Tactile-Proprioceptive Robotic Grasping

Robotic grasping has been studied increasingly for a few decades. While progress has been made in this field, robotic hands are still nowhere near the capability of human hands. However, in the past few years, the increase in computational power and the availability of commercial tactile sensors have made it easier to develop techniques that exploit the feedback from the hand itself, the sense of touch. The focus of this thesis lies in the use of this sense. The work described in this thesis focuses on robotic grasping from two different viewpoints: robotic systems and data-driven grasping. The robotic systems viewpoint describes a complete architecture for the act of grasping and, to a lesser extent, more general manipulation. Two central claims that the architecture was designed for are hardware independence and the use of sensors during grasping. These properties enables the use of multiple different robotic platforms within the architecture. Secondly, new data-driven methods are proposed that can be incorporated into the grasping process. The first of these methods is a novel way of learning grasp stability from the tactile and haptic feedback of the hand instead of analytically solving the stability from a set of known contacts between the hand and the object. By learning from the data directly, there is no need to know the properties of the hand, such as kinematics, enabling the method to be utilized with complex hands. The second novel method, probabilistic grasping, combines the fields of tactile exploration and grasp planning. By employing well-known statistical methods and pre-existing knowledge of an object, object properties, such as pose, can be inferred with related uncertainty. This uncertainty is utilized by a grasp planning process which plans for stable grasps under the inferred uncertainty.

Yhdysvaltain ja Venäjän kehitteillä olevien viidennen sukupolven hävittäjien kehittämisaikataulu

Suomen F-18 Hornet -hävittäjät on määrä korvata uusilla hävittäjillä 2020-luvun puolivälin jälkeen. Suomi on osoittanut mielenkiintoa kehitteillä olevaan viidennen sukupolven F-35 Lightning II :een, joka on kiinnostuksen kohteena ympäri maailman. Myös Venäjän kehittelemä T-50 on maailmanlaajuisen mielenkiinnon kohteena. Tässä tutkimuksessa vertailtiin neljännen sukupolven hävittäjien kehittämisaikatauluja F- 35:n ja T-50:n kehittämisaikatauluihin. Vertailun perusteella laadittiin arvio F-35:n ja T- 50:n kehittämisaikataulujen tilasta sekä molempien alustavan operatiivisen käytettävyyden (Initial Operating Capability, IOC) saavuttamisajankohdasta. Tutkimuksen pääkysymys oli: Mikä on Yhdysvaltain ja Venäjän kehitteillä olevien viidennen sukupolven hävittäjien tilanne suhteessa edellisen sukupolven hävittäjien kehittämisaikajanaan? Tutkimus on kirjallisuustutkimukseen perustuva deskriptiivinen tulevaisuudentutkimus. Tutkimuksessa havaittiin, että neljännen sukupolven hävittäjien kehittäminen kesti noin 7½ vuodesta 26½ vuoteen. Neljännen sukupolven hävittäjien kehittämisen keskiarvoon nähden F-35A ja F-35C ovat kahdeksan vuotta, F-35B noin kuusi vuotta ja T-50 viisi vuotta jäljessä. Tutkimuksen perusteella voidaan arvioida, että F-35A ja F-35C saavuttavat IOC:n aikaisintaan vuonna 2018, F-35B vuonna 2016 ja T-50 vuonna 2019, mutta todennäköisesti vasta vuonna 2020.

Taksamittarin EMC-testaus

Työssä esitellään ajoneuvokäytössä elektronisiin laitteisiin mahdollisesti vaikuttavat sähkömagneettiset häiriöt, kytkeytyneiden häiriöiden siirtotiet sekä kytkeytyneiden häiriöiden muodot. Työssä käydään läpi lyhyesti tapoja joilla häiriön syntyä voidaan vähentää. Lisäksi työssä käydään läpi lyhyesti tapoja joilla häiriön vaikutusta voidaan pyrkiä vähentämään. Työssä esitellään laite, jonka mahdollisuuksia toimia taksin taksamittarina tutkitaan. Taksin taksamittarin tulee täyttää Euroopan Unionin alueella myynnissä ollessaan täyttää Euroopan Unionin asettama direktiivi ajoneuvoelektroniikalle, lisäksi laitteen tulee täyttää Euroopan Unionin mittalaitedirektiivin asettamat vaatimukset. Esitellyn laiteen häiriönsietoa testataan sähkökenttää vastaan Euroopan Unionin asettaman direktiivin mukaisesti.

