omniomni/omni-engineering huggingface dataset:
AgentSheets. AgentSheets is a block-based programming language designed for children. AgentSheets uses drag-and-drop mechanisms with commands such as conditions and actions as editable blocks that could be composed into programs. 

The main building blocks of AgentSheets were interactive objects, or "agents", that were programmed through rules. Using conditions, agents could sense the user input, including speech recognition and webpage content. Using actions, agents could move, produce sounds, open webpages, and compute formulas.

History
The first prototype of AgentSheets ran in 1989 at the University of Colorado, NCAR, and Connection Machine 2. In 1991, behavior such as a train following train tracks can be specified through before/after rules. These rules are programming by example. 

In 1996, with the support of the National Science Foundation, AgentSheets became a commercial product. More interaction modalities have been added (e.g., speech recognition for Mac), scientific visualization has been refined (e.g., 3D real-time plotting on Mac versions), and Japanese and Greek translations have been added. In 2010, AgentSheets 3 was released.

AgentSheets was supported by Scalable Game Design aligned with the International Society for Technology in Education's National Educational Technology Standards (NETS). The NSF ITEST program has in some schools over 900 students participating per year, per school. Over 52% of whom were girls. Of the girls, 85% enjoyed the scalable game design course, and 78% would like to take another game design course.

Design 

The built-in drag-and-drop language was designed for students. Similar to a spreadsheet, an AgentSheet was a computational grid. This grid contains numbers and strings (much like a normal spreadsheet) as well as "agents", or interactive objects programmed through rules. These agents are represented by pictures, can be animated, react to mouse/keyboard interactions, can read webpages, and can speak and recognize speech commands on Mac versions.

See also
 Web-based simulation (WBS)
 Scratch (another block-based programming language)

References

External links 
 

Agent-based programming languages
Object-oriented programming languages
Video game development software
Simulation software
Educational programming languages
Visual programming languages
Java (programming language)
Concurrent programming languages
Class-based programming languages
JVM programming languages
Cross-platform software
Pedagogic integrated development environments
Software for children
Process specification. Process Specification is a generic term for the specification of a process. It is not unique to business activity, but can be applied to any organizational activity.  

Within some structured methods, the capitalized term Process Specification refers to a description of the procedure to be followed by an actor within an elementary level business activity, as represented on a process model such as a dataflow diagram or IDEF0 model. A common alias is minispec, short for miniature specification.

Use in systems development

The process specification defines what must be done to transform inputs into outputs. It is a detailed set of instructions outlining a business procedure that each elementary level business activity is expected to carry out. Process specifications are commonly included as integral components of requirements documents in systems development.

Techniques

A variety of approaches can be used to produce a process specification, including:
Decision tables
Structured English (favored technique of most systems analysts)
Pre/post conditions
Use cases, basic course or events/alternate paths in use cases
Flowcharts
Nassi–Shneiderman diagrams
UML Activity diagrams

No matter what approach is used, a specification must communicate to system development designers, implementers and support professionals, and be verifiable by stakeholders and end users.

See also 
 Specification (technical standard)

External links 
Chapter 11 of the Structured Analysis Wiki, by Ed Yourdon

Business process management
Software development process
Rake Brook Reservoir. Rake Brook Reservoir is a reservoir fed by two streams, including the eponymous Rake Brook, a tributary of the River Roddlesworth in Lancashire, England.

The reservoir is adjacent to the two Roddlesworth Reservoirs. It was constructed in the 1850s by Thomas Hawksley for Liverpool Corporation Waterworks, and was designed to hold compensation water to maintain flows in the rivers, whereas the reservoirs at Lower Rivington, Upper Rivington and Anglezarke held water for the public water supply. Water from the reservoir was fed into Anglezarke reservoir by a  channel called The Goit.

Construction of the reservoir was authorised by an Act of Parliament obtained in 1847, and the engineer Thomas Hawksley designed an earth dam which was  tall at its highest point and  long. The reservoir was finished in 1857, and impounded  of water when full.

