The switching noise in a hard-switched point-of-load (POL) converter may result in false turn on, electromagnetic interference issues, or even device breakdown. A resonant cross-commutated buck (rccBuck) converter operates with low noise since all MOSFETs are turned on with zero voltage within a wide load range. A state-space model was developed to calculate the voltage gain, voltage stresses, and current stresses. Design guidelines for the rccBuck converter operating at continuous voltage mode or discontinuous voltage mode are provided. The design methodology of a one-turn inductor with significant ac and dc fluxes is given. Four fabricated one-turn inductors achieved 2.1% higher efficiency and 50% smaller total magnetic volume than the commercial inductors in the same rccBuck converter. The Omni-coupled inductors (OCI), composed of a twisted E-E core and PCB windings, further improve power density and efficiency. The core loss and inductances were modeled from a complex reluctance network. According to the loss-volume Pareto fronts, the total inductor loss was minimized within a smaller volume than that of discrete inductors. The expectations were validated by an OCI-based rccBuck converter switched at 2 MHz with 12 V input, 3.3 V at 20 A output, and peak efficiency of 96.2%. The small-signal model with a good accuracy up to half switching frequency was developed based on the averaged equivalent circuit. The transient performance of an rccBuck regulator is comparable to that of a second-order buck regulator with the same switching frequency, output capacitance, and closed-loop bandwidth. / Ph. D. / The switching noise in a hard-switched point-of-load (POL) converter may result in false turn on, electromagnetic interference issues, or even device breakdown. A resonant cross-commutated buck (rccBuck) converter operates with low noise since all MOSFETs are turned on with zero voltage within a wide load range. A state-space model was developed to calculate the voltage gain, voltage stresses, and current stresses. Design guidelines for the rccBuck converter operating at continuous voltage mode or discontinuous voltage mode are provided. The design methodology of a one-turn inductor with significant ac and dc fluxes is given. Four fabricated one-turn inductors achieved 2.1% higher efficiency and 50% smaller total magnetic volume than the commercial inductors in the same rccBuck converter. The Omni-coupled inductors (OCI), composed of a twisted E-E core and PCB windings, further improve power density and efficiency. The core loss and inductances were modeled from a complex reluctance network. According to the loss-volume Pareto fronts, the total inductor loss was minimized within a smaller volume than that of discrete inductors. The expectations were validated by an OCI-based rccBuck converter switched at 2 MHz with 12 V input, 3.3 V at 20 A output, and peak efficiency of 96.2%. The small-signal model with a good accuracy up to half switching frequency was developed based on the averaged equivalent circuit. The transient performance of an rccBuck regulator is comparable to that of a second-order buck regulator with the same switching frequency, output capacitance, and closed-loop bandwidth.

Bipedal locomotion in humanoid robots is a very challenging problem within the field of robot locomotion. In this thesis, we propose and demonstrate an omni-directional walking engine that achieves stable walking using feedback from an inertial measurement unit. Our walking engine generates gaits for which the zero moment point is on the center of the supporting foot. The mechanical structure of CHARLI-L, a humanoid robot used as our test platform in this thesis, is first introduced by describing the inverse kinematics of its legs. The principles of the omni-directional gait generator that creates walking motions and overcomes the robot's mechanical deficiencies is discussed. We develop and implement two kinds of feedback controllers; one is the gait feedback controller and the other is the joint feedback controller. Both feedback controllers use proportional-derivative of the angle of the pelvis from an inertial measurement unit. The results of the experiments are presented the efficacy of our proposed walking engine. / Master of Science

As the mission field for autonomous vehicles expands into a larger variety of territories, the development of autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) becomes increasingly important. ASVs have the potential to travel for long periods of time in areas that cannot be reached by aerial, ground, or underwater autonomous vehicles. ASVs are useful for a variety of missions, including bathymetric mapping, communication with other autonomous vehicles, military reconnaissance and surveillance, and environmental data collecting. Critical to an ASV's ability to maneuver without human intervention is its ability to detect obstacles, including the shoreline. Prior topological knowledge of the environment is not always available or, in dynamic environments, reliable. While many existing obstacle detection systems can only detect 3D obstacles at close range via a laser or radar signal, vision systems have the potential to detect obstacles both near and far, including "flat" obstacles such as the shoreline. The challenge lies in processing the images acquired by the vision system and extracting useful information. While this thesis does not address the issue of processing the images to locate the pixel positions of the obstacles, we assume that we have these processed images available. We present an algorithm that takes these processed images and, by incorporating the kinematic model of the ASV, maps the pixel locations of the obstacles into a global coordinate system. An Extended Kalman Filter is used to localize the ASV and the surrounding obstacles. / Master of Science

