Human-machine symbiosis overview

The interface between humans and technology is a rapidly changing field. In particular as technological methods have improved dramatically so interaction has become possible that could only be speculated about even a decade earlier. This interaction can though take on a wide range of forms. Indeed standard buttons and dials with televisual feedback are perhaps a common example. But now virtual reality systems, wearable computers and most of all, implant technology are throwing up a completely new concept, namely a symbiosis of human and machine. No longer is it sensible simply to consider how a human interacts with a machine, but rather how the human-machine symbiotic combination interacts with the outside world. In this paper we take a look at some of the recent approaches, putting implant technology in context. We also consider some specific practical examples which may well alter the way we look at this symbiosis in the future. The main area of interest as far as symbiotic studies are concerned is clearly the use of implant technology, particularly where a connection is made between technology and the human brain and/or nervous system. Often pilot tests and experimentation has been carried out apriori to investigate the eventual possibilities before human subjects are themselves involved. Some of the more pertinent animal studies are discussed briefly here. The paper however concentrates on human experimentation, in particular that carried out by the authors themselves, firstly to indicate what possibilities exist as of now with available technology, but perhaps more importantly to also show what might be possible with such technology in the future and how this may well have extensive social effects. The driving force behind the integration of technology with humans on a neural level has historically been to restore lost functionality in individuals who have suffered neurological trauma such as spinal cord damage, or who suffer from a debilitating disease such as lateral amyotrophic sclerosis. Very few would argue against the development of implants to enable such people to control their environment, or some aspect of their own body functions. Indeed this technology in the short term has applications for amelioration of symptoms for the physically impaired, such as alternative senses being bestowed on a blind or deaf individual. However the issue becomes distinctly more complex when it is proposed that such technology be used on those with no medical need, but instead who wish to enhance and augment their own bodies, particularly in terms of their mental attributes. These issues are discussed here in the light of practical experimental test results and their ethical consequences.

Perspex machine IX: transreal analysis

We introduce transreal analysis as a generalisation of real analysis. We find that the generalisation of the real exponential and logarithmic functions is well defined for all transreal numbers. Hence, we derive well defined values of all transreal powers of all non-negative transreal numbers. In particular, we find a well defined value for zero to the power of zero. We also note that the computation of products via the transreal logarithm is identical to the transreal product, as expected. We then generalise all of the common, real, trigonometric functions to transreal functions and show that transreal (sin x)/x is well defined everywhere. This raises the possibility that transreal analysis is total, in other words, that every function and every limit is everywhere well defined. If so, transreal analysis should be an adequate mathematical basis for analysing the perspex machine - a theoretical, super-Turing machine that operates on a total geometry. We go on to dispel all of the standard counter "proofs" that purport to show that division by zero is impossible. This is done simply by carrying the proof through in transreal arithmetic or transreal analysis. We find that either the supposed counter proof has no content or else that it supports the contention that division by zero is possible. The supposed counter proofs rely on extending the standard systems in arbitrary and inconsistent ways and then showing, tautologously, that the chosen extensions are not consistent. This shows only that the chosen extensions are inconsistent and does not bear on the question of whether division by zero is logically possible. By contrast, transreal arithmetic is total and consistent so it defeats any possible "straw man" argument. Finally, we show how to arrange that a function has finite or else unmeasurable (nullity) values, but no infinite values. This arithmetical arrangement might prove useful in mathematical physics because it outlaws naked singularities in all equations.

Linking human and machine brains

A look is taken here at how the use of implant technology is rapidly diminishing the effects of certain neural illnesses and distinctly increasing the range of abilities of those affected. An indication is given of a number of problem areas in which such technology has already had a profound effect, a key element being the need for a clear interface linking the human brain directly with a computer. In order to assess the possible opportunities, both human and animal studies are reported on. The main thrust of the paper is however a discussion of neural implant experimentation linking the human nervous system bi-directionally with the internet. With this in place neural signals were transmitted to various technological devices to directly control them, in some cases via the internet, and feedback to the brain was obtained from such as the fingertips of a robot hand, ultrasonic (extra) sensory input and neural signals directly from another human's nervous system. Consideration is given to the prospects for neural implant technology in the future, both in the short term as a therapeutic device and in the long term as a form of enhancement, including the realistic potential for thought communication potentially opening up commercial opportunities. Clearly though, an individual whose brain is part human - part machine can have abilities that far surpass those with a human brain alone. Will such an individual exhibit different moral and ethical values to those of a human.? If so, what effects might this have on society?

The application of implant technology for cybernetic systems

Objective: To assess the usefulness, compatibility, and long-term operability of a microelectrode array into the median nerve of the left arm of a healthy volunteer, including perception of feedback stimulation and operation of an instrumented prosthetic hand. Setting: The study was carried out from March 14 through June 18, 2002, in England and the United States. Results: The blindfolded subject received feedback information, obtained from force and slip sensors on the prosthetic hand, and subsequently used the implanted device to control the hand by applying an appropriate force to g rip an unseen object. Operability was also demonstrated remotely via the Internet, with the subject in New York, NY, and the prosthetic hand in Reading, England. Finally, the subject was able to control an electric wheelchair, via decoded signals from the implant device, to select the direction of travel by opening and closing his hand. The implantation did not result in infection or any perceivable loss of hand sensation or motion control. The implant was finally extracted because of mechanical fatigue of the percutaneous connection. Further testing after extraction has not indicated any measurable long-term defects in the subject. Conclusions: This implant may allow recipients to have abilities they would otherwise not possess. The response to stimulation improved considerably during the trial, suggesting that the subject learned to process the incoming information more effectively.

