The demand for larger and lighter mechanisms for next-generation space missions necessitates using deployable structures. High-strain fiber polymer composites show considerable promise for such applications due to their exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, manufacturing versatility, packaging efficiency, and capacity for self-deployment using stored strain energy. However, a significant challenge in using composite deployable structures for space applications arises from the unavoidable extended stowage periods before they are deployed into their operational configuration in orbit. During the stowage period, the polymers within the composites experience material degradation due to their inherent viscoelastic and/or plastic properties, causing stress relaxation and accumulation of plastic strains, thereby reducing the deployment capability and resulting in issues related to recovery accuracy. This paper aims to give a state-of-the-art review of recent advances in the design, modeling, and manufacturing of high-strain composites for deployable structures in space applications, emphasizing the long-term stowage effects. This review is intended to initiate discussion of future research to enable efficient, robust, and accurate design of composite deployable structures that account for the enduring challenges posed by long-term stowage effects. Xiaofei Ma and colleagues provide a review of high-strain composite materials and their use in deployable space structures. The review contributes a broad overview of the field and discusses important design considerations for high-strain composite structures including manufacturing, viscoelasticity, and material selection.
{"title":"Design, modeling, and manufacturing of high strain composites for space deployable structures","authors":"Xiaofei Ma, Ning An, Qiang Cong, Jiang-Bo Bai, Minger Wu, Yan Xu, Jinxiong Zhou, Dayu Zhang, Taotao Zhang, Ruiwen Guo, Huanxiao Li, Yizhe Wang, Xiaotao Zhou, Jialong Zhu, Xin Jin, Yuqing Feng, Di Wu, Tian-Wei Liu, Zhongxi Yan, Tong Wu, Haotian Xi, Qilong Jia","doi":"10.1038/s44172-024-00223-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44172-024-00223-2","url":null,"abstract":"The demand for larger and lighter mechanisms for next-generation space missions necessitates using deployable structures. High-strain fiber polymer composites show considerable promise for such applications due to their exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, manufacturing versatility, packaging efficiency, and capacity for self-deployment using stored strain energy. However, a significant challenge in using composite deployable structures for space applications arises from the unavoidable extended stowage periods before they are deployed into their operational configuration in orbit. During the stowage period, the polymers within the composites experience material degradation due to their inherent viscoelastic and/or plastic properties, causing stress relaxation and accumulation of plastic strains, thereby reducing the deployment capability and resulting in issues related to recovery accuracy. This paper aims to give a state-of-the-art review of recent advances in the design, modeling, and manufacturing of high-strain composites for deployable structures in space applications, emphasizing the long-term stowage effects. This review is intended to initiate discussion of future research to enable efficient, robust, and accurate design of composite deployable structures that account for the enduring challenges posed by long-term stowage effects. Xiaofei Ma and colleagues provide a review of high-strain composite materials and their use in deployable space structures. The review contributes a broad overview of the field and discusses important design considerations for high-strain composite structures including manufacturing, viscoelasticity, and material selection.","PeriodicalId":72644,"journal":{"name":"Communications engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44172-024-00223-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141298865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-04DOI: 10.1038/s44172-024-00224-1
Sylvain Guerber, Daivid Fowler, Laurent Mollard, Christel Dieppedale, Gwenael Le Rhun, Antoine Hamelin, Jonathan Faugier-Tovar, Kim Abdoul-Carime
Three dimensional sensing is essential in order that machines may operate in and interact with complex dynamic environments. Solid-state beam scanning devices are seen as being key to achieving required system specifications in terms of sensing range, resolution, refresh rate and cost. Integrated optical phased arrays fabricated on silicon wafers are a potential solution, but demonstrated devices with system-level performance currently rely on expensive widely tunable source lasers. Here, we combine silicon nitride photonics and micro-electromechanical system technologies, demonstrating the integration of an active photonic beam-steering circuit into a piezoelectric actuated micro cantilever. An optical phased array, operating at a wavelength of 905 nm, provides output beam scanning over a range of 17° in one dimension, while the inclination of the entire circuit and consequently the angle of the output beam in a second dimension can be independently modified over a range of up to 40° using the piezoelectric actuator. Sylvain Guerber and colleagues present a method for biaxial beam steering with an optical phased array integrated within a piezoelectric activated MEMS cantilever. This approach is helpful to avoid the use of a tunable laser to achieve 2D beam steering.
