Jian-jun Yuan, Shuai Wang, Weiwei Wan, Yanxue Liang, Luo Yang and Yifan Liu
The aim of this paper is to implement direct teaching of industrial manipulators using current sensors. The traditional way to implement teaching is either to use a teaching…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to implement direct teaching of industrial manipulators using current sensors. The traditional way to implement teaching is either to use a teaching pedant, which is time consuming, or use force sensors, which increases system cost. To overcome these disadvantages, a novel method is explored in the paper by using current sensors installed at joints as torque observers.
Design/methodology/approach
The method uses current sensors installed at each joint of a manipulator as torque observers and estimates external forces from differences between joint-driven torque computed based on the values of current sensors and commanded values of motor-driven torque. The joint-driven torque is computed by cancelling out both pre-calibrated gravity and friction resistance (compensation). Also, to make the method robust, the paper presents a strategy to detect unexpected slowly drifts and zero external forces and stop the robot in those situations.
Findings
Experimental results demonstrated that compensating the joint torques using both pre-calibrated gravity and friction resistance has performance comparable to a force sensor installed on the end effector of a manipulator. It is possible to implement satisfying direct teaching without using force sensors on 7 degree of freedom manipulators with large mass and friction resistance.
Originality/value
The main contribution of the paper is that the authors cancel out both pre-calibrated gravity and friction resistance to improve the direct teaching using only current sensors; they develop methods to avoid unsafe situations like slow drifts. The method will benefit industrial manipulators, especially those with large mass and friction resistance, to realize flexible and reliable direct teaching.
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Jaclyn Koopmann, Mo Wang, Yihao Liu and Yifan Song
In this chapter, we summarize and build on the current state of the customer mistreatment literature in an effort to further future research on this topic. First, we detail the…
Abstract
In this chapter, we summarize and build on the current state of the customer mistreatment literature in an effort to further future research on this topic. First, we detail the four primary conceptualizations of customer mistreatment. Second, we present a multilevel model of customer mistreatment, which distinguishes between the unfolding processes at the individual employee level and the service encounter level. In particular, we consider the antecedents and outcomes unique to each level of analysis as well as mediators and moderators. Finally, we discuss important methodological concerns and recommendations for future research.
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Yifan Jiao, Qing Liu and Tianzhuo Liu
The relationship between exports and productivity has always been a hot topic for scholars, but no unified conclusions have been made by theory and empirical research so far…
Abstract
Purpose
The relationship between exports and productivity has always been a hot topic for scholars, but no unified conclusions have been made by theory and empirical research so far. There is no denying that the relationship between the two is important though, exploring the factors affecting the relationship can bring much more reflection and inspiration.
Design/methodology/approach
After using stochastic frontier analysis which includes stochastic factors to calculate total factor productivity, this paper makes regressions on the panel data of Chinese manufacturing industries from 2004 to 2013. In addition, it also tests the roles of industry heterogeneity plays in analyzing the relationships between exports and productivity.
Findings
It turns out that in China, exports inhibit the growth of productivity overall, and scale effect is not reflected in the export sector. From the perspective of sub-sectors, exports dampen the productivity significantly in labor-intensive industries, which may be because of low learning ability. In industries with low R&D investment, exports also have significant and negative effects on industry productivity, which is because the R&D capital is not efficient and sufficient to be converted to productivity. In industries with high foreign capital rate, exports prohibit the growth of productivity because of the existence of much processing trade. In industries with low competition pressure, exports hinder the productivity because firms in such industries are possibly not competitive enough to survive in the fierce international market.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, previous research studies did not take the industry heterogeneity into consideration when discussing the effects of exports on productivity. In this paper, cost types, R&D investment, energy consumption efficiency, export destination, foreign investment rate, state-owned ratio, competition pressure and international competitiveness are all discussed in the analysis of export and productivity. This study provides new insights to help understand the mechanism of export and productivity and the conclusions are of rich policy implications.
