Search

Integrating low-cost fused filament fabrication 3D printing as a foundation for learning 3D modelling is explored. This method blends traditional computer aided design (CAD) instruction with additive manufacturing possibilities. Experimental results demonstrate increased comprehension speed and reduced learning time. This hands-on approach empowers students by enabling direct engagement with the modelling process. Analogous to reverse engineering, the strategy instructs engineering students from final product to model creation, closing the gap between theory and practice. Incorporating 3D printing bridges this divide, enhancing understanding, creativity and problem-solving. The study underscores technology's influence on learning strategies, aligning with the surge of 3D printing in education. Results link advanced design technology usage to improved student performance, with 3D-printed materials yielding 45% higher grades and 30% faster task completion. This study advocates curricular advancement for design-focused careers through enhanced technology integration and favourable 3D printing model reception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perennial grain intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium, commercial name KernzaTM) has been proposed as a diversification crop for producing forage and grain and providing ecosystem services to farmers. Although a few studies have addressed farmers' interests in the crop, information is lacking about the links between farmers' goals and crop management, i.e., how farmers aim at integrating this crop in their systems. Closing this gap, this paper analyzes for the first time the introduction of intermediate wheatgrass (IWG) from a farmer perspective, as a set of decision plans and goals. The overarching orientations of the farm and organization of the production system, referred as strategic decisions, interact with short-term crop management (i.e., tactical decisions) and farmers' goals for IWG. In total, 17 individual semi-structured interviews and 2 collective crop management prototyping workshops in France were used to analyze farmers' rationales as a function of their farm systems, agronomic constraints, and know-how. The study demonstrates that farmers' interests in IWG revolved around multiple ecosystem services and financial returns. Three ideal-types of farms testing IWG emerged from the relationships between existing farming systems and goals for IWG. The strategic and tactical decisions regarding the integration and management of IWG were contingent on the farming systems, the goals for IWG, the farmers' know-how, and their ability to mitigate risks. Implications for the future development of intermediate wheatgrass as a niche innovation are considered based on farmers' points of view. This study provides insights into the ideas and concerns of French farmers regarding IWG and proposes a framework for discussing the introduction of a new crop in a farm system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, a range of efforts have been made to incorporate practices drawn from industrial and participatory design into elements of the public policymaking process. Our interest lies in the field of co-design in policymaking. This emerging field has seen considerable emphasis placed on informing policy development with knowledge and insights from those living with specific problems and existing policy settings. Following the extant literature, we define co-design in policymaking as a participatory and design-oriented process which creatively and actively engages a diverse pool of participants to define and address a public problem. Evidence to date suggests co-design in policymaking can be especially useful in broadening participation in policy development, encouraging creative speculation about how policy choices might shape future outcomes, and prototyping policy approaches to assess their feasibility and desirability. But evidence continues to emerge regarding the barriers in many public sector settings that preclude co-design practice from greater engagement with – and influence upon – long-established, tightly-held processes of policy development. Through critical assessment of existing literature, we summarise the current state of co-design in policymaking. We then suggest promising ways policy practitioners and researchers could contribute to making co-design an embedded practice in policymaking, well-used and well-recognised for the unique contributions it can make to policy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are increasingly integrated into the functioning of physical and digital products, creating unprecedented opportunities for interaction and functionality. However, there is a challenge for designers to ideate within this creative landscape, balancing the possibilities of technology with human interactional concerns. We investigate techniques for exploring and reflecting on the interactional affordances, the unique relational possibilities, and the wider social implications of AI systems. We introduced into an interaction design course (n = 100) nine 'AI exercises' that draw on more than human design, responsible AI, and speculative enactment to create experiential engagements around AI interaction design. We find that exercises around metaphors and enactments make questions of training and learning, privacy and consent, autonomy and agency more tangible, and thereby help students be more reflective and responsible on how to design with AI and its complex properties in both their design process and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nursing care jobs are predominantly described as burdensome. In particular, the workload and the time available to deal with it are in a state of imbalance. Nurses are very often under time pressure and have to make decisions under psychological, emotional and physical stresses. Machine learning methods and in particular, Decision Support Systems (DSS) can be used to support nurses with improved information (e.g. visualization of individual health risks) for decisions that are not easy to make. As falls are one of the most common health problems in care facilities, we will present