Computer Vision and Highway Automation

A survey is given on the development of machine vision for road vehicle guidance. Through early work in real-time simulation with real hardware in the loop at UBM, and through the EUREKA-project 'Prometheus' from 1987 to 1994 following the 100 th anniversary of road vehicle developments since 1886, Europe has pioneered the field. Since first fully autonomous testdrives in 1986, and first participation in public traffic in 1992, considerable progress has been achieved. With continuous growth in computing power of microprocessors at a rate of about one order of magnitude every four to five years, sufficient performance levels for dynamic machine vision will be available within one or two decades. The principles of dynamic vision as developed at UBM and performance levels achieved are discussed.     

The economics of technological change in shipping

Management of technological change is among the most important problems in shipping management. Models representing the economic impact of technological change in shipping are presented and the use of technology productivity analysis as a method for effective management of technological change in shipping is proposed.     

Hierarchical logic in shipping policy and decision-making

Shipping policy is made and implemented under conditions of multiple objectives and constraints. It is often also subject to diverse interests and decision-makers, each with his own agenda. Policy alternatives usually have different financial, economic, market, environmental, and other implications, and, as a result, affect objectives and constraints differently. In turn, their desirability from the point of view of the various decision-makers will be influenced by complex sets of priorities. Shipping policy and decision-making involves the trade-off among a myriad of often conflicting objectives in the choice between alternative strategies. A hierarchical network approach to the determination of the most effective choice or strategy is proposed to represent the effect of policy alternatives on desired and undesired outcomes and the impact of these outcomes on the objectives and, as a result, the various interest groups supporting different policy objectives. The model suggested is based on the analytic hierarchy or expert choice process and permits consideration of both qualitative as well as quantitative performance measures and their impact on policy or decision objectives.     

德国钢渣特性及其在路面工程中的综合利用

德国在钢渣处理方面有不少可以借鉴的地方。通过深入实际对德国钢渣的调查研究,详细报道了德国钢渣的主要种类,获取方式及不同工艺处理下各钢渣的特性,并对德国钢渣的排放及其在路面工程中的综合利用情况进行阐述,最后展望我国在钢渣性能改善及综合利用方面的发展前景及今后的研究趋势。     

现代化机车车辆是竞争的因素

在运输系统相互间的竞争和铁路内部竞争中,现代化的机车车辆是起决定性作用的因素.从用户的角度讨论了现代化机车车辆的功能特征,并深入研究了相互间的竞争以及铁路内部竞争和制造厂之间的竞争对机车车辆现代化的作用以及对今后的影响.     

China' maritime developments

Development of ports and shipping in China are continuing at a phenomenal pace. They are now entering a second phase in these developments. With basic capacity to handle China's growing foreign trade established. China's ports and shipping are now being ratinalized in terms of inland infrastructure and intermodal networks, optimum trade flows, foreign alliances, and physical forms or consolidation of cargo. These developments are driven by the lack of a large, deep water ocean fleet on one hand and limited water depths at many major ports. Similarly, the extension of economic development to the inland ports of China has become a priority as has the effective integration of Hong Kong and gradual opening of direct shipping across the Taiwan Straits.     

Strategic planning applied to shipping and ports

Changing economic, trade, technological and environmental conditions today affect shipping and ports more than ever before. As a result, it has become essential for them to maintain and update strategic decisions and objectives more and more frequently. Concepts and approaches found effective in strategic planning are presented and their applications to shipping and ports are reviewed.     

Port or shipping project appraisal under risk .

Investments in ports and shipping today are subject to uncertainty in demand, costs, prices, and technology requirements. As a result, port and shipping project appraisal must consider the risk of project decisions on outcome. The basic concepts of project appraisal under risk are discussed in this paper, and the effects of uncertainties on measures of project performance such as net present value or internal rate of return are reviewed. Applications of the approach advocated are presented in a follow-up paper.