3,817 research outputs found
Multi-level mapping: Real-time dense monocular SLAM
We present a method for Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) using a monocular camera that is capable of reconstructing dense 3D geometry online without the aid of a graphics processing unit (GPU). Our key contribution is a multi-resolution depth estimation and spatial smoothing process that exploits the correlation between low-texture image regions and simple planar structure to adaptively scale the complexity of the generated keyframe depthmaps to the texture of the input imagery. High-texture image regions are represented at higher resolutions to capture fine detail, while low-texture regions are represented at coarser resolutions for smooth surfaces. The computational savings enabled by this approach allow for significantly increased reconstruction density and quality when compared to the state-of-the-art. The increased depthmap density also improves tracking performance as more constraints can contribute to the pose estimation. A video of experimental results is available at http://groups.csail.mit.edu/rrg/multi_level_mapping.Charles Stark Draper Laboratory (Research Fellowship
Recommended from our members
Investigating Trainee Perspectives on Virtual Reality Environments: An In-Depth Examination of Immersive Experiences with Haptic Feedback Vibration
This research investigates trainee reflections on Virithin Reality Environments (VREs) within educational training centers, aiming to understand their experiences, perceptions, and preferences. The study focuses on the impact of haptic feedback vibrations, examining both their general effects during VRE interactions and the specific influence of adaptable vibration configurations triggered by user errors. A convenience sample of 81 participants/trainees, 41 from the computer science and 40 from the aviation engineering departments of a major higher education institution in the U.A.E., was used to run four variations of the same VRE, with two from each field. Results indicate that participants largely embraced the VRE experience, reporting feelings of contentment, joy, and competence. Haptic feedback, particularly in non-adaptable forms, was acknowledged as enhancing the immersive experience. However, the study suggests that further research is needed to explore the nuanced role of adaptable vibration, especially in more complex interactions. Notably, participants expressed a preference for a blended approach, advocating for both VREs and physical labs in their training. The study acknowledges limitations, such as the predominantly single-user focus, and recommends future research extensions into collaborative VRE settings, more intricate interactions, and potential technical issues in multi-user scenarios. Overall, this research sheds light on the evolving landscape of educational training, emphasizing the importance of understanding trainee perspectives to optimize the integration of VREs in learning environment
The ethics of inherent trust in care robots for the elderly
The way elderly care is delivered is changing. Attempts are being made to accommodate the increasing number of elderly, and the decline in the number of people available to care for them, with care robots. This change introduces ethical issues into robotics and healthcare. The two-part study (heuristic evaluation and survey) reported here examines a phenomenon which is a result of that
change. The phenomenon rises out of a contradiction. All but 2 (who were undecided) of the 12 elderly survey respondents, out of the total of 102 respondents, wanted to be able to change how the presented care robot made decisions and 7 of those 12 elderly wanted to be able to examine its decision making process so
as to ensure the care provided is personalized. However, at the same time, 34% of the elderly participants said they were willing to trust the care robot inherently, compared to only 16% of the participants who were under fifty. Additionally, 66% of the elderly respondents said they were very likely or likely to accept and
use such a care robot in their everyday lives. The contradiction of inherent trust and simultaneous wariness about control gives rise to the phenomenon: elderly in need want control over their care to ensure it is personalized, but many may desperately take any help they can get. The possible causes, and ethical implications,
of this phenomenon are the focus of this paper
Extended Formulations in Mixed-integer Convex Programming
We present a unifying framework for generating extended formulations for the
polyhedral outer approximations used in algorithms for mixed-integer convex
programming (MICP). Extended formulations lead to fewer iterations of outer
approximation algorithms and generally faster solution times. First, we observe
that all MICP instances from the MINLPLIB2 benchmark library are conic
representable with standard symmetric and nonsymmetric cones. Conic
reformulations are shown to be effective extended formulations themselves
because they encode separability structure. For mixed-integer
conic-representable problems, we provide the first outer approximation
algorithm with finite-time convergence guarantees, opening a path for the use
of conic solvers for continuous relaxations. We then connect the popular
modeling framework of disciplined convex programming (DCP) to the existence of
extended formulations independent of conic representability. We present
evidence that our approach can yield significant gains in practice, with the
solution of a number of open instances from the MINLPLIB2 benchmark library.Comment: To be presented at IPCO 201
Biosolids application and soil organic carbon dynamics: a meta-analysis.
