Search results

1 – 10 of 980
Article
Publication date: 2 April 2024

Jorge Furtado Falorca

The purpose of this paper is to report on the results of a study carried out to identify and analyse which potential subject areas may have impact on developments in the field of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on the results of a study carried out to identify and analyse which potential subject areas may have impact on developments in the field of building maintenance (BM). That is, it is intended to contribute to the integration of new approaches so that building maintenance management (BMM) becomes as automated, digital and intelligent or smartness as possible in the near future.

Design/methodology/approach

The research approach has resulted in a theory that is essentially based on a qualitative design. The route followed was a literature review, involving the collection, analysis and interpretation of carefully selected information, mostly from recently published records. The data assembled and the empirical experience itself made it possible to present a comprehensive viewpoint and some future outlooks.

Findings

Five thematic areas considered as potentially impactful for BM developments have been highlighted, analysed and generically labelled as thematic base words, which are monitoring, automation, digitalisation, intelligence and smart. It is believed that these may be aspects that will lay the groundwork for a much more advanced and integrated agenda, featured by a high-tech vision.

Originality/value

This is thought to be a different way of looking at the problem, as it addresses five current issues together. Trendy technological aspects are quite innovative and advantageous for BMM, providing opportunities not yet widely explored and boosting the paradigm shift.

Details

Construction Innovation , vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-4175

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 November 2022

Zhijia You

The existing literature has been mainly focused on local problems but without an overall framework for studying the top-level planning of intelligent construction from a…

Abstract

Purpose

The existing literature has been mainly focused on local problems but without an overall framework for studying the top-level planning of intelligent construction from a systematic perspective. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap.

Design/methodology/approach

This research adopts a deductive research approach.

Findings

This research proposes a reference architecture and related business scenario framework for intelligent construction based on the existing theory and industrial practice.

Originality/value

The main contribution of this research is to provide a useful reference to the Chinese government and industry for formulating digital transformation strategies, as well as suggests meaningful future research directions in the construction industry.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 31 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 August 2023

Grete Helle and John Roberts

The purpose of this paper is to explore how hierarchical accountability can be enacted and accounting control systems mobilized in a way that promotes a sense of felt…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how hierarchical accountability can be enacted and accounting control systems mobilized in a way that promotes a sense of felt responsibility.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on interviews, shadowing and observations to explore the implementation of a strategy for “increasing accountability” in a Norwegian Oil Company. The case provided an opportunity to explore the dynamics of hierarchical accountability and felt responsibility, and in particular Roberts (2009) concept of “intelligent accountability”, in an empirical context.

Findings

The case study explores how the strategy of increasing accountability at OilCo was enacted around three operational issues; the control of costs, roles and relationships in the complex matrix structure, and the operation of the management system. It traces how the long history of Beyond Budgeting practices and philosophy in OilCo resulted both in an explicit recognition of the incompleteness of accounting numbers, and trust-based practices which avoided many of the dysfunctional individual and organizational effects typically associated with the exercise of hierarchical control.

Originality/value

The paper explores empirically how OilCo’s embrace of Beyond Budgeting practices and philosophy had created the conditions under which a more intelligent form of accountability could emerge. As a European case study, it calls into question the Anglo-American tradition of accounting research which suggests that externally imposed accountability within a hierarchy mitigates against employees’ felt responsibility.

Details

Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, vol. 37 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3574

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 April 2024

Youwei Li and Jian Qu

The purpose of this research is to achieve multi-task autonomous driving by adjusting the network architecture of the model. Meanwhile, after achieving multi-task autonomous…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to achieve multi-task autonomous driving by adjusting the network architecture of the model. Meanwhile, after achieving multi-task autonomous driving, the authors found that the trained neural network model performs poorly in untrained scenarios. Therefore, the authors proposed to improve the transfer efficiency of the model for new scenarios through transfer learning.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the authors achieved multi-task autonomous driving by training a model combining convolutional neural network and different structured long short-term memory (LSTM) layers. Second, the authors achieved fast transfer of neural network models in new scenarios by cross-model transfer learning. Finally, the authors combined data collection and data labeling to improve the efficiency of deep learning. Furthermore, the authors verified that the model has good robustness through light and shadow test.

Findings

This research achieved road tracking, real-time acceleration–deceleration, obstacle avoidance and left/right sign recognition. The model proposed by the authors (UniBiCLSTM) outperforms the existing models tested with model cars in terms of autonomous driving performance. Furthermore, the CMTL-UniBiCL-RL model trained by the authors through cross-model transfer learning improves the efficiency of model adaptation to new scenarios. Meanwhile, this research proposed an automatic data annotation method, which can save 1/4 of the time for deep learning.

Originality/value

This research provided novel solutions in the achievement of multi-task autonomous driving and neural network model scenario for transfer learning. The experiment was achieved on a single camera with an embedded chip and a scale model car, which is expected to simplify the hardware for autonomous driving.

