Johnny: An Autonomous Service Robot for Domestic Environments

In this article we describe the architecture, algorithms and real-world benchmarks performed by Johnny Jackanapes, an autonomous service robot for domestic environments. Johnny serves as a research and development platform to explore, develop and integrate capabilities required for real-world domestic service applications. We present a control architecture which allows to cope with various and changing domestic service robot tasks. A software architecture supporting the rapid integration of functionality into a complete system is as well presented. Further, we describe novel and robust algorithms centered around multi-modal human robot interaction, semantic scene understanding and SLAM. Evaluation of the complete system has been performed during the last years in the RoboCup@Home competition where Johnnys outstanding performance led to successful participation. The results and lessons learned of these benchmarks are explained in more detail.     

Attentional bias to pictures of fear-relevant animals in a dot probe task.

Attentional bias to fear-relevant animals was assessed in 69 participants not preselected on self-reported anxiety with the use of a dot probe task showing pictures of snakes, spiders, mushrooms, and flowers. Probes that replaced the fear-relevant stimuli (snakes and spiders) were found faster than probes that replaced the non-fear-relevant stimuli, indicating an attentional bias in the entire sample. The bias was not correlated with self-reported state or trait anxiety or with general fearfulness. Participants reporting higher levels of spider fear showed an enhanced bias to spiders, but the bias remained significant in low scorers. The bias to snake pictures was not related to snake fear and was significant in high and low scorers. These results indicate preferential processing of fear-relevant stimuli in an unselected sample. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Segregated structures in carbon black-containing immiscible polymer blends: HIPS/LLDPE systems

The structure/electrical resistivity relationship in CB-loaded immiscible HIPS/LLDPE blends was studied. Effects of CB content and location, dispersed polymer phase size and shape, dispersed phase viscosity, and processing procedures were examined. The elongated dispersed phase in CB-containing blends is essential for promoting conductivity in formulations prepared by melt mixing and compression molding. However, the same formulations proved highly resistive when injection-molded, due to orientation and excessive shearing. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 64: 1097–1106, 1997     

Conductive polymer blends with low carbon black loading: Polypropylene/polyamide

The electrical resistivity and morphology of polypropylene/nylon (PP/Ny) immiscible blends incorporated with carbon black (CB) were studied. CB was found to be preferentially located in the Ny phase or upon the Ny/PP interface. Blends with a co-continuous phase morphology depicted especially low resistivity values, due to a “double percolation” effect. The blend preparation sequence tends to affect the phase morphology, thus influencing the system's resistivity. Polymer polarity and crystallinity are important factors determining the blend's morphology, which relates directly to the electrical resistivity obtained.     

Deep drawing of fabric-reinforced thermoplastics: Wrinkle formation and their reduction

Producing highly stiff and strong thin-walled fabric-reinforced parts for mass application can be economic using a double-belt press to consolidate thermoplastic sheet and a hydraulic press for non-isothermal stamp forming in a second step. During stamp forming, undesired wrinkle formation can occur at sites of three dimensional forming. To understand the mechanisms of wrinkle formation, shear tests were performed with different types of reinforcing glass and carbon fabric, both dry and impregnated with a polyamide (PA12) matrix. Evidence has been found that wrinkle formation during fabric shear is strongly dependent on membrane stresses within the fabric. High membrane stresses of ∼20 MPa can prevent wrinkling even at high shear angles of ∼60°. These stresses can be generated during stamp forming by means of blank holders. A new flexible roller tracking device has successfully been installed on a stamp forming pilot plant. It was possible to form chests sized 450 mm. 300 mm. 40 mm (w. l. d) free of wrinkles with a 4-ply glass plain weave fabric preimpregnated with polyamide matrix (PA12) and a fiber content of 45 vol%.     

Chain Extension of Oligoamide or Polyamide in an Extruder

Polycondensates with too short chains can be chain‐extended with repair molecules. In this report, the molecular weight and, thereby, the melt viscosity of polyamides is enhanced in the extruder by two chemically very different types of repair molecules. Firstly, the chains were extended linearly with a bisoxaline which is a well‐known strategy. Secondly, polyamide chains were bundled by grafting onto a functionalized backbone chain, i. e., maleinated polystyrene (SMA). This less known route leads to branched rather than linear chain extension. Despite the fact that the melts of branched chains are less viscous than those of linear chains, at the same molecular weight, the viscosity of polyamides was markedly increased by grafting onto SMA. Grafting of oligoamide and polyamide chains was studied, as well as grafting of the monomer of the polyamide in combination with its polycondensation.     

Concept keyboards in the animation of standard algorithms

Software visualization and algorithm animation have been tackled almost exclusively from the visual point of view; this means representation and control occur through the visual channel. This approach has its limitations. To achieve better comprehension, we deal with multimodal interfaces that include the extended facilities of interaction together with those of the standard systems for data visualization and algorithm animation. The notion of specific concept keyboards is introduced. As a consequence, modern information and learning systems for algorithm animation are enhanced in such a way that control and interaction take place through appropriate interfaces designed and semi-automatically generated for this special purpose. In this paper, we provide some examples and report on a thorough evaluation to show the relevance of this new approach.