CoDE: a Co-operative Design Environment. A new generation of CAD systems

According to conceptual changes on design methodology, this paper presents some research results on a new generation of CAD systems. This new software has not to be used to achieve automatic design tasks at all. On the contrary, it has to make part of an integrated design environment. A co-operative design modeller is then presented as a support for co-operative and integrated design methodology in this design environment. It mainly allows every design actors to share a unique database owing to a formal exchange network. The modeller provides a graphic interface to add, edit or modify data. Moreover the modeller manages the shared database in order to realise heavy design tasks as data propagation or data coherence management. The presented modeller takes place in the global design environment connected to specific applications based on specific design tasks (process planning, structure analysis). An informal communication network worthwhile in any design group including human actors also assists the co-operative design modeller

CoDE: a Co-operative Design Environment. A new generation of CAD systems

International audienceAccording to conceptual changes on design methodology, this paper presents some research results on a new generation of CAD systems. This new software has not to be used to achieve automatic design tasks at all. On the contrary, it has to make part of an integrated design environment.A co-operative design modeller is then presented as a support for co-operative and integrated design methodology in this design environment. It mainly allows every design actors to share a unique database owing to a formal exchange network. The modeller provides a graphic interface to add, edit or modify data. Moreover the modeller manages the shared database in order to realise heavy design tasks as data propagation or data coherence management.The presented modeller takes place in the global design environment connected to specific applications based on specific design tasks (process planning, structure analysis). An informal communication network worthwhile in any design group including human actors also assists the co-operative design modeller

CoDE: a Co-operative Design Environment. A new generation of CAD systems

According to conceptual changes on design methodology, this paper presents some research results on a new generation of CAD systems. This new software has not to be used to achieve automatic design tasks at all. On the contrary, it has to make part of an integrated design environment. A co-operative design modeller is then presented as a support for co-operative and integrated design methodology in this design environment. It mainly allows every design actors to share a unique database owing to a formal exchange network. The modeller provides a graphic interface to add, edit or modify data. Moreover the modeller manages the shared database in order to realise heavy design tasks as data propagation or data coherence management. The presented modeller takes place in the global design environment connected to specific applications based on specific design tasks (process planning, structure analysis). An informal communication network worthwhile in any design group including human actors also assists the co-operative design modeller

High-resolution SAR images for fire susceptibility estimation in urban forestry

We present an adaptive system for the automatic assessment of both physical and anthropic fire impact factors on periurban forestries. The aim is to provide an integrated methodology exploiting a complex data structure built upon a multi resolution grid gathering historical land exploitation and meteorological data, records of human habits together with suitably segmented and interpreted high resolution X-SAR images, and several other information sources. The contribution of the model and its novelty rely mainly on the definition of a learning schema lifting different factors and aspects of fire causes, including physical, social and behavioural ones, to the design of a fire susceptibility map, of a specific urban forestry. The outcome is an integrated geospatial database providing an infrastructure that merges cartography, heterogeneous data and complex analysis, in so establishing a digital environment where users and tools are interactively connected in an efficient and flexible way

BIM and sensor-based data management system for construction safety monitoring

Purpose This research aims to investigate the integration of real-time monitoring of thermal conditions within confined work environments through wireless sensor network (WSN) technology when integrated with building information modelling (BIM). A prototype system entitled confined space monitoring system (CoSMoS), which provides an opportunity to incorporate sensor data for improved visualization through new add-ins to BIM software, was then developed. Design/methodology/approach An empirical study was undertaken to compare and contrast between the performances (over a time series) of various database models to find a back-end database storage configuration that best suits the needs of CoSMoS. Findings Fusing BIM data with information streams derived from wireless sensors challenges traditional approaches to data management. These challenges encountered in the prototype system are reported upon and include issues such as hardware/software selection and optimization. Consequently, various database models are explored and tested to find a database storage that best suits the specific needs of this BIM-wireless sensor technology integration. Originality value This work represents the first tranche of research that seeks to deliver a fully integrated and advanced digital built environment solution for automating the management of health and safety issues on construction sites. </jats:sec

iDREAM: a multidisciplinary methodology and integrated toolset for flight vehicle engineering

