The Perception and Content of Cast Shadows: An Interdisciplinary Review

Abstract

Recently, psychologists have turned their attention to the study of cast shadows and demonstrated that the human perceptual system values information from shadows very highly in the perception of spatial qualities, sometimes to the detriment of other cues. However with some notable and recent exceptions, computer vision systems treat cast shadows not as signal but as noise. This paper provides a concise yet comprehensive review of the literature on cast shadow perception from across the cognitive sciences, including the theoretical information available, the perception of shadows in human and machine vision, and the ways in which shadows can be used.     

多光谱图像中云层及阴影的检测与消除

云层及阴影的检测是遥感应用领域的一个非常重要的问题。目前这方面的资料比较少，尤其是在被动接收条件下。提出了一种云层及阴影检测的算法，该算法的主要依据是云层及阴影覆盖区域高平滑性的特征，算法主要包括图像变换、亮度校正、云层及阴影的检测、滤波四个步骤。相对于现存方法而言，优点在于整个算法适合主被动接收条件，算法的处理比较简单，算法实现过程中没有很苛刻的参数选择，算法的适用范围较广。仿真结果不仅验证了上面的分析，而且表明该算法去云层及阴影的效果比较理想。     

Space,Language and Ontology: A Response to Davis

Abstract

Ernest Davis' article “Qualititative Spatial Reasoning in Interpreting Text and Narrative” discusses challenges that the interpretation of natural language appears to raise for the formalization of commonsense spatial reasoning. Davis finds these to be of “surprising logical complexity,” but also “erratic” in that they do not show a logical structuring of the problem space that could guide productive research. In this response I argue that much of the apparent lack of structure Davis laments is due to the very style of formal modeling he pursues. By augmenting logical considerations with substantial input from other disciplines and by adopting a heterogeneous and modular approach to formalization, I suggest that the problem space is by no means as ill-structured as Davis presents it.     

Shadow detection for mobile robots: Features,evaluation, and datasets

ABSTRACT

Shadows have long been a challenging topic for computer vision. This challenge is made even harder when we assume that the camera is moving, as many existing shadow detection techniques require the creation and maintenance of a background model. This article explores the problem of shadow modelling from a moving viewpoint (assumed to be a robotic platform) through comparing shadow-variant and shadow-invariant image features — primarily color, texture and edge-based features. These features are then embedded in a segmentation pipeline that provides predictions on shadow status, using minimal temporal context. We also release a public dataset of shadow-related image sequences, to help other researchers further develop shadow detection methods and to enable benchmarking of techniques.     

Information theory,animal communication,and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence

We present ongoing research in the application of information theory to animal communication systems with the goal of developing additional detectors and estimators for possible extraterrestrial intelligent signals. Regardless of the species, for intelligence (i.e., complex knowledge) to be transmitted certain rules of information theory must still be obeyed. We demonstrate some preliminary results of applying information theory to socially complex marine mammal species (bottlenose dolphins and humpback whales) as well as arboreal squirrel monkeys, because they almost exclusively rely on vocal signals for their communications, producing signals which can be readily characterized by signal analysis. Metrics such as Zipf's Law and higher-order information-entropic structure are emerging as indicators of the communicative complexity characteristic of an “intelligent message” content within these animals’ signals, perhaps not surprising given these species’ social complexity. In addition to human languages, for comparison we also apply these metrics to pulsar signals—perhaps (arguably) the most “organized” of stellar systems—as an example of astrophysical systems that would have to be distinguished from an extraterrestrial intelligence message by such information theoretic filters. We also look at a message transmitted from Earth (Arecibo Observatory) that contains a lot of meaning but little information in the mathematical sense we define it here. We conclude that the study of non-human communication systems on our own planet can make a valuable contribution to the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence by providing quantitative general measures of communicative complexity. Studying the complex communication systems of other intelligent species on our own planet may also be one of the best ways to deprovincialize our thinking about extraterrestrial communication systems in general.     

新抵消战略与导弹攻防

叙述了美国新抵消战略与美国亚太再平衡的呼应关系,追溯了三次抵消战略的来龙去脉与启示,围绕着美重返亚太、第三次的新抵消战略和导弹攻防问题,梳理了2016年美国国防部给其国会的中国军力报告所分析出的中国导弹攻击能力,从美国权威智库的2025美国重返亚太预测报告中概括了现在的美国导弹防御能力、差距与对策建议,通过导弹攻防力量对比,剖析了美导弹攻防新抵消战略的新质特点。     

Symmetric periodic solutions of the Hill’s problem. I

The planar circular Hill’s problem is considered, as well as its limiting integrable variant called the Hénon problem, for which the original Hill’s problem is a singular perturbation. Among solutions to the Hénon problem there are a countable number of generating solutions-arcs that are uniquely determined by the condition of successive passage through the origin of coordinates—singular point of equations of motion of the Hill’s problem. Using the generating solutions-arcs as “letters” of a certain “alphabet”, one can compose, according to some rules, the “words”: generating solutions of families of periodic orbits of the Hill’s problem. The sequence of letters in a word determines the order of orbit transfer from one invariant manifold to another, while the set of all properly specified words determine the system’s symbolic dynamics.     

