Beyond the switch: explicit and implicit interaction with light

The commercial introduction of connected lighting that can be integrated with sensors and other devices is opening up new possibilities in creating responsive and intelligent environments. The role of lighting in such systems goes beyond simply functional illumination. In part due to the large and established lighting network, and with the advent of the LED, new types of lighting output are now possible. However, the current approach for controlling such systems is to simply replace the light switch with a somewhat more sophisticated smartphone-based remote control. The focus of this workshop is to explore new ways of interacting with light where lighting can not only be switched on or off, but is an intelligent system embedded in the environment capable of creating a variety of effects. The connectivity between multiple systems and other ecosystems, for example when transitioning from your home, to your car and to your office, will also be explored during this workshop as a part of a connected lifestyle between different contexts. Keywords: connected lighting; lighting control; user experienc

The Effect of School Funding on Standardized Test Scores

Most schools in America use standardized tests to determine how students do on average based on their peers and what they have been studying on school. These scores can also reflect a students comprehension on the material taught in class. The quality of the education provided can also be a factor that greatly influences a students’ performance on these standardized tests. The funding of a school is a major factor that influences the quality of education a school is able to provide. As a group, we analyzed data sets that analyzed the funding and standardized test scores of different schools in Illinois. In doing so, a better understanding between a school’s financial status and their standardized test scores was found, and this knowledge can be applied in future considerations about funding to improve the overall quality of education in schools in America

Interaction between nearby strangers: serendipity and playfulness

“Nearby strangers” provides an interestingly paradoxical space for interaction design. There are various social norms, cultural practices, and privacy concerns hindering interaction with nearby strangers, but by ignoring them, people constantly miss social opportunities. Technology enabling ad-hoc interactions between co-located people has been explored for years in research but real-life applications are still rare. The potential focus areas include increasing awareness of social possibilities; light-weight playful interactions, play and gaming; serendipitous and ad hoc social interaction; anonymous exchange of content; matching interests for various purposes; icebreakers and provocation to interact, and ambient representation of the nearby strangers. This workshop convenes researchers and practitioners to gather and advance the state of research on interactions between nearby strangers. We aim to explore this design space and collaboratively identify new research and design opportunities that novel communication technology creates

Процессы структурообразования и свойства бетонов на органогидравлических вяжущих

The article addresses the issues of structure formation of road composite materials containing hydraulic (рortland cement) and organic (bitumen) binders. It has been determined that organic and hydraulic binders, being thermodynamically incompatible, are capable of interaction and complement each other. Structure formation processes are associated with interphase transition layers interaction mechanism and the direct formation of phase contacts with cement crystallohydrates. The interphase boundary is diffuse and is established through interphase transition layers. The emergence of interfacial layers is thermodynamically advantageous, since it contributes to a decrease in Gibbs free energy and does not contradict modern concepts of solid state physics. It was established that with cement content of about 30 % of complex bitumen-cement binder volume, there will appear (nucleate) phase contacts that will prevail in the binder structure when the cement content is more than 60 %. In the case phase contacts prevail, concrete will demonstrate significant strength at high temperatures, but low temperature and fatigue crack resistance, which will lead to their durability loss. The cement content of 30–40 % of the total complex binder can be considered optimal

Thermodynamic Approaches in Assessing Quality, Efficiency and Environmental Friendliness of Asphalt Concrete

The experience of developed countries shows that the development of the road network and transport infrastructure determines the intensity of economic ties and is one of the most important conditions for the development of the state’s economy. Optimization of the composition and production technology of asphalt concrete mixture – the basis of paved roads, is of great importance, both from an economic and environmental point of view. The production of asphalt concrete mixture directly (during the production process at asphalt concrete plants) and indirectly (during delivery from the plant to the place of installation) determines the energy costs for the production of asphalt concrete. At asphalt-concrete plants the specific energy consumption per ton of hot asphalt concrete mixture varies from 0.3 to 0.7 GJ. The range in energy costs is large. This situation indicates the presence of a significant energy-saving potential of asphalt concrete mixture thermal technology. The exergy analysis of technical systems proposed in this paper, which are operated in the asphalt concrete mixture production processes, makes it possible to judge the efficiency of energy use in their thermal units. This approach is expedient not only in the primary production of asphalt concrete mixture, but also for more environmentally friendly, energy- and resourcesaving production processes for the operation of equipment during the regeneration of road asphalt concrete

