Recent Submissions
Deep learning for coherent nonlinear optical communications
(2025) Uhlemann, Tim; Ten Brink, Stephan (Prof. Dr.-Ing.)
Communication, in general, is the transport or exchange of information between two geographically distant points. The higher this distance the more sophisticated methods and materials have to be applied to overcome the same. Current state of the art for long-haul communication are optical fibers, that form the crucial backbone of our global, interlinked and digital society, connecting data-centers, factories and homes. Nevertheless, like all other physical media also the optical fiber induces the ever-present attenuation to the information carrying electromagnetic wave what, finally, limits the achievable throughput. This results in the need for higher input powers provided by (laser) diodes. Over the past decades physical and computational limitations led to an operation of the optical fiber in the linear regime, where attenuation as well as dispersion, and, thus, their compensation, constituted the major challenges. As this has changed recently, the investigation of nonlinearity gained more attraction.
This work focuses on the pre-distortion and post-equalization of such nonlinear effects that limit the overall efficiency. Thereby, methods from deep-learning are applied and compared to conventional methods. As those, in general, lack of interpretability, here, the concept of so-called architectural templates is proposed that combines well-known, and, from theory derived, concepts with the ones provided by native deep-learning. This way, the results can be analyzed with proven methods from the field of signal processing. While learning of the receiver is a straight-forward, but still complex, task, even more challenging is learning the transmitter as the optimization, i.e., gradient flow, has to be conducted (backwards) through the optical fiber channel. Here, all learnings and evaluations are performed on an accurate simulation of the optical fiber, what enables an isolation of the investigated nonlinear effects.
It results that learning over such accurate nonlinear models is possible as the gradient is preserved and the error can be back-propagated. Further, conventional linear filters for dispersion compensation can be outperformed, when being trained in the nonlinear regime. The extension to a nonlinear architectural template revealed the need for a more sophisticated training procedure proposed in this work. When considering a multi-carrier system the trainable nonlinear template for the transmitter was able to exploit additional information from the neighboring channels.
Was wollen unzufriedene Bürgerinnen und Bürger von der Politik? : Forderungen und Wünsche von "Enttäuschten" und "Aktiven" an das politische System in Deutschland - ein Vergleich
(2025) Walter, Manuel; Bächtiger, André (Prof. Dr.)
Foa et al. kommen im Jahr 2020 zu dem Ergebnis, dass die Unzufriedenheit mit der Demokratie weltweit wächst. Die Diskussion um die Demokratie mit entsprechenden Krisen sowie der Frage nach Responsivität prägt die Geschichte dieser Regierungsform. Eine grundlegende Krise des demokratischen Systems der Bundesrepublik Deutschland besteht - trotz Diskussionen und Debatten im weltweiten Kontext (vgl. Foa et al. 2020) - noch immer nicht.
Das bedeutet jedoch nicht, dass im bestehenden politischen System nicht für einzelne Personen oder Gruppen kritische Bedingungen vorherrschen. Mit dem Konzept der „embedded democracy“ hat Wolfgang Merkel (vgl. Merkel 2004) ein Instrument geschaffen um problematische Entwicklungen in einem demokratischen System identifizieren und analysieren zu können. Bei der Analyse zeigt sich, dass die grundlegenden Funktionen im bundesrepublikanischen System auf einem (sehr) guten Niveau erfüllt sind. Das Demokratiebarometer zeigt das in seinen Auswertungen und stuft Deutschland als etablierte und stabile Demokratie ein (vgl. Engler et al. 2020). Das größte Potenzial besteht in der Dimension der „Equality“, was ein Argument für die Betrachtung einzelner gesellschaftlicher Gruppen darstellt. Im Hinblick auf den political support, genauer gesagt bei der Zufriedenheit mit der Demokratie in Deutschland, der Regierung oder der wirtschaftlichen Lage, zeigt sich diese Stabilität nicht in allen drei Dimensionen. Gerade die letzten beiden Kriterien weisen eine gewisse Volatilität auf, wohingegen die Zufriedenheit mit der Demokratie im Betrachtungszeitraum eine stabile Mehrheit an (sehr) zufriedenen Bürgerinnen und Bürgern zeigt. Daher untersucht die vorliegende Arbeit die Partizipationswünsche unzufriedener Bürgerinnen und Bürger.
