Robotic assistants in therapy and education of children with autism: can a small humanoid robot help encourage social interaction skills?

This article presents a longitudinal study with four children with autism, who were exposed to a humanoid robot over a period of several months. The longitudinal approach allowed the children time to explore the space of robot–human, as well as human–human interaction. Based on the video material documenting the interactions, a quantitative and qualitative analysis was conducted. The quantitative analysis showed an increase in duration of pre-defined behaviours towards the later trials. A qualitative analysis of the video data, observing the childrens activities in their interactional context, revealed further aspects of social interaction skills (imitation, turn-taking and role-switch) and communicative competence that the children showed. The results clearly demonstrate the need for, and benefits of, long-term studies in order to reveal the full potential of robots in the therapy and education of children with autism.

Working on a moving surface—a biomechanical analysis of musculoskeletal load due to ship motions in combination with work

Ship motions are recognized by fishermen as a cause of high musculoskeletal load, In the present study, the motions of a Swedish trawler at sea were registered over three degrees of freedom. Simultaneously, the working postures of a fisherman on board were registered in the sagittal plane during five different working siiuations: (1) standing erect in Mill conditions; (2) holding a load of 21 kg in still conditions; (3) standing erect during motion of the ship; (4) standing during motion of the ship, holding a load of 21 kg, and (5) repeatedly lifting and lowering a 21 kg load during motion of the ship. All registrations were sampled using a computer where data were processed in a two-dimensional, dynamic biomechanics model, developed for this particular purpose. Vertical and horizontal forces as well as moments were calculated for seven major joint systems of the body, as was compression at the L4/L5 vertebral level. In situation (3), ship motions were mainly counteracted by motions in the lower extremity and lumbar back, thus inducing increased strain in these parts of the body; other pans of the body were little affected. Holding a load considerably increased the load on most joints. Lifting the load further increased the musculo-skeletal strain and also increased the range of moments in each joint as well as the range of lumbar compression. Moment at the C7 vertebral level was relatively unaffected by ship motions and by handling external loads     

What do luthiers look at? An eye tracking study on the identification of meaningful areas in historical violins

Multimedia Tools and Applications - Stylistic analysis of artworks is an important practice in the field of Cultural Heritage. Over time, significant stylistic characteristics have been identified...     

In whose bed shall I sleep tonight? The impact of transaction-specific versus partner-specific information on pricing on a sharing platform

Platform providers in the sharing economy such as AirBnB face a trade-off between providing information on the object of the transaction and providing more information about the transaction partner. We view this trade-off from an economic perspective as the choice between complete or relational contracts. Using a global data set of AirBnB listings, we empirically compare the strength of influence of premises-specific versus host-specific information on pricing on that platform. The results indicate that partner-specific information in fact has only a comparatively weak influence on prices. This sheds critical light on the frequently used argument that in the sharing economy, personal information is essential to establish the necessary trust between transaction partners. We also find that the importance of premises-specific versus partner-specific information varies with the type of premises being rented.     

What should a corporate website look like? The influence of Gestalt principles and visualisation in website design on the degree of acceptance and recommendation

Internet users decide within seconds, whether to elaborate on a website, or to go on to a new page. This calls for investigation of the factors influencing this decision. In two studies, we presented websites for 3 s and analysed the effect implementation of Gestalt principles (GPs) and visualisation of an interaction partner has on acceptance, recommendation of the site by the user, and social presence. Study 1 implemented a 3 (Gestalt principle of proximity: no, medium and strong implementation) × 3 (Gestalt principle of a common region: no, medium and strong implementation) – design and found more acceptance and recommendation with more GPs used. Study 2, using a 2 (GPs: implemented and not implemented) × 3 (visualisation: no, drawing and photograph) – design, showed more social presence with more realistic visualisation and more recommendation with higher social presence. Thus, GPs and realistic visualisation should be implemented in web design to intensify interaction with the user.     

Is It What I Think It Is? Is It Where I Think It Is? Using Point‐Clouds for Diagnostic Testing of a Digging Assembly's Form and Pose for an Autonomous Mining Shovel

This paper addresses the problem of verifying a control system's knowledge about the shape and pose of an electric mining shovel's digging assembly. The need for such verification arises in order to ensure safe autonomous operation. The likelihood of unintended collision is reduced by confirming that the digging assembly occupies the region of space it is thought to occupy. We present two methods for verification. The first computes the probability that regions of key interest have the geometric form expected, subject to an allowed uncertainty, given measured point‐cloud data. The second computes a likelihood distribution over a family of possible hypotheses by considering the level of support each range measurement provides to each hypothesis. The ideas presented extend, with appropriate adaptation, to other applications where it is necessary to verify the knowledge that a control system may possess about regions of space that are occupied from instant‐to‐instant.