Detecting human engagement propensity in human-robot interaction

Elaborazione di immagini ricavate dal flusso di una semplice videocamera RGB di un robot al fine di stimare la propensione all'interazione di una persona in situazioni di interazione uomo-robot. Per calcolare la stima finale, tecniche basate su deep learning sono usate per estrarre alcune informazioni ausiliarie come: stima della posa di una persona, quale tipo di posa, orientamento del corpo, orientamento della testa, come appaiono le mani.Processing of images retrieved from a simple robot RGB camera stream in order to estimate the engagement propensity of a person in human-robot interaction scenarios. To compute the final estimation, deep learning based technique are used to extract some auxiliary information as: estimation of the pose of a person, which type of pose, body orientation, head orientation, how hands appear

Gold Rush Abroad: The Trajectory of Singapore-Based Thai Transsexual (Male to Female) Sex Workers in Global Sex Tourism

Sex work is part of Thailand's tourism-based economic development model. The country's global reputation as a 'queer paradise' is an important factor shaping Thailand’s sex tourism and linking it to the global sex industry. This paper addresses transnational routes and networks of the global sex trade through Thai transsexual (male to female) sex workers who travel out of the country to Singapore for short periods to meet global demand. The research is based on in-depth interviews with 75 Thai transsexual sex workers who are working in districts such as Orchard Towers, Little India, and Geylang in Singapore. For some informants, Singapore is a final destination; for others, it is just a stop along the way to other places abroad. The findings show that the commercial sex trade involving these individuals is global in every sense, including the way it is funded, developed, structured, and organized

Energy Pricing in the Philippines and its Effect on Economic Growth

This study explores why energy prices in the Philippines are high. A comparison of the components of energy cost among selected cities in Asia reveals that Manila has the third highest generation cost, highest grid cost and the third highest value added tax imposed on energy. An examination of a residential bill in Manila further reveals an energy cost component unique to the Philippines. At least 15 percent of a residential electric bill comprises of miscellaneous charges that represent subsidies for the elderly and marginalized end-consumers, rural electrification, subsidies to incentivize development of renewable energy and the cost of debt incurred by the government in the past. The history of the energy industry in the Philippines reveals that loose implementation policies especially at the local level, external economic factors such as currency depreciation and increase in interest rates and oil prices, ineffective demand projections and poor pipeline planning as well as political influences led to the massive debt incurred by the government. Due to the governmentUs fiscal constraints, the industry was privatized. Pricing is regulated by the Energy Regulatory Commission but oligopolies and conflicts of interest in the industry, as well as the current pricing mechanisms suppress demand and impede the reduction of energy prices. Absence of public participation leaves the general public at a disadvantage because the burden of paying for miscellaneous energy costs falls on them