Hybrid Control and Motion Planning of Dynamical Legged Locomotion

At the crossroads of artificial intelligence, manufacturing engineering, operational research and industrial engineering and management, multi-agent based production planning and control is an intelligent and industrially crucial technology with increasing importance. This book provides a complete overview of multi-agent based methods for today’s competitive manufacturing environment, including the Job Shop Manufacturing and Re-entrant Manufacturing processes. In addition to the basic control and scheduling systems, the author also highlights advance research in numerical optimization methods and wireless sensor networks and their impact on intelligent production planning and control system operation. Enables students, researchers and engineers to understand the fundamentals and theories of multi-agent based production planning and control Written by an author with more than 20 years’ experience in studying and formulating a complete theoretical system in production planning technologies Fully illustrated throughout, the methods for production planning, scheduling and controlling are presented using experiments, numerical simulations and theoretical analysis Comprehensive and concise, Multi-Agent Based Production Planning and Control is aimed at the practicing engineer and graduate student in industrial engineering, operational research, and mechanical engineering. It is also a handy guide for advanced students in artificial intelligence and computer engineering.

Clearly divided into three main sections, this practical book familiarizes readers with the area of planning in petroleum refining and petrochemical industry, while introducing several planning and modeling strategies encompassing single site refinery plants, multiple refinery networks, petrochemical networks, and refinery and petrochemical planning systems. It equally provides an insight into possible research directions and recommendations for the area of refinery and petrochemical planning. Furthermore, several appendices are included to explain the general background necessary, including stochastic programming, chance constraint programming, and robust optimization. For engineers and managers working in the petroleum industry as well as academic researchers in production, logistics, and supply chain management.

Treats studies, primarily in human populations, that show casual effects of certain agents, procedures, treatment or programs. Deals with the difficulties that comparative observational studies have because of bias in their design and analysis. Systematically considers the many sources of bias and discusses how care in matching or adjustment of results can reduce the effects of bias in these investigations.

Health Care Operations and Supply Chain Management This innovative text offers a thorough foundation in operations management, supply chain management,?and the strategic implementation of programs, techniques, and tools for reducing costs and improving quality in health care organizations. The authors incorporate the features and functions of Microsoft Excel where appropriate in their coverage of supply chain strategy, process design and analysis of health care operations, managing health care operations quality, and planning and controlling health care operations. Health Care Operations and Supply Chain Management offers real-world examples to illustrate the most current concepts and techniques such as value stream mapping and Six Sigma. In addition, the authors clearly demonstrate how operations and process improvement relate to contemporary health care trends such as evidence-based medicine and pay-for-performance. Health Care Operations and Supply Chain Management contains: Leading edge concepts and techniques Real-life data and actual examples from health care settings to underscore the main concepts in the text Instruction in the use of Microsoft Excel for health care operations and supply side management The book's numerous screen shots and detailed instructions guide the student through the use of Microsoft Excel's many functions and features.

This new edition of the classic quantity surveying textbook retains its basic structure but has been thoroughly updated to reflect recent changes in the industry, especially in procurement. Although over the last 20 years a number of new procurement methods have evolved and become adopted, the recession has seen many clients revert to established traditional methods of procurement so the fundamentals of cost planning still apply – and should not be ignored. The first edition of this leading textbook was published in 1964 and it continues to provide a comprehensive introduction to the practice and procedures of cost planning in the procurement of buildings. This 9th edition has been thoroughly updated to reflect changes that have occurred in the UK construction industry in the past six years. Whilst retaining its core structure of the three-phase cost planning process originally developed by Ferry and Brandon, the text provides a thorough grounding in contemporary issues including procurement innovation, whole life cycle costing and modelling techniques. Designed to support the core cost planning studies covered by students reading for degrees in quantity surveying and construction management, it provides a platform for understanding the fundamental importance of effective cost planning practice. The principals of elemental cost planning are covered from both pre- and post- contract perspectives; the role of effective briefing and client/stakeholder engagement as best practice is also reinforced in this text. This new edition: Addresses The Soft Landings Framework (a new govt. initiative, especially for schools) to make buildings perform radically better and much more sustainably. Puts focus on actual performance in use at brief stage, during design and construction, and especially before and after handover. Covers recent changes in procurement, especially under the NEC and PFI Provides more on PPP and long-term maintenance issues Offers an improved companion website with tutorial worksheets for lecturers and Interactive spreadsheets for students, e.g. development appraisal models; lifecycle costing models

