Self-Aware Smart Products: Systematic Literature Review, Conceptual Design and Prototype Implementation

Abstract The fourth industrial revolution makes more effective use of data generated during manufacturing processes and creates a more interconnected manufacturing network. The data stored inside a product can be updated, analyzed and protected throughout its life cycle. It is currently becoming a reality to speed up the modern mass-customization. The aim of this paper is firstly to explore the state of art about smart products through a systematic literature review. Second, to design a self-aware smart product in a smart factory production environment based on the review findings. Finally, to turn the conceptual design into a prototype implementation

Smart dust in the industrial economic sector : on application cases in product lifecycle management

Smart dust is an autonomous sensing, computing, and communication system that can be packed into a cubic-millimeter mote to form the basis of integrated, massively distributed sensor networks. The purpose of this manuscript is to identify potential applications of smart dust in product lifecycle management with a focus on the industrial economic sector. Resting upon empirical data from the European DACH region, we describe six applications: (1) Advancement of requirements engineering, (2) Improvement of manufacturing processes, (3) Enhancement of logistics monitoring, (4) Optimization of operations, (5) Ameliorated maintenance and repair processes, and (6) Augmented retirement planning. Bearing the exploratory, qualitative approach and early-stage character of applications in mind, we can reason that smart dust offers great potentials to both product lifecycle management and research on it

A framework to communicate radically innovative material properties to designers

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonThis research investigates how radical innovations in material science can be better communicated to designers. In particular it focuses on how language can be used to ensure designers create feasible design concepts when first introduced to a material. The goal being to enable material communicators to reliably share their innovations and empower designers to use them. It was observed that radical innovations despite being significantly different from what had come before had no special support or guidance on how to best be communicated. This is despite radical innovations being seen as distinct in by managerial, design, and communication academics. By reviewing the existing communication tools and theory on the subject it was found that radical innovation likely would prove a significant challenge to designers. This was due to their reliance on prior knowledge. In the first 10 workshops that reached 127 designers, they were challenged to create concepts using radically innovative materials. The concepts could be for any application though only had to use the materials as part of the design. This testing found that designers struggled to use the existing tools to reliably create new ideas. Of those ideas generated by the designers (n=51) only 49% were feasible. Improving this outcome became the core focus of the research. To produce a framework that would guide designers a series of tests were completed. Before the initial workshops 40 interviews with designers were conducted that challenged them to communicate radically innovative materials provided the data to be assessed in a thematic review. These tests provided the insight to better understand the language designers use to communicate. Once the initial workshop was completed, focus groups and surveys probed how designers preferred to use the identified language tools. In the focus groups participants were challenged to explore what methods of communication they preferred and why they preferred these approaches. While the survey, which reached 192 designers, focused on asking what method of communication they preferred for specific types of radical innovation identified in the prior research. A final workshop series, identical to the first workshop series, apart from the inclusion of the communication generated by the framework was conducted. Speaking to 122 designers over 12 workshops found that of the ideas created by the designers (n=72) 84% were feasible. This showed a marked improvement, validating the usefulness of the tool. The value of the framework was further validated by reviewing it through interview with 6 experts, including 3 designers and 3 material communicators who saw it as a valuable tool that would help both groups.EU-funded project L.T.M. Light Touch Matters (NMP.2012.4.0-1) under the agreement n° 31031

Applying the Analytic Hierarchy Process to Oil Sands Environmental Compliance Risk Management

Oil companies in Alberta, Canada, invested $32 billion on new oil sands projects in 2013. Despite the size of this investment, there is a demonstrable deficiency in the uniformity and understanding of environmental legislation requirements that manifest into increased project compliance risks. This descriptive study developed 2 prioritized lists of environmental regulatory compliance risks and mitigation strategies and used multi-criteria decision theory for its theoretical framework. Information from compiled lists of environmental compliance risks and mitigation strategies was used to generate a specialized pairwise survey, which was piloted by 5 subject matter experts (SMEs). The survey was validated by a sample of 16 SMEs, after which the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to rank a total of 33 compliance risks and 12 mitigation strategy criteria. A key finding was that the AHP is a suitable tool for ranking of compliance risks and mitigation strategies. Several working hypotheses were also tested regarding how SMEs prioritized 1 compliance risk or mitigation strategy compared to another. The AHP showed that regulatory compliance, company reputation, environmental compliance, and economics ranked the highest and that a multi criteria mitigation strategy for environmental compliance ranked the highest. The study results will inform Alberta oil sands industry leaders about the ranking and utility of specific compliance risks and mitigations strategies, enabling them to focus on actions that will generate legislative and public trust. Oil sands leaders implementing a risk management program using the risks and mitigation strategies identified in this study will contribute to environmental conservation, economic growth, and positive social change