Esse trabalho tem como foco a condição mencionada acima, nomeada como Transtorno do Desenvolvimento da Coordenação (TDC) pela AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION DSM IV (2002) e Transtorno específico do desenvolvimento motor, pela ORGANIZAÇÃO MUNDIAL DA SAÚDE - CID-10 (1993). Foi discutido que a base da classificação usada nas pesquisas acerca desse transtorno tem como finalidade primária o diagnóstico clínico, e também apontado as conseqüências desse tipo de definição para orientação de pesquisas. A heterogeneidade das amostras de TDC utilizadas em pesquisas prévias pode ser vista como um obstáculo à própria investigação do fenômeno. Foi explorada uma possibilidade de superar esse problema através de uma abordagem diferencial, na qual se buscou diferença na capacidade de organização temporal do movimento (timing) dentro da própria população que sofre desse transtorno, na tentativa de caracterizar grupos com maior homogeneidade. Para isso 44 sujeitos, entre 9 e 11 anos, foram selecionados com base no seu desempenho do teste MABC (HENDERSON & SUGDEN, 1992), sendo 20 sujeitos com TDC e 24 normais. Esses sujeitos foram submetidos a uma bateria de tarefas de timing para caracterizá-los. As variáveis foram analisadas conjuntamente através de uma análise de clusters. O exame do coeficiente de fusão e observação do dendograma sugeriu a partição em dois clusters. Os resultados mostraram que os sujeitos uma dos clusters podem ser caracterizados com relação apenas ao timing sincronizório. As demais variáveis de timing não discriminam os dois subgrupos / The focus of this study was the condition above mentioned, named Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) by the AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIANTION DSM IV (2002) and by WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION CID - 10 (1993). It was discussed that the purpose of the classification DSM IV and CID 10 is to guide the clinical diagnostic, and pointed out the implications of this criteria to orient how to select subjects in the researches. The heterogeneity of the DCD samples used in previous researches can be seen as a hindrance to investigating the problem itself. To try to overcome that obstacle, a differential approach was used, in which the difference in timing within the population who suffers that disorder was searched for, in order to characterize more homogenous groups. We selected 44 children, ranging from 9 to 11 years old, based on their performance in the MABC test (HENDERSON & SUGDEN, 1992), being 20 children with DCD and 24 without it (normal). The variables are analyzed together through a clusters analyzes. Examination of the fusion coefficients and the cluster dendogram suggested two groups. The results suggested that the DCD subjects who were grouped in each of the clusters can be characterized by their performance in the synchronic timing tasks only. The other timing variables do not discriminate the two subgroups

Grasping is fundamentally important for our successful interaction with the environment. Grasping with both hands is phylogenetically older than the hand yet its underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. The objective of this research is to examine bimanual grasping and its underlying mechanisms. Two experiments were conducted to examine whether bimanual grasping involves both hemispheres equally or only one dominant hemisphere, and to examine whether information crosses at an early visual level and/or at later sensorimotor/motor levels. The first experiment examined participants’ grasping and reaching movements while they fixated either to the left or right of the object. For the second experiment, EEG data was recorded while participants performed a similar task. The results from both experiments suggested that when we grasp an object with both hands, the left and right hemispheres control the action equally, and visual information is shared before it reaches areas that are involved in motor control.

Grasping is fundamentally important for our successful interaction with the environment. Grasping with both hands is phylogenetically older than the hand yet its underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. The objective of this research is to examine bimanual grasping and its underlying mechanisms. Two experiments were conducted to examine whether bimanual grasping involves both hemispheres equally or only one dominant hemisphere, and to examine whether information crosses at an early visual level and/or at later sensorimotor/motor levels. The first experiment examined participants’ grasping and reaching movements while they fixated either to the left or right of the object. For the second experiment, EEG data was recorded while participants performed a similar task. The results from both experiments suggested that when we grasp an object with both hands, the left and right hemispheres control the action equally, and visual information is shared before it reaches areas that are involved in motor control.

