Edit | Li Shuiqing Wisdom News reported on June 21 that the GTIC 2021 Embedded AI Innovation Summit recently concluded successfully in Beijing! At this high-profile AI industry summit with a full audience and more than 1.5 million live viewers on the entire network, 16 bigwigs from the upstream and downstream of the industry chain gathered together to focus on the software and hardware ecological innovation of embedded AI, home AIoT, Mobile robots and industrial manufacturing industry 4 major sections of the map, bringing in-depth and simple to share. At the meeting, Chen Chao, the R&D director of Jizhijia, gave a speech titled “Challenges and Innovations in the Visual Perception Technology of Logistics Robots”. The speech mainly consists of three parts: logistics and logistics robots, and the challenges and solutions faced by logistics robots in vision in two different scenarios: warehousing and industry. The logistics industry is a huge market, but the industry has long faced pain points such as difficult employment and rapid changes in market demand. Logistics robots came into being under such a background. At present, they have evolved into multi-scenario product forms such as smart sorting, smart handling, smart forklifts, smart warehousing, and so on, and have landed in many practical scenarios. Chen Chao recalled that, in the process of launching the logistics robot of Jizhijia, many challenges have been overcome in terms of visual perception technology. In the field of warehousing AMR mobile robots, the scenarios are relatively simple, mainly including picking from shelf to person and picking from box to person. For the ground two-dimensional code used for navigation, the team encountered problems such as defacement/reflection, motion blur, and demands for cost reduction. To this end, Gzhijia introduced V1.5 based on the fusion of ground patterns on the latest robots to make up for the problem of easy fouling of the QR code; further, Gzhijia’s V2.0 solution based on Marker-Net reduces the failure rate Reduce by two orders of magnitude. In the field of industrial AMR mobile robots, the scenarios and challenges are more complex and diverse. For example, in response to the problem of fewer samples in the industry, Gigabyte adopts a learning simulation program to quickly expand the sample; for the problem of unknown target detection, Gzhijia introduces a depth camera, which allows the deep learning model to organically combine deep data to improve target detection performance. For the problem with high robustness requirements, Gigabyte adopts a composite model method; for positioning problems in high dynamic scenarios, map update and semantic maps are used to ensure long-term stable operation of the robot; for end-side equipment with low computing power The problem is that Gigabyte uses algorithm optimization and acceleration engine to break through the limit of computing power. It can be seen that, as a logistics robot head company established in 2015, Jizhijia has overcome the hills of embedded AI development for specific application scenarios in warehousing and industry. We organize the record of Chen Chao’s speech into the following three parts: 1. The logistics industry accounts for over 10% of GDP, and logistics robots came into being Regarding logistics, in addition to express logistics that ordinary consumers often come into contact with, it also includes subdivided logistics scenarios such as warehousing logistics and factory logistics. Logistics is a very complex and complex industry, accounting for more than 10% of GDP. It can be said that logistics provides a guarantee for the supply of production and living materials for the entire society. In recent years, the logistics industry has faced challenges: the first is the difficulty of employing people. In fact, everyone around them can clearly feel the trend of aging and declining birthrate of the entire society over the years. The working-age population is gradually decreasing. At the same time, young people nowadays are more inclined to go to big cities to engage in service-oriented jobs. They are unwilling to go to factories and warehouses to do some low-level boring logistics jobs for logistics-related companies. Recruitment caused certain difficulties. On the other hand, the logistics industry is changing rapidly. With the development of the entire economy, residents’ consumption upgrades. At present, there are fewer and fewer large-scale standard industrialized products, and more are highly customized and personalized small-batch production. Now the product iteration speed is faster and the upgrades are more frequent. , To present new challenges to the supply chain. Logistics robots came into being in this context. Since logistics involves a wide range of areas, there will be different robots and solutions in different links and aspects. (Logistics robots) are mainly used in smart sorting in some express delivery fields, smart picking in e-commerce warehouses, as well as smart handling robots, smart forklifts on manufacturing production lines, smart warehouses and smart factories for integrated solutions… below, Let’s find out through specific robots. Jizhijia’s family portraits cover most of the categories of logistics robots. Including the low and latent picking robots and handling robots in the front row, as well as the sorting robots and bin picking robots in the middle, as well as the tall unmanned forklifts, man-machine collaborative robots, and composite robots with robotic arms in the back row. Behind the busy robots is a cloud-based system architecture. First of all, on the bottom side is the body of the robot, which contains software algorithms such as visual perception, positioning, and PNC; on the edge server side in the middle, running RMS is responsible for robot task scheduling and path planning; the top cloud deployment WMS, ERP The system is connected with the customer’s business. It is based on such a cloud side-end architecture that (we) guarantees the stable and efficient operation of logistics robots. 2. Warehousing scene: The accuracy of visual recognition needs to be improved, and there is a big demand for cost reduction After having a preliminary understanding of the logistics robot system, take a look at the challenges and responses of visual perception. First of all, in the warehousing scene, the current applications are: 1. Picking from shelf to person; 2. Picking from box to person. “Goods-to-person picking mode” has changed the traditional way of picking and choosing people to find goods-the RMS issues instructions, the robot runs to a specific location, and the corresponding shelf or specific bin is transported to the picking station. Picking is done manually. In this link, operators no longer need to shuttle shelves to find goods. The new picking mode greatly reduces the labor intensity of pickers, and at the same time significantly reduces the error rate of picking, so that the overall efficiency is improved by 2 to 3 times. How is the picking robot positioned? Careful friends have already seen that in the video, some QR codes are densely gridded on the ground. A camera is installed at the bottom of the robot. The camera uses the camera to capture the QR code for positioning. This is similar to the principle of scanning codes on mobile phones. Since the QR code is deployed on the ground, there are some special features that are easy to be defaced. In the warehouse scene, there are often some trailer trucks in operation. The warehouse is regularly cleaned and maintained. Using a very powerful washing machine will cause damage to the QR code on the ground. On the other hand, the robot runs at a speed of more than 2 to 3 meters per second, the lens is very close to the ground, and the number of pixels that the object slides in a unit time is relatively large, and the image blur is more serious. In addition, low cost is also subject to fierce competition in the front-end market. The (market) puts forward a demand for cost reduction for picking robot sensors and computing chips. In response to the previous problems, we have made some iterations of technology and products. In the earlier version, a very low-cost heterogeneous SoC (System-on-Chip) was selected, and our traditional geometric feature-based algorithms were optimized and accelerated by FPGA, and finally achieved a relatively excellent performance-to-price ratio and performance-to-power ratio. Aiming at the problem of the contamination of the QR code, and also in order to reduce the deployment of the QR code in the scene, (we) introduced the ground pattern. If you look closely, you will find that the ground actually has very small textures, which are unique IDs, which can be used for positioning, which is similar to the code value on the QR code. Due to the particularity of the land pattern, (we) adopted a series of transformations to extract the global feature of the land pattern and establish a map location. Of course, the ground pattern has certain limitations, and it cannot be used for the epoxy floor of the factory and some high-gloss tile floors. (We) deploy a head-up camera on the front end of the robot, and use a neural network method Markernet on the back end to greatly expand the two-dimensional code detection capability on the latest robot. Previously, our camera was shooting downwards, and the field of view was very small. If the robot deviated a little, the positioning would be lost in a few centimeters or ten centimeters. Now relying on the front-view camera can detect the QR code in a larger range and perform relocation, which reduces the failure rate by two orders of magnitude. Many friends will ask, why use the network method for objects with obvious geometric features or artificially designed QR codes? Compared with the traditional mobile phone scanning code or the previous robot looking down the QR code detection method, now the QR code needs to be detected in a larger range and smaller angle to detect the fuzzy and contaminated QR code, based on the data-driven model method Exceeds the traditional method of artificially designing features. With the help of flexible camera deployment and back-end intelligent algorithms, the use of QR codes in the scene is greatly expanded, and it can be extended to side shelves or ceilings or almost anywhere in the scene. This is a test done in a logistics port container, which can detect and recognize the QR code in a very dark environment. 