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By WANG FENG & HUANG XIN

Editor’s Note:

“The Chinese Dream” varies for each person. Prof. Ying Huaiqiao aspires his tireless work with virtual instruments to culminate with a Nobel Prize. When novelist Mo Yan was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature last year, Nobel fever swept across China. Of course, the Nobel Prize is frequently on the mind of every scientist, despite the lifetime of effort required to achieve it. Prof. Ying has already brought cutting-edge advancements to the field of virtual instruments. He considers contributing to the prosperity of the country a central responsibility. He has become a pristine example of the core of Chinese spirit and Chinese power.

Professor Ying Huaiqiao is honorary director, research fellow and director of the science and technological committee of China Orient Institute of Noise and Vibration, as well as vice director of Beijing Academy of Applied Sciences. His research is focused on the development of vibration and noise control, signal and information processing, measurement and control technology, fault diagnostics, modal analysis, data acquisition and signal analysis instruments (virtual instruments).

Work for the Scientific Development of China

Ying was born in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, which boasts a long tradition of devotion to academics, specifically humanities. He received a good elementary education in his hometown, and was deeply influenced by his devout Buddhist mother. Early in his scholastic life, Ying devoted himself to his studies in hopes of contributing to the prosperity of the country. 

In 1959 Ying was admitted to Zhejiang University to study theoretical physics in the department of engineering physics. Soon thereafter, however, his department merged with the applied mechanics department in the School of Mathematics and Mechanics. This development made a major impact on Ying’s life. After graduation in 1964, he began working at the China Academy of Railway Sciences to research wind tunnels for high speed rails. Meanwhile he interned at the department of engineering mechanics at Tsinghua University to study wind tunnel testing and analyzing technologies. In 1965, Ying participated in nuclear and hydrogen weapons testing at the Lop Nor nuclear test site in Western China. From that experience, he learned vibration, noise and spectrum analysis in relation to nuclear weapons. Afterwards, he continued studying in this field, but with digital computers. 

Ying’s name literally means “woodman”, so he often jokingly calls himself one. He changed majors five times, helping lay a solid academic foundation and enabing him to easily research multi-disciplinary programs. He blazed a trail for many who followed, collecting bundles of firewood along the way to kindle the flames of scientific research. In his opinion, his dedication to science is his obligation. 

Throughout its lengthy history, China has made many indispensible contributions to global technological development. The nation’s four greatest inventions are considered gunpowder, paper, the compass and printing. However during the last century, China lagged behind much of the world in science and technology. Ying knows well the importance of scientific research and development for a country. When Deng Xiaoping proclaimed in 1988 that science and technology were essential  productivity, Ying decided to concentrate on inventions with a strong social responsibility and sense of mission.

“Virtual instruments are not the same as their traditional counterparts,” Ying explains. “They refer to software-based tools which integrates data acquisition and signal conditioning, signal processing technology and PC technology.” Ying was first inspired with the bold idea of making virtual instruments way back when he participated in the national defense nuclear project. In 1965, he researched the vibrations and noise of the explosion in an underground railyway, and produced a dynamic analysis, but problems related to residual displacement in the underground railway couldn’t be solved with the available hardware. This first inspired him to “use numerical algorithms and software to replace hardware.” 

In 1973, Ying attempted to solve these problems using a computer’s digital integral and digital fourier transformer instead of traditional methods employing analog integral and analog filtering. He finally succeeded in 1979 and produced the earliest example of a virtual instrument. That same year, at the National Protection Engineering Academic Conference held in Hangzhou, Ying introduced the core concepts of virtual instruments – the idea of making iustruments using software. The concept was praised and supported by Zheng Zhemin, academician, chair of the conference and former director of the Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhang Wei, academician of the Tsinghua University, and Li Guohao, academician and former president of the Tongji University. Ying was ahead of his time, proposing the concept seven years earlier than the globally-recognized U.S.-based National Instruments, which first introduced the concept “software is an instrument” to the West. 

In 1983, Ying Huaiqiao founded the China Orient Institute of Noise & Vibration with only 300 yuan, the only funds he could acquire. Over the last three decades, the institute has continually regarded innovation as its soul. Every year, it holds an innovation festival to mark Jingzhe, one of the 24 solar terms in which hibernating animals wake. Ying hopes that every innovation will resemble spring thunder, waking hibernated animals and injecting renewed vitality into society. 

With passion for rejuvenating the nation and benefiting all of humankind, the institute attaches great importance to talent cultivation, and cooperates with top universities such as Tsinghua and Peking University. It has nurtured a huge amount of high-level talent, making the enterprise the pillar of virtual instrument research. 

In 1988 Ying took his virtual instrument developed for modal analysis of Qiantang River Bridge and applied it to small rocket testing. The instrument was exhibited at the Beijing New Technology Fair in March 1993, and also exhibited in Canada. It was implemented during rocket testing of the CZ-3 strap-on booster in 1995 and again in the modal testing of the mobile launch platform of the Shenzhou manned spaceship in 1996. Once again it was used in the modal analysis of the arm support system of overweight exercise of astronauts in 2004. At the Second National Virtual Instrument Academic Seminar in 2007, the contributions of the Orient Institute were highly praised and Ying was dubbed the Father of China’s Virtual Instruments. 

