Design Of New Technologies Research Articles

Towards a Residential Air-Conditioner Usage Model for Australia

Realistic models of occupant behaviour in relation to air-conditioner (a/c) use are fundamentally important for developing accurate building energy simulation tools. In Australia and elsewhere, such simulation tools are inextricably bound both in legislation and in the design of new technology, electricity infrastructure and regulatory schemes. An increasing number of studies in the literature confirm just how important occupants are in determining overall energy consumption, but obtaining the data on which to build behaviour models is a non-trivial task. Here data is presented on air-conditioner usage derived from three different types of case study analyses. These are: (i) use of aggregate energy consumption data coupled with weather, demographic and building statistics across Australia to estimate key predictors of energy use at the aggregate level; (ii) use of survey data to determine characteristic a/c switch on/off behaviours and usage frequencies; and (iii) use of detailed household level sub-circuit monitoring from 140 households to determine a/c switch on/off probabilities and their dependence on different building and occupant parameters. These case studies are used to assess the difficulties associated with translation of different forms of individual, aggregate and survey based information into a/c behaviour simulation models. Finally a method of linking the data gathering methodologies with the model development is suggested. This method would combine whole-of-house “smart”-meter data measurements with linked targeted occupant surveying.

Friction forces and patient-centredness: Understanding how established logics endure during infrastructure transformation.

In this article, we examine three cases of e-health solutions for patients in Norway. For the analysis of the three cases, we focused on friction forces that come into play when different established arrangements need to change to accommodate novelty. We argue that the design of new technologies was shaped by friction related to institutionalised practices, regulatory regimes and entrenched patient roles. These friction forces connect the past with the present, come into action when aiming for novelty and result to the perpetuation of constituents of the past during change processes. Specifically, the e-health solutions under study were strongly influenced by established healthcare provision logics. All three initiatives expanded the healthcare information infrastructure towards the patients with as little disruption to established arrangements as possible.

People, processes, and systems: An observational study of the role of technology in rural youth mental health services

The merits of technology-based mental health service reform have been widely debated among academics, practitioners, and policy makers. The design of new technologies must first be predicated on a detailed appreciation of how the mental health system works before it can be improved or changed through the introduction of new products and services. Further work is required to better understand the nature of face-to-face mental health work and to translate this knowledge to computer scientists and system designers responsible for creating technology-based solutions. Intensive observation of day-to-day work within two rural youth mental health services in South Australia, Australia, was undertaken to understand how technology could be designed and implemented to enhance young people's engagement with services and improve their experience of help seeking. Data were analysed through a lens of complexity theory. Results highlight the variety of professional roles and services that can comprise the mental health system. The level of interconnectedness evident in the system contrasted with high levels of service self-organization and disjointed information flow. A mental health professional's work was guided by two main constructs: risk and engagement. Most clients presented with a profile of disability, disadvantage, and isolation, so complex client presentations and decision-making were core practices. Clients (and frequently, their families) engaged with services in a crisis-dependent manner, characterized by multiple disengagements and re-engagements over time. While significant opportunities exist to integrate technology into existing youth mental health services, technologies for this space must be usable for a broad range of medical, psychological and cognitive disability, social disadvantage, and accommodate repeat cycles of engagement/disengagement over time.

Beyond WhatsApp: Older people and smartphones

<p>This paper analyzes how older people, living in Spain, use smartphones and smartphone applications. Using a mixed methods approach, we compare quantitative results obtained by tracking mobile app usage amongst different generational samples with qualitative, focus-group discussions with active smartphone users. A sample of Spanish smartphone users were tracked during one month in the winter of 2014 (238 individuals, aged 20 to 76 years-old). This was followed by three focus group sessions conducted in the spring of 2015, with 24 individuals aged 55 to 81. As we learned, WhatsApp is currently the most popular application used by people of all ages, including older adults. Smartphones increasingly are playing a central role in the life of older participants, although the frequency of app access is negatively correlated with age. On the other hand, as our data indicates, older adults also use a number of different types of apps that are distinct from that of younger users. Older participants access personal information manager apps (calendar, address book and notes) more often than other age groups. And comparatively, older participants use the smartphone less often in stable locations (home, office, relatives’ home) with Wifi than somewhere else and with mobile data. As we argue, differences in age seem to reflect the evolution in personal interests and communication patterns that change as we grow older. Our study captures new trends in smartphone usage amongst this cohort. It also indicates how a combination of methods may help to assess the validity of the log and qualitative data. We highlight the relevance of conducting careful generational studies in smartphone use and some of the potentials and limitations of making predictive studies of ICT use as we change throughout the life course. Finally, we assert the value of the inclusion of older representatives within research, which ultimately may influence public decisions and the design of new technologies.</p>

Impact of Type 1 Diabetes Technology on Family Members/Significant Others of People With Diabetes.