Many domains, such as emergency assistance, agriculture, construction, and planetary exploration, will increasingly require effective coordination of teams of robots and humans to accomplish a collection of spatially distributed heterogeneous tasks. Such coordination problems range from those that require loosely coordinated teams in which agents independently perform their assigned tasks, to those that require tightly coordinated teams where all actions of the team members need to be tightly synchronized. The scenarios of interest to this thesis lie between these two extremes, where some tasks are independent and others are related by constraints such as precedence, simultaneity, or proximity. These constraints may be a result of different factors including the complementary capabilities of different types of agents which require them to cooperate to achieve certain goals. The manner in which the constraints are satisfied influences the overall utility of the team. This thesis explores the problem of task allocation, scheduling, and routing for heterogeneous teams with such cross-schedule dependencies. We first describe and position this coordination problem in the larger space of multi-robot task allocation problems and propose an enhanced taxonomy for this space of problems. Recognizing that solution quality is important in many domains, we then present a mathematical programming approach to computing a bounded-optimal solution to the task allocation, scheduling and routing problem with cross-schedule dependencies. Specifically, we present a branch-and-price algorithm operating on a set-partitioning formulation of the problem, with side constraints. This bounded optimal “anytime” algorithm computes progressively better solutions and bounds, until it eventually terminates with the optimal solution. By examining the behavior of this algorithm, we gain insight into the impact on problem difficulty of various problem features, particularly different types of cross-schedule dependencies. Lastly, the thesis presents a flexible execution strategy for the resulting team plans with cross-schedule dependencies, and results demonstrating the approach on a team of indoor robots

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (MFA)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1992. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 19).

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1990. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 28).

Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1987. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 55).

Ces dix dernières années, la mondialisation des entreprises a bouleversé l'organisation des processus d'innovation. Dès lors, on constate qu'un nombre croissant d'équipes d'innovation repose sur des acteurs éparpillés dans le monde entier. Si les gains attendus sont légitimes (localisation proche des marchés, mains-d'œuvre qualifiées à moindre coût…) cet éparpillement des acteurs pose de réels problèmes de coordination. La littérature sur les équipes multilocalisées a jusqu'ici souligné ces difficultés sans pour autant apporter de réponses. À partir de la théorie de la contingence, le modèle de recherche propose d'étudier quels sont les principaux modes de coordination des projets d'innovation adaptés au contexte de la multilocalisation. Le test du modèle est réalisé au moyen des équations structurelles (PLS) et repose sur une enquête ad hoc menée auprès d'équipes projets soumises à différents niveaux de multilocalisation. Le résultat montre que la multilocalisation influence l'ensemble des modes de coordination identifiés et peut ainsi être considérée comme un facteur de contingence. Au final, cette recherche contribue à la littérature sur l'innovation et à celle des équipes multilocalisées en proposant deux configurations de modes de coordination (au niveau de l'organisation, de la décision et de la communication) distincts en fonction du niveau de multilocalisation (faible ou élevé). / Over the past decade, corporate globalization has changed the organization of the innovation process. A growing number of innovation teams are now organized around members scattered all over the world. If the expected gains are legitimate (location close to the markets, skilled and lower cost labor...) the scattering of these teams yields to real problems of coordination. The literature on distributed teams has highlighted so far these difficulties without providing answers. Based on the contingency theory, the research model proposes to investigate the main coordination modes of innovation projects that are adapted to the context of projects distribution. The empirical test of our model is achieved through structural equation modeling (PLS). It is based on an ad hoc survey conducted through project teams of different levels distribution. Main results show that the distance influences all the identified coordination modes and can be considered as a contingency factor. Finally, this research contributes to the literature on innovation and on distributed teams offering two configurations of coordination modes (in terms of organization, decision-making and communication) according to the level of project distribution (low or high).