Vehicle Teleoperation Interfaces

Despite advances in autonomy, there will always be a need for human involvement in vehicle teleoperation. In particular, tasks such as exploration, reconnaissance and surveillance will continue to require human supervision, if not guidance and direct control. Thus, it is critical that the operator interface be as efficient and as capable as possible. In this paper, we provide an overview of vehicle teleoperation and present a summary of interfaces currently in use.     

Response to ‘Comments on: A cohesion measure for object‐oriented classes’

Indicating that CBMC does not satisfy the monotonic property in terms of the number of interactions, Xu and Zhou proposed an augmented definition of CBMC by adopting cut set instead of glue methods. The augmented CBMC clearly satisfies the monotonic property. However, CBMC is designed to overcome the problem with respect to the number of interactions and, therefore, focuses on the interaction pattern, especially, member connectivity. Consequently, it does not make sense to mention the monotonic property of CBMC with respect to interaction number. Moreover, the notion of glue methods allows several interpretations on the design quality of a class. However, that meaningful interpretation is not possible for the augmented definition due to the removal of the notion of glue methods. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Process control and risky decision-making: moderation by general mental ability and need for cognition

Human factors and ergonomics research could benefit from focusing more strongly on individual differences – especially trait variables. The present study suggests the analysis of moderator effects as a promising way to enhance understanding of trait variables and process control performance. Process control performance was studied by analysing moderator effects of general mental ability (GMA) and need for cognition (NC) on risky decision-making (RDM) and performance. Fifty engineering students were trained on a process control task using a computer-based simulation for three hours and tested twice thereafter. Risky decision-making was measured using a computerised gambling task while GMA and NC were assessed with questionnaires. Risky decision-making in interaction with each GMA and NC explained variance in performance over and above variance explained by the single effects. In conclusion, the analysis of moderator effects between individual difference variables and process control performance seems promising.

Practitioner Summary: Individual difference variables affect learning and performance, but have often not been studied to any great extent in human factors research. This article suggests a promising approach to studying individual differences – moderator analyses – and illustrates how such differences can lead to a better understanding of what determines process control performance.     

Supervisory control of multiple robots in dynamic tasking environments

A military targeting environment was simulated to examine the effects of an intelligent route-planning agent RoboLeader, which could support dynamic robot re-tasking based on battlefield developments, on the performance of robotics operators. We manipulated the level of assistance (LOAs) provided by RoboLeader as well as the presence of a visualisation tool that provided feedback to the participants on their primary task (target encapsulation) performance. Results showed that the participants' primary task benefited from RoboLeader on all LOAs conditions compared to manual performance; however, visualisation had little effect. Frequent video gamers demonstrated significantly better situation awareness of the mission environment than did infrequent gamers. Those participants with higher spatial ability performed better on a secondary target detection task than did those with lower spatial ability. Finally, participants' workload assessments were significantly lower when they were assisted by RoboLeader than when they performed the target entrapment task manually. Practitioner Summary: This study demonstrated the utility of an intelligent agent for enhancing robotics operators' supervisory control performance as well as reducing their workload during a complex urban scenario involving moving targets. The results furthered the understanding of the interplay among level-of-autonomy, multitasking performance and individual differences in military tasking environments.     

Coinage Metals in the Nanometer Length Scale

Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC)-stabilized gold organosol in toluene has been prepared by using a two-phase (water-toluene) extraction of AuCl₄^- followed by its reduction with sodium borohydride in the presence of the surfactant, CPC. The surfactant-stabilized gold nanoparticles were exploited to examine their optical properties when exposed to various solvent systems by measuring the changes in the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) spectrum.     

基于语义激活的智能图形处理系统

全面分析了目前知识处理系统所存在的弊病,提出了下一代语义激活系统,探讨了新一代知识系统所应提供的服务;并将之运用于图形处理系统,阐明了图形数据从统一表示到有效存储、建模、再现和检索等一系列智能处理过程;进而提出了图形信息的语义表示和智能推理模型.     

Mothers' Affect in the Homework Context: The Importance of Staying Positive.

This research investigated mothers' affect in the context of children's homework. Mothers (N=109) of children 8 to 12 years old were interviewed daily about their affect while interacting with children, their assistance with children's homework, and children's behavior while completing homework. At this time and 6 months later, children's motivational and emotional functioning was assessed. Although mothers' negative affect was lower than their positive affect, it was elevated on days their assistance with homework was high. This was accounted for by mothers' perceptions of children as helpless on days they provided heightened assistance. Mothers' positive affect in the homework context buffered children's motivational and emotional functioning against mothers' negative affect as well as children's helplessness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

土层地基上建筑结构混合控制的减震效率

研究土 -结构相互作用对结构混合控制减震效能的影响。首先建立了土层地基上结构混合控制的运动方程 ,通过不同输入地震波、不同土层剪切波速、不同结构参数等条件下的数值分析 ,讨论了桩基础对结构混合控制减震效率的影响规律。数值结果表明 :对于土 -结构相互作用体系 ,采用混合控制的减震效率明显要强于单一的 TL D的减震效率 ;在土层较为坚硬的情况下 ,混合控制仍具有较高减震效能 ;随着土层变软 ,土 -结构相互作用减小结构地震反应的效应趋于明显 ,混合控制的减震效率明显降低 ,因此 ,对软土地基上的结构实施混合控制时 ,必须先要正确分析土 -结构体系的地震反应。     

网络环境下的蓄电池智能监测系统设计

介绍了一种新型智能蓄电池监测系统的设计方案，并进一步研究了网络环境下蓄电池监控数据的加工处理，以实现蓄电池监测软计算模型的动态进化。