Promote learning and development in the early years Essay

1.1 Explain each of the areas of learning and development and how these are interdependent The EYFS sets the standards for children when they are aged 0-5. It sets out learning and development requirements, assessments and the safeguarding and welfare requirements. All schools, child minders, preschools and nurseries must follow the EYFS as it is a statutory document. There are two areas of learning that children will come across, these are prime and specific. Each of these areas are built up of different aspects which altogether make up the 17 early learning goals. The EYFS has characteristics that help practitioners understand how the children are learning and what they need to provide the children to progress. Characteristics help children become motivated and keep trying the things that they are not so good at. The prime area is split into three sections 1-communication and language 2-Physical development 3-Personal, social and emotional development The specific area is split into four different sections; 1- Literacy 2- Mathematics 3- Understanding the world 4- Expressive art and design. Prime areas are the ones that children are expected to learn first. If they are not taught correctly this could affect the specific areas. The prime areas are all interconnected. It is important to remember that each are of learning and development does not work in isolation but they are all in fact linked. Good activities will cover more than one area of development. For example; allowing children to access the outdoors will not only support their physical development, but encourage them to use their communication skills. In order to help  children achieve their full potential across the six areas of learning development of babies and young children must be encouraged through opportunities for them to be active and interactive and to improve their skills of coordination, control, manipulation and movement. They must be supported in using all of their senses to learn about the world around them and to make connections between new information and what they already know.

What advantage does Zara gain against the competition by having a very responsive supply chain?

Q. What advantage does Zara gain against the competition by having a very responsive supply chain? A. In an industry where the customer demand is unpredictable, Zara having a responsive supply chain has enabled it to enjoy greater customer turnover due to its 5 to 6 weeks cycle time leading to more profits as mostly the products are then sold at full price. Moreover being responsive has also enabled Zara to reduce its inventories and also the forecast error. Q. Why has Inditex chosen to have both in-house manufacturing and outsourced manufacturing? Why has Inditex maintained manufacturing capacity in Europe even though manufacturing in Asia is much cheaper? A. To be responsive in the rapid changing world, Inditex opted for both outsourced manufacturing, for the production of products with predictable demand, and in-house manufacturing, for the production of products with highly uncertain demand. Inditex has maintained large fraction of manufacturing capacity in Portugal and Spain (Europe) despite the higher cost there because this allows Zara to respond quickly to changing fashion trends in Europe. Q. Why does Zara source products with uncertain demand from local manufacturers and products with predictable demand from Asian manufacturers? A. Zara’s main competitive advantage is responsiveness and to retain it Zara source products with uncertain demand from local manufacturers because local manufacturers offer fast and flexible sourcing and such products are to be delivered quick instead of at low-cost (with greater lead time as it is manufactured in Asia). Whereas products with predictable demand are sourced from Asian manufacturers because outsourcing is cheaper that is products are manufactured at a low-cost. Q. Why is Zara building a new distribution centre as its sales grow? Is it better to have the new distribution centre near the existing one or at a completely different location? A. New distribution centre (DC) is being built by Zara in response to the increase in sales because the stock turnover is increasing and in order to cater the growth of sales and avoid any declination in it due to mismanagement of stock availability and customers’ demand. Q. What advantage does Zara gain from replenishing its stores twice a week compared to a less frequent schedule? How does the frequency of replenishment affect the design of its distribution system? A. Frequent replenishment allows Zara to match supply and demand more effectively than the competitors. The frequency of replenishment affect the design of its distribution system in a way that the more frequent the replenishment will take place, the more responsive and up to date the distribution system will be while on the other hand delayed replenishment will also make the distribution system delayed and slow with respect to customer’s demand. Q. What information infrastructure does Zara need in order to operate its production, distribution, and retail network effectively? A. In order to operate the production, distribution and retail network effectively, Zara should have an information infrastructure which is highly responsive and provides timely and accurate information that helps in better decision making as well as planning and forecasting. TOYOTA: A GLOBAL AUTO MANUFACTURER Q. Where s hould the plants be located and what degree of flexibility should be built into each? What capacity should each plant have? A. The location of the plants should be such that it complements the assembly plants and maximum profitability of Toyota. Plants operating locally can be cost prohibitive, while plants that operate globally can only reduce the interest in local markets. Logically, Toyota should apply the â€Å"global complementation† strategy to turn plants, and locate plants in areas that minimize costs (currency exchange, transportation, inventory holding, etc). This will allow them to achieve local/regional agility and remain flexible enough to supply non-local factories/assembly plants however necessary. The capacity of the plant should not exceed the projected demand for local / regional manufacturing sites / assembly plants that each plant will be part of supply. The ability to adequately supply factories is essential, and each plant must be designed with the ability to supply factories in the region. Q. Should plants be able to produce for all markets or only specific contingency markets? A. It depends upon the location and production capacity of each plant. Furthermore, since Toyota follows the strategy of global complementation, plants must be able to supply at least one more market/region than it’s normally responsible for supplying. Depending on the requirements of global parts, it may be appropriate for plants to be able to supply to all markets. But in the case that markets are so differentiated that the ability for a plant to provide global supply is cost prohibitive, then a specific contingency market should be designated for each regional plant. A plant in a certain region should only serve markets in that specific region; otherwise costs will inevitably go up. Q. How should markets be allocated to plants and how frequently should this allocation be revised? A. The allocation of markets to plants should be as efficient as possible. The standard allocation should be optimized during the planning phase. However, as markets mature, currency rates fluctuate, and demand changes, it is possible that an adjusted allocation will provide more efficiency and higher returns for Toyota. For this reason allocation should be adjusted when necessary, reviewed either annually or bi-annually, and optimized to increase efficiency and take advantage of the part plants flexibility. Q. What kind of flexibility should be built into the distribution system? A. The distribution system should closely monitor the flexibility of the global complementation strategy. The regional distribution should be optimized between the factories and supply of parts. However, when adjustments are made to the allocation, it will be necessary for cost-effective distribution to occur between plants and factories to non-local markets. Q. How should this flexible investment be valued? A. The flexible investment should be highly valued as this will lead Toyota to capture the demand and the income of non-local markets where the local cost, demand, etc declines. The flexible production and distribution will prevent idle facilities and reduced profits during economic downturns. And moreover, through the integration of flexible production and distribution, supply chain of Toyota will have greater access to markets and has the potential to capture greater value. Q. What actions may be taken during product design to facilitate this flexibility? A. There should be uniformity between global products which will provide the most cost effective means to facilitate flexibility between local plants and factories. During the product design, engineers must prepare the elements that maximize both the uniformity and meet local needs. This flexibility will help the plants and factories looking for the pieces to produce for non local markets and reducing dependencies and vulnerabilities of operating in specific local markets.

International Business Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Business Management - Essay Example There is a process for it which is termed as New Product development, which means it is the process that helps an organization to develop new products and services. There are two parallel paths involved in the process: One involves the idea generation, product design and detail structures, the second step focuses on market research and market analysis. Price Pricing is a very complicated issue and has far reaching effects on a company’s prospects in a market. There are different pricing benchmarks for different markets. So it is not a straight forward task to price a product. Company has to survey the market and analyze what prices other competitors are offering. Cost of Raw Material and Cost of transportation are taken into account for setting the price. If a company sets very low price in relation to their competitors, then there is a threat of being perceived as a bad quality. Willingness to purchase a product is directly related with the price. If the price is affordable, customer would instantly buy the product. Placement Placement of the product assumes wider magnitude when we talk about international marketing. If customers come to buy a product, and it is not available instantly than customers would get interested in competitors. For timely availability of the product, it is very necessary to make use of warehouses and other storing places. It is essential to make placement decisions in line with the product’s position in the market. Company need to decide whether our product will be perceived as a high end product or a low end product. Promotion Promotion is a multi-component phenomenon, which operates as a interacting channel with other elements of the marketing mix, aiming to achieve the communication process caused between what companies offer goods or services or ideas working to satisfy the needs and desires of consumers from individuals or institutions according to their potential. There are number of international promotional tools such as advertisement, sponsorships, price promotions and etc, but every firm prefers to use push and pull strategy. Pull is the relationship of the goods or pieces of information that moves the product from producer to the customers, while the "push" is to bring the goods to their customers "pool". Sometimes it become difficult to draft a promotional strategy for a brand because of its USP, then brand decisions are taken. Brand decisions are the art of creating and maintaining a brand. Branding makes customers committed to a business and provides them sense of loyalty. Question 1 (b) Company Global Hyatt Corporation is a US based organization that operates the business of hotels and motels. There are two hotel companies with the name of Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Hyatt International from which Global Hyatt Corporation operates all their businesses. Hyatt hotels leases, franchises and operates a number of hotels and resorts. Besides hotels, Global Hyatt Corporation also runs the business of casinos. The servicing mix of Global Hyatt Corporation is extended by three points: the processes, the individuals and the physical evidence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Processes A process is a set of actions which connects all the operations of a business to each other with an aim to achieve a specific result. Usually, Process includes value creating strategies for internal or external customers, segmentation,

Conduct an interview with an Informatics Professional Essay

Conduct an interview with an Informatics Professional - Essay Example Therefore, although companies differ in the way they use this term, CSO is increasingly used to refer to the highest ranked person responsible for the entire security of an organization, that is, both physical and digital (CSO, 2008). This paper, through interviewing a person working in this position, investigates the roles, responsibilities, qualifications, background, experience and challenges facing chief security officers. The telephone interview involved Mr. Anthony Gacanja who is the current CSO of Safaricom Kenya, a major network provider company in Kenya. Mr. Anthony Gacanja is currently the Chief Security Officer at Safaricom Kenya. He did his O level at St. Mary’s School Nairobi and holds a bachelor degree in Bsc. Electrical and Electronics Engineering (majoring in Telecommunication) from Nairobi University. Before joining Safaricom, he worked as a Manger of Technology Security and Risk Services in Ernst and Young and also as an Application Systems Developer at Software Technologies Limited. He has vast experience in IT consultancy and information systems assurance and audit. Besides holding a bachelor degree, Mr. Gacanja is also passed his exams both in Certified Information System Auditor (CISA) and Certified Information Security Manager (CISM). When asked about the main roles and responsibilities of a CSO, Mr. Gacanja said that a CSO has several duties and responsibilities depending on the company he or she is working with. However, although he accepted that these duties and responsibilities may vary from one organization to another, he points out a common aim for all CSOs is to ensure good security to an organization and work force. He gave the following as the main roles of any CSO in any organization: On qualification, Mr. Gacanja said that any individual who wishes to be a chief security officer must have a strong knowledge of security related concepts and excellent contacts

