Dividend Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dividend Policy - Essay Example Lack of infrastructure and basic facilities would lead to downfall in prices of the land and investors will lose faith and retract the investment. This would be huge disaster for any businessman. One of the problems with real estate investment trusts (REIT) is that the investors tend to over invest and still REIT's must distribute most (about 95%)of the taxable income to the shareholders. Therefore before putting a land to sale check the basic amenities and infrastructure and the price of the land accordingly. UK has become a hotspot for real estate business domestically and internationally. The main reason for this is the presence of strong infrastructure and basic facilities like water and electricity. One of the important factors that have increased the real estate corporate is the high rate of ownership. Real estate has become an alternate investment in UK. It is not sure that how dividend policy affects the value of a firm and the debate still goes on. Some say shareholders wealth is increased by dividends, others believe that dividends don't affect firm's value in other words they are irrelevant and some more believe that shareholders wealth is decreased by dividends. A general definition of valuation of property is to state the actual value of the property both according to the government and private (commercial) sector. But government will valuate only landed property and fertile land. While valuating a property government will not consider the commercial demand that property is possessed with.Financial policy decisions include dividend decisions and according to a financial management research investment is considered as an exogenous variable. Influence of stakeholders has a greater affect on firm's dividend policy that can be observed by examining dividend and investment policy's interactions. Not only the stakeholders but also non-investor stakeholders and capital suppliers plays a greater role in affecting the firm's dividend policy. Some financial theorists were able to provide a hypothesis foe dividend policy irrelevance. The assumptions of this theory are Perfect capital markets, in other words non existence of taxes transaction costs, a single buyer or a seller cannot influence the market price which in other words termed as non existence of monopoly in the market and information should be accessed without any cost that is free of cost. There should be reasonable behaviour on the part of those who are taking part in the market. The future cash flows on the discounted value that are accruing to investors should have valuing securities. Certainty of the firm and investment policy and as well as having complete knowledge of future cash flows on the discounted value are considered important in this theory. Managers are considered as agents of the stakeholders. One assumption that not hold good is about the certainty of the investment policy of the firm which is critically viewed. A model was developed by Titman that hypothesises an interaction between investment and financial decisions. According to this model non-investor stakeholders wealth in a firm can be maximised by those equity holders who possess incentives. A company or a manufacturing unit intending to set up its own plant in any country has to look up, analyze and study the respective location then plan to take up the initiative. It has to take into consideration - all

The end of the book Essay Example for Free

The end of the book Essay Mr and Mrs Birling are holding onto a pretence and are proud and do not want to be proven wrong. Unlike Sheila who has become humbled through this conversation in the evening.  After the family discover that the Inspector was a hoax, Sheila still does not believe he came to trick them; she thinks he came to teach the Birlings and Gerald a lesson about unselfishness and caring for others rather than themselves. She says that the facts are still the same, that the family were still very selfish and uncaring. Sheila is the character who has learnt the most. Her refusal to retake the engagement ring shows that she has matured at the end of the evening. She approaches Gerald in a different manner, as she now understands that she doesnt know Gerald properly, the way she should. She has to start all over again to get to know him. She realises that she and Gerald must be honest with each other if theres to be any relationship between them. She says, You and I arent the same people who sat down to dinner here. Wed have to start all over again, getting to know each other There could be many explanations for why Sheila Birling responding to the Inspectors and why her father Mr Birling did not. Sheila reacted very positively and understood the Inspector because the Inspector was asking at her lever; a level that she would understand.  Sheila is more of a sensitive character and is very vulnerable; someone can very easily make her change her views. Since she is still young, and she is not set in her ways, she has not yet created her own philosophies and ideas as her father has; she can be influenced by the opinions of other, especially as this Inspector had an imposing presence and also used very emotional tactics to convey his message.  As proven at the end of the play, the Inspector was in reality not an Inspector. The author leaves us in suspense as to who this may be.  I believe, Mr Goole could be a socialist who has been studying the case of Eva Smith for many years and now realizes all the trouble she has gone through, decides to teach the Birlings a lesson, as to show them how selfish they are. He could also be a prophetic character from the unreal world, like for example, an angel or a fairy come on behalf of the poor oppressed young Eva, again solely to teach the family a lesson.  Mr Goole could also be a friend or relative of Eva Smith who cares about Eva and is very upset and angry about how she has been treated, therefore comes to avenge her oppressors in some way.  He could be some sort of prophet or messenger come from God to avenge the poor girl and to teach the Birlings something important. He could be a polite Inspector from another district who came to work on the case.  J.B. Priestley is a sociologist and in the play, the Inspector expounds many socialist ideas about having a fair world, etc. Therefore, the Inspector is representing Mr Priestley as a sociologist to convey his message to viewers.  The Inspectors voice is also the authors voice; all the authors ideas and philosophies are portrayed as correct with the help of the Inspector and Mr Birling, who is a capitalist and proven wrong at the end of the book.

