A multilayer scheme is here proposed to implement coordinated control of a group of mobile robots. Specifically, a trajectory tracking controller is proposed to coordinately guide a platoon of robots, with an obstacle deviation subsystem based on virtual forces and mechanical impedance implemented in …

This paper argues that a first step in finding a sustainable solution for the pressing global issue of ‘waste’, is to consider waste a value attribution rather than a material condition. Doing so means a shift in focus from finding more efficient ways to ‘clean up the mess’ to changing the way in which …

From the article: The ‘Axiomatic Design Methodology’ uses ‘Axioms’ that cannot be proven nor derived from physical phenomena. The axioms serve as guidelines for the design process of products and systems. The latest contribution was the addition of the ‘Complexity Axiom’ in 1999. However, the underlying …

This article discusses the postdigital as a term that can be used to describe either a contemporary disenchantment with digital information systems and media gadgets, or a period in which our fascination with these systems and gadgets has become historical. After Edward Snowden’s disclosures of the NSA’s …

From the article: Manufacturing technology can improve the turnover of a company if it enables fast market introduction for volume production. Reconfigurable equipment is developed to meet the growing demand for more agile production. Modular reconfiguration, defined as changing the structure of the …

‘Creating the Difference’ is the theme of the 2014 edition of the Chi Sparks conference. It is also the challenge that the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) community is facing today. HCI is a creative field where practitioners engage in design, production, and evaluation of interactions between people …

In this paper we present a system that generates questions from an ontology to determine a crisis situation by ordinary people using their mobile phone: the Situation Awareness Question Generator. To generate questions from an ontology we propose a formalization based on Situation Theory and several …

This article describes a European project which was aimed at improving the situation of persons with psychiatric or learning disabilities with regard to social participation and citizenship. The project took place in three countries (Estonia, Hungary and the Netherlands) and four cities (Tallinn, Budapest, …

For the purpose of good and trustworthy management information for the government, our research institute has built a data space system that makes it possible to periodically monitor data flows within as well as between organizations of the justice domain. The aim of this system is to get insight into …

In this paper we explore the influence of the physical and social environment (the design space) son the formation of shared understanding in multidisciplinary design teams. We concentrate on the creative design meeting as a microenvironment for studying processes of design communication. Our applied …