Dagens digitala spel är oerhört komplexa produktioner som ofta kräver en multitud av  sofistikerade verktyg för att förverkligas. Ett intrikat nätverk av moderna lösningar där såväl  visuella som audiovisuella element samverkar för att frambringa fängslande och entusiasmerande  upplevelser är vad som gör dagens spelproduktioner, och ingen annan bransch har sett samma  raketutveckling som spelbranschen sedan dess begynnelse. Ljuddesignens roll i digitala spel har  dock förblivit passiv där andra element tagit an mer dynamiska roller i varierande form.  Generellt sett är ljudet oftast mer ett komplement till de visuella elementen än ett fristående  förmedlingsredskap. Då audiovisuell kommunikation ej delar vissa av de begränsningar som  visuell kommunikation innehar, såsom grafisk processeringskraft, bildskärmsavgränsningar etc,  så ser vi att ljuddesign besitter en stor mängd outnyttjad potential som i teorin hade kunnat  förgylla spelupplevelser kolossalt. Det här arbetet undersöker både genom analoga och digitala medel hur införandet av binaural  lyssning i spelproduktioner kan förbättra navigationsförutsättningarna för användaren avsevärt  då djup och höjd kan skildras mycket mer effektivt, samt hur dess applicering i tredimensionella  miljöer kan främja såväl nöjes­ som lärosyften i så kallade Audio based Environment Simulators  (AbES). / Today’s digital games are incredibly complex productions which often requires a multitude of  sophisticated tools to be fulfilled. An intricate network of modern solutions where visual as well  as audiovisual elements consociates to produce intriguing and engaging experiences is what  makes up todays game productions, and no other industry has seen the same rapid growth as the  games industry since it’s commencement. The role of sound design in digital games however  have remained passive whereas other elements have taken on more dynamic roles in varying forms. Sound is generally speaking more of a complement to the visual elements than an  independent mediation tool. Since audiovisual communication does not share some of the  limitations that visual communication possess, such as graphical processing power, the  boundaries of the computer monitor etc, we can see that sound design possess a large amount of  untapped potential that in theory could tremendously enhance gaming experiences. This paper researches, both through analog and digital means, how the implementation of  binaural listening in game productions could improve navigational prerequisites for the user  considerably so that depth and height can be depicted with much better effeciency, as well as  how it’s application in three dimensional environments could support both purposes of  entertainment and learning in so called Audio based Environment Simulators (AbES).

A robot should be able to autonomously modify and utilize its environment to assist its task completion. While mobile manipulators and humanoid robots have both locomotion and manipulation capabilities, planning systems typically just consider one or the other. In traditional motion planning the planner attempts to find a collision free path from the robot's current configuration to some goal configuration. In general, this process entirely ignores the fact that the robot has manipulation capabilities. This is in contrast to how humans naturally act - utilizing their manipulation capabilities to modify the environment to assist locomotion. If necessary, humans do not hesitate to move objects, such as chairs, out of their way or even place an object, such as a board, on the ground to reach an otherwise unreachable goal. We argue that robots should demonstrate similar behavior. Robots should use their manipulation capabilities to move or even use environment objects. This thesis aims at bringing robots closer to such capabilities. There are two primary challenges in developing practical systems that allow a real robotic system to tightly couple its manipulation and locomotion capabilities: the inevitable inaccuracies in perception as well as actuation that occur on physical systems, and the exponential size of the search space. To address these challenges, this thesis first extends the previously introduced domain of Navigation Among Movable Obstacles (NAMO), which allows a robot to move obstacles out of its way. We extend the NAMO domain to handle the underlying issue of uncertainty. In fact, this thesis introduces the first NAMO framework that allows a real robotic systems to consider sensing and action uncertainties while reasoning about moving objects out of the way. However, the NAMO domain itself has the shortcoming that it only considers a robot's manipulation capabilities in the context of clearing a path. This thesis therefore also generalizes the NAMO domain itself to the Navigation Using Manipulable Obstacles (NUMO) domain. The NUMO domain enables a robot to more generally consider the coupling between manipulation and locomotion capabilities and supports reasoning about using objects in the environment. This thesis shows the relationship between the NAMO and NUMO domain, both in terms of complexity as well as solution approaches, and presents multiple realizations of the NUMO domain. The first NUMO realization enables a robot to use its manipulation capabilities to assist its locomotion by changing the geometry of the environment for scenarios in which obstructions can be overcome through the usage of a single object. The system led a real humanoid robot to autonomously build itself a bridge to cross a gap and a stair step to get on a platform. A second NUMO realization then introduces reasoning about force constraints using knowledge about the mechanical advantages of a lever and battering ram. The discussed system allows a robot to consider increasing its effective force though the use of objects, such as utilizing a rod as a lever. Finally this thesis extends the NUMO framework for geometric constraints to scenarios in which the robot is faced with a substantial lack of initial state information and only has access to onboard sensing. In summary, this thesis enables robots to autonomously modify their environment to achieve task completion in the presence of lack of support for mobility, the need to increase force capabilities and partial knowledge.