Factors influencing TESCOs decision to invest in Malaysia

Factors influencing TESCOs decision to invest in Malaysia For any company to enter into the international market for the first time, a proper research and analysis regarding the challenges and current marketing conditions prevailing in the targeted country must be undertaken. The project has been undertaken to analyse, understand and highlight the major challenges that TESCO can face while entering into Malaysia for the first time. The report focuses on the Political and Legal, Economical, Socio cultural Technological and environmental challenges that may create a difficulties for TESCO to start its business in Malaysia. Introduction to TESCO Tesco PLC is a UK based supermarket chain. It is the largest British retailer, both by global sales and domestic market share, and the fourth largest retailer in the world behind Wal-Mart of the USA, Carrefour of France, and The Home Depot of the USA. Tesco has a long term strategy for growth, based on four key parts: growth in the Core UK business, expand by growing internationally, be as strong in non-food as in food and to follow customers into new retailing services. Environmental Analysis of Malaysia Political Legal Environment Rising Political instability Data In recent months, The political ruling party Barisan Nasional is facing the problem of fall in its strength in ruling the country. The opposition Party Pakatan Rakyat power influence on the Malaysians is increasing which has resulted into possibilities of undertaking of elections in the coming months. Analysis It is predicted that the opposition party may emerge as victorious which lead to increased political uncertainty lower economic growth for 1-2 years. Sales may slow down in the initial years which may be due to increased political uncertainty and disturbance on spending of public during the handover process. The handover process is generally a time consuming lengthy process. it may result into impaired business for the company. lower economic growth in the beginning years may affect the purchasing power of consumers. The company may have to reduce its cost to overcome lower sales in initial years. TESCO may have to reduce its cost on marketing and advertising . The consumers may prefer price and value over quality brand. Political war between the two parties may also result in the outcome of riots which may also result into physical damage of Tescos Property and buildings. Challenge Slow economic growth at the time of change in government which may lead to slow business in the beginning of setting its business in Malaysia. The consumers may prefer price over quality. TESCO may need to have strong control over its expenses. Riots may cause physical damage to TESCOs property if the Political war emerges. Restrictions on Press Advertising Data The Malaysian Government has a very tight control on media like TV, radio, newspapers, outdoor advertising etc for broadcasting of commercials and advertisements. The advertising code code of ethics are to be followed by all the companies business in Malaysia. Analysis The government has kept ban on advertisement of products like alcohol, pork, products with unacceptable images etc. Also, advertisement related to exposure of body parts anti social content like foul language, uncompetitive practices, religious comparisons etc are strictly prohibited. The advertisement must be shot in Malaysia with Malaysian models in the advertisements. No international models from other countries are allowed. Also, the musicals of the ad must be done in Malaysia. Advertisements related to food drink products must highlight the importance necessity of balanced diet to the viewers. Powerful emphasis on the speciality lifestyle of the country of origin of an imported product is not allowed in the advertisements. Challenges TESCO will have to change its marketing and advertising strategy in Malaysia. The government control on advertising media may disallow advertisement commercials of many products of TESCO UK. The company may also have to undergo the process of repackaging re labeling on their products. TESCO will have to create new ideas to advertise its product which could be expensive and time consuming. Focus on many cultural groups Data Malay, Chinese Indian community are the 3 major cultural groups in Malaysia. Chinese Indian community are the minority communities in the country. The recent attacks against the Christian church has created political instability social unrest among the people. Analysis The wealth gap between less richer Malays very rich Chinese and Indian ethinic group in Malaysia has always been a point of concern in Malaysian politics. There has been many issues regarding this issue in the past which created a tension in the Malaysian political environment. But currently, the government is taking efficient measures to reduce the tension between the cultural groups. Christianity is also a minority religion in Malaysia