Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Effect Of Tactile Feedback On Performance, Darren Paul Wilson

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Humans interact with their environment by obtaining information from various modalities of sensing. These various modalities of sensing combine to facilitate manipulation and interaction with objects and the environment. The way humans interact with computers mirrors this environmental interaction with the absence of feedback from the tactile channel. The majority of computer operation is completed visually because currently, the primary feedback humans receive from computers is through the eyes. This strong dependence on the visual modality can cause visual fatigue and fixation on displays, resulting in errors and a decrease in performance. Distributing tasks and information across sensory modalities could …

Effects Of Handedness On Completion Time During Performance Of Multiple Tasks Using “Proper” And “Improper” Tools, Lisnnette M. Nieves Suarez

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Handedness is a very critical factor involving single or multiple tasks that are designed for a specific hand. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of proper tool design. This research identified the dominant hand and measured task completion time between each of two tasks, 1) the use of left and right-handed scissors using the right hand, and 2) Mouse Manipulation Task using the calculator provided by the computer with a left and right-handed mouse using the right hand. Annett’s (1995) 12-item questionnaire was used to identify the preferred hand. This questionnaire consisted of having the participants …

The Effects Of Sound Cue Characteristics On Overcoming Front/Back Localization Errors In A 3-D Auditory Display, Robert J. Ehmann

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The purpose of this study was to investigate the performance effects of adding an additional sound cue characteristic to a 3-D auditory display sound stimulus to increase localization accuracy. Previous literature has provided evidence that localization accuracy for direct front and direct back regions is significantly worse than that of locations in the periphery for virtual 3-D auditory stimuli. In the study conducted, a highpass filter addition or a lowpass filter addition was compared to a "normal" condition for both the front and back locations. Results of the study showed that the best localization performance for the front location occurred …

Acuta Enews July 2001, Vol.30, No. 7

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Job Shop Scheduling Problem: An Overview, Amr Arisha, Paul Young, Mohie El Baradie

Conference papers

The Job-shop scheduling is one of the most important industrial activities, especially in manufacturing planning. The problem complexity has increased along with the increase in the complexity of operations and product-mix. To solve this problem, numerous approaches have been developed incorporating discrete event simulation methodology. The scope and the purpose of this paper is to present a survey which covers most of the solving techniques of Job Shop Scheduling (JSS) problem. A classification of these techniques has been proposed: Traditional Techniques and Advanced Techniques. The traditional techniques to solve JSS could not fully satisfy the global competition and rapidly changing …

Simulation Optimization Studies Of Routing And Process Flow Problems, Satish Ravichandran

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Computer aided simulation is emerging as a powerful tool for numerical analysis and in conducting performance evaluations of complex systems that depend on a multitude of variables. The primary objective in such simulation studies is to gauge the performance of the system under a various constraints and operating conditions. The effects of changing the operating parameter space can thus be analyzed without having to implement costly changes. Simulations are also carried out for the baseline scenarios to verity and validate the basic underlying system model. In this thesis research, two practical problems were studied through numerical modeling, and optimized solutions …

Production Of Biogas From Water Hyacinth: Effect Of Substrate Loading In Semi-Batch & Batch Operations, J Katima

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

A study was carried out to establish the effect of substrate loading rate on the production of biogas from water hyacinth. The experiments revealed that the maximum methane yield in a batch process was 0.166 normal litre (NLVg Of volatile solids (VS) added at substrate concentration of 25 g dry mass'litre after five days of incubation. The maximum methane yield in a semi-batch process was 0.153 NWg VS added at 1.30 g VS'litre day and retention time Of 15 days.

