Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Critical Chain – Or Why Wedding Planners Get Ulcers, Greg Hutto

Operations Management Presentations

Planning a wedding is one of the most challenging projects in a young life… So much to do! A respected journal in the project management literature -- Southern Bride -- advises well-off young couples to escape stress and employ a professional wedding planner+. In today's webinar we will contrast two project planning methods in examining one such wedding project -- hastily planned and beset with troubles. We will shed light on the science & art of project management and possibly help our wedding planners (both professional and amateur) avoid stress-induced medical complications. In this webinar, we’ll be spending time with …

Algebraic, Computational, And Data-Driven Methods For Control-Theoretic Analysis And Learning Of Ensemble Systems, Wei Miao

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis, we study a class of problems involving a population of dynamical systems under a common control signal, namely, ensemble systems, through both control-theoretic and data-driven perspectives. These problems are stemmed from the growing need to understand and manipulate large collections of dynamical systems in emerging scientific areas such as quantum control, neuroscience, and magnetic resonance imaging. We examine fundamental control-theoretic properties such as ensemble controllability of ensemble systems and ensemble reachability of ensemble states, and propose ensemble control design approaches to devise control signals that steer ensemble systems to desired profiles. We show that these control-theoretic properties …

Elucidating And Leveraging Dynamics-Function Relationships In Neural Circuits Through Modeling And Optimal Control, Sruti Mallik

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

A fundamental research question in neuroscience pertains to understanding how neural networks through their activity encode and decode information. In this research, we build on methods from theoretical domains such as control theory, dynamical systems analysis and reinforcement learning to investigate such questions. Our objective is two-fold: first, to use methods from engineering to identify specific objectives that neural circuits might be optimizing through their spatiotemporal activity patterns, and second, to draw motivation from neuroscience to formulate new engineering principles such as synthesis of dynamical networks for decentralized control applications. We specifically take a top-down, optimization driven approach in our …

Analysis Of The Effects Of Spatiotemporal Demand Data Aggregation Methods On Distance And Volume Errors, Zachary Hornberger, Bruce A. Cox, Raymond R. Hill

Faculty Publications

Purpose — Large/stochastic spatiotemporal demand data sets can prove intractable for location optimization problems, motivating the need for aggregation. However, demand aggregation induces errors. Significant theoretical research has been performed related to the modifiable areal unit problem and the zone definition problem. Minimal research has been accomplished related to the specific issues inherent to spatiotemporal demand data, such as search and rescue (SAR) data. This study provides a quantitative comparison of various aggregation methodologies and their relation to distance and volume based aggregation errors. Design/methodology/approach — This paper introduces and applies a framework for comparing both deterministic and stochastic aggregation …

Augmenting The Space Domain Awareness Ground Architecture Via Decision Analysis And Multi-Objective Optimization, Albert R. Vasso, Richard G. Cobb, John M. Colombi, Bryan D. Little, David R. Meyer

Faculty Publications

Purpose — The US Government is challenged to maintain pace as the world’s de facto provider of space object cataloging data. Augmenting capabilities with nontraditional sensors present an expeditious and low-cost improvement. However, the large tradespace and unexplored system of systems performance requirements pose a challenge to successful capitalization. This paper aims to better define and assess the utility of augmentation via a multi-disiplinary study. Design/methodology/approach — Hypothetical telescope architectures are modeled and simulated on two separate days, then evaluated against performance measures and constraints using multi-objective optimization in a heuristic algorithm. Decision analysis and Pareto optimality identifies a set …

Cable Manipulation With A Tactile-Reactive Gripper, Yu She, Shaoxiong Wang, Siyuan Dong, Neha Sunil, Alberto Rodriguez, Edward Adelson

School of Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

Cables are complex, high-dimensional, and dynamic objects. Standard approaches to manipulate them often rely on conservative strategies that involve long series of very slow and incremental deformations, or various mechanical fixtures such as clamps, pins, or rings. We are interested in manipulating freely moving cables, in real time, with a pair of robotic grippers, and with no added mechanical constraints. The main contribution of this paper is a perception and control framework that moves in that direction, and uses real-time tactile feedback to accomplish the task of following a dangling cable. The approach relies on a vision-based tactile sensor, GelSight, …