on which government has to keep its attention. However, in the beginning of 2010, there were a series of attacks against Christian church because of some high court decisions. All these factors may lead to political instability in the near future. Political instability may result into the change in government. Christianity is the major religion in UK. Malaysians may tend to emotionally link the products of TESCO with Christianity as TESCO is a UK based company. This may initially led to the unacceptance of the products by Malaysians due current social unrest which may affect the sales and brand image of TESCO in Malaysian market. This may also affect the marketing and advertising strategy of TESCO. The company may have to frequently and carefully advertise its product to the consumers to change their perception about the link between Christianity and the Companys product offering. This may result into heavy expenditures resulting into the rise in cost of the company. Challenges Recent attack on churches may create the perception of link between UK TESCO products and Christianity religion which may affect the sales of TESCO. TESCO will need to advertise more frequently to change the consumers perception about the Christian religion and the local products it sells to Malaysians. Impact of terrorism Data Analysis Rising tension between Malay, Chinese Indian cultural groups in Malaysia in last few years have created a threat of internal terrorism in Malaysia. The war between the ethnic Chinese terrorists Malaysian government came to end after 42 years. However, in the beginning of 2010, there were a series of attacks against Christian church because the court said that the Christians can refer GOD as ALLAH. Challenge Sales may become difficult due to religious unrest. TESCO many have to opt for an option of Public relations on a regular basis which may increase the expenses of the company. Economical Environment Low Purchasing Power Data The GDP per capita income of Malaysia and UK for 2008 was $14,215 $35,468 respectively. Malaysia can be classified as the country of people having upper middle income level whereas UK population can be classified under high income level. Analysis The purchasing power of UK is more the purchasing power of Malaysia. It clearly reflects that the disposable income of Malaysia is comparative low to that of Uk. The per capita income disposable income of Britishers is very high thereby increasing their purchasing power. Due to high purchasing power, normally people in UK prefer brands and are brand loyal are willing to spend extra on the products. The per capita income of Malaysians is comparatively very low to that compared with Britishers. Lesser income signifies that the disposable income will be lower thereby reducing purchasing power. This will directly result in the emergence of price sensitive market condition in Malaysia where brand loyalty could be given less priority by Malaysians. Lower per capita income of Malaysians will result into low purchasing power making Malaysia a price sensitive market where buyers may be ready to buy any product with less or no brand importance. So the company sales might get affected due to this. TESCO may have to change its products, lower the quality lower the price so that the products can be produced cost effectively consumers can afford to buy. TESCO may have to start its own manufacturing unit along with its own new supply chain management and search for local suppliers in Malaysia who can provide products of good quality at a lower price. This may help in producing products at lower cost which the Malaysians can intend to buy. TESCO will have to search the place to set up their business to get proximity to the market which may help in lowering the distribution cost of its product. Challenges Lower consumer income will affect sales of the company. Uk products have high quality with high price. The company may have to rechange its quality of the products as per the price. TESCO will have to start its new supply chain management distribution system to make the local products for cost efficiency. TESCO will need to find their place of setting business where Distribution cost is very low. The company will have to look for local supply chain who can meet all above requirements. Foreign Currency Fluctuation Risk Data The foreign exchange of 1GBP to 1Malaysian Ringett in recent months has fallen from 5.8RM to 4.7RM. The interest rate of Malaysia UK in the beginning of the year 2010 were 2.25% 0.5% respectively. Analysis The key factor for fluctuations in currency exchange rates is the interest rate in different countries. Malaysia offers significantly higher interest rates than UK. Then investors will want to put money into Malaysia, thus increasing demand for the currency. The increase in currency demand may result into lowering value of Pound thus creating Foreign currency fluctuation risk.Exchange Rates are very important for any country as they