Claytronics Case Essay Example for Free

Claytronics Case Essay Claytronics is an emerging field of engineering concerning reconfigurable nanoscale robots designed to form much larger scale machines or mechanisms. Also known as programmable matter, the catoms will be sub-millimeter computers that will eventually have the ability to move around, communicate with each others, change color, and electrostatically connect to other catoms to form different shapes. The forms made up of catoms could morph into nearly any object, even replicas of human beings for virtual meetings. . Likely spherical in shape, a catom would have no moving parts. Rather, it would be covered with electromagnets to attach itself to other catoms; it would move by using the electromagnets to roll itself over other catoms. The catoms surfaces would have light-emitting diodes to allow them to change color and photo cells to sense light, allowing the collective robot to see. Each would contain a fairly powerful, Pentium-class computer . According to Carnegie Mellons Synthetic Reality Project personnel, claytronics are described as An ensemble of material that contains sufficient localcomputation, actuation, storage, energy, sensing, and communication which can be programmed to form interesting dynamic shapes and configurations. The idea is not to transport objects nor is it to recreate an objects chemicalcomposition, but rather to create a physical artefact,that will mimic the shape, movement, visual appearance,sound, and tactile qualities of the original object INTRODUCTION: Programmable matter one day could transform itself into all kinds of look-alikes The day when doctors routinely made house calls may be past, but that doesnt mean that someday you wont routinely see your doctor in your home with emphasis on see. That is to say, your doctor could physically work out of her office. But a three-dimensional lookalike, assembled from perhaps a billion tiny, BB-like robots, could be her stand-in in your home. She could talk with you, touch you, look at you, all under the control of the real, if distant, doc. After the examination, she could be disassembled, leaving behind a big pile of beads. Or the beads might reassemble into a piece of moving sculpture, or turn into a chair. Not a single such robot yet exists; building the one-millimeter diameter robots that Goldstein envisions is beyond current technology. And he acknowledges it could be decades before a synthetic doctor is possible, much less affordable.But its not too soon to start thinking about it. Its a little like putting a man on the moon, said Todd Mowry.Its not just a problem of building tiny robots, but figuring out how to power them, to get them to stick together and to coordinate and control millions or billions of them. No ones even sure what to call it. Claytronics, synthetic reality and programmable matter have been proposed. Dynamic physical rendering is the label Intel uses. Each of the individual robots comprising these people or shapes would be a claytronic atom, or catom. Likely spherical in shape, a catom would have no moving parts. Rather, it would be covered with electromagnets to attach itself to other catoms; it would move by using the electromagnets to roll itself over other catoms. *The catoms surfaces would have light-emitting diodes to allow them to change color and photo cells to sense light, allowing the collective robot to see. Each would contain a fairly powerful, Pentium-class computer. CLAYTRONICS, A SYNTHETIC REALITY [pic][pic] The big advantage of designing on a computer is the ease of changing things, like color and shape. But, especially for 3D objects, it has some disadvantages. You don’t really get a feel for the object: What does it look like when I walk around it? How does it feel when I hold it in my hands? With Claytronics technology this problem could be solved. What is Claytronics? Claytronics is an emerging field of engineering concerning reconfigurable nanoscale robots (claytronic atoms, or catoms) which can interact with each other to form tangible 3-D objects that a user can interact with.They are designed to form much larger scale machines or mechanisms. Also known as programmable matter, the catoms will be sub-millimeter computers that will eventually have the ability to move around, communicate with each others, change color, and electrostatically connect to other catoms to form different shapes. The forms made up of catoms could morph into nearly any object, even replicas of human beings for virtual meetings. Claytronics technology is currently being researched by Professor Seth Goldstein and Professor Todd C. Mowry at Carnegie Mellon University, which is where the term was coined. . The Carnegie Mellon University together with Intel are currently researching this technology. Though it might seem somewhat futuristic, they are confident that it can be realized and they’ve got Moore’s Law( describes a long-term trend in the history of computing hardware, in which the number of transistors that can be placed inexpensively on an integrated circuit has doubled approximately every two years) to back it up. According to Carnegie Mellons Synthetic Reality Project personnel, claytronics are described as An ensemble of material that contains sufficient local computation, actuation, storage, energy, sensing, and communication which can be programmed to form interesting dynamic shapes and configurations. Claytronics has the potential to greatly affect many areas of daily life, such as telecommunication, human-computer interfaces, and entertainment In other words, programmable matter will allow us to take a (big) step beyond virtual reality, to synthetic reality, an environment in which all the objects in a user’s environment are physically realized. Note that the idea is not to transport objects nor is it to recreate an objects chemical composition, but rather to create a physical artefact that will mimic the shape, movement, visual appearance,sound, and tactile qualities of the original object Claytronics though based upon on concepts of physics and electronics in schoolbooks (and a neat trick), its a technology of 2040 and 2050 due to the technical challenge scientific and engineering community live with. Challenge is to develop and control this material on the scale of nanometers (100 times thinner then human hair, 1 nanometer = 10 -9 meters). Claytronics doesnt end with working together philosophy or networked computing alone. Catoms, basic blocks of claytronics can morph their physical and chemical properties, meaning same material can be of different mechanical, thermal properties, can have different shape or size, different color, fluorescent material can be converted to super reflecting mirror. These highlights and long wait till Year 2040/50. . Our goal is that the system be usable now and scalablefor the future. Thus, the guiding design principle,behind both the hardware and the software, is SCALABILITY.Hardware mechanisms need to scale towards micronsized catoms and million-catom ensembles. Software mechanisms need to be scale invariant. Claytronics will be a test-bed for solving some of the most challenging problems we face today: how to build complex, massively distributed dynamic systems. It is also a step towards truly integrating computers into our lives—by having them integrated into the very artifactsaround us and allowing them to interact with the world. Catoms Programmable matter consists of a collection of individual components, which we call claytronic atoms or catoms. Catoms can †¢ move in three dimensions in relation to