Information Processing and Distributed Computation in Plant Organs

The molecular networks plant cells evolved to tune their development in response to the environment are becoming increasingly well understood. Much less is known about how these programs function in the multicellular context of organs and the impact this spatial embedding has on emergent decision-making. Here I address these questions and investigate whether the computational control principles identified in engineered information processing systems also apply to plant development. Examples of distributed computing underlying plant development are presented and support the presence of shared mechanisms of information processing across these domains. The coinvestigation of computation across plant biology and computer science can provide novel insight into the principles of plant development and suggest novel algorithms for use in distributed computing

Developing a Portable System for Measuring Human Motor Learning

Point-to-point reaching is a commonly used paradigm in the field of human motor control. By studying how people move their arms from one location in space to another, researchers have gained insight into how the central nervous system controls and learns skilled movement. Many experimental methods that are designed to study reaching are not portable. This makes it difficult for researchers to access certain clinical populations with limited mobility or motor dysfunction. We have addressed this issue by developing a point-to-point reaching system that can capture key movement variables (e.g. speed and accuracy) yet is portable and inexpensive. We have developed this system with MATLAB software and MaKey MaKey hardware, a commercially-available, single-board microcontroller. Participants will reach with a metal stylus to and from targets on a tabletop made of aluminum foil (i.e. point-to-point reaching). Our current prototype system counts and time-stamps when the stylus touches each aluminum target, then exports these data to a continuously updating log in Microsoft Excel. In addition to the low cost and portability of this system, it allows the experimenter to adjust the reaches\u27 difficulty without modifying the data acquisition code by simply changing the size, number, and/or distance between the targets. Our next step is to pilot this system in a motor learning study in which participants repetitively reach from point to point as training

An Evolutionary Upgrade of Cognitive Load Theory: Using the Human Motor System and Collaboration to Support the Learning of Complex Cognitive Tasks

Cognitive load theory is intended to provide instructional strategies derived from experimental, cognitive load effects. Each effect is based on our knowledge of human cognitive architecture, primarily the limited capacity and duration of a human working memory. These limitations are ameliorated by changes in long-term memory associated with learning. Initially, cognitive load theory's view of human cognitive architecture was assumed to apply to all categories of information. Based on Geary's (Educational Psychologist 43, 179-195 2008; 2011) evolutionary account of educational psychology, this interpretation of human cognitive architecture requires amendment. Working memory limitations may be critical only when acquiring novel information based on culturally important knowledge that we have not specifically evolved to acquire. Cultural knowledge is known as biologically secondary information. Working memory limitations may have reduced significance when acquiring novel

Modeling Curved Movement

This work aims to further the understanding of the trajectory and velocity profile of curved motion. Two competing theories, the two-thirds power law and the minimum jerk velocity profile, were tested. A set of two experiments was run that had the subjects generate curved motion. The first experiment had subjects move along a bounded oval and the second experiment had subjects move is a less constrained manner inducing a curved path. The study shows evidence for the expected effects of distance travel and allowable room for error. The evidence for the two movement profiles explaining the data is minimal

Effects of Local Latency on Games

Video games are a major type of entertainment for millions of people, and feature a wide variety genres. Many genres of video games require quick reactions, and in these games it is critical for player performance and player experience that the game is responsive. One of the major contributing factors that can make games less responsive is local latency — the total delay between input and a resulting change to the screen. Local latency is produced by a combination of delays from input devices, software processing, and displays. Due to latency, game companies spend considerable time and money play-testing their games to ensure the game is both responsive and that the in-game difficulty is reasonable. Past studies have made it clear that local latency negatively affects both player performance and experience, but there is still little knowledge about local latency’s exact effects on games. In this thesis, we address this problem by providing game designers with more knowledge about local latency’s effects. First, we performed a study to examine latency’s effects on performance and experience for popular pointing input devices used with games. Our results show significant differences between devices based on the task and the amount of latency. We then provide design guidelines based on our findings. Second, we performed a study to understand latency’s effects on ‘atoms’ of interaction in games. The study varied both latency and game speed, and found game speed to affect a task’s sensitivity to latency. Third, we used our findings to build a model to help designers quickly identify latency-sensitive game atoms, thus saving time during play-testing. We built and validated a model that predicts errors rates in a game atom based on latency and game speed. Our work helps game designers by providing new insight into latency’s varied effects and by modelling and predicting those effect

Energy Efficiency of Gait Rehabilitation Robot: A Review

Gait rehabilitation robots have been reported to reduce impairment and regain functional abilities of gait disorder significantly. While energy efficiency is essential in the process of gait rehabilitation, few gait rehabilitation robots can achieve it. This paper aims to emphasize the importance of energy efficiency on the development of gait rehabilitation robots and conduct a view of rehabilitation training approaches as well as robots. Gaps and conflicts in traditional rehabilitation robots are analyzed based on the rehabilitation requirements and energy efficiency. While related research in reduction on energy consumption of human and optimization of human with device together during walking, is summarized. Finally, we discuss and highlight the future directions regarding the energy-efficient feature in gait rehabilitation robots

Embodied practice : do social work therapists explore client strengths as expressed in the lived experience of the body?

This study was undertaken to explore how seven social work therapists attend to client strengths, with an emphasis on embodied experience and embodied strengths where competency and resourcefulness are experienced. Besides asking questions about the obvious markers of a person\u27s physical experience (hobbies, work, etc.), questions about the psychoanalytic concept of body-self and attributes of certain popularized mind/body approaches or techniques social work therapists may use were also posed. Workers, whose practices are in community mental health, inpatient psychiatry, medical and private practice settings, provided experience-near narrative data. Major findings were workers\u27 belief in the clinical value of using a strengths perspective. Workers also offered a variety of experiences of, and reasons for, the barriers they commonly encounter to using this approach. In terms of embodied practice, however, most could not identify more than a few techniques they use currently. Techniques identified, while important, were under-articulated, such as being present with clients. (Other language used for this concept was being grounded and mindful in session, as well as the approach of using experiential treatment modalities.) One significant finding was that most workers identified a decreased use of embodied practice over the course of their careers. On a positive note, a significant finding was a belief that working in the clients\u27 environment greatly facilitates and enhances attending to client strengths, particularly embodied strengths

Low vision, stimulus encoding and information processing: a characterization of performance of partially sighted users on computer-based tasks

This study focuses on the characterization of partially sighted users\u27 performance within a graphical user interface environment. Participants, ranging in visual abilities from fully sighted (FSU) with no visual impairments to partially sighted (PSU) with limited visual abilities, participated in computer-based search and select tasks. It is shown that visual search strategies employed by both PSU and FSU within a graphical user interface can be described by Steinberg\u27s (1969) Additive Factor Model. In addition, selection strategies, measured by mouse movement times, are linearly related and highly correlated to the Index of Difficulty as explained by Fitts\u27 Law. This is the first study of its kind that links the physiology of partial vision to behaviors and strategies exhibited during psychomotor task performance. These results can enable system interface designers to effectively design and accommodate the wide range of visual capabilities of today\u27s growing population of computer users