3. Industrial scenes: to deal with more complex scenes and establish simulation schemes In the industrial scenario, the challenges and responses faced by the visual perception of logistics robots, compared with the previously mentioned warehousing environment, involve more operations and a wider range. In the industrial scene, there are different types of robots in different scenes, including the roller handling robot on the left, lifting and handling, as well as robotic arm load robots and smart forklifts. In the industrial scenario, the requirements are diverse and the scenarios are complex, and different robots face different challenges when dealing with different tasks. Let’s take a look at it in detail. First, there are few samples. Take compound robots as an example. In the end-grabbing process, they are faced with the detection and recognition of more than 100,000 commodities. Unlike applications such as unmanned vehicles, few in the industrial field can find corresponding ones on public data sets. Samples for our training. At the same time, industrial customers have certain requirements for data privacy, which also restricts the collection of some samples. We adopt a simulation + learning program. Take pallets as an example. Pallets are vehicles that are widely used in the entire logistics scene. There are many types of pallets, including European standard, national standard and non-standard. There are various colors, shapes, sizes, materials, and even some customers. Take local materials and temporarily assemble them into pallet-like items with raw materials. Use the simulation engine to quickly build a single-target rendering, which can be rendered with different lighting, colors, and positions, and quickly expand our samples. For some applications, we can do full-scene simulation. Few Shots learning and Transfer Learning are used to quickly develop and adapt some new applications for some of the data that has been accumulated before in the industrial scene and the models that have been trained. Unknown target detection, there are many types of targets, some anomaly detection or obstacle detection can not exhaust the tested targets, we don’t know that the wrench or a part on the production line is dropped in front, or it may be a mouse or battery, based on the traditional The depth model method relies too much on the previous samples, and when faced with the detection of items that have never been seen before, the performance has a relatively large drop. We introduce deep learning methods to organically combine depth data and RGB data for detection. There are many types of depth cameras, including Stereo camera, TOF camera, Structure Light camera, etc. Choose the corresponding sensor according to different detection distance and accuracy requirements. We use Stereo camera for obstacle detection. The output depth map and grayscale map are naturally aligned on the pixel level, which is very good for the further information fusion in the future. The depth-based detection method does not rely on the previously established model, and has a better detection effect for unseen targets. Our robot uses a very cheap depth sensor, which is not as high as a lidar. Accuracy. For low and small objects, the availability of depth data is greatly reduced. For very distant objects, the depth map degenerates into a 2D map in principle, which needs to be combined with RGB data for detection. In the industrial scenario, due to the requirements for safety and efficiency, the robustness of related equipment is very high. Take forklifts as an example. The load capacity of forklifts is very strong and the destructiveness is very large. Error detection will affect items and personnel. Caused very big damage, we adopt the method of compound model, combine deep learning method with domain knowledge through compound model. On the one hand, we quickly output the potential detection objects of the object. On the other hand, for pallet detection or certain bin detection, we know what the detection target is, we can use the prior model to perform a network verification to obtain robustness Higher accuracy and higher results. Positioning in high-dynamic scenarios is different from warehouse robots based on two-dimensional codes on the ground. SLAM robots are used more in the industry. SLAM is a technology that uses sensors to observe the environment to establish a map and then locate it. This is very similar to the principle of human eyes observing the entire scene and positioning based on these visual landmarks. SLAM-based positioning has some advantages. There is no need to modify the scene, and there is no need to lay so many two-dimensional codes. It is more convenient to implement. The walking route is not gridded, but an arbitrary trajectory. Due to its flexibility, SLAM robots are more in line with the needs of customers in the flexible manufacturing industry and have been widely used in the manufacturing industry. A very big challenge based on SLAM positioning is the problem of positioning loss in a high dynamic environment. For example, the bins on the production line will change with the change of work time. When the robot picks up the bins, there are still 10 bins. When it is put back, only 2 bins remain, and the scene changes If the robot fails to locate, it is equivalent to holding the old map to look at the way and find the way, and it will probably fail. We adopt a map update and semantic map solution. Based on the cloud-side end architecture just mentioned, each end-side robot is given the ability to detect changes. When it finds that the map does not match well, it uploads the data to the edge server. The edge end can integrate the data collected by multiple robots, judge based on the previous static reference map, perform map fusion update, and send the fused map to each robot, so that the robot can use the latest map for positioning. Semantic map detects some objects in the network and recognizes dynamic and static characteristics. For example, people and material trucks are movable and cannot be removed from the map as landmarks. For some heavy equipment, they are movable and the movement frequency is very low. Decrease its confidence in the map. The markings on the ground, walls, pillars, etc. are highly static objects, increase its confidence in the map. Compared with traditional feature point-based positioning, the accuracy of semantic target-based positioning may be slightly lower, but the robustness is very high. It can even partially or fully constrain the position of the entire robot based on one object in the entire scene. , So as to ensure the smooth operation of the robot. The challenge of low computing power is limited by a series of factors such as price, size, and power consumption. It is impossible for us to use high-performance computing chips on end-side devices. What we do is to optimize at the algorithm and software level. For the network model, optimization is performed on the numerical calculation level, the structure of the network itself, and the entire detection process. On the other hand, we use the supporting optimization and reasoning engines provided by major hardware manufacturers to optimize the deployment of our algorithms. Taking OpenVINO as an example, quantitative tuning and pruning are performed on the server side, and the optimized model is deployed on a low-computing computing platform through the IE engine. Intel’s OpenVINO can fully tap the entire processor, not only the CPU, but also other computing units, especially the computing power of the integrated graphics card, making full use of on-chip resources. Let’s talk about it today. We look forward to working with colleagues and partners to discuss the application of visual AI technology in the logistics industry, and to build intelligent robots to make logistics easier. thank you all! The above is a complete compilation of Chen Chao’s speech.

