Search Results (467)

Earth-based additive manufacturing (AM) combines design flexibility and automation of 3D printing (3DP) with low embodied energy, local availability, and circular economy compatibility of earthen materials. However, the sustainability performance of earth-based AM remains contested, particularly when chemical stabilisers and fibres are introduced to address mechanical and durability limitations. This review examines earth-based AM, focusing on fibre reinforcement, mechanical performance, and environmental impacts. Following PRISMA guidelines, peer-reviewed open-access articles (2015–2025) were identified and analysed using the Web of Science database. The review synthesises findings on material compositions, processing strategies, mechanical behaviour, and life cycle assessments of 3D-printed earthen materials, with particular attention to natural fibres. Results show that fibre reinforcement primarily contributes to crack control, post-peak behaviour, dimensional stability, and printability rather than universal strength enhancement. Compressive strengths range from 1–3 MPa for non-stabilised printed earth to 6–25 MPa for stabilised systems, confirming stabilisation as critical for structural scalability. Environmental assessments reveal that despite low-carbon feedstocks, 3D-printed earth can exhibit higher carbon emissions than conventional earthen techniques due to binder use and energy-intensive printing unless material savings and circular strategies are optimised. Key gaps include heterogeneous testing protocols, limited structural-scale validation, and insufficient techno-economic integration. Full article

Translating large-scale motion datasets into robust, deployable humanoid controllers is a critical challenge in engineering informatics, primarily due to the scarcity of high-quality annotations, the risk of mode collapse in conditional generation, and the strict constraints of onboard computing hardware. This paper presents a deployable two-stage learning system that maps clip-level motion datasets to a single-policy multi-skill controller and its deployable counterpart. We adopt coarse one-hot skill labels that can be assigned automatically at the clip level with negligible manual effort, enabling scalable dataset construction. To prevent conditional discriminators from ignoring skill conditions, we inject mismatched (transition, label) pairs and introduce a condition-aware loss that explicitly penalizes incorrect transition–label associations, improving controllability and mitigating mode collapse. For real-world deployment, we further propose a two-stage training strategy: a privileged teacher policy is first trained in simulation and then distilled into a student policy that relies on stacked historical proprioceptive observations, ensuring robustness against sensing noise and latency without relying on external state estimation. Extensive evaluations in simulation and on real hardware demonstrate improved skill coverage, transition coverage, realism, and training efficiency across heterogeneous embodiments. With the onboard computer of a Unitree G1 robot, the distilled policy runs at 100 Hz with 15–25 ms latency, confirming the system’s engineering feasibility. Full article

Understanding how users perceive and attend to the anthropomorphic appearance and empathic responses of artificial intelligence medical conversational agents (AIMCAs) can help reveal the key judgment cues underlying trust formation and use decisions, while also informing interface and dialog design. To this end, this study employs a 3 (appearance anthropomorphism: high, medium, low) × 2 (empathic response: present, absent) within-subject eye-tracking experiment, combined with subjective scales and brief post-task open-ended feedback. During a static prototype viewing task based on hypothetical consultation scenarios, we concurrently recorded trust, behavioral intention, and visual measures for key areas of interest (AOIs; appearance area, conversational content area, and overall interface area). Eye-tracking measures were normalized by AOI coverage proportion to improve cross-AOI comparability. The results show that both anthropomorphic appearance and empathic response significantly increased users’ trust in AIMCAs and their behavioral intention. An interaction between these two types of social cues was also observed, suggesting that when visual embodiment and linguistic style are aligned at the social level, users are more likely to form favorable overall judgments. At the level of visual processing, however, no interaction effect was found, and the eye-tracking measures showed only partial main effects, indicating that subjective synergy does not necessarily correspond to synergistic changes in attentional allocation. Overall, anthropomorphic appearance and empathic response exerted consistent facilitating effects on outcome variables, but displayed different patterns of attentional allocation and information prioritization at the visual level. Accordingly, AIMCA design should emphasize consistency between appearance cues and conversational strategies, optimize users’ initial judgments and interface comprehension, and use intention through verifiable information organization and clear boundary cues. Full article

