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In product development, numerous design decisions have to be made. Multi-domain virtual prototyping provides a variety of tools to assess technical feasibility of design options, however often requires substantial computational effort for just a single evaluation. A special challenge is therefore the optimal design of product families, which consist of a group of products derived from a common platform. Finding an optimal platform configuration (stating what is shared and what is individually designed for each product) and an optimal design of all products simultaneously leads to a mixed-integer nonlinear black-box optimization model. We present an optimization approach based on metamodels and a metaheuristic. To increase computational efficiency and solution quality, we compare different types of Gaussian process regression metamodels adapted from the domain of machine learning, and combine them with a genetic algorithm. We illustrate our approach on the example of a product family of electrical drives, and investigate the trade-off between solution quality and computational overhead.
Highly competitive markets paired with tremendous production volumes demand particularly cost efficient products. The usage of common parts and modules across product families can potentially reduce production costs. Yet, increasing commonality typically results in overdesign of individual products. Multi domain virtual prototyping enables designers to evaluate costs and technical feasibility of different single product designs at reasonable computational effort in early design phases. However, savings by platform commonality are hard to quantify and require detailed knowledge of e.g. the production process and the supply chain. Therefore, we present and evaluate a multi-objective metamodel-based optimization algorithm which enables designers to explore the trade-off between high commonality and cost optimal design of single products.
Social Media - Segen oder Fluch? : Eine Aufklärungskampagne zu Auswirkungen von Social Media Nutzung
(2023)
Das Projekt „Social Media – Segen oder Fluch“ beschäftigt sich mit negativen Auswirkungen, die die Nutzung Sozialer Medien haben kann. Soziale Medien werden heutzutage ständig und von fast jedem genutzt, vor allem von Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen. Vielen ist aber nicht bewusst, dass sich die Nutzung negativ auf sie und ihre Gesundheit auswirken kann. Eine Kampagne soll daran etwas ändern. Soziale Medien bzw. der Content, der die Nutzer:innen negativ beeinflusst, ist wie ein Monster, vor dem sich die Nutzer:innen in acht nehmen müssen. Angesprochen werden hauptsächlich 12-29-jährige, die Soziale Medien nutzen. Die Kampagne soll durch verschiedene Maßnahmen wie Plakatwerbung und Posts auf Social Media Kanälen, den negativen Auswirkungen von Social Media Nutzung entgegenwirken. Sie soll über die Auswirkungen aufklären und zu einem bewussteren Umgang mit Sozialen Netzwerken anregen.
The complex questions of today for a world of tomorrow are characterized by their global impact. Solutions must therefore not only be sustainable in the sense of the three pillars of sustainability (economic, environmental, and social) but must also function globally. This goes hand in hand with the need for intercultural acceptance of developed services and products. To achieve this, engineers, as the problem solvers of the future, must be able to work in intercultural teams on appropriate solutions, and be sensitive to intercultural perspectives. To equip the engineers of the future with the so-called future skills, teaching concepts are needed in which students can acquire these methods and competencies in application-oriented formats. The presented course "Applying Design Thinking - Sustainability, Innovation and Interculturality" was developed to teach future skills from the competency areas Digital Key Competencies, Classical Competencies and Transformative Competencies. The CDIO Standard 3.0, in particular the standards 5, 6, 7 and 8, was used as a guideline. The course aims to prepare engineering students from different disciplines and cultures for their future work in an international environment by combining a digital teaching format with an interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary and intercultural setting for solving sustainability challenges. The innovative moment lies in the digital application of design thinking and the inclusion of intercultural as well as trans- and interdisciplinary perspectives in innovation development processes. In this paper, the concept of the course will be presented in detail and the particularities of a digital implementation of design thinking will be addressed. Subsequently, the potentials and challenges will be reflected and practical advice for integrating design thinking in engineering education will be given.
