PRHOLO: 360º Interactive Public Relations

In the globalized world, possessing good products may not be enough to reach potential clients unless creative marketing strategies are well delineated. In this context, public relations are also important when it comes to capture the client’s attention, making the first contact between the clients and the company’s products, while being persuasive enough to make them confident that the company has the right products to fit their needs. Three virtual public relations installations were purposed in this chapter, combining technology with a human like public relations ability, capable of interacting with potential clients located in front of the installation, at angles of up to 57º (degrees), 180º and 360º, respectively. From one to several Microsoft Kinects were used to develop the three interaction models, which allows tracking and recognition of users’ gestures and positions (heat map), sound sources, voice commands and face and body extraction of the user interacting with the installation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Assessment of the impact of climate change on an instrumented embankment: an unsaturated soil mechanics approach

Climate change has the potential to affect any transportation network that comprises embankments and cuttings built with soil material in an unsaturated state that is exposed to the climate. The BIONICS project (BIOlogical and eNgineering Impacts of Climate change on Slopes) aims to investigate how climate change will affect the serviceability and safety of earth structures. Part of the BIONICS project was to build a full-scale highly instrumented embankment combined with an automated climate control system. Studies on the fill material used in the construction of the BIONICS embankment were carried out to understand the hydro-mechanical behaviour of the material, which is a sandy clay of medium plasticity. This involved the determination of the soil water retention behaviour and the mechanical behaviour under unsaturated conditions. Soil water retention curves (SWRC) were determined by a series of tests performed on compacted samples comprising various techniques (filter paper, psychrometer, high capacity suction probe and pressure plate). Total and matric suction SWRC following primary drying paths from 25% of water content were determined. In addition, a series of tests with the filter paper on samples at lower water contents (15%, 20% and 22%) was also performed. The SWRC following drying paths showed behavior similar to scanning curves intercepting the primary curve around 3000 kPa (11% water content). However, SWRCs that followed wetting paths showed atypical behaviour by intercepting the primary drying curve. For the investigation of the mechanical behaviour a series of constant water content triaxial tests were carried out in double cell triaxial cells on as-compacted samples, and also samples wetted and dried from as-compacted conditions of 15%, 20% and 22%. A test series of samples tested in a saturated state was also performed to provide a reference state for the unsaturated tests. The unsaturated test series showed that the slope of the critical state line (CSL) in deviatoric stress space (M) was found to be similar for all water contents. The slope of the CSL in ν-ln(p-uw) space (λ) was found to be similar for all water contents, however the CSL shifted position due to variation in the intercept, Γ. Since specimens were at high degrees of saturation, calculations based on effective stress showed a reasonable interpretation of the data. However, a better agreement was achieved using the Bishop’s average stress assumption. A new field measurement system to continuously measure pore water pressure at different depths using high capacity suction probes has been developed. This system was installed at the BIONICS embankment in two different panels (well and poorly compacted). In the well compacted panel pore water pressure behaviour had the tendency to increase with depth, always recording values that were slightly negative at shallower depths and positive at greater depths, showing profiles roughly parallel to the hydrostatic line suggesting that the material was close to saturation. In the poorly compacted panel the behaviour was found to be more variable showing abrupt reactions from the probes to weather events. The differences in behaviour between the well compacted and poorly compacted panels could be related to the laboratory investigations. The well compacted panel was more homogeneous and less permeable (10-11 m/s). The poorly compacted panel was more heterogenic, more permeable and hence, during monitoring, showed more dramatic changes in pore pressure compared to the well compacted panel

Exploitation of infrared polarimetric imagery for passive remote sensing applications

Polarimetric infrared imagery has emerged over the past few decades as a candidate technology to detect manmade objects by taking advantage of the fact that smooth materials emit strong polarized electromagnetic waves, which can be remotely sensed by a specialized camera using a rotating polarizer in front of the focal plate array in order to generate the so-called Stokes parameters: S0, S1, S2, and DoLP. Current research in this area has shown the ability of using such variations of these parameters to detect smooth manmade structures in low contrast contrast scenarios. This dissertation proposes and evaluates novel anomaly detection methods for long-wave infrared polarimetric imagery exploitation suited for surveillance applications requiring automatic target detection capability. The targets considered are manmade structures in natural clutter backgrounds under unknown illumination and atmospheric effects. A method based on mathematical morphology is proposed with the intent to enhance the polarimetric Stokes features of manmade structures found in the scene while minimizing its effects on natural clutter. The method suggests that morphology-based algorithms are capable of enhancing the contrast between manmade objects and natural clutter backgrounds, thus, improving the probability of correct detection of manmade objects in the scene. The second method departs from common practices in the polarimetric research community (i.e., using the Stokes vector parameters as input to algorithms) by using instead the raw polarization component imagery (e.g., 0°, 45°, 90°, and 135°) and employing multivariate mathematical statistics to distinguish the two classes of objects. This dissertation unequivocally shows that algorithms based on this new direction significantly outperform the prior art (algorithms based on Stokes parameters and their variants). To support this claim, this dissertation offers an exhaustive data analysis and quantitative comparative study, among the various competing algorithms, using long-wave infrared polarimetric imagery collected outdoor, over several days, under varying weather conditions, geometry of illumination, and diurnal cycles

The magic of algorithm design and analysis: teaching algorithmic skills using magic card tricks

We describe our experience using magic card tricks to teach algorithmic skills to first-year Computer Science undergraduates. We illustrate our approach with a detailed discussion on a card trick that is typically presented as a test to the psychic abilities of an audience. We use the trick to discuss concepts like problem decomposition, pre- and post-conditions, and invariants. We discuss pedagogical issues and analyse feedback collected from students. The feedback has been very positive and encouraging.(undefined

Contributions to the ontology of aging, the sensitive indicators of rehabilitation nursing care, in terms of self-care, in people with respiratory disorders

With the increase in the average life expectancy, the appearance of chronic diseases and, in particular, in the respiratory forum and its disadvantages in the autonomy and self-care of patients, brought an important paradigm for health care and, in particular, rehabilitation nursing, with implications for the development of ontologies of aging. Thus, it is imperative to systematize them in scientifically measurable indicators to demonstrate the benefit that rehabilitation nursing brings to improve patients' quality of life, thus ensuring excellence. Each area of scientific health should contribute to the construction of aging ontology. Objective: to identify indicators sensitive to nursing care of rehabilitation, in terms of self-care, in relation to those with respiratory pathology, to be integrated into the ontology of aging. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed using the EBSCO (full-text MEDLINE, CINAHL, Full-Text Plus, British Nursing Index), using the PI [C] O method with 6 emergent articles. Results: A total of 20 indicators were identified, including: Ability to perform activities, increase physical and functional independence, symptom management, reduction of complications, increase in quality of life, which can be allocated as a proposal for classes of the aging ontology. Conclusion: Knowledge of indicators sensitive to nursing care recognition of the importance of rehabilitation nursing in increasing self-care and autonomy for people with respiratory pathology, and research in this area is fundamental for its effectiveness and efficiency, and its integration in the ontologies of aging is fundamental