Littérature scientifique sur le sujet « Casque immersif »

Les technologies immersives ont fait leur apparition dans bon nombre d’outils de modélisation architecturale. Néanmoins, leur usage se limite bien souvent à des fins de visualisation, par exemple pour valider un design auprès d’un client muni d’un casque de réalité virtuelle. Notre travail vise à permettre une utilisation de ce medium immersif durant l’activité de conception architecturale elle-même. Nous présentons dès lors un outil de modélisation paramétrique en réalité virtuelle permettant de combiner, en immersion, l’édition de modèles Grasshopper et la visualisation des géométries générées. Nous validerons notre approche auprès d’architectes et d’étudiants formés à ce paradigme de conception.

Nous présentons un système de réalité virtuelle qui a été mis en place afin de permettre à tous de visiter virtuellement les nouvelles salles blanches de l’ESIEE. C’est une visite immersive qui peut s’effectuer à l’aide d’un casque de réalité virtuelle ou bien dans une salle spécifique de projection que nous décrivons. Ce parcours virtuel permet de se déplacer dans toutes les pièces du bâtiment ainsi que de visiter les locaux techniques. Il offre le choix d’afficher des images de synthèse ou bien des photos panoramiques. Nous décrivons ici les outils utilisés ainsi que toutes les étapes qui ont mené à la réalisation de cette application.

Au cours de cet exposé nous présenterons nos activités de recherche dans plusieurs domaines. Nous commencerons par le domaine de la réalité virtuelle qui correspond à l’interaction avec des univers 3D simulés et restitués en temps réel par des ordinateurs. La réalité virtuelle permet d’envisager des applications nombreuses en médecine tels que les simulateurs chirurgicaux pour s’entraîner sur des patients virtuels ou bien, en psychiatrie, des simulateurs immersifs permettant de traiter des phobies par exposition parfaitement contrôlée des patients. Nous évoquerons ensuite le domaine des interfaces cerveau-ordinateur qui permet d’extraire et d’analyser en temps réel l’activité cérébrale d’un utilisateur équipé d’un casque EEG (électro-encéphalo-graphie) pour pouvoir par exemple piloter des prothèses ou des fauteuils roulants sans activité motrice et uniquement « par la pensée ». Ces technologies peuvent être combinées et viser des applications de Neurofeedback. Ainsi au cours d’un projet récent nous avons participé à l’élaboration d’un simulateur de classe virtuelle dans laquelle des enfants souffrant de troubles attentionnels (ADHD) peuvent être immergés virtuellement et progressivement travailler leurs rythmes cérébraux liés à l’attention et à leur pathologie.

Les technologies immersives sont de plus en plus présentes dans le contexte éducatif. Même si certaines méta-analyses ont montré un résultat positif de certaines technologies immersives TI (Chen et al., 2020; Coban et al. 2022), nous devons encore explorer ses applications pratiques dans les classes. Les avantages pédagogiques ont été mentionnés à plusieurs reprises (Freina et Ott, 2015, Di Natale et al., 2020), mais ils peuvent être modérés par de nombreux défis dans la salle de classe. Dans cet article, nous avons proposé de faire la lumière sur deux études de cas d’exploitation pédagogique de la technologie immersive à l’aide de casques au niveau secondaire en univers social. Les expériences ont été documentées par des groupes de discussion avec les élèves et des entretiens individuels avec les enseignants. Le premier cas proposait d'explorer le conflit en Syrie sous différents angles, avec l'aide de vidéos à 360° et d’une application de visualisation de lieux dans le monde. Le second cas visait à amener les élèves à comparer la réalité passée et présente dans le contexte de Pékin, à partir de vidéos à 360° en réalité virtuelle. Les résultats ont montré que les TI ont un certain potentiel, mais que de nombreuses conditions doivent être mises en place pour en arriver à un usage pédagogique efficace.

El sentido de autoeficacia del profesorado en formación (PSTs) se estudia cada vez más por su impacto en el desarrollo profesional. Métodos como la microenseñanza han demostrado mejorar la autoeficacia del PSTs. Este estudio examina el impacto de la microenseñanza, grabada con cámaras de realidad virtual inmersiva (iVR), en la autoeficacia del PSTs. Se exploran los niveles de autoeficacia de los PSTs antes y después de la microenseñanza y sus percepciones posteriores. Utilizando un enfoque de método mixto, realizamos un diseño cuasi-experimental de pretest-postest con la Escala de Autoeficacia del Profesor (TSES) y grupos focales. El estudio involucró a 27 PSTs de inglés de un programa de máster en la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. El análisis cuantitativo mostró alta fiabilidad en las tres dimensiones de la TSES: estrategias de instrucción, gestión del aula y compromiso de los estudiantes, con mejoras significativas postest con respecto a las estrategias de enseñanza. El análisis cualitativo destacó la importancia de estas dimensiones junto con el uso innovador de iVR. Nuestros hallazgos sugieren que comprender las interacciones que afectan la autoeficacia puede mejorar el diseño de programas de formación docente, promover el crecimiento profesional y la confianza de los futuros educadores.

Within the framework of the new digital paradigm, a multitude of media have emerged that express communicational realities different from those institutionalised by conventional media groups. In Spain, alternative media proliferated after the crisis of 2008 and the transformation of the journalistic context, which is immersed in the digital economy. This work focuses on analysing La Poderío as a peripheral publication project with a gender perspective in the Spanish sphere, looking in depth at its trajectory and organisational structure, the strategies and communication channels it uses and its digital audience. It is a case study that has used in-depth interviews, web traffic analysis and the monitoring of metrics in social networks as tools. The results indicate that this is a project of non-mainstream journalistic cultural production with a gender perspective that values communication from the periphery and gives a voice to under-represented groups, helping to make alternative contexts of social and communicative interaction visible. However, with the intention of making proposals, elements have been detected that can facilitate its expansion and professionalization.