A month after the fire, the X-Press Pearl now lies dormant in a semi-submersible state off the coast of Sri Lanka, its hull resting on the sandy bottom of the shallow sea. The X-Press Pearl burned for 13 days off the coast of Sri Lanka. Photo: BBC. Although the fire on board has been extinguished, the problems stemming from the fire are just beginning. Many stacked chemical containers are still stuck on the ship. Many of these barrels have leaked and soaked into the water, raising concerns about marine life being poisoned by the chemicals. In addition, tons of microplastics have washed up on nearby local beaches. Hundreds of tons of engine fuel sealed in the sunken hull is also likely to leak into the sea. In addition to the environmental threats, the X-Press Pearl ship fire also had devastating consequences for local communities, according to the report. BBC . Indigenous fishermen lose their livelihood overnight and may suffer the consequences for years to come. “We are fishermen, we have to go to the sea every day. We can only make a living by going to sea, otherwise our whole family will starve,” said Denish Rodrigo, who lives on the Sri Lankan coast. with BBC . Billions of microplastics One of the most striking features in the photos documenting the X-Press Pearl fire disaster is the many small round plastic beads spilling from the ship. The number of pieces of plastic is so much that the naked eye can see them when they are next to each other. These microplastics are the main ingredient of most plastic products on the planet. Large amounts of microplastics from the X-Press Pearl ship could threaten the Sri Lankan ecosystem. Photo: BBC. “There were about 46 different chemicals on that ship (X-Press Pearl),” Hemantha Withanage, a Sri Lankan environmental activist, told the BBC. BBC . “But what we’ve been able to see most clearly so far are tons of microplastics.” Since the end of May, pieces of plastic from the X-Press Pearl have washed up on the beaches of Negombo city on the west coast of Sri Lanka. Locals also reported dead fish floating around because of ingesting microplastics. Normally, plastic takes between 500 and 1,000 years to completely decompose. The aforementioned microplastics may have been pushed by ocean currents to the coasts around Sri Lanka or even beyond. “Our whole family will starve to death” For fishermen in Negombo, their concern isn’t just about ingesting microplastics in their fish, but the possibility that they won’t be able to catch any fish. Local authorities have issued a fishing ban in the area affected by the fire. This means that many fishermen have lost their entire source of income and livelihood overnight. “Fish species grow on coral reefs in the area, and authorities say those areas have been destroyed by the effects of dangerous chemicals. Now there is no choice but to jump into the sea naturally. death,” said Mr. Tiuline Fernando, who has been a fisherman for the past 35 years BBC . Many fishing families in Negombo struggled to make ends meet because they lost their livelihood overnight. Photo: BBC. The Sri Lankan government is demanding compensation and insurance from the owners of the X-Press Pearl. However, locals do not expect that money to be used to support them. The local fishermen’s association said it needed help from the whole community. “It’s not just us (fishers) but many other related industries are also affected,” explained the president of the indigenous fishermen’s association Densil Fernando. “Suppliers of nets, engines, boats and oil are involved in fishing operations. Thousands of jobs related to the fishing industry are being affected,” said Mr. Fernando. Chemical pollution The most lasting impact from the fire is believed to be a problem of chemical contamination. Activist Withanage said some of the hazardous elements found on board the X-Press Pearl were nitric acid, sodium dioxide, copper and lead. When mixed with water, these elements enter the internal organs of local sea creatures. Small fish can die immediately from poisoning, but large fish are more likely to survive, the poison will gradually accumulate in their bodies over time. Toxic marine life washed ashore in Negombo, Sri Lanka. Photo: BBC. Mr Withange said fish, turtles and dolphins had died and washed up on beaches. Many of them have turned green, indicating that the body is contaminated with metals and chemicals. “In a couple of years, if you catch a tuna, there’s a good chance it’s still poisoned,” Mr Withange said. “This chemical buildup is a serious problem.” “People should be informed about this,” he added. “The X-Press Pearl is now a toxic ship. Anything from this ship that washes ashore is very poisonous. People shouldn’t even touch them.”

