The design of fashionable wearables to promote sustainable behaviours in smart cities

A falta de sustentabilidade que ameaça o nosso futuro necessita de atenção urgente, exigindo uma abordagem holística. Contudo, ações explicitamente destinadas a mudar o comportamento humano não são muito comuns quando, paradoxalmente, grande parte do impacto ambiental está associado ao comportamento das pessoas na sua vida quotidiana. Muitas ações insustentáveis estão atualmente a ter lugar nas cidades, causando impactos negativos. As cidades oferecem respostas a muitas necessidades da vida, o que motiva as pessoas a procurarem estes espaços, causando uma concentração populacional. Esta procura do meio urbano decorre da expectativa de ter melhor qualidade de vida. A mobilidade urbana, por seu lado, que pode ser vista como um facilitador do acesso a múltiplas componentes da vida quotidiana, incluindo empregos, educação, cuidados de saúde e muitos outros pode, também, gerar congestionamentos, poluição, um acrescido consumo energético e aumento de stress, afetando diretamente a qualidade de vida das pessoas. Neste contexto, as escolhas pessoais quanto à mobilidade têm um impacto substancial na vida quotidiana. Contudo, dado que as cidades estão a tornar-se “inteligentes”, graças à aplicação de tecnologias emergentes de identificação, deteção e comunicação, nomeadamente com recurso à tecnologia da Internet das Coisas (IoT – Internet of Things), abrem-se novas possibilidade para alteração dos comportamentos da vida quotidiana, com impacto na sustentabilidade. Este desenvolvimento tecnológico tem vindo a ser explorado em múltiplas áreas, incluindo energia / instalações, transportes, cuidados de saúde, segurança, monitorização doméstica, entre outras, sendo reconhecido como uma tendência com forte crescimento a curto prazo. Neste contexto, este estudo pretendeu explorar a possibilidade de promover comportamentos de mobilidade considerados mais sustentáveis através do design de artigos de moda que possam funcionar como elementos ativos no sistema de uma cidade “inteligente”. A possibilidade de combinação de funcionalidade e sedução, o poder motivador da moda, combinado com tecnologia avançada e sensores, foi entendido como tendo fortes argumentos para ser bem-sucedido na modificação do comportamento. Como ocorre com muitos outros produtos, os produtos da moda são pensados para responder às expetativas, necessidades e limitações das pessoas, onde convivem aspetos funcionais, ergonómicos, afetivos e emocionais, fortemente focados na experiência e no envolvimento, mas com assumido enfoque na componente estética, estilo, estatuto e formação de identidade. Estes são parte essencial da mudança de comportamento. As tecnologias digitais embutidas nos têxteis oferecem oportunidades significativas de alargamento das funcionalidades dos produtos de moda, incluindo a comunicação, transformação da informação do nosso corpo em dados, conduzindo energia, brilhando, crescendo e muitos outros. Alguns bons exemplos deste tipo podem já ser encontrados na promoção da segurança humana, saúde/ bem-estar, treino militar e entretenimento. Nesta investigação, o termo “fashionable wearables” é adotado para enfatizar a combinação de moda e tecnologia. Importa ressalvar que o objetivo deste estudo não foi trabalhar questões de moda sustentável, que é outra questão vital, mas que fica fora do recorte deste trabalho. O principal objetivo foi explorar como e em que medida as soluções de “fashionable wearables” podem promover comportamentos mais sustentáveis em cidades inteligentes. As escolhas de mobilidade foram selecionadas como comportamentos-alvo que se pretendem alterar. Para o conseguir, foi utilizada uma metodologia mista, de acordo com a abordagem do Design Centrado no Humano. A abordagem do Design para a Mudança de Comportamento foi utilizada para fornecer soluções a um nível do design conceptual. Este estudo de doutoramento foi pensado como uma investigação pelo design, no qual o design conceptual desempenhou um papel formativo na geração do conhecimento. Utilizámos dados qualitativos e quantitativos para explorar o contexto, identificar os tópicos, gerar ideias e soluções e verificar conceitos para cumprir objetivos. A metodologia proposta foi dividida em cinco fases: (1) Compreender, (2) Descobrir, (3) Design Conceptual, (4) Protótipo, e (5) Avaliação. Na primeira fase, aprofundámos os conhecimentos teóricos sobre temas de investigação e fizemos revisões de literatura. Compreendemos a noção atual de sustentabilidade e do comportamento sustentável com entrevistas a peritos e métodos de mapeamento de conceitos. Identificámos comportamentos sustentáveis e exemplificámo-los considerando domínios da vida quotidiana e tipos de comportamento. Determinámos os comportamentos que têm um impacto mais negativo na vida quotidiana. No final, decidimos concentrar-nos nos comportamentos de mobilidade. Na segunda fase, explorámos os obstáculos à adoção e/ou manutenção de comportamentos sustentáveis. Conduzimos