Le construit du narcissisme a reçu un intérêt considérable dans le domaine de la psychologie. Les travaux empiriques et cliniques, selon une approche dimensionnelle de la personnalité, ont contribué à la compréhension et à la conceptualisation du narcissisme normal et pathologique. Deux principaux phénotypes du narcissisme pathologique sont identifiés (grandiose et vulnérable). De cette conceptualisation multidimensionnelle découle certains instruments de mesure dont l’O’Brien Multiphasic Narcissism Inventoy (OMNI). Ce mémoire doctoral vise à procéder à la validation francophone de l’OMNI auprès d’un échantillon de 201 étudiants francophones. Ces derniers ont complété plusieurs instruments qui mesuraient le narcissisme et l’estime de soi. Les résultats obtenus ne permettent pas de répliquer le modèle à trois facteurs de la version originale, ni de proposer une autre structure factorielle satisfaisante. Les indices de fidélité et la fidélité test-retest sont assez faibles sauf pour l’échelle totale. Plusieurs éléments de réflexion sont proposés et discutés.

With the rise of the Internet and the emergence of online shopping, traditional retailing has transformed substantially. Retailers have developed multichannel strategies and, in particular, have integrated their offline channels with online channels. Such an integration of offline and online channels is associated with the concept of cross-channel integration. This cumulative dissertation aims to investigate cross-channel integration holistically from a demand point of view and a supply point of view. It consists of four independent studies embedded in an overarching introduction and conclusion part. The first study provides the conceptual base by conducting a systematic literature review. It identifies, analyzes, structures, and extracts 169 publications in the research field of cross-channel integration and concludes by suggesting two dominant paths for future research. These two research directions are addressed in three subsequent empirical studies. One empirical study focuses on the consumer perspective by investigating channel switching behavior. It finds that customers have a fundamental need for certainty within and after the buying process when it comes to channel switching. The remaining two studies are related to the supply side of cross-channel integration and investigate effects of strategies, retailers can deploy when integrating channels. One study assesses the profitability of a channel addition. It establishes that adding an offline store to online channels increases profits absolutely, but reduces the profit margin in the short run. The other study related to the supply side conceptualizes cross-channel technologies along the customer’s purchase process and experimentally assesses one of these technologies. Finally, based on the insights of the four independent studies, the dissertation concludes by summarizing the contribution and by deriving overarching implications for researchers and practitioners, the latter are equipped with a checklist for cross-channel integration.

There is a significant transformation taking place in today’s retail landscape with the increasing adoption of digital technologies in society. Customers are finding new purchasing habits and retailers are exploring different channels to serve customers in. Observations indicate that the industry is heading towards an omni-channel landscape where retailers aim to provide customers with a unified shopping experience across channels and touchpoints as e-commerce rapidly penetrates the market. Currently, all growth for durable goods is attributable to online sales in Sweden, yet Swedish online grocery retailing has been lagging and still only constitute 2 percent of the total market share. A qualitative study was conducted to map out the challenges and levers for Swedish grocery retailers in distribution . Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 18 store managers from the three largest grocery store chains in Sweden. The study elicits a framework for firm controlled factors which define customer experience: price, promotion, merchandise, supply chain and location. / Det sker en betydande omvandling i dagens detaljhandelslandskap. Konsumenter hittar nya köpvanor och återförsäljare undersöker olika kanaler för att betjäna kunder i. Iakttagelser indikerar att branschen är på väg mot ett omni-kanal landskap där återförsäljare söker att ge kunderna en enhetlig shoppingupplevelse genom alla försäljningskanaler. Idag är all tillväxt för sällanköpsvaror hänförlig till onlineförsäljning i Sverige, men den svenska dagligvaruhandeln på nätet har legat efter och utgör fortfarande bara 2 procent av den totala marknadsandelen. En kvalitativ studie genomfördes för att kartlägga utmaningar och möjligheter i distribution för svenska dagligvaruhandlare. Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med 18 butikschefer från de tre största livsmedelskedjorna i Sverige. Studien använder ett ramverk som kapslar in faktorer som kan kontrolleras av företaget och som tillsammans formar kundupplevelsen: pris, kampanjer, sortiment, logistikkedja och plats.

