The era of the fourth industrial revolution has fundamentally transformed the manufacturing landscape. Products are getting increasingly complex and customers expect a higher level of customization and quality. Manufacturing in the Era of 4th Industrial Revolution explores three technologies that are the building blocks of the next-generation advanced manufacturing.The first technology covered in Volume 1 is Additive Manufacturing (AM). AM has emerged as a very popular manufacturing process. The most common form of AM is referred to as 'three-dimensional (3D) printing'. Overall, the revolution of additive manufacturing has led to many opportunities in fabricating complex, customized, and novel products. As the number of printable materials increases and AM processes evolve, manufacturing capabilities for future engineering systems will expand rapidly, resulting in a completely new paradigm for solving a myriad of global problems.The second technology is industrial robots, which is covered in Volume 2 on Robotics. Traditionally, industrial robots have been used on mass production lines, where the same manufacturing operation is repeated many times. Recent advances in human-safe industrial robots present an opportunity for creating hybrid work cells, where humans and robots can collaborate in close physical proximities. This Cobots, or collaborative robots, has opened up to opportunity for humans and robots to work more closely together. Recent advances in artificial intelligence are striving to make industrial robots more agile, with the ability to adapt to changing environments and tasks. Additionally, recent advances in force and tactile sensing enable robots to be used in complex manufacturing tasks. These new capabilities are expanding the role of robotics in manufacturing operations and leading to significant growth in the industrial robotics area.The third technology covered in Volume 3 is augmented and virtual reality. Augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) technologies are being leveraged by the manufacturing community to improve operations in a wide variety of ways. Traditional applications have included operator training and design visualization, with more recent applications including interactive design and manufacturing planning, human and robot interactions, ergonomic analysis, information and knowledge capture, and manufacturing simulation. The advent of low-cost solutions in these areas is accepted to accelerate the rate of adoption of these technologies in the manufacturing and related sectors.Consisting of chapters by leading experts in the world, Manufacturing in the Era of 4th Industrial Revolution provides a reference set for supporting graduate programs in the advanced manufacturing area.

World-renowned economist Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, explains that we have an opportunity to shape the fourth industrial revolu­tion, which will fundamentally alter how we live and work. Schwab argues that this revolution is different in scale, scope and complexity from any that have come before. Characterized by a range of new technologies that are fusing the physical, digital and biological worlds, the developments are affecting all disciplines, economies, industries and governments, and even challenging ideas about what it means to be human. Artificial intelligence is already all around us, from supercomputers, drones and virtual assistants to 3D printing, DNA sequencing, smart thermostats, wear­able sensors and microchips smaller than a grain of sand. But this is just the beginning: nanomaterials 200 times stronger than steel and a million times thinner than a strand of hair and the first transplant of a 3D printed liver are already in development. Imagine “smart factories” in which global systems of manu­facturing are coordinated virtually, or implantable mobile phones made of biosynthetic materials. The fourth industrial revolution, says Schwab, is more significant, and its ramifications more profound, than in any prior period of human history. He outlines the key technologies driving this revolution and discusses the major impacts expected on government, business, civil society and individu­als. Schwab also offers bold ideas on how to harness these changes and shape a better future—one in which technology empowers people rather than replaces them; progress serves society rather than disrupts it; and in which innovators respect moral and ethical boundaries rather than cross them. We all have the opportunity to contribute to developing new frame­works that advance progress.

This volume describes the second phase of the project: exploring three different approaches to assessing AI.

Rampant deforestation, rising carbon emissions, and more unprecedented threats are creating chaos and turmoil for the environment. The delicate balance between nature and humanity seems to waver on the brink of collapse. Climate change exacerbates standard occurrences of natural disasters, and endangers countless species. Amid these daunting challenges, the need for comprehensive research and actionable solutions has never been greater. Global Challenges for the Environment and Climate Change draws upon the latest research and empirical findings, and offers a roadmap for navigating the complexities of our interconnected world. Exploring topics such as climate change, sustainable consumption, and global governance equips readers with the knowledge and insights needed to effect meaningful change.

This two-volume set constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction, UAHCI 2023, held as part of the 25th International Conference, HCI International 2023, in Copenhagen, Denmark, during July 23-28, 2023. The total of 1578 papers and 396 posters included in the HCII 2022 proceedings was carefully reviewed and selected from 7472 submissions. The UAHCI 2023 proceedings were organized in the following topical sections: Part I: Design for All Methods, Tools and Practice; Interaction Techniques, Platforms and Metaphors for Universal Access; Understanding the Universal Access User Experience; and Designing for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Part II: Universal Access to XR; Universal Access to Learning and Education; Assistive Environments and Quality of Life Technologies.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 23rd IFIP WG 5.5 Working Conference on Virtual Enterprises, PRO-VE 2022, held in Lisbon, Portugal, in September 2022. The 55 papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 119 submissions. They provide a comprehensive overview of major challenges and recent advances in various domains related to the digital transformation and collaborative networks and their applications with a strong focus on the following areas related to the main theme of the conference: sustainable collaborative networks; sustainability via digitalization; analysis and assessment of business ecosystems; human factors in collaboration 4.0; maintenance and life-cycle management; policies and new digital services; safety and collaboration management; simulation and optimization; complex collaborative systems and ontologies; value co-creation in digitally enabled ecosystems; digitalization strategy in collaborative enterprises’ networks; pathways and tools for DIHs; socio-technical perspectives on smart product-service systems; knowledge transfer and accelerated innovation in FoF; interoperability of IoT and CPS for industrial CNs; sentient immersive response network; digital tools and applications for collaborative healthcare; collaborative networks and open innovation in education 4.0; collaborative learning networks with industry and academia; and industrial workshop.

In the third decade of the 21st century, Asia remains the global center of economics, politics and security. Asia is at the forefront of wealth creation, innovation, and sustainability. There is a growing demand for knowing more about Asia. This Major Reference Set (MRS) is designed to help general readers as well as specialists to have a good grasp of the latest developments in Asia in the key areas of geopolitics, geoeconomics, and sustainability.With 3 volumes, this MRS covers all major dimensions of Asia's political economy, regional security, and sustainable development. Volume 1 unpacks and examines geopolitics and foreign policy strategies of key Asian states in response to major security challenges associated with growing US-China rivalry.Volume 2 covers geoeconomics, entrepreneurship, regional integration, and development models. Trade, investment, innovation, and regional cooperation have been essential to Asia's continued success.Volume 3 offers a critical overview of environment, public health, and human security in Asia. Case studies are selected from countries that are at different stages of development and facing different environment and health challenges today.This interdisciplinary MRS is a fine example of international cooperation, with contributors who are all established scholars and experts in their fields of study hailing from different parts of Asia as well as North America and Europe. It is a must-have for anyone keen on understanding Asia's dynamic development and daunting challenges in the post-COVID world.