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IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin, July 2011 Volume 60 No. 7 Page 1 of 12
Pittsburgh Section
Bulletin July 2011 Volume 60, No. 7
Included in this issue:
Bob’s Bytes ................................................................................................................................................. 2
The Cosmic Microwave Background: the Bedrock of Modern Cosmology .................................... 3
August Meeting of PES/IAS – Speaker & Topic to be finalized ................................................... 3
Save the Date: Annual Picnic, September 10th ................................................................................. 4
Congratulate Our New Senior Members: ............................................................................................ 4
Become a Senior Member ....................................................................................................................... 4
Robotics & Automation: Research – Development – Applications .................................................. 6
Development of implantable brain-machine interfaces ................................................................. 10
Editor: Philip Cox, p.e.cox@ieee.org; Contributors: Bob Brooks, Louis Hart, Karl Muller, Guy Nicoletti,
Dave Vaglia and Ramana Vinjamuri
All announcements for publication in a particular month’s bulletin are due to the Editor by the 20th of the
previous month. The accuracy of the published material is not guaranteed. If there is any error, please bring it
to the Editor’s attention. The Section’s web site www.ewh.ieee.org/r2/pittsburgh has past issues of the bulletin
and lots of other useful information
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin, July 2011 Volume 60 No. 7 Page 2 of 12
Bob’s Bytes
Are you a senior member of the IEEE?
I am not, but am hoping to become one this year. The
Pittsburgh Section will be having a Senior Membership
drive very soon, with details in this edition of the
newsletter. Being a senior member does not cost you
anything extra (nor does it get you any permanent
membership discounts, although you get a $25 discount
toward a new society membership) but it does carry a
certain level of distinction. First of all, it attests that
you are a practicing engineer who has been in the field
for at least ten years and have advanced within your
field over those ten (or more) years. There are literally
hundreds of engineers in the Pittsburgh section who
qualify for this honor, many of whom I know
personally, and whose qualifications far exceed the
requirements - you know who you are. Step up and
become a senior member.
Also, take note that our annual picnic is scheduled for
Saturday, September 10 at Boyce Park. More details to
follow in the August bulletin, but save the date now.
Anyone who has been to our picnic knows there is a lot
of fun to be had, and it‟s a great opportunity to network
with your section leaders, and other great folks.
Until Next Month
Bob Brooks – IEEE Pittsburgh Section Chair 2011
Section
Chair – Robert Brooks rbrooks@ieee.org
Vice Chair - Dr. Louis Hart lhart@compunetics.com
Treasurer – Dr. Rin Burke rinburke@gmail.com
Secretary - Dr. Jim Beck, beckje@westinghouse.com
Immediate Past Chair – Joe Cioletti PE, jcioletti@ieee.org
Awards Chair - Ralph Sprang, rsprang@ieee.org
Webmaster – Gerry Kumnik, g.kumnik@computer.org
UpperMon Subsection
Chair: Dr. Natalia Schmid natalias@csee.wvu.edu (304) 293-9136; Treasurer/Secretary: Dr. David Graham David.Graham@mail.wvu.edu (304) 293-9692
Chapters
Communications Society – Co-Chairs: Phil Cox p.e.cox@ieee.org (724) 443-0566 and Dr. Ajay Ogirala ajayo17@gmail.com
Computer Society – Chair: Ralph Sprang, rsprang@ieee.org
Components, Packaging, and Manufacturing Technology/Electron Devices Societies – Drs. Louis Hart and Rin Burke
Engineering In Medicine & Biology Society Co-Chairs: Bob Brooks (see above), Dr. Zhi-Hong Mao maozh@engr.pitt.edu (412) 624-9674
Electromagnetic Compatibility Society Chair: Michael J. Oliver emi@majr.com (814) 763-3211
Power & Energy & Industry Applications Societies Chair: Dave Vaglia, davevaglia@ieee.org; Past: Mey Sen, senml@ieee.org 412-373-0117
Magnetics Society – Chair: Dr. Jimmy Zhu, jzhu@ece.cmu.edu
Nanotechnology Society - Chair: Dr. MinheeYun yunmh@engr.pitt.edu
Robotics Society – Chair: Dr. Guy Nicoletti Nicolett+@pitt.edu (724) 836-9922
Signal Processing Society – Chair: Dr. Ramana Kumar Vinjamuri;,rkv3@pitt.edu
Society on Social Implications of Technology Chair: Joe Kalasky, P.E., j.kalasky@ieee.org (724) 838-6492
Affinity Groups
GOLD – Chair: Jason Harchick jharchick@ieee.org
Life Member – Chair: Bob Grimes, P.E. r.d.grimes@ieee.org (412) 963-9711
Women In Engineering – Chair: Dr. Rin Burke rinburke@gmail.com
Committees
Consultants Network
Professional/Career Activities (PACE) Chair: Joe Kalasky, P.E. (see above)
Student Activities – Rajiv Garg, rajivg@computer.org
Membership Development – Dr. Karl Muller P.E., karlmuller@compuserve.com
Publicity – Chair: Thomas Dionise, P.E. ThomasJDionise@eaton.com (724) 779-5864
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin, July 2011 Volume 60 No. 7 Page 3 of 12
The Cosmic Microwave Background: the Bedrock of Modern Cosmology
Speaker: Joseph Busche, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Physics, Wheeling Jesuit University,
Visiting Associate Professor of Physics, University of Pittsburgh
Date: Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Time: 630 PM (social), 700 PM (presentation)
Place: Compunetics, 700 Seco Rd, Monroeville Business Park, Monroeville, PA
Sponsors: Components, Packaging, and Manufacturing Technology/Electron Devices Society
Lecture
Reservations: Contact Louis Hart, 412-858-1272, lhart@compunetics.com on or before 8 July.