{"title":"Active optical phased array integrated within a micro-cantilever","authors":"Sylvain Guerber, Daivid Fowler, Laurent Mollard, Christel Dieppedale, Gwenael Le Rhun, Antoine Hamelin, Jonathan Faugier-Tovar, Kim Abdoul-Carime","doi":"10.1038/s44172-024-00224-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44172-024-00224-1","url":null,"abstract":"Three dimensional sensing is essential in order that machines may operate in and interact with complex dynamic environments. Solid-state beam scanning devices are seen as being key to achieving required system specifications in terms of sensing range, resolution, refresh rate and cost. Integrated optical phased arrays fabricated on silicon wafers are a potential solution, but demonstrated devices with system-level performance currently rely on expensive widely tunable source lasers. Here, we combine silicon nitride photonics and micro-electromechanical system technologies, demonstrating the integration of an active photonic beam-steering circuit into a piezoelectric actuated micro cantilever. An optical phased array, operating at a wavelength of 905 nm, provides output beam scanning over a range of 17° in one dimension, while the inclination of the entire circuit and consequently the angle of the output beam in a second dimension can be independently modified over a range of up to 40° using the piezoelectric actuator. Sylvain Guerber and colleagues present a method for biaxial beam steering with an optical phased array integrated within a piezoelectric activated MEMS cantilever. This approach is helpful to avoid the use of a tunable laser to achieve 2D beam steering.","PeriodicalId":72644,"journal":{"name":"Communications engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44172-024-00224-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141251545","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-31DOI: 10.1038/s44172-024-00220-5
Long Chen, Yuting Xie, Yuhang He, Yunfeng Ai, Bin Tian, Lingxi Li, Shirong Ge, Fei-Yue Wang
Autonomous mining is promising to address several current issues in the mining sector, such as low productivity, safety concerns, and labor shortages. Although partial automation has been achieved in some mining operations, fully autonomous mining remains challenging due to its complexity and scalability in field environments. Here we propose an autonomous mining framework based on the parallel intelligence methodology, employing self-evolving digital twins to model and guide mining processes in the real world. Our framework features a virtual mining subsystem that learns from simulating real-world scenarios and generates new ones, allowing for low-cost training and testing of the integrated autonomous mining system. Through initial validation and extensive testing, particularly in open-pit mining scenarios, our framework has demonstrated stable and efficient autonomous operations. We’ve since deployed it across more than 30 mines, resulting in the extraction of over 30 million tons of minerals. This implementation effectively eliminates the exposure of human operators to hazardous conditions while ensuring 24-hour uninterrupted operation. Long Chen and colleagues show a fully autonomous open-pit mine. Heterogenous machinery and tasks are coordinated using parallel learning and digital twins.
