Future Scope of Image Processing

Future Scope of Image Processing Imaging can be defined as the representation of an objects external form. That definition no longer holds true. More information within an image can be considered. Fluorescent tags, mechanical-biological parameters, internal structures are some of the recent additions. Fabrication while imaging and the characterization of materials as yet undefined can also be part of imaging. The extremely small images can be measured in nanometers also. Future imaging systems are expected to be less expensive. They will have to be easier to use. There are various types of imaging systems such as those used for chemical, optical, thermal, medical and molecular imaging. The use of scanning techniques and statistical analyses for image analysis are needed to extract valid image values. The satellite applications programs of the future will be based on extensive research in the area of imaging. A number of different sensors will be used in the satellites orbiting the earth. Scientifically useful inform ation will be extracted from these systems. New techniques will be needed to organize and classify the different sets of data obtainable from the orbiting satellites. The future trend in remote sensing will be based on sensors that can record the same scene in many different ways. Graphics data will be important in image processing app1ications. Satellite based imaging for planetary exploration as well as military applications will be the future trend. Biomedical applications, astronomy, and scene analysis for the robotic vehicles are also pertinent areas of future applications of imaging4. Adaptive search of large image data bases will become the norms, since video and graphics data will be available from a variety of sensors developed for remote sensing applications of satellite systems. The design and coordination of microscopy imaging techniques for research in molecular biology is gaining importance. KEY WORDS: future paradigm for imaging techniques, cellular neural network for imaging techniques, Advances in image processing and artificial intelligence, improved sensors for satellite imaging, ultrasound imaging, digital image processing, document and medical imaging, remote sensing. INTRODUCTION The advances taking place in broadband wireless devices and in mobile technology used for hand-held devices have several applications in the field of image processing. Internet enables acquisition of instant information. Most of this information is designed for visual consumption in the form of text, graphics, and pictures, or integrated multimedia presentations. Image processing essentially means algorithmic enhancement, manipulation, or analysis (also understanding or recognition) of the digital image data. Image processing can be thought of a form of signal processing for which the input is an image, such as photographs or frames of video. The output of image processing can be either an image or a set of characteristics or parameters related to the image. Most image-processing techniques involve treating the image as a two-dimensional signal and applying standard signal-processing techniques to it. The acquisition of images is referred to as imaging. Image Processing deals with im ages which are two-dimensional entities (such as scanned office documents, x-ray films, satellite pictures, etc) captured electronically. The technique of video image processing used to solve problems associated with the real-time road traffic control systems is gaining importance. This has a direct emphasis on the future improvements planned for digital video camera techniques. The nuances of Image Processing and the range of applications in which the technology will be deployed in the future will be of value for planning in this vital area. Image Processing is considered to be one of the most rapidly evolving areas of information technology today, with growing applications in all areas of business. This technology holds the possibility of developing the ultimate machine in the future that would be able to perform the visual functions of human beings. The basis for all kinds of future visual automation is relevant to image processing field. Sophisticated optical sorting systems use image processing to discriminate the colors of an object, thereby visually sorting a product though the use of light sensors. Augmented reality5,7 is a term used for a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are merged with (or augmented by) virtual computer-generated imagery, thus creating a mixed reality. The augmentation is conventionally in real-time, such as sports scores on TV during a match. Augmented reality research explores the application of computer-generated imagery in live video streams as a way to expand the real-world. Advanced research includes use of head-mounted displays and virtual retinal displays for visualization purposes, and construction of controlled environments containing any number of sensors and actuators Traffic data collection under mixed traffic conditions is one of the major problems faced by researchers as well as traffic regulatory authorities. There is a growing demand for road traffic data of all kinds. Increasing congestion problems and problems associated with existing detectors created an interest in such new vehicle detection technologies1. But the systems have difficulties with congestion, shadows and lighting transitions. Problems related to image processing application to road traffic are due to the fact