Towards the Safety of Human-in-the-Loop Robotics: Challenges and Opportunities for Safety Assurance of Robotic Co-Workers

The success of the human-robot co-worker team in a flexible manufacturing environment where robots learn from demonstration heavily relies on the correct and safe operation of the robot. How this can be achieved is a challenge that requires addressing both technical as well as human-centric research questions. In this paper we discuss the state of the art in safety assurance, existing as well as emerging standards in this area, and the need for new approaches to safety assurance in the context of learning machines. We then focus on robotic learning from demonstration, the challenges these techniques pose to safety assurance and indicate opportunities to integrate safety considerations into algorithms "by design". Finally, from a human-centric perspective, we stipulate that, to achieve high levels of safety and ultimately trust, the robotic co-worker must meet the innate expectations of the humans it works with. It is our aim to stimulate a discussion focused on the safety aspects of human-in-the-loop robotics, and to foster multidisciplinary collaboration to address the research challenges identified

A pilot study of operating department practitioners undertaking high-risk learning: a comparison of experiential, part-task and hi-fidelity simulation teaching methods

Health care learners commonly rely on opportunistic experiential learning in clinical placements in order to develop cognitive and psychomotor clinical skills. In recent years there has been an increasing effort to develop effective alternative, non-opportunistic methods of learning, in an attempt to bypass the questionable tradition of relying on patients to practice on. As part of such efforts, there is an increased utilisation of simulation-based education. However, the effectiveness of simulation in health care education arguably varies between professions (Liaw, Chan, Scherpbier, Rethans, & Pua, 2012; Oberleitner, Broussard, & Bourque, 2011; Ross, 2012). This pilot study compares the effectiveness of three educational (or ‘teaching’) methods in the development of clinical knowledge and skills during Rapid Sequence Induction (RSI) of anaesthesia, a potentially life-threatening clinical situation. Students of Operating Department Practice (ODP) undertook either a) traditional classroom based and experiential learning, b) part-task training, or c) fully submersive scenario-based simulated learning

A Large Volume Striped Bass Incubation Chamber: Design and Comparison with a Traditional Method

I conducted a comparative study of a new jar design (experimental chamber) with a standard egg incubation vessel (McDonald jar). Experimental chambers measured 0.4 m in diameter by 1.3 m in height and had a volume of 200 L. McDonald hatching jars measured 16 cm in diameter by 45 cm in height and had a volume of 6 L. Post-hatch survival was estimated at 48, 96 and 144 h. Stocking rates resulted in an average egg density of 21.9 eggs ml-1 (range = 21.6 - 22.1) for McDonald jars and 10.9 eggs ml-1 (range = 7.0 - 16.8) for experimental chambers. I was unable to detect an effect of container type on survival to 48, 96 or 144 h. At 144 h striped bass fry survival averaged 37.3% for McDonald jars and 34.2% for experimental chambers. Survival among replicates was significantly different. Survival of striped bass significantly decreased between 96 and 144 h. Mean survival among replicates ranged from 12.4 to 57.3%. I was unable to detect an effect of initial stocking density on survival. Experimental jars allow for incubation of a larger number of eggs in a much smaller space. As hatchery production is often limited by space or water supply, experimental chambers offer an alternative to extending spawning activities, thereby reducing manpower and cost. However, the increase in the number of eggs per rearing container does increase the risk associated with catastrophic loss of a production unit. I conclude the experimental chamber is suitable for striped bass egg incubation

Derivation of Economic and Social Indicators for a Spatial Decision Support System to Evaluate the Impacts of Urban Development on Water Bodies in New Zealand

There is mounting evidence that urban development in New Zealand has contributed to poor water quality and ecological degradation of coastal and fresh water receiving waters. As a consequence, local governments have identified the need for improved methods to guide decision making to achieve improved outcomes for those receiving waters. This paper reports progress on a research programme to develop a catchmentscale spatial decision-support system (SDSS) that will aid evaluation of the impacts of urban development on attributes such as water and sediment quality; ecosystem health; and economic, social and cultural values. The SDSS aims to express indicators of impacts on these values within a sustainability indexing system in order to allow local governments to consider them holistically over planning timeframes of several decades. The SDSS will use a combination of deterministic and probabilistic methods to, firstly, estimate changes to environmental stressors such as contaminant loads from different land use and stormwater management scenarios and, secondly, use these results and information from a range of other sources to generate indicator values. This paper describes the project’s approach to the derivation of indicators of economic and social well being associated with the effects of urban storm water run-off on freshwater and estuarine receiving waters.Environmental Economics and Policy,