Ambidextrous leadership in customer contact centre organization

In a modern dynamic environment organizations are facing new requirements for success and competitive advantage. This also sets new requirements for leaders. The term of ambidexterity is used in relation with organizations that are able to manage short-term efficiency and long-term innovation simultaneously. Ambidextrous leaders have the same capability at an individual level. They are able to balance between efficiency and flexibility. This study examined the confrontation of these two competing concepts in the leadership perspective. The aim of the study was to understand this recently arisen concept and its antecedents and examine what is currently known about ambidextrous leadership. This was a case study with data collected through theme interviews in a result orientated customer centre organization that has a cultural change at hand when it comes to leadership and empowerment. Organization wants to be efficient and flexible at the same time (a.k.a. ambidextrous) and that requires new type of leadership. In this study the aim was to describe the capabilities and criteria for ambidextrous leader and examine the leadership roles related to ambidextrous leadership in different hierarchical levels. The case organization had also created systematic means to support this cultural change and the effects of the process related to leadership were studied. This study showed that the area is yet widely unexplored and contradictory views are presented. This study contributes to the deprivation of study of ambidexterity in leadership and individuals. The study presents a description of ambidextrous leadership and describes the capabilities of ambidextrous leader. Ambidextrous leaders are able to make cognitive decisions between their leadership style according to situation that requires either leadership related to efficiency such as transactional leadership or leadership related to flexibility such as transformational leadership. Their leadership style supports both short-term and long-term goals. This study also shows that the role of top management is vital and operational leaders rely on their example.

The value of digitalization of services in the new service development

The purpose of this thesis is to study factors that have an impact on the company’s capabilities to identify and analyze the value of digitalization of services during the early stages of service development process and evaluate them from the perspective of a case company. The research problem was defined: “How digitalization of services affects delivering the services of the future?” The research method of this thesis was based on the qualitative case study which aimed to study both company’s and customer’s set of values. The study included a literature review and a development study. The empirical research part consisted of analyzing three existing services, specifying a new digital service concept and its feasibility analysis as part of a business requirement phase. To understand the set of values, 10 stakeholder interviews were conducted and earlier customer surveys were utilized, and additionally, a number of meetings were conducted with the case company representatives to develop service concept, and evaluate the findings. The impact of the early stages of service development process discovered to reflect directly in the capabilities of the case company to identify and create customer value were related to the themes presented in the literature review. In order to specify the value achieved from the digitalization the following areas of strategic background elements were deepened during the study: Innovations, customer understanding and business service. Based on the findings, the study aims to enhance the case company’s capability to identify and evaluate the impact of the digitalization in delivering services of the future. Recognizing the value of digital service before the beginning of the development project is important to the businesses of both customer and provider. By exploring the various levels of digitalization one can get the overall picture of the value gained from utilizing digital opportunities. From the development perspective, the process of reviewing and discovering the most promising opportunities and solutions is the key step in order to deliver superior services. Ultimately, a company should understand the value outcome determination of the individual services as well as their digital counterparts.

