This book aims to bring to the reader an overview of different applications of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) based on more than 20 years of experience working on these interfaces. The author provides a review of the human brain and EEG signals, describing the human brain, anatomically and physiologically, with the objective of showing some of the patterns of EEG (electroencephalogram) signals used to control BCIs. It then introduces BCIs and different applications, such as a BCI based on ERD/ERS Patterns in rhythms (used to command a robotic wheelchair with an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system onboard it); a BCI based on dependent-SSVEP to command the same robotic wheelchair; a BCI based on SSVEP to command a telepresence robot and its onboard AAC system; a BCI based on SSVEP to command an autonomous car; a BCI based on independent-SSVEP (using Depth-of-Field) to command the same robotic wheelchair; the use of compressive technique in SSVEP-based BCI; a BCI based on motor imagery (using different techniques) to command a robotic monocycle and a robotic exoskeleton; and the first steps to build a neurorehabilitation system based on motor imagery of pedalling together an in immersive virtual environment. This book is intended for researchers, professionals and students working on assistive technology.

LEAD Safety concentrates on self-development and education in safety leadership. It takes safety leadership in an exciting new direction, with practical tools that will give organisations the skills they need to make a difference in their safety program. The book provides a non-technical overview of safety leadership and outlines the core skills safety managers should demonstrate and practice. Organisations will see improvements in engagement, morale, trust, and motivation in the workplace. Readers will gain an appreciation of a new and evidence-based safety leadership model, as well as formulate a personalized action plan to improve safety in their workplace.

This book focuses on flame retardants (FR) for textile materials. It discusses basics of flame retardancy and flammability and covers various types of flame retardants and materials, including natural FRs, halogen, phosphorous, and nanomaterial-based FRs. This book also discusses methods of applications of FRs and discusses FRs and the environment. Covers a variety of interdisciplinary applications in the textile industry Emphasizes environmental aspects Reports on a large number of FR compounds studied globally Discusses in detail recent developments in halogen-free eco-friendly flame retardants Extensively describes basic aspects of flame retardancy and their measurements Aimed at the practitioner and textile engineering professional this work aims to ensure development of safe textile materials for various uses, including apparel, protective wear, floor coverings, upholstery, drapery, and others.

Recent toxicological studies show that nanoparticles released in technological processes and combustion processes outside industry can be dangerous for humans especially when entering the body through the mouth and nose. In connection with the above, the use of adequately effective respiratory protection equipment is of great importance in prophylactic and preventive activities. The first part of Nanoaerosols, Air Filtering and Respiratory Protection: Science and Practice refers to the general phenomena of filtration described on the basis of the authors' own experience and international reports. The book also includes a description of the respiratory system and principles of its functioning and the accumulation of aerosol particles. It goes on to discuss technological innovations regarding the production of filtering materials for protection against nanoparticles and the latest test methods. Finally, the book contains information about the proper selection and use of respiratory protective devices against airborne nanoparticles in the workplace and everyday life. Special attention is paid to proper fit procedures as well as use and maintenance activities of such devices. The content of the book with rich illustrative material has been presented so that it can be used by health and safety experts, students as well as employers, employees and private users of respiratory protective devices. "Through a comprehensive approach to the subject of the work, the authors present theoretical foundations as well as practical solutions that are used in the research and development of personal respiratory protection. The complementarity of the information contained in the book will allow the reader to become familiar with a wide range of knowledge related to the design and manufacture as well as assessment of properties and procedures for the use of respiratory protection against the adverse effects of aerosols, including air contaminated with nanoparticles and microparticles. In my opinion the book is a valuable part of the series Occupational Safety, Health, and Ergonomics: Theory and Practice, published by Taylor & Francis." -Maciej Bogun, LUKASIEWICZ - The Textile Research Institute, Lodz

