Networking multiple "smart" displays together is an affordable way of creating large high-resolution display systems. In this work I propose a new structure and data distribution paradigm for displays of this nature. I model my work on the peer-to-peer style of content distribution, as opposed to the traditional client-server model for this kind of system. In taking a peer-to-peer approach, I present a low-cost and scalable system without the inherent constraints imposed by the client-server model. I present a new class of applications specifically designed for this peer-to-peer style of display system, and provide an easy-to-use framework for developers to use in creating this type of system. / Graduate / 0984

Networking multiple "smart" displays together is an affordable way of creating large high-resolution display systems. In this work I propose a new structure and data distribution paradigm for displays of this nature. I model my work on the peer-to-peer style of content distribution, as opposed to the traditional client-server model for this kind of system. In taking a peer-to-peer approach, I present a low-cost and scalable system without the inherent constraints imposed by the client-server model. I present a new class of applications specifically designed for this peer-to-peer style of display system, and provide an easy-to-use framework for developers to use in creating this type of system. / Graduate / 0984

Television static represents the absence of a legible image and the presence of something iconic and disturbing - a sinister abstraction. These repeating rhythms also occur in the Hail Mary prayer, in the houses in my neighborhood, in large crowds, and in my mother's crotchet patterns. The unsettling aspect of repetitive mark making in my drawings mirrors in part my psychotherapy, in which the past is revived over and over, as well as the idea of penance absorbed through my Catholic background.Since moving away from Mexico I have been using imagery related to the United States: rivers, mountains, and landscapes. But in the final drawings this subject matter remains distant to me; I connect to the work only through making marks on paper. On one level, specificity is important: which river? or which mountain?, but another kind of connection is made when the images cease to be legible. As information accumulates on the surface, I am interested in a purely visual and phenomenological effect that briefly defies the emotional nature of my source material.

Persistics is an advanced framework for processing wide-area aerial surveillance video. This framework handles the tasks of data collection, stitching of multi-sensor imagery, image registration and stabilization, motion tracking, and compression. As the technology for image sensor sizes improves, significant improvements in compression techniques are necessary in order to make full use of the data. Because the information of interest in such video is naturally moving, point-like targets, the applicability of foveated coding to the compression problem is an interesting question. Foveated coding, a compression technique that was designed to be perceptually optimal for the human visual system, has several components that are appropriate to the persistics compression problem. Foveation is applied in several different scenarios and methods to persistics data. As foveation can make good use of the persistics tracker data, a problem affecting tracker performance is explored as well. The multi-sensor stitching component of persistics can generate artifacts that reduce the effectiveness of the tracker. A method for characterizing, detecting, and correcting such artifacts is desirable. These three concepts are explored, and a method for detection is developed. Components of these algorithms were absorbed into a more general framework for artifact correction. / text

Traditionally large format displays have been achieved using software. A new technique of using hardware based anywhere pixel routing is explored in this thesis. Information stored in a Look Up Table (LUT) in the hardware can be used to tile two image streams to produce a seamless image display. This thesis develops a 1 input-image 1 output-image system that implements arbitrary image warping on the image, based a LUT stored in memory. The developed system control mechanism is first validated using simulation results. It is next validated via implementation to a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based hardware prototype and appropriate experimental testing. It was validated by changing the contents of the LUT and observing that the resulting changes on the pixel mapping were always correct.

År 2017 genomfördes ett projekt att vidareutveckla en äldre 3D-skrivare för att skapa en större och mer robust skrivare. Denna 3D-skrivare blev tyvärr aldrig blev färdigställd och med ett ökat behov av tillverkning av komplexa prototyper fanns behovet att färdigställa 3D-skrivaren. Detta arbete startades genom att undersöka 3D-skrivarens komponenter och komplettera med det som saknades. Styrkortet Duet 2 jämfördes mot andra styrkort för att undersöka ifall det var tillräckligt till 3D-skrivaren. En pekskärm och expansionskort kompletterades då till styrkortet. Inbyggd programvara till styrkortet saknades så detta uppdaterades och ställdes in korrekt. Olika typer av inbyggd programvara jämfördes även. En inkapsling för byggytan konstruerades av plexiglas för att skydda mot drag från fönster och ventilation. Styrkort monterades även i en separat inkapsling med tillhörande fläktar för att säkerställa funktion. En PEI byggyta och silikonvärmeplatta monterades på byggplattan och kopplades in med ett halvledarrelä till styrkortet. Med alla komponenter monterades provkördes slutligen 3D-skrivaren och kvalitetstestades grundligt med en #3Dbenchy i 250% skala. Resultatet av projektet blev vidareutvecklad och färdigställd 3D-skrivare i storformat kapabel att tillverka avancerade 3D-utskrifter med godkänd kvalitet. / In 2017, a project was carried out to further develop an older 3D printer to create a larger and more robust printer. This 3D-printer was unfortunately never completed and with an increased need to manufacture complex prototypes there was a need to complete the 3D-printer. This work was started by examining the 3D-printer's components and supplementing with what was missing. The Duet 2 control board was compared against other control boards to investigate if it was sufficient for the 3D-printer. A touch screen and expansion card were then added to the control board. Firmware for the control board was missing so this was updated and set up correctly. Different types of firmware were also compared. An enclosure for the print bed was constructed from Plexiglas to protect against drafts from windows and ventilation. Control boards were also mounted in a separate compartment with associated fans to ensure correct function. A PEI build surface and silicon heater pad were mounted on the build plate and connected with a solid-state relay to the control board. With all the components mounted the 3D printer was test run and quality tested thoroughly with a #3Dbenchy at 250% scale. The result of the project was a further developed and completed 3D printer in large-format capable of producing advanced 3D-prints with adequate quality.

