Contacts weave through every aspect of our physical world, from daily household chores to acts of nature. Modeling and predictive computation of these phenomena for solid mechanics is important to every discipline concerned with the motion of mechanical systems, including engineering and animation. Nevertheless, efficiently time-stepping accurate and consistent simulations of real-world contacting elastica remains an outstanding computational challenge. To model the complex interaction of deforming solids in contact we propose Incremental Potential Contact (IPC) - a new model and algorithm for variationally solving implicitly time-stepped nonlinear elastodynamics. IPC maintains an intersection- and inversion-free trajectory regardless of material parameters, time step sizes, impact velocities, severity of deformation, or boundary conditions enforced. Constructed with a custom nonlinear solver, IPC enables efficient resolution of time-stepping problems with separate, user-exposed accuracy tolerances that allow independent specification of the physical accuracy of the dynamics and the geometric accuracy of surface-to-surface conformation. This enables users to decouple, as needed per application, desired accuracies for a simulation's dynamics and geometry. The resulting time stepper solves contact problems that are intersection-free (and thus robust), inversion-free, efficient (at speeds comparable to or faster than available methods that lack both convergence and feasibility), and accurate (solved to user-specified accuracies). To our knowledge this is the first implicit time-stepping method, across both the engineering and graphics literature that can consistently enforce these guarantees as we vary simulation parameters. In an extensive comparison of available simulation methods, research libraries and commercial codes we confirm that available engineering and computer graphics methods, while each succeeding admirably in custom-tuned regimes, often fail with instabilities, egregious constraint violations and/or inaccurate and implausible solutions, as we vary input materials, contact numbers and time step. We also exercise IPC across a wide range of existing and new benchmark tests and demonstrate its accurate solution over a broad sweep of reasonable time-step sizes and beyond (up to h = 2s) across challenging large-deformation, large-contact stress-test scenarios with meshes composed of up to 2.3M tetrahedra and processing up to 498K contacts per time step. For applications requiring high-accuracy we demonstrate tight convergence on all measures. While, for applications requiring lower accuracies, e.g. animation, we confirm IPC can ensure feasibility and plausibility even when specified tolerances are lowered for efficiency.
Monmouth County Engineering’s Facilities Section is responsible for the construction, maintenance, and improvement of county-owned buildings and their systems, including mechanical, electrical, plumbing, architectural, hydronic, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. During my internship with the Facilities Section, I gained hands-on exposure to underlying building systems through site visits and project reviews. My responsibilities included reviewing construction drawings, observing ongoing projects, and tracking project progress across multiple locations. Worksites included the Monmouth County Courthouse, Public Library, Correctional Institution, and various buildings within the Public Works Complex.
Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a natural biodegradable polymer that is produced by many types of bacteria as an intracellular energy storage material. Due to its numerous advantages such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, availability and with physical properties comparable to petroleum-based thermoplastics, PHB is a potential substitute in biomedical and packaging fields. However, several physical drawbacks, such as high production cost, thermal instability, and poor mechanical properties, due to secondary crystallization and slow nucleation rate, limit its competition with traditional plastics in industrial and biomedical applications. Thereby, many attempts have been employed to improve the material performance of toughened PHB so as to achieve greater competitiveness and sustainability. In this review, the most recent developments of PHB-based toughening materials are discussed with respect to their approaches and strategies, which includes: drawing and thermal treatment, blending with materials from natural sources and synthetic polymers, as well as forming reinforced composites with natural fibers and inorganic fillers. The alternation of PHB chemical structure to form various types of functional copolymers with enhanced materials performance is also summarized. The expanded utilization of these newly developed sophisticated PHB materials as engineering materials and the biomedical significance in different domains are also addressed.
در این کار تحقیقاتی از رازیانه به عنوان رنگزای طبیعی برای رنگرزی پارچه مخلوط پنبه/ پلیاستر به منظور افزایش حفاظت در برابر پرتو فرابنفش و فعالیت ضدباکتری و خواص آنتیاکسیدانی استفاده شد. از طرف دیگر به منظور افزایش تمایل رنگزا به لیف، از پیشتکمیلهای پلاسمای دمای پایین و پرتو فرابنفش استفاده شد. برای این منظور، پارچه خام و پیشتکمیلشده مخلوط پنبه/ پلیاستر توسط عصاره اتانولی برگ رازیانه توسط روش رمقکشی رنگرزی شدند. قدرت رنگی، انواع ثباتهای رنگی، محافظت در برابر پرتو فرابنفش، فعالیت ضدمیکروبی، خواص آنتیاکسیدانی، میزان آبدوستی، خواص فیزیک و مکانیکی نمونههای رنگرزیشده مورد ارزیابی قرار گرفت. پارچه پیشتکمیلشده رنگرزیشده با عصاره رازیانه، با حداقل تأثیر بر استحکام کششی، افزایش چشمگیری در محافظت در برابر پرتو فرابنفش نشان داد.
