The aim of this paper is comparing both tridimensional scanners: white light Artec Eva; and Infra-red light Microsoft Kinect. This comparison enables evaluate possibilities of these equipments for developing user-centered product projects. It was carried out comparison's concerning both precision and dimensional deviation through virtual and physical models generated by CAD and CAM systems. It was verified the need of eliminating the human body movement by using physical models in the performed analysis. As a result, both scanners demonstrated measurement precision, with the advantage of Artec Eva over Microsoft Kinect. The selection of the most appropriated scanner concerning the projects needs evolves factors such as: the available cost for the project; and the required precision fidelity for the aimed product. Both digital scanners considered in this paper contribute to the development of customized products, showing the relationships between tools and needed product fidelity.

The conceptual design step is the most complex of the design process and brings great challenges to designers. The number of possible concepts from a combination of functional principles can reach millions. This could derail an exhaustive search for the best possible concepts. So, this work proposes an evolutionary approach to that problem. The result is a framework based on a Genetic Algorithm (GA) that combines the specific properties of the design process with the core of GA, improving this process as a natural evolution.

Este artigo apresenta um comentário aos versos 20-21 da chamada “Elegia do Selo” de Teógnis (os versos 19 a 26 da Teognideia), visando mostrar como a Teognideia alude a expedientes de uma poética própria às performances no simpósio grego arcaico.

Abstract Continuous process industries usually have hundreds to thousands of control loops, most of which are coupled, i.e. one control loop affects the behavior of another control loop. In order to properly design the controllers and reduce the interactions between loops it is necessary to consider the multivariable structure of the process. Usually {MIMO} (multiple-input, multiple-output) controllers are designed using {MIMO} models of the process, but obtaining these models is a task very demanding and time consuming. Virtual Reference Feedback Tuning ({VRFT}) is a data-driven technique to design controllers which do not use a model of the process; all the needed information is collected from input/output data from an experiment. The method is well established for {SISO} (single-input, single-output) systems and there are some extensions to {MIMO} process which assume that all the outputs should have the same closed-loop performance. In this paper we develop a complete framework to {MIMO} {VRFT} which provides unbiased estimates to the optimal {MIMO} controller (when it is possible) even when the closed-loop performances are distinct to each loop. When it is not possible to obtain the optimal controller because the controller class is too restrictive (for example {PID} controllers) then we propose the use of a filter to reduce the bias on the estimates. Also, when the data is corrupted by noise, the use of instrumental variables to eliminate the bias on the estimate should be considered. The article presents simulation examples and a practical experiment on a tree tank system where the goal is to control the level of two tanks.

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the feasibility of parameterization of custom basic molds, eliminating the need for making a mold for each user. This method uses the three-dimensional scanning to obtain the anthropometric measurements, and the user’s body silhouette and parameterize these measures, causing the production of a single basic mold is necessary to meet users with different anthropometric characteristics. A low-cost 3D scanner was used, Microsoft Kinect, to obtain the 3D model of the user’s body and the Grasshopper modeling algorithm for setting the mold. Thus, a research participant was scanned and, from your 3D model, anthropometric measurements were obtained for setting the mold. The final model was built and experienced by the participant for validation purposes. The results were satisfactory in showing high precision in anthropometric model produced. Thus, the study addressed brings important contribution to the development of products for clothing in areas as they provide flexibility in the basic mold production process and product measurements with high accuracy and hence increase the degree of comfort for the user.

O objetivo deste trabalho, que é o recorte de uma pesquisa em andamento, é analisar materiais compósitos e sugerir a substituição da madeira natural em playgrounds por essa matéria-prima. Esses compósitos, conhecidos como materiais verdes, combinam fibras naturais com polímeros biodegradáveis, sendo eles sustentáveis, ou seja, de fácil compostagem no final de sua vida útil, sem prejudicar o meio ambiente. A partir de uma investigação laboratorial, com foco 3 (três) materiais compósitos, foram utilizados equipamentos para análise da superfície e composição química do produto. Os resultados demonstram que os 3 (três) materiais podem substituir a madeira natural, devido à sua resistência e durabilidade, porém, necessita-se de mais ensaios para verificar a viabilidade quanto ao processo de usinagem de peças para os equipamentos de playground.

This work describes a new approach to gesture mapping in a performance with a traditional musical instrument and live electronics based upon theories of embodied music cognition (EMC) and musical gestures. Considerations on EMC and how gestures affect the experience of music inform different mapping strategies. Our intent is to enhance the expressiveness and the liveness of performance by tracking gestures via a multimodal motion capture system and to use motion data to control several features of the music. After a review of recent research in the field, a proposed application of such theories to a performance with electric guitar and live electronics will follow, focusing both on aspects of meaning formation and motion capturing.

The percentage of elderly people in European countries is increasing. Such conjuncture affects socio-economic structures and creates demands for resourceful solutions, such as Ambient Assisted Living (AAL), which is a possible methodology to foster health care for elderly people. In this context, sensor-based devices play a leading role in surveying, e.g., health conditions of elderly people, to alert care personnel in case of an incident. However, the adoption of such devices strongly depends on the comfort of wearing the devices. In most cases, the bottleneck is the battery lifetime, which impacts the effectiveness of the system. In this paper we propose an approach to reduce the energy consumption of sensors’ by use of local sensors’ intelligence. By increasing the intelligence of the sensor node, a substantial decrease in the necessary communication payload can be achieved. The results show a significant potential to preserve energy and decrease the actual size of the sensor device units.