Finite Element Analysis of Weld Thermal Cycles Using ANSYS aims at educating a young researcher on the transient analysis of welding thermal cycles using ANSYS. It essentially deals with the methods of calculation of the arc heat in a welded component when the analysis is simplified into either a cross sectional analysis or an in-plane analysis. The book covers five different cases involving different welding processes, component geometry, size of the element and dissimilar material properties. A detailed step by step calculation is presented followed by APDL program listing and output charts from ANSYS. Features: Provides useful background information on welding processes, thermal cycles and finite element method Presents calculation procedure for determining the arc heat input in a cross sectional analysis and an in-plane analysis Enables visualization of the arc heat in a FEM model for various positions of the arc Discusses analysis of advanced cases like dissimilar welding and circumferential welding Includes step by step procedure for running the analysis with typical input APDL program listing and output charts from ANSYS.

The concept of preventive conservation has successfully introduced the knowledge that "prevention is better than cure" into the built heritage sector. The benefits of this approach are the cost-effectiveness, the improved protection of heritage values, the reduced risk for accumulating deterioration and additional damage, the prolongation of the physical service life of buildings and building parts and the empowerment of local communities in dealing with heritage. Increasingly, arguments rise against reactive treatment patterns, which result too often in postponed interventions and increasing costs for restoration. WTA-Nederland-Vlaanderen, the Raymond Lemaire International Centre for Conservation and the Civil Engineering Department of KU Leuven jointly organised an international conference on preventive conservation approaches - including climate and damage monitoring - and how to implement these monitoring tools within a systemic approach. The conference took place in context of the international WTA days, 3-5 April 2019, and the 10th anniversary of the UNESCO Chair on Preventive Conservation, Monitoring and Maintenance of Monuments and Sites (PRECOM(3)OS). The contributions meet the increasing demand for information, case studies and practical examples to support the transition towards more preventive rather than reactive conservation actions. The volume aims at academics and professionals involved or interested in the conservation of buildings, building parts and heritage.

While science and technology research, sources of funding, performance, incentives, and motivations for technology innovation activities are reasonably well understood by academics and policy makers, the complex process by which scientific results are exploited and transformed into new technologies through an innovation process is poorly documented and studied little. Technology Dynamics is dedicated to the complex activity of technology innovation, with the aim of describing how innovative ideas are generated and their transformation into new technologies. It is based on the idea that technology evolves continuously with time, is changed by innovations, and is characterized by a dynamic that is constituted by technological processes occurring in organizational structures, as well as during the use of technologies. The five chapters Discuss technological processes for innovation; Describe innovation within organizational structures; Offer information on interfacing of science and economic factors with technology; Suggest new statistical studies for innovation and new approaches for innovation policies; and Examine the contribution of technology dynamics to statistical studies and promotion of technology innovation. This book is aimed at managers developing strategies for technology innovation, researchers interested in exploiting scientific results for innovative ideas and new technologies, scholars and students studying the economics of innovation. The book would also of interest to private or public financiers of innovation and policy makers involved in economic growth strategy.

