Multimodal Hierarchical Dirichlet Process-based Active Perception

In this paper, we propose an active perception method for recognizing object categories based on the multimodal hierarchical Dirichlet process (MHDP). The MHDP enables a robot to form object categories using multimodal information, e.g., visual, auditory, and haptic information, which can be observed by performing actions on an object. However, performing many actions on a target object requires a long time. In a real-time scenario, i.e., when the time is limited, the robot has to determine the set of actions that is most effective for recognizing a target object. We propose an MHDP-based active perception method that uses the information gain (IG) maximization criterion and lazy greedy algorithm. We show that the IG maximization criterion is optimal in the sense that the criterion is equivalent to a minimization of the expected Kullback--Leibler divergence between a final recognition state and the recognition state after the next set of actions. However, a straightforward calculation of IG is practically impossible. Therefore, we derive an efficient Monte Carlo approximation method for IG by making use of a property of the MHDP. We also show that the IG has submodular and non-decreasing properties as a set function because of the structure of the graphical model of the MHDP. Therefore, the IG maximization problem is reduced to a submodular maximization problem. This means that greedy and lazy greedy algorithms are effective and have a theoretical justification for their performance. We conducted an experiment using an upper-torso humanoid robot and a second one using synthetic data. The experimental results show that the method enables the robot to select a set of actions that allow it to recognize target objects quickly and accurately. The results support our theoretical outcomes.Comment: submitte

動的最適化問題のための個体間情報共有と探索指向性に基づく群知能アルゴリズムの設計

電気通信大学201

Crystal Growth of Bi2_{2}Sr2_{2}CaCu2_{2}O8+δ_{8+{\delta}} Whiskers from Pulverized Amorphous Precursors

High-transition temperature superconducting whiskers of Bi$_{2}$Sr$_{2}$CaCu$_{2}$O$_{8+{\delta}}$ were successfully grown from pulverized amorphous precursors. The obtained whiskers revealed a typical composition and diffraction patterns of a superconducting Bi-2212 phase. The whiskers from tiny precursors exhibit a spiral feature, suggesting a contribution from the growth mechanism of both vapor-liquid-solid and compressive stress models. The proposed method provides longer whiskers against the growth period, compared with that from conventional root-growth method

Data-driven Exploration of New Pressure-induced Superconductivity in PbBi2_2Te4_4 with Two Transition Temperatures

Candidates compounds for new thermoelectric and superconducting materials, which have narrow band gap and flat bands near band edges, were exhaustively searched by the high-throughput first-principles calculation from an inorganic materials database named AtomWork. We focused on PbBi$_2$Te$_4$ which has the similar electronic band structure and the same crystal structure with those of a pressure-induced superconductor SnBi2Se4 explored by the same data-driven approach. The PbBi$_2$Te$_4$ was successfully synthesized as single crystals using a melt and slow cooling method. The core level X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis revealed Pb2+, Bi3+ and Te2- valence states in PbBi$_2$Te$_4$. The thermoelectric properties of the PbBi$_2$Te$_4$ sample were measured at ambient pressure and the electrical resistivity was also evaluated under high pressure using a diamond anvil cell with boron-doped diamond electrodes. The resistivity decreased with increase of the pressure, and two pressure-induced superconducting transitions were discovered at 3.4 K under 13.3 GPa and at 8.4 K under 21.7 GPa. The data-driven approach shows promising power to accelerate the discovery of new thermoelectric and superconducting materials

Effect of Dy substitution in the giant magnetocaloric properties of HoB2_{2}

Recently, a massive magnetocaloric effect near the liquefaction temperature of hydrogen has been reported in the ferromagnetic material HoB$_{2}$. Here we investigate the effects of Dy substitution in the magnetocaloric properties of Ho$_{1-x}$Dy$_{x}$B$_{2}$ alloys ($\textit{x}$ = 0, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1.0). We find that the Curie temperature ($\textit{T}$$_{C}$) gradually increases upon Dy substitution, while the magnitude of the magnetic entropy change |$\Delta \textit{S}_{M}$| at $\textit{T}$ = $\textit{T}_{C}$ decreases from 0.35 to 0.15 J cm$^{-3}$ K$^{-1}$ for a field change of 5 T. Due to the presence of two magnetic transitions in these alloys, despite the change in the peak magnitude of |$\Delta \textit{S}_{M}$|, the refrigerant capacity ($\textit{RC}$) and refrigerant cooling power ($\textit{RCP}$) remains almost constant in all doping range, which as large as 5.5 J cm$^{-3}$ and 7.0 J cm$^{-3}$ for a field change of 5 T. These results imply that this series of alloys could be an exciting candidate for magnetic refrigeration in the temperature range between 10-50 K.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figures, 2 table

Manipulation of Non-classical Atomic Spin States

We report successful manipulation of non-classical atomic spin states. We generate squeezed spin states by a spin quantum nondemolition measurement, and apply an off-resonant circularly-polarized light pulse to the atoms. By changing the pulse duration, we have clearly observed a rotation of anisotropic quantum noise distribution in good contrast with the case of manipulation of a coherent spin state where the quantum noise distribution is always isotropic. This is an important step for quantum state tomography, quantum swapping, and precision spectroscopic measurement