Abstract: This paper describes various stages of design and prototyping of a modular robot for use in various industrial applications. The major goal of current research has been to design and make different robotic joints at low cost capable of being assembled together in any given order for achieving various robot configurations. Five different types of joins were designed and manufactured where extensive research has been carried out on the design of each joint in order to achieve optimal strength, size, modularity, and price. This paper presents various stages of research and development undertaken to engineer these joints that include material selection, manufacturing, and strength analysis. The outcome of this research addresses the birth of a new generation of modular industrial robots with a wider range of applications and greater efficiency.
Abstract: These This paper looks into frameworks which aim at
furthering the discussion of the role of regenerative design practices
in a city-s historic core and the tool of urban design to achieve urban
revitalization on the island of Cyprus. It also examines the region-s
demographic mix, the effectiveness of its governmental coordination
and the strategies of adaptive reuse and strategic investments in older
areas with existing infrastructure. The two main prongs of
investigation will consider the effect of the existing and proposed
changes in the physical infrastructure and fabric of the city, as well as
the catalytic effect of sustainable urban design practices. Through this
process, the work hopes to integrate the contained potential within
the existing historic core and the contributions and participation of
the migrant and immigrant populations to the local economy. It also
examines ways in which this coupling of factors can bring to the front
the positive effects of this combined effort on an otherwise sluggish
local redevelopment effort. The data for this study is being collected
and organized as part of ongoing urban design and development
student workshop efforts in urban planning and design education.
The work is presented in graphic form and includes data collected
from interviews with study area organizations and the community at
large. Planning work is also based on best practices initiated by the
staff of the Nicosia Master Plan task force, which coordinates holistic
planning efforts for the historic center of the city of Nicosia.
Abstract: As current business environment is demanding a
constant adaptation of companies, the planning and strategic
management should be an ongoing and natural process in all kind of
organizations. The use of management and monitoring strategic
performance tools such as the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) have been
popular; even to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. This paper
aims to investigate whether the BSC is being used in monitoring the
performance of small businesses, particularly in small fuel retailers
companies, which are competing in co-branding; and if not, it aims to
identify its strategic orientation in order to recommend a possible
strategy map for those managers that are willing to adopt this model
as an alternative to traditional ones for organizational performance
evaluation, which often focus only on evaluation of the
organizational financial performance.
Abstract: The objective of this paper is to propose an adaptive multi threshold for image segmentation precisely in object detection. Due to the different types of license plates being used, the requirement of an automatic LPR is rather different for each country. The proposed technique is applied on Malaysian LPR application. It is based on Multi Layer Perceptron trained by back propagation. The proposed adaptive threshold is introduced to find the optimum threshold values. The technique relies on the peak value from the graph of the number object versus specific range of threshold values. The proposed approach has improved the overall performance compared to current optimal threshold techniques. Further improvement on this method is in progress to accommodate real time system specification.
Abstract: The purpose of this research is to determine the
knowledge and skills possessed by instructional design (ID)
practitioners in Malaysia. As ID is a relatively new field in the
country and there seems to be an absence of any studies on its
community of practice, the main objective of this research is to
discover the tasks and activities performed by ID practitioners in
educational and corporate organizations as suggested by the
International Board of Standards for Training, Performance and
Instruction. This includes finding out the ID models applied in the
course of their work. This research also attempts to identify the
barriers and issues as to why some ID tasks and activities are rarely
or never conducted. The methodology employed in this descriptive
study was a survey questionnaire sent to 30 instructional designers
nationwide. The results showed that majority of the tasks and
activities are carried out frequently enough but omissions do occur
due to reasons such as it being out of job scope, the decision was
already made at a higher level, and the lack of knowledge and skills.
