A navigation system developed for an omni-directional wheeled mobile robot, called the Omnibot, is presented. This system is developed to enable the Omnibot to autonomously navigate, in a collision-free manner, along predefined paths in indoor structured office or factory-like environments. The navigation system is composed of four integrated subsystems: localization, path- following, velocity control, and obstacle detection. The path-following subsystem is responsible for driving the Omnibot along a given path based on feedback about its location relative to its environment. A localization system that uses a combination of odometry and a novel indoor GPS-like system provides the necessary estimates of the Omnibot's position and orientation (i.e., pose). Using the pose updates from the localization subsystem, the path-following subsystem is able to compute motion commands to drive the Omnibot along the path. Execution of these motion commands is performed by the velocity control subsystem, which uses feedback control to regulate the angular velocities of the motors driving the Omnibot's wheels to produce the required motion of the robot. To ensure collision-free navigation, the Omnibot is equipped with an array of infrared distance sensors for detecting obstacles around its perimeter. Interaction between a human operator and the Omnibot is facilitated with a user-control interface running on a remote workstation. The interface allows the operator to visualize the Omnibot's location within a 3D model of its indoor workspace and provides a means to input commands. Testing of the developed system is performed, and the results confirm its e effectiveness at enabling the Omnibot to perform collision-free autonomous navigation in an indoor structured environment. / UOIT

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No / A low-profile (λ/43) miniaturized multi-element antenna is presented, which displays vertical polarization with an omni-directional radiation pattern. The antenna uses a logarithmic spiral shape as the main radiating element such that the impedance bandwidth of the antenna is much improved in comparison with both a strip-line square spiral design and a strip-line circular spiral design. The antenna demonstrates stable gain and useful efficiency over the operating frequency band. Significantly, the antenna provides a low profile, omnidirectional pattern in the azimuth plane, polarizes normal to the ground-plane with a 1.2% bandwidth and 0.5 dBi gain.

The need for delivery grew significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic because people avoided activities in public to limit the spread of the virus. The purpose of this research was to evaluate how the pandemic influenced many individual's delivery preferences through the administration of a stated preference survey targeted at residents in the New River Valley, Virginia. Conclusions revealed from the survey show that people want more efficient and accessible delivery services. A new delivery ecosystem called Delivery as a Service (DaaS) was developed using the input from the survey, existing service-based models being widely implemented in many industries, and emerging technologies. This thesis details a framework for DaaS derived by defining major actors, characteristics, and a method to measure the effectiveness of a DaaS system. This comprehensive definition of integrated delivery services illustrates areas for future research to further optimize the DaaS system. DaaS has the potential to significantly change the current delivery ecosystem through increased delivery accessibility and efficiency. Goods can be brought to users at a faster rate and on a larger scale. Autonomous vehicle and drone delivery technologies can significantly reduce the cost while correspondingly reducing the time of delivery. DaaS is a concept that is needed for people to thrive in modern times and brings the opportunity to provide added benefits to even rural areas. / Master of Science / The need for delivery grew significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic because people avoided activities in public to limit the spread of the virus. The purpose of this research was to evaluate how the pandemic influenced many individual's delivery preferences through the administration of a stated preference survey targeted at residents in the New River Valley, Virginia. Conclusions revealed from the survey show that people want more efficient and accessible delivery services. A new delivery ecosystem called Delivery as a Service (DaaS) was developed using the input from the survey, existing service-based models being widely implemented in many industries, and emerging technologies. This thesis details a framework for DaaS derived by defining major actors, characteristics, and a method to measure the effectiveness of a DaaS system. This comprehensive definition of integrated delivery services illustrates areas for future research to further optimize the DaaS system. DaaS has the potential to significantly change the current delivery ecosystem through increased delivery accessibility and efficiency. Goods can be brought to users at a faster rate and on a larger scale. Autonomous vehicle and drone delivery technologies can significantly reduce the cost while correspondingly reducing the time of delivery. DaaS is a concept that is needed for people to thrive in modern times and brings the opportunity to provide added benefits to even rural areas.

This thesis presents the design and development of a unique omni-directional platform known as the Omnibot which was built in the Mechatronic and Robotic Systems Laboratory at UOIT. The Omnibot's layout is novel because its drive axes do not intersect with the geometric center of the body, which is typical for omni-directional platforms using segmented omni-directional wheels. This design enables the center of mass to be lower in the design and increases the stability. A suspension system was designed for each of the four wheels to limit vibrations and to ensure contact between the wheels and operating surface. The Omnibot was built to modularly support many systems, including a robot arm, without altering the mechanical design of the frame. Two control modes were developed: local and global. Commands to drive the Omnibot can be received from either a joystick that can be directly interfaced with the controller or with commands that are sent from other systems that are either on or o of the Omnibot. Both control modes require encoder feedback to ensure commanded velocities are being executed as specified. Global control requires feedback from an indoor localization system to determine the Omnibot's pose. Early implementation of the localization system is discussed. An open source robotics software, known as Robot Operating System (ROS) was selected for implementation of the Omnibot systems. ROS serves as a middleware which allows components, such as the localization system and remote desktop, to communicate with each other through a decoupled messaging system. ROS is modular and exible, allowing for easy adaptation of future components. Test results of the Omnibot in operation are presented.

