This project is a contemporary revisit of the ideas behind Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian houses. The building consists of three separate... Show moreThis project is a contemporary revisit of the ideas behind Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian houses. The building consists of three separate dwelling units on the same lot, a variation from the typical Chicago three-flat in that, rather than the three units being stacked one on top of the other, they are ordered linearly one after the other. The primary advantage of this arrangement is that each unit is allowed access to the ground floor, and to one of the three designated courtyard areas. Show less
This project is a focus on spatial flexibility. The idea is to generate housing components that focuses on flexibility in order to create... Show moreThis project is a focus on spatial flexibility. The idea is to generate housing components that focuses on flexibility in order to create space that is defined by the user. Show less
Methods and apparatus for treating waste with radio frequency include a wall defining a radio frequency treatment chamber through which waste... Show moreMethods and apparatus for treating waste with radio frequency include a wall defining a radio frequency treatment chamber through which waste may be passed. A source of radio frequency energy energizes the radio frequency treatment chamber to heat the waste and drive off vapors therefrom leaving solid residue to be disposed of. A guard heater and/or insulation maintains the wall at substantially the same temperature as the waste being heated by the radio frequency to prevent vapors from condensing on the waste. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
reexamination of centralized supportive housing in an urban context emphasizing the supportive characteristics of a productive green space.... Show morereexamination of centralized supportive housing in an urban context emphasizing the supportive characteristics of a productive green space. Other supportive elements at grade include culinary training, mixed use units, and transportation center. Show less
A method and apparatus are provided for distinguishing microscopic size, elongated fiber-like particles from cubically shaped, irregularly... Show moreA method and apparatus are provided for distinguishing microscopic size, elongated fiber-like particles from cubically shaped, irregularly shaped, or spherically shaped particles in a mixture suspended in an electrically conducting liquid medium and for counting the fiber-like particles. In accordance with the method, an electrical zone sensing apparatus is provided with a screen means having microscopic openings therein of predetermined size to filter from the suspension particles having an effective area larger than the size of screen openings. Particles passing through the screen and through the sensing aperture of the zone sensing apparatus are separately sized by volume characteristics of electrical signals generated. The electrical signals having predetermined volume characteristics associated with the maximum spherical particles for passing through the screen openings are counted as non-fiber particles; whereas signals having larger volume characteristics are separately counted and designated as fibers. By the use of screens of successively smaller sizes, the larger particles including fibers having larger transverse cross sections may be successively filtered from the suspension and from reaching the sensing aperture. Therefore, smaller fibers having smaller cross-sectional area may be distinguished from particles having diameters approximating that of the smaller screen size openings. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
An apparatus for generating odor including a disk having a substrate with a dispersing material retaining at least one releasable aroma... Show moreAn apparatus for generating odor including a disk having a substrate with a dispersing material retaining at least one releasable aroma positioned with respect to the substrate. The dispersing material includes a structure, such as a plurality of openable pores, that is physically responsive to a stimulus such as heat or light. A device provides the stimulus to the dispersing material upon demand as a function of a signal, wherein the plurality of pores within the dispersing material are reversibly enlarged as a result of the stimulus. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
A robotic cane may include a grip handle, a cane body extending from the grip handle at a first end, a motorized omni-directional wheel... Show moreA robotic cane may include a grip handle, a cane body extending from the grip handle at a first end, a motorized omni-directional wheel coupled to a second end of the cane body, a balance control sensor, and a controller module. The balance control sensor provides a balance signal corresponding to an orientation of the robotic cane. The controller module may receive the balance signal from the balance control sensor and calculate a balancing velocity of the motorized omni-directional wheel based at least in part on the balance signal and an inverted pendulum control algorithm. The controller module may further provide a drive signal to the motorized omni-directional wheel in accordance with the calculated balancing velocity. The calculated balancing velocity is a speed and direction of the motorized omni-directional wheel to retain the robotic cane in an substantially upright position. Sponsorship: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
The present invention is directed to a process for the conversion of waste plastics and scrap rubber to a high quality synthetic crude oil... Show moreThe present invention is directed to a process for the conversion of waste plastics and scrap rubber to a high quality synthetic crude oil which can be separated by fractionation into gasoline, diesel fuel and gas oils suitable as a feedstock to a catalytic cracker. The process generally includes the steps of heating the plastic scrap and scrap automotive tires in a hydrogen atmosphere at moderate temperatures and pressures. It has also been determined that the polymeric waste material must be present in combination with the scrap automotive tires to attain conversion of the scrap automotive tires to liquid hydrocarbon. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
Methods for the crystallization of nano-size crystals of molecular organic compounds while operating at a low supersaturation. The methods are... Show moreMethods for the crystallization of nano-size crystals of molecular organic compounds while operating at a low supersaturation. The methods are based on controlling the domain size available during the crystallization process. In one exemplary method, microcontacted printed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) with local domain area sizes ranging up to 2500 .mu.m.sup.2 and fabricated SAMs generated from electron beam lithography, are employed to control the size, orientation, phase, and morphology of the crystal. In another exemplary method, a continuous micro-crystallizer having a vessel diameter of 25 microns or less is used to ensure that that the maximum size of the crystals in at least one dimension, ad preferably two dimensions is constrained by the vessel itself. The methods allow control of supersaturation and growth conditions, as well as manageability over crystallinity and polymorphism, and each method's domain size has the potential for further reduction. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
This invention relates to a method and device for continuously removing and concentrating specific molecules or substances from a gas stream... Show moreThis invention relates to a method and device for continuously removing and concentrating specific molecules or substances from a gas stream and depositing such molecules or substances in a liquid film stream in a controlled and quantitative fashion. The device includes a hollow tetrafluoroethylene tube or a hollow tube having an inner surface coating of tetrafluoroethylene. The inner surface of the tube is etched by means of a chemical etching agent. An inlet/injector is attached to the outer circumference or inlet, circumferential face of the tube. The inlet/injector has liquid dispersion ports uniformly distributed around the circumference of the processor tube whereby a surfactant containing liquid may be uniformly dispersed from the inlet/injector onto the inner wall of the processor tube where it may flow, in a thin film manner, from the inlet of the tube to the outlet of the tube. The inlet/injector also has a gas injection port whereby a gas containing the molecules or substances sought to be removed and concentrated can simultaneously be injected into the top hollow portion of the tube. An outlet cap is attached to the outer circumference or outlet circumferential face of the tube. The outlet cap has a liquid collection well with a port or other means whereby the liquid flowing down the inner wall of the tube can be collected and transported to an analyzer. The outlet cap also has a gas port whereby the sample gas undergoing analysis can be removed from the tube and vented, treated or otherwise disposed of. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less