Knowing-with-snow in an outdoor kindergarten

This article highlights how reciprocal relationships between children and the environment can contribute to exploring understanding of children’s learning in the outdoor environment. We draw on data from a kindergarten in the northern part of Norway, where we have carried out fieldwork three hours a week from October to mid-May. During this period, the outdoor area was covered with snow of varying qualities. Snow and weather conditions are included as elements in a relational understanding, in which the environment is understood as open and dynamic – an interaction between past and present, between geography, materiality, people and the ‘more-than-human’. The learner and the environment are understood as an indivisible process, where different elements exercise a reciprocal influence on each other. Using Ingold’s concept of correspondence, we explore how children learn by being within and with the world. The article is a contribution to creating a nuanced understanding of children’s learning and the educator’s role within an outdoor environment in kindergarten practice.

COMPARATIVE STUDY ON DEGRADATION OF POLYLACTIC ACID/ SYZYGIUM AROMATICUM COMPOSITES AGEING IN OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT AND SOIL BURIAL

Major environmental problems resulting from non-degradable components of plastic wastes have awakened great attention to bioplastic as an alternative material. Among various bioplastic materials, polylactic acid (PLA) is recognised as a promising material especially as a food packaging material. The development of PLA composites using various fillers has extensively been in focus in order to preserve the high quality, safety, and extended shelf-life of packed food. Among the interesting fillers is Syzygium aromaticum (SA). SA, also known as clove, has biological activities such as antibacterial, antifungal, insecticidal, and antioxidant properties. This work investigated the effects of SA filler on the degradations of virgin PLA (VPLA) and recycled PLA (RPLA). The VPLA/SA composites and RPLA/SA composites were prepared using the solvent casting method. The content of SA filler varied in the range of 0 to 20 wt%. The composites were aged in outdoor environment and soil burial. The results revealed that the degradation rate was increased with the increase of SA filler in both ageing environments. After 10 weeks of ageing in the outdoor environment, the weight loss of VPLA/SA composites and RPLA/SA composites containing 20 wt% of SA were 7.7% and 12.8% respectively. Whereas in soil burial, the weight loss of VPLA/SA composites and RPLA/SA composites with similar SA content were 25.6% and 38.3% respectively. The degradation rate was observed to be more rapid in the soil burial as compared to the outdoor environment. Comparably, RPLA and RPLA/SA composites experienced higher degradation rates than VPLA and VPLA/SA composites. The degradation rate was consistent with scanning electron microscope (SEM) images which observed the formation of holes, cavities, cleavages, and grooves on the surfaces of the samples. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results on aged samples showed that VPLA/SA composites and RPLA/SA composites that had aged in soil burial decomposed at lower temperatures. The shortening of degradation time of the VPLA/SA composites and RPLA/SA composites could increase their potential to be used as food packaging materials. ABSTRAK: Masalah utama terhadap alam sekitar yang disebabkan oleh sisa plastik yang sukar terurai, telah menarik perhatian terhadap bioplastik sebagai bahan alternatif. Di antara pelbagai jenis bahan bioplastik sedia ada, asid polilaktik(PLA) dilihat sebagai bahan yang paling sesuai terutamanya sebagai bahan pembungkusan makanan. Perkembangan di dalam penghasilan komposit asid polilaktik yang ditambah dengan pelbagai bahan pengisi telah menjadi fokus terutamanya bagi tujuan meningkatkan kualiti, kesegaran dan jangka hayat makanan. Salah satu pengisi yang mendapat perhatian adalah Syzygium aromaticum (SA). SA yang juga dikenali sebagai bunga cengkeh mempunyai aktiviti biologi, seperti sifat antibakteria, antijamur, racun serangga dan antioksidan yang tinggi. Didalam kajian ini, siasatan terhadap kesan penambahan SA terhadap penguraian PLA asal (VPLA) dan PLA kitar semula (VPLA). Komposit VPLA/SA dan komposit RPLA/SA disediakan dengan menggunakan kaedah pelarutan pelarut. Kandungan pengisi SA adalah didalam julat 0 – 20% mengikut berat. Komposit tersebut dibiarkan menua didalam persekitaran luaran dan didalam tanah. Keputusan kajian mendapati bahawa kadar penguraian semakin meningkat dengan penambahan peratus berat bahan pengisi SA setelah melalui penuaan didalam kedua-dua persekitaran. Setelah penuaan selama10 minggu di dalam persekiran luaran, pengurang berat komposit VPLA/SA dan komposit RPLA/SA yang mengandungi 20 wt% SA adalah 7.7% dan 12.8%. Manakala bagi penuaan didalam tanah, pengurangan berat komposit VPLA/SA dan komposit RPLA/SA dengan kandungan SA yang sama masing-masing adalah 25.6% dan 38.3%. Kadar penguraian diperhatikan lebih cepat bagi penuan didalam tanah dibandingkan dengan penuaan didalam persekitaran luaran. Disamping itu, RPLA dan komposit RPLA/SA mengalami kadar penguraian yang lebih tinggi berbanding VPLA dan komposit VPLA/SA. Kadar penguraian adalah konsisten dengan imej yang dihasilkan oleh imbasan mikroskop elektron (SEM) dimana dapat dilihat pembentukan lubang, rongga, pembelahan dan alur di permukaan sampel. Hasil analisis termogravimetri (TGA) terhadap sampel yang telah dituakan menunjukkan bahawa komposit VPLA/SA dan komposit RPLA/SA yang melalui penuaan didalam tanah terurai pada suhu yang lebih rendah. Tempoh penguraian komposit VPLA/SA dan komposit RPLA/SA yang lebih pendek ini meningkatkan potensi penggunaannya komposit ini sebagai bahan pembungkusan makanan.