零售業的發展一直受到數位科技進步的影響，而有不同變化。起先因為網際網路的出現，使得部分店家得以藉由電子商務在網路上販售商品；實體店也開始藉由電子商務，提供消費者新的服務與體驗，於是虛實整合模式開始興起。近年來，除了網路普及外，智慧型手機使用率提升也帶動了新的零售模式—全通路零售。為了使消費者在不同通路之間，能夠有更好的消費體驗，零售業者開始以消費者為中心，企圖在任何消費者經常使用的媒體上，佈建通路。 現在比較成功的網路美妝零售業者，早期大多都是以平行輸入商品並且在拍賣網站販售起家。在2006年代前後美妝保養網路購物商店因競爭過於激烈，許多經營不善的店家紛紛退出網路市場，留在市場上的業者開始由虛擬世界跨足實體市場，開設實體店鋪。 本研究以虛實整合與全通路策略兩議題為主，探討網路起家的美妝通路—小三美日之經營作法。小三美日2006年成立於拍賣網站，2009年轉型為以採購小品牌但具流行性的獨特商品為主，2012年開設實體店鋪正式進入虛實整合模式，對於未來的規劃則希望持續邁向全通路零售的模式。 為了進入虛實整合模式，小三美日導入ERP系統，在開設實體店後可與虛擬商店更緊密的聯結在一起，同時也運用數據分析降低庫存積壓，也積極經營與消費者的關係，建立其對於品牌的信任與忠誠。而這些作法，不管是在市場面、成本面或是品牌行銷面，都獲得了正向的結果。針對全通路策略，本研究藉由學者的模型判斷，小三美日已初步符合產業觀點與消費者觀點中的全通路零售，而在其作法上，將統整出現階段已能符合全通路策略需求的項目與未來待改進的方向。 / The development of retailing industry has been influenced by the technology. As Internet came out, some of the retailer can start selling goods online, and so do the physic stores. The physic stores use digital ways, such as e-commerce, to provide their customer new services and shopping experiences. Nowadays, the extension of the use of smartphones force retailer to be more and more consumer oriented, they try to let consumers shop at any channel become possible, which called Omni-channel retailing. Around 2006, a lot of online Beauty Care retailers left the market because of fierce competition. Some players, who started their business on auction website and sold parallel import goods, stayed in the market and implemented Online-to-offline (or clicks-and-mortar) strategy. They built physic stores. This thesis will be aimed at clicks-and-mortar model and Omni-channel strategy, and choose “S3 (小三美日)” as the research target. “S3” was established on auction website in 2006, started clicks-and-mortar model since 2012, and plan to become Omni-channel retailer in the nearly future. To implement clicks-and-mortar model, S3 implement ERP system, analyze data and manage the relationships with customers, etc. All these practices have positive results in three aspect, market size, cost benefits and brand image. S3, who plans to become an Omni-channel retailer, has made a lot of efforts to implement Omni-channel strategy. Therefore, this thesis will examine the practices according to Omni-channel strategy model and give advices for improvement.

