Higher Institute on Territorial Systems for Innovation
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Role of cyclic carbonates in enhancing UV-crosslinked PEO-PEC electrolytes for room-temperature lithium metal batteries
Get PDFFuture Li-based batteries require electrolytes with high safety, thermal stability, and performance, yet poly(ethylene oxide)-based solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) remain limited by crystallinity-induced low ionic conductivity and stability at room temperature (RT). In this study, a UV-crosslinked poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(ethylene carbonate) (PEO-PEC) salt-in-polymer matrix is developed through dry melt compounding by a mini twin-screw extruder, followed by hot-pressing and UV-induced photopolymerization(crosslinking). The solvent-free manufacturing is designed to mitigate crystallinity and improve mechanical robustness. Resulting SPEs are further modified with cyclic carbonate plasticizers, namely ethylene carbonate (EC), propylene carbonate (PC), and 1,2-butylene carbonate (BC), to enhance ionic mobility and electrochemical stability, thereby addressing the challenge of fabricating next-generation lithium metal batteries (LMBs) with sufficient ion transport at RT. The influence of these additives, individually and in combination, is investigated through a comprehensive set of electrochemical, thermal, and mechanical characterizations. BC-containing SPEs exhibit reduced glass transition temperatures and stable compatibility with lithium metal for over 2300 h at a capacity of 0.2 mAh cm−2. In addition, laboratory-scale solid-state Li metal cells with LFP show remarkable performance, delivering almost full practical specific capacity even at RT, despite the presence of immobilized carbonate plasticizers within the crosslinked polymer matrix. This work presents an effective strategy to tailor SPEs for ambient temperature operation through rational additive design, offering insights into the structure-property relationships critical for practical LMB development
Seaweed Pavilion: Biomaterial-Based Tensegrity Structure
No full textAs the construction sector advances toward Net Zero, embodied carbon from materials and construction is increasingly pivotal, as most emissions occur at project outset. This paper investigates seaweed as a low-carbon, renewable biomaterial with rapid renewability, wide availability, and very low mass. Currently, it has little architectural deployment beyond processed insulation. We present the Seaweed Pavilion, an experimental prototype that integrates seaweed within a tensegrity structural system to create an ultra-lightweight, demountable, and easily transported framework. Designed collaboratively by students and academics from the UK, Japan, and Italy, the pavilion was developed and fabricated in Japan, then shipped to Venice for exhibition via standard postal services, demonstrating the practicality of its low-mass construction. To our knowledge, this is the first documented use of seaweed in a tensegrity system. The resulting grid provides a replicable, scalable method for rapid, low-carbon assembly, and temporary placemaking. Developed under the DELIGHT Group’s mission to create dismountable, mobile pavilions for urban activation, the project positions biomaterials (specifically seaweed) as credible contributors to reducing embodied carbon across the built environment
Influence of Structural Theories on Optimal Fiber Distributions in Tow-Steered Composites Considering Local Strain and Stress
No full textTow-steered composites offer the possibility to tailor and enhance the mechanical performance of lightweight structures thanks to their larger design space compared to straight-fiber composites. This work proposes a scalable low- to high-fidelity methodology to retrieve the fiber orientations that optimize strain and stress distributions in variable stiffness plates. An optimization algorithm that combines global and local search strategies solves unconstrained and manufacturing-constrained problems. The structural models are generated through the Carrera Unified Formulation, which permits tuning the accuracy of the solution by selecting the order of the structural theory employed. The results show differences in the optimal stacking sequences as free-edge effects, local distortions, and 3D stress states are involved in the objective functions. Additionally, differences in the prediction of the quantities of interest are found between low-to-refined equivalent-single-layer-including the particular cases of the classical plate theory and the first-shear order deformation theory-and high-fidelity layer-wise models
A Multimodal XR Framework for Heritage Engagement and Analysis: The Case of Torre del Mar in Borriana (Castellón, Spain)
