bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
How does regulatory focus affect uncertainty towards organizational change?
Authors: Tseng Hsing‐Chau , Kang Long‐Min 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop and test a research model on Taiwan's National Police Administration setting, extending the theory of planned behavior, reasoned action, and expectancy‐valence, and developing the more neglected aspects of the goal‐setting theory.Design/methodology/approachParticipants were Taiwan's National Police Administration employing 500 full‐time employees. Structural Equation Modeling was used to explore the relationship among regulatory focus, uncertainty towards organizational change, and organizational commitment.FindingsThe results were that promotion focus or prevention focus had a significantly positive influence on uncertainty towards organizational change, and only promotion focus had a significantly positive influence on organizational commitment. In addition, uncertainty towards organizational change had a significantly negative influence on organizational commitment. The results supported the significant role of uncertainty towards organizational change as a mediator in the relationship between promotion focus (or prevention focus) and organizational commitment.Originality/valueThe results of the research help fill important research gaps (lack of empirical research and generalization) in the regulatory focus theory literature, clarifying the special role of regulatory focus in a traditional police organization's change processing, and its implications for police officers utilizing a non‐US setting to allow a cross‐cultural examination of regulatory focus theory.
Swarm intelligence and robotics
Authors: Bogue Robert 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to provide a review of recent developments in the application of swarm intelligence to robotics.Design/methodology/approachThis paper initially considers swarm intelligence and then discusses its application to robotics through reference to a number of recent research programmes.FindingsBased on the principles of swarm intelligence, which is derived from the swarming behaviour of biological entities, swarm robotics research is widespread but still at an early stage. Much aims to gain an understanding of biological swarming and apply it to autonomous, mobile multi‐robot systems. European activities are particularly strong and several large, collaborative projects are underway. Research in the USA has a military bias and much is funded by defence agencies.Originality/valueThe paper provides an up‐to‐date insight into swarm robot research and development.
Artificial intelligence and robotic hand‐eye coordination
Authors: Connolly Christine 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThis paper's aim is to assess the practical advances resulting from progress in artificial intelligence affecting vision‐equipped robots.Design/methodology/approachA short history of artificial intelligence applied to robotic hand‐eye coordination is followed by a description of some of the milestones in pattern recognition, interfacing, operating systems and programming paradigms. Finally, a range of current‐day practical applications is given, from industrial to student project.FindingsThe paper finds that advances in the speed and robustness of pattern recognition algorithms have been very important in the development of robots that adapt to randomly positioned workpieces. Event‐triggered object oriented programming, wide address buses, smart cameras, ethernet and other standard cables and communications formats, and the ever‐increasing power of computers are also of great practical importance.Originality/valueThe paper contrasts the current state of robotic vision with that 20 years ago.
Toyota's violin‐playing robot
Authors: Kusuda Yoshihiro 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe paper aims to report on Toyota's violin‐playing robot and Toyota's strategy for its “partner robot” business for the future.Design/methodology/approachThe work is based on an interview with the R&D team of Toyota.FindingsThe paper finds that, in view of Toyota's robot business as a core business for the future, the company is devoting huge resources in the development of fundamental technologies that should support service robotics. The violin robot is not the goal of Toyota, but only a demonstration of Toyota's ongoing research and development on dexterity.Originality/valueThe paper elaborates how the violin‐playing robot plays a violin.
Brain‐controlled robot agent: an EEG‐based eRobot agent
Authors: Wu Li‐Wei , Liao Hsien‐Cheng , Hu Jwu‐Sheng , Lo Pei‐Chen 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThis paper aims to present a novel embedded‐internet robot system based on an internet robot agent and the brain‐computer interface (BCI) scheme.Design/methodology/approachA highly flexible and well‐integrated embedded ethernet robot (eRobot) was designed with enhanced mobility. In the eRobot, a circuit core module called a tiny network bridge (TNB) is designed to reduce robotic system cost and increase its mobility and developmental flexibility. The TNB enables users to control eRobot motion via embedded ethernet technology. Through electroencephalogram (EEG) feedback training, the command translation unit (CTU) and alertness level detection unit (ADU) allow the eRobot to perform specific motions (for example, lying down or standing up) to reflect alertness levels of the user, and move forward, turn left or right following the user's command.FindingsAfter a short training period, subjects could achieve at least 70 percent accuracy in the CTU game testing. And the error rate of ADU, estimated from the results of classifying 496 labeled EEG epochs, was approximately 10.7 percent. Combining an encoding procedure, the commands issued from the CTU could prevent the robot from performing undesired actions.Originality/valueThe eRobot could reflect some physiological human states and be controlled by users with our economical design and only two bipolar EEG channels adopted. Thus, users could make the EEG‐based eRobot agent his or her representative. Based on the proposed EEG‐based eRobot system, a robot with increased sophistication will be developed in the future for use by disabled patients.
