Teaching Robots Style: Designing and Evaluating Style-by-Demonstration for Interactive Robotic Locomotion

In this article we present a multipart formal design and evaluation of the style-by-demonstration (SBD) approach to creating interactive robot behaviors: enabling people to design the style of interactive robot behaviors by providing an exemplar. We first introduce our Puppet Master SBD algorithm that enables the creation of interactive robot behaviors with a focus on style: Users provide an example demonstration of human–robot interaction and Puppet Master uses this to generate real-time interactive robot output that matches the demonstrated style. We further designed and implemented original interfaces for demonstrating interactive robot style and for interacting with the resulting robot behaviors. Following, we detail a set of studies we performed to appraise users' reactions to and acceptance of the SBD interaction design approach, the effectiveness of the underlying Puppet Master algorithm, and the usability of the demonstration interfaces. Fundamentally, this article investigates the broad questions of how people respond to SBD interaction, how they engage SBD interfaces, how SBD can be practically realized, and how the SBD approach to social human–robot interaction can be employed in future interaction design.     

Control of a Camera for Active Vision: Foveal Vision,Smooth Tracking and Saccade

Several characteristics of the human oculomotor system have been suggested to be useful also for active vision mechanisms. Among others, foveal vision and a tracking scheme based on two different modes, called smooth pursuit and saccade have often been postulated or implemented. The purpose of this paper is to formulate a setup in which the benefit of implementing these schemes can be evaluated in a systematic manner, based on control considerations but incorporating image processing constraints. First, the advantage of using foveal vision is evaluated by computing the size of the foveal window which will allow tracking of the largest possible class of signals. By using linear optimal control theory, this problem can be formulated as a one-variable maximization.Second, foveal vision leads naturally to smooth pursuit, defined as the performance that can be achieved by the controller resulting in the optimal size of the foveal window. This controller is relatively simple (i.e., linear, time-invariant) as is to be expected for this control loop.Finally, when smooth pursuit fails a corrective action must be performed to re-center the target on the fovea. Recent results in linear optimal control, provide the necessary tools for addressing this challenging problem in a systematic manner.     

Substrate quality impact on the carrier concentration of undoped annealed HgCdTe LPE layers

The impact of Te precipitates and impurities, in CdZnTe or CdTe substrates, on grown liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) HgCdTe layer hole concentrations was studied. The carrier concentrations in capped annealed LPE HgCdTe layers grown on CdZnTe substrates with large densities of Te precipitates are frequently significantly higher than those expected for HgCdTe annealed under Hg-deficient conditions. The carrier concentration in the LPE layer, due to the diffusion of copper ions from contaminated CdTe substrates into the layer, is strongly affected by the polarity of the (111)-oriented substrates. Layers grown on the (111)A face showed very high concentrations of Cu, whereas in those grown on the (111)B face normal carrier concentrations were achieved. These phenomena are discussed on the basis of defects formed either in the epilayer or in the layer-substrate interface.     

Enhanced Fluorescence for Bioassembly by Environment‐Switching Doping of Metal Ions

The self‐assembly of cyclodipeptides composed of natural aromatic amino acids into supramolecular structures of diverse morphologies with intrinsic emissions in the visible light region is demonstrated. The assembly process can be halted at the initial oligomerization by coordination with zinc ions, with the most prominent effect observed for cyclo‐dihistidine (cyclo‐HH). This process is mediated by attracting and pulling of the metal ions from the solvent into the peptide environment, rather than by direct interaction in the solvent as commonly accepted, thus forming an “environment‐switching” doping mechanism. The doping induces a change of cyclo‐HH molecular configurations and leads to the formation of pseudo “core/shell” clusters, comprising peptides and zinc ions organized in ordered conformations partially surrounded by relatively amorphous layers, thus significantly enhancing the emissions and allowing the application of the assemblies for ecofriendly color‐converted light emitting diodes. These findings shed light into the very initial coordination procedure and elucidate an alternative mechanism of metal ions doping on biomolecules, thus presenting a promising avenue for integration of the bioorganic world and the optoelectronic field.     

