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Melamine-impregnated paper decorated medium-density fiberboard (MIPMDF) is the main board used for wooden furniture materials in China, and the formaldehyde released from the board and furniture products is harmful to human beings and is a wide concern. This paper aimed to pay attention to the formaldehyde emission of MIP-MDF and its furniture products. This study utilized a 1 m³climatic chamber to measure the formaldehyde emission of MIP-MDF and nightstand made of MIP-MDF in relation to the time and load factors. According to the results, in the 2 to 24 h stage, the emission of formaldehyde in the nightstand made of MIPMDF materials changed significantly, and the overall trend showed a changing trend of first increasing and then declining. The formaldehyde emission of MIP-MDF stabilized after 40 h, while the formaldehyde emission of the nightstand stabilized after 60 h. As time passed, the formaldehyde emission changes of MIP-MDF and nightstand were almost the same. The formaldehyde emission of MIP-MDF and nightstand has a specific positive correlation with the carrying load. With increased carrying loads, the formaldehyde emission tends to increase, but the degree of influence gradually decreases with the addition of the carrying loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to evaluate changes in Italy's competitiveness in the global wood products market, with a particular focus on wooden furniture and wood panels, both final and intermediate products of the crucial wooden furniture supply chain. The analysis is conducted through a cross-country comparison using trade flow matrices and various descriptive indices: Market Share, Trade Competitiveness Index, Balassa's Revealed Comparative Advantage Index, and the Symmetric Balassa Index. Furthermore, this study also examines intra-industry trade using the Grubel–Lloyd Index. While each index has its limitations when used individually, their combined analysis can provide a more comprehensive view. The study covers the period from 1996 to 2019, using data from FAO and COMTRADE sources. The results show that Italy maintains a significant position in the international furniture market, although this position has deteriorated over time. Conversely, Italy remains a net importer of wood panels. Trade flows have become more concentrated, with Canada and Germany still holding importance in the international market. However, Asian countries have now become the core of the commercial network. China has emerged as the leading exporting country in all product categories considered, with Vietnam and Malaysia also increasing in importance. Noteworthy progress has also been recorded by Russia and Poland in Europe. Additionally, the study discusses the implications of these findings for rural development, particularly in regions dependent on the wood-product sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a furniture design method combining Kansei engineering (KE) and shape grammar (SG), to explore how the diagonal ridge elements of classical Suzhou-style buildings can be applied to furniture design and to explain how the styling elements match the cultural imagery in furniture products. Suzhou-style armchairs and cultural elements of diagonal ridges were collected, the most suitable armchairs were selected for incorporating such elements, and their shapes were deconstructed along with characteristic interpretations. A factor bank of diagonal ridge elements was constructed, first through Kansei word selection and evaluation experiments, and then through factor analysis which determined the main cultural elements of the design. The shape grammar theory was applied to design and innovate the selected armchair samples, achieving three design solutions. The solutions were then comprehensively evaluated, and the optimal one was used for the final physical product. The results of the study showed that users had clear subjective feelings about the design incorporating diagonal ridge elements, with their Kansei on three aspects: aesthetic style, decorative complexity, and structural balance. The approach used in this work blends furniture products with cultural imagery on diagonal ridges, providing a feasible methodological reference and an empirical case for cultural sustainability through furniture design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest harvesting is one of the anthropogenic activities that most significantly affect the carbon budget of forests. However, the absence of explicit spatial information on harvested carbon poses a huge challenge in assessing forest-harvesting impacts, as well as the forest carbon budget. This study utilized provincial-level statistical data on wood harvest, the tree cover loss (TCL) dataset, and a satellite-based vegetation index to develop a Long-term harvEst and Allocation of Forest Biomass (LEAF) dataset. The aim was to provide the spatial location of forest harvesting with a spatial resolution of 30 m and to quantify the post-harvest carbon dynamics. The validations against the surveyed forest harvesting in 133 cities and counties indicated a good performance of the LEAF dataset in capturing the spatial variation of harvested carbon, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.83 between the identified and surveyed harvested carbon. The linear regression slope was up to 0.99. Averaged from 2003 to 2018, forest harvesting removed 68.3 ± 9.3 Mt C yr -1 , of which more than 80 % was from selective logging. Of the harvested carbon, 19.6 ± 4.0 %, 2.1 ± 1.1 %, 35.5 ± 12.6 % 6.2 ± 0.3 %, 17.5 ± 0.9 %, and 19.1 ± 9.8 % entered the fuelwood, paper and paperboard, wood-based panels, solid wooden furniture, structural constructions, and residue pools, respectively. Direct combustion of fuelwood was the primary source of carbon emissions after wood harvest. However, carbon can be stored in wood products for a long time, and by 2100, almost 40 % of the carbon harvested during the study period will still be retained. This dataset is expected to provide a foundation and reference for estimating the forestry and national carbon budgets. The 30 m × 30 m harvested-carbon dataset from forests in China can be downloaded at 10.6084/m9.figshare.23641164.v2 (Wang et al., 2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the role of material design as a form of institutional power within contemporary school settings. Drawing on concepts of 'coercive design' and 'hostile architecture' from design studies, the paper examines three 'innovative' designs for classroom chairs – relatively mundane but integral elements of the regulation and disciplining of school space. It is argued that the design intentions of these material