690 research outputs found
Perspectives on ‘the lens of risk’ interview series: interviews with Tom Horlick-Jones, Paul Slovic and Andy Alaszewski
No full textThis article is the fourth and final of an interview series with a selection of significant contributors to the social science of risk. It provides quasi-verbatim interviews with Tom Horlick-Jones, Paul Slovic and Andy Alaszewski. Tom Horlick-Jones contributed to Chapter 6 of the Royal Society Risk monograph, on risk management. He offers further insights into the debates which underlay its production to those given by Nick Pidgeon in the first article of this series. Paul Slovic provides a North American perspective on risk social science. Andy Alaszewski, in the last of the eight interviews, discusses his views about risk in relation to the evolution of his journal, Health, Risk & Society
Open Building and User Agency: Early and Contemporary Experiments in the Netherlands
No full textThis chapter discusses the notion of ‘Open Building’ through its conceptualisations and implementations in the Netherlands since the 1960s until today. It focuses on the place of dwellers’ agency in the development of residential open buildings to investigate the potential of users’ empowerment. The ‘Open Building’ approach synthesises the principles of Habraken’s theory of ‘Support’ and ‘Infill’ developed as an alternative to post-war mass housing. Through innovations in decision-making and construction technology it promotes user participation and enables flexibility and change. The chapter discusses and compares the cases of Molenvliet, an early Open Building project for the social rental sector, and Superlofts, a series of contemporary ones where the architect and the residents have also become developers. It emphasises the political, and socio-economic context of the Open Building movement and how it has impacted the ability to meet its aims. Although its capacity to disrupt the housing system has remained limited it has expanded housing possibilities in the Netherlands.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Space & Typ
Vocal schizophrenia or conscious flexibility? : owning the voice in the South African context
No full textIncludes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 56-60).This thesis questions how and why certain South African performers habitually and unconsciously shift accent in the performance context. I refer to this vocal action as habitual, unconscious accent-based speech adaptation. This examination is made considering that contemporary voice training at the Drama Department of the University of Cape Town (UCT), where the author locates, does not designate any accent as a criterion for performance. Whilst I do not contend habitual, unconscious accent-based speech adaptation to be language-specific this research is English-based. Habitual, unconscious accent-based speech adaptation highlights three primary concerns: the first I term an 'ossification' of sound producing vocal inflexibility; the second is potential class-based exclusion from the performance context; and the third concern is a need for critical awareness in training and performance, evidenced by the preceding concerns. Despite accent-based speech adaptation paradoxically demonstrating the voice's flexibility, when accent-based speech adaptation happens unconsciously and habitually the real flexibility of the voice is negated producing detachment from the performer's own vocal identity or 'vocal schizophrenia' (Rodenburg, 2001: 81)
Globalising care? Town twinning in Britain since 1945
No full textTown twinning describes the establishment and practice, by various groups and to various ends, of relatively formal and long-term relationships between settlements usually located in different nation-states. Twin towns are sometimes called sister cities. This paper draws on a study of town twinning that focused on the involvement of British localities since the end of the Second World War and analysed data collected by the Local Government Association (for England and Wales), materials archived in the National Archives at Kew, London and various local record offices, and transcripts of interviews with representatives of relevant local, national, and international organisations. The paper makes three main contributions. Firstly, it provides a brief history of town twinning involving British localities. Secondly, it develops from this historical narrative an original conceptualisation of town twinning, arguing that it should be approached less as a coherent movement and more as a device, a repertoire, and a model. Thirdly, it argues that town twinning has often been used as a device for extending care across space – and that much can be learned from its history for contemporary geographies of care. Town twinning participants have approached the problem of care-at-a-distance as both an ontological problem and a practical problem. Some have focused more than others on the role of distanciated causal relationships in the generation of needs in distant places. Some are currently encountering another problem as they attempt to globalise care: the problem of care-in-a-hurry
ShoreScape: Nature-Based Design for Urban Coastal Zones
