Athanasios Karafillidis | YMCA University of Applied Sciences (original) (raw)

Books by Athanasios Karafillidis

This book shows the advantages of using different perspectives and scientific backgrounds for dev... more This book shows the advantages of using different perspectives and scientific backgrounds for developing support technologies that are integrated into daily life. It highlights the interaction between people and technology as a key factor for achieving this integration and discusses relevant methods, concepts, technologies, and applications suitable for interdisciplinary exchange and collaboration.

The relationship between humans and technology has become much more inclusive and interdependent. This generates a number of technical, ethical, social, and practical issues. By gathering contributions from scholars from heterogeneous research fields, such as biomechanics, various branches of engineering, the social sciences, information science, psychology, and philosophy, this book is intended to provide answers to the main questions arising when support technologies such as assistance systems, wearable devices, augmented reality, and/or robot-based systems are constructed, implemented, interfaced and/or evaluated across different application contexts.

Papers by Athanasios Karafillidis

Biosystems & biorobotics, 2018

This paper sketches the connection of digital transformation and support technologies. Describing... more This paper sketches the connection of digital transformation and support technologies. Describing and conceptualizing human-machine configurations as “support” is intimately linked to material digitization processes. It is argued that support relations have to be considered as sensor-actuator-networks that consist of both organic and designed components embedded in a wider sociomaterial infrastructure. Interfacing various bodies then turns out to be the pivotal issue for support in the digital age. In this vein, challenges with regard to robots, automation, power, and collaboration are discussed.

GI-Jahrestagung, 2017

One of the greatest societal challenges right now can be seen in the design of the interaction be... more One of the greatest societal challenges right now can be seen in the design of the interaction between human and technology. Especially in recent years this has become more intense. In almost all life situations, we are already supported or assisted by technology. Such systems come in various forms and characteristics. This paper will report on an ongoing research project named smartASSIST which aims to establish methods for the development of wearable systems for physical support as well as exemplary supporting technologies. The research is based upon a theoretical foundation of human-machine support relations which leads to the conceptual approach of constructing Human-Hybrid-Robot (HHR) systems.

transcript Verlag eBooks, Dec 31, 2010

I-com, Aug 1, 2017

VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften eBooks, 2009

ABSTRACT

Biosystems & biorobotics, 2018

There is a great variety of manual activities in work and everyday life. The number and forms of ... more There is a great variety of manual activities in work and everyday life. The number and forms of various support systems reflect this variety. A classification could provide a scheme to recognize, compare, and evaluate the heterogeneous problems, approaches, and technological solutions already existing in the field. Based on previous work on a theory of support, taxonomic criteria are derived and substantiated. These criteria are used to construct a matrix in analogy to the periodic table in order to make visible the coherence as well as the differences of technical support artifacts in general and exoskeletons in particular.

Velbrück Wissenschaft eBooks, 2015

Die These dieses Beitrags lautet, dass die ontogenetische Grundlage von Hybriden und Hybridität d... more Die These dieses Beitrags lautet, dass die ontogenetische Grundlage von Hybriden und Hybridität die Operation der Unterscheidung ist, von der man sich aus theoretischen, politischen oder ideologischen Gründen eigentlich gerne distanziert. Da Unterscheidungen fälschlicherweise vorschnell mit &amp;quot;Reinigung&amp;quot; und klaren Grenzen assoziiert werden, versucht der Aufsatz zunächst Missverständnisse in Bezug auf die Praxis des Unterscheidens aus dem Weg zu räumen, um die Mikrophysik der Form des Unterscheidens freizulegen. Das geschieht mit Hilfe der Vorstellung eines Begriffs der Unterscheidung, seiner Operationalisierung und seinem Vermischungspotenzial. Die auf diese Art und Weise gewonnene formtheoretische Beobachtung von Latours Moderne und Nicht-Moderne kann – ganz im Sinne von Latour und im Gegensatz zu den meisten Interpretationen – nachdrücklich zeigen, dass modern zu sein nicht so sehr mit der Dichotomie von Natur und Gesellschaft zu tun hat, sondern mit der Trennung von Reinigungs- und Übersetzungspraktiken. Während nicht modern zu sein bedeutet, diese beiden Praktiken als eine einzige Konfiguration zu betrachten, ist die Moderne dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass sie Reinigung und Übersetzung nur reinigt, aber nicht übersetzt.