objects reveal a number of constrained, conservative intentions to maintain the traditional ordered notion of the classroom as a place where students stay in their seats and engage in work. Tellingly, however, this corporeal manipulation and moderation is now couched in claims around desirable physiological and cognitive conditions for learning – with students' bodies seen as objects to arrange and constrain in ways deemed conducive for learning. The paper problematises this de-socialised view of classrooms, alongside the underpinning sense of design solutionism and (mis)appropriation of 'learning science' by product designers to justify their products' capacities to somehow cause learning to take place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses shape grammar to conduct strategic research and innovative translation of existing wooden furniture designs. A traditional Chinese Ming-style recessed-leg table was used as an example to demonstrate its feasibility. The paper applies biological DNA genetic information to furniture products, and combines shape grammar to evolve and mutate them, thereby creating new forms of wooden furniture that maintain the original genes. A DNA gene pool of recessed-leg table was constructed, and an architectural queti replacement pool was constructed based on the rules of shape grammar as backup for subsequent experiments to replace part of the designed genes of the recessed-leg table. Shape grammar was used to deduce the recessed-leg table and generate three plans. A consumer questionnaire was established through the semantic differential method. After evaluating these three design plans, an optimal plan that meets market demand was selected, and modeling, rendering, and concept elaboration were performed. Finally, the paper takes Ming-style recessed-leg table as an example to demonstrate that it is effective and feasible to use shape grammar to guide the design and research of domestic wooden furniture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: There are some rules that furniture designers must take into consideration to design ergonomic furniture. The main design principle is the target group for which the furniture will be designed, considering the dimensions of people who use the furniture. OBJECTIVE: The paper presents the correlation between 12 parts of children's body, as well as the proportion between stature and 11 other parts of the body which are used for the purposes of furniture and interior designers. METHODS: Field measurements include: Stature (S), Sitting height (She), Shoulder height (Sh), Popliteal height (Ph), Hip width (Hb), Elbow rest height (Erh), Buttock-popliteal length (Bpl), Buttock-knee length (Bkl), Thigh clearance (Tc), Eye height sitting (Eh), Knee height (Kh) and Shoulder breadth (Sb) to pupils aged 6–11 (grades 1 to 5). The measurements were done in 687 children in 12 primary schools in 4 different regions in Kosovo. RESULTS: The data of the study shows that, in general, there is a correlation (in some parts strong and in some medium) for the measured parts. Also, the study presents the proportion between the stature and other parts of the body which are necessary for the design of children's furniture. CONCLUSION: Using this data will enable furniture designers to easily target the dimensions of the group they will design, even by measuring only one dimension, i.e. stature and then setting the proportions for each piece separately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ocean is the largest carbon sink on Earth and an important pathway to China achieving carbon neutrality. From a consumption perspective, studying the capacity of marine carbon sink in each of China's provinces and its interregional transfer is of great significance in harnessing the increase in ocean carbon sink driven by final demand. This article first calculates the productionside carbon sink in coastal provinces. Then, based on the 2007, 2012, 2015, and 2017 Chinese inter-regional input-output tables, each province's consumptionside marine carbon sink is calculated. The article further examines the influencing factors and key transfer paths for the growth of marine carbon sink through Structural Decomposition Analysis (SDA) and Structural Path Analysis (SPA) methods. The results show that each province's total consumption-side carbon sink continues to rise, with significant regional disparities, demonstrating a trend of higher carbon sink in coastal provinces than inland provinces. Among the nine coastal provinces, Hainan and Guangdong are in a net input state regarding carbon sink transfer, while the other seven are in a net output state. SDA results indicate that the carbon sink intensity effect and the consumption demand effect are important factors inhibiting and promoting carbon sink growth, respectively, while the influence of the input-output technical effect is weak and variable. SPA analysis reveals that carbon sink outputs are primarily transferred to the food and tobacco sector, the agricultural and forestry products and services sector, and the wood processing and furniture industry. The key transfer paths mostly occur within a province, with a relatively small proportion of interprovincial transfer paths. Based on the research findings, this article suggests steadily increasing the proportion of marine product consumption, actively expanding the value chain of shellfish and seaweed industries, continuously strengthening coordination between land and marine industries, and further promoting the domestic circulation of marine carbon sinks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

T-shaped mortise and tenon members are the main structure of traditional Chinese furniture. In this paper, the double-dovetail joint used for face-toface joint of rubber wood (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg) is transformed into a new type of double-dovetail joint and rounded double-dovetail joint for T-shaped members of point joint structure. The ultimate pull-out test and bending strength test were carried out on the two structures and three structures of oval mortise, round rod mortise and right angle mortise. The results show that the ultimate pull-out force of the round double-dovetail joint is 39% higher than that of the double-dovetail joint, and the bending resistance capacity is 8.9% higher, and the strength and stability are better than those of other split mortises and tenons, which proves that this structure can be used in actual production, and also proves that the mortise and tenon connected by the surface has the possibility of transforming into a point connection structure. The concave structure of the rounded double-dovetail joint makes the mortise and