Mobile robotic system for detection and location of antipersonnel land mines: field tests
Authors: Cobano J.A. , Ponticelli R. , Gonzalez de Santos P. 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the results obtained in the field tests of a new system for detection and location of antipersonnel land mines.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents briefly the overall system and then it focuses on the description and analysis of the results obtained in three basic experiments: accuracy for following trajectories, mine detection and capability for walking over landmines.FindingsThe paper finds that the system has been assessed positively for this specific application because it satisfies the initial system requirements.Research limitations/implicationsThe research and experiments have been focused on irregular terrain with low vegetation and free from obstacles. Further research will be focused on the complete coverage of a terrain including large vegetation and obstacles.Practical implicationsThis paper presents practical results for a very well defined application: humanitarian de‐mining. However, many of the results related with robot location, following of trajectories and general control techniques are applicable to any mobile robot for outdoor applications in general.Originality/valueThis paper is the first work (to the best author's knowledge) reporting experimental features of a walking system for humanitarian de‐mining. The paper does not only report on the mobile platform, but also on the scanning manipulator and sensor head features.
A dialogue manager for multimodal human‐robot interaction and learning of a humanoid robot
Authors: Holzapfel Hartwig 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThis paper aims to give an overview of a dialogue manager and recent experiments with multimodal human‐robot dialogues.Design/methodology/approachThe paper identifies requirements and solutions in the design of a human‐robot interface. The paper presents essential techniques for a humanoid robot in a household environment and describes their application to representative interaction scenarios that are based on standard situations for a humanoid robot in a household environment. The presented dialogue manager has been developed within the German collaborative research center SFB‐588 on “Humanoid Robots – Learning and Cooperating Multimodal Robots”. The dialogue system is embedded in a multimodal perceptual system of the humanoid robot developed within this project. The implementation of the dialogue manager is geared to requirements found in the explored scenarios. The algorithms include multimodal fusion, reinforcement learning, knowledge acquisition and tight coupling of dialogue manager and speech recognition.FindingsWithin the presented scenarios several algorithms have been implemented and show improvements of the interactions. Results are reported within scenarios that model typical household situations.Research limitations/implicationsAdditional scenarios need to be explored especially in real‐world (out of the lab) experiments.Practical implicationsThe paper includes implications for the development of humanoid robots and human‐robot interaction.Originality/valueThis paper explores human‐robot interaction scenarios and describes solutions for dialogue systems.
Wafer prealigning robot based on shape center calculation
Authors: Fu Z. , Huang C.X. , Liu R.Q. , Zhao Y.Z. , Cao Q.X. 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to provide a new wafer prealigning robot for the photo‐etching facility during the manufacturing of IC products.Design/methodology/approachThe shape center is measured by a reflection‐style laser sensor in the wafer's radial direction, and the position is measured by a penetration‐style laser sensor. A dynamic error compensation is applied to eliminate the radial runout and wobble of the rotary stage, which have effects on the measurement of the wafer's shape center.FindingsIt is found that the new wafer prealigning robot can satisfy the accuracy requirement.Research limitations/implicationsThe robot requires that the shape center can be accurately calculated.Practical implicationsThe robot is applicable to wafer prealigning for the photo‐etching facility.Originality/valueA wafer prealigning robot based on the shape center calculation method has been developed and is described in the paper.
A study on co‐operative motion planning of a dual manipulator system for measuring radioactivity
Authors: Aomura Shigeru , Harada Muneo , Nagatomo Toshihiro , Yanagihara Satoshi , Tachibana Mitsuo 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to describe how to make a co‐operative motion plan for a dual manipulator system to measure the radioactivity of wastes produced in decommissioning a nuclear power plant.Design/methodology/approachThe system consists of two tasks: the main task generates the path of the measuring operation and the subtask maintains a good working position by co‐operative motion of the two manipulators.FindingsA dual manipulator system requires an effective indicator of the current working position for the realisation of flexible co‐operative motion. Extended manipulability, which takes the motion limit of each joint angle into consideration, is shown to be an effective indicator.Originality/valueExtended manipulability, which shows the motion possible from the current configuration, is offered as an improvement on conventional manipulability.
