Collaborative environment to support a professional community

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Electrotécnica e de ComputadoresRecent manufacturing roadmaps stress current production systems limitations, emphasizing social, economic and ecologic consequences for Europe of a non-evolution to sustainable Production Systems. Hence, both academic institutions and enterprises are committed to develop solutions that would endow enterprises to survive in nowadays’ extremely competitive business environment. A research effort is being carried on by the Evolvable Production Systems consortium towards attaining Production Systems that can cope with current technological, economical, ecological and social demands fulfilling recent roadmaps. Nevertheless research success depends on attaining consensus in the scientific community and therefore an accurate critical mass support is required in the whole process. The main goal of this thesis is the development of a Collaborative Environment Tool to assist Evolvable Production Systems consortium in such research efforts and to enhance Evolvable Assembly Systems paradigm dissemination. This work resulted in EASET (Evolvable Assembly Systems Environment Tool), a collaborative environment tool which promotes EAS dissemination and brings forth improvements through the raise of critical mass and collaboration between entities

Deep reinforcement learning applied to an assembly sequence planning problem with user preferences

Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) has demonstrated its potential in solving complex manufacturing decision-making problems, especially in a context where the system learns over time with actual operation in the absence of training data. One interesting and challenging application for such methods is the assembly sequence planning (ASP) problem. In this paper, we propose an approach to the implementation of DRL methods in ASP. The proposed approach introduces in the RL environment parametric actions to improve training time and sample efficiency and uses two different reward signals: (1) user's preferences and (2) total assembly time duration. The user's preferences signal addresses the difficulties and non-ergonomic properties of the assembly faced by the human and the total assembly time signal enforces the optimization of the assembly. Three of the most powerful deep RL methods were studied, Advantage Actor-Critic (A2C), Deep Q-Learning (DQN), and Rainbow, in two different scenarios: a stochastic and a deterministic one. Finally, the performance of the DRL algorithms was compared to tabular Q-Learnings performance. After 10,000 episodes, the system achieved near optimal behaviour for the algorithms tabular Q-Learning, A2C, and Rainbow. Though, for more complex scenarios, the algorithm tabular Q-Learning is expected to underperform in comparison to the other 2 algorithms. The results support the potential for the application of deep reinforcement learning in assembly sequence planning problems with human interaction

How are the capabilities at the origin of a CA developed throught the time in small and medium enterprises? : H3 : Hambúrguer Gourmet case study

