Showing papers on "Space (commercial competition) published in 2002"

Objects and Spaces

Abstract: Law's article begins by restating the classical ANT position that objects do not exist `in themselves' but are the effect of a performative stabilization of relational networks. In addition, these material enactments inevitably have a spatial dimension; they simultaneously establish spatial conditions for objectual identity, continuity, and difference. Space must not be reified as a natural, pre-existing container of the social and the material, but is itself a performance. Moreover, there are multiple forms of spatiality beyond the Euclidean space of regions (e.g. networks and fluids), and objects may exist and achieve homeomorphism within several different spatial systems. Technologies such as the Zimbabwe Bush Pump present a fluid object which is able to exist and cohere without the presence of fixed boundaries or the permanence of a particular functional definition. The network logic, however, which gravitates towards stability and functionality, tends to exclude and silence this spatial Other. An alternative political ontology is needed which goes beyond the reification of network space in order to give voice to the fluid objects which escape its unidimensional functionality.

6-DOF subject-monitoring device and method

Abstract: The present invention comprises novel methods and devices for monitoring a subject by acquiring reliable and accurate 6-DOF data regarding the subject, and by using those data to obtain information about the subject's movements in three-dimensional space. Information regarding the subject's movements is, optionally, combined with information regarding the subject's physiological status so that comprehensive knowledge regarding the subject may be acquired by those monitoring the subject.

Variation in the contextuality of language: an empirical measure

Abstract: The context of a linguisticexpression is defined as everything outside theexpression itself that is necessary forunambiguous interpretation of the expression.As meaning can be conveyed either by theimplicit, shared context or by the explicitform of the expression, the degree ofcontext-dependence or ``contextuality'' ofcommunication will vary, depending on thesituation and preferences of the languageproducer. An empirical measure of thisvariation is proposed, the ``formality'' or``F-score'', based on the frequencies ofdifferent word classes. Nouns, adjectives,articles and prepositions are more frequent inlow-context or ``formal'' types of expression;pronouns, adverbs, verbs and interjections aremore frequent in high-context styles. Thismeasure adequately distinguishes differentgenres of language production using data forDutch, French, Italian, and English. Factoranalyses applied to data in 7 differentlanguages produce a similar factor as the mostimportant one. Both the data and thetheoretical model suggest that contextualitydecreases when unambiguous understandingbecomes more important or more difficult toachieve, when the separation in space, time orbackground between the interlocutors increases,and when the speaker is male, introvertedand/or academically educated.

Identification and Resolution of Work Space Conflicts in Building Construction

Abstract: Numerous workers, equipment, material, temporary facilities, as well as permanent structures share the limited space during construction. Since space constraints may affect productivity and the critical path, it is essential to organize the available space efficiently and minimize space conflicts. This study considers space availability due to time and scheduling, productivity loss due to space constraints and path interference, as well as the possibility of alternative space to resolve these conflicts and optimize space usage. Herein, computer-aided design is integrated with scheduling software for the dynamic identification of space conflicts on the jobsite. Follow-up supplemental decision criteria are then provided for conflict analysis and resolution. A prototype decision support system that combines the criteria was developed to solve this significant and complex problem more efficiently and precisely. A case study demonstrates the use and development of this system, which is very helpful to engineer...

Generating Website Traffic

Abstract: In this paper, we attempt to empirically determine the factors that drive traffic and brand equity in the internet space Even in 2002 with the internet bubble burst, many companies are still turning to the web to interact with current customers and reach new markets These companies need to know if the traditional theories linking advertising, store visits, and sales are still supported a they move online, using the technology-based internet as a primary marketplace

Shopping, Space, and Practice

Abstract: In this paper we address questions of ‘shopping as practised’ and its relation to shopping space. We argue that modes of shopping, which comprise distinctive sets of shopping practices involving re...

Multi-neighbourhood Local Search with Application to Course Timetabling

Abstract: A recent trend in local search concerns the exploitation of several different neighbourhood functions so as to increase the ability of the algorithm to navigate the search space.

