Improving the dependability of AMR sensors used in automotive applications

Electronic systems are replacing mechanical parts to improve the safety and performance of the cars. However, the electronic components should be dependable, meaning they should be trusted to work properly over time. AMR sensors are widely used in automotive for angle measurements. Nevertheless, they are affected by performance degradation and catastrophic faults. Both should be handled to guarantee the correct operation of the sensor over time. This paper proposed two modules, fault-tolerant, and self-calibration. Results show they allow to improve the dependability of the sensor

A dependable anisotropic magnetoresistance sensor system for automotive applications

The increasing usage of electronic systems in automotive applications aims to enhance passenger safety as well as the performance of the cars. In modern vehicles, the mechanical and hydraulic systems traditionally used have been replaced by X-by-wire systems in which the functions are performed by electronic components. However, the components required should be reliable, have a high-performance, low-cost and capable of operating for a long time in a highly dependable manner despite the harsh operating conditions in automotive applications. Dependability represents the reliance that a user justifiably poses on the service offered by a system, being this especially important in safety-critical applications in which a failure can constitute a threat to people or the environment. An Anisotropic Magnetoresistance (AMR) sensor is a type of magnetic sensor often used for angle measurements in cars. This sensor is affected by performance degradation and catastrophic faults that in principle cause the sensor to stop working suddenly. Therefore, the sensor dependability should be improved in order to guarantee that it will satisfy the continuous increasing dependability as well as accuracy requirements demanded by automotive applications. This research proposes an AMR sensor system that includes a fault-tolerant approach to handle catastrophic faults and self-X properties to maintain the performance of the sensor during its lifetime. Additionally, an interface with the IEEE 1687 standard has been considered, so the sensor is able to communicate with other components of the system in which it is integrated

A dependable AMR sensor system for automotive applications

The increasing replacement of mechanical parts by x-by-wire systems in automotive applications allows improving driver safety. These systems demand highly dependable sensors that ensure their functionality despite the harsh operating conditions. This means that the sensors should be capable of working continuously despite catastrophic faults and keeping the performance over time. An anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) sensor is a magnetic sensor commonly used for angle measurements in cars. It is affected by catastrophic faults and performance degradation due to undesired parameters included at the sensor outputs. Until now, physical redundancy is often used to handle catastrophic faults. For the performance, compensation factors for the undesired parameter, such as offset voltage, are estimated at the start of the sensor life. Although the undesired parameters drift due to aging effects, the sensor performance remains within the allowed tolerant band. However, this tolerant band will decrease in the future because the dependability requirements are continuously increasing. Therefore, it is necessary to consider strategies to guarantee the sensor performance over time. This paper proposes a system to improve the sensor dependability using analytical redundancy for catastrophic faults but also with self-x properties to maintain the sensor performance over time. Results indicate a dependability improvement in terms of reliability, with a reduction of 50% in the rate of uncovered failures. The safety requirement ASIL level D is satisfied, and with regard to maintainability, the sensor performance is maintained over time

Cyber physical systems: A smart city perspective

Cyber-physical system (CPS) is a terminology used to describe multiple systems of existing infrastructure and manufacturing system that combines computing technologies (cyber space) into the physical space to integrate human interaction. This paper does a literature review of the work related to CPS in terms of its importance in today’s world. Further, this paper also looks at the importance of CPS and its relationship with internet of things (IoT). CPS is a very broad area and is used in variety of fields and some of these major fields are evaluated. Additionally, the implementation of CPS and IoT is major enabler for smart cities and various examples of such implementation in the context of Dubai and UAE are researched. Finally, security issues related to CPS in general are also reviewed

Assessment of Digitalized Logistics for Implementation in Low-Income Countries

Integration of digitalization and automation with logistics systems promotes effective and efficient flow of goods, information, and services, contributing to economic development. The level of implementation of digitalization and automation in low-income countries is still low, however. The aim of this study is to establish which digitalized logistics practices could best be adopted by firms in low-income countries. A systematic literature review was used to identify state-of-the-art digitalization and automation technologies in logistics chains. Criteria for adopting digitalized logistics practices were also identified in the literature review. An expert survey was conducted to identify criteria weights using analytical hierarchy process (AHP). Economic benefit, infrastructure, and affordability were the criteria that were given the highest weights by the experts. Case studies that applied state-of-the-art technologies such as internet of things (IoT), radio frequency identification (RFID), blockchain, big data analytics (BDA), and sensors mainly for traceability, production operation, and warehouse and inventory management were considered as recommended practices. Identification of suitable practices considering the local conditions in low-income countries could help logistics professionals and policymakers adopt enabling technologies in logistics chains

Proceedings of Abstracts Engineering and Computer Science Research Conference 2019

