The book Mechatronics: Recent Technological and Scientific Advances provides comprehensive and accessible coverage of the evolving disciplines of mechatronics for nanotechnology, automatic control & robotics, biomedical engineering, design manufacturing and testing of MEMS, metrology, photonics, mechatronic products majors. It is already the third volume following the previous editions in 2007 and 2009 providing a recent state of advances in mechatronics presented on the 9th International Conference Mechatronics 2011, hosted this year at the Faculty of Mechatronics, Warsaw University of Technology, Poland.

The carefully selected contributions give an insight into the current development of these scientific disciplines, present the new results of research and development and indicate the trends of development in the interdisciplinary field of mechatronics systems.

Even though many people believe that the presence of mechanical, electrical, electronic components, and computers make a system mechatronics, others do not feel the same as there is nothing wrong with the individual identity.

The enclosed material is original, and reflects the main research tendencies and developments in mechatronics among Mechatronics 2011 contributing countries. It helps to acquire the mix of skills needed to comprehend and design mechatronic systems and also provides with the frame of understanding to develop a truly interdisciplinary and integrated approach to engineering.

The enclosed material is original, and reflects the main research tendencies and developments in mechatronics among Mechatronics 2011 contributing countries. It helps to acquire the mix of skills needed to comprehend and design mechatronic systems and also provides with the frame of understanding to develop a truly interdisciplinary and integrated approach to engineering.

This book demonstrates how the new phenomena in the nanometer scale serve as the basis for the invention and development of novel nanoelectronic devices and how they are used for engineering nanostructures and metamaterials with unusual properties. It discusses topics such as superconducting spin-valve effect and thermal spin transport, which are important for developing spintronics; fabrication of nanostructures from antagonistic materials like ferromagnets and superconductors, which lead to a novel non-conventional FFLO-superconducting state; calculations of functional nanostructures with an exotic triplet superconductivity, which are the basis for novel nanoelectronic devices, such as superconducting spin valve, thin-film superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) and memory-elements (MRAM). Starting with theoretical chapters about triplet superconductivity, the book then introduces new ideas and approaches in the fundamentals of superconducting electronics. It presents various quantum devices based on the new theoretical approaches, demonstrating the enormous potential of the electronics of 21st century - spintronics. The book is useful for a broad audience, including researchers, engineers, PhD graduates, students and others wanting to gain insights into the frontiers of nanoscience.

This practical, informative and beautifully illustrated book will be essential reading for all those with a passion for mechanical clocks. It will be of particular interest to both amateurs and professionals alike who wish to work on clock cases and restore them in the correct way according to modern best practice. The authors, both experienced horological restorers, examine in detail the restoration processes and provide detailed descriptions, and a wealth of photographs and diagrams. Difficult, and often misunderstood, areas of restoration and conservation are explained in the context of twenty-first thinking. The haphazard approach to clock case restoration, which has continued in some quarters almost to the present day, is no longer considered appropriate for preservation of the rapidly dwindling stock of clocks that represent our horological heritage. Accordingly, the authors emphasize that sensitive and sympathetic clock case restoration is essential and, indeed, is the most economically attractive approach to adopt.

The phenomena of Japan emerging as one of the most competitive industrial nations in the twentieth century and the general shift of competitiveness to East Asia since the 1980s have been widely studied by many scholars from different fields of the social sciences. Drawing on sources from Japanese, Swiss, and American archives, the historical analysis of this book tackles a wide range of actors and sheds light on the various processes that enabled Japanese watch companies to transfer technology and expand commercially starting in the second half of the nineteenth century. By exploring the case of the watch industry, this book serves to establish a better understanding of the origins of the competitiveness of Japanese manufacturing and its evolution until its decline in the post-bubble economy (in the 1990s and 2000s).

