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David M. Dwiggins
166 Morton Street
E-mail: david@dwiggins.net
Twitter: @dwig
LinkedIn: David Dwiggins
Simmons College, Boston, Mass.
Master of Science in Library and Information Science (Archives Management Concentration), May 2008
Coursework included internships at the Northeast Museum Services Center of the National Park Service and Tufts University Digital Collections and Archives, as well as work on the Ruth Mitchell Wunderly Digital Library.
Master of Arts in History, December, 2010
Masters thesis: Control of the Caboose: Retail business and neighborhood change in Dudley Square, 1950-1975.
Tennessee Foreign Language Institute
Enrolled in Spanish language program, January-December 2005.
University of Maryland University College, Adelphi, Maryland
Master of Science in Technology Management, May, 2004
Modern Archives Institute, National Archives, College Park, Maryland
Completed training program in archival theory, management and preservation, February 2004
Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York
Bachelor of Arts in English and Textual Studies and Magazine Journalism, May, 1998.
Information Technology Officer, Historic New England, Boston, MA 2013-Present
As head of Historic New England's information technology team, oversaw the development, management, and maintenance of technology infrastructure for a complex, multi-state organization. Oversaw internal and external systems and software development projects, hired staff and outside service vendors, and developed strategic vision for the organization's IT program.
Adjunct Professor, School of Library and Information Science, Simmons College, Boston, MA 2013-Present
Taught graduate-level course in technology to students enrolled in the Master of Library and Information Science program. LIS 488 provides a conceptual foundation and context of computing, Internet, and digital publishing technologies as used in information-intensive professions, and is a prerequisite for other technology courses offered within the program.
Systems Librarian/Archivist, Historic New England, Boston, MA 2007-2013
Responsible for overseeing technology needs of Historic New England's Collections Team, which includes the organization's Library and Archives and its museum collections and conservation center. Oversaw technological implementation of the organization's Collections Access Project, focused on making collections more accessible through the implementation of a comprehensive electronic catalog and digital library. Worked with vendors and systems integrators to acquire and customize necessary software. Managed conversion and cleanup of metadata and digital imagery. Developed custom programming to perform data conversion operations. Oversaw installation, integration, and institution-wide rollout of ResourceSpace open source Digital Asset Management platform. Oversaw purchasing and installation of equipment in two digital photography studios. Oversaw contracting for outsourced collections digitization. Helped develop and troubleshoot digital imaging workflows. Helped develop grant proposals to funding agencies. Assisted with development of institutional IT strategy as part of the organization's Technology Advisory Group (TAG).
Dean's Fellow for Technology Support, Simmons College
Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Boston, Mass. 2006-2008
Responsible for workstation and server support, instructional support, and web application development for the Simmons College GSLIS. Helped introduce new and emerging technologies to the graduate school, including wikis and blogs. Helped develop a successful grant proposal to begin a podcasting pilot project at the school. Developed web-based tools for online assessment, internship assignment, event registration, and other needs identified by the GSLIS staff. Worked with faculty in the LIS program to meet technology needs. Managed technological implementation of Moodle course management system, including integration with Datatel campus information system. Taught workshops on technology and library-related topics. Member of college-wide provost search committee and committee examining online course evaluation systems.
Archival Intern, Simmons College Archives, Boston, Mass. 2006-2007
Developed project plan for photography, rehousing and enhanced description of the college's memorabilia collection. Developed extensions to existing Filemaker database. Rehoused and updated cataloging information for bulk of collection. Created digital imagery for approximately 150 objects.
Systems Editor/Library Manager, The Tennessean, Nashville, Tenn. 1998-2006
Oversaw the research and technology needs of Nashville's dominant daily newspaper. Supervised tech support and library staff. Managed technology and research expenditures. Served as liaison between newsroom, systems, and online departments. Oversaw purchasing of computer software and hardware for approximately 250 users. Performed and coordinated system administration functions for Sii, OpenPages, Digital Collections, and QuickWire systems. Taught training classes on technology-related topics, and assisted reporters and editors with computer-assisted reporting projects. Developed remote-access strategies for reporters and bureaus.
Oversaw development and launch of newsroom intranet, including creation of workflow applications and informational tools. Served on committee overseeing electronic pagination project. Interviewed vendors, visited sites, and evaluated software implementations. Coordinated installation of 200+ new PCs and 8 new servers. Created software development specifications.
Developed library policies and procedures; supervised research and archival activities. Served on various strategic planning committees related to online operations, technology, and 18-34 readership. Served on "remodel" committee in charge of redesigning newspaper. Served on Gannett corporate committee evaluating online calendar solutions for nationwide deployment. In 1998, served as part of a three-person team to launch the paper's news web site, Tennessean.com. Developed graphics, page templates, CGI scripting, and publishing procedures. Worked with programmer to develop HTML gateway for SII editorial system. Developed database-driven online election coverage.
In 2002, arranged partnership with The Greenville News to develop and refine a database-driven web and print publishing solution for high school sports. Collaborative project resulted in increases in web traffic and print circulation. Participated in further planning and development, culminating in the national rollout of the PrepsFactory system to other Gannett properties, September, 2005.
Technology Specialist, The Soling Program, Syracuse University 1996-1998
Provided systems support and consulting for 60+ students enrolled each semester in Syracuse University's creative problem solving program. Installed and maintained hardware and software in a MacOS-based computing environment. Administered servers, specified hardware and software purchases, and instructed students in video and sound digitizing, web and multimedia design, Photoshop, Director, and other packages.
Webmaster Intern, Proxicom, Inc. 1997
Implemented web site designs for corporate clients including Wachovia Bank, Amtrak, and Cox Interactive Media. Authored competitive analysis for Cox about localized "city guide" sites. Designed a prototype of an oil pipeline transaction tracking system for an oil-pipeline consortium. Produced HTML templates for use by The Daily Reflector, Greenville, North Carolina.
Publishing Technology Specialist, Time Life Inc. 1995-1997
Offered hardware and software support to the editorial and promotional staff of Time Life Books, Video, and Music. Duties included hardware repair, configuration, and maintenance, software installation, and troubleshooting of user problems in a mixed Macintosh and PC environment. Worked with Appleshare, Novell and Filemaker servers. Created and maintained networked Filemaker databases. Assisted with move to new headquarters building.
Computer Graphics Lab Manager, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications 1994-1996
While on duty, responsible for monitoring and maintenance of 5 Macintosh computer labs and associated peripherals, including scanners, printers, and multimedia equipment. Created and maintained user accounts on Netware server, assisted users, and processed print job requests.
Selected Consulting and Software Development
National Park Service – Principal consultant on project to migrate Northeast Cultural Resources Bibliography database to modern, web-based portal. Installed server hardware and software and managed cleanup and migration of data, 2009. Contract renewed for hardware and software upgrades, 2012-2013.
Morgan Library and Museum - Developed customizations for the ResourceSpace Digital Asset Management System to support internal data transfer needs.
MassMoCA - Assisted with configuration and customization of ResourceSpace Digital Asset Management System for use in an art museum setting, 2011-2014.
Developed "Transform Plugin" for ResourceSpace digital asset management system, which allows users to scale, rotate, and crop assets stored in the system. Developed additional plugins and core project code, including S3Sync and DeepZoom plugins, 2009-2013.
InDesign Training, Puerto Rico- Installed and configured instances of ResourceSpace Digital Asset Management System for clients in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, 2011-2012
Great Turtle Designs – Developed custom web scripting for multiple clients.
Historic Nashville, Inc. - Assisted nonprofit historic preservation organization with various print and web publishing projects, helped write technology grant proposal, and worked on installation of new computer systems and software, 2002-2004.
Daily Orange Alumni Association - Coordinated development of proposal to make the first 100 years of SU's student newspaper available online. Worked with vendor and SU archives to complete pilot project. Presented proposal at newspaper's 100th anniversary celebration, Sept. 2003. Managed web presence, 2004-2010.
Hester J. Hodgdon Libraries for All Program - Served as volunteer consultant to the program and its flagship library, the San Juan del Sur Biblioteca in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. Traveled to Nicaragua in August, 2006 and January, 2007 to work with program director on communications and technology-related projects.
Simmons College
Adjunct Professor, 2013--present. Taught LIS 488, Summer 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015.
Guest presenter, Cultural Heritage Informatics courses, GSLIS, 2010-2012. Oversaw practicum projects for students in followup course.
Taught workshops in OPAC usage and database research, Simmons College Library, 2006-2007
Taught workshops on new and emerging technologies, wikis and podcasting, GSLIS Technology Lab, 2006-2007
Guest presenter, Collections Management course, Museum Studies Program, 2011-2014
Roxbury Walking tour leader, Boston History course, August 2011
Spent one week teaching and working with journalism students at as part of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation's Newspapers in Residence program, November 2002.
Taught week-long course in web publishing for high school journalism students, School Press Institute, Summer, 1997.
Taught workshops on Pagemaker, Photoshop, and web publishing, Scholastic Press Association conventions, 1994-1997
Organizational Affiliations
Member, Society of American Archivists
Member, American Association of Museums
Alumni Board, Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science: Treasurer 2011-
Simmons International Relations, Co-Chair, 2006-2007
Nashville Area Red Cross: Completed training in disaster services, mass care, shelter operations and family services. Served on staff of emergency shelter following Hurricane Katrina, 2006.
"The Collections Access Project: Digitization from the Ground Up at Historic New England" Microform and Digitization Review 41 (March, 2012), pp. 34-41. DOI 10.1515/mir-2012-0003
Panelist, Annual Meeting, Museum Computer Network, Atlanta, 2011 – reinforcing the DAMS for the Future: Common Issues and Challenges.
Panelist, Annual Meeting, Society of American Archivists, Chicago, August, 2011 - Cooperation Makes It Happen: Collaboration in Museum Archives.
Co-Presenter, American Association of Museums annual conference, Houston, May, 2011 – Putting 100 Years of Collecting Online: A Case Study from Historic New England
Panelist, Association of Museums annual conference, Houston, May, 2011 - DAM(S) the Torpedoes, Full Speed Ahead: Digital Asset Management Systems and the Museums of Tomorrow.
Panelist, New England Museum Assocaiation, Springfield, Mass., November, 2010 – Collections Information Management Systems
Co-presenter, Ferdinand's Flashback, Haley House Bakery and Cafe, Roxbury, Mass., September, 2010 (Historical/urban planning lecture sponsored by Discover Roxbury.)
"Putting the "where" in the archives: Internet mapping and archival records" Library Student Journal, June 2010 (Revision of paper that received 2007 NEASIS&T student travel award.)
Presenter, Historic New England Institute, November 3, 2008 - The Collections Access Project: Opening Historic New England's Collections to the World.
"History on your Screen" Historic New England Magazine 9:2 (Fall 2008)
Co-presenter, Simmons College Faculty Showcase (poster), April 23, 2008 - GSLIScast: Adventures in Podcasting
Co-presenter, GSLIScast: Podcasting for Curricular Enrichment, NERCOMP Annual Conference, March 11, 2008, Providence, RI.
Co-author: Technology Programming at the San Juan del Sur Biblioteca: Considerations and Progress (paper accompanying poster session, American Library Association Annual Convention, June, 2007)
Co-presenter, International Poster Session, American Library Association Annual Convention, June, 2007 - Bridging the Communication Abyss in Rural Nicaragua: The San Juan del Sur Biblioteca Movil as an Information Conduit. (poster)
Co-presenter, Co-presenter, Inauguration Weekend Student Showcase (poster), March 2007.
Co-presenter, Launch event, Ruth Mitchell Wunderly Digital Library, December, 2006.
Presenter, La Asociación Nicaragüense de Bibliotecarios y Profesionales Afines (ANIBIPA) workshop, Managua, Nicaragua, August, 2006 – A Montar el autobus 'Wiki': Wikis y su uso en bibliotecas [Ride the Wiki bus: Wikis and their use in libraries]
Panelist, Special Libraries Association national conference, Nashville, 2004 - NewsSpot: The Tennessean's Newsroom Intranet.
"Library Profile: The Tennessean Library and Archives." News Library News 26:3, Spring 2004. pp. 12-15.
Editorial Assistant, WORKS (The Newsletter of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Work Group on Science and Technology), 1994-1996.
The Daily Orange: As a staff writer, covered campus events, spot news, and police beat. 1994-1995.
Quoted in Allis, Sam. Historic collections meet the 21st century: Digitization could be lifesaver for artifacts Boston Globe, August 21, 2010.
Quoted in Fox, Jeremy C. Historic New England puts period photos on the map Boston.com, August 11, 2011.
"New Dean's Fellow" Simmons InfoLink Volume 10, Issue 2, March, 2006.
Recipient of 2011 Award for Excellence in Thesis Research and Writing, given by the Simmons College History Department.
As part of Collections Access Project Task Force, recipient of Historic New England President's Award, 2010.
Profiled as emerging leader in Library and Information Science, Library Student Journal, September, 2008.
Recipient of 2007 New England ASIS&T Student Travel Award for paper "Putting the 'Where' in the Archives: Internet Mapping and Archival Records."
First runner up for 2003 Jimmy Davy award, which is presented to the Tennessean newsroom employee each year who "best represents Jimmy's commitment to journalism and his 44-year career at The Tennessean."