Multiple-scattering in radar systems: a review

Although extensively studied within the lidar community, the multiple scattering phenomenon has always been considered a rare curiosity by radar meteorologists. Up to few years ago its appearance has only been associated with two- or three-body-scattering features (e.g. hail flares and mirror images) involving highly reflective surfaces. Recent atmospheric research aimed at better understanding of the water cycle and the role played by clouds and precipitation in affecting the Earth's climate has driven the deployment of high frequency radars in space. Examples are the TRMM 13.5 GHz, the CloudSat 94 GHz, the upcoming EarthCARE 94 GHz, and the GPM dual 13-35 GHz radars. These systems are able to detect the vertical distribution of hydrometeors and thus provide crucial feedbacks for radiation and climate studies. The shift towards higher frequencies increases the sensitivity to hydrometeors, improves the spatial resolution and reduces the size and weight of the radar systems. On the other hand, higher frequency radars are affected by stronger extinction, especially in the presence of large precipitating particles (e.g. raindrops or hail particles), which may eventually drive the signal below the minimum detection threshold. In such circumstances the interpretation of the radar equation via the single scattering approximation may be problematic. Errors will be large when the radiation emitted from the radar after interacting more than once with the medium still contributes substantially to the received power. This is the case if the transport mean-free-path becomes comparable with the instrument footprint (determined by the antenna beam-width and the platform altitude). This situation resembles to what has already been experienced in lidar observations, but with a predominance of wide- versus small-angle scattering events. At millimeter wavelengths, hydrometeors diffuse radiation rather isotropically compared to the visible or near infrared region where scattering is predominantly in the forward direction. A complete understanding of radiation transport modeling and data analysis methods under wide-angle multiple scattering conditions is mandatory for a correct interpretation of echoes observed by space-borne millimeter radars. This paper reviews the status of research in this field. Different numerical techniques currently implemented to account for higher order scattering are reviewed and their weaknesses and strengths highlighted. Examples of simulated radar backscattering profiles are provided with particular emphasis given to situations in which the multiple scattering contributions become comparable or overwhelm the single scattering signal. We show evidences of multiple scattering effects from air-borne and from CloudSat observations, i.e. unique signatures which cannot be explained by single scattering theory. Ideas how to identify and tackle the multiple scattering effects are discussed. Finally perspectives and suggestions for future work are outlined. This work represents a reference-guide for studies focused at modeling the radiation transport and at interpreting data from high frequency space-borne radar systems that probe highly opaque scattering media such as thick ice clouds or precipitating clouds.

Control strategy for Boolean input systems

The purpose of this paper is to design a control law for continuous systems with Boolean inputs allowing the output to track a desired trajectory. Such systems are controlled by items of commutation. This type of systems, with Boolean inputs, has found increasing use in the electric industry. Power supplies include such systems and a power converter represents one of theses systems. For instance, in power electronics the control variable is the switching OFF and ON of components such as thyristors or transistors. In this paper, a method is proposed for the designing of a control law in state space for such systems. This approach is implemented in simulation for the control of an electronic circuit.

Hardware development of the Yorick series of active vision systems

This paper presents a review of the design and development of the Yorick series of active stereo camera platforms and their integration into real-time closed loop active vision systems, whose applications span surveillance, navigation of autonomously guided vehicles (AGVs), and inspection tasks for teleoperation, including immersive visual telepresence. The mechatronic approach adopted for the design of the first system, including head/eye platform, local controller, vision engine, gaze controller and system integration, proved to be very successful. The design team comprised researchers with experience in parallel computing, robot control, mechanical design and machine vision. The success of the project has generated sufficient interest to sanction a number of revisions of the original head design, including the design of a lightweight compact head for use on a robot arm, and the further development of a robot head to look specifically at increasing visual resolution for visual telepresence. The controller and vision processing engines have also been upgraded, to include the control of robot heads on mobile platforms and control of vergence through tracking of an operator's eye movement. This paper details the hardware development of the different active vision/telepresence systems.

Detection of faults in a high speed packaging machine using a multilayer perceptron (MLP)

In high speed manufacturing systems, continuous operation is desirable, with minimal disruption for repairs and service. An intelligent diagnostic monitoring system, designed to detect developing faults before catastrophic failure, or prior to undesirable reduction in output quality, is a good means of achieving this. Artificial neural networks have already been found to be of value in fault diagnosis of machinery. The aim here is to provide a system capable of detecting a number of faults, in order that maintenance can be scheduled in advance of sudden failure, and to reduce the necessity to replace parts at intervals based on mean time between failures. Instead, parts will need to be replaced only when necessary. Analysis of control information in the form of position error data from two servomotors is described.

The chaos machine: analogue computing rediscovered (1)

Analogue computers provide actual rather than virtual representations of model systems. They are powerful and engaging computing machines that are cheap and simple to build. This two-part Retronics article helps you build (and understand!) your own analogue computer to simulate the Lorenz butterfly that's become iconic for Chaos theory.

A novel human-machine interface using subdermal magnetic implants

This paper explores a novel tactile human-machine interface based on the controlled stimulation of mechanoreceptors by a subdermal magnetic implant manipulated through an external electromagnet. The selection of a suitable implant magnet and implant site is discussed and an external interface for manipulating the implant is described. The paper also reports on the basic properties of such an interface, including magnetic field strength sensitivity and frequency sensitivity obtained through experimentation on two participants. Finally, the paper presents two practical application scenarios for the interface.