determine the level of imports and exports. Challenge Importing products may become a costly option due to fluctuation in currency risk. The company may have to look for local suppliers and also may have to start new supply chain management to reduce the cost. Unemployment Level Data The recent Global financial crisis is still having a major impact on employment level in all the countries of the world. The unemployment rate in UK has reached to 8% in march 2010. The unemployment rate has increased from 3.2% in 2007 and has reached to 3.7% in march 2010. Analysis Increase in unemployment of Skilled, Semiskilled Labourers has been a major concern for Malaysian government in last few years. The Malaysian Government may put some employment restrictions on all the Multinational companies in Malaysia to hire the local Malaysians for employment. The restrictions may include more hiring of Malaysians in comparison to foreign employees irrelevant of their level of skills. Even though the higher unemployment in their home country, TESCO may undergo the pressure of hiring more Malaysians in comparison of foreign employees and provide training to them to meet the required skills for employment which may increase the overall expenses of the company. Also, employing foreign workers in Malaysia will be an expensive cost incurring idea thus increasing the operational cost of the firm affecting the product pricing. Challenge Employing foreign talent may not be possible to run the business. Providing training for Local staff would be expensive and time consuming process. Creating new supply chain management Data Low purchasing power of Malaysians, high foreign currency fluctuation and price sensitive market in the country are becoming major factors for the companies to reduce their prices of the product. Analysis Low Purchasing power of Malaysians in comparison with those of UK will create a price sensitiveness in the country where people may prefer Price over quality. Foreign currency fluctuation between Malaysian Ringett and UK Pound has been unstable in recent times. In importing goods, TESCO may end up in paying more than their usual price thus increasing the overall cost of the product. TESCO will have to reduce the price to meet the market price with its competitors product. The company will have to look for new supply chain management along with new suppliers who can provide the required quality at lesser price to meet the comsumers expectation. Setting up the new supply chain along with new local suppliers will be a big challenge as TESCO is an International Company. Challenges Importing goods from UK will be expensive for TESCO. Tesco may have to compromise on the quality of the product in case of price sensitive market. TESCO will have to set up new supply chain management along with new local suppliers to meet both the price and quality requirement of the consumers. Socio Cultural Environment Labeling Packaging Requirements Data Analysis The Malaysian government is very strict about the labeling language used on the products sold in the country. The language on all the products saleable, whether local or imported, must be written in Bahasa Malaysia or English. And in case of imported goods, the language used in either case may also include translation in any other languages. Since the Government rules regulations is very strict in Malaysia, TESCO would have to Change its labeling repack the products with descriptions in both English bahasa Malaysia Language. Also, the company will have to give more information on the product about its HALAL Certification, ingredients, Date marking, Nutrition Labeling etc. The company will have to change its packaging strategy for its products due to hot humid climatic conditions prevailing in Malaysia This will increase the cost of packaging labeling of all the products to be sold. So to gain economies of scale, TESCO may have to increase its sales volume to cover up the cost of change in labeling packaging. Challenge Relabeling and repackaging the products due to language barrier will be costly and time consuming. TESCO may have to keep on advertising its product on a regular basis to overcome the language barrier. Halal certification Data Analysis The concept of Halal on food non food category of product consumption is a vital issue in any muslim country. Islam is the official religion followed in Malaysia. The religion of Islam demands that the product to be consumed must be HALAL. In Malaysia, The Muslim consumers look for the HALAL certification on the products which is issue by Malaysias Department Of Islamic Development (JAKIM). In recent years, the Muslim consumers in Malaysia are faced with broad selection of products services which are either locally named or are international products certified as HALAL. The Competition is intense in the Malaysian market where local retailers have an upper hand for the sale of products by projecting their products as Islamic brands with the help of