This study attempts to identify possibilities for creating a unified offline and online customer experience across communication channels in a retail company. With the current technological development and the trend of customers shifting more to the online channel, the customers also expect more from this communication channel. Within the online channel a development into an omni- channel (unified experience across channels) approach is leading to new possibilities, and keeping up with the development will support companies to keep their competitive advantage. The study reviews a case (Mio) with an offline channel represented by several large scale retail stores in Sweden, and also providing an online channel as a website meant to complement the stores. The study reviews previous literature in the field of customer experience both online and offline, omni channel retailing, and marketing. This is the foundation, together with a benchmark case (comparison case), and a survey to gain further insight and widen the knowledge. The results indicates that there are specific features which could contribute to a more positive and seamless experience across channels for the customer. These are information availability, quality and consistency across channels. As well as, functionality for purchases, order handling and tracking, and interactive customer service online. This could preferentially be fused in one place as a customers personal profile, allowing for a portal with everything the customer needs during all phases of the shopping experience. These findings provide insight into how the online channel could be used to better complement the offline channel, working synergistically. Future research is needed to validate these initial findings.

Published Article / Automatic guided vehicles are being used increasingly in a manufacturing environment. Developing a platform that could be easily reconfigured is perhaps a desirable option for a user with low capacity outputs. The research described in this article concentrates on such a vehicle and the development of the actuators and sensors for navigation and proper functionality.

Konsumenter födda i generation Y är mer digitalt kompetenta i jämförelse med tidigare generationer. De har växt upp i takt med teknologins utveckling och ser inga hinder med att använda den. Denna studie behandlar därför hur olika teknologiska lösningar kan användas i fysiska modebutiker för att undersöka hur detta påverkar konsumenternas köpprocess. Personlig service utgörs vanligtvis av att personalen tar kontakt med en konsument och riktar sin uppmärksamhet gentemot denne och försöker få personen i fråga att fullfölja köpprocessen. Med olika teknologiska lösningar tillåts konsumenter däremot att genomföra denna köpprocess mer självständigt och därför har denna studie även ett serviceperspektiv där vi undersöker hur den personliga servicen förändras av teknologins inverkan. Den teknologi som specifikt har undersökts har bestått av RFID- och NFC- tekniker via pekskärmar i provrum och betalstationer. Vidare har studien innefattat dels hur konsumenter upplever dessa typer av teknologier i en fysisk modebutik och dels hur konsumenter vill erhålla personlig service. Detta har gjorts genom en enkätundersökning via Internet och en kundundersökning med intervjuer i en labbmiljö. Vårt resultat visar att konsumenterna upplever teknologin som ett uppskattat och underlättande verktyg i köpprocessen då de föredrar att genomföra köp på ett effektivt sätt och på egen hand. Fortsättningsvis ser vi att konsumenterna efterfrågar en personlig service men däremot önskas överhuvudtaget ingen mänsklig kontakt med personalen i butik.Engelsk titel (kopiera från uppsats) *: Consumer´s meeting with technology in storesEngelska nyckelord *: Technology, RFID, NFC, Omni, In-store, Buying Process, Personalized ServiceSustainable development anges som nyckelord på engelska?: NEJEngelsk sammanfattning *: Consumers born in generation Y are more digitally literate than people born in previous generations. They have grown up in pace with the development of technology and sees no obstacles with using it. This study therefore addresses how technological solutions can be used in physical fashion stores to investigate how this affects the consumer´s buying process. Personalized service usually consists of that the staff will contact a consumer and direct her attention towards the costumer in attempt to complete their buying process. With different technological solutions the consumer is allowed to perform this process more independently and therefore this study also holds a service perspective, where we examine how the personalized service is affected by the technology´s impact. The technologies that have been studied specifically consisted of RFID and NFC technologies via touch screens in fitting rooms and pay stations. Furthermore, this study includes both how consumers experience these types of technologies in a physical fashion store and also how consumers want to receive personalized service. This has been done through a survey via the Internet and through a customer survey with interviews in a lab environment. Our results show that consumers perceive the technology as a valued and facilitative tool in the buying process since they prefer to make purchases in an efficient way and by their selves. Henceforth, we can see that consumers want a personalized service but no human contact at all is desired with the staff in the fashion store.

Mobility is something able-bodied people take for granted. Approximately 132,500 people in the United Kingdom have disabilities which permanently confine them to a wheelchair; 40,000 of these require a powered wheelchair. The opportunity to lead a normal life and be accepted as an equal by the able-bodied population is limited by their reduced mobility. As much freedom of movement as possible is therefore crucial for these people. Powered wheelchair users' mobility depends upon the manoeuvrability of the chair. For optimum manoeuvrability a chair must be capable of moving in any direction. Currently no omni-directional powered wheelchairs are commercially available. This thesis describes the design and deVelopment of a powered base unit for a wheelchair, controlled to instantaneously move in any direction. The novelty is principally represented by the innovative design and configuration of four omni-directional roller wheels* (LUMAN wheels) which, when individually controlled, produce the omni-directional movement of the base unit. Further novelty within the design is a set of bi-directional angled roller couplings that simultaneously disengage the wheels from the motors, via a cable linkage mechanism, and simple control system. Mathematical data models illustrate the theoretical performance of the wheel configuration, and a prototype base unit is tested to prove these hypotheses.

Recent work has shown that flow estimation from a pair of images can be formulated as a supervised learning task to be resolved with convolutional neural networks (CNN). However, the basic straightforward CNN methods estimate optical flow with motion and occlusion boundary blur. To tackle this problem, we propose a tiny diagnostic dataset called FlowClevr to quickly evaluate various modules that can use to enhance standard CNN architectures. Based on the experiments of the FlowClevr dataset, we find that a deformable module can improve model prediction accuracy by around 30% to 100% in most tasks and more significantly reduce boundary blur. Based on these results, we are able to design modifications to various existing network architectures improving their performance. Compared with the original model, the model with the deformable module clearly reduces boundary blur and achieves a large improvement on the MPI sintel dataset, an omni-directional stereo (ODS) and a novel omni-directional optical flow dataset.