<p>本研究旨在探究後天視障者生涯建構和職涯發展歷程，研究目的有三：（一）其生涯建構的形成與改變；（二）外在因素對其職涯發展可能造成的影響；（三）其職涯動機的發展與轉變歷程。本研究採立意取樣，運用半結構式深度訪談大綱，以五位後天視障者為研究參與者，並採用三角驗證原則以確保研究信實度。本研究結果如下：（一）後天視障者生涯建構形成與改變涉及致障前的成功經驗、重要他人的影響、生涯角色與價值觀及個人特質的建構；（二）外在因素可能造成的影響有：獲得工作機會、社會環境變遷、職場環境與工作條件及職務再設計；（三）正向韌力為初入職場之職涯發展階段的動力來源。然而當視覺惡化後，面對職涯變動與調整，其職涯韌力透過內在情緒調整與外在資源系統支持而獲得克服困境的力量，進而洞察職涯核心，接受改變且相信有獨立自主能力。因此，本研究結果發現，未來提供就業服務時，應考量個別生涯建構的內在心理狀態，及外在環境的有利條件，並著重於視覺逐步惡化者之視覺功能損傷變化狀況，及個人對於其生涯角色定位的差異，以提供符合其需求之就業輔導策略，並針對其視覺狀況彈性調整服務方向。文末亦說明研究限制與未來建議。</p> <p>&nbsp;</p><p>Purpose </p> <p> This study examines the career construction and career development process of people with adventitious blindness, including the change process in career beliefs and career motivations of people with adventitious blindness. The three research questions are: (1) What are the formation and changes in the career constructs of people with adventitious blindness? (2) How do external factors affect the career development of people with adventitious blindness? (3) What are the career development process and career motivation changes in people with adventitious blindness? </p> <p> Methods </p> <p> The study adopted a purposive sampling and multiple case study approach and invited five participants with adventitious blindness for this study. Three of the five participants were male, and two were female, with an average age of 43. They had different occupations (e.g., massage, education care assistance, computer skill teaching, agriculture, computer information processing) and other causes of impairment (e.g., visual impairment due to chronic visible diseases, acute illness). Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis and triangulation techniques to ensure the reliability of the study to validate the findings. </p> <p> Results </p> <p> The findings of this study revealed that: (1) The process of forming and changing the career constructs of people with adventitious blindness is related to the pre-impairment successes (personal preferences, strengths, academic learning, and work outcomes), the influence of significant others (beliefs conveyed by significant others or primary supporters), career roles (the male participants have traditional male family roles, while the female participants tend to solve problems on their own and break away from the part of dependents) and values (obtaining a fair salary, establishing social relationships, and realizing self-actualization), and the construction of personal traits (feedback and reactions from others, and personal internal reflection). The key is to find one&rsquo;s value. Through constructing and reconstructing, they expand their diversified perspectives, develop more different resources, turn the impact of deteriorating vision into motivation to start anew, and have the courage to try to use new resources, find unexplored potential in the past, or open up new job opportunities. (2) The results of the study showed that external factors include: access to job opportunities (opportunities from social resources, referrals from schools or associations, family resources, personal expertise), changes in the general social environment, workplace environment, and working conditions (computerized work tasks and a lot of screen manipulation are very burdensome for people with adventitious blindness, and the content and duties of the jobs may exhaust the remaining vision and force them to change jobs) and job accommodation (adjusting work methods, using required assistive technology aids, natural supporters, professional assistance). All of these factors will affect the career development of the participants. In addition, when facing job challenges, participants will not only use different strategies but also make appropriate career choices by considering their current real-life needs and their impairment status. (3) For people with adventitious blindness, positive resilience (self-acceptance, resource application, overcoming external resistance) is the driving force that lays the foundation for their early career development. This resilience facilitates personal career insight (re-awareness of self, career preferences, and actual needs, job adjustment), career identity (application of professional skills, job roles, and performance), and career decisions and actions (initial job decisions, maintaining a current job, career transitions) for people with adventitious blindness. As their vision deteriorates and they face career change and adjustment, their positive resilience increases their motivation to make emotional adjustments and responses (e.g., actively seeking peer support, developing interests and sharing, family members&rsquo; companionship and support) and seeking diversified social resources (e.g., applying for disability identification, guide dog service, accommodated bus service, sighted guide runners services) to facilitate continuous career change and improvement. The second deterioration of vision is the main cut-off point for a career change, which again motivates them to change their career. </p> <p> Conclusions </p> <p> The suggestions of this study can be divided into two parts; one is for people with adventitious blindness: (1) People with adventitious blindness can take the initiative to learn about different resources and develop their ability to use and search for resources before their physiological functions change, and to seek help from others promptly. (2) People with adventitious blindness can build their interpersonal support network and avoid prolonged immersion in negative emotions. (3) In the face of social changes, they can use different social resources to improve their workability or make work adjustments, such as: building more life skills, strengthening orientation and mobility, and upgrading work equipment and systems to follow the social trend to enhance the opportunity to obtain work. (4) Being aware of one&rsquo;s values and sense of mission can help people with adventitious blindness to make appropriate career decisions. The second part is to provide an employment service model for people with adventitious blindness: (1) Employment services need to assess and individualize the service model or adjust the services according to the stage of career development, the degree of visual impairment, individual internal psychological state and external environment of people with adventitious blindness. If changes in their physical and mental functions are found, relevant units should actively intervene and assist them to reapply for services. (2) Employment service providers should consider the differences in the gender and career roles of people with adventitious blindness and the changes in their roles at different vision statuses to provide employment counseling strategies or support resources that meet their needs. Limitations and suggestions: This study has limitations: (1) Each participant&rsquo;s condition and environment differed. Hence, the results of this study must be interpreted with the specific background of each individual with impairment. However, future research can use the findings in this study as a reference when first encountering people with adventitious blindness. (2) The participants in this study mainly worked in metropolitan areas. The researchers did not get a chance to explore the experiences of career motivation changes of people with acquired blindness living in other non-metropolitan areas. Therefore, future researchers can identify the extent of the direct effects of various factors that impact the career construction and career development process or focus on exploring career reconstruction patterns in people with adventitious blindness. </p> <p> </p>

Métaverse, cette « vérité » communément admise devient encore plus évidente face à l’émergence des structures et mondes parallèles au sein de ces univers virtuels. Cependant, cet avenir très proche marqué par ces métaverses nous préoccupe, et rien ne semble pouvoir les empêcher de devenir une réalité. En effet, ces nouveaux territoires intangibles pourraient changer fondamentalement notre façon d’être et d’exister nous menant à questionner particulièrement leur impact sur nos processus cognitifs et affectifs ainsi que le rapport que nous entretenons les uns avec les autres. Cela nous mène en tant que chercheure designer de passer d’une posture théorique et spéculative à une posture plus active et participative afin d’explorer et de comprendre empiriquement cet impact dans le cadre d’une première étude exploratoire se basant sur un croisement entre le design et les neurosciences. Dans le cadre d’une expérimentation de l’expérimentation et afin d’explorer l’activité cérébrale des utilisateurs, ce travail présente une méthode de mesure neurophysiologique en utilisant le casque emotiv.

