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Article
Publication date: 1 September 2019

W Feng, L Wenhua and G. Xiangguan

The cultural tourism industry, which has subtly met the needs and solved the major problem of the current age, is a new growth point for the current city economic growth…

262

Abstract

The cultural tourism industry, which has subtly met the needs and solved the major problem of the current age, is a new growth point for the current city economic growth. Therefore, its position in the industrial structure system will be increasingly improved. The development of the cultural tourism industry also provides an important opportunity for the renewal and re-engineering of urban space. For the current urban space construction crisis needs the integration of historical and cultural elements urgently while the development of the cultural tourism industry itself happened to need the city to provide the necessary carrying space and incubation carrier urgently as well. Thus this research discusses the construction of urban visual planning system and the specific implementation path from the perspective of the development of cultural tourism industry.

Details

Open House International, vol. 44 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0168-2601

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 10 August 2018

Denise Ann Brady, Patricia Tzortzopoulos, John Rooke, Carlos Torres Formoso and Algan Tezel

The purpose of this paper is to discuss a production planning and control model known as the Lean construction management (LCM) model, which applies a number of visual tools in a…

8187

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss a production planning and control model known as the Lean construction management (LCM) model, which applies a number of visual tools in a systematic way to the planning and control process. The application of the visual tools in this way facilitates the flow of information, thus improving transparency between the interfaces of planning, execution and control.

Design/methodology/approach

Design Science research is adopted for this investigation, which analyses the original development of the model and reports on its testing and refinement over different types of projects. The research is divided into three parts, each part focussing on a different stage of development and construction project type.

Findings

The main findings are related to the benefits of visual management in the construction planning and control process, such as maintaining consistency between different planning levels, so that feasible execution plans are created; control becomes more focussed on prevention rather than correction, and creates opportunities for collaborative problem solving. Moreover, the physical display of the visual tools in a discrete planning area on-site encourages a regular exchange between participants on actual work progress as it unfolds, leading to more timely reaction to the problems at hand.

Originality/value

The problem of a lack of transparency in construction planning and control leads to communication issues on-site, poor process orientation and high levels of waste. LCM improves process transparency by making information related to system-wide processes more readily available to project participants. This enables them to foresee problems in a timely manner and to take necessary measures to resolve them or to adapt the process to current circumstances. The LCM model proposes a new way of applying visual tools and controls systematically to improve transparency in construction planning and control.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 25 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 January 2023

Runqing Miao, Qingxuan Jia and Fuchun Sun

Autonomous robots must be able to understand long-term manipulation tasks described by humans and perform task analysis and planning based on the current environment in a variety…

Abstract

Purpose

Autonomous robots must be able to understand long-term manipulation tasks described by humans and perform task analysis and planning based on the current environment in a variety of scenes, such as daily manipulation and industrial assembly. However, both classical task and motion planning algorithms and single data-driven learning planning methods have limitations in practicability, generalization and interpretability. The purpose of this work is to overcome the limitations of the above methods and achieve generalized and explicable long-term robot manipulation task planning.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors propose a planning method for long-term manipulation tasks that combines the advantages of existing methods and the prior cognition brought by the knowledge graph. This method integrates visual semantic understanding based on scene graph generation, regression planning based on deep learning and multi-level representation and updating based on a knowledge base.

Findings

The authors evaluated the capability of this method in a kitchen cooking task and tabletop arrangement task in simulation and real-world environments. Experimental results show that the proposed method has a significantly improved success rate compared with the baselines and has excellent generalization performance for new tasks.

Originality/value

The authors demonstrate that their method is scalable to long-term manipulation tasks with varying complexity and visibility. This advantage allows their method to perform better in new manipulation tasks. The planning method proposed in this work is meaningful for the present robot manipulation task and can be intuitive for similar high-level robot planning.