Head, Eye, and Face Personal Protective Equipment: New Trends, Practice, and Applications presents protective equipment in the context of the latest design trends, materials, and technologies. It informs the reader using basic safety principles to avoid issues with commonly used personal protective equipment (PPE), such as helmets and eye and face protectors. It provides the latest design trends in eye and face protectors to avoid optical hazards and for use in variable lighting conditions. Features: * Fills the gap on current solutions of PPE and occupational safety * Educates in reducing risk connected with using industrial safety gear * Helpful to optometrists in the selection of eye protection for people with visual impairments * Instructs the reader on choosing smart materials and safety products * Provides best practices for checking the technical condition of the equipment This book is essential for the safety professional and medical experts in the field. It provides an interdisciplinary approach to personal protective equipment using new technologies in the field. "The monograph Head, Eye, and Face Personal Protective Equipment - New Trends, Practice and Applications is a complementary and thoughtful but selected compilation of the most relevant information concerning protective helmets as well as eye and face protection. The compilation of these two protection types is the result of the common use of both protective helmets and eye and face protectors. This requires their full compatibility, both in terms of ensuring optimum safety and comfort of use. The authors have chosen the material according to the needs of people directly responsible for safety at work and users of those protectors. The main aim of the work is to popularise knowledge in the field of construction, research methods, selection and use of protective helmets and eye and face protectors. In terms of use, the authors emphasise the necessity of independent control, i.e. checking the technical condition of the equipment used by the end users. The presented monograph includes the current state of knowledge in this scope, extended by the results and summaries of the authors' own research. All requirements and research methods are given based on European (EN), international (ISO) standards and standards operating in different geographical areas. The monograph also encompasses new trends in the design of protective helmets and eye and face protectors. All this allows me to emphasize the uniqueness of this monograph in relation to previous publications in this field, both in terms of the scope and selection of information concerning protective helmets and eye and face protectors." - Ryszard Korycki, Lodz University of Technology

Around the world, the production and use of nanomaterials, as well as carcinogenic, mutagenic, reprotoxic substances (CMR) and endocrine disruptors has systematically increased. The increase in production has exposed workers to hazardous substances in practically all branches of the world economy. Readers will have access to up-to-date and comprehensive knowledge on emerging risks related to nanomaterials, endocrine disruptors, reprotoxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic substances, which are related to the development of technologies and workplaces. The book will provide the tools for occupational risk assessment of chemical substances for which there are no safety levels of exposure as well as an indication of methods and measurements to protect human health and reduce chemical risks at the workplace. This book creates awareness for employers, employees and safety experts about emerging risks related to chemical agents resulting in the reduction of cancer, reproductive system diseases, cases of abnormal child development, hormonal system disorders leading to abnormal metabolism, obesity, and diabetes. Features: Comprehensive information on emerging and newly identified chemical hazards Delivers the latest data on methods and tools for identification, assessing and reducing health risks Provides practical occupational safety advice and recommendations Real life examples from measurements carried out in the workplaces "The monograph, due to the high universality of its considerations, can be addressed to a very wide audience. It is an important compendium of knowledge, which can be used by health and safety services, employers, people designing new technologies and those interested in this issue. It is a valuable and up-to-date study, among others because it uses the latest literature and quotes current legal acts." -Slawomir Czerczak, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Poland

Discusses industrial impact of manufacturing process Provides novel fundamental manufacturing solutions Teaches classical and artificial manufacturing Covers advanced manufacturing of antennas, rectennas, filters, and RF amplifiers

Updates content and introduces topics such as business changes and outsourcing. Addresses new cyber security risks such as IoT and Distributed Networks (i.e., blockchain). Covers strategy based on the OODA loop in the cycle. Demonstrates application of the concepts through short case studies of real-world incidents chronologically delineating related events. Discusses certifications and reference manuals in cyber security and digital forensics. Includes an entire chapter on tools used by professionals in the field.

This book covers the application of algebraic inequalities for reliability improvement and for uncertainty and risk reduction. It equips readers with powerful domain-independent methods for reducing risk based on algebraic inequalities and demonstrates the significant benefits derived from the application for risk and uncertainty reduction. Algebraic inequalities: * Provide a powerful reliability improvement, risk and uncertainty reduction method that transcends engineering and can be applied in various domains of human activity * Present an effective tool for dealing with deep uncertainty related to key reliability-critical parameters of systems and processes * Permit meaningful interpretations which link abstract inequalities with the real world * Offer a tool for determining tight bounds for the variation of risk-critical parameters and complying the design with these bounds to avoid failure * Allow optimising designs and processes by minimising the deviation of critical output parameters from their specified values and maximising their performance This book is primarily for engineering professionals and academic researchers in virtually all existing engineering disciplines.

