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Towards Adaptive Human-Centered Workplaces - Framework & Building Blocks
Get PDFThe research around human-centered manufacturing indicates positive contributions of technology adoption in reducing strain and improving efficiency of assembly execution. However, there is a lack of research, specifically with a high degree of customization at the worker level, investigating how the development of adaptive assembly workstations can be enabled. This is an important factor in the context of Industry 5.0 which relies on the integration between technological aspects, human factors, and ergonomic principles. Therefore, this concept paper proposes a framework supported by five building blocks to facilitate the development of dynamically adaptable assembly workstations, according to individual-specific characteristics. Drawing insights from case studies applied in real manufacturing environments and learning factories, each building block contributes towards the integration of methodological and technological factors to address existing application gaps concerning human factors within cyber-physical systems.</p
Metal multi-material additive manufacturing:Overcoming barriers to implementation
Get PDFAdditive manufacturing has advanced rapidly since its origins in the 1980s. While some processes are now commercially viable, others remain experimental. A key ambition has been to combine multiple materials in a single part, enabling novel properties and overcoming traditional limitations of fabrication and assembly. Multi-material additive manufacturing offers a potential step change across industries, though scaling from lab to industry remains a challenge. This work explores the enabling technologies and science behind metal multi-material additive manufacturing and proposes how the research community can advance these innovations for meaningful industrial impact.</p
Cost-effectiveness analysis of the covered endovascular reconstruction of the aortic bifurcation versus kissing stents and open surgical repair for the treatment of aorto-iliac occlusive disease
Get PDFObjective: To assess the cost effectiveness of the Covered Endovascular Reconstruction of the Aortic Bifurcation (CERAB) versus kissing stents (KS) and open surgical repair (OSR) for treating extensive aorto-iliac occlusive disease (AIOD). Methods: A decision tree followed by a health state transition model was developed to simulate changes in Rutherford status and the occurrence of reinterventions, amputation, and death. A Dutch health care perspective and a five-year time horizon were used. Model inputs were estimated using non-randomised data of individuals who underwent a CERAB or a KS procedure and literature. The total number of reinterventions, life years, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and health care costs per strategy were calculated as well as the incremental costs and QALYs between strategies, and corresponding incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). Results: OSR resulted in the lowest survival due to a higher peri-operative probability of death. OSR resulted in a lower probability of reinterventions (6%, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1-15%) than CERAB (17%, 95%CI: 11-27%) and KS (29%, 95%CI: 17-46%). CERAB dominated OSR since it led to 0.032 (95%CI: -0.038-0.082) incremental QALYs and €-11,466 (95%CI: €-18,934-€-3,415) incremental costs versus OSR. CERAB led to 0.048 (95%CI: 0.011–0.109) incremental QALYs, €5,324 (95%CI: €2,938-€10,397) incremental costs, and an ICER of €110,201 per QALY versus KS. Conclusions: CERAB dominated OSR and resulted in the highest health benefits and costs but does not seem to be cost effective versus KS for treating AIOD. Performing a randomised comparison of these treatment modalities is essential to confirm these findings.</p
How can Platform Ecosystems support Mission-Specific Innovation Systems?
Get PDFThe recent uptake of transformative mission-oriented innovation policies introduces novel demands on innovation systems. Scholars suggest that platform ecosystems could help meet these new demands, but how this may be done remains unexplored and unspecified. This is problematic because policymakers already develop and deploy such resource-intensive platforms. To address this gap, this paper conceptualizes how platform ecosystems can be employed to support mis-sion-specific innovation systems. We argue that plat-forms can cover a range of system functions, including the provision of problem/solution directionality, coordination of the transition, and market creation. We animate our conceptualization through an illustrative vignette of the NetZeroCities platform and provide urgent avenues for future research that would yield a better understanding of mission-oriented platform ecosystems
Single‐Virus Stochastic Biosensing: Proof of Concept for SARS‐CoV‐2 Detection in Complex Medium Using CMOS‐Based Nanocapacitor Arrays
Get PDFStochastic detection opens a promising window toward improved biosensing assays, despite the challenges posed by the unpredictable behavior of nanoscale entities as well as interference from the target medium. This study presents a novel proof of concept for label-free detection of single virus particles in complex media at physiological salt concentrations using stochastic electrochemical impedance. SARS-CoV-2 particles are successfully detected in cell culture medium using thiolated aptamers that selectively bind to the virus's spike S1 proteins, enabling the identification of individual viral particles. Stochastic biosensing, which relies on large datasets, is powered here by CMOS-based nanocapacitor arrays with 65536 individually addressable electrodes serving as electrochemical transducers. This configuration allows for high-frequency impedance measurements under physiological conditions, demonstrating the potential for scalable, real-time, label-free virus detection
Autonomous Sorting of Beads in a 3D Environment Using Levitating Magnetic Microrobots
Get PDFThis work presents a novel approach to autonomously sort passive beads in 3D environments using an untethered levitating magnetic microrobot. The in situ untethered magnetic weighing technique is introduced, where the classification of beads is based on the magnetic force required to levitate the microrobot and the beads. Autonomous sorting is achieved through the integration of motion control, trajectory planning, and action scheduling. Experimental validation is conducted using a nine-coil electromagnetic actuation system and a microrobot of 3 mm in size. The system demonstrates an average trajectory-following precision of 0.1 mm. The proposed magnetic weighing enables the detection and classification of carried silica beads of 0.75–1.00 mm diameter by measuring the increase in effective weight with a resolution of ≈1 μN. During the sorting process, all particles with a diameter larger than 0.9 mm are classified as heavy, and all those with a diameter smaller than 0.85 mm are classified as light, demonstrating the effectiveness of the approach. Overall, the proposed system holds significant promise for applications in biomedicine and micromanufacturing, driving innovation in autonomous microrobotics.</p
Toward Eco-Friendly Rubber:Utilizing Paper Waste-Derived Calcium Carbonate to Replace Carbon Black in Natural Rubber Composites
Get PDFThe growing concerns for the environmental impact of resource depletion and carbon emissions has led to the current study of using novel, sustainable materials in natural rubber compounds. The principal goal of this study was to reduce the usage of the non-renewable filler carbon black (CB). For this purpose, two waste-derived calcium carbonates were introduced in natural rubber compounds as a partial replacement for CB. To enhance their performance, the compounds were modified using alpha-lipoic acid and a titanate as in situ coupling agents. The effect of these renewable fillers and coupling agents on the in-rubber properties was analyzed using various characterization methods. Remarkably, by replacing 10 phr of carbon black with a calcium carbonate filler and introducing the alpha-lipoic acid coupling agent, a compound was obtained with performance levels similar to the CB-filled reference compound. These findings contribute valuable insights into the replacement of carbon black with renewable calcium carbonate fillers.</p