{"title":"Autonomous mining through cooperative driving and operations enabled by parallel intelligence","authors":"Long Chen, Yuting Xie, Yuhang He, Yunfeng Ai, Bin Tian, Lingxi Li, Shirong Ge, Fei-Yue Wang","doi":"10.1038/s44172-024-00220-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44172-024-00220-5","url":null,"abstract":"Autonomous mining is promising to address several current issues in the mining sector, such as low productivity, safety concerns, and labor shortages. Although partial automation has been achieved in some mining operations, fully autonomous mining remains challenging due to its complexity and scalability in field environments. Here we propose an autonomous mining framework based on the parallel intelligence methodology, employing self-evolving digital twins to model and guide mining processes in the real world. Our framework features a virtual mining subsystem that learns from simulating real-world scenarios and generates new ones, allowing for low-cost training and testing of the integrated autonomous mining system. Through initial validation and extensive testing, particularly in open-pit mining scenarios, our framework has demonstrated stable and efficient autonomous operations. We’ve since deployed it across more than 30 mines, resulting in the extraction of over 30 million tons of minerals. This implementation effectively eliminates the exposure of human operators to hazardous conditions while ensuring 24-hour uninterrupted operation. Long Chen and colleagues show a fully autonomous open-pit mine. Heterogenous machinery and tasks are coordinated using parallel learning and digital twins.","PeriodicalId":72644,"journal":{"name":"Communications engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44172-024-00220-5.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141246205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-30DOI: 10.1038/s44172-024-00221-4
Leonard Jahn, Patrick Mößle, Fridolin Röder, Michael A. Danzer
The open circuit voltage hysteresis of lithium-ion batteries is a phenomenon that, despite intensive research, is still not fully understood. However, it must be taken into account for accurate state-of-charge estimation in battery management systems. Mechanistic models of the open circuit voltage hysteresis previously published are not suitable for deployment in a battery management system. Phenomenological models on the other hand can only superficially represent the processes taking place. To address this limitation, we propose a probability distributed equivalent circuit model motivated by the physical insights into hysteresis. The model incorporates hysteresis effects that are often disregarded for state estimation, while keeping the computational cost low. Although the parameterization is more demanding, the model has the advantage of providing insight into the internal state of the battery and intrinsically incorporating the effect of path-dependent rate capability. Leonard Jahn et al. propose a probability-distributed equivalent circuit model that is capable of simulating open circuit voltage hysteresis and path dependency of rate capability in lithium-ion batteries with low computational cost.
{"title":"A physically motivated voltage hysteresis model for lithium-ion batteries using a probability distributed equivalent circuit","authors":"Leonard Jahn, Patrick Mößle, Fridolin Röder, Michael A. Danzer","doi":"10.1038/s44172-024-00221-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44172-024-00221-4","url":null,"abstract":"The open circuit voltage hysteresis of lithium-ion batteries is a phenomenon that, despite intensive research, is still not fully understood. However, it must be taken into account for accurate state-of-charge estimation in battery management systems. Mechanistic models of the open circuit voltage hysteresis previously published are not suitable for deployment in a battery management system. Phenomenological models on the other hand can only superficially represent the processes taking place. To address this limitation, we propose a probability distributed equivalent circuit model motivated by the physical insights into hysteresis. The model incorporates hysteresis effects that are often disregarded for state estimation, while keeping the computational cost low. Although the parameterization is more demanding, the model has the advantage of providing insight into the internal state of the battery and intrinsically incorporating the effect of path-dependent rate capability. Leonard Jahn et al. propose a probability-distributed equivalent circuit model that is capable of simulating open circuit voltage hysteresis and path dependency of rate capability in lithium-ion batteries with low computational cost.","PeriodicalId":72644,"journal":{"name":"Communications engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44172-024-00221-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141246187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-24DOI: 10.1038/s44172-024-00218-z
Srirang Manohar, Ioannis Sechopoulos, Mark A. Anastasio, Lena Maier-Hein, Rajiv (Raj) Gupta
Phantoms are test objects used for initial testing and optimization of medical imaging techniques, but these rarely capture the complex properties of the tissue. Here we introduce super phantoms, that surpass standard phantoms being able to replicate complex anatomic and functional imaging properties of tissues and organs. These super phantoms can be computer models, inanimate physical objects, or ex-vivo organs. Testing on these super phantoms, will enable iterative improvements well before in-vivo studies, fostering innovation. We illustrate super phantom examples, address development challenges, and envision centralized facilities supporting multiple institutions in applying these models for medical advancements. In this Perspective, Manohar and colleagues introduce super phantoms as digital or physical models capable of mimicking complex tissue characteristics for imaging methods. They discuss phantoms as crucial for testing of new imaging technologies, and address critical issues surrounding their development and implementation.
