Effect of Interactive Virtual Reality on the Teaching of Conceptual Design in Engineering and Architecture Fields

International audienceThis research paper explores the impact of immersive virtual reality (IVR) on the teaching of conceptual design in engineering and architecture fields, focusing on the use of interactive 3D drawing tools in virtual and augmented reality environments. The study analyzes how IVR influences spatial understanding, idea communication, and immersive 3D sketching for industrial and architectural design. Additionally, it examines user perceptions of virtual spaces prior to physical construction and evaluates the effectiveness of these technologies through surveys administered to mechanical engineering students utilizing VR/AR headsets. A structured methodology was developed for students enrolled in an industrial design course, comprising four phases: initial theoretical instruction on ephemeral architecture, immersive 3D sketching sessions using Meta Quest 2 and Microsoft HoloLens 2 VR/AR headsets, detailed CAD modeling based on conceptual sketches, and immersive virtual tours to evaluate user perception and design efficacy. Ad hoc questionnaires specifically designed for this research were employed. The results indicate a positive reception to IVR, emphasizing its ease of use, intuitive learning process, and effectiveness in improving motivation, academic performance, and student engagement during the conceptual design phase in graphic engineering education

Short-to mid-term operational discharge forecasts combining deep learning and data assimilation

International audienceIt has been shown in recent years that deep learning (DL) models, particularly Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), are effective alternatives for rainfall-runoff modeling, surpassing traditional approaches (Kratzert et al., 2019). Although their capacity, these models are predominantly implemented and evaluated for simulations while operational hydrology often requires accurate discharge forecasts. In order to be effective on short-term and mid-term discharge forecast, models should integrate, even indirectly, the recent measures of the discharge as a data assimilation (DA) procedure (Piazzi et al., 2021; Boucher et al., 2020; Bourgin et al., 2014). Unfortunately, DA techniques are barely used on such models, and their forecasts assessment is often done without any analysis of their naivety. In this paper, we evaluate three DA approaches that include pre-trained or pre-calibrated benchmark model to provide short-, mid- and long-term discharge forecasts. Using a Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) as the forecasting orchetstrator, the tested approaches are: (1) use the past observed discharges as the only DA procedure; (2) use simulations of the pre-trained LSTM from Kratzert et al. (2019) or the pre-calibrated SACSMA from Newman et al. (2017) to inform the forecasting module; (3) post-process the simulation error of the pre-trained models in respect to the forecasting lead time. In the absence of real weather forecasts, assumptions of using the actual forcings data as perfect or sampled from the historical weather records are made. Using the CAMELS dataset (Newman et al., 2015), forecasting on 1-, 3- and 7 days lead time were considered as short- and mid-term. The results show very good performances for all the tested approaches, and substantial improvement have been stated. Cases including the DL models remain better than the conceptual one. Error post-processing quality diverges between conceptual and DL models cases. However, all forecasting criteria do not converge on the same conclusion, which enhances the importance of including the persistence analysis

Le BTP se met au vert

International audienceLe BTP, premier producteur de déchets en France, cherche aujourd’hui à réduire ses effets. La plupart des entreprises de Bâtiment et Travaux Publics mettent en œuvre des stratégies pour réduire la consommation de ressources et la production de déchets. Pour autant, il est nécessaire de bien prendre en compte les enjeux logistiques de ces stratégies

Espaces critiques.Dimension spatiale des rapports sociaux et champ scientifique.

International audienceDepuis le milieu des années 2000, la question de la dimension spatiale des rapports sociaux, des inégalités et des formes de domination est de plus en plus explorée en géographie française, mais aussi dans d’autres sciences sociales comme la sociologie et la science politique. L’ouvrage poursuit cette dynamique en contribuant à une forme de réflexivité, soit en explicitant des positionnements théoriques soumis à la discussion collective, soit en analysant la recherche comme des pratiques sociales qui s’affrontent à des cloisonnements ou des hiérarchies entre disciplines, langues ou champs nationaux, qu’il s’agit d’identifier pour pouvoir les dépasser. Espaces critiques peut alors se comprendre de deux façons : ce sont d’abord les différentes conceptions de la dimension spatiale mais aussi scalaire des rapports sociaux qu’élaborent les recherches critiques ; ce sont aussi les espaces sociaux, qui ne sont pas seulement académiques, dans lesquels les recherches sont élaborées, discutées et transmises

