Modelling process knowledge in architectural design: A case-based approach

The paper presents on-going research aimed at the understanding and support of process knowledge in architectural design, from early and not sufficiently defined, to satisfactorily-defined phases. Today, technical, planning, management and environmental issues have created a scenario of such complexity that traditionally efficient control tools (e.g. technical manuals) are inadequate and there is a demand for new, integrated instruments to handle the decision process underlying architectural design. We assume design as a recursive and incrementally specified intentional planning activity, involving goals, constraints and their relationships. The essence of architectural design is thus encapsulated in the continual recursive transformation of the initial model, in order to map the desired state onto the enacted one. On the basis of this concept of design we describe the model of an environment aimed at progressively representing the enlarging space of acquired knowledge, and at supporting the designer's central role in the management of complexity

Integrated Collaborative Governance Approaches towards Urban Transformation: Experiences from the CLEVER Cities Project

Within the framework of CLEVER Cities Horizon 2020, London, Milan, and Hamburg are putting in place nine Urban Living Labs in order to implement Nature-based Solutions that address urban challenges in socially disadvantaged neighborhoods. In this article, the means by which co-creation processes and pathways may lead to innovation in governance structures are considered. Through a comparative case study analysis, this research aims to identify integrated, collaborative governance frameworks that are complex and adaptive, as well as reflect the actual changes in governance in cities. Herein, ULLs are intended not just as a vehicle for place-based urban regeneration but also as a starting point for collaborative governance. In this article, it is considered how co-creation pathways may lead to innovation in current local governance structures and achieve transformational change. This paper analyzes the collaborative governance dynamic models at three points in time in the three cities. It is also considered how co-creation pathways may lead to innovation in current local governance structures and achieve transformational change

Some meristic characteristics of hybrids between Acipenser naccarii and Acipenser baerii

The aim of this study was to describe meristic characters of hybrid Acipenser naccarii x A. baeri, to be used as the basis for characterizing hybrid specimens in a complementary manner to as described for A. naccarii by Hernando et al. (1999). Thirty 2+ and 3+ year class individuals from the Region of Lombardy (Italy) were analysed for eight morphological variables (Soljan 1975; Holcick et al. 1989), and weight. Three indices, viz the relative position of barbels (CA), the ratio of snout width to length (FB) (Garrido-Ramos et al. 1997), and the Soljan index (Hernando et al. 1999), were used to characterize hybrids. A descriptive analyses of variables, simple and multiple regression analysis, and principal components relationships, were calculated. The relationships between TI and the indices was described using a stepwise multiple regression analysis: TI = 33.32 - 0.26 CA + 10.49 FB + 74.45 SOLJ (F = 1.96; Df = 3 )

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

Kinematics of aimed movements in ecological immersive virtual reality: a comparative study with real world

Virtual reality (VR) has recently emerged as a promising technology to rehabilitate upper limb functions after stroke. To promote the recovery of functions, retraining physiological movement patterns is essential. However, it is still unclear whether VR can elicit functional movements that are similar to those performed in the real world (RW). This study aimed to investigate the kinematics of reach-to-grasp and transport movements performed in the real world and immersive VR by examining whether kinematic differences between the two conditions exist and their extent. A within-subject repeated-measures study was conducted. A realistic setup resembling a supermarket shelf unit was built in RW and VR. The analysis compared reaching and transport gestures in VR and RW, also considering potential differences due to: (i) holding the controller needed to interact with virtual items, (ii) hand dominance, and (iii) target positions. Ten healthy young adults were enrolled in the study. Motion data analysis showed that reach-to-grasp and transport required more time in VR, and that holding the controller had no effects. No major differences occurred between the two hands. Joint angles, except for thorax rotation, and hand trajectory curvature were comparable across conditions, suggesting that VR has the potentialities to retrain physiological movement patterns. Results were satisfying, though they did not demonstrate the superiority of ecological environments in eliciting natural gestures. Further studies should determine the extent of kinematic similarity required to obtain functional gains in VR-based upper limb rehabilitation

An Ontology-Based Framework for a Telehealthcare System to Foster Healthy Nutrition and Active Lifestyle in Older Adults