Bibliography

References

West Pennine Moors
Reservoirs in Lancashire
Geography of Chorley
Robot World. Robot World is the fourth album by the New Zealand band Bailter Space, released in 1993. It was their first full-length album to be officially released in the U.S., and was distributed by WEA under Matador's first major-label deal (with Warner Bros. Records).

It was recorded (no producer is listed in the album credits) at Writhe Recording in Wellington, New Zealand, except for "Get Lost", which was recorded by Chris Julian at Calliope in New York.  All tracks were mixed by Bailter Space at Writhe in September 1992.

"EIP" and alternate version of "Robot World" were released on the B.E.I.P. CD EP, along with two Vortura tracks, unreleased at the time.

Critical reception

The New York Times deemed the album "a sleek, cool treasure of noise rock." The Washington Post noted that "'Begin' and 'Ore' are more exercises in rhythm-guitar tonalities than in melody or message."

Track listing

"Begin" (3:35)
"Robot World" (4:19)
"Morning" (4:03)
"Be on Time" (5:14)
"Fascination" (1:48)
"Ore" (3:33)
"Get Lost" (6:01)
"EIP" (3:59)
"Orbit" (4:03)
"Make" (3:34)
"Remain" (4:55)

References

Bailter Space albums
1993 albums
Matador Records albums
Flying Nun Records albums
Locknut. A locknut, also known as a lock nut, locking nut, self-locking nut, prevailing torque nut, stiff nut or elastic stop nut, is a nut that resists loosening under vibrations and torque. Prevailing torque nuts have some portion of the nut that deforms elastically to provide a locking action.  Free-spinning locknuts exist which carry the advantage of not requiring extra torque until seated.

Types

There are various kinds of specialised lock nuts, including:

 Castellated nut
 Distorted thread locknut
Centerlock nut
Elliptical offset locknut
Toplock nut
Philidas nut
 Interfering thread nut
Tapered thread nut
 Jam nut
 Jet nut (K-nut)
 Keps nut (K-nut or washer nut) with a free-spinning washer. In the locknut form, this is a star-type lock washer.
 Plate nut
 Polymer insert nut (Nyloc nut)
 Security locknut All steel reusable nut for high vibration and harsh environments.
 Serrated face nut
 Serrated flange nut
 Speed nut (sheet metal nut or Tinnerman nut)
 Split beam nut (BINX nut)
 Eccentric double nut A free spinning locknut composed of two nuts, one with a protruding section, one with a recessed section.

Prevailing torque values
Prevailing torque differentiates a locknut from a free spinning nut based on a value of how much torque is required during installation before clamp loading. For example, on a nylon-insert nut, it is the torque needed to overcome the resistance of the nylon dragging across the mating thread. This torque value is usually not very high relative to final installation torque. Tolerance ranges for torque are specified in some standards such as (ISO, DIN, IFI, ASME, SAE, AN-, MS-, NAS- NASM-).

Prevention of loosening
Locknuts are one way to prevent vibration from loosening a bolted joint.  Other methods include safety wire, lock washers, and thread-locking fluid.

See also
 Mechanical joint

References

Notes

Bibliography
.

External links

 "Hold Everything", February 1946, Popular Science page on lock nuts and washer technology developed during World War Two

Nuts (hardware)
Nanovid microscopy. Nanovid microscopy, from "nanometer video-enhanced microscopy", is a microscopic technique aimed at visualizing colloidal gold particles of 20–40 nm diameter (nanogold, immunogold) as dynamic markers at the light-microscopic level. The nanogold particles as such are smaller than the diffraction limit of light, but can be visualized by using video-enhanced differential interference contrast (VEDIC). The technique is based on the use of contrast enhancement by video techniques and digital image processing. Nanovid microscopy, by combining small colloidal gold probes with video-enhanced quantitative microscopy, allows studying the intracellular dynamics of specific proteins in living cells.