Details

Data Technologies and Applications, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9288

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 December 2023

Feifei Zhong, Guoping Liu, Zhenyu Lu, Lingyan Hu, Yangyang Han, Yusong Xiao and Xinrui Zhang

Robotic arms’ interactions with the external environment are growing more intricate, demanding higher control precision. This study aims to enhance control precision by…

Abstract

Purpose

Robotic arms’ interactions with the external environment are growing more intricate, demanding higher control precision. This study aims to enhance control precision by establishing a dynamic model through the identification of the dynamic parameters of a self-designed robotic arm.

Design/methodology/approach

This study proposes an improved particle swarm optimization (IPSO) method for parameter identification, which comprehensively improves particle initialization diversity, dynamic adjustment of inertia weight, dynamic adjustment of local and global learning factors and global search capabilities. To reduce the number of particles and improve identification accuracy, a step-by-step dynamic parameter identification method was also proposed. Simultaneously, to fully unleash the dynamic characteristics of a robotic arm, and satisfy boundary conditions, a combination of high-order differentiable natural exponential functions and traditional Fourier series is used to develop an excitation trajectory. Finally, an arbitrary verification trajectory was planned using the IPSO to verify the accuracy of the dynamical parameter identification.

Findings

Experiments conducted on a self-designed robotic arm validate the proposed parameter identification method. By comparing it with IPSO1, IPSO2, IPSOd and least-square algorithms using the criteria of torque error and root mean square for each joint, the superiority of the IPSO algorithm in parameter identification becomes evident. In this case, the dynamic parameter results of each link are significantly improved.

Originality/value

A new parameter identification model was proposed and validated. Based on the experimental results, the stability of the identification results was improved, providing more accurate parameter identification for further applications.

Details

Industrial Robot: the international journal of robotics research and application, vol. 51 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 October 2023

Peng Wang and Renquan Dong

To improve the position tracking efficiency of the upper-limb rehabilitation robot for stroke hemiplegia patients, the optimization Learning rate of the membership function based…

Abstract

Purpose

To improve the position tracking efficiency of the upper-limb rehabilitation robot for stroke hemiplegia patients, the optimization Learning rate of the membership function based on the fuzzy impedance controller of the rehabilitation robot is propose.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the impaired limb’s damping and stiffness parameters for evaluating its physical recovery condition are online estimated by using weighted least squares method based on recursive algorithm. Second, the fuzzy impedance control with the rule has been designed with the optimal impedance parameters. Finally, the membership function learning rate online optimization strategy based on Takagi-Sugeno (TS) fuzzy impedance model was proposed to improve the position tracking speed of fuzzy impedance control.

Findings

This method provides a solution for improving the membership function learning rate of the fuzzy impedance controller of the upper limb rehabilitation robot. Compared with traditional TS fuzzy impedance controller in position control, the improved TS fuzzy impedance controller has reduced the overshoot stability time by 0.025 s, and the position error caused by simulating the thrust interference of the impaired limb has been reduced by 8.4%. This fact is verified by simulation and test.

Originality/value

The TS fuzzy impedance controller based on membership function online optimization learning strategy can effectively optimize control parameters and improve the position tracking speed of upper limb rehabilitation robots. This controller improves the auxiliary rehabilitation efficiency of the upper limb rehabilitation robot and ensures the stability of auxiliary rehabilitation training.

Details

Industrial Robot: the international journal of robotics research and application, vol. 51 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 December 2023

Zhirui Zhao, Lina Hao, Guanghong Tao, Hongjun Liu and Lihua Shen

This study discusses the tracking trajectory issue of the exoskeleton under the bounded disturbance and designs an useful tracking trajectory control method to solve it. By using…

124

Abstract

Purpose

This study discusses the tracking trajectory issue of the exoskeleton under the bounded disturbance and designs an useful tracking trajectory control method to solve it. By using the proposed control method, the tracking error can be successfully convergence to the assigned boundary. Meanwhile, the chattering effect caused by the actuators is already reduced, and the tracking performance of the pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) elbow exoskeleton is improved effectively.

Design/methodology/approach

A prescribed performance sliding mode control method was developed in this study to fulfill the joint position tracking trajectory task on the elbow exoskeleton driven by two PAMs. In terms of the control structure, a dynamic model was built by conforming to the adaptive law to compensate for the time variety and uncertainty exhibited by the system. Subsequently, a super-twisting algorithm-based second-order sliding mode control method was subjected to the exoskeleton under the boundedness of external disturbance. Moreover, the prescribed performance control method exhibits a smooth prescribed function with an error transformation function to ensure the tracking error can be finally convergent to the pre-designed requirement.

Findings

From the theoretical perspective, the stability of the control method was verified through Lyapunov synthesis. On that basis, the tracking performance of the proposed control method was confirmed through the simulation and the manikin model experiment.

Originality/value

As revealed by the results of this study, the proposed control method sufficiently applies to the PAMs elbow exoskeleton for tracking trajectory, which means it has potential application in the actual robot-assisted passive rehabilitation tasks.

