An all-solid-state continuous-wave (cw) laser system for mid-infrared absorption measurements of the carbon monoxide (CO) molecule has been developed and demonstrated. The single-mode, tunable output of an external-cavity diode laser (ECDL) is difference-frequency mixed (DFM) with the output of a 550-mW diode-pumped cw Nd:YAG laser in a periodically-poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal to produce tunable cw radiation in the mid-infrared. The wavelength of the 860-nm ECDL can be coarse tuned between 860.78 to 872.82 nm allowing the sensor to be operated in the 4.4 – 4.8 µm region. Results from single-pass mid-IR direct absorption experiments for CO concentration measurements are discussed. CO measurements were performed in CO/CO2/N2 mixtures in a room temperature gas cell that allowed the evaluation of the sensor operation and data reduction procedures. Field testing was performed at two locations: in the exhaust of a well-stirred reactor (WSR) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the exhaust of a gas turbine at Honeywell Engines and Systems. Field tests demonstrated the feasibility of the sensor for operation in harsh combustion environments but much improvement in the sensor design and operation was required. Experiments in near-adiabatic hydrogen/air CO2-doped flames were performed featuring two-line thermometry in the 4.8 µm spectral region. The sensor concentration measurement uncertainty was estimated at 2% for gas cell testing. CO concentration measurements agreed within 15% of conventional extractive sampling at WSR, and for the flame experiments the repeatability of the peak absorption gives a system uncertainty of 10%. The noise equivalent CO detection limit for these experiments was estimated at 2 ppm per meter, for combustion gas at 1000 K assuming a SNR ratio of 1.

Pressure within the esophagus arises from two mechanisms: intrabolus pressure, which is a hydrodynamic phenomenon, and esophageal occlusion pressure, which is a contact phenomenon. Current esophageal manometers are sensitive to both hydrodynamic and contact pressures and cannot distinguish between the two measurements in the absence of other information. It has been shown that measurement of intrabolus pressure is a clinically relevant parameter in esophageal manometry. There is no single device available that can obtain this measurement directly. This work presents a novel fibre optic-based flexible catheter for high resolution manometry with sensing pods that can be selectively sensitized to either hydrodynamic pressure alone, or contact and hydrodynamic pressure, offering sensing schemes not possible with existing high resolution manometers. The catheter is designed to be used with a time division multiplexing interrogation technique, yielding a system capable of exceeding the 36-sensor count limit of current solid state manometers. The device consists of rigid sensing pods connected by flexible tubing with in-fiber Bragg gratings acting as sensing elements within each of the pods. Absent in each sensing pod are rigid anchor points, representing a novel departure from comparable designs and resulting in increased sensitivity and decoupling from axial loading. Device functionality is demonstrated through bench top trials. A pressure sensitivity of 1.8 pm/mmHg and axial sensitivity of 11 mmHg/N of applied load is demonstrated. Crosstalk between individual sensors is characterized and a compensation scheme is developed and validated. Temperature response is demonstrated to be linear such that its confounding can be corrected for procedurally. Sensing schemes afforded by this design may yield clinically relevant parameters not achievable by any single existing device. / Graduate

The aim of this work is development of an optical sensor for surface-velocity measurement based on ordinary optical mouse sensor. The proposed sensor should have find its usage in industrial applications for low-cost contactless measurement of conveyor belts or semi-finished products, thus some other gauges could check quality of products. Theoretical part of this thesis includes introduction to optical sensors and their usage. Rest of the work describes practical part consisting of programming of communication between sensor and PC in MATLAB and Arduino environments, development of simple device based on Arduino hardware, the set-up of experimental workplace and providing speed tests.