In this thesis Sequential Monte Carlo filters, or particle filters, applied to aircraft navigation is considered. This report consists of two parts. The first part is an illustration of the theory behind this thesis project. The second and most important part evaluates the algorithm by using real flight data. Navigation is about determining one's own position, orientation and velocity. The sensor fusion studied combines data from an inertial navigation system (INS) with measurements of the ground elevation below in order to form a terrain aided positioning system (TAP). The ground elevation measurements are compared with a height database. The height database is highly non-linear, which is why a marginalized particle filter (MPF) is used for the sensor fusion. Tests have shown that the MPF delivers a stable and good estimate of the position, as long as it receives good data. A comparison with Saab's NINS algorithm showed that the two algorithms perform quite similar, although NINS performs better when data is lacking.

Due to their complementary characteristics, Global Positioning System (GPS) is usually integrated with standalone navigation devices like odometers and inertial measurement units (IMU). Recently, intensive research has focused on utilizing Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) grade inertial sensors in the integration because of their low cost. In this study, a reduced inertial sensor system (RISS) is considered. It comprises a MEMS grade single axis gyroscope, the vehicle built-in odometer, and two optional MEMS grade accelerometers. Estimation technique is needed to allow the data fusion of RISS and GPS. With adequate accuracy, Kalman filter (KF) fulfills this requirement if high-end inertial sensors are used. However, due to the inherent error characteristics of MEMS devices, MEMS-based RISS suffers from the non-stationary stochastic sensor errors and nonlinear inertial errors, which cannot be suppressed by KF alone. To solve the problem, Fast Orthogonal Search (FOS), a nonlinear system identification algorithm, is suggested in this research for modeling higher order RISS errors. FOS algorithm has the ability to figure out the system nonlinearity with a tolerance of arbitrary stochastic system noise. Its modeling results can then be used to predict the system dynamics. Motivated by the above merits, a KF/FOS module is proposed. By handling both linear and nonlinear RISS errors, this module targets substantial enhancement of positioning accuracy. To examine the effectiveness of the proposed technique, KF/FOS module is applied on RISS with GPS in a land vehicle for several road test trajectories. Its performance is compared to KF-only method, both assessed with respect to a high-end reference. To evaluate navigation algorithm in real-time vehicle application, a multi-sensor data logger is designed in this research to collect online RISS/GPS data. KF/FOS module is transplanted on an embedded digital signal processor as well. Both the off-line and online results confirm that KF/FOS module outperforms KF-only approach in positioning accuracy. They also demonstrate reliable real-time performance. / Thesis (Ph.D, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-01-22 01:26:11.477

This thesis reviews the legal, political and technical aspects of aeronautical information, with a particular focus on the situation of aeronautical information in Europe. It portrays the evolution of aeronautical information and its current nature. It looks at the responsibility for the publication of aeronautical information and the evolution of that notion due to recent trends towards corporatisation to the detriment of full State ownership. It also examines the question of liability for the publication of aeronautical information, including the various legal regimes under which victims of defective aeronautical information can claim compensation, as well as the legal mechanisms underlying and implementing such compensation regimes. The final chapter is concerned with electronic aeronautical information and the specific legal challenges this technological revolution has brought about.

Den här rapporten redovisar produktionsprocessen för en re-design av en webbsida. Kommunikations-byrån Åkesson & Currys webbsida har funnits i över fem år. I dagsläget tycker inte företaget att webbsidan representerar vilka de är, därför var ett led i produktionsprocessen att undersöka hur de ser på sin identitet. Målet var att med en ny vision av Åkesson & Currys identitet producera ett designförslag över en webbsida som presenterar dem på ett representativt sätt. Re-designen ska möjliggöra att användaren blir intresserad av byrån och gärna initierar till en ny kontakt med Åkesson & Curry efter ett besök på webbsidan. Rapporten beskriver mitt tillvägagångssätt genom intervjuer, kravhantering, personas och scenarios. Metoderna har lett till att jag fått en bra grund att stå på när jag utvecklat färgpalett, logotyp och producerat designförslag. Utvecklingen skedde i programmen Adobe Illustrator och Adobe InDesign. Resultatet blev en webbsida som är ljus, varm och intressant – motsatsen till Åkesson & Currys nuvarande webbsida. / This report describes the production process during a re-design of a website. The communications agency Åkesson & Currys website has existed for over five years. In these days the company does not think that the website represents who they are. The aim for me was to examine how they look upon their identity. The goal was to enable a new vision of Åkesson & Curry's identity and come up with design sketches of a website that presents them in a right manner. The re-design enables the user to become interested in the agency and desire to initiate a contact with Åkesson & Curry. The report describes my approach through interviews, lists of goals, personas and scenarios. These methods have led me to a solid starting point when developing the colour palette, logotype and producing the design sketches. The development was done in the programs Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign. The result was a website that is clean, warm and attractive – the opposite of Åkesson & Curry's current website.

