Special Issue on Rescue Robots

2003 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 473-473
Author(s):  
Koichi Osuka ◽  
Satoshi Tadokoro
Keyword(s):  
Great Earthquake ◽  
Main Stream ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
National Project ◽  
Urban Disaster ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Rescue Robots ◽  
Human Operators ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Many

This special issue brings together the many achievements on rescue robots development beginning after the Hanshin-Awaji Great Earthquake in Kobe. The earthquake that laid waste to most of Kobe, Seattle’s sister city, early on the morning of January 17, 1995, was a wakeup warning to robotics researchers who realized that the potential of their studies had not been realized in its greatest and most challenging arena – a disastrous earthquake where robots and similar strategies could have rescued people in situations where no other help or support was possible. Japanese robotics researchers set up academic working groups to study and promote such R&D. The national project involving key next-generation urban disaster prevention technologies includes the subtheme of rescue robots, with robotics researchers introducing concrete achievements. A Japanese national project had never used the term of rescue robots before then. Rescue robots range from simple instruments powered by human operators to intelligent machines able to operate virtually on their own. Some advanced rescue robots have built-in prime motive power and others use the latest in artificial intelligence. This special issue brings to readers a dozen articles introducing the many and varied achievements by Japanese robotics researchers covering a wide range of rescue robots. With this field poised to enter the main stream, these robots are close to practical application, and knowledge of their capabilities is essential to those able to utilize this latest technology in their current and future re search. This issue is a must to all who are interested in exploring the new world of robot rescue.

Special Issue on “What can We do for Developing Search and Rescue Robot?”

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 435-435
Author(s):  
Koichi Osuka
Keyword(s):  
Research And Development ◽  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Response System ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Response Systems ◽  
Rescue Robots

As a disaster-prone country, Japan has endured many earthquake disasters. The latest cases include the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake disaster, the 2004 Niigata Chuetsu earthquake, and the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake. Since the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake in particular, many robot researchers have started undertaking the research and development of rescue robots. Their practical applications have a long way to go, so to continue ongoing robot research and development, we should also be aware that comparatively few researchers and engineers are actually engaged in such research and development. Great earthquakes (or tsunami) are both rare and unpredictable, which makes it very difficult to establish research policies for rescue robots intended for specialized use in disaster response. We should also realize that Japan is almost constantly hit by one or another every year – e.g., the typhoons that hit Japan directly every year and themselves triggering other disasters caused by landslides or avalanches due to heavy rainfall. The Japanese populace is so accustomed to such happenings but, nevertheless, few actions have been taken unlike those against large-scale earthquakes. It is often said that an effective disaster response system can only be developed after we have experienced many actual disasters. It then occurs to us that we must first construct disaster response systems – rescue robots, etc. – directly targeting daily natural disasters. Any large-scale disaster response system can be built on such constant efforts. On the other hand, any disaster response system against daily natural disasters could only be developed by locally domiciled researchers and engineers. This makes us feel that it is possible to increase the number of personnel who become involved in disaster response research and development. Based on the above context, this special issue provides a wide range of articles on region-specific disasters and disaster response actions, focusing on their localities and specialties. We sincerely hope that this special issue will help in promoting research and development on rescue robots and putting them to practical use.

scholarly journals Discussion to the special issue: Supporting the transition of a diversity of students: Developing the “whole student” during and beyond their time at higher education.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 170-178
Author(s):  
Jacques Van der Meer
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
Student Diversity ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
The South ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The World ◽  
The Many