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Death Goddess by jokergirl2001
Anime » Naruto Rated: T, English, Adventure & Friendship, Naruto U., Madara U., Hashirama S., Tobirama S., Words: 27k+, Favs: 1k+, Follows: 2k+, Published: 8/16/2015 Updated: 8/14/2017}
306 Chapter 1: Death's prologue
Rating T for language or mild suggestive scenes, may bump up to M. Depending on certain factors
This fic features : Strong!Naruto, Fem!Naruto, Characters gradually acting OOC thanks to Naruto, etc. Read and enjoy, write a flame if it's that bad, but I appreciate constructive criticism.
Disclaimer : Naruto is owned by a mangaka that goes by the name of...well, I forgot. Me? I barely even own my laptop.
"Speaking"
'Thinking/Thought Conversation'
Flashback/past memory (or emphasis)
Tailed Beast
Shinigami's Apprentice, at your service!
Boredom.
That was what Naruto Uzumaki had to deal with ever since he became the God of Death's apprentice, which was maybe a century or two ago?
He really didn't know. Time just worked differently in the dimension he resided in. Heck, Naruto Uzumaki barely remembered his own name. If it wasn't for the Shinigami constantly calling on him he would have forgotten his name, just like he had forgotten his past.
He was sure there was a hidden reason behind him forgetting his past, because who could forget everything in the span of five decades? But what was the reason? Why did he forget his past? Why does he remember that he was a ninja, but not who his parents were? Why does he remember all his skills as a ninja, yet he can't even name the place he was born in?
With a tired sigh he looked at his reflection in the river, his blue eyes and his spiky blond hair were the only two things he was fond of. It was a wonder that the Shinigami had allowed him to keep his colorful features, but somehow he felt like one important feature was missing. Unknowingly his eyes darted to his cheeks, where unknown to him there were supposed to be whisker birthmarks.
"NARUTO UZUMAKI!"
He gave his reflection a dashing smirk before it morphed into a neutrally innocent expression as he turned around to see a furious Shinigami floating towards him, seemingly ready to send his butt seven ways to the next decade.
He's only seen the Shinigami lose his calm two times, now three.
The first time was when Naruto accidentally misplaced the Shinigami's tanto in the living world. The second time was when he released a few spirits back into the living world for shits and giggles. And now because-
He almost snickered seeing the rainbow color that was now the Shinigami's hair, instead he allowed his eyes to widen in surprise, "Your hair, it's, it's—"
The Shinigami glared at Naruto, "As if you didn't know," he accused.
"—hilarious! Who did it?! Was it Kuro? Mirai?" Naruto threw his head back in laughter.
"I should have never accepted the deal," the Shinigami grumbled glaring at Naruto, who seemed out of breath.
Naruto didn't know what the entity meant with the deal, but he knew he wouldn't get any answers either. So instead he just grinned, "Because you love me~" he teased.
"No, it's because you're an Uzumaki, though it was hard to believe the first time with your lack of any Uzumaki like traits or technique," the Shinigami seemed a bit smug, but Naruto had to squint to notice.
"Hey! At least now I've mastered all my Uzumaki skills!" Naruto protested, crossing his arms defensively.
"It took you a century," the Shinigami deadpanned.
"T-that was because, I, uh, have a learning problem!" Naruto defended.
"Or rather you were busy messing up with the after life as usual," the Shinigami stated.
"Ha! Admit it, the after life was dull without me, you were probably dying of boredom, but then the super awesome Naruto Uzumaki, strongest man to ever roam the living world came and everything became entertaining!" Naruto proudly pointed at himself.
"You know, I never should have allowed the Uzumaki the right to summon me. Nor should I have became their close allies."
"But you did."
"Because Uzumaki souls are delicious."
"Yet you didn't reap mine."
"Sadly, it's against the rules for me to do so."
Naruto raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Why?"
"Because you're not dead," the Shinigami answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
Naruto's eyes bulged out in surprise, "WHAT?! Oi, what do you mean I'm not dead?! I've been reaping souls for a century or so now, and I'm still a kid!"
"You already know that time works differently in this realm."
"Then why am I in my kid body?"
"It's because this is the form you liked most before your contract with me, if I recall correctly it's because your days as a Gennin were the most precious to you," the Shinigami patiently explained.
Naruto was dumbfounded. What was a anyways? Who would be comfortable with being a kid? "How old was I anyways?"
"Six yeasr after the Fourth War, so you were in your early twenties," the Shinigami answered.
"Why would a twenty year old man ever agree to sell his soul to a Shinigami?" Naruto pondered, not seeing himself as the person whom made the contract with the Shinigami.
"He didn't sell his soul," the Shinigami informed.
"What?!" Naruto yelled turning back towards the Shinigami.
"Though I agree that it was rather dumb of him, he agreed to be my apprentice in order to reap four million five hundred thousand three hundred and ninety four souls."
"What's up with that impossible number?" Naruto deadpanned.
The Shinigami shrugged, "Remember it yourself Uzumaki."
"Heh, my memories are lost," he looked up at the grey sky with a longing look, "This place is so boring. So dead."
"Well, it is the afterlife," the Shinigami pointed out.
"Yeah," Naruto sighed in agreement looking back at the Shinigami. He couldn't resist himself as he broke out into a fit of laughter.
The Shinigami twitched, "With that being said, centuries have passed and you're almost there. Five hundred thousand more to go."
"Wha? It'll take me a whole century to complete that amount!" Naruto whined tackling the Shinigami into a hug.
"Let. Me. Go."
"Sure!" and with that Naruto took off with the Shinigami's weapon.
"GET BACK HERE UZUMAKI!"
"Eh, sorry?" Naruto mumbled sheepishly.
"You ruined the after life," the Shinigami stated looking over millions of souls which Naruto had just released into their realm.
"...it was an accident?"
"You sliced open the soul jar with my weapon."
"Well, how should I have known what that the jar was holding the nastiest souls ever?"
"I told you billions of times that the jar was dangerous."
"I thought you meant fun."
Finally the Shinigami grabbed Naruto by the scruff of his orange kimono ,"I have been patient with you for years on end, forgiven you for countless misdeeds, but this? This is something I cannot tolerate."
Naruto gulped, even though the Shinigami wasn't yelling the aura surrounding the death reaper was unbearable.
"I'm sorry."
"If sorry could fix things, then there wouldn't be any need for the soul jar."
"I didn't mean to—"
"I know you didn't mean it, just like you don't mean to do anything else! The problem is you don't think about your actions nor how they affect others around you, you only think about relieving your boredom."
Naruto looked down in shame, "I'm—"
"Save it, I should have been wiser and expected an Uzumaki to not handle peace and quiet well."
"...I'm sorry."
"No, you're not. You're just saying that you are, but you don't really regret your actions, do you? You don't have any idea what the word responsibility means."
"I do too!"
"Well, you have a nice way of showing it."
"...you're right. I'm not responsible, especially not when it comes to being your apprentice, but so what?! It's not like you ever trust me to do anything on my own, you're always doubting me or undermining my skills when you know perfectly well that I could beat your ass!"
"...you lack humbleness."
"I lack everything! Past, memories, sense of identity, happiness, family, friends and a dream! I have nothing."
"But you chose it yourself."
Naruto snapped his mouth shut at that. "Whatever, are you gonna beat me senseless? Throw me into the Void for a decade? Chain me in Hell? Or maybe make me take a Shinigami quiz?"
"None of those will please neither of us, so instead I'll make you entertain me and all the other death reapers from the living world. In a mortal body as a ninja."
Naruto's eyes widen, it wasn't like he had never been to the living world, but for a long period of time? That was new!
"Finally, old man! Thanks!"
"Oh, don't thank me," the Shinigami allowed a devious smile to curl up his features.
'One thing I learned from serving the Uzumaki for years is that revenge is best served in an unusual presentation.'
"I hope I don't ever see you again Naru-chan," he stated before throwing Naruto in a pond.
"And my future dream is to be the greatest Hokage! Then the whole village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody. Somebody important!"
What was a Hokage anyways? A fire shadow? Who the heck would wanna be a shadow? Regardless Naruto was glad to know that he had a dream once, but he knew that when he wakes up he'll forget these words that were most likely spoken by himself.
'Being important, eh? A dream like that sounds nice.'
"Don't underestimate me! I don't quit and I don't run! You can act tough all you want! You're not gonna scare me off! No way! I don't care if I do get stuck as a genin for the rest of my life! I'll still be Hokage someday!"
Maybe his past self wasn't all bad, seeing as the past Naruto had the balls to defy authority and still expects to become a leader.
"I'm not gonna run away, I never go back on my word! That's my nindō: my ninja way!"
Honestly, Naruto wanted to snicker. What kind of ninja was foolish enough to stick my a moral code that forces him to be truthful? Apparently him.
"It's almost unbearable, isn't it… the pain of being all alone. I know that feeling; I've been there, in that dark and lonely place, but now there are others, other people who mean a lot to me. I care more about them than I do myself, and I won't let anyone hurt them. That's why I'll never give up. I will stop you, even if I have to kill you! They saved me from myself. They rescued me from my loneliness. They were the first to accept me as who I am. They're my friends."
An unbearable pain pounded at Naruto's guts, for some reason he really didn't mind forgetting the "loneliness" his past self had felt. But, then again he's been lonely for centuries now, yet he had a feeling that the loneliness he's been feeling in the last century couldn't compare to the past him's loneliness.
Friends. That word has a nice ring to it, maybe he'll find some "friends" one day.
What did friends mean anyways?
"Just give up… on trying to make me give up!"
Heh, he couldn't have said it better himself. Even the Shinigami gave up on making him give up years ago.
"Then I will break that curse. If there's such thing as peace, I will find it. I won't give up!"
Finding peace, eh? That sounded like a nice ambition.
