Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Co-operative Control'

In this research work, a study has been carried out on the current development of teleoperation and the control strategies adopted to co-ordinate human operator input and computer autonomous control. Based on the findings, a human and computer cooperative control concept has been developed to overcome the shortcomings of the existing control strategies. It utilises the human and computer characteristic advantages to complement each other to improve task performance and increase task success rate. Some aspects of the tasks are shared between humans and computers while computer assistance is introduced into the human supervisory functions in this co-operative control. Traditional problems of teleoperation such as time delay and task dependence of high-level control have been addressed and overcome by utilising the distributed and parallel processing system architecture and an expandable knowledge base incorporated with generic and task specific modules. Guidelines and an ideal system model have been proposed to provide system developers with future design guidance. A telerobotic system has been built based on the developed human and computer cooperative control concept. It uses the client/server model to achieve distributed and parallel processing. Operators can perform tasks through direct manual control and computer assisted task-level control provided in the system. Multiple manual inputs have been introduced to suit different control conditions. They provide the operator with intuitive and hardware independent input methods to manipulate the remote robot. A computer vision system has been developed to provide not only the visual feedback of the remote environment but also assistance in object location and robot navigation. Task modules containing generic and specific task handling functions are used for achieving human and computer co-operation at both task planning and execution levels. The experiment results obtained from the system evaluation have shown that the task completion time in co-operative control mode is half the time required in human direct manual control. Task performance achieved in co-operative control mode is less sensitive to the difference between the operators' capability. In conclusion, the usability and effectiveness of the co-operative control, and the validity of the techniques of camera calibration and image processing has been proven through the demonstration task.

Master of Engineering (Research)
In many multi-objective missions there are situations when actions based on maximum information gain may not be the `best' given the overall mission objectives. In addition to properties such as entropy, information also has value, which is situationally dependent. This thesis examines the concept of information value in a multi-objective mission from an information theory perspective. A derivation of information value is presented that considers both the context of information, via a fused world belief state, and a system mission. The derived information value is used as part of the objective function for control of autonomous platforms within a framework developed for human robot cooperative control. A simulated security operation in a structured environment is implemented to test both the framework, and information value based control. The simulation involves a system of heterogeneous, sensor equipped Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), tasked with gathering information regarding ground vehicles. The UAVs support an e ort to protect a number of important buildings in the area of operation. Thus, the purpose of the information is to aid the security operation by ensuring that security forces can deploy e ciently to counter any threat. A number of di erent local controllers using information based control are implemented and compared to a task based control scheme. The relative performance of each is examined with respect to a number of performance metrics with conclusions drawn regarding the performance and exibility of information value based control.

This thesis is concerned with the control system analysis of steel plate inspection robots and the design and development of co-operative mobile micro-robots and for the intelligent coordinated control over inspection tasks. This involves miniaturization of the existing steel plate inspection system and the introduction of intelligent control over a novel path-planning algorithm for single or several similar cooperative micro inspection robots to perform multitasking inspection. To automate steel plate inspection, the Centre for Automated & Robotic – NDT (CART) department of London South Bank University successfully developed a self navigating steel plate inspection robot [1]. However the resulting system has complex hardware arrangements for inspection. Therefore, this research is concerned with reducing the size as well the complexity of the inspection system and the reduction of the inspection time with larger area of coverage. Accordingly, cooperative micro-robots are realized for inspection. Part (1) of the thesis includes related and researched work for the control system analysis. The research findings lead to the identification of the directed parallel method (DPM) for the inspection robot using a derived cost equation. Consequently, research identified the work area sensory environment (SE) having a camera fixed permanently at a height above the work area. Research developed a DPM algorithm to find any coordinate location of the multitasking inspection robots on a (planar) rectangular inspection area. Research developed an efficient intelligent control to automate steel plate inspection which is required to enable reliable control operations over the micro-robots. Part (2) reports simulation of cooperative robots, the development of two micro-robot prototypes and their real time movements on the work area. The robot’s path and speed are complied with the inspection standards. With the two cooperative micro-robot prototypes, the results show that for a larger area of coverage the inspection time can be reduced to more than half compared to that of the CART’s previous single complex robot.