Insbesondere im wirtschaftlichen Kontext wird die Diversität von Belegschaften zunehmend als ein kritischer Erfolgsfaktor gesehen. Neben dem Potenzial, welches sich laut Studien aus einem vielfältigen Team ergibt, werden jedoch ebenfalls die aus menschlicher Diversität resultierenden Herausforderungen thematisiert und wissenschaftlich untersucht. Sowohl aus dem Potenzial als auch aus den Herausforderungen ergibt sich dabei die Notwendigkeit der Implementierung eines organisationsspezifischen Diversity Managements, welches die Gewinnung neuer Mitarbeiter*innen einerseits und das Management der vorhandenen Vielfalt andererseits gleichermaßen unterstützt. In der psychologischen, sozial- und wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Literatur gibt es unterschiedliche Definitionen von Diversität, woraus sich verschiedene Perspektiven auf das Vorgehen bei der Gestaltung und Umsetzung eines Diversity Management Ansatzes ergeben. Insbesondere vor dem Hintergrund der Komplexität des Organisationsumfeldes und der steigenden Anforderungen an die organisationsinterne Agilität besteht die Notwendigkeit, Diversität in Organisationen stärker zu reflektieren und systemspezifische Ansätze zu entwickeln. Dies erfordert die Berücksichtigung organisationsspezifischer Strukturen und Prozesse sowie die Reflexion des Wandels der Organisationskultur durch die Umsetzung eines Diversity Management Ansatzes, der die gegebene Komplexität aufgreift und bewältigen kann. Darüber hinaus sind die psychologischen Auswirkungen solcher Veränderungen auf die Mitarbeiter*innen zu berücksichtigen, um Reaktanzen zu vermeiden und eine nachhaltige Umsetzung von Diversity Management zu ermöglichen. In Ermangelung entsprechender Ansätze im Rahmen öffentlich finanzierter, komplexer Forschungsorganisationen, ist das Ziel dieser Dissertation die Entwicklung und Erprobung eines Forschungsdesigns, welches die Ansätze des Diversity- und Change Managements mit der Organisationskultur verknüpft, indem es eine systemtheoretische Perspektive einnimmt. Dabei wird das Forschungsdesign auf eine komplexe wissenschaftliche Organisation angewendet. Als Basis dient die in Teil A durchgeführte Betrachtung des aktuellen Forschungsstandes aus einer interdisziplinären Perspektive und die damit einhergehende umfassende Einführung in das Forschungsfeld. Im Zuge dessen wird detailliert auf die begriffliche Definition von Diversität eingegangen, bevor dann die psychologischen Konzepte im Diversitätskontext den Übergang zu einer differenzierten Auseinandersetzung mit dem Konzept des Diversity Managements bilden. Auf dieser Grundlage werden das Forschungsdesign sowie die daraus resultierenden Forschungsphasen abgeleitet. Teil A stellt somit die theoretische Grundlage für die in Teil B präsentierten Fachaufsätze dar. Jeder Fachaufsatz beleuchtet dabei in chronologischer Reihenfolge die unterschiedlichen Forschungsphasen. Fachaufsatz I präsentiert den sechsstufigen Forschungsansatz und beleuchtet die besonderen Rahmenbedingungen des Forschungsobjektes aus einer theoretischen Perspektive. Im Anschluss werden die Ergebnisse der Organisationsanalyse, welche zugleich Phase I und II des Forschungskonzeptes darstellen, vorgestellt. Aufbauend auf diesen Forschungsergebnissen fokussiert Forschungsaufsatz II die Darlegung der Ergebnisse aus Forschungsphase III, der Befragung der Führungsebene. Die Befragung thematisierte dabei die Wahrnehmung von Diversity und Diversity Management auf Führungsebene, die Verknüpfung von Diversität mit Innovation sowie die Reflexion des eigenen Führungsstils. Als Ergebnis der Befragung konnten sechs Typen identifiziert werden, die das Führungsverständnis im Diversitätskontext widerspiegeln und somit den Ansatzpunkt für eine top-down gerichtete Diversity Management Strategie darstellen. Darauf aufbauend wird in Forschungsphase IV die Mitarbeiter*innenebene beforscht. Im Zentrum der quantitativen Befragung standen die vorherrschenden Einstellungen zum Themenkomplex Diversity und Diversity Management, die Wahrnehmung von Diversität sowie die Untersuchung des Einflusses der Führungsebene auf die Mitarbeiter*innenebene. Forschungsaufsatz III präsentiert erste Ergebnisse dieser Untersuchung. Die Analyse weist auf eine unterschiedliche Gewichtung der verschiedenen Diversitätskategorien hinsichtlich der Verknüpfung mit Innovationen und somit der Reflexion des Kontextes zwischen Diversität und Innovationen hin. Vergleichbar mit den identifizierten Typen auf der Führungsebene, deutet die Analyse auf die Existenz unterschiedlicher Reflexionsgrade auf Mitarbeiter*innenebene hin. Auf Basis dessen wird im Rahmen von Forschungsaufsatz IV eine nähere Untersuchung des Reflexionsgrades auf Mitarbeiter*innenebene präsentiert und der Diversity Management Ansatz mit Elementen des Change Managements kombiniert. Besondere Berücksichtigung findet als Schlussfolgerung einer theoretischen Analyse die Organisationskultur als zentrales Element bei der Entwicklung und Einführung eines Diversity Management Ansatzes in eine komplexe Forschungsorganisation in Deutschland. Die Analyse zeigt, dass die Wahrnehmung von Diversität heterogen aber zunächst losgelöst vom individuellen Hintergrund ist (im Rahmen dieser Analyse lag der Fokus auf den Diversitätskategorien Gender und Herkunft). Hinsichtlich der Wertschätzung von Diversität zeigt sich dabei ebenfalls ein heterogenes Bild. In