A simple uniaxial oedometric system is developed to test the elastic modulus of granular materials. The stress- strain relationship is first measured under conditions of uniaxial compression with additional lateral st...A simple uniaxial oedometric system is developed to test the elastic modulus of granular materials. The stress- strain relationship is first measured under conditions of uniaxial compression with additional lateral stress and strain, then the elastic modulus of the material is determined by the linear fitting method. It is found that the modulus is positively correlated to the grain size and negatively correlated to the container size. Arching and dragging are revealed to be the mechanism of such correlations by using the digital image correlation method and the pressure film technology based on the statistical method.展开更多
In this work, we propose a new design of all-optical triplexer based on of metal–insulator–metal(MIM) plasmonic waveguide structures and ring resonators. By adjusting the radii of ring resonators and the gap dista...In this work, we propose a new design of all-optical triplexer based on of metal–insulator–metal(MIM) plasmonic waveguide structures and ring resonators. By adjusting the radii of ring resonators and the gap distance, certain wavelengths can be filtered out and the crosstalk of each channel can also be reduced. The numerical results show that the proposed MIM plasmonic waveguide structure can really function as an optical triplexer with respect to the three wavelengths, that is, 1310, 1490, and 1550 nm, respectively. It can be widely used as the fiber access network element for multiplexer–demultiplexer wavelength selective in fiber-to-the-home communication systems with transmission efficiency higher than 90%. It can also be a potential key component in the applications of the biosensing systems.展开更多
This Special Issue of the Journal of Rock Mechanics and GeotechnicalEngineering (JRMGE) contains 13 papers prepared by internationalexperts on various general topics in geomechanics, rockmechanics and geotechnical e...This Special Issue of the Journal of Rock Mechanics and GeotechnicalEngineering (JRMGE) contains 13 papers prepared by internationalexperts on various general topics in geomechanics, rockmechanics and geotechnical engineering. It represents a usefulmix of theoretical developments, testing and practical applications.We present in the following brief details in the papers, alphabeticallyin accordance with the last name of the first author.Barla presents a review of tunneling techniques with emphasison the full-face method combining full-face excavation and facereinforcement by means of fiber-glass elements with a yieldcontrolsupport. This method has been used successfully in difficultgeologic conditions, and for a wide spectrum of ground situations.The validation of the method with respect to the Saint Martin LaPorte access adit along the LyoneTurin Base tunnel experiencingseverely squeezing conditions during excavation is also includedin the paper. The numerical modeling with consideration of therock mass time-dependent behavior showed a satisfactory agreementwith monitoring results.展开更多
Considering the construction of rural residence as a significant content of constructing the new socialist countryside,problems of present rural housing in energy conservation and comfort level are analyzed.To develop...Considering the construction of rural residence as a significant content of constructing the new socialist countryside,problems of present rural housing in energy conservation and comfort level are analyzed.To develop eco-residence in new countryside,improve living conditions of local residents,save energy and reduce carbon emission,responsive capability of natural organisms to climate is introduced into architectural design,and concept of responsive design is analyzed.In view of actual regional and climatic characteristics,it is proposed that responsive design is able to solve many problems of present rural housing,then responsive structures in traditional Chinese dwellings are introduced,such as removable window,latticed wooden ventilation door,courtyard with hinged cover,transom and so on.On this basis,a dwelling unit of row house on suburban plains of Zhengzhou City is taken for a living example of responsive design from the perspectives of flexible corridor and courtyard,controllable natural wind channel,application of plant's responsive characteristics,flexible close building and controllable cavity space,to build comfortable living environments.展开更多
With the vigorous development of China urbanization and increase of people's environmental consciousness,landscape design had received more and more attentions in urban construction and planning.However,the planni...With the vigorous development of China urbanization and increase of people's environmental consciousness,landscape design had received more and more attentions in urban construction and planning.However,the planning for mountainous new countryside construction and landscape design had not been emphasized.Hence,how to make use of natural and cultural landscape factors in mountainous areas to conduct landscape design in new countryside construction was an issue needed to be highlighted.According to the field study of natural villages and residences of Longnan City in Gansu Province,the paper had discussed the composition of mountainous settlements and residences,the composition of mountainous rural landscape factors and landscape planning principles,hoping to provide reference for rural landscape design and new countryside construction.展开更多