This thesis considers the coordinated control of autonomous agents. The agents are modeled as double integrators, one for each Cartesian dimension. The goal is to force the agents to converge to a formation specified by their desired relative positions. To this end a pair of one-step-ahead optimization based control laws are developed. The control algorithms produce a communication topology that mirrors the geometric formation topology due to the careful choice of the minimized cost functions. Through this equivalence a natural understanding of the relationship between the geometric formation topology and the communication infrastructure is gained. It is shown that the control laws are stable and guarantee convergence for all viable formation topologies. Additionally, velocity constraints can be added to allow the formation to follow fixed or arbitrary time dependent velocities. Both control algorithms only require local information exchange. As additional agents attach to the formation, only those agents that share position constraints with the joining agents need to adjust their control laws. When redundancy is incorporated into the formation topology, it is possible for the system to survive loss of agents or communication channels. In the event that an agent drops out of the formation, only the agents with position interdependence on the lost agent need to adjust their control laws. Finally, if a communication channel is lost, only the agents that share that communication channel must adjust their control laws. The first control law falls into the category of distributed control, since it requires either the global information exchange to compute the formation size or an a priori knowledge of the largest possible formation. The algorithm uses the network size to penalize the control input for each formation. When using a priori knowledge, it is shown that additional redundancy not only adds robustness to loss of agents or communication channels, but it also decreases the settling times to the desired formation. Conversely, the overall control strategy suffers from sluggish response when the network is small with respect to the largest possible network. If global information exchange is used, scalability suffers. The second control law was developed to address the negative aspects of the first. It is a fully decentralized controller, as it does not require global information exchange or any a priori knowledge.

The purpose of this study is to design a co-operative maritime security structure for Northeast Asia through the application of naval arms control and disarmament measures (both structural and operational), maritime confidence-building measures (MCBMs) and maritime cooperation measures (MCMs). In order to construct an analytical framework for such an application it is necessary to introduce sub-objectives. The first is to explore the options for providing co-operative maritime security, such as naval arms control. MCBMs and MCMs, and to assess the value of their contribution to the general co-operative maritime security framework. The second is to examine the particular points of the major regional powers' maritime security policies with a view to considering their relevance to the construction of a system of co-operative maritime security in Northeast Asia. The third is to delineate the regional geo-strategic security environment conducive to Northeast Asian co-operative maritime security in the framework of the various types of measures. The final part examines the potential conditions for the application of co-operative maritime security measures and suggests a priority of application on the basis of the regional maritime security environment. In the last decade, the United States and Russia have been forced to change their defence policies, trim their budgets, curtail operations overseas, and re-evaluate their fundamental purposes. Nonetheless, the medium powers, such as China and Japan, continue to build and deploy naval weapons and vessels that others find threatening. Unless they reconsider their positions toward co-operative maritime security, they may miss a critical opportunity to bring stability to the high seas. In Northeast Asia, the main boundary and territorial disputes are maritime in nature, e.g. Russia-Japan (South Kuril IslandslNorthern Territories), Korea-Japan (the Tok Islandsffakeshima), China-Japan (the Senkaku Islandsffiaoyu Tao), as well as Taiwan and, in the South China Sea, the Paracel Islands/Xisha Qundao (Vietnam-China), and the Spratly IslandslNansha Qundao (China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Philippines and Brunei). Multilateral security activities cannot replace formal diplomatic/legal negotiations to settle maritime boundary and territorial disputes, but co-operative maritime security measures may be particularly valuable in minimising the risk of conflict in such circumstances. Among the MCBMs, the most promising areas involve modifying existing INCSEA agreements, and establishing or expanding measures of transparency, such as compliance with the UN or an eventual regional arms register and the regular issue of credible official Defence White Papers. In the current context of strategic uncertainty and maritime force development in Northeast Asia, information exchange measures and communication measures may be the most valuable MCBM, applicable region-wide. Co-operative maritime security measures can offer a number of benefits. The main goals of MCMs are cost reduction through shared efforts or by joint operations for humanitarian purposes, joint development of marine resources, the protection of SLOCs and prevention of sea pollution. MCMs can also be used as confidence-building measures in themselves to maintain communication when tensions heighten. MCMs indicate that neighbouring countries can work together to look after certain problems at the regional or subregional level. This can help not onJy to deter potential adversaries but also to assure extraregional countries that no direct threat would be posed to their sea-borne trade. With functional and operational approaches, MCMs cover marine pollution, search and rescue, illegal activities, including drug smuggling, piracy and fisheries infringement. The first area of naval arms control to be considered covers constraints on naval activities as operational naval arms control measures. General operational arms control measures could be used to cover other naval activities, or they could serve as a model for similar agreements in other areas. The provisions for notification of dangerous activities, for instance, could be broadened to include mandatory notification of all naval exercises. After the 1972 Incidents at Sea Agreement, the United States and Russia developed stabilising rules of behaviour as their navies came into contact with each other across the world's oceans. With the expansion of naval forces in Northeast Asia and the increased likelihood of accident and miscalculation, one could make a case for the negotiation of regional INCSEA agreements, particularly on a bilateral basis. Such agreements already exist in the North Pacific: Canada and Russia, the US and Russia, Russia-Japan and Russia-ROK. The United States and China have also signed a related agreement on maritime consultation. Operational measures at sea could be implemented by imposing restraints on naval activities and geographical limitations. Structural measures, as the second aspect of naval arms control, consist of quantitative and qualitative approaches. A quantitative approach based on ratios would inevitably affect the relative size of forces of different countries. Such agreements are difficult to achieve because of differences in geostrategic goals and asymmetries of naval forces in the region. This thesis argues that the development of co-operative maritime security measures to the point where they become a significant aspect of the regional maritime security framework in Northeast Asia will not be easy. It is a very diverse region, where there are quite different security perceptions and maritime territorial and legitimacy conflicts which require resolution. There is also little tradition of security co-operation, at least on a multilateral basis. The maritime issues themselves are generally complicated, and the practical and operational factors involved in the establishment of effective co-operative maritime security regimes are extremely demanding. Maritime confidence-building measures offer the greatest potentiaL as an initial step. As subsequent steps, maritime co-operation measures and naval arms control measures could be followed. The important question is whether or not the application of co-operative security models can be brought to the point where they can enable the effective management of the increasing complexities and uncertainties which characterise the emerging maritime environment in Northeast Asia. Current fiscal constraints might clearly provide an opportunity for Northeast Asian countries not only to consider more closely their threat perceptions but also to pursue regional co-operative maritime arrangements which rely more on mutual understanding and less on a naval arms build-up.

