Browse Topic: Signs, markings, and symbols
Boston Scientific entered 2025 with significant momentum. Fresh off a standout first quarter, the company’s leadership has outlined a compelling vision for sustainable long-term growth rooted in high-performing cardiology franchises, operational precision, and disruptive technologies in electrophysiology (EP). Leaders spoke at a recent Bank of America Healthcare Conference. The discussion marked outgoing CFO Dan Brennan’s final investor presentation and underscored Boston Scientific’s transformation into one of medtech’s most durable growth stories.
More than half a century after the Apollo missions first brought astronauts to the Moon, NASA’s Artemis program is returning humanity to the lunar surface — this time aiming for the Moon’s uncharted south pole and a sustained presence beyond Earth. Artemis is not only a milestone mission, but also a foundational effort to expand the boundaries of human exploration, and it marks the transition from low-Earth orbit to deep space exploration, applying decades of lessons learned to develop sustainable systems for long-duration missions.
Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft present a series of challenges to traditional aviation infrastructure that was designed for conventional rotorcraft. Questions have arisen within the vertical flight community as to the validity and applicability of applying current heliport markings and symbology to vertiports. Several of these questions were addressed in a previous paper from VFS Forum 80: "A Comparison of Proposed Concepts for Vertiport Markings and Symbology" (Ref. 6). In contrast, this paper extends that work and presents the results of additional research to enhance the visibility of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) “Broken Wheel” symbology. These notional enhancements to the "Broken Wheel" symbology were evaluated over the course of an experimental study using helicopter-rated pilots in the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center’s S76-D and Loft Dynamics H125 and R22 rotorcraft flight simulators.
The effect of seat belt misuse and/or misrouting is important to consider because it can influence occupant kinematics, reduce restraint effectiveness, and increase injury risk. As new seatbelt technologies are introduced, it is important to understand the prevalence of seatbelt misuse. This type of information is scarce due to limitations in available field data coding, such as in NASS-CDS and FARS. One explanation may be partially due to assessment complexity in identifying misuse and/or misrouting. An objective of this study was to first identify types of lap-shoulder belt misuse/misrouting and associated injury patterns from a literature review. Nine belt misuse/misrouting scenarios were identified including shoulder belt only, lap belt only, or shoulder belt under the arm, for example, while belt misrouting included lap belt on the abdomen, shoulder belt above the breasts, or shoulder belt on the neck. Next, the literature review identified various methods used to assess misuse/misrouting including testimonies and physical evidence on the occupant (i.e., belt marks/injury pattern) and on the vehicle interior and/or restraint system (i.e., loading marks). The literature review also highlighted the scarcity of test data on this topic, which may be beneficial to help guide technologies used to address and detect such scenarios. A surrogate study with a female volunteer was conducted for each of the nine belt misuse/misrouting scenarios identified from the literature review. The webbing lengths and angles at the hardware were measured. The results provide a first step in documenting evidence that could be part of a crash investigation. Additional studies with various size occupants are suggested, in conjunction with physical and/or mathematical simulation tests. Based on the literature review, a comprehensive and integrated framework to determine belt misuse/misrouting was summarized. The framework is based on information from police and accident vehicle investigation, and medical and radiology records. It also highlighted the need to measure webbing lengths and seat belt hardware angles that can be used in conjunction with surrogate studies and dynamic tests. Technologies such as video footage from in-vehicle cameras have the potential to provide additional data.
SAE J3108 Recommended Practice (RP) provides fuel and hazard guidance for first and second responders of incidents associated with alternative fueled vehicles. The intent of SAE J3108-1 is to present responders with a limited number of intuitive letters and colors. The International community is in the process of adopting International Standards Organization (ISO) 17840, which provides first and second responders with a standardized format for emergency information. While the ISO 17840 format in coloring and lettering can be adopted and should be encouraged when possible, it is intended for large and heavy vehicles. SAE J3108-1 provides a means for responders to recognize fuel and vehicle type on North American light duty vehicles due to size constraints preventing use of ISO 17840 labels.1 While encouraged to be adopted or referenced by vehicle manufacturers, this RP has been developed for the use of States and other Governmental bodies. The RP is not intended to replace the standards for SAE J2990 format emergency response guide (ERG) created by automotive manufacturers for use at the scene of an emergency. This coding should be consistent with other vehicle badging with the goal of providing additional clarity. This RP does not include detailed equipment and procedures such as tools, personal protective equipment, or other aspects required for addressing vehicles which have been involved in accidents or incidents. Other documents providing those aspects are contained in the list of references. This RP is independent of existing U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) hazardous labeling and nomenclature provided by Code of Federal Regulations Title 49. The ten hazard symbols and four levels of severity rating are insufficient to identify the unique aspects of configurations which may be specific to various vehicles designs. Those symbols are typically not used on the passenger types of vehicles this RP is meant for. This RP also does not supersede current DOT requirements, U.S. Federal Regulations, or other regional regulations for identifying vehicle fuel and critical first responder information.
