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Since the pandemic organizations have been required to build agility to manage risks, stakeholder engagement, improve capabilities and maturity levels to deliver on strategy. Not only is there a requirement to improve performance, a focus on employee engagement and increased use of technology have surfaced as important factors to remain competitive in the new world. Consideration of the strategic horizon, strategic foresight and support structures is required to manage critical factors for the formulation, execution and transformation of strategy. Strategic foresight and Artificial Intelligence modelling are ways to predict an organizations future agility and potential through modelling of attributes, characteristics, practices, support structures, maturity levels and other aspects of future change. The application of this can support the development of required new competencies, skills and capabilities, use of tools and develop a culture of adaptation to improve engagement and performance to successfully deliver on strategy. In this paper we apply an Artificial Intelligence model to predict an organizations level of future agility that can be used to proactively make changes to support improving the level of agility. We also explore the barriers and benefits of improved organizational agility. The research data was collected from 44 respondents in public and private Australian industry sectors. These research findings together with findings from previous studies identify practices and characteristics that contribute to organizational agility for success. This paper contributes to the ongoing discourse of these principles, practices, attributes and characteristics that will help overcome some of the barriers for organizations with limited resources to build a framework and culture of agility to deliver on strategy in a changing world.

The safety of railways, the nation's main transportation network, is currently drawing attention. This is mainly because of recent terrorist attacks aimed at private multipurpose facilities in a nu...

This paper presents the analysis of end milled machined surfaces backed with experimental and deep learning model investigations. The effect of process parameters like spindle speed, feed rate, depth of cut, cutting speed, and machining duration were investigated to find machined surface roughness using Taguchi orthogonal array. The experiments were conducted on Aluminum A3003, a common material widely used in industries. Following standard DOE using Taguchi orthogonal array, surface roughness was recorded for each machining experiment. Surface roughnesses for the current study were categorized into four classes viz., fine, smooth, rough, and coarse based on the roughness value Ra. Images of the machined surface were used to develop CNN models for surface roughness class prediction. The prediction accuracies of the CNN models were compared for five types of optimizers. It was found that RAdam optimizer performed better among others with the training and test accuracy of 96.30% and 92.91% respectively. The accuracy of the prediction is higher than 90% thus has the potential to substitute human quality control procedures, saving time, energy, and cost. Conversely, the developed CNN model can assist in acquiring preferred machining conditions in advance. Finally, it can eliminate the dependency on expensive surface roughness measuring devices and have enormous practical applications in quality control processes.

The braking distance for high-speed trains (HST) operating over 200 km/h takes roughly over 6000 m and 1 minute 40 seconds. In an emergency situation, both braking distance and stopping time are too high. Reducing the time and the distance for braking for such trains will be beneficial for passengers’ safety and railway system management. A number of studies have been conducted to develop a better braking system based on mechanical or electromechanical technologies to overcome this issue. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis are conducted by designing prototypes of aerodynamic brakes inspired by commercial aircrafts’ flaps. Limited studies have been performed in implementing an aerodynamic brake in the high-speed trains. The primary emphasis of this study is to examine the argumentation on an aerodynamic performance by mounting the aerodynamic brake on HSTs to find out its effectiveness in terms of energy saving. A full-scale model of HST was analyzed in this study by varying velocities (200 km/h to 400 km/h), and the operating angles (35° to 55°). The results show that aerodynamic brakes can reduce the braking distance by 2.53 % and 1.56 % for when using the commercial and emergent braking, respectively.