der Gesamtbetrachtung stimmen lediglich 17% der Mitarbeiter*innen zu, dass Diversitätskategorien wie Gender, Herkunft oder auch Alter einen Mehrwert darstellen können. Zugleich bewertet diese Gruppe die dem Thema beigemessene Wichtigkeit im CoE als ausreichend. Zusammengefasst lassen sich folgende Erkenntnisse im Rahmen dieser Dissertation ableiten und dienen somit als Grundlage für die Entwicklung eines Diversity Management Ansatzes: (1) Die Entwicklung eines bedarfsorientierten Diversity Management Ansatzes erfordert einen systemtheoretischen Prozess, der sowohl organisationsinterne als auch externe Einflussfaktoren berücksichtigt. Der im Rahmen des Forschungsprojektes entwickelte sechsstufige Forschungsprozess hat sich dabei als geeignetes Instrument erwiesen. (2)Im Rahmen öffentlicher Forschungseinrichtungen lassen sich dabei drei zentrale Faktoren identifizieren: die individuelle Reflexionsebene, die Organisationskultur sowie extern beeinflusste Organisationsstrukturen, Prozesse und Systeme.(3)Vergleichbar mit privatwirtschaftlichen Unternehmen hat auch in wissenschaftlichen Organisationen die Führungsebene einen maßgeblichen Einfluss auf die Wahrnehmung von Diversität und somit einen Einfluss auf die Umsetzung einer Diversity Management Strategie. Daher ist auch im wissenschaftlichen Kontext, bedingt durch die rechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen des Hochschulsystems, ein top-down Ansatz für eine nachhaltige Implementierung erforderlich. (4) Diversity Management steht in einem engen Zusammenhang mit einem organisationalen Wandel, was die Reflexion von Veränderungsprozesse aus einer psychologischen Perspektive erfordert und eine Verknüpfung von Diversity und Change Management bedingt. Aufbauend auf den im Rahmen des entwickelten Forschungskonzeptes gewonnenen zentralen Erkenntnissen wird ein Ansatz entwickelt, der die Ableitung theoretischer Implikationen sowie Implikationen für das Management ermöglicht. Insbesondere vor dem Hintergrund der Reflexion der besonderen Rahmenbedingungen öffentlich finanzierter Forschungsorganisationen werden darüber hinaus politische Implikationen abgeleitet, die auf die Veränderung struktureller Dimensionen abzielen.
Achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations (UN) in 2015 requires global collaboration between different stakeholders. Industry, and in particular engineers who shape industrial developments, have a special role to play as they are confronted with the responsibility to holistically reflect sustainability in industrial processes. This means that, in addition to the technical specifications, engineers must also question the effects of their own actions on an ecological, economic and social level in order to ensure sustainable action and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. However, this requires competencies that enable engineers to apply all three pillars of sustainability to their own field of activity and to understand the global impact of industrial processes. In this context, it is relevant to understand how industry already reflects sustainability and to identify competences needed for sustainable development.
Within the framework of the project a genderand diversity-oriented teaching evaluation and modern, media-supported blended learning approaches were used in order to achieve the intended goals. First research results of the literature and status quo analysis were already implemented and tested in newly designed teaching approaches, for example in a multidisciplinary introductory lecture of civil engineering at RWTH Aachen University.
Anti-bias trainings are increasingly demanded and practiced in academia and industry to increase employees’ sensitivity to discrimination, racism, and diversity. Under the heading of “Diversity Management”, anti-bias trainings are mainly offered as one-off workshops intending to raise awareness of unconscious biases, create a diversity-affirming corporate culture, awake awareness of the potential of diversity, and ultimately enable the reflection of diversity in development processes. However, coming from childhood education, research and scientific articles on the sustainable effectiveness of anti-bias in adulthood, especially in academia, are very scarce. In order to fill this research gap, the paper explores how sustainable the effects of individual anti-bias trainings on the behavior of participants are. In order to investigate this, participant observation in a qualitative pre-post setting was conducted, analyzing anti-bias trainings in an academic context. Two observers actively participated in the training sessions and documented the activities and reflection processes of the participants. Overall, the results question the effectiveness of single anti-bias trainings and show that a target-group adaptive approach is mandatory due to the background of the approach in early childhood education. Therefore, it can be concluded that anti-bias work needs to be adapted to the target group’s needs and reality of life. Furthermore, the study reveals that single anti-bias trainings must be embedded in a holistic diversity management approach to stimulate sustainable reflection processes among the target group. This paper is one of the first to scientifically evaluate anti-bias training effectiveness, especially in engineering sciences and the university context.
