Search results

As voice search has progressively become a new way of information acquisition and human–computer interaction, this paper aims to explore the users' voice search behavior in human–vehicle interaction.

This study employed mixed research methods, including questionnaires and interviews. A total of 151 Amazon MTurk volunteers were recruited to complete a questionnaire based on their most recent and impressive voice search experience. After the questionnaire, this paper conducted an online interview with the participants.

This paper studied users' voice search behavior characteristics in the context of the human–vehicle interaction and analyzed the voice search content, search need, search motivation and user satisfaction. In addition, this paper studied the barriers and suggestions for voice search in human–vehicle interaction through a content analysis of the interviews.

This paper's analysis of users' barriers and suggestions has a specific reference value for optimizing the voice search interaction system and improving the service.

This study is exploratory research that seeks to identify users' voice search needs and tasks and investigate voice search satisfaction in human–vehicle interaction context.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the contact models for contact and vibration features of cylindrical roller bearings (CRBs). CRBs are important parts of rotating machinery. The contact deformation between the roller and the raceway is an essential research topic for the CRBs. The contact deformation between the roller and the raceway can greatly affect vibration characteristics and fatigue life of the CRBs. In this investigation, six different methods are adopted to calculate the contact deformation, contact area width and contact stress between the roller and raceways of a CRB.

In this paper, the contact deformations and the contact stiffnesses between the roller and the raceway of a CRB obtained by various well-known empirical methods (Lundberg’s, Palmgren’s, Houpert’s, Cheng’s and Hertzian methods) are directly compared with those by the finite element (FE) method. A two degree-of-freedom (2 DOF) dynamic model of the CRB is applied to investigate the effects of the contact stiffness obtained by different line contact deformation calculation methods on the vibration characteristics, such as the root mean square (RMS), the peak to peak (PTP), the crest factor and the kurtosis of the displacement, velocity and acceleration of the inner raceway.

The computational results show that different calculation methods for the contact deformations between rollers and raceways have significant effects on the vibrations of the CRB. It is found that that the differences of computational results obtained by Palmgren’s and Lundberg’s models with respect to the FE method are smaller than those by the other three methods, i.e. Houpert’s, Cheng’s and Hertzain models. The amplitude and peak frequency of the frequency response functions from Palmgren’s method are much more similar to those from the finite element method. The above results indicate that Palmgren’s method is a better calculation method for predicting the contact deformations and dynamics of the CRBs.

This work adopts six different methods to calculate the contact deformation, contact area width and contact stress between the roller and raceways of a CRB. Moreover, a vibration model of a CRB is used to investigate the effect of contact stiffness obtained by the above methods on the vibrations of the CRB. The works can give some guidance for the accurate analytical method for calculating the contact deformations between rollers and raceways and the vibrations of the CRB.

This paper aims to figure out the conundrum that the corrosion resistance longevity of steel wires for bridge cables was arduous to meet the requirements.

The “two-step” hot-dip coating process for cable steel wires was developed, which involved first hot-dip galvanizing and then hot-dip galvanizing of aluminum magnesium alloy. The corrosion rate, polarization curve and impedance of Zn–6Al–1Mg and Zn–10Al–3Mg alloy-coated steel wires were compared through acetate spray test and electrochemical test, and the corrosion mechanism of Zn–Al–Mg alloy-coated steel wires was revealed.

The corrosion resistance of Zn–10Al–3Mg alloy-coated steel wires had the best corrosion resistance, which was more than seven times that of pure zinc-coated steel wires. The corrosion current of Zn–10Al–3Mg alloy-coated steel wires was lower than that of Zn–6Al–1Mg alloy-coated steel wires, whereas the capacitive arc and impedance value of the former were higher than that of the latter, making it clear that the corrosion resistance of Zn–10Al–3Mg was better than that of Zn–6Al–1Mg alloy coating. Moreover, the Zn–Al–Mg alloy-coated steel wires for bridge cables had the function of coating “self-repairing.”

Controlling the temperature and time of the hot dip galvanizing stage can reduce the thickness of transition layer and solve the problem of easy cracking of the transition layer in the Zn–Al–Mg alloy coating due to the Sandelin effect.

