Yipeng Zhu, Tao Wang and Shiqiang Zhu
This paper aims to develop a robust person tracking method for human following robots. The tracking system adopts the multimodal fusion results of millimeter wave (MMW) radars and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to develop a robust person tracking method for human following robots. The tracking system adopts the multimodal fusion results of millimeter wave (MMW) radars and monocular cameras for perception. A prototype of human following robot is developed and evaluated by using the proposed tracking system.
Design/methodology/approach
Limited by angular resolution, point clouds from MMW radars are too sparse to form features for human detection. Monocular cameras can provide semantic information for objects in view, but cannot provide spatial locations. Considering the complementarity of the two sensors, a sensor fusion algorithm based on multimodal data combination is proposed to identify and localize the target person under challenging conditions. In addition, a closed-loop controller is designed for the robot to follow the target person with expected distance.
Findings
A series of experiments under different circumstances are carried out to validate the fusion-based tracking method. Experimental results show that the average tracking errors are around 0.1 m. It is also found that the robot can handle different situations and overcome short-term interference, continually track and follow the target person.
Originality/value
This paper proposed a robust tracking system with the fusion of MMW radars and cameras. Interference such as occlusion and overlapping are well handled with the help of the velocity information from the radars. Compared to other state-of-the-art plans, the sensor fusion method is cost-effective and requires no additional tags with people. Its stable performance shows good application prospects in human following robots.
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Shiyuan Yang, Debiao Meng, Yipeng Guo, Peng Nie and Abilio M.P. de Jesus
In order to solve the problems faced by First Order Reliability Method (FORM) and First Order Saddlepoint Approximation (FOSA) in structural reliability optimization, this paper…
Abstract
Purpose
In order to solve the problems faced by First Order Reliability Method (FORM) and First Order Saddlepoint Approximation (FOSA) in structural reliability optimization, this paper aims to propose a new Reliability-based Design Optimization (RBDO) strategy for offshore engineering structures based on Original Probabilistic Model (OPM) decoupling strategy. The application of this innovative technique to other maritime structures has the potential to substantially improve their design process by optimizing cost and enhancing structural reliability.
Design/methodology/approach
In the strategy proposed by this paper, sequential optimization and reliability assessment method and surrogate model are used to improve the efficiency for solving RBDO. The strategy is applied to the analysis of two marine engineering structure cases of ship cargo hold structure and frame ring of underwater skirt pile gripper. The effectiveness of the method is proved by comparing the original design and the optimized results.
Findings
In this paper, the proposed new RBDO strategy is used to optimize the design of the ship cargo hold structure and the frame ring of the underwater skirt pile gripper. According to the results obtained, compared with the original design, the structure of optimization design has better reliability and stability, and reduces the risk of failure. This optimization can also better balance the relationship between performance and cost. Therefore, it is recommended for related RBDO problems in the field of marine engineering.
Originality/value
In view of the limitations of FORM and FOSA that may produce multiple MPPs for a single performance function, the new RBDO strategy proposed in this study provides valuable insights and robust methods for the optimization design of offshore engineering structures. It emphasizes the importance of combining advanced MPP search technology and integrating SORA and surrogate models to achieve more economical and reliable design.
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Debiao Meng, Shiyuan Yang, Chao He, Hongtao Wang, Zhiyuan Lv, Yipeng Guo and Peng Nie
As an advanced calculation methodology, reliability-based multidisciplinary design optimization (RBMDO) has been widely acknowledged for the design problems of modern complex…
Abstract
Purpose
As an advanced calculation methodology, reliability-based multidisciplinary design optimization (RBMDO) has been widely acknowledged for the design problems of modern complex engineering systems, not only because of the accurate evaluation of the impact of uncertain factors but also the relatively good balance between economy and safety of performance. However, with the increasing complexity of engineering technology, the proposed RBMDO method gradually cannot effectively solve the higher nonlinear coupled multidisciplinary uncertainty design optimization problems, which limits the engineering application of RBMDO. Many valuable works have been done in the RBMDO field in recent decades to tackle the above challenges. This study is to review these studies systematically, highlight the research opportunities and challenges, and attempt to guide future research efforts.
Design/methodology/approach
This study presents a comprehensive review of the RBMDO theory, mainly including the reliability analysis methods of different uncertainties and the decoupling strategies of RBMDO.
Findings
First, the multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) preliminaries are given. The basic MDO concepts and the corresponding mathematical formulas are illustrated. Then, the procedures of three RBMDO methods with different reliability analysis strategies are introduced in detail. These RBMDO methods were proposed for the design optimization problems under different uncertainty types. Furtherly, an optimization problem for a certain operating condition of a turbine runner blade is introduced to illustrate the engineering application of the above method. Finally, three aspects of future challenges for RBMDO, namely, time-varying uncertainty analysis; high-precision surrogate models, and verification, validation and accreditation (VVA) for the model, are discussed followed by the conclusion.
Originality/value
The scope of this study is to introduce the RBMDO theory systematically. Three commonly used RBMDO-SORA methods are reviewed comprehensively, including the methods' general procedures and mathematical models.
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Francesco Caputo, Valentina Cillo, Elena Candelo and Yipeng Liu
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relations among soft skill, information technologies and Big Data for building a possible bridge able to link human and technology…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relations among soft skill, information technologies and Big Data for building a possible bridge able to link human and technology dimensions for increasing firm performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the Business-focused Inventory of Personality , work personality of 4,758 human resources engaged in 72 high-tech European firms has been analyzed and its relations with firms’ investment in Big Data and firms’ economic performance have been tested using the structural equation modeling (SEM).