Besonders ausgeprägt sind diese Probleme bei Menschen mit geringen ökonomischen Mitteln (vgl. Elsässer et al. 2016). Eine weitere Gruppe ist aus einem anderen Grund unzufrieden. Sie hat ein grundsätzlich anderes Politikverständnis. Diese
Gruppe betrachtet direktdemokratische Elemente als notwendiges Instrument auf allen politischen Ebenen und sie setzen sich, organisiert in einem Verein, genau dafür ein. Die beiden untersuchten Gruppen verbindet ein signifikant geringeres Niveau an Zufriedenheit mit der Demokratie in Deutschland. Die „Aktiven“ bilden Mitgliederinnen und Mitglieder, haupt- und ehrenamtliche Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter des Vereins „Mehr Demokratie e.V.“ sowie Interessierte an den Themen des Vereins. Der Verein wurde mit der Forderung nach mehr direktdemokratischen Partizipationsmöglichkeiten auf allen politischen Ebenen gegründet. Passend dazu weisen diese Personen ein signifikant höheres Niveau beim Partizipationsindex auf, verorten sich weiter „links“ auf der Links-Rechts-Skala und haben eine signifikant höheres subjektives politisches Kompetenzgefühl sowie besseres subjektives Einkommen. Die „Enttäuschten“ sind Menschen mit Erfahrung mit (Langzeit-)Arbeitslosigkeit. Diese Gruppe befindet sich, durch die ökonomischen Bedingungen, entsprechend den genannten Ergebnissen von Elsässer et al. (2016), in einer schwierigen Situation hinsichtlich der Responsivität bei politischen Entscheidungen. Abgesehen davon, dass es für diese Personengruppe kaum bzw. keine empirischen Erkenntnisse auf der Mikro-Ebene gibt, zeigen sich bei den Einstellungen interessante Abweichungen von repräsentativen Befragungen. Zusätzlich zur signifikant geringeren Zufriedenheit haben sie auch ein geringeres politisches Responsivitätsgefühl. Außerdem haben sie signifikant weniger soziale Kontakte und ziehen sich damit eher zurück. Gleichzeitig weisen nicht nur die „Aktiven“, sondern auch die „Enttäuschten“ ein signifikant höheres politisches Interesse in den vorliegenden Erhebungen auf. Die eine Gruppe ist politisch sehr aktiv und erhält daher den Namen „die Aktiven“. Die zweite Gruppe ist ebenfalls interessiert, findet aber sowohl subjektiv als auch tatsächlich wenig Gehör. Sie werden daher, auch wegen des stärkeren politischen Interesses und politischen Kompetenzgefühls, im Rahmen dieser Arbeit als „Enttäuschte“ bezeichnet.
Eine Frage, die bei dem niedrigen Responsivitätsgefühl und der signifikant geringeren Zufriedenheit mit der Demokratie in Deutschland, auf der Hand liegt, ist die, nach dem System und den Partizipationsmöglichkeiten. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit werden daher, abweichend vom bestehenden System, auch Modelle mit mehr und weniger Partizipationsmöglichkeiten diskutiert und getestet. Das „Repräsentative Modell“, als bestehendes und am weitesten verbreitete demokratische Modell ist in dieser Betrachtung zentral. Zusätzlich spielen die direkte und deliberative Demokratie in der Forschung und auf unterschiedlichen politischen Ebenen eine wachsende Rolle. Außerdem bilden diese Modelle den Kern der Forderung des politischen Vereins ab. Auf der anderen Seite des Spektrums, der Seite mit weniger Partizipationsmöglichkeiten, ist die Stealth Democracy oder die Expertokratie - besonders bei fehlendem Vertrauen in
Politikerinnen und Politiker - ein relevantes demokratisches Modell. Die Forderung nach einem „starken Führer“, welcher bestehende politische Probleme lösen soll, tritt besonders in populistischen Kontexten immer wieder auf. Daher wird auch das Modell der „Führerdemokratie“ nach Max Weber diskutiert.