Whole Foods Financial Recommendation Research Paper

Whole Foods Financial Recommendation - Research Paper Example However, since then whole foods have been on the rise by achieving a margin of 4.9% by the end of 2010. Net profit margins have shown a similar trend as well as operating profits. In 2006, the industry performed well and recorded 3.63% of net profit margin. However, since then it dropped significantly and reached a low point in 2008 where it recorded a net profit margin of only 1.43%. Whole foods has since then performed well to reach up to 2.7% in 2010. All profitability ratios show a similar trend with a downward moving slope till 2008 and a positive flow from there on. Return on equity is a measure of profitability for contributors of equity capital. ROE helps in determining the firm’s rate of growth of earnings (Besley and Brigham, 2000).  Basically, ROE can be computed by dividing the net income by the shareholders equity.  ROE dropped from 13.5% in 2006 to 7.6% in 2008. From there on, Whole foods issues preferred stock to invest in the business to recover from the du ll patch. ROE for 2009 was 9.77% and it further grew to 10.12% in 2010. Like other profitability indicators, earning per share has been consistent throughout. The year 2006, being a highly profitable for the investors, showed EPS of $1.46. It dipped all the way to $0.82 in 2008 and then it steadily grew to record $1.45 EPS in 2010. When liquidity is taken into consideration, Whole foods has been parabolic in nature. In 2006, the company had $1.46 to pay off each dollar of current obligations. Current ratio dropped to 0.85 in 2007 but since then it has shown an upward trend. In 2009, it recorded 0.85 and in the last year it stated $1.45 of current asset to pay off current liabilities. Debt to asset ratio measures the amount of debt financing done to get a dollar of asset (Levinson 2006). It has shown a consistent rise since 2006 till 2008. In 2006, debt to asset ratio was 31.27% which climbed to 55.54% in 2008. In 2009, when equity was issued, the ratio dropped to 46% and further dow n to 40% in 2010. Similar trend was witnessed in Debt to equity. Company initially preferred leverage over equity till 2008 where a huge shift to equity took place. Company paid back $748 million of long-term debt in 2009 which could be seen in its improving ratios in 2009-2010. Asset management has been steady for Whole foods. Inventory turnover rate measures the rate at which your inventory circles in a year (Ehrhardt& Brigham 2004). It is an indicator of whether the company holds large amount of inventory or not. The turnover rate has oscillated between 22 times in a year to 27.5 times since 2006. In 2007 the inventory turned over 22.88 times in a year. The rate dropped to 24.89 in 2008 but since then it has increased to 25.86 times in 2009 and 27.84 times in 2010 which shows controlled sales and less excess inventory. TREND For whole foods, the past 5 years have shown a parabolic trend. Since sales fluctuate greatly with consumer buying habits and state of the economy, Whole foo ds has struggled in this regard. Recession and certain acquisitions have taken whole foods to bite the dust till 2008. But since then it has started to prosper all over again. Sales grew by 17.5% from 2006 to 2007; however, the increase did not show up as profitable as expected in the earnings. High interest payments nullified all penny earned in 2007. In the year 2008, the sales grew but eventually yielding lower profit margins due to high discounted sales caused by recession. Food industry works on low margins and it was struck immensely by recession. In the year 2009, when Whole foods paid back majority of their long term debt, it was time to show better results at year end. The earnings grew parallel to the sales. Year 2010, was marked highly lucrative for the company with growth

Equity Theory (Adams) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Equity Theory (Adams) - Essay Example ng to Adams, in relation to a given work situation, employees seek to maintain equity when it comes to the rewards they get from their jobs and the inputs they give to it. Without maintaining this equity, the employees would feel negatively about their work situation and be distressed about it. Overtime, the idea of equity has been developed to include and influence many other facets of organizational behavior. Two of these are the psychological contract and employee motivation since they stand out as primary examples where the equity theory becomes applicable. The idea of establishing or creating equity between the employee and the company is very clearly seen when it comes to motivation since according to the theory employees seek to create equitable relationships and rewards can be used to make individuals work harder. However, when it comes to the psychological contract, the application of the equity theory is more subtle therefore it would be important to understand how the psychological contract and the equity theory complement each other. Robinson and Rousseau (1994) say that the psychological contract is quite important for all facets of management and those employees who are given employment with a company hope to obtain equal benefits from their employment as compared to the input they are giving to the company. In essence, the psychological contract of an employee is based on the idea of creating equity. As per the meaning of the term, a psychological contract is the implicit contract of several deep understandings between the company and the employee as they relate to the expectations of the employee and the obligations of the company (Emott, 2006). Guest (2004) takes an even larger view of the psychological contract in employment situations where recommends that a full understanding of an equitable relationship should incorporate fairness to both parties and it should be based on mutual trust. This kind of equity is perhaps too idealistic since it

SUPERVISORS CHALLENGES Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SUPERVISORS CHALLENGES - Coursework Example These problems above can be reduced by having every officer in the manufacturing plant and operations methods have specific duties, roles and responsibilities specified, limited and applied to him. In this light, all employees must be made aware of what is expected of them. This means that the plant will have to take division of labor seriously. As the firm specifies the role, duties and responsibilities that every employer should assume, the director and supervisor of the manufacturing plant must equally spell out the powers and privileges every officer should assume. Just as Cousens and Szwejczewski (2009) recommend, job specialization will also have to be effected in the plant so as to curtail the shortfalls being exhibited by the personnel. The crux of the matter herein is that although the director and supervisor of the manufacturing plant may be interested in parrying away undue blame for employees’ failures, yet there is a significant problem that is being ignored: employees are failing, regardless of the target of the blame. Assigning employees duties and roles in line with their area of professional specialization, skills and talents will enforce diligence, motivation, love for work, dynamism and self-initiatives. An employee trained in chemical engineering is less susceptible to blunders if he is assigned laboratory duties as opposed to when he is transferred to the metal work or assembly department. The director and supervisor of the manufacturing plant should also set performance targets for every officer. This will ensure that every employee in the manufacturing plant is answerable. In the event that performance gap is sustained, every employee becomes answerable for himself, instead of the director and supervisor taking the blame. The manufacturing plant should draw its hierarchy well to further facilitate answerability and accountability. An individual worker should be answerable to a group leader who is in turn

Volunteer and wildelife Tourism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Volunteer and wildelife Tourism - Assignment Example Some of the animals which are hunted for trophy in Canada, include the polar bear, Canadian moose, Canada whitetail deer, Canada ducks and many others. This act of trophy hunting has its own impacts socially, economically and even environmentally. The impacts are categorized as either positive or negative impacts to the society, environment and the economy (Novelli, 2005). The advantageous effects of trophy hunting include infrastructure development, which entails a reliable transport system, rural development and increased job opportunities. The job increase is witnessed since many people are needed to protect the wild game. Increased contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and government revenue from the businesses related to trophy sales is also another advantage that is accrued from trophy hunting (Novelli, 2005). Noise pollution from the machines used, creation of illegal roads in protected zones and impacts on the sanitation and water resources which affect both the wild game and the aquatic life are some of the disadvantages of trophy hunting (Novelli,

Journal Article Review Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Journal Article Review Assignment - Essay Example Alcohol abuse or dependence emerged in the investigation, which in particular has significant relation to the occurrence of crime such as actual suicide and suicide attempts. Suicide attempts, as crime-related scenarios were remarkable in various geographical contexts, but there is no significant amount of studies trying to investigate the actual contribution of alcohol use disorder on the prevalence of suicide attempt. In the chosen study, the proponents have remarkably investigated this concern by employing older adults who were hospitalized in connection with a suicide attempt. In order to further understand this claim, the proponents investigated further the suicidal behaviors of respondents with suicidal attempting experience even if they have AUD or not. This is to remarkably create a link to a significant gap in the literature concerning this issue. The specific individuals included in the study were 70 years or older, who were having hospital treatment due to suicide attempt during 2003-2006. Out of the 133 eligible participants, 103 of them were enrolled in the study, which comprised the 47 men, 56 women, and both groups with average age of 80 years and a response rate of 77%. Random sampling technique was employed. Statistical analysis involved was correlation, because the proponents were after of finding the actual level association between the variables. In order to implement this, the case comparison was initiated. â€Å"AUD was observed in 26% of the cases and in 4% of the comparison group (odds ratio [OR]: 10.5; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.9–22.5). Associations were noted in men (OR: 9.5; 95% CI: 4.0–22.8) and women (OR: 12.0; 95% CI: 2.4–59.5). More than half of the cases with AUD and  a third of those without AUD had made at least one prior suicide attempt. In these, AUD was associated with a longer interval

Terrorism and criminology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Terrorism and criminology - Essay Example Criminological theories offer explanations for certain terrorist acts. Social disorganization theory explains the communal terrorist acts. In a society where the collective efficacy of social institutions have failed, a general unrest may emerge, which would eventually lead to terrorist acts. Such an atmosphere facilitates organized crimes that are a reflection of the lack of respect for the failing systems and also of the notion that the punishment for such crimes will be less severe where the legal justice has fallen apart with the failed institutions. Racial and ethnic heterogeneity in socially disorganized communities are apt to come to direct conflicts. In such communities the poverty rate will also be high, which will; also lead to crimes that would gain the proportions of terrorism. Gang wars and organized crimes are most often transformed to terrorism in general. While the disruptions may emerge as an internal affair in the beginning, it is possible that the frustration and w rath may later be directed against other communities or nations. The disenchanted populace of a socially disorganized community is often the targets of international terrorist recruiters. The theory of rational choice and deterrence is another criminological theory that effectively defines certain terrorist acts. It can explain individual and communal terrorism in a social structure. The theory explains criminal acts as personal or rational choice. The existence of a swift, severe and certain system of punishment in a state is apt top deter an individual or a society from committing a crime. If we analyze the amount of terrorism that emerges from states where the punishment system is weak, the theory can be proved beyond doubt. A state that fails to execute proper punishments will also fail to keep terrorist activities in check. The general assumption can be summarized that people will