"If you attack Konoha, I will have to fight you… So save up your hatred and take it all on me, I'm the only one who can take it! It's the only thing I can do! I will shoulder your hatred and die with you! Because I'm your friend!"
What was a "Konoha" anyways? And no thanks, Naruto dealt with enough hatred filled spirits, he wouldn't want to willingly shoulder someone else's hatred. And he was sure that if being "friends" meant shouldering the other's hatred, he didn't understand people as much as he thought. Because being friends sounded too much of a hassle if you ask him.
"Don't apologize… I had a lot of hard times growing up as a jinchūriki, but I never blamed you or Dad. I couldn't understand what a parent's love was like because you guys were never there… so I could only guess… But now I know… I live because you and Dad gave your lives for me and filled me up with love before the Nine-Tails was inside me! So here I am, happy and healthy! I'm glad I ended up being your son!"
What was a jinchuriki? So...does that mean he was an orphan? 'Cause that sucks. Would he really be glad to be the son of two parents that were never there for him? It didn't sound appealing in the slightest.
His eyes gazed towards huge green gates, a group of people he couldn't recognize for the life of him grinning at him giving him a warm feeling. Yet he didn't want to go to them, he didn't want to wake up...and forget them all over again. It was too painful.
"Welcome back, Naruto."
"Naruto-nii-chan!"
"Naruto-san."
"N-naruto-kun..."
"Naruto."
Without his consent his feet rushed towards the group, a wide smile overcoming him as he yelled: "I'm—"
"BACK!" Naruto yelled sitting up quickly.
He then sighed, "What was that about?" he questioned his own actions as he yawned, "Must have been a dream of the past or something," he concluded to himself lazily eyeing his surroundings.
His eyes landed on a frog that had the audacity to stare at him.
"Oii, what are you looking at, stupid?" he asked it.
Centuries ago he might have forced himself to stop acting crazy, but now? Craziness was a nice distraction. Before he could blink the frog sprang away. Naruto twitched. "How dare..." he growled running towards the frog.
His legs felt odd, a bit stiff, but manageable if he applied chakra. Centuries of boredom really helped out with his chakra control. Grinning gleefully at the feel of the wind brushing his hair he sped up, eventually passing the frog and making sure to stick his tongue out at the confused creature.
"Now first things first, gotta find some water. I smell bad," he scrunched up his nose in disgust at himself.
It didn't take him long to find a small yet deep river hidden deeply within the forest. Without any reservations he stripped out of his orange kimono and jumped into the river with a childish yell of: "Cannonball!"
After sticking his tongue out at some fishes he swam back up to the surface taking in a fresh breath of air, his sensory skills informing him that there weren't any humans near him and that he was only surrounded by nature and animals. Maybe he'd go hunting later seeing as he probably had to eat now that he had a more mortal like body.
Speaking of which...
He looked down.
"Sorry!" he squeaked in surprise seeing the image of a naked girl.
He turned around immediately covering his eyes.
Wait a minute, didn't the girl have blonde hair and blue eyes just like him? Uncovering his eyes he looked back down meeting the feminine face of a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, just like him. In fact she kinda looked like the form he took on when he used his sexy jutsu.
He frowned. She frowned.
Okay, now that was odd. (Because even centuries couldn't fix the blonde's obliviousness.)
It almost seemed like...no way, he snorted. There was no way that the girl was him. It was impossible, but then again nothing was impossible for a Shinigami.
He stuck his tongue out. She did the same.
He glared. She glared.
It was kinda funny really. He chuckled, she chuckled as well.
"Okay it's official," Naruto decided as he stared at his, er, her reflection, "Maybe I pissed Shinigami-sensei off too much," she mused in amusement as her eyes landed on her female assets.
Blood trickled down her nose, not to sound arrogant or anything, but she was good looking. Sure, some people could beat her in the look department, but damn, she was sure she'd give them a run for their money.
Where did the sudden vanity come from anyways?
Naruto slowly brought up her hands and groped herself, "Seems like I'm really female now," she concluded to herself giving her breasts a squeeze, "And these are soft."
When she let go she frowned a bit, "But kinda heavy and distracting, man I have more respect for women now. How can they bear this weight? And imagine how it would be like when I get..." the blonde trailed off palling a bit, "Maybe pissing Shinigami-sensei off wasn't such a good idea no matter how amusing it was at the time."
She looked up at the sky, the beautiful blue sky which was decorated with white cotton shapes, so...breath-taking compared to the lifeless grey sky in the after life. Being a girl was a low price to pay if it meant she could experience this. Not to mention being able to eat the countless foods she often saw, if she recalled correctly there was this noodle dish she felt oddly attracted to.
"Question is, where exactly am I?"
Her nose twitched. She could smell it.
Ten kilometers to the North? Yes. A group of over twenty clashing with a group of over ten, it should have been a one-sided massacre but the group of over ten was holding their own pretty well. Their chakra signatures were rapidly getting fainter. Wrapping her black obi tightly Naruto set off towards the battlefield with a gleeful look. Violence wasn't something she liked, but she needed to collect herself some more souls.
And then maybe she would no longer be a death god, no longer attached to a red string connected by the Shinigami, she'd be free. The thought of freedom made her go faster.
When she arrived at the battlefield her face twisted into disgust and rage. There, in the middle of the clearing lay exactly twenty four corpses of children. It wasn't uncommon for Naruto to reap the souls of children, but it still made her mad every time. It's just too unfair, they didn't do anything wrong, they were just kids. Just children. They had a full life to look forward to, and it was taken away in under ten minutes.
Sadly Naruto couldn't do anything about it. Even if she had arrived in time, interfering would have dire consequences. Besides, now the kids could go to a better place. They deserved better after all.
Naruto had to swallow down a gasp at seeing a boy who seemed to be seven year old's eyes crushed with two separate souls.
"In the world of living, death is something that comes indiscriminately and randomly. So, there is no way to fight it." Naruto uttered the mantra that the Shinigami had taught her on the day she had to reap a baby's soul.
It didn't feel right to her for some reason, she felt like she was supposed to be fighting against those words she was saying. But for the life of her she couldn't remember why.
Her thumb brushed against her forefinger where a small seal was engraved before she placed her hand in her kimono to retrace a scythe. The handle was black, while the blade was a mix between red and orange. Without any hesitation she severed the string holding the children to the world of the living. She smiled sadly at the corpses hoping that the children would have a better life.
Letting her scythe go back to her personal pocket dimension she placed the bodies in a pile.
"Earth style : Earth Burial jutsu," she whispered into the open air not bothering with any hand seals.
For a second nothing happened, but then the dirt around the corpses shot up and swallowed them. Sparing a quick glance around the area just to be sure the Shinigami was nowhere in sight Naruto dropped on her knees and lifted her hands up into a praying position. With her eyes closed Naruto wished the children the best in the after life. Whether or not they were reincarnated was up to themselves.
"May your souls rest in peace, and may the sinners whom wronged you be repaid," it was a saying used by most reapers in the after life. It was with this saying that Naruto always ended her prayers for the souls whom passed on.
For a final touch Naruto brushed her thumb against her wrist, her hands then went to the sleeves of her kimono and she pulled out a single black rose. It was her calling card and a little signal to let the other reapers know that she was the one who had reaped these souls.
But even as she leaped away on auto-pilot when she sensed other signatures coming towards her there was one thing that plagued her mind. It was the symbol that those kids had. In her opinion it looked like a funny fan. But there was something about that fan...
"I'll admit it. I… lost."
The voice made Naruto come to a total halt, it was just so familiar. It brought her a warm feeling inside, like she knew the one who spoke those words. But who?
"I don't look to the future any more. Only the past."
Past and future? What was the difference anyways? They're both connected. Both shape you into someone by the end of the day. Why was the two important anyways? To her, it didn't matter. But maybe that was because she didn't have a past nor a future.
"Just shut up for once! What the hell do you know about it?! It's not like you ever had a family in the first place! You were on your own right from the beginning, what makes you think you know anything about it?! Huh?! I'm suffering now because I had those ties, how on earth could you possibly understand, what it feels like to lose all that!"
Her stomach clenched uncomfortably at those words. It wasn't like she didn't want a family. It wasn't like she wanted to be all on her own. She's suffering exactly because she doesn't know what she did to deserve this. She wanted a family. A mother to braid her hair, a father to pat her head when she did something good and maybe even a brother. She wouldn't say that she knew how it feels to lose her family, but she knows how it feels like to wish they were with you.
"While it's true I once desired destruction… and the only goal I had was revenge… things are different now. Because that which is destroyed can always be fixed and rebuilt. Villages freed from the clutches and employ of darkness… what I desire is to reform the entire shinobi world! What I am calling for, what I am bringing forth… that is… Revolution."
A shiver overcame Naruto at those words before she suddenly felt a wave of awe. Did she really know someone strong enough to destroy a system as strong as the ones ninjas created? Revolution, it had a nice ring to it.
"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan, and kill a certain someone."
"Sasuke Uchiha," she repeated out loud, "My best friend!"
A grin overcame her. She didn't remember much, but she knew that this Sasuke person was once her best friend. Almost like a brother to her.
"But why did he have to restore his clan?" she found herself asking as she continued to leap from tree to tree.
Chapter End.
Author's Note: what you think so far?
Edited: 25/6/2017

