8 research outputs found

    White Paper 11: Artificial intelligence, robotics & data science

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    198 p. : 17 cmSIC white paper on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Data Science sketches a preliminary roadmap for addressing current R&D challenges associated with automated and autonomous machines. More than 50 research challenges investigated all over Spain by more than 150 experts within CSIC are presented in eight chapters. Chapter One introduces key concepts and tackles the issue of the integration of knowledge (representation), reasoning and learning in the design of artificial entities. Chapter Two analyses challenges associated with the development of theories –and supporting technologies– for modelling the behaviour of autonomous agents. Specifically, it pays attention to the interplay between elements at micro level (individual autonomous agent interactions) with the macro world (the properties we seek in large and complex societies). While Chapter Three discusses the variety of data science applications currently used in all fields of science, paying particular attention to Machine Learning (ML) techniques, Chapter Four presents current development in various areas of robotics. Chapter Five explores the challenges associated with computational cognitive models. Chapter Six pays attention to the ethical, legal, economic and social challenges coming alongside the development of smart systems. Chapter Seven engages with the problem of the environmental sustainability of deploying intelligent systems at large scale. Finally, Chapter Eight deals with the complexity of ensuring the security, safety, resilience and privacy-protection of smart systems against cyber threats.18 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, ROBOTICS AND DATA SCIENCE Topic Coordinators Sara Degli Esposti ( IPP-CCHS, CSIC ) and Carles Sierra ( IIIA, CSIC ) 18 CHALLENGE 1 INTEGRATING KNOWLEDGE, REASONING AND LEARNING Challenge Coordinators Felip Manyà ( IIIA, CSIC ) and Adrià Colomé ( IRI, CSIC – UPC ) 38 CHALLENGE 2 MULTIAGENT SYSTEMS Challenge Coordinators N. Osman ( IIIA, CSIC ) and D. López ( IFS, CSIC ) 54 CHALLENGE 3 MACHINE LEARNING AND DATA SCIENCE Challenge Coordinators J. J. Ramasco Sukia ( IFISC ) and L. Lloret Iglesias ( IFCA, CSIC ) 80 CHALLENGE 4 INTELLIGENT ROBOTICS Topic Coordinators G. Alenyà ( IRI, CSIC – UPC ) and J. Villagra ( CAR, CSIC ) 100 CHALLENGE 5 COMPUTATIONAL COGNITIVE MODELS Challenge Coordinators M. D. del Castillo ( CAR, CSIC) and M. Schorlemmer ( IIIA, CSIC ) 120 CHALLENGE 6 ETHICAL, LEGAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS Challenge Coordinators P. Noriega ( IIIA, CSIC ) and T. Ausín ( IFS, CSIC ) 142 CHALLENGE 7 LOW-POWER SUSTAINABLE HARDWARE FOR AI Challenge Coordinators T. Serrano ( IMSE-CNM, CSIC – US ) and A. Oyanguren ( IFIC, CSIC - UV ) 160 CHALLENGE 8 SMART CYBERSECURITY Challenge Coordinators D. Arroyo Guardeño ( ITEFI, CSIC ) and P. Brox Jiménez ( IMSE-CNM, CSIC – US )Peer reviewe

    A Holistic, Interpretive Concept of Systems Design

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    This dissertation presents a systems concept of systems design. The author argues that modern design is trapped in an atomistic-holistic paradigm which has curtailed the major benefits promised by the systems approach to tackle the pressing problems of our time. It is conjectured that the trouble lies in the lack of an appropriate interpretation of what it means to conceive something as a system. The fundamental notion underlying the, systems view of the world is the concept of whole. Nevertheless, to be able to “see,” describe, or design something as whole one must approach it as a unity rather than, as the atomistic-holistic paradigm enforces us, as a set of interrelated components. Therefore, the dissertation is focused on the task of developing a way of designing or describing wholes which is consistent with the systems view cf the world. The principles underlying such a view are investigated by way of contrast, i.e , by examining design processes which are based on a atomistic mechanistic paradigm. The criticisms raised against atomistic mechanistic design unravel systems principles such as, that a whole can never be described or designed in isolation of a context of meaning, or that the description of a whole involves the construction of a bipolar, self-referential construct through a process of interpretation. Having unearthed these systems principles, the author uses them to develop a general systems concept of design. The outcome is a holistic, interpretive conception of the design process. Accordingly, it is shown that the design process starts with a primeval distinction of the object to be designed (a project), and then continues with a gradual interpretation of the is-ought to bipolar structure which constitutes the project. Each interpretation supplies the designer with a vista of the whole, and the unfolding of different vistas help him/her to gain understanding and comprehension of their design. The dissertation ends with the presentation of a case study of curriculum design carried out by the author in the University of Los Andes, in Venezuela, where the system concept of design both was born and found its ground for application

