Anthropomorphisme de Projection et Anthropomorphisme de Réalisation en Robotique

Le robot industriel, dit encore bras-robot, comme le robot humanoïde, sont des machines anthropomorphes dans le sens où elles empruntent certains traits propres à la structure cinématique du corps humain. Ce sont les caractéristiques de cet anthropomorphisme de réalisation que nous cherchons à mettre en valeur dans cet article, en l’opposant à l’anthropomorphisme de projection en tant que tendance naturelle de notre esprit à conférer des propriétés humaines à des choses non humaines. Cette question de l’anthropomorphisme en robotique est à rattacher, selon nous, à l’intérêt pour le biomimétisme qui favoriserait l’innovation technique et permettrait l’amélioration de certaines technologies actuelles en tirant parti des solutions issues de l’évolution du vivant. Le biomimétisme en robotique se heurte cependant à la difficulté de savoir jusqu’où, et comment, copier la nature pour élaborer des machines au comportement humain. Les difficultés de la robotique humanoïde actuelle illustreraient cette problématique.The industrial robot, also called arm-robot, as well as the humanoid robot, are anthropomorphic machines in the sense that they borrow certain features from the kinematic structure of the human body. It is the characteristics of this anthropomorphism of realization that we seek to highlight in this article, by opposing it to the anthropomorphism of projection as the natural tendency of our mind to confer human properties to non-human things. This question of anthropomorphism in robotics is to be linked, according to us, to the interest for biomimicry which would favor technical innovation and would allow the improvement of certain current technologies by taking advantage of solutions resulting from the evolution of the living. However, biomimicry in robotics faces the difficulty of knowing how far and how to copy nature in order to develop machines with human behavior. The difficulties of current humanoid robotics illustrate this problem

An interdisciplinary approach to monitoring the hydroecology of thermokarst lakes in Old Crow Flats, Yukon Territory, Canada

Lake-rich thermokarst landscapes, such as Old Crow Flats (OCF) in northern Yukon, Canada have been identified as amongst the most vulnerable to climate change. This has raised concerns of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation (VGFN) and Parks Canada (Vuntut National Park) about the ecological integrity of this significant wetland. The influence of climate change on the hydroecological conditions of thermokarst lakes are complex and vary across the landscape, thus long-term hydroecological monitoring is essential to adequately assess the ecological integrity of the aquatic ecosystem and how it is changing over time. In a genuine interdisciplinary and collaborative approach, this thesis establishes an integrated approach using isotope hydrology, aquatic ecology, and paleolimnology to develop a robust long-term aquatic monitoring program that has already been adopted by Parks Canada. In collaboration with Parks Canada, 14 of 58 lakes that were previously studied during the International Polar Year from 2007-09 were selected to represent monitoring lakes. Lakes were sampled in early June and late August/early September 2010-11. Water samples for analysis of hydrogen and oxygen isotope composition and chemistry (i.e., ions and nutrients) were collected to track hydrological and limnological conditions. Artificial substrates were deployed in June and accrued algae were collected at the end of the ice-free season to assess community composition and abundance. Sediment coring was conducted in a culturally-significant lake (Zelma Lake – OCF06) to reconstruct long-term baseline hydroecological conditions over the past three centuries. Radiometric dating techniques (137Cs, 210Pb) were used to develop a sediment core chronology. Baseline hydroecological conditions were reconstructed through analyses of loss-on-ignition, bulk organic carbon and nitrogen elemental and isotope compositions, and pigments. Meteorological data and a multi-year evaporation pan experiment were used to develop a robust isotope framework, which provides the basis for interpreting five years (2007-11) of lake water isotope measurements and deriving knowledge of hydrological conditions for the monitoring lakes. Using this framework and the coupled-isotope tracer method, isotopic compositions of input water (δI) and evaporation-to-inflow (E/I) ratios were calculated and provide key hydrological information for each sampling interval. δ¬I values distinguish snowmelt- and rainfall-sourced lakes, with δP representing a threshold between the two isotopic-based hydrologic regimes. A Mann-Kendall test showed that three lakes (OCF11, 26, and 49) displayed significant increasing trends in δI values indicating a potential transition from snowmelt-sourced to rainfall-sourced isotope-based hydrologic-regimes. E/I ratios >0.5 signifies lakes that are evaporation-dominated with positive water balances and E/I ratios >1 indicates lakes that are evaporation-dominated with negative water balances. Six lakes in OCF (OCF06, 19, 37, 46, 49, and 58) surpass the 0.5 threshold and three of these lakes (OCF06, 19, and 46) crossed the significant evaporation threshold (E/I > 1) during dry climatic conditions. Multi-proxy paleolimnology analysis conducted on Zelma Lake reveals different hydroecological transitions during the past ~330 years that include: phase 1 (~1678-1900) characterized by stable hydroecological conditions; thermokarst expansion (~1900-1943) marked by decreases in productivity; phase 2 (~1943-2007) distinguished by increasing productivity; and a post drainage phase following rapid drainage in 2007 characterized by further increases in productivity. The stratigraphy of Zelma Lake shows that hydroecological conditions in dynamic landscapes such as OCF are complex and require multi-proxy paleolimnological analysis. In particular, organic matter, δ13Corg, and pigment concentrations are important parameters to consider when interpreting past hydroecological conditions, thermokarst expansion, and lake drainage events

An interdisciplinary approach to monitoring the hydroecology of thermokarst lakes in Old Crow Flats, Yukon Territory, Canada