A technique for estimating the probability of radiation-stimulated failures of integrated microcircuits in low-intensity radiation fields: Application to the Spektr-R spacecraft

In developing radio-electronic devices (RED) of spacecraft operating in the fields of ionizing radiation in space, one of the most important problems is the correct estimation of their radiation tolerance. The “weakest link” in the element base of onboard microelectronic devices under radiation effect is the integrated microcircuits (IMC), especially of large scale (LSI) and very large scale (VLSI) degree of integration. The main characteristic of IMC, which is taken into account when making decisions on using some particular type of IMC in the onboard RED, is the probability of non-failure operation (NFO) at the end of the spacecraft’s lifetime. It should be noted that, until now, the NFO has been calculated only from the reliability characteristics, disregarding the radiation effect. This paper presents the so-called “reliability” approach to determination of radiation tolerance of IMC, which allows one to estimate the probability of non-failure operation of various types of IMC with due account of radiation-stimulated dose failures. The described technique is applied to RED onboard the Spektr-R spacecraft to be launched in 2007.     

Wayfinding Through Orientation

Dominant approaches in computer-assisted wayfinding support adhere to the deeply problematic principles of turn-by-turn navigation. In this article, we suggest a new approach called “Wayfinding Through Orientation,” which supports the acquisition of spatial knowledge and cognitive mapping for advancing the user’s spatial orientation. Being oriented on one’s way is a prerequisite to enabling people to verify instructions and to incorporate new spatial information into their existing knowledge structure. In three studies described in this article we first present empirical evidence that people can be supported in survey knowledge acquisition through suitable wayfinding instructions. Consequently, we explore orientation information in human wayfinding instructions. Finally, we outline how orientation information can be communicated within a prototypically implemented navigation assistance system.     

The role of motor processes in mental rotation: selective shaping of cognitive processing via specific sensorimotor experience

The involvement of motor processes in mental rotation is experience-dependent: different levels of expertise in sensorimotor interactions lead to different strategies in mental rotation. In the present study, wrestlers, gymnasts, and nonathletes physically rotated objects that were either light (wooden) or heavy (lead) but otherwise having the same sizes and shapes. They then performed a mental rotation task using photographs of these objects in which the material and therefore the weight was visible. I hypothesized that wrestlers would rely more heavily on experience-based sensorimotor strategies in performing mental rotation because during their athletic practice they not only manipulate external “objects” (i.e., their opponent) but also have to plan future actions taking into account past experience of these “objects” (for example their weight). All participants reported that lead objects were harder to physically rotate than wooden ones. However, only wrestlers mentally rotated lead objects more slowly than wooden ones—as they would if they were physically rotating them—suggesting the involvement of motor processes. These findings show that the involvement of motor processes in mental rotation depends on specific rather than mere sensorimotor experience.     

运载火箭摇摆发动机与全箭动力学特性耦合关系研究

针对运载火箭“摆动发动机-伺服回路”负载频率低,可能影响全箭弹性模态稳定性的问题,首先建立了包含“发动机-伺服回路”动力学模型的全箭动力学模型,分析了“发动机－伺服回路”负载频率对伺服机构传递函数和控制系统开环传递函数特性的影响,指出了“发动机－伺服回路”负载频率与箭体弹性模态之间的动力学耦合关系,给出了保证弹性模态稳定的谐振频率判据,最后计算了保证全箭弹性模态稳定的负载频率边界值,并通过仿真算例验证了结果的正确性。研究结果表明,“发动机－伺服回路”局部的负载频率通过惯性负载力矩作用与全箭弹性模态形成耦合,当负载频率位于上、下边界值范围之内时就会导致某些弹性模态不稳定,因此在实际工程中应对负载频率进行限制,以保证运载火箭的飞行安全。
     

