The project described here, Additive Robotic Fabrication of Complex Timber Structures, investigates the potential and innovative methods for robot based assembly of complex wooden structures in the construction industry. Since 2012, in the framework of the National Research Programme Resource Wood (NRP 66)1, the ETH Zurich2 in cooperation with the Bern University of Applied Science3 has pursued the approach of industrially manufacturing non-standardized systems with digital fabrication. In that context material-specific and constructive aspects of wood assembly are combined in a continuous digital design and manufacturing process. In contrast to traditional approaches, for instance, mechanical processing of individual components and manual assembly, a robot based set-up as a further step in the pre-assembly is being investigated. This research approach is based on the assumption that efficient lightweight support structures can be manufactured from simple wood components of inferior quality or even from waste or left over materials. The first experiments with spatial wood assembly4 in connection with new types of adhesive and construction methods have been successfully carried out in several studies and with full scale prototypes.
This paper takes a first step in characterizing a novel field of architectural research - aerial robotic construction (ARC) - where aerial robotics is used not only for construction, but as a guiding principle in the design and fabrication process. Featuring autonomous flying vehicles that lift small building elements and position them according to a precise digital blueprint, ARC offers a comprehensive new approach to architecture research and technology. Developed by the research groups of Gramazio & Kohler and Raffaello D'Andrea at ETH Zurich, ARC offers unique advantages over traditional approaches to building: it does not require scaffolding, it is easily scalable, and it offers digital integration and informational oversight across the entire design and building process. This paper considers 1) research parameters for the individual components of ARC (such as module design, connection methodologies, vehicle cooperation, and construction sequencing/synchronization), and 2) the architectural implications of integrating these discrete components into a systemic, unifying process at the earliest stages of design. Fidelity between the design concept and the full-scale construction is of particular concern.
Keywords: non-isothermal stamping ; reactive impregnation ; commingled yarn ; deconsolidation Reference EPFL-CONF-179227 Record created on 2012-06-29, modified on 2016-08-09
To determine whether mutation in the DNA of the estrogen-receptor gene occurs in endometrial cancer.Polymerase chain reaction amplification and single-stranded conformation polymorphism analysis of the entire coding region (exons 1-8) of the human estrogen-receptor gene, as well as an untranslated region (exon I*) in the gene, were performed on genomic DNA extracted from 56 snap-frozen endometrial cancers. All cancers demonstrating mobility shifts on single-stranded conformation polymorphism suggestive of DNA sequence alteration were subjected to definitive DNA sequencing of the relevant portion of the estrogen-receptor gene.In addition to detecting a frequent, previously described polymorphism in exon 1, single-stranded conformation polymorphism analysis of the 56 endometrial cancers identified seven cancers with mobility shifts. Three cancers shifted in exon 3, one cancer each shifted in exons 4 and 7, and two shifted in exon 8. Deoxyribonucleic acid sequencing revealed sequence alterations in all seven cases demonstrating mobility shifts. In six of these seven cases, these alterations were consistent with infrequent silent polymorphisms; in the seventh cancer, the sequence alteration proved to be a somatic missense mutation at codon 537 in the region of the estrogen-receptor gene encoding the hormone-binding domain of the receptor protein.The infrequent DNA mutation in the estrogen-receptor gene is unlikely to account for the variation in estrogen-receptor expression observed in endometrial cancer.
The combination of pioneering robotic fabrication technology with the sustainable material wood points the way to a future where renewable, possibly local materials are given novel aesthetic and structural potential through bespoke automated robotic assembly methods. Considering building-scale applications, such a fully integrated robotic assembly of complex timber structures is in its infancy, and presents many theoretical, practical and methodological challenges to architecture. Aspecific case for the industrial implementation of robotic timber construction is presented by 'The Sequential Roof'. Building-scale robotic timber construction is in its infancy, and presents many challenges to the architecture and the timber sector. The integration of all subsequent steps into one single process was fundamental in order to preserve digital information integrity and to avoid complex logistics such as the intermediate storage of prefabricated specific parts. In turn, tolerances in the build-up emerge, which, through their accumulation, cause major problems to the assembly process.
In this paper, our work in the field of fluorinated UV-curable polymers is reviewed. These polymers possessing tunable low refractive indices and low optical propagation losses for telecommunication wavelengths are intended to be used as core and cladding materials for the fabrication of passive channel waveguides in optical microchips on the polymer platform. This application requires low thermo-optic coefficients. With this goal, we used a combination of fluorinated polymers with low-refractive index inorganic nanoparticles of SiO2 and MgF2. Another application requiring extremely low refractive indices is polymer cladding for optical glass fibers. UV-curable fluorinated monomers/oligomers were used.
Abstract In this paper, we use a fully anonymized dataset provided by the German Savings Banks Association (DSGV) to analyse which savings banks have expanded into fee-producing activities more quickly. In addition, we investigate whether their profitability and stability is correlated with the share of their fee and commission income. Notably, we examine whether the effect on bank profitability differs depending on the type of fee and commission income. Our results support the view that savings banks with low net interest margins are under greater pressure to expand into fee-producing activities. They further suggest that savings banks with a higher share of fee and commission income, in particular from payment services and securities business, also have a higher profitability. The Z-score also correlates positively with the share of securities business income, possibly because it responds to different shocks than net interest income and, therefore, offers a large diversification potential. Zusammenfassung In diesem Paper verwenden wir einen vollständig anonymisierten Datensatz des Deutschen Sparkassen- und Giroverbands (DSGV), um zu untersuchen, welche Sparkassen ihr Provisionsgeschäft schneller ausgebaut haben. Außerdem analysieren wir, wie stark die Profitabilität und Stabilität dieser Banken mit dem Anteil des Provisionseinkommens am gesamten operativen Einkommen korreliert sind. Zu beachten ist, dass wir dabei nach der Art des Provisionseinkommens unterscheiden. Unsere Ergebnisse stützen die Hypothese, dass Sparkassen mit einer hohen Zinsmarge unter geringerem Druck stehen, ihr Provisionsgeschäft auszubauen. Sie lassen ferner darauf schließen, dass Sparkassen mit einem Anteil an Provisionseinkommen aus dem Zahlungsverkehr und dem Wertpapiergeschäft eine höhere Profitabilität haben. Der Z-Score korreliert ebenfalls positiv mit dem Anteil an Provisionseinkommen aus dem Wertpapiergeschäft, möglicherweise weil es anderen Schocks ausgesetzt ist als das Zinseinkommen und deshalb ein großes Diversifikationspotential birgt. JEL Classification: G20, G21, G29