The merging of the concept of introduction of asymmetry of the wave vector space of the charge carriers in semiconductors with the modern techniques of fabric- ing nanostructured materials such as MBE, MOCVD, and FLL in one, two, and three dimensions (such as ultrathin ?lms, nipi structures, inversion and accumu- tion layers, quantum well superlattices, carbon nanotubes, quantum wires, quantum wire superlattices, quantumdots, magnetoinversionand accumulationlayers, qu- tum dot superlattices, etc. ) spawns not only useful quantum effect devices but also unearth new concepts in the realm of nanostructured materials science and related disciplines. It is worth remaking that these semiconductor nanostructures occupy a paramount position in the entire arena of low-dimensional science and technology by their own right and ?nd extensive applications in quantum registers, resonant tunneling diodes and transistors, quantum switches, quantum sensors, quantum logic gates, heterojunction ?eld-effect, quantum well and quantum wire trans- tors, high-speed digital networks, high-frequency microwave circuits, quantum cascade lasers, high-resolution terahertz spectroscopy, superlattice photo-oscillator, advanced integrated circuits, superlattice photocathodes, thermoelectric devices, superlattice coolers, thin ? lm transistors, intermediate-band solar cells, micro- tical systems, high-performanceinfrared imaging systems, bandpass ?lters, thermal sensors, optical modulators, optical switching systems, single electron/molecule electronics, nanotube based diodes, and other nanoelectronic devices.

The many intriguing examples on the application of mechatronics reinforce the excitement of this creative field of technology. As a collection they present a stimulating resource to developers of future mechatronics technology, and to educators searching for interesting examples. From structured-light measurement of the build-up of detritus on railway bogies and detection of uncracked spores of Chinese medicine to a practical tractor vision guidance system embedded in a smart-phone application, the practical applications of mechatronics and machine vision abound. Fruits are counted on the tree, pasture biomass is measured and a robot collects camel dung as a resource. 3D printing is in vogue, but papers here discuss the construction and strategy of the printer itself. The measurement and analysis of myoelectric muscle signals enable a prosthesis to be controlled and a feeding robot is used for patient care. An exoskeleton has both soft and rigid links and an optical sensor analyses the tissue into which a surgical needle is being inserted. These are some of the papers in this collection from the 26th annual conference on Mechatronics and Machine Vision in Practice, carefully selected to exclude papers that are merely theoretical and to highlight those that show practical verification. Papers have been contributed from China, New Zealand, the Philippines, Emirates, Germany and of course Australia.

Analog Electronics for Radiation Detection showcases the latest advances in readout electronics for particle, or radiation, detectors. Featuring chapters written by international experts in their respective fields, this authoritative text: Defines the main design parameters of front-end circuitry developed in microelectronics technologies Explains the basis for the use of complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors for the detection of charged particles and other non-consumer applications Delivers an in-depth review of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), evaluating the pros and cons of ADCs integrated at the pixel, column, and per-chip levels Describes incremental sigma-delta ADCs, time-to-digital converter (TDC) architectures, and digital pulse-processing techniques complementary to analog processing Examines the fundamental parameters and front-end types associated with silicon photomultipliers used for single visible-light photon detection Discusses pixel sensors with per-pixel TDCs, channel density challenges, and emerging 3D technologies interconnecting detectors and electronics Thus, Analog Electronics for Radiation Detection provides a single source for state-of-the-art information on analog electronics for the readout of radiation detectors.

Handbook of Optical Metrology: Principles and Applications begins by discussing key principles and techniques before exploring practical applications of optical metrology. Designed to provide beginners with an introduction to optical metrology without sacrificing academic rigor, this comprehensive text: Covers fundamentals of light sources, lenses, prisms, and mirrors, as well as optoelectronic sensors, optical devices, and optomechanical elements Addresses interferometry, holography, and speckle methods and applications Explains Moire metrology and the optical heterodyne measurement method Delves into the specifics of diffraction, scattering, polarization, and near-field optics Considers applications for measuring length and size, displacement, straightness and parallelism, flatness, and three-dimensional shapes This new Second Edition is fully revised to reflect the latest developments. It also includes four new chapters-nearly 100 pages-on optical coherence tomography for industrial applications, interference microscopy for surface structure analysis, noncontact dimensional and profile metrology by video measurement, and optical metrology in manufacturing technology.

This book's contents include: general condition of the movement; cleaning and oiling; balance pivots; fitting a flat balance spring; fitting a breguet balance spring; positional timing; further considerations when fitting a spring and observing the point of attachment; general notes on springing and timing; other methods of positional adjustment; and, timing machines. "No writer can have added more volumes to the horological bookshelf than Donald de Carle, and his careful and detailed approach to the technical side of the craft has done a great deal to improve the standard of knowledge of a host of craftsmen, and has gained him readers in every part of the world. The many craftsmen who are already familiar with Mr de Carle's earlier work, Practical Watch Repairing, will note a great similarity in the attitude of mind behind both books, and, indeed, this latest volume is, to some extent, a companion and a follow-on from the previous book, for it carries the reader into what is, undoubtedly, the most exacting and skillful aspect of all work on watches." Horological Review

Typewriter collectors everywhere have praised this stimulating study. New insights into the origins of the typewriter and its history are illustrated with 279 wonderful photos. The book also includes comprehensive directories of typewriter inventions, makes, and models, and a guide to values with advice on buying and collecting.

