公开(公告)号：US20250043528A1

公开(公告)日：2025-02-06

申请号：US18719483

申请日：2022-12-16

Applicant: The Governors of the University of Alberta

Inventor： Rafiq Ahmad ,  Shahin Zareie

IPC: E02D27/34 ,  E02D31/08

Abstract: A smart friction pendulum system including an upper spherical plate and a lower spherical plate each having a sliding surface, a slider positioned between the upper spherical plate and the lower spherical plate, and a plurality of shape memory alloy (SMA) wires each having a first end attached to the upper spherical plate and a second end of attached to the lower spherical plate. The smart friction pendulum system is configured to be attached between the foundation and base mass of a building to preserve the superstructures under the lateral loads. While the lateral loads move the plates side to side, the system dissipates energy by providing friction between sliding material and sliding surface. The SMA wires also absorb the energy when in inelastic reversible phase. The embedded diagonal SMA wires make the whole system recover the initial position fully.

公开(公告)号：US20250142091A1

公开(公告)日：2025-05-01

申请号：US18927536

申请日：2024-10-25

Applicant: THE GOVERNORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA

Inventor： Rafiq Ahmad ,  Patrick Hung ,  Farkhund Iqbal ,  Jennifer Alejandra Cardenas Castaneda

IPC: H04N19/176 ,  H04N19/70

Abstract: Embodiments herein generally relate to a method and system using physical toy blocks to perform (e.g., execute) coding tasks. In some examples, the method for performing coding tasks using physical toy blocks involves: capturing one or more images of an assembled arrangement of the toy blocks; analyzing the images to determine one or more arrangement features; based on the determined arrangement features, determining a code structure associated with the block arrangement; determining if the code structure satisfies one or more criteria, associated with a coding task; and if so, generating an output indicating the coding task is completed.

公开(公告)号：US20250083377A1

公开(公告)日：2025-03-13

申请号：US18883577

申请日：2024-09-12

Applicant: THE GOVERNORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA

Inventor： Rafiq Ahmad ,  Roberto Monroy ,  David Moises Baca Lopez ,  Miguel Eduardo Castillo Asuaje ,  Tanay Kuclourya

IPC: B29C64/118 ,  B29C64/209 ,  B29C64/336 ,  B29C64/393 ,  B29K105/26 ,  B33Y10/00 ,  B33Y30/00 ,  B33Y50/02

Abstract: Embodiments herein generally relate to the use of a hybrid system, which employs a combination of fused filament deposition (FFD) and direct fused deposition (DFD) modelling systems. The hybrid system can be used with both virgin as well as recycled plastics, and is suitable for multicomponent as well as multi-material printing of a broad range of thermoplastic materials. Owing to the capability of the system to re-use a variety of different plastics for the purpose of plastic printing, the system promotes the “Circular Economy” strategy for part production whereby material after life-use can be easily reincorporated into the supply chain to avoid plastic accumulation.

公开(公告)号：US20250067076A1

公开(公告)日：2025-02-27

申请号：US18799207

申请日：2024-08-09

Applicant: The Governors of the University of Alberta

Inventor： Rafiq Ahmad ,  Shahin Zareie ,  Emanuel Martinez Villanueva

IPC: E04H9/02 ,  E04B2/58

Abstract: A structural control system for civil infrastructures with recovery-based performance under extreme environmental loading is provided. The recovery-based structural control system may be utilized in both newly constructed and existing buildings as a retrofit to reduce the vulnerability to extreme environmental loading. The structural control system combines steel plate shear wall (SPSW) and the shape memory alloy (SMA) to provide extra recovery ability in a building's main element or supplemental structural control systems. The combination of SMA with SPSW, as a lateral resistive force system, develops a self-centering, energy absorber that provides a re-useable and affordable steel plate shear wall, called Smart Self-Centered Shear Wall (SSCSW) system. In the SSCSW system, pre-straining is applied to SMAs to eliminate the residual deformation that is known to appear in long-term use.