tenon fit well, the tenon squeezed tight, and a good bonding effect was achieved. This structure can also provide greater friction and resistance, delay rubber adhesive failure and improve the stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to present a case study of virtual-reality-based product demonstrations featuring items of furniture. The results will be of use in further design and development of virtual-reality-based product demonstration systems and could also support effective student learning. Design/methodology/approach: A new method was introduced to guide the experiment by confirming orthogonal arrays. User interactions were then planned, and a furniture demonstration system was implemented. The experiment comprised two stages. In the evaluation stage, participants were invited to experience the virtual-reality (VR)-based furniture demonstration system and complete a user experience (UX) survey. Taguchi-style robust design methods were used to design orthogonal table experiments and planning and design operation methods were used to implement an experimental display system in order to obtain optimized combinations of control factors and levels. The second stage involved a confirmatory test for the optimized combinations. A pilot questionnaire was first applied to survey demonstration scenarios that are important to customers. Findings: The author found in terms of furniture products, product interactive display through VR can achieve good user satisfaction through quality design planning. VR can better grasp the characteristics of products than paper catalogs and website catalogs. And VR can better grasp the characteristics of products than online videos. For "interactive inspection", "function simulation", "style customization" and "set-out customization" were the most valuable demonstration scenarios for customers. The results of the experiment confirmed that the "overall rating", "hedonic appeal" and "practical quality" were the three most important optimized operating methods, constituting a benchmark of user satisfaction. Originality/value: The author found that it is possible to design and build a VR-based furniture demonstration system with a good level of usability when a suitable quality design method is applied. The optimized user interaction indicators and implementation experience for the VR-based product demonstration presented in this study will be of use in further design and development of similar systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the possibility of using recycled seashells from marine coasts of the Mali Ston Bay in Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Croatia, to create a novel bio material derived from waste seashells. In this research, two types of waste seashells, mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and oyster (Ostrea edulis), combined with natural, non-toxic binders (bone glue) were investigated experimentally. The goal is to develop a sustainable material, suitable for the production of furniture and decorative objects. The parameters studied, included physical and mechanical properties of this material. The results showed that this bio composite material, derived from recycled seashells, is hygroscopic and has low compression strength. It should be used for making furniture components that don't bear heavy loads and it is suitable only for interior applications. This study presents an eco-friendly and sustainable material option, while optimizing the recycling of food waste materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Furniture production is a specific industrial sector with a high human labor demand, a wide range of materials processed, and short production runs caused by high customization of end products. The difficulty of measuring the aesthetic requirements of customers is also specific to furniture. This review of academic papers identifies and explains effective quality management strategies in furniture production. The reviewed literature highlights a range of quality management methodologies, including concurrent engineering (CE), total quality management (TQM), lean manufacturing, lean six sigma, and kaizen. These strategies encompass a variety of pro-quality tools, such as 5S, statistical process control (SPC), quality function deployment (QFD), and failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA). The strengths of these quality management strategies lie in their ability to enhance efficiency, reduce waste, increase product diversity, and improve product quality. However, the weaknesses concern implementation challenges and the need for culture change within organizations. Successful quality management in furniture production requires tailoring strategies to the specific context of the furniture production industry. Additionally, the importance of sustainability in the furniture industry is emphasized, which entails incorporating circular economy principles and resource-efficient practices. The most important finding from the literature analysis is that early detection and correction of poor quality yields the most beneficial outcomes for the manufacturer. Therefore, it is essential to strengthen the rigor of quality testing and analysis during the early stages of product development. Consequently, a deep understanding of consumer perspectives on required furniture quality is crucial. The review identified two research gaps: (1) the impact of unnecessary product over-quality on the efficiency of furniture production and (2) the influence of replacing CAD drawings with a model-based definition (MBD) format on quality management in furniture production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study has been inspired by a set of new rules which are expected to be implemented within the EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). Considering the possible market risks for the Ukrainian furniture industry, and that includes both exporters and non-exporters (within the context of the harmonisation of the rules), this research sought to capture and understand the readiness of companies as regards the changes on the EU market, along with those companies' sentiments and ability to cope with the upcoming inherent challenges. The survey of furniture producers presented in this paper is one of the first devoted to the problem of Ukrainian producers' adaptability to the ESPR, made all the more challenging due to the burden of the ongoing war. This study has brought to light rather positive industry sentiments regarding furniture production volume and the competitive position of companies within the furniture industry, but there is also a lack of company awareness of the full range of ESPR measures and tools, hence