System Evaluation Essay Example for Free

System Evaluation Essay One of the most prevalent and effective systems used within the Marine Corps is the human resources system known as Marine Online (MOL). MOL was created to track Marines annual training, allow special requests such as leave, liberty, temporary duty assignments, personal time away from duty. MOL also gives Marines the ability to track carrier progression through annual reporting and rewards that are posted. The system includes promotion tracking and allows one to calculate physical training scores such as physical fitness training scores and combat fitness-training scores. The system allows Marines to track pay and leave in incremental amounts allowing one to view pay 15 days prior to being paid. The need for the system has been ever present and before its implementation everything was stored on paper and word of mouth. The system has helped the Corps as a whole because it creates a platform for many different types of data to be stored and calculates data automatically allowing data to be requested at a moment notice. The requirements of the Marine Corps that drove the system development of MOL are many in number but the need that drove the creation of it the most was how large the organization is. The Marine Corps size can vary from 200k to 400k including reserves. Commanders needed a system that would allow them to view leave and performance reports at a moments notice. In the process of creating the system they found there were many other facets of records they could include in the system. By digitizing these records they would be viewable by every Marine. This in turn allowed the Marine Corps to save hundreds of millions of dollars because they could reduce the number of departments. The Marine Corps had the ability to centralize all of the departments and reduce the amount of paper waste along with wasted man hours. In the past Marines would have to go to several separate departments to view the same information. The original system was only created to track only two areas of information. When the Marine Corps did their assessment of the system they found it to be so helpful they asked commanders if there was anything else they could add to the system to make it easier to track Marines carrier and allow individuals the ability to do the same. Allowing the individual Marines the ability to view these reports at a moments notice has allowed the organization as a whole to appeal to a much higher standard and expectation of the Marines. An example of a new tool that has been implemented in the system MOL is in the Marine Times â€Å"Use of the new communications tool, accessible through Marine Online, or MOL, will be mandatory for nearly the entire Corps by the end of February. † (Sanborn, 2011, para. 2). The use of this new communication tool has allowed family’s to stay in contact with loved ones while deployed over seas. The new system has improved almost every facet of the organization the basic use of the Marine Online System is to allow tracking of Marines to the commanders in the Marines Corps with the simple click of a mouse. The system has grown to so much more than it was originally created for allowing the growth of the Marine Corps in many other areas. Some likely future developments of the system will be the incorporation of medical and dental records. The system will probably be updated to include service record books to allow Marines individual records to be recorded electronically. The information system will eventually grow to allow every Marine to track every portion of their carrier to include new functions that were never though possible or never thought were needed. Something that has not been incorporated into the system is a mobile aspect but in the near future there will be. â€Å"In 2011, the Department of Defense announced it was creating a special online app store for members of the military so that they could download mobile apps that had been vetted for security issues† (Turban, Volonino, Wood, 2013, p. 88). Security has always been an issue for the Department of Defense (DOD) when creating mobile portions of their information systems. This is something that has repressed their ability to expand into the mobile business as of late the security of mobile system has become ever stronger and allowed the DOD to expand its information systems. Conclusion The MOL system has transformed how the Marine Corps functions in many different ways. The IS has allowed the organization as a whole to reduce aste and streamline the data it collects to a central location. Requirements of the system have always been present within the organization until recently has not been reasonably attainable with the amount of employees within the organization. The ultimate drive of the system is unit readiness and the unit readiness is easily quantifiable within the system because the commanders within the Marine Corps have instant access to the information required to gauge it. Unit readiness is the ability to leave at a moments notice when called upon by the president or congress to deploy to a war zone. The type and basic uses of the system are some of the most essential parts of the IS. Without the basic use of this system the Marine Corps as a whole would be at a loss without the use of it. In essence the application of this system has changed the business processes of the Marine Corps as a whole.

Lewis model as a model for structural change

Lewis model as a model for structural change Describe the Lewis model as a model for structural change. How does the Harris-Todaro model of rural-urban migration differ from the assumptions and outcomes of the Lewis model? The Lewis model is an early traditional model which seeks to explain how labour movement from one sector to another leads to economic development in a country, particularly developing countries. Whereas the Harris-Todaro model is a model used to address issues concerning rural-urban migration by analysing income differentials. These models are similar but are based on different assumptions which shape their outcomes. I will be analysing these assumptions outcomes and making comparisons between the two models. The Lewis model seeks to explain the growth of a developing country in terms of labour transition from a traditional agricultural sector to a modern industrial sector. This model (sometimes known as the Dual Sector Model) was initially developed by Sir Arthur Lewis in his article, Economic Development with Unlimited Supplies of Labour. This article was published in 1954. This article and model are instrumental in laying the foundation in this area of Economics. The Lewis Model is about how surplus labour  [1]  from the traditional agricultural sector is transferred to the modern industrial sector, whose growth over time absorbs the surplus labour. This is promotes industrialisation as well as encourage sustainable development  [2]  . In this model, the traditional agricultural sector is usually characterised by low wages, an abundance of labour and low productivity through a labour intensive production process. Whereas, the modern industrial sector or manufacturing sector is defined by higher wages, higher marginal productivity  [3]  , and initially a demand for more workers, compared to the agricultural sector. The manufacturing sector is also assumed to use a production process which is capital intensive, therefore, investment and capital restructuring in the manufacturing sector is possible over time as capitalists profits are reinvested in the capital stock  [4]  . The assumption is that there is low marginal productivity in the agricultural sector because it is believed to be low priority as the hypothetical developing nations investment is going towards the physical capital stock in the manufacturing sector. The agricultural sector has a limited amount of land to cultivate, so this means that the marginal product of an additional farmer is assumed to be zero as the law of diminishing marginal returns  [5]  takes place as a result of the fixed input, land. This means that the agricultural sector has a quantity of farm workers that are not contributing to output in agriculture because their marginal productivities are zero. These farmers that are not producing any output are termed as surplus labour as they can move to another with no impact on the agricultural sector. Due to the wage differential between the agricultural sector and the manufacturing sector, workers tend to leave agriculture to work in manufacturing sector over time to reap the reward of higher wages. The idea is that if the quantity of workers moves from the agricultural sector to the manufacturing sector equal to the surplus labour from the agricultural sector, regardless of who actually transfers, general welfare and productivity will improve. Total agricultural product will remain unchanged while total industrial product increases because of the additional labour; however, this additional labour drives down marginal productivity and wages in the manufacturing sector. Over time, as this transition continues and investment results increase in the capital stock, the marginal productivity of workers in manufacturing will be driven down by additional workers entering this sector. Eventually, the wage rates of the agricultural and manufacturing sectors will equalise as workers leave the agricultural sector for the manufacturing sector, which increases marginal productivity and wages in the agricultural sector whilst driving down productivity and wages in manufacturing. The end result of this transition process is that the agricultural wage equals the manufacturing wage; the agricultural marginal product of labour equals the manufacturing marginal product of labour, and no further enlargements in the manufacturing sector takes place as workers no longer have a monetary incentive to move. The Lewis Model of Modern-Sector Growth in a Two-Sector Surplus Labour Economy (Diagram 1) The Harris-Todaro Model is an economic model used in developmental economics and welfare economics. This model is used to explain some issues surrounding rural-urban migration. The main result of the model is that the migration decision is based on the income differentials between rural and urban areas, not wage differentials. Therefore, this implies that rural-urban migration, in the context of high urban unemployment, can be economically rational if it is expected that urban income exceeds rural income. The Harris-Todaro Model (Diagram 2) The model asserts that equilibrium will be reached when the expected wage in urban areas, adjusted for the unemployment rate  [6]  , is equal to the marginal product of an agricultural worker. The model assumes that unemployment is non-existent in the rural agricultural sector and that rural agricultural production and the subsequent labour market is perfectly competitive  [7]  . This means that the agricultural rural wage is equal to agricultural marginal productivity. In equilibrium, the rural-urban migration will be zero because the expected rural income equals the expected urban income. The formal statement of the equilibrium condition of the Harris-Todaro model is as follows: Wa = Lm (Wm) Lus In this formula, Wa stands for agricultural income, Lm stands for employment in the manufacturing sector, Lus stands for the total urban labour pool and Wm stands for the urban minimum wage. The equations illustrates that the expected agricultural wage rate equals the expected urban wage rate, which is the urban wage rate multiplied by the total number of jobs available in manufacturing divided by the total number of the urban labour pool. Rural-urban migration will take place if: Wa Ls On the other hand, urban-rural migration will take place if: Wa > Lm (Wm) Ls This suggests that migration from rural areas to urban areas will increase if urban wages (Wm) increase in the manufacturing sector (Lm), increasing the expected urban income. If agricultural productivity decreases, which lowers marginal productivity and wages in the agricultural sector (Wa), there will be a decrease in the expected rural income. This also leads to a rise in migration from rural to urban areas. Mega-cities: Cities with Ten Million or more inhabitants (Figure 1) Source: Data from United Nations Population Division, March 2002 Migration rates exceed urban job creation rates, this is because rural-urban migration causes overcrowding and unemployment in cities. This leads to many people ending up in unproductive or underproductive employment in the informal sector  [8]  . However, even though this migration causes such problems as in inducing informal sector growth and unemployment, this behaviour is economically rational and utility maximising in the context of this model. As long as the migrating economic agents have complete and accurate information concerning rural urban wage rates and the probability of obtaining employment, they will make an expected income-maximising decision. Estimated and Projected Urban and Rural Population of the More and Less Developed Regions, 1950-2030 (Figure 2) To summarise, the assumptions of the Lewis Model include the idea capitalists reinvest profits which leads to fast growth expansion in the modern sector. The level of wages in the modern industrial sector is assumed to be constant and determined as a given premium over a fixed average continuation level of wages in the traditional agricultural sector. The assumption that there is surplus labour in the sense that marginal product of labour is very important. It is partially because of this that workers will move as they are believed have no impact on the agricultural sector. Another assumption is all rural workers share equally in the output so that the rural real wage is determined by the average and not the marginal product of labour. Moreover, under the assumption of perfectly competitive labour markets in the modern sector, the marginal labour curves (Diagram 1) are actually demand curves for labour. Lewis also assumes that modern sector employers can hire as many surplus rural wo rkers as they like with out the fear of rising wages because urban wage is above rural income. Finally, it is assumed to employment expansion continue until all surplus labour is absorbed by the industrial sector. These assumptions shape the conclusion that labour transitions take place for workers who leave the traditional agricultural sector for the modern sector in search for a better wage. However, some of these assumptions do not hold in reality and changes the shape of the model. This model is complicated because of the fact that surplus labour is both generated by the introduction of new productivity enhancing technologies in the agricultural sector and intensification of work. Also, the migration of workers from the countryside to the cities is an incentive towards those two phenomena as the relative bargaining power of workers and employers varies and with this so does the cost of labour. The wage differential needs to be sufficient between industry and agriculture to incentivise movement between the sectors but the model assumes that any differential will result in a transfer. The assumption that surplus labour in rural areas and there is full employment in urban areas has been proved wrong by contemporary research indicators. These show that there is little general surplus labour in rural locations. The model also assumes diminishing returns in the modern sector, but there is much evidence that increasing returns exist in this sector. The Harris Todaro model is based on different assumptions compared to the Lewis model even though their models lead to similar conclusions. The Harris-Todaro model assumes that it is the difference in expected income earnings rather than actual wage differentials that causes workers to switch from rural areas to urban areas if expected income is higher. The model assumes potential migrants are risk neutral. This means they are indifferent between a certain expected rural income and an uncertain expected urban income of the same magnitude. This assumptions indication of economic realities is debatable. This is because poor migrants will more likely to be risk adverse and require a significantly larger expected urban income to migrate. However, the Harris-Todaro model can be adjusted to reflect risk aversion through alteration of the expected urban income calculation. Although, when the model assumes risk aversion instead of risk neutrality, the results are practically indistinguishabl e. The Lewis model uses a competitive model whereas the Harris-Model does not do this. This is seen because rural-urban migration acts as an equilibrating force that equates rural and urban expected incomes. (Figure 3) To conclude, the Lewis model and Harris-Todaro model have similar outcomes in the sense of labour moving from rural agricultural areas into urban areas in search of modern industrial work as an approach to earn more money and leave poverty. However, the assumptions of the two models are very different and maybe this is why each model has had different impacts in terms of economic development history. The Lewis model is an early traditional model. which in practical situations does not work properly because of the assumptions. Therefore, the extent of the model is rarely realised. Although, this model does provide a good general theory on labour transiting in developing economies. The Harris-Todaro model, on the other hand, even with its problems with the assumptions, has lead to policy implications such as ways to reduce inequalities and bias between rural areas and urban cities as an attempt to reduce this migration problem. Overall, both models have increased awareness of the growing issues surrounding rural-urban migration. As many countries like India, Singapore and China act as success stories of this type of migration and economic transition as a catalyst towards leaving poverty, there are many developing nations who have not had the same success, but have suffered from a rise in urban poverty, unemployment and fall in living standards (figure 3) and (figure 4). (Figure 4) References https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYG9SpNq_j9s2W3DQVcZEoZ2GThkd6NhMSgG_LYer1IGmese_R54l2tPZVx1QGOl-sQFUfg0US-O45EwwLReyInedjcDCCbmC2Tl0Df_FvbaIh9u3oRMgCf8jTjsZgLteY27enrGsxKJ-E/s400/WorstSlumPopulationsinSubSaharanAfrica-Graph.gif http://econ.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/EXTWDRS/EXTWDR2009/0,,contentMDK:21961509~pagePK:64167689~piPK:64167673~theSitePK:4231059,00.html http://econ.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/EXTWDRS/EXTWDR2009/0,,contentMDK:21963658~pagePK:64167689~piPK:64167673~theSitePK:4231059,00.html http://www.facsnet.org/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=190:journalists-guide-to-economic-terms-04-02catid=75:archives Harris J. and M. Todaro, Migration, Unemployment Development: A Two-Sector Analysis (American Economic Review, March 1970); 60(1):126-42 Todaro and Smith, Economic Development (Addison Wesley; 9th edition, July 2005) pg. 108-113, 339-343