Bakgrund: Trots sin betydande närvaro i samhället saknar kooperativa företag än idag tydliga ramverk över hur deras organisationer ska styras. Det uppstår därmed utmaningar eftersom kooperativ, det vill säga medlemsägda organisationer, på ett flertal sätt särskiljer sig från andra företagsformer, men ändå tvingas rätta sig efter ramverk och teorier anpassade för andra slags verksamheter. Utmaningar kan uppstå då det visat sig att etablerade styrningsramverk i många fall är otillräckliga och svåra att justera för de mål som kooperativa verksamheter präglas av, vilket starkt argumenterar för behovet av ett kooperativt anpassat styrningsramverk. Sett till tidigare forskning saknas det studier som förklarar hur agentproblematik utspelar sig och hanteras i en kooperativ kontext. I och med den ovan nämnda avsaknaden av styrningsramverk blir det likväl en utmaning för kooperativ att uppnå målkongruens mellan organisationens olika parter, där även organisationens storlek samt struktur spelar en avgörande roll. Syfte: Det huvudsakliga syftet med den här uppsatsen är att tillföra såväl ett empiriskt som teoretiskt bidrag för att öka kunskapen kring den agentproblematik som kan uppstå inom konsumentkooperativ, och ta reda på hur hög målkongruens kan uppnås inom medlemsägda företag utan att förbise medlemmarnas intressen. Genomförande: Studien är en kvalitativ fallstudie på organisationen Kooperativa Förbundet, med en iterativ ansats. Datainsamlingen har skett genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer, där intervjuguiden har utformats efter den teoretiska referensramen. Slutsatser: Den agentproblematik som utspelar sig inom kooperativ verksamhet är främst av förvaltarteoretisk karaktär. Det empiriska bidraget har dock belyst problematik som förvaltarteorin tidigare inte uppmärksammat, som uppstår när hög tillit förringar behovet av uppföljning och utvärdering. Problematiken har resulterat i en implementering av styrsystem, som vanligen förknippas med den kontrasterande agentteorin. Införandet av styrsystem måste dock, enligt förvaltarteorin, göras vaksamt vad gäller de konsekvenser som kan uppstå, vilket negativt kan påverka det för organisationen gynnsamma förvaltarbeteendet. Resultatet av vår analys visar att det råder hög målkongruens inom kooperationen till följd av ett ömsesidigt förvaltarperspektiv mellan styrelse och företagsledning. Det empiriska bidraget åskådliggjorde en samsyn respondenterna emellan vad gäller värdegrund, och en kollektiv vilja att efterleva de kooperativa värderingarna. Vidare uppnås målkongruens genom öppenhet, transparens, väl genomförda förankringsprocesser samt en kontinuerlig dialog mellan organisationens samtliga parter. Därutöver framgick det att hög målkongruens i sig inte leder till en framgångsrik verksamhet, utan det krävs även en stark genomförandekraft för att uppnå de gemensamma målen. Fallstudien har visat på en bristande genomförandekraft, vilket bland annat påverkas av kooperativets storlek, något som utgör en försvårande effekt på verksamheten. Vidare har det framgått att kooperativ enklare skulle kunna dra nytta av den höga målkongruensen om det hade förekommit en större homogenitet medlemsföreningarna emellan, både vad gäller storlek och verksamhet. Kunskapsbidrag: Studien har bidragit med en ökad förståelse kring den agentproblematik som kan utspela sig inom kooperativa organisationer, samt hur målkongruens kan uppnås inom medlemsägda företag. Därutöver avlägger studien två teoretiska bidrag. Det första bidraget är kopplat till förvaltarteorin, och identifierar svagheter inom teorin som tidigare inte belysts samt att dessa bekämpas med åtgärder som vanligen förekommer inom agentteorin. Det andra teoretiska bidraget bestrider den tidigare kooperativa forskningen då vi anser att internt anskaffad expertis ska vara ett alternativ till den externt rekryterade expertisen.