The overall goal of this research work is to enhance the capabilities of large-format, polymer material extrusion, additive manufacturing (AM) systems. Specifically, the aims of this research are to (1) Construct, and develop a robust workflow for, a large-format, robotic, AM system; (2) Develop an algorithm for determining and relaying proper rotation commands for 5 degree of freedom (DoF) multi-axis deposition; and (3) Create a method for printing a removable support material in large-format AM. The development and systems-integration of a large-format, pellet-fed, polymer, material extrusion (ME), AM system that leverages an industrial robotic arm is presented. The robotic arm is used instead of the conventional gantry motion stage due to its multi-axis printing ability, ease of tool changes for multi-material deposition and/or subtraction, and relatively small machine footprint. A novel workflow is presented as a method to control the robotic arm for layer-wise fabrication of parts, and several machine modifications and workflow enhancements are presented to extend the multi-axis manufacturing capabilities of the robot. This workflow utilizes existing AM slicers to simplify the motion path planning for the robotic arm, as well as allowing the workflow to not be restricted to a single robotic deposition system. To enable multi-axis deposition, a method for generating tool orientations and resulting deposition toolpaths from a geometry's STL file was developed for 5-DoF conformal printing and validated via simulation using several different multi-DOF robotic arm platforms. Furthermore, this research proposes a novel method of depositing a secondary sacrificial support material was created for large-format AM to enable the fabrication of complex geometries with overhanging features. This method employs a simple tool change to deposit a secondary, water-soluble polymer at the interfaces between the part and supporting structures. In addition, a means to separate support material into smaller sections to extend the range of geometries able to be manufactured via large-format AM is presented. The resultant method was used to manufacture a geometry that would traditionally be considered unprintable on conventional large-format AM systems. / Master of Science / Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is a method of manufacturing objects in a layer-by-layer technique. Large-format AM is typically defined as an AM system that can create an object larger than 1 m3. There are only a few manufacturers in the world of these systems, and all currently are built on gantry-based motion stages that only allow movement of the printer in three principal axes (X, Y, Z). The primary goal of this thesis is to construct a large-format AM system that uses a robotic arm to enable printing in any direction or orientation. The use of an industrial robotic arm enables printing in multiple planes, which can be used to print structures without support structures, print onto curved surfaces, and to purt with curved layers which produces a smoother external part surface. The design of the large-format AM system was validated through successful printing of objects as large as 1.0x0.5x1.2 m, simultaneous printing of a sacrificial support material to enable overhanging features, and through completing multi-axis printing. To enable multi-axis printing, an algorithm was developed to determine the proper toolpath location and relative orientation to the part surface. Using a part's STL file as input, the algorithm identifies the normal vector at each movement command, which is then used to calculate the required tool orientation. The tool orientations are then assembled with the movement commands to complete the multi-axis toolpath for the robot to perform. Finally, this research presents a method of using a second printing tool to deposit a secondary, water-soluble material to act as supporting structures for overhanging and bridging part features. While typical 3D printers can generally print sacrificial material for supporting overhangs, large-format printers produce layers up to 25 mm wide, rendering any support material impossible to remove without post-process machining. This limits the range of geometries able to be printed to just those with no steep overhangs, or those where the support material is easily reachable by a tool for removal. The solution presented in this work enables the large scale AM processes to create complex geometries.

