Dóra Maurer: Proportions & Timing

This paper aims at re-evaluating two of Hungarian artist Dóra Mauer’s films, the video work Proportions (1979) and the 16mm film Timing (1973/80). Both films follow a rigid structure. In Proportions, Maurer uses a paper roll to compare her own body measures repeatedly; in Timing, she repeatedly folds a white linen to compare the rhythm of her arm movements. Through her use of paper and the gesture of folding, the two films can be read as references to the very origin of the term format, as coined in early letterpress printing. When the notion of format is understood as a determination of a ratio and, as such, as an indexical reference to given social relationships (Summers, 2003), these films unfold sociocultural and political meanings. The present paper traces this spectrum of meaning through the pointed inclusion of historical discourses surrounding early motion studies, the art scene in socialist Hungary in the 1970s, and early time experiments before the advent of precision clocks.

Comparison of Forwarder Productivity and Optimal Road Density in Thinning and Clearcutting of Pine Plantation in Southern Brazil

The prescription of forest management determines the number of trees to be cut and, consequently, the harvested wood volume, which directly influences the forest operations dynamic. The objectives of this paper were (i) to analyze the effect of process factors on wood extraction performance with forwarder in first thinning and clearcutting of Pinus taeda L. plantations; and (ii) to economically determine the optimal road density to manage these plantations. Time and motion studies at the cycle element level were conducted to quantify and model the time consumption, productivity, and operational costs of the extraction. The optimal road density (ORD) for both operation types (OT) was determined based on the transport geometry model, considering the minimization of the sum of unitary costs with construction and maintenance of roads, loss of productive area, and wood extraction. The extraction distance (ED), slope (SL), average log volume (LV), and OT had a significant effect on the time consumed in travels, and therefore, on productivity (PPMH). In clearcutting, the average PPMH was 12.17 m3ob PMH0-1, while, in thinning, it was 10.94 m3ob PMH0-1; however, as the ED increased, the difference of PPMH and the cost of extraction between the operations decreased, which highlighted a greater effect of this factor on forwarder’s work in clearcutting. For this reason, the ORD for clearcutting (37.76 m ha-1) was higher than for thinning (27.84 m ha-1). Therefore, we demonstrated in this study that the type of operation and forest management regime, as well as their interaction with process factors, affect the sizing of the number of roads per unit area, and also the costs of the forest activity.

Skew Arcsine Distribution

The arcsine distribution is very important tool in statistics literature especially in Brownian motion studies. However, modelling real data sets, even when the potential underlying distribution is pre-defined, is very complicated and difficult in statistical modelling. For this reason, we desire some flexibility on the underlying distribution. In this study, we propose a new distribution obtained by arcsine distribution with Azzalini’s skewness procedure. The main characteristics of the proposed distribution are determined both with theoretically and simulation study.

Autonomous Mars Rover Design using SOLIDWORKS and User Interface development via Internet of Things

In this paper, an autonomous Mars Rover is designed using the software SOLIDWORKS and a mechanical model is developed with in-depth simulations to analyse the functions of the vehicle. Furthermore, a graphical user interface is also developed based on the principles of Internet of Things using Node-Red to control and monitor the rover remotely. The red planet, i.e.; Mars, has been the centre of attraction for over 2 decades now, with astrophysicists and engineers working in unison to build devices and launch shuttle programs to understand and learn about the planet and gather more intelligence. This paper proposes the detailed development of a 6-wheeled rover that could explore the terrains of Mars, featuring a stereo vision system that could provide live video coverage and a robotic arm that can facilitate investigation of the surface, in an attempt to contribute to and fulfil the human race’s mission to Mars. It employs multiple onboard sensors that can acquire necessary data pertaining to the environmental conditions and actuators that enable functionality, with the sensors and actuators integrated onto a control system based on microcontrollers and microprocessors such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi. The rover also has a provision of a payload bay in its rear which enables it to carry loads. The SOLIDWORKS tool from Dassault systèmes is used to design and model the rover and carry out static analysis and motion studies. The GUI developed in the further sections allows overall voice control for the user and makes the task of monitoring the rover a much simpler task by eliminating the complexity that rises due to multiple control platforms. Keywords: Mars Rover, Graphical User Interface (GUI), Chassis, Mastcam, Actuators, Internet of Things (IoT), Nitinol, Payload