“By 2008, some 2 billion people will be using mobile phones and devices, in many cases to access advanced data services. Against this backdrop, the need for efficient and effective network design will be critical to the success of increasingly complex mobile networks.” Simon Beresford-Wylie (SVP, Nokia Networks) With the complexity of the cellular networks increasing day by day, a deeper understanding of the design and performance of end-to-end cellular networks is required. Moreover, all the types of networks from 2G-2.5G-3G seem to co-exist. Fundamentals of Cellular Network Planning and Optimisation covers end-to-end network planning and optimisation aspects from second generation GSM to third generation WCDMA networks including GPRS and EDGE networks. All the sub-systems of the network i.e. radio network, transmission network and core network have been covered with focus on both practical and theoretical issues. By bringing all these concepts under one cover, this book becomes essential reading for the network design engineers working either with cellular service vendors or operators, experts/scientists working on end-to-end issues and undergraduate/post-graduate students. Key Highlights: Distinctly divided into four parts: 2G (GSM), 2.5G (GPRS & EDGE), 3G (WCDMA) and introduction to 4G (OFDM, ALL-IP, WLAN Overview) respectively Each part focuses on the radio, transmission and core networks. Concentrates on cellular network planning process and explains the underlying principles behind the planning and optimizing of the cellular networks. The text will serve as a handbook for anyone engaged in the study, design, deployment and business of cellular networks.

…Extraordinary: Gibbs has popped the hood and taken apart the engine of commercial design and development, showing us each individual part and explaining fit, form and function. —Yaromir Steiner, Founder, Chief Executive Officer, Steiner + Associates «…the most comprehensive and expansive book ever written on the subject of Retail Real Estate Development. Gibbs is by far the most prominent advocate for reforming retail planning and development in order to return American cities to economic and physical prominence.» –Stefanos Polyzoides, Moule & Polyzoides Architects & Urbanists The retail environment has evolved rapidly in the past few decades, with the retailing industry and its placement and design of «brick-and-mortar» locations changing with evolving demographics, shopping behavior, transportation options and a desire in recent years for more unique shopping environments. Written by a leading expert, this is a guide to planning for retail development for urban planners, urban designers and architects. It includes an overview of history of retail design, a look at retail and merchandising trends, and principles for current retail developments. Principles of Urban Retail Planning and Development will: Provide insight and techniques necessary for historic downtowns and new urban communities to compete with modern suburban shopping centers. Promote sustainable community building and development by making it more profitable for the shopping center industry to invest in historic cities or to develop walkable urban communities. Includes case studies of recent good examples of retail development

Motion Control Systems is concerned with design methods that support the never-ending requirements for faster and more accurate control of mechanical motion. The book presents material that is fundamental, yet at the same time discusses the solution of complex problems in motion control systems. Methods presented in the book are based on the authors' original research results. Mathematical complexities are kept to a required minimum so that practicing engineers as well as students with a limited background in control may use the book. It is unique in presenting know-how accumulated through work on very diverse problems into a comprehensive unified approach suitable for application in high demanding, high-tech products. Major issues covered include motion control ranging from simple trajectory tracking and force control, to topics related to haptics, bilateral control with and without delay in measurement and control channels, as well as control of nonredundant and redundant multibody systems. Provides a consistent unified theoretical framework for motion control design Offers graduated increase in complexity and reinforcement throughout the book Gives detailed explanation of underlying similarities and specifics in motion control Unified treatment of single degree-of-freedom and multibody systems Explains the fundamentals through implementation examples Based on classroom-tested materials and the authors' original research work Written by the leading researchers in sliding mode control (SMC) and disturbance observer (DOB) Accompanying lecture notes for instructors Simulink and MATLAB® codes available for readers to download Motion Control Systemsis an ideal textbook for a course on motion control or as a reference for post-graduates and researchers in robotics and mechatronics. Researchers and practicing engineers will also find the techniques helpful in designing mechanical motion systems.