bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A minimum‐time algorithm for intercepting an object on a conveyor belt
Authors: Sang Shin Ik , Nam Sang‐Hyun , Roberts Rodney , Moon Seungbin 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a minimum time algorithm to intercept an object on a conveyor belt by a robotic manipulator. The goal is that the robot is able to intercept objects on a conveyor line moving at a given speed in minimum time.Design/methodology/approachIn order to formulate the problem, the robot and object‐arrival time functions were introduced, and conclude that the optimal point occurs at the intersection of these two functions. The search algorithm for finding the intersection point between the robot and object arrival time functions are also presented to find the optimal point in real‐time.FindingsSimulation results show that the presented algorithm is well established for various initial robot positions.Practical implicationsA trapezoidal velocity profile was employed which is used in many industrial robots currently in use. Thus, it is believed that robot travel time algorithm is readily implemented for any commercially available robots.Originality/valueThe paper considers exhaustive cases where robot travel time functions are dependent upon initial positions of robotic end‐effectors. Also presented is a fast converging search algorithm so that real time application is more feasible in many cases.
Use of infrared light reflecting landmarks for localization
Authors: Lee Sooyong 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThis paper aims to present a novel localization scheme using infrared light reflecting artificial landmarks.Design/methodology/approachBy putting the infrared light reflecting landmarks on the ceiling, localization is achieved. The landmark is designed for effective recognition and identification. From the difference of two successive images, one with the infrared light illumination and the other without, the landmarks are clearly identified.FindingsFrom the mathematical analysis, a greater of landmarks are required if the robot's tilt angles are not known. With the camera's pan/tilt angles information, the distortion of the image can be corrected and fewer landmarks are required. Movement of the camera while getting two successive images is modeled and is compensated.Originality/valueThorough analysis of practical issues such as capturing the image from a non‐flat floor, pan/tilt motion of the camera and movement of the camera is presented.
Humanitarian demining: path planning and remote robotic sweeping
Authors: Hemapala Manjula , Belotti Vittorio , Michelini Rinaldo , Razzoli Roberto 
Published: February 2009

PurposeHumanitarian demining is addressed as an engineering‐driven duty, aiming at optimal price/effectiveness figures, joining low‐cost robotics and flexible automation. The mine sweeping is highly dangerous task, and safety is sought by automatic rigs, with remote steering and control. The small price is achieved with resort to locally available equipment, technology and know‐how.Design/methodology/approachThe robotic solutions are split at three levels: the mobility enabler, exploiting standard agricultural machinery; the demining outfits, specialising cheap end‐effectors; the robot path planner, exploring reliable remote govern options. The approach aims at the pace‐wise deployment of consistent rigs with assessed productivity and tiny investment.FindingsThe paper explores basic ideas to modify common agricultural machines, placing in front proper effectors and specifying the guidelines needed to choose both carriers and suitable demining tools. The remote command logic of the suggested demining strategy is then outlined, specifying the communication and instrumentation for the case study. Finally, the warning/emergency occurrences management is described.Practical implicationsThe ensuing robotic equipment joins the remote‐command abilities, with safe and reliable management of dangerous tasks and emergency healing, to the technological appropriateness (shared know‐how and commitment) and the price tag fitness (on‐place device availability). The final set‐up grants dramatic up‐grading, as compared with the current demining practice.Originality/valueUnmanned mine‐clearing is presently a sophisticated accomplishment of the industrialised countries' armies. By the prospected methods/fixtures, the technical/economic feasibility of the practice is shown to be practicable in third‐world countries.
Floor‐cleaning robot using omni‐directional wheels
Authors: Gao Xueshan , Wang Yan , Zhou Dawei , Kikuchi Koki 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present an omni‐directional floor‐cleaning robot equipped with four omni‐directional wheels. The research purposes are to design a robot for cleaning jobs in domestic, narrow and crowded places and to provide a robotics‐study platform in a laboratory.Design/methodology/approachThe robot system using Swedish wheels, one dust collector (brush) switching device and a sort of air‐bag sensing device is designed. The kinematics and the motion control conditions of the robot are analyzed. Specifically, a design method of wheels is described.FindingsThe configuration of the robot, parameters of the wheel and controlling methods are studied and demonstrated. The smooth locomotion capability and high‐working efficiency are verified by experiments.Practical implicationsThe robot can perform its work in semi‐autonomous and tele‐operated mode. Moreover, the robot can pivot around, avoid obstacles and is provided with automatic power management system.Originality/valueThe research target is to provide a kind of robotic cleaner especially for crowded public or narrow places and educational robotics‐study platform in a laboratory.
