IJISA Vol. 2, No. 2, Dec. 2010
Cover page and Table of Contents: PDF (size: 129KB)
REGULAR PAPERS
Optimization of an international transport chain may contribute significantly to a successful outcome in international trade. The performance of various modes of transport influences the selection of one over others. This paper analyses the transport chain between China and Germany, comparing routes and aiming to identify the best practices and chose the optimal transport mode. Through analysing secondary data, the different means of transport are presented. The SWOT analysis was selected to analyse and compare the competitive operation of the various methods of transport between China and Germany. This helps us understand what determines the selection of one mode of transport mode rather than another; the development of rail transport between China and Germany should be urged, in addition to the air and sea modes; Price, timing, level of service and relationship with forwarder are vital factors in determining the route option between China and Germany. More secondary data should be used to validate the research in the future.
[...] Read more.This paper proposes a novel object tracking method that is robust to a cluttered background and large motion. First, a posterior probability measure (PPM) is adopted to locate the object region. Then the momentum based level set is used to evolve the object contour in order to improve the tracking precision. To achieve rough object localization, the initial target position is predicted and evaluated by the Kalman filter and the PPM, respectively. In the contour evolution stage, the active contour is evolved on the basis of an object feature image. This method can acquire more accurate target template as well as target center. The comparison between our method and the kernelbased method demonstrates that our method can effectively cope with the deformation of object contour and the influence of the complex background when similar colors exist nearby. Experimental results show that our method has higher tracking precision.
[...] Read more.To develop a quick obstacle detection and measurement algorithm for the image-based autonomous vehicle (AV) or computer assisted driving system, this paper utilize the previous work of object detection to get the position of an obstacle and refocus windows on the selected target. Further calculation based on single camera will give the detailed measurement of the object, like the height, the distance to the vehicle, and possibly the width. It adopts a two camera system with different pitch angles, which can perform real-time monitoring for the front area of the vehicle with different coverage. This paper assumes that the vehicle will move at an even speed on a flat road, cameras will sample images at a given rate and the images will be analyzed simultaneously. Focus will be on the virtual window area of the image which is proved to be related to the distance to the object and speed of the vehicle. Counting of the blackened virtual sub-area can quickly find the existence of an obstacle and the obstacle area will be cut to get the interested parameter measurements for the object evaluation.
[...] Read more.Lots of risks existed in the operating process of emergency logistics especially when natural disasters happened. Both operating mechanism and evaluation system research on Emergency Logistics Risks (ELR) are the basis of effective recognizing, preventing and responding to risks, so it’s of great theoretical and practical significance to study the formation and influence mechanism and to establish an evaluating index system for ELR. Firstly, some foundation research about ELR was carried out, including definition, characteristics and classification of ELR. The formation and influence mechanism of ELR were discussed. The research of questionnaire survey offered an objective support for theoretical mechanism and index system establishment. Then, the evaluating index system for ELR was established. This system was a multi-level index system, and mainly evaluated by the decision-making risk, dispatching and commanding risk, organizing and coordinating risk, executing and controlling risk, resources supporting risk and their sub index. The establishment principles and significance of the index system were discussed. Then, the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation and Delphi method were used to confirm the index weight and value. Finally, a case analysis on ELR of Yushu earthquake was conducted to demonstrate the evaluating index system and to evaluate the actual risk level.
[...] Read more.This paper firstly points out the importance of the storage location optimization in Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS). Then it has analyzed the basic situation of the current storage location assignment strategy, and indicated the deficiency of the storage location selection under the current strategy. Afterwards, it has designed the storage location optimization module in AS/RS. And then it has constructed the mathematical model on the storage location assignment in AS/RS, and then optimized and solved it, performed instance simulation design and analysis on the storage location assignment by means of Flexsim. Finally, it has concluded that the storage location assignment model after optimization would solve the storage location assignment problem in AS/RS effectively and improve the loading-unloading efficiency, as will provide technical support for the enterprise to improve efficiency and reduce cost.
[...] Read more.At container terminals, containers are transported from the marshalling yard to the quay and vice versa by Container Trucks (CTs). This study discusses how to dispatch CTs by utilizing information about pickup and delivery locations and time in future delivery tasks based on dynamic dispatching strategy in which multiple tasks are matched with multiple CTs. n this paper, Multi-agent system (MAS) is used as the basis for an intelligent dispatch system. To aim at that the characteristic of management of container terminal is how to optimize resource of terminal, the trends of decision-making way for management of container terminal, research and application of Multi-Agent system is summarized. Relationship between transport tasks and service of CTS has been taken as a contract net using the fuzzy set theory and method. Considering the load of communication and consultation efficiency in system, the bidirectional negotiation mechanism is adopted. The dispatching model based on Contract Network Protocol (CNP) using bidirectional negotiation is provided for assigning optimal delivery tasks to CTs and fuzzy reasoning process of dispatching decisions is suggested. The method has both virtues of precision of static planning and flexibility of CNP and has been confirmed by cases.
[...] Read more.Time synchronization is one of the key points in distributed of a real-time simulation system. At first, a distributed simulation system is introduced. Secondly, time synchronization method under 1PPS signal is put forth. Thirdly, the relevant technology of time synchronization are studied, including system structure, SNTP, 1PPS signal and control logic. Vxworks watch dog timer mode and timecard counter mode under this method are also analyzed in detail and the precision is presented. Fourthly, Arena software is chosen to model and simulate the time synchronization procedure. At last, the whole simulation model is constructed and the experiment results are given out to prove the efficiency of the synchronization method.
[...] Read more.Along with economic development, cities are increasingly congested in China. In order to eliminate peak-hour congestion, many cities establish priority lanes, commonly bus lanes. Although priority lanes could help Local Authorities gain its short-term management objectives, at the same time, it would greatly infringe on the legitimate rights of other vehicles and waste the scarce road resources, which is rigorously proved by mathematical models in this paper. In the long run, priority lanes would make social conflicts more intensified, and therefore highly undesirable. On the contrary, the social system engineering, combined with High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes and High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes, is the right way to alleviate overcrowding and build a Low-Carbon harmonious society.
[...] Read more.