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science fiction prototyping, robot ethics, robot rights, law, ai, and Language and Literature

Science fiction narratives have not only influenced the way the majority of people imagine the future, but they have also shaped the general expectations for the technological development. This phenomenon has been called “science fiction prototyping” by Brian David Johnson. The prototype of a robot is created by science fiction works. Robots as artificially created entities are often presented as potential “members” of future society. Therefore, their legal status in imaginary reality is worth considering. The analysis of Blade Runner (1982) by Ridley Scott and I, Robot (2004) by Alex Proyas juxtaposes features that, according to the legal tradition, are most often attributed to moral subjects of legal protection with human-like features of robots. The interdisciplinary approach adopted in this study involves applying legal reasoning to the study of science fiction.

design, utopia, alteration, prototyping, progetto, and alterazione

The purpose of this paper is to re-explore the relationship between utopia and architecture, trying first and foremost to challenge the way utopia has been conceived by architectural thought: i.e., as the prefiguration of a future seen as an ‘otherness’ distinct from the present, as far as the totality of its spatial, social, and political dimensions are concerned. Such vision – as we will argue – turns out to be deeply linked to a design logic of ‘projection’ and ‘prescription’; this, however, is not the only possible logic of design. Through a reflection upon some contemporary architectural practices, we will try to highlight a new horizon for design action, in which even utopia abandons its traditional ‘projective’ role and takes on a new meaning: rather than being the non-place of a possible future, utopia stands for what doesn’t have place in the present but can emerge from its alteration. Such notion of utopia as a form of ‘situated critique’, in a concrete space and time, helps to dig more deeply into the political potential of many contemporary forms of architectural and urban design.
Il proposito di questo contributo è tornare a esplorare la relazione tra utopia e architettura, cercando innanzitutto di mettere in questione il modo in cui l’utopia è stata concepita tradizionalmente nel pensiero architettonico: vale a dire, come la prefigurazione di un futuro concepito come alterità rispetto al presente, nella totalità delle sue dimensioni spaziali, sociali e politiche. Tale visione - come si cercherà di illustrare - è intimamente legata a una certa logica “proiettiva” e “prescrittiva” che, tuttavia, non è l’unica logica possibile del progetto. Attraverso una riflessione su alcuni modi del progetto di architettura contemporaneo, si cercherà infatti di mettere in evidenza una nuova logica progettuale, in cui anche l’utopia abbandona il suo carattere proiettivo tradizionale per acquisire un nuovo senso: non più il non-luogo di un futuro possibile, bensì ciò che non ha luogo nel presente e che può tuttavia emergere dalla sua alterazione. Questa nozione di utopia come “critica situata” concretamente in uno spazio e in un tempo aiuta a comprendere più in profondità il potenziale politico di molte delle forme contemporanee di progetto architettonico e urbano.

PHOTOGRAMMETRY, RAPID prototyping, THREE-dimensional printing, ORTHOPEDICS, and LABORATORY animals

Rapid prototyping (RP) is an innovative technology that allows one to obtain a prototype of a mold quickly and accurately from a virtual model. This study aimed to establish the use of photogrammetry and 3D prototyping for the production of bone biomodels of the canine species for training in orthopedic techniques in veterinary medicine. Virtual bio-modelling was performed by the photogrammetry technique with commercial anatomical pieces, and physical biomodelling was performed by 3D printing. Osteotomies were performed on the biomodels that served as platforms for osteosynthesis of the femur and ileum, and the final product was not associated with a risk of biological contamination, was able to support special orthopedic materials, and was used for training and surgical planning. We concluded that the use of photogrammetry and RP for the production of bone biomodels of the canine species enabled techniques for fracture reduction to be performed with the use of special instruments, enabling training in the area of veterinary orthopedics in an economically viable manner with an alternative to experimental animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RAPID prototyping, ROTATIONAL motion, DETECTORS, DIELECTRIC materials, MICROWAVES, and PROXIMITY detectors