Gendarme, policier, agent pénitentiaire, vigile : les forces de sécurité en compétition pour (bien) recruter

https://theconversation.com/gendarme-policier-agent-penitentiaire-vigile-les-forces-de-securite-en-competition-pour-bien-recruter-245692Gendarme, policier, agent pénitentiaire, vigile, policier municipal… La palette des métiers de la protection publique et privée qui cherchent à recruter est vaste. Le contexte tendu du marché français de l’emploi entraîne des difficultés quant à la quantité et la qualité des recrues. Une situation qui peut potentiellement créer des risques en termes de compétences ou de sécurité intérieure

Peripheral Centralities in Val d’Europe: The Logics of Assemblage between Disneyland Paris and New Town Principles of Planning

International audienceThis paper wishes to take the opportunity of the 30th anniversary of the Disneyland Paris Resort to underline its current role in the advent of suburban centralities in the Eastern Greater Paris area, in combination with the foundational “Ville Nouvelle de Marne-la-Vallée” dynamics that presided over its negotiated arrival in the late 1980s.As such, far from Paris, but still within an area where planning is negotiated between the central state and local authorities, and between private (the Walt Disney Company) and public sectors, the Val-d’Europe area stands out as a leisure-based type of centrality that supports housing development, commercial development, and a major transportation hub (inter alia). While the originality of basing the production of peripheric centralities on such a leisure/tourism piece of infrastructure as Disneyland is self-evident in the Eastern Paris case, its combination with French planning tradition opens up new interpretations for the variegated local effects that these types of infrastructures can provoke.The photographic essay will underline both the strong influence of the resort’s centrality on the area, but just as well the varied ways in which local authorities respond to this influence in their strategic exercises, according to distance metrics but also to their wishes to develop original positionings with regards this influence

A nonlinear state-space model and control algorithm for a dynamic wireless power transfer system electric vehicle charger application

International audienceThis paper introduces a nonlinear state-space model for a Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer System (DWPT). DWPT enables the continuous delivery of power to an electric vehicle while it moves along the road, allowing long-haul vehicles to operate with a relatively small battery. The system comprises primary side coils, which are supplied by DC/AC converters. These coils transmit power through induction to an electric vehicle. Within the vehicle (secondary side), a power receiver coil is connected to a full bridge diode rectifier, followed by the standard electric vehicle system. In the second step, the paper presents the design of a control system that ensures the seamless transfer of power to the vehicle as it moves along the road. The chosen controller is an Extremum Seeking algorithm, capable of implementation in high-speed systems compatible with realtime control for fast-moving vehicles. The following step involves conducting test-bed experiments using the designed controller to verify the alignment of the proposed mathematical model with the real system. Furthermore, the controller achieves maximum power transfer and maintains power and voltage across the load during transient states. The proposed model effectively captures the relevant dynamics and is well-suited for control design. Additionally, it offers faster simulation times compared to the full electrical model. Due to its good fit with experimental results, the model can be utilized for sizing, design, and tuning of both the system and control algorithms. This is especially valuable before conducting more detailed simulations on the electrical model and, eventually, test-bed experiments and real-life deployment

: Should managers think like top athletes?

The ConversationSports psychology offers managers concrete tools to optimise their performance. Inspired by top athletes, this approach is based on three essential pillars: energy management rather than time management (Corporate Athlete Model), the use of mental imagery to build confidence and clarity of decision-making, and a growth mindset in the face of failure. Models such as the Wheel of Excellence (Orlick) and the research of Loehr and Schwartz demonstrate the impact of concentration, recovery and positive self-talk on success. Applying these strategies to management improves resilience, decision-making and innovation within organisations.La psychologie sportive offre aux dirigeants des outils concrets pour optimiser leur performance. Inspirée des athlètes de haut niveau, cette approche repose sur trois piliers essentiels : la gestion de l’énergie plutôt que du temps (Corporate Athlete Model), l’usage de l’imagerie mentale pour renforcer la confiance et la clarté des décisions, et une mentalité de croissance face à l’échec (Growth Mindset). Des modèles tels que la Wheel of Excellence (Orlick) et les recherches de Loehr et Schwartz démontrent l'impact de la concentration, de la récupération et du discours intérieur positif sur la réussite. Transposer ces stratégies au management permet d'améliorer la résilience, la prise de décision et l’innovation au sein des organisations

