Integrating Gamification in Mechanical Engineering Systems to Support Knowledge Processes

Author(s):  
Jannicke M. Baalsrud Hauge ◽  
Ioana Andreea Stănescu ◽  
Maira B. Carvalho ◽  
Antoniu Stefan ◽  
Marian Banica ◽  
...  

Rapid technological changes have a large influence in the field of engineering systems. However, just being fast is not sufficient; additionally, the system has to be user-friendly, flexible and cost effective. Serious Games (SG), as fast-paced, immersive, interactive media, have not only become popular in various learning and training environments, including engineering, but there are also several examples on how game-based mechanisms can be used to enhance User Experience (UX) and performance. So far, gamification of Mechanical Engineering Systems (MES) have not reached their full potential, due to the fact that gamification efforts are costly, time consuming to develop, and require the constant involvement of MES developers even for small changes. Furthermore, its adaption to MES requires specific knowledge in game design and development. Thus, as demand for user friendlier, intuitive interfaces increases, there is also a need for support tools that enable access to design and development of gamification mechanisms for non-SG professionals. In this context, the authors discuss the creation of a library of User Interface (UI) automation tools that enables gamification and through which tutors can create interactive learning scenarios to guide users through the functionalities of engineering systems. Such tools have the potential to support knowledge processes, respectively knowledge experiencing, conceptualizing, analyzing and applying, in engineering environments.

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1493
Author(s):  
Feyijimi Adegbohun ◽  
Annette von Jouanne ◽  
Ben Phillips ◽  
Emmanuel Agamloh ◽  
Alex Yokochi

Accurate electric vehicle (EV) powertrain modeling, simulation and validation is paramount for critical design and control decisions in high performance vehicle designs. Described in this paper is a methodology for the design and development of EV powertrain through modeling, simulation and validation on a real-world vehicle system with detailed analysis of the results. Although simulation of EV powertrains in software simulation environments plays a significant role in the design and development of EVs, validating these models on the real-world vehicle systems plays an equally important role in improving the overall vehicle reliability, safety and performance. This modeling approach leverages the use of MATLAB/Simulink software for the modeling and simulation of an EV powertrain, augmented by simultaneously validating the modeling results on a real-world vehicle which is performance tested on a chassis dynamometer. The combination of these modeling techniques and real-world validation demonstrates a methodology for a cost effective means of rapidly developing and validating high performance EV powertrains, filling the literature gaps in how these modeling methodologies can be carried out in a research framework.


2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedikt Morschheuser ◽  
Juho Hamari

The nature of work and management are in flux; work is increasingly distributed, sporadic, community-driven, and motivated by constant self-development. Developments such as sharing economies, crowdfunding, and crowdsourcing have emerged as new forms of organizing work and economic coordination. At the same time, increased gaming and gamification of our lives have arrived to address this newly found yearning for intrinsically motivated work. Thus, work is increasingly consciously and unconsciously gamified. Crowdsourcing is a frontrunner management domain in employing gamification to positively affect motivation and performance of workers. However, to be able to harness the full potential of gamification, a union of knowledge of interwoven areas of game design, motivational psychology and management is needed. Therefore, in this article, based on the accumulated body of research on gamification in crowdsourcing, we discuss the emerging opportunities and challenges of using gamification in management.


1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zbigniew M. Bzymek

Abstract This paper discusses design resulting from a unique design competition as an indicator of the verification of scientific design principles as given by Shu Nam 1990. A single enactment of the design problem is used as a case study to illustrate different points of this paper. The focus of the paper is on the creative aspect of idea generation and the checking of subsystems as well as the complete system enactment for function and performance. In an annual design competition the same problem was issued to a number of design teams. The number of teams varied from nine to eighteen in different years and two to three designers were in a team. The design was performed by seniors in mechanical engineering. To generate concepts, Osborn’s method of brain storming was applied. The brain storming was done in the groups of two to three designers. It was applied to the entire system and subsequently to subsystems. After the abstract design was accomplished, prototypes were built and tested. A competition was held in which each design group prototype earned a figure of merit score based on its performance in a performance run. The figure of merit formula used to dtetermine the winner of the competition and race course for performance run were given to the designers at the time they were given the design problem statement. The results were verified by an expert evaluation with Mechanical Engineering faculty members serving as experts. Every prototype was competing with others in the same exact conditions. The results of the design competition provide a unique set of data which may be considered an experiment in design technique. Some concluding remarks concerning design methodology are stated.