there is a risk of underestimating those measures and tools' possible impact along with the risk of a delayed response. Environmental sustainability values should be given higher priority than they are currently in companies' current marketing strategies, and the effectiveness of supply chain management practices will inevitably have to be questioned by company leaders. Possible adaptation measures aimed at circularity are not sufficiently perceived, while attention is focused more on the use of materials, energy, and environmental pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of the paper is to present an Augmented Reality application for 3D furniture, with a particular emphasis on the development of an android application that provides a realistic view of an augmented reality 3D furniture target object in the real-world. This app for Android would overlay a virtual environment on top of the user's real world. AR makes real-world data and presents it in an immersive manner, making the virtual section feel like it belongs in the real world. AR is commonly used in online shopping, and the 3D visualization allows any furniture piece to be configured. Results shows that, users can customize and combine their favorite furniture products, enhancing their shopping experience. This elevates the shopping experience to a new level. This application allows users to see and experience the object in their current environment before buying from a shop, and customers can visualize the furniture model in a real-world setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between institutional pressures, supply chain integration and supply chain performance in the wooden furniture industry. Cross-sectional survey data collected from 86 registered wooden furniture firms in Uganda were analyzed using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling. The study revealed that institutional pressures are positively and significantly related with supply chain performance and that supply chain integration plays a partial mediating role in the institutional pressures-supply chain performance relationship. Further, our component level analysis of institutional pressures reveals that whereas coercive pressure has a discernible positive influence on both supply chain integration and supply chain performance, mimetic pressure does not, while normative pressure positively influences only supply chain integration. These results underline the need to understand the role of individual components of institutional pressures and integration requirements in strategic supply chain management practice in order to boost supply chain performance of the wooden furniture firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of the “green revolution”, individuals have realized the importance of recycling waste materials. However, with ongoing individual changes in lifestyle, the huge resource of discarded wooden furniture is still considerably underutilized. This paper aims to provide new ideas for the recycling of discarded wooden furniture and to create added value to used furniture. Based on the summarization of existing recycling technology and methods, the diversified innovation and reuse of discarded wooden furniture integrating the current aesthetic and demand of people from multiple aspects are analyzed for the purpose of revealing the hidden value of waste materials. Waste recycling is of great importance to the country and enterprises in line with the concept of circular economy. For the sake of further excavating the hidden value of discarded wooden furniture products, the additional in-depth research in optimizing and upgrading green production and manufacturing in furniture industry is called for in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gibson poses a more serious challenge to the one-dimensional view of Chinese workers as "cheap labour" or a "coolie class" threatening "White workers" (see chapter three, "Workers"). In I Made in Chinatown i , Peter Gibson sets out how the history of Chinese furniture-makers and factories in Sydney and Melbourne subverted the White Australia Policy and the racist logic that underpinned it. Made in Chinatown: Chinese Australian Furniture Factories, 1880-1930: By Peter Charles Gibson. [Extracted from the article]

Demographic changes, the growing number of people with disabilities, and the demands on architecture and design are posing new challenges for designers. The space in which older adults live should be safe, not only from a legal point of view but especially to facilitate their daily activities. Modern society prioritizes the integration of older adults into everyday life so that as people grow older, they are not forced to abandon their daily routines because of obstacles in the space. It is said that a person is not handicapped because of their illness, but because society fails to prepare conditions for them to be able to move and live without restrictions. Moving in space is a multisensory experience. People use most of their senses such as sight, hearing, smell, and touch in addition to moving their bodies. How we feel indoors depends on the indoor climate, lighting, surface colours, air quality, floor plan, and furniture layout. Studies show that the materials and colour of products have an impact on how we navigate a space, how we feel and, in some cases, they can even have healing effects. The aim of our study is to investigate the association between colours in the environment and the orientation of people, especially older adults, in the space they live in. Several studies, experiments, and observations of foreign researchers serve as the basis of the paper. The analysis of case studies proved that colours in the environment have a significant impact on orientation in space and can be an effective tool for spatial orientation and drawing attention to a particular place. In surveys that have been conducted with older adults, warm colour tones such as yellow, orange, and red are preferred over cold ones. Red tones are some of the most easily recognizable for older adults who suffer from loss of colour recognition. They have lower cognitive abilities as a result of aging. Therefore, the achromatic environment does not sufficiently stimulate their brain function, leading to longer reaction times. Colour and contrast indoors play a big role in the perception of space and can help in drawing attention to a particular place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Furniture as a functional object must satisfy both artistic and scientific requirements. In particular, ergonomic factors are very important in furniture design in terms of human health and productivity. To make furniture designs at the ideal