Development of the huggable social robot Probo: on the conceptual design and software architecture

This dissertation presents the development of a huggable social robot named Probo. Probo embodies a stuffed imaginary animal, providing a soft touch and a huggable appearance. Probo's purpose is to serve as a multidisciplinary research platform for human-robot interaction focused on children. In terms of a social robot, Probo is classified as a social interface supporting non-verbal communication. Probo's social skills are thereby limited to a reactive level. To close the gap with higher levels of interaction, an innovative system for shared control with a human operator is introduced. The software architecture de nes a modular structure to incorporate all systems into a single control center. This control center is accompanied with a 3D virtual model of Probo, simulating all motions of the robot and providing a visual feedback to the operator. Additionally, the model allows us to advance on user-testing and evaluation of newly designed systems. The robot reacts on basic input stimuli that it perceives during interaction. The input stimuli, that can be referred to as low-level perceptions, are derived from vision analysis, audio analysis, touch analysis and object identification. The stimuli will influence the attention and homeostatic system, used to de ne the robot's point of attention, current emotional state and corresponding facial expression. The recognition of these facial expressions has been evaluated in various user-studies. To evaluate the collaboration of the software components, a social interactive game for children, Probogotchi, has been developed. To facilitate interaction with children, Probo has an identity and corresponding history. Safety is ensured through Probo's soft embodiment and intrinsic safe actuation systems. To convey the illusion of life in a robotic creature, tools for the creation and management of motion sequences are put into the hands of the operator. All motions generated from operator triggered systems are combined with the motions originating from the autonomous reactive systems. The resulting motion is subsequently smoothened and transmitted to the actuation systems. With future applications to come, Probo is an ideal platform to create a friendly companion for hospitalised children

Proceedings of VikingPLoP 2013 Conference

This is the proceedings of VikingPLoP 2013 – a record of all papers workshopped during the conference. VikingPLoP is a Nordic conference of pattern languages of programs which took place this year in Horse Inn of Luomajärvi, Ikaalinen, Finland in March 2013. VikingPLoP was organized jointly by Tampere University of Technology and Hillside Europe. VikingPLoP 2013 was also sponsored by Wiley which provided books for the focus group reading session. The conference was organized in Finland for the second time in a row. Previous location in 2012 was in Saariselkä Lapland. In 2013 vikings were moving towards south and chose the Horse Inn in Ikaalinen as the venue as it offered a luxurious opportunity for participants to experience rustic romance, good food, horseback riding, traditional Finnish sauna, the nature, and wilderness tracks. In March the landscape was still covered in snow making the landscape ruggedly beautiful.The papers in this proceedings book are updated versions of the papers workshopped in the conference. In the beginning, participants submitted their papers for shepherding process. In the shepherding process, the shepherd, an experienced pattern writer, gave ideas and feedback for the author, colloquially known as a sheep. The sheep incorporated this feedback in to her paper. After three iterations of shepherding the paper was discussed at the conference in a writer's workshop. The workshop group gave comments, criticism and praise. After the conference the authors updated their papers according to the workshop feedback.This process of giving feedback was made possible by having a community of trust. Mutual trust was built by playing non-competitive games and by having social activities. VikingPLoP 2013 focused on patterns and their usage in various fields of expertise. These fields included a wide range of topics from educational patterns to safety patterns and embedded system's software architecture patterns. Bringing people together from various fields of expertise stimulates creativity and new ideas might emerge. These innovations are reflected in the papers in these proceedings. VikingPLoP 2013 was especially a conference for newcomers and over half of the participants were first time PLoP participants.These proceedings contain 9 papers. In addition, a book reading workshop was arranged with Bob Hanmer who presented his new title Pattern-Oriented Software Architecture for Dummies and discussed it with the participants using video conferencing tools

Knowing in Performing: Artistic Research in Music and the Performing Arts

How can performing be transformed into cognition? Knowing in Performing describes dynamic processes of artistic knowledge production in music and the performing arts. Knowing refers to how processual, embodied, and tacit knowledge can be developed from performative practices in music, dance, theatre, and film. By exploring the field of artistic research as a constantly transforming space for participatory and experimental artistic practices, this anthology points the way forward for researchers, artists, and decision-makers inside and outside universities of the arts

State of the Art and Future Perspectives in Smart and Sustainable Urban Development

This book contributes to the conceptual and practical knowledge pools in order to improve the research and practice on smart and sustainable urban development by presenting an informed understanding of the subject to scholars, policymakers, and practitioners. This book presents contributions—in the form of research articles, literature reviews, case reports, and short communications—offering insights into the smart and sustainable urban development by conducting in-depth conceptual debates, detailed case study descriptions, thorough empirical investigations, systematic literature reviews, or forecasting analyses. This way, the book forms a repository of relevant information, material, and knowledge to support research, policymaking, practice, and the transferability of experiences to address urbanization and other planetary challenges

Knowing in Performing

How can performing be transformed into cognition? Knowing in Performing describes dynamic processes of artistic knowledge production in music and the performing arts. Knowing refers to how processual, embodied, and tacit knowledge can be developed from performative practices in music, dance, theatre, and film. By exploring the field of artistic research as a constantly transforming space for participatory and experimental artistic practices, this anthology points the way forward for researchers, artists, and decision-makers inside and outside universities of the arts