A Comprehensive And Complete Strategic Report On Airasia Marketing Essay

A Comprehensive And Complete Strategic Report On Airasia Marketing EssayThe report includes a detailed description of the social club and highlights the achievements and strategic decisions that the corporate has undertaken since its establishment in 1993.Further much(prenominal) the report depart drivel on a detailed Macro environs analysis to evaluate the external factors which may affect the keep company currently or in the future. afterwards analyzing the external factors and their impacts on the company, the report moves on to analyzing the companys micro environment. The comprehensive SWOT analysis also applied for understanding the companys current situation.The company occupies a inviolable position within Asian civil aviation, according to its successful low-spirited- embody clientele strategy model and financial resources.After great consideration and analyzing incompatible strategic options for the company, this report recommends two possible future strategies fo r AirAsia, which are aligned with its current cost leader strategy.2.0 IntroductionAirAsia was established in 1993 in Malaysia. It was in the first place founded by a government conglomerate DRB-HICOM Holding Berhad. On the second of December 2001, the heavily- indebted air duct was purchased by partners Dato Pahamin Rejab (former chairman of AirAsia), Dato Kamarudin Meranun, and Dato Aziz Bakar, Dato Sri Dr Tony Fernandes1.AirAsia began its operation as a inexpensive carrier with two planes (both ageing Boeing B737 aircraft), serving five destinations (Kota Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Labuan, Langkawi and Penang) and a staff of 250.In 2003 the company commited a second hub at Senai world(a) airport near Singapore and launched its first inter subject field low-cost flight to Bangkok. Since then it started a Thai subsidiary and launched Low-cost flights to Singapore and Ind whizsia. In 2004 flights to Macau were launched and in following form, 2005 flights to China, Philippi nes, Vietnam and Cambodia been launched by the company.AirAsia now is one of the award winning and largest low-cost air hoses in the ASEAN which is expanding rapidly. It started with a simple goal that how to free air travel and guess it so affordable that now everyone can fly. AirAsia Group (including its Thai and Indonesian affiliates) now operates a authorise of 90 aircraft and flies to to a greater extent than 60 destinations from hubs in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.AirAsia operates more than 3,500 flights a week, colouring the blue skies over Asia a b sound red with their striking livery. The Group employs close to 7,500 staff and in its short-change history, has ferried more than 90 million passengers.AirAsia has become recognised as The ASEAN airline. It has achieved this by providing effective route connectivity and launching direct, unique and high-frequency flights linking ASEAN t haves and cities much(prenominal) as Kuala Lumpur- Vientiane, Kuala Lumpur-Bandun g, Phuket-Ho Chi Minh City and Bali-Bangkok.2.1 imaging statementTo be the largest low cost airline in Asia and serving the 3 billion people who are currently underserved with poor connectivity and high fares2.2.2 bang statementTo be the silk hat company to work for whereby employees are treated as part of a big family Create a globally know ASEAN brand to attain the lowest cost so that everyone can fly assert the highest quality product, embarking new(a) technology to reduce cost and enhance return levels3.2.3 Business StrategyThe foundation of the business has been set to deliver a no-frill, low cost, hassle-free and reliable flights and services to its passengers. The company believes in keeping costs consistently low which requires high efficiency and maintaining simplicity in every part of the business.http//www.airasia.com/iwov-resources/my/common/images/AirAsia/aboutus/strategy.gifsourceaurasia.com2.3.1 mainstay strategic implementationsSafety FirstHigh Aircraft util isation quick turnaround of 25 minutesLow Fare, No FrillsStreamlined Operations making the process as simple as possible, single aircraft fleetLean Distribution System bookless servicePoint to Point Network2.4 Highlights of the companyAccording to IATA in 2009 the traffic dropped 3.5% overall in aviation perseverance which included 5% decline in Europe, North the States and the Asia Pacific region. However in 2009 despite of global economic downturn and fear of A(H1N1) influenza pandemic, AirAisa managed to produce an astounding 148% increase in its core operating Profit to RM447 million4. The company ferried around 22 million passengers. It also succeeded in cause its Ancillary services by introducing new lines of the service. It expects deliveries of new Airbus A320 aircraft and the phasing out of its Boeing B737 aircraft in 2010.In amountition despite tight credit lines it was able to secure funding at competitive pricing for all its aircraft deliveries for 2009 and 20105.F ive years financial highlights(RM million, unless otherwise stated)For the year ended JuneFor the 6 months ended 31 DecemberFor the yearended 31 December20062007 Restated2007 Restated2008 RestatedRevenue1,0711,6031,0942,855Operating expenses9971,3418753,207Operating arrive at/(loss)74262219(352)Associates contributions(0.5)(3.9)Profit/(loss) before tax86278277(869)Tax116220149373Net profit/(loss)202498426(496)BALANCE SHEETDeposits, cash and bank balances426595425154Total assets2,5744,7796,4309,406Net debt6271,9593,2726,453Shareholders equity1,1481,6622,0991,606CASH FLOW STATEMENTSCash flow from operating activities282595256(416)Cash flow from spend activities(1,249)(1,943)(1,581)(2,602)Cash flow from financing activities1,0671,5091,1412,749Net Cash Flow100161(184)(269)CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE (%)Return on total assets7.810.46.6Return on shareholders equity17.630.020.3Return on capital employed4.27.24.1Operating profit margin6.916.320.0Net profit margin18.831.138.9CONSOL IDATED OPERATING STATISTICSPassengers carried5,719,4118,737,9395,197,56711,808,058Capacity7,378,07511,140,7646,621,27615,660,228 extend factor (%)78787875RPK (million)6,7029,8635,93014,439 hire (million)8,64612,3917,91919,217Aircraft utilisation (hours per day)12.012.011.911.8Average fare (RM)174171195204Revenue per ASK (sen)12.412.913.813.9Cost per ASK (sen)11.510.811.011.4Cost per ASK excluding fuel (sen)6.65.25.44.2Revenue per ASK (USc)3.353.654.064.22Cost per ASK (USc)3.123.063.253.49Cost per ASK excluding fuel (USc)1.791.461.601.27Number of stages48,33968,19538,50789,118Average stage length (km)1,1631,0881,1831,207Average fleet coat (Malaysia)20.527.131.636.6Size of fleet at year end (Malaysia)26343944Size of fleet at year end (Group)42546578Number of employees at year