Browsing Engineering Systems Division (ESD) Working Paper Series by Title
Now showing items 257-273 of 273
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U.S. response to an Oil Import Disruption Role of the Federal Government in Light Duty Vehicle Transportation
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division, 2007-01)This report analyzes technological and policy options for the U.S. federal government response within the light duty vehicle (LDV) sector in the event of a 5 year sustained U.S. oil import curtailment of 5 MMB/D and a ... -
Uncertainty and Inter-jurisdictional High-speed Rail Planning: Insights from Portugal and the United Kingdom
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division, 2013-11)Within public policy and academic discourses, high-speed rail (HSR) is presented as a way of achieving “smarter” or more sustainable forms of growth. Realizing this promise requires coordinated policy efforts across levels ... -
Uncertainty, Flexibility, Valuation & Design: How 21st Century Information & Knowledge Can Improve 21st Century Urban Development
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division, 2012-01)The 21st century presents humankind with perhaps its greatest challenge since our species almost went extinct some 70,000 years ago in Africa. A big part of meeting that challenge lies in how the urbanization of three ... -
Understanding & Modeling State Stability: Exploiting System Dynamics
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division, 2006-02)The potential loss of state stability in various parts of the world is a source of threat to U.S. national security. Every case is unique, but there are common processes. Accordingly, we develop a system dynamics model of ... -
Understanding Complexity: Dynamic Analysis of Combat Vehicle Accidents
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division, 2008-01)Dozens of U.S. soldiers are killed each year as a result of both combat and motor vehicle accidents. The objective of this study is to look beyond the events and symptoms of accidents which normally indicate human error, ... -
Understanding Crude Oil Transport Strategies in North America
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division, 2014-03)On July 6, 2013, an oil-laden unit train derailed and exploded in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, killing 47 people, shocking many, and leading to significantly increased public scrutiny of crude oil by rail. Simultaneously, there ... -
A Unified Approach for Taxonomy-based Technology Forecasting
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division, 2014-08)For decision makers and researchers working in a technical domain, understanding the state of their area of interest is of the highest importance. For this reason, we consider in this chapter, a novel framework for Web-based ... -
Unified Theory of Relativistic Identification of Information in a Systems Age: Proposed Convergence of Unique Identification with Syntax and Semantics through Internet Protocol version 6
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division, 2007-03)Unique identification of objects are helpful to the decision making process in many domains. Decisions, however, are often based on information that takes into account multiple factors. Physical objects and their unique ... -
Use of Collaborative Technologies and Knowledge Sharing in Co-located and Distributed Teams: Towards the 24-Hour Knowledge Factory
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division, 2009-08)The relocation of knowledge work to emerging countries is leading to an increasing use of Globally Distributed Teams (GDT) engaged in complex tasks. In the present study, we investigate a particular type of GDT working ... -
The Use of Information Systems in Collocated and Distributed Teams: A Test of the 24-Hour Knowledge Factory
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division, 2007-03)Recent academic and policy studies focus on offshoring as a cost-of-labor driven activity that has a direct impact on employment opportunities in the countries involved. This paper broadens this perspective by introducing ... -
The Use of Safety Cases in Certification and Regulation
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division, 2011-11)Certification of safety-critical systems is usually based on evaluation of whether a system or product reduces risk of specific losses to an acceptable level. There are major differences, however, in how that decision is ... -
Using Design Structure Matrices to Improve Decentralized Urban Transportation Systems
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division, 2005-08)Management of large, complex, urban transportation systems involves numerous stakeholders due to the decentralized ownership and operation of distinct pieces of the physical network and services. In order to deliver better ... -
Using System Dynamics to Analyze the Effect of Funding Fluctuation on Software Development
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division, 2014-10)Almost everyone understands that budget fluctuations have an impact on software development, but it is difficult to estimate the magnitude of the impact and all the causes. This paper uses System Dynamics modeling to examine ... -
Value-at-Risk Analysis for Real Options in Complex Engineered Systems
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division, 2005-06)This paper presents a simple but powerful Real Options Valuation methodology suitable for valuing flexibility in complex engineered systems. It is based on value-at-risk analysis and relies on a standard discounted cash ... -
Valuing the Commons: A Fundamental Challenge across Complex Systems
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division, 2010-11)The political, economic and social landscapes of the 21st Century are increasingly dominated by complex, sociotechnical systems that are essential to human civilization, yet incompletely addressed with existing theory, ... -
White Paper On Novel H1N1: Prepared for the MIT Center for Engineering Systems Fundamentals
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division, 2009-07)This paper is an historical and policy primer for one to prepare for a severe flu pandemic - which is virtually guaranteed to happen at some time in the future. The paper provides actionable knowledge, gleaned from past ... -
Will Nano-Butlers Work for Micro-Payments? Innovation in Business Services Model may Reduce Cost of Delivering Global Healthcare Services
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division, 2008-06)This paper represents an emerging view of personalized care and patient-centric systems approach. It integrates biomedical informatics and business services. A potentially innovative model may evolve from this convergence ...