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Assembly action recognition plays an important role in assembly process monitoring and human-robot collaborative assembly. Previous works overlook the interaction relationship between hands and operated objects and lack the modeling of subtle hand motions, which leads to a decline in accuracy for fine-grained action recognition. This paper aims to model the hand-object interactions and hand movements to realize high-accuracy assembly action recognition.

In this paper, a novel multi-stream hand-object interaction network (MHOINet) is proposed for assembly action recognition. To learn the hand-object interaction relationship in assembly sequence, an interaction modeling network (IMN) comprising both geometric and visual modeling is exploited in the interaction stream. The former captures the spatial location relation of hand and interacted parts/tools according to their detected bounding boxes, and the latter focuses on mining the visual context of hand and object at pixel level through a position attention model. To model the hand movements, a temporal enhancement module (TEM) with multiple convolution kernels is developed in the hand stream, which captures the temporal dependences of hand sequences in short and long ranges. Finally, assembly action prediction is accomplished by merging the outputs of different streams through a weighted score-level fusion. A robotic arm component assembly dataset is created to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

The method can achieve the recognition accuracy of 97.31% and 95.32% for coarse and fine assembly actions, which outperforms other comparative methods. Experiments on human-robot collaboration prove that our method can be applied to industrial production.

The author proposes a novel framework for assembly action recognition, which simultaneously leverages the features of hands, objects and hand-object interactions. The TEM enhances the representation of dynamics of hands and facilitates the recognition of assembly actions with various time spans. The IMN learns the semantic information from hand-object interactions, which is significant for distinguishing fine assembly actions.

This study aims to explore customers’ second-hand clothing purchases and their engagement on the Facebook marketplace.

A conceptual model is developed, building upon the online second-hand shopping motivation (OSSM) scale. Data gathered from 409 respondents was analysed using covariance-based structural equation modelling.

The results highlight that economic, convenience, ideological motivations and environmental concerns impact customers’ purchase intention. Conversely, status consumption was found to impede customers’ purchase intentions. Notably, the elements of social media engagement, including consumption, contribution and creation, demonstrated significance as a consequence of customers’ second-hand clothing purchase intention.

This study’s findings contribute to the knowledge encompassing sustainable fashion consumption, information systems and second-hand social media shopping. It uniquely explores customer behaviours related to second-hand clothes shopping on the Facebook marketplace by building upon the OSSM scale. These findings offer valuable insights, showcasing the determinants that can increase customer-centric social media engagement. These results inform online retailers on Facebook marketplace about sustainable practices, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals 12, 13 and 8, to promote a green global economy.

This study examined the links between user-generated content (UGC), dissatisfied customers and second-hand luxury fashion brands. A central premise of luxury fashion brands is the perceived status and privilege of those who own such items. Despite their marketing logic emphasising exclusivity and rarity, they have broadened their reach by integrating new digital marketing practices that increase access to luxury brand-related information and create opportunities for consumers to purchase products through second-hand sellers.

Building on an inductive qualitative study of 59 millennials from three European countries (France, Italy and the UK) and by examining the mediating role of UGC and dissatisfied customers, this paper develops a conceptual framework of three clusters of second-hand luxury fashion goods customers: spiritual consumers, entrepreneurial recoverer consumers and carpe diem consumers.

The proposed SEC framework (spiritual consumers, entrepreneurial recoverer consumers, and carpe diem consumers) illustrates how the emerging themes interconnect with the identified consumers, revealing significant consumer actions and attitudes found in the second-hand luxury goods sector that influence the usage of UGC and its integration into service failure and recovery efforts

This study suggested that the perceptions of consumers seeking second-hand luxury fashion products differ from those who purchase new or never previously owned luxury fashion products. Overall, this research sets the stage for scholars to forge a path forward to enhance the understanding of this phenomenon and its implications for luxury fashion companies.

The purpose of this paper is to present recent work designing a mechanical robotic hand for self‐adaptive grasping, human‐like appearance, which can be used in a humanoid robot. Conventional robotic devices are relatively complex, large, cumbersome and difficult to be installed in a humanoid robot arm. Under‐actuated robot hands use less motors to drive more rotating joints, thus to simplify the mechanical structure, decrease the volume and weight and finally lower the difficulty of control and the cost.