Experiments to Examine the Situated Nature of Geoscientific Concepts

ABSTRACT

Ontologies are being developed in many geoscientific domains. They are typically populated with two types of concepts: upper-level concepts that apply across many or all domains, and domain concepts that apply only within a specific domain. Previous work has refined this distinction by identifying a particular type of domain concept, called a situated concept, which is dependent on specific processes (natural, social, scientific, or possibly machine) for its meaning and is instantiated amongst entities within a specific geographical and historical context. In this paper we present new support for situated geoscientific concepts, building on our previous research that argues for the importance of situations in the development and use of concepts related to geoscientific field mapping. The new results are obtained by using statistical techniques to further analyze three geologists' field data over time, to better test the hypothesis that the concepts developed by the geologists to classify objects on the map are in fact situated. The field data are compared to each other, and to the concepts developed by the team. Differences found between and within individuals' data for three map concepts provide strong support for the idea that the concepts are variably influenced by data, theory, and natural and human situations. From this increased corroboration of situated concepts we suggest two implications for domain ontologies: (1) a delineation between situated domain concepts and non-situated domain concepts; and (2) recognition that representation of reliable meaning involves the capture of historical and geographical context for situated concepts.     

GJB 150.3A中高温试验程序剖析(一):GJB 150A/150高温试验程序及其相互关系

文章分两部分就GJB 150.3A《军用装备实验室环境试验方法 第3部分:高温试验》中的高温日循环贮存和日循环工作,高温恒温贮存和恒温工作试验模拟的环境、适用对象及其特点进行详细分析。第一部分着重介绍GJB 150.3A的各试验程序及其与GJB 150.3和MIL-STD-810C中各试验程序的关系;第二部分对GJB 150.3A提供的自然和诱发的温度日循环数据作为贮存或工作试验条件可应用于哪类设备进行说明,并对目前GJB 150.3A在型号工程应用中一些疑问、误解和问题进行分析和说明。     

Space,Language, and Ontology: A Response to Bateman

Abstract

Some of John Bateman's critiques of my article “Qualitative Spatial Reasoning in Interpreting Text and Narrative” are certainly valid. However, the alternative solutions that he proposes do not seem to me to be improvements.     

In Memoriam: Herbert L. Pick,Jr. (1930–2012)

ABSTRACT

Fictive motion in language (as in “the ridge went north”) is claimed to reflect the attention focus of the observer on the extension and spatial layout of an entity. This paper investigates fictive motion in alpine narratives, which describe the experience of moving in a very specifically structured space. We examine space properties that are highlighted through fictive motion in this specific context and describe how they go beyond spatial extension. We further report the communicative motivation behind the use of fictive motion, ranging from conveying the sense of place to encoding the full spatial footprint of a motion event.     

Shadow play

ABSTRACT

Despite its visibility but in spite of its lack of materiality (or perhaps because of it), shadow has been a rich source of metaphor, both verbal and visual. Figurative extensions to the visual realms have been less explored; here, we present and analyze some figurative uses of shadow in a sample of visual jokes, cartoons, photographs, and paintings for insights into the nuanced senses of the concept. The visual domains allow for rich expressions of meaning not easily expressed in words.     

Apollo: Learning from the past,for the future

This paper shares an interesting and unique case study of knowledge capture by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), an ongoing project to recapture and make available the lessons learned from the Apollo lunar landing project so that those working on future projects do not have to “reinvent the wheel”. NASA’s new Constellation program, the successor to the Space Shuttle program, proposes a return to the Moon using a new generation of vehicles. The Orion Crew Vehicle and the Altair Lunar Lander will use hardware, practices, and techniques descended and derived from Apollo, Shuttle, and the International Space Station. However, the new generation of engineers and managers who will be working with Orion and Altair are largely from the decades following Apollo, and are likely not well aware of what was developed in the 1960s. In 2006, a project at NASA’s Johnson Space Center was started to find pertinent Apollo-era documentation and gather it, format it, and present it using modern tools for today’s engineers and managers. This “Apollo Mission Familiarization for Constellation Personnel” project is accessible via the web from any NASA center for those interested in learning answers to the question “how did we do this during Apollo?”     

Statistical investigation of Heliospheric conditions resulting in magnetic storms: 2

This work is a continuation of investigation [1] of the behavior of the solar wind’s and interplanetary magnetic field’s parameters near the onset of geomagnetic storms for various types of solar wind streams. The data of the OMNI base for the 1976–2000 period are used in the analysis. The types of solar wind streams were determined, and the times of beginning (onsets) of magnetic storms were distributed in solar wind types as follows: CIR (121 storms), Sheath (22 storms), MC (113 storms), and “uncertain type” (367 storms). The growth of variations (hourly standard deviations) of the density and IMF magnitude was observed 5–10 hours before the onset only in the Sheath. For the CIR-, Sheath-and MC-induced storms the dependence between the minimum of the IMF B _z-component and the minimum of the D _st -index, as well as the dependence between the electric field E _y of solar wind and the minimum of the D _st -index are steeper than those for the “uncertain” solar wind type. The steepest D _st vs. B _z dependence is observed in the Sheath, and the steepest D _st vs. E _y dependence is observed in the MC.