Background: Despite its significant presence in today’s society, co-operative businesses still lack well-defined guidelines on how to manage their organizations. Challenges arise because co-operatives, i.e. member-owned organizations, differ in a number of ways compared to other forms of businesses. Still, however, they have to rely on frameworks and theories adapted to other types of organizations. Challenges may develop since it appears as though established management frameworks in many cases are insufficient and difficult to adjust to the objectives that characterize co-operative businesses, which argues for the need of a co-operatively adapted governance framework. There has been an absence of studies in previous research explaining how agency issues arise, and how the entailing challenges are managed in a co-operative context. At the same time, with the aforementioned lack of governance frameworks, it is nevertheless a challenge for co-operatives to achieve goal congruence between the organization’s various parties, where the size and structure of the organization also play decisive roles. Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to provide an empirical, as well as a theoretical, contribution to raise the awareness in regards to the Principal-agent problem and its entailing challenges in the context of consumer co-operatives. Furthermore, the purpose is also to investigate how high goal congruence can be achieved in member-owned businesses, without overlooking the interests of the members. Method: The study was carried out as a qualitative case study of the organization Kooperativa Förbundet, using an iterative approach. The collection of data has been attained through semi-structured interviews, in which the interviews were designed in accordance with the theoretical reference framework. Conclusions: The Principal-agent problems that arise within co-operatives are primarily of a Stewardship nature. However, our empirical research has highlighted challenges that Stewardship theory previously has not paid any attention to, including those that arise whenhigh levels of trust between the Board of Directors and the Management team lessens the need for follow-ups and evaluations. These challenging issues have resulted in an implementation of control systems, which usually are associated with the contrasting Agency theory, rather than with Stewardship theory. Nevertheless, the introduction of control systems must be done vigilantly, according to Stewardship theory, considering the consequences that may develop, which harmfully may affect the favorable stewardship behavior. The results from our analysis reveal a high level of goal congruence within the co-operation, owing to a mutual stewardship perspective between the Board of Directors and the Management team. Our research identified a consensus among the respondents in terms of values, and a collective willingness to comply with the co-operative principles. Furthermore, goal congruence is achieved through openness, transparency, justifiable decision-making processes, as well as a continuous dialogue between all parties within the organization. In addition, it was made clear that a high level of goal congruence, other things being equal, does not lead to a successful business. A strong implementing power is also required in order to reach the common goals. The case study conducted demonstrated an insufficient implementation power which is influenced, amongst other things, by the size of the co-operative which represents an aggravating effect on the business as a whole. Additionally, the co-operative would more easily benefit from its high levels of goal congruence if there had been a greater homogeneity between the member associations, both in terms of size and business activity. Research contribution: The study has contributed to an increased understanding of the Principal-agent issues that unfold in co-operative organizations, and how goal congruence is achieved in member-owned businesses. In addition, the study presents two theoretical contributions. The first one is linked to Stewardship theory, and identifies weaknesses that the theory has not been able to explain, and that these weaknesses are combated with measures more commonly found within Agency theory. The second theoretical contribution disputes previous research made on co-operatives, since we consider that internally acquired expertise should be an alternative to the externally recruited expertise.