Emotional Durability Design Nine—A Tool for Product Longevity

This is the final version. Available from MDPI via the DOI in this record.How can we develop products that consumers want to use for longer? The lifetime of electrical products is an ongoing concern in discussions about the circular economy. It is an issue that begins at an industry level, but that directly influences the way in which consumers use and discard products. Through a series of workshops and knowledge exchange sessions with Philips Lighting, this paper identifies which design factors influence a consumer’s tendency to retain their products for longer. These were distilled into a guiding framework for new product developers—The Emotional Durability Design Nine—consisting of nine themes: relationships, narratives, identity, imagination, conversations, consciousness, integrity, materiality, and evolvability. These nine themes are complemented by 38 strategies that help in the development of more emotionally engaging product experiences. We propose that the framework can be applied at multiple points during the new product development process to increase the likelihood that ‘emotion building’ features are integrated into an end product.Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Collaborative Doctoral Awar

Термодинамические подходы при оценке качества, эффективности и экологичности асфальтобетона

The experience of developed countries shows that the development of the road network and transport infrastructure determines the intensity of economic ties and is one of the most important conditions for the development of the state’s economy. Optimization of the composition and production technology of asphalt concrete mixture – the basis of paved roads, is of great importance, both from an economic and environmental point of view. The production of asphalt concrete mixture directly (during the production process at asphalt concrete plants) and indirectly (during delivery from the plant to the place of installation) determines the energy costs for the production of asphalt concrete. At asphalt-concrete plants the specific energy consumption per ton of hot asphalt concrete mixture varies from 0.3 to 0.7 GJ. The range in energy costs is large. This situation indicates the presence of a significant energy-saving potential of asphalt concrete mixture thermal technology. The exergy analysis of technical systems proposed in this paper, which are operated in the asphalt concrete mixture production processes, makes it possible to judge the efficiency of energy use in their thermal units. This approach is expedient not only in the primary production of asphalt concrete mixture, but also for more environmentally friendly, energy- and resource-saving production processes for the operation of equipment during the regeneration of road asphalt concrete.Опыт передовых стран показывает, что состояние дорожной сети и транспортной инфраструктуры определяет интенсивность экономических связей и является одним из важнейших условий развития экономики государства. Оптимизация состава и технологии производства асфальтобетонной смеси – основы дорог с твердым покрытием имеет большое значение как с экономической, так и с экологической точки зрения. Затраты энергии на создание асфальтобетона включают непосредственные (получение смеси на асфальтобетонных заводах) и косвенные (доставка с завода на место укладки) затраты. На асфальтобетонных заводах удельные затраты энергии на тонну горячей асфальтобетонной смеси изменяются от 0,3 до 0,7 ГДж, т. е. в широком диапазоне. Данная ситуация указывает на наличие значительного энергосберегающего потенциала теплотехнологии производства асфальтобетонной смеси. В статье предложен эксергетический анализ технических систем, эксплуатируемых в процессах производства асфальтобетонной смеси, который позволяет судить об эффективности использования энергии в их тепловых агрегатах. Данный подход целесообразен не только в первичном производстве асфальтобетонной смеси, но и в экологически более чистых, энерго- и ресурсосберегающих производственных процессах, например в работе оборудования при регенерации дорожных асфальтобетонных покрытий.

ФУНКЦИОНИРОВАНИЕ ЗОНЫ РАЗВИТИЯ НОВЫХ И ВЫСОКИХ ТЕХНОЛОГИЙ «КИТАЙСКО-СИНГАПУРСКИЙ ИНДУСТРИАЛЬНЫЙ ПАРК «СУЧЖОУ»

Systematic work of the higher authorities of China on achievement and implementation of generally valid aims in the field of science and technology allowed the People’s Republic of China to reach intense innovative advancement of its conomy. New and High-Tech Development Zones form the basis of the national innovative infrastructure in China, the most successful of which is China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park (hereinafter – the Park). The Park can be characterized as a flagship project of cooperation between the governments of China and Singapore, pilot zone of reforms and innovations, successful model of international cooperation. The aim of the foundation and development of the Park is creation of innovative world class productions and setting up new international district with modern information and technology infrastructure and environmentally-friendly neighborhood. The article presents the process of formation of the Park’s management system and its interaction with the public authorities as well as the main principles of its organizational structure. Current social-economic development results and advancement of favorable conditions for investors are analyzed. Special emphasis is given to the concept of development of the industrial ecology observed by the Park’s management. The examples of intensive growth of infrastructure are given: creation of demonstration zones and experimental areas, building of social facilities. The emphasis is given to the constant development of the Park’s human resources. The project represents a new model of international economic and technical cooperation of China with other nations. Системная работа высших руководящих органов Китая по достижению и реализации общезначимых целей в научно-технической сфере позволила Китайской Народной Республике достичь интенсивного инновационного совершенствования экономики. Основу национальной инновационной инфраструктуры в Китае составляют Зоны развития новых и высоких технологий, наиболее успешной из которых – «Китайско-Сингапурский индустриальный парк «Сучжоу». Парк можно охарактеризовать как флагманский проект сотрудничества между правительствами Китая и Сингапура, пилотной зоной реформ и инноваций, успешной моделью международного сотрудничества. Цель основания и развития Парка – создание производства инновационной продукции на уровне мировых стандартов и строительство нового интернационального района с современной информационно-технологической инфраструктурой и экологически чистой территорией. В статье рассмотрен процесс формирования системы управления Парком и взаимодействия органов власти с администрацией Парка, а также основные принципы его организационной структуры. Проанализированы достигнутые показатели социально-экономического развития и совершенствование льготных условий для инвесторов. Особое внимание уделено концепции развития промышленной экологии, которой следует руководство Парка. Приведены примеры интенсивного развития инфраструктуры: создание демонстрационных зон и экспериментальных участков, строительство социальных объектов. Особо сделан акцент на постоянном совершенствовании кадрового обеспечения деятельности Парка. Проект представляет собой новую модель международного экономического и технического сотрудничества Китая с другими странами.

