At first glance, robots and proteins have little in common. Robots are commonly thought of as tools that perform tasks such as vacuuming the floor, while proteins play essential roles in many biochemical processes. However, the functionality of both robots and proteins is highly dependent on their motions. In order to study motions in these two divergent domains, the same underlying algorithmic framework can be applied. This method is derived from probabilistic roadmap methods (PRMs) originally developed for robotic motion planning. It builds a graph, or roadmap, where configurations are represented as vertices and transitions between configurations are edges. The contribution of this work is a set of intelligent methods applied to PRMs. These methods facilitate both the modeling and analysis of motions, and have enabled the study of complex and high-dimensional problems in both robotic and molecular domains. In order to efficiently study biologically relevant molecular folding behaviors we have developed new techniques based on Monte Carlo solution, master equation calculation, and non-linear dimensionality reduction to run simulations and analysis on the roadmap. The first method, Map-based master equation calculation (MME), extracts global properties of the folding landscape such as global folding rates. On the other hand, another method, Map-based Monte Carlo solution (MMC), can be used to extract microscopic features of the folding process. Also, the application of dimensionality reduction returns a lower-dimensional representation that still retains the principal features while facilitating both modeling and analysis of motion landscapes. A key contribution of our methods is the flexibility to study larger and more complex structures, e.g., 372 residue Alpha-1 antitrypsin and 200 nucleotide ColE1 RNAII. We also applied intelligent roadmap-based techniques to the area of robotic motion. These methods take advantage of unsupervised learning methods at all stages of the planning process and produces solutions in complex spaces with little cost and less manual intervention compared to other adaptive methods. Our results show that our methods have low overhead and that they out-perform two existing adaptive methods in all complex cases studied.

As technology use increases in the world and inundates everyday life, the visual aspect of technology or computer graphics becomes increasingly important. This thesis presents a system for the automatic generation of virtual camera paths for fly-throughs of a digital scene. The sample scene used in this work is an underwater setting featuring a shipwreck model with other virtual underwater elements such as rocks, bubbles and caustics. The digital shipwreck model was reconstructed from an actual World War II shipwreck, resting off the coast of Malta. Video and sonar scans from an autonomous underwater vehicle were used in a photogrammetry pipeline to create the model. This thesis presents an algorithm to automatically generate virtual camera paths using a robotics motion planning algorithm, specifically the probabilistic roadmap. This algorithm uses a rapidly-exploring random tree to quickly cover a space and generate small maps with good coverage. For this work, the camera pitch and height along a specified path were automatically generated using cinematographic and geometric principles. These principles were used to evaluate potential viewpoints and influence whether or not a view is used in the final path. A computational evaluation of ‘the rule of thirds’ and evaluation of the model normals relative to the camera viewpoint are used to represent cinematography and geometry principles. In addition to the system that automatically generates virtual camera paths, a user study is presented which evaluates ten different videos produced via camera paths with this system. The videos were created using different viewpoint evaluation methods and different path generation characteristics. The user study indicates that users prefer paths generated by our system over flat and randomly generated paths. Specifically, users prefer paths generated using the computational evaluation of the rule of thirds and paths that show the wreck from a large variety of angles but without too much camera undulation.