This range of clocks used to be considered the common, household clock which many people recognized but for which little documentation was available. Rick Ortenburger now presents the book that will fill this void. Vienna regulator clocks were first produced in Vienna, Austria about 1780 and then became a familiar style made also elsewhere in the German-speaking world. Included are early, transitional, serpentine, altdeutsch, Baroque, and factory-made types from 1780 until about 1930, of one, two, and three-weight movements. The author has done his own research in Europe and America in both German and English so he is able to present much original information in a pleasing format for the average reader. His brief, factual text, supported by good photographs, useful in identifying the period of manufacture, may be the book's most useful feature to the serious collector. Her fully explains the production of Gustav Becker, Junghaus, HAC, Lenzkirch and competitive factories whose products are still on the market and well within the financial means of the vast majority of clock enthusiasts. He also covers many rare and exotic regulators such as long-duration clocks and variations from the norm.

"The Mechanics of Mechanical Watches and Clocks" presents historical views and mathematical models of mechanical watches and clocks. Although now over six hundred years old, mechanical watches and clocks are still popular luxury items that fascinate many people around the world. However few have examined the theory of how they work as presented in this book. The illustrations and computer animations are unique and have never been published before.
It will be of significant interest to researchers in mechanical engineering, watchmakers and clockmakers, as well as people who have an engineering background and are interested in mechanical watches and clocks. It will also inspire people in other fields of science and technology, such as mechanical engineering and electronics engineering, to advance their designs.
Professor Ruxu Du works at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, China. Assistant Professor Longhan Xie works at the South China University of Technology, China.

During the five hundred years that horology has been accepted as a separate art only a dozen or so men have made a positive contribution to its progress. Included in this little group of masters is the illustrious name of Abraham Louis Breguet (1747-1823), the arch-mecanicien in an age of mechanics. His contribution was as brilliant as it was original and, during a period when horological fashion was the slave of science, he lifted the watchmaker's art to a new dimension of visual and technical excellence. In doing so he radically changed the whole concept of horology and transformed it into an art form that won him the adulation of Europe. The unceasing search for perfection in the performance of his products led Breguet to the invention of mechanical principles that even today, are used in the design of the watch. His influence on the appearance and style of the watch was dramatic and his most complicated examples maintained the slim, elegant appearance that was to revolutionise watchmaking. Breguet's extraordinary ability in all branches of horology achieved for him the reputation of a genius, the patronage of kings and - rarest of all - the respect of the horological world. His products have never lost favour and many, in constant use, have been handed down through generations to their present owners. The passing of the years, with their many changes of fashion, have not diminished the beauty of the proportions and appearance of Breguet's work. The Art of Breguet is the complete, illustrated history of the work of Abraham Louis Breguet by the late George Daniels who has provided a detailed study of Breguet's horological philosophy that explains so many of the misunderstood aspects of his work. He describes in detail the complexity of Breguet's art and, by so doing, supplants the mystique that has surrounded it with a clearer understanding of its function. Over one hundred line drawings illustrate the progress of technical development and each is accompanied by an analysis of the mechanism and its intended purpose. The history of the development of the internal and external appearance of the vast range of Breguet's products is illustrated in a separate section, arranged in the order of manufacture to reveal the pattern of change in appearance. Each item is accompanied by a description of its external characteristics, mechanism, period of manufacture and, where possible, the date of sale. This reprinted edition, with a foreword by Emmanuel Breguet, has been long awaited and is addressed equally to the student and to the collector of Breguet's work.

This book aims to present the different aspects of electrospinning for designing and fabricating high performing materials for sensors applied in gaseous and liquid environments. Since electrospinning is a versatile and inexpensive manufacturing technology, the book emphasizes the industrial applications perspective. The volume is an edited collection of the most recent and encouraging results concerning advanced nanostructured (bio) sensors. The feats achieved by these sensors range from high sensitivity to extreme operating conditions and satisfy a wide range of requirements. Most of the contributions in this book come from First International Workshop on Electrospinning for High Performance Sensing (EHPS2014) that was held in Rome in 2014, as part of the European COST Action MP1206 Electrospun Nanofibres for bio inspired composite materials and innovative industrial applications.