Evaluating Decision Making In Sustainable Project Selection Between Literature And Practice, Rakan Alyamani, Suzanna Long, Mohammad Nurunnabi

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A robust project selection process is critical for the selection of sustainable projects that meet the needs of an organization or community. There are multiple factors or criteria that can be considered in the selection of the appropriate sustainable project, but it can be challenging to find sufficient depth of expert opinion to perform a strong evaluation of these criteria. Several researchers have turned to the sustainable project literature as a source of expert opinion to evaluate the criteria used in sustainable project selection and rank them based on importance using different multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methodologies. However, using the literature …

Credit Assignment In Multiagent Reinforcement Learning For Large Agent Population, Arambam James Singh

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In the current age, rapid growth in sectors like finance, transportation etc., involve fast digitization of industrial processes. This creates a huge opportunity for next-generation artificial intelligence system with multiple agents operating at scale. Multiagent reinforcement learning (MARL) is the field of study that addresses problems in the multiagent systems. In this thesis, we develop and evaluate novel MARL methodologies that address the challenges in large scale multiagent system with cooperative setting. One of the key challenge in cooperative MARL is the problem of credit assignment. Many of the previous approaches to the problem relies on agent's individual trajectory which …

Machine Learning Framework For Nonlinear And Interaction Relationships Involving Categorical And Numerical Features, Shirish Mohan Rao

Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Traditionally, physical scientific experiments have been conducted extensively to study and understand the behavior of a process or a system. With the advancement of computing technology in recent years, computer codes and algorithms are used as simulators to replicate behavior of a complex system. Such use of computers to study a system is termed as ‘computer experiments.’ The process involves selecting specific points or runs in the design space in order to maximize information about the system in minimal runs. These computer models are high dimensional and can take a long time to simulate. Metamodels (or surrogate models) built using …

Agent-Based Model Simulation For Police Deployment Decision-Making In Patrol Operations, Yasaman Ghasemi

Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Police patrolling plays a key role in responding to 911 calls and reducing crimes. The effectiveness of patrol operations heavily depends on the deployment of police officers – e.g., the number of officers assigned to specific policing districts or beats. The complex nature of the policing system – dynamic and stochastic criminal behavior, compounded with limited policing resources, render current (traditional) police operations, which are often managed in a reactive and stationary manner – often makes it very challenging to manage and control. This study develops an agent-based simulation framework to address the dynamically changing environment in police operations and …

Multistage Stochastic Programming: Algorithms, Modelling And Applications, Murwan Siddig

All Dissertations

This dissertation comprises four di˙erent topics related to multistage stochastic program-ming (MSP) algorithms, modeling, and applications.

First, we extend the adaptive partition-based approach for solving two-stage stochastic programs with a fixed recourse matrix and a fixed cost vector to the MSP setting, where the stochastic process is assumed to be stage-wise independent. The proposed algorithms integrate the adaptive partition-based strategy with a popular approach for solving multistage stochastic programs, the stochastic dual dynamic programming (SDDP) algorithm, according to two main strategies. These two strategies are distinct from each other in the manner by which they refine the partitions during the …

Micro Scalable Graphene Oxide Productions Using Controlled Parameters In Bench Reactor, Carolina S. Andrade, Anna Paula Godoy, Marcos Antônio Gimenes Benega, Ricardo J. E. Andrade, Rafael Cardoso Andrade, Wellington Marcos Silva, Josué Marciano De Oliveira Cremonezzi, Waldemar Augusto De Almeida Macedo, Hélio Ribeiro, Jaime Taha-Tijerina

