RGBDTAM: A Cost-Effective and Accurate RGB-D Tracking and Mapping System

Simultaneous Localization and Mapping using RGB-D cameras has been a fertile research topic in the latest decade, due to the suitability of such sensors for indoor robotics. In this paper we propose a direct RGB-D SLAM algorithm with state-of-the-art accuracy and robustness at a los cost. Our experiments in the RGB-D TUM dataset [34] effectively show a better accuracy and robustness in CPU real time than direct RGB-D SLAM systems that make use of the GPU. The key ingredients of our approach are mainly two. Firstly, the combination of a semi-dense photometric and dense geometric error for the pose tracking (see Figure 1), which we demonstrate to be the most accurate alternative. And secondly, a model of the multi-view constraints and their errors in the mapping and tracking threads, which adds extra information over other approaches. We release the open-source implementation of our approach 1 . The reader is referred to a video with our results 2 for a more illustrative visualization of its performance

ESSAYS ON MARKET-BASED MECHANISMS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: CHALLENGES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR EUROPEAN UNIVERSITIES

In many European countries, a change from a public university model towards more responsible and procedurally autonomous organizations took place. The shift includes a strong emphasis on market, competition and related elements, like incentive steering, managerial capabilities, individual profiling and organizational learning, quality assurance and evaluation. These recent higher education reforms have often been described as managerial reforms, which have moved the universities’ governance regime towards a much more competition-driven and managerial arrangement. Yet, universities provide public services for which at least in most of the European countries no real market exists and their primary funding comes from public resources, hence these tendencies towards market and competition result at most in quasi-markets. The introduction of quasi-market mechanisms led government to implement different policies to address these changes. They focused among others on three distinctive aspects: the cost sharing of higher education and the shift toward student tuition; the performance-based research funding mechanisms; the promotion of interaction with industry and the raise of academic entrepreneurship This dissertation aims to investigate the main implications of the application of market-based policies to higher education, in terms of university managerial reactions. In relation to the diffusion of the cost sharing phenomenon, some universities decided not to modify their tuition price setting strategy, some have indiscriminately increased tuition fees, while others targeted for their recruitment strategy ‘full fee paying’ students more aggressively within the global higher education marketplace. Accordingly, the first essay of my dissertation investigates the dynamics of university competition on price setting decision after the 2008 financial crisis by relying on data from 59 Italian state universities over the period 2003-2014. Italy represents an interesting setting where to investigate the post-crisis dynamics of university competition as an example of both a Southern European country strongly affected by the economic recession as well as cuts in public funds and a quasi-market where universities increasingly compete for attracting students. Concerning the establishment of performance-based research funding mechanisms, universities adopted the strategy to position themselves at the top of the international rankings, as outstanding research institutions. The second essay of my dissertation investigates the issue of international competition and visibility. It provides an analysis of the impact of a specified policy intervention aimed to promote and select outstanding research active universities by allocating competitive additional public funds: the Excellence Initiative in Germany. Referring to the promotion of interaction with industry and the raise of academic entrepreneurship, universities became fully engaged in the spinoff activity. The third essay of my dissertation aims to contribute to the literature on the drivers of this kind of firms, by focusing on a specific university feature, the degree of internationalization. Academic spinoffs indeed are found to be more prone to internationalize than similar firms due to the essential role played by universities and in particular internationalized universities in offering networks and capabilities as well as dynamic and mobile human capital. University internationalization in this way contribute to the national economic growth by stimulating the international orientation of their affiliated firms. As a whole, this thesis provides some insights into the main challenges that universities are experiencing in terms of marketization of Higher Education and their consequent managerial reactions. Hence, it discusses such reactions extensively, it outlines some theoretical and practical contributions and derives some policy implications

