Analysis of Light Grip Influence on Standing Posture

Upright posture control and gait are essential for achieving autonomous daily living activities. Postural control of upright posture relies, among others, on the integration of various sensory information. In this context, light touch (LT) and light grip (LG) of a stationary object provide an additional haptic sensory input that helps to reduce postural sway. When LG was studied through the grasp of a cane, the sensory role of this assistive tool was often limited to a mediation interface. Its role was restricted to transmit the interaction forces between its tip and the ground to the hand. While most studies involve participants standing in an unstable way, such as the tandem stance, in this paper we study LG from a different perspective. We attached a handle of a cane firmly to a stationary support. Thus, we can focus on the role of the hand receptors in the LG mechanism. LG condition was ensured through the tactile information gathered by FSR sensors placed on the handle surface. Moreover, participants involved in our study stood in a usual way. The study involved twelve participants in an experiment composed of two conditions: standing relaxed while lightly gripping an equipped handle attached to the ground, and standing in the same way without gripping the handle. Spatial and frequency analyses confirmed the results reported in the literature with other approaches.

Protection of a Stationary Object from the Massive Impact of Mobile Objects under Conditions of von Neumann's Mixed Game

The method of statistical simulation modeling (SSM) has been used to analyze the operating conditions and the efficiency of the physical protection system of a stationary object from the massive impact of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). It is shown that the conditions of the problem correspond to the reflexive version of a two-sided von Neumann's mixed game. statistical risk-oriented characteristics for two variants of the object protection system implementation using force mechanical and electromagnetic effects on the "drones cloud" are determined. The possibilities and the prospects for using the results obtained using the SSM method are presented.

Ontological synthesis of non-stationary dynamics models of on-board intelligence systems

An ontological synthesis of models for interpreting non-stationary dynamics in onboard intelligence systems operating in the emergency computing mode (Urgent Computing - UC) is considered. The ontological system of a dynamic knowledge base is formulated on the basis of theoretical models of the modern catastrophe theory (СT). The analysis and forecast of the evolutionary dynamics of a non-stationary object is implemented in a multiprocessor computing environment. Within the framework of the ontological system, an approach to the interpretation of non-stationary dy-namics using fractal geometry and the theory of dynamical systems stability is formulated. The practical application of the developed ontology model is discussed in relation to the interpretation of the interaction of a marine dynamic object (MDO) with the external environment at a given time interval. The dynamic СT model determines the motion of the MDO system to the target attractor and in case of stability loss. Examples of the implementation of the ontological synthesis of non-stationary dynamics in safety systems for navigation and landing of ship-based aircraft are given.

An Integral Approach to the Classification of Motorcycle Injuries

Annotation. The article attempts to highlight the problems that forensic experts face during the examination of victims of a motor trauma, propose a modern classification of this type of traffic accident suitable for experts, list those issues that require expert resolution, and establish a standard algorithm (sequence) of conducting such an examination. The material of the study was archival copies of expert opinions and acts of comprehensive forensic medical and transport- trassological examinations in cases of motor injuries (33 complex examinations and acts in total), for 2008–2018. Expert studies were conducted on the basis of the Odessa Regional Bureau of Forensic Medicine expertise. The research method is the analysis of forensic and transport-trassological signs in their interconnection and interdependence, allowing to resolve the basic questions about the mechanism and circumstances of motor trauma. The study suggests that the following main types of motorcycle injuries are currently the most common (this includes injuries when operating a “classic” motorcycle and a moped): injury to driver and passenger due to contact of a motorcycle (moped) – with another vehicle, – with a stationary object, – due to the rollover of a motorcycle (moped) without contact with another vehicle, – as a result of a fall from a motorcycle (moped) until it capsizes without contacting another vehicle, – due to contact of the motorcycle (moped) with a pedestrian (pedestrians); injury to pedestrians due to contact with a moving motorcycle (moped); combined injuries of the driver and passenger of a motorcycle or moped (injury due to the rollover of a motorcycle or moped followed by contact with another vehicle; injury due to successive contact of a motorcycle or moped with a pedestrian and stationary object; injury due to rollover of a motorcycle (moped) and falling into a water body or fire, etc.); combined types of injury to a pedestrian (pedestrians) due to contact with a moving motorcycle or moped (injury due to contact with a moving motorcycle or moped, followed by falling and rolling wheels of another vehicle; injury due to contact with a moving motorcycle or moped, and then dropping another vehicle onto the body funds, etc.). Thus, establishing the exact circumstances of a motorcycle injury is impossible by examining only some object artificially isolated from the rest (for example, a corpse). Such an expert approach should be completely abandoned. The author’s proposed classification of motorcycle injuries, which is based on an integrated approach to the study of the mechanism of accidents, and which reflects its main types, can be used for expert purposes.

General Moving Object Localization from a Single Flying Camera

Object localization is an important task in the visual surveillance of scenes, and it has important applications in locating personnel and/or equipment in large open spaces such as a farm or a mine. Traditionally, object localization can be performed using the technique of stereo vision: using two fixed cameras for a moving object, or using a single moving camera for a stationary object. This research addresses the problem of determining the location of a moving object using only a single moving camera, and it does not make use of any prior information on the type of object nor the size of the object. Our technique makes use of a single camera mounted on a quadrotor drone, which flies in a specific pattern relative to the object in order to remove the depth ambiguity associated with their relative motion. In our previous work, we showed that with three images, we can recover the location of an object moving parallel to the direction of motion of the camera. In this research, we find that with four images, we can recover the location of an object moving linearly in an arbitrary direction. We evaluated our algorithm on over 70 image sequences of objects moving in various directions, and the results showed a much smaller depth error rate (less than 8.0% typically) than other state-of-the-art algorithms.

TWO NOTES ON THE NEW CROESUS EPIGRAM FROM THEBES

In March 2005 a rescue excavation uncovered a spectacular new epigraphic find from Thebes. Now on display in the Archaeological Museum of Thebes, a column drum 0.41 m in height has inscribed on it two identical epigrams, one (the older one) written vertically in Boeotian script and a second (later) Ionian copy written horizontally on the other side. Nikolaos Papazarkadas published the editio princeps of the epigram in 2014, using both inscriptions to create a composite text. As Papazarkadas realized, the column drum, which has a chi-shaped orifice at one end meant to hold a stationary object, at one point displayed a ‘shining shield’ (φαεννὰν | [ἀσπ]ίδα, lines 3–4) that Herodotus had seen in the temple of Apollo Ismenius in Thebes. Moreover, this shield was interpreted by Herodotus (relying on the language of the inscription and likely on the commentary of temple staff) as having been dedicated by the Lydian king Croesus to the hero Amphiaraus, when he was ‘testing’ the various oracles in Greece in order to decide on a course of action against his rival Cyrus of Persia.