that real world images are to be processed in real time. Every image processing technique or algorithm takes an input, an image or a sequence of images and produces an output, which may be a modified image and/or a description of the input image contents. Image Processing extracts information from images and integrates it for several applications. There are several fields in which image processing applications are relevant. Medical imaging, industrial applications, remote sensing, space applications, and military applications are a few examples. IMAGING IN INDUSTRY The applications in industry include fingerprint or retina recognition, processing records of security or traffic cameras. The applications in medicine include ultrasound imaging, magnetic resonance. Stereography is the art of using two almost identical photographs to create a three-dimensional (3D) image. The viewer requires special glasses or a stereoscope to see the 3D image. With modern technology, it has applications in motion picture and television industry. Stereography is a complicated process. Modern stereography uses specialized computer software and camera hardware. Volumetric displays do not require special goggles. The three-dimensional graphics created by this type of display can be viewed from any angle. Each viewer can observe the picture from a different perspective. To create volumetric graphics, a technique called as swept surface volumetric display, which is based on persistence of vision is adopted. Here use of fast-moving lit surfaces creates the illusion of a s olid shape. To display volumetric 3D images there is another option which is called as static volume. No moving parts are used in the visible area of the display. However mirrors and lenses are used to direct a beam of laser light. Very fast pulses of laser light are directed at different points in the air. Persistence of vision gives the illusion of a single solid object. This method is useful for medical diagnosis. A 3D display can show a realistic image of a heart. Architects and builders can visualize a construction project in three dimensions. Future applications include methods of interacting with volumetric displays. Sensors can be used by users to manipulate and adjust the graphics. A camera connected to a display can track an athleteà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s motions and rotate the images as needed. These types of volumetric interactions can aid in literally reaching out and touching the three dimensional images of kith and kin separated geographically. Bio-medical and other applications2 are possible, wherein model building and rendering can convert 2D image to a 3D image by using the mesh skeleton of a component or an organ. Use of 3D image processing to build realistic models for movies and buildings will also become a reality. 3D image processing requires a mesh object. An image processing program helps in creating lines to build up the mesh skeleton. 3D scanner can also be used to capture the information. The mesh skeleton contains volume and depth information so that a 3D model can be developed. Rendering is used to include colors and textures over the 3D model to make it look realistic. The computer can make use of different 2D screenshots to capture every angle of the model. The user can move the model and it will appear as a 3D image. 3D imaging is a process to render a three-dimensional image on a two-dimensional surface by creating the optical illusion of depth. 3D imaging makes use of two still or motion camera lenses a slight distance apart to photograph a three-dimensional object. The process effectively duplicates the stereoscopic vision of human eyes. The image is reproduced as two flat images that are seen separately, creating a visual illusion of depth. The spot where the left and right images overlap is the point of convergence. As objects in 3D imaging move further from the point of convergence, they appear either closer or further away from the viewer, creating the illusion of depth. Face detection is a computer technology that determines the locations and sizes of human faces in arbitrary (digital) images. It detects facial features and ignores anything else, such as buildings, trees and bodies. Early face-detection algorithms focused on the detection of frontal human faces, whereas newer algorithms attempt to solve the more general and difficult problem of multi-view face detection. It is also used in video surveillance. Some recent digital cameras use face detection for autofocus. The concept of feature detection refers to methods that aim at computing abstractions of image information and making local decisions at every image point whether there is an image feature of a given type at that point or not. Features are used as a starting point for many computer vision algorithms. The desirable property for a feature detector is repeatability. Whether or not the same feature will be detected in two or more different images of the same scene is going to be important. Morphological image processing consists of a set of operators that transform images according to certain characterizations. Mathematical morphology is the field of acquisition and processing of image information starting with simple image modifications using point transforms or linear filters and ending up with sophisticated tools and techniques for the analysis and processing of geometrical structures, based on set theory, lattice theory, topology, and random functions. This area also covers the use of