Como é que as capacidades na origem de uma vantagem competitiva são desenvolvidas ao longo do tempo em pequenas e médias empresas? A presente dissertação configura o caminho para um entendimento prévio e análise subsequente da teoria baseada nos recursos (Resource-based View Theory) e particularmente da teoria das capacidades dinâmicas (Dinamic Capabilities Theory), consideradas as teorias de estratégia mais citadas e influenciadoras na sua área. Através do modelo VRIO, a teoria baseada nos recursos defende uma integração dos recursos críticos (valiosos, raros, inimitáveis, organização) da empresa para atingir um posicionamento de vantagem competitiva. Esta perspectiva tem as suas limitações, já que, essencialmente, apenas se foca numa perspectiva interna da empresa. Por outro lado, a teoria das capacidades dinâmicas introduz um contexto externo à empresa, salientando a relevância do ambiente externo para o desenvolvimento das capacidades. As capacidades dinâmicas podem ser definidas como a capacidade que a empresa tem de integrar, desenvolver e reconfigurar a sua base interna e externa de competências, consoante as mudanças no ambiente de negócio. Dadas estas complementaridades, profissionais vão mais além dizendo que as capacidades dinâmicas podem ser vistas como um caso particular do modelo VRIO, mas capaz de responder e se adaptar a mudanças numa indústria dinâmica. Para ajudar a responder à pergunta da pesquisa, ambas as teorias foram conjugadas para formar a base de conhecimento para a prossecução deste estudo. O problema de pesquisa associado a este projecto baseia-se, em como pequenas e médias empresas, actuando em indústrias maduras onde o seu crescimento abrandou, desenvolvem capacidades que potencialmente permitem um posicionamento de vantagem competitiva de mercado. O h3 - Hambúrguer Gourmet foi o caso de estudo escolhido para responder ao problema de estudo. Ao longo da discussão do caso, cinco recursos e duas capacidades do h3 foram argumentados através do modelo VRIO. Numa segunda secção e para perceber como as capacidades da empresa foram desenvolvidas ao longo do tempo, foi aplicado ao h3 um modelo explicativo adaptado por Cardeal (2010), para pequenas e médias empresas e de acordo com três diferentes etapas que o modelo sugere. Depois de interpretados os resultados do caso de estudo, tornou-se evidente o constante e activo papel que o agente facilitador tem, durante as diferentes etapas do processo de mudança em pequenas e médias empresas. Neste tipo de empresas, os gestores de topo são normalmente a parte responsável neste processo de desenvolvimento de capacidades, ficando claro como as acções e decisões dos mesmos desencadeiam o progresso desde o início até ao posicionamento premium no mercado do h3. O progresso começa com o reconhecimento de oportunidades de mercado e oportunidades internas, que irão desencadear o novo modelo de negócio. O papel dos gestores de topo é preponderante, uma vez mais, para delinear os limites do modelo e também para orquestrar como tudo irá acontecer, através da sua perseverança, políticas funcionais adequadas e do modo como constroem lealdade e comprometimento em torno dos seus objectivos de negócio. Dados os resultados do estudo, é então possível ajudar gestores de topo a melhor orquestrarem as suas ideias para desenvolver novos modelos de negócio e as diferentes maneiras para eficientemente melhorarem a sua implementação.How are the capabilities at the origin of a CA developed through the time in SME? The present dissertation configures the path for a prior understanding and subsequent analysis of the RBV theory and particularly concerns itself with DC theory, which are considered the most influencing and quoted strategy theories in the field. Through its VRIO model, the RBV theory ultimately defends an integration of the critical resources (valuable, rare, imperfectly imitable, organization) of the firm to achieve a CA positioning. This perspective has its own limitations, as it essentially focuses on the internal perspective of the firm. On the other hand, the DC theory introduces an external context to the company by highlighting the relevance of the external environment in the development of capabilities. DC can be defined as the firm’s capability to integrate, develop and reconfigure its internal and external competences base according to changes in the environment. Due to these complementarities, practitioners go further to say that DC can be seen as a particular case of the VRIO model, but able to respond and adapt to changes in a dynamic industry. To help answer the research question both theories were conjugated to form the knowledge base for the prosecution of this study. The research problem associated to this project lies in how a SME, operating in a mature industry where the rate of growth has slowed, can develop capabilities that potentially enable a CA positioning in the market. The h3 - Hambúrguer Gourmet was the chosen case study to address the research problem. Along the case discussion the firm’s five critical resources and two capabilities are argued under the VRIO model. In a second section and to understand how the firm’s capabilities were developed through time, an explanatory model adapted by Cardeal (2010) to SME is applied to h3 according to the three different stages the model suggests. After interpreting the findings of the case study, the constant and active role the facilitator agent has during the different stages of the change process in a SME became evident. In these type of firms, the managing partners are usually the responsible part in this process of capabilities development and it became clear, how top manager’s actions and decisions triggered the progress from the beginning towards h3’s premium positioning in the market. The progress starts with the recognition of market and internal opportunities, which will set off the new business model. The top manager’s role is preponderant to delineate the boundaries of the model as well as how everything is going to be played out, by means of their perseverance, adequate functional policies and the way they build loyalty and commitment around their business objectives. Given the findings of this study, one is able to help top managers better orchestrate their ideas to develop new business models and the different ways to efficiently enhance their implementation

Negotiation for the middle east: a comparative study of cultures and the construction of a negotiation framework for portuguese in Kuwait

The amount of ambiguity present in real life negotiations is intolerable towards the possibility of perceiving the negotiation scenario as a competitive and castrating process for one of the party's. The temptation to find one-size-fits-all prescription of unerring steps towards the negotiation success, offers this process no more than a romantic character or maybe, one relieving mirage of the required multiple factors that the negotiation scenario demands. This dissertation’s objective is based on the identification and analysis of the cultural dimensions that impact specifically, business negotiations that take place between a Kuwaiti and a Portuguese party in the attempt to build a negotiation framework for Portuguese professionals negotiating in Kuwait. We used a multiple case design and analyzed 17 bilateral negotiation situations. The main source of evidence was in-depth and semi-structured interviews and the results are shown in cognitive mapping format. We adapted the interview script and mind map from Falcão (2008) to collect and interpret the data and we used the Dimensions of Culture Questionnaire from House, Hanges, Javidan, Dorfman and Gupta (2004) and grouped the impacting data collection into five blocks: Preparation, People, Partie, Process, Cultural Perception. We believe that we have made contributions to the study of the negotiation process and it's cross-cultural influence in Kuwait, that has one of the world’s fast-growing economies and most powerful currency. There are not many specific studies available for Kuwait negotiation reality. The size of the sample reflects the number of Portuguese negotiating in Kuwait but at the same time, limits the study. There are areas of study to be developed in the future namely, communication (verbal and non-verbal), leadership (individual and teams) and feedback.A ambiguidade que encontramos presente em negociações na vida real não é compatível com a possibilidade de entender a negociação como um cenário único de competição entre duas partes. A tentação de procurar um receituário infalível de passos a dar em direcção ao sucesso negocial não oferece mais do que um carácter romântico ou uma breve miragem do que o processo negocial exige. O objectivo da presente dissertação prende-se com a identificação e análise das dimensões culturais que influenciam o processo negocial entre uma parte Kuwaitiana e uma parte Portuguesa e a construção de um framework negocial para Portugueses no Kuwait. Utilizámos múltiplos casos de estudo e analisámos 17 situações negociais. Adaptámos o guião de entrevista de Falcão (2008), usámos o questionário de dimensões culturais de House, Hanges, Javidan, Dorfman and Gupta (2004) e conduzimos entrevistas semi-estruturadas. Concretizámos os resultados em mapas mentais dentro de cinco blocos: Preparação, Pessoas, Partes, Processo e Percepção Cultural. Procurámos contribuir para o processo informativo bilateral da negociação no Kuwait, um país que tem uma das mais fortes economias mundiais. Existe pouca investigação específica para a realidade negocial no Kuwait. O tamanho da amostra reflecte o número de Portugueses a realizar negociações no Kuwait mas limita o estudo realizado. Existem áreas de estudo com interesse a desenvolver no futuro nomeadamente, comunicação (verbal e não verbal), liderança (individual e de equipas) e feedback