In the next coming years global satellite navigation systems (GNSS) will make part of our daily life, as the world is becoming "GNSS-dependant in the same way that it has become Internet-dependant". Indeed, more than ten years folowing the opening up to civilians of satellite-based navigation systems initially designed for military purposes, civil satellite navigation applications are becoming more and more numerous. The potential benefits have proven enormous in terms of transport safety and efficiency as well as for non-transport-related industries. / Dans les toutes prochaines années, les systèmes globaux de navigation par satellite (GNSS) feront partie intégrante de notre vie quotidienne. En effet, un peu plus de dix ans après la libéralisation de l'accès des civils aux systèmes de navigation par satellite initialement conçus à des fins militaires, les applications civiles permises par la navigation par satellite sont de plus en plus nombreuses et les bénéfices potentiels sont énormes en matière de sécurité et d'efficacité des transports comme pour d'autres secteurs et industries. fr

Cette thèse propose une méthode de navigation fondée sur les risques, y compris à la fois la notion traditionnelle de risque de collision et la notion de risque de perturbation. Avec la demande croissante d'assistance à la mobilité personnelle et de la robotique de services mobiles, les robots et les gens doivent partager les mêmes espaces physiques et suivre les mêmes conventions sociales. Les robots doivent respecter les contraintes de proximité, mais aussi respecter les gens qui interagissent. Par exemple, ils ne doivent pas briser l'interaction entre les gens qui parlent, à moins que la tâche du robot est de prendre part à la conversation. Dans ce cas, il doit être en mesure de rejoindre le groupe à l'aide d'un comportement socialement adapté. Le système de navigation socialement conscient proposée dans cette thèse intègre à la fois l'évaluation d'un risque de collision en utilisant des modèles prédictifs d'obstacles mobiles, et une évaluation de conformité avec les conventions sociales. La gestion humaine de l'espace (espace personnel, o-espace, espace d'activité ...) inspirée de la sociologie et la littérature robotique sociale est intégré, mais aussi des modèles de comportement qui permettent au robot la realisation de une prédiction à moyen terme des positions de l'homme. Les résultats de la simulation et des expériences sur un fauteuil roulant robotisé donnent validite a la méthode en montrant que notre robot est capable de naviguer dans un environnement dynamique en évitant les collisions avec des obstacles et des personnes et, en même temps, en réduisant l'inconfort chez les personnes en respectant les espaces mentionnés ci-dessus.

Use of model-based path planning and navigation is a common strategy in mobile robotics. However, navigation performance may degrade in complex, time-varying environments under model uncertainty because of loss of prediction ability for the robot state over time. Exploration and monitoring of ocean regions using autonomous marine robots is a prime example of an application where use of environmental models can have great benefits in navigation capability. Yet, in spite of recent improvements in ocean modeling, errors in model-based flow forecasts can still significantly affect the accuracy of predictions of robot positions over time, leading to impaired path-following performance. In developing new autonomous navigation strategies, it is important to have a quantitative understanding of error in predicted robot position under different flow conditions and control strategies. The main contributions of this thesis include development of an analytical model for the growth of error in predicted robot position over time and theoretical derivation of bounds on the error growth, where error can be attributed to drift caused by unmodeled components of ocean flow. Unlike most previous works, this work explicitly includes spatial structure of unmodeled flow components in the proposed error growth model. It is shown that, for a robot operating under flow-canceling control in a static flow field with stochastic errors in flow values returned at ocean model gridpoints, the error growth is initially rapid, but slows when it reaches a value of approximately twice the ocean model gridsize. Theoretical values for mean and variance of error over time under a station-keeping feedback control strategy and time-varying flow fields are computed. Growth of error in predicted vehicle position is modeled for ocean models whose flow forecasts include errors with large spatial scales. Results are verified using data from several extended field deployments of Slocum autonomous underwater gliders, in Monterey Bay, CA in 2006, and in Long Bay, SC in 2012 and 2013.

Visuella vägledande element kan höja eller sänka en spelupplevelse. Därför har vi gjort en studie kring hur man kan uppnå intuitiv visuell navigation med fyra beprövade visuella vägledande element, nämligen ljussättning, färgkulör, färgmättnad samt objektplacering. Dessa element har använts för att skapa ett visuellt språk i en bana som vi har låtit ett antal respondenter spela och simultant kommentera. Resultaten har varit som väntat, att ljussättning fungerar som det starkast vägledande elementet, samt att respondenterna reagerade på, samt vägleddes av, nämnda element. / Visual navigation elements can make or break a game. Therefore we have conducted a study of how to achieve intuitive visual navigation using four visual guiding elements, namely lighting, color, saturation and object placement. We have used these elements to create a visual language for a level, and have had a number of respondents play the level whilst commenting. The results have been as predicted, that light gives the strongest guidance, and that the respondents reacted to, and was guided by, named elements.