in a competitive envi-ronment by means of adjusting their e-business models, and 2) if there are any compo-nent(s) of e-business model(s) that has more importance than the others for the competi-tiveness of the company, the thesis intends to define the change management procedures that the organizations involved in e-business are using, and to compare the components of the e-business models in order to find out if there is any component that is more important than the others for the competitiveness of the organization.</p><p>We conducted the research through a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. A semi-structured interview method was chosen for the collection of qualitative data with the aim of acquiring in-depth information from our respondents. On the other hand, quan-titative data, which we gathered via questionnaire, provided us with the opportunity to make statistical inferences about the data.</p><p>According to our report, there are four components of e-business models; product innova-tion, customer relationship, infrastructure management, and financials. Each component has three elements. By asking the respondents to state the degree of importance of each element in each component, this thesis aims to compare the degree of importance of each component via statistical measures. Furthermore, by combining the statistical inferences with the qualitative data and theories related to the components of the e-business model, financials component is found to be more important than the other components for the competitiveness of the organization.</p><p>Additionally, this report uses several change management models and procedures from books and articles from the library and the Internet. In comparing those theories with the answers gathered from the respondents, we found out that being proactive towards the changes, applying changes without modifying the basic strategy of the organization, stress-ing on the training and involvement of the users, communication with users and stake-holders, and early commitment of the stakeholders were found to be important issues for the change management in an e-business environment. Besides, the utilization of external parties in the areas where organizations lack expertise concerning change was found to be important for a successful change in an e-business environment.</p><p>When we reviewed the research questions, we observed that the purpose has been fulfilled and the research questions have been properly answered. By considering the conclusion that has been derived, organizations could successfully design their e-business models and experience competitive advantage, and successfully manage changes that could take place in their e-business environment.</p>

As-built documentation is an essential set of records, consisting of construction drawings, specifications and equipment location, which are kept for facility management purposes. These documents are constantly being created and modified throughout the life of a project. This process is usually manual and fraught with errors, which inhibits reliable decision making. Technological advancements have made it possible to generate 3D models to assess as-built conditions for construction monitoring purposes, such as verifying conformance to baseline project schedules and contract specifications. For this purpose, 3D point clouds are widely generated using laser scanners. However, this approach has limitations in the construction industry due to the expensive and fragile equipment, lack of portability and need of trained operators. This study aims at investigating an alternate technology to generate as-built 3D point clouds using photos taken using handheld digital cameras, compare them against the original as-built 3D models, and check for accuracy of the modeling process. This analysis can aid in more reliable and effective decision making due to its cost effectiveness and ease of use, particularly in heavy infrastructure projects which are continually undergoing rehabilitation work. To achieve these objectives, a set of guidelines are developed for taking photographs that enable effective generation of 3D point clouds using off-the-shelf software packages. The accuracy of the modeling process is investigated using the results of the as-built 3D point cloud modeling of a 2000 feet under construction bridge in southern United States. Finally, the range of tolerance and deviation of element dimensions is determined by comparing the photo based model to the actual as-built model (developed using 2D drawings). Furthermore, to compare point clouds of laser scanning and photogrammetry, a laser scan and an image based survey of an exterior wall of a university building was also done. Results show that this technology in its present state is not suitable for modeling infrastructure projects, however technological developments can enable this to be an efficient way to extract measurements of inaccessible objects for progress monitoring purposes and the models can also be stored for future dimension takeoffs for decision making and asset management purposes. / text

The research evaluates the feasibility of assisting orthodontists to treat irregularities in teeth by computing the transformations to move each tooth to its ideal position. The intent is to help orthodontists craft a precise and specific treatment plan for each patient. Computation of the transformations is achieved through the use of a reverse engineering package, Geomagic Studio, and a three dimensional modeling program, Rhino3D. The inputs for finding the transformation are the patient's teeth mold and dental arch templates. A 3D laser scanner is used to form a point cloud data representation of the patient's teeth mold. Geomagic is used to construct a Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline surface for the mold. Rhino3D is used to manipulate this surface and compute the required transformations using the scripting platform, Rhinoscript, in Rhino3D. The steps in the process and the algorithms developed in Rhinoscript to compute the transformations are discussed. Three case studies are presented to demonstrate the process. / text