Embedded Systems Lab at Umeå University is currently part of a research project with the purpose to examine the behavior of dairy cows inside a barn. Each cow needs to be tracked with a precision of 50 cm, and since GPS-technique has poor functionality at indoor environments, an indoor positioning system needs to be developed.Embedded Systems Lab has already developed an indoor positioning system using IR-light and radio, but since this system demands extensive infrastructure and is rather expensive, an alternate positioning system using ultrasonic pulses and radio is being examined.In this report the range, beam angle and current consumption of ultrasonic transmitters- and receivers are investigated. Three different driver stages for the transmitter is tested, and two amplifier solutions for the receiver. The report also describes how the length of the transmitted ultrasonic pulse affects the received signal, accessibility of a ?shadowed? signal, and the effect of different sound frequency..

The aim of this comparative study is to analyse the French and the Polish regional governance in order to see if there are any differences in their regional ruling systems. Further more I will study their different possibilities in taking part in the European Union regional political market. The shape of the regional systems will be explored both organisationally (study of the institutional entities of the regional construction) and functionally (study of the competencies of the regional body etcetera) to focus on its cause on the regional development. My over all focus will be to find out whether regional rule means differently in the countries France and Poland.Several questions are dealt with and the two main ones are as follows; How do the different structures of the form of government in France and Poland influence the governance on the regional level? Do Poland, as a new member state of the European Union, have what it takes to face the challenges of the new membership; or are there a complex of problems arising from the admittance that prevent its regions from fully taking part in the European regional political market?Some of my conclusions are as follows;There are major differences between the two countries when it comes to their regional ruling systems leading to different abilities in taking part in the European regional political market.

In the debate on laying hen welfare, and specifically housing conditions, the main focushas been on physiological and behavioural measures. What is lacking is knowledge of howthe hen experiences the situation ? her state of mind.This study is an attempt to gain insight into the private mental states of former batteryhens. It uses a cognitive bias method based on spatial judgement, i.e. judgement of aambiguous stimulus placed spatially in between a reinforced and an unreinforced stimulus.This method has previously shown differences in judgement by animals in enriched versuspoor housing.

The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate how some teachers make use of the results of the national tests in mathematics to plan their teaching. The questions are how they plan their teaching in mathematics and if they use the results of the national tests to compare with their own teaching.   Five teachers in mathematics has been interviewed. I have used unstructured interviews with open-ended questions, and I have been able to ask follow-up questions based on their answers. The analysis of the survey is made from a systems theory approach.  The result of the survey shows that teachers make use of student performance to look at their own teaching of the current group of students. However, there is not enough time to rehearse and repair the deficiencies discovered in the national tests, which for some is perceived as a stress factor.

Active headsets have been on the market for years and now it is time for something else to enter the stage. The technology of active noise reduction can for exmple also be used in ventilation systems for reducing ventilation noise. An active control system principally consists of four important components, namely the downstream error microphone, the upstream detection or reference microphone, the digital signal processor (DSP) and a loudspeaker. The upstream reference microphone listen to the primary ventilation noise and sends it to the DSP which makes a phase shift to the signal and sends it to the loudspeaker. The loudspeaker sends out the opposite waveform of the incoming one and reduce the primary ventilation noise.

The poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae, is a common problem in poultry facilities, causing great discomfort for the hens and effecting the production economically. Few efficient acaricides are available and there is a need for new control methods since resistance has become a problem in some cases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of the new liquid silica control agent Ectopar, on the poultry red mite. An initial in vitro test of Ectopar and its two components individually was performed, where live mites were sealed in together with filter paper impregnated with one of the three solutions prepared. The survival of the mites was thereafter recorded repeatedly during a period of 120 hours and compared to a control. For the field study, two poultry farms with different Housing systems were used, one with furnished cages (farm 1) and one with a single tier floor system (farm 2).

This study has been conducted on behalf of Vectura Consulting AB with the purpose to examine how different actors perceive the dimensions of sustainability and sustainable construction. The purpose is also to provide an understanding of existing barriers and opportunities for sustainable construction within the industry and exemplify with different directions for the actors in order to develop sustainability. The study has approach the research problem by using systems theory, developed by Checkland, to identify the relevant system. Other systems theories has been used as an theoretical framework in order to identify barriers and opportunities, which in this study are based on Hughes?s theory about reverse salients and salients.

Electrolux Laundry Systems is the world leader in manufacturing professional laundry equipment.The machines are used in the hotel sector, elderly care, in multifamily houses, laundry bars, and incommercial and institutional laundries.If there is oil or grease left in the clothes after washing may the heat from the dryer cause a chemicalreaction. This reaction may, under certain circumstances cause a fire inside the drum. Competitors toElectrolux has developed its own systems that extinguishes fire inside a tumble dryer and customershave expressed desire to purchase a fire-extinguishing system. Therefore, the project team receivedthe task by Electrolux to develop a fire-extinguishing system that extinguishes a fire in a tumbledryer.The purpose of the project has been to develop a system that both detects and responds to fire in anindustrial tumble dryer to meet the competitors and to satisfy customers' requirements.The goal was to develop a fire-extinguishing system for Electrolux Laundry Systems and develop afully functioning prototype.The project began with information searches on a variety of methods to both detect and extinguish afire. Subsequently, a number of different methods were used to develop a final solution and make aprototype.The result of the project is a fire-extinguishing system that extinguishes a fire inside a dryer.

