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1 – 10 of over 1000
Article
Publication date: 1 September 2001

John Mortimer

Automotive windscreens are being inserted “on the fly” at the Dagenham, Essex, UK plant of the Ford Motor Company in what is being described as a world first in the technology…

Abstract

Automotive windscreens are being inserted “on the fly” at the Dagenham, Essex, UK plant of the Ford Motor Company in what is being described as a world first in the technology. The technology reduces labour and capital equipment costs, as well as providing a more accurate “fit” of the windscreen in the aperture. The system uses robots and gripper‐mounted specular reflection sensors to locate the windscreen aperture and insert the windscreens.

Details

Sensor Review, vol. 21 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0260-2288

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 March 2012

Julio Angulo, Simone Fischer‐Hübner, Erik Wästlund and Tobias Pulls

The purpose of this paper is to present the approach taken within the PrimeLife project for designing user‐friendly privacy policy interfaces for the PrimeLife Policy Language…

1500

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the approach taken within the PrimeLife project for designing user‐friendly privacy policy interfaces for the PrimeLife Policy Language (PPL) and report on the lessons learned when designing interfaces for privacy policy management and display.

Design/methodology/approach

Taking an iterative process of design, the authors developed the interface of the “Send Data?” prototype, a browser extension designed and developed to deal with the powerful features provided by PPL, and having the purpose of helping users to make conscious decisions on the dissemination of their personal information. The proposed interface introduces the novel features of “on the fly” privacy management, predefined levels of privacy settings, and simplified selection of anonymous credentials. The last iteration of the prototype has been tested using a cognitive walkthrough approach.

Findings

Results from usability tests show that users understood and appreciate most of the features contained within the interface and they perceived their benefit for protecting their privacy online. However, improvement is still needed in order to make the display and management of privacy policies more intuitive and seamless. Showing privacy mismatches inside a two‐dimensional table was preferred by users in general.

Originality/value

The paper introduces the novelty of “on the fly” privacy management, which lets users adapt and organize their own privacy preferences whilst an online transaction takes place, Also, it allows users to select credentials to identify themselves in a simpler manner.

Details

Information Management & Computer Security, vol. 20 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0968-5227

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 October 2023

Jacek Mieloszyk, Andrzej Tarnowski and Tomasz Goetzendorf-Grabowski

Designing new aircraft that are state-of-the-art and beyond always requires the development of new technologies. This paper aims to present lessons learned while designing…

Abstract

Purpose

Designing new aircraft that are state-of-the-art and beyond always requires the development of new technologies. This paper aims to present lessons learned while designing, building and testing new UAVs in the configuration of the flying wing. The UAV contains a number of aerodynamic devices that are not obvious solutions and use the latest manufacturing technology achievements, such as 3D printing.

Design/methodology/approach

The design solutions were applied on an airworthy aircraft and checked during test flights. The process was first conducted on the smaller UAV, and based on the test outcomes, improvements were made and then applied on the larger version of the UAV, where they were verified.

Findings

A number of practical findings were identified. For example, the use of 3D printing technology for manufacturing integrated pressure ports, investigation of the adverse yaw effect on the flying wing configuration and the effectiveness of winglet rudders in producing yawing moment.

Practical implications

All designed devices were tested in practice on the flying aircraft. It allowed for improved aircraft performance and handling characteristics. Several of the technologies used improved the speed and quality of aerodynamic device design and manufacturing, which also influences the reliability of the aircraft.

Originality/value

The paper presents how 3D printing technology can be utilized for manufacturing of aerodynamic devices. Specially developed techniques for control surface design, which can affect adverse yaw problem and aircraft handling characteristics, were described.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 96 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 January 2015

Aravindhan Arunagiri and Parthasarathy Ramachandran

Most literature on workflow (WF) adaptation considered the control flow correctness like absence of dead lock, live-lock, etc. during adaptation. The data aspect of WF adaptation…

Abstract

Purpose

Most literature on workflow (WF) adaptation considered the control flow correctness like absence of dead lock, live-lock, etc. during adaptation. The data aspect of WF adaptation like data flow, database schema changes and their correctness are less studied. When the WF schema is modified, their data flow and the database schema changes. The existing approaches used for adapting these data changes in the underlying database schema are time consuming and/or affect the old data persistence. The purpose of this paper is to concern the dynamic adaptation of the WF schema and implementing its data changes in the existing database schema.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual framework developed to adapt on-the-fly, the concomitant data changes during WF adaptation. The framework consists a set of data schema compliance criteria (DSC) which identify the data changes that can be directly accommodated in the existing database schema. Data adaptation algorithm (DAA) is developed to handle the data changes that does not conform to the DSC in the existing database schema.

