Body Scheme Acquisition by Cross Modal Map Learning among Tactile, Visual, and Proprioceptive Spaces

How to represent own body is one of the most interesting issues in cognitive developmental robotics which aims to understand the cognitive developmental processes that an intelligent robot would require and how to realize them in a physical entity. This paper presents a cognitive model how the robot acquires its own body representation, that is body scheme for the body surface. The internal observer assumption makes it difficult for a robot to associate the sensory information from different modalities because of the lacking of references between them that are usually given by the designer in the prenatal stage of the robot. Our model is based on cross-modal map learning among join, vision, and tactile sensor spaces by associating different pairs of sensor values when they are activated simultaneously. We show a preliminary experiment, and then discuss how our model can explain the reported phenomenon on body scheme and future issues

An epidemiologically rare case of Vibrio vulnificus infection that occurred in October in an inland city of Japan

　A 68-year-old man with alcohol addiction, who lived in the suburbs of Tsuyama, an inland city located in northeast Okayama prefecture, was transported to the emergency unit of the Tsuyama Central Hospital in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA). Despite rigorous systemic investigation and treatment, the patient died 2 hours after arrival. After his death, Vibrio vulnificus was isolated from his blood culture. 　Vibrio vulnificus causes fatal infection in humans, usually only in areas located close to the sea where appropriate temperature and suitable salt concentration for its growth are available. Therefore, its occurrence is epidemiologically restricted ; in Japan, the western coastal areas, especially in summers, are reported to be the high-risk regions. This is a rare case because it occurred in a city approximately 50 kilometers from both the Sea of Japan and the Pacific coast of Okayama, and at the end of October in 2011. Economic development and distribution systems have made it possible to transport various food products from coastal areas or abroad to any place in a short time, such that these infections can potentially develop in areas other than expected. We should be aware of the increasing risk of Vibrio vulnificus infection during any season and at any place, especially in patients with abnormal liver function

埴輪の生産技術の伝播とその背景

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