Application of personal computers to eddy current inspections

This presentation describes a system for measuring claddings as an example of the many possible advantages to be obtained by applying a personal computer to eddy current testing. A theoretical model and a learning algorithm are integrated into an instrument. They are supported in the PC, and serve to simplify and enhance multiparameter testing. The PC gives additional assistance by simplifying set-up procedures and data logging etc.

Using non-personal computers for eLearning: Sri Lankan experience

Communal Internet access facilities or telecentres are considered a good way to provide connectivity to people who do not possess home connectivity. Attempts are underway to utilize telecentres as eLearning centres providing access to learning materials to students who would otherwise not be able to take up eLearning. This paper reports on the findings of qualitative interviews conducted with 18 undergraduate students from two Sri Lankan universities on their eLearning experiences using communal Internet access centres. The findings suggest that despite the efforts by telecentres to provide a good service to eLearners, there are various problems faced by students including: costs, logistics, scarcity of resources, connectivity speeds, excessive procedures, and lack of support. The experiences of these Sri Lankan students suggest that there is much that needs to be understood about user perspectives in using telecentres, which could help formulate better policies and strategies to support eLearners who depend on communal access facilities.

Supporting ad hoc collaborations in peer-to-peer networks

Traditionally, applications and tools supporting collaborative computing have been designed only with personal computers in mind and support a limited range of computing and network platforms. These applications are therefore not well equipped to deal with network heterogeneity and, in particular, do not cope well with dynamic network topologies. Progress in this area must be made if we are to fulfil the needs of users and support the diversity, mobility, and portability that are likely to characterise group work in future. This paper describes a groupware platform called Coco that is designed to support collaboration in a heterogeneous network environment. The work demonstrates that progress in the p development of a generic supporting groupware is achievable, even in the context of heterogeneous and dynamic networks. The work demonstrates the progress made in the development of an underlying communications infrastructure, building on peer-to-peer concept and topologies to improve scalability and robustness.

Implementing ‘Site BIM’: a case study of ICT innovation on a large hospital project

Numerous Building Information Modelling (BIM) tools are well established and potentially beneficial in certain uses. However, issues of adoption and implementation persist, particularly for on-site use of BIM tools in the construction phase. We describe an empirical case-study of the implementation of an innovative ‘Site BIM’ system on a major hospital construction project. The main contractor on the project developed BIM-enabled tools to allow site workers using mobile tablet personal computers to access design information and to capture work quality and progress data on-site. Accounts show that ‘Site BIM’, while judged to be successful and actively supporting users, was delivered through an exploratory and emergent development process of informal prototyping. Technical IT skills were adopted into the construction project through personal relationships and arrangements rather than formal processes. Implementation was driven by construction project employees rather than controlled centrally by the corporate IT function.