Den fysiska handelsplatsen har länge varit kärnan inom handeln men utmanas nu av den växande e-handeln. Statistik från HUI Research och Svensk Handel visar att e-handeln i Sverige har haft en stark tillväxt de senaste åren som beräknas fortsätta öka. Men vad innebär egentligen den ökande e-handeln för fysiska handelsplatser? Genom media får vi bilden av att konsekvenserna av en ökad e-handel resulterar i en butiksdöd. En mängd forskare menar att konsekvenserna snarare är en ökad integrering av e-handel och fysisk handel. Vi genomförde tidigt en förstudie som visade att det finns en avsaknad av ett empiriskt synsätt i diskussionen kring vad den ökande e-handeln innebär för fysiska handelsplatser. Syftet med studien blev således att komplettera nuvarande forskning genom en kvalitativ studie som applicerar ett empiriskt synsätt och undersöker vad den ökande e-handeln innebär för fysiska handelsplatser. Det gjorde vi genom att intervjua fastighetsägare och handelsaktörer inom detaljhandeln. Studiens resultat visar att det finns skäl till att tro att de fysiska handelsplatserna kommer påverkas ju mer e-handeln växer. Den digitala- och fysiska handeln kommer att integreras ännu mer och fastighetsägares strategier förändras för att se till att deras handelsplatser förblir attraktiva när e-handeln ökar. / Since way back the physical retail location has been the core of retail, however it is now challenged by the emerging e-commerce. Statistics from HUI Research and the Swedish Trade Federation show that e-commerce in Sweden has experienced strong growth in recent years and is expected to rapidly increase and transform the physical retail landscape. But what does the growing e-commerce really mean for the physical stores? From what media cover in the news we get the impression that the consequences of increased e-commerce result in a death of physical retail stores. A number of researchers argue that the consequences are instead rather an increased integration of e-commerce and commerce in physical stores. From the pre-study we conducted there was an indication that the discussion of what the increasing e-commerce entails for the physical stores lacks an approach consisting of an empirical perspective. The purpose of the study was thus to supplement current research through a qualitative study that applies an empirical approach and investigates what the increasing e-commerce entails for the physical stores. We did this by interviewing real estate property owners and retail players within the retail sector. The result of the study shows that there is reason to believe that the physical stores will be affected the more the e-commerce grows. Digital and physical commerce will be integrated even more, and property owners' strategies change to ensure that their real estate remain attractive when e-commerce grows rapidly and the market transforms.

The offshore oilfield industry is continuously developing unique and break-through technologies and systems to extract hydrocarbons from ever increasing ocean depths. Due to the extreme depths being explored presently, large anchors are being utilized to secure temporary and permanent facilities over their respective drilling/production site. A vertically loaded, torpedo-style, deepwater mooring anchor developed by Delmar Systems, Inc. is one of these anchors. The OMNI-Max anchor is an efficient, cost-effective alternative for use as a mooring system anchor intended for floating facilities. The OMNI-Max is designed to free-fall towards the ocean bottom and uses its kinetic energy for self-embedment into the soil, providing a mooring system anchor point. Values such as drag coefficient and terminal velocity are vital in predicting embedment depth to obtain the mooring capacity required by the floating facility. Two scaled models of the Mark I OMNI-Max anchor were subjected to a series of tests in the Haynes Coastal Engineering Laboratory at Texas A & M University to evaluate the overall drag coefficient and penetration depth. The 1/24 scale model was tested by measuring the amount of penetration into an artificial mud mixture. The 1/15 scale model was attached to a tow carriage and towed through a water-filled tank to measure the drag forces and evaluate the drag coefficient. The anchor terminal velocity was measured using underwater cameras to track the free fall of the model anchor through 15 ft of water inside the tow tank. The 1/24 scale model penetrated the mud an average of 22 inches from the leading tip of the anchor to the mud surface, approximately 1.5 anchor lengths. The penetration depth increased as impact velocity increased, while the penetration depth decreased as the fins were retracted. The 1/15 scale anchor was towed at 6 different velocities producing a varied total drag coefficient between 0.70 and 1.12 for Reynolds number flows between 3.08E 05 and 1.17E 06. The drag coefficient increased as the fins were retracted and when the mooring rope was attached. The 1/15 scale anchor was allowed to free-fall in the tow tank and obtained an average terminal velocity of and 14.6 feet per second. The drag coefficients ranged from 0.46 to 0.83, which increased as the fins were retracted. When using the results to estimate prototype sized anchor drag coefficient, the average value was estimated to be 0.75.

The Roobots are a robot soccer team which participated in the RoboCup small-sized robot league competition in the years 2000, 2001 and 2002, when they finished in fourth place. This thesis describes the design of the robots in the 2002 team. Design issues for mobile robots in the RoboCup small-sized robot league are reviewed. The design decisions are presented. Finally, some lessons learnt for system design and project management from the three years of competition are presented.