{"title":"Super phantoms: advanced models for testing medical imaging technologies","authors":"Srirang Manohar, Ioannis Sechopoulos, Mark A. Anastasio, Lena Maier-Hein, Rajiv (Raj) Gupta","doi":"10.1038/s44172-024-00218-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44172-024-00218-z","url":null,"abstract":"Phantoms are test objects used for initial testing and optimization of medical imaging techniques, but these rarely capture the complex properties of the tissue. Here we introduce super phantoms, that surpass standard phantoms being able to replicate complex anatomic and functional imaging properties of tissues and organs. These super phantoms can be computer models, inanimate physical objects, or ex-vivo organs. Testing on these super phantoms, will enable iterative improvements well before in-vivo studies, fostering innovation. We illustrate super phantom examples, address development challenges, and envision centralized facilities supporting multiple institutions in applying these models for medical advancements. In this Perspective, Manohar and colleagues introduce super phantoms as digital or physical models capable of mimicking complex tissue characteristics for imaging methods. They discuss phantoms as crucial for testing of new imaging technologies, and address critical issues surrounding their development and implementation.","PeriodicalId":72644,"journal":{"name":"Communications engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44172-024-00218-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141097854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Many underground activities may require reducing or preventing fluid flows through bedrock, e.g., sealing of site investigation boreholes, underground tunneling, hydrocarbon field abandonment, and nuclear waste disposal. Cementitious materials such as grout are commonly used for bedrock flow-path sealing, however conventionally used these materials unavoidably undergo physical and chemical degradation, therefore potentially decreasing seal durability. Here, we report a more durable sealing method for concretion-forming resin developed by learning from natural calcite, CaCO3, and spheroidal concretion formation. The method was tested by sealing flow paths next to a tunnel in an underground research laboratory at 350 m depth, in Hokkaido, Japan. The flow paths were initially sealed rapidly, then resealed after disturbance by repeated earthquakes with foci below the underground research laboratory at depths of 2–7 km and maximum magnitude Mw 5.4. The treated rock mass rapidly recovered its very low natural permeability, demonstrating robust self-sealing and healing. Yoshida and colleagues present a technique for sealing bedrock flow paths using concretion-forming resin, which is inspired by the natural process of spheroidal concretion formation in natural calcite. The approach shows high speed and durability, also proving a good performance in withstanding seismic activity.
{"title":"Post-earthquake rapid resealing of bedrock flow-paths by concretion-forming resin","authors":"Hidekazu Yoshida, Koshi Yamamoto, Yoshihiro Asahara, Ippei Maruyama, Koichi Karukaya, Akane Saito, Hiroya Matsui, Akihito Mochizuki, Mayumi Jo, Nagayoshi Katsuta, Ayako Umemura, Richard Metcalfe","doi":"10.1038/s44172-024-00216-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44172-024-00216-1","url":null,"abstract":"Many underground activities may require reducing or preventing fluid flows through bedrock, e.g., sealing of site investigation boreholes, underground tunneling, hydrocarbon field abandonment, and nuclear waste disposal. Cementitious materials such as grout are commonly used for bedrock flow-path sealing, however conventionally used these materials unavoidably undergo physical and chemical degradation, therefore potentially decreasing seal durability. Here, we report a more durable sealing method for concretion-forming resin developed by learning from natural calcite, CaCO3, and spheroidal concretion formation. The method was tested by sealing flow paths next to a tunnel in an underground research laboratory at 350 m depth, in Hokkaido, Japan. The flow paths were initially sealed rapidly, then resealed after disturbance by repeated earthquakes with foci below the underground research laboratory at depths of 2–7 km and maximum magnitude Mw 5.4. The treated rock mass rapidly recovered its very low natural permeability, demonstrating robust self-sealing and healing. Yoshida and colleagues present a technique for sealing bedrock flow paths using concretion-forming resin, which is inspired by the natural process of spheroidal concretion formation in natural calcite. The approach shows high speed and durability, also proving a good performance in withstanding seismic activity.","PeriodicalId":72644,"journal":{"name":"Communications engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44172-024-00216-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141079015","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-20DOI: 10.1038/s44172-024-00210-7
