Visual and proprioceptive representations in spatial memory

It has been shown that spatial information can be acquired from both visual and nonvisual modalities. The present study explored how spatial information from vision and proprioception was represented in memory, investigating orientation dependence of spatial memories acquired through visual and proprioceptive spatial learning. Experiment 1 examined whether visual learning alone and proprioceptive learning alone yielded orientation-dependent spatial memory. Results showed that spatial memories from both types of learning were orientation dependent. Experiment 2 explored how different orientations of the same environment were represented when they were learned visually and proprioceptively. Results showed that both visually and proprioceptively learned orientations were represented in spatial memory, suggesting that participants established two different reference systems based on each type of learning experience and interpreted the environment in terms of these two reference systems. The results provide some initial clues to how different modalities make unique contributions to spatial representations.

Springboards into design : exploring multiple representations of interaction in a dental surgery

This paper demonstrates that in order to understand and design for interactions in complex work environments, a variety of representational artefacts must be developed and employed. A study was undertaken to explore the design of better interaction technologies to support patient record keeping in a dental surgery. The domain chosen is a challenging real context that exhibits problems that could potentially be solved by ubiquitous computing and multi-modal interaction technologies. Both transient and durable representations were used to develop design understandings. We describe the representations, the kinds of insights developed from the representations and the way that the multiple representations interact and carry forward in the design process.

Initial CFD investigation of an MR fluid in a bicycle ergometer

A bicycle ergometer is a scientific device used by exercise physiologists which attempts to mimic on-road cycling characteristics such as foot technique, EMG activity, VO2, VCO2 and rider cardiology in a laboratory environment. Presently there are no known useful scientific ergometers that mimic these characteristics and are able to provide a satisfactory controlled resistance that is independent of speed. Previous research has suggested the use of a Magneto-Rheological (MR) Fluid as part of the ergometer design, as when used in a rotary brake application it is able to be controlled electronically to increase resistance instantly and independent of speed. In the target application, MR fluids are subject to immense tribological wear and temperature during viscous shearing, and will eventually show some degree of deterioration which is usually manifested as an increase in off-state viscosity. It is not known exactly how the fluid fails, however the amount of deterioration is related to the shear rate, temperature and duration and directly related to the power dissipation. Currently, there is very little literature that investigates the flow and thermal characteristics of MR fluid tribology using CFD. In this paper, we present initial work that aims to improve understanding of MR fluid wear via CFD modelling using Fluent, and results from the model are compared with those obtained from a experimental test rig of an MR fluid-based bicycle ergometer.

Experiential knowledge representation and the design of product usability

The topic of designers’ knowledge and how they conduct design process has been widely investigated in design research. Understanding theoretical and experiential knowledge in design has involved recognition of the importance of designers’ experience of experiencing, seeing, and absorbing ideas from the world as points of reference (or precedents) that are consulted whenever a design problem arises (Lawson, 2004). Hence, various types of design knowledge have been categorized (Lawson, 2004), and the nature of design knowledge continues to be studied (Cross, 2006); nevertheless, the study of the experiential aspects embedded in design knowledge is a topic not fully addressed. In particular there has been little emphasis on the investigation of the ways in which designers’ individual experience influences different types of design tasks. This research focuses on the investigation of the ways in which designers inform a usability design process. It aims to understand how designers design product usability, what informs their process, and the role their individual experience (and episodic knowledge) plays within the design process. This paper introduces initial outcomes from an empirical study involving observation of a design task that emphasized usability issues. It discusses the experiential knowledge observed in the visual representations (sketches) produced by designers as part of the design tasks. Through the use of visuals as means to represent experiential knowledge, this paper presents initial research outcomes to demonstrate how designers’ individual experience is integrated into design tasks and communicated within the design process. Initial outcomes demonstrate the influence of designers’ experience in the design of product usability. It is expected that outcomes will help identify the causal relationships between experience, context of use, and product usability, which will contribute to enhance our understanding about the design of user-product interactions.

Initial steps in optimal planning of a distribution system

This paper reports the initial steps of research on planning of rural networks for MV and LV. In this paper, two different cases are studied. In the first case, 100 loads are distributed uniformly on a 100 km transmission line in a distribution network and in the second case, the load structure become closer to the rural situation. In case 2, 21 loads are located in a distribution system so that their distance is increasing, distance between load 1 and 2 is 3 km, between 2 and 3 is 6 km, etc). These two models to some extent represent the distribution system in urban and rural areas, respectively. The objective function for the design of the optimal system consists of three main parts: cost of transformers, and MV and LV conductors. The bus voltage is expressed as a constraint and should be maintained within a standard level, rising or falling by no more than 5%.

Women's participation in the Australian Digital Content Industry : initial case study findings

An exploratory case study which seeks to understand better the problem of low participation rates of women in Information Communication Technology (ICT) is currently being conducted in Queensland, Australia. Contextualised within the Digital Content Industry (DCI) multimedia and games production sectors, the emphasis is on women employed as interactive content creators rather than as users of the technologies. Initial findings provide rich descriptive insights into the perceptions and experiences of female DCI professionals. Influences on participation such as: existing gender ratios, gender and occupational stereotypes, access into the industry and future parental responsibilities have emerged from the data. Bandura’s (1999) Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) is used as a “scaffold” (Walsham, 1995:76) to guide data analysis and assist analytic generalisation of the case study findings. We propose that the lens of human agency and theories such as SCT assist in explaining how influences are manifested and affect women’s agency and ultimately participation in the DCI. The Sphere of Influence conceptual model (Geneve et al, 2008), which emerges from the data and underpinning theory, is proposed as a heuristic framework to further explore influences on women’s participation in the DCI industry context.