Details

Robotic Intelligence and Automation, vol. 43 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2754-6969

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 October 2014

Haitao Yang, Minghe Jin, Zongwu Xie, Kui Sun and Hong Liu

The purpose of this paper is to solve the ground verification and test method for space robot system capturing the target satellite based on visual servoing with time-delay in…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to solve the ground verification and test method for space robot system capturing the target satellite based on visual servoing with time-delay in 3-dimensional space prior to space robot being launched.

Design/methodology/approach

To implement the approaching and capturing task, a motion planning method for visual servoing the space manipulator to capture a moving target is presented. This is mainly used to solve the time-delay problem of the visual servoing control system and the motion uncertainty of the target satellite. To verify and test the feasibility and reliability of the method in three-dimensional (3D) operating space, a set of ground hardware-in-the-loop simulation verification systems is developed, which adopts the end-tip kinematics equivalence and dynamics simulation method.

Findings

The results of the ground hardware-in-the-loop simulation experiment validate the reliability of the eye-in-hand visual system in the 3D operating space and prove the validity of the visual servoing motion planning method with time-delay compensation. At the same time, owing to the dynamics simulator of the space robot added in the ground hardware-in-the-loop verification system, the base disturbance can be considered during the approaching and capturing procedure, which makes the ground verification system realistic and credible.

Originality/value

The ground verification experiment system includes the real controller of space manipulator, the eye-in-hand camera and the dynamics simulator, which can veritably simulate the capturing process based on the visual servoing in space and consider the effect of time delay and the free-floating base disturbance.

Details

Industrial Robot: An International Journal, vol. 41 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 19 March 2018

Josana Gabriele Bolzan Wesz, Carlos Torres Formoso and Patricia Tzortzopoulos

The purpose of this paper is to propose a model for planning and controlling the design process in companies that design, manufacture and assemble prefabricated engineer-to-order…

3803

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a model for planning and controlling the design process in companies that design, manufacture and assemble prefabricated engineer-to-order (ETO) building systems. This model was devised as an adaptation of the Last Planner® System for ETO multiple-project environments.

Design/methodology/approach

Design science research, also known as prescriptive research, was the methodological approach adopted in this research. An empirical study was carried out at the design department of a leading steel fabricator from Brazil, in which the proposed model was implemented in six different design teams.

Findings

The main benefits of the proposed model were shielding design work from variability, encouraging collaborative planning, creating opportunities for learning, increasing process transparency, and flexibility according to project status. Two main factors affected the effectiveness of the implementation process commitment and leadership of design managers, and training on design management and project planning and control core concepts and practices.

Research limitations/implications

Some limitations were identified in the implementation process: similarly to some previous studies (Ballard, 2002; Codinhoto and Formoso, 2005), the success of constraint analysis was still limited; some of the metrics produced (e.g. ABI, causes of planning failures) have not been fully used for process improvement; and systematic feedback about project status was not properly implemented and tested.

Originality/value

The main contributions of this study in relation to traditional design planning and control practices are related to the use of two levels of look-ahead planning, the introduction of a decoupling point between conceptual and detail design, the proposition of new metrics for the Last Planner® System, and understanding the potential role of visual management to support planning and control.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 25 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 February 2024

Masoomeh Charousaei, Mohsen Faizi and Mehdi Khakzand

Visual aesthetics are a vital aspect of environmental quality. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the implementation of visibility analysis and visual quality standards…

Abstract

Purpose

Visual aesthetics are a vital aspect of environmental quality. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the implementation of visibility analysis and visual quality standards on a campus to enhance productivity and effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

This study has identified the most crucial and valuable metrics for evaluating the visual quality of open spaces through an analysis of theoretical foundations and relevant background information. To achieve research goal, a multi-method approach was employed, incorporating a survey, user satisfaction ratings and ISOVIST simulation techniques. Specifically, this study focused on assessing the quality of open spaces in three open areas located on the campus of the Iran University of Science and Technology.

