Manjula Hemapala, Vittorio Belotti, Rinaldo Michelini and Roberto Razzoli
Humanitarian demining is addressed as an engineering‐driven duty, aiming at optimal price/effectiveness figures, joining low‐cost robotics and flexible automation. The mine…
Abstract
Purpose
Humanitarian demining is addressed as an engineering‐driven duty, aiming at optimal price/effectiveness figures, joining low‐cost robotics and flexible automation. The mine sweeping is highly dangerous task, and safety is sought by automatic rigs, with remote steering and control. The small price is achieved with resort to locally available equipment, technology and know‐how.
Design/methodology/approach
The robotic solutions are split at three levels: the mobility enabler, exploiting standard agricultural machinery; the demining outfits, specialising cheap end‐effectors; the robot path planner, exploring reliable remote govern options. The approach aims at the pace‐wise deployment of consistent rigs with assessed productivity and tiny investment.
Findings
The paper explores basic ideas to modify common agricultural machines, placing in front proper effectors and specifying the guidelines needed to choose both carriers and suitable demining tools. The remote command logic of the suggested demining strategy is then outlined, specifying the communication and instrumentation for the case study. Finally, the warning/emergency occurrences management is described.
Practical implications
The ensuing robotic equipment joins the remote‐command abilities, with safe and reliable management of dangerous tasks and emergency healing, to the technological appropriateness (shared know‐how and commitment) and the price tag fitness (on‐place device availability). The final set‐up grants dramatic up‐grading, as compared with the current demining practice.
Originality/value
Unmanned mine‐clearing is presently a sophisticated accomplishment of the industrialised countries' armies. By the prospected methods/fixtures, the technical/economic feasibility of the practice is shown to be practicable in third‐world countries.
Details
Keywords
Vittorio Capocasale, Maria Elena Bruni and Guido Perboli
Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies are increasingly prominent, yet their adoption remains complex. This paper addresses the common misalignment between blockchain…
Abstract
Purpose
Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies are increasingly prominent, yet their adoption remains complex. This paper addresses the common misalignment between blockchain technology and actual needs, often leading to project failure. It introduces a decision-making framework focused on the technological aspects of blockchain adoption.
Design/methodology/approach
We designed the framework by analyzing key decision drivers from existing literature and applied it to a real-world use case in the electric vehicle supply chain. The blockchain solution was tested with live production data.
Findings
Blockchain is beneficial for use cases requiring decentralized governance, but it often needs to be supplemented with additional technologies in industrial applications.
Originality/value
The framework provides a set of managerial-level questions that simplify the decision-making process for those without deep technical expertise, helping determine when blockchain is appropriate, valuable and superior to other technologies.