The seventh Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are to provide “Affordable and clean energy” to all by 2030. To achieve this, efforts should be made using renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydro, and thermal energy, particularly, in all developing countries to encourage power generation growth and help the environment. Renewable energy is free, abundant, and possesses non-polluting characteristics. Receiving energy from the above alternative energy sources has been around for a long time. In this chapter, the basic requirements and challenges of renewable energy-based power systems along with the role of the off-grid power system in achieving the seventh SDGs are discussed. Examples of several off-grid implementations are presented.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution incorporates the digital revolution into the physical world, creating a new direction in a number of fields, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, nanotechnology, biotechnology, robotics, 3D printing, autonomous vehicles, and the Internet of Things. The artificial intelligence field has encountered a turning point mainly due to advancements in machine learning, which allows machines to learn, improve, and perform a specific task through data without being explicitly programmed. Machine learning can be utilized with machining processes to improve product quality levels and productivity rates, to monitor the health of systems, and to optimize design and process parameters. This is known as smart machining, referring to a new machining paradigm in which machine tools are fully connected through a cyber-physical system. This paper reviews and summarizes machining processes using machine learning algorithms and suggests a perspective on the machining industry.

In many low income developing countries, socioeconomic, environmental and demographic factors have been linked to around half of the disease related deaths that occur each year. The aim of this study is to investigate the sociodemographic factors, mother and child health status, water, sanitation, and hygienic conditions of a Nepalese community residing in a hilly rural village, and to identify factors associated with mother and child health status and the occurrence of diarrheal and febrile disease. A community-based cross-sectional survey was carried out and 315 households from the village of Narjamandap were included in this study. Factors associated with diarrhea, febrile disease, and full maternal and under-five immunizations were assessed using logistic regression. Results showed that higher education level (middle school versus primary education, Odds Ratio (OR): 0.55, p = 0.04, high school versus primary education, OR 0.21, p = 0.001) and having a toilet facility at home were significantly associated with a lower risk of developing diarrhea and febrile disease (OR 0.49, p = 0.01), while, interestingly, the use of improved water supply was associated with higher risk (OR 3.07, p = 0.005). In terms of maternal immunization, the odds of receiving a tetanus toxoid vaccination were higher in women who had regular antenatal checkups (OR 12.9, p &lt, 0.001), and in those who developed complications during pregnancy (OR 4.54, p = 0.04), for under-five immunization, the odds of receiving full vaccination were higher among children from households that reported diarrhea (OR 2.76, p &lt, 0.001). The findings of this study indicated that gaps still exist in the mother and child healthcare being provided, in terms of receiving antenatal checkups and basic immunizations, as evidenced by irregular antenatal checkups, incomplete and zero vaccination cases, and higher under-five deaths. Specific public health interventions to promote maternal health and the health of under-five children are suggested.

In this paper, we present a review of machine health managements for the smart factory. As the Industry 4.0 leads current factory automation and intelligent machines, the machine health management for diagnostic and prognostic purposes are essential, and their importance is getting more significant for the realization of the smart factory in the Industry 4.0. After brief introductions to important concepts and definitions composing smart factory and Industry 4.0, the developments in maintenance strategies towards Prognostics and health management (PHM) of machines are summarized. The review of machine health managements is followed, classifying the references by the monitoring components, types of measurements, as well as PHM tools and algorithms. 94 existing articles are reviewed and summarized in this regard. The implementations of machine health managements within the smart factory are discussed in terms of data connectivity, communications, Cyber-physical system (CPS) and virtual factory, relating them to Internet of things (IoT), cloud computing, and big data management.

Poor infrastructure in developing countries, combined with challenging geographical characteristics, is associated with problems of limited access to resources, poor transportation and environmental health issues. In some developing countries, there are no heating systems during the winter season, which causes problems for both people and livestock. The most common heating source is from open fires using biomass from animal and plant residue, which are also used for cooking. Fireplaces are typically located inside the house, which can lead to respiratory health problems because of limited ventilation. Thus, heating systems with proper ventilation are desirable to mitigate health problems and improve living conditions. Here we describe the application of ‘Ondol’, a traditional Korean heating system that was redesigned for improved efficiency, in remote villages in a mountainous region of Nepal. Total 10 models of Ondol were designed and fabricated, and the temperature profile and uniformity were characterized to select the optimal design. The height and type of the ‘Gorae’ were the most important factors in determining the efficiency. The optimal design was provided to local people, who were trained to replicate and build the Ondol on their own. A post-installation survey was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of the system.

