Sensory paint that records impact force with precision up to 770 N.

Researchers at Tufts University have developed a novel paint that changes colour depending on the force of the impact enabling precise demonstration of impact location and force without the use of electronics. The key element is microscopic particles with a core of polydiacetylene, which changes from blue to red under mechanical stress. The surrounding silk fibroin coating stabilises the structure and allows the reaction threshold to be adjusted, so that the paint only reacts to actual impacts and not accidental touches. The colour change is permanent and proportional to the force, allowing direct conversion to newtons. The current version captures a range of 100 to 770 N, i.e. from a light tap with a hammer to a hard blow from a martial arts fighter. The coating can be applied by brush, spray or casting to a variety of materials, such as paper, plastic, wood or metal, as well as to curved and flexible surfaces to produce detailed load maps.

The technology has a wide range of applications in impact monitoring in sports and protective helmets, transport control, biomechanical diagnostics, aerodynamic testing and stress analysis in structures. As part of the demonstration, the paint was also used in music by applying it to the membranes of drums, which made it possible to visualise the patterns of strokes while playing and opened up new educational possibilities. The solution is lightweight, low-cost, unpowered and easy to scale, and time will tell if it will make its way into commercial measurement and protection systems.

Tool for fibre splicing in harsh environments.

Dipol has introduced the Signal Fire MC-16 L58816 multifunctional tool, which allows complex processing of fibre optics prior to splicing.

Applications of the tool include:

• cutting and breaking of optical fibres before splicing,
• stripping optical fibres from 900 μm and 250 μm sheaths,
• cleaning of fibres,
• stripping of 2-3 mm patchcord cables,
• cutting of cables and their components with Kevlar blades.

The tool is recommended for all fibre-optic installers - in particular those who often make connections in places where it is impossible to unfold the table and work comfortably with typical tools. The tool's design accommodates both right- and left-handed use.

Basics of IP addressing - part 4: network gateway.

A gateway is a network device that acts as a transition point from one network to other networks. A host sends to the default network gateway (specifically, to the IP address of the network gateway) all packets directed to other hosts outside the local network, which means that a host without a given default gateway address can only exchange packets with computers on the same local network. With the proliferation of TCP/IP networks, the concept of a network gateway has become virtually identical to a router.

The gateway is set up at the border of the network so as to manage all the data communication that is exchanged between the internal network and external networks. In general, for simple home networks, the gateway acts as a security measure for the local network by connecting it to public networks.

When setting an IP address for a gateway (from the local network side), the first available address in the pool of host addresses in the given network is usually used.

Tri-shield cable family by TRISET-302.

The TRISET-302 cable family is a series of high-quality RG-6 coaxial cables designed for the transmission of DVB-T2 and DVB-S/S2 satellite signals. They are characterised by low attenuation, high resistance to interference and robust construction, making them an ideal choice for small domestic and professional collective installations. They are Tri-Shield cables, with an A+ shielding class and a 1.02 mm copper core. The range includes indoor cables with different reaction to fire classes: TRISET-302 Eca E1005_250, TRISET-302 Dca E1006_500, TRISET-302 B2ca E1007_500 and the outdoor cable TRISET-302 Fca E1008_250.

Hikvision 2-Wire IP video intercom system.

Often there is a need to replace an existing (video) intercom system with a newer one that offers greater capabilities. This type of upgrade may require the replacement of cabling, e.g. to twisted pair in the case of IP systems. A Hikvision video intercom operating in the 2-wire standard, so-called 2-Wire IP, which has the same functionality as the Hikvision 2nd generation IP video intercom, comes to the rescue here. The construction of a small system consists in connecting monitors (e.g. G74019 DS-KH6320Y-WTE2) and the main module of the door station ( G73646 DS-KD8003Y-IME2) to the G74824 DS-KAD706Y distributor via a 2-wire bus (2-Wire). The 2-Wire bus allows the devices to be powered and communication to be established. Once the distributor is connected to the LAN, each device (monitor, door station) is visible in the network under a separate IP address. Configuration takes place using the iVMS-4200(v3) application. Such a system, apart from the basic functionality for which it is designed, i.e. video call, opening the gate and controlling the entrance gate, also allows for operation by means of the Hik-Connect smartphone application. It allows the call to be redirected to the phone while the occupant is away and the gate or wicket to be opened remotely.

Simple surveillance system with face recognition function. Hikvision's NXI-K and NXI-I series IP DVRs feature face capture and analysis on a specified number of channels. It is possible to create libraries of faces that will later be used to search the recordings. It is also possible to specify the associated actions that will be carried out in the event of a correct or incorrect comparison between a detected face and a face that is in the library, e.g. triggering a beep in the recorder, an alarm in the monitoring centre, sending an e-mail, controlling an alarm output, etc. Faces already recorded on the DVR or from an external source can be added to the library. Recordings stored on the DVR, can be easily and quickly searched by pointing to a specific face, on channels where the face recording and comparison function was active...>>>more