Q: What is the D2D System?

A: The Dealer-to-Dealer System is a platform where you can sell & quickly find ready-to-ship (in-stock) equipment. It’s the fastest and easiest way to find what your customers need urgently!

Q: How do I join the D2D System?

A: That’s easy! Just log in to your account & select D2D System > Settings to set up your account & preferences.

Q: How do I use the D2D System to quickly locate equipment?

A: That’s also really easy! Either send an email with the details of your desired equipment to : System1@Used-Line.com , or manually enter your search in your account by selecting  D2D System > Find the Equipment You Need Immediately .

The D2D system will automatically search its database & notify you by email when it finds a match!

Can We Test the Safety of Autonomous Vehicles?

Part Two

In Part One, we looked at Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and where autonomous driving fits within this framework. Let’s now take a look at what driving situations must “pass the test” and what technologies must work in perfect sync to deliver consumer confidence.

What needs to be tested?

The following ADAS Level 5 features are just a few examples of what needs testing, according to a US Congressional Research Service report on issues in testing and deploying autonomous vehicles (April 2021). They necessitate a diverse set of sensors, many of which are geared toward collisionavoidance:

• Detecting pedestrians
• Detecting objects and classifying them according to their physical attributes
• Predicting the path of a moving object
• Parking
• Eliminating blind spots (360-degree viewing)
• Monitoring road conditions in all types of weather
• Monitoring accidents, congestion, and rerouting

What technologies are required to implement ADAS Level 5 features?

Keysight Technologies has done all the work for us with its excellent White Paper on testing AV’s. The following technologies all need to work together to put AV features through their paces:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Software
• Many different types of sensors, including RADAR (Radar detection and ranging), LIDAR (Light detection and ranging), and cameras for vision
• GPS systems for maps and navigation software
• Ability to read road signs and traffic signals
• Wireless communication systems, including 5G cellular as well as short-range bandwidths for vehicle-to-vehicle communications

And the list goes on.

Is autonomous driving a realistic possibility?

The jury is still out on whether self-driving cars will ever become a reality. The testing challenges are numerous and deserve their own article. Can simulations accurately represent reality? How many miles must be travelled before accepting a success rate of 100 percent? 99.999 percent success is not good enough. If a test fails, the conclusion is self-evident. If it passes, how do we know it will never fail? However, some automakers believe that they are on their way to realizing their vision of a fully automated vehicle. In the meantime, test equipment manufacturers will be kept on their toes.

Can We Test the Safety of Autonomous Vehicles?

Part One

When we contemplate the idea of fully autonomous vehicles, especially when referred to as self-driving cars, we may tremble a little. This technology, however, is no longer a pipe dream of the future. Although still in the prototype stage, autonomous driving may soon become a reality – or not.

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems

As defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) refers to car safety features that have been designed to prevent collisions, improve visibility, and detect danger. According to five predefined levels of ADAS, the vehicle interface allows drivers to personalize safe driving measures according to the desired degree of autonomy. At Levels 1 to 4, driver involvement is constant.

ADAS Levels 1–4 do not include driverless vehicles. Autonomous driving must adhere to the highest level of ADAS electronic systems.

Full vehicle automation

Driver input is not required when driving becomes completely autonomous. Full automation is the highest level of ADAS and means that the car must handle any driving conditions and perform all actions that a driver would.

Consumer confidence

One aspect of this innovative development that must be considered is the psychological impact of autonomous vehicle technology. To feel comfortable with the idea of travelling in a driverless car, let’s try to uncover how this type of functionality is tested. We want to feel safe. Therefore, we want to be sure that the testing is rigorous. Trust in the safety of an automated vehicle (AV) depends on the results of the tests used to prove the car’s reliability.

In the next article, we’ll take a look at the driving conditions and technologies that need to be tested in order to turn autonomous driving into a reality.

Yes, there is an instrument that measures gloss. As you may have guessed, it is called a gloss meter. Although the level of gloss is often determined by a visual perception, in that an object looks to the human eye as glossy or not, it really is measurable. In fact, there are standards of gloss levels that guide the various industries that need to factor in gloss levels in the quality of their products.

What is gloss?

The technical definition of gloss is the amount of light that is reflected from an object that either has a natural gloss, or has been coated with a substance that provides it with a gloss. This light reflection is a measurable attribute of an object. The unit of measurement is (no surprise here) a gloss unit (GU).

When are gloss levels important?

