LINKXHelma van Rijn has developed toys that use a new method for teaching autistic children words. She developed these toys while studying at TU Delft’s Faculty of Industrial Design.
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Helma van Rijn’s final graduation project focused on the language development of autistic children. She has developed and tested toys that can help autistic children develop their language skills – specifically the learning of new words. This electronic toy is called LINKX and consists of blocks that the children must place against a specific object. The objects – for example a table or a window . are equipped with a small electronic device of a certain color. If the children place a block against such an object, the block lights up in the same color as the object and the child hears the word that is the name of the object (this word has been pre-recorded by the child’s parents). Van Rijn has tested this new method of learning words on autistic children (aged 3-5 years old). Following further tests, the project group that Van Rijn designed the game for plans to include the game in its product catalogue.
ERC
Europe has a new flagship agency to fund the brightest ideas in science. The European Research Council (ERC) has been given a budget of 7.5bn euros to 2013, and will focus solely on fundamental research. It’s hoped the initiative will help keep the EU’s economy globally competitive. The ERC was formally inaugurated at a meeting in Berlin attended by the German Chancellor, Dr. Angela Merkel. She said the Council would become “a champion’s league for research”. The Council will be an independent body run by the scientists themselves. It is expected to improve the quality of all scientific endeavors in Europe. “The ERC is about pooling our efforts so that all of Europe can be a big player. We want to be the best in the world,” said Professor Fotis Kafatos, the ERC’s president. It’s understood that the EU must fight harder in future if it wants to maintain its economic position. On research and development (R&D) investment, it still lags behind the US and Japan; while countries like China and India will soon match EU spending as a percentage of GDP.
Belvedere chairs
To intensify the relationship between cultural history, spatial planning and design in our country, the Dutch government – in partnership with three universities – has established ‘Belvedere chairs’ for a period of four years (2006-2009). Each of these chairs, which are part of the educational and research network, has a different emphasis: history (VU Amsterdam), planning (Wageningen University) and design (TU Delft). After four years, the cross-over propensities of the various disciplines must become established in the regular educational and research program. The ultimate objective is to serve and enrich the professional practice. The TU Delft chair is focused on spatial design in architecture, urban development and landscape architecture. The subject matter will be administered in three sub-themes, which in turn will provide direction for the educational and research activities. The extra impulse that the Belvedere chairs will give to education and research is in principle a short-term affair, which will lead to pragmatic partnerships and the utilization of all available opportunities.
Greenhouse industry
TU Delft has signed an agreement with Syntens, Federatie Agrotechniek and LTO Groeiservice. The alliance is embodied in the ‘Knowledge Platform for the Greenhouse Industry’. Its objective is to stimulate, initiate and implement technological innovations in the greenhouse sector and the agro-chain. Taking their lead from TU Delft, a number of high-tech business start-ups are also involved in the alliance. The greenhouse sector is one of the most innovative industries in the Netherlands. Production process automation has been an important focus in recent years. The new Knowledge Platform for the Greenhouse Industry is an important first step towards a joint effort toward enhanced, innovative developments in the sector. The challenges to be faced in the years to come center on agro-technology (the use of robots), product development, the environment, water and energy technologies, IT and transport and logistics. The alliance will lead to a better balance between knowledge supply and demand and will help bridge the gap between companies active in the industry and knowledge institutes or technology start-ups. The Knowledge Platform for the Greenhouse Industry is an ‘open’ platform, meaning other sectors may participate as well.
Excellent
An international review committee evaluated the work at the Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation as ‘overall tending towards excellent’. The committee is very impressed what the research groups are currently doing and by how motivated they are to reach their future goals. The Kluyver Centre is a consortium of Delft University of Technology, Wageningen University and Research Center, the universities of Leiden and Utrecht, Radboud University Nijmegen, VU University Amsterdam, NIZO food research, TNO, Wageningen Center for Food Sciences and Agrotechnology and Food Sciences Group.
