Computational resources of miniature robots: classification & implications

When it comes to describing robots, many roboticists choose to focus on the size, types of actuators, or other physical capabilities. As most areas of robotics deploy robots with large memory and processing power, the question “how computational resources limit what a robot can do” is often overlooked. However, the capabilities of many miniature robots are limited by significantly less memory and processing power. At present, there is no systematic approach to comparing and quantifying the computational resources as a whole and their implications. This letter proposes computational indices that systematically quantify computational resources—individually and as a whole. Then, by comparing 31 state-of-the-art miniature robots, a computational classification ranging from non-computing to minimally-constrained robots is introduced. Finally, the implications of computational constraints on robotic software are discussed

Maine Perspective, v 12, i 1

The Maine Perspective, a publication for the University of Maine, was a campus newsletter produced by the Department of Public Affairs which eventually transformed into the Division of Marketing and Communication. Regular columns included the UM Calendar, Ongoing Events, People in Perspective, Look Who\u27s on Campus, In Focus, and Along the Mall. The weekly newsletter also included position openings on campus as well as classified ads. Reporting in this issue includes coverage of a 15% increase in grant funding at UMaine; an announced increase in graduate student stipends, though the allotment remains among the lowest of New England\u27s land grant institutions; research into the foundation of friendship relationships in childhood; and an inventory of major capital improvement projects slated for campus

Practical, appropriate, empirically-validated guidelines for designing educational games

There has recently been a great deal of interest in the potential of computer games to function as innovative educational tools. However, there is very little evidence of games fulfilling that potential. Indeed, the process of merging the disparate goals of education and games design appears problematic, and there are currently no practical guidelines for how to do so in a coherent manner. In this paper, we describe the successful, empirically validated teaching methods developed by behavioural psychologists and point out how they are uniquely suited to take advantage of the benefits that games offer to education. We conclude by proposing some practical steps for designing educational games, based on the techniques of Applied Behaviour Analysis. It is intended that this paper can both focus educational games designers on the features of games that are genuinely useful for education, and also introduce a successful form of teaching that this audience may not yet be familiar with

What is Feminist Media Archaeology?

In a fairly recent blog post, Jussi Parikka discusses how media archaeology can be criticized for being a “boy’s club”. In the introduction of this text, he writes: One of the set critiques of media archaeology is that it is a boys\u27 club. That is a correct evaluation in so many ways when one has a look at the topics as well as authors of the circle of writers broadly understood part of \u27media archaeology\u27. I make the same argument for instance in What is Media Archaeology?, but there is also something else that we need to attend to. There is however a danger that the critique also neglects the multiplicity inherent in the approach. For sure, there are critical points to be made in so many aspects of Kittler\u27s and others\u27 theoretical work, but at the same time it feels unfair to neglect the various female authors and artists at the core of the field. In other words, the critique often turns a blind eye to the women who are actively involved in media archaeology. Let\u27s not write them out too easily. Parikka then goes on to briefly introduce several female researchers and artists who are active in the media archaeological field. These are women who are, in different ways, doing media archaeology. This is of course an important issue – skewed representations or lopsided citation practices are never good – and the contributions of these researchers are significant and important. However, we could also argue that there is an important difference between the body of work being done by women and, what we may call, feminist media archaeology. There can, of course, be overlaps between these two ways of representing feminist interests in media archaeology, but for feminist theorizing and practising to truly have an impact, we have to ask ourselves what is feminist media archaeology? By looking for empirical gaps and putting questions of, for example, design, power, infrastructure and benefit, to the fore we can shine a different light on the material-discursive genealogy of digital culture, still very much in the vein of media archaeological endeavors. What we suggest is quite simple – a transdisciplinary approach which emphasizes “the unity of intellectual frameworks beyond the disciplinary perspectives [which] points toward our potential to think in terms of frameworks, concepts, techniques, and vocabulary that we have not yet imagined”. As such, we want to take an exploratory tactic to the question posed in the title of this paper. We do not intend to provide a single nor definite answer – rather we want to think with media archaeology and feminism together, seeking to raise other questions in order to find dynamic parallels and crosscurrents

1962 Warbler

The 1962 Warbler, yearbook of Eastern Illinois Universityhttps://thekeep.eiu.edu/warbler/1043/thumbnail.jp

The Register, 2008-11-19

https://digital.library.ncat.edu/atregister/2423/thumbnail.jp

A Basic Qualitative Study Investigating How Art Teachers Employ Visual Culture in Teaching Art

With my background in Graphic Design, I wondered how the images and structures of visual culture were understood and used inside the art classroom. I analyzed 32 of 40 anonymous questionnaires returned from select art teachers throughout western New York. The questions used were geared toward finding the participants’ definitions and knowledge of visual culture, how they felt visual culture affected their students, and how they could teach using visual culture. I compared these anonymous responses to the data from observations and semi-structured interviews of a middle and secondary art teacher who said they used visual culture in their art teaching. The findings produced from the data showed a variety of definitions of visual culture, as well as differences in the methods and techniques that the two participating teachers used to incorporate visual culture in their teaching. The data seemed to fall into two categories of physical and personal influences of visual culture with teachers’ advocacy for visual culture playing a large role in its use. The better defined ideas that emerged from the data were teachers’ use of visual culture in concept-based lessons that affect student perception, how playing the role of devil’s advocate influences student perspective, how visual culture can bring greater awareness of the outside world or the environment to students, and the potential for greater teacher-student connections by using visual culture. Along with these ideas came a variety of suggestions from the questionnaires of how visual culture could be used as a motivational tool or a hook. The important concepts I learned from this research is that the teacher-student connection and trust is essential to the success of the student and the teacher in their learning. A concept based lesson may allow for more in depth discussion and critique, allowing for a larger connection by the student because of the overall idea that binds it together. Lastly, I found a need for the definition of visual culture to have a more solid foundation. The research shows that the definitions produced were similar but still coming from a variety of different sources with no one thing to staple it down. For further research I would recommend collecting perspectives from more teachers and more time for observations. I would also recommend getting the students’ perspectives in future studies

1983 January - June

Morehead State University press releases from January to June of 1983