Bridge transported servo manipulator system for remote handling tasks under a radiation environment
Authors: Jik Lee Hyo , Kwang Lee Jong , Suk Park Byung , Sup Yoon Ji 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThis paper aims to describe bridge transported servo‐manipulator (BTSM) system, which was developed to overcome the limited workspace of the conventional mechanical master‐slave manipulators in a hot cell.Design/methodology/approachThe BTSM system consists of four components: a transporter with a telescoping tubeset, a slave manipulator, a master manipulator, and a remote control system. The slave manipulator is able to move horizontally, transversely, and vertically by using the transporter.FindingsThe performance test of the BTSM system has been carried out in terms of basic functions such as force threshold, bilateral control and force reflection characteristic.Originality/valueWith respect to design characteristic, the BTSM system has the novel features in that the individual motor modules or the slave manipulator can be repaired in a fully remote manner in case of catastrophic failure. Also, a 3D viewing camera facilitates remote tasks giving human operators realistic environmental information.
Vehicle scheduling in 2D shop floor environments
Authors: Xidias Elias K. , Nearchou Andreas C. , Aspragathos Nikos A. 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop an efficient method for solving a vehicle scheduling problem (VSP) in 2D industrial environments. An autonomous vehicle is requested to serve a set of work centers in the shop floor providing transport and delivery tasks while avoiding collisions with obstacles during its travel. The objective is to find a minimum in length, collision‐free vehicle routing schedule that serves timely as many as possible work centers in the shop floor.Design/methodology/approachFirst, the vehicle's environment is mapped into a 2D B‐Spline surface embedded in 3D Euclidean space using a robust geometric model. Then, a modified genetic algorithm is applied on the generated surface to search for an optimum legal route schedule that satisfies the requirements of the vehicle's mission.FindingsSimulation experiments show that the method is robust enough and can determine in a reasonable computation time a solution to VSP under consideration.Originality/valueThere is a gap in the literature for methods that face VSP in shop‐floor environments. This paper contributes to filling this gap by implementing a practical method that can be easily programmed and included in a modern service delivery system.
Theorizing in social gerontology: theraison d'être
Authors: Hendricks Jon , Powell Jason L. 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to contextualise the need for a social theory of ageing. For a long time, social gerontology has been accused of being “data rich but theory poor”. The paper reviews this and maps out the importance of research themes of social theory and sets the scene for the articles that have used social theory in an innovative way to shed light on international experiences of ageing.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is an introduction to the collection. It mainly is a literature review of key theoretical ideas and trends on social theory and ageing.FindingsThe paper points to how different dimensions of social theory are internationalised across USA, Israel, UK and Europe. The use of theory in an informed manner gives intellectual respectability to empirical research in social gerontology.Originality/valueThe paper is original in that it points to the gaps in social gerontology in terms of theoretical development. It sets the scene for the very original papers on social theory that is assessed by different levels: macro, messo and micro forms of theoretical analysis of ageing.
Ageing well: emplaced over time
Authors: Chapman Sherry Ann 
Published: February 2009

PurposeTo understand ageing well, one needs to study not only those who are ageing but also the places within and with which people are ageing. In the past, much ageing‐well research has been focused on ensuring individuals have the “right” resources and are engaged in the “best” types of activities. However, recent theorizing has prompted the study of ageing well as a process of making sense of self amid later‐life changes. Building on Rowles' attachment‐to‐place work, the purpose of this paper is to consider how the “thick concreteness” of place influences later‐life meaning making.Design/methodology/approachThis is a theoretical paper on ageing.FindingsThe paper draws on Casey's phenomenological conceptualization of places as imprinting themselves on bodies and selves, much as humans shape the places they inhabit. Data from interviews with older rural women in western Canada illustrates how this conceptualization can enhance understanding of ageing well relative to place as a physical, socio‐cultural and temporal phenomenon. In a place that has been depicted as inhospitable, participants have chosen to stay even as practically invisible kin and community “keepers” on the “frontier”.Originality/valueThis original paper suggests that to age well is to age locally and to make sense not only for self about self and one's own ageing but also for ageing in mutually compatible ways in that place.
Globalization and ageing workers: constructing a global life course
Authors: Brandon McKelvey J. 