In recent years, telehealthcare systems (TSs) have become more and more widespread, as they can contribute to promoting the continuity of care and managing chronic conditions efficiently. Most TSs and nutrition recommendation systems require much information to return appropriate suggestions. This work proposes an ontology-based TS, namely HeNuALs, aimed at fostering a healthy diet and an active lifestyle in older adults with chronic pathologies. The system is built on the formalization of users' health conditions, which can be obtained by leveraging existing standards. This allows for modeling different pathologies via reusable knowledge, thus limiting the amount of information needed to retrieve nutritional indications from the system. HeNuALs is composed of (1) an ontological layer that stores patients and their data, food and its characteristics, and physical activity-related data, enabling the inference a series of suggestions based on the effects of foods and exercises on specific health conditions; (2) two applications that allow both the patient and the clinicians to access the data (with different permissions) stored in the ontological layer; and (3) a series of wearable sensors that can be used to monitor physical exercise (provided by the patient application) and to ensure patients' safety. HeNuALs inferences have been validated considering two different use cases. The system revealed the ability to determine suggestions for healthy, adequate, or unhealthy dishes for a patient with respiratory disease and for a patient with diabetes mellitus. Future work foresees the extension of the HeNuALs knowledge base by exploiting automatic knowledge retrieval approaches and validation of the whole system with target users

Semantic and Virtual Reality-Enhanced Configuration of Domestic Environments: The Smart Home Simulator

This paper introduces the Smart Home Simulator, one of the main outcomes of the D4All project. This application takes into account the variety of issues involved in the development of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) solutions, such as the peculiarity of each end-users, appliances, and technologies with their deployment and data-sharing issues. The Smart Home Simulator - a mixed reality application able to support the configuration and customization of domestic environments in AAL systems - leverages on integration capabilities of Semantic Web technologies and the possibility to model relevant knowledge (about both the dwellers and the domestic environment) into formal models. It also exploits Virtual Reality technologies as an efficient means to simplify the configuration of customized AAL environments. The application and the underlying framework will be validated through two different use cases, each one foreseeing the customized configuration of a domestic environment for specific segments of users

Design methodology of an active back-support exoskeleton with adaptable backbone-based kinematics

Abstract Manual labor is still strongly present in many industrial contexts (such as aerospace industry). Such operations commonly involve onerous tasks requiring to work in non-ergonomic conditions and to manipulate heavy parts. As a result, work-related musculoskeletal disorders are a major problem to tackle in workplace. In particular, back is one of the most affected regions. To solve such issue, many efforts have been made in the design and control of exoskeleton devices, relieving the human from the task load. Besides upper limbs and lower limbs exoskeletons, back-support exoskeletons have been also investigated, proposing both passive and active solutions. While passive solutions cannot empower the human's capabilities, common active devices are rigid, without the possibility to track the human's spine kinematics while executing the task. The here proposed paper describes a methodology to design an active back-support exoskeleton with backbone-based kinematics. On the basis of the (easily implementable) scissor hinge mechanism, a one-degree of freedom device has been designed. In particular, the resulting device allows tracking the motion of a reference vertebra, i.e., the vertebrae in the correspondence of the connection between the scissor hinge mechanism and the back of the operator. Therefore, the proposed device is capable to adapt to the human posture, guaranteeing the support while relieving the person from the task load. In addition, the proposed mechanism can be easily optimized and realized for different subjects, involving a subject-based design procedure, making possible to adapt its kinematics to track the spine motion of the specific user. A prototype of the proposed device has been 3D-printed to show the achieved kinematics. Preliminary tests for discomfort evaluation show the potential of the proposed methodology, foreseeing extensive subjects-based optimization, realization and testing of the device

Making cities circular: Experiences from the living lab Hamburg-Altona

The article argues that to reach circular economy goals urban regions need to identify and understand the challenges and opportunities originating from the differences in spatial settings, and to develop place-based solutions by adequately involving (local) stakeholders. Based on the case study that was conducted in Hamburg within the Horizon2020 project REPAiR, spatial specificities in five different urban areas shall be analysed and strategies that were developed in a co-creative process shall be explored. The results show that the spatial organisation of CE strategies depends on urban structures and stakeholders’ interest and needs to be embedded in the (local) governance setting and a spatial planning system