Contemporary design operates within a critical transition marked by environmental pressures, technological acceleration, and the need for systemic sustainability. In this context, materials are no longer neutral inputs but complex, relational entities that carry cultural, territorial, and environmental significance. Particularly within the Made in Italy production system (characterized by distributed SMEs, artisanal know-how, and symbolic value) rethinking material management is crucial to address the limitations of linear, extractive models.
This paper introduces Material as a Service (MAAS) as an infrastructural paradigm that extends the previous Material-Service approach, framing matter as an active node within circular and distributed ecosystems. MAAS enables materials to become traceable, configurable, and regenerable, bridging data, design practices, and local supply chains. Through this lens, design moves from shaping objects to orchestrating relational infrastructures where matter, data, and systems interact. The paper also highlights the role of the Transitional Industrial Designer as a mediator between technological, cultural, and territorial dimensions, supporting SMEs in the transition toward more responsible, human-centered, and circular production models. By activating material as an infrastructure, MAAS provides a framework for generating value that is not only economic, but also cultural, relational, and regenerative, paving the way for distributed material ecosystems in contemporary industry.
This conversation with Catherine D’Ignazio explores the potential of “restorative” and “transformative data science” as practices oriented toward justice, care, and the repair of systemic harm. Drawing on the experiences of activists documenting feminicide, the dialogue investigates how absence can be understood not as a lack but as a generative space for new forms of knowledge and action. D’Ignazio highlights the significance of emotional and relational labor, the rejection of automation when it undermines witnessing, and the creation of data networks grounded in reciprocity and autonomy. The interview shows how design, through a situated and critical stance, can help to envision more equitable futures by fostering practices of care, memory, and participation.
The adoption of Generative AI (GenAI) suggests major changes for software engineering, including technical aspects but also human aspects of the professionals involved. One of these aspects is how individuals perceive themselves regarding their work, i.e., their work identity, and the processes they perform to form, adapt and reject these identities, i.e., identity work. Existent studies provide evidence of such identity work of software professionals triggered by the adoption of GenAI, however they do not consider differences among diverse roles, such as developers and testers. In this paper, we argue the need for considering the role as a factor defining the identity work of software professionals. To support our claim, we review some studies regarding different roles and also recent studies on how to adopt GenAI in software engineering. Then, we propose a research agenda to better understand how the role influences identity work of software professionals triggered by the adoption of GenAI, and, based on that, to propose new artifacts to support this adoption. We also discuss the potential implications for practice of the results to be obtained.
The project is proposed as a tool to improve planning capacities in the lower Piacenza area. The aim is to enable the existing economic system to prepare more complex and structured projects for the enhancement of the environmental and natural heritage according to UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with reference to direct EU funding lines. The planning of the area will be particularly oriented towards sustainable tourism and mobility, as well as circular economy, starting from its uniqueness, where the coexistence of natural heritage, agricultural activities, energy and waterway infrastructures, and tourism and accommodation initiatives represent a development potential of undeniable value.
The short-term results are the active participation and sensitization of the local community and the improvement of knowledge about the area. In the long term, the dissemination of a culture focused on sustainability and participation will initiate co-planning pathways for the regeneration of the area. Activating the local community can change the approach and view of the area and create a greater sense of protection and care, benefiting not only the residents but also the environment itself. The sense of belonging to a particular context can create an attractive value for external users.
Design played a crucial role in exploring the area and defining the areas of interest to be intervened in. The collection of data and information on the development of the Isola Serafini area highlighted from the outset the importance and uniqueness of this place, not only from a landscape and environmental point of view, but also in terms of social dynamics. The design was the framework in which all the information gathered took shape and found its place in the definition of a bottom-up design strategy that, starting from knowledge of the area, expanded into a participatory approach aimed at disseminating knowledge and developing the attractiveness of Isola Serafini and of the neighboring areas through the implementation of a “strategic plan for the local development”.
