In recent decades, mobile robotics have become one of the fastest growing research fields. Compared with wheeled and tracked robots, legged robots can step over obstacles and traverse unstructured terrains. This thesis focuses on two main tasks for supporting the development of a quadruped robot, i.e., the robot embedded system design and the joint motion control. To develop the robot embedded system fulfilling the technical requirements, a controller board using an ARM-based STM32 microcontroller is designed. First, we select the key components properly, according to the practical requirements and the marketing research. Then the onboard hardware architecture is proposed, and the circuit schematic diagrams for all the functional modules are designed. The specifications and a comparison of two versions of PCBs are also presented and analyzed. Based on the designed embedded system, the actuators and sensors are tested, and selected to set up the robot experimental platform. Moreover, the firmware is configured, and the software is developed to control the position and velocity of the motors. Furthermore, the moving average filter (MAF) based cascaded PID control algorithm is designed, and is implemented to manipulate the robot joints. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control method. / Graduate

The present study investigated how engaging in a behavior that is potentially incompatible with covert verbal behavior, singing aloud, affected the percent of correct responses and reaction time during equivalence tests as compared to engaging in a behavior considered compatible with covert verbal behavior, alternating foot tapping, during testing. Results varied between participants with some participants showing higher accuracies in the incompatible condition and some in the compatible condition. Performance in terms of accuracy and reaction time were correlated, with higher accuracies in the compatible condition being correlated with faster reaction times in the compatible condition. Limitations discussed include a low number of participants due to COVID-19, the covert nature of the behavior of interest, the length of time required to complete the experiment, and the challenges to monitoring the incompatible behavior due to social distancing requirements. Potential future research is discussed in light of these limitations.

The present study evaluates the effects of incompatible verbal behavior when engaging in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). The WCST is a complex task that requires participants to match stimulus cards based on self-generated rules. After a varying number of trials, the rule changes and the participant will have to self-generate a new rule. Verbal behavior, specifically joint control, is likely involved in rule-following. Seven participants took part in this study. Participants engaged in the WCST either silently or while performing a putatively incompatible behavior, counting backward from 100 to 0. Results suggest joint control might be involved as when participants engaged in the incompatible behavior their performance was affected in terms of lower accuracy and longer reaction times compared to the silent baseline.

No description available.

Establishing effective language intervention for those who struggle to acquire it early on has received significant attention from researchers within the field of behavior analysis. The procedures of the present study were adapted from Spurgin' thesis research from 2021, in which a stimulus specific consequence was used during teaching after participants made correct responses. In this case, the stimulus specific consequence was a label for a picture that participants were required to point to during teaching trials. When participants pointed to the correct card, the researcher would label the card and deliver a small wooden block which the participants were told they were working for. In the hear-say procedures, participants were taught one set of cards and instructed to echo the researchers' labels. In the see-say participants were taught a second set of cards and instructed to "beat' the researcher to saying the word. After all cards were taught, were tested with a non-vocal receptive identification test. Immediately following this, participants were tested with a vocal expressive identification test. An extended teaching was included to determine the effects of additional practice within each condition. Results indicated that the participants were able to require some receptive and expressive language but targets often did not correspond. In many instances, receptive mastery did not necessarily lead to expressive mastery or vice versa. Results also indicated that additional practice improved receptive scores but had little impact on expressive scores. Implication for teaching learners with autism as well as typical adults is discussed.