The quality liability of prefabricated components (PCs) is a major issue among key stakeholders. The blockchain-based quality tracking systems are supposed to support a more transparent and trusting quality control process. However, many factors affect the stakeholders' willingness toward the adoption of such quality tracking systems. The purpose of this research is to investigate the key factors that influence the stakeholders' adoption decisions toward the application of the quality tracking system in PCs and develop coping strategies.

An evolutionary game model is established that includes the manufacturer, constructor and developer. Four scenarios of equilibriums and the game's evolutionary stable strategies are analyzed, and the corresponding stability conditions are then obtained. Based on the tripartite game model, two representative projects are used as case studies to simulate how different factors affect the stakeholders' decisions.

First, trade-offs between cost and benefits were the most prominent factor in the adoption decision-making. Second, the advancement of technologies would compensate for their immaturity. Third, subsidy and penalty provision of the developer and high-level trust both incentivize the stakeholders to adopt the quality tracking systems.

This research investigates the influence of technology, environment and participant related factors on the adoption decisions of the quality tracking system for PCs and discovered that technology maturity and advancement played an essential role. It is expected that the research findings would be of value to policy makers and project management personnel for better quality control of prefabricated construction.

The purpose of this paper was to develop a novel capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) reception and transmission linear array for underwater imaging at 400 kHz. Compared with traditional CMUTs, the developed transducer array offers higher electromechanical coupling coefficient and higher directivity performance.

The configuration of the newly developed CMUT reception and transmission array was determined by the authors’ previous research into new element structures with patterned top electrodes and into directivity simulation analysis. Using the Si-Silicon on insulator (Si-SOI) bonding technique and the principle of acoustic impedance matching, the CMUT array was fabricated and packaged. In addition, underwater imaging system design and testing based on the packaged CMUT 1 × 16 array were completed.

The simulation results showed that the optimized CMUT array configuration was selected. Furthermore, the designed configuration of the CMUT 1 × 16 linear array was good enough to guarantee high angular resolution. The underwater experiments were conducted to demonstrate that this CMUT array can be of great benefit in imaging applications.

Based on our research, the CMUT linear array has good directivity and good impedance matching with water and can be used for obstacle avoidance, distance measurement and imaging underwater.

This research provides a basis for CMUT directivity theory and array design. CMUT array presented in this paper has good directivity and has been applied in the underwater imaging, resulting in a huge market potential in underwater detection systems.

Recent innovations in payment instruments have fundamentally changed the ways we pay. These innovations, such as mobile/SMS payments and online banking, contain features that are likely to influence how people choose to pay. The purpose of this paper is to understand the factors that impact payers’ choice of payment instruments.

Through in-depth interviews using the repertory grid technique, the authors explored 15 payers’ perceptions of six payment instruments, including coins, banknotes, debit cards, credit cards, mobile payments, and online banking. The approach draws heavily on organizational systematics to better understand payers’ choice of payment instruments.

A four-category taxonomy of payments was developed. The authors refer to the taxonomy as the 4Ps: the purchase, the payer, the payment instrument, and the physical technology. The taxonomy comprises 16 payment characteristics consisting 76 payment features that influence payers’ instrument choice. One characteristic not known in prior research was identified – that is, “cancellation” – a characteristic more frequently associated with digital payment instruments than with cash or checks.

The findings suggest that payers view payment instruments in a much broader sense, including context, control, or cultural beliefs. Consequently, the authors suggest that researchers try to understand the essence of an innovation before assuming any economic rationalism in human or organizational behavior. The authors also urge researchers to understand the underlying meaning behind constructs of interest; as this study has shown that concepts like context and convenience have many different interpretations.

According to McKinsey (2014) there are over 12,000 startups in the payment arena. For them, the taxonomy can function as a template for the design of payment instruments, as well as understanding the various factors that influence payer choice of payment instruments.

The main contribution of this paper is the 4Ps taxonomy of payments. The taxonomy builds on and extends the work by Hirschman (1982). Since this work, and despite recent trends in payments, there has not been a comprehensive investigation that takes into account more recent innovations in payment instruments.