This reprint collects ten papers (plus an introductory chapter) showing how actuarial mathematics principles and tools can provide substantial support when implementing QRM phases, in particular when facing new risks or risks with changing features. The following specific topics are specifically discussed: the design of post-retirement benefits, the design of life and health insurance policies against new risks, advancements in mortality modeling, advancements in risk measures and risk models, reserving disclosure tools, and innovative approximation formulae for the mean duration.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Additive manufacturing technology offers the ability to produce personalized products with lower development costs, shorter lead times, less energy consumed during manufacturing and less material waste. It can be used to manufacture complex parts and enables manufacturers to reduce their inventory, make products on-demand, create smaller and localized manufacturing environments, and even reduce supply chains. Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as fabricating three-dimensional (3D) and four-dimensional (4D) components, refers to processes that allow for the direct fabrication of physical products from computer-aided design (CAD) models through the repetitious deposition of material layers. Compared with traditional manufacturing processes, AM allows the production of customized parts from bio- and synthetic polymers without the need for molds or machining typical for conventional formative and subtractive fabrication.In this Special Issue, we aimed to capture the cutting-edge state-of-the-art research pertaining to advancing the additive manufacturing of polymeric materials. The topic themes include advanced polymeric material development, processing parameter optimization, characterization techniques, structure–property relationships, process modelling, etc., specifically for AM.

Listed by Unglue.it.

If “design” is the lens through which we glimpse into possible futures, this volume asks: What are the futures we are capable of imagining? As a subject of study, design is enabled and constrained by educational institutions and academic traditions. As a profession it is conditioned by systems of labor. As a creative activity it is shaped by what tools are programmed to do. Authors in this book challenge common ways of knowing, being, and doing in design with regard to the futures they facilitate and interrogate the role, responsibility, and potential of a plurality of design practices in confrontation with social and environmental crises. In this way, this volume does not only ask about designed futures, but also the futures of design: What are the consequences drawn from a critical examination of the histories and politics underlying normative renderings of design? How can we disrupt the perpetuation of biases and reification of social injustices? Self-reflexively engaging their own experiences and work, authors in this volume interrogate design in all its convoluted modalities: as activism, practice, discipline, way of knowing, field of study and set of objects.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This open access book offers a timely snapshot of Augmented Reality (AR) technology, with an emphasis on its application within the mechanical and manufacturing engineering domains, for both educational and industrial purposes. Reporting on the experience of the authors, the book introduces readers to the principles of product design, with an emphasis on modern strategies and approaches for user-centered design, creativity, and design for manufacturing and sustainability. It guides to the application augmented reality and visualization techniques in the design process. In turn, it describes an AR mobile application developed by the authors to transform 2D drawings into dynamic 3D objects. The book also includes exercises. All in all, this book offers a practice-oriented guide to Augmented Reality applications in mechanical engineering and education, addressing advanced undergraduate students, lecturers, and professionals in the engineering field. This is an open access book.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This open access book offers a timely snapshot of Augmented Reality (AR) technology, with an emphasis on its application within the mechanical and manufacturing engineering domains, for both educational and industrial purposes. Reporting on the experience of the authors, the book introduces readers to the principles of product design, with an emphasis on modern strategies and approaches for user-centered design, creativity, and design for manufacturing and sustainability. It guides to the application augmented reality and visualization techniques in the design process. In turn, it describes an AR mobile application developed by the authors to transform 2D drawings into dynamic 3D objects. The book also includes exercises. All in all, this book offers a practice-oriented guide to Augmented Reality applications in mechanical engineering and education, addressing advanced undergraduate students, lecturers, and professionals in the engineering field. This is an open access book.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Composites are increasingly used to optimize the performance of applications as their properties can be tuned to achieve the desired functionality. The sustainability advantages during the use phase are not yet matched by lower impacts in the lifecycle of composite materials and products. In a circular economy this is problematic. This book will serve as a guide to designers who want to contribute with innovative and effective solutions. Circular recovery strategies, ranging from reuse to restructuring and recycling, are connected to the design process and concrete design approaches. By providing clear design guidelines and illustrative examples in a structured way the information is readily accessible and applicable to designers.

Listed by Unglue.it.

