Context: Software engineering is becoming more and more distributed. Developers and other stakeholders are often located in different locations, departments, and countries and operating within different time zones. Most online software design and modeling tools are not adequate for distributed collaboration since they do not support awareness and lack features for effective communication. Objective: The aim of our research is to support distributed software design activities in Virtual Reality (VR). Method: Using design science research methodology, we design and evaluate a tool for collaborative design in VR. We evaluate the collaboration efficiency and recall of design information when using the VR software design environment compared to a non-VR software design environment. Moreover, we collect the perceptions and preferences of users to explore the opportunities and challenges that were incurred by using the VR software design environment. Results: We find that there is no significant difference in the efficiency and recall of design information when using the VR compared to the non-VR environment. Furthermore, we find that developers are more satisfied with collaboration in VR. Conclusion: The results of our research and similar studies show that working in VR is not yet faster or more efficient than working on standard desktops. It is very important to improve the interface in VR (gestures with haptics, keyboard and voice input), as confirmed by the difference in results between the first and second evaluation. 

Context: Since 1998, the ACM/IEEE 25th International Conference on Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems (MODELS) has been studying all aspects surrounding modeling in software engineering, from languages and methods to tools and applications. In order to enable empirical studies, the MODELS community developed a need for having examples of models, especially of models used in real software development projects. Such models may be used for a range of purposes, but mostly related to domain analysis and software design (at various levels of abstraction). However, finding such models was very difficult. The most used ones had their origin in academic books or student projects, which addressed “artificial” applications, i.e., were not base on real-case scenarios. To address this issue, the authors of this reflection paper, members of the modeling and of the mining software repositories fields, came together with the aim of creating a dataset with an abundance of modeling projects by mining GitHub. As a scoping of our effort we targeted models represented using the UML notation because this is the lingua franca in practice for software modeling. As a result, almost 100k models from 22k projects were made publicly available, known as the Lindholmen dataset. Objective: In this paper, we analyze the impact of our research, and compare this to what we envisioned in 2016. We draw practical lessons gained from this effort, reflect on the perils and pitfalls of the dataset, and point out promising avenues of research. Method: We base our reflection on the systematic analysis of recent research literature, and especially those papers citing our dataset and its associated publications. Results: What we envisioned in the original research when making the dataset available has to a major extent not come true; however, fellow researchers have found alternative uses of the dataset. Conclusions: By understanding the possibilities and shortcomings of the current dataset, we aim to offer the research community i) future research avenues of how the data can be used; and ii) raise awareness of the limitations, not only to point out threats to validity of research, but also to encourage fellow researchers to find ideas to overcome them. Our reflections can also be helpful to researchers who want to perform similar mining efforts.

The transport system is currently undergoing a transition to become fossil-free and sustainable. Electrification of vehicles is an important part of this transition. These vehicles must include batteries, whose health status will decrease during their lifetime. Batteries whose status no longer fulfill the requirements for use in vehicles can, however, still have a long remaining life-time if used in less-critical domains. It thus becomes necessary to facilitate the reuse and Second Life use of batteries. This presents both technological and business challenges. How can we ensure that adequate battery health data is collected and used to give a correct evaluation of the value of a battery that is being removed from a vehicle? What business models are needed? In this study, we present sustainable circularity models in the context of second-life batteries by analyzing the market scenarios, studying the processes and relationships between the stakeholders, and reviewing the enablers and ecosystems. We also discuss the opportunities, challenges and regulations in order to support a comprehensive understanding of the sustainable circularity process of retired electric vehicle batteries.