En una coyuntura de constante cambio mundial, junto con un ambiente económico y político complejo para el Perú, el panorama para el sector de seguros vehiculares local se ve impactado desde 2017 con un decrecimiento del 5% según la SBS. Momentos complicados y cambiantes como los actuales, obligan a las compañias de seguros a replantear sus estrategias de corto y largo plazo. El presente trabajo de investigación tomó como base la metodología Lean Service, información de casos de éxito y tecnologías de la industria de seguros global, con el objetivo de analizar y optimizar los procesos de la unidad de seguros vehiculares de una compañía de seguros. Las estrategias de mejora de procesos no sólo se enfocan a nivel operativo, sino estratégico con el fin de que la compañía obtenga un valor diferenciador sostenible en el mercado, puede adoptar un enfoque customer centricity y sea más eficiente, para así lograr la mayor rentabilidad posible. La propuesta de implementación ha sido trabajada bajo la metodología Roadmaping, con el fin de obtener una secuencia lógica para el desarrollo de las iniciativas planteadas. Finalmente, cada mejora ha sido valorizada y se realizaron proyecciones de impacto en los principales indicadores de la unidad de seguros vehiculares de la compañía. / At a time of constant global change, along with a complex economic and political environment in Peru, the outlook for the local vehicle insurance sector has been impacted since 2017 with a 5% decrease according to the SBS. Complicated and unstable periods like the current ones, force insurance companies to rethink their short- and long-term strategies. This research paper was based on the Lean Service methodology, information on successful implementations and technologies of the global insurance industry, with the aim of analyzing and optimizing the processes of the vehicle insurance unit of an insurance company. Process improvement strategies are not only focused at an operational level, but also at a strategic one, so that the company obtains a sustainable differentiating value in the market, adopt a customer centricity approach and be more efficient, in order to achieve the highest possible profitability. The implementation proposal has been worked based on the Roadmapping methodology, in order to obtain a logical sequence for the development of the proposed initiatives. Finally, each improvement has been valued and impact projections were made on the main indicators of the company's vehicle insurance unit. / Trabajo de investigación

O setor de software é muito dinâmico e competitivo, o que obriga as empresas a constantemente se transformar, seja pela incorporação de novas tecnologias, pela implementação de inovações em produtos e serviços, ou pela exploração de novos modelos de negócio. Neste cenário, empresas de software, para se manterem competitivas, precisam desenvolver rotinas de inteligência tecnológica (IT) que permitam coletar, analisar e tomar decisões sobre oportunidades e ameaças tecnológicas. Empresas de diversos setores têm adotado uma técnica de IT denominada roadmap tecnológico, que sucintamente representa uma visão de futuro que identifica a rota tecnológica, ou seja, as tecnologias a serem adotadas no futuro, associadas aos produtos a serem desenvolvidos e aos mercados a serem explorados. Neste contexto, esta tese procurou responder à questão \"Como empresas brasileiras de software realizam atividades de elaboração de roadmap tecnológico?\". Com base na literatura sobre roadmaps foi possível elaborar um modelo conceitual com as principais características identificadas em termos de objetivos, fontes de informação, barreiras, processo/conteúdo e benefícios dos roadmaps. Foi adotada a metodologia de estudos de casos múltiplos, com amostragem intencional, sendo selecionadas duas empresas de pequeno, duas de médio e duas de grande porte. O modelo conceitual elaborado para esta tese se mostrou muito útil, pois permitiu descrever os casos analisando sempre as mesmas dimensões, facilitando a comparação. Foi possível verificar, por exemplo, as características da atividade de elaboração de roadmaps importantes para todas as empresas estudadas, bem como aquelas importantes apenas para empresas de grande porte. Os casos evidenciam que há duas importantes influências do porte da empresa sobre a atividade de elaboração de roadmaps. Primeiro, a complexidade das interações internas e externas durante todo o processo é maior nas grandes empresas. Segundo, a organização do processo também é mais elaborada nas grandes empresas. Adicionalmente, este estudo permitiu identificar particularidades do setor de software com relação à elaboração de roadmaps: a) Foco no curto prazo - as empresas pesquisadas possuem foco no curto prazo, em geral trabalhando nas decisões tecnológicas e de funcionalidades para a próxima versão de seus produtos; e, b) Gestão de códigos do software - a estratégia da empresa sobre códigos ativos (ou seja, vigentes em clientes) a serem mantidos está relacionada ao roadmap e pode limitar o potencial de crescimento da firma. Visando cobrir um hiato existente entre a prática das empresas estudadas (foco em curto prazo) e a literatura (foco em longo prazo), é apresentada