A novel under‐actuated finger mechanism is designed, which is based on a gear‐rack mechanism, spring constraint and an active sleeve middle phalanx. The principle analyses of its self‐adaptive grasp and end power grasping are given. A new multi‐fingered hand named as TH‐3R Hand is designed based on the finger.

The design finger mechanism can be used in a robotic hand to make the hand obtain more degrees of freedom (DOF) with fewer actuators, and good grasping function of shape adaptation, decrease the requirement of control system. TH‐3R Hand has five fingers, 15 DOF. All fingers are similar. TH‐3R Hand has many advantages: it is simple in structure, light in weight, easy to control and low in cost. TH‐3R Hand can passively adapt different shapes and sizes of the grasped object. Experimental studies have demonstrated the self‐adaptation in grasping of the finger.

The implication of this research is that under‐actuated robotic hands are appropriate for the missions of grasping different objects. The limitation of the research to date is that issues of sensors, control, and communication have not yet been addressed.

Key technologies of the under‐actuated finger and TH‐3R Hand, with self‐adaptive grasping, human‐like appearance and low‐cost lightweight, are feasible. These technologies have the potential to make a significant impact.

These results present a self‐adaptive under‐actuated grasp concept and a humanoid robotic hand with under‐actuated gear‐rack mechanism.

The objective hand evaluation of the top sheet materials used for disposable diapers has been investigated, with consideration given to aspects of both dermatitis and comfort. The objective hand evaluation system for men's suiting has been applied to assess the hand of top sheet nonwovens. The subjective hand of the top sheet nonwovens, separated from the disposable diaper product, was assessed by female students. It became clear that the hand of the top sheet nonwovens could be predicted by the equation developed for men's suiting, for which the calculated error was within the range of the standard deviation of the subjective hand value of each product. The correlations between the hand quality of the diaper and the mechanical properties of its top sheet nonwoven were also examined. The diapers with high total hand value (THV) of their top sheet nonwovens were estimated to have good hand under both dry and wet conditions.

The purpose of this research is to perform instrumental comparison of hand parameters of knitted fabrics produced from different biodegradable fibres and to analyze peculiarities of hand parameters' extent influenced by fabric structure and chemical softening.

The hand of five types of different biodegradable fabrics was evaluated. Experiments were performed using a method based on the principle of specimen biaxial punching deformation when a disc‐shaped specimen is extracted through a round nozzle. The Influence of fabric weave (terry and plain jersey) and finishing (padding with the silicone softener “Belfasin SI”) on the fabric hand was investigated.

Investigations have shown that weave type and finishing significantly influenced fabric hand properties. It was also stated that even tenuous differences between fabric parameters could be obtained by one numeral value of complex hand rate Q.

Experiments have shown that KTU–Griff–Tester is a simple, reliable instrumental device suitable to obtain quantitative information about fabric mechanical properties. Evaluation of finishing influence on a fabric hand could be precisely expressed by one parameter Q.

In the present research quantitative evaluation of new fabrics from biodegradable fibres hand was performed. Comparison between new biodegradable and traditional cotton fabrics has shown that new biodegradable fibres which are generally used for underwear, sportswear and for medical application are characterized by soft hand, as a result a good affinity with skin.

Post-cesarean wound infection (PCWI) is a common post-operative complication that can negatively affect patients and health systems. Poor hand hygiene practice of health care professionals is a common cause of PCWI. This case study aims to describe how strategic problem solving was used to introduce an alcohol-based hand rub in a district hospital in Rwanda to improve hand hygiene compliance among health care workers and reduce PCWI.

Pre- and post-intervention study design was used to address the poor hand hygiene compliance in the maternity unit. The hospital availed an alcohol-based hand rub and the team provided training on the importance of hand hygiene. A chart audit was conducted to assess the PCWI, and an observational study was used to assess hand hygiene compliance.

The intervention successfully increased hand hygiene compliance of health care workers from 38.2 to 89.7 per cent, p < 0.001, and was associated with reduced hospital-acquired infection rates from 6.2 to 2.5 per cent, p = 0.083.