Sustainability is playing an increasingly important role. Not least due to the definition of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the framework of the agenda 2030 by the United Nations (UN) in 2015 (United Nations, n.d.), it has become clear that the cooperation of different actors is needed to achieve the defined 17 goals. Industry, as a global actor, has a special role to play in this. In the course of sustainable production processes and chains, the industry is confronted with the responsibility of reflecting on the consequences of its own trade on an ecological, economic, and also social level and deriving measures that, according to the definition of sustainability (Hauff, 1987), will also enable future generations to satisfy their needs. While the ecological pillar of sustainability is already being addressed by different industrial initiatives (Deloitte, 2021), it is questionable to what extent the economic and, above all, the social pillars of sustainability also play a decisive role. Accordingly, it is questionable to what extent sustainability in its triad of social, ecological, and economic aspects is taken into account holistically at all, and thus to what extent the industry contributes to achieving the 17 goals defined by the UN.
This paper presents a qualitative study that explores these questions. Interviewing 31 representatives from the manufacturing industry in Germany, results indicate a Paradox of Sustainable Production expressed by a theoretical reflection of the need for focusing on people in production processes on the one hand and a lack of addressing the social pillar of sustainability in concepts on the other hand. However, while it is a troublesome finding given the striking need for sustainable development (The-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Report-2022; Kropp 2019; von Hauff 2021; Roy and Singh 2017), the paradox directly lays out a path of resolving it. This is because, given its nature, we can see that we could resolve it via the implementation of strong educational efforts trying to help the respective people of the manufacturing industry to understand the holistic and interdependent character of sustainable development (The-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Report-2022).
Engineers and therefore engineering education are challenged by the increasing complexity of questions to be answered globally. The education of future engineers therefore has to answer with curriculums that build up relevant skills. This chapter will give an example how to bring engineering and social responsibility successful together to build engineers of tomorrow. Through the integration of gender and diversity perspectives, engineering research and teaching is expanded with new perspectives and contents providing an important potential for innovation. Aiming on the enhancement of engineering education with distinctive competencies beyond technical expertise, the teaching approach introduced in the chapter represents key factors to ensure that coming generations of engineers will be able to meet the requirements and challenges a changing globalized world holds for them. The chapter will describe how this approach successfully has been implemented in the curriculum in engineering of a leading technical university in Germany.
The link between diversity and innovation is broadly discussed in the context of research and innovation processes. Many institutions and enterprises, specifically in commerce, have already tried to establish sustainable diversity management concepts, in order to increase the diversity of their workforce in addition to establishing a corporate culture of openness. Alongside the creation of a working place where different experiences and skills are valued equally, the entrepreneurial intention is to transfer diversity into economically relevant advantages. Taking into account the potential of diversity in research and innovation processes, the project “Diversity- and Innovation Management” was incorporated within a large interdisciplinary research Cluster. The project’s purpose was to study the context between diversity and innovation in research associations and to later develop a customised management concept into an interdisciplinary research Cluster on integrative production technology with full integration. The challenge of such research associations lays in an organisational structure which is often described as being decentralised. Researchers coming from different academic disciplines, while having diverse habits, conduct research on large scientific issues and challenges. In addition, these researchers are socialised in different institutions and university chairs. Theses differences in leadership styles, business cultures and organisational strategies, follow into their research team work. Taking a closer look into the management of human resources suggests that decentral organised recruitment processes, as well as allocation of human resources, lead to a lacking overview in regard to missing competencies, perspectives and backgrounds in research networks. These circumstances are comparable to big corporate groups. While developing a management concept for research associations, these characteristics must be considered. To ensure this, the project follows a human-centred approach, which considers top-down, as well as bottom-up perspectives. This paper presents the applied mixed-method approach in the scientific issue described above. In the frame of the Cluster of Excellence “Integrative Production Technology for High-Wage Countries” research results based on quantitative, as well as qualitative studies, were presented as an application example. This paper provides a new perspective on the innovation and diversity context. Against the background of complex research organisations, the development approach of a management concept is particularly interesting.
Engineers are of particular importance for the societies of tomorrow. The big social challenges society has to cope with in future, can only be mastered, if engineers link the development and innovation process closely with the requirements of people. As a result, in the frame of the innovation process engineers have to design and develop products for diverse users. Therefore, the consideration of diversity in this process is a core competence engineers should have. Implementing the consideration of diverse requirements into product design is also linked to the development of sustainable products and thus leads to social responsible research and development, the core concept formulated by the EU.
For this reason, future engineers should be educated to look at the technical perspectives of a problem embedded in the related questions within societies they are developing their artefacts for. As a result, the aim of teaching engineering should be to prepare engineers for these requirements and to draw attention to the diverse needs in a globalized world.
To match the competence profiles of future engineers to the global challenges and the resulting social responsibility, RWTH Aachen University, one of the leading technical universities in Germany, has established the bridging professorship “Gender and Diversity in Engineering” (GDI) which educates engineers with an interdisciplinary approach to expand engineering limits. The interdisciplinary teaching concept of the research group pursues an approach which imparts an application oriented Gender and Diversity expertise to future engineers. In the frame of an established teaching concept, which is a result of experiences and expertise of the research group, students gain theoretical knowledge about Gender and Diversity and learn how to transfer their knowledge into their later field of action.