Cooperation of robotic manipulators using non‐model‐based multiple impedance control
Authors: Moosavian S. Ali A. , Ashtiani Hadi R. 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to present the non‐model‐based multiple impedance control (NMIC) law for object manipulation tasks, which can be implemented with reasonable limited on‐line computations.Design/methodology/approachThe multiple impedance control (MIC) is a model‐based algorithm that enforces a designated impedance on all cooperating manipulators, and the manipulated object itself. In this paper, the MIC law is modified to be implemented without using system dynamics. Therefore, this modified MIC law is a quick and more realistic algorithm for implementation in cooperating robotic systems, and so is called NMIC. Developing the NMIC law, error analysis shows that under the NMIC law all participating manipulators, and the manipulated object exhibit the same designated impedance behavior. Next, the proposed NMIC law is applied on an object manipulation task with three cooperating PUMA 560 manipulators while two of them are equipped with a remote compliant centre.FindingsDeveloping the NMIC law, error analysis shows that under the NMIC law all participating manipulators, and the manipulated object exhibit the same designated impedance behavior. The obtained results show good tracking performance even in the presence of impacts due to contact with an obstacle, and also system flexibility.Practical implicationsThe obtained results show good tracking performance even in the presence of impacts due to contact with an obstacle, and also system flexibility. These results reveal the merits of NMIC law as a non‐model‐based algorithm for object manipulation tasks, which can be implemented with reasonable limited on‐line computations.Originality/valueThe proposed NMIC law is applied on an object manipulation task with three cooperating PUMA 560 manipulators while two of them are equipped with a remote compliant centre.
Robot‐based surface finishing by means of a new slip sensor
Authors: Milighetti G. , Kuntze H‐B. 
Published: November 2008

PurposeAutonomous robot‐based finishing of surfaces with a reduction of the programming effort can be achieved by teaching the desired trajectory locally in the object reference frame. Thus, the flexibility of the programmed task increases and also moving surfaces can be finished. This paper aims to focus on this control concept.Design/methodology/approachThe developed concept relies both on the use of a new slip sensor which is able to measure relative motion between the robot end‐effector and the machined object surface as well as on a continuous slip and force control algorithm. First experimental results were used to validate the concept.FindingsThe presented results were promising enough to encourage the application of the proposed concept scheme in connection with the slip sensor in industrial finishing applications.Research limitations/implicationsThe first investigations provide a basis for the development of more accurate software solutions in order to optimise the performances of the slip sensor.Practical implicationsThe developed slip sensor provides a cheap and flexible solution for measuring relative motion between tool and surface. Combined with the use of a force sensor, the proposed scheme can be introduce more autonomy in industrial application like polishing or deburring.Originality/valueThe paper introduces a novel slip and force control concept for coping with the industry requirement of introducing more automation in the finishing of surfaces. Such a control concept allows on one hand the finishing of moving parts and at the same time increases the flexibility of the programming and reduces the user effort.
Calibration and planning techniques for mobile robots in industrial environments
Authors: Papadopoulos Evangelos , Misailidis Michael 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThis paper aims to provide a simple and cheap calibration method to improve the odometry accuracy and to present an alternative method for the control of the path produced by an already existed path planning method.Design/methodology/approachThrough the integration of systematic odometry errors the robot's odometry parameters are estimated and through the replacement of a caster with an omniwheel the unmodeled sources of odometry errors are removed. The control of the paths shape is achieved through the definition of intermediate points and robots velocity at these points.FindingsThe paper finds that the odometry calibration method improves significantly odometry accuracy. Caster and omniwheel performance depends on the paths characteristics and on their quality. The use of intermediate points offers a very good control on the paths' shape.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper encourages the manufacturers of casters and omniwheels to improve their quality. The described path planning method inevitably halts the robot at certain points. Further research must be done to avoid this drawback.Practical implicationsOdometry calibration has become a simple procedure and can be easily implemented by robot manufacturers or researchers to improve odometry accuracy.Originality/valueThe odometry calibration method significantly reduces systematic odometry errors and makes odometry reliable apart from cheap. The influence of caster and omniwheel to odometry is examined along with the influence of better controlled path shape.