In 2023, the Netherlands is strategic partner of the Business of Design Week held in Hong Kong, with Circular Design as the central theme. One of the objectives of this partnership is to foster enduring international cooperation. As an initial step towards future collaborative efforts, the Network Applied Design Research (NADR) made an inventory of the current state of Circular Design Research in the Netherlands. This publication represents the results of this effort. Inside, readers will find a summary of six promising ‘gateways to circularity’ that may serve as entry points for future research initiatives. These six gateways are: Looped Systems; Extension of Useful Lifetime; Servitisation; New Materials and Production Techniques; Information Technology and Digitization; and Creating Public and Industry Awareness. The final chapter offers an outlook into topics that require more profound examination. Our hope is that this publication will serve as a starting point for discussions among designers, entrepreneurs, and researchers, with the goal of initiating future collaborative projects between Dutch knowledge organizations and their counterparts in Hong Kong. It is our belief that only through intensive international cooperation, we can contribute to the realization of a sustainable, circular, and habitable world.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This chapter provides an in-depth analysis of circular economy strategies and their transformative potential for sustainable development. By moving beyond the traditional linear economic model of take–make–dispose, the circular economy emphasizes resource efficiency, waste reduction, and the regeneration of natural systems. This chapter covers various circular strategies, including product lifecycle extension, resource recovery, and regenerative design, illustrating their applications across sectors.Rich with empirical evidence and case studies, this work highlights the tangible benefits of circular practices, showcasing how they can mitigate environmental degradation, promote economic resilience, and enhance social well-being. Whether you are looking to deepen your understanding of circular economy concepts, develop policies for sustainable development, or implement circular strategies in your business, this chapter provides valuable knowledge and inspiration to drive impactful change.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Recent advancements in computer technology have allowed for designers to have direct control over the production process through the help of computer-based tools, creating the possibility of a completely integrated design and manufacturing process. Over the last few decades, "artificial intelligence" (AI) techniques, such as machine learing and deep learning, have been topics of interest in computer-based design and manufacturing research fields. However, efforts to develop computer-based AI to handle big data in design and manufacturing have not yet been successful. This Special Issue aims to collect novel articles covering artificial intelligence-based design, manufacturing, and data-driven design. It will comprise academics, researchers, mechanical, manufacturing, production and industrial engineers and professionals related to engineering design and manufacturing.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This book contains academic papers and posters of the Cumulus Antwerp conference, held in Antwerp on 12-15 April 2023. The Cumulus community, designers, artists, and educators were invited to submit contributions on how culture and creative industry can offer resilience, consolation, and innovation models on human scale, in line with the conference theme ‘Connectivity and Creativity in times of Conflict’.

Listed by Unglue.it.

What do the work processes of a neurosurgeon and a painter have in common? Applying the notions of “Design”, “Gestaltung”, and “Formatività”, this book sheds new light on processes of formation and transformation in the material world we live in.Scholars from the fields of history, philosophy, psychology, media, and cultural studies question established processes of giving form, while artists, designers, engineers, and scientists describe their creative processes. This book provides its readers with an overview of the spectrum of “philosophies of making” and invites them to reflect on their own creative process, its possibilities, and associated responsibilities to the environment, and ultimately to express these in action. There has never been a more urgent need to develop a new relationship between matter and form. • Discussing and expanding the definitions of “Design”, “Gestaltung”, and “Formatività”• Leading international theorists write about the relationship between matter and form• A collection of new texts and first English translation of key texts.

Listed by Unglue.it.