Als prägende Determinanten bezüglich der Partizipationspräferenz fokussiert sich die vorliegende Arbeit auf vier Faktoren. Zuerst die Wünsche der Gruppen auf Basis der jeweiligen Charakteristiken. Danach der Wunsch nach (direkter) Beteiligung bei einer Entscheidung zu einem subjektiv wichtigen Thema, also die Salienz. Populistische Einstellungen und deren Auswirkung auf Partizipationswünsche werden ebenfalls untersucht. Zusätzlich wird die subjektive Kompetenz und die wahrgenommene Responsivität des politischen Systems im Rahmen der political Efficacy in die Untersuchung einbezogen.
Mit vorgeschalteten Pre-Tests, besonders zu mehr oder wenigen salient Themen und der Dauer sowie Verständlichkeit des Fragebogens wird im Rahmen von zwei quantitativen Erhebungen sowohl die Bewertung als auch die Wahl der Demokratiemodelle in den einzelnen Szenarien untersucht. Insgesamt vergeben sowohl die „Aktiven“ als auch die „Enttäuschten“ die beste Bewertung für das „Direktdemokratische Modell“. Die zweitbeste Bewertung vergeben beide Gruppen an das „Dialogmodell“. Nicht nur bei der Bewertung, sondern auch bei der Wahl der Modelle in den einzelnen Szenarien, vereinen diese partizipatorischen Demokratiemodelle die Mehrheit auf sich, wobei unter den „Enttäuschten“ auch die Expertokratie und das repräsentative System ein Drittel bei der Wahl der Modelle abdecken.
Auf die Bewertung des repräsentativen Modells wirken sich pluralistische Einstellungen, die external Efficacy und das Vertrauen in Medien signifikant positiv aus. Negativ wirken sich populistische Einstellungen und normative Überzeugungen bezüglich direkter Beteiligung aus. Bei der Wahl des repräsentativen Modells zeigt sich ein ähnliches Bild. Interessant ist, dass ein Thema mit hoher Salienz die Wahrscheinlichkeit der Wahl dieses delegativen Modells reduziert.
Auf die Bewertung des „direktdemokratischen Modells“ wirken sich populistische Einstellungen sowie normative und instrumentelle Überzeugungen bezüglich direkter Beteiligung und die Gruppe der „Aktiven“ signifikant positiv aus. Bei der Wahl dieses Modells erhöht sowohl das weniger saliente als auch das saliente Thema die Wahrscheinlichkeit. Sobald es um ein konkretes Thema geht, so könnte man schließen, möchten diese Gruppen sich direkt beteiligen. Zusätzlich erhöhen die internal Efficacy und die normativen Überzeugungen die Wahrscheinlichkeit der Wahl dieses Modells signifikant.
Um eine konstruktive Lösung für die Unzufriedenheit zu ermöglichen, erscheint die politische Inklusion aller gesellschaftlichen Gruppen, gerade von Unzufriedenen, zentral. Dies kann sowohl durch substanzielle Repräsentation (vgl. Pitkin 1967) erfolgen, sollte sich aber mindestens in einer gesteigerten (subjektiven) Responsivität des politischen Systems niederschlagen. Die Betonung und Vorteile von Kompromissen und Abwägungsprozessen ist hierbei zentral. Möchte man unterrepräsentierte Gruppen stärker einbinden empfiehlt sich beispielsweise eine Überrepräsentation in deliberativen Formaten (vgl. Bächtiger/ Beste 2017) oder ein anderes Anreizsystem für politische Entscheidungsträgerinnen und Entscheidungsträger wie es Julia Cagé in „The Price of Democracy“ diskutiert (vgl. Cagé 2020).