A method of pedestrian flow monitoring based on received signal strength

There is a wide demand for people counting and pedestrian flow monitoring in large public places such as scenic tourist areas, shopping malls, stations, squares, and so on. Based on the feedback from the pedestrian flow monitoring system, resources can be optimally allocated to maximize social and economic benefits. Moreover, trampling accidents can be avoided because pedestrian guidance is carried out in time. In order to meet these requirements, we propose a method of pedestrian flow monitoring based on the received signal strength (RSS) of wireless sensor networks. This method mainly utilizes the shadow attenuation effect of pedestrians on radio frequency (RF) signals of effective links. In this paper, a deployment structure of RF wireless sensor network is firstly designed to monitor the pedestrians. Secondly, the features are extracted from the wavelet decomposition of RSS signal series with a short time. Lastly, the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm is trained by an experimental data set to distinguish the instantaneous number of pedestrian passing through the monitoring point. In the case of dense and sparse indoor personnel density, the accuracy of the SVM model is 88.9% and 94.5%, respectively. In the outdoor environment, the accuracy of the SVM model is 92.9%. The experimental results show that this method can realize the high precision monitoring of the flow of people in the context of real-time pedestrian flow monitoring.

Comparison of TrackMan Data between Professional and Amateur Golfers at Swinging to Uphill and Downhill Fairways

Background: Golfers face different environmental conditions in each game played under various constraints. Enhancing affordances through training in a constrained outdoor environment is crucial. Objective: To analyze club head behavior at ball impact of a tee shot by 42 professional (PGs) and 25 amateur (AGs) golfers in swinging to uphill and downhill fairway environments using the TrackMan portable launch monitor. Methods: We used TrackMan to compare golf club movement adaptations in 42 PGs and 25 AGs. A 330-m driving range facing both the uphill (+5°) and downhill (-5°) fairways were used. The tee shot area was the only flat ground surface, with the uneven ground between the shot area and the 200-yard fairway. Results: The clubhead speed and attack angle were significantly higher among PGs than among AGs. PGs could adapt their swings to the uphill fairway by increasing the attack angle (3.6°±2.4) by 3.3° compared with the downhill fairway. The attack angle did not correlate with the launch angle among the AGs in the downhill condition, suggesting that they were unable to control the height of the ball based on the far side of the fairway. Conclusion: PGs increased the attack angle in uphill conditions, and their awareness of the affordance, which was different from that of AGs, allowed them to change the optimal ball trajectory to avoid perceived fairway risks. Thus, the more skill a player had, the better he was at recognizing the affordance of the visual field. PGs demonstrated a better ability to adapt to environmental constraints.

Efficient Computation for Localization and Navigation System for a Differential Drive Mobile Robot in Indoor and Outdoor Environments

Numerous challenges are usually faced during the design and development of an autonomous mobile robot. Path planning and navigation are two significant areas in the control of autonomous mobile robots. The computation of odometry plays a major role in developing navigation systems. This research aims to develop an effective method for the computation of odometry using low-cost sensors, in the differential drive mobile robot. The controller acquires the localization of the robot and guides the path to reach the required target position using the calculated odometry and its created new two-dimensional mapping. The proposed method enables the determination of the global position of the robot through odometry calibration within the indoor and outdoor environment using Graphical Simulation software.

Investigations on Bacterial Load in the Rural and Urban Indoor and Outdoor Environment of Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India