Three Poems

Three poems: Barbarians, Be The Pack Leader, and Fear Factor

Perspectives of applied collaborative sport science research within professional team sports

The purpose of the study was to examine the perspectives of both academics and practitioners in relation to forming applied collaborative sports science research within team sports. Ninety-three participants who had previously engaged in collaborative research partnerships within team sports completed an online survey which focused on motivations and barriers for forming collaborations using blinded sliding scale (0-100) and rank order list. Research collaborations were mainly formed to improve team performance (Academic: 73.6 ± 23.3; Practitioner: 84.3 ± 16.0; ES = 0.54, small). Academics ranked journal articles importance significantly higher than practitioners (Academic: Mrank = 53.9; Practitioner 36.0; z = -3.18, p = .001, p < q). However, practitioners rated one-to-one communication as more preferential (Academic: Mrank = 41.3; Practitioner 56.1; z = -2.62, p = .009, p < q). Some potential barriers were found in terms of staff buy in (Academic: 70.0 ± 25.5; Practitioner 56.8 ± 27.3; ES = 0.50, small) and funding (Academic: 68.0 ± 24.9; Practitioner: 67.5 ± 28.0; ES = 0.02, Trivial). Both groups revealed low motivation for invasive mechanistic research (Academic: 36.3 ± 24.2; Practitioner: 36.4 ± 27.5; ES = 0.01, trivial), with practitioners have a preference towards ‘fast’ type research. There was a general agreement between academics and practitioners for forming research collaborations. Some potential barriers still exist (e.g. staff buy in and funding), with practitioners preferring ‘fast’ informal research dissemination compared to the ‘slow’ quality control approach of academics

Detection and Quantification of Lead and Copper in Firearm Harvested Ground Venison Intended for Human Consumption

Most White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Illinois are harvested with firearms that use lead or copper shotgun slugs or muzzleloader bullets, which may fragment when they strike bone. Lead is a neurotoxin to both humans and animals that scavenge deer that have escaped from hunters, and excess amounts of copper ingestion can impair lipid and DNA function. In a preliminary study in 2014, packets of ground venison from firearm and bow hunters in Illinois were x-rayed, and six out of ten firearm-harvested packets contained possible metal fragments. The purpose of this study is to utilize Anodic Stripping Voltammetry (ASV) and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy to identify the presence and concentration of lead and copper in ground venison meat meant for human consumption. Current research and manipulation of test parameters and solutions has yielded ASV standard addition curves for both lead and copper solutions. Using this method we have been able detect lead in solution at levels of 300 µg/L, with predicted detections limits of 50-100 µg/L. This protocol will be used to analyze ground venison collected during the 2013 and 2014 deer hunting seasons

Inter-step Height Variation of Stairways and Observations of Fall-related Events

INTRODUCTION: Variation in step height within a stairway could negatively impact safe stairway negotiation by decreasing step height predictability, and consequently, increasing stair users’ fall risk. Unfortunately, inter-stairway step height variability is common, particularly in older stairways, but its impact may be lessened by highlighting steps’ edges using high-contrast stripes on the top front edge of each step. Such contrast enhancement may draw greater attention to the steps’ edges and potentially enhance the precision of the edge’s estimated location. PURPOSE: To determine (1) if fall-related events are associated with greater inter-step height variation, and (2) if such fall-related events are reduced in the presence of contrast enhanced step edges compared to a control stairway. METHODS: Stair users were video recorded on two public stairways in a university building. One stairway had black vinyl strips applied to the step’s edges and black-and-white vertical stripes on the last and top steps’ faces. The stairway with striping was switched halfway through data collection. Each stair user recorded was coded for whether they experienced a fall-related event. RESULTS: Each flight of stairs had varying inter-step height (e.g., 14 mm for both West and East lower, 12 mm for the West upper, and 5 mm for the East upper). The flights that had 14 mm in inter-step height variation were associated with 80% of the fall-related events observed. 13 of 16 (81%) fall-related events occurred on the control stairway (no striping) compared to 3 of 16 (19%) on the high-contrast striping stairway. A Monte Carlo simulation was used to predict the probability of the distribution of fall-related events given our hypotheses. The distribution of fall-related events we observed between conditions likely did not occur by chance, P = 0.0358. CONCLUSION: These data support that a vision-based strategy (i.e., striping) may counteract fall-risk associated with high inter-step height variability. While the mechanisms of its action remain unclear, the high-contrast striping appears to have a positive impact on the incidence of fall-related events in the presence of high inter-step height variability