74 research outputs found
Het altaar van het Antwerpse kuipersgilde en Quinten Massys'Bewening te Ottawa
No full textAbstractThe Altar of the Antwerp Coopers' Guild and Quinten Massy In 1938 two distinguished scholars, Max J. Friedländer and Floris Prims, one a reknowned connoisseur of Early Netherlandish painting and the other an indefatigable digger in the Antwerp archives, published articles that might well have bearing on the same picture, yet have never been connected either then or later. From the evidence collected by Prims (notes 2 to 7) it appears that the Antwerp coopers, after having separated from the joiners with whom they had shared a guild until 1497, obtained an altar of their own in Our Lady's church. A picture standing on this altar is mentioned first in 1655. It is described as representing The 'Afdoening' of Our Lord from the Cross with two doors (the term 'afdoening' being used to describe a Deposition as well as a Lamentation). An inventory of 1660 gives the same description with the addition 'made by Quinten Massys'. The altar survived until about 1680, when a new marble altar with sculpture and paintings was ordered; this was completed by 1684 and the old altar-piece was hung above the entrance door of the guild room without the doors being mentioned. It was sold in 1697 when the guild had run into financial trouble. Half a century later the painter Jacob de Wit still knew of it and described it as showing 'figures smaller than life, Christ taken from the Cross with Our Lady, St Mary Magdalen and others, (....) by Quinten Massys, the second painting he did, not quite as good as the one in the Cirumcision chapel [originally on the altar of the joiners; fig. 2]; it was sold but is still in the town' (note 3,). Friedländer, for his part, concluded that the Lamentation which was to be purchased by the National Gallery of Canada in 1949 'cannot be regarded as anything but an early work by Quentin' (note I). This attribution, which had earlier been refuted by Baldass, was then disputed by Silver (note II). This author considered the Ottawa picture a somewhat later pastiche after a lost Lamentation in Massys' mature style of which a fragment in Berlin, showing s'Lamentation in Ottawa a weeping woman (wrongly called Mary Magdalen), resembles one of the mourning women in the Ottawa Lamention (fig. 7). This theory is however contradicted by the picture's quality and seems to be prompted by a mistaken reconstruction of Massys' early development (see below). Similarities between the Lamentation and other early works that can be ascribed tot Massys (figs 3 and 17) are obvious though the course of his development prior to the great altar-pieces of 1507-1511remains in many respects unclear. When attempting to bring some light to the chronology of Massys' works from about 1491 (when he left Louvain for Antwerp at the age of 25) to 1507, one may take into account three medallions that have been attributed to him, two of them being dated 1491 and one 1495 (notes 18-24). They may be loosely associated with features that recurr in the Lamentation. An Italian-style medal of William Schevez, archbishop of St. Andrews, who stayed for a few months at Louvain in 1491, raises the question of whether the same sitter may be recognised in a painted portrait, which would then be Quinten's earliest datable picture (figs 8 and 9). The portrait of the artist himself, dated 1495 (fig 10), was in great esteem and provided the prototype for a print by Jheronimus Wierix (published by Lampsonius in 1572), where the bust was extended to a half-figure; it was also copied in an oval painting that was reproduced in a work by Frans Francken II (figs. I and IIa) and it was probably that very painting which was owned by the Antwerp guild of St. Luke and was considerd an original self-portrait when it was confiscated by the French in 1794 (and subsequently disappeared). It seems likely that the medallion's date of 1495 provides a terminus post quem for the Ottawa Lamentation. A more precise date may be inferred from the obvious borrowings from the Lamentation found in a large triptych in Lisbon (figs 13 and 14). This work may be attributed to one 'Eduwart Portuga
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Visual Inertial 3D Modeling: Improving the performance of dense 3D point cloud reconstruction algorithms
No full textDense 3D modeling based on monocular visual data is a powerful process of gaining spatial 3D understanding from 2D observations. The use of visual data to reconstruct such 3D models is still a challenging topic. To obtain the accurate dimensions, additional metadata is required such as a GPS which is not always available. Besides this, dealing with challenging visual situations such as bad-lightening conditions or motion blur remains a difficult subject. Furthermore, since visual data is highly dimensional, most algorithms lack scalability, meaning that they fail to reconstruct 3D models in acceptable time limits and are incapable of handling large data sets. In this thesis, the objective is to mitigate these typical issues whilst preserving the quality of the dense 3D models. To this end, visual-inertial SLAM and MVS techniques are combined to form a dense 3D modeling architecture that is capable of mitigating the typical challenges of classical dense 3D modeling approaches. Besides this, the architecture is extended with additional improvements in the MVS system. These improvements further increase the scalability by abstracting the input data in a highly compact representation by leveraging image segmentation techniques. The result is a novel, visual-inertial dense 3D modeling system. The novel system is tested on benchmark data sets and within a lab setting, where a remote-inspection case-study is performed. The presented system is compared against the industrial and academic state-of-the-art systems. A thorough comparison is made by evaluating the pose accuracy, computation time, and reconstruction quality. It is shown that the presented system improves the state-of-the art systems by a significant margin in terms of computation-time. Furthermore, the presented system is capable of computing 3D models with accurate geometric scale without relying on external metadata, showcasing the effectiveness of the presented system. This work contributes to the lack of research in dense 3D modeling based on visual-inertial SLAM and paves the way for a new direction of efficient MVS algorithms.Mechanical Engineering | Systems and Contro