Comparative analysis of airborne bacterial load in the rural and urban indoor and outdoor environment is of utmost importance to evaluate the wellbeing hazards linked with co3ntamination of airborne bacteria in the indoor environment. The present study was conducted during December, 2020 to March, 2021 among 50 randomly selected rural and urban (Adupurajagir and Gwalior, respectively) dwellings to determine the indoor and outdoor bacterial load. The mean load of 562.35 CFU/m3 airborne bacteria was recorded in the indoor environment of a modular kitchen in Gwalior city. The mean load of 2593.75 CFU/m3 bacteria was recorded in the indoor environment of the traditional kitchen in Adupurajagir village. In addition, bacterial load of respectively 1215.13 CFU/m3 and 783.03 CFU/m3 was calculated in the open space at both study sites. Based on morphological characteristics five bacterial species (spp.) were identified Staphylococcus aureus spp, Bacillus spp, Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp, E-coli spp, and Micrococcus spp. By gram staining method the most common bacteria were gram-positive (+ve) [n=85, 54.48% (37.17% cocci, 17.94% bacilli)] followed by gram-negative (-ve) [n=71, 45.51% (23.07% cocci, 21.79% bacilli)] identified. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was employed between bacterial load and physical factors of the indoor environment in the rural traditional kitchen. Bacterial load (CFU/m3) showed a significant correlation with temperature (p < 0.001). However, a non-significant correlation was recorded with relative humidity (p > 0.01). High bacterial load was found in the rural traditional kitchen’s indoor environment compared to urban modular kitchen. Outcomes from this study revealed that bioaerosol sampling could deliver fruitful knowledge about the variation of air quality and prevent possible hospital admissions.

A Wearable Biofeedback Device to Increase Gait Swing Time Could Have Positive Effects on Gait among Older Adults

Older adults walk with a shorter stride length, reduced hip range of motion (ROM) and higher cadence. These are signs of reductions in walking ability. This study investigated whether using a wireless smart insole system that monitored and provided biofeedback to encourage an extension of swing time could increase stride length and hip flexion, while reducing the cadence. Seven older adults were tested in this study, with and without the biofeedback device, in an outdoor environment. Gait analysis was performed by using GaitRite system and Xsens MVN. Repeated measures analysis demonstrated that with biofeedback, the swing time increased by 6.45%, stride length by 4.52% and hip flexion by 14.73%, with statistical significance. It also decreased the cadence significantly by 5.5%. This study has demonstrated that this smart insole system modified positively the studied gait parameters in older adults and has the potential to improve their walking ability.

Perimeter Protection of the Areas of Interest

This article analyses the history and current state in the area of outdoor protection. In the first part of the article, the sensory systems, which have been used for many years are described. Attention is paid to the sensors using conventional principles of the detection of the objects. New modern sensory systems together with their principles used for the protection of the outdoor environment are also described. Other problem is that older sensory systems of spatial protection were focused on the security of properties and buildings without expecting any change position in the time. The article analyzes also new possibilities of protecting of the outdoor perimeter even in the situations when the borders of the areas of interest are only temporary or mobile. And as UAV systems have been used massively and often involve modern multisensory systems, the last part of the article describes current sensors, which have been currently used to detect the UAV systems and to to protect the area of interest.

Mallard Detection Using Microphone Arrays Combined with Delay-and-Sum Beamforming for Smart and Remote Rice–Duck Farming

This paper presents an estimation method for a sound source of pre-recorded mallard calls from acoustic information using two microphone arrays combined with delay-and-sum beamforming. Rice farming using mallards saves labor because mallards work instead of farmers. Nevertheless, the number of mallards declines when they are preyed upon by natural enemies such as crows, kites, and weasels. We consider that efficient management can be achieved by locating and identifying the locations of mallards and their natural enemies using acoustic information that can be widely sensed in a paddy field. For this study, we developed a prototype system that comprises two sets of microphone arrays. We used 64 microphones in all installed on our originally designed and assembled sensor mounts. We obtained three acoustic datasets in an outdoor environment for our benchmark evaluation. The experimentally obtained results demonstrated that the proposed system provides adequate accuracy for application to rice–duck farming.

A Seamless Navigation System and Applications for Autonomous Vehicles Using a Tightly Coupled GNSS/UWB/INS/Map Integration Scheme

Seamless positioning systems for complex environments have been a popular focus of research on positioning safety for autonomous vehicles (AVs). In particular, the seamless high-precision positioning of AVs indoors and outdoors still poses considerable challenges and requires continuous, reliable, and high-precision positioning information to guarantee the safety of driving. To obtain effective positioning information, multiconstellation global navigation satellite system (multi-GNSS) real-time kinematics (RTK) and an inertial navigation system (INS) have been widely integrated into AVs. However, integrated multi-GNSS and INS applications cannot provide effective and seamless positioning results for AVs in indoor and outdoor environments due to limited satellite availability, multipath effects, frequent signal blockages, and the lack of GNSS signals indoors. In this contribution, multi-GNSS-tightly coupled (TC) RTK/INS technology is developed to solve the positioning problem for a challenging urban outdoor environment. In addition, ultrawideband (UWB)/INS technology is developed to provide accurate and continuous positioning results in indoor environments, and INS and map information are used to identify and eliminate UWB non-line-of-sight (NLOS) errors. Finally, an improved adaptive robust extended Kalman filter (AREKF) algorithm based on a TC integrated single-frequency multi-GNSS-TC RTK/UWB/INS/map system is studied to provide continuous, reliable, high-precision positioning information to AVs in indoor and outdoor environments. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme is capable of seamlessly guaranteeing the positioning accuracy of AVs in complex indoor and outdoor environments involving many measurement outliers and environmental interference effects.