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Relative motion between residual limb and prosthetic socket is an indication of poor fit. Both the fabrication and fitting processes are highly subjective and a favorable result depends upon the technician's expertise. Although numerous methods exist to measure the relative motion, all have limitations and are not well suited for clinical use. A measurement system using optical sensors has been proposed by students at the Technische Universität Darmstadt and evaluations of a functional model have yielded promising results. In this thesis, the existing functional model is improved and expanded to use an array of sensors. A new microcontroller is selected and incorporated into the system. The software and data communication are optimized for fast, reliable performance and the system is then evaluated on a test rig to determine favorable calibration settings and quantify performance. System frequencies up to 1299 Hz are achieved. It is found that the surface microstructure has a dominant effect over short measurement distances; calibrations performed over longer distances are to be preferred. For the chosen calibration factors, the greatest relative errors over a 40 mm distance are found to be 0.90% ± 0.51% in the X direction and -4.76% ± 1.61% in the Y-direction. A systematic drift is also identified. The final system accommodates up to eight sensors and is controlled from a feature-rich MATLAB GUI. / Master of Science / In lower limb prosthetics, the amount of relative motion between the prosthesis and residual limb is considered an indicator of the quality of fit. As existing methods for measuring this motion are generally difficult to use, a simpler system is desired. The task for this master's thesis is to develop an existing functional model into a measurement system with multiple sensors and validate its performance. The first step is to upgrade the microcontroller responsible for reading the sensor data and transmitting it to the PC. The original codes for both the microcontroller and PC-side Graphical User Interface (GUI) are then examined and optimized for maximum speed. The system is expanded to accommodate multiple sensors and its performance evaluated using a test-rig. Finally, the completed system is prepared for use in a future study by creating the appropriate component housings, wiring, and software functionalities.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering / Naiqian Zhang / An optical sensor for determining water velocity in natural open channels like creeks and rivers has been designed and tested. The sensor consists of a plastic body which is shaped so that water flows through a U-shaped channel into which are mounted LEDs and matching phototransistors at various angles. A small amount of dye is injected into the water just upstream of two sets of LEDs and phototransistors which are spaced 4 cm apart. The time delay between the dye’s effects on these signals depends on water velocity and is determined using a biased cross correlation calculation. In addition to providing velocity, the LEDs and phototransistors can also be used to estimate soil sediment concentration. A previous version of the sensor was tested in enclosed flow to confirm that the general design of the sensor, including LEDs, phototransistors, dye and electronics, would indeed work to detect the velocity of water flowing through the sensor. Although the conditions for the test were unlike those experienced in natural open channels, the ability to catch all the fluid flowing through the sensor provided a simple confirmation of the velocity estimate that was not available in field settings. Further testing in the field then confirmed that the sensor worked in the field but also identified several areas needing improvement. Computational fluid dynamics was used to improve the sensor body. The electronics and program running the sensor were also redesigned. After making these improvements, a new version of the sensor was produced. The testing of the new version of the sensor confirmed its ability to accurately detect velocity in natural open channels. The velocity measurements from this sensor were compared to the commercially available Flowtracker velocity sensor. A regression analysis on the measurements from the two sensors found that the velocity measurements from each sensor were nearly identical across a range of velocities. Other tests established that the electronics and programming running the sensor performed as designed. The development and testing of this sensor has resulted in a system which works in natural open channels like creeks and rivers.

Diversas aplicações são responsáveis por gerar dados ao longo do tempo de maneira contínua, ordenada e ininterrupta em um ambiente dinâmico, denominados fluxo de dados. Entre possíveis tarefas que podem ser realizadas com estes dados, classificação é uma das mais proeminentes. Devido à natureza não estacionária do ambiente responsável por gerar os dados, as características que descrevem os conceitos das classes do problema de classificação podem se alterar ao longo do tempo. Por isso, classificadores de fluxo de dados requerem constantes atualizações em seus modelos para que a taxa de acerto se mantenha estável ao longo do tempo. Na etapa de atualização a maior parte das abordagens considera que, após a predição de cada exemplo, o seu rótulo correto é imediatamente disponibilizado sem qualquer atraso de tempo (latência nula). Devido aos altos custos do processo de rotulação, os rótulos corretos nem sempre podem ser obtidos para a maior parte dos dados ou são obtidos após um considerável atraso de tempo. No caso mais desafiador, encontram-se as aplicações em que após a etapa de classificação dos exemplos, os seus respectivos rótulos corretos nunca sã