Preliminary and advanced structural design of a three-modal camber morphing wing flap for large civil aircraft applications

Researchers and engineers design modern aircraft wings to reach high levels of efficiency with the main outcome of weight saving and airplane lift-to-drag ratio increasing. Future commercial aircraft need to be mission-adaptive to improve their operational efficiency. Within the framework of Clean Sky 2 Airgreen 2 (REG-IADP) European research project, a novel multifunctional morphing flap technology was investigated to improve the aerodynamic performances of the next Turboprop regional aircraft (90 passengers) along its flight mission. The proposed true-scale device (5 meters span with a mean chord of 0.6 meters) is conceived to replace and enhance conventional Fowler flap with new functionalities. Three different functions were enabled: overall airfoil camber morphing up to +28 deg (mode 1), +/- 10 deg (upwards/downwards) deflections of the flap tip segment (mode 2), flap tip twist of +/- 5 deg along the outer flap span (mode 3). Morphing mode 1 is supposed to be activated during take-off and landing only to enhance aircraft high-lift performances and steeper initial climb and descent. Thanks to this function, more airfoil shapes are available at each flap setting and therefore a dramatic simplification of the flap deployment system may be implemented. Morphing modes 2 and 3 are enabled in cruise and off-design flight conditions to improve wing aerodynamic efficiency. The proposed structural concept consists of a multi-box arrangement activated by segmented ribs with embedded inner mechanisms to realize the transition from the baseline configuration to different target aero-shapes while withstanding the aerodynamic loads. Lightweight and compact actuating leverages driven by electromechanical motors were properly integrated to comply with demanding requirements for real aircraft implementation: minimum actuating torque, minimum number of motors, reduced weight, and available design space. The methodology for the design of the inner mechanisms is based on a building block approach where the instant centres analysis tool is used to preliminary select the locations of the hinges’ leverages. The structural layout of an Adaptive Twist composite Tab was considered as a promising concept to balance the conflicting requirements between load-carrying capability and shape adaptivity in morphing lightweight structures. Finally, the embedded system functionality of the actuation system coupled with the structural skeleton is fully investigated by means of detailed finite element simulations. Results of actuation system performances, and aeroelastic deformations considering limit aerodynamic loads demonstrate the potential of the proposed structural concepts to be energy efficient, and lightweight for real aircraft implementation

Discovery of a strongly phase-variable spectral feature in the isolated neutron star RX J0720.4-3125

We present the discovery of a strongly phase-variable absorption feature in the X-ray spectrum of the nearby, thermally-emitting, isolated neutron star RX J0720.4-3125. The absorption line was detected performing detailed phase-resolved spectroscopy in 20 XMM-Newton observations, covering the period May 2000 - September 2012. The feature has an energy of ~750eV, an equivalent width of ~30eV, and it is significantly detected for only ~20% of the pulsar rotation. The absorption feature appears to be stable over the timespan covered by the observations. Given its strong dependence on the pulsar rotational phase and its narrow width, a plausible interpretation is in terms of resonant proton cyclotron absorption/scattering in a confined magnetic structure very close to the neutron star surface. The inferred field in such a magnetic loop is B_loop ~ 2 x 10^{14} G, a factor of ~7 higher than the surface dipolar magnetic field.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures; ApJ Letters accepte

Perception is Only Real When Shared: A Mathematical Model for Collaborative Shared Perception in Human-Robot Interaction

Partners have to build a shared understanding of their environment in everyday collaborative tasks by aligning their perceptions and establishing a common ground. This is one of the aims of shared perception: revealing characteristics of the individual perception to others with whom we share the same environment. In this regard, social cognitive processes, such as joint attention and perspective-taking, form a shared perception. From a Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) perspective, robots would benefit from the ability to establish shared perception with humans and a common understanding of the environment with their partners. In this work, we wanted to assess whether a robot, considering the differences in perception between itself and its partner, could be more effective in its helping role and to what extent this improves task completion and the interaction experience. For this purpose, we designed a mathematical model for a collaborative shared perception that aims to maximise the collaborators’ knowledge of the environment when there are asymmetries in perception. Moreover, we instantiated and tested our model via a real HRI scenario. The experiment consisted of a cooperative game in which participants had to build towers of Lego bricks, while the robot took the role of a suggester. In particular, we conducted experiments using two different robot behaviours. In one condition, based on shared perception, the robot gave suggestions by considering the partners’ point of view and using its inference about their common ground to select the most informative hint. In the other condition, the robot just indicated the brick that would have yielded a higher score from its individual perspective. The adoption of shared perception in the selection of suggestions led to better performances in all the instances of the game where the visual information was not a priori common to both agents. However, the subjective evaluation of the robot’s behaviour did not change between conditions