Cette thèse s’inscrit au croisement des domaines des ambiances lumineuses, de la pédagogie architecturale, de la perception et de l’immersion. Elle se concentre principalement sur la conception et la mise en oeuvre d’une nouvelle méthodologie expérimentale ayant pour but d’évaluer la capacité des photographies statiques omnidirectionnelles stéréoscopiques HDR, projetées dans un casque immersif, à restituer fidèlement des impressions subjectives d’ambiances lumineuses vécues dans des architectures de référence. Une attention particulière est accordée à l’influence des opérateurs de mappage de tons (TMOs). La méthodologie développée comprend plusieurs étapes : la constitution d’une grille d’analyse des ambiances lumineuses de lieux remarquables basée sur des propos d'experts ; la mise en place d’une méthode de collecte de données in situ pour l’évaluation des ambiances lumineuses (questionnaire, relevés lumineux, captationsphotographiques omnidirectionnelles HDR) ; et la mise en place d’une méthode d’évaluation des ambiances lumineuses dans un casque immersif. Les résultats fournissent des connaissances sur les caractéristiques des ambiances lumineuses in situ de sept architectures remarquables et sur la fidélité de perception de chaque impression d’ambiance lumineusedans le casque immersif en fonction des TMOs. Ils mettent également en évidence le lien entre les impressions sélectionnées par les propos d’experts et celles évaluées in situ et dans le casque immersif. Ces connaissances sont utiles pour des applications pédagogiques futures en architecture
This thesis is at the crossroads of the fields of luminous atmospheres, architectural pedagogy, perception and immersion. It focuses on the design and implementation of a new experimental methodology for evaluating the ability of HDR stereoscopic omnidirectional static photographs, projected in an immersive Head-Mounted Display (HMD), to faithfully reproducesubjective impressions of luminous atmospheres experienced in reference architectural places. Specific consideration is given to the impact of tone mapping operators (TMOs). Our methodology involves several steps: designing a grid for analyzing the luminous atmospheres of iconic places based on expert judgement; implementing in situ data collection to assess luminous atmospheres (questionnaire, light measurements, HDR omnidirectional photographic recordings), and implementinga method for assessing luminous atmospheres in an HMD. The results provide knowledge about the characteristics of the in situ luminous atmospheres of seven iconic buildings and the perceptual fidelity of each luminous atmosphere’s impression in the HMD, depending on the TMOs. The findings also highlight the relationship between the impressions selected by the experts and those assessed in situ and in the HMD. This knowledge is useful for future pedagogical applications in architecture

Dans les environnements professionnels contemporains, le travail est souvent dispersé sur différents lieux géographiquement éloignés. La réunion des collaborateurs en présentiel pouvant s'avérer complexe, les professionnels se reposent aujourd'hui sur les technologies de l'information et de la communication pour organiser les interactions. La télé-immersion s'inscrit dans cette continuité de technologies avec l'ambition de rapprocher les individus séparés géographiquement comme s'ils étaient présents dans un même lieu. Cette thèse propose de réaliser un système de télé-immersion original basé sur une caméra 360° et des casques de réalité étendue. Ce système est conçu pour que des utilisateurs dans un lieu d'intérêt puissent ramener auprès d'eux des utilisateurs distants simplement en posant une caméra 360°. Grâce à la réalité étendue, les utilisateurs distants sont comme téléportés sur le lieu d'intérêt. Le système est spécifiquement développé pour répondre au besoin de nouvelles technologies d'enseignement à distance, afin que des enseignants puissent dispenser des cours immersifs à des étudiants chez eux.Le premier verrou pour atteindre un tel système consiste à gérer le point de vue de multiples utilisateurs avec une seule caméra 360°, tout en augmentant le sentiment de coprésence. En effet, chaque utilisateur distant ayant le point de vue de la caméra, tous se retrouvent localisés au même endroit sur le lieu d'intérêt. Le second verrou est de développer des interactions avec les données de la caméra 360°. Nous souhaitons particulièrement proposer aux utilisateurs distants de naviguer librement sur le lieu d'intérêt. Le problème est alors de trouver une représentation du lieu capable de générer plusieurs points de vue et qui peut être capturée avec une caméra 360° statique.Le manuscrit présente quatre contributions : un nouveau cadre théorique de la télé-immersion et trois versions de systèmes de télé-immersion basés sur une unique caméra 360° statique. La première exploite uniquement des images 360° sans informations 3D, la seconde intègre des informations 3D aux images 360° sous forme de cartes de profondeur, et la dernière profite d'une nouvelle représentation 3D 360°. Cette dernière version est évaluée avec une expérience utilisateur visant à montrer que le sentiment de présence qu'elle suscite est plus grand qu'avec la simple diffusion de la vidéo 360° capturée par la caméra
In contemporary professional environments, work is often dispersed across geographically distant locations. As organizing face-to-face meetings can be complex, professionals today rely on information and communication technologies to organize interactions. Tele-immersion is part of this technological trend, and aims to bring geographically separated individuals together as if they were present in the same place. This thesis proposes to develop an original tele-immersion system based on a 360° camera and extended reality headsets. The system is designed to enable users in a site of interest to bring distant users to them by simply placing a 360° camera. Thanks to extended reality, remote users are as if teleported to the place of interest. The system has been specifically developed to meet the need for new distance learning technologies, so that teachers can deliver immersive courses to students at home.The first challenge to achieve such a system is to manage the viewpoints of multiple users with a single 360° camera, while increasing the sense of copresence. In fact, as each remote user has the point of view of the camera, they are all located in the same place on the site of interest. The second challenge is to develop interactions with 360° camera data. In particular, we want to enable remote users to navigate freely around the place of interest. The problem is then to find a representation of the location capable of generating several points of view, and which can be captured with a static 360° camera.The thesis presents four contributions: a new theoretical framework for tele-immersion and three versions of tele-immersion systems based on a single static 360° camera. The first exploits only 360° images without 3D information, the second integrates 3D information into the 360° images in the form of depth maps, and the last takes advantage of a new 3D 360° representation. The latter version is evaluated with a user experience designed to illustrate that the sense of presence is greater than simply broadcasting the 360° video captured by the camera

A new environmental immersion school has opened in Canada. This case study examines early stages of the project's implementation in order to contribute to an understanding of how best to implement environmental education in schools.
Examination of the literature on educational change led to an analytical framework which included: (1) Characteristics of the innovation; (2) Strategies and tactics used; (3) Contextual characteristics; (4) Macro sociopolitical factors. This was used to categorize qualitative data collected through interviews, observation, a questionnaire and documents.
The study uncovered a number of obstacles to implementation in the school, principally: (1) Conceptual problems about environmental education; (2) Poorly defined school philosophy and goals; (3) Difficulties in coordinating the project between individual efforts and departments; (4) A hiatus between administration and teacher perceptions.
The case study provided insight on the process of curriculum implementation as well as specific issues relating to environmental education and the theme of sustainable development.