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
2020 British Open To Be Cancelled Due To Coronavirus Pandemic
by Ross Everett in Golf on Apr 2, 2020 4:31am
Multiple sources are reporting that the 2020 British Open has been cancelled.
The tournament was scheduled to start on July 16 at Royal St. George's Golf Club in England.
The last time the British Open was cancelled was in 1945 due to WW II.
UPDATE: The R&A is denying that any decision has been reached on the British Open and that they're still 'considering their options'. Realistically, they've got two: cancel the tournament and collect their insurance payout or postpone the event until September or October.
Multiple sources are reporting that the 2020 British Open golf tournament will be cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As recently as two weeks ago, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews insisted that the event would go on as planned. With the Masters, PGA Championship and US Open already postponed it was the only one of golf's 'Grand Slam' that was still standing. Organizers are expected to make a formal announcement of the cancellation on Thursday. It is the second major sports event in the UK to be cancelled this week–the venerable Wimbledon tennis tournament announced the cancellation of their 2020 event earlier on Wednesday. Some UK media sources have suggested that the British Open organizers were waiting to see what would happen with Wimbledon and that when it was cancelled it was apparent that the event could not go on as planned.
The British Open was set to begin on July 16 at Royal St. George's Golf Club. It was to be the 15th Open held at the course and the first since 2011. The 2021 British Open is scheduled for the Old Course at St. Andrews and the expectation is that will not change. According to reports in the golf media, the reason that the British Open was cancelled and not postponed like the Masters and PGA Championship is due to insurance issues. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R&A) has a policy that protects the event against cancellation due to circumstances beyond the organizers' control. A source told Golf Digest that the British Open 'is the most insured of all of the tournaments' with complete coverage against cancellation. The source also suggested that he didn't see any golf being played 'before August'. That timeframe is also suggested by a Golf.com article speculating on when the postponed majors would be contested.
These have been very tough times for golf betting enthusiasts. The PGA was initially planning to continue playing without fans and actually got in one round of the Players Championship last month. They quickly reversed course and suspended operations, cancelling all future events through the AT&T Byron Nelson which would have concluded on May 10. Based on the current state of the coronavirus pandemic it is difficult to see the PGA not extending their shutdown. The LPGA has also suspended operations for the foreseeable future. With all tours conducted under the auspices of the PGA shut down some sportsbooks have been offering odds on lower profile tour events.
Futures betting on the 2020 British Open had Rory McIlroy as a +750 favorite with Jon Rahm (+950), Brooks Koepka (+1200), Dustin Johnson (+1250) and Tiger Woods (+1500) right behind. McIlroy was a +220 choice to finish in the top five ahead of Rahm (+235), Johnson (+300), Koepka (+325) and Woods (+375). The same five players are early market favorites to win the 2020 US Open with McIlroy at +1000 followed by Johnson (+1200), Koepka (+1400), Rahm (+1600) and Woods (+1800).
Ross Everett
Ross Everett spent too many years in the finance and investment industry before deciding to get an 'honest job' as a freelance writer. He now covers sports betting, gambling and the stock market. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Odds / Predictions for the WGC – Mexico
Golf Feb 19, 2020 by Jared Block
Post Pandemic PGA Golf Schedule Coming Together
Golf Apr 03, 2020 by Ross Everett


