Three-dimensional mapping of real environments for cognitive robots navigation

Abstract The development of cognitive robots needs a strong “sensorial” support which should allow it to perceive the real world for interacting with it properly. Therefore the development of efficient visual-processing software to be equipped in effective artificial agents is a must. In this project we study and develop a visual-processing software that will work as the “eyes” of a cognitive robot. This software performs a three-dimensional mapping of the robot’s environment, providing it with the essential information required to make proper decisions during its navigation. Due to the complexity of this objective we have adopted the Scrum methodology in order to achieve an agile development process, which has allowed us to correct and improve in a fast way the successive versions of the product. The present project is structured in Sprints, which cover the different stages of the software development based on the requirements imposed by the robot and its real necessities. We have initially explored different commercial devices oriented to the acquisition of the required visual information, adopting the Kinect Sensor camera (Microsoft) as the most suitable option. Later on, we have studied the available software to manage the obtained visual information as well as its integration with the robot’s software, choosing the high-level platform Matlab as the common nexus to join the management of the camera, the management of the robot and the implementation of the behavioral algorithms. During the last stages the software has been developed to include the fundamental functionalities required to process the real environment, such as depth representation, segmentation, and clustering. Finally the software has been optimized to exhibit real-time processing and a suitable performance to fulfill the robot’s requirements during its operation in real situations.

Edaphic controls on ecosystem-level carbon allocation in two contrasting Amazon forests

Three components of carbon allocation, biomass, flux, and partitioning, were measured in two contrasting Amazon forests growing under similar climatic conditions. Allocation to aboveground compartments was highest in a high-stature forest growing on clay soils, while allocation to fine roots was higher in a short-stature forest growing on white sands. Differences in carbon allocation components where not proportional between the two forests, with soils controlling a trade-off between allocation to fine roots versus aboveground parts.

Organizational determinants of substantive sustainability reporting practices: the role of company-level fit

As sustainability reporting (SR) practices have being increasingly adopted by corporations over the last twenty years, most of the existing literature on SR has stressed the role of external determinants (such as institutional and stakeholder pressures) in explaining this uptake. However, given that recent evidence points to a broader range of motives and uses (both external and internal) of SR, we contend that its role within company-level activities deserves greater academic attention. In order to address this research gap, this paper seeks to provide a more detailed examination of the organizational characteristics acting as drivers and/or barriers of SR integration within corporate sustainability practices at the company-level. More specifically, we suggest that substantive SR implementation can be predicted by assessing the level of fit between the organization and the SR framework being adopted. Building on this hypothesis, our theoretical model defines three forms of fit (technical, cultural and political) and identifies organizational characteristics associated to each of these fits. Finally, implications for academic research, businesses and policy-makers are derived.

Symbolic vs substantive sustainability reporting: examining the role of company-level characteristics

As sustainability reporting (SR) practices have being increasingly adopted by corporations over the last twenty years, most of the existing literature on SR has stressed the role of external determinants (such as institutional and stakeholder pressures) in explaining this uptake. However, given that recent evidence points to a broader range of motives and uses (both external and internal) of SR, we contend that its role within company-level activities deserves greater academic attention. In order to address this research gap, this paper seeks to provide a more integrated perspective of both institutional and efficiency explanations of SR dynamics, as well as to highlight the role of company-level characteristics in explaining its contribution to sustainability management practices. More specifically, we suggest that substantive SR implementation can be predicted by assessing the level of fit between the organization and the SR framework being adopted. Building on this idea, our theoretical model defines three forms of fit (technical, cultural and political) and identifies organizational characteristics associated to each of these fits. Finally, implications for academic research, businesses and policy-makers are derived.