Shopping centres revisited: exploring new attributes of attractiveness

Traditional retailing is facing tough challenges, driven not least by the trend towards online shopping. This paper revisits shopping centres research in light of the recent increasing role of technologies, leisure activities and changes in consumer behaviour. Drawing upon 10,544 consumers’ unsolicited communications on Twitter relating to the 19 main shopping centres in UK that were posted in May 2019, this research seeks to understand how retail attributes are unevenly distributed across consumers’ evaluations to define the attributes driving consumers’ evaluations of retail-leisure complexes. Results demonstrate the impact of each identified attribute on preferences for retail-leisure complexes. In particular, findings provide important insights for scholars and practitioners related to the design of future attractive shopping centres. Shopping centres can play an important role in contributing to the viability and vitality of towns. We consider the findings in the light of wider policy and regulatory debates

Spontaneous Synchronization in Two Mutually Coupled Memristor-Based Chua’s Circuits: Numerical Investigations

Chaotic dynamics of numerous memristor-based circuits is widely reported in literature. Recently, some works have appeared which study the problem of synchronization control of these systems in a master-slave configuration. In the present paper, the spontaneous dynamic behavior of two chaotic memristor-based Chua’s circuits, mutually interacting through a coupling resistance, was studied via computer simulations in order to study possible self-organized synchronization phenomena. The used memristor is a flux controlled memristor with a cubic nonlinearity, and it can be regarded as a time-varying memductance. The memristor, in effect, retains memory of its past dynamic and any difference in the initial conditions of the two circuits results in different values of the corresponding memductances. In this sense, due to the memory effect of the memristor, even if coupled circuits have the same parameters they do not constitute two completely identical chaotic oscillators. As is known, for nonidentical chaotic systems, in addition to complete synchronizations (CS) other weaker forms of synchronization which provide correlations between the signals of the two systems can also occur. Depending on initial conditions and coupling strength, both chaotic and nonchaotic synchronization are observed for the system considered in this work

The development and application of an optimization tool in industrial design

AbstractDesigners are identified, in industry 4.0, as the professional figures that have to design well performing new object. In order to do this, it is necessary to take into account a series of properties called design objectives. Often the structural problem of new design is underestimated or even not considered. This can be a real problem because this objective is in competitive and in contrast with other design objectives. So, this can bring to substantial change in a design in the final phase and sometimes to the complete change. In this paper is presented an optimization workflow that adopt a Multi Objective Optimization engine so called "Octopus" and Karamba3D, that is a Finite Elements (FE) plug-in, typically used in structural simulations, these extensions run in a software: Grassopper3D, that is a parametric design tool. The workflow allows designers to explore a large range of solutions and at the same time permits to filter and sort the optimized models in order to analyze the tradeoff of the resultant solution space, both qualitatively and quantitatively. In such way designers can obtain easily a lot of information of the generate design and identify potential solution for immediate use or for further optimization. In this paper is analyzed a design problem of an ergonomic chair in order to provide the efficiency of the workflow. The design criteria and the structural problem for this type of design object are identified as the main optimization objectives in order to iteratively improve the design solutions

Ethical challenges in the evolution of Artificial Intelligence and Fashion: A prospective analysis

The present study pays particular attention to issues of originality, intellectual property, and potential biases in machine learning models. European legislation on AI, along with various legislative acts that have followed this initial attempt at regulation, is examined as an essential reference point for initiating a technologically responsible and sustainable prospective discussion. The article analyzes two main perspectives: the risks of uncontrolled AI growth, with emphasis on the damage to the conceptualization of technological primacy over human cognition, and the opportunities for harmonization between human and AI. These themes are contextualized in relation to technological development, regulatory policies, consumer trends, and social values

VALE-Emotions: Teaching mobile application for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders

In this paper, the development of an interactive mobile application to strengthen the learning of emotion recognition in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is presented. This App is part of an authoring Virtual Advanced Learning Environment (VALE) devoted to support teaching and learning activities. VALE-Emotions App is based on the six basic emotions studied by (Paul Ekman, 1992), but it is not only limited to the recognition of such emotions in their highest intensity levels. In fact, the app allows for determining the effective recognition of these emotions at different intensity levels. Such intensity levels are generated by an authoring Dynamic Facial Expressions (DFE) coding using virtual avatars. Each learning activity is carried out through training and tests applications, giving to the users the opportunity of freely developing, learning, and strengthen social skills in an entertaining way. The results of the experimentation of the VALE-Emotions on subjects with ASD are also reported. In general, the participants showed efficient response at the stimulus during the developed activities obtaining a high and fast recognition of certain emotions

A social robot connected with chatGPT to improve cognitive functioning in ASD subjects

Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDDs) represent a significant healthcare and economic burden for families and society. Technology, including AI and digital technologies, offers potential solutions for the assessment, monitoring, and treatment of NDDs. However, further research is needed to determine the effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of these technologies in NDDs, and to address the challenges associated with their implementation. In this work, we present the application of social robotics using a Pepper robot connected to the OpenAI system (Chat-GPT) for real-time dialogue initiation with the robot. After describing the general architecture of the system, we present two possible simulated interaction scenarios of a subject with Autism Spectrum Disorder in two different situations. Limitations and future implementations are also provided to provide an overview of the potential developments of interconnected systems that could greatly contribute to technological advancements for Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDD)

An Educational Robotics Lab to Investigate Cognitive Strategies and to Foster Learning in an Arts and Humanities Course Degree

The research aimed at presenting learning results on an Educational Robotics Lab carried out with university students that attended an Arts and Humanities Course Degree. In particular, cognitive abilities put into action by learners in using a Robotics Serious Game have been investigated and data has been collected by administering a pre and a post-test on motivation and using Project Based Learning (PBL) methodology. Significant results have been acquired on: (1) students' motivation in relation to their performance; (2) team work strategy, analyzing the PBL; and (3) learning results. Findings showed that "intrinsic motivation" of the participating students, gathered with a specific questionnaire, was high since the beginning of the Lab experience, corroborating the hypothesis that these cognitive activities are able to stimulate curiosity, interest, enjoyment and to foster the learning also in humanities careers