creative packaging labeling on their products. TESCO will have to certify HALAL certification on all it products will have to show the logo on each HALAL certified product. This will result into rising of its operating cost. Also, The HALAL certificate is valid for only 1year. So, the company may have to incur these cost every year. Challenge Certification of Halal on all products is costly and time consuming. The validity of certification is very less which results into occurrence of repetitive expenses every year. Advertising, packaging and labeling strategy would change which may increase the cost of the firm. Intense competition from local retailers will be a challenge. Technological Environmental Factors Accessibility Updation of Information Data and Analysis The percentage of urban population to total population in the year 2008 was 70.4%. Most of the hypermarkets are located in the urban areas. Rural consumers may have little access to either buy the product online or going to the nearest hypermarket in their area. So, setting the business in urban market will be a challenge to TESCO to meet capture the market share the requirements of both rural urban population. In recent years, in Malaysia, Online purchasing has become an easy, time, cost energy saving way to buy the products. This method is more followed by the urban consumers to book an order. So, TESCO will have to keep a regular update on timely basis about the availability of its products on its online purchasing website for its consumers. Challenge Target market may get narrow down due to low internet access in rural areas. Starting a business in rural area may increase the transportation cost to the urban consumers. Regular update on timely basis about the availability of its products on its online purchasing website for its consumers will be a challenge. Impact of global warming, deforestation environmental factors Data Analysis Water air pollution, impact of global warming has affected the health of the people in Malaysia. Deforestation due to regional development is also another factor affecting the country. The Malaysian government is now becoming very strict for control over these environmental problems. Any business, whether local or multinational business, has to comply with all the set of rules and regulations related to the environmental issues laid by the Malaysian government. Government may also disallow the companies in setting up of warehouses in the certain selected parts of the country. TESCO, being an multinational brand, will have to follow the strict prescribed rules laid by the Malaysian Government and may have to submit regular reports to the government regularly regarding the working of the company. Challenge Setting up of warehouses near TESCOs hypermart can be a big challenge. Transportation cost may get increased due to problem in selecting area for warehouses. Restriction on certain products can affect the business of TESCO.

The Plight of our Planet Essay -- Energy Sustainability

The young boy looks back from the loading ramp of the giant metal alloy ship, his breath billowing clouds of steam in the bitter air made cold by the now almost completely diminished ozone. He stares in disbelief at the endless pile of automobiles parked haphazardly to and fro like a child’s worn jenga blocks fallen from a poorly made tower in the vehicles owner’s frantic rush to get their families to the evacuation ships in time. How did it come to this ¬Ã‚ ¬? The forlorn boy wonders. When did it all go wrong in mankind’s endless quest to be bigger, faster, and more powerful than all the rest? As the nearly city-sized ship reaches the smoky horizon bound for humanity’s new home named Kepler-22b, he gazes one last time at the vast oceans, blazing a filthy orange fire as far as the eye could see from the final disaster that had sealed humanity’s fate on earth. If only they had stopped drilling in the oceans—the boy thinks. And as the distanc e grows and the bright fires fade, he tearfully waves goodbye to the now dying planet his race had called home for a millennia and slowly turns to go find his parents. Who is this distraught boy’s parents? Is it you? Or perhaps it is your children’s children that are living through this arguably inevitable reality. While the scenario presented is sensationally far-fetched, it is entirely possible. Perhaps not a mass exodus to a new found planet capable of sustaining life, and even if we were lucky enough to find such a planet it would likely not be accessible, nor needed in this generation’s lifetime. But the simple truth remains that earths sustainability is quickly diminishing due to a plethora of causes. Some of which are our societies numerous recent technological advances in the last century,... ... leaders of tomorrow. References Carbone, N. (2011, December 5). NASA finds planet in ‘Habitable Zone’ that could sustain life. Time Newsfeed. Retrieved from http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/12/05/nasa-finds-planet-in-habitable-zone-that-could-sustain-life/ Fornos, Werner. "No vacancy." The Humanist July-Aug. 1998: 15+. Academic OneFile. Web. 12 May 2012. Global Energy Use: Status and Trends. (2004). In Encyclopedia of Energy Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/estenergy/global_energy_use_status_and_trends Stoll, R. (2012). Green energy looks to hydrogen fuel. Retrieved from http://www.2facts.com/article/s2000033 Williams, C. (2011, July 28). Off-the-grid communities: 5 places carving a sustainable path. Retrieved from http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/responsible-living/stories/off-the-grid-communities-5-places-carving-a-sustainable-path