This thesis uses a Mandarin-English dual immersion program at a Southern California public elementary school as a case study to examine how culture is taught and learned in the dual immersion setting. Based on classroom observations and interviews with students, staff, and parents, this thesis argues that concepts of “China” and “Chinese culture” are conveyed, constructed, and negotiated by students as well as teachers, both implicitly and explicitly.

A study was conducted to understand youth perceptions of nature. Such perceptions determine youth attitudes and behaviours towards nature. Making sense of these attitudes and behaviours towards nature, there can be valuable insights generated towards the implications that such perceptions may have for societal development in a country. 20 Youth participants were selected for the study. All participants selected were part of a diversely represented nature immersion programme in South Africa. The programme purposely keeps a balance of gender (binary), class and race for those that attend every year. Data was gathered from students using qualitative interview and questionnaire survey. This data was then analysed based on existing theory and literature. The overall insights that emerged from the study were that literature shows that there are five recurring influential social factors that influence youth perception of nature, Two theories; Human Exceptionalism Paradigm and New Ecological Paradigm, can be used to better understand what youth attitudes and behaviours towards nature (that stems from their perception) means to eco-social development of a country. Theory was also used to explain that there is indeed a greater understanding of the importance of nature amongst South African youth, and the need for its protection for survival. This is very crucial for South Africa’s development and eco-political landscape as the youth are the future of a country and their practices in future will determine the direction of society.

This study investigated the second language writing development of 23 Early French Immersion (E.F.I.) grade one students who wrote in a Whole Language classroom. Data, consisting of Journal and Story writing, were collected over the 1986-1987 school year. Five Research Questions were studied: (1) How much did the subjects write? (2) About which topics did the subjects choose to write? (3) How much audience awareness was developed by the subjects? (4) How functional was the language used by the subjects? (5) What orthographic strategies were used by the subjects? All writing under study was subjected to varying levels of analysis: statistical analysis of total written production; classification and categorization of topics, language functions, spelling strategies; correct spelling and writing vocabulary. The results of the analysis provided the following answers. The answers to the first Research Question were as follows: (1) age was not a deciding factor in amount written; (2) girls wrote significantly more than boys; (3) significant increases in quantity occurred in Journal writing but not in Story writing; and (4) the mean increase in Journal writing over terms for boys, girls and all children was significant at the.001 level. The answer to the second Research Question indicated that these young L2 writers wrote predominantly about human relations, personal ideas and feelings which were crucial to them. The answer to the third Research Question revealed that close to 70% of the writing was addressed to the teacher. Audience categories: "Self" and "Peers" were found in the remaining writing. Answers to the fourth Research Question (conducted from studying products of the 23 subjects) showed that Reporting Personal Facts; Stating General Facts and Opinions as well as Asking Opinion Questions were language functions most frequently found in the students' dialogue Journal writing. The teacher's written responses most frequently took the form of Asking Information Questions, Reporting Opinions, and Evaluating. The fifth Research Question was studied from analysis of the spelling of 8 of the 23 subjects. The following are the answers to this question: (1) the majority of L2 spellings were not random, but reflected sensible linguistic decisions made by the writer; (2) L2 writers, like L1 writers, use a wide range of orthographic strategies to produce meaningful texts; (3) proportionally to their written amount, all writers increased the number of correct spellings and variety of words in their writing vocabulary; (4) the interlanguage spellings of L2 writers could be recognized by the use of English and French letter names as well as the omission of letters and the representation of certain French sounds by letters which provided the closest fit. The findings of the study challenge traditional ways of introducing young children to reading and writing in the second language. They call into question instruction delivered in a predetermined, lock-step, sequential manner and favour a more holistic child-centered approach to L2 literacy learning. The results of the inquiry suggest that replication of the present study in higher E.F.I. grades would be beneficial.

AbstractThe Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge immersed tube tunnel project is the only deep buried and large siltation immersed tube tunnel in the world. There is no similar case in the world. Its stress deformation characteristics are different from those of conventional shallow buried tunnels. According to the traditional design method of immersed tubes, there will be a series of problems. To address these issues, a semi rigid pipe joint scheme between rigid and flexible pipe joints has been proposed. By comparing the forces acting on the joints with traditional types of pipe joints, the mechanical mechanism of semi rigid immersed pipe structures has been revealed. Compared with flexible immersed pipe structural systems, it improves the load-bearing capacity and water tightness of the segment joints, reduces the internal force of the immersed pipe structure, reduces the risk of concrete cracking, and solves the technical problems of deep buried large sedimentation immersed pipe structures. This can provide reference for similar projects.

This chapter identifies two contrasting methodological reductions utilized in philosophical scepticism: withdrawal/doubt [R–]; immersion/attention [R+]. Moving toward a feminist ethics grounded in phenomenological scepticism, Aumiller explores how reduction relates to experiences of personal and global uncertainty such as a pandemic. Reduction involves our entire embodied being, challenging how we are fundamentally in touch with the world. How we respond to being disrupted makes all the difference.

AbstractThis article conducts a preliminary study on the possible outcomes of applying very advanced computer graphics technologies, such as Immersive Virtual Reality, Virtual Reality, and Mixed Reality, to promote tourism and an area’s economy. A careful analysis of the existing literature has revealed an intense research activity that has explored the salient aspects of the interaction between modern technologies and tourism, analysing the changes resulting from their use. The Metaverse represents one of the most powerful and effective innovations in tourism. We describe a methodology for implementing metaverses and virtual scenarios using the open-source Blender modelling environment and Unity game engine and creation tool. The metaverse of Palazzo Bernabei in Assisi, the suggestive venue of the Degree Course in Tourism Economics and Management, was implemented as a use case. It is located in an area of unique interest next to the splendid and evocative Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. These technologies can improve tourism since they provide a high sense of immersion, giving the user an experience that anticipates and enriches the live visit. The user can perform the virtual visit remotely with the help of an immersive virtual reality controller. A questionnaire was carried out on a group of users to assess the user experience and the level of satisfaction with the application. The discussion of the answers in the questionnaire shows that users are fascinated by the virtual experience and become more aware of the beauty of works of art and monuments than traditional media (magazines, brochures, books) and are more attracted to the real visit.

AbstractThis chapter tells the story of my fifteen-month ethnographic study in Tamil Nadu, India. I begin by tracing my journey from the time I, as a physician, opted out of clinical medicine to work at the primary care level in rural India. I look at how in this process I gathered theory, methods, politics and found a way of being. The interpretive approach followed acknowledges how my background, positionality, and emotions were an integral part of producing ‘data’. I observed the village people’s everyday lives, as reflected, and refracted through a multi-layered class, caste and gender lenses even as I negotiated my everyday life in the village. Reflecting on the methodology I adopted, I conclude that methodologies need to be lived rather than applied.

