Long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft systems (LE-RPAS) support for humanitarian logistic operations

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Tatham ◽  
Catherine Ball ◽  
Yong Wu ◽  
Peter Diplas
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Rapid Onset ◽  
Limited Range ◽  
Formal Proof ◽  
Military Operations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Aircraft Systems ◽  
Remotely Piloted Aircraft ◽  
Long Endurance ◽  
The Impact

Purpose While the use of long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft systems (LE-RPAS) is frequently associated with military operations, their core capabilities of long-range, low-cost and high-quality optics and communications systems have considerable potential benefit in supporting the work of humanitarian logisticians. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to demonstrate how LE-RPAS could be used to improve the logistic response to a rapid onset disaster. Design/methodology/approach Using the response to the Cyclone Pam that struck Vanuatu in March 2015 as an example, this paper provides an overview of how LE-RPAS could be used to support the post-disaster needs assessment and subsequent response processes. In addition, it provides a high-level route map to develop the people, process and technology requirements that would support the operational deployment of the LE-RPAS capabilities. Findings On the basis of the analysis of the published literature and the resultant assessment of the benefits of LE-RPAS to support humanitarian logistic (HL) operations, it is concluded that a formal “proof of concept” trial should be undertaken, and the results be made available to the humanitarian community. Research limitations/implications This paper is conceptual in nature, but has been developed through an analysis of the literature relating to remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) and HLs. A route map through which the paper’s conclusions can be validated is also offered. Practical implications LE-RPAS have great potential to provide a swifter understanding of the impact of a disaster, particularly those where the location is remote from the main centres of population. This would allow the affected country’s National Disaster Management Organisation, together with those of supporting countries, to react more efficiently and effectively. In particular, it would allow a swifter transition from a “guess-based” push approach to one that more accurately reflects the disaster’s impact – i.e. a pull-based logistic response. Social implications Given the military genesis of RPAS, it will be important to ensure that those engaged in their operation are sensitive to the implications of this. In particular, it will be essential to ensure that any humanitarian operations involving RPAS are undertaken in an ethical way that respects, for example, the privacy and safety of the affected population. Originality/value While there is some emerging discussion on the humanitarian-related use of RPAS in the literature, this generally reflects the operation of small aircraft with limited range and payload capabilities. Useful though such RPAS unquestionably are, this paper expands the discussion of how such systems can support the humanitarian logistician by considering the benefits and challenges of operating long-endurance aircraft.

scholarly journals Multitemporal Chlorophyll Mapping in Pome Fruit Orchards from Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasmin Vanbrabant ◽  
Laurent Tits ◽  
Stephanie Delalieux ◽  
Klaas Pauly ◽  
Wim Verjans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hyperspectral Imagery ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Pome Fruit ◽  
Retrieval Models ◽  
Tree Vitality ◽  
Aircraft Systems ◽  
Remotely Piloted Aircraft ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Fruit Orchards ◽  
June July

Early and precise spatio-temporal monitoring of tree vitality is key for steering management decisions in pome fruit orchards. Spaceborne remote sensing instruments face a tradeoff between spatial and spectral resolution, while manned aircraft sensor-platform systems are very expensive. In order to address the shortcomings of these platforms, this study investigates the potential of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) to facilitate rapid, low cost, and flexible chlorophyll monitoring. Due to the complexity of orchard scenery a robust chlorophyll retrieval model on RPAS level has not yet been developed. In this study, specific focus therefore lies on evaluating the sensitivity of retrieval models to confounding factors. For this study, multispectral and hyperspectral imagery was collected over pome fruit orchards. Sensitivities of both univariate and multivariate retrieval models were demonstrated under different species, phenology, shade, and illumination scenes. Results illustrate that multivariate models have a significantly higher accuracy than univariate models as the former provide accuracies for the canopy chlorophyll content retrieval of R2 = 0.80 and Relative Root Mean Square Error (RRMSE) = 12% for the hyperspectral sensor. Random forest regression on multispectral imagery (R2 > 0.9 for May, June, July, and August, and R2 = 0.5 for October) and hyperspectral imagery (0.6 < R2 < 0.9) led to satisfactory high and consistent accuracies for all months.