end2,2242,9243,4743,799Percentage sales via net profit (%)60656570 originairasia.com2.4.2 Ancillary functionThe company offers contrasting narkary services, such as AirAsia cargo, insurance, holiday packa ges and credit cards. Since 2010 it offers a non flight ticket booking service called AirAsia RedTix which offers ticket booking for concerts, musicals, theatres, sports and other events. It also offers some loyalty programs. Furthermore it is focusing on building its own sum chain for ancillary services to volunteer better pricing for its passengers. The company mainly use its website as a distribution channel to offer its services.The company achieved 34% ripening in its ancillary income in 2008 and it expect around 50% growth in 2010.2.5 Company descriptionIts subsidiaries are Crunchtime Culinary Services Sdn Bhd AA outside(a) Ltd, which is an investment holding company AirAsia Go Holiday Sdn Bhd, which is engaged in tour operating business AirAsia (Mauritius) exceptional, which is engaged in providing aircraft leasing facilities to Thai AirAsia Co. Ltd Indonesia AirAsia VietJet AirAsia AirAsia RedTix Airspace Communications Sdn Bhd AirAsia (B) Sdn Bhd AirAsia Corporate Services Limited Aras Sejagat Sdn Bhd, which is a special purpose vehicle for financing arrangements required by the Company, and Asia Air Limited, which is engaged in the provision and promotion of AirAsia Berhads in-flight food to the European food market6.2.6 AirAsia organizational structureThe following chart shows the corporate structure and principal operating companies for AirAsia.http//www.airasia.com/iwov-resources/my/common/images/AirAsia/aboutus/chart_organization.gifSource aiasia.com2.7AirAsia route NetworkOne of the key strengths for its business is to continuously expand its route network and the frequency of flights, which provides the advantage of more connectivity for the passengers.AirAsia operates from nine regional hubs. AirAsia flies to over 60 cities in 16 countries with 126 domestic and international routes7.When the company attempts to launch its low cost long draw play flights (AirAsiaX) most of the airlines assumed that such attempts will fail due to the more cost and complicity in long draw play flights. However the company were quiet successful since it has launched its long haul flights trope as AirAsiaX and has earned numerous application awards, including Asia Pacifics best New Airline in 2008 for its low cost long haul business model. Now there is huge market to expand its long haul flights to different countries. Currently AirAsiaX flies to China, India and Indonesia. The company uses the brand likening agreement which allows it to use the AirAsia brand and a shared services agreement which will benefit the company by sharing resources such as marketing team, distribution channel, cabin crew and pilots. The combined short-haul and long-haul networks feed each other.In the six short years since its inception, Thai AirAsia has become Thailands largest low cost carrier with a market share of 67.81% by passengers and of 67.80% by aircraft movement. It has ferried over 19 million passengers to motley destinations. In 2009 the c ompany expanded its rous in Thailand from 19 to 26 destinations.AirAsia now has two Airbus A320 aircraft based in Phuket, and achieved a load factor of 76% (79% domestic and 74% international)8.AirAsia currently operates four hubs in Indonesia. As the main hub, Jakarta connects Indonesian passengers to many cities across ASEAN.In 2009, it expanded its routes to Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Taiwan. The company key focus in 2010 is India. Apart from Tiruchipillai, the company has added Kolkata, Kochi and Trivandrum to their network. Furthermore the company will focus into six new India routes in 20109.2.8 Joint venture and strategic compact highlightsThe company business strategy is cantered on cost leadership, which is focused on price-sensitive guests on long-haul and short-haul flights. The company is mainly focused on joint venture alliance to expand its long-haul flights globally. As AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes said With joint purchase power it means that we can potencyly work with airline manufacturers on the right configuration and design of an aircraft specifically forAirAsia and that the best suits our operational needs for the future10Airaisa recently (09/04/2010) singed a strategic partnership agreement with VietJet Aviation Joint caudex Company. The company earlier had acquired a 30 percent equity stake in VietJet Air( Vietnam Airlines) which was the first step to lunch of a Vietnam-based, low-cost subsidiary. The trade name is VietJet AirAsia which will be operating both in domestic and international market. The governments of respective companies were fully supportive to the lunch of VietJet AirAsia which will be offering low fares to promote the travel and tourism in Vietnam and the rest of ASEAN region11.http//www.asianewsnet.net/home/images/space.gifAirAsia recently (06/01/2010) signed an airline alliance agreement with Australias Jetstar to pool recourses and expertise, procure new aircraft and revenue-sharing deals wh ich could lead to cost savings of $200m and $300m annually. The next step for the partners would be to look at joint venture on routes and other commercial activities including joint procurance of hotel inventory for holiday packages. Plans include saving on costs including aircraft purchasing, maintenance and design, since both airlines operate with similar fleets12.The Virgin Group became an investor inAirAsiaX to the song of a 16% stake. The majority stake with 48% is a Malaysian group that includes Fernandes, whileAirAsiaitself has 16% Japanese aircraft lessor Orix Corporation has 10% and Bahrains Manara Consortium has 10%. AirAsiaX began operations in late 2007 to Australias Gold Coast and now flies to three destinations in that country and two points in China, as wellhead as the UK. It is seeking more A340-300s for longer-haul routes and has 23 A330-300s on order.3.0External analysis3.1 PESTEL analysisPOLITICALECONOMICSOCIALPolitical uncertainly in Malaysia and ThailandIncr eased tightness between Malaysia and IndonesiaSevere Security Measures and RestrictionsTerrorism attacks mostly in Malaysia and ThailandIncrease in route charge by the GovernmentGovernment support for national carriersEstablishment of Climate Protection Charge, so the aviation industry has to compensate further taxes for carbon emission..Currency fluctuationGPD growth rateThe low-cost airline industry is in the growth rate of the life cycleHigh price ceiling of petroleum products and fuelsRecessionChanging economy leads to change in lifestyle which includes frequent flying for vacationsOperating in ASEAN with different cultures and languagesOperations increased in grey marketIncreasing