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

The detailed study of graphene oxide (GO) synthesis by changing the graphite/oxidizing reagents mass ratios (mG/mROxi), provided GO nanosheets production with good yield, structural quality, and process savings. Three initial samples containing different amounts of graphite (3.0 g, 4.5 g, and 6.0 g) were produced using a bench reactor under strictly controlled conditions to guarantee the process reproducibility. The produced samples were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), x-ray diffraction (XDR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetry (TGA) techniques. The results showed that the major GO product comprised of nanosheets containing between 1–5 layers, …

High-Density Parking For Autonomous Vehicles., Parag J. Siddique

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In a common parking lot, much of the space is devoted to lanes. Lanes must not be blocked for one simple reason: a blocked car might need to leave before the car that blocks it. However, the advent of autonomous vehicles gives us an opportunity to overcome this constraint, and to achieve a higher storage capacity of cars. Taking advantage of self-parking and intelligent communication systems of autonomous vehicles, we propose puzzle-based parking, a high-density design for a parking lot. We introduce a novel method of vehicle parking, which leads to maximum parking density. We then propose a heuristic method …

Evaluation Of Patient Experience Using Natural Language Processing Algorithms, Sofia Veronica Ortega

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: Healthcare organizations are making extensive efforts to improve the patient experience. Enhancing patient/client experience and outcomes is crucial for patient-centered care and can reveal improvement opportunities. Healthcare settings currently rely on surveys (e.g., HCAHPS) and patient feedback to measure patient experience. Studies have identified that utilizing patient journey mapping can better capture patient experience throughout all stages of the patient's journey and provide quality and process improvement recommendations at specific hotspots. However, these measurement techniques are time-consuming and resource intensive. AIM: This research aims to measure patient experience of breast cancer patients from social media data using natural language …

Machine Learning Models For Lodi Indices., Lucas A. Bruns

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two indices published monthly by the Logistics and Distribution Institute (LoDI) predict changes in logistics and distribution activity levels nationally and regionally and are useful for organizations when planning projects and expenses. This research validates the current linear regression model, updates the index conversion method, and introduces machine learning models.

New source data are introduced to the models to validate the current linear regression model and a comparative analysis verifies that the current source data are robust. A rolling average is used for index conversion in place of a fixed reference month to reflect recent changes in employment levels.

Three …

Shape-Based Time Series Mining For Process Monitoring And Anomaly Detection, Li Zhang

Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Due to the rapid development of computing and sensing technology, Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled monitoring plays a crucial role for people suffering from cardiac problems. It is important to detect the abnormal ECG cycles during the cardiac monitoring for the early treatment. However, most existing methods focused on the full reading of time series, for the cycle-based time series, it is wasting time to read the whole time series while we can find the characteristic patterns instead. Characteristic patterns named shapelets are time series subsequences, which are explainable and discriminative features that can best classify time series. Shapelet-based classification that …

Learning And Exploiting Shaped Reward Models For Large Scale Multiagent Rl, Arambam James Singh, Akshat Kumar, Hoong Chuin Lau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Many real world systems involve interaction among large number of agents to achieve a common goal, for example, air traffic control. Several model-free RL algorithms have been proposed for such settings. A key limitation is that the empirical reward signal in model-free case is not very effective in addressing the multiagent credit assignment problem, which determines an agent's contribution to the team's success. This results in lower solution quality and high sample complexity. To address this, we contribute (a) an approach to learn a differentiable reward model for both continuous and discrete action setting by exploiting the collective nature of …

Learning And Exploiting Shaped Reward Models For Large Scale Multiagent Rl, Arambam James Singh, Akshat Kumar, Hoong Chuin Lau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Many real world systems involve interaction among large number of agents to achieve a common goal, for example, air traffic control. Several model-free RL algorithms have been proposed for such settings. A key limitation is that the empirical reward signal in model-free case is not very effective in addressing the multiagent credit assignment problem, which determines an agent's contribution to the team's success. This results in lower solution quality and high sample complexity. To address this, we contribute (a) an approach to learn a differentiable reward model for both continuous and discrete action setting by exploiting the collective nature of …

Vehicle Routing: Review Of Benchmark Datasets, Aldy Gunawan, Graham Kendall, Barry Mccollum, Hsin-Vonn Seow, Lai Soon Lee