intersection of science and art, it is necessary to approach furniture design with a scientific systematic. Accordingly, this paper summarizes and analyzes the current state of biomechanics in ergonomic furniture design, covering an overview of the biomechanics utilized in different types of furniture design, biomechanical analysis, and testing methods. In the conclusion of the study, the literature analysis identifies the key topics and areas of future exploration regarding the use of biomechanics in ergonomic furniture design. The findings of the review indicate that (1) the primary studies on biomechanics used in furniture design concentrate on special furniture, such as wheelchairs and transportation vehicle seats, with minimal investigation performed on common furniture; (2) mechanical analysis, experimental testing, and computer-aided ergonomics represent the main techniques applied in furniture design biomechanics; (3) the reliability of biomechanics used in furniture design needs to be improved due to the lack of fundamental parameters of the muscles and skeleton of the human body; and (4) more attention should be paid to the use of biomechanics in the design of common furniture, such as household and office furniture, which affects people's health and comfort. The scientific and rational application of biomechanics should be integrated into ergonomic furniture design to promote healthy living and enhance work efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the global competitiveness of the top ten wooden furniture exporting countries with several approaches and to test the effect of export prices (EXPRs) on the global competition. Design/methodology/approach: Countries' competitiveness levels were measured with revealed comparative advantage (RCA), normalised RCA (NRCA), revealed symmetric comparative advantage (RSCA) and trade balance index. Furthermore, panel regression analysis techniques were used to test the effects of EXPR on RCA, NRCA and RSCA in the wooden furniture industry (WFI). Findings: Although the comparative advantage approaches give different results, the global competitiveness of Poland and Vietnam is at a high level in all approaches. Canada has been the country with the weakest global competitiveness in all approaches. According to the results of the analysis, EXPRs positively affect all the competitive advantage indexes. As a result, the competitiveness of the WFI is affected by the non-price factors instead of the EXPR. Research limitations/implications: The framework allows us to measure and illustrate the export competitiveness of the WFI and permits a global comparison. Similar analyses can be made for different labour-intensive sectors. In addition, analysis can be made to identify non-price factors for the WFI sector. Thus, more specific inferences can be made. Practical implications: This study is useful for policymakers, government officials, the industry associations and the company executives to assess their export competitiveness in the WFI. Thus, they can determine whether to shift scarce resources to this industry or other industries. In addition, this study may affect the price competition policy of the sector representatives in the global market. Originality/value: This study deals with the competitiveness of the WFI with different approaches. And this study determines the importance of price for global competition in this sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activities in public places are becoming increasingly frequent, and public seats have become an important component of public space and an "auxiliary tool" for work, life, and leisure. The demand for such furniture in China is gradually increasing, but the design and research work of public seats is lagging behind the development status and speed of other civil and office furniture. Usually, public seats can be divided into two parts based on their usage: public indoor seats and public outdoor seats. How to understand the role and impact of public seats on the indoor environment, and how to establish a new design method for public seats in the context of the overall environmental system, are currently urgent issues to be solved. The chair furniture comfort design evaluation is a classical MADM issues. In such paper, the generalized weighted Bonferroni mean (WBM) operator and power average (PA) is constructed for MADM with single-valued neutrosophic sets (SVNSs). Then, the generalized single-valued neutrosophic number power WBM (GSVNNPWBM) operator is built and then the MADM decision methods are proposed based on the GSVNNPWBM operator. Finally, an example about chair furniture comfort design evaluation and some comparative analysis were given to demonstrate the GSVNNPWBM method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given a real source scene and a virtual target scene, the real-scene-constrained virtual scene layout synthesis problem is defined as how to re-synthesize the layout of the virtual furniture in the virtual scene to form a new virtual scene such that the new scene not only looks similar to the input real and virtual scenes but also is interactive. The goal of this problem is to maximize interactivity and fidelity which are contradictory. To solve this problem, we propose a real-scene-constrained virtual scene layout synthesis method to synthesize the layout of the virtual furniture in the new virtual scene. We split the scene layout synthesis process into 3 interrelated steps: scene matching, matched furniture layout generating, and unmatched furniture layout generating. For scene matching, we propose a deep scene matching network to predict the matching relationship between real and virtual furniture. For matched furniture layout generating, we propose a layout parameters optimization algorithm to predict suitable layouts of the matched virtual furniture. For unmatched furniture layout generating, we propose a deep scene generating network to predict suitable layouts of unmatched virtual furniture. We evaluate the quality of our method to synthesize scenes of different kinds and sizes. The results show that, compared with the heuristic rules-based method, our method has better matching accuracy and location accuracy. We also design a user study to evaluate the interactivity and fidelity. Compared to the manual method and the heuristic rules-based method, our method has a significant improvement in interactivity and fidelity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to identify limiting factors for reusing wood through the recycling of window frames by conducting research under fully controlled conditions. The research involved manufacturing new window frames, seasoning them, and then shredding them into