Elephants in the Central Highlands. (Photo source: PV/Vietnam+) Wild animals and plants play an important role in maintaining ecological balance, ensuring Ecosystem are complete systems, contributing to the provision of ecosystem services for sustainable development, bringing direct benefits to people. The strengthening of wildlife protection is one of the most important tasks of biodiversity conservation. A clear legal system, behavior change communication, and effective law enforcement are considered to be the three decisive factors for the success of a conservation campaign. VNA introduces a series of 4 articles “Joining hands to protect wildlife in Vietnam.” Lesson 1: Facing a downtrend According to the United Nations Intergovernmental Committee in the Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, the rate at which biodiversity is being degraded is unprecedented in history. One million plant and animal species out of a total of 8 million species on earth are on the verge of extinction. In Vietnam, in recent years, biodiversity resources are continuing to decline. The situation of illegal hunting, killing, slaughtering, transporting, trading, and consuming wild animals is still complicated, leading to an increase in the risk of extinction of many wild animals in the environment. nature, negatively affecting ecological balance, human health and the country’s reputation in the international arena. There is also a risk of disease transmission to humans, livestock and poultry. Biodiversity is reduced mainly due to natural loss, overexploitation, climate change, environmental pollution from the use of pesticides, plastic products… and invasive species. In which, urbanization, deforestation, and agricultural development are the main causes causing nearly 75% of the terrestrial environment to be changed, causing species and ecosystems to decline. The wildlife trade has also created many consequences, wreaking havoc on the environment, severely reducing species populations with 67% of animals worldwide already in decline. High diversity comes with risk extinction increase According to the 6th national report to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Vietnam currently has about 51,400 species of organisms that have been identified, including 7,500 species/microorganism strains, about 20,000 terrestrial and aquatic plant species, 10,900 species of terrestrial animals, 2,000 species of invertebrates and freshwater fish, and 11,000 other marine species. Many species have great value for conservation, contribute to science and affirm the global importance of Vietnam’s biodiversity, such as saola, silver-backed chevrotain, giant gill, Truong Son gill, striped rabbit, etc. Asian elephants, bison, gray cows, tigers, leopards, star deer, primates, sea turtles and freshwater tortoises… The International Bird Conservation Organization has also identified Vietnam as having 63 important bird areas. important. Compared with other countries in Indochina, the fauna of Vietnam is quite rich in species composition and has a high degree of endemism. Of the 21 monkey species found in this region, Vietnam has 15 species, of which 7 are endemic species and subspecies. Of the 49 endemic bird species in the region, Vietnam has 33 species, of which 10 are endemic to Vietnam alone. From 2014-2018, 334 new species were discovered for science including 208 animal species, 136 plant species described and published in prestigious international scientific journals and the Institute’s Journal of Biology Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology. According to statistics, the number of species and individuals of Vietnam’s wild species is on a sharp decline, many endangered, precious and rare species are at very high risk of extinction. Like the Ho Guom turtle, there are only 4 known living individuals in the world, including 1 individual in China and 3 individuals in Vietnam. Other large mammals such as elephants, tigers, bears, big cats and pangolins are also threatened with extinction if no resolute and effective protection measures are taken. Sao la – a species endemic to the Truong Son range is also on the verge of extinction. Investigation and monitoring efforts to date have not found any populations of the species in the wild. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List updated in November 2020, the number of threatened species distributed in Vietnam is 745 species, including 64 mammal species, 53 bird species, 70 reptile species, etc. 45 species of amphibians and 96 species of fish. The total number of wild species recorded in the Red Book of Vietnam is 882 species, of which 464 are precious and rare animals (an increase of 108 species within 10 years). There are 116 species that are critically endangered and 6 species that have been converted from different endangered levels to considered extinct, including two-horned rhinoceros, gray bull, tapir, otter civet, lilac crocodile, star deer . The 2016 species inventory proposed to include 1,211 species in the updated Red Book, including 600 species of plants and 611 species of animals. Compared with the 2007 Red Book, the number of threatened and endangered species has increased significantly. Big challenge According to the assessment of the Department of Nature Conservation and Biodiversity (General Department of Environment, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment), the conservation of wild animals and plants is facing many challenges and limitations. . The issue of protecting wild species, especially endangered, precious and rare species has not yet been unified in the approach to management and conservation; management regime for species in different categories. Especially in matters of criteria for species identification, the list of endangered, precious and rare species and endangered, precious and rare species are prioritized for protection. An otter belonging to group 1B, imprisoned in an iron cage, is illegally sold by stall owner Yen Tam in Thanh Hoa, Long An province in 2020 for 10 million VND. (Photo: Hung Vo/Vietnam+) Duplicating the list leads to an overlap in management regimes and makes it difficult to apply legal documents as well as handle violations in practice. Specifically, the three-bar box turtle belongs to the list of endangered, precious and rare species prioritized for protection and is not allowed to be traded, but at the same time belongs to group IIB – forest plants and animals that are not yet threatened. extinct, but at risk of being threatened if not strictly managed, limited exploitation and use for commercial purposes. The overexploitation and use of wildlife resources, deforestation, and conversion of forest use purposes also lead to habitat loss of species leading to increasing conflicts between humans and species in the region. nature. Species conservation programs are approved by the authorities, but in practice there are few resources to implement. The demand for illegal and unsustainable consumption of endangered wild species for food, medicine, pets, decoration… still exists. The illegal trade in these species is increasingly sophisticated, organized and complicated, with elements of transnational crime. Law enforcement is still limited and ineffective due to lack of resources, including physical, human and financial facilities. Remuneration regimes and policies for enforcement officers are not commensurate with the high responsibilities and risks when facing this crime. The specialized force’s ability to fight against this type of violation on endangered, precious and rare wild species has not yet kept up with the sophisticated and professional tricks of criminals. Some shortcomings and gaps in legal documents make it difficult to handle violations such as the lack of regulations on handling exhibits. In practice, it may take a lot of time for the investigating agency, the procuracies or the people’s court, the trial panel to make a decision, or it may also take time to get the assessment results when the individuals Live and healthy wild animals need to be treated and immediately released back into the wild, which is very expensive to preserve until the case is heard. Cooperation between enforcement agencies has improved, but there has not been a close coordination mechanism, no guidance on the investigation process after the arrest of wildlife individuals or products, including: including the process of making and transferring dossiers from customs, border guards and forest rangers to the police, assessment agencies, procuracies and courts; handling wild animals and their parts after confiscation. In addition, the awareness of the whole society towards species conservation, biodiversity conservation has been improved, but there are still many limitations. Some parts of the people still have a high demand to use endangered wildlife, leading to increased hunting, trading and consumption. Awareness of all levels and branches has been raised, but not enough and not drastically to contribute to the conservation of endangered, precious and rare species effectively and comprehensively. Deputy Director of the Center for Education for Nature (Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations) Bui Thi Ha said that corruption is also a big obstacle to wildlife law enforcement efforts because there are With the help of a number of corrupt officials, many criminals have been and are blatantly committing crimes without fear of being discovered, arrested, put on trial or facing punishment. prison./.