See also 
 Microscopy
 Single-particle tracking
 Differential interference contrast microscopy
 Microtubule

References 
 De Mey, J., Moeremans, M., Geuens, G., Nuydens, R., De Brabander, M., High resolution light and electron microscopic localization of tubulin with the IGS (immuno-gold staining) method, Cell Biol. Int. Rep. 5, 889-899 (1981). 
 De Brabander M, Nuydens R, Geuens G, Moeremans M, De Mey J., The use of submicroscopic gold particles combined with video contrast enhancement as a simple molecular probe for the living cell, Cell Motil Cytoskeleton. 1986;6(2):105-13.  
 de Brabander, M. Nuydens, R. Ishihara, A. Holifield, B. Jacobson, K. and Geerts, H., Lateral diffusion and retrograde movements of individual cell surface components on single motile cells observed with Nanovid microscopy, J. Cell Biol., 112, 111-124 (1991).
 Degelos SD, Wilson MP, Chandler JE., Nanovid microscopy for assessing sperm membrane changes induced by in vitro capacitating and acrosomal reacting procedures, J Androl. 1994 Sep-Oct;15(5):462-7.
 Geerts H, De Brabander M, Nuydens R, Geuens S, Moeremans M, De Mey J, Hollenbeck P., Nanovid tracking: a new automatic method for the study of mobility in living cells based on colloidal gold and video microscopy, Biophys J. 1987 Nov;52(5):775-82.
 Geerts H, de Brabander M, Nuydens R., Nanovid microscopy, Nature. 1991 Jun 27;351(6329):765-6.
 Kusumi A, Sako Y, Yamamoto M., Confined lateral diffusion of membrane receptors as studied by single particle tracking (nanovid microscopy). Effects of calcium-induced differentiation in cultured epithelial cells, Biophys J. 1993 Nov;65(5):2021-40.

External links
 Quantitative Microscopy

Cell imaging
Microscopy
Laboratory techniques
Kootenay Lake Crossing. Kootenay Lake Crossing is a powerline crossing of Kootenay Lake, British Columbia, Canada. The idea was to transport electricity from the Hydro dam on the Kootenay River at Brilliant to the Cominco Sullivan Mine at Kimberley. The most direct route was across Kootenay Lake. Originally it was with a span width of  the longest powerline span of North America and fixed on three - for each conductor a single one - 19 metres tall towers at the west shore and a  tall electricity pylon on the east shore. This tower was erected in spite of high mountains on the east shore for building short towers were available, as erecting span terminal towers on them would have required a longer span, for which the use of spliced conductors were required, which was undesired as the splicing point is a potential point of failure. Roebling cable provided the steel support cable for the conductor. The height of conductor over Kootenay Lake was .

Kootenay Lake Crossing was inaugurated in 1952, but on March 8, 1962, the huge tower on the east shore was destroyed by explosives placed by the Sons of Freedom religious sect of the Doukhobors. As at those days longer unspliced conductor ropes were available, the destroyed tower was not rebuilt, instead as replacement a 19 metres tall tower triple like that on the west shore of Kootenay Lake on a higher area on the east shore was built.

The powerline is still in operation today, but today with 63 kV instead of 170 kV as originally proposed.

Coordinates of Powerline Crossing Triples 
 East shore: 49°42'2"N   116°51'59"W 
 West shore: 49°42'29"N   116°54'44"W

External links 
 A Chronology of the Lake
 Kootenay Lake power lines – amazing engineering. 
 Ageing Lake Crossing Presents Range of Asset Management Issues  

Electric power transmission systems in Canada
Powerline river crossings
West Kootenay
Doukhobors
Buildings and structures in British Columbia 
Energy in British Columbia
Transductor. A transductor is a type of magnetic amplifier used in power systems for compensating reactive power.  It consists of an iron-cored inductor with two windings - a main winding through which an alternating current flows from the power system, and a secondary control winding which carries a small direct current.  By varying the direct current, the iron core of the transductor can be arranged to saturate at different levels and thus vary the amount of reactive power absorbed.

Transductors were widely used before the advent of solid-state electronics but today have been largely replaced by power electronic devices such as the Static VAR compensator and STATCOM.