The aim was to explore the impact of diabetes-related technology to ensure that such devices are used in a way that returns maximum benefit from a medical and psychological perspective. Spouses and caregivers of people with type 1 diabetes were invited to complete an online questionnaire about their experiences with diabetes technologies used by their family members. Participants were recruited via the Glu online community website. Questions explored impact on daily living, frequency and severity of hypoglycemia, and diabetes-related distress. In all, 100 parents/caregivers and 74 partners participated in this survey. Average (mean) duration of living with a person with type 1 diabetes was 16 years (SD = 13) for partners, with duration of diabetes for children being 4.2 ± 3.2 years. Average duration of current therapy was 8.3 ± 7.3 years for adults and 3.4 ± 2.9 years for children. Of the participants, 86% partners and 82% parents/caregivers reported diabetes technology had made it easier for their family members to achieve blood glucose targets. Compared to partners, parents/caregivers reported more negative emotions (P < .001) and decreased well-being (P < .001) related to their family members type 1 diabetes. Diabetes-related distress was common, as was sleep disturbance associated with device alarms and fear of hypoglycemia. Reduced frequency and severity of hypoglycemia related to device use was reported by approximately half of participants. There is little doubt about the medical benefit of diabetes technologies and their uptake is increasing but some downsides were reported. Barriers to uptake of technologies lie beyond the mechanics of diabetes management. Supporting users in using diabetes technology to achieve the best possible glycemic control, in the context of their own life, is crucial. Furthermore, understanding these issues with input from the type 1 diabetes community including family members and caregivers will help innovation and design of new technology.

Design of Technology and Technology of Design. Activity Analysis as a Resource for a Personalised Approach for Patients with Parkinson Disease

Using a personalised medicine perspective, ECOTECH aims at developing new tools and methodologies to characterise and overcome at-risk situations for patients with Parkinson's disease in their daily life activity. With the cooperation of a multidisciplinary research group, patient situations have been studied in real life context in both hospital environment and home and community settings. Gait, in particular, has been assessed by combining data from an onboard sensor system, ethnographic observations and self-confrontation interviews. We discuss the results of this study with respect to the so-called activity analysis framework which is considered both as a resource for the design of new technologies and as a technology of design in the healthcare domain. In particular, we consider the potential for innovations regarding here, with the integration of onboard sensors, 1) the design of training 2) the design of artefact and work formats 3) the design of new mechanisms for health knowledge generation and validation.

Highly Selective Colorimetric and Luminescence Response of a Square-Planar Platinum(II) Terpyridyl Complex to Aqueous TcO4(-).

Molecular recognition of an aqueous pertechnetate (TcO4(-)) anion is fundamentally challenging partly due to the charge-diffuse nature of this anion, which hampers design of new technologies for its separation and detection. To address this gap, simple salts of transition metal complexes that undergo a distinct spectroscopic change upon exposure to aqueous anions were explored. The Pt(II) complex [Pt(tpy)Br]SbF6 (tpy = 2,2';6',2″-terpyridine) undergoes a dramatic color change and intense luminescence response upon TcO4(-) uptake due to concomitant enhancement of Pt···Pt interactions. The spectroscopic response was highly selective and quantitative for aqueous TcO4(-) among other competing anions. Complementary Raman spectroscopy and microscopy techniques, structural determination, and theoretical methods were employed to elucidate the mechanism of this response at the molecular level.

A knee monitoring device and the preferences of patients living with osteoarthritis: a qualitative study

ObjectivesTo identify perspective of patients with osteoarthritis, in particular design requirements and mode of use, of wearable technology to support the rehabilitation pathway. This study is part of a user-centred...

Technological aspects of hospital communication challenges: an observational study.