LINKX
Helma van Rijn has developed toys that use a new method for teaching autistic children words. She developed these toys while studying at TU Delft’s Faculty of Industrial Design. Helma van Rijn’s final graduation project focused on the language development of autistic children. She has developed and tested toys that can help autistic children develop their language skills – specifically the learning of new words. This electronic toy is called LINKX and consists of blocks that the children must place against a specific object. The objects – for example a table or a window . are equipped with a small electronic device of a certain color. If the children place a block against such an object, the block lights up in the same color as the object and the child hears the word that is the name of the object (this word has been pre-recorded by the child’s parents). Van Rijn has tested this new method of learning words on autistic children (aged 3-5 years old). Following further tests, the project group that Van Rijn designed the game for plans to include the game in its product catalogue.
ERC
Europe has a new flagship agency to fund the brightest ideas in science. The European Research Council (ERC) has been given a budget of 7.5bn euros to 2013, and will focus solely on fundamental research. It’s hoped the initiative will help keep the EU’s economy globally competitive. The ERC was formally inaugurated at a meeting in Berlin attended by the German Chancellor, Dr. Angela Merkel. She said the Council would become “a champion’s league for research”. The Council will be an independent body run by the scientists themselves. It is expected to improve the quality of all scientific endeavors in Europe. “The ERC is about pooling our efforts so that all of Europe can be a big player. We want to be the best in the world,” said Professor Fotis Kafatos, the ERC’s president. It’s understood that the EU must fight harder in future if it wants to maintain its economic position. On research and development (R&D) investment, it still lags behind the US and Japan; while countries like China and India will soon match EU spending as a percentage of GDP.
Belvedere chairs
To intensify the relationship between cultural history, spatial planning and design in our country, the Dutch government – in partnership with three universities – has established ‘Belvedere chairs’ for a period of four years (2006-2009). Each of these chairs, which are part of the educational and research network, has a different emphasis: history (VU Amsterdam), planning (Wageningen University) and design (TU Delft). After four years, the cross-over propensities of the various disciplines must become established in the regular educational and research program. The ultimate objective is to serve and enrich the professional practice. The TU Delft chair is focused on spatial design in architecture, urban development and landscape architecture. The subject matter will be administered in three sub-themes, which in turn will provide direction for the educational and research activities. The extra impulse that the Belvedere chairs will give to education and research is in principle a short-term affair, which will lead to pragmatic partnerships and the utilization of all available opportunities.
Greenhouse industry
TU Delft has signed an agreement with Syntens, Federatie Agrotechniek and LTO Groeiservice. The alliance is embodied in the ‘Knowledge Platform for the Greenhouse Industry’. Its objective is to stimulate, initiate and implement technological innovations in the greenhouse sector and the agro-chain. Taking their lead from TU Delft, a number of high-tech business start-ups are also involved in the alliance. The greenhouse sector is one of the most innovative industries in the Netherlands. Production process automation has been an important focus in recent years. The new Knowledge Platform for the Greenhouse Industry is an important first step towards a joint effort toward enhanced, innovative developments in the sector. The challenges to be faced in the years to come center on agro-technology (the use of robots), product development, the environment, water and energy technologies, IT and transport and logistics. The alliance will lead to a better balance between knowledge supply and demand and will help bridge the gap between companies active in the industry and knowledge institutes or technology start-ups. The Knowledge Platform for the Greenhouse Industry is an ‘open’ platform, meaning other sectors may participate as well.
Excellent
An international review committee evaluated the work at the Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation as ‘overall tending towards excellent’. The committee is very impressed what the research groups are currently doing and by how motivated they are to reach their future goals. The Kluyver Centre is a consortium of Delft University of Technology, Wageningen University and Research Center, the universities of Leiden and Utrecht, Radboud University Nijmegen, VU University Amsterdam, NIZO food research, TNO, Wageningen Center for Food Sciences and Agrotechnology and Food Sciences Group.
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