Recyclability Of Modified Ps-Aq Pulps At Around Kappa 30, Rwaichi Minja

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Bleachable grade pulps prepared from Nonvegian softwood spruce chips while simulating possible alternatives of improving pulp yield by application Of polysulphide (PS) and anthraquinone (AQ) have been used in this study. The tests for recyclability were performed on hydrogen form pulps. The pulps considered were Iso- Thermal cooking (ITC) kraft pulp which was used as a reference pulp, conventional PS-AQ pulp, soda PS-AQ pulp and kraft PS-AQ pulp. The loss Of swelling ability (homification) Of the pulps, was determined by measurement of water retention value (W R V). The results showed that, PS-AQ pulps had similar or slightly better swelling …

A Study Into Lack Of Product Innovation And Business Techniques At The Tricycle Workshop And Rrs Lessons To Small Companies, E Elias

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

A study was carried out at the Tricycle Workshop (TW) which was facing the problem of !ack of orders and therefore stagnation Of business. The objective of the study was to find out reasons for this situation and to propose possible remedial solutions. The study was conducted using the principles of the Product Innovation process where internal and external issues related to the business Of the company were investigated for information. Analysis Of information obtained indicated that the bad situation of the TW had mainly been caused by the nature of the tricycles-supply system whereby users (disabled persons) are unable …

Retention Of Female Faculty Members, Susan L. Murray, Mariesa Crow, Suzanna M. Rose

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The recruitment and the retention of female undergraduate and graduate students into engineering courses is discussed. A similar challenge lies in recruiting female faculty member from the limited pool of candidates in several fields at most universities. It is found that about half the females who were hired did not stay at the university. It is suggested that programs should be introduced to encourage mentoring and career development as such improvements would benefit all faculty members both female and male.

Computer-Aided Engineering For Tool Design In Manufacturing Engineering Curriculum, Daniel J. Waldorf

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

At Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo, a variety of tool design issues are covered in a junior-level manufacturing engineering course called Tool Engineering. In the course, designing fixtures – for any process – is a major component of the content. The process of designing a fixture is similar to the method a mechanical engineer would use to design a new product. The course is therefore an excellent opportunity to teach design principles to manufacturing engineers. This project involves an attempt to introduce computer-aided methods, including the finite element method (FEM), for analysis of tool design into the Tool Engineering …

Acuta Enews June 2001, Vol.30, No. 6

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History Goes Up in Flames

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Cellular Tower Service Considerations

Disposable Cell Phones

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Teaching Factory, Sema E. Alptekin, Reza Pouraghabagher, Patricia Mcquaid, Daniel Waldorf

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Academia must develop a new approach to teaching in order to better prepare engineering students to function efficiently and adjust readily within the framework of the factories in the real world. Some engineering programs emphasize theory, while others emphasize application as isolated blocks. The "Teaching Factory" being developed at Cal Poly combines both theory and applications. It makes use of state-of-the-art industrial grade production equipment, computer hardware and software in the form of the following two systems: 1) a functioning "real" factory hardware environment, and 2) a Production Planning and Control Center.

The Effect Of Reliability Consideration On The Application Of Quality Index, Hamid Seifoddini, Manocher Djassemi

Industrial Technology and Packaging

Quality index (QI) has been proposed as a screening mechanism for machine-part matrices in the development of cellular manufacturing systems. In this paper the effect of reliability consideration on the application of QI and the relative sensitivity of job shop and cellular manufacturing systems to reliability changes are evaluated by simulation modeling. Performance measures such as mean flow time and work-in-process inventories are used in the comparative study of job shop and cellular manufacturing.

A Conceptual Framework Of Cost/Benefit Justification For Ergonomic Projects To Reduce Musculoskeletal Disorders In The Workplace, Nitipong Boon-Long

Dissertations

A framework for justifying ergonomic projects to the overall cost savings is developed which estimates the extent of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) exposures to a specific industry. A cost structure is developed to estimate the investment needed for an ergonomics program and the costs related to MSDs problems including workers' compensation costs, work-related costs, and labor turnover costs. Data was adopted from sources including Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP-3), and estimates suggested in OSHA's former Ergonomics Standard. Top fifteen manufacturing industries with the highest MSDs rates were selected to apply the framework. Results showed …

Designing Web-Based Adaptive Learning Environment : Distils As An Example, Lilian Cao

Dissertations

In this study, two components are developed for the Web-based adaptive learning: an online Intelligent Tutoring Tool (ITT) and an Adaptive Lecture Guidance (ALG). The ITT provides students timely problem-solving help in a dynamic Web environment. The ALG prevents students from being disoriented when a new domain is presented using Web technology. A prototype, Distributed Intelligent Learning System (DISTILS), has been implemented in a general chemistry laboratory domain.

In DISTILS, students interact with the ITT through a Web browser. When a student selects a problem, the problem is formatted and displayed in the user interface for the student to solve. …

Simulation Modeling For Integrated E-Supply Chain Management, Pornsarun Wirojanagud

Theses

E-supply chain management is an emerging area of interest as companies begin to explore the Internet's potential to restructure supply chain relationships. The environmental impact of e-supply chain management is a critical issue towards sustainability. This thesis discusses and models an integrated e-supply chain network accounting for material and information flows throughout the supply chain in order to analyze the environmental implications and tradeoffis with other system characteristics. The network structure has complex interactions between various entities. In order to understand and analyze dynamic performance, a discrete-event simulation approach is utilized. An integrated tool was developed using the Arena simulation …

A Novel Approach Towards Usability Studies For Visual Search Tasks In Graphical User Interface Applications Using The Activity Theory Approach, Tirthankar Sengupta

Theses

The field of Human Computer Interaction still strives for a generalized model of visual search tasks (icon search, menu search, text search, label search, search through hypertext and feature recognition). The existing models of visual search, in spite of being impressive, are limited under certain perspectives due to lack of generality. The thesis tries to provide a holistic approach for the modeling of visual search tasks in graphical user interfaces from the Activity Theory (AT) perspective with the aim of rendering a theoretical bridge between HCI and Psychology. A detailed review of literature from the variegated discipline contributing to the …

Acuta Enews May 2001, Vol.30, No. 5

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ACUTA Leadership Awards

Assigned to EDUCASUE

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Overheard on the Listserve: LECs, CLECs, and Resale

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The Need For Emphasis On Teaching The Content Of Certain Subject Areas And Teaching Concepts Related To Certain Packaging Industry Job Titles As Perceived By Packaging Professionals In Indiana And The Surrounding States, Marion D. Schafer

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study investigates the opinions or packaging professionals about an appropriate curriculum for a Bachelor of Science degree program in packaging. The study was conducted by surveying packaging profossionals randomly seleclcd from the Central Indiana Institute of Packaging Professionals mailing list. This list was made up mostly of Indiana residents but included a few residents from the fhur surrounding slates. The study was initiated as a first step in the process of developing appropri.ite improvements to the curriculum for the Bachelor of Science degree in packaging al Indiana State University. Six packaging job titles and twenty-three su~jcct areas were chosen …

Acuta Enews April 2001, Vol.30, No. 4

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International Rates Increasing

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Study Of Automotive Hydromount Mechanism, Min Lu

Dissertations

The hydromount mechanism is studied. It was determined that the dynamic characteristics of the hydromounts are related to the rubber static stiffness, rubber damping coefficient, volumetric stiffness, and effectiveness of the oscillating fluid in the inertia track. At high frequencies the motion of the fluid in the inertia track diminishes so that its effect is negligible and may be ignored. It is also concluded that the rubber damping has a minimal effect on the hydromount dynamic properties and may be neglected. The maximum loss angle, which corresponds to the maximum damping coefficient of the hydromount, occurs near the inertia track …