Of the three major axion search experimental strategies, light-shining-through-wall experiments, haloscopes, and helioscopes, this paper focuses on the latter. IAXO, the International AXion Observatory, will be a next-generation helioscope following in the footsteps of previous experiments like SUMICO and CAST. Helioscopes aim to detect axions produced in the Sun, utilizing a magnetic field to couple them to X-ray photons. BabyIAXO represents a near-term step toward IAXO, designed to test custom components while delivering competitive results in axion searches. The experimental components are currently under development and construction. Further research into the applications of BabyIAXO beyond baseline axion searches is being conducted.
Mechanical drawing. Engineering graphics, Physical and theoretical chemistry
Archivio Atena is a community-driven project aimed at preserving and enriching the cultural heritage of Atena Lucana, a small-fortified town in the province of Salerno. The project wants to build a community archive with the purpose of surveying and promoting local cultural heritage, through initiatives like digitizing private photos, organizing photo campaigns, and producing audio-visual materials. The archive was realized in a participatory way through co-design activities that directly involved the citizens of the small village. The project's aim is to create a sustainable development tool for the entire community, anchored by the practice of census-taking. This collective effort involves residents, students, artists, businesses, and local associations, offering training courses and workshops to empower individuals in heritage preservation. Technical workshops cover diverse skills such as embroidery, 3D printing, and soundscape creation, fostering community engagement and skill-sharing. The digital platform will serve as a comprehensive archive, accessible to all, preserving Atena Lucana's identity for future generations. Overall, it's a testament to collective action, promoting community cohesion and shared prosperity. Through these endeavors, Archivio Atena aims to revitalize connections within the community and with its cultural roots, nurturing a sense of pride and ownership in preserving their heritage. By bridging generations and fostering cross-cultural dialogue, it seeks to cultivate a vibrant and sustainable future for Atena Lucana, where its rich history and traditions continue to thrive.
Refactoring is the process of restructuring existing code without changing its external behavior while improving its internal structure. Refactoring engines are integral components of modern Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) and can automate or semi-automate this process to enhance code readability, reduce complexity, and improve the maintainability of software products. Similar to traditional software systems such as compilers, refactoring engines may also contain bugs that can lead to unexpected behaviors. In this paper, we propose a novel approach called RETESTER, a LLM-based framework for automated refactoring engine testing. Specifically, by using input program structure templates extracted from historical bug reports and input program characteristics that are error-prone, we design chain-of-thought (CoT) prompts to perform refactoring-preserving transformations. The generated variants are then tested on the latest version of refactoring engines using differential testing. We evaluate RETESTER on two most popular modern refactoring engines (i.e., ECLIPSE, and INTELLIJ IDEA). It successfully revealed 18 new bugs in the latest version of those refactoring engines. By the time we submit our paper, seven of them were confirmed by their developers, and three were fixed.
The article formulates the urgent problem of ensuring the required quality of engineering specialists and concludes that in order to solve this problem it is necessary to ensure the quality of basic engineering and geometric training in junior years during the study of the geometric and graphic course - Descriptive Geometry, Engineering and Computer Graphics. Definitions of engineering geometry, descriptive geometry, engineering graphics and computer graphics are given. It is noted that from the very first lesson on the geometric and graphic course, students study the basis of the engineering method - a constructive approach, according to which the solution of any problem consists of the stages of analyzing the conditions of the problem, synthesizing the solution (prototype production), validation, research. Examples of the application of engineering and geometric methods in various fields are given: in mechanical engineering and robotics, aircraft, shipbuilding and machine tool manufacturing; in instrument making, radio engineering and radio electronics; in thermal, nuclear, hydropower and electric power engineering; in geoinformation and space systems; in chemistry, chemical technology and biotechnology; in materials science and physical and chemical analysis; in medicine. Additionally, a special type of drawings is considered – nomograms. Examples of modern nomograms are given. Conclusions are made that all specialists in engineering specialties without exception must have knowledge, skills and abilities in working with geometric and graphic information. The fundamental basis for this is the basic geometric and graphic course. Improving the general level of engineering training is impossible without a corresponding increase in the level of basic engineering and geometric training of students. References are given to publications devoted to the analysis of the causes of weak engineering and geometric training, and publications that show ways to ensure the required quality of basic engineering and geometric training.