Abstract Edwin Hubble's discovery of the expansion of the Universe produced a profound shift in
scientists' cosmic perspective. By tracing this expansion backward in time, cosmologists predicted that
the Universe was filled with remnant blackbody radiation. This prediction was subsequently verified
when Penzias and Wilson accidentally discovered this radiation in 1964 while doing communications
experiments at Bell Labs. By the 1990s, high precision measurements beginning with the Cosmic
Background Explorer (COBE) satellite finally turned cosmology into a high precision science. Today,
astronomers are probing the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy through detailed studies of the
power spectrum of the Cosmic Microwave Background. This talk will provide a review of the history
of the Cosmic Microwave Background and describe the modern efforts to use it to answer some of
mankind's most profound questions about the Universe.
Speaker: Joe Busche holds an undergraduate degree in physics from Texas A&M University and a
masters and Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, where his thesis work focused on the
development of numeric models for radiation transfer in stellar atmospheres. Currently, his research is
focused on empirical studies of the chemical evolution of the Universe through studies of the
absorption features in quasar spectra.
Directions: From US 22 or I-376, take PA 48 north approximately 1 km (through 1 traffic light) and
turn right into the Business Park. Take 1st left, barely 25 meters, and go behind the first row of
buildings into a large parking lot. The „Compunetics‟ sign is on the right.
August Meeting of PES/IAS – Speaker & Topic to be finalized
Date: Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Time: Social 6:30 PM, Program 7:00 PM
Location: Westinghouse Cranberry Woods Headquarters, Building 1 (Center Building)
Sponsors: Power & Energy Society/Industrial Applications Society
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin, July 2011 Volume 60 No. 7 Page 4 of 12
Save the Date: Annual Picnic, September 10th
Please reserve Saturday, September 10 for our annual picnic at the Boyce Park in Monroeville. Details
will follow in the August bulletin.
Congratulate Our New Senior Members:
Diego Benitez
David Malfara
David Parlour
Become a Senior Member
We have been receiving inquiries from members on how they can become Senior IEEE Members.
This has been discussed by the Executive Committee, and we have decided to set up a procedure to
help members through the process. The basic concern of our members has been identifying references
who are familiar with their work and are Senior members or Fellows of IEEE. We will help you find
qualified references. You will need to provide a detailed resume/list of your work experience for them.
We will also set up a meeting for the applicants and references to discuss the applicant‟s work
experience.
Basic Requirements of Senior Membership:
1. Engineer, scientist, educator, etc. in professional practice for 10 years, showing significant
performance over at least 5 of those years.
2. Recommendations from 3 Senior or Fellow IEEE members.
Additional detailed requirements should be reviewed at:
http://www.ieee.org/membership_services/membership/senior/senior_requirements.html
Guide to Applying for Senior Member Grade
Once you determine that you fulfill the requirements for Senior Member (SM) grade, identify
your three references, who must be IEEE Senior Members or Fellows.
If you have difficulty in locating individuals to serve as your references, contact Karl Muller at
karl.muller@comcast.net or (724) 327-0016 for assistance.
Fill out the electronic form to provide to your references
Download the electronic SM Application form in Word and fill out the form completely. Fill in
your references‟ Member numbers if known. Save this file and name it accordingly. You can
then send this document to your references as an email attachment.
Contact your references and ask them for a recommendation. Send them your completed
application form as suggested above to give them supporting information on which to base
their recommendation and to fill out the required reference form.