a concept of a DSS for the prevention of falls that was developed in the PFLIP research project. We explain our user-centered design process based on ISO 9241-210-2019. User feedback is obtained at each phase so that nurses can identify problems at an early stage. The result is a conceptual design, visualized as a click dummy, to identify individual fall risks and predict preventive measures to reduce the risk of falling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological stress is detrimental to individuals' health and incurs immense societal costs. A prerequisite for effective assistance in stress management is assessing individuals' stress. The sensing capabilities of modern mobile devices can aid in stress assessment and form a foundation for mobile stress assessment systems. These systems provide insights into user stress levels, provide targeted feedback, and enable stress management and coping efforts. Following design science research methodology, we iteratively designed and developed five mobile stress assessment system prototypes. In addition, we reviewed the existing literature on mobile stress assessment. By combining learnings from prototyping and reviewing existing approaches, we developed design knowledge for mobile stress assessment systems. We subjected this design knowledge to an applicability check involving qualitative interviews with research, system design, and work practice experts. The design knowledge we present in this article comprises six design requirements, seven design principles, and six design features. From a practical point of view, we identified and discussed the trade-offs that system designers may face when implementing mobile stress assessment systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis paper addresses AI product prototyping, focusing on the challenges posed by the probabilistic nature of AI behavior and the limited accessibility of prototyping tools to AI non-experts. A design science research (DSR) approach is presented, which culminates in a conceptual framework for structuring the AI prototyping process with no-code AutoML technologies for textual and tabular ML use cases. Through a comprehensive literature review, key challenges were identified, and no-code AutoML was positioned as a solution. The framework describes the incorporation of non-expert input and evaluation during prototyping, leveraging the potential of no-code AutoML to enhance accessibility and interpretability. A hybrid approach combining naturalistic (case study) and artificial evaluation methods (criteria-based analysis) validated the utility of our approach, highlighting its efficacy in supporting AI non-experts and streamlining decision-making and its limitations. The implications for academia and industry focus on the strategic integration of no-code AutoML to enhance AI product development processes, mitigate risks, and foster innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Products from Polygonum aviculare and Pseudomonas fluorescens with biostimulant activity • Plant extracts with P. fluorescens for treating Melilotus officinalis seed improved germination • Infusions and macerates differed in the concentration of bioactive compounds • Fusion of extracts with bacteria elicits a greater stimulating potential • Mathematical models were developed for the tested seed treatments The empirical evidence indicated that chemicals in plants and selected microorganisms can promote the germination process and determine the growth, viability, survival and yield potential of industrial crop plants. The main objective of this study was exploring the phytochemical and microbiological synergistic activity between plant extracts from Polygonum aviculare L. and beneficial bacteria Pseudomonas fluorescens to enhance germination of Melilotus officinalis seeds and improve morphological characteristics of seedlings. The derived plant preparations were analyzed qualitatively, which showed that the aqueous extracts of P. aviculare were characterized by a higher content of phenolic compounds, micro- and macroelements and carbohydrates compared to the macerates, and that no phytohormones were detected in both the infusions and macerates. Pure macerates (MAC), infusions (IF), bacterial cultures (PF) and their mixtures (MAC+PF; INF+PF) were used for seed treatment of test plants. In the control group, lower values of M. officinalis seed germination and seedling growth rates were observed in relation to the applied treatments. The most effective germination rates were obtained after the application of pure infusions (IF) and their mixture with P. fluorescens (IF+PF), while the highest growth rates (including an almost twofold increase in the length of the nostril shoots compared to the control) were obtained after the application of P. fluorescens inoculum (PF) and the mixture of the infusion and these bacteria (IF+PF). The use of modeling, as a tool for predicting germination efficiency, has been shown to provide screening opportunities for identifying the effectiveness of biostimulant treatments. Thereby, this indicates the need to develop such an approach under field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present the design and fabrication of a novel chip-on-tip catheter, which uses a microcamera and optical fibres to capture in vivo images in a beating porcine heart thanks to a saline flush to clear the blood field. Here, we demonstrate the medical utility and mechanical robustness of this catheter platform system, which could be used for other optical diagnostic techniques, surgical guidance, and clinical navigation. We also discuss some of the challenges and system requirements associated with developing a miniature prototype for such a study and present assembly instructions. Methods of clearing the blood field are discussed, including an integrated flush channel at the distal end. This permits the capture of images of the endocardial walls. The device was navigated under fluoroscopic guiding, through a guiding catheter to various locations of the heart, where images were successfully acquired. Images were captured at the intra-atrial septum, in the left atrium after a trans-septal cross procedure, and in