digital image processing techniques to process, analyze and present images obtained from a microscope. Such processing is now commonplace in a number of diverse fields such as medicine, biological research, cancer research, drug testing, metallurgy, etc. A number of manufacturers of microscopes now specifically design the features that allow the microscopes to interface to an image processing system. CONCLUSION A major challenge for automatic image analysis is that the sheer complexity of the visual task which has been mostly ignored by the current approaches. New technological breakthrough in the areas of digital computation and telecommunication has relevance for future applications of image processing1. The satellite imaging and remote sensing applications programs of the future will feature a variety of sensors orbiting the earth. This technology is required for military and other types of surveillance, statistical data collection in the fields of forestry, agriculture, disaster prediction, weather prediction. In order to extract scientifically useful information, it will be necessary to develop techniques to register real-time data recorded by a variety of sensors for various applications3. FUTURE SCOPE The future of image processing will involve scanning the heavens for other intelligent life out in space. Also new intelligent, digital species created entirely by research scientists in various nations of the world will include advances in image processing applications. Due to advances in image processing and related technologies there will be millions and millions of robots in the world in a few decades time, transforming the way the world is managed. Advances in image processing and artificial intelligence6 will involve spoken commands, anticipating the information requirements of governments, translating languages, recognizing and tracking people and things, diagnosing medical conditions, performing surgery, reprogramming defects in human DNA, and automatic driving all forms of transport. With increasing power and sophistication of modern computing, the concept of computation can go beyond the present limits and in future, image processing technology will advance and the visual s ystem of man can be replicated. The future trend in remote sensing will be towards improved sensors that record the same scene in many spectral channels. Graphics data is becoming increasingly important in image processing app1ications. The future image processing applications of satellite based imaging ranges from planetary exploration to surveillance applications. Using large scale homogeneous cellular arrays of simple circuits to perform image processing tasks and to demonstrate pattern-forming phenomena is an emerging topic. The cellular neural network is an implementable alternative to fully connected neural networks and has evolved into a paradigm for future imaging techniques. The usefulness of this technique has applications in the areas of silicon retina, pattern formation, etc.

Education System Comparison Between Usa and Latvia Essay

Introduction Everyone knows that in nowadays there are many possibilities and ways to learn, but in Latvia this is very topical theme right now. Many of the high school graduates want to learn abroad. And I do not think that this is good, because like about half of the students or people that go to learn abroad, never comes back to the native country. That is why I have chosen this topical theme. I am going to study educational systems in these countries. I am going to poll some of the 12th grade students about what are they thinking about learning in USA. I want to achieve that kind of position when a student reads my research project and especially the higher education in Latvia part he changes his mind and stays to learn here. My hypothesis for this Research Work is – the education systems in Latvia and in the USA are different and this is a reason why people in Latvia choose the USA for studies very often. The Aim of the Research Work is to compare the education systems in the USA and in Latvia and to find out middle school students opinion about studies in Latvia and in the USA. The main objectives of the Research Work are: †¢ To collect the information about educational system in Latvia †¢ To collect the information about educational system in the USA †¢ To make a questionnaire and analyze the results of middle school students opinion about studies in Latvia and in the USA Educational system in USA Education in the United States is provided mainly by government, with control and funding coming from three levels: federal, state, and local. School attendance is mandatory and nearly universal at the primary and secondary levels. At these levels, school curricula, funding, teaching, and other policies are set through locally elected school boards with jurisdiction over school districts. School districts are usually separate from other local jurisdictions, with independent officials and budgets. Educational standards and standardized testing decisions are usually made by state governments. The age for compulsory education vary by state, beginning at the age five to eight and ending at the age of fourteen to eighteen. A growing number of states are now requiring school attendance until the age of 18.[6] 1.1 Preschool There are no mandatory public prekindergarten or crà ¨che programs in the United States. The federal government funds the preschool program for children of low-income families, but most families are on their own with regard to finding a preschool or childcare. In the large cities, there are sometimes upper-class preschools catering to the children of the wealthy.