Abstract

Significant advances have been made recently in Visual Place Recognition (VPR), feature correspondence, and localization due to the proliferation of deep-learning-based methods. However, existing approaches tend to address, partially or fully, only one of two key challenges: viewpoint change and perceptual aliasing. In this paper, we present novel research that simultaneously addresses both challenges by combining deep-learned features with geometric transformations based on reasonable domain assumptions about navigation on a ground-plane, whilst also removing the requirement for specialized hardware setup (eg lighting, downwards facing cameras). In particular, our integration of VPR with SLAM by leveraging the robustness of deep-learned features and our homography-based extreme viewpoint invariance significantly boosts the performance of VPR, feature correspondence, and pose graph submodules of the SLAM pipeline. For the first time, we demonstrate a localization system capable of state-of-the-art performance despite perceptual aliasing and extreme 180-degree-rotated viewpoint change in a range of real-world and simulated experiments. Our system is able to achieve early loop closures that prevent significant drifts in SLAM trajectories. We also compare extensively several deep architectures for VPR and descriptor matching. We also show that superior place recognition and descriptor matching across opposite views results in a similar performance gain in back-end pose graph optimization.

Abstract

Recent neuroimaging evidence suggest that there exists a unique individual-specific functional connectivity (FC) pattern consistent across tasks. The objective of our study is to utilize FC patterns to identify an individual using a supervised machine learning approach. To this end, we use two previously published data sets that comprises resting-state and task-based fMRI responses. We use static FC measures as input to a linear classifier to evaluate its performance. We additionally extend this analysis to capture dynamic FC using two approaches: the common sliding window approach and the more recent phase synchrony-based measure. We found that the classification models using dynamic FC patterns as input outperform their static analysis counterpart by a significant margin for both data sets. Furthermore, sliding window-based analysis proved to capture more individual-specific brain connectivity patterns …

Abstract

Keeping time is fundamental for our everyday existence. Various isochronous activities, such as locomotion, require us to use internal timekeeping. This phenomenon comes into play also in other human pursuits such as dance and music. When listening to music, we spontaneously perceive and predict its beat. The process of beat perception comprises both beat inference and beat maintenance, their relative importance depending on the salience of beat in the music. To study functional connectivity associated with these processes in a naturalistic situation, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure brain responses of participants while they were listening to a piece of music containing strong contrasts in beat salience. Subsequently, we utilized dynamic graph analysis and psychophysiological interactions (PPI) analysis in connection with computational modelling of beat salience to investigate …

Abstract

Musical preferences have been considered a mirror of the self. In this age of Big Data, online music streaming services allow us to capture ecologically valid music listening behavior and provide a rich source of information to identify several user-specific aspects. Studies have shown musical engagement to be an indirect representation of internal states including internalized symptomatology and depression. The current study aims at unearthing patterns and trends in the individuals at risk for depression as it manifests in naturally occurring music listening behavior. Mental well-being scores, musical engagement measures, and listening histories of this http URL users (N= 541) were acquired. Social tags associated with each listener's most popular tracks were analyzed to unearth the mood/emotions and genres associated with the users. Results revealed that social tags prevalent in the users at risk for depression were predominantly related to emotions depicting Sadness associated with genre tags representing neo-psychedelic-, avant garde-, dream-pop. This study will open up avenues for an MIR-based approach to characterizing and predicting risk for depression which can be helpful in early detection and additionally provide bases for designing music recommendations accordingly.

Abstract

As the field of Music Information Retrieval grows, it is important to take into consideration the multi-modality of music and how aspects of musical engagement such as movement and gesture might be taken into account. Bodily movement is universally associated with music and reflective of important individual features related to music preference such as personality, mood, and empathy. Future multimodal MIR systems may benefit from taking these aspects into account. The current study addresses this by identifying individual differences, specifically Big Five personality traits, and scores on the Empathy and Systemizing Quotients (EQ/SQ) from participants' free dance movements. Our model successfully explored the unseen space for personality as well as EQ, SQ, which has not previously been accomplished for the latter. R2 scores for personality, EQ, and SQ were 76.3%, 77.1%, and 86.7% respectively. As a follow-up, we investigated which bodily joints were most important in defining these traits. We discuss how further research may explore how the mapping of these traits to movement patterns can be used to build a more personalized, multi-modal recommendation system, as well as potential therapeutic applications.

Abstract

In this work, a large area, low cost and flexible polymer/paper-based double touch mode capacitive pressure sensor is demonstrated. Garage fabrication processes are used which only require cutting, taping and assembly of aluminum (Al) coated polyimide (PI) foil, PI tape and double-sided scotch tape. The presented pressure sensor operates in different pressure regions i.e. normal (0 to 7.5 kPa), transition (7.5 to 14.24 kPa), linear (14.24 to 54.9 kPa) and saturation (above 54.9 kPa). The advantages of the demonstrated double touch mode capacitive pressure sensors are low temperature drift, long linear range, high pressure sensitivity, precise pressure measurement and large die area. The linear output along with a high sensitivity range (14.24 to 54.9 kPa pressure range) of the sensor are utilized to wirelessly control the movement of a robotic arm with precise rotation and tilt movement capabilities.

