1,721,005 research outputs found

    Comparison of Mesh Simplification tools in a 3D Watermarking framework

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    Given a to-be-watermarked 3D model, a transformed domain analy-sis is needed to guarantee a robust embedding without compromising the visual quality of the result. A multiresolution remeshing of the model allows to repre-sent the 3D surface in a transformed domain suitable for embedding a robust and imperceptible watermark signal. Simplification of polygonal meshes is the basic step for a multiresolution remeshing of a 3D model; this step is needed to obtain the model approximation (coarse version) from which a refinement framework (i.e. 3D wavelet analysis, spectral analysis, ...) able to represent the model at multiple resolution levels, can be performed. The simplification algo-rithm should satisfy some requirements to be used in a watermarking system: the repeatability of the simplification, and the robustness of it to noise or, more generally, to slight modifications of the full resolution mesh. The performance of a number of software packages for mesh simplification, including both commercial and academic offerings, are compared in this survey. We defined a benchmark for testing the different software in the watermarking scenario and reported a comprehensive analysis of the software performances based on the geometric distortions measurement of the simplified versions

    Modular Prosthesis Design for Additive Manufacturing

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    This article presents a methodology for the design and production of custom prostheses for complex surgical interventions on long bones due to oncological surgical treatment. This type of intervention considers the complete or partial removal of bone tissue that might be affected by bone tumors. In this scenario it is important to limit the loss of functionality of the patients’ joints. Accordingly, it is important to salvage, whenever possible, the original articulation surfaces of the joints; nevertheless, a complete evaluation of the tumor extension and of the state of bone tissue might be difficult to be performed in the preparation phase. The article presents an approach for geometrical modelling of a modular prosthesis for long bones, that leaves the surgeon free to tailor the resection according to their feedback in the operating theatre. Specifically, the devised methodology allows to salvage part of the original bone by switching modules of the prosthesis. The dissertation is tackled from a technical perspective, taking into account the constraints and key features that need to be considered in the design and production of a long bone prosthesis via additive manufacturing technologies. The methodology is presented with reference to a complex custom prosthesis design that was carried out with the support of T3Ddy’s - Personalized pediatrics by inTegrating 3D aDvanced technologies research laboratory

    Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis

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    The present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed

    A Semi-Automatic Computer-Aided Method for Personalized Vacuum Bell Design

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    Pectus Excavatum, one of the most frequent chest wall deformities, is characterized by a depression of the sternum and costal cartilages. Patients with mild deformities are generally treated conservatively by using the so called Vacuum Bell (VB) i.e. a suction cup to be placed on the patient’s sternal region. Three different sizes, as well as a model fitted for young women, of VB are available on the market. Unfortunately, the variability of the surface to be treated, the possible asymmetry of the caved-in area and the prolonged use, can make the device uncomfortable and, in some cases, ineffective for the patient. In order to cope with these issues, the present paper proposes a computer-aided method for customized vacuum bell design to be used by not-expert user, e.g. by medical staff. In particular, the present work entails the development of a system comprising: 1) a dedicated software capable of acquiring the 3D chest geometry - by using a low-cost range sensor, i.e. Kinect v2 - and of processing the point cloud so to generate NURBS surfaces of the chest; 2) a procedural CAD modelling of a personalized VB implemented within Siemens NX 11 CAD environment. Using the devised method, the medical staff is required only to use the 3D scanning system for acquiring the patient chest and to sketch, in a CAD-based interface, the boundary of the area to be treated. Once these tasks are performed, the system automatically builds the personalized VB model, ready to be manufactured

    Metrological and Critical Characterization of the Intel D415 Stereo Depth Camera

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    Low-cost RGB-D cameras are increasingly being used in several research fields, including human⁻machine interaction, safety, robotics, biomedical engineering and even reverse engineering applications. Among the plethora of commercial devices, the Intel RealSense cameras have proven to be among the most suitable devices, providing a good compromise between cost, ease of use, compactness and precision. Released on the market in January 2018, the new Intel model RealSense D415 has a wide acquisition range (i.e., ~160⁻10,000 mm) and a narrow field of view to capture objects in rapid motion. Given the unexplored potential of this new device, especially when used as a 3D scanner, the present work aims to characterize and to provide metrological considerations for the RealSense D415. In particular, tests are carried out to assess the device performance in the near range (i.e., 100⁻1000 mm). Characterization is performed by integrating the guidelines of the existing standard (i.e., the German VDI/VDE 2634 Part 2) with a number of literature-based strategies. Performance analysis is finally compared against the latest close-range sensors, thus providing a useful guidance for researchers and practitioners aiming to use RGB-D cameras in reverse engineering applications

    A Preliminary Usability Assessment of a 3D Printable Orthosis Design System

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    The standard treatment for bones fractures entails the use of a tailor-made plaster cast which has several disadvantages: its weight generally causes discomfort, it cannot be taken off without breaking it, it can cause skin rashes and prevents ventilation of the treated area. Therefore, the application of traditional casts to orthopaedics patients does not represent, to date, the best option. To overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks, many strategies based on reverse engineering and additive manufacturing techniques have been proposed and proved to be a valid alternative for producing custom orthoses. Encouraged by the aforementioned results, the authors have developed a low-cost system (called Oplà), specifically dedicated to the hand-wrist-arm district of paediatric patients and capable of creating a 3D CAD model of the orthosis ready to be printed by using additive manufacturing techniques. Such a system comprises a 3D scanner, a control software and a semi-automatic CAD procedure t..

    Variations on the Author

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    “Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship

    Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis

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    We provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis

    Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts

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    We conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more sophisticated methods
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