other catoms, †¢ adhere to other catoms to main ­tain a 3D shape, communicate with other catoms in an ensemble, and compute state information with possible assistance from other catoms in the ensemble. Each catom is a unit with a CPU, a network device, a single-pixel display, one or more sensors, a means of locomotion, and a mechanism for adhering to other catoms. Although this sounds like a microrobot, we believe that imple ­menting a completely autonomous microrobot is unnecessarily complex. Instead, we take a cue from cellular reconfigurable robotics research to simplify the individual robot modules so that they are easier to manufacture using high-volume methods. Ensemble principle: Realizing this vision requires new ways of thinking about massive num ­bers of cooperating millimeter-scale units. Most importantly, it demands simplifying and redesigning the soft ­ware and hardware used in each catom to reduce complexity and manufactur ­ing cost and increase robustness and reliability. For example, each catom must work cooperatively with others in the ensemble to move, communi ­cate, and obtain power. Consequently, our designs strictly adhere to the ensemble principle: A robot module should include only enough functionality to contribute to the ensemble’s desired functionality. Three early results of our research each highlight a key aspect of the ensemble principle: easy manufacturability, powering million-robot ensem ­bles, and surface contour control with ­out global motion planning. High-Volume Manufacturability Some catom designs will be easier to produce in mass quantity than others. Our present exploration into the design space investigates modules without moving parts, which we see as an inter ­mediate stage to designing catoms suit ­able for high-volume manufacturing. In our present macroscale (44-mm diameter), cylindrical prototypes, shown in Figure 1, each catom is equipped with 24 electromagnets arranged in a pair of stacked rings. To move, a pair of catoms must ï ¬ rst be in contact with another pair. Then, they must appropriately energize the next set of magnets along each of their circumferences. . The current prototypes can only overcome the frictional forces opposing their own horizontal movement, but downscaling will improve the force budget substantially. The resulting force from two similarly energized magnet coils varies roughly with the inverse cube of distance, whereas the ï ¬â€šux due to a given coil varies with the square of the scale factor. Hence, the potential force generated between two catoms varies linearly with scale. Meanwhile, mass varies with the cube of scale. Powering Microbot Ensembles:. Some energy requirements, such as effort to move versus gravity, scale with size. Others, such as communi ­cation and computation, don’t. As microrobots (catoms) are scaled down, the onboard battery’s weight and volume exceed those of the robots themselves. To provide sufï ¬ cient energy to each catom without incurring such a weight and volume penalty, we’re developing methods for routing energy from an external source to all catoms in an ensemble. For example, an ensemble could tap an environmental power source, such as a special table with pos ­itive and negative electrodes, and route that power internally using catom-to ­catom connections. To simplify manufacturing and accelerate movement, we believe it’s necessary to avoid using intercatom connectors that can carry both supply and ground via separate conductors within the connector assembly. Such complex connectors can signiï ¬ cantly increase reconï ¬ guration time. For example, in previously con ­structed modular robotic systems such as the Palo Alto Research Center’s PolyBot and the Dartmouth Robotics Lab’s Molecule it can take tens of seconds or even minutes for a robot module to uncouple from its neighbor, move to another module, and couple with that newly proximal module. In contrast, our present unary-con ­nector-based prototypes can â€Å"dock† in less than 100 ms because no special connector alignment procedure is required. This speed advantage isn’t free, however: A genderless unary con ­nector imposes additional operational complexity in that each catom must obtain a connection to supply from one neighbor and to ground from a dif ­ferent neighbor. Several members of the Claytronic team have recently developed power distribution algorithms that satisfy these criteria. These algorithms require no knowledge of the ensemble conï ¬ g ­uration—lattice spacing, ensemble size, or shape—or power-supply loca ­tion. Further, they require no on-catom power storage. Shape Control Without Global Motion Planning: Classical approaches to creating an arbitrary shape from a group of mod ­ular robots involve motion planning through high-dimensional search or gradient descent methods. However, in the case of a million-robot ensemble, global search is unlikely to be tractable. Even if a method could globally plan for the entire ensemble, the communi ­cations overhead required to transmit individualized directions to each mod ­ule would be very high. In addition, a global plan would break down in the face of individual unit failure. To address these concerns, we’re developing algorithms that can control shape without requiring extensive planning or communication. This approach focuses on the motion of holes rather than that of robots per se. Given a uniform hexag ­onal-packed plane of catoms, a hole is a circular void due to the absence of seven catoms. Such a seven-catom hole can migrate through the ensemble by appropriate local motion of the adja ­cent catoms. Holes migrate through the ensemble as if moving on a frictionless plane, and bounce back at the ensemble’s edges. Just as bouncing gas molecules exert pressure at the edges of a balloon, bouncing holes interact frequently with each edge of the ensemble without the need for global control. As Figure 2 illustrates, edges can contract by con ­suming a hole or expand by creating a hole, purely under local control. We initiate shape formation by â€Å"ï ¬ ll ­ing† the ensemble with holes. Each hole receives an independent, random veloc ­ity and begins to move around. A shape goal speciï ¬ es the amount each edge region must either contract or expand to match a desired target shape. A hole that hits a contracting edge is consumed. In effect, the empty space that constitutes the hole moves to the outside of the ensemble, pulling in the surface at that location. Similarly, expanding edges create holes and inject them into the ensemble, pushing its contour out in the c orresponding local region. [pic] Importantly, all edge contouring and hole motion can be accomplished using local rules, and the overall shape of an ensemble can be programmed purely by communicating with the catoms at the edges. Hence, we use probabilistic methods to achieve a deterministic result. Our initial analyses of the cor ­responding 3D case suggest surface contour control will be possible via a similar algorithm. Ping-Pong to marble size A large, moving shape such as a human replica might contain a billion catoms. A system with a billion computer nodes, he added, is something on the scale of the entire Internet. . . . Unlike the real Internet, our thing is moving. This will require new schemes for quickly organizing and reorganizing such a large computer network. A moving shape will necessarily force catoms to constantly and quickly change positions, breaking connections with one set of catoms and establishing new connections with others. The idea behind self-reconfigurable robots is that a robot could change shape depending