[6] 1.2 Elementary and Secondary Education Schooling is compulsory for all children in the United States, but the age range for which school attendance is required varies from state to state. Most children begin elementary education with kindergarten (usually five to six years old) and finish secondary education with twelfth grade (usually eighteen years old). In some cases, pupils may be promoted beyond the next regular grade. Some states allow students to leave school at the age of 14–17 with parental permission, before finishing high school. Most parents send their children to either a public or private institution. According to government data, one-tenth of students are enrolled in private schools. Approximately 85% of students enter the public schools, largely because they are â€Å"free† (tax burdens by school districts vary from area to area). Most students attend school for around six hours per day, and usually anywhere from 175 to 185 days per year. Most schools have a summer break period for about two and half months from June through August. This break is much longer than in many other nations. Originally, â€Å"summer vacation,† as it is colloquially called, allowed students to participate in the harvest period during the summer. However, this remains largely by tradition.[6] Parents may also choose to educate their own children at home; 1.7% of children are educated in this manner. 1.2.1 Junior high school Junior high school is any school intermediate between elementary school and high school. It usually includes seventh and eighth grade, and sometimes sixth or ninth grade. In some locations, junior high school includes ninth grade only, allowing students to adjust to a high school environment. Middle school is often used instead of junior high school when demographic factors increase the number of younger students. At this time, students are given more independence as choosing their own classes. Usually, starting in ninth grade, grades become part of a student’s official transcript. Future employers or colleges may want to see steady improvement in grades and a good attendance record on the official transcript. Therefore, students are encouraged to take much more responsibility for their education.[6] 1.3 Higher education Post-secondary education in the United States is known as college or university and commonly consists of four years of study at an institution of higher learning. There are 4,352* colleges, universities, and junior colleges in the USA. Students traditionally apply to receive admission into college, with varying difficulties of entrance. Schools differ in their competitiveness and reputation; generally, the most prestigious schools are private, rather than public. Admissions criteria involve the rigor and grades earned in high school courses taken, class ranking, and standardized test. Most colleges also consider more subjective factors such as a commitment to extracurricular activities, a personal essay, and an interview. While numerical factors rarely ever are absolute required values, each college usually has a rough threshold below which admission is unlikely.[2] *- January 2009. data from www.ed.gov Once admitted, students engage in undergraduate study, which consists of satisfying university and class requirements to achieve a bachelor’s degree in a field of concentration known as a major. The most common method consists of four years of study leading to a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), a Bachelor of Science (B.S.), or sometimes another bachelor’s degree such as Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.), Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.), Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.,) or Bachelor of Philosophy (B.Phil.) Five-Year Professional Architecture programs offer the Bachelor of Architecture Degree (B.Arch.) Professional degrees such as law, medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry, are offered as graduate study after earning at least three years of undergraduate schooling or after earning a bachelor’s degree depending on the program. These professional fields do not require a specific undergraduate major, though medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry have set prerequisite courses that must be taken before enrollment.[2] Some students choose to attend a community college for two years prior to further study at another college or university. In most states, community colleges are operated either by a division of the state university or by local special districts subject to guidance from a state agency. Community colleges may award Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree after two years. Those seeking to continue their education may transfer to a four-year college or university. Some community colleges have automatic enrollment agreements with a local four-year college, where the community college provides the first two years of study and the university provides the remaining years of study, sometimes all on one campus. The community college awards the associate’s degree, and the university awards the bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Graduate study, conducted after obtaining an initial degree and sometimes after several years of professional work, leads to a more advanced degree such as a master’s degree, which could be a Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MS), Master of Business Administration (MBA), or other less common master’s degrees such as Master of Education (MEd), and Master of Fine Arts (MFA). After additional years of study and sometimes in conjunction with the completion of a master’s degree, students may earn a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or other doctoral degree, such as Doctor of Arts, Doctor of Education, Doctor of Theology, Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Pharmacy, Doctor of Physical Therapy, or Doctor of Jurisprudence. Some programs, such as medicine, have formal apprenticeship procedures post-graduation like residency and internship wh ich must be completed after graduation and before one is considered to be fully trained. Other professional programs like law and business have no formal apprenticeship requirements after graduation.[3] Entrance into graduate programs usually depends upon a student’s undergraduate academic performance or professional experience as well as their score on a standardized entrance exam. Many graduate and law schools do not require experience after earning a bachelor’s degree to enter their programs; however, business school candidates are usually required to gain a few years of professional work experience before applying. Only 8.9 % of students ever receive postgraduate degrees, and most, after obtaining their bachelor’s degree, proceed directly into the workforce.[7] 1.4 Basic Curricular Structure Generally, at the high school level, students take a broad variety of classes without special emphasis in any particular subject. Curricula vary widely in quality and rigidity. The following subjects are fairly universally required in the United States: †¢ Science (usually two years minimum, normally biology, chemistry and physics) †¢ Mathematics (usually two years minimum, normally including algebra, geometry, algebra II, and/or trigonometry) †¢ English (usually four years minimum, including literature, humanities, etc.) †¢ Social Science (usually three years minimum, including various history, government/economics courses) †¢ Physical education (at least one year) Many states require a â€Å"health† course in which students learn about anatomy, nutrition, first aid, sexuality, and birth control. Anti-drug use programs are also usually part of health courses. In many cases, however, options are provided for students to â€Å"test out† or perform independent study in order to complete this requirement. Foreign language and some form of art education are also a mandatory part of the curriculum in some schools.[6] 1.5 Extracurricular activities A major characteristic of American schools is the high priority given to sports, clubs and activities by the community, the parents, the schools and the students themselves. Extracurricular activities are educational activities not falling within the scope of the regular curriculum but under the supervision of the school. These activities can extend to large amounts of time outside the normal school day; home-schooled students, however, are not normally allowed to participate. Student participation in sports programs, drill teams, bands, and spirit groups can amount to hours of practices and performances. Most states have organizations which develop rules for competition between groups. These organizations are usually forced to implement time limits on hours practiced as a prerequisite for participation. Many schools also have non-varsity sports teams, however these are usually afforded less resources and attention. The idea of having sports teams associated with high schools is relatively unique to the United States in comparison with other countries. Sports programs and their related games, especially football and/or basketball, are major events for American students and for larger schools can be a major source of funds for school districts. High school athletic competitions often generate intense interest in the community. Inner city schools serving poor students are heavily scouted by college and even professional coaches, with national attention given to which colleges outstanding high school students choose to attend. State high school championship tournaments football and basketball attract high levels of public interest. In addition to sports, numerous non-athletic extracurricular activities are available in American schools, both public and private. Activities include musical groups, marching bands, student government, school newspapers, science fairs, debate teams, and clubs focused on an academic area or cultural interests.[5] 1.6 Electives Many high schools offer a wide variety of elective courses, although the availability of such courses depends upon each particular school’s financial resources and desired curriculum emphases. Common types of electives include: †¢ Visual arts (drawing, sculpture, painting, photography, film) †¢ Performing arts (drama, band, chorus, orchestra, dance) †¢ Technology education (woodworking, metalworking, automobile repair, robotics) †¢ Computers (word processing, programming, graphic design) †¢ Athletics (cross country, football, baseball, basketball, track and field, swimming, tennis, gymnastics, water polo, soccer, wrestling, cheerleading, volleyball, lacrosse, ice hockey, field hockey, boxing, skiing/snowboarding) †¢ Publishing (journalism/student newspaper, yearbook/annual, literary magazine) †¢ Foreign languages (Spanish, French are common; Chinese, Latin, Greek, German, Italian, Arabic, and Japanese are less common)[5] 1.7 Advanced Courses Many high schools provide Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. These are special forms of honours classes where the curriculum is more challenging and lessons more aggressively paced than standard courses. AP or IB courses are usually taken during the 11th or 12th grade of high school.