text:
CiteScore 4.4
Frontiers in Robotics
and AI
Soft Robotics
Helge A. Wurdemann
University College London, United Kingdom
Surya G. Nurzaman
Monash University Malaysia, Malaysia
Aluna Everitt
University of Oxford, United Kingdom
2. Fabrication Methodology
3. Locomotion and Tensegrity Robots
Front. Robot. AI, 01 November 2019 | https://doi.org/10.3389/frobt.2019.00111
Compact Shape Morphing Tensegrity Robots Capable of Locomotion
Tyler Rhodes, Clayton Gotberg and Vishesh Vikas*
Agile Robotics Lab (ARL), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
Robustness, compactness, and portability of tensegrity robots make them suitable candidates for locomotion on unknown terrains. Despite these advantages, challenges remain relating to ease of fabrication, shape morphing (packing-unpacking), and locomotion capabilities. The paper introduces a design methodology for fabricating tensegrity robots of varying morphologies with modular components. The design methodology utilizes perforated links, coplanar (2D) alignment of components and individual cable tensioning to achieve a 3D tensegrity structure. These techniques are utilized to fabricate prism (three-link) tensegrity structures, followed by tensegrity robots in icosahedron (six-link), and shpericon (curved two-link) formation. The methodology is used to explore different robot morphologies that attempt to minimize structural complexity (number of elements) while facilitating smooth locomotion (impact between robot and surface). Locomotion strategies for such robots involve altering the position of center-of-mass (referred to as internal mass shifting) to induce "tip-over." As an example, a sphericon formation comprising of two orthogonally placed circular arcs with conincident center illustrates smooth locomotion along a line (one degree of freedom). The design of curved links of tensegrity mechanisms facilitates continuous change of the point of contact (along the curve) that results from the tip-over. This contrasts to the sudden and piece-wise continuous change for the case of robots with traditional straight links which generate impulse reaction forces during locomotion. The two resulting robots—the Icosahedron and the Sphericon Tensegrity Robots—display shape morphing (packing-unpacking) capabilities and achieve locomotion through internal mass-shifting. The presented static equilibrium analysis of sphericon with mass is the first step in the direction of dynamic locomotion control of these curved link robots.
Tensegrity structures are comprised of disconnected rigid compressive elements (links) suspended by a network of pre-stressed tensile elements (cables). The redundant links impart robust and fault tolerance, the strategic prestressed cable-link combination provides them with compliance and shape morphing ability (packing-unpacking) (Skelton et al., 2001). These qualities have attracted considerable attention from roboticists to design tensegrity mobile robots for space and exploration applications (Paul et al., 2005, 2006; Shibata et al., 2009; Böhm et al., 2012, 2016; Khazanov et al., 2013; Bruce et al., 2014; Kim et al., 2014; Sabelhaus et al., 2015; Lin et al., 2016; Zappetti et al., 2017; Mintchev et al., 2018; Vespignani et al., 2018).
1.1. Tensegrity Prototyping
The geometrical analysis of tensegrity mechanisms has been substantially researched (Roth and Whiteley, 1981; Connolly and Back, 1998; Schenk, 2006; Skelton and de Oliveira, 2009). However, prototyping of tensegrity structures remains tedious and time-consuming (Kim et al., 2014; Chen et al., 2017a). This is due to the complexity of geometric morphologies that are challenging to visualize and requirement of prestress in the cables. Currently, the design methodologies utilize jigs, multiple sets of hands and precise fabrication to achieve symmetric cable tension and link compression (Böhm et al., 2016; Chen et al., 2017a; Kim et al., 2017; Cera and Agogino, 2018). Recently, planar-to-three-dimensional solutions have been explored using flexible lattice networks which are excellent for fabricating known morphologies which may not be altered post-assembly (Chen et al., 2017a; Zappetti et al., 2017). The compressive elements (links) are made of rigid material, including wood (Kim et al., 2014), plastics (Böhm et al., 2016), and metals (Paul et al., 2006; Sabelhaus et al., 2015; Chen et al., 2017a; Kim et al., 2017). The tensile and compliant elements are fabricated using cables, metal extension springs (Böhm et al., 2012; Khazanov et al., 2013; Bruce et al., 2014; Lin et al., 2016; Kim et al., 2017; Cera and Agogino, 2018) and elastic cables comprised of various plastics (Paul et al., 2006; Chen et al., 2017a; Zappetti et al., 2017; Mintchev et al., 2018). Springs may span the full cable length (Böhm et al., 2012; Khazanov et al., 2013), or pair in series with other cable materials (Bruce et al., 2014; Kim et al., 2017; Cera and Agogino, 2018).
1.2. Integration
Integration of these elements varies considerably, with some methods including hooks (Khazanov et al., 2013; Sabelhaus et al., 2015; Cera and Agogino, 2018), knots (Kim et al., 2014), and even clamps (Chen et al., 2017a). Here, precision in fabrication and integration of component lengths is critical to achieve the desired balance of forces required by the mechanism. Connections are often semi-permanent and restrict passive cable modification (a notable exception by Böhm et al., 2016). These limitations can be mitigated by active cable control (Kim et al., 2014, 2017; Sabelhaus et al., 2015; Vespignani et al., 2018). However, for tensegrity structures lacking active cable control, achieving even force distribution presents a challenge. A conventional solution is to determine the required component lengths of a structure before assembly. This solution is time-consuming and limits experimentation with novel morphologies.
1.3. Tensegrity Locomotion
Locomotion is a result of the optimization of frictional forces between the robot and its environment at different locations of the body (Radhakrishnan, 1998). In case of tensegrity robots, this is often achieved by altering the center-of-mass (CoM) of the robot to induce "tip-over" that subsequently results in change in the points of contact with the surface. In the case of traditional straight-link tensegrity robots, the change in points of contact (links and their corners) is sudden and results in impulse forces during "tip-over" sequences.
1.4. Contribution
The paper proposes a design methodology that employs modular and rapidly producible components, and is applicable to variable morphologies without requiring precise component proportions, prestressed cables, and use of jigs. The fabrication and integration solutions are utilized to design shape-morphing straight six-link Icosahedron and curved two-link Sphericon Tensegrity Robots that possesses packing-unpacking capabilities. For the latter robot, the alteration of the CoM through internal mass-shifting results in continuous change in points of contacts along the curved link. The static equilibrium analysis of one degree-of-freedom sphericon morphology as a function of position of weights is discussed.
Prototyping is critical for exploring geometric morphologies, prestresses, and other fabrication parameters of these mechanisms. The proposed methodology for tensegrity mechanisms assembly enables use of oversized tensile elements to support passive tuning of cable prestresses and is summarized in Figure 1 and Videos S1.
Figure 1. Assembling a tensegrity mechanism–(1) Perforated rigid links allow variable points of connection and nut-bolt combinations act as adjustable clamps. (2) Links are aligned on a planar surface and interconnected using oversized cables. (3) The cables are individually tensioned, without need of external jigs, (4) to construct the final balanced tensegrity mechanism.
The necessary components and tools include nuts and bolt, rigid links, elastic cables, scissors, and wrench. The quantity of nuts and bolts is equal to the number of intersections between links and cables in a given tensegrity design. For the prototypes discussed in this paper, the rigid links are laser-cut with a major dimension of 160 mm from 5 mm thick acrylic sheets and tensile cables are cut from 2 to 4 mm diameter elastic nylon cord. The perforated design of rigid, acrylic links facilitates variable points of connection on the links and prestress capability. The cables are routed through the proper holes in each link and are pinned in place by a bolt. The bolts used herein are M3-0.5 or M5-0.8 socket head cap screws. Every cable which passes through a given hole must be present before bolt placement. Bolts and holes are sized such that cables can be forced to change free length (tuned) but do not move during assembly. Cables are intentionally cut past their tuned free length so that routing to distant holes does not require stretching cables or forcing links into position. With sufficiently oversized cable lengths, all connections may even be made on a flat surface, eliminating the need for jigs (Figure 1). Finally, cables are adjusted to their desired free lengths by marking an expected free length on each cable and tuning from this far closer position. Once the model has reached an acceptable position, nuts are tightened on each bolt to prevent any possibility of cable shifting. The extra lengths of cable can be trimmed off to create a permanent structure or can be taped down to allow for later changes to clamping position. As illustrated in Figure 2, the presented methodology can fabricate of straight three-link prism which can be packed into a single combined link. Similarly, the straight six-link icosahedron and curved two-link sphericon can be packed into a planar sheet.
Figure 2. Straight and curved link tensegrity morphologies fabricated using the proposed methodology. (A) Three-link prism. (B) Six-link icosahedron. (C) Curved two-link sphericon.
The proposed methodology provides the benefits of rapid prototyping and hassle-free assembly, and cable manipulation capability. The components are quickly produced, applicable to a range of designs, and simple to assemble. Cutting a link by laser takes around 2 min, while printing the same link through an FDM process takes 45 min (machine preparation times are approximately the same). Only five tools are used: fabric shears to cut cables, a BOSS LS-1416 laser cutter for the links, a wrench and hex key to modify the clamping force of the nut-bolts and forceps to grab difficult-to-grasp cables when tuning. Additionally, individual cables may be passively and independently clamped and removed without pretensioning. Icosahedron, as illustrated in Figure 2A, are assembled within an hour. This is approximately half of the fastest assembly time in the literature (Kim et al., 2014). The elastic lattice method proposed by Chen et al. (2017a) has yielded considerablly faster assembling (around 15 min) for a similar task that would require an hour and five people using conventional techniques. Nevertheless, this methodology does not allow in-place modification of the already assembled tensegrity mechanism or fabrication of unknown morphologies. Anzalone et al. (2017) have claimed to build a five-sided prism (a simpler shape) in 1 h, however, the fabrication methodology remains unspecified.
The three-link prism (Figure 2A) and the curved two-link sphericon (Figure 2C) are completed in approximately 10 and 25 min, respectively. Furthermore, individual cable tension and lengths may be passively modified during and after final assembly, enabling tunable levels of compliance within a structure.
3.1. Morphology Design for Locomotion
Tensegrity mechanisms adapted to mobile robots conventionally achieve locomotion through rolling about their body. Intuitively, morphologies resembling spheres facilitate smooth rolling which can be defined as continuous change in the point of contact along the body as the robot moves. Traditional straight link robots are limited in their ability to approximate a spheres curvature and achieve smooth rolling motion. Closer approximations to a sphere require increases in structural complexity, i.e., more links, cables and connections. For example, as shown in Figure 3A, a straight three-link tensegrity prism is notable for its design simplicity but not well-suited for rolling locomotion due to high discontinuity. In order to enhance rolling smoothness while optimizing structural complexity, the six-link icosahedron (Figure 3B) is frequently selected to achieve rolling locomotion (Shibata et al., 2009; Khazanov et al., 2013; Bruce et al., 2014; Kim et al., 2014; Lin et al., 2016; Cera and Agogino, 2018; Vespignani et al., 2018). This morphology enables planar locomotion, but motion is characterized by discontinuous "tip-over" impacts between triangular faces. Furthermore, these triangular faces are non-linearly sequenced, resulting in continuous "zig-zagging" directional change. This overall motion is described as "punctuated rolling motion" (Chen et al., 2017b) achieved through "steps" (Kim et al., 2017) or "flops" (Bruce et al., 2014). Mitigation of this problem may be achieved either by further increasing structural complexity (e.g., a 12-link rhombicuboctahedron morphology which is nearer to a sphere).
Figure 3. Locomotion for tensegrity mechanisms of different morphologies. For straight link mechanisms, the triangular faces contacting the ground are traced during motion. Likewise, the points of contact for curve link mechanisms are traced. (A) Highly puncuated zig-zag rolling motion for a structurally simple three-link prism. (B) Punctuated rolling motion along the faces of straight-link icosahedron resulting in continuous zig-zag. (C) Dual-axis wobble locomotion of two curve-link mechanism. (D) Uniaxial locomotion of oloid.
3.1.1. Curve-Link Morphologies
Another approach to achieving smooth rolling locomotion is by directly introducing curvature to the compressive rigid links. Here, the curvature introduces additional bending moment to links (straining the definition of tensegrity). Smooth uniaxial rolling locomotion has been achieved using tensegrity mechanism comprising of two curved links—a morphology that resembles a condensed spehricon, rather than a sphere (Böhm et al., 2012, 2016; Kaufhold et al., 2017). A sphericon is a geometric roller formed by two orthogonal half-arcs meeting at the same center of curvature (Hirsch and Seaton, 2019) that is capable of uniaxial rolling. Furthermore, it has been observed that an improved geometric roller may be created through modification of these arc lengths and the distance between their respective centers of curvature (Kaufhold et al., 2017). This geometric roller may be adapted toward a tensegrity morphology capable of smooth uniaxial rolling and full planar locomotion with the addition of conventional "tip-over" operations (Böhm et al., 2016). These results invite further exploration into other curved link morphologies potentially suitable for tensegrity robot locomotion.
