Construction usually involves careful preplanning and direct human operation of tools and material. Bringing automation to construction has the potential to improve its speed and efficiency, and to enable building in settings where it is difficult or dangerous for humans to work, e.g., in extraterrestrial environments or disaster areas. Nature provides us with impressive examples of animal construction: in particular, many species of termites build complex mounds several orders of magnitude larger than themselves. Inspired by termites and their building activities, our goal is to develop systems in which large numbers of robots collectively construct human-scale structures autonomously. In this thesis I present TERMES, a system comprised of (1) A high-level control algorithm for decentralized construction of 3D user-specified structures using stigmergy, exploiting implicit rather than explicit communication; and (2) A complete physical implementation where three robots reliably assemble such structures using only local sensing, limited locomotion, and simple control, exploiting embodied rather than explicit intelligence. A major contribution of this work is the translation from abstract models to a real robotic system. I achieved this through careful co-design of algorithms and physical systems and of robots and building material, allowing passive mechanical features to minimize control complexity. To attain reliable performance without relying on costly high-precision sensors and actuators, I put an emphasis on error-tolerant control, making robots able to autonomously detect and recover from small errors. This work advances the aim of engineering collectives of robots that achieve human-specified goals, using biologically-inspired principles for robustness and scalability. While our work is inspired by models of termite construction from the 1970s and 1980s, much is still unknown about how individual termites coordinate and respond to different environmental factors. To address this issue I developed methods and tools to enable high-resolution quantitative data collection on the behavior of individual termites engaged in collective construction in confined experimental arenas. This work advances our ability to study the termites which will hopefully lead to new insights on the design of robust autonomous systems for collective construction. / Engineering and Applied Sciences

Cette thèse a pour objectif de donner une représentation du fonctionnement de la communication dans les discussions à visée philosophique (enregistrées à l’école primaire et au collège). Plus particulièrement, il s’agit d’étudier la dimension intersubjective de la communication et de la construction du sens au sein de ces pratiques ainsi que la façon dont l’interaction se co-construit. Selon nous, la reconnaissance de l’importance de l’interlocuteur dans l’énonciation est indispensable pour saisir la véritable nature de la communication. Ainsi, en partant d’une approche interactionniste et socio-constructiviste, la construction du sens est envisagée comme un processus dynamique et comme une action commune aux locuteur et interlocuteur(s). Les bénéfices des pratiques philosophiques avec les enfants sont reconnus. L’analyse des interactions menée sur corpus montre que la discussion à visée philosophique est un terrain propice à la construction collective du discours, du sens et de la conceptualisation. Nous nous intéressons aux mécanismes de cette construction collective réalisée par les enfants et au rôle de l’animateur dans cette construction. Nous étudions particulièrement les phénomènes de reprise et un phénomène linguistique figurant parmi les processus d’orientation de l’attention permettant de guider l’interprétation et la compréhension des interlocuteurs : la dislocation à gauche du sujet. L’observation des données permet de contribuer à définir les fonctions pragmatiques de ces phénomènes ainsi que les différents buts communicatifs associés à leur emploi par les enfants et par l’animateur lors des discussions à visée philosophique / This thesis investigates meaning construction during philosophical discussions that took place at both a French first and middle school. More precisely, it studies the intersubjective dimension of communication and the construction of meaning in these practices. At the same time, it examines the ways in which the interaction is co-constructed. We believe that recognising the interlocutor’s importance in the utterance act is essential in order to understand the true nature of the communication. Employing interactionist and socio-constructivist approaches, the construction of meaning is considered as a dynamic process and as a joint action between the speaker and interlocutor(s).The benefits of conducting philosophical discussions of this type with children have previously been recognised in the literature. The analysis of interactional corpora shows that philosophical discussion is a favourable environment for the collective construction of speech, meaning and conceptualization. This doctoral study considers the mechanisms of this collective construction conducted by children and the role of the facilitator within this process. In this way, the thesis examines different phenomena like the repetition/reformulation and the left-dislocation of the subject. This linguistic phenomenon forms part of the attention orientation process and guides collective interpretation and understanding. Data analysis allows the thesis to contribute to define the pragmatic functions of the studied phenomena and the different communication purposes associated with their use by children and by the facilitator during philosophical discussions.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T14:30:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rosana de Sousa Pereira Lopes.pdf: 852482 bytes, checksum: 0bf8293101cf110d4458acba0aa4c678 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-10-20 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This research aims at analyzing how the school community recognizes the educational project and identifying how power relations are built on among members of the school community and educational project. These goals emerged from conducting field research in six schools of the state of Parana education involving teachers, students, parents, principals, teachers and staff. For the development of research, we adopted a qualitative approach, having as methodological parameter the content analysis. Seeking to achieve the proposed objectives and considering the evidence present in the information collected in the field, the research shows reflections on the pedagogical project, curriculum and collective construction, from power relations. We noticed that school communities express, through their beliefs, contributions, needs and achievements, a comprehension of teaching as a collective project and understand the school as a collective good; nevertheless, it should be emphasized that the concept of a collective expressed by the communities is permeated by ideologies, values and power relations