Foundation piles that are made by concrete 3D printers constitute a new alternative way of founding buildings constructed using incremental technology. We are currently observing very rapid development of incremental technology for the construction industry. The systems that are used for 3D printing with the application of construction materials make it possible to form permanent formwork for strip foundations, construct load-bearing walls and partition walls, and prefabricate elements, such as stairs, lintels, and ceilings. 3D printing systems do not offer soil reinforcement by making piles. The paper presents the possibility of making concrete foundation piles in laboratory conditions using a concrete 3D printer. The paper shows the tools and procedure for pile pumping. An experiment for measuring pile bearing capacity is described and an example of a pile deployment model under a foundation is described. The results of the tests and analytical calculations have shown that the displacement piles demonstrate less settlement when compared to the analysed shallow foundation. The authors indicate that it is possible to replace the shallow foundation with a series of piles combined with a printed wall without locally widening it. This type of foundation can be used for the foundation of low-rise buildings, such as detached houses. Estimated calculations have shown that the possibility of making foundation piles by a 3D printer will reduce the cost of making foundations by shortening the time of execution of works and reducing the consumption of construction materials.

This paper presents the idea and experimental tests of a non-stationary stereovision system used for supervision of a loading crane. The system based on two independent gimbals, equipped with cameras, allows simultaneously to measure and track a group of individual spatial points. The four steps calibration procedure is required for each gimbal axis, camera optics, gimbals positions, and loading crane position. Modern camera systems have been widely applied in several fields of the industry allowing for accurate measurements and real-time quality control. The systems based on stereo camera models and appropriate image analysis algorithms can measure a group of spatial points, complex surfaces, small displacements, or vibrations. There are also several vision systems such as laser tracker, camera mounted on fully controlled rotating head (called gimbal), or TOF camera, which can be used to follow and measure real-time object displacements. Unfortunately, they all have significant individual limitations explained in this paper. Accuracy tests of 3D measurements including active tracking of length pattern and crane tip have been performed within a selected working area. Based on reconstructed 3D data points, different types of geometric errors have been presented. The results revealed effects of accuracy degradation on the workspace boundaries and for higher observation angles, as well as 3D data bias suggesting mechanical issues. Several improvements in calibration and gimbal construction might result in far enough accuracy for normal operations of the crane.

Background: The variability of the obtained results of manual tests assessing the angle of strabismus depends on the experience, skills, and training of the examiner. The authors hope that this new measuring device will provide a more sensitive and repeatable method for detecting small strabismus angles compared to the gold standard—PCT. The purpose of this article is to present an innovative strabismus angle demonstration device, called Strabiscan, to provide automated measurements of eye deviation and to compare the obtained results of these measurements to the traditional manual method. Methods: For patients with manifest strabismic disease (n = 30) and a group of healthy subjects (n = 30), a detailed history was taken and routine ophthalmologic examinations were performed, including best-corrected distance visual acuity, assessment of refractive error using an autorefractometer after cycloplegia, biomicroscopic evaluation of the anterior segment of the eye and evaluation of the eye fundus by indirect ophthalmoscopy. Subsequently, each patient and healthy subject was subjected to a prismatic cover–uncover test using a manual method, after which the presence of strabismus was detected and its angle assessed using a Strabiscan demonstration device. Results: In the control group using the Strabiscan demonstration device, small-angle latent strabismus ≤ 3DP was diagnosed in 83% of patients, while >3DP was found in 13%. In contrast, using the prismatic cover–uncover test, latent strabismus ≤ 3DP was diagnosed in only 13% of patients, and latent strabismus with an angle > 3DP was found in 13% of patients. No statistically significant differences were noted in the measurements of strabismus angles made by the different methods. Conclusions: The Strabiscan demonstration device allows quick and accurate assessment of the strabismus angle. Compared to the prismatic cover–uncover test, it has a higher sensitivity for detecting low-angle latent strabismus. Measurements with the Strabiscan do not require the presence of additional assistants for the test.

Modern vision systems allow to precise and fast spatial measurements. The high resolution cameras are commonly used in 3D scanners or real-time systems for manufacturing inspection. There exist also integrated tracking systems equipped with cameras, usually based on single fully controlled gimbal head and allow only for angular measurements. Despite the fact that laser trackers or TOF cameras could measure 3D coordinates using single sensor, they have significant limitations. In this paper a vision system for tracking the end effector of loading crane will be presented. The system based on two controlled independent gimbal heads and allows to observe a group of markers mounted at the effector. The measurements can be performed based on encoders feedback and marker position on images. The complex calibration procedure for gimbal kinematics and camera positions will be explained. The tests results, application the system for crane controlling and its limitation will be discussed.

Background: The variability of the obtained results of manual tests assessing the angle of strabismus depends on the experience, skills, and training of the examiner. The authors hope that the new measuring device will provide a more sensitive and repeatable method for detecting small strabismus angles compared to the gold standard – PCT. The purpose of this article is to present an innovative strabismus angle demonstration device, called Strabiscan, to present automated measurements of eye deviation, and to compare the obtained results of these measurements to the traditional manual method. Methods: In patients with the manifest strabismic disease (n = 30) and a group of healthy subjects (n = 30), a detailed history was taken and routine ophthalmologic examinations were performed, including best-corrected distance visual acuity, assessment of refractive error using an autorefractometer after cycloplegia, biomicroscopic evaluation of the anterior segment of the eye, and evaluation of the eye fundus by indirect ophthalmoscopy. Subsequently, each patient and healthy subjects were subjected to a prismatic cover-uncover test using a manual method, and then the presence of strabismus was detected and its angle assessed using demonstration Strabiscan device. Results: In the control group, using the Strabiscan demonstration device, small-angle latent strabismus ≤3DP was diagnosed in 83% of patients, and >3DP in 13%. In contrast, using the prismatic cover-uncover test, latent strabismus ≤3DP was diagnosed in only 13% of patients, and latent strabismus with an angle >3DP in 13% of patients. No statistically significant differences were noted in the measurements of strabismus angles made by the different methods. Conclusions: The Strabiscan demonstration device allows quick and accurate assessment of the strabismus angle. Compared to the prismatic cover-uncover test, it has a higher sensitivity for detecting low-angle latent strabismus. Measurements with the Strabiscan do not require the presence of additional co-assistants for the test.