    'Seeing' play through the virtual looking glass: A metaphysical laboratory for de-framing and re-framing play for ECE

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    In this thesis I address the ambiguous nature of play by interrogating alternative ways of ‘seeing’ play beyond what I assert to be its contemporary Enframed state. I argue that to gain alternative insight into the basic features and functions of play, the concept of play needs first to be Deframed. Play is described as an ambiguous, elusive phenomenon, which makes it susceptible to being framed in ways that deter learning and development of children in ways consistent with the basic purpose of play. Such Enframing is evident across many situations and settings, including unsubstantiated assumptions about the way children’s learning is best assessed in early childhood education. These assumptions contribute to misperceptions of teachers regarding play, including the effects of their presence or absence in children’s play. The ambiguity of play also accounts for difficulties in empirical research; applying traditional researching approaches to investigate such an elusive phenomenon has proven ineffective. These investigative shortcomings have contributed to a lack of clear pedagogical and methodological insights about play. As an alternative methodological framework to ‘see’ beyond the elusiveness of play I shift the focus from asking questions about how play can support learning to instead employing a phenomenological investigation of what play is that enables Deframing. I argue that to gain alternative insight into the basic features and functions of play, the concept of play needs first to be Deframed. Utilising Heideggerian phenomenological notions of Enframing and poiesis, I enter into a metaphysical laboratory in the virtual space, accessed through virtual reality (VR). This space offered insights into players’ subjective experiences when engaged in play. Play could thus be examined through empirical engagement rather than studied as an object. Two distinct yet related theoretical concepts were employed to encounter the phenomenon of a virtual representation of play: visual pedagogies and the embodiment theory. Visual pedagogies focus on the implications of visuality on teaching and learning and often rely on video as an empirical research method. Embodiment theory accounts for the expanded spectrum of sensorial modalities beyond the visual which enables an immersive experience. At the intersection of these two theories a new branch of pedagogy arises, referred to in this thesis as immersive pedagogy. The study found that the methodology applied was very effective in helping teachers develop alternative insights about play. Their centre of attention shifted from play as a tool for learning towards a focus on free play as a self-actualising tool for human development. In their interaction with the immersive experiences, teachers encountered a number of emotional responses that affirmed the use of virtual reality as a suitable metaphysical laboratory, available on the virtual side of the cybernetic looking glass, as a place for thought, reflection and phenomenological transcendence, referred to by Heidegger as poiesis. Poiesis is an aesthetic, esoteric and metaphysical term that brings forth a multiplicity of meanings of phenomena. Deframing through poiesis was affirmed by play revealing itself to teachers in a new way. By becoming part of the dynamics of play and by assuming the role of ‘invisible’ observers genuinely invested in play, teachers were able to develop fresh insights about play’s inner workings. It revealed itself in a new way. On the basis of their experience, they re-framed play for themselves subjectively, thus separating it from its unproven association with standardised learning. Some of the potential implications of these discoveries were suggested by participating teachers themselves, who proposed the methodology be used by teachers as a reflective tool for learning more about educational phenomena. They also suggested that the tool would enable parents and other educational stakeholders to develop important insights about play-based curricula, which are currently difficult to comprehend. It is possible that on a larger scale these insights, which enable play to define itself to the players, could usefully change current perceptions of play for teachers, parents, researchers and educational policy makers