wood particles to prepare a three-layer particleboard. The proportion of wood particles in recycling was 0, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 parts by weight of the manufactured particleboard. Mechanical property tests were conducted: modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rupture (MOR), internal bond (IB), screw withdrawal resistance (SWR), and physical properties: density profile (DP), thickness swelling (TS) after water immersion, water absorption (WA), as well as formaldehyde emission and total volatile organic compound (TVOCs) tests. The research indicates a significant potential for utilizing wood from this sector of the wood industry, particularly considering variants with a higher proportion of recycled wood. MOR and MOE results are most promising for variants above 50 parts by weight of recycled wood. Based on the results obtained, it is clear that the production process should be improved or the raw material modified to enhance the internal bonding of particleboard, as these results were the weakest. Thus, recycled wood from window joinery has the potential to be reincarnated as particleboard, which continues to be widely used in their production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urgent need to reduce carbon emissions in the construction sector has driven the exploration of circular economy practices in the built environment. Nevertheless, the implementation of circular economy principles in projects remains limited. This research contributes to bridging this gap by introducing a project proposal that establishes a typology of modular systems designed for easy assembly, disassembly, and reuse. Specifically, the proposal focuses on load-bearing wood furniture modules (FMs) as an intermediate solution between planar and volumetric modules. These FMs expand the structural wall's volume, facilitating the integration of services, storage, and appliances. This addresses scenarios where swift building deployment is required. The proposed modular dimension enhances transportation efficiency compared to volumetric solutions and simplifies construction by eliminating the need for temporary stabilization, as seen in planar systems. Standardization and "separability" of each component within the FM allows for easy integration and maintenance. Special attention is paid to the timber connection systems within and between FMs facilitating easy assembly, and disassembly for future reuse. The adaptability of the FM concept is demonstrated through versatile compositions and layouts, facilitating space reconfiguration. While the technical feasibility of the FM-based system is demonstrated, further research is needed to address regional and cultural variations and customize the system to different contexts. The study emphasizes the potential of FMs as a solution for buildings aligned with circular economy principles and highlights the importance of continued research and development in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies indicate that natural wooden materials positively affect students' well-being in classrooms. In addition, students spend a considerable amount of their time in classrooms predominantly seated, making school interiors a suitable place to reduce sedentary behaviors of children. A mixed team of experts in human factors, architecture, design and engineering designed a prototype wooden standing desk for indoor use and formed focus groups with students and teachers to gather feedback on the development process and to evaluate the suitability of the prototype. The prototype desk was well received by the primary school teachers and students. The students appreciated plywood as the main material for the construction of the desk; however, they criticized that the wooden tabletop should be more resistant. The height adjustability of the desk and the tiltable tabletop were the most appreciated features of the prototype. Further studies should be conducted to investigate the optimal material, shape and color of the school desk, especially the tabletop, and additional efforts should be made to design furniture that promotes a less sedentary classroom and improves students' well-being at school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substituting the use of non-renewable materials with wood-based products in the furniture industry is expected to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This substitution effect can be quantified by estimating the displacement factor (DF) of wood products. However, the lack of a standardized DF calculation method limits a reliable estimation of DFs for wood substitution in the furniture industry. Herein, DF values were determined for wood substitution in office furniture in Korea using three DF calculation methods, single DF, replacement rate-based DF, and more/less wood-intensive DF. The results indicated that substituting nonwood furniture with wood-based furniture can help reduce GHG emissions, with the most positive DF values observed. The negative DF values generated using the replacement rate-based DF method highlighted the importance of weight calculation when considering wood products. However, the difference in DF calculation methods between studies and the lack of life cycle assessment (LCA) data in Korea must be addressed. In conclusion, these results emphasize the need for a standardized DF calculation method and LCA data to improve the accuracy and applicability of the DF of wood-based furniture products. The present results provide insights into the environmental benefits of replacing non-wood products with wood products in the furniture industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an improved VGG16 combined with depthwise group over-parameterized convolution (DGOVGG16) model is proposed to realize automatic furniture image classification. Firstly, depthwise over-parameterized convolution combined with group convolution is combined to construct depthwise group over-parameterized convolution, which is introduced to the VGG 16 model for reducing the number of parameters of the overall model while extracting more sufficient semantic features of furniture images. Then, this paper uses the ReLU activation function in the former part of the neural network to reduce the correlation between parameters and accelerate the weight update speed of the former part of the model. Meantime, the proposed model applies Leaky-ReLU activation function in the last layer to avoid the problem that some neurons do not update. Compared with the six furniture image classification methods based on MobileNetV2, AlexNet, ShuffleNetv2, GoogleNet, VGG 16 and GVGG16, the experimental results show the proposed DGOVGG16 with average accuracy (AA) of 