Jonathan Sauder, Christine Gebara, Narravula Harshavardhan Reddy, Carlos J. García-Mora
Because of the miniaturization of small satellites, most of them have deployables to expand effective areas. However, Small Satellites are not only required to miniaturize systems, but often have a reduced budget, timeline, and employ teams with less experience. The goal of this paper is to provide a starting point for those new to deloyables, and working on small satellites, to understand the approaches available for deployable mechanisms and provide design practices which can improve success rates. To do so, this paper develops a framework for small satellite deployable structures, categorizing them into distinct deployment stages. It investigates the approaches that can be utilized for each stage, focusing on the stow, restrain, actuate, and locate stages. This review paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each approach, supported by examples provided in the references. It then highlights best practices for deployable mechanisms, and describes key challenges and future directions. By offering a comprehensive analysis of small deployable systems, this paper aims to guide engineers and researchers in implementing successful design practices for small satellite deployable structures. In a Review Article, Jonathan Sauder and colleagues develop a framework to categorize the variety of deployable structures and mechanisms available for operation on small satellites.
{"title":"A framework for small satellite deployable structures and how to deploy them reliably","authors":"Jonathan Sauder, Christine Gebara, Narravula Harshavardhan Reddy, Carlos J. García-Mora","doi":"10.1038/s44172-024-00210-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44172-024-00210-7","url":null,"abstract":"Because of the miniaturization of small satellites, most of them have deployables to expand effective areas. However, Small Satellites are not only required to miniaturize systems, but often have a reduced budget, timeline, and employ teams with less experience. The goal of this paper is to provide a starting point for those new to deloyables, and working on small satellites, to understand the approaches available for deployable mechanisms and provide design practices which can improve success rates. To do so, this paper develops a framework for small satellite deployable structures, categorizing them into distinct deployment stages. It investigates the approaches that can be utilized for each stage, focusing on the stow, restrain, actuate, and locate stages. This review paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each approach, supported by examples provided in the references. It then highlights best practices for deployable mechanisms, and describes key challenges and future directions. By offering a comprehensive analysis of small deployable systems, this paper aims to guide engineers and researchers in implementing successful design practices for small satellite deployable structures. In a Review Article, Jonathan Sauder and colleagues develop a framework to categorize the variety of deployable structures and mechanisms available for operation on small satellites.","PeriodicalId":72644,"journal":{"name":"Communications engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44172-024-00210-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141073791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-18DOI: 10.1038/s44172-024-00214-3
Robin Neuder, Marc Späth, Martin Schüßler, Alejandro Jiménez-Sáez
Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, comprised of passive tunable elements, are emerging as an essential device for upcoming millimeter wave and terahertz wireless systems. A fundamental aspect of the device involves the tuning technology used to achieve reconfigurability. Among alternatives such as semiconductors and micro-electromechanical systems, liquid crystal offers advantages including cost- and power-effective large-panel scalability. In this context, conventional liquid crystal-based reconfigurable intelligent surface approaches face limitations in optimizing for bandwidth, response time and loss simultaneously, requiring trade-offs between them. Here we detail an architecture for a liquid crystal-based reconfigurable intelligent surface with compact defected delay lines that provide continuous, 360-degree tunability, enabling fast response time, wide bandwidth and low loss. A reconfigurable intelligent surface with a thin 4.6 μm liquid crystal layer is designed, fabricated, and characterized, exhibiting response times of 72 milliseconds, insertion losses below 7 dB, and a 6.8 GHz (10.9%) bandwidth at 62 GHz, all while utilizing a lossy glass substrate and gold as a conductor. Robin Neuder and colleagues investigate liquid crystals for phase tuning in reconfigurable intelligent surfaces based on defected delay lines. This approach enables liquid crystal reconfigurable intelligent surfaces that can be optimized towards wide bandwidth, low loss, and fast response time simultaneously.