Researchers from Tohoku University and Kyoto University have successfully developed a DNA-based molecular controller that autonomously directs the assembly and disassembly of molecular robots. This pioneering technology marks a significant step toward advanced autonomous molecular systems with potential applications in medicine and nanotechnology.
At the InCabin USA vehicle technology expo in Detroit, Ford customer research lead Susan Shaw said that the sea of letters around ADAS features and control and indicator icons that vary between vehicles are often confusing to drivers. Shaw pointed out that the following all represent features related to driving lanes: LDW, LKA, LKS, LFA, LCA. These initialisms (groups of letters that form words) are not the only ways the industry refers to these technologies, as some OEMs have their own names for similar things. It all contributes to what can be dangerous assumptions on the part of a driver. “It's shocking how many people think their vehicle will apply the brakes in an emergency, when the car has no such system,” she said. As an overview to the subject of control and indicator iconography, Shaw began with an introduction to user experience research by talking about a classic example: Norman is the author of “The Design of Everyday Things.” A so-called Norman door is any door that is confusing or does not open or close as a user expects it to. For instance, an unlabeled door that a user does not know whether to push, pull or slide to gain entry. And labels or icons don't necessarily help things.
The unique designs and capabilities of electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft present a series of challenges to traditional infrastructure that was designed for conventional rotorcraft. Currently, several civil aviation authorities have released interim, preliminary guidance on aspects of vertical flight infrastructure. This paper presents a comparison of two of the proposed concepts for vertiport markings and symbology, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) "Broken Wheel" and the European Union Aviation Safety Association (EASA) "V". These concepts were evaluated over the course of two experimental studies using helicopter-rated pilots in the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center's S76-D and Loft Dynamics H125 & R22 rotorcraft flight simulators.
Emergency personnel and first responders have the opportunity to document crash scenes while evidence is still recent. The growth of the drone market and the efficiency of documentation with drones has led to an increasing prevalence of aerial photography for incident sites. These photographs are generally of high resolution and contain valuable information including roadway evidence such as tire marks, gouge marks, debris fields, and vehicle rest positions. Being able to accurately map the captured evidence visible in the photographs is a key process in creating a scaled crash-scene diagram. Image rectification serves as a quick and straightforward method for producing a scaled diagram. This study evaluates the precision of the photo rectification process under diverse roadway geometry conditions and varying camera incidence angles.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the first automated guided vehicle, and AGVs have been moving things around on humans’ behalf ever since. But today’s AGVs aren’t your grandparents’ AGVs, and their sophistication is catching up with the 21st-century demands of manufacturing and maintenance tasks for the aerospace and defense industries.
Researchers from Santa Clara University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and the University of Hong Kong have been able to successfully teach micro-robots how to swim via deep reinforcement learning, marking a substantial leap in the progression of micro-swimming capability.
To many people, a measurement sounds mundane, like marking ticks on a ruler or reading the line on a thermometer. It’s a piece of data. And they tend to think that improved measurements look like finer and finer ticks on a ruler. But making new measurements is more than just making finer marks on a ruler. To measure something is to understand it, pull it apart and see how it works. New measurements can unlock possibilities that even scientists never thought of when they started out. Perhaps there is no better example than the optical frequency comb. Very simply, this device is a ruler for light. Yet it’s so much more than a ruler.
To many people, a measurement sounds mundane, like marking ticks on a ruler or reading the line on a thermometer. It’s a piece of data. And they tend to think that improved measurements look like finer and finer ticks on a ruler. But making new measurements is more than just making finer marks on a ruler. To measure something is to understand it, pull it apart and see how it works. New measurements can unlock possibilities that even scientists never thought of when they started out. Perhaps there is no better example than the optical frequency comb. Very simply, this device is a ruler for light. Yet it’s so much more than a ruler.
“Day & night marking” is used in automobiles, aviation, instrumentation and computer keyboards to make buttons and controls (e.g. door locks, window controls, sound system adjustments, etc.) clearly visible under ambient illumination conditions varying from bright sunlight (day) to low light (night). Although it sounds simple, manufacturing these products cost-effectively in a small-batch production environment requires the use of a sophisticated, automated, laser-based tool.
As imbedded as it is in technology, the history of flight is also chock full of people stories. The history of the helicopter, one of the most versatile flying machines ever designed, abounds in such stories. This text looks at the development of Intercity Airlines Company's SG Mark VI by a unique team based for a time in Montreal, Quebec. Bernard W. Sznycer and Selma G. Gottlieb conceived one of the most advanced and innovative helicopter of its day. Designed to minimize vibrations and facilitate production, the SG Mark VI first flew in July 1947. Canada's Department of Transport awarded a Certificate of Airworthiness to a second prototype, in April 1951. The SG Mark VI was the first helicopter designed within the British Commonwealth of Nations to be so honored. Sadly, by then, American helicopters all but dominated the civilian and military markets. The SG Mark VI was abandoned during the winter of 1953-54 and both Sznycer and Gottlieb returned to the United States.
Items per page:
50
1 – 50 of 69