Designing game logics for dynamic Active Surfaces

This paper describes the development of a modular system of interactive tiles to support therapists’ in performing therapeutic activities together with impaired children in a swimming pool. Active Surfaces support mobile interactions and dynamic configuration of assemblies of tiles. Each tile represents an interactive unit, able to communicate with other tiles and to exchange data. The tiles can be assembled on a physical and logical service level to support activities of different complexity. This creates technical challenges where assemblies are re-created over time between devices with limited input and output capabilities. Furthermore, Active Surfaces challenge the concept of understandability and how users can make sense of assembled systems with no or limited output capabilities

Retracted Article: (A Service-Based Perspective on Neonatal Critical Care)

Paper withdrawn at the authors'' reques

Expressiveness in human-robot interaction

This article presents the design of Iromec, a modular robot companion tailored towards engaging in social exchanges with children with different disabilities with the aim to empower them to discover a wide rage of play styles from solitary to social and cooperative play. In particular this paper focuses on expressiveness as a fundamental feature of the robot for engaging in meaningful interaction with different typologies of disable children - Autistic children, Moderate Mentally Retarded children and Severe Motor Impaired children. Modularity and configurability of expressive traits contribute to the flexibility of the system in creating rewarding games that can be easily understood by the child and can promote fun and learning. Other key features of the system are the combination of autonomous and user-controlled behaviour and a strong emphasis on identity and expressiveness that can be dynamically adapted during play. A main contribution of this work is that the robot’s expressiveness is achieved through different channels (facial expression, gesture, pose, body language -appearance, shape, movement-) and realised through the use of both digital and mechanical components but also of smart materials and textiles

technologies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Abstract — This paper presents some early design work of an innovative concept of an incubator, carried out under the European project Palcom. Gaining a comprehensive understanding of user requirements in care settings poses interesting methodological challenges. This paper details some methodological options for developing technologies which allow end-user composition and re-configurability, and documents how fieldwork has been translated into design solutions. In particular we describe the notion of technological assemblies interpreted as the combination of services and devices, which the users can dynamically configure to support their needs. We report on the importance of flexibility and control in the use of such technological assemblies in a neonatal ward and present an early prototype of incubator designed to be sensitive to the particular requirements of the setting

Assemblies of Heterogeneous Technologies at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Ambient Intelligence, pervasive and unobtrusive computing research is introducing new perspectives in a wide range of applications. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit represents a complex and multi-output context aimed at monitoring and controlling biological signals and parameters in premature newborn. This paper details some methodological and design options for developing technologies that allow end-user composition and control. These options enhance consistent user experiences in environments where different devices, services and processes co-exist. In particular we describe the notion of assemblies of monitoring devices, interpreted as the combination of sensors, tools and services in a distributed and unobtrusive computational and monitoring environment. We report on the importance of flexibility and usercontrol in the use of such technological assemblies in a neonatal intensive care unit, describing an early prototype of such monitoring system

The occurrence of phenyl propanoid glycosides in endemic Teucrium species

The phenyl propanoid fraction of Teucrium suhspinosion Pourrette ex Willd. (Lamiaceae) from Baleari Island, was examined together with the same fraction of T. subspinosum from Sardinia. In T. subspinosum, besides verbascoside as main component, a new phenyl-propanoid-glycoside was isolated and identified by H-1- and C-13-NMR spectra analysis. Comparison with molecular composition of T. marum confirmed the differences between these species and evidenced their endemic character

Il senso dello sport. Valori, agonismo, inclusione

Lo sport rappresenta un potente veicolo formativo, capace di incidere sugli stili di vita e sulle modalità di pensiero delle persone. Affinché la lezione dello sport sia realmente positiva, è però necessario che tale ruolo educativo sia riconosciuto e incoraggiato. Se ciò non avviene, la pratica sportiva continua a veicolare valori, ma corre il serio rischio di favorire il diffondersi di quelli negativi. Vincere diventa così l'unica cosa che conta e questo apre la strada a tutta una serie di pratiche e comportamenti palesemente antisportivi, doping in primis. Il volume, dedicato al rapporto tra sport, valori e inclusione sociale, vuole contribuire alla promozione di una rinnovata cultura sportiva. A tal fine si propone di mettere al servizio di associazioni, scuole e istituzioni sportive le competenze necessarie a fare della pratica sportiva una reale occasione di crescita umana e civile