AbstractInnovation technology in industries including manufacturing and aerospace is moving toward the use of Mixed Reality (MR) and advanced tools while Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector is still remaining behind it. Moreover, the use of immersive technologies in the AEC digital education, as well as for professional training, is still little considered. Augmented and Mixed Reality (AR/MR) have the capability to provide a “X-ray vision”, showing hidden objects in a virtual/real overlay. This feature in the digital object visualization is extremely valuable for improving operation performance and maintenance activities. The present study gives an overview of literature about the methodologies to integrate virtual technologies such as AR/MR and Building Information Modeling (BIM) to provide an immersive technology framework for training purposes together with the Digital Twin Model (DTM)-based approach. Furthermore, the Facility Management (FM) tasks’ training on complex building systems can benefit from a virtual learning approach since it provides a collaborative environment enhancing and optimizing efficiency and productivity in FM learning strategies. For this purpose, the technological feasibility is analyzed in the proposed case study, focusing on the realization of a methodological framework prototype of immersive and interactive environment for building systems’ FM. Cloud computing technologies able to deal with complex and extensive information databases and to support users’ navigation in geo-referenced and immersive virtual interfaces are included as well. Those ones enable the DTM-based operation for building maintenance both in real-time FM operators’ training and FM tasks’ optimization.

Abstract An innovative test program using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) was used to evaluate high build was compared and contrasted with a 100% volume solids polyamide epoxy, which was applied in linings for rapid water immersion for structures such as penstocks, pilings and clarifiers. The performance of a two-coat application of a low -temperature cure 80% volume solids modified phenalkamine epoxy (hereafter “phenalkamine epoxy”) was compared with a one-coat application of a 100% volume solids polyamide epoxy. Each system was immersed in distilled and deionized water after only a brief period of curing time (24 -48 hours). Case histories exemplify the benefits and use of the phenalkamine epoxy technology for rapid immersion service.

Abstract This paper describes work in progress to investigate the combined effect of chloride ions and carbonation in the corrosion of steel in mortar specimens. The corrosion behaviour was investigated by electrochemical techniques, namely linear polarisation resistance. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray microanalysis were used to study the microstructure of the steel/paste interface and the chemistry and distribution of the corrosion products. Eight mortar specimens were cast with water/cement and cement/sand ratios of 0.5 and 1/3, respectively. After 7 days of curing in plastic bags two samples were exposed to a saline environment (immersion in a 0.5M NaCl solution), another five were carbonated (in 100% CO2 and 65% RH), and the last one was kept immersed in water as reference. After 5 months, some of the specimens were switched round (i.e. the carbonated ones were immersed in 0.5M NaCl), while one specimen from each environment remained in the initial environment. For the specimen which was placed in the CO2 environment after immersion in NaCl, the exposure time was not long enough to fully carbonate the mortar after the formation of observable amounts of corrosion products, although corrosion can be detected electrochemically. In the case of the specimens in a CO2 atmosphere, the corrosion rate was very low until full carbonation. When a specimen was then put in an NaCl solution, the corrosion rate increased almost immediately. The exposure time of the specimens was not long enough to produce any conclusive results, but the samples in a NaCl solution began to corrode soon after exposure.

Abstract The performance of several coating systems were tested for immersion exposure in potable water storage tank service. Tests were performed for a period of several months in-situ by application of coating systems test patches to a tank interior and was examined periodically during normal service operation. Concurrent with test patches, prepared test panels were placed in the immersion and vapor zones of the tank. Also, test panels were subjected to immersion and condensing humidity in a laboratory environment. All systems were applied in accordance with the respective manufacturers recommendations. Two levels of abrasive blast surface preparation were employed, SSPC-SP10 and SSPC-SP6. Coal slag and sodium bicarbonate were used as blast media. Additionally, some panels and selected tank areas were intentionally subjected to surface contamination in the form of soluble salts to assess the relative tolerance of the selected systems to such steel substrate contamination.

As part of a US-France Project Agreement, the US Army and ONERA are investigating mid-fidelity computational approaches for rotorcraft aerodynamics. The approaches from both groups use immersed boundaries in the place of boundary-layer-resolved meshes and actuator lines in the place of rotor blades. Results are compared between the US Army and ONERA to assess strengths and limitations of the mid-fidelity algorithms. An isolated rotor case is first used to validate and compare actuator line wake structure against a high-fidelity result. Second, a static coaxial hub is used to compare immersed boundary algorithms. In the final application, immersed boundary methods and actuator lines are used together for the Dauphin 365N configuration in forward flight.

Abstract A mechanistic analysis was performed on preferential attack nucleating at the weld metal joining flange and pipe adjacent to a choke valve installed at the well head of a CO2 bearing gas condensate well. The main cause of the preferential attack of the weld metal was revealed to exist in the difference of the corrosion rate between the weld metal and the surrounding materials. The electrochemical analysis and the immersion test in the simulating environment for the well head condition indicated that the corrosion rates of the composing materials depended on their cathodic currents in their corrosion systems. The corrosion losses calculated based on polarization resistance indicated a good agreement with that of the immersion test. Based on the results of the analysis the case was concluded to be a typical uneven corrosion.

Aim/Purpose. Business schools need to design, develop and deliver courses that are relevant to business problem-solving. Current pedagogies do not often provide the insight – or experience – necessary to close the gap between theory and practice. Background. The paper describes an initiative to design, develop and deliver courses in business-technology problem-solving that thoroughly immerses students in the actual world of business. Methodology. The methodology included case-based analysis where actual cases where selected to model problem-solving scenarios. Contribution. Several courses are developed that immerse students into actual problem-solving experiences. Findings. The courses will be delivered to business students to assess the impact of immersive/experiential learning. Recommendations for Practitioners. Additional courses should be informed by actual cases; the commitment to relevance should be expanded. Recommendations for Researchers. Ongoing research to measure the impact of immersive/experiential learning is recommended. Impact on Society. Business schools should rethink the content of their courses and the pedagogies that have dominated business schools for many decades. Future Research. Additional research will include more courses and additional immersive/experiential pedagogies.

In 2022, FINISH Mondial and the Sanitation Learning Hub conducted a participatory and immersive research study to understand ground realities and lived experiences of sanitation and hygiene access in Nandurbar district, Maharashtra and Darbhanga district, Bihar in India. The main objectives for the immersion were to identify challenges and barriers towards access to and use of sanitation and hygiene services within challenging contexts, capture community voices and find contextually rooted ways to identify enablers towards safe and equitable access to and use of sanitation and hygiene services in these areas; and inform FINISH programme design and support the development of human-centric strategies for improving access to sanitation hygiene services for marginalised and left-out communities, while strengthening gender equality and social inclusion (GESI). Key lessons learnt from the study included universal access to and use of toilets has not yet been achieved, and people affected by poverty and marginalisation remain excluded; existing toilets need retrofitting and maintenance to become usable; we need to consider context specific adaptations for programming for tough physical conditions such as flooding and drought; and caste-based inequality is prevalent with major implications for access to sanitation and hygiene services; and behaviour change programming remains relevant for these contexts.

