Language is fundamental to human communication, allowing individuals to express and exchange ideas, thoughts, and emotions. In early childhood, some children experience communication disorders that impede their ability to articulate words correctly, posing significant challenges to their learning and development. This issue is exacerbated in developing countries, where limited resources and a lack of technological tools hinder access to effective speech therapy. Traditional speech therapy remains vital, but the latest technological advancements have introduced robotic assistants to enhance therapy for communication disorders. Despite their potential, these technologies are often inaccessible in developing regions due to high production costs and a lack of sustainable manufacturing models. For these reasons, this paper presents “FONA,” a robotic assistant that employs rule-based expert systems to provide tactile, auditory, and visual stimuli. FONA supports children aged 3 to 6 in speech therapy by delivering exercises such as syllable production, word formation, and pictographic storytelling of various phonemes. Notably, FONA was successfully tested on children with cochlear implants, reducing the number of sessions required to produce isolated phonemes. The paper also introduces an innovative analysis of the Make To Order (MTO) manufacturing system for producing FONA in developing countries. This analysis explores two key perspectives: collaborative networks and entrepreneurship, offering a sustainable production model. In a pilot experiment, FONA significantly improved children’s attention spans, increasing the period by 17 min. Furthermore, the economic analysis demonstrates that producing FONA through collaborative networks can significantly reduce costs, making it more accessible to institutions in developing countries. The findings suggest that the project is viable for a five-year period, providing a sustainable and effective solution for addressing communication disorders in children.

In the era of artificial intelligence, smart clothing, as a product of the interaction between fashion clothing and intelligent technology, has increasingly attracted the attention and affection of enterprises and consumers. However, to date, there is a lack of focus on the demand of silver-haired population’s consumers for smart clothing. To adapt to the rapidly aging modern society, this paper explores the influencing factors of silver-haired population’s demand for smart clothing and proposes a corresponding consumer-consumption-need theoretical model (CCNTM) to further promote the development of the smart clothing industry. Based on literature and theoretical research, using the technology acceptance model (TAM) and functional-expressive-aesthetic consumer needs model (FEAM) as the foundation, and introducing interactivity and risk perception as new external variables, a consumer-consumption-need theoretical model containing nine variables including perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, functionality, expressiveness, aesthetics, interactivity, risk perception, purchase attitude, and purchase intention was constructed. A questionnaire survey was conducted among the Chinese silver-haired population aged 55–65 using the Questionnaire Star platform, with a total of 560 questionnaires issued. The results show that the functionality, expressiveness, interactivity, and perceived ease of use of smart clothing significantly positively affect perceived usefulness (P < 0.01); perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, aesthetics, and interactivity significantly positively affect the purchase attitude of the silver-haired population (P < 0.01); perceived usefulness, aesthetics, interactivity, and purchase attitude significantly positively affect the purchase intention of the silver-haired population (P < 0.01); functionality and expressiveness significantly positively affect perceived ease of use (P < 0.01); risk perception significantly negatively affects purchase attitude (P < 0.01). Through the construction and empirical study of the smart clothing consumer-consumption-need theoretical model, this paper hopes to stimulate the purchasing behavior of silver-haired population’s consumers towards smart clothing and enable them to enjoy the benefits brought by scientific and technological advancements, which to live out their golden years in comfort, also, promote the rapid development of the smart clothing industry.

This study fills a significant need in the literature by exploring the efficacy of wearable technologies as helpful aids for special needs students in Saudi Arabia. This 12-month quantitative study used a purposive sample of 150 kids representing a range of disability classifications. This study examines the effects of wearable technology, such as smartwatches and augmented reality goggles, on students’ concentration and performance in the classroom. Wearable technology offers great promise, as descriptive statistics show that the experimental group had better involvement and academic achievement. The experimental and control groups vary significantly in terms of academic performance and engagement, as shown by independent samples t-tests. Wearable technology’s distinct benefits are further shown by regression analysis, which shows a favorable correlation with academic achievement after the intervention. According to the results, wearable tech has great promise for inclusive education in Saudi Arabia. Strategic integration, teacher professional development, ongoing research, better accessibility, and wearable gadget customization are some of the suggestions. Stakeholders may use these recommendations as a road map to build a welcoming and technologically sophisticated classroom. This study adds to the growing body of knowledge on assistive technology, especially in Saudi Arabia, and has important implications for academics, politicians, and educators.

In the recent years, with global warming and the change in climatic characteristics, buildings and interior arrangements in dry and cold climates, that previously did not have cooling problems, now require built and pre-planned cooling systems as well as heating. On the other hand, the enormous increase in energy consumption and the rapid depletion of energy resources causes concern and anxiety for future generations. In this regard, utilizing natural resources and incorporating sustainable solutions into building design are critical. Vernacular technical systems and design ideas can still be accepted and applied to create sustainable solutions. In this context, design strategies for energy efficiency and provision of physical and spatial comforts could be considered based on traditional architecture. In this study, sustainable building design solutions that have been used in Iran’s vernacular houses, which has four distinct climate zones, aimed to create a paradigm for the general modern passive house designs in the global context. Traditional Iranian residential architecture incorporates architectural features for physical, spatial, and climatic needs, as well as aesthetic comfort for the user. In this manner, user needs and interior space organization in vernacular residential architecture can be considered as a sustainable housing model that meets today’s technology requirements in passive house design.

The research aimed to: 1) analyze components and indicators of digital transformation leadership among school administrators, 2) assess their leadership needs, and 3) develop mechanism models to promote this leadership. A mixed-method approach was applied, involving three sample groups: 8 experts, 406 administrators, and 7 experts. Data collection tools included semi-structured interviews, leadership scales, needs assessments, and focus group discussions, with analysis performed through construct validity testing, needs assessment, and content analysis. The findings revealed: 1) The components and indicators of digital transformation leadership showed structural validity, as confirmed by the model’s alignment with empirical data (Chi-Square = 82.3, df = 65, p = 0.072, CFI = 0.998, TLI = 0.997, RMR = 0.00965, RMSEA = 0.0256). 2) Among the leadership components, “innovative knowledge” ranked highest in need (PNImodified = 0.075), followed by “ideological influence” (0.066), “consideration of individuality” (0.055), “intellectual stimulation” (0.052), and “inspiration” (0.053). 3) Mechanism models for promoting leadership emphasized enhancing these five components to strengthen administrators’ skills in applying technology, managing teaching and development plans, and fostering innovation. Administrators were encouraged to tailor strategies to individual needs, inspire personnel, and create a commitment to organizational change and development. These mechanisms aim to equip administrators to effectively lead transformations, motivate staff, and drive educational institutions to adapt and thrive in evolving environments.