Each reference must send a brief note of recommendation directly to IEEE, preferably using
the online SM Reference form.
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin, July 2011 Volume 60 No. 7 Page 5 of 12
Submit the application form
After you have notified all your references and have given them the proper instructions, fill out
the online form by cutting and pasting information from the electronic form that you have
already prepared. You may submit your application in any of the formats provided, but for the
quickest processing of your application, it is suggested that you submit the Web form, with the
electronic format as the second preferred option.
It is encouraged that a resume be submitted as well. Without a resume, there may not be
sufficient information for the Admission & Advancement (A&A) panel to make a favorable
decision.
If you have questions, contact Karl Muller, Membership Development Chair at (724) 327-0016
or karl.muller@comcast.net.
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin, July 2011 Volume 60 No. 7 Page 6 of 12
Robotics & Automation: Research – Development – Applications
Fundamentals of Robot Kinematics
Part III
(Continued from Part I)
Guy M. Nicoletti, MS, Ph.D., IEEE LM
Assoc. Prof. Emeritus, Engineering
University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, Greensburg Pa
nicolett@pitt.edu, nicolett@verizon.net
Application to an Industrial Robot
Here we demonstrate how the theory presented in Part II is applied to an industrial robot, The well
known PUMA ® 550 robot is an excellent candidate for this purpose. Its kinematics is configured on
its five axes of motion (degrees of Freedom) as can be seen in Figures 6a and 6b.
Figure 6a. The PUMA 550 Figure 6b. Reference Frames
Matrix can be derived for each of the five axes.
An example of Rotation followed by a Translation will be shown next (refer to Figures 6a and 6b).
Frame 0 to frame 1:.
1. Rotate by about - lines up with .
2. Translate by along - places origin of frame 0 onto origin of frame 1;
3. Rotate by -90 degrees about (or ) – frame 0 is now lined up with frame 1.
= = = 26.5 in. = 0 = = -90 degrees.
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin, July 2011 Volume 60 No. 7 Page 7 of 12
[
]
Frame 1 to frame 2:
1. Rotate by about – lines u with ;
2. Translate by along , then translate by along (or ) – places origin of frame 1 onto
origin of frame 2 and both frames are lined up.
= = = 7.7 in. = = 17.0 in. = 0 degrees.
= [
]
Frame 2 to frame 3:
1. Rotate by about - lines up with ;
2. Translate by along (or - places origin of frame 2 onto origin of frame 3 and both
frames are lined up.
= 0 = = 17.1 in. = 0 degrees.
= [
]
Frame 3 to frame 4:
1. Rotate by about - lines up with ;
2. Rotate by 90 degrees about (or ) – lines up frame 3 with frame 4.
= = 0 = 0 = 90 degrees.
= [
]
Frame 4 to frame 5:
1. Rotate by about - lines up with and thus both reference frames.
= = 0 = 0 = 0 degrees
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin, July 2011 Volume 60 No. 7 Page 8 of 12
[
]
Therefore the description of the end of the manipulator, link coordinate frame 5, with respect to the
base coordinate frame is
=
Or
[
] ;
Where:
=
=
and
for
I = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
The position of the end effector can now be set as
[
]
= [
]
[
]
Translation of the system to the base coordinate system (0, 0, 0) significantly simplifies computations.
Thus, the solution of the system described above is:
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin, July 2011 Volume 60 No. 7 Page 9 of 12
=
= (10)
=
For any combination of angles
In order to derive the home position from the equations presented above we set the following:
Or
Thus, the home position will be:
The angles play a role when a gripper or other tools is attached to the flange of the flange
of the end effector. In that situation the tip of the tool is related to the wrist through an additional
transformation which is described relative to the base coordinate by the relationship:
One of the problems which is the subject of on going research are the angular role that angles
play in the reverse kinematics process. For a given point in space, these two angles would
satisfy the solution; however, in that solution there would exist a combination of angles .
This lack of uniqueness makes a direct trajectory planning rather difficult. This problem is often
curbed by planning a trajectory as a sequence of small step sizes.
References 1. Asada, H. A. Characteristic Analysis of Manipulators Dynamics Using Principal Transformations. Proceedings,
American Control Conference, Washington, DC, June 1982.
2. Bedewi, N. E. “The Fundamentals of Robot Kinematics” Robotics Engineering, The Journal of Intelligent
Machines, Chris Crocker Publisher, July, 1986, Vol. 8, NO. 7.
3. Brady, M. et al. Robot Motion: Planning and Control. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA., 1982.
4. Myers, R.E. Microcomputer Graphics. Addison Wesley Publishing Co., Reading, MA, 1982.
5. Paul, R. P. Robot Manipulators: Mathematics, Programming, and Control. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1981.
