867 research outputs found
Knowledge-based vision for space station object motion detection, recognition, and tracking
Computer vision, especially color image analysis and understanding, has much to offer in the area of the automation of Space Station tasks such as construction, satellite servicing, rendezvous and proximity operations, inspection, experiment monitoring, data management and training. Knowledge-based techniques improve the performance of vision algorithms for unstructured environments because of their ability to deal with imprecise a priori information or inaccurately estimated feature data and still produce useful results. Conventional techniques using statistical and purely model-based approaches lack flexibility in dealing with the variabilities anticipated in the unstructured viewing environment of space. Algorithms developed under NASA sponsorship for Space Station applications to demonstrate the value of a hypothesized architecture for a Video Image Processor (VIP) are presented. Approaches to the enhancement of the performance of these algorithms with knowledge-based techniques and the potential for deployment of highly-parallel multi-processor systems for these algorithms are discussed
A model of ant route navigation driven by scene familiarity
In this paper we propose a model of visually guided route navigation in ants that captures the known properties of real behaviour whilst retaining mechanistic simplicity and thus biological plausibility. For an ant, the coupling of movement and viewing direction means that a familiar view specifies a familiar direction of movement. Since the views experienced along a habitual route will be more familiar, route navigation can be re-cast as a search for familiar views. This search can be performed with a simple scanning routine, a behaviour that ants have been observed to perform. We test this proposed route navigation strategy in simulation, by learning a series of routes through visually cluttered environments consisting of objects that are only distinguishable as silhouettes against the sky. In the first instance we determine view familiarity by exhaustive comparison with the set of views experienced during training. In further experiments we train an artificial neural network to perform familiarity discrimination using the training views. Our results indicate that, not only is the approach successful, but also that the routes that are learnt show many of the characteristics of the routes of desert ants. As such, we believe the model represents the only detailed and complete model of insect route guidance to date. What is more, the model provides a general demonstration that visually guided routes can be produced with parsimonious mechanisms that do not specify when or what to learn, nor separate routes into sequences of waypoints
Ultrafast Spin Dynamics in Nickel
The spin dynamics in Ni is studied by an exact diagonalization method on the
ultrafast time scale. It is shown that the femtosecond relaxation of the
magneto-optical response results from exchange interaction and spin-orbit
coupling. Each of the two mechanisms affects the relaxation process
differently. We find that the intrinsic spin dynamics occurs during about 10 fs
while extrinsic effects such as laser-pulse duration and spectral width can
slow down the observed dynamics considerably. Thus, our theory indicates that
there is still room to accelerate the spin dynamics in experiments.Comment: 4 pages, Latex, 4 postscript figure
Using deep autoencoders to investigate image matching in visual navigation
This paper discusses the use of deep autoencoder networks to find a compressed representation of an image, which can be used for visual naviga-tion. Images reconstructed from the compressed representation are tested to see if they retain enough information to be used as a visual compass (in which an image is matched with another to recall a bearing/movement direction) as this ability is at the heart of a visual route navigation algorithm. We show that both reconstructed images and compressed representations from different layers of the autoencoder can be used in this way, suggesting that a compact image code is sufficient for visual navigation and that deep networks hold promise for find-ing optimal visual encodings for this task
X-ray, Optical, and Infrared Imaging and Spectral Properties of the 1 Ms Chandra Deep Field North Sources
We present the optical, near-infrared, submillimeter, and radio follow-up
catalog of the X-ray selected sources from the 1 Ms Chandra observation of the
Hubble Deep Field North region. We have B, V, R, I, and z' magnitudes for the
370 X-ray point sources, HK' magnitudes for 276, and spectroscopic redshifts
for 182. We present high-quality spectra for 175 of these. The redshift
distribution shows indications of structures at z=0.843 and z=1.0175 (also
detected in optical surveys) which could account for a part of the
field-to-field variation seen in the X-ray number counts. The flux
contributions separated into unit bins of redshift show that the z<1
spectroscopically identified sources already contribute about one-third of the
total flux in both the hard and soft bands. We find from ratios of the X-ray
counts that the X-ray spectra are well-described by absorption of an intrinsic
Gamma=1.8 power-law, with log NH values ranging from 21 to 23.7. We estimate
that the Chandra sources that produce 87% of the HEAO-A X-ray background (XRB)
at 3 keV produce 57% at 20 keV, provided that at high energies the spectral
shape of the sources continues to be well-described by a Gamma=1.8 power-law.