Findings

Based on the study’s findings, the most significant factors that students considered when evaluating the visual quality of open spaces on the Iran University of Science and Technology campus were green areas, gathering spaces and architectural elements such as furniture, color and texture. Among the three open areas examined, “Open Space One” was identified as the most satisfactory location for students. According to the study, “sensory richness,” “complexity” and “mystery” were significant indicators of students' satisfaction in this area. This area also had the widest radius and field of view feasible, which gave it a feeling of openness and spaciousness.

Originality/value

This study explores the influence of students' experiences, behavioral patterns and visual analyses on their use of open spaces on university campuses, with a focus on the Iran University of Science and Technology. By assessing students' satisfaction levels with these spaces, this research provides valuable insights that can guide the initial analysis stage before the design process and facilitate design optimization during the development stages. The results highlight the importance of considering user experiences and visual analysis when planning and creating open spaces on university campuses.

Highlights

  1. Conducting an initial analysis before developing a design plan can be very helpful in understanding how users think and behave.

  2. The three criteria of visual quality that have the strongest correlation with students' satisfaction with “open space” are “mystery,” “sensory richness” and “complexity.

  3. Two factors, namely the “radius of vision” and the “area” index, significantly influence students' satisfaction with open spaces.

  4. Outdoor designers should incorporate “green space” and “gathering spaces” into their designs since the presence of these is effective in attracting and satisfying students.

  5. The number of people using an open space has little to do with how satisfied students are with it.

  6. Half of the students use open areas between 11:00 and 14:00, so the provision of “canopy” and “shelter” in these spaces is essential.

Conducting an initial analysis before developing a design plan can be very helpful in understanding how users think and behave.

The three criteria of visual quality that have the strongest correlation with students' satisfaction with “open space” are “mystery,” “sensory richness” and “complexity.

Two factors, namely the “radius of vision” and the “area” index, significantly influence students' satisfaction with open spaces.

Outdoor designers should incorporate “green space” and “gathering spaces” into their designs since the presence of these is effective in attracting and satisfying students.

The number of people using an open space has little to do with how satisfied students are with it.

Half of the students use open areas between 11:00 and 14:00, so the provision of “canopy” and “shelter” in these spaces is essential.

Details

Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6099

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 August 2020

Leonie Lynch, Maurice Patterson and Caoilfhionn Ní Bheacháin

This paper aims to consider the visual literacy mobilized by consumers in their use of brand aesthetics to construct and communicate a curated self.

1388

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to consider the visual literacy mobilized by consumers in their use of brand aesthetics to construct and communicate a curated self.

Design/methodology/approach

The research surveyed a range of visual material from Instagram. Specifically, the goal was to use “compositional interpretation”, an approach to visual analysis that is not methodologically explicit but which, in itself, draws upon the visual literacy of the researcher to provide a descriptive analysis of the formal visual quality of images as distinct from their symbolic resonances. The research also incorporates 10 phenomenological-type interviews with consumers. Consistent with a phenomenological approach, informants were selected because they have “lived” the experience under investigation, in this case requiring them to be keen consumers of the Orla Kiely brand.

Findings

Findings indicate that consumers deploy their visual literacy in strategic visualization (imaginatively planning and coordinating artifacts with other objects in their collection, positioning and using them as part of an overall visual repertoire), composition (becoming active producers of images) and emergent design (turning design objects into display pieces, repurposing design objects or simply borrowing brand aesthetics to create designed objects of their own).

Research limitations/implications

This research has implications for the understanding of visual literacy within consumer culture. Engaging comprehensively with the visual compositions of consumers, this research moves beyond brand symbolism, semiotics or concepts of social status to examine the self-conscious creation of a curated self. The achievement of such a curated self depends on visual literacy and the deployment of abstract design language by consumers in the pursuit of both aesthetic satisfaction and social communication.

Practical implications

This research has implications for brand designers and managers in terms of how they might control or manage the use of brand aesthetics by consumers.