In the frame of the conference the institutional approach will be presented as well as the teaching concept which will be introduced by concrete course examples.
Diversity is increasingly being addressed as an innovation-promoting factor. For this reason, companies and institutions tackle the integration of a diversity management approach that enables a heterogenic perspective on innovation development. However, system-theoretical frameworks state that the implementation of diversity measures that are not tailored to the needs of the organization often leads to a rejection or reactivity with regard to the management approach. In this context, especially organizations, which are characterized by a specific hierarchical structure, a dominant habitus or specialist culture, must face the challenge of realizing a sustainable change of the corporate culture that sets the basis for implementing diversity management approaches. The presented research project focuses on analyzing the situation in a huge scientific collaborative project - so called Cluster of Excellence (CoE) - with the aim to implement a diversity - and innovation management strategy. Considering the influencing determinants, the CoE is characterized by its embeddedness in the scientific system, a complex organizational structure, and a high fluctuation rate. The paper presents a systemic approach of reflecting these factors in order to develop a diversity- and innovation management strategy. In this frame, the results of a quantitative survey of CoE employees and derived mindset-types are presented. The results show a need for taking different mindset-types into account, to be able to develop a tailored management strategy. The aim of the project is to give recommendations for developing a sustainable management concept that promotes both diversity and innovation by drawing on the persisting mindsets of organization members while reflecting top down as well as bottom up factors of implementation processes as well as the psychology of change. This paper addresses all who are concerned with the management of human resources in innovation processes and are striving for a cultural change within the framework of complex organizations.
Diversity management is seen as a decisive factor for ensuring the development of socially responsible innovations (Beacham and Shambaugh, 2011; Sonntag, 2014; López, 2015; Uebernickel et al., 2015). However, many diversity management approaches fail due to a one-sided consideration of diversity (Thomas and Ely, 2019) and a lacking linkage between the prevailing organizational culture and the perception of diversity in the respective organization. Reflecting the importance of diverse perspectives, research institutions have a special responsibility to actively deal with diversity, as they are publicly funded institutions that drive socially relevant development and educate future generations of developers, leaders and decision-makers. Nevertheless, only a few studies have so far dealt with the influence of the special framework conditions of the science system on diversity management. Focusing on the interdependency of the organizational culture and diversity management especially in a university research environment, this chapter aims in a first step to provide a theoretical perspective on the framework conditions of a complex research organization in Germany in order to understand the system-specific factors influencing diversity management. In a second step, an exploratory cluster analysis is presented, investigating the perception of diversity and possible influencing factors moderating this perception in a scientific organization. Combining both steps, the results show specific mechanisms and structures of the university research environment that have an impact on diversity management and rigidify structural barriers preventing an increase of diversity. The quantitative study also points out that the management level takes on a special role model function in the scientific system and thus has an influence on the perception of diversity. Consequently, when developing diversity management approaches in research organizations, it is necessary to consider the top-down direction of action, the special nature of organizational structures in the university research environment as well as the special role of the professorial level as role model for the scientific staff.
Contemporary research appreciates a diverse workforce as a potential source of innovation. Researchers explore the fine details of why diversity management is central for generating innovations in heterogeneous research groups and how it could be effectively implemented into organizations. Complex research associations that discuss topics with a high impact on society increasingly address the necessity of establishing a diverse workforce to confront the challenges of tomorrow. Characterized by complex management structures as well as hierarchies, research associations have not been a subject of investigation until now. For this reason, the presented research project aims to develop a diversity and innovation management strategy with the ultimate goal of inducing change in the corporate culture. The proposed approach consisted of six phases; the first two phases investigated the status quo of diversity in the existing organizational structures of member institutes and the variety of particular working cultures within the research association. The third and the fourth phases utilized qualitative and quantitative studies. The third phase focused on the connection of management level to diversity and innovation, and the need for diversity and innovation management, and tailor-made methods of implementing them. The first three phases have been accomplished successfully; preliminary results are already available. The fourth phase will mainly focus on exploring the mind-set of the employees. The fifth phase will consolidate the findings in the first four phases into an implementable strategy. The final phase will address the implementation of this strategy into the organization. Phases 4 to 6 have not yet been undertaken
Acknowledging that a diverse workforce could be a potential source of innovation, the current research deals with the fine details of why diversity management is central to achieving innovation in heterogeneous research groups and how this could be effectively realized in an organization. The types of heterogeneities addressed mainly include gender, qualification, academic discipline and intercultural perspectives. The type of organization being dealt with in this work is a complex association of research institutes at a technical university in Germany (RWTH Aachen University), namely a 'Cluster of Excellence', whereby several institutes of the university work collaboratively in different sub-projects. The 'Cluster of Excellence' is a part of the 'Excellence Initiative' of the German federal and state governments German Research Foundation (DFG) and German Council of Science and Humanities, with the ultimate aim of promoting cutting-edge research. To support interdisciplinary collaboration and thus the performance of the cluster, the development of a diversity and innovation management concept is presently in the conceptual phase and will be described in the frame of this paper. The 3-S-Diversity Model, composed of the three elements: skills, structure and strategy, serves as a basis for the development of the concept. The proposed concept consists of six phases; the first two phases lay the ground work by developing an understanding of the status quo on the forms of diversity in the Cluster of Excellence, the type of organizational structure of the member institutes and the varieties of specialist work cultures of the same. The third and the fourth phases build up on this foundation by means of qualitative and quantitative studies. While the third phase deals with the sensitization of the management level to the close connection between diversity and innovation; the need to manage them thereafter and find tailor-made methods of doing so, the fourth phase shall mainly focus on the mindset of the employees in this regard. The fifth phase shall consolidate the learnings and the ideas developed in the course of the first four phases into an implementable strategy. The ultimate phase shall be the implementation of this concept in the Cluster. The first three phases have been accomplished successfully and the preliminary results are already available.