Dilemma of “Make in India” for Dalmec industrial manipulator S.P.A, Italy

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Mithilesh Pandey ◽  
Yupal Sanatkumar Shukla
Keyword(s):  
Material Handling ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Safety Standards ◽  
Material Handling Equipment ◽  
Foreign Companies ◽  
Quality Material ◽  
Indian Industries ◽  
The Impact

Subject area The subject areas are strategic management, international marketing business-to-business marketing. Study level/applicability The study is applicable to undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Case overview Dalmec Industries Manipulators India Pvt. Ltd. was incorporated in 2011 as a private limited company under the Companies Act, 1956. The company was formed to carry on importing machinery and distributing it to the clients. This case focuses on the dilemma faced by the company: whether it should establish a manufacturing unit in India or continue with the current operation procedures. Dalmec has faced various problems in India regarding local players, low-cost material handling equipment and the nascent stage of material handling industry. In Europe and the Middle East, the industries are more focused on safety standards and provide high quality material handling products to their workers, compared to the Indian industries. As local players in material handling sectors price their product very low, to compete with them with quality products is a major challenge for foreign companies. The company needed to build a strong and unique brand for non-European markets. In India, the material handling equipment market is crowded with local players. So, Dalmec needs to establish its reputation as a reliable partner and create a distinct identity. It has to create brand awareness among Indian companies and influence the decision makers of the corporates. The case discusses the impact of Make in India campaign on Dalmec and examines whether the Make in India initiative will prove helpful to Dalmec. Expected learning outcomes This study enables to familiarize students with the expansion strategy of a company; help students understand the international market entry strategies frequently used by multinationals to expand their business.; examine the feasibility of entering into emerging markets like India; and make students understand the relevance of the Make in India campaign for foreign corporate players. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy.

Integrated maintenance and production decision fork-out-of-nsystem equipment with attenuation of product quality

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 735-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shao Xiao ◽  
Zhixiang Chen ◽  
Bhaba R. Sarker
Keyword(s):  
Product Quality ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Uncertain Demand ◽  
Quality Level ◽  
Equipment Maintenance ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Equipment Reliability ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Production Decision

PurposeEquipment reliability significantly impacts productivity, and in order to obtain high equipment reliability and productivity, maintenance and production decision should be made simultaneously to keep manufacturing system healthy. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the joint optimization of equipment maintenance and production decision fork-out-of-nsystem equipment with attenuation of product quality and to explore the impact of maintenance on the production and cost control for manufacturers.Design/methodology/approachA multi-period Markov chain model fork-out-of-nsystem equipment is set up based on the assumption that the deterioration of equipment is a pure birth process. Then, the maintenance cost, setup cost, inventory holding cost, shortage cost, production cost and the quality cost are analyzed with the uncertain demand and the attenuation of product quality stemmed from equipment deterioration. The total lowest cost per unit time and its specific calculation method are presented. Finally, the robustness and flexibility of the method are verified by a numerical example and the effects of equipment deterioration intensity and attenuation of product quality are analyzed.FindingsThe result shows that the joint decision model could not only satisfy the uncertain demand with low cost and strong robustness but also make the output products high quality level. In addition, the attenuation of product quality would influence the equipment maintenance and production decision and leads to the production waste and increases the operation cost greatly.Originality/valueImplications derived from this study can help production maintenance managers and reliability engineers adequately select maintenance policy to improve the equipment efficiency and productivity with high quality level at a relatively low cost.

scholarly journals Low cost digital fabrication approach for thumb orthoses

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 1020-1031 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Fernandez-Vicente ◽  
Ana Escario Chust ◽  
Andres Conejero
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Computer Aided Design ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Recovery Process ◽  
Digital Fabrication ◽  
Cost Comparison ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Custom Made ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe a novel design workflow for the digital fabrication of custom-made orthoses (CMIO). It is intended to provide an easier process for clinical practitioners and orthotic technicians alike. It further functions to reduce the dependency of the operators’ abilities and skills. Design/methodology/approach The technical assessment covers low-cost three-dimensional (3D) scanning, free computer-aided design (CAD) software, and desktop 3D printing and acetone vapour finishing. To analyse its viability, a cost comparison was carried out between the proposed workflow and the traditional CMIO manufacture method. Findings The results show that the proposed workflow is a technically feasible and cost-effective solution to improve upon the traditional process of design and manufacture of custom-made static trapeziometacarpal (TMC) orthoses. Further studies are needed for ensuring a clinically feasible approach and for estimating the efficacy of the method for the recovery process in patients. Social implications The feasibility of the process increases the impact of the study, as the great accessibility to this type of 3D printers makes the digital fabrication method easier to be adopted by operators. Originality/value Although some research has been conducted on digital fabrication of CMIO, few studies have investigated the use of desktop 3D printing in any systematic way. This study provides a first step in the exploration of a new design workflow using low-cost digital fabrication tools combined with non-manual finishing.