nesta tese uma proposta de metodologia para elaboração de roadmap tecnológico de longo prazo para empresas de software. Este estudo traz contribuições práticas e teóricas. Empresas de software, e eventualmente de setores correlatos, podem se beneficiar deste estudo por permitir comparar sua atividade de elaboração de roadmaps com a das empresas estudadas, bem como identificar pontos para aprimoramento à medida que planeja crescer. Do ponto de vista acadêmico, este estudo oferece diversas contribuições. Primeiramente, o modelo conceitual adotado nesta tese pode ser utilizado em outros estudos sobre roadmaps, inclusive em outros setores. Os estudos de caso evidenciam como a atividade de elaboração de roadmaps se diferencia em empresas de diferentes portes. Por fim, foram identificadas particularidades das empresas de software na atividade de elaboração de roadmaps. / The software industry is highly dynamic and competitive. Companies competing in this industry must continuously transform themselves, through the incorporation of new technologies, innovation in products and services, or the exploration of new business models. Given this scenario, in order to remain competitive, software companies should develop technological intelligence (TI) routines to enable them to collect, analyse and make decisions regarding technological opportunities and threats. Companies from different industries are adopting a TI technique named technological roadmapping, which succinctly presents a future vision that identifies a technological path, that is, the technologies to be adopted in the future, together with the products to be developed and markets to be explored. Against this backdrop, this thesis addresses the question of \"How do Brazilian software companies carry out technological roadmapping activities?\" Based on the literature on roadmaps it has been possible to develop a conceptual model with the main characteristics in terms of objectives, sources of information, barriers, components and benefits of roadmaps. A multiple case studies methodology was adopted, with an intentional sample. Two small, two medium and two large companies were selected. The conceptual model developed for this thesis proved effective, as it enabled the description of the cases while always analysing the same dimensions, which facilitated the comparison. It was possible to verify, for example, the characteristics of the roadmapping activity important for all the companies studied, as well as those important only for large companies. The cases show that there are two important influences on roadmapping activities stemming from the size of the firm. First, the complexity of internal and external interactions throughout the process is greater for large companies. Second, the organization of the process is also more developed in large companies. Furthermore, this study identified some characteristics unique to the software industry with regards to the development of roadmaps: a) Focus on the short term - the companies surveyed have focused on the short-term, typically working with technology decisions and features for the next version of products; and, b) Management of software codes - the company\'s strategy for active codes (i.e. currently used with clients) to be maintained is related to the roadmap and may limit the potential growth of the firm. With a view to bridging a gap that exists between the practice of the companies studied (focus on short-term) and literature on the subject (focus on long-term), a proposed methodology for developing a long-term technological roadmap for software companies is presented in this thesis. This study presents theoretical and practical contributions. Software companies, and possibly related industries, can benefit from this study by comparing their roadmapping activities to those from the companies studied, and identifying points for improvement as they plan to grow. From an academic perspective, this study offers several contributions. First, the conceptual model adopted in this thesis can be used in other roadmap studies, including in other sectors. The case studies show how the roadmapping activities differ in firms of different sizes. Finally, characteristics specifically related to software companies in the roadmapping activity have been identified.

O crescimento populacional e a forma como os recursos vem sendo explorados estão afetando diretamente o meio ambiente. O mercado de fibras naturais, por exemplo, movimenta milhões de dólares anualmente e uma considerável parte dessas fibras se transforma em rejeito. Essa grande quantidade de resíduo disponível motiva o estudo de compósitos reforçados com fibra natural, sendo esse reaproveitamento interessante tanto para a manutenção da sustentabilidade ambiental quanto para o desenvolvimento técnico e comercial de novos materiais com boas propriedades e custo reduzido. Neste trabalho, um resíduo industrial da empresa Tapetes São Carlos constituído principalmente de fibras de juta e polipropileno foi reaproveitado através da fabricação de material compósito, utilizando como matriz polipropileno homopolímero (PP), compatibilizante e nanocarbonato de cálcio (NCC). Os componentes foram misturados em extrusora