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SOCCER fans, PEOPLE with visual disabilities, PROOF of concept, SOCCER tournaments, and SATISFACTION

Loss of eyesight inflicts multiple difficulties in everyday lives' tasks affecting not just the visually impaired but also their loved ones. The sense of being depleted by the otherwise visually perceived satisfaction from attending various events becomes a burden not just in terms of joy but also in relation to accompanying parties. The aim of this research work was to provide a worthy perceived experience of attending a soccer match with the company of a friend, centered at the visually impaired person's needs and perspective. The methodology developed was based on a holistic approach combining a number of creative tools, in order to explore, visualize and evaluate the proposed solutions, with advanced CAD modeling, rendering techniques and 3D printing technology for improved representation and prototyping of the final product. Evaluation via multi-criteria decision-making casted the developed system as quite usable, suitable for assisting the visually impaired users in absorbing valuable information regarding the real time progress of a live soccer event using the selves-developed tactile interface. That way, visually impaired people are able to use the final product with a great deal of success and "feel the view" and the "time" in a variety of cases, allowing them to better enjoy attending an entertainment event, such as soccer, with the interactive company of a friend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FINITE element method, SURFACE coatings, and SAFETY factor in engineering

The present study proposes the design, simulation, and finite element analysis (FEA) of a mechanical press to test coining tools that contain nanostructured coatings. The designed mechanical testing press has a nominal force capacity of 800 kN with a ram stroke of 100 mm. CAD modeling of components, assemblies, and press structure is developed. The validation of the safety factor of the stress of the press is implemented by FEA analysis. Axisymmetric 2D FEA simulation is applied to determine the nanostructured coating behavior when subjected to high loads, the results are promising for future simulation studies on coatings. A displacement mechanism was designed for the test sheet, offering versatility and a variety of options for testing the coining tools as often as necessary under different load conditions. The final results of the machine operation simulation are satisfactory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]