This written thesis has been developed in tandem with its practical counterpart: Entrance Not For Everybody. Together the practical and theoretical work make use of virtually every interesting experience I have had. In essence it explores how ancient spiritual practices may be the most developed tools we have for experiential mind expansion - regardless of how these practices are viewed by the scientific community. In addition this text question science's relevance for the personal experience of reality - in comparison to individual exploration of the same by whatever means. The prime strength of the sciences is its consistent, empirical development through logic. Mostly aided by external (as in not belonging to one's own body and mind) resources and tools and the development thereof. So far, science largely concern a material evolution - even if it is of an immaterial nature such as software or intellect. What I propose is the Human Individual Experience - optional means for experiencing the world as alternative ways of knowing. The work's main intention is to awaken an interest in spiritual practice in individuals who have no such experience or did not know to value such experiences that could be perceived as being of spiritual magnitude. This is important because regardless of the nature of spiritual content - seen from a scientific perspective of any kind - spiritual experiences are mind blowing, mind altering and most of all mind expansion in its purest form - at least on an experiential level - which naturally is key - given the context this text is being written in. For someone who already have a personal relationship to spiritual practices of an experiential nature - of any sort - there is a place, community or method to expand within their field of choice - if not locally then certainly globally. Therefore the target audience is not the experienced spiritual seeker for whom endless paths lay ahead. What is being proposed here is an approach which put the individual's experience in the centre of all - using more or less traditional spiritual practices as they have been constructed or discovered to offer great paths into higher consciousness experientially. In its practical manifestation, Entrance Not For Everybody, these have been gift wrapped in - as well as accompanied by - layers of fiction, cultural references and very detailed physical props, much because the individual of no spiritual background who is the main target group for this introductory experience, is likely used to a material world based in tools, entertainment, storytelling etc. Therefore this redressing and recontextualizing of practices is just a means to target and introduce a new crowd to old and useful methods - in a smooth and memorable manner. The idea is to offer this experience as a starting point and to be continued as a forum or hub for future explorations of more advanced experiences focusing on expansion of consciousness. Material complexity is bound to develop further in both it's tangible and intangible realms but it is here questioned whether this will really lead to an expansion of consciousness or just offer products to reach realms that are already accessible within - at no cost. The aim of this work is not to clarify the lack of consistency in what is commonly referred to as reality - although this might be a direct consequence. It is rather taken for granted that reality is subjectively understood. Therefore the thesis only investigates if and explains how a composition of experiential practices which are strung together thoughtfully may work as a door-opener for further inquiries into the realm of spiritual practice as a means of expanding mind and consciousness. In this respect the exhibition itself is the most important research ground for the thesis - which naturally cannot be incorporated in advance.

Technological advancements have allowed the design of more realistic virtual characters, for example, in-game development; meanwhile, researchers argue that more realism is not always suitable. As an explorative pilot study, this thesis investigates the uncanny among human-like agents and intelligent systems with human-like attributes. The thesis focuses on the uncanny theories to understand whether Mori's Uncanny Valley (UV) or Tinwell's Uncanny wall (UW) is more suitable when designing with a user-centred approach. The study facilitated two remote focus group workshops consisting of seven participants to understand the participant's expectations, needs and desires of existing and future AI technology. The participants consisted of two target groups, gamers and non-gamers, in order to understand if exposure to AI leads to adoptability of the technology. The participants described their perspectives and needs of existing AI assistants, and their preferences of human-like cross modality such as voice and avatar for future assistants. The research activities resulted in insights and four themes: rejection of existing assistant technology, productivity and task management, expectations of future AI assistants and balancing human-likeness. Findings show that participants reject existing assistant technologies, as old tangible habits, social norms, and incompatibility prevent the adoption of existing assistant technology. While both gamers and non-gamers seek a balance between generic robotics and pure human likeness, none of the participants fully adopted the idea of human likeness as it generates uncanny feelings.

Fluid Power displacement machines are still by far the dominant power transfer principles in mobile machinery. Power density, simple continuous variability for rotary and linear drives as well as straight forward repair and service concepts have enabled this technology a very successful development in the last decades. This general lecture will critically analyze if and how those drive line elements will be Key Elements of Future Technology in this market in the future, especially under the view that battery technologies are facing many challenges for powerful machines with intense duty cycles (see also automotive industry) [... aus dem Text].