the left ventricle, which are, to the best of our knowledge, the first images captured in an in vivo beating heart using endoscopic techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim is to document the 3D printing process, starting with drawing the part in SolidWorks, exporting it to STL format, importing it into Creality software for G-code generation, and finally printing the object. Critical steps are highlighted and conclusions are given regarding efficiency, quality and possible process optimizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pilotless aircraft (drones) of copter type are able to solve numerous industrial problems very efficiently. Since mass-produced models do not always ensure efficient resource use, approaches to the modification and customization of mass-produced drones must be devised, tested, and introduced to improve their performance and productivity. A possible element of such a technology is considered in the present work, for the example of prototyping an asymmetric copter frame on the basis of reverse engineering and digital parametric modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate makerspaces (CMSs) have gained attention from both academics and practitioners. The paper introduces the first empirically-tested CMS framework, describing elements and their impact on users and companies. A mixed-method approach triangulates data from (i) a semi-quantitative online survey among 22 CMS managers and users, (ii) in-depth, structured interviews with CMS managers from 11 manufacturing companies, and (iii) an observation study and desk research on CMSs of the interviewed companies. The study shows that CMSs typically include prototyping infrastructure, community infrastructure, and facilitation. CMSs impact users by supporting prototyping, creativity, experimentation, and knowledge sharing. CMSs have an additional effect on the company by increasing innovation culture, collaboration with external stakeholders, intrapreneurship, employee retention & attraction. Thus, this paper is beneficial for innovation and engineering management practitioners who have or plan to have a CMS and for academics who want to do further research on CMSs and innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Fused filament fabrication, also known as fused deposition modeling and 3D printing, is the most common additive manufacturing technology due to its cost-effectiveness and customization flexibility compared to existing alternatives. It may revolutionize unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) design and fabrication. Therefore, this study hypothesizes the 3D printing possibility of UAV using a simple desktop printer and polymeric material. The extensive literature analysis identified the acceptable prototyping object and polymeric material. Thus, the research focuses on applying polylactic acid (PLA) in manufacturing the flying wing-type UAV and develops a fabrication concept to replicate arial vehicles initially produced from a mixture of expanded polystyrene and polyethylene. The material choice stems from PLA's non-toxicity, ease of fabrication, and cost-effectiveness. Alongside ordinary PLA, this study includes lightweight PLA to investigate the mechanical performance of this advanced material, which changes its density depending on the printing temperature. This proof-of-concept study explores the mechanical properties of printed parts of the wing prototype. It also considers the possibility of fragmentation in fabricated objects because of the limitations of printing space. The simplified bending tests identified significant reserves in the mechanical performance regarding the theoretical resistance of the material in the wing prototype, which proves the raised hypothesis and delivers the object for further optimization. Focusing on the mechanical resistance, this study ignored rheology and durability issues, which require additional investigations. Fabricating the wing of the exact geometry reveals acceptable precision of the 3D printing processes but highlights the problematic technology issues requiring further resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of prosumers, who actively participate in designing and producing goods, has generated a growing interest in homemade products. Factors such as design methods, component reuse, or digital fabrication empower prosumer designers to realize their ideas. Although there are cases of bioinspired products manufactured by prosumers, the interactions between bioinspired design methods in the prosumer field have not been addressed from an academic point of view. This article presents a case that combines bioinspired design methods with prosumer characteristics from the perspective of a designer who uses biological research results whilst acting as a prosumer. The proposal is to see whether working on a small scale, without the need for biomimetics experts, and independently, as a prosumer, is feasible and valuable. As a result, a bicycle flashlight is designed with a microgenerator bioinspired by the geometry of samara seeds, and is tested in a wind tunnel. This case shows that the integration of a bioinspired design in prosumer contexts poses unique challenges and requires a multidisciplinary approach. Furthermore, the application of a bioinspired approach in this case has not only provided a certain level of novelty to the final product, but has also improved its efficiency and reduced its financial expenditure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights the importance of one-shot learning from prototype Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) images for efficient product recognition in retail and inventory management. Traditional methods require large supervised datasets to train deep neural networks, which can be costly and impractical. One-shot learning techniques mitigate this issue by enabling classification from a single prototype image per product class, thus reducing data annotation efforts. We introduce the Variational Prototyping Encoder (VPE), a novel deep neural network for one-shot classification. Utilizing a support set of prototype SKU images, VPE learns to classify query images by capturing