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Bingjun Li, Shuhua Zhang, Wenyan Li and Yifan Zhang
Grey modeling technique is an important element of grey system theory, and academic articles applied to agricultural science research have been published since 1985, proving the…
Abstract
Purpose
Grey modeling technique is an important element of grey system theory, and academic articles applied to agricultural science research have been published since 1985, proving the broad applicability and effectiveness of the technique from different aspects and providing a new means to solve agricultural science problems. The analysis of the connotation and trend of the application of grey modeling technique in agricultural science research contributes to the enrichment of grey technique and the development of agricultural science in multiple dimensions.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the relevant literature selected from China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Web of Science, SpiScholar and other databases in the past 37 years (1985–2021), this paper firstly applied the bibliometric method to quantitatively visualize and systematically analyze the trend of publication, productive author, productive institution, and highly cited literature. Then, the literature is combed by the application of different grey modeling techniques in agricultural science research, and the literature research progress is systematically analyzed.
Findings
The results show that grey model technology has broad prospects in the field of agricultural science research. Agricultural universities and research institutes are the main research forces in the application of grey model technology in agricultural science research, and have certain inheritance. The application of grey model technology in agricultural science research has wide applicability and precise practicability.
Originality/value
By analyzing and summarizing the application trend of grey model technology in agricultural science research, the research hotspot, research frontier and valuable research directions of grey model technology in agricultural science research can be more clearly grasped.
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Yifan Shi, Yuan Wang, Xiaozhou Liu and Ping Wang
Straightness measurement of rail weld joint is of essential importance to railway maintenance. Due to the lack of efficient measurement equipment, there has been limited in-depth…
Abstract
Purpose
Straightness measurement of rail weld joint is of essential importance to railway maintenance. Due to the lack of efficient measurement equipment, there has been limited in-depth research on rail weld joint with a 5-m wavelength range, leaving a significant knowledge gap in this field.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the authors used the well-established inertial reference method (IR-method), and the state-of-the-art multi-point chord reference method (MCR-method). Two methods have been applied in different types of rail straightness measurement trollies, respectively. These instruments were tested in a high-speed rail section within a certain region of China. The test results were ultimately validated through using traditional straightedge and feeler gauge methods as reference data to evaluate the rail weld joint straightness within the 5-m wavelength range.
Findings
The research reveals that IR-method and MCR-method produce reasonably similar measurement results for wavelengths below 1 m. However, MCR-method outperforms IR-method in terms of accuracy for wavelengths exceeding 3 m. Furthermore, it was observed that IR-method, while operating at a slower speed, carries the risk of derailing and is incapable of detecting rail weld joints and low joints within the track.
Originality/value
The research compare two methods’ measurement effects in a longer wavelength range and demonstrate the superiority of MCR-method.
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Sixing Chen, Jun Kang, Suchi Liu and Yifan Sun
This paper aims to build on the latest advances in cognitive computing techniques to systematically illustrate how unstructured data from users can offer significant value for…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to build on the latest advances in cognitive computing techniques to systematically illustrate how unstructured data from users can offer significant value for co-innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper adopts a general overview approach to understand how unstructured data from users can be analyzed with cognitive computing techniques for innovation. The paper links the computerized techniques with marketing innovation problems with an integrated framework using dynamic capabilities and complexity theory.
Findings
The paper identifies a suite of methodologies for facilitating company co-innovation via engaging with customers and external data with cognitive computing technologies. It helps to expand marketing researchers and practitioners’ understanding of using unstructured data.
Research limitations/implications
This paper provides a conceptual framework that divides co-innovation process into three stages, ideas generation, ideas integration and ideas evaluation, and maps cognitive computing methodologies and technologies to each stage. This paper makes the theoretical contributions by developing propositions from both customer and firm perspectives.
Practical implications
This paper can be used for companies to engage consumers and external data for co-innovation activities by strategically select appropriate cognitive computing techniques to analyze unstructured data for better insights.
Originality/value
Given the lack of systematic discussion regarding what is possible from using cognitive computing to analyze unstructured data for co-innovation. This paper makes first attempt to summarize how unstructured data can be analyzed with cognitive computing techniques. This paper also integrates complexity theory to the framework from a novel perspective.