Qais Ibrahim, Ashraf Thaker Mahmood, Murtadha Al-Ghadhanfari
et al.
Modern engineering systems increasingly encounter complex, high-dimensional optimization problems that challenge traditional solution methods. Swarm intelligence (SI) algorithms, inspired by the collective behavior of biological systems, offer robust and adaptable alternatives. This review systematically explores the development and application of key SI techniques-Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Artificial Bee Colony (ABC), and Ant Colony Optimization (ACO)-within engineering domains from 2020 to 2025. Drawing on recent literature, the paper identifies major application areas in mechanical, structural, power, energy, civil, and infrastructure engineering. It evaluates algorithmic performance trends, emphasizing the superior convergence and robustness of hybrid approaches, along with their growing integration with machine learning. The review also highlights advances in multi-objective optimization and the expanding use of SI in emerging fields such as IoT and cybersecurity. The findings underscore the increasing significance of SI in next-generation engineering systems, particularly in autonomous technologies and smart infrastructure, while outlining key directions for future research and practical deployment.
The Mechanical Engineering Laboratory I course at Lehigh University has a simple objective and that is, to introduce basic engineering measurement concepts to students. Experimental data from sensors in experimental setups that are loaded by testing machines are collected using digital acquisition techniques. Programming for data acquisition using LabVIEW is also introduced. While it is desirable to have the actual machines for touch and feel, these is not necessary for achieving the objectives of this laboratory course. What is important are: the understanding of the purpose and theory behind the experiment, the mathematical and engineering skills in manipulating the acquired data into something that is meaningful and, drawing correct conclusions from the resulting calculations. This paper proposes using LabVIEW in conjunction with an animation software such as SolidWorks, to simulate virtual experiments. Since the experiments are virtual, they can provide a way to include variations on the experiments. Thus, students can try these different variations for a better understanding of the theory behind the experiments. With the many advantages of having actual simulation of the experiments such an approach presents an alternative path for the engineering laboratory courses, but only for those with the right kind of experiments.
Accessibility in distance education activities represents a challenge that needs to be addressed with a view to social inclusion and collaboration between the stakeholders of the school system. Also, as a resilient response to the Covid-19 pandemic, today we are witnessing research and experimentation on the theme of connecting people at a distance through solutions and tools designed to facilitate the teaching/learning process and socialisation, to make the impact more human with advanced digital technologies for image transfer.
In this direction, telepresence robotics demonstrates a discrete potential regarding pedagogical effectiveness and social inclusion. Still, it also needs to investigate in greater detail the requirements for acceptance and service management.
This contribution presents the results of a workshop/laboratory with university students at the Politecnico di Torino to investigate the first requirements related to the physical and cognitive embodiment of the telepresence robot through an interdisciplinary co-designing experience.
As part of an increasingly multicultural society issues concerning integration and relationships between ethnic groups and different communities are receiving a great deal of attention in the social and scientific debate.
The skills of design can be made available as a tool to systematise this multiplicity, promoting an innovation respectful of diversity, comparison, and interaction between people and cultures.
This article concerns practical product design applications, that explore the relationship between multi-cultural society and cultural accessibility. Moreover, this contribution aims to reflect on which and how methodological strategies could be implemented within a design process that focuses on an intercultural approach.
A series of case studies of narrative artifacts capable of bringing different cultures together and making them recognizable to different users will be analysed with the lens proposed in the methodological overview.
The relocation of the textile industry has resulted in both linkages and disruptions within the regions where they have been established. Due to the creation of textile dumps, the territorial links of the textile industry in Chilean territory, specifically in Alto Hospicio, have modified the social and environmental landscape. This study investigates the relationship between global textile production networks and the environmental and social effects of textile debris entering Iquique. Furthermore, how would it be possible to make it visible and raise awareness to seek viable future solutions through design activism actions. The research was carried out based on field interviews, techniques of “conversation in action” (Flores, 2013) from the perspective of Grounded Theory, a research trip to the north of Chile, as well as the review of Chilean legislation, similar case studies, and literature related to the functioning of the global fashion system from a geopolitical standpoint.
Anuradha Madugalla, Yutan Huang, John Grundy
et al.