image similarity and prototypical concepts. Unlike metric learning-based approaches, VPE pre-learns image translation from real-world object images to prototype images as a meta-task, facilitating efficient one-shot classification with minimal supervision. Our research demonstrates that VPE effectively reduces the need for extensive datasets by utilizing a single image per class while accurately classifying query images into their respective categories, thus providing a practical solution for product classification tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Once public transport is fully automated, human operators will no longer be needed for tasks like manoeuvring, paying, and boarding. Interfaces must evolve to cover the entire interaction chain from booking to boarding. We present a user-centred design of a mobile-based booking application and an LED-based boarding interface for automated shuttles. Our approach included comprehensive requirements and feasibility analyses to ensure technical viability and user satisfaction. Laboratory study results highlight the advantages and challenges of the boarding interface, underscoring the importance of early user requirements and feasibility assessments in designing automated shuttle systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolution has shown that legged locomotion is most adequate for tasks requiring versatile movement on land, allowing animals to traverse a wide variety of environments ranging from natural terrain to artificial, man-made landscapes with great ease. By employing well-designed control schemes, this ability could be replicated for legged robots, enabling them to be used in critical situations that still pose great danger to human integrity, such as search and rescue missions, inspection of hazardous areas, and even space exploration. This work characterizes the quadruped robot and contact dynamics that will compose our in-house simulator to be used for prototyping locomotion control schemes applied to quadruped robots. The proposed simulator computes the robot dynamics using the Recursive Newton-Euler and Composite-Rigid-Body algorithms with a few modifications to make certain aspects relevant for contact detection and control more easily accessible; furthermore, a compliant contact force method alongside stick-slip friction modeled the contact dynamics. To allow the robot to move, a simple PD-independent joint controller was implemented to track a desired leg trajectory. With the same robot and controller implemented using the MuJoCo simulation software, this work evaluates the proposed simulator by comparing characteristic locomotion signals such as the trunk pose and the ground reaction forces. Results showed similar behavior for both simulators, especially with regard to the contact detection, despite the significantly different contact models. Lastly, final remarks to enhance our simulator's performance are suggested to be explored in future works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In stereolithographic (SLA) 3D printing, objects are constructed by exposing layers of photocurable resin to UV light. It is a highly user-friendly fabrication method that opens a possibility for technology sharing through CAD file online libraries. Here, we present a prototyping procedure of a microfluidics-enhanced dot-blot device (Affiblot) designed for simple and inexpensive screening of affinity molecule characteristics (antibodies, oligonucleotides, cell receptors, etc.). The incorporation of microfluidic features makes sample processing user-friendly, less time-consuming, and less laborious, all performed completely on-device, distinguishing it from other dot-blot devices. Initially, the Affiblot device was fabricated using CNC machining, which required significant investment in manual post-processing and resulted in low reproducibility. Utilization of SLA 3D printing reduced the amount of manual post-processing, which significantly streamlined the prototyping process. Moreover, it enabled the fabrication of previously impossible features, including internal fluidic channels. While 3D printing of sub-millimeter microchannels usually requires custom-built printers, we were able to fabricate microfluidic features on a readily available commercial printer. Open microchannels in the size range 200–300 μm could be fabricated with reliable repeatability and sealed with a replaceable foil. Economic aspects of device fabrication are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Signal Processing is the property of Journal of Signal Processing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Perkembangan teknologi informasi yang pesat mempengaruhi berbagai aspek kehidupan, termasuk bisnis. Disebut Kopi, sebuah kafe yang didirikan pada tahun 2021, memanfaatkan teknologi untuk menangani pesanan online melalui aplikasi pihak ketiga. Namun, pemilik bisnis masih belum merasa dapat memaksimalkan keuntungan bisnis jika terus bergantung pada aplikasi partner untuk penjualan. Maka dengan tujuan tersebut dikembangkan aplikasi pemesanan online dan manajemen produk bisnis yang dirancang khusus untuk Disebut Kopi. Aplikasi ini berbasis mobile dan web untuk mempermudah pengelolaan dan memungkinkan penerimaan notifikasi secara langsung. Pendekatan prototyping digunakan dalam pengembangan aplikasi ini guna memastikan peran serta seluruh pengguna terlibat dalam proses pengumpulan kebutuhan, desain dan iterasi purwarupa produk, serta pengujian untuk evaluasi. Pemilihan metode ini berlandaskan tujuan untuk optimalisasi pengembangan sistem sehingga penerimaan produk akhir dilakukan dengan cepat dan lancar tanpa banyak perubahan di akhir. Dengan pendekatan ini, pemilik, kasir dan pelanggan Disebut Kopi secara cepat dapat memberikan umpan balik secara aktif selama proses perancangan dan pengembangan untuk memastikan aplikasi memenuhi kebutuhan. Pengujian dilakukan menggunakan Blackbox Testing, Usability Testing, dan User Acceptance Testing. Blackbox testing memiliki 33 test case yang 100% berhasil, user acceptance testing memiliki 42 skenario yang 100% diterima. Selain itu hasil rata-rata usability testing menunjukkan hasil 85.4 %, yang termasuk kategori sangat layak.

