Pre-Prototyping Framework: An Early Design Prototyping Methodology for Human-Centered Products and Workplaces

Prototyping is a crucial step in product design and development, but it is also known as the highest sunk cost. The top 20 Research and Development (R&D) department spends 142 billion dollars, yet 40 to 46 percent of this money goes into developing products that cannot even make to the market. Furthermore, the lack of comprehensive and widely accepted prototyping strategies and guidelines challenges the success of design teams in selecting options among a plethora of prototyping methodologies, techniques, and resources. The first shortcoming of current prototyping strategies is that they focus on the prototyping experience or the hands-on prototyping process without paying adequate attention to theoretical guidelines about prototyping factors and theories. The second limitation is the sparse guidelines of practical ‘know-how’ or what tools to use while building the prototype. The third shortcoming is that the existing prototyping strategies do not adequately incorporate the Human Factor Engineering (HFE) guidelines into the design of human-centered products. To address these shortcomings, this dissertation aims to formulate a Pre-Prototyping framework that aids designers in exploring prototyping strategies for human-centered products during the early design process. The overall objectives of this study are split into primary and secondary research objectives. Three secondary objectives are developed as building blocks of the overarching research objectives. First of all, Chapter 2 addresses the first secondary research objective by exploring how Performance Shaping Factors (PSFs) affect human performance and what prototyping strategies should be employed to capture it. Next, Chapter 3 addresses the second secondary research objective by proposing a computational prototyping method, which assists the designer in exploring the design space to integrate HFE design principles in the conceptual design process. Finally, the third secondary research objective is presented in Chapter 5, which explores the levels of human product interaction and the fidelity that plays a role in prototyping strategies. The secondary research objectives helped to gain deeper insight into prototyping for HCD based products. These insights are building blocks to address the three primary research questions and develop the Pre-Prototyping framework. The methodology to develop the Pre-Prototyping framework follows a similar step-by-step approach and workflows common to other prototyping frameworks in the prototyping literature; however, the proposed Pre-Prototyping framework adds HCD guidelines and proactive prototyping strategies by injecting HFE design principles. The distinction between this work and the existing prototyping framework is that the focus is on a Pre-Prototyping strategy rather than a hands-on prototyping activity. The second distinction is that this prototyping methodology is developed by focusing on the human-centered design since most of the existing methodologies concentrate solely on the prototyping experience. The proposed methodology comprises Prototyping Categories, Prototyping Dimensions, and Prototyping Toolbox along with Human Factor Guidelines. These different areas are combined in a framework that is currently presented using MS Excel User-Form. Designers can use this framework via Excel User-Form to conceptualize Pre-Prototyping strategies based on the specific HCD requirements. The proposed methodology is validated by an experiment that conducts 12 prototyping problems between the Intervention group and the Control group. Independent t-tests are be performed between the two groups. It is found that participants who use the proposed framework develop better Pre-Prototyping strategies than those who do not. In addition to the quantitative test, qualitative analysis is carried out by capturing the prototyping experience and attitude of the designers. Likert Scale and screen recordings data are used to gain further insight into participants' evaluation of the framework. It is discovered that the participants perceived the Pre-Prototyping framework to be helpful and they agree to use the Pre-Prototyping framework for prototyping human-centered products

Digital Twins in Industry

Digital Twins in Industry is a compilation of works by authors with specific emphasis on industrial applications. Much of the research on digital twins has been conducted by the academia in both theoretical considerations and laboratory-based prototypes. Industry, while taking the lead on larger scale implementations of Digital Twins (DT) using sophisticated software, is concentrating on dedicated solutions that are not within the reach of the average-sized industries. This book covers 11 chapters of various implementations of DT. It provides an insight for companies who are contemplating the adaption of the DT technology, as well as researchers and senior students in exploring the potential of DT and its associated technologies

Ergonomics Evaluation Using Motion Capture Technology—Literature Review

Due to the increasingly high proportion of manual activities in production processes, there is a constant risk of musculoskeletal disorders or work-related injuries. The risk of these problems is exacerbated by the trend towards an ageing working population. European legislation is pressing for improved working conditions to eliminate the risks associated with health problems for workers. For this reason, the application of ergonomics in this field is growing. Musculoskeletal disorders, which are most often caused by inappropriate working postures, are a major problem. There are many methods for evaluating working postures. However, there is a high degree of subjectivity in the risk assessment. Motion capture kinematic suits can ensure the objectivity of the assessment. This article discusses research on ergonomics assessment using motion capture technology. A systematic literature search method was used for the research, beginning with the determination of the research procedure, through the definition of the research queries, to the formulation of the research itself to identify relevant sources. The study presents the most widely used methods for assessing the ergonomics of work positions using motion capture technology, their advantages, and disadvantages. It also follows the trend in the number of publications between 2010 and 2022 in countries where the topic is most frequently addressed and in the industries where motion capture technology is used for ergonomics assessment in general. The research showed that this approach is most often used in industry and logistics, and less frequently in healthcare and sport. The authors agree that the most frequently used ergonomics assessment methods are not complex enough to be used in combination with motion capture and that a combination of the two is needed. At the same time, this technology has become very important in the field of ergonomic evaluation of work positions, offering a higher degree of objectivity, or can be combined with the use of virtual reality, but the evaluation systems are still not error-free and there is a need for continuous improvement