sessões de grupos focais para descobrir necessidades dos utilizadores, exigências, problemas e desculpas razoáveis para não adotar ações de mobilidade sustentável e níveis de preferência/satisfação dos modos de mobilidade. Depois de traçarmos as oportunidades potenciais para um maior desenvolvimento, identificámos os comportamentos sustentáveis alvo, em que nos iriamos focar, em particular o caminhar e partilhar bicicletas, na vida da cidade. Na terceira fase, identificámos utilizadores-alvo, desenvolvemos personas e um cenário narrativo representando potenciais perfis de utilizadores e problemas. Ilustrámos storyboards, gerámos ideias. Apesar de o estudo se rever no paradigma sócio-critico, as soluções conceptuais geradas foram baseadas em Estratégias de Mudança de Comportamento e problemas observados em potenciais utilizadores, bem como em oportunidades futuras recolhidas a partir de relatórios de previsão e não apenas nas possibilidades tecnológicas atuais. Realizámos entrevistas de avaliação por peritos para alimentar a ideação, fazer a avaliação e refinamento das propostas, com a participação de especialistas em diferentes campos do saber, incluindo design de interfaces, produto, têxtil, moda, interação e ciência, incluindo engenharia, computador, física, software. Na quarta fase, visualizámos ideias conceptuais de produtos e sistemas com “storyboarding” de soluções. Desenvolvemos “mock-ups” e um protótipo em vídeo do vestuário de moda, para permitir a avaliação da experiência de utilização antecipada. O protótipo de vídeo forjou o que seriam as futuras ofertas de tecnologia inteligente em termos de interface e exibição do e-textile com animação por computador e ferramentas de edição de vídeo. Demos aos potenciais utilizadores a impressão de que estavam a interagir com um sistema real antes deste existir, o que proporcionou a tangibilização possível da solução para a fase de avaliação. Na última fase, avaliámos o desenho conceptual dum “fashionable wearable” para testar a motivação do utilizador em aderir ao comportamento desejável e a usabilidade do artefacto. Utilizámos o Questionário de Experiência de Utilização (UEQ), avaliando a sua experiência considerando a perspicuidade, eficiência, estímulo, atratividade, novidade e fiabilidade do design conceptual. Obtivemos também feedback e sugestões dos utilizadores. O conceito foi avaliado positivamente. Encontrámos um estímulo significativo para a mudança de comportamento, que sugere que os artigos de moda, se usados como parte de uma estratégia de mudança de comportamento, podem influenciar a adoção de comportamentos mais sustentáveis no contexto da mobilidade urbana em cidades “inteligentes”. Em última análise, esta investigação de doutoramento contribuiu para o campo do design de moda, design para comportamento sustentável, design para mudança de comportamento e sustentabilidade.The lack of sustainability that threatens our future needs urgent attention, requiring a holistic approach. However, actions explicitly aimed at changing human behaviour are not very common when, paradoxically, much of the environmental impact is associated with the behaviour of users in everyday life. Many unsustainable actions are currently taking place in cities, causing negative impacts. Cities offer access to many requirements of life that causes a population shift. Significantly, mobility facilitates access to all necessities of life in urban areas. Considering the potential to generate congestion, pollution and preventing freedom of accessibility, mobility can directly affect the quality of air and quality of life. Since cities are becoming smart thanks to emerging technologies, smart mobility has growing in importance and concerns more about being effective and sustainable. In this matter, mobility choices have a substantial impact on daily life. This study intended to promote mobility behaviours considered more sustainable through the design of fashionable wearables that can work as active elements of the system in the smart city context. The combination of body-related functionality and seduction, as well as the motivating power of fashion, combined with advanced technology and sensors, provided a strong motivation for contributing to behaviour change. The main objective was to explore how and to what extent solutions of fashionable wearables can promote more sustainable behaviours in smart cities. Mobility choices were selected as target behaviours that are desired to be altered. To achieve this, a mixed methodology according to the Human-Centred Design approach was used to gain information about needs and demands. Design for Behaviour Change strategies were used to provide solutions at a conceptual design level. We evaluated the conceptual design with a key element of fashionable wearable to test the motivation of the user to use and adhere the usability of the design to determine behaviour intervention. The conceptual design was evaluated positively, and we found the meaningful stimulus for the behaviour change

