Emergent Reefs

The Emergent Reefs project thrives on the potential that emerge from a coherent utilization of the environment’s inherent ecological structure for its own transformation and evolution, using an approach based on digitally simulated ecosystems and sparkled by the possibilities and potential of large-scale 3D printing technology. Considering tourism as an inevitable vector of environmental change, the project aims to direct its potential and economic resources towards a positive transformation, providing a material substrate for the human-marine ecosystem integration with the realization of spaces for an underwater sculpture exhibition. Such structures will also provide a pattern of cavities which, expanding the gradient of microenvironmental conditions, break the existing homogeneity in favor of systemic heterogeneity, providing the spatial and material preconditions for the repopulation of marine biodiversity

Adhesive joint use and aging in food machinery: A case-study on beverage filling systems

The objective of this work is to evaluate the introduction of bonding technology in the assembly of beverage filling machines. In this specific field, bonding has two potential great advantages with respect to welding, that are the speed of application and the absence of thermal distortions. Furthermore, since it presents fewer risks for safety at work, it allows the simultaneous execution of other assembly operations. On the other hand, the use of bonding requires a design process integrated by tests related to the specific application and operating conditions, that in the case of food machinery are: i) bonding of low surface roughness, austenitic stainless steel without surface preparation but degreasing; ii) contact of the joint with the chemically aggressive substances used for cleaning and sanitization. In the present study, first a technical-economical comparison with welding (business case) was done on a component of the structure of a filling machine. Then the adhesive appropriate for the application was identified experimentally with tests on single-lap joints (SLJ) with different surface finishes and subjected to chemical aging under the cleaning and sanitization agents. Finally, the scale-up to a larger and more complex structure was performed by joining two modules of the outer casing of a filling machine

A Bibliometric Multicriteria Model on Smart Manufacturing from 2011 to 2018

This study reviews the academic literature on Smart Manufacturing from the industry perspective. The methodological approach combines bibliometric analysis and multi criteria decisionmaking models. Firstly, the paper aims to identify the most relevant topics on Smart Manufacturing. Secondly, it aims to weigh them and to define their interdependences. The initial sample consists of 1.498 articles published between the 2011 and 2018. The semi-qualitative analysis returns an objective numerical result useful to define the predominant area on smart manufacturing applications

A Hybrid Model for Human Error Probability Analysis

The aim of the present research is to propose a hybrid model for human error probability analysis based on Cognitive Reliability and Error Analysis Method (CREAM) and Systematic Human Error Reduction and Prediction Approach (SHERPA) Method. The model aims to provide a theoretical framework to understand human behavior and to predict error probability. This model is based on a fundamental distinction between competence and control that offers a way of describing how performance depends on context. The most important result of this work is to provide a model that can be used in the preventive phase of an accident in order to mitigate the damages

Development a key competitiveness indicators for disaster management

Industrial organizations are often encouraged to develop proactive and rigorous disaster management practices. Disaster improvements are often very expensive. Thus, industries try to use more and more innovative and effective tools to reduce the disaster risk. The purpose of this study is to identify and prioritize the key competitiveness indicators to develop a model for the analysis of disaster costs using AHP technique

Convoluted Inferences - fovea's secret garden

The project deals with the occularcentric nature of contemporary culture, by manipulating and unmasking its deceptive mechanisms. The design process starts with the fact that our ability to perceive the details is limited to the narrow fovea (the only part of the retina that permits 100% visual acuity) in the eye\u2019s retina. Vision is then a matter of unconscious inferences: making assumptions and conclusions from incomplete data, based on previous experiences. This inference and the inability to perceive the details trigger an attractive process, but the complexity of the component detail can be appreciated only at a scale where the perception of the whole is lost; rolling backwards, it becomes clear that the effect of the whole is more than just the sum of the constituent parts. It is an experiment (or proof of concept) on how morphology, organization, material systems and patterns have the ability to trigger dynamic behavioral effects and interaction in space and time. From a technical standpoint, the structure was generated by triangulating the mesh and choosing triangles in an alternate pattern: this strategy maintains structural integrity (all remaining triangles are connected) while using half of the surface area. In order to increase complexity and enrich the range of effects, components have a gradient variation in height according to their horizontal condition: the more they approach the horizontal condition, the higher and more developed they become. Each component, realized through laser cut from polypropylene flat sheets, has 3 radial \u201cpetals\u201d with variable number of cuts and curve tangency according to the individual morphology and the height gradient, embedding the necessary cuts for assembly. All components are assembled using plastic ties