[6] 1.8 Home Schooling There was 1,3 million children that were home schooled in 2008, up 74% from 1999 when the US Department of Education first started keeping statistics. This was 2.9% of all children. Parents select moral or religious reasons for home schooling their children.[1] 1.9 School grades As you can see in the table (Table N.1), in the U.S. the first year of compulsory schooling begins with children at the age of five or six. Children are then placed in year groups known as grades, beginning with first grade and culminating in twelfth grade. Typical ages and grade groupings in public and private schools may be found through the U.S. Department of Education. Many different variations exist across the country.[2] For more foreseen scheme of education in USA see Appendix N.1. 1.10 Grading scale In schools in the United States children are continually assessed throughout the school year by their teachers, and report cards are issued to parents at varying intervals. Generally the scores for individual assignments and tests are recorded for each student in a grade book, along with the maximum number of points for each assignment. At any time, the total number of points for a student when divided by the total number of possible points produces a percent grade which can be translated to a letter grade. Letter grades are often used on report cards at the end of a marking period, although the current grade may be available at other times. Although grading scales usually differ from school to school, the grade scale which seems to be most common is as follows. The grading is based on a scale of 0-100 or a percentile. Note that in some jurisdictions the â€Å"D† grade (or that below 70) is considered a failing grade. In other jurisdictions a â€Å"D† grade is considere d passing in certain classes, and failing in others. If you need a concept of grading scale, see Table N.2.[6] Table N.2 Example grading scale in USA |E,N,U or F |D |C |B |A | | |- | |+ |- | |arodpamatskola |vocational basic school |9-year education may be |2 |no | | | |incomplete | | | |arodvidusskola |vocational secondary school|9-year education |3 |no | |arodgimnazija |vocational gymnasium |9-year education |4 |yes | |arodskola |vocational school |general secondary education |1-2 |no | | |(postsecondary) | | | | As it is seen from table (Table N.4), just one type of vocational schools – four year vocational gymnasium – concurrently to vocational training provide general secondary education and, consequently, access to higher education.[10] 2.8 Access to Higher Education In principle, access to higher education is general for all holders of general secondary education certificates. However, the institutions of higher education are free to determine which of the elective subjects must have been taken by the applicant at the secondary school in order to become eligible for admission to a chosen program. There are no fixed all-Latvian rules determining the admission system and it may differ between different institutions and even between different faculties of the same institution of higher education. The main forms of admission procedure may be as follows: †¢ 1 to 4 competitive entrance examinations; †¢ a competition of diplomas plus an interview by the Admission board, which may include general questions in subjects important to the chosen specialty; †¢ just a competition of diplomas (usually judging by the marks in subjects important to the chosen program and/or average mark in the secondary school certificate); †¢ knowledge of Latvian language is evaluated in these cases when the applicant has not had Latvian as the language of instruction in secondary school. An admission board consisting of staff members is formed in all higher educational institutions to carry out admission procedures in accordance with conditions announced at least 5 months before.[9] 2.9 Higher Education 2.9.1 Academic higher education (AkadÄ“miskÄ  augstÄ kÄ  izglÄ «tÄ «ba) is understood as a general higher education based upon fundamental and/or applied science. Academic education can be (and in most cases is) divided into two stages. A student has to perform a thesis of a Research Work at the end of each stage. I. First degree An academic degree and a Bachelor diploma (Bakalaura grÄ ds) can be awarded after successive completion of the first stage. Bachelor degree is an intermediate degree and can be treated as a completed higher education only in these cases when duration of program is 4+ years. However, part of the students leave universities having a bachelor`s degree and find their gap in the labor market. II. Second degree Academic master degree (MaÄ £istra grÄ ds) and the appropriate diploma is awarded after the second stage of academic education and should be treated as a complete university-type higher education. Master degree or a degree equivalent to it (e.g. medical studies are of a level of master`s degree but name of master`s degree is not applicable) can be awarded after total duration of 5-7 years of university studies. Master degree (or equivalent) is required for admission to doctoral studies. III. Higher degrees There are two of doctoral degrees in Latvia Degree of Ph.D. (Doktora grÄ ds) Holders of master`s degree are eligible for doctoral studies and the holders of Ph.D. is expected to be achieved in a 3-4 year period of full-time doctoral studies after a public defense of doctoral thesis. After defense of habilitation thesis you are awarded with a degree of habilitated doctor (habilitÄ“ts doktors). Doctoral degrees are awarded by specialized councils: †¢ promotion council (promocijas padome) – awarding the degree doktors only †¢ habilitation council (habilitÄ cijas padome) – awarding both doctoral degrees. The regulations for awarding of doctoral degrees are set and the promotion and habilitation councils are appointed by Latvian Science Council (Latvijas ZinÄ tnes Padome). 