Symbol Emergence in Robotics: A Survey

Humans can learn the use of language through physical interaction with their environment and semiotic communication with other people. It is very important to obtain a computational understanding of how humans can form a symbol system and obtain semiotic skills through their autonomous mental development. Recently, many studies have been conducted on the construction of robotic systems and machine-learning methods that can learn the use of language through embodied multimodal interaction with their environment and other systems. Understanding human social interactions and developing a robot that can smoothly communicate with human users in the long term, requires an understanding of the dynamics of symbol systems and is crucially important. The embodied cognition and social interaction of participants gradually change a symbol system in a constructive manner. In this paper, we introduce a field of research called symbol emergence in robotics (SER). SER is a constructive approach towards an emergent symbol system. The emergent symbol system is socially self-organized through both semiotic communications and physical interactions with autonomous cognitive developmental agents, i.e., humans and developmental robots. Specifically, we describe some state-of-art research topics concerning SER, e.g., multimodal categorization, word discovery, and a double articulation analysis, that enable a robot to obtain words and their embodied meanings from raw sensory--motor information, including visual information, haptic information, auditory information, and acoustic speech signals, in a totally unsupervised manner. Finally, we suggest future directions of research in SER.Comment: submitted to Advanced Robotic

Bio prospecting in Nigeria: evaluating the adequacy of laws and practices and the implications for the environment

Bio-prospecting is a subject of interest especially as to its utility in environmental protection. It is the purposeful evaluation of wild biological materials in search of valuable new products and involves the application of advanced technologies to develop new pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, cosmetics, flavorings, fragrance, industrial-enzymes and other products from biodiversity. On the face of it, bio-prospecting is a major threat to the continuous flow of genetic resources. However when substituted with other consumption patterns or when properly regulated such that benefits derived from it are invested in technologies geared towards conserving the databank of the bio resources, or the provision of the needs of the local peoples whose practices mount undue pressure on the resources, it becomes a viable tool for resource conservation. This paper examines the regulatory regime of bio-prospecting in Nigeria from international and national perspectives to evaluate their adequacy. It also examines the environmental implications of the state of affairs and recommends the protection of the local peoples’ interest, and their involvement in strategic planning and policy formulation on bio prospecting, amongst others as a way of bio conservation to profit bio-prospecting.Keywords: Bio-prospecting, environment, biodiversit

Morphological Control of Periodic GaAs Hole Arrays by Simple Au-Mediated Wet Etching

In this study we report etched-GaAs morphologies with noble-metal layers embedded in the etching structures that are prepared by a simple wet process. Well-controlled n-GaAs (100) hole arrays are formed through metal-assisted chemical etching using a sputtered Au layer as an etching catalyst. GaAs exhibits anisotropic etching behavior, which originates from the substrate crystallography. The configuration of hole arrays is determined by the concentration of hydrofluoric acid included in the etching solution, the arrangement of Au catalysis layers relative to the preferential etching direction of the GaAs (100) substrate, and the etching time. The relationship between the etching process and the resultant hole structure is also discussed. (C) 2012 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/2.021206jes] All rights reserved

Morphological Control of Periodic GaAs Hole Arrays by Simple Au-Mediated Wet Etching

In this study we report etched-GaAs morphologies with noble-metal layers embedded in the etching structures that are prepared by a simple wet process. Well-controlled n-GaAs (100) hole arrays are formed through metal-assisted chemical etching using a sputtered Au layer as an etching catalyst. GaAs exhibits anisotropic etching behavior, which originates from the substrate crystallography. The configuration of hole arrays is determined by the concentration of hydrofluoric acid included in the etching solution, the arrangement of Au catalysis layers relative to the preferential etching direction of the GaAs (100) substrate, and the etching time. The relationship between the etching process and the resultant hole structure is also discussed. (C) 2012 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/2.021206jes] All rights reserved.ArticleJOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY. 159(5):D328-D332 (2012)journal articl

Strategies to Recruit and Hire Military Veterans

The inability of business owners to hire skilled employees affects the profitability of a small business. Small business owners may attain profitability by understanding the value of military veterans and cultivating strategies for the hiring and recruitment process. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies that business owners in Fayetteville, North Carolina used to recruit military veterans as a means to acquire skilled employees to maximize productivity, profitability, and sustainability. The conceptual framework of this study included human capital theory and recruitment theory. The purposive sample consisted of 6 participants who were small business owners. Data from interviews and supporting documents were processed and analyzed using data source triangulation to identify 3 emergent themes. Findings indicated that, for these 6 Fayetteville small business owners, job description and transition workshops, resume review and communication, and accommodations and benefits were key attributes related to the successful recruitment of military veterans as skilled employees. Specifically, streamlined hiring processes, relationship building, and access to resources were predictive of a successful hire. Knowledge barriers regarding hiring processes prevented efficient communication between small business owners and military veterans, but business owners cultivated strategies to help with hiring military veterans. The implications for positive social change include the potential for business owners to capitalize on the skills that military veterans bring to the civilian workforce, which in turn may improve the economy