{"title":"Architecture for sub-100 ms liquid crystal reconfigurable intelligent surface based on defected delay lines","authors":"Robin Neuder, Marc Späth, Martin Schüßler, Alejandro Jiménez-Sáez","doi":"10.1038/s44172-024-00214-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44172-024-00214-3","url":null,"abstract":"Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, comprised of passive tunable elements, are emerging as an essential device for upcoming millimeter wave and terahertz wireless systems. A fundamental aspect of the device involves the tuning technology used to achieve reconfigurability. Among alternatives such as semiconductors and micro-electromechanical systems, liquid crystal offers advantages including cost- and power-effective large-panel scalability. In this context, conventional liquid crystal-based reconfigurable intelligent surface approaches face limitations in optimizing for bandwidth, response time and loss simultaneously, requiring trade-offs between them. Here we detail an architecture for a liquid crystal-based reconfigurable intelligent surface with compact defected delay lines that provide continuous, 360-degree tunability, enabling fast response time, wide bandwidth and low loss. A reconfigurable intelligent surface with a thin 4.6 μm liquid crystal layer is designed, fabricated, and characterized, exhibiting response times of 72 milliseconds, insertion losses below 7 dB, and a 6.8 GHz (10.9%) bandwidth at 62 GHz, all while utilizing a lossy glass substrate and gold as a conductor. Robin Neuder and colleagues investigate liquid crystals for phase tuning in reconfigurable intelligent surfaces based on defected delay lines. This approach enables liquid crystal reconfigurable intelligent surfaces that can be optimized towards wide bandwidth, low loss, and fast response time simultaneously.","PeriodicalId":72644,"journal":{"name":"Communications engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44172-024-00214-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141073795","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Microfluidics and 3D printing offer exciting opportunities for the development of new technologies and applications in the fields of biology, chemistry, and medicine. However, the design of 3D-printed microfluidic devices remains a challenging and complex task, requiring specialized knowledge and expertise in fluid mechanics, 3D modeling, and 3D printing technology. Currently, there are very few tools helping engineers to do the labor-intensive process of designing microfluidic devices, let alone any tools that can help them design microfluidic devices for 3D printing. In this work, we introduce Flui3d, an interactive software platform for designing microfluidic devices for 3D printing. Flui3d offers a standard parameterized component library, support for multi-layer design, and the ability to design and configure microfluidic devices without the need for specialized knowledge. Flui3d incorporates a distinctive Design-for-Manufacturing (DFM) function, facilitating seamless fabrication of the designed microfluidic devices using commercial consumer-grade printers. We discuss the key features and benefits of Flui3d and demonstrate them by designing examples of microfluidic devices. We also discuss the design complexity and the potential applications of Flui3d. Yushen Zhang and colleagues report an open source, interactive software platform for the efficient and convenient design of 3D printable microfluidic devices. The approach incorporates a design-for-manufacturing function, facilitating device fabrication using commercial consumer-grade printers.