This study examines the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on creativity, focusing on the experiences of local graphic designers in Indonesia. As a rapidly evolving technology, AI has transformed various industries, including the realms of culture and entertainment. This research investigates how AI shapes the creative processes of Indonesian designers, explores the ethical concerns it raises, and evaluates its role in preserving and promoting cultural heritage. The study employs a qualitative approach, drawing insights from semi structured interviews conducted with members of three professional graphic designer communities across Java, Indonesia. These communities, which have embraced AI tools in their work and emphasize integrating traditional Indonesian cultural elements into their designs, provided valuable perspectives on the influence of AI in their field. The findings reveal that AI technologies, particularly Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), significantly enhance creativity by generating diverse design options and automating routine tasks, thereby freeing up time for deeper conceptual exploration and innovation. Moreover, AI's ability to digitize and archive traditional cultural motifs supports the preservation of Indonesia’s artistic heritage, ensuring its accessibility for future generations. Furthermore, AI facilitates the promotion of traditional designs in modern contexts through digital platforms, thereby increasing their appreciation on both national and international levels.
Rui Patrício, Maria Theresa Cabrita Matias Ramos Gelies, Joana Mendonça
Service Design Thinking (SDT) workshops often get stuck when service intangibility, social distance, and vague
goals jeopardize engagement. This study explores how game approaches address those barriers. Semi-structured interviews with experienced SDT practitioners were analysed abductively, interlacing capability theory with gameful design principles. Findings suggest that gamification enhances empathy, framework-building, and concept modelling, making abstract service concepts more tangible and improving team dynamics. However, its implications on problem-solving and vision-building remain inconclusive, and structured game elements may sometimes restrict creative thinking. Insights are consolidated in a Gamification-SDT Capability Matrix that links elements to five design capabilities and offers quick-reference support for workshop facilitation. By framing gamification as an object that externalises designer intent and accelerates double-loop learning, the study extends the transformation-design discourse and provides actionable guidance for capability-based service innovation.
در پژوهش حاضر، قابلیت گیاه بیابانی علفشور بدون هیچگونه پیشپردازش، در حذف رنگزای مالاشیتگرین (MG) به بررسی گذاشته شد، زیرا که این حالت میتواند بهعنوان یک گزینه اقتصادی و زیستمحیطی مناسب در حذف آلودگی رنگی، مطرح شود. آزمایشهای جذب در شرایط غلظت اولیه رنگزای MG، از mg l-110 تا mg l-170 ، غلظت جاذب، mg l⁻¹10 تا mg l⁻¹200، زمان تماس 2 تا 20دقیقه و pH (4 تا10) انجام شد. بیشترین حذف رنگزای MG در غلظت اولیه رنگزای mg l-1 50، غلظت جاذب mg l⁻¹ 60، زمان تماس 6 دقیقه و 7=pH رخ داد، که در این شرایط حدود 11/92 درصد رنگ حذف گردید. ظرفیت جذب بهینه جاذب در این شرایط حدود mg g-1 10/64 به دست آمد. مدل ایزوترم لانگمویر و همچنین مدل سینتیک شبه مرتبه دوم، به دلیل ضرایب همبستگی بالا، توانستند دادههای تعادلی را به خوبی توصیف کند. ارزیابیهای پارامترهای ترمودینامیکی نشان داد که مکانیسم فرایند جذب توسط یک فرایند گرماگیر است. طبق نتایج آزمایشها، علف شور یک جاذب سازگار با محیط زیست برای حذف MG از محلول آبی است، که از نظر هزینه نیز مقرون به صرفه است و میتواند در رفع تقاضای رو به افزایش برای جاذبهای مورد استفاده در فرایندهای حفاظت از محیط زیست، مفید باشد.
The present paper – which also brings together a reflection on the complex and identity-based context of the Mediterranean area with all its critical aspects, but also with its specific values - is articulated within a theoretical framework that investigates the complex relationships between design, cultural heritages, territories and communities, characterised by conditions of systemic fragility. This part is followed by the presentation of a design experience from a small eco-museum carried out in a rural village in the Sicilian interior. A community-based micro-museum, generated through dialogic and co-design practices, which combined the historical-anthropological and scientific-educational dimensions linked to knowledge on wheat and bread. A project designed to reuse the cultural heritage as an engine of sustainable and shared development, of a small and fragile, yet cohesive, rural community, which has intercepted some emerging research address from the contemporary debate on the topic.