Evolution history of the new west-Sichuan dwellings was analyzed,and its characteristics were summarized as "properly-arranged layouts,unification with neighboring environment;plain facade,excellent ventilation a...Evolution history of the new west-Sichuan dwellings was analyzed,and its characteristics were summarized as "properly-arranged layouts,unification with neighboring environment;plain facade,excellent ventilation and sun-shading;free layout of single building,definite axes and orderly changes;application of local materials,showing local cultural characteristics;valuing continuity of local cultures and human relationship".Conceptual planning of Zhuanzhu Township as a town of farming and sericulture in E'meishan City was taken for example to propose the overall planning concepts on the basis of its current conditions.And the planning concepts cover functional division,road system,landscape system and overall image,and aim to integrate regional cultural characteristics into the town planning.展开更多
The opening of the economy has contributed to the rapid urban development in China over the last 17 years from 1979 to 1996. It is worthwhile to note three new development trends of Chinese urban system. The first tr...The opening of the economy has contributed to the rapid urban development in China over the last 17 years from 1979 to 1996. It is worthwhile to note three new development trends of Chinese urban system. The first trend identifies the emergence of mega urbanization regions. The second trend rebuilds a closer tie between the Chinese urban system and the global urban system through the development of the world (global) cities and international cities. The third trend shows the fast polarized development in hinterlands and peripheries around advanced economic regions. However, the research literature on Chinese urbanization in English has shown the scarcity of good databanks and the analysis results are incomplete. Some researchers also always question the quality of the data. Using the most completed and most recent data, this paper reviews the growth of China's new designated cities since 1949. This paper also seeks to examine the various policies and to explore the underlying factors that have affected the growth of China new cities. From the development of China's cities in the past 47 years from 1949 to 1996, it is easy to find that metropolitan cities developed with a relatively high rate compared with smaller ones, but the ratio of number and population to whole country cities remained stable; Chinese urban system development had entered a phase of small cities development; in terms of cities regional distribution, the south and east region is still the central area of urban development.展开更多
The peak fields of HT-7U TF/PF coils are designed at 5.8 T and 4.5 T, respectively. The superconducting (SC) NbTi/Cu strands for the coils have a quite low copper fraction (0.58). To increase the ratio of the limiting...The peak fields of HT-7U TF/PF coils are designed at 5.8 T and 4.5 T, respectively. The superconducting (SC) NbTi/Cu strands for the coils have a quite low copper fraction (0.58). To increase the ratio of the limiting current Vs. critical current for the cable in conduit conductor (CICC), the first-stage subcable consists of several copper strands twisted around a SC composite one. The copper strand diameter is different from the SC one. Based on Bottura's CICC design approach we take the product of total copper cross-section and wetted perimeter as one of the key design parameters to meet with stability margin requirement. The product reaches 114 cm3 for 15.5 kA TF CICC at operating temperature of 4.2 K and 139 cm3 for 15 kA PF CICC at 3.8 K to obtain stability margins of 280 and 700 mJ/cm3, respectively.展开更多
Material is the substance foundation and carrier of indoor environment, and it is the premise and guarantee to realize the excellent indoor environment. It contains physical and sensory properties. In recent years, th...Material is the substance foundation and carrier of indoor environment, and it is the premise and guarantee to realize the excellent indoor environment. It contains physical and sensory properties. In recent years, the material design in indoor environment tends to be more rational, it not only pursues the external performance of material, but also pays more attention to the health and emotional of residents on the basis of scientific and rational use of its properties. This paper based on some scientific methods of literature study, field survey and case study combs the new trends of material design and analyses specific performance and application of materials in development. It is expected that the research can enrich the theory of contemporary material design and provide valuable reference for future material and interior environment design.展开更多
The uncertainty of the teaching content and teaching methods of English economy and trade translation course has alwaysbeen the core problem that restricts the development of the course education.This paper proposes t...The uncertainty of the teaching content and teaching methods of English economy and trade translation course has alwaysbeen the core problem that restricts the development of the course education.This paper proposes the design method and practiceprocess of the new teaching mode of English economy and trade translation course.Firstly,using marketing theory and economicand trade ideas,the content of English economy and trade translation course will be revised to construct a reasonable teaching con-tent system;Then,based on the above teaching content,the constructive theory is used as the guiding ideology to propose the class-room situational teaching mode and the extracurricular situational teaching mode,and complete the overall construction of the newteaching mode of English economy and trade translation course.The practical results show that the new teaching mode has obviousadvantages and has practical promotion value.展开更多