Shared perception is different from individual perception: a new look on context dependency

Human perception is based on unconscious inference, where sensory input integrates with prior information. This phenomenon, known as context dependency, helps in facing the uncertainty of the external world with predictions built upon previous experience. On the other hand, human perceptual processes are inherently shaped by social interactions. However, how the mechanisms of context dependency are affected is to date unknown. If using previous experience - priors - is beneficial in individual settings, it could represent a problem in social scenarios where other agents might not have the same priors, causing a perceptual misalignment on the shared environment. The present study addresses this question. We studied context dependency in an interactive setting with a humanoid robot iCub that acted as a stimuli demonstrator. Participants reproduced the lengths shown by the robot in two conditions: one with iCub behaving socially and another with iCub acting as a mechanical arm. The different behavior of the robot significantly affected the use of prior in perception. Moreover, the social robot positively impacted perceptual performances by enhancing accuracy and reducing participants overall perceptual errors. Finally, the observed phenomenon has been modelled following a Bayesian approach to deepen and explore a new concept of shared perception.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, 1 table. IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems, 202

Magnetar-like activity from the central compact object in the SNR RCW103

The 6.67 hr periodicity and the variable X-ray flux of the central compact object (CCO) at the center of the SNR RCW 103, named 1E 161348-5055, have been always difficult to interpret within the standard scenarios of an isolated neutron star or a binary system. On 2016 June 22, the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) onboard Swift detected a magnetar-like short X-ray burst from the direction of 1E 161348-5055, also coincident with a large long-term X-ray outburst. Here we report on Chandra, NuSTAR, and Swift (BAT and XRT) observations of this peculiar source during its 2016 outburst peak. In particular, we study the properties of this magnetar-like burst, we discover a hard X-ray tail in the CCO spectrum during outburst, and we study its long-term outburst history (from 1999 to July 2016). We find the emission properties of 1E 161348-5055 consistent with it being a magnetar. However in this scenario, the 6.67 hr periodicity can only be interpreted as the rotation period of this strongly magnetized neutron star, which therefore represents the slowest pulsar ever detected, by orders of magnitude. We briefly discuss the viable slow-down scenarios, favoring a picture involving a period of fall-back accretion after the supernova explosion, similarly to what is invoked (although in a different regime) to explain the "anti-magnetar" scenario for other CCOs.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures. To be published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters; replaced to match the version accepted for publication on 2016 August 1

A pilot study towards the implementation of perceptual and motor adaptation in robots

The aim of our study is to understand the perceptual and motor mechanisms of adaptation underlying human-robot interaction. Our long-term goal is to develop novel models of adaptation that could be implemented in robots to enhance human-robot collaboration. Realizing adaptive robots would be fundamental not only in the biomedical field for assistance and rehabilitation, but also in industrial settings to improve human-robot cooperation. In the current paper, we present a pilot experiment aimed at exploring perceptual and motor strategies adopted by participants who try to adapt their perception to that of a robot with different prior sensory experience