Findings
The research shows the existence of strong relations between some elements of human resources’ personality such as the work motivation and the social competencies and the firms’ economic performance. At the same time, the research clarifies the mediated effect of firms’ investment in Big Data in the relations between human resources’ organizational behavior and the firms’ economic performance.
Originality/value
The paper extends previous managerial contributions about Big Data management and human resource management providing evidence on which build more effective managerial models in the era of digital transformation.
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As the developing nations grow and experience rapid institutional transformation, research has begun to investigate the roles of culture, cognition and institutional context on…
Abstract
As the developing nations grow and experience rapid institutional transformation, research has begun to investigate the roles of culture, cognition and institutional context on entrepreneurship and innovation. This chapter aims to advance the entrepreneurial cognition literature by juxtaposing entrepreneurial effectuation, domain-specific expertise and ambiguity. By conducting a qualitative study of Chinese high-tech domestic and returnee entrepreneurs, the authors propose a spectrum between causation and effectuation and argue that the entrepreneur’s perceived level of ambiguity may better explain differing logic orientations among entrepreneurs, contributing to our understanding of entrepreneurial cognition. The authors theorize that (1) individual actors and the level of institutional development jointly comprise the entrepreneur’s logic orientation; (2) the level of perceived ambiguity mediates the strategy adopted by high-tech entrepreneurs; (3) the entrepreneur’s logic orientation can be regarded as a continual spectrum from effectuation to causation. Finally, the logic orientation concept is applied to the context of cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&A) from a process perspective and the implications and fit of logic orientation with the stages of cross-border M&A are discussed.
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Yipeng Liu, Yijun Xing and Mark Starik
Purpose – As a well-recognized qualitative research method, storytelling can help to explain the multilevel and dynamic perspectives in management studies. The authors…
Abstract
Purpose – As a well-recognized qualitative research method, storytelling can help to explain the multilevel and dynamic perspectives in management studies. The authors purposefully chose sustainability stories in the Western context, leadership stories in the Eastern context, and entrepreneurship stories in the West-meets-East context to highlight the benefits of using storytelling in conducting strategy and management research.
Design/Method/Approach – Qualitative research, field research, and comparative analysis.
Findings – Looking through cultural and philosophical lenses, the authors argue that scholars need to pay attention to research contexts when applying storytelling in their fieldwork. Storytelling can help to unpack the contextual factors, especially to disclose dynamics and complexity issues of strategic management phenomena.
Research implications – While storytelling has been widely used in the Western management context, the authors believe we are among the first to suggest that storytelling can become an insightful and fruitful research method in Eastern management and in combined cultural contexts, and hence, they are attempting to potentially help to advance theory development.
Originality/Value – Two applicable conditions for storytelling are discussed, namely, the multilevel/systems perspective and the dynamic perspective, which are illustrated by sustainability, leadership, and entrepreneurship research in both Western and Eastern contexts.
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Shaonan Shan, Yipeng Song, Chunjuan Wang and Wenyan Ji
Through the study, we identified four effective paths to improve governance performance and also found the key direction for future research on digital twin urban implementation…
Abstract
Purpose
Through the study, we identified four effective paths to improve governance performance and also found the key direction for future research on digital twin urban implementation of public crisis governance, i.e. how to find a balance between the cost and the effectiveness of governance.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 22 urban public emergencies were selected based on key influencing factors, and four action paths to improve the performance of public crisis governance in digital twin cities were obtained using a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis model.
Findings
This paper identified digital twin technologies in urban public crisis governance, analyzed the key factors of public crisis governance in the digital twin city and proposed a path of action to improve the performance of public crisis governance in digital twin cities.
Originality/value
This study focuses on the influencing factors of public crisis governance in digital twin cities and the action paths to promote improved governance performance.
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Abstract
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Akanksha Jain, Smita Kashiramka and Sonali Jain
The purpose of this study is to present the overall trend and dynamics in global mergers and acquisitions activity while suggesting future research avenues in this domain. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to present the overall trend and dynamics in global mergers and acquisitions activity while suggesting future research avenues in this domain. The analysis covers two aspects to examine the main contours of the domain, that is performance analysis followed by thematic cluster analysis.
Design/methodology/approach
Bibliometric analysis has been used for examining 1,433 publications extracted from the Scopus database to identify the research trend between 2000 and 2021. With the help of VosViewer (a bibliometric software), bibliographic coupling, citation, co-authorship, keyword and network analysis have been carried out.
Findings
The analysis reveals that most of the research on cross-border mergers and acquisitions (CBMA) is concentrated in the context of developed markets, USA and UK being the largest. Most of the research till date is confined to wealth effects, value creation, corporate governance, socio-cultural aspects and various determinants of CBMA, all from the standpoint of the acquirer.
Practical implications
The present study highlights numerous opportunities for future research based on empirical analysis. There exists a dearth of studies around CBMA in the context of emerging nations which provides a relatively unexplored field to carry out research work.
Originality/value
The study makes use of a comprehensive list of keywords to have an extensive analysis. This is a pioneering study that has used bibliographic coupling of documents for content analysis and to the best of authors’ knowledge, no previous works on cross-border acquisitions have performed bibliographic coupling for this.