Data analytics

The special issue aims to cover the latest research topics in designing and deploying visual information analytics and management techniques using deep learning. It is intended to serve as a platform to researchers who want to present research in deep learning. The special issue focuses explicitly on deep learning and its application in visual computing and signal processing. It emphasizes on the extent to which Deep Learning can help specialists in understanding and analyzing complex images and signals. The field of Visual Information Analytics and Management is considered in its broadest sense and covers both digital and analog aspects. This involves development of techniques for image analysis, understanding and restoration. Deep learning techniques are effective for visual analytics. Deep learning is a fast growing area and is gaining impetus for application in various fields. Therefore, in this special issue, the objective is to publish articles related to deep learning in various problems of visual information analytics and management.

The objective of this study is to explore the influence of predictive maintenance technologies on operational efficiency in manufacturing startups, focusing on implementation processes, operational impacts, and the challenges encountered. This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews to gather data from key stakeholders in manufacturing startups, including founders, operations managers, and maintenance engineers. A total of 22 participants were interviewed, with the sample size determined by theoretical saturation. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using NVivo software. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify and categorize key themes and subthemes related to the implementation and impact of predictive maintenance technologies. The analysis revealed three main themes: Implementation Process, Operational Impact, and Challenges and Barriers. Within these themes, several categories and concepts emerged. The Implementation Process theme highlighted the importance of planning, technology selection, system integration, employee involvement, pilot testing, change management, and post-implementation review. The Operational Impact theme identified efficiency gains, predictive analytics, maintenance scheduling, resource optimization, and quality improvement as significant outcomes. The Challenges and Barriers theme underscored technological challenges, financial constraints, organizational resistance, skill gaps, data management issues, and the necessity of vendor support. The findings indicate that predictive maintenance technologies significantly enhance operational efficiency in manufacturing startups by reducing downtime, increasing productivity, and optimizing resource utilization.

Background: Smart city technology solutions have recently ramped up the utilization of drones with Internet of Things (IoT) technologies for improving smart city systems. IoT sensors combined with real-time communication ad hoc network drones are also another area with great potential including traffic monitoring, environment management, disaster management, etc. Nevertheless, issues regarding energy consumption and density, the number of nodes that can be incorporated into the network, as well as the issue of avoiding collisions between the signal sent by one node with the signals that may be transmitted by other nodes are still observed as essential impediments to the wide application of WSNs. Objective: The article seeks to propose and assess algorithms for operating drone-IoT systems whilst dealing with issues like energy efficiency, real-time data communication, avoiding mid-air collisions, and dealing with the increasing number of systems in crowded urban areas. Methods: This study utilizes a two-time algorithm technique that was adopted from the prior study. The first algorithm provides a method for speed and position control of drones, ensuring that the distance between the drones is sufficient and not violable. The second algorithm is centered on energy reduction, which selects the precise energy usage by employing path planning in real time. The effectiveness of these algorithms was determined using simulation models with respect to metrics including latency, energy consumption, and scalability. Results: The proposed system revealed the systems’ improvements in energy efficiency, fewer collisions, and strong scalability of drone management. Main conclusions possible to conclude during the experiment reveal the system’s generic aptitude to the different urban situations and its stability in changing traffic conditions. Conclusion: The article presents a scalable and efficient solution for extending drone applications to smart cities using IoT platforms. In this way, the results can serve as the further theoretical and experimental base for investigating the trends of management and the infrastructure of cities.