In recent years, numerous high tech companies have developed and used technology roadmaps when making their investment decisions. Jay Paap has proposed the Customer Focused Technology Planning (CFTP) framework to draw future technology roadmaps. However, the CFTP framework does not include risk assessment as a critical factor in decision making. The problem addressed in this quantitative study was that high tech companies are either losing money or getting a much smaller than expected return on investment when making technology investment decisions. The purpose of this research was to determine the relationship between returns on investment before and after adding risk assessment to the CFTP framework. Paap's CFTP framework and process to improve technology investments thus served as the theoretical framework for this study. Data were obtained from cloud computing companies using the companies' market risk data and actual returns on investment data. The results and findings of paired sample two-tailed t tests for means and equal variances showed that return on investment was positively related to adding a traditional risk assessment model to Paap's CFTP framework. These findings regarding the addition of risk assessment to the technology investment framework may be used by investors to (a) make better and more expeditious decisions, and (b) obtain a high return on technology investment by selecting the highest return value and lowest risk value.

Genom en användarcentrerad produktutvecklingsprocess har ett framtidskoncept förtrygghetslarm utvecklats. Det framtagna trygghetslarmet ämnar stärka användarenssjälvständighet genom ett preventivt, istället för enbart reaktivt arbete.Det preventiva arbetet inleds genom att larmet introduceras i ett tidigare skede för att med hjälpav sensorer och Artificiell Intelligens förebygga åldersrelaterade sjukdomar. Genom tidigimplementering finns larmet också till hands redan innan olyckan inträffat.Syftet med projektet var att med ett tjänstedesign-perspektiv undersöka vad som skapar trygghetför användaren samt hur det stödjs i en produkt och tjänst. Under arbetet trädde en komplexbehovsbild fram som skiftade, inte bara mellan användare, utan även för den enskildeanvändaren över tid. Därför skapades ett modulbaserat produkt-tjänstesystem som innefattar treproduktvarianter som tillsammans tillgodoser de allra flesta användarnas behov.Ett tjänstebaserat trygghetslarm med möjlighet till uppgraderingar, byten och reparationerinnebär i längden en högre konkurrenskraft och en mer hållbar modell där användarens ochvårdbolagens behov bättre tillgodoses. En tjänst som bygger på en applikationsbaseradplattform kan anpassas för användaren och tillgängliggöra relevant information för att minskadet utanförskap som många användare upplever.Genom en iterativ process av interaktioner, insikter och konceptgenerering bidrogtjänstedesignperspektivet med en behovsbaserad analys. Produkt-tjänstesystemets utformningär baserat på insikter som erhölls under kontextuella intervjuer. Intervjuerna involverade olikaaktörer såsom vårdgivare, teknikbolag och forskare men främst dagens och den kommandegenerationens användare. Syftet var att skapa ett brett underlag som bidrar till en holistisk bildav användarens behov.Vid interaktioner framkom att larmet måste vara mobilt och kunna ange position. Mobilitetbidrar till ett tryggt aktivt liv utanför hemmet. Att hålla sig fysiskt och socialt aktiv menar WorldHealth Organisation, WHO, är grunden för ett självständigt och hälsosamt åldrande som är enförutsättning för att kunna möta utmaningarna med en åldrande befolkning.För att attrahera användare måste associationerna kring trygghetslarmet förskjutas frånhjälplöshet till självständighet, aktivitet och välbefinnande. Genom att tidigt introducera larmetsom ett hälsofrämjande verktyg kan det arbeta preventivt. Med hjälp av AI, rörelse- ochpulssensor kan exempelvis förmaksflimmer upptäckas och behandlas innan det leder till stroke.I kombination med inbyggd fallsensor kan larm skickas automatiskt vid behov. Integreradtelefoni skapar trygghet genom förbättrad kommunikation.Kombinationen av modulär produktutveckling, produkt-tjänstesystem och cirkulär ekonomierbjuder ett mer hållbart produktsystem som leder till starkare konkurrenskraft, bättreindividanpassning och längre hållbarhet. Det vore önskvärt om aktörer inom trygghetslarmuppdaterade sina affärsmodeller för att erbjuda nya ägarmodeller. Vårdbolag skulle ges störremöjlighet att erbjuda den senaste tekniken och skulle inte dras med föråldrad teknik på grundav tidigare gjorda investeringar, vilket skulle innebära en säkrare och tryggare vård. / Through a user-centered product development process, a future concept for medical alertsystems has been developed. The developed medical alert system aims to strengthen the user'sindependence through preventive, rather than reactive work.The preventive work is initiated by the early implementation