Effects of Transition on Child Stress

Effects of Transition on Child Stress Using evidence, write an essay showing how stress is influenced at the levels of the individual, family, locality and society. Chose one intervention at one of the levels and say why you think it could be effective in tackling the problem.   This essay looks at how stress is influenced at many levels: individual, family, locality and society, and concentrates on the level of family, to describe an intervention that could be effective in tackling the problem. As Finlay et al. (2005; p. 141), stress is something that everybody experiences at some point in their life, from children to adults, although excessive amounts of stress can be harmful for individuals in terms of their health and longevity. It is therefore important that the causes of long-term stress be identified and that interventions are utilized in order to minimize the adverse effects of this stress. As Finlay et al. (2005; p. 29-31) point out, however, stress can have many causes, from individual factors, to family concerns, to external factors from the individual’s environment (locality) to societal-level factors, all of which can lead to an individual experiencing stress. This can make it difficult to isolate one intervention that could be effective; the remainder of the essay will, however, describe a case study and will highlight one intervention that might be effective in this case. The particular example that will be used is that of a primary-aged child who is showing signs of stress. The child is manifesting behavioural changes, such as disturbed sleep and mood swings, and is experiencing headaches and loss of appetite, all of which are classic signs of childhood stress (Flinn, 1999). The child is the youngest child of a two-child family, and has just started primary school. His parents both work full-time and they are rarely in the house. The family does not eat together. The child’s older brother is a teenager, and is going through exams at the moment. He himself is also showing signs of stress, and all the spare time the parents have, they spend with their oldest child, helping him cope with his exams. It is clear that the youngest child is being neglected emotionally, at a time when he needs support, having just moved to full-time school. There are many stressors on this child, which can be addressed through some simple interventions, which will be discussed below. A recent study (Turner-Cobb, 2008) shows that, in particular, periods of transition in childhood can be extremely stressful for children. Studies have suggested that stress can be anticipated by children, which can lead to deep anxiety (Primary Report, 2007). As shown by Flinn (1999), untreated stress in childhood can have long-term health effects, such as adverse developmental effects (McEwen, 2008) and increased mortality (McEwen, 2003). In addition, childhood stress can lead to social problems, such as poor familial relationships, and behavioural disorders as a result of this (McEwen, 2003; Alfven et al., 2008; Flinn, 1995). As Flinn and England (1997) show, supported by Bauer and Boyce (2004), these social problems can then lead, in later life, to socio-economic problems caused by long-term health concerns. As (Finlay et al., 2005; p.64) state, â€Å"Family relationships have both a positive and a negative effect on health behaviours and health†. As suggested, the lack of ‘family meals’, where the whole family sits down to eat can disrupt the parent-children relationship, and can lead to stress being put on the children, who feel they do not have a regular point of contact with their parent(s), breaking the facility for communication with their parent(s) (Finlay et al., 2005; p.64). This certainly seems to be the case here, where the parents work full-time and have little spare time to spend ‘quality time’ with their child. As (Finlay et al., 2005; p.70) suggest, the changing roles within families have put stress on the family, with both parents working meaning that the children are less likely to see their parents for extended periods of time, leading to a greater need for independence at an earlier age and, also, potentially leading to poor health beha viours in the children and to higher levels of stress in these children. What can be done, what intervention can be suggested, to help this child? Given that the child is young, very young, and is going through a stressful period in his life at the moment, with the transition to full-time school, and that the child is being neglected, emotionally, by his parents, the suggested intervention is that the family attempt to sit down together at all mealtimes. This would give the family an opportunity to be together and would allow the child time to settle down with his parents and to feel comfortable enough to be able to tell them about his worries and his concerns. As shown by Arnold (1990), it is often enough for a child to be given the space to talk for the child to feel less stressed, and to recover from the symptoms of stress they were suffering. This intervention is expected to be effective in that it would allow connections to be made again between the child and his parents, and his brother, allowing some repair of the disrupted parent-child relationship (Finlay et al., 2005; p. 64). The need for families to have a space (both physical and temporal) where they can be together is paramount, in terms of allowing each family member to interact with each other, allowing them to discuss their worries and concerns and allowing, to some extent, the stressors to be relaxed. This is especially important for a young child who needs to feel protected. Without the protection of their families, their parents, young children can begin to feel vulnerable, with this vulnerability allowing for stressful events to have a far greater negative effect than usual on their responses to stress (Arnold, 1990). By sitting down together as a family, by talking and being listened to, the child can externalize his worries and, once shared, these worrie s can be dealt with in the most appropriate ways. Indeed, recent studies have shown that families who eat meals together have children who are more emotionally healthy than those families who do not eat together (Fivush and Duke, 2005; Duke et al., 2004). In summary, the suggested intervention in this case is to sit down together, as a family, to eat together. It is important to realize that such an intervention can have major effects on the sense of belonging a child has, which, in turn, can reduce their sense of vulnerability and can increase their ability to deal with stressful situations, and to avoid suffering from stress. This type of interaction can also lead to greater levels of family cohesiveness and resilience, having the beneficial side effect of contributing to a general reduction in family-level stressors. References Alfven, G. et al. (2008). Stressor, perceived stress and recurrent pain in Swedish schoolchildren. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 65(4), pp. 381-387. Arnold, E.L. (1990). Childhood Stress. John Wiley Sons. Bauer, A.W. and Boyce, T. (2004) Prophecies of childhood: how childrens social environments and biological propensities affect the health of populations. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine 11(3), pp. 164-175. Duke, M.P. et al. (2004). Of ketchup and kin: dinnertime conversations as a major source of family knowledge, family adjustment and family resilience. The Emory Centre for Myth and Ritual in American Life, Working Paper 26, available from http://www.marial.emory.edu/pdfs/Duke_Fivush027-03.pdf [Accessed on 3rd October 2008]. Finlay, L. et al. (2005). Understanding Health. The Open University. Fivush, R. et al. (2004). Family narratives and the development of children’s emotional well-being. In Family stories and life course, Pratt, M.W. and Fiese, B.H. (eds.), Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Flinn, M.V. (1995). Childhood stress and family environment. Current Anthropology 36(5), pp. 181-187. Flinn, M.V. and England, B. G. (1997). Social economics of childhood glucocorticoid stress response and health. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 102(1), pp. 33-53. Flinn, M.V. (1999). Family environment, stress and health during childhood. In Hormones, Health and Behaviour, Panter-Brick, C. and Worthman, C.M. (eds.), Cambridge University Press. McEwen, B.S. (2003). Early life influences on life-long patterns of behaviour and health. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disability Research Review 9(3), pp.149-154. McEwen, B.S. (2008). Understanding the potency of stressful early life experiences on brain and body function. Metabolism 57(2), pp. 11-15. Primary Report (2007). Community Soundings: The Primary Review regional witness sessions. Available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/12_10_2007primary.pdf [Accessed on 3rd October 2008]. Turner-Cobb, J. (2008). Children’s transition to school. Preliminary results available from http://www.bath.ac.uk/schooltransition/home#results [Accessed 3rd October 2008].