Soziale Systeme, Nov 1, 2021

Zusammenfassung Die Frage der Verschiebung von Verantwortung, die durch den vermehrten Einsatz vo... more Zusammenfassung Die Frage der Verschiebung von Verantwortung, die durch den vermehrten Einsatz von datenintensiven Algorithmen verursacht wird, beschäftigt seit einigen Jahren die sozialwissenschaftliche Forschung. Dabei geht es vor allem darum, welche Personen oder Instanzen dafür verantwortlich sein sollen, wenn sich Entscheidungen als diskriminierend, sachlich falsch oder ungerecht herausstellen. Aus soziologischer Perspektive fällt auf, dass in diesen Debatten nicht trennscharf zwischen Verantwortung und Verantwortlichkeit unterschieden wird. In unserem Beitrag greifen wir diese Unterscheidung so wie sie von Niklas Luhmann formuliert wurde auf, um Veränderungen und Kontinuitäten des Organisierens zu analysieren, die mit dem Einsatz datenintensiver Algorithmen verbunden sind. Wir zeigen, dass Algorithmen in organisationalen Entscheidungsprozessen Unsicherheit absorbieren und somit durchaus Verantwortung übernehmen, aber nicht für Fehler verantwortlich gemacht werden können. Durch den Einsatz von Algorithmen wird Verantwortung in Assemblagen von Personen und Technik zerlegt, während die Zuschreibung von Verantwortlichkeit hochgradig kontrovers wird. Daraus entstehen neue Diskrepanzen zwischen Verantwortung und Verantwortlichkeit, die insbesondere für das organisationsinterne Vertrauen und die Innovationsfähigkeit von Organisationen folgenreich sein können.

Many different production systems for supporting, assisting or helping people at work are already... more Many different production systems for supporting, assisting or helping people at work are already available and even more will be developed in future. Such systems come in various forms and characteristics. This paper will introduce some first steps toward a theory of support-systems. It will focus on individual forms of employee support. The theory will be illustrated by exemplary solutions.

Applied Mechanics and Materials, Oct 1, 2015

Different research institutes and companies are developing technical systems to support or assist... more Different research institutes and companies are developing technical systems to support or assist people at work and in daily life. The technical systems can be used for a wide range of different applications. Moreover, the systems have different forms with respect to their application. This paper will analyse and classify different forms of such systems in a general manner. The classification procedure will be illustrated by exemplary solutions.

Springer eBooks, 2017

Dieser Beitrag formuliert Ansatzpunkte für eine soziologische Theorie der Unterstützung. Das schl... more Dieser Beitrag formuliert Ansatzpunkte für eine soziologische Theorie der Unterstützung. Das schließt Assistenz und Hilfe als spezielle Strukturformen von Unterstützung mit ein und ignoriert die Trennung zwischen "technischer" und "sozialer" Unterstützung, weil sich entsprechende Prozesse ausnahmslos als soziomaterielle Arrangements realisieren. Die einfache, aber folgenreiche strukturelle These lautet, dass Unterstützung sich immer von einer Aktivität unterscheidet, zu der sie sich dadurch in Beziehung setzt. Unterstützung bezieht sich also nicht auf "den" Menschen als Kompaktwesen, sondern auf spezifische Aktivitäten in soziotechnischen Netzwerken. In entsprechenden Situationen beteiligte Beobachter versuchen, diese Relation von Aktivität und Unterstützung in drei Dimensionen zu kontrollieren: durch zeitliche Synchronisierung/Desynchronisierung, durch integrierte/komplementäre Formen der Kopplung und durch Zuschreibungen der Kontrollhoheit auf unterschiedliche Identitäten.