This article presents a novel sensor for detecting and measuring angular rotation and proximity, intended for rapid prototyping machines. The sensor is based on a complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR) driven by a conductor-backed coplanar waveguide (CBCPW). The sensor has a planar topology, which makes it simple and cost-effective to produce and accurate in measuring both physical quantities. The sensor has two components, a rotor and a stator: the first of these (the CSRR) can rotate around its axis and translate along the plane normal to the ground of the CBCPW. A detailed theoretical and numerical analysis, along with a circuit model, of the unique sensor design is presented. The proposed sensor exhibits linear response for measuring angular rotation and proximity in the range of 30°–60° and 0–200 μm, respectively. Another distinctive feature of the rotation and proximity sensor is the wide frequency band of applicability, which is an integral part of its novel design and is implemented through various dielectric material loadings on the CSRR. In the prototype of the proposed device, the stator (CBCPW) is fabricated on a 0.508-mm-thick RF-35 substrate, whereas the CSRR-based rotor is fabricated on TLY-5 and RF-35 substrates. The angular rotation, proximity, operating band selection, and sensitivity are measured using a vector network analyzer and are found to be good matches to the simulated and theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RAPID prototyping, LASER welding, POLYMERS, DEGREES of freedom, and MICROMACHINING

We report on a novel rapid prototyping approach for the manufacturing of highly individualized lab-on-chip (LoC) cartridges from generic polymer parts by laser micromachining and laser welding. The approach allows an immediate implementation of microfluidic networks, components, and functionalities into an existing LoC platform without the need for an expensive and time-consuming fabrication of production tools like molds or masks. We comprehensively describe the individual process steps of the rapid prototyping procedure including a wet-chemical treatment for an easy and effective surface polishing of laser micromachined polymer parts. For laying out, we introduce a generalized diagrammatic description of microfluidic functional units in order to design application-specific cartridges for molecular diagnostic workflows. We demonstrate the usability of our prototyped cartridges by performing microfluidic experiments within. Due to the use of generic polymer parts, our rapid prototyping approach combines a high degree of freedom with an intrinsic compatibility to an established and highly developed LoC system. By enabling an experimental testing within one day, the rapid prototyping procedure shortens development cycles and boosts the evolution of microfluidic networks as well as the implementation of novel microfluidic components and functionalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RAPID prototyping, MICROFLUIDIC devices, ULTRA-short pulsed lasers, FLEXIBLE printed circuits, MANUFACTURING processes, LASERS, and LASER ablation

An effective development platform for custom lab-on-a-chip and lab-on-a-foil solutions has been regarded as a missing element for wider adoption of microfluidic technologies in everyday life. We have used a direct laser structuring device combined with CAD-CAM software and have developed an efficient, fast, and precise procedure for rapid prototyping of widely accessible contemporary materials utilized for flexible microfluidics. Utilization of an ultra-short pulsed laser has enabled us to predict and control the laser ablation process on thin low-temperature co-fired ceramics and Kapton foil. We have demonstrated an agreement between the theoretic predictions and experimental data on ablation rates, paving the way to a fully predictive manufacturing process. Our procedure enables an independent control of microfluidic channel shape, depth, and lateral dimensions down to 10 µm, while maintaining an exceptional process quality achieved by a parametrically optimized laser output at single-picosecond pulse durations. Our novel rapid prototyping solution features short turnover times, minimum material waste, no chemical procedures, and a single-step process free of heat-effects. We demonstrate the improvements to the structuring process on a known difficult-to-manufacture herringbone mixer structures inside a micro-mixer chip application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

literary mapping, geospatial prototyping, scholarly communication, 'paradise lost', History of scholarship and learning. The humanities, AZ20-999, Electronic computers. Computer science, and QA75.5-76.95