However, when the Chandra contributions are renormalized to the BeppoSAX XRB at
3 keV, the shape matches fairly well the observed XRB at both energies. Thus,
whether a substantial population of as-yet undetected Compton-thick sources is
required to completely resolve the XRB above 10 keV depends critically on how
the currently discrepant XRB measurements in the 1-10 keV energy range tie
together with the higher energy XRB. (Abridged)Comment: October 2002 issue of The Astronomical Journal, 19 pages + Table 1,
Figs 2 and 6 can be found at http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~barger/cdfn.htm
Desert Ants Learn Vibration and Magnetic Landmarks
The desert ants Cataglyphis navigate not only by path integration but also by using visual and olfactory landmarks to pinpoint the nest entrance. Here we show that Cataglyphis noda can additionally use magnetic and vibrational landmarks as nest-defining cues. The magnetic field may typically provide directional rather than positional information, and vibrational signals so far have been shown to be involved in social behavior. Thus it remains questionable if magnetic and vibration landmarks are usually provided by the ants' habitat as nest-defining cues. However, our results point to the flexibility of the ants' navigational system, which even makes use of cues that are probably most often sensed in a different context
How do field of view and resolution affect the information content of panoramic scenes for visual navigation? A computational investigation
The visual systems of animals have to provide information to guide behaviour and the informational requirements of an animal’s behavioural repertoire are often reflected in its sensory system. For insects, this is often evident in the optical array of the compound eye. One behaviour that insects share with many animals is the use of learnt visual information for navigation. As ants are expert visual navigators it may be that their vision is optimised for navigation. Here we take a computational approach in asking how the details of the optical array influence the informational content of scenes used in simple view matching strategies for orientation. We find that robust orientation is best achieved with low-resolution visual information and a large field of view, similar to the optical properties seen for many ant species. A lower resolution allows for a trade-off between specificity and generalisation for stored views. Additionally, our simulations show that orientation performance increases if different portions of the visual field are considered as discrete visual sensors, each giving an independent directional estimate. This suggests that ants might benefit by processing information from their two eyes independently
Legislative strengthening meets party support in international assistance: a closer relationship?
Recent reports recommend that international efforts to help strengthen legislatures in emerging democracies should work more closely with support for building stronger political parties and competitive party systems. This article locates the recommendations within international assistance more generally and reviews the arguments. It explores problems that must be addressed if the recommendations are to be implemented effectively. The article argues that an alternative, issue-based approach to strengthening legislatures and closer links with civil society could gain more traction. However, that is directed more centrally at promoting good governance for the purpose of furthering development than at democratisation goals sought by party aid and legislative strengtheners in the democracy assistance industry
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Climate system modeling on massively parallel systems: LDRD Project 95-ERP-47 final report
Global warming, acid rain, ozone depletion, and biodiversity loss are some of the major climate-related issues presently being addressed by climate and environmental scientists. Because unexpected changes in the climate could have significant effect on our economy, it is vitally important to improve the scientific basis for understanding and predicting the earth`s climate. The impracticality of modeling the earth experimentally in the laboratory together with the fact that the model equations are highly nonlinear has created a unique and vital role for computer-based climate experiments. However, today`s computer models, when run at desired spatial and temporal resolution and physical complexity, severely overtax the capabilities of our most powerful computers. Parallel processing offers significant potential for attaining increased performance and making tractable simulations that cannot be performed today. The principal goals of this project have been to develop and demonstrate the capability to perform large-scale climate simulations on high-performance computing systems (using methodology that scales to the systems of tomorrow), and to carry out leading-edge scientific calculations using parallelized models. The demonstration platform for these studies has been the 256-processor Cray-T3D located at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Our plan was to undertake an ambitious program in optimization, proof-of-principle and scientific study. These goals have been met. We are now regularly using massively parallel processors for scientific study of the ocean and atmosphere, and preliminary parallel coupled ocean/atmosphere calculations are being carried out as well. Furthermore, our work suggests that it should be possible to develop an advanced comprehensive climate system model with performance scalable to the teraflops range. 9 refs., 3 figs
Conclusive quantum steering with superconducting transition edge sensors
Quantum steering allows two parties to verify shared entanglement even if one
measurement device is untrusted. A conclusive demonstration of steering through
the violation of a steering inequality is of considerable fundamental interest
and opens up applications in quantum communication. To date all experimental
tests with single photon states have relied on post-selection, allowing
untrusted devices to cheat by hiding unfavourable events in losses. Here we
close this "detection loophole" by combining a highly efficient source of
entangled photon pairs with superconducting transition edge sensors. We achieve
an unprecedented ~62% conditional detection efficiency of entangled photons and
violate a steering inequality with the minimal number of measurement settings
by 48 standard deviations. Our results provide a clear path to practical
applications of steering and to a photonic loophole-free Bell test.Comment: Preprint of 7 pages, 3 figures; the definitive version is published
in Nature Communications, see below. Also, see related experimental work by
A. J. Bennet et al., arXiv:1111.0739 and B. Wittmann et al., arXiv:1111.076
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