Chasing Nobel

Scientists are like lighthouses for modern society. Watt invented steam engine, ushering in the industrial revolution. Einstein changed human perceptions of space, and Bell draw people nearer by inventing modern communication.

However, every scientist experienced torture and obstacles that normal people can’t fathom. A paragraph from ancient philosopher Mencius aptly describes scientific research: When Heaven invests great responsibility in a person, it first tests his resolve – exhausts his muscles and bones, starves his body, leaves him destitute, and confounds his every endeavor. In this way his patience and endurance are developed, and his weaknesses are overcome. Ying has been endured strokes three times and suffered myocardial infarction four times. Each time his life was on the line, Ying never wavered and insisted on continually working on the frontlines of scientific research. 

Ying has invented 121 technologies, most notably the key technology for transfer function testing, real-time control and inversion. It was regarded as a new method to improve precision and range of virtual measurement instruments – a key technology on par with fiber optic communication invented by Charles Kuen Kao who took the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2009. The technology places China abreast of the U.S. as a leader in the most advanced technology in virtual instruments. 

Ten of Ying’s inventions solved world-class scientific problems: 

(1) Platform-style DASP-VI (virtual instrument) base. He enabled the production of instruments through software and combined software and hardware to replace traditional instruments. The new method, which represented a major breakthrough, enormously influenced instrument manufacturing and testing technology. It took China’s R & D level to VI, the cutting edge. 

(2) Varied-time-base (VTB) transfer function (admittance), which has reached the world's cutting edge and obtained a patent in China. The technology has been applied in dozens of key national projects, including the 750-ton mobile launch platform of Shenzhou spacecraft, CZ-3 strap-on booster, and the modal analysis of the arm support system of the overweight exercise of taikonauts.

(3) He is responsible for high-precision technology to measure frequency, amplitude, phases and dampness. The YSL high-precision “varied-frequency-base” method, invented by the Orient Institute, provides a million times greater precision in frequency and amplitude than normal measurements used elsewhere. 

(4) His ultralow-frequency signaling for fast measurement technology has become the global leader.

(5) Three cepstrum analysis method including CEE cepstrum, CEF cepstrum and CEF cepstrum, which also leads the world lead in this field. 

(6) FFT/DFT method, which has become one of the most common methods in spectrum zoom. It is the most advanced technology in the world. 

(7) “One-in-three-out” vibration AVD parameter represents a real-time testing and analysis method. It developed the whole-period integral calculus method, realizing real-time continuous measurement of the “one-in-three-out” vibration AVD parameter.

(8) Automatic modal analysis method, which allows normal technicians to obtain expert-level modal analysis results simply.

(9) Dual-24-bit high-precision data acquisition device with 160dB ultra-range and varied-amplitude-base technology. It was invented by China and represents the world leader.

(10) Transfer function testing, real-time control and inversion. This key technology provided a new method to improve the precision and amplitude of instrument measurement. The invention solved one world-class problem by expanding instruments’ testing scope and frequency and improving precision. The technology is competative internationally. 

Thus far, the product, widely used in many sectors such as national defense and aerospace, has been sold to over 2000 clients producing 200 million yuan in revenue. It has considerably boosted technical reform and the formation of the emerging industry.

Since 1973 when he first engaged in the VI, Ying’s name has been synonymous with state-of-the-art technology. He compiled and published China’s first study in this field, Vibration Testing and Analysis, in 1979, published CZ Seismometers and Seismic Technology in 1982, and Waveform and Spectrum Analysis and Random Data Process in 1983, which is regarded as an early documentation of virtual instruments in China. In 1985 he proposed the portable laboratory, and it became reality. 

Facing complicated international market competition, Ying believes that the industrialization of China’s virtual instruments is promising despite many obstacles. World recognition is his aim, which continues to drive him. With his firm resolve, Ying and his virtual instruments are looking at a bright future. 

“Only obtaining breakthroughs brings happines to my heart,” Ying told journalists when describing the current situation and future of the VI. His entire career is characterized by enthusiasm and dedication.

On December 8, 2012, Chinese novelist Mo Yan became the first Chinese person to deliver a Nobel Prize acceptance speech at the Swedish Academy. For Ying and his unremitting efforts in science, the Nobel Prize for physics is still a dream – a dream which inspired his life-long dedicatation to science.

In 2001 Ying received China’s Excellent Worker in Science and Technology Award. In 2009, he was voted the Chinese Scientific Person of the Year. In 2010 he was awarded second prize of Beijing Science and Technology. 

Ying has devoted his life to climbing the mountains of science. Now in his 70s, he continues to chase his dream. The world needs more scientists like Ying – working hard for the advancement of a nation and happiness of the people.