Search Results (34)

With the rapid advancement in information technology, the digital twin and smart assembly process simulation have become an integral part of the design and manufacturing of high-precision products. However, conventional Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) cutterhead design and on-site assembly planning remain largely experience-driven and fragmented, with limited interoperability between geological characterization, structural verification, and constructability validation. This study proposes a digital twin-driven framework for TBM cutterhead design optimization and assembly process simulation that integrates geology-aware design inputs, BIM-based information modelling, FEM-based structural assessment, and immersive virtual environments within a unified virtual–physical workflow. To ensure consistent data exchange across platforms, an IFC4.3-compliant ontology is established using a non-intrusive property-set (Pset) extension strategy to represent cutterhead components, geological parameters, FEM load cases/results, and assembly tasks. Tunnel-scale stress analysis and cutter–rock interaction modelling are used to define project-representative cutter loading envelopes, which are mapped to a high-fidelity cutterhead FEM model for iterative structural refinement. The optimized configuration is then transferred to a game-engine/VR environment to support full-scale design inspection and assembly rehearsal, followed by manufacturing and field deployment with bidirectional feedback. To validate the proposed framework, an implementation case study of a deep hard-rock tunnelling project is presented where five design iterations were tracked across BIM–FEM–VR and nine constructability issues detected and resolved prior to assembly. The results indicate that the proposed digital twin approach strengthens traceability from geology to loading to structural response, reduces localized stress concentration at critical interfaces, and improves assembly readiness for complex tunnelling projects. Full article

The App Store introduced a title-length limit for mobile apps in 2016, and similar policies were later adopted across the industry. This issue drew considerable attention from industry practitioners in the 2010s. Using both empirical and theoretical approaches, this paper examines the effectiveness of this policy and its welfare implications. Title length became an issue because some sellers assemble meaningful keywords in the app title to convey information to consumers, while others combine irrelevant yet popular keywords in an attempt to increase their app’s downloads. We hypothesize that when titles are short, title length is positively associated with an app’s performance because both honest and opportunistic sellers coexist in the market. However, due to the presence of opportunistic sellers, once titles become too long, this positive relationship disappears. We examine this hypothesis using a random sample of 1998 apps from the App Store in 2015. Our results show that for apps with titles longer than 30 characters, title length remains positively associated with app performance. However, for titles exceeding 50 characters, we do not have sufficient evidence to conclude that further increases in length continue to generate additional downloads. To interpret our empirical findings, we construct communication games between an app seller and a consumer, in which the equilibrium is characterized by a threshold. Based on our model and empirical observations, the 30-character limit might hurt consumers. Full article

In this study, we developed a game related to Palaeoloxodon huaihoensis to enhance public interest in learning about its ecology. The game integrates education and entertainment elements at four interactive levels “See Sea Bones,” “Assembling Organs,” “Bacterias Cleaner,” and “Painting Elephant” to allow players to explore the fossil structure, internal organs, and historical background of Palaeoloxodon huaihoensis. In the design process, we incorporated the design–play–experience framework and the gameplay–purpose–scope (GPS) model to balance entertainment and education. To evaluate the effectiveness of the developed game, a questionnaire survey on a Likert scale was conducted with 180 participants visiting the National Museum of Natural Science, Taiwan. The results indicated that the majority of the players were satisfied with the game’s design and content, particularly in terms of its ability to stimulate creativity. This research demonstrated the potential of games in museum education and provides insights for future optimization. Full article

Self-healing hydrogels hold promise for smart sensors in bioengineering and intelligent systems, yet balancing self-healing ability with mechanical strength remains challenging. In this study, a self-healing hydrogel exhibiting superior stretchability was developed by embedding a combination of hydrogen bonding and dynamic metal coordination interactions, introduced by modified fenugreek galactomannan, ferric ions, and lignin silver nanoparticles, into a covalent polyacrylic acid (PAA) matrix. Synergistic covalent and multiple non-covalent interactions enabled the hydrogel with high self-healing ability and enhanced mechanical property. In particular, due to the introduction of multiple energy dissipation mechanisms, particularly migrative dynamic metal coordination interactions, the hydrogel exhibited ultra-high stretchability of up to 2000%. Furthermore, with the incorporation of lignin silver nanoparticles and ferric ions, the hydrogel demonstrated excellent strain sensitivity (gauge factor ≈ 3.94), with stable and repeatable resistance signals. Assembled into a flexible strain sensor, it effectively detected subtle human motions and organ vibrations, and even replaced conductive rubber in gaming controllers for real-time inputs. This study provides a versatile strategy for designing multifunctional hydrogels for advanced sensing applications. Full article

