A visual attention mechanism for autonomous robots controlled by sensorimotor contingencies

Alexander Maye, Dari Trendafilov, Daniel Polani, Andreas Engel, ‘A visual attention mechanism for autonomous robots controlled by sensorimotor contingencies’, paper presented at the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) 2015 Workshop on Sensorimotor Contingencies for Robotics, Hamburg, Germany, 2 October, 2015.Robot control architectures that are based on learning the dependencies between robot's actions and the resulting change in sensory input face the fundamental problem that for high-dimensional action and/or sensor spaces, the number of these sensorimotor dependencies can become huge. In this article we present a scenario of a robot that learns to avoid collisions with stationary objects from image-based motion flow and a collision detector. Following an information-theoretic approach, we demonstrate that the robot can infer image regions that facilitate the prediction of imminent collisions. This allows restricting the computation to the domain in the input space that is relevant for the given task, which enables learning sensorimotor contingencies in robots with high-dimensional sensor spaces.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Mutual Information as a Measure of Coordination in Collaborative Interaction

Dari Trendafilov, Alexander Maye, D. Polani, Roderick Murray-Smith, Andreas Engel, ‘Mutual Information as a Measure of Coordination in Collaborative Interaction’, paper presented at the British HCI 2015 Workshop on Ubiquitous and Collaborative Computing (iUBICOM), Lincoln, UK, 13 July, 2005.We present an information-theoretic approach for quantifying the level of coordination between cooperating parties engaged in a computer-mediated collaborative interaction. The approach builds on Shannon’s mutual information, as a task-independent objective measure, which captures the level of corelation between the actions of interacting agents. We introduce the approach through two characteristic examples and discuss the challenges in designing a reliable measure and the amount of modelling effort required. Our initial results suggest the potential of this measure in supporting designers of collaborative systems and in providing more solid theoretical foundations for the science of Human-Computer Interaction.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

A discrete computational model of sensorimotor contingencies for object perception and control of behavior

Abstract-According to Sensorimotor Contingency Theory (SCT), visual awareness in humans emerges from the specific properties of the relation between the actions an agent performs on an object and the resulting changes in sensory stimulation. The main consequence of this approach is that perception is based not only on information coming from the sensory system, but requires knowledge about the actions that caused this input. For the development of autonomous artificial agents the conclusion is that consideration of the actions, that cause changes in sensory measurements, could result in a more human-like performance in object recognition and manipulation than ever more sophisticated analyses of the sensory signal in isolation, an approach that has not been fully explored yet. We present the first results of a modeling study elucidating computational mechanisms implied by adopting SCT for robot control, and demonstrate the concept in two artificial agents. The model is given in abstract, probabilistic terms that lead to straightforward implementations on a computer, but also allow for a neurophysiological grounding. After demonstrating the emergence of object-following behavior in a computer simulation of the model, we present results on object perception in a real robot controlled by the model. We show how the model accounts for aspects of the robot's embodiment, and discuss the role of memory, behavior, and value systems with respect to SCT as a cognitive control architecture

Programa conservación de identidad cultural cerámica de Quezaltepeque, La Libertad, para el beneficio de talleres de alfarería, mediante la alcaldía municipal, en el año 2021.

Esta investigación surge de la necesidad de conocer los principales problemas y sus alternativas de solución que enfrenta el sector artesanal de la alfarería del municipio de Quezaltepeque, en el cual se pretende fortalecer la identidad cultural cerámica de los artesanos del municipio. Asimismo, promover el trabajo del artesano alfarero para la conservación de la identidad cultural. Todo esto, aunado al interés por establecer relaciones colaborativas entre la municipalidad, artesanos e instituciones locales, estimulando la actividad laboral del artesano como una fuente de desarrollo local económico y cultural. El sector alfarero se enfrenta al declive de la producción cerámica debido a los cambios económicos y sociales, la modernidad, la globalización, la competencia de productos plásticos y seriados, entre otros. Sin embargo, según entrevistas realizadas a los artesanos del taller de don Juan Guzmán y en base a datos fundamentales sobre la Identidad Cultural del municipio de Quezaltepeque, se presenta en este informe la propuesta de proyecto sobre la realización de rutas culturales enfocada al rubro artesanal, que puedan ser implementadas de forma permanente. Por último, como una de las estrategias primordiales fue la exposición de los procesos creativos de la cerámica y otros aportes que motivaron a las personas a reconocer y valorar la alfarería. Todo ello, con el fin de crear una propuesta de solución a la situación en la que se encuentra la identidad cultural cerámica del municipio. En este proyecto formaron parte instituciones como la Alcaldía Municipal y Museo Ferroviario de Quezaltepeque; y el taller alfarero de don Juan Guzmán. Palabras Claves: Sector artesanal ; Solución ; Identidad cultural ; Fortalecimiento ; Alfarería

Farming on the edge: farmer attitudes to bovine tuberculosis in newly endemic areas

Defra's recent strategy to eradicate bovine tuberculosis (bTB) establishes three spatial zones: high-risk areas (HRAs) and low-risk areas, and an area referred to as ‘the edge’, which marks the areas where infection is spreading outwards from the HRA. Little is known about farmers in the edge area, their attitudes towards bTB and their farming practices. This paper examines farmers’ practices and attitudes towards bTB in standardised epidemiologically defined areas. A survey was developed to collect data on farmer attitudes, behaviours, practices and environmental conditions as part of an interdisciplinary analysis of bTB risk factors. Survey items were developed from a literature review and focus groups with vets and farmers in different locations within the edge area. A case-control sampling framework was adopted with farms sampled from areas identified as recently endemic for bTB. 347 farmers participated in the survey including 117 with bTB, representing a 70 percent response rate. Results show that farmers believe they are unable to do anything about bTB but are keen for the government intervention to help control the spread of bTB