Hybrid Assistive Limb

Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL-5) 1. Introduction. People often suffer from various disorders related to their physical health, which also include disorders of the nervous, vascular and integumentary systems, muscular and neurologic diseases. Consequently, these violations probably affect the musculoskeletal system and complicate the daily lives of these people. However, with the daily development of science and technology, doctors and inventors are trying to create some kind of device that can make life easier for people with such disabilities. To date, some examples of these developments are already invented.One of these developments is a powered exoskeleton Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL-5). Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) is a full-body suit, which was designed to help people with degenerated muscles or spinal injuries or brain disorders. Now we are going to describe appearance, functions and main characteristics of this robotic device. 2. Data and producers. The wearable-type robot â€Å"R obot Suit HAL† was created in Japan, notably by Cyberdyne, Inc. This company was founded in 2004 to exploit the work of a group of cybernetics researchers headed by Yoshiyuki Sankai, a Professor of System and Information Engineering at Tsukuba University. 4] The study about Hybrid Assistive Limb was started by professor Sankai in 1992 and lasted until 1996. The result of this hard work was HAL-1 (fig. 1), first prototype of HAL series robots. The next robot which was built with cardinally other design is HAL-3 (fig. 2). It was invented in 1999 and had been used for 6 years. Final version of HAL robot, HAL-5 (fig. 3), was discovered in 2005 and still is being developed by professor Yoshiyuki Sankai in his laboratory at University of Tsukuba. Cyberdyne Inc. has been manufacturing and is currently distributing of the HAL-5 to the residences of Japan and Europe.Figure 1. HAL-1 robot, 1996 Figure 2. HAL-3 robot, 1999 3. Functions and applications of the system HAL-5 is expected to be applied in various fields such as rehabilitation support and physical training support in medical field. Also, it can be used in a range of another non-military uses, for example, in including allowing workers to carry heavier. [4] HAL-5 helps users lift up to about 40 kg more than they normally could. To be exact, a healthy adult male, wearing this suit, can lift approximately 80 kg, roughly double what he can without it.Hybrid Assistive Limb can multiply the overall original strength of the wearer by a factor of 2 to 10. The general concept of a HAL-5 robot is simple in general. The components HAL are very easy to construct, however, the complexity of the HAL occurs primarily in its programming and way of working. Professor Sankai says that â€Å"the suit detects faint biosignals on the surface of the skin when the human brain tries to move the exoskeleton†. When the Robot Suit detects these signals, it helps the user to move.HAL-5 can operate indoors and outdoors; altho ugh, it is strongly recommended to use this suit indoors until better batteries allow more prolonged use. One of the main advantages of this robot is the ability to change between two types of control: Cybernic Voluntary Control and Cybernic Autonomous Control. By using phase switching with the autonomous control function, the healthy function of a limb could be reproduced by the HAL. Based on this capability, it appears that the HAL would be effective for use in the rehabilitation of patients suffering from loss of nervous function in a limb. 4.System design The most visible part of the HAL-5 is the exoskeletal frame, which consists of a frame made of nickel molybdenum and an aluminum alloy. Moreover, it was strengthened by a plastic casing and the metal bars, which is strapped to the body and helps the user externally. The bars run along the lateral sides of the legs and arms. Additionally, there are several electric motors act as the HAL-5’s muscles, which have to provide powered assistance to the wearer’s limbs. Currently, the total weight of the Hybrid Assistive Limb suit is 23kg, but man, wearing this device, does not feel any weight.It happens because the suit can support its own weight. Also, HAL-5 