Biosystems & biorobotics, 2018

Biosystems & Biorobotics publishes the latest research developments in three main areas: 1) under... more Biosystems & Biorobotics publishes the latest research developments in three main areas: 1) understanding biological systems from a bioengineering point of view, i.e. the study of biosystems by exploiting engineering methods and tools to unveil their functioning principles and unrivalled performance; 2) design and development of biologically inspired machines and systems to be used for different purposes and in a variety of application contexts. The series welcomes contributions on novel design approaches, methods and tools as well as case studies on specific bioinspired systems; 3) design and developments of nano-, micro-, macrodevices and systems for biomedical applications, i.e. technologies that can improve modern healthcare and welfare by enabling novel solutions for prevention, diagnosis, surgery, prosthetics, rehabilitation and independent living. On one side, the series focuses on recent methods and technologies which allow multiscale, multi-physics, high-resolution analysis and modeling of biological systems. A special emphasis on this side is given to the use of mechatronic and robotic systems as a tool for basic research in biology. On the other side, the series authoritatively reports on current theoretical and experimental challenges and developments related to the "biomechatronic" design of novel biorobotic machines. A special emphasis on this side is given to human-machine interaction and interfacing, and also to the ethical and social implications of this emerging research area, as key challenges for the acceptability and sustainability of biorobotics technology. The main target of the series are engineers interested in biology and medicine, and specifically bioengineers and bioroboticists. Volume published in the series comprise monographs, edited volumes, lecture notes, as well as selected conference proceedings and PhD theses. The series also publishes books purposely devoted to support education in bioengineering, biomedical engineering, biomechatronics and biorobotics at graduate and postgraduate levels.

Springer eBooks, Dec 23, 2022

Soziale Systeme

Biosystems & biorobotics, 2018

GI-Jahrestagung, 2017

transcript Verlag eBooks, Dec 31, 2010

I-com, Aug 1, 2017

VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften eBooks, 2009

ABSTRACT

Biosystems & biorobotics, 2018

Velbrück Wissenschaft eBooks, 2015

Soziale Systeme, Nov 1, 2021

Applied Mechanics and Materials, Oct 1, 2015

Springer eBooks, 2017

Biosystems & biorobotics, 2018

Springer eBooks, Dec 23, 2022

Soziale Systeme

Biosystems & biorobotics, 2018

REVUE – Magazine for the Next Society 16/2014: 8-9, Oct 2014

Most of the people are online without realizing they are online. Being deliberately offline has b... more Most of the people are online without realizing they are online. Being deliberately offline has become suspicious. Tackling these (and other) new experiences is facilitated if we stop to categorize episodes of individual life as either online or offline. Rather focus on networks. Networks can be online and offline simultaneously because they are dispersed, self-similar, and heterogeneous socio-techno-biophysical formations.

REVUE – Magazine for the Next Society 15/2014: 134, May 2014

Materials are determined in relation to our (material) bodies. They acquire their qualities with ... more Materials are determined in relation to our (material) bodies. They acquire their qualities with respect to their observed effects, their production capacity, and their value/s. Natural resources are therefore derivative forms of material stuff. Their form is determined by placing materials at the beginning of some chain of effects, by treating them as external to some production process (i.e. as "natural"), and by attaching politico-economic values to them.

REVUE – Magazine for the Next Society 13/2013: 94-95, Jul 2013

Thinking about change and transformation is deeply flawed. It does not keep a requisite distance ... more Thinking about change and transformation is deeply flawed. It does not keep a requisite distance to the concept of change. This becomes clear when looking at accounts of organizational change. Thus it has been neglected to recognize the societal role of organization: it is a master-institution for inertial change – it blocks and realizes change at the same time. Organizations thereby enhance both their own and society's self-intelligence.

REVUE – Magazine for the Next Society 14/2013: 146-147, Nov 2013

Recursivity is holding society together but we shouldn't forget the formation of identities. Iden... more Recursivity is holding society together but we shouldn't forget the formation of identities. Identities are the main product of recursive social operations and concurrently allow recursivity to continue. Rituals play an interesting role in this respect since they are social forms that preserve and invoke identities. Furthermore they are used to transform them in a controlled fashion.

REVUE – Magazine for the Next Society 12/2013: 106-107, Apr 2013

Searching for what communities are about results in recognizing them as social search engines.

