Improving Student’s Design Prototyping Skills using Interactive Prototyping Tool

This thesis proposes a new genre of outdoor games for children, namely Head Up Games. The concept was inspired by the observation that existing pervasive outdoor games for children were mostly played head down, as the predominantly screen-based interaction of existing games required constant attention of the children. First, the vision of Head Up Games is described and illustrated with several design cases (Chapter 2). In contrast to the head down games, Head Up Games aim to encourage and support rich social interaction and physical activity, play behaviors that are similar to play behaviors seen in traditional outdoor games (such as tag and hide-and-seek). The design process of Head Up Games poses several challenges. In User Centered Design it is commonly accepted to start the development of a new product using low-fi mock-ups, e.g., paper prototypes, and evaluate these with end-users. In the case of Head Up Games this proved to be difficult, as the emerging game experience is significantly altered when using paper prototypes. Therefore, a study was carried out that used high-fi prototypes, i.e. working, interactive, prototypes, from a very early stage in the design process (Chapter 3). This way, the effect of interactions on the game experience can be addressed earlier and better in the design process. Furthemore, having access to technology early in the design process, allows designers to better explore the design space. However, designers often do not possess adequate skills to quickly prototype interactive products, particularly products that need to be evaluated in an outdoor context. Such a development is often costly and time-consuming. Therefore, the RaPIDO platform was developed (Chapter 4). The platform not only includes the appropriate hardware for creating outdoor games, but is also bundled with software libraries, to allow designers not specifically trained in software engineering to adopt the platform easily. RaPIDO was evaluated using a case study methodology with two Industrial Design master students. The evaluation not only focused on the usability of the platform, but, more importantly, how the use of the platform affected the design process. The main conclusion of the study was that the designers indeed were able to rapidly create mobile games, and that the hardware offered was suitable for creating outdoor games. Furthermore, issues were identified with regard to writing the game software, e.g., managing the complexity of the software. Finally, for evaluating Head Up Games with children two methods were applied: the Outdoor Play Observation Scheme (OPOS) was used to quantify the intended play behavior. Furthermore, GroupSorter was developed to provide a framework to interview a group of children simultaneously, resulting in qualitative comments. Both OPOS and GroupSorter were applied for evaluating three Head Up Games, which are described in Chapter 5.

Tools for computational processing of LC–MS datasets: A user's perspective

We introduce a formal language for specifying dynamic updates for Software Defined Networks. Our language builds upon Network Kleene Algebra with Tests (NetKAT) and adds constructs for synchronisations and multi-packet behaviour to capture the interaction between the control- and data-plane in dynamic updates. We provide a sound and ground-complete axiomatisation of our language. We exploit the equational theory and provide an efficient method for reasoning about safety properties. We implement our equational theory in DyNetiKAT – a tool prototype, based on the Maude Rewriting Logic and the NetKAT tool, and apply it to a case study. We show that we can analyse the case study for networks with hundreds of switches using our tool prototype.

During the last decade, the local manufacturing of small wind turbines is becoming an increasingly common approach in rural electrification applications, especially among international networks of renewable energy practitioners. As the number of locally manufactured small wind turbine installations is increasing on all continents, supply chain issues, material shortages or design issues in custom applications are becoming evident. In this paper the development of a series of open access design and analysis tools is presented, which allows the local manufacturer to redesign the small wind turbine according to available materials. In the two case studies, the design tools are used in the field by practitioners in order to overcome supply chain issues during the implementation and design phases of rural electrification projects in Ethiopia and Nepal.

<div class="htmlview paragraph">Each time a new vehicle is developed, engineers face the challenge to develop the ideal sound insulation package. The goal is to attenuate powertrain, wind and road/tire noise from entering the vehicle while complying with cost, weight and packaging constraints. The design process is greatly facilitated if the engineer has effective tools to rapidly quantify how various sound insulation components contribute to the overall NVH performance of the vehicle.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">This paper discusses how an interactive vehicle acoustical design tool can be developed that assists the designer in making rapid decisions as to how to balance the performance of the various sound package components. The acoustical design tool is unique for each vehicle, and must take into account design decisions such as type of powertrain, body style, and numerous other factors in order to correctly predict the performance of the total package. Any good modeling tool must also take into account inputs from a reasonable range of operating conditions.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">A very good model for the acoustical behavior of the vehicle can be developed using data from measurements made while operating a sample vehicle at the target operating conditions. The authors will present a method for utilizing measurements together with some simple equations to predict the result when components of different designs are exchanged. The process of generating the needed data for this method from experiments on a vehicle is admittedly time consuming, if all of the possible design variations are to be considered. An alternative that the authors present in this paper is for the case in which a correlated Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) model exists for the vehicle being considered [<span class="xref">1</span>]<sup><span class="xref">1</span></sup>. A great time savings is realized when the same acoustical behavior information about the vehicle can be extracted by running analytical experiments in the SEA model. The authors assert that even if an SEA model must be developed from scratch and correlated, this approach is preferable over the experimental approach.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">Once developed, an interactive design tool of the type being discussed has ongoing benefit to product development engineers by giving them a handy way to asses future design changes. If sound insulation components are later sacrificed in the interest of reducing vehicle costs or weight, the model can accurately portray the implication of the changes on sound levels in the vehicle. A case study is presented that demonstrates the use of this tool and its accuracy.</div>