duplarosca co-rotacional e os corpos de prova foram moldados por injeção. Para a melhora da dispersão do NCC na matriz um masterbatch foi previamente processado. Os compósitos foram inicialmente caracterizados por ensaios de tração e dureza e ensaio de ângulo de contato para avaliação da permeabilidade da superfície. Realizou-se ensaio de degradação acelerada e posterior reavaliação das propriedades em tração e permeabilidade dos compósitos degradados térmica e fotooxidativamente. Para a avaliação das possíveis degradações mecânica e térmica das fibras foi realizada inicialmente dissolução seletiva e posteriormente microscopia óptica e espectroscopia de infavermelho (FTIR) das fibras isoladas. A avaliação morfológica foi realizada por microscopia eletro nica de varredura (MEV). Com o processamento obtiveram-se compósitos com 50% em massa de resíduo, boa mistura dispersiva do NCC e não houve degradação térmica ou mecânica das fibras. Os compósitos apresentaram melhores propriedades mecânicas se comparados ao PP puro. O NCC atuou como reforço mecânico e no aumento da impermeabilidade. A fim de estudar a aplicabilidade comercial dos compósitos foi utilizado o método de Technology Roadmap (TRM). Esse estudo revelou o excelente potencial de aplicação comercial do material em diversos mercados, devido as suas propriedades e flexibilidade de processamento. / Population growth and the way resources are being exploited are directly affecting the environment. The natural fiber market, for example, is worth million dollars and a huge amount of the fibers becomes waste. This considerable amount of waste motivates the study of the fibers as a reinforcement in polymeric matrix, which benefits both the environmental sustainability and technical-commercial development of new materials with good properties and reduced cost. In this work, an industrial waste from the carpet manufacturer Tapetes São Carlos, consisting mainly of jute and polypropylene fibers, was recycled through the manufacture of a composite material using polypropylene homopolymer (PP), a compatibilizer and calcium nanocarbonate (NCC). The components were mixed in a co-rotational double-screw extruder and the specimens were produced by injection moulding. A masterbatch was previously processed to improve the NCC dispersion in the matrix. The composites were initially tested by tensile and hardness tests and by contact angle test to evaluate surface permeability. The specimens were exposed to accelerated weathering for revaluation of tensile and permeability properties of the thermaly and photooxidatively degraded specimens. A selective dissolution followed by optical microscopy and infra-red spectroscopy of the isolated fibers were performed for measuring the potential mechanical and thermal degradation of the fibers. The morphological evaluation was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The processing techniques resulted in composites with 50% (w/w) of waste and good dispertion of the NCC, and no thermal or mechanical degradation of the fibers was observed. The composites showed better mechanical properties than pure PP. The NCC acted as mechanical reinforcement and increased impermeability. A Technology Roadmap (TRM) method was used to study the commercial applicability of the composites. This study revealed an excellent potential of commercial application of the material in several markets due to its properties and processing flexibility.

O setor de software é muito dinâmico e competitivo, o que obriga as empresas a constantemente se transformar, seja pela incorporação de novas tecnologias, pela implementação de inovações em produtos e serviços, ou pela exploração de novos modelos de negócio. Neste cenário, empresas de software, para se manterem competitivas, precisam desenvolver rotinas de inteligência tecnológica (IT) que permitam coletar, analisar e tomar decisões sobre oportunidades e ameaças tecnológicas. Empresas de diversos setores têm adotado uma técnica de IT denominada roadmap tecnológico, que sucintamente representa uma visão de futuro que identifica a rota tecnológica, ou seja, as tecnologias a serem adotadas no futuro, associadas aos produtos a serem desenvolvidos e aos mercados a serem explorados. Neste contexto, esta tese procurou responder à questão \"Como empresas brasileiras de software realizam atividades de elaboração de roadmap tecnológico?\". Com base na literatura sobre roadmaps foi possível elaborar um modelo conceitual com as principais características identificadas em termos de objetivos, fontes de informação, barreiras, processo/conteúdo e benefícios dos roadmaps. Foi adotada a metodologia de estudos de casos múltiplos, com amostragem intencional, sendo selecionadas duas empresas de pequeno, duas de médio e duas de grande porte. O modelo conceitual elaborado para esta tese se mostrou muito útil, pois permitiu descrever os casos analisando sempre as mesmas dimensões, facilitando a comparação. Foi possível verificar, por exemplo, as características da atividade de elaboração de roadmaps importantes para todas as empresas estudadas, bem como aquelas importantes apenas para empresas de grande porte. Os casos evidenciam que há duas importantes influências do porte da