Blade Runner Changed My Life Essay -- Personal Narrative essay about m

Blade Runner Changed my Life    Sitting in the New Yorker Theater on 88th street and Broadway, having been intrigued and fascinated by the long-running previews, I saw Blade Runner for the first time. I was just out of eighth grade, about to move on to high school, and trying to hold on to a middle-school friendship with a girl named Angela. We'd met to see Ridley Scott's new movie with Harrison Ford. Earlier in the summer, I'd seen 70mm booming previews in the giant Loews' Theaters around Manhattan. My head was still filled with dark-skied images of a dark urban future mixed with muted 1940's radio music. Harrison Ford was a hard-boiled detective in an ever-raining city, dwarfed by several-hundred-story spacescrapers and color TV billboards, with musical accompaniment by the Ink Spots.    I thought the film was quite a failure. There were several voiceovers and explanations in dialogue that insulted the viewers' intelligence, and a few last-minute, fear-driven decisions to lighten the touch and the message of the story. Visually, it was a masterpiece, but I would not have been drawn back to the film by its cinematography alone.    Although my grades at the time were still in their pre-highschool mediocrity, and I had only just started that year to read books for pleasure, I was beginning to fancy myself a young intellectual of sorts. I'd grown up assuming my family had money and was just keeping it from me. I had only ever had one torn blazer to wear to school with my plastic clip-on tie and sneakers, but how many kids have the good fortune to attend private school in the first place? I resented not having the money for better clothes, but didn't think I was poor. The five dollars I could never get f... .... The voice-overs and last-minute explanations I've come to ignore, and I watch the film with a nostalgic fondness and respect. Its strongest effect upon me was certainly philosophical, but I can see other influences as well. My general aesthetic is high-tech, dark and ominous.    I've come to think of the anachronistic, multi-cultural and sensuous, post-Information Age world of Ridley Scott and Cyberpunk as a rich playground for the imagination. Granted, this may all seem old-hat and backwards to my 21st-century students when I finally become a professor in a liberal philosophy department somewhere, but I'll keep my finger on the pulse of future philosophy and questions of mind and sentience, long after the science fiction scenarios of my youth have either become the familiar background of a new generation or the cynical prophecy of a past century.   

Beloved :: essays research papers

In Toni Morrisons’ novel, Beloved, the main character Sethe, is a former slave who chooses to kill her baby girl rather than allowing her to be exposed to the physically, and emotionally damaging horrors of a life spent in slavery. There is no other way to say it: she murdered her child. By killing her child, so dear to her heart, the question arises whether Sethe acted out of true love or selfishness. The fact that Sethe's act is irrational can easily be decided upon. Does Sethe kill her baby girl because she wants to save the baby from slavery or does Sethe end her daughter's life because of a selfish refusal to reenter a life of slavery? By examining the complexities of Sethe's character it can be said that she is a woman who chooses to love her children but not herself. Sethe kills her baby because, in Sethe's mind, her children are the only good and pure part of who she is and must be protected from the cruelty and the "dirtiness" of slavery~(Morrison 251In this respect, her act is that of love for her children. The selfishness of Sethe's act lies in her refusal to accept personal responsibility for her baby's death. Sethe's motivation is dichotomous in that she displays her love by mercifully sparing her daughter from a horrific life, yet Sethe refuses to acknowledge that her show of mercy is also murder. Throughout Beloved, Sethe's character consistently displays the duplistic nature of her actions. Not long after Sethe's reunion with Paul D. she describes her reaction to School Teacher's arrival: "Oh, no. I wasn't going back there[Sweet Home]. I went to jail instead"~(Morrison 42) Sethe's words suggest that she has made a moral stand by her refusal to allow herself and her children to be dragged back into the evil of slavery. From the beginning, it is clear that Sethe believes that her actions were morally justified. The peculiarity of her statement lies in her omission of the horrifying fact that her moral stand was based upon the murder of her child. By not even approaching the subject of her daughter's death, it is also made clear that Sethe has detached herself from the act. Even when Paul D. learns of what Sethe has done and confronts her with it, Sethe still skirts the reality of her past. Sethe describes her reasoning to Paul D., "... So when I got here, even before they let me get out of bed, I stitched her a Beloved :: essays research papers In Toni Morrisons’ novel, Beloved, the main character Sethe, is a former slave who chooses to kill her baby girl rather than allowing her to be exposed to the physically, and emotionally damaging horrors of a life spent in slavery. There is no other way to say it: she murdered her child. By killing her child, so dear to her heart, the question arises whether Sethe acted out of true love or selfishness. The fact that Sethe's act is irrational can easily be decided upon. Does Sethe kill her baby girl because she wants to save the baby from slavery or does Sethe end her daughter's life because of a selfish refusal to reenter a life of slavery? By examining the complexities of Sethe's character it can be said that she is a woman who chooses to love her children but not herself. Sethe kills her baby because, in Sethe's mind, her children are the only good and pure part of who she is and must be protected from the cruelty and the "dirtiness" of slavery~(Morrison 251In this respect, her act is that of love for her children. The selfishness of Sethe's act lies in her refusal to accept personal responsibility for her baby's death. Sethe's motivation is dichotomous in that she displays her love by mercifully sparing her daughter from a horrific life, yet Sethe refuses to acknowledge that her show of mercy is also murder. Throughout Beloved, Sethe's character consistently displays the duplistic nature of her actions. Not long after Sethe's reunion with Paul D. she describes her reaction to School Teacher's arrival: "Oh, no. I wasn't going back there[Sweet Home]. I went to jail instead"~(Morrison 42) Sethe's words suggest that she has made a moral stand by her refusal to allow herself and her children to be dragged back into the evil of slavery. From the beginning, it is clear that Sethe believes that her actions were morally justified. The peculiarity of her statement lies in her omission of the horrifying fact that her moral stand was based upon the murder of her child. By not even approaching the subject of her daughter's death, it is also made clear that Sethe has detached herself from the act. Even when Paul D. learns of what Sethe has done and confronts her with it, Sethe still skirts the reality of her past. Sethe describes her reasoning to Paul D., "... So when I got here, even before they let me get out of bed, I stitched her a

Henry David Thoreau Essays -- essays research papers

Henry David Thoreau is a man of many facets; a man who refuses to conform to what the masses believe is acceptable. He calls for the rejection of complexity and for a change in mankind’s view of life. Thoreau, in his many writings, demands change in a stagnant society. He emphasizes respect for nature, even to the point of blatant disrespect for humanity. Thoreau’s connection to nature was a key ingredient in his lifestyle. He studied ants closely; hoping to understand them like one understands the human race. He came to the conclusion that either ants are as dignified as men, or that men have lowered themselves to the ant’s position. He stressed the futility of war, showing in vivid detail that war does irreparable damage to both armies. He argued that we do not fight for what is right, ... Henry David Thoreau Essays -- essays research papers Henry David Thoreau is a man of many facets; a man who refuses to conform to what the masses believe is acceptable. He calls for the rejection of complexity and for a change in mankind’s view of life. Thoreau, in his many writings, demands change in a stagnant society. He emphasizes respect for nature, even to the point of blatant disrespect for humanity. Thoreau’s connection to nature was a key ingredient in his lifestyle. He studied ants closely; hoping to understand them like one understands the human race. He came to the conclusion that either ants are as dignified as men, or that men have lowered themselves to the ant’s position. He stressed the futility of war, showing in vivid detail that war does irreparable damage to both armies. He argued that we do not fight for what is right, ...