© 2019 The Author(s). This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. For further details please see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Note: Keynote: Fluorescence visualisation to evaluate effectiveness of personal protective equipment for infection control is © 2019 Crown copyright and so is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Under this licence users are permitted to copy, publish, distribute and transmit the Information; adapt the Information; exploit the Information commercially and non-commercially for example, by combining it with other Information, or by including it in your own product or application. Where you do any of the above you must acknowledge the source of the Information in your product or application by including or linking to any attribution statement specified by the Information Provider(s) and, where possible, provide a link to this licence: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/This book is the record of abstracts submitted and accepted for presentation at the Inaugural Engineering and Computer Science Research Conference held 17th April 2019 at the University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK. This conference is a local event aiming at bringing together the research students, staff and eminent external guests to celebrate Engineering and Computer Science Research at the University of Hertfordshire. The ECS Research Conference aims to showcase the broad landscape of research taking place in the School of Engineering and Computer Science. The 2019 conference was articulated around three topical cross-disciplinary themes: Make and Preserve the Future; Connect the People and Cities; and Protect and Care

Strategies to Succeed in an Increasingly Technology-Based Environment: A Study of the Automotive Industry

This dissertation investigates how firms embedded in an increasingly technology-based industry change their vertical integration and product development strategies in order to remain competitive and increase value capture. The first essay is a theoretical development integrating concepts of industry structure, organizational governance form and innovation in order to disentangle past research’s disagreements and guide future studies. Firms are seen as proactive actors that also have their decisions strongly shaped by structural (architectural) factors. The second essay focus on analyzing how module suppliers achieve a sustained competitive advantage by increasing their focus on modular products and innovations as well as managing their vertically related operations. Results from the global automotive industry reveal that suppliers are capable of capturing more value from modules when investing in modular innovations, integrating manufacturing operations via M&As and strengthening downstream relationships through strategic alliances. Lastly, the third essay investigates the great complexities involved in the manufacture of automobiles. By acknowledging the important strategic implications of managing product failures to the overall performance and reputation of organizations, this essay attempts to fill a gap in the literature by investigating how increased product, process and supplier changes affect product failure rates, and how firms manage product redesigns and learning from past product failures to increase quality reputation. Results indicates that in complex product industries such as automotive, firms find it very difficult to increase product changes without incurring also in more product failures. The results also highlight the importance of strong supplier involvement and integration as a means to reduce product failure rates. This study also demonstrates that quality reputation is better assessed by consumers when manufacturers invest more in model redesigns. Yet, it shows that experience with voluntary recalls helps firms to learn how to improve their new products and increase quality reputation

Gamification of telematics data to enhance operators’ behaviour for improvement of machine productivity in loading cycles

Construction industry is suffering from low productivity rate in various projects such as excavation. Although this issue is discussed in literature and several approaches are proposed to address it, productivity rate is still low in construction industry compared to other domains like manufacturing. Three core components directly affect the overall productivity in construction sector, i.e. labour productivity, raw material productivity, and machine or equipment productivity. With a focus on construction machinery, three factors influence productivity at excavation sites; i.e. 1) machine-based productivity and its configuration, 2) site layout and environmental conditions, and 3) operators’ behaviour. Operators’ competence and motivation represent two key parameters that affect their behaviour. On one side, gamification has attracted a growing area of interest both in literature and practice, seeking to place a layer of entertainment and pleasure to the top of serious activities (with a focus on improving the applicant’s motivation and behaviour). On the other side, telematics systems are utilized to collect operational data of the machine, and calculate its productivity rate. Telematics data are presented to operators (via a built-in screen available in the cabin of the machine) to provide real-time feedback about machine performance. In addition, these data can support machine owners to perceive operators’ behaviour on a real-time basis. To conclude, telematics systems are providing real-time data which can be a great input into gamification. A guideline is proposed in this dissertation that helps gamification designers to develop more transparent gamification models. This guideline is utilized to introduce a gamification model that gamifies telematics data with a focus on enhancing operators’ behaviour (machine productivity) in loading and transferring activities. The model was implemented at two sites(one recycling and one mining site) and could encourage operators (who were operating wheel-loaders and dump-trucks) to prevent redundant activities like texting, phoning, and even eating while operating the machine. Subsequently, it enhanced overall machine productivity up to 37% during the site observation. To summarize, a gamified platform in which different operators from different organizations can share their achievements, or can get scored and ranked in a leader-board will potentially lead to a more proper operators’ behaviour at work and subsequently can improve overall productivity rate at construction sites

Sustained value creation driven by digital connectivity: A multiple case study in the mechanical components industry

This paper investigates how digital connectivity drives new forms of sustained value creation in traditional in- dustries, where many firms still compete and strategize within a traditional industry structure and supply chain logic. We perform a multiple case study with four companies active in the vehicle component industry and implementing digital connectivity in a business-to-business (B2B) setting. Results show that digital connectivity enables greater transparency, trust, and collaboration with customers and creates new forms of value creation through companies’ strategizing actions – aimed at developing highly customized solutions – and critical capa- bilities – needed to configure a customer-centric value chain, integrate buyer-supplier digital resources, and improve the coherence between data-driven decision-making, lean management, and employees’ skills. We shed light on how manufacturers leveraged digital connectivity to successfully assimilate and scale up their digital- related capabilities across different dimensions, transforming their business models in a sustained way. This should also complement a change in the governance of customer transactions, fostering transparency and trust. Fine-tuning and expanding well-established B2B relationships through digital connectivity become a priority for traditional businesses to change to new and efficiently sustained value co-creation forms that can be com- plemented to a successful business model innovation or co-creation strictly linked to larger network connections