13463 research outputs found
Sort by
Design and Development of a Nylon Based Actuator for Use in a Soft Robotic Glove
Get PDFThis research develops a nylon-based actuator for a soft robotic glove to assist users with impaired hand strength, such as stroke or arthritis patients. Traditional soft robotic gloves are bulky or, in the case of pneumatic systems, limited by power source requirements. This study aims to create a lightweight solution using twist and coiled polymers (TCP), specifically nylon fishing wire, to assist finger movement through thermal contraction. A prototype glove integrating the artificial muscle and a heating element was designed to aid finger movement, with a heat-resistant glove ensuring safety. Braided nylon wire muscles showed promising tensile and contraction test results, demonstrating flexibility and strength, with an optimal activation temperature of 100°C. Controlled by an Arduino Uno, the heating element effectively activated the artificial muscles for finger movement. This work presents a significant step towards creating more accessible and effective soft robotic gloves, potentially benefiting individuals with hand mobility issues in therapeutic and everyday contexts
Renormalized stress-energy tensor for scalar fields in the Boulware state with applications to extremal black holes
Get PDFWe provide a mode-sum prescription to directly compute the renormalized stress-energy tensor (RSET) for scalar fields in the Boulware vacuum. The method generalizes the recently developed extended coordinate method which was previously only applicable to Hartle-Hawking states. We exhibit the accuracy and efficiency of the method by calculating the RSET in subextremal and extremal ReissnerNordström spacetimes. We find numerical evidence for the regularity of the RSET at the extremal horizon regardless of the field mass and its coupling. We employ our numerical results of the RSET to source the semiclassical Einstein equations, demonstrating that if the RSET is considered as a static perturbation, it will either deextremalize the black hole, or convert it into a horizonless object
Burgeoning teacher assessment identity and learning to ‘play the system’: the realities of assessment-led reform at lower secondary level in Ireland
Get PDFIn recent years, the lower secondary school curriculum in the
Republic of Ireland has been subject to assessment-led reform,
many elements of which, such as the increased focus on continuous
school-based assessment, reflect those of similar initiatives introduced in other countries. This paper explores the extent to which
this reformed approach is succeeding in meeting its aims, drawing
on survey data from a representative sample (n = 471) of teachers
who have been involved in its implementation over the past seven
years. The findings suggest that the increased diversity of assessment approaches has given rise to a greater emphasis on skills, such
as creativity and critical self-reflection, but concerns are raised
regarding the authenticity with which these skills are being developed, and several practical and logistical difficulties associated with
the new system are also noted. Implications for both local and
international policy and practice are discussed
Fleshing Out the Invisible: Activating Social Empathy Through the Material
Get PDFThis article begins with the material—objects that hold stories, reveal histories, and provoke sensibilities. Ordinary Treasures: Objects From Home is a short film that foregrounds these materialities as a form of
everyday activism (Chatterton & Pickerill, 2010), tracing how displaced individuals become visible through what they hold dear. In this cinematic work, international protection applicants and refugees craft an
evocative narrative around the singular object each brought from home, invoking “thick solidarity” (Liu & Shange, 2018; Maillot et al., 2023). It is the material—small, mundane, yet profoundly resonant—that
animates these narratives and disrupts the apparent divide between what is visible and what is not. The film’s anonymous participants emerge in fragments: hands in motion, shadows cast, voices layering
against a backdrop of an original score that samples their stories. This fragmented presence centres both the material and the relationality at its core, revealing the co‐presence of the visible and the unseen, of the
tangible and the unspoken. Motivated by rising anti‐immigrant rhetoric in Ireland (Vieten & Poynting, 2022), the film seeks to cultivate “relationships of discomfort” (Boudreau Morris, 2016), unsettling the frames of ignorance and challenging the boundary work of exclusion. This article aims to examine the materialities evoked by the film, the processes of their cinematic articulation, and their impact on audiences. Anchored in shared imaginings, co‐creation, and a desire to foster social empathy, Ordinary Treasures becomes an uneasy yet vital form of solidarity (Roediger, 2016). It stands as a creative interruption, offering an alternative vision of everyday activism in an Ireland grappling with the rise of populism. In this article, we will trace how these materialities themselves give rise to theoretical frameworks, shaping and reshaping our understanding of their entanglements. These are not static systems but emergent dynamics, unsettling assumptions and holding space for new solidarities to form
Transport Transitions: Advancing Sustainable and Inclusive Mobility Proceedings of the 10th TRA Conference, 2024, Dublin, Ireland Volume 2: Sustainable Transport Development
Get PDFTRA is a multi-modal conference that draws on the support of key stakeholders. These include the European Commission, ACARE (Advisory Council for Aviation Research and Innovation in Europe), ALICE (Alliance for Logistics Innovation through Collaboration in Europe), CEDR (Conference of European Road Directorates), ECTP (European Construction Technology Platform), ERRAC (European Rail Research Advisory Council), ERTRAC (European Road Transport Research Advisory Council), ETRA (European Transport Research Alliance), and the Waterborne technology platform. Key Irish supporters of the event were Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and the Irish Government’s Department of Transport
System Demo of Modeling Smart University Campus Virtual Environments