Findings

In this approach the existing database schema is dynamically evolved without re-creating it, after WF schema adaptation. Therefore the WF schema changes can be implemented on-the-fly without stopping the running system. It also ensures the persistence of old data residing in the existing database.

Originality/value

A novel approach developed to adapt the data changes in the existing database schema, without requiring recreation or migration the data. This automated consistency checking of data attribute changes in the database schema and implement them dynamically.

Details

Business Process Management Journal, vol. 21 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-7154

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2007

Peter Ziewer and Thomas Perst

Lecture recording provides learning material for local and distance education. The TeleTeachingTool uses the very flexible screen recording technique to capture virtually any…

Abstract

Lecture recording provides learning material for local and distance education. The TeleTeachingTool uses the very flexible screen recording technique to capture virtually any material displayed during a presentation. With its built‐in annotation system teachers can add freehand notes and emphasize important parts. Unlike other screen recorders, our implementation offers slide‐based navigation, full text search and annotated scripts, which are obtained by automated post‐production. This article presents how automated analysis generates indices for slide‐based navigation on the fly and how to achieve live interlinkage of annotations with slides so that annotations disappear when a slide is changed and are made visible again when returning to that slide later during presentation, although screen recorders generally do not provide an association of annotations with slides.

Details

Interactive Technology and Smart Education, vol. 4 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-5659

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 November 2009

Allison Carr and Pearl Ly

The purpose of this paper is to show how images and videos of search strategies can enhance student experiences in reference interactions by providing a visual and/or auditory…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show how images and videos of search strategies can enhance student experiences in reference interactions by providing a visual and/or auditory explanation, rather than written step‐by‐step instructions. This paper explores how online screencasting tools, such as Jing, can be used to quickly create and share on‐the‐fly videos and images.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review briefly discusses uses of screencasting in higher education and the implications for Millennial students, followed by a discussion of how librarians at California State University, San Marcos are creating screencasting videos and images to enhance chat/instant messaging, e‐mail, and in‐person reference interactions.

Findings

Based on chat transcripts and anecdotal evidence, students find librarians' use of screencasting helpful in illustrating complex search strategies to find information resources.

Research limitations/implications

Further research is needed to determine if screencasting is an effective learning tool for Millennial students, as well as, other library users in both reference interactions and instructional settings.

Practical implications

Online screencasting tools are easy‐to‐use, low‐cost, and can be used in any type of library, specifically for reference services. In virtual reference, librarians can quickly create and share instructional videos rather than type detailed instructions for accessing library and information resources.

Originality/value

While screencasting tools such as Captivate and Camtasia are widely used in library instruction, they are new to reference delivery. Since many reference interactions include instructional components, on‐the‐fly screencasting can be a useful tool to enhance the user's reference and learning experience.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 37 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 1945

A.R. Weyl

THE complexity of the problems which are associated with the lateral stability and directional control of tailless aeroplanes was not realized until rather late.

Abstract

THE complexity of the problems which are associated with the lateral stability and directional control of tailless aeroplanes was not realized until rather late.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 17 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0002-2667

Article
Publication date: 16 August 2013

Heping Chen, Hongtai Cheng and Ben Mooring

The electronics industries are relying increasingly on robotics for their production. Wafer handling robots are used to transfer wafers between wafer processing stations. A…

Abstract

Purpose

The electronics industries are relying increasingly on robotics for their production. Wafer handling robots are used to transfer wafers between wafer processing stations. A pick‐measure‐place method is typically utilized to transfer wafers accurately. The measurement step is performed using an aligner, which is time‐consuming. To increase wafer transfer efficiency, it is desirable to speed up the measurement process or place it in parallel with other operations. To solve the problem, optic sensors are installed at each station to estimate the wafer eccentricity on‐the‐fly. The eccentricity values are then applied to control the robot to place the wafer directly onto another station accurately without using the aligner. However, current methods face problems to achieve high accuracy requirements to meet the electronic manufacturing needs. The purpose of this paper is to develop a technique to improve the wafer handling performance in semiconductor manufacturing.

Design/methodology/approach

The kinematics model of the wafer handling robot is developed. Two sensor location calibration algorithms are proposed. Method I is based on the wafer handling path. Method II uses the offset paths from the wafer handling path. The results from these two methods are compared. To compute the wafer eccentricity on‐the‐fly, a wafer eccentricity estimation technique is developed.

