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Seeking new frontiersfrom the shouldersof giants : the power of systematic reviews
No full textA literature review is where a solid research begins. However, it is likely that two researchers
conducting a literature review independently on the same domain may conduct the review
differently with varying results
The Impact of incentives and regulatory regimes on changing customer behavior : a study based on the Power Utility Customer Segments in Sri Lanka
No full textThis study aims to develop a scientific model to ascertain the impact of incentives, regulatory regimes, and new technology products on the behavior of different customer segments of the electricity market, in order to conserve energy and address the current problem of peak power deficit in Sri Lankan electricity secto
Have difficulty standing up? soft exosuitsare here to help!
No full textSoft robotics is a novel disruptive technology that is revolutionizing the fields of
robotics. Innovative use of compliant materials by researchers has elevated soft robotics
over contemporary technologies. The Computational Sensing and Smart Machines
(CSSM) laboratory of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University
of Moratuwa, has been taking strides in the development of soft robotics, ranging
from actuators, sensors, and applications
Operational energy saving in buildings : a comparison of green vs conventional wall
No full textThe green wall concept has been introduced as one of the solutions to reduce energy demand for ventilation requirements while improving the natural vegetation in dense urban areas. Past studies revealed that the energy-saving of green walls can vary substantially, from 35% to 90% across countries such as United Kingdom (UK), Canada, Russia, Greece, China, Saudi Arabia, India, and Brazil. Given these differences in energy saving of green walls due to climatic conditions and other reasons, direct application of such findings to the Sri Lankan context is questionable. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the thermal performance of green wall applications in Sri Lanka through a case study analysis of an indirect green façade with a comparative conventional wall. The required data were extracted through on-site temperature measurements from different points of both the exterior and interior wall surfaces of each building in different time intervals per day for a period of fourteen days spanning from October to November. The analysis shows that the green walls contribute to 21% - 36% of temperature difference compared to the conventional wall. Eventually, this results in 0.06 kWh of energy-saving per m2 of wall area, and thereby green walls contribute to the 80% energy saving for ventilation requirements. Hence, the study recommends that the use of green walls can be considered as one of the energy efficiency solutions while improving natural vegetation in tropical climatic cities and absorbing other benefits of green walls
Promoting stakeholder collaboration in adopting circular economy principles for sustainable construction
No full textCircular Economy (CE) has been recognised as one of the most comprehensive way of attaining sustainable development, which considers every aspect; social, technical, economic and environmental, of sustainable development. For a building construction project that aims to achieve circularity, collaboration of project stakeholders both within vertical horizontal supply chains is vital. This research project establishes importance of such collaboration and proposes methodology to identify stakeholders responsible for attaining circularity in projects through collaboration between such stakeholders. This paper reports of the key literature findings of this on-going research. The key findings from the current paper are establishing importance of stakeholder collaborations to achieve circular buildings and potential of blockchain technology in this regard
Decision tree application for model built-up land fragmentation in urban areas
No full textLand fragmentation can define as the “situation where one area/unit is composed of a large number of parcels that are too small for their rational utilization” [5]. Land fragmentation affects sustainable development through its multiple impacts on environmental, economic, and social costs [13]. Effective land use management and policy decisions are always based on understanding, modeling, and predicting land-use changes in cities [9]. Therefore, the land fragmentation process should systematically investigate to provide a wide-ranging set of land use indicators to support sustainable development [12]. Built-up land fragmentation is the fragmentation or division of the built-up plots or units within the built-up land-use area horizontally. The objective of this study is to frame a Decision Tree (DT) model to identify the non-linear relationships between the Level of Built-up Land Fragmentation (LBLF) and its influencing factors in urban areas. The sub-objective is to quantify the LBLF in the Western Province, Sri Lanka. The study scope limits to LBLF and Decision Tree (DT) non-linear classifier. The study further quantifies the LBLF from 2000 to 2010 in Western Province, Sri Lanka as an initiation to frame the DT model
Design and development of a novel fixturing solution for handling complex shaped components
No full textFixturing is one of the key subprocesses used in many industries such as aerospace, automobile and marine engineering. Most existing fixturing systems use pin-type end effectors which apply concentrated loads (See Fig. 1. (Left)) on objects resulting in geometrical distortions [1]. Granular jamming is a novel fixturing technique used in the field of soft robotics [3]. We propose the use of granular jamming for developing a fixturing system which minimizes the structural deformation and surface damage prevalent in pin type fixturing
Is cues of contagious diseases in advertising a friend or foe?
No full textWe are all well aware of how the Covid-19 pandemic has caused devastating economic and social disruptions globally. The pandemic caused serious health, economic, social, business, travel, education, and workplace challenges to almost all the consumers across the world. From a marketing perspective, these challenges have led to dramatic changes in how consumers behave [1], [2]. In fact, Covid-19 pandemic represents one of the most significant environmental changes in modern marketing history [3]. Thus, understanding the changes in consumer behavior is critically important to marketers going forward. Given this background, this proposed research seeks to examine the impact of Covid-19 on consumer behavior, in particular consumers’ impulsive buying behavior, hoarding behavior, and consumers’ intention to recycle. We further predict that consumer’s negative emotions evoked by both visual and written cues of contagious disease in advertisements will act as a mediator on this relationship. We further predict that individual differences in perceived vulnerability to infectious disease will moderate the contagious disease cue effect on the predicted relationships
Bolgoda chat, crossing the borders in his own way: An interview with Emeritus Professor P A De Silva
No full textIPT gained university status in 1972. However, in 1966 we had received a status equivalent to a university, under the name “Ceylon College of Technology”. I remember one interesting incident from that time. The first vice chancellor was Dr. Upali Kuruppu. I was responsible for selecting Junior Technical Officers (JTO), and these were highly capable students who had missed engineering by a narrow margin. There were around 80 deserving candidates, and we were only admitting 40. Late Prof. Patuwathawithana and I (we were both young and junior staff members at that time), approached the administration to request an increase in the intake. Indeed, we had space to accommodate. There was a fear that, if we produced more, there will be no demand. The University of Ceylon was thus unwilling to increase the intake beyond 25 students. Finally, we managed to increase the JTO intake from 40 to 60. The JTO students were very capable. Prof. Patuwathawithana and I started to teach IMechE part II subjects to them. While I taught Heat Engines and Materials, he used to teach Thermo-machines etc. Some of them went on to become chartered engineers, and that too paved the way for the Ceylon College of Technology
Informality in formal spaces through self organization: a study of the people’s processes in Puttalam town in Sri Lanka
No full textInformality is an inevitable ingredient in an urban environment. The ‘formally’ established urban built environments are informally shaped by people for the appropriation of spaces for their activities. Within dominant institutionalized urban planning processes, such informalities are often regarded as ‘nuisances’, ‘out-of-place’, and ‘misfits’ in urban spaces. Yet, informally organized spaces are as important as formal spaces for the vitality, equity, and sustainability of all types of urban environments. People's processes in the creation and operation of informal spaces, resisting, contesting, and negotiating the dominant formal networks, have been the subject of many scholarly works over the last few decades, but a lack of empirical work and informative case studies on the subject has distanced mainstream planners and urban designers from learning and integrating such informal space production into institutionalized urban development processes. In order to mend this gap and reorient the prevalent understanding among planning professionals, a people’s endeavor in Puttalam town in Sri Lanka to form and sustain informal spaces is presented in this paper. The paper elaborates on the ‘self-organizing’ behaviour of the small-scale retail vendors and the day-to-day users of the city to withstand interventions by the authorities on the public market space of the town