The curved two-link sphericon roller, as illustrated in Figure 2C, is a variation on Böhm-morphology (Böhm et al., 2016) where the centers of the arcs do not coincide. This was observed to have similar uniaxial locomotion with a slight wobble (Figure 3C). An oloid (Figure 4A) is also a uniaxial roller which further varies its arc angle beyond 180° which also demonstrates wobbly locomotion as shown in Figure 3D. The two-link shpericon roller (Figure 4B) is an oloid where the centers of the arcs coincide—it displays oloid-like locomotion along its outer edges which is hindered at its poles (ends of the curved links). The three-link morphology (Figure 4C) behaves similar to the straight three-link prism, i.e., inefficient but somewhat improved rolling locomotion. Adding non-structural curved features to these modified morphologies (Figure 4D) reduces wobble. These additional features function as an exterior shell for the structure, filling in portions of the open spaces between links but substantially compromising the packing ability of the modified mechanisms.
Figure 4. Exploring curve-link tensegrity morphologies. (A) Oloid. (B) Two disc roller. (C) Three curve-link. (D) Modified with non-structural features.
3.1.2. Smooth Rolling of a Sphericon
When movement occurs without slipping, it is due to change in the points of contact between the mechanism and ground. Here, smooth rolling is defined as continuous change in these points of contact. The sphericon, illustrated in Figure 5A, demonstrates this quality where neither of the half-circular arc leaves contact with the ground as they trace the path shown in Figure 5B and Videos S3. During locomotion, the sphericon transitions between quadrants (wobbling motion) where the arcs smoothly trade roles—one provides the rolling contact surface (changing α or β) while the tip of other acts like a stationary contact point (α or β is 180° or 0°). The arcs with the fixed and varying points of contact are referred to as the stationary and rolling arc. The corresponding points of contacts are termed the stationary and rolling points of contact. For example, referring to Figure 5A, as α approaches 180° with β at 0° in quadrant I, the angle β begins to change from 0° while α is fixed at 180° in quadrant II. Table 1 summarizes the rotation direction and axis, and possible contact angles for each quadrant.
Figure 5. Periodic smooth locomotion of a sphericon. (A) Visualization of the two orthogonal arcs with associated angles of contact (α, β). (B) Paths of contact arcs (double-dashed line), center (continuous) and overall motion (dashed). Numerals denote the four distinct stages (quadrants) of the periodic motion.
Table 1. Arc contact angles in each quadrant during smooth locomotion of a sphericon.
3.2. Tensegrity Robots
Controlled rolling locomotion in tensegrity robots is conventionally achieved by altering their CoM either through deformation of the body (Shibata et al., 2009) or internal shifting of the mass (Böhm et al., 2012, 2016). Through coordinated cable actuation, the body deformation results in change in the robots CoM and ground contact surface, causing the body to rotate. Here, actuating the large number of cables involved requires a sizeable amount of control effort. The internal mass-shifting strategy alters the robots CoM without deforming the body and facilitates smooth rolling locomotion. Furthermore, mass-shifting mechanisms only require a single actuator, and may be incorporated directly into existing links, independent of tensile cable networks. Consequently, this approach has been demonstrated to achieve high-speed locomotion with reduced control complexity and minimal actuation.
3.2.1. Internal Mass-Shifting Mechanism
The internal mass-shifting is achieved through a pulley system that can be directly integrated onto the links, enabling modular design of tensegrity robots capable of locomotion. Figure 6A illustrates the mass-shifting pulley system on a straight link. Here, the mass holder surrounds the link and is capable of sliding along it. The pulley cable (same as tensile cables) is attached to the mass holder which is fed through the gearbox of a motor at one end and looped around the other end. The gearbox is created out of laser-cut acrylic components and consists of a driving pinion and idler gear, which grip the cable as they rotate. The high torque gear motors provide a firm grip on the cable while both powered and unpowered. The current prototype, shown in Videos S2, uses a derivative of a Pololu Micro Metal Gearmotor. The pulley system is further adapted to modified curved struts as illustrated in Figure 7. Here, the pulley cable is inlaid inside the channels following the strut's curvature and the masses are directly held between the two curved sections while an end spool is employed to mitigate frictional forces.
Figure 6. Design of the internal mass-shifting mechanism and control payload mechatronics are critical for design of an autonomous shape morphing tensegrity robot. (A) Pulley system composed of sliding mass holder (1), nylon cable pulley (2), motor (3), and acrylic gearbox (4). (B) Control payload consisting of a microcontroller (1), battery (2), motor drivers (3), and radio module (4).
Figure 7. Folding of tensegrity robot achieved through motion of struts along the cables. (A) Packed orientation. (B) Deployed orientation.
3.2.2. Control Payload
Available options for providing power and control to tensegrity robots present limiting factors in their design. A tethered robot may be simpler and lightweight, but is limited in range—either by the length of its cord, or the likelihood of tangling of the cord while rolling. Untethered robots require self-contained electronics, and potentially significant battery payloads. The presented control solution is created in pursuit of the minimum requirements of weight, size, and complexity to achieve a modular untethered system. Figure 6B illustrates the control payload that executes open-loop control commands wirelessly sent by an external controller.
3.2.3. Shape Morphing for Packing and Deployment
Active folding of tensegrity robots has been achieved by the SUPERball tensegrity robot (straight six-link icosahedron) (Vespignani et al., 2018). This enables compact storage of tensegrity robots and subsequent active deployment which is highly desirable for space applications and disaster relief scenarios. Folding of these robots has conventionally been achieved through active cable length change (Bruce et al., 2014). An alternative method involving motion of link ends along cables is proposed as illustrated in Figure 7. The cables are fed through gearboxes (the same employed for mass-shifting) attached to motors at link ends. Folding is achieved by coordinating the motors at both link ends of the curved two-link sphericon robot.
Integration of the presented systems results in the creation of two mobile robots that are capable of locomotion through internal mass shifting—the Icosahedron (straight six-link) and Sphericon (curved two-link) Tensergrity Robots.
3.2.4. Icosahedron Tensegrity Robot
The three orthogonal links were modified to incorporate mass-shifting systems and the electronics payload was distributed over two additional links as highlighted in Figure 8A. Locomotion challenges included optimizing the weight of the masses required for locomotion with the motor size and power. Mechatronics challenges arose from the scale of the morphology causing interference between the mass-shifting and control payload systems.
Figure 8. Tensegrity robots capable of locomotion through internal mass-shifting. They integrate (1) suspended control payload, (2) pulley system with (3) sliding masses, and (4) folding motors. (A) Icosahedron tensegrity robot. (B) Sphericon tensegrity robot.
3.2.5. Sphericon Tensegrity Robot
This morphology overcomes challenges faced by the previous case and incorporates mass-shifting systems into both curved links while the control payload was bundled and suspended in the center of the robot as illustrated in Figure 8B. Both these robots are shown in Videos S2. Consequently, a highly efficient locomotion is observed. By following the curvature of the robot, the masses are furthest from the geometric center of the robot and facilitate efficient altering of the robots CoM. The curved links enable smooth rolling motion by continuous change in points of contact with the variation of CoM. As the morphology only consists of two links, folding systems are incorporated without greatly increasing the required number of actuators showing considerable reduction in volume during packed orientation.
This tensegrity robot can be modeled as a sphericon mechanism (Figure 9). They are referred to as stationary and rolling arcs depending on how the point of contact changes with time. During dynamic motion as the sphericon rolls in one of the quadrants (Table 1), the stationary arc contacts the surface at the edges (α or β = {0°, 180°}) while the mechanism rolls along the rolling arc where as the point of contact dynamically varies along the arc (α or β ∈ [0°, 180°]). For example, when the shpericon travels in the first quadrant, the Arc 2 is the stationary arc where β = 0° and Arc 1 performs the role of the rolling arc as α varies between 0° and 180°. Here, two identical masses are located at angles θ and ϕ along the rolling and stationary arcs from the edges of the arcs.
Figure 9. Sphericon mechanism with weights at static equilibrium position. The weights are located at angle θ, ϕ on the rolling and stationary arcs. The mechanism touches the surface at two points—stationary and rolling points of contact.
Let I coordinate system be fixed in the inertial reference frame with origin at a point on a planar surface and orthonormal basis vectors {x^,ŷ} along the plane and ẑ normal to the plane. Similarly, let the B coordinate system be fixed on the body reference frame, origin at the center of the sphericon and orthonormal basis vectors {êx, êy, êz}. The rotation matrix defining the relationship between the two coordinate systems can be written as (Craig, 1989)
BIR=Ry(45°)R3(−γ)=[cos γ cos 45°sin γ cos 45°sin 45°−sin γcos γ0−cos γ sin 45°−sin γ sin 45°cos 45°] (1)
where the mechanism is rotated 45° about the y-axis of the inertial coordinate system I so each curve link rests on the ground (since the radii are equal this rotation is constant). Thereafter, it is rotated by −γ about the z-axis of the intermediate coordinate system (ê3) as illustrated in Figure 10. Consequently, the displacement vectors of the masses in the body B and inertial I coordinate systems are
rO→m1=d[cos θsin θ0]B=-d2[-cos (γ-θ)2 sin (γ-θ)cos (γ-θ)]I (2)
rO→m2=d[0−sin ϕ−cos ϕ]B =−d2[cos ϕ+sin γ sin ϕ2 cos γ sin ϕcos ϕ−sin γ sin ϕ]I (3)
Consequently, the velocity of these points can be calculated as
vmi=vO+ddt(rO→mi) ∀i∈{1,2} (4)
The potential energy of the system is equivalent to
V=m1g(rO+rO→m1)·z^+m2g(rO+rO→m2)·z^ =(m1+m2)gR2+m1cos (γ-θ)+m2(cos ϕ-cos γ sin ϕ) (5)
The static equilibrium positions of the mechanism can be obtained through the Lagrange's equations where the kinetic energy is zero and the generalized coordinate is γ
∂V∂γ=0→tan(γ)=tanθ-(m2m1)·(sin ϕcos θ) (6)
Figure 10. The relationship between the inertial (I), intermediate (A), and body coordinate system (B) of the sphericon. The point O indicates the center and the other two green points denote the points of contact between the mechanism and the surface.
The paper presents a design methodology for fabricating tensegrity robots of varying morphologies with modular components that facilitates rapid prototyping and hassle-free assembly, and capabilities to manipulate cable positions and tensions during assembly. Exploration of desirable morphologies for locomotion is critical to the design of tensegrity robots and includes investigation of their shapes (straight versus curved links), their placement (location of center of link arcs), number of links and even non-structural elements. The resulting two autonomous shape morphing tensegrity robots—the straight link Icosahedron and curved link Sphericon morphology—achieve locomotion through internal mass-shifting utilizing the presented mass-shifting mechanism. The curve link tensegrity robot demonstrates smooth locomotion and packing behavior with folding-deployment orientations.
TR fabricated all the tensegrity morphologies, designed the mechatronics, programming logic of the robots and contributed to the writing the draft. CG assisted TR with fabrication, writing and performed the mathematical analysis. VV supervised the research and oversaw all the activities.
The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frobt.2019.00111/full#supplementary-material
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Kaufhold, T., Schale, F., Bohm, V., and Zimmermann, K. (2017). "Indoor locomotion experiments of a spherical mobile robot based on a tensegrity structure with curved compressed members," in 2017 IEEE International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM) (Munich: IEEE), 523–528.
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Kim, K., Agogino, A. K., Moon, D., Taneja, L., Toghyan, A., Dehghani, B., et al. (2014). "Rapid prototyping design and control of tensegrity soft robot for locomotion," in 2014 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO 2014) (Bali: IEEE), 7–14.
Kim, K., Moon, D., Bin, J. Y., and Agogino, A. M. (2017). "Design of a spherical tensegrity robot for dynamic locomotion," in 2017 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) (Vancouver, BC), 450–455.
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Mintchev, S., Zappetti, D., Willemin, J., and Floreano, D. (2018). "A soft robot for random exploration of terrestrial environments," in 2018 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) (Brisbane, QLD), 7492–7497.
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Paul, C., Valero-Cuevas, F., and Lipson, H. (2006). Design and control of tensegrity robots for locomotion. IEEE Trans. Robotics 22, 944–957. doi: 10.1109/TRO.2006.878980
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Schenk, M. (2006). Theory and design of statically balanced tensegrity mechanisms (Master's thesis). TU Delft, Delft, Netherlands.
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Vespignani, M., Friesen, J. M., SunSpiral, V., and Bruce, J. (2018). "Design of SUPERball v2, a compliant tensegrity robot for absorbing large impacts," in 2018 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) (Madrid), 2865–2871.
Zappetti, D., Mintchev, S., Shintake, J., and Floreano, D. (2017). "Bio-inspired tensegrity soft modular robots," in Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems, Vol. 10384, eds M. Mangan, M. Cutkosky, A. Mura, P. F. Verschure, T. Prescott, and N. Lepora (Stanford, CA: Springer International Publishing), 497–508.
Keywords: tensegrity, shape morphing, robot locomotion, tensegrity robot, tensegrity mechanism, tensegrity fabrication, sphericon, icosahedron
Citation: Rhodes T, Gotberg C and Vikas V (2019) Compact Shape Morphing Tensegrity Robots Capable of Locomotion. Front. Robot. AI 6:111. doi: 10.3389/frobt.2019.00111
Published: 01 November 2019.
Helge Arne Wurdemann, University College London, United Kingdom
Aluna Everitt, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
Surya Girinatha Nurzaman, Monash University Malaysia, Malaysia
Copyright © 2019 Rhodes, Gotberg and Vikas. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Vishesh Vikas, vvikas@ua.edu