The diploma thesis is focused on the problems in the sector of rental and co-operative housing since the nineties of the twentieth century in the Czech Republic. Firstly the thesis deals with the description of the basic concepts such as housing, supply and demand for housing, housing policy and instruments through which it achievs its goals. Further the thesis analyzes the current situation in the housing stock and its allocation to individual sectors. The third chapter concentrates on the issue of rental and co-operative housing. This chapter provides ample space for development of regulation as well as deregulation of rents. The end of the chapter foccuses the attention on the issue of social housing not only in the Czech Republic but also in selected countries of the European Union. The last two chapters deal with state housing support, where in addition to promoting the supply side mentioned is also housing benefit and satisfaction with living in the Czech Republic.

Multi-agent systems are extensively used in several applications. An important class of applications involves the optimal spatial distribution of a group of mobile robots on a given area, where the optimality refers to the assignment of subregions to the robots, in such a way that a suitable coverage metric is maximized. Typically the coverage metric encodes a risk distribution defined on the area, and a measure of the performance of individual robots with respect to points inside the region of interest. The coverage metric will be maximized when the set of mobile robots configure themselves as the centroids of the Voronoi tessellation dictated by the risk density. In this work we advance on this result by considering a generalized area control problem in which the coverage metric is non-autonomous, that coverage metric is time varying independently of the states of the robots. This generalization is motivated by the study of coverage control problems in which the coordinated motion of a set of mobile robots accounts for the kinematics of objects penetrating from the outside. Asymptotic convergence and optimality of the non-autonmous system are studied by means of Barbalat's Lemma, and connections with the kinematics of the moving intruders is established. Several numerical simulation results are used to illustrate theoretical predictions.

The environmental governance sphere in South Africa is fragmented. This fragmentation is exacerbated in the provinces. Fragmentation manifests in various ways, including, inter alia, structural fragmentation between the various spheres and line functions of government, fragmented environmental legislation which is silo-based and issue-specific, jurisdictional overlaps, and duplication of procedures and processes. Fragmentation poses several disadvantages and may ultimately hamper effective and sustainable service-delivery by government. The problem of fragmentation forms the crux of this study. The principal objective of this thesis is accordingly to investigate possible solutions to address fragmentation and to propose a more sustainable strategy to achieve integration of currently fragmented environmental governance efforts in South Africa and the North-West Province (NWP). The NWP has specifically been chosen as a case study in this regard since problems of fragmentation are exacerbated in the provinces. The first step in this thesis is to analyse the theoretical concept of sustainability in order to establish the eventual objective of what integrated environmental governance efforts should achieve. The concept of fragmented governance and possible generic reasons for fragmentation, including unco-operative and unsustainable organisational behaviour, are also investigated to highlight the nature and disadvantages of fragmentation and other factors that may contribute to it. A further component of the theoretical analysis includes an investigation of the concepts of integrated, or holistic governance, and an investigation of the concepts integrated environmental management (IEM), co-operative environmental governance (CEG), and integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC). These concepts are investigated in order to ascertain the possible solutions for integration that they may pose. Secondly, this thesis investigates the current state of the fragmented environmental governance regime in South Africa and the NWP. The extent and reasons for fragmentation are discussed; and unco-operative organisational behaviour patterns in the national, provincial and local spheres of government are investigated. The concepts of IEM, CEG and IPPC, as they are established in South African law, are also discussed. Thirdly, this study investigates integrated approaches to environmental governance in the international sphere by way of a comparative study. For this purpose, the relevant provisions of the European Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive, 1996 are discussed. The comparative study is concluded with an investigation of the provisions of the Directive as they are applied in national legal frameworks in the EU, with specific reference to Finland and the Netherlands. The main objective of this part of the study is to ascertain whether established solutions for integration of governance efforts are available in practice, and if so, to what extent they are employed to address fragmentation. This study concludes with recommendations on how the fragmented environmental governance sphere in South Africa may be integrated. These include short-, medium-and long-term scenarios, namely: a less radical strategy which must aim to optimise the current environmental governance regime by employing established concepts such as IEM, CEG and IPPC; a more radical strategy, which aims to establish a single act to regulate all procedural aspects relating to environmental governance and authorisations, and a single authority that is responsible for all procedural aspects in terms of the act; and an extremely radical strategy, which aims to establish a one-stop environmental governance shop, with a single act regulating all procedural and substantive aspects, and a single lead agent responsible for regulation in terms of this act.
Thesis (LL.D. (Estate Law))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Cette thèse analyse le régime juridique des coopératives brésiliennes et des coopératives françaises à partir de leur principe plus remarquable: la double qualité d’associé et d’usager de la société coopérative. Elle vérifie la modalité selon laquelle sont réalisés l’engagement sociétaire et l’engagement de coopération dans les deux pays, en présentant les contrastes et les convergences entre les deux systèmes juridiques, ayant comme objectif contribuer à la modernisation du droit coopératif français et brésilien. On remarque les nouvelles modalités de renforcement du capital, tel comme réalisées en France et la notion d’acte coopératif brésilien, inexistant en France. L’adoption du modèle français de contrat de coopération, est présentée comme une alternative pour le système brésilien, dans l’objectif de garantir l’efficacité des engagements opérationnels réalisés par la coopérative et par le coopérateurs. L’adoption des éléments de l’acte coopératif, tel comme pratiqué au Brésil pourra se révéler comme important mécanisme en France lors du processus de qualification du contrat de coopération
This paper analysis the juridic system of the Brazilian co-operative societies and the French agricultural co-operative societies, from their most remarkable principle: the twofold quality of both owner and user of the members of these societies. It was verified how the society's engagement and the cooperation engagement is done in both countries, presenting the contrasts and the convergences between the two juridic systems, with the finality to contribute to the modernization of the Brazilian co-operative law system, as well as the French. There were highlighted the new ways of capital reinforcement as the practiced in France and the notion of the Brazilian co-operative act, unknown to France. The adoption of the French model of co-operative contract was suggested as an alternative to the Brazilian system, in a sense of guaranteeing the stability of the operational engagements done to both the co-operative society and the co-operators. As to the acceptance of the elements of the co-operative act, such as the practiced in Brazil, will also be able to be revealed as an important mechanism in France, related to the qualifying process of the co-operational contract

