Award Data

In recent years, many human-computer interaction and virtual environment systems have incorporated haptic devices. However, the range of environment properties and types of interactions enabled by existing haptic interfaces are very limited. Haptic feedback is typically restricted to that provided by artificial materials (e.g., mannequins) or resolved forces (e.g., use of PHANTOM-type force feedba ...

Most epidemiological and clinical studies are observational studies; therefore, statistical analyses are required to reduce bias in our observations and to uncover patterns from large volume of data. Statistical models can also help researchers to understand mechanisms that underlie those data. Currently available statistical analysis software packages are not tailored to the needs of epidemiolo ...

Intelligent Automation proposes to develop voice-based automated Tele-PTSD Monitor (TPM), which can remotely screen, monitor, and provide assistance to clinicians in diagnosing a PTSD patient"s mental healthiness and readiness. A soldier (or other service man/women who may suffer from PTSD) can access the TPM system via a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or the Internet. The voice data is ...

The Army has a defined need for an enabling technology that permits rapid prototyping of candidate combat medical devices within the OneSAF simulation environment. In response, Vecna has developed an open systems specification and interface tool that will allow OneSAF to interface with a real or simulated medical device to evaluate operational effectiveness and identify constraints for use. Th ...

Development, approval, and fielding of next generation combat casualty care technologies is a time and resource intensive process. New simulation and modeling tools are needed to rapidly assess the impact of next generation combat casualty care technologies. Understanding the impact of the new technology, early in the design/development phase will benefit the Department of Defense by enabling the ...

Well over 50 % of US land area constitutes low wind-speed sites, yet wind turbines are either not effective or only marginally effective in such low winds. To extract significantly more energy from such DOE Class 1 or Class 2 winds requires substantially increasing turbine blade rotor diameter (wind power is proportional to the square of the blade diameter). However, due to limitations on turbine ...

Vapors produced during the process of refueling cars are a significant source of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emissions. Uncontrolled emissions cause economic losses and pollute the environment. This problem is exacerbated when the gasoline contains bioethanol because its presence increases the vapor pressure and volatility of the fuel. These increased fuel emissions from ethanol-gasoline ble ...

Soybean is the major source for production of edible oils worldwide and in United States. Pressing of the soybean into flakes followed by the solvent extraction with hexane (solvent) is most widely practiced for extraction of oil. Separation of solvent from oil-solvent mixture for solvent recovery and reuse is usually carried out by solvent evaporation. Evaporation (or distillation) demands consid ...

There continues to be a need for production of biofuels from agricultural sources. Butanol is a more attractive fuel than ethanol because it leads to better gas mileage, it achieves higher blends with gasoline than bioethanol, it has greater compatibility with existing fuel infrastructure, it is less volatile, it is more amenable to transport via pipeline due to low water absorption, there is no n ...

Salmonellae continue to be one of the leading worldwide causes of foodborne bacterial diseases. They cause 1.2-1.4 million annual cases of salmonellosis in the USA, with associated costs estimated to be as high as $12.8 billion/year (in 1998 dollars). Despite continued and escalating efforts to curb diseases caused by foodborne bacterial pathogens, salmonellae continue to produce foodborne illness ...