Non-holonomic Quantum Devices

We analyze the possibility and efficiency of non-holonomic control over quantum devices with exponentially large number of Hilbert space dimensions. We show that completely controllable devices of this type can be assembled from elementary units of arbitrary physical nature, and can be employed efficiently for universal quantum computations and simulation of quantum field dynamics.Comment: 8 revtex pages, 4 postscript figure

Keratin 71 Mutations: From Water Dogs to Woolly Hair

The study of rare genetic disorders of the hair follicle has resulted in the identification of many causative genes, leading to the potential for the development of novel therapeutic approaches for both inherited and acquired hair disorders. In this issue, Fujimoto et al. identify a missense mutation within the keratin 71 (KRT71) gene as the cause for autosomal dominant woolly hair/hypotrichosis in a Japanese family. This represents the first human mutation in KRT71 to be linked to a hair disorder, establishing this gene as an important determinant of mammalian hair texture. Moreover, this finding provides new insight into the relationship between similar phenotypes resulting from mutations in distinct regulatory pathways and underscores the role of the inner root sheath in human hair growth

RAFCON: a Graphical Tool for Task Programming and Mission Control

There are many application fields for robotic systems including service robotics, search and rescue missions, industry and space robotics. As the scenarios in these areas grow more and more complex, there is a high demand for powerful tools to efficiently program heterogeneous robotic systems. Therefore, we created RAFCON, a graphical tool to develop robotic tasks and to be used for mission control by remotely monitoring the execution of the tasks. To define the tasks, we use state machines which support hierarchies and concurrency. Together with a library concept, even complex scenarios can be handled gracefully. RAFCON supports sophisticated debugging functionality and tightly integrates error handling and recovery mechanisms. A GUI with a powerful state machine editor makes intuitive, visual programming and fast prototyping possible. We demonstrated the capabilities of our tool in the SpaceBotCamp national robotic competition, in which our mobile robot solved all exploration and assembly challenges fully autonomously. It is therefore also a promising tool for various RoboCup leagues.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure