Design Concept Research Articles

The luminous flux field as a basic concept for interior lighting design

It is proposed that the process of interior lighting design be defined as creating a three-dimensional luminous flux field within the volume of an enclosed indoor space. This luminous flux field can be divided into two components, an indirect flux field and a direct flux field, and making this separation presents a remarkable insight into the lighting design process. The space, its contents and its occupants are revealed by the indirect flux field; the indirect flux field is generated by the direct flux field; and the direct flux field, which may be derived from the indirect flux field by calculation, specifies the performance of the lighting installation. This enables a practitioner to describe lighting design objectives in terms of peoples’ subjective responses to their lit appearance, and, where these objectives can be specified in quantitative terms, to define aspects of the indirect flux field that would achieve them. The direct flux field that would optimally generate this indirect flux field is determined by a calculation procedure, and this provides a photometric performance specification for the lighting installation. For the sake of simplicity, this paper considers only electric lighting, but opportunities for extending the procedure to include daylight and other lighting design objectives are discussed.

Design and Construction of Bamboo Products and Rattan Accessories by the Local Artisans of Lahore Pakistan

Purpose: Bamboo and rattan are two materials that greatly affect all products, fixtures, and items designed and made by artisans in Lahore, Pakistan. The aims of this research encompass the study of the traditional and contemporary practices of design and the construction methodologies adopted by the people in the area regarding the formation of basic bamboo products and rattan accessories significantly basketry manufacture in Lahore. Coming from a backdrop of knowledge transfer within families, global resources and design trends, strong vectors for sustainability, minimalism, functionality, significant development in technique and aesthetics was taken up for analysis in the study. Further, it will discuss the economic stature of local artisans amidst the economic challenges. Methodology: For this purpose, a comprehensive research has been conducted into the bamboo and rattan market in Lahore, Pakistan. The study documented insights from the interviews with local artisans specializing in bamboo and rattan craftsmanship and all their observations. The research has gathered rich first-hand data on design practices, material uses and infusion of modern influence in their work, as it engaged actively with the craftspeople. Findings: The handicraft industry of bamboo and rattan in Lahore is feeling both challenges and opportunities. The industry had then begun to bear strained supplies, with growing costs towards the case of Pakistan's timber industry. Reduced spending by consumers has turned out to disrupt the supply line and eventually the livelihoods of those artisans, since rising material costs and government taxing were on the rise. It is strategic adaptations that will help the industry to prosper with government support and sustainable practice. Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: This study presented a number of recommendations for creating an awareness, developing frameworks, improving practices, and encouraging authorities to take major actions in order to support bamboo and rattan artisans in Lahore, Pakistan. It could be focusing on historic handcrafts, modern design concepts and construction techniques. Hence, through this process, the art of producing accessories will be revived, thereby harnessing the economic feasibility of the products and accessories industry of Pakistan.

Energy absorption characteristics of a novel six-missing rib honeycomb under in-plane impact

To enhance the performance of the six-missing rib honeycomb (ASRH), two axisymmetric missing rib honeycombs, ASRH-1 and ASRH-2, are proposed in this study. First, the in-plane impact performance of ASRH, ASRH-1, and ASRH-2 is experimentally compared to verify the accuracy of the finite element model. Then, the deformation patterns, specific energy absorption (SEA), and negative Poisson’s ratio (NPR) effects of the three honeycombs under different parameters were parametrically investigated. The results indicate that ASRH-1 and ASRH-2 exhibit higher SEA than ASRH at an impact velocity of 10 m/s, but the NPR effect does not change significantly. The axisymmetric honeycomb demonstrates no advantage at 50 and 100 m/s high-speed impacts. The Poisson’s ratio effect of the three honeycombs varied greatly with the internal ligament r of the honeycomb. The axisymmetric design offers a new concept for a NPR honeycomb design.

Toward next generation mixed reality games: a research through design approach

Mixed reality (MR) games refer to games that integrate physical entities with digitally mediated contents. Currently, it entails game creators to integrate heterogeneous virtual and physical components, which is often time-consuming and labor-intensive, without the support of a coherent technology stack. The underlying technodiversity manifested by the research corpus suggests a complicated, multi-dimensional design space that goes beyond merely technical concerns. In this research, we adopted a research-through-design approach and proposed an MR game technology stack that facilitates flexible, low-code game development. As design grounding, we first surveyed 34 state-of-the-art studies, and results were synergized into three different spectra of technological affordances, respectively activity range, user interface and feedback control, to inform our next design process. We then went through an iterative prototyping phase and implemented an MR game development toolset. A co-design workshop was conducted, where we invited 15 participants to try the prototype tools and co-ideate the potential use scenarios for the proposed technology stack. First-hand user feedback was collected via questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. As a result, four conceptual game designs with three major design implications were generated, which conjointly reflect a broader understanding on MR gameful experience and contribute fresh insights to this emerging research domain.

An Analysis of Chinese Tea Brand Packaging Design in the Context of New National Color

Under the guidance of the new national color design concept, Chinese tea brand packaging design is in a transitional period of integrating traditional and modern elements. This study aims to analyze the packaging design practice under this trend. Through case studies of different tea brands with various varieties and regional cultural backgrounds, such as Fujian Zhengshantang, Hunan Anhua black tea, and Yunnan Pu’er tea, this paper reveals the formation of different tea brand packaging styles and design concepts under the new national color background. The study explores the integration of innovation and tradition, the in-depth expression of cultural connotations, and the innovation of consumer interactive experiences. This study adopts a qualitative analysis method, combined with interviews with brand designers and business managers, to explore the new concepts and packaging design strategies of tea brand packaging design in the context of the new national color. The study found that the new national color design not only successfully conveys the unique charm and cultural depth of tea culture but also further promotes international exchanges in tea culture and enhances the international image and market competitiveness of Chinese tea culture.

Quantitative softness and texture bimodal haptic sensors for robotic clinical feature identification and intelligent picking.

Replicating human somatosensory networks in robots is crucial for dexterous manipulation, ensuring the appropriate grasping force for objects of varying softness and textures. Despite advances in artificial haptic sensing for object recognition, accurately quantifying haptic perceptions to discern softness and texture remains challenging. Here, we report a methodology that uses a bimodal haptic sensor to capture multidimensional static and dynamic stimuli, allowing for the simultaneous quantification of softness and texture features. This method demonstrates synergistic measurements of elastic and frictional coefficients, thereby providing a universal strategy for acquiring the adaptive gripping force necessary for scarless, antislippage interaction with delicate objects. Equipped with this sensor, a robotic manipulator identifies porcine mucosal features with 98.44% accuracy and stably grasps visually indistinguishable mature white strawberries, enabling reliable tissue palpation and intelligent picking. The design concept and comprehensive guidelines presented would provide insights into haptic sensor development, promising benefits for robotics.

The Novel Quality by Design Concept in the Development and Validation of a Stability-Indicating RP-HPLC PDA Method for Estimating Terlipressin in an Injectable Dosage Form

The Novel Quality by Design Concept in the Development and Validation of a Stability-Indicating RP-HPLC PDA Method for Estimating Terlipressin in an Injectable Dosage Form

Recent Progress in CO Detection Probes Based on Different Fluorophores

AbstractCarbon monoxide (CO), a simple and well‐known toxic gas, is a naturally occurring gaseous transmitter that plays a crucial role in the regulation of physiological and pathological processes in living organisms. Usually, the development of various diseases can lead to the dysregulation of CO levels. Interestingly, CO has been shown to exert therapeutic effects in inflammation‐related disease models. Fluorescent probes for CO detection have become a vital research field in the past decades owing to their advantages of excellent selectivity, exceptional sensitivity, and real‐time in situ detection, which have been employed for the precise detection of CO in cells, tissues, and even living organisms. This paper reviews research advancements in CO fluorescent probes over the last decade, outlines the design concepts and detection mechanisms of relevant fluorescent probes, and provides design guidelines and future development prospects.

Highly Selective Drug-Derived Fluorescent Probes for the Cannabinoid Receptor Type 1 (CB1R).

The cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R) is pivotal within the endocannabinoid system regulating various signaling cascades with effects in appetite regulation, pain perception, memory formation, and thermoregulation. Still, understanding of CB1R's cellular signaling, distribution, and expression dynamics is very fragmentary. Real-time visualization of CB1R is crucial for addressing these questions. Selective drug-like CB1R ligands with a defined pharmacological profile were investigated for the construction of CB1R fluorescent probes using a reverse design-approach. A modular design concept with a diethyl glycine-based building block as the centerpiece allowed for the straightforward synthesis of novel probe candidates. Validated by computational docking studies, radioligand binding, and cAMP assay, this systematic approach allowed for the identification of novel pyrrole-based CB1R fluorescent probes. Application in fluorescence-based target-engagement studies and live cell imaging exemplify the great versatility of the tailored CB1R probes for investigating CB1R localization, trafficking, pharmacology, and its pathological implications.

Exploring synergies between AIGC and TRIZ in the optimisation of road cone design through integrated innovation methods

Utilising the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) and Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC) models, this paper explores AI-assisted creative design and uses traffic cone design as a case. The objective is to evaluate whether AIGC can assist or potentially replace TRIZ in this field. Despite TRIZ being an established methodology renowned for its effectiveness in systematic problem solving, it faces challenges related to implementation complexity and adaptability across different cultures and industries. In contrast, AIGC, through its data-driven tools, offers automation and enhanced innovation, showing promise to overcome these limitations. Evidence from qualitative case studies and quantitative studies indicate that while AIGC enhances the efficiency and stability of creative models, its limitations in system analysis and innovative thinking prevent it from independently solving complex creative design issues, thereby not fully replacing TRIZ. However, AIGC can effectively complement the TRIZ model by enhancing the practicality of solutions through its data processing capabilities, thereby improving overall design efficiency and innovation. This synergy has the potential to accelerate the development of innovative solutions and conceptual designs, indicating that integrating AIGC with TRIZ leverages the strengths of both methodologies to produce more effective and innovative design outcomes.

Development of a novel variable-curvature soft gripper used for orientating broccoli in the trimming line

Orientating the broccoli plays an important part in the trimming line, which helps reduce the redundant stalk length and provides accurate throughput data for sale. However, this work is still manual with high labor intensity and low work efficiency, and current grippers show limitations in replacing manual operations, which need the ability to self-adaptively grasp broccoli without damage and guide them upright. This study presented a novel pneumatic variable-curvature soft gripper (VCSG) for orientating broccoli, which mainly comprised three soft variable-curvature fiber-reinforced bending actuators (VCFRBAs). The VCFRBAs can generate additional lifting forces to help guide the broccoli upright, thus orientating the broccoli. A design concept was built for the VCFRBA, and an analytical model and finite element method (FEM) were proposed to evaluate the bending deformation of VCFRBA, achieving a good match with a root mean squared error of below 5.8°. Step response tests of VCFRBA showed a response time of 0.35 s, hysteresis tests demonstrated a hysteresis error of less than 10 %, and durability tests in 5,000 cycles showed two error bands of both less than 5 %, indicating a fast response, good repeatability, and good durability, respectively. Single actuator force experiments demonstrated the VCFRBA can generate a clamping force of 1.13 N with an additional lifting force of 1.38 N when grasping under the pressure of 0.2 MPa. Furthermore, a maximum pull-off force of 35.06 N was measured for the VCSG at this pressure. Results of grasping experiments showed a 100 % success rate without damage when the VCSG grasped broccoli positioned upright, and broccoli can still be securely and self-adaptively grasped and guided upright when grasping them inclinedly. Further orientating tests suggested that the VCSG had a good performance with an 85 % success rate. These results demonstrate that the proposed VCSG has a good ability to orientate the broccoli self-adaptively without complex operations. This study showcases a novel VCSG, providing a unique solution to orientating broccoli in the trimming line.

The Environmental Education Tourism Development Design Concept in the Citic Seram Energy Limited Area, Maluku Province

The Environmental Education Tourism Development Design Concept in the Citic Seram Energy Limited Area, Maluku Province

Design Concept of Cryogenic Plasma Focused Ion Beam (cryo-PFIB) Supported X-ray Microscopy for Multidimensional Biological Systems

Design Concept of Cryogenic Plasma Focused Ion Beam (cryo-PFIB) Supported X-ray Microscopy for Multidimensional Biological Systems

Flow-Based Assessment of the Impact of an All-Electric Aircraft on European Air Traffic

The consequences of new airspace entrants, such as novel aircraft concepts with innovative propulsion systems, on air traffic management operations need to be carefully identified. This paper aims to assess the impact of future aircraft with different performance envelopes on the European air traffic network from a flow-based perspective. The underlying approach assumes that all certification-related questions concerning airworthiness have been resolved and do not take into account any economic factors related to airline operations. For example, for an innovative propulsion system, a short range all-electric aircraft is considered in this study. Aircraft trajectory calculations are based on the dataset of base of aircraft data (BADA), which are developed and maintained by EUROCONTROL. The new design concept is integrated into BADA as well, resulting in a new set of coefficients for the all-electric aircraft. In addition to the adjusted parameters which affect airborne performances, ground-related aspects are also taken into account. This includes assumptions on operational procedures, charging capacities and adaptions in infrastructure. Investigations are carried out at the trajectory level as well as at the airport and the entire network.

Construction and Development of Smart Cities -- Taking Chengdu as an Example

As an important way to promote urban economic and cultural development, the smart city is an inevitable choice for future urban development. This paper first expounds on the concept and proposal of a smart city, discusses the background of the development of smart cities in China, and then introduces the current development of a smart city in Chengdu, a pilot city, and establishes a complete intelligent system to promote the operation of the city and improve people's living efficiency. Then, according to the design concept of green building, the common ground between green building and smart city development is analyzed. Taking epidemic prevention as the entry point, how to develop and play its role is discussed. The problems such as information "isolated island" and incomplete technology deployment are analyzed. Finally, some suggestions are put forward for related issues, and a bright prospect is given for the future blossoming and unlimited potential of smart cities.

Fluorinated Naphthalene Diimides as Buried Electron Transport Materials Achieve Over 23% Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.

Naphthalene diimides (NDI) are widely serving as the skeleton to construct electron transport materials (ETMs) for optoelectronic devices. However, most of the reported NDI-based ETMs suffer from poor interfaces with the perovskite which deteriorates the carrier extraction and device stability. Here, a representative design concept for editing the peripheral groups of NDI molecules to achieve multifunctional properties is introduced. The resulting molecule 2,7-bis(2,2,3,3,4,4,4-heptafluorobutyl)benzo[lmn][3,8]phenanthroline-1,3,6,8(2H,7H)-tetraone (NDI-C4F) incorporated with hydrophobic fluorine units contributes to the prevention of excessive molecular aggregation, the improvement of surface wettability and the formation of strong chemical coordination with perovskite precursors. All these features favor retarding the perovskite crystallization and achieving superior buried interfaces, which subsequently promote charge collection and improve the structural compatibility between perovskite and ETMs. The corresponding PSCs based on low-temperature processed NDI-C4F yield a record efficiency of 23.21%, which is the highest reported value for organic ETMs in n-i-p PSCs. More encouragingly, the unencapsulated devices with NDI-C4F demonstrate extraordinary stability by retaining over 90% of their initial PCEs after 2600 h in air. This work provides an alternative molecular strategy to engineer the buried interfaces and can trigger further development of organic ETMs toward reliable PSCs.

Highly efficient pure-blue organic light-emitting diodes based on rationally designed heterocyclic phenophosphazinine-containing emitters

Multi-resonance thermally activated delayed fluorophores have been actively studied for high-resolution photonic applications due to their exceptional color purity. However, these compounds encounter challenges associated with the inefficient spin-flip process, compromising device performance. Herein, we report two pure-blue emitters based on an organoboron multi-resonance core, incorporating a conformationally flexible donor, 10-phenyl-5H-phenophosphazinine 10-oxide (or sulfide). This design concept selectively modifies the orbital type of high-lying excited states to a charge transfer configuration while simultaneously providing the necessary conformational freedom to enhance the density of excited states without sacrificing color purity. We show that the different embedded phosphorus motifs (phosphine oxide/sulfide) of the donor can finely tune the electronic structure and conformational freedom, resulting in an accelerated spin-flip process through intense spin-vibronic coupling, achieving over a 20-fold increase in the reverse intersystem crossing rate compared to the parent multi-resonance emitter. Utilizing these emitters, we achieve high-performance pure-blue organic light-emitting diodes, showcasing a top-tier external quantum efficiency of 37.6% with reduced efficiency roll-offs. This proposed strategy not only challenges the conventional notion that flexible electron-donors are undesirable for constructing narrowband emitters but also offer a pathway for designing efficient narrow-spectrum blue organic light-emitting diodes.