Active inverter output filtering methods

Frequency converters are widely used in the industry to enable better controllability and efficiency of variable speed AC motor drives. Despite these advantages, certain challenges concerning the inverter and motor interfacing have been present for decades. As insulated gate bipolar transistors entered the market, the inverter output voltage transition rate significantly increased compared with their predecessors. Inverters operate based on pulse width modulation of the output voltage, and the steep voltage edge fed by the inverter produces a motor terminal overvoltage. The overvoltage causes extra stress to the motor insulation, which may lead to a prematuremotor failure. The overvoltage is not generated by the inverter alone, but also by the sum effect of the motor cable length and the impedance mismatch between the cable and the motor. Many solutions have been shown to limit the overvoltage, and the mainstream products focus on passive filters. This doctoral thesis studies an alternative methodology for motor overvoltage reduction. The focus is on minimization of the passive filter dimensions, physical and electrical, or better yet, on operation without any filter. This is achieved by additional inverter control and modulation. The studied methods are implemented on different inverter topologies, varying in nominal voltage and current.For two-level inverters, the studied method is termed active du/dt. It consists of a small output LC filter, which is controlled by an independent modulator. The overvoltage is limited by a reduced voltage transition rate. For multilevel inverters, an overvoltage mitigation method operating without a passive filter, called edge modulation, is implemented. The method uses the capability of the inverter to produce two switching operations in the same direction to cancel the oscillating voltages of opposite phases. For parallel inverters, two methods are studied. They are both intended for two-level inverters, but the first uses individual motor cables from each inverter while the other topology applies output inductors. The overvoltage is reduced by interleaving the switching operations to produce a similar oscillation accumulation as with the edge modulation. The implementation of these methods is discussed in detail, and the necessary modifications to the control system of the inverter are presented. Each method is experimentally verified by operating industrial frequency converters with the modified control. All the methods are found feasible, and they provide sufficient overvoltage protection. The limitations and challenges brought about by the methods are discussed.

Käyttöpääoman sitoutuminen ja kiertoajat lääkejakeluketjussa

Työn tavoitteenaan oli selvittää suomalaisen lääkejakeluketjun rakenne sekä saada selkeä kuva ketjun toiminnan tehokkuudesta käyttöpääoman sitoutumisen ja kiertoaikojen osalta. Työn alussa käydään läpi teoriaa ja tutkimusta käyttöpääomasta ja sen erien kiertoajoista sekä erityisesti niiden huomioimisesta arvoketjussa. Lisäksi esitellään Suomen lääkemarkkinoiden toimintaa sekä sen toimijoita. Työn empiirinen osa suoritettiin kahdessa päävaiheessa. Ensin analysoitiin Voitto+ -ohjelmasta saatuja valittujen lääkejakeluketjun yritysten julkisia tilinpäätöstietoja ajalta 2005- 2011. Analysointi perustui käyttöpääoman sekä sen erien myyntisaamisten, ostovelkojen ja vaihto-omaisuuden kiertoaikojen laskemiseen. Ketjun yrityksiä vertailtiin toisiinsa ketjun osien keskimääräisten kiertoaikojen osalta ja saatiin selville niiden suhteellinen sijoittuminen toisiinsa nähden. Työn toisessa päävaiheessa haastateltiin esimerkkitoimijaa käsitellyn lääkejakeluketjun jokaisesta osasta: lääketehdas, tukkujakelija ja apteekki. Työssä huomattiin, että käyttöpääoman kiertoaikaan lääkejakeluketjussa vaikuttaa ensisijaisesti ketjun osan toiminnan luonne ja käyttöpääoman hallinnan tehokkuus lääkejakeluketjun toimijoiden välillä vaihtelee osaamisen ja resurssien mukaan. Ketjun eri osissa painottuvat eri käyttöpääoman erät ja ketjun toiminta on optimoitunut aikojen saatossa hyvin stabiiliin tilaan, jota ketjun jäsenillä ei näytä olevan halua muuttaa. Lääkejakeluketjun käyttöpääomaan hallintaa voitaisiin tehostaa varastonhallintaa parantamalla sekä informaation jakamisella saattamalla kysyntätiedot nopeammin koko ketjun tietoon.