PopulationRising in middle classTECHNOLOGICALENVIRONMENTALLEGALFuel efficient engines and air framesTeleconferencing for businessTechnology expansion in terms of internet salesOnline check inUse of technology for ancillary servicesWireless technology expansionUse of new Airbus A330-300Use of informat ion and intercourse Technology(ICT)Yield management transcriptionComputer reservation dodgingEnterprise resource planning systemStrict checks on Green house and global warming issues due to pressure from eco-friendly friends.Emission trading schemeEnergy consumption and noise pollution controlsLand for growing airportsNo food and drink service inside the flights so reduce leftover wasteRestrictions on mergersPreferential airport rights for some carriersASEN RegulationsHealth and safetyOther landing charges earningsPoliticalPolitical uncertainly in Indonesia and Thailand is not in Airasias favour as it operates mainly in both countries. Since 2006, Thailand has been facing many political issues. In April 2009, Red shirt protestors, who were angry that Thaksins government was forced out of office, caused the cancellation of ASEAN summit and their latest antigovernment protestors went on March 2010 which caused the closure of some airports in Thailand. Moreover as a result of grant ed exploration rights in oil rich waters off the coast of Borneo have increased tension between Malaysia and Indonesia13.As mentioned earlier, AirAisa offers long haul flights through strategic alliance with different airlines and willing to expand it further. The main political issue which the company may face in the future is the political relationships with the respective countries which may affect the operation of the company.EconomicFluctuating fuel prices It has increased turbulence in aviation industry. According to the International Energy Agency the world aviation fuel demand will grow through 2010 led by Asia14. This current technique of global supply chain incurs large-scale costs to AirAsia who is unable to secure low-cost fuel. This is not good for this no-frills airline ait wants to stay in the market as a low-cost airline and to deliver customers what they want without added costs.Malaysia GDP Growth Rate The Gross Domestic Product in Malaysia is in companys favour as GPD contract at an annual rate of 2.60 percent in the last quarter. Malaysia Gross Domestic Product is worth 192 billion dollars or 0.31% of the world economy, according to the ball Bank. Malaysia is a rapidly developing economy in Asia. Malaysia, a middle-income country, has transformed itself since the 1970s from a producer of raw materials into an emerging multi-sector economy. The Government of Malaysia is continuing efforts to boost domestic demand to wean the economy off of its dependence on exports15.CountryInterest RateGrowth RateInflation Rate unwarrantedRateCurrent AccountExchange RateMalaysia2.75%-2.60%1.70%3.70%304493.1820Economic Forecast 2009 2010Malaysia GDP Growth RateSources ASEAN Finance and Macro-economic Surveillance Unit Database national statistical offices.SocialAirAsia operates in a region with diverse culture, language, origin and religion. As a result the company operates in a market where consumer preferences and demographics are different and uncontrol lable. Consumer behaviours are becoming increasingly difficult to predict as contemporary consumers tend to shift loyalties from one brand to some other due to price differences or even lack of basic consumer consistency. The competition in low-cost airlines within Asia region is increasing, giving consumers vast choices to choose an airline. Thus in order to fully utilise a market, bring repute, increase its consumer generated revenue and relate to the diverse consumer needs, AirAsia must completely understand the market.TechnologicalAirAsia uses the latest information and technology system which allows it to reduce its operating costs. The company has adopted variety of information technologies such as Yield management system, Computer reservation system (CRS), Enterprise vision Planning System (ERP). Furthermore the company operates with youngest fleet, Airbus 300-330 which again allows the company to operate more efficiently.EnvironmentalIn the Asia Pacific region, rapid econ omic and population growth creates serious social consequences from environmental problems ofglobal warming and air pollution. The air travel is constantly increasing in that region as consumers are more driven with better technology this has however increased issues related to global warming and green house effects. AirAsia is always expanding which spells disaster for the planet as more flights mean busier airports, bad sound quality for people living and working near the airports, more noise and air pollution. The company however says its airplanes are more efficient, quieter and thus have less environmental impact.CO2Emissions from MalaysiaTotal Fossil Fuel CO2 Emissions from Malaysia graphSource http//cdiac.ornl.gov/trends/emis/mys.htmlLegalAs mentioned earlier, AirAisa offers long haul flights through strategic alliance with different airlines and willing to expand it further through more partnerships all over the world. The main legal concern for the company is to sort out th e legal issues and obtain clearance from the respective countries. As AirAsia Group CEO Fernandes has said that the budget airline would fly to North America once it sorted out the legal issues and obtained clearance from the respective countries16. Also the company has signed sponsorship deals with different companies, such as its sponsorship deals with National Football Leagues (NFL) Oakland Raiders, which brings its own legal issues. Furthermore the company should pay more attention to health and safety regulations as well.Overall it can be said that the external environment (PESTEL) for AirAsia is relatively stable, however the companys biggest problem involves the legal obligations. It should try to keep the Legal environment as steady as possible. Furthermore the perception of consumer behaviour is another issue for the company and it should develop strategic tools to improve total consumer investment and sales performances.4.0 The industry environmentAirAsia is engaged in the civil aviation industry where it provides low fare, long haul, short haul, point-to-point scheduled passenger airline services. In 2009 AirAisa managed to produce an astounding 148% increase in its core operating Profit to RM447 million17. The company ferried around 22 million passengers. It also succeeded in driving its Ancillary services by introducing new lines of the service.4.1 Porter five forces mogul of the providerSupplier power is clean high. Airbus is AirAsias main aircraft supplier, which means they have high supplier power. Also the switching cost from one supplier to another one is high as it involves lots of hidden costs, e.g. retraining pilots and mechanics. Airports also plays a crucial role as suppliers, the charges for main airports are very high as they are dominant player in supply chain, but the secondary airports have lesser bargaining power.Power of the buyerBuyer power is moderately high due to no switching cost from one airline to other one and it can be e asily achieved. Also the easy access to the internet will allow customers to gain information on the prices which are charged by other airlines.RivalryRivalry power is in the companys favour. The low-cost operation of the company allows it to offer the cheapest price in the market. However there is a threat that, the profitability of LLC will attract full service airline to lunch its LLC version which will increase the degree of rivalry in the industry.Power of substituteFortunately, the geographic structure of Asia which is so vast and the large remoteness between countries has made the air travel the most efficient and convenient way to travel, which makes the power of substitution such as trains or ferries low to the company.Power of new entrantThe threat of new entrants is moderately in AirAsias favour at present. The high capital requirements to enter the market and high exit barricade prevent many entrants to the market. In addition, AirAsias current leading role and favoura ble brand awareness make it a first choice amongst the current competition. However, potential new entrants from full service carriers could be threats in the future and long term.Based on the industrial scanning, the demand for low-cost airlines in Asia is expanding. The profitability of LLC will attract full service airline to lunch its LLC version which will increase the degree of rivalry in the industry.However AirAsia is the market leader in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia and in order to overcome the future rivalry it should focus to add apprise to its services in order to keep its position in the market.4.2 value chainThe value chain logic is that every company occupies a position in the chain which is then passed downstream to the customer. Inbound Logistics is the start of the value chain which includes airport agreements, low cost suppliers and so on. AirAsia serves through secondary airports (significant savings) in various locations where it is able to get good contrac ts with the airport authorities. It even attempts to act discounted fees by delivering an annual increase in passenger traffic where practical. So it has good relations with its contractors, Airbus being its main supplier of aircrafts provides on-time delivery, gives discounts so it is able to maintain common fleet which reduces costs and saves time. It also does outsourcing in the form of its online web check-in for its passengers.Support activitiesFirm infrastructureFinanceAccountingQuality assumptionHR managementProviding recruitment and staff trainingProviding pilot trainingProviding Yield analyst trainingProviding In-flight trainingTechnologyAdopting information technology such as CRS, FSS, YMSbaggage tracking systemIn-flight systemProcurementTechnology acquisitionPrimary activitiesInbound logisticsAircraft purchasing or leasingAircraft fuel and parts purchasingLanding slot acquisitionFlight and crew schedulingOperationsTransporting passengersFlight schedulingCourier operatio nOn-board servicesOutbound logisticsProviding transportationBaggage claimingMarketing and salesAdvertising and promotion the most important activity to create more brand awareness.Direct salesSelected travel agentServicesCall centre system to tackle problems with customer enquiriesLost and found servicesAirAsias value network is a combination of players which comprises of its external network of its customers, stakeholders, complementors, open innovation networks, intermediaries and suppliers, and its internal network focusing on key activities, processes and relationships such as order fulfilment, innovation, customer support and so on. In order to add value it is necessary to position all parties in the value network business model so they can then deliver value to customer supply. Based on the information collected, value can be analyzed, and within this network a companys value share position can be determined.5.0 innate analysis5.1 Current strategic implementationsAirAsia has currently adopted information technologies strategically to integrate the operations and coordinate all the business and management functions. The followings are a couple of(prenominal) system implementations that AirAsia has done in its marketing and sales activities as well as operation activity in the value chain.Yield management systemComputer reservation system(CRS)Enterprise Resource Planning System(ERP)IT implementation and strategic alignment5.2 PositioningThe company has p

Gaussian Mixture Model

Gaussian Mixture ModelMany computer related vision technology, it is critical to identify pitiful ends from a sequence of pictorial matters frames. In order to achieve this, dry land minus is applied which primary(prenominal)(prenominal)ly identifies paltry objects from to each one portion of video frames. circumstance subtraction or segmentation is a widely utilize technique in video surveillance, target recognitions and banks. By development the Gaussian Mixture Model play down model, frame picture elements atomic number 18 deleted from the required video to achieve the desired results. The application of footing subtraction involves various factors which involve developing an algorithm which is able to divulge the required object robustly, it should also be able to react to various changes like illumination, starting and stopping of moving objects.Surveillance is the monitoring of the behaviour, activities or otherwise changing in coiffeion usu all(prenominal)y of p eople and often ina surreptitiousmanner. Video surveillance is commonly utilise for event maculation and human identification. But it is not plunder as think to detect the event or tracking the object. There are many techniques and papers introduced by many scientists for the backend process in the video surveillance. Different automated softwares are used for the analysis of the video footage. It tracks large body movements and objects.In this report we discuss the application of mixture of Gaussian (M.O.G) which is used as a background subtraction model in order to achieve object/target recognition this method involves calculation the recall and measure deviation of each pixel frame which will be discussed more in detailed as the report progresses.2. Background Subtraction (Literature Review)Figure 1 Background subtraction Flow Diagram 1According to 1, the supra figure shows the basic flow diagram on how background subtraction algorithm is based. The intravenous