    The College Education Project

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    The Story of Via Nord

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    Intermedial Studies

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    Intermedial Studies provides a concise, hands-on introduction to the analysis of a broad array of texts from a variety of media – including literature, film, music, performance, news and videogames, addressing fiction and non-fiction, mass media and social media. The detailed introduction offers a short history of the field and outlines the main theoretical approaches to the field. Part I explains the approach, examining and exemplifying the dimensions that construct every media product. The following sections offer practical examples and case studies using many examples, which will be familiar to students, from Sherlock Holmes and football, to news, vlogs and videogames. This book is the only textbook taking both a theoretical and practical approach to intermedial studies. The book will be of use to students from a variety of disciplines looking at any form of adaptation, from comparative literature to film adaptations, fan fictions and spoken performances. The book equips students with the language and understanding to confidently and competently apply their own intermedial analysis to any text

    Human Factors Certification of Advanced Aviation Technologies

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    Proceedings of the Human Factors Certification of Advanced Aviation Technologies Conference held at the Chateau de Bonas, near Toulouse, France, 19-23 July 1993

    Decision-making strategies in the general practice

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    With regard to the question what is to be tranmittedinteachingtwoaspectshavetobeconsidered:a)thecontentsofthespecialty;andb)theproblemsolvingmethodswithregardtothespecialty.OnthefirstaspectanoverwhelmingamoUntofbookmitted in teaching two aspects have to be considered: a) the contents of the specialty; and b) the problem-solving methods with regard to the specialty. On the first aspect an overwhelming amoUnt of book and articles has bee~ written in medicine. The second 8Spect is usually only mentioned in passing. In my opinion, ~his subject has thusfar been greatly undervalued. When one is unable to trace the - problem-solving processes how can anyone determine the efficscy, the effectivity, and the efficiency of this process, or value~ the outcome. To state it in Magerien terms: "If you do not know where to g;o, you may very well end up somewhere else- and not even know it." How physicians solve clinical problems is the main object of this research. The investigator studied and modeled two of the eldest and famous ways of pJroblei!Jlrsolving: the deductive and the inductive strategy9 with the modern probability reasoning viewed as an extension of the latter strategy. All 68 physicians who participated in this investigation used the inductive strategy for the -usually four - presented patient-problems. Within the inductive strategy three variants could be distinguished. The consequences of this finding are far-reaching. As the inductive strategy does not include a logical hierarchy of argumentationsteps, retracing of the process is impossible. (This aspect is also relate~ to our opinions about experience-knowledge end teaching)A As the hypothesis generation is prior to the acquisition of infot~tion, this latter aspect can only be viewed in the light of the former~ and thus limited to a small number of domains. As the hypothesis generation is - partly - unrelated to the total available amount of information, the decision making (chopsing the ultimate diagnostic hypothesis) will usually follow implicit~ personal trends and standards, e.g. satisfying minimal eicpectations (Satisficing Theory, Simon} or risk-avoiding prospects (Prospect Theory, Kahnemann & Tversky). It suggests a highly personal character of diagnostics and/or the therapeutic management, which is contradictory to general accessibility of medical knowledge and medical teaching. This feature of personal concepts easily links up with Polanyi's theory of "PeJrsonal" or 91Tacit Knowledge" as contrasted to "Objective Knowledge" (Popper) 9 which has general accessibility and validity. During the investigation this as~oct came forth. The framework of the investigation (patient simulation) end the special definitions and coding of illness elements (symptoms, signs9 tests) all~wed for comparing similar conceptions (diagnoses, treatments) ~ong the participants. These comparisons confirm Polanyi's theory and the concepts of inductive reasoning. Mutual comparibility of diagnoses seems hardly possible when analysing these conceptions into their basic elements (symptoms etc.). This aspect touches upon one of the main cornerstones of clinical ~edicine. When the starting positions have not been unequivocally defined treatment, .,;ie-Jed as the intervention in the natural course of a disease, can only lead t4:!1 uncertain outcomes. The lack of · standardized :medical definitions and a tmiform, unambiguous taxonomy inhibits the application of a formalised, normative decision theorry for clinical medicine. Future planning aims at a reconsideration of medical terminology~ medical taxonomy and medical problem-solving methods by means of clustering the basic elements of clinical medicine
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