Tangyue Village in Huizhou, China, is renowned for its monumental Bao-family archway complex and well-preserved ancestral halls, which host and memorial activities embodying rich clan traditions and regional cultural identity. However, these traditional spaces face contemporary challenges, including functional obsolescence, high energy consumption, and limited sustainability. Focusing on the memorial spaces of Tangyue Village, this study explores low-carbon design strategies for their renewal by developing a comprehensive research framework that integrates multi-stakeholder demand analysis, weighting evaluation, case-based design, and performance verification. Initially, user needs were identified through semi-structured interviews and behavioral observations, followed by the application of the Fuzzy Kano (FKANO) model to classify and filter these requirements. Subsequently, a multi-level evaluation system was established, encompassing low-carbon performance, spatial functionality, cultural continuity, and community participation. The Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) approach combined with the entropy weight method was then employed to determine the relative importance of each indicator. The results indicate that the organization of memorial spaces, the application of low-carbon materials, rainwater harvesting, and spatial accessibility represent key design priorities. Space syntax simulations conducted via DepthmapX further demonstrate that the optimized design significantly improves spatial accessibility, permeability, and vitality while enhancing the overall low-carbon performance. Ultimately, this study proposes practical low-carbon renewal strategies for memorial spaces in traditional settlements, offering a systematic approach that balances cultural heritage preservation with environmental sustainability. Full article

In response to escalating global environmental challenges, mitigating carbon emissions in the construction sector has emerged as a critical strategy for addressing climate change. As reported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Energy Agency (IEA), the construction industry remains a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. This study investigates the influencing factors and optimization pathways for embodied carbon emissions during the materialization phase of prefabricated buildings. Through longitudinal field research at a large-scale precast component factory in western China, key carbon emission factors were identified using Min–Max normalization and Principal-Components Analysis (PCA). A cloud entropy–based evaluation model was further developed to quantify the emission weights of 32 factors. The results reveal the existence of ‘leveraging effects’ among emission factors, wherein certain low-weight factors exert disproportionate influence on systemic carbon reduction because of their cascading impacts on other variables. Prioritizing factors with greater leveraging potential is imperative for the formulation of effective emission reduction policies. This study leverages NK model simulations (10,000 iterations), to predict the reduction potential of each factor and identifies four indicators with the most significant leveraging effects. Strategic recommendations are proposed that emphasize a synergistic approach that integrates direct emission control and indirect cascading optimization. These findings provide actionable insights for achieving systemic carbon reduction in prefabricated building systems. Full article

Although trenchless technology is widely recognized for its low-carbon potential, existing assessment models often overlook the significant impact of regional geological variations on energy consumption. Based on the EN 15804 standard and the Input–Process–Output (IPO) model, this study establishes a high-resolution carbon emission assessment framework focusing on the “Upfront Carbon” stages (Modules A1–A5) of public works. An empirical study was conducted on a sewage microtunneling project in Hualien, Taiwan, characterized by a deep burial depth of 12 m and challenging gravel formations (SPT N-value > 50). Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) principles were adopted to quantify the carbon footprint and benchmark the results against international guidelines from the UK (PJA) and Japan (JSWA). The Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) reveals a unit emission intensity of 349 kgCO₂e/m, significantly higher than international benchmarks. Critical findings indicate that this discrepancy is primarily driven by environmental variables—specifically, geological resistance and grid emission factors. Crucially, the sensitivity analysis demonstrates that the physical resistance of the hard gravel layer increased machinery energy intensity by 18.7% compared to baseline soil conditions. This study officially defines this phenomenon as the “Geological Premium.” Additionally, carbon efficiency was found to be profoundly influenced by the regional grid emission factor (Taiwan: 0.495 vs. UK: 0.193 kgCO₂/kWh). This research establishes a localized empirical database and validates the necessity of expanding assessment boundaries to include auxiliary works in geologically complex regions. The developed framework provides a scalable solution for optimizing embodied carbon in urban infrastructure, offering policymakers a robust scientific basis for implementing precise “Green Public Procurement” and carbon budgeting strategies. Full article