Roger Sperry

Born August 20, 1913, Roger W. Sperry, won the 1981 Nobel Prize in physiology and medicine. He shared it with two other scientists, Wiesel and Hubel, for research on the nervous system and brain. They were praised for demonstrating the difference between the two hemispheres of the brain and special functions of the right brain. (Roger W. Sperry Biography (n.d.) A moderately controversial psycho biologist, Sperry changed the history of psychology. In 1935, Sperry attended an Introduction to Psychology class. His first page of notes reported two questions. One being, â€Å"Where does behavior come from?† and two, â€Å"What is the purpose of consciousness?† (Puente, A. 1995) His questions lead this intellectual giant into decades of research that would make a permanent impact on neuroscience, neuropsychology, psychology, philosophy, and society worldwide. (Puente, A. 1995) Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Sperry was a son of a banker and son of an Assistant to the Principle at a local High School. He had one brother named Russell, a year younger, who went into chemistry. At 10 years old, Sperry read a William James (1842-1910) publication that influenced his thoughts. At 11 years old, his father passed away, which left him mentally and emotional unfit for some time. As he attended high school, he played sports and was able to letter n the varsity athletics. Between high school and college he lettered three times in varsity athletics. He went on to graduate as an English Major in 1935, obtained a Masters in Psychology in 1937, then earned his Doctorate in Zoology 1941. In his professional career, Sperry held six different professional positions throughout his studies as a researcher and professor. He achieved near thirty-five different awards, honors, and scholarships in his lifetime. He also traveled all over the world to join in research studies. (Odelb erg, W. 1982) Sperry was a shy and reserved man. He married Norma, a fellow biologist in December 1949. Together they had a son and a daughter ten years apart. In his home life, he appeared as a family man as well as he loved collecting fossils, fishing, snorkeling, painting, sports, sculptures, ceramics, and dancing. In the first year of the Sperry's marriage, Roger, during a routine chest x-ray showed evidence of tuberculosis. The couple were sent to New York for treatment. During treatment he began writing monumental concepts of â€Å"Mind and Brain†, (1952) where he began to describe, â€Å"Present day science is quite at a loss even to begin to describe the neural events involved in the simplest forms of mental activity†. (Sperry, R. W. 1952 p.311) His thoughts became a published article in 1952 titled â€Å"Neurology of mind and brain problems.† This was one of two hundred-ninety publications by Sperry. Experimental Studies Sperry is most famous for experimental studies of how brain circuits are formed and for research on mental activities after the connecting tracts between cerebral hemispheres have been cut. While working toward his doctorate, Sperry was in close association with biophysicist Paul Weiss. Weiss developed a surgery to analyze how connections between nerves and muscles are patterned in amphibian. This experiment showed regeneration of links from eye to brain, and brain to muscles after having one eye removed and one rotated 180 degrees. (Trevarthen, C. 2004) In 1950, Sperry took one eye and transferred the other eye to the opposite side of the head in a fish or newt, resulting in them going in circles or appearing to be chasing their tail. Sperry concluded there is an internal brain signal, helping both perception of self movement and the focus of perception while the world is in motion. (Trevarthen, C. 2004) In 1953, Sperry and graduate student, Ronald Myers, invented an operation in cats to cut the crossover of visual nerves, and lead the nerves to only one cerebral hemisphere. While leaving one hemisphere intact for the animal to function . They tried several versions of crossovers. Specific connections could transmit learning. This operation is the route of the term â€Å"split brain†. These experiments extended to monkeys. (Trevarthen, C. 2004) In 1960, Neurosurgeon Joseph Bogen and Sperry observed behavior of split brain monkeys outside test situations. Their observations indicated that the left hemisphere which is normally the dominant and learning side, was virtually unimpaired and offered promise of relief from debilitating epileptic fits. (Trevarthen, C. 2004) Epilepsy disturbs brain function and can cause injury, brain damage or death. In 1962, Bogen performed a total neocortical commissurotomy, also known as brain surgery on a man who suffered frequent epileptic attacks. Sperry was able to apply systematic psychological tests after the surgery. In 1965, researchers explored a small population of brain surgery patients. Once understanding the connections achieved, this step in human brain surgery reached into all areas of human mental life and excited immense public and scholarly interest. (Trevarthen, C. 2004) In 1964, Roger Sperry, in a conference to the Division of Biology at Caltech, presented his ideas on consciousness. For the first time in psychology's history, Sperry was able to give his professional thesis on behavior and consciousness. Stating behavior is not only the culmination of complex interworking of neuronal patterning, but such patterning would give rise to consciousness. This consciousness would have causal effect on specific neuronal activity. (Puente, A. 1995) In laymen's terms, our behavior affects our consciousness, and our consciousness affects our behavior. Giving an answer to questions he had asked himself nearly 30 years before. Summary Sperry continued his research until the end of his life. He received an APA Lifetime Achievement Award at the 101st convention of the American Psychological Association in August of 1993. Several extraordinary breakthroughs have been achieved from the dedication, research, and logic Sperry was able to share with his colleagues. He was able to give humans with neurological problems life rather than having to suffer. Roger W. Sperry died on April 17, 1994, in Pasadena, CA from neuromuscular degenerative disorder. References http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1981/sperry-autobio.html# http://www.faqs.org/health/bios/41/Roger-W-Sperry.html http://people.uncw.edu/puente/sperry/sperrypapers/50s/46-1952.pdf

