For workers in extreme environments, such as firefighters, thermal protective clothing is essential to protect them from exposures to high heat and life threatening risks. This study will investigate the design of a new smart protective clothing system, which incorporates sensors in the undergarment to measure physiological data, such as skin temperature, heat flux and heat rate to assess the thermal status of the worker. The aim of this paper is to outline the design of the smart wearable undergarment and the evaluation process for testing the smart undergarment in a controlled environment.
COVID-19 has brought significant changes to our lives and eating practices, where many of us are required to not only stay at home but also eat at home. This is particularly challenging for lone-person households as eating alone can be boring, less motivating and could lead to unhealthy behaviors such as mindless snacking or skipping of meals. To remedy such situations, we present Guardian of the Snacks, a tangible multimodal system that encourages mindful snacking by offering a playful companionship to snacking. The system is customizable to bear the shape of different animals and can be adapted to different snacking scenarios. Like a good companion, it encourages eating but moderates overeating through auditory feedback and playful nudging. In this article, we reflect on our design process and contribute ideas for the future development of technology-driven mindful snacking.
This paper describes a design approach for discerning solar gain and assigning appropriate external shading devices. The approach includes a macro analysis locating where and when the building receives direct sunlight and locating desired interior daylighting; along with a micro analysis of how folded sun-shading motifs filter or block direct sunlight. The approach uses a collaborative analytical workflow with feedback from virtual and physical simulations informing design explorations. This iterative, reciprocating process is illustrated by student efforts to design shading structures for a building based on incident solar radiation. Designers begin with cutting and folding paper study models, then lasercut 2D tessellation patterns to create sculptural shading screens to be examined with a heliodon. Physical daylighting modeling reveals aesthetic opportunities to develop with parametric design. Motifs are then digitally modeled and analysed for shading effectiveness. Analysing the solar radiation of simple motifs helps beginners learn the software for subsequent urban situations. The efficacy of these simulations is discussed along with ways that the results could be interpreted to initiate design decisions for a building skin.
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