No full textSince the 1990’s the Netherlands has changed its coastal defence system from hard to sediment-based measures, compensating coastal erosion by adding sediment to its sandy shores. In order to keep pace with sea level rise, more nourishments will be needed in the future, including the ‘Building with Nature’ (BwN) technique: large scale nourishments to feed the coastal system for a longer period of time and using natural forces to bring sediment ashore. However, these dynamic nourishments are still in development and put new demands on spatial coastal planning to support dune formation and increase the coastal buffer zone.The objective of this paper is twofold: (1) to discuss how the interactions between the land-shaping processes induced by the nourishments and other coastal functions can be improved as stepping-stones to new design principles for integrated coastal planning enhancing BWN processes, and (2) to provide an overview of initial design principles. Two Dutch cases serve to illustrate the land-shaping processes and the involved design principles.The Walcheren case shows a regional design study for the positioning of BwN (mega) nourishments. This mega-nourishment feeds the narrow dune system as an alternative to the current (more frequent) ways of local beach nourishment. By zoning and staging the nourishment and land use, not only coastal safety, but also other coastal functions, such as recreation, waterfronts and ecology can be improved.The Sand Motor is a prime BwN experiment of mega nourishments in the south of Holland. It is now seven years in progress, featuring an accreting shore, new embryonic dune formation and increased beach recreation. The study shows on a local scale how morphological processes and urban use have evolved and how these processes could be altered and integrated in order to enhance BwN fore dune formation to enlarge the coastal buffer against erosion.The case studies show that the regional design and spatial zoning of nourishment dynamics can help to fine-tune BwN with other coastal functions, such as waterfronts and nature reserves. On the local level dune formation can be improved by adjusting the initial nourishment design, urban and ecological layout to the desired sand transport, using natural landscaping mechanisms as design principle. These will be investigated further in the ShoreScape project.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Landscape Architectur
Marketing Campaign for Mhogo Foods: Desining a Pilot Strategy
No full textThis project is a collaborative effort between graduating student Johan van der Schaaf from Delft University of Technology, BoP Innovation Center and client organization Mhogo Foods. The project is conducted mainly in Nairobi, Kenya and focuses on building a marketing pilot for Mhogo Foods to increase access to nutrition in low-income markets. The project taps into the challenge of marketing nutrition and the difficulty of measuring effectiveness of marketing campaigns. After a short literature study and 15 interviews with the target audience that provided several insights, a design-led approach was used to create a tag line that resonates with the target audience. The combined insights resulted in a tag line that formed the key message of the campaign: ‘Mlo Wetu Halisi’ (in English: ‘Eating, in our traditional way’). The design-led approach turned out to be helpful in targeting the message to the preferences of the target audience and ensuring the tag line is inclusive. During implementation of the campaign, all materials and interventions were based on the predefined key message. The implementation of the campaign consisted of a mix of proven offline activities to gain the first market traction with digital experiments to explore new marketing opportunities. The digital experiments consisted of streaming recipe videos through Wi-Fi platforms on local buses and distributing digital coupons through several digital channels that could be redeemed at local shops. During the campaign, different digital channels were tested through the digital coupon program. An initial setup, where coupons would be distributed through Facebook, Whatsapp and the Wi-Fi platforms on buses highlighted the challenge of reaching customers through the digital channels while also educating them on the program. A second iteration, consisting of a hybrid between offline and online channels, resulted in more tangible data, with customers showing understanding and interest in the coupon program. An additional key insight was that the Wi-Fi platforms turned out to be the only digital channel that could both reach the target audience and keep the attention span of consumers for a prolonged period of time. Finally, a tool is presented that can be used in future marketing pilots to assist in building the campaign and in designing strategies for measuring effectiveness of digital channels.2SCALEStrategic Product Desig
Ergonomic Exoskeleton Synthesis: Application to a Wearable Passive Exoskeleton for the Shoulder