While the West facing house has many disadvantages because it is the direction of the setting sun, the afternoon will absorb a very high amount of heat. Therefore, the west facing house is usually very hot. However, there is still a way for the West facing house to overcome this shortcoming. Architect Bui The Long (CTA | Creative Architects) said that there are two notes for building a west-facing house, including space layout and sunlit surface design. For the west-facing space, the functional spaces that can be arranged are spaces that are rarely used, with hollow nature such as stairs, skylights, corridors, warehouses, toilets, gardens… to create separation from the main use spaces. T-house project (CTA | Creative Architects) with a west-facing facade, a solution of covering walls combined with ventilation, light and side corridors to reduce heat. For the surface of the building directly exposed to the sun, there are many ways to solve it. For example, using insulating materials such as planting trees or using blue systems to block the sun, create shade, cast shadows on the surface of the wall, reduce heat absorption, etc. Parallel to that is the problem of natural ventilation. The surface of the wall needs to be well shaded from the sun but still has to be ventilated, creating air convection, quickly cooling the inside of the building. The hot air rises up, but it will hang around in the building causing heat if there is no way to escape. Therefore, it is necessary to design ventilation boxes and slots to create convection and air circulation in the house. In summary, the overall solutions of space arrangement, shading, shading and ventilation will solve the disadvantages of west-facing buildings. Homeowners need to combine many solutions, not a single element.