empresa sobre a atividade de elaboração de roadmaps. Primeiro, a complexidade das interações internas e externas durante todo o processo é maior nas grandes empresas. Segundo, a organização do processo também é mais elaborada nas grandes empresas. Adicionalmente, este estudo permitiu identificar particularidades do setor de software com relação à elaboração de roadmaps: a) Foco no curto prazo - as empresas pesquisadas possuem foco no curto prazo, em geral trabalhando nas decisões tecnológicas e de funcionalidades para a próxima versão de seus produtos; e, b) Gestão de códigos do software - a estratégia da empresa sobre códigos ativos (ou seja, vigentes em clientes) a serem mantidos está relacionada ao roadmap e pode limitar o potencial de crescimento da firma. Visando cobrir um hiato existente entre a prática das empresas estudadas (foco em curto prazo) e a literatura (foco em longo prazo), é apresentada nesta tese uma proposta de metodologia para elaboração de roadmap tecnológico de longo prazo para empresas de software. Este estudo traz contribuições práticas e teóricas. Empresas de software, e eventualmente de setores correlatos, podem se beneficiar deste estudo por permitir comparar sua atividade de elaboração de roadmaps com a das empresas estudadas, bem como identificar pontos para aprimoramento à medida que planeja crescer. Do ponto de vista acadêmico, este estudo oferece diversas contribuições. Primeiramente, o modelo conceitual adotado nesta tese pode ser utilizado em outros estudos sobre roadmaps, inclusive em outros setores. Os estudos de caso evidenciam como a atividade de elaboração de roadmaps se diferencia em empresas de diferentes portes. Por fim, foram identificadas particularidades das empresas de software na atividade de elaboração de roadmaps. / The software industry is highly dynamic and competitive. Companies competing in this industry must continuously transform themselves, through the incorporation of new technologies, innovation in products and services, or the exploration of new business models. Given this scenario, in order to remain competitive, software companies should develop technological intelligence (TI) routines to enable them to collect, analyse and make decisions regarding technological opportunities and threats. Companies from different industries are adopting a TI technique named technological roadmapping, which succinctly presents a future vision that identifies a technological path, that is, the technologies to be adopted in the future, together with the products to be developed and markets to be explored. Against this backdrop, this thesis addresses the question of \"How do Brazilian software companies carry out technological roadmapping activities?\" Based on the literature on roadmaps it has been possible to develop a conceptual model with the main characteristics in terms of objectives, sources of information, barriers, components and benefits of roadmaps. A multiple case studies methodology was adopted, with an intentional sample. Two small, two medium and two large companies were selected. The conceptual model developed for this thesis proved effective, as it enabled the description of the cases while always analysing the same dimensions, which facilitated the comparison. It was possible to verify, for example, the characteristics of the roadmapping activity important for all the companies studied, as well as those important only for large companies. The cases show that there are two important influences on roadmapping activities stemming from the size of the firm. First, the complexity of internal and external interactions throughout the process is greater for large companies. Second, the organization of the process is also more developed in large companies. Furthermore, this study identified some characteristics unique to the software industry with regards to the development of roadmaps: a) Focus on the short term - the companies surveyed have focused on the short-term, typically working with technology decisions and features for the next version of products; and, b) Management of software codes - the company\'s strategy for active codes (i.e. currently used with clients) to be maintained is related to the roadmap and may limit the potential growth of the firm. With a view to bridging a gap that exists between the practice of the companies studied (focus on short-term) and literature on the subject (focus on long-term), a proposed methodology for developing a long-term technological roadmap for software companies is presented in this thesis. This study presents theoretical and practical contributions. Software companies, and possibly related industries, can benefit from this study by comparing their roadmapping activities to those from the companies studied, and identifying points for improvement as they plan to grow. From an academic perspective, this study offers several contributions. First, the conceptual model adopted in this thesis can be used in other roadmap studies, including in other sectors. The case studies show how the roadmapping activities differ in firms of different sizes. Finally, characteristics specifically related to software companies in the roadmapping activity have been identified.