feeding i mportant blackguards described by 1 and which play an important role in background subtraction are described below and include2.1 Preprocess temporal role or spatial smoothing is used in the early pre processing stage to eliminate device noise which flock be a factor beneath several(predicate) light intensity. Smoothing technique also includes removing various other elements like environment such as rain and snow. In real- season systems, frame sizing and frame rate are commonly adopted to reduce the data processing rate. Another key factor in preprocessing technique is the data format used by the background subtraction model. Most algorithms give the bounce grapple luminance intensity which is one scalar encourage per each pixel. As shown in the examples below 2Figure 2 Image on the left shows snowing and image on the right is a resultant of smoothing effectIn the figure 2, shown are two images which shows snow on the left and whereas with the application of spatial and tem poral smoothing on right image results in the elimination of snow producing an more clear and effective image for background subtraction.2.2 Background ModelingThis tone of voice uses the new video frame in order to calculate and update the background model. The main aim of developing a background model is that it should be robust against environmental changes in the background, but sensitive enough to identify all moving objects of interest. 2.3 Foreground DetectionIn this step, it identifies the pixels in the frame. Foreground detection compares the video frame with the background model, and identify candidate highlight pixels from the frame. Commonly- used approach for cozy up detection is to check whether the pixel is significantly contrastive from the corresponding background estimate as show belowA different foreground detection scheme is normalised threshold based statistics as shown belowWhere, d and are the mean and standard deviation of the for all spatial locations (x, y).2.4 Data ValidationFinally, this step eliminated any pixels which are not connected to the image. It involves the process of improving the foreground mask based on the information obtained from the outside background model. Most background models lack three main points1. Ignoring any cor affinity between neighbouring pixels2. The rate of adaption may not match the moving speed of the foreground object.3. Non-stationary pixels, from moving leavers or shadow cast by moving objects are at multiplication mistaken for true foreground objects.3. Background ReadingThere are different types of background modelling which are as follows3.1 Simple Frame DifferenceFrame difference is considered the simplest form of background subtraction. The method involves the subtraction of previous pixel frame with current pixel frame and if the value obtained from this greater than a set threshold then it is considered as the foreground. Advantages Less complex The method can easily and quickly adapt t o changes Able to distinguish the background from foreground much affectively.Disadvantages Not Robust, object has to continuously move. Only applicable when with fixed camera. Fails to handle illumination changes.3.2 Moving Average Filtering Referring from 3, Moving Average trying is a method in which an estimate value of a particular background pixel value is weighted as average of the previous values. Pixels in the far part are weighted at Zero and the weights increase smoothly. 3.3 Online Gaussian ModelIn this method, we assume the background as a Gaussian distribution rather than a single value. To calculate Gaussian for 1-D is as follows4Where, x is the current pixel value, is the mean of each pixel and sigma is the standard deviation of the pixel.Finally, the following equations are used in online updated of Gaussian mean and varianceIn the above equations4(t) is the mean for each pixel where is the learning rate, t is the time of the previous pixel and x is the current p ixel value. 2(t) is the standard deviation of the each pixels.The foreground conclusiveness rule applied here is when the distance between each pixel value and Gaussian model is larger than a certain threshold, it is considered as the Foreground.3.3 GMM Gaussian Mixture ModelIn order to use GMM the following equations are consideredIn the above equations 4(t) is the mean for each pixel where is the learning rate, t is the time of the previous pixel and x is the current pixel value. 2(t) is the standard deviation of the each pixels.The description and implementation of GMM model will be discussed more in detail in the later part of the report3.4 Codebook based TechniqueIt is a method where a quantized and clustering technique is motivated by Kohonen to construct the background model from long observation sequences, without making any parameter assumptions. For each pixels, a codebook contains one or more codewords and mixed backgrounds can be modelled by using multiple codeword s. Samples at each pixel are clustered into the set of codewords based on a color deviance metric together with a brightness ratio. 44.0 Gaussian Mixture ModelIn this report we implement the Gaussian Mixture Model for background subtraction. This background subtraction model is more robust than other models discussed in previous section. Most importantly it can handle multi-modal situations e.g. trees and sky which is more effectively striveed by the GMM model.Each pixel value is modelled by a mixture of Gaussian rather than a particular type of distribution. Based on the variance of each of the Gaussian of the mixture, we determine which Gaussians may correspond to background colors. Pixel values that do not fix the background distributions are considered foreground until thither is a Gaussian that includes them with sufficient consistent evidence supporting it 5. This method is very adaptable with lighting changes, repetitive motions and slow moving objects.This method contains 2 main significant parameters -alpha, the learning constant and T, the proportion of the data that should be accounted for by the background The Gaussian mixture components for a pixel have normalized weights calculated from the previous(prenominal) observations. The likelihood that a pixel has a value of Xt is assumed to be 5The parameters of the mixture components are updates with the new frames. A retrieved pixel value is compared with all the components of the mixture assigned to that pixel to find out if there is a match. A match is said to happen when the retrieved pixel value is within 2.5 times standard deviation of a mixture component. The update procedure is different for the coordinated component and other components. The mean values and the covariance matrices are updated for only the matching component. The value formulas for the matching components areAnd the weights are updated