Extended reality technologies in small and medium-sized European industrial companies: level of awareness, diffusion and enablers of adoption

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), collectively referred to as “extended reality” (XR), have begun to diffuse in industry. However, the current levels of awareness, perceived limitations, and use of AR and VR, as well as the potential differences on these aspects between these technologies are still not well known. Moreover, it is unknown whether small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) differ from large companies on these issues. This research employed a mixed methods research design to address this gap by carrying out a cross-sectional survey (n = 208) to gauge European industrial companies’ level of AR and VR awareness and adoption, and by interviewing 45 companies in nine European countries in order to identify critical enabling factors in the adoption of XR for SMEs. Results show no statistical difference between the respondents’ perceptions toward AR and VR or in their use levels. Thus, examining AR and VR under the umbrella term XR seems justified, especially in the context of their organizational use. However, larger companies were found to be using XR more than SMEs. Analysis of interviews based on the technology–organization–environment framework also yielded several enabling factors affecting XR adoption and specified whether they are particularly highlighted in the SME context. Overall, this paper contributes to XR research by providing a holistic multi-country overview that highlights key issues for managers aiming to invest in these technologies, as well as critical organizational perspectives to be considered by scholars

Design of a Virtual Reality-based Framework for Supporting the Work Reintegration of Wheelchair Users

Accidents at work often lead the involved people to severe impairments, which can seriously compromise their life and their work activities. Various studies have proven that, for disabled people, being employed contributes to a better quality of life, thus it is important to give them the opportunity to continue their profes-sional career. This paper presents a framework aimed at supporting the training and the work-reintegration of people that, after an accident, are forced to use a wheelchair. In the proposed work, the Virtual Reality is the leading technology for allowing the wheelchair users to be trained in simulated environments where, in safe conditions, they become aware of their capabilities, while facing different challenging situations. More-over, the behaviour of the users is tracked during the whole training session for monitoring, processing and assessing, through semantic models, their functional level and the jobs that are still suitable for them

Investigating Supply Chains Models and Enabling Technologies Towards Collaborative Networks

This research employs an extensive multiple case studies analysis to identify the most important business models affecting supply chain configurations and related enabling technologies towards the creation of collaborative networks. The results obtained from the investigation of 24 companies of manufacturing and process industry, informed by literature, identify four ‘design principles’ of business models, i.e. Personalized production, Servitization, Decentralized and modular production, and Recycle, Re-use and Sustainability. Each model is further described and discussed at the interplay between digitalization and collaborative network practices at supply chain level, showing that adopting one or a combination of the four design principles allows to actuate some of the most important features of collaboration like Vertical integration or networking of smart production systems, Horizontal integration through global value chain networks, Through-engineering across the entire value chain, Acceleration of manufacturing and Digitalization of products and services

Attivit\ue0 fisica adattata (APA) in anziani istituzionalizzati affetti da ritardo mentale: un possibile approccio con evidenza di efficacia

I benefici dell\u2019attivit\ue0 fisica sono notori ma l\u2019effettiva sistematica attuazione nella popolazione \ue8 la scommessa del futuro. E\u2019 necessario oggi verificare le metodologie e gli approcci per massimizzare l\u2019efficacia dei programmi di avvicinamento all\u2019attivit\ue0 fisica adattata mirati a segmenti particolari della popolazione con rilevanti comorbilit\ue0 e disabilit\ue0 relazionali. A tal fine lo scopo di questo studio \ue8 stato valutare alcuni indicatori funzionali per dimostrare l\u2019efficacia di un programma di APA (adapted physical activity) in gruppo di anziani disabili istituzionalizzati dell\u2019hinterland milanese nel migliorare la performance fisica, la massa muscolare e la mobilit\ue0 di alcuni distretti corporei. Vengono riportati i risultati di tre studi realizzati dal 2002 al 2011 nei quali sono stati reclutati complessivamente 58 soggetti disabili anziani affetti da ritardo mentale residenti presso la Fondazione Istituto Sacra Famiglia-ONLUS, omogenei per abitudini di vita. I soggetti reclutati sono stati sottoposti a diversi periodi di allenamento. Per ogni soggetto sono state misurate:la circonferenza brachiale, addominale, del quadricipite e del polpaccio; la mobilit\ue0 scapolo-omerale (test del bastone millimetrato, goniometro); e nell\u2019ultimo studio anche la forza dei flessori del braccio con dinamometro. Tutti gli anziani sono stati sottoposti inoltre a Walking Test (WT6\u2019) ed al Time Up and Go Test (TUG). Tutte le misure sono state eseguite garantendo il doppio cieco. I soggetti arruolati hanno svolto il programma motorio due/tre volte alla settimana per novanta/centoventi minuti. Per ciascun ospite \ue8 stata realizzata una scheda di lavoro personalizzata comprendente anche le indicazioni per l\u2019operatore. Per l\u2019analisi statistica \ue8 stato utilizzato il test T di Student. la compliance all\u2019APA \ue8 stata elevata, mai nessun soggetto \ue8 stato assente per tre volte consecutive. Tra i soggetti reclutati non si sono verificati decessi, cadute o eventi condizionanti ricoveri o giorni di immobilizzazione. I drop out sono stati determinati da motivi indipendenti dall\u2019attivit\ue0. Tutti i parametri sottoposti ad analisi hanno evidenziato una differenza statisticamente significativa tra il t0 e il t1 (p<0,05), con un miglioramento di tutti i parametri misurati. Questi studi evidenziano che l\u2019esercizio fisico continuativo risulta essere efficace nel migliorare i parametri di performance fisica dei partecipanti anche ma anche di essere un elemento fondamentale per garantire benessere psico-fisico all\u2019anziano istituzionalizzato. L\u2019APA pu\uf2 quindi essere adottata per soggetti anziani con disabilit\ue0 intellettivo-relazionale anche nelle residenze protette adattando il setting alla struttura