Findings

The developed methods are implemented using a wafer handling robotic system in semiconductor manufacturing. The wafer eccentricity estimation errors are greatly reduced using the developed methods. The experimental results demonstrate that Method II achieves better results and can be used to improve the wafer handling accuracy and efficiency.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed technique is implemented and tested many times on a wafer handing robotic system. The notch alignment in the wafer handling needs further research.

Practical implications

The developed method is validated using a system in semiconductor manufacturing. Hence the developed method can be directly implemented in production if the notch of a wafer can be identified.

Originality/value

This paper provides techniques to improve the wafer handling accuracy in semiconductor manufacturing. Compared with the results using other methods, Method II greatly increases the wafer handling accuracy to satisfy the semiconductor manufacturing needs.

Details

Industrial Robot: An International Journal, vol. 40 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 April 2014

Jen Katz-Buonincontro and Joel M. Hektner

The purpose of this paper is to report on a pilot study of the emotional states associated with educational leadership students’ attempts at problem solving “on the fly” in their…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on a pilot study of the emotional states associated with educational leadership students’ attempts at problem solving “on the fly” in their schools and organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

Experience sampling methodology (ESM) was used to study 375 “problem-perceiving moments” in leadership students using iPod touches, followed by individual cognitive interviews (CIs).

Findings

Students reported higher levels of intrinsic motivation and cognitive engagement when solving new vs old problems. Students experienced both more positive and more negative emotions when attempting to problem solve than when reporting that they were not solving problems, yet lower levels of self-efficacy coupled with insufficient time to reflect on their leadership goals while at work. Consistent with previous research, students reported engaging in metacognitive and reflective activities more frequently while with supervisors and colleagues. In the CIs, students’ narrative descriptions generally supported the quantitative analysis. For example, students described “putting out fires,” and discussed multi-tasking as a deterrent to problem solving. They also talked about balancing the emotional “highs and lows” throughout their day as well as the role of social affirmation in the problem solving process.

Research limitations/implications

While the limitations of this small pilot study include a small sample using self-report data, the implications for educational leadership faculty are to explicitly integrate psychological research into leadership courses to expand students’ knowledge of creative problem solving and focus on building their self-efficacy.

Originality/value

Even though students might not perceive they are good at problem solving, faculty can help them learn how to regulate their emotions and create teamwork conditions for constructively vetting problems. In turn, this kind of instruction and research can enhance leadership students’ persistence as problem solvers, which may help prevent leadership burnout and turnover.

Details

Journal of Educational Administration, vol. 52 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-8234

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 May 2018

Henda Jabberi and Faouzi Ben Ammar

To improve the voltage quality in AC adjustable high-power-speed-drive applications, the purpose of the paper is to provide a large number of output levels without increasing the…

Abstract

Purpose

To improve the voltage quality in AC adjustable high-power-speed-drive applications, the purpose of the paper is to provide a large number of output levels without increasing the number of commutation cells in the three-phase, n-cells flying capacitor voltage source asymmetric Multilevel Inverter (MI). The concept is based on the selection of different ratios between the breakdown voltages of two successive power devices. The new mathematical model is developed under various ratios, allows a thorough investigation of the harmonic distortions, flying capacitor energy storage, flying capacitor voltage balancing controllability and blocking voltage insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) capability.

Design/methodology/approach

The asymmetrical design provides a large number of output levels without increasing the number of commutation cells. The important new analytical expression of capacitors voltage distribution is derived and extended to any ratio between the switch breakdown voltages of two successive power devices.

Findings

The detailed simulation study of the proposed concept has been carried out using MATLAB/Simulink. The power switches control of the three-phase three-cell MI is assured by new phase-shifted-multi-carrier pulse width modulation. The space vector representation is used to show the regular and irregular step output voltage in the complex plan (α,β).

Originality/value

In the paper, the n cells flying capacitor inverter, which typically operates in the (n + 1) levels mode, was extended to (n + 2), (n + 3) … until 2n levels with regular or irregular step output voltage. Consequently, the claimed advantages of the asymmetric MI are to improve power quality by reducing harmonic distortions and to reduce the requirement on capacitive energy storage in the circuit.

Details

COMPEL - The international journal for computation and mathematics in electrical and electronic engineering, vol. 37 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0332-1649

Keywords

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