Automatic extraction of 1D barcodes from video scans for drone-assisted inventory management in warehousing applications

The widespread use of barcodes has significantly contributed to accurate, efficient and economic inventory management in warehouses and distribution centres. However, its efficiency has always been limited by the primary method of reading barcodes with a handheld laser scanner. Compared with this reading by line-of-sight at close proximity, vision-based barcode reading algorithms can further improve efficiency, particularly if accompanied by automated data collection platforms such as drones. This paper introduces algorithms that are able to automatically extract barcodes from video data, and verifies their feasibility and promise for inventory management in warehousing applications. Three key techniques corresponding to different recognition levels are proposed: For a known barcode region, a Harris corner detector and Hough transform-based algorithm is applied to quickly estimate the angle by which the frame area needs to rotate to orient the bars vertically for information extraction. Then, the idea of exploiting connectivity and geometry property of barcode areas is proposed to directly recognise multiple barcode regions in a single video frame to eliminate reading difficulties resulting from interactive influence of multiple juxtaposed barcodes, and to save computation time by only processing frame areas of interest for valid barcodes. In addition, a histogram difference-based fast extraction strategy is designed to further improve efficiency by reducing duplicate information processing. Finally, the performance of each technique is evaluated by analysing video data from a large logistics warehouse, demonstrating satisfactory performance in inventory management applications.     

Value Chain Connectivity in Indonesia: The Evolution of Unbundlings

This paper applies the conceptual framework of ‘unbundling’, proposed by Baldwin (2016), to assess the value chain connectivity in Indonesia. Indonesia is a geographically large country, and three different levels of unbundling co-exist. The first unbundling aligns with the industry-wise international division of labour in plantation agriculture, mining, and labour-intensive industries; the second aligns with where the task-wise international division of labour dominates mainly in machinery industries; and the third aligns with where face-to-face costs are reduced by the digital economy. We argue that the further upgrading of unbundling and the more effective use of advanced piecemeal technologies among different levels of unbundling will enable Indonesia to achieve rapid and equitable economic development. Overcoming distance is key for effectively using the mechanics of unbundling. We propose that three key elements are be promoted: enhancement of connectivity, development of the service sector, and improvement of the policy environment.     

Does the Connectivity of the Belt and Road Initiative Contribute to the Economic Growth of the Belt and Road Countries?

ABSTRACT

Since the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been implemented for five years, it is time to ask whether the BRI contributes to Belt and Road (BR) countries’ economic growth, and how are the five elements of connectivity implemented between China and its partner countries since the BRI was proposed. This study focuses on the development of the five elements of connectivity between China and the BR countries from 2008 to 2017 using a comprehensive connectivity index extracted from principle component analysis, and then investigating if the connectivity has contributed to the economic growth of the BR countries with quantitative analysis of the fixed effect econometrical model. It is found that Russia, South Korea, and Singapore presented the top three levels of connectivity with China with regard to the overall connectivity index, varying from 1.4 to 2.4. Madagascar and Panama have the lowest level of connectivity with China, with values of ?0.8 to ?1.1. The result of the fixed effect model shows that the connectivity of the BR countries with China contributes to their economic growth. This provides quantitative evidence that the connectivity between BR countries and China has a significant influence on the economic growth of those countries.     

Resource connectivity for beneficial insects in landscapes dominated by monoculture tree crop plantations

Homogenization of agricultural landscapes affects ecological processes and biodiversity and can affect the community composition of ecosystem service providers. These effects can have particular impact in landscapes dominated by monocultures of pollinator-dependent tree crop plantations, which create both spatial and temporal homogeneity at the landscape scale. I looked for associations between the proportion of nearby unmanaged vegetation and potential wild pollinator groups collected within flowering almond orchards in two types of landscape. In the Complex landscape, characterized by a heterogeneous mosaic of multiple crops, semi-natural grassland and natural woodland, insect pollinator groups were not associated with unmanaged vegetation. In the Simple landscape, dominated by monoculture almond plantations, most pollinator groups showed positive relationships with the two unmanaged vegetation types (grassland and woodland). In particular, all wild bee and all but one hoverfly individual were found in remnant native vegetation patches within almond plantations, rather than within rows of almond trees. More research is necessary to identify how structural differences created in monoculture landscapes, between crops and the native vegetation they encroach on, influence ecological communities and the provision of ecosystem services.     

Connectivity levels and the competitive position of Spanish airports and Iberia’s network rationalization strategy, 2001-2007

This paper examines the connectivity of the Spanish airport system between 2001 and 2007. Over the period, network carriers considerably strengthened the connectivity between Spanish airports and major European hubs. Although OneWorld is still the dominant alliance in Spain, SkyTeam and Star achieved a larger connectivity share through the growth of indirect services provided through their northern European hubs. In addition, the network rationalization strategy of Iberia and its decision to concentrate operations at Madrid-Barajas had important implications for the connectivity of other Spanish airports. Low-cost carriers have boosted direct connectivity from secondary Spanish airports.     

高铁开通对中国航空客运网络连通性的影响

为了科学优化中国航空客运网络发展，选取2000—2018年中国定期通航的运输机场所在地级及以上城市的非平衡面板数据，将高铁开通视为一项准自然实验，采用多期双重差分模型实证分析高铁开通对中国航空客运网络连通性水平的影响。研究发现：高铁开通显著提升了中国航空客运网络连通性水平；高铁开通对节点中心性的提升作用不受该城市所处区域的影响，均有显著的促进作用，对东部城市中心性的促进作用大于中西部城市。     

The Urban Unbound: London's Politics and the 2012 Olympic Games

Global events such as London's 2012 Olympic Games raise questions about the ways in which embedded political arrangements take their shape from relationships that stretch across and beyond urban boundaries. In this article, the urban politics that we wish to capture is not one that is merely located in the city, but rather one that has to constantly take into account the mediated demands folded (as it were) into the urban arena. In the first part of the article, the corporate politics of an Olympic‐related urban regeneration are outlined and then considered, first as a staged setting for interaction, a kind of placeless political engagement, and then as a more embedded spatial politics that takes into account the leverage of networked groups acting within and beyond the city. Following that, we explore the politics of regeneration when campaign groups and alternative coalitions of interest raise their own political demands by drawing on references outside of their immediate urban area and attempt to steer political dialogue in ways that extend the reach of urban politics. The urban politics at stake in this context, we argue, appears to work more through topology than a series of mapped connections; through actors registering their presence in ways that often dissolve the tension between inside and outside rather than define it in terms of separate political spaces.     

Maritime connectivity and agricultural trade

Seaborne shipping is the dominant mode of transport in international trade in agricultural products, and an increasing part of seaborne agricultural trade is carried in containers. Furthermore, the majority of world containers are moved through liner shipping services, that is, regular transport services provided by global shipping companies which comprise a dense network connecting ports and countries around the world. Using a theoretically consistent gravity equation and a novel identification strategy based on the use of intra-national trade flows, this paper investigates the effect of liner shipping connectivity on international trade in agricultural products. The results show that liner shipping connectivity has a positive and statistically significative effect on agricultural trade. Moreover, this positive effect can be observed for the majority of the agricultural products analysed and is also identified for countries at different stages of development. These findings appear especially relevant in terms of the objective of increasing less developed countries' participation in global agricultural trade.