Mass transfer and hydrodynamics in multiphase systems

Tese de doutoramento. Engenharia Química. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 200

A geometrical point of view for the noncommutative ergodic theorems

Tese de mestrado em Matemática, apresentada à Universidade de Lisboa, através da Faculdade de Ciências, em 2018The strong law of large numbers, surely a classical result in probability theory, says that the more an experiment is repeated the closer the sample mean is to the expected value. The attempts at bringing an analogue of this result to statistical mechanics, although hard to formulate from a mathematical point of view, gave rise to Ergodic Theory. Ergodic theory includes itself in the study of dynamical systems, namely it studies asymptotic behaviours of orbits from a measure theory viewpoint by looking at averages. The first results in ergodic theory, von Neumann’s Mean Ergodic Theorem and Birkhoff’s Pointwise Ergodic Theorem as well as the strong law of large numbers all have an important aspect in common - the commutativity of the operation at hand. In the 50’s Furstenberg and Kesten asked themselves how could they extend such results to more general scenarios, specifically the case in which we work with groups whose commutativity may fail. It took until the 60’s for the first answers to such problems to be recorded. These were Furstenberg-Kesten Theorem, Kingman Subadditive Ergodic Theorem and Oseledets Multiplicative Ergodic Theorem. This text aims to present the noncommutative ergodic theorems from a geometrical point of view. The first to notice the relationship between geometry and Oseledets theorem was Kaimanovich by looking at it as a consequence of the action of GL(d;R) on the space of Symmetric Positive Definite Matrices. Later on, Karlsson and Margulis further extended the works of Kaimanovich to semigroups of semicontractions of more general spaces. This allows us to translate the problem into a geometric one on which we can use different machinery. The thesis is comprised of three chapters with the goal of presenting all the results above. The first consists of the classical ergodic theory, the second is about the theory of geodesic metric spaces whilst the proof for the main theorems as well as some of the classic ones are presented in the third

A Geometric Avalanche Principle

In this thesis we obtain an abstract continuity theorem for the drift associated with a product of isometries in both Gromov hyperbolic spaces and symmetric spaces as well as the Lyapunov exponents for a product of linear operators over some Hilbert space. We obtain these results by following a recipe of having large deviations estimates and an avalanche principle; a result which allows us to take conclusion of global nature from local hypothesis. As a main example, we apply the results to cocycles over Markov systems, where we prove the aforementioned large deviations estimates hold, thus providing a large class of examples. Upon presenting the linear setting we also mention the case of quasi-periodic linear cocycles. Whilst exploring Markov systems we also obtain a Fürstenberg type formula. From the perspective of Gromov hyperbolic spaces, we prove their group of isometries is a topological group and how random products of isometries follow a multiplicative ergodic theorem for the drift, thus describing the behaviour of typical orbits.Financiado pela Universidade de Lisboa ao abrigo do programa de bolsas de doutoramento BD201

Observations on small tunas caught in the tuna trap fishery off southern Portugal (NE Atlantic) between 1996 and 2014

This study reports on the trends of small tuna catches from a tuna trap operating off the southern coast of Portugal between 1996 and 2014. Landing and catch at size data from one tuna trap were available for bullet tuna (Auxis rochei), Atlantic bonito (Sarda sarda) and little tunny (Euthynnus alletteratus). Trends of intra- and inter-annual catches for the three species were analyzed. Landings occurred mostly during the 2nd and 3rd quarters, with peaks in May for A. rochei and in September for S. sarda and E. alletteratus. Catch at size data shows that similar size ranges of the three species were captured.FCT IF/00253/2014info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Qualidade de serviço em redes de acesso IEEE 802.16

