Context-Aware Urban Exploration

Author(s):  
Mercedes Paulini

Mobile computing provides a new dimension in communication and access to data resources that is transforming the way people use information and interact in physical space. The rapid acceptance of these technologies by the public presents researchers with opportunities to develop systems that support social interaction and spatial navigation in unprecedented ways. This research presents a paradigm for negotiating physical space as influenced and supported by information from the virtual. It is proposed that the system allows users to traverse their environments in a more spontaneous and serendipitous manner than possible with existing navigational systems.

2021 ◽  
pp. 421-472
Author(s):  
Michael A. Arbib

Neuromorphic architecture, buildings with “brains,” revisits Le Corbusier’s “a house is a machine for living in” in cybernetic terms. It relates to smart architecture and artificial intelligence and is informed by neuroethology. The interactive space Ada had sensors for vision, audition, and a sense of touch mediated by floor panels. Ada could use this information to interact with visitors. Ada had “emotions,” and this leads into analysis of how “emotion” in buildings and robots relates to the neuroscience of emotions. The chapter distinguishes the physical space of the building from the neural space that connects sensors and effectors to support homeostasis and social interaction between building and users. The example of a neuromorphic kitchen grounds discussion of how buildings may learn. Such buildings can be considered as inside-out robots or embrained bodies. Biophilia and the way humans flourish when they have a sense of community are exemplified in WOHA’s Kampung Admiralty project, which functions as a system of systems. After considering a building as a system of systems, one may assess which of those subsystems may be ripe for being cybernetically enabled.


Author(s):  
Omar Shaikh ◽  
Stefano Bonino

The Colourful Heritage Project (CHP) is the first community heritage focused charitable initiative in Scotland aiming to preserve and to celebrate the contributions of early South Asian and Muslim migrants to Scotland. It has successfully collated a considerable number of oral stories to create an online video archive, providing first-hand accounts of the personal journeys and emotions of the arrival of the earliest generation of these migrants in Scotland and highlighting the inspiring lessons that can be learnt from them. The CHP’s aims are first to capture these stories, second to celebrate the community’s achievements, and third to inspire present and future South Asian, Muslim and Scottish generations. It is a community-led charitable project that has been actively documenting a collection of inspirational stories and personal accounts, uniquely told by the protagonists themselves, describing at first hand their stories and adventures. These range all the way from the time of partition itself to resettling in Pakistan, and then to their final accounts of arriving in Scotland. The video footage enables the public to see their facial expressions, feel their emotions and hear their voices, creating poignant memories of these great men and women, and helping to gain a better understanding of the South Asian and Muslim community’s earliest days in Scotland.


2008 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 9-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cary Carson

Abstract Are historic sites and house museums destined to go the way of Oldsmobiles and floppy disks?? Visitation has trended downwards for thirty years. Theories abound, but no one really knows why. To launch a discussion of the problem in the pages of The Public Historian, Cary Carson cautions against the pessimistic view that the past is simply passéé. Instead he offers a ““Plan B”” that takes account of the new way that learners today organize information to make history meaningful.


2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 203-231
Author(s):  
Antonio Terrone
Keyword(s):  

The study of Buddhist texts can inform us of the way scriptures were composed, as well as illuminate the reasons behind their production. This study examines the phenomenon of borrowing and reusing portions of texts without attributing them to their ‘legitimate authors’ within the Buddhist world of contemporary Tibet. It shows that not only is such a practice not at all infrequent and is often socially accepted, but that it is used in this case as a platform to advance specific claims and promote an explicit agenda. Therefore, rather than considering these as instances of plagiarism, this essay looks at the practice of copying and borrowing as an exercise in intertextuality, intended as the faithful retransmission of ancient truths, and as an indication of the public domain of texts in Tibet.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory D. Clemenson ◽  
Antonella Maselli ◽  
Alexander J. Fiannaca ◽  
Amos Miller ◽  
Mar Gonzalez-Franco

AbstractGPS navigation is commonplace in everyday life. While it has the capacity to make our lives easier, it is often used to automate functions that were once exclusively performed by our brain. Staying mentally active is key to healthy brain aging. Therefore, is GPS navigation causing more harm than good? Here we demonstrate that traditional turn-by-turn navigation promotes passive spatial navigation and ultimately, poor spatial learning of the surrounding environment. We propose an alternative form of GPS navigation based on sensory augmentation, that has the potential to fundamentally alter the way we navigate with GPS. By implementing a 3D spatial audio system similar to an auditory compass, users are directed towards their destination without explicit directions. Rather than being led passively through verbal directions, users are encouraged to take an active role in their own spatial navigation, leading to more accurate cognitive maps of space. Technology will always play a significant role in everyday life; however, it is important that we actively engage with the world around us. By simply rethinking the way we interact with GPS navigation, we can engage users in their own spatial navigation, leading to a better spatial understanding of the explored environment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakob Karolus ◽  
Paweł W. Woźniak

Abstract In an increasingly digital world, intelligent systems support us in accomplishing many everyday tasks. With the proliferation of affordable sensing devices, inferring user states from collected physiological data paves the way to tailor-made adaptation. While estimating a user’s abilities is technically possible, such proficiency assessments are rarely employed to benefit the user’s task reflection. In our work, we investigate how to model and design for proficiency estimation as part of context-aware systems. In this paper, we present the definition and conceptual architecture of proficiency-aware systems. The concept is not only applicable to current adaptive systems but provides a stepping stone for systems which actively aid in developing user proficiency during interaction.


1974 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 108-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatrice A. Wright

Several cognitive factors are singled out because of their strong influence on the way in which the abilities of blind people are perceived, namely: the spread phenomenon, position of the observer, expectation discrepancy, restricting environmental opportunities in accord with expectations, attribution to person versus environment. In the affective area, negative emotional factors (pity, fear, uneasiness, guilt) and positive emotional factors (genuine sympathy, respect, appreciation, warm interpersonal relationships) are discussed. Ambivalence (the presence of both positive and negative components) is seen as contributing to the variability of behavior toward blind people. Finally, guidelines for the improvement of attitudes and environmental opportunities are outlined. Of special significance for the education of the public is the approach based on the coping framework as opposed to the succumbing framework. Integrating blind persons with sighted persons into as many activities as possible is supported. The vigorous engagement and leadership in programs for the blind by blind people working collaboratively with sighted people are also stressed.


Author(s):  
Karolina M. Cern

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that Neil MacCormick’s conception of norm-usage makes it necessary to address the concept of the public power of judgement as the key concept for understanding the democratic legitimization of current law. Therefore, firstly I analyse MacCormick’s conception of norm-usage, secondly I demonstrate that it leads to the idea of the institutionalisation of judgemental–interpretative practice, and thirdly, I show that the latter paves the way to the public power of judgement. Finally, I argue that this power needs to be elaborated in terms of competencies which are broader than legal skills and legal reasoning, and, further, that these competencies condition the use of both legal skills and reasoning. Importantly, MacCormick’s contribution to understanding the public power of judgement—when further developed—may indicate the profound role of comprehending the proper significance of law in a democratic polity and its relationship to the citizenry.


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