Liquid crystalline self-assembly of mixtures of rod- and wedge-shaped MIDA boronates
(2025) Schilling, Christopher; Bauch, Soeren; Wuckert, Eugen; Zens, Anna; Bruckner, Johanna R.; Laschat, Sabine
Rod-like MIDA boronates form smectic mesophases, while wedge-shaped MIDA boronates self-assemble into columnar mesophases. However, the phase behavior of mixtures is less understood. In order to obtain further insight on the molecular self-assembly of MIDA boronate mixtures two series of binary mixtures of rod-like and wedge-shaped mesogens were prepared. The phase behavior was studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarizing optical microscopy (POM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The study revealed a strong dependency of the mesophase structure on the mesogen composition. Usage of a less bulky columnar mesogen suppressed the formation of columnar mesophases in the mixture and led to a decrease in melting and clearing temperatures. The phase behavior is discussed in terms of the packing parameter model typically applied for lyotropic liquid crystals.
Hydroxyl-conductive 2D hexagonal boron nitrides for anion exchange membrane water electrolysis and sustainable hydrogen production
(2025) Kaur, Jasneet; Schweinbenz, Matthew; Ho, Kane; Malekkhouyan, Adel; Ghotia, Kamal; Egert, Franz; Razmjooei, Fatemeh; Ansar, Syed Asif; Zarrin, Hadis
In response to the urgent global call to transition from polluting fossil fuels to sustainable energy alternatives, hydrogen emerges as a promising and widely accessible energy source if it can be efficiently produced through water splitting and electrolysis. Anion exchange membrane (AEM) water electrolyzers (AEMWEs) have potential for large scale H2 production at a low cost. However, the development of alkaline membranes with high hydroxide conductivity, improved stability and better performance is a significant challenge for the commercial application of advanced AEMWEs. In this work, a novel structure for hydroxide-ion conductive membranes based on surface-engineered two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal boron nitrides (h-BN) is designed and validated in a highly active and durable AEMWE cell with non-precious metal Ni-based electrodes. Among two samples, the high-loaded 2D hBN nanocomposite membrane (M2) showed significantly high hydroxide-ion conductivity (190 mS cm-1) with improved electrochemical and mechanical stability. The AEMWE cell assembled with the M2 membrane exhibited superior cell performance, achieving 1.78 V at 0.5 A cm-2 compared to the cell utilizing the lower loading hBN nanocomposite membrane (M1). Additionally, its performance closely approached that of the cell employing a commercial membrane. During a long-term stability test conducted at a constant load of 0.5 A cm-2 for 250 hours, the M2 membrane maintained satisfactory electrolysis voltage without any notable failure. These findings demonstrate that 2D hBN nanocomposite membranes hold great promise for use in advanced AEMWEs.
Process-based screening of porous materials for vacuum swing adsorption based on 1D classical density functional theory and PC-SAFT
(2025) Mayer, Fabian; Buhk, Benedikt; Schilling, Johannes; Rehner, Philipp; Gross, Joachim; Bardow, André
Adsorption-based processes are showing substantial potential for carbon capture. Due to the vast space of potential solid adsorbents and their influence on the process performance, the choice of the material is not trivial but requires systematic approaches. In particular, the material choice should be based on the performance of the resulting process. In this work, we present a method for the process-based screening of porous materials for pressure and vacuum swing adsorption. The method is based on an equilibrium process model that incorporates one-dimensional classical density functional theory (1D-DFT) and the PC-SAFT equation of state. Thereby, the presented method can efficiently screen databases of potential adsorbents and identify the best-performing materials as well as the corresponding optimized process conditions for a specific carbon capture application. We apply our method to a point-source carbon capture application at a cement plant. The results show that the process model is crucial to evaluating the performance of adsorbents instead of relying solely on material heuristics. Furthermore, we enhance our approach through multi-objective optimization and demonstrate for materials with high performance that our method is able to capture the trade-offs between two process objectives, such as specific work and purity. The presented method thus provides an efficient screening tool for adsorbents to maximize process performance.