By focusing on the process of building 'A Map of Paradise Lost'—a geospatial humanities text-to-map project that visualizes the locatable places in John Milton’s 'Paradise Lost'— this paper addresses the question “why map literature?” and demonstrates how the process of research prototyping is in itself a form of knowledge production. Through a series of 'prototyping moments', we address how the different steps involved in building a geospatial humanities project can produce new knowledge about the fields it relates to: literary studies and digital humanities. The prototyping moments make arguments that advance our understanding of Milton’s 'Paradise Lost', approaches to data visualization for cartographic comparison in and beyond DH, and models for interdisciplinary collaboration. Résumé En se concentrant sur le processus de construction 'd’une Carte du Paradis Perdu' – un projet d’humanités géospatiales qui visualise, dans une carte à partir du texte, les places localisables dans le 'Paradis Perdu' de John Milton – cet article aborde la question «pourquoi une littérature cartographique?» et démontre comment le processus de prototypage de recherche est en soi une forme de production de connaissances. A travers une série de 'moments de prototypage', nous abordons comment les différentes étapes impliquées dans la construction d’un projet d’humanités géospatiales peuvent produire de nouvelles connaissances concernant les domaines relatifs à ce sujet: études littéraires et humanités digitales. Les moments de prototypage présentent des arguments qui améliorent notre compréhension du 'Paradis Perdu' de Milton, des approches de visualisation des données pour une comparaison cartographique «à l’intérieur» et «au-delà» des humanités digitales ainsi que des modèles pour une collaboration interdisciplinaire. Mots-clés: cartographie littéraire; prototypage géospatial; communication savante; 'Paradis Perdu'

RAPID prototyping, CHEMICAL engineering, INTEGRATED software, CHEMICAL processes, COMPUTER software, INDUSTRIAL applications, and DYNAMIC simulation

With ongoing digitalization, fast simulation of process dynamics offers new opportunities for model‐based control schemes. This is eased by the availability of high‐level, open‐access, easy‐to‐use software able to simulate and optimize chemical processes, making rapid prototyping possible also for the chemical engineer. In this study, the capabilities of the Python‐based open‐source software package Pyomo towards industrial application is illustrated in modeling and comparing different control schemes for a simple Williams‐Otto process. It is shown how to simulate the process dynamics and how to compute optimal control trajectories for minimizing waste and maximizing yield. Two approaches to setpoint tracking are compared: one based on proportional‐integral feedback control and one based on optimal open‐loop control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PROTEIN synthesis, RAPID prototyping, MICROBIAL cells, ENGINEERING design, BIOSYNTHESIS, and ESCHERICHIA coli

Metabolic engineering of microorganisms to produce sustainable chemicals has emerged as an important part of the global bioeconomy. Unfortunately, efforts to design and engineer microbial cell factories are challenging because design-build-test cycles, iterations of re-engineering organisms to test and optimize new sets of enzymes, are slow. To alleviate this challenge, we demonstrate a cell-free approach termed in vitro Prototyping and Rapid Optimization of Biosynthetic Enzymes (or iPROBE). In iPROBE, a large number of pathway combinations can be rapidly built and optimized. The key idea is to use cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) to manufacture pathway enzymes in separate reactions that are then mixed to modularly assemble multiple, distinct biosynthetic pathways. As a model, we apply our approach to the 9-step heterologous enzyme pathway to limonene in extracts from Escherichia coli. In iterative cycles of design, we studied the impact of 54 enzyme homologs, multiple enzyme levels, and cofactor concentrations on pathway performance. In total, we screened over 150 unique sets of enzymes in 580 unique pathway conditions to increase limonene production in 24 h from 0.2 to 4.5 mM (23–610 mg/L). Finally, to demonstrate the modularity of this pathway, we also synthesized the biofuel precursors pinene and bisabolene. We anticipate that iPROBE will accelerate design-build-test cycles for metabolic engineering, enabling data-driven multiplexed cell-free methods for testing large combinations of biosynthetic enzymes to inform cellular design. Image 1 • Applied the iPROBE framework to build the nine-enzyme pathway to produce limonene. • Assessed the impact of cofactors and 54 enzyme homologs on enzyme performance. • Iteratively optimized cell-free limonene production exploring 580 unique reactions. • Extended pathway to biofuel precursors pinene and bisabolene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

lms, ims-ld, elearning platform, designing an ims-ld, nosql, symfony framework, disciplinary information space, Computer engineering. Computer hardware, TK7885-7895, and Science