This case study describes the implementation process of a quality improvement project using the eight steps of strategic problem solving to introduce an alcohol-based hand rub in a district hospital in Rwanda. The intervention improved hand hygiene compliance among health care workers and reduced PCWI using available resources and effective leadership skills.

The results will inform hospitals with similar settings of steps to create an environment that enables hand hygiene practice, and in turn reduces PCWI, using available resources and strategic problem solving.

The design of robot hand for writing and correction assistant applications work will be partially replaced as to develop the remote-assisted robot hand control needed to manipulate all this kind of work. As it is stress and strain full job for all teachers, which needs to bring a sustainable solution, hence robot hand which resembles the human hand which is teleoperated with the remote control is designed.

This work presents the design and simulation of a robot hand for correction assistant applications. To replace the work partially especially for the teachers who are undergoing the paper correction work like putting tick mark, cross mark, allocation of marks, etc.

In this paper the design of the same and its simulation of writing the horizontal line, vertical line and writing number two is presented, in further research, a prototype model and its analysis will be done.

The design is been done using the modelling software Creo 5.4 where the design will be used to print the prototype model which is physical using 3D printing technology and controlling and testing will be done on the same prototype model using simple Arduino.

Amidst escalating sustainability challenges, product and brand managers face a pressing need to foster responsible consumption and marketing strategies. Guided by the theory of planned behavior, this paper aims to explore consumers’ motivation to purchase second-hand clothing, a type of product that contributes to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 on Responsible Consumption and Production by democratizing the brand, extending the life-cycle of the product, promoting a circular economy, while reducing economic costs for consumers and environmental costs for companies.

A two-stage study was conducted: 20 consumers were initially interviewed to identify the salient beliefs about second-hand clothing, and following that, a survey was conducted with 449 consumers to statistically analyze consumers’ motivation to purchase second-hand clothing. The data were analyzed using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and necessary condition analysis (NCA).

From a “should-have” perspective (PLS-SEM), the study reveals that behavioral beliefs, injunctive normative beliefs, descriptive normative beliefs and control beliefs positively shape attitudes, injunctive norms, descriptive norms and perceived behavioral control toward second-hand clothing, whereas attitudes, injunctive norms, moral norms and perceived behavioral control positively influence consumers’ purchases of second-hand clothing. From a “must-have” perspective (NCA), the study shows that behavioral beliefs, injunctive normative beliefs and descriptive normative beliefs are necessary conditions to positively shape attitudes, injunctive norms and descriptive norms toward second-hand clothing, whereas attitudes, injunctive norms and perceived behavioral control are necessary conditions to stimulate second-hand clothing purchases.

The study offers a deep dive into consumers’ motivation to purchase second-hand clothing using a multimethod approach that enables not only the elicitation of salient beliefs (through interviews) but also the empirical examination of these beliefs alongside varying subjective norms in motivating consumers to purchase second-hand clothing (via survey). Given that beliefs are deeply rooted, the rigorous unfolding and validation of consumers’ beliefs about second-hand clothing, including the “should-haves” versus the “must-haves,” provide finer-grained insights that product and brand managers can strategically use to encourage consumers to purchase second-hand clothing.

Multiple forces that shape the identities of adolescents and young adults also influence their subsequent career choices. Early work experiences are key among these forces. Recognizing this, youth service programs have emerged worldwide with the hope of shaping participants’ future trajectories through boosting engagement in civically oriented activities and work. Despite these goals, past research on these programs’ impact has yielded mixed outcomes. Our goal is to understand why this might be the case.

We rely on interview, archival, and longitudinal survey data to examine young adults’ experiences of a European youth service program.

A core feature of youth service programs, namely their dual identity of helping others (i.e., service beneficiaries) and helping oneself (i.e., participants), might partly explain the program’s mixed outcomes. We find that participants focus on one of the organization’s identities largely to the exclusion of the other, creating a dynamic in which their interactions with members who focus on the other identity create challenges and dominate their program experience, to the detriment of a focus on the organization and its goals. This suggests that a previously overlooked feature of youth service programs (i.e., their dual identity) might prove both a blessing for attracting many diverse members and a curse for achieving desired outcomes.

More broadly, our results suggest that dual identity organizations might attract members focused on a select identity, but fail to imbue them with a blended identity; thus, limiting the extent to which such organizations can truly “redirect” future career choices.