No full textThe transition from Cultural Heritage (CH) digital documentation to dynamic, experiential heritage requires versatile workflows that engage diverse audiences. This paper proposes a scalable, multimodal eXtended Reality (XR) framework for the Torre del Mar (Castellón, Spain) and demonstrates how a single high-fidelity dataset can generate a comprehensive ecosystem of interactive experiences. Starting from a multi-source data fusion of UAV photogrammetry and Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS), a master model was developed to drive three distinct interaction pipelines. First, a phygital interface combines a modular, disassemblable 3D-printed replica with model-based Augmented Reality (AR), enabling tangible exploration of constructive details. Second, a collaborative Mixed Reality (MR) environment allows remote experts to co-inhabit the digital space for real-time analysis. Third, a multi-tiered Virtual Reality (VR) strategy optimizes the asset for PC-tethered, standalone, and WebVR platforms, balancing graphical fidelity with accessibility. The results validate a reproducible methodology that transforms technical survey data into an active knowledge system, effectively bridging the gap between scientific preservation and public dissemination while ensuring the long-term valorization of digital heritage assets
Strategic frameworks for technology scouting and startup evaluation in the context of open innovation
No full textL'abstract è presente nell'allegatoThe abstract is in the attachmen
Detection of Large Woody Debris in Braided-Rivers RGB-UAV Dataset: A Comparative Study
No full textLarge woody debris (LWD), a key indicator of riparian vegetation disturbance and river corridor dynamic, plays a crucial role in habitat complexity, geomorphic dynamics and river management. Accurate mapping and monitoring of LWDs are therefore essential for river process analysis and ecosystem assessment, particularly in highly dynamic braided river systems. However, mapping and monitoring LWD remains challenging due to its variable morphology, spectral similarity, and dynamics of braided river. Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing offer promising opportunities for addressing these applied geoscience challenges. In this study, we evaluate different AI techniques for the accurate detection of LWD in braided rivers. Specifically, using RGB-UAV imagery, we test two DL models, U-Net and DeepLabv3+, and compare them to other classifiers to identify the most accurate and transferable approach. The results indicate that the DeepLabv3+ method effectively captures the actual spatial distribution of LWD, and two-class classifications were more efficient than multi-class ones. Furthermore, the DL model demonstrated strong transferability when applied to a different spatiotemporal area, highlighting its utility for applied geoscience investigations and river management
Soft Robotic Bio-Inspired Breast Pump
No full textBreastfeeding is essential for infant nutrition, but the increasing number of women returning to work before weaning highlights the need for efficient and comfortable milk expression methods. Traditional breast pumps rely solely on vacuum suction, which can cause discomfort, tissue damage, and longer extraction times compared to natural nursing. This study aims to develop a breast pump that better mimics the biomechanics of infant breastfeeding to improve comfort and efficiency. We investigated two actuator designs, membrane and soft pleated, integrated into the breast shield to replicate infant sucking. The pleated actuator proved most effective, offering a wide range of expansion and contraction. Unlike traditional pumps, vacuum is applied through radial expansion, allowing the nipple to widen rather than elongate, closely simulating infant tongue movements. The breast shield was fabricated using additive manufacturing with soft, elastic materials, enabling complex geometries and varied stiffness. The prototype was tested against a commercial pump using an artificial breast phantom. Results suggest this design can enhance milk output, reduce pumping time, and improve user comfort. By merging soft robotics with biological insights, our approach offers a promising alternative to conventional breast pumps
TCP-HAR: On-Device Transferable and Copyright-Preserving Human Activity Recognition
Get PDFTeaching a machine to accurately identify human activities from sensor data poses a significant challenge, which is further compounded by considerations of data privacy, resource costs, and responsiveness, particularly within the constraints of devices like smartphones. While current solutions efficiently identify activities, trained models are barely portable in scenarios composed of diverse activities and limited battery life devices, such as smartphones. This paper introduces Transferable and Copyright-Preserving Human Activity Recognition (TCP-HAR), a mobile-based HAR system that integrates digital watermarking, Federated Learning (FL), Transfer Learning (TL), and compression techniques to provide efficient human activity recognition while providing copyright protection of deep neural network models over Android smartphones. Our solution optimizes the utilization of FL, TL, and their combination (FTL) by extensively testing standalone TL models in offline contexts and comparing these results with FL across a network of mobile devices. Our findings highlight the benefits of TCP-HAR for mobile environments in terms of accuracy, F1-score, and training time. In addition, our proposed watermarking mechanism is robust yet computationally efficient, ensuring ownership verification without compromising the scalability of the TFL process
Aerodynamics of a small-scale drone propeller in challenging operative conditions
No full textL'abstract è presente nell'allegato / the abstract is in the attachmen
