Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Jain Irrigation Systems Limited

Global Research Innovation and Technology Inc.

Amos Greene Winter, V

Abhijit Bhaskar Joshi

Daniel Scott Dorsch

Kathryn Michelle Olesnavage

Victor Prost

Jeffrey Costello

Guillermo Fabian Diaz Lankenau

Julia Sokol

Ruo-Qian Wang

Dheekshita Kumar

Jaya Narain

Tristan J Mclaurin

Pawel Jerzy Zimoch

Alexander H Slocum

Anette E Hosoi

Samuel Ihns

Sahil Rajesh Shah

Natasha Catherine Wright

Benjamin Michael Judge

Lea Daigle

Pulkit Shamshery

Eric Koch

Venkata Narayana Murthy Arelekatti

Jana Saadi

Patrick Tornes

Jessica Wu

Zackary Ryan Eubanks

Daria Bondarchuk

Paige L Reiter

Yu Hua

Systems and methods for modeling ways to best design pressure-controlled drip irrigation emitters are provided. The systems and methods are designed to help reduce activation pressure while maintaining a substantially constant, desirable flow rate in an irrigation system. Various parameters that impact the activation pressure and the flow rate can be adjusted to assist in finding optimal designs. The parameters can at least include one or more of resistances in a flow path, resistances in a membrane cavity, a membrane, or placement of a membrane with respect to a membrane cavity. Optimal designs for such emitters based on the discloses systems and methods are provided, including at least one exemplary embodiment in which a length of a flow path is substantially reduced as compared to known emitters.

Systems and methods for designing and modeling pressure-compensating drip emitters, and improved devices in view of the same

Drip irrigation emitters having low activation pressures, desirable flow rates, and are configured to clog less than existing emitters are provided. The disclosed emitters include membrane cavities that are devoid of a channel and a land to help advance fluid through the cavity, to an outlet, and to an outside environment. Instead, the membrane cavities have various shapes and configurations that, in conjunction with a depressed membrane, help to drive fluid out of the membrane cavity and to an outside environment. The shapes of the membrane cavities include a sinusoidal configuration, a cylindrical shape configuration, and a flat bottom configuration. Various features of such emitters, and methods of using the same, are also provided.

Channel-less drip irrigation emitters and methods of using the same

Vehicles having the versatility to be used as farm vehicles while also being able to be used as a transportation method, such as a motorcycle, are provided. The vehicles can generally include a three-wheel configuration in which first and second drive wheels are substantially vertically aligned, and the third wheel is offset from the vertically aligned drive wheels. The third wheel can be aligned with the second wheel, or it can be disposed at a location that is between the first and second wheels while still being offset from the vertical alignment. A tool for performing farming actions is also provided. In some instances the tool can be laterally offset from the vertically aligned wheels, located between the drive wheels, while in other instances the tool can be disposed distal of the rear wheel. Many vehicle and tool configurations are disclosed, as are methods for operating the same.

Vehicle for cultivation and transportation

A balance board coupled to a two-wheeled vehicle to provide a moving platform that an operator of the vehicle can use to stabilize the vehicle. The balance board includes a coupling mechanism, a frame, one or more moving elements, and one or more foot support pedals. In one example, the balance board is mechanically passive such that the balance board maintains contact with the ground surface without an externally applied force (e.g., by the operator/user of the vehicle). In one aspect, the balance board may be rotatable about multiple rotational degrees of freedom to allow the balance board to steer as the vehicle turns.

Roll stabilization apparatus for two-wheeled vehicles

A compliant prosthetic foot is designed and fabricated by combining a compliant mechanism optimization technique with a calculation of low leg trajectory error under a reference loading condition. The compliant mechanism optimization technique includes a set of determinants for the compliant prosthetic foot. An optimized set of determinants of the compliant prosthetic foot is formed that minimizes the lower leg trajectory error relative to a target kinematic data set. The compliant prosthetic foot is then fabricated in conformance with the optimized set of determinants.

Method for design and manufacture of compliant prosthetic foot

A prosthesis, including a prosthetic foot, a prosthetic talocrural joint, a prosthetic ankle pivotally coupled to the prosthetic foot and a four-area bending beam. The four-area bending beam includes a U-shaped or other spring. One end of the spring is mechanically coupled via two of the four areas to the prosthetic foot. The other end of the spring is mechanically coupled via the other two areas to the prosthetic ankle. The spring resiliently resists pivoting of the prosthetic ankle about the prosthetic talocrural joint. The four-area bending beam exhibits an at least approximately constant moment along its length to maximize strain energy density, storing about four times as much elastic energy as a comparable cantilevered beam, thereby providing high stiffness and high range of motion to the ankle. The spring is modular, being easily replaced with another spring exhibiting a different stiffness, ex., to tailor the prosthesis to a user.

Spring design for prosthetic applications

A spiral-wound electrodialysis module includes an inner electrode positioned about a central axis and an outer electrode surrounding the inner electrode. Ion exchange membranes are arranged in a stack, and each membrane extends in a spiral outward from an inner position proximate the inner electrode to an outer position proximate the outer electrode. The spirals expand outward at a greater-than-linear rate as a function of angle along a length of the spiral from the inner positions to the outer positions.