Service robots have the potential to support cognitive and social well-being in long-term care facilities, yet their widespread adoption depends on intuitive interaction modalities that minimize user learning effort and the need for a technical expert on-ground. Spoken dialogue is a natural interface, and recent advances in large language models (LLMs) promise more flexible and engaging exchanges than traditional scripted systems. In this study, we implemented a modular speech-based architecture combining automatic speech recognition, text-to-speech synthesis, and a conversational agent capable of switching between a fully scripted and LLM-driven dialogue. The implemented architecture was embodied in a TIAGo robot (PAL Robotics) and tested to compare three conversational strategies: (1) scripted, pre-defined dialogue, (2) LLM-based free-form conversation, and (3) LLM-based conversation augmented with personal information provided through the prompt. Eighteen younger adults and eighteen older adults engaged in a five-minute interaction with the robot under all three conditions in a within-subject design, and subsequently completed the Almere model questionnaire. Across all subscales and both participant groups, differences between dialogue strategies were small and statistically non-significant, despite informal comments from several older participants indicating a perceived increase in intelligence or naturalness for the LLM conditions. The findings suggest that generative dialogue and basic personalization alone do not meaningfully shift perceived acceptance in brief, task-neutral encounters, underscoring the importance of longer-term deployment and functionally meaningful robot roles in future evaluations. Full article

In contemporary museum design, architects increasingly treat spatial experience as a medium of visitor engagement, yet movement is often reduced to a problem of routing and orientation rather than recognised as engagement in its own right. This study shows how Steven Holl’s parallax operates as a motivational mechanism at the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art. Parallax, a phenomenological and ecological construct, is examined through oblique thresholds, overlapping perspectives, and layered illumination. Integrating phenomenology, ecological psychology, and spatial configuration analysis, this study links embodied perception to measurable spatial properties. Spatial relations were quantified using space syntax—axial line analysis, justified graphs, and isovist analysis—alongside luminance and visual saliency mapping of Kiasma’s second and third floors. The results reveal a dominant ring structure in which visibility tightens at thresholds and views shift continuously along the route. Pronounced brightness gradients accompany these transitions and intensify perceived change along the sequence. These coupled spatial and luminous strategies may encourage exploratory navigation, positioning wayfinding as integral to the museum experience. This study argues that parallax links spatial configuration to embodied engagement, emerging as a perceptual effect produced through the interaction of spatial layout, luminous modulation, and bodily movement rather than functioning as a fixed design principle. Full article

Background: Qualitative health research increasingly emphasizes relational and interactional processes in illness and caregiving; however, joint interview formats remain methodologically under-theorized. This article advances a relational and power-sensitive reconceptualization of the couple interview by conceptualizing the interview encounter itself as an interactional site in which caregiving relations become observable in real time rather than merely reported retrospectively. Methods: The article draws on seven in-home couple interviews with long-married older heterosexual couples in Germany, in which one partner provided long-term home-based care for the other. The analysis applies the Documentary Method to reconstruct jointly produced meanings, collective orientations, and the micro-interactional dynamics of the interview situation itself. Results: The analysis shows that couple interviews provide a distinctive methodological lens for studying dyadic caregiving by rendering co-narration, negotiated speaker roles, “we”-positioning, speaking-for-the-other, and embodied coordination analytically visible. Interactional asymmetries, interruptions, and situational role shifts thus emerge not only as challenges but as epistemic resources for reconstructing caregiving relationships and power dynamics. Based on this analysis, the article develops a three-part practice-oriented methodological toolkit comprising relational interviewing strategies, moderation practices, and systematic observation and documentation markers. Conclusions: By reframing the couple interview as an interactional event and specifying analytic markers and conduct strategies, this article makes an explicit methodological contribution to dyadic qualitative health research, particularly in sensitive later-life caregiving contexts. Full article