Further investigations of a qualitative manner should be conducted
to achieve a more in-depth understanding of ID practices in
Malaysia
Abstract: In this paper the reference current for Voltage Source
Converter (VSC) of the Shunt Active Power Filter (SAPF) is
generated using Synchronous Reference Frame method,
incorporating the PI controller with anti-windup scheme. The
proposed method improves the harmonic filtering by compensating
the winding up phenomenon caused by the integral term of the PI
controller.
Using Reference Frame Transformation, the current is transformed
from om a - b - c stationery frame to rotating 0 - d - q frame. Using
the PI controller, the current in the 0 - d - q frame is controlled to
get the desired reference signal. A controller with integral action
combined with an actuator that becomes saturated can give some
undesirable effects. If the control error is so large that the integrator
saturates the actuator, the feedback path becomes ineffective because
the actuator will remain saturated even if the process output changes.
The integrator being an unstable system may then integrate to a very
large value, the phenomenon known as integrator windup.
Implementing the integrator anti-windup circuit turns off the
integrator action when the actuator saturates, hence improving the
performance of the SAPF and dynamically compensating harmonics
in the power network. In this paper the system performance is
examined with Shunt Active Power Filter simulation model.
Abstract: Biofuels, like biobutanol, have been recognized for
being renewable and sustainable fuels which can be produced from
lignocellulosic biomass. To convert lignocellulosic biomass to
biofuel, pretreatment process is an important step to remove
hemicelluloses and lignin to improve enzymatic hydrolysis. Dilute
acid pretreatment has been successful developed for pretreatment of
corncobs and the optimum conditions of dilute sulfuric and
phosphoric acid pretreatment were obtained at 120 °C for 5 min with
15:1 liquid to solid ratio and 140 °C for 10 min with 10:1 liquid to
solid ratio, respectively. The result shows that both of acid
pretreatments gave the content of total sugar approximately 34–35
g/l. In case of inhibitor content (furfural), phosphoric acid
pretreatment gives higher than sulfuric acid pretreatment.
Characterizations of corncobs after pretreatment indicate that both of
acid pretreatments can improve enzymatic accessibility and the better
results present in corncobs pretreated with sulfuric acid in term of
surface area, crystallinity, and composition analysis.
Abstract: The so-called all-pass filter circuits are commonly
used in the field of signal processing, control and measurement.
Being connected to capacitive loads, these circuits tend to loose their
stability; therefore the elaborate analysis of their dynamic behavior is
necessary. The compensation methods intending to increase the
stability of such circuits are discussed in this paper, including the socalled
lead-lag compensation technique being treated in detail. For
the dynamic modeling, a two-port network model of the all-pass filter
is being derived. The results of the model analysis show, that
effective lead-lag compensation can be achieved, alone by the
optimization of the circuit parameters; therefore the application of
additional electric components are not needed to fulfill the stability
requirement.
Abstract: Visually impaired people find it extremely difficult to
acquire basic and vital information necessary for their living.
Therefore, they are at a very high risk of being socially excluded as a
result of poor access to information. In recent years, several attempts
have been made in improving the communication methods for
visually impaired people which involve tactile sensation such as
finger Braille, manual alphabets and the print on palm method and
several other electronic devices. But, there are some problems which
arise in such methods such as lack of privacy and lack of
compatibility to computer environment. This paper describes a low
cost Braille hand glove for blind people using slot sensors and
vibration motors with the help of which they can read and write emails,
text messages and read e-books. This glove allows the person
to type characters based on different Braille combination using six
slot sensors. The vibration in six different positions of the glove
which matches to the Braille code allows them to read characters.
