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Article
Publication date: 3 February 2025

Bo Xu, Xu Li, Haibo Feng and Yili Fu

The purpose of this paper is to design a flying wheel-legged humanoid robot (FWLR), endowing the robot with flight capability to improve the obstacle-crossing ability of the…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to design a flying wheel-legged humanoid robot (FWLR), endowing the robot with flight capability to improve the obstacle-crossing ability of the wheel-legged humanoid robot. A flight control method using thrust-vector-control (TVC) under constant thrust strength is proposed, which reduces the performance requirements on the response speed of thrusters.

Design/methodology/approach

To endow the robot with flight capability, three sets of thrusters are installed at the robot’s back and two arm ends to provide flight lift and the direction of thrust can be changed through the arm swing. According to the robot configuration, this paper established a linearized dynamic model and proposed a constant-strength-thrust-vector-control (CSTVC) framework enabling the robot to achieve flight without thrust intensity change.

Findings

With the proposed modeling method and CSTVC framework, FWLR can inhibit attitude and position drift during takeoff and hovering, and has certain adaptability to takeoff attitude. Finally, FWLR reached a flying height up to 1 m under a 30 kg large self-weight with fixed thrust strength.

Originality/value

The design, modeling and flight control method proposed in this paper enables a human-sized wheel-legged humanoid robot to achieve takeoff and hovering for the first time. The movement range of wheel-legged humanoid robot is extended to the air, thereby enhancing its application value in emergency tasks such as disaster search-and-rescue.

Details

Industrial Robot: the international journal of robotics research and application, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 December 2024

Bo Hu, Heng Zhou, Yubao Gui, Peng Zhai, Lihua Zhang and Zhiyan Dong

This paper aims to design a novel hybrid terrestrial-aerial robot, FlyingDog, including its modeling and implementation. By combining the complementary advantages of a quadrotor…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to design a novel hybrid terrestrial-aerial robot, FlyingDog, including its modeling and implementation. By combining the complementary advantages of a quadrotor drone and a quadruped robot, FlyingDog demonstrates excellent maneuverability and high energy efficiency, showcasing great potential for applications in industrial inspection, field exploration, and search and rescue operations.

Design/methodology/approach

By integrating propellers and leg mechanisms, FlyingDog achieves hybrid motion, encompassing both aerial flight and ground movement. This paper first provides an overview of the robot’s structural design, emphasizing the minimization of interactions between the aerial and ground mechanisms while balancing the thrust-to-weight ratio and payload capacity. A distributed control framework is then proposed to achieve the hybrid motion, alongside the development of corresponding control strategies to ensure stability during various movements.

Findings

Experiments conducted in real-world conditions validated FlyingDog’s performance in terms of motion stability, energy efficiency, and obstacle-crossing ability. The results demonstrate that FlyingDog exhibits outstanding mobility by combining ground locomotion with aerial flight capabilities, allowing it to overcome challenging obstacles in purely ground-based mode. In ground mode, the robot achieved an energy efficiency of up to 93.5%.

Originality/value

The hybrid terrestrial-aerial robot presented in this paper features stable land and aerial mobility, a lightweight structure, high energy efficiency, and low manufacturing costs, making it a valuable innovation in the field of robotics.

Details

Industrial Robot: the international journal of robotics research and application, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 December 2024

Mathew James Collier and David Sarpong

We explore the intersection of Catholic social teaching (CST) and entrepreneurship studies which has seemingly evaded scholars’ attention.

Abstract

Purpose

We explore the intersection of Catholic social teaching (CST) and entrepreneurship studies which has seemingly evaded scholars’ attention.

Design/methodology/approach

We integrate and expand upon prior work to explicate an integrative framework for examining CST and entrepreneurship studies.

Findings

We articulate the mechanisms through which CST and entrepreneurship studies may extend our understanding of the economic paradigm of entrepreneurship studies.

Originality/value

We explicate the economic paradigm of entrepreneurship studies and present the key reasons for Catholicism’s and CST’s exclusion to demonstrate why this is unjustified. Beyond expounding what we mean by CST, we extend the economic paradigm by an application to show why the economic paradigm is flawed and call for more CST-focussed entrepreneurship studies.

Details

Journal of Strategy and Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-425X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 June 2024

Stephanie Bilderback

This paper explores the critical role of employee development programs (EDPs) in preventing workplace suicides, as underscored by 2019 statistics from the US Department of Labor…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper explores the critical role of employee development programs (EDPs) in preventing workplace suicides, as underscored by 2019 statistics from the US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. It identifies various industries with elevated suicide rates. It considers both work-related stressors, like fear of failure and autonomy loss, and external factors, like family or financial issues, as contributing factors. The paper advocates for EDPs to enhance employee-organization relationships, promoting engagement and positive change. Through skills training, coaching and job enrichment, EDPs intend to address employee concerns, offering support and contributing to suicide prevention.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper examines the role of EDPs in preventing employee suicides, a concern highlighted by the US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics data on rising suicide rates. It uses the interpersonal theory of suicide to underline the urgency of addressing this global issue empirically. The paper proposes that EDPs, through skills training, coaching and job enrichment, can tackle underlying job satisfaction issues, fostering positive organizational change and enhancing employee well-being. It advocates for EDPs as a means to not only improve workplace dynamics but also potentially save lives.

Findings

This study finds that EDPs are vital in preventing suicides in organizational settings. EDPs address factors affecting job satisfaction and mental well-being, potentially leading to suicidal behavior. These programs enhance employee engagement and motivation by incorporating skill training, coaching and job enrichment. The study emphasizes the need for EDPs to promote positive organizational change and to improve employee well-being, thereby contributing to suicide prevention and fostering healthier employer-employee relationships, leading to broader social and mental health benefits.