Details

Industrial Robot: the international journal of robotics research and application, vol. 51 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Abstract

Details

Understanding Intercultural Interaction: An Analysis of Key Concepts, 2nd Edition
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-438-8

Article
Publication date: 11 October 2023

Radha Subramanyam, Y. Adline Jancy and P. Nagabushanam

Cross-layer approach in media access control (MAC) layer will address interference and jamming problems. Hybrid distributed MAC can be used for simultaneous voice, data…

Abstract

Purpose

Cross-layer approach in media access control (MAC) layer will address interference and jamming problems. Hybrid distributed MAC can be used for simultaneous voice, data transmissions in wireless sensor network (WSN) and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Choosing the correct objective function in Nash equilibrium for game theory will address fairness index and resource allocation to the nodes. Game theory optimization for distributed may increase the network performance. The purpose of this study is to survey the various operations that can be carried out using distributive and adaptive MAC protocol. Hill climbing distributed MAC does not need a central coordination system and location-based transmission with neighbor awareness reduces transmission power.

Design/methodology/approach

Distributed MAC in wireless networks is used to address the challenges like network lifetime, reduced energy consumption and for improving delay performance. In this paper, a survey is made on various cooperative communications in MAC protocols, optimization techniques used to improve MAC performance in various applications and mathematical approaches involved in game theory optimization for MAC protocol.

Findings

Spatial reuse of channel improved by 3%–29%, and multichannel improves throughput by 8% using distributed MAC protocol. Nash equilibrium is found to perform well, which focuses on energy utility in the network by individual players. Fuzzy logic improves channel selection by 17% and secondary users’ involvement by 8%. Cross-layer approach in MAC layer will address interference and jamming problems. Hybrid distributed MAC can be used for simultaneous voice, data transmissions in WSN and IoT applications. Cross-layer and cooperative communication give energy savings of 27% and reduces hop distance by 4.7%. Choosing the correct objective function in Nash equilibrium for game theory will address fairness index and resource allocation to the nodes.

Research limitations/implications

Other optimization techniques can be applied for WSN to analyze the performance.

Practical implications

Game theory optimization for distributed may increase the network performance. Optimal cuckoo search improves throughput by 90% and reduces delay by 91%. Stochastic approaches detect 80% attacks even in 90% malicious nodes.

Social implications

Channel allocations in centralized or static manner must be based on traffic demands whether dynamic traffic or fluctuated traffic. Usage of multimedia devices also increased which in turn increased the demand for high throughput. Cochannel interference keep on changing or mitigations occur which can be handled by proper resource allocations. Network survival is by efficient usage of valid patis in the network by avoiding transmission failures and time slots’ effective usage.

Originality/value

Literature survey is carried out to find the methods which give better performance.

Details

International Journal of Pervasive Computing and Communications, vol. 20 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1742-7371

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 September 2023

Kaushal Jani

This article takes into account object identification, enhanced visual feature optimization, cost effectiveness and speed selection in response to terrain conditions. Neither…

19

Abstract

Purpose

This article takes into account object identification, enhanced visual feature optimization, cost effectiveness and speed selection in response to terrain conditions. Neither supervised machine learning nor manual engineering are used in this work. Instead, the OTV educates itself without instruction from humans or labeling. Beyond its link to stopping distance and lateral mobility, choosing the right speed is crucial. One of the biggest problems with autonomous operations is accurate perception. Obstacle avoidance is typically the focus of perceptive technology. The vehicle's shock is nonetheless controlled by the terrain's roughness at high speeds. The precision needed to recognize difficult terrain is far higher than the accuracy needed to avoid obstacles.

Design/methodology/approach

Robots that can drive unattended in an unfamiliar environment should be used for the Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV) for the clearance of space debris. In recent years, OTV research has attracted more attention and revealed several insights for robot systems in various applications. Improvements to advanced assistance systems like lane departure warning and intelligent speed adaptation systems are eagerly sought after by the industry, particularly space enterprises. OTV serves as a research basis for advancements in machine learning, computer vision, sensor data fusion, path planning, decision making and intelligent autonomous behavior from a computer science perspective. In the framework of autonomous OTV, this study offers a few perceptual technologies for autonomous driving in this study.

Findings

One of the most important steps in the functioning of autonomous OTVs and aid systems is the recognition of barriers, such as other satellites. Using sensors to perceive its surroundings, an autonomous car decides how to operate on its own. Driver-assistance systems like adaptive cruise control and stop-and-go must be able to distinguish between stationary and moving objects surrounding the OTV.

Originality/value

One of the most important steps in the functioning of autonomous OTVs and aid systems is the recognition of barriers, such as other satellites. Using sensors to perceive its surroundings, an autonomous car decides how to operate on its own. Driver-assistance systems like adaptive cruise control and stop-and-go must be able to distinguish between stationary and moving objects surrounding the OTV.

Details

International Journal of Intelligent Unmanned Systems, vol. 12 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-6427

Keywords

1 – 10 of 980