Abstract: Medical negligence disputes in Malaysia are mainly resolved through litigation by using the tort system. The tort system, being adversarial in nature has subjected parties to litigation hazards such as delay, excessive costs and uncertainty of outcome. The dissatisfaction of the tort system in compensating medically injured victims has created various alternatives to litigation. Amongst them is the implementation of a no-fault compensation system which would allow compensation to be given without the need of proving fault on the medical personnel. Instead, the community now bears the burden of compensating and at the end, promotes collective responsibility. For Malaysia, introducing a no-fault system would provide a tempting solution and may ultimately, achieve justice for the medical injured victims. Nevertheless, such drastic change requires a great deal of consideration to determine the suitability of the system and whether or not it will eventually cater for the needs of the Malaysian population
Abstract: Seaweed farming is emerging as a viable alternative
activity in the Indonesian fisheries sector. This paper aims to
investigate people-s perceptions of seaweed farming, to analyze its
social and economic impacts and to identify the problems and
obstacles hindering its continued development. Structured and
semi-structured questionnaires were prepared to obtain qualitative
data, and interviews were conducted with fishermen who also plant
seaweed. The findings showed that fishermen in the Laikang Bay were
enthusiastic about cultivating seaweeds and that seaweed plays a major
role in supporting the household economy of fishermen. However,
current seaweed drying technologies cannot support increased
seaweed production on a farm or plot, especially in the rainy season.
Additionally, variable monsoon seasons and long marketing channels
are still major constraints on the development of the industry. Finally,
capture fisheries, the primary economic livelihood of fishermen of
older generations, is being slowly replaced by seaweed farming.
Abstract: In this paper we discuss the behaviour of the longitudinal modes of a magnetized non collisional plasma subjected to an external electromagnetic field. We apply a semiclassical formalism, with the electrons being studied in a quantum mechanical viewpoint whereas the electromagnetic field in the classical context. We calculate the dielectric function in order to obtains the modes and found that, unlike the Bernstein modes, the presence of radiation induces oscillations around the cyclotron harmonics, which are smoothed as the energy stored in the radiation field becomes small compared to the thermal energy of the electrons. We analyze the influence of the number of photon involved in the electronic transitions between the Landau levels and how the parameters such as the external fields strength, plasma density and temperature affect the dispersion relation
Abstract: Bio-chips are used for experiments on genes and
contain various information such as genes, samples and so on. The
two-dimensional bio-chips, in which one axis represent genes and the
other represent samples, are widely being used these days. Instead of
experimenting with real genes which cost lots of money and much
time to get the results, bio-chips are being used for biological
experiments. And extracting data from the bio-chips with high
accuracy and finding out the patterns or useful information from such
data is very important. Bio-chip analysis systems extract data from
various kinds of bio-chips and mine the data in order to get useful
information. One of the commonly used methods to mine the data is
classification. The algorithm that is used to classify the data can be
various depending on the data types or number characteristics and so
on. Considering that bio-chip data is extremely large, an algorithm that
imitates the ecosystem such as the ant algorithm is suitable to use as an
algorithm for classification. This paper focuses on finding the
classification rules from the bio-chip data using the Ant Colony
algorithm which imitates the ecosystem. The developed system takes
in consideration the accuracy of the discovered rules when it applies it
to the bio-chip data in order to predict the classes.
Abstract: Giving birth is a natural process and most women have to go through it. Gynecologist or Midwife usually uses the leg holder to position the cervix in the stitching process. In some part of rural areas in Indonesia, the labor process normally being done at homes by calling in a midwife or gynecologist. The facilities for this kind of labor process is not yet sufficient, as the use of leg holder supposedly on the obstetric bed. The reality is that it is impossible to bring in the obstetric bed to the patient-s house at the time they call for giving birth or the time when the stitching of the cervix need to be done. This research is redesigning the leg holder through Biomechanics and ergonomic approaches to obtain the optimal design which is suitable to the user of a developing country such as Indonesia.
Abstract: A Web-based learning tool, the Learn IN Context
(LINC) system, designed and being used in some institution-s
courses in mixed-mode learning, is presented in this paper. This
mode combines face-to-face and distance approaches to education.
