SLEGS robot: development and design of a novel flexible and self-reconfigurable robot leg

Author(s):  
Servet Soyguder ◽  
Walter Boles

Purpose This paper aims to explain the design of a novel leg mechanism for SLEGS robot. SLEGS means both “S”-shaped for the legged robot and “O”-shaped for the wheeled robot. It is a reconfigurable/transformable mobile robot. Design/methodology/approach First, a novel robot leg is designed by inspiration from previous studies. Second, the SLEGS robot’s leg is modeled using 3D computer model, and kinematics analysis performed on the leg mechanism. Finally, the prototype of the novel leg was developed for the SLEGS robot. Findings The robot leg mechanism has both flexible and self-reconfigurable modular features. All legs automatically take the form of both a rotating wheel and a walking leg with a self-reconfigurable modular feature. Originality/value The modeled leg is original in terms of its novel locomotion mechanism in both the walking and wheeled configurations.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroaki Sano ◽  
Yohei Chiba ◽  
Sachiko Maeda ◽  
Chiharu Ikeda ◽  
Nobuyuki Handa ◽  
...  

Purpose This study examines the websites of central government ministries, prefectures and municipalities to obtain a comprehensive bird’s-eye view of how they are preparing for natural disasters in the context of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Design/methodology/approach This study examines the websites of central government ministries, prefectures and municipalities in Japan to survey the actual status of information dissemination on “evacuation and sheltering” in the context of COVID-19. Findings This study found that the central government issued many notices, notifications and administrative communications to prefectures, cities with public health centers and special wards, which were mainly related to opening, securing and operating evacuation centers and improving the environment. It was found that most prefectures disseminated information on both survival and living evacuation and did so from June onward, when the flood season was approaching. Among the municipalities, there were differences in information dissemination tendencies by prefecture, and it became clear that smaller municipalities were especially incapable of fully disseminating information via the Web. Research limitations/implications The data from the prefectures and municipalities surveyed in this study were collected from websites and do not necessarily represent the actual response to disaster-related evacuation in the context of COVID-19 in those areas. To clarify this evacuation, more detailed surveys are needed. Originality/value This study is unique because no research has been conducted on the response of Japanese administrative agencies to disaster-related evacuation in the context of COVID-19; the actual situation was analyzed in this study by examining central government ministries, prefectures and municipalities as administrative agencies and comparing their responses.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda J. Lubit ◽  
Devon Gidley

PurposeThis paper explores the consequences of researching temporary protest organizations through embodied ethnography, paying attention to how, when and why a researcher takes sides.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employed embodied walking ethnography to study Lyra's Walk, a three-day, 68-mile protest walk held in May 2019 to advocate for peace in Northern Ireland. Data were primarily ethnographic, complemented by an analysis of social media, photos, videos and media coverage.FindingsFirst the authors argue that embodied walking ethnography can provide an inhabited understanding of organizing. The social, physical and emotional experiences of walking encourage researchers to identify more closely with participants and obtain a greater understanding of the phenomena studied. Second, the authors identify that methodological choice can have a greater impact on side-taking than either the conflict setting or organization researched.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper demonstrates the promise and consequences of using embodied walking ethnography to study a mobile organization. It further illustrates the nuances and challenges of conducting ethnography in a temporary protest organization.Originality/valueThe paper makes two contributions. The novel use of embodied walking ethnography to study temporary protest organizations can lead the research to become intertwined with the temporary organization during its process of organizational becoming. With the researcher's body acting as a research tool, their sensations and emotions impact data collection, interpretation and findings.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Svetoslav Zabunov ◽  
Garo Mardirossian ◽  
Katia Strelnitski

Purpose The current manuscript aims to propose a novel multirotor design. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a novel 16-rotor multicopter design named Emerald. The novel design innovations and benefits are disclosed. Comparison to existing 16-rotor designs is carried out. Implementation areas where the novel idea shall yield benefit are discussed. A prototype of the presented design is described. Findings The herein proposed 16-rotor design has a number of benefits over existing 16-rotor multicopters. The paper elaborates on those advantages. Research limitations/implications The research was limited to prototype testing, as the presented design is a novel concept. Practical implications The motivation to research and develop this novel design is implementing the vehicle for stereoscopic photography and reconnaissance. The design is also applicable to carrying payloads while flying indoors.