Jonathan Ullrich, Matthias Koch, Andreas Vogelsang
With the advent of generative LLMs and their advanced code generation capabilities, some people already envision the end of traditional software engineering, as LLMs may be able to produce high-quality code based solely on the requirements a domain expert feeds into the system. The feasibility of this vision can be assessed by understanding how developers currently incorporate requirements when using LLMs for code generation-a topic that remains largely unexplored. We interviewed 18 practitioners from 14 companies to understand how they (re)use information from requirements and other design artifacts to feed LLMs when generating code. Based on our findings, we propose a theory that explains the processes developers employ and the artifacts they rely on. Our theory suggests that requirements, as typically documented, are too abstract for direct input into LLMs. Instead, they must first be manually decomposed into programming tasks, which are then enriched with design decisions and architectural constraints before being used in prompts. Our study highlights that fundamental RE work is still necessary when LLMs are used to generate code. Our theory is important for contextualizing scientific approaches to automating requirements-centric SE tasks.
Decarbonization of the transport sector sets increasingly strict demands to maximize thermal efficiency and minimize greenhouse gas emissions of Internal Combustion Engines. This has led to complex engines with a surge in the number of corresponding tunable parameters in actuator set points and control settings. Automated calibration is therefore essential to keep development time and costs at acceptable levels. In this work, an innovative self-learning calibration method is presented based on in-cylinder pressure curve shaping. This method combines Principal Component Decomposition with constrained Bayesian Optimization. To realize maximal thermal engine efficiency, the optimization problem aims at minimizing the difference between the actual in-cylinder pressure curve and an Idealized Thermodynamic Cycle. By continuously updating a Gaussian Process Regression model of the pressure's Principal Components weights using measurements of the actual operating conditions, the mean in-cylinder pressure curve as well as its uncertainty bounds are learned. This information drives the optimization of calibration parameters, which are automatically adapted while dealing with the risks and uncertainties associated with operational safety and combustion stability. This data-driven method does not require prior knowledge of the system. The proposed method is successfully demonstrated in simulation using a Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition engine model. The difference between the Gross Indicated Efficiency of the optimal solution found and the true optimum is 0.017%. For this complex engine, the optimal solution was found after 64.4s, which is relatively fast compared to conventional calibration methods.
Engineering information systems for scientific data analysis presents significant challenges: complex workflows requiring exploration of large solution spaces, close collaboration with domain specialists, and the need for maintainable, interpretable implementations. Traditional manual development is time-consuming, while "No Code" approaches using large language models (LLMs) often produce unreliable systems. We present iProg, a tool implementing Interactive Structured Inductive Programming. iProg employs a variant of a '2-way Intelligibility' communication protocol to constrain collaborative system construction by a human and an LLM. Specifically, given a natural-language description of the overall data analysis task, iProg uses an LLM to first identify an appropriate decomposition of the problem into a declarative representation, expressed as a Data Flow Diagram (DFD). In a second phase, iProg then uses an LLM to generate code for each DFD process. In both stages, human feedback, mediated through the constructs provided by the communication protocol, is used to verify LLMs' outputs. We evaluate iProg extensively on two published scientific collaborations (astrophysics and biochemistry), demonstrating that it is possible to identify appropriate system decompositions and construct end-to-end information systems with better performance, higher code quality, and order-of-magnitude faster development compared to Low Code/No Code alternatives. The tool is available at: https://shraddhasurana.github.io/dhaani/
This paper presents findings from an ongoing study on the condition assessment and numerical modelling of a reinforced concrete bridge B0140 along C46 in Ongwediva, Namibia. An analysis of bending moments, stresses and deflections of the bridge under the prevailing abnormal loads on the bridge was undertaken using Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis Professional (RSAP) software. The aim of this study was to develop a numerical model of bridge B0140. The objectives of this study were twofold, namely, to use the developed model to predict bending moments, stresses and deflection of the bridge structural elements and to evaluate the adequacy of the existing reinforcement under the prevailing environmental conditions and abnormal loads according to BS 5400 requirements. Information pertaining to the geometry of the bridge and the mechanical properties of the materials used for construction were obtained from “as-built” engineering drawings from the Roads Authority (RA) of Namibia, physical measurements and non-destructive testing in situ. Preliminary results from the developed model indicate that the bending moments, stresses and deflections of the bridge under the prevailing environmental conditions and abnormal loads are satisfactory. The developed model, however, needs further refinement, calibration and validation to improve its accuracy.
Alina Sersch, Christian Sauder, Tobias Steger
et al.