How are exoskeletons interfaced with physical bodies? My contention is that support is the key. S... more How are exoskeletons interfaced with physical bodies? My contention is that support is the key. Several years of work as an “embedded sociologist” in an exoskeleton project have shown that the concept of support is pivotal for constructing and construing wearable robots. It is used as a discursive frame to legitimate the development of relevant systems and, which is essential, it is employed as a guiding principle in the development process. It starts in the middle of various existing artifacts, technological preferences, funding demands, project organizational requirements, available personnel, and departmental histories. However, conditions begin to unfold as soon as a particular activity is determined that is to be supported – an initial agential cut. This engenders first exoskeletal identities (including possible kinematics, sensors, actuators, and control units) and endoskeletal identities (including possible muscle activities, movement capacities, and surrounding soft tissue) that are then put into mutual control relations guided by the aspiration to achieve support.

This paper contends that support technologies and their relevant artifacts recast bodily relation... more This paper contends that support technologies and their relevant artifacts recast bodily relations and thereby produce differing bodies in situations. In this vein, it sketches three main forms of physical human-machine relations (substitution, augmentation, support) and then introduces the concept of signaling stigma that allows to observe the situated management of new technological markers of difference. It concludes with suggestions for further research building on this approach to uncover the interactional foundations for what might grow into manifest inequalities—beyond the still im- portant issues of personal data rights and access to technology.

This paper explores Andrew Abbott's main theoretical contribution to the becoming of social thing... more This paper explores Andrew Abbott's main theoretical contribution to the becoming of social things. It is preoccupied with his quite often cited but theoretically underestimated work on the "Things of Boundaries" — a truly processual account on the ontogenesis of objects and subjects by linking distinctions.

Soziale Formen. Fortführung eines soziologischen Programms, 2010

Soziologie und Sozialforschung sind nicht einfach zwei Lager innerhalb desselben Territoriums. Vi... more Soziologie und Sozialforschung sind nicht einfach zwei Lager innerhalb desselben Territoriums. Vielmehr handelt es sich um zwei verschiedene Arten Territorien abzustecken und sozialwissenschaftliche Forschung zu betreiben. Das bedeutet, dass sowohl die Soziologie als auch die Sozialforschung ihre jeweils eigenen Theorien und Methoden entwickeln und anwenden. Beide brauchen sowohl Theorie als auch Methode und entwickeln daher auch beides. Insofern ist es problematisch, sie als untrennbare Einheit zu begreifen und sie darüber hinaus, was das eigentlich Fatale ist, in ein Verhältnis von Theorie auf der einen und Methode auf der anderen Seite zu bringen.
Weil es an Anerkennung dieser Differenz fehlt, haben sich die Fronten zwischen ihnen immer mehr verhärtet. Was als Vernunftehe begonnen hat, ist nun zur Hassliebe geworden. Einer scheiternden Ehe ähnlich, hagelt es einerseits laufend Vorwürfe, das man sich wechselseitig zu wenig Beachtung schenkt, aber man findet andererseits immer auch gute Gründe, sich nicht zu trennen: vor allem die gemeinsamen Kinder.

Soziale Formen. Fortführung eines soziologischen Programms, 2010

Literaturliste des Buchs "Soziale Formen"

Soziale Formen. Fortführung eine soziologischen Programms, 2010

»Middle range« bezeichnet nicht einfach einen Typ soziologischer Theorie (etwa zwischen universel... more »Middle range« bezeichnet nicht einfach einen Typ soziologischer Theorie (etwa zwischen universell und empirisch) und bezieht sich auch nicht auf eine Eigenschaft des untersuchten Gegenstands (etwa zwischen »mikro«
und »makro«). Aber was bezeichnet »middle range« dann? Merton arbeitet zur näheren Bestimmung mit dem Begriff des Paradigmas (den er enger als Thomas S. Kuhn verstanden wissen will), der eine Codifizierung der soziologischen Theorie bezeichnet. In diesem Zusammenhang ist das Betreiben einer Middle-Range-Theorie ein Paradigma; und zwar ein Paradigma, das sich dadurch auszeichnet, dass es mit einer mittleren Anzahl von Freiheitsgraden rechnen kann.