disponibilizados para o algoritmo, caso chamado de latência extrema. Neste cenário, não é possível o uso de abordagens tradicionais, sendo necessário o desenvolvimento de novos métodos que sejam capazes de manter um modelo de classificação atualizado mesmo na ausência de dados rotulados. Nesta tese, além de discutir o problema de latência na tarefa de classificação de fluxo de dados não estacionários, negligenciado por boa parte da literatura, também sã propostos dois algoritmos denominados SCARGC e MClassification para o cenário de latência extrema. Ambas as propostas se baseiam no uso de técnicas de agrupamento para a adaptação à mudanças de maneira não supervisionada. Os algoritmos propostos são intuitivos, simples e apresentam resultados superiores ou equivalentes a outros algoritmos da literatura em avaliações com dados sintéticos e reais, tanto em termos de acurácia de classificação como em tempo computacional. Aléem de buscar o avanço no estado-da-arte na área de aprendizado em fluxo de dados, este trabalho também apresenta contribuições para uma importante aplicação tecnológica com impacto social e na saúde pública. Especificamente, explorou-se um sensor óptico para a identificação automática de espécies de insetos a partir da análise de informações provenientes do batimento de asas dos insetos. Para a descrição dos dados, foi verificado que os coeficientes Mel-cepstrais apresentaram os melhores resultados entre as diferentes técnicas de processamento digital de sinais avaliadas. Este sensor é um exemplo concreto de aplicação responsável por gerar um fluxo de dados em que é necessário realizar classificações em tempo real. Durante a etapa de classificação, este sensor exige a adaptação a possíveis variações em condições ambientais, responsáveis por alterar o comportamento dos insetos ao longo do tempo. Para lidar com este problema, é proposto um Sistema com Múltiplos Classificadores que realiza a seleção dinâmica do classificador mais adequado de acordo com características de cada exemplo de teste. Em avaliações com mudanças pouco significativas nas condições ambientais, foi possível obter uma acurácia de classificação próxima de 90%, no cenário com múltiplas classes e, cerca de 95% para a identificação da espécie Aedes aegypti, considerando o treinamento com uma única classe. No cenário com mudanças significativas nos dados, foi possível obter 91% de acurácia em um problema com 5 classes e 96% para a classificação de insetos vetores de importantes doenças como dengue e zika vírus. / Many applications are able to generate data continuously over t ime in an ordered and uninterrupted way in a dynamic environment , called data streams. Among possible tasks that can be performed with these data, classification is one of the most prominent . Due to non-stationarity of the environment that generates the data, the features that describe the concepts of the classes can change over time. Thus, the classifiers that deal with data streams require constants updates in their classification models to maintain a stable accuracy over time. In the update phase, most of the approaches assume that after the classification of each example from the stream, their actual class label is available without any t ime delay (zero latency). Given the high label costs, it is more reasonable to consider that this delay could vary for the most portion of the data. In the more challenging case, there are applications with extreme latency, where in after the classification of the examples, heir actual class labels are never available to the algorithm. In this scenario, it is not possible to use traditional approaches. Thus, there is the need of new methods that are able to maintain a classification model updated in the absence of labeled data. In this thesis, besides to discuss the problem of latency to obtain actual labels in data stream classification problems, neglected by most of the works, we also propose two new algorithms to deal with extreme latency, called SCARGC and MClassification. Both algorithms are based on the use of clustering approaches to adapt to changes in an unsupervised way. The proposed algorithms are intuitive, simpleand showed superior or equivalent results in terms of accuracy and computation time compared to other approaches from literature in an evaluation on synthetic and real data. In addition to the advance in the state-of-the-art in the stream learning area, this thesis also presents contributions to an important technological application with social and public health impacts. Specifically, it was studied an optical sensor to automatically identify insect species by the means of the analysis of information coming from wing beat of insects. To describe the data, we conclude that the Mel-cepst ral coefficients guide to the best results among different evaluated digital signal processing techniques. This sensor is a concrete example of an applicat ion that generates a data st ream for which it is necessary to perform real-time classification. During the classification phase, this sensor must adapt their classification model to possible variat ions in environmental conditions, responsible for changing the behavior of insects. To address this problem, we propose a System with Multiple Classifiers that dynamically selects the most adequate classifier according to characteristics of each test example. In evaluations with minor changes in the environmental conditions, we achieved a classification accuracy close to 90% in a scenario with multiple classes and 95% when identifying Aedes aegypti species considering the training phase with only the positive class. In the scenario with considerable changes in the environmental conditions, we achieved 91% of accuracy considering 5 species and 96% to classify vector mosquitoes of important diseases as dengue and zika virus.