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) was formally presented to the scientific literature in 1959 by Dantzig and Ramser (DOI:10.1287/mnsc.6.1.80). Sixty years on, the problem is still heavily researched, with hundreds of papers having been published addressing this problem and the many variants that now exist. Many datasets have been proposed to enable researchers to compare their algorithms using the same problem instances where either the best known solution is known or, in some cases, the optimal solution is known. In this survey paper, we provide a list of Vehicle Routing Problem datasets, categorized to enable researchers to have easy access …

Assessment Of The Impacts Of Climate Variability On Hydropower Generation: A Case Study Of The New Pangani Falls, Tanzania, Dativa Byarufu

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Climate change poses potential impacts on hydropower generation either positively by increasing or negatively by decreasing river flow. This study assessed the impacts of climate variability on hydropower with a focus on the New Pangani Falls in Tanzania. Rainfall and temperature time series data from 1980-2014 were analyzed in relation to river discharge and associated impacts to hydropower generation. The Man-Kendall test was used to detect trend in both annual and seasonal time series. The results showed a negative trend in annual rainfall with Z= -2.41 at α = 0.05 and the slope Q = -0.964. Seasonal trend analysis showed …

Rheological Properties Of Aged Crude Hard Wood Pyrolysis Oil, Divina D. Kaombe

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Upon storage of the pyrolysis oil, aging reactions may initiate phase separation and change of the rheological properties. These changes lead to unfavourable fuel characteristics in handling, transportation and applications. Efforts have been made for alleviation including methods on how to avoid these aging effects and development of equipment capable of handling aged pyrolysis liquids with unfavourable fuel characteristics. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the rheological properties of phase separated pyrolysis liquid fuel. Two batches of a well – stored poplar wood pyrolysis oils were used for the investigation; one batch was diluted with water to …

Prediction Of Uniaxial Compressive Strength Of Granite Rock Samples Of Lugoba Quarry Using Rebound Hammer Test, Moses Kongola, Karim Baruti

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Rebound hammer test is widely used as an indirect measure of uniaxial compressive strength for engineering materials such as concrete, soil, and rock in both civil and mining engineering works. In quarries, uniaxial compressive strength is a crucial parameter in the analysis of geotechnical problems involving rock stability and rock blasting design. This study aims at establishing the empirical models of uniaxial compressive strength fits on rebound hammer number that can be used to predict uniaxial compressive strength of granitic rock at Lugoba Quarry. Data for direct uniaxial compressive strength were obtained from uniaxial compressive strength test carried out on …

Prediction Of Four-Days Soaked California Bearing Ratio (Cbr) Values From Soil Index Properties, Pascal Ambrose, Siya P. Rimoy Dr

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

California Bearing Ratio (CBR) laboratory testing is the conventional method for determining soaked strengths of pavement subgrades. The test requires careful preparation of soil samples followed by four days of water soaking before penetrating the samples using a standard plunger at prescribed rates to set depths. When the number of samples becomes large the determination of soaked CBR values becomes cumbersome as the test is laborious and time consuming. This study aimed at establishing an alternative way of determining soaked CBR by developing a model that would be used for estimating soaked CBR of fine- and coarse- grained soils without …

Embedded Curriculum With Industry-Recognized Certifications To Improve The Marketability Of Engineering Technology Graduates, Immanuel Edinbarough, Jesus A. Gonzalez-Rodriguez

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

Embedded Curriculum with Industry Recognized Certifications to Improve the Marketability of Engineering Technology Graduates

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is challenging the industries to change the way they manage and operate the manufacturing environment. This leads to the transformation of the world through artificial intelligence, next-generation robotics, automation, big data analytics, 5G technology and Internet of Things. This idea of Industry 4.0 forces the change in the industries of today and tomorrow. In this, cyber physical systems communicate with one another using the Internet of Things. The manufacturing sector takes full advantage of these technologies to produce innovative products to enhance …

Integration Management: A Bibliometric Study Of Research Trends, Shabir Hussain Khahro, Ayaz Babar, Fida Hussain Siddiqui, Tauha Hussain Ali, Ali Raza Khoso