Ресайклинг материалов дорожных одежд: аналитический обзор

The paper presents an analytical review of materials recycling for pavement dressing. Recycling or repeated usage of pavement dressing materials while making reconstruction and repair of road pavements is not considered as a new conception and it has been realized in various countries of the world since 20th century. Recycling (hot, cold) is based on methods of its execution, properties of pavement dressing materials which are subjected to processing and which influence on the quality of final material, technical and operational indices, specific economic efficiency. Investigations on the processes of structure formation, thermo-physical properties in components based on granulates of transformed pavement dressings during recycling demonstrate that regeneration makes it possible to attain 100 % recovery of material properties for road pavement base. The paper describes other factors which represent a complex of challenges concerning exterior and internal problems. These problems have arisen due to actual processes of heat and mass transfer in one layer, multi-layer systems of pavement dressings. At known coefficients of heat conductivity, steam- and mass permeability, diffusion, filtration, temperature conductivity, density of material layers etc. initial and boundary conditions it is possible to carry out optimization of heat- and mass transfer problems from bottom surface of road layer to its base (sand, bulk materials, ground). In addition to it, while taking into account development of scientific prospective direction that concerns nano-technology and creation of nano-materials for higher reliability of road dressings it is necessary to consider nanomaterial science in road-construction industry as the most actual one because when we study problems pertaining to fractional composition of all road dressing components including transfer to nanomaterials, for example, application of modified water-reducing agent based on nanostructured carbon it is possible significantly to increase physical and technological properties of asphalt concrete and concrete road dressings. The paper reveals that it is necessary to continue and expand study of physical and technical and thermophysical properties of new materials on the basis of nano-technologies with application of modified, nanostructured carbon-based plasticizer for construction-road industry because especially these additives significantly increase cement activity that leads to improvement of strength, reliability and longevity for the obtained materials.Рассмотрен анализ ресайклинга материалов дорожных одежд. Переработка или многократное использование материалов одежд при реконструкции и ремонте дорожных покрытий не является новой концепцией и реализуется в разных странах мира с начала ХХ в. Ресайклинг (горячий, холодный) основан на способах его реализации, свойствах материалов дорожных одежд, подлежащих переработке, от которых зависят качество конечного материала, технико-эксплуатационные показатели, удельная экономическая эффективность. Исследования процессов структурообразования, теплофизических свойств компонентов на основе гранулятов трансформируемых дорожных покрытий в процессе ресайклинга показывают, что при регенерации добиваются полного восстановления свойств материалов для устройства оснований дорожных покрытий. В статье описываются другие факторы, которые представляют комплексы вопросов, относящиеся к «внешней» и «внутренней» задачам. Эти задачи обусловлены реальными процессами тепло- и массопереноса в одно- и многослойных системах дорожных одеждах. При известных коэффициентах теплопроводности, паро- и массопроницаемости, диффузии, фильтрации, температуропроводности, плотности материалов слоев и т.д., начальных и граничных условиях возможна оптимизация проблем теплои массопереноса от «нижней» поверхности слоя дороги к ее основанию (песок, сыпучие материалы, грунты). Кроме того, с учетом развития научно-перспективного направления, связанного с разработкой нанотехнологий и созданием наноматериалов для повышения надежности дорожных одежд, необходимо рассматривать наноматериаловедение в строительно-дорожной отрасли как наиболее актуальное, так как, изучая вопросы фракционного состава всех компонентов, составляющих дорожную одежду, включая переход к наноматериалам, например применение модифицированной пластифицирующей добавки на основе наноструктурированного углерода, можно значительно повысить физико-технологические и теплофизические свойства асфальтобетонных и бетонных цементных дорожных одежд. В статье показано, что необходимо продолжить и расширить изучение физико-технических и теплофизических свойств новых материалов на основе нанотехнологий с применением модифицируемой, пластифицирующей добавки на основе наноструктурированного углерода для строительно-дорожной отрасли, так как именно эти добавки значительно увеличивают активность цемента, что приводит к повышению прочности, надежности и долговечности полученных материалов