of the alarm to prevent agerelateddiseases using sensors and Artificial Intelligence. By early implementation, the alarmis also available even before the accident occur.The purpose of the project was to investigate what creates safety for the user and how it issupported in a product and service with a service design perspective. During the work, acomplex image of the users needs emerged that changed, not only between users, but also forthe individual user over time. Therefore, a modular product service system was created thatincludes three product variants that together meet the needs of most users.A service-based medical alert system with the possibility of upgrades, replacements and repairsmeans long-term competitiveness and a more sustainable model that better meet the needs ofthe user and healthcare companies. A service based on an application-based platform can becustomized to the user and make relevant information available to reduce the exclusion thatmany users experience.Through an iterative process of interactions, insights and concept generation, the service designperspective contributed with a needs-based analysis. The design of the product service systemis based on insights obtained during contextual interviews. The interviews involved differentactors such as healthcare providers, technology companies and researchers, but mainly oftoday's and next-generation users. The purpose was to create a broad basis that contributes to aholistic view of the user´s need.Through interactions it was found that the alarm must be mobile and be able to share its position.Mobility contributes to a safe active life outside the home. Keeping physically and sociallyactive is according to the World Health Organization, WHO, the foundation for independentand healthy aging and is a prerequisite for meeting the challenges of an aging population.To attract users, the association to the medical alert system must be shifted from helplessnessto independence, activity and well-being. By introducing the alarm early as a health-promotingtool, it can work preventively. For example, by means of AI, motion and pulse sensors, atrialfibrillation can be detected and treated before it leads to stroke. In combination with the builtinfall sensor, alarms can be sent automatically when needed. Integrated telephony createssecurity through much improved communication.The combination of modular product development, product service systems and circulareconomy offers a more sustainable product system, that leads to greater competitiveness, betterindividualization and longer durability. It would be desirable for actors within medical alertsystems to update their business models to offer new ownership models. The healthcarecompanies would have a greater opportunity to offer the latest technology and would not bebound to outdated technology due to previously made investments, which would mean a saferand more secure elderly care.

Les procédés bipolaires semi-conducteurs complémentaires à oxyde de métal (BiCMOS) peuvent être considérés comme étant la solution la plus généralepour les produits RF car ils combinent la fabrication sophistiquée du CMOSavec la vitesse et les capacités de conduction des transistors bipolaires silicium germanium(SiGe) à hétérojonction (HBT). Les HBTs, réciproquement, sontles principaux concurrents pour combler partiellement l'écart de térahertzqui décrit la plage dans laquelle les fréquences générées par les transistors etles lasers ne se chevauchent pas (environ 0.3 THz à 30 THz). A_n d'évaluerles capacités de ces dispositifs futurs, une méthodologie de prévision fiable estsouhaitable. L'utilisation d'un ensemble hétérogène d'outils et de méthodes desimulations permet d'atteindre successivement cet objectif et est avantageusepour la résolution des problèmes. Plusieurs domaines scientifiques sont combinés, tel que la technologie de conception assistée par ordinateur (TCAO),la modélisation compacte et l'extraction des paramètres.Afin de créer une base pour l'environnement de simulation et d'améliorerla confirmabilité pour les lecteurs, les modèles de matériaux utilisés pour lesapproches hydrodynamiques et de diffusion par conduction sont introduits dèsle début de la thèse. Les modèles physiques sont principalement fondés surdes données de la littérature basées sur simulations Monte Carlo (MC) ou dessimulations déterministes de l'équation de transport de Boltzmann (BTE).Néanmoins, le module de TCAO doit être aussi étalonné sur les données demesure pour une prévision fiable des performances des HBTs. L'approchecorrespondante d'étalonnage est basée sur les mesures d'une technologie depointe de HBT SiGe pour laquelle un ensemble de paramètres spécifiques àla technologie du modèle compact HICUM/L2 est extrait pour les versionsdu transistor à haute vitesse, moyenne et haute tension. En s'aidant de cesrésultats, les caractéristiques du transistor unidimensionnel qui sont généréesservent de référence