2.9.2 Higher professional education (ProfesionÄ la augstakÄ  izglÄ «tÄ «ba) is a higher education based upon applied science. It provides knowledge and skills for professional activities. Acquirement of the programs of professional studies can take place independently of academic studies, concurrently to or after them. Non-university type higher education institutions offer higher professional education programs leading directly to professional qualifications. To be treated as a completed higher education, the duration of professional studies has to be not less than 4 years. University-type higher education institutions may offer 1-2 year programs leading to professional qualification after achieving bachelor degree (bakalaurs).[8]

Competitive Strategy at Sportsman Shoes: Case Analysis Essay

Sportsman Shoes has been a leader in the shoe industry for more than thirty years. Sportsman manufactures and sells athletic shoes for all types of sports. The company has pursued a low-cost strategy in order to sustain their success. They sell a limited number of shoe designs and have held costs low through manufacturing efficiency and standardized operations. However, the past five years have been a struggle at Sportsman. The shoe market has seen a rise in the availability of low-cost imported shoes that has threatened Sportsman’s competitive position. As a result, company executives have decided it is time for a strategy shift. Sportsman executives have done extensive market research and have determined that many niche athletic shoe markets exist where athletes are willing to pay more for shoes designed to meet the needs of their unique sport. There are very few competitors in these niche athletic shoe markets, and most do not have Sportsman’s past experience in keeping control of manufacturing costs. Sportsman has determined that with talented shoe designers in place, they can manufacture athletic shoes to meet the needs of the niche markets using their current manufacturing facilities and employees. By designing shoes that have features that differ from competitors and meet the specific needs of a new group of customers, Sportsman believes the company can create a competitive advantage. Further, while their shoes will not be as low-cost as they were in the past, they will likely be able to sell their shoes for less than market competitors and still make a healthy profit. Therefore, Sportsman has decided to shift from their current low-cost strategy to a differentiation strategy and will begin production to make specialty athletic shoes.

What techniques has Leon Gast applied to engage his...

Throughout the year I have been studying the documentary When We Were Kings based around the 1974 World Boxing Championship fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. The fight was staged in Zaire, Africa and is subsequently predominantly an African influenced film, although still effective in delivering the story and exposition of one of the greatest sporting moments of our modern era. Through use of a complex sound track - including live sound and interviews from the past - Gast is able to entice me to continue viewing the colourful, musical and exciting documentary. Using a majority of archival footage combined with a cast of experts and witness Leon Gast captures the moment whilst providing us with the necessary background†¦show more content†¦Gasts use of live footage from the quot;African Woodstockquot; of superstars of the music of the day - James Brown, and BB King - I found particularly effective in portraying the importance of a culture returning to its origins . The energy created by performers such as James Brown can do nothing but up the tempo and build excitement, while the slow, sombre blues solos of BB king remind us of Alis daunting task. Gast has been able to provide tempo and excitement to a lot of his black and white / archival footage and engages us by launching in to exciting music straight after the slower, almost monotonous - compared with the rest of the film - recounts of historical witness such as Norman Mailer and George Plimpton. The music used by Gast is by Alis definition the music of quot;my brothersquot; or quot;black mans musicquot; and what better music to reflect the mood and atmosphere at the pinnacle of Alis career and breaking free of black America. Gast began filming When We Were Kings in 1974 after he was hired to go and film the rock concert that was to be staged alongside the fight. Gast took so much footage that it took him twenty three years to sort and find backing for his Ali epic, and it all paid of through Gasts achievement at the Academy Awards. For Gast to be that involved - that he shot so much relevant footage - and to have pursued his vision until completion, he must have received so much inspiration from Muhammad Ali and