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Article
Publication date: 1 January 1993

Canhui Cai and P.P.L. Regtien

Pulse‐echo methods as used for distance measurements are generally based on the determination of the time of flight between a transmitted pulse and its echo. It is quite easy to…

Abstract

Pulse‐echo methods as used for distance measurements are generally based on the determination of the time of flight between a transmitted pulse and its echo. It is quite easy to measure the exact moment of pulse transmission. However, the moment of arrival is difficult to measure with high accuracy because of interference and noise.

Details

Sensor Review, vol. 13 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0260-2288

Article
Publication date: 26 June 2019

Melissa Anne Fernandez, Sophie Desroches, Marie Marquis, Alexandre Lebel, Mylène Turcotte and Véronique Provencher

The purpose of this paper is to explore associations between different food literacy dimensions and diet quality among a sample of Canadian parents and examine differences in the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore associations between different food literacy dimensions and diet quality among a sample of Canadian parents and examine differences in the prevalence of food literacy items between mothers and fathers.

Design/methodology/approach

Parents responsible for food preparation (n=767) completed an online survey including dietary intakes and 22 items across five dimensions of food literacy (knowledge, planning, cooking, food conceptualisation and social aspects). Differences between genders for each item were analysed with χ2 tests. The healthy eating index (HEI) adapted to the Canadian Food Guide (CFG) was computed from a food frequency questionnaire. Associations between HEI scores and each item were analysed with linear regression models, controlling for sociodemographic variables and multiple testing.

Findings

Of parents responsible for food preparation, 81 per cent were mothers. The mean HEI score was 76.6 (SD: 10.6) and mothers reported healthier diets in comparison to fathers (p=0.01). More mothers than fathers used CFG recommendations, selected foods based on nutrition labels, made soups, stews, muffins and cakes from scratch and added fruits and vegetables to recipes (p<0.05). More fathers reduced the salt content of recipes than mothers (p=0.03). Two knowledge items and seven food conceptualisation items were significantly associated with better HEI, after controlling for covariates and multiple testing. Planning items, cooking skills and social aspects were not significantly associated with HEI.

Originality/value

This study investigates multiple dimensions of food literacy and identifies knowledge and food conceptualisation as potential targets for future interventions involving parents responsible for household meal preparation. This study highlights the importance of considering gender differences in food literacy.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 121 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 2003

P.Y. Chua, T. Ilschner and D.G. Caldwell

The food industry is a highly competitive manufacturing area, but with relatively little robotic involvement as compared to the automotive industry. This is due to the fact that…

3634

Abstract

The food industry is a highly competitive manufacturing area, but with relatively little robotic involvement as compared to the automotive industry. This is due to the fact that food products are highly variable both in shape, sizes and structure which poses a major problem for the development of manipulators for its handling. This paper reviews the current state of development in robot manipulators for the food industry. Three main areas were covered. They are: the handling of non‐rigid food products – the processing of meat, poultry, fish and milking, the harvesting of food products – picking of fruits, asparagus and mushrooms, and the packaging of food products – secondary and tertiary.

Details

Industrial Robot: An International Journal, vol. 30 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 August 2019

Siyun Liu, Wenzeng Zhang and Jie Sun

Underactuated fingers are adapted to generate several grasping modes for different tasks, and coupled fingers and self-adaptive fingers are two important types of them. Aiming to…

Abstract

Purpose

Underactuated fingers are adapted to generate several grasping modes for different tasks, and coupled fingers and self-adaptive fingers are two important types of them. Aiming to expand the application and increase adaptability of robotic hand, this paper aims to propose a novel grasping model, called coupled and indirectly self-adaptive (CISA) grasping model, which is the combination of coupled finger and indirectly self-adaptive finger.

Design/methodology/approach

CISA grasping process includes two stages: first, coupled and then indirectly self-adaptive grasping; thus, it is not only integrated with the good pinching ability of coupled finger but also characterized with the high flexibility of indirectly self-adaptive finger. Furthermore, a CISA hand with linkage-slider, called CISA-LS hand, is designed based on the CISA grasping model, consisting of 1 palm, 5 CISA-LS fingers and 14 degrees of freedom.

Findings

To research the grasping behavior of CISA-LS hand, kinematic analysis, dynamic analysis and force analysis of 2-joint CISA-LS finger are performed. Results of grasping experiments for different objects demonstrate the high reliability and stability of CISA-LS hand.