No full textThe human machine-interface is more important than ever in the field of exoskeletons. Current design approaches lack a way of systematically designing the ergonomics of exoskeletons. Methods with a more pro active approach to ergonomics have to be developed. This thesis extends existing methods by which self aligning mechanisms are created with a systematic approach. A synthesis method is proposed by which all possibilities are synthesized. These possibilities are then excluded based on kinematic requirements on the system. The remaining possibilities are optimized based on ergonomic guidelines to obtain a set of solutions from which the designer can make well founded design choices. A force-deflection analysis was performed on the resulting solutions. This proposed method is applied to a planar passive exoskeleton for the shoulder. The method was successfully applied by using the total link length, reachable workspace, distance to the body and singularity avoidance as objectives for the optimization. Stiffness was added to the joints to obtain the required force-deflection behavior. The resulting objective values were verified by means of a prototype. The test results showed to be within reasonable bounds to verify the method for the planar case. The force-deflection analysis showed results that can be achieved by linear springs. This has to be verified by additional tests. The proposed method can be used as a tool in future exoskeleton design and can be extended with additional objective functions and constraints and can be extended to the three dimensional case
A Steerable Stylet for the Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Procedure
No full textIn recent years, more and more medical operations are done minimally invasive. Intervention radiology is a medical specialty which uses minimally invasive techniques to diagnose, or treat diseases. Instruments like needles and catheters are used by radiologists to enter the network of veins and arteries guided by image modalities. A complex treatment in the interventional radiology is the Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS) procedure. This treatment is developed for people who suffer from liver cirrhosis which are not eligible for liver transplantation. The problem which arise with a liver affected by cirrhosis is that it can not transmit enough blood. Without transplantation or a treatment this will eventually lead to death. During the TIPS procedure a connection is made between the right hepatic and the portal vein by a shunt. As a result, blood pressure reduction in the portal system since the blood can flow back to the right atrium of the heart, bypassing the liver.The hardest part in a TIPS procedure is the intrahepatic puncture between the hepatic and portal vein. The interventional radiologist tries to enter the portal vein by puncturing a small stylet from the hepatic vein through the liver tissue. Due to cirrhosis the liver tissue is very stiff and stylet deflection will occur. To reduce the uncertainty of entering the portal vein, this thesis is focused on designing a stylet that is more stiff and able to steer. It is expected that the complexity of the procedure will be reduced and a higher hit rate to enter the portal vein will be achieved.\\ \\The prototype of the steerable stylet has been evaluated through various experiments, a visibility test and with procedures in a test liver model. During these experiments the steering characteristics, the stiffness of the stylet, the maximum lateral forces exerted by the tip while steering, the influence of the stylet orientation and the visibility are obtained. Afterwards, an evaluation was done in a liver model, made of PVA, to determine whether the stylet is capable to reduce the complexity of the intrahepatic puncture step in the TIPS procedure.With the prototype made in this graduation project, based on a steerable ablation needle, the complexity of the TIPS procedure is not reduced yet. The steerable stylet was not able to enter the portal vein. It was already hard to enter the right hepatic vein since the pre-bent stiffening cannula was adapted with a smaller angle which was necessary since the steerable stylet was too stiff to push through the pre-bent angle. According to this prototype, possibilities are shown to use a mechanical steering mechanism in instruments with a long thin shaft. The transmission in combination with the joint mechanisms fits within 1.3mm diameter, was able to bridge 60cm from distal end to proximal end and had only 4 components, the stylet, the rigid cannula, the key to fix the stylet to the rigid cannula and the transmission. By translating the stylet in a push or pull direction relative to the rigid cannula, steering angles could be achieved. With further research and development this steering mechanism must be able to steer the required amount of degrees without any extra components, is well visible with ultrasound, and is good resistant against lateral forces. Mechanical Engineering | BioMechanical Desig
Sharing concepten in stadslogistiek: The Big Five
No full textHet delen van ongebruikte en/of onderbenutte middelen kan nieuwe verbeteringen opleveren in de logistieke waardeketen. In vijf sectoren van het stedelijk goederenvervoer, te weten stadslogistiek, bouwlogistiek, transport & warehousing (retaillogistiek), zorglogistiek en servicelogistiek, worden concepten voor het delen van diensten bestudeerd voor de hele stad Rotterdam. Op basis van onze belangrijkste case study-bevindingen kan worden vastgesteld dat er binnen de sectoren van het stedelijk goederenvervoer nogal wat verschillen bestaan met betrekking tot de maturiteit van delen. In deze paper is per sector weergegeven wat de volgende implementatie stappen zijn.Transport and Logistic
- …
