A pragmatic model, AIR (Activities; Internal world; Relationships), is presented for co-design of technologies and products to support well-being of people living with dementia. This model, co-developed with people with lived experience, is aimed at including psychosocial aspects in the prototype development process. The model is then related to a form of mindful evaluation framework that can be employed during the prototype testing of co-designed solutions. The components of this evaluation framework and associated instruments are described.

The ongoing trend to more heterogeneous systems forces us to rethink the design of systems. In this work, I study a new system design that considers heterogeneous compute units (general-purpose cores with different instruction sets, DSPs, FPGAs, fixed-function accelerators, etc.) from the beginning instead of as an afterthought. The goal is to treat all compute units (CUs) as first-class citizens, enabling (1) isolation and secure communication between all types of CUs, (2) a direct interaction of all CUs, removing the conventional CPU from the critical path, and (3) access to operating system (OS) services such as file systems and network stacks for all CUs. To study this system design, I am using a hardware/software co-design based on two key ideas: 1) introduce a new hardware component next to each CU used by the OS as the CUs' common interface and 2) let the OS kernel control applications remotely from a different CU. The hardware component is called data transfer unit (DTU) and offers the minimal set of features to reach the stated goals: secure message passing and memory access. The OS is called M³ and runs its kernel on a dedicated CU and runs the OS services and applications on the remaining CUs. The kernel is responsible for establishing DTU-based communication channels between services and applications. After a channel has been set up, services and applications communicate directly without involving the kernel. This approach allows to support arbitrary CUs as aforementioned first-class citizens, ranging from fixed-function accelerators to complex general-purpose cores.