LINC can achieve both collaborative and competitive learning. In
order to provide both learners and tutors with a more natural way to
interact with e-learning applications, a conversational interface has
been included in LINC. Hence, the components and essential features
of LINC+, the voice enhanced version of LINC, are described. We
report evaluation experiments of LINC/LINC+ in a real use context
of a computer programming course taught at the Université de
Moncton (Canada). The findings show that when the learning
material is delivered in the form of a collaborative and voice-enabled
presentation, the majority of learners seem to be satisfied with this
new media, and confirm that it does not negatively affect their
cognitive load.
Abstract: Academic digital libraries emerged as a result of advances in computing and information systems technologies, and had been introduced in universities and to public. As results, moving in parallel with current technology in learning and researching environment indeed offers myriad of advantages especially to students and academicians, as well as researchers. This is due to dramatic changes in learning environment through the use of digital library system which giving spectacular impact on these societies- way of performing their study/research. This paper presents a survey of current criteria for evaluating academic digital libraries- performance. The goal is to discuss criteria being applied so far for academic digital libraries evaluation in the context of user-centered design. Although this paper does not comprehensively take into account all previous researches in evaluating academic digital libraries but at least it can be a guide in understanding the evaluation criteria being widely applied.
Abstract: Primary studies are being carried out in Turkey for
expanding information and communication technologies (ICT) aided instruction activities. Subject of the present study is to identify
whether those studies achieved their goals in the application. Information technologies (IT) formative teachers in the primary
schools, and academicians in the faculties of education were interviewed to investigate the process and results of implementing
computer-aided instruction methods whose basis is strengthened in theory. Analysis of the results gained from two separate surveys
demonstrated that capability of the teachers in elementary education institutions for carrying into effect computer-aided instruction and
technical infrastructure has not been established for computer-aided instruction practices yet. Prospective teachers must be well-equipped in ICT to duly fulfill requirements of modern education and also
must be self-confident. Finally, scope and intensity of the courses given in connection with teaching of the ICT in faculties of education needs to be revised.
Abstract: Grid computing is growing rapidly in the distributed
heterogeneous systems for utilizing and sharing large-scale resources
to solve complex scientific problems. Scheduling is the most recent
topic used to achieve high performance in grid environments. It aims
to find a suitable allocation of resources for each job. A typical
problem which arises during this task is the decision of scheduling. It
is about an effective utilization of processor to minimize tardiness
time of a job, when it is being scheduled. This paper, therefore,
addresses the problem by developing a general framework of grid
scheduling using dynamic information and an ant colony
optimization algorithm to improve the decision of scheduling. The
performance of various dispatching rules such as First Come First
Served (FCFS), Earliest Due Date (EDD), Earliest Release Date
(ERD), and an Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) are compared.
Moreover, the benefit of using an Ant Colony Optimization for
performance improvement of the grid Scheduling is also discussed. It
is found that the scheduling system using an Ant Colony
Optimization algorithm can efficiently and effectively allocate jobs
to proper resources.
Abstract: Multi User Virtual Worlds are becoming a valuable educational tool. Learning experiences within these worlds focus on discovery and active experiences that both engage students and motivate them to explore new concepts. As educators, we need to explore these environments to determine how they can most effectively be used in our instructional practices. This paper explores the current application of virtual worlds to identify meaningful educational strategies that are being used to engage students and enhance teaching and learning.
Abstract: Perhaps no single issue has been cited as either the root
cause and / or the greatest challenge to the restructured power system then the lack of adequate reliable transmission. Probabilistic transmission planning has become increasingly necessary and important in recent
years. The transmission planning analysis carried out by the authors,
spans a 10-year horizon, taking into consideration a value of 2 % load
increase / year at each consumer. Taking into consideration this increased
load, a probabilistic power flow was carried out, all the system components
being regarded from probabilistic point of view. Several contingencies
have been generated, for assessing the security of the power system. The results have been analyzed and several important conclusions were pointed. The objective is to achieve a network that works without limit violations for all (or most of) scenario realizations. The case study is represented by the IEEE 14 buses test power system.