Electricity generated from photovoltaics (PV) promises to satisfy the world's ever-growing thirst for energy without significant pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. At present, however, PV is several times too expensive to compete economically with conventional sources of electricity delivered via the power grid. To ensure long-term success, must achieve cost parity with electricity generated by conventional sources of electricity. This requires detailed understanding of the relationship between technology and economics as it pertains to PV devices and systems. The research tasks of this thesis focus on developing and using four types of models in concert to develop a complete picture of how solar cell technology and design choices affect the quantity and cost of energy produced by PV systems. It is shown in this thesis that high-efficiency solar cells can leverage balance-of-systems (BOS) costs to gain an economic advantage over solar cells with low efficiencies. This advantage is quantified and dubbed the "efficiency premium." Solar cell device models are linked to models of manufacturing cost and PV system performance to estimate both PV system cost and performance. These, in turn, are linked to a model of levelized electricity cost to estimate the per-kilowatt-hour cost of electricity produced by the PV system. A numerical PV module manufacturing cost model is developed to facilitate this analysis. The models and methods developed in this thesis are used to propose a roadmap to high-efficiency multicrystalline silicon PV modules that achieve cost parity with electricity from the grid. The impact of PV system failures on the cost of electricity is also investigated; from this, a methodology is proposed for improving the reliability of PV inverters.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 1999. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sasol Technology Engineering Division (SED) is part of the Sasol Group of Companies and was formally established in 1983. The organisation's immediate focus was to render technical and project management support to the operating petrochemical units of Sasol 2 and Sasol 3. During the late 1980's and early 1990's various external drivers appeared that necessitated a review and adjustment to Sasol's strategic direction. Sasol decided to unlock the value in raw materials and embarked on an investment program in major chemical production facilities. With this new drive towards implementing large, multi-million Rand, projects, SED had to re-assess its competencies and focus in order to support this new strategic drive of Sasol. During 1995 an extensive management buy-out (MBO) exercise was concluded whereby most of the technical discipline departments were outsourced. The idea was that all modification and operations support projects be handled by the MBO's. This enabled SED to focus on large projects. With the new strategic direction in place SED launched a Balanced Scorecard (BSG) exercise to convert this strategy into specific goals and communicating the strategy to all employees. This exercise led to the development of a document called the SED Strategic Roadmap. This document explained the goals and interventions required for success until 2003. The review and re-visiting of the SED Strategic Roadmap formed the main focus of this study project. A serious concern identified from the outset was that no realised strategy was drafted before the strategic intent was formalised. Therefore, in order to review the SED Strategic Roadmap a study was done on the realised organisational situation of SED by means of the results of various organisational studies done by consultants. With a realised situation formalised the development and contents of the SED Strategic Roadmap were explained. Following this explanation a broad literature review was conducted to grasp the latest thinking around the management science of strategy. With the realised strategy and theory as background the mere reason for SED's existence was unravelled. A very important finding was that SED should rather focus on improving its operational effectiveness instead of formalising a strategy. SED remains a supporting division that should