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Future astronaut-agent medical collaboration opportunities for long-duration human spaceflight
Get PDFCurrent medical care of astronauts in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) heavily relies on ground support. However, futurelong-duration human spaceflight (LDHSF) and exploration-class missions will require novel approaches to design ofsystems sustaining the health and safety of astronaut crews. Prolonged exposure to the harsh environment will impactevery aspect of crews' health, from microgravity-induced changes to human physiology and psychological challengesof living in remote confinement, to cognitive decline due to radiation exposure. Medical decision-making will requireoptimizing scarce resources alongside prioritizing prevention and early detection.Leveraging emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and biofeedback, along with robotics, presentsopportunities for designing novel medical systems that enable astronauts to collaborate with agents as Cyber-Physical-Human (CPH) teams. Although trust and role assignment are well-understood foundations of effective collaborationin healthcare teams and physician-patient relationships on Earth, the astronaut-agent trust-driven synergistic medicalcollaboration during LDHSF remains largely unexplored.To address this gap, we adapted a human-centred design approach, developing new research tools fortransdisciplinary collaboration involving diverse stakeholders, including space medicine, astronaut and training,human factors, human-centered design, engineering, and human-computer interaction. We conducted qualitativeinterviews and ran a series of Subject Matter Expert (SME) workshops titled 'Future Health(care) Space Systems:Designing-In Trust into Cyber-Physical Teams and Trustworthy Human-Agent Interactions'.This paper presents key insights into the challenges and opportunities of CPH trust-driven medical collaboration.We discuss the human-agent shared decision-making and role allocations, encompassing training, prevention, earlydetection, diagnosis, treatment selection, and care delivery. Lastly, we present transdisciplinary recommendations fordesigning new CPH-oriented interfaces that capitalize on the strengths of both humans and agents and foster designing-in justifiable trust in the design of future CPH-team-oriented medical systems
Curatorial design: A place between
No full textThe future of architecture lies in the curatorial approach. This is the thesis put forward by architect Wilfried Kuehn and theorist Dubravka Sekulić in their book Curatorial Design: A Place Between, which brings together contributions from more than 30 authors working in the fields of architecture, art, and curatorial knowledge and practice. Architectural design and the curatorial share a non-disciplinary background, and aim to assemble diverse forms of knowledge rather than specializing. Inherently transdisciplinary, then, they are at odds with the increasing division of labor in all fields of knowledge and practice. In the face of professionalization, which limits our capacity to intervene comprehensively, design and the curatorial challenge specialization and produce relational knowledge. They intend to create an in-between place, as together they form a novel practice that—in combining heterogenous forms of knowledge—takes center stage rather than serving as a moderator or mediator of sorts. What unites them is the assertion of a relational form, the autonomy of which consists precisely in teasing out relations between different elements. What happens to architectural design when it consciously enters a relationship with the curatorial? The book is aimed at practitioners and educators in the field of architecture and design, as well as curators and exhibition makers. It contains three photo series by Armin Linke that accompany the three sections of the book: “Public School for Architecture”, “Total Reconstruction,” and “Designing for Co-Habitation.
Echo fossils: A fossil-inspired AI-generated ambient soundscape interactive system for emotional resonance and emotional soothing
Get PDFThis paper introduces Echo Fossils, a conceptual digital music instrument that integrates natural artefacts with AI-generated soundscapes to support emotional well-being and mindfulness. Inspired by the geometry of ammonite fossils, the design embeds generative sound into fossil-like forms, which allows users to interact through tactile gestures, including touch, tap, and twist. These interactions activate ambient sound to mimic oceanic and prehistoric environments, creating a multisensory experience rooted in both physical and emotional resonance
Softness is power: A feminist discussion and subversion of softness, radical knowledge and soft knowledge
Get PDFI am known as a radical knitter. Knitting is a process stereotypically linked to women and the domestic, although much of my work is produced using industrial machinery, which is usually associated with men and masculine labor. Whichever process I choose, the work that I produce always comes off the needles the same way: soft. I am researching, and writing, about softness while simultaneously hand knitting with the softest yarns that I can buy. These are both natural (silk, wool, mohair, cashmere, and alpaca) and man-made (nylon, acrylic, and polyester), plus mixes of the two. The research is underpinned by my ongoing questioning of notions of “normality” and by an embracing of the non-binary: the subtleties and differences that lie between two defined points. I write as I knit, with ideas linking together like stitches on a needle that grow to become a single work. But I am a much more experienced and skillful knitter than I am a writer. Speaking to an artist friend about my struggles to write about knitting, he asked, “Why don’t you knit it?” All of the ideas contained within this written text are also embodied within my textile work, but many people in Western society don’t know how to “read” material objects. As a society we have long privileged sight over all other senses, and generally we value and trust the written word above all else
Exploring children’s attitudes towards Digital Good/Bad through hybrid arts practices
Get PDFThis report shares the findings of a project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council’s (ESRC) Digital Good Network that sought to explore children’s attitudes towards notions of digital good and conversely digital bad through hybrid arts practice. The project built on our previous work that has centred on one or more emerging technologies, exploring what this might mean in terms of children’s entertainment, play, education and/or health. To tie in with the wider Network’s provocation about whether a digital good society is possible, and if so, what it would look like. The Digital Good/Bad project, was seeking 9-13-year-olds attitudes towards notions of digital good/bad, and the knowledge of how these may differ from adults. We believe that understanding children's ideas/ knowledge is crucial in shaping our collective vision and actions, towards how technologies and software are developed, taught and generally included in their lives