Avyttringen och ombildningen av kommunala och privata bostadshyresfastigheter till bostadsrättsföreningar har blivit ett allt vanligare fenomen under de senaste decennierna. Främst sker avyttringen i Stockholms kommun. Syftet med denna uppsats är att mäta om prissättningen vid utförsäljning av bostadshyresfastigheter inom Stockholms kommun skiljer sig beroende på om säljaren varit privat eller ett allmännyttigt kommunalt bolag. För att undersöka detta har olika regressionsmodeller applicerats på data över fastighetsprisregistret under två mandatperioder. Resultatet visar en tydlig prisskillnad mellan kommunala avyttringar och privata inom samma områdesindelning. Skillnaden i prissättning innebär att kommunala fastighetsbolag har realiserat ut och omfördelat skattebetalarnas pengar, till ett värde som kan uppgå till så mycket som 3,23 miljarder kronor räknat i 2010 års penningvärde. Sannolikt är en sådan förmögenhetsomfördelning inte samhällsekonomisk effektiv. Vidare torde den motverka syftet med hyreslagsstiftningen.
In the Swedish market for multi-family housing, investment properties are often sold to the tenants who thus convert the property into co-operative housing. This is particularly true in attractive housing location where the existing rent control is in practice binding for all residential rental units. It is somewhat less self-evident that multi-family properties owned by the municipality (not-for-profit, council housing) would also be subject to such conversions. This is, however, quite common, particularly in Stockholm. The aim of this paper is to estimate whether council housing is generally sold to the tenants with a discount, as compared to the market prices of transactions where private property companies sell their properties. We use regression techniques applied to data from the official record of real property transactions. We find a significant price difference between the two categories of transactions. Council housing is sold out at a discount price and we estimate that a total value of some 3.23 billion SEK may have been redistributed from the taxpayers to the housing purchasers in these transactions. This program is probably not efficient from a public economic perspective. Furthermore, it counteracts the purpose of the current rent control legislation.