Matérialité, accessibilité, frictions : une analyse des dispositifs socio-techniques autour de l’autisme et de la neurodiversité

Neurodiversity social movements, mainly driven by people with autism, claim a different way of communicating, and a sometimes controversial epistemology. These claims are nonetheless manifested via ordinary communication devices (blogs, books, demonstrations), and raise the following issues: what roles do communication devices, their materiality and accessibility, play in controversies around autism and neurodiversity? What is the place of these devices and their accessibility in social science inquiry practices? To answer these questions, the thesis sheds light on data from several (n)ethnographic surveys, using a mixed theoretical framework combining approaches from information and communication sciences, sociology and crip approaches. In particular, it shows that digital devices contribute to normalizing discourses on autism and encourage individuals to mask their disability and their access frictions. It shows how these devices normalize face-to-face interactions, through participatory surveillance, and an attentional and bodily adjustment. In the latter case, it articulates accessibility and table training, opening on the place of institutional tables in social science practices. It concludes with an epistemological reflection on the accessibility of the communication devices mobilized at each stage of the field investigation and insists on the co-constitution of practices in social sciences and controversies around autism and neurodiversity.Les mouvements sociaux de la neurodiversité, surtout portés par des personnes autistes, revendiquent une manière différente de communiquer et une épistémologie parfois controversée. Ces revendications se manifestent néanmoins via des dispositifs de communication ordinaires (blogs, livres, manifestations) et soulèvent les problématiques suivantes : quels rôles les dispositifs de communication, leur matérialité et leur accessibilité, jouent-ils dans les controverses autour de l’autisme et de la neurodiversité ? Quelle est la place de ces dispositifs et de leur accessibilité dans les pratiques d’enquête en sciences sociales ? Pour répondre à ces problématiques, la thèse éclaire les données issues de plusieurs enquêtes (n)ethnographiques à la lumière d’un cadre théorique mixte, combinant approches en sciences de l’information et de la communication, en sociologie, et approches dites crip. Elle montre notamment que les dispositifs numériques contribuent à normaliser les discours sur l’autisme, et incitent les individus à masquer leur handicap et les frictions d’accès. Elle montre comment ces dispositifs normalisent les interactions en face-à-face, à travers une surveillance participative, et un ajustement attentionnel et corporel. Dans ce dernier cas, elle articule accessibilité et entraînement à la table, ouvrant sur la place des tables institutionnelles dans les pratiques en sciences sociales. Elle se termine par une réflexion épistémologique sur l’accessibilité des dispositifs de communication mobilisés à chaque étape de l’enquête de terrain, et insiste sur la co-constitution des pratiques en sciences sociales et des controverses autour de l’autisme et de la neurodiversité

Time-Dependent Growth of ZnO Nanowires: Unveiling Antibacterial and Photocatalytic Properties

International audienceThis study investigates the synthesis, characterization, and functional properties of well-aligned zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires (NWs) obtained by a two-step hydrothermal method. ZnO NWs were grown on silicon substrates precoated with a ZnO seed layer. The growth process was conducted at 90 °C for different durations (2, 3, and 4 h) to examine the time-dependent evolution of the nanowire properties. A comprehensive characterization of the ZnO NWs was performed using several analytical techniques. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the morphological progression, specifically tracking changes in length and diameter as a function of the growth time. Ultraviolet (UV)visible spectroscopy was employed to determine the optical band gap, while photoluminescence (PL) analysis provided insight into the concentration of structural defects and its evolution as a function of nanowire growth. The photocatalytic efficiency of the ZnO NWs was evaluated through the degradation of the organic dye methylene blue (MB) under UV light irradiation (365 nm). The kinetic of MB degradation was monitored for each growth time, with non-purgeable organic carbon (NPOC) analysis providing a detailed perspective on the photocatalytic activity over time. The antibacterial properties were tested against Pseudomonas putida, a Gram-negative bacterium, to determine the efficiency of the synthesized ZnO NWs as antimicrobial agents. The release of zinc ions (Zn$^{2+}$), a key factor in the antibacterial mechanism, was quantified using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis for each sample. By exploration of the relationship between the growth time, nanostructure morphology, and functional properties, this study provides insights into optimizing the synthesis of ZnO NWs for enhanced photocatalytic and antibacterial applications. These findings contribute to the development of advanced materials for environmental and biomedical applications