The aggregation of propositional attitudes: towards a general theory

How can the propositional attitudes of several individuals be aggregated into overall collective propositional attitudes? Although there are large bodies of work on the aggregation of various special kinds of propositional attitudes, such as preferences, judgments, probabilities and utilities, the aggregation of propositional attitudes is seldom studied in full generality. In this paper, we seek to contribute to filling this gap in the literature. We sketch the ingredients of a general theory of propositional attitude aggregation and prove two new theorems. Our first theorem simultaneously characterizes some prominent aggregation rules in the cases of probability, judgment and preference aggregation, including linear opinion pooling and Arrovian dictatorships. Our second theorem abstracts even further from the specific kinds of attitudes in question and describes the properties of a large class of aggregation rules applicable to a variety of belief-like attitudes. Our approach integrates some previously disconnected areas of investigation.mathematical economics;

Design, Control and Motion Planning for a Novel Modular Extendable Robotic Manipulator

This dissertation discusses an implementation of a design, control and motion planning for a novel extendable modular redundant robotic manipulator in space constraints, which robots may encounter for completing required tasks in small and constrained environment. The design intent is to facilitate the movement of the proposed robotic manipulator in constrained environments, such as rubble piles. The proposed robotic manipulator with multi Degree of Freedom (m-DOF) links is capable of elongating by 25% of its nominal length. In this context, a design optimization problem with multiple objectives is also considered. In order to identify the benefits of the proposed design strategy, the reachable workspace of the proposed manipulator is compared with that of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) serpentine robot. The simulation results show that the proposed manipulator has a relatively efficient reachable workspace, needed in constrained environments. The singularity and manipulability of the designed manipulator are investigated. In this study, we investigate the number of links that produces the optimal design architecture of the proposed robotic manipulator. The total number of links decided by a design optimization can be useful distinction in practice. Also, we have considered a novel robust bio-inspired Sliding Mode Control (SMC) to achieve favorable tracking performance for a class of robotic manipulators with uncertainties. To eliminate the chattering problem of the conventional sliding mode control, we apply the Brain Emotional Learning Based Intelligent Control (BELBIC) to adaptively adjust the control input law in sliding mode control. The on-line computed parameters achieve favorable system robustness in process of parameter uncertainties and external disturbances. The simulation results demonstrate that our control strategy is effective in tracking high speed trajectories with less chattering, as compared to the conventional sliding mode control. The learning process of BLS is shown to enhance the performance of a new robust controller. Lastly, we consider the potential field methodology to generate a desired trajectory in small and constrained environments. Also, Obstacle Collision Avoidance (OCA) is applied to obtain an inverse kinematic solution of a redundant robotic manipulator

Priming in a shape task but not in a category task under continuous flash suppression

Continuous flash suppression (CFS) is an interocular suppression technique that uses high-contrast masks flashed to one eye to prevent conscious perception of images shown to the other eye. It has become widely used due to its strength and prolonged duration of suppression and its nearly deterministic control of suppression onset and offset. Recently, it has been proposed that action-relevant visual processing ascribed to the dorsal stream remains functional, while processing in the ventral stream is completely suppressed, when stimuli are invisible under CFS. Here we tested the hypothesis that the potentially dorsal-stream-based analysis of prime-stimulus elongation during CFS affects the categorization of manipulable target objects. In two behavioral experiments, we found evidence for priming in a shape task, but none for priming in a category task, when prime stimuli were rendered invisible using CFS. Our results thus support the notion that the representation of CF-suppressed stimuli is more limited than previously thought

Robot Manipulators

Robot manipulators are developing more in the direction of industrial robots than of human workers. Recently, the applications of robot manipulators are spreading their focus, for example Da Vinci as a medical robot, ASIMO as a humanoid robot and so on. There are many research topics within the field of robot manipulators, e.g. motion planning, cooperation with a human, and fusion with external sensors like vision, haptic and force, etc. Moreover, these include both technical problems in the industry and theoretical problems in the academic fields. This book is a collection of papers presenting the latest research issues from around the world

Design, Control and Motion Planning for a Novel Modular Extendable Robotic Manipulator