Brick and Block Masonry - From Historical to Sustainable Masonry contains the keynote and semi-keynote lectures and all accepted regular papers presented online during the 17th International Brick and Block Masonry Conference IB2MaC (Krakow, Poland, July 5-8, 2020). Masonry is one of the oldest structures, with more than 6,000 years of history. However, it is still one of the most popular and traditional building materials, showing new and more attractive features and uses. Modern masonry, based on new and modified traditional materials and solutions, offers a higher quality of life, energy savings and more sustainable development. Hence, masonry became a more environmentally friendly building structure. Brick and Block Masonry - From Historical to Sustainable Masonry focuses on historical, current and new ideas related to masonry development, and will provide a very good platform for sharing knowledge and experiences, and for learning about new materials and technologies related to masonry structures. The book will be a valuable compendium of knowledge for researchers, representatives of industry and building management, for curators and conservators of monuments, and for students.

When people or computers need to make a decision, typically multiple conflicting criteria need to be evaluated; for example, when we buy a car, we need to consider safety, cost and comfort. Multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) has been researched for decades. Now as the rising trend of big-data analytics in supporting decision making, MCDM can be more powerful when combined with state-of-the-art analytics and machine learning. In this book, the authors introduce a new framework of MCDM, which can lead to more accurate decision making. Several real-world cases will be included to illustrate the new hybrid approaches.

The Interdisciplinary Future of Engineering Education discusses the current state of engineering education and addresses the daily challenges of those working in this sector. The topics of how to do a better job of teaching a specific audience, how to facilitate learning and how to prepare students for their future careers are extensively covered, and innovative solutions are proposed throughout. This unique book brings together a breadth of expertise, attested by the broad backgrounds of the experts and educational practitioners contributing to this volume, to lay the foundations for the future direction with the improvement of education of engineers in mind. This collaborative effort by a group of uniquely placed educational practitioners provides guidance on the status of current engineering education and lays the foundations for its future direction. The reasons 'why we teach', 'what we teach', 'how we teach', 'when we teach', 'where we teach' and 'who teaches' are all re-examined in a new light and ideas and solutions are proposed and evidentially supported. The book sets out ideas for the need to develop a systemic and interdisciplinary approach to the education of future engineers on a model of student-based learning. This book will be of great interest to academics and educational researchers in the fields of engineering education and higher education. It will also appeal to higher education policymakers, educators, and university teachers.

One of the major discussions in the business world is: How do we get our human capital assets more engaged in the organization? Current Gallup Polls state that 85% of our employees are not engaged within their organizations. Employee Empowerment fully analyzes this workplace condition, which is a major concern for most CEOs. The solution proposed by this book is the introduction of the TLS (Theory of Constraints - Lean - Six Sigma) Continuum Empowerment model, which comprises three levels of empowerment - Management, Cross-Functional Team, and Individual. The first is the empowerment that comes from upper management to the organization as a whole. The second level is the empowerment that comes from the various cross-functional teams and the final level is from the individuals themselves through their ability to take ownership in the processes in which they are involved. The end solution in the book is that if we can get the human capital assets to take ownership of the processes (that is, empower the front-line employees), it will increase the level of engagement. If they become more engaged they will empower the organization at all levels to introduce sustainable change management to resolve problems within the organization. One of the tools of individual empowerment is the use of the Six Sigma toolbox. This book makes the case that when human capital assets take ownership of the processes, then we have greater engagement, and thus a more empowered organization.

Autowave Plasticity: Localization and Collective Modes discusses the nature of plastic flow in solids associated with the development of a localized plastic flow. Written by an authority in the field, the author demonstrates how patterns of localized plastic flow are associated with autowave modes that are generated in a deformable sample and delivers a complete work on the subject. Key Features An original work on the nature of plastic flows in solids, particularly metals and crystals Focuses on plastic flow as an autowave process Contains elements of theories, experimental considerations, and numerical modeling This reference will help readers with creating experimental methods to observe or localize plastic flow and with the modeling of plastic flows. It is a valuable reference for graduate students and research specialists working in material science.