This work is mainly based on the prototyping of a disciplinary information space for a new LMS. Our work is first to think about the conditions for creating a real LMS between learners and teachers. We have chosen to base ourselves on the hybridization between four learning theories as the basis for teaching this LMS, namely traditional pedagogy, behaviorism, cognitivism and social constructivism. These pedagogies have already proven themselves, mainly in classroom learning situations. The LMS consists of different activity spaces for teaching and learning activities. We limit ourselves in this work to the prototyping of disciplinary information space for a new LMS based on IMS-LD, NoSQL MongoDB database, and Symfony framework.

E-textiles, modular rapid prototyping toolkit, E-textile Bonder, Textile Prototyping Lab, adhesive bonding technology, and General Works

We present a novel E-textiles toolkit that can be used in the rapid prototyping of electronic textiles during the research and evaluation phase. The modular, Arduino-compatible toolkit incorporates various sensors and control and communication modules. The needs of fashion professionals have been considered during the conception of the toolkit, which was developed in close cooperation with partners from textile research institutes, the textile industry, art schools and design. After the initial manual prototyping, the toolkit modules can be directly transferred to reliable industrial integration using advanced machinery. To achieve this, we developed the E-textile Bonder, a machine capable of mechanically and electrically connecting modules to textiles with integrated conductors. This paper gives an overview of the toolkit as well as the design considerations discussed and implemented during the cooperation with textile industry stakeholders. Furthermore, the integration process with the E-Textile Bonder is described, and its advantages over other technologies are discussed.

THREE-dimensional printing, MICROFLUIDIC devices, CONTINUOUS casting, CONTINUOUS processing, and COMMERCIALIZATION

Microfluidic technologies have enormous potential to offer breakthrough solutions across a wide range of applications. However, the rate of scale-up and commercialization of these technologies has lagged significantly behind promising breakthrough developments in the lab, due at least in part to the problems presented by transitioning from benchtop fabrication methods to mass-manufacturing. In this work, we develop and validate a method to create functional microfluidic prototype devices using 3D printed masters in an industrial-scale roll-to-roll continuous casting process. There were no significant difference in mixing performance between the roll-to-roll cast devices and the PDMS controls in fluidic mixing tests. Furthermore, the casting process provided information on the suitability of the prototype microfluidic patterns for scale-up. This work represents an important step in the realization of high-volume prototyping and manufacturing of microfluidic patterns for use across a broad range of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PROTOTYPES, RAPID prototyping, SEMI-structured interviews, MEDICAL equipment, and SET design

Engineering designers frequently use prototypes to gather input from stakeholders. Design guidelines recommend the use of quick and simple prototypes early and often in a design process. However, the type and quality of a prototype can influence how stakeholders perceive a new design concept and can, therefore, impact their responses. Additionally, different levels of experience, expertise, and preparedness for providing input to designers may lead stakeholders from different geographical or cultural settings to provide different responses, making the format of a prototype even more influential. Although design practitioners are known to intentionally align their prototyping approaches with the specific design question to be answered, it is unclear the extent to which prototyping approaches should vary based on the stakeholder, context, and setting of a design project. To investigate how the format and quality of prototypes influence stakeholders' responses, we conducted a field study with various medical professionals in Ghana. We presented prototypes for a medical device in different formats to stakeholders and collected responses to the design through semi-structured interviews. Our findings indicate that professional expertise, prototype format, and question type influenced the types of responses that stakeholders provided. These findings suggest that designers seeking input from stakeholders on new concepts should consider context-specific prototyping strategies, especially when designing at distance and across cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RAPID prototyping, ANALYTIC hierarchy process, GREY relational analysis, FUZZY numbers, DECISION making, and STRENGTH of materials