{"title":"Open-source interactive design platform for 3D-printed microfluidic devices","authors":"Yushen Zhang, Mengchu Li, Tsun-Ming Tseng, Ulf Schlichtmann","doi":"10.1038/s44172-024-00217-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44172-024-00217-0","url":null,"abstract":"Microfluidics and 3D printing offer exciting opportunities for the development of new technologies and applications in the fields of biology, chemistry, and medicine. However, the design of 3D-printed microfluidic devices remains a challenging and complex task, requiring specialized knowledge and expertise in fluid mechanics, 3D modeling, and 3D printing technology. Currently, there are very few tools helping engineers to do the labor-intensive process of designing microfluidic devices, let alone any tools that can help them design microfluidic devices for 3D printing. In this work, we introduce Flui3d, an interactive software platform for designing microfluidic devices for 3D printing. Flui3d offers a standard parameterized component library, support for multi-layer design, and the ability to design and configure microfluidic devices without the need for specialized knowledge. Flui3d incorporates a distinctive Design-for-Manufacturing (DFM) function, facilitating seamless fabrication of the designed microfluidic devices using commercial consumer-grade printers. We discuss the key features and benefits of Flui3d and demonstrate them by designing examples of microfluidic devices. We also discuss the design complexity and the potential applications of Flui3d. Yushen Zhang and colleagues report an open source, interactive software platform for the efficient and convenient design of 3D printable microfluidic devices. The approach incorporates a design-for-manufacturing function, facilitating device fabrication using commercial consumer-grade printers.","PeriodicalId":72644,"journal":{"name":"Communications engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44172-024-00217-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141073794","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-17DOI: 10.1038/s44172-024-00213-4
Yixiong Zhao, Ali Alhaj Abbas, Masoud Sakaki, Gero Bramlage, Guillaume Delaittre, Niels Benson, Thomas Kaiser, Jan C. Balzer
Monitoring pathogens has become a major challenge for society and research in recent years. Of great interest are refractive index sensors, which are based on the interaction between analytes and electromagnetic waves and allow label-free and fast detection. In addition, the electromagnetic waves can be exploited for wireless communication. However, current refractive index biosensors can only be read from a few centimeters. Here, we demonstrate an innovative concept of a passive wireless sensor based on a sub-terahertz photonic crystal resonator. The fabricated sensors have a reading range of up to 0.9 m and elevation and azimuth acceptance angles of around 90°. We demonstrate the stand-off detection of sub-µm thin-film proteins as test analytes. The proposed wireless sensor opens the door to a non-electronic, compact, and low-cost solution and can be extended to a wireless sensor network monitoring airborne pathogen, which may provide a pre-infection detection to prevent their spread efficiently. Yixiong Zhao and co-authors present a passive refractive index sensor based on the sub-terahertz photonic crystal resonator. It serves as a non-electronic, compact, and low-cost solution for distributed remote sensing, applicable in monitoring airborne pathogens for pre-infection detection.
{"title":"3D printed sub-terahertz photonic crystal for wireless passive biosensing","authors":"Yixiong Zhao, Ali Alhaj Abbas, Masoud Sakaki, Gero Bramlage, Guillaume Delaittre, Niels Benson, Thomas Kaiser, Jan C. Balzer","doi":"10.1038/s44172-024-00213-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44172-024-00213-4","url":null,"abstract":"Monitoring pathogens has become a major challenge for society and research in recent years. Of great interest are refractive index sensors, which are based on the interaction between analytes and electromagnetic waves and allow label-free and fast detection. In addition, the electromagnetic waves can be exploited for wireless communication. However, current refractive index biosensors can only be read from a few centimeters. Here, we demonstrate an innovative concept of a passive wireless sensor based on a sub-terahertz photonic crystal resonator. The fabricated sensors have a reading range of up to 0.9 m and elevation and azimuth acceptance angles of around 90°. We demonstrate the stand-off detection of sub-µm thin-film proteins as test analytes. The proposed wireless sensor opens the door to a non-electronic, compact, and low-cost solution and can be extended to a wireless sensor network monitoring airborne pathogen, which may provide a pre-infection detection to prevent their spread efficiently. Yixiong Zhao and co-authors present a passive refractive index sensor based on the sub-terahertz photonic crystal resonator. It serves as a non-electronic, compact, and low-cost solution for distributed remote sensing, applicable in monitoring airborne pathogens for pre-infection detection.","PeriodicalId":72644,"journal":{"name":"Communications engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44172-024-00213-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140953264","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：