This book covers a variety of topics in the field of mechatronics engineering, with a special focus on innovative control systems and automation concepts for a wide range of applications. Based on a set of papers presented at the 2nd International Conference "Innovation in Engineering", ICIE, held in Minho, Portugal, on June 28-30, 2022, the chapters report on cutting-edge control algorithms for mobile robots, automatic monitoring systems and intelligent predictive maintenance techniques. They cover advanced scheduling, risk-assessment and decision-making strategies, and their applications in industrial production, training and education, and service organizations. This volume, which belongs to a three-volume set, provides engineering researchers and professionals with a timely overview and extensive information on trends and technologies behind the future developments of mechatronics systems in the era of Industry 4.0.

This tutorial book offers an in-depth overview of the fundamental principles of micro/nano technologies and devices related to sensing, actuation and diagnosis in fluidics and biosystems. Research in the MEMS/NEMS and lab-on-chip fields has seen rapid growth in both academic and industrial domains, as these biodevices and systems are increasingly replacing traditional large size diagnostic tools. This book is unique in describing not only the devices and technologies but also the basic principles of their operation. The comprehensive description of the fabrication, packaging and principles of micro/nano biosystems presented in this book offers guidance for researchers designing and implementing these biosystems across diverse fields including medical, pharmaceutical and biological sciences. The book provides a detailed overview of the fundamental mechanical, optical, electrical and magnetic principles involved, together with the technologies required for the design, fabrication and characterization of micro/nano fluidic systems and bio-devices. Written by a collaborative team from France and Korea, the book is suitable for academics, researchers, advanced level students and industrial manufacturers.

Metal Oxide Nanostructures as Gas Sensing Devices explores the development of an integrated micro gas sensor that is based on advanced metal oxide nanostructures and is compatible with modern semiconductor fabrication technology. This sensor can then be used to create a compact, low-power, handheld device for analyzing air ambience. The book first covers current gas sensing tools and discusses the necessity for miniaturized sensors. It then focuses on the materials, devices, and techniques used for gas sensing applications, such as resistance and capacitance variations. The author addresses the issues of sensitivity, concentration, and temperature dependency as well as the response and recovery times crucial for sensors. He also presents techniques for synthesizing different metal oxides, particularly those with nanodimensional structures. The text goes on to highlight the gas sensing properties of many nanostructured metal oxides, from aluminum and cerium to iron and titanium to zinc and zirconium. The final chapters deal with existing and future devices that are based on nanostructures. Miniaturized systems that analyze air ambience need sensors capable of identifying different gaseous species. Exploring state-of-the-art gas sensing devices, this book shows how nanostructured metal oxides are ideally suited for use as gas sensing elements.

A groundbreaking study of the development of mechanical and metal cased pencils in the nineteenth century. Illustrated with over 700 photographs, the book provides examples of the extraordinary variety of propelling pencils that were created between 1800 and 1920. Readers will be struck by the ingenuity of the inventors and creators of this (until now) forgotten form of decorative art. From metal cased pencils that are elegantly practical, to "magic" pencils that are more whimsical than functional, this book follows the progress of the mechanical pencil as it evolves from a usable tool to something more akin to jewelry. This history of mechanical pencils also includes definitions of terms, descriptions of various mechanisms, ornamentation and surface decoration, and the multitude of combinations created by nineteenth century pencil-case makers. Value ranges are also included.

For many decades, the semiconductor industry has miniaturized transistors, delivering increased computing power to consumers at decreased cost. However, mere transistor downsizing does no longer provide the same improvements. One interesting option to further improve transistor characteristics is to use high mobility materials such as germanium and III-V materials. However, transistors have to be redesigned in order to fully benefit from these alternative materials. High Mobility and Quantum Well Transistors: Design and TCAD Simulation investigates planar bulk Germanium pFET technology in chapters 2-4, focusing on both the fabrication of such a technology and on the process and electrical TCAD simulation. Furthermore, this book shows that Quantum Well based transistors can leverage the benefits of these alternative materials, since they confine the charge carriers to the high-mobility material using a heterostructure. The design and fabrication of one particular transistor structure - the SiGe Implant-Free Quantum Well pFET - is discussed. Electrical testing shows remarkable short-channel performance and prototypes are found to be competitive with a state-of-the-art planar strained-silicon technology. High mobility channels, providing high drive current, and heterostructure confinement, providing good short-channel control, make a promising combination for future technology nodes.

