Haptic beats : designing for rich haptic interaction in a music controller

This paper describes the design of Haptic Beats, a tangible interface that addresses two functionalities in music control: volume change and affective shuffle through playlists and songs. Through reflections on the iterative design process we discuss how to design for rich haptic interaction. By layering different types of haptic feed forward modules, we developed an interface with rich haptic interaction. Haptic Beats enables users to fully attune to a continuous loop of action and feed forward, triggering them to use cognitive, emotional as well as perceptual-motor skills by addressing their tactile sense. The prototype demonstrates how haptics could enrich future products and support aesthetic interaction

Compact to extended Lyman-α\alpha emitters in MAGPI: strong blue peak emission at z≳3z\gtrsim3

We report the discovery of three double-peaked Lyman-$\alpha$ emitters (LAEs) exhibiting strong blue peak emission at 2.9 $\lesssim z \lesssim$ 4.8, in the VLT/MUSE data obtained as part of the Middle Ages Galaxy Properties with Integral Field Spectroscopy (MAGPI) survey. These strong blue peak systems provide a unique window into the scattering of Lyman-$\alpha$ photons by neutral hydrogen (HI), suggesting gas inflows along the line-of-sight and low HI column density. Two of them at $z=2.9$ and $z=3.6$ are spatially extended halos with their core regions clearly exhibiting stronger blue peak emissions than the red peak. However, spatial variations in the peak ratio and peak separation are evident over $25\times 26$ kpc ($z=2.9$) and $19\times28$ kpc ($z=3.6$) regions in these extended halos. Notably, these systems do not fall in the regime of Lyman-$\alpha$ blobs or nebulae. To the best of our knowledge, such a Lyman-$\alpha$ halo with a dominant blue core has not been observed previously. In contrast, the LAE at $z\sim4.8$ is a compact system spanning a $9\times9$ kpc region and stands as the highest-redshift strong blue peak emitter ever detected. The peak separation of the bright cores in these three systems ranges from $\Delta_{\mathrm{peak}}\sim370$ to $660$ km/s. The observed overall trend of decreasing peak separation with increasing radius is supposed to be controlled by HI column density and gas covering fraction. Based on various estimations, in contrast to the compact LAE, our halos are found to be good candidates for LyC leakers. These findings shed light on the complex interplay between Lyman-$\alpha$ emission, gas kinematics, and ionising radiation properties, offering valuable insights into the evolution and nature of high-redshift galaxies.Comment: 2 Figures, 1 Table, accepted for A&A Letter

SpectroFlexia : interactive stained glass as a flexible peripheral information display

In this paper we present SpectroFlexia, a form of interactive stained glass that is designed to present information in the periphery of people's attention. SpectroFlexia is developed in an iterative design process which revealed a low-cost method of smoothly changing the color of light shining through translucent materials. Using this method, SpectroFlexia can display several types of digital information through the speed at which its colors change. In addition to providing peripheral information, SpectroFlexia is designed to serve a decorative function. An informal user exploration with an interactive prototype of SpectroFlexia indicated that smooth color transitions are a promising way of presenting peripheral information

Axioms for building and repairing durable concrete structures

The durability of concrete structures can be defined as their ability to sustain the serviceability for which they were designed. Today's practicing engineer therefore, pays particular attention to the types of deterioration that could threaten preserving the designed function of a structure. The complexities involved in current designs, the proliferation of new materials and services and hygienic requirements however, make the design engineer's job demanding.La durabilit\ue9 des structures en b\ue9ton peut \ueatre d\ue9finie comme la capacit\ue9 de ces ouvrages \ue0 maintenir l'aptitude au service pour laquelle ils ont \ue9t\ue9 con\ue7us. Aujourd'hui, les ing\ue9nieurs praticiens accordent donc une grande attention aux m\ue9canismes de d\ue9t\ue9rioration qui pourraient menacer le maintien des fonctions th\ue9oriques des ouvrages. La complexit\ue9 des conceptions actuelles, la prolif\ue9ration de nouveaux mat\ue9riaux et services et les exigences sanitaires rendent toutefois le travail de l'ing\ue9nieur-concepteur particuli\ue8rement exigeant.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye

Compatibility of repair systems for concrete structures

Peer reviewed: NoNRC publication: Ye

Curling of concrete floor slabs on grade - causes and repairs

Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye