Capturing in-situ Feelings and Experiences of Public Transit Riders Using Smartphones

High-density urban environments are susceptible to ever-growing traffic congestion issues, which speaks to the importance of implementing and maintaining effective and sustainable transportation networks. While transit oriented developments offer the potential to help mitigate traffic congestion issues, transit networks ought to be safe and reliable for ideal transit-user communities. As such, it is imperative to capture meaningful data regarding transit experiences, and deduce how transit networks can be enhanced or modified to continually maintain ideal transit experiences. Historically speaking, it has been relatively tricky to measure how people feel whilst using public transportation, without leaning on recall memory to explain such phenomena. Recall memory can be vague and is often less detailed than recording in-situ observations of the transit-user community. This thesis explores the feasibility of using smartphones to capture meaningful in-situ data to leverage the benefits of the Experience Sampling Method (ESM), while also addressing some limitations. Students travelled along Grand River Transit bus routes in Waterloo, Ontario from Wilfrid Laurier University to Conestoga Mall and back using alternate routes. The mobile survey captured qualitative and quantitative data from 145 students to explore variations in wellbeing, and the extent to which environmental variables can influence transit experiences. There were many findings to consider for future research, especially the overall role anxiety played on transit experiences. In addition, the results indicate that the methodology is appropriate for further research, and can be applied to a wide range of research topics. In particular, it is recommended that a similar study be applied to a much larger, and more representative sample of the transit-user community. Future considerations are discussed as key considerations to leverage the benefits of ESM research, and the promise it can bring towards the enhancement of transit experiences and the cohesion of transit-user communities

Timber species in Malay wood carving

Woodcarving is part and parcel of vernacular Malay architecture and craft in Peninsular Malaysia and Southern Thailand. Timber architecture, boats and canoes, hilts and sheath of weapons, musical instrument and utensils are adorned with carving motifs of flora, calligraphy, geometry, fauna and cosmic features Apart from the knowledge and skills on woodcarving, selection of timber species is a determining factor in the making of the carving. This study investigates the criteria used by Malay craftsmen in selecting timber species for their carvings. The method of investigation include (1) review of measured drawing reports of timber building from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia archive, (2) interview with woodcarvers on small and intricate crafts, (3) interview with caretakers or residents of the buildings, and (4) literature review on timber species from Forest Research Institute Malaysia archive on timber classification and its characteristics. Information from the drawings, interviews and literature are triangulated to obtain the types of carved components in architecture and crafts, types of timber species and reasons of their selection. It is found that the Malay woodcarvers observed three factors in selecting timber species for their carvings. The factors are availability of timber, physical characteristics and durability, and craftsmen’s spiritual beliefs towards the timber species. Most carved building components are made from heavy hardwood species such as cengal and merbau because of their strength and durability and availability of sawn timber in large volumes. Motifs of flora, calligraphy, geometry, fauna and cosmic features are depicted on to the components as well as to crafts such as weapons, utensils, tools and furniture. However timber species with fine grains and lustrous surfaces and believed to possess strong spirit such as kemuning and kenaung are carved into hilts of weapons. These criteria address the intrinsic knowledge of the woodcarvers upon the beauty and meaning of tropical timbers and hence in the identity of the carving

Evaluating affordances of streams and rivers pertaining to children functioning in natural environment

This study evaluates the affordances of natural water bodies pertaining to functioning of children. Ten children, aged 4-12, were observed experiencing three streams and two rivers in tropical environment. A phenomenological approach yielded a dataset of the children’s behavioral responses derived from a behavioral mapping and an open-ended interview. The responses are physical movement and words and phrases of the children suggesting their preferences or dislikes toward the water settings. The data was analyzed in three stages, firstly, positive or negative affordances, secondly, a taxonomy affordance of children’s outdoor environment, and thirdly, level of affordances. The children experienced 78 positive affordances and only five negative ones. From the taxonomy, the water afforded 11 categories of environmental qualities in which the categories graspable/detached objects and water offered the most number of affordances, 16 and 15, respectively. Most of the children’s activities were performatory and exploratory types. The results suggest that children perceived the affordances of streams and rivers through physical, cognitive and social interactions. The children, therefore, perceived the water bodies as playscapes affording varieties of functional meanings

Perancangan prototipe perangkat peringatan penggantian oli mesin sepeda motor 4 langkah berbasis Up Counter

INDONESIA: Sepeda motor merupakan alat transportasi yang sering digunakan dalam kegiatan sehari-hari, semakin berkembangnya teknologi yang semakin canggih khususnya dalam bidang elektronik maka teknologi dalam mesin sepeda motor mulai dipadukan dengan bantuan rangkaian kendali elektronik seperti sistem injeksi untuk kendali pembakaran diruang bakar sepeda motor atau indikator untuk menandakan suhu panas mesin yang semakin memudahkan pemilik sepeda motor untuk merawat kendaraannya. Penelitian ini bertujuan membuat sistem kendali peringatan penggantian oli mesin sepeda motor 4 langkah dengan menggunakan buzzer sebagai peringatan berbentuk bunyi dan GSM Shield sebagai peringatan melalui SMS kepada pemilik sepeda motor. Hasil penelitian ini adalah sistem kendali dengan LCD 16x2 sebagai penampil jarak, serta bunyi suara peringatan melalui buzzer dan pesan peringatan ke ponsel android. Arduino Uno digunakan sebagai kendali sistem. ENGLISH: Motorcycles are a means of transportation that is often used in daily activities, the development of increasingly sophisticated technology, especially in the field of electronics, technology in motorcycle engines began to be combined with the help of electronic control circuit such as injection system for combustion control motorcycle combustion chamber or an indicator for indicating the engine heat temperature that makes it easier for motorcycle owners to take care of his vehicle. This study aims to create a warning control system of motorcycle engine 4 step change using buzzer as a sound warning and GSM Shield as a warning via SMS to the owner of the motorcycle. The result of this research is control system with 16x2 LCD as distance viewer, and sound of warning sound through buzzer and warning message to android phone. Arduino Uno is used as a system control

A note on non-Robba pp-adic differential equations

Let $\mathcal{M}$ be a differential module, whose coefficients are analytic elements on an open annulus $I$ (\subset \bR_{>0}) in a valued field, complete and algebraically closed of inequal characteristic, and let $R(\mathcal{M}, r)$ be the radius of convergence of its solutions in the neighbourhood of the generic point $t_r$ of absolute value $r$, with $r\in I$. Assume that $R(\mathcal{M}, r)<r$ on $I$ and, in the logarithmic coordinates, the function $r\longrightarrow R(\ mathcal{M}, r)$ has only one slope on $I$. In this paper, we prove that for any $r\in I$, all the solutions of $\mathcal{M}$ in the neighborhood of $t_r$ are analytic and bounded in the disk $D(t_r,R(\mathcal{M},r)^-)$.Comment: 4 page