The series Topics in Current Chemistry Collections presents critical reviews from the journal Topics in Current Chemistry organized in topical volumes. The scope of coverage is all areas of chemical science including the interfaces with related disciplines such as biology, medicine and materials science. The goal of each thematic volume is to give the non-specialist reader, whether in academia or industry, a comprehensive insight into an area where new research is emerging which is of interest to a larger scientific audience. Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field.

Like the previous editions also the third edition of this book combines the detailed physical modeling of mechatronic systems and their precise numerical simulation using the Finite Element (FE) method. Thereby, the basic chapter concerning the Finite Element (FE) method is enhanced, provides now also a description of higher order finite elements (both for nodal and edge finite elements) and a detailed discussion of non-conforming mesh techniques. The author enhances and improves many discussions on principles and methods. In particular, more emphasis is put on the description of single fields by adding the flow field. Corresponding to these field, the book is augmented with the new chapter about coupled flow-structural mechanical systems. Thereby, the discussion of computational aeroacoustics is extended towards perturbation approaches, which allows a decomposition of flow and acoustic quantities within the flow region. Last but not least, applications are updated and restructured so that the book meets modern demands.

This volume gathers the latest advances, innovations, and applications in the field of robotics engineering, as presented by leading international researchers and engineers at the Latin American Symposium on Industrial and Robotic Systems (LASIRS), held in Tampico, Mexico on October-November 30-01 2019. The contributions cover all major areas of R&D and innovation in simulation, optimization, and control of robotics, such as design and optimization of robots using numerical and metaheuristic methods, autonomous and control systems, industrial compliance solutions, numerical simulations for manipulators and robots, metaheuristics applied to robotics problems, Industry 4.0, control and automation in petrochemical processes, simulation and control in aerospace and aeronautics, and education in robotics. The conference represented a unique platform to share the latest research and developments in simulation, control and optimization of robotic systems, and to promote cooperation among specialists in machine and mechanism area.

Nanotechnologies are now being applied to health monitoring. Until recently, there has been little research into how to use nanotechnology and sensors in health monitoring. Nanotechnology Enabled In Situ Sensors for Monitoring Health summarizes the research efforts to design sensors based on nanotechnology that can be placed into the body to monitor health. Nanotechnology is being used at an unprecedented pace to both diagnose and treat diseases, rather than conventional approaches that diagnose and treat diseases in a different manner.

This book presents and discusses recent developments in the broad field of spectroscopy, providing the reader with an updated overview. The main objective is to introduce them to recent innovations and current trends in spectroscopy applied to molecules and materials. The book also brings together experimentalists and theoreticians to highlight the multidimensional aspects of spectroscopy and discuss the latest issues. Accordingly, it provides insights not only into the general goals of spectroscopy, but also into how the various spectroscopic techniques represent a toolbox that can be used to gain a more detailed understanding of molecular systems and complex chemical problems. Besides technical aspects, basic theoretical interpretations of spectroscopic results are also presented. The spectroscopy techniques discussed include UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, IR absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and time-resolved spectroscopy. In turn, basic tools like lasers and theoretical modeling approaches are also presented. Lastly, applications for the characterization of fundamental properties of molecules (environmental aspects, biomolecules, pharmaceutical drugs, hazardous molecules, etc.) and materials (nanomaterials, nuclear chemistry materials, biomaterials, etc.) are discussed. Given its scope, the book offers a valuable resource for researchers from various branches of science, and presents new techniques that can be applied to their specific problems.

Timekeeping is an essential activity in the modern world, and we take it for granted that our lives our shaped by the hours of the day. Yet what seems so ordinary today is actually the extraordinary outcome of centuries of technical innovation and circulation of ideas about time.
Shaping the Day is a pathbreaking study of the practice of timekeeping in England and Wales between 1300 and 1800. Drawing on many unique historical sources, ranging from personal diaries to housekeeping manuals, Paul Glennie and Nigel Thrift illustrate how a particular kind of common sense about time came into being, and how it developed during this period.
Many remarkable figures make their appearance, ranging from the well-known, such as Edmund Halley, Samuel Pepys, and John Harrison, who solved the problem of longitude, to less familiar characters, including sailors, gamblers, and burglars.
Overturning many common perceptions of the past-for example, that clock time and the industrial revolution were intimately related-this unique historical study will engage all readers interested in how "telling the time" has come to dominate our way of life.