Historical small towns (HSTs) embody irreplaceable cultural heritage and territorial identity, facing depopulation, economic marginalization, and infrastructure decay. Improving their liveability and attractiveness is essential to reverse these trends and boost sustainable development. In this context, HSTs are potential drivers of circular and sustainable socio-technical systems, where the circular economy (CE) offers a framework for local sustainability. However, HSTs lack adequate sustainable CE implementation tools. This study, the culmination of the H-SMA-CE project, develops a Decision Support System (DSS) to assist local policymakers in planning CE transitions in Italian HSTs. The DSS integrates three building blocks: context analysis (metabolic flows, stakeholder networks), an intervention library with cost–benefit data, and a composite Municipal Circular Economy Index (MCEI). The tool enables users to assess baseline circularity, simulate scenarios, and identify optimal investment portfolios through multi-objective optimization. This approach allows for the simultaneous evaluation of the benefits of each sustainability aspect, i.e., environmental, economic and social. Tested on the municipality of Taurasi (Italy), an HST with a wine-based economy, the results show that balanced intervention strategies yield greater circularity improvements than single-objective approaches. The paper contributes to the discourse on digital tools for sustainability transitions, offering a replicable model for evidence-based CE governance in heritage-rich territorial contexts. Full article

Construction materials are the primary source of embodied carbon in long-span bridge projects, particularly for steel-intensive structures. This study presents an empirical construction-stage carbon footprint assessment of the Anhsin Bridge, an asymmetric cable-stayed steel truss bridge in Taiwan. Using the emission factor method in accordance with ISO 14067 and Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration guidelines, a cradle-to-gate (A1–A5 equivalent) system boundary was applied, covering material production, transportation, and on-site construction activities. Total construction-stage emissions were estimated at 55,349 tCO₂e, dominated by structural steel (51.8%), followed by reinforcing steel, concrete, and cement. Material-related emissions accounted for over 90% of the total, highlighting the critical role of material selection in embodied carbon reduction. Three practical mitigation strategies were evaluated using verified project data, as follows: 40% cement substitution with supplementary cementitious materials, optimized steel erection methods, and enhanced reuse of formwork and temporary works. The combined scenario achieved a 7.3% reduction in construction-stage emissions without compromising constructability. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of material-oriented, constructability-aware strategies for reducing embodied carbon in steel-intensive bridge construction. Full article

Since 2021, the design and construction of nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEBs) have been mandatory for European Union Member States. Subsequent requirements for the building sector, characterized by high energy demand and significant environmental impact, include the minimization of carbon footprint and the introduction of climate-neutral building standards. The carbon footprint comprises both embodied emissions related to materials and construction processes and operational emissions resulting from building use. This paper analyzes both types of carbon footprint using a residential building that is part of an experimental housing estate consisting of 44 semi-detached buildings as a case study. Analyses of energy consumption optimization and carbon footprint reduction were conducted at both the individual building scale and the scale of the entire housing complex. The estate was developed in two stages. In the first stage (completion of construction in 2024), the primary criterion for technology selection was investment cost while maintaining compliance with applicable technical and building regulations. Prior to the implementation of the second stage, the investor conducted a social participation process in the form of a survey among future users. The survey addressed environmental aspects of the newly designed buildings and enabled the selection of materials, technologies, and energy sources aligned with user preferences. The results indicate that environmental aspects are important to future users; however, investment decisions are strongly balanced against economic factors. At the same time, the energy analyses demonstrate that a substantial reduction in the operational carbon footprint can be achieved, enabling a significant progression toward climate neutrality, both at the level of individual buildings and across the entire housing estate. Social participation, therefore, becomes an important element in the pursuit of climate neutrality in buildings. However, it must be taken into account already at the design stage. The results of the analyses carried out in the article showed that, taking into account public participation in the design process and user recommendations, the selected optimal variant (W5) allows for a reduction in the EP index by over 90% compared to the variant based on standard low-cost solutions (W0) (EP (W0) = 243.64 kWh/(m² year); EP (W5) = 18.42 kWh/(m² year). In terms of the embodied carbon footprint, the optimal option W5 allows for a reduction of over 30% in the embodied carbon footprint of the building structure (W0—51,585.32 [kgCO₂e]; W5—35,537.87 [kgCO₂e]). The optimal variant indicated by users (W5) allows for a reduction in the operational carbon footprint by approximately 80% compared to the basic variant (W0): W0—604,189.50 [kgCO₂e/kWh]; W5—247,402.0 [kgCO₂e/kWh]. The results obtained indicate that public participation is not only a complementary element of the design process, but it can also be a key component of the decarbonisation strategy in residential construction. Involving future users in the decision-making process increases the likelihood of achieving long-term greenhouse gas emission reductions and supports the implementation of long-term climate policy goals. Full article