on a task perhaps operating as a snake-like robot to wiggle through tight spaces, while taking the form of a spider or a humanoid for other types of exploration. Identifying each catom by a number, like each computer on the Internet, isnt likely to work. Rather, catoms may identify themselves based on function or position a catom replicating a human would need to know if it was part of a pinky finger, or a mouth, or an eye. Power also has been a concern. As we shrink thingswe find that weight and bulk is primarily in the battery.The idea is to eliminate the battery. Instead, the catoms will automatically form themselves into electrical circuits, so delivering power to one catom effectively delivers power to all of the catoms. As the shape moves and the catoms rearrange themselves, connections will be repeatedly made and broken, interupting power. So the catoms will be designed with a capacitor or small battery to hold just enough charge to compensate for the momentary disconnections. The system also will be engineered to maintain its shape even when powered off. proposes covering the sides of the catoms with manmade fibers similar to the microscopic foot hairs of the gecko, a tropical lizard.The millions of hairs on a geckos toes allow it to cling to almost any surface. The hairs arent sticky, but rely on weak electrodynamic forces known as the van der Waals force. If the synthetic hairs can be fashioned out of the microscopic fibers known as carbon nanotubes, the hairs could conduct electricity and might serve as the electrical connections between catoms.. Even if claytronics doesnt immediately yield 3-D motion, it might be useful for producing 3-D shapes in the computer-aided design process, Goldstein said. Claytronics antennas could change shape to improve reception of different radio frequencies. A Claytronics cell phone might grow a full-size keyboard, or expand its video display as needed. [pic] The Concept and the trick Catoms, of which claytronics machines will built upon are kind of rich quantum dot. Quantum dot is basically a semiconducting crystal (material used in ICs for almost any electronic or computing device) on a nanoscale, so we can call it semiconducting nanocrystal. Quantum dots unlike normal semiconducting crystal caters to single or more electrons on a scale small enough that they can be called as artificial atoms without their own nucleus. To make this understand better Quantum dots controls can control almost single electron in its own territory. These territories have different levels, in scientific term called discrete energy levels on the order of De-Broglies wavelength. Trick is really simple in theory; every substance on a atomic level is identified based upon its atomic number and atomic mass number. Atom has three basic atomic particles (no of basic particles discovered is high as of now) electron, proton and neutron. In a balanced atom no of electrons and protons are same, so no of electrons indicates atomic number as well. Here in Quantum dots we can manipulate no of electrons trapped by adjusting the voltage to the metal. Creating lots of such artificial atoms in metal like semiconductor can alter lots of its chemical and electronic properties to make a non transparent metal behave like a transparent mirror maybe. A Modular Robotic System Using Magnetic Force Effectors One of the primary impediments to building ensembles of modular robots is the complexity and number of mechanical mechanisms used to construct the individual modules. As part of the Claytronics project—which aims to build very large ensembles of modular robots— investigation is done on how to simplify each module by eliminating moving parts and reducing the number of mechanical mechanisms on each robot by using force-at-a-distance actuators. Additionally, also investigating the feasibility of using these unary actuators to improve docking performance, implement intermodule adhesion, power transfer, communication, and sensing. Three magnetic 45mm planar catoms. I. Introduction Advances in manufacturing and electronics open up new possibilities for designing modular robotic systems. As the robots become smaller, it becomes possible to use force-at-adistance actuators—e.g., actuators which cause one module to move relative to another via magnetic or electric fields external to the modules themselves. Furthermore, as the cost and power consumption of electronics continue to decrease, it becomes increasingly attractive to use complex electronics rather than complex mechanical systems. In this paper, we explore how a single device that exploits magnetic forces can be harnessed to unify actuation, adhesion, power transfer, communication, and sensing. By combining a single coil with the appropriate electronics we can simplify the robot— reducing both its weigt and size—while increasing its capabilities. Furthermore ,since we are interested in the ensemble as a whole, we do not require that individual units be self-sufficientAs long as individual units can contribute to the overall motion of the ensemble, they do not need the ability to move independently within the greater environment. We call this design principle the ensemble axiom: each unit contains only the minimum abilities necessary to contribute to the aggregate functionality of the ensemble. Choosing the right mechanism for locomotion is a key design decision. In addition to scalability, the size of the unit must also be taken into account. At the macroscale,complex mechanisms such as motors are effective. However, as units scale down in size other approaches become viable, taking advantage of increasing surface-to-volume ratio and decreasing of inertial moments. Our current robots, which we call planar catoms1, are small enough that we can explore a mechanism designed around magnetic field forceat- a-distance actuators. As the units decrease further in size, actuators based upon electric field forces become viable and are appealing because they use less current, produce less heat, and weigh less than magnetic actuators. Even smaller units could harness surface forces such as surface tension or Van der Waals’ forces. The size scale also affects power transfer and storage: because electrical resistance increases as contact size decreases, direct electrical connections between robots become increasingly impractical. II. Related Work Of the many research efforts the most relevant to our work is Fracta Fracta is a two dimensional modular robot which uses a combination of permanent magnets and electromagnets for locomotion and adhesion. As in our planar catoms, to move a module requires communication between the moving module and its neighbors. The two main differences between Fracta and planar catoms are due to changes in underlying technology and the use of permanent magnets. Fracta modules are constrained to be in a hex-lattice whereas the planar catoms have additional actuators and can be arranged in a cubic or hex lattice. Significant advances in VLSI enable us to create smaller, lighter units which do not use permanent magnets. We also harness the magnets for more than locomotion and adhesion, i.e., the magnets also serve as the main mechanism for power transfer, sensing, and communications. Planar catoms are our first step along the path towards realizing three dimensional claytronics. The robots rely on the external forces and move stochastically, adhering to each other under control of the program running on the robot. The ensemble principle is carried even further in the latter project; robots are unpowered until they adhere to a powered robot.