Soil carbon sequestration has been recognized as a potential “direct action” tool in mitigating climate change. Organic matter rich biosolids from wastewater industry has been applied to soils as one of the strategies to the carbon sequestration. However, most of the short- and long-term studies as influenced by land application of biosolids have been showed quite inconsistent results in carbon increments in soils. Therefore, soil carbon sequestration resulted by biosolids application is yet to be needed further studies to elucidate. This study presents a comprehensive MetaAnalysis (MA) on soil carbon sequestration as influenced by biosolids application. Datasets comprised with 175 independent paired-treatments across 25 countries were fed in to Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (version 3) programme and modelled. The MA compared Soil Organic Carbon (SOC as g/kg) changes as the functions of time after biosolids application and its rate over twelve groups under two categories: application age (time after application) as 11 year, and cumulative application rate as 251 tonnes/ha.The fixed model is applied to explicate overall effects of analysed data derived from the MA. The MA showed overall positive influences on soil carbon sequestration towards increasing SOC. For example, the highest effect on SOC was observed at 1-3 age group suggesting the need of short term biosolids application to develop carbon storage in soils. Overall, this study shows that land application of biosolids can be used to increase soil carbon storage and therefore has the potential to be a strategy for mitigating climate change towards carbon sequestration in soils
Role of the dimerized gap due to anion ordering in spin-density wave phase of (TMTSF)ClO at high magnetic fields
Magnetoresistance measurements have been carried out along the highly
conducting a axis in the FISDW phase of hydrogened and deuterated
(TMTSF)ClO for various cooling rates through the anion ordering
temperature. With increasing the cooling rate, a) the high field phase boundary
, observed at 27 T in hydrogened samples for slowly cooled,
is shifted towards a lower field, b) the last semimetallic SDW phase below
is suppressed, and c) the FISDW insulating phase above
is enhanced in both salts. The cooling rate dependence of
the FISDW transition and of in both salts can be explained
by taking into account the peculiar SDW nesting vector stabilized by the
dimerized gap due to anion ordering.Comment: 6pages,6figures(EPS), accepted for publication in PR
Genomic structure and alterations of homeobox gene CDX2 in colorectal carcinomas
Expression of CDX2, a caudal-related homeobox gene, was found to be decreased in colorectal carcinomas. Heterozygous null mutant mice as to Cdx2 develop multiple intestinal adenomatous polyps. To clarify the role of CDX2 in colorectal carcinogenesis, we determined its genomic structure, and searched for mutations of CDX2 in 49 sporadic colorectal carcinomas and ten hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancers (HNPCC) without microsatellite instability. None of them exhibited a mutation. We further examined 19 HNPCC carcinomas with microsatellite instability for mutations in a (G)7 repeat site within CDX2. One of them (5.3%) exhibited one G insertion. Loss of heterozygosity was observed in 2 of the 20 (10%) informative sporadic carcinomas, and in one of the three (33.3%) informative HNPCC cancers. These data indicate that CDX2 may play only a minor role in colorectal carcinogenesis. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaig
Oxide Heterostructures from a Realistic Many-Body Perspective
Oxide heterostructures are a new class of materials by design, that open the
possibility for engineering challenging electronic properties, in particular
correlation effects beyond an effective single-particle description. This short
review tries to highlight some of the demanding aspects and questions,
motivated by the goal to describe the encountered physics from first
principles. The state-of-the-art methodology to approach realistic many-body
effects in strongly correlated oxides, the combination of density functional
theory with dynamical mean-field theory, will be briefly introduced. Discussed
examples deal with prominent Mott-band- and band-band-insulating type of oxide
heterostructures, where different electronic characteristics may be stabilized
within a single architectured oxide material.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figure
Coordination of photosynthetic traits across soil and climate gradients
"Least-cost theory" posits that C3 plants should balance rates of photosynthetic water loss and carboxylation in relation to the relative acquisition and maintenance costs of resources required for these activities. Here we investigated the dependency of photosynthetic traits on climate and soil properties using a new Australia-wide trait dataset spanning 528 species from 67 sites. We tested the hypotheses that plants on relatively cold or dry sites, or on relatively more fertile sites, would typically operate at greater CO2 drawdown (lower ratio of leaf internal to ambient CO2 , Ci :Ca ) during light-saturated photosynthesis, and at higher leaf N per area (Narea ) and higher carboxylation capacity (Vcmax 25 ) for a given rate of stomatal conductance to water vapour, gsw . These results would be indicative of plants having relatively higher water costs than nutrient costs. In general, our hypotheses were supported. Soil total phosphorus (P) concentration and (more weakly) soil pH exerted positive effects on the Narea -gsw and Vcmax 25 -gsw slopes, and negative effects on Ci :Ca . The P effect strengthened when the effect of climate was removed via partial regression. We observed similar trends with increasing soil cation exchange capacity and clay content, which affect soil nutrient availability, and found that soil properties explained similar amounts of variation in the focal traits as climate did. Although climate typically explained more trait variation than soil did, together they explained up to 52% of variation in the slope relationships and soil properties explained up to 30% of the variation in individual traits. Soils influenced photosynthetic traits as well as their coordination. In particular, the influence of soil P likely reflects the Australia's geologically ancient low-relief landscapes with highly leached soils. Least-cost theory provides a valuable framework for understanding trade-offs between resource costs and use in plants, including limiting soil nutrients
Local structure study about Co in YBa(CuCo)O thin films using polarized XAFS
We have studied the local structure around Co in
YBa(CuCo)O thin films with three different
concentrations: x=0.07, 0.10, 0.17, and in a
PrBa(CuCo)O thin film of concentration x=0.05
using the X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) technique. Data were collected
at the Co -edge with polarizations both parallel and perpendicular to the
film surface. We find that the oxygen neighbors are well ordered and shortened
in comparison with YBCO Cu-O values to 1.80 \AA{} and 1.87 \AA{} in the
-axis and -plane, respectively. A comparison of further neighbors in the
thin film and powder data show that these peaks in the film are suppressed in
amplitude relative to the powder samples, which suggests there is more disorder
and/or distortions of the Co environment present in the thin films.Comment: 14 pages; To be submitted to Phys. Rev.
- …