text:
Truck Groups Ask Chao to Kill Safety Fitness Determination Proposal
February 21, 2017 • by David Cullen
Image: FMCSA
A large coalition of groups representing property and passenger carriers is requesting that Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao rescind the Carrier Safety Fitness Determination notice of proposed rulemaking issued over a year ago by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
The NPRM, which came out on Jan 21, 2016, seeks to establish a new motor carrier safety-rating system based on scores generated by FMCSA's Compliance, Safety, Accountability program.
Making their case in a Feb 15. letter to Chao, the industry groups contend that the safety-fitness determination proposal should take a back seat to FMCSA fixing its CSA system, citing the flaws of the data that drives the current Safety Measurement System (SMS) within CSA.
Back in December 2015, FMCSA said it was proposing to adopt "revised methodologies" for determining when a motor carrier is not fit to operate based on: (1) the carrier's on-road safety performance in relation to five of the seven Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs) tracked by the agency's CSA program; (2) an investigation; or (3) a combination of on-road safety data and investigation information.
"The intended effect of this action is to more effectively use FMCSA data and resources to identify unfit motor carriers and to remove them from the nation's roadways," the agency stated at the time.
The signatories to the stakeholder letter state that their major concern with the SFD proposal is that it would use a methodology built on "flawed Compliance, Safety and Accountability (CSA) program/Safety Measurement System (SMS) data and scores, which Congress directed the agency to review and reform just months earlier in the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Systems Act (FAST Act) enacted in December of 2015."
The letter points out that those CSA reforms are "in process" via a study by the National Academy of Sciences, the final report from which is expected out in June.
The coalition goes on to say that it doesn't make sense "to build a new safety fitness determination system upon a flawed system which is currently undergoing congressionally mandated review and reform and is likely to change. While we support the goal of an easily understandable, rational safety fitness determination system, this proposal is built on a flawed foundation. We urge you to rescind this ill-advised and harmful rulemaking immediately and participate fully in the reform of the CSA/SMS process as mandated by Congress."
The over 60 stakeholder groups, including some fleets, in the coalition include the American Trucking Associations, the National Private Truck Council, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, and the Western States Trucking Association.
Read more about FMCSA CSA Elaine Chao Regulations


