THE IST DESIGN STUDIO: a plan for action… by Manuel ... - In+

IST Design Studio October 2003_____________________________________________________________________________with the volume of the engine whereas the heat and friction losses scale with the surfacearea.A main objective of this project, based on MEMS idea, is therefore to develop a “smartcooktopburner” appliance with micro-flames spatial distributed, in that it incorporatesnovel sensing and control algorithms so as either to automate some manual function(such as estimating the pot size-shape and ignite the right number of micro-flames underthe cooktop to match the pot's size and control its temperature, automatic pot sensing)and to introduce something completely new (such as boiling-water detection andadaptative cooktop surface geometry to fit the pot shape ). Together, these factors willforce the evolution in the control technology of household appliances, from classicalhuman open-loop controls, to electronic controls plus simple small-smart-sensingintegrated with closed-loop systems, allowing the rational use of energy.8. Human - Body Interfacing and InteractionThis area is aimed to the development of the design tools required to introduce thehuman body in the design environment, with emphasis on biomechancial andergonomic features of the equipment users.The human body interfacing and interaction areas for research and development seek tostudy the consequences of machine and system design alternatives relative toperformance and ergonomics of the machines, systems, operators and other users. Theinteraction problem highlights the conflicting needs of groups that focus in design andgroups that focus on human performance, ergonomics and cumulative injury potential.Therefore, there is a need to integrate associated design and simulation tools and toestablish multidisciplinary lines of communication through the concurrent use ofcomputer sciences, mechanical systems and biosystem technologies. This aspect of theconcurrent engineering environment is so much more important when it is envisionedthat the driving forces beyond new designs is the integration between their aestheticsand their structure.There is no fundamental difference between equipment used in the conventionalworkplace and that used for instance for athletic training exercises or for the aid of thedisabled. In any case it is fundamental to quantify the user performance versusequipment design alternatives during the early phases of the design process for any typeof systems that involve the human body as user, operator or simply as a bystander thatmay interact with them. For instance, in what therapeutic equipment is concerned it isnecessary to measure and quantify progress, evaluate procedures, and design specificpatient treatment techniques. In what automotive equipment is concerned it is necessaryto ensure that the driver and occupants have the necessary levels of comfort and allinterior equipment of the vehicle is reachable without strenuous efforts that can causefatigue or endangering the use of the vehicle. Furthermore, it is fundamental that thepassive safety equipment and the crashworthiness structures are well adjusted to thevehicle occupants and to the vulnerable road users, i.e., pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.The project now proposed supports the generic machine operator system designproblem. It is directed towards machines that are controlled by human operator´sintelligent physical exertions. The software analysis tool created with this project aimsto allow the designer to introduce the physical and cognitive limitations of a specific22