Space exploration: The interstellar goal and Titan demonstration

Automated interstellar space exploration is reviewed. The Titan demonstration mission is discussed. Remote sensing and automated modeling are considered. Nuclear electric propulsion, main orbiting spacecraft, lander/rover, subsatellites, atmospheric probes, powered air vehicles, and a surface science network comprise mission component concepts. Machine, intelligence in space exploration is discussed

Fractal dimension versus density of the built-up surfaces in the periphery of Brussels.

This paper aims at showing the usefulness of the fractal dimension for characterizing the spatial structure of the built-up surfaces within the periurban fringe. We first discuss our methodology and expectations in terms of operationality of the fractal dimension theoretically and geometrically. An empirical analysis is then performed on the southern periphery of Brussels (Brabant Wallon). The empirical analysis is divided into two parts: first, the effect of the size and shape of the windows on the fractal measures is empirically evaluated; this leads to a methodological discussion about the importance of the scale of analysis as well as the real sense of fractality. Second, we show empirically how far fractal dimension and density can look alike, but are also totally different. The relationship between density and fractality of built-up areas is discussed empirically and theoretically. Results are interpreted in an urban sprawl context as well as in a polycentric development of the peripheries. These analyses confirm the usefulness but also the limits of the fractal approach in order to describe the built-up morphology. Fractal analysis is a promising tool for describing the morphology of the city and for simulating its genesis and planning. Keywords: Fractals – dimension – periurbanisation – Brussels Note to the ERSA2004 referees: This is the state of our paper on April 30th 2004. It is not finished nor checked by an English native but results seem quite promising. Please take contact with the corresponding author for the latest version of the paper at the moment of the refereeing process or at the moment of editing the proceedings, if necessary. We thank you for your comments and questions.

Indeterminacies and mismatches in grammatical systems

This introduction proposes to investigate mismatches and indeterminacies in languages much more than has hitherto been done. Such seemingly unruly aspects of language(s), it is argued, are interesting since they may help shed light on the internal make-up of grammatical systems. The question of the internal make-up of grammar(s), it is argued, cannot be addressed by the normal modus operandi of linguistic research, which is to find matches (rather than mismatches) between the observable (sound and meaning) interface systems, and to find how the interface representations map unto each other deterministically: It is only in the "lo-fi" aspects of mappings that the internal mechanisms of the overall grammatical architecture may reveal themselves. The introduction also points out that our concern is independent of the various theoretical orientations linguists may choose for their work, since the problem presents itself in all approaches to language research currently available, it seems - if in slightly different ways. We propose, in sum, that mismatches and indeterminacies are an extremely worthwhile field for future linguistic research, and one that should be on the agenda (or minimally, within the field of view) for linguists of all theoretical convictions

Theoretical support of modern issues related to laser techniques, applications of coherent radiation and modern technologies

Modern problems of the Earth’s population are increasing in the areas related to the basic concepts of survival of living beings, but also with opposite views, if parallels are made between energy and ecology. Many new technologies are searching for their way towards development and must be viewed from several points of view. Inthis paper, the issue is addressed through modern laser techniques in terms of obtaining energy for various purposes concerning selected roles in medicine, as well as the impact on flora, fauna and as a support to other technologies both classical and modern. Contemporary attributes of lasers and other quantum generators in termsof coherence, power and intensity densities have significantly increased, although some predictions from the time of the first quantum generator masers, like gammarasers (and X raser) are still relatively far from commercial concepts. Some of the possible contemporary implementations of quantum generators in measurements control and processing schemes, along with other possible applications of various laser types, have been estimated. The paper focuses on the characterization of today’s problems with Covid-19 virus, only from the engineering point of view. The lexical side of the issue is also included, as well as the social management needswith the application of modern technologies, including help from natural sciences

Sursum Ductio. Reasoning Upward. An Investigation into the Vertical Structure of Dante\u27s Commedia.