Post Normal Accident revisits Perrow's classic Normal Accident published in 1984 and provides additional insights to our sociological view of safety-critical organisations. The operating landscape of high-risk systems has indeed profoundly changed in the past 20 to 30 years but the core sociological models of safety remain associated with classics of the 1980s and 1990s. This book examines the conceptual and empirical evolutions of the past two to three decades to explore their implications for safety management, based on several strands of works in various research traditions in safety (e.g. cognitive engineering and system safety, high-reliability organisation, sociology of safety, regulatory studies) and other interdisciplinary fields (e.g. international business, globalisation studies, strategy management, ecology). It offers a new and inciteful interpretation to the challenges of today. It investigates how globalisation has reconfigured the operating landscape of high-risk systems and emphasises the importance of thinking safety through a strategic angle. This book serves as an ideal resource for the safety professionals and safety researchers from any established disciplines such as sociology, engineering, psychology, political science or management.

While aviation fatalities have thankfully fallen dramatically in recent years, the phenomena of complexity and cognitive bias have been shown to be factors in many accidents. An understanding of these phenomena promises to bring the fatality rate even lower, and a deeper understanding of commercial aircraft in the context of systems engineering will contribute to that trend. Systems Approach to the Design of Commercial Aircraft describes commercial aircraft from an advanced systems point of view, addressing complexity, cybersecurity, and systems architecting. In addition, it provides an explanation of systems engineering, describes how systems engineering forms a framework for commercial aircraft, covers how systems engineering and systems architecting relate to commercial aircraft, addresses complexity, and shows how humans fit into systems engineering and the importance for commercial aircraft. It goes onto present how cybersecurity plays an important role in the mix and how human interface fits in. The readership includes designers of aircraft, manufacturers, researchers, systems engineers, and students. Scott Jackson is a fellow of the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) and the author of Systems Engineering for Commercial Aircraft (1997 and 2015) in English and Chinese. Ricardo Moraes dos Santos is a senior systems engineer at EMBRAER S/A and an INCOSE Brazil chapter director. He works with Architecting process (Corporate) and is head of Cybersecurity and Safety (STPA Applications) at EMBRAER S/A.

-Offers a synthesis of research, curriculum examples, pedagogy models, and classroom recommendations for effectively using robotics in STEM education, and demonstrating how use of educational robotics can enhance student learning and understanding. -Shows how robotics can be integrated with curriculum and instructional frameworks like technological-pedagogical-and-content-knowledge (TPACK), 5E, and Design-Based Research (DBR). -Features case studies, practical strategies, and standards-aligned lesson plans drawn from real-life classroom settings, allowing readers a rich source of application in their own classrooms and contexts.

The chapters in this book show that a careful blend of engineering judgement and advanced principles of engineering mechanics may be used to resolve many complex geotechnical engineering problems. It is hoped that these may inspire the geotechnical engineering practice to make more extensive use of them in future.