Published: February 2009

PurposeGlobalization has speeded the flow of development across borders, encouraging the movement of both labour and capital. Although it has been well‐documented that labour is less flexible than capital and that unskilled labour is disadvantaged by these trends, the impact of globalization on older workers has been largely ignored. The critical gerontology perspective can contribute through its focus on globalization's effects on labour market opportunities and social welfare benefits. This paper aims to address these issues.Design/methodology/approachThis is a theoretical paper on ageing.FindingsThis paper examines four issues faced by older workers in an international context in order to more fully understand the differential impact of globalization by age. First, the paradigm of globalization assumes a youthful labour force willing and able to relocate search of employment opportunities, criteria inapplicable to many older workers. Second, human capital inequalities produce differing opportunities for older workers to respond to economic changes. Third, existing social welfare provisions are relatively durable and likely to affect older people in complex ways. Fourth, varied levels of international development and life course possibilities produce differences between countries and regions.Originality/valueThis paper is original in highlighting how a lifetime of constraints placed upon older workers by their moral and political economies make their integration into the idealized global market difficult and pose larger questions about understanding the life course in a global context.
Essential others: anthropology and the return of the old savage
Authors: Hazan Haim 
Published: February 2009

PurposeOld age, in its most intense and extreme aspects involving frailty, dementia, Alzheimer's and death, is more often ignored rather than discussed in contemporary anthropology, remaining largely inaudible and invisible. This paper explores the marginal position of the study of old age in contemporary anthropology against the backdrop of the prominence of the post‐colonial agenda. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the comparison between the neglected Third Age and the abundantly discussed Third World in the context of the anthropological discourse on others.Design/methodology/approachThis is a theoretical paper on ageing.FindingsThis paper explores the marginal position of the study of old age in contemporary anthropology against the backdrop of the prominence of the post‐colonial agenda. The comparison between the neglected Third Age and the abundantly discussed Third World is discussed in the context of the anthropological discourse on others. Studying the old‐as‐other reveals two types of alterity: that which is culturally constructed as different vs that which is essentially different. The others that dominate the agenda of contemporary anthropology are culturally constructed, while the old‐as‐other is an ontological essence. The condition of being old, it is argued, is essentially beyond culture, constituting an extra‐cultural materiality. As such, the old‐as‐other does not answer to the anthropological dictum of representing the “natives' point of view” and cannot fit the contemporary hermeneutics of anthropological relativism. Contemporary anthropology, which resists essential objects such as the savage and the old, thus ignores the raw materiality of old age while producing ethnographically‐informed commentaries on eldercare.Originality/valueThe paper is original in highlighting the juxtaposition between the savage and old age that is used to facilitate an understanding of the contemporary discipline of anthropology as a regime of social constructionism, which fails to confront and represent the bare materiality of old age.
The sociological construction of ageing: lessons for theorising
Authors: Powell Jason L. , Hendricks Jon 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this concluding paper is to reflect on the theories of ageing well delineated by the papers of the special issue. It sets research themes that social theorists of ageing should reflect upon in creating conceptual tools to understanding the power dynamics of older people and modern society.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is an overview of the key issues that have been found by theories introduced throughout the special edition. It attempts to look ahead to seeing how social theory and ageing will need to be strengthened so that theory and experiences are inter‐locked.FindingsThis concluding paper cites how social theory can be analysed in variety of international and national contexts that gives an holistic and not eurocentric approach to social gerontology.Originality/valueThe paper is original in that it points to the future challenges social gerontology in terms of theorising ageing. The great value of social theory is that it provides critical questions about the nature of modern society and the implications this has for older people. This is original in getting researchers to see the creative use of theories of ageing.
Characterization and optimization of a permanent magnet synchronous machine
Authors: Sergeant Peter , Crevecoeur Guillaume , Dupré Luc , Van den Bossche Alex 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe first purpose of this paper is to identify – by an inverse problem – the unknown material characteristics in a permanent magnet synchronous machine in order to obtain a numerical model that is a realistic representation of the machine. The second purpose is to optimize the machine geometrically – using the accurate numerical model – for a maximal torque to losses ratio. Using the optimized geometry, a new machine can be manufactured that is more efficient than the original.Design/methodology/approachA 2D finite element model of the machine is built, using a nonlinear material characteristic that contains three parameters. The parameters are identified by an inverse problem, starting from torque measurements. The validation is based on local BH‐measurements on the stator iron.FindingsGeometrical parameters of the motor are optimized at small load (low‐stator currents) and at full load (high‐stator currents). If the optimization is carried out for a small load, the stator teeth are chosen wider in order to reduce iron loss. An optimization at full load results in a larger copper section so that the copper loss is reduced.Research limitations/implicationsThe identification of the material parameters is influenced by the tolerance on the air gap – shown by a sensitivity analysis in the paper – and by 3D effects, which are not taken into account in the 2D model.Practical implicationsThe identification of the material parameters guarantees that the numerical model describes the real material properties in the machine, which may be different from the properties given by the manufacturer because of mechanical stress and material degradation.Originality/valueThe optimization is more accurate because the material properties, used in the numerical model, are determined by the solution of an inverse problem that uses measurements on the machine.