with given formula 6In case there is not a match between the current pixel value and the mixture components related to that pixel .the component having the smallest likelihood with respect to the current pixel value is discarded. A new Gaussian component is created in place of the discarded one, having a mean value equal to the current pixel value, and a variance equal to a predetermined constant.To retrieve the foreground the following equation is used.Where, T is the threshold value for the sum of the weights.65.0 AlgorithmIn order to give a better understanding of the algorithm used for background subtraction the following steps were adopted to achieve the desired resultsFirstly, we compare each input pixels to the mean mu of the associated components. If the value of a pixel is near enough to a chosen components mean, then that component is considered as the matched component. In order to be a matched component, the difference between the pixel and mean essential be less than compared to the components standard deviation scaled by factor D in the algorithm.Second ly, update the Gaussian weight, mean and standard deviation (variance) to take a hop the new obtained pixel value. In relation to non-matched components the weights w decreases whereas the mean and standard deviation stay the same. It is dependent upon the learning component p in relation to how fast they change.Thirdly, here we identify which components are parts of the background model. To do this a threshold value is applied to the component weights w.Fourthly, in the final step we determine the foreground pixels. Here the pixels that are identified as foreground dont match with any components determined to be the background.6.0 Experimental ResultsFor better results, median filter was used where the main purpose was to filter out unconnected pixels from the large connected pixels (e.g. people, vehicles) so that it was easy to distinguish between the background and foreground. With median filter the value of the output signal pixel is determined by the median of the neighboring pixels instead of the mean. Median has a much smaller insensitivity compared with mean to fundamental values.The function used was medfilt2(A,m n).Figure 3 GMM Background Subtraction with high light intensityIn the above image, the picture on the right shows the output of background subtraction using the GMM model. There is still false blackball foreground detection which produces the disturbances in the image. Although it still shows the objects moving hence, making it suitable for object tracking. The reason for these disturbances can be narrowed down to illumination changes.Figure 4 GMM Background Subtraction with Low light intensityFor the above, a oblivious 30 second video was recorded where light intensity was moderate and the camera was still. It can be observed that the hand is visible and false negative detection is low which suggests that the model works robustly in low light intensities. From the above results, we can say that there are still improvements to be made in the algorithm mostly to work with illumination which increases the false negative background subtraction. 7.0 Further ImprovementsThe GMM model used in this paper could be further tweaked to provide better results in terms of zero disturbances/noises. The use of morphological filters could be implemented into the algorithm to reduce these unconnected pixels which were seen in the figures above and make it more robust in object tracking. The algorithm has the capabilities of further improvements to run large size videos and importantly the ability to process more frames per seconds using larger number of Gaussians in the mixture model. Apart from the above improvements, we further plan to research the model using PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom) technique to study the processing rate of frame/second and observe the robustness of the algorithm in terms of disturbances/noise. There are possibilities of false positive results where background could be prize as foreground.8.0 ConclusionsIn this project we implemented a very strong and widely used background subtraction method according to the paper adaptive background mixture models for real-time tracking. This method is very adaptable for lighting changes and shadow removals. Also it finds the repetitive actions as well with the use of mixture of Gaussians. Alpha and T are the key parameters in this paper. The values of these parameters changes with the different cameras and different environment. So it is very important to get the best values for them to work with for different videos. Also we tried to improve the output quality by using some filtration methods like median filter. The guassain model is not perfect with the result since there are some disturbances after the modelling also. But there are many goodish post processing techniques are introduced and we referenced two of them. A new region Gaussian background model for video surveillance by Xun Cai and Long Jiang, and improve Post-Processing for GMM based Ada ptive Background Modeling by Deniz Turdu,Hakan Erdogan.But the 1st paper doesnt give any clear information about the techniques failed to explain the equations as well. Second paper introduces a very good technique and we couldnt able to get the result properly. But this assignment was very challenging for us and helped us to get a very good friendship about different background subtraction methods used in Video surveillance.9.0 References1 Robust techniques for background subtraction in urban traffic video Sen-Ching S. Cheung and Chandrika Kamath, 2006/072 Background Subtractions of Moving Objects https//computation.llnl.gov/casc/sapphire/background/background.html3 Page444, Computer vision A modern approach, David A. Forsyth4 Dr J. Zhang, CSC7006 Lecture 2 Slides, Queens University Belfast.5 Adaptive background mixture models for real-time tracking, Chris Stafer, W.E.L Grimson 6 Improved Post processing for GMM based adaptive background modelling by Deniz Turdu, Hakan Erdogan

The Character of Kent In King Lear :: William Shakespeare Plays Essays

