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Our research aims in designation of a hybrid approach in the calibration of an attribute impact vector in order to guarantee its completeness in case when other approaches cannot ensure this.

Real estate mass appraisal aims at valuating a large number of properties by means of a specialised algorithm. We can apply various methods for this purpose. We present the Szczecin Algorithm of Real Estate Mass Appraisal (SAREMA) and the four methods of calibration of an attribute impact vector. Eventually, we present its application on the example of 318 residential properties in Szczecin, Poland.

We compare the results of appraisals obtained with the application of the hybrid approach with the appraisals obtained for the three remaining ones. If the database is complete and reliable, the econometric and statistical approaches could be recommended because they are based on quantitative measures of relationships between the values of attributes and properties' unit values. However, when the database is incomplete, the expert and, subsequently, hybrid approaches are used as supplementary ones.

The application of the hybrid approach ensures that the calibration system of an attribute impact vector is always complete. This is because it incorporates the expert approach that can be used even if the database excludes application of approaches that are based on quantitative measures of relationship between the unit real estate value and the value of attributes.

The purpose of this paper is to describe a calibration method developed to improve the accuracy of a six degrees-of-freedom medical robot. The proposed calibration approach aims to enhance the robot’s accuracy in a specific target workspace. A comparison of five observability indices is also done to choose the most appropriate calibration robot configurations.

The calibration method is based on the forward kinematic approach, which uses a nonlinear optimization model. The used experimental data are 84 end-effector positions, which are measured using a laser tracker. The calibration configurations are chosen through an observability analysis, while the validation after calibration is carried out in 336 positions within the target workspace.

Simulations allowed finding the most appropriate observability index for choosing the optimal calibration configurations. They also showed the ability of our calibration model to identify most of the considered robot’s parameters, despite measurement errors. Experimental tests confirmed the simulation findings and showed that the robot’s mean position error is reduced from 3.992 mm before calibration to 0.387 mm after, and the maximum error is reduced from 5.957 to 0.851 mm.

This paper presents a calibration method which makes it possible to accurately identify the kinematic errors for a novel medical robot. In addition, this paper presents a comparison between the five observability indices proposed in the literature. The proposed method might be applied to any industrial or medical robot similar to the robot studied in this paper.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a method that calibrates the hand-eye relationship for eye-to-hand configuration and afterwards a rectification to improve the accuracy of general calibration.

The hand-eye calibration of eye-to-hand configuration is summarized as a equation AX = XB which is the same as in eye-in-hand calibration. A closed-form solution is derived. To abate the impact of noise, a rectification is conducted after the general calibration.

Simulation and actual experiments confirm that the accuracy of calibration is obviously improved.

Only a calibration plane is required for the hand-eye calibration. Taking the impact of noise into account, a rectification is carried out after the general calibration and, as a result, that the accuracy is obviously improved. The method can be applied in many actual applications.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of a non-contact full-field optical measurement technique known as digital image correlation (DIC).

The approach of this review paper is to introduce the research pertaining to DIC. It comprehensively covers crucial facets including its principles, historical development, core challenges, current research status and practical applications. Additionally, it delves into unresolved issues and outlines future research objectives.

The findings of this review encompass essential aspects of DIC, including core issues like the subpixel registration algorithm, camera calibration, measurement of surface deformation in 3D complex structures and applications in ultra-high-temperature settings. Additionally, the review presents the prevailing strategies for addressing these challenges, the most recent advancements in DIC applications across quasi-static, dynamic, ultra-high-temperature, large-scale and micro-scale engineering domains, along with key directions for future research endeavors.

This review holds a substantial value as it furnishes a comprehensive and in-depth introduction to DIC, while also spotlighting its prospective applications.

The paper aims to establish a virtual lighting maintenance environment (VLME), and to analyze the visibility-related human factors (HFs) during maintenance operations through interactive simulations.

First, an accurate task lighting modeling method was developed, which includes lighting information modeling and illuminant parameters calibration. Then, the real-time interaction between the task lighting and three-dimensional virtual human was modeled. After that, the attenuation coefficient of visibility was determined. Also, the HFs’ analysis process in VLME was described in detail.

A case study of power supply module replacement of radar equipment was performed in VLME. The HFs’ analysis demonstrated that the task lighting significantly affects the visibility, which causes indirect impact on posture comfort and operation safety.

Through evaluating maintenance operation processing in lighting environment, engineers can better analyze and validate the maintainability design for complex equipment, and some potential ergonomics and safety issues can be found and dealt earlier.

An VLME was built for interactive “human-in-loop” maintenance operation simulation, which can support HFs’ evaluation in lighting environment accurately and effectively.

The purpose of this research is to explore from a mass appraisal perspective how the effects of location are reflected within valuation models. The paper sets out to detail the various techniques and the efficacy of their application.

The approach adopted is analytical and based upon the development of locational attributes. An extensive literature base is synthesized with methods being evaluated in their application to mass appraisal.

This research has identified that the three main groups interested in residential property valuation, namely, academia, industry and commerce have to a certain extent been unfamiliar with the research developments occurring in the other groups. The impact of this is important, given the need for integration and collaboration in terms of future model development.

The research underpinning this paper will provide a solid basis for further research into this area. The importance of measuring the effect that location has on value is of major significance in the determination of objective estimates of property value.