To gain insights into how technological communication tools impact effective communication among clinicians, which is critical for patient safety. This multi-site observational study analyzes inter-clinician communication and interaction with information technology, with a focus on the critical process of patient transfer from the Emergency Department to General Internal Medicine. Mount Sinai Hospital, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Toronto General Hospital. At least five ED and general internal medicine nurses and physicians directly involved in patient transfers were observed on separate occasions at each institution. N/A. N/A. The study provides insight into clinician workflow, evaluates current hospital communication systems and identifies key issues affecting communication: interruptions, issues with numeric pagers, lack of integrated communication tools, lack of awareness of consultation status, inefficiencies related to the paper chart, unintuitive user interfaces, mixed use of electronic and paper systems and lack of up-to-date contact information. It also identifies design trade-offs to be negotiated: synchronous communication vs. reducing interruptions, notification of patient status vs. reducing interruptions and speed vs. quality of handovers. The issues listed should be considered in the design of new technology for hospital communications.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH IN TEXTILE DESIGN

Etymologically, ethnography comes from the Greek words ethnos (nation, people) and graphia (writing) and means therefore a written presentation of a people or a population and seeks to identify and interpret its universal traits. With its roots in cultural anthropology, ethnography focuses on small-scale societies and the original central concept remains within the meaning of culture. In anthropology, ethnography developed a way to explore the everyday realities of people living in small scale, non-western societies and to make understandings of those realities explicit and available to others. The approach relied on the ability of all humans to figure out what is going on through participation in social life. The techniques ethnographers use follow the routine of the everyday life. Thus the research techniques and strategies of ethnography developed and evolved over the years to provide ways for the ethnographer to “be present for the mundane, the exceptional, and the extraordinary events in people's lives. With the advent of postmodernism, ethnographic perspective became a valuable tool in the design of new technologies. This has presented a new set of challenges for designers as they design and built applications that leverage powerful, digital technologies for use by people of all societies and cultures. The field of design has been an adjunct to art and craft and in a postmodern context. With the transformation of design into an industrial discipline came responsibilities that the field of design studies has only recently begun to address methodologies. Design is now becoming a generalizable discipline that may as readily be applied to processes, interfaces. To understand design as a discipline that can function within any of these frames means developing a general theory of design. From methodological perspective there is no solid theoretical framework which can assist the craftsman or the novice textile designer to consciously integrate their culture in designing products. For this reason this paper challenges designers to gain a deeper understanding of the importance of ethnographic research in textile design and explain qualitative techniques that can be used in ethnographic researches for textile design, searching for meaning in socially constructed reality or a traditional context. Keywords: Ethnographic research, textile design, design science research

Kids and thermostats: Understanding children’s involvement with household energy systems

We present a study of family practices around the use of thermostats to control residential heating and cooling systems. Our analysis is focused on the role of children and adolescents and factors that affect their participation in the management of household energy consumption. As smart technologies become more common in homes, our goal is to understand how we might involve parents and children together in learning about issues of environmental sustainability. Based on interviews with families, thermostat installers, and a thermostat designer, our findings suggest that thermostats tend to be adult-only devices. Children rarely (and sometimes never) adjust the temperature or program settings, and there appears to be limited opportunity for youth to become more involved as they get older. We encountered variation in family practices along dimensions such as age, economic situation, environmental attitudes, and type of heating and cooling equipment. Despite this variation, however, there was a pervasive lack of interest and awareness on the part of children, even among those who reported adjusting thermostats on occasion. Based on these findings, we discuss how this situation might be changed through the design of new technologies to raise awareness while creating more active and distributed participation.

Actor-Network-Theory perspective on a forestry decision support system design

Use of decision support systems (DSS) has thus far been framed as a social process of adoption or technical process of usability. We analyze the development of a DSS as a process of institutionalization of new as well as drift of existing practices. We write an Actor-Network-Theory (ANT) account, i.e. an interpretive study, that follows the traces left by both human and non-human actors (e.g. technology, methodologies, etc.) to understand how a DSS development project institutionalizes DSS technology in several forest management organizations in the German state of Rheinland Pfalz. The research has an innovative value since it uses ANT in the design of a DSS, hence affecting it, while commonly ANT has been used to understand why networks work or do not. Moreover, we use a new technology (PREZITM, www.prezi.com) for the visualization of the whole actor network coherent to the ANT methodology, i.e. “keeping the social flat.” As a result, the development of the ANT account proposed in the present paper, even if still partial, supports the design of new technologies being introduced in current practice and generates an important learning effect thanks to the underpinning interpretative approach.

Assembling Collaboration: Informing the Design of Interaction Spaces

Over the past 20 years or so, researchers have, in a number of ways, considered how studies of talk and interaction might inform the design of new technologies. In this article, we discuss a “technical intervention” where studies of visual and material conduct informed by conversation analysis shaped the design and development of a prototype communication system: a “media space.” We conclude by briefly discussing some of the challenges and opportunities that arise when drawing from studies of social interaction to inform the design and assessment of new technologies. Data are in British English.