Space Syntax Based Agent Simulation

Abstract: Space syntax derives from a set of analytic measures of configuration that have been shown to correlate well with how people move through and use buildings and urban environments. Space syntax represents the open space of an environment in terms of the intervisibility of points in space. The measures are thus purely configurational, and take no account of attractors, nor do they make any assumptions about origins and destinations or path planning. Space syntax has found that, despite many proposed higher-level cognitive models, there appears to be a fundamental process that informs human and social usage of an environment. In this paper we describe an exosomatic visual architecture, based on space syntax visibility graphs, giving many agents simultaneous access to the same pre-processed information about the configuration of a space layout. Results of experiments in a simulated retail environment show that a surprisingly simple 'random next step' based rule outperforms a more complex 'destination based' rule in reproducing observed human movement behaviour. We conclude that the effects of spatial configuration on movement patterns that space syntax studies have found are consistent with a model of individual decision behaviour based on the spatial affordances offered by the morphology of the local visual field.

Typed Feature Structures and Design Space Exploration

Abstract: This thesis describes: * a mechanism for structuring and indexing a design space, where * the elements of the space are functional decompositions, and * the generative operators are recursive type constraints. The goal is to produce an index for design space that is based on cataloguing design decisions.

Economic Performance, Inter-Firm Relations and Local InstitutionalEngineering in a Computational Prototype of Industrial Districts

Abstract: Industrial districts can be conceived as complex systems characterised by a network of interactions amongst heterogeneous, localised, functionally integrated and complementary firms. In a previous paper, we have introduced an industrial district computational prototype, showing that the economic performance of an industrial district proceeds to the form through which firms interact and co-ordinate each others. In this paper, we use such computational framework to experiment different options of 'local institutional engineering', trying to understand how specific 'supporting institutions' could perform macro-collective activities, such as, i.e., technology research, transfer and information, improving the technological adaptation of firms. Is a district more than a simple aggregation of localised firms? What can explain the economic performance of firms localised into the same space? Could some options of 'local institutional engineering' improve the performance of a district? Could such options set aside the problem of how firms dynamically interact? These are questions explored in this paper.

Principles for the Design of Performance-oriented Interaction Techniques

Abstract: Applications of virtual environments (VEs) are becoming increasingly interactive, allowing the user to not only look around a three-dimensional (3-D) world, but also to navigate the space, manipulate virtual objects, and give commands to the system. Thus, it is crucial that researchers and developers understand the issues related to 3-D interfaces and interaction techniques. In this chapter, the space of possible interaction techniques for several common tasks is explored and guidelines for their use in VE applications are offered. These guidelines are drawn largely from empirical research results.

Society seen through the prism of space: outline of a theory of society and space

Abstract: Two questions challenge the student of space and society above all others: will new technologies change the spatial basis of society? And if so, will this have an impact on society itself? For the urbanist, these two questions crystallise into one: what will the future of cities have to do with their past? Too often these questions are dealt with as though they were only matters of technology. However, they are much more than that. They are deep and difficult questions about the interdependence of technology, space and society that we do not yet have the theoretical apparatus to answer. We know that previous 'revolutions' in technology such as agriculture, urbanism and industrialisation associated radical changes in space with no less radical changes in social institutions. However, we do not know how far these linkages were contingent or necessary. We do not, in short, have a theory of society and space adequate to account for where we are now, and therefore we have no reasonable theoretical base for speculating about the future. In this paper, I suggest that a major reason for this theoretical deficit is that most previous attempts to build a theory of society and space have looked at society and tried to find space in its output. The result has been that the constructive role of space in creating and sustaining society has not been brought to the fore, or if it has, only in a way that is too general to permit the detailed specification of mechanisms. In this paper, I try to reverse the normal order of things by looking first at space and trying to discern society through space: by looking at society through the prism of space. Through this I try to define key mechanisms linking space to society and then use these to suggest how the questions about the future of cities and societies might be better defined.