Abstract

Pulse Arrival Time (PAT) derived from Electrocardiogram (ECG) and Photoplethysmogram (PPG) for cuff-less Blood Pressure (BP) measurement has been a contemporary and widely accepted technique. However, the features extracted for it are conventionally from an isolated pulse of ECG and PPG signals. As a result, the estimated BP is intermittent. Objective: This paper presents feature extraction from each beat of ECG and PPG signals to make BP measurements uninterrupted. These features are extracted by employing Haar transformation to adaptively attenuate measurement noise and improve the fiducial point detection precision. Method: the use of only PAT feature as an independent variable leads to an inaccurate estimation of either Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) or Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) or both. We propose the extraction of supplementary features that are highly correlated to physiological parameters. Concurrent data was collected as per the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) guidelines from 171 human subjects belonging to diverse age groups. An Adaptive Window Wavelet Transformation (AWWT) technique based on Haar wavelet transformation has been introduced to segregate pulses. Further, an algorithm based on log-linear regression analysis is developed to process extracted features from each beat to calculate BP. Results: The mean error of 0.43 and 0.20 mmHg, mean absolute error of 4.6 and 2.3 mmHg, and Standard deviation of 6.13 and 3.06 mmHg is achieved for SBP and DBP respectively. Conclusions: The features extracted are highly precise and evaluated BP values are as per the AAMI standards. Clinical Impact: This continuous real-time BP monitoring technique can be useful in the treatment of hypertensive and potential-hypertensive subjects.

Abstract

This paper presents a robust short-term electrical load forecasting framework that can capture variations in building operation, regardless of building type and location. Nine different hybrids of recurrent neural networks and clustering are explored. The test cases involve five commercial buildings of five different building types, i.e., academic, research laboratory, office, school and grocery store, located at five different locations in Bangkok-Thailand, Hyderabad-India, Virginia-USA, New York-USA, and Massachusetts-USA. Load forecasting results indicate that the deep learning algorithms implemented in this paper deliver 20–45% improvement in load forecasting performance as compared to the current state-of-the-art results for both hour-ahead and 24-ahead load forecasting. With respect to sensitivity analysis, it is found that: (i) the use of hybrid deep learning algorithms can take as less as one month of data to …

Abstract

Rapid urbanization and associated land-use changes in cities cause an increase in the demand for electricity by altering the local climate. The present study aims to examine the variations in total energy and cooling energy demand in a calibrated building, caused by urban heat island formation over Delhi. The study used Sentinel-2A multispectral imagery for land use and land cover (LULC) of mapping of Delhi, and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) imagery for land surface temperature (LST) mapping during March 2018. It was observed that regions with dense built-up areas (ie, with built-up area greater than 90%) had a higher annual land surface temperature (LST), ie, 293.5 K and urban heat island intensity (UHII) ranging from 0.9 K-5.9 K. In contrast, lower annual values of LST (290K) and UHII (0.0-0.4 K) were observed in regions with high vegetation cover (53%). Statistical analysis reveals that a negative correlation exists between vegetation and nighttime LST, which is further confirmed by linear regression analysis. Energy simulations were performed on a calibrated building placed at three different sites, identified on the basis of land use and land cover percentage and annual LST. Simulation results showed that the site located in the central part of Delhi displayed higher annual building energy consumption (425.12 MWh/y) compared to the site located in the rural periphery (381.13 MWh/y). For all the three sites, the maximum electricity consumption and the cooling load were observed in the summer season, while the minimum were seen in the winter season. The study indicates that UHI formation leads to …

Abstract

In this study, a three-dimensional, four-storied, reinforced concrete (RC) building is designed for seismic zone-IV and seismically evaluated for different infill configurations along with consideration of openings in infills to develop a realistic model. Four models are considered, ie model I (full RC-infilled frame without lintel beam), model II (bare frame without lintel beam), model III (full RC-infilled frame with lintel beam) and model IV (bare frame with lintel beam). In this study, we have evaluated the effect of lintel beams on response reduction factor of the frame structure. The nonlinear static adaptive pushover analysis has been done using Seismostruct program. In seismic design, the response reduction factor (R-factor) reduces from the elastic to inelastic strength. The R-factor is one of the design tools to show the level of inelasticity in a structure and so it has significant importance in the earthquake engineering field. The response reduction factor mainly consists of ‘ductility reduction factor’and ‘over strength factor’, which are evaluated from static adaptive pushover analysis. Ultimately the response reduction factor is obtained for the building and compared with the value recommended by IS 1893 Part-1 (2016). The results depict that the