Originality/value

CISA fingers integrate two grasping modes, coupled grasping and indirectly self-adaptive grasping, into one finger. And a double-linkage-slider mechanism is designed as the switch device.

Details

Industrial Robot: the international journal of robotics research and application, vol. 46 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 December 2021

Bo Zeng, Hongwei Liu, Hongzhou Song, Zhe Zhao, Shaowei Fan, Li Jiang, Yuan Liu, Zhiyuan Yu, Xiaorong Zhu, Jing Chen and Ting Zhang

The purpose of this paper is to design a multi-sensory anthropomorphic prosthetic hand and a grasping controller that can detect the slip and automatically adjust the grasping…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to design a multi-sensory anthropomorphic prosthetic hand and a grasping controller that can detect the slip and automatically adjust the grasping force to prevent the slip.

Design/methodology/approach

To improve the dexterity, sensing, controllability and practicability of a prosthetic hand, a modular and multi-sensory prosthetic hand was presented. In addition, a slip prevention control based on the tactile feedback was proposed to improve the grasp stability. The proposed controller identifies slippages through detecting the high-frequency vibration signal at the sliding surface in real time and the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) was used to extract the eigenvalues to identify slippages. Once the slip is detected, a direct-feedback method of adjusting the grasp force related with the sliding times was used to prevent it. Furthermore, the stiffness of different objects was estimated and used to improve the grasp force control. The performances of the stiffness estimation, slip detection and slip control are experimentally evaluated.

Findings

It was found from the experiment of stiffness estimation that the accuracy rate of identification of the hard metal bottle could reach to 90%, while the accuracy rate of identification of the plastic bottles could reach to 80%. There was a small misjudgment rate in the identification of hard and soft plastic bottles. The stiffness of soft plastic bottles, hard plastic bottles and metal bottles were 0.64 N/mm, 1.36 N/mm and 32.55 N/mm, respectively. The results of slip detection and control show that the proposed prosthetic hand with a slip prevention controller can fast and effectively detect and prevent the slip for different disturbances, which has a certain application prospect.

Practical implications

Due to the small size, low weight, high integration and modularity, the prosthetic hand is easily applied to upper-limb amputees. Meanwhile, the method of the slip prevention control can be used for upper-limb amputees to complete more tasks stably in daily lives.

Originality/value

A multi-sensory anthropomorphic prosthetic hand is designed, and a method of stable grasps control based on slip detection by a tactile sensor on the fingertip is proposed. The method combines the stiffness estimation of the object and the real-time slip detection based on DWT with the design of the proportion differentiation robust controller based on a disturbance observer and the force controller to achieve slip prevention and stable grasps. It is verified effectively by the experiments and is easy to be applied to commercial prostheses.

Details

Industrial Robot: the international journal of robotics research and application, vol. 49 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 22 October 2019

Theresa Askham

The purpose of this chapter is to examine the corporate water reporting of the selected South African listed food producers with regard to the activities of measuring, managing…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this chapter is to examine the corporate water reporting of the selected South African listed food producers with regard to the activities of measuring, managing, engaging with their stakeholders, and disclosing of their water risks.

Design/Methodology/Approach

This chapter examined the sustainability and integrated reports of 14 food producer companies on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), for the years 2013 and 2017. The company reports were examined using the Ceres Aqua Gauge™ as the framework.

Findings

The findings of this study are that there were improvements in water disclosure from 2013 to 2017. Most companies are disclosing the basic water reporting requirements. However, critical areas around stakeholder engagement and supply chain water management were found to be lacking.

Originality/Value

This research contributes to the body of knowledge around water disclosure and increases the awareness of water scarcity and poor water quality in South Africa. Furthermore, the study highlights that the food producers could be doing a lot more with regard to water sustainability in their businesses and the country.

Details

Environmental Reporting and Management in Africa
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78973-373-0

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 November 2023

Pedro Senna, Lino Guimarães Marujo, Ana Carla de Souza Gomes dos Santos, Amanda Chousa Ferreira and Luís Alfredo Aragão da Silva

In the last few years, environmental issues have become a matter of survival. In this sense, e-waste management is among the major problems since it may be a way of mitigating…

Abstract

Purpose

In the last few years, environmental issues have become a matter of survival. In this sense, e-waste management is among the major problems since it may be a way of mitigating mineral depletion. In this context, the literature lacks e-waste supply chain studies that systematically map supply chain challenges and risks concerning material recovery.

Design/methodology/approach

Given this context, the authors' paper conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) to build a framework to identify the constructs of e-waste supply chain risk management.