2019 ◽  
Vol 92 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-236
Author(s):  
Svetoslav Zabunov ◽  
Roumen Nedkov

Purpose This paper aims to reveal the authors’ conceptual and experimental work on an innovative avionics paradigm for small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Design/methodology/approach This novel approach stipulates that, rather than being centralized at the autopilot, control of avionics devices is instead distributed among controllers – spread over the airframe span, in response to avionics devices’ natural location requirements. The latter controllers are herein referred to as edge controllers by the first author. Findings The edge controller manifests increased efficiency in a number of functions, some of which are unburdened from the autopilot. The edge controller establishes a new paradigm of structure and design of small UAVs avionics such that any functionality related to the periphery of the airframe is implemented in the controller. Research limitations/implications The research encompasses a workbench prototype testing on a breadboard, as the presented idea is a novel concept. Further, another test has been conducted with four controllers mounted on a quadcopter; results from the vertical attitude sustenance are disclosed herein. Practical implications The motivation behind developing this paradigm was the need to position certain avionics devices at different locations on the airframe. Due to their inherent functional requirements, most of these devices have hitherto been placed at the periphery of the aircraft construction. Originality/value The current paper describes the novel avionics paradigm, compares it to the standard approach and further reveals two experimental setups with testing results.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
He Peng ◽  
Chris Bell ◽  
Yiran Li

Purpose Although studies have demonstrated that knowledge hiding is an important inhibitor of organizational innovation, current research does not clearly address how intragroup relationship conflict influences knowledge hiding. This study aims to identify the underlying mechanism between intra-group relationship conflict and knowledge hiding. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on affective events theory (AET), the authors propose a theoretical model and empirically test it by applying hierarchical regression analysis and a bootstrapping approach to data from a multi-wave survey of 224 employees in China. Findings Consistent with AET, the empirical results show that envy mediates perceived intragroup relationship conflict and knowledge hiding. As predicted, trait competitiveness moderates the indirect effect of perceived intragroup relationship conflict on knowledge hiding via envy. Originality/value The results support an AET perspective whereby knowledge hiding is shaped by relationship conflict, envy and trait competitiveness. This study introduces the novel proposition that relationship conflict and competitiveness influence envy, and consequently knowledge hiding.


Author(s):  
Qianqian Zhang ◽  
Yezhuo Li ◽  
Yan-An Yao ◽  
Ruiming Li

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a deformable two-wheel-like mobile mechanism based on overconstrained mechanism, with the abilities of fast rolling and obstacle surmounting. The drive torque of the multi-mode motions is generated by self-deformation. Moreover, the analyses of feasibility and locomotivity of two mobile modes are presented. Design/methodology/approach The main body of the two-wheel-like mobile mechanism is a kind of centrally driven 4 R linkages. The mobile mechanism can achieve the capabilities of fast rolling and obstacle surmounting through integrating two mobile modes (spherical-like rolling mode and polyhedral-like obstacle-surmounting mode) and can switch to the corresponding mode to move or surmount obstacles. The mobility and kinematics of the mobile modes are analyzed. Findings Based on the results of kinematics analysis and dynamics analysis of the wheel-like mechanism, the spherical-like rolling mode has the capability of fast rolling, and the polyhedral-like obstacle-surmounting mode has the capability of surmounting different obstacle heights by two submodes (quasi-static obstacle-surmounting submode and dynamic obstacle-surmounting submode). The proposed concept is verified by experiments on a physical prototype. Originality/value The work presented in this paper is a novel exploration to apply bar linkages in the field of scout. The two-wheel-like mobile mechanism improves the torque imbalance of bar linkages by centrally driven method, removes the rear support structures of the traditional two-wheeled mechanisms by self-deformation and increases the height of obstacle surmounting by mode switching angle.


