The color of smiling: computational synaesthesia of facial expressions

This note gives a preliminary account of the transcoding or rechanneling problem between different stimuli as it is of interest for the natural interaction or affective computing fields. By the consideration of a simple example, namely the color response of an affective lamp to a sensed facial expression, we frame the problem within an information- theoretic perspective. A full justification in terms of the Information Bottleneck principle promotes a latent affective space, hitherto surmised as an appealing and intuitive solution, as a suitable mediator between the different stimuli.Comment: Submitted to: 18th International Conference on Image Analysis and Processing (ICIAP 2015), 7-11 September 2015, Genova, Ital

Modeling a social brain for interactive agents: integrating mirroring and mentalizing

Kahl S, Kopp S. Modeling a social brain for interactive agents: integrating mirroring and mentalizing. In: Brinkman WP, Broekens J, Heylen DKJ, eds. Intelligent Virtual Agents. Springer; 2015: 77-86

Humanization of robots: is it really such a good idea?

The aim of this review was to examine the pros and cons of humanizing social robots following a psychological perspective. As such, we had six goals. First, we defined what social robots are. Second, we clarified the meaning of humanizing social robots. Third, we presented the theoretical backgrounds for promoting humanization. Fourth, we conducted a review of empirical results of the positive effects and the negative effects of humanization on human–robot interaction (HRI). Fifth, we presented some of the political and ethical problems raised by the humanization of social robots. Lastly, we discussed the overall effects of the humanization of robots in HRI and suggested new avenues of research and development.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

People Interpret Robotic Non-linguistic Utterances Categorically

We present results of an experiment probing whether adults exhibit categorical perception when affectively rating robot-like sounds (Non-linguistic Utterances). The experimental design followed the traditional methodology from the psychology domain for measuring categorical perception: stimulus continua for robot sounds were presented to subjects, who were asked to complete a discrimination and an identification task. In the former subjects were asked to rate whether stimulus pairs were affectively different, while in the latter they were asked to rate single stimuli affectively. The experiment confirms that Non-linguistic Utterances can convey affect and that they are drawn towards prototypical emotions, confirming that people show categorical perception at a level of inferred affective meaning when hearing robot-like sounds. We speculate on how these insights can be used to automatically design and generate affect-laden robot-like utterances

Robots in education and care of children with developmental disabilities : a study on acceptance by experienced and future professionals

Research in the area of robotics has made available numerous possibilities for further innovation in the education of children, especially in the rehabilitation of those with learning difficulties and/or intellectual disabilities. Despite the scientific evidence, there is still a strong scepticism against the use of robots in the fields of education and care of people. Here we present a study on the acceptance of robots by experienced practitioners (specialized in the treatment of intellectual disabilities) and university students in psychology and education sciences (as future professionals). The aim is to examine the factors, through the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model, that may influence the decision to use a robot as an instrument in the practice. The overall results confirm the applicability of the model in the context of education and care of children, and suggest a positive attitude towards the use of the robot. The comparison highlights some scepticism among the practitioners, who perceive the robot as an expensive and limited tool, while students show a positive perception and a significantly higher willingness to use the robot. From this experience, we formulate the hypothesis that robots may be accepted if more integrated with standard rehabilitation protocols in a way that benefits can outweigh the costs

First Cold Powering Test of REBCO Roebel Wound Coil for the EuCARD2 Future Magnet Development Project

EuCARD-2 is a project partly supported by FP7-European Commission aiming at exploring accelerator magnet technology for 20 T dipole operating field. The EuCARD-2 collaboration is liaising with similar programs for high field magnets in the USA and Japan. EuCARD-2 focuses, through the work-package 10 'Future magnets,' on the development of a 10 kA-class superconducting, high current density cable suitable for accelerator magnets, for a 5 T stand-alone dipole of 40 mm bore and about 1 m length. After standalone testing, the magnet will possibly be inserted in a large bore background dipole, to be tested at a peak field up to 18 T. This paper starts by reporting on a few of the highlight simulations that demonstrate the progress made in predicting: dynamic current distribution and influence on field quality, complex quench propagation between tapes, and minimum quench energy in the multitape cable. The multiphysics output importantly helps predicting quench signals and guides the development of the novel early detection systems. Knowing current position within individual tapes of each cable we present stress distribution throughout the coils. We report on the development of the mechanical component and assembly processes selected for Feather-M2 the 5 T EuCARD2 magnet. We describe the CERN variable temperature flowing helium cold gas test system. We describe the parallel integration of the FPGA early quench detection system, using pickup coils and temperature sensors, alongside the standard CERN magnet quench detection system using voltage taps. Finally we report on the first cold tests of the REBCO 10 kA class Roebel subscale coil named Feather-M0

Robot deployment in long-term care: a case study of a mobile robot in physical therapy

Background. Healthcare systems in industrialised countries are challenged to provide care for a growing number of older adults. Information technology holds the promise of facilitating this process by providing support for care staff, and improving wellbeing of older adults through a variety of support systems. Goal. Little is known about the challenges that arise from the deployment of technology in care settings; yet, the integration of technology into care is one of the core determinants of successful support. In this paper, we discuss challenges and opportunities associated with technology integration in care using the example of a mobile robot to support physical therapy among older adults with cognitive impairment in the European project STRANDS. Results and discussion. We report on technical challenges along with perspectives of physical therapists, and provide an overview of lessons learned which we hope will help inform the work of researchers and practitioners wishing to integrate robotic aids in the caregiving process