Abstract: Extended Reality (XR), encompassing Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR), is evolving into a transformative technology with applications in healthcare, education, industrial training, smart cities, and entertainment. This research presents a unified framework integrating AI-driven XR technologies with computer vision, deep learning, cloud computing, and 5G connectivity to enhance immersion, interactivity, and scalability. AI-powered neural rendering, real-time physics simulation, spatial computing, and gesture recognition enable more realistic and adaptive XR environments. Additionally, edge computing and federated learning enhance processing efficiency and privacy in decentralized XR applications, while blockchain and quantum-resistant cryptography secure transactions and digital assets in the metaverse. The study explores the role of AI-enhanced security, deepfake detection, and privacy-preserving AI techniques to mitigate risks associated with AI-driven XR. Case studies in healthcare, smart cities, industrial training, and gaming illustrate real-world applications and future research directions in neuromorphic computing, brain-computer interfaces (BCI), and ethical AI governance in immersive environments. This research lays the foundation for next-generation AI-integrated XR ecosystems, ensuring seamless, secure, and scalable digital experiences. Keywords: Extended Reality (XR), Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Neural Rendering, Spatial Computing, Deep Learning, 5G Networks, Cloud Computing, Edge Computing, Federated Learning, Blockchain, Cybersecurity, Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI), Quantum Computing, Privacy-Preserving AI, Human-Computer Interaction, Metaverse.

In the paper, we establish an investigation on the development of university 3D-model and its possible applications for educational and research fields. We assume that 3D-model of university can help in various scenarios and should be used to adopt modern immersing technologies into to university processes. Different means are employed for the development of the model. Bottom-up approach for using these means and their connection with each other are shown in the work. Then, details of the 3D-model design process are provided with peculiarities related to the university building location and corpuses positions. Finally, assembled models of university are shown in 3ds Max and Unity environments. In the final part of the paper, we suggest scenarios of model usage for educational and research fields. Universities can gain various benefits from integrating their research efforts to employ new technology and identify new development opportunities for both science and education in university. In case of the developed 3D-model, it is planned to use it in the projects connected with client-server applications, Internet-of-Things, Smart Grid, etc. In the educational process it will be a part of case-studies for learning 3D-modeling, development in Unity environment, training for emergency situations.

CREATE™-AV Helios is a high-fidelity coupled CFD/CSD infrastructure developed by the U.S. Dept. of Defense for aeromechanics predictions of rotorcraft. This paper discusses new capabilities added to Helios version 11.0. A new fast-running reduced order aerodynamics option called ROAM has been added to enable faster-turnaround analysis. ROAM is Cartesian-based, employing an actuator line model for the rotor and an immersed boundary model for the fuselage. No near-body grid generation is required and simulations are significantly faster through a combination of larger timesteps and reduced cost per step. ROAM calculations of the JVX tiltrotor configuration give a comparably accurate download prediction to traditional body-fitted calculations with Helios, at 50X less computational cost. The unsteady wake in ROAM is not as well resolved, but wake interactions may be a less critical issue for many design considerations. The second capability discussed is the addition of six-degree-of-freedom capability to model store separation. Helios calculations of a generic wing/store/pylon case with the new 6-DOF capability are found to match identically to calculations with CREATE™-AV Kestrel, a code which has been extensively validated for store separation calculations over the past decade.

This study is an effort to identify the process by which firms venture into GVCs and the obstacles faced by firms once they have been immersed in it. We have focused on two particular GVCs: the aerospace GVC and the software and IT services GVC. Through the case studies, we analyzed the nature of inter-firm linkages and how they affected the potential of scaling up by local suppliers in the value-added chain, the particular role of firms in the value chain in Mexico and the achievements and limitations of governmental policies as tools to facilitate the entrance of MNCs' subsidiaries and to create the conditions for the entrance and scaling up of local firms in the value chain. We found that geopolitical factors were important, in particular NAFTA, but these advantages are only part of explanation for the insertion of Mexican industry in both GVCs. In our opinion, this could not have happened without an effort of public policy at different levels to attain this goal on the part of the Mexican government. Nevertheless, there is a notorious unbalance between efforts to secure investment from foreign firms and certification and long-term financing initiatives. In our view, the latter has not been properly addressed and it is a major problem for the scaling up of local firms in the value chain.

The power of artificial intelligence (AI) coupled with optimization algorithms can be linked to data-rich digital twin models to perform predictive analysis to make better informed decisions about installation operations and quality of life for the warfighters. In the current research, we developed AI connected lifecycle building information models through the creation of a data informed smart digital twin of one of US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) buildings as our test case. Digital twin (DT) technology involves creating a virtual representation of a physical entity. Digital twin is created by digitalizing data collected through sensors, powered by machine learning (ML) algorithms, and are continuously learning systems. The exponential advance in digital technologies enables facility spaces to be fully and richly modeled in three dimensions and can be brought together in virtual space. Coupled with advancement in reinforcement learning and computer graphics enables AI agents to learn visual navigation and interaction with objects. We have used Habitat AI 2.0 to train an embodied agent in immersive 3D photorealistic environment. The embodied agent interacts with a 3D environment by receiving RGB, depth and semantically segmented views of the environment and taking navigational actions and interacts with the objects in the 3D space. Instead of training the robots in physical world we are training embodied agents in simulated 3D space. While humans are superior at critical thinking, creativity, and managing people, whereas robots are superior at coping with harsh environments and performing highly repetitive work. Training robots in controlled simulated world is faster and can increase their surveillance, reliability, efficiency, and survivability in physical space.