The ongoing effort for an efficient, sustainable, and automated interaction between humans, machines, and our environment will make cyber-physical systems (CPS) an integral part of the industry and our daily lives. At their core, CPS integrate computing elements, communication networks, and physical processes that are monitored and controlled through sensors and actuators. New and innovative applications become possible by extending or replacing static and expensive cable-based communication infrastructures with wireless technology. The flexibility of wireless CPS is a key enabler for many envisioned scenarios, such as intelligent factories, smart farming, personalized healthcare systems, autonomous search and rescue, and smart cities. High dependability, efficiency, and adaptivity requirements complement the demand for wireless and low-cost solutions in such applications. For instance, industrial and medical systems should work reliably and predictably with performance guarantees, even if parts of the system fail. Because emerging CPS will feature mobile and battery-driven devices that can execute various tasks, the systems must also quickly adapt to frequently changing conditions. Moreover, as applications become ever more sophisticated, featuring compact embedded devices that are deployed densely and at scale, efficient designs are indispensable to achieve desired operational lifetimes and satisfy high bandwidth demands. Meeting these partly conflicting requirements, however, is challenging due to imperfections of wireless communication and resource constraints along several dimensions, for example, computing, memory, and power constraints of the devices. More precisely, frequent and correlated message losses paired with very limited bandwidth and varying delays for the message exchange significantly complicate the control design. In addition, since communication ranges are limited, messages must be relayed over multiple hops to cover larger distances, such as an entire factory. Although the resulting mesh networks are more robust against interference, efficient communication is a major challenge as wireless imperfections get amplified, and significant coordination effort is needed, especially if the networks are dynamic. CPS combine various research disciplines, which are often investigated in isolation, ignoring their complex interaction. However, to address this interaction and build trust in the proposed solutions, evaluating CPS using real physical systems and wireless networks paired with formal guarantees of a system’s end-to-end behavior is necessary. Existing works that take this step can only satisfy a few of the abovementioned requirements. Most notably, multi-hop communication has only been used to control slow physical processes while providing no guarantees. One of the reasons is that the current communication protocols are not suited for dynamic multi-hop networks. This thesis closes the gap between existing works and the diverse needs of emerging wireless CPS. The contributions address different research directions and are split into two parts. In the first part, we specifically address the shortcomings of existing communication protocols and make the following contributions to provide a solid networking foundation: • We present Mixer, a communication primitive for the reliable many-to-all message exchange in dynamic wireless multi-hop networks. Mixer runs on resource-constrained low-power embedded devices and combines synchronous transmissions and network coding for a highly scalable and topology-agnostic message exchange. As a result, it supports mobile nodes and can serve any possible traffic patterns, for example, to efficiently realize distributed control, as required by emerging CPS applications. • We present Butler, a lightweight and distributed synchronization mechanism with formally guaranteed correctness properties to improve the dependability of synchronous transmissions-based protocols. These protocols require precise time synchronization provided by a specific node. Upon failure of this node, the entire network cannot communicate. Butler removes this single point of failure by quickly synchronizing all nodes in the network without affecting the protocols’ performance. In the second part, we focus on the challenges of integrating communication and various control concepts using classical time-triggered and modern event-based approaches. Based on the design, implementation, and evaluation of the proposed solutions using real systems and networks, we make the following contributions, which in many ways push the boundaries of previous approaches: • We are the first to demonstrate and evaluate fast feedback control over low-power wireless multi-hop networks. Essential for this achievement is a novel co-design and integration of communication and control. Our wireless embedded platform tames the imperfections impairing control, for example, message loss and varying delays, and considers the resulting key properties in the control design. Furthermore, the careful orchestration of control and communication tasks enables real-time operation and makes our system amenable to an end-to-end analysis. Due to this, we can provably guarantee closed-loop stability for physical processes with linear time-invariant dynamics. • We propose control-guided communication, a novel co-design for distributed self-triggered control over wireless multi-hop networks. Self-triggered control can save energy by transmitting data only when needed. However, there are no solutions that bring those savings to multi-hop networks and that can reallocate freed-up resources, for example, to other agents. Our control system informs the communication system of its transmission demands ahead of time so that communication resources can be allocated accordingly. Thus, we can transfer the energy savings from the control to the communication side and achieve an end-to-end benefit. • We present a novel co-design of distributed control and wireless communication that resolves overload situations in which the communication demand exceeds the available bandwidth. As systems scale up, featuring more agents and higher bandwidth demands, the available bandwidth will be quickly exceeded, resulting in overload. While event-triggered control and self-triggered control approaches reduce the communication demand on average, they cannot prevent that potentially all agents want to communicate simultaneously. We address this limitation by dynamically allocating the available bandwidth to the agents with the highest need. Thus, we can formally prove that our co-design guarantees closed-loop stability for physical systems with stochastic linear time-invariant dynamics.:Abstract Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations List of Figures List of Tables 1 Introduction 1.1 Motivation 1.2 Application Requirements 1.3 Challenges 1.4 State of the Art 1.5 Contributions and Road Map 2 Mixer: Efficient Many-to-All Broadcast in Dynamic Wireless Mesh Networks 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Overview 2.3 Design 2.4 Implementation 2.5 Evaluation 2.6 Discussion 2.7 Related Work 3 Butler: Increasing the Availability of Low-Power Wireless Communication Protocols 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Motivation and Background 3.3 Design 3.4 Analysis 3.5 Implementation 3.6 Evaluation 3.7 Related Work 4 Feedback Control Goes Wireless: Guaranteed Stability over Low-Power Multi-Hop Networks 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Related Work 4.3 Problem Setting and Approach 4.4 Wireless Embedded System Design 4.5 Control Design and Analysis 4.6 Experimental Evaluation 4.A Control Details 5 Control-Guided Communication: Efficient Resource Arbitration and Allocation in Multi-Hop Wireless Control Systems 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Problem Setting 5.3 Co-Design Approach 5.4 Wireless Communication System Design 5.5 Self-Triggered Control Design 5.6 Experimental Evaluation 6 Scaling Beyond Bandwidth Limitations: Wireless Control With Stability Guarantees Under Overload 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Problem and Related Work 6.3 Overview of Co-Design Approach 6.4 Predictive Triggering and Control System 6.5 Adaptive Communication System 6.6 Integration and Stability Analysis 6.7 Testbed Experiments 6.A Proof of Theorem 4 6.B Usage of the Network Bandwidth for Control 7 Conclusion and Outlook 7.1 Contributions 7.2 Future Directions Bibliography List of Publications

