Automatic fog detection and estimation of visibility distance through use of an onboard camera

In this paper, we will present a technique for measuring visibility distances under foggy weather conditions using a camera mounted onboard a moving vehicle. Our research has focused in particular on the problem of detecting daytime fog and estimating visibility distances; thanks to these efforts, an original method has been developed, tested and patented. The approach consists of dynamically implementing Koschmieder's law. Our method enables computing the meteorological visibility distance, a measure defined by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) as the distance beyond which a black object of an appropriate dimension is perceived with a contrast of less than 5%. Our proposed solution is an original one, featuring the advantage of utilizing a single camera and necessitating the presence of just the road and sky in the scene. As opposed to other methods that require the explicit extraction of the road, this method offers fewer constraints by virtue of being applicable with no more than the extraction of a homogeneous surface containing a portion of the road and sky within the image. This image preprocessing also serves to identify the level of compatibility of the processed image with the set of Koschmieder's model hypotheses. Nicolas Hautiére graduated from the École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État, France (2002). He received his M.S. and Ph.D. degree in computer vision, respectively, in 2002 and 2005 from Saint-Étienne University (France). From 2002, he is a researcher in the Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussées (LCPC), Paris, France. His research interests include trafic engineering, computer vision, and pattern recognition. Jean-Philippe Tarel graduated from the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, Paris, France (1991). He received his Ph.D. degree in Applied Mathematics from Paris IX-Dauphine University in 1996 and he was with the Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et Automatique (INRIA) from 1991 to 1996. From 1997 to 1998, he was a research associate at Brown University, USA. From 1999, he is a researcher in the Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussées (LCPC), Paris, France, and from 2001 to 2003 in the INRIA. His research interests include computer vision, pattern recognition, and shape modeling. Jean Lavenant graduated from the École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État, Lyon, France (2001). He received the M.S. degree in Computer Vision from Jean Monnet university of Saint-Étienne in 2001. In 2001, he was a researcher in the Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussées (LCPC). In 2002, he was a system engineer in Chicago (USA). He is currently an engineer for the french ministry of transports. Didier Aubert received the M.S. and Ph.D. degree, respectively, in 1985 and 1989 from the National Polytechnical Institut of Grenoble (INPG). From 1989--1990, he worked as a research scientist on the development of an automatic road following system for the NAVLAB at Carnegie Mellon University. From 1990–1994, he worked in the research department of a private company (ITMI). During this period he was the project leader of several projects dealing with computer vision. He is currently a researcher at INRETS since 1995 and works on Road traffic measurements, crowd monitoring, automated highway systems, and driving assistance systems for vehicles. He is an image processing expert for several companies, teaches at Universities (Paris VI, Paris XI, ENPC, ENST) and is at the editorial board of RTS (Research - Transport - Safety).     

The development and maturation of humanitarian psychology.

Humanitarian psychological support as an organized field is relatively young. Pioneers in the field were involved primarily in providing psychological support to refugees and internally displaced persons in conflict and nonconflict situations. This article describes basic principles for the design of psychological support programs and interventions. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) began a psychological support program in 1991. The IFRC chose psychological first aid as its model for implementation in developing countries. Psychological first aid fits all the principles for psychological support program design and is adapted to individual communities. The first generation of psychological support programs differed dramatically depending on the countries in which they were developed. A second generation of psychological support programs evolved in response to the earthquake/tsunami of December 26, 2004. The Inter-Agency Standing Committee international guidelines consolidated the advances of second-generation programs and provided a clear indication of the wide acceptance of the importance of psychological support. A glimpse is provided of the third generation of psychological support programs, and an admonition is made for a more empirical evaluation of the effectiveness of interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

氧气放电辅助激光淀积原位制备高T_c超导薄膜

采用低压氧气放电辅助的激光淀积方法,原位外延生长出零电阻温度91K,临界电流密度10~5A/cm~2的Y-Ba-Cu-O高温超导薄膜。扫描电镜和X光衍射分析结果表明,薄膜中超导相晶粒的生长具有c轴垂直于表面的择优取向。     

计算机支持的技术支援:概念与网络体系结构

首次提出了计算机支持的技术支援（CSTA）概念。计算机支持的技术支援是信息社会中技术支援的主要形式。分析了技术支援的过程、CSTA的技术特点和优点．总结了CSTA的基本研究内容和常用形式。针对技术支援的新需求、介绍了基于P2P的CSTA网络体系结构。     

农业灌排工程运行管理费用财政补助初探

节约用水、降低农民水费支出、保障灌排工程良性运行是农业水价改革的三大主要目标。在降低农户水费支出的情况下,如何通过发挥水价经济杠杆作用促进节约用水,如何保障灌排工程良性运行的费用,是迫切需要解决的难题。农业灌排工程运行管理费用财政补助可以在一定程度上解决灌排工程运行费用。而实现节约用水,就需要进一步研究农业灌排工程运行管理费用的补助方式。针对上述目标,根据大量调研,总结了农业灌排工程运行管理费用财政补助应注意的一些问题,针对国有骨干工程和田间工程分别提出了工程运行管理费用的补助形式。     

基于曲线拟合的毫米波雷达安装角度校准方法

毫米波雷达的安装角度校准是雷达正常使用并与摄像头进行数据融合的重要前提,雷达安装角度偏 转过大会导致雷达数据与摄像头数据融合失败,影响高级驾驶辅助系统(Advanced Driving Assistance System,ADAS) 的正常使用。文中提出一种基于曲线拟合的毫米波雷达安装角度校准方法,当车辆在道路上行驶时辅以车辆输入 的车速和偏航角信息,通过2000 个静止点进行曲线拟合得到雷达需要补偿的角度。相较于选择有护栏的道路进行 绕行和在标定场地部署角反射器进行安装角度校准的方法,这种方法适用的场景种类更多并且校准时间从15 分钟 以上缩短为5 分钟以下。经过实验验证,在花费更短时间完成校准后,校准精度与其它自校准方法相同为±5°。     

Intelligent assistance for teachers in collaborative e-learning environments

Collaborative learning environments provide a set of tools for students acting in groups to interact and accomplish an assigned task. In this kind of systems, students are free to express and communicate with each other, which usually lead to collaboration and communication problems that may require the intervention of a teacher. In this article, we introduce an intelligent agent approach to assist teachers through monitoring participations made by students within a collaborative distance learning environment, detecting conflictive situations in which a teacher’s intervention may be necessary. High precision rates achieved on conflict detection scenarios suggest great potential for the application of the proposed rule-based approach for providing personalized assistance to teachers during the development of group works.     

Analysis of weight distribution strategies in unilateral transtibial amputees during the stand-to-sit activity.

Current methods of quantifying the stand-to-sit activity (StTS) are resource intensive and have not been applied to unilateral transtibial amputees (TTAs). The purpose of this study is to define five phases of arm-rest assisted and unassisted StTS using simple instrumentation and implement this method for assessing TTA movement patterns. Twelve TTAs and 12 age-matched non-amputees performed StTS with and without arm-rest support. Symmetry of weight distribution between lower limbs was calculated for five StTS phases: Descent Initiation; Descent Deceleration; Seat-Contact; Stabilisation and Sitting. TTAs demonstrated an asymmetrical weight distribution pattern and a tendency to transfer weight to the intact limb during the course of the activity. Non-amputees had relatively higher symmetry and did not exhibit substantial weight shifts during the activity. Symmetry indices were similar for assisted and unassisted sitting in both subject groups. These results highlight a need for therapeutic interventions in TTAs for reducing loading asymmetries and associated co-morbidities.