The standards system of Geometrical Product Specifications (GPS) is fundamental to the creation of technical drawings and/or 3D CAD models. It provides a non-verbal symbolic language to geometrically describe and verify components. In addition to the benefits of having a global means of communication between companies, it also brings challenges. Teaching GPS is particularly difficult because the GPS system can be considered complex and there are few teaching approaches [1]. This paper presents an interdisciplinary teaching concept that combines selected GPS content from different areas of mechanical engineering such as design, manufacturing and quality control. This is done on the basis of the GPS competences that teachers and students considered necessary in a previous study at universities in Germany [2]. The developed teaching examples take into account the advancing digitalization in teaching as well as the use of haptic models. To evaluate the results, the content will be used and assessed in a course of the mechanical engineering bachelor's degree with focus on GPS. The aim of this study is also to find out whether the cross-module concept can promote students' interdisciplinary understanding of GPS. Or does the importance of the correlation between functionality, manufacturing and metrology in design work remain intangible? What needs to be optimized for futureoriented teaching in mechanical engineering?
T&M Associates is a national engineering firm headquartered in Middletown, New Jersey that specializes in many different fields of engineering. Throughout the past semester, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) engineers at T&M, working on computer-aided design (CAD) drawings of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. These drawings play a crucial role in the construction process, guiding contractors through the installation of the HVAC systems of a building.
Deep drawing processes are essential in modern manufacturing for creating intricate components with deep hollows, particularly cylindrical forms. These processes are widely used in industries such as household appliances, automotive manufacturing, aerospace engineering, and fire safety equipment. This study focuses on the two-step deep drawing of cylindrical cups, utilizing both simulation and experimental methods. The primary goal is to determine optimal geometric and technological parameters for mold design and to address issues like wrinkling and tearing. Key parameters, including punch nose radius (Rpf), die nose radius (Rdf), punch-die clearance (Wf), and blank holder force (BHF), are systematically analyzed. Results show that proper parameters lead to a uniform wall thickness, with deviations reduced to 4.77%. Conversely, improper parameters result in a 12.03% deviation. Improved parameters in the second-step deep drawing yield cylindrical cups that closely match experimental outcomes, free from wrinkling or rim cracking. This research highlights the importance of selecting appropriate parameters to avoid defects.
Pruthviraj C. Chavan, Ajinkya K. Patil, C. Waghmare
et al.
Abstract— This study examines how second-year mechanical engineering students are taught C++ programming using the active learning strategy "Storytelling with Data. Teaching a programming language to mechanical students in their second year was difficult, especially for the direct second-year students who were not familiar with C++ programming. " 50% of students struggled on the post-unit test using previous techniques. The new method required students to write topic-based descriptions that included justifications, programs, charts, and graphics. These were turned into videos using mobile devices, and app.yoodli.ai was used to assess them for linguistic elements such as weaker words, filter words, inclusiveness, voice quality, and grammar. According to analysis, 80% of the students scored between 12 and 17 out of 20 on the quiz. To determine the statistical significance, a paired t-test can be used. The p-value (0.01844) is smaller than the set significance level (0.05). As a result, you can reject the null hypothesis. This shows that there is a statistically significant difference in student performance before and after utilizing the "Storytelling with Data" approach. Feedback emphasized the method's beneficial effects on participation, group cooperation, and conceptual understanding. This study shows how "Storytelling with Data" can improve C++ programming instruction, address issues, and promote interactive learning, which improves academic performance and comprehension. Keywords— Storytelling; Computer programming; Pedagogy; Learning environment, Teaching practices.
What will Design become if the object disappears, sublimating itself into the most sustain-able expression of form, that is its absence?
As part of a wider theoretical research on new models of effective product design, we want to emphasize how the growing integration of ethical and environmental sensibilities leads to an often-primitive approach to design that is capable of catalyzing concrete actions and triggering a new accessible aesthetic for the public.
What emerges is a process of progressive disappearance of the object in user practices, replaced by more intangible qualities and value components (ethical, cultural, ideological dimensions of the project), which are also investigated and enjoyed through new unexpected media supports such as videos, films, ambient happenings. This process sees the center of content production shift toward the market or the public and its “peripheries,” where a more natural instinctive and direct approach is often expressed in an essential, primitive language.
هدف از این پژوهش شناسایی رنگدانهها و عوامل رنگی در بقایای دیوارنگارههای صفوی مسجد جارچیباشی اصفهان است. در این راستا، لایههای رنگی فامهای قرمز، آبی، سفید و طلایی و نیز لایه بستر بخشهای اصیل دوره صفوی نمونهبرداری شد. برای بررسیهای ساختاری و عنصری آزمونهایی نظیر طیفسنجی فروسرخ تبدیل فوریه (FT-IR)، طیفسنجی رامان، فلورسانس پرتو ایکس (XRF)، پراش پرتو ایکس (XRD) و مطالعات میکروسکوپی پلاریزه (PLM) استفاده گردید. نتایج نشان میدهد که در تزئینات رنگی مسجد جارچی باشی، از رنگدانه قرمز سرنج برای تزئینات قرمز، آبی لاجورد طبیعی برای تزئینات آبی، گل سفید (هانتیت) برای تزئینات نواحی سفید و نیز پودر طلا برای تزئینات رنگی طلایی استفاده شده است.