Originality/value

This paper’s novelty stems from its exploration of EDPs as a strategy for preventing employee suicide. It offers a unique perspective by linking EDPs to suicide prevention, focusing on enhancing job satisfaction and mental well-being. Using the interpersonal theory of suicide, the paper not only underscores the global importance of suicide but also identifies high-risk occupations. It argues for EDPs as a proactive measure in organizations, presenting a new approach to employee suicide prevention with broad implications for organizational practices and employee welfare worldwide.

Details

International Journal of Organizational Analysis, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1934-8835

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 November 2024

Poh Ling Tan, Fandy Tjiptono and Ser Zian Tan

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is characterized by anxiety over potentially missed experiences, while Joy of Missing Out (JOMO) embraces contentment in opting out of social…

Abstract

Purpose

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is characterized by anxiety over potentially missed experiences, while Joy of Missing Out (JOMO) embraces contentment in opting out of social engagements. Drawing on cognitive appraisal theory, this study aims to investigate how FOMO and JOMO appeals influence pride, gratitude and purchase intention while considering the impacts of age and social comparison orientation.

Design/methodology/approach

Three experiments examined the impact of FOMO (Study 1), JOMO (Study 2), and comparison between FOMO and JOMO (Study 3) on pride, gratitude and purchase intention. Moderated-moderated mediation models were also tested to assess the roles of age and social comparison orientation (SCO).

Findings

FOMO appeals tend to boost feelings of pride, while JOMO appeals promote gratitude, both of which result in a higher likelihood of making a purchase. The effect of FOMO appeal on purchase intention via pride is stronger among younger consumers with high SCO. In contrast, the impact of JOMO appeal on purchase intention via gratitude is higher among older consumers with low SCO.

Practical implications

Understanding the nuances of different advertising appeals and their effect on consumer emotions (e.g. pride and gratitude) and purchase intention can inform marketers and advertising agencies in crafting more targeted and effective advertising campaigns that resonate with diverse consumer segments.

Originality/value

This study adds to the consumer emotion literature and generational research by emphasizing the role of emotions and age in shaping consumer responses to advertisements.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-5855

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 November 2024

Anne-Lise Knox Velez, Joseph Daniel and McKenna Magoffin

We assess changes that have taken place in organizational structure, governance structure and professional approach to U.S. nonprofit preservation from 2010 to 2020. This research…

Abstract

Purpose

We assess changes that have taken place in organizational structure, governance structure and professional approach to U.S. nonprofit preservation from 2010 to 2020. This research contributes to our understanding of pressures shaping organizational capacity of cultural and historic preservation nonprofits in the U.S., focusing on changes in ecological influences at the national and regional level through the lenses of institutional theory and regionalism.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for this study are from an online survey of 75 cultural and historic preservation nonprofit organizations in the United States. The survey was developed based on previous interview research, and respondents were asked scaled and open-ended questions regarding the scope of their work and organizational capacity.

Findings

These data show resource preservation has shifted focus somewhat from individual, private sites to commercial or public buildings and districts. We also noted changes in professional approaches to preservation around engagement in disaster planning and the emergence of social justice as a focus area. Collectively, changes in preservation have implications for representation, public understanding of history and regional identities across the U.S., as well as for the way we understand changes in subfields or like groups of organizations within a larger population of organizations.

Originality/value

This study builds on previous research on the scope and capacity within the U.S. nonprofit cultural and historic preservation, including demonstrating a growing focus on social justice issues within the subsector. It contributes to institutional research on changes in subfields resulting from changes in external pressures and in culture. There are clear practical implications for practitioners seeking to understand the capacities and values in other organizations undertaking similar work. As preservation and cultural understanding of what is worth preserving and promoting changes, society can benefit by understanding current practitioner approaches and encouraging community–practitioner interactions.

Details

Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-1266

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 July 2024

Fanantenana Raholiarimanana and Akira Ishida

 Social assistance programs have been implemented in Madagascar to assist the most vulnerable and neediest poor in achieving a minimum standard of living during critical times. In…

Abstract

Purpose

 Social assistance programs have been implemented in Madagascar to assist the most vulnerable and neediest poor in achieving a minimum standard of living during critical times. In the Grand South and Southeast Madagascar, where climate change, price fluctuations and sociopolitical instability threaten the population’s livelihood, the effectiveness of such aid-based programs is uncertain because of possible mistargeting. This study aims to assess the accuracy of the targeting methodology of four different types of social protection programs in Southern Madagascar.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors draw evidence from a national representative data set and use multiple techniques that integrate targeting performance and regression-based analyses.

Findings

Results show that cash transfers constitute the only program that effectively reaches the poorest 20% living in drought- and cyclone-affected regions. However, mistargeting is likely to occur in food, seed transfers, and the HIMO public works programs. Social inclusion information related to proximity to urban zones, religious affiliation, and number of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets are significantly associated to all program participation. Nevertheless, a serious under-coverage of the eligible poor is noted for Southern Madagascar.

Originality/value

This study is among the first to evaluate the targeting effectiveness of social programs in Madagascar. It introduces a novel approach to evaluating the poverty rate by utilizing a composite-based wealth score. The authors enhance the classic targeting assessment methodology by incorporating geospatial covariates, categorical, geographical and social network information into an econometric model. The study provides a comprehensive view of the main profile of beneficiaries reached by four social assistance programs in Southern Madagascar.

Details

International Journal of Development Issues, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1446-8956

Keywords

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