underline and align itself with the strategic needs of Sasol. For reviewing purposes a "new" set of goals was identified that is closer linked with the purpose of SED. An intervention was allocated to each "new" goal to ensure focused implementation of every "new" goal. A proposal was tabled to conduct and implement the interventions in terms of project-based management, meaning that all interventions are handled as projects with budgets, time spans and specified outcomes. The listed "new" goals serve as an alternative to those in the SED Strategic Roadmap. The "new" goals support the vision of SED and provide the opportunity to excel in improving its operational effectiveness. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sasol Tegnologie Ingenieursdivisie (SED) is deel van die Sasol Groep van Maatskappye en het formeel tot stand gekom in 1983. Die organisasie se onmiddelike fokus was om tegniese- en projekbestuursondersteuning te gee aan die petrochemiese bedryfseenhede van Sasol 2 en Sasol 3. Gedurende die laat 1980's en vroeë 1990's het verskeie eksterne besigheidsdrywers na vore getree wat Sasol genoodsaak het om sy strategiese rigting te hersien en aan te pas. Dit het Sasol tot die besluit gebring om die waarde in rou materiaal te onsluit deur 'n investeringsprogram te loods vir die oprigting van verskeie groot chemiese produksie fasiliteite. Met hierdie nuwe dryf na die implementering van groot, multi-miljoen Rand projekte was SED genoodsaak om bevoegdhede en fokus te hersien om daardeur ondersteuning te gee aan die nuwe strategiese rigting van Sasol. Gedurende 1995 is 'n uitgebreide bestuursuitkoop (MBO) aksie geloods waartydens meeste van die tegniese dissipline departemente uitgekontrakteur is. Die gedagte was dat alle klein modifiserings- en bedryfsondersteuningsprojekte deur die MBOs hanteer moes word. Hierdeur kon SED fokus op groot projekte. Met die nuwe strategiese rigting uitgestippel het SED voortgegaan en 'n "balanced scorecard" (BSG) oefening geloods waardeer die strategiese oogmerke omgesit is in spesifieke doelwitte en na die res van die werknemers gekommunikeer is. Hierdie oefening het gelei tot die ontwikkeling van die SED Strategiese Padkaart dokument. Die dokument beskryf die doelwitte en intervensies benodig vir operasionele sukses tot en met die jaar 2003. Die hersiening en heroorweging van die SED Strategiese Padkaart vorm die fokus van hierdie studieprojek. Vanuit die staanspoor is 'n ernstige bekommernis uitgelig deurdat geen analise gedoen is van die gerealiseerde strategie voordat die strategiese intensie geformaliseer is nie. Derhalwe was dit nodig om eers 'n studie te doen waardeer die huidige, gerealiseerde strategie beskryf kon word. Hierdie studie was gedoen na gelang van die resultate van verskeie organisasiestudies wat deur konsultante uitgevoer is. Met 'n gerealiseerde situasie geformuleer is die inhoud van die SED Strategiese Padkaart verduidelik. Die verduideliking is gevolg met 'n bree literatuuroorsig rakende die wetenskap van strategiese bestuur en die nuutste denke rondom die onderwerp. Met die gerealiseerde strategie en literatuurstudie as agtergrond is die werklike rede vir die bestaan van SED opnuut ondersoek. 'n Belangrike gevolgtrekking wat gemaak kon word is dat SED liewers moet fokus op die verbetering van die organisasie se operasionele effektiwiteit in plaas van die formalisering van 'n strategie. SED bly 'n ondersteuningsdivisie en behoort gerig te wees tot die strategiese behoeftes van Sasol. Vir hersienings doeleindes is 'n "nuwe" stel doelwitte geidentifiseer wat nouer bande het met die rede vir SED se bestaan. 'n Intervensie was toegedeel aan elke "nuwe" doelwit om sodoende gefokusde implementering van elke "nuwe" doelwit te verseker. 'n Voorstel is gemaak om alle intervensies te implementeer in terme van projek-gebaseerde-bestuur. Hierdeur word verwys na die hantering van intervensies as projekte met begrotings, tydskedules en spesifieke verwagte resultate. Die gelyste "nuwe" doelwitte dien as alternatief tot die doelwitte soos beskryf in die SED Strategiese Padkaart. Die "nuwe" doelwitte ondersteun die visie van SED en verskaf die geleentheid om die verbetering van die operasionele effektiwiteit te versnel.