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Sjukvården ska vara jämlik för alla patienter, men rapport från Socialstyrelsen visar att det finns brister i den svenska sjukvården. Ögonsjukvården på ett av Sveriges större sjukhus fick under sommaren 2021 in synpunkter gällande bristande tillgänglighet och bemötande. Ögonsjukvården hade lokaler som inte var anpassade för patienter med synskada, och bemötandet visade brist på insikt i hur det är att ha en synskada. Ett projekt startades i samarbete med Synskadades Riksförbund, för att tillsammans åtgärda dessa brister. Fyra patienter med synskada fick besöka ögonmottagningen och uppmärksamma brister och ta fram åtgärdsförslag. De fick även svara på en enkät före och efter genomförandet av åtgärderna för att senare kunna utvärdera om förändringarna lett till en förbättring eller inte. Frågorna gällde fyra aspekter i tillgänglighet på olika delar av sjukhuset. För att förbättra bemötandet föreslog Synskadades Riksförbund en insiktsutbildning för personalen. Utbildningen skulle ledas av personer med synskada, med målet att öka personalens förståelse för hur det är att leva med en synskada, Utbildningen följdes av en intervjustudie för att undersöka medarbetarnas erfarenhet av co-production, och hur verksamheten i framtiden kan samarbeta med patienterna. Resultatet visar att alla utom en patient upplevde förbättring av tillgängligheten på alla fyra aspekter. En av patienterna tyckte att tre av fyra aspekter hade förbättrats. Totalt 23 medarbetare hann genomgå insiktsutbildningen. Målet på en ökad tillgänglighet uppnåddes, medan målet om att hinna med att utbilda 30 medarbetare inte uppnåddes. Resultatet av studien visade att co-production är ett uppskattat arbetssätt som anses effektivt för att uppnå mer jämlik sjukvård. Slutsatsen är att co-production tillsammans med patienterna har lett till både bättre tillgänglighet och bättre bemötande. Projektet fortsätter, och målet under året är att alla medarbetare ska hunnit genomgå insiktsutbildningen. Projektet har tilldelats medel för fortsatta insatser för en mer jämlik sjukvård för ögonsjukvårdens patienter. / Healthcare must be equal for all patients, but a National Board of Health and Welfare report found shortcomings in Swedish healthcare in this area.  During 2021 the eyecare department at one of Sweden’s largest hospitals received remarks on accessibility and service. The facilities were not adapted for visually impaired patients, and they felt a lack of insight into their needs. A joint project was started with the Swedish Association of Visually Impaired (SRF) to address these shortcomings. Four members with visual impairments visited the clinic to assess the facilities, in order to propose an improvement plan. The participants also completed a questionnaire, before and after implementation of changes, to evaluate if it had improved. The questions covered four aspects of accessibility in different parts of the hospital. To improve the patient interaction, SRF proposed awareness training for hospital staff. The training was led by visually impaired people, with the goal of increasing awareness about living with visual impairments. The training was followed by a study about the staffs’ experience on co-production and how future collaboration with patients could be done. The results show that all but one patient experienced an improvement in accessibility in all four aspects. One of the patients thought that three out of four aspects had improved. 23 employees completed the awareness training. The goal of increased accessibility was achieved; however, the goal of training 30 employees was not reached. The study showed that co-production is appreciated and was considered effective in achieving more equal healthcare.  The conclusion is that co-production led to both better accessibility and treatment. The project continues, and the goal is for all employees to complete awareness training this year. The project has secured funds for continued efforts for a more equal healthcare for eye care patients.

Studien är ett examensarbete som undersöker frågeställningen: hur vi med hjälp av produktdesign kan bjuda in fler kvinnor till kampsport? Studien undersöks utifrån designteorien användarcentrerad design och inslag av metoder från co-design. Det teoretiska ramverket undersöker designteori i samband med normer, genus och kampsport samt relaterade studier om kvinnor och kampsport. Kampsport har alltid varit mansdominerat och trots att idrott generellt är mer jämställt idag är det fortfarande brist på kvinnliga deltagare. Genom att undersöka användarnas behov genom intervjuer, deltagande observation, kreativ workshop och en slutgiltig prototyp kan forskningsfrågan besvaras. Eftersom studien utgår ifrån användarcentrerad design har användarna varit med under hela processen och tagit fram ett slutgiltigt designkoncept som innefattar en interaktiv produkt för kvinnor som vill börja utöva kampsport eller fortsätta utöva kampsport. Produkten fyller behovet av kvinnlig gemenskap och samhörighet genom att bjuda in varandra via interaktionen som finns i produkten. Studiens slutsats innebär ett designbidrag som kan stötta kvinnor att tillsammans utöva kampsport trots historiska samhällsnormer som till viss del kan finnas kvar i samhället. / The study is a bachelor thesis that investigates the question: how we by the aid of product design can invite more women to martial arts. The study is examined based on the design theory, usercentered design with elements from co-design. The theoretical framework examines design theory in conjuction with norms, gender and the related studies with women practicing martial arts. Even though sports in general are more gender equal today, the martial arts still lack female participants. By examining the users needs through interviews, observation through participation, creative workshops and by using a final prototype, the question can at last be answered. Since the study is based on user-centered design, the users have been involved throughout the entire development process and contributed to a final design concept that includes an interactive product for women that want to start or continue practicing martial arts. The final product fulfills the need for female community and affinity by inviting each other through the interactive elements in the product. The conclusion of the study implies a design contribution that have the ability to support women to practice martial arts together despite historical social norms that might be, to some extent, still remaining in our society.

