Beta-Testing Architecture

In the field of architecture, designers traditionally show their building concepts for design analysis mainly through static renderings. The problem with static renderings is that they don’t show us how and if buildings work for the end-user. Designers are currently working towards more immersive methods of representation in architecture through means of digital walkthroughs, virtual reality simulations, and augmented reality experiences, but it is still unclear how to use these methods to best allow a user to evaluate and give feedback on a building concept to improve the design. This thesis looks at how we can develop a framework for beta-testing architecture; the best ways we can represent architecture to an end-user that allows them to experience the usage of space as a method of evaluation to provide feedback. I designed a series of digital experiences that attempted to allow the immersive experience of a hypothetical building by end-users, and ultimately explored this with my peers to get their feedback on a space I designed. I anticipate that this new method of evaluating architecture through beta-testing will allow us to implement end-user feedback as an integral part of the design process and shift away from static renderings as our main method of representation

A review on the recent research progress in the compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) for solar energy applications

Compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) has been gaining ever-increasing attention from academic researchers and industrial developers owing to its stationary feature for solar energy collection with a higher efficiency. As a low concentration concentrator with a larger acceptance angle and without a tracking requirement, it is an attractive solution to improve the system performance and reduce the cost of photovoltaic (PV) system, solar thermal system, daylighting and lighting systems, etc. This study will present a comprehensive and up-to-date review of its design principles for miscellaneous configurations, applications, performance predictions and technological advances. Numerous technically focused studies since 2000 will be introduced and summarized. Finally, the outlook focusing on CPC designs and improvements will be proposed

Maritime domain protection in the Straits of Malacca

Includes supplementary materialHostile acts of maritime piracy and terrorism have increased worldwide in recent years, and the global impacts of a successful attack on commercial shipping in the Straits of Malacca make it one of the most tempting target locations for maritime terrorism. In an attempt to develop a system of systems to defeat and prevent terrorism in the Straits of Malacca, this study developed three significant commercial shipping attack scenarios (Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) shipment, Ship As a Weapon (SAW), and Small Boat Attack (SBA)), and used a Systems Engineering Design Process (SEDP) to design alternative architectures that offered promising ways to defeat these attacks. Maritime Domain Protection (MDP) architecture alternatives combined five separate systems: a Land Inspection System, a Sensor System, a Command and Control, Communications, and Intelligence (C3I) System, a Response Force System, and a Sea Inspection System. Individual models for each system were developed and combined into overarching integrated architecture models to evaluate overall performance. The study results showed that solutions tended to be threat-specific, and current capabilities were mixed. While solutions were found to effectively reduce risk in all threat scenarios, these sometimes came at great expense. Alternatively, cost-effective solutions were also found for each scenario, but these sometimes gave limited performance