Dans cette thèse, nous étudions les effets des interactions électroniques dans le processus d'ionisation simple des cibles atomiques par impact des ions multichargés, ceux-ci peuvent être nus ou à demi vêtus. Dans le cas des projectiles nus, nous avons étudié l'interaction entre l'électron actif et les électrons passifs, la version post de l'approximation d'onde distordue du continu avec état initial eikonale est reformulé (CDW-EIS pour son sigle anglais), y compris un potentiel résiduel omis de calculs précédents. En addition, nous développons un modèle d'onde distordue de quatre corps pour l'ionisation simple des atomes diélectriques dans lequel les deux électrons sont considérés comme des actifs et à évoluer dans les mêmes temps. Dans le cas de considérer comme projectile des ions partiellement vêtus, nous étudions l'interaction électronique entre l'électron actif du cible et celles liées au projectile par l'élaboration d'un modèle d'onde distordue où le potentiel perturbatif du projectile est séparé en deux termes : une longue distance déterminée par la charge nette du projectile et autre à courte portée donnée par les électrons liés au projectile. Cette dernière est approchée par un potentiel paramétrique type GSZ (Green-Sellin-Zachor) / In this thesis the effects of the electronic interactions in the single ionization process of atoms by multiply charged ions impact are studied. The projectiles considered are either fully stripped or partially dressed ions. In the case of fully stripped ions we study the interaction between the target active electron and the passive electrons distribution, the post version of the CDW-EIS (Continuum Distorted Wave-Eikonal Initial State) approximation is revisited and a residual potential neglected in all previous calculations is considered. Also a four-body distorted wave model is developed to investigate the single ionization of dielectronic atoms where both electrons are considered as active ones and evolving in the same time-frame. When considering partially dressed ions as projectiles we investigate the interaction between the target active electron and those bound to the projectile by means of the extension of the CDW-EIS and CDW (Continuum Distorted Wave) models to the case where the projectile is a dressed ion. The projectile potential is described by a analytic parametric GSZ (Green-Sellin-Zachor) one that can be separated in two terms : a long range term determined by the net chargeof the totally screened projectile and a short range term due to the electrons bound to the projectile

No description available.

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of determining the relationship between room size and the limits for comfortable conversation in dyadic interactions.

Truck drivers often have a tight time schedule and therefore need to carry out several in-vehicle tasks while driving, such as making phone calls, writing down information and navigating to new places. Performing these tasks using a visual-manual interface can impose visual distraction which has been shown to lead to safety-critical events on the roads. Instead of using a visual-manual interface, a speech interface could be a safer alternative if designed properly. However, the cognitive load demanded by speech interfaces and the connection between cognitive load and driving behaviour is not fully understood. In this study, a speech interface and its visual-manual counterpart were evaluated and compared in terms of visual distraction, cognitive load and user efficiency and perceived acceptance. Eye tracking was used to measure visual distraction. The measurements used for cognitive load were the Tactile Detection Response task (TDRT) and the Driving Activity Load Index (DALI). Perceived acceptance and efficiency were measured using the System Usability Scale (SUS), the Subjective Assessment of Speech Systems (SASSI) and semi-structured interviews. The conclusions were that (1) the speech interface was less visually distracting than the visual-manual counterpart, (2) the speech interface was less cognitively demanding than the visual-manual interface, especially in the navigation task, (3) the speech interface was safer to use while driving compared to the visual-manual interface and (4) the speech interface had higher user acceptance and perceived efficiency than the visual-manual interface. Further research should investigate the connection between cognitive load and driving behaviour, such as lane keeping and brake response time, by employing a variety of speech tasks with various complexity as well as including speech interfaces entirely free from visual demand. The focus should be on the difference between baseline driving and speech interaction, as opposed to speech interaction and visual-manual interaction.

Agile software development has emerged as a response to the rapidly changing software environment and the need to anticipate late change of requirements. An important tool for many agile methods is a projec tmanagement application with a task board to keep track of the progress. However, it can be difficult to find a project management applicationthat is suited for a workplace where development teams use different methods. The aim of this master thesis was to develop a prototype of a project management application adapted to Codemill AB where development teams use different agile methods. To achieve this, the work process of development teams were investigated, as well as existing project management applications, and the most important functionality and features from a user available point of view were identified. Two design concepts were developed based on the users’ needs. Both concepts were tested and compared by end users in order to develop a refined prototype with the best parts from both concepts. The results indicate that the development process in a workplace can vary a lot between different development teams even though their methods are inspired by the same framework. A project management application for agile software development must be flexible enough to handle these differences without becoming too complex and difficult to use. None of the investigated applications achieved this balance. This work aimed to develop a prototype of an application that fills this gap, with the users' needs in focus. The findings in this thesis are based on Codemill’s needs, however, they could also be considered by others with similar needs.