has a small pouch attached to a belt on the suit that contains a computer, Controller Unit, which controls the suit and a Wi-Fi communications system. The bindings at the shoulders take the form of backpack-like straps to attach the battery and Controller Unit. The frame also has soles, which are used to help stabilize balance, at the ends of the leg bars to eliminate the need for the user to support the weight of the suit. All of these details you can see from fig. 3, and fig. 4. Fig. 3. and Fig. 4.System architecture with sensors, battery and Controller Unit 5. Sensors and actuation mechanisms On the side of the joint nearest the corpus, two sensors are placed upon the skin. One sensor is placed over the muscle group, which causes the limb to extend, and one on the surface of muscle group, which causes the limb to flex. Each sensor consists of two electrodes which measure potential difference between them as a function of the nerve impulses, which cause the contraction of muscle fibers. These sensors first filter and then amplify the signals of passing such kind of nerve impulses.Also, the suit is powered by both nickel-metal hydride and lithium battery packs. Full charge of this battery lasts approximately for 2 hours and 40 minutes, with both the upper and lower body parts in action. Cyberdyne Inc. has announced that one part of its research is focused on increasing this time to about 5 hours. HAL-5 Speficications: | Height | 1600mm| Weight | Full Body Type: 23kg | | Lower body: 15kg| Battery | Drive Charged battery ( AC100V)| Continuous operating time | Approximately 2 hours 40 minutes| Motions Daily Activities | Standing up from a chair| Walking| | Climbing up and down stairs| | Hold and lift heavy objects up to 80k g| Cybernic Control:| Cybernic Voluntary Control| | Cybernic Autonomous Control| Indoor and outdoor| ? | 6. Conclusion In conclusion we can consider that the wearable-type robot HAL-5 is a tool with enormous potential for improving quality of life. In addition, the HAL-5’s frame can incorporate recycled materials, which can include fiberglass, certain plastics, silicon, aluminum, and steel. Such materials can also be recoverable for recycling into other products.Improvements in battery efficiency and frame weight would reduce energy requirements, and in the case of outdoor use, energy requirements could be offset by solar cells on the frame. So, the program is currently being continuing and developing. Sankai says that one of his main aims is â€Å"to create technologies that are designed for the benefit of humankind rather than for destructive purposes. † For example, he refused offers from the U. S. Department of Defense in Washington DC and the government of South K orea to work on a robot for military use. This adds more confidence in the good intentions of professor Sankai.

Biography of Damien Hirst, British Contemporary Artist

Biography of Damien Hirst, British Contemporary Artist Damien Hirst (born June 7, 1965) is a controversial contemporary British artist. He is the best-known member of the Young British Artists, a group that shook up the U.K.s art scene in the 1990s. Some of Hirsts most famous works feature dead animals preserved in formaldehyde. Fast Facts: Damien Hirst Occupation: ArtistKnown For: Key member of the Young British Artists and the creator of controversial, sometimes shocking artwork.Born: June 7, 1965 in Bristol, EnglandEducation: Goldsmiths, University of LondonSelected Works: The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living (1992), For the Love of God (2007)Notable Quote: I was taught to confront things you cant avoid. Death is one of those things. Early Life and Career Damien Hirst (born Damien Steven Brennan) was born in Bristol and grew up in Leeds, England. His mother later described him as a morbid child, interested in grisly and gruesome images of disease and injury. These subjects would later inform some of the artists iconic works. Hirst had several run-ins with the law, including two arrests for shoplifting. He failed numerous other academic subjects, but he succeeded in art and drawing. Damien attended the Jacob Kramer School of Art in Leeds, and in the late 1980s, he studied art at Goldsmiths, University of London. In 1988, in his second year at Goldsmith, Damien Hirst organized an independent student exhibition titled Freeze in an empty London Port Authority building. It was the first significant event organized by a group that would become known as the Young British Artists. The final version of the exhibition included two of Hirsts iconic spot paintings: multicolored spots on white or near-white backgrounds painted by hand with glossy house paint. International Success Damien Hirsts first solo exhibition, In and Out of Love, took place in an empty shop on Woodstock Street in central London in 1991. During that year, he met the Iraqi-British businessman Charles Saatchi, who became a primary patron. Saatchi offered to fund any art that Hirst wanted