Virtual reality (VR) technologies have shown significant potential in enhancing the automotive design process by providing immersive, interactive, and collaborative environments for reviewing complex vehicle architectures. Traditional CAD models and physical prototypes often struggle to offer the flexibility needed for rapid iteration and spatial understanding, especially for systems such as hydrogen‐powered commercial vehicles. This study aims to develop a VR platform to improve the collaborative review of the internal architecture of a hydrogen‐powered commercial vehicle, specifically focusing on the spatial arrangement and interaction of critical components such as hydrogen tanks, fuel cells, and batteries. The goal is to enhance design processes, reduce iteration costs, and improve spatial understanding and decision‐making within automotive teams. The VR environment was built using Unity 3D and optimized for mobile VR platforms, incorporating features such as interactive component manipulation, dual locomotion modes (teleportation and free movement), and real‐time collaboration. The platform was tested with a range of users, including automotive professionals and students, to evaluate its usability, performance, and impact on spatial understanding and user engagement. User feedback demonstrated high levels of satisfaction, with 85% of participants reporting improved spatial understanding, 80% preferring VR over traditional CAD tools, and 90% noting increased engagement. The VR platform enabled faster completion of assembly tasks (40% faster than traditional methods) and improved collaborative decision‐making. However, challenges such as system performance issues, motion sickness, and a steep learning curve were reported by some users, particularly nontechnical users. The VR platform developed in this study significantly advanced the collaborative and immersive review of automotive designs, offering tangible benefits in terms of engagement, spatial comprehension, and design iteration efficiency. While there were limitations related to hardware requirements and user accessibility, the results highlight the transformative potential of VR in automotive design and education. Future work will focus on performance optimization, AR integration, and improving usability for nontechnical users.

This experimental study defines the usage of a computer-aided surgical simulation process that is effective, safe, user-friendly, and low-cost, that achieves a detailed and realistic representation of the anatomical region of interest. The chosen tools for this purpose are state-of-the-art Computer Aided Design (CAD) software for mechanical design, and are the fundamental application dedicated to parametric modeling. These tools support different work environments, each one is for a specific type of modeling, and they allow the simulation of surgery. The result will be a faithful representation of the anatomical part both before and after the surgical procedure, screening all the intermediate phases. The doctor will assess different lines of action according to the results, then he will communicate them to the engineer who, consequently, will correct the antisymmetric issue and regenerate the model. Exact measurements of the mutual positions of the various components, skeletal and synthetic, can be achieved; all the osteosynthesis tools, necessary for the surgeon, can be included in the project according to different types of fracture to perfectly match the morphology of the bone to be treated. The method has been tested on seven clinical cases of different complexity and nature and the results of the simulations have been found to be of great effectiveness in the phase of diagnosis and of preoperative planning for the doctors and surgeons; therefore, allowing a lower risk medical operation with a better outcome. This work delivers experimental results in line with theoretical research findings in detail; moreover, full experimental and/or methodical details are provided, so that outcomes could be obtained.

Marine microplastic pollution has emerged as a pressing environmental issue, with significant implications for aquatic ecosystems, human health and global biodiversity. Ports, acting as semi-enclosed environments, are critical zones where plastic waste, including microplastics, plastic fragments smaller than 5 mm, tend to accumulate. These settings provide controlled conditions that are ideal for deploying innovative solutions to monitor and mitigate the impact of microplastic pollution. This paper presents the design, development and initial testing of an autonomous surface drone engineered specifically to monitor and collect microplastics in port environments. Unlike traditional marine drones, this device operates exclusively at the water surface, leveraging mechanical filtration systems to capture and quantify microplastic fragments. Designed for cost-efficiency, ease of manufacturing and operational simplicity, this drone aligns with principles of environmental sustainability and scalability. By integrating readily available materials and modular components, it offers a replicable model for addressing microplastic pollution in localized aquatic systems.

This study investigates how the optimal driving position is shaped by the forces acting on the driver and the performance requirements of an FSAE vehicle. Using a comprehensive dataset based on a parametric model, key SAE-standardized input variables are parameterized: the horizontal and vertical coordinates of the H-point, the horizontal distance between the AHP and H-point, the seatback angle, and the steering wheel position. The objective is to identify the ideal driving setup that balances vehicle performance with driver comfort. ANOVA is utilized to determine which of these ergonomic factors most significantly affect acceleration performance, while artificial neural networks provide a comparative method for validating results and predicting outcomes for new configurations. The novelty of this study lies in integrating driver positioning dynamics into performance optimization, providing a systematic approach to vehicle design before the CAD prototyping phase.