Recent Submissions
Absorbing state phase transition with Clifford circuits
(2024) Makki, Nastasia; Lang, Nicolai; Büchler, Hans Peter
Photoacoustic spectroscopy with a widely tunable narrowband fiber-feedback optical parametric oscillator
(2024) Schmid, Luca; Kadriu, Florent; Kuppel, Sandro; Floess, Moritz; Steinle, Tobias; Giessen, Harald
Online-Fokusgruppen : Chancen und Herausforderungen aus der Sicht der Forschungspraxis
(2023) Niederberger, Marlen; Zwick, Michael M.
Exploration-exploitation-based trajectory tracking of mobile robots using Gaussian processes and model predictive control
(2023) Eschmann, Hannes; Ebel, Henrik; Eberhard, Peter
Prozessmodellierung in der additiven Fertigung : Molekulardynamische Simulation als Ansatz zur Optimierung der additiven Qualität
(2023) Müller, Sarah; Klein, Dominic; Öhlschläger, Fabio; Roth, Johannes; Westkämper, Engelbert
Global optimal actuator placement for adaptive structures : new formulation and benchmarking
(2024) Senatore, Gennaro; Virgili, Francesco; Blandini, Lucio
Civil structures are often overdesigned to meet safety and functionality criteria under rare, strong events. Adaptive structures, however, can modify their response through sensing and actuation to satisfy design criteria more efficiently with better material utilization, which results in lower resource consumption and associated environmental impacts. Adaptation is performed through actuators integrated into the structural layout. Several methods exist for optimal actuator placement to control displacements and internal force flow. In discrete systems like trusses and frames, actuator placement is typically a binary assignment. Most existing methods use bilevel and heuristic formulations, leading to suboptimal solutions without proving global optimality. This paper introduces a Mixed Integer Programming (MIP) method that produces global optimum solutions by optimizing both actuator placement and commands. Two objective functions are used: minimizing the number of actuators and minimizing control energy. The optimization considers structural and serviceability limits and control feasibility. An extensive benchmark compares the new formulation’s global optima with solutions from greedy, stochastic, and heuristic methods. Results show that the new method consistently produces higher-quality solutions than all other methods benchmarked in this study.
Editorial - visualizing big culture and history data
(2025) Windhager, Florian; Koch, Steffen; Münster, Sander; Mayr, Eva
Efficacy of personalized feedback in encouraging sustainable washing behavior : evidence from a pilot study in Germany
(2025) Höpfl, Laura; Đula, Ivan; Kiss, Francisco; Walter, Rebecca; Wirzberger, Maria
Introduction: Reducing household energy consumption through behavioral changes is a key strategy in addressing the emissions driving the climate crisis. Behavioral changes in affluent households toward more sustainable practices can have a significant positive impact. Prior research highlighted the role of individual values and motivational factors in shaping sustainable clusters. A more personalized approach toward encouraging the resulting clusters of people to adopt more sustainable strategies seems promising. Such an approach could incorporate aligned feedback, which has been proven to be a powerful mechanism throughout learning processes.
Method: Over 9 weeks, a pilot study with 50 participants investigated the impact of different types of feedback on washing behavior. The within-subjects design included (1) a baseline condition, (2) feedback on energy consumption (kWh), and (3) feedback on monetary costs per cycle (EUR). Data collection encompassed pre- and post-condition surveys, a final comprehensive survey, and a diary-formatted table. The primary objective was to evaluate the potential for individualization. Asynchronous structured interviews were conducted at the end to explore participants' perceptions and washing behaviors.
Results: While we found effects for the feedback manipulation, we found no differences between user clusters in individual washing behaviors. Furthermore, participants qualitatively reported habitual changes, feeling more knowledgeable about the monetary impacts of specific washing programs and temperatures, and wished for a more accessible preset time function. Most participants expressed willingness to switch to a dynamic energy price if it translated to significant cost savings.
Discussion: Our findings may support the notion that individualized behavior change strategies are promising. In general, these strategies should be easily applicable, cost-effective, and promote habits to be exerted regularly. Arising methodological limitations suggest further research in this domain. From an applied perspective, our research provides valuable insights for designing products, services, and regulations by governments and companies, empowering them to develop more effective strategies for reducing energy consumption.
Method: Over 9 weeks, a pilot study with 50 participants investigated the impact of different types of feedback on washing behavior. The within-subjects design included (1) a baseline condition, (2) feedback on energy consumption (kWh), and (3) feedback on monetary costs per cycle (EUR). Data collection encompassed pre- and post-condition surveys, a final comprehensive survey, and a diary-formatted table. The primary objective was to evaluate the potential for individualization. Asynchronous structured interviews were conducted at the end to explore participants' perceptions and washing behaviors.
Results: While we found effects for the feedback manipulation, we found no differences between user clusters in individual washing behaviors. Furthermore, participants qualitatively reported habitual changes, feeling more knowledgeable about the monetary impacts of specific washing programs and temperatures, and wished for a more accessible preset time function. Most participants expressed willingness to switch to a dynamic energy price if it translated to significant cost savings.
Discussion: Our findings may support the notion that individualized behavior change strategies are promising. In general, these strategies should be easily applicable, cost-effective, and promote habits to be exerted regularly. Arising methodological limitations suggest further research in this domain. From an applied perspective, our research provides valuable insights for designing products, services, and regulations by governments and companies, empowering them to develop more effective strategies for reducing energy consumption.
Interrelations of vegetation growth and water scarcity in Iran revealed by satellite time series
(2022) Behling, Robert; Roessner, Sigrid; Foerster, Saskia; Saemian, Peyman; Tourian, Mohammad J.; Portele, Tanja C.; Lorenz, Christof
Iran has experienced a drastic increase in water scarcity in the last decades. The main driver has been the substantial unsustainable water consumption of the agricultural sector. This study quantifies the spatiotemporal dynamics of Iran’s hydrometeorological water availability, land cover, and vegetation growth and evaluates their interrelations with a special focus on agricultural vegetation developments. It analyzes globally available reanalysis climate data and satellite time series data and products, allowing a country-wide investigation of recent 20+ years at detailed spatial and temporal scales. The results reveal a wide-spread agricultural expansion (27,000 km 2) and a significant cultivation intensification (48,000 km 2). At the same time, we observe a substantial decline in total water storage that is not represented by a decrease of meteorological water input, confirming an unsustainable use of groundwater mainly for agricultural irrigation. As consequence of water scarcity, we identify agricultural areas with a loss or reduction of vegetation growth (10,000 km 2), especially in irrigated agricultural areas under (hyper-)arid conditions. In Iran’s natural biomes, the results show declining trends in vegetation growth and land cover degradation from sparse vegetation to barren land in 40,000 km 2, mainly along the western plains and foothills of the Zagros Mountains, and at the same time wide-spread greening trends, particularly in regions of higher altitudes. Overall, the findings provide detailed insights in vegetation-related causes and consequences of Iran’s anthropogenic drought and can support sustainable management plans for Iran or other semi-arid regions worldwide, often facing similar conditions.