Designers, through their practice, often mirror the process of storytelling in how they perceive, portray, and make sense of the world around them. As designers, we increasingly engage with complex social contexts that require nuanced ways of working. Hearing loss stigma, as a wicked social problem, is not merely a physiological ailment; it is a multifaceted sociocultural challenge entwined with societal attitudes, perceptions, and structures.  This thesis investigates the systemic nature of this stigma, exploring how design practices can either perpetuate or challenge it. By adopting a critical design perspective and employing design fictions as provocations, it seeks to challenge existing stigmatised social narratives through open and critical reflections. Central to this process are co-creation sessions, which serve as participatory interfaces to shape the narratives.  Employing a mixed-methodology approach, findings reveal the importance of speculative design in prompting critical dialogue, thereby opening new spaces for reimagining social narratives surrounding hearing loss. / Em sua prática, designers frequentemente espelham o processo do storytelling na forma como percebem, retratam e dão sentido ao mundo ao seu redor. Como designers, cada vez mais nos ocupamos com contextos sociais complexos que exigem abordagens mais refinadas. O estigma da perda auditiva, como um problema social persistente, não pode ser simplificado como apenas uma condição fisiológica; é um desafio sociocultural multifacetado emaranhando atitudes, percepções, e estruturas sociais.  Esta dissertação examina a natureza sistêmica desse estigma, avaliando como as práticas de design podem tanto perpetuá-lo quanto desafiá-lo. Mediante a adoção de uma perspectiva de design crítico e utilizando design fictions como provocações, esta busca contestar narrativas sociais estigmatizadas por meio de reflexões abertas e críticas. O elemento central desse plano são as sessões de co-criação, que atuam como interfaces participativas para modelar as narrativas. Com uma metodologia de pesquisa mista, os resultados revelam a importância do design especulativo para estimular o discurso crítico, abrindo, assim, novos espaços para reimaginar as narrativas sociais relacionadas à perda auditiva.

To achieve success in today's competitive environment, companies are realising the importance of design collaboration during new product development. The aim of this research was to develop a collaborative design tool for use by industrial designers and engineering designers. To achieve this, a literature review was undertaken to understand the working relationship among the two disciplines during new product development. Following this, empirical research through interviews and observations outlined three problem areas: conflicts in values and principles; differences in education; and differences in representational tools and methods. The latter was chosen because the problem area of design representations was found to be highly significant. In looking at bridging differences in design representations, a taxonomy comprising 35 forms of sketches, drawings, models and prototypes was generated. A second stage of empirical research was conducted to establish the popularity of each representation and the type of design / technical information that industrial designers and engineering designers communicated with. The information was indexed into CoLab cards that would enable the two disciplines to gain joint understanding and create shared knowledge when using visual design representations. Following a pilot evaluation and minor modifications, student and practitioner interviews with a case study were employed to assess the significance of CoLab. The findings revealed that 82% of the interviewees felt CoLab to have built a common ground through the use of visual design representations. 75% gave a positive rating when asked if the system would enhance collaboration and 91% gave the physical cards a positive response as it provided instant access to information and allowed easy sharing. This thesis is a step towards a greater understanding of collaboration between industrial designers and engineering designers. The use of the CoLab system provides the prospect of achieving a common ground between the two disciplines.

Through understanding the way in which design can contribute in a holistic way to sustainability, this thesis investigates and proposes the design methods, and characteristics of sustainable products, services or systems capable of contributing to our happiness, hence shaping and promoting society towards sustainable lifestyles. It presents the first indications of the relationship between Happiness and Sustainable Design. The review of a vast array of phenomena (Happiness, Sustainable Lifestyles/Society, Sustainable Product Design, Consumption Behaviour, and the emerging Role of the Designer), shed light on this relationship, as well as making evident the social gap that represents within sustainable design. This led to the development of an Initial Theory to bridge this gap, which then proposed the development of new design theories and tools and also a radical evolution of the design discipline. Preliminary Testing with sustainable design thinkers validated this theory and pointed out other interesting avenues in order to develop and test it further. Subsequently, through an exploratory and iterative approach, with the Initial Theory at the heart of the research, the Design for Happiness workshop framework emerged and took shape. Two pilot studies and a first study facilitated its planning, development and implementation, which ultimately led to a strong Design Process and Tool-Kit. In addition, two Main Studies confirmed its effectiveness and put forward a robust conceptual design outcome; the trials of which demonstrated its success and high potential to contribute to Happiness and Sustainable Lifestyles. Overall, the results and findings of this research demonstrated that material changes can take place without having to do without social networks which feed our happiness. The Design for Happiness workshop framework is a practical proposal that encourages multidisciplinary groups to reinterpret the relationship between objects and users, hence approaching design from a different perspective that results in innovative conceptual designs. Here, the designer becomes a process facilitator who shares design tools, encouraging participation in the construction of collective and integrated design visions and scenarios. Creativity and Sustainability are pivotal pillars of this proposal and its success is anchored in its capacity to deliver a collection of experiences that contribute to happiness through the way in which they require people to live in general. It also challenges the evolution of the Design discipline and its consequential theoretical development. The relationship between Design, Sustainability and Happiness is new territory. This research is the first on the subject of Sustainable Design and Happiness, therefore offering a groundbreaking opportunity for design, designers, and its practical applications.

This project explores the notion of participation within the graphic design and problem-solving process. Through projects using generative tools and collaboration, I explore ways to instigate controlled participation from designers and non-designers. I observe and document how the methods and means of participation affect the creative process during these projects.