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Trataremos neste estudo, da maior cooperativa singular capitalista da América Latina, a COAMO - Agroindustrial Cooperativa, localizada em Campo Mourão, Estado do Paraná/Brasil. Esta foi criada e incentivada pelo Estado no auge dos “anos de chumbo” do regime militar, especialmente através da Extensão Rural, com um propósito claro de atender às demandas do capital no campo. A COAMO é caracterizada por uma estratégia de agressiva expansão territorial para novos mercados econômicos, ganhos de escala e competitividade, na qual acaba exercendo profunda influência política e mudanças do espaço agrário em territórios por ela dominados. Também, sua estratégia induz uma dinâmica de processo de materialização de relações sociais de produção tipicamente capitalista, voltando-se para uma agricultura moderna/tecnicizada, fortemente especializada nos grãos (em especial a soja), que permeada por uma aliança entre burguesia agrária e tecnocracia, engendram relações de exclusão de pequenos cooperados e de subalternidade camponesa ao modelo do agronegócio. O estudo dessa forma de organização cooperativa é fundamental para entendermos as atuais dinâmicas econômicas, sociais, políticas e ambientais no meio rural brasileiro, e as contradições resultantes do prevalecimento da concentração privada da propriedade, da monocultura e da produção voltada especialmente para o mercado externo (commodities), intensiva na utilização de insumos químicos e na exploração do trabalho.
The present study will treat about the leading co-operative capitalist of Latin America, COAMO–Agroindustrial Cooperativa, located in Campo Mourão, State of Parana /Brazil. It was created and encouraged by the State at the height of the "years of lead" of the military regime, especially through the Rural Extension, with a clear purpose to meet the demands of the capital in the field. The COAMO is characterized by an aggressive territorial expansion strategy for new economic markets, economies of scale and competitiveness, which ends up playing deep political influence and change the agrarian space in territories dominated by it. Also, its strategy induces a dynamic of realization of social relationships typically capitalist production process, turning to modern agriculture / technicized , strongly specialized in grains (especially soybeans), which permeated by an alliance between agrarian bourgeoisie and technocracy, engender exclusion relations small cooperatives and peasant subordination to the agribusiness model. The study of this form of cooperative organization is critical to understand the current economic dynamics, social, political and environmental in the Brazilian countryside, and the contradictions arising from prevailing of private ownership concentration, monoculture and production focused especially for the export market (commodities), intensive use of chemical inputs and labor exploitation.

Orientador: Pedro Ivan Christoffoli
Resumo: Trataremos neste estudo, da maior cooperativa singular capitalista da América Latina, a COAMO - Agroindustrial Cooperativa, localizada em Campo Mourão, Estado do Paraná/Brasil. Esta foi criada e incentivada pelo Estado no auge dos “anos de chumbo” do regime militar, especialmente através da Extensão Rural, com um propósito claro de atender às demandas do capital no campo. A COAMO é caracterizada por uma estratégia de agressiva expansão territorial para novos mercados econômicos, ganhos de escala e competitividade, na qual acaba exercendo profunda influência política e mudanças do espaço agrário em territórios por ela dominados. Também, sua estratégia induz uma dinâmica de processo de materialização de relações sociais de produção tipicamente capitalista, voltando-se para uma agricultura moderna/tecnicizada, fortemente especializada nos grãos (em especial a soja), que permeada por uma aliança entre burguesia agrária e tecnocracia, engendram relações de exclusão de pequenos cooperados e de subalternidade camponesa ao modelo do agronegócio. O estudo dessa forma de organização cooperativa é fundamental para entendermos as atuais dinâmicas econômicas, sociais, políticas e ambientais no meio rural brasileiro, e as contradições resultantes do prevalecimento da concentração privada da propriedade, da monocultura e da produção voltada especialmente para o mercado externo (commodities), intensiva na utilização de insumos químicos e na exploração do trabalho.
Mestre

Lo Wang Tai.
Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 58-63).
Abstracts in English and Chinese.
Abstract --- p.i
Acknowledgement --- p.iii
Tables of Content --- p.iv
List of Figures --- p.vii
List of Tables --- p.viii
Chapter Chapter1 --- Introduction --- p.1
Chapter 1.1 --- Internet-based Tele-cooperation --- p.1
Chapter 1.1.1 --- Cooperative Control of Multiple Robot --- p.1
Chapter 1.1.2 --- Internet-based Teleoperation --- p.3
Chapter 1.1.3 --- Time Delay of Internet Communication --- p.4
Chapter 1.2 --- Related Work --- p.5
Chapter 1.3 --- Motivation and Contribution --- p.6
Chapter 1.3.1 --- Motivation --- p.6
Chapter 1.3.2 --- Contribution --- p.7
Chapter 1.4 --- Outline of the thesis --- p.8
Chapter Chapter2 --- The Internet Robotic System --- p.9
Chapter 2.1 --- System Architecture --- p.9
Chapter 2.2 --- The Hardware --- p.12
Chapter 2.2.1 --- Operator System --- p.12
Chapter 2.2.2 --- Mobile Robot System --- p.13
Chapter 2.2.3 --- Multi-fingered Robot Hand System --- p.17
Chapter 2.2.4 --- Visual Tracking System --- p.19
Chapter 2.3 --- Software Design --- p.21
Chapter 2.3.1 --- Robot Client and Arm Client --- p.22
Chapter 2.3.2 --- Robot Server --- p.23
Chapter 2.3.3 --- Image Server --- p.25
Chapter 2.3.4 --- Arm Server --- p.75
Chapter 2.3.5 --- Arm Controller --- p.27
Chapter 2.3.6 --- Finger Server --- p.27
Chapter 2.3.7 --- Finger Controller --- p.27
Chapter 2.3.8 --- Robot Tracker --- p.28
Chapter 2.3.9 --- Interaction Forwarder --- p.28
Chapter Chapter3 --- Event-based Control for Force Reflecting Teleoperation --- p.29
Chapter 3.1 --- Modeling and Control --- p.29
Chapter 3.1.1 --- Model of Operator System --- p.31
Chapter 3.1.2 --- Model of Mobile Robot System --- p.33
Chapter 3.1.3 --- Model of Multi-fingered Hand System --- p.34
Chapter 3.2 --- Force Feedback Generation --- p.35
Chapter 3.2.1 --- Obstacle Avoidance --- p.35
Chapter 3.2.2 --- Singularity Avoidance --- p.38
Chapter 3.2.3 --- Interaction Rendering --- p.40
Chapter Chapter4 --- Experiments --- p.42
Chapter 4.1 --- Experiment1 --- p.42
Chapter 4.2 --- Experiment2 --- p.47
Chapter 4.3 --- Experiment3 --- p.52
Chapter Chapter5 --- Future Wok --- p.54
Chapter Chapter6 --- Conclusions --- p.56
Bibliography --- p.58

