Process mining has emerged as a powerful technique for analyzing and improving business processes. In this research paper, the application of process mining in a vertically integrated small-scale smart factory is explored. The study aims to identify challenges, analyze data issues, and explore the potential of process mining as a tool for process optimization. Employing a case study approach, data is collected from the entire process and analyzed using process mining software. The findings show how to use data to enable process mining in current scenarios. Challenges related to data synchronization and the impact of network delays on data accuracy are revealed. However, despite the challenges identified, this research demonstrates the potential of process mining to drive process optimization in smart factory environments. This paper contributes to the field of process mining and provides valuable information for academia and industry professionals seeking to optimize production processes through data-driven analysis in the era of Industry 4.0.

The paper presents SPORE, a Spatial Recommender System. As we enter a period of unprecedented collaboration between authors and computers, where artificial intelligence in particular seems likely to act increasingly in a co-authoring capacity, SPORE offers a different approach to collaboration. More organic and exploratory than other automated or procedural systems, SPORE aims to mimic the process of storybreaking that already exists in the creative industries.

Vladimir Propp (1895–1970) was a Russian folklorist, who identified what he considered the 31 fundamental actions of major characters and their consequences for a story, actions which he called functions. This paper focuses on one specific part of this principle—spheres of action—and considers how they might be explored using SPORE and its underlying infrastructure Mother, a spatial hypertext-based recommender system developed by the authors.

Bioplastics research is currently challenged by high material prices and limited availability of biopolymers. For state-of-the-art compounding using a twin-screw extruder, even on lab-scale, large quantities of material are required. Poly(3-hydroxy-buthyrate) and its copolymers such as PHBV are promising biopolymers but are prone to degradation. The stabilizers used must also be biobased to ensure the sustainability of the material. In this study, a new material-saving process for the compounding of biocomposites was evaluated to investigate the potential of biogenic by-products from the winemaking industry to improve the stability of biopolyesters. Formulations based on PHBV powder and two different varieties of pulverized wine grape pomace with filler contents up to 10 wt.-% were prepared. The materials were processed on a modified miniaturized single-screw extruder with an L/D ratio of 15 equipped with a mixing screw and compared to a lab-scale twin-screw extruder with an L/D ratio of 44. Both extruders have screw diameters of 20 mm. Thermal and rheological properties of the compounded material were determined using standard polymer analyzing techniques such as GPC, MFR, DSC, TGA and OIT. The mixing quality of both extruder types was evaluated by light microscopy imaging. The results show that a miniaturized single-screw extruder represents an efficient alternative for research purposes, but minor differences in the dominant degradation mechanisms during processing must be considered for data evaluation. Especially for small quantities and frequent material changes, the miniaturized single-screw extruder is a beneficial option, reducing the limits of bioplastics research and contributing to its progress. Thermal analysis revealed that the wine-derived biogenic by-products act as antioxidant stabilizers preventing thermo-oxidative degradation of PHBV, representing sustainable biobased alternatives to synthetic stabilizers.

Bio-based polyamide 10.10 (PA 10.10) has excellent properties compared to other biobased  polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA) or polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) and is therefore used in more technical applications where higher strength is required. For foam and filament extrusion,a good balance between strength and stiffness of the  polymer is needed. Therefore, two commercial chain-extenders (Joncryl® ADR types) with different epoxy functionalities are used to modify the melt properties of PA 10.10. The chain-extenders are used in a concentration range up to 1.25 wt.%. The range of glass transition temperature widens with increasing Joncryl® content, and the apparent activation energy shows a maximum at a concentration of 0.5 wt.%. Furthermore, the melting temperatures are constant and the crystallinity decreases with increasing chain-extender content due to the formation of branches. During the second heating run, a bimodal melting peak appeared, consisting of 𝛼-triclinic and pseudo 𝛾-hexagonal crystals. The weight average molar masses (Mw) measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) increased linearly with increasing ADR 4400 content. In contrast, the compounds containing ADR 4468 show a maximum at 0.5 wt.% and it begins to decrease thereafter. The rheological data show an increase in viscosity with increasing chainextender content due to branch formation. ATR spectra of the compounds show a decrease at the wavelength of the primary (3301 cm−1) and secondary (1634 cm−1) (-NH stretching in PA 10.10) amine, indicating that chain-extension, e.g., branching, takes place during compounding.

