Toward digital validation for rapid product development based on digital twin: a framework

Product development should cover product design, validation, and manufacturing. In traditional product development, physical validation based on physical trial manufacturing is the key step to confirm the design scheme before physical manufacturing. However, physical validation is costly and inefficient, which could be the main obstacle to achieving rapid product development. The emergence of digital twin provides an opportunity to accelerate product development by eliminating physical validation toward digital validation in the smart manufacturing era. Therefore, a framework of rapid product development based on digital twin is proposed in this paper. During product development, the new product is designed according to the new requirements in the virtual space, in which the existing digital twins of products can be referenced. Then, an ultrahigh-fidelity virtual manufacturing system is constructed for digital trial manufacturing based on the digital twin of the manufacturing system and the design scheme of the new product. An ultrahigh-fidelity digital prototype can be obtained from digital trial manufacturing for digital validation. The new product validation is executed on the digital prototype to test its performance. The digital validation results can be used to improve the design scheme of the new product and boost the corresponding manufacturing processes. In addition, the core characteristics and key technologies of rapid product development based on digital twin are discussed. Finally, a case study is presented to implement the proposed framework and to show the effectiveness of accelerating product development.

Towards Designing Mobile Apps for Independent Travel

Performing daily independent activities can be a challenge for people with Down's Syndrome (DS). This article investigates how to better support these activities with smart devices based on three cycles of a collaborative participatory action research (PAR) process. The first cycle involved semi-structured interviews ( n = 4 ) with parents and an online survey ( n = 39 ) with people with DS and their parents to explore barriers and opportunities for independent activities. This cycle highlighted that travelling independently was a common challenge among discussed barriers to independent activities for young adults with DS, an issue that smart devices have the potential to overcome. The second cycle involved seven focus group discussions ( n = 20 ) with parents ( n = 13 ) and young adults with DS ( n = 7 ) for gaining deeper insights into barriers to independent travel. We explored key barriers to independent travel and gathered design requirements for smartphone apps to overcome these barriers. In the third cycle, we designed a digital prototype based on participant recommendations and conducted seven focus group meetings ( n = 19 ) with caregivers ( n = 12 ) and individuals with DS ( n = 7 ). This final cycle reviewed the proposed digital prototype and validated the key barriers found in the second cycle. Overall, our studies confirmed that mobile technology can support people with DS in performing daily life activities that increase social inclusion. The studies resulted in identified barriers and requirements along with co-designed solutions for independent travel apps.

Design of a Cable-Driven Actuator for Pronation and Supination of the Forearm to Integrate an Active Arm Orthosis

The pronation/supination of the forearm are important movements to properly accomplish the activities of daily living. While several exoskeletons have been proposed for the rehabilitation of the arm, few of them have actively implemented the movements of pronation/supination. Often, the addition of this degree of freedom to the mechanism results in a bulky and heavy structure. Consequently, the overall exoskeleton is too big for a wearable solution. This paper proposes a digital prototype and kinematic evaluation of a cable-driven orthosis for pronation/supination movement assistance. The actuator is based on an open ring (semi-circle) to be attached to the forearm, while a stationary guide drives the ring into a rotary movement. By considering anthropomorphic data in the design stage, it is possible to develop a rigid, compact, and high power to weight ratio solution for the actuator responsible for pronation and supination. The proposed actuator can achieve the full range of motion for the activities of daily living and 83% of the rotation of the forearm total range of motion with a total mass of only 150 g.

Method of digital navigation for dental implantation using single drill

The method is given that in laboratory conditions allows you to create plastic templates made by 3D-printing. For planning a digital prototype of these patterns, computed tomography, laser surface scan of the dentition, as well as a number of computer programs are used, the use of which in the treatment of tooth loss allows you to accurately determine the implant placement area. This navigation is based on the principle of using one drill. The application of this method in the clinic will significantly improve the quality of implantology treatment, to obtain more predictable and long-term results.

Design for Discovery: Helping Australian Farmers Explore their Options in a Government Sustainability Program Through User Centred Design

With growing recognition that greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced, there exists exciting design challenges to support industries’ efforts to meet sustainability targets. In this paper, we report on a User Centered Design (UCD) approach for addressing the need to combat rising emissions levels with a focus on agriculture, both relatively new areas for UCD work. We report on our team’s experience using the approach in context of trying to support farmers’ discovery and exploration of options in Australia’s national carbon scheme. In evaluation of a digital prototype, seven farmers and farm business advisors provided feedback on the tool’s usability and on whether insights provided by the tool assisted their decision to participate in the government scheme. Our experiences demonstrate how UCD helps determine the prototype’s usability and usefulness, as well as inform us about contextual issues that make a concerted response of reducing emissions complex. The generalizability of this research and future work is discussed.