Apart from the current Covid19 context, the higher education sectors across the world have been faced with major challenges over the last few decades (Auerbach et al., 2018; Haggis, 2004), including increased numbers and diversity. Considering the many challenges in higher education, especially the rise of students’ mental health issues, I am strongly convinced that education sectors, but in particular the higher education sector, have a societal responsibility to not just focus on students as learners of knowledge and/or professional skills, but to support them in being developed as “whole students”. All these challenges also raise a need for research into the broader context to identify how we can better support the diverse student population as they transition into higher education, but also how to prepare them for a positive experience during and beyond their time in higher education. Overall, it can be said that the contributions to this special issue beneficially addressed some of the main foci to widening the perspectives on diversity related to the transition into higher education. The contribution came from different European countries, including Belgium, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom. De Clercq et al. (in this special issue) indicated that environmental characteristics, such as distinctiveness of countries, is often overlooked in research. In this discussion article, therefore, some particular references will also be made to a specific country, New Zealand. This may be of interest and relevant for the particular questions raised in this special issue as focusing on student diversity in educational contexts has been considered important for some time in this country. Aoteraroa New Zealand is a country in the South Pacific colonised by Europeans in the 19th century. In the second part of the 20th century, the focus across the New Zealand education sectors, including higher education, started to develop beyond just a European perspective, and started to focus more on recognition of student diversity. Initially, the main focus was on the indigenous population, the Māori people. In the last few decades of the 20th century, the focus was extended to the Pacific Island people, many of whom migrated to New Zealand from a wide range of different islands in the South Pacific. In the 21st century, the focus on Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) groups was further extended, and over the last decade also because of the increase of refugees from the Middle East and Asia. Providing some insights from the other end of the world, in quite a different and de-colonised ex-European nation may help European (and other) countries to reflect on their own approaches.

SPECIAL ISSUE ON INNOVATION AND APPLICATION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING GUEST EDITORIAL

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. ix-ix
Author(s):  
Wen-Hsiang Hsieh
Keyword(s):  
Peer Review ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Technology Innovation ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Industrial Applications ◽  
Canadian Society ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Mechanical Products ◽  
The Many

Machines make all industrial artifacts and mechanical products in the world. In this 21th century, people enjoy mechanical products that made lives well and convenient. However, creating a useful mechanical product mainly relies on academic development and technology innovation especially in the field of mechanical engineering. This special issue focuses on the innovation and application of mechanical engineering, which covers a wide range of fundamental studies, technical innovation, and industrial applications by applying the knowledge of mechanical-related approaches, processes and techniques. It presents 33 selected papers (Part 1) from the 3rd International Conference on Engineering and Technology Innovation (ICETI 2014) which was held from October 31 to November 4, 2014, in Kenting, Taiwan. These selected papers underwent a complete Transactions of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering peer-review. Acceptance in this special issue was based on completion of the reviewers recommended and mandatory changes and final examination by the Guest Editor. We thank all of the authors who have submitted their work for publication in this special issue. We are also grateful to the many reviewers that provided their time and expertise in providing valuable peer review. Special thanks also go to Professor Paul J. Zsombor-Murray, Editor of Transactions of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering, who had the foresight to support a special issue in this research area. This special issue is expected to be a core issue for academic researches and industrial engineers in the mechanical engineering field.

Paper 9: A Rotating Cylinder Viscometer for Measurement at Elevated Temperature and Pressure

1965 ◽  
Vol 180 (10) ◽  
pp. 153-162
Author(s):  
J. Wonham
Keyword(s):  
High Pressures ◽  
Rotating Cylinder ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
New Instrument ◽  
Temperature And Pressure ◽  
Major Alteration ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Many ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Cylinder Viscometer

This paper records some of the recent experimental methods used to determine the viscosity of water. In drawing attention to the many techniques used (most relying upon calibration of the instrument by a fluid of known viscosity), the conclusion may be drawn that an absolute instrument is required which will produce results over a wide range of temperature and pressure. It has long been known that the rotating cylinder viscometer is capable of a high degree of accuracy, but technical considerations have, in the past, restrained most workers from pursuing this method at high pressures. Progress in the development of the rotating cylinder instrument for these conditions is described and specific problems encountered with this method are discussed. This work is a continuation of the design studies of Kjelland-Fosterud (1)† and Whitelaw (2) who both gave considerable thought to the problems associated with this type of instrument. The first instrument to be tested by the author was based on Whitelaw's design but it was found that certain aspects of this instrument required major alteration. A new instrument was set up and has been found suitable for accurate viscosity determination.

