Dans cette thèse, nous nous intéressons à la conception et à la visualisation de cartes géographiques personnalisées en passant par des étapes d'évaluation et d'amélioration automatiques de ces cartes.Dans la plupart des outils cartographiques récents (comme le GeoPortail ou Google Maps) il est possible pour l'utilisateur de construire lui-même une carte adaptée à ses besoins à partir des couches de données pouvant provenir de sources hétérogènes. Cependant, la manipulation et l'édition de cartes par des utilisateurs non-experts peuvent engendrer des erreurs de représentation qui entravent la compréhension de cette carte par ses lecteurs.Notre recherche concerne donc l'amélioration de la représentation de cartes créées par des utilisateurs non-experts. Etant donné que la lisibilité d'une carte passe par la visibilité des objets qui la composent, dans ce travail nous proposons un modèle qui évalue la visibilité de ces objets cartographiques en se fondant sur un système de cinq indicateurs de visibilité dont les valeurs varient entre 0 et 1. Ce modèle prévoit ensuite quatre méthodes de modification de la symbolisation des objets cartographiques, qui seront utilisées afin d'améliorer leur visibilité. Entre l'étape d'évaluation et celle de l'amélioration de la visibilité de ces objets, une phase d'analyse est mise en place dans le but de décider si une amélioration de la symbolisation des objets cartographiques est nécessaire, et si oui, choisir lesquelles parmi ces modifications pourront être réalisées.Ce modèle prendra comme entrée une carte géographique sous la forme (1) d'un ensemble de couches composées chacune d'objets cartographiques, (2) et de la légende utilisée pour la symbolisation de ces objets cartographiques. Il donnera en sortie (1) un ensemble de fichiers xml qui contiennent les valeurs calculés des indicateurs de visibilité, (2) une carte finale avec une nouvelle symbolisation qui améliore la valeur des indicateurs de visibilité. Ce processus offre alors aux lecteurs une carte plus lisible.Ce travail est ensuite conclu par deux tests qui valident (1) les hypothèses de base, (2) la correspondance effective entre les valeurs des indicateurs et le ressenti réel des lecteurs de cartes, et qui tentent (3) de dégager des seuils de visibilité qui seront utilisés dans le but de corriger et affiner ultérieurement les algorithmes écrits lors de cette thèse / In this thesis, we focus on the design and visualization of custom geographic maps by executing different stages of automatic evaluation and improvement of these maps.In the most recent mapping tools (such as Google Maps or GeoPortail) it is possible for the user to build himself a map that suits his needs using different layers of data which can come from several sources. However, the manipulation and edition of maps by non-experts can cause errors in the representation that affects the understanding of this map by its readers.That's why our research focus on improving the representation of maps created by non-expert users. Since the readability of a map depends on the visibility of objects that compose this map, in this work we propose a model which assesses the visibility of cartographic objects based on a system of five indicators of visibility (values between 0 and 1). This model then provides four methods for modifying the objects symbolization of this map, which will be used to improve their visibility. Between the evaluation and the improvement of the visibility of these objects, an analysis step is performed in order to decide whether an improvement in the symbolization is required, and if so, which of these four methods should be executed.This model takes as input a map in the form of (1) a set of layers each consisting of cartographic objects, (2) and the legend used to represent these cartographic objects. It will generate as an output (1) a set of XML files that contain the values calculated by the indicators of visibility, (2) a final map with a new representation that improve the value of these indicators of visibility. This process then provides readers with a more readable map.This work is then concluded by two tests that validate (1) our basic assumptions, (2) the actual correspondence between the indicator values and the real feel of the map readers, and finally trying (3) to determine visibility thresholds that can be used later in order to correct and refine the algorithms that are proposed in this thesis

With the fourth industrial revolution, new technologies and business opportunities arise, enabling previously unknown performance improvement possibilities within the manufacturing industry and its supply chains. The main actor within Industry 4.0; Internet of things (IoT) promises benefits across the entire logistics value chain by increasing supply chain connectivity and visibility. However, IoT is still in its initial stages in the manufacturing industry and respective supply chain environment, leaving uncertainty about possible application areas and impacts. The purpose of this study is therefore to investigate the role IoT-technologies have in enabling supply chain visibility and connectivity, and the impact on supply chain performance. To answer the proposed research questions, the study followed an abductive, cross-sectional research design. Empirical, qualitative data was collected through a combination of document studies and interviews with an automotive Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and several third-party visibility vendors. The analysis of the collected data resulted in an outline describing ten information fields representing the information demands within a connected end-to-end supply chain, how IoT-technologies can be used to satisfy these demands and the general impact of increased visibility on the supply chain performance. To further ease the implementation decisions of IoT solutions for manufacturing OEM’s, additional research regarding the implementation process of an IoT system is needed.