Theatre HL Theatre Arts Research Investigation Essay Example for Free

Theatre HL Theatre Arts Research Investigation Essay Research Question: Which methods could a theatre company use while performing Jean Anouilhs Antigone, keeping true to and supporting the style of the Theatre of the Absurd? Theatre of the Absurd is a term that was coined by Hungarian-born theatre critic Martin Esslin, who made it the title of his 1962 book on the subject. It is refers to a particular style of theatre and the work of a number of mainly European playwrights, mostly written in the 1950s and 1960s. These plays are all related through the theme of the Absurd, first presented in this way by the French philosopher Albert Camus in his 1942 essay, â€Å"The Myth of Sisyphus† in which he deals with the meaninglessness and absurdity of the human existence and states the belief that life has no purpose. Subsequently he poses the question if the realization and acceptance of this fact must necessarily result in suicide. You can see a clear reflection of this thought in Esslins definition of the Theatre of the Absurd as that which â€Å"strives to express its sense of the senselessness of the human condition and the inadequacy of the rational approach by the open abandonment of rational devices and discursive thought.† The most well-know absurdist playwrights are Samuel Beckett, Eugene Ionesco, Jean Genet, Harold Pinter and Arthur Adamov. It is believed that the uprising of this philosophical movement during this specific time period was triggered by the death, grief and pure misery brought upon the people by World War II, which demonstrated the total brevity of any values and emphasized the precariousness and arbitrariness of human life. The population of Europe had been experiencing terror, hunger and disease on such a traumatizing level of the trench warfare and the holocaust, that they lost all hope in humanity and faith in their god. Thats why this philosophy of meaninglessness developed because people failed to see any reason in life anymore. The psychic trauma of living under the threat of nuclear annihilation has probably also had a great effect on the development of this new form of theatre. Although World War II is thought to have been the catalyst for his movement there are a number of predecessors which are thought to have contributed to its development. Theatre of the Absurd is thought to have originated from the ancient Greece between 550 and 220 BCE from what was know as Old Comedy, particularly from playwrights such as Aristophanes. In Old Comedy there was a satirical treatment of domestic situations and myths on society, politics, literature and the Peloponnesian War that was happening between Athenian Empire and the Peloponnesian league, led by sparta. The Absurdist plays share many of these most important characteristics: extensive comedy, mixed with horrific or tragic images; unconventional dialogue full of clichà ©s, wordplay, and nonsense; characters caught in hopeless and illogical situations forced to do repetitive or meaningless actions; plots that are cyclical or absurdly expansive and either a parody or dismissal of realism, in attempt to reflect the absurdity of human existence. The aim of absurd plays is to startle, confuse and shock the viewer, waking him up from his boring and conventional life of everyday concerns. The Theatre of the Absurd was something completely new and rebellious to the viewers and was indeed, like some of the playwrights liked to call it, anti-theatre. It was surreal, illogical, conflictless and plotless. The dialogue was total baloney and seemingly without meaning. Unsurprisingly, it was first received with disapproval and lack of understanding. Jean Anouilhs play Antigone, originally produced in Paris in 1942, is a tragedy inspired by and adapted from the ancient greek classic Antigone by Sophocles which was first performed in Athens in the 5th century B.C. The changes he made to the plot, may seem slight in some cases, but create a very different work and theatrical experience with a new taste of political and moral criticism. The main difference is that in Anouilhs version, from the very beginning, a member of the chorus steps forward to perform the prologue, introducing the audience to the plot and the characters of the play. Anouilhs chorus has a very different purpose though than Sophocles had and is of vital significance for the play, ceating a detachment from the play at times in order to address the audience directly. At one point he indicates the difference between melodrama and tragedy, suggesting that Antigone be part of the latter, meaning that her fate is clear and unavoidable. Walter Ince, asks the following philosophical question with an absurd feeling, responding to Anouilhs tragedy: â€Å"If life evokes such complete hopelessness, where is the tragedy in leaving it?†. When performing this play while applying absurdist theatre techniques, we want to keep this feeling of hopelessness alive and demonstrate the absurdity of life. Anouilh has already created a slight absurd feeling making things easier already. His sophisticated distancing of the plot and constant reminder to the audience of the fact that they are merely watching actors in a play seems to me very absurd and â€Å"anti-theatrical†. I imagine this would confuse the viewer and alienate, maybe even irritate and annoy the viewer, as it definitely did in the time of the original performance. Additionally, applying some of the standard absurdist techniques such as having the characters repeat meaningless actions or make the situations seem hopeless absurd. Especially aspects from the play that already seem slightly absurd should be promoted, such as Queen Eurydice knitting until she goes to her room and dies or the three guards that play cards, completely oblivious to the tragedy enrolling before them. On that point, the director would have to decide if he wants to stay true to Anouilhs original text or if he wants to change the dialogues, in which case one could take the meaning out of conversations or insert nonsensical sentences, make the characters talk past each other, without completely losing the plot. The stage setting could be either overly surrealistic, further contributing to the audiences confusion or completely simplistic going as far as not having a setting at all, further emphasizing the anti-theatrical aspects and adding to the alienation of the viewer. Sources: Carlson, Marvin. 1993. Theories of the Theatre: A Historical and Critical Survey from the Greeks to the Present. Expanded ed. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press Ince, Walter. 1968. Forum for Modern Language Studies: Prologue and Chorus in Anouilhs Antigone IV, pp. 277 – 84 Freeman, Ted. 2000. Antigone: Commentary, Anouilhs Antigone. Methuen Drama Student Edition, London, Methuen Publishing

Value Chain And Supply Chain Analysis Commerce Essay

Value Chain And Supply Chain Analysis Commerce Essay The definition of value chain analysis includes evaluation of business activities which impacts the companys competitive strength. Delivering a product on time is the result of multiple business processes working perfectly to create a Value Chain that leads a firm greater profit over costs (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2007). There are two main value chain activities in the organizations. The first one is primary activities which could directly add value for the final products, for instance, marketing and sales, operations, service and etc. The second one is support activities which could support the effective of primary activities, for example, the infrastructure, Human Resources Management, technology and etc. (Campbell, 2002) All these departments work together to produce the companys profit. In the race for global domination, the components of this value chain have to be optimized   on a worldwide scale, at all levels of the corporation Global Headquarters, Regional Headquarters, a nd country level, as well as within the critical product portfolios, regions, and countries that the companies operate in. (Johnson, 2008) 2.1.1 The Value-Chain activities for the industry and FedEx Corporation Transportation is one of the largest industries in the world, and its sector range is very wide which include taxis, truck, train, ships, barges, airplanes, pipelines, warehouse and logistics service. For the industry, the three main trends were globalization of business, information technology development and new technology to support process efficient, and the market demand for more value-added. Hence, the companies in transportation and logistics industry depend on the global network of distribution centres to gain quick payment cycle and cheaper resources. In FedEx Corporation, as a leader firm in the industry, its centralized structures have always required, and facilitated billion dollar investments in IT and established the website from 1994. It provided a successful technology