2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Cheryl Seals ◽  
◽  
Jacqueline Hundley ◽  
Lacey Strange Montgomery ◽  
◽  
...  

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1437
Author(s):  
Jing Yi Ong ◽  
Andrew Pike ◽  
Ling Ling Tan

The presence of mycotoxins in foodstuffs and feedstuffs is a serious concern for human health. The detection of mycotoxins is therefore necessary as a preventive action to avoid the harmful contamination of foodstuffs and animal feed. In comparison with the considerable expense of treating contaminated foodstuffs, early detection is a cost-effective way to ensure food safety. The high affinity of bio-recognition molecules to mycotoxins has led to the development of affinity columns for sample pre-treatment and the development of biosensors for the quantitative analysis of mycotoxins. Aptamers are a very attractive class of biological receptors that are currently in great demand for the development of new biosensors. In this review, the improvement in the materials and methodology, and the working principles and performance of both conventional and recently developed methods are discussed. The key features and applications of the fundamental recognition elements, such as antibodies and aptamers are addressed. Recent advances in aptasensors that are based on different electrochemical (EC) transducers are reviewed in detail, especially from the perspective of the diagnostic mechanism; in addition, a brief introduction of some commercially available mycotoxin detection kits is provided.


Author(s):  
Chaochao Lin ◽  
Matteo Pozzi

Optimal exploration of engineering systems can be guided by the principle of Value of Information (VoI), which accounts for the topological important of components, their reliability and the management costs. For series systems, in most cases higher inspection priority should be given to unreliable components. For redundant systems such as parallel systems, analysis of one-shot decision problems shows that higher inspection priority should be given to more reliable components. This paper investigates the optimal exploration of redundant systems in long-term decision making with sequential inspection and repairing. When the expected, cumulated, discounted cost is considered, it may become more efficient to give higher inspection priority to less reliable components, in order to preserve system redundancy. To investigate this problem, we develop a Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP) framework for sequential inspection and maintenance of redundant systems, where the VoI analysis is embedded in the optimal selection of exploratory actions. We investigate the use of alternative approximate POMDP solvers for parallel and more general systems, compare their computation complexities and performance, and show how the inspection priorities depend on the economic discount factor, the degradation rate, the inspection precision, and the repair cost.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1342
Author(s):  
Borja Nogales ◽  
Miguel Silva ◽  
Ivan Vidal ◽  
Miguel Luís ◽  
Francisco Valera ◽  
...  

5G communications have become an enabler for the creation of new and more complex networking scenarios, bringing together different vertical ecosystems. Such behavior has been fostered by the network function virtualization (NFV) concept, where the orchestration and virtualization capabilities allow the possibility of dynamically supplying network resources according to its needs. Nevertheless, the integration and performance of heterogeneous network environments, each one supported by a different provider, and with specific characteristics and requirements, in a single NFV framework is not straightforward. In this work we propose an NFV-based framework capable of supporting the flexible, cost-effective deployment of vertical services, through the integration of two distinguished mobile environments and their networks: small sized unmanned aerial vehicles (SUAVs), supporting a flying ad hoc network (FANET) and vehicles, promoting a vehicular ad hoc network (VANET). In this context, a use case involving the public safety vertical will be used as an illustrative example to showcase the potential of this framework. This work also includes the technical implementation details of the framework proposed, allowing to analyse and discuss the delays on the network services deployment process. The results show that the deployment times can be significantly reduced through a distributed VNF configuration function based on the publish–subscribe model.


2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-7
Author(s):  
Linda J. Johnston ◽  
Norma Gonzalez-Rojano ◽  
Kevin J. Wilkinson ◽  
Baoshan Xing

Abstract Nanotechnology has developed rapidly in the last two decades with significant effort focused on the development of nano-enabled materials with new or improved properties that offer solutions for current world challenges. The commercialization of products containing engineered nanomaterials (ENM) has progressed much more rapidly than the development of practical approaches to ensure their safe and sustainable use. The lack of adequate detection and characterization techniques and reproducible and validated methods for toxicological studies have been identified as major limitations. The rapid development of ENM of increasing complexity and diversity and concerns over the adequacy of existing regulations also contribute to safety concerns with these materials. The full potential of nanotechnology can only be realized when feasible, cost-effective strategies to ensure a safe-by-design approach, effective risk assessment approaches and appropriate regulatory guidelines are in place.


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