which makes impossible recognize the pedagogical project as a tool and power of community yet. We still emphasize the fact that the educational project as a collective is not understood as a displacement process of power to the community, strategy for enhancement of people's right to decide about their lives / A pesquisa tem o objetivo analisar como a comunidade escolar reconhece o projeto pedagógico e identificar como são construídas as relações de poder entre os membros da comunidade escolar e o projeto pedagógico. Estes objetivos surgiram a partir da realização de uma pesquisa de campo em seis escolas da rede estadual de educação do Paraná, envolvendo professores, alunos, pais, diretores, pedagogos e funcionários. Para o desenvolvimento da pesquisa, adotamos a abordagem qualitativa, tendo como parâmetro metodológico a análise de conteúdo. Em busca de atingir os objetivos propostos e considerando os indícios presentes nas informações colhidas no campo, a pesquisa apresenta reflexões sobre o projeto pedagógico, construção coletiva e currículo, a partir das relações de poder. Constatou-se que as comunidades escolares expressam, por meio de suas crenças, contribuições, necessidades e conquistas, o entendimento de projeto pedagógico como construção coletiva e compreendem a escola como um bem coletivo; todavia, é necessário ressaltar que o conceito de construção coletiva expresso pelas comunidades está permeado de ideologias, valores e relações de poder que ainda não possibilitam reconhecer o projeto pedagógico como instrumento e poder da comunidade. Destaca-se, ainda, o fato de o projeto pedagógico como construção coletiva não ser entendido como processo de deslocamento do poder à comunidade, estratégia de valorização do direito do povo de decidir sobre suas vidas

Esta dissertação tem como tema central a concepção da coordenação pedagógica na Rede Municipal de Ensino: formação, o papel e os saberes necessários, baseada na pesquisa de campo com os secretários de educação e com as coordenadoras pedagógicas dos municípios de Dois Irmãos, Ivoti, Lindolfo Collor, Morro Reuter e Presidente Lucena, Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Para compreender e conceber o espaço da coordenação pedagógica na atualidade, a dissertação traz no primeiro capítulo a origem da supervisão escolar e o desenrolar histórico no contexto educacional e analisa os modelos de sua contratação nos municípios pesquisados. O segundo capítulo descreve e analisa o papel da coordenação pedagógica no atual contexto, sua função, seus novos desafios e exigências, fazendo-o através da análise de diferentes olhares teóricos e do depoimento dos secretários de educação e das próprias coordenadoras pedagógicas. No último capítulo, traz a contribuição de um olhar teológico sobre a coordenação pedagógica, assumindo uma postura e uma atitude amorosa e cuidadosa com o próximo, comprometida com o crescimento pessoal e profissional do coletivo da escola. / This dissertation takes as a central subject the conception of the pedagogic co-ordination in the municipal net of teaching: formation, the action and essential learnings, based on the research with the secretaries of education and with the pedagogic co-ordinators from Dois Irmãos, Ivoti, Morro Reuter, Lindolfo Collor and Presidente Lucena.To understand and conceive the pedagogic co-ordination space in the present time, the research brings in the first chapter the beginning of the school supervision, its historical evolution in the education context and it analyses the models of its agreement in the cities investigated. The second chapter describes and analyses the actions of the pedagogic co-ordination in the present time, its function, its new challenges and needs, through different theoreticians views, from the secretaries of education and pedagogic co-ordinators. The last chapter presents the pedagogic co-ordination also in the theological dimension, assuming a position and a loving and careful attitude with others, committed to the personnel and professional development from the general school.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:51:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 4695.pdf: 3167935 bytes, checksum: a9a3d84d28d9b6ce53525c6fc66b43b1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-09-27 / This work, developed by a partnership between Ergo&Ação ergonomic group from the Federal University of Sao Carlos and an oil refinery from the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, has as its primary focus the dialogue between ergonomics and design in the face of a decoking operator work situation. The origin of this demand is related to the occurrence of accidents that happened in the coking unit of the refinery, specifically during the decoking operation. To contribute to the understanding of the determinants and conditioning factors and the mechanisms of this operation, we attempted to systematize the actions of the operators and use their perceptions in the development of the design process. The theoretical background for this work was based on the social process of design, on the Ergonomic Workplace Analysis method (EWA), that is aligned with the corporative guidelines and standards of Health, Safety and Environment of the refinery, and on the Future Activity Approach. The results show two distinct rationales that guide designers of the refinery in the development of conceptual design processes of the company. The interaction between ergonomics and design in the conceptual designs favored the collective construction, enabling ergonomics to act as a member that integrates the conflict of values, representing the various actors in this process. / Este trabalho, desenvolvido a partir de uma parceria entre o grupo de pesquisa em ergonomia Ergo&Ação da Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar) e uma refinaria de petróleo, localizada no estado de São Paulo, Brasil, apresenta como foco a interlocução entre a ergonomia e projeto diante da situação de trabalho do operador de descoqueamento. A origem dessa demanda está relacionada à ocorrência de acidentes de trabalho na unidade de coque da refinaria, especificamente na operação de descoqueamento. Visando contribuir para a compreensão dos fatores condicionantes e determinantes e os mecanismos de funcionamento dessa operação, buscou-se sistematizar as ações dos operadores e utilizar a percepção destes no desenvolvimento do processo de projeto. Os pressupostos teóricos foram pautados no processo social de projeto, no método da Análise Ergonômica do Trabalho (AET), alinhado às diretrizes e padrões corporativos de Saúde, Meio Ambiente e Segurança (SMS) da refinaria e na Abordagem da Atividade Futura (AAF). Os resultados apontam duas racionalidades distintas que orientam os projetistas da refinaria no desenvolvimento dos processos de projetos de concepção da empresa. A interação entre ergonomia e projeto nos projetos de concepção favoreceu a construção coletiva, possibilitando que a ergonomia trabalhasse como um membro integrador dos conflitos de valores, representando os diferentes atores nesse processo.