95.51% has better classification performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within this scientific paper, a brief analysis of furniture design is made, with a concrete analysis of the ancient Greek Klismos chair. About the famous Klismos chair, there are papers and analyses that claim the comfort and daily use of the chair at that time by all people without division. A brief description of the beginnings of the modern era is also made, including how it influenced today's architecture and design. By presenting the first modern chairs as unique and free from the former styles, in symbiosis with the Klismos chair, a new concept design for today's everyday chair is obtained. The Triga chair is minimal and functional, which follows today's trend through shape, material, and color. It is designed to be used for everyday activities and as a dining chair. The research methods used in this paper are the qualitative method, the real and productive analysis, the generalization method, the simulation method, and finally the application method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Primary school children spend quite a lot of time sitting in classrooms. For this reason, it is necessary to make a scientific analysis of children's body dimensions and compare them with the furniture dimensions where they sit. OBJECTIVES: The main aim of this paper is to present anthropometric data for pupils in primary schools in the Republic of Kosovo and give recommendations for school furniture design. METHODS: Measurements were made in the public schools of four different regions in the Republic of Kosovo. The study includes 720 children from 12 different elementary schools with first and fifth graders (6–11 years old). Twelve body parts were measured: Stature, sitting height, shoulder height, lower leg length, hip breadth, elbow height, buttock-popliteal length, thigh clearance, eye height, shoulder breadth, and knee height. The descriptive data are calculated in terms of average, standard deviation, and 5th, 50th and 95th percentile. RESULTS: We recommend that the competent authorities in the Republic of Kosovo consider improving the infrastructure of primary schools in terms of furniture size according to the findings presented in this study. CONCLUSIONS: The information presented in this paper on pupils' anthropometry and the proposed dimensions for school furniture can be used by various bodies in Kosovo including, but not limited to: Ministry of Education Science and Technology, Ministry of Trade and Industry of Kosovo and furniture manufacturing industries as basic information for suitable furniture design for primary school children, as well as school principals to help in furniture selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This work presents a digital-twin-based framework focused on orchestrating human-centered processes toward Industry 5.0. By including workers and their digital replicas in the loop of the digital twin, the proposed framework extends the traditional model of the factory's digital twin, which instead does not adequately consider the human component. The overall goal of the authors is to provide a reference architecture to manufacturing companies for a digital-twin-based platform that promotes harmonization and orchestration between humans and (physical and virtual) machines through the monitoring, simulation, and optimization of their interactions. In addition, the platform enhances the interactions of the stakeholders with the digital twin, considering that the latter cannot always be fully autonomous, and it can require human intervention. The paper also presents an implemented scenario adhering to the proposed framework's specifications, which is also validated with a real case study set in a factory plant that produces wooden furniture, thus demonstrating the validity of the overall proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the most important forest product in the export of China, wooden furniture is facing increasingly fierce international competition and has a strong need for quality improvement. Based on the endogenous determination model of quality, this paper measures the quality of Chinese wooden furniture in exports from 1998 to 2017, by using product-level trade data of BACI CEPII. From the perspectives of the overall and sub-category quality, it examines the characteristics of dynamic changes in the product quality and its regional distribution of "the Belt and Road Initiative" countries. The results show that the quality of Chinese wooden furniture in exports is lower than that of wood-based panels and paper products. It remains stable after a slight increase from 2001 to 2005, but the quality level is always low. Among the sub-categories, wooden furniture not for kitchens, offices, or bedrooms has the lowest quality, while wooden office furniture has the highest one. The three dominant sub-categories that account for a high export share are all low in quality, while the small proportion sub-categories are all of higher quality, implying a strong imbalance. In particular, the quality of the main export products, upholstered wooden seats and wooden furniture not for kitchen, office, or bedroom use, has continued to decline, highlighting the plight of the quality growth of Chinese wooden furniture. For the BRI markets, the quality of Chinese wooden furniture exported to the region has declined slightly since 2012. However, different markets have shown different characteristics in the quality level and the direction of change. In terms of quality level, the qualities of wooden furniture exported to Malaysia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and the Philippines are relatively high. In terms of changing trends, the qualities of wooden furniture to Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Israel are showing a rising trend. In this case, accurately identifying the quality of different export categories of furniture products and their changing characteristics can help furniture enterprises make better production and operation decisions, promote the formation of a good business environment, and foster new comparative advantages and international competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a feasibility study on monitoring earthquake-caused furniture vibrations using radiofrequency identification (RFID) sensor tags. Finding unstable objects by exploiting the vibrations caused by weaker earthquakes is effective as one of the potential countermeasures for large-scale earthquakes in earthquake-prone areas. For this purpose, a previously proposed ultrahigh-frequency (UHF)-band RFID-based batteryless vibration/physical shock sensing system enabled long-term