See my Google Scholar directory for more information on the papers below.
Understanding Open Source Design: A White Paper (Published, ASEE 2010)
This paper seeks to codify what we know about open (source) design with a view to using this knowledge to develop and evolve new courses and projects with these methods. We take open source to be a transparent, collaborative process for developing public knowledge that is free at the source, whether for a design or otherwise. The most well known examples are Linux and Wikipedia, but there are many enterprises that qualify such as the Open Source Initiative, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, YouTube, Scribd, Creative Commons and Firefox. Here we will tell the story around the case of Linux.
The paper maps the philosophy and concepts of Open Design, linked historically to a distinct social philosophy frequently dubbed libertarian in the United States but which has equal ties to anarchist practices such as Autonomia in Italy and green anarchism in general. The state in these traditions is often viewed as an obstacle to innovation, posing interesting questions for fields such as nanotechnology that are heavily reliant on grant funding from government agencies. The history of science and technology has long been implicitly open source, with explicit value placed on the free exchange of knowledge and information even while some discoveries, of course, remained closely held secrets. As Robert K Merton famously argued, scientists are bound by “the common ownership of scientific discoveries, according to which scientists give up intellectual property in exchange for recognition and esteem.”
Notions of the common good are as frequently found in Open Design as in Utilitarian thinking, but we are also very interested in the degree to which Open Design creates particularly robust systems, has very productive social relations, and is more likely to meet human needs directly than, say, free market or state capitalism (communism) which rely on surrogate mechanisms rather than participatory design.
The paper maps the philosophy and concepts of Open Design, linked historically to a distinct social philosophy frequently dubbed libertarian in the United States but which has equal ties to anarchist practices such as Autonomia in Italy and green anarchism in general. The state in these traditions is often viewed as an obstacle to innovation, posing interesting questions for fields such as nanotechnology that are heavily reliant on grant funding from government agencies. The history of science and technology has long been implicitly open source, with explicit value placed on the free exchange of knowledge and information even while some discoveries, of course, remained closely held secrets. As Robert K Merton famously argued, scientists are bound by “the common ownership of scientific discoveries, according to which scientists give up intellectual property in exchange for recognition and esteem.”
Notions of the common good are as frequently found in Open Design as in Utilitarian thinking, but we are also very interested in the degree to which Open Design creates particularly robust systems, has very productive social relations, and is more likely to meet human needs directly than, say, free market or state capitalism (communism) which rely on surrogate mechanisms rather than participatory design.
understanding_open_source_design_a_white_paper.pdf | |
File Size: | 277 kb |
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Design Method for Multi-User Workstations Utilizing Anthropometry and Preference Data (Published, Applied Ergonomics 2014)
Past efforts have been made to design single-user workstations to accommodate users' anthropometric and preference distributions. However, there is a lack of methods for designing workstations for group interaction. This paper introduces a method for sizing workstations to allow for a personal work area for each user and a shared space for adjacent users. We first create a virtual population with the same anthropometric and preference distributions as an intended demographic of college-aged students. Members of the virtual population are randomly paired to test if their extended reaches overlap but their normal reaches do not. This process is repeated in a Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the total percentage of groups in the population that will be accommodated for a workstation size. We apply our method to two test cases: in the first, we size polygonal workstations for two populations and, in the second, we dimension circular workstations for different group sizes.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000368701400115X
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000368701400115X
Transmission Error Analysis of Conjugate Meshing Face Gear Pairs (In Progress)
Future helicopter transmissions aim to reduce overall gear train weight while maintaining efficiency and reliability, and the Pericyclic Mechanical Transmission (PMT) is one of the compelling candidates that can achieve these goals. It consists of a high reduction ratio, high tooth contact ratio, and nutating/rotating mechanism which incorporates meshing conjugate face gear (FG) pairs. The use of a FG pair is novel for aerospace applications, and represents a new area of research. This investigation consisted of three key areas: 1) applying commercial modeling and simulation software; 2) conducting transmission error (TE) analysis, and; 3) exploring the performance of a FG pair. When the simulation data was post processed it showed that the FG pair is capable of a peak-to-peak static TE of 0.382 μm. In addition, the physics of the system were well represented, with behavior that was predicted by previous literature. These results represent original contributions to the understanding of a FG pair, which will be integral to developing the PMT as a viable next-generation solution for demanding aerospace applications.
Long-Distance Virtual Teaming for Engineering Solutions (In Progress)
Today’s engineers face many challenges as industries are globally connected; engineering education must prepare students for these challenges.
Virtual teaming has been established between students from The Pennsylvania State University (US), Corvinus University (Hungary) and Taibah University (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) where engineering solutions and business models are developed for a variety of socially relevant projects. These projects create unique opportunities for students to collaborate across significant cultural differences in a multi-disciplinary environment.
This paper explores the breadth of these international experiences, and discusses the challenges and opportunities associated with the virtual teaming of students from three very distinct cultures.
Virtual teaming has been established between students from The Pennsylvania State University (US), Corvinus University (Hungary) and Taibah University (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) where engineering solutions and business models are developed for a variety of socially relevant projects. These projects create unique opportunities for students to collaborate across significant cultural differences in a multi-disciplinary environment.
This paper explores the breadth of these international experiences, and discusses the challenges and opportunities associated with the virtual teaming of students from three very distinct cultures.
Optimal Control of Energy Systems (Graduate White Paper)
The purpose of this paper is to apply a deterministic dynamic programming (DDP) solution to a metro transit system consisting of two stations, external power grid, flywheel wayside energy storage unit, and a single subway train. Previous approaches have been predominantly application based and qualitative, rather than quantitative, in their analysis. Our solution successfully creates an optimal trajectory which is cyclic in nature, allowing the train to pass between stations while maintaining a mininum energy in the flywheel wayside energy storage system (WESS). Additionally, the case without energy storage was briefly examined, and the result indicates there is significant energy savings potential for a system with regenerative energy storage.
optimalcontrol.pdf | |
File Size: | 873 kb |
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Micro/Nanotechnology for Mechanical Engineers (Graduate White Paper)
This paper reviews the broad area of nanopipettes by describing the different types, what each type is capable of, and which one is most suitable for use in intracellular injections and cell surgery. It also provides a look forward at which fields nanopipettes are most likely to impact the most. This analysis will compare features such as methods of fabrication, complexity of design, mechanical properties, and electrical properties. The focus of this paper is to present a brief overview of both glass and carbon nanopipettes, while proving that carbon based nanopipettes are the best design for intracellular applications.
nanotech.pdf | |
File Size: | 1359 kb |
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Copyright © 2013, by Erick W. Froede. All rights reserved.