Semiaffine stable planes
(2023) Löwen, Rainer; Stroppel, Markus J.
A locally compact stable plane of positive topological dimension will be called semiaffine if for every line L and every point p not in L there is at most one line passing through p and disjoint from L . We show that then the plane is either an affine or projective plane or a punctured projective plane (i.e., a projective plane with one point deleted). We also compare this with the situation in general linear spaces (without topology), where P. Dembowski showed that the analogue of our main result is true for finite spaces but fails in general.
Image-based characterization of multiphase flow in porous media
(Stuttgart : Institute of Applied Mechanics, 2024) Vahid Dastjerdi, Samaneh; Steeb, Holger (Prof. Dr.-Ing.)
Multiphase flow in porous media encompasses a wide range of applications, including groundwater management, resource extraction, and carbon dioxide sequestration. This interdisciplinary field intersects geophysics, hydrology, and environmental science and has the potential to revolutionize industrial applications. The dynamics of imbibition and drainage processes in porous media and the relevant underlying physics, as well as developing effective models to describe them, are among the main focuses of research in multiphase porous media flow.
This work primarily revolves around equations to compute capillary pressure and accommodate features like hysteresis. To follow this aim, experimental observations are examined by integrating two continuum theories for phase flow in porous media. One theory extends the understanding of multiphase flow by incorporating essential elements in thermodynamic equations, namely phases, and their interfaces, formulating capillary pressure as a function of saturation and phases' specific interfacial area. The fact that interfaces are the locus of force exchange between all the present phases supports the necessity of considering them in describing a multiphase flow system. The other theory addresses limitations in conventional approaches by differentiating between percolating and non-percolating fluid clusters. This theory employs the fact that the distribution of forces is different in the percolating and non-percolating fluid elements. This research merges these theories to enhance the available comprehension of two-phase flow in porous media. In order to collect the pore-scale information necessary as the input parameters in the mentioned continuum theories, microfluidic experiments are carried out and visualized using a customized open-air microscope. The high-resolution recording of experiments provides real-time information on the two-phase flow process. Subsequently, the recorded snapshots are processed via a self-developed segmentation and parameter calculation code. The REV-scale parameters gathered from the experiments, among others, include saturation and specific interfacial area.
The results from the experiments show that an approach that considers specific interfacial area when differentiating between percolating and non-percolating fluid elements proves valuable in modeling two-phase porous media flow. Moreover, a linear relation between saturation and specific interfacial area of percolating fluid phases is observed, which could help find more efficient models for multiphase fluid flow in a porous medium. Additionally, the formation of preferential flow paths after cyclic phase displacements is documented. These preferential flow paths, referred to as an effective porous medium, remain unaltered when enough fluid clusters are stranded. The stranded fluid clusters and the solid matrix form the effective porous medium, which constrains the flow to the preferential flow pathways for both fluids, regardless of the wetting properties of the flow system. This observation highlights the need to differentiate between primary and scanning events in applications. These results could contribute to advancing a two-phase flow theory capable of capturing dynamic conditions and hysteresis phenomena, emphasizing the importance of considering interfacial area and phase connectivity in continuum theories.
Modeling and simulation of solar hybrid microturbine technology based on a parabolic dish solar concentrator
(2025) Arifin, Maulana; Vogt, Damian M. (Prof. Tekn. Dr.)