Most software applications contain graphics such as charts, diagrams and maps. Currently, these graphics are designed with a ``one size fits all" approach and do not cater to the needs of people with disabilities. Therefore, when using software with graphics, a colour-impaired user may struggle to interpret graphics with certain colours, and a person with dyslexia may struggle to read the text labels in the graphic. Our research addresses this issue by developing a framework that generates adaptive and accessible information graphics for multiple disabilities. Uniquely, the approach also serves people with multiple simultaneous disabilities. To achieve these, we used a case study of public space floorplans presented via a web tool and worked with four disability groups: people with low vision, colour blindness, dyslexia and mobility impairment. Our research involved gathering requirements from 3 accessibility experts and 80 participants with disabilities, developing a system to generate adaptive graphics that address the identified requirements, and conducting an evaluation with 7 participants with disabilities. The evaluation showed that users found our solution easy to use and suitable for most of their requirements. The study also provides recommendations for front-end developers on engineering accessible graphics for their software and discusses the implications of our work on society from the perspective of public space owners and end users.
Juan M. Murillo, Jose Garcia-Alonso, Enrique Moguel
et al.
As quantum computers advance, the complexity of the software they can execute increases as well. To ensure this software is efficient, maintainable, reusable, and cost-effective -key qualities of any industry-grade software-mature software engineering practices must be applied throughout its design, development, and operation. However, the significant differences between classical and quantum software make it challenging to directly apply classical software engineering methods to quantum systems. This challenge has led to the emergence of Quantum Software Engineering as a distinct field within the broader software engineering landscape. In this work, a group of active researchers analyse in depth the current state of quantum software engineering research. From this analysis, the key areas of quantum software engineering are identified and explored in order to determine the most relevant open challenges that should be addressed in the next years. These challenges help identify necessary breakthroughs and future research directions for advancing Quantum Software Engineering.
Ranim Khojah, Mazen Mohamad, Philipp Leitner
et al.
Large Language Models (LLMs) are frequently discussed in academia and the general public as support tools for virtually any use case that relies on the production of text, including software engineering. Currently there is much debate, but little empirical evidence, regarding the practical usefulness of LLM-based tools such as ChatGPT for engineers in industry. We conduct an observational study of 24 professional software engineers who have been using ChatGPT over a period of one week in their jobs, and qualitatively analyse their dialogues with the chatbot as well as their overall experience (as captured by an exit survey). We find that, rather than expecting ChatGPT to generate ready-to-use software artifacts (e.g., code), practitioners more often use ChatGPT to receive guidance on how to solve their tasks or learn about a topic in more abstract terms. We also propose a theoretical framework for how (i) purpose of the interaction, (ii) internal factors (e.g., the user's personality), and (iii) external factors (e.g., company policy) together shape the experience (in terms of perceived usefulness and trust). We envision that our framework can be used by future research to further the academic discussion on LLM usage by software engineering practitioners, and to serve as a reference point for the design of future empirical LLM research in this domain.
With the advent of large language models (LLMs) in the artificial intelligence (AI) area, the field of software engineering (SE) has also witnessed a paradigm shift. These models, by leveraging the power of deep learning and massive amounts of data, have demonstrated an unprecedented capacity to understand, generate, and operate programming languages. They can assist developers in completing a broad spectrum of software development activities, encompassing software design, automated programming, and maintenance, which potentially reduces huge human efforts. Integrating LLMs within the SE landscape (LLM4SE) has become a burgeoning trend, necessitating exploring this emergent landscape's challenges and opportunities. The paper aims at revisiting the software development life cycle (SDLC) under LLMs, and highlighting challenges and opportunities of the new paradigm. The paper first summarizes the overall process of LLM4SE, and then elaborates on the current challenges based on a through discussion. The discussion was held among more than 20 participants from academia and industry, specializing in fields such as software engineering and artificial intelligence. Specifically, we achieve 26 key challenges from seven aspects, including software requirement & design, coding assistance, testing code generation, code review, code maintenance, software vulnerability management, and data, training, and evaluation. We hope the achieved challenges would benefit future research in the LLM4SE field.