Experience on the preparation of HPMC viscous fluid for physical modeling in the geocentrifuge
No full textInvestigating soil response before, during and following large scale, dynamic events like slope failure or impact hammering of monopiles, is challenging. Full scale research into these processes is often conducted in the field, as laboratories don’t offer the required space to conduct these experiments. Apart fromthe monumental costs related to full scale experiments, it is often impossible or impractical to define or portray all boundary conditions, which increases uncertainty. As an alternative to full scale field tests, centrifuge tests on a scaled model are often carried out. When conducting research in the centrifuge, the decrease in geometry is compensated by through the acceleration of the model to N times gravity g. In this way, full scale stress conditions are imposed on the sample. Consequently, the model offers an accurate representation of full scale soil behavior. However, artificial ’gravity’ enhancement impacts a broad range of physical quantities. Scaling laws dictate how physical quantities are affected by conditions in the centrifuge and require careful observation. Yet, the use of scaling laws introduces a discrepancy between the timescale related to dynamic events and diffusive processes. The latter is of particular importance to build-up and dissipation of deviatoric pore fluid pressures. Decreasing the permeability of the soil is generally the best option to eliminate the aforementioned discrepancy. Consequently, instead of water, viscous fluid is used for the centrifuge tests, where the viscosity is increased N times with respect to water. Over the years, various fluids have been developed and utilized in centrifuge experiments. A widely used fluid, consists of aqueous solutions (Hydroxypropyl) Methylcellulose or (HP)MC in short. HPMC molecules form polymeric chains which increase viscosity while largely maintaining the density of the solvent, water. These favorable properties make it a highly sought-after substitute for water in centrifuge experiments. Experience with the fabrication and use of (HP)MC solutions is limited at the centrifuge facility of Delft University of Technology. As part of an initiative to develop in-house knowledge relating to the aforementioned points for physical modeling purposes, this research presents a robust fabrication methodology and maps the viscous properties of HPMC solutions, fabricated usingMethocel® F4M, at various concentrations. Results indicate that advocated preparation methodology enables the fabrication of viscous fluids in the range of 10 to 100 mPa ¢ s of consistent quality. However, overall, the viscosities of the fluids created along the lines of the presented methodology are consistently more viscous than anticipated. Several hypotheses aimed explaining the discrepancy are drafted. However, the nature of the underlying cause remains a topic of debate. Furthermore, it is observed that the HPMC fluids express a substantial degree of shear thinning at high shear rates. The relative decrease in viscosity increases with concentration, causing the viscosities of fluids of different concentration to gradually converge at high shear rates. The latter stresses the importance of quantifying expected shear rates beforehand to prevent behavioral inconsistencies between model and prototype. However, under some circumstances, it is doubtful whether the use of viscous fluids created from Methocel® F4M is suitable to study prototype behavior. In an attempt to facilitate drafting of appropriate recipes for the fabrication of viscous fluid, a general expression is presented to calculate the required concentration, provided the desired viscosity and anticipated shear rate. This generic expression provides adequately describes the experimental data, but requires further tuning in order to fully fulfill its intended purpose. Nonetheless, it provides a valuable indication of the required concentration to obtain a fluid with sought-after properties; thereby shortening the time spent on drafting the ideal fluid recipe.Geo-Engineerin
Determining key success factors for adoption of radical architectural innovations in the heavy-duty trucking industry in the Netherlands - a BWM Approach
No full textThe past years there has been a major shift in the automotive industry from regular combustion engines that require the use of fossil fuels to more sustainable power trains. Also, innovations as autonomous driving are expected to make transport more sustainable. Especially now, as fuel prices are rising, regulatory pressures and global warming is increasing, the trucking industry is looking to adopt these radical innovations. These disruptive innovations require companies in the heavyduty trucking industry to transform the current socio-technical system to increase the adoption rate of sustainable transportation possibilities. This thesis focuses on two main innovations, zero emission HDT power trains and fully autonomous heavy duty trucks. Battery electric (BE) and fuel cell electric (FCE) powered vehicles are considered the best potential zero-emission power trains solutions. Autonomous and connected vehicles are considered the promising future of safe and efficient transport. The scope of this thesis focuses on one main stakeholder: the logistical service providers. For logistical service providers decarbonisation is a chance to modernize and reduce emissions while improving their own operations. These logistical service providers are the decision makers, whether these innovations are adopted or not. What factors determine the adoption of these radical architectural innovations?Complex Systems Engineering and Management (CoSEM