Consumption patterns and silver marketing: an analysis of older consumers in Malaysia
Authors: Sim Ong Fon , Kitchen J. Philip , Jama Ata T. 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the expenditure patterns of grey or older consumers with comparisons among different demographic groups to establish important factors in terms of consumption behaviour. The findings are of relevance in the context of marketing to older consumers.Design/methodology/approachBased on non‐probability quota sampling, 1,500 older people from three ethnic groups in eight geographical regions in Peninsular Malaysia participated in the survey.FindingsResearch results show that these consumers spent most on food, followed by rent, fuel and power in that order. These categories of items accounted for 67 per cent of their monthly expenditure, leaving relatively little disposable or discretionary income for other potential purchase decisions. With an exception of items such as healthcare expenses, and food and beverage away from home, there were hardly any significant differences in terms of monthly expenditure patterns among the grey market in Malaysia.Research limitations/implicationsLimited to research in one developing country, i.e. Malaysia, whose population is showing aging patterns in the demographic mix, similar to those in advanced industrial/post industrial economies. The findings, and indeed the research approach, can be compared cross culturally.Practical implicationsIllustrates the value and significance of demographic variables in analysing a complex societal phenomenon. Also indicates the need for marketing strategies targetted toward this growing sector of the Malaysian economy.Originality/valueThe first paper to consider the marketing implications in research and practical terms to address issues of aging in developing economy. Research concerning older consumers (i.e. the grey cosumer market) is growing in academic and managerial importance.
Website elements in B2B online communications: a case from the UK print industry
Authors: Virtsonis Nicolas , Harridge‐March Sally 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the way in which brand positioning elements are manifested in the business‐to‐business (B2B) online environment.Design/methodology/approachThe UK print industry is used to investigate the web site elements used to communicate positioning elements through the content analysis of corporate web pages of 30 UK print suppliers.FindingsA framework is developed to show how web site communications are manifested in the online B2B environment.Research limitations/implicationsBecause the research vehicle is a sample of websites from only one industry the findings may not be transferable to all industries nor to the whole industry. However, the model is a useful framework for helping managers to plan their online communications.Practical implicationsThe paper concludes by giving recommendations about how the framework can be used by practitioners in order to improve the linkage between communications messages and the means for transferring these messages.Originality/valueThis is a novel approach to examining branding elements in the online environment. Comparatively little literature exists which examines branding in the online B2B environment.
Brand equity for online companies
Authors: Rios Rosa E. , Riquelme Hernan E. 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine if the traditional approach to measuring brand equity applies to online companies.Design/methodology/approachThis objective is pursued by: developing a measurement model of brand equity for online businesses; and testing the nomological validity of the model using structural equation modelling.FindingsThis study finds partial support for the application of the offline brand equity theoretical framework based on brand awareness, brand associations and loyalty for online companies. Brand loyalty and brand value associations directly create brand equity.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is cross‐sectional, the indicators or observable variables used in this study may not be deemed comprehensive enough, no interaction effects have been incorporated, and finally, the research study was based on a few online business retailers.Practical/implicationsThe results support the view that a consumer's perceived sense of value resulting from a transaction with an online business develops loyalty. Also, brand‐trust association and brand awareness indirectly contribute to creating brand equity through their influence on loyalty. Loyalty is by far the most important source of brand equity because of its direct influence and mediating role in creating brand equity.Originality/valueWhile many studies have identified and ratified the importance of brand equity dimensions among traditional firms, few have tested the model with online companies.
Evaluating viral marketing: isolating the key criteria
Authors: Cruz Danilo , Fill Chris 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThere has been little evidence of any work undertaken to measure the effectiveness of viral marketing campaigns. This paper aims to report on research undertaken to determine the key criteria that viral marketing practitioners believe should be used to measure the success of viral marketing campaigns.Design/methodology/approachSemi‐structured interviews were undertaken with some of the premier web masters, those leading the development of much of the UK's viral marketing activities.FindingsTwo forms of viral marketing were identified, “random” and “placed virals”. The paper presents a viral marketing evaluation framework that identifies three key objectives and their particular evaluation criteria. Financial objectives and the need to measure the return on investment were identified as previously undocumented key issues.Research limitations/implicationsThe small size of the sample prevents generalization but the findings suggest that further research is necessary to confirm these findings and to explore the topic in greater detail.Practical implicationsUsing the framework to measure the success of a campaign can help clients and agencies be more accountable and effective with respect to viral campaigns.Originality/valueThe determination of the evaluation of critieria of viral marketing campaigns is important because it is undertaken from a practitioners' perspective and is a topic not previously explored.