Off-grid power system is well acknowledged as a viable alternative to grid extension in rural areas of developing countries. A significant portion of such projects has been installed in many developing countries through government subsidy program or donorfunded projects. Follow ups are necessary for the detailed analysis of the project results and to correctly determine the impact of the project and its success. This paper reports on the impact of tri-hybrid renewable energy off-grid system comprising of hydro, wind, solar energy in the remote mountainous village Thingan and Kolkhop in Makawanpur district of Nepal. A general demographic survey in Thingan and Kolkhop (N = 110) and post-electrification survey in Thingan (N = 48) were conducted after one year of installation of the power system. In this paper, we investigate the impact of electrification on the household’s lighting usage, education, social structure, environment, income and level of satisfaction. We also compare the difference in the quality of life before and after electrifying the village. The study reveals that electricity has played a great role both at individual and communal level in the form of quality lighting and power for productive work in the form of mechanization of daily chores and increasing the economic standard of villagers.

Various efforts are in progress to curb global warming and climate change. One of the solutions is to cut emission of CO2 from power plants. Decentralized power from renewable energy sources are ideal solution. This paper provides detail optimization procedure based on linear programming; for minimizing operation cost by utilizing maximum potential of REPS, and taking into consideration monthly fluctuation on generation and electricity demand. Hybrid system consisting of Hydropower, Photovoltaic and, Wind systems were taken into consideration for the optimization. Optimizations were performed for two cases, first being a remote mountainous Thingan village in Nepal and second a fairly large Ulleungdo island in South Korea. The two cases differ in demand scale, energy use, renewable energy potential, and geographic location. The optimization result show that for the HRES in Thingan, the Hydro power, Wind Power and PV power system should be 26.85 kW, 2.11 kW and 3.48 kW respectively. Similarly for Ulleungdo, optimized result for Hydro power, Wind Power and PV power was found to be 825 kW, 1291 kW and 1107 kW respectively. The optimization results indicate that the optimized hybrid system can help to completely switch from current fossil fuel dependence power system to renewable energy based power system in wide geography.

The design space for morphing wings is incredibly broad and allows for a wide range of improvements versus fixed wing aircrafts such that each type of morphing can be useful for different purposes. This work introduces a novel concept for a twist morphing wing segment where only a segment of the wing is actuated which causes a rotation of the tip of the wing while the base segment fixed. The morphing segment consists of a smart soft composite structure made from PDMS and PLA which is actuated by multiple embedded SMA wires. This structure was implemented in a UAV-sized wing and was tested both in still-air conditions and in an open-type wind tunnel to determine the actual impact of this mode of actuation. Results show that this concept can improve the aerodynamic properties of the wing, particularly at low angles of attack.

This paper introduces the design of a smart soft composite (SSC) actuator capable of multiple modes of actuation. This actuator combines four shape memory alloy (SMA) wires embedded in a soft matrix where one or two SMA wires can be activated to induce the actuator into either the bending mode, the twisting mode or the combined bending and twisting mode of actuation. Experimental results for actuators of different lengths were obtained for all modes of actuation and the actuator is capable of large deformations in all modes and directions of actuation. Then a simple FEA model was used to predict the range of deformation for different lengths in the different modes of actuation. This model is able to predict accurately the bending and twisting angles of the actuator for the different modes of actuation. The 120 mm actuator is capable of deformations up to approximately 160° in both the pure bending and pure twisting modes and of approximately 80° for both twisting and bending in the combined twisting and bending mode of actuation.