In the context of intelligent construction and building industrialization, assembly buildings face many challenges in quality management due to their special design and construction characteristics. Therefore, a comprehensive method for evaluating the quality risk of the whole process of assembly building is proposed. This method is based on game-theoretic combinatorial empowerment and three-dimensional cloud modeling. By identifying the key risk factors, analyzing and classifying the quality risks that may exist in the whole process of the assembly building project, using the game theory combination assignment method to determine its comprehensive weight, establishing the game-theoretic-combinatorial-assignment three-dimensional cloud model, calculating and comparing the distance between the evaluation cloud and the standard cloud, and determining the risk level of the indexes, thereby realizing the comprehensive assessment of the quality risk. Example validation shows that the method yields a risk level of II for the whole project, which is more consistent with the actual situation, and by comparing with the two-dimensional cloud model, it further verifies the effectiveness and advantages of the three-dimensional cloud model in identifying the high hidden risks, and provides a new idea and method for the quality management of the whole process of the assembled building. Full article

Giga-casting, a revolutionary approach for manufacturing large, single-piece car body components from aluminium, has emerged as a potential game-changer in the automotive industry. However, these large, thin-walled castings are prone to distortions during solidification and heat treatment processes. Straightening these distortions is crucial to ensure structural integrity, facilitate downstream assembly, and maintain aesthetic qualities. This paper proposes a novel method for straightening giga-cast components using a multi-pin straightening machine. The machine’s versatility stems from its ability to adapt to various geometries through multiple strategically controlled straightening pins. This paper introduces the concept of a “straightening stroke decision algorithm” to achieve precise straightening and overcome the challenges of complex shapes. This algorithm determines the stroke length for each pin, combining a polynomial model representing the global stiffness of the component with a machine learning model that captures the stiffness changes arising from the current geometry. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is evaluated through comprehensive numerical experiments using finite element analyses. The straightening performance is assessed for the straightening algorithm with different machine learning models (deep neural network and XGBoost) and compared to a traditional optimisation method. The proposed surrogate models decided the straightening strokes so that the maximum remaining distortion became 0.02% of the largest dimension of each target geometry. The results of the numerical experiment showed that the proposed straightening method is suitable for straightening distortion in large thin-walled components. Full article

The video game Factorio is a popular real-time strategy game that hosts a variety of gameplay scenarios analogous to real-world problems such as factory building, pipeline optimization, and conveyor belt logistics. It also considers environmental costs such as pollution and energy consumption. This game focuses on automation and resource management within the context of creating and maintaining factories. Players are challenged to design efficient factories, automate production, control energy consumption, and balance resource utilization, all while defending against environmental challenges such as pollution and hostile enemies. Factorio is a complex software; however, studies have demonstrated its ability to enhance student satisfaction when integrated as an educational module at the university level. This paper aims to utilize the power of Petri Net theory and the practical tool GPenSIM to model and simulate several Factorio pipelines and score them against one another, exploring which pipeline configuration is optimal. The primary objective is to make a mathematical model (Petri Net) to better understand the game’s complex mechanisms, identify bottlenecks within the system, and explore opportunities for optimization within the network of modules. The insights gained from this paper may find practical applications in real-world scenarios. Full article

The emerging progress brought about by Industry 4.0 generates great opportunities for better decision making to cope with increasingly uncertain and complex industrial production. From the perspective of game theory, methods based on computational simulations and methods based on physical entities have their intrinsic drawbacks, such as partially accessible information, uncontrollable uncertainty and limitations of sample data. However, an insight that inspired us was that the digital twin modeling method induced interactive environments to allow decision makers to cooperatively learn from the immediate feedback from both cyberspace and physical spaces. To this end, a new decision-making method was put forward using game theory to autonomously ally the digital twin models in cyberspace with their physical counterparts in the real world. Firstly, the overall framework and basic formalization of the cooperative game-based decision making are presented, which used the negotiation objectives, alliance rules and negotiation strategy to ally the planning agents from the physical entities with the planning agents from the virtual simulations. Secondly, taking the assembly planning of large-scale composite skins as a proof of concept, a cooperative game prototype system was developed to marry the physical assembly-commissioning system with the virtual assembly-commissioning system. Finally, the experimental work clearly indicated that the coalitional game-based twinning method could make the decision making of composite assembly not only predictable but reliable and help to avoid stress concentration and secondary damage and achieve high-precision assembly. Obviously, this decision-making methodology that integrates the physical players and their digital twins into the game space can help them take full advantage of each other and make up for their intrinsic drawbacks, and it preliminarily demonstrates great potential to revolutionize the traditional decision-making methodology. Full article