A Novel Wedge Anchor System for Double-Layer CFRP Plate Cables: Concept, Theoretical Analysis and FEA.

This study introduces an innovative wedge anchor for double-layer carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) plate cable to address the current limitation of traditional wedge anchors. By employing the design concept of "secondary force transmission path", the friction force for anchoring the CFRP plate is effectively transferred into the barrel through its contracting wedge, thus reducing the clamping pressure requirement of traditional wedge anchorage for anchoring thick or double-layer CFRP plates. Based on this conception, this study presents a theoretical analysis model for predicting the influence of parameter variations on the compressive stress of the CFRP plate, which can serve as a tool for rapid configuration preliminary design. Through finite element analysis, the internal stress distribution of the anchor is thoroughly investigated, and the theoretical analysis model for fast predicting compressive stress of CFRP plate is also validated. The results also indicate that the anchorage conception is valid and effective, providing sufficient anchorage of CFPR plates with an anchorage length of 100 mm.

Nanobody-based strategy for rapid and accurate pathogen detection: A case of COVID-19 testing

Antibody pairs-based immunoassay platforms served as essential and effective tools in the field of pathogen detection. However, the cumbersome preparation and limited detection sensitivity of antibody pairs challenge in establishment of a highly sensitive detection platform. In this study, using COVID-19 testing as a case, we utilized readily accessible nanobodies as detection antibodies and further proposed an accurate design concept with a more scientific and efficient screening strategy to obtain ultrasensitive antibody pairs. We employed nanobodies capable of binding different antigenic epitopes of the nucleocapsid (NP) or receptor-binding domain (RBD) antigens sandwich as substitutes for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) sandwich in fast detection formats and utilized time-resolved fluorescence (TRF) microspheres as the signal probe. Consequently, we developed a multi-epitope nanobody sandwich-based fluorescence lateral flow immunoassay (FLFA) strip. Our results suggest that the NP antigen had a detection limit of 12.01pg/mL, while the RBD antigen had a limit of 6.51 pg/mL using our FLFA strip. Based on double mAb sandwiches, the values presented herein demonstrated 4 to 32-fold enhancements in sensitivity, and 32 to 256-fold enhancements compared to commercially available antigen lateral flow assay kits. Furthermore, we demonstrated the excellent characteristics of the proposed test strip, including its specificity, stability, accuracy, and repeatability, which underscores its the prospective utility. Indeed, these findings indicate that our established screening strategy along with the multi-epitope nanobody sandwich mode provides an optimized strategy in the field of pathogen detection.

Corrosion resistant high entropy conventional alloy (HECA) with superior work hardenability

Cu-based alloys are known for their high corrosion resistance but with a lack of processing ability and vice versa. Here we present a novel alloy design concept realizing Cu-rich high entropy conventional alloy (HECA) having exceptional corrosion resistance (Ecorr = - 0.27 V, icorr = 2.83 × 10−6 A/cm2) and work hardenability (strength = 413 MPa, total elongation = 28 %) synergy simultaneously in as-fabricated state. This cocktailing effect in HECA (Cu-12Fe-8Mn-7.5Co-2.5Cr, all in at%) is attributed to the formation of Fe-Mn-Co-Cr containing high entropy phase (HEP) in the Cu-rich matrix. A pronounced two-phase hardening by hetero-deformation induced (HDI) strengthening effect at the HEP/Cu matrix resulted in excellent work hardenability whereas, exceptional corrosion resistance was attributed to delayed corrosion kinetics owing to the preferential corrosion of the Cu-rich phase over HEP in HECA. Thus, Cu-rich HECA overcomes the corrosion-strength ductility dilemma in Cu-rich alloys when compared with classical binary Cu-Fe alloys in an as-fabricated state.