text:
namespace base {
class FilePath;
}

namespace net {
class URLRequestContext;
}

namespace mojo {

class NetworkContext {
 public:
  explicit NetworkContext(const base::FilePath& base_path);
  ~NetworkContext();

  net::URLRequestContext* url_request_context() {
    return url_request_context_.get();
  }

 private:
  scoped_ptr<net::URLRequestContext> url_request_context_;

  DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(NetworkContext);
};

}  // namespace mojo

#endif  // MOJO_SERVICES_NETWORK_NETWORK_CONTEXT_H_

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Film FX1081: Film leader with dust and scratches (Loop).
hd00:13Beautiful fly through space to Beijing. This video ends on a white frame. Elements of the video furnished by NASA. MORE OPTIONS IN MY PORTFOLIO.
4k00:57Beautiful lens flare effect is simple to add on your video production.left-right, and diagonal for use as a transition effect in editing.


I'm sorry I haven't posted as frequently. Lately, my RL has been going through some very challenging times and I haven't had the will to put anything together that I'd be proud of. That being said, I hope you enjoy my photo today.


text:
Paul Gascoigne sends a message to Eriksen amidst transfer uncertainty
Tottenham Hotspur fans still don't know whether Christian Eriksen will be at the club come the end of the transfer window.
The Danish midfielder told the media that he was looking for a new challenge and a step up for this season back in June, but he still remains at the club (Ekstra Bladet).
Eriksen has also featured in all three matches for Tottenham this season, twice off the bench and once from the start against Man City.
The European transfer window doesn't shut until September 2, meaning Spurs have to hang onto the player for a few days, then talk may turn towards convincing him to sign a new deal.
Talking of naturally talented and creative midfield threats, Paul Gascoigne has been speaking about Eriksen this week.
Gazza played for Spurs across three seasons, scoring 33 goals in the process in over 100 matches (Wikipedia).
He believes that Eriksen should stay at Spurs due to the incredible facilities at the club (Football London): "He (Eriksen) is important to the squad and Spurs have got to keep players like him. But it's not a game anymore, though, it's a business. Player power and money talks.
"If I were a player now I would want to stay at Tottenham Hotspur. I have seen the facilities and the players that they have got. They have some potentially world-class players. I think it's a great club to stay at.
"They have a great manager as well. I would have loved to play for Pochettino. It's just the way he is. He seems calm and is a guy you would want to play for. He's always encouraging people."
Tottenham reveal when they will launch the new third kit for the 2019/20 season
Final Champions League pots confirmed ahead of group stage draw today


Poly seat install?? How did you do it?
What Moog v6 spring do you use?
Chev 4.3 mechanical fuel pump?
Jegs Brand rebuilt TH350 very nice!
water injection with n/a carb?
67-69 camaro headers in gbody.
1979 Regal custom gauge cluster?
anyone have pics of aftermarker seats in their malibus???


She's seen you at your best and at your worst — and has loved you through it all.
There is no one better than your maid of honor. Who else will fluff your gown, reapply your lip gloss, and hold up your tulle while you straddle the porcelain throne? Who else will wholeheartedly agree to wear your (somewhat questionable) customized bachelorette t-shirts on the Las Vegas strip? Or artistically arrange your bridal shower gift wrap ribbons into the ugliest rehearsal bouquet the world's ever seen?
To speak in bumper sticker language: maids of honor rule.
And while best friends undoubtedly make wonderful MOH's, there is one breed of MOH that stands above the rest: sisters. Here are five reasons that sister of yours will make the best maid of honor ever.
No one has seen it all like your sister has. Yes, that includes the middle school summer you turned your hair orange with Sun In. And that oh-so-unfortunate grunge phase. Oh, and the time you came back from studying abroad and refused to speak anything but (horrible) French. She's seen every last phase, and those anecdotes will make for one seriously hilarious and heartfelt maid of honor speech.
It's a double edged sword, but a blessing in the long run — no one will give you a more honest opinion than your sister. Whether the cake is soggy, the bridesmaids' dresses are dumpy, or your spray tan looks splotchy, your sister will be there to let you know — and help you solve any issues as quickly as possible.
Whether they're stressing about wedding arrangements, or having a hard time coming to terms with you entering the next phase of life, parents of the bride can be high maintenance. Luckily, there's no one to better handle them than your sister who knows exactly how Mom takes her cocktail.
Siblings know how to annoy each other like no one else. While this might seem like a negative, this talent will also help your sister get rid of anything that might annoy you — no matter how obscure — on your big day.
We're about to sound very Hallmark here, but that sister standing next to you on your wedding day represents a lot. She is a symbol of the support system that raised you and guided you through life. She is a symbol of the people that have loved you truer than anyone else. She is a symbol of the family that will now happily accept your husband into their lives. She is part of you in a way that only sisters can understand. And she better fluff that train of yours with fervor after what she's put you through all these years.
So cheers to your sister — the amazing, sometimes annoying, absolutely irreplaceable human by your side.


The fact that there was no bagels at the store devastated her. Of course, she could just go to the other grocery but what was the point?
No, she'll have to choose a different last meal.
He was drunk, that was obvious. He strummed a stolen parlor guitar, singing "leave it aloooooone" over and over. He wore a sweat stained off-white tank top, ripped dress pants, his greasy hair unkept. Laugh lines creased the corners of his eyes .
He joined in the slow progressive line towards the looming square, grey building ahead. Every single body in the line wore a suit and tie, black on white, their distinctive features melting off, noses, freckles, moles, color. Their thoughts soon blended into a monotonous hum as their feet mechanically moved their bodies towards hell.
He wanted her. He wanted to disect her brain, extract every thought and contemplation and keep going until he has found her essence…and then corrupt and destroy it.
You don't know how it is, the struggle with insanity. It is as if I was frozen, on a bridge, while a man in dark clothing conjured large stones from thin air with a flourish of his hand and placed them slowly into my pockets, with a heavy set half man pushing me inch by inch to the edge.
She stepped away from the rusty elevator doors, sweat pouring down her face. She was so close. So goddamned close.
and disappeared into the mass of people.
October 12th 2011 was the day the doctor told me my wife was dying.
My wife and I never liked each other. Our relationship was mutual. Separate rooms, separate sides of the house. God knows why were married. God knows why we stayed together.
I am not in the zone.
I am in a half empty glass and am too lazy to look at it as half full.
I am staring at a blank screen wondering why am I so bored.
I stood by the balcony, counting my losses. Job. Life. Any chance of a relationship. Family. Purpose. All while I edged closer and closer to the edge, cars zoomed by 8 stories down.
I really needed to make a statement in this world, otherwise, I'm just another human being.
"Uhhh, ewwww gross!" Stephanie squealed for she had just stepped in a big pink wad of gum.
Taking the molten hot metal out of the fire, he fuses the hilt to the blade. It shines in the firelight, it's elfin metal glimmering with all kinds of colors and magic.


text:
THE GRIND HUB
The primary use of arsenic is in alloys of lead (such as in car batteries and ammunition).
A few species of bacteria are able to use arsenic compounds as respiratory metabolites.
Arsenic and its compounds, especially the trioxide, are used in the production of pesticides, treated wood products, herbicides, and insecticides. These applications are declining due to the toxicity of arsenic and its compounds.
The United States' Environmental Protection Agency states that all forms of arsenic are a serious risk to human health. The United States' Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry ranked arsenic as number 1 in its 2001 Priority List of Hazardous Substances at Superfund sites. Arsenic is classified as a Group-A carcinogen.
Some species of bacteria obtain their energy by oxidizing various fuels while reducing arsenate to arsenite. Under oxidative environmental conditions, some bacteria oxidize arsenite to arsenate as fuel for their metabolism.
Zinc grinders are partly made of lead. Lead is added to reduce production cost, as it improves the flow of the material in the mold. Lead contains some levels of arsenic, so zinc grinders are not good for you.
Some the disorders related to arsenic include:
-gastrointestinal symptoms, central nervous system obstruction, bone marrow depression, hemolysis, hepatomegaly, and melanosis
-polyneuropathy and encephalopathy
-hyperkeratosis
-pigmentation changes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and carcinogen poisoning
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