Compute-proximal Energy Harvesting for Mobile Environments: Fundamentals, Applications, and Tools

Over the past two decades, we have witnessed remarkable achievements in computing, sensing, actuating, and communications capabilities of ubiquitous computing applications. However, due to the limitations in stable energy supply, it is difficult to make the applications ubiquitous. Batteries have been considered a promising technology for this problem, but their low energy density and sluggish innovation have constrained the utility and expansion of ubiquitous computing. Two key techniques—energy harvesting and power management—have been studied as alternatives to overcome the battery limitations. Compared to static environments such as homes or buildings, there are more energy harvesting opportunities in mobile environments since ubiquitous systems can generate various forms of energy as they move. Most of the previous studies in this regard have been focused on human movements for wearable computing, while other mobile environments (e.g., cars, motorcycles, and bikes) have received limited attention. In this thesis, I present a class of energy harvesting approaches called compute-proximal energy harvesting, which allows us to develop energy harvesting technology where computing, sensing, and actuating are needed in vehicles. Computing includes sensing phenomena, executing instructions, actuating components, storing information, and communication. Proximal considers the harvesting of energy available around the specific location where computation is needed, reducing the need for excessive wiring. A primary goal of this new approach is to mitigate the effort associated with the installation and field deployment of self-sustained computing and lower the entry barriers to developing self-sustainable systems for vehicles. In this thesis, I first select an automobile as a promising case study and discuss the opportunities, challenges, and design guidelines of compute-proximal energy harvesting with practical yet advanced examples in the automotive domain. Second, I present research in the design of small-scale wind energy harvesters and the implementation and evaluation of two advanced safety sensing systems—a blind spot monitoring system and a lane detection system—with the harvested power from wind. Finally, I conduct a study to democratize the lessons learned from the automotive case studies for makers and people with no prior experience in energy harvesting technology. In this study, I seek to understand what problems they have encountered and what possible solutions they have considered while dealing with energy harvesting technology. Based on the findings, I develop a comprehensive energy harvesting toolkit and examine its utility, usability, and creativity through a series of workshops.Ph.D

Advances on Smart Cities and Smart Buildings

Modern cities are facing the challenge of combining competitiveness at the global city scale and sustainable urban development to become smart cities. A smart city is a high-tech, intensive and advanced city that connects people, information, and city elements using new technologies in order to create a sustainable, greener city; competitive and innovative commerce; and an increased quality of life. This Special Issue collects the recent advancements in smart cities and covers different topics and aspects

Emerging Technologies

This monograph investigates a multitude of emerging technologies including 3D printing, 5G, blockchain, and many more to assess their potential for use to further humanity’s shared goal of sustainable development. Through case studies detailing how these technologies are already being used at companies worldwide, author Sinan Küfeoğlu explores how emerging technologies can be used to enhance progress toward each of the seventeen United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and to guarantee economic growth even in the face of challenges such as climate change. To assemble this book, the author explored the business models of 650 companies in order to demonstrate how innovations can be converted into value to support sustainable development. To ensure practical application, only technologies currently on the market and in use actual companies were investigated. This volume will be of great use to academics, policymakers, innovators at the forefront of green business, and anyone else who is interested in novel and innovative business models and how they could help to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This is an open access book