Le contrôle conjoint correspond à la situation dans laquelle plusieurs personnes détiennent le contrôle d’une société. Des définitions distinctes de la notion de contrôle conjoint existent en droit financier, en droit des sociétés, en droit de la concurrence et en droit comptable et ont, a priori, un champ d’application limité à chacune de ces branches du droit. Chaque définition est étudiée en vue d’en dégager les critères, en prenant appui sur les réglementations, la pratique des autorités et la jurisprudence. Sur le fondement de ces différentes définitions fonctionnelles du contrôle conjoint, une définition commune peut être dégagée : « le contrôle conjoint est un accord par lequel les membres d’une société conviennent de déterminer ensemble et de manière égalitaire la stratégie sociale ». Les éléments principaux de la définition commune sont précisés. Le contrôle conjoint pose par ailleurs des problématiques relatives à son régime juridique. D’une part, le champ d’application du contrôle conjoint est rarement défini parce que les textes font généralement référence au contrôle uniquement. Il est proposé de déterminer le champ d’application en fonction de la finalité du texte. D’autre part, les textes, qui renvoient à la notion de contrôle, prévoient des conséquences juridiques en précisant rarement les modalités de mise en oeuvre de ces conséquences à plusieurs contrôlaires (solidarité passive, indivisibilité ou pluralité des obligations). La règle de principe est l’application de la solidarité passive aux obligations découlant du contrôle conjoint. / Joint control is the situation according to which several persons hold control of a company. Various definitions of the notion of joint control exist in financial law, corporate law, competition law and accounting law and have, a priori, a scope limited to each of these fields of law. Each definition is separately studied in order to identify its criteria, by relying on regulations, the practice of authorities and the case law. On the basis of these different functional definitions of joint control, a common definition can be found: "joint control is an agreement according to which members of a company agree to determine jointly and equally the social strategy ". The main elements of this common definition are clarified. Joint control also raises issues relating to its legal regime. On the one hand, the scope of joint control is rarely defined because the texts generally refer only to control. It is proposed to determine the scope according to the purpose of the text. On the other hand, texts that refer to the notion of make provision of legal consequences without specifying how to implement these consequences to several controllers (joint liability, indivisibility or plurality of obligations). The rule of principle is the application of joint liability to the obligations arising from joint control.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2016-11-29T11:29:13Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Denigés Maurel Regis Neto.pdf: 3904411 bytes, checksum: cf8fe61d6c1b14ebbe5995af12a3ddd6 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-11-29T11:29:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Denigés Maurel Regis Neto.pdf: 3904411 bytes, checksum: cf8fe61d6c1b14ebbe5995af12a3ddd6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-10-05 / Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo / The work takes the view that the Joint Control is a contribution to the analysis of Problem-solving behavior, especially in solving logical problems. Introducing the Skinner's analysis Problem Solving and its gaps in Study 1, and the notion of Joint Control in Study 2, the thesis is supported in Study 3 with the analysis of the links between the elements of the Joint Control and problem solving. Study 3 shows how codic and transformational responses, and multiple control of a response (Joint Control) contribute to our understanding of the precise performances Matching to Sample (MTS), MTS itself as a problem situation in which resolution-responses are part of the necessary behavior to the assignment, identification of controls present in the flow of problem-solving responses; their participation in the formulation and confirmation of mathematical problem solving; in the development and control by rules, ; and, lastly, the possibilities of controls that act on the listener's behavior on strengthen and agree with the speaker / O trabalho defende a tese de que o Joint Control é uma contribuição para a análise do comportamento de Resolução de Problemas, em especial na resolução de problemas lógicos. Apresentando a análise skinneriana de Resolução de Problemas e suas lacunas no Estudo 1, e a noção de Joint Control no Estudo 2, a tese é sustentada no Estudo 3 com a análise das articulações entre os elementos que compõem o Joint Control e a a resolução de problemas. O Estudo 3 demonstra como as respostas-códicas e transformacionais, bem como o controle múltiplo sobre uma resposta (Joint Control) contribuem para: compreensão dos desempenhos precisos em Matching to Sample (MTS), o próprio MTS como uma situação-problema na qual respostas de resolução fazem parte das respostas necessárias para a atividade; identificação dos controles presentes no fluxo de respostas de resolução de problemas; sua participação na formulação e confirmação das soluções de problemas matemáticos; na elaboração e no controle por regras; e, por último, nas possibilidades de controles que atuam no comportamento do ouvinte ao reforçar e concordar com o falante

Objective: The challenge of keeping humans in meaningful control of highly automated systems is growing as these systems become more common in high-risk domains like aviation, the military, and emergency services. One suggested method to ensure human control and responsibility is to apply the principles of meaningful human control. This study aimed to explore the applicability of meaningful human control through a case study involving operators interacting with a prototype interface designed for controlling multiple unmanned aerial vehicles fighting forest fires.  Method: A simulated scenario was created and implemented through a prototype interface for human-swarm interaction. Empirical data included screen- and audio recordings of participants engaging with the simulated scenario through the prototype. The Joint Control Framework was used to transcribe and analyze the interaction.  Results: The results indicate that the level of meaningful human control in the interaction between the operator and the unmanned aerial vehicle system is dynamic and context-dependent. It varies based on the type of task, the operator’s level of cognitive control, the level of interaction with the swarm, and the system’s level of autonomy. It is realized through the joint actions performed by the operator and the system.  Conclusion: For meaningful human control to be applicable, it needs to be operationalized as a situated and contextual measure, rather than a binary concept. Future measures of meaningful human control, whether subjective or objective, should reflect this approach.