for the FedEx Corporation as a pioneer in the whole industry for e-business. This strategy became an advantage that they used to undermine their competitors strengths and localized customer service. Wit h a globally connected IT network, FedEx was able to leverage their IT advantage to service their corporate accounts on a global basis, rather than on a country by country basis. With the best HR system in the business, FedEx also has had an active strategic procurement optimization initiative that has been adopted by the rest of the industry, producing savings in excess of millions of dollars, straight to the bottom line. The most important part of the value chain is found in the senior management of these companies. FedEx has had stable, strong teams running the critical components of the value chain and the associated departments. (Latinamericanlogistics.org, 2009) For further support activities of infrastructure, in the early years, most companies developed on buying space on commercial airlines or contracting their shipment to the third parties. However, FedEx emphasize on creating its own fleet, the strategy could effectively reduce the cost of business process, increase the dependability and speed of delivery and improve the length of order cycle. Furthermore, for solving the transportation volume growth slow down, the FedEx Corporation reorganized in the year of 2000, its five subsidiary companies could operate independently but compete collectively in the industry. 2.1.2 The core activities for the industry and FedEx Corporation Global Transportation and Logistics Industry as the service industry, its core activity of value chain should be the service. The companies should compete on customer segmentation, pricing and quality of service. In the industry, USP was the largest company for transportation. Most companies should emphasize on reducing the cost, well-managed logistics operation could effective reduce the length of order cycle and relieve the stress of cash flow. FedEx Corporation was introduced as federal Express to the early marketplace. At that time, the company fought to a new logistics method, which was overnight delivery. It succeeded and well done enough for their competitors in the market and bring more interesting to the logistics market. The most interesting thing is that FedEx provides fast delivery services which has been named as FedEx Ground. This service provides the delivery day in 2-3 days and within a less expensive cost to every shipper. On the other side, FedExs value chain is embedding into Ground, Cargo and other divisions. At first time when company talking about FedEx ground, the companys president and CEO (Frederick, 2008) indicated that the decision to split Ground apart was to Broaden and deepen FedExs product line, in order to take advantage of customer focus, and the scale of the market. In the package business of FedEx Ground, it includes low value products which dont need to be at final destination because of the short package time of FedEx Express. Smith (2006) announced the model is taken from 3M Company, which has 250 separate operating companies, each of which is focused on a specific market segment. According the figure 1, FedEx had specific objectives and strategies in every Value-chain activities. Figure 2 FedEx value chain activities (Source: http://www.fedex.com/us/about/today/mission) 2.2 Supply Chain Management Analysis Supply Chain Management is the monitor and management of materials, information, and finances, as those elements move in a process from supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer (SearchManufacturing.com, 2007). For running the full range of products and services, companies rely on SCM expedient procedures and techniques to move goods. I.e. FedEx promise the fast delivery within the less expensive cost. FedEx is in the business of providing businesses the ability to manage their supply chains. In the Global Transportation and Logistics Industry, the stage of supply-chain should be from supplier, inbound, manufacturing, order management to the outbound. For the whole process, the companies should have effective management on inventory management, warehouse management, the purchasing process, the product distribution, transportation and the customer service. (Lynch, 2006) In FedEx Corporation, it has advanced management system in each process. The figure 2 shows that the different management system utilization in FedExs supply chain management. For instance, the Customer Oriented Service and Management Operating System is one of unique system in FedEx Corporation which could integrate the information of goods shipping and the information about the mode of transportation. Besides, the Global Resources for Information Distribution which launched in 1998 could improve the quality and quantity of their delivery. Furthermore, its Global Inventory Visibility System, Inventory Mana gement System, Transportation Management System Enterprise Resources Planning, Customer Clearance System are all forceful supporting for every steps in the supply-chain management. Figure 2, FedEx solution in the supply chain process. (Source: Case study of FedEx) In one word, FedEx Corporation could always catch the demand and changing needs quickly and effectively in the industry, their leader strategies in value-chain activities and supply-chain management could perfectly support the company to achieve its core value and take the leadership position in the Global Transportation and Logistics Industry. 3. Mergers and Acquisitions in Global Transportation and Logistics Industry and FedEx Corporation Mergers and Acquisitions (MA) refers to the aspect of corporate strategy, corporate finance and management dealing with the buying, selling and combining of different companies that can aid, finance, or help a growing company in a given industry grow rapidly without having to create another business entity. (Lynch, 2006) A merger make the shareholders of the organizations come together to share the resources for enlarging the organization and the all the old shareholders in the merger will become the shareholders in the new organization. (Campbell, 2002) But the acquisition is one organization buying and subsuming the unequal partners. The shares in the smaller company will be bought by the large one. (Ansoff, 1988) With the development of human society, economic globalization is increasingly clear that MA between companies has become a common thing, but a deal is not as simple as writing the word and its connotation of far beyond the superficial meaning, and thus a correct understan ding of mergers and acquisitions are particularly important. 3.1 The MA in the industry and evaluation Apparently, it has both benefits and limitations for MA in the Global Transportation and Logistics Industry. From the view of advantages, firstly, the MA could increase the market share in the whole industry. I.e. the DHL acquired Airborne Express to increase its market share in ground delivery market. (Lyne, 2003) Secondly, it could reduce the competition in the market. Thirdly, it could gain preferential access for the distribution channels. For instance, FedEx acquired the UK express company called ANC for improve the distribution channels in the UK. (Business Wire, 2006) Moreover, MA may help the company develop the new products or exploit product ranges for searching more opportunities in the market of Global Transportation and Logistics Industry, this method will be much quicker than the organization to launch it from the beginning step. Besides, the MA could help the company to gain new production and information technology for reducing the cost, improve the quality and differ entiation of their products. For example, FedEx acquired Caliber Systems in 1998. Moreover, the company could entre in a new market by MA. For instances, Amazon.com purchase the joyo.com in China for the Chinese distribution market. (uk.reuters.com, 2004) Additionally, the MA in the Global Transportation and Logistics Industry may enhance the awareness and reputation in the market, especially for the company may under the alleged misdemeanour. Last but not least, the MA could support the companies in Global Transportation and Logistics Industry to achieve asset strip which means break up an acquired company and recovering more than the price paid by selling the parts separately. (Campbell, 2002) On the other side, the MA in the Global Transportation and Logistics Industry also have limitations and potential problems. The main factors of integrations failure could be summarize in the following six elements. The first one is lack of research for the conditions of the target company. Hence, it could not achieve the expectation after the integration. The second factor is the cultural inappropriate between the two parties. The third issue is the two parties lacking of communications before of after the integration. Another failure factor is that loss of key personnel