Constraining and enabling factors that influence core practices embedded within the supply processes of circular building hubs; A Social Practice Theory approach
No full textThe construction industry's substantial consumption of materials, CO2 emissions, and construction and demolition waste underscore the pressing need for change. One promising solution is the reuse of secondary building components, which has the potential to signifi-cantly mitigate these environmental impacts. Circular Building Hubs (CBHs) have emerged as a novel business concept that could facili-tate the collection and processing of these components, thereby promoting their reuse. However, effectively scaling up their operation-al secondary building component supply processes (supply processes) requires changes in the practices embedded in these processes. Therefore, this exploratory research aimed to identify the extend to which constraining and enabling factors influence the scalability of core practices embedded in supply processes of these CBHs. The core practices are those considered to be essential for the CBH concept. As such, it intended at contributing to new and more comprehensive understanding on the effects of these factors and thereby contrib-ute to the development and scaling up of these processes. Hence, the main research question is as follow: ‘What are core practices em-bedded within the secondary supply processes for circular building hubs, and to what extent are involved constraining and enabling factors influencing the scalability of these practices?’ This research adopts a qualitative case study research approach, centered around a conceptual framework based upon Social Practice Theory (SPT) and hypothesized supply processes. This study incorporates semi-structured interviews with seven experts, four observations, and one focus group discussion (FGD), all conducted in the Netherlands. The results conclude that throughout 10 different supply processes, 37 different core practices are performed that contribute to the supply of secondary building components for CBHs. Furthermore, the research revealed that these core practices are affected by at least 29 constraining and 26 enabling factors. The research categorizes the influence of factors on core practices as low, medium, or high impact based on quantitative data from CBH supply process experts. The FGD emphasized that constraining and enabling factors affecting core practices in CBHs are highly complex and context-dependent. These factors are influenced by various contextual aspects, business strategies, and specific project conditions. In conclusion, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, highlighting the importance of customized strategies to address constraining factorsand enhance enabling factors for scaling core practices within the supply process-es of CBHs. Further research is required on exploring CBHs with diverse historical backgrounds to identify new constraining and ena-bling factors specific to their context.Metropolitan Analysis, Design and Engineering (MADE
Ranking items: Is solving a seriation problem a good alternative for existing methods?
No full textIn this dissertation we look at the seriation problem and the applications of this problem. Given a set of items, we try to find an ordering based on the similarity between the items. We start by explaining the mathematical theory behind the seriation problem. Then we describe a couple of different methods that can be used to find a solution for the problem. After that, we apply these methods to various different datasets. The results of these tests will be analysed.Solving a seriation problem can be an alternative way to already existing methods when finding a ranking of items for a given dataset. The goal is to find out if is also a viable method to use in practice
Glacial Isostatic Adjustment Forward Model with a Convolutional Neural Network
No full textThis thesis introduces a new approach to Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) modeling using Machine Learning (ML) techniques. The work addresses two main challenges – uncertainty in historical ice load history and the complexity of inverse problems – by developing two ML-based surrogate models (emulators) to rapidly estimate Relative Sea-Level (RSL) history and uplift rates from varying ice load histories, given a constant Earth model. The emulators are constructed using a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) with U-Net architecture and spherical data representation, enabling an efficient, cost-effective approach to the GIA forward model. The performance of these emulators was evaluated in two separate experiments, displaying encouraging results in efficiency, accuracy, and versatility. The prediction performance exceeded existing models in computational speed and offers accuracy comparable to other GIA studies. The successful implementation of these emulators could advance GIA modeling by integrating ML, but enhanced resolution is needed for direct scientific application.Aerospace Engineerin
De starterskas: Compact apartments for starters in a food conscious environment
No full textAmsterdam is like many other cities facing several problems in the coming future. For my graduation project especially two project are important.Firstly, our food system is under a lot of pressure. Worldwide we are not able to feed the global population. On a smaller scale the population of cities is growing due to urbanization. The urbanization causes difficulties to feed the urban citizens. Next to that, urbanizations also causes a growing distance between us and our food. A close relation with the food we eat is helping to understand the need for change. Secondly, due to the earlier mentioned urbanization, Amsterdam is facing a housing shortage. Especially starters do have a hard time finding a suitable place to live within the city. Starters on the housing market cannot find a place to live because of a lack of availability and affordability. Densification of the city will help solving the housing shortage and the high prices.Architecture, Urbanism and Building Science
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