4D printed shape-shifting biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications

The existing 3D printing methods exhibit certain fabrication-dependent limitations for printing curved constructs that are relevant for many tissues. Four-dimensional (4D) printing is an emerging technology that is expected to revolutionize the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM). 4D printing is based on 3D printing,...

Influential stimuli characteristics on SNR in SSVEP-based interfaces: Thesis report: researching different aspects that influence the SNR in SSVEP-based interfaces

Different paradigms can be used to evoke brainwaves. These brainwaves can be interpreted as commands that can be used to control different applications. These frameworks that interpret the brainwaves are called brain-computer interfaces. Steady-state visually evoked potentials is one of these paradigms that uses external stimuli flickering at...

Curating City Intensities: The unravelled sensory experience of the urban public realm

In the eighteenth century, the city centre of the metropolis of London was the most chaotic due to its immense industries and excessive noise and smell. This sensorial overstimulation brought and still brings potential unsustainable health and well-being effects on its urban participants. <br/><br/>This research explores the redefinition and...

Improving the daily ICU experience from a critically ill patient's perspective

The intensive care unit (ICU) is a dehumanizing technical environment causing complications that are all captured in the term post-intensive-care syndrome (PICS). The patient’s well-being could be improved by moving away from this hostile environment toward more patient-centred care. Therefore this report explores how to improve the daily ICU...

Data as Creative Material in the Strategic Design Process: Introducing data as external stimuli to drive business model ideation

The role of data in the strategic design field is unquestionable and essential, being a catalyst for creativity and decision making. Design teams gather large amounts of data at the beginning of projects, to understand how the context of the problem looks like and how they can get inspired for the ideation of the outcomes. In the context of this...

Human behaviour should be recorded in (dis)comfort research

(Dis)comfort research that has no information on behaviour of the participants can be considered as incomplete, as major influencing factors could be missed. For (dis)comfort research it is important to capture influential factors such as context and task/activity, posture, movement, (distracting) stimuli and time, as these factors have...

Space for the Brain / Ruimte voor het Brein: Ground for focus and creativity for every brain

We can all relate to the experience of wanting to shut of all the environmental stimuli around us, as our brain is overwhelmed and overstimulated by it all. Our surrounding environments can be improved if architects and designers learn more about how multi-sensory stimuli can enrich our perception of space, and when these triggers can take a...

On Untethered, Dual Magneto- and Photoresponsive Liquid Crystal Bilayer Actuators Showing Bending and Rotating Motion

The integration of untethered, multi-stimuli responsive actuation into soft microrobotic devices is a goal in the development of “smart” materials. This manuscript reports on a dual-stimuli responsive bilayer actuator consisting of a light responsive liquid crystal network (LCN) and a magnetic responsive polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite....

Decoding designers' inspiration process

Every great invention, innovative design or visionary art piece ever created started in the same way: with a blank canvas. However, you never begin a new project with a completely clean slate: besides memories, past experiences and general knowledge, all of us are constantly surrounded by information, which can have a profound influence in our...

Inspiration choices that matter: The selection of external stimuli during ideation

Inspiration is a widely recognized phenomenon in everyday life. However, researchers still know very little about what the process of inspiration entails. This paper investigates designers’ approaches when selecting inspirational stimuli during the initial phases of a design process. We conducted a think-aloud protocol study and interviews with...

Adding scent to the IKEA shopping experience, a multi-sensory approach

IKEA Delft inspires visitors to renew their interior. Therefore four times a year a new seasonal theme is implemented using standard visual merchandising. However visitors were not sufficiently aware of the seasonal theme. A more comprehensive communication method was required. To achieve a more submerged experience, carefully selected scents...

Enriching the shopping experience of a user in an online apparel store

This thesis is focused on enriching the experience of a customer at an online apparel store. More specifically on how to make an online apparel store stand out among other online retailers. The author follows a design approach based on the exploration of the overall shopping experience. By exploring the shopping experience in physical and online...

Searching for inspiration during idea generation: Pictures or words?

People from different professional arenas search for inspiration in a number of sources, be it in memories from past experiences or in the physical environment that surrounds them. Purposefully or unconsciously, scientists, artists, writers and different types of designers for instance, come across diverse types of stimuli that they expect might...

Find your inspiration: Exploring different levels of abstraction in textual stimuli

The selection of inspirational sources is a crucial step while designing, which potentially can enhance creativity. However, empirical investigations have demonstrated a dual-effect that some stimuli might have during idea generation. Therefore, it is valid to discuss whether designers are disregarding other stimuli, such as textual...

How far is too far? Using different abstraction levels in textual and visual stimuli

EXIT through the PRISON

The subject of this thesis is the controversial case of a prison facility; a space with a very unique nature as it aims to enclosure and detention. Even contemporary alternative proposals do not really answer to burning questions like : What services contemporary prisons should offer? Does design matter? or Can architecture be a helping tool in...

Simulation of fracture healing incorporating mechanoregulation of tissue differentiation and dispersal/proliferation of cells

Modelling the course of healing of a long bone subjected to loading has been the subject of several investigations. These have succeeded in predicting the differentiation of tissues in the callus in response to a static mechanical load and the diffusion of biological factors. In this paper an approach is presented which includes both...