A multitude of rapid prototyping (RP) systems and technologies have come up since the introduction of additive process. Owing to the enlarging number of these systems with distinctive efficacy, the problem of selecting an appropriate system for a particular requirement is a cumbersome task. Henceforth, this work comes up with a strategy based on multi-attribute decision making to select a most suitable RP system. The presence of subjectivity in decision making as well as the existence of imprecision from various sources emphasize the methods which must consider uncertainty and vagueness. A decision advisor based on uncertainty theories, including fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) and grey relational analysis (GRA) has been introduced. It provides a comprehensive database comprising thirty nine commercially available RP systems. The evaluation attributes consisting of machine cost, accuracy, layer thickness, machine speed, material cost, net build size volume, machine weight, surface roughness, and material strength were utilized to characterize the different machines. The FAHP based on trapezoidal fuzzy number was implemented to determine the priority weights of various attributes, while the GRA was employed to realize the best RP system and technology. The authors believe that this system has the potential to transform into a fully developed RP selection system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

prototyping, user interface, information system, internship, Mathematics, QA1-939, Electronic computers. Computer science, and QA75.5-76.95

Human Resources (HR) is one of the important things that determines the success of the services of a company, one of the things done to prepare a good HR is to launch a program of Job Training (PKL) or also known as an internship. PT.Gramedia Asri Media became one of the companies implementing the internship program, but the existing internship program was still carried out manually by distributing information to tertiary institutions via email. This journal aims to create an apprenticeship information system design by developing a system using the prototyping method so that the apprenticeship process can be carried out in a single system from the dissemination of information to the resolution of administrative problems related to finance and the need for an apprenticeship approval document. The system development method used therein is the prototyping method that starts from analyzing user needs to creating a User Interface (UI) that is easily understood by the user. The apprenticeship information system is expected to make the apprenticeship process more effective both in registering and processing the internship data contained therein.

THERMAL insulation, RAPID prototyping, AERODYNAMIC heating, THERMAL conductivity, FREE convection, and TECHNOLOGY

Nowadays, 3-D printing technology is very often applied in industry due to design cycles shortening and surface quality improvement when comparing to conventional manufacturing technologies. In order to adapt 3-D printed materials as thermal barriers, it is necessary to determine its thermophysical properties. As far as thermal insulation is concerned, the lowest thermal conductivity is required and therefore the crucial parameter of the material is the porosity. This paper presents the results of experimental investigation of effective thermal conductivity of thermal barriers with variable porosity fabricated by the fused filament fabrication technology. Also the numerical study was presented. The commercial code - COMSOL multiphysics was used to model the coupled heat transfer. The model was than validated by comparing the numerical and experimental results. For each sample the density and thermal conductivity were determined experimentally. The influence of the size and shape of the cell on the formation of free convection was investigated in particular. The effect of the conduction and radiation on temperature and velocity profiles within the enclosure has been analyzed. In addition, the dominant heat transfer mechanisms as a function of density have been identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

prototyping, human-robot interactions, user studies, social robotics, robot companions, and Technology

This paper presents a proof of concept prototype study for domestic home robot companions, using a narrative-based methodology based on the principles of immersive engagement and fictional enquiry, creating scenarios which are inter-connected through a coherent narrative arc, to encourage participant immersion within a realistic setting. The aim was to ground human interactions with this technology in a coherent, meaningful experience. Nine participants interacted with a robotic agent in a smart home environment twice a week over a month, with each interaction framed within a greater narrative arc. Participant responses, both to the scenarios and the robotic agents used within them are discussed, suggesting that the prototyping methodology was successful in conveying a meaningful interaction experience.