A área de sensores é uma das mais importantes do mundo tecnológico e científico moderno. O monitoramento contínuo de processos através de variáveis de diversas naturezas está presente em áreas como indústria, agricultura, biologia, meio ambiente, e centros de pesquisa. Os sensores químicos de pH fazem parte deste conjunto por analisar um dos parâmetros mais importantes em muitas áreas. Neste trabalho, o uso de filmes finos de polianilina (PANI) eletrodepositada em sensores de pH foi estudado. Duas configurações do sensor EGFET (Extended Gate Field-Effect Transistor) foram estudadas: o sensor Single-EGFET (S-EGFET) e o sensor Instrumental Amplifier-EGFET (IA-EGFET). Os filmes foram analisados nos dois sistemas e a sensibilidade e linearidade de cada sensor, comparada. Valores iniciais de sensibilidade no sensor IA-EGFET foram reduzidas devido a protonação interna do polímero quando medidos no sensor S-EGFET. Observamos uma relação entre quantidade de material polimérico depositado e o grau de alteração dos parâmetros. Os filmes de PANI foram estudados em sensores IA-EGFET como passo inicial para aplica-los em sensores diferencias, Diferencial-IA-EGFET (D-IA-EGFET). Desenvolveu-se o sensor diferencial por esse apresentar a vantagem de ser insensível a ruído (temperatura, tempo, sistema eletrônico, concentração, etc.) sobre o sensor simples. Para este sensor temos um filme principal com alta sensibilidade ao íon de interesse, um filme de contraste com baixa sensibilidade aos íons de interesse e igual sensibilidade às fontes indesejáveis. Esses pares de filmes foram compostos por PANI, protonada e não protonada, óxido de estanho dopado com flúor e dióxido de titânio. Medidas diferenciais em função de temperatura, concentração da solução de estudo e tempo mostraram que um mecanismo de sensibilidade a íons e propriedades elétricas similares dos filmes gera um sensor diferencial bom e estável. A PANI é um material poli-eletrocrômico, isto é, seu estado de oxidação altera sua coloração. Utilizando filmes finos de PANI, que sofrem reações de protonação e desprotonação em contato com soluções ácidas e básicas, obtivemos um sensor ótico analisando os espectros de reflexão das amostras. Uma resposta aprimorada por polarização elétrica das amostras mostrou aumento da sensibilidade e diminuição da linearidade do sensor em função da variação da polarização, fazendo necessária a obtenção de um ponto ótimo de trabalho. / The study of sensors is one of the most important in the technological and scientific modern world. Continuous monitoring of processes, using variables of different types, is present in such areas as industry, agriculture, biology, environment, and research centers. Chemical pH sensors are part of this group due to its capability to analyze important parameter in many fields. In this MS we investigated the use of electrodeposited polyaniline (PANI) thin films as pH sensors. Two configurations of the EGFET (Extended Gate Field-Effect Transistor) sensor were studied: the Single-EGFET (S-EGFET) and the Instrumental Amplifier-EGFET (IA-EGFET). The films were analyzed in both systems and the sensitivity and linearity of each sensor were compared. Initial sensitivities measured in the IA-EGFET were reduced due to polymer bulk protonation after sequential measurement in the S-EGFET system. A relationship between the amount of deposited polymer and the degree of sensitivity change was observed. The films of PANI were studied in IA-EGFET sensors prior to its application in differential mode sensors, the Differential-IA-EGFET (D-IA-EGFET). The differential mode of operation was developed due to its advantage of being insensitivity to noise (temperature, electronic, time and buffer concentration variations) over the single one. The sensor has a principal film possessing high sensitivity to the target ion and a contrast film with a low sensitivity to the target ion, and both with the same sensitivity to the noise sources. These films were made of PANI, protonated and non-protonated, fluorine tin oxide, and titanium dioxide. Differential measurements as function of temperature, buffer concentration and time showed that similarity in ion-sensing mechanisms and electrical properties of the single films is necessary for the fabrication of good and stable differential sensors. PANI is a polyelectrochromic material, in other words, its oxidation state changes its color. Thin films of PANI (which can be protonated or deprotonated in contact to acid or basic solutions) were used in optical sensors by means of its reflective spectra. A bias-enhanced reflective response increased the films sensitivity and decreases its linearity, inducing the determination of an optimized working point.

New Quasi-optical sensor technology, based on the millimetre and submillimetre band of the electromagnetic spectrum, is actually being implemented for many commercial and scientific applications such as remote sensing, astronomy, collision avoidance radar, etc. These novel devices make use of integrated active and passive structures usually as planar arrays. The electromagnetic design and computer simulation of these new structures requires novel numerical techniques. The Finite Difference Time Domain method (FDTD) is well suited for the electromagnetic analysis of integrated devices using active non-linear elements, but is difficult to use for large and/or periodic structures. A rigorous revision of this popular numerical technique is performed in order to permit FDTD to model practical quasi-optical devices. The system impulse response or discrete Green's function (DGF) for FDTD is determined as a polynomial then the FDTD technique is reformulated as a convolution sum. This new alternative algorithm avoids Absorbing Boundary Conditions (ABC's) and can save large amounts of memory to model wire or slot structures. Many applications for the DGF can be foreseen, going beyond quasi-optical components. As an example, the exact ABC based on the DGF for FDTD is implemented for a single grid wall is presented. The problem of time domain analysis of planar periodic structures modelling only one periodic cell is also investigated. Simple Periodic Boundary Conditions (PBC) can be implemented for FDTD, but they can not handle periodic devices (such as phased shift arrays or dichroic screens) which produce fields periodic in a 4D basis (three spatial dimensions plus time). An extended FDTD scheme is presented which uses Lorentz type coordinate transformations to reduce the problem to 3D. The analysis of non-linear devices using FDTD is also considered in the thesis. In this case, the non linear devices are always model using an equivalent lumped element circuit. These circuits are introduced into the FDTD grid by means of the current density following an iterative implicit algorithm. As a demonstration of the technique a quasi-optically feed slot ring mixer with integral lens is designed for operation at 650 GHz.