1. A device for creating a panoramic aerial photograph at a desired location above the ground, comprising:
a camera;
a helicopter for moving the camera in the air;
a pair of skids for supporting the helicopter;
a platform for attaching the camera to the helicopter, the platform comprising a flat plate having a top surface and a bottom surface and a pair of landing posts each having a central portion and opposed outer portions, the central portion of each landing post attached to the flat plate with the outer portions of each landing post extending outwardly from the flat plate, the pair of skids of the helicopter attached to the outer portions of the landing posts, the camera attached to the platform below the bottom surface;
means for controlling the helicopter for positioning the camera at the desired location, the desired location defining a stationary position above the ground where the panoramic aerial photograph is to be taken; and
means for activating the camera at the desired location to create the panoramic aerial photograph.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the camera is a three hundred and sixty degree rotating panoramic camera.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the helicopter is selected from the group consisting of gas powered and electric powered.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein the camera is attached to the flat plate by a rotatable joint for enabling the camera to be gravitationally aligned in a vertical orientation relative to the ground.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein the camera is attached perpendicularly to the platform and suspended in an inverted position.
6. The device of claim 1 and further comprising a receiver mounted in the remote controlled aircraft.
7. The device of claim 6 wherein the means for controlling the helicopter is a first remote wireless transmitter, the first remote wireless transmitter transmitting a plurality of command signals which are received by the receiver for controlling the helicopter and positioning the camera at the desired location.
8. The device of claim 6 and further comprising a means for viewing the position of the helicopter and the camera relative to the desired location.
9. The device of claim 6 wherein the means for viewing the position is a video camera mounted in the helicopter.
10. The device of claim 6 wherein the means for activating the camera is a second remote wireless transmitter, the second remote wireless transmitter transmitting an activation signal which is received by the receiver for activating the camera to take the panoramic aerial photograph.
11. The device of claim 1 and further comprising a counterbalance weight attached to the camera for stabilizing the camera when taking the panoramic aerial photograph.
12. A device for creating a panoramic aerial photograph at a desired location, the desired location defining a stationary position above the ground where the panoramic aerial photograph is to be taken, comprising:
a camera;
remote controlled aircraft for moving the camera in the air, the remote controlled aircraft further defining an orientation relative to the ground for maintaining the camera at the desired location;
a plate having a top surface and a bottom surface,
means for attaching the remote controlled aircraft to the top surface of the plate;
a pivot member for attaching the camera to the plate below the bottom surface for enabling the camera to be gravitationally aligned in a vertical orientation relative to the ground at the desired location and independent from the orientation of the remote controlled aircraft, the pivot member having a first pivot point and a second pivot point, a pair of shocks, and a pair of belts, the pair of shocks and the pair of belts coacting for enabling the camera to gravitationally rotate about both the first pivot point and the second pivot point for aligning the camera in a vertical orientation relative to the ground;
means for controlling the remote controlled aircraft for positioning the camera at the desired location; and
means for activating the camera at the desired location to take the panoramic aerial photograph.
13. A method for creating a panoramic aerial photograph at a desired location, the desired location defining a stationary position above the ground where the panoramic aerial photograph is to be taken, comprising the steps of:
providing a camera, a remote controlled aircraft, a plate having a top surface and a bottom surface, means for attaching the remote controlled aircraft to the top surface of the plate, means for attaching the camera below the bottom surface of the plate, means for controlling the remote controlled aircraft for positioning the camera at the desired location, means for activating the camera at the desired location to take the panoramic aerial photograph;
moving the remote controlled aircraft from a ground location to position the camera at the desired location;
positioning the remote controlled aircraft at an orientation relative to the ground for maintaining the camera at the desired location;
grativationally aligning the camera in a vertical orientation relative to the ground;
activating the camera to rotate through three hundred and sixty degrees for taking the panoramic aerial photograph; and
returning the remote controlled aircraft to the ground location.
14. A device for creating a panoramic aerial photograph at a desired location above the ground, comprising:
a camera;
a helicopter for moving the camera in the air;
a pair of skids for supporting the helicopter;
a platform for attaching the camera to the helicopter, the platform comprising a frame, a flat plate affixed to the frame, means for fastening the frame to the helicopter, a pivot member for attaching the camera to the flat plate, the pivot member having a first pivot point and a second pivot point, a pair of shocks, and a pair of belts, the pair of shocks and the pair of belts coacting for enabling the camera to gravitationally rotate about both the first pivot point and the second pivot point for aligning the camera in a vertical orientation relative to the ground;
means for controlling the helicopter for positioning the camera at the desired location, the desired location defining a stationary position above the ground where the panoramic aerial photograph is to be taken; and
means for activating the camera at the desired location to create the panoramic aerial photograph.