Optimising VR lighting system for enhanced user experience and visual comfort
No full textVisual perception is fundamental to human interaction with the external environment. Virtual Reality (VR) systems, transforming digital data into immersive visual experiences, have been widely applied across fields such as gaming, design, medicine, and business through VR head-mounted displays (HMDs). Despite significant advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and display technologies enhancing computational speed, interaction precision, and visual fidelity, prolonged use of VR HMDs often leads to physiological discomforts like eye strain, sleep dis- orders, and hormonal imbalances. These side effects, stemming from disparities between VR screen and natural light, limit comfortable VR usage time to mere minutes. This research addresses the critical issue of reducing physiological discomfort caused by extended VR HMD use, focusing on the impact of synthetic light on the human eye. This research approaches this challenge from two key dimensions: (1) precisely modelling and monitoring the physiological responses of the human eye to light stimulation; and (2) optimising light rendering methods at the software level within VR systems. The main contributions are as follows: Firstly, This research proposes a method for evaluating light stimulation in VR content, quantifying scenes rendered by game engines into stimulation heat maps for various photoreceptors in the hu- man eye. This aids developers in predicting and controlling light stimulation during the design phase. Secondly, This research develops a novel technique for real-time 3D reconstruction of the periocular area using the camera embedded in VR headsets. This method detects subtle physiological changes and provides precise measurements of the eye region, ensuring compliance with health guide- lines. Lastly, This research introduces a colour shift algorithm that models the responses of rods, cones, and melanopsin to different wavelengths. This algorithm adjusts the colour output of VR displays to minimise light stimulation while maintaining accurate colour perception. These methods have been evaluated through specifically designed user experiments, for instance, prolonged virtual museum immersions. The results demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed approaches, significantly enhancing the usability and user comfort of VR technology. By alleviating the side effects of VR headsets and extending comfortable VR usage time, this research brings the concept of a "Digital Universe" closer to reality. The enhanced user immersion marks a crucial step toward integrating virtual worlds into daily life, advancing toward a future where digital and physical realities coexist
Geographies of responsibility: Design and social sustainability in global supply chains
No full textThis chapter explores design’s role in addressing social sustainability in global production networks (GPNs). Using the concept of geographies of responsibility, the chapter argues that actors throughout supply chains are interdependent, their relationships embodied in the products, processes and systems that designers help to create. However, for designers in post-industrial economies, it can be challenging to identify how their decisions affect the social sustainability of those further upstream. Distant manufacturing locations and stakeholders obscured by complex, multitier supply chains present conditions seemingly beyond design’s control. Most human-centred design has focused on clients and consumers, overlooking those employed elsewhere in resource extraction, manufacturing, distribution and disposal. Social design practices could help to address this gap. Over the past decades, a rich body of work has emerged in participatory design, design for the pluriverse and design for social sustainability (D4SS). Design expertise exists in sustainable production and social sustainability, but these have yet to be combined in a meaningful way. Examples of designers acting inside, outside and alongside industry to promote social sustainability in GPNs raise questions about the limitations and opportunities for design in this context
Survey of automated methods for design and assessment of smart products
No full textUser centric smart products prioritize the needs and preferences of users, enhancing their experience and satisfaction. Involving users in the design and assessment of smart products ensures that they meet real-world requirements, leading to more intuitive product design, user interface, and functionalities that truly resonate with users. Further, the capability of generating and evaluating many alternative designs early in product development is beneficial. However, the need to construct physical prototypes for user testing limits the number of designs that can be evaluated during early design stages. As such, our interest is in automated methods that support user centered design and usability and user experience assessment. In this review article, we look at at two decades of automation methods that have been employed in the design and development of user centric smart products. The focus of these automation methods is to incorporate user voice in early design stages rather than replacing the users. We have identified five key activities of the design cycle in which automated methods have been employed: design thinking, design ideation, prototype creation, user data collection for usability study, and user data analysis. Overall, 154 articles were identified across engineering, human-computer interaction, human factors, inclusive design, industrial design, and other disciplines that have incorporated automation methods to include the user’s voice in the design of user centric smart products. This review examines the effectiveness and limitations of different automation methods compared to conventional methods, offering valuable insights and suggestions to enhance the design processes of smart products with a focus on widespread usability issues. Our specific interest lies in developing assistive mobility and rehabilitation devices, where constraints such as limited development time and resources persist, yet the usability and user experience profoundly influence significant outcomes like perceived functionality, stigma, and device acceptance
Transcription of the semi-structured interviews for Circular Shirt Builder: An apparel configurator tool to involve users in the Textiles Circular Economy that promotes healthier consumption boundaries
No full textThis dataset comprises the semi-structured interviews conducted for the study that culminated with the article titled 'Circular Shirt Builder: An apparel configurator tool to involve users in the Textiles Circular Economy that promotes healthier consumption boundaries.