PURPOSES : The number of snowfall and the amount of snowfall are gradually increasing, and due to the characteristics of Seoul, which has a lot of traffic, it is difficult to respond quickly with a snow removal method that relies on snow removal vehicles. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an IoT based eco-friendly snow removal system that can respond to unexpected heavy snow in winter. In this study, the low temperature operation and snow removal performance of the IoT road condition snow removal detector and the snow removal system using CNT and PCM are evaluated in the climatic environment chamber. METHODS : To make artificial snow, it consists of an climatic environment chamber that can simulate a low temperature environment and equipment that can supply compressed air and cold water. Depending on the usage characteristics of the climatic environment chamber, use an air-water type snow maker. In order to make artificial snow, wet temperature, which takes into account the actual air temperature and the amount of moisture in the air, acts as the most important variable and is suitable for making snow, below –1.5 ℃. The lower the water temperature, the easier it is to freeze, so the water source was continuously supplied at 0 ℃ to 4 ℃. One of the two different pipes is connected to the water tank to supply water, and the other pipe is connected to the compressor to supply high-pressure air. Water is dispersed by compressed air in the form of many small droplets. The sprayed microscopic water particles freeze quickly in the low temperature environmental climatic chamber air and naturally fall to the floor, forming snow. Based on the KS C IEC 60068-2-1 cold resistance test standard, an integrated environmental test procedure was prepared to apply to IoT-based snow removal systems and performance evaluation was performed accordingly. The IoT based eco-friendly snow removal system is needed to in winter, so visual check and inspect the operation at the climatic chamber before setting up it to the actual site. In addition, grid type equipment was manufactured for consistent and reliable snow removal performance evaluation under controlled environmental conditions. RESULTS : The IoT-based eco-friendly snow removal system normally carried out the task of acquiring data and images without damaging the appearance or freezing in a low temperature environment. It showed clear snow removal performance in areas where PCM and CNT heating technology were applied to the concrete slab. This experiment shows that normal snow removal tasks can be carried out in low temperature environments in winter. CONCLUSIONS : The integrated environmental test procedures and grid type evaluation equipment are applied to low temperature operation and snow removal performance evaluation of snow removal systems. In the climatic environment chamber, where low temperature environments can be simulated, artificial snow is created regardless of the season to derive quantitative experimental results on snow removal performance. PCM and CNT heating technology showed high snow removal performance. The system is expected to be applied to road site situations to preemptively respond to unexpected heavy snow in winter.

This study analyzes the body shapes of lower-body obese female adolescents and proposes a slacks pattern suitable for their body type. Lower-body obesity is a prevalent type of teenage obesity, and our proposals aim to improve consumer satisfaction in ready-to-wear clothes across this demographic. We first observe characteristics of obese lower bodies, noting significantly above-average thigh and hip circumference. These figures indicate a high degree of curvature in obese lower bodies, along with a large drop value. Leveraging this data, we develop a novel slacks pattern using 3D avatars in a virtual simulation system. The formulas for the main areas of the pattern are as follows: front waist girth W/4+0.75cm+0.5cm, back waist girth W/4+0.5cm– 0.5cm, front hip girth H/4+1.25cm–0.5cm, back hip girth H/4+2cm+0.5cm, front crotch extension H/16+0.5cm, back crotch extension H/8+1cm. Results from appearance evaluations show that this pattern minimizes strain rate on the waist and hips, and its average score is significantly higher than that of an alternative pattern that was also evaluated. The minimized strain rate and high average score indicate that our pattern assigns a sufficient amount of space to the appropriate areas. Based on these results, we expect our research to inform slacks pattern development and production for obese consumers of all types.

In this paper, we present a case study of developing MVIS (Machine Vision Inspection System) designed for exterior quality inspection of stamping dies used in the production of automotive exterior components in a small to medium-sized factory. While the primary processes within the factory, including machining, transportation, and loading, have been automated using PLCs, CNC machines, and robots, the final quality inspection process still relies on manual labor. We implement the MVIS with general- purpose industrial cameras and Python-based open-source libraries and frameworks for rapid and low-cost development. The MVIS can play a major role on improving throughput and lead time of stamping dies. Furthermore, the processed inspection images can be leveraged for future process monitoring and improvement by applying deep learning techniques.

Recently, the occurrence frequency of earthquake has increased in Korea, and the interests for seismic reinforcement of existing school buildings have been raised. To this end, the seismic performance evaluations for school buildings that did not accomplish the seismic design are required. In particular, this study checks the eigenvalue analysis, pushover curves, maximum base shears, performance points and story drift ratios, and then analyzes the seismic performance characteristics according to bracing configuration of steel frame system reinforcement. Also, this study presents the practical field application methods through the comparison of analysis results for the seismic performance characteristics.

This study aims to assess the seismic performance of retrofitted reinforced concrete columns using a Replaceable Steel Brace (RSB) system, subjected to combined axial, lateral, and torsional loadings. Through experimental testing, one non-retrofitted concrete column specimen and two retrofitted specimens with variable sliding slot lengths were subjected to eccentric lateral loads to simulate realistic seismic loading. The retrofitted specimens with RSBs exhibited enhanced resistance against shear cracking, effective torsional resistance, and demonstrated the feasibility of easy replacement. The RSB system substantially improved seismic performance, achieving approximately 1.7 times higher load capacity and 3.5 times greater energy dissipation compared to non-retrofitted column, thus validating its efficacy under combined loading conditions.

The purpose of this study is to experimentally analyze the seismic performance of column with RSB (Replaceable Steel Brace), a steel brace system with slot length as a variable. To evaluate the seismic performance of the RSB, three specimens were manufactured and subjected to cyclic loading tests. The length of the sliding slots were considered to be 5 mm and 10mm to enable the brace to resist the load from the initiation of flexural crack and shear crack. As a result of the test, the specimen reinforced with the RSB showed improved maximun load and effective stiffness, and energy dissipation capacity compared to the non-reinforced specimens. The specimens with 5mm sliding slot showed little difference in test result compared to the specimen with a 10mm sliding slot, indicating that the length of sliding slot has little influence on the effectiveness of RSB.

Conventional aquaculture faces declining productivity, shifting to recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), known for minimizing water usage and maintaining consistent water temperatures for year-round fish growth. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), a globally important cold-water species and the third most farmed fish in inland waters of Korea, valued for its fecundity and rapid growth. Dissolved oxygen, an important environmental factor affecting fish production and economics, highlights the need for smart aquaculture practices. Since 2018, the rise of intelligent aquaculture platforms, incorporating information and communications technology (ICT), emphasizes the essential role of RAS implementation. This eight-week study aimed to determine the optimal dissolved oxygen concentration for rainbow trout in RAS, utilizing a device for continuous monitoring, control and record. Dissolved oxygen concentrations were set at 5-6 mg/L, 9-10 mg/L, 14-15 mg/L and 17-18 mg/L. The growth rate significantly decreased at 5-6 mg/L, with no significant differences in other experimental groups. In hematological analysis, growth hormone (GH) was significantly highest at 5-6 mg/L, followed by 9-10 mg/L while Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) was significantly lowest at 5-6 mg/L. In conclusion, the optimal dissolved oxygen concentration for rainbow trout in RAS is approximately 9-10 mg/L. Higher concentrations do not contribute to further growth or profitability.