In this work, a novel fabrication process for thermocurable polymers that allows the fabrication of three-dimensional internal and external features is introduced. It is hard for other manufacturing processes to build thermocurable polymer parts with complex internal features. The proposed method allows the polymer to be cured at a given temperature rather than needing to continuously cure the polymer, which allows greater control over its properties. This process uses multimaterial additive manufacturing processes to build a 3D mold with support and uses solvents to remove the support as well as to dissolve the mold after curing of the polymer. This process was implemented using a commercial FDM machine to fabricate three PDMS parts that would be difficult or impossible to manufacture with other manufacturing processes. Results validate the feasibility of the proposed process and show that the resolution of the part corresponds to that of the machine used to fabricate the mold.

The characteristics of power produced from photovoltaic (PV) and Wind systems are based on the weather condition. Both the system are very unreliable in itself without sufficient capacity storage devices like batteries or back-up system like conventional engine generators. The reliability of the system significantly increases when two systems are hybridized with the provision of storage device. Even in such case, sufficient battery bank capacity is required to provide power to the load in extended cloudy days and non-windy days. Therefore the optimal sizing of system component represents the important part of hybrid power system. This paper summarizes recent trends of energy usage from renewable sources. It discusses physical modeling of renewable energy systems, several methodologies and criteria for optimization of the Hybrid Renewable Energy System (HRES). HRES is getting popular in the present scenario of energy and environmental crises. In this paper, we present a comprehensive review on the current state of optimization techniques specifically suited for the small and isolated power system based on the published literatures. The recent trend in optimization in the field of hybrid renewable energy system shows that artificial intelligence may provide good optimization of system without extensive long term weather data.

Several factors must be considered before adopting a full-phase power generation system based on renewable energy sources. Long-term necessary data (for one year if possible) should be collected before making any decisions concerning implementation of such a systems. To accurately assess the potential of available resources, we measured solar irradiation, wind speed, and ambient temperature at two high-altitude locations in Nepal: the Lama Hotel in Rasuwa District and Thingan in Makawanpur District. Here, we propose two practical, economical hybridization methods for small off-grid systems consisting entirely of renewable energy sources—specifically solar photovoltaic (PV), wind, and micro-hydro sources. One of the methods was tested experimentally, and the results can be applied to help achieve Millennium Development Goal 7: Ensuring environmental sustainability. Hydro, wind, and solar photovoltaic energy are the top renewable energy sources in terms of globally installed capacity. However, no reports have been published about off-grid hybrid systems comprised of all three sources, making this implementation the first of its kind anywhere. This research may be applied as a practical guide for implementing similar systems in various locations. Of the four off-grid PV systems installed by the authors for village electrification in Nepal, one was further hybridized with wind and hydro power sources. This paper presents a novel approach for connecting renewable energy sources to a utility mini-grid.

This article introduces a novel design for a soft morphing actuator capable of pure twisting motion through a pair of shape memory alloy wires embedded in a polydimethylsiloxane matrix at constant and opposite eccentricity across the cross section in opposite directions. This report introduces the design of the actuator, the manufacturing method, and experimental results for the twisting angle and twisting force when varying the dimensions of the matrix of the actuator. Afterward, a simple model is applied to verify the effect of matrix dimensions on the twisting angle of the actuator. The results show that there is an optimal actuator thickness for both the twisting angle and the twisting force of the actuator, that there is a trade-off between the twisting angle and the twisting force for the actuator’s thickness, and that a longer length is better for both metrics within the tested dimensions.

This paper introduces a novel geometry for a pure-twisting soft morphing actuator that improves the stability of the actuator and allows it to obtain a larger twisting angle. The smart soft composite (SSC) actuator uses pair of NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) wires embedded in a cross-shaped polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix at constant and opposite eccentricity across the cross-section in opposite directions in order to produce a twisting motion. To evaluate the twisting performance of the cross-shaped actuator, specimens with rectangular cross-sections and cross-shaped cross-sections are made and their twist angles are measured and compared. Results show that the cross-shaped actuator is capable of a higher twisting rate by using a thinner flange due to a more stable twisting motion.