Applications of nonlinear estimation techniques
Authors: Brown Aaron S. , Hardiman David F. 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis on using two non‐conventional nonlinear estimating filters compared to the traditional linearized extended Kalman filter (EKF). This analysis will look at two state‐of‐the‐art applications and will provide insight to the problems associated with these applications.Design/methodology/approachThe approach taken was to simulate both applications with three different filter designs: EKF, unscented Kalman filter, and particle filter. After results and explanations are given for both applications, then there is a comparison of results between the two applications to compare and contrast their findings.FindingsThis research shows how critical it is when selecting a filter for different applications. Not only is tuning the filter properly a necessity, but choosing a filter that is optimum for the application also greatly affects the accuracy and precision of the results.Research limitations/implicationsAs these filter methods are proven feasible for these applications, testing can move beyond simulation. Further research could compare other nonlinear filters to these results to determine if a better estimation technique exists.Practical implicationsThis paper shows a lot of the issues one must face when choosing an estimation technique for their application as well as the impact the technique can have on the outcome.Originality/valueThis paper clearly describes the decision‐making criteria in regards to these two specific applications. These two applications are current technological problems that many are trying to solve. This paper shows where and why errors in calculations occur. It also offers insight into different ways to solve these problems when the specific application is taken into account.
A method of analysing the thermal field in a three‐zone polymeric cable
Authors: Gołębiowski Jerzy , Zaręba Marek 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a method of solving a thermal conduction equation in three‐zone axially‐symmetrical systems.Design/methodology/approachIn the method developed, the field functions are determined in the analytical way by the superposition of states and separation of variables method. The coefficients of the field functions and eigenvalues of the boundary‐initial problem are computed by the numerical method. The coefficients are the solution to the corresponding sets of equations. These sets are the result of scalar products of non‐orthogonal functions at the respective zones of the cable. The eigenvalues are determined by an algorithm, which uses the field properties and elements of the golden cut method.FindingsThe method made it possible to develop a mathematical model of the dynamics of the thermal field in a polymer DC cable. This model has good physical interpretation. The paper also presents the field distributions determined in an analytical form. Some arguments of the expressions derived are however computed numerically. The results obtained by the paper's method and by the finite elements methods were compared. The relative differences are less than 6 per cent.Research limitations/implicationsThe method concerns axially‐symmetrical three‐zone systems under nominal conditions.Practical implicationsBy means of the method important parameters of DC lines can be determined (e.g. spatial‐temporal heat‐up curves, admissible sustained currents, time constants).Originality/valueAn analytical‐numerical method of analysis of the thermal field in a three‐zone axially‐symmetrical system was developed. Its original element is the algorithm of determination of eigenvalues of the boundary‐initial problem and coefficients of non‐orthogonal field functions.
Analytical drain current model for nanoscale strained‐Si/SiGe MOSFETs
Authors: Batwani Himanshu , Gaur Mayank , Jagadesh Kumar M. 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present an analytical drain current model for output characteristics of strained‐Si/SiGe bulk MOSFET.Design/methodology/approachA physics‐based model for current output characteristics and transconductance of strained‐Si/SiGe bulk devices has been developed incorporating the impact of strain (in terms of equivalent Ge mole fraction), strained silicon thin film thickness, gate work function, channel length and other device parameters. The accuracy of the results obtained using this model is verified by comparing them with 2D device simulations.FindingsThis model correctly predicts the output characteristics,IDS−VGScharacteristics, transconductance and output conductance of the strained‐Si/SiGe MOSFET and demonstrates a significant enhancement in the drain current of the MOSFET with increasing strain in the strained‐Si thin film, i.e. with increasing equivalent Ge concentration in the SiGe bulk.Research limitations/implicationsCan be implemented in a SPICE like simulator for studying circuit behaviour containing strained‐Si/SiGe bulk MOSFETs.Practical implicationsThe model discussed in this paper can be easily implemented in a circuit simulator and used for the characterization of strained silicon devices. This complements the recent trend of investigation of new materials and device structures to maintain the rate of advancement in VLSI technology.Originality/valueThis paper presents, for the first time, a compact surface potential‐based analytical model for strained‐Si/SiGe MOSFETs which predicts the device characteristics reasonably well over their range of operation.