Paisaje e ingeniería: Lo natural y el artificio

Uno de los campos actuales de investigación es el análisis del territorio: se trabaja en el territorio como espacio construido y como legado y recurso cultural, donde los vestigios materiales nos proporcionan una visión histórica del devenir de nuestra historia, y su análisis y lectura nos dejan entrever una organización del territorio, un orden diseñado según los intereses y directrices sociales, políticas y económicas de cada periodo. Una visión extensiva tanto de las obras públicas construidas como de las propias redes o sistemas en las que están inmersas. Como veremos este análisis territorial con una metodología propia ha derivado hacia otros campos de igual interés: la importancia de la obra pública como configuradora de paisajes singulares. Este trabajo pretende recoger reflexiones sobre el paisaje de la ingeniería civil. Una aproximación a sus fuentes, al debate del ingeniero frente a la naturaleza y a las nuevas líneas de investigación que analizan y valoran las obras públicas en relación con el territorio, con el paisaje, con el lugar. (A

El fondo de educación y promoción en cooperativas de crédito: su gestión con o sin una fundación

Las Cooperativas de Crédito deben destinar un porcentaje de su excedente al Fondo de Educación y Promoción, por un importe mínimo del 10% del mismo, incluso por la parte procedente de los resultados extracooperativos. Sin duda, es el sector cooperativo con mayores excedentes, y con mayor volumen de FEP a gestionar. Tanto la Ley 20/90 de régimen fiscal de las Cooperativas, como la Ley 49/2002, de régimen fiscal de las entidades sin fines lucrativos y de los incentivos al Mecenazgo, les conceden un trato favorable. Por ello, algunas Cooperativas empiezan a gestionar su Fondo a través de una Fundación, ya que los fines del FEP son compatibles, y además, pueden dotar al FEP o a la Fundación cantidades superiores. Ante la doble legislación: cooperativa y de mecenazgo, se pretende efectuar un análisis económico comparable de estas actuaciones de las Cooperativas de Crédito. Para ello, se considerarán dos modelos alternativos –con o sin Fundación- . El objeto del análisis será evaluar la optimización de los recursos destinados a estos fines, concretamente, la presión fiscal, los recursos finales obtenidos y el resultado contable tras impuestos y dotaciones de los dos modelos. El análisis utilizará como metodología, hojas de cálculo con iteración.Credit unions should allocate a percentage of its surplus to the Education, Training and Development Fund (ETDF) for less than 10% of it, even the part from the results from transactions with non-members. No doubt, credit unions are the cooperatives with the highest surplus and ETDF to manage. Some of these credit unions manage their ETDF through a foundation, since the ends of the ETDF are compatible and they can provide with higher amounts to the Foundation or the ETDF. The Law 20/90 of cooperatives’ taxation and the Law 49/2002 of non-profit organizations’ taxation incentive a favorable treatment. This work make a comparable analysis of economic performances of these credit unions. Thus, we consider two alternative models, with or without foundation. The aim of this analysis is to evaluate the optimization of the resources for these purposes, emphasizing the tax burden, the resources and income after tax and allocations of the two systems. The analysis is made through spreadsheets iterationLes Coopératives de Crédit doivent destiner un pourcentage de son excédent au Fonds d'Éducation et de Promotion, par un montant minimal de 10 % du même, de l'inclus par la partie originaire des résultats extra-coopératifs. Sans doute, c'est le secteur coopératif avec de plus grands excédents, et avec le plus grand volume de FEP à faire des démarches. La Loi 20/90 de régime fiscal des Coopératives, et la Loi 49/2002, d'un régime fiscal des organismes sans des fins lucratives et des aiguillons au Mécénat, ils leur accordent un traitement favorable. Par cela, quelques Coopératives commencent à gérer son Fonds à travers d'une Fondation, puisque les fins du FEP sont compatibles, et de plus, peuvent doter le FEP ou la Fondation des quantités supérieures. Devant la double législation : une coopérative et d'un mécénat, on cherche à effectuer une analyse économique comparable de ces comportements des Coopératives de Crédit. Pour cela, ils se considéreront comme deux modèles alternatifs – avec ou sans la Fondation-. L'objet de l'analyse sera d'évaluer l'optimisation des recours destinés à ces fins, concrètement, la pression fiscale, les recours finaux obtenus et le résultat racontable après des impôts et des dotations des deux modèles. L'analyse utilisera comme une méthodologie, des feuilles de calcul avec réitération