Combined Life Cycle Assessment and Costing Analysis Optimization Model Using Multiple Criteria Decision Making in Earth-Resource Systems

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a comprehensive method to evaluate all attributes or aspects of potential environmental impact throughout a product’s lifecycle. Financial impacts are often added to the systemic evaluation process to reflect both environmental and economic assessment. For the specific application of LCA informing design of new technologies, when numerous variables are undecided or under defined, the process of forming an inventory of complete dataset is very difficult. Accumulating the early data consumes time, and limits application of LCA to new technologies and projects. As such, LCA may not normally be associated with forecasting or guiding a design/production process with an incomplete data set. Here, a life cycle assessment optimization model (LCAO) is described for incomplete data sets, based on the life cycle inventory (LCI) hybrid method and a modified multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) approach. The approach requires data, but can proceed in the given an incomplete or uncertain data set. The model of the algorithm also shows promising results to reveal previously unknown key variables within the dataset, which can then facilitate the minimization of environmental impact while maximizing economic benefits in product design.

Bio-Encapsulation for the Immune-Protection of Therapeutic Cells

The design of new technologies for treatment of human disorders is a complex and difficult task. The aim of this article is to explore state of art discussion of various techniques and materials involve in cell encapsulations. Encapsulation of cells within semi-permeable polymer shells or beads is a potentially powerful tool, and has long been explored as a promising approach for the treatment of several human diseases such as lysosomal storage disease (LSD), neurological disorders, Parkinsons disease, dwarfism, hemophilia, cancer and diabetes using immune-isolation gene therapy.

Development, Modelling and Analysis of the new Combined Bottomless Sleeve Extrusion Process / Opracowanie, Modelowanie I Analiza Parametrów Nowego Procesu Złozonego Wyciskania Tulei Bez Dna

An intensive industry development assuring high production quality should take place with the rational use of production machinery and equipment, low material and energy consumption per production unit, and at the maximum efficiency of processes. High quality of relatively cheap of semi-finished and finished products is achieved as a result of using non-waste manufacturing methods, which include e.g. the rolling, drawing and extrusion processes. The effective enhancement of production quality may be achieved by employing contemporary modelling and optimization methods in the design of new technological processes. In plastic working processes, during the design and optimization of new technologies, numerical modelling plays a crucial role. It brings about considerable time and material savings. It enables the determination of the basic parameters of processes and prediction of any possible gains or losses associated with the implementation of new technological solutions. The article reports the results of numerical modelling studies on the processes of combined extrusion of sleeves, where solutions were implemented, which allowed bottomless sleeves to be manufactured by these methods, without having to use the operation of mechanical cutting off the bottom formed after the extrusion process. In one of the cases, by using working tools of the appropriate design, a process of non-waste extrusion of a through sleeves was even achieved. The basic advantage of the proposed solutions is the single-operation nature of processes with a simultaneous reduction of the energy-force parameters compared to the traditional methods of manufacturing these types of products.

A Hybrid Assembly by Encapsulation of Human Cells within Mineralised Beads for Cell Therapy

BackgroundThe design of new technologies for treatment of human disorders such as protein deficiencies is a complex and difficult task. Particularly, the construction of artificial organs, based on the immunoisolation of protein-secreting cells, requires the use of suitable materials which have to be biocompatible with the immunoisolated cells and avoid any inappropriate host response.Methodology/Principal FindingsThis work investigates the in vivo behavior of mechanically resistant hybrid beads which can be considered as a model for artificial organ for cell therapy. This hybrid system was designed and fabricated via the encapsulation of living cells (HepG2) within alginate-silica composites. Two types of beads (alginate-silica hybrid (AS) or alginate/silica hybrid subsequently covered by an external layer of pure alginate (ASA)), with or without HepG2 cells, were implanted into several female Wistar rats. After four weeks, the potential inflammatory local response that might be due to the presence of materials was studied by histochemistry. The results showed that the performance of ASA beads was quite promising compared to AS beads, where less abnormal rat behaviour and less inflammatory cells in histological sections were observed in the case of ASA beads.Conclusions/SignificanceThe current study highlights that alginate-silica composite materials coated with an extra-alginate shell offer much promise in the development of robust implantation devices and artificial organs.