The most distinctive feature of the new era is integration and innovation. With the rapid development of information technology and big data technology, the data era brought by artificial intelligence is coming. The s...The most distinctive feature of the new era is integration and innovation. With the rapid development of information technology and big data technology, the data era brought by artificial intelligence is coming. The systems engineering theory and methods summarized from engineering practice show more and more its importance and indispensability. The overall design department thoughts founded by scientist QIAN Xuesen is the result of the practice of systematic engineering science theory. The new development of the overall design department will inject intellectual support and technical support into the modernization of the national governance system and capabilities.展开更多
The sUdeway design is the key in the design of the disc vibrating feeder. However, no reliable theoretical guidance has come into existence, which greatly restricted the application of CAD( Computer-aided design). I...The sUdeway design is the key in the design of the disc vibrating feeder. However, no reliable theoretical guidance has come into existence, which greatly restricted the application of CAD( Computer-aided design). In order to feed the application of CAD technology, we must make improvements to the existing coding method. Based on the similarity principle of Group Technology and existing coding system, a new coding method applicable to slide- way design is brought forward. The existing coding system could get optimized by means of analysing and studying the influence imposed by the parts' shape and posture features. More detailed information about the parts could be supplied by the new coding system, which makes the design simpler, more convenient and more accurate with the subjoin of the initial and targeted codes.展开更多
New type professional farmers are farmers who possess certain resources and capitals,have certain extent of spirit of entrepreneurship,and are fully capable of obtaining and allocating resources related to agricultura...New type professional farmers are farmers who possess certain resources and capitals,have certain extent of spirit of entrepreneurship,and are fully capable of obtaining and allocating resources related to agricultural production and management,and engaged in agricultural production and management for obtaining average profit.Cultivation of new type professional farmers should be promoted in the process and at the background of"coordinated development of industrialization,informationization,urbanization and agricultural modernization".It should establish a proper cultivation subject system consisting of government,enterprises,rural communities and nonprofit organizations.Relying on multiple motive forces,efforts should be concentrated on cultivating those farmers with enterprising,highly innovative and learning ability,to guide traditional farmers to change into learning,enterprising and innovative ones.In addition,cultivation of new type professional farmers must rely on farmer education and training,modern agricultural development,increase in agricultural comparative advantage,innovation of rural management system and mechanism,multiple types of agricultural operation on a fairly large scale,as well as construction and regulation of new rural communities.Finally,it is recommended to provide system guarantee from long-term input mechanism of new type professional farmer education and training,incentive and restrictive mechanism of new type professional farmer cultivation,and construction of favorable environment for agricultural entrepreneurship.展开更多
The construction of new campuses of modern universities in China and the landscape environment of overseas universities were introduced in this paper,misunderstandings in the construction of new campuses were analyzed...The construction of new campuses of modern universities in China and the landscape environment of overseas universities were introduced in this paper,misunderstandings in the construction of new campuses were analyzed,the optimization of campus environment was discussed from the perspectives of landscape environment,humanistic environment and social environment.展开更多
The metallurgy industry consumes a considerable amount of coal and fossil fuels,and its carbon dioxide emissions are increasing every year.Replacing coal with renewable,carbon-neutral biomass for metallurgical product...The metallurgy industry consumes a considerable amount of coal and fossil fuels,and its carbon dioxide emissions are increasing every year.Replacing coal with renewable,carbon-neutral biomass for metallurgical production is of great significance in reducing global carbon consumption.This study describes the current state of research in biomass metallurgy in recent years and analyzes the concept and scientific principles of biomass metallurgy.The fundamentals of biomass pretreatment technology and biomass metallurgy technology were discussed,and the industrial application framework of biomass metallurgy was proposed.Furthermore,the economic and social advantages of biomass metallurgy were analyzed to serve as a reference for the advancement of fundamental theory and industrial application of biomass metallurgy.展开更多
In face of energy crisis,raw materials exhaustion,environmental pollution and other environmental issues caused by the current social and economic development model,theory and method of regional architecture have been...In face of energy crisis,raw materials exhaustion,environmental pollution and other environmental issues caused by the current social and economic development model,theory and method of regional architecture have been noted and studied by persons in the field of architecture and ecology.In the paper,the author analyzes architectural region,interprets regional architecture of Mario Botta and summarizes organic theory with a view to recognizing the importance of regional architecture method and reflecting on the significance of architectural region theories at the present times under the background of current globalization and information era.展开更多