Banco de la República is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2023. This is a very significant anniversary and one that provides an opportunity to highlight the contribution the Bank has made to the country’s development. Its track record as guarantor of monetary stability has established it as the one independent state institution that generates the greatest confidence among Colombians due to its transparency, management capabilities, and effective compliance with the central banking and cultural responsibilities entrusted to it by the Constitution and the Law. On a date as important as this, the Board of Directors of Banco de la República (BDBR) pays tribute to the generations of governors and officers whose commitment and dedication have contributed to the growth of this institution.1 Banco de la República’s mandate was confirmed in the National Constitutional Assembly of 1991 where the citizens had the opportunity to elect the seventy people who would have the task of drafting a new constitution. The leaders of the three political movements with the most votes were elected as chairs to the Assembly, and this tripartite presidency reflected the plurality and the need for consensus among the different political groups to move the reform forward. Among the issues considered, the National Constitutional Assembly gave special importance to monetary stability. That is why they decided to include central banking and to provide Banco de la República with the necessary autonomy to use the instruments for which they are responsible without interference from other authorities. The constituent members understood that ensuring price stability is a state duty and that the entity responsible for this task must be enshrined in the Constitution and have the technical capability and institutional autonomy necessary to adopt the decisions they deem appropriate to achieve this fundamental objective in coordination with the general economic policy. In particular, Article 373 established that “the State, through Banco de la República, shall ensure the maintenance of the purchasing power of the currency,” a provision that coincided with the central banking system adopted by countries that have been successful in controlling inflation. In 1999, in Ruling 481, the Constitutional Court stated that “the duty to maintain the purchasing power of the currency applies to not only the monetary, credit, and exchange authority, i.e., the Board of Banco de la República, but also those who have responsibilities in the formulation and implementation of the general economic policy of the country” and that “the basic constitutional purpose of Banco de la República is the protection of a sound currency. However, this authority must take the other economic objectives of state intervention such as full employment into consideration in their decisions since these functions must be coordinated with the general economic policy.” The reforms to Banco de la República agreed upon in the Constitutional Assembly of 1991 and in Act 31/1992 can be summarized in the following aspects: i) the Bank was assigned a specific mandate: to maintain the purchasing power of the currency in coordination with the general economic policy; ii) the BDBR was designatedas the monetary, foreign exchange, and credit authority; iii) the Bank and its Board of Directors were granted a significant degree of independence from the government; iv) the Bank was prohibited from granting credit to the private sector except in the case of the financial sector; v) established that in order to grant credit to the government, the unanimous vote of its Board of Directors was required except in the case of open market transactions; vi) determined that the legislature may, in no case, order credit quotas in favor of the State or individuals; vii) Congress was appointed, on behalf of society, as the main addressee of the Bank’s reporting exercise; and viii) the responsibility for inspection, surveillance, and control over Banco de la República was delegated to the President of the Republic. The members of the National Constitutional Assembly clearly understood that the benefits of low and stable inflation extend to the whole of society and contribute mto the smooth functioning of the economic system. Among the most important of these is that low inflation promotes the efficient use of productive resources by allowing relative prices to better guide the allocation of resources since this promotes economic growth and increases the welfare of the population. Likewise, low inflation reduces uncertainty about the expected return on investment and future asset prices. This increases the confidence of economic agents, facilitates long-term financing, and stimulates investment. Since the low-income population is unable to protect itself from inflation by diversifying its assets, and a high proportion of its income is concentrated in the purchase of food and other basic goods that are generally the most affected by inflationary shocks, low inflation avoids arbitrary redistribution of income and wealth.2 Moreover, low inflation facilitates wage negotiations, creates a good labor climate, and reduces the volatility of employment levels. Finally, low inflation helps to make the tax system more transparent and equitable by avoiding the distortions that inflation introduces into the value of assets and income that make up the tax base. From the monetary authority’s point of view, one of the most relevant benefits of low inflation is the credibility that economic agents acquire in inflation targeting, which turns it into an effective nominal anchor on price levels. Upon receiving its mandate, and using its autonomy, Banco de la República began to announce specific annual inflation targets as of 1992. Although the proposed inflation targets were not met precisely during this first stage, a downward trend in inflation was achieved that took it from 32.4% in 1990 to 16.7% in 1998. At that time, the exchange rate was kept within a band. This limited the effectiveness of monetary policy, which simultaneously sought to meet an inflation target and an exchange rate target. The Asian crisis spread to emerging economies and significantly affected the Colombian economy. The exchange rate came under strong pressure to depreciate as access to foreign financing was cut off under conditions of a high foreign imbalance. This, together with the lack of exchange rate flexibility, prevented a countercyclical monetary policy and led to a 4.2% contraction in GDP that year. In this context of economic slowdown, annual inflation fell to 9.2% at the end of 1999, thus falling below the 15% target set for that year. This episode fully revealed how costly it could be, in terms of economic activity, to have inflation and exchange rate targets simultaneously. Towards the end of 1999, Banco de la República announced the adoption of a new monetary policy regime called the Inflation Targeting Plan. This regime, known internationally as ‘Inflation Targeting,’ has been gaining increasing acceptance in developed countries, having been adopted in 1991 by New Zealand, Canada, and England, among others, and has achieved significant advances in the management of inflation without incurring costs in terms of economic activity. In Latin America, Brazil and Chile also adopted it in 1999. In the case of Colombia, the last remaining requirement to be fulfilled in order to adopt said policy was exchange rate flexibility. This was realized around September 1999, when the BDBR decided to abandon the exchange-rate bands to allow the exchange rate to be freely determined in the market.Consistent with the constitutional mandate, the fundamental objective of this new policy approach was “the achievement of an inflation target that contributes to maintaining output growth around its potential.”3 This potential capacity was understood as the GDP growth that the economy can obtain if it fully utilizes its productive resources. To meet this objective, monetary policy must of necessity play a countercyclical role in the economy. This is because when economic activity is below its potential and there are idle resources, the monetary authority can reduce the interest rate in the absence of inflationary pressure to stimulate the economy and, when output exceeds its potential capacity, raise it. This policy principle, which is immersed in the models for guiding the monetary policy stance, makes the following two objectives fully compatible in the medium term: meeting the inflation target and achieving a level of economic activity that is consistent with its productive capacity. To achieve this purpose, the inflation targeting system uses the money market interest rate (at which the central bank supplies primary liquidity to commercial banks) as the primary policy instrument. This replaced the quantity of money as an intermediate monetary policy target that Banco de la República, like several other central banks, had used for a long time. In the case of Colombia, the objective of the new monetary policy approach implied, in practical terms, that the recovery of the economy after the 1999 contraction should be achieved while complying with the decreasing inflation targets established by the BDBR. The accomplishment of this purpose was