Thomas Varelas

Mr. Thomas Varelas


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

1Year (2026-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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27 July 2026 in Applied Sciences
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
VSVasileios Sidiropoulos
Vasileios Sidiropoulos
TVThomas Varelas
Thomas Varelas
TTThanos Tsakiris
Thanos Tsakiris
PCPanagiota Chatzipanagiotidou
Panagiota Chatzipanagiotidou
Dimitrios BechtsisDimitrios Bechtsis
Dimitrios Bechtsis
DTDimitrios Tzovaras
Dimitrios Tzovaras
Accessibility evaluation in built environments increasingly requires performance-based methods that capture dynamic user–environment interaction rather than static compliance with dimensional standards. Existing computational approaches, including BIM-based rule checking and path-finding analysis, are effective for geometric verification but cannot quantify the physical demands imposed on users during task execution. To date, no existing framework combines task-driven motion generation with quantitative biomechanical analysis specifically for accessibility evaluation in built environments. This paper presents a modular simulation framework that integrates procedural kinematic planning with inverse dynamics analysis to enable performance-based accessibility assessment. The system generates deterministic motion trajectories using a gait-based abstraction layer and inverse kinematics, then computes net joint forces and torques via a stabilized Newton–Euler recursive algorithm. External contact forces, including ground reactions during locomotion, are modeled through a dedicated force management subsystem. The framework is implemented in Unity and evaluated in three representative scenarios: level walking, stair ascent, and stair descent. Computed knee joint forces fall within magnitude and temporal ranges reported in the biomechanical literature (peak forces of 2.5–4.0 body weights for stairs and 1.5–2.0 body weights for level walking), indicating biomechanical plausibility rather than subject-specific experimental validation. The framework offers a reproducible, extensible foundation for evidence-based accessibility design, allowing designers to detect and quantify biomechanically demanding interactions in architectural environments prior to construction, and supporting a shift from prescriptive compliance toward dynamic, human-centered evaluation.