The Character of Kent In King LearWhile reading Eva Turner Clarks analysis of King Lear, in her Hidden Allusions in Shakespeares Plays, I was struck by the polarity of our interpretation of this supreme drama. Where Clark finds historical and political allusions, especially for the years 1589-1590, I find personal ones. For King Lear is a drama of internal, personal tragedy. With this in mind I strongly disagree with her statement, I consider Kent represents Drake. (P. 869 n.) Therefore I sought another contemporary of Oxfords who would fulfill the characteristics and qualities of the Earl of Kent. In looking tor this prototype, I drew upon J. Thomas Looneys methodology. (See Shakespeare Identified, p. 80.) Simply stated my task was to examine the text of Lear, to draw from it a definite image of the character and qualities of the Earl of Kent, and accordingly look for a man who fits that description. Once such a man was found it was necessary to connect him with the character of Kent and with the author. Eventually I found that my conception of Kent had been accurately described by S.T. Coleridge, Kent is, perhaps, the nearest to perfect goodness in all Shakespeares characters, and yet the most individualized. There is an extraordinary charm in a bluntness, which is that only of a nobleman arising from a contempt of overtrained courtesy, and combined with easy placability where goodness of heart is apparent. His passionate affection for and fidelity to Lear act on our feelings in Lears own favor virtue itself, seems to be in company with him. (Complete Works of Samuel Coleridge, Vol. IV, edited by W.G.T. Shedd, Harper and Bros., New York 1884, pp. 138-39.) The first two requirements of Looneys blueprint had been completed. I had read and examined the text of Lear, and with the aid of Coleridge, I had out-lined the qualities of Kent. It was now necessary to find the man. He must be blunt moreover charming noble and courteous, but not overbearing in rank or slavish to authority. He must be loyal to his country, his monarch, and his friends. He must be someone congruous to lead men even nations. (It must be remembered that Kent is one of the triumvirate who, it is implied at the close of the play, will lead Englands destinies.) He must be someone who had won the highest respect and admiration of Oxford the man chosen to be old King Lears personal champion (and, in effect Oxfords also?

Fantasy in Theatre :: Fantasy Shakespeare Theatre Drama Essays

Fantasy in TheatreIn preperation for our performance on the above subject, we firstlylistened to several pieces of fantasy music as a guided visualisationin which we were asked to imagine going through different doors and to project what was behind them. This then inspired us to experimentwith diferent stylistic devices to include in our performance.We were given deuce pieces of text that was goin to be the scope for ourpiece of Drama, they wereA Midsummer Nights Dream - A play by William Shakespeare. Era wise,there were no problems with using this, as Shakespeare is timeless and lot be set in any period of history, including modern day. Thisparticular play is set in the dream like world of fairies. The Lord ofthe fairies, Oberon, has an argument with his lover, Titiania, over a new-made boy she has adopted after the death of her waiting woman. Oberonwants her to hand over the child to him, Titania refuses. Oberondecides to send Puck to fetch a magic flower, the succus of which,dropp ed into Titanias eyes will make her fall in love with the firstthing she sees in order to trick her. He hopes that this will distracther so he can take the boy.The Jabberwocky - This is a poem written by Lewis Carroll (fromThrough the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872) It tellsof the defeat of a mythical monster. By reading the text, we can seethat it doesnt really make much sense, but we can make some sense ofthe words by their sounds.In our group, we started discussing our ideas then looked at the twotexts and fitted our ideas around them.In our performance, we decided to have good and wretched involved, we had2 dream get the hang and 4 other people. 2 of which were taken by the evildream master who gave them nightmares, the other 2 were taken by thegood dream master who fulfilled their fantasies. The 4 characters hadthere own dream, one cute everything they asked for, another preciousto be an Indian, another wanted to remain popular and successful atschool, and la stly the focal point was on the character who wanted tosee her Mother again because she passed away. We used the idea out ofA Midsummer Nights Dream where Titania was put asleep, in ourplay,we also took the idea of having 2 dream masters from thecharacters Oberon and Puck. The dream master puts the 4 characters tosleep using his powers.The first 3 characters have there dream or fantasy then the girl who

Ethical Journalism During the Vietnam War Essay -- Vietnam War Essays

Ethical Journalism During the Vietnam WarDuring the Vietnam War, a rift between governing officials and journalists emerged. The American government felt the need, for various reasons, to censor many war developments. In an attempt to act ethically, the press fought the censors, trying their hardest to report the truth to the general public. Despite claims of bias and distortion by several prominent government officials, these journalists acted completely ethically, allowing the general public to obtain a fair, informed opinion. The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) provides a very clear and thorough Code of Ethics, which serves as a good definition of ethical journalism. According to this code, an ethical journalist must try to minimize any potential harm make to people instanter involved with the event being reported. Such a journalist should also act independently of any personal biases, and be responsive to any criticism of their work. Finally, a truly ethical journa list must seek to find and report the truth (Society). Common sense reaffirms these guidelines. When oneness thinks of ethical behavior, one normally thinks along terms of being truthful, appreciative of others, acting responsively and using fair judgement. All of these concepts atomic number 18 explicitly stated in the SPJs Code of Ethics. Minimizing harm done by journalism in times of war is a difficult task. Naturally, there are bits of information that the government needs to keep secret for one reason or another. There is also the danger of victims stories being exploited and sensationalized. The SPJs Code of Ethics recommends that journalists should treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings worthy of respect (Society). During the extreme... ...t 29, 1968 71. Hallin, Daniel C. The unexpurgated War. New York Oxford University Press, 1986. Janson, Donald. Police Assault on 21 Newsmen in Chicago Are Denounced by Officials and Papers. New York Times August 28, 1968 36. Kenworthy, E W. Agnew Says TV Networks are Distorting the News. New York Times November 14, 1969 1-2. Kifner, John. On the Road to Chicago With Some Protestors. New York Times August 23, 1968 22. Mitchell, Michael C. Television and The Vietnam War. Naval War College Review 37.3 (1989) 42-52. Nixon, Richard. No more(prenominal) Vietnams. New York Arbor House, 1985. Roberts, Steven V. McCarthy Group Seeks to Put Antiwar Candidate on Ballot. New York Times August 22, 1968 1. The Parties Respond. New York Times March 17, 1968 E12. Violence of Police Decried by Callers. New York Times August 29, 1968 21.