Evolution of Organizational Performance and Stability in a Stochastic Environment

Abstract: In this study of optimal organizational performance, we explore how the extent of interactions, both within and among other organizations, affects group performance and stability in a stochastic environment. We have refined a modeling framework (Kauffman and Johnsen's NKC model) so that group size and connections among groups (externalities) can be finely tuned. The search for improved group configurations is modeled as a random walk on a space of possible configurations whereby agents in a group periodically have the opportunity to accept or reject random changes in their characteristics. By controlling which groups have external connections with which other groups, and the magnitude of such connections, we can manipulate the topology of the problem—the web of interactions within and between groups. We present numerical results showing that optimal group size relates to the magnitude of externalities and the accumulated number of random trials. Our main result suggests that for short periods with few trials, large organizations perform best, while for longer time horizons, the advantage accrues to small sized groups with a small number of externalities. However, over these long time horizons, as the extent of external connections increases, modest increases in group size enhances their performance. Under all circumstances, organizations that perform best in the long run fall into a regime of largely stable responses to perturbations, which however, borders on a region of instability.

Do structured abstracts take more space? And does it matter?

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Some journal editors object to implementing structured abstracts because, they say, they take up more space than traditional ones. AIM: The aim of this paper is to present evidence to s...

Conceptualizing time and space: information technology, work, and organization

Abstract: Discussions about new forms of work and organization are typically framed by time, space, and the roles played by information and communication technologies. However, the meaning of time, space, and technology is often taken-for-granted. In this paper, we explore these concepts by first developing a set of constructs and, second, presenting some initial theorizing on the relationships among these constructs. To do so we represent time and space as socially developed constructs of temporal and spatial relations. We conceptualize a functional view of information and communication technologies. And, we characterize work as varying by two characteristics: the level of worker interdependence and the degree of work autonomy. Integrating these five constructs into an initial framework allows us to theorize that new forms of work are moving toward four distinct forms, each with particular spatial, temporal, and information technology characteristics.

Fuzzifying spatial relations

Abstract: Reasoning about space plays an essential role in many cultures. Not only is space, like time, one of the most fundamental categories of human cognition, but also does it structure all our activities and relationships with the external world. Space serves as the basis for many metaphors, including temporal metaphors. It is inherently more complex than time, because it is multidimensional and epistemologically multiple.The way humans often deal with space in everyday situations is on a qualitative basis, allowing for imprecision in spatial descriptions when interacting with each other. Instead of using an absolute space (i.e., space viewed as a "container", which exists independently of the objects that are located in it), it seems that they prefer a relative space, which is a construct induced by spatial relations over nonpurely spatial entities.In artificial intelligence, a variety of formalisms have been developed that deal with space on the basis of relations between objects. Although most approaches provide some algorithms to reason about such relations, they usually do not make any attempt to address questions like how to handle imprecision in spatial relations or how to combine qualitative spatial relations with quantitative information. Although these questions seem to be unrelated to each other, we show in this chapter that fuzzy logic can provide an answer to both of them.

Factors influencing contractors' performance in Indonesia: A study of non value-adding activities

Abstract: Non value-adding activities can be defined as activities that consume time, resources or space but do not add project value. This term is classified as waste in the language of Lean Production. Waste can significantly affect the business performance and productivity of contracting organisations. This paper aims to investigate the incidence of non value-adding activities within contracting organisations in Indonesia, focusing on non-residential building and infrastructure projects. Data was collected through questionnaires and personal interviews targeting 99 respondents from 46 different contracting organisations. Statistical analyses were performed to rank the importance of waste variables and waste causes variables for different categories of organisations. The findings from both literature and survey conducted suggest that repair on finishing works, delays to schedule and waiting for materials were identified as the key variables, whereas design changes, lack of labourers’ skill and slowness in making decisions were identified as the key waste causing variables of non value-adding activities. The paper recommends that to minimise the negative impact of non value-adding activities, contractors maintain detailed records of all events which occur on-site in relation to the incidence of waste.