The need to find suitable biomaterials and procedures from alternative sources able to imitate or even enhance the performance of currently used products has become an important focus of research today due to the depletion of non-renewable resources and the increasing concern related to climate change, sustainability and environmental preservation. Thus, this reprint gathers different original articles and review manuscripts from the Special Issue “Development of Bio-Based Materials: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications”. The development of partial or fully bio-based materials has been included, with excellent outcomes in many different applications, as well as alternative procedures that can reduce the carbon footprint or optimize both production and energy consumption.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Digital Twins in Industry is a compilation of works by authors with specific emphasis on industrial applications. Much of the research on digital twins has been conducted by the academia in both theoretical considerations and laboratory-based prototypes. Industry, while taking the lead on larger scale implementations of Digital Twins (DT) using sophisticated software, is concentrating on dedicated solutions that are not within the reach of the average-sized industries. This book covers 11 chapters of various implementations of DT. It provides an insight for companies who are contemplating the adaption of the DT technology, as well as researchers and senior students in exploring the potential of DT and its associated technologies.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This is the story of a set of computational devices called Energy Babbles. The product of a collaboration between designers and STS researchers, Energy Babbles are like automated talk radios obsessed with energy. Synthesised voices, punctuated by occasional jingles, recount energy policy announcements, remarks about energy conservation made on social media, information about current energy demand and production, and comments entered by other Babble users. Developed for members of UK community groups working to promote sustainable energy practices, the Energy Babbles were designed to reflect the complex situations they navigate, to provide information and encourage communication, and to help shed light on their engagements with energy policy and practice. This book tells the story of the Babbles from a mix of design and STS perspectives, suggesting how design may benefit from the perspectives of STS, and how STS may take an interventionist, design-led approach to the study of emerging technological issues. Chapters Energy Babble is organised into three main sections – Framing, Designing, and Circulating – that trace the story of how a team of design and STS researchers made and deployed a set of computational devices to UK–based community groups. The book is introduced by way of a preface and introduction and contains subsections that describe the various ways in which the research into local energy practices was conducted. Katherine Moline provides a reflection on her three-year experience of curating exhibitions that features the Energy Babble device and the book comes to a close with an Afterword by Bill Gaver.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Flourish by Design brings together a range of established and emerging voices in design research for a collection that provides original provocations on topics of global significance. It is an insightful guide to original theory and practice concerning how we can design for a better tomorrow. Featuring contributors from a diverse array of backgrounds and professions, this edited book explores the difference that design and design research can make for people, organisations, and the planet to prosper now and in the future. It offers a range of ideas and techniques through practical examples and ongoing projects showing how applied design research can respond to global challenges. Covering topics as diverse as artificial intelligence, bio-inspired materials, more-than-human design, sustainability, and urban acupuncture, it shares interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary design research not just to demonstrate what could be plausible in the near future but also to explain why it might be preferable. By sharing these despatches, this collection represents the very best of what design research can do, explaining how and why. This book is intended for a wide audience of professionals, scholars, and students in design, architecture, and public policy, as well as anyone who has an interest in how we design the world and, in turn, it designs us.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Because of the increasing pressure on both food safety and packaging/food waste, the topic is important both for academics, applied research, industry and also for environment protection. Different materials, such as glass, metals, paper and paperboards, and non-degradable and degradable polymers, with versatile properties, are attractive for potential uses in food packaging. Food packaging is the largest area of application within the food sector. Only the nanotechnology-enabled products in the food sector account for ~50% of the market value, with and the annual growth rate is 11.65%. Technological developments are also of great interest. In the food sector, nanotechnology is involved in packaging materials with extremely high gas barriers, antimicrobial properties, and also in nanoencapsulants for the delivery of nutrients, flavors, or aromas, antimicrobial, and antioxidant compounds. Applications of materials, including nanomaterials in packaging and food safety, are in forms of: edible films, polymer nanocomposites, as high barrier packaging materials, nanocoatings, surface biocides, silver nanoparticles as potent antimicrobial agents, nutrition and neutraceuticals, active/bioactive packaging, intelligent packaging, nanosensors and nanomaterial-based assays for the detection of food relevant analytes (gasses, small organic molecules and food-borne pathogens) and bioplastics.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Time and again one reads that manufacturers deliberately design their products in such a way that they break prematurely. The victims: the customers. Many manufacturers, however, want to delay the wear. How do you go about planning for obsolescence? The book presents for the first time the view and experiences of those who develop, design and manufacture products. The contributions deal with reparability as a business model, product lifecycle management, obsolescence as a management topic, the role of state influence and the social drivers of the short-lived consumer goods.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This present book covers a series of outstanding reputation researchers’ contributions on the topic of ICS Materials: a new class of emerging materials with properties and qualities concerning interactivity, connectivity and intelligence. In the general framework of ICS Materials’ domain, each chapter deals with a specific aspect following the characteristic perspective of each researcher. As result, methods, tools, guidelines emerged that are relevant and applicable to several contexts such as product, interaction design, materials science and many more.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Petro-modernity is a local phenomenon essential to the history of Kuwait, while also a global experience and one of the prime sources of climate change. The book investigates petroleum’s role in the visual culture of Kuwait to understand the intersecting ideologies of modernization, political representation, and oil. The notion of iridescence, the ambiguous yet mesmerizing effect of a rainbowlike color play, serves as analytical-aesthetic concept to discuss petroleum’s ambiguous contribution to modernity: both promise of prosperity and destructive force of socio-cultural and ecological environments. Covering a broad spectrum of historical material from aerial and color photography, visual arts, postage stamps, and master plans to architecture and also contemporary art from the Gulf, it dismantles petro- modernity’s visual legacy.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This book presents an emotion centered research framework titled "emoha" for design innovation. It defines emoha and underlines the importance of the developed framework in culturalization of technology and thereby design innovation. The book explains the detailed research on product styling which leads to the creation of "Emoha" and how to use it in product design.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This book presents an emotion centered research framework titled "emoha" for design innovation. It defines emoha and underlines the importance of the developed framework in culturalization of technology and thereby design innovation. The book explains the detailed research on product styling which leads to the creation of "Emoha" and how to use it in product design.