Using modern methodologies in the sectors and subareas of industrial design, where they currently find only marginal application, brings a potential for interrelating technology, the arts, and fine arts. To illustrate this, we present model procedures and options for designing a versatile storage cube that integrates magnetic structural components facilitating easy and quick assembly. In addition to being an item of real furniture, portable and readily convertible into a table or soft stool, the cube supports children’s creative games and helps to develop their overall skills in the present-day household and in pre-primary and primary education. The basic material rests in birch plywood, and the joint edges between the individual walls are covered with smooth plastic guards manufactured via additive 3D printing from corn fodder-based filament. Thus, an interesting structural detail, namely, plastic edges, is generated, reinforcing the entire product. The walls comprise decorative, multicolor, polyurethane foam-based elements that can be removed and reinserted. Regarding the manufacturing technology, CNC machining and laser shaping are widely employed on the main parts, and the plastic edges are 3D-printed. In terms of the original idea, the product responds to customer requirements within a specific design project. The robustness and stability tests have proved that the cubes fully satisfy the relevant standards. Full article

Digital hydraulics is a discrete technology that integrates advanced dynamic system controls, digital electronics, and machine learning to enhance fluid power systems’ performance, overall efficiency, and controllability. A mechanically actuated inline three-piston variable displacement digital pump was previously proposed and designed. The inline three-piston pump incorporates complex mechanical and hydraulic subsystems and highly coupled mechanisms. The complexity of the utilized subsystems poses challenges when assessing the viability of the conceptual design. Therefore, this work focuses on designing, developing, and implementing a collaborative virtual platform involving a digitized module showcasing the internal mechanical structure of the digital pump utilizing mixed reality (MR) technology. MR technology is acknowledged as the forthcoming evolution of the human–machine interface in the real–virtual environment utilizing computers and wearables. This technology permits running simulations that examine the complexity of highly coupled systems, like the digital pump, where understanding the physical phenomenon is far too intricate. The developed MR platform permits multiple users to collaborate in a synchronized immersive MR environment to study and analyze the applicability of the pump’s design and the adequacy of the operated mechanisms. The collaborative MR platform was designed and developed on the Unity game engine, employing Microsoft Azure and Photon Unity Networking to set up the synchronized MR environment. The platform involves a fully interactive virtual module on the digital pump design, developed in multiple stages using Microsoft’s Mixed Reality Tool Kit (MRTK) for Unity and deployed in the synchronized MR environment through a HoloLens 2 MR headset. A research study involving 71 participants was carried out at Purdue University. The study’s objective was to explore the impact of the collaborative MR environment on understanding the complexity and operation of the digital pump. It also sought to assess the effectiveness of MR in facilitating collaboration among fluid power stakeholders in a synchronized digital reality setting to study, diagnose, and control their complex systems. Surveys were designed and completed by all 71 participants after experiencing the MR platform. The results indicate that approximately 75% of the participants expressed positive attitudes toward their overall MR platform experience, with particular appreciation for its immersive nature and the synchronized collaborative environment it provided. More than 70% of the participants agreed that the pump’s collaborative MR platform was essential for studying and understanding the complexity and intricacy of the digital pump’s mechanical structure. Overall, the results demonstrate that the MR platform effectively facilitates the visualization of the complex pump’s internal structure, inspection of the assembly of each of the involved subsystems, and testing the applicability of the complicated mechanisms. Full article

Aiming at the current situation of insufficient research on the synergistic benefits of the prefabricated building supply chain, this study utilizes the evolutionary game theory to construct an evolutionary game model among the three participating subjects of “government–construction unit–prefabricated component manufacturer”. Our study uses dynamic replication equations to derive the equilibrium point of the game, draw the evolutionary path of the prefabricated building, and analyze the strategic behaviors of each subject’s game evolution law. Providing lessons for the strategy selection of each subject while improving the level of assembly, building supply chain synergy is taken as the main goal of this study. The results of the study show that in the initial stage of assembly building supply chain collaboration, the government’s guidance and support can rapidly increase the willingness of all parties to collaborate; the reasonable distribution of the benefits of collaborative incentives is a prerequisite for the sustainable and stable development of the supply chain collaboration, and the construction unit, as the core body of the supply chain, should be given more attention in this link. The participants in the supply chain can effectively improve the level of supply chain synergy and decision-making efficiency by applying the model in this study. Full article