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Text in Afrikaans / In hierdie ondersoek is daar navorsing gedoen oor die aard en rol van fisiese beheer in die sakereg met die oog daarop om dit te omskryf en die funksies daarvan te identifiseer. By die verkryging van eiendomsreg word net vereis dat die fisiese beheer wat ten aansien van die saak uitgeoefen word, effektief moet wees. Of 'n saak effektief beheer word al dan nie, word aan die hand van die heersende verkeersopvattings getoets. Hierdie verkeersmaatstawwe wat in die praktyk ten aansien van bepaalde soorte sake uitgekristalliseer het, is buigsaam en veranderlik en dit maak dit moontlik dat die reg by maatskaplike en ekonomiese veranderinge aanpas. Die funksie van fisiese beheer in gevalle van verkryging is altyd publisiteit. In die geval van die beskerming van eiendomsreg word fisiese beheer besonder breed omskryf en daar word slegs verwag dat die persoon van wie die saak teruggeeis word, genoegsame beheer daaroor moet he om dit te kan teruggee. Die funksie van beheer is hier suiwer funksioneel. By die verlies van eiendomsreg speel fisiese beheer nie juis 'n besondere rol nie aangesien die verlies van beheer nie noodwendig op die verlies of beeindiging van eiendomsreg dui nie. Wanneer dit wel ter sprake kom, is die funksie daarvan publisiteit. In die geval van die verkryging van besit en houerskap, dien daarop gelet te word dat die enigste vereiste is dat beheer effektief moet wees en dit word weer eens aan die hand van verkeersmaatstawwe bepaal. Fisiese beheer word strenger omskryf vir verkryging as vir behoud. By die beskerming van besit en houerskap is die enigste vereiste wat gestel word dat beheer vreedsaam en ongestoord moes gewees het. Wanneer beheer oor 'n saak verloor word, gaan dit gewoonlik gepaard met die verlies van besit of houerskap. Die funksie van fisiese beheer is deurgaans publisiteit. Fisiese beheer word redelik streng omskryf vir doeleindes van 'n gewone pand en daar word gewoonlik vereis dat die pandsaak gelewer en gehou moet word vir die vestiging en behoud van 'n pandreg. Die funksies van beheer is hier sekuriteit en publisiteit. / This study examines the nature and role of physical control in the law of property with a view to defining this concept and identifying its functions. The only requirement for the acquisition of ownership is the exercise of effective physical control of the thing in question. Whether or not a thing is physically under control, is determined by the application of legal indicators deriving from use and custom. Such indicators as have cristallised in practice in respect of certain classes of things, are flexible and variable and enable the law to adjust to social and economical changes. The function of physical control in cases of acquisition is always publicity. The definition of physical control in cases of protection of ownership is particularly wide, the only requirement being that the person from whom the thing is reclaimed must have sufficient physical control of it to enable him to return it. The function of control is purely functional. Since loss of control does not necessarily indicate the termination or loss of ownerhip, physical control has no significant part to play in respect of loss, of ownership. Where it does come into play, however, its function will be publicity. In cases of acquisition of possession and holdership it is essential that physical control of the thing is effective and once again this will be determined by application of legal indicators. The definition of physical control is much narrower in respect of acquisition than in respect of retention. The only requisite for the protection of possession and holdership is peaceful and undisturbed physical control. Loss of control of a thing is usually indicative of loss of possession or holdership. Throughout the function of control is publicity. Physical control is quite narrowly defined in cases of ordinary pledge insofar as delivery and retention of the pledge object are usually required for the establishment and continuation of the pledge. In this instance, physical control serves the functions of both publicity and security. / Mercantile Law / LL.D.

Orientador: Aparecido Augusto de Carvalho / Abstract: In the last few years, several studies have been carried out showing that neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) can produce good therapeutic results in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). This research introduces a new robust and intelligent control-based methodology for human lower limb rehabilitation via NMES using a continuous-time control technique named robust integral of the sign of the error (RISE). Although in the literature the RISE controller has shown good results without any fine-tuning method, a trial and error approach would quickly lead to muscle fatigue in SCI patients. Therefore, it was shown in this study that the control performance for robustly tracking a reference signal can be improved through the proposed approach by providing an intelligent tuning for each voluntary. Simulation results with a mathematical model and eight identified subjects from the literature are provided, and real experiments are performed with seven healthy and two paraplegic subjects. Besides, this research introduces the application of deep and dynamic neural networks namely the multilayer perceptron, a simple recurrent neural network, and the Long Short-Term memory architecture, to identify the nonlinear and time-varying relationship between the supplied NMES and achieved angular position. Identification results indicate good fitting to data and very low mean square error using few data for training, proving to be very prospective methods for proposing control-oriented ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Resumo: Nos últimos anos, vários estudos foram realizados mostrando que a estimulação elétrica neuromuscular (EENM) pode produzir bons resultados terapêuticos em pacientes com lesão medular (LM). Esta pesquisa introduz uma nova metodologia robusta e inteligente baseada em controle para a reabilitação de membros inferiores humanos via EENM usando uma técnica de controle de tempo contínuo chamada robust integral of the sign of the error (RISE). Embora na literatura o controlador RISE tem demonstrado bons resultados sem qualquer método de ajuste fino, uma abordagem de tentativa e erro poderia levar rapidamente à fadiga muscular em pacientes com LM. Portanto, foi mostrado nesse estudo que o desempenho do controle para rastrear com robustez um sinal de referência pode ser melhorado através da abordagem proposta, fornecendo um ajuste inteligente para cada voluntário. Resultados de simulação com um modelo matemático e oito sujeitos identificados da literatura são fornecidos, e experimentos reais são feitos com sete indivíduos saudáveis ​​e dois paraplégicos. Além disso, esta pesquisa introduz a aplicação de redes neurais profundas e dinâmicas, especificamente o perceptron multicamadas, uma rede neural recorrente simples e a arquitetura Long Short-Term Memory, para identificar a relação não-linear e variante no tempo entre a EENM fornecida e a posição angular alcançada. Os resultados de identificação indicam boa adaptação aos dados e erro quadrático médio muito baixo usando poucos dados para... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Mestre