Computer Vision and Image Understanding xxx

Abstract 12 A compact visual representation, called the 3D layered, adaptive-resolution, and multi-13 perspective panorama (LAMP), is proposed for representing large-scale 3D scenes with large 14 variations of depths and obvious occlusions. Two kinds of 3D LAMP representations are 15 proposed: the relief-like LAMP and the image-based LAMP. Both types of LAMPs con-16 cisely represent almost all the information from a long image sequence. Methods to con-17 struct LAMP representations from video sequences with dominant translation are 18 provided. The relief-like LAMP is basically a single extended multi-perspective panoramic 19 view image. Each pixel has a pair of texture and depth values, but each pixel may also have 20 multiple pairs of texture-depth values to represent occlusion in layers, in addition to adap-21 tive resolution changing with depth. The image-based LAMP, on the other hand, consists of 22 a set of multi-perspective layers, each of which has a pair of 2D texture and depth maps, 23 but with adaptive time-sampling scales depending on depths of scene points. Several exam-24 ples of 3D LAMP construction for real image sequences are given. The 3D LAMP is a con-25 cise and powerful representation for image-based rendering. 2

ISR3: Communication and Data Storage for an Unmanned Ground Vehicle*

Computer vision researchers working in mobile robotics and other real-time domains are forced to con- front issues not normally addressed in the computer vision literature. Among these are communication, or how to get data from one process to another, data storage and retrieval, primarily for transient, image- based data, and database management, for maps, ob- ject models and other permanent (typically 3D) data. This paper reviews eorts at CMU, SRI and UMass to build real-time computer vision systems for mobile robotics, and presents a new tool, called ISR3, for com- munication, data storage/retrieval and database man- agement on the UMass Mobile Perception Laboratory (MPL), a NAVLAB-like autonomous vehicle

Challenges Experienced by Aquaponic Hobbyists, Producers, and Educators

We used an online survey to document challenges experienced by aquaponic hobbyists (n = 81), producers (n = 117), and educators (n = 75). Responses were distilled into the following categories: 1) operations and management; 2) facilities, location, and system design; 3) knowledge and educational resources; 4) funding; 5) economic viability; 6) plant culture; 7) marketing and distribution; 8) fish culture; 9) human factors; 10) regulations and certifications. Training and research in these areas are needed to advance the aquaponics industry

The Role of Magnetic Field Dissipation in the Black Hole Candidate Sgr A*

The compact, nonthermal radio source Sgr A* at the Galactic Center appears to be coincident with a 2.6 million solar mass point-like object. Its energy source may be the release of gravitational energy as gas from the interstellar medium descends into its potential well. Simple attempts at calculating the spectrum and flux based on this picture have come close to the observations, yet have had difficulty in accounting for the low efficiency in this source. There now appear to be two reasons for this low conversion rate: (1) the plasma separates into two temperatures, with the protons attaining a significantly higher temperature than that of the radiating electrons, and (2) the magnetic field, B, is sub-equipartition, which reduces the magnetic bremsstrahlung emissivity, and therefore the overall power of Sgr A*. We investigate the latter with improvement over what has been attempted before: rather than calculating B based on a presumed model, we instead infer its distribution with radius empirically with the requirement that the resulting spectrum matches the observations. Our ansatz for B(r) is motivated in part by earlier calculations of the expected magnetic dissipation rate due to reconnection in a compressed flow. We find reasonable agreement with the observed spectrum of Sgr A* as long as its distribution consists of 3 primary components: an outer equipartition field, a roughly constant field at intermediate radii (~1000 Schwarzschild radii), and an inner dynamo (more or less within the last stable orbit for a non-rotating black hole) which increases B to about 100 Gauss. The latter component accounts for the observed sub-millimiter hump in this source.Comment: 33 pages including 2 figures; submitted to Ap

Computer Vision and Image Understanding xxx

Abstract 13 This paper presents a panoramic virtual stereo vision approach to the problem of detecting 14 and localizing multiple moving objects (e.g., humans) in an indoor scene. Two panoramic 15 cameras, residing on different mobile platforms, compose a virtual stereo sensor with a flexible 16 baseline. A novel ''mutual calibration'' algorithm is proposed, where panoramic cameras on 17 two cooperative moving platforms are dynamically calibrated by looking at each other. A de-18 tailed numerical analysis of the error characteristics of the panoramic virtual stereo vision 19 (mutual calibration error, stereo matching error, and triangulation error) is given to derive 20 rules for optimal view planning. Experimental results are discussed for detecting and localizing 21 multiple humans in motion using two cooperative robot platforms. 2

The Stellar Winds of Galactic Centre and the Low Accretion Rate of Sgr A*

An attempt is made to reconcile the large wind-loss rates of stars in the Galactic Centre (GC) with the predicted low accretion rate for Sgr A*, the putative blackhole at the heart of the Milky Way. It is found that, independent of the details of the accretion, the bound but unaccreted gas has been accumulating in the potential well of Sgr A* for <1000 yrs and thus is not in equilibrium. Otherwise, the gas flows of the region would be visible in both the IR and X-ray. It appears that the blackhole was more active in the recent past due to the passing of a supernova blast shock but is presently in a short-lived dormant phase. The extended low frequency radio emission from the central parsec should visibily increase over the next few decades, as the shock passes completely in front of the absorbing gas and dust near Sgr A*. The GC may become more active in < 100,000 yrs due to either another supernova or sufficient accumulation of stellar winds in the central arcsecond.Comment: accepted by A&A Letter

Generalized additional boundary conditions and analytical model for multilayered mushroom-type wideband absorbers

We present an analytical model to study the reflection properties of a multilayered wire media loaded with 2-D arrays of thin imperfect conductors. Based on charge conservation, generalized additional boundary conditions (ABCs) for the interface of two uniaxial wire mediums loaded with thin arbitrary imperfect conductors at the junction are derived. It is observed that by proper selection of the structural parameters, the mushroom structure acts as a wideband absorber for an obliquely incident TM-polarized plane wave. The presented model along with the new ABCs are validated using the full-wave numerical simulations

New absorbing boundary conditions and analytical model for multilayered mushroom-type metamaterials: Applications to wideband absorbers

An analytical model is presented for the analysis of multilayer wire media loaded with 2-D arrays of thin material terminations, characterized in general by a complex surface conductivity. This includes the cases of resistive, thin metal, or graphene patches and impedance ground planes. The model is based on the nonlocal homogenization of the wire media with additional boundary conditions (ABCs) at the connection of thin (resistive) material. Based on charge conservation, new ABCs are derived for the interface of two uniaxial wire mediums with thin imperfect conductors at the junction. To illustrate the application of the analytical model and to validate the new ABCs, we characterize the reflection properties of multilayer absorbing structures. It is shown that in such configurations the presence of vias results in the enhancement of the absorption bandwidth and an improvement in the absorptivity performance for increasing angles of an obliquely incident TM-polarized plane wave. The results obtained using the analytical model are validated against full-wave numerical simulations.NASA/MS Space Grant Consortium Research Infrastructure Program NG05GJ72HMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación TEC2010-16948, CSD2008-00066Junta de Andalucía P09-TIC-459