The growing urgency of resource-efficient construction in water-stressed and rapidly urbanizing regions necessitates integrated decision support frameworks that move beyond isolated sustainability metrics. This study operationalizes the water-energy nexus within building design evaluation by developing a structured hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) framework tailored to the Indian construction context. Unlike conventional sustainability assessments that treat water and energy independently, the proposed approach integrates life cycle-based water consumption, operational and embodied energy demand, environmental impacts, economic feasibility, and project constraints within a unified analytical hierarchy. A Delphi-validated criterion structure comprising five main criteria and twenty sub-criteria is weighted using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and ranked using the VIKOR compromise solution method. To strengthen methodological robustness, ranking outcomes are validated across three independent MCDM logics including TOPSIS, PROMETHEE, and COPRAS. The framework evaluates four representative building strategies aligned with Indian regulatory and certification systems (NBC, ECBC, IGBC/GRIHA, and net-zero water-energy design). Using expert-informed weights derived from a Delphi–AHP involving a panel of experienced practitioners, the VIKOR compromise ranking consistently identifies the net-zero alternative as the most favorable option within the evaluated framework. The results are therefore interpreted as an expert-informed assessment demonstrating the applicability of the proposed decision support methodology rather than as statistically generalizable priorities for the entire Indian construction sector. The study contributes by (i) embedding nexus-based resource interdependence into building-level MCDM modeling, (ii) enhancing transparency through explicit benefit-cost classification and decision matrix disclosure, and (iii) demonstrating ranking stability across multiple validation techniques. The proposed framework provides a transferable methodological approach that can be adapted to different regional contexts through locally derived expert inputs. Full article

Indigenous cultures in Taiwan embody rich ecological knowledge and strong environmental conservation values. However, elementary and secondary education often provides limited exposure to these cultures due to geographic constraints and insufficient instructional resources, relying primarily on textbooks and teacher-centered teaching methods. Such approaches restrict experiential learning, which may diminish students’ motivation and depth of understanding. However, 360-degree virtual reality (VR360) enables immersive simulations of authentic environments, increasing the accessibility of cultural and ecological education through smartphones and low-cost Google Cardboard. In addition, drone technology enhances learning by offering multiple perspectives for environmental exploration and data collection. This study examines the effectiveness of integrating a VR360 and virtual drone system into instruction focused on the ecological context of Sun Moon Lake and Thao Indigenous culture. Learning outcomes for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students were compared in terms of learning effectiveness, motivation, cognitive load, and technology acceptance. Ecological and cultural materials were collected through field investigations and drone photography, enabling students to explore landscapes from a first-person perspective and engage with Thao cultural practices and their relationship with local ecology. The findings indicate that the proposed VR-based system significantly enhances learning experiences and demonstrates strong potential for cultural and ecological education, offering valuable guidance for the design of future immersive instructional strategies and learning materials related to Indigenous cultures. Full article

Assessing environmental impacts across the full life cycle of buildings is essential for advancing toward a net-zero and regenerative built environment. However, life cycle inventory generation and impact assessment remain methodologically complex and time-intensive, limiting their integration into early design decision-making. This study aims to quantify and reduce the embodied carbon of a regenerated building while optimizing material selection based on environmental performance and circularity potential. An integrated Building Information Modeling–Life Cycle Assessment (BIM–LCA) framework combined with Sensitivity Analysis (SA) was applied within a circular economy perspective. A regenerative building was modeled using BIM, and Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) data were employed to conduct a detailed life cycle assessment to quantify embodied carbon and identify emission hotspots across life cycle stages. The results indicate that material extraction, processing, and manufacturing dominate environmental impacts, contributing more than 85% of total CO₂ emissions. Sensitivity analysis further demonstrates the influence of material choices on overall carbon performance. The findings underscore the importance of evaluating embodied carbon at early design stages to support informed decisions regarding material efficiency, renewability, and recyclability. The proposed BIM–LCA framework provides a scalable, data-driven approach to support early-stage decarbonization strategies and contributes to reducing the carbon footprint of buildings in alignment with net-zero and regenerative design objectives. Full article