This work presents the Multi-Bees-Tracker (MBT3D) algorithm, a Python framework implementing a deep association tracker for Tracking-By-Detection, to address the challenging task of tracking flight paths of bumblebees in a social group. While tracking algorithms for bumblebees exist, they often come with intensive restrictions, such as the need for sufficient lighting, high contrast between the animal and background, absence of occlusion, significant user input, etc. Tracking flight paths of bumblebees in a social group is challenging. They suddenly adjust movements and change their appearance during different wing beat states while exhibiting significant similarities in their individual appearance. The MBT3D tracker, developed in this research, is an adaptation of an existing ant tracking algorithm for bumblebee tracking. It incorporates an offline trained appearance descriptor along with a Kalman Filter for appearance and motion matching. Different detector architectures for upstream detections (You Only Look Once (YOLOv5), Faster Region Proposal Convolutional Neural Network (Faster R-CNN), and RetinaNet) are investigated in a comparative study to optimize performance. The detection models were trained on a dataset containing 11359 labeled bumblebee images. YOLOv5 reaches an Average Precision of AP = 53, 8%, Faster R-CNN achieves AP = 45, 3% and RetinaNet AP = 38, 4% on the bumblebee validation dataset, which consists of 1323 labeled bumblebee images. The tracker’s appearance model is trained on 144 samples. The tracker (with Faster R-CNN detections) reaches a Multiple Object Tracking Accuracy MOTA = 93, 5% and a Multiple Object Tracking Precision MOTP = 75, 6% on a validation dataset containing 2000 images, competing with state-of-the-art computer vision methods. The framework allows reliable tracking of different bumblebees in the same video stream with rarely occurring identity switches (IDS). MBT3D has much lower IDS than other commonly used algorithms, with one of the lowest false positive rates, competing with state-of-the-art animal tracking algorithms. The developed framework reconstructs the 3-dimensional (3D) flight paths of the bumblebees by triangulation. It also handles and compares two alternative stereo camera pairs if desired.
Entwicklung eines neuen Erscheinungsbildes für das Wallraf-Richartz-Museum und Fondation Carboud
(2023)
Das Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud besitzt eine der wichtigsten europäischen Kunstsammlungen vom Mittelalter bis zum 19. Jahrhundert. Durch das Zusammenspiel von Forschung und Vermittlung der Kunst- und Epochengeschichte trägt das Museum maßgeblich zum Erhalt des kulturellen Erbes und dem Meinungsaustausch über die Vergangenheit, Gegenwart und die Zukunft bei. Im Fokus des neuen Erscheinungsbildes steht die an den kulturellen und historischen Kontext angepasste Szenografie des Museums. Die beeindruckend verzierten Bilderrahmen der gezeigten Kunstepochen werden abstrahiert und durch einen typografischen Rahmen neu interpretiert. Das entwickelte Headline-Prinzip wird durch eine sehr zurückhaltende Gestaltung ergänzt, was der Thematik und den gezeigten Meisterwerken Raum zum Wirken verleiht.
Stand 01.01.2022 sind in Deutschland 618.460 elektrisch angetriebene KFZ zugelassen. Insgesamt sind derzeit 48.540.878 KFZ zugelassen, was einer Elektromobilitätsquote von ca. 1,2 % entspricht. Derzeit werden Elektromobile über Ladestationen oder Steckdosen mit dem Stromnetz verbunden und üblicherweise mit der vollen Ladekapazität des Anschlusses aufgeladen, bis das Batteriemanagementsystem des Fahrzeugs abhängig vom Ladezustand der Batterie die Ladeleistung reduziert.