Guest Editorial: Wheelchair research progress, perspectives, and transformation

There is a growing and rich body of research and development being generated around the world. A simple search of PubMed using the search term wheelchair shows that 259 articles were published in the past year, 566 in the past 2 years, 1,315 in the past 5 years, and 2,241 over the past 10 years. If one narrows the search to the number of publications drops precipitously to 31 articles in the past year, 70 in the past 2 years, 156 in the past 5 years, and 265 in the last 10 years. The number of published articles drops even further if the search is specific to the design of new technologies. This simple investigation provides some insights worth examining. The output of research has risen over the past 10 years: there was a 17 percent increase in the number of total articles published in the last 5 years versus the previous 5 years, although there are natural annual fluctuations. Similarly, there has been about an 18 percent increase in the number of articles related to power wheelchairs, although the overall numbers are quite small. Most of the articles are related to usage and clinical assessment, with a few on training. Wheelchairs are an important modality for mobility, activity, and participation in life. For people with some forms of impairment (e.g., spinal cord injury [SCI]), wheelchairs are the primary means of mobility. Manual research seems to be fairly healthy even though many unanswered questions remain. Recent studies have indicated that there are challenges to obtaining high-quality manual wheelchairs. Liu et al. have shown that many ultralight wheelchairs are not compliant with Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society standards and fail prematurely [1]. This research is supported by a study of maintenance and repairs by McClure et al. showing that wheelchairs require frequent repairs and that those repairs start within the first few months of using a new chair [2]. More recently, Riggins et al. showed that there are still gaps in our knowledge about when to provide a wheelchair, to whom, and what training is necessary, even for people with SCI [3]. This study indicated that people with incomplete SCI, who focused on gait training, did not fare as well as their counterparts with complete or higher level lesions who received training in terms of community participation and quality of life. As a result of research conducted over the past 10 years, there is greater understanding of activity, service-delivery processes, manual skills training, and set-up of wheelchairs. There is a paucity of research into all aspects of power wheelchairs. This is somewhat surprising given the hundreds of thousands of people who use power wheelchairs, including scooters. Power-wheelchair users are also among the most vulnerable members of society in terms of ability to perform activities of daily living, community participation, and employment. Power-wheelchair users have also faced tremendous pressures from insurance providers to reduce costs. The challenges started when Medicare revised its reimbursement policy in 2007 and introduced new classifications for power wheelchairs that reduced the 42 procedural codes to 4 basic groups [4]. The groups are intended to be founded on performance and user needs. Unfortunately, one result of this process was to severely restrict access to the best wheelchairs, those in group 4, intended for active indoor and outdoor use. Many insurance companies have followed Medicare's lead and cover only power wheelchairs designed primarily for indoor use and light outdoor activities on well-conditioned surfaces. The Department of Veterans Affairs has bucked this trend since part of its mission is to promote independent living, return to employment, and full community participation. More research is needed to determine the long-term impact of these policy decisions on consumers and on power-wheelchair design. …

Usability Testing for Serious Games: Making Informed Design Decisions with User Data

Usability testing is a key step in the successful design of new technologies and tools, ensuring that heterogeneous populations will be able to interact easily with innovative applications. While usability testing methods of productivity tools (e.g., text editors, spreadsheets, or management tools) are varied, widely available, and valuable, analyzing the usability of games, especially educational “serious” games, presents unique usability challenges. Because games are fundamentally different than general productivity tools, “traditional” usability instruments valid for productivity applications may fall short when used for serious games. In this work we present a methodology especially designed to facilitate usability testing for serious games, taking into account the specific needs of such applications and resulting in a systematically produced list of suggested improvements from large amounts of recorded gameplay data. This methodology was applied to a case study for a medical educational game, MasterMed, intended to improve patients’ medication knowledge. We present the results from this methodology applied to MasterMed and a summary of the central lessons learned that are likely useful for researchers who aim to tune and improve their own serious games before releasing them for the general public.

Franchise Experts

When expert systems as a field or paradigm was morphing into intelligent systems, it was recognized that cognitive task analysis was critical in the design of new technologies. Furthermore, as a part of cognitive task analysis, it is crucial to conduct some form of proficiency scale to identify the experts whose knowledge and skill might be revealed and specified in the creation of reasoning and knowledge-based systems. This article advances the claim that identifying and studying franchise experts—individuals whose performance surpasses that of their best teammates and whose presence and contributions are identified with the spirit of the organization—can contribute to the design of intelligent systems. Of further interest is the possibility that the knowledge elicited from such experts might be invaluable for attempts at accelerated learning.