Crowdsourcing is an innovative business practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content or even funds by soliciting contributions from a large group of people (the 'Crowd'). The potential benefits of util...Crowdsourcing is an innovative business practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content or even funds by soliciting contributions from a large group of people (the 'Crowd'). The potential benefits of utilizing crowdsourcing in product design are well-documented, but little research exists on what are the barriers and opportunities in adopting crowdsourcing in new product development (NPD) of manufacturing SMEs. In order to answer the above questions, a Proof of Market study is carried out on crowdsourcing-based product design under an Innovate UK funded Smart project, which aims at identifying the needs, challenges and future development opportunities associated with adopting crowdsourcing strategies for NPD. The research findings from this study are reported here and can be used to guide future development of crowdsourcing-based collaborative design methods and tools and provide some practical references for industry to adopt this new and emerging collaborative design method in their business.展开更多
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 11372038 and 11402023
文摘A simple uniaxial oedometric system is developed to test the elastic modulus of granular materials. The stress- strain relationship is first measured under conditions of uniaxial compression with additional lateral stress and strain, then the elastic modulus of the material is determined by the linear fitting method. It is found that the modulus is positively correlated to the grain size and negatively correlated to the container size. Arching and dragging are revealed to be the mechanism of such correlations by using the digital image correlation method and the pressure film technology based on the statistical method.
文摘In this work, we propose a new design of all-optical triplexer based on of metal–insulator–metal(MIM) plasmonic waveguide structures and ring resonators. By adjusting the radii of ring resonators and the gap distance, certain wavelengths can be filtered out and the crosstalk of each channel can also be reduced. The numerical results show that the proposed MIM plasmonic waveguide structure can really function as an optical triplexer with respect to the three wavelengths, that is, 1310, 1490, and 1550 nm, respectively. It can be widely used as the fiber access network element for multiplexer–demultiplexer wavelength selective in fiber-to-the-home communication systems with transmission efficiency higher than 90%. It can also be a potential key component in the applications of the biosensing systems.
文摘This Special Issue of the Journal of Rock Mechanics and GeotechnicalEngineering (JRMGE) contains 13 papers prepared by internationalexperts on various general topics in geomechanics, rockmechanics and geotechnical engineering. It represents a usefulmix of theoretical developments, testing and practical applications.We present in the following brief details in the papers, alphabeticallyin accordance with the last name of the first author.Barla presents a review of tunneling techniques with emphasison the full-face method combining full-face excavation and facereinforcement by means of fiber-glass elements with a yieldcontrolsupport. This method has been used successfully in difficultgeologic conditions, and for a wide spectrum of ground situations.The validation of the method with respect to the Saint Martin LaPorte access adit along the LyoneTurin Base tunnel experiencingseverely squeezing conditions during excavation is also includedin the paper. The numerical modeling with consideration of therock mass time-dependent behavior showed a satisfactory agreementwith monitoring results.
文摘Considering the construction of rural residence as a significant content of constructing the new socialist countryside,problems of present rural housing in energy conservation and comfort level are analyzed.To develop eco-residence in new countryside,improve living conditions of local residents,save energy and reduce carbon emission,responsive capability of natural organisms to climate is introduced into architectural design,and concept of responsive design is analyzed.In view of actual regional and climatic characteristics,it is proposed that responsive design is able to solve many problems of present rural housing,then responsive structures in traditional Chinese dwellings are introduced,such as removable window,latticed wooden ventilation door,courtyard with hinged cover,transom and so on.On this basis,a dwelling unit of row house on suburban plains of Zhengzhou City is taken for a living example of responsive design from the perspectives of flexible corridor and courtyard,controllable natural wind channel,application of plant's responsive characteristics,flexible close building and controllable cavity space,to build comfortable living environments.
文摘With the vigorous development of China urbanization and increase of people's environmental consciousness,landscape design had received more and more attentions in urban construction and planning.However,the planning for mountainous new countryside construction and landscape design had not been emphasized.Hence,how to make use of natural and cultural landscape factors in mountainous areas to conduct landscape design in new countryside construction was an issue needed to be highlighted.According to the field study of natural villages and residences of Longnan City in Gansu Province,the paper had discussed the composition of mountainous settlements and residences,the composition of mountainous rural landscape factors and landscape planning principles,hoping to provide reference for rural landscape design and new countryside construction.