This dissertation discusses an implementation of a design, control and motion planning for a novel extendable modular redundant robotic manipulator in space constraints, which robots may encounter for completing required tasks in small and constrained environment. The design intent is to facilitate the movement of the proposed robotic manipulator in constrained environments, such as rubble piles. The proposed robotic manipulator with multi Degree of Freedom (m-DOF) links is capable of elongating by 25% of its nominal length. In this context, a design optimization problem with multiple objectives is also considered. In order to identify the benefits of the proposed design strategy, the reachable workspace of the proposed manipulator is compared with that of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) serpentine robot. The simulation results show that the proposed manipulator has a relatively efficient reachable workspace, needed in constrained environments. The singularity and manipulability of the designed manipulator are investigated. In this study, we investigate the number of links that produces the optimal design architecture of the proposed robotic manipulator. The total number of links decided by a design optimization can be useful distinction in practice. Also, we have considered a novel robust bio-inspired Sliding Mode Control (SMC) to achieve favorable tracking performance for a class of robotic manipulators with uncertainties. To eliminate the chattering problem of the conventional sliding mode control, we apply the Brain Emotional Learning Based Intelligent Control (BELBIC) to adaptively adjust the control input law in sliding mode control. The on-line computed parameters achieve favorable system robustness in process of parameter uncertainties and external disturbances. The simulation results demonstrate that our control strategy is effective in tracking high speed trajectories with less chattering, as compared to the conventional sliding mode control. The learning process of BLS is shown to enhance the performance of a new robust controller. Lastly, we consider the potential field methodology to generate a desired trajectory in small and constrained environments. Also, Obstacle Collision Avoidance (OCA) is applied to obtain an inverse kinematic solution of a redundant robotic manipulator

Positional voting rules generated by aggregation functions and the role of duplication

Producción CientíficaIn this paper, we consider a typical voting situation where a group of agents show their preferences over a set of alternatives. Under our approach, such preferences are codied into individual positional values which can be aggregated in several ways through particular functions, yielding positional voting rules and providing a social result in each case. We show that scoring rules belong to such class of positional voting rules. But if we focus our interest on OWA operators as aggregation functions, other well-known voting systems naturally appear. In particular, we determine those ones verifying duplication (i.e., clone irrelevance) and present a proposal of an overall social result provided by them.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (ECO2012-32178)Junta de Castilla y León (programa de apoyo a proyectos de investigación – Ref. VA066U13

The social power paradigm: causalities, mechanisms, and constructions in the perspective of systems theory

The article outlines and illustrates a new social power paradigm based on an innovative approach to causation, action processes, and social construction. It aims to overcome several of the major limitations of the social science research of Robert Dahl, Steven Lukes, Stefano Guzzini, Michael Mann, John Searle, and Max Weber. The paradigm distinguishes agential, social structural, and material/ecological modalities of power. Moreover, neglected modalities such as meta-power (power over power, transformative power) and relational control are specified and exemplified. Section I provides a brief introduction and background to the theoretical paradigm outlined in the article. The section focuses largely on a major contemporary social theorist of power, Stephen Lukes. The work of a number of other scholars is referred to as well. The limitations of the work of Lukes as well as others such as Robert Dahl, Stefano Guzzini, Michael Mann, John Searle and Max Weber are briefly outlined. Of particular importance is their failure to systematically specify and analyze meta-power, the fundamental powering in any society. 2 Section II briefly presents causal power theory, postulating multiple causalities and powering mechanisms based on concrete actions and algorithms. Three general modalities of power are identified and analyzed: material/ecological forces, social structural and agential influences – typically making up complexes of regulatory mechanisms. Intentionality/non-intentionality and agential/systemic are shown to be critical dimensions. Section III introduces the meta-power conceptualization (power over power, transformative power), distinguishing agential and systemic forms of meta-power. Section IV takes up for discussion several of the key features of the power paradigm. Finally, there is a section of concluding remarks making five points: (1) social power is based on multiple interdependent causal mechanisms that pervade all social life. (2) social power systems (institutional arrangements, socio-technical systems, and infrastructures, are complexes of causality). (3) Most power relations and systems are human constructions (4) Major complex systems of power and meta-power are found in the forms of capitalism, state, socio-technical systems and built environments. (5) The mechanisms (and therefore modalities) of power are being multiplied as new types of causal and control technologies and new socio-technical systems are constructed