This dissertation investigates “vertical readings” of the Commedia, i.e., the interpretive method that compares and contrasts same-numbered cantos in the three canticles of the poem: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. Although there is a consensus that specific vertical readings are intentional, critics remain skeptical of extrapolating it into a totalizing system. This dissertation aims to delineate the methodology’s parameters, trace its emergence in the field of Dante studies, and anchor it within the context of Italian Duecento and Trecento culture. This research investigates the methodology by gathering vertical readings in Dante studies into a comprehensive archive. This catalog provides valuable information regarding the history and emergence of the method and its practitioners’ different theoretical bases. The dissertation is divided into three chapters, and each, in turn, is divided into two parts. The first chapter begins by analyzing the formal elements of Dante’s poem. It emphasizes how the poem’s structure, symmetries, numbers, and names given to its partitions by Dante prompt vertical readings through a desire to imitate the order of the universe and Scripture. The chapter’s second half is a systematic review of the literature on vertical readings. Since various scholars have done vertical readings with differing theoretical bases, a definition is formulated to maximize inclusiveness. The archive suggests two principal hypotheses to explain the poem’s co-numerary parallels. First, they are the product of a composition method based on the arts of rhetoric and memory, revealing the scaffolding Dante used to build his poem. Secondly, the poem’s structure is designed to elicit intratextual readings in imitation of Scripture, thus reframing the poem’s allegorical status. Despite the Commedia’s instantaneous success, there are no mentions of the poem’s vertical patterning before the twentieth-century. Chapter 2 explains this paradoxical situation. The first half is devoted to the thorny issue of Dante, allegory, and medieval literary theory. It analyzes Dante’s writings on the topic of allegory and his own exegetical practices. Notwithstanding the numerous clues embedded into his poem, Dante’s synthesis of the traditional critical apparatus made his innovations unrecognizable to most commentators, principally because they had to confront a plethora of issues regarding the poem’s truth-claims. Nevertheless, the data shows that the early commentary tradition, in its unfolding and successive iterations, was increasingly glossing the poem along co-numerary lines, particularly at the center of the poem. As a result, proto-vertical readings have been identified. In the chapter’s second half, the locus of recognition shifts from criticism to poetry because poets hold a privileged position in understanding Dante’s deployment of rhetorical strategies that involve matters of structure, form, and content. An investigation of two of Dante’s poem’s most notable imitations, Petrarch’s Trionfi and Boccaccio’s Amorosa visione, shows that the other two ‘crowns’ of the so-called “Tre corone” of Italian literature were indeed aware of the Commedia’s vertical hermeneutics. In the third and final chapter, vertical hermeneutics keep pointing outwards, beyond the sphere of literary influence, and toward unexpected homologous patterns and sources, such as Canon Tables and visual arts. The first half begins by looking at stylistic elements in some of Dante’s ekphrases in Paradiso and underlines their meta-textual nature and their use of spatial semiotics. Geometric features, such as the circle and horizontal and vertical lines, play a crucial role in Dante’s representation of the divine and, more importantly, guide the poem’s interpretation. They enact a semiotics that emphasizes the spatial relationships between various elements. This form of semiotics is homologous with contemporary visual arts such as the apsidal mosaics in the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe and those of the San Giovanni Baptistery in Florence, as well as paratextual and interpretive tools that have their roots in the arts of rhetoric and memory. Special attention is given to the center of Paradiso and its vertical relationship with the figure of Brunetto Latini, Dante’s teacher and a prominent protagonist in the revival of the arts of rhetoric and memory. The consequence of this centrifugal movement, from Dante outwards, is the realization that vertical hermeneutics are part and parcel of a broader tendency, or at least that they had currency within a collective set of unstated assumptions about the arrangement of signs and their meanings during the Middle Ages. In turn, the methodology of spatial semiotics provides a better understanding of the role of structure and form in both the composition and exegesis of medieval cultural artifacts

