Recognising, Representing and Mapping Natural Features in Unstructured Environments

This thesis addresses the problem of building statistical models for multi-sensor perception in unstructured outdoor environments. The perception problem is divided into three distinct tasks: recognition, representation and association. Recognition is cast as a statistical classification problem where inputs are images or a combination of images and ranging information. Given the complexity and variability of natural environments, this thesis investigates the use of Bayesian statistics and supervised dimensionality reduction to incorporate prior information and fuse sensory data. A compact probabilistic representation of natural objects is essential for many problems in field robotics. This thesis presents techniques for combining non-linear dimensionality reduction with parametric learning through Expectation Maximisation to build general representations of natural features. Once created these models need to be rapidly processed to account for incoming information. To this end, techniques for efficient probabilistic inference are proposed. The robustness of localisation and mapping algorithms is directly related to reliable data association. Conventional algorithms employ only geometric information which can become inconsistent for large trajectories. A new data association algorithm incorporating visual and geometric information is proposed to improve the reliability of this task. The method uses a compact probabilistic representation of objects to fuse visual and geometric information for the association decision. The main contributions of this thesis are: 1) a stochastic representation of objects through non-linear dimensionality reduction; 2) a landmark recognition system using a visual and ranging sensors; 3) a data association algorithm combining appearance and position properties; 4) a real-time algorithm for detection and segmentation of natural objects from few training images and 5) a real-time place recognition system combining dimensionality reduction and Bayesian learning. The theoretical contributions of this thesis are demonstrated with a series of experiments in unstructured environments. In particular, the combination of recognition, representation and association algorithms is applied to the Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping problem (SLAM) to close large loops in outdoor trajectories, proving the benefits of the proposed methodology

A commentary on standardization in the Semantic Web, Common Logic and MultiAgent Systems

Given the ubiquity of the Web, the Semantic Web (SW) offers MultiAgent Systems (MAS) a most wide-ranging platform by which they could intercommunicate. It can be argued however that MAS require levels of logic that the current Semantic Web has yet to provide. As ISO Common Logic (CL) ISO/IEC IS 24707:2007 provides a firstorder logic capability for MAS in an interoperable way, it seems natural to investigate how CL may itself integrate with the SW thus providing a more expressive means by which MAS can interoperate effectively across the SW. A commentary is accordingly presented on how this may be achieved. Whilst it notes that certain limitations remain to be addressed, the commentary proposes that standardising the SW with CL provides the vehicle by which MAS can achieve their potential.</p

Models of everywhere revisited: a technological perspective

The concept ‘models of everywhere’ was first introduced in the mid 2000s as a means of reasoning about the environmental science of a place, changing the nature of the underlying modelling process, from one in which general model structures are used to one in which modelling becomes a learning process about specific places, in particular capturing the idiosyncrasies of that place. At one level, this is a straightforward concept, but at another it is a rich multi-dimensional conceptual framework involving the following key dimensions: models of everywhere, models of everything and models at all times, being constantly re-evaluated against the most current evidence. This is a compelling approach with the potential to deal with epistemic uncertainties and nonlinearities. However, the approach has, as yet, not been fully utilised or explored. This paper examines the concept of models of everywhere in the light of recent advances in technology. The paper argues that, when first proposed, technology was a limiting factor but now, with advances in areas such as Internet of Things, cloud computing and data analytics, many of the barriers have been alleviated. Consequently, it is timely to look again at the concept of models of everywhere in practical conditions as part of a trans-disciplinary effort to tackle the remaining research questions. The paper concludes by identifying the key elements of a research agenda that should underpin such experimentation and deployment

Harnessing agile concepts for the development of intelligent systems

Traditional and current approaches to intelligent systems design, have led to the creation of sophisticated and computationally-intensive packages and environments, for a wide range of applications. This paper proposes methods with which to extend the functionality of such systems, borrowing knowledge management concepts from the field of Agile Manufacturing. As such, this paper proposes that the future of intelligent systems design should be based not only upon the continuing development of artificial intelligence techniques, but also effective methods for harnessing human skills and core competencies to achieve these aims

