Recolha e conceptualização de experiências de atividades robóticas baseadas em planos para melhoria de competências no longo prazo

Robot learning is a prominent research direction in intelligent robotics. Robotics involves dealing with the issue of integration of multiple technologies, such as sensing, planning, acting, and learning. In robot learning, the long term goal is to develop robots that learn to perform tasks and continuously improve their knowledge and skills through observation and exploration of the environment and interaction with users. While significant research has been performed in the area of learning motor behavior primitives, the topic of learning high-level representations of activities and classes of activities that, decompose into sequences of actions, has not been sufficiently addressed. Learning at the task level is key to increase the robots’ autonomy and flexibility. High-level task knowledge is essential for intelligent robotics since it makes robot programs less dependent on the platform and eases knowledge exchange between robots with different kinematics. The goal of this thesis is to contribute to the development of cognitive robotic capabilities, including supervised experience acquisition through human-robot interaction, high-level task learning from the acquired experiences, and task planning using the acquired task knowledge. A framework containing the required cognitive functions for learning and reproduction of high-level aspects of experiences is proposed. In particular, we propose and formalize the notion of Experience-Based Planning Domains (EBPDs) for long-term learning and planning. A human-robot interaction interface is used to provide a robot with step-by-step instructions on how to perform tasks. Approaches to recording plan-based robot activity experiences including relevant perceptions of the environment and actions taken by the robot are presented. A conceptualization methodology is presented for acquiring task knowledge in the form of activity schemata from experiences. The conceptualization approach is a combination of different techniques including deductive generalization, different forms of abstraction and feature extraction. Conceptualization includes loop detection, scope inference and goal inference. Problem solving in EBPDs is achieved using a two-layer problem solver comprising an abstract planner, to derive an abstract solution for a given task problem by applying a learned activity schema, and a concrete planner, to refine the abstract solution towards a concrete solution. The architecture and the learning and planning methods are applied and evaluated in several real and simulated world scenarios. Finally, the developed learning methods are compared, and conditions where each of them has better applicability are discussed.Aprendizagem de robôs é uma direção de pesquisa proeminente em robótica inteligente. Em robótica, é necessário lidar com a questão da integração de várias tecnologias, como percepção, planeamento, atuação e aprendizagem. Na aprendizagem de robôs, o objetivo a longo prazo é desenvolver robôs que aprendem a executar tarefas e melhoram continuamente os seus conhecimentos e habilidades através da observação e exploração do ambiente e interação com os utilizadores. A investigação tem-se centrado na aprendizagem de comportamentos básicos, ao passo que a aprendizagem de representações de atividades de alto nível, que se decompõem em sequências de ações, e de classes de actividades, não tem sido suficientemente abordada. A aprendizagem ao nível da tarefa é fundamental para aumentar a autonomia e a flexibilidade dos robôs. O conhecimento de alto nível permite tornar o software dos robôs menos dependente da plataforma e facilita a troca de conhecimento entre robôs diferentes. O objetivo desta tese é contribuir para o desenvolvimento de capacidades cognitivas para robôs, incluindo aquisição supervisionada de experiência através da interação humano-robô, aprendizagem de tarefas de alto nível com base nas experiências acumuladas e planeamento de tarefas usando o conhecimento adquirido. Propõe-se uma abordagem que integra diversas funcionalidades cognitivas para aprendizagem e reprodução de aspetos de alto nível detetados nas experiências acumuladas. Em particular, nós propomos e formalizamos a noção de Domínio de Planeamento Baseado na Experiência (Experience-Based Planning Domain, or EBPD) para aprendizagem e planeamento num âmbito temporal alargado. Uma interface para interação humano-robô é usada para fornecer ao robô instruções passo-a-passo sobre como realizar tarefas. Propõe-se uma abordagem para extrair experiências de atividades baseadas em planos, incluindo as percepções relevantes e as ações executadas pelo robô. Uma metodologia de conceitualização é apresentada para a aquisição de conhecimento de tarefa na forma de schemata a partir de experiências. São utilizadas diferentes técnicas, incluindo generalização dedutiva, diferentes formas de abstracção e extração de características. A metodologia inclui detecção de ciclos, inferência de âmbito de aplicação e inferência de objetivos. A resolução de problemas em EBPDs é alcançada usando um sistema de planeamento com duas camadas, uma para planeamento abstrato, aplicando um schema aprendido, e outra para planeamento detalhado. A arquitetura e os métodos de aprendizagem e planeamento são aplicados e avaliados em vários cenários reais e simulados. Finalmente, os métodos de aprendizagem desenvolvidos são comparados e as condições onde cada um deles tem melhor aplicabilidade são discutidos.Programa Doutoral em Informátic

Competencia digital: Una propuesta para su integración en el currículo español de primaria del inglés como lengua extranjera

