A short paper on the whats and the hows of learning technology standardization
This paper elaborates on potential linkages between TNAs and NDCs. TNAs have been conducted by developing countries since 2001 as a participatory process to prioritize technologies for mitigation and adaptation within countries’ national sustainable development contexts. Around 15 years after conducting the first TNA, its bottom-up paradigm was reflected in the Paris Agreement and the concept of NDCs. In their NDCs countries determine actions within their national contexts that contribute to the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 °C and preferably below 1.5 °C. There are many potential interlinkages between TNAs and NDCs, as noted in earlier papers by the TEC. For example, TEC (2018) compares possible NDC design and implementation steps with those in the TNA guidance, concluding that outputs from one process could be used as inputs for the other. Recent synthesis reports on NDCs and TNAs highlight that the processes refer to each other in several ways. Most recent TNAs use a country’s NDC as a starting point for the analysis.
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Purpose: This is a position paper describing the elements of an international framework for assistive techhnology provision that could guide the development of policies, systems and service delivery procedures across the world. It describes general requirements, quality criteria and possible approaches that may help to enhance the accessibility of affordable and high quality assistive technology solutions. Materials and methods: The paper is based on the experience of the authors, an analysis of the existing literature and the inputs from many colleagues in the field of assistive technology provision. It includes the results of discussions of an earlier version of the paper during an international conference on the topic in August 2017. Results and conclusion: The paper ends with the recommendation to develop an international standard for assistive technology provision. Such a standard can have a major impact on the accessibility of AT for people with disabilities. The paper outlines some the key elements to be included in a standard.
Due to the existing pressure for a more rational use of the water, many public managers and industries have to re-think/adapt their processes towards a more circular approach. Such pressure is even more critical in the Rio Doce region, Minas Gerais, due to the large environmental accident occurred in 2015. Cenibra (pulp mill) is an example of such industries due to the fact that it is situated in the river basin and that it has a water demanding process. The current proposal is meant as an academic and engineering study to propose possible solutions to decrease the total water consumption of the mill and, thus, decrease the total stress on the Rio Doce basin. The work will be divided in three working packages, namely: (i) evaluation (modelling) of the mill process and water balance (ii) application and operation of a pilot scale wastewater treatment plant (iii) analysis of the impacts caused by the improvement of the process. The second work package will also be conducted (in parallel) with a lab scale setup in The Netherlands to allow fast adjustments and broaden evaluation of the setup/process performance. The actions will focus on reducing the mill total water consumption in 20%.
In the last decade, the automotive industry has seen significant advancements in technology (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicles) that presents the opportunity to improve traffic safety, efficiency, and comfort. However, the lack of drivers’ knowledge (such as risks, benefits, capabilities, limitations, and components) and confusion (i.e., multiple systems that have similar but not identical functions with different names) concerning the vehicle technology still prevails and thus, limiting the safety potential. The usual sources (such as the owner’s manual, instructions from a sales representative, online forums, and post-purchase training) do not provide adequate and sustainable knowledge to drivers concerning ADAS. Additionally, existing driving training and examinations focus mainly on unassisted driving and are practically unchanged for 30 years. Therefore, where and how drivers should obtain the necessary skills and knowledge for safely and effectively using ADAS? The proposed KIEM project AMIGO aims to create a training framework for learner drivers by combining classroom, online/virtual, and on-the-road training modules for imparting adequate knowledge and skills (such as risk assessment, handling in safety-critical and take-over transitions, and self-evaluation). AMIGO will also develop an assessment procedure to evaluate the impact of ADAS training on drivers’ skills and knowledge by defining key performance indicators (KPIs) using in-vehicle data, eye-tracking data, and subjective measures. For practical reasons, AMIGO will focus on either lane-keeping assistance (LKA) or adaptive cruise control (ACC) for framework development and testing, depending on the system availability. The insights obtained from this project will serve as a foundation for a subsequent research project, which will expand the AMIGO framework to other ADAS systems (e.g., mandatory ADAS systems in new cars from 2020 onwards) and specific driver target groups, such as the elderly and novice.
In 2016 hadden 3,8 miljoen mensen een hersenaandoening. Daarvan hebben 645.900 mensen niet aangeboren hersenletsel (NAH), zoals een beroerte of traumatisch hersenletsel. Indien deze NAH patiënten weer willen autorijden, moeten zij een medische keuring ondergaan en, op indicatie, een CBR-rijtest om de rijgeschiktheid te beoordelen. De medische keuring en de rijtest hebben een eenmalig karakter en zijn gebaseerd op een momentopname. Tijdens de rijtest beoordelen examinatoren op basis van hun observaties tijdens een autorit of verkeersdeelname (weer) verantwoord is. Een bepaalde mate van subjectiviteit en afhankelijkheid van de verkeerssituatie op het moment van assessment zijn daarbij onontkoombaar. Inzet van technologie heeft de potentie om assessment van rijgeschiktheid te objectiveren en valideren. In wisselende virtuele verkeersscenario’s worden objectieve metingen van relevante parameters gedaan: hartslag, reactiesnelheid en kracht van armen en benen. Uitvoering van deze assessments door zorgprofessionals in de eerste lijn en doorvertaling van praktische implicaties voor training of technische aanpassingen draagt bij aan gepersonaliseerde adviezen aan individuele NAH-patiënten. Een eerste aanzet tot personalisering van rijtests voor NAH-patiënten is gegeven door mkb-partner Noldus Technology. Zij ontwikkelen specifieke Drive Lab software voor assessment van NAH-patiënten, gericht op frequent voorkomende functiebeperkingen in deze doelgroep (bv. reactiesnelheid en kracht van armen en benen). Het revalidatiecentrum van de Sint Maartenskliniek stelt zich ten doel om neurologische patiënten optimaal voor te bereiden op maatschappelijke participatie na ontslag. Mede daartoe profileert deze kliniek zich met innovatieve technologie en klinimetrie ten behoeve van een optimale voorbereiding van NAH-patiënten en zorgverleners in de extramurale setting. Praktijkgericht onderzoek met het Drive Lab past binnen dit streven, aangezien de uitkomsten van Drive Lab assessments belangrijke implicaties geven voor randvoorwaarden voor rijgeschiktheid, zoals technische aanpassingen van een auto. In dit project wordt onderzocht over welke specifieke kennis en skills HBO-professionals moeten beschikken om het Drive Lab in de klinische praktijk te gebruiken.
