Using and evaluating the real-time spatial perception system hydra in real-world scenarios

Hydra is a real-time machine perception system released open source in 2022 as a package for Robot Operating System (ROS). Machine perception systems like Hydra may play a role in the engineering of the next generation of spatial AIs for autonomous robots. Hydra is in the preliminary stages of its existence and does not come with intrinsic support for running on custom datasets. This thesis primarily aims to find out whether the promised capabilities of Hydra can be replicated. As well as to establish a workflow and guidelines for what modifications to Hydra are needed to successfully run it

Strategies and Measures to Improve the Work Environment of Service Crew on Board Swedish Passenger Vessels

This paper presents findings from three workshops focused on the physical, organizational and social work environment of service crew working on board Swedish passenger vessels. The first workshop aimed to identify underlying causes of long-term sick leave among employees in the service department, and potential measures that can be taken to reduce ill-health. The second and third workshop explored knowledge of available methods to identify occupational safety and health risks, and suggest health-promotion strategies at individual, team and company levels. A total of 58 persons from the Swedish maritime cluster participated in the workshops. During the workshops, open and structured brainstorming was used to create affinity diagrams to systematically summarize the identified causes, risks and strategies. Although the results presented in this article stem from a research project focused on Swedish passenger vessels, many of the findings may be transferable to an international maritime setting towards a deeper understanding of seafarers’ work environment and working conditions

Perceived Quality of Safety Training Onboard Ship : The Swedish Case

This is a statistic study on the perceived quality of safety training. The study is based on respondents from the Swedish register of seafarers. The results show that the experience of safety training is generally positive among the seafarers. The level of positivity is influenced by personal circumstances (such as onboard position and age) and by external factors in the work environment (such as ship type, trade area and flag state). However, the effect of onboard position diminishes when age and external factors are controlled for. In this situation, only the positive effects for cabin crew and age remain with strength and significance. Most ship types show strong positive effect, except for road ferries and vessels for max 12 passengers. When it comes to trade area it is only sheltered trade that shows a significant positive effect. Moreover, a homeland flag in the stern leads to a significant increase in the perceived quality of the safety training. These findings are discussed in the concluding part of the paper

The way we conform to paid labour : Commitment to employment and organization from a comparative perspective

This thesis compares work orientations in six Western countries (the USA, Great Britain, New Zealand, Germany, Norway, and Sweden), using data from the 1997 International Social Survey Program (ISSP). The main issue examined is whether different ‘production regimes’ correspond to levels and patterns of employment and organizational commitment among the working population. It is concluded that the country levels of employment commitment varies depending on the institutional set-ups, with respect to production and welfare regimes, being highest in the Scandinavian countries and lowest in Great Britain and the USA. Organizational commitment varies in a more complex manner, with the strongest commitment being found in the USA and the lowest in Sweden. In all countries, the most important factor determining the level of an individual’s organizational commitment is whether the person finds his or her job interesting. This effect is independent of job satisfaction. Organizational commitment was also found to be positively and strongly correlated with right-wing political values in five of the six countries. When it comes to employment commitment, it was found that women display, often significantly, higher commitment than do men. The results suggest that the most important motivator for employment commitment is the desire for interesting work. The concluding discussion summarises and presents the main findings in schematic figures, and includes interpretative discussions focusing on future research