Lake-rich thermokarst landscapes, such as Old Crow Flats (OCF) in northern Yukon, Canada have been identified as amongst the most vulnerable to climate change. This has raised concerns of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation (VGFN) and Parks Canada (Vuntut National Park) about the ecological integrity of this significant wetland. The influence of climate change on the hydroecological conditions of thermokarst lakes are complex and vary across the landscape, thus long-term hydroecological monitoring is essential to adequately assess the ecological integrity of the aquatic ecosystem and how it is changing over time. In a genuine interdisciplinary and collaborative approach, this thesis establishes an integrated approach using isotope hydrology, aquatic ecology, and paleolimnology to develop a robust long-term aquatic monitoring program that has already been adopted by Parks Canada. In collaboration with Parks Canada, 14 of 58 lakes that were previously studied during the International Polar Year from 2007-09 were selected to represent monitoring lakes. Lakes were sampled in early June and late August/early September 2010-11. Water samples for analysis of hydrogen and oxygen isotope composition and chemistry (i.e., ions and nutrients) were collected to track hydrological and limnological conditions. Artificial substrates were deployed in June and accrued algae were collected at the end of the ice-free season to assess community composition and abundance. Sediment coring was conducted in a culturally-significant lake (Zelma Lake – OCF06) to reconstruct long-term baseline hydroecological conditions over the past three centuries. Radiometric dating techniques (137Cs, 210Pb) were used to develop a sediment core chronology. Baseline hydroecological conditions were reconstructed through analyses of loss-on-ignition, bulk organic carbon and nitrogen elemental and isotope compositions, and pigments. Meteorological data and a multi-year evaporation pan experiment were used to develop a robust isotope framework, which provides the basis for interpreting five years (2007-11) of lake water isotope measurements and deriving knowledge of hydrological conditions for the monitoring lakes. Using this framework and the coupled-isotope tracer method, isotopic compositions of input water (δI) and evaporation-to-inflow (E/I) ratios were calculated and provide key hydrological information for each sampling interval. δ¬I values distinguish snowmelt- and rainfall-sourced lakes, with δP representing a threshold between the two isotopic-based hydrologic regimes. A Mann-Kendall test showed that three lakes (OCF11, 26, and 49) displayed significant increasing trends in δI values indicating a potential transition from snowmelt-sourced to rainfall-sourced isotope-based hydrologic-regimes. E/I ratios >0.5 signifies lakes that are evaporation-dominated with positive water balances and E/I ratios >1 indicates lakes that are evaporation-dominated with negative water balances. Six lakes in OCF (OCF06, 19, 37, 46, 49, and 58) surpass the 0.5 threshold and three of these lakes (OCF06, 19, and 46) crossed the significant evaporation threshold (E/I > 1) during dry climatic conditions. Multi-proxy paleolimnology analysis conducted on Zelma Lake reveals different hydroecological transitions during the past ~330 years that include: phase 1 (~1678-1900) characterized by stable hydroecological conditions; thermokarst expansion (~1900-1943) marked by decreases in productivity; phase 2 (~1943-2007) distinguished by increasing productivity; and a post drainage phase following rapid drainage in 2007 characterized by further increases in productivity. The stratigraphy of Zelma Lake shows that hydroecological conditions in dynamic landscapes such as OCF are complex and require multi-proxy paleolimnological analysis. In particular, organic matter, δ13Corg, and pigment concentrations are important parameters to consider when interpreting past hydroecological conditions, thermokarst expansion, and lake drainage events

Du robot fantasmé à la technologie des robots et vice-versa

Qu'est-ce qu'un robot ? Le dictionnaire Larousse – consultable en ligne (Larousse.fr) – propose cinq acceptions du terme. Sans les reprendre toutes, notons que la première énonce que « dans les œuvres de science-fiction [le mot robot désigne] une machine à l'aspect humain capable de se mouvoir, d'exécuter des opérations, de parler », tandis que la quatrième, plus technique, considère que le terme, mis « en apposition, indique un appareil à commande automatique ou désigne quelqu'un dont l'auto..

The effect of geometry and material properties on the performance of a small hydraulic McKibben muscle system

Fluidic McKibben artificial muscles are one of the most popular biomimetic actuators, showing similar static and dynamic performance to skeletal muscles. In particular, their pneumatic version offers high-generated force, high speed and high strain in comparison to other actuators. This paper investigates the development of a small-size, fully enclosed, hydraulic McKibben muscle powered by a low voltage pump. Hydraulic McKibben muscles with an outside diameter of 6 mm and a length ranging from 35 mm to 80 mm were investigated. These muscles are able to generate forces up to 26 N, strains up to 23%, power to mass of 30 W/kg and tension intensity of 1.78 N/mm2 at supply water pressure of 2.5 bar. The effects of injected pressure and inner tube stiffness on the actuation strain and force generation were studied and a simple model introduced to quantitatively estimate force and stroke generated for a given input pressure. This unique actuation system is lightweight and can be easily modified to be employed in small robotic systems where large movements in short time are required

Le concept de robot

Les humains ne peuvent pas vivre sans liens socio-affectifs : la robotique sociale est-elle une illusion du lien vivant qui tente vainement de réparer une détérioration du tissu des liens socio-affectifs entre humains et entre humains et vivants non humains, ou peut-elle être un outil pour détecter notre fragilité relationnelle et éclairer éthiquement l’état de notre corps social ?Humans cannot live without social-emotional bonds : is social robotics an illusion of the living bond that vainly attempts to repair a deterioration of the fabric of social-emotional bonds between humans and between humans and living non-humans, or can it be a tool to detect our relational fragility and ethically enlighten the state of our social body