I takt med att fler saker elektrifieras, ökar även behovet av batterier. Då metallerna i batterier är sällsynta, svårutvunna och begränsade, kan vi troligen inte enbart förlita oss på nytillverkning av batterier, tillverkade av nybrutna metaller, utan vi måste även kunna cirkulera och återanvända utrangerade batterier. Transportsystemet genomgår för närvarande en omställning till att bli fossilfritt och därigenom mer hållbart. Elektrifiering av fordon är en viktig del av denna omställning. Dessa eldrivna fordon (eng. electric vehicle, EV) innehåller batterier, vars kapacitet försämras över tid. Batterier vars prestanda inte längre uppfyller kraven för användning i fordon kan dock fortfarande få en lång återstående livslängd genom att exemplevis återbrukas inom andra domäner som har lägre kapacitetskrav. I närtid står vi inför ett läge där vi kommer att få fler och fler uttjänta batterier från elbilsflottan. Detta forskningsprojekt fokuserar på just dessa uttjänta EV-batterier och på vilket sätt de kan cirkuleras på en andrahandsmarknad, i form av s.k. Second Life-batterier (SLB). Denna cirkulation innebär dock både tekniska och affärsmässiga utmaningar. Hur kan vi säkerställa att tillräckliga batterihälsodata samlas in och används för att ge en rättvisande bild av värdet på ett EV-batteri som som tas bort från ett fordon? Vilka affärsmodeller behövs? I den här studien presenterar vi hållbara cirkulära modeller för återanvända batterier genom att analysera marknadsscenarier, studera processerna och relationerna mellan intressenter samt granska möjliggörare och ekosystem. Vi diskuterar även möjligheter, utmaningar och regleringar för att ge en omfattande förståelse av cirkulära modeller för återanvända elfordonsbatterier.

As more things become electrified, the need for batteries increases. As the metals in batteries are rare, difficult to extract and limited, we cannot rely solely on producing new batteries made from virgin metals but must also be able to circulate and reuse end-of-life batteries. The transport system is currently transitioning to become fossil-free and thus more sustainable. The electrification of vehicles is an important part of this transition. These electric vehicles (EVs) contain batteries, whose capacity degrades over time. However, batteries whose status no longer meets the requirements for use in vehicles can still have a long lifespan by, for example, being reused in other domains with lower capacity requirements. In the near future, we are facing a situation where we will get more and more end-of-life batteries from the EV fleet. This research project focuses on these end-of-life EV batteries and how they can be circulated on a secondary market as Second Life Batteries (SLB). However, this circulation poses both technical and business-related challenges. How can we ensure that adequate battery health data is collected and used to accurately assess the value of an EV battery removed from a vehicle? What business models are needed? In this study, we present sustainable models for circularity in the context of reused batteries by analyzing the market scene. We also discuss possibilities, challenges, and regulations in order to give a comprehensive understanding of circular models for second life EV batteries.

Context: Container-based virtualization is gaining popularity in different domains, as it supports continuous development and improves the efficiency and reliability of run-time environments. Problem: Different techniques are proposed for monitoring the security of containers. However, there are no guidelines supporting the selection of suitable techniques for the tasks at hand. Objective: We aim to support the selection and design of techniques for monitoring container-based virtualization environments. Approach:: First, we review the literature and identify techniques for monitoring containerized environments. Second, we classify these techniques according to a set of categories, such as technical characteristic, applicability, effectiveness, and evaluation. We further detail the pros and cons that are associated with each of the identified techniques. Result: As a result, we present CONSERVE, a multi-dimensional decision support framework for an informed and optimal selection of a suitable set of container monitoring techniques to be implemented in different application domains. Evaluation: A mix of eighteen researchers and practitioners evaluated the ease of use, understandability, usefulness, efficiency, applicability, and completeness of the framework. The evaluation shows a high level of interest, and points out to potential benefits. © 2021 The Authors

The automotive domain has got its own share of advancements in information and communication technology, providing more services and leading to more connectivity. However, more connectivity and openness raise cyber security and safety concerns. Indeed, services that depend on online connectivity can serve as entry points for attacks on different assets of the vehicle. This study explores collaborative ways of selecting response techniques to counter real-time cyber attacks on automotive systems. The aim is to mitigate the attacks more quickly than a single vehicle would be able to do, and increase the survivability chances of the collaborating vehicles. To achieve that, the design science research methodology is employed. As a result, we present RIPOSTE, a framework for collaborative real-time evaluation and selection of suitable response techniques when an attack is in progress. We evaluate the framework from a safety perspective by conducting a qualitative study involving domain experts. The proposed framework is deemed slightly unsafe, and insights into how to improve the overall safety of the framework are provided.