Maximum Acceptable Oral Reading Speed For Voice Input Systems, Nirari M. Oda

Masters Theses

The objective of this thesis was to study the effect of vocal duration period and background noise on psychophysical oral reading speed. Ten healthy white males (21-28 years old) were used as subjects. Experiment one was designed to determine Maximum Acceptable Oral Reading Speed (MAORS) for an 8-hour period using psychophysical methodology. Results indicate that 114 words/min was an acceptable oral reading rate for an 8-hour day. Furthermore, 2 hours and 20 minutes is an acceptable testing period ( equivalent to the 8-hour day). Acoustical and physiological variables support these findings. Experiment two was designed to study the effect of …

Acuta Enews March 2001, Vol.30, No. 3

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A Force Structuring Model For A Moderately-Sized Nato Country, Hakan Bal

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to develop a mathematical model which will aid the decision-makers of a moderately-sized NATO country to develop their future force structure composition. As the number of alternatives grows, and as the consequences become more important and more uncertain, the force structuring decision becomes increasingly difficult. The valuable lessons of past experience cannot be ignored. However, when one considers the high rotation rates of most countries' air forces, the rapid change in technology and the vast array of options available, even the most experienced leaders need some assistance. Hence, decision support tools are needed to …

A Multi-Objective Decision Support Model For The Turkish Armed Forces Personnel Assignment System, Zubeyir Cimen

Theses and Dissertations

The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) assign more than 25,000 active duty personnel annually. TAF wants to obtain maximum utilization of its personnel by assigning the right person to the right job at the right time, To accomplish this task, decision-makers and personnel assignment staff should consider conflicting multiple objectives that create the widely known problem called "personnel assignment problem". To assist in this complicated task from a quantitative perspective, a preemptive goal programming approach was used to develop an integer programming (IP) model to capture the multiple objectives flexibly and interactively. A realistic size IP problem with random data was …

The Distributer's Three-Dimensional Pallet-Packing Problem: A Human Intelligence-Based Heuristic Approach, Erhan Baltacioglu

Theses and Dissertations

The Distributor's Pallet Packing Problem is to load a set of distinct boxes with given dimensions on pallets or in containers to maximize volume utilization. This problem is still in its early stages of research, but there is a high level of interest in developing effective models to solve this NP-hard problem to reduce the time, energy and other resources spent in packing pallets. In its search to improve operations, the Air Force is also making an effort to solve this problem. Building an analytical model and developing a genetic algorithm approach have been tried, but the problem needs more …

Modeling Information Assurance, Joseph E. Beauregard

Theses and Dissertations

The ever-increasing speed of information systems allows decision-makers around the world to gather, process, and disseminate information almost instantaneously. However, with this benefit there comes a price. Information is valuable and therefore a target to those who do not have it or wish to destroy it. The Internet has allowed information to flow freely, but it has also made information vulnerable to many forms of corruption. The U. S. military controls much of the world's most sensitive information, and since it cannot sacrifice losing the speed at which this information is currently processed and disseminated, it must find a way …

A Process For Vectoring Offensive Information Warfare As A Primary Weapon Option Within The United States Air Force, Sheila G. Bennett

Theses and Dissertations

Consistently and comprehensively using Information Operations (IO) capabilities as primary weapon option within the Air Force is the next step to operationalizing IO within the Air Force. Doctrine and official guidance has set the variables of mission and concepts of operations, organizational structure, and IW players in place. The missing variable to operationalizing IO and probably the most difficult is the 'how' or process of the equation. This research will introduce a useable process that can be incorporated within the Air Force for integrating offensive IW activities into the current and given environment. The process is the basis for further …

Robust Multi-Scenario Optimization Of An Air Expeditionary Force Structure Applying Scatter Search To The Combat Forces Assessment Model, Gokay Bulut

Theses and Dissertations

Modern Times' bring change in all areas of life. Even the rate of change has changed, and is still changing to increase it's enormous speed even more. Newer and more challenging questions face the military analysts everyday putting a question mark at the end of their last answer. Recently, the question of how to structure a robust air force to meet the requirements of competing, uncertain future scenarios has been keeping them busy. The new world order does not tolerate only being able to respond to a single scenario anymore, which once was considered a hard problem. Who knows what …