2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 165-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.H. Elgemeie ◽  
K.A. Ahmed ◽  
E.A. Ahmed ◽  
M.H. Helal ◽  
D.M. Masoud

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to synthesize some novel 2-amino-6,6-dimethyl-9-phenyl-3-(phenyldiazenyl)-6,7-dihydropyrazolo-[5,1-b]quinazolin-8(5H)-one derivatives by multi-component one-pot reaction using a microwave as a new tool for green chemistry. Design/methodology/approach – An equimolor from arylazopyrazole, 5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione (dimedone) and benzaldehyde derivatives was dissolved in Dimethylformamide (DMF) to be irradiated in a microwave for 15 minutes; after completion of the reaction, as indicated by Thin layer chromatograph (TLC), the reaction mixture was poured into ice water, filtered and then crystallized with an appropriate solvent. Findings – The structure of the synthesized dyes was established and confirmed for the reaction products on the basis of their elemental analysis and spectral data (MS, IR and 1H-NMR). These prepared dyes were used to print polyester and polyamide fabrics using synthetic thickener in the printing paste for the silk screen technique. The synthesized dyes are superior in terms of yield, purity, color strength and fastness properties and will lead to valuable achievements for commercial production. Originality/value – An efficient method for synthesis of pyrazoloquinazolinone dyes was designed. The novel procedure features short reaction time, moderate yields and simple workup. The authors studied its application in printing polyester and polyamide fabrics.


2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (12) ◽  
pp. 1778-1795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Swati Sharma ◽  
Prateek Sharma

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the incidence and determinants of educational mismatch in the Indian labour market. It also attempts to measure the wage effects of educational mismatch, and other individual and work-related characteristics. Design/methodology/approach Educational mismatch is modelled using multiple Mincerian equations. Wage effects are measured using the novel identification strategy of Lewbel (2012), which constructs internal instruments to obviate potential endogeneity problems. Findings The authors find that the returns to over-education are positive and significant, while the returns to under-education are negative and significant. However, over-educated would earn less than the workers who have the same educational level, but who are engaged in occupations for which they are adequately educated. Originality/value This study is one of the earliest attempts to identify the determinants of educational mismatch in the Indian labour market. Additionally, it measures the effect of educational mismatch on labour market earnings, as well as marginal wage effects of each surplus (or deficit) year of education. Methodological improvements ensure that the results are robust to the sample selection bias, as well as the endogeneity bias.


2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Ladik ◽  
Francois Carrillat ◽  
Mark Tadajewski

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to revisit Russell Belk’s (1988) landmark paper “Possessions and the extended self”. The authors provide a prehistory of related ideas and then examine the controversy it triggered regarding the different paradigms of research in marketing (Cohen, 1989) some 26 years ago. Design/methodology/approach – This paper takes Belk seriously when he argues that his work is a synthesis and extension of prior studies leading to the novel production of the “extended self” concept. Via a close reading of the history of self-constitution, the authors highlight a number of thinkers who were grappling with similar issues now associated in our disciplinary consciousness to the idea of the “extended self”. To assess the contribution of Belk’s work, the authors engage in citation and interpretive analyses. The first analysis compared scholarly citations of Belk (1988) with the top ten most-cited Journal of Consumer Research (JCR) papers published in the same year. The second citation analysis compared Belk (1988) to the top ten most-cited JCR papers in the history of the journal. The authors follow this with an interpretive analysis of Belk’s contribution to consumer research via his 1988 paper. Findings – Belk (1988) had the most citations (N = 934) of any paper published in JCR in 1988. When compared to all papers published in the history of JCR, Belk (1988) leads with the most overall citations. Moreover, Belk (1988) is the most prominent interpretive paper that appeared in JCR and one of the top three, regardless of paradigm. The analysis illustrates diversity in topic and methodology, thus indicating that Belk’s contribution impacted a wide variety of scholars. Interpretive analysis indicates the importance of Belk’s work for subsequently impactful consumer researchers. Originality/value – The authors offer a prehistory of the “extended self” concept by highlighting literature that many consumer researchers will not have explored previously. With citations spanning over three decades, consumer behavior scholars recognize Belk (1988) as an important paper. Our analysis reveals that contrary to received wisdom, it is not only important for interpretive researchers or scholars within the consumer culture theory, but it is significant for the entire discipline, irrespective of paradigmatic orientation. The research presented here demonstrates that Belk’s (1988) paper is arguably one of the most influential papers ever published in JCR.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (9) ◽  
pp. 4-6

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Firms determining their innovation strategy should consider how they connect with other companies. In a close-knit network, it is most appropriate to share knowledge and resources in order to enhance current offerings. But in a network characterized by diversity among members, firms would benefit more by acting as the broker to fill structural holes and gain access to the novel ideas, knowledge and resources needed to implement exploratory innovation. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


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