It was from a sarcastic comment of the online community on Twitter that the news that the Ford Bronco was being developed an all-electric version immediately became a phenomenon discussed on American car forums. Specifically, shortly after Ford announced the F-150 Lightning, a Tesla supporter commented asking Ford CEO Jim Farley if they are truly committed to a future centered around electric vehicles, why new product lines like Ford Bronco does not have this option? In response, the Ford leader asked this person, “Why do you think we don’t have one?”. Immediately, many American newspapers questioned the Ford spokesman, but the American brand temporarily declined to comment on the feasibility of the project. In 2018, Ford said it would have 7 electric vehicle lines launched before the end of 2022 with a commitment that electrified versions will target the best-selling car series such as Bronco, Escape, Explorer, Mustang and F. -150. Information about the Ford Bronco Hybrid, since then, has generally not been much except for a short video with the digital dashboard on the SUV showing the EV Coaching feature from last year. If Ford is still developing an electrified version of the Bronco from 2018 to now, the 2022 milestone they announced before is completely doable. Reference: Carscoops

Many fish sauce production establishments in Ba Lang (Nghi Son town) already have booths to display their products. Facing new development needs, about 4-5 recent years, the fish sauce-making households here have all invested in expanding production scale, looking for ways to improve product quality and design. In that hundreds of years old traditional craft village, the fish sauce production establishment of Mrs. Dong Thi Huy’s family had 4 generations of succession to his father’s profession. The owner of the establishment has “belt” a lot of valuable experience to produce the famous fish sauce, shrimp paste, sour sauce and shrimp paste, which are widely used by many people. With nearly 50 salt tanks and hundreds of large jars located in 3 different production zones, each year this facility produces about 3,000 liters of fish sauce, nearly 100 tons of shrimp paste and shrimp paste. Ms. Dong Thi Huy, owner of the production facility, shared: Fish sauce and other types of fish sauce used to be mainly sold in the region, a little bit wide in Thanh Hoa city and some localities in the province. But now, we have to aim to develop the national market, even to export, so we have to change the way of doing. The product is no longer put in large plastic cans, but is converted to bottles with many different large and small capacities to meet the tastes of many customers. Trademarked products contain barcodes, addresses, and date of manufacture and expiry date. With many efforts, in 2020, the family has 2 products, which are fish sauce and sour sauce, which will be recognized as OCOP products in Thanh Hoa province. By the beginning of this year 2021, the family shrimp fish sauce products continued to be considered and recognized for OCOP products. We consider this as a turning point, as a condition to promote and develop the market for Ba Lang fish sauce products in general, for families in particular. Synthesized from the Do Xuyen Fish Sauce Association – Ba Lang, in Hai Thanh ward, there are more than 120 establishments specializing in producing fish sauce and salt of all kinds. Only 23 large enterprises and households are members of the Do Xuyen Fish Sauce Association – Ba Lang, each establishment brings to the market thousands of liters of fish sauce per month, the most being Processing Company Limited. Tuyen Hoa seafood sells about 6,000 liters of fish sauce / month. Mr. Duong Xuan Tac, Chairman of the Do Xuyen Fish Sauce Association – Ba Lang, shared: In the past, the fish sauce job was mainly spontaneous, and the family did it strongly. Accordingly, the quality of fish sauce from many families is not high, affecting the “brand” of the craft village. Now we are constantly training as well as sharing our experiences to make the quality more uniform. For example, in the past, the raw materials for making fish sauce are mixed with small fish, shrimp, etc., making fish sauce and shrimp sauce in many households flattering and not smooth. Now we agree to carefully select raw materials, remove all new salt impurities. The finished fish sauce, before being bottled, is also puree, sifted to make the sauce really smooth, no new shells … Recently, products of Ba Lang fish sauce and fish sauce are always present in product exhibitions and exhibitions at fairs inside and outside the province. That is an effective way of advertising to bring the name of the product to a large number of customers from afar. Many production establishments now have contracts to supply fish sauce products for military units, many collective kitchens of state agencies at the central and local levels. Plastic and cement tanks are gradually replaced by ceramic jars and ceramic tiles to ensure food hygiene. Surveying around this traditional craft village, we found that most of the owners of production facilities built booths to display and introduce their products. This is a new “move” that in previous years almost no family implemented. When quality, design and food safety are concerned, the fish sauce industry in Ba Lang will surely have a step of sustainable development and grow stronger.

The Mars expedition can last at least 3 years. Brain structure effect The missions that bring humans to Mars are considered to be a major leap in space exploration. NASA has a goal of sending people to Mars by 2030. However, a trip to Mars is not the same as taking a flight to New York. Because space is an extremely harsh environment for human life, including the lack of gravity and harmful radiation, as well as isolation and lack of day or night. Missions to Mars will require more astronauts physically and mentally than man-made journeys in 60 years of space exploration. A flight to Mars and back will take about 14 months. Meanwhile, the actual exploration mission will last at least 3 years. Maintaining good cognition and effective teamwork are the prerequisites for the safe and successful outcomes of these tasks. However, a new study published in the journal Frontiers of Physiology found that the lack of gravity during such missions can have negative effects on cognitive skills, as well as emotions. of the astronauts. Since the first space missions, it is clear that exposure to a “microgravity” (weightless) environment leads to drastic changes in the human body. This includes changes in the cardiovascular, skeletal and nervous systems. On Earth, we discover gravity with the aid of our eyesight and various organs, including those in the inner ear. When our heads are upright, the hearing stones in the vestibular system are perfectly balanced by a viscous liquid. However, as we move the head, gravity causes the liquid to move with it. This activates signals to the brain that our heads have changed positions. In space, this process is no longer active. Space flight can even bring about adverse changes to the brain structure of astronauts. Changes in brain structure were observed in astronauts after they returned from the International Space Station (ISS). The scientists found that in these astronauts, the brain physically moves inside the skull and reduces the ability to connect between regions of the brain layer, the cortex and the inner regions. Emotional perception is extremely important to astronauts. Difficulty recognizing other people’s feelings The acumen and quick thinking of astronauts are essential elements in a space mission. So is the ability to accurately “read” each other’s emotional expressions. Because, they have to spend a lot of time sitting together in a small space. Therefore, it is recommended that space agencies consider training, as well as psychological support for astronauts before the flight, to minimize this risk. To date, how these changes affect behavior is not concretely understood. However, scientists are getting closer to the answer. Because, they realize, astronauts can be disoriented, disturbed perception, balance disorders and motion sickness. However, such findings are often made based on a small group of people. New NASA-backed research has explored the effect of microgravity on cognitive performance. However, 24 study participants were not sent to space. Instead, the scientists asked these people to lie in bed. This is because the effect of a certain type of bed rest is similar to that of microgravity. Therefore, scientists have repeatedly applied this method in research. When we are upright, the body and hearing stones in the vestibular system are in the same direction as gravity. Meanwhile, the moment of lying down, the body and hearing stones are perpendicular to each other. Therefore, study participants had to lie on their back at an angle of 6 degrees, their head lower than their body. They were asked not to change their position for almost two months. At the same time, the participants also routinely perform a series of cognitive missions designed for astronauts and related to space flight. As a result, it helps to evaluate their spatial orientation, memory, risk-taking behavior and understanding of their feelings about others. The results showed that the cognitive speed of these people slowed a bit but remained reliable in tasks related to sensory and motor skills. This seems to be consistent with reported changes in brain tissue density across “motor sensory regions”. These are the main motor and sensory regions of the brain, helping to process sensory input and movement, observed after a person has flown into space. Participants also had difficulty recognizing emotions when looking at people’s faces. Adjusting to changes in gravity takes time and effort. While performance on most cognitive tasks initially decreased, after about 60 days, the participants remained unchanged throughout the test. However, their ability to perceive emotions continued to deteriorate. In fact, the participants became inclined toward negative emotions. They are more likely to recognize another person’s expression as angry and have a hard time explaining how happy or normal the other person is.

On March 30, Hongyang Real Estate (01996.HK) held an online performance conference as scheduled. Board Chairman Zeng Huansha led Executive Director and President Yuan Chun, Executive Director and Vice President Lei Weibin, and Chief Financial Officer Shen Guangping To attend a meeting. However, compared with previous years, there are fewer familiar faces on the podium.

On the day of the performance meeting, Hongyang Real Estate was exposed to the news of layoffs of 30%: the resignation of senior executives in multiple business lines, causing shocks in multiple departments; multiple departments need to determine the optimization list and complete the process before March 31. And the main reason for the layoffs is that Hongyang has reduced costs and increased efficiency due to lack of profitability.

The “Daily Business News” reporter verified this with Hongyang Real Estate, and the other party denied the rumors of layoffs.

Hongyang Real Estate delivered a relatively dazzling performance in 2020: revenue increased by about 32.9% year-on-year, gross profit increased by about 18.2% year-on-year, net profit increased by 13.4% year-on-year, and net profit attributable to parent increased by 13.2% year-on-year. In addition, contracted sales increased by 32.8% year-on-year, continuing to hit a record high.

However, Hongyang Real Estate’s gross profit margin has dropped by about 2.7 percentage points from 2019, and its net profit margin has also dropped to 9.2% from 10.78% in 2019. The reporter’s inquiry found that the two project indicators of Hongyang Real Estate’s gross profit margin and net profit margin have fallen for 4 consecutive years.

Yuan Chun also said at the performance meeting that in the future, it will be more necessary to practice internal skills to improve the profitability of Hongyang Real Estate.

“Hundred Billion” plan stranded

But there are many hidden worries behind the seemingly dazzling performance.

In 2017, Zeng Huansha set a “three-year 100 billion” plan, but at the end of 2020, the sales rating was 86.5 billion yuan, which is still quite far from the “100 billion” target.

Among them, the Yangtze River Delta contributed 80% of Hongyang’s sales, and Jiangsu’s sales alone reached 45.9 billion yuan. From the perspective of city level and energy level, the sales of new first-tier and second-tier cities accounted for 82.5%, which also led to the year-on-year increase in the average sales price of Hongyang (an increase of 10% to 14,622 yuan/square meter).

Perhaps because the sales growth in 2020 is not as good as expected, the management did not take the initiative to mention the sales target for 2021. If calculated on the basis of Hongyang Real Estate’s sales of 140 billion yuan in 2021 and the industry’s average sale rate of 60%, Hongyang Real Estate’s sales may reach 84 billion yuan.

But the premise is that it is necessary to guarantee the contracted payment return rate of 88% and above. Once the return rate drops, the current sales value that can be carried forward will also decrease, and Hongyang Real Estate may face the embarrassment of a decline in sales.

With a compound growth rate of 30% in the past three years, Hongyang has still failed to enter the “100 billion” threshold. However, at the performance meeting, the management of Hongyang Real Estate seemed to have changed their views on scale development.

“Under the background of the return of profitability and scale in the real estate industry, profitability is the foundation for the survival of the company.” Yuan Chun said at the performance meeting that for the current Hongyang, scale is not the first. A certain scale is necessary, but in the face of the current industry structure, there is no profit, and no matter how big the company is, it does not make sense.

4 consecutive declines in gross profit margin and net profit margin

It is true that profit is the core meaning of an enterprise, and this is also the biggest problem facing Hongyang Real Estate.

A reporter from the “Daily Economic News” found that the gross profit margin of Hongyang Real Estate from 2017 to 2020 was 40.58%, 31.25%, 25.14%, and 22.36%, which had declined for 4 consecutive years; the net profit margin was 19.47%, 14.32%, and 10.78, respectively. %, 9.2%, have fallen to single digits in 2020, and are far lower than the average net interest rate of 14.29% of the 50 typical listed real estate companies in 2019.

An industry insider who did not want to be named told the “Daily Economic News” reporter that the core problem facing Hongyang is that it has expanded rapidly in the past three years and has taken a lot of high-cost land. On the one hand, it has expanded its leverage and made great strides in order to add new goods. Value sacrifices profits, leading to low core profits carried forward in the report.

Looking back, it can be seen that Hongyang Real Estate began to expand in 2018. At that time, the changes in the policy of limiting land prices and housing prices have already appeared. The speed of real estate sales has slowed down, coupled with the increase in financial costs, which further swallowed profits.

“After 2020, under the new “three red lines” financing regulations, real estate companies need to lower their leverage in a short period of time to avoid continued business deterioration. For Hongyang Real Estate, it is even more necessary to reduce the pressure because its debt scale and leverage have already been used. Close to the extreme.” The above-mentioned industry insider said.

Delay in business

Commercial is regarded by many real estate companies as a means to boost profits, and Hongyang has also vigorously proposed a “commercial round”, and Hongyang Real Estate, which was born in a commercial store, seems to have such genes.

But the reality is that Hongyang’s reliance on residential development business has never been reduced. The annual report shows that in 2020, the operating income of Hongyang Real Estate is 20.159 billion yuan, of which 19.616 billion yuan for real estate development, accounting for more than 97%.