Tietotyöntekijöiden osaamisen mittaaminen

Tietotyötä ja tietotyöntekijöitä on tutkittu jo monta vuosikymmentä, mutta siitä huolimatta nämä määritelmät ovat edelleen vailla tieteellisessä käytännössä vakiintunutta sisältöä. Voitaneen kuitenkin sanoa, että nykypäivän työstä yhä suurempi osuus on luokiteltavissa tietotyöksi. Tietotyöntekijöille puolestaan on keskeistä oman osaamisen myyminen työmarkkinoilla. Tästä huolimatta tietotyöntekijöiden osaaminen on tieteellisessä tutkimuksessa jäänyt melko vähäiselle huomiolle. Tässä tutkimuksessa tavoitteena on selvittää, millainen osaaminen on keskeistä kaikille tietotyöntekijöille. Tämän lisäksi tarkasteltiin myös sitä, miten näitä keskeisiä osaamisalueita voidaan mitata osaamiskartoituksen, inhimillisen pääoman tai henkilöstötilinpäätöksen avulla. Tutkimus suoritettiin laadullisena tutkimuksena ja hyödyntäen lähinnä grounded theory –menetelmää. Tutkimusaineisto kerättiin tietotyöntekijöiden puolistrukturoidulla haastattelulla sekä rekrytoinnin ammattilaisille suunnatulla lomakekyselyllä, joka toteutettiin internetin välityksellä. Erityisen keskeisinä tietotyöntekijöille voidaan pitää yleisemmän tason osaamisia, kuten esimerkiksi sosiaalisia taitoja tai ongelmanratkaisukykyä. Huomattava merkitys on myös persoonaan liittyvillä ominaisuuksilla, motivaatiolla ja asenteella. Mittaamisen suhteen nämä ovat haastavia, sillä niiden toteaminen ei ole samalla tavalla yksinkertaista kuin ammattispesifin osaamisen havaitseminen. Nämä ominaisuudet ovat kuitenkin siinä määrin keskeisiä tietotyöntekijöiden työsuorituksille, että niitä ei tulisi sivuuttaa liian vaikeina.

Design of salient pole PM synchronous machines for a vehicle traction application – Analysis and

This doctoral thesis presents a study on the development of a liquid-cooled frame salient pole permanent-magnet-exited traction machine for a four-wheel-driven electric car. The emphasis of the thesis is put on a radial flux machine design in order to achieve a light-weight machine structure for traction applications. The design features combine electromagnetic and thermal design methods, because traction machine operation does not have a strict operating point. Arbitrary load cycles and the flexible supply require special attention in the design process. It is shown that accurate modelling of the machine magnetic state is essential for high-performance operation. The saturation effect related to the cross-saturation has to be taken carefully into account in order to achieve the desired operation. Two prototype machines have been designed and built for testing: one totally enclosed machine with a special magnet module pole arrangement and another through-ventilated machine with a more traditional embedded magnet structure. Both structures are built with magnetically salient structures in order to increase the torque production capability with the reluctance torque component. Both machine structures show potential for traction usage. However, the traditional embedded magnet design turns out to be mechanically the more secure one of these two machine options.

From network pictures to network insight in solution business – the role of internal communication

