Modeling visuospatial reasoning

I apply my proposed modification of Soar/Spatial/Visual System and Kosslyn’s (1983) computational operations on images to problems within a 2 × 2 taxonomy that classifies research according to whether the coding involves static or dynamic relations within an object or between objects (Newcombe & Shipley, 2015). I then repeat this analysis for problems that are included in mathematics and science curricula. Because many of these problems involve reasoning from diagrams Hegarty’s (2011) framework for reasoning from visual-spatial displays provides additional support for organizing this topic. Two more relevant frameworks specify reasoning at different levels of abstraction (Reed, 2016) and with different combinations of actions and objects (Reed, 2018). The article concludes with suggestions for future directions.     

基于椭圆空腔虚拟势场的航天器集群控制方法

航天器集群由多个航天器在空间轨道上近距离飞行,进行信息交换,并相互协同共同完成空间任务。航天器集群作为智能集群在空间领域的表现形式,是智能集群的重要组成部分。当前,许多空间科学研究机构提出了多个航天器集群的研究计划,如 ANTS计划、APIES计划等。文章以在小行星带探测航天器集群为研究对象,提出了航天器集群的自组织控制方法,利用虚拟势场力使得与这个参考航天器构成最大距离可控的空间构型,从而保 证了航天器集群中的所有航天器共同构成松散空间构型。     

大型双曲冷却塔表面脉动风压随机特性——风压极值探讨

针对风压信号呈现的非高斯特性和传统极限估计方法的局限,首次提出基于保证率和相关性的极值估计方法——全概率迭代法进行冷却塔表面脉动风荷载极值分析,并和传统的峰值因子法及改进的Sadek-Simiu法计算结果进行对比验证。结果表明：全概率迭代法避开了对随机过程的高斯分布假定,相比传统的极值估计方法其结果更加真实可靠;表达风压极值中脉动分量的峰值因子数值沿着环向和子午向变化显著,如取为同一数值则偏于危险或过于保守;采用全概率迭代法得到的表面风压系数极值分布曲线与规范取值相比,迎风面和负压峰值区域极值偏小,背风区域极值偏大,且最小值对应角度相差约10°。     

The Space within Fisherman's Folly: Playing with a Puzzle in Mereotopology

Abstract

In this paper we propose a spatial ontology for reasoning about holes, rigid objects and a string, taking a classical puzzle as a motivating example. In this ontology the domain is composed of spatial regions whereby a theory about holes is defined over a mereotopological basis. Within this theory we define a data structure, named chain, that facilitates a clear and efficient representation of the puzzle states and its solution.     

Spatio-Temporal Ontologies and Attention

ABSTRACT

This paper presents a new proposal for the design of spatio-temporal ontologies which has its origin in cognitively motivated spatial semantics. It is shown that selective attention not only plays a central role in the characterization of spatial relations but that the representation of attentional aspects also leads to the possibility of defining an ontological upper structure which systematically covers both the spatial and the temporal domain.     

Expert Algorithmic and Imagistic Problem Solving Strategies in Advanced Chemistry

Abstract

Visualization and imagistic reasoning appear central to expert practice in science; however, expert use of these strategies on authentic tasks has not been examined in detail. This study documents how science experts use both algorithms and imagistic reasoning to solve problems. Using protocol analysis, we report expert chemists' preferential use of algorithms for solving spatial problems and imagistic reasoning for deducing spatial transformations. We observed experts employ algorithms to solve the majority of spatial tasks while reserving imagistic strategies to solve a class of tasks that required translating between representations. Strategy used varied widely among experts and tasks.     

Interface Familiarity Restores Active Advantage in a Virtual Exploration and Reconstruction Task in Children

Abstract

Active exploration is reportedly better than passive observation of spatial displacements in real environments, for the acquisition of relational spatial information, especially by children. However, a previous study using a virtual environment (VE) showed that children in a passive observation condition performed better than actives when asked to reconstruct in reality the environment explored virtually. Active children were unpractised in using the input device, which may have detracted from any active advantage, since input device operation may be regarded as a concurrent task, increasing cognitive load and spatial working memory demands. To examine this possibility, 7–8-year-old children in the present study were given 5 minutes of training with the joystick input device. When compared with passive participants for spatial learning, active participants gave a better performance than passives, placing objects significantly more accurately. The importance of interface training when using VEs for assessment and training was discussed.     

Revisiting Perspective-Taking: Can People Maintain Imagined Perspectives?

Abstract

Three experiments were conducted to examine whether people can adopt and maintain imagined perspectives in the absence of target information. The task used entailed providing information about an imagined perspective in advance of target information to examine whether this would facilitate perspective-taking performance and reduce or eliminate alignment effects that are commonly reported in the literature. The three experiments employed different types of spatial environments: an environment learned from navigating a computer screen (Experiment 1), and an immersive environment that was either remote (Experiment 2) or immediate (Experiment 3) at the time of retrieval. Across the three experiments, results showed that information about an imagined perspective can be utilized ahead of target information. Furthermore, they suggested that alignment effects can be reduced as a result of processing information about perspective ahead of target information, but only when reasoning about specific nonimmediate spatial relations (Experiments 1 and 2). Results are discussed in connection with previous findings on spatial updating and the organizational structure of spatial memory.     

Spatial Thinking in Undergraduate Science Education

Spatial thinking is central to many scientific domains and professions spatial ability predicts success and participation in science. However spatial thinking is not is not emphasized in our educational system. This paper presents a selective review of four types of studies regarding spatial thinking in undergraduate science curricula; (1) correlational studies examining the relations between measures of spatial ability and performance in science disciplines, (2) studies that attempt to train aspects of spatial thinking, (3) studies of how students understand specific spatial representations in sciences (4) studies that use dynamic spatial representations to promote scientific understanding. For each type of study, the evidence is critically evaluated and conclusions are drawn about how to nurture spatial thinking in science.