Listed by Unglue.it.

In this book, for the first time, the complexity of assessing fit and using fittings in the product design process is addressed from a scientific and systems engineering perspective. It includes methods to represent the anthropometry of the target market, good practices to develop protocols for more reliable and consistent fit testing, methods for developing and maintaining a fit database, comprehensive statistical analyses needed for fit and sizing analysis, and instructions for selecting and modeling cases for new product development. Product Fit and Sizing: Sustainable Product Evaluation, Engineering, and Design offers step-by-step instructions for the evaluation, engineering, and design of existing and new products and includes real-world examples of mass-produced apparel, head wearables, and footwear products. It also explains how to develop a sustainable fit standard for fit and sizing continuity for all styles across all seasons and iterations. This book is intended for industry professionals and undergraduate and graduate education to prepare students for design and engineering jobs. For organizations that purchase uniforms or protective equipment and apparel, it also provides instructions for purchasing professionals to evaluate the suitability of wearable products for their population. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

Listed by Unglue.it.

We relate to things and things relate to us. Emerging technologies do this in ways that are interesting and exciting, but often also inaccessible or invisible. In this open access book, leading design researchers and philosophers respond to issues raised by this situation — inquiring into what it means to live with and relate to things that can actively relate to us, and that relate to each other in ways that do not involve us at all. Case studies include Amazon's Alexa, the Internet of Things, Pokémon Go and Roomba the robot vacuum cleaner. Authors explore everything from the care work undertaken by objects, reciprocal human/machine learning, technological mediation as a form of control, and what it takes to reveal things that tend to be hidden and that often (by design) conceal the ways in which they use us. As a whole, Relating to Things is a collaborative philosophical inquiry into the nature and consequences of contemporary technological things. It is a design inquiry into the current nature of the artificial, and possibilities for how things might be otherwise. The eBook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com.

Listed by Unglue.it.

In this white paper, experts from science and practice share their knowledge of product repair. Repair is an important pillar of the circular economy as it is more efficient to repair a product than to completely dismantle or destroy it and recycle the materials. European legislation promoting repair is in the process of being adopted. More info...

Listed by Unglue.it.

Augmented Reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are technological domains that closely interact with space at architectural and urban scale in the broader ambits of cultural heritage and innovative design. The growing interest is perceivable in many fields of knowledge, supported by the rapid development and advancement of theory and application, software and devices, fueling a pervasive phenomenon within our daily lives. These technologies demonstrate to be best exploited when their application and other information and communication technology (ICT) advancements achieve a continuum. In particular, AR defines an alternative path to observe, analyze and communicate space and artifacts. Besides, AI opens future scenarios in data processing, redefining the relationship between man and computer. In the last few years, the AR/AI expansion and relationship have raised deep transdisciplinary speculation. The research experiences have shown many cross-relations in Architecture and Design domains. Representation studies could arise an international debate as a convergence place of multidisciplinary theoretical and applicative contributions related to architecture, city, environment, tangible and intangible Cultural Heritage. This book collects 66 papers and identify eight lines of research that may guide future developments.

Listed by Unglue.it.