remarkable. In the first half of the first decade of the 2000s, economic activity recovered significantly and reached a growth rate of 6.8% in 2006. Meanwhile, inflation gradually declined in line with inflation targets. That was how the inflation rate went from 9.2% in 1999 to 4.5% in 2006, thus meeting the inflation target established for that year while GDP reached its potential level. After this balance was achieved in 2006, inflation rebounded to 5.7% in 2007, above the 4.0% target for that year due to the fact that the 7.5% GDP growth exceeded the potential capacity of the economy.4 After proving the effectiveness of the inflation targeting system in its first years of operation, this policy regime continued to consolidate as the BDBR and the technical staff gained experience in its management and state-of-the-art economic models were incorporated to diagnose the present and future state of the economy and to assess the persistence of inflation deviations and expectations with respect to the inflation target. Beginning in 2010, the BDBR established the long-term 3.0% annual inflation target, which remains in effect today. Lower inflation has contributed to making the macroeconomic environment more stable, and this has favored sustained economic growth, financial stability, capital market development, and the functioning of payment systems. As a result, reductions in the inflationary risk premia and lower TES and credit interest rates were achieved. At the same time, the duration of public domestic debt increased significantly going from 2.27 years in December 2002 to 5.86 years in December 2022, and financial deepening, measured as the level of the portfolio as a percentage of GDP, went from around 20% in the mid-1990s to values above 45% in recent years in a healthy context for credit institutions.Having been granted autonomy by the Constitution to fulfill the mandate of preserving the purchasing power of the currency, the tangible achievements made by Banco de la República in managing inflation together with the significant benefits derived from the process of bringing inflation to its long-term target, make the BDBR’s current challenge to return inflation to the 3.0% target even more demanding and pressing. As is well known, starting in 2021, and especially in 2022, inflation in Colombia once again became a serious economic problem with high welfare costs. The inflationary phenomenon has not been exclusive to Colombia and many other developed and emerging countries have seen their inflation rates move away from the targets proposed by their central banks.5 The reasons for this phenomenon have been analyzed in recent Reports to Congress, and this new edition delves deeper into the subject with updated information. The solid institutional and technical base that supports the inflation targeting approach under which the monetary policy strategy operates gives the BDBR the necessary elements to face this difficult challenge with confidence. In this regard, the BDBR reiterated its commitment to the 3.0% inflation target in its November 25 communiqué and expects it to be reached by the end of 2024.6 Monetary policy will continue to focus on meeting this objective while ensuring the sustainability of economic activity, as mandated by the Constitution. Analyst surveys done in March showed a significant increase (from 32.3% in January to 48.5% in March) in the percentage of responses placing inflation expectations two years or more ahead in a range between 3.0% and 4.0%. This is a clear indication of the recovery of credibility in the medium-term inflation target and is consistent with the BDBR’s announcement made in November 2022. The moderation of the upward trend in inflation seen in January, and especially in February, will help to reinforce this revision of inflation expectations and will help to meet the proposed targets. After reaching 5.6% at the end of 2021, inflation maintained an upward trend throughout 2022 due to inflationary pressures from both external sources, associated with the aftermath of the pandemic and the consequences of the war in Ukraine, and domestic sources, resulting from: strengthening of local demand; price indexation processes stimulated by the increase in inflation expectations; the impact on food production caused by the mid-2021 strike; and the pass-through of depreciation to prices. The 10% increase in the minimum wage in 2021 and the 16% increase in 2022, both of which exceeded the actual inflation and the increase in productivity, accentuated the indexation processes by establishing a high nominal adjustment benchmark. Thus, total inflation went to 13.1% by the end of 2022. The annual change in food prices, which went from 17.2% to 27.8% between those two years, was the most influential factor in the surge in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Another segment that contributed significantly to price increases was regulated products, which saw the annual change go from 7.1% in December 2021 to 11.8% by the end of 2022. The measure of core inflation excluding food and regulated items, in turn, went from 2.5% to 9.5% between the end of 2021 and the end of 2022. The substantial increase in core inflation shows that inflationary pressure has spread to most of the items in the household basket, which is characteristic of inflationary processes with generalized price indexation as is the case in Colombia. Monetary policy began to react early to this inflationary pressure. Thus, starting with its September 2021 session, the BDBR began a progressive change in the monetary policy stance moving away from the historical low of a 1.75% policy rate that had intended to stimulate the recovery of the economy. This adjustment process continued without interruption throughout 2022 and into the beginning of 2023 when the monetary policy rate reached 12.75% last January, thus accumulating an increase of 11 percentage points (pp). The public and the markets have been surprised that inflation continued to rise despite significant interest rate increases. However, as the BDBR has explained in its various communiqués, monetary policy works with a lag. Just as in 2022 economic activity recovered to a level above the pre-pandemic level, driven, along with other factors, by the monetary stimulus granted during the pandemic period and subsequent months, so too the effects of the current restrictive monetary policy will gradually take effect. This will allow us to expect the inflation rate to converge to 3.0% by the end of 2024 as is the BDBR’s purpose.Inflation results for January and February of this year showed declining marginal increases (13 bp and 3 bp respectively) compared to the change seen in December (59 bp). This suggests that a turning point in the inflation trend is approaching. In other Latin American countries such as Chile, Brazil, Perú, and Mexico, inflation has peaked and has begun to decline slowly, albeit with some ups and downs. It is to be expected that a similar process will take place in Colombia in the coming months. The expected decline in inflation in 2023 will be due, along with other factors, to lower cost pressure from abroad as a result of the gradual normalization of supply chains, the overcoming of supply shocks caused by the weather, and road blockades in previous years. This will be reflected in lower adjustments in food prices, as has already been seen in the first two months of the year and, of course, the lagged effect of monetary policy. The process of inflation convergence to the target will be gradual and will extend beyond 2023. This process will be facilitated if devaluation pressure is reversed. To this end, it is essential to continue consolidating fiscal sustainability and avoid messages on different public policy fronts that generate uncertainty and distrust. 1 This Report to Congress includes Box 1, which summarizes the trajectory of Banco de la República over the past 100 years. In addition, under the Bank’s auspices, several books that delve into various aspects of the history of this institution have been published in recent years. See, for example: Historia del Banco de la República 1923-2015; Tres banqueros centrales; Junta Directiva del Banco de la República: grandes episodios en 30 años de historia; Banco de la República: 90 años de la banca central en Colombia. 2 This is why lower inflation has been reflected in a reduction of income inequality as measured by the Gini coefficient that went from 58.7 in 1998 to 51.3 in the year prior to the pandemic. 3 See Gómez Javier, Uribe José Darío, Vargas Hernando (2002). “The Implementation of Inflation Targeting in Colombia”. Borradores de Economía, No. 202, March, available at: https://repositorio.banrep.gov.co/handle/20.500.12134/5220 4 See López-Enciso Enrique A.; Vargas-Herrera Hernando and Rodríguez-Niño Norberto (2016). “The inflation targeting strategy in Colombia. An historical view.” Borradores de Economía, No. 952. https://repositorio.banrep.gov.co/handle/20.500.12134/6263 5 According to the IMF, the percentage change in consumer prices between 2021 and 2022 went from 3.1% to 7.3% for advanced economies, and from 5.9% to 9.9% for emerging market and developing economies. 6 https://www.banrep.gov.co/es/noticias/junta-directiva-banco-republica-reitera-meta-inflacion-3