An Optical Sensor for Real-Time Positioning, Tracking, and Teaching of Industrial Robots

A real-time optical sensor has been integrated into a robot end effector. The sensor consists of a four-element position sensing spot, detector and can control a robot motion in two dimensions (two translational axes or translational and rotational axes). Analogical detection and signal analysis ensure fast response of the sensing system. The detecting system has been connected to the ``Unimation-Puma 600' robot, through its manual teach box, thus different tasks such as real-time path tracking, spot positioning, and teaching can be achieved. The sensor is simple in design and consequently inexpensive.     

Antibacterial,Antibiofilm, and Antiviral Farnesol-Containing Nanoparticles Prevent Staphylococcus aureus from Drug Resistance Development

Multidrug antimicrobial resistance is a constantly growing health care issue associated with increased mortality and morbidity, and huge financial burden. Bacteria frequently form biofilm communities responsible for numerous persistent infections resistant to conventional antibiotics. Herein, novel nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with the natural bactericide farnesol (FSL NPs) are generated using high-intensity ultrasound. The nanoformulation of farnesol improved its antibacterial properties and demonstrated complete eradication of Staphylococcus aureus within less than 3 h, without inducing resistance development, and was able to 100% inhibit the establishment of a drug-resistant S. aureus biofilm. These antibiotic-free nano-antimicrobials also reduced the mature biofilm at a very low concentration of the active agent. In addition to the outstanding antibacterial properties, the engineered nano-entities demonstrated strong antiviral properties and inhibited the spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 by up to 83%. The novel FSL NPs did not cause skin tissue irritation and did not induce the secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines in a 3D skin tissue model. These results support the potential of these bio-based nano-actives to replace the existing antibiotics and they may be used for the development of topical pharmaceutic products for controlling microbial skin infections, without inducing resistance development.     

All optical interface for parallel, remote, and spatiotemporal control of neuronal activity

A key technical barrier to furthering our understanding of complex neural networks has been the lack of tools for the simultaneous spatiotemporal control and detection of activity in a large number of neurons. Here, we report an all-optical system for achieving this kind of parallel and selective control and detection. We do this by delivering spatiotemporally complex optical stimuli through a digital micromirror spatiotemporal light modulator to cells expressing the light-activated ionotropic glutamate receptor (LiGluR), which have been labeled with a calcium dye to provide a fluorescent report of activity. Reliable and accurate spatiotemporal stimulation was obtained on HEK293 cells and cultured rat hippocampal neurons. This technique should be adaptable to in vivo applications and could serve as an optical interface for communicating with complex neural circuits.     

Semipermeable composite microcapsules

An interfacial polycondensation technique is described for preparing microcapsules from polyamides with a thin but dense surface supported by a strong porous layer of polymer. The permeation rate out of the capsules was measured for a compound with molecular weight ～100 and compared with permeation rates for a compound with molecular weight ～1000. Relative permeabilities of up to 10⁴ were observed. It is suggested that composite microcapsules may find application for the immobilization of homogeneous catalysts of high molecular weight acting upon substrates of low molecular weight.     

Modeling a grid‐connected concentrator photovoltaic system

A six‐parameter formula is proposed for describing the hourly alternating current performance of a grid‐connected, passively cooled concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) system. These system parameters all have physical meanings, and techniques are described for deriving their numerical values. The predictions of the model are compared with the measured output of a Soitec CPV system at Sede Boqer and found to be accurate to approximately ± 5% at all times of the year. The model should also be valid for systems of similar construction operated in different climates from the system studied here, and also for passively cooled CPV systems of different designs provided that suitable numerical values are determined for their system parameters. Another possible use of the model is as a guide for tailoring CPV cell architecture to the particular spectral conditions of the locations in which they will operate. Attention is drawn to the fact that the numerical values of some of the system parameters are found to depend upon the time binning employed for the data. An explanation is given for this phenomenon, which is also found to occur for non‐concentrating photovoltaic panels. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.