pour le profil de dopage et l'étalonnage du modèle. Enélaborant des comparaisons entre les données de références basées sur les mesureset les simulations, la thèse fait progresser l'état actuel des prévisionsbasées sur la technologie CAO et démontre la faisabilité de l'approche.Enfin, une technologie future de 28nm performante est prédite en appliquantla méthodologie hétérogène. Sur la base des résultats de TCAO, leslimites de la technologie sont soulignées. / Bipolar complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (BiCMOS) processescan be considered as the most general solution for RF products, as theycombine the mature manufacturing tools of CMOS with the speed and drivecapabilities of silicon-germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar transistors(HBTs). HBTs in turn are major contenders for partially filling the terahertzgap, which describes the range in which the frequencies generated bytransistors and lasers do not overlap (approximately 0.3THz to 30 THz). Toevaluate the capabilities of such future devices, a reliable prediction methodologyis desirable. Using a heterogeneous set of simulation tools and approachesallows to achieve this goal successively and is beneficial for troubleshooting.Various scientific fields are combined, such as technology computer-aided design(TCAD), compact modeling and parameter extraction.To create a foundation for the simulation environment and to ensure reproducibility,the used material models of the hydrodynamic and drift-diffusionapproaches are introduced in the beginning of this thesis. The physical modelsare mainly based on literature data of Monte Carlo (MC) or deterministicsimulations of the Boltzmann transport equation (BTE). However, the TCADdeck must be calibrated on measurement data too for a reliable performanceprediction of HBTs. The corresponding calibration approach is based onmeasurements of an advanced SiGe HBT technology for which a technology specific parameter set of the HICUM/L2 compact model is extracted for thehigh-speed, medium-voltage and high-voltage transistor versions. With thehelp of the results, one-dimensional transistor characteristics are generatedthat serve as reference for the doping profile and model calibration. By performingelaborate comparisons between measurement-based reference dataand simulations, the thesis advances the state-of-the-art of TCAD-based predictionsand proofs the feasibility of the approach.Finally, the performance of a future technology in 28nm is predicted byapplying the heterogeneous methodology. On the basis of the TCAD results,bottlenecks of the technology are identified. / Bipolare komplementäre Metall-Oxid-Halbleiter (BiCMOS) Prozesse bietenhervorragende Rahmenbedingungen um Hochfrequenzanwendungen zurealisieren, da sie die fortschrittliche Fertigungstechnik von CMOS mit derGeschwindigkeit und Treiberleistung von Silizium-Germanium (SiGe) Heterostruktur-Bipolartransistoren (HBTs) verknüpfen. Zudem sind HBTs bedeutendeWettbewerber für die teilweise Überbrückung der Terahertz-Lücke, derFrequenzbereich zwischen Transistoren (< 0.3 THz) und Lasern (> 30 THz).Um die Leistungsfähigkeit solcher zukünftigen Bauelemente zu bewerten, isteine zuverlässige Methodologie zur Vorhersage notwendig. Die Verwendungeiner heterogenen Zusammenstellung von Simulationstools und Lösungsansätzenerlaubt es dieses Ziel schrittweise zu erreichen und erleichtert die Fehler-_ndung. Verschiedene wissenschaftliche Bereiche werden kombiniert, wie zumBeispiel der rechnergestützte Entwurf für Technologie (TCAD), die Kompaktmodellierungund Parameterextraktion.Die verwendeten Modelle des hydrodynamischen Simulationsansatzes werdenzu Beginn der Arbeit vorgestellt, um die Simulationseinstellung zu erläuternund somit die Nachvollziehbarkeit für den Leser zu verbessern. Die physikalischenModelle basieren hauptsächlich auf Literaturdaten von Monte Carlo(MC) oder deterministischen Simulationen der Boltzmann-Transportgleichung(BTE). Für eine zuverlässige Vorhersage der Eigenschaften von HBTs muss dieTCAD Kon_guration jedoch zusätzlich auf der Grundlage von Messdaten kalibriertwerden. Der zugehörige Ansatz zur Kalibrierung beruht auf Messungeneiner fortschrittlichen SiGe HBT Technologie, für welche ein technologiespezifischer HICUM/L2 Parametersatz für die high-speed, medium-voltage undhigh-voltage Transistoren extrahiert wird. Mit diesen Ergebnissen werden eindimensionaleTransistorcharakteristiken generiert, die als Referenzdaten fürdie Kalibrierung von Dotierungspro_len und physikalischer Modelle genutztwerden. Der ausführliche Vergleich dieser Referenz- und Messdaten mit Simulationengeht über den Stand der Technik TCAD-basierender Vorhersagenhinaus und weist die Machbarkeit des heterogenen Ansatzes nach.Schlieÿlich wird die Leistungsfähigkeit einer zukünftigen Technologie in28nm unter Anwendung der heterogenen Methodik vorhergesagt. Anhand derTCAD Ergebnisse wird auf Engpässe der Technologie hingewiesen.