Cyber-physical systems (CPSs) are rapidly proliferating in different applications. Their system features significantly differ from those of linear complex systems (LCSs). Consequently, they pose novel challenges with regard to ensuring the dependability of system operation. Maintenance of CPSs raises new theoretical and practical issues. To guarantee a high level of dependability, new and efficient system maintenance principles should be explored and operationalized in various contexts. This paper reports on the first results of the authors' work in this direction. A comprehensive literature review has been conducted with the objective of identifying the specific features of LCSs and CPSs. We analysed the major maintenance principles and approaches currently applied to complex systems to see how they can be applied to CPSs. We found that the existing maintenance principles have various relationships with CPSs: (i) some of them cannot be considered in the context of CPSs due to incongruent system features, (ii) some of them can be adapted due to certain partial congruencies, and (iii) some of them can be applied directly due to the congruency of some system features of LCSs with CPSs. It was also found and demonstrated through a number of practical examples that many specific maintenance principles need to be developed for CPSs. We assert that the system features of CPSs without parallel in LCSs primarily reveal what sort of new maintenance principles and approaches are needed. The ultimate goal of our ongoing research is to define and test these new maintenance principles. In this paper, we identify and define these principles, starting from the unique system features of CPSs and aiming to develop a maintenance advisory system.

This article explores the applicability of heuristic rules into the decision-making processes involved in design practices, with the aim of generating a strategic approach for the fixation, tangibilization and re-utilization of knowledge within organizations. For this purpose, the research focuses on the creation of a methodological approach and a support tool that seeks to facilitate the introduction of heuristics into particular stages of the design process, such as concept development and architecture definition. This is achieved by providing an initial analysis of the design problem, and the definition of specific problem solving actions based on heuristics. This means that, with the aid of tools specifically developed for the method, the process will help design engineers explore several solution principles with applications previously implemented in diverse domains, thus triggering creativity in problem solving activities. This will enable a more diverse concept generation and a more detailed product development process. In addition, it will allow organizations to work with tools and procedures for them to ensure that emerging knowledge can be integrated to the proposed approach and reused in the future.

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The design process of an object, system or space must consider the physical, mental and psychological traits of its intended users. Moreover, the results of the design process are also defined by the attributes related to the context. However, current product design approaches does not offer a proper balance among the "human", "artefact" and "context" dimensions. Consequently, a product design methodology that covers the overall Human-Artefact-Context system, from a cognitive and physical ergonomics point of view, is proposed. The generalization of the proposal is based on a synergic structure of User-Centered Design methodologies and ergonomic criteria that prevails throughout the product development stages. The latter ensures a better adaptation to specific context and user needs in a way that improves efficiency, security and consumer well-being.

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Eco design and sustainable design are words with increasing relevance in the development of new products. One of the main reasons is the growing worry about the environmental issues that the planet is having nowadays, hence the demand for products with this aspect included. Now designers have the opportunity to adapt useful tools to estimate the environmental impact of a design concept in order to develop environmentally friendly products. However, it is only in the last stages of design process where design teams have enough information to calculate the impact of a proposal. This calculation is a tedious, expensive and demanding activity and involving a high level of knowledge about materials, manufacturing processes and eco-design strategies. For this reason, environmental impact estimations gain relevance in the early stages of the design process, where more risks can be taken with a lower cost. This article suggests a taxonomy to analyze product's shape; in order to offer a structured and systematic way of performing a morphology classification, being able to integrate this subjective aspect to other necessary variables needed to estimate the environmental impact. It offers a way to understand how shape, material and Manufacturing process are key aspects to make environmental B Lina-María Agudelo

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Current product design processes are demanding functionality improvements, in order to make the difference in the market. This situation has led designers, engineers and specialist to work together in order to develop new methodologies that might reduce development time and support the quality in the product. In this connection, several tools and methodologies have been proposed over the last decade centred in the combination of industrial design techniques with functional engineering design. Many of these new solutions were based into the treatment of patents in order to reduce the analysis time in terms of existing solutions and how those solutions could be implemented into creation of new products. This article presents the development of a creativity method, based on combination and mutation models, that supports patent search and analysis in the early design stages. The use of this method will be portrayed into the design of the locking system of a medical device used for the treatment of the camptocormia.