Originality/value

To date, there has been very little consumer research that explores the nature of visual literacy and even less that offers an empirical investigation of this concept within the context of brand aesthetics. The research moves beyond brand symbolism, semiotics and social status to consider the deployment of abstract visual language in communicating the curated self.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 54 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 March 2008

Chris Allen and John Smallwood

Construction planning will play an increasingly more critical role within the realm of the built environment due to the unprecedented growth in the industry and a general skills…

2231

Abstract

Purpose

Construction planning will play an increasingly more critical role within the realm of the built environment due to the unprecedented growth in the industry and a general skills shortage. Existing practices are failing to deliver the desired results for construction companies and clients alike. The increasing availability of 3D models has facilitated their use in a process known as 4D planning, allowing the visual planning of activities including the communication of logistical and other interfaces. The purpose of the research was to better understand the implementation of such a process, and determine the benefits thereof.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of the literature was followed by an observation/participation case study. A further survey of construction personnel was conducted to provide data to inform opinion's generated during the case study.

Findings

The results of the research suggest that 4D planning provides the tools for visualising the process implications in creating 3D reality whilst facilitating the improved coordination, communication and delivery of a project to programme.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of the study emanate from a single project environment, namely a case study, and therefore further research should be undertaken to substantiate and validate the findings.

Originality/value

The findings have major implications in that the benefits of the use of 4D planning have been documented. Consequently, clients need to mandate the use of 3D in the design phase, to enable design phase information to be used downstream for planning, off‐site pre‐fabrication and facilities management. Contractors need to use 4D models to evaluate their critical activities, maximise the use of labour and materials, and communicate the site‐based planning process.

Details

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, vol. 6 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1726-0531

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 December 2020

Ishbel McMichael, Olivia Tiley, Josephine Broyd and David Murphy

This paper aims to examine the relationship between neuropsychological functioning as assessed following admission to a high secure psychiatric care (HSPC) hospital and subsequent…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the relationship between neuropsychological functioning as assessed following admission to a high secure psychiatric care (HSPC) hospital and subsequent time spent in long-term segregation (LTS). Evidence from forensic populations suggests neuropsychological functioning difficulties can increase vulnerability to interpersonal violence. However, the impact of this relationship on restrictive interventions used in these settings is poorly understood.

Design/methodology/approach

This study quantitatively examined the neuropsychological profiles of 80 male HSPC patients as assessed during routine admission assessments, comparing data against any subsequent LTS duration during a one-year period, and a non-LTS control (n = 27).

Findings

Analysis found individuals who were willing and able to complete a routine neuropsychological admissions assessment spent significantly less time in LTS than those unable to complete the assessment. Performance within a test of novel problem solving (Key Search Test) was significantly worse in the LTS group than controls. Performance within a visual memory task (Immediate Recall section of the Rey Complex Figure Test) significantly correlated with LTS duration. Additional findings suggest the absence of self-reported planning difficulties as measured by a Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX) negatively correlated with LTS duration, while self-reported restlessness was positively correlated with LTS.

Practical implications

This has implications for early assessment of LTS risk and potential use of cognitive interventions to reduce the use of restrictive practices.

Originality/value

The results suggest some aspects of neuropsychological performance as assessed during admission to a HSPC hospital appear to be related to subsequent time spent in LTS.

Article
Publication date: 1 December 1976

AT this time of the year it is customary to look back over past achievements. We are in no mood to do this. 1976 is no year to remember with any kind of nostalgia. In many…

Abstract

AT this time of the year it is customary to look back over past achievements. We are in no mood to do this. 1976 is no year to remember with any kind of nostalgia. In many industries it had a history of almost never‐ending strife. No sooner was one dispute ended than another began. So often, too, a small handful of men have rendered a whole workforce — or a proportion of it far larger than their own numbers would seem possible — out of action.

Details

Work Study, vol. 25 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0043-8022

1 – 10 of over 35000