A local positioning system for AGV navigation

Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are mobile robots that are generally used for mundane tasks like moving pallets or containers, assembly line processes, sorting, etc. in warehouses and manufacturing facilities. Transbotics, Inc. (see http://www.transbotics.com/) located in Charlotte, North Carolina is a regional company that is a leading manufacturer of AGV for industrial and manufacturing applications. The navigation of the Transbotics AGVs are accomplished by following lines painted on the floor or an infrared (IR) triangulation positioning system. Line followers are vulnerable to detection errors, even in ideal conditions, and IR triangulation positioning systems require fiduciary IR reflective antennas. These navigation systems are strictly limited to indoor use. Outdoor AGV navigation is problematic with the Transbotics AGVs. My research will propose a solution to this obstacle by developing a global positioning system (GPS) navigation system. This positioning system will be designed so that it can be retrofitted to any Transbotics AGV. The retrofitting aspect is important in that the existing Transbotics AGVs will not have to be modified or the AGV parts specification will not have to change. The positioning system will allow the AGVs to operate either indoors or outdoors without the need for lines painted on the floor or fiduciary antennas. The economic advantages of this research to Transbotics are enormous in that they will be able to offer this positioning system to current, past, and future Transbotics’ customers as an upgrade to their existing Transbotics AGVs

Are we disappearing African American women through mass incarceration? It depends on the day

While much discussion surrounding mass incarceration focuses on African American men, African American women, too, are incarcerated at higher rates than their female counterparts – European American women. The number of incarcerated women dramatically increased during the War on Drugs era. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (2017) reports that in 2016, the imprisonment rate for African American women (96 per 100,000) was almost twice the rate of imprisonment for European American women (49 per 100,000). This paper examines both legal and extralegal factors that could possibly influence sentencing decisions made by judges. This study seeks to examine whether the race of a woman matters in the state of North Carolina when her most recent offense is drug related. I collected data from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety on women who were incarcerated in the state of North Carolina on October 12, 2017. I analyzed data from 320 women whose most recent offense was drug related. I found that African American women were not disproportionately incarcerated compared to European American women. In sum, race did not matter for the state of North Carolina, but other legally relevant factors did

Communication rehabilitation in sub-Saharan Africa: A workforce profile of speech and language therapists.

BACKGROUND: There is an urgent global need to strengthen rehabilitation services for people with disabilities. In sub-Saharan Africa, rehabilitation services for people with communication disabilities continue to be underdeveloped. A first step in strengthening services for people with a communication disabilities is to understand the composition and conditions of the current workforce. OBJECTIVES: This research describes a sample of the speech and language therapists (SLTs) working in SSA (excluding South Africa). This study explores the characteristics of this workforce, including their demographics, education, experience and geographical stability. METHOD: A mixed-methods survey was used to collect data from SLTs within Anglophone countries of SSA. Completed surveys were received from 33 respondents working in 44 jobs across nine countries. Analysis included descriptive and non-parametric inferential statistics. This study reports on a subset of descriptive and quantitative data from the wider survey. RESULTS: A background profile of SLTs across the region is presented. Results indicated that the workforce of SLTs comprised a mix of local and international SLTs, with university-level education. Local SLTs were educated both within and outside of Africa, with more recent graduates trained in Africa. These data reflected the local emergence of speech and language therapy training in SSA. CONCLUSION: This sample comprised a mix of African and international SLTs, with indications of growing localisation of the workforce. Workforce localisation offers potential advantages of linguistic diversity and stability. Challenges including workforce support and developing culturally and contextually relevant SLT practices are discussed

Report of the Kenya Educational Research Awards Seminar on the Quality of Secondary Education in Kenya

Meeting: Kenya Educational Research Awards Seminar on the Quality of Secondary Education in Kenya, Dec. 1985, Nairobi, K

Bureau of Educational Research : research priorities; a report of a workshop on BER research priorities ...

Meeting: Seminar on Priorities in Educational Research, 12-14 Nov. 1986, Mombasa, K

Report of the Kenya Educational Research Awards Seminar on the Quality of Primary Education in Kenya

Meeting: Kenya Educational Research Awards Seminar on the Quality of Primary Education in Kenya, 23-25 Nov. 1983, Nairobi, K