Moving offshore for fish farming poses challenges due to the more energetic sea environment. In this paper, a novel offshore fish pen design named SeaFisher has been proposed. The SeaFisher comprises modular cubic pens that are assembled to form a large 2 × n array offshore fish pen. Its frame structure is made from HDPE, making it flexible and durable against the harsh sea environment. Specially tailored connection brackets and connector pods are designed to assemble bundles of HDPE pipes forming the SeaFisher structure. The SeaFisher is moored using a single point mooring to minimize environmental and collision loads, and for improved waste dispersal. More importantly, the SeaFisher possesses ballast tubes positioned on the top surface to allow it to submerge to a desired water depth to dodge the strong surface waves during severe weather events. This paper presents the engineering design details and hydroelastic analysis of the SeaFisher. Based on a hydrostatic analysis, suitable materials were chosen for the various components of the SeaFisher, and the components were appropriately sized up. By using the software AquaSim v.2.17.3, the SeaFisher’s hydroelastic responses under different sea-state conditions were investigated. It is found that the designed SeaFisher structure and mooring system are adequate with respect to strength and stiffness for the considered sea-state conditions of up to 8 m significant wave height and 0.8 m/s current speed. It is expected that the SeaFisher will be a game changer for offshore fish farming due to its cost-effectiveness and ability to survive in severe storms. Full article

It has been shown that three-dimensional self-assembled multicellular structures derived from human pluripotent stem cells show electrical activity similar to EEG. More recently, neurons were successfully embedded in digital game worlds. The biologically inspired neural network (BNN), expressing human cortical cells, was able to show internal modification and learn the task at hand (predicting the trajectory of a digital ball while moving a digital paddle). In other words, the system allowed to read motor information and write sensory data into cell cultures. In this article, we discuss Neural Correlates of Consciousness (NCC) theories, and their capacity to predict or even allow for consciousness in a BNN. We found that Information Integration Theory (IIT) is the only NCC that offers the possibility for a BNN to show consciousness, since the Φ value in the BNN is >0. In other words, the recording of real-time neural activity responding to environmental stimuli. IIT argues that any system capable of integrating information will have some degree of phenomenal consciousness. We argue that the pattern of activity appearing in the BNN, with increased density of sensory information leading to better performance, implies that the BNN could be conscious. This may have profound implications from a psychological, philosophical, and ethical perspective. Full article

The recent advances in Industry 4.0 have promoted manufacturing industries towards the use of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) for visualization and training applications. AR assistance is extremely helpful in assembly task visualization during the stages of product assembly and in disassembly plan visualization during the repair and maintenance of a product/system. Generating such assembly and disassembly task animations consume a lot of time and demands skilled user intervention. In assembly or disassembly processes, each operation must be validated for geometric feasibility regarding its practical implementation in the real-time product. In this manuscript, a novel method for automated assembly task simulation with improved geometric feasibility testing is proposed and verified. The proposed framework considers the assembly sequence plan as input in the form of textual instructions and generates a virtual assembly task plan for the product; furthermore, these instructions are used to ensure there are no collisions using a combination of multiple linear directions. Once the textual instructions achieve geometric feasibility for the entire assembly operation, the visual animations of the assembly operations are successively produced in a game engine and are integrated with the AR platform in order to visualize them in the physical environment. The framework is implemented on various products and validated for its correctness and completeness. Full article

The long-term storage of eggs before incubation is a common practice in some alternative poultry systems but needs to be performed under conditions that preserve egg viability. The effects of the long-term storage of game farmed quail (Coturnix coturnix) eggs on weight loss during the storage and incubation periods, chick weight at hatch, hatchability, and incubation length were investigated. The eggs were arranged in six treatments submitted to 0-, 7-, 14-, 21-, 28-, and 35-day storage periods at 15.8 °C and 80% relative humidity. The storage length reduced the hatchability of eggs (p < 0.05) when the storage was extended to 35 days, decreasing by more than half compared to eggs stored up to 28 days. Egg weight loss during storage progressively increased with the storage length (p < 0.05). Chick weight at hatching was reduced in eggs stored for more than 14 days (p < 0.05), and relative chick weight decreased significantly in eggs stored for 35 days (p < 0.05). Incubation length progressively increased with the storage length (p < 0.05), achieving less hatching synchrony in eggs stored for a longer time (p < 0.05). In conclusion, game quail eggs store well with little deterioration up to 28 days at 15.8 °C and 80% relative humidity, allowing for extended storage when shipping long-shelf-life eggs or assembling batches large enough to fully set an incubator in farms with small breeding flocks. Full article