P1AC: Revisiting Absolute Pose From a Single Affine Correspondence

We introduce a novel solution to the problem of estimating the pose of a calibrated camera given a single observation of an oriented point and an affine correspondence to a reference image. Affine correspondences have traditionally been used to improve feature matching over wide baselines; however, little previous work has considered the use of such correspondences for absolute camera pose computation. The advantage of our approach (P1AC) is that it requires only a single correspondence in the minimal case in comparison to the traditional point-based approach (P3P) which requires at least three points. Our method removes the limiting assumptions made in previous work and provides a general solution that is applicable to large-scale image-based localization. Our evaluation on synthetic data shows that our approach is numerically stable and more robust to point observation noise than P3P. We also evaluate the application of our approach for large-scale image-based localization and demonstrate a practical reduction in the number of iterations and computation time required to robustly localize an image

Mobility, Modernity, and the Middle Class: Transmediatization and Brazilian Television

Mobility, Modernity, and the Middle Class: Transmediatization and Brazilian Television examines the process of transmediatization in Brazil as a failed process of digital modernity. Following the pattern of diverse modernities and cultures of convergence, this dissertation argues that there are also multiple regimes of transmediatization. This dissertation provides a framework for analyzing the Brazilian regime of transmediatization through mobility, participation, and expansion, using the Brazilian telenovela Cheias de Charme (2012, TV Globo) as an extensive case study. Through an analysis of the telenovela and its transmedia extensions, industrial discourse, and sociohistorical context, I illustrate how the telenovela functioned as a site of transmediatizing modernity. In doing so, I seek to bridge the gap between theories of modernity and studies of transmedia. With mobility, I refer to the rapid circulation of people, goods, and ideas in modernity. I connect this with audiences moving across platforms and devices with transmedia engagement as well as the potential for social mobility through transmediatization. Participation refers to the increasing potential for democracy in modernity, and I correlate this with the democratizing potential of transmediatization. Finally, with expansion I bring together the nation-building of modernity with world-building in transmedia. These dimensions of transmediatization are not independent of each other but are integrally connected. I argue that the regime of transmediatization in Brazil is an era fraught with paradox and ambivalence. The process of social mobility through transmediatization also became a process of class discrimination. While transmediatization functioned as a process of empowerment and national integration, it was also exploitative and disciplinary as participants were shaped into ideal viewers and ideal citizens

Unsupervised Learning of Depth and Ego-Motion from Cylindrical Panoramic Video

We introduce a convolutional neural network model for unsupervised learning of depth and ego-motion from cylindrical panoramic video. Panoramic depth estimation is an important technology for applications such as virtual reality, 3D modeling, and autonomous robotic navigation. In contrast to previous approaches for applying convolutional neural networks to panoramic imagery, we use the cylindrical panoramic projection which allows for the use of the traditional CNN layers such as convolutional filters and max pooling without modification. Our evaluation of synthetic and real data shows that unsupervised learning of depth and ego-motion on cylindrical panoramic images can produce high-quality depth maps and that an increased field-of-view improves ego-motion estimation accuracy. We also introduce Headcam, a novel dataset of panoramic video collected from a helmet-mounted camera while biking in an urban setting.Comment: Accepted to IEEE AIVR 201

Decapods as food, companions and research animals: Legal impact of ascribing sentience

This commentary provides an overview of the practical implications of attributing sentience to protect decapods as food, companion and research animals in the UK context. Recognising their capacity to suffer has implications for humane slaughter in farming and fishing sectors. It should also place a greater duty of care on owners of captive decapods, considering their needs and avoiding unnecessary suffering. The recognition of decapod sentience should also have an impact on their protection as research animals, although research with a potential to cause suffering may be needed to better understand decapods’ capacity to suffer