In products designed specifically for older people, the inventiveness and resourcefulness of the elderly is often underestimated in favour of designs that overestimate the extent to which older people are in need of assistance. This book is about what older people can still do. The book describes an award-winning project that combined design experimentation, machine learning, and ethnographic fieldwork to create and prototype designs that could support older people in everyday practices of resourcefulness. The results offer the reader a categorized set of strategies for supporting resourcefulness in older people’s everyday lives; methodological considerations on algorithmic design practices and the role of machine learning in support of improvisation; and, relevant design tools and techniques. The book concludes with reflections on the importance of designing technology for older people not as ‘intervention’, but as ‘resources’. If designers want to support ageing in place, they must empower older people to configure technology with a higher degree of freedom. Editors: Elisa Giaccardi, Iohanna Nicenboim Authors: Elisa Giaccardi, Iohanna Nicenboim, Lenneke Kuijer, Louis Neven, Hayley Hung, Ivo Maathuis, Yanxia Zhang, Benjamin Lopez

Listed by Unglue.it.

The 5th IEEE International Conference on Applied System Innovation 2019 (IEEE ICASI 2019, https://2019.icasi-conf.net/), which was held in Fukuoka, Japan, on 11–15 April, 2019, provided a unified communication platform for a wide range of topics. This Special Issue entitled “Selected Papers from IEEE ICASI 2019” collected nine excellent papers presented on the applied sciences topic during the conference. Mechanical engineering and design innovations are academic and practical engineering fields that involve systematic technological materialization through scientific principles and engineering designs. Technological innovation by mechanical engineering includes information technology (IT)-based intelligent mechanical systems, mechanics and design innovations, and applied materials in nanoscience and nanotechnology. These new technologies that implant intelligence in machine systems represent an interdisciplinary area that combines conventional mechanical technology and new IT. The main goal of this Special Issue is to provide new scientific knowledge relevant to IT-based intelligent mechanical systems, mechanics and design innovations, and applied materials in nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Cake products with highly acceptable flavor and mouthfeel are not always successful in the marketplace. Sales of identical cake products sold in two different bakery shops often differ. Patrons’ choices of specific cake items differ depending on menu designs at restaurants. Such examples suggest that consumer behavior related to eating, preparing, or purchasing foods and beverages is typically complex, dynamic, and sensitive to environmental cues surrounding them. The nine original research articles and two systematic review articles addressed in this book provide recent informative and insightful findings on how sensory cues related to eating/drinking environmental contexts can serve as “sensory nudges” that induce healthy eating and drinking along with consumer satisfaction.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This book is a collection of 11 articles that are published in the corresponding Machines Special Issue “Smart Manufacturing”. It represents the quality, breadth and depth of the most updated study in smart manufacturing (SM); in particular, digital technologies are deployed to enhance system smartness by (1) empowering physical resources in production, (2) utilizing virtual and dynamic assets over the Internet to expand system capabilities, (3) supporting data-driven decision-making activities at various domains and levels of businesses, or (4) reconfiguring systems to adapt to changes and uncertainties. System smartness can be evaluated by one or a combination of performance metrics such as degree of automation, cost-effectiveness, leanness, robustness, flexibility, adaptability, sustainability, and resilience. This book features, firstly, the concepts digital triad (DT-II) and Internet of digital triad things (IoDTT), proposed to deal with the complexity, dynamics, and scalability of complex systems simultaneously. This book also features a comprehensive survey of the applications of digital technologies in space instruments; a systematic literature search method is used to investigate the impact of product design and innovation on the development of space instruments. In addition, the survey provides important information and critical considerations for using cutting edge digital technologies in designing and manufacturing space instruments.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Co-creating value with consumers in a virtual environment is an original monograph on the Polish publishing market devoted to the issue of the competitiveness of enterprises in the context of the approach to the value creation. The author discusses issues related to the co-creating value together with consumers, conditioned by the specificity and potential of the virtual environment. The book is a valuable source of knowledge about virtual communities and their importance in creating the company's offer and improving business innovation. Cooperation with consumers can be applied in such areas as building unique products that respond to the needs of existing and future clients, processes adapted to the specificity of individual industries and markets, and communication with the market by creating and distributing content and promoting the idea and values of the organisation.

Listed by Unglue.it.