In robotics, path planning refers to the process of establishing paths for robots to move from initial positions to goal positions without colliding into any obstacle within specified environments. Constructing roadmaps and searching for paths in the roadmaps is one of the most commonly used methodologies adopted in path planning. However, most sampling-based path planners focus on improving the speed of constructing roadmaps without taking into account the quality. Therefore, they often produce poor-quality roadmaps. Poor-quality roadmaps can cause problems, such as time-consuming path searches, poor quality path production, and even failure of the searching. This research aims to develop a novel sampling-based path planning algorithm which is able to incrementally construct high-quality roadmaps while answering path queries for robots with many degrees of freedom. A novel K-order surrounding roadmap (KSR) concept is proposed in this research based on a thorough investigation into the criteria of high-quality roadmaps, including the criteria themselves and the relationships between them. A KSR contains K useful cycles. There exist a value T for which we can say, with confidence, that the KSR is a high quality roadmap when K=T. A new sampling-based path planning algorithm, known as the KSR path planner that is able to construct a roadmap incrementally while answering path queries, is also developed. The KSR path planner can be employed to answer path queries without requiring any pre-processing. The planner grows trees from the initial and goal III configurations of a path query and connects these two trees to obtain a path. The path planner retains useful vertices of the trees and uses these to construct the roadmap and adds useful cycles to the existing roadmap in order to improve the quality. The roadmap constructed can be used to answer further queries. With the KSR path planner algorithm, there is no need to calculate the value of K to construct a high quality roadmap in advance. The quality of the roadmap improves as the KSR path planner answer queries until the roadmap is able to answer any path queries and no further useful cycles can be added into the roadmap. If the number of path queries is infinite, a high quality KSR can be constructed. The novelty of this KSR path planner is twofold. Firstly, it employs a vertex category classifier to understand local environments where roadmap vertices reside. The classifier is developed using a decision tree method. The classifier is able to classify vertices in a roadmap based on the region information stored in the vertices and their neighbours within a certain distance. The region information stored in the vertices is obtained while the edges connecting the vertices are added to the roadmap. Therefore, employing the vertex category classifier does not require much additional execution time. Secondly, the KSR path planner selects suitable developed strategies to prune the existing roadmap and add useful cycles according to the identified local environments where the vertices reside to improve the quality of the existing roadmap. Experimental results show that the KSR path planner can construct a roadmap and improve the quality of the roadmap incrementally while answering path queries until the roadmap can answer all the path queries without any pre-processing stage. The roadmap constructed by the KSR path planner then achieves better quality than the roadmaps constructed by Reconfigurable Random Forest (RRF) path planner and traditional probabilistic roadmap (PRM) path planner.

O planejamento probabilístico de mapa de rotas tem se mostrado uma poderosa ferramenta para o planejamento de caminhos para robôs móveis, devido a sua eficiência computacional, simplicidade de implementação e escalabilidade em diferentes problemas. Este método de planejamento possui duas fases. Na fase de construção, um mapa de rotas é gerado de forma iterativa e incremental, e armazenado na forma de um grafo G, cujos vértices são configurações livres, amostradas no espaço de configurações do robô e cujas arestas correspondem a caminhos livres de colisão entre tais configurações. Na fase de questionamento, dadas quaisquer configurações de origem e destino, \'alfa\' e \'beta\' respectivamente, o planejador conecta \'alfa\' e \'beta\' à G inserindo arestas que correspondem a caminhos livres de colisão, para então procurar por um caminho entre \'alfa\' e \'beta\' em G. Neste trabalho o foco reside principalmente na fase de construção do mapa de rotas. O objetivo aqui consiste em efetuar uma análise comparativa de diversas combinações de diferentes técnicas de amostragem das configurações livres e de diferentes técnicas de seleção de vértices em G, todas implementadas em um único sistema e aplicadas aos mesmos cenários. Os resultados propiciam um valioso auxílio aos usuários do planejamento probabilístico de mapas de rotas na decisão da melhor combinação para suas aplicações. / The probabilistic roadmap planning has emerged as a powerful framework for path planning of mobile robots due to its computational efficiency, implementation simplicity, and scalability in different problems. This planning method proceeds in two phases. In the construction phase a roadmap is incrementally constructed and stored as a graph G whose nodes are free configurations sampled on the robot\'s configuration space and whose edges correspond to collision-free paths between these configurations. In the query phase, given any start and goal configurations, \'alfa\' and \'beta\' respectively, the planner first connects \'alfa\' and \'beta\' to G by adding edges that correspond to collision-free paths, and then searches for a path in G between \'alfa\' and \'beta\'. In this work, we address mainly the roadmap construction phase. The goal here is to provide a comparative analysis of a number of combinations of different techniques for sampling free configurations and different node adding techniques, all implemented in a single system and applied to the same test workspace. Results help probabilistic roadmap planning users to choose the best combination for their applications.