Qualidade de vida de vítimas de trauma seis meses após a alta hospitalar

OBJECTIVE: Trauma is the third most important cause of death in Brazil. However, its impact on survivors' quality of life has been scarcely studied in this country. This study aimed to assess trauma victims' quality of life, cared for in an emergency hospital unit, six months after discharge. METHODS: A total of 35 patients from the emergency unit of a university hospital in the city of Ribeirão Preto, Southeastern Brazil, were included in this study, between 2005 and 2006. Patients were interviewed in their homes, six months after hospital discharge. The short version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) instrument was applied to assess the physical, psychological, social relationships, and environmental domains. Associations between domain scores and hospital stay, age, sex and Injury Severity Score variables were analyzed with linear regression models. RESULTS: Significant reduction in quality of life was found in the group studied, when compared to samples of normal people in national and international studies, especially as regards the physical, psychological, and environmental domains. The social relationships domain revealed the highest mean scores, with 69.7 points, whereas the environmental domain received the lowest score (52.4 points), both on the percentage scale. Variables associated with the physical domain were hospital stay (p=0.02), age (pOBJETIVO: El trauma ocupa el tercer lugar entre las causas de muerte en Brasil. Sin embargo, su impacto en la calidad de vida de los sobrevivientes ha sido poco estudiado en el país. El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar la calidad de vida de víctimas de trauma atendidas en unidad hospitalaria de emergencia, seis meses después del alta hospitalaria. MÉTODOS: Fueron incluidos 35 pacientes de unidad de emergencia de hospital universitario de Ribeirao Preto (Sureste de Brasil), entre 2005 y 2006. Los pacientes fueron entrevistados en sus domicilios, seis meses después de haber recibido el alta hospitalaria. Fue aplicado el instrumento "World Health Organization Quality of Life", versión corta, para evaluación de los dominios físico, psicológico, relaciones sociales y medio ambiente. Las asociaciones entre los escores de los dominios y las variables permanencia hospitalaria, edad, sexo y "Injury Severity Store" fueron exploradas por modelo de regresión lineal. RESULTADOS: Se observó disminución significativa en la calidad de vida del grupo estudiado, cuando se compara con muestras de personas normales en estudios nacionales e internacionales, en particular en los dominios físico, psicológico y de medio ambiente. El dominio relaciones sociales presentó el mayor promedio de escores, con 69,7 puntos, mientras que el dominio medio ambiente recibió la menor puntuación (52,4), ambos en la escala de porcentaje. Las variables asociadas a dominio físico fueron permanencia hospitalaria (p=0,02), edad (pOBJETIVO: O trauma ocupa o terceiro lugar dentre as causas de morte no Brasil. Contudo, seu impacto na qualidade de vida dos sobreviventes tem sido pouco estudado no País. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar a qualidade de vida de vítimas de trauma atendidas em unidade hospitalar de emergências, seis meses após a alta hospitalar. MÉTODOS: Foram incluídos 35 pacientes de unidade de emergência de hospital universitário de Ribeirão Preto (SP), entre 2005 e 2006. Os pacientes foram entrevistados em seus domicílios, seis meses após terem tido alta hospitalar. Foi aplicado o instrumento World Health Organization Quality of Life, versão breve, para avaliação dos domínios físico, psicológico, relações sociais e meio ambiente. As associações entre os escores dos domínios e as variáveis permanência hospitalar, idade, sexo e Injury Severity Score foram exploradas por modelos de regressão linear. RESULTADOS: Observou-se diminuição significativa na qualidade de vida do grupo estudado, quando comparado a amostras de pessoas normais em estudos nacionais e internacionais, em particular nos domínios físico, psicológico e de meio ambiente. O domínio relações sociais apresentou a maior média de escores, com 69,7 pontos, enquanto o domínio meio ambiente recebeu a menor pontuação (52,4), ambos na escala percentual. As variáveis associadas a domínio físico foram permanência hospitalar (p=0,02), idade (

Proposing a Tool for Supply Chain Configuration: An Application to Customised Production

The full implementation of collaborative production networks is crucial for companies willing to respond to consumer demand strongly focused on product customisation. This chapter proposes an approach to evaluate the performance of different Supply Chain (SC) configurations in a customised production context. The model is based on discrete-event simulation and is applied to the case of supply chain in the fashion sector to support the comparison between mass and customised production. A prototype web-based interface is also developed and proposed to facilitate the use of the model not only for experts in simulation but for any user in the SC management field