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Shiqi Liu, Tao Shen, Yuliang Wu, Yang Chen, Yifan Li, Yumeng Tang and Lu Lu
Extant research has paid considerable attention to the effects of enterprise social media (ESM) on employees' work attitudes and outcomes, yet the authors know little about the…
Abstract
Purpose
Extant research has paid considerable attention to the effects of enterprise social media (ESM) on employees' work attitudes and outcomes, yet the authors know little about the influence of job demands arising from the implementation of ESM. Drawing on resource allocation theory, the purpose of this study is to unravel how ESM-related job demands influence employee outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
This study conducts a two-wave time-lagged survey of 223 employees from 53 teams in 14 financial service firms in China to test the conceptual model.
Findings
The findings of this paper indicate that ESM-related job demands have indirect effects on employee outcomes (i.e. job satisfaction and work–family conflict), and emotional exhaustion plays an intermediary role in these relationships. Specifically, ESM-related job demands have a U-shaped effect on emotional exhaustion.
Originality/value
This study combines job demands with ESM research and clarifies the mechanism behind how ESM-related job demands at different intensity affect employee outcomes from a new perspective. Moreover, this study’s findings suggest several beneficial courses of action for managers to take advantage of ESM.
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Feifei Zhao and Yifan Zha
In the era of the digital economy, digital platform capability plays an important role in the process of firm digitization. This study aims to investigate the relationships among…
Abstract
Purpose
In the era of the digital economy, digital platform capability plays an important role in the process of firm digitization. This study aims to investigate the relationships among digital platform capability and innovation performance from the perspective of external knowledge search and resource bricolage.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses the hierarchical regression and bootstrapping methods to test the theoretical framework and research hypotheses. The survey data were collected from 629 Chinese firms.
Findings
This study finds that digital platform capability has a significant positive effect on innovation performance; external knowledge search and resource bricolage both play partial mediating roles between digital platform capability and innovation performance. There exist the serial mediation effects of “digital platform capability – external knowledge search – resource bricolage – innovation performance”.
Originality/value
The conclusion of this study can expand the research on digital platform capability, reveal the internal mechanism of digital platform capability in firm innovation and provide ideas and inspiration for firms to improve innovation performance and realise high-quality development.
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Zhiwei Liu, Jianjun Chen, Yifan Xia and Yao Zheng
Sizing functions are crucial inputs for unstructured mesh generation since they determine the element distributions of resulting meshes to a large extent. Meanwhile, automating…
Abstract
Purpose
Sizing functions are crucial inputs for unstructured mesh generation since they determine the element distributions of resulting meshes to a large extent. Meanwhile, automating the procedure of creating a sizing function is a prerequisite to set up a fully automatic mesh generation pipeline. In this paper, an automatic algorithm is proposed to create a high-quality sizing function for an unstructured surface and volume mesh generation by using a triangular mesh as the background mesh.
Design/methodology/approach
A practically efficient and effective solution is developed by using local operators carefully to re-mesh the tessellation of the input Computer Aided Design (CAD) models. A nonlinear programming (NLP) problem has been formulated to limit the gradient of the sizing function, while in this study, the object function of this NLP is replaced by an analytical equation that predicts the number of elements. For the query of the sizing value, an improved algorithm is developed by using the axis-aligned bounding box (AABB) tree structure.
Findings
The local operations of re-meshing could effectively and efficiently resolve the banding issue caused by using the default tessellation of the model to define a sizing function. Experiments show that the solution of the revised NLP, in most cases, could provide a better solution at the lower cost of computational time. With the help of the AABB tree, the sizing function defined at a surface background mesh can be also used as the input of volume mesh generation.
Originality/value
Theoretical analysis reveals that the construction of the initial sizing function could be reduced to the solution of an optimization problem. The definitions of the banding elements and surface proximity are also given. Under the guidance of this theoretical analysis, re-meshing and ray-casting technologies are well-designed to initial the sizing function. Smoothing with the revised NLP and querying by the AABB tree, the paper provides an automatic method to get a high-quality sizing function for both surface and volume mesh generation.