The Development of a Sensitive Manipulation End Effector

This thesis designed and realized a two-degree of freedom wrist and two finger manipulator that completes the six-degree of freedom Sensitive Manipulation Platform, the arm of which was previously developed. This platform extends the previous research in the field of robotics by covering not only the end effector with deformable tactile sensors, but also the links of the arm. Having tactile sensors on the arm will improve the dynamic model of the system during contact with its environment and will allow research in contact navigation to be explored. This type of research is intended for developing algorithms for exploring dynamic environments. Unlike traditional robots that focus on collision avoidance, this platform is designed to seek out contact and use it to gather important information about its surroundings. This small desktop platform was designed to have similar proportions and properties to a small human arm. These properties include compliant joints and tactile sensitivity along the lengths of the arms. The primary applications for the completed platform will be research in contact navigation and manipulation in dynamic environments. However, there are countless potential applications for a compliant arm with increased tactile feedback, including prosthetics and domestic robotics. This thesis covers the details behind the design, analysis, and evaluation of the two degrees of the Wrist and two two-link fingers, with particular attention being given to the integration of series elastics actuators, the decoupling of the fingers from the wrist, and the incorporation of tactile sensors in both the forearm motor module and fingers

Reply to the comment by Carmelo Anile on the paper "Complexity analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid pulse waveform during infusion studies"

Veterinary technology is an emerging profession within the veterinary and allied animal health fields in Australia and affords graduates the opportunity to contribute to the small but growing body of literature within this discipline. This study describes the introduction of a contextualised assessment task to develop students’ research capability, competence and confidence in professional writing, and to engage them with the academic publishing process. Students worked in self-selected dyads to author a scientific case report, of publishable standard, based on authentic cases from their clinical practicum. Intrinsic to the task, students attended a series of workshops that explored topics such as critiquing the literature, professional writing styles and oral presentation skills. Assessment was multi-staged with progressive feedback, including peer review, and culminated with students presenting their abstracts at a mock conference. Students reported the task to be an enjoyable and valuable learning experience which improved their competence and confidence in scientific writing; supported by a comparison of previously submitted work. Linking scientific writing skills to clinical practice experiences enhanced learning outcomes and may foster the professionalisation of students within this emerging discipline

Managing Bias When Library Collections Become Data

Developments in AI research have dramatically changed what we can do with data and how we can learn from data. At the same time, implementations of AI amplify the prejudices in data often framed as ‘data bias’ and ‘algorithmic bias.’ Libraries, tasked with deciding what is worth keeping, are inherently discriminatory and yet remain trusted sources of information. As libraries begin to systematically approach their collections as data, will they be able to adopt and adapt the AI-driven tools to traditional practices?   Drawing on the work of the AI initiative within Stanford Libraries, the Fantastic Futures conference on AI for libraries, archives, and museums, and recent scholarship on data bias and algorithmic bias, this article encourages libraries to engage critically with AI and help shape applications of the technology to reflect the ethos of libraries for the benefit of libraries themselves and the patrons they serve. A brief examination of two core concepts in machine learning, generalization and unstructured data, provides points of comparison to library practices in order to uncover the theoretical assumptions driving the different domains. The comparison also offers a point of entry for libraries to adopt machine learning methods on their own terms

Building bridges? An evaluation of the costs and effectiveness of the separated parents information programme (PIP)

The Separated Parent Information Programme (PIP) is the first nationally available parent education programme for parents involved in litigation over contact and residence in England. The programme is a Contact Activity, introduced by the Children and Adoption Act 2006 as an additional tool for courts to facilitate contact. PIP is a four hour group programme for parents referred by the court. Both parties, i.e. the applicant and respondent, are required to attend the programme, but former couples attend separate groups. The groups are designed to include both men and women. The aim of the programme is to encourage parents to focus on children’s needs and perspectives. The programme is delivered by trained providers from mediation, counselling or contact services backgrounds

Submission to the US State Department Commission on the Unalienable Rights

This submission emphasizes the centrality of economic and social rights to human rights and highlights how advocating for a hierarchy of rights that downplays their equal status is contrary to widely-recognized international norms, ignores the lived experience of individuals, and will serve to further entrench inequality. The submission urges the Commission to recognize and reaffirm the full panoply of human rights found in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and subsequent human rights agreements. The discussion highlights the negative implications of a narrowed conceptualization of human rights, emphasizing that a circumscribed vision of human rights will perpetuate a system where true freedom is enjoyed only by a privileged few – those who can afford it