The growth of the nuclear power industry has provided a considerable stimulus for investigations into fluid-structure interaction problems. The safety case for nuclear reactors requires an understanding of the impact response of structures enclosing or surrounded by fluids. In many cases the structural response is in excess of that which can be predicted by elastic analyses and both material and geometrical non-linearities must be considered. The understanding of the interaction between the structure and the contained fluid poses additional problems which, in the extreme loading conditions envisaged, have received little attention. There is a lack of data relating to basic fluid-structure interaction problems involving dynamic plastic structural impact. Two sets of experiments are described which were carried out to provide some such data. The first set of experiments considered beams, both fully clamped (leading to large membrane forces) and partially clamped (preventing rotational and transverse motion while allowing the beam material to be fed in from the supports), struck centrally by a projectile. The second set of experiments considered a circular plate clamped around its periphery, sealing a volume of fluid, and struck centrally by a projectile. The shape of the plates and beams as they deformed were recorded, as were the pressure variations during the tests. In both sets of experiments the main contribution of the fluid to the beam or plate response was to localise the deformations. The early deformation of the beams was limited to the centre half span and the deformation only spread to the ends of the beams as the supporting effect of the fluid was lost due to the fluid escaping. In the plate experiments, where a good seal could be achieved, the deformation throughout was localised compared with a similar plate in air. The deformation in these cases was limited to a central disc of approximately half the plate diameter. The pressures recorded during the tests suggest that the fluid response was predominantly incompressible. A finite element program was written to model the response of beams and circular plates (axisymmetric problems). A brief history of the finite element method, the background theory and the development of the method to treat non-linear, large displacement, dynamic problems are given. The results are presented for a number of beam and plate problems, both those described above and other problems for which data was available. The finite element program was found to give good predictions of the deforming shapes of both the beams and the plates. No detailed analysis of the fluid was carried out, but two types of approximation to the effect of the fluid were investigated. Firstly a time varying pressure pulse (based on the measured pressure pulses) or a pressure loading derived from the beam velocity (acoustic and incompressible fluid approximations) were used to represent the loading on the beam due to the fluid. Secondly a mass was added to the plate mass to represent the inertia of the fluid. The applied pressure loading worked to a limited extent for the beams but no one pressure pulse shape gave good results for both end fixities. The best results for the plate problem were achieved with the added mass approach. Finally a number of areas of experimental and computational work are identified, which it is felt would benefit from further study.

No description available.

Student Number : 9808961X - MSc research report - School of Electrical and Information Engineering - Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment / The Medical field is vast and dynamic. To be effective in their professions, doctors are required to keep track of the constant growth in knowledge that is taking place, although it is unrealistic to expect them to do so fully. The knowledge in this field is inherently descriptive and thus an unlikely candidate for storage in traditional databases, but instead are found in textbases. In spite of the limitations of databases, they are still used in the medical profession as they remain the standard means of storing information. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that it is possible to provide a single interface to medical knowledge in its more natural form, a textbase. This was achieved by investigating the relevant areas, creating models for the various elements of the system, and subsequently constructing such a system for demonstration. Through the use of data interaction models, this work shows that the doctor’s knowledge can be adequately supplemented, as validated by testing, enabling them to make correct decisions using the information provided. Thus the opportunity exists to implement the methodology in other areas where descriptive knowledge exists.

This thesis investigates the two gaming platforms PC and Console and how the interfaces of games on these platforms could be designed more efficiently making it easier to release games on multiple platforms. In other words, how could the Multiple Platform First method look. Little previous work exist on this problem so this thesis work gathers information from other industries and also research on user interfaces in games in general. By looking at games running on both platforms different best practises and common solutions were discovered. A study was conducted testing different in-game components on users. The components were selected to test if the users would accept non-traditional components since users detect when playing on an interface not intended for the platform. This makes the study very complicated since the "best" solution might not work if the users does not accept it for the intended platform. Concepts were designed to combine the testing of solutions with the users opinion of the solutions. The chosen concepts were researched both in literature and by looking at present implementations in games. To be able to user test the solutions they were iterated from low fidelity prototypes on paper to high fidelity prototypes that were playable in Unity. The prototypes were tested on users and data gathered through Think Aloud comments and questionnaire answers. This study presents a first draft of how a multiple platform approach can be achieved.

Les robots sont tout près d'arriver chez nous. Mais avant cela, ils doivent acquérir la capacité d'interagir physiquement avec les humains, de manière sûre et efficace. De telles capacités sont indispensables pour qu'il puissent vivre parmi nous, et nous assister dans diverses tâches quotidiennes, comme porter une meuble. Dans cette thèse, nous avons pour but de doter le robot humanoïde bipède HRP-2 de la capacité à effectuer des actions haptiques en commun avec l'homme. Dans un premier temps, nous étudions comment des dyades humains collaborent pour transporter un objet encombrant. De cette étude, nous extrayons un modèle global de primitives de mouvement que nous utilisons pour implémenter un comportement proactif sur le robot HRP-2, afin qu'il puisse effectuer la même tâche avec un humain. Puis nous évaluons les performances de ce schéma de contrôle proactif au cours de tests utilisateurs. Finalement, nous exposons diverses pistes d'évolution de notre travail: la stabilisation d'un humanoïde à travers l'interaction physique, la généralisation du modèle de primitives de mouvements à d'autres tâches collaboratives et l'inclusion de la vision dans des tâches collaboratives haptiques. / Robots are very close to arrive in our homes. But before doing so, they must master physical interaction with humans, in a safe and efficient way. Such capacities are essential for them to live among us, and assit us in various everyday tasks, such as carrying a piece of furniture. In this thesis, we focus on endowing the biped humanoid robot HRP-2 with the capacity to perform haptic joint actions with humans. First, we study how human dyads collaborate to transport a cumbersome object. From this study, we define a global motion primitives' model that we use to implement a proactive behavior on the HRP-2 robot, so that it can perform the same task with a human. Then, we assess the performances of our proactive control scheme by perfoming user studies. Finally, we expose several potential extensions to our work: self-stabilization of a humanoid through physical interaction, generalization of the motion primitives' model to other collaboratives tasks and the addition of visionto haptic joint actions.