A formerly common use for Transductors was in CRT displays, to correct a distortion called pincushion distortion, where the side of the picture bowed in at the centre as a result of the geometry of large deflection angles.  It would have one set of windings in the horizontal deflection circuit and the other set in the vertical; the action of the transductor caused the deflection waveforms to modulate each other - reducing line scan at the top and bottom (where the magnetization from the vertical deflection waveform was greatest) and similarly on the vertical waveform (where the magnetization from horizontal scan current was greatest).

An additional use for the transductor, prior to Hall effect devices, was as a feedback transducer for large dc current measurement.  The dc bus to be measured passed through the center of the toroidal iron core saturable reactor and 120vac excitation was applied to the winding around the iron core.  As the current in the dc bus increased, the iron saturated more and more, which in turn allowed a higher level of ac current to flow.  This ac current was then rectified as an output signal proportional to the bus current. In this manner, dc currents of 30,000 amps or more could be accurately measured without electrically bonding to the bus.

See also
 Saturable reactor

References 

 

Electromagnetic components
S225XR. S225XR was a wingless, integrated rocket/ramjet powered, active radar-guided medium-range air-to-air missile concept initially proposed by a BAe Dynamics led team to meet the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence's, requirement for a missile to arm Eurofighter. S225XR was the ultimate in a series of proposed developments of the BAe Dynamics Skyflash pursued jointly by the UK and Sweden since the late 1970s.

In 1978 Sweden bought the rights to Skyflash, known as Rb 71 in Flygvapnet service, from BAe. Sweden's Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) subsequently began an independent development of Skyflash with a new active seeker, with BAe acting as a sub-contractor to Sweden's Saab Dynamics.

In 1984 the FMV began renewed studies of their active seeker design, the Rb 71A, or Sky Flash 90, and the all-new wingless ramjet-powered Rb 73. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with BAe Dynamics that same year to co-operate on Rb 73 development. Studies were conducted on longer range designs with wings and datalinks, the Rb 73D/Rb 73DL. A lack of FMV funding brought the Rb 73 programme to a halt in 1987.

In 1988 BAe Dynamics and Thomson-CSF (now Thales) agreed to jointly fund development of a version of Skyflash with an active radar seeker. The Active Sky Flash (ASF) was to include a Thomson-CSF seeker and a new warhead developed by LFK, the guided missile division of Daimler-Benz Aerospace (DASA) now known as MBDA Deutschland GmbH. Concepts progressed from the basic ASF to the agile tail-controlled ASF TC Mk. II. Prototype seekers were delivered in 1990 with air-carriage trials in 1991.

Saab Dynamics continued to refine the Rb 73 design using company funds and renewed links were established with BAe Dynamics, to meet the emerging requirement to arm the RAF's Eurofighters. As Eurofighter became the driver behind the missile's development, BAe took charge of the programme. ASF was terminated in 1992 to be replaced by a new wingless concept known as S225X, the name deriving from the internal postal code of the BAe project manager's office at Stevenage.

S225X was first unveiled at the 1992 Farnborough Air Show. GEC-Marconi Dynamics and Alenia Difesa joined the programme in 1993. In 1994 a ramjet powered version, known as S225XR, was proposed in response to the UK requirement for a future medium-range air-to-air missile for Eurofighter. This team became part of the European group which eventually won the competition with Meteor.

References

Ramjet-powered missiles
Air-to-air missiles of the United Kingdom
Air-to-air missiles of Sweden
Leslie Ballamy. Leslie Mark Ballamy (28 December 1903 – 16 July 1991) was a British inventor and automotive engineer who had a major impact on the British motorsport scene both before the Second World War and in the post-war period. His business L.M.B. Components Ltd was located in Guildford, Surrey.

Early life 

Bellamy was born in Walworth, England, to  George William Ballamy and Elizabeth Caroline Ballamy.

History 
Looking to improve the handling of the Austin 7, in 1933, Ballamy split the front beam axle into twin swing arms that pivoted from a central joint. It is for this simple innovation that Ballamy became renowned. Soon afterwards, he put into production his swing axles for the Austin and the Ford 8, 10 and V8 models. Ballamy also converted more up-market cars such as Allard, Bugatti, Delage, and Bentley.