In modern aerospace manufacturing, additive technologies have become very important because of their potential for fast and efficient production of complex structural elements. This article is devoted to the study and analysis of various aspects of the use of additive technologies in the creation of aircraft and spacecraft. In particular, various methods of additive manufacturing are considered, including topological optimization of structural elements, the use of composite materials, and the study of layer formation processes. Special attention is paid to the analysis of profitability and efficiency of production, as well as the development of new materials for additive manufacturing. General review and integration of additive technologies into production processes contribute to the further development of this area and the introduction of innovative solutions in the production of aircraft and spacecraft.

The magnetic flux in a permanent magnet transverse flux generator (PMTFG) is three-dimensional (3D), therefore, its efficacy is evaluated using 3D magnetic field analysis. Although the 3D finite-element method (FEM) is highly accurate and reliable for machine simulation, it requires a long computation time, which is crucial when it is to be used in an iterative optimization process. Therefore, an alternative to 3D-FEM is required as a rapid and accurate analytical technique. This paper presents an analytical model for PMTFG analysis using winding function method. To obtain the air gap MMF distribution, the excitation magneto-motive force (MMF) and the turn function are determined based on certain assumptions. The magnetizing inductance, flux density, and back-electro-magneto-motive force of the winding are then determined. To assess the accuracy of the proposed method, the analytically calculated parameters of the generator are compared to those obtained by a 3D-FEM. The presented method requires significantly shorter computation time than the 3D-FEM with comparable accuracy.

The global coronavirus pandemic sparked widespread lockdowns and travel restrictions, leading to a significant economic downturn. However, the subsequent development of vaccines prompted governments to ease restrictions and explore technology-driven strategies for tourism revival, including the use of mobile applications and augmented reality (AR). In light of the progress of AR, this study addresses the lack of AR applications for promoting tourism in Southeast Asia, particularly in Thailand and Malaysia, where language barriers hinder cross-cultural communication. Therefore, this study aims to develop a content-specific AR mobile application to enhance tourists' exploration of cultural heritage and facilitate communication in these multicultural and Islamic-influenced regions. This study adopts the design thinking approach for a solution-based methodology. The developed AR mobile application aims to enhance the tourist experience by providing immersive and informative content specific to the culture and heritage. The prototype undergoes a heuristic evaluation by ten experts in human-computer interaction (HCI). The results show a positive consensus on many aspects, highlighting the potential of the AR mobile application to promote culture and heritage effectively. Qualitative exploration through expert feedback is recommended in future studies to refine specific elements for a universally satisfactory user experience. INSET: 7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Prototyping with affordable 3D printers empowers small businesses to create prototypes within a day and carry out multiple iterations of design, size, shape or assembly based on analytical results, bringing better products to market faster. This paper aims to turn the ideas into proofs of concept, advance these concepts to realistic prototypes and investigate the quality of printed prototypes prior to large-scale production. Design/methodology/approach: The experimental approach focuses on the prototyping of portable medicine containers by Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), modifying the prototypes by adding auxiliary braille flags that indicate patient initials and dosing information, and performing the moisture permeation study as well as the stability study for model drug products (i.e. ibuprofen tablets, guaifenesin tablets, dextromethorphan HBr soft gel capsules). Findings: The study shows that an affordable 3D printer helps to create functional and visual prototypes that give a realistic depiction of the design and offer physical objects that could be investigated for product quality and feasibility. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study was the first attempt to use a desktop FDM-based 3D printer to prototype portable medicine containers in a blister packet appearance with auxiliary braille flags that help validate early concepts and facilitate the conversation on refining product features in a rapid and affordable manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]