„Smartes“ Laden an öffentlich zugänglichen Ladesäulen – Teil 2: USER-Verhalten und -Erwartungen
(2021)
Rabbit Hole : welchen Einfluss digitale Plattformen auf rechte Radikalisierungsprozesse haben
(2023)
Obwohl 2019 als das Jahr rechtsterroristischer Anschläge weltweit gilt und die rechte Szene in den letzten Jahren auch in der gesellschaftlichen Mitte deutlich an Zuwachs gewinnen konnte, ist das Thema rund um rechtsextreme Online-Radikalisierung noch verhältnismäßig wenig erforscht. Laut Expert*innen ist dabei jeder Mensch potenziell für eine Radikalisierung anfällig, wenn es die Umstände begünstigen. Dass unsere Leben on- und offline immer weiter miteinander verschmelzen, erhöht die Gefahr für eine mögliche Radikalisierung zusätzlich. »Rabbit Hole« wurde als monothematisch erscheinende Bookazine-Reihe konzipiert, welche pro Ausgabe ein Thema rund um die Gefahren, Herausforderungen und Phänomene, die das Internet und digitale Plattformen mit sich bringen, beleuchtet. Sie soll zur Aufklärung von insbesondere jungen Erwachsenen beitragen. Die erste Ausgabe wurde beispielhaft ausgearbeitet.
Mechatronics consist of the integration of mechanical
engineering, electronic integration and computer science/
engineering. These broad fields are essential for robotic
systems, yet it makes it difficult for the researchers to specialize
and be experts in all these fields. Collaboration between
researchers allow for the integration of experience and specialization,
to allow optimized systems. Collaboration between the
European countries and South Africa is critical, as each country
has different resources available, which the other countries
might not have. Applications with the need for approval of
any restrictions, can also be obtained easier in some countries
compared to others, thus preventing the delays of research.
Some problems that have been experienced are discussed, with
the Robotics Center of South Africa as a possible solution.
Dr.-Ing. Oliver Stoschek [u.a.] DHI Wasser und Umwelt GmbH, Syke. 14 S. (S. 45-58). Beitrag zum 2. Aachener Softwaretag in der Wasserwirtschaft <2, 2009, Aachen> Ökologische Modelle zur Berechnung der Temperaturveränderung und den Einfluss von Kühlwasser auf die Wassertemperatur der Elbe. Die vorgelegte Arbeit wurde beauftragt und unterstützt von der ARGE Elbe im Zuge der Neuauflage des Wärmelastplans Elbe.
Retinal endothelial function in cardiovascular risk patients: A randomized controlled exercise trial
(2020)
The aim of this study was to investigate, for the first time, the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on retinal microvascular endothelial function in cardiovascular (CV) risk patients. In the randomized controlled trial, middle-aged and previously sedentary patients with increased CV risk (aged 58 ± 6 years) with ≥ two CV risk factors were randomized into a 12-week HIIT (n = 33) or control group (CG, n = 36) with standard physical activity recommendations. A blinded examiner measured retinal endothelial function by flicker light-induced maximal arteriolar (ADmax) and venular (VDmax) dilatation as well as the area under the arteriolar (AFarea) and venular (VFarea) flicker curve using a retinal vessel analyzer. Standardized assessments of CV risk factors, cardiorespiratory fitness, and retinal endothelial function were performed before and after HIIT. HIIT reduced body mass index, fat mass, and low-density lipoprotein and increased muscle mass and peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak). Both ADmax (pre: 2.7 ± 2.1%, post: 3.0 ± 2.2%, P = .018) and AFarea (pre: 32.6 ± 28.4%*s, post: 37.7 ± 30.6%*s, P = .016) increased after HIIT compared with CG (ADmax, pre: 3.2 ± 1.8%, post: 2.9 ± 1.8%, P = .254; AFarea, pre: 41.6 ± 28.5%*s, post: 37.8 ± 27.0%*s, P = .186). Venular function remained unchanged after HIIT. There was a significant association between ∆-change VO2peak and ∆-changes ADmax and AFarea (P = .026, R² = 0.073; P = .019, R² = 0.081, respectively). 12-weeks of HIIT improved retinal endothelial function in middle-aged patients with increased CV risk independent of the reduction in classical CV risk factors. Exercise has the potential to reverse or at least postpone progression of small vessel disease in older adults with increased CV risk under standard medication. Dynamic retinal vessel analysis seems to be a sensitive tool to detect treatment effects of exercise interventions on retinal microvascular endothelial function in middle-aged individuals with increased CV risk.
Kalkulation
(2016)
Das Kapitel behandelt die Kosten- und Preisermittlung, die Kostenvorgabe und Kostenkontrolle.