Operating in business-to-business markets requires an in-depth understanding on business networks. Actions and reactions made to compete in markets are fundamentally based on managers‘ subjective perceptions of the network. However, an amalgamation of these individual perceptions, termed a network picture, to a common company level shared understanding on that network, known as network insight, is found to be a substantial challenge for companies. A company‘s capability to enhance common network insight is even argued to lead competitive advantage. Especially companies with value creating logics that require wide comprehension of and collaborating in networks, such as solution business, are necessitated to develop advanced network insight. According to the extant literature, dispersed pieces of atomized network pictures can be unified to a common network insight through a process of amalgamation that comprises barriers/drivers of multilateral exchange, manifold rationality, and recursive time. However, the extant body of literature appears to lack an understanding on the role of internal communication in the development of network insight. Nonetheless, the extant understanding on the amalgamation process indicates that internal communication plays a substantial role in the development of company level network insight. The purpose of the present thesis is to enhance understanding on internal communication in the amalgamation of network pictures to develop network insight in the solution business setting, which was chosen to represent business-to-business value creating logic that emphasizes the capability to understand and utilize networks. Thus, in solution business the role of succeeding in the amalgamation process is expected to emphasize. The study combines qualitative and quantitative research by means of various analytical methods including multiple case analysis, simulation, and social network analysis. Approaching the nascent research topic with differing perspectives and means provides a broader insight on the phenomenon. The study provides empirical evidence from Finnish business-to-business companies which operate globally. The empirical data comprise interviews (n=28) with managers of three case companies. In addition the data includes a questionnaire (n=23) collected mainly for the purpose of social network analysis. In addition, the thesis includes a simulation study more specifically achieved by means of agent based modeling. The findings of the thesis shed light on the role of internal communication in the amalgamation process, contributing to the emergent discussion of network insights and thus to the industrial marketing research. In addition, the thesis increases understanding on internal communication in the change process to solution business, a supplier‘s internal communication in its matrix organization structure during a project sales process, key barriers and drivers that influence internal communication in project sales networks, perceived power within industrial project sales, and the revisioning of network pictures. According to the findings, internal communication is found to play a substantial role in the amalgamation process. First, it is suggested that internal communication is a base of multilateral exchange. Second, it is suggested that internal communication intensifies and maintains manifold rationality. Third, internal communication is needed to explicate the usually differing time perspectives of others and thus it is suggested that internal communication has role as the explicator of recursive time. Furthermore, the role of an efficient amalgamation process is found to be emphasized in solutions business as it requires a more advanced network insight for cross-functional collaboration. Finally, the thesis offers several managerial implications for industrial suppliers to enhance the amalgamation process when operating in solution business.

Trust in inter-organisational dyadic relationships

Understanding the trust in organisations and the business relationships have been an emerging trend in past years. Researchers and executives and subject matter experts in companies have recognised the importance of managing the trust in inter-organisational relationships. Further, the interest both in academia and in business has raised an interest to under-stand dyadic relationships. The objective of this thesis was to examine trust in inter-organisational and inter-personal dyadic relationships. Trust and the dyadic relationships were analysed in information technolo-gy services and outsourcing industry. Dyads were established between the supplier company operating in the industry and its customers. The empiric part of the study was carried out by an email survey that was sent to 331 respondents resulting with effective response rate of 48.7 per cent. Statistical analyses were applied to analyse the data sample. In general, results indicated reputation, trustworthiness, capability and collaboration in dyadic trust relationships. Experience grown in duration of the relationship affected the trust positively. No drastic differences in trust were recognised when comparing supplier and customer responses.

Technology park as an element of innovative infrastructure- its role in internationalization support.

The Thesis concentrates on two central terms – Technology park and the resource-based view of the organization. General attention is devoted to competencies and capabilities of organizations that operate in foreign environment. It is difficult to go abroad without any experience and support from local government, especially for small or medium company. Technology and Science parks are the main sources of competitive advantage for this kind of organizations. They provide a huge range of services as well as business consultations and financial support on different stages of companies’ development. The Thesis was made with the assistance of Technopolis Oy in Lappeenranta. During the research companies in Finland and Russia were interviewed. Based on empirical findings important capabilities for entering foreign market were identified and some recommendations for the Technology park were given.

Prediction of 3D structure and ligand-binding properties : ABC transporters and flavodiiron proteins from Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803

