3D Object Recognition: Symmetry and Virtual Views

Many 3D objects in the world around us are strongly constrained. For instance, not only cultural artifacts but also many natural objects are bilaterally symmetric. Thoretical arguments suggest and psychophysical experiments confirm that humans may be better in the recognition of symmetric objects. The hypothesis of symmetry-induced virtual views together with a network model that successfully accounts for human recognition of generic 3D objects leads to predictions that we have verified with psychophysical experiments.

Geometry and Photometry in 3D Visual Recognition

The report addresses the problem of visual recognition under two sources of variability: geometric and photometric. The geometric deals with the relation between 3D objects and their views under orthographic and perspective projection. The photometric deals with the relation between 3D matte objects and their images under changing illumination conditions. Taken together, an alignment-based method is presented for recognizing objects viewed from arbitrary viewing positions and illuminated by arbitrary settings of light sources.

Embodiment and Manipulation Learning Process for a Humanoid Hand

Babies are born with simple manipulation capabilities such as reflexes to perceived stimuli. Initial discoveries by babies are accidental until they become coordinated and curious enough to actively investigate their surroundings. This thesis explores the development of such primitive learning systems using an embodied light-weight hand with three fingers and a thumb. It is self-contained having four motors and 36 exteroceptor and proprioceptor sensors controlled by an on-palm microcontroller. Primitive manipulation is learned from sensory inputs using competitive learning, back-propagation algorithm and reinforcement learning strategies. This hand will be used for a humanoid being developed at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.

Japanese Scientific And Technology Information in the United States - Public Policy and Private Initiatives

In January 1983 a group of US government, industry and university information specialists gathered at MIT to take stock of efforts to monitor, acquire, assess, and disseminate Japanese scientific and technical information (JSTI). It was agreed that these efforts were uncoordinated and poorly conceived, and that a clearer understanding of Japanese technical information systems and a clearer sense of its importance to end users was necessary. That meeting led to formal technology assessments, Congressinal hearings, and legislation; it also helped stimulate several private initiatives in JSTI provision. Four years later there exist better coordinated and better conceived JSTI programs in both the public and private sectors, but there remains much room for improvement. This paper will recount their development and assess future directions.