Mestrado em Engenharia Electrónica e TelecomunicaçõesA procura de serviços e de aplicações com elevadas exigências de largura de banda, e a vontade crescente para aceder a este tipo de serviços em qualquer lugar, torna necessária a integração da Internet actual com as redes móveis de próxima geração. No entanto, existirão sempre àreas remotas onde o acesso à Internet, e nomeadamente a serviços de banda larga, será difícil de conseguir. O protocolo IEEE 802.16 é uma tecnologia de banda larga sem fios que pode ser usada neste tipo de cenários. Esta dissertação apresenta uma arquitectura de rede capaz de suportar serviços de tempo real com integração de QoS em ambientes IPv6 através da utilização de redes IEEE 802.16. Nomeadamente, a arquitectura definida suporta o acesso dinâmico e rápido por parte dos terminais móveis aos serviços de rede, tal como reservas e modificações dinâmicas de serviços de tempo real, característica essencial para o suporte de alta mobilidade. Para além disto, a solução proposta fornece também suporte IPv6 e diferenciação de serviços direccionados para o mesmo terminal móvel. Esta dissertação apresenta a arquitectura desenvolvida, os módulos necessários para a integração da tecnologia IEEE 802.16 num ambiente de próxima geração, a implementação desses módulos para a construção de uma rede real, e testes para avaliar o desempenho da rede em termos de QoS num ambiente de rede de acesso mista, composta por IEEE 802.16 e IEEE 802.11. São também efectuados testes de mobilidade para avaliar o desempenho da solução descrita neste tipo de ambientes. Os resultados obtidos com a arquitectura desenvolvida mostram que a arquitectura pode fornecer QoS fima- fim sobre a concatenação de redes metropolitanas e locais, com suporte de mobilidade.The growing demand of high bandwidth services and applications, and the increasing will of access to these services anywhere, is motivating the requirement to integrate the current Internet with the future mobile networks. However, there will always be remote areas where Internet access will be difficult to achieve. The IEEE 802.16 is an attractive broadband wireless technology for these scenarios, non-withstanding its limitations for dynamic environments. This Thesis discusses a network architecture able to support IPv6 QoS aware real time services using 802.16 networks. Specifically, this solution supports dynamic and fast access from the Mobile Nodes to the network services, as well as dynamic reservations and modifications of services. These fast and dynamic reservations are crucial to the support of fast mobility approaches. Moreover, the proposed solution is also able to provide IPv6 support and efficient traffic differentiation for services running on the same MN. This Thesis presents the envisioned architecture, the modules required to provide the integrated QoS approach over the 802.16 network, the implementation of the modules to build a real network, and address main implementation results in terms of QoS performance, and in terms of mobility with QoS support for converged networks comprising WiMAX and Wi-Fi technologies. The obtained results show that our architecture is able to provide end-to-end QoS over the concatenation of metro and local area networks, and that seamless mobility is achieved with high performance measures, thus being able to support real-time services

Projeto de tradução e legendagem de vídeos institucionais do GCRP-ISCAP

Este trabalho de projeto tem como objetivo a tradução audiovisual nomeadamente a legendagem de vídeos institucionais do ISCAP providenciados pelo GCRP para assim acompanhar campanhas institucionais já em vigor. Para melhor enquadrar este projeto são apresentadas as noções de Tradução Audiovisual e Legendagem no Capítulo I, contextualiza-se e explica-se a importância de Relações Públicas, o motivo de este projeto existir. Ao abordar a importância da tradução para as RP, é feita a ligação entre os dois temas, realçando a comunicação e tradução institucional. No capítulo II apresenta-se as entidades parceiras do projeto: o ISCAP e o seu GCRP, e descreve-se as etapas do projeto e a respetiva análise, esclarecendo dúvidas e questões que surgiram durante o processo. Finalmente o último capítulo apresenta as considerações finais refletindo assim sobre o trabalho efetuado e competências que foram desenvolvidas.This project work aims at audiovisual translation, namely the subtitling of institutional videos from ISCAP provided by the GCRP (Communication and Public Relations Of-fice) following up institutional campaigns already in place. To better frame this project, notions of Audiovisual Translation and Subtitling are pre-sented in Chapter I, the importance of Public Relations is contextualized and explained, the reason for this project existing. When addressing the importance of translation for the PR, the connection between the two themes is made, emphasizing communication and institutional translation. Chapter II presents the partner institutions of the project: ISCAP and its GCRP, steps of the project are listed and the respective analysis, enlightening doubts and issues that arose during the project. Finally, the last chapter presents the closing remarks, thus reflecting on the work done and skills that have been developed