The development of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)-based solar hybrid microturbines presents a formidable challenge. The system effectiveness relies on various factors, including weather conditions, time of day, and location, all of which contribute to its dynamic interaction between key components: the compressor, turbine, combustor, and solar receiver during daily operations. However, despite the promising potential, a commercial solar hybrid microturbine utilizing a parabolic dish solar concentrator remains unavailable in the market. Consequently, there exists a significant gap in understanding the behavior and characteristics of this system, leaving crucial questions unanswered in the existing literature. Notably, the performance of the turbomachinery components, solar receiver, and combustor arrangements play essential roles in the solar hybrid microturbine concept. Therefore, rigorous investigations are imperative to establish a fundamental understanding of the system dynamic behavior and pave the way for the future design of more efficient compressors and turbines.
Addressing these challenges, the Energy Research Group at BRIN (formerly LIPI) and ITSM at the University of Stuttgart collaborated to develop a CSP system based on hybrid solar microturbines for a remote area in Indonesia. The concept involves integrating a solar receiver and a combustor into a single turbo-machine, utilizing a parabolic dish solar concentrator to harness solar energy effectively. To enhance performance and operating range, a novel concept of multiple splitter blades is implemented in the radial compressor. The radial turbine is also designed with a novel cavity structure inside the rotor to achieve a lightweight design. The primary objective of this work is to design a system capable of generating up to 40 kW of power output.
The initial objective of this study is to develop a preliminary design tool for predicting the performance of the solar hybrid microturbine. The model accounts for both the on-design condition and the variations in ambient temperature and Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) throughout the year, utilizing meteorological data from the specific location in Indonesia. Moreover, the economic aspects of the system are considered. Furthermore, a thorough investigation is conducted to comprehend the steady and dynamic operational behavior of the solar hybrid microturbine, including a comparison performance of the system between series and parallel configurations for reducing fuel consumption and emissions from the combustor.
The present study also evaluates the design and optimization of the turbomachinery components such as radial compressor and turbine for solar hybrid microturbine. The design process begins with the utilization of mean-line models based on enthalpy loss models and progresses to 3D simulations utilizing computational fluid dynamics (CFD), finite element analysis (FEA), and surrogate-based optimization. Recent updates to enthalpy loss models were evaluated and compared to assess the accuracy of the mean-line models in predicting performance. The new design of a multi-splitter in the radial compressor and a modified cavity structure for the radial turbine rotor were also evaluated and analyzed. The performance of radial compressors and turbines was compared using air and sCO2 as the working fluids.
The thesis delivers that the parallel configuration system exhibits higher overall performance compared to the series configuration, mainly due to lower pressure losses in the parallel setup. However, fluctuations in the mass flow rate distribution between the solar receiver and combustor lead to a slight decline in the thermal and fuel efficiency of the parallel configuration when compared to the series configuration. This reduction can be attributed to variations in the air mass flow at the solar receiver and combustor during periods of decreasing or increasing solar heat input.
The results demonstrate that the optimized turbomachinery components exhibit improved performance compared to the baseline design. There is an improvement in the total-to-total efficiency at the same pressure ratio and the operating range has been expanded for both air and sCO2 radial compressor when comparing the non-splitter and multiple-splitter designs. The cavity structure design for the rotor blade of both air and sCO2 turbine has been optimized with variations to support a lightweight structure, which has led to a significant increase in structural stability and a reduction in maximum stress, as well as prevented potential dangerous vibrations at the design operating conditions.
Higher Morita-Tachikawa correspondence
(2024) Cruz, Tiago
Important correspondences in representation theory can be regarded as restrictions of the Morita–Tachikawa correspondence. Moreover, this correspondence motivates the study of many classes of algebras like Morita algebras and gendo‐symmetric algebras. Explicitly, the Morita-Tachikawa correspondence describes that endomorphism algebras of generators-cogenerators over finite‐dimensional algebras are exactly the finite‐dimensional algebras with dominant dimension at least two. In this paper, we introduce the concepts of quasi‐generators and quasi‐cogenerators that generalise generators and cogenerators, respectively. Using these new concepts, we present higher versions of the Morita-Tachikawa correspondence that take into account relative dominant dimension with respect to a self‐orthogonal module with arbitrary projective and injective dimensions. These new versions also hold over Noetherian algebras that are finitely generated and projective over a commutative Noetherian ring.