Cyanobacteria are unicellular, non-nitrogen-fixing prokaryotes, which perform photosynthesis similarly as higher plants. The cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 is used as a model organism in photosynthesis research. My research described herein aims at understanding the function of the photosynthetic machinery and how it responds to changes in the environment. Detailed knowledge of the regulation of photosynthesis in cyanobacteria can be utilized for biotechnological purposes, for example in the harnessing of solar energy for biofuel production. In photosynthesis, iron participates in electron transfer. Here, we focused on iron transport in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 and particularly on the environmental regulation of the genes encoding the FutA2BC ferric iron transporter, which belongs to the ABC transporter family. A homology model built for the ATP-binding subunit FutC indicates that it has a functional ATPbinding site as well as conserved interactions with the channel-forming subunit FutB in the transporter complex. Polyamines are important for the cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. In plants, polyamines have special roles in stress response and in plant survival. The polyamine metabolism in cyanobacteria in response to environmental stress is of interest in research on stress tolerance of higher plants. In this thesis, the potd gene encoding an polyamine transporter subunit from Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 was characterized for the first time. A homology model built for PotD protein indicated that it has capability of binding polyamines, with the preference for spermidine. Furthermore, in order to investigate the structural features of the substrate specificity, polyamines were docked into the binding site. Spermidine was positioned very similarly in Synechocystis PotD as in the template structure and had most favorable interactions of the docked polyamines. Based on the homology model, experimental work was conducted, which confirmed the binding preference. Flavodiiron proteins (Flv) are enzymes, which protect the cell against toxicity of oxygen and/or nitric oxide by reduction. In this thesis, we present a novel type of photoprotection mechanism in cyanobacteria by the heterodimer of Flv2/Flv4. The constructed homology model of Flv2/Flv4 suggests a functional heterodimer capable of rapid electron transfer. The unknown protein sll0218, encoded by the flv2-flv4 operon, is assumed to facilitate the interaction of the Flv2/Flv4 heterodimer and energy transfer between the phycobilisome and PSII. Flv2/Flv4 provides an alternative electron transfer pathway and functions as an electron sink in PSII electron transfer.

Strategic Innovation Management Based on Three Dimensions

This thesis examines innovation development needs of firms in a remote rural region. The perspective of the study is in strategic innovation management and three dimensions of innovation development: innovation environment, value delivery and innovation capability. The framework is studied with a theoretical and methodological approach in the context of the development of a regional innovation system and the defining of innovation development needs. The thesis is based on existing innovation management literature, expanding it by examining the features of the three dimensions. The empirical data of the study comprise 50 purposefully selected firms within the region of Pielinen Karelia located in Eastern Finland. Most of the firms (70%) included in the study represent manufacturing firms, and over 90% are small and medium-sized enterprises. The research data consist of two questionnaires and an interview, which were done during 2011 in the connection of a regional development project. The point of view of the research is in regional development and harnessing the innovation capability of the firms within the region. The principal research approach applies soft systems methodology. The study explores the means to foster the innovativeness of firms from the viewpoints of innovation environment, innovation capability and value delivery. In closer detail, the study examines relations between the innovation capability factors, differences in innovation development needs within the value delivery system, between sectors and between firm size categories. The thesis offers three major contributions. First, the study extends earlier research on strategic innovation management by connecting the frameworks of innovation capability, innovation environment and value delivery process to the defining of innovation development needs at the regional level. The results deepen knowledge especially concerning practice-based innovation, peripheral regions and smaller firms. Second, the empirical work, based on a case study, confirms the existence of a structural connection integrating five factors of innovation capability. Statistical evidence is provided especially for the positive impacts of the improvement of absorption capability, marketing capability and networking capability, which are the main weaknesses of firms according to the study. Third, the research provides a methodological contribution by applying the innovation matrix in the defining of the innovation development needs of firms. The study demonstrates how the matrix improves possibility to target policy instruments and innovation services more efficiently through indicating significant differences between the innovation support needs regarding various time horizons and phases of innovation process.

Sähköavusteisen polkupyörän energian talteenotto lineaarigeneraattorilla

Sähköavusteisten polkupyörien määrä on kasvussa. Kasvua hidastavana tekijänä voidaan pitää niiden keskimäärin yli 1000 euron hintaa, josta suurin osa johtuu akustosta. Tämän työn tarkoituksena on selvittää lineaarigeneraattorin hyödynnettävyyttä sähköavusteisissa polkupyörissä. Lisäksi työssä kuvataan vaiheittain prototyypin suunnittelu ja rakentaminen. Mikäli lineaarigeneraattori-avusteisella sähköpolkupyörällä saavutetaan huomattava pidennys toimintamatkaan, voidaan pyörät varustaa halvemmilla ja kapasiteetiltään pienemmillä akuilla. Lineaarigeneraattorin hankintaa kannustaisi se, että se maksaisi vähemmän kuin vaihto suurempikapasiteettiseen akustoon.