Those within the assessment community could be described as pragmatists working in a situation that requires feasible and suitable solutions to the problem of measuring location value. It is our contention that the third generation techniques of spatially varying parameter models and spatial autocorrelation models will require greater industry verification before their use becomes more widely accepted.

This paper provides a detailed analysis of methodologies used to reflect the value of location over the last 50 years. The debate is taken forward by describing what will be the contribution to the development of the next generation of location‐specific modeling techniques.

The purpose of this paper is to initiate investigations to develop near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy coupled with spectral dimensionality reduction and multivariate calibration methods to rapidly measure cotton content in blend fabrics.

In total, 124 and 41 samples were used to calibrate models and assess the performance of the models, respectively. The raw spectra are transformed into wavelet coefficients. Multivariate calibration methods of partial least square (PLS), extreme learning machine (ELM) and least square support vector machine (LS-SVM) were employed to develop the models using 100 wavelet coefficients. Through comparing the performance of PLS, ELM and LS-SVM models with new samples, the optimal model of cotton content was obtained with the LS-SVM model.

The correlation coefficient of prediction (r_p) and root mean square errors of prediction were 0.99 and 4.37 percent, respectively. The results suggest that NIR spectroscopy, combining with the LS-SVM method, has significant potential to quantitatively analyze cotton content in blend fabrics.

It may have commercial and regulatory potential to avoid time-consuming work, costly and laborious chemical analysis for cotton content in blend fabrics.

The selection criteria for contractor pre‐qualification are characterized by the co‐existence of both quantitative and qualitative data. The qualitative data is non‐linear, uncertain and imprecise. An ideal decision support system for contractor pre‐qualification should have the ability of handling both quantitative and qualitative data, and of mapping the complicated non‐linear relationship of the selection criteria, such that rational and consistent decisions can be made. In this research paper, an artificial neural network model was developed to assist public clients identifying suitable contractors for tendering. The pre‐qualification criteria (variables) were identified for the model. One hundred and twelve real pre‐qualification cases were collected from civil engineering projects in Hong Kong, and 88 hypothetical pre‐qualification cases were also generated according to the ‘If‐then’ rules used by professionals in the pre‐qualification process. The results of the analysis totally comply with current practice (public developers in Hong Kong). Each pre‐qualification case consisted of input ratings for candidate contractors' attributes and their corresponding pre‐qualification decisions. The training of the neural network model was accomplished by using the developed program, in which a conjugate gradient descent algorithm was incorporated for improving the learning performance of the network. Cross‐validation was applied to estimate the generalization errors based on the ‘re‐sampling’ of training pairs. The case studies show that the artificial neural network model is suitable for mapping the complicated non‐linear relationship between contractors' attributes and their corresponding pre‐qualification (disqualification) decisions. The artificial neural network model can be concluded as an ideal alternative for performing the contractor pre‐qualification task.

Joint space multidimensional scaling (MDS) maps are often utilized for positioning analyses and are estimated with survey data of consumer preferences, choices, considerations, intentions, etc. so as to provide a parsimonious spatial depiction of the competitive landscape. However, little attention has been given to the possibility that consumers may display heterogeneity in their information usage (Bettman et al., 1998) and the possible impact this may have on the corresponding estimated joint space maps. This paper aims to address this important issue and proposes a new Bayesian multidimensional unfolding model for the analysis of two or three-way dominance (e.g. preference) data. The authors’ new MDS model explicitly accommodates dimension selection and preference heterogeneity simultaneously in a unified framework.

This manuscript introduces a new Bayesian hierarchical spatial MDS model with accompanying Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm for estimation that explicitly places constraints on a set of scale parameters in such a way as to model a consumer using or not using each latent dimension in forming his/her preferences while at the same time permitting consumers to differentially weigh each utilized latent dimension. In this manner, both preference heterogeneity and dimensionality selection heterogeneity are modeled simultaneously.

The superiority of this model over existing spatial models is demonstrated in both the case of simulated data, where the structure of the data is known in advance, as well as in an empirical application/illustration relating to the positioning of digital cameras. In the empirical application/illustration, the policy implications of accounting for the presence of dimensionality selection heterogeneity is shown to be derived from the Bayesian spatial analyses conducted. The results demonstrate that a model that incorporates dimensionality selection heterogeneity outperforms models that cannot recognize that consumers may be selective in the product information that they choose to process. Such results also show that a marketing manager may encounter biased parameter estimates and distorted market structures if he/she ignores such dimensionality selection heterogeneity.

The proposed Bayesian spatial model provides information regarding how individual consumers utilize each dimension and how the relationship with behavioral variables can help marketers understand the underlying reasons for selective dimensional usage. Further, the proposed approach helps a marketing manager to identify major dimension(s) that could maximize the effect of a change of brand positioning, and thus identify potential opportunities/threats that existing MDS methods cannot provides.

To date, no existent spatial model utilized for brand positioning can accommodate the various forms of heterogeneity exhibited by real consumers mentioned above. The end result can be very inaccurate and biased portrayals of competitive market structure whose strategy implications may be wrong and non-optimal. Given the role of such spatial models in the classical segmentation-targeting-positioning paradigm which forms the basis of all marketing strategy, the value of such research can be dramatic in many marketing applications, as illustrated in the manuscript via analyses of both synthetic and actual data.