Robot calibration is the process of enhancing the accuracy of a robot by modifying its control software. This book provides a comprehensive treatment of the theory and implementation of robot calibration using computer vision technology. It is the only book to cover the entire process of vision-based robot calibration, including kinematic modeling, camera calibration, pose measurement, error parameter identification, and compensation. The book starts with an overview of available techniques for robot calibration, with an emphasis on vision-based techniques. It then describes various robot-camera systems. Since cameras are used as major measuring devices, camera calibration techniques are reviewed. Camera-Aided Robot Calibration studies the properties of kinematic modeling techniques that are suitable for robot calibration. It summarizes the well-known Denavit-Hartenberg (D-H) modeling convention and indicates the drawbacks of the D-H model for robot calibration. The book develops the Complete and Parametrically Continuous (CPC) model and the modified CPC model, that overcome the D-H model singularities. The error models based on these robot kinematic modeling conventions are presented. No other book available addresses the important, practical issue of hand/eye calibration. This book summarizes current research developments and demonstrates the pros and cons of various approaches in this area. The book discusses in detail the final stage of robot calibration - accuracy compensation - using the identified kinematic error parameters. It offers accuracy compensation algorithms, including the intuitive task-point redefinition and inverse-Jacobian algorithms and more advanced algorithms based on optimal control theory, which are particularly attractive for highly redundant manipulators. Camera-Aided Robot Calibration defines performance indices that are designed for off-line, optimal selection of measurement configurations. It then describes three approaches: closed-form, gradient-based, and statistical optimization. The included case study presents experimental results that were obtained by calibrating common industrial robots. Different stages of operation are detailed, illustrating the applicability of the suggested techniques for robot calibration. Appendices provide readers with preliminary materials for easier comprehension of the subject matter. Camera-Aided Robot Calibration is a must-have reference for researchers and practicing engineers-the only one with all the information!

Vibration Problems in Machines explains how to infer information about the internal operations of rotating machines from external measurements through methods used to resolve practical plant problems. Second edition includes summary of instrumentation, methods for establishing machine rundown data, relationship between the rundown curves and the ideal frequency response function. The section on balancing has been expanded and examples are given on the strategies for balancing a rotor with a bend, with new section on instabilities. It includes case studies with real plant data, MATLAB (R) scripts and functions for the modelling and analysis of rotating machines.

As society rapidly increases in complexity, we are in great need of sustainable leadership in accord with beliefs and values as we experience continuous changes. The Courage to Lead through Values: How Management by Values Supports Transformational Leadership, Culture, and Success is about having the courage to lead through the implementation of agreed-upon values. In addition, it's about the courage it takes to never cease doing this. However, it's not enough to simply be aware of the importance of constantly working with values and ethics - effective leadership based on values and ethics means taking the time to actually do it. This book tackles this issue by providing you with clear examples of how to implement incorporating values and ethics in your everyday leadership. In business, you face challenges when you must choose between efficiency, analysis of results, and goals versus actively working on values and ethics. This book will argue that one doesn't need to compete with the other and it posits that one supports the other. As the world is rapidly growing in complexity and we are facing new challenges and expectations, we must find ways to achieve sustainable lives, businesses, and societies. The author strongly believes that values are the key. By using the methodology Management by Values (MBV), under the mentorship of its founder, Professor Simon L. Dolan, the book is well-anchored in research. Ten years ago, a new school was founded in a medium-sized town in Sweden -- Internationella Engelska Skolan Sundsvall. It started with a staff of 20 and 250 students. Today the staff has grown to 120 members with nearly 1100 students attending. In 2019, it was considered one of the best schools in Sweden. The principal, Pascal Brisson, in many ways epitomizes the school and its success. Through in-depth interviews with the principal and colleagues, previous staff, executives within the organization and students, the author amassed information to provide a factual and engaging story of the school's journey from a leadership perspective. It becomes clear how implementing shared values and the principal's courage to never stop actively working with values as a management tool is a recipe for the success of an organization. The book invites you into a conversation about leadership. It includes the author's personal reflections on historical management methodology and on challenges of today. As you follow the ten-year journey of a successful leader in one of our society's most complex organizations, a school, you do this in the light of Management by Values. Essentially, this book gives the reader concrete tools and examples of how to use values as a management tool. This is told through several different themes relevant to all organizations -- organizational culture, creating teams, inspiring motivation, and handling stress.

Maintaining the reader-friendly features of its popular predecessor, the Second Edition illustrates fundamental principles and practices in statistical quality control for improved quality, reliability, and productivity in the management of production processes and industrial and business operations. Presenting key concepts of statistical quality control in a simple and straightforward manner, this reference will provide a solid foundation in statistical quality control theory, background, and applications. Moving from elementary topics to sampling by variables, sound tolerancing, and relationships between variables, this reference