文摘Evolution history of the new west-Sichuan dwellings was analyzed,and its characteristics were summarized as "properly-arranged layouts,unification with neighboring environment;plain facade,excellent ventilation and sun-shading;free layout of single building,definite axes and orderly changes;application of local materials,showing local cultural characteristics;valuing continuity of local cultures and human relationship".Conceptual planning of Zhuanzhu Township as a town of farming and sericulture in E'meishan City was taken for example to propose the overall planning concepts on the basis of its current conditions.And the planning concepts cover functional division,road system,landscape system and overall image,and aim to integrate regional cultural characteristics into the town planning.
文摘The opening of the economy has contributed to the rapid urban development in China over the last 17 years from 1979 to 1996. It is worthwhile to note three new development trends of Chinese urban system. The first trend identifies the emergence of mega urbanization regions. The second trend rebuilds a closer tie between the Chinese urban system and the global urban system through the development of the world (global) cities and international cities. The third trend shows the fast polarized development in hinterlands and peripheries around advanced economic regions. However, the research literature on Chinese urbanization in English has shown the scarcity of good databanks and the analysis results are incomplete. Some researchers also always question the quality of the data. Using the most completed and most recent data, this paper reviews the growth of China's new designated cities since 1949. This paper also seeks to examine the various policies and to explore the underlying factors that have affected the growth of China new cities. From the development of China's cities in the past 47 years from 1949 to 1996, it is easy to find that metropolitan cities developed with a relatively high rate compared with smaller ones, but the ratio of number and population to whole country cities remained stable; Chinese urban system development had entered a phase of small cities development; in terms of cities regional distribution, the south and east region is still the central area of urban development.
文摘The peak fields of HT-7U TF/PF coils are designed at 5.8 T and 4.5 T, respectively. The superconducting (SC) NbTi/Cu strands for the coils have a quite low copper fraction (0.58). To increase the ratio of the limiting current Vs. critical current for the cable in conduit conductor (CICC), the first-stage subcable consists of several copper strands twisted around a SC composite one. The copper strand diameter is different from the SC one. Based on Bottura's CICC design approach we take the product of total copper cross-section and wetted perimeter as one of the key design parameters to meet with stability margin requirement. The product reaches 114 cm3 for 15.5 kA TF CICC at operating temperature of 4.2 K and 139 cm3 for 15 kA PF CICC at 3.8 K to obtain stability margins of 280 and 700 mJ/cm3, respectively.
基金Sponsored by the phased results of 2015 Hubei Education Department Social Sciences Key Programs(15D010)
文摘Material is the substance foundation and carrier of indoor environment, and it is the premise and guarantee to realize the excellent indoor environment. It contains physical and sensory properties. In recent years, the material design in indoor environment tends to be more rational, it not only pursues the external performance of material, but also pays more attention to the health and emotional of residents on the basis of scientific and rational use of its properties. This paper based on some scientific methods of literature study, field survey and case study combs the new trends of material design and analyses specific performance and application of materials in development. It is expected that the research can enrich the theory of contemporary material design and provide valuable reference for future material and interior environment design.
文摘The uncertainty of the teaching content and teaching methods of English economy and trade translation course has alwaysbeen the core problem that restricts the development of the course education.This paper proposes the design method and practiceprocess of the new teaching mode of English economy and trade translation course.Firstly,using marketing theory and economicand trade ideas,the content of English economy and trade translation course will be revised to construct a reasonable teaching con-tent system;Then,based on the above teaching content,the constructive theory is used as the guiding ideology to propose the class-room situational teaching mode and the extracurricular situational teaching mode,and complete the overall construction of the newteaching mode of English economy and trade translation course.The practical results show that the new teaching mode has obviousadvantages and has practical promotion value.
文摘The most distinctive feature of the new era is integration and innovation. With the rapid development of information technology and big data technology, the data era brought by artificial intelligence is coming. The systems engineering theory and methods summarized from engineering practice show more and more its importance and indispensability. The overall design department thoughts founded by scientist QIAN Xuesen is the result of the practice of systematic engineering science theory. The new development of the overall design department will inject intellectual support and technical support into the modernization of the national governance system and capabilities.