Findings

The paper revealed the theoretical relationship between important variables to achieve e-waste supply chain risk management via a circular economy (CE) framework. These variables include reverse logistics (RL), closed-loop supply chains (CLSC), supply chain risk management, supply chain resilience and smart cities.

Originality/value

The literature contributions of this paper are as follows: (1) a complete list of the risks of the e-waste supply chains, (2) the techniques being used to identify, assess and mitigate e-waste supply chain risks and (3) the constructs that form the theoretical framework of e-waste supply chain risk management. In addition, the authors' results address important literature gaps identified by researchers and serve as a guide to implementation.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 17 April 2018

Delphine Gibassier

The research objectives of this chapter are threefold. First, we explore what is the current status of corporate water accounting tools and methodologies. Second, we develop a…

Abstract

Purpose

The research objectives of this chapter are threefold. First, we explore what is the current status of corporate water accounting tools and methodologies. Second, we develop a framework for analyzing corporate water accounting and reporting. Third, we investigate what French CAC 40 companies account for and report in relations to the water challenge.

Methodology/approach

We collected annual and sustainability reports from all CAC 40 companies as well as their water Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) responses when available. We also collected all publically available corporate water accounting methodologies to assess the international water accounting field. We coded the data according to our designed framework via qualitative data analysis software.

Findings

Although water is seen as equally important to climate change (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), 2009), French multinationals have a very immature reporting on this topic. Most still do not report to the water disclosure questionnaire of CDP in 2014 and rely on basic figures such as global water consumption. We analyzed the multiple water accounting, reporting, and risk assessment frameworks that have mushroomed since 2000, and question the impact of this fragmented field on the maturity of the water performance reporting by French companies.

Practical implications

The developed framework for analysis of water reporting can be used for sustainability teaching at university level.

Originality/value

We developed the first comprehensive analytical framework for water corporate reporting assessment. Moreover, this research is the first comprehensive study of water reporting in Europe. We therefore contribute to extend our comprehension of corporate maturity in water stewardship and water performance reporting.

Details

Sustainability Accounting
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78754-889-3

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 10 December 2013

Silvana Signori and Gerald Avondo Bodino

The aim of this chapter is to determine the need for water management and accounting.

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this chapter is to determine the need for water management and accounting.

Design/methodology/approach

This chapter first gives an overview of water-related business risks and exposes the need for sound corporate water management and accounting; it then critically examines water-related issues from an accountability perspective. Furthermore, it gives an overview of Australian Standardised Water Accounting (SWA) and General Purpose Water Accounting (GPWA) as possible practices to strengthen water disclosure.

Findings

The present study confirms the need for, and the importance of, transparent, high-quality, credible and comparable water disclosure. Water is considered a public good and involves a public interest and, consequently, public responsibility for its usage, management and protection. Following this line of reasoning, the chapter draws attention to the need for accountability to be ‘public’ or at least shared between crucial stakeholders (government – at national and international levels, water industries, communities, environmentalists, NGOs, etc.).

Practical and social implications

Company efforts are commonly focused on internal and self-referred operations. The different and conflicting uses that may be made of water, and the fact that water is geographically and temporally sensitive, necessitate a search for more flexible and more extended forms of accountability. An implication of these findings is the need and opportunity to switch focus from a single/private perspective to a more general/public one, with benefits for all the stakeholders.

Originality/value

This research enhances our understanding of water management and accounting and may serve as a sound base for future studies on this challenging topic.

Article
Publication date: 26 June 2009

J.F. Wang, B. Chen, H.B. Chen and S.B. Chen

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the characteristics of sound during gas tungsten argon welding (GTAW), which is very important to effectively monitor the welding quality…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the characteristics of sound during gas tungsten argon welding (GTAW), which is very important to effectively monitor the welding quality in future by using the information extracted from sound.

Design/methodology/approach

The hardware used in the experiment is described. Then the paper researches the influence of welding techniques (gas flow, welding speed, welding current, and arc length) on arc sound and the distribution of the welding sound field. Finally, the relation between welding power and sound are studied based on Fourier transforms and recursive least square methods.

Findings

The sound pressure is affected greatly by gas flow, arc length, and current; welding sound source obeys the dipole model; the sound can be better predicted when the three orders derivative of the welding power are combined together.

Originality/value

This paper provides a new insight into welding sound resource model and a detailed analysis of the influence of the welding sound caused by welding techniques.

Details

Sensor Review, vol. 29 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0260-2288

Keywords

11 – 20 of 330