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin, July 2011 Volume 60 No. 7 Page 10 of 12
Development of implantable brain-machine interfaces
Wei Wang
University of Pittsburgh
ANY individuals with motor impairments have
limited means to communicate and interact with their
environment. Physiatrists work to restore function for these
individuals or to augment residual function with assistive
technology in order to improve quality of life.
Unfortunately, the same motor impairments limit the user‟s
ability to operate these technologies. An emerging field
called neuroprosthetics aims to directly interface with the
nervous system in order to harness control signals for a
wide variety of assistive devices. This new field has the
potential to benefit individuals with severe motor
disabilities secondary to spinal cord
injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(ALS), and stroke.
Neuroprosthetics encompasses a
wide range of technologies that aim
to replace a motor, sensory, or
cognitive function by directly
connecting to an intact part of the
nervous system. The most successful
and widely-used neuroprosthesis is
the cochlear implant which provides
a sense of sound to people who are
hearing impaired. Brain-computer
interface (BCI) devices are a specific
type of neuroprosthetics in which a
direct communication pathway is
established between the brain and an
external device. BCI technology
allows the user to control and communicate to external
devices using only brain activity without the need for overt
movement.
Studies in non-human primates have used single-unit
neural recording methods to derive movement direction,
speed, and position information from neurons in the motor
cortex. Animal studies, including the pioneering work
completed at the University of Pittsburgh, led by Dr.
Andrew Schwartz, have shown that non-human primates
can learn to control an upper limb prosthesis in three-
dimensional space to perform reaching and feeding tasks.
Based on this strong foundation, it is time to start
translating the basic research that has been completed in
animals to clinical applications for humans. The challenge
is to extract this same movement or intention related
information with less invasive recording methods. Multiple
neural recording modalities are being investigated for
human BCI applications.
The BrainGate system uses a 4x4 mm, 100 -electrode,
microarray that penetrates 2-3 mm into the cortex, the
same array used by Dr. Schwartz in his neuroprosthetic
studies in non-human primates. Clinical trials of the
BrainGate neural interface system are being conducted by
Dr. John Donoghue and Dr. Leigh Hochberg at Brown
University and Massachusetts General Hospital. Based on
recordings from a population of motor cortex neurons,
subjects have learned to control a computer cursor using
imagined arm and hand movements. The long term
stability of this recording methods
remains to be seen as signal quality
declines with time.
Electrocorticography (ECoG) has
recently emerged as a promising
neural recording modalities for BCI
applications. The initial ECoG-BCI
research has been performed
exclusively in patients undergoing
presurgical monitoring as part of
their treatment for intractable
epilepsy. ECoG electrode grids are
implanted subdurally over the
suspected epilogenic foci for 1-2
weeks. During this time, neural
recordings have been utilized by
researchers for BCI development.
Since the ECoG grids are placed
directly on the brain, a higher spatial
resolution than EEG can be achieved and movement
related information is preserved within a wide frequency
range (0 to 200 Hz) of ECoG signals. Several studies,
including work completed by Dr. Wang‟s research team,
have shown that human subjects can achieve effective
control of cursor movement within a very short period of
time with ECoG.
Dr. Wang, along with Drs. Douglas Weber, Elizabeth
Tyler-Kabara, and Jennifer Collinger, is leading the human
neuroprosthetics effort at the University of Pittsburgh
along with a large group of collaborators at the University
of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Wang
has received research support from the Clinical and
Translational Science Institute Translational Tool Pilot
Project (CTSI TTPP) program as well as a special fund
from Dr. Arthur S. Levine, Senior Vice Chancellor for the
Health Science, and Dean, School of Medicine, to conduct
M
X-ray showing the placement of the standard
clinical ECoG grid and the experimental micro-
ECoG grid for a recent subject. The inset
photograph compares the center-to-center
electrode distance between the two electrode grids.
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin, July 2011 Volume 60 No. 7 Page 11 of 12
translational research in human neuroprosthetics.
The human neuroprosthetics group
is currently investigating micro-
ECoG as a platform technology for
an implantable BCI. Micro-ECoG
electrode arrays have a much
smaller footprint than traditional
ECoG grids, and it can potentially
be implanted through a small burr
hole and placed above the dura
mater, thus minimizing various
clinical risks and invasiveness of
implantation surgery.
