An investigation into the use of haptic modelling during industrial design activity

Physical models continue to form an essential outcome from industrial design practice for both student and professional. Whist the professional may be removed from the “hands-on” model build by employing the services of a modelmaker, students rarely have such resources. Indeed it was (and in many institutions still is) considered an essential part of the education programme for students to develop modelmaking skills and experience the physical interaction with form and material. However, the advent of remote model building technologies via rapid prototyping and computer controlled machining, has given students an alternative, enabling them to become increasingly removed from such interaction. As increasing numbers of industrial design courses utilise remote model build technologies, the emergence of three dimensional (3D) digital modelling via a haptic feedback device may offer a route whereby students can continue to be involved with tactile design modelling. Acknowledging the need to utilise digital design techniques, this paper investigates the capabilities of haptic modelling for use within industrial design practice, with the aim of discussing its suitability for student use. The research is based on an industrial design case study for a communication device that was undertaken by the authors

Dean_et_al_JRSI_Cementum_Supplementary_figures_Titles_and_Legends.pdf from Incremental distribution of strontium and zinc in great ape and fossil hominin cementum using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence mapping

Cementum and the incremental markings it contains have been widely studied as a means of ageing animals and retrieving information about diet and nutrition. The distribution of trace elements in great ape and fossil hominin cementum has not been studied previously. Synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (SXRF) enables rapid scanning of large tissue areas with high resolution of elemental distributions. First, we used SXRF to map calcium, phosphorus, strontium and zinc distributions in great ape dentine and cementum. At higher resolution, we compared zinc and strontium distributions in cellular and acellular cementum in regions where clear incremental markings were expressed. We then mapped trace element distributions in fossil hominin dentine and cementum from the 1.55–1.65 million year old site of Koobi Fora, Kenya. Zinc, in particular, is a precise marker of cementum increments in great apes, and is retained in fossil hominin cementum, but does not correspond well with the more diffuse fluctuations observed in strontium distribution. Cementum is unusual among mineralized tissues in retaining so much zinc. This is known to reduce the acid solubility of hydroxyapatite and so may confer resistance to resorption by osteoclasts in the dynamic remodelling environment of the periodontal ligament and alveolar bone

Individual prenatal enamel growth parameters in the Velia series.

<p>The predicted values of pCFT from the new regression formula and the residuals from the direct count are also reported.</p

Scatterplot and regression line of the EDJ lengths against the pCFT in the Velia series.

<p>The 95% interval of the prediction (dotted lines) is shown together with the 95% confidence interval of the regression (dashed lines).</p

Map of the DSR values across the prenatal portion of the crown of the T.237 individual.

<p>(A) Histological section of the buccal aspect of the T.237 central incisor. (B) Topographic distribution of the DSR values on the prenatal portion of the buccal aspect of the same tooth.</p

Regression of the Velia cross-striations count against the prism length.

<p>The Birch and Dean [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0180104#pone.0180104.ref027" target="_blank">27</a>] regression for the central deciduous incisors is also shown.</p

Variation of the EER along the EDJ in the Velia series.

<p>(A) Scatterplot of the pCFT against EER. (B) Boxplot of the EER variation along the EDJ. The boxplot shows the median, the range (lower and upper whisker), the first quartile (lower hinge), and the third quartile (upper hinge).</p

Boxplot of the DSR variation along the EDJ in the Velia sample.

<p>The boxplot shows the median, the range (lower and upper whisker), the first quartile (lower hinge) and the third quartile (upper hinge).</p

Scatterplot comparing the individual pCFT from direct counts and from the new regression formula.

<p>The thresholds at 120 days are marked as green lines. Gray dots represent the individuals in which the diagnosis is discordant.</p

Histogram of the pCFT values in the Velia series.

<p>Histogram of the pCFT values in the Velia series.</p