History of the Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica Industrial

The Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica Industrial is a Joint University Research Institute participated by the Spanish National Research Council and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Founded in 1995, its scientists have addressed over the years many research topics spanning from robot kinematics, to computer graphics, automatic control, energy systems, and human-robot interaction, among others. This book, prepared for its 25th anniversary, covers its evolution over the years, and serves as a mean of appreciation to the many students, administrative personnel, research engineers, or scientists that have formed part of it.Postprint (published version

Caltech and aeronautics: a presentation by the California Institute of Technology

The outstanding accomplishment of Caltech in the field of aeronautics is not that it has taught, but that it has always had something new to teach. When most aircraft were glued together from bamboo, balsawood, and canvas, Caltech was teaching the next generation of designers how to build hollow shells of stiffened sheet metal. Today, at the threshold of the Space Age, Caltech is combining astronomy, mathematics, physics, mechanics and chemistry into a new sort of aeronautical science, tailored to the needs of a new era that knows no spatial limitations. To an important extent, Caltech's contributions to industrial and military aeronautics have been made possible, through the years, by equally valuable contributions, in the form of men, money, and equipment, from industry and government. This support has filled a vital need in the past; it will become even more important in the future. The following pages tell something of Caltech's role in aeronautics, its research accomplishments, its success as a teacher of men. Most important, this booklet sets forth the direction of Caltech's present and future research. It is an exciting vista

Spartan Daily, October 8, 2015

Volume 145, Issue 20https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/8929/thumbnail.jp

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 3: The impact of a sponsor letter on mail survey response rates

We describe the impact of two interventions in the design of mail surveys. The interventions were devised to increase response rates and to clarify sample eligibility. To test their effectiveness, the interventions occurred at different points in each of three surveys. One intervention was a letter from the research sponsor (NASA) supporting the research. The other intervention was the inclusion of a postcard that could be used by the respondent to indicate that the questionnaire was not appropriate for him/her. The sample was drawn from the membership of a professional aerospace research society, the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Scientists and engineers are difficult to survey for two reasons. First, there are significant problems with the definition of scientists and engineers. Second, typically there are low response rates in surveys of this group. These two problems were found in the NASA surveys. The results indicate that the sponsor letter improved response rates under certain conditions described here. The postcards assisted in identifying non-eligible persons, particularly when the postcards accompanied a pre-survey letter. The implications for survey costs are discussed

Autism spectrum traits in normal individuals : a preliminary VBM analysis

In light of the new DSM-5 autism spectrum disorders diagnosis in which the autism spectrum reflects a group of neurodevelopmental disorders existing on a continuum from mild to severe expression of autistic traits, and recent empirical findings showing a continuous distribution of autistic traits in the general population, our voxel based morphometry study compares normal individuals with high autistic traits to normal individuals with low autistic traits. We hypothesize that normal individuals with high autistic traits in terms of empathizing and systemizing [high systemizing (HS)/low empathizing (LE)] share brain irregularities with individuals that fall within the clinical autism spectrum disorder. We find differences in several social brain network areas between our groups. Specifically, we find increased gray matter (GM) volume in the orbitofrontal cortex, the cuneus, the hippocampus and parahippocampus and reduced GM volume in the inferior temporal cortex, the insula, and the amygdala in our HS/LE individuals relative to our HE/LS (low autistic traits in terms of empathizing and systemizing) individuals

Mindreading in individuals with an empathizing versus systemizing cognitive style An fMRI study

Our fMRI study compares the neural correlates of face-based mindreading in healthy individuals with an empathizing (n=12) versus systemizing cognitive style (n=12). The empathizing group consists of individuals that score high on empathizing and low on systemizing, while the systemizing group consists of individuals with an opposite cognitive pattern. We hypothesize that the empathizing group will show stronger simulation-type neural activity (e.g., in mirror neuron areas, medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex) or simulation-related neural activity (e.g., in areas involved in perspective taking and experiential processing) compared to the systemizing group. As hypothesized, our study reveals that the empathizing group shows significantly stronger activity in mirror neuron areas of the brain, such as the left inferior frontal gyrus and inferior parietal lobe, and in temporal areas involved in perspective taking and autobiographical memory. Moreover, the empathizing group, but not the systemizing group, shows activity in the medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex which have been related to simulation-type neural activity in the brain and are central to mindreading. Also, the systemizing group shows significantly stronger activity in the left parahippocampal gyrus. In conclusion, both the empathizing and systemizing individuals show simulation-type and simulation-related neural activity during face-based mindreading. However, more neural activity indicative of simulation-based processing is seen in the empathizing individuals, while more neural activity indicative of non-simulation-based processing is seen in the systemizing individuals

On the design of knowledge tranfer mechanism: applying the incomplete contracts model to developments in biotechnology.

This paper proposes a framework on how different mechanisms for knowledge transfer can be linked to the underlying technological life-cycle. Drawing on recent insights from the organizational economics literature, we analyze the design of knowledge transfer mechanisms and structures from an incentive point of view. The basic version of the incomplete contracts model (or property rights model) was adapted to include knowledge as an asset. Several empirical hypotheses can be derived from this model. They are contrasted with other theoretical approaches to model organizational growth and development, as we are specifically interested in the use of new ventures creation as a technology transfer mechanism. Using this framework as a starting point, a limited empirical test is two sub-fields of modern biotechnology : monoclonal antibodies and protein engineering. The results are interesting: the property rights model may add to current insights on spin-offs as a mechanism for knowledge transfer as well as to a better understanding of the incentive structures that influence an organization's decision to enter a technological collaboration with a university or another biotech firm.Model; Knowledge; Biotechnology;