A Dog Tail for Utility Robots: exploring affective properties of tail movement

Abstract. We present a dog-tail interface for utility robots, as a means of communicating high-level robotic state through affect. This interface leverages people’s general knowledge of dogs and their tails (e.g., wagging means happy) to communicate robotic state in an easy to understand way. In this paper, we present the details of our tail construction, and the results of a study which explored a base case of people’s reactions to the tail: how various parameters of tail movements and configuration influence perception of the robot’s zoomorphized affective state. Our study indicated that people were able to interpret a range of affective states from various tail configurations and gestures, and in summary, we present a set of guidelines for mapping tail parameters to intended perceived affective robotic state

A organização social dos sauís-pretos, (Leontopithecus chrysopygus Mikan), na reserva em Teodoro Sampaio, São Paulo (Primates Callithricidae)

<abstract language="eng">A contribution to the knowledge of the social organization of a population of Golden-rumped or Black-lion tamarin (L. chrysopygus) living in a stripe of natural vegetation in the State Park along the banks of the lower Paranapanema River, in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Its composition and analysis based on captured groups, number of individuals and their distribuition in the area with concentrations; exchange of adults males, migration of individuals from groups and females home range establishment, indicate an organization which is likely to be matrilinear. The average number of individuals per group or expanded families, in the seven (7) captured groups was 3,57 specimens with a mean body weight in adults of 572,5 grams. In each group there is normally one reproducing couple with a double twin pregnancy in 2/3 (65 to 80%) of the occasions, and the twins are dizygotic. This tends to repetition in multiparous females

Hemi-ovariossalpingohisterectomia em pacas prenhes e posterior ocorrência de prenhez (Agouti paca, Linnaeus, 1766) Hemiovarysalpingohysterectomy in pregnant pacas and further occurrency of pregnancy (Agouti paca, Linnaeus, 1766)

Foi descrita a hemi-ovariossalpingohisterectomia em cinco pacas prenhes mantidas em cativeiro no Setor de Animais Silvestres da Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV-UNESP) de Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brasil, a fim de observar futura prenhez no corno restante. A tranqüilização foi obtida após aplicação de azaperone (4mg/kg) seguida da aplicação de sulfato de atropina (0,06mg/kg) e da associação de cloridrato de quetamina (20mg/kg) e cloridrato de xilazina (1,5mg/kg), ambos na mesma seringa, para indução da anestesia. A anestesia geral foi obtida mediante inalação de halotano por máscara. Por meio de laparotomia mediana, foram retirados o corno uterino prenhe, o ovário e a tuba uterina, todos do mesmo antímero. Antibióticos (30.000UI/kg de três penicilinas e 12,5mg/kg de duas estreptomicinas) e analgésico (0,02mg/kg de buprenorfina) foram aplicados imediatamente após a cirurgia, sendo repetidos após dois dias. Todas as aplicações foram feitas por via intramuscular. Apesar da permanência de apenas um ovário após a cirurgia, nova prenhez ocorreu no corno restante nas cinco fêmeas submetidas à cirurgia, com o nascimento de filhotes (apenas um por parto) após 215, 248, 276, 302 e 310 dias da hemi-ovariossalpingohisterectomia.<br>The hemiovarysalpingohysterectomy in five captive pregnant pacas kept on the Wild Animal Section at the College of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences (FCAV-UNESP) in Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil, was conducted aiming at verifying the further occurrence of pregnancy on the remaining uterine horn. The tranquilization was achieved by using azaperone (4mg/kg) and consequent application of atropine sulphate (0.06mg/kg) and the association of ketamine (20mg/kg) and xylazine (1.5mg/kg) cloridrates, on the same syringe, for induction of anesthesia. The general anesthesia was performed via a face mask with halothane. By means of median laparotomy, the uterine horn with the fetus, the ovary and the uterine tube, all from the same antimere, were taken out. Antibiotics (30,000IU/kg of three penicillins and 12.5mg/kg of two streptomycins) and analgesic (buprenorfine 0.02 mg/kg) were injected immediately after surgery and repeated after two days. All injections were made intramuscularly. In spite of the permanence of only one ovary after surgery, new pregnancy occurred in the remaining uterine horn in the five females which went through surgery, and the birth (solely one by delivery) happened 210, 248, 276, 302 and 310 days after the hemiovarysalpingohysterectomy