Kartläggning för fastsättning av Mirka AIROS vid robotslipning

Detta examensarbete utfördes på uppdrag av Mirka Ab. Examensarbetet gick ut på att kartlägga fastsättning av Mirka AIROS slipmaskiner vid olika robottillverkares robotar som lämpar sig för slipning. Slipning med robot ökar inom industrier och till olika applikationer krävs olika adaptrar för att Mirka AIROS ska vara kompatibel. På grund av den ökande trenden är en kartläggning aktuell. Kartläggningen för applikation av Mirka AIROS skulle underlätta för Mirka samt för kunder då färdiga lösningar kan erbjudas. Kartläggningen gick ut på att undersöka vilka robot- och samarbetsrobottillverkare som är störst inom slipning samt vilka robotar som lämpar sig för slipapplikationer. Efter detta skulle de olika fastsättningsmetoderna hos olika robotar kartläggas och adaptrar som behövs för fastsättning av Mirka AIROS tas fram. Vissa applikationer kräver kraftsensorer mellan roboten och slipmaskinen för att noggrannare kontrollera slipprocessen. Även kraftsensorer lämpade för slipning skulle tas med i kartläggningen. Då det var klarlagt vilka adaptrar som behövdes ritades 3D-modeller av adaptrarna upp i Solidworks och ritningar lagades av varje adapter.Tämä opinnäytetyö on tehty Mirka Oy:n toimeksiannosta. Opinnäytetyön tehtävä oli tehdä kartoitus Mirka AIROS-hiomakoneen kiinnityksestä eri robottivalmistajien robotteihin, jotka sopivat hiomakäyttöön. Robottihiominen lisääntyy teollisuudessa ja erilaiset sovellukset vaativat erilaisia adaptereita, jotta ne sopivat Mirka AIROS-hiomakoneen kanssa. Koska robottihiointa on nouseva trendi, kartoitus on ajankohtainen. Kartoitus auttaa sekä Mirkaa että asiakkaita, kun Mirka voi tarjota valmiit ratkaisut. Kartoituksen tavoite oli tutkia mitkä ovat isoimmat robotin- ja yhteistyörobotin valmistajat hiomismarkkinoilla ja mitkä robotit sopivat hiomissovellukseen. Sen jälkeen erilaisten robottien työkalujen kiinnitystavat kartoitettiin ja adapterit, joita tarvitaan kehitetiin. Jotkut hiomissovellukset tarvitsevat voimatunnistimen robotin ja hiointakoneen väliin, jotta hiointaprosessia voidaan hallita paremmin. Hiontaan sopivat voimatunnistimet otettiin myös mukaan kartoitukseen. Kun oli selvitetty mitkä adapterit tarvitaan, piirettiin 3D-mallit Solidworksilla ja tehtiin joka adapterista piirustukset.This Bachelor’s thesis is done for Mirka Ltd. The task was to do a mapping of attaching Mirka AIROS grinding machines to different robot manufacturers' robots that are suitable for grinding. Industrial robotic grinding is increasing and different applications demand different adapters for Mirka AIROS compatibility. Because of the increased use of grinding robots mapping is needed. This would make it easier for Mirka and their customers when ready solutions could be offered. The mappings task was carried out to research what robot and collaborative robot manufacturers are key market players and which of their robots are suitable for grinding. After this, different attachment methods for the different robots were mapped and adapters needed for applications of Mirka AIROS were decided. Some applications require a force sensor between the grinding machine and the robot to control the grinding process more precisely. Also, force sensors suitable for grinding were added to the mapping. When the adapters needed were decided, 3D models of the adapters were made in Solidworks as well as drawings of each adapter

Autonomi och Ansvar : Människans roll i framtidens sjöfart

The aim of this project has been to explore future shipping centering around the human operators in the system. The ambition has been to offer a complementary perspective to ongoing technical developments and to put these into a social and organizational context. This report’s purpose has been to provide supportive information to administrations, the shipping industry and maritime vocational programs. Another goal has been to provide a clearer picture of the future, which hopefully will interest more young people for professions in the shipping industry. The role of human operators in future shipping has been explored based on two complementary perspectives, a sociological and a sociotechnical perspective. The main approach has been to collect, analyze and summarize attitudes, opinions and points of views of relevant actors. Data has been collected through focus groups with the advisory board, active seagoing officer and personnel in the maritime vocational education, as well as interviews with pilots and VTS-personnel. Further a survey was sent to all officers in the Swedish seafarer’s registry. In the beginning, two SWOT analyses (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) were conducted to provide a basis to the development of three different scenarios for future vessel concepts: vessel with less manning, convoy vessels, and vessel that is unmanned and supervised from shore for larger parts of the voyage. The vessel concepts were used in focus groups and semi-structured interviews to analyze the role of human operators, the organization of future traffic, resilience and potential competence demands in future shipping. The results show that the timeline for the implementation of different vessel concepts will certainly differ depending on the area of operation. The process will occur successively from well-protected test-areas towards routes in open waters. However, it is has been estimated that Swedish un-manned vessel operations in more established form will first be found in territorial coastal waters. The problem of operational responsibility is believed to become particularly difficult with unmanned vessels in international traffic. However, it has become clear that if the vessels become unmanned, the problem of operational responsibility becomes difficult to solve. Further, the results also show that the Swedish vocational training has the potential to quickly adapt to these changes. The results from the survey show that officers lack confidence and trust in the development towards unmanned traffic.Further, it might be hard to recruit older and more experienced officers to work ashore. However, nautical science and marine engineering student show a more positive attitude towards working in a shore-based center. The FRAM-analysis shows that the complexity of traffic organization and management is likely to increase with the introduction of unmanned vessels. It is anticipated that shore-based centers will not be able to substitute current services, such as pilotage or VTS. Thus, an increased need to communicate and coordinate across actors, such as pilots, VTS, port, may arise. The project’s results show that the complexity of change in the transport system is likely to require a systems approach to ensure that different perspectives and voices are acknowledge. It is not about developing the right technology, or services, but rather about understanding how various aspects, such as infrastructure, job motivation, competence demands, organization, and leadership will be affected by change

Autonomi och Ansvar : Människans roll i framtidens sjöfart

The aim of this project has been to explore future shipping centering around the human operators in the system. The ambition has been to offer a complementary perspective to ongoing technical developments and to put these into a social and organizational context. This report’s purpose has been to provide supportive information to administrations, the shipping industry and maritime vocational programs. Another goal has been to provide a clearer picture of the future, which hopefully will interest more young people for professions in the shipping industry. The role of human operators in future shipping has been explored based on two complementary perspectives, a sociological and a sociotechnical perspective. The main approach has been to collect, analyze and summarize attitudes, opinions and points of views of relevant actors. Data has been collected through focus groups with the advisory board, active seagoing officer and personnel in the maritime vocational education, as well as interviews with pilots and VTS-personnel. Further a survey was sent to all officers in the Swedish seafarer’s registry. In the beginning, two SWOT analyses (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) were conducted to provide a basis to the development of three different scenarios for future vessel concepts: vessel with less manning, convoy vessels, and vessel that is unmanned and supervised from shore for larger parts of the voyage. The vessel concepts were used in focus groups and semi-structured interviews to analyze the role of human operators, the organization of future traffic, resilience and potential competence demands in future shipping. The results show that the timeline for the implementation of different vessel concepts will certainly differ depending on the area of operation. The process will occur successively from well-protected test-areas towards routes in open waters. However, it is has been estimated that Swedish un-manned vessel operations in more established form will first be found in territorial coastal waters. The problem of operational responsibility is believed to become particularly difficult with unmanned vessels in international traffic. However, it has become clear that if the vessels become unmanned, the problem of operational responsibility becomes difficult to solve. Further, the results also show that the Swedish vocational training has the potential to quickly adapt to these changes. The results from the survey show that officers lack confidence and trust in the development towards unmanned traffic.Further, it might be hard to recruit older and more experienced officers to work ashore. However, nautical science and marine engineering student show a more positive attitude towards working in a shore-based center. The FRAM-analysis shows that the complexity of traffic organization and management is likely to increase with the introduction of unmanned vessels. It is anticipated that shore-based centers will not be able to substitute current services, such as pilotage or VTS. Thus, an increased need to communicate and coordinate across actors, such as pilots, VTS, port, may arise. The project’s results show that the complexity of change in the transport system is likely to require a systems approach to ensure that different perspectives and voices are acknowledge. It is not about developing the right technology, or services, but rather about understanding how various aspects, such as infrastructure, job motivation, competence demands, organization, and leadership will be affected by change.Autonomi och ansvar – Människans roll i framtidens sjöfar

Autonomi och Ansvar : Människans roll i framtidens sjöfart

The aim of this project has been to explore future shipping centering around the human operators in the system. The ambition has been to offer a complementary perspective to ongoing technical developments and to put these into a social and organizational context. This report’s purpose has been to provide supportive information to administrations, the shipping industry and maritime vocational programs. Another goal has been to provide a clearer picture of the future, which hopefully will interest more young people for professions in the shipping industry. The role of human operators in future shipping has been explored based on two complementary perspectives, a sociological and a sociotechnical perspective. The main approach has been to collect, analyze and summarize attitudes, opinions and points of views of relevant actors. Data has been collected through focus groups with the advisory board, active seagoing officer and personnel in the maritime vocational education, as well as interviews with pilots and VTS-personnel. Further a survey was sent to all officers in the Swedish seafarer’s registry. In the beginning, two SWOT analyses (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) were conducted to provide a basis to the development of three different scenarios for future vessel concepts: vessel with less manning, convoy vessels, and vessel that is unmanned and supervised from shore for larger parts of the voyage. The vessel concepts were used in focus groups and semi-structured interviews to analyze the role of human operators, the organization of future traffic, resilience and potential competence demands in future shipping. The results show that the timeline for the implementation of different vessel concepts will certainly differ depending on the area of operation. The process will occur successively from well-protected test-areas towards routes in open waters. However, it is has been estimated that Swedish un-manned vessel operations in more established form will first be found in territorial coastal waters. The problem of operational responsibility is believed to become particularly difficult with unmanned vessels in international traffic. However, it has become clear that if the vessels become unmanned, the problem of operational responsibility becomes difficult to solve. Further, the results also show that the Swedish vocational training has the potential to quickly adapt to these changes. The results from the survey show that officers lack confidence and trust in the development towards unmanned traffic.Further, it might be hard to recruit older and more experienced officers to work ashore. However, nautical science and marine engineering student show a more positive attitude towards working in a shore-based center. The FRAM-analysis shows that the complexity of traffic organization and management is likely to increase with the introduction of unmanned vessels. It is anticipated that shore-based centers will not be able to substitute current services, such as pilotage or VTS. Thus, an increased need to communicate and coordinate across actors, such as pilots, VTS, port, may arise. The project’s results show that the complexity of change in the transport system is likely to require a systems approach to ensure that different perspectives and voices are acknowledge. It is not about developing the right technology, or services, but rather about understanding how various aspects, such as infrastructure, job motivation, competence demands, organization, and leadership will be affected by change.Autonomi och ansvar – Människans roll i framtidens sjöfar

The Committed Service Crew : The Impact of Passenger Proximity on Organizational Commitment and Job Satisfaction

The present study focuses on the pattern of organizational commitment and job satisfaction among seafarers working on passenger vessels, compared to those working on board other types of ships. The dependent variable in the study is organizational commitment. Work position, age and job satisfaction are used as independent variables. The question posed in this study is whether the pattern of organizational commitment and job satisfaction differ depending on the proximity to passengers. The material is based on a survey sent to a random sample of seafarers in the Swedish Transport Agency’s register of seafarers. It has been analyzed with descriptive statistics and multivariate regressions comparing the two categories of vessels. The results show that organizational commitment is higher on passenger vessels, while the effect of job satisfaction on organizational commitment is slightly higher for ships that do not carry passengers. For managers in the service department, the level of commitment is to a higher extent dependent on job satisfaction. Development and communication of career options and opportunities for the service crew is suggested as a way to enhance organizational commitment and job satisfaction among this group