in the target company after the MA performance. Furthermore, a potential problem is the over paying for the acquired company lead the acquiring company to get into the financial risk. The last issue for MA in the Global Transportation and Logistics Industry is assuming that the growth in the market is uncertain which include the market trend, economic trend and etc. 3.2 Evaluation of FedEx acquisition of Caliber System To evaluate the success or failure for FedEx Corporation acquired Caliber Systems in 1998 should also form the different points of view. From the positive side, the company use $88 million acquired the Caliber System, Inc., it could provide the company a powerful technical support on Internet commercial at that time. In the period, the e-commercial was on the development stage in the Global Transportation and Logistics Industry, the long-term investment and acquisition of Caliber System made the FedEx Corporation own the abilities and opportunities to be the pioneer and leader in this area. According to summary of benefits for MA, The strategy helped FedEx Corporation entre a new market, broaden the business range, develop the new product and also gain new information technology. From the result, after the acquisition, in the following year, the company had an excellent performance, the net income increased 30 per cent and posting record earning risen 73 per cent. (Gelis, 1999) However, as the passage of time, the competition in the market became more intense, despite of the e-tailing and electric commerce supporting, the report shown that both the volume and the income have a negative trend. From the view of financial report, the result had an obvious falling. This condition was cause of several factors. Firstly, the fuel pricing jumping was unexpected, it will increase the cost for the company. Secondly, it also meant the Caliber System did not blend in the organization completely. The organization was enormous, the operation was complicated, hence, just acquisition strategy without well association could not make the new party perform perfectly. For solving the problems, the FedEx Corporation announced reorganization on 19, Jan, 2000. Consequently, it is hard to simply judge whether success or failure for the acquisition of Caliber System. The acquisition brought benefits, opportunities and also new operation method for FedEx Corporation. The negative result in the following years was also cause of multiple factors, i.e. the competition in the industry, the fuel price rapid rising and etc. 4. FedExs financial and non-financial performance in the Internet and e-tailing market The popular using of Internet has changed most business in the world. The utilization of Internet improved the structure of organization, the collection, saving and dealing with data and information management. Furthermore, it also provided the opportunity for companies increase the awareness and sale channels in the market. FedEx Corporation created its own website form 1994, it is the first step and basis for the company to develop its e-commerce. FedEx.com is the first transportation website which could accept the one line order for package tracking and allow the customers to transact the business by Internet. Both shippers and recipients could access shipping information and print documentation via Internet. As the pioneer in the industry, FedEx should continually improve their system and service due to its competitor also created the Internet service and Internet software. For instance, the DHL launched the website in 1995(Exelby, 2000), UPS spent billions on IT and electronic commerce (Blackmon, 1999). The express transportation associated with e-tailing would reach $7 billion in the year of 2000, but FedEx only handled with 10 percent of purchase on-line goods. All of these brought heavy pressure to FedEx. In 1998, the company paid more than $2 billions to acquire the Caliber System, Inc. to incre ase the abilities and power on Internet service and e-tailing. (Payne, 1997) Because of the large potential market and lower cost, the Internet and e-tailing market was continually enlarging in the Global Transportation and Logistics Industry. To evaluate the performance of FedEx in Internet and e-tailing market should be from the view of five performance objectives. (Slack, 2007) Firstly, from the view of cost, FedEx as the first one for Internet and e-tailing in the Global Transportation and Logistics Industry, it focused on long-term investment on IT and led the company to have the specific position in the area. For the intense competition, the company paid more than $2 millions to purchase Caliber System. It could effectively increase their market share in business-to-consumer delivery service. Hence, the investment partly made up the weakness against with UPS. Secondly, flexibility, the Internet service and e-tailing provide the convenience for the customers, increase a easy and quick channel for the transportation and e-tailing business. For instance, i n the year of 1999, FedEx Marketplace created a link to the on-line shopping, the on-line shopper could click to the top on-line stores and with FedEx delivery. Thirdly, dependability, the establishing of the website enhanced the dependability between the organization and customers. The computer system supported the customers to know their goods conditions in the whole delivery process. For example, the company created software called FedEx Virtual Order in 1999 which provide Internet order and also provide the customers catalogues for them on the website. Moreover, the IT system also enhanced the internal management of FedEx Corporation. For the enormous organization, the dependable information system should be the basis for the busy operation process. (I.e. in 1995, FedEx launched AsiaOne Network, it is a transportation routing system) Fourthly, speed, for the transportation and logistics industry, speed is one of the crucial elements for the customers choosing a transportation co mpany. The online order and the unique information system in FedEx deal with the order and storage, goods and shipping process, every process could reduce the time than before. For example, the FedEx Marketplace provided easy access to on-line merchants to offer fast FedEx shipping. Last but not least, quality, all of the strategies and performances about Internet and e-tailing could be linked to improve the quality providing for the customers and partners. For instance, the FedEx created e-business Tool in the year of 1997 which could support an easier connection with FedEx shipping applications. And the EuroOne network established also provide a powerful transportation routing system which linking more than 30 cities. All of this would enhance the service quality of FedExs Internet and e-tailing. Consequently, the FedEx had an explicit objective in the Internet and e-tailing market, for both financial and non-financial performance of organization in this area was focus on achieving their objective. For the customers and partners, FedEx try to provide more flexible, convenient, fast service by the Internet and e-tailing channel, created dependable and loyal relationships with them and build a perfect reputation in the market. For the own organization, it insisted on long-term investment on Internet and e-tailing area, it would lead to earn a long-term benefits. Besides, the organization continually emphasized on the infrastructure building and technology improvement, to create a dependable operation system and transportation team which could support the smooth operation in Internet and e-tailing market. All of these performances lead the development of FedEx. It could not satisfy only by the pioneer of Internet business in the Global Transportation and Logistics Industry but t ry to be the long-term leadership in this market. 5. Conclusion As has been discussed and evaluated, the Global Transportation and Logistics Industry as a significant industry in the world, the competition is intense and its changes is large and rapid. For the main organization in the industry, such as FedEx Corporation, should have clear objectives in its long-term operation and management. It includes the right decisions in the value-chain activities the specific process in the supply-chain management. Furthermore, the company should have a penetrating judgment for the marketing trend in the following years and according the judgment and other factors provide a right decision for Merger and Acquisition strategies. Additionally, the organizations should also focus on the infrastructure building, enhance the performance in their operation and management process. Internet market should still play a significant role in the Global Transportation and Logistics Industry and its potential benefit is enormous. Hence, to gain the leadership position in t he Internet and E-commerce area may lead the organization to take the leadership in the Global Transportation and Logistics Industry.

