This paper presents a system capable of simultaneous high-power and high-data-rate transmission through solid metal barriers using ultrasound. By coaxially aligning a pair of piezoelectric transducers on opposite sides of a metal wall and acoustically coupling them to the barrier, an acoustic- electric transmission channel is formed which prevents the need for physical penetration. Independent data and power channels are utilized, but they are only separated by 25.4 mm to reduce the system's form factor. Commercial off-the-shelf components and evaluation boards are used to create realtime prototype hardware and the full system is capable of transmitting data at 17.37 Mbps and delivering 50 W of power through a 63.5-mm thick steel wall. A synchronous multi-carrier communication scheme (OFDM) is used to achieve a very high spectral efficiency and to ensure that there is only minor interference between the power and data channels. Also presented is a discussion of potential enhancements that could be made to greatly improve the power and data-rate capabilities of the system. This system could have a tremendous impact on improving safety and preserving structural integrity in many military applications (submarines, surface ships, unmanned undersea vehicles, armored vehicles, planes, etc.) as well as in a wide range of commercial, industrial, and nuclear systems.

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This paper presents a method for two-way ultrasonic communication and power delivery through thick metallic enclosures without physical penetration. Acoustic-electric channels are implemented using a pair of coaxially aligned piezoelectric transducers having 25.4 mm diameters and 1 MHz nominal resonant frequencies, mounted on steel walls having lengths in the range of 57.15 to 304.8 mm. A protocol is described which uses ultrasonic waves to achieve simultaneous bidirectional communication through the metallic enclosures. It is shown that such channels are very frequency selective, and a carrier frequency selection and tracking algorithm is presented to choose a frequency of operation at which both adequate power delivery and reliable full-duplex communication are achieved. Using this algorithm, sufficient power is harvested to allow for the continuous operation of internal electronics which require an aggregate of less than 100 mW. Reliable communication of sensor data is achieved at rates in excess of 30 kbps.

The friction of a sliding tactile contact was measured in an apparatus which simulated a keyboard. Results were taken for several materials. The friction coefficient was found to decrease with increasing load and with increasing speed. Experiments at varying humidity and surface roughness helped to define the friction mechanisms. It is concluded that tactile friction is predominantly adhesive, but modified by liquid bridging between the ridges of the skin and the counterface. Increased bridging due to higher humidity causes increased friction from viscous shearing effects, while increased roughness allows fewer bridges to form, decreasing the friction.