A Cognitive Model for Emergency Management in Hospital: Proposal of a Triage Severity Index

The book tries to investigate the complexity of the risk management through some application examples. It contains original research and application chapters from different perspectives and covers different areas such as human aspects, emergency management, cognitive factors, software engineering and marketing

An innovative method for human height estimation combining video images and 3D laser scanning

Digitalization has increased the number of video surveillance systems that sometimes capture crime images. Traditional methods of human height estimation use projective geometry. However, sometimes they cannot be used because the video camera surveillance system is not available or has been moved and there are no reference lines on the frame. Scientific studies have developed a new method for human height estimation using 3D laser scanning. This model necessarily requires a series of approximations, which increase the final measurement error. To overcome this problem, in the present study, images of a subject are projected directly on the 3D model, estimating the height of the subject. This article describes the methodological approach adopted through the analysis of a real case study in a controlled environment executed by Carabinieri Forensic Investigation Department (Italy). The aim is to obtain a human anthropometric measure derived from frames extracted from the videos associated with the digital survey of the framed area obtained with 3D laser scanning and point cloud analysis. The result is the height estimation of five subjects filmed by a camera obtained through the combination of 2D images extracted by a DVR/surveillance systems with 3D laser scanning. Results show that most estimated measurements are less than the real measurement of the subject; it also depends on the posture of the subject while walking. Furthermore, results shows the differences between the real height and the estimated height with a statistical approach

Re-engineering and Relocation of manufacturing process through a simulative and multicriteria decision model

In recent years, the trend of several companies is to re-engineer their production processes to make them more efficient and to delocalize production in countries with more favorable economic conditions. This study proposes a multi-criteria and simulation decision-making approach to assess a new production process in order to rank the best Country for production relocation. The methodological approach has been subdivided into several phases and allows to simulate the criticalities of current production and the new production model through the Flexsim Software©. This methodology is applied to a real-world case study provided by a leading Italian

Development of a Novel Passive-Dynamic Custom AFO for Drop-Foot Patients: Design Principles, Manufacturing Technique, Mechanical Properties Characterization and Functional Evaluation

Ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) are medical devices prescribed to support the foot and ankle of drop-foot patients. Passive-dynamic AFOs (PD-AFOs) are an effective solution for less severe cases. While off-the-shelf PD-AFOs are rather inexpensive, they provide poor anatomical fit and do not account for the required patient-specific biomechanical support. Three-dimensional (3D) scanning and manufacturing technologies allow manufacturing PD-AFOs customized for the patient's anatomy and functional needs. This paper aimed to report the overall procedure for designing and manufacturing a novel, fiberglass-reinforced polyamide, custom PD-AFO. The feasibility of the proposed procedure was tested in a case study. The methodology can be divided into the following steps: (i) foot and leg scanning, (ii) 3D design, and (iii) additive manufacturing via selective laser sintering. A custom PD-AFO was designed and manufactured for a 67-year-old male drop-foot patient following paraparesis in severe discarthrosis after spine stabilization surgery. AFO mechanical properties were measured via an ad hoc setup based on a servohydraulic testing machine. The functional outcome was assessed via gait analysis in three conditions: shod (no AFO), wearing an off-the-shelf PD-AFO, and wearing the patient-specific PD-AFO. As expected, wearing the PD-AFO resulted in increased ankle dorsiflexion in the swing phase with respect to the shod condition. Sagittal rotations of the hip, knee, and ankle joints were similar across PD-AFO conditions, but the custom PD-AFO resulted in faster walking speed with respect to the off-the-shelf (walking speed: 0.91 m/s versus 0.85 m/s). Additionally, the patient scored the custom PD-AFO as more comfortable (VAS score: 9.7 vs. 7.3). While the present analysis should be extended to a larger cohort of drop-foot patients, the novel PD-AFO seems to offer a valid, custom solution for drop-foot patients not satisfied with standard orthotics