Spanish Painters :: essays research papers

Spanish catamount, the countrys greatest baroque artist, who, with Francisco de Goya and El Greco, forms the great triumvirate of Spanish painting.Velzquez was born in Seville on June 6, 1599, the oldest of six children both his parents were from the minor nobility. Between 1611 and 1617 the young Velzquez break awayed as an apprentice to Francisco Pacheco, a Sevillian Mannerist painter who became Velzquezs father-in-law. During his student years Velzquez absorbed the most popular modern-day styles of painting, derived, in part, from both Flemish and Italian realism.Many of his earliest paintings show a strong naturalist bias, as does The Meal, which may have been his first work as an independent master after passing the examination of the Guild of Saint Luke. This painting belongs to the first of three categoriesthe bodegn, or kitchen piece, along with portraits and religious scenesinto which his fresh works, executed between about 1617 and 1623, may be placed. In his kitchen pi eces, a few figures are combined with studied still-life objects, as in Water marketer of Seville. The masterly effects of light and shadow, as well as the direct observation of nature, make inevitable a comparison with the work of the Italian painter Caravaggio. Velzquezs religious paintings, images of simple piety, portray models drawn from the streets of Seville, as Pacheco states in his biography of Velzquez. In Adoration of the Magi, for example, the artist painted his own family in the guise of scriptural figures, including a self-portrait as well.Velzquez was also well acquainted with members of the intellectual circles of Seville. Pacheco was the director of an informal humanist academy at its meetings the young artist was introduced to such mint as the great poet Luis de Gngora y Argote, whose portrait he executed in 1622. Such contact was important for Velzquezs later work on mythical and classical subjects.In 1622 Velzquez made his first trip to Madrid, to see the roya l painting collections, but more likely in an unsuccessful search for a position as court painter. In 1623, however, he returned to the capital and, after executing a portrait of the king, was named official painter to Philip IV. The portrait was the first among some such sober, direct renditions of the king, the royal family, and members of the court. Indeed, throughout the later 1620s, most of his efforts were dedicated to portraiture. Mythological subjects would at times occupy his attention, as in Bacchus or The Drinkers.

Karl Marx and Frederick Engels Essay -- Political History Marx Engels

Karl Marx and Frederick Engels Karl Marx and Frederic Engels were two very liberal, politically left, philosophers. This means that they were in favor of a large government that is comprised of the masses, and involved in the lives of these people. maven may reflect that this does not sound very different from the influence the United States government has on the lives of its citizens, a large providing government that acts on the pull up stakes of the people. In both situations the government is aware of the citizens and aims to instill equality into the societies, but this equality is to be obtained by different means and to different extents. Frederick Engels In answer to the industrial revolution, which not only made our modes of production better and faster, but also changed a persons individual choices and responsibilities to the government, Karl Marx and Frederic Engels were compelled to write the Manifesto of the commie Party.iii Marx and Eng els were disturbed by the way the working class was being exploited in this capitalistic time, and their liberal viewpoints of how a man should be treated were include in this document. One concept that Marx mentions in this Manifesto is the autonomy and responsibility each person has to a government and to what extent these concepts should be practiced in ones own home.iv Although the involvement of the citizen in the government is quite similar to the U.S., this Manifesto puts much more control in the hands of the people than in the U.S.. In terms of the governments involvement in personal affairs, the Manifesto creates much more political control over the personal lives to try and escort equality when the U.S. allows capitalism to decid... ... Marx, Section I. Bourgeois and Proletariansvi Thomas Jefferson, promulgation of Independence, July 4, 1776, Section I.vii What are the Major Themes of the Humanities Base?, Humanities Base Resource Page, viii Declaration of Independence, American History Documents, ix Marxism F.A.Q. Youth for International Socialism, x What are the Major Themes of the Humanities Base?, Humanities Base Resource Page, xi Life During the Industrial Revolution, Schools History,