文摘The sUdeway design is the key in the design of the disc vibrating feeder. However, no reliable theoretical guidance has come into existence, which greatly restricted the application of CAD( Computer-aided design). In order to feed the application of CAD technology, we must make improvements to the existing coding method. Based on the similarity principle of Group Technology and existing coding system, a new coding method applicable to slide- way design is brought forward. The existing coding system could get optimized by means of analysing and studying the influence imposed by the parts' shape and posture features. More detailed information about the parts could be supplied by the new coding system, which makes the design simpler, more convenient and more accurate with the subjoin of the initial and targeted codes.
基金Supported by Key Project of National Social Science Foundation(10AGL007&12ASH004)Key Project of Ministry of Education(DFA100209)+2 种基金Ph.D.Foundation Project of Southwest University(SWU1209338)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities in 2013(SWU1309315)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities in 2009(SWU0909629)
文摘New type professional farmers are farmers who possess certain resources and capitals,have certain extent of spirit of entrepreneurship,and are fully capable of obtaining and allocating resources related to agricultural production and management,and engaged in agricultural production and management for obtaining average profit.Cultivation of new type professional farmers should be promoted in the process and at the background of"coordinated development of industrialization,informationization,urbanization and agricultural modernization".It should establish a proper cultivation subject system consisting of government,enterprises,rural communities and nonprofit organizations.Relying on multiple motive forces,efforts should be concentrated on cultivating those farmers with enterprising,highly innovative and learning ability,to guide traditional farmers to change into learning,enterprising and innovative ones.In addition,cultivation of new type professional farmers must rely on farmer education and training,modern agricultural development,increase in agricultural comparative advantage,innovation of rural management system and mechanism,multiple types of agricultural operation on a fairly large scale,as well as construction and regulation of new rural communities.Finally,it is recommended to provide system guarantee from long-term input mechanism of new type professional farmer education and training,incentive and restrictive mechanism of new type professional farmer cultivation,and construction of favorable environment for agricultural entrepreneurship.
文摘The construction of new campuses of modern universities in China and the landscape environment of overseas universities were introduced in this paper,misunderstandings in the construction of new campuses were analyzed,the optimization of campus environment was discussed from the perspectives of landscape environment,humanistic environment and social environment.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51704216)the State Key Laboratory of Advanced Metallurgy,University of Science and Technology Beijing(Nos.41620025,41620026,and 41621009)+1 种基金the Interdisciplinary Research Project for Young Teachers of University of ScienceTechnology Beijing(Fundamental Research Funds f or the Central Universities)(No.FRF-IDRY-20-014)。
文摘The metallurgy industry consumes a considerable amount of coal and fossil fuels,and its carbon dioxide emissions are increasing every year.Replacing coal with renewable,carbon-neutral biomass for metallurgical production is of great significance in reducing global carbon consumption.This study describes the current state of research in biomass metallurgy in recent years and analyzes the concept and scientific principles of biomass metallurgy.The fundamentals of biomass pretreatment technology and biomass metallurgy technology were discussed,and the industrial application framework of biomass metallurgy was proposed.Furthermore,the economic and social advantages of biomass metallurgy were analyzed to serve as a reference for the advancement of fundamental theory and industrial application of biomass metallurgy.
文摘In face of energy crisis,raw materials exhaustion,environmental pollution and other environmental issues caused by the current social and economic development model,theory and method of regional architecture have been noted and studied by persons in the field of architecture and ecology.In the paper,the author analyzes architectural region,interprets regional architecture of Mario Botta and summarizes organic theory with a view to recognizing the importance of regional architecture method and reflecting on the significance of architectural region theories at the present times under the background of current globalization and information era.
基金Supported by Innovate UK Smart Project(Grant No.700484)
文摘Crowdsourcing is an innovative business practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content or even funds by soliciting contributions from a large group of people (the 'Crowd'). The potential benefits of utilizing crowdsourcing in product design are well-documented, but little research exists on what are the barriers and opportunities in adopting crowdsourcing in new product development (NPD) of manufacturing SMEs. In order to answer the above questions, a Proof of Market study is carried out on crowdsourcing-based product design under an Innovate UK funded Smart project, which aims at identifying the needs, challenges and future development opportunities associated with adopting crowdsourcing strategies for NPD. The research findings from this study are reported here and can be used to guide future development of crowdsourcing-based collaborative design methods and tools and provide some practical references for industry to adopt this new and emerging collaborative design method in their business.