Corona hat uns alle gelehrt, dass auch grundsätzlich in virtuellen Umgebungen Leben möglich scheint – sei es im Home-Office oder bei digitalen Veranstaltungen. Vermutlich ist es mehr als ein zeitlicher Zufall, dass virtuelle Shopping- und Marketing-Umgebungen gerade in dieser Zeit einen neuen Trend beschreiben. Nicht erst seit Mark Zuckerberg das „Metaverse“ ausgerufen hat, bilden sich virtuelle Welten, in denen digitale Avatare und „Digital Humans“ miteinander interagieren, in denen virtuelle, immaterielle „Sachgüter“ - virtuelle Kunst, Mode, Luxusgüter und Immobilien als „unique“ NFTs handelbar sind und die zunehmend auch für die Führung von „Offline“-Marken genutzt werden.

Der angestrebte Artikel versucht, das Marktsystem der Metaversen zu erfassen und widmet sich dabei vor allem den Chancen, die sich traditionellen Unternehmen aus der analogen oder „klassischen“ Online-Welt eröffnen: Welche Geschäftsmodelle bestehen – auch für kleinere Unternehmen und den Mittelstand? Welches sind die Erfolgsfaktoren – für den virtuellen Handel und für ein nachhaltiges Branding? Welche Hürden sind dabei zu überwinden? Und wie sehen Erfolg versprechende Konzepte aus?

Letztlich geht es im Kern um die Frage: Ist die Zukunft des Shoppings virtuell?

Biobased poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) represents one promising sustainable alternative to petroleum-based polymers. Its sensitivity to thermo-oxidative degradation is one reason for its limited application. In this research, two different varieties of wine grape pomaces (WPs) were investigated as fully biobased stabilizers. WPs were prepared via simultaneous drying and grinding to be used as bio-additives or functional fillers at higher filling rates. The by-products were characterized in terms of composition and relative moisture, in addition to particle size distribution analysis, TGA, and assays to determine the total phenolic content and the antioxidant activity. Biobased PBS was processed with a twin-screw compounder with WP contents up to 20 wt.-%. The thermal and mechanical properties of the compounds were investigated with DSC, TGA, and tensile tests using injection-molded specimens. The thermo-oxidative stability was determined using dynamic OIT and oxidative TGA measurements. While the characteristic thermal properties of the materials remained almost unchanged, the mechanical properties were altered within expected ranges. The analysis of the thermo-oxidative stability revealed WP as an efficient stabilizer for biobased PBS. This research shows that WP, as a low-cost and biobased stabilizer, improves the thermo-oxidative stability of biobased PBS while maintaining its key properties for processing and technical applications.

The project Symotiv’s (http://symotiv.de) goal is to describe the complex function of a symphony through an interactive experience of the orchestra’s digital twin. We are capturing the musicians, their instruments and their sounds with machine learning based 3D human pose estimation and visualize them in Virtual Reality in a three-dimensional, virtual concert hall. Our audience steps into the role of the conductor and experience the scene and the sound from a perspective within the orchestra. This opens the possibility of experiencing and understanding what is happening from new spatial, but above all sonic perspectives.

In this paper we are describing our preliminary studies and proto- types for evaluating a surfer’s performance on a stationary wave. We are briefly describing the sport’s environment and development and the current state-of- the-art of machine learning based single camera tracking approaches we have evaluated and applied. The main part of the paper deals with the first implemen- tation, the tracking and the results of the evaluation of the movements of two surfers. We are closing with our lessons learned and our next steps.

The aim of the project Symotiv (http://symotiv.de) is to introduce people to classical music through interaction with a virtual orchestra. With the help of Virtual Reality, it does not only enable to immerse oneself in a three-dimensional, virtual concert hall, but also to experience images and sound from the perspective of a musician. This opened the possibility of experiencing and understanding what is happening from new spatial, but above all sonic perspectives. Therefore, we developed a workflow to capture the motions and sound of 50 musicians and the conductor by using a camera-based Machine Learning approach.