No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Recent advances in technology are reshaping and enhancing the role of the industrial designer. While industrial designers are already trained to be experts in process and possess a wide range of skills, there must be a higher level of fusion between design, science, and technology than ever before. This paradigm presents an opportunity in the emerging field of wearable technology; industrial design, engineering and computer science would be an optimal collaboration for the inevitable increase in mixes of disciplines to address all aspects of a product and its development. By investigating products from companies such as Nike and Adidas, and also by exploring themes of personal augmentation in science fiction, this thesis will explore the conceptualization of a soft, wearable garment system for runners that utilizes developing advancements in technology, apparel and graphical user interface. / Master of Science

In America, a person has a 1 in 3 chance of falling each year once they reach the age of 65. When someone falls, they risk bodily injury. There are products available to help people when they fall, but they are only effective once a person reaches a point where they are at risk of falling. In order to reduce an individual's chance of falling as they age, preventive measures must be taken before the problems develop. With the use of digital technology, adults can be properly instructed on how to keep they bodies strong and balanced for there golden years. This thesis documents the research, conceptualization, and development of the Xcel Sleeve. / Master of Science

While enjoying a passion for outdoor related sports, I had taken an interest in the equipment I used while hunting and fishing. I was fascinated by the precision of the instruments I used to optimize my time spent in the field. This curiosity led to some preliminary designs to further enhance my outings. The joy I received from these projects led me to pursue industrial design as a profession. As a student, I chose to design a product that related to the fishing industry. I selected to design a fly reel for its links to other fishing reels and man's interaction with water. This required a critical analysis of current fly reels and how to enhance its current design. To accomplish this I modified select mechanical elements of the reel. This involved, in some instances, new materials and incorporating different processes to achieve my goal. The innovations I incorporated allowed the reel to be used while fishing for a wider spectrum of fish than the typical fly reel. This flexibility reduces the need to purchase additional reels to pursue different size fish. This has the potential to provide a savings to the consumer and encourage them to fish for a species of fish they would otherwise neglect. In addition to my primary objective, I want to contribute a product that will be an asset to the fishing industry with attention to aesthetics, affordability and ease of use. / Master of Science

published_or_final_version / Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Mechanical Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

No description available.

The past few years have delivered a great deal of development in the area of Layered Manufacturing. The challenge is to apply the existing technologies to existing and/or new manufacturing systems, thereby adding value to these systems. The advances in the field of Layered Manufacturing range from the process of slicing to the actual building process. The main achievements in the arena of slicing have been in the advances of Adaptive Slicing. By not using a uniform slice thickness, not only is the stair stepping effect minimized, but the build time is also shortened. Many advances have been made in terms of the actual materials used and the process of building, thereby expanding the range of uses for the technology as a whole. With the extension in the variety of materials available for use with the technology, new uses become more than mere possibility and actually become viable. The use of Layered Manufacturing in the case of the CSIR was not the focus of the original experiment, but was a method to test the results of their main experiments – namely, research into the properties of ceramic materials and their use in the realm of medicine. The research of the CSIR focuses on the use of ceramic materials for the purpose of bone implants, which is a problem area in medicine. The machine they built in order to test the properties of the new materials they invent, uses Layered Manufacturing as a building process. What the CSIR lacks are the backend systems to enable the building of more complex experimental parts, as they have no way of going from design to a full build. This research project focuses on proving that the technologies involved in Layered Manufacturing will add value to the CSIR’s research. By implementing a system that takes advantage of existing software, and by using custom software to make it applicable to the environment the CSIR is currently operating in, their research could be speeded up tremendously without putting too much strain on their budget. What has been achieved is a simple system which employs the use of available technologies and software packages, and which requires no changes to the hardware of the current process used, such as the Rapid Prototyping machine. / Ehlers, E.M., Prof.