Special Issue on the Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster: Part IV

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (sp) ◽  
pp. 709-709
Author(s):  
Katsuki Takiguchi
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Pacific Coast ◽  
Current Issue ◽  
Great East Japan Earthquake ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Earthquake Disaster ◽  
Kanto Earthquake ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Many

The basic policy of the Journal of Disaster Research (JDR), as a multidisciplinary academicjournal, is to cover all types of disasters ? except for war ? through a broad comprehensive perspective. Since its inaugural issue in August 2006, the JDR has been published bimonthly,with six issues a year. 2015 marks the tenth year since the JDRfs first issue. Among the many events happening during this decade is the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster which was induced by the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake.This event had two major features ? that the tsunami accompanying the earthquake caused the main damage and that it triggered a nuclear hazard accident at a nuclear power plant. The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster was a unprecedented earthquake disaster called catastrophic hazard following two others ? the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake Disasterthat leveled Tokyo and the 1995 Hanshin Awaji Earthquake Disaster that destroyed parts of Osaka and Kobe. In view of this catastrophic hazardfs scale, the JDR decided to publish special annual issues on the Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster for five years since 2012 in addition to its regularissues. No publication fee was charged to contributors and support was asked from corporations. Papers on the special issues are published mainly online as an e-journal though printed editions are published for archival purposes. The current issue is the fourth of these special issues, and contributors have covered the 2011 disaster from many a wide range of perspectives. 21 papers were submitted and 8 papers are accepted for publication after peer review. The editors are confident that, like the previous three issues, this issue fully measure up to the quality that was expected for the special issue. I wish to express my gratitude to the contributors and reviewers and to thank corporations for their invaluable support.

Special Issue on the First World Bosai Forum

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1233-1233
Author(s):  
Fumihiko Imamura ◽  
Yuichi Ono ◽  
Daisuke Sasaki
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Disaster Reduction ◽  
Urban Disaster ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approaches ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The World ◽  
Urban Safety ◽  
First World

The World Bosai Forum was held at the Sendai International Center and Kawauchi Hagi Hall, Tohoku University, bringing together 947 participants from over 42 countries. This was nearly double the number of participants that we had initially expected. Proactive and meaningful discussions were held by a wide range of officials and experts from domestic and overseas industries, governments, academia, and private sectors, as well as by local citizens. From our partnership with the Asian Conference on Urban Disaster Reduction (ACUDR) and International Symposium on New Technologies for Urban Safety of Mega Cities in Asia (USMCA), we had a total of 126 participants. We successfully created a platform for building international cooperation to share and resolve the current situation and handle various challenges for Bosai or disaster risk reduction. Practical and effective discussions have contributed to raising and promoting awareness of Bosai and the Sendai Framework 2015–2030 to the world from Sendai. Our first World Bosai Forum was concluded with productive outcomes, and its future meetings will be held every 2 years. The guest editors of this special issue are pleased to publish valuable academic papers presented at the first World Bosai Forum. As you may notice, this research stems from a wide variety of current issues. The nature of interdisciplinary approaches may be unique to the World Bosai Forum, and the guest editors hope that this special issue will contribute to enhanced recognition of the Forum.

Belgium

2010 ◽  
pp. 156-164
Author(s):  
Kathy Belpaeme ◽  
Hannelore Maelfait
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Zone Management ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Digital Information ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Zone Management ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Intention To Move ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Many

The Belgian Coastal Atlas was published as a book in 2004, triggered by reporting obligations regarding Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) for the European Commission on the state of the Belgian coast. Initially there was no intention to move towards a web version. The many enquiries for digital information and interactive maps led to the development of a web based atlas in 2005. This chapter describes the content and set-up of the Belgian coastal atlas, which is quite different from other online atlases. The usage statistics and the success of the atlas are analyzed. Future directions for the atlas are discussed and the possibility to link the atlas to coastal sustainability indicators is considered. The Belgian atlas should develop towards a policy support tool, supporting the ICZM process for a wide range of coastal actors, planners and managers.