Additive manufacturing (AM) continues to offer new possibilities in both production and economics. Various industries have quickly adopted AM to rapidly produce parts that would be difficult or cost prohibitive otherwise. Despite ongoing innovations that expand the technology's capabilities, significant limitations persist. Most AM processes are restricted by materials available, an inability to produce large parts, or by not achieving material deposition speeds and volumes to allow for certain products feasible. In addition, tight tolerances for features and surfaces cannot be produced without substantial post processing. Some of the post-processing techniques can even affect the material properties of the finished product. High-speed Fused Granulate Fabrication (FGF), a Large Format Additive Manufacturing (LFAM) process, in combination with Hybrid Manufacturing (HM) offers expanded capabilities as additive and subtractive processes are used within the same space. This combination also allows for a different kind of additive process where an open mold can be cut from a substrate and then filled using the FGF process to fabricate parts without layers. This, in combination with Large Area Additive Manufacturing (LAAM), enables parts to leverage the strengths of new and traditional methods at scales, speeds, methods, and materials not feasible with other additive processes. This study investigates the mechanical and tribological properties of three common polymer materials (polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate glycol, and fiberglass reinforced polypropylene) using both layered and open-molded FGF techniques. The results indicate that FGF can produce parts with superior strength and isotropy compared to traditional Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) as well as properties comparable to traditional processes such as injection molding. Open molding produced parts with mechanical properties in certain materials that are close to those of layer-deposited parts, but with improved surface finishes. The findings suggest that material performance is highly dependent on the chosen method and material, with FGF providing significant advantages or disadvantages in terms of material properties and surface quality.

This thesis presents the development of CMOS readout electronics for microbolometer type infrared detector arrays. A low power output buffering architecture and a new bias correction digital-to-analog converter (DAC) structure for resistive microbolometer readouts is developed / and a 384x288 resistive microbolometer FPA readout for 35 &micro / m pixel pitch is designed and fabricated in a standard 0.6 &micro / m CMOS process. A 4-layer PCB is also prepared in order to form an imaging system together with the FPA after detector fabrication. The low power output buffering architecture employs a new buffering scheme that reduces the capacitive load and hence, the power dissipation of the readout channels. Furthermore, a special type operational amplifier with digitally controllable output current capability is designed in order to use the power more efficiently. With the combination of these two methods, the power dissipation of the output buffering structure of a 384x288 microbolometer FPA with 35 &micro / m pixel pitch operating at 50 fps with two output channels can be decreased to 8.96% of its initial value. The new bias correction DAC structure is designed to overcome the power dissipation and noise problems of the previous designs at METU. The structure is composed of two resistive ladder DAC stages, which are capable of providing multiple outputs. This feature of the resistive ladders reduces the overall area and power dissipation of the structure and enables the implementation of a dedicated DAC for each readout channel. As a result, the need for the sampling operation required in the previous designs is eliminated. Elimination of sampling prevents the concentration of the noise into the baseband, and therefore, allows most of the noise to be filtered out by integration. A 384x288 resistive microbolometer FPA readout with 35 &amp / #956 / m pixel pitch is designed and fabricated in a standard 0.6 &amp / #956 / m CMOS process. The fabricated chip occupies an area of 17.84 mm x 16.23 mm, and needs 32 pads for normal operation. The readout employs the low power output buffering architecture and the new bias correction DAC structure / therefore, it has significantly low power dissipation when compared to the previous designs at METU. A 4-layer imaging PCB is also designed for the FPA, and initial tests are performed with the same PCB. Results of the performed tests verify the proper operation of the readout. The rms output noise of the imaging system and the power dissipation of the readout when operating at a speed of 50 fps is measured as 1.76 mV and 236.9 mW, respectively.

This research project is concerned with workers’ narratives, specifically those who have been employed in paid work below the national minimum wage in New Zealand. As a graphic designer who has direct experience of exploitation through employment, I am interested in researching the subjective experience of underpaid workers in New Zealand. In doing this I have sought to creatively synthesize experiences into artworks that provide a deeper insight into the impact of underpaid work. Through this investigation I have attempted to contribute to a broader discussion of underpaid work than what is currently provided, through the analysis of statistical data. In undertaking this project I have also been concerned with investigating new potentials in serigraphy (a graphic medium traditionally associated with working-class politics). I have inquired into how it might be used to create a visual ‘voice’ for contemporary workers’ narratives. Accordingly, this project has employed audio recordings of three personal stories. The research has led to the production of a series of serigraphic prints that artistically interpret the journeys and experiences of the participants. These images sit in discourse with looped audio excerpts of their recorded interviews. In this approach, narratives of marginalisation that have often been muted through their presentation as written records, have been re-conceptualised as an artists' images, with which the recordings are in discussion.