The objective of the present invention is to provide a hardness meter which estimates hardness in a stable manner regardless of a compression strength. A hardness meter includes: a movable portion which is continuously pressed against an object to be measured; a sensor which outputs an output signal reflecting a reaction force at a part of the object to be measured; a motive force mechanism that causes the movable portion to perform a piston motion; a hardness estimating portion which estimates the hardness of the object on the basis of an alternating current component of the output signal, generated by the piston motion; a position estimating portion which estimates a measurement position information by shooting with a camera; and a hardness map display portion which maps and displays the hardness on a schematic diagram of the surface of a living body based on the measurement position information.

An atomic-force-microscope-based apparatus and method including hardware and software, configured to collect, in a dynamic fashion, and analyze data representing mechanical properties of soft materials on a nanoscale, to map viscoelastic properties of a soft-material sample. The use of the apparatus as an addition to the existing atomic-force microscope device.

A rotary fatigue tester with complex loads includes a pump, a first motor, a second motor, a circulatory loop, an experimental kettle body, and a holding device. The experimental kettle body is a cylindrical tank, the circulatory loop is located on the experimental kettle body, a pump is located within the circulatory loop and is connected with a corrosive gas pipeline; the holding device is located within the experimental kettle body for fixing a test piece, a force-bearing pole is located at one side of the experimental kettle body for applying a shear force to the test piece, the holding device and the force-bearing pole are connected with the first motor and the second motor respectively. The rotary fatigue tester is able to simultaneously apply the axial alternating load and tangential alternating load to the test piece, for simulating the force of the test piece under complex loads.

An atomic-force-microscope-based apparatus and method including hardware and software, configured to collect, in a dynamic fashion, and analyze data representing mechanical properties of soft materials on a nanoscale, to map viscoelastic properties of a soft-material sample. The use of the apparatus as an addition to the existing atomic-force microscope device.

An example material testing apparatus (100) includes: guide means (110); sample test means (120) for holding a sample (130) and applying a test force to the sample (130); a crosshead (150) arranged to support at least a portion the sample test means (120), wherein the crosshead (150) is moveable about the guide means (110); crosshead drive means (180) for moving the crosshead (150) generally vertically about the guide means (110), wherein the crosshead drive means (180) is driven by an electric machine (302) in a driving configuration; and a controller (170) arranged to: configure the electric machine (302) into the driving configuration; control the crosshead drive means (180) to move the crosshead (150) generally vertically about the guide means (110); and configure the electric machine (302) into a braking configuration, wherein in the braking configuration a winding of the electric machine (302) is connected together with a low resistance connection.

Disclosed is a device for analyzing dynamic characteristics of a carbon composite material based on a test temperature, an orientation of a carbon material, and an external loading pattern applied thereto. The device includes a sensitivity analyzer configured to calculate a frequency response function of the carbon composite material based on a physical force signal and a vibration signal; and calculate a sensitivity of the carbon composite material to each of variations in the test temperature, an orientation of a carbon material contained in the carbon composite material, and the external loading pattern applied thereto, based on the calculated frequency response function.

The present invention is equipped with an AE sensor 12, a load test device 14, a storage device 22, a frequency center of gravity calculation unit 24 and a determination device 26. A loading pattern including, raising, retaining and unloading is repeatedly applied to a test subject 1 by the load test device 14, the maximum load is sequentially increased, and the AE waves 2 detected by the AE sensor 12 are stored with the load by the storage device 22. Next, the frequency center of gravity of the AE waves is obtained from the relationship between the frequency of the AE waves 2 and the intensity thereof by the frequency center of gravity calculation unit 24, and delamination preceding breakage is determined by the determination device 26 when the frequency center of gravity 5 is less than a prescribed first frequency.

A sensor for measuring the fatigue life of a structure subjected to repetitive loads is disclosed. The sensor includes a backing material arranged for securement to the structure, and a foil arranged for securement to the backing material. The foil includes a conductive path along which electrical current flows at an initial resistance measured prior to the structure being subjected to repetitive loads. A crack initiation feature in the form of a notch is located on the conductive path. In response to repetitive loads applied to the structure, one or more cracks propagate from the crack initiation feature across the conductive path to cause electrical resistance to increase whereby the progression of fatiguing of the structure may be determined.

An atomic-force-microscope-based apparatus and method including hardware and software, configured to collect, in a dynamic fashion, and analyze data representing mechanical properties of soft materials on a nanoscale, to map viscoelastic properties of a soft-material sample. The use of the apparatus as an addition to the existing atomic-force microscope device.

A true triaxial testing system for disturbance experiment with broadband and low amplitude of a high pressure hard rock includes a low-frequency disturbance true triaxial mechanism, a variable-frequency low-speed disturbance rod mechanism and a rapid single-side unloading type specimen box. The low-frequency disturbance true triaxial mechanism and the variable-frequency low-speed disturbance rod mechanism are distributed along a straight line. The low-frequency disturbance true triaxial mechanism is independently used or cooperates with the variable-frequency low-speed disturbance rod mechanism for use. The rapid single-side unloading type specimen box cooperates with the low-frequency disturbance true triaxial mechanism for use.