This paper presents an approach for the design and the validation of a prototype knowledge acquisition tool in the domain of business planning. Results from previous work in the area of problem-solving in business domain indicate that there are wide differences in both the ways problems are represented, and solution strategies are selected. These differences can have a significant effect on the suitability of knowledge acquisition techniques. The knowledge acquisition tool has been designed to accommodate these differences. Problem decomposition and simplification techniques are employed by the tool in order to elicit the appropriate information for managerial decision making. The prototype tool has been validated in the field with 35 managers using ten test scenarios. The results of the validation process are presented, and implications for the design of such tools in business domain are discussed.

Automated design tools are seldom used in industry. Their potential, however, is high, especially in companies mostly active in variant design, where custom tools could help cut down development time in the early stages. The design of geared electro-mechanical actuators for the automotive industry is such a case. These actuators are simple examples of coupled multi-disciplinary systems that can be hard to design, since they need to follow strict specifications in terms of performance and packaging. This paper presents an automated design and optimization tool tailored for such systems based on an integrated modeling approach, multi-objective optimization and an interactive reporting tool. The focus is set on the impact of system-level constraints on the usability by industry of the generated designs. In two case studies, the tool is able to find competitive actuator candidates that are cheaper (−3.6% and −11%) and more compact than similar existing products in less than an hour on a state-of-the-art laptop computer. More powerful options or actuators using different technologies have also been proposed. Compared to optimizations done without system-level constraints, the generated actuators are immediately usable by engineers to get accurate insights into the design problem and promote informed decision-making.

Integration of customers is a necessary element to design and produce customer centric products. Design tools and methodologies need to be altered to accommodate customers into the process of designing customized products. In the current paper a mass customization framework is presented, that uses computer-aided design (CAD) and finiteelement-based optimization tools to integrate the customer into the design process via the internet. A mass customization template for generating optimized user-customized products is also presented. The capability of the system is demonstrated by a case study on customization of bicycle frames.

This chapter presents reconfigurable embedded systems by looking closely at three different but inter-related aspects: design tools, methodologies and architectures, paying special attention at reconfigurable interconnections. The authors will start having a closer look at the evolution of the latest design strategies, tools and methodologies facing challenges and user requirements. Reconfigurable interconnections will be analyzed, examining topologies, drawbacks, and capabilities, specially focusing on the reconfiguration potential. From the application point of view, the authors will resume with a case study regarding embedded systems, a Software-Defined Radio application highlighting the most significant technical features and design choices.

Looking back at the history of control engineering, one finds that technology and ideas combine themselves until they reach a successful result, over the timeline of several decades (Bernstein, 2002). Simple dynamical compensators (such as PID, Phase-Lead, Phase-Lag, etc) have done in the past a remarkably good and efficient job in real-life control applications. Theoretical insight in the closed-loop behavior is provided by powerful and well-developed theories – which are considered as basic knowledge for every control engineer – such as the Root Locus and the Frequency Response techniques. In the past, these theories have been extensively used as analysis tools – e.g. the stability analysis of a given control system based on closed loop poles (Root Locus RL) or Nyquist criterion (Frequency Response FR). However, analysis implies that a controller is already available, irrespective of its design method. Nowadays, thanks to the computational and graphical power of modern computers, many of these theories can be implemented as interactive graphical design tools. In this way, control engineering moves away from being an abstract and mathematical-oriented discipline and it evolves gradually towards a mature engineering discipline. An extensive reflection upon the role of information science in control engineering has been given in (Dormido, 2004). This new way of interactive control education provides practical insights into control systems fundamentals (Wittenmark et al, 1998; Dormido et al, 2002). Such combinations of interactive environment and animation bring visualization to a new level and aid learning and active participation by control engineering students (Kheir et al, 1996; Johansson et al, 1998). Recently, a Root Locus RL toolbox has been introduced in Matlab – in this chapter, a Frequency Response toolbox (FRtool) will be presented. Although some other computer aided design (CAD) tools based on frequency response have been developed in the past (Balakrihsnan & Boyd, 1994; Satoh et al, 1994; Piguet & Gillet, 1997; Pouliz & Pouliezos, 1997; Piguet et al, 1999), the one presented in this contribution is highly interactive, graphical, easy-to-use and posing an elegant simplicity (especially for non-experts, as limited control engineering insight is required). The Matlab® controller design tool based on the root locus method (rltool) cannot handle systems with time-delay without approximating the dead5

The paper proposes a unified formal model driven approach to software evolution based on both program transformation and model transformation of legacy systems. A formal model definition ensures a consistent interpretation of the legacy system and provides a theoretical foundation for dependable software evolution. The theoretical foundation is based on the construction of a wide spectrum language for reengineering, known as WSL, which enjoys a sound formal semantics. The architecture and working flow of the approach are proposed, and the mappings between WSL and PSL in MDA provide an engaging combination of traditional program transformation and modern model transformation, which shows that the proposed approach is feasible and promising in its domain. A prototype tool is developed to test the approach and a case study is used for experiments with the proposed approach and the prototype tool. Conclusion is drawn based on analysis and further research directions are also discussed