Augmented Reality and Its Application

Augmented Reality (AR) is a discipline that includes the interactive experience of a real-world environment, in which real-world objects and elements are enhanced using computer perceptual information. It has many potential applications in education, medicine, and engineering, among other fields. This book explores these potential uses, presenting case studies and investigations of AR for vocational training, emergency response, interior design, architecture, and much more

Production Ergonomics: Designing Work Systems to Support Optimal Human Performance

Production ergonomics – the science and practice of designing industrial workplaces to optimize human well-being and system performance – is a complex challenge for a designer. Humans are a valuable and flexible resource in any system of creation, and as long as they stay healthy, alert and motivated, they perform well and also become more competent over time, which increases their value as a resource. However, if a system designer is not mindful or aware of the many threats to health and system performance that may emerge, the end result may include inefficiency, productivity losses, low working morale, injuries and sick-leave.To help budding system designers and production engineers tackle these design challenges holistically, this book offers a multi-faceted orientation in the prerequisites for healthy and effective human work. We will cover physical, cognitive and organizational aspects of ergonomics, and provide both the individual human perspective and that of groups and populations, ending up with a look at global challenges that require workplaces to become more socially and economically sustainable. This book is written to give you a warm welcome to the subject, and to provide a solid foundation for improving industrial workplaces to attract and retain healthy and productive staff in the long run

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 325)

This bibliography lists 192 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during June, 1989. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and psychology, life support systems and controlled environments, safety equipment, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, and flight crew behavior and performance

Reframing the value of virtual prototyping: Intermediary virtual prototyping - the evolving approach of virtual environments based virtual prototyping in the context of new product development and low volume production

This thesis studies how the evolving approach of virtual environments-based virtual prototyping can be evaluated in the context of product design and development in the manufacturing industry. The entry point for this research is the relatively long experience in applied research in virtual prototyping with industry. As the virtual prototyping technology has become more mature, the focus of research and development has extended from technology demonstrations towards utilization in product design and development processes. However, lack of scientific and practical knowledge of real benefits and the value of virtual prototyping has seemed to be a deterrent to its wider adoption of industry. The aim of this thesis is by means of scientific research to increase the knowledge of the value contribution of virtual prototyping as well as its impacts in a practical industrial context.This problem was approached from the science base by formulating an expanded theory framework for value modelling, and from the problem base by an empirical case study in one manufacturing company. The research approach was constructive and exploratory.The research results consist of three types of knowledge. Firstly, the scientific theoretical foundation was elaborated for initiating value modelling of virtual prototyping and virtual environments. Secondly, new knowledge on the value of virtual prototyping within new product development was created in an industrial case study. Finally, knowledge on how virtual prototyping (VP) impacts the company was reported. The impact was discussed in the dimensions of process, social and technological implications.This research contributed to engineering design science by conceptualizing virtual prototyping in the context of product design and development expanding to the dimensions of human factors and management theory. Thus, the contribution is also manifested by constructing the expanded theory framework for virtual prototyping value modelling in four dimensions with causal justification from virtual reality technology to business value elements which led to the new concept of Intermediary Virtual Prototyping (IVP). The discussed concept of IVP underscores the many layers from technical advantages of virtual reality to the expanded mediating object of product development activity system.The discussion was carried on from the perspective of a partially configurable products and manual work-intensive variant production mode. This perspective is novel compared to the majority of virtual prototyping and virtual environments literature. It is proposed that IVP is particularly beneficial in this context, where human skills and knowledge contribute to the flexibility of production system.IVP should be considered as a strategic investment that will produce income in the long run. IVP contributes to the co-creation and variant production paradigms by involving human creativity at an early product design and development phase, thus increasing flexibility. IVP creates value in use, but in turn it impacts the company in all the four dimensions mentioned

Dynamics of Long-Life Assets: From Technology Adaptation to Upgrading the Business Model

Knowledge management; Business information system

A Short Review on 4D Printing

Additive Manufacturing can be described as a process to build 3D objects by adding layer-upon-layer of material, the material traditionally being plastics, metals or ceramics, however ‘smart’ materials are now in use. Nowadays, the term “3D Printing” has become a much-used synonym for additive manufacturing. The use of computing, 3D solid modeling applications, layering materials and machine equipment is common to majority of additive manufacturing technologies. Advancing from this 3D printing technology, is an emerging trend for what is being termed “4D printing”. 4D printing places dependency on smart materials, the functionality of additive manufacturing machines and in ingenious design processes. Although many developments have been made, limitations are still very much in existence, particularly with regards to function and application. The objective of this short review is to discuss the developments, challenges and outlook for 4D printing technology. The review revealed that 4D printing technology has application potential but further research work will be vital for the future success of 4D printing