Sustainable Mobility and Transport

This Special Issue is dedicated to sustainable mobility and transport, with a special focus on technological advancements. Global transport systems are significant sources of air, land, and water emissions. A key motivator for this Special Issue was the diversity and complexity of mitigating transport emissions and industry adaptions towards increasingly stricter regulation. Originally, the Special Issue called for papers devoted to all forms of mobility and transports. The papers published in this Special Issue cover a wide range of topics, aiming to increase understanding of the impacts and effects of mobility and transport in working towards sustainability, where most studies place technological innovations at the heart of the matter. The goal of the Special Issue is to present research that focuses, on the one hand, on the challenges and obstacles on a system-level decision making of clean mobility, and on the other, on indirect effects caused by these changes

Research and Creative Activity, July 1, 2019-June 30, 2020: Major Sponsored Programs and Faculty Accomplishments in Research and Creative Activity, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Foreword by Bob Wilhelm, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development: This booklet highlights successes in research, scholarship and creative activity by University of Nebraska–Lincoln faculty during the fiscal year running July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020. It lists investigators, project titles and funding sources on major grants and sponsored awards received during the year; fellowships and other recognitions and honors bestowed on our faculty; books published by faculty; performances, exhibitions and other creative activity; and patents and licensing agreements issued. Based on your feedback, the Office of Research and Economic Development expanded this publication to include peer-reviewed journal articles and conference presentations and recognize students and faculty mentors participating in the Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experience Program (UCARE) and the First-Year Research Experiences program (FYRE). While metrics cannot convey the full story of our work, they are tangible measures of impact. Nebraska achieved a record $317 million in total research expenditures in FY 2019, a 26$450 million in research expenditures by 2025. Husker researchers are stimulating economic growth through university-sponsored industry activity. Nebraska Innovation Campus created 1,657 jobs statewide and had a total economic impact of $324.1 million in FY 2019. NUtech Ventures brought in$6.6 million in licensing income in FY 2020. The University of Nebraska system now ranks 65th among the top 100 academic institutions receiving U.S. patents, jumping 14 spots from 2019. I am proud of the Nebraska Research community for facing the challenges of 2020 with grit and determination. Our researchers quickly adapted to develop solutions for an evolving pandemic — all while working apart and keeping themselves and their families safe. As an institution, we made a commitment to embrace an anti-racism journey and work toward racial equity. Advancing conversations and developing lasting solutions is among the most important work we can do as scholars. Against the backdrop of the pandemic, rising racial and social tensions, and natural disasters, Nebraska researchers worked diligently to address other pressing issues, such as obesity and related diseases, nanomaterials, agricultural resilience and the state’s STEM workforce. Let’s continue looking forward to what we can accomplish together. Thank you for participating in the grand challenges process and helping identify the wicked problems that Nebraska has unique expertise to solve. Soon, ORED will unveil a Research Roadmap that outlines how our campus will develop research expertise; enrich creative activity; bolster commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion; enhance economic development; and much more. Amidst the uncertainty of 2020, I remain confident in our faculty’s talent and commitment. I am pleased to present this record of accomplishments. Contents Awards of $5 Million or More Awards of$1 Million to $4,999,999 Awards of$250,000 to $999,999 Early Career Awards Arts and Humanities Awards of$250,000 or More Arts and Humanities Awards of $50,000 to$249,999 Arts and Humanities Awards of $5,000 to$49,999 Patents License Agreements Creative Activity Books Recognitions and Honors Journal Articles Conference Presentations UCARE and FYRE Projects Glossar

Urban Informatics

This open access book is the first to systematically introduce the principles of urban informatics and its application to every aspect of the city that involves its functioning, control, management, and future planning. It introduces new models and tools being developed to understand and implement these technologies that enable cities to function more efficiently – to become ‘smart’ and ‘sustainable’. The smart city has quickly emerged as computers have become ever smaller to the point where they can be embedded into the very fabric of the city, as well as being central to new ways in which the population can communicate and act. When cities are wired in this way, they have the potential to become sentient and responsive, generating massive streams of ‘big’ data in real time as well as providing immense opportunities for extracting new forms of urban data through crowdsourcing. This book offers a comprehensive review of the methods that form the core of urban informatics from various kinds of urban remote sensing to new approaches to machine learning and statistical modelling. It provides a detailed technical introduction to the wide array of tools information scientists need to develop the key urban analytics that are fundamental to learning about the smart city, and it outlines ways in which these tools can be used to inform design and policy so that cities can become more efficient with a greater concern for environment and equity