Harnessing energy from alternative energy source has been recorded since early history. Renewable energy is abundantly found anywhere, free of cost and has non-polluting characteristics. However, these energy sources are based on the weather condition and possess inherited intermittent nature, which hinders stable power supply. Combining multiple renewable energy resources can be a possible solution to overcome defects, which not only provides reliable power but also leads to reduction in required storage capacity. Although an oversized hybrid system satisfies the load demand, it can be unnecessarily expensive. An undersized hybrid system is economical, but may not be able to meet the load demand. The optimal sizing of the renewable energy power system depends on the mathematical model of system components. This paper summarizes the mathematical modeling of various renewable energy system particularly PV, wind, hydro and storage devices. Because of the nonlinear power characteristics, wind and PV system require special techniques to extract maximum power. Hybrid system has complex control system due to integration of two (or more) different power sources. The complexity of system increases with maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques employed in their subsystems. This paper also summarizes mathematical modeling of various MPPT techniques for hybrid renewable energy systems.

In this paper we present a comprehensive review of ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC) covering fundamentals of IPMC; from fabrication processes to control and applications. IPMC is becoming an increasingly popular material among scholars, engineers and scientists due to its inherent property of low activation voltage, large bending strain, i.e., transformation electrical energy to mechanical energy, and properties to be used as bidirectional material, i.e., it can be used as actuators and sensors. Among the diversity of electro active polymers (EAPs), recently developed IPMCs are good candidates for use in bio-related application because of their biocompatibility. Yet, the challenge remains in controlling a somewhat complicated material as mechanical, electrical and chemical properties interact with each other in the ionic polymer. Several IPMC fabrication processes, their mechanical characteristics and performance, a number of recent IPMC applications and pertaining mathematical modeling have been reported in this paper. Also we have attempted to present concisely the control of IPMC and effects of various factors in the performance of IPMC. The applications of IPMC have been growing, and recently more sophisticated IPMC actuator applications have been performed. This indicates that the IPMC actuators hold potential for more sophisticated control application. Extensive references are provided for more indepth explanation.

A drilling burr-control chart (DBCC), based on experimental results, is a tool for the prediction and control of drilling burrs for a large range of drilling parameters. A micro-drilling burr-control chart (M-DBCC) was developed for a standard double-sided copper-clad laminated (CCL) printed circuit board (PCB) with laminated fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) substrate. This chart will assist in the selection of favorable drilling parameters for predicting and achieving preferred types of burrs. Burr classification was carried out according to the burr geometric characteristics, burr formation mechanisms, burr height, and drill bit breakage while drilling. The design of experiment (DOE) technique based on the Taguchi method was used to find the most significant drilling parameter affecting burr height. The results show that the drill diameter makes a statistically significant contribution to burr-height variation.

Energy savings are becoming a new focus in the industrial sector because of environmental concerns. In order to establish an energy-saving strategy for micro-drilling, it is necessary to consider all aspects of the drilling procedure, including the post-drilling process. This study analyzed micro-drills with diameters of 400 μm. Process parameters, such as the rotational speed of the spindle and in-feed, were controlled, and the energy consumption of each process was measured. Operators can use the results to make decisions on process parameters and whether to perform a de-burring process. Ultimately, an effective energy-saving strategy can be devised for micro-drilling.

A new manufacturing method for smart soft composite (SSC) actuators that consists of double casting a SSC actuator to produce an actuator with non-linear shape memory alloy (SMA) wire positioning is proposed. This method is used to manufacture a tube-shaped SSC actuator in which the SMA wires follow the curvature of the tube and is capable of pure-twisting deformations while sustaining a cantilever load. The concept is tested by measuring the maximum twisting angle and a simple control method is proposed to control the twisting angle of the actuator. Then, a soft robotic wrist with a length of 18 cm is built, its load-carrying capability is tested by measuring the cantilever force required for deforming the actuator, and its load-carrying capability during actuation is tested by loading one end with different objects and actuating the actuator. This wrist actuator shows good repeatability, is capable of twisting deformations up to 25° while holding objects weighing 100 g, and can sustain loads above 2 N without undergoing buckling.