Line Follower Robot

UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM| EE2G – Design Report| THE GREAT EGG RACE| | | 25. 01. 2012| Table of Contents Appendix3 The Group Contract3 Introduction4 Literature Review4 History of mobile robots:4 The history of the line-following robots:5 Ongoing a most advanced projects on line-following robots or line-following based robots:5 Aims:6 Objectives:6 Requirements:6 System Decomposition7 Group Management Structure9 Name of the Robot9 Mechanical Design10 Technical Options, Critical Review and Final Design Choice10 Option 110 Option 211Review of the Frame12 Review of the Wheels12 Final Design13 Electronic Design14 Technical Options, Critical Review and Final Design Choice14 The Control Unit:14 The chosen microcontroller and the reasons: PIC16F64815 Stepper Motors Unit:16 The Driver Unit16 Software Design18 Technical Options, Critical Review and Final Design Choice18 Odd or even number of sensors18 The Number of Sensors18 The shape in which the sensors are put together18 The angle of t he V19 How does the program work? 19 Time Management plan22 Risk Assessment24Very possible, low cost and manageable risks24 The plans we have specifically come up with for the Robot project25 Components Wish List26 Conclusion28 References29 Appendix The Group Contract As a group, EGM had one target, to bring life to ICKI. This would not happen but with cooperation and hard work. By signing this contract you declare: * EGM will do the tasks they are responsible for by the internal deadline decided. * If EGM had any problems fulfilling any of their responsibilities they should inform the group leader in advance. EGM should back up all their group mates in unexpected and hard situations. * EGM should trust their group mates for their capability of doing their own responsibilities however this does not mean that they cannot say their opinion and ideas. * As the work break down has been decided when the entire group have been together, EGM is not allowed to complain about the inconsisten cy in the work division among the members of the group. * In any case when all the group members cannot get to agree on one subject they will have to count votes.If they tie they will have to ask a person’s opinion every group member trusts. (Or they can flip a coin alternatively. ) * If EGM wants to change any of the plans, they should discuss it with the rest of the group first. They are not allowed to accept doing something and do it in their own way without a group agreement. * EGM is responsible for attending all the group meetings unless they have a convincing reason not doing so. If any of the group members disobeys any of the statements above, the rest of the group has the right to reduce their mark upon agreement.Delaram SharifiZhanar Samayeva Hedieh Ekhlasi Xun Liu Introduction The purpose of this initial report is to survey the created plan made in order to accomplish the given Robot Project. This project is given to entire second year and the purpose of the projec t is to design and construct an autonomous robot that should follow the dark line track on a light background. First there is an overview on the line follower robots in literature review , The aims, objectives and requirements will follow the review. Literature ReviewThe line-following robots are classified under the â€Å"Mobile Robots†. Mobile Robots are the robots which do not have a fixed base; they can move around and do not physically stand at one location. These kinds of robots are fairly important as it is stated in this part of the article from Wikipedia’s Mobile robot is stated below: â€Å"Mobile robots are the focus of a great deal of current research and almost every major university has one or more labs that focus on mobile robot research. Mobile robots are also found in industry, military and security environments.They also appear as consumer products, for entertainment or to perform certain tasks like vacuum, gardening and some other common household t asks. † History of mobile robots: The first mobile robots were built during the World War II with the main purpose of producing flying bombs and radars. The next generations would follow a light source, determine if there are any obstacles and plug in themselves when their battery was low and according to the needs they would have different functions and made huge improvements in the progress so that they cover a very wide range of features.Line-following robots which are the main subject of this project are classified as â€Å"Land or Home Wheeled† robots. It is necessary to be said that the technology is far more advanced now that the robots with human like or animal like legs to provide mobility rather than legs exist. The technology has gone as far as making intelligent human-like robot (Androids), with a variety of capabilities such as speaking, voice recognition, face recognition, human like movements, dancing and singing.The purposes behind these projects are com ing from a variety of backgrounds as well such as: Household robot which can undertakes any of a house holds maid’s duties and science fiction movie productions. The pioneer countries in Android are Japan, Korea, the US, the UK and Iran. The information above are to show how advance the technology has gone in mobile robots but since the aims set for this project require very much lower level of understanding the mobile robots, this subject will not be discussed further. The history of the line-following robots:The designs of the first line-follower robot in 1960 was basically built for the purpose of getting controlled from earth while it is on the moon using a camera on it for processing images and video which has been unsuccessful. At 1970 the robot ended up following a high contrast white line under controlled lighting conditions at a speed of about 0. 8 mph which is pretty different to this robot projectsince we have more advanced programming equipment and processors, the robot of ours uses sensors rather than the video cameras to use less process. The main aim is thoroughly different too.The fist line-following robot was followed by more commercial used robots for which could do vacuuming and cleaning the floor. They used sensors to get the objects out of their way which is the method in which this project’s robot will determine its track, using sensors. Ongoing a most advanced projects on line-following robots or line-following based robots: The most advanced of the line followers according to the Wikipedia, DARPA website, Kiva systems and spec -minder website are : â€Å"DARPA Urban Grand Challenge, with six vehicles autonomously completing a complex course involving manned vehicles and obstacles.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Kiva Systems  clever robots proliferate in distribution operations; these smart shelving units sort themselves according to the popularity of their contents. The Tug becomes a popular means for hospitals to move large cabinets of st ock from place to place. † â€Å"The  Speci-Minder  with Motivity begins carrying blood and other patient samples from nurses' stations to various labs. â€Å" â€Å"Seekur, the first widely available, non-military outdoor service robot, pulls a 3-ton vehicle across a parking lot  , drives autonomously indoors and begins learning how to navigate itself outside. â€Å"Boston Dynamics released video footage of a new generation  BigDog  able to walk on icy terrain and recover its balance when kicked from the side. † The mentioned robots are very advanced using not only basic reflective switch sensors but also cameras to detect whatever their purpose is. Since this project requires simple solution to make the robot built fast and work fast these could not very much help in the process of building the robot. According to the websites and also reports available on the internet, every university which does computer science or electrical engineering has got some ki nd of robot project and mainly line followers.The specific specifications are moderately different but in all projects the main purpose is practicing an actual project in real life and knowing how to use simple and quick circuit design, program and implementation. The MINI Line follower robot for example has the most similar specifications to this project. The robot needs to follow a line powering up by a battery with size limitations. Kerman, Judith B. (1991). Retrofitting Blade Runner: Issues in Ridley Scott's Blade Runner and Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press. ISBN 0-87972-509-5. Perkowitz, Sidney (2004). Digital People: From Bionic Humans to Androids. Joseph Henry Press. ISBN 0-309-09619-7. Shelde, Per (1993). Androids, Humanoids, and Other Science Fiction Monsters: Science and Soul in Science Fiction Films. New York: New York University Press. ISBN 0-8147-7930-1. http://www. stanford. edu/~learne st/cart. htm http://www. richardvannoy. info/building-a-line-following-robot. pdf http://ikalogic. com/proj_mini_line_folower. php ttp://online. physics. uiuc. edu/courses/phys405/P405_Projects/Fall2005/Robot_project_jaseung_. pdf http://nereus. mech. ntua. gr/pdf_ps/aim11. pdf Aims: * To design and construct an autonomous robot * The robot to be completed on time * To build the robot with its maximum speed * Build the robot with all the possibilities to win the race Objectives: * To come up with the ideas * To work as a team. Review and practice the skills of teamwork * To get experience of systems engineering * Improve electronic and mechanical practical design skillsRequirements: * The robot must follow the line a) The line is 50mm wide b) The line is 10m long c) The line is black on white background d) The line has maximum corners of 900 e) The line is horizontal * The robot must move forward * The robot must carry an egg a) The mass of egg is 25gr (approx. ) b) The size of egg is 5cm x 3cm (approx. ) System Decomposition System is an organized, purposeful structure regarded as a whole and consisting of interrelated and interdependent elements such as components, entities, factors, members, or parts.According to the Robot Project, the robot itself is the system, as it is consists of different subsystems, while the subsystems made of the components. Being more related to the Robot, it can be explained as the Mechanical, Electronic and Software Designs are the main subsystems, while the elements of each subsystem is defined as the components. The figure below shows the Robot system decomposition for better explanation: Figure [ 1 ]- The System Decomposition for the robot Group Management Structure During the meetings the work allocations between group members were discussed.The works as mechanical, electronic, programming, report, DVD film and logbook were divided between each in the group. To give one work division per group member means to put a big respon sibility on him, as every part has a big amount of not easy work to be done, and it can cause the difficulty in understanding the job that will lead to uncertainty. So every part has two members to work on it, and every group member has 3 jobs to be done by the end of the project and the work allocations are as followings: * Team Leader : Delaram Sharifi * Mechanical: Zhanar ; Hedieh Electronic: Xun ; Delaram * Programming: Delaram ; Hedieh * Reports: Zhanar ; Hedieh * DVD Film: Xun ; Zhanar * Logbook: Delaram ; Xun Name of the Robot The first thing was done by group is creating the name for the future robot. This process made the group to be more opened, close-knit, and creative, as well as the process helped to improve the team working. A lot of options we considered, but the main aim of giving the name was to create something that can reflect all of the group members in one name. So the final choice made by the group is the name ICKI.It stands by the countries of the each group m ember which are Iran, China, Kazakhstan, and Iran again. Mechanical Design Mechanical design for the robot presents many challenges and its main idea is to make it simple and affordable. The mechanical design of autonomous robot is including: * Robot’s Wheels. They are one of the most important assemblies of the mechanical platform. * Robot’s Frame. This frame is mechanical platform of robot and due to the frame all the parts are hold together * Motors. To control the speed and direction of the robot. * Sensors. To detect the direction.Technical Options, Critical Review and Final Design Choice During one of the meetings there are two options of mechanical design were discussed. Two group members responsible for the design presented their ideas to the group with all the aspects, advantages and disadvantages. The option as followings: Option 1 The first option was presented as the robot with the round shape. Then the robot would have 2 wheels by the left and right sides, 2 motors, line with 5 sensors in the front and the frame of HDPE (High Density Poly Ethylene), i. e. plastic. Figure 2-Round Shape Option 2The second option is to make more traditional, the rectangular one. The rectangular robot with the frame and base of Aluminum or HDPE, with 2 wheels on the sides and with the â€Å"V† shape line sensors and the skid on the front. The skid will help to control the balance. Figure 3-Rectangular Shape After presenting the options of the mechanical design for the robot some advantages and disadvantages were written for each of the option that helped the group to choose the right one. During the discussion of the design, three things were considered: capacity, light weight and low to the ground.As long as two motors are used for the construction of the robot and each motor can take one wheel, the neediness in wheels is just for two. So two wheels connected to the motors at the back of the robot is enough to control the rout and the skid connec ted to the sensor board in the front can help the autonomous robot control the balance. The robot’s size is to be about 12cm to 14 cm and 4 cm is for the wheels. Review of the Frame The frame is the basic structure to which everything should be attached and Aluminum and HDPE were considered as the frame.First of all, Aluminum is strong, light, and easy to cut and drill while HDPE is the same light, strong, easy to shape and cut but also the cheap one. In comparison, HDPE has a very low thermal conductivity, and a higher strength to weight ratio than Aluminum. Review of the Wheels All the group members agreed that the large diameter wheels give the robot low torque but high velocity and if the motors strong enough then the wheels with larger diameter better to use. The speed of the robot depends on the size of the wheels and it is good to have them between 1cm and 2 cm.Here are some advantages and disadvantages of the first and second options that were made during the discussi ons on the meetings: | First OptionThe Round Shape| Second OptionThe Rectangular Shape| Advantages| * Beautiful, unusual design * HDPE frame | * HDPE frame * The front skid * â€Å"V† shape line sensors * Compact| Disadvantages| * Distance between wheels and sensors is not enough to make turns right after the sensor is detected * Not enough of space for circuit board, 2 motors and sensors, that makes the design not compact| * Usual Design| Table [ 1 ] Advantages and Disadvantages for the design optionsFinal Design Taking into account all the reviews made and the table of advantages and disadvantages the decision was made is to choose the second option of the mechanical design, and to change some nuances as to use HDPE for the frame together with the â€Å"V† shape line sensors (also see Software Design) and add a spoon in the middle between the wheels that is the best position to keep the balance for an egg. So the final result would look like: Figure 4-Final Design El ectronic Design The Circuit is consisted of 5 units. Sensors are acting as the input. The control unit controls every component in the circuit.The driver provides enough power for the stepper motor to move the robot. The Power supply powers up the whole circuit. Sensors Control Unit Driver Stepper Motors Power Supply Figure 5-Block Diagram Technical Options, Critical Review and Final Design Choice The Control Unit: AVR/PIC/8051 8051: an old but very popular controller. The older 8051s are kind of slow: 12 clocks per instruction. Newer 8051s have 6 clocks per instruction up to 1 clock per instruction. The selection of low pin count devices is a bit limited. Most 8051s have an external memory bus that makes it easy to add memory and peripherals.CISC has free C compiler. PIC: Slightly less old than the 8051. PICs are popular with both industrial developers and hobbyists alike due to their low cost, wide availability, large user base, extensive collection of application notes, availabil ity of low cost or free development tools, and