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Integration management has always been a topic of interest for researchers. It plays a significant role in the success of the projects. Integration management effectively incorporates all the aspects of projects and provides a roadmap towards their success. Based on the significance of the term, this paper assesses the research output of integration management since 1970 in different fields of the application using the Scopus database. The data was collected and analyzed through Microsoft Excel to analyze the research publications trend line, publication types and their access to the audience, organizations and countries involved, languages of publications, authors participating, and …

Simulation Of Cooperative Control Process For Multiple Uavs Based On Local Information Connection, Xiangyang Li, Zhili Zhang, Zhang Ning, Gui Yi, Li Jia

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: Aiming at the requirements of cooperative control for multiple UAVs based on local information connection, the distributed architecture of Multi-UAV system is established on the basis of multilayer structure. The communication network topology, state control information model and intelligent Ad-Hoc network mechanism are proposed to ensure the reliable interactive communication among multiple UAVs under local information connection. The cooperative collision avoidance strategy with local state prediction and distributed iterative optimization, combined with the cooperative on-line track planning and threat avoidance control methods, are applied to realize the cooperative control of Multi-UAV's task execution process. Simulation experiments verify the …

Research On Active Suspension Control Of High-Speed Train Based On Fuzzy Compound Strategy, Jianjun Meng, Zhongjun Wang, Ruxun Xu, Decang Li

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: In order to improve the running stability of high-speed train, a semi-vertical six-degree-of- freedom state space model is established based on the active suspension system. Based on fuzzy control theory, the fuzzy controllers and fuzzy PID controllers are designed. Aiming at the defects of strong subjectivity of fuzzy PID control which needs manual adjustment, particle swarm optimization is used to optimize the initial parameters of the controller to make the suspension system be more correspond with the objective reality. In order to verify the advance of this strategy, with the sky-hook damping strategy for comparison, the controller model …

Research On Control Strategy Of Isolated Ac-Dc Matrix Converter Under Input Unbalance, Wenlang Deng, Li Yong, Hongbin Pan

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: To reduce the active power fluctuation of the isolated AC-DC matrix converter (IAMC) under the input unbalance and to suppress the resonance of the LC filter, a deadbeat direct power control strategy based on active damping is proposed. The strategy uses the grid-side current and its delay component to calculate the IAMC input side filter capacitor voltage, which eliminates the high-precision voltage sensor of traditional active damping control, reduces the hardware cost, without the rotation coordinate transformation and phase-locked loops, so the calculation cost is small. The simulation results show that the proposed control strategy can effectively …

Fast Maritime Simulator Scene Modeling Method Based On Aerial Images, Lijia Chen, Wang Kai, Shigang Li, Yanfei Tian

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: Artificial Modeling using Computer Aid Design software are frequently applied in maritime simulator scene modeling,but with low accuracy, low efficiency and complicate workflow. It's not the ideal method of modeling a large-scale area. A modeling method is proposed based on aerial images in combination with tilt photography modeling, procedural modeling and image semantic segmentation method. It's a fast and highly automated modeling method specially for the maritime simulator. A water area near Tianxingzhou Yangtze River Bridge is chosen as the model. Experiment results show that the proposed method is of fast speed, high precision, high degree of automation, …

Research On Agile Reentry Method For Maneuvering Vehicle, Lin Yue, Yingmin Jia, Songtao Fan

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: Alarge-scale orbit maneuver method is proposed and analyzed for hypersonic space reentry vehicles, and the air assisted methods are adopted to conduct space orbit maneuvers by complying with the energy balance strategy of the aircraft. By the L/D ratio of aircraft, the efficiency of the propellant use during orbital maneuvers is elevated, and the maneuverability is also enhanced, while the risk of aircraft being tracked in space can be reduced. Aero-assisted guidance technology is applied based on full-coefficient adaptive prediction-correction technology which significantly simplifies the computation of the GNC computer, while such application ensures the convergence and enhances the …