New applications of Ambient Intelligence

Ambient Intelligence emerged more than two decades ago, with the exciting promise of technologically empowered environments that would be everywhere, cater to all our needs, be constantly available, know who we are and what we like, and allow us to make explicit requests using natural means instead of the traditional mouse and keyboard. At a time in which this technological unravelling was expected to have already happened, we still use the mouse and the keyboard. In this paper we make a brief analysis of why is this evolution taking more than initially expected. We then move on to analyse several di erent projects that are innovative, in the sense that they encompass elds of application that go beyond the initially envisioned, and show the diverse areas that AmI systems may potentially come to change.This work is part-funded by ERDF - European Regional Development Fund through the COMPETE Programme (operational programme for competitiveness) and by National Funds through the FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) within project FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-028980 (PTDC/EEI-SII/1386/2012). This work is partfunded by National Funds through the FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) within projects PEst-OE/EEI/UI0752/2011

An exploratory study of children's pretend play when using a switch-controlled assistive robot to manipulate toys

Introduction Assistive robots could be a means for children with physical disabilities to manipulate toys and for occupational therapists to track children's play development. This study aimed to (a) establish if free play set-ups without and with a robot would elicit a developmental sequence of play in typically developing children, (b) determine if the robot affected children's play and (c) observe the play schemes that children performed. Method An experimental crossover design was conducted. Thirty typically developing children between the ages of 3 and 8 years old performed free play activities with conventional toys or unstructured materials without and with a switch-controlled Lego Mindstorms robot. Children's pretend and functional play was analyzed using a coding scheme developed for the present study. Results There was a trend, increasing with age, for pretend play without the robot with unstructured materials (p =.002), and with the robot, for conventional toys (p = 0.015) and unstructured materials (p = 0.027). Younger children exhibited more pretend play without the robot than with it. Conclusion Assistive robots and appropriate play set-ups can provide a method to measure the play development level of children with disabilities, and support pretend play. Suggestions to support pretend play when children with disabilities use assistive robots are discussed. © 2017 The Author(s)

An exploratory study of children's pretend play when using a switch-controlled assistive robot to manipulate toys

"Introduction Assistive robots could be a means for children with physical disabilities to manipulate toys and for occupational therapists to track children's play development. This study aimed to (a) establish if free play set-ups without and with a robot would elicit a developmental sequence of play in typically developing children, (b) determine if the robot affected children's play and (c) observe the play schemes that children performed. Method An experimental crossover design was conducted. Thirty typically developing children between the ages of 3 and 8 years old performed free play activities with conventional toys or unstructured materials without and with a switch-controlled Lego Mindstorms robot. Children's pretend and functional play was analyzed using a coding scheme developed for the present study. Results There was a trend, increasing with age, for pretend play without the robot with unstructured materials (p =.002), and with the robot, for conventional toys (p = 0.015) and unstructured materials (p = 0.027). Younger children exhibited more pretend play without the robot than with it. Conclusion Assistive robots and appropriate play set-ups can provide a method to measure the play development level of children with disabilities, and support pretend play. Suggestions to support pretend play when children with disabilities use assistive robots are discussed. © 2017 The Author(s).

WATER NEEDS FOR WINTER BEAN CROP

A study of water use by bean winter crop (Phaseolus vulgaris, L., cv. Carioca) was carried out in a Red Yellow Latosol, clay texture. A furrow irrigation system maintained soil water potentials higher than -40 KPa. Two broadcast nitrogen treatments (0 and 30 kg N/ha) were applied 25 days after planting. The major objectives were to study the nitrogen and evapotranspiration interaction and measure the crop coefficients (Kc). The maximum average evapotranspiration (ETm) was 1.71 mm/day, or 157.16 mm over 92 days of observations; the ETm values for the vegetative (1), flowering (2) and pod formation (3) phases were 1.48, 2.35, and 1.50 mm/day, respectively, for the 30 kg/ha nitrogen treatment, and 1.48, 1.88 and 1.45 mm/day for the no nitrogen treatment. The crop coefficients (Kc = ETm / ETo) were 0.62 and 0.78 for the phase 1, 0.80 and 1.10 for the phase 2, 0.45 and 0.55 for the phase 3 and 0.61 and 0.80 for the entire cycle, based on the FAO-Penman and Class A Pan reference methods (ETo), respectively. The latter one was the best approach to estimate maximum water use by winter bean crop. Nitrogen treatments did not affect evapotranspiration significantly. However, the measured evapotranspiration obtained from the water balance method was 59.78 and 27.12% higher in the flowering than in the vegetative phase, respectively, under 30 and 0 kg N/ha.<br>Um estudo sobre o uso de água do feijoeiro de inverno (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Carioca) foi realizado num solo Latossol Vermelho Amarelo de textura argilosa. Um sistema de sulcos de infiltração foi usado para proceder a irrigação com o intuito de manter o solo em potenciais de água superiores a -40,0 KPa. Duas doses de aplicação de N em cobertura (0 a 30 Kg N/ha) foram colocados 25 dias após o plantio. Os principais objetivos do estudo foram: avaliar a interação entre as duas doses de N com a evapotranspiração e medir os coeficientes de cultura (Kc). A evapotranspiração média máxima (ETm) foi 1,71 mm/dia, ou 157,16 mm nos 92 dias de observações; os valores de ETm para as fases vegetativa (1), florescimento (2) e formação de vagens (3) foram 1,48; 2,35 e 1,50 mm/dia, respectivamente, para a dose de 30 Kg/ha e 1,48, 1,88 e 1,45 mm/dia para o tratamento sem aplicação de N em cobertura. Os coeficientes de cultura (Kc = ETm/ETo) foram 0,62 e 0,78 para a fase 1, 0,80 e 1,10 para a 2, 0,45 e 0,55 para a 3 e 0,61 e 0,80 para o ciclo todo, respectivamente, baseados no método de FAO-Penman e do Tanque Classe "A". Este mostrou melhores resultados para estimar o máximo uso de água pelo feijoeiro de inverno. Os tratamentos de N não afetaram a evapotranspiração significativamente. Entretanto, a evapotranspiração, medida pelo método do balanço de água, foi 59,78 e 27,12% maior no estágio do florescimento que no estádio vegetativo, respectivamente, nas doses de 30 e 0 Kg N/ha