15. The device of claim 14 wherein the means for fastening the frame to the helicopter is a pair of elongated brackets and a cushion, each elongated bracket affixed to the frame and substantially covered by the cushion for supporting the pair of skids of the helicopter.
16. The device of claim 15 and further comprising means for securing the helicopter to the pair of elongated brackets and cushion.
17. A device for creating a panoramic aerial photograph at a desired location above the ground, comprising:
a camera;
a remote controlled aircraft for moving the camera in the air;
a platform for attaching the camera to the remote controlled aircraft, the platform comprising a frame having a plurality of support ends, each supported by a leg, a flat plate affixed to the frame, means for fastening the frame to the remote controlled aircraft, means for attaching the camera to the flat plate;
means for retracting the legs between a substantially vertical position relative to the ground for supporting the device when on the ground and a substantially horizontal position relative to the ground when the device is moving in the air;
means for controlling the remote controlled aircraft for positioning the camera at the desired location, the desired location defining a stationary position above the ground where the panoramic aerial photograph is to be taken; and
means for activating the camera at the desired location to create the panoramic aerial photograph.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A strain gauge comprising:
a composite film having an axial direction and a thickness, comprising
a non-metallic matrix,
magnetically active particles included in the non-metallic matrix,
wherein at least a portion of the magnetically active particles form a chain structure oriented substantially parallel to the axial direction; and
two or more leads affixed to the composite film, each affixed to the composite film a predetermined distance from another, so as to form a lead structure oriented substantially parallel to the axial direction, wherein each of the two or more leads is electrically coupled with at least one magnetically active particle in the chain structure.
2. The strain gauge of claim 1, wherein the non-metallic matrix is a compliant polymer film.
3. The strain gauge of claim 2, wherein the thickness of the compliant polymer film is about 50 \u03bcm to 1000 \u03bcm.
4. The strain gauge of claim 2, wherein the compliant polymer film comprises polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).
5. The strain gauge of claim 1, wherein the magnetically active particles comprise ferromagnetic particles.
6. The strain gauge of claim 5, wherein the ferromagnetic magnetically active particles are selected from the group consisting of Ni, Fe, Co, and Invar.
7. The strain gauge of claim 1, wherein the magnetically active particles comprise particles having an average size of about 5 \u03bcm to about 10 \u03bcm.
8. The strain gauge of claim 1, wherein the composite film further comprises conductive fillers.
9. The strain gauge of claim 8, wherein the conductive fillers comprise carbon black particles.
10. The strain gauge of claim 8, wherein the conductive fillers comprise carbon nanotubes.
11. The strain gauge of claim 1, wherein the magnetically active particles comprise about 3% to about 5% by volume of the non-metallic matrix.
12. The strain gauge of claim 8, wherein the conductive fillers comprise about 2% to about 12% by volume of the non-metallic matrix.
13. The strain gauge of claim 1, wherein the two or more leads comprise an array of at least three leads affixed to the composite film.
14. The strain gauge of claim 1, wherein the two outmost leads of the two or more leads are spaced at least 100 mm apart.
15. The strain gauge of claim 1, further comprising at least one electric circuit, connected to at least two of the two or more leads of the strain gauge, wherein the electric circuit is configured to measure the change in resistivity of the portion of the composite film of the strain gauge between the at least two leads.
16. A method of preparing a thin film strain gauge, comprising:
applying a first magnetic field to a first mixture including magnetically active particles and a first liquid prepolymer, such that at least a portion of the magnetically active particles form a chain structure oriented substantially parallel to an axial direction;
curing the first liquid prepolymer; and
affixing two or more leads to the first mixture at a predetermined distance from another, so as to form a lead structure oriented substantially parallel to the axial direction, wherein each of the two or more leads is electrically coupled with at least one magnetically active particle in the chain structure.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the curing occurs while the first magnetic field is applied.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein the first liquid prepolymer is polydimethylsiloxane.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein the magnetically active particles include ferromagnetic particles selected from the group consisting of Ni, Fe, Co, and Invar.