The History of the Antitrust Laws Essay -- U.S. Law

In the 1800’s there were several businesses known as trusts. These â€Å"trusts† owned the entire industry. Railroads, sugar, oil, and steel were some of the major products that were controlled by these trusts. U.S. Steel and Standard Oil were two big companies that were famous for controlling their product and the industry it was a part of. The oil industry was an easy industry to be monopolized because the deposits were rare. The Standard Oil Company was incorporated by John D. Rockefeller in Ohio in 1870. At the time, the refining business was highly competitive, and Standard Oil had more than 250 competitors. Rockefeller and his associates took advantage of both the scarcity of oil and the returns produced from it to lay down a monopoly, with no help from the banks. The industry practices and questionable strategy that Rockefeller used to form Standard Oil made the Enron mass feel ashamed, but the completed product was not near as harmful to the market or the environment as the industry was previous to Rockefeller monopolizing it. There once were a lot of oil companies competing to make the most of their find. Companies would pump waste products into the rivers or on the ground because it cost too much for research on how to dispose of it properly. They also slashed costs by pumping through poor pipelines that were famous for seepage. Standard Oil eventually owned 90% of oil production and distribution in the United States, and they had learned how to make money off of their waste products. Vaseline was one of many of the new products formed. Andrew Carnegie went a lengthy way in producing a monopoly in the steel industry U.S. Steel, a gigantic corporation nearly reaching the magnitude of Standard Oil. U.S. Steel ... ...rman+Act Antitrust: An Overview. ANTITRUST. Legal Information Institute. Cornell University Law School. http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/Antitrust Sherman Anti-Trust Act. LawBrain. http://lawbrain.com/wiki/Sherman_Anti-Trust_Act Clayton Act. LawBrain. http://lawbrain.com/wiki/Clayton_Act Herbert Hovenkamp. Clayton Act (1914). Enotes. Major Acts of Congress,  ©2004 Gale Cengage. http://www.enotes.com/clayton-act-1914-reference/clayton-act-1914 Herbert Hovenkamp. Federal Trade Commission Act (1914). Enotes. Major Acts of Congress,  ©2004 Gale Cengage. http://www.enotes.com/federal-trade-commission-act-1914-100734-reference/federal-trade-commission-act-1914 Herbert Hovenkamp. Sherman Antitrust Act (1890). Enotes. Major Acts of Congress,  ©2004 Gale Cengage. http://www.enotes.com/sherman-antitrust-act-1890-101422-reference/sherman-antitrust-act-1890

Poisonous Weeds Essay -- Plants Poison Nature Essays Papers

Poisonous Weeds From the book Common Poisonous Plants and Mushroom of North America by Nancy J. Turner and Adam F. Szczawinski comes a very interesting story. â€Å"In April 1980, a five-year-old child was fatally poisoned in Victoria, British Columbia from eating Poison Hemlock while at play with her sisters. Her babysitter was not even aware that she had eaten the plant. The little girl felt sick and would not eat. She laid down, and within an hour fell into a deep coma. It was only at this point that her sisters recalled that earlier she had eaten a plant. She was rushed to the hospital, but despite all efforts to save her life, she died six days later† (Szczawinski, Turner, xi). Poison Hemlock is just one of the thousands of plants that are poisonous to humans as well as animals. In addition, the plants Jimsonweed and Deadly Nightshade can also have extremely harmful effects on humans. All three of these poisonous plants can turn up anywhere from hiking trails to backyards to fie lds, so therefore it is important to be able to identify them and understand how deadly they potentially can be. In order to prevent what happened in the story at the beginning, let’s look more closely at Poison Hemlock (Conium Maculatum). When mature, this carrot-like plant can get up to six feet or greater in height with triangular, fern-like leaves (Szczawinski, Turner, 129). The plant possesses white flowers, which are grouped in numerous umbrella-like clusters. Small, grayish brown, and flat with five curvy ridges running lengthwise describe the fruit of Poison Hemlock. However, beware of ever crushing or even touching this plant because a strong mouse odor will be emitted. Originally from Europe, Poison Hemlock is now an obnoxiou... ...ipedia.org/wiki/Datura_stramonium http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadly_Nightshade http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison_Hemlock Natural Resources Conservation Service-http://plants.usda.gov Research and Extension Center: Virtual Herbarium-http://uvalde.tamu.edu/herbarium/dain.htm National Capital Poison Center- http://www.poison.org/prevent/plants.asp Ophthalmic Kew Garden- http://www.mrcophth.com/plants/minipicturesofplantsforeyes.html Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University-Bozeman and MSU Extension Services Noxious Weed Specialist, respectively- http://www.montana.edu/wwwpb/pubs/mt200013.html Poison Hemlock Site- http://museum.gov.ns.ca/poison/hemlock.htm

The Harmful Educational Tracking System Essay -- Education, Curriculum

In this day and age, the United States, leader of the free world, is not leading. Our economic system is failing. Even worse, our educational system falls short compared to other nations. Consequently, our literacy rate and mathematical abilities are far behind; and even more embarrassing is the fact that education is not doled out equally despite our rather relentless fight against inequality. When academic achievement is examined on the basis of race, class, and gender, widening academic gaps are evident. * If this continues, there will be nowhere to go but down, economically and educationally. In order to prevent this foreboding future, we must get rid of the practice behind it - Tracking. Tracking, or homogenous grouping, is a process in which groups of students are assigned to different sets of classes, or tracks, based on factors such as academic performance, teacher recommendation, and potential for acquiring more knowledge (Oakes 3; Gamoran and Mare 1152). Schools use tracking to determine class placement for students for optimal instruction. The placement of these students is, supposedly, meant to meet their varying needs. In some schools tracking is done based on subject, meaning a student can be a quick learner in math, but slow in language, etc (Lockwood 2; Oakes 3). While tracking can serve as an effective means of organization within a school, it also harbors many detrimental effects for students. This brings me to the purpose of this paper, that tracking is not a practice worth continuing and should be discontinued? Tracking must be terminated. In this paper, in order to understand why we must detrack, I will first examine tracking in terms of race and class. Second, I will consider the effects of tracking as... ...Web. 14 Oct. 2011. Page, Reba Neukom. Lower-Track Classrooms: A Curricular and Cultural Perspective. New York: Teachers College, 1991. Print Petrilli, Michael. â€Å"All Together Now? Educating High and Low Achievers in the Same Classroom.† Education Next 11.1 (2011): 48-55. Web. 4 Nov. 2011. Pool, Harbison, and Jane A. Page, eds. Beyond Tracking: Finding Success in Inclusive Schools. Bloomington, Indiana: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation, 1995. Print. Schofield, Janet Ward â€Å"International Evidence on Ability Grouping With Curriculum Differentiation and the Achievement Gap in Secondary Schools.† Teachers College Record 112.5 (2010):1492-1528. Wheelock, Anne. Alternatives To Tracking and Ability Grouping. Virginia: American Association of School Administrators, 1994. Print.