Digital interactive experience- and game-based fall interventions for community-dwelling healthy older adults : a cross-disciplinary systematic review
(2025) Ciemer, Celina; Kröper, Lisa; Klotzbier, Thomas J.; Ghellal, Sabiha; Schott, Nadja
Introduction: Falls pose significant health risks to older adults, impacting their quality of life. Preventive strategies are crucial, as research shows that fall prevention interventions can effectively reduce fall risks. However, these interventions often suffer from low adherence and uptake. Digital, interactive interventions, incorporating experience-, and game-related aspects, offer a promising solution, making this topic inherently cross-disciplinary. Objective: This review aims to assess the current landscape of digital interactive experience and game-based fall interventions for community-dwelling, healthy older adults. It focuses on integrating Human Movement Science and User Experience & Game Design perspectives, emphasizing the cross-disciplinary nature of this research.
Methods: We employed a cross-disciplinary literature search framework, searching the databases ACM-DL, IEEE-Xplore, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The review focused on healthy community-dwelling older adults (50+), including those at risk of falling. Excluded were studies involving chronic diseases, non-age-related impairments, other age groups, or individuals receiving care. Only digital, interactive fall prevention interventions without commercial software were considered. Studies published between 2000–2024 were included. A qualitative thematic synthesis was conducted, focusing on four categories: Objectives (O), Design and Development (D), Types of Intervention (T), and Evaluation Methods (E).
Results: The search yielded 2,747 results, with 59 articles included in the final synthesis. Objectives were mainly driven by a combination of HMS and UXG rather than a single aspect. In Design and Development it was observed that concept-based design was scarce, with most being procedure-based. Descriptions of interventions frequently lacked specificity, particularly in-depth experience-related terminology and exercise descriptions. Evaluation methods were found to be more frequently informed by both HMS and UXG, although only four studies used a mixed-method approach to explore their interplay. Among included articles, most aspects incorporated both HMS and UXG across all four categories: O( n = 37), D( n = 37), T( n = 54), and E( n = 21).
Conclusion: The review underscores the importance of digital interactive experience- and game-based fall prevention interventions. It highlights the need for enhanced cross-disciplinary collaboration between HMS and UXG to address gaps, such as the lack of a shared thesaurus and standardized guidelines, which are vital for improving transparency, reproducibility, and the refinement of these interventions.
Methods: We employed a cross-disciplinary literature search framework, searching the databases ACM-DL, IEEE-Xplore, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The review focused on healthy community-dwelling older adults (50+), including those at risk of falling. Excluded were studies involving chronic diseases, non-age-related impairments, other age groups, or individuals receiving care. Only digital, interactive fall prevention interventions without commercial software were considered. Studies published between 2000–2024 were included. A qualitative thematic synthesis was conducted, focusing on four categories: Objectives (O), Design and Development (D), Types of Intervention (T), and Evaluation Methods (E).
Results: The search yielded 2,747 results, with 59 articles included in the final synthesis. Objectives were mainly driven by a combination of HMS and UXG rather than a single aspect. In Design and Development it was observed that concept-based design was scarce, with most being procedure-based. Descriptions of interventions frequently lacked specificity, particularly in-depth experience-related terminology and exercise descriptions. Evaluation methods were found to be more frequently informed by both HMS and UXG, although only four studies used a mixed-method approach to explore their interplay. Among included articles, most aspects incorporated both HMS and UXG across all four categories: O( n = 37), D( n = 37), T( n = 54), and E( n = 21).
Conclusion: The review underscores the importance of digital interactive experience- and game-based fall prevention interventions. It highlights the need for enhanced cross-disciplinary collaboration between HMS and UXG to address gaps, such as the lack of a shared thesaurus and standardized guidelines, which are vital for improving transparency, reproducibility, and the refinement of these interventions.