to create. The result was a work titled The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living. It consisted of a shark preserved in formaldehyde inside in a tank. The piece was part of one of the first Young British Artists exhibitions at the Saatchi Gallery in 1992. As a result of the media attention surrounding the piece, Hirst earned a nomination for the U.K.s Turner Prize for distinguished young artists, but he lost to Grenville Davey. In 1993, Hirsts first major international work at the Venice Biennale was titled Mother and Child Divided. The work included a cow and a calf cut into sections and exhibited in separate tanks. The next year, Hirst exhibited a similar piece: Away from the Flock, which featured a sheep preserved in formaldehyde. During the exhibition, the artist Mark Bridger entered the gallery and poured black ink into the tank, then offered a new title for the work: Black Sheep. Bridger was prosecuted, but at Hirsts request, his sentence was light: two years of probation. In 1995, Damien Hirst won the Turner Prize. In the latter half of the decade, he presented solo shows in Seoul, London, and Salzburg. He also branched out into directing music videos and short films, and he formed the band Fat Les with actor Keith Allen and Alex James of the rock group Blur. By the end of the decade, the Young British Artists, including Hirst, were seen as a key part of the mainstream art scene in the U.K. Later Career On September 10, 2002, the day before the one-year anniversary of the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center terrorist attacks in New York City, Hirst released a statement describing the attacks as kind of like an artwork in its own right. The outrage was quick and severe. A week later, he issued a public apology. After meeting Joe Strummer of the band The Clash in 1995, Damien Hirst became good friends with the guitarist. In late 2002, Strummer died of a heart attack. Hirst stated it had a powerful effect: It was the first time I felt mortal. In March 2005, Hirst exhibited 30 paintings at the Gagosian Gallery in New York. They took over three years to complete and were based on photos taken mostly by assistants but finished by Hirst. In 2006, he introduced the work: A Thousand Years (1990). It contains a life cycle of maggots hatching inside a box, turning into flies, and feeding on a bloody, severed cows head in a glass display case. The case included buzzing live flies, many of which were electrocuted in a device designed to ward off insects. The famed artist Francis Bacon praised A Thousand Years (1990) in a letter to a friend a month before he died. In 2007, Hirst presented the piece For the Love of God, a human skull copied in platinum and studded with over 8,600 diamonds. The only part of the original skull included are the teeth. The price for the work was $100,000,000. No one bought it at the original exhibition, but a consortium that included Hirst himself purchased it in August 2008. Praise and Criticism Damien Hirst has earned praise for drumming up new interest in the arts through his celebrity persona and sense of the dramatic. He helped bring the British art scene back to prominence internationally. His supporters, including his benefactor Saatchi and many other noted artists, say that Hirst is a showman, but that getting the attention of the public is essential. He is sometimes mentioned in the company of 20th-century masters like Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock. However, detractors question whether there is anything artistic about dead, preserved animals. Brian Sewell, an Evening Standard art critic, said that Hirsts art is no more interesting than a stuffed pike over a pub door. A 2009 Hirst show titled No Love Lost, which featured his paintings, received almost universal criticism. His efforts were described as shockingly bad. Plagiarism Controversy In 2000, designer Norman Emms sued Damien Hirst over the sculpture Hymn, which was a reproduction of the Young Scientist Anatomy Set, designed by Emms and manufactured by Humbrol. Hirst paid an out-of-court settlement to two charities and Emms. In 2007, artist John LeKay, a former friend of Hirst, claimed that the inspiration for many of Hirsts works came from the Carolina Biological Supply Company catalog. He also claimed that the diamond-encrusted skull titled For the Love of God was inspired by LeKays own crystal skull work in 1993. In response to a number of other claims of copyright infringement or outright plagiarism, Hirst said, As a human being, as you go through life, you just do collect. Personal Life Between 1992 and 2012, Hirst lived with his girlfriend, Maia Norman. They have three sons: Connor Ojala, Cassius Atticus, and Cyrus Joe. Hirst is known to spend much of his private time at a farmhouse in Devon, England. He also owns a large compound in Mexico where multiple artists help carry out his projects at his art studio. Source Gallagher, Ann. Damien Hirst. Tate, 2012.