Currently, with approval from
University of Pittsburgh
Institutional Review Board, the
team is testing custom designed
micro-ECoG arrays in patients
undergoing subdural epilepsy
monitoring. Micro-ECoG arrays are
implanted next to the clinical ECoG
grid without measurably increasing
the risk to patients. Data from the
last subject with a micro-ECoG
array implanted above the motor
cortical area showed that rich
movement related information could
be decoded from micro-ECoG recording. It was possible
to predict which finger was moving with 73% accuracy
based on micro-ECoG signals (chance level: 20%). This
subject was able to control the “jumping” action using
neural signals related to finger movement while playing the
Super Mario Brothers video game.
Results from the last subject suggests that micro-ECoG-
based BCI devices hold great potential for high-resolution
brain activity monitoring and the improvement of quality
of life for many individuals with motor impairments. The
next step is to test this new technology in individuals who
can benefit from an implantable BCI, such as those with
spinal cord injury.
A complementary line of research is developing
magnetoencephalography (MEG) as a non-invasive tool for
studying neural mechanisms and as a pre-surgical
screening tool to determine micro-ECoG electrode
placement. MEG can be used to identify cortical areas that
contain information about intended actions. These areas
would be targeted for micro-ECoG implantation. Dr.
Wang has shown that MEG can be used to reliably detect
the intended movement direction during motor imagery
without overt movement from subjects. This is particularly
important as we move towards an implantable BCI system
for individuals with motor impairments. Also, through
real-time feedback of cortical activity, MEG-BCI system
may be used to enhance cortical modulation by intended
movement, which can improve the performance of BCI
operation. Furthermore, given the capability to promote
neuroplasticity through BCI operation, MEG-BCI systems
may hold great potential as a rehabilitation tool for patients
with stroke and incomplete spinal cord injury.
An implantable BCI would offer a new way for individuals
with severe motor impairments to communicate and
interact with the environment without requiring overt
movement. Once reliable and independent control signals
are derived, the possibility exists to operate any type of
assistive technology, ranging from a computer to complex
upper limb prosthesis. Given the possibility of micro-
ECoG technology to bring significant functional gain with
minimal clinical risk, it is expected
that this new technology can
potentially benefit not only those with
severe motor disabilities, but also
many individuals with various degrees
of motor impairments caused by
stroke and other neurological
disorders.
For more information, contact Wei
Wang, MD, PhD, at wangw4@upmc.edu.
Modulation of neural signals recorded by the micro-ECoG grid during individual finger movements.
The five columns from left to right correspond to instructed thumb, index, middle, ring, and little finger
movement, respectively. Top row: Spatial pattern of 60-120 Hz band activity averaged over movement
time across all 14 recording electrodes on the micro-ECoG grid. Numbers indicate electrode locations.
Middle: Movements of five fingers (PIP joint angles) from nine repetitions. PIP joints exhibiting the
most significant change during this task were chosen for analysis. All joint angle data has been
normalized to the angle of thumb PIP joint during maximum thumb flexion. Bottom row:
Spectrograms (spectral power change from baseline as a function of both frequency and time) for
Electrode No. 11. The vertical dotted lines represent onset of finger movement.
IEEE Pittsburgh Section Bulletin May 2011 Volume 60 No. 5 Page 12 of 12
2011 Calendar – Meetings of IEEE Pittsburgh Section Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July August Sept Oct Nov Dec
Executive
Committee
20
Panera,
Wilkins
Twp.
17
TBD
17
Panera Bread
Wilkins
21
Panera Bread
Wilkins
19
Panera Bread
Oakland
16
Panera
Miracle
Mile
21
TBD
18
Panera Bread
Oakland
15
TBD
20
WVU
Section 19
Eng. Week
13
History
Dinner
10
Picnic
Communic
ations
3
Network
Arch.
31
Network Arch
14
Wireless
5
Internet
22
Wireless
23
Dist.
Antennas
Computer
EMBS 18
Brain-
Computer
Interface
18
Human
Posture
8
Biometrics
15
Neural
6
Hand
Tracking
24
Skin-screw
electrodes
EMCS
PES/IAS 19
Capacitors
23
Storage &
Hydro
16
Voltage Reg.
14
PE License
13
History
Dinner
15
Eng.
Designs
9
Pirates
24
TBA
Magnetics
Robotics 10
Advances in
Robotics
Sig.
Processing
18
Brain-
Computer
Interface
18
Human
Posture
14
Wireless
8
Biometrics
15
Neural
22
Wireless
6
Hand
Tracking
24
Skin-screw
electrodes
CPMT/ED
Social Impl
Technology
10
Advances in
Robotics
19
Legislative
Upper Mon 28
Cyber
Attacks
4
Wireless
14
Software
Women in
Eng’ing
Life Mem.
GOLD 14
PE License
PACE 19
Legislative
Student Act
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