Route planning in a four-dimensional environment

Robots must be able to function in the real world. The real world involves processes and agents that move independently of the actions of the robot, sometimes in an unpredictable manner. A real-time integrated route planning and spatial representation system for planning routes through dynamic domains is presented. The system will find the safest most efficient route through space-time as described by a set of user defined evaluation functions. Because the route planning algorthims is highly parallel and can run on an SIMD machine in O(p) time (p is the length of a path), the system will find real-time paths through unpredictable domains when used in an incremental mode. Spatial representation, an SIMD algorithm for route planning in a dynamic domain, and results from an implementation on a traditional computer architecture are discussed

Community building and virtual teamwork in an online learning environment

In the world of OTIS, an online Internet School for occupational therapists, students from four European countries were encouraged to work collaboratively through problem based learning by interacting with each other in a virtual semi-immersive environment. This paper aims to explore the issues that there was little interaction between students from different tutorial groups and virtual teamwork developed in each of the cross cultural tutorial groups. Synchronous data from European students was captured during tutorial sessions and peer booked meetings and evidence suggests that communities of interest were established. It is possible to conclude that collaborative systems can be designed, which encourage students to build trust and teamwork in a cross cultural online learning environment. </p

Delineating the Boundaries Between High Engagement and Problem Gaming

This item is only available electronically.Despite a large amount of published research investigating internet gaming disorder (IGD), there is insufficient research investigating the boundary between positive and problematic involvement in high-frequency video gaming. This represents a significant gap in the literature as, given the constantly growing popularity and success of esports athletes and streamers, it is not always true to expect bad outcomes to be associated with high levels of use. Accordingly, the current study aimed to investigate risk and protective factors present in high-frequency gamers (30+ hours per week) who did, and did not, meet the criteria for IGD. A convenience sample of 403 participants aged between 18-67 years (M = 27.24, SD = 7.8) were recruited through Prolific advertising to complete an online questionnaire. After being classified by Petry’s IGD scale as either a problem or non-problem gamer, risk and protective factors were assessed using the Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire (MOGQ) and the abbreviated World Health Organisation Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). Further questions were also included to capture behaviours that might serve as risk/protective factors. Three main findings emerged. First, problem gamers scored lower on all quality of life measures. Second, the motivation to escape was a significant predictor of problem gaming. Third, balancing gaming with sleep needs was a significant protective factor against problem gaming. From the results, we can infer that high-frequency gaming may only become a problem if it is used to escape real-world problems or prioritised over important everyday activities.Thesis (B.PsychSc(Hons)) -- University of Adelaide, School of Psychology, 202

An Essay on the Human Color

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Sigmoid Neural Transfer Function Realised by Percolation

An experiment using the phenomenon of percolation has been conducted to demonstrate the implementation of neural functionality (summing and sigmoid transfer). A simple analog approximation to digital percolation is implemented. The device consists of a piece of amorphous silicon with stochastic bit-stream optical inputs, in which a current percolating from one end to the other defines the neuron output, also in the form of a stochastic bit stream. Preliminary experimental results are presented

Can There Be Too Much Specialization? Specialization in Specialized Courts

While modern society has embraced specialization, the federal judiciary continues to prize the generalist jurist. This disconnect is at the core of the growing debate on the optimal level of specialization in the judiciary. To date, this discussion has largely revolved around the creation of specialized courts. Opinion specialization, however, provides an alternative, underappreciated method to infuse specialization into the judiciary. In contrast to specialized courts, opinion specialization is understudied and undertheorized. This Article makes two contributions to the literature. First, this Article theorizes whether opinion specialization is a desirable practice. It argues that the practice’s costs and benefits are a function of whether the court itself is specialized. More specifically, this Article contends that while opinion specialization may be normatively desirable for generalist courts, it is likely not for specialized tribunals. Perhaps most concerning, this Article argues that opinion specialization in specialized courts increases the likelihood legal doctrine will reflect the idiosyncratic preferences of a few judges. Second, given the concerns associated with opinion specialization in specialized tribunals, this Article empirically tests the extent to which specialization occurs in these specialized courts. We approach this question by examining the process of opinion assignment in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which is best known for its near-exclusive jurisdiction over patent appeals. Utilizing a novel, author-constructed database of Federal Circuit opinions issued between 2004 and 2018, we find that opinion specialization is a robust part of the Federal Circuit’s practice. This Article demonstrates that opinion specialization may have led to several highly criticized legal developments at the Federal Circuit, exploring mechanisms in which opinion specialization may be diminished, and examining the implications of our findings for the broader judiciary

Learning from the experts: enabling and studying DIY development of location-based visitor experiences

In this paper we show how -- with the aid of enabling technology -- creative Location Based Experiences can be developed for visitors by non-technical professionals from the cultural heritage sector. We look at how these "Place Experts" approach and adopt web technologies to create and publish experiences including the roles they take on, the processes they adopt, and the way they appropriate the technology. We describe our short and long-term research engagements with the cultural heritage sector over the last three years and introduce Wander Anywhere, the website developed to enable this research. We find that place experts typically follow a four stage process in their engagement with location-based experiences, moving from comprehension to translation, development and finally approval. We suggest implications for the processes and technologies that might be employed by others seeking to support a similar type of engagement