Rapid prototyping of flight vehicle engineering needs the use of two key elements: the data from the different building blocks and the required engineering tools to design vital subsystems of the flight vehicle. Politecnico di Torino in the framework of the I-DREAM, a GSTP contract carried out under the supervision of the European Space Agency (ESA), has developed a unique multidisciplinary methodology and integrated toolset able to support the rapid prototyping of a wide range of aerospace vehicles. iDREAM allows complementing the conceptual design activities with the economic viability and technological sustainability assessments. In detail, the iDREAM methodology consists of four main modules that can be used in a stand-alone mode and in an integrated activity flow, exploiting the implemented automatic connections. The first module consists of a well-structured MySQL database developed to support all the other modules, thanks to a unified connection guaranteed by an ad-hoc developed Database Management Library managing the operations of data input and output from/to the database throughout the tool modules. The second module consists of a vehicle design routine and a mission design routine, supporting the design of a new vehicle and mission concept and assessing the main performance of an already existing configuration. The vehicle design routine is called ASTRID-H, and it is the latest version of an in-house conceptual design tool integrating capabilities ranging from high-speed aircraft to lunar-landers design. The vehicle design routine automatically interfaces with ASTOS, a commercial software environment used for mission analysis optimization. Automatic interactions between the two routines inside the module have been ad-hoc developed and tested to guarantee good accuracy of the results. The third module consists of the economic viability module. Once the design is defined, it is possible to run a subsystem-level cost estimation. Using the subsystems’ masses estimated in the design routine, the parametric cost model provides useful insights on the potential development, manufacturing, and operating costs, as well as the cost and price per flight. Eventually, the developed methodology gives the possibility to generate a technology roadmap (fourth module). Supported by a database connection, the tool estimates each technology readiness and risk assessment, along with an indication of the necessary activities, missions, and future works. This paper describes the methodology and the integrated toolset in flight vehicle engineering of Microlaunchers. Eventually, the Electron mission would be used as a benchmark and validation study to showcase the tool’s results and accuracy for preliminary design studies

The Environment for Application Software Integration and Execution (EASIE) version 1.0. Volume 1: Executive overview

The Environment for Application Software Integration and Execution (EASIE) provides a methodology and a set of software utility programs to ease the task of coordinating engineering design and analysis codes. EASIE was designed to meet the needs of conceptual design engineers that face the task of integrating many stand-alone engineering analysis programs. Using EASIE, programs are integrated through a relational database management system. Volume 1, Executive Overview, gives an overview of the functions provided by EASIE and describes their use. Three operational design systems based upon the EASIE software are briefly described

Environmental information systems : the development and implementation of the Lake Rukwa Basin integrated project environmental information system (LRBIP-EIS) database, Tanzania

Bibliography: leaves 91-97.The quest for sustenance inevitably forces mankind to exploit natural resources found within their environs. In many cases, the exploitation results in massive environmental degradation that disrupts the ecosystem and causes loss of bio-diversity. There is generally a lack of information systems to monitor and provide quantitative information on the state of the affected environment. Decision-makers usually fail to make informed decisions with regard to conservation strategies. The need to provide decision-makers with quantitative environmental information formed the basis of this thesis. An integrated environmental information system (EIS) database was developed according to the Software Development Methodology for three of the identified environmental sectors. This involved detailed user needs assessment to identify the information requirements (both spatial and textual) for each sector. The results were used to design separate data models that were later merged to create an integrated data model for the database application. A fisheries application prototype was developed to implement the proposed database design. The prototype has three major components. The Geographic Information System (GIS) handles the spatial data such as rivers, settlements, roads, and lakes. A relational database management system (RDBMS) was used to store and maintain the non-spatial data such as fisherman ' s personal details and fish catch data. Customized graphical user interfaces were designed to handle the data visualization and restricted access to the GIS and RDBMS environments

SPEIR: developing a common information environment in Scotland

Purpose - To report on the work of the SPEIR project and indicate its relevance beyond the Scottish information environment. SPEIR was funded by the Scottish Library and Information Council to identify, research, and develop the elements of an internationally interoperable Scottish Common Information Environment (SCIE) for Library, Museum and Archive domain information services, and to determine the best path for future progress. A key focus was to determine the distributed information infrastructure requirements of a pilot Scottish Cultural Portal being developed in parallel with the SPEIR work, building on existing pilot initiatives such as the CAIRNS distributed catalogue and landscaper, the SCONE collections database, the SCAMP staff portal and an embryonic organisational infrastructure based on the Confederation of Scottish Mini-cooperatives (CoSMiC). Design/methodology/approach - A series of practical pilots was undertaken. These were underpinned by relevant desk and field research and conducted within an overarching holistic approach to developing the distributed environment. Practical implications - Key outcomes included the creation of a single upgraded integrated service incorporating an extended distributed catalogue, collections database, and landscaper, the creation of a pilot distributed digital library, the development of open-URL-based facilities to permit portals to incorporate 'canned searches' of the catalogue, the collections database, the SDDL, and other compatible services, an illustrative pilot Scottish terminology mapping service, and various organisational infrastructure and professional support improvements. Originality/value - The embryonic technical and organisational infrastructure reported may provide a model for other small countries (or regions within larger countries) seeking a coherent approach to the development of an interoperable information environment

Managing evolution and change in web-based teaching and learning environments

The state of the art in information technology and educational technologies is evolving constantly. Courses taught are subject to constant change from organisational and subject-specific reasons. Evolution and change affect educators and developers of computer-based teaching and learning environments alike – both often being unprepared to respond effectively. A large number of educational systems are designed and developed without change and evolution in mind. We will present our approach to the design and maintenance of these systems in rapidly evolving environments and illustrate the consequences of evolution and change for these systems and for the educators and developers responsible for their implementation and deployment. We discuss various factors of change, illustrated by a Web-based virtual course, with the objective of raising an awareness of this issue of evolution and change in computer-supported teaching and learning environments. This discussion leads towards the establishment of a development and management framework for teaching and learning systems