No full textVEs (Virtual Environments) are one of the emerging areas of research which focus on the availability of digital replicas of physical environments. Traditionally, the use of VEs has been associated with gaming technologies and with industrial infrastructure applications. However, nowadays the use of VEs is getting mainstream with some of the modern applications such as smart homes, smart buildings, smart campuses, and even smart cities. One of the core aspects of creating VEs is 3D modelling of physical objects to create their virtual replica. Over the years, many solutions have emerged to facilitate the process of 3D modelling. However, there is no standard approach to showcase the complete process of 3D modelling of a VE for any smart building or a set of buildings (e.g. university campuses or cities). Recent works on building a digital twin of university campuses has shown promising results by combining 3D modelling and real-time monitoring through IoT sensors with a focus on real-world use-cases having a direct impact to improve quality of services for students and staff. This work presents a methodology for 3D digital modelling different types of physical assets and their integration into a VE of a university campus where students can interact with it in different LOD (level of detail) and immersion
Impact of the EuroPsy: A European Benchmark for Psychology Education and Training
Get PDFThe EuroPsy is a set of standards for education and training in psychology, overseen by the European Federation of
Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA) since 2010 and currently implemented in 28 countries across Europe. This paper examines how the EuroPsy certification process has impacted psychology in Europe. Methods: We reviewed data from individual countries, including annual
reports, approval and reapproval applications, and minutes of annual meetings over the 13-year period from 2010 to 2023. We conducted a
small number of interviews online where clarification was needed. Results: Three key areas have been impacted by the EuroPsy process:
University psychology programmes across Europe have been revised in line with the EuroPsy curriculum; supervised practice has now been
accepted as a core component of training; and many countries have revised their legislation on licensing in psychology to be consistent with
the minimum standards outlined in the EuroPsy regulations. Conclusion: Contrary to expectations, the impact of the EuroPsy is reflected less
in the number of certificates issued and more in the recognition of the certificate as a hallmark of quality, representing a benchmark that has
influenced education, training, and legislation at a systemic level in European countries
Putting excellence first: How rubric performance level order and feedback type influence students’ reading patterns and task performance
Get PDFBackground: Rubrics are structured assessment tools that describe criteria and levels of performance, helping students understand expectations and improve their work. They are widely used to support learning in educational settings. However, little is known about how students process rubrics in real time, and empirical research
on rubric design and feedback effects is limited.
Aim: This study examines how university students engage with rubrics during two landscape analysis tasks, focusing on two variables: the order of performance levels (highest first vs. last) and the type of feedback
received (no feedback [control], process-based, product-based, or rubric-based). By combining eye-tracking and think-aloud protocols, the study offers a multimodal perspective on students’ visual attention and cognitive
engagement.
Sample: Eighty undergraduate students from six degree programs were randomly assigned to one of four feedback conditions.
Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted. Eye-tracking data—fixation times, number of visits, and gaze transitions—and verbal data from think-aloud protocols were collected across task phases. Integrating these process-tracing methods enabled detailed analysis of how students interacted with the rubric and how engagement related to performance.
Results: Students focused primarily on the highest performance level, especially when it appeared first. Visual attention to this level predicted task performance; verbal references did not. Rubric-based feedback increased visual alignment between rubric and task, while process-based feedback led to the strongest performance gains.
Conclusion: Rubric design and feedback type significantly influence student engagement and performance. Eyetracking and think-aloud data provide complementary insights, reinforcing rubrics’ instructional value when paired with targeted feedback
The principal’s role in nurturing Catholic school identity in the Republic of Ireland: implications for leadership development and succession planning
Get PDFThe role of a school principal is increasingly complex; in
Catholic schools, principals face the additional challenge of
navigating the terrain between State demands and the
requirements of the Catholic community, managing
multifaceted and sometimes competing expectations.
This paper investigates contemporary views and experiences
of principals (headteachers) in Catholic secondary schools in
the Republic of Ireland. It examines the results of the first
large scale, mixed methods empirical study into Catholic
school ethos in the Republic of Ireland, of which leadership
is an essential dimension. Employing both survey and semistructured interview data, it analyses the practices, views
and experiences of principals of secondary Catholic schools
and highlights the role and reality of leading a Catholic
school in the Republic of Ireland today. Findings demonstrate
a level of commitment and professionalism among principals,
and much in the way of good practice and commitment to
ethos. However, they also indicate succession concerns and
an urgent need for leadership development supports for
existing and aspiring Catholic school principals.
While the study is carried out in Ireland, it is also of interest
to other Catholic education systems looking to the future of
school leadership
Breaking Boundaries: Advancing Gender and Technology Research to Combat Sextortion
Get PDFThis editorial calls for research into technology facilitated abuses that push the epistemic and ontological boundaries of gender and technology in IS research. Specifically, it focuses on sextortion in the digital age—a pressing societal challenge that undermines gender equality—analyzing
how technology both enables and holds the potential to mitigate this form of corruption. Addressing sextortion and other forms of gender-based exploitation requires rethinking how digital technologies are conceptualized, designed, and implemented. This editorial urges
scholars to move beyond critique and explore innovative frameworks that prioritize inclusivity, social justice, and participatory design