In the development of complex embedded interactive systems, a tension arises between, on the one hand, ever shorter and highly iterative design processes, and, on the other hand, the need for user testing with early prototypes to validate systems from a user-centred design perspective. This study focuses on the integration of Virtual Reality (VR) into prototyping embedded interactive systems, examining its potential to bridge the gap between rapid prototyping and user-centered design validation. Adopting a comparative research approach, we analyze a case study: the development of a cultural smart city experience. It juxtaposes in situ, low-fidelity prototype testing with VR-based testing, evaluating their realism, interactivity, functionality, presence and task difficulty. This mixed-method research design incorporates both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, engaging 27 design students in a comparative study, conducting participatory research and 8 expert interviews. These findings reveal divergent roles in field testing and VR in the new product development process, highlighting VR’s strengths in visualizing procedures and facilitating discussion. This study identifies the limitations of VR in mimicking realistic interactions and incorporating social context yet underscores its superiority over paper prototypes in its realism and interactivity. Where field testing can hold broader contextual insights, the VR prototype gives more concrete and applied insights. The main advantage of VR testing is its visualisation of procedures and its final materialisation according to the participants interviewed. According to the experts interviewed, VR can be used as a useful tool within the development process especially for visualisation and testing user flows of complex interfaces.

This paper presents a case study describing the design of SwageXR, an augmented reality (AR) application that gamifies a tubing assembly exercise. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the field of extended reality (XR) applications by providing a case study of a novel design process based on an existing framework by Gilardi et al. Design needs and requirements were gathered using a contextual design approach and qualitative research through interviews with training course instructors as well as a workshop involving them. The contextual design approach involved the PI taking part in the training course as one of the trainees to observe and build understanding of the taught practical content and the context in which the learning happened. This was followed by semi-structured interviews with 4 training instructors, with results indicating preferred course content to digitise, early concepts for gamification, and the storyline of the gamified content with respect to existing training. Using the data and experience gained from the contextual design approach and interviews, a paper prototype of the gamified AR application was developed, and feedback was obtained from the company technical director. The paper prototype and feedback were used as a basis for developing a 3D prototype in VR using ShapesXR. This led to a virtual reality (VR) workshop involving the technical director and training manager of the company where the 3D prototype was demonstrated and discussed. The workshop resulted in the flow of the overall application being refined including the storyline, gamification, training, and challenges. The design process aims to facilitate the development of a coded working prototype for SwageXR, with gamification elements such as score, time-based challenges and leaderboards. An initial experience playtest with course trainees will then be possible to gain insight on engagement levels and trainee attitudes about the initial game experience. The main outcome of this research is a design approach that tries to address the gap outlined by Krauß et al., the approach makes use of rehearsal techniques and virtual reality to provide context for AR application design.

User-centered design techniques for a computerised antibiotic decision support system in an intensive care unit

Objective. This study aims to develop and validate innovative drilling tool designs for geothermal wells, leveraging a creative approach to enhance drilling efficiency, durability, and cost-effectiveness by optimizing materials, geometries, and smart technologies to address challenges like high temperatures and hard rock formations. Methodic. A combined approach of computational modeling and experimental testing was employed. Finite element analysis and computational fluid dynamics were used to simulate tool performance under geothermal conditions (temperatures up to 300°C, rock hardness of 200 MPa), focusing on stress distribution, thermal stability, and cutting efficiency. Generative design algorithms optimized cutter geometries. Experimental validation was conducted using prototype tools in a controlled test rig simulating geothermal environments, measuring cutting speed, wear rate, and energy efficiency. Tests compared conventional polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bits with optimized hybrid and sensor-integrated designs across varied conditions. Results. The optimized hybrid bit achieved a 24% increase in cutting speed (6.2 m/h vs. 5.0 m/h), a 24% reduction in wear rate (9.5 mg/h vs. 12.5 mg/h), and a 16% decrease in operating temperature (230°C vs. 275°C) compared to conventional PDC bits. Sensor-integrated bits improved cutting speed by 20% and energy efficiency by 12%. Novel geometries and cooling channels reduced dead zones and thermal wear, while operational costs dropped by up to 20% despite higher initial tool costs. Novelty. Unlike traditional designs focusing on standardized PDC bits, this study integrates advanced materials (diamond-enhanced composites), bio-inspired cutter geometries, and real-time sensor systems, validated through rigorous simulations and experiments, offering a comprehensive framework for geothermal drilling optimization. Practical Significance. The proposed tool designs enhance drilling efficiency and longevity, reducing operational costs and environmental impact in geothermal energy production. These innovations support scalable geothermal projects, enabling cost-competitive renewable energy development and integration with smart drilling systems for real-time optimization. Keywords: innovations, geothermal drilling, technical creativity, advanced materials, smart sensors, thermal stability, generative design, energy efficiency, sustainable energy.