Validation of GRACE and GRACE-FO Mascon Data for the Study of Polar Motion Excitation

In this study, we calculate the hydrological plus cryospheric excitation of polar motion (hydrological plus cryospheric angular momentum, HAM/CAM) using mascon solutions based on observations from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and GRACE Follow-On (GRACE-FO) missions. We compare and evaluate HAM/CAM computed from GRACE and GRACE-FO mascon data provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the Center for Space Research (CSR), and the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). A comparison with HAM obtained from the Land Surface Discharge Model is also provided. An analysis of HAM/CAM and HAM is performed for overall variability, trends, and seasonal and non-seasonal variations. The HAM/CAM and HAM estimates are validated using the geodetic residual time series (GAO), which is an estimation of the hydrological plus cryospheric signal in geodetically observed polar motion excitation. In general, all mascon datasets are found to be equally suitable for the determination of overall, seasonal, and non-seasonal HAM/CAM oscillations, but some differences in trends remain. The use of an ellipsoidal correction, implemented in the newest solution from CSR, does not noticeably affect the consistency between HAM/CAM and GAO. Analysis of the data from the first two years of the GRACE-FO mission indicates that the current accuracy of HAM/CAM from GRACE-FO mascon data meets expectations, and the root mean square deviation of HAM/CAM components are between 5 and 6 milliarcseconds. The findings from this study can be helpful in assessing the role of satellite gravimetry in polar motion studies and may contribute towards future improvements to GRACE-FO data processing.

Time Course of Creativity in Dance

Time-motion studies revolutionized the design and efficiency of repetitive work last century. Would time-idea studies revolutionize the rules of intellectual/creative work this century? Collaborating with seven professional dancers, we set out to discover if there were any significant temporal patterns to be found in a timeline coded to show when dancers come up with ideas and when they modify or reject them. On each of 3 days, the dancers were given a choreographic problem (or task) to help them generate a novel, high quality contemporary dance phrase. They were videoed as they worked on this task for sessions of 15, 30, and 45 min. At the end of each 15 min interval during each session, we had them perform the phrase they were creating. They recorded and then coded the video of themselves dancing during these sessions by using a coding language we developed with them to identify when ideas are introduced, modified, and rejected. We found that most ideas are created early and that though these early ideas are aggressively pruned early on, many still make it into the final product. The two competing accounts of creativity in design research make predictions for the temporal structure of creativity. Our results support neither account, rather showing a more blended version of the two. The iterative design view, arguably the dominant view, is that good ideas are the product of generating many ideas, choosing one fairly early, committing to it, and iteratively improving it. The “fail fast fail often” view is that good ideas are the product of rapidly generating and discarding ideas and holding back from early commitment to any one in particular. The result of holding back commitment, typically, is not that an idea is taken up later and then incrementally improved at the last minute, as much as that later designs are not completely novel, instead incorporating the best parts of the entire sequence of ideas. In our study, we found no evidence that one account or the other was more predictive for the domain of contemporary dance. The behavior of the dancers that we studied revealed elements of both, calling into question how predictive these theories are.

Measuring Clinical Workflow to Improve Quality and Safety

This chapter aims to illustrate the methodologies of time and motion research, the observation of clinical care activities in the field and its limits, strengths and opportunities. We discuss how such studies can be used to address questions related to the quality of care and to examine the relationships between clinical workflow and safety. Further, the chapter provides specific examples of the application of time and motion studies, the practical challenges and results obtained.

In-Field Performance of Biomass Balers

Herbaceous biomass will contribute significantly to meeting renewable energy goals. Harvesting equipment for hay is generally suitable for mowing, raking, and baling grasses such as switchgrass; however, there is a need for field data to better understand machine performance in energy crops. The purpose of this study was to collect field data to estimate baler field capacity, throughput, and speed. Data gathered with a Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) unit during baling provided time-motion studies of baler productivity. Six fields were used to compare field capacity, speed, and throughput results from four round balers and one large-square baler. The results show that in-field performance of round balers is significantly affected by yield, but that the relationship can be represented with machinery management concepts, knowledge of maximum throughput, and wrap-eject time. Baler performance will be overestimated if the yield, maximum throughput, and wrap-eject time are not correctly accounted for.