@masterthesis{Nair2025, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Nair, Abijay}, title = {Development of a CANBUS network for RoboBoat}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-23481}, school = {Hochschule Rhein-Waal}, pages = {70}, year = {2025}, abstract = {Autonomous marine vessels have seen use since as far back as World War I, with the Imperial German Navy's Fernlenkboot. Such vessels find more modern use in the logistics sector and as survey vessels, where the continuous operation made possible by autonomy provides distinct advantages in their respective tasks and industries. This thesis presents the development of a CANBUS-based internal network for the RoboBoat autonomous surface vessel project of the Rhine-Waal university of Applied Sciences. It is designed to be the basis on which further development of on-board electronics can take place. It will also act as a platform for further development of the RoboBoat itself, as well as for future projects by students of Rhine-Waal University's FabLab Blue that require such communication architecture. The resulting network is built around the NMEA 2000 standard and off-the-shelf microcontroller boards and network cables, which have enabled quick and fairly robust communication between the different control modules employed in the prototype. NMEA 2000 was chosen owing to its compatibility with modern marine hardware like the multi-function displays, as well as for a simple path to backwards-compatibility with older, less expensive NMEA 0183 hardware. The development process incorporates the systematic process of Engineering Design by G. Pahl and W. Beitz, which guides the processes used here to make various design decisions.}, language = {en} } @misc{ParayilSivan2026, type = {Master Thesis}, author = {Parayil Sivan, Kavya}, title = {Design and Evaluation of a Mobile Application to Support Autistic Passengers in Air Travel. From Identifying User Needs to Assessing its Effectiveness in Reducing Anxiety and Enhancing Travel Preparedness}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-23492}, school = {Hochschule Rhein-Waal}, pages = {88}, year = {2026}, abstract = {Air travel can present significant accessibility barriers for autistic travellers. This study examined the needs, requirements, and challenges experienced by level 1 and level 2 autistic travellers during air travel and evaluated the effectiveness of a user-centred mobile application in reducing anxiety, improving their travel preparedness, and creating a more predictable air travel experience. A mixed-methods approach was employed for the study. In the beginning, an online survey with 35 participants (21 autistic individuals and 14 support persons) was conducted to understand the need, requirement and challenges of the autistic participants. Findings from the survey showed generally low satisfaction among autistic travellers who has prior air travel experience. The major challenges were related to unpredictability, sensory overstimulation, complex airport procedures, difficulty finding sensory-friendly spaces, and in-flight discomforts. Based on the insights from the survey, a high-fidelity mobile application prototype was designed to work across different airlines and airports providing real-time flight updates, airport and airline specific accessibility information, navigation support, communication cards, and travel checklists. The prototype was then evaluated with 5 autistic participants through a moderated remote usability test followed by a post-test interview and questionnaire. The results showed that features such as real-time flight updates, travel checklists, navigation support, and accessibility information were effective and perceived as helpful in reducing anxiety and increasing preparedness but some discoverability issues were identified in the prototype showing the need to iterate it. Overall, the findings suggest that the application is functionally effective and usable but only partially effective in improving overall travel experience as external environmental factors like airport procedures, in-flight discomforts are beyond the scope of the application. The study also highlights that a thoughtfully designed mobile application can partially support autistic travellers by improving the predictability and helping them prepare for the journey. This study contributes to the growing research on accessibility for autistic individuals by examining air travel challenges and evaluating a user-centred mobile application.}, language = {en} }