Of course, the level of any object’s gloss can be a matter of opinion, based on a more emotive visualization of an object. If two people examine a glossy product, one may describe it as overly sleek; whereas the other will view it as almost matt in appearance. If gloss is deteriorating on a salable piece of jewelry or coated ceramic dinnerware, human vision may not be enough to detect this.

Gloss is often viewed as a sign of quality. Look at a just-off-the-assembly-line motor vehicle in a showroom, for example. However, just as frequently, gloss can be an object of scorn. No military official worth his salt will tolerate a tank with a glossy shine! Glossy paint can reveal every nick and bump in a wall; whereas low-gloss or matt paint smoothes over irregularities.  Measuring gloss levels on production lines can immediately point out flaws in isolated cases of products with bumps or scratches.

Accuracy of gloss meters

You may ask how reflected light can be measured when the strength of reflections changes with the angle of viewpoint. No problem! Quality gloss meters cover all three gloss ranges of measurement: high-gloss (more than 70 GU), semi-gloss (between 10 and 70 GU), and low-gloss (less than 10 GU). The higher the gloss level, the lower the angle of reflection. For example, a high gloss surface can be measured with the gloss meter set at a 20° angle, which in effect is a high resolution. A low-gloss surface can be measured with the meter set at 85°, a much wider angle. Typically, semi-gloss surfaces are measured with the meter set at a 60° angle, a good starting point if you’re not sure what gloss level to expect.

Used-Line offers an excellent choice of gloss meters, you can begin here to find the one best for you.

Used-Line is pleased to announce the arrival of our Special Offers tab!

Used-Line is always looking for ways to help our customers increase sales. This super easy-to-use feature is certain to do the trick!

Special Offer ads showcase equipment you’d like to offer for a discounted price of 10% or more.

For the initial launching period, we’re giving away 10 FREE Special Offer ad slots to anyone in the world! No payment information required.

After 3 months (starting September 1st), you’ll need to purchase the ad slots in order to continue using them. So take advantage now!

A Special Offer ad will run for $12 p/m.

What you need to know

• Placing a Special Offer ad is very easy. If you already have ads showing on Used-Line, you can change them into Special Offer ads with the click of a button from My UL > My Ads.

• If you already have ads on Used-Line, and want to list a new piece of equipment as a Special Offer ad, simply log in to My UL from the top of any page on Used-Line and select Place Special Offer Ads from the menu

• If you don’t have ads on Used-Line, log in or register and from the top of any page select My UL > Place Special Offer Ads.

Pin Option

An additional feature to help increase sales and visibility with your Special Offer ads is the Pin option. This add-on, available for purchase, will pin your Special Offer ad near the top of search results & give them a highlighted background to attract attention.

A Pin option may be purchased together with a Special Offer ad, or can be purchased later and added to an already existing Special Offer ad.

If you already have ads on Used-Line, you can pin your ad with the click of a button:

Each Pin option costs $5 p/m.

A Tribute to Simon Pozner, of Blessed Memory

Elijah Pozner, a physicist, would often require various pieces of expensive equipment to conduct his experiments. After he’d complete a particular analysis, the apparatus became of no use to him, and simply took up space in his office.

His brother, Simon, a mathematician, noted this phenomenon and realized that he could help people, like his brother Elijah, reach interested buyers of perfectly good technical equipment – if he’d just be able to post those products somewhere online!

He decided to teach himself computer programming, and with the goal of creating a unique platform designed & dedicated specifically for promoting the sales of technical equipment, Used-Line was born!

In 1999, S. Pozner Technologies, the officially registered name of Used-Line.Com, launched what would become the global online marketplace for new and used technical equipment.

Already by the year 2008, Used-Line.Com received over 100,000 hits a month!

Simon used his genius to develop some of the most advanced and used-friendly tools available online today for the promotion, classification, and searchability of new and used technical equipment.

Some of his most impressive innovations are Used-Line’s:

• Robot (spider),
• Advanced & detailed search engine capabilities
• User-friendly platform for connecting buyers to sellers

To our great dismay, Simon passed away in 2012 leaving his wife, Esther, to assume the position of CEO at Used-Line.

By no means was Esther prepared to let Used-Line rest on its laurels! She went ahead and hired top programmers and developers to take over and continue making Used-Line better, and better, and better!

Indeed, just in 2018 alone, Used-Line developed a number of new & exciting features (make sure you read our newsletters & updates!), and revamped our site to provide an even more user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing experience! So 2019 is a significant year for Used-Line, as it marks its 20- year anniversary. We look forward to sharing more of our experience with you, and helping you sell and buy your equipment quickly and easily!