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This master‘s thesis deals with possibility of a spotting differently dressed pedestrian by motorcycle rider at night based on realized experiment with different types of motorycycles and its coparison with already measured values from personal motor vehicles

This diploma thesis deals with vehicle driver’s recognition of pedestrian in different driving and light conditions. The introductory part will be devoted to basic theoretical knowledge. The attention is focused on safety measures to prevent accidents between pedestrians and vehicles. The main part will be devoted to the pedestrian´s visibility from the driver´s point of view during reduced visibility on roads in darkness. The practical part of this work summarizes the results of the experiment using the selected vehicle and chosen participants. During this experiment, the distance necessary for detection, recognition and identification of the pedestrian will be measured, to stop the vehicle safety in time or to avoid an obstacle on the road.

This qualitative study investigates the incorporation of female empowerment discourses in Swedish lifestyle influencer Bianca Ingrosso’s YouTube vlogs. The aim of the study is to gain a better understanding of what it means to be a feminist in the current Swedish media moment, where the influencer industry is a commonly found subject for debates concerning the tensions between feminism and postfeminism. By critically analyzing the postfeminist expressions of female empowerment in influencers’ social media presence, the study problematizes the neoliberal feminism embraced by influencers like Ingrosso, whose feminist alignment mainly appears in promotional content for beauty and fashion products. A critical discourse analysis is performed, utilizing Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional model, in order to examine the ways in which Ingrosso utilizes and reinforces postfeminist discourses in her role as influencer. The study is performed through a feminist perspective, supported by feminist and postfeminist literature, using feminist media theory and field theory complemented by theory on gender and erotic capitals to examine the material. The analysis show that Ingrosso, through the social and financial capital that she holds as an influencer in a feminized space, is empowered. The postfeminist discourse allows her to maintain an influential position, as her physical attributes and encouragement of hegemonic femininity through consumption align with the neoliberal gender norms and expectations that structure the advertisement field in which influencers function. However, as it is the capitalist structures that allow influencer like Ingrosso to commodify their social media presence, the female empowerment that she promotes is in no way contributing to the efforts of the feminist movement.

Cette thèse aborde la problématique du calcul d’ombre exact par pixel en temps réel. Ce mémoire propose une nouvelle méthode de rendu d’ombre dure avec une partition de volumes d’ombre : un arbre ternaire basés sur les plans d’ombre des volumes d’ombre de la scène est construit dans un premier temps, avant de l’interroger pour déterminer l’ombrage des pixels de l’image. Une des propriétés intéressantes de cette structure est la prédictibilité de son empreinte mémoire ; contrairement aux méthodes de calcul d’ombre, cette méthode supporte des scènes géométriquement complexes de l’ordre du million de triangles grâce au comportement logarithmique du parcours de la structure vis à vis de la complexité géométrique. / This thesis focuses on exact per pixel hard shadow computation. We propose a new method for rendering hard shadows using a partition of shadow volumes : first, a ternary tree based on the shadow planes of the shadow volumes, and then, it is traversed to determine the shading of each pixel in the image. An interesting property of this structure is the predictability of its memory footprint ; Unlike other geometric shadow methods, our approach supports complex scenes up to a million triangles thanks to the logarithmic behavior of the structure traversal with respect to the geometric complexity.

Tall buildings have been constructed in many cities over the world to accommodate the demographic and economic growth in urban areas. These structures, however, have been widely discussed concerning their potential negative impacts on urban life. By drawing on concepts of urban morphology and the city image, this thesis aims to examine the impact of tall buildings on predominantly low-rise built urban environments and cities. Through a quantitative case study approach applying geographic information systems this thesis attempts to identify (1) the shadow impacts significantly taller buildings have on surrounding areas, (2) the visual impact and the potential for a proposed tall building to act as a new landmark, and (3) the impact tall buildings have on the skyline of a city dominated by low-rise buildings and a historic city centre. The thesis analysed two proposed buildings in Västerås, Sweden and found that the shadow impact of the analysed structures is concentrated on the winter months. The visibility of the buildings concentrates on open spaces and certain visible corridors but is not widely spread over the city. Therefore, the possibilities of the new structures becoming a new landmark of the city are questionable. Furthermore, the proposed planned structures would be visible in the skyline but would not obstruct the views to the other landmarks of the city. The thesis and its results contribute to the discourse around tall buildings and the research on the city image by showing the importance of the analysis of the potential impact of tall buildings in urban planning processes.