Knowledge in Physics through Mathematics, Image and Language

This thesis explores the nature of knowledge in physics and the discourse that organises it. In particular, it focuses on the affordances of mathematics, image and language for construing the highly technical meanings that constitute this knowledge. It shows that each of these resources play a crucial role in physics’ ability to generate generalised theory whilst maintaining relevance to the empirical physical world. First, to understand how mathematics contributes to knowledge-building, the thesis presents a detailed descriptive model from the perspective of Systemic Functional Semiotics that considers mathematics on its own terms. The description builds on O’Halloran’s (2005) grammar in order to understand mathematics’ intrinsic functionality and theoretical architecture. In doing so, it takes an axial perspective (Martin 2013) that considers the paradigmatic and syntagmatic axes in Systemic Functional theory as the theoretical primitives from which metafunction, strata, rank and all other theoretical categories can be derived. It shows that, when not transposing categories from English but rather deriving them from axial principles, mathematics’ theoretical architecture is considerably different to that of any resource previously seen. Looking metafunctionally, mathematics displays a highly elaborated logical component within the ideational metafunction, but shows no evidence for a discrete interpersonal metafunction. Looking at the levels within the grammar, it displays two interacting hierarchies: a rank scale based on constituency and a nesting scale based on iterative layering. Finally, it shows distinct and predictable texts patterns in its interaction with language. From this, the description is able to use genre as a unifying semiotic that strongly predicts the grammatical patterns that occur throughout physics discourse. By developing these models, the thesis offers an understanding of mathematics’ unique functionality and the reasons it is consistently used in physics. Second, the thesis interprets the images of physics from the perspective of the Systemic Functional dimension of field. It shows that much of the power of images comes from the large number of distinct meanings that can be encapsulated in a single snapshot. In one image, large taxonomies, long sequences of activity, extensive arrays of data and various levels of specificity can all be presented. This allows various components of physics’ knowledge to be related and coordinated, and aids physics in building a coherent and integrated knowledge structure. Following the descriptive component of the thesis, the specific functionalities of mathematics, image and language are interpreted through the Legitimation Code Theory dimension of Semantics. This provides an understanding of the organisation of physics’ knowledge structure as a whole. It shows how the interaction of mathematics, language and image underpins physics’ ability to progressively build ever more elaborated technical meanings, to make empirical predictions from theoretical models and to abstract theoretical generalisations from empirical data. By interpreting the mathematics, image and language used in physics from the complementary perspectives of Systemic Functional Semiotics and Legitimation Code Theory, the thesis offers a detailed model of how physics manages to make sense of and predict the vast physical world

Generic object classification for autonomous robots

Un dels principals problemes de la interacció dels robots autònoms és el coneixement de l'escena. El reconeixement és fonamental per a solucionar aquest problema i permetre als robots interactuar en un escenari no controlat. En aquest document presentem una aplicació pràctica de la captura d'objectes, de la normalització i de la classificació de senyals triangulars i circulars. El sistema s'introdueix en el robot Aibo de Sony per a millorar-ne la interacció. La metodologia presentada s'ha comprobat en simulacions i problemes de categorització reals, com ara la classificació de senyals de trànsit, amb resultats molt prometedors.Uno de los principales problemas de la interacción de los robots autónomos es el conocimiento de la escena. El reconocimiento es fundamental para solventar este problema y permitir a los robots interactuar en un escenario no controlado. En este documento, presentamos una aplicación práctica de captura del objeto, normalización y clasificación de señales triangulares y circulares. El sistema es introducido en el robot Aibo de Sony para mejorar el comportamiento de la interacción del robot. La metodología presentada ha sido testeada en simulaciones y problemas de categorización reales, como es la clasificación de señales de tráfico, con resultados muy prometedores.One of the main problems of autonomous robots interaction is the scene knowledge. Recognition is concerned to deal with this problem and to allow robots to interact in uncontrolled environments. In this paper, we present a practical application for object fitting, normalization and classification of triangular and circular signs. The system is introduced in the Aibo robot of Sony to increase the robot interaction behaviour. The presented methodology has been tested in real simulations and categorization problems, as the traffic signs classification, with very promising results.Nota: Aquest document conté originàriament altre material i/o programari només consultable a la Biblioteca de Ciència i Tecnologia