High School vs College Essay

Having a good education is the key to becoming successful in life. It is a proven fact. This achievement requires not only graduating from high school, but also from college. Moving from high school to college may be an exciting transition, but it is also a very difficult one. It is a challenge that the student will struggle with and eventually adjust to over time. Although there are many differences between high school and college, one should not think that they are tow completely different worlds. They have their similarities, too. Being a college student requires a lot of responsibility, lots more than is required in high school. In college you won’t have your teacher to remind you of a test coming up or to do your homework. They give you a syllabus with all the due dates on it and expect you to go by it. Also, you’re mom isn’t with you in college to make sure you are awake and ready for class in time either. All of this, my friend, is up to you. The first few weeks of college, I slept in and missed my 8 o’clock chemistry lab class. In high school my mom always made sure I was awake and ready for school. College also has fewer rules than high school does, but this freedom is not all that it’s cut out to be. If you get into a fight, don’t look to just be sent to the principal’s office for a lecture. Instead, you should be well prepared to put your hands behind your back and be escorted away in a car driven by a uniformed police officer. In high school there are rules for dress code. In college, expect to see anything, because there are no dress code rules. Most people in college are mature enough to wear what is appropriate. However, there are always those few exceptions to this generalization. The ratio of similarities between college and high school is almost equal to that of the differences. In the first few years of college, the type of classes is similar if you took the challenging ones offered in high school. You’ll always be taking math, english, science, and social studies. If you thought you were going to avoid these classes, then you thought wrong. I thought I was done with english and history. My high school guidance counselor pulled up VSU’s core curriculum and proved me wrong. Just like in high school, college students have to take a certain amount of classes from each subject in order to get a degree. In high school there are many cliques that form. The rich students bond together in the preppy clique. There are also cliques for those that are involved in sports. Cliques form in a wide variety and every student is in some way or another involved in at least one. College also has cliques that are very similar. As soon as you â€Å"warm up† to the college life, you will find yourself involved in one and there’s nothing wrong with that. It will help you meet new people and ease the transition from high school to college. These cliques help the school year pass quicker and make it more memorable when you are doing things with friends as compared to being alone the whole year. In college you will find the structure of classes to be the same as the one used in high school. Semester systems are used to divide up the year into at least two grading periods. In addition, everyone has classes to attend or else they wouldn’t be considered a student. Each student also has a certain grade requirement that they must meet in order to pass the course. In college if you don’t make a certain grade, you may lose your financial aid and end up paying for it out of your pocket and maybe even your parents. Among the many similarities and differences, the most significant is the difference between the institutional cultures, or how the school is run and the atmosphere that is created in it by the administrators. Many of you will agree that high school has the atmosphere of a prison. Everything is regimented. You have a strict schedule that fills your day from eight in the morning until three in the afternoon and there’s no way to get out of it. By the time you get home, you don’t want to study after being in school and doing school work all day. Also, even though you’re considered to be a young adult, you still get treated like a child. Teachers monitor everything the students do and act as if they need to be contained. Students are told what they can and cannot wear. Some high schools have even implemented uniforms. Basically your ways of expressing yourself is limited. Everything you do or say is restricted to the school’s Code of Conduct, which is so refined there will be no loop holes, I promise you that. Many of these rules even take away some of your Constitutional rights. You have no freedom of speech. And the only way you have a sense of freedom of opinion about something or someone you don’t like is if you keep that opinion to yourself. College is where all of that changes. You decide when your classes are and what subject they will be based upon your major. If you prefer to get your classes over with in the mornings, you can. You can even schedule classes for late in the evening. Many college students tend to space out their schedule to give them free time in between classes. You can even pick your professors. Furthermore, the atmosphere is more laid back and heterodox. There are hardly any rules and none of them violate your Constitutional rights. College consists of many different students from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds. Since college is so diverse, students are actually encouraged to express their point of views, whether it be by what they decide to wear or just by their actions and speech. If cussing is how you express yourself, then there are no rules opposing it like in high school. In addition, at the end of every semester you can even express your opinions on your professor(s), whether it’s negative or positive. No rules are in place that affects what you say about your professor. There are rules, don’t get me wrong, but the administrators or faculty members don’t stand by and watch your every move. If you violate a rule the majority of the time no one pays attention. However if a person reports it, rest assured that you will be notified of the consequences pretty soon. In a sense it is unfair to compare and contrast these two forms of education. There are so many different things that each person does to define their period in high school and college. These branches of life are what you make them. The similarities and differences that I have told you are the most basic ones. Each university and high school is different just as its students are. To find more of the similarities and differences, you must experience both yourself.