In fact, as early as the 2019 performance meeting, the management of Hongyang also specifically mentioned the business plan. However, in the 2020 performance meeting, there has been almost no mention of the part of heavy-asset commercial real estate.

“The main reason for the fading out of business is the low quality of operation.” A person familiar with the matter told the “Daily Business News” to tell reporters that the reason for Hongyang’s business is inseparable from the linkage with housing to obtain land. The actual operation quality of Hongyang Plaza, Home Furnishing Expo Center and other businesses is not high.

“For a business to operate well, it must first have a strong brand and strong enough IP to have the capital to hook up. Hongyang wants to learn from Xincheng, Wanda and Red Star Macalline, but it has not been in place. On the one hand, it is because its own cash flow is not enough. Sufficient, and the financing cost is not low enough. On the one hand, the brand premium and product standardization are not enough to gain a foothold in cities with strong competitors.” The above-mentioned insiders bluntly said that it is already very difficult for ordinary enterprises to obtain land by business, and Hongyang does not dare to do so. Shen does not have much advantage in the face of powerful opponents in second- and third-tier cities.

Therefore, there is only one way for Hongyang Real Estate: sinking and deep ploughing. Hongyang is also aware of this problem. At the performance meeting, Zeng Huansha positioned its development strategy in 2021 as “to expand Jiangsu, cultivate the metropolitan area, and strengthen the central city”.

Focus on quality growth in the future

In-depth cultivation and thoroughness test the company’s refined management capabilities. This is the weakness of Hongyang, which relies on high turnover and high leverage.

Zhang Bo, Dean of 58 Anju Guest House Property Research Institute, told the reporter of “Daily Economic News” that the logic of scale is no longer feasible. Real estate companies must reduce their debts and adjust their balance sheets. They must change their thinking and refine operations. This is an inevitable choice.

But back to the manufacturing logic, the refined management of small real estate companies, that is, reducing costs and increasing efficiency is difficult to increase significantly in a short time. Because real estate is not a technology industry, and real estate companies don’t have much technology investment, they can only work hard on “cost reduction”.

“Hongyang announced the news of 30% layoffs on the day of the performance meeting. I don’t think it is surprising that reducing costs will inevitably lead to layoffs and cost control actions.” Zhang Bo said bluntly, relying on this “hard landing” method to reduce costs, trying to reduce costs. Increasing revenue is not long-term.

The reporter noted that since the end of last year, Hongyang executives have changed frequently. Executive President Zhang Liang, President Jiang Daqiang, and General Manager Han Cunlei of the Capital Management Center have left one after another.

In Zhang Bo’s view, Hongyang Real Estate should change its investment thinking. It should not only guard the second and third tier cities. The sinking may also force some goods-to-land ratios and profits. At the same time, it must also strengthen land acquisition and mergers and acquisitions. In addition to the main business, opportunistic investments must also be made to ensure profitability. In addition, focusing on one’s own waterway, making premiums and differentiation in products, these are the long-term solutions and are also the top priority of Hongyang.

Yuan Chun also said at the performance meeting, “Hongyang has entered the stage of the top 50 in the industry, and quality growth is more important in the future. Next, we will focus on core competitiveness and steady and quality growth.”

Daily economic news

So far, Vietnam is on track to achieve the Global Nutrition Goals (40% reduction in child stunting and stunting by 2025 – Artwork

At the conference, Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen emphasized: “This Census of Nutrition is the largest scale ever in the country with the participation of 22400 households in 25 provinces. The street represents 6 ecological regions; simultaneously collects indicators on anthropology, micronutrients, individual diets, as well as information on food security and food safety and hygiene ” .

The rate of stunting in school age children (5-19 years old) is 14.8% (in 2010 this rate was 23.4%)

Ms. Rana Flowers, UNICEF Representative, FAO Representative, General Statistics Office leader, Director of Department of Science, Technology and Training, Ministry of Health commented, Vietnam is facing a triple burden of nutrition, including stunting, overweight, obesity and micronutrient deficiency. The Census is a rich source of data on age, gender, ethnicity, geographic area and socioeconomic status that can help ensure the new strategy targets children and communities. There is a risk of falling behind in general progress.

The census results show that there must be interventions at an urgent level, and approaches need to be reviewed and improved. The results also help to identify priority points, design interventions, and budget for implementation at the central and provincial level, the Northern Uplands and Central Highlands regions, and ethnic minorities. will need to be given priority investment attention.

7 main results of the National Nutrition Census (2019-2020) were announced at the Conference:

1. The diet of the people in 2020

Average energy in the diet reached 2023kcal / person / day, a slight increase compared to the energy level 1925kcal / person / day in 2010. Structure of energy generation from Protein, Lipid, and Glucid (2020) was: 15.8% : 20.2%: 64.0% (% of total energy intake), this structure is considered the recommended balance for Vietnamese people (2016).

The average level of consumption of vegetables and fruits per capita increased from 190.4g vegetables / person / day; 60.9g of ripe fruit / person / day (2010) to 231.0g of vegetables / person / day; 140.7g of ripe fruit / person / day (2020); the consumption of vegetables and fruits is only about 66.4% – 77.4% compared with the recommended demand of the Nutrition Tower for adults;

Meat consumption increased rapidly: From 84.0g / person / day (the average meat consumption nationwide in 2010) to 136.4g / person / day (by 2020); consumption in urban areas is higher, at 155.3g / person / day (2020).

Rice consumption tends to decrease.

There is a growing trend in city schools to increase the consumption of soft drinks and fast foods.

2. The rate of stunting (height / age) in children under 5 years old

The rate of stunting (height / age) among children under 5 years old nationwide is 19.6% – at