Research and development leading to the realisation of a fully autonomous and robust multi-fingered hand has been going on for three decades. Yet none can be found in an industrial application. This is largely because we do not fully understand the fundamental mechanics of multi-finger grasping.
This thesis is a study of the mechanics of multi-finger grasping, with particular attention being paid to applying the analysis to experimental co-operative motion tasks between a hand-arm system and grasped object.
Fine manipulation with multi-fingered robot hands is critically influenced by the capacity to achieve stable grasps. By exploring the fundamental mechanics involved, a method for establishing the stability of spatial four finger-contact grasps is obtained. This work examines both frictionless and frictional grasps in two and three dimensions and develops the stability requirements for grasping. The conditions for a stable grasp are expressed as simple equations relating the line coordinates of (i) transitory sliding actuator and (ii) the normal to the tangent plane at every contact location. This is achieved by using the principle of virtual work and a branch of statics known as astatics.
After specifying a grasp in terms of its contact locations and forces the object can be grasped. However, in general the configuration of the hand-arm combination will not be unique, as such a manipulator system has more than six degrees of freedom and is said to be super-abundant. The choice of appropriate shares taken by the arm and hand in delivering the manipulation task needs to be resolved. This can be done making use of a kinematic performance measure based on aligning the grip triangle with the hand line of symmetry and maximising the available manipulation range. The hand-arm combination can then be driven to this desired grasp enabling the manipulator to carry out the specified task effectively. A Salisbury hand and PUMA 760 robot arm are used to demonstrate these co-operative motion tasks.
All the experimental results are presented along with a detailed description of the implementation of a hierarchical robot controller system which incorporates force control of the PUMA 760.

Authority control is the backbone of the library catalogue and therefore a critical library activity. Experienced staff create authority records to assist users in their quest for information. The focus of this study is on authority control as a means of co-operation in academic library consortia using a union catalogue maintained by a Central Office for Authority Control. Literature studies were conducted on three sub-problems: the development of academic library consortia in South Africa, and various forms, characteristics and functions of academic library consortia in general; the characteristics, principals and objectives of authority control; and the functions of union catalogues with special reference to the role of Z39.50 within virtual union catalogues. The conclusion was that existing and new authority records should be made available as widely as possible within consortia through a union catalogue. It is however a partial solution, because not all the libraries within the consortium have the expertise to create new authority records. Two empirical studies were conducted. A cost analysis was done to determine the cost of creating and changing authority records within academic library consortia in South Africa, in order to choose a system within which authority control can be performed effectively and speedily. Secondly, a questionnaire was sent to libraries in the United States to gather information on their experiences with regard to authority control, library co-operation in general, and virtual union catalogues. The United States was the natural choice because it could be regarded as the birthplace of modern library consortia. Inferences drawn from the information received was used to develop the structure and functions for a Central Office for Authority Control in academic library consortia in South Africa. It was found that authority control within an academic library consortium using a union catalogue could be conducted most cost-effectively and timeously through such a Central Office for Authority Control. The purpose of the Central Office would be to co-ordinate authority control within the consortium. Pooling available resources within the consortium would keep the cost of authority control as low as possible. Libraries with the required infrastructure and expertise would have the opportunity to create authority records on behalf of other libraries and be compensated for their services. Through such a Central Office more authority records created according to mutually accepted standards would be available for sharing within the consortium.
Information Science
D.Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)