Issues in digital preservation: towards a new research agenda

Digital Preservation has evolved into a specialized, interdisciplinary research discipline of its own, seeing significant increases in terms of research capacity, results, but also challenges. However, with this specialization and subsequent formation of a dedicated subgroup of researchers active in this field, limitations of the challenges addressed can be observed. Digital preservation research may seem to react to problems arising, fixing problems that exist now, rather than proactively researching new solutions that may be applicable only after a few years of maturing. Recognising the benefits of bringing together researchers and practitioners with various professional backgrounds related to digital preservation, a seminar was organized in Schloss Dagstuhl, at the Leibniz Center for Informatics (18-23 July 2010), with the aim of addressing the current digital preservation challenges, with a specific focus on the automation aspects in this field. The main goal of the seminar was to outline some research challenges in digital preservation, providing a number of "research questions" that could be immediately tackled, e.g. in Doctoral Thesis. The seminar intended also to highlight the need for the digital preservation community to reach out to IT research and other research communities outside the immediate digital preservation domain, in order to jointly develop solutions

Characterising and mapping potential and experienced tranquillity: From a state of mind to a cultural ecosystem service

Tranquil places that induce a sense of calm and peacefulness are important for those seeking respite from their stressful everyday lives. Although tranquillity is a word commonly used in everyday English, we show that its definition is complex, most often encompassing sight and hearing, with strong cultural and historical influences. To shed light on the concept of tranquillity and related research in geography and other disciplines, we (i) trace how tranquillity has been conceptualised and characterised (ii) outline how the potential for tranquillity has been modelled in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and (iii) highlight methods capable of extracting individual experiences of tranquillity from interviews, public participation GIS and text analysis. We conclude by charting a research agenda for tranquillity that makes a case for theory development across disciplines including human geography, GIS, and environmental psychology, with interdisciplinary methodologies that should be implemented and developed to better reflect the importance of the combination of physical environment and lived human experience in shaping experienced tranquillity. Based on its importance for people's well‐being, we argue for the recognition of tranquillity as a cultural ecosystem service in its own right. Finally, we call for a more holistic inclusion of tranquillity in policy‐making and planning, where a focus on tranquillity and associated positive landscape and soundscape elements could help extend the focus beyond simply protection from noise, towards creating liveable and healthy environments for the future

Characterising and mapping potential and experienced tranquillity : From a state of mind to a cultural ecosystem service

Funding Information: Many thanks to Graeme Willis (Campaign to Protect Rural England) and Nick Groome (Ordnance Survey) for their help in accessing the National Tranquillity Mapping Data. We would like to thank all the contributors to Geograph British Isles (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 License) whose contributions were used to map tranquil and silent locations in the Lake District.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Characterising and mapping potential and experienced tranquillity: from a state of mind to a cultural ecosystem service

Tranquil places that induce a sense of calm and peacefulness are important for those seeking respite from their stressful everyday lives. Although tranquillity is a word commonly used in everyday English, we show that its definition is complex, most often encompassing sight and hearing, with strong cultural and historical influences. To shed light on the concept of tranquillity and related research in geography and other disciplines, we (i) trace how tranquillity has been conceptualised and characterised (ii) outline how the potential for tranquillity has been modelled in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and (iii) highlight methods capable of extracting individual experiences of tranquillity from interviews, public participation GIS and text analysis. We conclude by charting a research agenda for tranquillity that makes a case for theory development across disciplines including human geography, GIS, and environmental psychology, with interdisciplinary methodologies that should be implemented and developed to better reflect the importance of the combination of physical environment and lived human experience in shaping experienced tranquillity. Based on its importance for people's well-being, we argue for the recognition of tranquillity as a cultural ecosystem service in its own right. Finally, we call for a more holistic inclusion of tranquillity in policy-making and planning, where a focus on tranquillity and associated positive landscape and soundscape elements could help extend the focus beyond simply protection from noise, towards creating liveable and healthy environments for the future