Der Angebotspreis wird aufgeschlüsselt in die Einzelkosten der Teilleistungen, die Baustellengemeinkosten, die Allgemeinen Geschäftskosten und einen Zuschlag für Wagnis und Gewinn. Auf der Basis der Angebotskalkulation werden die Vorgaben für die Kostenkontrolle entwickelt.
Kalkulation
(2019)
The interest in PET detectors with monolithic block scintillators is growing. In order to obtain high spatial resolutions dedicated positioning algorithms are required. But even an ideal algorithm can only deliver information which is provided by the detector. In this simulation study we investigated the light distribution on one surface of cuboid LSO scintillators of different size. Scintillators with a large aspect ratio (small footprint and large height) showed significant position information only for a minimum interaction depth of the gamma particle. The results allow a quantitative estimate for a useful aspect ratio.
Plant growth and transport processes are highly dynamic. They are characterized by plant-internal control processes and by strong interactions with the spatially and temporally varying environment. Analysis of structure- function relations of growth and transport in plants will strongly benefit from the development of non-invasive techniques. PlanTIS (Plant Tomographic Imaging System) is designed for non-destructive 3D-imaging of positron emitting radiotracers. It will permit functional analysis of the dynamics of carbon distribution in plants including bulky organs. It will be applicable for screening transport properties of plants to evaluate e.g. temperature adaptation of genetically modified plants. PlanTIS is a PET scanner dedicated to monitor the dynamics of the 11C distribution within a plant while or after assimilation of 11CO2. Front end electronics and data acquisition architecture of the scanner are based on the ClearPETTM system [1]. Four detector modules form one of two opposing detector blocks. Optionally, a hardware coincidence detection between the blocks can be applied. In general the scan duration is rather long (~ 1 hour) compared to the decay time of 11C (20 min). As a result the count rates can vary over a wide range and accurate dead time correction is necessary.
Within the Crystal Clear Collaboration a modular system for a small animal PET scanner (ClearPET™) has been developed. The modularity allows the assembly of scanners of different sizes and characteristics in order to fit the specific needs of the individual member institutions. Now a first demonstrator is being completed in Julich. The system performs depth of interaction detection by using a phoswich arrangement combining LSO and LuYAP scintillators which are coupled to multi-channel photomultipliers (PMTs). A free-running ADC digitizes the signal from the PMT and the complete scintillation pulses are sampled by an FPGA and sent with 20 MB/S to a PC for preprocessing. The pulse provides information about the gamma energy and the scintillator material which identifies the interaction layer. Furthermore, the exact pulse starting time is obtained from the sampled data. This is important as no hardware coincidence detection is implemented. All single events are recorded and coincidences are identified by software. An advantage of that is that the coincidence window and the dimensions of the field of view can be adjusted easily. The ClearPET™ demonstrator is equipped with 10240 crystals on 80 PMTs. This paper presents an overview of the data acquisition system.
The small animal PET scanners developed by the Crystal Clear Collaboration (ClearPETtrade) detect coincidences by analyzing timemarks which are attached to each event. The scanners are able to save complete single list mode data which allows analysis and modification of the timemarks after data acquisition. The timemarks are obtained from the digitally sampled detector pulses by calculating the baseline crossing of the rising edge of the pulse which is approximated as a straight line. But the limited sampling frequency causes a systematic error in the determination of the timemark. This error depends on the phase of the sampling clock at the time of the event. A statistical method that corrects these errors will be presented
The Crystal Clear Collaboration has developed a modular system for a small animal PET scanner (ClearPET). The modularity allows the assembly of scanners of different sizes and characteristics in order to satisfy the specific needs of the individual member institutions. The system performs depth of interaction detection by using a phoswich arrangement combining LSO and LuYAP scintillators which are coupled to Multichannel Photomultipliers (PMTs). For each PMT a free running 40 MHz ADC digitizes the signal and the complete scintillation pulse is sampled by an FPGA and sent with 20 MB/s to a PC for preprocessing. The pulse provides information about the gamma energy and the scintillator material which identifies the interaction layer. Furthermore, the exact pulse starting time is obtained from the sampled data. This is important as no hardware coincidence detection is implemented. All single events are recorded and coincidences are identified by software. The system in Jülich (ClearPET Neuro) is equipped with 10240 crystals on 80 PMTs. The paper will present an overview of the data acquisition system.
Pulse shape discrimination of LSO and LuYAP scintillators for depth of interaction detection in PET
(2003)
A feasible way to gain the depth of interaction information in a PET scanner is the use of phoswich detectors. In general the layer of interaction is identified front the pulse shape of the corresponding scintillator material. In this work pulses from LSO and LuYAP crystals were investigated in order to find a practical method of distinguishing. It turned out that such a pulse processing could he kept simple due to an additional slow component in the light decay of the LuYAP pulse. At the same time the short decay time guarantees that the major amount of the light output is still collected within a short pulse recording time.