Wearable and interactive mixed reality solutions for fault diagnosis and assistance in manufacturing systems: Implementation and testing in an aseptic bottling line

Abstract Thanks to the spread of technologies stemming from the fourth industrial revolution, also the topic of fault diagnosis and assistance in industrial contexts has benefited. Indeed, several smart tools were developed for assisting with maintenance and troubleshooting, without interfering with operations and facilitating tasks. In line with that, the present manuscript aims at presenting a web smart solution with two possible applications installed on an Android smartphone and Microsoft HoloLens. The solution aims at alerting the operators when an alarm occurs on a machine through notifications, and then at providing the instructions needed for solving the alarm detected. The two devices were tested by the operators of an industrial aseptic bottling line consisting of five machines in real working conditions. The usability of both devices was positively rated by these users based on the System Usability Scale (SUS) and additional appropriate statements. Moreover, the in situ application brought out the main difficulties and interesting issues for the practical implementation of the solutions tested

Fuzzy Cognitive Map-Based Knowledge Representation of Hazardous Industrial Operations

Hazardous industrial operations are highly stochastic, still human-dependent, and risky. Operators working in such an environment must understand the complex interrelation between several factors contributing to safe and effective operations. Therefore, being able to predict the effects of their actions on provoking or mitigating possible accidents is crucial. This study aims to utilize fuzzy cognitive maps (FCM) to model the expert’s reasoning about occupational health and safety (OHS) in confined space. This knowledge is used by operators to build their mental models. The developed FCM displays all the possible incidents of a confined space and links these incidents with all their causing and preventing factors. This approach may facilitate the development of simulation-based training solutions and allow operators to act proactively during the operation

DESIGN OF CRUCIAL ELEMENTS FOR INDUSTRIAL PLANTS, OFFSHORE PLATFORMS AND UNDERWATER FACILITIES

The paper proposes some specific models to be used in design of crucial elements for Industrial Plants that previously were not easy to be addressed by simulation due their functional complexity. As examples of these kinds of elements are proposed autonomous systems for fire fighting and/or emergencies for on-shore and off shore plants as well as equipment for underwater operations. The paper proposes use of MS2G Simulation Paradigm (Modeling, interoperable Simulation and Serious Games) as solution in these specific cases to test concepts and capabilities

In vitro mechanical stimulation to reproduce the pathological hallmarks of human cardiac fibrosis on a beating chip and predict the efficacy of drugs and advanced therapies

Cardiac fibrosis is one of the main causes of heart failure, significantly contributing to mortality. The discovery and development of effective therapies able to heal fibrotic pathological symptoms thus remain of paramount importance. Micro-physiological systems (MPS) are recently introduced as promising platforms able to accelerate this finding. Here a 3D in vitro model of human cardiac fibrosis, named uScar, is developed by imposing a cyclic mechanical stimulation to human atrial cardiac fibroblasts (AHCFs) cultured in a 3D beating heart-on-chip and exploited to screen drugs and advanced therapeutics. The sole provision of a cyclic 10% uniaxial strain at 1 Hz to the microtissues is sufficient to trigger fibrotic traits, inducing a consistent fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition and an enhanced expression and production of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. Standard of care anti-fibrotic drugs (i.e., Pirfenidone and Tranilast) are confirmed to be efficient in preventing the onset of fibrotic traits in uScar. Conversely, the mechanical stimulation applied to the microtissues limit the ability of a miRNA therapy to directly reprogram fibroblasts into cardiomyocytes (CMs), despite its proved efficacy in 2D models. Such results demonstrate the importance of incorporating in vivo-like stimulations to generate more representative 3D in vitro models able to predict the efficacy of therapies in patients

IMMERSIVE, INTEROPERABLE AND INTUITIVE MIXED REALITY FOR SERVICE IN INDUSTRIAL PLANTS

The authors propose an innovative Mixed Reality solution representing an immersive intuitive and interoperable environment to support service in industrial plants. These methodologies are related to concepts of Industry 4.0. Solutions based on a mix of VR and AR (Virtual and Augmented Reality ) with special attention to the maintenance of industrial machines; indeed the authors propose an overview of this approach and other synergistic techniques. Moreover, alternative instruments are presented and their specific advantages and disadvantages are described. Particularly, the approach is based on the SPIDER, an advanced interoperable interactive CAVE developed by the authors which supports cooperative work of several users involved in training, troubleshooting and supervision are proposed. Last but not least, an overview of projects using same techniques in other fields, such as construction, risk assessment, Virtual Prototyping and Simulation Based Design is presented

Lipoplexes for effective in vitro delivery of microRNAs to adult human cardiac fibroblasts for perspective direct cardiac cell reprogramming

Design of nanocarriers for efficient miRNA delivery can significantly improve miRNA-based therapies. Lipoplexes based on helper lipid, dioleoyl phosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) and cationic lipid [2-(2,3-didodecyloxypropyl)-hydroxyethyl] ammonium bromide (DE) were formulated to efficiently deliver miR-1 or a combination of four microRNAs (miRcombo) to adult human cardiac fibroblasts (AHCFs). Lipoplexes with amino-to-phosphate groups ratio of 3 (N/P 3) showed nanometric hydrodynamic size (372 nm), positive Z-potential (40 mV) and high stability under storage conditions. Compared to commercial Dharma FECT1 (DF), DE-DOPE/miRNA lipoplexes showed superior miRNA loading efficiency (99 % vs. 64 %), and faster miRNA release (99 % vs. 82 % at 48 h). DE-DOPE/miR-1 lipoplexes showed superior viability (80-100 % vs. 50 %) in AHCFs, a 2-fold higher miR-1 expression and Twinfilin-1 (TWF-1) mRNA down regulation. DE-DOPE/ miRcombo lipoplexes significantly enhanced AHCFs reprogramming into induced cardiomyocytes (iCMs), as shown by increased expression of CM markers compared to DF/miRcombo. (C) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc

A Shearless microfluidic device detects a role in mechanosensitivity for awcon neuron in Caenorhabditis elegans

AWC olfactory neurons are fundamental for chemotaxis toward volatile attractants in Caenorhabditis elegans. Here, it is shown that AWC(ON) responds not only to chemicals but also to mechanical stimuli caused by fluid flow changes in a microfluidic device. The dynamics of calcium events are correlated with the stimulus amplitude. It is further shown that the mechanosensitivity of AWC(ON) neurons has an intrinsic nature rather than a synaptic origin, and the calcium transient response is mediated by TAX-4 cGMP-gated cation channel, suggesting the involvement of one or more "odorant" receptors in AWC(ON) mechano-transduction. In many cases, the responses show plateau properties resembling bistable calcium dynamics where neurons can switch from one stable state to the other. To investigate the unprecedentedly observed mechanosensitivity of AWC(ON) neurons, a novel microfluidic device is designed to minimize the fluid shear flow in the arena hosting the nematodes. Animals in this device show reduced neuronal activation of AWC(ON) neurons. The results observed indicate that the tangential component of the mechanical stress is the main contributor to the mechanosensitivity of AWC(ON). Furthermore, the microfluidic platform, integrating shearless perfusion and calcium imaging, provides a novel and more controlled solution for in vivo analysis both in micro-organisms and cultured cells