Codes and Codings in Crisis

2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 3-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Mackenzie ◽  
Theo Vurdubakis
Keyword(s):  
Urban Life ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Will To Power ◽  
Highway Engineering ◽  
Contemporary World ◽  
Neoliberal Capitalism ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Will ◽  
The Many ◽  
And Control

The connections between forms of code and coding and the many crises that currently afflict the contemporary world run deep. Code and crisis in our time mutually define, and seemingly prolong, each other in ‘infinite branching graphs’ of decision problems. There is a growing academic literature that investigates digital code and software from a wide range of perspectives –power, subjectivity, governmentality, urban life, surveillance and control, biopolitics or neoliberal capitalism. The various strands in this literature are reflected in the papers that comprise this special issue. They address topics ranging from social networks, mass media, financial markets and academic plagiarism to highway engineering in relation to the dynamics and diversity of crises. Against this backdrop, the purpose of this essay is to highlight and explore some of the underlying themes connecting codes and codings and the production and apprehension of ‘crisis’. We analyse how the ever-increasing intermediation of contemporary life by codes of various kinds has been closely shadowed by a proliferation of crises. We discuss three related aspects of the coupling of code and crisis (signification, performativity and excess) running across these seemingly diverse topics. We and the other contributors in this special issue seek to go beyond the restricted (and often restricting) understanding of code as the language of machines. Rather, we view code qua programs and algorithms as epitomizing a much broader phenomenon. The codes that we live, and that we live by, also tell us about the ways in which the ‘will to power’ and the 'will to knowledge' tend to be enacted in the contemporary world.

Applications of robotics in test and inspection

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Bogue
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Industrial Test ◽  
Green Energy ◽  
Rapid Testing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Manual Methods ◽  
Human Operators ◽  
The Many

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight on the use of robots in a range of industrial test and inspection applications. Design/methodology/approach Following a brief introduction, this discusses robotic test and inspection products and practices in the following applications: pipelines, storage tanks, bridges, marine uses, green energy generation and aerospace. Finally, concluding comments are drawn. Findings This shows that robotic test and inspection practices are being used in a wide range of applications across a diversity of industries. This reflects the many operational and economic benefits arising from their use which include the ability to automate certain laborious manual methods; operation in hazardous locations; uses in inaccessible environments such as within pipelines; the ability to deploy several different techniques simultaneously and thus detect multiple potential defects; reduced workforce costs; and, very often, more rapid testing and greater data acquisition rates than are possible with human operators. Originality/value This illustrates the increasingly important role played by robotic technologies in industrial test and inspection practices.

The Many Pasts of Detective Fiction

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-172
Author(s):  
Thomas Leitch
Keyword(s):  
Detective Fiction ◽  
Golden Age ◽  
Public History ◽  
Detective Novel ◽  
Sherlock Holmes ◽  
Detective Story ◽  
The Past ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Detective Novels ◽  
The Many

Building on Tzvetan Todorov's observation that the detective novel ‘contains not one but two stories: the story of the crime and the story of the investigation’, this essay argues that detective novels display a remarkably wide range of attitudes toward the several pasts they represent: the pasts of the crime, the community, the criminal, the detective, and public history. It traces a series of defining shifts in these attitudes through the evolution of five distinct subgenres of detective fiction: exploits of a Great Detective like Sherlock Holmes, Golden Age whodunits that pose as intellectual puzzles to be solved, hardboiled stories that invoke a distant past that the present both breaks with and echoes, police procedurals that unfold in an indefinitely extended present, and historical mysteries that nostalgically fetishize the past. It concludes with a brief consideration of genre readers’ own ambivalent phenomenological investment in the past, present, and future each detective story projects.

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