Why amending building codes? An investigation of the benefits of regular building code amendment in New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amarachukwu Nnadozie Nwadike ◽  
Suzanne Wilkinson
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Building Code ◽  
Ground Shaking ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Building Collapse ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe New Zealand building code has played a vital role in reducing the impact of disasters in the built environment. Following the nature of earthquake occurrences, the associated impacts such as building collapse and the increase in technological innovation in the building sector, the New Zealand building code has been frequently amended. The building code amendment ensures that buildings and other related infrastructures can withstand the impact of ground shaking without substantial damages to buildings. The purpose of this paper is to identify and explore the benefits of building code amendments in New Zealand.Design/methodology/approachDocument analysis and closed-ended questionnaire were adopted as data collection instruments for this study. The relevant stakeholders comprise structural engineer, geotechnical engineer, architect, building services consulting engineer, licensed building practitioner, project manager, building contractor, local authority, academic/researcher and quantity surveyor.FindingsA significant proportion of the survey participants that agreed to the importance of building code amendments in New Zealand justify the benefits of the amendments. The study serves as a useful guide to policy regulators and researchers who are exploring other aspects of regular building code amendments in New Zealand. The findings from this study suggest that amending the New Zealand building code needs a proactive approach to promote local technology, enhance low-cost construction materials, training of code users and reducing bureaucracy in design approval and construction inspection. The study concludes that improving on the 28 factors identified in this study would contribute intensively to disaster risk reduction in the built environment and an increase in compliance level in New Zealand.Originality/valueThis paper originality comes from its practical approach towards identifying the benefits of building code amendments

Libya will fuel North Africa terrorism risk

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
North Africa ◽  
Islamic State ◽  
Military Operations ◽  
Peace Agreement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Terrorism Risk ◽  
Local Resources ◽  
Will Force ◽  
State Group ◽  
The Impact

Subject Effect of Libya on North Africa Significance The inability to produce a peace agreement in Libya and the prospect of a foreign intervention to counter the spread of Islamic State group (ISG) in the country raises questions on the impact this could have on Libya's North African neighbours. Impacts Military pressure on ISG in Libya will motivate the group to strike targets abroad to demonstrate its capabilities. ISG could use more sophisticated weapons against potential Western airstrikes and military operations. Insecurity in Libya will force its neighbours to maintain high levels of military spending at a time of lower government revenues. An influx of refugees into Tunisian and Algerian border areas could strain local resources.

The effectiveness of self‐management training in organisations from two culturally different countries

2009 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 633-646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Indira Pattni ◽  
Geoffrey N. Soutar
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Field Investigation ◽  
Retail Banking ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Two Cultures ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of short training in self‐management skills on employees' efficacious beliefs and skills across cultures.Design/methodology/approachA longitudinal pre‐post field investigation repeated measures analysis is used to compare the effectiveness of the self‐management training between employees from Australia (individualistic country) and Kenya (collectivistic country).FindingsThe results suggest that there is a significant improvement in the learning of skills and efficacious beliefs post‐training (24 weeks). However, there are no significant differences in improvement between the two cultures and the training is similarly effective in both cultures.Research limitations/implicationsTraining focus is based on previous research that is primarily individual focused and further studies need to explore the training ethos. The assessments are developed for the study and need further examination to test their reliability and validity in other contexts. The individualistic and collectivistic criteria are drawn from Hofstede's work and may need further investigation as Hofstede's sample size of the Kenyan population is small. Finally, the results are unique to retail banking.Originality/valueThe effectiveness of this low‐cost training for enhancing employee efficacy has positive organisational outcomes, especially for those that have a multicultural workforce. It may be particularly useful for organisations in developing countries where cost is of concern.

The impact of business strategy on leadership

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas G. Marx
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Best Value ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Market Strategies ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test the proposition that business strategy affects leadership functions, skills, traits, and styles, and to assess the implications of these effects for the practice of both leadership and strategic planning. Design/methodology/approach – This is an empirical study based on over 450 responses to an online survey. Continuous rating scales allowed the use of regression analysis to test the impacts of different strategies on leadership. Findings – The results provide strong empirical evidence that Product (Differentiation vs Low Cost strategies), Best Value, and Blue Ocean strategies have significant effects on leadership. Market strategies (Broad vs Niche strategies) have limited impacts. The greater complexity of Product, Best Value, and Blue Ocean strategies underlie these findings. Research limitations/implications – This study explores the effects of strategy on leadership. Future studies need to explore if these effects are moderated by external, competitive conditions, and if strategy mediates the impacts of leadership on organizational performance. Practical implications – The practical implications of these findings are that leaders must adjust their behavior and leadership styles to effectively implement alternative strategies, and planners must assess their organization’s leadership capabilities when formulating strategy. Originality/value – There have been numerous studies of the impacts of external/internal conditions on leadership, but this is one of the first studies of the critical impacts of strategy on leadership.