Background: Working from home (WFH) has become a new tendency thanks to the improvement of technological communications that enable new flexible ways of working. Before 2020 and the Covid19 pandemic, some companies had already started implementing this approach. However, the pandemic drove a widespread implementation of remote work, leading to the appearance of new problems previously not considered by most companies and individuals. Among these problems is the effect of WFH on the employee’s career perspective as well as the lower visibility in the workplace which could have an impact in future promotions. Objectives: The main research phenomenon to be studied is the impact of WFH on career prospects for engineers and in particular the paradox between visibility at work and the career progress of the employees. Methodology: The contribution of this thesis is a fourfold. First, it analyses the effect of visibility when WFH on engineers’ career perspectives. Second, it proposes a framework that relates WFH, visibility and career. Thirdly, it contributes to the existing literature on WFH, visibility and career. Lastly, it uses the innovative method of questerview, involving twelve engineers working on R&D department of an aeronautical company, to finally develop a thematic analysis and generate a new framework to be discussed with the first, according to the grounded theory method. Results: The results showed that WFH has an impact on career progression with a decrease invisibility, affecting it through personal relationships. WFH also affects other factors (such as networking and soft-skills) and these have a connection with visibility that, all together, will have a high impact in the career promotion rate. Other findings include the necessity to work on visibility by prioritizing the meetings with the right people in order to become more allegeable for promotion. Visibility affects the trust between manager and employee, due to the fact that the latter becomes much more dependable on deliverables when comparing to working in the office. WFH doesn’t affect visibility for career promotion if credibility with managers has been achieved, this being connected with job quality. Conclusions: WFH and visibility have both a high impact on the engineer’s career progression. The first reduces direct contact with peers and superiors, which in turn decreases visibility. Visibility has been found to be an essential tool for promotion. Its effect on career promotion works as the enabler to promotion, making superiors notice your work and keeping the employee in their minds to consider when a promotion is proposed. Visibility has not solely an impact on career promotion, but it has a connection between networking and soft-skills, and these three factors are directly related to one another when considering the influence on career promotion. Recommendations for future research: The relationships between factors in the literature review framework need to be studied further, in line with the cross connections found in the new framework. Also, during the elaboration of the thematic maps, it was also found that WFH has an impact on daily work (affecting autonomy, networking, and productivity) and additional research would enrich the final framework. Lastly, it was found during the questerview analysis that other factors not considered in the present study are also relevant for career promotion such as age, education level and experience. Future research could focus on studying the impact these factors have on career promotion.

The aim of this thesis is to demonstrate how a subsidiary of a multi-national corporation (MNC) achieved a social licence, in a Sub-Saharan host country undergoing agrarian transformation. Several foreign companies lost their land to communities in the wake of land conflicts between the legal owners and surrounding communities. However, this is a case of one of a few big landowners that have survived and continued to operate, without suffering substantial vandalism from communities. The study argues this to be an instrumental case of achieving and maintaining a social licence in a context characterised by heighted resource nationalism sentiments. Extant literature acknowledges that communities’ expectations are rising, rendering a legal licence insufficient. Emphasis is on the need for firms reliant on finite natural resources, such as land, to seek a social licence from communities. Yet, the processes through which such a licence could be achieved and maintained are little understood. The social licence is conceptually and theoretically underdeveloped. Anchoring on legitimacy theory, this study looks across two literatures on social licence and corporate community engagement. It empirically demonstrates how and under what conditions corporate community engagement processes deliver phases of a social licence. An embedded case study is utilised to capture processes from the perspective of both the firm and the community. The study advances theory of social licence by exploring the processes of an instrumental firm in an understudied but critical agriculture industry. The study identified transactional, transitional and transformational engagement processes, as essential in building legitimacy and trust which are the basis of dynamic phases of social licence. The researcher proposes three new constructs: context specific community expectations, engagement legitimacy, and corporate community visibility, to advance scholarship on social licencing processes. The study distinguishes firm legitimacy from engagement legitimacy. This paves way for future studies to further develop these concepts in social licence process research. Managers in agriculture and other extractive firms will use the theory built from this study to understand how they can achieve social licence at various levels, thereby mitigating the high social risk associated with losing a social licence. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / DPhil / Unrestricted