Recent  

Bees play a major role in our ecosystem and the human food supply chain. Numerous threats, from pesticides to parasites, endanger bees and possibly cause bee colony collapse. The Varroa mite is one major parasite, and its timely detection and treatment is a key task for beekeepers. Contemporary sensors, electronics, and AI/PR allow vital parameters of bee hives to be monitored. Recent gas sensors (e.g., SGP30 or BME680) allow continuous in-hive parameter and Varroa population monitoring.

A setup for the characterization of liquids with the perspective of monitoring crystallization processes is presented. The novelty of this setup is the realization of viscosity and conductivity measurements using two quartz crystal microbalances. Additionally, there is the possibility to apply an electric field through the sample, enabling the manipulation of charged particles. The results show that the measured values are in reasonable agreement with values from the literature or standards.

We investigated the feasibility of indium tin oxide (ITO) as an alternative plasmonic material to replace noble metals for sensing applications in the mid-infrared region. An ITO-based plasmonic slot waveguide was numerically designed and analysed for a wavelength of 4.26 µm, which is the absorption band of CO₂. As the proposed structure shows low propagation lengths, we concluded that ITO appears not to be an appropriate candidate for plasmonic waveguiding systems.

We developed a smart in-cylinder pressure sensor for closed-loop combustion control. The sensor concept is based on a robust and reliable steel membrane equipped with highly strain-sensitive and temperature-stable thin films. The sensor system is complemented by a smart electronics allowing real-time data processing for calculation of different combustion parameters. The data are utilized to control the igniting timing of a spark plug for efficient operation of a combustion engine.

The paper presents a concept for an automated classification of machine-readable data from measurement according to its agreement with metrological guidelines. An implementation of the classification was realized within the TraCIM online validation system for trustworthy certification of software that is under quality management. The research was collaboratively made by the partners of the European Metrology Research Project SmartCom.

A homemade experimental setup was developed using actuators and temperature sensors monitored by Arduino platforms to characterize thermal behaviors of composite panels containing phase-change materials (PCMs). The characterization is based on modeling steady-state thermal conduction and natural convection heat transfer. Temperature measurements allow for obtaining effective thermal conductivity, phase shift time, and energy storage capacity of composite panels incorporating PCMs.

Temperature sensors based on piezoelectric devices enable precise measurement of temperature changes in harsh environments such as high temperatures or aggressive atmospheres. In the case of this device, the change in the temperature is detected by means of the changing resonance frequency of the sensor. Here a sensor device based on catangasite (an isomorph of quartz) is presented. We discuss its behavior at elevated temperatures and confirm that it can successfully operate up to 1030 °C.

The development of optical design is characterized by the desire for more applications and better performance. The latest result of this development is freeform optics offering almost unlimited possibilities for the designers. However, an optical component has also to be manufactured and tested by metrology. We propose a measurement technique for the surface characterization of freeform optical components and highlight the possible error sources and their influence on the measurement result.