Flying maggots: a smart logistic solution to an enduring medical challenge

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Tatham ◽  
Frank Stadler ◽  
Abigail Murray ◽  
Ramon Z. Shaban
Keyword(s):  
Wound Care ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Developed Country ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Aircraft Systems ◽  
Medical Supplies ◽  
Assisted Delivery ◽  
Remotely Piloted Aircraft

Purpose Whilst there is a growing body of research which discusses the use of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) (otherwise known as “drones”) to transport medical supplies, almost all reported cases employ short range aircraft. The purpose of this paper is to consider the advantages and challenges inherent in the use of long endurance remotely piloted aircraft systems (LE-RPAS) aircraft to support the provision of medical supplies to remote locations – specifically “medical maggots” used in maggot debridement therapy (MDT) wound care. Design/methodology/approach After introducing both MDT and the LE-RPAS technology, the paper first reports on the outcomes of a case study involving 11 semi-structured interviews with individuals who either have experience and expertise in the use of LE-RPAS or in the provision of healthcare to remote communities in Western Australia. The insights gained from this case study are then synthesised to assess the feasibility of LE-RPAS assisted delivery of medical maggots to those living in such geographically challenging locations. Findings No insuperable challenges to the concept of using LE-RPAS to transport medical maggots were uncovered during this research – rather, those who contributed to the investigations from across the spectrum from operators to users, were highly supportive of the overall concept. Practical implications The paper offers an assessment of the feasibility of the use of LE-RPAS to transport medical maggots. In doing so, it highlights a number of infrastructure and organisational challenges that would need to be overcome to operationalise this concept. Whilst the particular context of the paper relates to the provision of medical support to a remote location of a developed country, the core benefits and challenges that are exposed relate equally to the use of LE-RPAS in a post-disaster response. To this end, the paper offers a high-level route map to support the implementation of the concept. Social implications The paper proposes a novel approach to the efficient and effective provision of medical care to remote Australian communities which, in particular, reduces the need to travel significant distances to obtain treatment. In doing so, it emphasises the importance in gaining acceptance of both the use of MDT and also the operation of RPAS noting that these have previously been employed in a military, as distinct from humanitarian, context. Originality/value The paper demonstrates how the use of LE-RPAS to support remote communities offers the potential to deliver healthcare at reduced cost compared to conventional approaches. The paper also underlines the potential benefits of the use of MDT to address the growing wound burdens in remote communities. Finally, the paper expands on the existing discussion of the use of RPAS to include its capability to act as the delivery mechanism for medical maggots.

Stochastic investigation of graphene structures with efficient polynomial models

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 611-622
Author(s):  
Theodoros Zygiridis ◽  
Stamatis A. Amanatiadis ◽  
Theodosios Karamanos ◽  
Nikolaos V. Kantartzis
Keyword(s):  
Variance Estimation ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Input Parameter ◽  
Computational Cost ◽  
Surface Conductivity ◽  
Statistical Properties ◽  
Reduced Basis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Graphene Layers ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The extraordinary properties of graphene render it ideal for diverse contemporary and future applications. Aiming at the investigation of certain aspects commonly overlooked in pertinent works, the authors study wave-propagation phenomena supported by graphene layers within a stochastic framework, i.e. when uncertainty in various factors affects the graphene’s surface conductivity. Given that the consideration of an increasing number of graphene sheets may increase the stochastic dimensionality of the corresponding problem, efficient surrogates with reasonable computational cost need to be developed. Design/methodology/approach The authors exploit the potential of generalized Polynomial Chaos (PC) expansions and develop low-cost surrogates that enable the efficient extraction of the necessary statistical properties displayed by stochastic graphene-related quantities of interest (QoI). A key step is the incorporation of an initial variance estimation, which unveils the significance of each input parameter and facilitates the selection of the most appropriate basis functions, by favoring anisotropic formulae. In addition, the impact of controlling the allowable input interactions in the expansion terms is investigated, aiming at further PC-basis elimination. Findings The proposed stochastic methodology is assessed via comparisons with reference Monte-Carlo results, and the developed reduced basis models are shown to be sufficiently reliable, being at the same time computationally cheaper than standard PC expansions. In this context, different graphene configurations with varying numbers of random inputs are modeled, and interesting conclusions are drawn regarding their stochastic responses. Originality/value The statistical properties of surface-plasmon polaritons and other QoIs are predicted reliably in diverse graphene configurations, when the surface conductivity displays non-trivial uncertainty levels. The suggested PC methodology features simple implementation and low complexity, yet its performance is not compromised, compared to other standard approaches, and it is shown to be capable of delivering valid results.

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