monitoring. This RFID sensor system introduced standby and active modes for long-term monitoring. This system enabled lower-cost wireless vibration measurements without affecting the vibration of furniture because the RFID-based sensor tags provide lightweight, low-cost, and battery-free operations. This RFID sensor system observed earthquake-cased furniture vibrations in a room on the fourth floor of a building eight stories high at Ibaraki University, Hitachi, Ibaraki, Japan. The observation results revealed that the RFID sensor tags identified the vibrations of furniture caused by earthquakes. The RFID sensor system also observed the vibration duration times of the objects in a room and specified the most unstable reference object. Hence, the proposed vibration sensing system helped achieve safe living in indoor environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainable development of the furniture industry is experiencing the challenges of energy consumption and waste disposal. Product–service systems (PSSs) have the potential to promote sustainable development and the opportunity to transition to a circular economy (CE). PSSs can bring a series of benefits to sustainable furniture, but there are still some problems to be considered, such as the safe storage and transmission of information and data and the protection of stakeholders' rights and interests. With digitization becoming a major trend, emerging digital technologies such as blockchain (BC) are proving to have the potential to solve related problems. Therefore, this paper aims to integrate the potential roles of BC and PSSs in the lifecycle of sustainable furniture. This paper adopts a mixed quantitative and qualitative research method. Firstly, the potential relationship among furniture, PSSs, and BC was quantitatively analyzed by VOSviewer. Secondly, this paper qualitatively analyzes the lifecycle stages of sustainable furniture, the advantages of PSSs to promote sustainable furniture, and the potential of BC to enhance the PSSs information model (IM) to further promote sustainable furniture to address related challenges. Subsequently, the conceptual BC-enhanced PSSs IM (BC-PSSs) framework was constructed, which contains the high-level and the low-level of structure and process, and then reviewed and refined through pre-interview questionnaires and follow-up interviews by industry experts and scholars. In addition, discussing the contribution of the conceptual BC-PSSs framework in sustainable furniture, and the potential of BC-PSSs in quantifying design value, encouraging designers to contribute value, and exploring the potential role of BC-PSSs in supporting sustainable consumer behavior. It is the first attempt to construct a conceptual BC-enhanced PSSs IM framework for sustainable furniture from the perspective of lifecycle stages, which can serve as a reference for researchers and policymakers in relevant directions to support sustainable development, in particular contributing to the achievement of SDGs 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDGs 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to clarify the process of the formation of Perriand's concept of "form" toward the "forme utile (useful form)," by tracing her production of furniture chronologically. In other words, by analyzing the intersection of the "Mingei (folk‐craft)" tradition experienced in Japan and the Western modernism of "forme utile," this paper examines how the "new decoration" of steel pipe furniture as "form" led to her particular "decoration" of interior spaces. In Perriand's concept of "form," touching the material itself was the primary issue. However, it was also synonymous with the main intent of the leader of Mingei movement Muneyoshi Yanagi, criticized her "forme libre (free form)." Furthermore, Perriand, who referred the aesthetician Kakuzo Okakura's "vacuum," came to understand "form" as the correlation between human beings and the space that surrounds them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) has made enormous strides in recent years, transitioning from science fiction to a technology that is revolutionizing every sector of the global economy. Thanks to advances in machine learning, natural language processing and computer vision, artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic dream, but a reality today. Once optimised and integrated into everyday life, artificial intelligence will substantially enhance human capabilities and contribute to the betterment of society. This paper will embrace the opportunities offered by computer vision, as part of artificial intelligence, by showcasing the FurnishMe application, an image search engine for furniture recommendations. Buying furniture online, as well as offline, is an overwhelming process given the quantity and diversity of furniture products available. The FurnishMe software solution allows users to easily explore the furniture of the three largest furniture retailers in Romania: Ikea, Jysk, and Dedeman. The system analyses user-uploaded interior design images in order to identify furniture items and provide aesthetically similar products from the three big retailers mentioned above. Both consumers and traders benefit from this solution. Clients benefit from a quick and easy way to choose the product they desire which integrates various features such as design, texture and colour. Moreover, businesses gain from greater sales by luring clients and saving time on inperson consultations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial considers hindrances that keep me from making sure that my used wooden furniture items don't get thrown out at a point where their wooden content still has decades or hundreds of years of potential service left in them. I am a careless and lazy person, and I am not always appreciating the different ways in which other people might be ready to appreciate and utilize my cast-off items. Continued usage of a wooden item can be the ultimate in minimizing environmental impacts. I might envision that the only usage of an old, scuffed wooden dining room set is full restoration. But my niece might need it for her college apartment. A friend of a friend might need it for an informal basement art studio. Alternatively, if the set is really well beyond use in its original form, it could be converted into wood particles for particleboard or incinerated to generate renewable energy. Whether I use eBay, word of mouth, my church's electronic bulletin board, or just put the item out by the curb on a sunny day, a wooden item of furniture has the potential to continue to provide valuable service for much longer than I might first imagine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]