Spiral-wound electrodialysis module

A passive, self-regulating valve includes a static pressure chamber and an elastically collapsible tube supported within the static pressure chamber. The elastically collapsible tube is defined by a geometry that determines an activation pressure of the valve. The passive, self-regulating valve also includes a flow restrictor in fluid communication with the elastically collapsible tube inside the static pressure chamber, as well as piping connecting a source of pressurized liquid both to the flow restrictor and to an opening into the static pressure chamber. The piping enables the flow restrictor to control flow rate of the pressurized liquid through the valve independent of the activation pressure of the valve. In a preferred embodiment, the flow restrictor is a needle valve.

Low-pressure and low-energy self-regulating valve

Pressure-compensating emitter. The emitter includes an inlet connected to a source of pressurized water and an orifice in fluid communication with the inlet and extending into a channel including a raised land surrounding an outlet. A compliant membrane is positioned above the land in the chamber wherein pressurized water will cause the membrane to deform into contact with the land to alter flow through the outlet so as to provide a constant flow rate. Parameters of the emitter are selected so that the emitter has a large operating range and an activation pressure of 0.15 bar or below.

Pressure compensating emitter having very low activation pressure and large operating range

A passive artificial knee includes a knee hinge assembly defining a knee axis, a locking hinge assembly defining a locking axis, and a post linking the knee hinge assembly and the locking hinge assembly. A ground reaction force applied to the artificial knee posterior to the locking axis causes an interfering relation by compression of the locking hinge assembly and the knee hinge assembly during heel strike at early-stance gait phase of an individual wearing the artificial knee, thereby locking rotation of the post about the knee axis. Shifting of ground reaction force anterior to the locking axis during a mid-stance to late-stance gait phase of the individual causes rotation of the post about the locking axis, thereby unlocking rotation of the post about the knee axis and enabling flexion and subsequent swing phase extension of the passive artificial knee joint. The artificial knee is a passive joint that can be fabricated and maintained at low expense.

Passive artificial knee

An apparatus includes a drive shaft, a transmission, a motor shaft, and an engine shaft. The drive shaft includes several drive gears and is used to transmit power to a wheel of a vehicle. The transmission includes a first transmission subassembly and a second transmission subassembly, each subassembly having a transmission shaft, an input gear, and several output gears. Each transmission shaft includes a shifting element to select an output gear. Each transmission subassembly transmits power to the drive shaft when the shifting element of each respective subassembly is engaged. The motor shaft is coupled to a motor and is also directly coupled to the first transmission subassembly via a first motor gear. The motor shaft is also coupled to the engine shaft via a second motor gear. The engine shaft includes several engine gears to couple the engine shaft to the first and second transmission subassemblies.

Dual-shaft clutchless hybrid transmission

Self-regulating valve. The valve includes a static pressure chamber with an elastically collapsible tube supported within the static pressure chamber. A flow restrictor is in fluid communication with an inlet into the static pressure chamber for flow through the collapsible tube. Piping connects a source of pressurized liquid, both to the flow restrictor and to an opening into the static pressure chamber, whereby flow rate through the valve remains substantially constant with variations in pressure of the pressurized liquid. In a preferred embodiment, the flow restrictor is a needle valve.

Example embodiments are related to a wheel coupling system for a vehicle. The wheel coupling system according to example embodiments may include a torque transmission element having a rotatable member to generate a torque force and a torque receiver for releasably engaging the torque transmission element. The wheel coupling system may further include a wheel coupled to the torque receiver such that removal of the wheel disengages the torque receiver from the torque transmission element to allow the torque transmission element to remain intact.

Demountable coupling system and apparatus

Internal combustion engine system. The system includes a single cylinder engine having an engine volume, the single cylinder engine having an intake manifold for introducing air into the engine and an exhaust manifold for discharge of exhaust gases. A turbocharger communicates with the exhaust manifold to receive exhaust gases to power the turbocharger. The turbocharger includes a compressor section communicating with the intake manifold to pressurize ambient air. An air capacitor is arranged to receive the pressurized ambient air from the turbocharger and to deliver the pressurized air to the engine during an intake stroke.

Turbocharged single cylinder internal combustion engine using an air capacitor

A method or corresponding apparatus in an example embodiment of the present invention relates to penetrating a particulate substrate using a compact, low-energy, reversible, and dynamic device for burrowing through particulate substrates. In one preferred embodiment, the apparatus includes at least one vessel and a displacement module coupled with the vessel. The actuation of the displacement module fluidizes the particulate substrate proximate to the vessel and thereby reduces resistance of the particulate substrate to movement of the vessel and causes further penetration of the apparatus through the particulate substrate. The example embodiment utilizes volume contraction and localized fluidizing to move through substrates.

Growing community of inventors

Somerville, MA, United States of America

Amos Greene Winter, V