Energy and environmental demands regarding buildings have become an increasinglydiscussed topic, both in Sweden and in Europe as a whole. The general trend indicatesthat greater efforts are being put into the energy efficiency of the built environment.There are already numerous examples of houses with a low energy demand, and thenumber of low energy buildings is constantly growing.At the time being, the maximum level for energy demands for housing in Stockholm is110 kWh/m2year, but as soon as next year the limit will be changed to 90. The Swedishagency Energimyndigheten is currently conducting a project to interpret the EU Directiveon the so-called Nearly zero energy buildings, and the preliminary results indicate thatthe level of requirements for purchased energy will end up with about 55 kWh / m2year,which is in line withtoday?s recommendationsfound in FEBY's Kravspecifikation förPassivhus.Starting with a low-energy house in Henriksdalshamnen in Stockholm, we have analyzedvarious energy-efficiency measures and their influence on power and energy needs. Thefinancial aspects associated with the measures have been studied using a model of lifecycle costs.The measures were initially studied individually to give an idea of how much impact theyeach had.

The purpose of this thesis has been to signify what creates quality for the dwellers. Bycreating a definition of the term we have showed how well the qualitycriteria?s has been fulfilled in the newly built one family house area Pumpkällehagen in Viskafors.The questions the thesis gives answers to is: What is quality for the dwellers inhousebuilding of today? and How well have these quality aspects been carried out in tracthousing areas? These questions have taken us to our main goal: To describe what qualityfor the dwellers is and how well it has been carried out in a certain area.The literature review is describing what was published before the making of this thesis.From four different publications within the concept of quality an analysis template hasbeen enacted. This template has been used for our case study, but is also supposed towork in future analysis of tract housing areas.Interviews was carried out with the areas architects; Ola Nylander and Mattias Karlsson,as well as the client; Mikael Bengtsson. From these we have gathered their point of viewon the background of the area, as well as their view on the term quality for the dwellers.Our work has brought us to enact nine different quality aspects, which we considercreates quality for the dwellers:? The Non-measurable properties? The rooms relative connections? Sufficient and user-friendly property complements? The property complements connection to the apartment? Location of the apartment and connections to the environment? Opportunities of outdoor activities? Orientation and transportation within the area? The social unity? The cost of the apartment and its form of tenureFrom the case study, using the analysis template, we can state that Pumpkällehagen is avery successfully built area where most of our assessment criteria?s and quality aspectshave been fulfilled.

Floor surface in pig facilities can have an impact on animal welfare and pig health, as it can cause the pig physical damage and thereby increased risk of infectious diseases and lameness. The development of pig Housing systems has resulted in a decreased use of bedding. It seems hard to find the optimal floor in farrowing pens, as it must suit both the sow and piglets. The floor friction needs to be adequate to avoid slips and at the same time should the floor be non-abrasive. Abrasions and lesions caused by the floor are not only causing the animal suffering, but are also negative from an economical aspect.

The purpose of this essay is to do an ecocritical reading of Vilhelm Moberg?s The Emi-grants from 1949. By asking and answering the three following questions; How does a system present itself, What are the different reasons for emigration; Why does differentsystem fit some well and some not.By using two articles from Green Planets - Ecology and Science Fiction to illus-trate two different views; Different parts value in an ekosystem and The Ship as an ecosystem. I have also created, based on the literary text four different terms concern-ing the dynamic system; Stable, Static, Unstable and Collapsing systems. I have found that all system goes through changes, some drastic, that changes the way the parts of the systems fit with in it.

Assisted living is a relatively new form of housing that received a government definition in 2007 in conjunction with a government appointed investigation of future alternative accommodation for senior citizens. The type of accommodation is intended for seniors who have the need for increased security, which may be a consequence of that they feel anxious or lonely. It concerns ordinary homes with qualities that suit needs of seniors. There is no allowance from the local municipality required in order for seniors to apply for these homes and so assisted living should not be confused with nursing homes/ sheltered housing. The purpose of this study is to identify success factors for a winning concept for assisted living in the Gothenburg region, on behalf of Skanska Project development.

The purpose of this master thesis is to construct a steering transmission, for a trackedvehicle, containing two hydraulic circuits which are connected. The steeringtransmission should be mechanical to avoid steer-by-wire.BAE Systems Hägglunds has in an earlier study examined a system with two hydraulicpumps and one hydraulic motor, but the safety of the system wasn?t sufficient.To achieve sufficient redundancy there must be two hydraulic motors, which arecontrolled separately. When the two systems are connected in one point, this point is acritical part of the system because it directly affects both circuits. If one of the hydrauliccircuits fails the other should be able to operate independently as a steeringtransmission.

The management of information is a significant competitiveness in companies. Companies stored and save information every day, and it is very common to save de information in different sources. This makes de management of information complex. To mange, monitor and analyze the information, companies can use a system called Business Intelligence. BI system is an analytical system that extracts and converts data into useful information that helps employees to make informed decisions.