Vector-GMA: A New Easy Method for Analyzing Morphometric Data

The new method of geometric morphometric analysis, called Vector-GMA is proposed. Unlike the classic TPS-based GMA, the new method allows considering missing and inapplicable landmarks and analyzing articulated structures. It also contains a set of tools for analyzing particular morphological features and searching for promising identification characters. The results of the analysis can be easily converted into phylogenetic matrix and analyzed with phylogenetic software. For the case study, the fore wings of all Cretaceous ichneumonids are analyzed.

Data Driven Analysis of Locomotion for a Class of Articulated Mobile Robots

In the recent past, the use of autonomous vehicles is becoming of relevant interest in several fields of application. Personal assistance, precision agriculture, and rescue are just few examples alongside the more common industrial applications. In many cases, the use of articulated structures is preferred to single chassis robots for their peculiar modularity. Moreover, they can be easily provided with locomotion units particularly suitable to overpass obstacles and to move on uneven grounds. Such vehicles are often built as an active front module and a rear one that is pulled passively or that can contribute to the vehicle traction when required. Understanding whether this contribution is convenient or not, it is the main matter of this paper. Two different mobile robots of different scale and purpose are taken into consideration. A dynamic model is presented and experimentally validated to be used as an analysis tool. At last, a simple yet effective actuation law is tested to evaluate the whether the contribution of the back module is beneficial or not to the whole machine manoeuvrability.

Articulated Structures of D-A Type Dipolar Dye with AIEgen: Synthesis, Photophysical Properties, and Applications

Articulated structures of naphthalene-based donor (D)-acceptor (A) type dipolar dye and aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen) based on tetraphenylethylene (TPE) were synthesized, and their photophysical properties were analyzed for the first time. There are many fluorophore backbones, which have dipolar structure and AIEgen. However, there has been neither property analysis nor research that closely articulates DA and AIE through non-conjugation linker. We have therefore prepared two representative fluorophores; DA-AIE series (DA-AIE-M and DA-AIE-D), and characterized their UV/vis absorption and emission properties with quantum chemical calculations. In addition, we utilized the unique photophysical properties of DA-AIE-D for monitoring a trace of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in aqueous media, including real water samples.

Change of constraints in rope articulated structures

In the paper four examples of two-dimensional and three-dimensional material systems, in which some of constraints were suddenly removed, are analyzed. A simple structure consisting of two ropes and a particle, a spatial structure consisting of three weightless ropes and a particle, and a beam suspended on two ropes and a circular shield, also suspended on two ropes, were analyzed. In all cases one of the ropes was suddenly cut. Solutions were obtained by the analytical method, using the properties of the instantaneous center of acceleration. The obtained results are illustrated by diagrams of accelerations, angular accelerations and forces acting in the considered systems.

THE INTEGRATED 3D SURVEY FOR UNDERGROUND ARCHAEOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> The task of documentation and conservation of Cultural Heritage defines the challenges that geomatics techniques have to overtake in order to provide different solutions that combine the automation of processes with accurate results. The employment of integrated technologies allows improving the documentation of Cultural Heritage from a quantitative and qualitative point of view. The use of range and image-based techniques ensures the possibility to completely record articulated structures such as building with underground environments. The latter present often problematic survey conditions that imposed well planned and appropriate solutions. In this context, the paper presents the results of a 3D survey of the underground “Sybil hypogeum” and the related overhead church located in the Archaeological Park of Lilibeo (Marsala, Southern Italy). An integrated survey was planned in order to combine laser scanning technology with terrestrial-based and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-based photogrammetry to acquire the three-dimensional data of the whole complex (underground environments and overhead church). The aims of the work are related to test a topographic approach by a traverse method for scans registration and to archive a complete and detailed 3D model of the whole area. This model could be used to prevent the risk of information’s loss and to improve the knowledge of the site.</p>

ShapeRotator: an R tool for standardised rigid rotations of articulated Three-Dimensional structures with application for geometric morphometrics

SummaryThe quantification of complex morphological patterns typically involves comprehensive shape and size analyses, usually obtained by gathering morphological data from all the structures that capture the phenotypic diversity of an organism or object. Articulated structures are a critical component of overall phenotypic diversity, but data gathered from these structures are difficult to incorporate in to modern analyses because of the complexities associated with jointly quantifying 3D shape in multiple structures.While there are existing methods for analysing shape variation in articulated structures in Two-Dimensional (2D) space, these methods do not work in 3D, a rapidly growing area of capability and research.Here we describe a simple geometric rigid rotation approach that removes the effect of random translation and rotation, enabling the morphological analysis of 3D articulated structures. Our method is based on Cartesian coordinates in 3D space so it can be applied to any morphometric problem that also uses 3D coordinates (e.g. spherical harmonics). We demonstrate the method by applying it to a landmark-based data set for analysing shape variation using geometric morphometrics.We have developed an R tool (ShapeRotator) so that the method can be easily implemented in the commonly used R package geomorph and MorphoJ software. This method will be a valuable tool for 3D morphological analyses in articulated structures by allowing an exhaustive examination of shape and size diversity.