serial programming (and re-programming with flash memory) capability. AVR: The newest architecture by about 20 years. Designed for a pipeline, so has a very good clocks/instruction. Good range of devices: small and cheap with fairly high performance. It is very C friendly because of the RISC. Comparison:Selections: AVR=PIC;8051; Price: AVR=8051;PIC; For beginners: 8051;PIC;AVR; C language: AVR=PIC;8051; Anti-interference: AVR=PIC;8051; Final Choice We have used PIC in a few experiments, so we are familiar with it. Moreover, in university we just have equipment for program the PIC, so we decided to use the PIC. The chosen microcontroller and the reasons: PIC16F648 The PIC16F84 was chosen for its small size, easy reprogram ability and interrupts it is clocked at 4 MHZ by a ceramic resonator and it can be even powered by 4 AA rechargeable batteries (Very low consumption).These same batteries power the motors. This is usually not recommende d since surges in motor current can affect the processors operation, but with decoupling caps in place and the watchdog timer being used in the software no problems were experienced. The watchdog could reset the processor if it went stupid before you could ever see it act up. After all, we considered the number of inputs and outputs. The inputs are number of sensors we have which is 7, and outputs are motors. So PIC16F648 which we have used several times has enough bit (8-bit PORTA, 8-bit PORTB). Stepper Motors Unit:Servo motor/Stepper motor Servo motor: A servomotor (servo) is an electromechanical device in which an electrical input determines the position of the armature of a motor. Servos are used extensively in robotics and radio-controlled cars, airplanes, and boats. Stepper motor: A stepper motor (or step motor) is a brushless DC electric motor that can divide a full rotation into a large number of steps. The motor's position can be controlled precisely without any feedback me chanism (an open-loop controller), as long as the motor is carefully sized to the application. Comparison:Both types of motors offer similar opportunities for precise positioning, but they differ in a number of ways. Servomotors require analogue feedback control systems of some type. Typically, this involves a potentiometer to provide feedback about the rotor position, and some mix of circuitry to drive a current through the motor inversely proportional to the difference between the desired position and the current position Final Choice: Servo motor needs complex analogue feedback circuits. And we have used stepper motor before. However stepper motor will be given to us, so we chose stepper motor. The Driver UnitL298&L297/L293D A motor controller is a device or group of devices that serves to govern in some predetermined manner the performance of an electric motor. [1] A motor controller might include a manual or automatic means for starting and stopping the motor, selecting forward or reverse rotation, selecting and regulating the speed, regulating or limiting the torque, and protecting against overloads and faults. Three ways to drive a stepper motor: Use a transistor to drive each coil. But It was a little awkward to wire up the circuit – board space. Also, it requires 4 pins on the PIC to drive the motor.Use a driver array packaged in an IC. Don't forget to wire in the protection diodes! (i. e. SAA1027, L298, L293D) Use a specialized stepper motor driver chip. It would save on board space, and pin usage. As the price of stepper motor drive chip is very expensive and 4 transistors to drive each coil may make the board a mass. So we choose stepper motor driver IC. L298 has current capacity of 2A compared to 0. 6 A of a L293D. L293D’s package is not suitable for attaching a good heat sink; practically you can’t use it above 16V without frying it. L298 on the other hand works happily at 16V without a heat sink, so we choose L298.And in the datasheet we find out that it’s better to combine L298 with L297. * It needs to be considered that regarding to the temperature power supply is going to add to the circuit a heat sink needs to be included in the board otherwise it would melt. Software Design Technical Options, Critical Review and Final Design Choice The software to be used in order to program the pic CCS C Compiler, as it is the well-known software for the group. This software was used to do experiment laboratories for EE2A course and to use CCS C Compiler to program the robot will be more than adequate and helpful.Odd or even number of sensors Both odd and even numbers are possible to use, the group has chosen the odd to increase the accuracy and make the code more understandable and clear. As it will be explained how the program works, it will be clear how they both can be used. The Number of Sensors * 3: The program would work, but not accurate enough. All turns, no matter large or small will be reacted t he same. * 7: Again, the program will work, but needs far too much extra effort, increases the time of processing the data and makes the code very complicated. 5: Is a perfectly fine number, will give the opportunity to detect the turns in two different stages so that the robot can make the turns soon enough and with more accuracy. The shape in which the sensors are put together * An upside down V: Where the middle sensor is in the front, followed by two sensors, wider from each other in the back and followed by another two sensors, wider at the very back. This will not work because the turn is detected by the wider sensors later than the right time for to move to be taken from the robot. This method may be accurate but would not help the robot being fast. line: Where all the sensors are at the same level. This method is better than the latter but still will not make the robot to detect the larger turns sooner in order to make the reaction at the right time. * V: The middle sensor i s at the very back corner, two sensors with a wider distance comes next and the last two, again wider at the front. This method makes the robot understand the large angles sooner with the outer sensors, so that the robot will start turning sooner than the smaller angles which are detected by the middle sensors. The angle of the VThe angle should not be too small, because the robot will start the turns too early, and it should not be very wide because then it would not make any difference from the flat shape. This is to be experienced during the testing process but the decided angle at this time is 120 degrees. How does the program work? As it has been explained before, there are 5 sensors to be used in the robot. The recognition of the turns has been explained in 4 figures below. The green circles represent the sensors which have detected the black line and the red circles represent the sensors which have detected the white surface.The green circle is the logic â€Å"1† and t he red is the logic â€Å"0†. Normal positions of the sensors In this situation, when only the middle sensor detects the black line, the robot moves straight forward without any turns. The logic is â€Å"00100† 2. 5 cm Figure 4- The normal position of the sensors More than 50? turns including the 90? : When the turn is more than 50 degrees, the outer sensor feels the turn sooner than the middle sensor, so that the robot will start turning earlier, or if decided faster as well. The logic is â€Å"00101†. Figure 5-The more than 50? turns.It also needs to be said that if the large turns are happening for a very little while (for less than 4. 5 cm), the middle sensor will sense the turn first so that the robot would not change the direction to fast and get out of control. Less than 50? turn: When the turn is more than 50? , the middle sensor feels the turn first, so that the robot starts turning at a reasonable time to manage the turn. The logic is â€Å"00110† Figure 6-The less than 50? turns Approximately 50 degrees turns: At this situation, both middle and outer sensor feel the turn at the same time.The logic is â€Å"00111†. Figure 7- ? 50 ? Time Management plan Due to EE2G1 module, students have learnt how to manage their time in given projects using the graphs, charts and tables. Here is the Gantt chart that consists of two tables. The first one helps to analyze what tasks has to be done, when it has to be started and what amount of time is given and also gives the information about each task, if it is sequential or parallel. Task| Earliest Start (week)| Length (week)| Type| Dependent on†¦| A. High Level analysis| Week 0| 1 week| Sequential| | B.Selection of Mechanical Design and Components| Week 1| 1 week| Sequential| A| C. Detailed Analysis of Electronics for Robot| Week 1| 1 week| Sequential| A| D. Mechanical Design| Week 2| 2 weeks| Sequential| B| E. Circuit Design| Week 2| 2 weeks| Sequential| C| F. Build Mechanic s| Week 4| 2 weeks| Sequential| D| G. Build Circuit| Week 4| 1 weeks| Sequential| E| H. Construction| Week 6| 1 week| Sequential| F, G| I. Programming| Week 3| 3-4 weeks| Parallel| D, E, F, G, H, | J. Testing| Week 7| 4 weeks| Sequential| H, I| K. Demonstration| Week 11| -| Sequential| J|Table 1 – Gantt Table Summarizing the first table, information should be transferred to the chart. The chart helps visualize all the given tasks and the time given to accomplish them. Week| 0| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9| 10| 11| (1) A. High Level Analysis| (1) B. Selection Of Mechanical Design and Components| (1) C. Detailed Analysis of Electronics for Robot| (2) D.Mechanical Design| (2) E. Circuit Design| (2) F. Build Mechanics| (1) G. Build Circuit| (1) H.Construction| (3-4) I. Programming| (4-5) J. Testing| DEMONSTRATION| Chart 1 – Gantt Chart Risk Assessment As everything else, this project has its own risks and possibility of troubles. We cannot stop the problems from happen ing, but we can consider the ways we would manage if they have happened.There are different types of problems which may occur, some with large possibility but manageable damage, some with very little possibility but disastrous damages. The group has come with some ideas about these risks and how to manage them which are as follows: Very possible, low cost and manageable risks Burning the electrical components such as the PIC or the power sources: 1. Keeping good care of the more expensive components, putting them in a position which brings the possibility of the damage to the least possible. 2.Having alternatives for each component, more for the cheap and more burnable ones, less for the more expensive and least burnable ones. Losing the documents, programs or components: 1. Taking good care of where the materials are saved or put, possibly write the places down or share with other group mates in case for memory loss. 2. Having a photo of each page of the written documents, copies o f the electronic stuff on different places, and having a list for the components we have to pack every time. The A plan’s failure : 1. Having a plan Bs and Plan Cs for all the Plan As. . Plan Bs can be for a change in the A plan, but plan Cs are completely different methods in case the whole plan has been a whole of a lot of rubbish. 3. Having the responsible person ready for the plans when the failure comes so that the change can be quick and easy. Running out of time: 1. Having someone responsible for the plans to go as it has been decided in the time management plan, taking care of even slight late results to prevent the sum of smalls becoming a huge delay. 2. Stopping panic attacks or they will cause more delay. 3.Keeping everything simple and tidy in order to make the trouble shooting faster and easier. The plans we have specifically come up with for the Robot project 1. Taking good care of the PIC, having alternatives for all the components. 2. Saving the programs on me mory sticks, computer and email. 3. Keeping pictures of the critical pages of the log book. 4. Having an alternative way of programming for the line detecting bits. 5. Having some options for the components available in case the robot doesn’t work out with them. 6. Having a map of the circuit with all the explanations about wiring and connections. . Keeping the actual circuit nice and tidy, the wires low and the colors right. Components Wish List According to the design decisions, the list of components needed for the project can be made. There are some basic components required in order to accomplish the mechanical, electrical and software design of the robot, such as: * HDPE for the frame and chassis * 2 wheels * 1 skid * 2 DC stepper motors * Sensors * Circuit board * Capacitors, resistors, Diodes, Transistors (referring to the main components) * Microcontroller * LED’s Every group is provided with 40 ? n order to buy the components needed. The table below shows the approximate price estimations: Wheels| ? 2-3| PIC16F648 (2)| ? 4| Sensors (5)| ? 5| HDPE plastic| ? 10| LED’s| ? 5| Screw Box| ? 2| Resistors| ? 2| Capacitors| ? 2| Skid| ? 2-3| Heat Sink| ? 3| Conclusion This project is not only for making line follower race robot but it is also a great and realistic practice for group work and project management. This is a hard challenge and is only possible to manage with co-operation, hard work, motivation and enthusiasm. Each individual member learns how to cope with different opinions and ideas.They learn to be tolerant and do not let anything personal get involved in the work since this may ruin the friendly environment among the group members. By doing this project a lot of skills will be developed such as: * Group work * Time management and working by deadlines * Work break down in equal amount among group members * Decision making * Risk management * Budget management * Working with time limit and in stressful conditions * Starting a project from scratch, developing ideas and making improvements * Undertaking risks and responsibilities * Keeping good and reliable documentation Keeping motivation and encouragement among the group live or dead By the end of this project we will have done a complete project management plan and implementation. We will know how to face troubles and problems and hopefully this is going to be a great memory of how we learnt to manage a real project in practice. References Online Documents: * BASIC ROBOT MECHANICS TUTORIALS, (2005-1012). Society of Robots. Retrieved from http://www. societyofrobots. com/mechanicsbasics. shtml * Priyank PatilDepartment of Information Technology S. W. Nawawi, M. N. Ahmad, J. H.S Osman (2008). â€Å"Real-Time Control of a Two Wheeled Inverted Pendulum Mobile Robot * http://forum. pololu. com/ * * Ooi, Rich Chi (2003). â€Å"Balancing a Two-Wheeled Autonomous Robot†. University of Western Australia. Thesis B. Mechatronics Engineering. * Ong, Yin Chee; Abidin, M. S. B (2006). â€Å"Design and Development of Two Wheeled Autonomous Balancing Robot†, Center for Artificial Intell. ; Robotic (CAIRO), University Technology Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. 4th Student Conference on Research and Development (SCOReD 2006), Shah Alam, Selangor, MALAYSIA, 27-28 June, 2006. Vivien Coelho; Stanley Liew; Karl Stol; Guangyu Liu (2008). â€Å"Development of a Mobile Two-Wheel Balancing Platform for Autonomous Applications†. Department of Mechanical Engineering, the University of Auckland. 15th International conference on Mechatronics and Machine Vision in Practice (M2VIP08), 2-4 Dec 2008, Auckland, New-Zealand. * Jose Miranda (2009), â€Å"Application of Kalman Filtering and PID Control for Direct Inverted Pendulum Control†. Master Thesis, California State University, Chico Spring 2009. * R. Hollis, â€Å"BallBots,† Scientific American, October 2006.Retrieved February 4, 2009. Available at the World Wide Web: http://www. sciam. com/article. cfm? id=ballbots * Pakdaman, M. ; Sanaatiyan, M. M. (2009), â€Å"Design and Implementation of Line Follower Robot,† Computer and Electrical Engineering, 2009. ICCEE '09. Second International Conference on , vol. 2, no. , pp. 585-590, 28-30 Dec. 2009 * Priyank Patil (2010), â€Å"AVR Line Following Robot,† Department of Information Technology K. J. Somaiya College of Engineering Mumbai, India. Retrieved Mar 5, 2010. Available at: http://www. kmitl. ac. th/~kswichit/ROBOT/Follower. pdf * Swope Design.Inc. , â€Å"Balancing Robots Made Easy†, Available at: http:// www. Balbots. com, 2004. * Miller Peter (2008), â€Å"Building a Two Wheeled Balancing Robot†, University of Southern Queensland, Faculty of Engineering and Surveying. Retrieved Nov 18, 2009. Available at: http://eprints. usq. edu. au/6168/ ——————————————– [ 2 ]. Each Group Member [ 3 ]. Statements can be added to this contract upon the entire group’s agreement [ 4 ]. Mobile Robot, Wikipedia website: [http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Mobile_robot] [ 5 ]. http://ikalogic. com/proj_mini_line_folower. php