20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:
adding conductive fillers to the first mixture before curing the first liquid prepolymer.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the conductive fillers are selected from carbon black or carbon nanotubes.
22. The method of claim 16, further comprising:
adding a second mixture including magnetically active particles and a second liquid prepolymer so as to sandwich at least a portion of the two or more leads affixed to the first mixture between the first mixture and the second mixture;
applying a second magnetic field to the second mixture to align the magnetically active particles included therein such that at least a portion of the magnetically active particles in the second mixture form a chain structure oriented substantially parallel the axial direction; and
curing the second liquid prepolymer.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein at least a portion of the curing of the second mixture occurs while the second magnetic field is applied.
24. A method for measuring strain, comprising:
applying a load or permitting a load to be exerted on a strain gauge to cause a strain to be sustained on at least a portion of the strain gauge, the strain gauge comprising:
a composite film having an axial direction and a thickness, comprising
a non-metallic matrix,
magnetically active particles included in the non-metallic matrix,
wherein at least a portion of the magnetically active particles form a chain structure oriented substantially parallel to the axial direction; and
two or more leads affixed to the composite film, each affixed to the composite film a predetermined distance from another, so as to form a lead structure oriented substantially parallel to the axial direction, wherein each of the two or more leads is electrically coupled with at least one magnetically active particle in the chain structure;
determining the value of the strain sustained on the portion of the strain gauge based on the difference of (1) the resistivity of a portion of the strain gauge between two selected leads, the two selected leads encompassing the portion of the strain gauge under the strain, and (2) the resistivity between the two selected leads in the absence of the strain.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein the strain is measured continuously over time.
26. A method of detecting crack in an object, comprising:
(a) attaching a strain gauge to the object, the strain gauge comprising:
a composite film having an axial direction and a thickness, comprising
a non-metallic matrix,
magnetically active particles included in the non-metallic matrix,
wherein at least a portion of the magnetically active particles form a chain structure oriented substantially parallel to the axial direction; and
two or more leads affixed to the composite film, each affixed to the composite film a predetermined distance from another, so as to form a lead structure oriented substantially parallel to the axial direction, wherein each of the two or more leads is electrically coupled with at least one magnetically active particle in the chain structure;
(b) applying a load or permitting a load to be exerted on the object so as to deform the object, such that a strain is sustained on at least a portion of the axial direction of the strain gauge;
(c) determining a resistivity-associated property of the portion of the strain gauge;
(d) determining whether a crack in the object has occurred based on whether the property determined in (c) exceeds a predetermined threshold.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein (d) is performed continuously over time.
28. The method of claim 26, wherein the two or more leads include an array of three or more leads arranged on the axial direction, and wherein measuring the value of the strain comprises measuring the strain distribution on the portion of composite film.
29. The method of claim 28, further comprising identifying the location of the crack in the object relative to the strain gauge.
30. A method of detecting an initiation of a crack in an object, comprising:
attaching a strain gauge to the object, the strain gauge comprising:
a composite film having an axial direction and a thickness, comprising
a non-metallic matrix,
magnetically active particles included in the non-metallic matrix,
wherein at least a portion of the magnetically active particles form a chain structure oriented substantially parallel to the axial direction; and
two or more leads affixed to the composite film, each affixed to the composite film a predetermined distance from another, so as to form a lead structure oriented substantially parallel to the axial direction, wherein each of the two or more leads is electrically coupled with at least one magnetically active particle in the chain structure;
applying a load or permitting a load to be exerted on the object so as to deform the object, such that a strain is sustained on at least a portion of the axial direction of the strain gauge;
continuously measuring a resistivity-associated property of the portion of the strain gauge;
determining whether an initiation of a crack in the object has occurred based on a sudden change in the value of the resistivity-associated property measured at an instant time relative to the value of the resistivity-associated property measured in a previous time.
31. The method of claim 30, wherein the two or more leads include an array of three or more leads arranged on the axial direction, wherein measuring the resistivity-associated property comprises measuring the strain distribution on the portion of composite film, and wherein detecting whether an initiation of a crack in the object occurs is further based on a comparison of the strain distributed in one or more axial portions of the strain gauge neighboring the portion where the sudden change of strain is detected.
32. The strain gauge of claim 8, wherein the conductive fillers comprise about 1% to about 20% by volume of the non-metallic matrix.