Despite the vast array of research on digital competence, digital literacy and computational thinking in schools, there is a lack of application of these concepts and proposals for their integration in the foreign language classroom. Existing literature mainly centers on L1 learners or simply connects digital competence to mathematics and science. This paper explores possible activities which allow the successful integration of digital competence in the English as a foreign language classroom, in order to maximize class time and including a variety of English teaching and learning methods, as well as those elements of digital competence most appropriate for Primary level English learners. This paper concludes not only that the successful integration of digital competence in EFL is possible, but that it can, and must, be taken much further.Pese a la multitud de investigaciones sobre competencia digital, pensamiento computacional y alfabetización digital, es latente una falta de aplicación de estos conceptos en la clase de inglés como lengua extranjera, así como propuestas para su integración. La bibliografía existente se centra de manera mayoritaria en los estudiantes de inglés como lengua materna o simplemente en la conexión entre la competencia digital y los ámbitos científico y matemático. Este trabajo de fin de grado explora actividades que permiten la integración de la competencia digital en la clase de inglés como lengua extranjera, con el objetivo de maximizar el horario lectivo e incluyendo varias metodologías de la enseñanza y aprendizaje del inglés, así como aquellos elementos de competencia digital más apropiados para los estudiantes de educación primaria. Este trabajo concluye no sólo que la integración exitosa de la competencia digital en el aula de inglés es posible, sino que puede, y debe, ser llevada más allá.Depto. de Didáctica de las Lenguas, Artes y Educación FísicaFac. de EducaciónTRUEunpu

21st Century Skills: Integrating Digital Competence in the Spanish EFL primary education curriculum

Despite the vast array of research on digital competence, digital literacy and computational thinking in schools, there is a lack of application of these concepts and proposals for their integration in the foreign language classroom. Existing literature mainly centers on L1 learners or simply connects digital competence to mathematics and science. This paper explores possible activities which allow the successful integration of digital competence in the English as a foreign language classroom, in order to maximize class time and including a variety of English teaching and learning methods, as well as those elements of digital competence most appropriate for Primary level English learners. This paper concludes not only that the successful integration of digital competence in EFL is possible, but that it can, and must, be taken much further

Responding to Healthcare Emergency Outbreak of COVID-19 Pandemic with Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

During the complex emergency of COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare sector experienced challenging pressure surge, related to rapid increase in the number of infections, patient inquiries, and demand of immediate treatment. Such situation, experienced also in Finland at the Welfare Division of Turku City, required quick decision making and fast implementation of a reliable and secure technological solution that can take some of administrative burden off the shoulders of nurses’ personnel. The case presents the implementation of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technology that has already been recognized as an efficient tool at multiple business organizations, allowing to automate various commercial processes with quick returns and scalable results. The presented case discusses the drivers and outcomes of automating non-commercial, healthcare processes, as well as its impact on emergency response, operations, and society

Organizing for Emerging Welfare Technology: Launching a Drug-Dispensing Robot for Independent Living

Emerging technologies, such as robots, virtual homecare, and sensor technologies, have considerable potentials to transform health- and eldercare. These so-called welfare technologies (WTs) are expected to increase the quality of services, empower citizens, improve working conditions for professionals, and reduce costs for care providers. However, as this transformation this involves both technological development and radical changes in how these services are organized, many promising WTs fail to advance beyond the pilot stage and create value on a large scale. This paper reports the results of a longitudinal case study of the emergence of a service robot in primary healthcare, from project launch to testing, development, and evaluation. Seeking new ways of organizing emerging technologies, nine Danish municipalities and a consortium of four private companies launched a collaborative project, aiming to develop and implement the use of a drug-dispensing robot for patients living at home. The analysis traces how project managers respond to competing concerns on innovation strategy, testing, coordination, and user mobilization and how these critical decisions shape the project’s trajectory. As such, the paper sheds new light on how to understand and manage competing concerns in the process of organizing emergent WTs

Emergent pedagogy: learning to enjoy the uncontrollable—and make it productive

This essay reflects the shared experiences of four college faculty members (a biologist, a psychologist, a computer scientist, and a feminist literary scholar) working together with K-12 teachers to explore a new perspective on educational practice. It offers a novel rationale for independent thinking and learning, one that derives from rapidly developing interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary inquiries in the sciences and social sciences into what are known as “complex” or “emergent” systems. Using emergent systems as a model of teaching and learning makes at least three significant contributions to our thinking bout teaching, in three very different dimensions. It invites us into an awareness that the brains of individual students and teachers operate as emergent systems that are neither possible nor desirable to control fully. It invites us to appreciate as well that the activities and benefits of a classroom are not all individual interactions between teacher and student. Interactions among students and teachers are collectively contributing to a somewhat unpredictable project with an insistently social dimension, which is in turn crucial to the individual achievements of all involved. Finally, emergent pedagogy encourages us to consider more carefully the relations between the individual classroom and the larger educational community of which it is a component, including a challenge to rethink the matter of assessment

Emergent pedagogy: learning to enjoy the uncontrollable—and make it productive

This essay reflects the shared experiences of four college faculty members (a biologist, a psychologist, a computer scientist, and a feminist literary scholar) working together with K-12 teachers to explore a new perspective on educational practice. It offers a novel rationale for independent thinking and learning, one that derives from rapidly developing interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary inquiries in the sciences and social sciences into what are known as “complex” or “emergent” systems. Using emergent systems as a model of teaching and learning makes at least three significant contributions to our thinking bout teaching, in three very different dimensions. It invites us into an awareness that the brains of individual students and teachers operate as emergent systems that are neither possible nor desirable to control fully. It invites us to appreciate as well that the activities and benefits of a classroom are not all individual interactions between teacher and student. Interactions among students and teachers are collectively contributing to a somewhat unpredictable project with an insistently social dimension, which is in turn crucial to the individual achievements of all involved. Finally, emergent pedagogy encourages us to consider more carefully the relations between the individual classroom and the larger educational community of which it is a component, including a challenge to rethink the matter of assessment