Interessi diffusi e ordinamento canonico

L'analisi relativa alle forme di presenza ed agli spazi di tutela delle situazioni giuridiche a rilevanza meta-individuale nell'ordinamento canonico costituisce un significativo terreno di valutazione comparativa tra il sistema giuridico dello Stato e quello della Chiesa cattolica, in relazione all'attenzione riservata ad istanze soggettive che trascendano la mera dimensione individuale. La scienza processualcivilistica attuale, unitamente agli orientamenti giurisprudenziali ormai consolidati, presenta uno "status quo" all'interno del quale gli interessi pluri-soggettivi, e specialmente gli interessi diffusi, sembrano avviarsi verso una statica e formale soggettivizzazione in capo ad enti collettivi, organizzati e predeterminati secondo precisi requisiti. Una tendenza, quest'ultima, che rischia di produrre la sostanziale de-soggettivizzazione degli interessi "de quibus", in realtà depauperati dalla propria, primaria, natura di posizioni giuridiche nascenti in capo ad un singolo. In quest'ottica, la dimensione plurima necessita di una riflessione retrospettiva che ponga in risalto il profilo essenziale dell'aggregazione diffusa di interessi, inizialmente di natura individuale, e che sia, altresì, funzionale alla possibilità che ogni singolo membro possa configurarsene come legittimo titolare. Le entità collettive eserciteranno, perciò, un ruolo ausiliario, e non sostitutivo, in linea con il disposto ex art. 2 Cost. che promuove le formazioni sociali in funzione ed a servizio dell'individuo che ne sia membro. Siffatta situazione sembra subire un totale ribaltamento in ambito canonistico, laddove le ridottissime pronunce del tribunale della Segnatura Apostolica, certamente condizionate dai caratteri peculiari della funzione amministrativa nell'ordinamento della Chiesa cattolica, mostrano una tendenza inversa; ad assicurare, cioè, una legittimazione processuale al fedele "uti singulus" e non "uti coetus".In questo modo si crea, nel sistema giuridico canonico, un pericoloso "vulnus" di tutela, nella misura in cui non si riconosce la possibilità che un "coetus fidelium" si faccia portatore, in sede processuale, di interessi che trascendano la singola dimensione dell'individuo. La chiusura operata dal tribunale della Segnatura Apostolica arriva a lambire il punto più elevato allorché giunge a negare la legittimazione processuale in capo ad organizzazioni ecclesiali non riconosciute ai sensi del can. 299, §3, C.i.c., probabilmente a seguito di una indebita sovrapposizione tra le fattispecie dell'interesse ad agire e della capacità giuridica. Si tratta di posizioni conservatrici, in ambito giuridico, difficilmente comprensibili e, per certi aspetti, sorprendenti, a fronte delle acquisizioni ecclesiologiche conciliari e, ancor di più, dell'orientamento sinodale proposto con estrema energia dall'attuale pontificato. Sul punto un innegabile ausilio alla questione giunge dalla riflessione teologica, al centro della quale sussiste la categoria di "popolo di Dio", vero fulcro della vita della Chiesa, rispetto alla quale le elaborazioni giuridiche sembrano collocarsi più di un passo indietro, stentando a recepire principi ormai acquisiti e consolidati nella realtà ecclesiale. La rivalutazione del concetto di "comunità", come categoria fondamentale dell'ecclesiologia scaturita dal Concilio Vaticano II, e recepita nel "Codex" del 1983 specialmente in riferimento alla parrocchia (cfr. can. 515, §1), - ma ancora arenata al rango di perfetto sconosciuto nel diritto processuale della Chiesa cattolica - può costituire un interessante sentiero di passaggio, per giungere al riconoscimento della tutela giudiziaria degli interessi diffusi nell'ordinamento della Chiesa

“Si appellatio mere dilatoria evidenter appareat”: alcune note a margine dei cann. 1680, § 2, e 1687, § 4, C.i.c. post Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus

SOMMARIO: 1. Il background di una riforma “missionaria” - 2. Insidie ermeneutiche della clausola - 3. Esegesi soggettive e oggettive: limiti applicativi - 4. Una versione mediata: la valutazione sull’appello come indagine de merito causæ - 5. L’applicazione della clausola al processo ordinario … - 6. … e al processus brevior - 7. Considerazioni conclusive. “Si appellatio mere dilatoria evidenter appareat”: some considerations on the sidelines of cann. 1682, § 2 and 1687, § 4 C.i.c. after the motu proprio Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus ABSTRACT: The paper aims to analyze the problems underlying the clause that states “si appellatio mere dilatoria evidenter appareat”, introduced with the Motu proprio “Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus” with whom Pope Francis has reformed the processes of marriage nullity in 2015. Beyond the mere terminologic matter, which has also committed the doctrine, given the imperfect clarity of the terms of which the clause is composed, what is at stake is the right of appeal granted to the losing party following a decision “pro nullitate matrimonii”. Legislative innovation must be lowered whithin a broader field of reform, where it’s called to interface with the background of ordinary process and of the new processus brevior, that has the primary goal to chase after the speed-up of processes. The risk of subjectivism in which the judges could fall, focusing on the mere intentions of the appellant subject or on the simple reasons given, and not giving rise to a complete judgment where to reach moral certainty, should be avoided in order to safeguard the aspiration of justice that canon law can not not have, and that precise connotations in terms of faith have only to contribute increasing