The backbone of LMB Components’ business was this suspension system which they later complemented by offering a softer spring and panhard rod combination for the live rear axle. LMB's suspension, engine and transmission conversions became a passport to success on race tracks, hill-climbs and trials venues and proved popular with some of Britain's top sportsmen. They could also be used on road cars to enhance their performance.

For 1959, Ballamy developed two ladder chassis which used a semi-swing axle front suspension featuring Citroën 2CV-style leading arms. At the rear was a transverse double cantilever layout. The ‘A’ model chassis suited Ford side valve engines while the ‘B’ model was for Ford overhead valve and BMC B-series motors. Various proprietary specials shells could be fitted. Only two of these chassis are known to have survived.

In 1961, Ballamy came to an agreement with Edwards Brothers (EB) of Stoke to retail their Debonair body shell. Mated to his chassis, he sold the stylish coupe as the LMB Debonair. Fifty examples of the Debonair were completed and the chassis went on to form the basis for the Reliant Sabre, although mated to a modified Ashley 1172 shell.

Later years 
In April 1962, Ballamy retired from the automotive industry. He died in Guildford in 1991.

See also 
 Allard, which used a similar swing axle conversion, developed independently by Sydney Allard.

References 

 Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars 1885 to present -  G.N. Georgano  (1982)
 Out in Front: The Lesley Ballamy Story by Tony Russell (2004)

1903 births
1991 deaths
20th-century British inventors
People from Walworth
Ranken Technical College. Ranken Technical College is a private technical school in St. Louis, Missouri.  It offers programs in five main divisions: Automotive, Electrical, Construction, Information Technology, and Manufacturing. The school has a student body consisting of approximately 2,300 students.

History
Ranken Technical College was founded in 1907 by David Ranken Jr., as a private, non-profit educational institution to train students for employment in a variety of technical and mechanical occupations. Established with a foundation deed of more than $1 million, Ranken began its first academic year in September 1909. David Ranken later added his entire fortune to the school's endowment, which, since then, has contributed to the substantial growth of the college and helped to reduce annual operating costs and tuition.

Academics
Ranken Technical College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It offers primarily associate degrees although it also offers two bachelor degree programs.

Ranken Community Development Corporation (RCDC)
Recognizing a need for housing in the community it serves, Ranken Technical College established the Ranken Community Development Corporation (RCDC) in April 1994. Prior to establishing the RCDC, Ranken students exercised their skills through projects with community organizations such as Habitat for Humanity. As student and project schedules became more difficult to coordinate, the college began working to establish a non-profit, Ranken-run organization capable of providing affordable housing to the Central West End community.

The program combines the technical skills of its students and faculty with the need for affordable housing, enhancing North St. Louis city's neighborhoods.

Through the RCDC and their required curriculum, students receive hands-on experience in the carpentry and plumbing involved in the construction and renovation of single-family homes. The non-profit organization has built more than 50 homes to date. For each house, students and faculty members from Architectural Technology, Carpentry and Building Construction Technology, Plumbing Technology, and Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology use their skills to build houses in the neighborhood surrounding the college.

Once the houses are completed, they are sold. Proceeds are then used to build more homes and involve future students in home building projects.

References

External links
 Official website

Universities and colleges in St. Louis
Two-year colleges in the United States
Universities and colleges established in 1907
1907 establishments in Missouri
Private universities and colleges in Missouri
Dan Danknick. Dan Danknick is a physicist and roboticist who graduated from UCI and has made several appearances on robotics related television shows.

Battlebots
Danknick gained comedic notoriety in the robotics community with his appearances on the Comedy Central show Battlebots.  The robot created by his Team Delta, Hazard, was consistently one of the highest ranked middleweight robots in the entire competition.

Robotica
Danknick hosted the TLC show Robotica for the second and third seasons, acting as a technical commentator.

SERVO Magazine
Danknick served as the first technical editor of SERVO Magazine, the robotics publication.  He was also a driving force behind the magazine's robotics competition, Tetsujin.

References

External links

21st-century American physicists
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
American roboticists